Southern Tier Part 2

Southern Tier Part 2 - Day #11

April 23, 2022

Fredericksburg, TX to Vanderpool, TX 86 Miles

Start 7:45 AM Finish 6 PM

Ride Time 10:11

Ascent 4370 Feet

Descent 4425 Feet

Tour Total Miles 970

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/88035599

I slept well at the Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park in Fredericksburg. It was incredibly windy last night and my tent took forever to set up. I had to use my panniers as ballast to prevent it from blowing away. It was so windy that a full bottle of beer blew over at the picnic table while I was trying to edit yesterday’s report. I was afraid that my laptop would be damaged so I retired inside my tent. I didn’t want to go back outside so I didn’t brush my teeth or go to the bathroom. I was able to hold it until the sun came up this morning. There was a bathroom building nearby. All of the RV sites had been full last night and I didn’t register. I didn’t want to stand out, and had camped next to a motor vehicle and another tent. I‘m not sure if I snuck in or not. This morning I noticed another motor vehicle and tent in the grassy area. I took advantage of the bathroom to thoroughly brush and floss my teeth. I filled up my water bottles. It was still incredibly windy. Another camper acknowledged that last night was something.

I rode around the airport back to the route and took a left on Highway 2093 going west. I passed a roadkill raccoon. The wind was out of the south again today. In addition to the usual, I was wearing my sweater and leg warmers. I crossed Live Oak Creek and left the city limits. It was overcast. I passed a pecan orchard on the right. To the left was grazing land with scraggly shade trees. I noticed that I was at 1875’ in elevation. I passed a gorgeous modern house up on top of an outcrop. I took a left on Morris Tivydale Road and flipped my map panels. There were cow pastures to the side of the road. I saw a lot of tall deer fencing and wasn’t sure how they were able to migrate through the area. It felt claustrophobic trapped inside the tall fencing.

I rode into Morris Ranch, no population listed. The main building seemed like it was no longer being used. I passed handsome old buildings and farms on my way out of town. A lot of the land features reminded me of my recent tour in Mexico. I noticed barbwire fences with tree limb supports, along with scrubby trees and cactus. I came to an intersection and stayed on White Oak Road. I crossed over the Pedernales River.
It was 70° and heavy wind was forecast between 11 AM and 2 PM. Checking ahead I noticed that rain was forecast for Monday. I spotted a young deer running across a field. It was the first live deer I’d seen on this part of the tour. I saw a wild turkey fly up over a fence and over the road. It was one of the largest birds I’ve ever seen in flight.

I crossed a series of cattle guards and was riding through open range. There were cows on the road as well as llamas. I was riding south directly into the wind and could only go 5 to 6 miles an hour with full power. I was also climbing. I was now at over 2,000 feet elevation. I climbed a steep hill that at one point had a 13% grade. It was delightful countryside and I was on a small country lane with no traffic. The pavement was chip seal which improved when I crossed into Kerr county. There was a light mist. I went screaming 38 miles an hour down a hill, and then I took a left onto Harper Road, which was busy with motor traffic. I crossed over Town Creek and came to the junction of Interstate 10. I took a left on old Harper Road and then took a right onto Town Creek Road to avoid the traffic.

I entered Kerrville, population 22,347. It was 11:04 AM and I had gone 31 miles. I couldn’t find a locally owned restaurant and ended up at Whataburger, where I ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake. After lunch I meandered through town and stopped at Elm Creek Park to remove my leg warmers and sweater. I left town on Goat Creek Road. Some knucklehead kid screamed out of a passing motorist’s window and startled me. Somebody had yelled something yesterday but I didn’t understand it. For the most part though, Texas motorists have been courteous. I took a right on State Highway 27 towards Ingram. At the fork I continued straight on Highway 39 which had a nice bike lane. I crossed Johnson Creek and then passed the Ingram Warriors football stadium. Ingram has a population of 1804 and is located along the Guadalupe River. On my original itinerary Ingram had been my destination for today. I was still half a day ahead of the plan.

I crossed over the Guadalupe River and entered Hunt, no population listed. I noticed several motorcycles parked out in front of the Hunt store. I should have eaten there. I passed a pecan orchard and then half a mile of fence posts capped with boots on both sides of the road. I noticed a sign for Boot Hill. I passed a private resort and saw a soda machine, so I stopped for an ice-cold Coke. I kept following and criss-crossing the south fork of the Guadalupe River which became narrow and shallow. I was at an elevation of 2242 feet. At long last I came to the intersection with Highway 187 and took a left towards Vanderpool, my destinations for the day. It was 19 miles away and it was 4:43 PM. I would once again be riding south into the wind for the last segment.

Many groups of motorcycles passed me today and then a group of sports cars went by. Groups of people like to drive through Texas Hill Country. I kept climbing; 2270’, 2310’ and finally 2390’. It was windy up on the ridge. I crossed into Bandera county. Four miles from Lost Maples State Park a valley opened up to the left filled with forest. And then I saw the downhill sign. I went flying down into the beautiful valley. I rode up into the park but couldn’t find any available spots in the campground. It seemed like a lot of people hadn’t shown up for their reservations. I continued southwest against the wind, and started looking for stealth camping options along the river. There were fences and No Trespassing signs everywhere. At the intersection of Highway 187 I stopped at the Maples Country Store and RV park. I purchased two cans of Vodka Watermelon Cocktails along with a six pack of Dos Equis and a bag of Fritos. There was WiFi on the front porch and I loaded my stats and photos. The proprietor of the RV park got me signed in and I went next store to set up my tent.