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