Today we had a hot day and a strongish wind that turned from slightly at right angles with our direction to a tailwind as the day wore on. We managed just over 77 miles, the most we did in a day so far and were happy to find a room at a Motel in Chadron. We plan to start early again tomorrow and we decided not to pitch the tent tonight.
We had a rough night with the wind blowing strongly and thunderstorms all around us. The wind was too strong for the tent and we slept on the picnic tables - just look at the big cottonwood branch that broke off during the night.
The sunrise was beautiful and we were soon on the road again.
Bill and Jude Lammert blew our minds away when they drove up from behind with a Frappucinno and an energy bar for each of us. We again had a lovely chat and said goodbye with smiles all around. Real trail angels these two.
where the Town of Gordan can be seen in the distance.
I have not yet seen this Gas Station, Pump and Pantry. What is more interesting is the billboard offering US$500 sign-up bonuses for new staff. We saw this all over Nebraska. When we asked the shopowners they were all unanimous; Covid upset the economy last year and now people do not want to work for the low salaries any more. They receive quite high unemployment and are not interested in low-wage jobs.
The section of the Cowboy Trail between Gordon and Rushville is complete.
We cycled a bit on the trail and shifted to the road again. This part of the trail runs parallel with the road and you see almost everything from the road as well. With an easier surface to ride on.
This is the view from the last hill before Rushville. I was quite hot by this time and
West of Rushville we could see that there is still quite a lot of work required to complete the trail. The tresles still need decks and railings while
the trail only has large pebbles for now.
The surrounding hills continued to provide a perfect backdrop for farms.
These horses stood on a hill and were, strangely, interested in us.
Just look at the colors, greens and browns and
yellow and greens.
About 15 miles east of Chadron the road followed a beautiful river valley.
The hills are covered with trees, a scene we have not seen for nearly the whole day.
There were also a number of rock outcrops in the distance.
At first we could not find a hotel room in Chadron. We stopped at a couple of Motels as we cycled through and we found a room at the Grand Motel. You will note that we also had a grand dinner tonight, Ramen, Coke and a chocolate to finish off the meal.
We also looked ahead and decided to skip the Blackhills of South Dakota. We are worried about our time and we shall do this 338 mile loop at a later stage.
We are also reviewing our route from Jackson, Wyoming to West Yellowstone, Montana. We have a planned route, but are worried that the trails would be too rough for our bikes and their narrow tires. Bill and Jude gave us wonderful advice, as they have also done many trails in the area. So, for the next couple of days we shall consider several options. Luckily we have some time still before we get to Jackson Wyoming.
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