Hey, at least it's *dry* heat! q-: No, srsly - Dad did several-days backpacking trips in that area all through one summer (including three days in Death Valley), and he said the heat wasn't actually that bad to somebody who's used to Western Maryland summers, as long as you had plenty of water, because at least the humidity wasn't at 95% all day, so it was *possible* to get cool. True, he didn't walk it all, but the parts in between were on motorcycle, so no AC! He said the worst part was how not-green it all was. (The tedium, apparently, stops being a problem if you've survived Kansas or Iowa.)

On the other hand, I did look at that trail map, and go 'darn! It wouldn't take me past where Frey and Courtney live!', so, hey! (On the other hand, it goes right by St. Louis.)