Kersey Kick 200K March 5

Make sure that when you're close to Kansas that you have these to bring you home

If one doesn't dodge quick enough then they build up

Happy faces at the beginning

So we planned this ride to celebrate the end of a hard work schedule with Leslie Sutton, an R12 veteran and favorite riding partner. Forecast was for unfavorable winds and Leslie called the night before to double check that it was OK to ride. Of course my reply was "Why not, we can't miss the warm temps in March as one never knows what tommorrow brings".

It's a beautiful start with mild temps and wind. We stop to refuel and find out I have brought the wrong tube to fix a flat but use one of the sticky things that never work from Leslie. This vexed me the rest of the ride as I pumped the front tire 8 times the rest of the day. Leaving Milliken the promised wind began to blow from the west with us fighting the crosswinds and tailwinds as we went to Kersey. We arrive and opt for a meal at the Kersey Inn which, by the way, has a notable green chili.

While inside, the winds changed to about 50 mph from the NW which began to move the plowed fields to Kansas. At this point I was ready to call for a ride as I was not going to ride in a dustbowl. We waited for another hour to notice the skies clearing and embarked on the long open ride to Hudson. The wind shifted again from the west and we had to watch for the tumbleweeds.

Getting to Hudson was a relief and as every difficult ride, just set your goal of getting to the next stop. The wind has settled down to a steady hard blow from the west. Just the direction we are headed. So with single digits in speed we continue west. Leslie has had the foresight to bring light as I never thought we would finish in the dark.

I want to thank Leslie for her courage and spirit in completing this tough ride. She can always make a ride fun.