East of Elk City, OK to East of Bridgeport, OK

April 15, 2025

Trade Wind for Hills

Something from yesterday I forgot to mention. While riding on the old roadbed a roadrunner with a mouse in its beak ran across the road in front of me. There was no coyote in pursuit.

As I was struggling in the wind yesterday (and the first part of today) I was thinking about Achille, the 18-year old Frenchman who was our WarmShowers guest a couple weeks ago. I asked him why he had such short days (mileage wise) from Amarillo to Oklahoma City. The wind exhausted him, he said. It was an omen.

You can see by the flag below that the wind was still up this morning. Not as strong as yesterday, but right out of the east, in my face. I took 5 hours to go the first 35 miles to Weatherford. After that it shifted to SSE and occasionally south. The last 28 miles took less than 3 hours, but in exchange for the headwind Route 66 offered me hills. More on that later.

Foss was founded in 1902. Later that year it was wiped out by a flood, so they moved it up the hill (trust me) away from the creek. In the next 8 years large parts of town burned down. Twice. Again in 1939. It finally gave up the ghost. There are still some folks here, but it’s just a shadow of its peak population of 1500 or so.

Looks to me like the Foss community storm cellar.

Thank you Frisco Center in Clinton for having a bench where I could sit down to take a break.

Pioneer Man in front of the Frisco Center has a problem with birds apparently.

This gas station was built in 1929, and was purchased by Lucille in 1941. She lived there and operated the station and a small hotel out back for 59 years until her death in 2000. In 1997 she published her autobiography, “Lucille: Mother of the Mother Road”. The station is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Did I mention the hills showed up today? One after another. The nearby interstate rose up and went down in mile-long, low grade hills, where the roadbuilders knocked off the high points and filled in the low. For each of those climbs Route 66 went up and down multiple times, on the uphill grade and the downhill, so I got to climb each interstate hill multiple times.

The remains of the Hinton Junction Courts and Cafe. Ruins more like.

The first of the two bridge projects that kept this part of the highway closed for a year and a half until just a few months ago. I would otherwise have had to make it a 50+ mile detour.

The other bridge project in the distance. The 38 Span Bridge, aka the Pony Bridge.

The bridge was in such bad shape that they couldn’t just renovate it. They totally removed it and built a brand new bridge, but they cut the spans out of the old bridge and re-installed them as decoration to maintain the style of the old bridge. And yes, 38 spans. I counted them. Like many bridges in this part of Oklahoma, it crosses mostly sand, with water normally under only a few spans. Drought or flood, but not often in between.

What goes down into a river valley must go back up. The first of two hills totalling about 360’ of climbing. And in the last 4 miles of the day. Insult added to injury.

Numero dos. Fewer yellow petals this time, Bill.

A few more thoughts from today.

The pump that I keep strapped to the left front pannier tried to get loose and jump into the spokes. It will find a new home in the gear.

I hallucinated another cyclist ahead of me on a hill, maybe a mile away. Never saw him again. A phantom?

I passed a fellow walking in the opposite direction in the middle of nowhere. I would have stopped to chat if it was a cyclist. Now I’m feeling guilty. I could possibly have offered him some food or drink.

I am at another KOA tonight. Last night the road noise was horrendous because the campground was right on the interstate. We’re right on the interstate here, too, but I am at the back end and there’s a hill between me and the road. Hopefully that means a better nights sleep.

Today's ride: 63 miles (101 km)
Total: 118 miles (190 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	7
Comment on this entry	Comment	0