Atlantic to Pacific Cycling Journey 2011: Day 21 Farmington to Owl Bend

Monday, June 6, 2011

Miles 73.69 Total miles 1298.3 Daily Avg 61.82

Avg Speed 14.5 Max speed 43.4 Alt gain 3934 ft

Departed hotel at 7:15 to try and avoid some of the afternoon heat. Our destination is Ellington 55 miles west. We are starting to enter the Ozark Mountains. Although the climbs are not as steep and long as we have seen in Virginia and Kentucky. The hills come more often and with less recovery time on the descents and flats. The roads go up and straight down and right back up again time and time again. You barely have time to change to a proper gear before you need to change again.

We reached Ellington at 11:30 and had lunch at Hall's Restaurant. One interesting item on the dinner menu listed “Whole Cat $9.50.” Kelly, not exactly sure what it was, asked the waitress and was informed this is a whole catfish, not cat. Great prices though, three sandwiches, drinks and two deserts for $21.00 including tip.

Over lunch we discussed riding another 15 miles and completing two additional climbs to get them out of the way. Since it was early we agreed and off we went. Joey was to meet us at the campsite in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Park on the Current River.

Kelly and I arrived at two o'clock and found Roxy and Joey coming back from a swim in the Current River. After quickly getting out of our riding gear we were all back at the cool river. The Current River has a very rocky riverbank and swift currents. The cold water felt incredibly refreshing after our long hot ride, one spot in particular was ice cold. The swift current carried us down the river requiring some strong swimming to keep from being carried away. If you were swimming upstream in the currents it was like swimming in a endless swimming pool, you never made any progress, just stayed in place.