The 20th DAM J.A.M.

Pryor, Oklahoma, 10 September 2011



The best ride in the world starts at Whitaker Park in Pryor, Oklahoma on the first Saturday after Labor Day.


We were lucky this year to park right in front of the park.
Here's our little red truck and the RANS Screamer recumbent tandem.


The mass start at 8:00 A.M. There were hundreds of participants.


Police were everywhere.


Everyone is really friendly and people come from all the surrounding states for this ride.


Thanks to Donna Meier at donnameierphoto.com for this picture. That's us on the right grinning with our recumbent tandem.


Heading out through Pryor city streets. There were lots of police this year to keep the pesky cars under control.


They even helped us avoid crashes on the gravel.




This year we made the critical choice to take the 50-mile route. You have to decide early in the ride how far you will go.
If you go more than 30 miles, you get to cross over to the east side of the lakes where it's really hilly and beautiful.


The Dam J.A.M. has the best rest stops of any ride in the world. Local people come out
to support riders with food and drink about every ten miles. There are even potties.




Sometimes little kids ride the shortest route.


The road is marked with directions according to the distance you want to ride.


Here's another Donna Meier shot of us leaving the first rest stop.


Sometimes you're out on the highway. Here we're fixin' to cross Lake Hudson to Salina.


Most of the time it's country roads. The 50-mile ride goes through beautiful hills on the east side of the lakes.




Climbing toward Wickliffe.






This rest stop at Wickliffe had great home-made cupcakes and cookies.






This was one of the best parts, an easy downhill from Wickliffe to Pump Back.


The swine Tulsa Chain Gang passed us at the crest of this hill, almost crowded us off the road, filled the whole road
so we couldn't pass like they thought they were the Tour de France, and made us ride the brake all the way down.


Here we are starting the killer hill at Pump Back. It's where they pump the water from Lake Hudson up to Chimney Rock Lake.


This is where the guy with no thyroid and the other guy with the pacemaker passed us.


They just kept passing us.


On each side of the road was a clear, pretty stream.


We had to walk the last half.


The Screamer is really heavy.


Lucky for us, at the top of the hill was the 4077th M*A*S*H rest stop.




It didn't take long to catch the rude Tulsa Chain Gang.


The M*A*S*H guys.


Here's Donna Meier, the famous photographer, and the M*A*S*H nurse.


This was the coolest rest stop.


Off we go across the dam at Chimney Rock Lake. They pump the water up here during the night,
and let it run down through the generators during the day to level the electric power load.


This guy said he wasn't catching anything. They always say that. Once across
the dam we had a screaming good long downhill to make up for the killer hill.


This is the bridge across the arm of Hudson Lake at Pump Back.


Coming into Salina again from the south side.


Salina has a cool playground jet.


Crossing back over Lake Hudson going west again.




Another friendly rest stop on the west side of Lake Hudson.


Back at the park after 57 miles.


It feels good to wash the old face and hands and rest a bit.


Loading up the bike.


We bought the truck because it's a perfect fit for the Screamer.


After a good bike ride the best place to recharge is at the
Dutch Pantry in Chouteau with all-you-can-eat Amish home cooking.


DAM J.A.M. Bicycle Tour
Visit the real DAM J.A.M. website

2012 DAM J.A.M