Sunday, September 28, 2014

Day 87-Rock Falls to Sublette (35 Miles)

Starting off on Highway 30 out of Rock Falls I noticed three tire tracks in the gravel ahead of me, surely from my fellow cross country traveler. Maybe today would be the day I caught up to him. My time on the busy highway with little shoulder was short lived as I turned south onto county and township roads to reach Sublette. Illinois' roads aren't quite laid out in the perfect section grid like Iowa, but there are a lot more paved ones.

After taking a break with the road commissioner of Harmon, who was at work smoothing out an approach to a bridge, I continued through the paved corn maze to County Road 12 which took me into Sublette. While waiting for Tyler to come pick me up, I talked to a county sheriff who informed me of a stroller pusher nearby on Chicago Rd. outside of Amboy. Looking at my map, I realized that this would have been a much better way to get to Sandwich tomorrow. 


My uncle Jason had called Tyler Gunderson, the bishop of his ward, about potentially helping me out on my run. Lucky for me, he was willing to pick me up and haul my cart back to his home in Sterling after his work as an orthopedic surgeon. We arrived to his wonderful home where I met his wife Sherry and three of his four daughters. 


While enjoying dessert of cookie brownies after a great dinner of lasagna stew, the aunt and uncle of the ward's current missionaries arrived to the Gunderson's home to drop off a care package for their nephew. Another small world event occurred as the aunt was from Cranbrook, British Columbia, just a few miles from my grandparents in Creston. The Rennaker name sounded familiar to her. She had also seen me back on the winding Highway 136 outside of Goose Lake, IA.


After the eventful evening I slept like a baby in the guest room with a long day of running ahead of me tomorrow.



The new cart ready to conquer

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