Day 25: Ellington to Houston; Hills, Rain, and Wind, But Houston we Have no Problem

May 30, 2015

Ellington, MO (bike hostel) to Houston, MO (Lazy L Motel)

(Note to readers regarding the elevation profiles; the profile is calculated from Point "A" on the map to Point "B" on the map. Since I am traveling east to west on the first half of this transcontinental journey, my route of travel is usually shown on the map as being from right to left. However, the elevation profile is shown from left to right, so it must be "reversed" in your head to understand it.)

Climbing Today; 4,422 ft -- Total So Far; 70,653 ft

Here are some shots of the bike hostel I stayed in last night.

Cozy Sleeping Arrangements in the Single Main Room of the Hostel

Nikky and Sabine were going to camp in the small yard of the hostel last night, but there was at least one strange character out and about. The hostel was quite cozy with five of us, but we rearranged things to make more sleeping room and encouraged them to come inside. I thought it was the right decision when they finally decided to do so. We're all looking out for other cyclists as best we can.

Today was going to be hard, no doubt about it. We had some very steep climbs and were told they occurred on narrow roads, and that we should expect lots of weekend traffic as the boaters made their way to the Current River. Great; narrow roads with heavy traffic pulling boat trailers while we try to climb up steep hills with blind corners. From our starting point, we determined that in 18 miles we would be past the heavy traffic area, so my plan was to leave early and beat the traffic.

I rolled out at 5:42 am and stopped at a local convenience store. The fellow working there was less than cordial, and simply reinforced that my route this morning was ridiculously tough due to the hills. Missourians have been about a 50/50 mixture when it comes to cyclists; some seem to love us and have set up great accommodations like Al's Place to encourage us to stay in Farmington, and others simply view us as a nuisance on "their" roads. And so, with little reason for optimism, I set off to tackle the day's challenges.

Right away I found some reason for optimism. Missouri has apparently realized the difficulty of bicycle travel on this narrow road and has set about adding a 2-foot shoulder to the roadway.

Shoulder Widening Helps Accommodate Cyclists and Motorists

This additional 2 feet on each side is a big help for both cyclists and cars. The morning was heavy with fog. It made my road ahead appear as though it disappeared into the heavens.

Approaching the Current River, I came upon a sign warning of pedestrians on the bridge. How could they possibly know?

There were no pedestrians on the bridge, just me. The morning fog was irresistible, both on the river and in the mountains.

I needed a quick snack for a micro-energy pick-me-up, and I had three fig newtons left in my handlebar bag. As I got one out I dropped it in the gravel beside the road. Food on a bicycle tour isn't just for the pleasure of taste; it provides the energy you need to keep rolling. Without hesitation I picked it up and consumed it; what's a little dirt when you really need the energy? I rolled into the town of Eminence, which appears to cater heavily to weekend outdoor enthusiasts. Here's a pic near the town square;

I rested for a couple of minutes, then prepared to move on. I had gotten off the route in order to enter the town, and I thought the others may have passed me by (I was first out as I'm an early riser; that's how us old guys get ahead of the young guys). Rain was just commencing to fall and I prepared to suit up when Nikky and Sabine rolled up; they had been in rain for a while and were hoping to get inside somewhere and eat. James and Daniel followed shortly, all a bit cold and wet; my early departure had been fortuitous and kept me out of the rain.

Getting Out of the Rain - A Nice Place for Breakfast

We all went into the only café open, which was actually a bar at night but served breakfast in the morn. We slowly ate breakfast, then there was nothing for it but to suit up for rain riding and roll; we had miles to go before we slept tonight.

Who's afraid of a little rain? We cycled on, enduring the rain which was falling moderately hard now. But it slowly abated, and within a couple of hours we stowed the raingear. The sky was moody and quite breath-taking at times. To truly appreciate the beauty of the Ozarks, you need to be there during and shortly after it rains.

Cycling on, we encountered an eastbound cyclist whose name I never really understood. It sounded something like Ho Weh, so that's what I'm calling him.

Ho Weh, Headed East (I'm Sure I Butchered His Name)

In Summersville they fly the flag;

I was tiring badly as I approached Houston with about 5 miles to go when Nikky and Sabine caught me. I was planning to get a hotel room, and they wanted to do the same. Right at that moment I got a text from Andy, the San Antonio cyclist I hadn't seen for days. He was staying in Houston at the Lazy L motel, so we headed there. I was struggling mightily to keep up; the recent days had been hard and I was hitting the wall. Nikky and Sabine realized I was having trouble and slowed down to allow me to stay with them, and with them pulling me along we eventually found the motel and Andy. Pizza delivery was the order of the night, and it was the best pizza I had tasted in some time. Sleep came easy...

Today's ride: 70 miles (113 km)
Total: 1,429 miles (2,300 km)

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