Chapter 2, 3 and 4 Summary

Traveling through the Central Plains into the Great Plains, the Narrator notices gathering storm clouds. This prompts a digression in which the Narrator tells about a trip with Chris to Canada during a warm front that resulted in a heavy rainstorm. They got soaked as the narrator forgot to dig a trench around the tent. They had cycle problems on that trip, and the Narrator illustrated the poor level of motorcycle-maintenance capability that he had at that time by relating that he aborted the trip, because he mistook being out of gas for a serious problem. He uses this story as a warning against making foolish, quick assumptions. Coming back to current trip time, the narrator shares that John informs him that they had missed a turn. They decide to continue on and to adjust their route accordingly. The Narrator notices...