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News Chapter L rides are back in full swing and the fun has started all over again. Our shop day 2011 was a great one. We had over 23 people present and at least 18 bikes that I can recall. We mounted and balanced tires, installed new brakes, corrected some other brake problems, installed floorboards and heal/toe shifter, chain and sprockets, and various other things. We had rolls and coffee to start the day and chili with lots of desserts for lunch. Thanks to all that brought supplements for the chili. It was all great. The Parking Lot Practice rider training day was a little more sparsely attended. The weather forecast was for severe storms to come through the area. It was very windy but we didn't get any of the wet stuff. Some of our people had other understandable conflicts but I'm sure the weather forecast was the major restrictor of our attendance. A large attendance is not a determiner for a good event as was proved by the outcome. We had three bikes make it so we had a good training session anyway. It was a chance to sharpen some skills and to hold some very worthwhile communication about rider safety. Following the rider training, we went for a ride. Phillip Duncan led us on a beautiful ride north of Springfield. We then stopped for a bite to eat before heading for home. It was a great day in the Ozarks. If you didn't make it, I am sorry for your loss. Check out our ride schedule and be a part of the fun as the opportunity presents itself and your personal schedule allows. It's all about the fun we can have together. > Remember, our group is made up of riders on a wide variety of makes and models. We have Harleys, Hondas, Yamahas, Suzukis, Scooters, Trikes, and even one Can Am Spyder. We don't really care what you ride. It is about friendships more than the bike. Everyone, no matter what your membership status, is always welcome to any and all of LCR activities. Keep the dirty side down.
Wiliferd and Charlotte Lair |
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Director:
Wiliferd Lair
Asst Director:
Steven Short
Treasuer:
Mary Jarvis
Secretary:
Shauna Painter
Ride Coordinator:
Steve Paul
Safety:
Burl Brown
Newsletter Ed:
Lynn Myers
Webmaster:
Wiliferd LairLinks Section
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Charlotte and I just returned from Boyne Mountain, MI and Gold Rush 2011 (GWTA’s National Rally). Gold Rush was held in a ski resort. It was a nice area and much cooler (70s and low 80s) than being at home this time of year. We left fairly early on a Saturday morning and returned on a Saturday night. Gold Rush was from July 25 through July 28. We took an additional two days to travel the 860 miles each way to and from the rally. Gold Rush changes location each year. This year we were just south of the Mackinaw Bridge.
There were many good ride opportunities in the area. We had done the Mackinaw in the past as well as the Tunnel of Trees ride so we planned our own day ride for one of the days. On yet another day we followed a planned ride from the rally. Eric Larson from MI had taken the time to plan some rides and made them available to all. It was a great gesture and added considerable to the rally.
The ride we had routed for ourselves took us around the Grand Traverse Bay and up a couple of peninsulas. Views were spectacular and while there were no really significant twisties there were some nice sweeper curves. The weather was great and the views were good. It made for a nice 325 miles.
Back at the rally, the winner of the grand prize, (a choice of $10,000 in cash, a Harley Sportster, or a Honda DN1), went to a member in Illinois. It’s always nice when a member wins. We were informed there were over 500 people in attendance. There were not that many at opening and closing ceremonies but it is not unusual for many to not attend those activities. The state/province with the most members present was Ontario, Canada. I don’t remember a Gold Rush in which Canada was so well represented.
Activities there were like they have been for many years. They had the bike shows, the light parade, the light show, riding competition, and on bike games. They also offered crafts, off-bike games, Frisbee golf, battle of the regions, a pajama party, and numerous other events unrelated to motorcycles. We attended a safety seminar and looked over the vendors as well as participated in the dirty bingo a couple of times. We spent much of our time visiting with friends we rarely get to see and riding. Overall, we had a very good time.
Announcements were made that next year Gold Rush will be held at the Tan Tara Resort in Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Bruce Keenon also announced that the registration fee would be $25 (this year it was $50). On another matter, until September those who are current members and renew will be charged $50 and that price is guaranteed for life. The new membership fees will be $75 for new members and those that let their membership lapse.
Charlotte and I purchased a toy hauler RV a few months ago. The plan is to put it to good use this winter as we escape the snow and ice by heading south for the winter. We have used the RV a couple of times for local rallies, but this was to be the first major trip as we try to learn more of this new-to-us lifestyle. I am pleased to say it was highly successful. It was incredibly nice to have a comfortable place to stay each night and to be familiar with our lodging. We grilled out most nights and enjoyed our evening meals at the RV. It was really very relaxing and enjoyable. It was rather nice to be able to park both motorcycles inside each night. They were secure and dry in the morning. It also provided us a way to get Charlotte’s Spyder there so Charlotte could ride her own ride without the stress of having to ride it there (that would have been a bit much for her).
Overall, the round trip for the RV was 1765 miles. We rode about 500 miles on the bikes during the rally. The campground was not what we expected from the website but we made it work. Getting to the campground was an adventure that Charlotte said she could have lived without. The GPS routed us to a gravel road that quickly turned to dirt. The road kept getting more and more narrow. We made it past a couple of mud holes in the road before the road got so narrow that I decided I wouldn’t want to take the truck through even without the camper. By this point we were already in a situation where the tree limbs were touching the camper from both sides. Basically the one lane road had deteriorated to a trail. We opted to turn around. Get this-- we were on a narrow one lane dirt road lined with trees and decided to turn around a ¾ ton truck towing a 38 foot RV. We had passed a turn out about ¼ mile back. We backed the unit to the turn out and backed into the turnout to get turned around. We were still on sand. When I tried to back into the turnout area the rear wheels began to spin on the truck. My thoughts were, “ this is not good”. Previous farm related towing in the sand dictates that very little spinning will get a pickup deeply buried in the sand. I still had no choice so I pulled forward a little and got a running start at the soft stuff. Thank goodness, it worked. I was already thinking that this would not be a good place to get hung up. We made the turn and got back out to the blacktop road about 2 ½ miles away. From there we found another route to the campground. It was still 4 miles of gravel. That was sure better than the sand we had been on. The gravel was a nuisance when going back and forth on the bikes but it really wasn’t bad at all as gravel goes. Once there, the campground was all sand but the spots were large enough to accommodate the RV rather well. We did get a full hook up site so we were fine.
Our experience was encouraging. We really enjoyed having the RV and the expense of the fuel was more than made up by not having to pay the motel fees. Having many of our meals at home was an added bonus. We had almost no rain for the week, but on the way home after passing Lebanon we had a few hard downpours. At those times I really appreciated not being on the bike.
We hope some of our friends here can make it to Gold Rush in Lake of the Ozarks next year. One of the real advantages is the friendships that have developed over the years with others that attend these events. It is great fun visiting with those friends and making new ones. The rally itself is like most rallies, it depends on what you want to get from it. A good time is there if you choose to make it so.
Although both riders log many miles a year on their Goldwings, it was felt that this trip did not lend itself to the luxury touring bikes. Steve rode a GS650 BMW and Wiliferd rode a DL1000 Vstrom Suzuki. Both bikes are of the adventure touring class. Both were specially prepared with many options added for both comfort and durability.
The ride took them from Springfield, MO to Portal, North Dakota. They entered Canada there. Both have been in Canada many times on motorcycles. This time they were selected to have their bikes searched. This was no easy operation since both bikes were packed for a three week trip of extreme weather conditions. About an hour and a half later they were on their way.
The next two thousand miles took them through Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and on through the Yukon Territories. Along the way they saw many black bear, bison, caribou, and a few moose. Wiliferd was stopping to take a few pictures along the way. One thing he wanted to see was a Grizzly. That thought was soon to be realized as he rounded a curve to find a Grizzly and her two cubs about 50 feet from the road. He made a U-turn to get a picture. After a few shots and realizing the frustration of having a very poor zoom on the compact camera, he tried to get a little closer by riding the bike further up the road until he was as close as he dared. The momma Grizzly either wanted a close up or perhaps felt he was too close to suit her. She charged! Wiliferd had left the engine running and was still on the bike. He made a quick get-a-way, but later revealed that it seemed an eternity before he could get going again.
They picked up the Alaskan Highway (the Al-Can) at mile 0 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. They were to take this road to Fairbanks, Alaska where they planned to spend the night in the dorm at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. This plan worked out well. The last 150 miles of the Alaskan Highway had many miles of road repair going on. There was a great deal of riding in gravel. This proved to be a sign of what was yet to come. The trip to Fairbanks had taken 6 days. It was in the plan to spend the next four days getting to Prudhoe Bay and back to Fairbanks, a total of 1000 miles. Actually, the first portion of the Dalton Highway wasn’t too bad. There were many miles of gravel interspersed with stretches of blacktop. There was a little hard pack as well. This is a dirt road that has been packed very solid from use as well as a preparation by the highway department. The road is sprayed with liquid calcium chloride then graded and packed using a heavy roller. The calcium chloride helps to pack the dirt to a much harder surface. This is great for bikes so long as the rider keeps both wheels in the same shallow rut and doesn’t catch the road right behind the water truck or a rain. When dry the road is almost like blacktop, but when wet it is rather slick; as you can see in the photo.
It was with great anticipation that they reached the Arctic Circle. This is not only a major landmark but it means it is only 300 more miles to get to Prudhoe Bay. The first night of this portion of the trip found them staying at Coldfoot, AK. This is the only truck stop on the Dalton Highway. It also features a motel. The motel is a metal structure somewhat like a house trailer on the outside. The room was $200 per night. For this you got a room with two single beds, a walkway down the middle and a small restroom with plastic shower stall. The restroom had rough chipboard walls with no paint or finish. There was a TV in a large group area but none in the room.
Outside of Coldfoot there is a sign that states that the next services are 240 miles away. This creates the need for carrying extra fuel. That was part of the preparation before the trip. The auxillary fuel cell on the V-strom proved to be worthwhile. Steve carried additional gasoline containers. They also worked well but were not so convenient.
The road from that sign forward was rough to the extreme. Both riders were exceedingly glad they were not on their Wings for the final leg to Prudhoe Bay. The road was much worse than the first half of the Dalton Highway had been. As an example, the last section prior to reaching Prudhoe Bay involves a consecutive 67 miles of gravel as measured by GPS. Once you get to Deadhorse, all roads are gravel.
There was a great deal of snow in the pools of water, around the edges of the buildings, etc. The roads were clear although it had snowed with blowing snow only a couple of days before their arrival. The town is almost exclusively devoted to the oil field workers. There is a lot of off shore drilling in the Arctic Ocean at this point. The Alaskan Pipeline runs right beside the Dalton Highway. Highway traffic itself this far north is primarily large trucks and pickup trucks devoted to the pipeline upkeep. There are road tours available as far as Wiseman, about 210 miles south of Prudhoe Bay. One of the tour drivers said the tours don’t go past Wiseman, it’s just too rough. There is a limited tourist industry of sorts at Deadhorse but the tourists, for the most part, fly in. The small airport seems to be a busy place. The laws prevent anyone going out to the Arctic Ocean itself unless part of a licensed tour group. For this purpose three large tour buses were spotted in town. Our riders opted not to participate.
The purpose of the trip was to meet the challenge of getting there on motorcycles. Once there, they spent the night, purchased some stickers, and headed for home. The trip back was no less exciting than getting there.
The riders were surprised to find that WiFi was available in most of the places they stayed. They had taken sleeping bags and a tent which went unused. They had also taken an ample supply of tools, spare parts, and other items in case they were needed. Fortunately, for the most part they were unused. Mechanical troubles were limited to a new chain proving to be defective. The chain was replaced with the spare and all was well.
Two items Wiliferd commented that he wishes he had taken were a better camera and a computer. An effort to save space prevented taking the better camera and an erroneous idea that Wifi would not be available in most locations had prevented taking a lap top. The Iphone using WiFi allowed some email but was not great for typing long messages.
Gas mileage for the BMW was from 55 to 60. The V-strom did not do as well. Mileage on it was 40 to 48. The distance was a total of 8,310 miles in 16 days. Not counting the four days and 1,000 miles, 830 miles of it on the Haul Road (Dalton Highway), the average miles per day was a little better than 600. Moving average was 56 mph. The hardest day of riding was the 240 miles from Coldfoot to Prudhoe Bay.
It was a great adventure and both riders are pleased to have done it, but also pleased to be home.
Charlotte and I left on January 22, 2011 to visit good friends and fellow Lake Country Riders members, Burl and Ann Brown. They live in Springfield but moved to Phoenix, AZ for about three months. That lets them escape the cold as well as be close to their children. They invited us to come visit them there before they left. We took them up on their offer. It was a good chance to ride.
The first three days on the road it was rather cool and we rode in a hard cross wind. One day it did reach 53 but generally the temps were at or slightly above freezing. That’s O.K. thanks to electric clothing. The third day out is well worth mentioning. In fact it would have made the trip well worthwhile had there been no more to write about. We had chosen to avoid the Flagstaff area due to the likelihood of ice on the road surfaces. We left I40 and took 117 south toward 60. 117 goes past the El Mapais National Monument in New Mexico. It amounts to a lava flow area that is now a protected wildlife habitat. The posted signs advised that only activities consistent with the area were permitted. This included hunting, hiking, some camping, and research. Of the activities posted as not permitted were logging operations. The tallest trees I saw could not have exceeded about 8 feet. Somehow I don’t think the loggers would be terribly upset. It was interesting to see the lava as the major landscape over several hundred acres. Some areas, of course, had been missed by the lava and provided feed for wildlife. Although we didn’t see them, we were told of the Elk that come down from the high ground to graze just outside the visitor center. In the visitor center a spotting scope was set up on Taylor Mountain. The most interesting part of the stop at the visitor center was the clerk. She was Navaho and resides on the Navaho Reservation. She took the time to tell me about the workings of the tribal government as well as her own exploration of the country. She did tell us that when she leaves the reservation, she is supposed to have documentation. Otherwise she and her tribe would be considered an illegal. She stated that with the tightening of restrictions, the tribal people generally consider some areas off limits to them. One that she mentioned was Tucson. I would reckon that’s another side of the illegal immigration situation. What really made the trip was yet to come. After a mile of rough gravel one way to see a sandstone lookout over El Malpais (probably not worth it on a Goldwing), we rode to Show Low, AZ. Hiway 60 from Show Low to Globe was one amazing road. A large portion of it is through the best mountain scenery I think I have ever seen on a bike. The canyons are rough and deep. The road is filled with great curves and yet has an excellent surface. There was very little traffic. Of course, altitude trumps latitude – as my good friend says--, the temps were cool to say the least but the scenery and riding experience was enough to keep us warm. It is a road to add to your bucket list, it’s that good.
We arrived at Burl’s house on Tuesday afternoon, right on schedule. On Wednesday, we rode with he and Ann to a place called Jerome, AZ. This was in the mountains via scenic 60, 89, and 89A. We had a wonderful ride with great twisties and excellent scenery. The altitude at one point read 7000 feet. The mountain views were spectacular. The town of Jerome is an old Copper mining town and certainly looks the part. The street is very narrow and the buildings are built on the edge of the street with barely room for sidewalks. With the mines long since closed, it is now a tourist town. We had a great meal then walked the shops a bit. I purchased T-shirts which states that we had ridden to Jerome with 158 curves in 12 miles. That is certainly no exaggeration.
Charlotte had not been feeling well this whole trip so on Thursday we left her at Burl’s house. He and I met with the Flying Wheels Motorcycle Club to ride with them for the day. This is a club that Burl has started riding with since he moved to Phoenix. It was a nice ride with a good group of individuals. Some of their organization for the rides is something we may want to consider for LCR.
On Friday, Charlotte and I rode to Casa Grande Ruins National Historic Site. Since this was my birthday and I was now old enough (62) to qualify for the National Parks Senior Pass, I paid my $10 for a lifetime pass to every National Park and National Monument in the nation. This basically gives me the same privileges as the annual pass I have paid $80 for each year for some time. Being old has its perks!!!
The area is in the desert not too far from two rivers. It seems in 1200 and 1300 A.D. a group of Indian people later to be called the Hohokam had developed a thriving community in this inhospitable place. There were no building materials, not even any trees larger than the scrub brush, from which to build shelters. They found a claylike material beneath the surface of the sand. When mixed with water it became very sticky and would dry hard. Cactus spines, sticks, etc. were then covered with a great deal of mud to make it water resistant. After at least 700 years remnants of these structures are still standing. The most amazing part of the story is the irrigation cannels designed and constructed to support the farm operations of these people. Water was channeled up to 26 miles from the Gila River. They raised cotton, beans, many vegetables and tobacco right out in the desert where very little grows naturally. This was the Stone Age!!
We rode back the 75 miles or so via a different route from that which had taken us there. We were trying to avoid the construction zones and have a more scenic route. In those points we succeeded but were disappointed in the pace of the very heavy traffic. That night we went with Burl and Ann to see a music act in their housing area. It was a nice performance of many types of music. The most noteworthy portion would have to be the major role a harmonica player had in the show. There were easily more than 1,000 people in attendance.
Saturday, we were well aware that Springfield was likely to get more snow early the next week. We decided we didn’t want to get home early enough to have to contend with ice covered roads. I chose a route to take us to the Yuma Prison on the Southwest side of Arizona, then to the Sand Dunes of CA before going back east with a stop at the Pipe Organ Cactus National Monument in Southern AZ. We would then follow a more southern route so we could stay as warm as possible and avoid the Interstate. For Saturday, Burl and Ann had a road trip of their own. Charlotte was still croupy so we stayed put to give her a day to rest up before we start out again.
Sunday we rode to visit the Yuma Territorial Prison. The prison is now just a tourist attraction and not significantly different than you might imagine. Some of the stories of inmates kept there was interesting. Of more interest was that after the prison closed due to overcrowding the site was used as a high school. During a football game the Yuma team was taunted by the other team as being criminals. The name stuck and the school still refers to itself as the “crims”. Another use of the site was a home for many of the homeless during the depression. Monday found us on our way to California to see the Sand Dunes. They are very large and impressive as an off road playground. We only saw them from the rest area as admission is prohibitively expensive just for a look see. I certainly didn’t want to take the wing out to play in the sand. We then visited the petroglyph park. There was a large mound of rocks and many examples of drawings (carvings). These dated back to the Hohokam Indians of 1200 to 1300 A.D. There were also other Indian drawings which had come later. Both visits were interesting but not terribly exciting.
On Tuesday we visited the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. That was a site I really wanted to see as the cacti have become of real interest on this trip due to the ways in which they have been used by the desert peoples. The Organ Pipe Cactus can be 20 feet or more in height and live about 100 years. The Saguaro Cactus can be up to 50 feet high (I didn’t see any near this tall) and be up to 200 years old. The Saguaro is the cacti often seen in the old west movies. It turns out there is a wood skeleton inside the Cactus plant. These spines were used for basic building material and coated with a form of mud to make the building water resistant. They produce a fruit that is highly prized as food by the Indian tribes as well as birds. It was interesting that a young Saguaro cannot tolerate direct sunlight therefore a host plant helps to insure survival by providing some shade and protection. As the young Saguaro grows it will become larger than the host plant and eventually kill the host by starving it for water. We saw many examples of Saguaro growing up thru the dead branches of scrub brush. There was a short nature study walk and some trails and roads to see the area. We took the Mountain View road which was the longest and said to have the best scenery. The only problem was it is a 21 mile, one lane, rough rocky dirt road with sharp turns. Vehicles over 24 feet were prohibited as well as those pulling a trailer. It really wasn’t as bad as it sounds and we made it fine. I did scrape on a few of the rocks but managed to miss most of them. The surface was hard packed. The worst of the road was the dust that really seems to like a yellow wing as well as the screen of the GPS. Charlotte said it reminded her of our Salmon Glacier adventure in British Columbia a few years ago. I could see the resemblance. The views were great and there were some short stretches of pavement in the mountains. On our way, we were delayed by the Border Patrol. They had the road blocked as they were loading some young handcuffed Mexicans in a van designed for the purpose. There were at least two vans, one pickup, and two 4 wheelers there as well as a number of border patrol officers. No one even spoke to us so we proceeded when the road was again clear.
The ride to Tucson went without incident although we did have to miss the desert museum just to the west of Tucson. We hadn’t eaten all day and Tucson was the first place we got to with a restaurant. We stopped at a Golden Corel about 4:30 in the afternoon. Any food is great when you are hungry enough. It was good.
We left Tucson on Wednesday knowing we had to head for home. The temperature was warm and nice by the time we left. By the time we got to Deming, NM it was 12 degrees and windy enough I felt I was testing the lean limits of the Wing in an effort to go in a straight line. The stop was preempted by Charlotte advising that her electric clothing was not getting current. The problem was a fuse (easily replaced). We found a motel for the night and immediately started working on changes for the route. The weather has turned bitter and our route no longer seems to be a good choice. We are now seeking to stay on the hiways in hopes that they will be clear of snow and ice. We are still 1100 miles or so from home and the interstates were closed today due to snow accumulation. This doesn’t sound good on two wheels. The thermometer on the bike was beyond its limits when we went to a Wendy’s to grab something to eat. The display came up blank. Later I learned it was 8 degrees with a wind chill of -14. Thursday wasn’t fairing much better. The temp was 7 degrees with a wind chill of a minus 14. The high for the day was to be 24 and that at 3 p.m. Road conditions are questionable but passable. We were concerned not so much about the cold while riding as what might happen given a break down. I reserved the motel room for another night and we will sit out a day. The rest of the story is that Charlotte is still coughing profusely. I rode to Wal Mart to get her some cough syrup.
Friday found us on the road again for home. We opted to change our route so we could stay on the interstates. The decision was based on the expectation that the additional traffic would help the roads be clear. That and we were well aware that the Interstates would be the most likely to be ploughed. The decision turned out to be a good one even though it added miles. We had a good travel day which was only bested by Saturday. The weather was much warmer than was forecasted. The temperatures hit 63 and were well into the 50s much of the day. We made it to Tulsa, OK with little problem. The road was wet past Oklahoma City but no ice. That changed when we left the Interstate to find a motel in Tulsa. We went to one to find the lot was covered with deep snow and the room was very poor. I made a couple of phone calls. Super 8 advised that they were unable to get anyone to grade the lot after the last snow. Motel 6 said their lot was graded twice today so I would have no problems getting the motorcycle in and out. The road to it was about two blocks long and had not been graded at all. I high centered trying to get on the road. Some very helpful individuals helped us get going again. Shortly thereafter I dropped the bike on the ice. The same group helped us out again. There was no way to turn around so I had to proceed to the motel. The good Samaritans followed us to be sure we made it. In fact Charlotte rode with them in their pickup truck. Once to the motel the lot had not been cleaned at all that we could tell. I knew getting out the next morning would be nearly impossible. The helpful men followed me back to the Super 8 which we had passed along the way. With their help a couple of times I made it. They were so kind as to stay until I got checked in and to the parking area. They refused any compensation. The actions of these total strangers reinforced our belief in the kindness of others. The room was fine and the rate was outstanding.
The next morning we borrowed a shovel from the motel maintenance staff so we could attempt to dig out a path to reach the McDonald’s right next door. McDonald’s was relatively clear. We chipped away at the ice for a couple of hours. By then I had a path that I felt was maybe possible with about 20 yards left of packed ice. That ice was several inches thick and packed by the 18 wheelers coming in and out to get to the truck lot next to the motel. In addition the area was shaded which effectively prevented what melting the rest had gotten from the sun. Charlotte stood by in case I got in trouble. The bike squirmed about like a snake on hot coals but pulled through the section fine. We then carried our bags to the bike. Charlotte stayed at the restaurant while I went to a QT just a couple of blocks away. A full tank of gas seemed to be the way to go since the Interstate was good and off the Interstate not so much so. A call to Steve Short to respond to his kind offer of help was made. Another was made to Steve Paul to respond to a similar kindness. Both had offered to bring a trailer and come after us if needed. Steve Paul informed us that it was much warmer than had been forecast in Springfield. He had also checked some roads for me and provided good news regarding road conditions to our home. We made it fine right to the driveway. Our drive was not good so we turned into a neighbor’s drive that had been cleaned. We left the bike there while I bladed the drive. With Charlotte’s help, it didn’t take long.
With the bike put away and the drive clean, it was nice to be home and to relax after another good trip. Stat wise, we were gone 15 days, traveled 3,970 miles, and had a good time all in the middle of the worst of winter. Life is good!
On Saturday, June 14, Lake Country Riders met at Remingtons at 5 p.m. to start a route 66 ride to Carthage. We left there with 9 members and 6 bikes. Steve and Gloria Short did a great job of planning and leading the ride. Gloria had done some research and served as a tour guide via the CB radio.
The group stopped to eat at Iggie's Diner in Carthage. The diner is in character for the ride with a 50's style building. The diner is owned by the same people that own Cookie's Restaurant in Golden City where we have eaten many times on our rides. The food certainly lived up to our high expectations. Service was good. This is now a recommended place to eat.
The Big Screen
Following a leisurely dinner, we rode to the drive in movie just down the road a bit. There was a rather lengthy line back down the road as a large number of cars were waiting to get in. The wait was a short one and we had room to pull on to the shoulder of the road while in line. We were all able to park together. Most of us had brought lawn chairs. Steve and Gloria had brought drinks to share. Robert Donkers had brought his trailer in case anyone needed lawn chairs hauled. Phillip and Mona Duncan had also brought a trailer.
Arrival
Struglling with Technology
The movie was an Indianna Jones flick. If you like lots of action and special effects, this was a good one to see. In the end, the hero gets the girl of his dreams and is united with the now adult son he didn't know he had. As Phillip said, "it's a love story."
It was a great time. Getting home a little late was trivial compared to the great time we had with some very good friends. The only short coming was that more of our people couldn't be there to share in the fun.
Friends, Robert, Charlotte, and Mona Having a Good Time Together
We left our home in Springfield, MO on December 13. It was 29 degrees and the forecast was for 4 to 6 inches of snow in the next couple of days. It seemed a good time to get on our bike and ride south. Thursday was mostly cold. We wore our Gerbing clothing all day. We quickly realized it was a mistake not to wear our electric socks. The pants and jackets were nice anyway. Friday, we had a good day of riding in cool but not cold weather. We found little change in New Orleans and very little change in Biloxi. It was like Biloxi had quit working after we had been there before. There is a lot about the behavior of the people in both areas that I figure I was not meant to understand. Saturday the day started out cloudy but warm and nice. We had a point selected in which we knew we would have to decide whether to continue along the coast or to ride over to hiway 10 and take it to Tallahassee. At that point, it was still cloudy but it wasn’t raining. It was very comfortable weather for riding so we opted to stay along the coast for a more scenic ride. That worked only for about another 30 miles. The rain began coming down in sheets. We spent the rest of the day riding in rain. Frequently this was a hard rain. It stopped just before we reached Tallahassee and our son’s apartment.
We spent a couple of days with our son and daughter in law before moving on. It was good to see them. She is pregnant with a high risk pregnancy and feels she cannot travel for the holidays. We have to admit that is probably for the best. We are most anxious to have our first grandchild. It was good that we could travel to them to celebrate Christmas even if it was a little early. While there, they took us to a plantation in Georgia. We did get to see an interesting auto collection. They had a 1934 Packard there that defies description. This and many others were actually in use during the time of this being a working plantation.
From there we rode to Orlando to visit relatives. The next afternoon we visited Darrell and Fran Broten, some good friends in GWTA. They reside in Eau Claire, Wisconsin but are staying in Kissimmee during the summer while they are working at Sea World. We had a great visit and vowed to return when we could have more time to spend some time riding in the area with them. We had planned to visit Sea World on Wednesday but changed our minds and went to the East Coast instead. Cocoa Beach was at red tide, so that was a bust. Charlotte then mentioned visiting the Kennedy Space Center so we did. That took a couple of days to see.
There was a lot to learn at the center. Some of it makes science fiction look a little less like fiction. One thing I found on real interest was that Leonardo De Vinci designed a flying machine in 1492. Interesting was that the first successful flight did not happen till 1903. We also found that the designs being perfected are not so different than what we have seen in comic books. I found it especially interesting that the fuel used in space craft is primarily hydrogen. Kerosene hasn’t been used for many years. They even have a prototype of a propulsion device which uses a laser to superheat one end. The superheated air at that end causes the device to move. They are also seeking ways to obtain fuel while enroute. They are working on ways of harvesting the limited fuels that exist in space and putting those to use to propel their craft.
Another real point of interest is where we are with the space station which is currently manned and in orbit around the earth. It is still being built for future experiments by the USA, Russia, and other countries. It is amazing in that space travel really took off mostly as a result of irrational fear during the cold war. It is now a great collaborative effort between those same countries.
While we were there, they sent an unmanned rocket into space to deliver a global positioning satellite. We use some of this technology everyday when we rely on our GPS units for direction. We do benefit from the space program. Another area that caught my attention was that they are developing new computer chips in the research portion of the space station. This development, they said, could not occur without the weightless environment present in space.
On Wednesday night, we stayed in a motel called the Apollo in Cocoa (near Cocoa Beach). The rate was most reasonable but the real highlight was that the room provided so much more than was expected. It is not unusual for us to look for something less than brand name motels in our travels. We come to expect a small room with limited extras. This time we were surprised to find the room was rather large. The restroom was first rate and the heat system worked very well. There was a paper rose on the pillows, nice little extras were throughout. There was even a Christmas card from the motel to the guests. I am usually rather quiet concerning the motel but this was one worth visiting.
We stopped to relatives in Northern MS on our return trip. That put us back in Springfield on Sunday night. We had traveled some 2800 miles in 11 days. Not much for distance, but a great trip in terms of enjoyment. Now it is time to plan for another trip south. We’ve been home four days and I can hear the road calling.
Charlotte and I traveled to Ste. Genevieve for the rally with Steve Short. We each planned our own routes and rode them independently. As Steve once commented we are both perhaps a little competitive--even with each other. Steve worked very hard on his route. He is very experienced in route planning and can see things in a route that I would not notice. I, on the other hand, usually tell the GPS where I want to go and count on the electronic genius to plan for me. As usual, I later learned that probably was not such a good idea.
Steve chose to route mostly in Missouri. Steve's route took him some 400 miles to visit Old Mines Park, St Joe State Park, Elephant Rocks, Pilot Knob, Johnson Shut-Ins, Caster River Campground, a gravel creek ford in the middle of a forest he will probably never be able to find again, Marquand Hideaway, Clearwater Lake Dam, and a landing on the Current River. He got back with 10 minutes to spare. His good planning and execution resulted in no penalty points.
When we planned our route, we felt we had been to most of the sites in Missouri. Always looking to see something new, we chose to set our route mostly for Illinois. Our route took us to a 200 year old wagon trail, the Popeye Statue,a Pipe Bridge, the Bald Knob Cross, Olmstead Dam, Grand Chain Lodge (for Lunch), Joppa Spur--Ohio River Landing, Superman Statue, Wooldridge Monuments, Ft. Jefferson Cross, and the Root Beer Saloon. We wound up with 340 miles and 4 states in 8 hours and 14 minutes. This gave us a 1,400 point penalty for being late.
The results were announced following a superb banquet at the Cape Girardeau BMW Dealership. Steve had earned 9,550 points. Using blind luck as our guide, we had somehow accumulated 17,300 points. This was the top score for the rally. Unfortunately, the 1400 penalty points gave us a net point value of 15,900 points. Fourth place in our class meant we were two places away from an award. It doesn't matter too much to us. We didn't expect to win the rally anyway. We did expect to have a good time, to learn something and to see some sights. In this we succeeded in spades.
We learned that when we are traveling with time of the essence, it is a good idea to have a map (you know--an anolog GPS) along and within easy view. That could have saved us many miles and several minutes over blindly following the GPS. We also learned that it would have been a good idea to have followed my first instinct and ordered a bag of chips for lunch. We were required to eat for the bonus points but what we ate was not specified. Chips would have been a much faster order than hot ham and cheese. We were so high on adrenaline that hunger was not an issue anyway. We learned that when you plan a gas stop in another state it is a good idea to check the location of the nearest filling station. The stations were within 50 feet of the state line but were all on the Kentucky side. That meant a trip to Union City, TN to find the nearest gas station. Adding 30 miles, round trip, to our route was not a good idea when time was running out. We also learned, and this is Steve's favorite part, not to have a wardrobe malfunction when you are in a hurry and don't have one near a popular attraction.
It was plain cold when we started our day at 6:30 a.m. I don't yet have my electric clothing controls on the new Wing so I was using layers. By the time we made the Superman Statue in Metropolis it was about 80 degrees and I was feeling cooked. The winter pants came off fine but the Kilamanjaro Jacket zipper had stuck. Two teeth were seeking to go into one slot. The liner in the jacket just had to be removed and I couldn't get the blasted zipper undone. Charlotte tried to help and this brought many cracks from some of the audience to our situation. We were still there by the Superman statue so we had lots of company and no sympathy. I finally decided all my dancing was not getting the zipper undone so I removed it from my arms and let it hang around my hips and legs while we removed the liner. With Charlotte's help I managed to get the jacket back on. It could wait until after check in to be removed. We made many mistakes which led to our penalty points. It was all a good learning experience and didn't take away from the fun we were having at all.
The rally url is: http://www.notsupermanrally.com.
The full results are posted there as well as pictures. Charlotte is in a couple of the pictures.
Wiliferd Lair at Grand Tetons
We returned from Sioux Falls, SD and Gold Rush for a few days before heading for Colorado and the Trail Ridge Ride with Chapter T. That was a great event by itself but has been reported elsewhere. From there we rode to the Grand Teton National Park. Great scenery and a good time! We then went to Yellowstone National Park. Our last visit here was somewhat of a disappointment for me as the East side roads were closed. Old Faithful and the boiling mud pits are unique and were nice to see, but the scent of sulfur is like hot peppers—a little bit will do ya! I really wanted to see the wildlife and nature’s scenery. This time the east side was open so that is where we went. I was thrilled the whole time. We saw a young Grizzly from a distance. At one point he stood on his hind legs to better see the commotion on the road as we all strained to get a better view of him. Later, we were to see a Black bear just down the hill from the road as it searched for food. The real wildlife treat came from seeing a herd of Bison come down a hill and swim across a river.
Bison on the Move
That was definitely something I had not seen previously. It was a nice visit in a beautiful park. An added bonus was meeting a group of riders from Springfield as they were going south as we were headed north in Yellowstone. A call on the CB got them to stop long enough for us to make a U-turn and visit with them for a bit before continuing.
We then traveled to Calgary, Canada where we had agreed to meet Steve Short. He got there well before us and had phoned even before we got out of the states. The next day we rode through Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada. The scenery is beyond description. The Columbia Ice Fields made a marked impression with their sheer beauty. We saw many glaciers, waterfalls, and snow capped mountaintops. This was probably the best scenery I have seen anywhere.
The rest of our Canadian crossing was perhaps a little less thrilling, but nice. At one point, we stopped for pictures at a sign that Steve told us were a tradition with the Iron Butt folks. Another rider was there and asked us to take his picture as well. This was about 80 miles or so from Hyder.
Steve had reserved us a room in Stewart, BC, just outside of Hyder. We checked in then went into Alaska. We really didn’t need the road signs to tell us we were entering Alaska. The blacktop ending was a good clue. Steve had told us Hyder is an old mining town and not to expect too much. I could handle small town as that is what I like anyway, but I guess I rather expected asphalt roads, or at least gravel. What we had was dirt—not a sign of gravel. The dirt road through town was very lacking in repair and was blessed with lots of character—O.K. potholes. It was fun just trying to ride around the potholes as we tried to get down Main Street. The buildings are best described as shacks. I have no idea how they remain standing when the snow hits. The people were friendly.
Steve asked to buy us a beer. That sounded good even to Charlotte. It had been a long day on the road. Steve knew just which bar we would enter. It turned out to be a bar that caters to the Iron Butt crowd. Steve immediately looked for his picture on the wall as a completer of the Hyder Seek competition from last year. It was there along with others that had ridden in 48 states plus Alaska and done it all within the 10 day time frame. That isn’t something I aspire to, but I am quick to say it is an amazing feat. Three cans of beer turned out to $11+. We aren’t much for drinking but that seemed rather high to me.
We then rode to the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Center about 6 miles down a dirt road. Again, my US National Parks pass provided our group full admission. This was a site that alone would have made the trip worthwhile. A boardwalk provides a safe vantage point for watching as wild bear come into the creek to catch the migrating salmon. We were thrilled just to see the fish. The creek was full of large salmon. While we were there a large Grizzly walked under the boardwalk and entered the creek. He walked up and down a bit before fishing in earnest. A few splashes seems to have caused the salmon to enter the edge of the creek where the Grizzly seized a nice one almost immediately. He took the fish up on the road we had come in on. He walked down the road with it for a bit according to what we were told by others that happened to be on the road at the time.
We had seen a black bear get close to the creek but did not enter it. According to the signs, Black Bear and Grizzly are not real friendly toward each other and all bear protect their favored fishing holes. The Black bear stay away when Grizzlys are present for good reason. They dwarf the Grizzly in size. We were fortunate enough to get a few pictures.
The next morning we were back by 6:30 a.m. We had been told of a mama Grizzly with three cubs that frequently come to the creek. We didn’t get to see them but we did see a Grizzly try relentlessly and unsuccessfully to catch a fish. This time I had the movie camera so we filmed this one. After a while we left to have breakfast then visit Salmon Glacier. This was another 23 miles or so down the dirt road. We soon went out of Alaska and into British Columbia. Salmon Glacier is cited as the world’s largest road accessible glacier. The dirt road was similar to what we had in Hyder, except maybe more and deeper potholes. It was also going up the mountain. There were a couple of spots where roadside snow contributed to making the road wet. It wasn’t bad slick but wet in those spots. Only in one area was water actually running down the road. The potholes and dust were another story. The choking dust was everywhere. The windshield became hard to see through. The holes were deep enough it was imperative to try to avoid them. Unfortunately, I missed a series of three. We bounced hard. At the top of the mountain, Steve remarked that I had something wrong. I had oil all over the the left side of the front of the bike. The potholes had taken my left fork seal as a casualty. I assured Steve and Charlotte it wasn’t a big deal, we could ride it home and I would change the fork seals at home. At one point on the way up we were behind a large pickup truck with a very large camper. The truck was making maybe 10 miles per hour. The camper was bouncing a great deal. I couldn’t help but think, “if he had any china in the cabinets, he now has pieces.” Motorcycles do have some advantages, even on the narrow road we were finally able to pass.
The Glacier was well worth the trip, and the fork seal. It was beautiful beyond description. Our trip back down seemed to be better for some reason. Maybe it was because Steve led on the way up but on the way back he was eating our dust.
We went to fish creek again that evening to try again to see the bear catching fish. This time we were unsuccessful but did enjoy seeing a bald eagle and a duck and ducklings. The fish, of course, were also good to watch for a while. We didn’t really want to make another late night of it so we headed back toward town before it got terribly late. There was a truck ahead of us pulling a camper. The rough dirt road full of potholes was cause for him going very slow. As we got up behind him he stopped. My thought was an act of kindness to let the bikes pass. As I started to go around I realized there was another reason entirely. A large Grizzly was walking toward us on the dirt road. The couple in the truck was having a great time taking pictures from the safety of the cab of the truck. Charlotte took some pictures, too, but she did it from the safety of the back seat of the Bumblebee. I reckon she felt a little less secure than did the couple in the truck. Steve probably felt even less secure as he sat on his bike behind us.
I tried to reassure him later. He asked what I was thinking at the time. I explained that if bad came to worse I knew I couldn’t outrun the bear but then I knew I didn’t really have to. All I needed to do was outrun Steve.
We headed for home the next day. We followed mostly the same route and had reservations in Prince George and Calgary. From Calgary went to Billings, MT where we split up. Steve Short is one of our country’s best in the Iron Butt Rides. While I admire his ability to do something he really enjoys, it does make our long distance riding styles a little different. At Billings, he continued for another 300 miles or so. He rode the last 1,000 miles the next day to get home. Charlotte and I spent the night in Billings then got sidetracked the next day with a sign that said something about Little Big Horn. We wound up spending more than a half-day visiting and reading about the site of Custer’s last stand. From there we rode to Casper, WY. The next day we visited the National Heritage Trails Museum, then rode to Scott’s Bluff, NE to visit Scott’s Bluff National Monument. This was one of the major landmarks on the Oregon Trail. All three places were great to visit and of historical significance. The visits did prolong the trip, but then we weren’t on a time line anyway.
The final day for us is worth mentioning. We were 800 miles from home and had planned to make it a two-day trip. We planned to cover 500 miles the first day then 300 the last day and get home early in the day. We rested in, got a late start, and stopped for a good lunch along the way. We were in NE on the highway. The speed limit was 75, which I pushed just a little. After 500 miles it was still early in the day and neither of us were really ready to stop. We opted to ride another 100. We stopped for dinner at that point but again felt we weren’t really wore out and we were only 200 miles from home. Anyone can ride 200 miles, so we did. We got home about 11:30 that night. That was the longest day of our trip but it was nice to sleep in our own bed.
The stats were 15 days on the road. We covered 6,263 miles (odometer reading). Gasoline price high was in the Canadian National Park where we paid a little more than $5 per gallon when converted to gallons. Generally, gas in Canada ran slightly over $1.39 per liter. That clearly comes to over $4 per gallon, conservative estimate. The Iway GPS shows a top speed of 976.94 miles per hour. I don’t remember that. I think maybe it was a GPS malfunction!
We left home on a Saturday morning, headed through Arkansas to Tennessee. Using our GPS for guidance, we found we were also traveling through Mississippi, enroute to the Shiloh National Military Park, site of one of the bloodiest two days during the Civil War. Turned out that our drive through northern Mississippi included seeing the town of Corinth, which played a role in the battle of Shiloh. Having driven through there, we now know where Corinth is, and can relate to that part of the story as well.
We arrived at Shiloh after 5pm, which meant that the Visitor Center was closed for the evening, but we were still able to drive around the battlefield on our own. It was a quiet time, which let us take as much time as we chose to see various things. Realizing that we were walking where so many men - a total of nearly 24,000 for both sides, either killed, wounded, or missing, had given their last full measure of devotion, fighting for their cause, was a very moving experience for me. Then we could turn around and see, where once a battle had raged, now there are deer peacefully grazing in the field.
The next day, we decided to add the Chickamauga battlefield to our itinerary, so we added that to the GPS, and were off. There, we were able to visit a museum in the Visitor Center, which gave us more insight to not only the battle there, but added to our understanding of the Civil War as a whole. We spent some time touring that battlefield as well, stopping to take in some of the sights and monuments. Then it was off to find the Cherohala Skyway, known in North Carolina as one of their most expensive roads. It reportedly sees little traffic other than the many motorcyclists who come to enjoy its twisties.
While traveling the sixty miles of Cherohala, we were reminded in a graphic way that it is unwise to ride beyond one's skill level, as a rider attempted to pass us. Unfortunately, there was a curve immediately ahead, and after accelerating to ride around us, he was unable to negotiate it without laying his bike down. He sustained only some pretty nasty road rash, but his bike was not rideable. During our conversation with him following the incident, we learned that he had trailered his brand new bike to the area, and was spending a few days enjoying riding in the hills. Luckily his injuries were not any more serious, and his bike will most likely be repairable. Hopefully he will develop better riding skills before attempting roads like this in the future. Nevertheless, the lesson was crystal clear to us. We have had one trip end in a less than satisfactory fashion, and would like to not have that happen again. Always riding at the top of one's game, not going beyond one's comfort level, and knowing the limits of the equipment are all vital to meeting this goal.
After spending the night in Robbinsville, NC, and while packing the bike and getting ready for our planned ride of the Dragon, we were approached by a man who identified himself as a reporter for the local newspaper, and he was doing a story about motorcycle tourism and its impact on the local economy, and would I mind if he took our picture for his article? We responded that we would not mind at all. Hence, we were highlighted in the local paper, a nice little extra during our vacation.
We had heard much about the vaunted “Dragon”, and wanted to have our shot at taming this famous road. We tackled it on a Monday, so were able to avoid the heavy weekend traffic. The road was all that it was cracked up to be. Somehow, packing 318 curves into only 11 miles means that there aren't too many straight stretches. To a motorcyclist, that is just about heaven!
We liked to so much that we rode it twice! Actually, we wanted to fit in another road, which meant that we had to get back to the beginning of the Dragon, so we pretty much had to do this. The scenery in this region is something that is not to be missed! We were able to traverse the Dragon twice, without contributing anything to the Tree of Shame – a place of dubious recognition to those who were, for any reason, unable to tame the Dragon, including those who are no longer with us, due to their time on the Dragon.
After taming the Dragon, we headed off on another section of highway known locally as the Hellbender. It's about as twisty as the Dragon, a little wider, and just as pretty, and was our route to get us to the eastern entrance to Great Smokey Mountians National Park. This was also a very scenic ride, in a park that borders on Tennessee and North Carolina. Upon exiting the park, we found ourselves in Gatlinburg, which basically is Branson of the Smokeys. Traffic there was only able to creep along. This proved to be the warmest temperatures of our trip, climbing into the mid-90s. After three days straight last year of temperatures over 100, we didn't mind this.
After a planned stop at the Bushtec factory for some work on our trailer, it was off to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, which sits at the common border of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. There, we rode up to the top of Pinnacle Overlook, and found not only another Civil War fortress, but a fantastic view as well. This road isn't very long, but the twisties there were even tighter than anything the Dragon had to offer! Nevertheless, we made it up and back without incident, and headed off west across Kentucky.
We stopped in and visited Mammoth Cave National Park, as well as the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The visit to the cave was welcome, as in summer it's always considerably cooler down inside than it is up on the surface.
We encountered one thunderstorm strong enough to make us stop for a time in eastern Kentucky. Had a couple of other times when we got a little rain, but we were really at the edge of the cloud so decided to keep on going and were able to outrun the rain. Looking back behind us, we could see that the rain was coming down quite heavily, but we were in the dry, so we were glad about that.
We made a stop in Dale, Indiana, to visit an antique musical instrument museum. This was a pleasant event for us. We had a nice conversation with the curator, and compared many notes about their collection and what I remember from my Father's shop, where he used to restore instruments of that vintage. Then, it was off to Paducah, Kentucky, for a visit to the American Quilter's Museum. The handiwork on display there is really remarkable. To see the minute detail that these people have worked into their pieces is amazing. I always marvel at the artwork that my wife puts into her quilts, and now I can appreciate what others are able to produce as well.
After our stop in Paducah, we ventured back into the state of Missouri, having planned our trip to include stops at six state parks that are part of the Friendship Tour for this year. We had visited three of them, and stopped for the night in Potosi. As we pulled in to the hotel, we met friends from Springfield who were in that area for a ministry at the local correctional facility. The next day, we headed north to visit more state parks, and included a stop at the Daniel Boone homestead in Defiance. That was very interesting for us, as we had also stopped earlier at Cumberland Gap, where Daniel Boone led settlers through to the west.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable, informative trip. No mechanical or health issues to slow us down. Always able to find comfortable, affordable lodging, and were regularly able to keep in touch with family via the internet (How did we ever get along without it??) We had some activities and stops planned before leaving home, but also had left some time open, so felt we had the freedom to add to our trip as we felt the urge. This trip has spurred us to want to plan other trips to visit historic sites, and learn more about our heritage.
The weather was just beautiful. There were six bikes and 10 riders at Remingtons ready to go on a ride. Roy Staeger met us there to see us off. Roy has been communicating by email so far due to conflicts preventing his participation with us on our activities. He couldn't make this ride either but it was good to meet him.
Bill and Mary Jarvis led us out hiway 14 toward Ava. It was a good ride on a good motorcycle road. At one point Bill was apparently attempting to take us to Rockbridge via a back way. He radioed back to ask if we wanted to go down a gravel road. No one responded other than myself. I told him if the road wasn't too bad I had no problems with it. The gravel road turned out to be several miles. The road surface was good and the scenery was good.
As frequently happens on such roads, especially on the day following rain, there were some soft spots. We were even entertained by a couple of water crossings. The soft spots were not all the way across the road and the water wasn't very deep and only a short distance across. We had one low water bridge crossing which was great for the passenger as it provided great scenery. Unfortunately, the bridge had a great deal of debris on it so our photographer was more interested in making sure her pilot was avoiding the obstacles than in taking pictures.
The road then culminated in a fairly steep down hill. It was a pretty long downhill but again we had a good surface, no loose gravel, and not even any large stones in the way. We then found our way, albeit a good distance, to the Rockbridge. We had about a 15 minute wait to get seating as it was a beautiful day at a major attraction. The late lunch was even better due to our hunger. Rockbridge always serves a good fare and this was not a dissappointment.
Our next stop was at a mill that, it turns out, has been sold and is now a private residence. We enjoyed the stop anyway.
One more episode was yet to come. Ron McCall was leading us to Hodgeson Mill when we encountered a number of cattle on the road. One was standing in the middle of the road and seemed in no hurry to move. Eventually they did and wound up going through an open gate on the other side of the road. We presumed that's where they had come from. We then rode to Hodgeson Mill. It was beautiful as usual.
The trip home was rather uneventful. It was getting rather late by the time we reached home but we felt we had a great day with good people. It was an excellant way to spend the day.
If you missed this one, I hope you can make our next ride.
Lake Country Riders held its annual Polar Bear Ride on January 1, 2007. Eight hardy soles and their bikes rode the 82 miles. Following the ride, the group went to the home of chapter members Jason and Michelle Jarvis. There the riders enjoyed chili made by Ron McCall and delivered by his lovely wife, Carla. The group also feasted on veggies and dip, cornbread, cinnamon rolls, jello, brownies, and drinks. All seemed to have a good time and enjoyed the good weather for the occasion.
. . .
Just got back from a quick trip to Nova Scotia to ride the Cabot Trail. If you follow my rides you will remember last year my Kansas riding buddy Mike and I rode to Nova Scotia by way of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mike had a rough winter with cancer treatments and I told him he could pick this year’s big trip. He picked Alaska in 2003 while setting next to his tent with an alligator floating not twenty feet from us near Daytona Beach at Bike Oktoberfest. This trip would include the historical Fort Knox in Maine and hopefully little duplication of the 2005 route.
After visiting Fort Knox we headed to Nova Scotia by the land route. Last year we took the CAT ferry from Bar Harbor, Maine to save some time. This year we decided to save some money. The Canadian posted speed limits are in KPH and very conservative. We usually stretched it a bit and rode with the traffic flow. In Nova Scotia we routed to Prince Edward Island. PEI was much more developed with significantly more agriculture than NS. Potatoes appeared to be the main crop with corn, wheat and hay also being observed. We saw a lot of hay being put up but few cattle. What struck us both about this trip was the little country churches. Most were plain white boxes with huge steeples. Some very intricate in detail. The bright green lawns of churches and homes were nearly all manicured. We thought that the long winters gave folks more reason to work on their lawns.
If you are considering a ride up north you will find gas a little more expensive and signage very much like home with a couple of exceptions. While riding in the Yukon in 2004 we never passed a gas station if we had over 75 miles. That was not the case in the eastern part of Canada where stations are plentiful and open during regular hours. Converting kph to mph is easy if your speedometer is dual marked. We missed the familiar signs that state how many miles to the next city but that is no problem if you have a GPS. The biggest problem with riding in Canada will be discussed latter!
We took the ferry from PEI to the Cape Breton area of NS. This ferry was more of the conventional type not like the CAT from last year that went 55 mph. I took a little nap during the hour plus trip. The CAT furnished large straps that were placed over the seat and tightened. This trip we just parked the bikes in gear. There were probably twenty other bikes on board with only one being local. We saw and talked to scores of folks making the trail ride on two wheels. Harley was probably the most popular.
The Cabot trail is primarily through a Canadian park, mostly along the seashore and very, very pretty. Some folks have said it may be the most scenic route in the world. Only if route 7 in Arkansas had seashore it would be close. Folks were friendly, a good thing since it appeared the tourist trade was important to the economy. The weather was great, 70’s in the day and high 40’s at night. We followed a semi for a while. Not to close since his rear wheels were in the dirt on several curves even though he took his front half of the road out of the middle. Now you know why there are so many two wheelers up there.
Our goal of not retracing our prior routes was easy on the way home by staying north of the Great Lakes. Unfortunately this lead to some of the most frustrating riding of my life. Those French Canadians near Montreal have a rule that signs can only be in French. Not problems unless you need to read highway signs, use a credit card at a pay at the pump, or order a meal. Latin from High School was no help at all. Locals were sometimes helpful, sometimes not. I do remember quest is west. The trusty GPS gave visual and verbal directions or we might have still been circling in that really foreign land. Note to self, rule out Mexico for a two wheel holiday.
We had a two plus hour delay at a traffic jam near Toronto. A semi and car crash had closed the road. Mike’s Harley really got hot and from personal experience with my 02 your legs can blister. After getting on the detour we pulled off to cuss our situation. There were not many options so we got back on the detour and fortunately got back on the interstate in less than twenty minutes. The next delay was at Port Huron where it took another two hours to cross into the US. The line started nearly three miles from the US entrance. We did get some time to take some great pictures from high atop the US/Canada border bridge that would not have been possible otherwise.
This is the place where I offer some advice on crossing the border. Answer all questions honestly and quickly. Do not make any jokes. Most problems occur when reentering the US. Mike recounts a border crossing in North Dakota where he made a joke and spent the next hour and half removing everything from his bike. Three guards took turns questioning him in shifts while he stayed in the hot sun. They have all the good cards in their hand.
The final day would start in Detroit with a break at the Lady of Snow Shrine near St. Louis. I had seen the signs for this several times on I-55 and wondered what it was. Since Mike wanted to check it out, it worked out to be a blessing since we detoured south of St. Louis on I-255 and joined I-44 on the west side. We had a 45 minute delay due to bridge work on the way out so this was great. The XM radio Weather Channel traffic/weather channel for St. Louis had warned us of up to a one hour delay on the return trip. If you have the time it is worth the trouble to stop and enjoy the shrine. Is there a patron saint for two wheelers?
If you recall in May I burned out a high performance low beam on the 48 Plus ride where the clock was the enemy. When a dealer wanted over one hundred dollars to change both bulbs I used the Lake Country Riders site tips page to do it myself. On this trip another dead bulb and a field change called for. I did this in the parking lot of a Harley shop in Nova Scotia. I told Mike it would not take long, probably ten minutes or less since I had brought extra bulbs. Twenty minutes latter I was still trying to get the new bulb in the socket. Then I remembered the web site, do it on the center stand. I know now that if you have it on the side stand gravity will cause the wire bale to block the bulb from finding home.
I enjoy tripping on two wheels; this trip was especially nice since it was with a friend. We are not guaranteed any future two wheeled trips. Health treatments have taken a toll on Mike. I am proud that he weighed the options and took the challenge. His Harley is very high mileage, his body sixty pounds less than last year, but his heart is big as ever. Ride Safe
The Bike games included a double U turn in a box with a weave, a slow race, a ring toss, and the highlight was the water balloon toss. The rider must ride between two poles while the passenger attempts to toss a water ballon over a horizontal pole and catch it on the other side. Sometimes they didn't have total success and the rider got a dose of water from the balloon. The games involved skills as well as fun.
A real riding skills contest was the Iron Eagle Competition. Increasingly difficult riding tasks were set up to pick a single winner. These included a figure 8 in a box as well as tight S curves within lines. The first level of competition eliminated 8 riders. It was super to watch.
There was a "come ride with us" put on by the award winning Great Lakes Motorcycle Drill Team. This gives anyone who wishes a chance to actually do some of the drill team procedures under the direction of the experienced drill team members. It was a great opportunity to sharpen your skills.
There was a safety course taught by an experienced instructor. This allowed anyone to sharpen their riding skills regardless of their experience and ability.
The Great Lakes Motorcycle Drill Team put on a fantastic exhibit of riding skill as they performed for those in attendance. This event is always well received and improves every year.
There was even a ladies drill team exhibit on trikes and bikes with sidecars.
There were seminars galore. You could learn more about just about anything having to do with riding from first aide to motorcycle battery maintenance. The seminars even included leadership skills.
The flapper dance was well attended. The costumes were really something.
A 1977 Goldwing was given as a door prize to a pre-registered attendee.
There was a drawing for a 2006 Goldwing, a 2006 Harley, or $10,000 in cash. Unfortunately, no one from our chapter won it.
One can't mention a major rally without some reference to the vendors. My wallet would be better off without them, but they are important to us all. Everyone needs safety chrome!! There was a good selection of vendors with little duplication. I walked away with a new Frogg Toggs Suite and a J & M helmet headset. Charlotte picked up a baby suit with the words, "My Grandparents Ride a Goldwing" on the front. She is really anxious for our first grandchild. When the kid gets here in February we want to be ready. Unfortunately, not one of the vendors had a helmet in an infant size.
It was a great time. If you didn't make it, be sure to try to come next year. It will be held in Sioux Falls, SD.
The light parade was well attended and was great. The light show was also a good one. Unfortunately, I was unable to participate this year as a short in the wiring I had been trying to figure out culminated in the LED controller going south just before the light show. I had lots of willing help and supervision. Unfortunately, I was still out of the show.
The group from LCR took a day to ride the Talimena Trail into Oklahoma. It was a great ride with plenty of curves and lots of scenery.
The following is a ride report for the March 6 Iron Butt Association ride from Jacksonville, Florida to San Diego, California and back to Jacksonville in under 100 hours. Before we start let me explain my name is Steve and I am an addict. An addict to the mental, physical, and emotional challenges of riding long distances in a safe manner.
First, my mount is a 2005 Goldwing with a Ron Smith 4.8 gallon auxiliary tank mounted where the passenger sits. Other Long Distance (LD) equipment include a Garmin 276C GPS, Valentine radar detector, XM radio receiver, tank bag, aerostich soft bags that were designed for a KLR gas tank that are mounted across the rear portion of the seat, camelback water bladder, and a Alaska Leather sheep pad for the seat.
The aux tank will provide 11.4 gallons of fuel for a maximum range of approximately 460 miles. On this trip I plan on stopping every 300 miles. That will be nine stops on the west leg and what turned out to be eight on the return. Every time I stop for gas I try to be efficient as possible. Every minute wasted at a station is a minute lost to making miles.
The tank bag carries several incidentals including a zip lock bag for gas and other receipts and sun block. The Aerostich bag has beef jerky and a bottle of water on the left side and trail mix and water on the right. The camelback rests on the aux tank and is attached to the luggage rack. The hose and bite valve are on a retractable key chain so I know where to find it without looking and it automatically returns to the same spot.
Last April I made the trip from JAX to SDO on my 02 Electraglide “blue lady” with about 40 other riders. This is called a group ride, most ride by themselves. This way if you get tired you are not afraid to stop and rest, not causing a delay for someone else. That trip took 40 hours and five minutes, under the 50 hours maximum for a coast to coast ride. Many folks get a vial of water at each end of the trip as mementos or walk out in the surf and get their feet wet. I have not followed this tradition, it may be the same thinking as not taking a camera along, why waste precious minutes.
On this CCC ride I plan on only grabbing an occasional candy bar and drink at each gas stop. Fruit juice of some kind and after learning the hard way no soft drinks. Soft drinks require an unplanned stop down the road. All meals are on the road while clicking off the miles.
This is considered an “extreme” ride by the IBA. One that requires a preliminary ride to help insure you do not bite off something too big. I have completed several certified rides. A saddle sore 1,000 in under 24 hours (all below 32 degrees to add a little challenge), a bun burner gold (over 1500 miles in under 24 hours), last years coast to coast in under 50 hours, and a border to border gold (Mexico to Canada in under 24 hours).
The forecast for the West leg looks good. I left the Shell station in JAX at 4:58 am. Each gas stop will require documentation, usually a receipt with the location, date, and time. A stop of over 30 minutes requires an entry in the ride log. All my gas stops are planned and entered into the GPS plus on paper in the tank bag window. I will stop for sleep if I need to but I can not plan where. Last year it was in Fort Stockton, Texas. This year I looked for a place to crash in Deming, NM, 1722 miles from JAX. I set the alarm for about three hours of sleep. No discount from Motel 6 for folk who blow in and out.
The only rough weather is between Yuma, AZ and San Diego. Strong winds and blowing sand. Maybe not the strongest winds I have experienced, but the kind that have you holding on tight because you never know when it will try to move you off the driving surface. I tried some new methods for the gusts, move my body like I am going through a curve. I do not know if it helped but it let me think I was doing more than just a monkey setting on the seat. One of the other riders told me it really helps to open the windshield vent. Next time I will try that.
When I arrived in San Diego I made a circle before the finding the Shell station that I have to use for the mid point leg. The GPS told me to turn right and I knew I should turn left. Later someone else complained of the same problem with their GPS.
That night several folks eat a large meal at Hunters Steak House next to the ride hotel. I plan on six hours sleep before the ride master will let us return to the Shell station to start the ride home. This is actually two CC 50 rides, so it makes sense to wait for the 50 hour limit before starting back to JAX. Also folks who were doing the CC 50 from SDO to JAX were joining us.
The first 100 miles out of SDO were wet and foggy. The good thing is the mountain pass on I-8 was 42 degrees. We learn forty hours latter it has six inches of snow. The winds and blown sand cause problems for several hundred miles. Because of the lightning and strong winds I decided to stop in Junction, TX, the half way point. The clerk gave me a deal on the room and I decide four hours of rest would be nice. I see a couple other LD bikes in the lot and when I leave another have stopped for rest. I hit the road an hour or so before dawn and notice the winds are less and there is water alongside the road. Maybe this was a good luck sign.
When I get to Houston I hit the HOV lane perfect. This is like a free pass as you fly by the normal traffic. Unfortunately I make a mistake and depart the HOV lane by mistake and hit the slow traffic of I-10 before I get to the downtown exit. Darn, Darn, Darn. Another one of my LD rules is never gas up at a truck stop. Broke that rule in the Houston area and lost several minutes. Credit card would not work at the pump and had to go inside, wait in line, give credit card, pump gas, wait in line and get credit card and receipt. %^## truck stops. Something that I have learned is you should carry a couple of cards. Credit card companies and oil company computers can not understand numerous charges in a short period of time stretched across the US. Several times oil companies have put a hold on my card because of suspicious use. I try not to hit the same brand to often and carry a couple of cards as insurance.
The route bypasses New Orleans (I-12) but from the elevated freeway I saw lots of destruction in Beaumont, TX. All sorts of blown metal, insulation, and miscellaneous are still visible along the roadway. Several homes still have the blue tarps over their roofs. I said a prayer for the folks who lost so much.
My only fear on the trip has been the steel grating of I-10 at Pensacola Bay. Several sections of the concrete bridge were destroyed by a previous hurricane in 2004 or 2005. It makes me wonder how much force it would take to blow a concrete bridge floor from its supports. The Honda does great on steel decking but I fear it would be much more difficult if wet and windy. I luck out and motor right through at twenty-five mph in the single lane of traffic.
I decided to slow the pace a little for the rest of the trip. No need to rush if I have several hours’ leeway.
The leg into JAX is nice as it is warm with some moon light. I arrive at 12:34 am. Grab a couple hours rest at a Motel 6 and head to the Iron Butt Association/Motorcycle Tourers Forum Ride In meeting at a nearby hotel. There were over three hundred LD folk from all over the US and Canada. Lots of stories and checking out each others ride. Friday night would include a banquet where several folks were honored and others toasted. One of my riding friends, Richard from Coco, Florida was honored for riding 119,996 miles in one year on an 87? Goldwing he calls Oldwing. The documentation was 2.5 inches thick and weighed five pounds. I also saw Verne Hauck who documented over 100,000 miles on his Harley a couple of years ago. Dr. Don Arthur was also present. He was presented the 100,000 mile in one year award. Don is the Surgeon General of the Navy and has presented several papers on fatigue and long distance riding. Don was walking fine after an accident last year where he topped a hill and a car was making an illegal u-turn. He spent some time in the St. Joe, Missouri hospital and was transferred to Bethesda where he had once been the commanding officer. He was once a mechanic at the HD factory. What stories this guy could tell.
There was some discussion on the many deaths at Daytona which was just down the highway. It made me think on how we need to be safe in our street riding.
What’s next? Hopefully on May 16 I will depart Idabel, OK and start a trip to touch all of the 48 states and Alaska in ten days/240 hours or less. The end point is Hyder, AK where 200 LD riders will gather to tell tall stories and recount when Ron Ayers made the 48 Plus ride in seven days.
You may wonder how the GPS mileage and Wing odometer compare. 4758/4950 for an optimistic 4% on the Wing.
Recall the new aux tank on the Wing? On the trip home from Jacksonville I decided to see how far I could go on eleven gallons. Over 400 miles non-stop! Two stops from Jacksonville to Fair Grove. Seven thousand miles in eight days.
Like the twelve step program I would like to share any knowledge gained from my limited time as a Long Distance rider. You can check out the requirements of the Iron Butt Association at www.ironbutt.com. On March 26 I became an approved IBA witness. If anyone needs a witness for an “extreme” ride Steve is your man. Even if you do not want to burn up the road several of the long distance tips can make for a more efficient ride.
Natchez Trace Parkway Ride Charlotte and Wiliferd Lair recently rode to Vicksburg, MS to meet with the Wings on the Internet group to eat Crawfish and tour the historical town of Vicksburg. They then went to Jackson, MS to catch the Natchez Trace and ride it to its end at Nashville, TN. The Natchez Trace has its historical roots in the fact that this was originally an Indian trail that was used by early settlers to walk home after transporting their goods to the Gulf by waterway. Later the trail was used extensively during the civil war to transport troops and goods to support those troops. There are many stops along the way with historical signs to give one a lesson in history of the area. There are several places where a short excursion is available to allow one to follow the original Natchez Trace. These excursions are usually about two miles in length and were not paved but of sufficient surface that our travelers made it on a motorcycle pulling a trailer. The route itself has some very wide curves in the southern parts but get tighter as you get to Alabama and TN. The northern end has much more scenery due to the higher hills. The road surface is all blacktop and very well cared for. The speed limit is 50 miles per hour. It is a nice route for a relaxed, easy pace to simply enjoy the ride. The entire route is about 550 miles or so. The Lairs got on the Natchez Trace at Jackson, MS but the actual start is in Natchez, MS about another 140 miles south of Jackson. On the same trip there was time found to visit relatives in Corinth, MS. After reaching Nashville, the Lairs turned toward Jackson, MO to visit relatives then on to St. Louis for more visiting with relatives. They report it was a great trip but they were ready to get home.
Getting Closer 
Grizzly with fish he caught 
Bear Glacier, British Columbia 
Bear on Road 
My Riding Partner, Charlotte
Ron and Carla's Summer Trip
Traffic on the "Dragon" 
Seeing the Sites 
Ever a Smile
Mill Tour 4-15-2007
Our mill tour ride was scheduled for 4/14/07 as our first Saturday Ride. Saturday was a disaster weather wise and the forecast gave us fair warning. A quick decision was made to postpone the ride until Sunday and better weather. It was also decided to leave at 11:30 so the riders could attend early church service and still make the ride. 
Glad to be Riding 
The Gravel Road 
Soft Spots on Road 
Cattle on the Road
Polar Bear Ride
The Bikes are Ready 
Arrival at the Jarvis Home 
Refueling after the Ride
Nova Scotia August 11-18, 2006 by Steve Short, CD
Cabot Trail-what a view
Gold Rush, July 17-21, Hot Springs, AR
Gold Rush IXX, 2006 included a wide variety of activities. The members of Lake Country Riders who went did not seem to be dissappointed. Steve Short attended a seminar on Chapter Directors. All were involved in many aspects of helping with the activities. That was very much appreciated by Region E Directors, Wiliferd and Charlotte Lair.
Working on the Bike 
Supervising is a lost art--but not here! 
Riding the Talimena Scenic Byway 
Taking a breather on the Talimena 
Steve Short Loaded and Ready
