Spring Fling 2001
Gary Cannon, Dannie Lamb and I (Moni Neville) rode [from Oklahoma City] to the Spring Fling 2001 [Lake Murray]. I ended up with a total mileage of 334.5. Gary, Dannie and I all rode different miles to the start, and different mileages on Saturday and Sunday.
This is the first time I did not take off from home. I let Jerry take me to 63rd and Sooner to meet Dannie. From there we rode to the intersection of I-40 and Sooner to meet up with Gary. Suzanne brought him, and we helped him get the bike and trailer unloaded and hooked up. Gary was using Mikes BOB trailer, but it had no flag, just an empty flagpole. I kept my eye on the lookout for a substitute for a flag, and found one before getting to Norman. Mike has a red "Norman Door and Plywood" flag nowJ Once again we lunched at the Broken Spoke in Lexington, and kept heading south on highway 77 till Paoli. Here we turned east, to end up heading in to the campground from the northeast. We really wanted to just ride till about even with the lake, but our maps told us the road there was not paved all the way. So, we ended up with a "glorious" set of rolling hills for about 9 miles. My low speed for today is 3.8 miles.
Paul’s Valley did not roll out the red carpet this year, as we were not announced. In fact, we got cold showers. But at Lake Murray they were nice and warm.
Coming back from the loo, I hear a crow, and then Dannie! Seems like he was not ready for the "alarm" yet. However, we all get started in breaking camp, and head out by about 8:00 AM. Today we ride another new route and look for a breakfast place in Wynnewood. Here we get directions from a lady in a van, who turns out to be the owner of the local paper. She heads back to get a camera and plans to meet up with us. Breakfast ends up at Sonic, and the lady named Larry interviews us here, and takes our picture. We stop again to eat in Davis. Leaving Davis I realize I have eaten 3 times already (I eat a breakfast before we ride to breakfast) and we have not even ridden 25 miles! But now comes the uphill of the Arbuckle Mountains. Slow going, and a well deserved break in Springer before continuing to Ardmore.
Gary rides to the lodge to meet Suzanne, and we ride to Tipps Point. We get in at 4:00 PM. Penny Speck, Jim and Joanna Gregg, Jana and Cindy and Legs and Laurie Allshouse are already there, when we arrive. I can't interest anyone in going for a swim, so we set up camp and shower instead. Legs and Laurie take us with them to Ardmore, to eat at Ryan’s. Afterwards I buy supplies for Saturday’s potluck dinner, this way I did not have to haul it on my bike.
Upon returning, we find Diana and Johnny, Denise, Randy and Tony Ward. David Hunt drives up with his daughter Courtney. Suzanne drops off Esther and my bigger tent. We set it up in the semi dark, and I get Esther a ride to Ardmore for dinner with David and Courtney.
While Esther is in town with David and Courtney to eat, Larry and Kathy arrive looking for Dannie, but he is already tangled up in his tights in his tent.
Looks like Legs beat Esther and me in getting up early. Slowly more bodies emerge from the tents and travel trailers. As we gather, Andy and Joe drive up to be followed by Cae and Justin Gass, Tod and Susan and John Wente.
David and Courtney leave in their CAR!, but just for breakfast. They ride around on their own, as they have not ridden too much lately.
As soon as the Cannons arrive, the group makes a circle and the directions and maps are passed out. What a nice day for a bike ride! The ride takes us to the Gene Autry Museum and the Ardmore Airpark diner. After lunch I decide to ride slower, and ride with Cae and Gary. Cae Gass does her LONGEST ride ever 43.42 miles, and gets back just fine, without walking any hills!
After the ride, I once again want to go swimming, and this time I am in luck, and Justin and Andy go too. Nice way to cool off.
There sure is a BIG group for the potluck, and afterwards we celebrate Justin's [14th] birthday.
This time, it looks like Esther and I made the first loo run, and never make it back to sleep. We end up watching the sun come up instead. Today we leave camp at 8:00 AM to meet Gary and Suzanne at the lodge on our way to Marietta. Unfortunately their tandem’s chain breaks within a short distance, but at least Gary has his other bike following in his pickup driven by Cae. At the restaurant we are joined by Fenton (he is on his way to Dallas), before returning the same way we came.
Penny and Diane join me in the lake today, before everyone starts leaving, and after I get my stuff out of my big tent Esther helps me break it down. She collapses her Thermarest and I stuff it in the waterproof bag. It sure seems fuller this time. However, Esther assures me she only has her sleeping bag in it.
Soon all are gone, and Dannie and I decide to move camp to the "tent" area. While packing my stuff in my panniers I realize why Esther’s bag was so full. She has my sleeping bag! LOL... what a gas. Now what??? Thank goodness Denise and Randy are only gone for a motorcycle ride. When they return, I borrow a couple of sheets from Denise.
The crow alarm goes off at 6:15 AM today. No one ever came to collect money for camping, and we leave by 7:40 AM. Today’s find is a pair of needle nose pliers. Breakfast is at Braums :) By 9:00 AM we are coasting out of Ardmore at about 15 mph. Yeehaw, what a tailwind! Another find... a tag. It gets hooked to Dannie's trailer. T55 470, commercial truck!
At the bottom of the Arbuckle Mountains I find a souvenir shop, and buy a post card and a wire recumbent for Jerry. Later we dawdle a bit in Davis, and visit the museum before lunching on Pizza. Here I try the trick Gary told me about and siphon cold water from my glass in to my Camelback. Gary, it works! In Wynnewood we visit with Larry, and then Dannie takes a nap in the park while I read my book. On the back roads to the Paul’s Valley lake, we have another nice break while Dannie fixes a flat on his front wheel. The showers are still cold. Tonight's dinner is spaghetti. We listen to the radio to find out about rain chances, as it is very cloudy. Then we turn in early to escape the gnats. Late in the night I hear voices, and finally decide to investigate. I take out my earplugs and realize, I hear a radio. Ha ha ha... this is funny... we must have pushed the button for the alarm, which is by default midnight!
Once again, Dannie was awakened by a crow, and we leave very early today. We are heading straight west, on the road our maps told us, this is NOT paved. WRONG! Paved all the way. Guess we did not need to do those 9 miles of rolling hills on Thursday.
In Purcell we stop at the courthouse, and find the nicest rest room facilities yet. The wind is really strong today, and we get all the way to Noble before lunch time, but eat there anyway, 10:50 AM. Today I down the most YooHoos, I drink a total of 3, at 3 different locations. Dannie turns off at 63rd, and I head west on Wilshire. I am home by 2:30 PM.
Next year, maybe someone wants to try and do the tailwind with us?
Moni
Oklahoma Bicycle Society:
Spring Fling 2001
created by John Wente
last modified:
February 18, 2007
URL: http://www.OklahomaBicycleSociety.com