Well, now that that’s over I feel better. My hope is that Texans everywhere feel the same. I've always been a closet Texas fan...
Kansas State vs. Texas Basketball Score
Well dang it (some Texas slang there) I've no idea how that link got there.
So, here’s the scoop. My bride of lo these past 39 years informed me several months ago that she wanted to go for a Trans-Am “trial run”. Specifically, she wanted to load up the RV as if for the Trans-Am, travel somewhere, kick me out, and see if I could hack the whole ride 60 miles a day thing. More importantly, she wanted to know that we could handle the rigors of the road for more than a week. Her reasoning being that we can pack enough clothes, food, whatever - for a week. The real question is how we will handle things like finding someplace to wash clothes, dump tanks (hey that grey and black water has to go somewhere - don’t ask), etc.
So after casting about for a bit on the ACA web site, I came up with the Texas Hill Country Loop. It is, by all accounts a particularly scenic route - and as I later learned this is never more true than when the wildflowers are in bloom. Which, as fate would have it, also happens to be about the time we intend to show up in Austin to commence the ride. Now Susan wasn't particularly enamored of the location when first I pitched it. However, she was quickly won over upon learning of the much ballyhooed wildflower bloom. I actually have a cowboy hat around here somewhere. Wait a minute...
This is my best, "Boy, if'n ya keep on, I'm fixin ta slap iron and plug ya fulla holes" face. Also known as Texas incognito... I actually wore this hat as part of my "police" uniform in the early days of my career. My Department was a consolidated agency serving the entire County and all Municipalities in the County. I suspect the hat was an deference to the general uproar of County (as opposed to City) residents at the time of consolidation since the office of Sheriff was abolished with the consolidation. A way of demonstrating that as an agency we remained true to our roots - as it were. Anyway, I think I look pretty intimidating. I hope not to have occasion to show this face on the trip, but thought it best to be ready.
So - back to the ride. Training continues. I put in just over 400 miles in January and just over 150 so far in February. Its been a little tougher in February. After some initial warm weather in the first week, temperatures cooled considerably and we've had some snow/ice on a couple of occasions. However, I did make it out today - if only for 21 miles. Sorry, I neglected to qualify those miles...21 MISERABLE miles. The temperature was 39 degrees, which isn't too bad for me as I've got the gear to ride in those temps. However, the wind was blowing steady at 18 with gusts up to 30. At least that's what my weather app said when I left. I believe the app is called "AccuWeather". Bah! Pay their name no mind for they are anything but. When I'm riding at 14 into the wind its windy. When a gust drops my speed to 9.5, that's REALLY windy. That's my way of saying that the wind was worse than described. I think they should get a little old lady on the South Side of Manhattan to lick her finger and stick it out the door - then guess. Little old ladies say of every car, "They had to be going at least 80." At least they'd be more accurate than "AccuWeather."
Now I'm from Kansas. I've ridden in some wind. Wind that blew sand against my legs at a BAK SAG stop with enough force to feel like I was getting sand blasted from the shins down. My daughter was with me on a 30 mile stretch into the wind on that day, and to this day still fervently holds to the position that on one occasion it actually blew her backward. I've tried explaining the physics of controlling a bicycle moving in reverse and that she was so light that it just slowed her more than me thus making it appear that she was moving backward in relation to me. If you run into her on the trip and want to clarify this abject failure to comprehend physics for her (she and her husband Parker will be joining us for a couple of days near Breckenridge) have at it. But I'm tellin ya, you've got your work cut out for ya. BTW - if you happen upon her or Parker before then, don't tell either of them about Hoosier Pass. I sense another physics lesson in the making. Just sayin...
Today's version of the wind was doing some weird things. On one occasion I was riding below Tuttle Creek Dam (in a vain attempt to get out of the North wind) when I went past the entrance to the campground. Like many such campgrounds there is a little shack where you check in when staying there. And beside the shack were the obligatory flag poles, one with the US flag and a lower one with the Kansas flag. As God is my witness: The US flag was pointing away from me. Great - a tailwind! But I was still working by butt off! That's when I noticed that the State flag was pointing at me. At the same time, the US flag was pointing away from me. These two flags were a mere five feet apart! Now how does that work? As I watched, the State flag turned to get in sync with the US flag. Amazing. Maybe I need to let up on weather guys...
Anyway, it was really windy and cold today. As evidence of same I proffer this selfie the Sequoia took on top of Tuttle Creek Dam this afternoon. The wise reader will take note of the ice stacked up against the dam by the North wind.
Oh, and in the interests of full disclosure I should probably point out that the face I was making earlier is actually just frozen that way from the ride today. The gunslinger thing was just a ruse until I find out tomorrow if my face returns to normal.
So, anticipate blogs from the Texas hill country starting in late March and running thru early April. Until then...
