MS-150 Day Two

As predicted it started raining about 3:30 am. Nothing severe, just enough to let you know it was there. It was still warm. I never even got in my sleeping back on Saturday night.

I ate breakfast and was hoping to get on the road at 7:00 when the routes opened. I was still planning to do the 100 mile route on Sunday. Just before 7:00 I heard that they were delaying the start by at least an hour. I waited inside the hub when a large storm cell moved through.

Because of the delay I decided to only do the 75 mile route. I went back to my tent to get my cell phone and let Helen know. When I got to my tent I discovered that it had apparently tried to roll away. I hadn't brought the stakes to stake it down so a large gust of wind had sent it rolling. Even with my clothes and sleeping bag in it. Some one had seen it and removed the poles so that it wouldn't catch the wind. This was a good idea but it did make it difficult to get things out off the tent since it was now flat on the ground.

This was also very discouraging to me. At this point I felt like just going home. Fortunately this wasn't an option because Helen was still in Kansas City. I called her to let her know what was going on. She said that she was about to have breakfast and start packing up. I told her that I was going to ride the 40 mile route and that she she should head towards Columbia and soon as she was packed.

At 8:00 I started on the 40 mile route. It had stopped raining briefly. A friend of mine who was planning on riding couldn't ride because of a bad back, but I met his wife on the route. We road together for a while. At some points it was raining so hard that it hurt your face.

At 12 miles she took the turn to go on the 100 mile route. I had decided that I was not going to feel about only doing 40 miles. Every time it started raining I felt good about my decision and every time it started to clear up I was second guessing myself.

I was by myself most of the route. I didn't stop at any of the rest stops because I didn't need anything. I started seeing more people once I joined back up with the 20 mile route. By the time I finished around 10:30 the day looked like it was going to clear up, but it was also going to get hotter.

After I got done I dug fresh clothes out of my tent and took a shower. After Helen got there to pick me up we packed up the tent and headed home.