Day 1,2 and 3
It was a beautiful day for a trip.
82 cool degrees.
To document my start mileage.
Arrived in Texas around 10AM.
Where it was 101.
A nice shady roadside park.
I got a room in McKinney,Tx and I was tired and very hot!
I slept like a brick and woke up very rested.
This is how I make my La coffee when I travel.
Just a shot of how well my detachable luggage works out for me.
These are from Day two:
Yep,thats 109.
I found some shade and took advantage...pics and water!
See the two 1 litre bottles I am now carrying? It still wasn't enough!
All at a shady roadside park..101 in the shade.
I sat under this underpass for 30 mins trying to cool down,111 for hours was just too much!
I got a room in Childress close to 4PM,totally overheated and dehydrated,I would spend the
next 4 hours trying to get comfy.
I slept well again and am ready to get the hell out of hell! I should be in the cooler Colorado mountains
this afternoon.
More later.
Day 3 was alot cooler!
A threat of rain as I rode through the cold front.
Temps went from 82 at Childress down to 69 at Dumas,
My jacket and gloves went on at about 75!
Mz Garmin led me through Amarillo via back country roads...my favorite kind!
Much better!!
Miles adding up.
Sign is still shot up 2 years later,see the hills in the distance?
At a roadside park
After the front passed the sky looked beautiful.
Day 4
Separate days may make viewing easier?
Always check your air pressure on every trip,every day! In Childress I had lost 10 pounds since home,
In Colorado this morning,I saw this:Click for a larger image.
Yep,a fn nail in the sidewall! Pressure was 52 and I had set it at 42,so I guess it was not through and through.
The front was 43 instead of 33. Temps and altitude change the pressure,so tire life means you check it before each ride.
Yep,we going thataway!
We're heading thataway!
Nice location for a home!
Waiting while a stinky cattle truck get's far ahead!
Arkansas River,with the rails following along.I'd kill for a ride on that RR!
Wanna buy an island in Co,PM me.
Telegraph pole no longer needed.
Isn't she sexy?
I like to follow abandoned Railroads,this was a main line with no side track,and I have seen these same cars there for years. Maybe a car history report needs to be done?
Way too much gear to enjoy a cool accidental douche!
A rock slide I just narrowly missed by 2 mins!
Still snow on them there mountain tops!
I got wet just after this pic,put on the rain gear,then it stopped!!
That's what a real room looks like,microwave,icebox,coffeemaker,computer desk,tv chair,I think I will contest the CC purchase at the Pueblo Microtell jail cell!!
Day 5
Steve suggested I check out the 103 yo RR Depot at grand Junction,Co
Newer Depot,still looked abandoned.
Old 103yo depot.
Newer....
But newer must be Amtrak?
She was running when I got there,but tied down as I left...never saw the engineer.
An old Burlington Northern Caboose in the yard.
Track side of newer Depot.
Old Depot facing away from present tracks.
Roadside front of newer Depot.
I took US50 heading to Utah and got to this:
Washed out/gravel and dirt at the Utah state line.
I turned around not knowing what to expect down the line and I needed fuel.
I took Co139 north and glad I did! 70+ miles of twisties,and really had fun riding those.
The road was dawn in a canyon following a dry stream with one mountain pass that had
many 15mph switchbacks,I was in a groove and the loaded bike handled great,
Utah apparently thinks this road is worth maintaining.
Day 6 Saturday
I had a great day,the scenery was awesome! I was heading for Idaho Falls,but decided Jackson Hole,Wy was closer to get a room for the night......HUGE mistake on my part!
This whole area is a white water rafters dream and ALL the Hotels,Motels,Cabins,Bed and breakfasts were all full. I had to backtrack a hundred miles or so to find this room. Eleven hours of seat time and I'm tired,so I'll post some pics and maybe come back later and add some text.
Enjoy:
Remember...you can click a pic for a larger version,and you can click that for the full size,back button to go on.
Fun twisties!
A few shots as I ride.....
I saw this sign a few times as I zig zaged to Idaho and back.
Cool old building!
Day 7
I took the day off and just traveled to a larger town to do a few things.I rode around Idaho Falls and the countryside,then called it a day.
No bullet holes!!
A few shots of what I see.
Dave calls these misfires.
Day 8
No miles or pics today folks,it was errand day.
Had to do laundry and pick up supplies.
I did add up my fuel MPG's,not bad at all:
51.68@lufkin,tx
54.17@mineola,tx
48.13@lincon park,tx
50.68@crowell,tx
39.40@childress,tx
52.71@amarillo,tx
45.18@dalhart,tx
52.06@raton,nm
51.09@salida,co
52.94@montrose,co
55.38@loma,co
56.25@rangely,co
49.62@manila,ut
56.77@randolf,ut
58.86@afton,wy
52.32@alpine,wy
57.7@ririe,id
Day 9
It was 42 degrees this morning! The high is predicted to be 82.
More later....
Out of order,but a misfire all the same!
43 when I headed out,I was cold and shivering,shoulda layered up!
Warmed up some after 1pm.
This has to be the longest,straightist 2 lane I have ever been on!
I took a video here of this stream and if I can figure out how to post it I will,dead quiet with justthe babbling stream.
Simple,cheap and dependable!
another misfire.
The farthermost northwest I have ever been on a bike trip!
Misfire yeah,but pretty much what I see from my riding position.
Day 10 Wednesday
I left Missoula headed to Glacier National Park,it was a chilly 47 degrees!
One of the last pics I took.sometimes they load out of sequence,look close and there are 2 mountain goats.
Parked traffic up ahead.
Day 11 Thursday
Garmin Mapsource screen shot of my travels so far.
I'm in Shelby,Mt and it is 50 degrees this morning.
Temp at 10 AM.
A few ducks in one of the many marshy spots along US 2.
Wheat field.
I saw way too many of these construction red lights in Montana!!!
An abandoned road bridge at a rest area.
This was next to the bridge and very close to the river.Some kind of kiln??
Big dog on the MH dashboard,Steve,seem familiar?
I'm in Glasgow,Mt on US 2 east.
Day 12
It started out to be a great days ride...down through the Badlands of ND and SD.
The temp was still a little chilly
This caught my eye on the way out.....Great sign!
There was a 30% chance of rain and I just missed it....till later that afternoon.
Blurry,I know ,but that's Barley,Budweiser Beer Barley! I spoke to a farmer,when I stopped to ask him how to tell wheat from barley. Wheat is a grain,like a kernal of rice,barley has a fluffy head,besides that,they look alike.
10 miles after this my day went from OK to the worst ride ever.
I took US 85 south,because Google said it was a great Badlands route.
20 miles of construction,detours,gravel,dirt,sand,and mud.
After that hell,I r,ode on,thinking all is better again,WRONG!! another 16 mile of construction and it started raining to boot!
I made a U turn and tried to get a room at 4 places,all had No Vacancy!! I now know where all those zero road workers were staying.
I asked Mz Garmin to take me to lodging and that was a mistake,caused she took me through more mud,sand,gravel,and NO Vacancy's.
I was plenty PO'd by this time.
I decided to head north again for a big town,sure to have plenty of rooms.
Days Inn,Minot ND,169.95+ hotel tax(I paid 32.00 last night)
The room is filthy and I took pics and WILL dispute this credit card purchase!!!!!!!!!!!
I know your day was way better than mine!
North Dakota is now officially on my shit list.
Tomorrow will be day 13.........maybe I need to rethink that one?
I forgot to mention,these were all 2 lane roads,my favorite roads,BUT I was overrun with 18 wheelers!
gravel haulers,oilfield tankers,dead heads,etc.
Day 13
Today was way better in ND!
I found a nice 2 lane back road with no traffic,it took me into SD proudly.
Tethered to my cellphone and pics won't upload.
I'll try again tomorrow,stay tuned!
After that motel scalping I had in ND I high tailed it south.
These wind farms are humongous! I drove 11 miles to get through this one!
Sunflowers...I wonder how the harvest them??
Just a few shots of the differing sights along the way.
Day 14Sunday
I told Mz Garmin I wanted to go to Sioux Falls,Sd,and to please avoid major highways.
She gave me a very pleasant 2 lane ride down south.
It was a very nice 80 degree day!
This is how you beat the no smoking rooms.
I "borrowed' a few ears of South Dakota corn for supper.
I did just under 300 miles today,for a planned early room/rest.....looked for over an hour for a room with an outside door.
Day 15 Monday
I went through 3 of these wait till they let pou pass,no mud or sand tho!
It threatened to rain all morning,but I made it,high and dry!
Very windy and bad roads,gravel shoulders ,I took only 3 pics!
I'm in Fort Dodge, Iowa....waiting on a Pizza delivery.
Day 16Tuesday
I awoke to some heavy thunderstorms,I don't know if I will be able to travel today.
This is a screen shot of my trip up to today(Thanks,Newton!)
It did clear up and I rode out about 9Am CST,a beautiful day for a ride.76 to start.
I didn't know the Duke was from Iowa!!
This is where he grew up,a very modest house!
Good poster!
Blurry,but it was a good likeness.
Those of you who know me,know I like old abandoned Railroads,this caught my eye after I followed an apparent ROW.
I made a U turn and pulled into the limestone parking area.
The cabosse was in poor shape,water damaged.
Out of sequence,but just after I got into Missouri.
looking north at the state line.
I got a room for the night in Kansas City,Missouri.
More later....
Day 17
It started out great,about 82 degrees.
Getting out of Kansas City without using the many interstate roads that leave here was interesting,to say the least!
Mz Garmin did OK at first,then she wanted me to go to each towns center,then get me back on the main road.
That got me lost as hell and very turned around!
I finally canceled the route and set my sights for US 71 and got more on track.
I'm shooting for Blanchard Springs Caverns,near Mountain View,Ar for tomorrow.Maybe catch some local live music while in MV!
103 since noon finally caught up with me at 330 PM,got a room in Pittsburg,Kansas.
Day 18
I saw all the devastation from the tornado that hit Joplin,Mo not too long ago.
Hwy 62 from Gateway,Ar to Eureka springs was very steep and twisty!
Hot tar snakes in the road cracks in 15MPH switchbacks,severely mess with your cornering ability!!!
Extreme South west Missouri.
Not what I see on Louisiana rides!
I followed these abandoned rails for miles,I decided to stop,smoke and take photos.
A local stopped to check on me,I asked how long the rails had been abandoned,he said about 18 years!!
A cool front passed and it was not bad.
OK, Blanchard Caverns tomorrow,then,say like Forrest Gump,I think I;ll go home now.
Day 19
I woke up and decided I had had enough and wanted to go home.
9 hours and 430 miles later in 102 degree heat,I got home at 530PM
GPS showed a total of 5318 miles,odometer showed 88 more than that,but I had forgot to reset the GPS a few times and when I remembered I lost a few miles.
When it cools off,I'll be headed back to Arkansas for another ride.
