Discretion may be the better part of valor, as two full days of riding starts to catch up with me.
I don’t even remember when I fell asleep or what I dreamed about. It was that kind of deep slumber that hits when you’re fully satisfied. Sometimes I think my inflatable sleeping pad, mummy bag, and little air pillow, creates the best bed in the world. I’ve had many memorable and unmemorable (a deep sleep) nights using this sleep system.
The sun is slowly rising, camp is quiet, and yet I can hear the faint rustling of chain lube being applied, breakfast bars being eaten, and zippers zipping of tents and motorcycle gear alike. The sun isn’t up, but morning twilight crests the horizon.
I woke up, made my coffee, and surveyed our luxurious digs.
My fellow riders begin to wake up, and then I start to hear war stories from the day prior. Allen, my camp compatriot, had a bad off and did a number on his ankle. He had a fairly bad, but not awful, crash and had the local doctor visit our camp just to check in on him. Discretion being the better part of valor, he decided to pack up this morning and head home to recover.
A few other riders had ridden the day prior, and reported other bikes having various offs and crashes. Riding off road in unfamiliar terrain can be risky business, and I started to contemplate how I would get home if I had a crash that damaged the bike, or worse damaged myself.
Many others were starting the Desert 200, an informal 200 mile route that would take all day and lead them around some of the best parts of the area. I definitely was not participating, and my body was starting to feel the previous two days of riding. Not looking forward to doing another 8+ hour day on Saturday to get back to Austin, the thought entered my mind of exploring this morning, then heading back and camping halfway to Austin. Breaking up the ride but still seeing more of the area seemed like the best of both worlds!
I starting to break my camp, and said farewell to the others starting their rides of the day. A huge thanks again to Peter for letting me camp at his property, and explaining the local routes and interesting ways to get home. Once again, great people bending over backwards for me, thank you.
I made a reservation at Garner State Park, loaded the bike up, and decided I would head south out of Study Butte and ride through Big Bend National Park.
Compared to the cold rainy ride two days prior, rolling through Big Bend NP in cool weather with full sun at 30mph (park speed limits) was fantastic. The large vistas encourage you to slow down and just take it all in.
The park was beautiful, and the best surprise was that hints of spring were already making themselves apparent. Big Bend starts things early, teasing what Austin is going to be up to in a few weeks.
I left Big Ben NP to the north, hit Marathon, and headed east back on Highway 90 towards the hill country. This time, with no headwind, no freezing rain, and an abundance of clear roads, the ride was glorious. Sweeping curves, great music in my helmet, and a lack of traffic.
The best part of not being on a tight schedule, is that a little bit of shade turns into a wonderful lunch spot at your command.
I zoned out enjoying my food, and realized how truly quiet it was. A car or two would pass every 5 minutes if that. I took a short walk and was thankful how reliable the V-strom was, as people were making themselves sparse in this part of the state.
The rest of my ride was comfortably paced and uneventful. I made it through Uvalde, then up and into Garner State Park. The campground was full of laughter, families, and a good amount of other motorcycles. The weather was perfect, and I quickly set up camp and put my feet up.
First time using my extra extra long spoon (12″) with spatula rubber on all the edges. It makes it easy to cook in my old-school Jetboil and get every last bit out.
I finished a wonderful dinner, complete with nachos, package guacamole, and a flask of Tequila. A buzzed, full stomach at Garner as the sun sets is peak living, change my mind. I walked camp as the sun set, took in the views, and enjoy a longer than usual piping hot shower. Some bemoan the costs of state park camping versus boondocking, but hot water is a luxury I can always afford. I crawled into my bag around 8:45pm, put in my ear plugs, fell into another deep, comfortable sleep.