Bridge Out
Bridge Out
Saturday 8th June, 2019
Day 29
Location:
Chillicothe to Kirksville, MO
Distance:
76 miles. Biked only 61 miles
Temp: 65
– 84 F sunny
Dew
point: 62 F
Winds:
non-issue
Cumulative climbing distance: 2,931 ft
Cumulative descending distance: 2,849 ft
As with yesterday, the effects of the May torrential
rains in the area continued to be quite apparent. To the point, today without some scouting
last night and some ingenuity by our CrossRoads staff, we would have been “up the creek
without a paddle”.
Our biking route was on
a smaller state highway that was closed at a small river crossing due to a washout of a bridge approach. The approach was under repair but the work
stopped for the weekend. Crossroads
staff secured a 10 ft ladder from a local farmer allowing us to climb 8 feet out of
the washout and onto the bridge. We could then continue our journey but without the support vehicles,
which were forced to use a much hillier and a long detour.
As a consequence, I biked 15 miles less than
planned as the SAG wagon swept the slower riders to ensure that all riders
would be crossing the washout, with the help of CrossRoads staff, at approximately
the same time.
The debris on the local river banks indicate that the rivers and stream had been about 20 ft higher than today (which is still higher than normal). The debris was washed into farm fields and water still flooding low areas.
Effort to cross the closed bridge.
And I depart for more hills.
View from the other end of the bridge.
Views of some of the myriad of rolling hills. Most photos show 3 or 4 consecutive hills.
My granddaughter, Liesl, first pedal bike. Now a budding future CrossRoads rider.
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