07 Ridin' The Rockies HOG Tour - #9 There’s No Place like Home.

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I participated in the Ridin’ the Rockies HOG Touring Rally that was held June 25-28, 2007. The plan for the week was to spend some time with my cousins before the rally started then take the long way home after the rally. I rode my 2005 833 Sportster from KC to the rally and back home. The following is a ride report of the ride. It is divided in to parts because of the pictures.

My last day, I am on the way home. I am ready to be home but I have one more night out. I am heading to Garnett, the home of my parents. I promised I would stop there on the way home.

On this bright morning the owner of the motel came round as I was packing the bike. I told him I heard water running all night and maybe the toilet next door running. He checked it immediately then said maybe it was the room next to that, but it was occupied so he would check later.

After I get the bike packed, make the last head call, I grab my helmet from the dresser. The ‘swishhhhhhhhhhhhhh’ I heard all night was the radio that I have on the helmet. It had hit the dresser lip when I sat it down and turned the radio on. Being set on a station that was not broadcasting it was just amplifying white noise. It was just loud enough to be heard if there was no other noise happening. Chuckling I left the motel and headed toward Wichita KS.

On the way there I passed through Greensburg KS. I have a separate blog about Greensburg - 07 Greensburg Kansas. It was pretty depressing and I didn’t make many other stops except for gas after that.

It starts raining by the time I get to Wichita. I guess in my absence eastern KS has been having its very own monsoon season. Mom had warned me that some of the highways in the area had been closed because of water. As I am passing though Wichita I see a zoo sign, so why not.. a couple miles later I am one more Road Kill in bag. East of Wichita it is smooth sailing until I get to Yates Center. Hwy 54 is closed east of YC. So I am advised to go south 14 miles on 75 then east 20 miles on 39 to hook up with 169 and into Garnett. All that would be good but after getting to 169 I find it is closed south of Iola. So back to Yates Center. 39 west of 75 is closed and 75 south of 39 is closed. I take 75 north toward I-35, figuring I will head to Ottawa and then south on 59 to Garnett, the long way but it should be okay, except maybe between Richmond and Garnett there is that one spot. Anyway I am heading north on 75 when the GPS is telling me to hook a right and take 57 to 169 then north to Garnett. I figured I didn’t have anything to loose so off I went. It was 16 miles from 75 to 169 about the 14th mile on this hwy I have to turn around because the Neosho River has covered the road, cars are going through it, but its not worth dying over or loosing the bike so I turn around. The road behind me had started flooding, so now there are several places where I am going through very shallow water trying to get back to 75. I’m back to the earlier plan of going to I-35. On 75 I need to get gas at Burlington. At ease that I won’t run out of gas. I am getting drenched, I am getting cold.. did I mention that it has been pouring, not raining, POURING since Yates Center. Visibility is low, as water on the face shield is beading up. I am not going fast enough for it to get blown off the shield. I jump on I-35 and proceed to Ottawa then get off at hwy 59 the Garnett exit. 21 miles between me and Garnett. This is the closest I have been. 1 mile down the road is the familiar highway guy. I have seen him or one of his kind at every highway closure today. Its 7 PM I ask him what are the chances I am going to see Garnett today? He replies “no chance on that thing”. Not ready to trade it for a boat if figure that is enough said. I have been traveling for 3 hours since Yates Center. And this is as close as I got, Yates Center is like 40 miles away. Ready to sleep in my own bed I point Effie toward KC and head for home. When I got home I called and told Mom who was starting to worry a little.

It was a great trip.

Part #1 of the trip can be found here: 07 Ridin' The Rockies HOG Tour - #1

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