June 2, 2021
Day 1
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Continuing in a traditional weather pattern, Memorial Weekend was filled with rain showers and stormy weather. Tuesday overnight camping was no different. Thankful none of us were in tents, we awoke to light rain that cooled the outdoor temperature. Breakfast in the motor home was a new venture in our bike camping experiences, but we gladly accepted it. We pulled our bikes from the racks, lubed our chains, grabbed our wind breakers and raincoats, and pedaled back to Beaver, to begin our trek eastward towards Laverne, OK. We chose to bypass the mud roads, and took the longer paved roads, that had designations like NS-143, EW-16, and N1830. We were flagged down along the way by a ranch hand that warned us to watch out for an “older fella” that wouldn’t give up his driving license, driving a red truck with a cake box on the back. He said that if we thought he saw us, he probably didn’t, so we better be ready to BAIL OUT. Chester never showed his face, and we rode the roller coaster roads to Laverene in relative silence. Traffic on these roads is nearly extinct.
At Laverne, the local “sweets and eats” shop was an excellent stop for burgers and tortas, and a good place for the usual stares. Outside, three ladies stopped to chat, obviously appreciating Paul J’s ability to strike up a conversation. In Small Town America, the questions are usually where are you from, and where are you going? Paul is generally our spokesman, and once again he stepped up and baffled them with brilliance.
From Laverne we struck out north on the highway, and after six quick miles, we headed east on US 64 to the Doby Springs turnoff. We passed the hidden oasis of Doby Springs Golf Course, climbed one last hill, and coasted to the park. Waiting for us was Paul H and the motor home, buried 8” deep in slick black mud. This called for a cold one, some good humor, and the realization that a Rubicon Jeep and a winch could really come in handy about now. Thankfully, Paul H pulls his Jeep when he RV’s. It was decided, however, that the mud bog removal would occur in the morning, when we were all fresh. Doby offers no toilets or showers, so the RV was a blessing to our aging bones. The mud hole was perfectly placed next to the pavilion, giving us a great place to throw our camp chairs and inflate the activities of today’s ride.
Today's ride: 64 miles (103 km)
Total: 64 miles (103 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 3 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |