July 18, 2011
Late start after drying out from storm: And what a storm it was!
Kim writes:
Last night John built the campfire and went to take his shower. No sooner did he leave, a drizzle began so I quickly put the rain fly on the tent. After just a few minutes the rain stopped, and we enjoyed the fire for a couple more hours.
Later on, as lightning flashed all around, and thunder rumbled in the distance, we were sitting by the fire discussing the weather. I kept trying to check the forecast with my phone, but had no signal (a common occurrence for us). John declared that it wasn't going to rain.
Suddenly, large drops began to fall and we took refuge in the tent. To get some weather updates, I began a series of text messages with Barbara, a friend in Houston. Thank you Barbara for the help!!
K: Hi - not much signal here. can you check the weather forecast (just starting to rain) in rapid river, MI? Thx. [10:30 pm]
B: Stand by!
B: Heavy rains from u to iron mtn :-( what else to know?
K: All green on map, or yellow and red too?
B: Yeller n red
K: Uh oh. Maybe will need to retreat into the barn...where they have the office and bathrooms and all that.
B: Just a bit more red [after about half an hour]
K: Ok. Has been VERY intense and we are in tent.
B: Clear! Sweet dreams! [at midnight]
The winds were howling as thunder and lightning continued all around us. Fortuately we stayed dry in the tent and this morning we strung up the tent to dry, used the dryer in the barn for some of our clothes, then headed out for lunch and today's ride.
John writes:
Kim and I crawled into our tent last night at 10:30 after sitting around the fire. We did so knowing that there was a 30% chance of rain, but I told Kim that it was only "heat lightning", and that "it wasn't going to rain". At precisely 11:05, all Hell broke loose as a magnificent thunderstorm "30%'ed" on us for 25 minutes!!!
Inside Kim's tent, we remained dry (mostly), but everything else got soaked. Thus, it caused us to get a late start this morning as we had to dry everything out. So after a lunch at Jack's in Rapid River - home of the famous "EAT" sign - we hit the road around 1:30 p.m.
Then, 4 and 1/2 hours later after battling horrendous deer flies biting us through our clothes, we pulled into the Midway General Store, located halfway up road H13 in the west unit of the Hiawatha National Forest. They gave us a free camp site and free fire wood . . . but Kim and I will have to hit the hay tonight without a shower.
Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 453 miles (729 km)
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