It had been nearly two months since I’d added to my Cup O’ Dirt Challenge tally. For some reason, March and April had been dominated by short daily rides; no long rides to speak of. But with a lovely day promised, with light wind, abundant sunshine, and moderate temperatures forecast, it was time to rectify that.
I mapped out a ride to the southeast, heading towards a place called Odense. Located on the northern edge of Neosho County, Odense doesn’t really exist any more. It is not a ghost town, because there’s nothing left of the town. Odense had a post office in the late 1800s, but now, as far as I can tell, it is a name on a map, an extinct place. There is, however, still a nearby cemetery.
Nothing else of note along the route, other than lots of quiet gravel roads and beautiful green countryside. Luckily, that sort of riding is hard to beat.
Here’s a link to the Strava activity. I ended up with about 65 miles. I started strong, but began to feel fatigued after about 30 miles. Pushed on through. Soundtrack: The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry.
