DDT (12)
Member
Posts: 4117
Sometimes ya just gotta go...
Winter Springs, FL - Occasionally...
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« on: September 14, 2019, 07:41:35 AM » |
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That was some flashing light display the other night! Lightning all around, mostly brilliant bursts up in the clouds, though, as I did not actually see any cloud-to-ground strikes. Some thunder, too, naturally, lots of rain, a brief spate of mothball-sized hail, and some pretty stiff, gusty breezes… Sure glad I was already hunkered down and able to just observe! Back in the day, I’d been caught out in stuff like that a few times, but… lesson learned, and I do my upmost to avoid such things nowadays… even if it means staying put an extra day or three.
It was the forecast of just such weather that had us strategically located in Bridgeport, NE, in the first place. We’d been cruising around Wyoming, mostly, because foul weather here and there, hit and miss in the northwest (especially Montana) had made laying out a route to keep us mobile while consistently avoiding all of that nastiness nearly impossible! We’d had a good string of luck in Wyoming, but… well, even that lovely, rugged state has its own once-in-awhile turn in the barrel…
The plan was, assuming the forecast was accurate and the North Platte River a couple of hundred yards away didn’t leave its banks and flood the roads, we’d only spend two nights there, then be free to return to Wyoming… The way should also be open to head to Oregon or even Washington before turning back towards Idaho and Montana… Dang, that’s where it got dicey again… More rain was predicted to invade that favorite state of mine in another week or so… so… OK, I elected to resort to my fallback plan… that is, no plan, just react to conditions on a day-by-day basis, and let the chips fall where they may…
The wind out on the plains is always present, and sometimes it can be downright stout! Almost always near gale-force strength immediately following a serious thunderstorm line (front) passing… like what had just found us! By the time we’d ridden back roads to near the Wyoming state line, the wind had beaten this tender tenderfoot up pretty soundly, and then… We had to climb back up on the super-slab again… Out there, it is not uncommon for US highways, state roads, etc., to join with stretches of interstate, so one ‘can’t get there from here’ without logging at least some time in amongst the big trucks, Winnebago units swaying, pitching, and yawing in the breeze causing their white-haired drivers to also have white knuckles, SUVs transporting families of tourists, and stealthy, vigilant LEOs… ummmm, and the occasional critter!
At some point that morning, I decided Laramie would do nicely for our next stop! Not a long day at all, but… It had been sunny and bright when ALI had hauled her road-ready partner through the small town of our most recent residency, but soon enough it had become overcast again… While I had taken the precaution of wearing my chaps and Gerbings jacket-liner, it didn’t take long before I realized I just might need to plug-in and turn on, too! I didn’t, of course, as I was convinced temps would rise soon enough… they never did!
The Wyoming Welcome Center was a most welcome sight, and a stop there was executed rather gracefully, considering I was shivering, tired, and more than a little distracted! Enough, already! Laramie will do nicely indeed!!! DANG! For most of my riding career I’ve carefully monitored and planned around rain and extreme heat… now it appears I’m going to have to start paying closer attention to the wind forecast, too! The wind-chill aspects can be managed. The blustery battering of wind above certain speeds is a nuisance; however, it can also become a serious safety factor, plus it definitely adds to the cumulative fatigue of a day in the saddle! And, another thing: The odds of wind coming at us from an unfavorable direction are about 75% to 25%... so…
The motel selected in Laramie had the fortuitous additional benefit of being located right next door to a pleasant-looking Mexican restaurant. Yep, I could definitely do with a beef burrito and a mess of frijoles… I just love it when a challenging day has a happy ending!
DDT
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