day 48 Eads, COLORADO! 61 miles (2193 total)

Woke at the crack of dawn, cool enough that we put on our arm and leg warmers. Did not need them for long though, as temps quickly climbed under sunny skies to a high of 90. After 16 miles we stopped to celebrate and photo-document our entrance into Colorado! The landscape is getting drier and even more wide open as we head west, with scrubby rangeland beginning to replace the wheatfields. We slowly climbed to an elevation of 4200' today, with some endless vistas especially to the north.

In Sheridan Lake we met 2 groups of cyclists. Jeff and his young daughter Rebecca had started in Arizona on a tandem. His wfe Gayle had started with them also but had to switch to SAG support due to heat stress encountered on their way to the Grand Canyon. Their plans are to head south after Richmond, VA and then to return to AZ via a southern route, finishing around Xmas time!

Arriving in Eads in the heat of mid-afternoon, we quickly found the city pool and cooled off. Later as a T-storm approached, we took shelter at the local diner and refueled with a salad bar, main entree and pie.

We,ve stalled long enough and the skies have cleared! Time to make camp in the city park (next to the mountain of bumper-crop wheat which has been stockpiled) and collapse!

Just as we were about to leave the diner, a young woman from Sweden came up to us and asked if we owned the tandem outside. She had started in SF, traveled through Utah, and was now completing her ride on the TransAm. A very brave girl indeed to be traveling alone by bike in a foreign country! A local woman she just had met was taking her out to dinner and putting her up for the night!