A pickup truck passed me with a tall, thin pole affixed to the rear bumper. While I was trying to figure out what that was all about, I caught a glimpse of a huge mass approaching me quickly from behind. It was a humongous truck hauling an extra-wide load – a wide load that was cantilevered threateningly out over the shoulder. I made a quick move for the grass and got off the pavement just in time for this monster to zoom by at 60 MPH! Close call.
Three more similar trucks growled by carrying some sort of gargantuan farm equipment (which I later learned were wheat harvesters). The pole on the back of the lead vehicle was to test the height clearance of any overhanging obstacles. It would have been nice for that safety vehicle to have given me a little heads-up beep as it went by! Maybe they should have another pole to test widths...although, getting whacked in the back of the head by that probably wouldn’t have done me much good either.
I got to the little “town” of Merriman and rolled into the rustic gas station. There was a little girl sitting out front strapping on a pair of old-timey roller skates. Did I pass through a portal into the 1950s? Inside, I was happy to find a microwave and breakfast burritos (no time travel anomalies today). As I was waiting for my burrito to reach the temperature of molten lead, I noticed a glass carboy in the corner with a fermentation lock on top and an alluring golden liquid inside.
I asked the woman what was brewing, and she said I’d have to talk to Randy about that. Just then, Randy happened to pull in. He told me he had an IPA fermenting. I mentioned that I’d recently started home brewing. This brought a big smile to his face and he waved for me to follow him into the garage.
Tucked in the back was a full-sized refrigerator with three taps poking out from the door. He proudly pointed out the IPA on the left (the local favorite), an Amarillo hops ale in the center, and a cream ale on the right. I asked about how the cream ale came out, and, rather than explain, he grabbed a cup and poured me a sample. It was just before 9:00 am, but he informed me that “If you don’t start early you can’t drink all day.” The cream ale was easily the best I’d ever tasted, and Randy promised to send me the recipe as he poured me a generous taste of the Amarillo hops brew. It was also uniquely tasty with strong herbal notes. I then had no choice but to try the IPA. It, too, was fantastic. I was regretting I hadn’t showed up here at dinner time so I could have wheedled a few full pints out of him!
By the time I finished my burrito, the regulars were showing up and arranging themselves around the high-stakes cribbage game. The little girl (whose mom ran the register) was sketching shaky circles on metal wheels by the gas pumps, acting as the official greeter as the old-timers arrived at what turned out to be the local social nexus. One of the retired farmers was kind enough (or cruel enough) to show me the radar on his smart phone, letting me know I had about an hour before I’d be drenched. I considered spending the rest of the day lollygagging here at this homey spot, but I had to suit up and get going.
About an hour later I was still dry. The dark clouds just missed me and I shed my rain gear. Ten minutes later the next band of clouds swept in and unleashed a downpour. Again, the rain was cool relief from the heat, but the accompanying wind was a real bugger. The next couple hours were a soggy struggle, but the weather let up just as I reached Gordon and the local gourmet Subway Ristorante.
I was hoping to make it to Chadron, where they had a Walmart (and brandy new, un-patched inner tubes), but I only got as far as Hay Springs. I scouted out the city park and found a nice spot between a pair of picnic tables under a small roof. After a chicken strip basket at the Silver Dollar bar, I retired to the park and set my tent up in the dark for the second night in a row.
What I Learned: Having a good audiobook loaded onto your iPod really helps get through the long stretches of monotonous road, but it doesn’t help you go any faster. (BTW, I was listening to “The Drowning Pool” by Ross McDonald, a 1950s detective novel featuring tough guy Lew Archer. I guessed the killer right away, but the writing was entertaining enough to keep it interesting.)
Distance Today: 82 miles
Total Distance: 2,176 miles
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