Riding to GenCon 45

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Freejack

So I’m up, wandering around just relaxing until 9am when I can call to see about a new tire. A few doors down is a heavily loaded bike.

This looked to be interesting. I checked it out from the saddle bags and trunk around to the other side. He came out and we chatted for a few minutes. He was on a 2 year world tour and had hit some 116 countries on the bike. He was originally from South Africa and was heading to New York to fly home. We talked about riding and tires. He talked about being down in South America and being charged an outrageous sum for gas because he was a foreigner. At times he was also told there wasn’t any gas even though there were people filling up. Sounds like an adventure 🙂

At 9am I gave Donnells Motorcycle’s a call. Not only did they have the right tire (I’d checked their site; they had a few Hayabusa’s in stock so I was hopeful), they had the right Sport-Touring tire vs a Sport tire. It’s a Dunlop dual compound but it’s certainly a tire. I’d been warned off of them years ago (Dunlops I mean) so I was a little tentative but still, it’s a replacement so I’m happy. While they were changing my tire, one of the sales guys was chatting (the old guys exchange 🙂 ) about rides they’d gone on and commenting on my 112,070 miles. He was showing me a few older bikes they had stashed in the back and then he showed me a (I think he said) 1961 Harley. The front plate called it a Teleglide. I wasn’t in the best shape but it didn’t look more than well used vs found sitting in a barn somewhere.

We exchanged stories until my bike was ready. I paid my fee ($270; the tire was on sale too!) and headed out towards Indianapolis.

Near Booneville Missouri at a rest stop, I found I needed to stop and take a break. Drinking water from the camelbak tends to cause more stops, especially if it’s not so hot that you’re sweating some of it out.

While it’d been getting hotter, it only started getting humid enough to recognize as I got to Columbia Missouri. It’s a different feeling when your gear is cool but damp all the time. I’d neglected to get a bike charger for my iPhone/iPad so I picked up a replacement from the truck stop. It was only $11 though; so much for the $29 official one at the Apple Store 🙂

Another effort to be prepared before running through a more metropolitan area. I stopped out side of St Louis to gas up. Once I was heading north on 95 and was running low while in the middle of New York on the freeway. Fortunately there was a hole in the wall station but it’s not somewhere I’d normally stop so I try to anticipate (I need to do more of that with tires 🙂 ).

Only a couple of more hours before I’m in Indianapolis and at the hotel.

Still in Illinois (Marshall). The run from the border to Indy is only an hour or so.

As I entered the Indianapolis city limits, I took the next exit and gassed up. I do this in order to check my map so I know where I’m going. Fortunately the convention center is only a few miles away.

And I made it. I’m in the JW Marriott Hotel just across from the convention center.


Turns out we have a room on the 29th floor. The view is pretty cool. Jon didn’t get in until well after Midnight and I was pretty zoned out by then.


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Riding to GenCon 45

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Freejack

GenCon (aka Geneva Convention originally based out of Lake Geneva Wisconsin) is the yearly gaming convention currently located in Indianapolis Indiana. I’d planned on going this year but other events looked to cause me to cancel. As a result of the condo owners (a conglomerate) dragging their feet, I was able to attend. With joy, I got the bike packed up and headed out bright and early Tuesday morning.

This was to be a simple run with limited touring/seeing the sights. The sights I wanted to see were at the convention and it was a two day ride away. A simple run down 25 to 70 and then east until I got to Indianapolis. I was fortunate to share a room with a local gaming friend so didn’t have any accommodation issues plus a couple of other friends had backup space if need be.

I headed south catching 270 to connect with 70 and then east. My first stop was in Bennett Colorado where I took a break.

It was a tad early and the first day of heading out. Plus I had plenty of time to get to Indy. I expected to get there Wednesday at around 3pm or so.

Continuing on, I headed east and pulled in at Limon Colorado, again taking a break. I had my rain coat on as wind protection as the temps seemed to be in the 40’s. My thermometer on the bike seemed to be acting weird so it was likely a bit warmer than that. Still, the wind protection is helpful.

In looking to the east, I could see a cloud bank on the horizon running from north to south as far as the eye could see.

In Burlington, I pulled over for gas and to put my wet weather glove covers on. It even has a squeegee built in to the thumb. Good to have as it got a little wet. Not rainy but misty enough to condense water on my face shield. Most of the time I could look left and right so the water could roll off but occasionally I’d swipe it away.

I pulled in to a rest area just short of Colby Kansas, both to relieve myself and to take a break from the constant wind. In Kansas the wind blows from the south (mostly I guess) so there’s a constant fight and pull to the right which tuckers you out.

Pulled in to get gas in WaKeeney Kansas.

And a Taco Bell stop (bean burrito) in the wind in Hays Kansas.

Pulling in for gas at a Salida gas station. While there, I chatted with a big guy on a cruiser. We discussed how uncomfortable each bike was and tried to define what might cause it to be uncomfortable; knee issues on my bike (which I don’t have) or back issues on his (which I sort of have).

Past Salida, 70 turns into a Toll road. Not a horrible big deal though. I pulled in at the service area before getting to Kansas City to make sure I had a full tank. I didn’t want to be in KC looking for gas, especially as it was getting later and I’d probably have to deal with a little traffic.

Riding through Kansas City wasn’t too big a deal and going by the arch again was pretty cool. On the other side, I was getting a little bogged down in traffic. Since I’d passed the half way point before the service area, I was ahead of the game here. I was pulling off to get some gas and look for a room for the night. An American Inn was right there with a $39 room rate (which of course turned into $51). I pulled in and unpacked the bike for the night.

While I was removing the gear, I noticed:

I was a little frustrated as I expected the treads on either side would be a lot lower before I started showing cords. That’s a problem I have with the Metzler Z6 tires. These are Z8’s, the replacements and they are a bit better about the tread pattern but still, and as you can see, it snuck up on me. Unfortunately too, I started in on my anxiety attacks, partly due to past experience though. Generally when you get to this point, you’re limited to what’s available (if anything). When I was in Amarillo, I was only able to find a Sport tire (wears much faster). Same in Fairbanks and same in Rapid City. It seems that few dealerships actually stock a sport touring tire. So I was expecting to find either a Sport tire or no tire at all and have to wait for a replacement. Rita checked and found an old Suzuki dealer just a few miles away. I planned on sitting around until 9am tomorrow so I could call them to see what they had. I also checked the maps to find 4 or 5 other dealers in the area; not as close but still close enough for a short ride and repair.

I grabbed dinner and settled in for the night. By the way, unless you’re a smoker I’d stay away from the American Inn. Man, the non-smoking room reeked and there wasn’t one any better in the place.

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Account Modifications

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Freejack

With the password breach at LinkedIn and now with the current Wired article on the guy who had his accounts compromised and systems erased, I’m on a quest to write up my process for cleaning up my presence on the ‘net.

I do practice safe password security using a backed up password locker. I have multiple tiers of passwords with unique passwords on accounts that have access to any of my funds, either credit cards or other financial details. Second tier are accounts where personal information is stored. Third tier are things like forums. Fourth tier are the throwaway accounts where some site or another has asked that I create an account for access to their content.

For each of those accounts (with a few exceptions on mainly tier 4 accounts), I have a unique e-mail address as well. This is done because I have a mail server that I run so I can create unique accounts without a problem.

With our recent separation, I’m also reviewing those tier 1 and 2 accounts and removing or updated the information where appropriate. Since I had to get a new credit card in my name, I’ve removed all the other credit card details and left just the one current one in place. But with the Wired article, I’m going to be removing credit card numbers from every site I can.

The problem with that is that there are some sites, like Barnes and Noble, that require current credit cards in order to download your electronic books. I found this out when the card I used at the time had expired and I tried to download books to my iPad. Very annoying.

I’m already doing other things like backing up my systems. All of the non-primary systems are backed up to the main system which is then backed off to an external drive that is generally off (the system won’t boot when the external drive is powered on).

One other thing to think about. Many places use a series of questions asking things that you likely only know. However think about what you’re putting into those answers and whether someone could figure it out. Your mother’s maiden name? How hard would that be? Where you went to high school? Same thing. Heck, even favorite or first pet name wouldn’t be difficult to discover nowadays with folks yakking on social media sites. Especially when someone sends out one of those silly polls with, “what was your first pet?” You’ll likely respond with “Charlie the cat, he was the greatest” where upon you’ve given one of your pass phrase answers out.

The way to correct that? Give a false answer, something that’s not true. Of course you’ll need to record that answer along with your password in some sort of password keeper otherwise you’ll never be able to get in to the site.

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Bought a Truck

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Freejack

With Rita leaving, I’m ready to be Two Wheels Only(tm) however, there are a few reasons I need four wheels. Among other things, I do woodworking as a hobby so carrying a medium sized piece of wood would be slightly difficult without some means of transportation. And now I can do some of the things I’ve been wanting to do. Such as bicycling in the mountains. We would ride around town but never go very far outside city limits. So I can throw my bicycle in the back of the truck and head up into the mountains for a bicycle ride on Peak to Peak or even go mountain biking. Plus, I want to go skiing again.

I was a little disappointed when Rita convinced me to sell my 95 Ranger back in 2002 or so, so that’s what I started looking for; another Ranger. Rita’d done a lot of research at the time and found it was the best of the smaller trucks. I set a personal price limit of around $4,000. In checking, we found quite a few in the Denver area on Craigslist and I found a few on Autotrader (dealers of course). I sent emails to the more interesting ones Rita found. They were from 100,000 to 200,000 miles and from $2,000 up to the $4,000 mark I set. Ages were from 1983 or so on up to about 2004.

By Friday, I’d exchanged e-mails with a seller in Greeley. They were offering a 2001 Ranger, 3.0L 6 cyl with minor hail damage and a tear in the drivers seat for $3,700. I checked Kelly Blue Book with the information I had and found it was a bit underpriced. Suspicious, I let them know we’d be out Friday after 5pm (closer to 6pm based on the location). I did a pretty thorough look over the vehicle. No obvious leaks (checked under the engine), exhaust is a bit rusty and the tires were a little soft (20 lbs pressure vs the 44lbs recommended) but it braked straight (hands off the steering wheel), the rotors were fine, no cloud of smoke of any color. All the lights worked (well, but two). It was a 3.0 6L and it had a cassette player.

I told Rita that it looked fine from an operational standpoint and turned the negotiations over to her. She talked them down to $3,500 and it was mine.

We went over to the gas station to put air and gas in the truck. 24 lbs of pressure and 16 gallons of gas ($57!) and I’m on my way home with Rita following. It moves well and I had a damn big grin on my face by the time I made it home.

Sunday Rita bought a big metal frame futon and a couple of end tables for $55.

We went over in the pickup and brought them home.

Oh Yeah. 😀

I took it over today to get temp tags, then the emissions inspection, and finally at the end of the day, I skipped out at the end of work to run over and get new tags.

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New Life Phase

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Freejack

Kind of an odd title, eh?

Essentially, Rita and I are separating. We’d be divorcing but I want to keep her on my insurance until she gets a job that provides insurance. Then we’ll finalize the entire thing.

While it’s been a problem for years (hindsight is wonderful), it’s been getting more and more pronounced over the past few years. September 2010 we had the “we don’t have the same interests” talk. It’s never a pleasant discussion and requires some soul searching to figure out how to address it.

It came to a head back in February this year. We were to the point where we needed to seek counseling, perhaps something we should have done sooner. We only had a few sessions, enough for the two of us, who don’t much like to communicate, to air some of the grievances we’ve had but been reluctant to share. By the last session, we’d come to the conclusion that we should separate.

But a few days later, when commenting on the problem I twigged on part of the problem. I just wasn’t understanding what Rita’s requirement was.

See, Rita wants me to want to go and do things and like it. This came out in counseling as well. Rita had said that she was unhappy because I’d go with her, but not always like what we were doing or I’d complain about it. The counselor asked me about it and I said that sure, I didn’t always like where we were going but most of the time I enjoyed it. She asked why I went if I didn’t like it and I said that I wanted to be with Rita, even if I didn’t necessarily like where we were going. The counselor told Rita that that was a good thing, that I wanted to go with her and whether I liked it or not wasn’t something Rita had any control over.

One of the problems though wasn’t what we did but was the abruptness of the request. My grumbling wasn’t because we were going on a hike, but because I’d find out about it Saturday morning.

In thinking about that after the sessions, I came to realize Rita was having a problem with the grumbling. She wanted me to like going on a hike (for example). So I took the initiative and suggested a hike. It wasn’t a particularly long one and it wasn’t a 2 hour drive into the mountains. But I did enjoy it and even went a bit farther because we’d missed the trail. I do enjoy going on hikes.

That seemed to do it. The problem wasn’t with the hike, it was with the grumbling. We decided to give it another shot and spent the past few months trying to work on it.

Unfortunately after the trip to Florida, I finally understood the full extent of the problem.

Rita has a set of interests that include hiking, going on walks, bicycling, going to museums, going to concerts, etc.

I have a set of interests that include computer programming, board gaming and role playing, and most recently learning to play guitar.

Rita has little interest in what my interests are and is resentful over the time I spend doing them.

I want to do new things like hiking, museums, etc so Rita’s interests are things I don’t mind doing. I do mind not being able to enjoy my interests though and of course are resentful over the head butting.

So I reasoned that what Rita really wanted was someone who had exactly the same interests she had and no additional interests. That’s not to say that Rita is wrong or that I am right, just that our expectations are not the same. She wants someone who shares her interests. I want someone who can share my interests but has different interests too. In this way, we’re both broadened by each others interests.

When I had my moment of enlightenment, I of course presented my findings to Rita. I said that if she couldn’t let me enjoy my interests as well, then maybe it is time to separate. Besides going on the defensive (I assured her it wasn’t her or my fault), she agreed and decided that she would leave. I think I really wasn’t expecting that answer but am not going to stand in her way and in fact, I’ll be doing my best to make sure she is fully supported until she can get back on her feet.

We’ve spent the past month or so going over the process to fill for legal separation, getting accounts change, getting a credit card in my name and in general getting ready to move one. Rita’s packed up 95% of her gear and is looking to move to Virginia to be close to her daughter’s family (she has a new grandson so she’s pleased). We’re taking the savings we have and am using it as a down payment for a new place, originally a condo but they’re dragging their feet so she’s looking at a townhouse next weekend.

We’re quite amiable about it and I think from a mental health point of view, it really is for the best for both of us. It’s sad that it has to happen, but while we do care for each other, as Rita said, I don’t think we can live with each other any more.

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You have a funny spot on your back

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Freejack

This past Sunday, Rita and I were in Naples Florida (see the other posts) and I got a lovely sunburn. While Rita was putting lotion on my back, she noticed a mole that looked funny. When we got home, Rita made an appointment with the dermatologist at the local clinic which I went to yesterday afternoon.

It was an interesting experience for sure. Besides getting a stern talking to about having sunblock on no matter the situation, she checked the spot and determined it was a “barnacle” and not a problem. She then checked the rest of my skin. On my left shoulder was a small black mole which she decided to excise and do a biopsy on. She also found two other moles I should pay attention to. One on my left arm about sleeve level and one in the middle of my left shin.

I should get a status of the biopsy Monday.

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Around the block iii

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Freejack

Tue May 22

Tried taking advantage of sleeping in a bed and a short riding day tomorrow by sleeping in but my internal. Lock would ‘t have any of it. At 5:30 I’m wide awake so up I go, shower, pack up my gear and by 6:30 I’m on my way.

My intention was to head to San Francisco then south to my cousins place but in Modesto I missed the right hand turn and kept going south on 99. After a few miles of folks doing 80 or more and seeing signs only for LA, I exit and check the maps. Sure enough, I’m heading the wrong way. Fortunately though, the exit is actually the road south to 33 which leads to Monterey Bay.

It’s a nice ride though. Through one of the grassland parks. It’s also sort of chilly, about 62. Anyway, there are nice long stretches of road where passing is easy and I take advantage. At one point, me and a car are swapping places in passing the slower trucks.

At 33 I head west. On my way up the hill, I realize there’s a dam to the left. A big freaking dam. There’s a reservoir on the other side. It’s a nice ride up and down the other side. 2 lanes in either direction so a nice comfortable pace.

On the other side it’s windy and there are garlic farms. Up to then there were cherries and almonds. The smell of garlic was strong. Fortunately the wind was blowing so it wasn’t as strong as it might have been.

After 101, I continued on towards Watsonville. The road up and over the pass was pretty sweet. Near the top on the other side was a road crew so we waited and were escorted down to the other side.

I headed on to Santa Cruz, still on the cool side, about 72 degrees.  Rt 1 north wasn’t too busy, I thought to head back to Monterey however the southbound side was bcked up for miles.

Right now I’ve been hanging around on the Santa Cruz Pier. Checking out the sea lions and trying not to be tempted by all the restaurants here on the pier. I figured I’d hang out a bit so I locked up my suit and helmet, grabbed my camera and phone and went for a walk.

About the only real problem right now is my hay fever is really kicking my ass. I need to find something. Clariton maybe.

After some walking around, I headed back to the bike and sat down on a bench to people watch. I was sitting not far from the bike so I could see people who would stop to check out the bike. A few would stop talking as they walked by, others would stop and look while a couple would actually walk around the bike 🙂

As it got close to 3, I decided to head up to the area where Julie lives to be ready when she was done with work. I was looking for a park with shade or something.

I headed up Ocean Drive and missed the left turn, heading up 17 instead. This is supposed to be a crazy road (check out the I survived 17 website) and pulled off at the Sims Road exit. It’s not an overpass so I had to backtrack a little until I got to an underpass, then back up the other side. At a stop sign, I pulled out my iPhone and found that making a left would get me over to the right road. Left it is!

Making a right, I headed up looking for some place with shade and spotted a sign that there were picnic tables 4 miles ahead. Sounds perfect. I went by Roaring Camp and up to Felton. Again, I went the wrong way. I’m getting better at realizing it and checked the map, and turned around.

On my way up, I found a sign for the Loch Lomand recreation area (this was in Ben Lomand) and thought this might be an interesting place to visit.

This was a super convoluted and twisty road going back into the hidden valleys with the road covered over with tall sequoias (I think, I’ll have to check). So it was dark and cool. I followed a small stream up until I got to a turn up another hill. This was a one lane 10 mph or less steep road with houses up on the sides of hills. It took a good 30 minutes to finally get to the gate. At one point, it changed from looking for a picnic area to “just what could this area be?” curiosity.

Finally at the top I ended up at the park entrance. In reading the sign,mone thing specifically popped out. “Make sure your boat is clean of foreign matter before putting it in the water and after taking it out”

Your BOAT?! Someone actually brings boats up that road?? Maybe there’s another road up or something.

So I pulled into the first picnic area and hung out, playing my guitar and reading. Basically just relaxing in the shade. At 3:40 I suited up and headed down to the lake. Loch Lomand is a large man made freshwater lake that provides water to Santa Cruz. It is pretty large actually. There were a few folks hanging about and it looked like the lake was closed right now (as in you couldn’t launch a boat).

Going down the hill was easier of course but I missed the turn I took on the way up. The good point was I ended up in Felton again. I got some gas and called Julie. She gave me directions to her place and off I went. I pulled in and parked the bike 🙂

Julie came out and welcomed me with a hug. I snagged a couple of things off the bike and came inside. We chatted about family and work, her new position at IBM and mine at my work (they scrape websites for mention of work so I won’t name it here 🙂 ).

Later she had a Rolfing appointment so we went down together. I headed off to walk around town until she was done, then we went to a salad place with her son Keven (what’s with all the Kevin’s, there are two at work too).

Returning home, we chatted more about work and Kevin going to school, and family before hitting the sack at 11.

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Riding around the block ii

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Freejack

Mon May 21st

The low temps yesterday was 42.

It was a semi sleepless night.  There was a light breeze and the rustling of the tent cover kept waking me. I kept hearing footsteps. At 2am I realized it was my heartbeat in my ear as I lay on the new camp pillow :rolleyes:  At 4:44am I decided I wasn’t getting back to sleep so decided to get up and go.

As I packed and put things where they belonged on the bike, I remembered the bike was off a little on balance. So I switched the tent and sleeping pad. That made it much better.

I headed out, getting on the road at 6am just as the sun was lighting up the sky. I immediately crossed into Nevada.

The ride past Border got twistier and fun. There were several campsites beyond the Utah border onthe mountains. Too late now. 🙂

Coming down the other side exposed a wind farm being built. Lots of windmills up and others in stages of construction. The roads were straight as a ruler between points and the mountains. Temps dropped to 37.7 degrees as I approached Ely.

Interesting that the Ely Shoshone reservation is about a block long in Ely. I stopped and filled up. I’d been doing 90 so my mpg was at 40. In order to make Tonepah at 170 miles, I’d want to be patient and keep a light touch on the throttle.

I passed several interesting sites including lava, a base station for something, and cows. It’s not a desert in the way you might imagine. There is growth. But low and with almost planted regularity. There are times when I can almost see rows amongst the brush.

Tonopah is a moderately sized burg. I filled up (4.05) and picked up some more water for my camelbak. Took a bathroom break (it’s amazing how quick you can pee on the side of the road 🙂 ). I headed out. Next stop, California.

In Brandon, I stopped for gas. Rita had remarked on how often I stopped. Yea, she’s still big brothering me :rolleyes:  Gas was 5:55 a gallon. Since I’m getting a couple of gallons each time I stop, it doesn’t seem such a big deal. Maybe I just want to ride 🙂

Heading north on 120 was pretty cool, especially since 120 was closed and we had to take a detour 🙂 Fun road up to 395. Lots of nice twists and little traffic. The lake was busy with boaters.

It has been somewhat warm for a bit. As I head up 395 to The Yosemite turn, the temp starts dropping again. I pull off to a rest area and put on my rain coat as a wind block.

As I’m gawking at the Sierras to the left and the lake to the right, I see a California Highway Patrol car on the shoulder… Way too late, but I slow as he begins to take off. I’m doing 55 waiting for him to either wait for me to go by, which I did, or maybe he didn’t get a reading and was going to follow to track. I know the street sign radar only gets me at the last second if at all.

Anyway, no ticket, yea for me 🙂

At the entrance gas station, I ran into a group of guys who just came down from Yosemite and they said the temps were fine and Tiova Pass was open. Woo hoo

I filled the tank and headed on up. Of course it got cool on the way up and over. The views were pretty and I stopped in a few places for pics.

I continued through Yosemite to the other side. In Priest, the county built a replacement very twisty to replace a straight down road with a low weight bridge. I headed down the twisty road. A car in front of me pulled over. I gave her a nice wave but the pickup at the front declined to pull over. All the way down. I wasn’t too irritated. I could see the driver laughing and looking back. Meh though. I didn’t push it and didn’t pass on the yellow. At the bottom I passed him and headed on my way.

At the Sonora/Oakdale turn, I called my cousin since she’d called me. We exchanged messages before actually speaking. She gave me directions and off I went. I did make a wrong turn but did get here.

I changed clothes, cleaned and lubed the chain, checked the oil, and checked out the new born foal (about a week old).

My two cousins and I chatted for several hours about family before hitting the sack.

High temp, 91.7 degrees.

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Riding around the block

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Freejack

Sun May 20th

After spending a week tuning the packing on the ‘busa, plus putting everything in plastic. The ‘busa is ready for the trip.

Sunday morning at 6:30am, I’m off.

Rt 14 is closed due to the fire so I take Stove Prarie Road which connects above the closure. Stove Prarie is an excellent twisty road and runs through some heavy woods before connecting with 14.

The ride up to Cameron Pass is spirited but uneventful. There is snow on the side of the road on the way up and snow around the parking area but my gerbing gloves (unheated), heated grips, sweatshirt (under the stitch)  and raincoat (over the stitch) do their job.

Coming down the other side is awesome with the snow covered peaks so close you can touch them (even though the trees are 1″ tall). Walden is open and a rider and his wife are at the station. He tries to start a conversation but I guess he doesn’t wear ear plugs as I can’t hear him well. He bailed before I was done so I couldn’t chat back. Especially since he and his wife rode from Virginia on the Goldwing.

Coming down Rabbit Ears pass into Steamboat springs gives you a high view of the lakes. The town itself is what you might expect from a ski town trying to be relevant off season 🙂

Not much else to add until Utah. I continued on 40 until I got to 191. The ride to 191 in Utah was filled with 50 mph roads, strip malls, strip garages, and physical labor companies (construction for example).

191 south was awesome. Long sweapers, light traffic, and tightening up as you got to the end, just like 191 in Arizona (which I’m hitting on my way east). It started out a little barren, sparse with stunted trees widely spaced. As you head south, it gets more and more wooded to the point that there are large trees lining the road. Then to come upon a coal processing center, very tall and stark. It’s breathtaking.

The ride to Mt Pleasant was through some excellent roads. Not real twisty but just pretty and fun. The smells, pine, sage, aspen, just reminded me why I love to tour.

I was taking my time, getting up to 50mpg (averaging 48). Sure it was slow, but still awesome.

Coming into Nephi I was starting to look for my stopping place. It was 6:30pm and I’m still 30 minutes from Feamington. Unfortunately, no campground, or even motel popped up until Delta. And I wasn’t willing to hit the hotels yet. After chatting with Rita, I decided to continue on towards Ely Nevada on the lookout for a campsite.

It was to be a two hour ride (120 miles to Ely) but a sign said next services in 89 miles.

As the sun set, the dry lakebed to my left looked to be full of water even though earlier it was white, salt maybe. An interesting effect. I kept an eye out for animals but any I got close to headed for the hills well before I got there.

At the border between Utah and Nevada is Border. A gas station, motel, and RV park. After filling up, I asked if he had a campsite. Sure enough, $5 got me a dry camp. By 10pm, the tent was up and I was in my sleeping bag.

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Preparing For Touring

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Freejack

Getting ready to head out on another bike trip. This time for some family visit (like two years ago) plus a wedding plus a coveted Mile Marker 1 for Rt 1 in Key West Florida.

So the first thing is to bring up my routing software to see how to correctly plan the trip. See where the stops are, see where I might want to camp. The trip is in May so I have to plan for warmer weather but with a chance of rain in places.

First stop seems to be the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The camp sites are all camper types so it might prove a little interesting. I’ll be able to get set up and go for a walk to get comfortable before hitting the sack and getting up bright and early Monday morning. Yep, instead of Saturday, I’m leaving Sunday morning. Saturday is Rita’s birthday and I want to take her out to dinner or something.

Second night will be in Twain Hart to visit family. From there to LA to visit my brother then San Diego to visit cousins and uncle assuming they’re available. Then on to Tulsa Oklahoma for a visit with my aunt then on to Florida for a day or two on the beach before the wedding. Then on to Key West and back to Orlando to visit with my younger daughter. From there to Deal’s Gap to Tulsa again and home.

That’s the estimated route. Riding through Nevada should be interesting and is a new route for me.

I have a new camp bed from last year when we drove up to Jasper/Banff in Canada. It’s a little longer than the old one but should be a much nicer one to sleep on (not slick so no sliding around when on a slight incline). The other items are my tent, tent poles, and of course the sleeping bag. I’ll probably stash that in the trunk.

Here are the saddlebags. I’ll need to check weights and properly distribute the gear. The heavier stuff should be lower to keep the center of balance low on the bike.

The right saddlebag has the motorcycle tool kit, electrical kit, plexus for the face shield and sunglasses, chain wax for the chain, and the misc bag with fuses, blue gloves, cable ties, etc.

The left saddlebag has a quart of Oil, Off, and WD-40 to clean the chain. The first aid kit is behind it and the air pump and flat kit in front.

This is the tank bag. It’s actually a tri-bag but the thing is a bit too high and floppy to use all three items so I generally leave the middle bag home. It tends to lean to the left most of the time which is annoying. I also cut off the backpack straps. The nice thing is it has four side pockets for my electronics (iPod, Autocomm, Boostaroo, etc) or other misc stuff.

The bag is mostly a catch all. Maps, camera stuff, disc locks, foam ear plugs. I’ll also have a couple of bags of nuts, sunglasses case, reading glasses, etc. It’s essentially the glove box on the bike.

Tail bag. This’ll have clothes mostly; jeans, socks, t-shirts, etc. All bagged in a plastic bag for protection.

Camp pillow (it actually scrunches down pretty small but you leave it expanded when not traveling so it retains the ability to stay fluffy). Couple of flash lights (one’s a new tent light), bag of misc toiletries. Tent pegs.

I dropped the bike while making a turn in North Dakoka a couple of years back. It’s gradually expanded so I figure I need to address it. I applied fibreglass to the inside and left it to cure overnight. I put it back on once dry. I figure it’ll take a few more days to fully cure but it should be good for now.

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