Subject: Re: Thanks, Dave!
From: Mr. Bill
Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 10:52:15 -0400

Major thanks and kudos to Oompah Dave (and any/all of his behind-the-scenes
aids, such as Ian) for a great RCR.  Super location with great roads
everywhere you turn.  Places like that really make me long for a good DP
bike (and confirm that The Duchess is NOT!).

Chrispy writes:
>> I had some difficulty getting out of there--I blew off trying until the
>> afternoon when I heard word that Minden was flooded


So was Mullins, ~30 miles to the southwest.  8" of rain in 4 hours.
Rainfall totals can vary widely over that distance, particularly between
mountain ridges, but you get the idea...
http://www.msnbc.com/news/597885.asp?pne=msn&cp1=1

I'm sure Oompah Dave, snug and warm going home in his 4wd Subaru while
listening to his favorite CDs, was probably thinking, "Those poor
suckers..."

>> (in fact, the lower parking lot at the dining hall was knee-deep
>> in water when I walked up the hill after breakfast.


When Dave, Mike and I left at ~8:30, there were quite a few rivers we had to
ford on our way out of camp.  One of them was lapping about halfway up the
Duchess' cylinders!  Our plan was to do a Foul Weather Interstate Blast
home, going down 19 to pick up 64 at Beckley, east to 81, a little cross
country to 70 into/around Baltimore and up 95 to our respective domiciles.
We were amazed to find that, even with all the Federal highway money WV
gets, they still wanted a quarter for us to get onto 64!  Once off the camp
roads the rest were fine, with only one smallish river flowing across 64 at
one point (with us going 65mph =8^o ).

The rains stopped shortly into VA, and after an early lunch at White's Truck
Stop on 81 the sun was out among the clouds.  Near Luray we got off the slab
to do some backroading.  I was stopped by one of VA's finest on 211 a few
miles east of Skyline Drive on a citizens complaint of passing on a double
yellow.  But once numbnuts in the Volvo was told HE would have to swear out
the complaint and HE would have to testify against me in court, suddenly it
wasn't such a big deal anymore.  Thanks for wasting everybody's time.


The backroads ride I led was pretty good otherwise, tho' there was a bit
more traffic than I usually see on many of the roads and I was now limiting
myself to passes in *well-marked* passing zones.   At a light in
Westminster Dave asks me, "Is the side of your tire supposed to be oily like
that?"  Umm... no...  A quick stop and inspection determined that I'd
somehow gotten some water inside my rear gear housing, which was now blowing
spooge out the breather at the top.  It probably got in while fording one of
the rivers, but how?  Any old R-heads out there have any ideas?  Luckily I
was only ~25 miles from home at that point so just nursed it the last bit of
the way.


>> Who was KotH?


I dunno, but it wasn't me...

Oompah Dave and helpers, thanks again for a really super RCR.  And thanks to
everybody who came out for the event.  It's the people as much as the roads
that make the RCR so much fun.

Mr. Bill