Mountains in the Distance Today!

Today we are in La Junta, CO, with a long day to Colorado Springs tomorrow, another century +, but I've been taking it easy the last few days so that I am not really tired at all (we did a century yesterday to get from Kansas to Colorado). Yesterday was full of milestones. We hit 2,000 miles, changed into a new time zone (I am now 2 hours earlier than the East Coast), it was my first century of the trip, And rode into Colorado! (whose state sign, I might add, says, "Welcome to Colorful Colorado." The sign is brown. The landscape all around is brown. The irony did not escape me, clearly. And immediately when we entered Colorado the road we were riding on became the worst road I have ever tried to ride a bike on, full of holes and cracks and debris. It was horrible. Molly Pederson hit a hole and fell off her bike, breaking her collarbone, but she is so stoic! Just riding in the van for a week or two....(wow).

Because I don't have too much internet time left, a list of things I've seen and want to tell you, and want to not forget:

Camp Amache: Japanese "relocation camp" from WWII. We rode past this in eastern CO yesterday.

We are also riding along the Arkansas River, and have been for miles. I have been wondering if the Arkansas River empties into the Mississippi, in which case I think we have crossed it at least 7 times in the last two weeks, and are heading up to its headwaters.

No more dead armadillos. Mostly dead withered snakes and birds.

TONS and TONS of cattle feedlots. It makes me very glad I do not eat beef. They smell horrible, and are packed with cattle.

Holcomb, KS, setting for Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.

I know I left a lot of things out, but I am about to run out of time, and I can't think of them right now. The group is good. We're camping out tonight at a city park. Biking is good. The mountains will be intense, but I don't really care. I will go slow and steady, and it will be so beautiful. Mom is coming on Saturday, and we have a day off on Sunday! I need even more bike stuff now, sigh. Probably a new chain, new brake pads for the rear brakes, maybe new gloves because my left ring finger is permanently numb, and tire liners so that maybe my tires can make it to the Pacific. I will talk to you again from the midst of the Rockies, if I'm not too tired :o)

Love, Emily