USNA 1973 Ride-2-Remember

A wake-up call

Day 36, 8 September: Onawa to Manning, IA

For those members of the team who thought Iowa was flat, this was a disappointing and challenging day. As per our norm, we departed the Blue Lake KOA in Onawa, IA about thirty minutes before sunrise. The route started out flat, and then came the never ending rolling hills. By the end of the ride we covered 68 miles and 3,364 feet of elevation gain. The abrupt shift from relatively flat Nebraska (and very flat Cowboy Trail) was a bit of a jolt and wake-up call that we still have a lot of miles ahead of us, and they won’t be easy.

This might appear flat, but it’s not — the rolling hills begin.

It seems that once we crossed the Missouri River every vista included a sea of corn and soybean fields. Some harvesting has begun, but most fields are awaiting a combine before the land is disced and put to bed for winter. The number of grain trucks on the roads we ride is increasing by the day. So far not a problem, but could become an issue from here to Pennsylvania on narrow county roads.

Not much else to see but they do grow a lot of corn out here.

We ended our day at the Boulder Inn and Suites in Manning, IA. I was warmly greeted by Abby, who has been awaiting our arrival ever since Sally spoke with her a few months ago to confirm reservations. She thinks the Ride-2-Remember and its purpose is one of the greatest events she’s heard of and is doing everything she can to support us during our short stay, to include contacting the local newspaper. Thank you, Abby!

Trinity Church in Manning, next door to our motel. It dates from 1913 and was moved here 11 miles from its original location in the early 2000s.

Tomorrow we ride to Clive, IA, a suburb of Des Moines, where we will take a liberty day. If the ride is anything like today’s, we’ll welcome a down day.

Did I mention they have a LOT of corn here?

Doug Leland

bmontva

One response to “A wake-up call”

  1. Kathy Meldrum Avatar
    Kathy Meldrum

    I was born in northern Iowa, lived in various places there. My folks lived in West Des Moines (which is the Clive area) in the 80’s- 90’s. My sister rode in the second RAGBRAI (a huge bike event riding across the state, it was called SAGBRAI when she rode in it). One year, one of the riders in it had been riding in the Alps before coming to Iowa. He claimed Iowa was harder stating that in the Alps, roads curved and switched-back up and down mountains, but in Iowa, the roads would go straight up and straight down the hills which all were bigger than expected. So you are definitely right, Iowa is not flat! You are all incredible!! Kathy Meldrum

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