| Author | Message | ||
     1313 |
Highway 666, The "Devil's Highway" was always the bomb on an S2 . . . shame it got renamed. Wasn't too bad on a altitude test XB9R either - even though it wasn't officially part of the test 'loop'...  From Phoenix to Denver, with runs up and down Mt. Evans. Indeed a shame, 1313 | ||
| Ourdee |
So, Thursday evening I got on the Scg in belvedere Illinois,and got off in Indianapolis a few hours later. Crazy peeps were driving a little fast. Cruising at 90 and still getting passed. Bike got 47.5 mpg. About 150 miles in my right knee started complaining about being bent too tight. I need to get an aux. tank installed. Went looking at houses the last couple of days. Saw some doozies but not any that warranted an offer. Should be heading back north in the morning. I was a little dizzy today. Pray my head is clear when I wake. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Me with my first brand-new truck. Got pulled over for having no license plates, the officer thought the truck looked suspicious and wanted to search the cargo. I handed him the key to the padlock and told him to have at it.  | ||
| Tootal |
I envy you Crusty! I love that part of Colorado. As you made it to the top, just South of Ouray, there is the beginning of Bear Creek Trail which leads to Lake City. It also runs over Engineer Pass! Too rough for the Sporty but the Uly made it! Just a beautiful part of the world! Glad you rode the million dollar highway. That's a favorite too! | ||
| Ourdee |
I made it back north today. Got 50.5 mpg on Lil Red. I lost the keys to my jeep on the journey. It will be Tuesday before I get a spare mailed to me. I dont like parking Lil Red outside this hotel. Trip was a lot more comfortable with ear plugs. Still a little dizzy, but not as bad. Brankin was right about the low Scg seat being uncomfortable on a trip. Why did I sell the Uly? | ||
| Buellerxt |
I can't answer why you sold your Uly, Ourdee, but I can tell you that your dream do-over is waiting for you in Houston and I'm ready to pick you up at the airport and take you home to get engaged.  BTW, I need your help too. Please see classifieds. Thanks. | ||
| Buellerxt |
Crusty, I just got back from a great ride to Durango on my Indian RM. We had a reunion of Iron Indian Riders for four days, week before last. Beautiful area, for sure. I got stopped at that same 20 minute stop. Great place to relax and take some pics. We made the loop, from Durango to Silverton, to Ouray, and on to Telluride and back, among other great rides. I've been several times but am always stunned by the beauty. Ride safe. Monument Valley is another special place. | ||
| Crusty |
Fat Grips, Desert Mornings and Powerless Mickeys Yesterday, I rode over the Million Dollar Highway and I rode through Monument Valley. That ride alone is worth all the trials and tribulations of broken shocks and any other difficulties. This time, I actually took some pictures. I camped at the free campground at the Navajo National Monument. It’s a pretty nice place to camp. The scenery is beautiful. There is potable water, but no showers. There was a cactus plant at the entrance to my campsite that had really beautiful bright yellow flowers. I was going to take a picture of it this morning, but when I got up, all the flowers had withered and were brown. There were Pinon Pine and white Cedar trees in abundance. The red sandy earth and the red sandstone just really made it feel like I was in Arizona. Sleeping in the desert is delightful. When I got to the campground, the temps were close to 100º (F), but by sunset, it had cooled down to the low 70s, and it was in the low 60s by Sunrise, when I woke up. I didn’t bother putting the fly on the tent when I set it up. It was dry and the breeze through the screens felt sybaritic. I got up early and enjoyed a cup of Instant Folgers, then I broke camp and was on the road in an hour and a half. I don’t know what time it is. I’m not sure of which time zone I’m in, and I think that Arizona doesn’t do Daylight Saving time. That will become moot tomorrow. I’ll be in the Pacific Time zone and California. Riding the ten miles or so back to US Rt. 160 from the campground was almost a Spiritual Experience. I was wearing my mesh jacket and the temperature was perfectly cool, but not cold. I’m really enjoying the thicker “Old Style” handgrips. They feel right, and with the perfect temps and the lack of traffic, it was just what riding in Heaven is going to feel like. It continued to feel that good after I turned west on 160 and I rode that way until I got to Tuba City. Then it was time to Harsh my Mellow. I stopped at the McDonald’s there. For some cheap and pecuniary reason, the Maccas in Arizona don’t have electrical outlets that I can plug into and charge my laptop’s battery. They also charge about a third more for my usual items than other McD’s I’ve stopped at. (the one just outside the Grand Canyon really bends you over; it was cheaper to buy a small soft drink in the Snack Bar in the Park!) In spite of getting reamed on the price of breakfast, My mood was good, then only got better when I got into the National Park. My Old Fart Card got me into the Park for free, and I spent a good bit of time admiring the spectacular views, climbed up the Desert View Watchtower, and bought some postcards at the gift shop (and a small present for Megan). Then I got a small Pepsi. It was hot and dry and I wanted to hydrate. When I went to throw away my cup outdoors in the recycle bin, I heard someone say, “Look out! There’s another one!” I looked down and there was a Bull Snake about 4 feet long right beside my feet. I jumped back, but I think it was more scared of me than I of it. The woman who had warned me told me that it was a Bull Snake, and that it was harmless. It was very colorful; bright golden yellow bands alternating with glossy black bands. It moved off pretty quickly and the woman, with her husband and two children followed it off into the bushes. After that, I paid a little mote attention to the ground and saw a couple of lizards and a huge beetle that must have been at least two inches long. The people next to them never even noticed. One thing that I did notice were the number of people from other countries who were in the park. I heard German, Japanese, French, Spanish, I think I heard someone speaking Italian, and a few languages I didn’t recognize. It was almost a shock when I heard someone speaking American English. I really got a kick out of that. The park wasn’t nearly as crowded as I expected. I thought it would be as bad as Yellowstone was when I was there last summer, but it was an order of magnitude better. I will say that if you’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, you’re missing something that’s truly amazing. I strongly recommend you go check it out. Then, when you leave, go to Glacier National Park and ride the Going-To-The-Sun Road. After that, your brain will be burned out, but you’ll have experienced some of the most incredible and wondrous beauty on the planet. I was trying to make it to Lost Wages for tonight, but it’s 109º F (42.7 C) out, and I just was becoming a dangerously stupid zombie on the highway. When I stopped for gas here in Kingman, I saw the Motel 6 sign saying $45.99 and I was over there and in the office without a seconds hesitation. | ||
| Crusty |
Pichahs: The broken shock  The Miners' Memorial  The Million Dollar Highway  Red Mountain  Monument Valley   | ||
| Buellish |
John,I would say it's good to be you!Great pictures,keep posting them! | ||
| Ourdee |
Last time I was in Kingman on a bike, I got a ticket. Watch out for the safety patrol. Just had to wallow in sybaritic splendor did you? Knew were were old. But, didn't know you had been to the ancient city of Sybaris. | ||
| Crusty |
The Grand Canyon    | ||
| Oldfartnbuell |
Crusty, Glad you liked my neck of the woods,the Grand Canyon. That is kind of my second home. Sorry it was so hot for you. That snake you describe sounds like a king snake. They are fairly common there.Had one crawl right between my legs when I was two miles down from the north rim two weeks ago. Picked him up and he was a very docile fellow! Ride safe man! | ||
| Pwnzor |
The jealousy is literally flowing out of every pore in my body right now... this really makes me want to hit the road in the worst way! | ||
| Crusty |
Gotta Go, Now! It’s 5:30 AM and I have to hit the road ASAP. I’m going to be riding through the desert and the forecast is calling for record high temps. 124º F (51º C) in Needles, CA. I’m hoping I can be in a cooler part of California before the worst of it hits. I’m not even going to try to tag a piece of Nevada. I’m just racing for the Pacific and cooler temperatures. Well, I wanted an adventure. I’m getting one! | ||
| Etennuly |
I was at the Grand Canyon 20 years ago with my family ala Dodge dually and fifth wheel camper. There were multiple bus loads of church going teen adventure seekers. The all wore red T shirts. They were scattered all over those cliff faces to the right in your second picture up. I asked the park ranger if that was a legal thing to do. He said legal, but not smart. He said if one falls it will be a mile down to the final stopping spot. | ||
| Tootal |
I've crossed that dessert several times. The last time I took a long sleeve sweat shirt and soaked it in water and then put it on. I put my leather jacket on over it and left the sleeves open. While riding it was like air conditioning! It started to dry out so I pulled off and soaked it again. It really works! I read it somewhere and really doubted that it would work but I was WRONG!  | ||
| Crusty |
Don’t Talk To Strangers Well; when I left Kingman, Arizona the temp was right at 90º F (32º C). That was the coolest temp I’d see today. It was close to 100º F (37º C) as soon as I got out of town. I could feel the heat increase as I went west. I finally stopped for my first cup of coffee in Needles, CA, which is just over the border. It’s also on the edge of the Mojave Desert. It was well over 100 already at 8:00 AM, and it’s supposed to hit 124º F (51º C) today. I didn’t really want to stop, but I hadn’t had any coffee yet, and I figured I better be pro active about keeping myself hydrated. So when I saw a Golden Starches off the highway, I decided to get a cup and fill the bike as well. I’d only gone a hundred miles on that tank, but I didn’t want to take any chances. That was the smartest decision I made all day. While I was in McDonald’s, an 80 year old guy started talking to me. He was a local, and he rides a Yamaha Big Twin. He was telling me about taking a 4,000 mile trip last year, and how much he enjoys riding. He told me that when I got to Barstow, to take Rt. 58 to US 395 and take that north. It would be a nice ride, with trout streams near the road and little traffic; so I figured, “Why not?” After Needles, it was something like 70 miles to Ludlow, which was the first gas station. I was pretty thirsty by the time I got there, and I drank a quart of Powerade in less than 3 minutes. I topped off the bike, and continued west. I found Rt 58 and took it to Kramer Junction where it crossed Rt 395. I stopped at the Pilot truck stop there and drank a 32 oz cup of Gatorade and another 22 oz of water. Then I went North on 395. I saw a Solar Panel Farm that was enormous as I started north. I don’t know how many square miles it covered, but it was impressively huge. I was thinking that it made sense; the sky was almost cloudless (I only saw one small puffy cloud in the entire sky). Cheap, quiet energy. I like that better than those ugly, huge windmills I see in the midwest. I began to suspect that this road wasn’t going to be quite so idyllic when I saw a dirt road with a sign that said, 20 Mule Team Trail off to my left. Then I saw a sign at an intersecting road that said Death Valley - 110 miles. It had been 110º F (37.7º C) at the truck stop, and it didn’t feel like the temp was going down. I began to think that I shouldn’t listen to strangers. When I got to the town of Ridgecrest, it was time to find the Macca’s and hydrate some more. Plus, I needed to find an ATM and get some more cash, as I was running low. I stopped at the Navy Credit Union ATM and pulled out some cash, then I saw a Walgreens sign that said the temp was 110º. Then I saw that I was on China Lake Blvd. China Lake is the Navy’s Desert weapons testing station. Then I saw that familiar alluring sign; Motel 6. This time, the rate was even cheaper than Yesterday, so I’m sitting here in a nice air conditioned room. I drank a quart of Powerade over ice (and I’m still thirsty) and I ain’t budging ‘till morning. Well; I might go out and get more to drink; I have to stay hydrated. I have planned out some of tomorrow’s ride though. I’m going North from here to Lee Vining; where I’ll head into Yosemite National Park. I’m going to look around a bit, then I’ll head for Tony’s place. I don’t know if Ill get there tomorrow night, or if it won’t be until Wednesday. I did a quick check on the Weather for Lee Vining, and it’s only supposed to hit 88º F for a high tomorrow. I imagine the park will also be cooler than this desert. I like hot weather, but these temps are in life threatening territory. It will be nice to be back in more comfortable temps tomorrow. | ||
| Pwnzor |
John, Have you ever been to Yosemite? I suggest you spend at least 2 days there if at all possible. You will be literally blown away, even if you have been there before, it never ceases to amaze.  | ||
| Zac4mac |
I took a "Grand Vacation" in 1987. Ft. Collins - Grand Junction - Phoenix - San Diego - Hwy 1 to Bay Area - Bridge City - Salem - Seattle - Victoria - Seattle - Coeur d'Alene - Billings - Cheyenne - Ft. Collins. Between Phoenix and San Diego, I started to "see dots" and pulled over in the shadow of the last overpass for a hundred miles. Stayed there until sundown, wore a flannel shirt the next 6 days. Enjoy, Crusty and thanks for the Pix!! Z | ||
| Crusty |
Happy Solstice! Yesterday was the Summer Solstice; the Longest Day of the Year. It is the official start of Summer, which is my favorite season. Except, of course, in Australia where it’s the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year. In the past year, I’ve seen three Summer Solstices and no Winter Solstices. Sometimes, I really love the life I’m living. I left the Motel 6 in Ridgecrest (China Lake) fairly early heading north toward Lee Vining, where I took a left onto CA Rt. 120 into Yosemite. I figured it would be smart to gas up as I entered the park and it cost me $3.99/gallon for Mobil Premium. As I waited in line at the entrance (which is 12 miles up the road) I was reading the sign that said that even with my Senior Card, it was going to cost $10.00. That annoyed me, but I decided that I was going to pay it. Then, when I got to the booth, the employee (Ranger? Clerk? Temp. Help?) said my card got me in for free. I guess I misunderstood the fees sign. Yosemite is stunningly beautiful. I’ve seen pictures of Half Dome and El Capitan, but to actually see them is mind blowing. Tioga Pass, coming into the park was also incredible. I stopped and took a couple of pictures on my way up, but I could have taken a lot more. Yosemite really does deserve to be a National Park. It’s magnificent. But it’s not all sunshine and roses. I seemed that every Granola Loving Hiker in the Western part of the country was there running around. Every time the road crossed a trail, there were cars parked everywhere possible and tons of people with floppy hats and walking sticks going every which way. When I got down to the Valley, the Visitor’s Center was a madhouse, and the traffic was horrendous. All the people that I expected to see at the Grand Canyon were there, as well as all the people I expected to see in Yosemite. It was beautiful, but way too crowded for my taste. I left the park and continued to head west on Rt. 120 until I got to Oakdale, where I stopped at a Mc Donald’s. I wanted to get directions to Tony’s house, but the WiFi was so lame, I couldn’t get Google to come up; not even my E-mail. I could read posts on the forums I frequent, but I couldn’t post anything. I wound up having to call Tony and he gave me directions from Google Maps. I filled up with gas, and set out. Google lied. The directions were good, but they gave a false distance on one of the highways I was supposed to take. They said 29.7 miles, and it was a lot more than that. At 40 miles, I decided that maybe I missed a turn or something, so I got off the freeway to try to find a Starbucks. After getting lost and wandering around for an hour or so, I came upon a different freeway. I saw a gas station and was going to stop and ask directions, when I saw a Starbucks. So I stopped there, got a cup of coffee and Googled directions. It’s nice when there’s decent WiFi. I was able to look at the map, and see where to go, as well as read the directions. In my getting lost and wandering, I had managed to backtrack about a dozen miles or so. I studied the directions and made it to Tony’s without any further drama. I’m going to visit for a few days; Tony wants to play Tour Guide, and I ‘ll appreciate learning about the area. It’ll be nice to catch up with him; we haven’t really had a chance to talk in a long time. Tony’s at work, right now. I think that in a little while, I’ll head out to the Post Office and mail a couple of cards, then find my way to the In-N-Out Burger for lunch. Supposedly, it’s the best of all the fast food burger joints; at least, according to the Internet (if it’s on the Internet, it must be true; Right?). | ||
| Tootal |
Well Crusty, you're on the internet and I know you would never lie!  | ||
| Pwnzor |
I spent many of my early years tent camping in Yosemite Valley and Badger Pass. We were really quite poor then, and it was something the family could do for the price of gas, spam, and canned potatoes. I consider myself absolutely privileged to have spent so much time there. My brother died in Yosemite, doing what he loved spending time gazing into his own mind to see the waterfalls he knew as a youth. Completely blind, and being led around by his caretaker, a massive heart attack took him as they walked beside a stream. I like to think that he is still there, and when I visit again I'll be able to talk with him. Sorry, that got a little sad, but it's a very special place for me and my family. I'm glad you got to see it, John. It will be in your mind's eye forever. | ||
| Crusty |
It’s Funny… It’s funny, but after a couple of days at 110º, 73º seems cold. That’s the official temperature here. Well; I bet it heats right back up as soon as I go inland a bit. I hit the Post Office and mailed out a package and bought some stamps; then I went and found the nearby In-N-Out Burger. It was tough to find a place to park. Once I got parked and went inside, I ordered my meal (a cheeseburger with fries and medium drink. Then I had to wait about half an hour to get my food. The burger was good, the fries were crunchy and the coke tasted like a coke. The food was made fresh to order. I was entertained by watching one guy throw potatoes into the gizmo that cuts them into fries. The fries are definitely fresh. He’d slice about 20 or 25 spuds, then throw a big scoop full into a basket and drop it into the fryer and hit the timer. Everybody was frantically busy. Not only was there a wait to get a parking space, there was a line just to order. When I ordered, they were calling out #54. My # was 96. Still; the food was hot and fresh when I got it. I don’t know if it’s the best fast food burger I ever got, but it sure was a lot better than the really big chains; Macca’s, Blubber King, and so on. I still think that one of the best burgers I’ve had in the past few years was at the Marysvale Diner in Utah. I wonder if I’ll be able to swing through there on this trip? I’ll have to look into that. I’ve been looking at routes for when I leave here. North to Vancouver, then Northeast to Jasper National Park, South to Banff NP then South to Glacier NP. That’s a lot of miles, but it will be in breathtaking country. It should be a Great Ride. I kind of wish I could have gone through Death Valley, but I think it would be wiser to wait and hit it in February or March. At least, that’s what people are telling me. I did take a picture of the road sign that says Death Valley 114 miles or some similar distance. I’m not sure of the mileage on the sign, and I don’t have the camera with me at the moment, so I can’t check. As soon as I download the picture to my laptop, I’ll post it. I just realized that I didn’t take my drugs this morning. I’d better go do that right now. | ||
| Akbuell |
If you get to Vancouver BC, a nice ride is up 99 to Whistler. The Sea to Sky? Sea to Ski? Don't remember. Anyway, continue on through Lilooet to Cache Creek. Spectacular stuff. DO NOT leave Whistler without filling up; the next gas was in Lilooet, IIRC. Not necessarily on your way, but south from Cache Creek on 1 to Hope follows the Fraser River canyon, another visually stunning road. Or skip Whistler and head north from Hope. Fuel by the litre, you'll need a passport, and there are 2 seasons in that part of the world - Winter and Construction. The road guys have a habit of bringing bikes to the front of the line in places where there is a scout car or alternating traffic. And the semi's there run some really impressive gross weights. Anyway, while running the canyon, I was really impressed at how many miles a roadway could run downhill, or uphill, depending on going north or south. And please keep the reports coming. Dave | ||
| Crusty |
I’m A Tourist Today, Tony took the day off from work and played tour guide. He drove us into the city (San Francisco). We walked down and up some famous stairs (which did nothing positive for my ankle), walked out onto the Golden Gate Bridge and went to a tiny hole in the wall Pizza joint for a pretty good lunch. Fortunately, I was warned before hand, so I had my cane with me. I didn’t hold him up too much, but by the time we were done with the Bridge, my ankle was done with me. I’m happy to be back at the house and relaxing. We also went down Lombard Street, which is supposedly the crookedest street in the world. I have to say that San Francisco has the steepest hills of any city I’ve been to. if it ever gets icy in the winter, nobody would ever get home if they live up near the top of a hill. We went by the Ball Park (AT&T Park?) and the numerous piers and a lot of other places, as well. It’s a very pretty city though I wouldn’t want to live there. I don’t mean that in a malicious way; I don’t want to live in any big city. I do enjoy visiting them on occasion, though. In a little while, Tony’s going to fix a roasted chicken for dinner. He’s a much better cook than I am, so I’m curious to see how he does his roasted chicken. My ego is murmuring that it won’t be as good as my recipe, but we’ll see. I’m not a great cook, but there are a few things that I do well. My roasted chicken is one of them. If it’s in the same league as his tomato sauce was (we had Linguini w/tomato sauce last night), then I’ll just slink away quietly. I think that tomorrow, we’re going to go to the coast and check out the beaches. No swimming, though. The water is something like 45º F (7.2º C). Way too cold for my blood. Here’s a photo I took the other day when I was still in the real heat.  | ||
| Crusty |
This was entering Yosemite from the east:   | ||
| Crusty |
Highly Subjective Observations Today, we went on a tour of the coast. The fog here comes in off the water and you can see a wall of fog over the hills as you head west. We went west from Tony’s house, then followed the coast north. I don’t remember all the names of places we went by, but we wound up going through the city, over the Golden Gate Bridge, then north along the coast again. We went by the Muir Woods, but there was nowhere to park, so we just continued on. At one point, the tide was out and the sun was heating the mud flats enough that fog was riding from the mud. At one point, there were hundreds of sea lions laying on a mud flat sunning themselves. I thought they were rocks until I saw one waddling along. That was pretty neat. We had lunch at a little Italian restaurant in Petaluma. the food was good, but pricey. After lunch, we headed back toward Redwood City. On the way, we passed by Black Mountain. It was the cover photo for a Youngbloods album back in their heyday titled Elephant Mountain. it was a neat looking hill, for sure. California is very different from anyplace I’ve spent time at. There are a lot of strange plants here; more than I even noticed in Australia. I think that’s because I expected everything to look strange in Australia. I expected a little more familiarity here that I’m seeing. Also, everything is more expensive here than in most of the country. Where a Senior coffee runs around $0.75 or less in most places, here, it’s a buck. Regular gas costs more, but premium is only $0.20/gallon more than Regular. I saw Premium at $0.96 more than Regular in one station in Kansas. I made it a point to eat at an In-N-Out Burger, the other day. I saw a sign on the door advertising for help. Starting wage was $12.50/hour. So things are more expensive, but earnings are higher. If you live and work here, I guess it evens out. Another thing I’m noticing is how crowded it is here. Houses don’t have enough yard to count, and they’re jammed in right on top of each other. Even back in Massachusetts, there’s nearly always some yard. This looks like the land of Condos and Town Houses. And housing prices are insanely high here. A two bedroom Town House here in the complex Tony lives in is on the market for $1.15 Million. There’s no way in hell I could even afford to even rent here. I couldn’t even afford the Property Taxes. Property Taxes are running close to $1,000.00 per month. Now, I’m really liking that little ranch house in Colorado; property taxes on it were $450.00 per Year! Anyhow, I think I’ll stay here for another day or so, then head north. I don’t want to overstay my welcome and I’m getting itchy to move on. The old Ben Franklin line is starting to reverberate in my head, House Guests and fish are alike; they both start to stink after three days. I’ve been here since Tuesday evening. Tomorrow, I’ll do my laundry and pack my saddlebags; then I’ll probably head out on Sunday morning. It’s been really nice to see Tony again (it’s been 12 years since I saw him last) , and having him and Jim show me around and play tour guides was really fun, but I really don’t like to impose. Tony’s my brother, and I love him dearly, but we live in different worlds. Now that I think about it, I live in a different world from nearly everyone I know. | ||
| Pwnzor |
The granite mountain tops in your pictures are really taking me back to my youth. Thanks for that, John. I'm literally on the edge of my seat for these updates every day. | ||
| Crusty |
Looking To The North I’m heading out in the morning. I’m heading toward Vancouver, then to Jasper National Park. I won’t get to Vancouver tomorrow; it’s going to take two or three days just to get there. I’m not even figuring how long it’ll take to get to Jasper, Banff or the two Glacier Parks (Canada and US). It feels like once I cross into Canada, the Adventure steps up to the next level. It doesn’t look like I’m going to cross off Nevada, unless I can figure out a way after I head south from Canada. It just might be possible, though. I’ll see how things look after I’ve ridden through The US Glacier National Park. I didn’t realize that there’s a Glacier National park in Canada until recently. It’s south of Banff, so I’ll have to check it out as well. I had been hoping to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, but there’s a NASCAR race at Sears Point this weekend, and it will have traffic tied up in knots; so I’m going to go back over the San Mateo Bridge, then eventually finding my way to I-5. It’s not how I wanted to go, but there’s so much traffic around here, it makes the most sense. I just want to get away from the crowds. I have to remember to take more pictures. I haven’t been taking any since I got here. (well; I took one in the city, but it isn’t anything noteworthy). I think I’m going to be seeing some spectacular things and I want to have a few memorable photos. I think there’ll be a bunch of them; At least I hope there will be. I’ve got my bags mostly packed. In the morning, I’ll put them on the bike, along with the tent & sleeping bag, etc. It won’t take long to have everything travel ready. The next phase is about to begin! |
