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Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:47 pm: | 
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ladies and gentleman, without further delay...
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 17, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:48 pm: |
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...it is my incredible pleasure to introduce Mr. Dave Barr.
i'll talk more about this man at the end of this day's thread, but for now know that he is a two-time Guiness Book record holder as related to some truly EXTREME motorcycle adventures, and an inductee into the AMA Hall of Fame.
and the fact that he was riding with us this afternoon, and sitting here posing for photos at the base of Mt. Whitney on Madduck's Ulysses, swelled my heart with pride, gratitude and joy.
this IS grand stuff.
while i hack out the rest of today's captions, please take a spin thru www.davebarr.com for more information on this amazing, kind, and gentle giant of a man.
this, kids, is the stuff of legends. 
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 17, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:50 pm: |
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this, for folks who don't recognize it from many other pix i've posted on these hallowed pages before, is Mt. Whitney - the highest mountain in thousands of miles - as viewed from Whitney Portal.
the rest of the mighty and massive Sierra Nevada mountain range conveniently pulls back at this particular spot, as if to drape and frame the majesty at hand, as if creating a window thru which your eyes and your soul may view in wonder that which is nearly beyond wonder.
Whitney Portal, an entirely appropriate name for a very special place.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:51 pm: |
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the pavement ends all too soon, here at the Whitney Portal Store, but it's been a grand ride, from the heated depths of Death Valley to the dizzying heights of the Sierra Nevadas, all in less than a half a tank of gas.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:52 pm: |
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Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:52 pm: |
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true enough, but it IS priceless.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 12:59 pm: |
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one last confab before spinning a UE and descending the mountain for the final push to the ThunderDome.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:01 pm: |
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Mr. Barr at speed, southbound on Hwy 395 between Lone Pine and Olancha, with Owens Dry Lake whizzing by in the background.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:02 pm: |
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along with FMJ...
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:02 pm: |
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...BBStacker...
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:03 pm: |
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...and Unibear.
photos by Denise.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:03 pm: |
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one of my favorite photos from the trip, as Mr. Barr rolls up to the ThunderDome.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:04 pm: |
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the last nine days had indeed been unforgettable and epic, but it sure felt good to be back home (if only for about the next 12 hours). in the meantime...
...Dave "Dino" Hoffman, who met us here at the 'Dome, takes his turn as honored guest on Madduck's Uly.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:05 pm: |
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and as the day slipped into night, the ThunderDome's garage became party central yet again, with lights, tunes, hot pizza, cold beer and soda, and fabulous friends and tall tales from the road.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:06 pm: |
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gathered 'round the motorcycles.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:07 pm: |
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Dave and Susan Barr and their son Luke.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 01:08 pm: |
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and one more shot of Luke, a wide-eyed bundle of youthful innocence and inquisitive energy.
getting him to hold still for a second was one of my biggest challenges on the day.
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on October 18, 2005) |
Black_sunshine
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 02:17 pm: |
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Hey Jerry, who's the bilateral Above the Knee, Below the Knee Amputee? I'm a Certified Prosthetists her in Atlanta, Ga. I have made prostheses for several of my patients that ride as well and were asking me about some custom hand controls. Could you put me in touch with him? It is refreshing to see some amputees overcoming their adversity. Thanks in advanced. |
Unibear12r
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 03:05 pm: |
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An exceptionaly cool person and good rider!
He's done far more than overcome adversity.
But this is Jerry's story. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2005 - 10:37 pm: |
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Hi Black Sunshine, sorry so slow to reply, have been away from the computer for a bit.
i hate the get the cart in front of the horse, so to speak, but i appreciate your question and will tell all just as soon as i can get the caption material caught up to his photos.
As Unibear says, this man has done far more than merely overcome adversity, and i will DEFINITELY tell you how to get in touch him.
thanks for following along, Will, check back tomorrow night, k?
Ferris |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 12:22 am: |
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You will pay for that one,Bueller----pay hard!!!
BTW,are you gonna come out to El Mirage and watch me spank a Buell next sunday???? |
Unibear12r
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 03:26 am: |
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Any place to stay Sat night out there Jim? |
Unibear12r
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 03:37 am: |
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I've sat here and looked at this,(& Springfast & Octoberfast & others), and counted blessings.
Life is great when you have good friends & Buells. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 07:52 am: |
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You will pay for that one,Bueller----pay hard!!!
yeah, i knew that when i posted it. i ain't skeered.
BTW,are you gonna come out to El Mirage and watch me spank a Buell next sunday????
depends on my work situation, won't know 'til this weekend. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 07:54 am: |
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I've sat here and looked at this,(& Springfast & Octoberfast & others), and counted blessings.
Life is great when you have good friends & Buells.
words to live by. |
Black_sunshine
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 08:09 am: |
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Ferris....will do, take your time. |
Ebear
| | Posted on Monday, October 17, 2005 - 07:51 pm: |
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Uni...I will try to answer that one.We are camping at "Camp Runamuck"...a spot in the desert our Bueller friend Mark Mamone started going to over 25 years ago.It is just over the hill from El Mirage(towards the 395)and a great dirt bike ride too.With everything from rock mountains to single tracks to sand dunes.The local town Adelanto has a few but Victorville and Apple Valley are close and have many more hotels to choose from.I will list some tommorrow if your interested. |
Unibear12r
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 02:10 am: |
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Well I WAS interested, but the GF reminded me of other plans for sunday. 
Of course if I should conduct myself with my usual social ineptness it might be a wise move to beat a hasty exit out of the valley before then!
I should be able to subdue my more unsavory personality traits enough to make it through the weekend though.
Maybe next time Jim makes a run I can go hang out. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 08:44 pm: |
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four or five years ago, while snooping around a local thrift store for buried treasure, i stumbled upon an exciting find.
it was a book called Riding the Edge, written by a man i'd never met, but knew a little about, Mr. Dave Barr.
and for the princely sum of 75 cents i was allowed intimate entry into one man's journey against long odds and severe adversity.
Dave Barr lost both his legs in an antitank mine explosion in Angola in 1981.
this, as one can easily imagine, brought his world to searing, blinding halt for a time.
for many, it would have been a LONG time. as in permanent.
but several years later, in a journey that defied all odds, Mr. Barr set out to do what no one had ever done before: he went riding.
but not just ANY ride. from September 1990 to May 1994 - three and a half years! - Dave rode his Harley-Davidson around the world.
his ride covered six continents and over 83,000 miles.
Mr. Barr is the first person with a major disability to circle the world both north-south and east-west, on a motorcycle.
it was an extreme honor and privilege to ride with this man today, and to welcome him into our hearts and our home. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 08:58 pm: |
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last year, while overnighting in Mesquite, Nevada doing recon for Alex Prior's RANE ride, i broke out my thrift store copy of Riding the Edge, which i had brought along as inspirational reading material:
no matter HOW many times you read it, it's an incredible saga. |
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