D7 Hyannis to Thedford

Ride video

Map

I got yesterday's D6 installment written in the middle of the night in my tent. Good, no.

I woke up for good around 5:30. I wanted some good shots of sunrise on Frye Lake. The night had been clear as a bell when I got up to do my business despite very heavy condensation on the rain fly. Sunrise was 6:30. I slowly got ready. The dew was on the inside of the rain fly. If I bumped the tent a little shower of drops fell inside. I never have had dew this bad. I kept the tent interior mostly dry through careful movements.

At first light I crawled outside to see gray fog. No repeats of the those Carhenge at dawn shots. Still, I enjoyed the somber, mysterious feeling. The grass, sand, and fog reminded me strangely of the area around Point Reyes Station in West Marin County. Both are cow country, too.

I was ready to go shortly after 7:00 am and the notional sunrise. I biked into Hyannis. Three cattle trucks moving opposite my blew huge blasts of wind in my face, more than on the highway. Weird.

Hyannis, population 168, is a cute little town. I enjoyed having an excuse to go again, dropping my trash at the grocery store and getting new snacks. Soon I was out moving along the gray roads.

Thankfully, the road itself was not foggy. Still, my blinky red rear daytime running light paid for itself. It helps that Highway 2 has a HUGE shoulder that’s as wide as a bike trail and it has a rumble strip. 

Today was a chill day of pedalling. Nothing huge or spectacular happened, just lots of rolling dune/hills. I made good time because wind had died completely. I left Hyannis at 8:00 am and by 11:00 am I was in Mullen, 40 miles westward. I know it was 11:00 because I arrived just before grill change over at Big Red’s. Pancakes and eggs are a godsend to a vegetarian with a sweet tooth in rural America. 

As I was drawing long breaths contemplating the ride to Thedford, three new people walked in, two of who happen to be from Mountlake Terrace! They’d just bought a house in Mullen from the third person who was a Mullenite who used to live in Edmonds. As we talked, it became clear that the house was an insurance policy in case society falls apart as it seems to be doing now. I go with the “I like soup” strategy in situations like this. Thankfully, one of them used to bike a lot. The threat of rain around 2-3 pm gave me an excuse to make a quick exit. On my way out I met a local woman who used to live in Tacoma. She wasn’t connected with the three inside. Is all of Mullen ex-PNW people?

South of Mullen are two very fancy golf courses. Jack Nicklaus designed one of them. Rich people fly in to the little airport to play them. Sadly, the town doesn’t look like it is getting anything from the proximity. I wonder if that’s why I was passed by five Shelby Cobras just outside of town.

Past Mullen, the hills get smaller and the landscape opens up. Shortly before Seneca, I hit Central Time. Woohoo! After Seneca I came to the Middle Loop River which added trees and more green. I found Rainbow Llamas. Soon I reached Thedford. For accommodations, I had the choice of the slightly neglected City Park with water, but no bathroom and an inexpensive hotel. With the threat of getting wet again and a dew damp tent in my bag, I opted for the hotel. I am a hobbit at heart. As I started this I could hear rain drops on my window. What a beautiful sound. 

I want to correct an omission from D5 Alliance: I forgot to mention that my new friend, Arlo, gave me four of his Colorado peaches which I slurped up greedily in Alliance because they’d never survive the bike.