Our epic and magnificent journey continued on today, despite the fact that the most ridiculous bet ever to occur on an HBC trip was made and carried out. It all started last night at a rodeo in Sutherland, when one of the riders (not to be named) said she would stay there until the remainder of the trip if we would finance her $250. Another rider (also not to be named) said he would also stay behind for the same wager. The terms of the bet were that they would both get jobs in the town and then meet back up with us when we reach the Pacific. What started out as a joke of a bet soon became a reality when at lunch today, the remaining 25 of us gathered our money and came up with the $500. As we departed from lunch to finish the remaining 20 miles of our easy-peasy 51 mile day, we said our good-byes, half sad and half laughing in hopes that we called their bluff. Writing this 9 hours later and with still no sign of them, I'm afraid the 2 fallen riders were very much serious about the bet. We'll see in the morning...
Anyways, time for an update on today's events. We crossed our 2nd time zone and have officially entered Mountain time! Wooh! We experienced, in full force, the effect of head and tail winds. The first 30 miles of today's ride were awful, with most of us averaging 13 mph, but after lunch the winds decided to completely change directions and we were averaged 23 mph easily. The town we entered today, Ogallala, is quite a tourist attraction and before arriving at the church we all stopped at a gift shop and many of us went on a spending spree. I personally bought nothing, because I gave away all my money in the $500 bet. Niko bought a "Got corn?" shirt and many riders got some really cool postcards. Following a hearty sloppy joe dinner provided by the church, many of us decided to go out to eat at Ole's Steak House, known for being one of the best places to get steak in Nebraska. Along with the delicous steak, we also got Rocky Mountain Oysters (aka bull testicles). They were fried and kind of looked like chicken fingers. Many of us enjoyed them, but some of us, cough Matt cough, suddenly became a little girl when it was his turn to try some. In the end, he did try a piece though. During our 2nd dinner, the most insane hail storm exploded from the skies. All of us went outside to experience it and catch it on camera. After the hail stopped, we drove back in silence in awe of the skies, which resembled a strobe light from all the heat lightning. It was one of the most epic sights of the trip in my opinion. Now it's time to see a tornado...
-Nick Kostreski
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So?? You have left us all in suspense! What happened to the two riders who stayed behind? Are they still back there? Why did they do it? If they rejoined the group, how did they manage to catch up with you? And, why stay in Nebraska of all places, this late in the game? Inquiring minds are full of questions. Please respond. Thanks.
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