Lewis and Clark Cycling Trek

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Platte City, MO to Lewis and Clark State Park--Day 1- 20.87 mi.

Today we biked from our hotel in Platte City to Lewis and Clark State Park. We left at about 10:00 today. The slow start was because we had to take the rental car back to Avis. When we finally did get started, our cyclocomputers were not working. We think it was because the front wheel was taken off and put back on, and the position was a bit different. The hills of Missouri finally came back to haunt us. There were many hills right at the start of our trip. They were long and steep. We had trouble getting up them and had to take water breaks midway through. I was surprised as to how much harder it is to pull a trailer uphill. I was not expecting it to be such a hard task. Also, we faced a strong 20+ mph head wind. This also slowed us down. Between the weight, the wind, and the hills, we could not go more than 8 mph on flat sections. Hills averaged 6-7 mph., and downhills only averaged 13-16. I made this comment along the trail: "In Indiana, a cyclist hopes for downhills. In Missouri, a cyclist hopes for flat areas, but downhills are okay too."

-SpokeWrench

I agree with SpokeWrench. It was a difficult day...between the hills, the wind, and not being accustomed to pulling the heavy trailers, we didn't gain much mileage. By 2:30 in the afternoon and 20 miles, we were shot. We did meet up with a very kind electrical employee who gave us ice-cold water and Gatorade along the roadside. It certainly raised my spirits. We now relax in a cool breeze which doesn't seem nearly as daunting as before. We are sharing our campsite with a mallard duck sitting on a clutch of eggs under the same tree as our tent. She doesn't seem to mind at all. We also found time to make another question for the Seventh Graders: We are currently 5-10 miles from the most haunted town in the U.S., according to the Travel channel. What is the name the name of the town and the state in which it resides? Remember, do not post answers on the blog!

-ClarkWheel

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