I RODE TO TORREY!!!!! (& lived to tell...ur, gush about it!)

[90%angel]

Well folks, my Ride-Better Quests have paid off. I made it to Torrey on Charlie!!!

 

First, I want to say thanks to everyone who had a part in my getting there by "paddling my own canoe" as they say:

1) Russell - Goes on every ride with me, helps me get Charlie on the center stand, believes in me, convinces me I can do it (no small task sometimes!) and listens to me bitch sometimes when I screw up, or try to get out of practicing or something.

2) Master Yoda. Thanks for giving up several of your Saturdays to help me practice. I love you man.

3) Laney & Kathy for being the inspirational women that you are. Your trip last year inspired me to get good enough to go somewhere on my bike.

4) Denny. Your love and encouragement has made all the difference. One of these days we WILL ride together!

5) Brian T. A most excellent sweep. Thanks for riding with me out to Glenoz and inviting me along on your ride to the Salton Sea. Both of those rides, I really needed in order to learn and grow. To be sure, I SUCKED. I promise I'm getting better - well, you rode with me home from Torrey...better? (say yes)

 

Anyway, to all of you, thanks for encouraging me to do this. It was worth it. TORREY ROCKS! Especially after getting their on your own bike.

 

Thursday afternoon we left work, bound for Mesquite, NV. It was a fairly uneventful ride and I was having a good time. Temperature was GREAT!!! Usually going through Vegas it's a 100 million degrees. This time it was a balmy 75 (just 75; not 75 million!) Perfect. I only had one slightly brown moment on this ride:

Locked up my rear brake a little in a patch of traffic on the 91. We were accelerating to get into the fast lane, when the hole closed up. Our lane was stopping hard, so we had to hit the brakes. I hit the back one a little too hard and skidded a bit. It was such a gentle skid though, I didn't know it was me! I actually looked around to see if the guy behind me was going to hit me. Nope. Then I thought maybe it was Russell. No, he has ABS. Just then, my bike settled back in to a straight line, from the slightly off slide it was in. OH. SH**. THAT WAS ME?! Good boy, Charlie. Thanks for hooking back up and not bucking me off.

 

Anyway, we ate dinner at the IronSkillet by the Speedway in Vegas. I had the buffet, which was actually downright yummy. We also got to hear someone running something around the track. No idea what it was, but it sounded fast!

 

Got to Mesquite around 10.

 

Friday's ride was nice too. VERY scenic. Turned off just past St. George and rode through Zion National Park.

 

 

Then we rode up through Panguitch and down into Torrey. Glad we went this route (little lower elevation)... it snowed on the folks who took the higher road through Escalante! Eek. Don't think I'm ready for that yet! Didn't snow on us, but we saw the leftover snow from the day before! Beautiful! Russell tried to stop and take my picture as I rode past, but there was no place to stop - too snowy! Oh well. Take my word for it - it was gorgeous (but COLD!) By the time we got to Panguitch, I was ready to be there. Good thing there was only 100 more miles separating me from Torrey.

 

That evening was a blur of Brinks burgers, pizza, hugs, smiles and friendly faces. Love was definitely in the air.

 

Saturday I rode pillion with Russell as he led "the fast group" around the Lake Powell loop. He hooned, I took in the scenery. The only bummer about speeding around there is you can't really get any very good shots. Well you can, but they are blurry! Top speed was 131. Hoon. I said next time I was going to take Charlie and go on the ride with the "slow group"! (of course "slow" is relative in Torrey!)

 

We had awesome weather on Saturday. COOOOOOLLD in the AM, but once the sun was up, it warmed up to about 70 degrees. BEAUTIFUL Blue sky. Doesn't get any better than this. Russell and I had the good fortune of running out of gas a mile from Hanksville. This was good as: A) we knew the rest of the group would be by momentarily to get us some gas, so we weren't stuck, and B) cause we got to pause for a few minutes and get some beautiful pictures, and just take in the fresh air. Oh, and Russell also got to take in some of my fussing at him for running out of gas in the first place! Then I realized what a blessing in disguise it was. Sorry I fussed, dear. That shot of the mountain is probably one of the best pictures we took on that trip.

 

Saturday night we all went off to the Cafe Diablo. It was chaotic with all the people there, but eventually we all got settled in for a night of food-gorging, lip-flappin and story-tellin. Heaven.

 

Sunday, we all tearfully said our goodbyes and headed out. I decided to see just how well I'd improved on my group riding skills and headed out in a group of 6 bikes (including me). Gleno in the lead, followed by Brian T and Meghan, Daryll, Russell, Me and Barry riding sweep. With the exception of the hoons going through the gorge at 100 (I didn't...I said "see you at the next stop" and went my own speed!) I kept up pretty well, and held to my lane position relatively well. I still tend to get out of position in turns, but I'll work on it. Also, they lost me a little on some of the hills, as Charlie doesn't have quite as much power as the RTs. No worries though, I caught right back up (had to downshift to fourth though, whereas the RTs have the power in 5th). Once, after they passed a car, but I had to wait, when it was finally safe for me to get around, I had to lay some tracks in order to catch up. Got Charlie up to 110 (For the worriers out there (of which I am one) this was on a straight, flat section of road in broad daylight, in the middle of nowhere with no other cars around...as soon as I saw a car in the distance, I slowed back down). Russell tried so hard not to be proud when I told him this!

 

Anyway, made it back to Glenoz in Boulder City and we sat and chilled out for a while - a little too long. Before we knew it, it was 4:30! AAAGH! "Vegas traffic will totally SUCK this time of day!" "So we'll take the back roads" "No can do - Charlie won't make it that far on one tank (there is NO gas out there)" URRRGGHHH. So I opted to leave Charlie in Glen's capable hands. We'll go back for him in a couple weeks. We need Glen to look at my Mustang anyway, as it has a coolant leak. Now the question is, who will drive the Mustang back home, an who will ride Charlie!?

 

TORREY RULES, LOVE YOU PEOPLE!

 

--Lisa

 

[rdfrantz]

Lisa, I'm really glad you made the ride to Torrey. It's a step in your carrer, and I know you'll fill in the gaps you found. It's all possible because you "know" what you're doing now. Keep at it, Girl.

 

Thanks for the tale.

 

[daryll]

I only rode with you for part of the way, but I can say that you looked very comfortable and handled the bike well. It was a long trip and a good stress of your skills. Congratulations on pulling it all off.

[Joel]

KUDOS!!!

 

A buck ten, eh? YOU GO!

[Kathy R]

Think of all the girls you are going to inspire now Someday a pack of us are going to pull into Torrey.

[PeterScottNJ]

Gushing is good! great tale, great pics. A good gushing story is one of my favorite things about this forum. It just makes you want to stop work and go ride

[David]

Good work, Lisa! I hope you've saved all your posts and pictures. I'd recommend that you print them out in booklet form, and also save them to a CD or something. It's the kind of thing your family will enjoy reading about when you are drooling in the corner some day!

[PeterScottNJ]

Inspire girls? Heck you "girls" inspire many of us that aren't girls.

[PhillyFlash]

Way to go, Lisa!! Next time you'll ride with the slow group? Does that mean my group? Great! That means I'll look in my mirrors and see YOU instead of Russell trying to pass me. It was great seeing you at Torrey, and especially seeing that you rode there. Nice write-up and photos.

[russell_bynum]

In reply to:

---

That means I'll look in my mirrors and see YOU instead of Russell trying to pass me.

---

 

What do you mean "trying", Buckwheat?

[bes]

Boys---are you playing who has the biggest Hoon?

[Mjames]

You preparation paid off. Congratulations!

[PhillyFlash]

In reply to:

---

What do you mean "trying", Buckwheat?

---

Ah, come on, Russell. You know I backed off on the throttle at 129 so that you could get around me. I wanted to watch you and Brian play tag for awhile at 131. It was sweet watching you and Lisa trying to pass Brian and Meghan on the curves at 120+. (No politically correct safety comments from the peanut gallery.)

[Gleno]

In reply to:

---

So I opted to leave Charlie in Glen's capable hands. We'll go back for him in a couple weeks.

---

 

Yep, Charlie will do 110 mph. Even do a buck-twenty when pushed. He don't wheelie for squat, but the stoppies are world class. He gave his all on these single-track "GS" fire trails down to the Colorado River too. Now if'n I can just find some matching touch up paint, a new windshield, clutch lever, front fender, left side bag, and both mirrors then it'll only be mechanically thrashed when you come to trailer it home. Poor Charlie, he led a good life.

 

Lisa gurl, I am quite proud of you. You come leaps and leaps forward since you first set out. I was happy to lead a group with you in it. You did us all proud, and it was great to have you at Torrey again. Especially on your own ride. You go gurlfriend.

[JB80120]

Lisa,

 

Nice job on the write-up con photos. Had a friend who rode one of those 75's for years. No need to feel bad about downshifting. Makes everyone think you're a dirt rider! That machine will do just fine.

[90%angel]

Howard, you SOOOO aren't slow! You a hoon, just like the rest of 'em! Like I said, "slow" in Torrey is relative!

 

But I don't really even mean waddling along at 35 all the time; just a nice even pace, not pushing the limits. Like on most of the roads marked at 65, you could safely and easily go 75-80. And at that speed, you actually SEE the scenery, instead of just a blur! Additionally, I'd like to stop more here and there, to get some pictures. Everything is so pretty there!

 

--Lisa

[Marty Hill]

Lisa,

 

Congrats on your solo ride. Great to see both of you again.

[murrayg]

Lisa, angel, you are the bomb! What a trip and great write up. Sorry I missed it before. Been moving and stuff. Congratulations on your first solo to Torry. Man, one more time with feeling, am I jealous. You should be proud. You set a goal and you made it! Go 'head wif yo bad self.

[algover]

Good for you, Lisa! We've enjoyed your stories as you were practicing, and now this one. 'Way to go!