Here I am at the Keomah State Park. We started out with a ride to Red Rock, hit Keomah, then Lake Darling. Yes, that is the WoolPro Scout that I am wearing under the vest (I'll get to that later), and yes I know I need a haircut. Once again the temps started out in the 40's and then got up to over 80 degrees during the latter part of the ride.
John showed up at the house all decked out in what looked like 50 layers of shirts and leather accoutrements and we took off for Red Rock. The wind was a steady 35 mph and gusting to over 45 mph. Once we hit the "S" curves around Red Rock, the wind off the lake made riding quite an adventure, but as they say, that is what makes life interesting. There is nothing like the sound of footpegs grinding against asphalt to let you know you're getting the most out of your bike.
When we made our stop at the tower, I actually planned to walk up it and take some pics but as luck would have it, the turnstiles required quarters to let you go up into the tower and all I had was paper money. Probably for the best, since I saw a sign posted that suggested I consult with a physician before attempting the climb. How they knew I was coming, I have no idea. Anyway, its an exercise I plan to do on another trip. Here's a pic of the tower:
According to the sign this used to be a base for the water tower that they have converted to an observation platform. At 50 cents a head, you'd think they could have installed an elevator, LOL.
I'm not saying that it was really windy, but here is a pic of the Porta-Potti that blew over in the wind. Hope no one was inside at the time.
By now the temps were getting up there, and John was peeling off the layers. I was still very comfortable. I had worn the WoolPro Scout which has a zipper up by the neck and all I did was unzip it a bit. I am constantly surprised at how versatile this shirt (base layer) is.
We continued on to Keomah so John could check out the new campgrounds. We searched high and low and eventually decided that the campgrounds were back along a road that was still closed for construction. So, while the campgrounds may be refurbished, the road leading to it seems to be a work in progress. Did get to see about every other inch of the park though, so there is that.
Next we headed off to Lake Darling. They have really done some great work on their campgrounds. They look fantastic. Definitely recommend.
It was getting dark and rain clouds were forming on our way home, and the temps were dropping. we stopped about halfway home and John decided to add some layers. I zipped up the Scout and was perfectly fine. We made it back to my place about 10 minutes before the rain hit (haven't checked to see if John made it back to his place without getting wet, but I'm sure he was ok). All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable ride, even with the high winds.