Operation: Rooney

[LowAndSilent]

A couple of weeks ago I headed out on a short ride. The goal was to make it to Virginia for my 5-year anniversary alumni weekend and also to be there for my mother’s last day at the college. She had worked there for 10 years in the Resource Development and Alumni Relations departments, so it is almost required that I attend these sort of events. I decided to make some stops along the way and make a decent trip out of it.

Overall, the trip would span 19 days, 26 states and a federal district, and cover 8045 miles. The FJR went through 196.32 gallons of recycled dinosaur and ended the lives of millions of bugs. During it all I got to bag three dams, see some Americana, attend my alumni weekend celebration, and reunite with old friends and relatives.

Spotwalla page: Operation: Rooney

Day 1: Seattle, WA to Portland, OR.

207 miles. 4 hours riding time.

This was to be a nice, easy day…a shakedown run to see how my packing was on the bike and determine if there were any issues. I hadn’t been riding the bike all that much over the past few months as grad school assignments and snowboarding had kept me pretty busy. This meant I was a little rusty and not conditioned to riding longer distances, so this was a good distance to get me prepared. I made a quick stop in Seattle for a photo-op for my trip.

That’s Rooney. My school’s mascot. Up until a couple of years ago my college was only known as a color. The Roanoke College Maroons. While we still go by that name, we at least have a mascot now. They jury is still out on it though…

The weather along the way was rather cold, mainly because I forgot to wear some warmer layers, but also because of the rain through southern Washington and into Oregon. Once I arrived at my in-laws place, I decided to ditch some gear from the bike. I had brought camping gear, but on second thought most of the weather along my route would not facilitate comfortable camping. Thankfully, that allowed me to shift some other things around on the bike and it worked out much better in the end. The decreased weight was an added bonus.

The rest of the night was spent checking the weather reports across Siskiyou Pass. A storm had dumped some snow there during the day and that night even more was forecast. Traction tires and chains were required, which would mean a no-go for the FJR. Other than that, my choices would be limited to going across US-97 south from Klamath Falls…or cutting all the way across to the coast and down 101. Along the coast would by far be the prettiest route, but also the longest. After looking at all possible outcomes, I headed to bed.

Day 2: Portland, OR to Sacramento, CA.

600 miles. 11 hours.

I was up early for this as I wasn’t quite sure what route I would need to take. The pass still didn’t look pretty when I checked on it…but the weather for the day at the pass seemed like it would be in my favor. I decided to ride down as far as Ashland and make a Go / No-Go decision there.

Showered and with the bike packed, I pointed the FJR’s nose south and tried not to get too upset at I-5’s mediocre drivers. The weather today wasn’t much better than the day before and once I got south of Eugene it turned worse. Along parts of the route I could see the snow-line in the trees, just a couple of hundred feet higher than where I was. Soon it was flurrying on me, and there were reports of hail. Thankfully, I seem to have missed that. Also along this area I gave a wave to Goldwing rider headed north. This rider later turned out to be Mr. Tim Bowman. He was just returning from a trip as I was heading out on mine. I thought it was a pretty funny coincidence.

Upon reaching Ashland I determined that the road conditions had cleared enough on the pass that it’d be safe on the FJR. Getting back on I-5, the pass was definitely clear of snow or ice, but had been heavily doused with sand and gravel. Backing it off a little, I was up and over the pass and descending into California.

Here is Rooney at the bottom of the pass on the Cali side. Sadly, Mt. Shasta did not make an appearance.

The temps warmed up and by Redding, it was time to shed the Columbia fleece I was wearing under my Roadcrafter. With me and the bike fueled it was an easy push south to where I was staying for the night. I had originally planned to stay at a hotel or hostel in town, but at the last moment my wife’s cousin said I could stay with him and his wife. Glorious! I hadn’t seen him since the Mrs. and I had attended their wedding, so it was nice getting a chance to catch up with them. They’re both big snowboarders, so we chatted about the different slopes and future trips next season.

After dinner at a local burrito place, I turned in for the night in prep for tomorrows ride. I should have spent more time checking the weather and road conditions along the route I was to take…but lesson learned. Always consult a topographic map when dealing with routing. You’ll soon see why.

 

[LowAndSilent]

Day 3: Sacramento, CA to Salina, UT.

800 miles. 14.5 hours.

Another early morning. Probably a bad idea in hind-sight. On the road by 6 AM, I made it out of town and started east on I-80 towards Reno, NV. It was a little cold as I started out, but as the elevation began to climb the temperature dropped. By Truckee it had been 16 degrees for the past half hour. My core was okay, but my hands were suffering in those temps. Pulling off to warm-up was not possible, as all exits were slush-pits. Only option was to just grin and bare it.

Somewhere along here I did have to pull over onto the small shoulder. When I was riding along I felt something slam into my chest. I wasn’t quite sure what it was until I looked down at my Pelican case and noticed the GoPro Hero2 I had mounted there was nowhere to be seen. Horror. Blindly, I reach down to my lap and my gloved fingers encircle the camera, which thankfully did not go far. Joy. It seems that the cold temps were a little too much for the 3M adhesive and it gave up the ghost and released from the case. The GoPro went into my tankbag for later.

As the time wore on, my body and brain were locked in battle against one another. It seems my brain wanted to pull blood away from some “non-essential” systems, like my hands and feet. Yeah, those definitely aren’t needed for riding a motorcycle. Silly brain. I wiggled my toes and fingers as much as I could to keep blood flowing. I also had to keep reminding myself to only breath through my nose, as condensation was starting to form on the inside of my visor, where it instantly turned to ice.

Sometimes I wonder what the cars around me must have thought of the stupid motorcyclist…

Thankfully the closer I approached Reno the higher the temps began to rise and soon it was a balmy 34 degrees. Reaching Fernley, I pulled off to get gas for the FJR and also to run into the bathroom to warm my hands under the dryer. Glorious, glorious heat.

With that accomplished I turned south towards my goal for the day: Lahotan Dam. This would be my second Dam Tour snag of the year, following Cushman Dam just a week or so before.

From here, it was time to start across Nevada via US-50 or “The Lonelist Road in America.” There were some really interesting sights along the way, including a flight of F-18’s doing nap-of-the-earth maneuvers, the “Shoe Tree”, and the aptly named “Sand Mountain”.

As I approached Eureka, NV I noticed that my fuel was getting fairly low. I had passed gas Austin, NV but believed that I had enough to make it to Eureka. Now, my GPS was not saying there was gas in Eureka…hmmm. Decision: turn back to Austin, or plow ahead to Eureka and pray that there actually was gas? In turn, I decided to call my in-laws, as I knew they would be following along and wouldn’t mind helping out. My phone just barely had a connection but the internet was a no-go, so calling them was a good idea. They checked on the availability of gas in town and even called the store there to see if it was open…it sure was. Awesome! So I continued on and eventually made it to the small store on the edge of town that had gas. Pulling into the still slushy parking lot (the town had gotten some snow recently), I filled up and then preceded deeper into town, looking for sustenance. Along the way I encountered a newly constructed Chevron… figures. Thanks again, Garmin! On the other edge of town I pulled into a diner and grabbed a burger.

Now full and armed with some valuable intelligence from patrons at the diner concerning the road ahead, I rolled east to Ely before descending south. The road ahead in Utah was still slushy and crews were still attempting to clear it, so my options were to head south and then turn north to arrive in Salina, UT. This led me down US-93 towards Caliente, NV before going east more to Cedar City, UT.

Miller Point / Cathedral Gorge.

From there, it was just a quick (okay, very quick!) trip up I-15. It seems Utah is trying out 80 mph speed limit sections on I-15, so that made the trip a little more interesting. The turnoff for I-70 towards Salina brought another surprise as the electronic signs were all warning of ice ahead. Blast! Thankfully the signs, much like the cake, were a lie. No ice was to be found and instead I was treated to a beautiful full moon peaking over the now darkened Utah mountains. It was by far one of the most beautiful sights I had had on the FJR in quite some time and was definitely a good way to end the day.

Day 4: Salina, UT to Albuquerque, NM.

675 miles. 13 hours.

It was pretty cold when I started out from Salina. What I didn’t know was that it would only get colder within 30 minutes of leaving the hotel. I set out in mid to high 30 degree temps, but that quickly dropped to 16 degrees. I wondered if the FJR’s outside temperature gauge stopped working at that temperature, as it was the same as what I experienced the day before at Donner Pass near Lake Tahoe. It sure seemed to be getting colder to me at least, though the temp gauge didn’t budge from 16 degrees for the next 45 minutes or so as I passed through the Utah passes.

Eventually, my GPS began to show that my elevation was dropping, and conversely, the temps began to rise. The sun finally coming up was probably helping as well. Soon, it was well into the 50’s as I approached Arches NP. The scenery through the area was absolutely amazing.

I really wanted to go to Arches, but decided to save it for a time when my wife was with me. There would be other places during my trip where I would bypass sites I wanted to see so I could one day do them with my better half.

I eventually reached the off-road mecca of Moab…only to wait in traffic for 20+ minutes as hundreds of Jeep Wranglers (and a few other 4WD vehicles) made their way through town. Had a chat with a long-range hauler who was stopped behind me as we waited.

Refueled and heading out of town I set my sights on the next destination. Not far out of town I turned onto US-46/90 to cross over into Colorado. Soon after passing the border I found myself just outside of Paradox, CO in a series of 180-degree corners. In one of these corners is the memorial for Jim Young. I pulled off to the side of the road and paid my respects, spending some time looking down at the small hamlet that is Paradox.

Heading further down the road I refueled outside of Naturita, CO. Two other FJR riders were fueling up here as well and we chatted about the area and they gave me some advice on routing to where I was going. One of the gents just couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of a car-tire on the FJR, but the other rider had one on his other bike and understood the concept. This wouldn’t be the last group to comment on the CT gracing my FJR. From here, it was south to my second destination of the day. A few of the people at the Four Corners monument liked my little mascot when I pulled him out for a photo. I downed a bottle of water when I was finished and chowed down on my beef jerky, granola and a fruit bar. A very quick lunch before heading for points south.

Four Corners:

From the Four Corners I turned east again towards my last goal of the day. A quick trip through Navajo State Park found me at the Navajo Dam. I took a photo at the top of the dam, but decided that one on the road in was much nicer.

From there, it was just an easy ride down US-550 towards Albuquerque, NM. Just north of Bernalilio a red Porsche 911 Turbo approached me at a rather high rate of speed from the rear and slowed briefly before accelerating up to 110+ mph. He disappeared up into traffic ahead of me and around a bend, but on the outskirts of town I saw him again…having a nice chat (I’m sure) with a Nevada State Patrolman. I wonder what speed the officer clocked him at?

Once settled in to my hotel, I ran out for some dinner. I was really hungry and quite a bit dehydrated from the ride, so I picked somewhere close to my hotel…one of my favorite burger places from my time when I lived back east….though now they have built one around a mile from my house. I really enjoy the peanut-oil grilled burgers and fries from time to time. It definitely hit the spot.

Day 5: Albuquerque, NM to Henryetta, OK.

630 miles. 10 hours.

This was a rather boring day. Just a plain interstate slog down I-40. I thought of spicing things up by turning down Route 66, which paralleled much of my route, but I wasn’t quite sure how much of a time-drain that may be. Instead I just kept to interstate. I must say that it was nice being in warmer temps for an entire day. It stayed in the mid-60’s and briefly got into the 70’s…quite the change from the day before where it ranged from 16 – 70 degrees.

Along the way I did see some vehicles pulled off to the side of the frontage road near Amarillo, TX. That’s when I realized why…Cadillac Ranch. The next exit I pulled off and navigated my way back, totally confusing my GPS device. It was really interesting seeing whole families (including granny and 6-year old Timmy) coming out with spray cans in both hands to deface the Caddy’s.

From there, it was east interrupted only to refuel the FJR and myself. Eventually I reached Henryetta, OK and called it a day just as it began to sprinkle and the wind started to pick up. Tomorrow would be more of the same.

Day 6: Henryetta, OK to Knoxville, TN.

768 miles. 12 hours.

Getting out early, it would be another boring day on I-40. I can’t even remember anything eventful happening this day during the ride.

The highlight of the day was dinner. I was really dehydrated yet again, so I popped on over to a restaurant near my hotel. Absolutely marvelous food. In this case, it was lean chuck beef with BBQ sauce, topped with onion straws and applewood-smoked thick cut bacon, with jepperjack cheese, all ontop of a ciabatta roll. And a side of hand-cut fries. Delicious! I probably downed 5 or 6 glasses of water during that meal.

Day 7: Knoxville, TN to Salem/Roanoke, VA.

250 miles. 3.5 hours.

Such an easy day, but the wind really picked up through this area. The Roanoke Valley and most of western Virginia had been under a wind advisory for the past few days and it was definitely some interesting riding.

I pulled into Salem, VA shortly before lunch and parked my bike outside of my mom’s office on campus. As I was putting away some things on the bike I noticed my academic advisor across the street, so of course I went over to say hello. As he saw me approach I could see him glance between me still in my Aerostich and the bike, then back to me, and then the bike, with this amused look on his face.

Him: “Did you ride that thing here?”

Me: “Yes, I did.”

Him: “You’re crazy.” Can’t really deny that one.

He had a student to meet, so we made plans to catch up later in the week. In the meantime, I wanted to go surprise my mom. She wasn’t quite sure if I was making it in for alumni weekend and definitely did not know I was riding the FJR to get there. The look on her face when I strolled into her office was priceless. Seeing her expression go from surprise, to realization, to incredulity at seeing my motorcycle gear, was pretty funny. Definitely worth the ride.

After having lunch with her and saying hello to her office workers, I made my way around campus to see what had changed and who was still around. I had arrived a few days early, which gave me even more time to harass past professors and see staff that I knew. I had worked in the IT department on campus the four years I attended the college, so I knew quite a few people on campus, either by responding to their support requests or installing their computers. It definitely is a tight-knit community.

I made my way from the college to my grandparents house where I would be staying for the rest of the week. They lived nearby and it was nice to see them and help out when I was in town.

 

[LowAndSilent]

Day 8 – 11. Local travel.

0 – 100 miles?

Over the next few days, I did not do too much besides ride between my grandparents and campus. On the ride out I did witness my rear CT eat itself, so I had ordered a new one enroute to Virginia and had it waiting for me when I arrived. I had all of the necessary tools, so I just stripped off the wheel in my grandparents driveway and took it over to Star City Powersports to have it swapped out with my new tire.

Once it was on, I took a short ride up US-11/460 out of Salem to SR-461/Den Hill Rd to 603. This has always been my back way into Blacksburg on game days and it was a good test for the new CT. I rode over to Burruss Hall and paid my respects to the 32 students that had died at the University almost five years early.

With that done, it was a quick jaunt down I-81 back to Salem to test out the new tires interstate behavior.

With alumni weekend coming to a close I prepared the FJR for the second half of the journey. It was finally time to head home.

Day 12: Salem, VA to Aberdeen, MD.

300 miles. 6 hours.

Hell. Total hell. I’ve never been a fan of I-81. When my wife (then girlfriend and later fiancée) was attending university in Ontario, Canada I would leave my house between 2-3 AM in the morning so I could make it as far as the mountains of Pennsylvania before the sun came up. This was mostly so I only had to deal with 18-wheelers and not 18-wheelers and cars. Well…silly me…I forgot about that. I forgot just how much that section of interstate sucked. Temps in the mid-80’s did not help my mood.

I was about fed up with traffic by the turnoff to I-64, so I jumped off on it towards Charlottesville, VA (GO HOKIES!) before making my way up US-29. Traffic here was worse. And it was still hot. And there were red-lights. Why did I choose this route again?

I eventually made it to Manassas, VA and called a friend who I was intending to meet. What I didn’t know was that she had ER duty that day and wouldn’t be available. I ended up grabbing lunch in town before heading further north. My mom’s last day at the college was Friday and she had spent the last two days in Aberdeen, MD getting her new house ready to move in. I decided that I’d go up and give her and her boyfriend a hand with the place.

Fighting my way through DC beltway traffic on a Sunday afternoon, with end-of-Spring Break traffic in mid-80’s (and soon, low 90) degree temps was not exactly my idea of fun. Having been nearly rear-ended five times because people didn’t see me braking (with hyper-lights, an extra LED light bar, all controlled by an BackOFF XP flasher unit) and having an 18-wheeler blow a tire and throw its tread 20 feet from me, I was very happy to finally get off the interstate.

I eventually made it, and after some thought, decided to spend an extra day in the area. It’d give me a chance to see my brother and also my friend who I had missed earlier today.

Day 13: Nowhere. Used a car instead.

0 miles. 0 hours.

I made a trip back to Manassas today, but took my mom’s car instead. AC is such a glorious thing in 90 degree heat with humidity. I was able to meet my friend and deliver a present to both her and my brother…homebrew! My friend had been wanting to try my homebrew for a while so I obliged, bringing 6 bottles along from Seattle. With those bottles gone, my bike would also be quite a bit lighter.

I didn’t have too much planning to do, as tomorrow would be a quick trip up The Turnpike to see another friend.

Day 14: Aberdeen, MD to Brooklyn, NY.

160 miles. 3 hours.

Now this was a fun day. Not so much on the turnpike through Jersey, but that’s mainly because it was quite boring. Rather ho-hum. I also accidently missed an exit and ended up going through an EZPass only exit, and since I didn’t have an EZPass, I didn’t have anyway to pay. I expect to get a lovely mailing from NJ/NY about not paying my fees.

After working my way through a short zone of traffic on the Staten Island Expressway, I got across the Verrazanno-Narrows Bridge and into Brooklyn. I got to stay the night when a friend who I worked with when I first moved to Seattle. She had since moved to NYC and I was grateful that she was able to host me. I’d been to NYC once before in high school, but it would be nice to see a different side of the city.

Once I was settled in I had most of the day ahead of me. My friend had to leave to teach a photography class so I was left to my own devices for most of the afternoon. I wanted to ride over to Manhattan, so I geared back up and took the time to ride over to Times Square, 42nd St, and Broadway.

Taxi, anyone?

Once safely back in Brooklyn, I took the chance to walk and made my way over to the Botanical Gardens as it was free after 3 PM. The cherry trees were in full blossom, so it would be a nice day to go.

That night my friend took me to a place not too far away for drinks and BBQ. There is a great little pub called Hot Bird. We picked up our drinks and I ran next door to order our food from Little Brother’s BBQ (beef brisket for me, pulled pork for her) to be delivered to us. We sampled from each others plates and I must say, this stuff was pretty darn good! The beers were pretty tasty as well. Sadly, I did not get a photo of this place.

After dinner, my friend decided to take me out for ice-cream…and I am so very glad she did. If you’re ever in Brooklyn, please do stop at Ample Hills Creamery. Even if its winter and there’s snow on the ground. You’ll be glad you did. I ended up with a double-scoop of chocolate fudge, topped with peanut brittle caramel on top. Sooo delicious, and everything is made on site.

With our tummy’s full, we walked back and settled in for the night. Tomorrow would be a slightly longer day for me.

 

[LowAndSilent]

Day 15: Brooklyn, NY to Pittsburgh, PA via Binghamton, NY.

550 miles. 10 hours.

I woke up a little later than planned, but that gave me and my friend a chance to grab something to drink at a local coffee shop. I had a chai (don’t drink coffee) and it was pretty tasty, and naturally flavored and sweetened.

With the bike packed I bid my friend farewell and headed out. I fought my way out of the city and onto the interstate westward. Westward towards home! It finally felt like I was going home now and that gave me some sense of relief and despair, as I was actually enjoying this being-on-the-road thing.

My first destination of the day was the workshop of an FJRForum member to pick up one of his newly fabricated hydration systems. As has happened a few times on this trip alone, I have had issues keeping hydrated. I don’t like to stop often when I am underway, only to use the restroom and fill the bike, and getting water and drinking it down can be such a time-sink. This system from Garauld would at least give me the ability to keep hydrated while under way.

Pulling up to his place, I found myself right behind a UPS truck delivering parts for future systems. Good timing. After a bit of chit-chat, Garauld helped me by getting the system installed and positioned.

I also picked up a strap version of the hydration system for another forum member and riding pal, SQUEAL. I’d meet him later in Idaho.

After getting everything positioned I headed back out on the road towards Pittsburgh. It was an interesting ride, and I have to say that Pennsylvania drivers are more aggressive and speedy than NJ or NY drivers, especially the closer to Pittsburgh I got. After some routing around the city, I eventually made it to my brother-in-law’s house. They had just recently moved there, so it was nice to see their new place and see their kids (two sets of twins) again.

Day 16: Pittsburgh, PA to Madison, WI.

650 miles. 11.5 hours.

This was another pure interstate slog day…with a ton of turnpikes that I had not accounted for. Endless toll roads as far as the eye could see. Lesson: plan better next time.

Overall, it was a very uneventful ride. To even better show that nothing was planned for today, I managed to arrive in Chicago at 4:30 PM. Yeah…rushhour! How stupid of a move was that? To add to my misery the temps dropped from the high 70’s to the low 50’s from one side of Chicago to the other, and as soon as the FJR nosed northward on the west side of Lake Michigan the skies opened up and it began to rain. I pulled over for fuel and immediately donned my Columbia fleece jacket and waterproof gloves. With that done, it was onward to Madison!

With the toll-roads left behind all I had to compete with now was an overabundance of 18-wheelers who drive even worse than the ones on I-81. Mental note: avoid this road on all future rallies and trips.

Pulling into Madison I took a loop of the city, looking for food. With a pub spotted, I bee-lined to my hotel and dropped off my gear and changed into more presentable clothing. Back into town, I stopped at the Great Dane Brewery in downtown Madison. And oh, what a glorious decision it was!

That right there is a grass-fed beef burger with local Wisconsin cheese, topped with local organic wild greens and sliced tomato, on a whole-wheat bun. Pub fries with a mushroom-based gravy dipping sauce. Washed down with a Stone of Scone Scottish Ale that was brewed 50 feet from where I sat. What got me more than the food was the cellar I was seated in. Dark wood, an awesome pub-bar, dim lighting, stone walls, and an awesome staff…just the type of place I enjoy. If only the booths fit the ambiance, I would have made trips to this place to complete SS2000’s. Hell, I might just go back anyway.

Fat and happy, I made my way back to my hotel and crashed…err…slept soundly for the night. Tomorrow was to be another interstate blast.

Day 17: Madison, WI to Rapid City, SD.

775 miles. 12 hours.

A rather boring day, but definitely a cold one. Starting out, the temps dropped and stayed in the high 30’s to mid 40’s for most of the morning. This wouldn’t have been a big issue, but I hadn’t worn my cold weather base layer on top and because of it I was suffering until my first gas stop of the day. I could have easily pulled over anywhere before my first fuel stop to change layers, but I’m stubborn…probably too stubborn.

I eventually made it to Wall, SD where I fueled up and cruised past Wall Drug…probably because of the subconscious influence the 150+ signs that line I-90 had on my weary brain. Awesome job on that, Wall Drug. Never been along that stretch? Try it. You’ll soon understand what I mean. It was also here that I noticed the front of the FJR making a little more noise than normal. I just thought it was the trigger from my HID lights which had come loose from the cold weather in Utah, but this was louder and noisier. At the gas station in town I noticed that the two bolts holding my front fender on had bailed on me somewhere and now the fender was hanging free. Hmmm…that would need fixing.

I would have loved to tour the Badlands, but alas, it was another place that I’d rather enjoy with the wifey…so instead I continued west to Rapid City, where I would spend the night. Much as what I had done the night before I decided to tour the downtown of Rapid City to see where I wanted to eat. I also took the chance to stop at a Yamaha dealership, which did not have the fender bolts, and then an Ace Hardware, which did had suitable bolts. With my front fender securely attached again, I headed to the hotel to drop off my gear and then back into town for dinner.

The Firehouse Brewery was the choice for tonight and it definitely was not too bad.

In a complete 360 from the night before, I instead ordered penne smothered with Muenster, white cheddar and mozzarella. Topped with Parmesan, bread crumbs and baked chicken. Complemented with garlic beer bread. Washed down with an unfiltered Wilderness Wheat from Firehouse Brewing Co. The main dish was pretty good, but I did find their wheat beer to be pretty weak with the aftertaste of a Belgian…just a really weird combo.

Back at the hotel I cleaned up and prepared myself for a non-interstate slog. For tomorrow, I’d go dam-hunting.

Day 18: Rapid City, SD to Billings, MT.

700 miles. 12.5 hours.

Heading out a little later than planned, this was to definitely be an interesting day. I wanted to make it to both Boysen and Yellowtail dams, and finish off the bonus dams for this years Dam Tour. The first part of the ride was pretty easy, as all I had to do was hop back on I-90 and make my way to Buffalo, WY where I’d hit some smaller roads. My first surprise when leaving Rapid City was a turkey on the side of the road near Sturgis. I thought it was a trash bag at first, but one it took flight directly infront of my FJR I determined that it was not, in fact, a trash bag. It’d not be the last bird to try and commit suicide by motorcycle that day.

US-16 west of Buffalo is an awesome little road, but that day the road was heavily fogged in. Visibility was down to 20-30 yards in a lot of places. Fearful of oncoming traffic and critters I toned down the speed and threw on the hazards as I navigated my way around the mountain. Only two critters got in my way here…a grouse and a marmot, and both got the heck out of the way when I got close enough. From there it was south to Boysen Dam.

From there, it was north to Greybull and across US-14 and back to I-90. US-14 through this section was…okay. Definitely not my favorite motorcycling road, save for the eastern section towards I-90. The western side was good until the elevation began to climb, and then it was thoroughly covered in tar snakes that ran both laterally and longitudinally across the road. The new CT was pretty sticky, but even it and my front PR2 were losing traction when leaned over in the corners, causing the FJR to slide briefly before regaining traction. Not the most reassuring feeling ever. But, the eastern section more than made up for it, with its tight hairpin turns.

Back on I-90, it was north until my GPS told me to get off at Lodge Grass. There was a gas station in town that I probably should have gone to as I was getting low, but the parking lot was mud and I’ve not had the best of luck with mud and the FJR. So, I decided I’d find gas along the route and continued to Yellowtail.

Now, my GPS took me this way and down a “road” called BIA Rd Rt 73, which became Good Luck Rd. It was very aptly named. Good Luck for surviving it, or feeling your spine ever again. The cattle grates in certain places had been removed and instead filled in with large gravel, creating a lovely gravel speed bump. A small orange cone off the side of the road is the only indicator of this. Fun times…

Along the way the FJR went into reserve, and as I reached St. Xavier I had a decision. Turn south and go to the dam, hoping there was gas in Fort Smith…or turn north, where my GPS was telling me there was gas and then double back? Sadly, I chose to not tempt fate and headed north to get gas first. This took up a lot of time and when I finally made it to Yellowtail Dam, I found the front gate closed and locked. I had missed it by 30 minutes. To add insult to injury, there was an open gas station in Fort Smith that my GPS neglected to tell me about. Figures…thanks again Garmin! I almost hit another grouse on the way back from Yellowtail. Stupid creatures.

Heading back north, I made it to I-90 and buzzed to Billings, where I tucked in for the night. Tomorrow would be my last day on the road, but a long and mostly boring haul.

Day 19: Billings, MT to Seattle, WA.

830 miles. 11 hours.

Last time I did this stretch, it was nighttime during a BBG that I ran with SQUEAL during the Jack Shoalmire Memorial Ride. It was definitely interesting to see everything that I couldn’t that night, such as the multiple mountain ranges that were off in the distance. I also passed by the turnoff for White Sulphur Springs, where I had split a small fawn in half during the GBU Rally. Oh, the memories. It was also fairly cold today, as the temps were hovering in the mid-30’s. Not too bad, but not entirely pleasant.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. I made it to Couer d’Alene, ID and pulled off for fuel and also to meet SQUEAL and SQUEAL Jr. who were to pick up the hydration system that I brought from Garauld. While I waited I refilled my own water jug and grabbed a quick lunch. When he appeared we filled each other in on our recent trips (he had just finished a 900-miler to snag some dams). After shooting the breeze we parted ways and I got back on the road.

While the temps had been warming up as I approached CD’A, it was once I got east of Spokane that the temps climbed to the mid to high-80’s. This continued all the way across Washington until I reached Snoqualmie Pass, where they dropped to the low 70’s. Sweet relief.

Now on all too familiar roads I made it to the 405 and turned north, finally reaching home. Just across the street my Scala begins to chime that I have an incoming call, so I answer it. My lovely wife wants to know how far away I am. With a chuckle I hit the button on my garage door opener and told her “Not far”.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Great adventure, nice pics and story!

Thanks for sharing the trip with us Adam.

--G

 

[Auburn]

Nice RR L&S. Great pics from the go pro!

 

[Niehart]

Good stuff Adam!

I'm thinking some hand guards to keep that 16 degree weather off your pinkies might be a good move.

 

[Willie]

Enjoyed the read...thanks for the write up. I especially thought the shots in Manhattan were fabulous. The colors were great

Willie

 

[gixxerjasen]

Great report. Having just recently visited NYC for the first time I can say you were nuts to take a bike in there. People think I'm crazy for commuting in Dallas traffic but even I was shaking my head every time I saw a bike riding in Manhattan. No thanks!

What's all this complaining about 80 degree temps? Did you have to put a sweater on when it got that cold? Down 80's is get out and ride temps, gotta do it before the weather turns really hot!

Rooney only shows up in the initial photos...he did make the whole trip, right?

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

Now that's a great shot!

"short ride...19 days, 26 states and a federal district, and cover 8045 miles" my azz! :lol:

TFS!

 

[juniorfjr]

Great ride, I'm jealous. If I left my wife working while I rode for 19 days, I'd probably find my stuff in the front yard. :glare:

 

[Gurock]

Great trip!! Great pics!!

It brings back memories of rides last year that I did covering some of the same roads. I thought my cheap Magellan was the only GPS that lied about where the gas stations were. I had done a Chicago to San Diego trip leaving Christmas Eve taking three and 1/2 days and found myself climbing the moutains going west where I 10 and I 20 come together in West Texas with my GPS telling me that gas was another 50 miles that the Honda Silverwing I was riding didn't have in it as I could see the gas station at a mountain exit. Part of the extra time on that trip was hitting Las Crueces, NM at night and seeing highway signs that warned of ice on the road.

I've ridden alot of the same roads you did in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Some good roads in there. I'm also thinking about hand guards. I discovered that there are these hunters chemical packets that you can put into you glve or boot in a terrible cold pinch. One stuck into your glove over the knuckles does a lot.

 

[monkin]

Great Report...Thank You

 

[LowAndSilent]

Good stuff Adam!

I'm thinking some hand guards to keep that 16 degree weather off your pinkies might be a good move.

I'm thinking that will be a good idea as well. I just need to fab a mount for the left side. I have an AE, so I don't get the clutch reservoir to attach that side to.

Enjoyed the read...thanks for the write up. I especially thought the shots in Manhattan were fabulous. The colors were great

Willie

That was definitely a fun ride! Got the blood going, that's for sure. I actually enjoy city riding like that...just really fun to me, even if it's really dangerous, considering the number of dented fenders and damaged motorcycles I saw. Not to mention the number of pedestrian's and drivers who called me "brave" or "crazy" at stop-lights.

Great report. Having just recently visited NYC for the first time I can say you were nuts to take a bike in there. People think I'm crazy for commuting in Dallas traffic but even I was shaking my head every time I saw a bike riding in Manhattan. No thanks!

What's all this complaining about 80 degree temps? Did you have to put a sweater on when it got that cold? Down 80's is get out and ride temps, gotta do it before the weather turns really hot!

Rooney only shows up in the initial photos...he did make the whole trip, right?

Ha...yeah. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. And about the temps, that's downright hot, especially in a Roadcrafter. I live on the wet-side of WA and have grown unaccustomed to such heat and humidity. If I want heat, I ride over the Cascade's and into the dry-side.

As for Rooney, I had tucked him away for the remainder of the trip. After alumni weekend, it was more about going home. I didn't really make any plans for sight-seeing or anything, besides the two dams that I was to hit.

Great ride, I'm jealous. If I left my wife working while I rode for 19 days, I'd probably find my stuff in the front yard. :glare:

My CFO told me to get the hell out and ride. She knew I wanted to do this, and it was a perfect time to do so. I only have my thesis/capstone to work on right now, so I had the time available. Much easier to pull of a 19-dayer when you don't have to worry about a job.

Great trip!! Great pics!!

It brings back memories of rides last year that I did covering some of the same roads. I thought my cheap Magellan was the only GPS that lied about where the gas stations were. I had done a Chicago to San Diego trip leaving Christmas Eve taking three and 1/2 days and found myself climbing the moutains going west where I 10 and I 20 come together in West Texas with my GPS telling me that gas was another 50 miles that the Honda Silverwing I was riding didn't have in it as I could see the gas station at a mountain exit. Part of the extra time on that trip was hitting Las Crueces, NM at night and seeing highway signs that warned of ice on the road.

I've ridden alot of the same roads you did in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Some good roads in there. I'm also thinking about hand guards. I discovered that there are these hunters chemical packets that you can put into you glve or boot in a terrible cold pinch. One stuck into your glove over the knuckles does a lot.

There really are some wonderful roads out there. I just completely goof'ed on elevation along my route. Checking weather in the towns along the route didn't work out quite as well as I thought it would. It's the roads in between those towns that can be the issue.

As for the chemical packs, I've never really liked them. Used them a few times when I was younger, but just never felt they worked like I wanted them to. It also wasn't my knuckles that were the issue. It was more of my fingertips. Those are really the only part of me that get really bad on a ride. Palms and the backs of my hands are fine.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Checking weather in the towns along the route didn't work out quite as well as I thought it would. It's the roads in between those towns that can be the issue.

Ain't that the truth? I had to go to Fort Carson with the Marines for my summer training. I looked up the temps at the base and in Colorado Springs and packed appropriately. When we arrived they promptly loaded us up in trucks and drove us up into the higher elevations for our two week stay. Some of us southern boys about froze while up there.

 

[LowAndSilent]

Checking weather in the towns along the route didn't work out quite as well as I thought it would. It's the roads in between those towns that can be the issue.

Ain't that the truth? I had to go to Fort Carson with the Marines for my summer training. I looked up the temps at the base and in Colorado Springs and packed appropriately. When we arrived they promptly loaded us up in trucks and drove us up into the higher elevations for our two week stay. Some of us southern boys about froze while up there.

There is also something else about towns. I don't know if they actually put out heat or they're just constructed in the warmer spots of an area, but my FJR's temp gauge is always warmer while I am riding through a town. Even if on the interstate, going through a town so I'm not changing my speed or anything, I also note warmer temps. As soon as I get outside of the city limits, the temps drop again. No change in elevation noted...it just drops. I have noticed this on multiple occasions during trips.