That hill again

In 2005 when I did my cross country trip there was one hill which always stuck in my memory. Well actually lots of hills stuck there but this one in particular because it was one of I think two which I could not ride up. While it stuck in memory, I could not remember exactly where in Missouri it was. This trip, since I skipped the roads south of Hannibal by staying on the IL side of the river, I thought I might have missed it. NOT. Found it yesterday. On the road from Sullivan, MO to Potosi, MO. Still could not ride up it. Must be at least 15% grade. That road, by the way, is one on which I will never again ride a bicycle. It is MO route 185 and while I do not like to emphasize the hazards of doing a trip like this, and I try to use the most cautious approach I can, that road is the most dangerous one ever. It is very, very hilly and very, very curvy and busy enough to be hazardous to cyclists. I am going to send my bike touring map and promotion organization, Adventure Cycling Association, a note to that effect.
Anyway, it is over. We will not dwell on it.
185 was yesterday afternoon. Yesterday morning was very pleasant on lovely low traffic roads and I made good time from Washington to Sullivan, MO. At the end of the day I had covered 75 miles and I was dead tired. It was definitely the hardest day of the trip. The weather, luckily, was perfect. About 82, low humidity and little wind.
Today was another hilly day but on beautiful roads with amazing vistas of valleys and ridges with winerys scattered across the hills. The last hill of the day was the hardest, longest and steepest, of course, but I made it to Ozora and am cooling off in the local motel on I-55.
Lots more of feathered victims of collisions with cars and trucks. It is just amazing to see. Today was a red headed woodpecker, cardinal, hawk, crow, meadowlark (2) and a robin. Saw a bunch of (live) wild turkeys and some other turkey-like bird but a little smaller. Not sure what they were.
Today's route was a bit of invention. My trip uses the Great Rivers route and the Trans-Am route of Adventure Cycling route maps. The intersectioon of the two is not smooth or direct. With the help of Mr. Google maps (bicycle directions) and some advice from a local in Potosi I came up with a great connection which saved me many miles and hills.
Today I met 5 different cross country cyclists. The first two were on 3 wheel recumbent bikes and had their dog with them in the trailer behind. They are raising money for organ donation as one is a "donor Mom" whose child was killed and donated a heart and perhaps other organs. She will be going to Denver to meet the boy who recieved her daughter's heart. What a story. I forgot their card but I will put their informaion in a future post so anyone who wants to donate could do that. The next fellow was from Colorado but started his trip in Yorktown, VA and is going to Astoria, OR, the whole ACA TransAm route. The next two were from Germany and were traveling from Detroit to who knows where. They wanted to follow the Missouri River so I believe they will end up on the KATY trail here in MO. They had only a not too detailed road map to go by. True adventurers.
That is it for now. Tomorrow is Carbondale, IL and a rest day. It will put me behind but I need it.
Cheers