July 6

Eminence, MO to Centerville, MO

48 / 2620

Here's a look at my camp before I headed out - 

-  I start off feeling really strong and the first few climbs aren't so bad. At one point I pull over to talk on the phone and a couple cruises by on a tandem touring bike.

 At this bend in the road I take break and the bugs are out in full force! Persistent peddling works better than any bug spray!

Behold the Current River - just downstream from the past river...

 A westbound couple passes as I take in the view. The guy has the same Trek 520 as me and I compliment on his taste for fine touring bicycles.

It's really peaceful watching these fellas cast into a shady nook of the river -

After the river comes a few brief but insanely steep climbs, much like some spots in Utah. I nearly got off the bike and walked at one point, but opted to get up outta the saddle and stomp it out.

 Occasionally I see a caution sign alerting drivers to the presence of wild horses. I ask someone what the story is and I learn that horses had run free many years ago and thrived in the woods and now have a sort of protected species status.

When the terrain levels a bit I see the couple with the tandem again, but this time they're searching through tall grass for a cyclometer that popped off - bummer! We get to talking and this pair comes from Grass Valley, CA! They travel the same course as me, but in two week intervals. Huh? Well, they ride two weeks, go home and work two weeks, resume the ride, etc...

 Here in Ellington I stop for pizza. The shop owner is from Modesto. I chat with some road workers before stepping out to discover it's pouring rain! I help the owner of the Miata seen in the photo. The top wasn't shutting properly but we got it to work. Down the road I grab a milkshake at a diner. The woman at the counter seems pissed about something and old ladies gossip in the corner booth.

The rain has let up and I cruise to the local grocery store. In front of the store I spot another touring cyclist. He's propped up against bags of soil or charcoal and chugs from a two-liter bottle of orange soda. He's on the phone and doesn't notice my wave.

Back on the road and the rain starts coming down hard! I push on and the rain lets up in about 20 minutes. Drivers aren't giving me much room out here! I pull onto the gravel shoulder at one point to avoid a big rig pulling up. My re-entry to the roadway is a flop. My front wheel catches a lip in the asphalt and I dump over right into the lane - bad. I'm up like a flash not sure if traffic is approaching. Phew! Looks like I've cut my left knee pretty good. I give it a water-bottle flush.
At the top of the hill I pull over for iced tea at a gas stop and get the low-down on Centerville.

Here in Centerville I stop at the 21 diner for a bite. Up comes the cyclist I saw earlier at the grocery store. He joins me inside the diner. Eric is his name and he studies at UC Santa Cruz. He breaks out a sack of bread and a jar of Nutella and he dips and munches away, says this is basically all he eats on this trip. Eric is heading for New York and has to keep an insane schedule in order to be back to Santa Cruz in time for school. He's really glassed-over and his reaction time seems really slow. He sleeps a couple hours at a time and often rides all through the night. A few nights ago he was slowly trailed by ten cars until he reached a lit parking lot where each driver passed tossing threats and nasty looks. We talk a bit more and step outside to look at his bike. It's disintegrating but maybe it'll hold up. We wish each other good luck and he sets off. Eric will complete today what it will take me two and a half days to accomplish.

- I ride to the river crossing and consider camping under the bridge, but I've got a funny feeling after Eric's story so I head back and ask around at the sheriff's office. The receptionist says I'm welcome to camp on the courthouse lawn. Cool.

- I walk down a dirt road to the river to rinse off and clean out my knee. The water feels great! I toss my shirt on a shrub in the middle of the river and find a nice place to plant my feet and lean back into the current. At this moment I have a funny realization about how things have worked out on this trip. Before leaving home I imagined lots of reflection, time for reading and journaling, sitting on hillsides and watching the sun set. It turns out that the bike riding part takes up nearly all of my time. After finding supplies, washing clothes and finding a place to sleep there isn't much time for a lot of other things. But it's OK-the path is the goal, right?

One of the perks of camping at the cop shop is the 24hr restroom. During one visit I pause to gander at the drug and paraphernalia displays. There are also the famous "Before and After Meth" posters- yuck. I crawl into my tent and as night falls the noisy little bugs come out with their clicking and clatter. Nothing a little Jim Beam can't soothe  ; )