Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A Sept 06 Rainy MC ride and Camping Weekend

Here is a little story I pieced together about my MC ride last weekend (9/22 - 24/06)

Thursday 9/21- -----Planning----
Follow the rhumb line. Packed and ready to go. But haven't gone yet. Check in the morning.

To the 20th Annual Hoosier BMW Rally Vernon IN. I have never been. Wanted too but never worked out. This year, looking good. Only the wx looks bad. Only a couple hundred miles, nice ride.

Objective - follow the rhumb line. . . . avoid Indianapolis and interstates. Maybe stop and see my brother and sister in law on the way back. Will see how it works out.

Lets check the wx. -------------------
Vernon » 5 Day Forecast °
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue
Hi: 69 Lo: 40 Hi: 68 Lo: 58 Hi: 77 Lo: 66 Hi: 69 Lo: 65 Hi: 67 Lo: 51

Winamac » 5 Day Forecast
Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
Hi: 69Lo: 41Hi: 70 Lo: 55 Hi: 77 Lo: 64 Hi: 67 Lo: 61Hi: 65 Lo: 49

Temps weren't bad, but the, rain - wind - storm, looked pretty dicey ------------------
We would be better off if we did not have instant weather.. just look out the window and go... oh well that is why we have rain gear.

Sunday 9/24-------Back Home----
Made it to the Hoosier Beemer Rally and back. The wx prediction was not pretty, but I was packed and ready to go so I did. I waited till about 10 and the local rain was gone, overcast and brisk south wind. I went down US35, US 31 to I465 around east Indy, then I74 to IN9 to IN7 to Vernon. Compromised a little bit re: no interstates, and avoid Indy but I left home a little later than planned. No rain though.

Muscatatuk Park, a real nice county park. Got all set up., experimenting with a tarp (8x10) with no trees, (used a couple of my son's discarded tent poles, 2 sections each, along with my 2 nested Al poles).

Started raining about 6 pm.... rained off and on till sat night.... sometimes VERY hard with high winds. We managed to keep the campfire going. Tent did not leak a drop. Tarp did good too,.... will make some final adjustments then should be good. New blow up (battery blower) air mattress still working good.

60 people showed up... everyone won a door prize. Me a BMW oil filter (then a fellow rider gave he his as he couldn't use a spin on), wont have to buy PH6063's for a while. also won oldest male rider award . . plaque . . to hang on my wall (Joe from Florida, who usually beats me, wasn't there).

Stopped raining Saturday night and except for 1 instance of high winds the winds died down and Sunday was a pretty nice ride home. I came back via the IN roads on the west side of Indy..IN7 IN46, IN 135, IN252, IN44, IN39, IN236 (detour), IN75, local, IN39, IN28, IN29, US35, IN14.. got home about 330 pm.... left about 10 45 am. Was a little misty rain as I got near home but not bad. I didn't think I would know anyone there but knew 3 pretty well and others sort of. The small BMW rider world. With only 60 people got to talk/meet nearly all of them...

The area of southern Indiana between the Ohio river and south of Indy is pretty neat riding area... lots of hills curves roads were all good.

They know how to make good coffee. A BIG bottle of Johnny Walker right by the coffee pot on Friday with the hot dogs. .and . on Saturday a bottle of Amaretto right next to the coffee pot. . . made the coffee taste pretty good. Eggs, biscuits and gravy for breakfast on Saturday morn, Hamburger for lunch, BBQ & roasted chicken for dinner. Campfire hot dogs Friday night, and donuts on Sunday morn. Plenty to eat.

The attendees, particularly those who rode and camped, at this Hoosier Beemer Rally could all easily be called 'Rounders' (Those who ride year 'round'). Specially, to ride and camp, going into the potentiall dangerous predicted wx. The potentially dangerous wx did not occurr and the temps were not fridgid cold, however it did RAIN and BLOW. But fun was had by all. The campfire survived with continuous feeding and the rain encouraged much socializing. No pictures from me, but there may be some at a future date at -




----Winamac, IN-------41 deg 3 min N ------- 86 deg 36 min W-----
-Tom, '85 K100RT, 192K, MOA, BMWMOCF, PRI, RBI, PRUNE, Rounder, IBMWR-
-It is good to have an END to journey toward, but it is the JOURNEY that matters in the end. / Ursula Le Guin-
-I feel no pain, dear mother, now; But, oh, I am so dry? O take me to a brewery, And leave me there to die. -Annon.; The Everything Beer Book-