By Castle Spieker
Steve Pierce, a former Neosho resident who lives in Vermont, participated in a cross-country bicycle ride in 1985, when he was 38.
The sponsoring touring organization, Bikecentennial, was established in 1976 to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial, as the route followed the TransAmerica Trail, and it has been ridden by thousands of bicyclists across the country.
In 1985, he rode some of the TransAmerica Trail while biking from Vermont to Neosho to visit family.
“I came to my parents’ house in Neosho, and my sister and brother-in-law also lived in Neosho,” said Pierce.
His parents are Cornell and Lois Pierce, his brother-in-law is C.R. Hammons, and his sister is Dianne Hammons.
C.R. Hammons, a veterinarian who passed away three years ago, started his practice in 1975.
In 1969, Pierce graduated from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla and moved to Vermont to work at IBM for 36 years.
Pierce: “Since that time, the touring organization has changed its name to Adventure Cycling.
“Fifty years later, with the country’s 250th birthday, Adventure Cycling celebrated its golden anniversary by creating a new gravel route from Cape Girardeau to the coast of Oregon. They named the new route the Golden Gravel Trail.”
This year, at 79 years old, Pierce decided to ride the Missouri section of the gravel route, riding both ways from Cape Girardeau to Pittsburg, Kan., and then driving to Neosho to see his sister.
He drove from Vermont to Cape Girardeau before riding the Missouri section of the trail.
“The 450-mile trek across Missouri took 900 miles and 17 days as I camped out of my vehicle, moving it every 50 miles and riding out and back each way from the camping stop,” said Pierce.
Pierce started the trip on Friday, July 24, and finished it on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Pierce: “I like the challenge of a multi-day touring ride. I am a member of the Adventure Cycling organization.
“When they wanted to celebrate the anniversary of this trail, I said I could do the Missouri section, but that was enough. I wanted to do this before I got too old to do it.
“I am always riding my bike somewhere, as it is the highlight of my summer.”
Pierce said riding his bike on the gravel was challenging.
“I would prefer the smooth roads when biking, but enjoy the less traffic on gravel,” said Pierce.
“On the trail, I was able to visit Camp Zoe (now Echo Bluff State Park), where I was a counselor 60 years ago in 1966 and led horseback riding.”
