June 20,
2001. Pilot Knob to Eminence, Missouri. (74 mi.) Mile 1431
Taking
on the Ozarks
I am actually writing this entry
early on June 21, from our dry B & B room in Eminence. Outside it is
pouring rain, with thunder and lightening. We got an early start yesterday,
intending to put in many miles to get through the hilly Ozarks. It was hazy
but cooler than usual. We realized we were just outside the edge of a
storm system to our north and hoped to outrun it.
The forested, hilly terrain and
cultural history of this area most closely resemble that of Appalachia, as
does the challenge to bicyclists. The Ozarks are also a recreational
destination.
Teenagers play in
the short waterfalls and plunge pools at Johnson's Shut In State Park, where
the Black River finds its way through an ancient lava flow.
The Black River flows through Johnson's Shut In State Park
When we stopped
briefly at Johnson's Shut In State Park, we asked the ranger about the hills
toward our destination. She drives this route everyday and said that it was
actually fairly flat, no real hills. Looking down from the crest of one of
these nonstop "non-hills" to the bottom and seeing the road angle
skyward again up the other side, we wondered, "How can motorists not
notice these hills?" Roller after roller later, we dragged ourselves into
Eminence, completed worn out. Others have told us we only have about 7 more
miles of these Ozarks, and we are out of the hills for a while. That is, if this
storm lets up and allows us to ride. Meanwhile, we're cooped up watching the
Weather Channel in our B & B room.
Hazy weather at
Owls Bend. This is a favorite canoeing destination, and the first clear water
river we've seen on this trip. Rivers in Kentucky and Virginia were brown with
mud and silt.
