The Week!

I thought I would write a separate entry for the rest of the week, I don't want to end it on a sad note.  The rest of the week has been pretty good.  I've been riding the new bike all week and it's been a blast.  It's got 444 miles on the odometer now.  I'm looking forward to taking a ride tomorrow up to Deckers.  It's suppose to be 67 and rainy so we'll have to see.  Might be worth going just to get some pictures.  The day we picked up the bike I rode it over Monarch Pass.  They were filming some scenes for the new Fast and Furious movie on the pass.  All we saw was a black bus with the rear end blown out and a bunch of camera cars and booms.  I did get a thumbs up from one of the crew for the bike which was neat.

We're watching Sons of Anarchy these days.  We've been watching since the first season.  It's kind of going down hill the last few seasons and it's becoming a parody of itself.  Hell on Wheels is starting to lose Lisa, I'm hanging on and the last couple of episodes are getting better.  Lisa is upset that Cullen Bohannon hasn't shot anyone in the last three or so episodes.

Everyone is waiting to see if Congress will actually shut government down or not.  Kerry signed the U.N. Gun Treaty and is stirring everyone up.  I don't discuss politics too much on here anymore because I tend to get worked up.  I'm reading Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg.  It's pretty chilling to read the comparisons of the Wilson administration, Mussolini's Italy and Nazi Germany as compared to today.  If you judge the book by the title you would be led to believe that it's an inflammatory criticism based along the same lines as all the name calling in the press these days.  It actually lays out the history of fascism which is probably the most misunderstood and political movement and most abused insult of all times.

And then there's Obamacare.  I guess we'll see.

I've been rediscovering Flickr. I also started hanging out on the FZ1 forums (US and International) again and found the Adventure Rider forum which is chock full of great photos and riding stories.  I am getting some great ideas for the Mid-Life Crisis Tour (as it's unofficially come to be known).  I'm looking at camping gear now.  The idea of sleeping in a tent during large parts of the trip appeals to me.

So that's a small part of the week.  Oh almost forgot, the new bike...

Monarch Pass sign and most awkward photo participant ever!

The Memorial

A co-worker passed away late last week from a heart attack.  He was a pretty good guy.  He always went out of his way to help me and did it in a timely fashion.  Most everyone else you have to beg for help.

They had his memorial service today and I went.  It was a pretty rough one.  He was obviously loved by his family.  I am however doomed to be a social misfit.  I thought I had outgrown that urge to sit by myself at lunch back in high school but apparently not.  I just do not know what to say or do in these situations.  The youngest of the three of us brothers is pretty good in those situations.  The middle brother is more like me although he handles it better.  He just doesn't talk, where as I have some irritating need to comment like a huge nerd with tourrettes.

I don't like memorial services as I know most don't but this one was particularly difficult because of the level of emotion displayed.  I felt almost voyeuristic being there.  As uncomfortable as it was I'm glad I went to pay my respects.  They had a pretty touching slideshow playing and at first it was a shock to walk in and see Robin's face and realizing that was it.  It was nice to see how much he was loved.

Ole Blue

Tomorrow Lisa and I are headed to Gunnison to pick up a (almost) new Yamaha FZ1.  If you've been paying attention (I won't hold it against you if not) you'll know that I love to ride my '02 FZ1.  Just a little.  I'm looking forward to getting the new bike.  I took a spin on a co-worker's '08 model which is similar to the '12.  It was more comfortable on the tailbone and had better wind protection all around.  The decision to get it is what has made me think this huge mid-life crisis tour is possible.  We'll see how I feel after riding it for awhile but I think I can go much further on the new bike.

As excited as I am to be getting the new ride, I was feeling a little misty eyed while washing Ole Blue (the name I gave the old bike just now).  Almost everywhere I've been that bike has been.  I know guys like motorcycle journalist Pete Egan go through bikes like a lot of us go through t.p. but I'm one of those people that holds on to something for ever.

Just for my own benefit a list of the places I've rode the bike include a cross country trip from San Diego to Zanesville Ohio when I bought the bike back in 2003.  That was a long almost crippling ride but a lot of fun.  Some things I remember about that trip were almost getting lost somewhere in southern California around Death Valley.  Freezing my tookus off in the early morning hours through Flagstaff.  And a particularly painful conversation I had with a woman working at a gas station about my mesh Joe Rocket jacket.  She seemed unable to grasp that the jacket was for protection while keeping the rider cool.  Of course the fact that it was about 50 degrees and raining didn't help my cause.

I also remember kicking myself ever since that ride for staying a day in Terra Haute Indiana.  Of all the places I could have spent an extra day in why I picked Terra Haute I'll never know.

Brian, Bud and me, Durango CO 2004

 Back in 2004 I had the bike with me when I met Lisa, my wife.  I rode all over Colorado that summer and that's really the year I took my riding abilities to the next level.  Riding the roads through the Rockies was an experience I'll never forget.  A buddy liked my FZ1 so much he got the black and yellow model.  Another buddy was so inspired by the fun we were having riding, he took the MSF course and bought a Harley.  After Colorado we all went to California and rode the Pacific Coast Highway and around central California together.  I usually don't like to ride with people but that was the best year of riding ever.

There have just been some many wonderful rides I can't begin to list them all.  Actually that's not true, I just listed two of them a minute ago.  Truth is I could list them all but you would get bored awful quick.

To conclude I'll just post some pictures of past beautiful rides.

Somewhere in California headed toward Lick Observatory

Watching snow come in on top of Mt Evans at 14,000 ft

The beautiful Pacific Coast Highway

The Tetons in Wyoming (but you knew that)

Clarksdale Mississippi, home of the blues

Now I'm really sad.

A Change Of Plans (ALREADY!)

I was looking at the intended route for the ride and discovered that the mileage for a trip around the perimeter of the United States is about 10,000 miles.  I'm not so much worried about the distance as the time.  I have a pretty generous vacation plan but I think three weeks will be the maximum I care to be away from home.  I was looking at the map of the U.S. and noticing how much vast emptiness there is in a lot of it.  I got to thinking that maybe I should try a little more focus.  I've always wanted to ride my bike down to Key West so I decided to aim for there.  I started calculating in times and distances and thought I would throw in some spots I haven't been but always wanted to go and some spots I have been to but wanted to revisit.


View Larger Map

The plan is to stick to back roads and State routes as much as possible.  I want to go through the swamps and backwaters.  I'll still be making use of the guide books and AAA but I don't want anything to do with the interstates.

I've also already been tweaking this plan.  I originally had the Memphis/Savannah leg of the trip as the starting route.  The more I thought about it the more I don't relish going through Kansas at the end of a trip, gotta get that stretch of dullness out of the way early.

Well stay tuned for more changes, coming soon I'm sure.

Trip Prep

I spent some more time thinking about the trip today.  A few more things I would like to do:

1. Get my DSLR camera cleaned professionally.  It might even be time for a new lens.  Along with that a waterproof camera bag might be handy.
2. Get a GPS.  This one is a maybe.  I've wanted one for a long time.  The Garmin zumo 350LM looks pretty sweet.  I don't understand why a motorcycle GPS is so much more than a straight auto one.  The GPS is not a necessity although it would be way handy since I plan on taking as many back roads as I can.
3. Serious planning.  I've got Insight Guide United States: On The Road, which I have used very little since I bought it.  I'm sure it will get more use in the coming months.  I'm also going to be spending a great deal of time on the Adventure Rider Motorcycle forum.  These guys are hard core.
4. I think I'm good on riding gear.  I have a one piece rain suit that gets awful hot but it's serviceable and riding gear is freaking expensive.  All I need is a pair of waterproof boots.

Then I started going a little nuts.  When I thought of the camera I thought one of those little video cameras would be neat, like a Go Pro.  Then a heated vest, a bluetooth capable helmet and basically everything but a cup holder.  I quickly got hold of myself and pulled it in some.

I did decide that I might save as much leave time as possible and go longer than the two or three weeks I had initially planned on.  Man, I'm excited!

A Plan

I'm not much of one for mid-life crises but I'll be turning 50 in a few years and while driving in to work I got to thinking about that.  What I consider a brilliant idea hit my like a bolt of lightning.  I am also not one for grand gestures but this one seems appropriate.  In 2015 I plan on taking a three week motorcycle ride around the outer perimeter of the US.  That strikes me as a worthy gesture if not grand.  I'll be planning and preparing for the next two two years and updating periodically as I go.

Some things I've already thought about:

It would be nice to have an iPad or a smart phone of some kind.  I've survived up until now without either but I think it might be nice to put updates on Facebook and this blog and Riding Stories. 

I'm particularly excited to get a photo of me and the bike at the furthest point south in the US.

And finally, how much money can I save up in two years.

Looking forward to daydreaming about this one for awhile.

Gotta Write Something

I was on a roll for awhile so I thought I better get to posting, the month is already half over.  So, some random things:

I'm reading The Sword of Shannara.  It's a book I read when I was 12 or so.  It was 1977 and it was a good time to be a young boy in central Indiana.  Star Wars, The Sword of Shannara, Action Comics with Curt Swan illustrating, Hot Wheels cars, camping and the beach were what was occuping my mind that summer.

I loved The Sword of Shannara then.  I remember it took me all summer to read the 700 something page book.  I have always been a fast reader and at the time I blamed those other summertime distractions for the time it took me to finish the book.  After re-reading it for the first time since then I realize that I was probably just bored.  It's funny how you remember things.  I always thought The Sword... the greatest fantasy book ever written.  I now believe it's one of the worst.  Well, maybe that's a little harsh, it is definitely one of the blandest.  I think at the time I was smitten with the concept of the story.  I had been reading Have Spacesuit Will Travel by Robert Heinlein and the Warlord of Mars series and desperately wanted to be swept off to another planet for a grand adventure.  The idea of a young man finding out he's destined to save the world was very appealing to a prepubescent boy struggling with preteen angst.  Of course it still holds a certain appeal to a middle-aged guy struggling with a mortgage and crappy job.  It didn't hurt that it had illustrations by the Brothers Hilderbrandt.  Coming off of the Star Wars movie poster they were the hot ticket for a little geek like me.  It was guaranteed I would love anything they were involved in.

The problem is as a 12 year old boy I did not have as sophisticated a taste in literature as I like to think.  The writing is repetitive and the descriptions are bland and boring.  Reading the book again has been an exercise in boredom.

Aside from that Colorado is currently in the middle of washing away.  The rain has been really great this summer but you know it's too much of a good thing when whole towns are evacuated and people die.  We're on high ground and so far the only real affect I've experienced is that I didn't ride the bike to work today.  Hydroplaning on a motorcycle is about as much fun as reading The Sword of Shannara.

  

Gunnison Ride

I took a Labor Day ride with my brother-in-law this weekend.  I left the Springs yesterday morning at 0930, met Chris in Buena Vista and arrived in Gunnison at 1500 or so after 201 miles.  We stayed at the Inn at Tomichi Village over night.  It is a pretty nice motel.  I like staying at motels on motorcycle rides better than hotels.  Hotels might be more secure but I like being able to open the door and see the bike parked right out front.  If it's raining and I have a couple of beers to drink that's all the better.

The motel was the cheapest listed on Hotels.com.  It had a two out of five star rating but a 4.1 of 5 on the number scale.  Not sure what the difference is but it is definitely a 4.5 out of 5 in my book.  So once we got settled in we headed 30 minutes north on Colorado Route 135 to Crested Butte for dinner.  We got there in the middle of a festival and the downtown was blocked off to traffic.  The last time Lisa and I were there there was also a festival and the street was blocked.  It made me wonder if the street is blocked off every weekend.  So we walked around looking for a steak house and found a pub that served steak, close enough. The West End Public House has a great 12 oz. New York strip. Chris had chicken and waffles which made me envious but it's not in my diet plan.

West End Public House

Afterward we rode a few miles up to the ski resort and took some photos.  In a state lousy with scenery this was some of the most scenic.  We got there at an optimal photo time.  It was sunset and thunderstorms had just passed through.  Everything was fresh and pinkish-orange.

View Larger MapDriving Directions

From the collection I call "My bike in front of scenic shit"

It was just turning dark on the way back to the hotel and it was getting a little chilly.  We made a stop for a 6 pack of my favorite beer, Paulaner Hefe-Weizen and got back to the room for some local news.  I was out by 9 o'clock with a well earned sleep.

I got up at seven the next morning and realized that I had forgotten my toothbrush so it was off to the local Walmart for that and toothpaste.  This was one of the older Walmarts like you don't see anymore.  It was very small with a little electronics section in the middle of the store.  Anyone remember that lay out?

We rode west to the Blue Mesa Reservoir for a few more scenic shots then turned the bikes back east.  While stopped at a rest stop an older guy on a V-Strom pulled in and said hello.  I noticed the Oregon plates and talked to him for a little bit.  He had just come through Grand Junction visiting his son and was on his way to Texas to visit his other son.  I thought "There's one lucky guy" but then so am I.

We made one last stop in Gunnison on the way back through for gas.  I got to talking with a guy on a Harley with New Mexico plates.  The bike had the same dirty look form rain that our had.  The guy had rode up Saturday from Albuquerque and was on his way home.  On the way to Monarch Pass I questioned why I love to ride so much.  I mean it's really nothing more than a mode of transportation, one in which you're exposed to the elements and vulnerable to careless drivers and wild animals.  I couldn't come up with an answer that satisfied.  All I know is that I spend a lot of time laughing or singing out loud when I ride.  I know the guy on the Harley, the older gentleman on the V-Strom and Chris could identify.

Poor Man's GPS

Chris and I made it up over Monarch and got rained on (again) briefly.  Traffic was light Sunday afternoon going west but was pretty busy on Labor Day headed back east.  I drove way to fast up the mountain but took it slow down the other side.  Chris and I parted ways at Poncha Springs (I love these old west town names).  He headed for Silverthorn via Beuna Vista and Leadville and I decided to try a different way than I had come and headed for Salida and on to Canon City.  It's a great ride through a twisty canyon.  The road runs alongside the Arkansas River.  The headwaters for the river are just north of Leadville and the river is still narrow enough to walk across in spots in Colorado.

The traffic was heavier through here but a lot better than it would have been had I come through Woodland Park and across route 24.  I stopped for a little water break in Canon City.  Canon City's chief industry appears to be prisons by the way.

I finally pulled in around 4 o'clock.  I got in and was met with the greeting I always look forward to from Moon, Dash and Ruby the three wonder dogs.  The wife was still at work unfortunately.  It was a great ride.