Day 22 Owls Bend to Houston, MO

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Miles 58.42     Total 1356.72     Daily Avg 61.67

Avg Speed 12.9     Max speed 40.6     Alt Climb 4675 ft

After a relaxing evening at Current River we headed out for our last day in the Ozark Mountains at 7:30. Immediately we began a climb out of the Current River Valley. We descended into Emenience and began the climb out of Jack Ford Valley, it was only 9:30, yet the sun was hot.. Quickly into the climb sweat began running down my back and dripping from my face and hands, it was going to be a long day. We soon reached the top and continued the constant up and down which are the Ozark Mountains.

By 10:30 we reached Summersville signaling the end of the long climbs and the Ozark Mountain. As we were leaving a convenient store a local we were speaking with told us to be careful. There was road surfacing on the road to Houston, our heading. I thought great, fresh smooth asphalt. The local continued to inform us they are spraying tar and covering the tar with gravel. Great, just what we needed! We hit this mess for 7 miles, newly graveled roads mixed with small piles where the vehicles moved it around. The worst were the trucks carrying the gravel, zipping in both directions, picking up the gravel, throwing it into us. I though the bugs were a nuisance. The road conditions made for a dangerous situation and required cautious and slow riding. At the end of the day we had gravel in our hair and ears, down our back, and in the back pockets or our jerseys. This is an adventure with daily challenges, it is what makes the trip interesting, .

Later that afternoon we spent was good hour washing and cleaning our bikes and giving the chain and gears a good cleaning and oiling. Kelly had a particularly difficult time with the tar and gravel clogging between her brakes and wheels.

The uncomfortable heat today prompted me to go get a hair cut. We were in Houston, MO small town USA , so go I headed to an old time barbershop on the Main St in “Downtown”. All I can say is, Kelly got a big laugh when I said never get a haircut in a place where they face you away from the mirror, as they cut your hair and the only instrument in the shop are shears used for shearing sheep. Enough said, all picture from here on will be of me wearing my cycling helmet.

Dawn on the Curent River

Dawn on the Current River

Kelly perfers a hammock to a tent

From the bridge crossing the Current River

Pebble Beach

Roadside scene

bridge over small creek

cleaning our bikes

Oldtime barber shop barber pole and all