Day 3 - Lake View to Webster City

We were up at 5:00 am. 3 riders left at 400 am to make the most distance before the heat zaps everyone. Everyone else left about an hour later but all were out before dawn. Camp was then packed up and I headed out.

It has taken me 3 days but I have realized that if you are with a group you have special privileges. Prime camp spots, etc. My displeasure regarding that will be posted on my evaluation to the committee.

The camp spot was at the Hamilton County fair grounds. It feels like the surface of the sun at our campsite. I got all the tents plotted out. Some of them put up and away I went to the shower.

The day before I started to get a heat rash (or so I thought). The lower part of my leg was red and very itchy so I smothered it in Gold Bond powder and it calmed the itch a bit. As soon as I got out of the shower I knew something was not okay. I had wifi on my iPad so looked up heat rash on WebMD. Nope didn't look anything like it. Uh oh!

The Hamilton County Expo was going on and I walked to the First Aid booth. The EMT looked at it and said I needed to go to the emergency room and asked if unwanted to go by ambulance. I respectfully declined and drove myself there.

We are beginning almost the hottest day of the trip. The ER folks were very pleasant but wanted to make sure that I am in and out of there to make room for the bikers with heat exhaustion.

Doc comes in right away and takes a look at my lower legs, asks all the important medical history questions (meds, surgeries, illnesses,etc). He then realizes I am on RAGBRAI and asks where I have been camping. I told him about our terrible experience in the "pasture" at the school in LAKE VIEW. He quickly realizes it is a reaction to the grass we were in and orders a shot (not the alcohol kind) and a dose of prednisone over the next 5 days. Well I instantly felt better. Not just because of the meds but also because it was 60 degrees in the ER and they fed me. Back to camp I went grossing everybody out that saw my leg and of course offered advise regarding my "sunburn".

The evening was miserable. The campsite was so hot. The fairgrounds had an A/C beer garden that saved us. That was very likely the hottest day.

Can't wait for tomorrow. It has to be better