08 November 2015

Leaving Kansas to Colorado

It was a long, cold rainy ride into topeka from my campsite in Valley Falls, KS. It was a nice ride though none-the-less. I was filled with anticipation for getting on the train for Colorado. I got to Topeka fairly early around noon and had errands to run. Hung out at the laudrymat for a while, hardware store and the thrift store. The thrift was the most important as I got a tip for taking a BOB trailer on the Amtrak. This includes finding a big ass duffel bag, which as it happened was perfectly perched on a shelf in the Topeka thrift I wandered into. It was actually a car top carrier bag with straps and all, long enough to fit the trailer. So after waiting til about 11 pm, I got down to the station to catch the Southern Chief train and started dissassembly. Amtrak provides a box ($15) and I had to take off my handlebars and pedals and deflate my tires to fit the 29er frame into the box. Pretty easy actually. Took apart the BOB and packed it as compact as possible until I had 4 carryon pieces that were just over the limit but fine for a weary conductor who just wanted to get that train rollin. Worked like a charm.
The train ride was great, mostly night and it was nice to sleep some. As morning came, so did the flat desolation of eastern Colorado and soon it changes to blowouts and mesas. The train was filled with a large party of Amish headed to a wedding in Trinidad, Co which is where I got off too. As we got off in Trinidad the Amish folk were excited to learn of my journey and watched a bit while I reassembled my bike. That process took awhile and finally I got done and went to find my way out of Trinidad. It was not a town I wanted to stay in. Had some bad vibes right when I got off the train, save for the Amish. Once they left though, I wanted to get out of there too. I headed for the hills to camp.

State Capitol Building, Topeka
Packin up at the station

Eastern Colorado Moon

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