We had some good climbing on the route today. And, it looks like it will continue for another day or two. There was also another long stretch of busy road that really worked on my nerves. These stretches are scarier here than they were out west. The busy stretches out west were usually long, straight stretches of road, so everyone saw each other in plenty of time to adjust. Here, the roads are so winding and hilly that passing us is tough and seeing us over the crest of a hill is equally as tough. I wonder why Adventure Cycling (made our maps) puts us on these busy routes. Out west, it made sense. There were no side roads, so state routes were all we had. But, here there are other options. There is a company that supports cross-country cyclists that goes by our home every summer. They pass through Covington going from Indianapolis to Columbus. They basically travel country roads that parallel Route 36 to Columbus. I am almost certain that Adventure Cycling would not use those quiet roads and would put people on Route 36 all the way to Columbus. Oh well....my rant for today is complete.
We got a little relief from the heat today, as some rain and winds came through the area. It felt real good to have the light rain and cooler breezes hit us. Of course, when it cleared up, it felt even more humid. But, it was nice while it lasted.
Today was a strange riding pattern. We rode like three separate tourists, instead of a single group of three. Bobby didn't hear Kyle say that he had a flat tire....so he kept riding...not to be seen for 40 miles. Kyle and I stayed a little closer together, but still had a pretty good gap between us. It was kind of relaxing. When you ride in a group, you are always looking out for each other. When you ride alone, you just worry about yourself and you get into a zone. You know....get some real thinking done. I don't know about the other two guys, but I solved more than a few of the world's problems on my ride today.
I met three cross-country cyclists today. The first was a guy that started in New York City and made his way down to Virginia to meet up with the route that we are on. He thinks he is going to run out of time and figures he will get off of the trail in Colorado somewhere. I met up with the other two (a boy and girl) in Eminence, where we are staying tonight. They are from England and left Washington DC on June 23rd. They did not look to be very old....maybe 18-22 years old. They sounded like they were having a good time, but the girl said she was ready to get to some flatter land.
As I mentioned, we are in Eminence tonight. This area is a pretty popular tourist spot. It was also in Kim's Readers Digest 100 Most Scenic Drives book. The Jacks Fork and Current Rivers that make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways run through here and seems to be some very good canoeing and rafting. This would be a cool place to visit again when we have more time to float the rivers.
Ok...gotta eat. Probably another 70-80 mile day tomorrow. We are hoping to get to the Farmington area. Take care.
The Jacks Fork River, near Eminence, Missouri
