The overnight stop at Hasty, Colorado was pretty good. Sleeping in yesterday’s clothes was not so. At least I was ready to get out onto Highway 50 pretty quickly on day 70.
We didn’t have to drive to a start line for once so the day got underway at 04:58. That’s the earliest of this tour so far.
There was more than enough twilight to feel safe. The wide hard shoulder also helped. I was 2 miles into the day when the sun rose behind me.
I met the team for porridge at the 4 mile point. It was a quick turnaround and I was soon back out.
The next stop was at mile 13.5 for a wrap. Afterwards, a local lady came to see if we were ok in the RV. That often happens as people tend to think it’s broken down. She was called Peg. She recommended that I take Highway 194 to La Junta due to some roadworks down the way. The team had already mentioned this so I decided to go that way instead. But not before I left her with a leaflet.
As the team shopped in Walmart later in the day, they bumped into Peg who made a kind donation to St. Benedict’s Hospice. That’s now been paid via
https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025.
Highway 194 was a lot quieter than Highway 50. The hard shoulder was smaller but it mattered not.
The temperature rose to 39 Celsius (102f). I felt pretty comfortable though. Even despite wearing 2 layers on top and bottom.
Today was a record day for snake spotting. I saw them live, dead and where they had shed their skin. This one was either sleeping or dead. I didn’t hang about to find out.
All along Highway 194 I met the RV every 2 miles for a water top up.
The award to most ornate mailbox went to a one spotted at mile 22.
As I reached the 24.5 mile point it was time for food. However, I told the team that I’d be calling it a day. I felt really good in the searing heat. Arguably, the best I’ve coped with it so far.
TUNE OF THE DAY: All Again - Charles Wesley Godwin
The distraction of having a motel and it being Thomas’ last night was too much. I had a chance here for some good recovery time before tackling the start of the barren Highway 10 tomorrow.
That won’t get underway until Deb has driven Thomas to Pueblo very early on. He’ll then catch a bus to Denver to get a flight home. That will leave Deb solo on the team until Monday when Steve arrives.
Just like his predecessors, Thomas had done a great job. His cooking has been top notch especially. In fact, he’s left 3 days worth of wraps in the RV fridge for me. What a guy.
Thanks to those that have visited my JustGiving page and made a donation. If you would like to do the same, here's the link:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025
