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.

Getting Closer

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.

Grizzly with fish he caught

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.

Bear Glacier, British Columbia

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.

Bear on Road

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!

My Riding Partner, Charlotte

Ron and Carla's Summer Trip

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!

Traffic on the "Dragon"

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.

Seeing the Sites

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.

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.

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.

Glad to be Riding

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.

The Gravel Road

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.

Soft Spots on Road

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.

Cattle on the Road

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.

Polar Bear 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.

The Bikes are Ready

Arrival at the Jarvis Home

Refueling after the Ride

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Nova Scotia August 11-18, 2006 by Steve Short, CD

Cabot Trail-what a view

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

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.

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.

Working on the Bike

Supervising is a lost art--but not here!

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.

Riding the Talimena Scenic Byway

Taking a breather on the Talimena

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.

Steve Short Loaded and Ready

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.