Day 5: Scott City to Tribune KS

49.5 miles, 1,294 ft ascent, max grade about 2 %, elevation 3,616 ft, 4:46 riding time. 

We started out day with breakfast a the Best Western, which was pretty good for a hotel.
We continued riding West on the same Rt 96 we picked up back in Great Bend (which was 166 miles ago).

Today the wind was out of the South and SouthWest, but the gusts were not as strong as yesterday, so it was not as difficult a day.  I have noticed there are big grain silos spaced at about every 10 miles, and there is often a town at each silo.  However, many of them are small and there are no services.  Bill described the silos as sitting on small islands of trees in a vast sea of wheat.  On a clear day like today you can see the silos from about 11 miles away.  If you see a water tower near the silo, then it is a bigger town with services.  The distances are very misleading because the silos are so large.  You think you are getting close, and it is still miles away. I will include a photo of one in my blog tomorrow.
Today I passed a large wind farm, which I was happy to see.  Kansas is a perfect place for wind power because it blows all the time, and there is plenty of space for the towers.  I only wish there were more.
Rt 96 has a shoulder of about 4 ft, but when the big trucks pass, you are hit by a blast of air.  It is like a bow wave of air.  If they are coming from behind, the bow wave gives you a push, but then you are sucked toward the road.  When they are coming the opposite direction, you are hit in the face with a blast of air.  If you are pedaling up a gentle grade with a headwind at 7 mph or so, it can almost bring you to a stop.

We came across this monument to a cyclist that apparently provided assistance to traveling cyclists.  His name was John Egbers.  I will have to read about him when I return.  
There are lots of rest areas and city parks along our route.  This is where we stopped for lunch.
In this part of the country restaurants and stores are closed on Sundays and Holidays, so I ate a bagel and a Cliff bar for dinner.  Here is the city park in Tribure that we are camping in tonight.



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