Day 53: Mountain Time (Thurs 17th July)

On the road by 5.30. It wasn't dark for very long this morning due to the later start. The roads in this part of Nebraska are really quiet. Its a very isolated corner of the state but, as with many remote communities the people are very friendly. Everybody waves and says hello in these parts. When I stop to take a photo motorists stop to ask if I need assistance. The impression I get is of lovely, lovely people. I stop for a breakfast of pancakes in a small town called palisade. Every time the lady who runs the Diner comes over to ask if I need anything she thanks me before moving on.

From Palisade its 35 miles to Imperial. The road follows a shallow valley called Frenchmans valley along which flows frenchmans creek. The valley is bounded on either side by low hills that look very like grassy sand dunes. I follow this valley up to Imperial. After about 14 miles I reach a sign that says I'm entering the Mountain time zone. I'm now 7hrs behind home. Just one more time zone to go!! A mile or two before Imperial another trucker pulls a stunt on me. I'm beginning to hate truckers.

Imperial is a small town but by the looks of it is an important grain processing centre for the area. I sat down for 20 mins in a petrol station & chatted to four auld lads. They found the idea of the trip hilarious and when they found out where I was from the gave each other kowing looks. "Mmmm.. that explains it!!" I drank three bottles of water, milk and juice at that stop. I tend to drink 7-8 litres a day at the moment.

The last leg of the day was 37 miles to Holyoke in Colorado & I was expecting it to get hot. Thankfully it clouded over & kept the temperature in the mid-80's. There was nothing on this stretch of road except field after field of crops, nothing else. When I reached the state line I was delighted and the last 13 miles into Holyoke were a doddle. Today I topped 100 miles. It was a good day.

I'm now in the western High plains. On these plains the buffalo were hunted by the Cheyenne and Arapahoe who frequently united to fight against their enemies the Comanche, Kiowas and Apaches. When the western migration of pioneer settlers began in the 1830's the lands here were overlooked as they were considered too poor and barren. However by the 1870's when the railway passed through towns began to appear along its line. With the promise of free rail passage and cheap land settlers began to populate the region. Holyoke itself was established in the 1880's as the local headquarters of the railway. Today a large grain processing plant overlooks the town.