Day 36: Road Closures & Gravel

Marengo, Indiana to Greendale, Indiana – Red Roof Inn

I had a nice camping spot in an empty campground. However, I soon realized, a train was just across the creek. I got to listen to the train whistle blowing all night long. I finally fell asleep, but was woken up by rain on my feet and head. I didn’t put on the rain fly last night because it was hot, and I was under the shelter, but a flash thunderstorm rolled in and rain blew into my tent. Luckily, I didn’t get too wet.

I got going later than I wanted to again, having to wait for sunrise, and spent the morning riding through lots of winding backroads. I’m going slow here, with lots of tiny, but super-steep hills killing my momentum. Deep in the middle of nowhere, I hit a gravel road. Luckily, there were deep ruts exposing packed dirt underneath, and I could ride on. I knew I was going to have to try and power through as I was in the middle of nowhere. It ended up being 3 miles of slow riding, but nothing too perilous, before getting back on the paved road. And now, of course, headwinds have returned. The best way to tell if you have a headwind is if you can smell the roadkill before you see it. I came upon a road closure, and after talking to some locals on an ATV, learned a big bridge was out, and it was definitely impassable. I took some side roads, more gravel, and was annoyed to find my reconnection was still coming up on the same road closure. This time I went through the road closed signs, and tried to get through. I had passed by the bridge, and it turns out, with a smile and a wave the workers will just let you ride through the construction zone.

At Cross Plains, I refilled my water and bought a sandwich for lunch. Right after, I bombed down a long hill and came to another road closed sign. I talked to someone mowing their lawn, and he said they weren’t working today, and on a bike, I could probably sneak through, and wade across the river (another downed bridge). I wasn’t going to reroute, so I tried it. Luckily, there was a temporary bridge (gravel) for the construction workers, so after dodging some big machinery, it was an easy cross. I climbed a big hill and got back to the highway. I passed my initial destination for the day, hoping to ride a few extra miles today. Sadly, to cap off a tough day, I got a flat tire for the first time since week 1. It was a quick fix, but frustrating at mile 110 on the day. Finally, I got to the hotel, and ate 2 Big Macs from McDonald’s next door. I was starving, and craving some gross, fatty foods. Now for a nice long sleep!

Distance: 118.46(2868.48 total miles)
Time: 9:37:11
Ascent: 5564
Descent: 5659

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