The Last Leg

Tuesday October 13th and a beautiful dawn start on the penultimate day of riding this year....

 Notice all the little birds on the wires ready to fly away for winter as I will shortly be doing!.....

I had not ridden far when a man in a pick-up stopped and introduced himself as Sam Perkins. It transpired that his great uncle was Tom Stevens who wrote 'Through Russia on a Mustang' which coincidentally I had started reading at home.  This was an account of a horseback ride from St Petersburg to the Crimea, although he is better known for cycling round the world on a penny farthing in 1884-6.

A curious longhorn with short horns?....

 A pair of turkey buzzards....

 I have crossed many rivers since China, but this one takes the prize for the most unusual name...

 Nearly there......

 Reaching the residential outskirts of St Joseph, the increase in traffic on the gravel roads has resulted in pleading signs.....

...not that they seem to have much effect...

I had arranged ahead to stay at the Sunset Hill Stables in Country Club, a northern extension of St Joseph urban sprawl.  This impressive facility is owned and run by Olivia Weidmaier, shown here with the elegant paint horse which is her pride and joy...

It was satisfying to relax with a cold beer on arrival (thanks Chad and Victor!)while Lady grazed peacefully by the stables before being turned out in an enormous field. I was delighted to be given use of a comfortable goose neck trailer with bed and electricity. In the evening Olivia and fiancé Chad very kindly treated me to a Mexican meal, with a Sunset Margherita on the side!

 

Wednesday October 14th.  A beautiful morning for the last leg to the former Pony Express Stables in St Joseph, and it was a enjoyable relaxed ride with time to stop for an ice cream when I hit town.  Lady is tethered to the sign!... 

 

I had planned out a route through back roads and along the banks of the Missouri River or 'Big Muddy' as it was known for its muddy waters.  The mud banks caused problems for the paddle steamers that used to ply this important waterway, and it is estimated that about 193 sank between Kansas City and St Louis.  

Successful arrival at my destination for 2015, the Pony Express Stables at the centre of St Joseph.

 St Joseph was the western terminal for the Pony Express when it started in 1860, and the old stables have now been turned into a museum celebrating this great experiment.  Although the Pony Express only lasted for eighteen months, it has lived much longer in people's imaginations, and has fired the enthusiasm of many. The Pony Express Office was situated a couple of hundred yards up the road in Patee House, which is also now a museum, and it is from there that I intend to start riding next April.

But for the moment Lady deserves a winter break after over 1800 miles of travel this year.  You must admit that she is looking well after all the mileage.

A big thank you to Olivia's brother Victor, who thoughtfully volunteered to pick us up with the trailer, saving us the long trudge back to the stables. 

Jamesport to Amity

On Sunday October 11th Lady and I set off from Greenacres Stables on the last leg to St Joseph, which I planned to cover in three or four days. Lady seemed comfortable with the saddle so I hoped to be able to push on.

The Jamesport version of a vehicle repair garage.... 

Autumn is arriving in Jamesport....

 A scarecrow outside his house.....

 

The long road ahead - Lilac road from Jamesport towards Gallatin..



                                 

 Crossing Brushy Creek - just as well Lady is used to dodgy bridges....

We were travelling through the area of North west Missouri where the Mormons tried to settle in the 1800s.  Gallatin is significant as the location of the first skirmish in the 1838 conflict sometimes known as the Missouri Mormon War. Non Mormon settlers, worried about the increasing numbers and influence of Mormons, tried to prevent them from voting in state elections at Gallatin, causing a serious brawl. The conflict that followed resulted in the ejection of the Mormons from Missouri.

Now life is more peaceful and we stopped for a midday rest on the edge of town. The proprietors of the Mexican restaurant kindly refused payment for my drink and threw in some salsa and chips.  And gave Lady a bucket of water...

Nearing Altamont I started to look for somewhere to stay, and was given directions to the Lazy A ranch of John and Sharon Anthuis. The mini ponies were turfed out of their grassy paddock for Lady, I was given use of a large garage (with an enormous bar they had just bought at a sale!}, Sharon made me supper and I had a very pleasant stay chatting with the family including librarian daughter Michelle.  A firepit made by the talented Sharon.....

 Michell, John and Sharon are up and around for my early start on Monday October 12th .....

 Riding along a track on the other side of Altamont, I saw a figure riding over the brow of the hill towards me.  It was John and Sharon's daughter-in-law, prison officer Stacey Anthuis. who had come to meet me on 'her horse with no name' that she had bought out of the kill pen at a sale only three weeks previously.  It was great to have a bit of company on the road for a while.   Stacey feeds Lady and the horse with no name with hedge apples...

....which as well as being snacks for horses, are apparently great for keeping spiders at bay in your home.  

 No sign of Wyatt Earp or Doc Holliday.....

 

Keeping my horses tanked up with water is an constant concern. Missouri is well supplied with water, but it is not always  easy to access.  The rolling countryside in this part of the country enables water to be dammed back in little valleys, and small lakes or ponds such as this were a common sight.

 ...but always sited on private land.  I often crossed creeks, but the sides tended to be too steep and overgrown to negotiate, and bottoms often too muddy or sandy to trust.  Rice Creek near Weatherby was a welcome exception...

 I managed to scramble down to the creek on the right, but you can see that the bank to the left would be more difficult.
 Lady still seemed happy with the saddle and the weather was not too hot, so I pushed on past Maysville to  Amity.  Here I found grazing and a cow stall for Lady with farmer Dennis Mix, shown here in the plush games room in his workshop, where I had the choice of two leather sofas to sleep on....

The room used to be a demonstration shop for the stoves Dennis sold. The one in the photo truly is amaizing as it runs on corn.  Dennis brought out a series of drinks, nibbles and food while I relaxed.

Some young visitors - Ryan, Hannah and Cole

Photo by their mother Christina Riner.  The workshop and barn where Lady and I stayed are in the background.

Jamesport

After a dawn start on Thursday October 8th, the first job was to find water for both Lady and myself.  Neither of us had drunk since the evening before and we were both thirsty, so after an hour and a half of walking I brightened up when I came across a few men outside a large shed.  They showed me a trough of clean water for Lady, and another kind gentleman up the road fetched a couple of bottles of drinking water for me.  Not before time, as the temperatures were climbing up into the 80s again.  I was glad to stop for a quick slushie at Macdonalds in Trenton, while Lady waited patiently at a brand new hitching rail they have erected outside at the request of the local Amish community. The manager came to take a photo as apparently we were the first to christen it!

Outside Trenton I encountered what must be the hairiest section of highway I have yet tackled, crossing the Thompson river at what I thought was the only bridge for miles.  The bridge was very long, the verge very narrow, the road very straight and the traffic very fast -  the semis (juggernauts or tractor-trailers depending on which part of the world you inhabit) hurtled past a whisker away having gathered momentum down a hill.

Of course, I could have kicked myself back home when I looked on Google Earth and realised there was a small secluded bridge about a third of a mile to the north, stressing the importance of careful research!
Thankfully we were soon back to less dangerous traffic of the reptilian variety on gravel backroads once more..

Although Lady had seemed much more comfortable with the new saddle padding, to be on the safe side I had led her quite a way in the heat.  So I chirped up when a cheerful woman in a car pulled up and introduced herself as the owner of Greenacres Riding Stables near Jamesport where I was headed.  Patti Gilham had kindly agreed to host me some time previously, and it was a real moral booster to hear that there would be supper and a glass of wine waiting - as she is half French I knew I could expect something decent!
Patti and Kenny run a therapeutic riding programme at the centre, and are busy through the summer with clients who have various disabilities.  As they do not have an indoor riding school they have to shut for the winter. They are both endlessly patient, and it is heart-warming to see the positive response from the pupils. 

It was a particularly hectic time as everyone was preparing for a show the following weekend.  In spite of all this they were very welcoming, and I decided to take the opportunity to have a couple of days off, rest Lady's back and do a little sightseeing.

 Jamesport is the centre of a thriving Amish community.   As former mayor of Jamesport, Patti had been asked to help judge at a local quilt-making competition, quilt making being a traditional activity among Amish women.  On Friday October 9th we drove into town to have a shifty at the results.
 Patti studying the display of fabulous prize winning quilts......

.....which you can see are remarkable for their vibrant colours and intricate detail - these are all hand stitched, and based round traditional patterns.      The quilts were due to be auctioned off the following day, and I was very tempted to go along and bid, but soon realised that they were likely to be well beyond my budget!

 Patti found time in her busy schedule to drive me out to an important Mormon site I was keen to visit, where Joseph Smith tried to found a Mormon settlement before they were thrown out of Missouri.  It was news to me, but apparently Adam and Eve came to live near Jamesport after they were ejected from the Garden of Eden, which as we already know was in Jackson County, Missouri. This site was named Adam-ondi-Ahman by Joseph, though no-one seems quite certain of its exact translation.  Something to do with Adam. In fact everything seems a bit vague when it comes to Adam-ondi-Ahman, including its exact location...

But where was the crest of the hill?  Perhaps it was this odd mound behind a nearby fence?...

...though it looked more like an underground nuclear bunker than a holy site.
Sometimes there is reference to the 'Valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, which is in the background behind me, and admittedly very tranquil and scenic....

 

This was at Tower Hill, the site proposed for a Mormon temple in 1838.  I think. Or perhaps it was where the Nephites (the descendants of the Israelis who came over in steel boats) made sacrifices? Or both.   At any rate the Mormons now own around 3000 acres here which is maintained by them as a historic site, though there is nothing much more to see than farmland.   

It is also believed to be the location for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when the worthy will be admitted to heaven. Which is why real estate in the area is being snapped up by Mormons frightened of being left behind.  

. Pumpkins ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving

Kenny and Patti relax with a beer  after a busy Saturday of rehearsals for the show the following weekend...

 

Little rescue dog Lola performs an American football trick Kenny has taught her, though she is a touch rusty to begin with!...

For the uninitiated, Kenny is using American football calls. 'Team down' is the call to set ready for a move, and 'Hut hut' is the signal to start play.

  

A fantastic Missouri sunset brings to a close a relaxing time out ...

From Funeral home to Shed

Tuesday 6th October  The rolling road to my next stop - I say Milan, they say Mylan......

...but although I led Lady almost the whole way there, I certainly did not intend to call the whole thing off.  The problem was a slight concern that Lady's saddle was not fitting well enough and causing her a bit of discomfort.  However on arrival in Milan I managed to buy some foam in a Dollar Store to pad up the numnahs and improve the fit, that being the huge advantage of my Free and Easy saddle.

Coming into town a car stopped and a voice asked "Are you the lady from Wales who is riding across America?"  Paul Ruschmeier was the local funeral director, and gave me some suggestions of places to stay.  In the circumstances I was not inclined to go much further, so when I was offered a place for Lady at a local auction yard, I jumped at the chance. Thanks to Paul Eitel (yet another Paul!), Lady had a large pen and loads of hay and was like a pig in shit.....

while I had the use of a meeting room and wash room.  But I had just hitched a ride down the road in a cattle truck for a bite to eat when Paul's wife Terri turned up.  Would I like to go back to their home to shower and sleep?   Not a contest, and as they 'live above the shop' I spent the night in a funeral home.  Interestingly for me, their son-in-law is a Welshman from St Asaph, and we were even able to exchange a few words in Welsh on the phone!

Irritatingly I forgot to take photos at the relevant time again, but here the next best thing -  Paul Ruschmeier with Paul Eitel's wife Deanna down at the yard in the morning.  Sorry to miss you out, Terri and the other Paul!  

Wednesday 7th October  I try to keep off major roads as far as possible, but for the first couple of hours I opted for a shorter,quicker route on Highway 6 out of Milan. The fast traffic can be unnerving and here we have taken a safer path outside the crash barrier.

 It was a relief to be back on the back roads with its more leisurely traffic...

...in this case a harmless orange band snake.

Not representative of the warm Missouri welcome I have received everywhere!..

 As the sun set in the west..

 ..I had still not found anywhere to stay, but eventually through the gloom I saw an old ruined barn set back from the road, with a little adjoining shed.  

 There was plenty of grass for Lady, so hoping I would not be the victim of an 'accident' vented on me by an angry Smith and Wesson toting landowner, I settled in..

But in between the coyotes howling all night, Lady bolting to the end of her tether several times, and something persistently scratching the bags by my head, I did not get much sleep.

Biscuits and Gravy

From Memphis it took three days to reach the next town of Green City through some glorious Missouri countryside, the riding made all the more enjoyable by the cooler temperatures.
Saturday October 3rd.   Memphis reservoir from the proudly named Show Me road ..

 ...not sure what the weathercock of a whale by this inland body of water signifies... 

 ...unless they know something I don't..
 Coon Run Rd, a typical quiet backcountry Missouri county road...

..didn't see any racoons running, but did surprise a couple of white-tailed deer...

..you can see how their white tails are such prominent features.

I had planning to stop somewhere near Rigdon road, and ended up staying at the ranch of the Rigdon boys themselves, thanks to Toni whose friend LJ farmed cattle nearby.  LJ and Toni came to guide me cross-country over the last part - a real treat to scramble up and down hill through woods and pastures, sometimes pushing through prairie grass ....

 

This was real Missouri cowboy country, as quite a number of cattle are kept and often worked with horses.   The good-hearted Brian Rigdon and his engaging young sons Ethan and Ryan are all keen rodeo riders, and the boys have already won several belt buckles for their successes.  The downside is the high risk of injury, Brian's sling advertising the fact that he had recently broken his arm in several places...

... this is at a Mexican restaurant that evening, where Brian and Ryan are about to be beaten by the king burritos they ordered.   Thank you all (including Laurie) for the great hospitality!
Brian told me proudly that he had recently moved house to his current location with superb views over a small lake to the hills beyond.  What I did not immediately appreciate was that he had had the whole house physically moved from its previous site a few hundred yards away!

Over the next couple of days there were more secluded tracks

and captivating countryside...

Brian passed me along to daughter Megan and future son-in-law Zach Anderson, and on Sunday October 4th Lady and I overnighted on their little farm tucked away among the hills.  Not only do they both work impressively long hours, but were focused on their upcoming wedding the following weekend, so it was amazing that they still found time to host me.  By now they will have been hitched for a while,  so wishing all the best for a continued happy marriage!

Zach and Megan with friends - Zach is in the cap, and Megan on his right with their son Rylan, who forfeited his bedroom to me.

A solitary cow plays chicken (I won)..

 

Before my arrival in Green City on Monday October 5th, the horsey grapevine had produced an invite to stay from Tanna Hamar.  Thanks also to Lacey and Diane (please correct me if I have the names wrong)who looked after me when I turned up in town.  Lady had a stall in a boarding barn, while I was whisked home for hot shower and a fantastic steak dinner -  the meat was sourced from the large cattle concern managed by Tanna and husband Marty so was of the melt-in-your-mouth variety!
Production of a camera at breakfast the following morning almost resulted in a stampede from the table, but I prevailed upon the family to grin and bear it..

L to R, Marty, Cathy (Tanna's aunt), son Ketch and Tanna herself.  We are tucking in to a breakfast speciality of the American South, biscuits and gravy.  The biscuits are what we would call scones in Britain, the gravy is essentially bits of sausage in a white sauce - unbelievably filling and I had to call it a day!