Day 22

  

61 Miles
I woke up early, well, early for me. I packed up all my gear. Most of it had dried out. Even my shoes were slosh-free. I set out by 9. I ate a big breakfast and partook in the forbidden energy drink (I am hypersensitive to caffeine). I set off with a good pace. The hills didn't seem to phase me. I couldn't tell if it was the energy drink or if I was just kickass. I pretended the latter. I rode several miles along the ridges of the hills. I found that I liked this. I noticed the wind was at my back. I was pumping out comfortably at 18-19 mph. I felt amazing. I whipped out 30 miles within a short while.. I ate again. I stocked up on water.
I enjoyed some good fast downhills. I pedaled along the Mississippi River. The towering bluffs both intimidated me and put me in awe. I enjoyed thinking about Wisconsin on the other side of the river. I saw the trains in Wisconsin and pretended to race against them. It kept me entertained for a bit.
The road pulled in away from the river. I had some really big climbs and the sun climbed with me. It pulled the moisture from the ground and into the air. The humidity kept thickening. I found myself climbing the biggest of these hills in the afternoon. The temperatures were in the 90s. The sun shone directly on me. The bluffs offered little to no shade. Every pore in my body seeped sweat. I was dripping wet with water from my own body. I tried to ration my water, but was still drinking it down a litre at a time. I had to stop every quarter mile or so to wipe my brow, my arms, my neck.
I finally finished the biggest of the climbs.
I was looking forward to the downhill, but my front rack was angling dangerously close to my tire's spokes. I needed to take it all off and reassemble it entirely. However, without a knife, I had to wait. As I coasted down the hill at much slower than I would have liked pace, I saw a woman walking up the hill. She was using a walking stick and looked as though she was hiking or some such outdoor activity. I stopped and asked her if she had a knife I could use. She did. She helped me cut the zip ties. We chatted as I tore down the rack. She had been fishing, with no luck, and was on her way back to her cabin just up the road. After a bit when she seemed sure I'd be able to move along fine she went to leave. She turned around and gave me a multi-tool with a knife on it. She told me to keep it because she had other knives and tools. I thanked her and asked her name. It was Kristi. We both laughed when I said my name with a "k" and she said hers too. It's a common question, followed by the exchange of y, i, ie, or just e. I thanked her again and she hiked up the hill.
My repair of my rack was extensive. I had to strip off the rubber around the U-bolt. It had been bunching up and hitting the spokes. I wrapped it with electric tape to cushion it against the front fork. I had to find new ways to zip tie the rack on so it would hold more securely. I used about 8 zip ties in the process. No super glue was needed in this repair. I packed back up and cleaned up the many zip ties. During this whole process 15 cars must have stopped to make sure I was okay. I assured all of them I was fine.
Finally, I carried on ascending into a small town where I rehydrated and ate. I rested for a good hour outside a small store. I rode on another 14 miles along some moderately hilly forests. It was easy compared to the days earlier climbs.
I ascended for the last time this day. I rode along the Mississippi into a tourist area. House and fishing boats lined the river. The train tracks ran between me and the river. The  views made me feel good about my day. Also making me feel good about my day was the convenience store clerk who asked where I had ridden from. I responded wanting to know whether he meant today or for my trip. He said both. I told him where I had started and how many miles I'd done. He was impressed and commented on the big climbs I would have had to completed to make it there that day. I felt hardcore awesome. When he asked why I was biking across the country I said just because I want to. His reply "That's what I like to hear." The admiration felt good. Without cell service I could not get my daily encouragement from friends and family, so it was doubly appreciated.
 I found a campground outside of Lansing Iowa. I ended up with a grassy spot along a creek. The campground was quiet. I got some writing done. I showered. The showers took quarters. I spent a few dollars just to enjoy the hot water and wash the layers of salt that I had accumulated in the day. I went to bed as soon as the sun was down. I slept well.