Today, I took very few photos. It was a miserable morning and taking pictures just wasn’t feasible. We were up at 5:00, at McDonalds by 6:00, and ready for the morning safety briefing by 6:15. We ate while we listened to Nutz (our leader) remind us of the rules we ride by that keep us and others safe. The briefing took place in a lull between bands of absolute mayhem. When I packed the bike, the sky lashed me with sideways rain blowing at about 25mph. It was a chore to load the bike. However, I wasn’t fully soaked. I’d taken my rain gear off of the bike the night before and had it on while loading out. Chalk one up to foresight. The rain subsided during the morning briefing, but radar imaging indicated another band coming behind the first one. I thought we might get hit with that while we prepared as a group for the day, but we were spared the inconvenience.
Once we hit the road, we rode straight into the teeth of the first band of nastiness that assaulted me in my hotel parking lot. However, it added a new twist, hail. For the next 60’ish miles we rode single file down the highway with the wind, rain, and hail pummeling riders from right to left. We usually ride side-by-side and nose-to-tail but not in that weather. We were given the signal to ride single file in an attempt to keep everyone safe. When we cleared the storm, I peeled my hands from the bike controls and stretched my neck which was aching from fighting the wind that attempted to tear helmet from head. The ride leadership, tail gunners, and the riders themselves are all to be commended for seeing everyone through what could have been a complete disaster.
Lunch was served in Oakley, where I was so focused on getting dried out and eating that I forgot to snap any photos. They served us a warm lunch of chicken-fried-steak, potato salad, chips, and desert. The outpouring of this town upon us on a Sunday was not missed. I am very grateful for their sacrifice of time, energy and resources to bless us.
The remainder of the day ticked off the miles to Junction City, Kansas. The streets were lined from the freeway to their Vietnam Memorial in the center of town. However, the last few blocks found me whooping and hollering with gratitude and amazement at the countless number of US Flags lining the roadway; each held by a person who came out just to show honor to us and the mission. We met a lady CMA rider who took Crysten’s phone number promising to encourage her each morning with texts for the remainder of our journey. At the Vietnam Memorial, local news media filmed two of our cohort as they laid a wreath at the memorial. Our leaders also thanked the crowd for coming out and the Eagles provided dinner. They will also send us out with breakfast in the morning. So many blessing us, so much goodness aching to be recognized in our blessed United States.
A few photos are below. The two folks with me are Radar and Bait. Radar brought his son on the ride just as I am riding with my daughter Crysten. It is a testament to these two that they are even here. Bait had heart surgery not long ago and was cleared for the ride shortly before it started. I’ve enjoyed getting to know a little about the two and thought I’d bring a couple of faces of the great people on this ride to you. The writing on the pavement is in honor of the missing man. Each leg of our journey a different fallen hero is honored by the missing man formation. The name is written on the pavement in the place where a bike would be, and the slot is kept open while the ride progresses. It is a way to remember the fallen, the reason why we ride.
