Day 28: Everton, MO to Chanute, KS; Century Day Brings A Welcome Change of Topography

June 2, 2015

Everton, MO (Running Springs Farm) to Chanute, KS (Guest House Motel)

(Note to readers regarding the elevation profiles; the profile is calculated from Point "A" on the map to Point "B" on the map. Since I am traveling east to west on the first half of this transcontinental journey, my route of travel is usually shown on the map as being from right to left. However, the elevation profile is shown from left to right, so it must be "reversed" in your head to understand it.)

Climbing Today; 1,885 ft -- Total So Far; 77,994 ft

I awoke earlier than James and Daniel, and rolled out about 6:30. Bill Cork had told us that we only have about 12 more miles of Ozark hills, and I was anxious to be done with them. The Ozarks had been challenging, but in my opinion they didn't match the Appalachians in difficulty. Cyclists argue over which of the two is the hardest part of crossing America. Regardless of who is right, in about 12 miles I will have completed the hardest part of the crossing. It was a little cold outside, but I didn't want to wear my rain jacket so I just slipped on one of my two "off-bike" shirts for extra warmth. Here I am ready to roll;

Departing Running Springs; It was Cold so I Wore a Regular Shirt Over My Bike Jersey.

The Ozarks continued to delight me with beautiful streams, and here's the last one I photographed;

The Ozarks didn't quit easily, and the last 12 miles demanded respect with some significant climbs.

The Ozarks Continued to Demand a Steep Toll for Cyclists

The View to the Rear After Cresting the Hill

This was another slightly foggy morning. I think I'm actually going to miss the fog; it holds off the sun's heat for a while and adds a touch of surreal beauty.

Finally getting past the last remnants of the hills, I rolled into Golden City. Golden City is famous amongst cyclists for Cooky's restaurant, known for the most incredible pies on earth. I located the restaurant about a half-mile off route and tried the Dutch blueberry pie; words can't possibly do it justice, so I will just say that it was incredible. The waitress approached me with a bound volume, and I knew what it was before she arrived; another guest register of Transam cyclists. I signed it and noticed that Andy was only a few hours ahead of me; perhaps I will catch him again. I liked the pie so much I had a BLT "on the side" then hit the road just as James and Daniel arrived. I didn't mean to be unsociable, but I had a totally ridiculous potential plan for today floating around in the back of my mind, and I needed to move on if it had any chance of coming to fruition.

Rolling on, it was obvious that I was in flat farmland now when I passed two competing tractor dealers within a few miles of each other. Here's one;

Here's another clever mailbox, this one designed for farming country;

Ever since I left Cooky's I have been flying at low altitude. I had been crawling through the mountains for so long that I'm now loving this flat ground; surely I must have a tail wind cause I am traveling 16 - 20 mph and the effort is only routinely hard. I found myself needing to stop and move a turtle but Harvey objected; "Let me run," he said, "I'm loving this, don't stop!" So we rolled on, eating up pavement like some sort of strange asphalt-craving animal. Here's a photo of the flat western Missouri farmland we were enjoying;

Western Missouri Farmland is Similar to Eastern Kansas, Of Course

Getting into the flat land also seems to mean the end of the forests. The only trees I now see are along property boundaries, at homes and small towns, and in cemeteries.

Trees are Found Only at Section Boundaries, Cemeteries, and Towns

And so on we rolled. Inevitably we hit Kansas, and I forced Harvey to stop for the obligatory glory selfie.

Kansas is generally flat, but it certainly isn't boring, and right now I'm loving the flat ground. Typical view in Eastern Kansas;

Kansas is Flat Compared to Missouri, And I'm Loving It!

Folks think of Kansas as being dry, but that's not necessarily so in eastern Kansas. Here's a pic as I crossed the Neosho River;

I had lunch in Pittsburgh at a nice grill, and quickly rolled on. I had finally gotten far enough along to let my crazy idea float to the surface, and I openly contemplated cycling on to Chanute, KS tonight. Chanute is directly north of Tulsa, OK and a bit over 2 hours driving time. It was as close to home as I would get on this trip. I called my wife and told her my idea; she could meet me in Chanute if she wished. I had to get this far along today to even contemplate making it to Chanute, so I couldn't give her much notice. But I still had several hours of steady cycling to reach Chanute, so she had time to pack and get there about as soon as me.

I rolled into Chanute around 8:00 pm, thoroughly spent. I had cycled 120 miles on a fully loaded touring bike, and the first 12 miles consisted of the remainder of the Ozark hills. It was more than enough effort for today. When Anita arrived she looked at my map and helped me develop a plan for the next couple of days. Anything that doesn't involve 120 mile days is OK by me...

Today's ride: 120 miles (193 km)
Total: 1,671 miles (2,689 km)

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