Patience's Progress

[JohnK]

Adam,

Ride on dude, your trip sounds great. Not to start a thread on lane splitting you may want to review some old threads and change technique, you legally need to be left of the white line in the HOV lane, but what the heck it’s only a couple inches to the left of where your riding

 

Have fun on your adventure, are you going to DVD?

[Patience]

Evenin' folks,

 

I haven't written much over the last couple of days, as I haven't been traveling, and this connection is 26k dialup. Here's a couple of pics from the tech day at Mike's yesterday. Good times!

 

First off. Thank God for Rich-O showing me the proper technique for removing those pesky bolts holding the frame over the engine. I feel much safer after being around pros like him! Thanks rrrich for snapping this one.

 

 

Here's (Esokoloff) showing Mike his mounting system for the alternative fuel setup he's got on his bike. Clean burning, and useful for not only powering your bike...

 

 

It tastes great too! Moonshine: The other white gas!

 

 

 

Eventually, we did have to leave however. This is a shot of that grueling moment after Eric finished putting all his tupperware back on, and... the bike wouldn't start.

 

 

The first time anyway. With a big sigh of relief, it started on the second, at which point he started putting on his rain riding gear: Boots, heated chaps, heated arm covers, heated vest, stich, rain gear top, rain gear bottom, gloves, and helmet.

 

Half an hour later, we finally got out of the garage, much to Mike's relief I'm sure, and got on our way home.

 

As I was nearing home, I noticed that my feet were slipping awefully easy on the footpegs. Really easily in fact. So after taking a wrong turn on a side street, I stopped and checked, and yup... the whole engine casing, and my calves, were covered with oil. Bummer.

 

I forgot to fully tighten one bolt on the valve cover, and oil bubbled up through the area around the loose bolt. I managed to get it fixed today though. Good stuff.

 

Anyway. I'm going to head to bed. I've got to get up at 3am to ride over the grapevine. I hear it's snowy and funky. Mudslide free though thus far. Should be a great way to wake up in the morning.

 

From there, I'll be heading north to Modesto, where I'm meeting up with Corey from Cyclespecialties, and we're going to go out canyon carving for the day. Prayin' for sun and no mudslides!

[Francois_Dumas]

You really had me wondering for a minute why the gentleman in the background would try to hit that BMW with a golg stick...ummm...club... I thought THAT was the moment it would not start ! <g>

 

Adam, I'd love to see a map of your route... you know, for us (well, at least ME) ignorant non-US dudes to understand whereabouts you're losing your oil and other parts along the way !

 

Onwards !!

[Tool Man]

 

From there, I'll be heading north to Modesto, where I'm meeting up with Corey from Cyclespecialties, and we're going to go out canyon carving for the day. Prayin' for sun and no mudslides!

 

Keep pray'n...sunshine er, ah... Adam

 

Mike W.

[Patience]

Made it alive thus far... Hung out with corey. Pics later when I'm not on limited time at a library. Went over the grapevine. 4 solid hours of pretty heavy rain and cold temps. The grapevine, for all the gloom and doom I was expecting, never got below 47 degrees and really foggy. For some reason, my suit is now leaking... somewhere. My bum gets really, really wet. I'll try and get the route up for you, Francois. That'll take getting to a hotel where I can upload maps. Perhaps tomorrow night.

 

Picked up my friend Gina who I met through work, and am now meeting for the first time in person. We're going to ride 2up tomorrow on my really squishy suspensioned bike. Slow and easy is the name of the game.

 

Oh. The bike rattled my Dad's GPS to death. I haven't told him yet. Fortunately, he got the extended warranty.

 

Somehow, that same leak in my suit manged to deposit about 3 inches of standing water into the inside of my savannah suit which had folded over. It was kind of amusing when I opened my rainsuit and inches of water poured out, until I realized my phone/planner happened to be in a pocket in that 3 inch range... That's now dead too. My XM and Valentin still work. The XM is a blessing. Lane splitting in pouring rain while listening to rave/techno music is quite enjoyable. I'm really not going to like not being able to split when I get to Colorado. Bah!

 

Okay. Need to go soon before it disconnects me after my time's up. Oh. I'm in Napa at the moment. Saw National Treasure (the movie) today, and would like to advise you all not to see it. It really sucks. Saw part of Spanglish (another movie) while waiting for National Treasure to start. Very cute movie from what I've seen thus far. Definitely worth seeing. Eep! Time's almost up. Need to check email.

 

More tomorrow night when I can post pics and whatnot.

 

 

Cheers!

[Tasker]

Oh. I'm in Napa at the moment.

 

SHOW OFF!

[Jim VonBaden]

...

 

Picked up my friend Gina who I met through work, and am now meeting for the first time in person. We're going to ride 2up tomorrow on my really squishy suspensioned bike. Slow and easy is the name of the game.

 

...Cheers!

 

Does Gina have her life insurance paid up?

 

Jim

 

PS J/K

[bigmak]

Does Gina have her life insurance paid up?

Napa Valey...Gina.., sounda awfully Italian to me

Forgid da insurance, you'll needa betta protection dan dat ifn sumtin happens, Adamo

[steveknapp]

Forgid da insurance, you'll needa betta protection dan dat ifn sumtin happens, Adamo

 

Bah, that's like riding a motorcycle wearing a working rainsuit...

[Tool Man]

Adam,

I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep at night worrying about my trick roller bearing tube benders.

 

I found'em

 

I guess I took them to work and forgot.

 

It aint easy getting old

 

Mike W.

[rrrich]

Slow and easy is the name of the game.

 

This is the FIRST evidence the DB is having a modifying effect on Mr. Zorba Quixote. It's not that he'll actually take it slow and easy, it's just that he's SAYING it now 'cause he knows we'll all get worked up thinking of Gina's safety riding pillion on the shakey beast with the special wetnut installed behind the clamps.

 

Thanks for taking it easy on us Adam!

[skinny_tom (aka boney)]

Just rode around the Napa and Lake county area with Adam, Gina and Steve (skgallen). Not a cloud in the sky... Maybe 5 minutes of fog and miles of mostly clean dry roads. What? Wasn't it raining cats and dogs yesterday? I was expecting a lot of debris and wet slippery corners, but the worst was the little bit of sand at the top of the Napa Valley on HWy29.

 

Wife has the Digital...Sorry no pix.

 

Keep your eyes out for Adam in Red Bluff tonight.

[bigmak]

Keep your eyes out for Adam in Red Bluff tonight.

Adam, if you happen to be heading to Oregon, the Shasta area will bite you, swing out to the coast and head east at Reedsport (lowest elev.). If you make the Willamette Valley I'll buy you lunch or dinner

[Couchrocket]

Adam,

 

Bigmak's right... the I-5 north of Redding is nasty. In fact it was snowed over from about Dunsmuir to Medford, OR this past weekend.

 

Check this link in the morning if you're even "thinking" about going north on the I-5. It has traffic cameras. Lots of slippery frost on the ground this morning at 3k feet where I live up here, 70 miles north of Redding.

 

If you read this post tonight, and are planning on being in the Red Bluff / Redding area tomorrow, give me a shout 530 938-2932. I can cage it down off the mountain for a visit. I'll take my "other boxer" the Subaru!

 

There is a general improving trend in the weather over the next few days. This link will give you local weather forecast for this area up here above Redding and into the general Siskiyou Mountains / Passes area.

 

Give us your agenda for the next few days!

[Patience]

Arrrrrrrrrrgh!!!

 

Tire pressure gauge broken and either a cop has been following me for three hours spamming my ears with ka band, or my v1 is malfunctioning as well.

 

 

okay done venting.

 

More in a few minutes. I'm currently writing... no keyboard.

[Patience]

Okie dokie. Here's a copy of today and yesterday's route. You can tell by the numbers which way I was going. I'm currently in Williams, CA. Which is the red dot on the map. I started out in modesto, and spent the night in Napa. Have to run out to the bike to get my USB CF drive. BRB.

 

[Francois_Dumas]

Thanks Adam ! Great to put a map to the route !

[Couchrocket]

Adam,

 

If you pick this up before you leave this morning... make sure to go to Granzella's there in Williams for some breakfast and coffee. Cool place. It is right next to the Shell station on the west side of I-5.

 

Also, though the I-5 looks like it might be safely "passable" today for you if you're going north, it won't be much fun. High temp today is 38 and it won't reach that until 3:00 p.m. and will be below freezing until at least noon up here. Right now it is 21 F on my front porch.

 

Also, FWIW, you're missing some of the best that CA has to offer by being "inland." If you are going north, take the 20 out of Williams across to Clear Lake, then over to the coast itself. The ride up 1 from there is knockout beautiful, will be a bit warmer too. After the 1 dumps you back across a really twisty section to 101, make sure you get off the 101 onto the "Avenue of the Giants" just north of Garberville. A ride through the redwoods is not to be missed. This secnic alternate is 30 miles through the biggest trees you've ever seen. Then the 101 all the way to Reedsport ( as Bigmak suggested ) is fabulous.

 

I'm very familiar with the route you're on coming up the I-5 all the way from SoCal -- I do it from Temecula to home here in one long day, regularly -- it is fast but BORING ( your side trip to Napa notwithstanding! ) so do yourself a favor and see some of the coast line.

 

If you do decide to keep on the I-5, give me a shout. Phone number in post above.

[skgallan]

Adam -

 

After riding with you and Tom I went home and tuned in to this ride tale site and caught up on your adventures prior to Napa. Good adventure, and lots of humor to the writing. Nice to meet you, and keep on writing!

 

It also makes me think some of these things (pointing out tire wear bars, oil cap stories, etc.) really would be quite helpful if taught in a MSF course when some modifications to the present material are in order. I'm sure you are not the only one to have to learn these things on your own.

Keep on posting those stories!

 

Steve

[Couchrocket]

Adam made it safely to Red Bluff this afternoon, a short hop from Williams. Here he is arriving at our meeting place for a quick hello and some lunch ....

 

Since the only "for sure" place I could remember in Red Bluff as a meet up place was good old KFC next to where my SO took her MSF Basic Rider course.... we just grabbed a quick bite there.

 

"Chicken and Chat"

Here we are for the obligatory "group photo." Adam is doing great watching his diet on this trip... but with me there it definitely makes this a "group" shot!

 

Adam's route for today takes him across the famous Highway 36 from Red Bluff to the coast near the little town of Fortuna, CA. Here he is just getting started across the 36.

 

 

And here's what would be a nice close up of him waving to us all... if the "self styled professional photographer" (that would be me) had remembered to turn on the autofocus tracking when I turned on the motordrive!

 

 

By now, Adam should be snugly ensconced in some warm place in Fortuna, looking forward to a ride to the "Lost Coast" tomorrow and points south! He had at least decent weather today -- temps in the 50's and overcast -- but dry and clear. This is only the second day of riding on his whole trip without one kind of precipitation or another -- and it is looking good for the rest of the week.

 

Ride, Adam, Ride! It was fun to meet you and become a small part of your "Excellent Adventure." Enjoy the coast!

 

Scott

 

Oh, and David, FWIW I vote for a nickname for Adam: "Wear Bars" !

[Patience]

Woot!!! I found a hotel with a business center that has a comp with a keyboard. I confess. I got a bit overwhelmed at the thought of trying to type out a ride tale by writing it out with character recognition. To use the analogy I gave to Scott (couchrocket) Earlier today, trying to input paragraphs of text by writing is like trying to go to the bathroom with five pairs of pants on, and the zippers are all closed. One has to ask themselves... Should I go now, or can I hold it until I get home? I've been holding it for the last couple of days, so this post should be pretty long.

 

Anyway!!!

 

JohnK: Yup. I knew that about that being illegal. It was mentioned in a ride well a while back. I confess that I didn't actually split between the double yellows, but more just wanted to see which Californians would react. The fact that not many piped up tells me that the lines can get pretty gray for folks when it comes to manuvering in traffic.

 

Nope, I won't be making it to DVD.

 

Eric: I was just reading back, and my apologies if it came across that I was impatient waiting for you to get your gear on at the tech day. Actually, I was having a grand old time watching you strap all that stuff on. Normally I drive my dad nuts while I get all my gear together and whatnot, so I know what it's like to have a ton of junk to fasten to yourself, and how long it takes. No worries at all.

 

BigMak:

Napa Valey...Gina.., sounda awfully Italian to me

 

Interestingly enough, Gina is actually hispanic, but doesn't speak spanish, though she can understand it. After meeting her, I seriously doubt I'll be sleepin' wit da fishes anytime soon. Which, is a good thing, as that would put a damper on the trip.

 

Mike: Glad you found'em! Dude... After all the hits it sounded like you've probably taken to your head, I'm not so sure that getting old is the cause. Then again, I have the same problem, and I'm 29...

 

Okie dokie! On to the tale which I didn't finish the other night.

 

Side note: (I don't have photoshop or anything on this comp, so any pics are just the way they were taken, with the exception of cropping)

 

Monday, after coming over the grapevine and having a bunch of my electronics go poof on me, I made it to Corey's house around noon. It ended up being a pretty darn rainy day, so we just decided to hang out instead. So... ehh.. Two guys sitting there on a Monday. It's raining. What to do. Striving to break from the stereotype of two slacker guys in their twenties, who would likely just sit around and watch tv and play video games all day long, we decided to be productive. Thus, we fixed his X-Box. Then we sat around all day and watched TV and played video games. Though we didn't get to ride, I did get a tour of his shop. He's really dang meticulous when it comes to managing the parts department there. Everything is really dang organized and clean. It's kind of amazing actually. I was really impressed. Alas, it's kind of depressing to go hang out at a bike dealership when you don't have a job.

 

Here's Corey:

 

 

I camped out on his couch Monday night. Waking up on Tuesday, we grabbed som IHOP for breakfast, and he went in to work. Splitting ways at that point, I donned all my rain gear... again... and made my way north to Roseville. I met my friend Gina there, and we decided it was a bit too cold and funky out yet to head immediately to Napa. Thus, we decided to see a movie first instead. Ehh... I think I actually discussed the movies bit above this. Okay. After the movies, we rode out to Napa. On the way out of the driveway, on a small dip, I scraped my centerstand. Going straight. Not a good omen...

 

Figuring it wouldn't get that cold, I didn't wear too many layers. Well. It got cold. Fortunately for Gina, and unfortunately for me, I was a great human windscreen for her. She stayed warm and toasty. I shivered my bum off.

 

We arrived in Napa at around 8pm, and checked into our hotel. Not used to motorcycling apparently, Gina fell face first on on the bed and was out in about a minute. Though this pretty much nullified the possibility of trying out any restaurants that evening, it did give me the opportunity to head out to the library and spend some time posting quick... On a real keyboard.

 

The next morning, I kept in mind proper group riding etiquette, and filled up with gas before meeting with Tom (Boney) at Alexis Baking Company, and Steve (SKGallen) down the road. Tom was a joy to spend the day with, and set an absolutely perfect pace throughout the entire trip. No easy task, considering one of the bikes following had a tendency to scrape things if corners weren't perfectly cambered. Throw into that that he was up for a decent portion of the night fighting a fire, and he makes an exceptional group leader. He even stopped at a nice spot to take a pic, so we could get a good one. Pictures, much like potato chips, can't be sampled in singles. Here's a shot of lake Berreyessa: (sp?)

 

 

And one of a cool birdnest there.

 

 

And here's some pics of us.

 

Myself, Steve, and Tom (Gina taking picture)

 

And.. everyone switch sides:

 

Tom, Steve, Gina, and Myself. (Harley rider taking picture. See. They're good for something.)

 

 

Tom: Thanks again for showing us around the area. I'm really glad we got to do it on bikes rather than in a car. It would have been much less enjoyable that way.

 

Steve: Glad you've enjoyed the tale thus far. It was great riding with you! Someday we'll have to ride again when I'm not going beyond the limits of what my bike was made for.

 

We parted ways Tom mid-afternoon, and followed Steve back towards Sacramento. Fortunately, we got to hit Sacramento right at rush hour. Steve got to peel off for his exit before really hitting the fun stuff, so Gina and I sped ahead, only to be confronted by stopped traffic a mile or so later. Having a narrow bike without side bags makes for very entertaining splitting, and we made the most of it, with only one close call as a pickup started switching lanes right as we were about to occupy the space in the lane with him. Fortunately, the nature of a car switching lanes necessitates (normally) that there is an open space in the lane next to him. We swerved into that space momentarily, then back into the splitting lane. A little surprising for us, but par for the course really.

 

We eventually got back to Gina's house, where we were met by her niece and friend:

 

 

Here's one of Gina and I parting ways. (I can't wear my helmet in flash pics, since it's covered with reflective tape.) Since you're reading this: Thanks for joining me on a little slice of the adventure, Gina. It was great meeting you.

 

 

Phew... I've been writing and working with pics for about 3 hours now. I'm going to take a break for a min, then back to today's tale.

[Patience]

It also makes me think some of these things (pointing out tire wear bars, oil cap stories, etc.) really would be quite helpful if taught in a MSF course when some modifications to the present material are in order. I'm sure you are not the only one to have to learn these things on your own.

Keep on posting those stories!

 

Steve

 

Dude... no kidding. Thinking back, I'm surprised that things like wear bars and tire pressures aren't discussed at MSF basic. It'd only make sense.

[Patience]

Alrighty. On to today's tale before I fall asleep.

 

Oh right. After dropping Gina off, I rode north intending to make it to Red Bluff, but I got tired around Williams, and figured I'd call it a night. Thus ends yesterday.

 

Here's my route for the day. Though it encompasses part of my route for tomorrow, today's start is at Williams, and the end is at Fortuna.

 

 

I woke up late this morning after staying up late watching TV. (TV's are evil things. ) After fussing unsuccessfully with the internet connection at the Comfort Inn in Williams trying to get my route posted, I headed north to meet Scott at KFC. Arriving early, yet at the wrong exit, I proceeded to get lost in the town of Red Bluff for half an hour. I figured at that point, there was no way I was going to be finding KFC by driving around the town, so I got back on the freeway, and tried the next exit. Nope. No KFC there either. Okay. Back on the freeway. Exit number three... Woo! KFC and a big white expedition! (There's no signs for what restaurants are on each exit, in this area. Very goofy.)

 

Scott: It was a pleasure meeting you, and I'm glad we got the chance to have lunch together, short though it was. I still can't believe you drove over two hours, one way, for a half hour lunch! Though I probably should have left earlier if I wanted to make the trip while it was light, it ended up working out perfectly. I got some phenomenal pics I wouldn't have had the opportunity for had I not been in that exact place on 36 at the right time.

 

Actually, I probably could have made more of the trip during the light, had it not been for stopping to take so many pics. Ah well. Picture priorities. I'm sure you're familiar with those.

 

So parting ways, I headed out west on 36 toward the coast. (Thanks for snapping those pics, btw. )

 

The first part of the trip was the rolling sweepers that are a part of what make 36 such a sweet ride. I've posted pics of them before from my last trip out west, so I focused more on taking pictures of things that didn't involve the road as much. Everything was really green. Between the rains and the abnormally warm weather, there was greenery everywhere.

 

Here are some horses. They all have their butts facing me. I'm not sure what that's about.

 

 

And a few green rollings hills. With not many cars on the road, it was really serene to just stand there and take this view in. Absolutely beautiful...

 

 

The road wasn't completely devoid of cars however. A tan pickup pulled over, and out stepped an elderly gentleman. He figured I might need a hand, or just might be interested in chatting. Always one for a good conversation, I enjoyed spending a few minutes with him. His name's Wayne, and he's a retired rancher who's sold most of his cows at this point, and lives on a small rental property up in the hills. I accidently burst his preconceived notions about motorcyclists being tough, when I explained gerbings to him.

 

 

He informed me that about 13 miles up the road, as the elevation increases, that there's snow and ice on the roads. Ehh. Ruh roh raggy.

 

True enough, things did start getting nasty.

 

 

Fortunately, the temp never dipped below 36F, so the water on the roads never really became ice. Unfortunately, there were still slushy spots.

 

 

Not wanting to get stuck up on the mountains after the temp dropped below freezing, with all that water on the roads, I went as quick as I could. Between water, mud, rockslides, gravel, and slushy spots, I'm getting really, really used to the feeling of having both tires get squirrely in the corners. I imagine that's good experience. On the positive side though, I got to be in the mountains for this:

 

 

 

I'm really glad my rain gear doubles as snow gear, since I had to climb over a 5 foot wall of plowed snow and ice then trudge down a hillside in a couple feet of fresh powder to get these next shots.

 

 

 

 

 

Quite an incredible sunset, and a perfect place to view it from.

 

That's the last of my pics, as it got dark afterwards.

 

From that point, I attempted to tail a saab with good brights through the mountains. I kept up with him for a while, seeing ahead with his lights, but when we got into really tight stuff, he pulled away. Since the hairpins were so tight, I had no light going into them. I tried to keep up with him at first since his lights were so good, but after hitting a patch of dirt mid-hairpin and getting really squirrely on the front end, I figured I'd best slow to a crawl and let him take off ahead. From that point, I slowly made my way down the mountains to Fortuna, where, as Scott surmised, I found a warm and cozy place from which to post this.

 

Tomorrow I'll be hitting the lost coast, hwy 1 (the 20 mile section south of Leggett twice), SR 128, San Fran and the GG bridge, and then slabbing it down to Bakersfield. (if plans don't change)

 

Good night to those of you in the US, and good morning to y'all in Europe

[Francois_Dumas]

Tis certainly is already a htread for the 'archives' Adam I enjoy reading your adventures (most) every morning.. thanks for taking all that time to write them down. Love the humor too..... I have a theory about those horses.... but... nah.. never mind

 

Stay safe buddy !

Francois

[soboy]

Adam: I have been enjoying your trip reports tremendously. I admire your adventurous spirit and your great attitude. Hope you continue to have fun on your journey!

[Jim VonBaden]

No matter what anyone says, including myself, you are definitely one entertaining dood! Thanks for the ride stories! I look forward to your next (mis)adventure!

 

Great pictures, especially this on!

 

Jim

[Dennis Andress]

Alas, it's kind of depressing to go hang out at a bike dealership when you don't have a job.

 

Oh Oh! a disparaging note. No Adam, No! Perish the thought of finding a job.

[rrrich]

Can I say something stupid here?

 

When you're a crotchety 80 year old, you're going to look back on this trip as one of the most important things you ever did...no matter what else you have done, or will do.

 

I don't need to tell YOU this, but savor every shivery bit.

[leikam]

Oh I don't know about that Rich. I'm looking forward to Adam getting laid off next winter.

[Patience]

Oh I don't know about that Rich. I'm looking forward to Adam getting laid off next winter.

 

Just for the record, I did quit, rather than get laid off.

 

Okie dokie... this next one's going to take a while due to the volume of pictures I took. I'll get it out at sometime today. Hmm... how about a teaser though.

 

 

Guess what!?!?!

 

What?? You ask?

 

If you like cows, BOY DO I HAVE A RIDE FOR YOU!!!!

 

I'm sure you're all itching uncontrollably now to see yesterday's adventure, or maybe you just forgot to get that flea collar for your dog. Either way, many bovine tales ahead.

[Patience]

Alas, it's kind of depressing to go hang out at a bike dealership when you don't have a job.

 

Oh Oh! a disparaging note. No Adam, No! Perish the thought of finding a job.

 

Dude! I know! Practicing being retired is so much fun! Marty, I'm really jealous.

[Patience]

My apologies... while trying to post my last post, the computer I was using contracted a worm, and started rebooting. I've been working on it for quite a few hours over the last couple of days and still can't get my pics uploaded, or that virus off. I'm exhausted from trying at this point. That said, I'll do my best to get them uploaded some time this week.

 

I've decided to bypass Reno, and cut the trip a little bit short. It turns out it's more cost effective to fly than it is to ride in this case.

 

I'll be heading east from Bakersfield CA, to I-15 East through Nevada and Utah to 70 East, then over the mountains to Denver. In Denver, I'll be leaving my bike and flying to Minneapolis on Wednesday. The plane ticket was $70 bucks. Couldn't beat that.

 

That said, if anyone has space I could store my bike in the Denver area for a couple weeks until I move there on Feb 7, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

If you live anywhere along this route and feel like grabbing dinner or somesuch on Monday or Tuesday evenings I'm always up for a good meal with good company. Feel free to give me a call at the number in my profile. You'll get voicemail since my phone is kaput, but I'll be checking it and returning messages.

 

Take care and good night folks!

 

Oh! Here's the route.

 

Bakersfield CA to Denver CO

[Francois_Dumas]

Wow, that's a long stretch. Watch out for them mountains, buddy! They look pretty high and white on my flight simulator !

 

Francois

 

P.S. Sorry about tat virus, I had a spyware problem that would not go away and had to re-install Windows and the rest of my PC. That sux !! And now we do not get to see the COWS !!!!

[leikam]

They look pretty high and white on my flight simulator

 

According to forecasts, it will look that way on the ground too. The route Adam's planning to take should be cold and snowy from Cedar City, UT all the way to Denver.

 

A more southerly approach might avoid that, but Adam has a new rear tire!

[Jim VonBaden]

Hey Adam,

 

Do you have anything left that is working?

 

Please be careful on the last part of your trip!

 

Jim

[Dennis Andress]

but Adam has a new rear tire!

 

I.E. No more steel belted traction...

[Francois_Dumas]

Adam, I saw your bike at the dealer's this weekend ! WOW! My admiration has just gotten a boost !! I'd have enough trouble doing that trip on my RT, but on the 650...... Wow again !!

[Joel]

I'm always up for a good meal with good company.

 

I can't promise either, but ping me after 2/7 and I'll buy.

 

In the meantime, please be careful on that route. You might have lucked out on the weather timing, as it will be nearly 60 at the lower elevations most of this week, but as you've already seen, that can change fast as you get higher.

 

I'd say "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," but you've been doing that constantly for a couple of weeks now.

 

Be safe.

[Patience]

Howdy folks Safely in Denver... sunny, clear, and between 25 and 45 the whole way. 66 degrees here in Denver. Something like 6 degrees in Minnesota. Yeehaw! Good to be moving. Alrighty. Need to figure out what to do with my bike for a few weeks while I'm gone. Perhaps just leaving it at the hotel would work. Although I must say, It wouldn't break my heart at this point if it disappeared. Given how dirty it is though, I think it may just blend into a pile of road sand and remain completely unseen for the next two weeks.

 

Additionally, I had the pleasure of running into Jamie and Leslie at a gas station in Baker, CA. We were heading opposite directions, but with good timing apparently.

 

Good seeing you two, and I'll catch ya at Torrey!

[Sondance]

Oh I don't know about that Rich. I'm looking forward to Adam getting laid off next winter.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking maybe all of us should work on his next "adventure" through the South East next winter!

 

Rock on Adam...

[Jim VonBaden]

I can't believe none of our Denver members has volunteered to hold your bike for two weeks.

 

Maybe you should post a new thread and ask?

 

Jim

 

PS Good deal that you made is safely and uneventfully!

[KMG_365]

Additionally, I had the pleasure of running into Jamie and Leslie at a gas station in Baker, CA. We were heading opposite directions, but with good timing apparently.

 

Good seeing you two, and I'll catch ya at Torrey!

Well for those of you who are still unconvinced that Adam leads a charmed life--I've got first-hand proof--and a picture to prove it! Leslie and I were taking the lazy route home and got way too late a start from Death Valley to make it home and decided to stop in Baker (definitely NOT recommended! ). Just as we're pulling into town on the 127 from Shoshone and making the right turn onto Baker Rd. for the 1/2 a block to the Chevron station, I see a F650 pulling out of the gas station and heading towards us for the I-15 1/2 a block away! Though we never got to meet Adam in San Diego when his BBG trip got cancelled, I recognized him from the pics that Couchrocket posted recently and honked my horn wildly as we passed each other in that short 1/2 block! He had no idea who we were, but thought perhaps I saw something hanging off of his bike or something (possible, non? ) and he pulled over. I turned around, pulled alongside him, flipped up my face shield and (removing my glove! ) extended my hand saying: "Adam, I presume?!"

WHAT ARE THE ODDS????

Nice to finally meet you, Adam! Glad to hear you made it safely to Denver! Look forward to meeting you at another gathering soon--just don't park too close to me, mmkay?

[Vagabond]

Wow! Just checked into the site and stumbled into Adams story. Great ride tale / adventure Adam. Had I known about your need for a parking place I would have offered a spot in the carport next to my lonely steed (even though I am 70 miles west of Denver in Silverthorne).

 

Adam . . . you are going to love Colorado. I could go on for hours about the cool stuff you will experience here, but will save that for an evening shared over some of the best beer in the country, when you get here.

 

I look forward to meeting you and logging some Rocky Mtn miles with you hopefully.

 

Call me any evening if you need any 'local' info.

 

Vagabond Kelly 757-593-1342 cell

[steveknapp]

afely in Denver... sunny, clear, and between 25 and 45 the whole way. 66 degrees here in Denver. Something like 6 degrees in Minnesota. Yeehaw! Good to be moving.

 

What? A day with no failures, no breakdowns, no mishaps? Just rode some interstate? Wow. I just lost $5!

[Francois_Dumas]

Right !! Uneventful !!?? That's not what we are paying you for Adam !!! We want sensational breakdowns, 650's lost in the desert, GPS's turned microwave.. that sort of stuff !!!

 

Seriously.... glad you made it safely to Denver. Take some rest

[jim c]

I can't believe none of our Denver members has volunteered to hold your bike for two weeks.

 

Maybe you should post a new thread and ask?

 

i'm about 10 mi east of joel and about 65 north of denver.

if you can figure a way back to the airport (shuttle service) drop me an e-m or pm. i have work or i would drive you there. that and a cold doesn't help!

[SCOTTinNJ]

Additionally, I had the pleasure of running into Jamie and Leslie at a gas station in Baker, CA. We were heading opposite directions, but with good timing apparently.

 

Good seeing you two, and I'll catch ya at Torrey!

 

Good job Jamie and Leslie. You blew our cover.

 

Adam, we weren't going to tell you, but the good folks at BMWSportTouring.com have decided to follow you home to make sure you get there safely! Jamie and Leslie weren't supposed to be seen.

 

 

(just kidding of course)

[Patience]

For all curious, I'm now home safe (for two weeks before moving to Denver) here in Minneapolis. The flight out was... probably good. Not sure... I was asleep. I'm looking forward to another trip where I'm not as crunched for time towards the end, and can tell things a bit more completely. With pictures of good meals, friendly people, cute waitresses, police officers (did I mention I got pulled over?) and stuff too! Anyway! I'll post a wrap-up as soon as I can get settled in.

[BULLman]

Glad your home safe. Take all that you've learned on this trip, and aply it to the next one. You'll find out that the more you know - the more you have to learn.

 

Good luck with the move to Denver, and your future motorcycle adventures!

[Patience]

Good Saturday afternoon/evening folks,

 

Still tons of work to do around here with the moving/selling stuff process, but I managed to unpack the camera and get the pic uploading issues sorted out today.

 

(Disclaimer) I'm still learning about F-Stops, and I think I cranked it a bit low on some of these. I haven't had a chance to fix them with software for the most part, so some might be kinda dark.

 

Anyway!

 

The morning of the 14th, I woke up in Fortuna California at the Best Western with the nice business center. After sucking down a couple of energy drinks, I hit the road. I figured this would be a short jaunt up the coast to hwy 211 (Mattole Rd), where I could exit the freeway, and continue on in leisure along the lost coast.

 

Yeah well.. They don't call it the lost coast for no reason.

 

After exiting, there were literally no signs for either Hwy 211, or for Mattole rd. You simply wind past some delightful farm country, and a not so delightful sewage processing plant, and enter the town of Fernville.

 

Fernville is a little victorian styled town just south of Eureka. Oh! I forgot to post the map of the day's route! You may notice it looks different from the projected route of the day before. After staying up late posting the previous night, I ended up waking up at like 10am and getting on the road at around 11.

 

Here ya go:

 

 

 

 

 

 

That little crook at the top there is Hwy 211. That area should actually be a big red blob rather than a little crooked line, as I was lost for an hour trying to find the darn thing. I drove around in Fernville to start with for approximately thirty minutes, thinking it had to be somewhere around there. But no... it was nowhere to be found. In the midst of my frustrated circular riding, I did find one thing that caught my amusement hower. The Catholic church in Fernville.

 

 

 

 

 

The church, though interesting, was secondary to my amusement in noticing the sign.

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm... I thought. Nothing like a little blind faith in a town with no flippin' road signs!! Figuring I'd go with the flow, I assumed at that point that I was in the wrong place, and got back on 101 and rode north.... which of course wasn't helpful, because Hwy 211 wasn't north, so I turned back around and rode back to Fernville, where I promptly circled for another 10 minutes.

 

Then, I passed this for about the third time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my mind, that pretty much looks like the entrance to a kids camp. The road looked like a driveway, and with a big wooden sign no less. Funny that. Apparently, they expect you to know, without street signs, without highway markings, and with potholes and patches the size of small sumo wrestlers, that this patch of road is obviously highway 211. Again... no need to stop and wonder why it's called the lost coast.

 

Fortunately, it was worth it. Though the road is a mess of off camber turns, funkily filled potholes, ground sinkage, and cracks, it's an incredible ride. To be honest, that little crook at the top of the map took just about as long as the entire straight stretch down. Between taking pictures and the fact that just about every other corner was a 10mph hairpin, I probably averaged about 20mph. I gaurantee that won't bother you though, as this is a road that you'll want to take slowly. The peaceful, unspoiled, undeveloped atmosphere is so relaxing to ride through, you can just about make a day of it all by itself. Besides. Cow pies in the road tend to decrease traction around those 10mph off camber hairpins.

 

So on with the photos:

 

Due to a slight mist in the air, the sea can be difficult to differentiate from the clouds at times, but it was beautiful. (again, I apologize for the fstop)

 

 

 

 

 

 

And did I mention there were cows?

 

 

 

 

 

 

And more cows? Hmm. What an interesting rock too, apparently. I stared at it for a bit as well, but couldn't figure out what exactly was so entrancing about it.

 

 

 

 

 

and baby cows... lots of baby cows...

 

 

 

 

 

But don't get too close, because you might just upset the lady of the house. (subtitle to this pic is) "Mom? Is it safe to come out yet?"

 

 

 

 

 

After passing all those cows, you finally make your way down to the coast.

 

 

 

 

 

Where you find...

 

 

 

 

 

 

more cows. There are few fences on this road, so you'll find yourself sharing the road with cows quite often. Deer too, but I didn't get a shot of those.

 

The coast was beautiful and peaceful, a rarity for California. Well. Peaceful anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were a few little quaint homesteads scattered along the coast, virtually all of them with cattle of one sort or another. Though I got pics of one, it didn't turn out very well, so I guess I'll just have to go back some time to get another pic of it.

 

After leaving the coast, you find yourself again winding through the hills and along ridgelines. Eventually, you come to the town of Petrolia, which is nestled into a beautiful little valley.

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you're looking at a town, a cow, the beautiful coastline, the rivers, or one of the little homes, Pretty much everything in this area is beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

Though you can't see the river through the trees well in the photo, it was a bit easier to see in person. This stretch of it was gorgeous.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a shot of the valley from the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

Did I mention there were hairpins? The not so kind and gentle ones I didn't stop on, but here's a couple. The roads in these pics aren't in as good a condition as they appear. The gravel and unevenness doesn't really stand out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something about the angles of this one I kinda like...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heading towards the bottom part of the crook, you enter into a national forest... with a name I can't remember. I do remember the road getting kind of muddy right when I saw the sign for it, which just might have gotten my attention a bit more than the sign itself. The road in the park hadn't been completely cleared of the leftover rubble from all the rockslides yet, so gravel, mud and small rocks were a frequent event in the corners.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the views were worth it though. The trees were beautiful. I may have opened the fstop up too much on this one, but you get the idea..

 

 

 

 

 

and they got bigger as you went to lower elevations

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like that's the last of the pics for that day. From there, I slabbed it down to Bakersfield, where I promptly got lost again at about 3am driving around in farm country. Once I arrived at my aunt and uncle's house, I tiptoed in, took my boots off, and crashed on the couch in full winter gear. Which, I might add, really made for a surprising wake up call to the residents of the house, who did not expect to find a large black nylon cocoon on their couch that morning while making breakfast.

 

So that ended that section of the trip.

 

After spending a couple days with family there, I glanced at the forecast, decided not to go to Reno due to time issues, and headed east towards Denver.

 

 

 

 

 

Cedar city, right in the middle, is where I was shooting for to sleep for the night.

 

Waking up and getting my traditional late start, I meandered over towards Cedar city. Stopping for gas in Baker CA, I ran into some other BMW riders. You meet the nicest folks on a BMW.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a nice but brief chat, we parted ways, and it was off to Cedar City for me.

 

As a note. If you're going from Arizona to Utah on Hwy 15, the speed limit drops from 75 to 65 right before you get into Utah. How do I know this? I got blasted by X band at close range.. twice.. then Officer Mark Neilsen (I believe I have the last name right), kindly explained this to me, after pulling me over for doing 85 in a 65.

 

I hadn't seen the change until right before he pulled me over.

 

He had been pacing me for a while, but just blasted me with the radar for kicks. Hey... we've all got to have some fun with our gadgets, no?

 

As we got to talking, it turns out he was actually considering buying a CS, but was looking at the possibility of a 1150GS as well. Since his fellow officers ride BMW's, he was primarily looking at those in particular. After discussing what type of riding he was interested in, I advised he go towards a 1150 or preferably a 12GS. Can't go wrong with that bike, especially if you want to do some off road riding. So he ended up giving me a verbal warning for 20 over, which I thought was nice, but only since I was on a BMW, he joked. Phew...

 

So then we got looking at the gadgets on my bike.

 

"Is that a GPS?"

 

"Yup."

 

"Radio?"

 

"Yup."

 

"And what's that thing?"

 

"Ummm."

 

I grinned widely at him.

 

"That would be a radar dectector."

 

Fortunately, he grinned back, and explained he noticed I slowed down when he hit the radar. Ehh. Doh!

 

I told him about the site, so hopefully we'll see him around in the future! Greg, I couldn't figure out what I did with those cards you gave me again... doh. Too many pockets.

 

Well, a little bit chilly, and moving pretty close to the speed limit, I rode the last 40 miles to Cedar City.

 

Before crashing for the night, I got all my stuff together for the trip, figuring it'd be pretty darn chilly going over mountains for 9 hours and 550 miles.

 

Waking up before dawn for once, I popped a couple of chemical toe warmers into my boots. Each one stating on the package it's good for 5 hours. Sweet, I thought. I've got 2 packs, which will get me through the 9-10 hours on the road, and I went outside to put all my stuff on the bike. That ended up being no easy task, as there was ice on the ground around my bike, making the footing kind of interesting. Umm. Not to mention my seat, which made the butting kind of interesting as well.

 

 

 

 

Figuring if I waited to leave, I'd probably get stuck in the mountains after dark, which I didn't want. It actually turned out to be a pretty nice day out, which made the 25-45 temps not so bad.

 

 

 

 

 

Though I didn't feel like digging out my charger the night before, my camera battery had enough juice left for a few shots of the trip east over the mountains. Unfortunately, it didn't have enough juice to take all the shots I wanted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a Burger King. I have no idea why this shot is on my camera from that day, and I didn't even eat at a Burger King, but hey, here ya go.

 

 

 

 

 

And another shot of the same area in Utah...

 

 

 

 

 

And one last pic before my battery really started not liking me.

 

 

 

 

 

Remember those chemical toe warmers with the 5 hour heating time? I think the people that designed those were actually 5 year olds who had to sit still in a chair while doing nothing else but holding them, and determine the length of time they put out heat. Needless to say an hour was about all they were good for. So with rather chilly toes, I finally made it over to Denver where it was absolute bliss.

 

 

 

 

 

Alrighty. I'm getting pretty wiped out from writing and have lots to do to get ready to move, so I'll end it quick.

 

I stayed in Denver, left my bike at the hotel where they agreed to watch it, and flew home.

 

Thanks for tuning in folks, and thanks to Leslie for starting this thread. I hope y'all have enjoyed reading it as much as I have telling it.

 

See ya down the road!