Where the H*ll have you been?

I was on a friend’s blog and noticed he had not posted since July! I was shocked W.S.! That was until I looked here… D’oh! So, call me kettle. What have I been up to? Well, from a purely riding position, I have not really done anything save for one Denton bike night since the July ride below this posting. Since Sept, I have been on a deer lease, and have seen nothing except crows and zombie nighttime deer pics from the camera. I duck hunted one day and had two firsts, a hooded merganser drake and a woodie hen. These are detailed in photos below. The box blind has become my weekend place, and by ET standards is not too shabby. No central heat, kind of cramped, no plumbing, but again by ET standards, nothing out of the ordinary.

I hope to ride more, and the hunting has really hemmed up my budget, but in the spring there will be a little more cash, and with an aging hunting dog and poor luck at the lease this year I will have to really question if the hunting with its high price of entry is practical when competing against riding, family camping and kayak fishing.

Hunter was really resistant to get the birds we downed in the big water, but was a little more open to going in the mud for the woodies until he tweaked his hip pulling up a hind leg in knee deep mud. So, I have said for a few years that “I am really only hunting for him and when he is done I probably am too.”

Where will I ride next? MN is off the table until I am gold-wing- corbin-saddled wealthy, but I would like to try another trip to the west. Maybe a ride to my cousin’s place on the river.

Alt Vacation

As I mentioned, MN did not happen. The weather was horrible, and the logistics just did not work. The logistics failing mostly because I refused to stop & spend the night in Kansas and add two days to the trip.
Regardless, I have learned a few things in this ordeal. I am taking the Moto-Minnesota trip off of the table until when/if I ever own a gold wing. I went to Galveston, and in the heat, pushing for distance and not stopping much; I can cover 350 miles in 5.5 hours. And, my butt hurts. The sheepskin pad was helpful, but a $600.00 Sargent seat may be in the future. Again, I need to focus on the 300-400 mile per day rides over the 1000 mile per day rides.
I will look to the future to restrict moto-camping to spring, fall & winter. I have asked my wife to hit me with something heavy should I mention riding the ST to MN in the future.
To avoid the rain, I decided to go to Galveston Island. It was a hot ride. And it rained. I spent some time with friends and turned around to head back after two days of watching it rain on and off. The ride home through Houston was epic in the sense that at 5:30-6:00AM in rush hour traffic I was caught in the most violent thunderstorm I have ever ridden in. On I-45 I was trapped in the center lane at times riding in a foot of water, showered by arches of water from the surrounding vehicles unable to go faster than 20MPH with 100 foot visibility and unable to get off of the road. I assumed that my ticket was punched.
I rode out of the storm by the time I made the Woodlands, all the time just a step ahead of the developing weather. I made Huntsville and Sam Houston State park by 7:30AM. I used my parks pass to take a “natural” break, change clothes, drain the water out of my water proof boots and collect myself.
Traveling alone raised a few questions. One being, who watches your bike while you take extended “natural” breaks?
Regardless, I made it home again and spent the remainder of the break at the lake away from two wheels.

Not so Fast

So, here I am on the precipice of another MN trip… cancellation. This time, I have everything I need, gear, bike (in for repair at the moment), time off, etc. However, the one factor beyond my control, the weather, has stopped me in my tracks. The jet stream is in an uncharacteristically northern position laying a series of storm systems, one on the next, through the central USA. The weather has been odd to say the least this spring. Between severe tornado outbreaks, midwest flooding, severe drought in the south and west, one is left trying to decide where to go.

Why is this particular trip so hard? Well, geography I guess. From the southernmost state of the northernmost is a logistical problem if one is trying to beat the extreme heat and cold. In Texas prime spring riding begins in mid-February and runs through early May. In Minnesota, it can still snow in mid-May, and often on the fishing “opener”, and the remnants of the winter sand and rock salt still lay on the road. In June the temps in Minnesota are pleasant and in the 70’s and in Texas and much of the US south of Iowa already in the 100’s and high 90’s. Pick up in the fall, October is pleasant enough in the south, but in Minnesota the leaves are changing and snow by holloween is not totally uncommon. The last time I went grouse hunting up near Duluth in mid-October, it snowed all weekend.

Riding north, out of the heat is a possibility; however, the trip home grows hotter by the day. Last Wednesday in Minneapolis it was 103 degrees. On the days in the 10 day outlook it that it is not raining, the temps from Dallas to Minneapolis are consistent within a few degrees. 18 hours in the saddle in temps from the mid to high 90’s can be dangerous.

So as time runs out on the “Trans-country” I am left to find a new way to while away the next two weeks.

Yes, I am still here...

Well, another Holiday season in the bag. Not much going on but I suppose I am writing here so the TWAATFOG NATION (TFN) does not think this is a dead link. Was I limiting myself when I started this motorcycle blog so many years ago? I would like to think not. But I admit my travels have slowed since lost Rider Highway exited the two-wheeled plane and became a full time cager. It is not even a cool car, it’s a sedan.

Another shot at a MN trip? I don’t know. Funds will be an issue for the next 15 months since the Malibu has moved on to the other side. Its spot in the garage has been taken by another Honda, a CR-V with a fat payment that will all but kill me until AJ is out of child care. Speaking of moving on, we had put down a longtime friend over the Holidays. One of our dogs, Maggie, a 14-ish year old Sheppard mix was in poor health and it became her time. I wanted to publicly thank Dr. Wallace DDVM for her professionalism & compassion.

Truthfully, the only places I want to go, riding or otherwise are MN, Big bend/West TX, and maybe back to Galveston. BB/W-TX is a bit far to go solo, and can be dangerous if alone in the sense that if there were to be an accident the fire ants would likely get you before an ambulance would. MN is hard because 2/3 of the riding will be the commute. Also, the thought that you can never go home is ever present. The few people I want to see will be working which leaves be to my own devices during all week days. And the short riding season basically forces me to go between 6-15 and 7-31. G-town is cool but all of my friends have families and kids assuring I would get scolded for leaving them behind to pursue miles in the bike. When you look at a map of the US from a riders perspective North Texas is a black hole, a singularity for the over sensitive if you will.

Finally, for the last 24 months I have worked actively to expand my circle of friends and acquaintances. This has had mixed to crappy results. I have met a few people that have become good hunting buddies. On the Moto rider front, not so much. I thought I was meeting some good people but it was more like a handful of douchers and a thief. It is okay, riding is a solitary activity. If I meet someone along the way, fine, if not that is cool too.

Morning Ride to Lake Murray

I took a little “get out in the first cool air of the fall” ride this morning. I drove a fairly deserted I-35 North to Oklahoma and from Hwy 7 found my way to the Lodge of Lake Murray. Built in 1949, and looking as such, it was still in operation. I did not get to check out anything but the lobby. It was like I stepped back into time, way back.

The trip home was a little hairier. I-35 was busy. Texas DPS Troopers were all over the place, a menace really the way they kept racing in and out of traffic nabbing people for driving 5mph over. Really, I had the GPS and would not believe it myself had I not seen it. Welcome to Texas, I hope you brought your wallet.

Here are a few shots from the trip.

Wheels Turning ... in my head

Well, not just in my head. I hopped on the whistler (I guess the settled nickname of the ST1300 b/c the whistling sound the motor makes.) at 5:45am and ran the 125 miles to my mom's house to sit with her today. She had some neck surgery this week and pops needed to get into the office for a bit today. I snapped a pic of the Federal Pen in Seagoville when I stopped at a Prison-side-park to swap face shields from clear to tinted for the rising sun. I will call it Convicts at Sunrise.

Being on the road, knowing it will be 104 degrees today, had a euphoric feeling I have not had since big bend in May. It did not help that I had read a blog yesterday and today about a couple that had purchased and ridden a wee-strom from TX to Alaska & back in just over a month. http://2texans2alaska.blogspot.com/ All of the sudden a summer week in west Texas, although challenging, did not seem too tough.So, I am contemplating a winter trip somewhere, maybe back to big bend during the week between Christmas & new year's day. maybe a trip to do the things I was not able to do in May like the Indian lodge, McDonald, TERLINGUA, etc. The challenges will be different though. First, I have already been there (sort of) and am seeing in my minds eye the conversation with wife & child, me trying to sell them on this instead of being home during the winter break. Second, I will be solo, Lost Rider Highway having sold BOTH of his bikes. Ill show him though, I'll sell my duck boat and retire my dog, then he will be left with nothing but his own two dogs and his dad's new duck boat. Oh well. Finally, this costs money, and being right after Christmas the budget will be very strained.

However, the largest problem with BB in December is that accommodations are very hard to find. Camping space is competitive, hotels are spendy and the park will be crowded.
I may be able to compensate for some of this by traveling at a bit more of a brisk pace, thus camping less and consequently saving money. I felt that during the May trip I would have been happier covering 400-ish miles per day rather than the 250-300 we had averaged. we paced out days to kill a week, often determining distance by State Park locations. I have since learned that in west Texas camping is where you can find it. Campers are welcome in the city park at Terlingua, TX. There is no water or facilities but I am sure I can work something out. Also, instead of the Hill Country loop on the return trip, 2 additional days on the road, I will try the US 67 route to Ft Stockton & back. I will avoid most of the major highways and will see virtually none of the same scenery as I did in May.

Enough out of me. Any thoughts? Alternate trips? Since it will be the dead of winter may options seem to be south and southwest. That is like the local music scene here in Gun Barrel City, Country and Western.

UPDATE:

Lone Star Rally is off of the table. Too many people and no one to navigate the madness with. My G-town riding buddy will soon be turning his m/c in a jeep. I envy him a little. I felt the effects of my return trip from the lake in 102-110 degree temps through Saturday. A little cool air blowing in my face from a jeeps a/c would have been nice.

Gear Tidbits

Last month concluded the moto camping trip of the year. I doubt I will do anything that grand for some time to come. The trip highlighted a few gear issues. One, the bivy tent although light and relatively comfortable is no place to spend a lot of time because you can do nothing buy lay there. Sitting up is a challenge, and changing clothes is impossible. I think my out of doors wardrobe changes embarrassed a few of my neighbors. Another issue is that there is no indoor storage for my gear, including tank bag, moto-zipp bag, or panniers. Had it actually rained on us all of this would have sit partially exposed on the vestibule or just placed in the open wrapped in a tarp. I could never shake the thought of a peccary (javalina) destroying my new moto-zipp tail pack.

This has been remedied by the purchase of a CHEAP bass pro shops 7 X 7 dome tent scored on sale for 50% off at $29.99. Moto camping seems to be hard on tents, as evidenced by the wear on the REI bivy. This is in essence the disposable rain poncho of tents. I should be able to get all of my soft gear in this tent. Reviews are stodgy, but if I seal the exposed seams, along with the pre taped rain fly I should be okay in bad weather. I do not like the plastic floor, but it was $30.00, and I always tote an indian blanket anyway so I will never feel it.

The other MAJOR problem I had was no pillow! I was miserable for 6 days over this problem. I only slept moderately well on the last night, and only because I knew I would soon be able to buy a pillow. The very day I returned home I went to the Walgreens I had passed up the perfect pillow at a few weeks before and spent $4.00 on a pillow. The event was so traumatic that I am still looking for spares in the event I am ever without a suitable travel pillow.

The last gear tidbit I wanted to mention was my new Coleman LED lantern. I am still looking for a reading/tent light for my trips. I picked up the Coleman micro-hiker lantern ($20.00 at amazon) for this purpose. It is a great lantern but the light is uneven and there are hot & dark spots witch don’t work very well to read by. Having said that, this lantern is a step in the right direction. The major drawback is the switch. I routinely unpack this lantern to find that the “press to operate” switch has been triggered in the pack. I traveled with the batteries removed after the second incident. I am really interested in the Brunton Glorb sold on the Aerostich website, but for $35.00 I am passing for now.