DirtyDog's Solo TAT 2011

Very cool report, except for the mud bog...that just looked nasty.
Oh and what's up with you and snakes? :huh

Yep, I usually would trim off the excess, but I was getting lazy because my knife was in my backpack. The clip was a bit bent from a past ride, and therefore loose. Didn't want it to disappear.

I appreciate all wildlife. I have a history with reptiles, but I didn't see any turtles and the lizards were too fast for pics.

I never saw a single rattlesnake, which was a disappointment.

Dam fine ride report DD.

Day Eight: Bumbling in the Desert and the Mud Rut from Hell
Battle Mountain, NV to Denio Junction, NV

Today was fun, but a navigational nightmare. I referred to some of my GPS routing issues above in my post on Day Six, but today epitomized the issues. Whether it was roads that just petered out, or roads that hit deep creeks, I did a lot of feeling around and trying to rejoin the trail. Had some epic sights today though, so it didn't dampen my style at all.



I did a dance with this and several creeks today. I'd encounter a crossing that I wasn't comfortable with and tried to bounce up or downstream to find a better crossing. Of course, the images never do justice to how deep it really was.





This looked to be about waist deep.

Whenever I can see rocks, I'm way more comfortable with a crossing. Many were pure mud.






This pelt was oddly draped over a fence at a ranch gate.


And I found this on the ground at the other side of the gate. I thought it should be displayed on the fencepost.


A TAT rider gets to experience countless methods of cattle gate closure. Some are simple rope or wire. Others are steel levers or pre-fab type closures. This one (and several others) struck me as creative and unique.


IIRC, this was a very challenging and momentarily stressful crossing. As always, I walked it out for safety. I chose my ideal line (which sometimes works out). I needed to hug the right edge. The water was moving swiftly and was at least knee deep. It started out fine, but when I got near the opposite side, I bumped a rock and the rear tire waggled a bit to the left into a hole. I was amazed that the bike didn't stall and that I somehow wasn't drawing water into the airbox, as the creek was now way higher than I'd planned. I made a few attempts to ride it out of the hole, but feared I was just going to dig it deeper. Fortunately, the substrate was rocky, not muddy. I reluctantly dismounted onto the downstream side and was able to push the bike out of the hole under power. Whew. If I had dumped it, it would have been BAD.




Rock on. Really enjoying the TAT.


Then things got tense for a minute...

Bought a can of clam chowder from the store and enjoyed a camp meal on the porch picnic tables after the bar closed. The restaurant food smelled damn good though.

Summary: Fun day. Enjoyable terrain- some challenges with mud, creeks, and navigation, but it was well worth it. Made my destination and had a fulfilling ride. Got to have a few Sierra Nevadas at the bar and even a free Jager shot. Some local dude was overjoyed that the Bruins just won the Stanley Cup, so he bought the bar a round of shots. I humored him.
Miles Today: 267
Total Miles: 2461.2
Lodgings: Free camping on the grassy knoll outside the Denio Junction bar. No services (unless you are currently dining or embibing inside).

Random Comments: The KLR was unstoppable today.

More to come on Day Nine

Stupid question, but what are you doing with the stove? Great RR BTW. Nice to know some day I might be able to do the TAT on my KLR

I can appreciate that. I was born on a small island near Venezuela...needless to say there were some very large snakes around. I quickly learned to avoid them.

Either way, this has been a great ride. Love the ups and downs, makes me feel like I was there with ya.

Not a stupid question, but I'll save my in-depth description for that day's report.

Sorry to make you wait, but here's a hint- heat expands metal and cold shrinks it.

Though I am now a fish biologist, my initial push to Arizona State for grad school was a degree in herpetology. Didn't happen, but I managed to secure a job in a fish research lab and transitioned into a master's program with endangered Colorado River fishes.

I remained a herpetology hobbyist for some time- had a green iguana for 10+ years, a Nile monitor lizard, ball python, ornate wood turtle (RIP), and I still have a sulcata tortoise roaming my backyard. I have a fair bit of experience with venomous reptiles, so I enjoy seeing rattlesnakes and respect them.

Day Nine: Finding Flats
Denio Junction, NV to Lakeview, OR

Overnight on the knoll at Denio Junction was great. I'd planned to make some cowboy coffee, have a granola bar, and buzz out early in the morning. My plan was foiled by the dense smell of bacon in the air which drew me into the restaurant. Good stuff.

Left out of Denio Junction and had a few reroutes initially. I was no longer taking chances with mud. Some of this looked pretty frightening.


I was glad to get to some higher ground (but not too high).
Had to use the facilities on the trail for the first time. Must have been that hearty Denio Junction breakfast. At least I had a view.






Came to a lower elevation section with mud on the brain. Ever nervous, I scouted out a lot of it on foot. This gave no troubles.


I stopped to smell and appreciate the flowers a bit.



When some of the scrub brush and cow patty trail sections ended, I joined up with a maintained road for a while. Maybe too maintained. I needed to hang a right at the T, and as I got close, I see a HUGE service truck zip by in the same direction. We're talking semi-tow-truck huge; and heavy. The disadvantage to this was that they made an equally huge wake of dust. In the distance, I could see a second one approaching, so I figured I'd jump between them and attempt to pass when possible. Well, this didn't happen. They were barreling along and probably couldn't even see me in their mirrors due to the dust. I couldn't safely overtake them because of the dust and the fact that the road was pretty damn loose, deep gravel.

They seemed to be taking the exact same route, so several times I stopped to create a gap before resuming. Eventually, I figured out that the squishy terrain was an additive effect of the gravel and a deflated tire.

The second huge service truck overtook me when I had the wheel off the bike. The earth shook as they approached and they stopped to see if I needed help. I peered skyward at the passenger window and thanked them, but I was good.

I thought it was fitting that I'd have a flat right nest to a place called Mosquito Lake. Fortunately, it should have been named Annoying Gnat Lake instead. I was relieved.

Now you'll recall that I had my first flat on Day One. At that time, I installed my fresh tube in the rear tire. The other tube still had a chafed hole, so I figured I'd rather patch a puncture. In fact, it was a small tear, but I figured the patch would sufficiently cover it. Since I had slime, I figured what the hell- use it. I dumped half a bottle in the tube and buttoned up the whole thing and I was on my way.

For the next few miles, the road was oddly lined with orange, plastic construction fencing. I couldn't imagine why. There was a major utility construction project going on at one point in the road, but all the fencing seemed senseless.

Welcome to California! Not a lot of TAT miles through CA, but it was nice to tick off another state.

Aside: After reviewing my ridden track from home, I can see that I wasn't on Fandango Pass Road. I was pre-emptive in turning, I guess. I didn't see any signs until I got on the West side of the range. Looking at the maps now, it seems to be a viable alternative that I wish I had pursued.

Stopped at a station for fuel before buzzing highway up to the CA/OR border to rejoin the TAT. Positive omen: my favorite energy beverage (discontinued, even).


Made it to Oregon. Last state to ride before the coast. (I didn't really count the OR/NV section by Zimmerman Ranch as Oregon.)



So I'm now carrying two 17" tubes with failed patches. Both are filled with slime. In my repeated tire changes today, I have become intimate with the condition of my rear wheel bearings. Two of three are beginning to fail. There is a slight wobble in the bearings. Having seen a horrible photo of a KLR's swingarm melting due to bearing failure, I have been conscious of proper tension of the axle nut (don't want to over-tighten it. Plus, I'm monitoring the wear.

Once I secured my lodgings, I walked and called around town. KBE is a local ATV/Moto shop. I'll call them in the am when they open and try to get tubes. There is also a local NAPA store. I'll try to source some bearings there when they open too.

For now, I'm getting some dinner and supplies from Safeway.




Summary: Some good, fun terrain today. I was edgy about mud, and therefore avoided almost everything sketchy. Met some nice gentlemen motorcyclists in Ft. Bidwell. I was defeated by another pass, but I'm getting used to it. I'm optimistic about new tubes and bearings.
Miles Today: 262
Total Miles: 2723.4
Lodgings: I forget the name of the motel... across from the tire shop near Safeway

Random Comments: Man, chronic flats are a momentum killer. A high-quality patch kit (one that is compatible with my tubes) seems to be an underappreciated necessity.

More to come on Day Ten

Day Ten: Attacking Oregon and the Magical Mudhole
Lakeview, OR to Crescent, OR

So I had a date this morning with a few local establishments. The local ATV/Moto shop doesn't stock motorcycle tubes of any kind. They even suggested I call the auto tire shop across from my motel. :huh
It was worth a shot, but of course, the tire shop gave me the "Um, no" response. Guess I'll be finding tubes elsewhere. NAPA had 2 of 3 bearings (score) and shared my disdain for the ATV/NO-to shop. The NAPA clerk was a trip. He was the FIRST person I spoke to on this trip who knew about the TAT. In fact, he asked me if I was riding the transamerica trail. We chatted for a bit and he noted that he used to work at the ATV/NO-to shop back when they were worth a shit (no longer). Recalled fixing a lot of TAT KLR riders' footpeg brackets. Mine are welded to the frame.

I have massacred millions of bugs on this trip.


While waiting on the stores to open in the morning, I did some bike service. I removed those failed patches and replaced them using super glue instead of rubber cement. Seems like this will work.

Loaded the bike and headed for fuel before leaving town. I dismount and began my transaction at the pump. Then I feel the discomfort of knowing that someone is watching me closely. I look up and there is a bubbly female attendant standing right there. I was caught off-guard and asked her if I was in her way (she was leaning against the pump as if waiting on me for something). She replies, "No, I'm just trying to look busy for my boss". Ok. :huh

I finish fueling and am scribbling in my log notebook. She's still hovering. What gives? Oh well, I ignore her. I'm circling the bike to give the basic once-over before departing. Then I see this:


Seems that starting my day with a wrong turn is the norm. I'll blame the GPS.


It wasn't long before I was back in the forest. I rode quite a while before taking any pictures. Eventually, I crested 6000 feet and found the white roadblocks.



Fremont National Forest, while beautiful, has a TON of roads. I had a GPS track to follow and it was still tough. So many switchbacks and multi-road intersections, that it felt labyrinth-like at times.

Again? Why, yes.

There were times on this trip where I could have used a support vehicle. This fits the bill.


While backtracking to go around the area with trees and bike-swallowing forest mud, things got confusing. In fact, to avoid confusing the reader, it's best to closely refer to the route image below.

Please imagine my intended track to traverse the landscape from the bottom right to the top left (SE to NW). You can see my first roadblock (snow), which I was able to route around. I continued NW till I hit the trees (and mosquito mud trap). Then I began to reroute back in the same direction from whence I came- NE. This is where things got confusing and I began second-guessing myself.

You see, when I came to the road grader in the road (pictured below), I thought I had made an incorrect turn. I could see that he was contending with some mud while clearing snow. I hadn't gone through any snow, so I turned around and tried to regain my bearings. You can see frommy tracks above that I sort of spidered in all directions fumbling to find the road I had entered on, not knowing that things had changed.

It's tough to see, but the mudhole is in the shadow of the tree opposite the road grader. And the quad rider is still sitting.




Town of Paisley, OR.

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Summary: My brain hurts after Fremont National Forest. No flats today! Covered a lot of miles and saw some great terrain. Some of the Fremont bypasses allowed me to ride some sweet, curvy pavement, so it was worthwhile.
Miles Today: 280
Total Miles: 2984.2
Lodgings: Big Pines RV Park S of Crescent, OR. Nice place with lots of amenities. Maybe $15 a night to tent camp?

Random Comments: The mudhole. Laundry and a hot shower made up for it.

More to come on Day Eleven

Excellent report DD!

John

Very nice report DirtyDog, I will be on my TAT ride the 1st of Aug.

Great documentation of the TAT! A link to this ride report should go in the TAT resource thread.

The mudhole above was the site of LDF's worst crash to date... she blipped the throttle on the way out, and spun the rear tire, lost control, and ditched before crashing into the barbed wire to the left. I came up a minute after and saw this:



:eek1 She was staggering, dazed and confused. Here's the post with the details from our RR.

I'm amazed that I recognize almost every one of your NV water crossing photos. We were riding about the same time of year as you, but there wasn't quite as much snow that year ('09).

Dirty Dog, I read alot of TAT ride reports and yours has to be one of the most complete detailed reports out. I am planning on a solo OK ride like you did last year in one day. (We'll see if I can!) Great report

I do believe I was at the exact spot 3 years ago, great pics dirty dog.

Wow. It's amazing how things can go sideways in an instant.

Thanks for the accolades. When you decide to start planning the OK TAT run, contact me. I'll gladly share my tracks, tips, and tricks.

Pretty good food there at Denio Junction.

The same thing with the attendant hovering around in Oregon happened to me. They have the same law in NJ. Only two states I know of.

Great job and great pics on the ride report.

Day Eleven: Major Bypasses and Moto-Maintenance in the Handicapped Zone
Crescent, OR to Grant's Pass, OR

At the motel in Lakeview the previous morning, I tore off both failed patches and took a gamble on superglue to secure fresh ones. Successful test inflations indicated that this was a viable option. I am currently still running the 21" tube in the rear, but now I have two successfully patched 17" tubes to spare (but no spare front tube).

But the rear wheel bearings are still a lurking unknown- constantly on my mind. "Am I taking an unnecessary risk here?" At every stop, I dismount and feel the axle and swingarm to inspect for heat. So far, no critical symptoms of bearing failure. There is just a bit of play in the bearings. I've already bought 2 of 3 bearings, but need to figure out how and where to change them.

The guys here were great. Had lots of moto-stuff. I should have bought a 17" tube as well.


Not many pictures today (due to the weather), so you'll have to settle for text. I safely wrapped up all my valuables in ziploc bags and prepared for a major storm. (It matters not, really, because most of my miles today were not on the TAT...)

The next section of slab is all a bit of a blur for me. I was donning my $20 Harbor Freight banana-yellow rain suit and winter gloves. I had already installed my "Polish Golashes" (these are basically a pair of long FoodSaver bags that I use as boot liners). I named them as such just to dig at my pal Tomski. I own a decent moto rain suit, but the last time I wore it, the lack of effectiveness basically caused me to swear "never again". It is a Motoboss 1-piece and the rain hits my chest, collects in the creases around my crotch and occasionally pours into the suit at the zipper, leaving me cold and soaked from the waist down. Furthermore, the water runs down my legs and fills my boots (and boot liners).

So I opted for an alternative for my TAT trip. The HF suit consists of bibs and a jacket. It has a crotch fly that I sealed with silicone and duct tape (on the inside) and no zippers. The yellow color is high-vis and I felt pretty conspicuous (yet maybe a bit dorky) when wearing it. Fortunately, I hardly used it the whole trip.

Through this section of pavement, I was basically crouched trying to stay warm and dry while navigating to my next waypoint. There wasn't a lot I could see due to the mist and I was concentrating on living.

This Rogue River stretch was a beautiful piece of road. The rain had let up and I was starting to get warm and sore-assed in my banana suit. The river was roaring (as most were on this trip) and I envied all the groups gearing up with rafts, kayaks, and canoes to tackle the rapids. In Shady Cove, the people were very polite and one photographer requested to take my picture and asked me numerous questions about my journey. I was happy to oblige.

My two options were a D606 or the Conti-Escape. I chose the latter due to the fact that I was near the end of the TAT and still had over 2000 miles of pavement to ride. Seemed a shame (and dumb) to buy the D606. Plus, the Continental was cheaper. After all, I'm already way over budget on this trip...

I was obviously a bit dejected that I couldn't find a single motoshop (or individual) that could help me. I even asked the Kawasaki shop if they could ask their crew if anyone was interested in helping me out off the clock. He didn't entertain my request- just hung me out to dry.

Grant's Pass, OR was a short ride away and would put me back on course for an am departure, so rather than stay in Medford, I made a Motel 6 reservation via phone and hit the road.

In the hotel lobby, I got sorted and encountered a pair of riders that were headed to a Kawasaki Rally in Solvang, CA. I vented a bit about my troubles and jokingly noted that I'd be swapping my wheel bearings in the parking lot later if they wanted to watch/assist.

I got to my room and began searching for the proper equipment to get this done. Used the trusty BlackBerry and sought out hardware stores where I could buy some hand tools. I've swapped bearings at home and know I could do it, but it's tough when you don't have the tools or facilities.

As far as I could imagine, I needed the following:
a hammer
a drift/punch
oversize sockets (to tap the bearings into the hub)
shop towels
grease
bearings (have)
WD40
heat source (to warm the hub)
cold source (to cool the bearings)

I unloaded all my crap from the bike into my hotel room and set a course for Sears, which closed in about 20 minutes. Needed to act quickly.

The 21" tube finally gave way inside the 17" tire. Chafing where it was bunched-up.


Yes, for the 2nd time this trip, I was dealt the handicapped room. I had to confirm with the desk that it was kosher for me to park there, and it was. So I made that my bike destruction zone for the evening.

That started out as a sealed bearing (refer to previous pics to get an idea of it's degradation rate).

At AutoZone, I explained to the tech what I was doing (and where). I had spied a punch that I was going to buy, but he mentioned using a bearing puller. I was skeptical, having never seen one before. Technically, it is called a "blind hole puller" and it is the cat's ass. Worked like a charm. Basically it's a slide hammer with 4 different size attachments for grabbing bearings from the inside-out.


I put my three bearings in a bath of ATF in a ziploc bag and dunked them in some hotel ice. The cold shrinks the bearings, making them easier to install.


Two of three bearings had failed (the two in the hub).


Once the old bearings were removed and the hub cleaned up, I began the install process. I got out Sputnik, my dual-fuel camp stove and started warming the hub over an open fire.




I then systematically took each cold, lubed bearing and tapped it in place with the hammer and oversize sockets from AutoZone. Reinstalled the snap rings and voila.


Pulled out that flat 21" tube (discarded it) and reinstalled one of my patched 17" tubes (the one which got a nail in NV). Slapped on my fresh new rear tire and all was right with the bike.


My fellow Motel 6 motorcyclists (Penmaker and friend) watched intently and assisted where possible. They took these photos above and provided me with a cold beverage and a tub of grease. Thanks, guys.



Summary: Not much TAT today, but I got some major maintenance issues tackled. Survived some rain and snow. Fun day overall.
Miles Today: 237
Total Miles: 3239.3
Lodgings: Motel 6 in Grant's Pass, OR.

Random Comments: Last stretch of the Western TAT is tomorrow!! Port Orford or bust.

More to come on Day Twelve

Great job and nice to know about that bearing puller also.

Day Twelve: Final Stretch of the TAT
Grant's Pass, OR to Port Orford, OR

OK, this is it. Time to hit the beach. Just about 110 miles of trail to go... Should be a breeze right? Should be on the coast by lunch, right?

Hit a short bit of slab from Grant's Pass up to Glendale. From there, I was eventually in the Siskiyou National Forest.



I was quite surprised at the grades and switchbacks on these roads. Fun stuff, but it made the stopping and turning a bit of a challenge for me... More on that later.

Almost IMMEDIATELY, I had a flat.


Well, my superglued patches didn't hold. You can see that it's a bit cracked. I swapped in my other tube (also with superglued patches).


Surely, just one tube is gonna fail... surely. I press onward.



Not sure what was going on here... looked like a nice place for a cabin with 360 degrees of view. Probably just a site for a cell tower or something.


I love our National Forests. I always enjoy riding in them. Unfortunately, you sometimes get to see stuff like this.



I won't go on a soapbox rant about it, but it really seems sad that HUGE sections of forest were just clear-cut like this. Some areas were obviously several seasons or years old and had no sign of regrowth.





Well, the second superglue patched tube didn't hold. At least it was a slow leak. For quite some time, I just said fuck it and would stop periodically to inflate the rear tire. Came to an obstacle and had to get creative. Fortunately, this tree had tons of broken branches for me to build a ramp.


After that, I decided I needed to fix the tire. I put yet another 21" tube in the rear. Now I'm riding with no spares.


I was pretty paranoid about my tire for a while afterwards. At one point, I was leaned over to the left, peeking down at my rear tire's inflation level. When I looked up, I saw this ahead...


Fortunately, I was able to get the bike stopped in time.


From what I've heard, I am using an outdated route. The Oregon maps have since been updated. I shared the coordinates and a warning with other TAT riders sheduled to follow my footsteps...

My reroute around the washout was a blessing in disguise. I got to hit an epic section of pavement. All alone in the forest and pushing corners. Beautiful stuff.





More indication that this route is outdated. I had to ride it to be sure.



I was forced to make a bit of a reroute in the final stretch, but...

Summary: Made it! The last section of Oregon was beautiful.
Miles Today: 194
Total Miles: 3433.1
Lodgings: Camped on the beach at Port Orford. Free.

Random Comments: First time camped on the beach. Tomorrow I'm headed to Portland to visit a buddy.

More to come on Day Thirteen