Denver area to Belleville, KS - 424 miles

 Took one more look at the mountains and then I began the long ride home:

Hit Denver right at prime rush hour / construction lane closure time. Almost immediately, my right hand began to go numb. Clearly, part of the problem is me clinching too hard when under stress, because once I made it out of Denver, my hand relaxed. 

In Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Utah the sky had a reddish brown tint. This came back once I left Denver. The fires on the west coast continue to stain the air and during my ride today, it seemed like I could even smell the smoke. 

I’m not  sure which is the worst  area to ride through; Oklahoma, the Utah desert, eastern Colorado or western Kansas. Of course, none of these will ever be as bad as my ride in North Dakota 4 years ago.

 The temperature rose up into the mid 90’s and a cross wind started, but the road was in good condition because it is part of the “Highway System”.

Some background history. Interstate 36 is part of the US Highway system that was developed to enable travelers to follow standardized routes across any part of the nation. I have ridden on a number of these highways over the years. The development of the Lincoln Highway, from New York to San Francisco, was the first official Highway In the system. The second route to cross the United States was the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway (now known as U.S. Highway 36). In some places, 36, parallels the railway and in other places it’s close or actually on the old Pony Express route. 

I like these roads because they are well maintained, go through some historical areas / points of interest, and usually have needed services along the way. So far on the route I’m taking there have been adequate gas stations, “rest areas” (most of these are a couple of picnic tables and maybe a bathroom supported and maintained by local volunteer organizations) and motels. Today, I actually averaged slightly over 70 mph, but didn’t have to deal with the hassle of double and triple semis or people blowing by me at 85 mph or faster. Yes, there are trucks, but no where near the number that are found on I 70 or I 80. I just feel more comfortable on these roads.

No other pictures to post and I really don’t know my stopping points yet. It depends upon how I feel, construction, wind and the weather. The main thing is that Lucinda and I are pointing East!