Shots done!

I lucked out as a couple doing a slack pack came to the hostel last night and offered me a ride up to the hospital outpatient center which saved me an extra 25 miles of riding! Thanks to them I can get to my targeted location of Ellington which has a hostel and I don't have to try find a campsite on memorial day weekend.

The ride today was beautiful but challenging. I'm back in the mountains again, the Ozarks. That means great scenery and big hills. Not really that big but still steep enough for me to walk up a few. I'm unsure of the hills are actually that steep or of hanging out with walkers and the relatively flat terrain of the last week has ruined my determination and judgement of what's rideable and what's too steep. I know I rode up steeper hills in Virginia but since these ones are only like 100 or 200 ft high going 2.5 mph walking vs 3.5 mph riding just doesn't seem worth it to me.

Thanks to the mountains, rivers, and late start it took me most of the day to get to Ellington. I am not sure if the road I'm on is actually this busy or if it's just because of the holiday. Either way it seems like every 5 minutes or so another truck towing a couple atvs came flying by me at 70 mph with no room to spare. Once I got past the turns to the parks the traffic died down but I really don't like riding on 60 mph roads with no shoulder.

I learned a new term today Shut-In(see picture). There was a state park with a Shut-In that is apparently extremely popular around here. I guess the pools and cascades would be excellent on a hot summer day. With how clear the rivers are I was very tempted too go for a dip but the  wounds on my legs kept me out.