Casting my pearls before swine, in Colorado.

It seems like she resists short weekend day runs more than multi-week cross country trips. I might be imagining things but she seems to understand that sometimes, a man has to migrate. I know that some women might feel this urge too, but it’s easier to talk in my voice. I don’t know about you, but seasonally, I get a strong urge to travel, camp, watch wildlife and drink beer. Scoff all you want, I still think there is a primitive thing in man to travel and drink beer. It goes way back. I got the bacon thing too, but it’s down the list for me.
My wife thinks it’s crazy but she does know that I have to ramble a few times a year. We have been married a long time and she knows my ways. She gets a wan smile that borders on indulgent as she pets on me the night before I leave. Tonight, it’s close to Father’s day, so I get a favorite meal and a nice beverage. Rack of lamb medium rare, baked potato, a salad with blue cheese, and Van Winkle 12 on ice.
I leave for Colorado in the morning from Virginia. Three days to the Springs, then ten days of riding before I start back.

Morning comes slow with some time lost in the night. Wake up early, listen to late night am radio, Coast-to-Coast with George Noory, UFOs and breathless weirdo’s on a phone. Make coffee. It’s dark but I pull on my gear. I’ve kissed my wife, looked in on the boy and pushed the dog back in the house so he won’t bark later and wake the neighbors. Tuck the last items in the tightening space on the bike. Radio, cell, homemade ADV banner for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb I hope to watch. Maybe the few inmates that are racing up the Peak will see it in their charge up the hill. Never been to that event, hope I make it. The bike seems loud in the garage. The EFI makes the Pig settle to a fast idle, faster than with carbs. The EFI is good in the mountains though, excellent in fact. I want to ride two days and camp the third night, in the front range of Colorado. Go.

Did you go through Charleston, WV about 11.30 on Interstate 64. If so I passed you going west as I was coming back east from Point Pleasant WV. I was on a white goldwing.
Have a safe trip and enjoy.

Yup that was me I guess. Kansas was awful hot yesterday. This morning is beautiful, Colorado next. I'm in some Kansas town off of I 70, poaching an internet connection in a hotel lobby. Later

Dude ~ Looks like you guys are off to a great start on a great ride!!! It was cool meetin' ya'll in town today and I wish you the best of luck on the rest of your ride. As for your time in Colorado, and like I said earlier, if you guys run into any trouble and need some roadside / trailside assistance, please don't hesitate to call me anytime (Day or Night). In case you lost it, I also just sent you my cell number via a PM. I don't usually do it but for the next ten days, I'll be sure to keep it on me 24 hours a day. Also, if you need some help with that beer, let me know and I'll put a team together!! Speaking of beer and riding ~ I told you about our trip through Lake City, well, while there, we had one of the locals the "Hook us UP!!!!" Details and pics on page 3 (post #31) of my current RR. Long story short, Mike was one cool Dude and if you need any sort of logistical support like that (i.e., firewood and beer!), Lemme Know! It will give me a good reason to play hookie from work! : )

That's it for now man. Take Care and "Ride it like you stole it" Brother!.........................Sean

Oh Yeah, I almost forgot.................

Subscribed!!!!!!!!!!
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in

Hey Man!
Regarding your comment about heading up to watch the race ~ I just found out that I may be getting a good portion of tomorrow off (National Guard Scheduling Conflicts). Long story short, depending on what my friend Dana is up to, I may be headed up the mountain to watch the race. If it's after 9:00 AM, I'll have to come up through the Craigs. I I think I can make it to Devil's Playground with no problem. You still planning on being up there?

Some nice cool mountain air sounds great with the warm summer we are having in Virginia.

safe travels.

IN!

SUBSCRIBED! You go Karl

I'll be headed that way on the same time table to the Front Range in late Aug/Sept. Look forward to the pics and "local flavor" only you can bring out...

Ok, in the Gunnison Library to update so far.

Currently in Lake City camping at the bottom of Engineer. No problems. Rode in on the dirt behind the Springs and wiggled over to Taylor Park. Had an old fellow there that supplied fresh caught and cooked trout two nights and then stayed to chat. Frank is the man. Rode Mosquito to the top and went over to the snow. Tin Cup to the top but snow stopped me again. The Pig is working great. Did Engineer, Cinnamon, and then the loop road down to Ouray. Lots of steps in that one, it'd be hard to ride up on the pig. Heading back to Lake City now. A pin on my master link looked like it had backed out so I hit a helpful bike shop here and they flaired it nicely.
Ran into a guy in Lake City that I rode the TAT for a few days with in 07. Met lots of inmates, I think the count is 6 now. Later

On the road. Swing a leg over the motorcycle and settle in the saddle, toe into first and leave home on a road trip. That first turn out of the drive and down the street is delicious, intoxicating. Shift through the gears, up to speed and down the highway, destination far away. The bike is heavy, over loaded but the weight becomes familiar. A motorcycle trip feels like being in a parallel universe to me. Back home everyone else is going to work, taking care of chores, paying bills and on the road, none of that matters. Not really. The weather, passing smells, traffic all matter more. The road is immediate, now. I&#8217;m buying gas and a sausage biscuit from a country store heading west and the real world is combing its hair and putting on a work face and none of that matter on the road. The man at the counter asks where I&#8217;m heading as he looks me up and down in my armor, pork sizzles on the grill, a greasy smoke swirls around us. Colorado. The answer he hears roots him to the ground as quickly as it sends me west. Stuff the biscuit in the tank bag, plan to eat it later, the road calls and it&#8217;s stronger than hunger right now. Go
I&#8217;m apparently invisible to the chrome cowboys talking styles and parts of their bikes. Gas up, feeling somewhat smug, I have a ride on my hands. I saddle up on brand X and hit the West VA turnpike, Charleston then cross into Kentucky. Later pass all the distilleries to whiskey I enjoy but keep moving.
Indiana. I&#8217;ve made good miles; I&#8217;m hot and tired but happy. Eating ice cream in the air conditioning and a light olive green model A touring car pulls up to the pumps next to the Pig. This is novel and I head outside to check this out. My goodness, the plate reads Virginia. The grill boasts a Hampton VA badge. Cute couple, they are on a trip from a meet in French Lick Indiana. They drove out here from Hampton and are heading back. He says they make 300 miles a day on the back roads.








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<o>I get back on the highway and within minutes see two bikes in the right hand lane, lights flashing on the one in back. Curious, I pull in behind them and they park on the side of the interstate. The hog in front is out of gas. I have a gallon of gas and give it to him. He is back on the road in minutes. If I hadn't have talked with the Model A couple, I would have been ahead of this pair and they would have had to figure out something else. </o>
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<o>I made it as far as Illinois the first day. Hit the rest stop and some guy starts asking me if I am a friend of Big Dog. I know the name and of course I've read his excellent reports here but no, I only know him from the site. He warns me about a an approaching storm and I hide out in a motel in Mt. Vernon I think. I also think it is Big Dog's home town. Good sleep then I head out in the morning.</o>
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<o>When the St. Louis Arch appeared, I decided to stop and give my Dad a Father&#8217;s day phone call. Dad has a heck of a two wheel history, he taught his kids to ride in eastern woods, hare scrambles, enduros, time trials and woods trailing. Dad rode the Nurburgring, Daytona, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and other tracks and trails more local and mundane. He rode Huskys and Beemers during his two wheeled days. He is exceedingly fond of his John Deere, chain saws and loves his kids. Still in great shape, he struggles with surviving cancer and heart problems from the radiation used to kill the cancer. I love my Dad. Happy Father&#8217;s day!



The second day is hot and uneventful but enjoyable for the miles covered.








Kansas is long after Missouri. Russell Kansas is my final resting place that day. Tired but happy because Colorado is within striking distance. I find a fleabag and settle in as a storm approaches out of the west. Later as it hits, rain, thunder and lightning flash. It's good to be dry and out of the storm. People at cheap motels don't complain when I park my bike outside of my room, under the eave.







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Thanks for putting up the ride report. i'm looking forward to hearing more. Be safe.

You rock! Awaiting the next installment...can't wait till I'm heading west myself

SUBSCRIBED!



We'll give you a few weeks to fully digest everything, then you'll have to come to the garage and tell some stories to the local ADV'ers over some bbq and frosty cold beverages.

Rising at dawn and on the road. Traffic west is thin, more headed east. The Colorado border is crossed and I take the off ramp to Burlington. A few weeks before, I signed up for a free hat and I pick that up. It's my cap for the trip. The CO welcome center is doing a good business today, visitors and staff chatty and friendly.

Press on for Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak. I hope to meet a brother, nephew and an old friend on the mountian. I also have a Mefo rear to pick up from Apex Motorsports there.

By noon, make the Peak, find my family and friend and ride to the top.










We have vague plans to see the Pikes Peak Hill Climb the coming weekend and scout a couple of locations for spectating. It's starting to get late and we look for a camp site and luck out. We ride north toward Woodland Park. Just before town we take a right and the right fork and wind up on dirt roads and ridges opposite the mountian. Great camp sites up there and the road ends in the Garden of the Gods. On the way two other riders join us for the evening and in high spirits we make camp and enjoy the evening around the fire. Lies were told.








The ride down the next morning was beautiful.















Down in the Springs we are approached by a friendly inmate. I have my tire and we are gassing up, buying drinks and ice and dirtbound4Max shows up. He really looks distressed that he can't come and play, damn if he could he'd ride with us. He wishes us a safe trip and grumbles that he can't come again. Dude, you're a good guy, I bet we ride together one day. Later

Nice shots! Garden of the Gods is somethin' else isn't it?

Yes, the Gardens is really worth a stop, especially if you ride right into it after camping for the night.

My party read my ride report from last summer and is avid to ride out of town on the Old Stage to Gold Camp. If you get a chance, you should too.





We ride into Cripple Creek for a walk up and down mainstreet. Unless you gamble, activity seems limited. We picked a road heading south to Salida out of Cripple Creek. Rocky vista and canyon dreams awaited us.












Ruggedly beautiful views that are exotic to easterners, especially after the plains. We happily tooled along, taking in the sights. Down the canyon as the walls narrow, mountian goats scramble away quickly in the bramble and red scree. This is really a magical area and I encourage east coast riders of a certian vintage to take this route into the mountians. If you grew up on westerns and played cowboy and indians, this will nourish you.

Great reporting!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Salida, we decide to get a motel and I want to change and balance my new rear Mefo.
Dinner and beer in the nearby Mex place and then a little rear wheel work.

Plywood found behind the motel protects the carpet. Lube helps the change go fast. A quick balance on the Gobi bags and wow, that Mefo balanced fast. Little blue 10 buck pump pops out the bead. On the road again!





I'll haul the scorp around, leaving it in camp with gear for lighter day trips. There is enough meat on that tire to spoon it on for the trip back. Ain't that a pretty tread?

The next morning we head down to the famous Fattees. The owner isn't around to advise us tourists of good roads but we are happy to leave with Safety Third and Salida peace stickers. On to Taylor Park.