I guess I am still on my ‘ride’ so I should post to my blog. Well, I hate to disappoint the ‘iron butts’ out there (not like anyone really cares) but I took the day off.
I could whine about being tired, wind whipped and a little sun burned but I can’t. I have had to deal with all those things before and that was just to Laughlin (have you ever been to Laughlin with me?) and those were the least of what I was suffering from on those trips. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to throw the proverbial towel in for a day and rest but the truth would be this place is pretty damn close to perfection. I did post a picture or two of the views from where I am staying. You would take the day off too!
So the bike in now clean, the clothes are washed and the bugs have been removed from all my pairs of sunglasses, it is time to get ready and head out.
Tomorrow I think it is Leadville then Vail, Beaver Creek, Gunnison and Pagosa Springs. That should make for a good day of riding! You know you have riding in your blood when you are sitting on the patio, it is 73 degrees, the sound of wind whipping through the aspens and evergreens are only surpassed by the distant rumble of oncoming thunderstorms and you are sitting with your map planning tomorrows ride.

When does the time come when metaphors and similes are no longer useful in ones’ writing? The answer; when you have been riding through some of the best parts of Utah and Colorado on a Harley and have been in awe the entire time.
This morning I left from Blanding Utah and headed north to Montecelo. From there it was east into Colorado and then down into Durango. The never ending rolling farm land was so beautiful with green fields and dark brown fertile soil. As I drove past what seemed like endless plots of land I couldn’t help but think about the type of person it takes to work the land tirelessly and to have your closet neighbor a mile away. Is it contentment or just the way life worked out for those people? I don’t know but as I roared passed on my Harley I would get the occasional glance like they wanted to be with me for that moment.
It took a couple of hours but I got into Durango. This is a very cool town. Like so many towns in Colorado, they hold fast to the old ‘cowboy’ way and flavor of architecture. It could have been Aspen or Steamboat I was walking through it all has the same natural feeling in the summer.
From there it was north through Silverton and Ouray. Now I have at least a 100,000 motorcycle miles under my belt but I spent a lot of the time on those roads white knuckled and or with a pit in my stomach. The biggest problem wasn’t that the roads were too tough for my riding skills. No, the problem was my rubber necking though all the amazing scenery I rode past. It would scare me when I would try and balance my attention between the profound beauty and the task of keeping my bike on the road.
There were a few times today when I couldn’t help but wish I could have shared this experience with certain people in my life. There have been plenty of moments when being alone on this trip is beyond perfect. I don’t have to worry that I have stopped too many times or for too long, you get the idea. On the other hand, words don’t do much justice to this trip and sometimes a glance between you and the person you are riding with can sum up the entire journey without saying a word. My friend Barry has been texting me throughout the trip. Barry has helped me prepare for this trip with his vast experience. He has posted so many rides on his website, Cyclerides.com. Through his text he said he could see me smiling as I was taking the roads in front of me. I could see the same smile on his face as well. These are experiences that are easier shared than described.
So the lesson for riding today wasn’t about being comfortable; at the top of the passes it was in the 50’s and in Montrose it was 102. The lesson I got from riding today is to heed the signs that say falling rocks. I am sure you have seen this sign on the mountain passes and we look around and don’t think much more about it than the boulders tucked to the side of the road. Well, through the pass between Paonia and Redstone, this was the last pass as I was getting into Carbondale, there was a avalanche right in front of me. If I had been a couple of seconds faster it would have taken me off the road and into the canyon. I know that is a pretty dramatic statement but literally the mountainside gave away right in front of me. One moment I saw a car coming the opposite direction and the next the mountain slid into the road and a ball of dirt filled the air that was so dense I could no longer see through it to the oncoming car. I was at a complete stop for a good minute or two until the dust settled. The southbound lane was blocked with debris and my northbound lane had some scattered rocks on it (these rocks were way too large to ever want to run over with a truck tire let alone a bike yet I would not describe them as boulders). The benefit of being on the bike and not being swept away was I could pick my way through the blockage and continue my way to Aspen. It really didn’t freak me out or shake me up at all. I just thought that it would make an great addition to an already amazing adventure.
I am up in the air about tomorrow. I have 1300 miles on my body in three days. It is a lot for me and I am feeling it. My parents have shared their amazing place with me here in Colorado. I just may take the day tomorrow and clean the bike, wash some cloths, see Aspen and prepare for more days of riding! Sounds great, doesn’t it?

It is almost 11 pm and I am just now settling in to my hotel room in Blanding Utah. I am exhausted! I put on more than 500 miles today!
The morning started at the break of daylight because I was sleeping in a tent at the North Rim. It was so cold. It was below 40 and I was buried in my sleeping bag zipped up in my tent. It was novel, it was fun, I am happy to be in a hotel room tonight.
I didn’t get to Zion this trip. The road through at the tunnel was closed. I would have only been able to see lower Zion and then had to turn around and head back the other way. So I went up to Bryce. It was magnificent. From there it was off to a couple state parks including the Grand Stair Case.
From there I thought I would make it to Durango for the night. Uh, no way in hell that was happening. But I have to say I took some of the most beautiful roads I have every ridden a bike on. Some even induced the ‘pucker’ factor. Steep canyon walls and roads that dropped of for a good 1000 feet on both sides made for some tense moment. The forests were green and lush with pines and aspens. I had to stop on the road 3 times; two for cattle and once for deer. It was very cool! There was so many amazing roads and views today. It was truly sensory overload. It was all I could do to absorb some of the view without going off the road. The day turned very long as I tried to stay somewhere with a hotel and a restaurant. I had to go all the way to Blanding. I got here at 9 pm and it was pretty dark.
Anyway I am so tired I am going to crash. Maybe I can share some more details of today’s ride later. Like I had mentioned, these are some of the most amazing roads I have taken on the bike, no exception.
Tomorrow I am heading south to Durango and then up through Silverton and Gunnison. I am hoping to be sleeping at my parents (my in-laws but I hate calling them that) house in Snowmass tomorrow night. If I get there, it will be another long riding day. I can’t wait!

What a wonderful first day! Getting out of the house and leaving my family was the hardest part. I was out the door at 6 a.m. this morning, just what I had planned. I just knew I had to beat the Phoenix heat and I would take any route necessary to get out of Dodge!
So it was up the I-17 to Cordes Junction and then I knew things would chill from there. And chill they did. It was below 60 up Mingus Mountain. There was a chill in the air and the bike ran great.
I got into Jerome way too early, even the breakfast joints hadn’t opened yet. And getting a beer at the Spirit Room definitely wasn’t happening. So it was breakfast in Sedona. Not a bad compromise.
After breakfast I was hitting the twisties through the canyon up to Flagstaff. It was crazy up there! I was riding through smoke and burning ambers. It wasn’t scary but it did feel chaotic if not surreal. I don’t know if it was subliminal or what but I wore my ‘Globe Hot Shot’ shirt (as in forest fire fighter). Needless to say I was welcome at the staging area where I happened to stop for gas. I admitted I wasn’t a hot shot fire fighter but I did immediately tell them I have put out plenty of fires in my life!
On the way north from Flagstaff it got hot! Maybe in Phoenix hot but 70 miles an hour for, well, too long, things got uncomfortable. I was happy to get north and work my way into the Grand Canyon National Park.
It is so beautiful here! I got here sometime after 3 and it is too beautiful to rush out. I found someone who sold me their camp site pass for $10. The place was sold out and I was waiting in line to beg for a spot and this lady came up to me and offered her pass. Woo Hoo! It just couldn’t be more perfect for me right now. Yes, I would love a shower and a bed (I will make sure I get those tomorrow). But I am walking distance to the edge of the North Rim. I have a bottle of wine (Ericka would be so proud), cheese, crackers, apple and plenty for stuff. I am CONTENT! And actually having fun, I just don’t get to do this every day.
I hope this made some sense. I have 390 miles and a couple of glasses of wine under my belt. The sun is starting to set. The smell of camp fires is starting to fill the air and I have actually already seen a doe and several squirrels. People are friendly and fascinated by the contrast of my Harley and my rough appearance and the contrast of the bottle of wine and the laptop. Again, things are good.

Getting the bike ready

Some say that anticipation is sometimes better than the event itself. I hope that isn’t the case for me; and I am enjoying the preparation. The weather here last weekend in Phoenix was amazing and anyone with a motorcycle and a pulse was out riding; one last reprieve before the seemingly never ending summer heat and monsoonal storms come.

By Sunday morning I had my bike on the table prepping for the trip. Changed the oil, checked the air pressure in the tires and the shocks and even adjusted the drive belt. I get the feeling it is all Sherri can do to keep from laughing when she sticks her head into the garage and sees the bike on the Handy Lift with bags and accessories already on the bike.

It may seem a bit silly, and frankly it probably is, but I am ‘dialing in’ my touring configuration now so I am ready to go when the sun rises next Tuesday. Oh, and in my defense, I will be out of town this weekend and when I get back I’ll have maybe 24 hours to get everything done for work before I head out. I can’t be worrying about the last minute details of the trip then…

7 days and counting…..

So as I bake in the sun (a reference to being hot and uncomfortable for my college age followers who may require some clarification) in the ever increasingly hotter days of Phoenix I find myself daydreaming of my travel oasis. For someone who makes the claim of looking forward to just getting on my bike and going I sure have made of lot of plans and already have done some considerable preparation.
First of all, to keep my family’s ‘worry level’ to a controlled hysteria I have been directed by a few of my riding buddies to acquire the Spot II GPS locator to keep everyone informed of where I am and where I have been. I have attached a link of my travels on the top of this blog page. (Any points that show up before June 22 are purely random information as I experiment with the device). This device is a GPS transmitter that’s sends my location, either manually or automatically, to a receiving satellite which is monitored on the website. It does not require cell connectivity. I can also summons help if needed by just a push of a button.
Knowing I want to hit several national parks I also got on line to the National Park Service and purchased an annual pass. This will allow me to visit any of the national parks for the next 12 months. Between the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion I should get my value out of it (not to mention not having to wait in lines at the park entrances).
Mental notes are plenty; pre-maintenance on the bike, things to pack, practice setting up my tent (lord knows how long it has been since I have done that), tools to bring, clothes, which helmet? Half, Full, Both? Bungies, flashlights, fire starters and the ridiculous list goes on. One would think I was a boy scout growing up. I can dispel that myth by sharing that I have not grown up and the boy scouts would have never let me join the little gang (besides, long khaki shorts and bandana ties are not my thing)
And then if I am committed to archiving my little trip I have potentially a barrage of electronic devices to bring along. This is a direct contradiction to what I was trying to get away from in my first posting of this blog. But I got to bring a camera. And how do I get picture onto the website without a laptop? How do I keep the laptop and camera charged? Technology is creeping into my trip. I guess I just have to embrace it. I just won’t shave on the trip so at least I can look the biker part if everyone ignores the clanking of the accessories hanging from my travel pack.
17 days and counting…