Ride #36, 384 miles...dubbed The Great Texas Butterfly Massacre of 2024.
Been hot all week, 100F hot. We had a little rain yesterday evening. The guessers were saying a high of 92F for today. I can handle that. I had my sights on another ride around the Three Brothers Loop. The guessers were saying high of 102F in Brackettville, but late in the afternoon. I calculated that if I could get down there by noon, I would be alright.
I got up early and made myself a big breakfast taco and hit the road at 7:30. My first stop was west of Mountain Home at the little country store to visit the chickens and have a little coffee. Looks like they got a couple of new fellows to help out with the greetings. Second stop was at the Three Sisters Memorial tree again. Always gotta stop for a pic when I'm riding past it.
I made it to Rocksprings, tanked up, snapped a pic of the courthouse and took off on the Three Brothers Loop but this time in the opposite direction. Everything was cool. I had the road to myself, until a few miles just south of the Kickapoo State Park. The butterflies came out of nowhere by the thousands. I had to ride most of the last 25 miles to Brackettville with my left hand in front of my helmet, just peeking over the tops of my fingers to see the rode. The splats were coming fast and hard. I pulled over to clean my goggles a few miles north of Brackettville and noticed what looked like an entrance to some place across the road. I rode the bike over there and it was the old entrance to the Alamo Village, where the John Wayne movie was filmed. I mentioned it in my post on 7/7. The old movie set had been kept intact and was a tourist attraction. It closed in 2010...I think. I could barely make out a few letters left on the sign. Google Maps shows it from 2013 and it was still readable. I was keeping an eye out for it on my way down, but just happened to stumble onto it. Snapped a few pics and made it to Brackettville. I tanked up again and got some peanuts and beef jerky. Had a few pieces of jerky and some water and saved the rest for later. I left there as it was getting hot and I wanted to get away from the butterflies.
I kept getting slammed with butterflies riding on 334. I got stopped at a temporary Border Patrol stop. The officer could tell I wasn't an illegal. He just asked me where I was going and said it looked like a nice day for a ride. I said the butterflies were horrible and he agreed. They kept coming and didn't stop until about five miles south of Campwood. That's where the Three Brothers and Three Sisters overlap. Saw a lot of bikes, but they weren't in any danger of butterflies as long as they weren't riding south.
I continued up to Rocksprings, where I started the brothers loop. I tanked up again and headed to Junction. Stopped at the river park where I had my beef jerky and peanuts, along with an apple I brought with me. Lots of flies. Ate quickly and left. Tanked up one last time in Harper and made it home. It was a great ride except for the butterflies. I suspect they'll be getting closer by the day. I'll just have to wait it out. Seems a little early this year. They were bad in '22, but it was late September.
Kevin, the brisket looks great. I have one in the fridge. I'm firing up the smoker early on Monday morning, before I wash the Scout.
