5-18-06
Start: Easley, MO
Destination: Rocheport, MO
Miles: 15.8
Weather: Sunny, very nice day
Our support driver, Dick, has really found ways to outdo himself each day. It might be having two reserved bar stools and two cold drinks waiting at the end of a record day, or a pair of homemade oatmeal cookies at our first junction - or a big wave from 1/4 mile down the trail, but every day he finds a way to make it a good one.
Today, mom and I were closing in on Rocheport, where we were going to end for the day (it was too late for the 10-mile stretch to the next trailhead). A bicyclist was heading towards us, and as he passed he said, "Dick says he's got a nice table saved for ya when you get to Rocheport! Good luck, girls!"
When Dick gets to a spot to meet us, he tells everyone he runs into what we're doing and why - and even sends "messengers" out to us. It's really fun. One couple came by on bikes and said, "It's not far to the trailhead, girls!" and kept on going. You know what else Dick did? He got car paint and painted the words "Support vehicle, www.ourhike.com, and Patty and Robin - cross-country hikers" on his truck. Now, we even have had several people come up asking about that. It's really very cool. We gave Dick's truck/camper a nickname, too... "Crown Royal Rescue 1" or "C-double-R 1."
Pretty prestigious, eh? :)
We did two newspaper interviews today - one was for the university paper, and the other was for the Columbia Tribune. We did the Columbia Tribune at Rocheport, and while we were doing that, we were able to meet many people that were hanging around. We met Conrad and Dixie Yates, who run the Yates B&B. That is where we are staying tonight, and might I just say - what a wonderful place with absolutely wonderful hosts. We are being treated like royalty! If you ever come to the Rocheport, MO area, look them up! Seriously, it would be worth the trip itself! It's right on the Katy Trail, too.
Before checking in at the Yates B&B, we sat and chatted with a couple of bikers. A man and his grandson were doing a long trek - I believe around 500 miles. The grandson is 12-years old, and these two were such a cool pair. This boy was carrying a pet/wild lizard with him on his shoulder - just a little one, and he had a teeny tiny little wood rat he was babying. It was literally the size of my thumb. He and his grandpa were feeding the little guy milk. They were a joy to talk to - the grandpa had a great sense of humor.
The trail today was gorgeous and exciting - caves hidden behind heavy vegetation, big black snakes, pretty bluffs, the MO river, snakes, lots of bikers, joggers, and walkers, snakes, and canopied trees over the trail. And snakes.
Okay, I got freaked by a snake today... but he was BIG!
It's the biggest snake I've seen in the wild. He was probably 3 feet long and almost as big around as my wrist at his fattest part. He startled me - I was walking along and all of a sudden, there he was. All I could do was stop dead in my tracks and point (I think I even kicked up some dust from stopping so hard). Mom backed up and didn't see it right away. She looked at me and said frantically, "What?! What is it?" Then she saw him, too. We are pretty sure he was the harmless common black snakes from around here, so whew, that's good. There are copperheads and rattlesnakes, although not seen too often. Good! Both are dangerous.
We get off the Katy Trail tomorrow, and start our back-road journey toward Kansas. If we keep following the Katy, it would veer us south. So we hope to make a few more good mileage days. Mom and I are still just a little under feeling great, and mom's got poison ivy or some allergic reaction along her waistline that's irritating. So we're just taking good care of ourselves the best we can - hoping for 100% again soon! :)
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