Packed.
6am, parking by Creve Coeur Lake.
Cool with low humidity.
$13 Sony radio from Sears, tuned to NPR
Crossing the Missouri River alongside highway 364
Goal: Go from just east of Greens Bottom to Washington. Crossing through St Louis, St Charles, Warren, and Franklin counties.
Well, I didn't bother taking a dump.
Most of the trail was beautiful and shaded.
Crossing under highway 40/I-64
Missouri River
Stopped at this bike shop in Defiance MO (named after its rivalry with nearby Matson MO). I talked to an old couple about my trip. I told them about how exhausting my trip was, traveling just under 40 miles in one direction. They then asked me if I had done the entire trail yet -- apparently they had! They routinely did 20-30 miles a day.
That's right, the elderly are in better shape than I am.
Bought some juice and a fruit bar.
Tiny town with two bars and a winery.
Augusta MO, a good-sized town with a large fire department, several blocks, a brewery, a library, and a 24-hour old gas station.
lol
As I got further along, it got hotter outside and there was less shade.
Yeah, its pretty effing hot now.
Much to my surprise, my Blackberry was connected to Sprint 3G, tethered to my computer.
I missed my 11:26am train because my average speed was quite poor. I ended up booking a room at the Super 8 in Washington for $57 including tax through Travelocity. The problem was, I had another 3.5 miles to go and a narrow bridge to cross. The next 3.5 miles would take me nearly an hour, part of it on foot. I called for a shuttle but they wanted $25 and said it would take 45 minutes to get a van to pick me up, so I said screw it and kept pedaling.
Must... keep... pedaling. At this point my head was pounding. I had plenty of water but it was hot and humid outside. I ended up on a very rough dirt road that seemed to take forever to ride. Meanwhile, cars and tractors were passing me, kicking up rocks and dust in my face.
This is the hellacious bridge I crossed to get from Dutzow to Washington. It was a mile long and went over the Missouri river. As you can see, there are only two narrow lanes and NO shoulders. There's nothing more unnerving than being passed by semis. The guard rails were low too. One little bump from a vehicle and I'd be tossed into the river.
This bridge is due to be rebuilt within the decade and the future version will include four lanes plus a separate bike lane.
Washington MO has a population of only 13,000 but serves as the hub for the area. There's a Sears, JC Penney, Schnucks, Wal-Mart, Lowes, St Johns Mercy Hospital, and just about every service you could imagine. I think people in New Haven, Augusta, and Union come here to do their shopping.
Far off in the distance I can see the Super 8. I've never
ever been so happy to see a cheap hotel. At this point, I'm on foot. Even when I was using the designated and marked bike lane, a-holes in pickups were honking at me.
OH THANK GOD
Cold AC, high pressure shower head, and comfortable beds. Its all a traveler could ever ask for.
And a clean toilet.
Its actually a very nice Super 8.
The closest thing for food was the Dairy Queen next door. I ordered a banana split, lemonade, and turkey sandwich. People looked at me funny, probably because I looked like I was close to death and covered from head to toe in dirt.
om nom nom
After eating and showering, my head was still pounding. They were out of ibuprofen at the front desk so I walked over to the gas station... which was closed. ARGH.
Thankfully I found a Schnucks grocery store. With my head and body aching, that short walk across the street in 95-degree heat felt like an eternity.
The turkey sandwich actually worked better than the pills.
I dozed off around 5pm, woke up, and called my brother at 3am to come get me. I could have taken the train back to St Louis County, but today it was going to be 101F with high humidity. I didnt want to ride 3 miles bike across town in that.
Bungee cords make everything fit.
It was an unusually LONG drive from the hotel to where I parked the Saab. I finally made it to the trail head at 5:40am. Even though the distance is reasonable, the road is dark and winds back and forth, up and down.
The Saab is of course still there.
I promised my brother some food for getting me.
The sun is rising, and I walk in the door at 6am, 24 hours after I began.
That was quite an adventure.
