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Night 4 of trip update

dogman

By dogman
in Watering Hole

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dogman

dogman

Posted
Posted

Let me start off by saying I'm having a great time. The riding has been spectacular even today when I rode in 3 hours of rain.

 

This being Independance Day long weekend, I have had my challeges getting a camping spot but it always worked out. Night two I was deperite after getting turned away from two camp sites. I saw a farm house that was storing trailers. So I did a door knock and introduced myself and asked if I could camp by the trailers. The man said sure and called his wife who said I could even use his shower outside in his workshop for $15. I thanked them very much and set up camp. I did have to clean the shower as I don't think it had been used in over 5 years. Cob webs and moths all over, but it worked great.

 

So here is my story of my fourth night camping at a KOA in Goodland Kansas. Let me first say that this is a very clean and well kept facility.

 

Well this is earlier then I would like to wake up without an alarm.

 

Real bad storm. A few times I thought the wind was either going to lift the tent off the ground or break it into pieces.

 

I was awake when I heard noises and people at 1am. I didn't know what they where doing. My pee jug was getting full from my second time. I cautiously open the tent a little to dump it out and the ground was covered in water. Only about an inch. The people that I heard where other tenters that got flooded or their tent torn apart. They got in their truck and spinning tires to get out.

 

I laid in bed not able to go back to sleep. The rain was so hard but the tent was doing well. The wind was what concerned me. I was afraid the tent would get damaged and I wouldn't be able to close it. There goes the next 3.5 weeks I was thinking.

 

My mind wasn't stopping should I cut my losses or tuff it out. A lull in the weather happened. *Good time to break camp I thought. Don't be a chicken I thought. So there I laid. The storm picked up again, eaqually as bad. I checked outside by unzipping the door a few inches. Now there was 2 inches of water all over the ground. It kept comming down and blowing so hard that I thought I may damage the tent trying to put it away. At 2:15am I checked outside and there was almost 3 inches of rain water on the ground.

 

That was it, only an inch or two more and my changing area will be under water. I started to pack things up inside the trailer so when there was a lull in the weather I would be ready to spring into action. I made a mental list of what I needed to do outside to close the tent quickly and without damaging it.

 

There I sat bed deflated belongings packed away and waiting. 2:30, the rain slowed right down and wind wasn't so strong and gusty. Like a lion saving their cubs I was out and moving. Lucky I had my boots the trailer skirting was all under water. The gravel road was covered. No hesitation I had to act to get this tent down and closed before another wind gust would come and rip it out of my hand. I kept seeing flash news reports of times past of bad things happening in trailer parks.

 

Everything went smooth. The tent got put away safely. I put the cargo carrier on the picknic table as the water drains thru.

 

What a relief. I may be a chicken and over reacted, but I kept thinking it could get worse and then where would I be. It's only sleep I'm missing out on by packing up. If the weather breaks in the morning I'll set it back up to dry and sleep. If I have to stay another night that's ok too.

 

My tent us not broken. I'm a happy camper.

 

I'll up date you all in the morning.

 

Dave

 

Sent from my iPhone

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