COVID CROSS

Covid Cross Day #15 June 16, 2020 Ashkum, IL to Henry, IL 96.5 Miles Start 6:46 AM Finish 6:44 PM Ride Time 8:07 Ascent 440 Feet Descent 616 Feet Tour Total 1352 Miles Details at:  https://cyclemeter.com/3f1ef27914a4c684/Cycle-20200616-0646-00615 I had a good nights sleep in the Ashkum Village Park. It was a nice park located in the center of town. Unfortunately the bathrooms were locked and I couldn’t find an electric hook up. There were picnic tables where I could drink my beer, eat pretzels, and edit yesterday's blog post. I had waited until after dark to set up my tent. I had twice dialed the contact person listed on my ACA map, but both times no one had picked up. I was 99% sure that camping would be permissible. Throughout the night I could hear the distant murmur of I-57 as well as freight train horns. A major train artery ran through town, and yesterday I spotted the Amtrak 'City of New Orleans' passenger train.  I woke up at 6 AM Central Time ...

Covid Cross Day #16 June 17, 2020 Henry, IL to Muscatine, IA 119 Miles Start 6:38 AM Finish 5:55 PM Ride Time 9:58 Ascent 1024 Feet Descent 823 Feet Tour Total 1471 Miles Details at:  https://cyclemeter.com/3f1ef27914a4c684/Cycle-20200617-0638-11946 I slept well camping in Waterworks Park in Henry, on the banks of the Illinois river. I could hear motorists crossing the nearby bridge all night long. I woke up with the sunrise and the squawking of geese. When I climbed outside my tent there were hundreds of them gathered along the shore. They eventually dispersed into the stream. A large barge was cruising down the river as I packed up my camp. My first order of business was to pay for the yesterday's downhill that I had enjoyed riding down into the valley. I climbed two bumps to get back up to the plains, and it wasn’t so bad. I spoke with Sam last night and got a central Minnesota weather forecast, where it was currently 90°F. I'd be in St. Cloud in a week, an...