Hartville to Fair Grove
Fair Grove to Ash Grove
Ash Grove Rest Day!!!!
Ash Grove to Golden City
Golden City to Pittsburg

Hartville to Fair Grove wasn't too bad of a ride. I believe in this area I was on a plateau, so the hills weren't killer. I took my first break at a church that had every flavor Capri Sun! I sucked down a few then continued on my way. My next break was in Marshfield. I took a nap under a church awning. The sun was pretty intense that day. The mild summer is fading and temps are rising. After Marshfield I continued on to Fair Grove. A nice little town that lets you camp behind the historic mill. It was a nice evening; the end of the day when I reach my destination is my favorite part of the day. It's tempting to lie down and close your eyes but there's still cooking and tent setting up to do.

Fair Grove to Ash Grove was terribly difficult. Although there was a general decent from the plateau, the hills have returned. As well as ten mph head winds. I pumped up my tires, ate my oatmeal and headed out of town. I took my first break at a church and munched on some cookies and chocolate milk. My next break was beneath a tree in a driveway of an abandoned house. The neighbors saw me and invited me over to fill my water bottles from their well. The well water was refreshingly cold. I had a stomach ache for most of the day. I think it may have been the chocolate milk? It caused me to not eat this day. Other than the ice cream cone I bought at my next stop. I wasn't going to stop but I saw a cyclists' bike leaning against the side of a middle of nowhere gas station. It's nice to say hello to fellow riders. I went in got my ice cream and met a east bound rider. He had heard about me from Jordan and Chelsea, the cyclists I met back in Houston, MO. He was really impressed with the amount of weight I was hauling. After ice cream conversations I headed west. My next stop was in Walnut Grove. I bought another ice cream. Then rode the last eight miles to Ash Grove. The park for cyclists to camp in has showers and a swimming pool! I haven't showered since I left southern Illinois. It was incredible to take a shower. That evening was the high school homecoming football game. I could hear it from the park.

Ash Grove rest day. This rest day was planned. It was supposed to be my one for the week. It ended up being my second because of Alley Springs earlier this week. It rained in the early morning hours. Mostly just a cloudy day. I'm happy I'm not riding today as the winds are twenty mph today. An awesome breeze on a 90 degree day. Today I picked up a resupply box. It got me thinking that I carry too many days worth of food. This was necessary while hiking but I can get to a store far easier now. I'm just relaxing by the pool and resting my legs. Going to wash my clothes in the shower later. Rest days are great.

Tomorrow is my last day in Missouri. Looking at my elevation chart it will be a challenge. Looking at the weather, I'll have 10mph headwinds. Just one more day though. Then flat Kansas! I'm super excited for Kansas. I'm camping by five lakes while there. It may cause me to take extra rest days for some water relaxation.

I headed out of Ash Grove Sunday morning. I rode until I hit Pennsboro, there was a small church there. As I parked under a shade tree, service was letting out. It was a hot day and I needed to refill my water bottles. Most cars had driven away and I asked the last woman there if I may go inside for water. She turned out to be the pastor's wife. She told me that they didn't have running water but had plenty of bottles in the refrigerator. She told me that they keep the doors unlocked and I could go in, help myself and take a rest from the heat. I went inside and was charging my phone, eating chocolates from the fridge when she returned. She brought me a sandwich, chips, an apple, banana and two granola bars! It was so nice. After lunch I headed back on the road. After Pennsboro there were only three more climbs then mostly flat. Almost to Golden City I took a rest beneath a tree and noticed I had a flat tire on the trailer. The treads were showing and the tube inside was flat. I replaced the tube and hoped the tire wouldn't come apart on me. I made it to Golden City, found a church and enjoyed some cookies and ice cream. There was a couch that Brown and I shared that evening.

Monday morning I headed out relatively early. Met an eastbound biker just outside of town and chatted for a bit. He gave me gorilla tape for my tire. I didn't use it because I was pretty sure I could make it thirty miles to the next town and bike shop. With mostly flat terrain and only mild headwinds I made it to town rather quickly. Unfortunately when I got to town I realized that the bike shop is closed on Mondays. So I figured I'd camp in town and go to the shop in the am. Unfortunately they don't open until 10am. Fortunately there's a sonic in town. Lemon berry slushies know how to cheer me up. For most of the day, I just chilled in the park. Sometimes it feels like a waste when you're not moving but sometimes you can appreciate the stillness.

I named my bike today. Kamots (kuh-motz). It means "freedom" in Blackfoot.

Thank you readers.

So...

Saying goodbye to southern Illinois and my new friends was bitter sweet. I was ready to hit the road again though. I've been riding my new bike for almost a week now. It isn't walking but it ain't all bad either.

For an inexperienced cyclist such as myself, this past week has been very challenging. I'm crossing Missouri through the Ozark mountains. Pulling a heavy dog uphill has been killer on my legs. It's been interesting to see new muscles growing each day.

My first night out I slept in the town of Farmington. A bunch of kids were playing in the park as I was setting up my tent. One of them came over to me to see if I was homeless and in need of help. After I told him my story he sat and talked with me for most of the evening. He wants to study philosophy, he questions everything. I was grateful for the company on my first night out.

From Farmington I rode to Centerville. Of course high hills and challenging. In Centerville I camped on the courthouse lawn. In the morning I had eggs and biscuits and gravy at the diner in town. From Centerville I went to a little campground called Powder Mill. A nice small campground on the river.
From there I rode some intense hills to Eminence where I stopped at a watermelon stand and ate my first yellow watermelon since I was eight years old. It was glorious. While eating, I met two other bikers, they were heading east though. However, it was nice to meet other people out there riding. After the watermelon, I rode five more miles to Alley Springs CG. It's right on the Currant River, it was so beautiful I decided to take the next day off for river fun.

As soon as I pulled into a site at the campground, my neighbor campers asked if I wanted to come have dinner with them. They had gone canoeing that day and had been slow cooking a roast all day while they were on the river. After dinner we had milk and cookies, then he gave me a huge bag of orange cherry tomatoes from his garden. I then spent the evening watching the sun set over the river, the bats swooping down at the bugs and eventually the stars dance across the sky. After terrible hills I was grateful for an awesome ending to the day.

The campsite I had chosen backed right up to the river. So the next day I spent hanging out in the water with Brown. The water wasn't cold, it was perfect. I popped cherry tomatoes in my mouth all day enjoying the amazing weather. It's been a very mild summer here, most days it's in the low 80s. Everything was beautiful, such an awesome day off. Later that evening one of the park maintenance guys I had met earlier that day brought me fish tacos for dinner. I had already eaten but I didn't mind having second dinner.

The next morning I headed out with plans to bike to Houston, MO. Just eight miles from town I was on the side of the road resting when two bikers rode by. I called out and they stopped and we determined we were heading to the same place and would camp together that evening. They rode on. After I finished eating I headed out and met back up with one of them in town. We camped at a local park and learned about each other's journey, it was great. They put in some serious miles and are faster than I am or else I would have asked to ride along. 

The next day I rode to Hartville. When I got into town and found the court house I saw another biker. He was headed east bound though. He was an older guy, burned out as a lawyer and started walking. He's walked through forty nine states and is now biking them. We had some great conversation into the evening.


So far biking is very challenging but similar to walking, you just gotta keep moving forward.

I'm super grateful for the time I spent in Illinois. Such an incredible experience, a vacation within a vacation. Thank you for helping me during a difficult time in my journey.

Thank you readers. Thank you friends from Southern Illinois. Thank you to the new people I've met in the past week that have shared food and conversation.

There aren't as many pictures as usual since my phone is mounted to my bike. However, as I get a better feel for biking and get into a routine, updates and pictures will come more regularly. I also have a ton of pictures from my time in southern Illinois to upload. Soon...