Wind

First things first: Congratulations to my friend Chris for getting a firefighting job!  He's now officially a firefighter - nicely done bud!

From: Oklahoma City, OK
To: Clinton, OK
Mileage: About 155 kms :(

What a day... I think this Severe Weather statement says it all:

Issued by The National Weather Service
Oklahoma City, OK

... HIGH WIND WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT THIS EVENING...
... FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM CDT SATURDAY...
* WINDS: NORTHWEST 40 TO 60... GUSTING 70 MPH..
* TEMPERATURES: FREEZING TEMPERATURES LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY... WITH LOWS 27 TO 32 DEGREES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SMALL UNSECURED OBJECTS MAY BLOW AWAY. DRIVING WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT AND HAZARDOUS FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. STRONG GUSTS MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO ROOFTOPS AND OUTBUILDINGS... AND WILL BE HAZARDOUS TO THOSE WORKING OUTDOORS. POWER OUTAGES ARE LIKELY AS STRONG WINDS DAMAGE POWER LINES. THE STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO LIKELY ADVERSELY AFFECT FIRE FIGHTING EFFORTS.

In other words, the winds were SO strong today, that they were gusting up to 70mph (112-113 km/h).  When I pulled off at one point and checked, they winds were at 59mph (95km/h) sustained! 

I started the day with a ginormous breakfast (two waffles, two muffins, two cups of coffee, a bowl of rasin bran, and an apple).  I packed up and got started.  The temperature was about 6 degrees C (I think it was somewhere around 44 F), and the wind was crazy.  I was wearing my warm weather gear (no liner in the mesh pants, just a t-shirt under the jacket, warm weather gloves, etc.), and got cold enough, and bashed enough by the wind that I pulled off at an Indian trading post (store) to warm up and add layers.  


I got back on the interstate and wrestled with the wind again until I got too nervous and pulled off.  The sustained wind was enough to make me ride at a pretty steep angle.  The gusts were enough to push me way over into a sharp lean, and were still pushing me all over the road.  I was making sure I wasn't riding around traffic, but it was still pretty hairy when cars and trucks passed.  I pulled off and decided to crawl along route 66 beside the interstate.  I could barely stand up straight and keep the bike upright, so I was moving along at 30-40 km/h.  I would have just stopped somewhere, but I was surrounded by fields on every side...


I stopped in Hydro, OK and took photos of a 1920's filling station:

I stuck to the interstate service road (66) and came across another historic filling station:

I carried on, and passed the General Thomas P. Stafford Air and Space Museum.  Of course I took the tour!

A fragment of lunar rock!

Ground school buddies - remember this?

I think this was an ejection seat?  I forgot to check...

First year physics, anyone? 

Training.

Wind

I eventually realized that I couldn't stay at that museum all night, so I decided to brave the wind again and continue moving West. 

Terawatts of power today!

About a mile off in the distance I saw a bit of smoke starting to rise.  I figured it was some kind of fire, and I knew it would soon be out of control with these winds.  So naturally I rushed toward it to see what was going on (I was upwind at the time, and headed that way anyway).  About a minute later, it was huge.  An entire field (possibly a cemetary!) was on fire, and the smoke had filled the town like a dense fog.  I got these photos of the early stages before my camera died.

Field on fire - church steeple in background.  Fire had just started here.

Flames starting to nip at houses across the street.  Police evacuating people I think.  Chris! You're up, dude!

I eventually came into Clinton, Oklahoma, and decided to check out the Route 66 Museum:

My route puts this one to SHAME!

By the time I left the museum, it was around 5:30 or so, and I was tired of white knucle riding.  These were the strongest winds I'd ever ridden in (and possibly ever been in).  I'd believe it if they said 70 mph!  If I carried on, I'd have quite a lot of distance to the next town, which would be hours if riding at 40km/h.  I decided it would be foolish to press on, and just as foolish to try and camp tonight, so I looked for a motel.  Everything was expensive, so I checked into the Relax Inn ($28.95).  You get what you pay for.  I'm going to use my sleeping bag and sleep on top of the bed tonight... It really is grimey here...


I went to the chinese buffet across the street and ate about 3lbs of MSG, then came back to write my post.


I really liked Oklahoma - it was friendly, interesting, and nice.  But I'm getting sick of it.  Storms, wind, and not being able to ride half the time.  Being forced to get motels instead of camp....  Speaking of storms, the rain/hail storm I got stuck in yesterday turned into a tornado later in the day, and another tornado further south (not near me) turned fatal, and ruined a town.  There was also a tornado in the one town I passed through.  Glad to be out of that portion of Oklahoma!