If you read my trip blog

I'm starting to write my book proposal and I want to include some parts of the blog. Are there any stories you can remember that were funny or a good description about riding? I figure if you can remember some part, it would have been one of the better parts.

Thanks!

Here's one and thanks for the comments on my Ignacio trip

August 2001. I’m heading to Sturgis ND from Detroit where I was living at the time. I had been watching a storm for the last 24 hours coming towards Chicago but not moving too fast. Oh well, I thought the morning I was ready to leave, if I can just ride through it to the other side no big deal. As I got closer to the Benton Harbor (east side tip of lake MI) I could see that this was not going to be a simple drizzle. In fact the sucker was a huge circular front just hovering over the tip of lake MI.

I blasted into this downpour with a leather jacket, the Michigan winter type leather jacket, and leather chaps. The wet leather jacket felt like 100 lbs. At times I felt like I was water skiing I was spitting out so much water , even with the windshield. I am not sure how I was able to see with water on both sides of my glasses. Cars where pulling off on the shoulder. After what seemed like I couldn’t take anymore I headed up the next off ramp, not knowing what I was going to do because there was no waiting this one out. As I was getting in line on the off ramp with the other cager’s two motorcycles went skiing past me on the highway at 80 miles and hour.

One of the guys was in a Ultra. Nice and protected as you can be on a motorcycle. The other was on a chopper. No windshield, Jacket undone flapping in the wind. The site of that I will never forget. Instantly it clicked that this was the motivation I needed and I turned into to follow them. We all finally got to the other side of the storm and to see the sun again just in time to get jammed by the Chicago traffic. As we sat there I learned that they had just left from Windsor Canada that morning. They must have been just behind me. I laughed because I will never forget their names Ion and Trevor. How much more Canadian can you get.

That’s one story, let me think of another. Let me know if you can use it.

TD

Actually I meant if you remembered a part from my blog, but I like your stories. They're helping me remember more about some stuff I didn't write. I love being able to see the storms from far away in some parts out west. That doesn't happen here. The mountains are too close together. I'd be riding and wondering if I was going to hit a storm, and then the road would turn and I'd graze right by. Highway 50 in Nevada was like that. Utah too. And then going down into New Mexico.

Ok, I screwed that up :roflmao: :roflmao:

Throw your blog link back up cause I can't seem to find it.

Thanks,

Hi Abbey,

I spent some time today going through your blog. I concentrated on your cross country bike trip and here are the things I liked;
July 24 and 25 are good since I know those areas.
I laughed at the “large Farm apparatus” in Idaho. I think that was July 26 or 27.
July 29 is a good story about you. I cried … just kidding ,
I remember trying to find Dudley Perkins once in San Fran too. Found it after it had closed and then circled several times trying to find the 101. People start to notice a guy on a loud bike who is lost. I hate cities when I'm on the bike and I will say that about San Fran too.

I liked July 31. Things seam to be getting better. I still don’t understand why I keep taking route 80 and not 50 through NV.

I really like Aug 2.

You are right about the familiar feelings and experiences we feel when we are out on our own. I think when you are with a group, for some reason you don’t worry as much about being stranded in bad situations like a crazy city or out in the middle of nowhere in a storm etc. The feelings you get are magnified when you are by yourself.

I’ll try to read more later. Good job.

Tom

You HAVE to do 50 through Nevada. It wasn't the most awesome scenery on my trip, but it was the whole experience. The solitude of it combined with the scenery was incredible. You feel like you are one of very few people in the world out there. If you ever want to get away from it all, that's the place to go.

Now I have to go back and look at the days you mentioned. I think August 2nd was after my night in Ouray. That was a great day, even if I did lose my rear brakes at 10,000 feet and got caught in the wicked thunderstorm in northern New Mexico. I think that was that day.

Ya gotta ride US50..it's an awesome road. Something like 7 mountain passes between Carson City (south of Reno) to the Utah border. It was just repaved a couple of years ago and is in great shape. Plus..not too much traffic and no big rigs. I've ridden it at least a dozen times going to Colorado and back from California and never tire of it. Just ask Red Rider!

Yep, you nailed it, Abby, for the serenity of the ride on HWY 50. Just know that all the paved roads off it, going north and south, are also wonderous and have FAR less traffic than 50 - if you can imagine that. Gone from Austin to Battle Mountain and saw ZERO other vehicles on the road.

Being a bit of a misanthrope, Nevada is perfect for me! Love the Great Wide Open.

I looked at some of those roads and they scared me. Those just aren't the kind of roads you would turn down without knowing exactly where they are going - and have some extra food and water, just in case. I can imagine the vultures keeping an eye on anyone out there.

They are lonely roads, but surprisingly in good shape. Ya just have to check that they don't change over to gravel - which can really suck - but NVDOT is pretty good at noting which roads become unpaved on the standard maps. Those are some great rides!