Get Busy Living

[PhilJet09]

Wow Pants! That was an amazing RR about my favorite part of this country. The ending truly sucks, but never (and from the sounds of it you won't) let that spoil the experience you had up to that point. Those are the things that a lot of people in the US never see, or only see a small part of. It amazes me every time I talk to someone that hasn't even ventured beyond their own state.

Your pictures are spectacular, thanks for sharing them with us. It has helped to shape my plans for next summer.

I don't mean to sound morbid, but in my mind, some things are simply worth the risk. In my mind, if seeing all of the wonders that this country has to show means risking a motorcycle crash, then so be it. Get busy living? Damn right!

 

[Redfish Hunter]

A decent CHB, a few minutes cleaning dead bugs off the bikes, and we were waiting for our two tent campers. They arrived in excellent spirits, we all fueled up, and we set out for the 4 corners.

On the way we passed ShipRock. I can sort of see how it looked like a sailing ship from a distance... Sort of.




I HATE giving the Navajo money for the privilege of visiting that monument.

In Bluff Utah we were completely stalled by a traffic jam. There was some Northward traffic movement but we were headed South and there was no movement at all. Finally a pair of Utah State Police arrived and set things right. The... I am trying not to curse here and I do not want to offend anyone but... The Damned Navajo had just blocked the road. A Federal highway, they just shut it down because... I really have no idea. The very disgusted troopers waved us by and we thanked them as we idled past. I wanted to see someone handcuffed in the back of a cop car but you cannot have everything.



We picked up speed and I resumed the lead to bring us into Goosenecks State Park. As we arrived, Big John (RJAMT) asked why we were here. I did not know him well enough yet to give him my normal answer to a question like that one. Needless to say, a few seconds later, he had his answer.





I was pretty sure that pants was okay with Goosenecks as a detour:



Pop and I did a little Dual Sporting to get a pic of the Mexican Hat:



And of course just South of Mexican Hat:





Of course, the fiasco getting into Monument Valley, then the arrogant, lazy, incompetent employees of The View Hotel had me on the edge of... Either you are part of the United States or you are not. If that place is part of the United States, they should act like it. I forced myself back into that area in order to share it with my friend hppants. I will not do so again.

Once past that, we refueled the bikes in Kanab AZ and headed for Page AZ. Our tent campers had to split from the party, in desperation two nights before I had made Pop and I reservations at a hotel in Page.

Since we had plenty of daylight left, I decided we could see HorseShoe Bend, just South of Page. I had no idea it was a HIKE and not a WALK!!! The sign said 3/4 mile hike! And it was. I parked us next to a group of Harleys and... Wait a minute, those HDs all have stock exhaust. That is weird. Anyway, Pop and I made the hike in the red sand and it was worth it.



But the hike is fairly steep:



When we got back to the bikes, we found that the Harleys were ridden by a tour group from Switzerland. They seemed to love Pop's FJR, they did not seem to even notice the Stealthy Gray 2015 next to it. We continued to see these folks for the next few days and they always yelled and waved when we passed them.



Pop and I had a very ordinary supper at a very ordinary Denny's right next to our hotel. Our waiter, a guy named Matthew was probably the best waiter I have ever had anywhere. I normally tip heavy if the server earns it and this guy earned it. We were pretty lucky with regards to waiters and waitresses this whole trip.

We settled into our hotel room where Pop and I enjoyed a small bottle of Gentleman Jack I had picked up for medicinal purposes. As the whiskey took the edge off my temper I had to admit that in spite of my irritation with the natives, we had really had a wonderful day. The last thing we talked about was our worry over our tent camping friends and where they wound up that night. I comforted myself with the knowledge that pants was both smart and resourceful, he would be fine. Plus, if he wasn't, he knew how to find me and that he could put his air mattress on my floor if necessary.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Pop and I started our day by walking over to Denny's and having breakfast. Nothing special, but not terrible.

We passed our two tent campers at fairly high speed on Hwy 89 A and we were impressed by how good the two FJRs looked as we rocketed past. I can only guess how good we looked all 4 traveling together.

We walked out on Navajo Bridge at Marble Canyon where Pop was disgusted with the sign forbidding him to jump off the bridge. Like he was really going to jump off the bridge... I cannot imagine the law being able to prosecute anyone who did jump off the bridge.





As we walked out I noticed a lone buzzard perched almost at the centerline of the adjacent road bridge. He shows up in this pic as a tiny black dot just to the right of the center of the arch.



Soon, folks were getting excited over my "buzzard". It was not until I got home and saw the pic on my computer screen that I realized what the excitement was about. Either he is a Racing Buzzard and has his number painted on his wing or... He is a condor.



We refueled at Lees Ferry and damn the luck, we got behind our Swiss Friends on their rented Harleys. I told Pop we had to pass them somewhere along the Vermillion Cliffs because I was not going to be stuck behind a bunch of slow Harleys climbing the Kaibab Plateau. Ha! They were not your typical HD riders, these folks were used to riding in the Swiss Alps and it showed. Two of the riders were women, two bikes were two up and none of them were familiar with their motorcycles. They rode the wheels off those bikes. The F-150 chase truck was doing all it could to keep pace in the curves as those folks smoothly passed the slow traffic climbing their way to Jacob Lake. Pop and I laughed all the way to Jacob Lake.

We turned South toward the North Rim not because Pop wanted to see The Grand Canyon but because Pop wanted to ride the road in again.









We had a late lunch at The Grand Canyon Lodge, where we had a lovely Turkish waitress named Yesim. We had a decent cup of coffee, spent a few dollars in the gift shop, then headed back out.



We had a decent ride to our destination, the Zion Ponderosa Resort. Our two friends arrived and after setting up their tents, we headed to the on site restaurant for supper. Our waitress was quite cute but she was unable to make up for the slooooow kitchen help. I did get some lessons in Quality Craft Beers from pants, RJAMT, and Crystal the waitress. The food was quite tasty when we finally got it. We headed to our beds filled with the excitement of seeing Zion the next morning.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Dude.

1. Excellent writeup. So much to digest.
2. Million Dollar Highway was open that day. They were only blasting during the week and for some reason had not done blasting on Friday. In fact, I know it was open...because that day it was freaking amazing.

3. We crossed paths the day before your accident, but just not at the same time. Missed getting my high five.

4. How soon do you hear from the insurance company and what's the next Pants adventure?

5. It's fall, I feel some East Texas camping coming on...you in? Bike or not?

 

[dcarver]

As he pulled away, I started weeping a little. Fifteen minutes ago, everything was perfect and now everything was ruined. I ruined everything.

Damn it Pants. I know that moment.

What a wonderful Ride Report - a great story line, wonderful pictures, lessons to be learned.

..and now, for you, more lessons to be learned.

Live life fully, my friend. This is just a moment. This too will pass. If you can trust a feller you've never met - listen up, pup. When the bike is gone, the wounds healed... you WLL remember the wonderful times and what you have seen, felt, lived, experienced.

Welcome to the full life, my friend.

 

[Cyclepath]

Thanks for sharing this awesome and somewhat personal take on just living in the moment.

Appreciated your pics, your narration, and can definitely understand how when it happened, your frustration in having an unscheduled dismount.

I haven't experienced one since my teens, and that was on dirt, not on a paved public highway.

Glad you seem to have emerged only slightly injured, and sincerely hope you can put that part of this epic adventure behind you.

All the best.

 

[DesignFlaw06]

You have some GREAT pictures in there! When looking back on this trip and everything you got to see and experience, the end of it should be a minor blip of misfortune.

Awesome report.

 

[FJRay]

Great report. The good will outlive the ****** ending. Heal well and get back on the horse.

 

[TomInPA]

Sorry to hear of the accident that cut your trip short, but I think you'll be fine. I read this and it seems to say it all:

That afternoon, at the Needles Overlook, it hit me.

Seeing the world this way humbles a man. It makes him realize that in the grand scheme of things, we are all extremely tiny pieces of dust insignificant pebbles in a vast dessert of mountains, canyons, valleys, and cliffs. In the clock of life, we are here but a second. In that short time there is much to see and do, lest we miss out. We must make the very best of our second, wasting not even a fraction of it on stupid and trivial matters. We must take assessment of what is really important, and dismiss the rest as the nuisance it really is.

I wept a few tears of joy, proud of my discovery and extremely grateful to be at this place.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Awesome report you two, thanks for sharing the trip with us.

...and 'pants, live for today and don't dwell on the past -- stuff happens and none of us are getting any younger my friend. BTW, the Narrows hike is definitely something to experience...next time!

--G

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Amazing ride report!!Thanks for sharing all those wonderful pictures and text!!

Really sorry for your crashing.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Well, that's how you kill a good story! I was enjoying the hell out of your RR, Pants, and then your post took that ugly turn. Well, glad you weren't hurt worse, of course, but hell. Makes me think of the old line about asking Mrs. Lincoln how she enjoyed that evening at the theater. The first part.

Still, you'll recover, and replace the bike, I hope, and you three had a lot of gorgeous miles to remember. Too bad you apparently didn't connect with any of the West Coast folks while you were here, though. Next trip for sure, OK?

 

[gixxerjasen]

By the way, so glad you took the time to pack hikng shoes and got off the bike and did the walking around thing. I certainly found myself wishing I had a pair of hiking boots and spare time more than once. Now I know for next time.

 

[steveoreno]

Great ride report, I really enjoyed it. Sorry about your get off, I had a minor one this summer as well and while they cause us to question our decision making ability and judgement they serve as a reminder to never let our guard down that while the rewards of riding are great, the risk is always there. Since my "incident" I have been more vigilant without losing the enjoyment of the ride. I went through all the self judging, the what if's, the doubt and always come back to the conclusion that the reward, the freedom of riding outweighs the risks immeasurably. I hope to get out to some of the forum events soon and see you there.

 

[Niehart]

 

[Fred W]

hppants, you certainly do have a way with words. These words of yours describe perfectly how I felt last summer on my first excursion to the wide open west. They deserve to be repeated:

Seeing the world this way humbles a man. It makes him realize that in the grand scheme of things, we are all extremely tiny pieces of dust insignificant pebbles in a vast dessert of mountains, canyons, valleys, and cliffs. In the clock of life, we are here but a second. In that short time there is much to see and do, lest we miss out. We must make the very best of our second, wasting not even a fraction of it on stupid and trivial matters. We must take assessment of what is really important, and dismiss the rest as the nuisance it really is.

Words to live by.

That really was a trip of a lifetime. And when you wrote those words you had reaped the full reward of the trip.

So just maybe that crash of yours at the end had a different "purpose"? Perhaps that was a reminder that, even when we think that we are, we are never really alone in our journeys from dust to dust.

When complete strangers appear out of the ether during your time of need, and go completely out of their way to help, doesn't it restore just a little bit of your confidence in the human condition?

It has mine. Thanks for sharing your tale. Heal up quick, and get back to getting busy living.

 

[Burnspot]

Gentlemen, thank you very much for this...absolutely fantastic reading and photography! We are blessed to have such a varied expanse in this country to explore.

Pants, you've heard it many times I'm sure...the bike can be replaced, but you cannot. I'm sorry about the off and subsequent suit testing, but you're here telling the story...and that, above all else, is a good thing! Take some time to heal body and mind...you'll find a new horse in due time.

 

[Bugnatr]

Holy zoom lens, nice picture. Perhaps that's the same Condor I saw some years ago, he was floating in mid air 20 feet from the bridge when I rode over. Those babies are HUGE in flight.

 

[Tyler]

Pants, my friend… you were heavy on my mind last night… so many things running through my head. What a brilliant trip… I have been to many of the places you visited on my first long distance trip after my accident… I remember standing at the edge of Bryce Canyon and feeling so many things… elation at being there, humility for feeling “small” at the foot of such grandeur, and gratitude for being able to be there with some of my most beloved friends by my side.

First off, you didn’t ruin anything. Perhaps your trip of a lifetime ended a wee bit differently than you had planned but that does not negate the 12 brilliant days that preceded it. In fact, if anything, it should make them that much more brilliant. Hold on to those memories of the sights you saw, the friends you shared the journey with, the thoughts and feelings you had along the way and those moments of perfection because those things still exist… many of the things that you wrote about really hit home as I’ve had many of the same “moments” in the past few years. Be grateful that you are still here to hold those things and those people close to your heart.

Next, your accident resulted in what I refer to as “silver linings”… without darkness there is no light… without valleys there are no peaks… and while the darkness sucks, it should be appreciated for reminding you about how amazing the other end of the spectrum is. You were gifted the silver lining of being reminded of something that I believe, and have said for so long, fills much more of this world than what the media portrays. Kindness. You met some folks who gave of themselves just because they could… you never would have crossed paths with them had you not had your get off… and now you have two new wonderful friends and another good reason to return to Colorado. Accept that gift, embrace it, and I know you will pay it forward when the situation arises for you.

We say it all the time… it’s not if but when you will go down. So you’ve gotten the “when” out of the way and in the grand scheme of things, it’s not too bad. You could be in a hospital in a coma hooked up to all kinds of wires, tubes, and machines with your friends and family wondering if you’d still be around to hug again. I’ve been there. You’re not there and I’m very glad of that. I’m sure that your wife, kids, and friends are very glad of that too. Bikes can be replaced. You… not so much.

How you ask… how will you get over this? Like most of us do… one day, one hour, one minute if need be. You will tuck your tail, lick your wounds, gnash your teeth a bit, and then take a step forward. You will go through the “should I” or “shouldn’t I” debate in your head... you will replay the event over and over in your head trying to figure out what you could have done differently… and you will struggle with the guilt or feeling of selfishness of putting others through a difficult time. And all of that is natural and a part of the process… and you will go through that and probably a few other things and then work your way through it to the other side eventually… give yourself the time and cut yourself a little slack while you do that.

And keep in mind that right now, not making a decision one way or the other on how to live the rest of your life IS a decision and it’s a good one methinks as you heal your heart, spirit, and soul. Deep breath… it will come in time. You have many folks that are here for you, me included, whether it be help with the bike, a good swig of scotch, a shoulder to lean on, or an ear to lend. I’ve always said it’s a gift to receive and I was reminded of that myself… don’t be too proud to accept those gifts. Sending you lots of healing energy for the days ahead. :wub:

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Holy zoom lens, nice picture. Perhaps that's the same Condor I saw some years ago, he was floating in mid air 20 feet from the bridge when I rode over. Those babies are HUGE in flight.

I still say he was a Racing Buzzard and that is why he had his number painted on his side. I was not believing he was a condor because he was not as large as the buzzards back home. Therefore, I am sticking with my Racing Buzzard theory.