14 June 2019
“It’s a location, not a vocation.”
Dalhart, TX to Hugoton, KS (654 km)
I was up at seven and went for a walk before breakfast. At ten, we gathered for our briefing. The target area was in southern Kansas, so we headed northeast, stopping in Hooker, Oklahoma for lunch.
Hooker, Oklahoma. Home of the Horny Toads High School Football team.
Yes. I got the t-shirt.
The chamber of commerce was also a gift shop. We stopped at Mr. Burger for a pretty good lunch, and when I went out for a walk, I found it across the street. Apparently, they like to say that Hooker, OK is a location, not a vocation.
I got the t-shirt and told the elderly clerk that I’d be back with a dozen of my friends. I imagine she could have closed up after we were done.
By two, we were back on the road heading north trying to decide which storm looked the best. We followed this one near Scott City for a bit.
But it the cap was too strong and it fizzled.
So, we turned around at Lakin and went west and south, looking at a storm that was splitting. We headed for the right split as it crossed into Kansas.
We made several stops and stayed until we got chased away by the rain.
We ping ponged around Johnson City and Richfield area, looking for good vantage points. At one stop, we saw a funnel cloud high in the cloud.
And not far away, the structure was amazing.
We only got a few minutes before the rain came, but it was absolutely gorgeous. I took some pics of the cloud art.
The system also produced some lightning.
The rain chased us away again and headed back towards Richfield a half hour before sunset. With a clear sky just above the horizon, we knew exactly what we were going to get.
A double rainbow to boot.
And it had the best display of crawlers I’d ever seen but I didn’t catch any.
This was the last day for mini-tour A and they were thrilled with the storm. We headed to Hugoton to stay at the Best Western Plus.
Swanky!
Go to Day Six
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See also: Bill Reid’s entry on 14 June