ROADTRIP: RYKER - 2019 Texas Hammock Hangers - Day 1

Описание: It's Friday, November 8, 2019, and I'm headed out to Fairfield, TX for the Texas Hammock Hangers 2019 Fall Hang. Skip to the end of this description for clickable time indexes.

I'm late getting on the road for my camping trip... as usual. The weather today in Houston is rather dreary and wet, but the forecast in Fairfield is supposed to be clear and cold. I had hoped to spend 4 days at this event (Thursday through Sunday), but a prior work engagement forced me to return late Saturday evening.

My trip up to Fairfield, TX was rainy, windy, and cold. The Ryker turned in its worst fuel economy ever during this trip... down as low as 25.4 MPG... what's up with that? Maybe a weak fuel blend? I ran Super/Premium on this trip, so I'll have to compare my figures with other trips to see if there is any correlation in fuel type. Otherwise, the ride out was uneventful and I arrived at the park with enough time to set up camp before dark.

I couldn't figure out if the Texas Hammock Hangers group had an official check-in or any potluck dinner plans, so I lone-wolfed it for dinner. I left the park around 6:15pm (as dark as midnight, though), and I headed to Sam's Original Diner in Fairfield for a massive Chicken Fried Chicken platter. The diner was very clean and organized, and the food was very good... I'll visit there again sometime.

I headed back to the campsite around 9:00pm and the ride back was COLD! I was very ready to jump into my hammock and warm up from the freeze-dry ride back to camp. The temperatures dropped to 30°F overnight, but my Sierra Madre Ninox hammock and Inferno quilt set kept me very comfortable and toasty (almost too warm). I didn't have any problems with condensation or other typical cold-weather camping issues.

I will show you around camp and give you a closer look at the gear in the next installment!

Time indexes:
0:00 : It's cold and wet, but I'm hitting the road anyway!
1:30 : Let's get rolling, it's a 2.5-hour ride up to Fairfield, TX... but I need fuel first
4:05 : Fueled up and on the road
5:10 : Checking in near College Station... it's still rainy, windy, and even colder!
6:09 : Resuming from the park road, 1 mile out from the park entrance... beautiful scenery and the trees are showing their fall colors
7:53 : Checked into the park and headed to the campsites... I left this section long so you can enjoy the ride through the park during this beautiful fall foliage! 😊👍
13:56 : Arriving at the Cook's Ferry campground area
16:10 : Arriving at my site (#62) to survey the area and begin camp setup
18:12 : Quick picture of the full camp setup for tonight
18:18 : Heading out for dinner at midnight? No, it's only 6:15pm!
20:16 : Demonstration of how overly-bright the instrument cluster is at nighttime
22:05 : Coyotes in the campgrounds?
24:17 : LED headlight discussion, and a near-miss with a deer... oh, dear!
25:26 : Safe riding at night on rural highways and park roads... go SLOW and keep your eyes peeled for fur or green/yellow reflections (animal eyes)!
26:28 : Shout out to @fattywithafirearm ... this looks like a great location for our camp & ride meet-up in 2020!
28:35 : Arriving at Sam's Original Diner in Fairfield
31:55 : Fairfield is a nice little town, and I'm definitely the oddball attraction tonight! 🤣
33:40 : Missing my turn because I'm not paying attention and a near-miss with an opossum
35:00 : My camping equipment for tonight, the SMR Ninox and Inferno system
37:17 : Finally realizing that I missed my turn... what a doofus...
38:40 : Fuel economy discussion... this trip is the worst that I've seen on the Ryker at ~26 mpg
39:49 : Back on track again, and I'm ready to warm up in the hammock!
41:57 : Arriving back at the park, having fun on the twisty road in the dark and ready to STOMP the brakes if something runs out in front of me again
44:33 : Oh dear... more deer!
45:46 : Looking for my lanterns and arriving back at the campsite.
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QM
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