Arrived at Stockton Lake State Park Weds., only to realize this was NOT the campground we stayed at four years ago. The first clue was the huge marina below the campground, which hadn’t been there before. Also the fact that the lake was below the campground—in 2022, the campground went right INTO the lake (there’d been a lot of flooding). Checking the internet revealed that we’d stayed at Ruark Bluff instead, one of several Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds around the lake.

Before driving to Stockton Lake, I’d shuttled Russ from Johnson’s Shut-ins to Fair Grove, which cut off some of the worst of the hills that did him in the day before. I suspect there will be more than one resort to “plan B” as he comes to terms with the fact that it’s just not as easy to ride a fully loaded bike as it was even four years ago. And I’m not sure this “Golden Gravel Tour,” with its rough roads, was a great choice. He found himself walking the bike frequently, as he struggled to ride steep hills over loose gravel. Today he made it to Walnut Grove despite the rain, and he hopes to ride straight to Stockton Lake tomorrow, rather than Greenfield—the distances, he says, look similar. And there will be paved roads leading to Stockton.

In a brief interval between showers, Moe and I hiked the Umber Ridge Trail in the north section of the state park. The loop was the perfect length, as we got back just before the afternoon rain. There were several nice views of the lake, and access to a beach (deserted) at one point, where I found a three-toed box turtle (the state turtle of Missouri) on the sand:

(Not my picture—I, of course, forgot my phone.) Cute little guy (girl?)

Fortunately, I set up my screen tent before the hike, which made a comfy and dry place to relax after our hike.

Mr. Stud Muffin enjoying a well-earned rest.