Kansas in a flash!

Day 20

Miles Completed 1,520

Approximate Miles Remaining: 1,880

See Kyle on the Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ei=8L4iSs_MGZCEtwfQ1ry6Bg&resnum=0&q=fredonia,+ks&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=874iSuGGA52NtgeC07zSBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Kyle had breakfast this morning in Fredonia, KS (see picture). He had a monster day yesterday as between Friday night and breakfast this morning he had logged 156 miles. Kyle is now headed towards El Dorado, KS and is planning to skirt Wichita to the north. The last few days Kyle has made tremendous time and is already 1/3 of the way across Kansas!

The Kansas Border!

Kyle crossed the border into Kansas at approximately noon. At that time he had approximately 14 miles left today. Above is a picture at the border. There was a slight headwind today so progress has been labor-intensive!

Walnut Grove, MO

Total Miles Completed 1,364

Kyle rode to Walnut Grove, MO and camped lastnight. It was another 100 mile day and he anticipated being in Kansas by mid-day today. At this point he has made it through the notorious Missouri rolling hills and is ready to blast across the plains!

Houston, MO

Kyle rode 45 miles today to Houston, MO. He said there was a headwind but otherwise nice weather. The reason for a shorter day was that the next town is about 70 miles ahead with not much in between. The ride is going well, had another slow-leaking flat on the rear tire yet otherwise all is well!

Kyle is now headed west on Highway 106, towards Springfield, MO. The above picture of an old mill was taken just west of Eminence this morning as he left town.

Eminence, Missouri

Day 16

Miles Today: 67

Total Miles Completed: 1,219

Approximate Miles Remaining: 2,181

Kyle rode 67 miles today, setting up camp in Eminence, Missouri. Eminence is the canoe capital of the world and accordingly Kyle spent much of the day riding along the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (see picture), with his current campsite on the edge of the Mark Twain National Forest. At this point, Kyle is approximately 75 miles southwest of St. Louis and 75 miles north of the Arkansas border (see link below). Kyle said that the ride today was great although fairly roundabout as well as very hilly, as he experienced increasingly steep terrain as he progressed. He was in his lowest gear several times, slowing grinding up the grade then attempting to tame the extreme load during the downhill portions.

See Kyle on the Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ei=v6AdStPFA8LcmQeUzvy2Bg&resnum=1&q=eminence,+missouri&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=z6AdSpyDCdKGmQe5xrjLBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Missouri Hills!!!

Hello Everyone,

Today was my first bout with the infamous hilly terrain in Missouri. Unfortunately it rained through the evening and until about mid-day today which made packing up my tent and riding this morning a little wet. Nevertheless, I made it another 66 miles to Piedmont. Peoples' accents as well as the extreme number of churches in towns (I've counted nine so far in the small town of Piedmont) as well as out in the country indicate that I am still in the cultural South. The bike has been working great and I've been able to find places to stay each evening without any problems up to this point. Since it is more difficult to cover great distances in these hills, it will likely be a few more days before I roll down the last one into Kansas. Thank you again Steve for keeping in touch and posting updates!

West of the Mississippi!

Kyle's in Missouri!!

Day 14

1,070 miles completed

I just spoke with Kyle; he's in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, he put in 100 miles this morning and is planning to ride a few more this afternoon. After staying in a motel last night he said he felt great and was ready to go early this morning! The final destination for this evening will be Jackson, Missouri. At this point Kyle is at the southernmost point of his journey. He sounded in great spirits and said the bike is rolling along very well. He was excited because he had ridden by an all-you-can-eat buffet and was making the most of it!

Day 13, May 24, 2009

Kyle made it to a very wet Illinois!

Day 13

970 miles completed

Kyle made it to Mt. Carmel, IL yesterday and just arrived in Harrisburg today. Two days ago Kyle rode 100 miles and followed it up yesterday with his longest day yet, at 145 miles!! Because of his two LONG days in a row, Kyle had a shorter day today and has checked into a motel to rest his bones and wait out a passing storm.

Looking good buddy!

How to Post a Comment!

Responding to several questions, following are the instructions to post a comment.

First, click on "0 Comments", directly under where my update shows up, next, type your message in the "leave a comment box", then type in the word verification under the box, click anonymous, and finally, publish your post at the bottom!

I hope this helps!

Comments

Remember to leave your comments for Kyle; there's a spot under every post. I forward the messages on each day as it helps to keep him peddling!

May 22, 2009, Day 11

Kyle is in Kentucky!

May 22, 2009

Day 11

685 miles completed

2,715 miles remaining

Kyle had another 60-mile day yesterday, and as he explained, it was a beautiful ride although VERY hot! Because of this, his plan for today was to get up early and be done with his ride by about noon, two hours from now. As of last night, Kyle had ridden 655 miles and as of now is approximately 685 miles in. The countryside is beautiful, as can be seen in the picture taken this morning near Falmouth, KY; rolling hills, much vegetation, and not many people!

See Kyle on the Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=falmouth,+ky&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=gKwWSpTgG9aDlAf7loXcCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1

Wednesday 5/20/09

Day 9

Approximately 595 miles down

Kyle rode 115 miles today! After riding on highway 62 southwest through Ohio today, Kyle intended to camp in Hillsboro, OH. After attempting to set up camp and not being able to find a suitable place, Kyle made dinner, then re-mounted the bike, riding another 25 miles. At this moment, Kyle is approximately 25 miles southwest of Hillsboro, camped in a rural community, in a good samaritans front yard. Kyle is in good shape physically, the bike is working well, and thus the journey continues!

Map Update!

Tuesday 5/19/2009

Kyle arrived in Deleware, OH this afternoon at approximately 4pm. After attempting to set up camp in the city park and being told he couldn't be there past 11pm, he's now camping next to the fire department in a small park. Deleware is a small town, as can be seen in the attached self-portrait. After arriving, Kyle had a walk around town, made dinner, and is now plotting his next long ride tomorrow.

Kyle Leaves Cleveland Monday 9am

Kyle left Cleveland to ride southwestern on Monday morning at 9am. These three pics are as Kyle left Beachwood, Ohio. On Monday evening Kyle arrived in Loudenville, OH, an approximate 60 mile ride. It was a beautiful day, mid-60's and sunny!

Katie Graduated!

Kyle rode into Cleveland on Saturday morning, capping his first 5 days and approximately 340 miles. His sister-in-law Katie graduated on Sunday as a dentist! (pic above). We had a great party for her, Kyle had a nice weekend off of riding in Cleveland with family.

Hello Everyone,

Knowing I had to arrive here this morning, it was good that I took advantage of the beautiful weather and the tailwind yesterday. For dinner I purchased two cans of Bush's baked beans and one pound of ham and combined these with rice I was carrying over my backpacking stove. I arrived in Cleveland today after 40 miles into the wind from the campground this morning. It will be good to have a couple days off to celebrate Katie's graduation and let my legs recoup. The scenery up to this point has been rural with rivers, lakes, and many trees. The bike has been working well and, with the exception of Thursday, the weather has been great! I will post additional pictures over the next couple days and thanks for your support.

Kyle's first camping night!

5/14/2009, Day 3

Today Kyle Arrived In: Titusville, PA

See Kyle on the Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=titusville%2C%20pa&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
Miles Traveled Today: 70
Miles Traveled Total: 228
Miles Remaining: 3,172

Kyle’s Update: Kyle just arrived in Titusville, PA. It rained all day, until the last 10 miles. Because of the rain, everything got wet and the group checked into a hotel for tonight to do laundry and get everything dry, etc. A funny story Kyle told of today was that along the way today a lady in Tidioute, PA, trying to help, told the group a better way to go and he took the advice, unfortunately it ended up being an extra 10 miles in the rain, live and learn. Kyle is now approximately 120 miles east of Cleveland, OH (his Saturday destination). Everything else is going according to plan, there is a 50 mile day planned for tomorrow. Regarding the map, the purple line is the route via major highways; Kyle is sticking to backroads for both scenery and safety; I’ll try to track his actual route as best possible!

Day 2, Klondike, PA

5/13/2009, Day 2

Today Kyle Arrived In: Klondike, PA

See Kyle on the Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ei=ckcLSuCuFdKEmQeP8KTtCw&resnum=0&q=klondike%2C%20pa&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Miles Traveled Today: 60
Miles Traveled Total: 158
Miles Remaining: 3,242

Kyle’s Update: I just spoke with Kyle as he arrived at a campground in Klondike, PA. He said the 60 mile ride today was on a great, somewhat hilly route with a good shoulder, winding through countryside and arriving just on the eastern edge of the Allegheny National Forest. He’s battled a bit of knee pain after the long first day yesterday. Kyle was joined today by his dad, uncle, and brother Kenley along the route, riding along with Kyle and driving in relay. His current location is about 85 miles south of Buffalo, NY. The closest town to Kyle’s current position is Bradford, PA, the home of Zippo as well as the oldest refinery in the U.S. The four are camping this evening along PA Route 59 and will ride towards Meadville, PA tomorrow.

Kyle's First Day

5/12/2009, Day 1

Today Kyle Arrived In: Wellsville, NY

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=wellsville,+ny&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=n9AJSrGHK460MY6puNkL&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

Miles Traveled Today: 98

Miles Traveled Total: 98

Miles Remaining: 3,302

Kyle’s Update: Hello everyone! As you may have heard, Kyle started his 3,400 mile journey today from Ithaca, NY, where he has resided for the past two years, towards the Pacific Ocean, fully self-supported via bicycle. His route includes roads through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and finally Washington. I’m Kyle’s brother Steve and I’ll do my best to keep everyone in the loop over the next 7ish weeks.

Kyle left 35 degree Ithaca this morning at 7:30am under mostly sunny skies and headed west. Kyle’s dad and brother Kenley were in attendance to see him off. Kyle just reached Wellsville, NY, his resting place for the evening, capping a long and hilly 98 mile first day. As he’s carrying everything on his bike that he needs to survive the majority of the summer alone, Kyle’s bike and gear account for approximately 90 pounds more than his usual training bike. In addition to the weight, hills, headwinds, and late spring weather, this will be a tremendous challenge! Please feel free to respond to this update with encouragement for Kyle and please also email any further recipients if you would like future updates sent to additional friends/family. I hope you can, as I will, enjoy living vicariously through Kyle’s adventure!

Progress:

Keep Peddling Kyle!!