Garmin Stats and Maps
I left my exotic motel safari room in Afton to get back on Hwy 60 which is also Route 66. The winds had shifted and the temperature warmed up quickly. Within a couple of hours, I was able to take off my rainjacket and rainpants that I have been living in for warmth for a very long time. What a relief! This ride was very beautiful and enjoyable. The sun was out, the birds were chirping and the landscape was scenic. This was all making me very happy.
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| First sign outside a liquor store |
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| At the more formal welcome sign |
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| Myrtle with more formal Missouri state line |
Soon I was at the Oklahoma/Missouri state line. The 1st sign I came to was outside a liquor store and there were ads for liquor and cigarettes surrounding it. Not much farther there was another, more formal, sign. It feels like I've arrived in Missouri much sooner than I expected to.
video of ride from Afton, OK to Joplin, MO
Today was also the end of my tour on Route 66. I had been invited to stay with Warmshowers' hosts who live south of Joplin. I had originally planned on ending my Route 66 route in Springfield, MO. If I had continued on, Route 66 goes through a corner of Kansas before crossing into Missouri. Instead, I took off at Hwy 43 to find my way to an area called Redings Mill. It was a lovely ride. The roads in Missouri are very smooth with good shoulders. The hills Missouri is famous for also started right as I crossed the border.
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| Terrific hosts Leigh and Ron |
The Warmshowers couple are building a home they are calling a barndominium. Since it is under construction, they put me in an RV that is hooked up to water and electricity. What a smart idea! Leigh and Ron were very nice and served me a delicious dinner. I slept great in the RV. They live out in the country in a quiet, peaceful area. There were lots of colorful birds around the property. I enjoyed meeting their mule and horse too. Ron made sure I had good strong coffee in the morning.
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| Chris with his homemade trike rack |
The next morning, a new triking friend, Chris from Springfield came to pick me up. The weather channel showed a big scary-looking storm approaching. With the threat of tornados, Chris thought it was best to get me off the road.
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| Very positive painting |
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| With trikers Chris, Wendell and Joe |
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| From a trail ride near Springfield |
I spent 3 nights in Springfield. The storm took a turn away from Springfield and wasn't nearly as strong as the forecast predicted. One day had crazy strong winds but we were still able to do some rides on Springfield area trails. I got to meet some local trikers, Joe and Wendell too.
Chris has been busy designing a route we are going to take together from Springfield to Clinton, Missouri. In Clinton, we are going to pick-up the KATY trail.
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| Chris and I are ready to roll out of Springfield |
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| Springfield is the birthplace of Route 66 |
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| Start of the trail |
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| Myrtle on the Frisco Highline trail |
We loaded up our trailers and hit the road. From Springfield, I followed Chris out of town to the start of the Frisco Highline trail. This is an unpaved 37-mile trail ending in the town of Bolivar. It was a chilly ride in blustery conditions. For the most part, we were sheltered from the wind on the tree-lined trail. The trail crosses over many creeks and rivers where we saw fishermen in the water and many people paddling in kayaks. Once, we had to backtrack because of a downed tree. No doubt felled during the powerful wind storm 2 nights earlier.
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| Snake bite! |
The highlight of the day was when Chris tried to get a garter snake off the trail and it bit him. That was quite alarming but garter snakes are, luckily, harmless. Once leaving the unpaved trail and getting back on roads meant climbing some very steep hills. It's Missouri and to be expected.
video of ride from Springfield to Bolivar
We arrived at an RV park where Chris had made a reservation. This was primitive camping on a hill and, boy o boy, it was windy. Chris actually brought tyvek, poles, and paracord prepared to fashion a wind-break. It worked great, too. There was an outlet outside the office where we charged up our batteries and gadgets. I turned the sign attached to my trailer cargo rack over so we had a tabletop to cook at. All-in-all, considering the tough conditions, I thought we did great.
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| Using my sign as a tabletop for cooking |
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| Dinner is served |
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| Primitive campsite with Chris' windbreak |
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| Light on in the tent |
It was such slow going on the thick gravel of the Frisco Highline trail that, in the morning, when Chris suggested we take Hwy 13, I was all-in. Hwy 13 has a good amount of traffic but it also has a very wide shoulder. It felt good to ride at a normal speed again.
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| Myrtle and the trailer parked next to the tent |
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| Sunset at the campsite |
The second night we camped at a city RV park in Osceola, MO. The winds had calmed down and the temperature really warmed up. I was loving it. The RV park put us under a covered shelter that had electricity. There were also lots of picnic tables where Chris and I could spread out. This was great. The bathroom was close by and I took a good hot shower.
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The next day we continued up Hwy 13. I felt bad that Chris and his wife had put in so much time to find us quiet roads to ride and we ended up on the Hwy but it was still a very good ride. The planned route was on mostly gravel roads and I'm not really set up for that. With my trailer and extra weight, I have a more difficult time keeping traction with the rear wheel on gravel. Riding on asphalt is much easier for me. The hwy was also much less miles than the planned gravel route. We were expected at the home of Warmshower hosts in Clinton. We got to town earlier than expected and headed to Walmart to pick up supplies we would need for our ride on the KATY trail. The temperature had climbed into the 80s and Chris also needed a pair of shorts.
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| Parked outside Walmart- Clinton, MO |
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| Orange safety cone lifting the rear of the trike |
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| Chris working the tire wearing his new shorts. |
As we left the Walmart parking lot I had a rear wheel flat. My first flat tire of the tour. I used my trusty orange safety cone to raise the rear wheel off the ground. I was also very happy to have Chris' help with the repair. We found a gash on the inside of the tube close to the valve. It seems that my rim tape has sunk into the spoke holes that are closest to the valve hole. Although the rim tape isn't ripped the tube still was affected. I put electrical tape over the rim tape and will need to get that rim tape replaced. The tube gash was big enough that I used a fresh tube instead of patching.
Video of ride from Bolivar to Oceola to Clinton, MO
With the repair complete, we headed to our Warmshower's hosts. We were their first guests! Ben and Jessica had a comfortable downstairs area set up for cyclists. There was a bowl of snacks and another with hotel shower/shampoo samples. They prepared a delicious meal for dinner. I loved meeting little baby Moriah and puppy Penelope.
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| Jessica with sweet Moriah |
Tomorrow, Chris and I head to the start of the KATY trail.
Back in the groove….Things are looking up for You and Myrt……Looking forward to hearing tales of the Katy…..Mike and Joan…..Bow, NH.
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