Day 25 (September 8): Western Kansas and Colorado

I left this morning in a cold, gray shower that walked the line between mist and rain for a couple of hours. It was 49 degrees, which is about half the temperature I was expecting in Kansas when I planned this trip. Fortunately, I had enough warm clothing to get by, at least for the upper half of my body. I sailed through the first 30 or so miles, in part due to the tailwind (if not for this, I may have felt put-upon today) and in part because my legs were numb. Inclement weather can really make a person feel cut off from the world, especially cold, rainy wind, and especially in western Kansas. I must admit, I hardly even waved at the few trucks who passed me. I met up with Mark and Elizabeth in Tribune, and Mark joined me for the crossing into Colorado (above, he and Elizabeth at the rustic state sign). The rain had subsided, but it was still chilly, and we stopped at my 50 mile mark, three miles across the border. We are now in the Mountain Time Zone. Tomorrow we'll see just how different Colorado is from Kansas, if at all. Our first, and very significant, indicator was a 'Share the Road' bicycle sign just over the Colorado border. While we have seen a few 'Bike Crossing' signs and one or two bike route signs, this is the first 'Share the Road' since the Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. Missouri and Kansas need to get their act together.