Sturgis, So Far..........

For whatever reason, I just haven't taken any time to update Southern Comfort since leaving home last Friday, riding to Sturgis, SD. The plan was for an update every day or so, but I just have not stopped long enough to do any writing. There just always seems to be something new to do. For example, last night I was settling in, thinking about a late dinner and Charlie sent me a text that pole-dancing had started at the Full Throttle Saloon, so..........

But I digress.

Day One: I got away last Friday, leaving directly from work. I pushed hard, making it as far as Saint Clairesville, Ohio, before calling it a day. I hit rain between Frostburg and Morgantown, but not bad enough to slow me down. I reckon that early departure gave me about a 275 mile head-start. For reasons not worth going into, I ended up in a overpriced Econolodge which wins an award for just being crummy, but the room itself was clean, and there weren't many other options.

Day Two: Early start, and an uneventful ride to Champaign, Illinois, if you don't count the speeding ticket I got in Indianapolis. Just before cresting a hill, and as I was passing a semi, the driver blasted the horn several times. I waved. Turns out he was trying warn me about the radar trap on the other side of the hill. The cop, who was also riding a Harley, was cool and knocked the ticket down to something he said was a low-priced ticket, or at least one with fewer points. Could have been worse...was running 70-something in a 55.

Spent the night in Champaign, IL, which (a special thanks to Julie) turned out to have a Hooters, staffed by University of Illinois coeds!

I also learned that day that riding Big Blue gave me a little more range. Cushy riding and a fairing made the distance easier, so I set the bar higher for the next day, deciding to run for Sioux City, Iowa, which was 550 or so miles away.

Day Three was just a hard push, getting to Sioux City as planned after about 550 miles of riding. Iowa was a pleasant surprise, and not nearly as flat as I'd been told. From this part of trip on, I was seeing places I'd never been before. I also learned that just because Big Blue could go longer distances, that wasn't necessarily the case for me. I was stiff, cramped, and ready to get the hell off the bike by the time I got to the hotel.

Day Four: Finally a chance to lighten up and see something besides the interstate. I left Sioux City, heading west on route 20 through Nebraska on the two-lane. The route was predictably straight, and a little boring from time to time, but a pleasant departure from dodging trucks and minivans. I realized also that I had to start getting gas when it was available, and not waiting until I was low. This was a lesson I soon forgot!

I left route 20 and picked up 83 heading north in Valentine, NE, finally crossing into South Dakota in the Rosebud area, a stronghold of the Lakota Tribe, and the hometown of a great (and hot!!) friend of mine, Kathy.

With a half tank of gas left, I turned off 83 onto SD44 heading west through the heart of the Lakota lands. 44 is arrow-straight and lightly used. For miles on end, I was the only traveller and cruised along at a steady 80mph, enjoying the rolling hills and scenery. And watching my gas gauge drift lower. Light usage doesn't make 44 a hot spot to locate a gas station, and I was wondering for the first time if I'd have to use that emergency gallon of gas I was carrying in the saddlebag.

Just at the south entrance into the Badlands National Park, route 44 runs into Interior, South Dakota, and there's a general store and gas station at the crossroads. I was NEVER so happy to see a gas station. Big Blue was running on fumes, and using that emergency gas can had become a certainty. I vowed to fill up at every opportunity after that. Lesson re-learned.

From Interior, I rode into the Badlands National Park and into an area with geological formations like nothing I'd ever seen. Truly amazing, and a must-see if you get into the area. It was like being on Mars or the Moon.

From the Badlands, I rode into Wall, SD,, for the night, if for no other reason to hit Wall Drug Store.

And the next day I was heading for Sturgis. Stay tuned for more.

Cowboy, August 5, 2012

 

 

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Uno Mas

One more day. I brought Big Blue over to the condo last night so I can finish the loading this evening. I'll ride it to work and leave from the office about noon tomorrow (Friday). I'm not even sleeping well at night due to my level of excitement. It's been a long, long time since I was this excited about a coming event! Or anything else for that matter!

I talked to John last night, and he's with Bev at a truck stop somewhere near Des Moines, IA, and they are heading to Sioux Falls today. He's making great time pulling that big trailer. He'll get to Sturgis long before I will.

Linda and Charlie are now in Milwaukee, doing tourist-y stuff, and today are visiting the Harley museum  before heading out to Sioux Falls to hook up with John and Bev.

Linda and Charlie are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, and a big congratulatory shout-out to them! What a great couple! and what great friends!

I just listened to the weather report for today and it's probably good that I'm not leaving today. Rough weather up in the Pennsylvania area. Wind and hail. That will make it easier to wait another day. Well, sorta easy. I'm just itching to get on the road.

Cowboy

IV

Four days to go....Just four.

It's Monday. I didn't sleep a wink last night, due either to excitement or just a bug I picked up from someone. So I decided to stay home from the office and get some rest. Or at least that was the plan until about 10AM.

See, as I was leaving the garage last night, I stared back at my rear tire. I'd ridden the bike a little so the grooves were dark, but the outer tire surface was a dusty brown from rolling it into the garage. And there was a hell of lot more dusty brown showing than dark grooves. A closer look told me I had maybe a trip out with no worries, but I'd probably need a new tire on the way back. The front looked serviceable for the whole trip.

So at 10 this morning, I called a local outfit, Coleman Powersports in Falls Church, VA, and spoke to Gary in Parts. They didn't have the Continental in stock that was on Big Blue, but he did have a Metzler M880 and said they could do the install today if I brought the bike in. I figured I could either sit here and rest or sit at Coleman and rest, and getting something done while resting seemed like the best course of action.

Off I went....

On the way over, I wondered about having a mismatched set of tires, or having one wearing out sooner than the other. Tires ain't a good think to gamble with on a scoot, and especially not when you're a long, long way from home or a HD dealer.

At Coleman, the service guys got me right up in line (first come, first served) and Gary got my tire for me. I asked the service guy about a price for mounting front and rear instead of just one, and the price break for two was pretty decent. And a quick trip back to Gary revealed they had the matching front tire in stock, so the decision was sorta made for me. Make it a double!!!

A couple hours later I was riding back out the garage door with a new set of tires on Big Blue, and a little more peace of mind during the ride. Deeeeeeep grooves on those Metzlers.

I'll offer a shout-out to Coleman Powersports. Great people, and they gave me a decent price for the tires and mounting. $426, out the door. They've got the place in Falls Church, and another in Woodbridge, Virginia, down near Potomac Mills Mall. And it didn't hurt that there's a cute reddish-blonde girly walking the hallways there. Not that I noticed.

In other news, Linda and Charlie are touring Chicago after a day's stay in Maumee, Ohio, gradually making their way to Sturgis, with the next stop planned for the Harley museum in Milwaukee.

And Beverly and John are still at home....John may actually still be in bed. But Bev has the trailer loaded and swears they're leaving tomorrow.....LOL

Cowboy

PS - To slow down (end, maybe?) some of the nagging from Chuck, I filled the gas can.  Just sayin'.....

SIX DAYS TO GO!

SIX DAYS TO GO!

Last minute family-related issues have knocked out my riding partner, so I'm now riding solo to Sturgis, and come to think of it, that's how it was originally planned. Things have come full circle. And this gives me a half-day earlier start, so instead of rolling out early Saturday, I'm leaving Friday afternoon at 1PM from my office in downtown DC, six days from now. It might even be 5-1/2, not that I'm counting.

Yep, DC's the start point, and what a transition it will be. From a granite and glass office building, just blocks from the White House, to the wide-open party going on in Sturgis, South Dakota! I will figuratively and literally be traveling into another world.

I figure the 250 or so miles I cover in that extra half day takes some of the sting outa the three long riding days I have planned, and giving me a little cushion-time in case I have to wait out a thunderstorm or two. Or, as many friends joke about, the occasional tornado.

Great. I have a fucking tornado to think about!

As I write this, my friends Linda and Charlie are en route, spending their first night in Ohio, and Bev and John are loading up the trailer on Monday, I think, and hitting the road. I'm the straggler, and the only one of the crew riding the entire way, so I hope Big Blue takes good care of me. There ain't no one bringing up the rear!

I've spent the last few days gathering up odds and ends....things I might need on a lonely mountain road. I picked up a StopNGo tire repair kit that includes a compressor, a string tire repair kit for gashes instead of punctures, spark plugs, light bulbs, fuses, bailing wire, duct tape, electrical wire and a couple connectors, snap rings, nuts and bolts, JB Weld, tools, work gloves, flashlight, and spare brake and clutch levers. A first aid kit too. I also got one of those 1-gallon gas containers that fit into the rear of a Harley touring saddlebag. Now my left saddlebag is full to the brim with motorcycle repair stuff plus the first aid kit. I hope I never need to open the damn thing up.

I'm packing a bike cover on top of my tour-pack, not just to protect if from the elements, but also to hide the bike at night from prying eyes. No sparkly-shiny refections to catch the eyes of peeps passing by. I learned about this trick on the Southern Comfort 2010 ride. If I left my Softail Custom uncovered, there were always some people milling around it in the hotel parking lots, so I had to drag everything inside. But if I covered it up, no one paid any mind to it, and I was able to leave the bags on the bike. No, my cover for Big Blue doesn't have that Harley eagle on it. I don't want to advertise what's under there.

Up front there's a TomTom Rider 2 GPS and a waterproof iPhone mount, plus I mounted a cigarette lighter receptacle on the handlebar that I can use to keep the phone charged. If I want, I can pump some tunes from the phone to the Bell Shorty helmet via Bluetooth.

Mark at Patriot sold me a nifty new headlight bulb that he guaranteed would scare the shit out of any buffalo on the road.

So I have the tour-pack compartment and the right saddlebag left for an extra helmet, jackets, gloves, chaps, rain gear, clothes, and extra boots. Though it's overkill, I'll probably take an empty Saddlemen travel bag to carry all my t-shirts and treasures back!

There was also a critical fact omitted from this post when originally published. Charlie and Linda volunteered to take along a "Cowboy's Sturgis Supplies Tub" in their trailer, which contains an extra pair of jeans, a pound of decent coffee, plus ample supplies of non-alcoholic beverages and strawberry Twizzlers, none of which are likely to be available at the Buffalo Chip! I'll be set when I get there! Linda probably thinks there's medical supplies (Viagra?) in there along with hi-potency vitamins, clean socks and underwear, etc, but I left that stuff out so there was plenty room for Twizzlers.

Reluctantly, my S&W .357 will stay back in Virginia. Carrying was "iffy" since I don't have my carry-permit yet.

Now it's just a matter of laying everything out, running through the checklist, and packing the bag liners. Then on Thursday evening, I can begin loading everything. I actually want to load it now, but I'd just unpack it a couple times to make sure nothing's missing, so no sense in going through all that!

SIX MORE DAYS!

Cowboy

PS - Very best thoughts go out to Sol's Mom....Sol too. Hope everything gets sorted out, and Mom is on the mend. I'll leave Sol with the reminder that Sturgis will still be there in 2013.

T-10

I'm getting to the point where I almost can't stand it. I definitely have exactly the same feeling as a kid before Christmas when the kid just knows he's getting something he/she really wanted.

I've packed and repacked the saddlebag full of tools, duct tape, bailing wire, and a few parts.

I'm writing notes to myself to remember to fill that spare gas container.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've remapped the route, and especially the last day through the Badlands Park.

I've worn out the hotel sites revising reservations for the trip out. First I was leaving Saturday, then Friday, then Saturday, and now ?????

And this weekend, I'm going to start laying out all the clothes I'm going to pack. Once that's done, I'm screwed...there won't be a damn thing left to do but watch the fucking calendar!

I have been passing some idle time rebuilding old blog posts that lost all the photos, so at least that seems constructive. (I may even be halfway done!)

I'm even sportin' a new, pre-Sturgis tattoo that I've been wanting. Becky & Fred convinced me to get it here, rather than in Sturgis. They said if I got it out there, my arm would fall off. And that F'n Fred said getting the tat on the inside of my arm wouldn't hurt. Fred lies.

Sean Bajek, Saints & Sinners, Fells Point, Baltimore, MD

And one of these days, maybe Donna will come over and hang out! Where the hell is Donna, anyway?!?!?! I'm dating a beach bunny who sends me photos from seaside saying "Wish you were here!"

OK, nuff whining. In 10 days from right this minute, I'll be about 500 miles from DC and loving every mile of the Interstate. Even if it's raining and miserable-hot. I think.

:-)

Cowboy

Kayakin' Ain't Ridin', but it's Fun!!!!

The heat wave that's overwhelmed the mid-Atlantic states got the best of us, and even Linda and Charlie took a break from house-building. Linda came up with the idea of hitting the Shenandoah River for a little kayaking, which sounded like a damn good idea to me!

Linda and Charlie invited me up to their mountain in Rileyville, VA, where they have cabins for rent*, which are just awesome. One cabin is just steps from the river, while others offer a view of the Shenandoah Valley that just can't be beat. I drove up Saturday morning, hauling one of my recreational kayaks, which is perfect for a river when it's "boney". (that means low water in kayaker lingo)

I met Ashley, Caroline, Dave, Linda, and Charlie at their new home and off we went to the river. The water was even lower than expected, but the scorching temperatures drove us in to find whatever relief was available from the 104+ temps.

Now this was actually only the first or second time out in a kayak for our paddling beauties, Caroline and Linda, but they both took off like pros, not waiting for the grubby, sweaty guys. But soon we were all out on the river and having a great time. If you haven't tried kayaking, you're missing something!

We had plenty of time for fun on the way downriver, even spotting a bald eagle having lunch on the bank of e river. What an awesome sight, and this made the entire trip worthwhile.

And then we had more fun, finding an island in the middle of the river that offered a great spot to take another break.

It's also worth mentioning that, on a whim, I turned on my cell phone and was amazed that 1) there was any service available, and 2) that I was actually able to "check in" on Facebook from the middle of a river in the middle of fucking nowhere. Charlie was ragging on me as I waded out into the middle, cell phone held high, trying to get a little better connection. I can be such an idiot........

BUT! I was outdone, and if you don't count the eagle-sighting, the day's highlight was unquestionably Ashley stalking a young deer at the river's edge. Ash-man began crawling across the river and finally...well he sorta just rolled and wallowed closer and closer, not unlike a walrus! And the "walrus" observation was made by Charlie, his dad!! (I ain't taking credit for calling Ashley a walrus.) Finally, when he was almost eyeball to asshole (the deer's) the little guy took off.

All this was dutifully recorded on Ashley's iPhone by Dave, who we're sure burned up every byte of free memory the phone had, recording long after the deer disappeared into the woods. Stay tuned for the YouTube follow-up! LOL

And finally we had to call it a day. What a great time, and a great bunch of people to spend the day with. Next stop for some of us: Sturgis, South Dakota! We can't wait. Life is good.

PS - It's now T-19 and counting. 19 days until I roll out of Alexandria, heading for Sturgis.

If you look way, way out in the distance in this photo you'll see another kayak. That's Linda leaving us all behind....

Cowboy

* If you're interested in cabin rental in the Luray, Virginia area, email Cowboy and he can put you in touch with Linda.

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