JULY 20, 2026
This may be the most up-and-down profile of the seven days. It is 56.3 miles (90.6 km) and 3,590′ (1.094m) of gain.
Day 2. Harlan to Guthrie Center
This 60-mile day would be defined by the heat, with the temperature rising to 97° (36 °C). Did I say heat? How about Hills? In contrast to yesterday, where we had 28 categorized climbs according to RidewithGPS, today we had 35 climbs.
I had no plans to ride with my club teammates but just as I was rolling out, I saw Sue, Dave, and Lou roll past. I quickly joined them. We rode together most of the day. If we got separated, we usually regrouped at the next stop.
I stopped outside of Harlan at a roadside stand and bought a slice of peach pie. They were amazed when I said I would carry it in my pocket, but I did. There was lots of shade at Elk Horn, pop. 619. We stopped, and I enjoyed my slice of pie. Sue asked for directions to the troll, and they seemed complicated. Down the hill. Walk. etc. I chose extra moments in the shade with Dave while she went to see the troll. I regret not seeing it as well. I mean, how necessary is shade when it’s 96° (35 I stopped outside of Harlan at a roadside stand and bought a slice of peach pie. They were amazed when I said I would carry it in my pocket, but I did.
There was lots of shade at Elk Horn, pop. 619. We stopped, and I enjoyed my slice of pie. Sue asked for directions to the troll, and they seemed complicated. Down the hill. Walk. etc. I chose extra moments in the shade with Dave while she went to see the troll. I regret not seeing it as well. I mean, how necessary is shade when it’s 96° (35 °C)?
As we came to a traffic light in Elk Horn, Lou pointed out a huge windmill to the right. Since I was observing the traffic light, my eyes were straight ahead, and I would have missed it. It is a Danish Windmill, built in 1848 in Denmark and relocated here.
As we rolled into Exira, we came to a Casey’s. I went in to find a cold Coke Zero. Water or water with Nuun was getting old. The line inside started at the cash register, then went around the inside perimeter of the store, ending back at the cash register. It was probably 15 minutes to work one’s way through the line. I got my drink and a Slim Jim.
Just 100 meters later, we were walking out bikes in Exira. A chicken convinced me to buy some chicken on a stick (think skewer). ($5). It was absolutely delicious. I regretted buying the Slim Jim. I have a marketing idea. Maybe a cow should be used to convince someone to buy more chicken. I bet I could sell that idea to some restaurant.
Here I also had a Smoothie. It was my second on this trip.
We stayed together; often Sue and I were up the road from Dave and Lou but always waited. Near Guthrie Center, we stopped at a roadside stand offering free everything. This was provided by Bowman Chapel United Methodist Church in Guthrie Center. The “free” was take what you want but look at those donation boxes. Everyone understood that RAGBRAI charged high vendor fees and one way to skirt that was to give it away. I took water and a cookie.
Like 10 or 11-year-old Kaitlyn, whom we met Sunday night, there was a young man about the same age, handing out bottles as we passed (although we stopped). We talked to him. He was up this morning at 4:30 to do chores on his family’s farm. For livestock, they have sheep. For crops, they grow corn (of course), wheat, and rye. What a hardworking and very impressive young man. We did not catch his name.
We rolled it to Guthrie Center, pop. 1523, for the night. We took a shuttle to St. Mary’s Catholic Church for Beef and Noodles. ($15). The fellowship hall had AC that was overwhelmed. It wasn’t cool at all. And also had the least tasty food. I felt bad for the kitchen workers because it was so hot in there.
Back at camp, we were under a tornado warning, and a thunderstorm hit about 10:00 pm. My tent held up!
MILEAGE: 55.9 miles
MILES WITH PWCC: 54
Recent Comments