Leaving word of your route

[Big Sky]

I live in the rugged Rockies of Western Montana and one of the reasons I do is for the outdoor recreational opportunities including camping, floating/fishing, hunting...and fabulous motorcycling. We have a lot of wide-open spaces, Forest Service, BLM and wilderness. We also have only about four people per square mile. One thing I learned long ago is that when you head out into the country or wilderness, you always leave word with someone describing your destination, route and timetable. This way, if you fail to arrive, folks have some idea of where to look for you (or your remains). I know of one case where a rider went off the Beartooth Highway (extremely rugged country, high altitude wilderness, very technical road, very steep drops) and the rider was not even missed until they found the corpse two weeks later. Another incident involved a Gold Winger who failed to arrive with companions at the end of a ride over Lolo Pass. They finally located him and the wreckage about two weeks later.

I have been picked up (I wouldn't call it "rescued") by the local Search and Rescue after we failed to arrive at a destination on the Lower Yellowstone River on time (three days after launch) after a floating mishap that had us stuck on an island. We weren't in danger but we were pretty miserable - cold and wet with damaged craft. Family was to meet us at our get-out and we didn't show so they alerted authorities - good outcome.

So, wife and I are riding about 1,000 miles Saturday-Monday in Western Montana and the Idaho Panhandle, much of which will be very rugged, remote country with dense roadside vegetation. A mishap and we could go missing indefinitely. I put together a route and itinerary and posted it on a family website so authorities would know where to begin searching in case we didn't show up. This is routine for us and, I think, should be for all other riders, especially those touring in remote areas.

How many others take this precaution? Comments? Thoughts?

 

[ionbeam]

It is always wise to file a flight plan. Set check-in dates so your family won't have to wait 2 weeks before finding out that you didn't come home as expected.

 

[HaulinAshe]

My brother wants a copy of my insurance beneficiary statement. He could care less about the route.

We're a close family.

 

[GunMD]

Great plan Big Sky! I often (almost always) file a flight plan w/ someone who'll miss me if I don't turn up in 12 hours. I'll sometimes just fire off an email with a list of cities / towns that I'll be passing through. That's pretty easy to do in just a few seconds. Other times I will provide a map w/ the details of the route. I even call my coworker if I'm going on a solo jaunt on my day off so that if I don't show up for work the next morning he'll know that he's in line for a promotion.

I've even wondered if a "Flight Plan" web site exists for motorcyclists (I haven't bothered to search...but give me a few mins). Perhaps the regional rides area of this forum could be used for the same purpose. The only catch is that you'd REALLY need to remeber to post that you arrived safely or else we'd all start looking for you (depending on who you are).

EDIT: OK...I Google'd it for 'bout 4 mins...that's long 'nuff. I got nuthin'.

 

[jwhite518]

Two words: Star Traxx.

 

[zzzzip]

Leaving word is a good idea. I've been on the "searcher" end and it helped to locate the "serchee".

Flight plan on a web site-- bad idea.

No need for anybody to search and find you will be away from home on certain dates, wife alone, etc. I investigated a scam once where someone determined a person would be with a group at a Cardinals ball game, then called the victim's business at the time he and friends were on the road enroute and out of cell phone range. The caller claimed to be a deputy with a sheriff's department in one of the counties on the route. He claims the victim had been charged in an auto accident and needed bond money sent so he could be released. The secretary wired the money... you guessed it... via Western Union. It was picked up at a WU in Key West, FL.

The "accident" took place in Missouri, and was supposedly a spur of the moment trip. Never did make a case on that one.

B)

 

[warsw]

If my wife isn't going along I will give her a general route plan. The problem is my route usually changes so much once on the road that the route plan doesn't stay very accurate. What I will do though is call her each evening and let her know where I am and where I plan to head the next morning.

If she does go along then we usual let someone know where we plan to go and when we plan to be back but not many other details.

If it is just a day ride I will give her a general direction and call her mid-day and let her know where I ended up and when I plan on being home. She is a understanding wife (most of the time) .

 

[GunMD]

Flight plan on a web site-- bad idea.
No need for anybody to search and find you will be away from home on certain dates, wife alone, etc.

Good point. I momentarily forgot that I've lost all faith in humanity. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[odot]

I'll leave a flight plan on the website.....especially if I'm not going. Hide myself in a closet with a shot gun and wait......

 

[dean]

we encourage people planning on attending our fj rallies to email me with their name, phone, where they're coming from, and when they plan on leaving/arriving for the rally. a few years ago someone joined the fj list, and it was a couple months or so before the rally. he got all excited and made plans. he never showed, and it took 3 or so days before someone _not_ at the rally notified us that he had been killed in an accident on the way down. since then we've made the suggetion as i mentioned.

once we get to the rally and are on our rides, we suggest that you ride your own ride, but try to keep an eye on your six, i.e. the rider behind you, whether they're 10 feet behind you or 1/2 mile. on the straightaways, we slow up to let the riders catch up, and that's a good time to check on your "neighbor". we don't turn off of our route until everyone is accounted for, and as is common practice, one of the better riders is the last rider in the group.

those that are not attending rallies, but live on the way to rallies, will also provide their name/address/phone in case there's a problem on the way to/from.

i know this isn't quite the same as the original poster's intent, but just more info to use when on a ride.

 

[TheAxeman]

Two words: Star Traxx.

I wouldn't suppose this is the StarTraxx you are talking about.....

For a while I was using Sprint Mobile Locator with my NEXTEL phones. It provided real time tracking of the cell phone and worked pretty well when the phone was within a cell. When it was out of the coverage area it would give the location of the last cell phone tower the phone was connected to. Even something like that would probably be a plus if traveling alone.

 

[rickcorwn]

Here's another some what pricier option. EPIRB

If your going to be gone for 3 days you might not be able to wait until your late to arrive on the final day.

Simply calling home daily usually works for most.

 

[madmike2]

When taking extended trips (more than a day-ride) my family knows. It is a requirement that I call my daughter every night, just to check in. God forbid I should NOT call! I would never have thought that the sweet angel & Princess that I raised would turn into a shrew-nag (much like her mother) over a forgotten phone call. It only happened once! :dribble: Now I call.....

Edit: My family knows about every extended ride, even day rides. It's the long trips that my daughter requires me to check in every evening. Even though she lives 150 miles away, she is the emergency contact person.

 

[rogdeb]

When taking extended trips (more than a day-ride) my family knows. It is a requirement that I call

+ 1 --------- we call our sons every night - let them know we arrived safe and where we are headed next day.

On long trips we give our eldest grandsons maps with the route highlighted and a bunch of colored pushpins so they can mark our nightly stays - a little fun education for them.

 

[twistedcricket]

A website would work if, say, it required a login. You could login, set your itinerary and it could generate a confirmation number (at random) for you to give out to family or friends. They would need the exact confirmation number to find your plan.

Could set that number to expire after XX days (30?) or have the rider clear the itinerary when complete. Might be better for the latter. So that S&R teams aren't launched by mistake.

I liked the idea that someone had here of compiling a list of FJR Owners who could be used as a resource along a trip. I don't own one yet, but I signed up because I'm open to helping people. If you plan your trip and there are resources along the way you could punch in the phone numbers to have in case of trouble.

the lo-tech option is call home

just my 2 copper-plated monetary units

 

[ndivita]

I rent a satellite phone just in case, text message my wife at every stop (where I have standard GPRS/GSM coverage) and check in at night.

 

[CAJW]

Big Sky, Good points to bring up and it just might save someone some grief. I've ridden Bear Tooth a few times and can't imagine going over the edge and not having someone out there knowing where I am or supposed to be! I like MM2 also leave an itinerary even for day rides if I'm riding alone cause' you never know what may happen and I'd hate to be 50' off the road unable to get someone's attention.

 

[Jackson]

I recently found out about a satellite based transceiver that transmits your location on a regular basis. Your location is recorded and plotted on a map that is available on the Internet. It's called Star Traxx . I think some folks on this forum have experience with it, and maybe they can tell us more about it. In the last Iron Butt rally several riders used it. It costs about $700 to purchase and $10 a month, plus additional fees depending on how much you use it.

 

[Mike-H]

No one to tell or care...oh wait...if it did happen my sister would be rich....so like I said no one to tell or care....not even me :huh: .....so no loss....so just smile :grin: & keep on riding....