Day 33 Centerville, MO 48 miles (1357 total)

On the road before 6 am under partly sunny skies, almost cool enough to use arm warmers! First 16 miles went fast, and we were recharging with chocolate milk in Pilot Knob before we knew it! Then we began to climb the foothills of the Ozarks, but just as we did the wind shifted around from the east and kept pushing us along at a good clip. By 9:45 we had arrived at Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. This place attracts hot, bored kids on school vacation like honey attracts bees. The East Fork of the Black River flows through a ryolite formation here, and has cut and sculpted enough chutes, bowls, and little water falls so that every kid (and parent) has his own little water park. We cooled off in a few holes before eating a picnic lunch. It was a great way to break up the day!

Back in 2005 the earthern dam on a reservoir on nearby Proffitt Mt. broke loose and a wall of water swept tons of boulders, trees, and earth down into the park. Luckily it was in December and no one was there. A new visitor's center tells all about the event and the extensive restoration project that followed.

Back on the road, we encountered some short steep grades the last 13 miles into Centerville, a cute little village with a diner, county courthouse dooryard for a campground, and for our bathing pleasure our choice of the creek across the street or the West Fork of the Black River a mile out of town.

Today we realized how much we have missed pine trees! As we get into the Ozarks, we return to a mix of conifers and hardwoods, and the hot sunshine brought out the sweetness of the pitch in those pines!