7/22-Rain, and Rabbits vs Miles

For the first time since Montana, precipitation descended from the sky! It started about 1:30am. I got up at 6:00 and got mostly packed up before it started again. I left my tent up while I fixed my breakfast. When it stopped again, I was able to get my tent down and packed. 

Today was a 40 miler from O’Neill to Neligh (pronounced knee lee)..

Rainy

Lots of bridges today

It started raining again, but I was fine in my rain jacket and rain shorts. The rain didn’t seem to affect the trail much (I was hoping it might make the soft stuff more firm). It pretty much rained most of the way to Ewing, which was the halfway point for today’s ride. 

In Ewing, within eyesight of the trail, there was the Double H Bakery. It was 10:00, and high time for a break and a snack (let’s face it, even if it wasn’t, I would still stop).

I had a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant, and orange juice, and a frosted sugar cookie. All delicious! While I was eating, the rain stopped. 

Back on the trail, just a bit out of Ewing, I saw a rare thing. It was another cyclist!

Chris is doing the GART and started in DC 11 weeks ago. 

We exchanged trail condition reports, then went our separate ways. I did tell him about the bakery just ahead.

Today, played a game I called rabbits vs miles. I counted the rabbits as I made my way along the trail. The goal was to see more rabbits than miles. For awhile, the rabbits were winning! At one point, I had seen 17 rabbits in 14 miles! But then, no rabbits for awhile. The miles were creeping up. I kept encouraging the rabbits, even asking the birds where their rabbit friends were (you try riding a straight trail for miles and miles in the rain…you too will start talking to the animals)! Alas, the miles caught up and surpassed the rabbits. In the end, the score was 29 rabbits vs 40 miles. 

Here’s a few more photos from today. 

Just before this, the Elkhorn River, there was a detour off the trail due to there being no trail bridge across the river. If my Garmin hadn’t told me to turn off the trail, I don’t know how far I would have gone before there was a sign that said the trail was closed.

When I returned to the trail, there was a closure sign

Elkhorn River winds around. The trail has clearly been moved as the river is eroding the bank. 

My plan tonight was to camp at Riverside Park in Neligh. However, the weather forecast is calling for rain u til 6:00pm. I wimped out, and am staying at a cute motel called “Deluxe Motel”. I’m not sure what makes it deluxe, but it will do. 

Coming I to Neligh, I went by the old Mill Site. They have preserved the building. 

There’s a taco place the next block over. I’ll hit that up for dinner.