The final leg.
I left Ft Stockton at 4:45 am. It seemed there were deer everywhere along the highway now. I was riding with high beams and floods on for most of the time, dimming my lights when passing trucks. All was good until my headlight switch no longer had an effect. My lights were stuck on high beam no matter what position I put the switch. The truckers were getting pissed and flashing their lights at me when I passed them. I still had another hour at least until sunrise. So, I pulled off at the next exit to see if there was anything I could do. Once off the highway, I quickly discovered there was nothing I could do at the moment to fix the problem; whether it was the switch or the relay. On my bike, one headlight is a stock bulb and the other is HID. On high beam, the stock bulb appears brighter than the HID. (Yes, it’s a high/low HID kit). So, I disconnected the stock bulb and continued on with the HID stuck on high. That seemed to work. No more angry truckers.
I mentioned I was using an XM satellite radio on the trip. By this point in the journey, I think I have memorized the song play rotations for the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s channels. I relived a lot of old memories listening to the songs of those decades. I glad I went with the satellite radio instead of the song list on my cell phone that I usually listen to.
At Van Horn, it was time to put on the heated jacket liner. I remembered how cold it was in New Mexico the first time through. After Lordsburg, the mentally toughest part of the trip began. You see, I had to pass through Benson, AZ, which is only 20 miles from my comfy bed. I don’t know if I picked up the pace because this part of the trip is familiar territory or if the bike thought it was headed to the stable. Either way, I made a point of not looking at the sign for exit 302.
The winds were really starting to pick up north of Tucson. The stretch from Tucson to Phoenix is known for high winds and blowing dust. I knew I was in for some rough weather when I saw the highway patrol was parked along the shoulder every 25 miles or so watching the visibility conditions and ignoring speeders. Winds continued to get gustier as I made the connection to I-8 and headed toward Gila Bend. The high winds and my pace were killing my fuel mileage. On the first leg, I was able to stretch my fuel from San Diego to Gila Bend. Going the other direction in high winds, I played it safe and topped off my tanks in Yuma. From Yuma to El Centro, sand from the dunes was being blown across the highway. It was like Mother Nature was going to make me earn the last couple hundred miles. The high, gusty winds continued through the mountains until I began the descent into San Diego. San Diego was now cool and overcast; not the sunny vacation spot I left a few days earlier. At 4:30 pm, the commute home had started for many San Diego residents. All the traffic was flowing out of the city as I was headed in. I made good time to the Shell Station on Voltaire. My final gas receipt showed 5:01 pm. That worked out to 93 hours and 10 minutes for the 100CCC. I called Leslie from the gas station. She agreed to meet me at my hotel in at 6:30 pm. Then I headed back to Ocean Beach for another picture. Here I am back at the deserted beach:
Back at the hotel, I had time to check in and start off loading the bike before Leslie showed up. I didn’t get to meet Jamie this trip; but Jamie and Leslie should be sainted for supporting the IB community as much as they do. After signing my paperwork, Leslie gave me a big hug of congratulations and asked me to email her when I got to AZ to let her know I made it home safe. What a great human being!
It was a challenge to fall asleep. I was amped up from my accomplishment – full of energy and fatigue at the same time. I called my wife to chat. She told me I wasn’t making a lot of sense and to go to sleep. This stop the screaming meanie had the night off.
My Spotwalla track:
The ride home.
The trip from San Diego to Sierra Vista, AZ takes about 7 hours. I really don’t have any significant memories of this part. This was my fourth time traversing these miles in the last 6 days. I pulled the bike into the garage, hung up the ‘stich and took a shower. When my wife got home from work, she gave me a long hug and a kiss. Life goes on….
