Chan's Most Excellent Western Motorcycle Trip
This was my first long-distance motorcycle trip, my first journal, and my first attempt at web publishing. It shows. It's rough, but it gets the point across. Enjoy!
September 19
Left town
about 10:30 am...already very hot and humid.
Ran up 79 towards Chipley. On
the way I noticed that one of my highway pegs was out of alignment...i had
dropped the bike in the garage last week (didn't have the kickstand down) and it
had shifted, but I had not noticed it.
Pulled over in the shade at Ebro Greyhound Park, but the Allen screws on
the pegs are standard, all I have are metric.
Considered going back home, but thought that David Corbin would have
some Allen wrenches at his pawnshop in Chipley. Stopped off there and chatted for a while, David told me about a
600 Shadow that he had just bought, fixed the peg, and was on my way. Headed up to Campbellton. Topping a blind hill, a light company truck
headed my way was just nosing into my lane for a left hand turn. I got on the brakes hard (not much room),
and was stopping fast enough...but as the truck turned, I saw that he was
towing a trailer with a light pole on it.
The whole rig was probably 70 feet long! Thankfully he continued with the turn instead of stopping when he
saw me. I braked as hard as I
dared. The pole was hanging off the
trailer about 10 feet...the end of it was just crossing the center yellow line
as I got there. There was another truck
behind him in the opposing lane, so I could not swerve out there, but I let up
on the brakes and ducked in between the end of the pole and the front end of
the other truck right on the yellow line.
Thoughts...not sure if I braked up to the limits...should practice hard braking...and
I was probably running 65 or 70 when I topped the hill...should have been
slower.
Rest of the
trip to Savannah was uneventful...ran up thru Albany, Cordele, then 280 to
I16. Got a little rain at the Tattnall
county line. Outdoor thermometers
showed between 89 and 95 all day. Only
stopped once for a snack, in a church parking lot in Albany for some
peanuts. Total miles 392, max speed
shows 74.5 but i know i ran 80 for a while...not sure why.
September 22
Spent the last
few days in Savannah...yesterday was Dad's 70’th birthday. Left Savannah at 6am local, 5 am CST this
morning. Started in the Joe Rocket
summer gear, stayed chilly most of the way that I had it on. Sun came up as I crossed I95, and the
weather was clear and sunny to Macon.
Things got overcast beyond that, so I changed into the FirstGear
winter/rain jacket, and left the summer pants on. Traffic was light, so I decided to go into Atlanta instead of
taking the loop. Worked out well, but
it did start to sprinkle on me in town and started raining in earnest as I left
town. Stopped about 30 minutes outside
of Atlanta for my first meal of the day...I rode 300 miles before breakfast! Stopped a Crackerbarrel for biscuits and
gravy...got a few strange looks as I laid my dripping jacket and helmet on the
table. In Birmingham took Hwy 78 to
Memphis...a really pretty ride...mostly 4 lane, 65 mph limit, and hilly. Saw a lot of bikes; there must have been
some kind of event in the area. As I
left Birmingham it started to clear, and soon I had to switch back to the
summer jacket. It also got windy,
gusting out of the north. Stayed that
way the rest of the day. Made really
good time all the way to Memphis, where construction held me up about 1/2
hour. As I got on I40 I was running
straight into the afternoon sun, so I put my shades on under my tinted visor,
and that worked fine. Finally stopped
after 12 hours on the road at Forest City, Arkansas. Took a clean room at a mom and pop for $35, and had dinner at a
Chinese buffet. Stats for the day: 695.9 miles traveled, moving average 68.5
mph, moving time 10:09, max speed 93.6.
September 23
Up at 5:30,
out by about 6:15. The hotel had a
"continental breakfast"...oh, yeah.
Mini doughnuts and coffee. I
had 4 of the mini doughnuts and a cup of coffee. Temp was 58 when I started.
In the FirstGear outfit and have the polartek liner in. Shed off as the day progressed, and ended up
in the summer jacket...just couldn’t cool the other one off enough as the temps
got into the high 70's. On I40 all
day. Lots of construction in Arkansas,
and what isn't under construction needs to be...the pavement is pretty beat up. Pretty wooded hillsides in Arkansas and the
first of Oklahoma, giving way to dryer flatlands and rolling hills. Very light traffic the whole way, windy, but
not blustery. Just outside of Amarillo
a guy on a Boss Hoss fell into formation with me for about 30 miles. I really don't like it when people do
that. Got a room at Red Roof Inn in
Amarillo, went to check my email at the library but the computers were booked
up till closing. Had dinner and 2
drinks at a Mexican place right down from the hotel. There is a guy here on a
BMW 1150gs, but he does not seem too friendly.
Stats: 681
miles, 9:38 moving time, 60.9mph average
September 24
The best
ride so far.
Had a 5am
wake up call. Woke up at 3:30, couldn't go back to sleep, got up at 4, took a
shower, messed around, hit the road at 5:30...sunrise at 7:30...I had 130 miles
on before I could lower my tinted visor.
Took 287 to Dumas, just me and the truckers, then 87 out of Dumas into
New Mexico. Even the back roads in
Texas have 70 mph speed limits, so I made good time, even thought the troopers
were out in strength. As the sky
lightened, I could see the silhouettes of oil wells in the fields...they looked
like some kind of strange dinosaurs.
Skies were partly cloudy and I had a beautiful dawn. Right after I passed into New Mexico, I saw
my first antelope...then my second...then my third...then the first
dozen...sometimes they were as thick as cows (later I saw a bunch grazing on a
golf course). Then the wind picked
up. Heavy crosswinds, probably 30 mph,
for about 40 miles. I stopped to have
breakfast at about 200 miles, even the gas pumps were rattling in the
wind. Shortly after I left the diner,
the wind died down, and I crossed a ridge and got my first view of the
Rockies. Got on I25 at Raton, NM, and
within the first mile saw a large black bear dead by the roadside. Colorado (and Wyoming) have 75 mph
interstate speeds...I love the west!
Saw sailplanes and stunt flyers around Colorado Springs. Denver had lots of construction and was
HOT...I wanted to pull over and vent out the jacket but traffic was too
heavy. Pushed on to Cheyenne and took
80 west...started to climb right off the bat, and started to get colder. Windy again, too. Stopped for gas in Laramie and ran the last, and hardest, 100
miles so far. The crosswinds were
killing me. The wind was so bad that I
hit reserve at 87 miles...I usually get 120 to135! Took a hotel at Rawlins, found the library to check my email,
bought a bottle of scotch, and had a rib eye dinner. Stats: mileage 681.9, moving time 10.08, moving average 67.2, max
speed 88.8.
September 25
Since I did
not have so far to go, I decided to sleep in.
Woke up at...you guessed it, 3:30 am.
Why don't I do this at home?
Watched the weather channel to get an update on local weather and
Hurricane Isidore, which is in the Gulf, then went back to sleep, until 6. Not sure what time I left...probably 7:30 or
so. My back was sore, so I spent a bit
of time in the shower with hot water on the sore muscles, and took an
Excedrin. Took 278 out of Rawlins. A guy at a gas station had told me yesterday
to avoid this road at all costs...he said it had one of the highest fatality
rates of any road in the US. After
having traveled it, I have no idea why.
The roads in north Georgia are much more challenging.
Temps in the
40s, gray and overcast as I leave. I
got a few sprinkles on the way, but nothing major. Today I have the FirstGear suit on with the heated liner and the
regular gloves...thought I would see how I did without the heated gloves. Worked great in these temps. My hands did get a little cool, but not
uncomfortable. Legs were fine with no
thermals, and my arms and torso stayed toasty.
It was really nice to be able to dial in the right amount of heat as
elevation (and temperature) changed.
I was concerned about range after yesterday. Speed limit on the secondary roads here is 65, and I got 32 mpg, for a real total range of 192 miles, including reserve. But I did NOT want to push it. Every time I stopped for gas I asked where the next gas was to make sure I was OK. There was no need to worry, there was plenty of fuel, but one person did tell me that a lot of the stations start to shut down for the season this time of year.
Landscape
was rolling, barren, and brown, with some large rock outcroppings. Saw cows and a few sheep but no
wildlife. No timber at all. Crossed the continental divided twice out
here at altitudes in the 6000's.
However, as I neared the town of Dubois (a really neat little place, by
the way) the rolls changed to cliffs, the ground color changed from brown to
red, and timber appeared...it got much prettier. The road narrowed, aspens appeared (they are changing colors
now), and I got up into the clouds. As
I entered Teton County, I crossed the divide again at almost 10,000 feet! As I descended out of this pass, the clouds
broke, the sun came out, and I could look ahead and see the Tetons...they were
spectacular. Stopped to pull out the
videocam...battery was dead...oh, well.
Will come back film that later.
Bought my park pass at the entrance to Teton, and headed on to
Yellowstone. Stopped at Grants Village
(the first developed area in the park from the south entrance) to check on
lodging. Booked 3 nights for 101 per
night...seems like there was a deal on the web for 89... I was tired and had a headache (elevation?)
so went to the room, unpacked, and rested.
As I was pulling into the parking lot, my horn went off by itself, then
stopped, and was dead...either the relay or the switch had gone bad. Later had dinner (pork chops and a glass
of wine) at the local restaurant...$24.
I am blowing the budget on food, going to have to watch
that...especially with 3 nights of $100 lodging.
Side
note...my headlight modulator has been acting up. Coming out of Amarillo, at night, it would not stop
modulating...had to run on low beam until sunup. But today, it is working fine.
Had this same problem with my first one, right after I installed
it...the manufacturer replaced it, and that was quite some time ago...will keep
an eye on it. Bought a book at the
bookstore…Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose. It is the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition…seems like
while I am exploring the west, I should be reading about the first white men to
explore the west.
stats: 293.4
miles, moving time 5:23, moving average 46, max speed 74.4
September 26
A day with a
frustrating beginning, but all worked out well.
My plan for
the day was to get up early for some sunrise animal viewing at Hayden Valley,
then cross over and go to West Yellowstone, where there is a Radio Shack, so
that I could replace my horn relay. Sunrise
at 7:30, so I planned to be out by 6:30.
Well, I woke up at 3:30, but stayed in bed till I went back to
sleep. Woke back up at 6, back sore,
keeping me from going back to sleep.
Got all my stuff together and went out to the bike. There had been a heavy frost last night
(need to buy a bike cover), so I took out some hot water and cleaned off the
windscreen. Then...the bike would not
start. It has been cold natured since I
installed the trigger wheel (a mod that gives a little more power and better
gas mileage), but this is the coldest weather I have ever had it in. Plenty of battery power, but I did not want
to run it down, so I decided to let things warm up a bit and try again. I don't remember what time this was, but I
went back to the room and read my Lewis and Clark book. Went back out at 9:30, still ice on the
bike...sounded like it tried to fire a couple of times, but just would not
catch. Went back at 10...fired right
up. But it did take it a long time to
warm up...probably 5 minutes before it would hold an idle (i had noticed this
in Rawlings). Just for kicks, I hit the
horn...worked fine. Damn these
intermittent problems! So now no need
to go to West Yellowstone. I decided to
ride up to Old Faithful. I spent about
2 hours hiking around the geysers and springs, and saw Old Faithful erupt
twice. By this time it was almost 2,
and all I had eaten was some peanuts...so I stopped by the grill and got a
cheeseburger and fries. Back on the
road, came back to Grants, then north.
Saw two elk in a meadow, tried to film them but they were way off. Driving up to the lake area, saw a car
pulled off on the right side, went past him and just as I passed, I noticed a
big brown blob on the left...it was a bison grazing right by the road. Turned around and got some video of it. On to Canyon Village, filmed the upper and
lower falls in Yellowstone canyon. At
this point the day was getting on, but I decided to keep on going... I would
probably end up riding a little bit in the dark, but not much. In Hayden Valley large g
roups of bison were
right by the road, I stopped and filmed some of them. 
Just before Tower, in the high meadows, a lot of people were
pulled over looking at elk on the plains; so far away you could hardly see
them. I would do better filming a
postcard. Also glimpsed a large bear
through the trees, but the road was windy and there was no safe place to pull
over. However, a little farther ahead,
some people were watching a juvenile black bear graze on berries and I got some
good footage of that. At this point, I
decided no more sightseeing, as sundown was near, and I needed to make some
time. So I headed for Mammoth Hot
Springs, making mental notes of where to come back to and spend more time. As I
entered town, I saw a statue of a huge bull elk on the front lawn of the
hotel. Then I noticed that about 25 cow
elk surrounded it...and they were not statues!
I could have walked right up to them.
The male was bugling, and they all seemed unaware of all the people
standing around with cameras! And I had
to make time. Passing through Norris,
there was another big herd, right by the roadside, some crossing right in front
of me. A little further on, a solitary
bull almost walked out in front of me on the road. Oh, and somewhere out there, i saw a coyote and a mule deer.
Right at
dark I stopped at Lake Village looking for cheap eats (since the only thing
open at Grants is kind of spendy).
Found a deli and had a bowl of chili and a cup of coffee for about $5. Rode the rest of the way to Grants in the
dark, and got back to the room about 8:30.
Stats:
mileage 73.9, moving time 3:12, average 8.2 mph, max speed 60.8
September 27
The
p
lan for
today...hiking. I bought a book on day hikes
a few days ago, and have chosen a couple that look good...the rim trails on 
Yellowstone canyon, and the Tower Falls trail.
Along the way, maybe I can get some good elk footage. Got out to the bike at 9, wasn't as cold
last night, only a light frost, the bike cranked right up. Decided that I should drop by the visitor
center to check the weather, since the room has no TV and I have been missing
the weather channel. As I walked in,
they were putting the weather on a chalkboard...60% chance of snow, with
accumulations of 1-3 inches. CRAP! Bikes and snow don't mix. So I started asking the girls at the desk
some questions...how quickly will the roads clear? How far south will the snow be?
Etc Etc. I was not satisfied
with the answers I got (mostly "I don't know"), and there is no
Internet access in the park to check Weather.com. SO...I checked out, with the plan of running over to West
Yellowstone and finding an internet connection so I could figure out what to
do. Went back to the room to pack up,
and remembered...FedEx is delivering my mail here to Grants Village this
afternoon...so I can't leave until it arrives.
SO...I went and toured a bit to burn up some time before FedEx came. Went to the mud volcano area, then to
Norris, where I got some fair elk video.
Back to the Grant's Village desk at 2:30, just as FedEx arrived. By this time I decided that I should head
south to Jackson, WY. This routed me
through Teton National Park, and was about 80 miles south, and 1700 feet
lower. On the way saw and filmed a
black bear, and at one point followed a bison that was walking down the road
right on the centerline. Awesome ride
through Teton, the mountains are fabulous.
Arrived in Jackson about 5, and quickly discovered that it is the Aspen
of Wyoming...lots of tony shops and restaurants and hotels...Motel 6 was
$65. Found the Chamber of Commerce by
accident, and a lovely brunette named Percy found me a room at a mom and pop
for $45. There was a girl camper there
at the same time looking for a hotel…she had not expected it to be as cold as
it was, and had not brought the right gear…she said she had slept in her truck
the night before and was very cold. On
the way to the hotel, I noticed a bike behind me and waved. Second glance, I realized that it was a
Yamaha FJR1300, the bike that I have been wanting to see for so long. I motioned the guy over and we talked for a
bit...the bike was very cool...he said that if I would go by the dealer, they
would probably let me have a test ride.
Went to the hotel and checked in, unpacked, and realized that I had left
my toiletry kit at Yellowstone. Went
to Albertson’s to by basics...I was originally going to go out for a steak, but
by this time, decided McDonalds was good enough...I had only eaten some peanuts
and a granola bar today.
Stats:
mileage around 200 (gps showing incorrect data for some reason), moving time
3:40 (doesn't sound right either), max speed 74.1
September 28
Up at 7, 30
degrees outside. Today is a taking care
of business day. Went to the Laundromat
and did a load, ate breakfast at a little diner while they washed. While they were drying I talked to a lady
from upstate New York. She just turned
60, took the MSF course, and wants to tour via motorcycle (she currently RV's),
but her husband does not enjoy riding.
After
laundry I went to the library to check email and do some accounting, then I
mailed my receipts back to home. At
that time it was 12:30, and I went riding.
Looked for the Yamaha dealer, but never could find it. Rode up over Teton pass to the ID
border. This was the first road I had
ever seen with 10% grades! Rode up to
Teton park, and took the northbound road that went closest to the base of the
mountains. It is very narrow for about
1/2 of it's distance, and even goes to gravel for 2 miles. There are some little glacial lakes there
that are stunning...crystal clear, heavily wooded all around, with the
mountains behind. There were some canoers
there, as well as a couple in an inflatable kayak. We talked for a while...they really like the boat. It packs down into a bag small enough to fit
on the bike! That would be
cool...... Got a little rain. Saw some elk, a moose, and a bald
eagle. Dinner was Subway. Stats:
mileage 118.9, moving time 3:04, aver speed 23.5, max 65.5
September 29
Got started
at 8:30, 39 degrees. Headed back over
Teton Pass, to Victor, ID, then to Swan Valley. Started to get spotty rain there. Continued on 26 along Palisades Lake, which was WAY
down...probably 30 feet low (as were all of the man-made lakes I have seen up
to now). At Alpine, headed south on
89. I was looking for a road that is
not numbered on the map, and not on the gps at all, that runs up in the mountains,
but I must have missed it. This road
runs through a rolling valley full of farms and cattle ranches, with
hills/mountains on each side...I am closest to the east side. The rain that is falling on me is putting
fresh snow on the mountains to my left.
And I can't seem to get warm this morning...thermometers are showing temps
in the 50's, but I am cold...probably not enough calories...I have only been
eating one or two meals a day for quite a few days now. The rain ended in Afton, and I pushed on to
Cokeville where I had breakfast/lunch at a truck stop...I have about 190 miles
on the clock at this point. Struck up a
conversation with a bus tour guide who knows the area well, he recommends a
route, so I ditch my plans and go the way he advises. A good choice. I
backtracked to Montpelier, and then take 30 through Paris and down the western
shore of Bear Lake. It is low, but
still beautiful...it has the same turquoise color of the Gulf of Mexico. At Woodruff I wanted to turn west across the
mountains, but I had 100 miles on this tank of gas, and no fuel in
Woodruff...so I stayed on 16/89 to Evanston for fuel. From there, took 150 thru the Wasach Mountains. Any road that says, "closed in
winter" on the map has got to be good...and man, was it. Brilliant colors on the aspens and
cottonwoods, and elevations over 8000 feet.
I saw a moose cow and calf strolling thought a pasture (they obviously
thought they were cows), and my first badger...he was just grumping across the
road. There was a light dusting of snow
in the higher elevations, and several little alpine lakes rimmed with fir trees
that were just divine. A great ride...I
got some video on the "handlebarcam". Came on into Heber for the night. Stats: mileage 383.9, moving time 7:17, moving average 52.7, max
speed 74.4.
September 30
Out at about
8:30, decided to ride up to Sundance, the ski resort that Robert Redford
owns. A wonderful windy little road
with a stream beside it and brilliant fall colors. Then back to Heber and southeast on 40. The plan was to head in a southerly direction, but to cross the
mountains every chance I got. At some
point, I noticed that the bike was feeling kind of floaty, like it was
wandering...but I figured that there were some grooves in the pavement that
were hard to see that were guiding the front end a bit. Boy, was I wrong. Stopped in Duchesne for gas, got back on the bike, it felt REALLY
strange. Pulled back over...the rear
tire was totally flat. There was a
garage across the street, so I went over and pumped the tire up to 40 psi and
started looking for the leak. I thought
I could hear something (hard to tell over the traffic noise), but could not
find the hole (soapy water did not cross my mind). In about 5 minutes I rechecked the pressure, it was down to
35...I had a real problem. Talked to
the guys in the garage, there was a bike store in Helper, 60 miles away (along
my planned route). I bought a can of
fixaflat (the label said "do not use on motorcycles"), put about 1/4
of it in, and headed south.
In about 15
miles, the bike was feeling freaky again.
I pulled over, pressure was down, but at least I could find the leak
now, because it was spewing fixaflat.
There was no way I could make it the other 45 miles. So I put the rest of the fixaflat in the
tire (it held) and headed back to Dushesne.
Now that we knew where the hole was, we plugged the tire, and I headed
south once again. I decided to stay on
bigger roads in case I had damaged the tire enough to cause a blowout, and to
replace it as soon as possible...
Got to the
bike store in Helper, they were closed (many bike stores are on Mondays). Kept moving south, headed for I70, about 60
miles away. Coming through a little
town I saw a Kawasaki dealership and decided to give it a go. They did not have what I needed, but knew
where the closest Honda dealer was (another 80 miles, in Richfield), and they
called them and helped me set up a repair. They did not have the tire in stock
but could get one overnighted.
So I went to
Richfield and took a room at a Travellodge, found a library to check email, and
ate dinner.
Ran into a
guy on a BMW RS1150 who was finishing up a 7-week trip. He bought the bike in May and has 30,000
miles on it!
Stats:
mileage 317.9, moving time 5:36, moving average 56.7, max 85
October 9
This is the
first time I have worked on my journal since the 30th... I will do the best I
can.
I sat in the
hotel room till checkout time reading my book, then went to the Honda
shop. They are also a Polaris dealer,
have a gun store, camping gear, archery stuff, a really neat place. They also own a bowling alley next door and
the local Ford dealership. I sat in the
bowling alley and read while I waited for the tire to arrive and them to
install it. Good thing I like this
book! They were done by about 3:30,
$394, OUCH! Started blowing and raining
just as they were finishing up. Ran
over to McDonalds and grabbed a bite to eat, and then hit the road. The Conners (my Alaskan friends who I was
going to ride with for the next week or so) are in Beaver Dam Arizona...they
were going to come up farther north, but they lost a throttle cable on the
RV. I hit the road, taking 70 to 15
south. Started raining on me in about
10 miles. I was up high, and soon was
in the clouds...so it was raining, cold, and foggy. I had to lift the tinted visor and put on my clear glasses, that
cold rain HURT! So I was ducked down behind the shield. This was some challenging riding...coupled
with a new, slick back tire...I felt it slip a little on one curve. I thought the rain might let up so I did not
put my overboots on in time, and my feet got pretty wet. When I finally did pull over to put them on,
I noticed that there was snow on the sides, and the emergency lane was
slushy. Then, at some point, it started
to hail! What a day. It didn't last long, but if it had kept up I
would have had to pull over. After
about 100 miles the rain stopped and the road dried out. Coming through Virgin River gorge it was
windy, with lightning hitting the tops of the hills. Got to the RV just as it was getting dark. Total mileage about 150 miles. Sure was good to get there and see the
Conners, and have some of Mary's cooking!
George had found a place in Salt Lake City to get the throttle cable
rebuilt and had FedEx-ed it off. It
should be back by the 4th.
Next day,
the 2nd, the four of us rode to Zion under overcast skies. What a magical place. Had a great day, we rode all the way through
the park then came back to take the shuttle up the canyon. Just as we got off the bikes, the skies
opened up and it POURED cold rain. We
got soaked! Someone said they had as
much rain in the last 24 hours as they had in the last 2 years. But the rain created waterfalls all over the
place, which really added to the experience.
I have got to come back to this park and hike. George called to check on the throttle cable. It was done, and shipped, but they told us
they had shipped it 3-day, not overnight as agreed. George was hot, and spent 3 hours on the phone talking to all
sorts of people at FedEx and the throttle-cable-rebuilding place. Nobody there seemed to want to take any
responsibility, and the folks at FedEx offered to try and find it and expedite
it for a $350 fee, no guarantees. Not
happy.
The 3rd,
Eric and I struck off on our own to Hoover Dam. We took the scenic road along the lake, which was really curvy
and pretty. We hiked on some of the red
rocks and then went to the Dam, where we took the tour. The security guard wanted to look at Eric’s
leatherman…he looked it over pretty good and handed it back, saying “no knife
in there”. He had never opened it up to
see the knife blades. Sheesh. Headed back through Vegas and up the
interstate. Rode 265 miles.
The 4th the
four of us rode to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Got a late start, around 11, so did not get down to Point
Royal. Barely made it back by dark,
rode down I15 with the sun in our eyes.
350 miles, Mary was really sore!
The 5th,
we rode through Zion to Bryce, much warmer than last year, 375 miles. Met a guy at the RV Park with a mint 58
Caddy.
The 6th,
I have no idea what we did.
The 7th,
we have a throttle cable. And guess
what? It has been waiting for us since
Friday. Shipping told George wrong…they
had shipped it next-day, and it had arrived as planned…but, of course, we
did not go to pick it up since they told they had screwed up. Sheesh.
Anyway, George and Mary wanted to move the RV to Moab, so Eric and I
rode backroads by ourselves to Moab to meet them. Took Utah 14 over an extinct volcano (complete with lava flows)
into snow country, then 89 north to 12 and 24, the Escalante staircase. This was the most beautiful ride yet, from
desert moonscape to lush high alpine forests.
A blast. 460 miles.
8th Eric and
I went to Canyonlands, very cool, and a quick run thru Arches NP just before
dark.
9th Eric and
I to went to Arches National Park in the morning, then a 4 hour ATV tour in the
afternoon, into Canyonlands. Our guide
was a 21-year-old local who had been riding 4 wheelers since he was 5. Eric crashed (over the handlebars) twice; I
got stuck in the mud and then turned the ATV up on its rearend. Came back dirty, tired, and happy. It is amazing the abuse that those little
machines can take, and the terrain that they can climb.
The 10th,
George and Mary moved the RV to Cortez, Colorado, Eric and I rode 128 up the
Colorado to Dewey bridge, then a side road to the Potash salt mine...saw rock
climbers. Then down to Cortez, and to 4
corners, ended with a tough steak dinner at a casino. 300 miles.
October 27
I have now
been home for 2 days, and will do the rest of the journal from memory. I can’t help but remember how Stephen
Ambrose wrote in Undaunted Courage that Lewis had long lapses in his
journals…Ambrose attributes this to Lewis being manic-depressive…let’s just say
that I am lazy!
11th: Mesa Verde.
The park is bigger than I expected, and quite interesting. The highlights, of course, are the Indian
cliff dwellings that were built around 1200 AD. We spent some time in the museum and bought tickets to a ranger-led
tour of one of the dwellings…Cliff House, I think. The tour was let by a very cute 20-something Rangerette. On the tour I met a neat lady, mid-60’s, a
retired attorney from Marin County. She
got her law degree in her 40’s. Now
that her children are busy with families and carriers, she travels solo, and
has been all over the place. She really
liked Asia. After the tour, we
continued along the park road and came to another cliff dwelling where another
tour was about to start…we did not have tickets, but talked the ranger into
letting us in anyway. He was a tall
lanky California-surfer-type-dude, and was a riot. He was also very into Indian history and mythology, and, since
this was the last tour of the day, we got the royal treatment. George and Mary skipped this tour, deciding
to do some more riding and head back to the RV. Bad decision, they would have loved it. It was getting dark as the tour ended. I was in the lead as we rode out, and as we were climbing a hill,
a deer jumped out in front of me. I got
on the brakes and missed him, but he had a buddy, and Eric was right behind
me. There was no collision, but Eric
had to swerve hard and came very close to whacking the deer. We took it slow the rest of the way; eyes
open, and got back to the RV without incident.
12th: Eric decided to take the day off and laze
around. George and Mary were thinking
about either going to a classic car show, or heading into Durango to look
around at the Harley shop. So I decided
to go back to Mesa Verde by myself. I
rode another road in the park that we had missed the previous day, spend some
time in the museum, and toured another cliff dwelling. Ran into an Englishman who used to race
BSA’s and Nortons. He kept looking at
that big chrome motor hanging out of the Valkyrie and saying that he would love
to stuff it into his MG!
Later, back
at the RV, George and Mary showed up, raving about the ride they had
taken. The had gone to Durango, then
headed up into the mountains to Ouray and Ridgeway, and then come back down
through Telluride. The more they
talked, the more I wanted to go. This
was to be my last night with them, as I had to be in Las Vegas on the 14th. The ride had taken them 4-5 hours, so Eric
and I decided that I could squeeze that in tomorrow before I headed west.
13th: What a great decision! This was the best ride of the trip. The mountains were huge, the colors
fantastic, and the roads were sweeeet!
There was one section of 10MPH switchback after switchback after
switchback. We stopped in Silverton,
elevation 10,000 feet, for pie (for breakfast), and rode the main street in
Telluride. The scenery between Ridgeway
and Placerville reminded me of the Alps.
On the way back, it clouded over and got a little nasty…we had a mix of
rain, snow, and hail. We got back to
the RV about 4, I said my goodbyes, and headed west. I ran back through Four Corners and spent the night at a Best
Western in Kayenta, AZ.
14th:
Rode to Vegas. An uneventful ride,
through desert country, mostly flat, but some mesas and buttes to keep things
interesting. Rode across the Hoover
Dam, and took the long way up the Las Vegas strip. Checked into the Luxor, and as I was checking in, Sven and
Melissa Thompson (my riding companions for the next two days) came up behind me
in line…they had just flown in. I went
to the room and crashed for a while, then checked messages…this is the first
time I have had cell service since I entered Wyoming! Had a few drinks at the bar and then we went to the steakhouse in
the hotel for a nice dinner.
15th: Picked up the Thompson’s rental Goldwing
about 9 (they got yellow, the best color), returned their rental car, and
headed for Zion. This is familiar
territory for me now! The weather was
MUCH nicer this time, warm and sunny.
We rode the park, shuttled up to the restaurant for a beer, walked the
river walk, then headed to Mt. Carmel Junction, where we would spend the next 2
nights at the Thunderbird Inn.
16th: Bryce Canyon. Nice weather again, and uneventful riding. Sven digs the Wing, and Melissa says that
the passenger seat is MUCH more comfortable than my Valk! Got back from Bryce at a decent hour, so
Melissa played a few rounds of golf while Sven and I set out on our own (he
wanted to get some solo time on the Wing).
We rode back through Zion, and looked for a place to have a beer in
Springdale…had to burn up some time since everything was closed till 5, so we
just rode around. Back to the hotel at
about 6:30 for dinner, and discussed plans for tomorrow. The North Rim was still open, but that would
make a long day, and they had seen it a few years ago. We decided to head back north on 89 and
cross the volcano on UT14, see Cedar Breaks, and come back to Vegas on I15. Sven let me take out the Wing for a spin,
very impressive bike. It weighs more
that the Valk, but feels lighter, handles better, and has similar power. I could get used to this!
17th: Cedar Breaks and UT 14. Almost all of the snow had melted off since
the last time I was up here with Eric, but it was still a great ride. There were some fires burning and some smoke
across the road that added some interest to the trip. Cedar Breaks is kind of a mini Bryce Canyon. We stopped at several viewpoints and took a
short hike, shot some pictures of the Thompson’s in the snow, and headed for
Vegas. Had a good bit of wind on the
way back, and had a light rain falling when we arrived. Checked into the Flamingo Casino and headed
off for dinner.
18th
through 20th: Seminar in
Vegas, no riding.
21st. Got to get to Albuquerque today, 600 miles
and a time change, so I was on the road at dawn. Back across Hoover Dam and to I40. An uneventful ride, until…. I was past Grants, NM, and was planning
on riding till I hit reserve, then looking for gas. Cruising about 85, I noticed that I was getting good mileage on
this tank, but didn’t think any more about it…mistake. As the trip meter rolled to 130, the bike
stumbled, so I reached down to switch to reserve…and the petcock wouldn’t turn. So I twisted the other way, and it turned…I
had been on reserve the whole time, and had just drained my tank. I coasted to the foot of an exit and drug
out the cell phone…no coverage. There
were some houses off the exit, so I walked up the ramp. To the left I could see a little bar, and
what appeared to be a gas station. As I
approached, I could see that the gas station was abandoned, but the bar had a
pay phone, and there was somebody unloading firewood in the back. I walked up and got the guys attention,
explained my situation, and asked if he could sell me some gas. He said, “You’re screwed”. Now, there he is, in a pickup truck, with
gas in it, telling me that the closest gas station is 6 miles away. Anyway, I persisted, and said something like
“I was hoping maybe someone had some lawnmower gas they could sell me”. That seemed to spark him, and he said to
hang on. It was at that moment that I
notice that there were two 5-gallon jugs FULL OF GAS on the back wall of the
bar under a little wooden cover. But he
soon re-appeared with an empty one gallon Clorox bottle, poured me some gas,
and would only take two bucks, even though I tried to give him more. He did not, however, offer me a ride back to
the bike! Oh, well, this could have
been a lot worse, but I could not help but think of how much more help I would
have been to someone in the same situation.
Anyway, I
walked back to the bike, which had not been bothered, and got to Albuquerque
without further incident.
22nd:
Visited with friends, no riding.
23rd:
The trip is over, heading home. I was
on the road about 6. Had clear skies
for the first 30 miles or so, then thick fog set in. The temperature kept dropping; I had on the electric jacket, and
kept cranking it up until it was on full blast. I had never had it up that high before! Windy again, and the bike once again went to reserve sooner than
expected…about 92 miles. I consulted
the GPS, and it looked like there was not any gas for quite a ways, so I backed
the speed down to about 60 and prayed.
Made it to a gas station, probably on fumes. I had decided that if I ran out today, I would stay with the bike
and broadcast MAYDAY on the CB until a trucker picked me up! While I was filling up, I asked the cashier
(who commented that I had to be a loon to be on a bike in this cold!) what the
temp was, she said that the radio said it was 30. I added the heated gloves, and MAN, did that help my hands stay
warm…they were toasty the rest of the day.
It stayed cold, foggy, and windy till I turned south at Amarillo. Things warmed up slowly, and by the time I
got to Dallas, temps were around 70.
Traffic was heavy, it was dusk, and there was a light rain falling, so I
took it easy, and took a room at a Super 8 in Terrell, Texas, just east of
Dallas.
24th. On the road at 6, after having a doughnut in
the lobby, still dark. Headed down I20,
I decided to make a quick side trip to ride by my old college campus, which is
on Highway 80 just north of the interstate.
I passed the campus just as the sun came up. That 15-minute side-trip brought back lots of great
memories. Back to I20, keeping speeds
up around 80 unless I could tuck in behind someone running faster…I REALLY
didn’t want a ticket! I only stopped
for fuel, and once to munch down some peanuts that I had in the bags. Got home about an hour after dark, the GPS
showed 13.5 hours on the road, a moving average of just over 62 MPH, and 819
miles covered…my longest day yet.
Thoughts:
This was a
great trip, a fabulous experience. I
enjoyed the times by myself, and could cover a lot of ground, but also enjoyed
riding with others. It was a nice
mix. I REALLY want a bike with more
range. Running out of gas sucks, and
just having to worry about it, and stop every 100 miles or so, is a pain. I want a bike with longer legs than my
bladder! Also, integrated, lockable,
waterproof storage would be really nice.
My bags are weatherproof, but small, and the locks are a joke…a strong
tug and they are open. When I was
parked and away from the bike, I was concerned about someone stealing my
stuff. The GPS and MP3 player worked
great and were a nice addition to the trip.
My radar detector was useless; I could not hear it go off even when cranked
up all the way. I didn’t even mess with
it after the second or third day. The
videocam on the handlebars, worked pretty well on smoother roads. I just have to remember not to shoot through
the windshield…too much glare. This was
a great time of year to travel, with wonderful fall colors, but perhaps a bit
late…I hated to lose a day in Yellowstone due to the threat of snow. Perhaps a better plan would be to head
across country on Labor Day weekend.
I didn’t get
to do several things that I wanted to do:
The Bitterroots, Glacier National Park, the Pacific Coast Highway, the sequoia
and redwood forests, and visiting friends in Tennessee, North Carolina,
Illinois, Indiana, and California. Next
fall….
