Just when it seemed like the rain had stopped...
Trip number 2 started off wet. VERY wet! In fact, this trip took a minor delay on the way to the park, Mark Twain Lake State Park, due to a particularly heavy downpour with very stiff winds. It was the kind of storm that brought flash flooding to the mostly flat farm fields in the area. Carrying the kayak for the first time on the explorer trailer through all of this made it quite a challenge as it wanted to act as both a swimming pool and a wind sail.
As everyone on the highway was experiencing the same issues with visibility a vehicle control, it was an easy decision to pull off the road and on to the shoulder until there was a break in the storms. After a few minutes, it became apparent on radar that these storms were all about popping up, hanging over one area, and dropping everything they had on whatever or whoever was below! Me included... Seeing there wasn't going to be a break soon, I decided to press on carefully. It was quite a sight seeing all the farm fields filling with water as well as traveling through several flooded intersections.
View out the driver side window; lost the horizon in the downpour!
View of the Explorer trailer and kayak as I sit on the side of the road due to the downburst above!
Arriving at camp at last, it was completely dry! What a relief after driving through the many downpours along the way heading to camp. With the Explorer trailer holding my gear and this being the first time taking it through rough weather, it proved invaluable at keeping my gear dry! My kayak on the other hand, was a swimming pool...
Kicking back, setting up camp, it was time for the fun holiday weekend to begin! Like last year's trip, I would head out to do a little kayaking but, because of the high water due to months of frequent rain and a winter filled with snow, the lake was much more deserted than it was one year prior. There were very few boat ramps open but not necessarily needing a ramp, I was free to put in the water anywhere I pleased! Always my favorite part of kayaking! With the water being so high, that left me with plenty more to explore as well!
To cap the holiday weekend, it was more than appropriate to catch the fireworks display over the Clarence Cannon Dam and Mark Twain lake! Nothing quite like celebrating America's birthday with camping and fireworks!
On the return trip, I did something I don't usually do... I forgot gear! I somehow managed to leave my cast iron skillet and grill back at camp. Realizing this just after stopping for lunch, I turned around and headed back to camp to reclaim my gear. This added several hours on to the trip which was not what I wanted but I never like to leave gear behind and, to be honest, I thought I was not that far from camp... Whoops. Regardless, the trip is done and I have all my gear accounted for once more!
Span of 3 days; Approximately 9 hours and 52 minutes of cumulative driving; Approximately 431.6 miles; Approximately 32.96 gallons of gas used; Approximate average MPG 13.09; Approximately $81.26 spent on gas; Average fuel consumption rate 3.340 gallons per hour.
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