KMG_365 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 We're in St. George, UT tonight--GOD, it's HOT! It was only 105*F when we got up to the hotel here, but it was over 100*F from noon on and over 110*F for almost half of the day once we got past Victorville. Top temp was in rush hour in Lost Wages--we saw 115.5*F for a few miles crawling along at about 35mph! We've got my PowerBook and Treo along so we'll be checking in regularly as we can. Maybe I should use this as the start to our LIVE UnRally-VI Ride Tale! Link to comment
Slyder_Steve Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 That's sooo cool, and it's a dry heat See you (and Les) in a few days Safe riding Link to comment
Mike05 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Hi Guys, Be safe, and be assured: Cold _________________(fill in the blank) awaiting you in Texas. See you on the 29th!! Mike & Joyce Link to comment
Bud Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Woo Hoo After months of planning and anticipation, the ride begins. This should be under the excited chatter thread because now I'm really starting to get excited. It was 100 here yesterday but we are ordering cooler weather for your arrival. RIDE SAFE (not necessary to say but doing so anyway for good luck) Don't forget anyone along the way. Looking forward to your arrival a week from today (which also happens to be the finish of the Iron Butt Rally in St. Louis) Link to comment
Ken H. Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Play that piccolo Mr. Piper! Keep 'em coming this way! Link to comment
kcscout Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 I wanna play, too. Living vicariously. Ride safe! Link to comment
dhanson Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Take your time Jamie, can't get off till friday, so I will be a day late (might have to do a long stint to catch up at Bud's place). Will be watching your posts. Ride safe! Somewhere over the Rainbow! Looking for that yellowbrick road! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A2Jt4WOxN8 Link to comment
SageRider Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Yippee!!!!!!!! See you both soon! Link to comment
gottago Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 We need a picture for our history books. You guys ride safe and Les hold on tight, I think Jamie might like that. n Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share Posted August 24, 2007 Okay, we'll see if we can enlist some kind soul to take a few snaps on the trip! Meanwhile . . . here's the bike to keep your eye out for: MaynArianrhod, the Pied Piper! Link to comment
SageRider Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 As you are going through Utah / Colorado / New Mexico, look for a red R1200-RT with a flourescent yellow jacketed rider... That would be me Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 May the wind be always at your back, the roads twisty and dry, and the company of each other carry you to parts East. Enjoy, have fun, laugh, and know that I wish I was off your wing!!!! Link to comment
BereIsland Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Have a great ride Steve Link to comment
Dennis Andress Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 Okay, we'll see if we can enlist some kind soul to take a few snaps on the trip! Meanwhile . . . here's the bike to keep your eye out for: MaynArianrhod, the Pied Piper! It still has..... Floorboards!!!! Link to comment
SageRider Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 ...It still has..... Floorboards!!!! Half black and half silver... Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 It still has..... Floorboards!!!! Not only that, but it appears from the photo that the "melding" extends to having one white and one amber Motolight! This is the sort of madness that comes from naming your vehicles! Or maybe naming your vehicles is just another symptom... Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted August 25, 2007 Author Share Posted August 25, 2007 Yes, but it's a GOOD madness! It was already pushing 100*F in the shade when we got on the road at St. George, UT! We got one of the employees at the Ridgeview Inn to snap a pic of us before we took off: We had an absolutely FABULOUS day today and 97.x was the highest we saw all day! We rode out the back way out of St. George to the north and took back roads all the way to Cedar City, then the Highway 14 over Cedar Breaks and Brian Head, down into Panguitch for lunch and into Torrey via the FABULOUS Highway 12! An AMAZING day, scenery, weather, etc.--it's very easy to imaging living here! "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Pied Piper has landed . . . at Torrey!!" Link to comment
Joel Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 It still has..... Floorboards!!!! Not only that, but it appears from the photo that the "melding" extends to having one white and one amber Motolight! This is the sort of madness that comes from naming your vehicles! Or maybe naming your vehicles is just another symptom... We armchair psychiatrists shall monitor the patients for development of further symptoms. My prognosis for ... uh ... the bike formerly known as whateverhernameis/anothermartyhillhandmedown is that the melding could proliferate, such that the once primarily silver bike manifests sympathetic symptoms consisting of the blackening of certain tupperware, and developing an exhaust note that seems to be saying "You complete me." This condition would appear to be reversible after appropriate intervention, but isn't necessarily harmful to the patients and could be allowed to persist without significant detriment. Link to comment
Dennis Andress Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Pied Piper has landed . . . at Torrey!!" Welcome Home. Link to comment
Mark Menard (Vita Rara) Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Pied Piper has landed . . . at Torrey!!" Ahhh... that was good. I can see Torrey in my mind's eye. I'm in complete agreement on visions of living in Torrey. I can practically reach out and touch it. Ride safe, see you in KY. Mark Link to comment
Bud Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 It still has..... Floorboards!!!! Not only that, but it appears from the photo that the "melding" extends to having one white and one amber Motolight! This is the sort of madness that comes from naming your vehicles! Or maybe naming your vehicles is just another symptom... We armchair psychiatrists shall monitor the patients for development of further symptoms. My prognosis for ... uh ... the bike formerly known as whateverhernameis/anothermartyhillhandmedown is that the melding could proliferate, such that the once primarily silver bike manifests sympathetic symptoms consisting of the blackening of certain tupperware, and developing an exhaust note that seems to be saying "You complete me." This condition would appear to be reversible after appropriate intervention, but isn't necessarily harmful to the patients and could be allowed to persist without significant detriment. Then again, if this "melding" of bikes were to continue at the UN who knows what the results may be? Do you want to take a chance? I'm not. Keeping Red parked far away to prevent any "silver parts" off of her. Link to comment
gottago Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 Then again, if this "melding" of bikes were to continue at the UN who knows what the results may be? Do you want to take a chance? I'm not. Keeping Red parked far away to prevent any "silver parts" off of her. I wonder how it would look with a "beak"? Link to comment
Bud Posted August 25, 2007 Share Posted August 25, 2007 Then again, if this "melding" of bikes were to continue at the UN who knows what the results may be? Do you want to take a chance? I'm not. Keeping Red parked far away to prevent any "silver parts" off of her. I wonder how it would look with a "beak"? Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted August 26, 2007 Author Share Posted August 26, 2007 Day 3: We slept in a bit, went down to the Chuckwagon and caught Randy and Jamie (Randy's son--yet another Jamie!) for a quick conversation then played tourist in Capitol Reef National Park! We took the scenic drive out from the Visitors' Center and a 4 mile hike down "The Grand Wash" through a beautiful canyon to "The Narrows". The weather was only in the upper 90's/low 100's, but we had gatorade and water with us and Leslie did fine! Here's me on the way down: Leslie stops to smell the Penstemon Some more views down the canyon: "Have I left the Gas on??" (any Eddie Izzard fans out there? ) Taking a breather in a little alcove . . . . We met a little explorer on our hike. He was hiking up to the narrows from the bottom of the wash at the Fremont River at Hy24 (it's the shorter way to get there! ). His name was Eric and he wanted to be a cave explorer. Leslie explained to him that cave explorers were called "spelunkers" and he asked if "kids could be spelunkers too?" He was SO cute!! A bit back up the wash we saw a small arch carved in a chunk of sandstone along the way. "Eric, the Half-a-Spelunker" happily posed for a picture! Did I mention he was cute??!! More pics of the ridges and escarpments of the "Water Pocket Fold": The views out along this trail are amazing! On the way back out the "scenic drive" we had to double-back to grab a shot of this marker: . . . because as we came over the rise, this was our view! It was just more and more of the same all the way back to Torrey. Amazing vistas, unbelievable rock formations, stunning colors, etc., etc. On the way out we stopped at an old farmhouse that was one of the original settlements of the valley which has now been turned into a small museum. They had all sorts of artifacts of the early Mormon settlements in the area. They even sold fresh baked bread (baked daily in the old ovens--samples were available topped with home-made apricot mixed with honey! ), and home-made ice cream--YUM!! We also had to spend some time browsing in the Visitors' Center--even though we've been to Torrey a dozen times and have been to the Visitors' Center at least a few times already . . . it's one of "The Unwritten Laws" when we travel: "Thou shalt not bypass any Visitors' Centers, and neither shalt thou make any audible grumbling noises about purchases made therein"! They've got a new 18 minute film on the history of the area, the early settlements, and the effects of water on the landscape. Some really neat time-lapse photography of the weather patterns and double-exposure filming of the early history/settlements was really well done! The Scenic Drive is very doable for RT's and even past the paved portion all the way to the end is doable if you take it slow and put a little weight on the footpegs! BTW, you'll need a National Parks Pass for the bottom half, but you're already going to see Zion and Bryce . . . perhaps even the Grand Canyon on the same trip (depending on your route and tolerance for crowds! ), so it's worth it to buy the year-long pass! We're looking forward to seeing all of you at the UnRally . . . and everyone else at Fall Torrey XIV!!!! (BTW, all the "Perfect Pictures" were taken by Leslie! ) Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Vicarious living for the day - CHECK!! Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted August 26, 2007 Author Share Posted August 26, 2007 Vicarious living for the day - CHECK!! Wishing you were here . . . CHECK! Link to comment
Bob Palin Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Surely you'd been down the scenic drive before? I guess you didn't climb up the side of the narrows area to one of the water pockets since there aren't any pictures. This is where I was today Link to comment
ittech Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 cool pics I'm not leaving here until Wednesday... I need to be in town Tuesday for prepping a project and I need to do work from the road on this trip a lot more than any other. Sat phone with data kit shows up tuesday as well. So I will pretty much be cruising the slab on the way out. Maybe I'll even beat you to WV... Link to comment
patrickfb Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Hey Jamie & Les! Hope you don't mind a non-biker hitching a ride on the forum... but I thought it would be a fun way to track your progress. Fantastic pictures so far - it looks like you're having a terrific time, in spite of the heat! All is well here at home... except we're having crazy lightning & thunder - and as of ten minutes ago, actual rain! Maggie is doing great - she and Miss Hannah are playing together like best buddies. (For the rest of you on the board, I'm Jamie & Leslie's official dog-sitter, and take care of Maggie while they are off having fun with y'all.) Keep posting those great pics, so I can enjoy the trip vicariously... love ya! Link to comment
Mark Menard (Vita Rara) Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 So Bob, Where were you yesterday? That blue sky is just stunning. Mark Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Hey Jamie & Les! Hope you don't mind a non-biker hitching a ride on the forum... but I thought it would be a fun way to track your progress. Fantastic pictures so far - it looks like you're having a terrific time, in spite of the heat! All is well here at home... except we're having crazy lightning & thunder - and as of ten minutes ago, actual rain! Maggie is doing great - she and Miss Hannah are playing together like best buddies. (For the rest of you on the board, I'm Jamie & Leslie's official dog-sitter, and take care of Maggie while they are off having fun with y'all.) Keep posting those great pics, so I can enjoy the trip vicariously... love ya! I can't remember what you said when we talked last night, was it 8PM BYOB or did you need me to pick up the keg and bring it over? Either way, it's party time, San Diego style. Oh, and the coffee is to the right of the sink in the cabinet!! Good organic coffee!!! We'll need it tomorrow morning! Link to comment
Bud Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Surely you'd been down the scenic drive before? I guess you didn't climb up the side of the narrows area to one of the water pockets since there aren't any pictures. This is where I was today Wyoming? Link to comment
PRC Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Surely you'd been down the scenic drive before? I guess you didn't climb up the side of the narrows area to one of the water pockets since there aren't any pictures. This is where I was today Wyoming? That's Devils Tower in Wyoming. I wish I was there. Link to comment
Fasterpill Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I can't believe how many of you guys I will see there from out west! I haven't seen some of you since Spokane. And speaking of cute, someone hand me my 300 Win Mag... Link to comment
Les is more Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Hey Honey! What a fun idea!!! Love having you here! We are having such a great time! Jamie is getting ready to add to the tale. By the way, pay no attention to 1bmwfan. He almost never shows up where the party really is. While you're up there at the Ranch with the pups, he's thinking you're at our place anyway. Even if he wasn't such an OT slut, he'd still have the address wrong! Link to comment
bakerzdosen Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Well, I wish I'd known/planned better. I would have popped down to Torrey to see you guys yesterday. Glad the PP is going so well so far. Link to comment
Firefight911 Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Hey Honey! What a fun idea!!! Love having you here! We are having such a great time! Jamie is getting ready to add to the tale. By the way, pay no attention to 1bmwfan. He almost never shows up where the party really is. While you're up there at the Ranch with the pups, he's thinking you're at our place anyway. Even if he wasn't such an OT slut, he'd still have the address wrong! Have I told you how much I love you!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Link to comment
KMG_365 Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 Just a quick partial update with some teasers as we've got to get to bed: We went to Bryce National Park today taking the UT-12 over Boulder Mountain. There were a lot of small wildfires started from lightning strikes and there was comparatively poor visibility today (like, only 120 miles compared with 12 miles in Los Angeles on an average day! ) Here's a lookout from the Hy-12: Neither of us had ever been to Bryce Canyon before! We'd ridden by it a dozen times, but were always on our way to or from somewhere and weren't staying in the area with time to spare. Another time we got waved off by a biker coming out when they were redoing the road. It was WELL worth the wait! I've only got time to throw up a few teasers and a few artistic shots (again, the "perfect shots" were all Leslie's! ) The scale is really hard to describe in pictures and we only had time to hike along the rim. We parked outside and took the shuttle to the Visitors' Center ( check! ) and then walked to the rim trail, hiked all along the "amphitheater" to the last shuttle stop about 5-6 miles away and rode the shuttle back out. Just that took us five hours and it was actually more like 8 miles, because the view changes every few hundred yards and you're always running out closer to the rim to get a better look. The weather was changeable and we got rained on a bit and even hailed on once, but it made for incredibly dramatic lighting! I wish we were better photographers with fancier equipment, but these few shots just serve to remind us of the experience and whet your appetites! There were many trails that led down into the narrow canyons and along the floor. Leslie did great even hiking at 8000 feet--we're going to have to come back! The pines are trying in vain to hold onto the soft soil as it's eroded away. Here you can see how much is already gone as the roots of this tree are now exposed over two feet! It was just one amazing view after another! As the softer sandstone below a harder top cap eroded away, windows opened up in the thinner fins. Eventually the "bridge" will fall leaving the trademark "Hoodoo's" standing upright until they too fall to the forces of rain and snow and ice. We're going to ride through more thunder and lightning tomorrow in Colorado!! Link to comment
ittech Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 bryce is one of my top 5 places, really wonderful. Link to comment
dhanson Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Ooohhhh, Colorado, ELK country!!! Watch for 100's of first time ever elk hunters (bow hunting season opens 29th) coming from all parts of the States. They will be the ones in pickup trucks pulling trailers loaded with camping gear and all their faces will be pasted to the windows as they drive through the mountains!!! Many will think it a once in a life time hunt and end up taking pictures of the grand Rockies and nearly forget about the elk. I went on my first in 2001, starting from about Sante Fe, NM all I saw was tons of bikers, now the tables have turned!! I will be with the bikers this year, YEEHAAAAAA! Keep heading this way Jamie, the days are getting shorter, and the temps cooler (72 this am), the winds of change are blowing from Colorado! Link to comment
Joel Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Bryce is just plain magical. I haven't traveled very widely, but it is by far my favorite National Park. When I expire, I wouldn't mind having my ashes spread there. Link to comment
Ken H. Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 So where was the Pier Pair last night? No 8/27 PM update? Link to comment
Mike O Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 The Pied Pipers landed safely in Westminster Colorado yesterday afternoon at our home. We did a bit of wrenching (surprise...surprise). We had a nice dinner (spent most of the evening talking about YOU folks) and didn't hit the hay to late last night (hence why no update). Jamie and Les took a whole lot more pictures so I'll let them provide a more detailed update tonight. A brief, but very enjoyable visit! We'll see them off this morning and I'll post an update then. Oh, and I wish I could be there with everyone. Last years UN was a blast and I'm sure this year's will NOT disappoint. Regards, Mike O Link to comment
Bud Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Told you they were taking a "special" nap. See how Leslie is "glowing" in that picture that Mike O took? Hope you didn't treat them too well while they were there Mike. Don't want the bar set too high for when they get here. Link to comment
dhanson Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Is that rain drops on the windshield? Send it here, Please! Link to comment
Bob Palin Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Is that rain drops on the windshield? Send it here, Please! You can have it, rode almost all day in the rain yesterday in North Dakota and Minnesota, looks like more today... Here's my ride tale from a couple of days ago - sorry don't have time to make a separate one here Link to comment
Mike O Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 0900 Why is this man carrying not 1, not 2, but 3 spare alternator belts with him? (Only the "Belt Demons" in Amarillo know for sure.) I begged and begged to go along, but Les said there was just NO room left on MaynArianrhod and a sidecar wasn't gonna happen. Alas, they're off...! Safe travels Pipe Pipers. It was fun hosting you both on this layover, and I'm REALLY looking forward to the next chance Bernie and I can get together with you again! Regards, Mike O Link to comment
Joel Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Since I couldn't take advantage of the chance in person, this will have to do for now: Link to comment
Bud Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 I know why he is carrying one of them. Because I might need it! ;D Not really, it is to insure that no one needs one when he is near. Safe travels to all. Link to comment
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