2014-07-22: Day 27 Angry Ozarks, Centerville to Summersville, MO

Mileage Today: 63 Total Mileage: 1343

Two days ago, I went into a diner in Farmington, MO to eat a 2^nd breakfast for the day while Jon was having his shifters adjusted at the local bike shop. A guy engaged me in conversation since I was in full riding gear, all sweaty and carrying bike bags. Most of the folks along the route lead off with the question “East” or “West”. After telling him “West”, he informed me that the miles I would ride today would be the toughest on the TransAmerican route. I discounted his statement when he also told me he had never actually ridden the route……. Yesterday, I made a statement about the Ozarks not being too bad. I should have whispered because I think the Ozarks are upset at me. Jon and I rode the real Missouri Ozarks today. In hindsight, perhaps the guy in the diner was right. Today, the Ozarks broke me by the time we stopped for lunch at 42 miles. I have 27 gears on my bike. Seems like way too many until you need to pull some of these mountains. I spent a good portion of the day in gear number 27….wishing that I had 28. By lunch I was a shell of my previous self. But the food at Ruby’s Family Restaurant in Eminence convinced both Jon and I to go on. We ended the day at 63 miles and pulled 5800 vertical feet today, the 2^nd biggest of the trip. The news tonight reported that today temperatures in the area were the highest of the summer at 93 degrees with a heat index close to 100. How did we get so lucky....We must be living right. The pic to the left is what it looked like all day over the handle bars. The panorama below is Jon riding through the Ozarks. Remember to see a bigger version of any pic, click on the pic.

We did find a very nice oasis amongst the climbs at the 48 mile point today. Anyone in the area should stop at Alley Spring, MO. 81 million gallons of water a day come up from below ground into a pool at the base of a cliff. In 1894, a couple of guys got the idea to build the best flour mill possible by using the spring water to drive the grinding process. They created a revolutionary 3 step grinding process to create a finer white flour than what was widely available at the time. However, they had transportation problems when the railroad line they expected to be built was not built. They had great flour but no way to ship it. The mill closed in 1912. You can choose your own moral for this story:

1. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
2. “Don’t put the cart before the horse.”
3. “Don’t build a flour mill without a railroad to move your product.”

The state purchased the mill and all the original mill equipment and has maintained them in their original condition. There were park reps there to explain the process. It very quiet and beautiful place. Also, really interesting.