Day 49 – Still Smiling

By Mark Heggestad
Breathe, relax, just get to that sign; breath, relax, just get to that tree; 
breath, relax, just get to the top of the hill.  Repeat.

Today we biked 66.8 miles in the heart of the Ozarks, from Summersville, MO to Middle Fork Black River, which is about six miles north of Centerville, MO.  Again, weather was perfect and road conditions were good.

Today’s bike ride was by far the most physically challenging day so far.  It was one constant hill after another.  The hills were steep, a little taller than the previous days’ and they just kept coming.  Each time we topped a hill, the next one lay in front of us.  There was no reprieve.  By the time I was half way up I was sometimes gasping for air.

We set a couple records today.  Total elevation climbed today was 5,292 feet, significantly surpassing our previous record of 5,023.  The highest-grade elevation we had climbed prior to today was 11%.  Today we climbed many hills with elevation grades of 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, and one hill with a 17% incline.  That was the most I have gasped for air on this entire trip.  Half way up that hill I thought about walking my bike (there would be no shame in doing so), but I made it.  At the top I gulped for air with a huge smile on my face.

The scenery is wonderful.  The Ozarks are lush with forest and hills.  But I took very few pictures.  When ascending the hills I did not want to stop for fear I wouldn’t have enough strength to get started again.  And I didn’t want to stop going down the hills for fear of losing any potential momentum to help carry me partially up the next hill (which was usually much more underwhelming than I hoped for).  That left very few opportunities to take pictures.  There is one particular picture I wish I had.  It would have been a picture of my bike and me at the top of the last hill we climbed today.  The caption would have read: “Most exhausting day so far…..  and still smiling!”

Looking out over the Ozarks

Somebody's drive-way.  Wouldn't this be a great view every time you come home?

Examples of some of the hills we climbed today.
The pictures don't really convey the size and the steepness of the hills.




One side note to yesterday’s blog about Rick from Belgium: Thirty miles into today’s ride we caught up to him.  Once again, it was great to see him.  We greeted each other, caught up since last seeing each other, and discussed the crazy steep hills we were climbing; and then I went ahead.  That makes the seventh time we have leap frogged each other, and something tells me it will not be the last.




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