Day 25: Alton, IL to Augusta, MO (45.1 miles)

Jun 5

Jun 5 Day 25: Alton, IL to Augusta, MO (45.1 miles)

The Adventure continues…After a restful night at the Alton Comfort Inn, which included live music by Dan (the leader’s) friends Ellen and Elliot during dinner, the group headed out toward Augusta. Crossing the Mississippi, we entered Missouri. That’s when things got interesting. At the intersection of Routes 94 and 67, we hit major flooding. (Policeman said river usually runs st a 16’ level, yesterday it was at 36’, and expecting to crest Friday!) The van was called, bikes loaded, and we drove over 20 miles to get past the flooding. We rode from St Charles to Augusta. Dan and I took the Katy Trail for 20 miles, then went on the Busch Greenway and Hamburg trails, getting within 2 miles of Defiance before having to get on Route 94. An interesting site along the way was the Weldon Springs Ordinance Works, a TNT production plant for WWII. We found a great winery, Chandler Hill, about 8 miles from camp, and stopped for refreshments. They had a very rare beer on tap, called Fantastic Voyage from Perennial Brewing in St Louis, which was outstanding. (Thanks, Ian!) Leaving the winery, we were greeted with a 13% hill over 1/2 mile long, which was challenging on this hot & humid day. We camped at Klondike State Park, which is right on the Katy Trail and for tents only. After dinner, a fierce thunderstorm rolled through, forcing 1/2 the group to relocate to higher ground. All in all, an exciting day.

Image above: Right turn into a flood zone, go with Plan B. (Intersection of Routes 67 & 94)