<meta http-equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 3.2 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> The good the bad and the mud... First off I would like to share the following, for disclosure compliance, that a disclaimer is in order as well as a caveat. I want to say that taking personal responsibility is something that I feel is important, along with the kicking stomping whining and fussing that comes along with the realization that there is no on else to blame for a predicament or failure. The caveat is that I tend to place blame on other factors than those of my own making when ever possible. The skill and act of deliberately being upright is a factor in my life that I have taken for granted prior to my introduction to Alaska mud. The aspects in life that however mundane such as Vertical Polarization seem much more significant when we loose them. As a victim of the 'Axis of Evil', Gravity - Friction - and Traction with its unforgiving draw. Some days if you aren't laughing deliriously you would be pummeled by humiliation... or so my day went today. Plan A, hatched more from spontaneity than intellect went down in smoke with my less than brilliant idea to ride the tracks to Chase another one of those Alaskan towns that somebody forgot to build a road to. Curry was too far to attempt but I figured that a 12 mile stretch to Chase Alaska, population one, was my challenge for the day... Trains trains and trains belong on railroad tracks not motorcycles, an observation I made after the first bridge with a second set of tracks that blocks the route over the river, I will have to ask my dad Jack, a railroad engineer in the days of coal, shovel, sweat, and steam, what the reason is for a set of tracks that are parallel in the center between the train tracks over the bridge section that come to a point at each end precluding driving across with my bike without difficulty. Plan B, when in Rome, do as the... was just sterling for the first 8 miles or so, a very fun snowmobile trail that is now being used by ATV's to crisscross the railroad tracks alongside the route. Nice combination of dirt and gravel, wide and well traveled, wonderful mix of hills turns and pedestrian bridge walkways to get across the rivers and down along the countryside. Life was going along swimmingly, blazing away at a good clip along the adventure when I found a variety of 'Terra Firma' that I have yet to experience on a bike. Mind you I have been in just about every texture, color, viscousity, and flavor of mud known to both hemisphere's. This stuff was hard as concrete and slick as ice, And the only thing that compares to this variety was some very very slippery stuff that I encountered in the Mud flats of Cholla Bay Mexico where at high tides huge flat dry lakes fill with water and form a surface that makes for some fifth gear pinned 35 mph rooster tail sideways rideing that can not be compared! Or hiking with some friends down from the 'Stairway to Heaven' in Valley of the Temples Hawaii. Sliding down the hill in a rain storm with plastic champagne glassed in my back pocket that did not fare well with an environment that was not conducive to vertical hiking alignment. As the directional quality of my ride declined the first clue that my name was about to become 'milk toast' became evident. The slow transition from a rider guided trajectory to a rut directed random vector of travel. I immediately went into the 'holy smokes' mode and lowered my boots to water ski along the mud at a speed that was too slow to have stability but too fast to walk it along. So a new form of sport ensued, mud skiing on a dirt bike. I figure that this should get me through a slick section to safety of traction That is where the downward spiral started, after about a mile of pioneering this technique one tire decided to find a rut that was headed a different direction that the rut for the rear. Divergence ensued and while now traveling backwards the ski technique no longer retained the upward alignment of the operation. With the grace of a ballerina I pirouetted to earth and became one with my nemesis in the full glory of its remarkably colorful coating of goo. That was when a combination and variety of Oh Shoot and then laughter involuntarily erupted. I had met my match and went down in flames... I do have to say that I WILL make it to Chase this trip, but only after a few days of sunshine to dry things out before I try that route again.
Maybe it will freeze before that happens, along with the chances of hell freezing over (lol) Ice would have a much better coefficient of friction.
Winch? I want to be on the 4x with her : ) Here is one for you... Maybe I should pitch the 'Deathwings' (Trailwings) and get some real tires? The though occoured to me as I was riding to Denali today that is my best attempt to defer the fault from rider to equip (grin)
Here is a start... http://picasaweb.google.com/sbsperry/Takeetna?authkey=Gv1sRgCOjQoZ3J1dKWtwE#5501406303022890146
Not preaching but there have been a handful of people that haven't done well against trains in the last coupe years. Stuck on the tracks... several have been ndanger and some have packed their final bag.
I'll preach! As i come from the same back ground as your dad let me introduce myself. Im the one that gets to go home after running you down at 65 mph and leaving your family distraught with grief. I get to live with the vision of you getting sucked under the locomotive and ripped to pieces or maybe hit and spit off to the side 70 yards with every bone in your body smashed and tangled. Of course if you dont go under they "might" be able to have an open casket wake to say their good-bye's. A bit harse? Dont think for a second it doesnt happen. 12 years after my first, with to many close seconds, I still get to replay it in the middle of the night with all kinds of twist dreams can spin on things. Glad you made the right choice. And I bet money your old man would tell you you were an for contemplating plan "A".
Surprisingly, I came to the same conclusion... I am also amazed that some of us get this far in life in spite of ourselves (and by the way that is Ass Hat Sir to you : )
Sir it is. And I fall into the above category wholeheartedly. Little known fact is you can now get to Curry from the highway. Although maybe not legally.
Sir Ass-inHat. Instant Danger, just add motorcycle. Amazing that ANY of us made it through our teenage years ( Without AKtroy there to protect us).
Curry from the Hwy? Now that got my attention... I will need to take you up on that beer for some enlightenment!
Lol, As my parental unit would say.... "Its all fun and games until someone looses an eye" ION (in other news) Now I just have to find a way to get myself in trouble here in Denali this week. btw Talkeetna was great fun with the Homer crew and meeting some new faces as well!
