Week Long Kitchen Pass

[TripperMike]

Those are the questions I began to contemplate beginning last Fall. So I went to the IBA website for suggestions, aka certificate rides. Honestly, that's how I see their list of cert. rides. When I first saw that list of rides several yrs ago, I used to think "Wow, people can really ride that distance in those times?!".

Now I could spend my week long pass just riding the twisties closer to home like in Wisc., but being one with such a short attention span, that would be great...for the first few days, but then what? I want to go places I hadn't been before. And with only a week off from work, I tend to lean towards the "Gold" rides.

So this is what I came up with...

Leaving early Sat. a.m. (July 14th), starting from Duluth, to do the Great Lakes Gold (clockwise) and anticipating finishing about 48 hrs later. This early part of my trip is kinda important to me, whether I finish it in "Gold" time or not. I just want to do it. The last part of this week will be a real highlight for me as well, I'll get to that in a bit.

The middle part of my week will just be icing on the cake. And like cake icing, I'll be fine if I don't do it, BUT DANG won't it be nice if I do get it. After completing the GLG ride, I'll be heading straight up to Angle Inlet to begin my ride to the Keys (Pines to Palms - thanks to Rickcrwn for the suggestion). Originally I was going to do the Border-2-Border ride, but heck, I've been to Mexico before; I haven't been to the Keys.

So then I began to think more n more about this ride to the Keys, looking over maps and such, and thought why not just tackle the Dragon on the way down. So if the ride progresses as hoped, I should be riding the Dragon the morning of the 17th (after a nights rest nearby) and hit the Keys later that night.

I realize now though I made a huge error in planning for the Keys. I failed to get an IPass equivalant for the Florida tollways. Oh well, I guess I'll be carrying a change purse with me.

Perhaps the best part of this trip will culminate at the weeks end when I will be meeting up with my SO, and a son, in Salida, CO on the 19th. Hooking up with a bunch of crazies, hooligans and desert rats to ride some gorgeous mountain roads.

As I said earlier, depending on how I feel after the GLG, I may deem going home to mow the yard before heading to CO, as more important than the Keys. Or just stay near the Deals Gap area a bit longer instead of continueing down to the Keys. Basically this trip has a lot of flexibility. I've ridden enough IBA'esque rides to know my limits and when to shut it down. And I also know how absolutely fricking cool it is to be riding in totally new areas.

So if any of you happen to see me on the road (I'm the one with the "Disco Ball" aux fuel cell), just give me the FJRForum salute (the bird), and I'll salute you right back.

 

[wheatonFJR]

To quote Bungie..."Feck Ya!". Have a great trip(s). :clapping:

 

[Gramps]

Great plan Mike! Have a safe trip, look forward to reading your trip report & take some pictures every once in a while.

 

[Tanker]

Sounds like a great plan. You're going to have a good time no matter what decisions you make.

 

[TripperMike]

Great plan Mike! Have a safe trip, look forward to reading your trip report & take some pictures every once in a while.

Yeah, taking pictures is the one thing I have to try to be deligent in. It tends to be my pitfall on long trips like this one.

I'll have to learn to be a shutterbug on the fly.

 

[TripperMike]

I was hoping to set up a spotwalla, but beyond setting up the account, the rest of it is Greek to me.

I hope my trip goes easier than this.

 

[TripperMike]

Sitting in a motel in Maryville, TN at the moment. First night in a motel since I left on this trip.

Well I did complete the Great Lakes Gold in about 47 1/2 hrs. But I either greatly underestimated how that ride would be or overestimated my abilities (probably both), but that ride kicked my arse. Decided to just come down to the Dragon, and forego the Pines to Palms for another time. Will be heading out to CO in the morning via Dallas to see a brother or a more direct route.

 

[NBB]

Mike , If you keep up the travels like you have lately you may have to replace that rear tire yet this year. Save travels my friend.

Ken

 

[TripperMike]

Well I suppose it's 'bout dang time I offer at least a brief synopsis of my trip.

Left for Duluth Friday after work and met wife #1 (referring to her as wife #1 keeps her on her toes) at the motel we were to be staying at for the start of the trip. That evening I made the "strategic" decision to not set the alarm for an early start, as that tends to get me a bit stressed out and unable to get a good nights rest. So I relied on my inner clock to get me up at a more reasonable time. All in all I still managed to wake early enough to enjoy a nice breakfast and still get on the road by 7 a.m.

The morning began nice enough, the weather was great, bike purring like a kitten, and my spirits soaring. For the most part that would all change at the border. I have crossed the border into Canada, only twice in the past four years, and everytime they seem to want to bust my chops. It always seems to go sour the moment they ask me how long I plan on staying in Canada, and because each time I seem to be "on the clock" per se, I always reply with an answer that never pleases them. For instance, this time around I am attempting the Great Lakes Gold, so obviously, I don't plan on being there too terribly long. For instance, I told her I hoped to be out of canada later that night. She asks where I'll be exiting at, other side of Superior? I told her no, more like the other side of Lake Ontario into New York. She neither believed me nor found my answer amusing. And so I told her again what my intentions were, this time I think she interpretted my answer as me saying I was about to blaze through her country at supersonic speeds and make a mockery of her posted speed limits. Actually just following her countrymen across her country does that just fine.

So basically I was instructed to pull over and park the bike under the canopy. And there it would stay for the next 45 minutes. After waiting for them inside to tell me what they wanted, they finally told me I could go after a few questions. The questions were asked and answered, and the customs agent then escorted me out to the bike. As we got closer to the bike, the customs guy looked at my bike and asked what was going on. I looked and thought to myself "aw ****". There parked under the canopy on their nice asphalt parking lot, was my bike (how should I say this?) taking a "leak". I learned a few things on this trip, one of which is when it gets hot outside, and my aux fuel cell is full, it will sometimes start leaking gas out the vent tube. Instantly I leapt to action and immediately flipped the ball valve to "open" so as to allow some of the gas to transfer to the main tank. Hmmmmm, now the gas is coming out faster. I know! I'll open the fill cap to main tank, because surely there must be pressure built up in there too from the heat. I fish for my keys and flip open the cap. I think to myself rather confidently "that'll to do the trick. Not so fast Einstein! The gas is now coming out at a pretty good clip. Right about now another customs agent comes over to see what's going on, and she asks "is that oil coming out?" I had to bite my tongue pretty hard at that, no way was I going to say anything to that that might make me a guest of theirs' for any longer. Anyways, the flow finally stopped after I opened the fill cap to the aux cell and interupted the siphon. All told, I figured my trusty steed tinkled about a gallon of petro on their lot (that'll leave a nice stain).

The rest of the morning went fairly well. I opted to go up CT 11 as I figured this would have fewer stops, and because I had taken this route 3 yrs earlier on my way to NS. The road was as good as I remebered it. However this time it rained most of the way. Due to misjudging how bad the "sprinkles" might get, or the direction a certain dark cloud was traveling, I ended up not putting on my raingear at the most appropriate times. This would set the comfort level of the rest of my ride around the Lakes......WET. The jacket as we all know will tend to dry off as we ride, but not the pants. Second thing I learned, riding the GLG with a soaked bottom on an OEM seat does not resemble a pleasure cruise. Not even close. Anyways, I rode through the night that first night and finally found a nice patch of ashpalt, alongside a store in Eau Claire about 10:30 the next night, to lay my head. Set the alarm for 2 hrs and woke up 5 hrs later. Guess I needed the rest. Finished that ride 47 1/2 hrs from the time I began. I had hoped for around 42 - 44 hrs, but quite frankly, that ride kinda beat me up. The rains of Canada and Ohio, the oven temperatures of Indiana and Illinois, and the freaking traffic of Chicago (I still hate riding in Chicago even with an IPass); it all added up to a brutal ride for me.

So Monday morning as I leave Duluth and head for home (and if you couldn't tell, I have long given up doing the Pines to Palms ride) I contemplate what I should do for the rest of the week. I was feeling like a whooped dog. I get home, take a shower, then a nap (on a bed no less), and take note that the lawn had just been mowed and realize that I have nothing better to do than keep on riding.

I head South and East, always wanted to ride the Tail of the Dragon, if for nothing else but to at least see what all the hoopla was about. By late Monday night/early Tuesday morn I find a nice comphy picnic table in Indiana to rest my head this time. By early Tuesday afternoon I make my way through Maryville, TN heading to the Dragon. Rode it twice that day (the 17th), got a room in Maryville for the night, and rode it once more Weds. morning on my way to Dallas. I actually got a kick out of riding it. Not once was I held up by slower traffic. And NOOOO, I wasn't holding up traffic either! For those you who have ridden with me, I know that's what you were thinking. Pretty easy to pick out my pic on Killboy, I'm the only one with a CT and a glittering glow-in-the-dark aux fuel cell.

I left the area where the T of the D is located with one thought in mind, I HAVE got to take wife #1 down here for several days of riding the other roads. That is some gorgeous countryside.

Riding through Mississippi was like riding through Canada, WET! Rained like crazy. Finally rolled up to my brother's place in Garland (near Dallas) around midnight, and left for Colorado the next morning about 5'ish.

Lemme tell you, the midwest might be feeling a bit of a hot spell these past few weeks, but I swear, TX, OK and eastern CO must be close to the gates of hell because it was friggin' HOT! I had abandoned using my camelback somewheres around TN because it was beginning to be bothersome and uncomfortable, and the OEM saddle was getting unbearable. Every little town I rode into and had to slow down for, I did it standing up. Funny how people driving behind you tend to slow way down when a rider is standing up on their bike. With my GPS giving me errant directions (when it would give me directions), I finally rolled into Salida for SW-FOG around 8:30 Thursday evening.

SW-FOG

What can I say? It was such a good time, I forgot all about my aches and pains. In other words it was so enjoyable, I forgot about whining like a lil' baby. My SO and one of my sons had driven out there for the event. Rode to Pike's Peak and rode the cog train to the top with BeemerDons, Seth, Jer & Recreate on Friday. That was pretty cool. Saturday rode over Independence Pass and had lunch in Aspen with HRZ, Mrs Zilla, Marcuserilius, Recreate, Philellis and Shaena (sp?) and Joe & Cec. What a great bunch of folks I met. And what great country to ride in.

Sunday morning I hit the road just a few ticks before 4, and lemme tell you more thing. July or not, it's freaking cold in the Rockies that early in the morning. Well that wasn't going to last long though, I should have savored it while I had the chance. Riding back through eastern CO and into NE, I doubt the temps were rarely below 100 once the sun was high in the sky. Anyways, got home after riding about 1090 miles at about 11 that night.

Total miles for the week long kitchen pass, 7145. Beats mowing the yard, even if I do get the occassional beer break while doing it. Go figure though, feeling like a beaten down dog vs. drinking beer on the deck while watching the mower cool down. This dog got to go places and meet ppl. Wayyy cool. :yahoo:

Mike

 

[MNFJR Pilot]

Awesome Ride report!!! :yahoo:

 

[RiderX]

Mike,

Awesome ride and thanks for posting. Finally got those forks sorted. :yahoo: