December Update

The bike has been treated to some maintenance and a lot of clean-up and I have been riding a little.....enough that I have turned 80,000 miles on it.  However, this time of the year means either riding in rain, or riding in dry but cold and frosty conditions with low sun and short days.  So, I've moved the bikes from the shop to the garage and have started some woodworking projects in the shop.  This is the time to start making plans for next year's rides, and plans are going forward. 

A new helmet has solved the problem of water leaking onto the inside of my face shield in the rain, and I ride with rubber muck boots when taking local trips in the rain to keep my feet dry.  I also got a new fairing and replaced the damaged one:

One of the reasons for the timing of my ride was to attend Carolyn's mother's 90th birthday.  All of Carolyn's sisters were there as well as her mother's two sons-in-law:





That's Jim Juneman, Betty Nason, and me.

About a week or two after I got home, Betty fell ill and went to the hospital.  She wasn't expected to live long and Carolyn went back to Tennessee to be with her.  However, after she survived the first few days in the hospital, the sisters took her home, and with help from hospice care, took care of her until she passed on December 6.  Here is a picture of her shortly before she died, with her cat. 

RIP Betty Nason



Post Ride Thoughts

The Past and the Present

Some of the places I rode through I had visited many years ago, like Jackson Wyoming, Leadville, Colorado, Monument Valley, and Zion National Park.  Then there is St. Louis, where I grew up.  All these places have experienced a huge amount of development and population increase.  To me, they don't seem quite as nice as I remembered them.  Would I like to return to this earlier time?  Not without some of the modern technologies that made this trip more enjoyable, and probably even possible.  The Garmin Zumo, netbook computer, cell phone, and of course the internet; all were essential to my success and enjoyment of this ride.  One of the biggest benefits of this technology was to keep me feeling connected with friends and family during the trip.  Rather than spending lonely nights in motels by myself, I would spend hours updating this blog, checking weather along the route, or visiting my favorite motorcycle web sites.  Then there was ordering the new fuel pump and getting it shipped, checking the price of a replacement fairing, and finding a Lowes to get another can of chain lube. 

The motorcycle itself was so much better than what I would have been riding in the old days.  Other than the fuel pump problem the bike ran flawlessly despite having over 70,000 miles when I started.  You can't imagine how comforting it is to be confident that each morning when you suit-up and press the starter button the bike is going to start and run fine all day. 

The Gear

I have been planning this ride since about last February or March, and choosing the gear and accessories I felt I needed to have a successful ride under all the conditions I expected to encounter.  Most of it I already had, and had tested over time on other rides.  Most of it worked well, but some not so much.  In the outstanding category was the Givi hard luggage cases that proved to be rugged, waterproof, and easy to mount and dismount from the bike.  In fact, all my luggage worked well.  The top bag that I mounted on the seat behind me was part of a Cortech sport bag system, and it stayed secure and held my rain gear, Teva sandals, and some tools plus a spare helmet face shield.  The magnetic tank bag is a simple bag with only one compartment, but it is expandable and could be quickly removed when getting gas.  In it I kept cameras (video and still), my cell phone, Ipod, other pair of gloves, damp rag in a baggie to clean bugs off my helmet shield, and sometimes my heated vest and some energy bars or M&Ms.  The Senna SMH10 intercom also worked perfectly.  The batteries lasted all day on even the longest day, the sound quality with the Ipod was great, and the bluetooth connection with the Zumo allowed me to know about upcoming turns without taking my eyes off the road, which was important when riding through towns with traffic.  In theory, I should have been able to make and receive phone calls while riding, but I never quite got that to work.  I really didn't have much reason to do it anyway, though.   The grip heaters and Gerbing electric vest were absolutely essential to making this trip possible.  There is no way to keep warm when riding all day in temps in the 40s without electricity.  You are just not creating enough heat sitting still in the breeze, so that eventually cold will seep in and get you chilled. 

In the category of things that didn't work so well, I would say top of the list was my earplugs.  I had a great pair of earplugs that were washable and easily inserted that I had been using for at least a year, but I lost one of them on a ride last spring.  Despite buying several pairs that looked the same, none of them worked; they were painful and did not block wind noise as well.  So for this trip I used Hearos, which are expandable foam plugs that have to be squeezed and then inserted into the ear.  It takes some time for them to then expand, so I would have to wait before putting my helmet on.  If I didn't wait, or get them just right, I would often bump them out of place when putting my helmet on and then have to stop, take my gloves and helmet off and re-do the whole process.  It was irritating.  The Hearos also cannot be cleaned and have to be replaced after a day or two, so I had to bring a lot of extra pairs.  When the earplugs where properly in place, though, they worked well.   Another maddening problem was rain getting on the inside of my helmet shield.  The rubber gasket at the top of the eye port did not fit flush with the shield when it was closed, and would allow water to get inside the shield.  There is nothing you can do about this while riding except get used to looking through droplets on the inside of the shield, and I hate having my vision obstructed.  I tried fixing the problem by buying some RTV silicone and applying a strip of it to the rubber gasket, and it helped, but was not 100% effective.   I already mentioned in my blog that my boots and gloves leaked in an all-day rain.  My boots are pretty old Joe Rocket boots that are not made anymore, and they were repaired before the trip, so I guess that was partly my problem, but the gloves were fairly new and expensive Cortech

How well did this old man hold up?

I have been asked if I would do it again.  I think what is really meant is; did I enjoy the ride and think the trip was worthwhile?  The answer to this is a definite yes.  However, as to whether or not I would do it again, I'm not so sure I could.  I was really lucky in a lot of ways.  The weather was generally good, and I had no serious problems of any kind.  However, age is definitely creeping into the equation.   I think I will consider this ride to be the climax of my riding career.  I had a good match of declining physical capability compensated by lots of experience, wisdom, planning and luck.  That match may not happen again. 

What's next?

The riding season is winding down for the year.  I still plan to do some day rides on the street and on my dual sport bike when the weather permits.  I also use my bikes to run errands even when it is raining.  My next bucket list ride is the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route, but that will have to wait until next summer.  I may periodically update this blog just for the heck of it, but probably not too often.

Back On The Bike

No, not that one, this one, my huffa puffa bike:

And, yes, I have definitely lost some fitness.  I did one of my shortest and easiest routes but still finished with rubbery legs and short of breath.  The time, though, was not as slow as I thought it would be, so I guess I'll get it back soon enough.

Comments

I'm getting more information from backchannel sources that people have tried to post comments on my blog but can't get it done.  Some are young tech-savy types, and not just old farts who don't know how to use a computer.  I think Google has made it too difficult in an effort to prevent spamming.  So here's my solution; now that I am home, you can email me at my normal email address gjurban@wildblue.net.  If you don't mind the comment being made public, I will cut and paste it here.  If you don't want it to be public, let me know.  Also, if the comment is about a specific post don't forget to say which one.

From Ray Berg:

Glad to see you made it home safe. Man, what a trip, nice blog!

From Joyce Ingersoll:

Carolyn gave me your Blog address in the Birthday Card she sent me.  WOW!!!  What a trip!  I've read every day's blog (sometimes a day or two behind) and really enjoyed reading about your adventure.  Any other plans for the future on your "Bucket List"?

Actually, Joyce, there is another ride on my bucket list.  I want to ride my dual sport bike on the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route.  That's a 600 mile, mostly dirt road route from Oregon to the Canadian border.  Too late to do it this year, though.  Next summer. 

From Lynda Juneman:

I enjoyed your blog as you went along!  I am so glad that you were able and willing to do something that had such great meaning for you.  It will remain a treasured memory I’m sure.  Do you plan another?

Lynda; see response to Joyce above. 

Bucky wrote:

I just discovered your blog by way of RiderForums.

Great ride report. I envy your being able to take the time.

I started riding four years ago at age 57. I have put about 30,000 miles on my '06 Ninja 650R like yours. My riding time is almost exclusively within 100 miles of northwestern South Carolina.

I am no where near as experienced a rider as you, but have enjoyed the bike quite a lot. I write a blog about my experiences called Bucky's Ride http://buckysride.blogspot.com/

I have recently started an exercise program, both aerobics and weight training. See posting Fitness -- Weight for Me

I also once lived in Russellville, KY, around twelve years ago. Unfortunately I did not
recognize those you met on the road.

Keep up the blogging, and riding.

Bucky

Home

Wow, what a ride!  8,267 miles, and a month and a day of being gone from home.  I'm safe, I didn't get sick, the bike ran well with no breakdowns, and I saw some fabulous country and rode some really Good Roads.  I think it was the culmination of my motorcycle riding life. 

Sure enough, there was no WiFi in the motel in Heppner: 

Before I get into the last two days of riding, I want to take some time to acknowledge a good Samaritan who I failed to mention earlier.  On the first day of my trip, when the bike was quitting on me and I thought it had something to do with being low on fuel as well as a hot day, I stopped at the Cant Ranch not too far west of John Day to see if I could bum some gas.  The Cant Ranch is a historic old ranch that has been preserved by the National Park Service as an example of early 20th Century sheep ranching.  There was a man in a Park Service uniform standing by his truck apparently getting ready to go home from work at the ranch site.   I described my problem as asked him if he had any gas that I could buy/bum from him.  He said he had no gas, but there was a mini-mart selling gas just eight miles further down the road if I thought I could make it.  He also said he would follow me there to make sure I was OK.  I asked him if he was going that way anyway and he replied that he actually lived eight miles back in the direction I had come, but he wouldn't abandon me.  So he followed me 16 round-trip miles out of his way to make sure I made it.  The bike quit on me twice on the way, but each time it started back up and after I got gas it ran fine until the next time it got really hot in eastern Colorado.  I don't even remember if I thanked the guy, as I was so caught up in my fear that my trip was looking like it might be over before it even got started. 

It just so happened that I modified my route home two days ago and ended up going by the Cant Ranch exactly one month after I had passed by before.  I thought it would be great if I could stop in and find the guy and properly thank him and maybe even get his picture for the blog.  Unfortunately, he was not at work that day, but I think I now know his name and it's Scott.  I left a card with my blog address on it, so Scott, if you read this, please know that I really appreciate your help and kindness. 

I spent Sunday night in Winnemucca, Nevada and then headed out early Monday morning on some more desolate roads in Southern Oregon.  It started out fairly mild, but soon became colder, windy and cloudy.  It stayed that way until I got near Burns, when the clouds went away, but it was still cold and windy.  I don't think it got above the mid 50s all day, and since it had started out mild, I had put away my balaclava and rain pants, and didn't want to stop to dig them out.  By the time I got to the motel in Heppner I was getting pretty chilled. 

I also had some deer encounters, for the first time on the trip.  The first one was a single deer that I saw as it was getting on the road just in front of me.....a big, healthy critter.  I had to get on the binders hard and I startled her so that she ended up running down the road in front of me.  Pretty scary, but at least I saw it in time to do something about it.  The next one was as I was nearing Heppner and it was late, with lots of shadows.  This single deer was in the shade and I didn't see it until it turned and ran away from the road.  This was more scary, actually, because it was just luck that it ran away from the road and not onto the road, in which case I wouldn't have had time to do anything.  The next encounter was just outside of Heppner where a group of about five deer were standing in the road.  I saw them from quite a distance and it was no problem.  So, all you deer hunters.........get with the program and kill, kill, kill. 

Today was the coldest start on the ride......30 degrees and heavy frost on the bike.  However, I rigged for it and had a relatively short ride home, so it wasn't bad.  At least it wasn't raining, which is very likely at this time of the year.  Also there was no wind in the Columbia Gorge, which can be a real hassle when heading into it.  A hot bath at 2 pm when I got home sure felt good, though. 

Speaking of the gorge, I stopped to take this picture of it. I sure live in a pretty part of the country. 

This is the odometer reading after getting home.  That's a lot of miles for a motorcycle, but it runs great and doesn't use any oil.  I'm going to 100,000. 

Tomorrow I'll get started on a summary of my thoughts about the trip.

Where Did Everybody Go?

There are many places that I've been on this trip where there are too many people.  But there are still some places in this country where there are hardly any people.  Those are the places I rode today.  After I left Hurricane I stopped at a Lowes in St. George (more about that later), and then headed up towards Nevada Hwy 50.  This road was billed  by Life magazine in July of 1986 as the "Loneliest Road in America". It wasn't all that empty, and was far more scenic than I expected.  I had been on parts of it on the west end of the state near Fallon, and it was bleak desert.  The eastern part was greener and more mountainous.  The original plan was to ride it all the way over to Reno for an overnight stay, but I got to looking at a map and found a road that AAA denoted as a scenic highway that went from Austin to Battle Mountain......Nevada route 305.  I decided to take it to check the scenery and also to make some northern distance and avoid the congestion around Reno.  Let me tell you, route 305.......now that's desolation!  How desolate was it?  In 85 miles a total of 12 vehicles passed coming towards me; eight cars or pickups, three eighteen wheelers, and one fifth wheel travel trailer.  I encountered no vehicles going my direction.  How desolate was it?  Check it out:

I also took a picture of this abandoned ranch house.  It looked really old.  If only the walls could talk.

About the stop at Lowes:  It seemed to me that the bike was getting more buzzy during the last couple of days, but I couldn't think of a reason why it should and thought maybe it was just the nature of the pavement.  Then last night as I was pulling into the motel parking lot and going slow, I felt that the chain was definitely not happy.  I have been lubing the chain every day at the end of the day's ride, but I have been using a new chain lube that I had not used before.  My normal lube is a Dupont Teflon general purpose spray that I buy at Lowes.  Lots of riders use it.  Lots of lubes do the job of lubing the chain, but what makes the Dupont stuff so nice is that it doesn't fling off the chain onto the rear wheel, fender, swingarm, etc. However, before this trip I found some other Dupont stuff at Walmart that said it was actually for motorcycle chains, so I thought it might even be better.  Wrong. So this morning I used my Zumo to locate a Lowes near Hurricane, and it found one in St George, which I was going to go through anyway.  I stopped and got the old kind of lube and did a thorough lube job in the parking lot.  Big difference; I got my smooth running bike back for the rest of the day.

I rode 527 miles today, the longest day yet.  It wasn't hard; the roads were pretty straight and fast, and I guess I'm getting used to long hours of seat time.  At any rate, by doing that mileage and taking that northern route up Nevada 305 I have got back on schedule and expect to be home on Tuesday.  Tomorrow I plan to spend the night in Heppner, Oregon.  There is only one motel there and I have stayed in it before, but I sort of doubt they have WiFi.  If I can't make a post tomorrow, I'll do a catch up post and a summary after I get home.

Surrounded by Savages

Oops, PC Mode Failure.  I mean Native Americans.  It's alright, though, all they were trying to attack was my wallet, which I'm pretty good at protecting.......especially when it comes to buying jewelry. The highlights of the day were Monument Valley and Zion National Park, with some curvy bits in-between.  The trouble with places like Monument Valley and most of the country I was in today, is that the vistas are so grand it's hard to capture them on film...........er, pixels?  But I gave it a try and here are some of the results:

 The telephone polls in the foreground give an idea of the size of this formation.

This next one was shortly after entering Zion:

The sun was setting and often shining in my eyes.  That, combined with the traffic on the weekend, made for a cautious go of it on the way up to this tunnel:

This used to be a two-way tunnel, but for some reason they have made it one-way, and I got there just after they closed it for my direction.  We had about a 10 minute wait.

I was the second in line and that car in front of me is some kind of high-dollar Porsche.  The road down on the other side of the tunnel is the best part, with some major switchbacks.  Naturally, that Porsche was going to show that motorcycle how to do it, so we had a friendly romp down the hill.....still with a good degree of caution in consideration of the looky-loos parked alongside the road.  However, there was no way I was going to stop to take pictures and let some of the cars who were waiting in line behind me catch up.  So, no more pictures, sorry.  I think Zion is one of the most spectacular National Parks I have seen.  Carolyn and I have been there several times when we lived in California, and there are some fond memories of camping and hiking there.

I tried taking some helmet-cam videos while riding through Monument Valley, and I'll work on processing them tonight, but I got a late start on this post due to the fact that I had to walk a mile from the motel to find a beer in this Mormon town (Hurricane, Utah).  Such are the hardships of travel.

Both Carolyn and I have heard from people who have tried to post comments and found it so difficult they gave up.  I know it was hard for me the first time, and I don't remember how I did it.  I remember having to use my screen name of McRider and also entering a capcha.  Perhaps Karen or Mike can post a comment telling people how to post a comment.  Never too late, I guess.

Tomorrow I start heading north by northwest towards home.  I really fell behind schedule today and will probably need to add a day.

I did get a short segment of helmet cam video on YouTube.  It only took a couple of hours to upload 30 seconds!  Anyway, it's not so hot.  My eyeballs can swivel a lot further than my head.