Day Two

Well, providence granted another trouble-free day of travel. I started the day later than planned because I thought that getting a couple more hours of sleep would probably serve me better than trying to get a jump on the day. I was on the road by 6:40 and enjoyed welcoming the new day on the bike. Even though it would be another day on the super slab, a day on the bike is better than a day in the car.

The morning went well as I plowed through Missouri. Interstate 44 from St. Louis to Joplin passes through part of the Ozarks and a forested portion of the state that is part of the Mark Twain National Forest. It is a pretty part of the state and those of you who have traveled along interstate 80 through Pennsylvania will have a good flavor of the scenery in the Ozarks in this part of Missouri. There are no tall mountains, just rolling hills and forest.

It made for a scenic ride through the state and the views of little valleys here and there helped pass the time pretty quickly. One thing that cracked me up on the trip from St. Louis to Oklahoma City is the local war. There are numerous establishments along the freeway that advertise themselves as “Adult Bookstores”; without fail, just prior to each sign advertising the adult bookstores there was a larger and more colorful sign sponsored by a local church condemning pornography. The funny part is, with all the billboards on the road the adult stuff gets lost in the mix but the prominence of the church effort just brings attention to something that would other wise be missed by most folks. Unintended consequences of good intentions!

I was famished by mid morning so I ate at a Cracker Barrel in Springfield, MO. When I stopped, for some reason I thought I was already in Joplin and was a little bummed out to learn that I still had an hour to drive before getting into Oklahoma.

I liked Oklahoma. They must have planted a whole lot of winter wheat because the waves of grain are already turning amber here while on the rest of the route so far crops are either just being planted or have just recently germinated. With the recent spring rains everything is so wonderfully green taking in the contrast between the amber fields and the lush green vegetation really was a great way to spend a good chunk of the morning.

One thing I can say about Oklahoma is there is certainly no shortage of beef here! Yesterday I joked about counting brown cows. Counting cows today would have been serious work! Speaking of cows, crossing over into Texas I did notice a significant drop in the number of livestock within view of the road. I also noticed that there was something out of place. Not a single one of the Texas cows had horns; a blasphemy in the land of the Longhorn! I think the offending cows will soon show up on a plate near you. Texas was pretty much a boring ride. There is not much to see and the speed limit is only 70 during the day and 65 at night. Oklahoma and New Mexico both have a 75 MPH speed limit.

I got off the freeway just before Amarillo, TX to don the rain gear as I could see a huge storm system way up in there in my intended route of travel. I put everything on from gaiters my boots to a supposedly waterproof balaclava. I have experienced wind storms out here on the prairies and I did not want to be caught unprepared in the event the storm was as bad as it looked.

With a little over 100 miles to travel to Tucumcari, NM, I preferred that it rain right away so that I could get through it and give my clothing a little time to dry out. As it happens, the rain finally hit close to the border with New Mexico. Boy did it ever hit!!!

How hard did it rain? Put it this way, if you are ever traveling across the prairies and you anticipate hitting some rain, bring a snorkel! It was just about dusk when the rain started. First there was a sprinkle, then a little heavier and then the wind picked up and we got those huge drops plus some hail about half an inch across. Those smart when they hit. Of course the wind was blowing down from the north so I was getting it on my right side and my right arm, shoulder and hand probably have a few welts from the impact of those little buggers.

I slowed to about 35 in that downpour, which lasted for ten minutes, or so. Both the rain and the wind let up for five minutes and then the real stuff came!!! It quite literally rained horizontally!!! And right across my path of travel. I lowered the windshield to the lowest setting and got a good whooping from the storm. At 35 MPH I was hydroplaning a little so I dropped it down to 25!! Even then, the bike was still getting tossed about like a rag doll. I don’t think I have ever seen rain that heavy!

My until-now waterproof riding gear turned out not to be so. The heavy, 25 MPH stuff continued for an honest1/2 hour and then cleared up as I entered New Mexico where the speed limit thankfully went back up to 75! I pegged the needle on 80 and raced to my hotel in Tucumcari. I filled up the bike, checked in and ran across the street to Subway, the only place in town open after 9:00 PM. With the exception of my feet and my head, everything else is damp!

Tomorrow, my days in the mountains start. We shall see if the weather cooperates!