Tulsa, Oklahoma to Sapulpa, Oklahoma

Hot and humid today. With a south wind that I had to pedal against for the first 10 miles. Then a couple short steep climbs after I crossed the Arkansas River west of Jenks. Then a couple more miles pedaling into that south wind. And I was finished.

When I started out this morning, I was hoping to get to a campground 43 miles away outside Bristow. Oklahoma. That would put me in Oklahoma City on Monday where I’d take a day off and rest. At least that was the plan. But mother nature had other plans.

The ride out of Tulsa was on a paved bike trail through that city’s River Parks. The parks are linearly-connected and run almost the entire length of the Tulsa’s riverfront. They feature lots of sculptures, playgrounds, a couple restaurants, plenty of rest stations, and a dual track multi-use path (one track for bicyclists, one for pedestrians) that run the entire length of the riverfront. This being a Saturday morning, there were lots of other bicyclists and people out riding and walking the paths. And despite the light-to-moderate south wind, the ride in the cool morning air was flat and enjoyable. It was a good start.

Turning west, I crossed the Arkansas River, rode through Jenks, got entangled for a few blocks with about 20 cyclists from a bike club out for a ride, then found myself face-to-face with back-to-back steep climbs up some short hills. The bike club turned left at the base of the first hill; my route took me up and over them. So, I did what I usually do when faced with a steep hill. I dismounted and walked up.

It was near 10 AM by the time I crested those hills. The mid-morning sun was hot. The temperature was probably in the mid-80s and climbing, and I was sweating up a storm. I rode a few more miles, then turned south into the brisk wind. Between the heat, the wind, and the rolling hills, by 11:15 AM I was knackered. Done in.

Stopped at a gas station convenience store for a Gatorade, snack, and to rethink my day’s ride. Did I want to try and push on to the campground 20 miles away? Or did I want to back track a mile to the Motel 8 and wait there until Monday when the winds were expected to lighten and turn from the east?

I didn’t have much energy left and felt I might be on the verge of heat exhaustion, so rather than push on to the campground where there might or might not be some shaded campsite, I opted for the motel and air conditioning.

Where I am now re-evaluating my entire strategy for this adventure. I think riding all the way to Los Angeles is pretty much out of question now. To be honest, it probably has been for a while. After today, the idea of riding across the Mohave Desert in July has become a very unappealing and impossible “ride of death.” That, and the fact that I’m a couple days behind schedule, means I’d probably have to cut the ride short anyway. So, now I think the goal is just to get to the Grand Canyon. I’ve never seen it before and so it’s a bucket list item, for sure.

Depending on wind, weather, terrain, and places to overnight, I’ll plan to shorten my daily rides to the morning hours and avoid the hottest part of the day. I’ll also go through my gear and try to lighten my load, probably send back home some of the cold weather stuff I’m carrying. But I’m not discounting the notion of foregoing the Grand Canyon either and just getting as far west as Oklahoma City or maybe Amarillo and catching the train back home from there. I’ll just take it one mile and one day at a time.