2016 Pants Adventures - Advice, Ideas, and Input Encouraged!

[hppants]

Time to start thinking about 2016 tours. I'm looking at two trips - one in the Spring (April) and one in the Summer. Wifey and I are planning to fly to New England for the Fall foliage next year - no FJR on that trip and that means I likely won't be able to take a long leaf-peeping tour on the bike next year.

Possible ideas:

- I'd like to see the Upper Peninsula in Michigan

- I'd like to see Southeast Ohio, I hear those "alphabet roads" are nice

- Run up the Mississippi River Road to International Falls, MN.

- Never been to West Virginia yet on the bike

- Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier (nuff said) Prolly need 3 weeks for that one during the summer?

Anyhoo - thoughts?

 

[BkerChuck]

EOM! EOM! EOM!

 

[becoyote]

Love me some West by God Va., You could almost make a loop out of WV, Ohio and the UP.

 

[El Toro Joe]

Southeast Ohio does not have the "alphabet roads"...that would be Wisconsin. But you could have a few fun days in southeast Ohio & WV in the Spring, if you wanted to join the SEO Ramble..should be either the first or second weekend in May.

 

[gixxerjasen]

First off, help us out by updating your little mappy thing in your sig. I know you've been more places than that.

Then it's time to look at what's still not colored and fill that in.

Put a map on the wall, get drunk and start throwing darts.

 

[DesignFlaw06]

Pants, I think you'd like the SE Ohio Ramble. It fits with your riding style. Most are much too aggressive for me, especially two up. But the company was great both times I've been.

I think you'd be bored by the UP honestly. There is some great scenery, but if you're not on the water, the roads are straight and long. Along the coast, the roads aren't that challenging. Mostly sweepers if anything.

West Virginia had some fantastic roads. I've got maps of the routes we did for the NHF rally. New River Gorge area, Hawks Nest, etc.

Pennsylvania had some good routes as well. We stayed at Steel Steeds campground. An interesting place for sure.

I'll be following this thread with some interest. I'm trying to figure out where our next NHF ride should be as well.

 

[FJRay]

Go way west. You won't be sorry.

 

[Allen_C]

I agree with SEOR first weekend in May..not quite April as you indcated, but close. The roads are great, it's a partially organized event - kinda like what we did in Arkansas earlier this year, but bigger. We just break up into more small groups instead of one group of 4 or 5 riders!

 

[Fred W]

You could do Wyoming and Montana in 2 weeks (we did), but I'd say 3 would be better. And if you want the best riding there is, that is the 1. No question.

 

[hppants]

Jason - good catch!!! I've got to update my map thingie.

Where the heck did I find that?

 

[Fred W]

Here

 

[RJAMT]

If you're looking at doing th U P why not go on around the Great Lakes? A couple of weeks sounds long enough.

That's one of the options I'm looking at for next year.

Ever been to Canada?

 

[escapefjrtist]

Go way west. You won't be sorry.

...listen to Ray, he speaks the truth!

--G

PS - No matter which way you go 'pants, we'll be looking forward to the ride report!

 

[Cav47]

If you're looking at doing th U P why not go on around the Great Lakes? A couple of weeks sounds long enough. That's one of the options I'm looking at for next year. Ever been to Canada?

SERIOUSLY, do you know what that kind of weather will do to that Southern Boy?? That thin blood in that Cajun boy would seize up tight in those Arctic conditions in no time. Pants is running something like SAE -10 weight oil in his veins. That's why he held on to that Gen 1 hot box so long. He used to use the Blue Bass Bote to heat his garage. HAHA, All lies but funny none the less.............................. we are supposed to go riding in December. I hope I get enough done to allow myself a window to head south for some good camping and riding.

 

[PhilJet09]

I'd go west if I were you.

Actually, I am going out west again next year.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Three weeks:

Black Hills

Bighorn Mtns

Yellowstone/Grand Tetons

Chief Joseph/Beartooth Pass

Glacier NP

Kootenay/Jasper/Banff NPs

Nakusp

 

[RaYzerman19]

Sign up for the Red Lodge gathering and good to go. WV and SEO can be done with the SEO Ramble or EOM or OHStoc on that other forum you belong to.

 

[Fred W]

If you're looking at doing th U P why not go on around the Great Lakes? A couple of weeks sounds long enough. That's one of the options I'm looking at for next year. Ever been to Canada?

The Canadian portion of the trip would be fine. It's the southern part of the loop through the industrial midwestern US that would be something less than spectacular, IMO.

 

[hppants]

Great feedback, thanks and please continue. It's fun to dream about the possibilities.

1. Cav47 and I fish in the same hole - sustained temp below 45 and my tootsies start to get chilly. I have heard stories of snow in July, but as a general rule, if I go northwest, how long must I wait before I have a reasonable chance of avoiding sustained sub-45 degrees and/or frozen crap and/or salted/sanded roads?

2. Run up the river road for a while, break off in Minnesota and head east to the alphabet Wisc. roads, then ride to the UP (and/or around the Great Lakes) in Michigan, the swing southeast and catch SEOR, then continue Southeast and ride a decent loop through West Virginia, then take the long way home. Can I do that in two weeks with three weekends?