Saturday 10th April , Comfort Inn, Pittsburg, Kansas.

21.45 Absolutely knackered.

Well that woke us up again, after yesterdays inactivity. 94 miles on a hot sunny day.

We knew it was going to be long, but not exactly how long, so we left at 07.00 after a hasty breakfast . A long flat spell and then we hit the tail end of the Ozarks. ( For the benefit of my brother Frank, If we cycled into the Ozarks and we cycled out of the Ozarks, in my book that means we have done the Ozarks, The events of yesterday are already hazy in my mind and will be long forgotten when I am boring people silly with my reminiscences in a few months time.)

The hills were bearable but there were lots of them and as the day got warmer we were eagerly looking for the promised "flattening out" as we left Missouri

Most of the day was on two long straight roads, the 160 and the 126. We passed through Everton, one of the proposed Ozark stopping points, and it confirmed what we had thought. Population 0f 322, nowhere to stay or eat, The only stimulating company would have been one of the herds of Black Angus cattle that regularly came trundling up to the fence as we passed by and then watched disdainfully as we struggled on.

Lunch was 10 miles further in Greenfield and there was a further food break, 12miles later in Golden City, the last watering hole before we crossed over in to Kansas and reached Pittsburg, another 38 miles on. In Golden City, there is a cafe called Cookies where Transam Cyclists are meant to sign a visitors book. Mike wrote some stuff about having a great time and loving it all. I was going to add something pithy but couldn’t be arsed as I was too busy guzzling Dr. Pepper and cherry pie.

The waitress warned us that, after Golden City, the 126 was closed as they were building an overpass over the Interstate route. It meant a 9 mile detour, or at least it should have done. Now however we just treat road closures as a welcome bit of light relief. Scrambling through sun-baked mud we scurried across the half-built overpass, man-handling our bikes down a sharp drop on the other side and we were through. I wanted to dynamite the whole thing, behind us, but Mike said it was just the heat getting to me.

The last 15 miles were really hard work as the sun gradually took its toll. We arrived at six, dead beat. Still we are now in Kansas and some pleasant days on the flat are promised. Not before time.