Dateline: Jefferson City, MO

Last night pulled into Berryman XG just @ dark, had place to myself. Frogs were at it again. Rained during night.

Drove east to Festus, MO, home of 2 bike shops, hunting brake pads. Struck out with them as well as Big Shark and every other store in ST Louis. Most were willing to order them but arrival would have been like Friday. Plan B was to find a shop I would be going to. I found Epic in Kansas City, MO and I was told the pads would arrive on Wed. Cool. Ordered a pair. They also have a Wed eve ride that I will hit.

GPS mapped a road down to shore of Mississippi: Hugs Landing. I was hoping it would have been  a real old time landing. I drove down road that dead ended into a private boat club. I parked along side the rr tracks outside the entrance & took several pictures. A car driven by an older man passed & then backed up and rolled the window down and invited me onto property to take pictures as he is a member. I took him up on it. I parked near him & engaged in conversation regarding river life. He told of river history. Club house is on jersey barrier build ups. River height in feet incfrements are painted on them. 41 feetis last measure which is below club house. River reaches 31 feet to climb onto club property.

An suv pulled up driven by an older man. He waited until I started to walk away and he engaged me in conversation. He saw my van and he told me of 2 adventurers that were kayaking down the river and they stopped @ the club and this man was there. He helped them out and was enthralled w/ their adventure. He encouraged me to write a book about my trip because people like him can’t adventure but are rewarded by reading about others who do. He read Blue Highways & Walk Across America, Lewis & Clark journals. I doubt my having something to say in a book but he said write it. To you, sir, I looked @ both Kevin Knieling  and roadwarriornews.com websites. They are way above my adventure.

I coined a phrase for my riding: Lifestyle riding, i ride what I can and walk what I need to.

I called Gracie & learned she rode 3 laps of Oak Mtn: 52 miles. GREAT for her. She’s training for the Leadville 100 mtn bike race. Will Lance make it this year after his collar bone break?

I’m driving to Columbia, MO for a ride tomorrow, heading West. I drive thru Pacific which is right on Lewis & Clark’s route; which came first: the town name or did they give it as they went thru? They started from St Louis right? Took road that didn’t take me where I wanted to go. I pulled over and a white van pulled in behind me and the driver got out. He was in 60s. He asked if I was lost because of my WA plates. He said he lived in Kingston for 5 years & is still trying to sell the house. We chatted about WA and the light rain that was falling.

I was seeking the legendary route 66 that the new interstate I-44 parallels. I found it & drove a few miles on it which is now almost a frontage road w/ no businesses. “Get your kicks on route 66” lyrics are from what song?

My drive followed the Katy trail, a 120 mile rails to trails pathway which is also part of the L & C route, rt 94 on N side of Missouri River. Twisty some up & down roadway. Hardly any traffic. I stopped in Portland, MO at a TH for a quick store bought salad dinner. Right on river shoreline.

Crossed Missouri & continued to Jefferson City, capital. I found a parking space behind a bank bldg many blocks from capital bldg.

Rained today so the driving made good use of the day. Making good tracks heading west, too good, I will have to slow down in Kansas in cold. Spring isn’t here yet: trees have hardly flowered and it is in 40s.

Passed Daniel Boone’s grave in Marthasville. No stopping.

Been talking into digital recorder more. Should have had 1 from start to record thoughts that don’t make blog.

I just know that my solo traveling opens me up to all these conversations. William Least Heat Moon & Steinbeck did the same.Maybe each of us sought out converations for human companionship. My belief is when 2 or more people are together they are involved w/ each other, they are not as inclined to look outward. The conversations are between 2 strangers and can be whatever they can be. That’s why i travel alone.

No internet access out in toolies.

Yesterday drove from Salem, Ar thru Salem, Mo to Council Bluff Lake rec area. A 12 mile ST loop around lake. Muddy ride, didn’t feel weel for unknown reasons. Met a younger man part way thru and then back @ TH. Wages aren’t good here he said which affects what bike stuff he can afford.

Washed trail  mud off in lake and then smelled of lake water.

Drove into Potosi for groceries and then out to TH for Berryman 16 miles out.

Camped in primitive no fee usfs xg site of former CCC camp. Small water impoundment about 150 feet from my van. Frogs were really going at it talking saying what they knew. What a loud noise. i captured it on recorder. No internet access.

Slept long on Sunday AM as I would be riding from van. Made scratch pancakes. Frogs are quiet.

Left on ride just after 10:00AM under low overcast skies. Took tourist map along incase I had to bail. Suspect rain. Chilly morning. Trail was not well marked; @ first intersection that should ahve been w/ the Ozark Trail, labeled “OT” went both ways, no mark for Berryman Trail. Doubled back to just make sure, yes, I was correct. Saw 2 horse riders approaching from where I came and decided that i needed to put some distance between us. Horses on soft ground will tear up trail. trail crosses numerous old roads and 1 major gravel road. Quads have been riding on trail in several spots, later I followed a dirt bike track. Trail is plainly marked no motorized vehicles.

Trail was an old hiking trail made back when. Many places a stream flowed down trail as builders invited it on and thne never gpt it off. Places it was sunk below grade from old horse traffic. Numerous wet areas. Can’t believe that this was an IMBA epic! This trail is a class act for how to run h2o down trail & route trail thru as many low spots as could be found.

23 miles. I had 28 miles stuck in my mind. At 23 plus I saw a car and then a sign for Berryman XG. I was done already. I had stored reserves for 28 miles.

rear brake is not working effectively, maybe new pads. Tomorrow’s forcast is for rain & Tshowers So I am planning on driving maybe to ST Louis for pads.

Drove into Potosi and stopped @ gas station & asked for shower location. Guy was perplexed, dumbfounded something. I finally said YMCA of the Ozarks out of town. I drove out there into a big resident camp replete w/ fancy lodge. I asked @ the desk for a shower. I was afraid they would say w/ a room you can. The clerk returned w/ good news to help myself @ another building. i am now free of 2 days of Missouri mud & sweat.

Drove back into Potosi looking for a quiet palce for internet access work. Picked usfs rs. Slow speed.

Almost hit my first animal today. A cat was looking to cross road and was part way across in the other lane and was seriously thinking about moving into my lane. Fortunately cat saved 1 of its 9 lives.

Dateline: Salem, AR

T-storm activity quit around 10:00PM last night. Slept quietly. In AM wind came up and sprinkles. weather forecast was for clearing and favorable for ride. Counting on rocky sandy soil to dry quickly.

Drove back down green mtn rd to TH. There were 2 rigs there. Rode White River Bluff. Lots of ice damage but trail cleared. Rocks were slippery and i rode cautiously and avoided overly technical moves. Back to TH picked up orange trail Bald Scrappy loop and merged onto blue trail Scrappy Mtn Loop. Saw fresh bike tracks, must have been riders whose rigs were in parking lot. Continued until hit uncleared trail. What a mess: not a simple walk around a tree trunk. Heard voices ahead, I had caught up w/ other riders. Trail is impassable. Their solution is to hike up the mtn to pick up trail on other side. A bit lost. Bashed thru poison ivy. Luckily so far i wore long tights, several of the other guys were only wearing shorts. Oh, big poison ivy coming for them. Found trail, continued around and came out @Scrappy mtn TH and rode road back to first TH. The other guys were from Conway & had to get back. I rode the orange trail the other way. Bit of rocks but several muddy h2o sections. Trail is on rock, not deep mud but spewed up h2o that had stuff in it. My drive train made grating sounds. My front brake squealed: I wore out the pads and the metal spring was grinding on the rotor when I squeezed the brake lever. No front brake! Luckily the trail never got steep enough to really miss it. Made it back to van OK.

CXT outhouses @ each TH.

Concern over condition of components. I had 1 new pair of brake pads. My Chris King bottom bracket I just knew needs grease and finding the grease tool would be a problem. I needed a shower and clean up bike, and then go buy parts.

Called Competitive Cyclist to buy King tool. They didn’t have. failure. I would have driven 125 miles backwards direction to score tool. Plan B is if bottom bracket is grit affected is to buy another bottom bracket and use until I would score the King tool.

Called usfs rs and asked about a shower in any of their nearby XGs. Said yes @ Blanchard rec area on rt 14. If I drove into town of 56 I went to far. I found the sign to Blanchard caverns but it didn’t say XG. Called back to RS and was assured that it is the same place, just drive further down road. trusted her and she was the one yesterday who said that trails were cleared. Free shower in a bigger CXT building. Washed bike off. replaced worn front pads, cleaned off rear pads seeing that there is a little meat still left, cleaned chain, & spun crank. Bottom bracket appears to spin freely. Maybe safe for more rides, tomorrow will tell.

About 6 motorcycle riders pulled in right across from where I was working. they set up camp looking much like back packers w/ their Shelter selection. 2 guys chose the covered hammock trick.

Back in the woods during my ride I saw many pieces of styrofoam and several pieces of sheet metal like siding or patio roof material. Deduced that it was debris the tornado sucked up and they finally fell from the sky long ways away from touchdown.

Drove hwy 9 again, still a windy twisty climbing dropping 2 lane no shoulder road N to Missouri. Managed to make Salem. Saw sign for airport on outskirts of whatever kind of town Salem is. Small airport, several single engine airplanes under roofs & cars. Decided if I got internet connection I would spend the night. No people around. No lights on runway so likelihood of airplanes returning to the cars was slim. Adding airports to sleeping locations.

Saw news story of CNN about tornadoes in SE USA killing people. One just struck Mena, AR where I was just several days ago. Staying ahead of bad weather.