Don’t get too excited about the miles. It’s a lot but at a price. I’m OK. Details later.

Got rolling out of Hobson at 6:30AM. Made quick work of 24 miles to Lewistown. Didn’t have breakfast until then (Mistake #1). Didn’t have option in Hobson.

I felt pretty good while I had breakfast. So good that I made a reservation at a B&B in Mosby. 81 miles from Lewistown. (Mistake #2)

It is so dry in this area that the grasshoppers are thick. I try to help control the population by running over as many as I can.

Grass Range was the next town. 33 miles away. Little further than I’d like but…The heat really kicked in on that stretch. I made it but extremely hot and tired. Sat in an air conditioned restaurant for an hour and had some lunch. Much better after the hour.

If you think I’m nuts, the guy below makes me look totally sane. He’s walking from Anacortes to Washington, DC. He started early April and thinks he’ll get there sometime in November. I think his walk is called March for Freedom. Not sure because my brain went dead a bit later.

The next possible stopping point was Winnett. 24 miles. After my lunch break that seemed reasonable. Only problem was that it was into the wind and the temperature was 103.

So that was really hard. I was totally exhausted when I got there at 5PM. Had something to eat and sat for an hour. During that time I wiped my hand across my forehead. Felt dirty. Weird.

I then noticed my arms, jersey, and shorts were white with salt. Houston we may have a problem. No Gatorade where I was and I was too brain dead to walk over to grocery store to see if they had some (Mistake #3).

Things got bad on my last 24 miles. What would normally take 2 hours took 3.5.

I did OK the first 8 miles but then my legs started cramping. First happened to right calf as I was getting off bike for a rest. You can’t imagine how solidly that muscle cramped. Hurt so bad that I screamed and had to sit and massage it for 10 minutes

It was still pretty sore when I went to get back on and then the left calf cramped. Not nearly as bad but it hurt. Now I’m pedaling with 2 sore calfs. You use your thighs more biking so suck it up. No choice but to make 16 more miles.

Those 16 miles were horrendous. Now my thighs were getting weird pains. Not really cramping but random shooting pains. Total and complete misery. Had to walk my bike up a couple hills that there is no way I should have to. Pedaling was no fun and neither was pushing a bike up hill.

I made it. Not sure exactly how. Kind of a blur.

I’m staying tonight at Hill Ranch Oasis. Terry and Donna are the proprietors. Super nice people and great accommodations. Even got to do laundry.

One of the other guests got me a giant glass of vitamin water as soon he heard my saga. That must have helped because I feel much better now.

Lessons learned: (1) Don’t go more than 70 miles in this heat (hotter next 2 days). (2) Have breakfast as early as possible in the day. Start carrying peanut butter. Eat some bananas. (3) Drink more Gatorade or be adding electrolytes to water.

With this heat, there is little chance I can make Bristol on the 8th. I think I can make South Dakota. How far? I haven’t a clue and I’m not going to guess.

I’m a bit disappointed but I know Gerty and I can make some big miles. I can’t control the weather and to ride far in this heat is really stupid.

Tomorrow I’m planning on taking it fairly easy. 50 some miles to Jordan. Then we’ll go from there.

Ride on.

Just Pete