Day 44 Hartville to Ellington, 107 miles

7-23-2019
Humidity is up in the mornings now.  Today was the Ozark hills.  Guessing maybe 6000 ft of climbing for the day.  Hills are steep and even the granny gear doesn't seem small enough at times.  To make it worse, the decision to go to Ellington came in the afternoon with 80 miles already on the clock and some big climbs in warm temps.  Maybe not my best choice,  but go big right?

I will have to say that the water here in the Ozarks is nice.  Not the muddy rivers of Kansas.  Stopped a few times to sightsee and get food.  Once in a gas station convenient store a guy asked how the gas mileage was on my bike.   I told him the gas mileage was great, but the food mileage was horrible.  People are constantly amazed that you can ride a bicycle coast to coast.  I constantly hear. "I could never do that".  Yes you could...

Spending the night at a city owned hostel in Ellington.  A shower, bathroom, and room to sleep.  I don't need much more... 

Morning mist...

Climbed a tower, this is it.

Obligatory cow photo

They named this road D for me!

Alley spring mill

Mill wasn't working :(

Beautiful rivers

Rt 76 bike hostel, Ellington

I saw no elk so far,
Plenty of crosses.

Day 43, Ash Grove to Hartville, 76 miles

7-22-2019
Rain8ng when I got up, so late start.  On the road about 9:45.  A little drizzly, but the temps cooler.  To day I was depressed.  I question why continue on this journey?  I'm tired of the wind.  Constant wind noise.  Headwinds, sidewinder, wind.  Sigh.

I can say that my cycling youth prepared me well for this trip.  Enduring the constant winds along Lake Ontario and the side winds riding hamlin to portageville are pretty similar.  Now the Missouri hills.  Pretty much grinding around portageville.  All day. 

Ok enough of the rant.  Was only planning on going to Houston, but then got there early, so continued on.   Not a whole lot in Hartville.  Camped under the pavilion in their park.  Pretty quiet other than the stray cats in the garbage cans...

Delay of game...

I always greet the natives warmly.

And horses

I dunno, somewhere in Missouri

Maybe a bridge?

Hartville park

Day 42, Walnut to Ash Grove, 96 miles

7-21-2019
Out the door and on the road by 6am.   NE wind mean another long day if they continue in this direction. Forecast was for SW...  Quiet roads this early.  Entered Missouri early today.  Not much change in views though.  Corn, cows soybeans with haybales...  and one road closed section that I walked around the barricades.  Very hot in the afternoon and got into Ash Grove about 2:30.  City has a historic house they let bikers use and also free use of the pool.  Quite refreshing.

Golden City, MO

Famous for pie!

Farms!

Missouri rollers

Ash Grove

Barham house

Day 41, Eureka to Walnut (Immanuel Lutheran), 95 miles

7-20-2019
Left at sunrise again.  Still warm.  Not too much different out here view wise, but not much wheat out this way.  Corn, soybeans and cows.  I heard that they are now moving the cows from grazing to feedlots.  Poor cows.

Anyway, there were supposed to be several spots to get liquids today.  Didn't find them if they were around.  So did the first 60 miles with 3 bottles.  Managed to replenish in Chanute.  I also can't eat in this heat as I have 0 appetite for anything.  Sigh.

It was supposed to be a little shorter day today, but when I got to Walnut, KS I discovered the church was 8 more miles.  Less to ride tomorrow!  Yey!  Grateful for a free, with AC, inside, pleasant place to stay.

More cows.  Later they had more
sense than me to find shade.

More bales...

A reprieve from sun and wind.
Short lived...

The Immanuel Lutheran 1887

Thank you!

Days 39 & 40, Sterling -> Newton -> Eureka, 62 miles, 76 miles

Day 39. 7-18-2019
Left Sterling about 6:30am.  Bob was taking a rest day and getting a package sent to him in Sterling.  It will be different riding alone again after riding with Bob for a while now.
Winds were not bad heading south out of Sterling and didn't really pick up until after Nickerson.  Then it was full on.  I went into Butler, but couldn't find the convenient store.  So I ended up going all the way to Hesston before getting more liquids.  5 miles of full on headwinds took me to Newton.  Went to the Newton Bike Shop and bought shorts (they are too small- ugh).  Anyway, I had a warmshower host arranged so was able to get out of the heat.  Old house on the National Historic Register.  They are working to restore it.

Day 40, 7-19-2019
Left about 6:15am to moderate winds right off the bat.  No services for the first 40 miles.  Grabbed a quick bite at a little store in Cassoday.   Then it was 16 miles of headwinds to Rosalia.  The big difference between the previous days was that there was no cloud cover this morning.   It rated up fast.  Nothing in Rosalia, so continues onto Eureka.   Another tiny town.  Opted for a hotel tonight because of the heat and I hope to get to a church that hosts cyclists tomorrow.   It will be a long day.  Hoping the wind and heat relent soon.

Bales along the way

Butler?....   Buhler?

Corn, corn, corn, and soybeans

Motorist info...

Biggest cat I've seen in a while

NHR Home

Janet and Orvin

Not the usual box turtle crossing