Day 30: To Ava

October 8, 2014

I feel much better today. I really needed the rest. 15 hours of sleep should do it.

I got on the road at 8:45. Weather 60F, hazy sunny. Through the sleepy town of Willow Springs on Business US 60, then left onto MO 76 west. Finally away from the US 60 divided highway and onto a very old 2-lane road that follows every contour of the land. Almost no traffic because it's so narrow, winding, and hilly.

I learned a bit about Missouri forests during this tour. Like most of the eastern U.S. Missouri was largely deforested in the 19th century. Missouri is the only state to have a state-run reforestation program. Apparently Missouri's reforestation program is the model for all other states. I also learned that the pines are generally not native and only exist here because they were extensively planted.

Apparently everybody around here uses 3 names.

Nice reflection. Makes me wish I had a polarizing filter to experiment with.

I'm on the southern fringe of the Ozark plateau. The streams mostly flow north to south. Today I crossed 6 major streams on MO 76. Each one has a 300 foot descent and 300 foot climb. Usually a big portion of that is 10% grade. Good thing I rested up.

Southern Missouri has dead armadillos, same as Texas.

Overall, the area does not look prosperous. Many buildings are abandoned and there don't seem to be any jobs.

Today's route is mostly unpopulated. No little villages. Only one store at a crossroad in the middle of nowhere. No lunch available there, so I was very hungry later in the day.

Ray's Country Store is the only store on today's route. Not much food. Mostly liquor, tobacco, glass pipes, sex toys, porn, biker apparel, and tie-die stuff.

The route alternates between forested hills and pastures in valleys, with the occasional sudden descent to cross a river. The percentage of tree canopy steadily decreases as I travel west.

It's nice to be off US 60 and back on low traffic country roads.

Today it warmed up to 80F. Not bad for October. Humidity is getting slightly lower.

I saw only evangelical churches and one Catholic church. The population is so sparse now that I didn't see very many churches.

There aren't very many roads like MO 76 nowadays. If the road had any real population it would have been upgraded long ago to modern standards which have vastly more cut and fill to make the road as level and straight as possible. It's hillier, but I prefer old roads that blend into the landscape.

For the last 3 miles into Ava I turned onto county road 102, a shortcut into Ava. It probably had more traffic and was hillier than if I had stayed on MO 76.

Today has a lot of climbing, but I arrived in Ava at 4 PM and got a $72 room at Days Inn, the only motel in town. Ava is a typical isolated farm town that has been declining for decades.

I was in the hills all day today, with many short 10% grade segments. Ava is 1283 feet elevation but the hills got as high as 1500 feet elevation. The 6 stream crossings were below 1000 feet elevation.

Distance: 53 mi. (85 km)
Climbing: 3746 ft. (1135 m)
Average Speed: 9.9 mph (16 km/h)

Today's ride: 53 miles (85 km)
Total: 1,522 miles (2,449 km)

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