We’re not in Kansas anymore (Too good of a time not to say it). I had heard from previous riders that Kansas is one of the most challenging parts of the trip, even after experiencing the sweltering Nevada sun or the daunting Rocky Mountains. I heard things like, “Don’t let them tell you Kansas is flat: it’s not.” And, boy, were they not kidding. Following up on the 120-day, on June 22nd, we rode out of Sharon Springs, our legs still burning from the day before. With a farewell breakfast from the people at United Methodist Church, we woke up and hit the road, and made our way to Hoxie, with only a slight delay from a passing storm. The Kansas sun hit hard, and the flies at every stop were constant. After arriving at our destination, we were hosted by a restaurant in town called The Elephant, a fine and eclectic restaurant that, like its namesake, seemed a little out of place – like the elephant in the room. They fed us dinner and let us set up our merchandise table, which we were incredibly grateful for. While in Hoxie, we discovered that Fish, the lizard we had brought from Utah, a faithful companion, and certifiable “big-chiller,” had not survived the day’s journey. We held a small vigil in his honor.

*Team 11 at the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, Kansas.*

On June 23rd, we rode from Hoxie to Osborne. This ride was a special sort of challenge, one of our first battles with heat and humidity on the trip, something we had managed to avoid so far. While passing through Nicodemus, a small community along the route, we met and spoke with a man from Germany who was on a similar journey. He was persistently positive, despite his much heavier burden – quite literally, as he carried all his luggage on his bike. United Methodist Church provided us with lodging and, thankfully, had stocked up with Gatorade and a massive dinner for us on arrival. Additionally, John at Blue Hills Bikes in town volunteered to tune up all of our bikes well into the night. The next day we rode to Miltonvale. We stopped in Cawker City along the way to see the world’s largest ball of twine. Weighing roughly 20,000 pounds and over 8 million feet long, the ball was a sight to behold, and we were even so lucky to add a thread to it. In Miltonvale, we stayed at the EMS building there, where we were once again fed by our hosts for dinner and breakfast. We also visited the local pool and made friends with some of the kids there, playing Sharks and Minnows and Categories. The next day, we rode to Manhattan, where we stayed at the Kansas State Fiji House. Despite the 96-mile ride, we experienced a great tailwind and sped through in roughly 5-hours. It was fantastic to see another chapter house, especially one as nice as Kansas State’s, as well as learn about life in another chapter from Greg Nelson, one of their advisors.

*Team 11 at the Chi Deuteron Chapter House at Kansas State.*

On June 26th, we said farewell to Kansas and hello to Missouri as we entered the inaptly named Kansas City. Despite some confusion due to road work, the burning desire to complete a Strava Segment a mile off-route, and a pit stop at Sonic for some refreshments, we made it to Faith Community Church in Oak Grove, Missouri. The pastor there had fed us dinner and set us up for our stay in Kansas City. The next day, we had our first rest day since before entering Kansas. Much of the day was spent getting the much-needed rest we had all been looking forward to, and that night, some of the team went to a Royals game. Our first full day in Missouri was today, June 28th. Our ride looked very familiar to the practice ones we did back in Kentucky, and many of us are beginning to recognize just how close we are. In under a week, we will be back in our home state, reunited with friends and family, and hosting events all along the way.