I camped out at the Red River cycle park (Muenster) over the weekend with sons Scott and Mark. We missed the cool weather Saturday morning because of some van trouble. It was already heating up when we got there around 11, but we still got a nice ride before it became unbearably hot, then rode a bit more in the evening. We only got in about 27 miles.
Sunday was brutally hot. We took to soaking the inside of our helmets with water drained from the ice chests, and soaking a towel with that icy water and wearing it around our necks. Helped for about 15 minutes, then it was just hot. We rode about 30 miles Sunday.
Sunday night, the wind came up about 3 a.m., and nearly blew out tent and pop-up shelter away. Had to get up in the dark and put everything up. Then I heard thunder in the distance, and started to see lightning. Got up again, in the dark, and stowed everything we could, put the rain fly on the tent. I slept in the Bronco. At about 6, I decided I couldn't sleep, so got out to change air filters and check nuts and bolts on the bikes. As I finished the last air filter, I felt big drops of water. Got back in the Broco, and it just poured. Scotty was still in the tent. After 15 minutes, our campsite was a lake. Scotty came to tell me the bikes were falling over as the kickstands sank in the mud. We had to get out in the downpour and move the bikes to solid ground.
It stopped raining by 9 a.m. We waited a while for it to dry out a bit, and got in a couple of nice, cool rides before the clouds burned off and it started to get hotter. It never really got too bad, probably only about 90 by 3 p.m. We rode all day, on and off, then got in a nice evening ride before leaving at 8 p.m. About 50 miles Monday. All in all, it was about the best day you could expect in Texas in July. The ground dried out pretty nicely by day's end, leaving lots of mud puddles, which were really a lot of fun. It's amazing how much water Muenster can handle.
Sunday was brutally hot. We took to soaking the inside of our helmets with water drained from the ice chests, and soaking a towel with that icy water and wearing it around our necks. Helped for about 15 minutes, then it was just hot. We rode about 30 miles Sunday.
Sunday night, the wind came up about 3 a.m., and nearly blew out tent and pop-up shelter away. Had to get up in the dark and put everything up. Then I heard thunder in the distance, and started to see lightning. Got up again, in the dark, and stowed everything we could, put the rain fly on the tent. I slept in the Bronco. At about 6, I decided I couldn't sleep, so got out to change air filters and check nuts and bolts on the bikes. As I finished the last air filter, I felt big drops of water. Got back in the Broco, and it just poured. Scotty was still in the tent. After 15 minutes, our campsite was a lake. Scotty came to tell me the bikes were falling over as the kickstands sank in the mud. We had to get out in the downpour and move the bikes to solid ground.
It stopped raining by 9 a.m. We waited a while for it to dry out a bit, and got in a couple of nice, cool rides before the clouds burned off and it started to get hotter. It never really got too bad, probably only about 90 by 3 p.m. We rode all day, on and off, then got in a nice evening ride before leaving at 8 p.m. About 50 miles Monday. All in all, it was about the best day you could expect in Texas in July. The ground dried out pretty nicely by day's end, leaving lots of mud puddles, which were really a lot of fun. It's amazing how much water Muenster can handle.