Month: May 2022

We woke this morning to the sound of wind, thunder, and rain. It was early, around 5:30. I began checking my weather app to look at the storm map. This would all be over within an hour so we settled in, me with coffee and Nancy with her Chai. Looking out the window I noticed our new touring friends from Germany were huddled under a small shelter so Nancy put on her raincoat and went over to invite them to join us. The four of us sipped our brews and enjoyed peach fritters.

The rain stops and the sun clears the sky so we all prepare to begin our travels. Nancy is leaving for her next campground, we three cyclists are heading to Cassoday, KS.

Today the unrelenting wind was a brutal force. I forced my way though the wind with all the effort of climbing an 18% grade. To get to Cassoday the road was a major truck route so these semi’s also added their force to the wind. There is a wide shoulder so I was not squeezed between a truck and the road’s edge, this was a blessing. But, the traffic was fast and when a truck would pass from behind the wind force would roll my shirt up up to my neckline while tugging me towards the travel lane. Truck passing in the other direction would add to the headwind when pushing the air into me with a quivering shake before the millisecond of stillness before the tail stream began pounding. I could minimize this by tucking in. This was a tiring day!

The headwind shielded the temperature so on the rare occasion I wasn’t riding into the wind I cooked in the once again 100° high of the afternoon. I made it to the campsite behind the Cassoday Country Store before it closed and ordered dinner and drinks.  My tent is set and now I will go relax with Matthias and Tilo.

The third try is the charm. It’s 8:52 AM as I begin my third attempt to make it to the campsite on Toronto Lake. The sky is quiet and clear, nothing but the sun beating down replacing the morning cool. I have 42 miles of riding today and should be done around noon.

The land beneath my tires ripples in long slow waves, gently up for a mile followed by a disappointing descent of the same distance.

Four hours later on my second day I arrived in Toronto. With the whole camping area to ourselves and I relax and eat lunch, a ham salad with pickle relish sandwich. Tomorrow will be another ride day so I go over my bike, check and add sealant, and lube the chain. Then it’s off for a hike on one of the trails. This walk through the woods and along the lake covered us with ticks so next on the agenda was tick removal and showers.

Back at the campsite we see two touring cyclists ride into a nearby site so we go over, they are the same two that Nancy met crossing into Kansas. We invite them, Matthias and Tilo, for dinner and conversation. If I had gotten here yesterday as planned this opportunity would not have happened.

I was planning to ride to Cross Timbers State Park for my next sleep spot and then I got Nancy’s text, she was also planning to set up camp there. It’s getting more difficult to find campsites in Kansas. I still have options every 50-60 miles with cyclists only and cycling hostel. I check the local weather every night and morning when planning my daily mileage. A storm front is coming through but it looks like that will be after 3 PM. My day’s ride begins at 9 AM with a stop 5 miles up the road in the center of Walnut, the only place to get food for the next 30 miles. I am told to be careful, there is a front coming through by noon with lightning, 40 mph wind, and the possibility of hail the size of a penny.

Twelve miles later, riding in the rain and watching lightning strikes in the distance, I came to a small picnic area with a pavilion. I head there and get under cover. The cold wind is strong and unrelenting, I am wet and getting uncomfortably cold. I wrap an 8×12’ trap around the corner post to hide from the wind. Nancy sent a text to let me know that she is on her way to the campsite. I let her know where on the route I am. She came by with a warm omelet breakfast and continued down the road to register, it’s a “first come” site.

I curled up out of the wind to wait out the storm. The front should move by in a few hours. I’m also checking my weather app, watching the map and now I’m on the edge so I pick up and leave. The storm is on my right and moving away and on my left is blue attempting to take over the sky. My overly optimistic departure brought me into rain but the lightning was off in the distance.

I used up 4 hours of riding time waiting out the storm so now, at best, I am 3 hours from camp and soaking wet as I ride into Chanute, KS. There is a motel on route so I  changed my plans to spend the night here. I book a room, shower, and do a load of laundry while eating. Tomorrow is another day and it looks dry, I will start it clean and dry.

An early wake-up with the sun. Getting to this campsite added 25 off route miles Nancy offered to shuttle me back to the point I left my route yesterday.

I am back on route at 9:15 AM and the sun is wasting no time cooking the asphalt and everything else in its path. To my relief, the steep hills vanished after 6 miles. The replacement, low grade wavy land. I begin climbing a mile long 2% grade and then down the other side with a 2% grade. This would continue the rest of the day so I am riding in big gears and zipping through the miles.

Also there are a lot of windmills so these must be a very windy place but not today, the day is calm as l trade Missouri for Kansas.

I arrived at my first option to camp in Giard, KS. and the park has no shade, the ground is scorched and the sun has brought the temperature to 100°. It is mid afternoon so I decide to ride to option two, Walnut, KS. a cycling hostel hosted by the Immanuel Lutheran Church. This brought my mileage up to 81 but I will have a nice sleep.

This day is set aside for replacing components and having some fun. A different kind of fun, kayaking with a tandem boat on a lake! This was Nancy’s great idea to bob on the water in the cool breeze. No pics, just relaxing together.

We also would need to change the campsite later today as this one had been reserved so we hooked to the camper and went to the other side of the lake for the night.

This is a great site on the edge of a bank overlooking the water.

I’m beginning to understand that even though this heat is not the norm for this area it is the norm for my trip. Today is another day with a temperature reaching 95°. I will go off route at mile 48 to ride north to Ruark Bluff Campground where Nancy has set up camp. This detour brings my mileage for today to 64 miles in shade less heat over long and steep hills.

I finally arrive to the joyful barks of dancy little doggies and a welcoming smile with an “I’m sorry this was so far off your route.” We went down to the lake and waded into the water for a core cool down. Once cooled we ate and settled down for the night. Yes, it was almost 8 PM when I finished riding.

The night was comfortable for sleeping and I was tired so the bright courtyard lights did not keep me from quickly falling asleep. The morning dew, heavy on the tent, dried as I cooked and ate breakfast. I also enjoyed a slow cup of coffee before packing up to ride out of town.

By 10 AM the sun quickly brought the temperature up to 95°. I just drank fluids and consumed ice cream. Ice cream not only provides fuel to keep my legs turning it also cools my core.

A constant forward grind brought me to my planned destination, the Fair Grove Historical cycling hostel. I cooled in the only shade of this day under the trees surrounding the historic Mill, a steam powered mill. I called the contact number and began looking over the site waiting for someone to come and open up the area for my stay. Gail shortly arrived on a scooter and offered to have me stay with her and Tom, her husband. So back on the bike I climbed to follow her to their home located less than a mile away. This very generous offer closed the day.

Today I cooked oatmeal with blueberries, thank you Garrett and Amy, for breakfast and brewed some Elbow Room coffee. It would be another short mile day so no reason to hurry. Still I would start riding at 9 AM to tackle the hills before the sun could begin baking the countryside and broiling me in the process. A good plan but a short lived one.

When morning tipped into noon the heat dialed up the amp to 11. I stopped into a small store in the middle of nowhere except being the middle of my day’s ride.

I ended my ride at the courthouse lawn in the center of Hartville, MO. This is the county seat with a population of 600. Most of the storefronts are boarded up or being torn down. Still, this town is bustling with traffic. The cars, pickups, and tractor trailers seem in a hurry to pass through without stopping. I sat watching the hustle until the day dimmed and the evening cool set in before setting up camp and cooking dinner.

Today is the day I leave Nancy and the doggies at Circle B Campground with all the comforts I enjoyed over the past few days. The river flowing through the campground cools the area that is quiet and peaceful. But, Oregon is waiting and I am excited to arrive in Astoria on the northwestern coast.

To get back on route which is less than a mile beyond the steep climb on a loose gravel road that connects this site to Route 106, the road brings me through Summersville to Route 17 to Houston where I will sleep in the town park.

I chose Houston, which is a 43 mile ride because the other option is 65 miles away and the hills between Circle B and either place are long and steep. I arrived mid afternoon, fried from the heat, 96° with no shade. I Immediately sat under the picnic pavilion out of the sun enjoying the strong cool breeze. Once I became cooled and refreshed I cooked dinner and set up my tent for the night. The cool evening air promises a good night’s rest.

After a breakfast of pancakes with real maple syrup from Brattleboro, VT. and a pot of Elbow Room coffee I will see a bit of the Ozark National Seasons Scenic Waterways. I see most of the tour from a cyclist’s eye but today I will see another view point, that of a hiker.

Nancy, the dogs, and I drive up the Alley Spring and Mill, about ten miles west. It is on the route I’ll ride tomorrow. This spring puts out an average of 81 million gallons of water per day!

We also hiked one of the trails climbing the ridge overlooking the valley where the mill is located. Nancy stopped to examine the flowers and watch the birds.

We also met two horseback riders out on the trail. Some touring cyclists refer to these non-riding days as rest days. I prefer to think of them as days with opportunities to see the world differently while exercising a different muscle group.