So this past weekend, my 11yo Son and I (along with The Misses on her 12 SG) Rode up to Clark Hill Lake from Richmond Hill GA.. Saturday went GREAT! We left the campground on Sunday around 1:30-2:00 to start our ride back home. (roughly a 3 1/2 hr ride)... My Son has been on a few 1hr + rides.. But nothing like the ride up on Saturday.. But he did Great! Well within 15-20 minutes of leaving the campground, it started raining. (weather called for 30% chance) I figured we MIGHT, run into SOME RAIN.. NOTHING COULD PREPARE ME FOR WHAT E WERE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH... The bottom FELL OUT within seconds of getting on the freeway. I Mean Soaked To The Core within 30 seconds of rain.. Cars, and Big Rigs were pulling over.. (Im glad my Misses Thinks Like Me. Whats the point on a bike, if there isnt an overpass to get under, why just pull over and sit in the rain?) As long as you can see well enough to move forward (it was hard, but possible) so at about 10mph, we kept moving forward on the freeway until the next exit. We got off and pulled into an abandoned gas station... I asked my Son what he thought and pulled some dry clothes out of the bags for him to change into, I changed shirts and put on my NON RAIN REPELLENT JACKET! We looked up the weather channel and saw that the storm was gonna be with us pretty much the WHOLE TRIP.. ALL THREE OF US HAD TO BE AT DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS ON MONDAY, So staying under an abandoned gas station, has pump roof wasnt an option.. So once the rain lightened up, we headed back out.. Within 20 minutes, we were back in the middle of rain... Hard Rain.. And Hail.... There was NOWHERE, for us to pull over as we had made our way onto a 2 lane country road by this time... We managed to find a gas station after riding a few miles in POURING RAIN..pulled in Grabbed some food And waited a while for it to let up.. We headed back out and about the time we were dried off to the point of being DAMP, instead of SOAKED! The Bottom Fell Out Again.. Within Seconds, There was LITERALLY A PUDDLE OF WATER BETWEEN MY LEGS ON THE SEAT.... BETWEEN MY THIGHS AND THE TANK CONSOLE.... I TOLD MY SON, to tuck his hands between my back and himself and to duck his head. It had started hailing again (about the size of Peanut M&Ms) Once again, nowhere to pull over or get out and take cover, so we kept riding. 10mph, miserable, pelted by rain and hail until it cleared..to only rain... We rode until the next Gas Station.. Where by this time. We both needed fuel, as our last fill up, was about an hour out from our destination from the day before... We had covered about 80 miles in about 3 hours. But there was no turning back, no staying put, and we were still a long way from home.... The next rain soaked leg was going to be heading in to Statesboro... Along the way, we picked up another biker, a metric rider with a passenger, they stayed with us for about 10 miles or so getting pummeled along with us with rain and hail... We made it to a gas station about 12 miles outside of Statesboro where we got some coffee and hot cocoa and waited out the hail that was the size of Mushrooms on this THIRD HAIL STORM that we had experienced on the ride home.. Soaked to the bone, water shooting out of the eyelets of our shoes as my Son and I walked to the bathroom using the dryer to SOMEWHAT dry out gloves and sleeves of our clothes... We decide to ride in to Statesboro...we had checked the weather channel and although IT STILL SAID 30% chance of rain, we were looking out the window and seeing a different story.. 100% With NO CHANCE of clearing up until 4am.. so we get our stuff together and walk out... In The Rain..Get On The Bikes, and head to Statesboro, The Most Amazing Thing Has Been Happening During these miles that my Son and I Are Putting in a my Road Glide, not only are we making memories, but hes showing me, what he can, and can NOT TAKE as a motorcycle passenger.. He NEVER said he didnt want to keep going.. I would show him the phone.. Show him the storm and he would say..looks like we need to try and get ahead of it Ironically enough.. When I found a China Mart (what I call Wal-Mart because most stuff is from China in there) I pull in to a space, turn the ignition off and as I get off of the bike my son says to me really, are you serious, its STILL RAINING DAD, are you gonna go buy clothes when its still raining? I think we should keep moving to try and get ahead of it I told him, I want to At Least Get us a dry shirt, sweatshirt and some type of rain gear (since we didnt bring any) at least we wont continue to get wetter.. So after finding us both a few things we go back out IN THE RAIN..and head south east towards home...it rained for 99% of the trip. The last 10 miles were dry miles.. At 9:40pm.... We pulled into the garage.. I got him inside, got a hot shower going for him and started unloading the bike... Later that night as I got him to bed, he said, I Love You Dad, I had A Good Time This Weekend... That...... Not Sold In Stores.. You Cant Buy It... He NEVER COMPLAINED ONE TIME ABOUT THE RAIN THE HAIL THE WIND BEING COLD.. THAT.... MY FELLOW BIKERS... IS A TROOPER!!!! That... Is my Mini Me!
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 06:54:28 +0000
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