The weather has gotten very hot and now in Missouri we are back into hill climbing, lots of small hills but hills none the less.Farmington, MO was a very nice town for an overnight and I had to replace my chain, it was toasted and I was having trouble shifting. We did get to watch a Little League Ball Game in the evening and it was a nice diversion.Tacos were on the menu and while they were good they were not very filling, especially with the riding we are doing.
On our way to Lesterville on Friday, one of our riders crashed while moving from the highway to the shoulder of the road. She lost control mainly due to about a four inch difference in surfaces and a very stony and rutted shoulder. Jill is out of the tour with a fractured scapula, broken ribs and cuts and bruises. We all wish her well. On the way into Lesterville the school temperature sign registered 105F while riding on the road my bike computer registered 113F. It was HOT. We camped on the Current River and a swim cooled me down. A couple of our riders really suffered from the heat and had a hard time recovering.
On Saturday we rode to Eminence, Mo and this was a hilly ride with some good climbs. We thought we could beat the heat by leaving before seven but it got hot quickly. This was only a 52 mile ride but with the temperature reaching 113F on the road it was a very tough day riding. Once again I drank and drank fluids all day and made it into the Circle B Campground OK.
At the Circle B I was able to get a motel(really basic motel) room for Sjef and myself.The best feature was the AIR CONDITIONING! When Sjef got in he was really worn out. He fell onto the bed and did not move for at least a half hour. But being Sjef he was soon up and about and asking for a beer. We went into town for Dinner and it was a good meal. Eminence is the County Seat for Texas County. There are a total of seven thousand residents in the county and the big issue in this area is the reintroduction of Elk into the National Forests in the area.Ranchers and farmers are against it and everyone else is in favor. This is a beautiful area with the Current and Jack's Fork Rivers with lots of tubing, rafting, kayaking and canoeing on over 100 miles of unpolluted waterways. Everyone is working hard to keep it that way.
We had a rest day on Sunday and that is just what I did most of the day until I had to prepare dinner . As cook for the day we had chicken, bratwurst, baked beans, salad and watermelon. Not a bad meal if I do say so myself, although Jason and Sjef helped a lot.
Today,(Monday) we rode 42 miles to Houston and we are camped at the city park with a swimming pool and showers at hand. Nice.
Life is Good Bobo
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