Rich Dixon is back on the hill

+++

River Road – a cyclist’s dream come true.

Lightly traveled, bluffs offering magnificent river views, After a few miles we found our scout team and their new friend, who owned an ice cream shop in tiny Montrose, Iowa. After cranking forty miles on a warm late-summer day, thoughts of traffic noise and gravel roads faded at the prospect of an old-fashioned, handmade, chocolate milkshake.

Cycling and life aren’t all fun and glamour. Hopefully you learn that painful hills and dangerous turns fade in the blessing of a chocolate milkshake moment.

A few folks gathered. Small towns have their own informal communication system, and our arrival was an event. We told our story – they told us about the beauty of our remaining miles.

Still, nobody mentioned Anschutz Hill.

We finished the milkshakes, waved goodbye to new friends, and headed off to meet Chief Keokuk. We felt revived and refreshed, ready to crank the final ten miles of the day along this beautiful, secluded lane. Boats and barges on the river, almost no traffic, cool afternoon shade beneath the trees – hard to imagine a better setting.

The trailer passed, then reappeared. Becky shouted through the car window. “I think you should let me drive you the rest of the way.”

“Why? It’s only three or four miles to the statue, right?”

“Yeah, but there’s a really nasty hill.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

She was adamant. “It’s really steep. I don’t think you should keep going.”

I was tempted. If it was as tough as she claimed …

“I’m not quitting. I’m going to give it a try.”

Becky shook her head in frustration and drove off, disappearing around the corner. A moment later, Glenn and I rounded the same corner and encountered the beginning of Anschutz Hill.

To be continued…

+ + +

Photo: Glenn, Ice Cream Lady, Rich, and Monte