When I am on a road trip especially on a motorcycle I love crossing a state line and it’s even better if I have never ridden in that state before. Recently I found a web site where you can create a map of states visited. http://www.epgsoft.com/VisitedStatesMap/ so I made a map and noticed that I had ridden in 25 states and thought about the possibility of riding my motorcycle in 49 states (No roads to Hawaii) before I get too old to ride or am called home by the Father. The planned summer trip will pick up two to four more depending on the route so looking at the map I saw Kansas, only a few hundred miles from Denver and not on the summer route so off I went last Sunday and had a great ride while increasing the state count to 26.
Robbie told me a story about our dog Scooby who is obsessed with getting one of the bunnies that roam free near our home. She was walking him one day and dropped the leash and told him to get the bunny. He was off like a flash and out of sight before she knew it. As she walked around the buildings she found him (no bunny carcass in sight) catching his breath and very willing to go back to the routine of the leash. He was very happy to have had the time off the leash but ready to go home. I think I am like that silly dog; I love my life and can’t wait to get home after work to be with my wife and son. Home is a safe place filled with love and joy for me and I hope the same is true for you as well. But every once in a while I need to be off the leash and for me that almost always means time on the motorcycle. Last Sunday was an off the leash day for me, I took a ride with no place in particular to go and the thought of adding Kansas to my list of states was not planned. I got out the door and just need to “Chase the bunny” when I came back I was tired and need to warm-up leftovers but it was worth it. I was happy to be home and would have been happy if I hadn’t left home at all that day. But because I went I had the joy of getting that bunny.
I am not saying Men are Dogs but as men we need some time off the leash and so do our dogs.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Can you be too careful?
The battle between good and evil (spring and winter) in Denver continues… Wednesday in the 70s and snow on Thursday Friday, Saturday and Sunday nice and snow again on Monday, last weekend we switched up the days because of Noah’s soccer game and work I didn’t ride on Saturday and went on Sunday instead. I got a late start because one of Noah’s friends from third grade was being baptized so our family went to church with them to celebrate and it was great. After church I rode and Robbie and Noah went to a BBQ with the family. While there the boy’s dad was asking Robbie where I was riding and she said she didn’t know. It is not that she doesn’t care or that I don’t want her to know it is because I don’t plan the day rides I just go until I see a road that looks interesting and take it.
When she said she didn’t know he went on to give a lecture on their family rule where everyone knows where everyone is all the time in case of an emergency. In general I agree with that idea, we always want to know where Noah is since he is nine and I like knowing where Robbie is because I am responsible for being the family covering and I always let the family know where I am and if I am going to be later than expected.
When it comes to adventure, part of whole point is that it is not “managed” with the possibility of untold mystery around the next corner and that is simply not possible if the route is preplanned. I am not saying that the other dad was wrong, he is like most men who want to stick with what they know works, that bad of well used talents, gifts and coping skills. That is a predictable way to live and as long as al your problems are smaller than your skills you have nothing to worry about – reality check… If today’s problems are larger than your skills just wait. Life will sooner or later drop something on you that you can’t handle on your own that is where faith comes in and like anything if you don’t use it you lose it. I am not saying you can lose your faith or salvation, but if you never go to the gym you can’t just walk in and bench press 400lbs.
I think that men should take small adventures to “exercise” faith in small ways and get used to living a less managed life so you can enjoy a more vital relationship with God. Just like the weights if we do not have regular times with God where you are outside of you ability to manage life it will be very hard to trust Him or even recognize Him when things go wrong.
So Robbie and I don’t know where I am going when I leave for a ride and my marriage, life and walk with God are the better for it so yes I believe you can be too careful.
When she said she didn’t know he went on to give a lecture on their family rule where everyone knows where everyone is all the time in case of an emergency. In general I agree with that idea, we always want to know where Noah is since he is nine and I like knowing where Robbie is because I am responsible for being the family covering and I always let the family know where I am and if I am going to be later than expected.
When it comes to adventure, part of whole point is that it is not “managed” with the possibility of untold mystery around the next corner and that is simply not possible if the route is preplanned. I am not saying that the other dad was wrong, he is like most men who want to stick with what they know works, that bad of well used talents, gifts and coping skills. That is a predictable way to live and as long as al your problems are smaller than your skills you have nothing to worry about – reality check… If today’s problems are larger than your skills just wait. Life will sooner or later drop something on you that you can’t handle on your own that is where faith comes in and like anything if you don’t use it you lose it. I am not saying you can lose your faith or salvation, but if you never go to the gym you can’t just walk in and bench press 400lbs.
I think that men should take small adventures to “exercise” faith in small ways and get used to living a less managed life so you can enjoy a more vital relationship with God. Just like the weights if we do not have regular times with God where you are outside of you ability to manage life it will be very hard to trust Him or even recognize Him when things go wrong.
So Robbie and I don’t know where I am going when I leave for a ride and my marriage, life and walk with God are the better for it so yes I believe you can be too careful.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Closer to the summer trip.
This week several things happened or were completed to be ready for the July trip.
I found my next and hopefully last piece of luggage… A super large tank bag http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product.php?productid=145&cat=31 and some pieces of clothing… Riding pants, a Sherpa neck sock and better cold weather gloves which all were tested on Saturday, the weather man promised a great spring day with temps in the 60s and no precipitation. In Denver that was correct but the mountains it was a different story so ½ my day was spent watching snowflakes float over my windshield which was a first for me motorcycling in the snow is truly surreal I wish a had a camera, and the looks we got from people in cars who thought we were a bunch of nuts. The new gear kept me warm and dry, in fact the ride was quite comfortable until I came off the mountain and was almost too warm which is a strange problem to have on a motorcycle.
I just heard from my brother-in-law who is coming on the trip that his motorcycle is repaired. It had been making a loud chirping noise and the local dealer wanted 100.00 to find the problem and 90.00 per hour to repair it once they knew what the issue was. Phil found a local guy who works out of his house or will come to you (If you are in the Denver Area) and he was in and out in 45 min and the noise is repaired for only 20.00. Found him on Craig’s List – you have got to love the Internet.
Once the Tank Bag arrives it will be time to practice packing and do a few test rides fully loaded. It is clear to me that men, OK I am just as obsessive as expectant mothers who will wash and put way the baby’s clothes several times before the baby is even born. So here I am 13 weeks before we leave trying to decide the best place to mount the tent on the motorcycle. I may have motorcycle OCD. When I took my original cross country motorcycle trip I left 2 or 3 days after deciding to take the trip so the only real prep work is new sprockets, chain and sparkplugs. Strapped what I had on the bike and off I went. The first indicator that I hadn’t thought it through can a half a day out when I arrived at the edge of the dessert as the sun rose on a day where the temperature would hit 125. Didn’t think to leave LA in the afternoon so I could cross the dessert at night… That would require planning. Who knows what this trip has in store for us but at least I have learned the lesson about not only having cold weather gloves and getting a sunburn on my hands in the dessert and then needing to put those gloves on swollen painful hands a day latter then the dessert was behind me and the weather turned. You just can’t have this kind of fun in a car.
The most significant milestone this week is the camp sites are booked which caused a slight change in the route. Rather than riding to the north end of Yellowstone on day 4 for a day or two and then moving to the south for a few days, all four night will be south near Jackson Hole, WY so the 4th day ride is longer but we don’t have to pull up the camp and move in the middle. That site puts us on the Snake River near the Teton National Park and about an hour outside Yellowstone. The thought is that Yellowstone is very crowded and the Tetons are less crowded. All the camps sites are private KOA type so they are near roads and have water, laundry and shower facilities. Not as cheap as the federal sites but ten days is a long time in whatever clothes you can carry and without a shower even for a bunch of men.
The New Plan:
July 10 – Denver to Custer, SD and stay 2 nights at Custer/Mt Rushmore KOA http://www.koa.com/where/sd/41107/
July 12 Custer to Hardin, MT and staying at the Grand View Camp Ground http://www.grandviewcamp.com/
July 13 Hardin, MT to Jackson Hole WY and stay four nights at Snake River Park http://www.snakeriverpark.com/index.shtml
July 17 Jackson Hole to Vernal, UT and stay at Dinosaurland KOA http://www.dinokoa.com/index.html
July 18 Vernal to Cotopaxi, CO and stay at the Cotopaxi / Arkansas River KOA http://www.coloradocampingkoa.com/
July 19 Return Home
Along the way we will visit Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower from Close Encounters, Yellowstone, Tetons, Raft the Snake River, Violate the speed limit in at least five states, six if we pop out of the west side of Yellowstone into Idaho, Have a Huckleberry Shake and maybe see a two headed calf or the 8th largest ball if tinfoil… You never know what’s around the next corner.
Well that is the ride and so far three of us are committed to this adventure, it is not too late to join in on all the fun just let me know if you are interested in riding with us. We could also use a car driver so the bikes don’t need to carry as much stuff but the trip will proceed car or no car.
Please share any travel tips, motorcycle packing, or anything we should see in that part of the country
I found my next and hopefully last piece of luggage… A super large tank bag http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product.php?productid=145&cat=31 and some pieces of clothing… Riding pants, a Sherpa neck sock and better cold weather gloves which all were tested on Saturday, the weather man promised a great spring day with temps in the 60s and no precipitation. In Denver that was correct but the mountains it was a different story so ½ my day was spent watching snowflakes float over my windshield which was a first for me motorcycling in the snow is truly surreal I wish a had a camera, and the looks we got from people in cars who thought we were a bunch of nuts. The new gear kept me warm and dry, in fact the ride was quite comfortable until I came off the mountain and was almost too warm which is a strange problem to have on a motorcycle.
I just heard from my brother-in-law who is coming on the trip that his motorcycle is repaired. It had been making a loud chirping noise and the local dealer wanted 100.00 to find the problem and 90.00 per hour to repair it once they knew what the issue was. Phil found a local guy who works out of his house or will come to you (If you are in the Denver Area) and he was in and out in 45 min and the noise is repaired for only 20.00. Found him on Craig’s List – you have got to love the Internet.
Once the Tank Bag arrives it will be time to practice packing and do a few test rides fully loaded. It is clear to me that men, OK I am just as obsessive as expectant mothers who will wash and put way the baby’s clothes several times before the baby is even born. So here I am 13 weeks before we leave trying to decide the best place to mount the tent on the motorcycle. I may have motorcycle OCD. When I took my original cross country motorcycle trip I left 2 or 3 days after deciding to take the trip so the only real prep work is new sprockets, chain and sparkplugs. Strapped what I had on the bike and off I went. The first indicator that I hadn’t thought it through can a half a day out when I arrived at the edge of the dessert as the sun rose on a day where the temperature would hit 125. Didn’t think to leave LA in the afternoon so I could cross the dessert at night… That would require planning. Who knows what this trip has in store for us but at least I have learned the lesson about not only having cold weather gloves and getting a sunburn on my hands in the dessert and then needing to put those gloves on swollen painful hands a day latter then the dessert was behind me and the weather turned. You just can’t have this kind of fun in a car.
The most significant milestone this week is the camp sites are booked which caused a slight change in the route. Rather than riding to the north end of Yellowstone on day 4 for a day or two and then moving to the south for a few days, all four night will be south near Jackson Hole, WY so the 4th day ride is longer but we don’t have to pull up the camp and move in the middle. That site puts us on the Snake River near the Teton National Park and about an hour outside Yellowstone. The thought is that Yellowstone is very crowded and the Tetons are less crowded. All the camps sites are private KOA type so they are near roads and have water, laundry and shower facilities. Not as cheap as the federal sites but ten days is a long time in whatever clothes you can carry and without a shower even for a bunch of men.
The New Plan:
July 10 – Denver to Custer, SD and stay 2 nights at Custer/Mt Rushmore KOA http://www.koa.com/where/sd/41107/
July 12 Custer to Hardin, MT and staying at the Grand View Camp Ground http://www.grandviewcamp.com/
July 13 Hardin, MT to Jackson Hole WY and stay four nights at Snake River Park http://www.snakeriverpark.com/index.shtml
July 17 Jackson Hole to Vernal, UT and stay at Dinosaurland KOA http://www.dinokoa.com/index.html
July 18 Vernal to Cotopaxi, CO and stay at the Cotopaxi / Arkansas River KOA http://www.coloradocampingkoa.com/
July 19 Return Home
Along the way we will visit Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower from Close Encounters, Yellowstone, Tetons, Raft the Snake River, Violate the speed limit in at least five states, six if we pop out of the west side of Yellowstone into Idaho, Have a Huckleberry Shake and maybe see a two headed calf or the 8th largest ball if tinfoil… You never know what’s around the next corner.
Well that is the ride and so far three of us are committed to this adventure, it is not too late to join in on all the fun just let me know if you are interested in riding with us. We could also use a car driver so the bikes don’t need to carry as much stuff but the trip will proceed car or no car.
Please share any travel tips, motorcycle packing, or anything we should see in that part of the country
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