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The Herald May 12, 1989
Heading on into Kansas
Rusty Forrest left April 14 on a cross country trip from Rock Hill to Salt Lake
City, Utah. Here is his second report from the road.
Day 7, Thursday April 20 -- 108 miles from Franklin, Tenn., to Paris, Tenn.
Some long rolling hills were offset by a cool day and a tailwind. Crossing the
Tennessee River near Johnsonville, I was amazed by the river's size. I paused
on the bridge and watched tugboats moving barges down below. At one rest stop,
I watched a Union Pacific freight train with seven engines and 16 million cars.
They just kept a-comin'.
Assessment: A successful century (100 mile bike ride) where persistence was the
key.
Day 8
Friday, April 21--100 miles from Paris, Tenn., to Charleston, Mo.
This was a long day, perhaps the most eventful day so far. The hills of western
Tennessee made me wonder if forward progress was the theme. In Union City, I
was flagged down by a local biker who had a million questions and offered lots
of local tips in return.
John Williams pointed me toward Hickman, Ky., after his mom made a long-distance
phone call to the Hickman Ferry Co. She confirmed that the ferry was running,
so I could cross the mighty Mississippi River on a boat. The river was
thrilling in its enormity and the $6 boat ride was a fun way to reach Missouri.
I rolled through Missouri's farmland to Charleston for a scheduled day off of
the bike.
Assessment: What a day. This is what bike touring is all about.
Day 9
Saturday, April 22 -- Rest day, Charleston, Mo.
Day 10
Sunday, April 23 -- 97 miles from Charleston to Fredericktown, Mo.
The original plan for a ride through Poplar Bluff was thwarted by a 25 mph
headwind. After making 13 miles in two hours, I decided to turn north, as I
needed some more "north" anyway. With a quartering tailwind, I zoomed to
Fredericktown in the Ozark Mountains.
Assessment: I found great humor in turning north to cheat the wind. Only on a
trip this long is such a move possible.
Day 11
Monday, April 24 -- 87 miles from Fredericktown to Salem, Mo.
The Ozarks raised their head to produce a tough day of climbing in 90 degree
heat. This ride was a wilderness tour, with the soft drink machines
occasionally 25 miles apart. The Ozarks aren't big enough to produce great
scenery, but tall enough to impede forward progress. The lingering headwind
provided air conditioning, but I was very glad to see Salem coming.
Assessment: Tomorrow promises to be even hotter, and the hills aren't finished.
Day 12
Tuesday, April 25 -- 84 miles from Salem to Lebanon, Mo.
The hills, wind, curves and record heat of the Ozarks kept me supplied with a
feeling of deja vu all day long. Haven't I climbed this hill once already?
Turkey season has opened and hunters (mostly from Arkansas) have flocked to this
area. On the road and at all the rest stops, I saw enough camouflage to staff a
Rambo movie. Last night the motel in Salem filled up with hunters, and they all
sat around in the parking lot trying out their gobbler calls, it sounded like a
zoo. At 7 a.m. this morning, I was the last person left at the motel. The
hunters were long gone.
Assessment: Today I wished for a picture of some flat ground, just to look at.
Day 13
Wednesday, April 26 -- 72 miles from Lebanon to Stockton, Mo.
More record heat, and more Ozark hills. The accumulative effect of the last
three days has left me physically drained. I think it's ironic that I'm lugging
all my cold weather gear through 94-degree heat. Missouri has proven to be a
surprisingly formidable opponent.
Assessment: I'm tired.
Day 14
Thursday, April 27 -- 63 miles from Stockton, Mo., to Fort Scott, Kan.
I hung around Stockton this morning to discuss a story I read in the local
paper; a few days ago, a black angus cow got loose and had her own way at the
public square for an hour. Her exploits included a visit to the cookware
section of the hardware store, entering through the store's opened double
doors. It's one of the funniest true stories I've ever heard, and I'll dedicate
a full column to it later.
A 35 mph, sustained crosswind made this a miserable day for riding. The last
thing in Missouri was a five-mile construction project. I got pummeled,
sandblasted, and disgusted in all the mayhem.
Assessment: After today's crosswind hurricane I feel qualified to ride a bull
in a rodeo.
Day 15
Friday, April 28 -- Rest day, Fort Scott Kan.
Day 16
Saturday, April 29 -- 93 miles from Fort Scott to Eureka, Kan.
A relentless headwind made this a long, slow day on the bike. This part of
Kansas is flat, but it's tilted with a high side to the west. A view to the
north or south offers a beautiful panoramic scene with fields and pastures. A
look west indicates an obvious but gradual climb toward the Rockies.
Assessment: Only today did I realize what an enormous project I have
undertaken. Eureka, Kan., is just past the halfway point of this trip.
Day 17
Sunday, April 30 -- 109 miles from Eureka to McPherson, Kan.
The wind was my friend during the first half of this day, and I used it to get
the jump on some good mileage. I still managed to stop and gawk and take
pictures and generally behave like a boy from South Carolina who was seeing
Kansas for the first time.
Some of the scenery is staggering in its enormity. I don't see how the cowboys
and the Indians ever bumped into one another out here.
Assessment: Two-thirds of the earth's surface is covered by water. That's a
hard thing to imagine while standing in the middle of Kansas.
Day 18
Monday, May 1 -- 75 miles from McPherson to Hoisington, Kan.
A frustrating headwind is becoming a way of life for me. All the air we breathe
in Carolina races across Kansas with few trees to slow it down.
I'm trying to work my way north per a new plan that was born back in Fort
Scott. I'll attack the Rockies north of Denver rather than south. Kansas is
still big and beautiful, but I enjoy it less with the wind beating me in the
face.
This Midwestern wind is already a far, far greater factor than I had originally
planned for.
Assessment: Why am I doing this trip backward? I could ride home from here
without pedaling.
Rock Hill to Hoisington, Kan. 1,403 miles.
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