Day 6 ending near Goreville, IL

August 29, 2015

Woke up at 4:00am, thanks to an owl - at least I think it was an owl. A pine cone fell on the tent last night - it was big! Finished the report, and ate breakfast at 7:15am. My hayfever is bad this morning, so I took a second pill.

All loaded and ready to go at 10:00am. I had a frustrating time getting out of the park this morning. I hadn't had time before I left home to change-out the 'push-pin' waypoint symbols loaded in my GPS with 'direction arrows'. Everywhere I have a waypoint is a turn, but it's a question sometimes on which way. Out of camp I went the wrong way - back to the campground entrance. I realized my mistake, hopped on the bike trail, and headed back to get to the east exit road. The trail got me to the road I should be on (I thought), so I turned right. My GPSs showed that way as a thru-road, but it was a dead-end loop. I ended up back by my campsite at 10:25am - a two-mile warm-up ride!

After I got back to the campground entrance, roads got me to the Rend Lake Visitor Center. There is a bike trail here. A better look at my map shows me that I could have been here using that path, if I'd had stayed on it from the start. (A closer look at my GPSs revealed that was my original intent!)

I had time to make up, so didn't go in the visitor center, but I did get a photo of the dam road. I didn't go on that road east, but continued south, then east, arriving at West City at 11:36am. It was now getting hilly - I saw a water tower labeled "Hill City".

At noon I'd gone 12.1 miles, but was only 7.1 straight-line-miles from last night's campground site!

At 12:20pm I took a break to eat a Clif Bar under a power line. It sort of looked like rain, but so far I'd only been sprinkled on near the Rend Lake Visitor Center.

I made it to the northwest corner of West Frankfort at 1:05pm. Using the Google Maps app on the BlackBerry, I found a place to eat: Sonic. I have actually never been to a Sonic before. At first I thought you had to type-in your order, but you just press the red button and talk. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and a large orange 'Slush'. My 'carhop' delivered my meal and then asked questions about my trip. She said the others inside wanted to know, but didn't want to ask themselves. She came out again later with more questions from those inside. Now that I think about it, I should have left that brave girl a tip. My thinking is a little slow, especially on-tour. I did give her my journal address, so if you're reading this, thank you for the great service and sorry about the 'no tip'!

With difficulty, I put the rest of my half-drunk Slush in my Klean Kanteen with help of the straw. That stuff doesn't pour very well. Just as I left it started to sprinkle, then it stopped. I really didn't want to get out the plastic sheet and cover the cargo.

Continued south toward my destination: Ferne Clyffe State Park. Passed through Johnston City at 3:06pm, Spillertown at 3:55pm, and arrived in Marion at 4:15pm. I spotted a Dairy Queen, so stopped for a large chocolate shake. I saved my long spoon, since I was thinking it'd be needed later for that non-pourable Sonic Slush.

I left DQ at 4:40pm for my final push. I followed County Road 13, which would have been a great road, if they hadn't put rumble strips on the shoulder. Made it to my turn at Lake Egypt at 6:45pm. Their fire truck was outside for an event that had been earlier in the day. Further down the road is a power plant by Lake of Egypt.

Turned south onto IL-37, which is marked as a caution road for bicyclists on my map. It wasn't too bad - at least no rumble strips.

Just past Pulleys Mill, I saw a bicyclist walking up a hill. I was thinking, "Oh no, that must be some hill." I caught up and met John Cato, a touring bicyclist who has all his gear in a pack on his back. He was walking at the moment to change how his pack was sitting on his back. He'd just finished a week's break in Carbondale. He agreed that getting back on a trip is like starting all over. He's headed to Florida, and later hopes to get to the Grand Canyon. Tonight he was hoping to make it to Goreville, so he could attend church in the morning. I wished him well and continued on.

It was getting dark enough that I put my flashers on. When I was close to the park, I noticed a bike trail on the east side of the road. I got on, but wished I'd hadn't, since it was in sad shape.

Was at the park entrance at 7:35pm. The campground host wasn't home, so I picked site #10. First thing I did was "drink" the remaining Slush with my spoon (it still wouldn't pour). That was so good! Next I set up the tent using the bike's headlight to see, then took a shower. It started sprinkling as I rode back to the tent after my shower. It really started raining at 10:45pm, when I was getting ready to sleep. Timing couldn't have been any better!

Jeff

Spent: $9.52 (lunch) + $4.33 (chocolate shake) + $20 (campsite) = $33.85.

Day 6 - Sesser, IL to Goreville, IL

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+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +