The Mobius Trip

Okay, I'm all caught up now! You can continue...



I hadn't heard of the ride, store, fly TAT scenario. Gives me some ideas. I want to do the TAT with my son before he heads off to college in a couple of years and gets his own life and forgets who his ol' man is--but didn't know how to swing the vacation schedules, etc.

One of my fav TAT RR's to date, thanks for taking the time!

We are a good team, I don't care what she says.

Damn tootin.'

The park was nearly deserted. We left the fee in an envelope at the ranger station...$6 or $7, I don't remember.

There was a marked trail that went up into the hills a few miles and looped back.







Maybe it was from knowing that there were fossilized dinosaur tracks nearby, but the landscape really did look prehistoric.





We're not in Kansas anymore, are we Toto?







This area (according to the info signs) is at the confluence of several ecosystems, so there are plants and animals mixed together here that usually aren't found together.







It must be spring:

It's dinner-time... our favorite Dinty-Moore beef stew, with secret ingredient added:



As the sun set, the fearsome red ants had gone underground, but we were visited by this group of modern dinosaurs:



The air got cool as the sun set, and since there was a fire ban posted in effect, we couldn't make a campfire.



I know a lot of people who ride the TAT don't camp, but the nights we spent out of doors were way better than the motels available along the way. With lightweight gear, it really doesn't add that much, and even when you're planning a motel night, it's nice to have the security of knowing that if you had to, you could pitch a tent wherever.

BTW, this area was so remote, that we weren't able to dial in any of the 7 NOAA weather channels, nor any AM or FM stations. I find that impressive given that we're still in tornado alley.

The next morning, we packed up...



Made our way out of the park,



and riding back south to pick up the TAT, the weather didn't look particularly inviting:

First, is the rain that I see falling a few miles away in almost each direction. None right where we are, and we don't seem to be headed directly into it, but I figure we're probably going to get wet at some point today...



Would have been nice to know the forecast.

The second concern is fuel... we have about a 200 mile range with the 4 gal tanks... this is how far we've gone since filling them:



And this is how far we have to go to get to Maxwell, NM where I'm hoping there's a gas station:



58.5 + 141.9 = 200.4 :eek1

Now, I have two 2L soda bottles full of extra, and two 22oz fuel bottles as well, so that's maybe another 30 miles, provided we don't spill any with tip-overs, or take any wrong turns, or have to back-track...you know the drill... you ride with that gnawing pit in your stomach, redoing the arithmetic every few miles to make sure you're not missing something.

If we stayed on the TAT, we'd be able to gas up in Branson (?) or Trinidad, CO.

Sandy roads,



We crossed the Santa Fe trail...



And before we knew it, we were at the border:



I've seen photos of this sign in other's TAT ride reports. For me, the relevance is less that we're entering NM, but rather that we've conquered the full length of Oklahoma.

A little bit-o-pavement,



And then it's back onto the dirt,



Riding through ranch land,



It seemed to be raining in every direction.

We passed through a ranch. I don't mean the open land, well, that too. What I mean is that the road passed through a cluster of buildings... the house, the shed, a barn, a yard, a shop, another building.

We didn't see any people, but it looked well kept and habited. There was a pen with some horses, a couple of vehicles, two big tanks one labeled "Diesel" and the other "Unleaded". Even though we weren't trespassing, (we were on a public road), I didn't stop to take any photos, because it felt like we were invading through someone's personal space.

About a half a mile along the road past the compound, we pass some cattle, they scatter, and I see this one twitching, and foaming at the mouth.



It had obviously been seizing there awhile, the dirt around its legs and head was swept as if it had been making a snow-angel. It's eyes were glazed over, and it while didn't seem conscious, it was painful to watch. I think through my options:

A. Put the beast out of its misery ASAP. (How? I don't know... a big stick?)
B. Ride back to the ranch buildings, and try to find someone and tell them about the sick cow.
C. Ride on.

"B" ?
Great Report Doc!
Thanks

Ride back FTW, but I did chuckle at the big stick idea.

If I were going on a trip like that I'de probably have a gun, I'm suprised you don't. Going out in places like that there are probably druggies around, among other things...

C. Ride on.

The cow's probably Rabid, and you haven't got the fuel to spare!!!!

I see your still crushing the Jim Beam bottles.....No leaks YET????

Great story, keep writing!!

This is one your best pics....Skywise!!!


A group of us NSDSC'ers traveled under Skies like that last night.
Only a few drops of rain though, did you folks fare as well?

Great Story....Keep writing

I'd pick C. (But I hope you picked A so there'd be less chance it ended up in my next burger :dg )

While on the Great Divide trail last summer I came across lots of cattle, out there they seem to know to use the
road for a potty. I suppose that makes sense, we would be unlikely to crap in our fridges. But what came to mind
was the dust, which from the quantity of cows probably consists of 99% dried dung. From that thought, came
the fear that we ADV'ers will, later in life be diagnosed with some rare lung disease. DUNG LUNG !!!!

Great ride report, I just read it start to finish. Makes me a bit nervous about spending 12 days on my Dizzer...I haven't planned on tools and replacements for the chain...I may need to make a quick trip to the m'cycle store tomorrow before I leave on Monday.

Keep it coming!

I have been following your report with gusto but now find myself having to cross into Canada and will miss out for the next 6 to 7 days...

I look forward to getting caught up when I hit Alaska!

Tell LDF for me.

Hope you pick A, I can't stand to see an animal suffer.

If you've got a knife, stand behind it and slit it's throat.