My ride through hell

[GypsyRR]

My Texas Hill Country motorcycle trip turned out to be a lesson in survival. I did survive it and ended it last night with 2 good days of riding and only one minor injury, and no damage to the bike.

I spent the first night at a hotel in Buda, TX because I got a late start and rain was coming. I went through heavy rain for about 30 minutes before stopping at the Best Western to spend the night. I noticed my BMW gloves were pretty mad after that rain. But it was nothing compared to what was to come.



My second day in the trip I was caught on back farm-to-market roads in a flash flooding area with wind, hail, tornados forming, roads out, water rushing over the roads at low areas, bridges out, trees littering the road, rain gear that wouldn’t hold out water and one possibly broken pinky finger. When I finally arrived at shelter that night, I was cold, scared and exhausted. It was one of the most frightening experiences of my life. I sat outside after the long day and reflected on everything I had just gone through - I was tired and worn, but I was also feeling a sense of pride that I had made it through all by myself. (Yes, the eyes are red from crying and the pinky is purple from being smashed while trying to move a tree out of my way - and that is merely orange juice in my cup)



The next couple of days of riding, this is the type of thing I found everywhere I went. I ended up spending half a day with the people at the bridge in Camp Wood – talking and listening to their stories.

"Twisted Sister" FM 335 out of Camp Wood, past Barksdale, TX





The Ray McDonald road low water crossing bridge is out in Camp Wood, TX. This is one of my favorite fly fishing spots too.





By evening of my first 'dry' ride there was just a few puddles left to dodge. This photo is taken around sunset at Eagle's Nest restaurant in Leakey, TX (very good onion rings if you ever stop there).




They needed the rain in the Hill Country, so I'm glad they got plenty of it.






I got home last night around 10:00 p.m. spending the darkest hours going through farm land and dodging bugs the size of birds! Now my bike needs a very thorough washing!

[sjbmw]

Holy smokes!
Like trying to cross swelling Siberian rivers in Long Way Round!
Girl are you crazy?

My advice to you, now that you are safe and sound, is to drink heavily....just for a little while.

Of course, I got no room to talk, I'd have never left the hotel.
I am too Wimpy, and it has nothing to do with cheeseburgers.

[mad1150]

Wow Gypsy,

Now that's a confidence builder! (and you were worried about driving in snow?) Ha!

You should feel very good about that experience though. After all, you just got done kicking some Texas weather in the butt on 2 wheels!

I said it before and I'll say it again...Youuuuu Rock!

[DJ Downunder]

GypsyRR, you sure are one tough cookie.. ..I'm glad you made it ok and remember rides like this just makes you appreciate fine weather rides more.

Thanks for taking and posting you pics for us...now quick..get out there and clean that beautiful bike of yours and get it ready for your next adventure..

DJ

[MIXR]

Well done. It's the exciting stuff like that that makes for really memorable rides. Glad you got through it ok. Nice to see that you remember to take the pics. I seem to carry my camera everywhere and never get the damn thing out!

Guess your knees were ok this trip!

Cheers, Mick.

[DJ Downunder]

Just noticed your gloves in that first pic...

That bed head..it reminds me of those things that they had in the old days to punish people by locking their arms and head through for public humiliation.

Only that one looks like it was made for Dolly Parton..and the top half is missing.. ...geees I must have a warped mind or something...sorry...

Also..." Camp Wood, past Barksdale, TX "...a joke right?... ..(maybe not)....is that near Timberland?..oh..don't worry about me.

btw..a picture of you riding through that big puddle at full speed would have been good..

DJ

[Ian]

how did u break your pinkie?

[taosports]

Quite a contrast from your previous post Gypsy

What happened to :

Come to Texas - It’s warm and beautiful in Spring (and winter too).

Glad you survived. Think I would have had something a bit stronger than OJ.

[GypsyRR]

how did u break your pinkie?

Ian,
I'm not sure that it is broken. I think it looks worse than it is and as time goes on, it is getting better. Here is a close up of it at it's worse:



There is much more to the 'adventure' and an incredible amount of stories which I left out due to time and space, but how I smashed my finger wasn't intended to be a part of it because it was sort of uneventful. Basically - it got smashed while moving debris out of the road so I could ride through on the highest point of the road to keep from getting swept in the deeper water. I was moving a large limb out of my way when I tripped on another piece of debris and fell and my finger got caught between the limb and the ashphalt when I fell on it. It can't reach the clutch lever anyway, so it did not hinder my riding. It did hurt for a couple of days though.


And NO, DJ, I'm not really all that tough. I cried half the way through the storm and then cried again later when thinking about how scared I was and how alone I felt out there. But I survived to go again on another adventure - as soon as I figure out where I want to ride next.

There are a few more pictures here:

http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p319 ... 20Country/

[DJ Downunder]

GypsyRR..you should get that little finger checked out..it looks a bit gangrene'ish... ..or even frostbite'ish.. ..ouch!

Great tree out side the post office.

DJ

[Sunbeemer]

Glas you're home safe. I saw those storms on Nexrad radar sweeping across the Dallas area and heard this front had spawned over 65 tornadoes yesterday (mostly to the north of you).
DJ's right - at the very least wrap that finger with a bandage to the one next to it in case it is fractured, maybe even around tongue depressor to keep you from trying to use it for a few days. And then a healthy dose of medicinal spirits!

[GypsyRR]

My finger does look pretty bad in that photo, but it is looking better now. I can't go to a doctor right now because of a lapse in insurance during some transitions, so I wrapped it Wed. night when I got home. I'm sure it will be fine soon, but it is still pretty tender.

Sunbeemer - I did see tornados forming while I was trying to ride through and there were wind gusts that had to be near 45-50 mph. I grew up in Kansas and now live in the tornado 'alley' in Texas, so I can recognize a tornado forming. At times, my bike was blown sideways across the road surface ....... when there WAS a road surface. It felt like it was sliding about 1-2 feet, but I'm sure it had to be less than that or I would not have been able to stay upright. There were a couple of times when the asphalt would just end and I was then trying to stay upright on mud and gravel in pouring rain. And the "Road Closed" signs were not yet placed when I was trying to navigate, so I had to rely heavily on "reading" the tree lines, road slopes, and general terrain to know when there could be a possible low water crossing that was flooded beyond what my bike or I could handle since visibility of the road surface was close to zero. A couple of times I had to stop, get off the bike and check water depth by stick before crossing or try to clear the visor or my eyes long enough to see how fast the water was moving before deciding whether or not I could/should cross.

I wanted to add to my first post that I did not just go haphazardly into this storm without knowledge of it or respect for it. I had been watching the weather for several days before I set out on my trip. I stopped the first night in Buda, because I could see the storm brewing and eventually did get caught in the downpour for a few minutes before even reaching Buda. I listened to the news and used the hotel internet/business office to check radar and weather reports constantly before setting out the next morning. Then I stopped again an hour into my trip at a restaurant in Wimberly, which was televising weather watches and radar for the area. So after watching and listening to all that information, I timed my departure so that the last band of bad weather would go through at least 30 minutes before I passed through the area. BUT - the storm must have stalled out or something because I was caught in the middle - regardless of my watching and waiting for the right timing.

I guess the old saying is true "If you don't like the weather in Texas, then wait a minute."

And Taosport, - it is beautiful and warm here in the Spring (and winter) -however, sometimes it is really wet too! But, the rain fills the rivers and that is where I like to spend my time!

Like the Rio Frio:


And the Nueces:

[DJ Downunder]

At times, my bike was blown sideways across the road surface ....... when there WAS a road surface.

It's a good thing that these bikes are so heavy..and you don't have a huge screen..

DJ

[iowabeakster]

Whew! A small trip that you will remember for a while!

Glad your healing. That finger looks damn painful.

After a very intimate encounter with a tornado last year, I will take much more precaution when there are weather warnings.

[Sunbeemer]

Hey gypsy, sometimes we just get unlucky even when doing all the right things, and then it comes down to having the right stuff to get thtrough it. Glad that you did!
If you think you got in too deep and submerged the breather on top of the final drive, you may want to check the lube in there to see if looks milky. If so, you should change it.

[TonyT607]

Ok that settles it.....time for Gypsy to test ride an R1200GS Adventure !

Glad you made it home ok kid.

And congrats on surviving and thriving !

[GypsyRR]

Ok that settles it.....time for Gypsy to test ride an R1200GS Adventure !

Glad you made it home ok kid.

And congrats on surviving and thriving !

Thanks, Tony. And if I could reach the ground on one of those, I would have one instead of my RR!!! I love those.

I hope your neck is still healing quickly.

[TonyT607]

......if I could reach the ground on one of those, I would have one instead of my RR!!! I love those........

Me too ! My neck may be a bit longer, but my inseam remains a paltry 30".....

Thanks Gypsy, I am feeling a lot better, it'll be one month on Thursday. I am 'recuperating' on Florida's Gulf Coast this week....got a condo rented on Longboat Key...

[yjleesvrr]

Wow Gypsy. I just read this thread for the first time tonight. I'm sure glad you survived intact! I was complaining because I rode 480 miles in unexpectedly cold weather last Thursday (on my Harley that I hadn't rigged up for my Gerbing attire). That was nothin' compared to what you described.

p.s. - I think our Roadsters do better in crosswinds than taller bikes like the GS Adventure!

[scottybooj]

kudos!!!

if i weren't married (happily) I'd say I'm in love! Wow, a bike riding, fly fishin', tornado dodging, tree lifting, flood chasin', wild wild woman!

Please don't tell me you can cook, cause I don't want to leave my two beautiful kids!


No, seriously....don't tell me.