Oklahoma

In August of 2014 I took a short trip and rode 3 states in 3 days. This was the second day of that trip.

Strava Link



The ride was in Poteau, OK, which is in the eastern portion of the state.

Poteau, OK

OK route

The day started with the Cavanal climb, which is 3.4 miles at 9%. It manages to reach that 9% average despite a downhill section midway through the climb. I thoroughly enjoyed the climb. It was early in the day and wasn't super hot yet, but I was still soaking with sweat when I made it to the top. There was a nice viewpoint area at the top, which must be a really nice place to visit in the Fall.

After Cavanal, I made my way through some flat country roads towards the Talimena Scenic Byway. The plan was to take the Byway over to 259, then take 250/59 back to Poteau. However, I was having trouble adjusting to the heat and humidity. I'm used to the heat (high of 99), but the humidity (~50%) was killing me. I was drinking a lot more than normal and couldn't find anywhere to get water. The good thing about scenic routes is that they're scenic. The bad thing is that it can be difficult to find water.

There was a funny moment when I turned from 271 on to the Talimena Byway. I was dying for water at that point and right at the corner is a welcome center with restrooms and water fountains. Unfortunately, the welcome center must not be in the budget anymore as the bathrooms were closed and the water fountains were turned off. It all seemed like a cruel trick.

I continued on Highway 1 for a little while, and a few miles down the road was an area with restrooms. Those were just pit toilets and there was no water to be found. I was 20 miles of up-and-down road away from Highway 259, and even if I made it to 259 who knows how far the next water source would be from there. I was already feeling the effects of dehydration, so I made the decision to turn around and head towards Talihina, which was about 8 miles away. It turns out that Talimena State Park was only about 2 miles away, and I got water there.

I just rode the 30 miles straight back to Poteau on Highway 271 from there. Fortunately, 271 wasn't all that busy and actually had a shoulder most of the way. Physically I didn't feel all that great, but at least I knew that water was never too far away. I was drinking at least 2 bottles an hour, which is a lot for me. The most I'll drink at home in Nevada is 1 bottle an hour, and that's on hot days with lots of climbing.

It was a shame that I had to skip the best part of the ride, but I still enjoyed Oklahoma. The Cavanal climb was a nice, difficult little climb and I enjoyed the quiet roads outside of Poteau. I hope to make it back some day so I can ride the whole Talimena Scenic Byway.

At the top of Cavanal Hill

A view from the top of Cavanal. It's too bad it wasn't a clear day.

Update: I rode across a large portion of Oklahoma during my ride across the country in the summer of 2015. Here are the relevant days: 13, 14, 15, 16. You can find more pictures there, plus Strava links to the route I used.