Day 10: Thursday

Tm: 4:53:03
Dst: 55.26
Avg: 11.3
Mx: 37.0

I watched the Weather Channel last night and saw some storms were in the forecast.  This morning, the radar showed two bands of thunderstorms heading my way, with a sizeable gap between them.  The weatherman said the second band would be more severe, with hail up to two inches in diameter.  So I definitely wanted to beat that second storm by leaving early.  But it was already starting to rain when I got up.  That first band of storms was already there.  There was a lot of lightning and the 20-30 mph forecasted winds (ESE sidewind) appeared early on.

Unsure if it was safe or prudent to ride, unsure what to do, I checked out of the motel, donned my rain gear, and went to a cafe for breakfast.

I hate that feeling of uncertainty.  Should I go?  Should I go back to the motel and check back in?  Is the weather really going to be THAT bad?  If I waste a day here, will tomorrow's weather be better or worse?  These thoughts made my breakfast unpleasant.

After breakfast, I opted to hit the road despite the rain and lightning.  By this time, it was 9:00.  My hope was to at least make it the 40 miles to Peru, where there was lodging available, before the really dangerous weather arrived.

The wind, rain, and lightning were ridiculous.  Once I was out there, I decided it was a mistake to be on the road.  My right ear hurt from all the rain pounding into it.  The wind was blowing the rain horizontally.  Thankfully, the rain did let up (temporarily) as I neared Brownville.

I was initially very happy to arrive at the Steamboat Trace rail trail, which would take me to a lower elevation (safer from lightning), into tree cover, and on flat roads.  I thought this trail would be protected from the elements, like the Katy trail was.  Surely, I thought, I could weather even a severe storm down here in these tree-covered areas near the river. If nothing else, it was more scenic.

All was well until a few miles into the trail, when I encountered a "trail closed" sign.  It said there was trail construction for the next five miles.

Not wanting to backtrack uphill, in the wind, toward the lightning and weather, I decided to ride the trail anyway.  This may have been another mistake.

Immediately the bike and I were COVERED in mud.  It was horrible.  Then the mud on the trial ended and was replaced with large, loose gravel.  Then that ended and was replaced with freshly deposited crushed limestone, which was like riding through sand.  It was SLOW going.  During this time, the heavy rain resumed.

Eventually the trail became more firm, but left the tree cover and exposed me to the full force of the wind.  On the flat, working very hard, I was making only SIX miles an hour.  It was discouraging to go so slow, knowing that a storm was approaching, when there were twelve miles left of the same. 

Thankfully, the last nine miles of rail trail were better, and I managed 10-12 miles an hour and even enjoyed the scenery.

Once I left the trail and climbed a steep hill , I arrived in Nebraska City.  At the stop light on the edge of town a man rolled down his window and said, "You're a little muddy!!"  Duh.  Thanks.  I laughed out loud.  As if I hadn't noticed!

Then I saw the Best Western with a C-Store and a Subway, right there at the light.  Ah, how happy I was to see that place.  So I pulled in.  Thankfully the desk clerk at the motel let me use the hose to wash down my bike (and myself) before settling into the room.  I lubed the chain and gave the trusty "Truckster" some TLC, went to Subway, watched some t.v., and got an Omaha/Council Bluffs map to plan my arrival at Creighton University tomorrow.

More rain is forecast for tomorrow, but I've only got 50 miles to go.