For my first loaded tour, I made the foolish choice of riding south west out of Chicago in mid March. It was the only time I had, and I don't regret it cause almost nothing since has ever compared to how horrible it was. Wind, rain, sleet and some snow. A few of the highlights are as follows.

There was one day where I was riding into a cross wind, and it ripped my map case off the bar bag. I laid the bike over and sloshed into a flooded field to get it, and when I got back to the bike the wind was spinning the front tire so fast that the bike computer was reading over 60 mph(not that the wind was that fast, but it felt like it). While I was there trying to save my soaking paper maps a state trooper stopped and suggested that it might not be safe to ride near traffic in those winds.

At one point somewhere in Illinois as I struggled along at about 9 mph a pickup truck passed me and pulled over. Bracing for the worst kind of redneck experience, I was surprised when the guy got out and told me that he was part of a group that had cancelled a ride because of the winds that were gusting to 45 mph that day. He wanted to know if I needed a ride.

Outside of Geneseo IL riding on a canal path, it started to sleet in about a 25 mph headwind. Had to stop and clean my glasses every few minutes as they kept freezing over. Holed up for two days at a campground cabin there till the storm stopped.

Had a couple of days respite from headwinds along the Katy trail, till almost to Clinton. On the Horizon was a line of black visibly moving toward me, and it was dead calm, almost dark. I was actually within sight of the overpass at the west end of the trail, about a mile and a half, and tried to beat the storm. Failed hard, a sudden wall of wind hit me, knocked me and the bike back onto the ground. Pushing the bike, I left the trail and crossed the road in a pitch black storm, aiming at a parking lot and building I could just see in all the lighting strikes. When I crossed into the lee of the building out of the wind I fell over again from leaning into the wind so far, just as the electricity in the area went out. Spent the next few hours huddled against the building in the dark, which happened to be a funeral home...

The next day from Clinton Mo to Boliver Mo was the worst. 35 to 40 mph winds on rolling hills. Reaching Boliver I got a motel room, and then rode back to a walmart for a gallon of water. The only tailwind on the entire trip, and the computer read 30 mph, still not going as fast as the wind.

That day was it, after two weeks averaging 40 miles a day, I bailed. It was only 150 miles to my home, but I had had enough.
The next year I drove up to Chicago at the same time of year, and it was beautiful, no winds, sunshine and early flowers.

Amazingly, I enjoyed the trip, and wish I could do it again, this time with the extra years experience touring, and the better gear I have now.