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Beemer Beemer chicken deener!
please note. This ride report has been assembled from a series of blog posts I made almost in real time over this past spring and summer [2018] - which ultimately saw me riding back and forth (three times in total - 17,500 miles) across the United States and up into parts of neighbouring Canada onboard my G310GS fitted with the Rally-Raid Products 'Adventure' spoked wheel and suspension kit.
I trust this story and associated photographs will not only inspire by featuring highlights of some world class adventure riding destinations in North America, but also illustrate just how capable and versatile (and ultimately reliable too) this smaller BMW bike can be for this kind of day-in and day-out multi-terrain long-distance adventure riding... Introduction: first posted in April 2018... Catchy thread title huh? Yes, I've only gone and bought a bloody BMW... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XqwXXL7-XL.jpg photo. a brand new G310GS - currently already in pieces on the other side of the country... I have to say, I'm a firm advocate of Japanese engineering and technology when it comes to adventure and dirt/dual-sport bikes - they might not be 'cutting edge', but that's exactly why I like them - they're proven, reliable and they work - and I don't like spannering on bikes unless I absolutely have to. So taking a punt on a 'euro' ADV bike is going to be all very new to me! As a good number of you reading this may already be aware, over the past few years I've been involved with developing the Rally Raid Adventure [wheel and suspension] kit for the Honda CB500X, and at the end of 2015 - after I'd ridden one across the USA and back again - including the full length of the Trans-America Trail - I bought my own bike and fitted the spoked wheel and +2" suspension kit, and created what I consider is the best compromise (ie. a genuine 50/50 bike that is equally capable both on road and off) adventure bike, certainly for the kind of long-distance adventure riding I like to do all over North America. I've covered nearly 30,000 miles on my own CB now, and together with 12,000+ on that original Trans-Am bike, plus a good few thousand more on the UK development and demo bikes with John from Rally Raid, I consider myself pretty well versed in regard to that machine, and personally speaking have no intention of selling my own CB any time soon, or indeed ever... However, while I've been able to handle anything I've thrown at it, I would concede that in some really technical off-road trail conditions (such as the infamous Rubicon Trail adventure Juan Brown and I embarked on at the end of 2016), a 200Kg bike can prove to be a bit of a handful shall we say... So in that regard, I'm willing to give this new 'baby' BMW a try... especially as John (at Rally Raid) has been working on a series of similar wheel and suspension upgrades that I have fitted to my Honda, for the budget BMW - to give it the kind of high-quality on and off-road performance you'd expect from a brand that has built it's reputation on being 'adventure' ready, if not all that appropriate - especially the larger 1200cc ones! - but at least with this bike, the basic donor would appear to offer a lot of what the unicorn hunters are looking for? As a quick run-down of the basic bike shows similar overall dimensions to my own LEVEL 2 Honda CB500X - similar short wheelbase, ground clearance, 17/19" wheels and 7" of travel front and rear. However, where the 310GS immediately impresses is that is is a good 25Kg lighter in weight than the CB, albeit is also has around 33% less capacity and corresponding power from it's 313cc single cylinder engine, compared to the Honda's 471cc parallel twin. Fortunately, the six speed gearbox in the BMW offers a reasonably wide range of ratios, and it geared for cruising at around 70+mph, with a little more for over-taking (it officially tops out at around 90mph/140kph), so other than at high altitude and/or into a headwind, I'm expecting reasonable brisk on-road performance from the little tyke. And yes, I say 'expecting' because I've only actually ever ridden one about 200 yards in 2nd gear on a cold frosty morning in the UK last month - so I honestly have no idea how this bike is going to ride in comparison to the CB - although I have it on good authority from Adam Mitchinson (from Rally Raid Products) who rode one for over 5000kms in the Australian outback recently, that it's actually a very impressive trail machine, and immediately grows on you - much as the CB does. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wko56LMl07c So a couple of months ago I took a punt, and put a deposit on a brand new G310GS at a dealer in Virginia. The reason I bought one on the east coast is that my initial plan is to ride it back to California (where I'm based when I'm in the USA) across the country - on and off-road, proving it's all-terrain abilities much as I did with the original Rally Raid CB500X back in 2015 - sharing the experience with you here on the HUBB, and ultimately to then be in a position to compare and contrast just how well it performs in this sort of long-distance overland adventure role. Then later in the summer I'm going to be heading north of the border into Canada (as I did last year) to explore some more, and punctuating that trip with a series of all-terrain 'challenges' wherever I can - in an effort to offer you a longer-term appraisal of what it's actually like to live with this bike on a day-to-day basis, and hopefully entertain you all too with some photos and stories about the people and places I experience along the way... Of course, being that little bit smaller and lighter than the CB, I will also endeavour to push the boundaries between 'adventure' and 'dual-sport' even more with this new bike over the coming weeks and months - and am confidently optimistic that for a lot of weekender style adventure riders (of which most of us are if we're honest), this bike is actually going to be a near perfect compromise - in other words, BMW have already bestowed a traditional 'trail bike' with more comfort and refinement; while Rally Raid have further enhanced it's all-terrain ability with top quality suspension performance and a heavy-duty spoked wheel-set, together with key accessories such as a substantial engine guard. So for now, I'm going to have to sign off - since I'm still in the middle of packing everything I'm going to need to not only build/prepare the bike for the journey back west, but also the gear I'll be wearing and carrying with me (including my usual compact camping set-up) into the smallest luggage system possible - as not only do Delta charge per checked bag, but I really don't want to leave anything behind, nor have to shelp unnecessary stuff with me on the bike back home. I get the feeling this is going to be another epic adventure piglet - time to get in your papoose! More soon, Jenny x |
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Smaller bike - bigger adventure! Part of the reason I'll be racking up so many miles on this new GS this year is that I've committed to presenting a series of slide-shows and seminars at a number of overland events this summer all over the USA and Canada. Below is a list of those already scheduled, and if you're planning on attending any of these meetings and events yourselves, of course I'd be delighted to meet you - whether you're interested in the new BMW specifically, maybe want a few hints and tips for Packing Light, or are interested in the CB500X and how it handled my big trip last summer exploring the northern US states and Canada. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pBMCJFP-XL.png photo. My initial outline plan will include riding through all these States and Provinces over the summer, plus presenting at events (listed below) shown in dark blue - with more to be added as the year unfolds... April - Horizons Unlimited Virginia (Appomattox VA) 26-29th April 2018. This will be the US debut of my new AV presentation: Northern eXposure which features highlights from my extended trip through Canada and the northern/centre United States on my CB500X last year. It will also be the official debut for the Rally Raid G310GS kit in the US. May - Overland Expo West (Flagstaff AZ) 18-20th May 2018. Yep, less than a month later, I'll endeavour to be over at Overland Expo in Arizona, and you know what that means - another huge cross-country trip in between! July - Overland Adventure Rally (venue TBC. Ontario, Canada) 6-8th July 2018. The North American 'tour' will continue with my return to the Toronto area, and the Canadian debut of my Northern eXposure presentation. In addition, by then I'll have plenty of miles on board the G310GS, so will be able to offer a preview [presentation] of my travels with the bike so far... July - BMW MOA Rally (Des Moines IA) 12-15th July 2018. A week later is the annual MOA rally - this year being held in the middle of Iowa. The presentation schedule is still TBC at this stage, but you can expect to see Northern eXposure, plus a combined Q&A style seminar about the development of the Rally Raid GS kit, and my adventures with it so far... August - Horizons Unlimited Canada West (Nakusp BC) 23-26th August 2018. I'm really looking forward to revisiting and exploring more of British Columbia again this year - plus the opportunity to present at the Horizons weekend too of course! By the time I arrive in BC I will also have racked up a few more thousand miles on the little GS, and hope to have some entertaining video of my further exploration of Montana and Idaho - in conjunction with my good friend and esteemed YouTube videographer Blancolirio (Juan Browne). September - Horizons Unlimited California (Mariposa CA) 27-30th September 2018. Currently this is my last scheduled [presentation] event in 2018 - that is not including any additional dealer events, or the possibility I might head down to Baja with the GS in October... by now I hope to be able to debut a brand new AV presentation about this summer spent on board the new GS, piecing together the series of challenges together with some hopefully inspirational travel and adventuring. Hope to see some of you along the way! Jenny x |
Some new gear...
While the CB is still the star of my [current] Packing Light presentation - and the Northern eXposure slide/video-show too of course - I hope to have some new/additional tips with regard to my latest gear and packing set-up specifically for this new bike (particularly with regard to some additional fuel capacity for those longer desert sections out west...) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5SsKXGm-XL.jpg photo. New Icon Raiden gear - this is currently my favourite style of adventure/dual sport jacket - it just works so well. The boots are the new Patrol 2 (complete with 'Marty McFly' lacing) - very lightweight, so great off the bike too. Personally I prefer suede palm gloves - hence the Klim Dakar and my trusty Alpinestars wet-weather option. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...F5nPZVT-XL.jpg photo. Piglet gets a new papoose too! This is the Mil-spec Camelbak Mule - enough room for Piglet and my iPad, snacks, essentials, plus 3 litres of water and some maps. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nPDxWvF-XL.jpg photo. My constantly revised tool-kit. This year I've gone back to individual tools, based around a 1/4" drive ratchet. A few bodge-it spares, plus tyre-irons and a Bestrest compressor in the larger Kriega pouch. All this fits under the seat of my CB500X. Not sure how it's going to work on the GS just yet... I'll have a few photos of my luggage once I manage to work out how to stash everything I'm going to need to take with me on the plane without falling foul of the TSA rules! More soon! Jenny x |
Build preview... (from blog).
Ha - now that my friends, is what you might call 'moody' (in black)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mw7RzBp-XL.jpg ...and just wait until you see it with the tail-chop and the black spoked wheels - I can't wait to get my hands on it now! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HK6Mq3N-XL.jpg Well, its been a manic few days here in Roanoke... but the bike build is finally finished, and I got the chance to get a few miles in this evening on pavement and dirt to shake everything down... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9vQNLrv-XL.jpg photo. I couldn't resist hitting the dirt - with just 13 miles on the clock! There will be a full build report with plenty of photos to follow soon, but right now I really need to sleep... going to make a start on the Virginia TAT sections tomorrow! Jenny x |
Final packing...
On the CB all of my personal and camping equipment is contained in a Giant Loop Coyote bag, with all my tools including a 12v compressor stowed under the seat (and a spare tube tucked inside the left front fairing panel) which means the bike has tools and puncture kit on it at all times, while my luggage can be easily removed should I wish to trail ride unladen for a day for example. However, on this trip on the GS I'm experimenting with a second bag (the Giant Loop Rogue) as a completely separate holdall for my personal effects - clothes, wash-bag, sandals, charging cables etc. - so that in a hotel I only have to open that one bag, and leave the whole camp and spares* etc. in each side of the Coyote with the top rolled down - so I effectively have three 'pods', with the facility to expand the centre part of the Coyote if I happen to find a must-have souvenir or get really hungry while camping ;o) *It's worth noting that while there isn't room under the seat of the GS for my compressor, nor it appears enough room in the fairing to stash a tube in the same was as on the CB; there are still a surprising number of nooks and crannies under the GS seat to stow everything else (including my three MotionPro tyre levers) except those two items - which are currently carried in the Coyote instead. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NDmdVXN-XL.jpg Ultimately I'm hoping to refine my packing even further for this bike during these next few weeks heading back west - even to the extent of deleting the Rogue perhaps, although with my original zip Coyote absolutely full with basically the same gear I'm carrying this year, I can't see how the tube and compressor are going to fit without some extra pouch somewhere on the bike? More soon - the TAT is calling! Jenny x |
Chapter 1 - Virginia to California So, how shall we get this ride report started? - with some actual riding of course! Day 1: Sunday 22nd April 2018: Roanoke VA via Marlinton WV (the official new start of TAT) to Low Moor VA 264.5 miles in total (inc. 135.5 miles of new TAT) So I stayed up late again messing around with my photos last night, although I was still packed on on the road by 9am this morning: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZDQXw98-XL.jpg As I mentioned above, currently I'm experimenting with a two-bag system (rather than cramming everything into a single Coyote) - with all my camping gear and the compressor/tube in the main bag with the top section rolled down, and all my personal stuff in the 17litre Rogue dry-bag on top. I like the way it's divided now - especially as I don't have to even open the main bag unless I'm setting up camp - but at the same time, I feel it is not as compact as this bike really deserves. note. This evening I've actually managed to get everything into the roll-top Coyote after all, so it must be slightly bigger than the previous zip version! Anyway, at least everything has proved nice and secure (after my brief 50 mile test ride yesterday evening), and with everything cinched down as tightly as possible, it was time to hit the road, and maybe find a late breakfast somewhere en route.. The official starting point of the new TAT is actually over the state line in Marlinton West Virginia (where there is food, fuel and motels), although the first dirt section is right on the state-line at the appropriately named "Rider Gap" on highway 39. Marlinton was approximately 110 miles away from Roanoke, so I plotted a nice back road route that would take up up and down a number of ridges as I wiggled north, providing an excellent opportunity to help break in the engine some more. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wgsgkN3-XL.jpg photo. There were a trio of these lime kilns alongside the river at Eagle Rock. I stopped at Eagle Rock, hoping to find an open diner for breakfast, but it looked like it was either shut up for good, or maybe just really tatty and everyone was at church this Sunday morning. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bHB7bn3-XL.jpg The next town wasn't any good either (my GPS needs an update perhaps, or is this simply a sign of rural economies failing... certainly parts of Virginia seem very poor these days), but I finally found somewhere that was in my GPS, that also happens to be right on the TAT route (typically when heading in the opposite direction), although despite it's shiny exterior, in comparison I felt the food was rather lacklustre I'm afraid to report. cont. |
cont.
Still, I was finally set up with sugar and caffeine for the time being, so it was time to press on to Marlinton, via, I have to say, some truly epic twisty backroads! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qhZg5pM-XL.jpg photo. A quick pre-trail check-over of axle nuts, chain etc. and also to check the settings/dial in the suspension a little, after refuelling at the official start point of the latest revisions to the TAT. I'm not sure why Sam has chosen this particular spot as the 'official' start of the Trans-America Trail - it's a rather shabby gas station and mini-mart next to an equally insalubrious motel a mile or so out on the other side of town. In fact technically the start GPS coordinate appeared to be a few hundred yards away in the middle of afield, so maybe even Sam thought twice about staying there, and simply camped instead ;o) To be fair, the staff were of that typically Virginian cheery disposition (we're in West Virginia now of course), and the bathrooms clean, the RedBull cold. Kind of all you need really. And then there is the psychological benefit of hoping that things can only get better from here on in! ;o) Fortunately there are also a number of other options for gas, food and accommodation closer to the centre of the town, and I spied this mural on the way out which personally I thought would make a much better 'official start' point?! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RhX7sjk-XL.jpg Anyway, I then had to shlep back down highway 39 from whence I'd come - although admittedly it is a lovely ride next to the river in places - since the first dirt section of the TAT is actually 17 miles from the start, at the aforementioned Rider Gap at the summit of the pass that also marks the state line between Virginia and West Virginia: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...N3C82Zs-XL.jpg cont. |
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If I sound a little underwhelmed [with the new TAT extension] so far, its really only because I know I'm under a time constraint this week, plus the forecast is not looking good for the next few days - and the primary reason for me starting on the east coast this year is so that I could ride all of the new sections of TAT in Virginia and North Carolina on my way back west... I do love the peace and quite in this part of the country though - small and slightly ramshackle rural communities, pretty little farms (those quintessential red wooden barns!), and at this time of year of course - a good number of baby animals in the fields as you roll on by... However, other than a dozen miles or so of prime gravel forest road along the ridgeback that follows the state line, the initial route was primarily riding on minor paved roads, and though I do love Virginia, I've also done a lot of similar riding here before, so this was both immediately familiar, and a little frustrating, as I knew I still had such a long way to go before I absolutely had to make a run for Arizona in about a week's time. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bdvZgfH-XL.jpg photo. I feel this is going to be one of those churches that everyone takes a picture of when they ride the new Virginia sections of the TAT. However, as the afternoon drew on, so too the unsurfaced sections became more frequent, and for an increasingly longer number of miles too - the highlight arguably the snake through a forest and down into Covington - another highlighted food, fuel and motel stop, just off Interstate 64. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...D3njCdP-XL.jpg photo. At one point I thought the new route had already be thwarted, but it transpired I'd turned up this trail barely a hundred yards before the correct turn - phew! Although these gravel logging roads were not especially technical (although you had to keep on your toes, as there were a number of washouts due to recent heavy rain), they were the perfect opportunity to get a feel for the new suspension, and how the bike handles in general. I have to say, I'm impressed with how nimble the bike feels, and how lively it is, baring in mind I am trying to stay below the 6000rpm running-in recommendation for a few more hundred miles at least... Compared to my Honda (with the Rally Raid LEVEL 2 suspension and wheel kit which gives the CB500X similar ground clearance and travel to the 310GS, coupled with the same size wheels/tyres and wheelbase), the Honda feels a lot more stable and planted I would say - but then that is because I have mine set up soft for grip and traction, at the expense of some outright hammerability perhaps... Conversely, the slightly stiffer sprung (and lighter overall weight) GS really starts to shine once you wick it up to around 40mph or more on the rough dirt roads, where you can really feel the suspension start to work and make the most of the available travel, without blowing though the stroke too quickly. I like it! But I feel you do have to ride a little more 'on it' to get the best from this bike, whereas the Honda - certainly in regard my own example which has a lot more settling-in miles on it too of course - flatters you if you decide to just kick back and cruise a little more sedately along similar terrain. Obviously all this is very early days still - the bike has barely 300 miles on the clock yet, so any appraisal is really only a first impression at this stage. More soon as they say! Jenny xx |
Day 2: Monday 23rd April 2018: Low Moor VA to Chantilly VA
332 miles (inc. 76 miles of new TAT) I’d decided to book into the hotel [a nice modern Travelodge, albeit expensive] next door to Penny’s diner where I’d stopped for brunch earlier that day - since it appeared that the majority of the next sector was paved which I reasoned would have offered little opportunity for [wild] camping, while it was probably too far (time wise) to make it to the next town with accommodation before nightfall… https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7XVDZn7-XL.jpg photo. the next morning I finally managed to consolidate all my belongings into the Coyote - including the rolled up Rogue bag inside too - much neater! As it turned out, while the TAT continues to follow a series of minor paved roads for much of the next sector, it also passes by the entrance to the Potts Mountain Jeep Trail (and associated campgrounds near by) which ought to offer an entertaining diversion*, while allowing you to rejoin the main TAT route a few miles further on... Had I not made commitments to be in Chantilly (in the very north of the State) by that evening, I certainly would have liked to have seen how the GS handled a more technical OHV trail, even though it currently had barely 300 miles on the clock. *It’s worth reiterating here that while the TAT is a defined route, at the same it’s almost inevitable that you will have to divert at some point along the way - if only due to weather, flooding and other road closures. Indeed in that regard, Sam Correro himself suggests that the most rewarding way to ride the TAT is to consider it as more of a guide - taking you though some excellent off-road riding areas, and close to some unique points of interest too, which in turn offer further opportunities to personalise your trip should you have the time and inclination to explore away from the main route. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ptns9JW-XL.jpg photo. the TAT leaves town on a minor paved road, and like the sections though Tennessee and Mississippi, the paved sections offer a unique glimpse of how life in rural small-town America can be very different to what [foreign] tourists might expect it to be? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZmSZ2dg-XL.jpg photo. I definitely need to come back and explore this trail one day! While much of this morning was spent on minor paved roads, unlike yesterday, there was now far less a sense of frustration, and I'd settled into the swing of riding just for the fun of it again - so much so that I decided not to break at New Castle (on hwy 311 which leads back to Roanoke), but continue a little further south and west on the TAT towards Newport, before I conceded I’d absolutely have to turn round and head north again, to ensure I was in Chantilly by early evening. To my delight this indulgent endeavour turned out to be the best section of the Virginia TAT so far - Tub Run Road, despite it’s title, is actually far more what you’d consider a traditional ‘trail’ - a rough and rocky in places (but not too rough or rocky) terrace carved into the side of a steep hill, that wound around the contours in a series of hairpin turns - slow in, fast out, typically snick-snicking between third and fourth gear (and sometimes dropping to second on a particularly tight or soft corner) - the little GS was really in its element here, the suspension working and the smooth transmission making it all seem very easy to rag this bike at around 40-45mph on this kind of terrain. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GzCthDw-XL.jpg photo. Colour coordination gone mad! To make a comparison with my CB500X here - while the Honda can be equally entertaining on this sort of terrain (not least due to its overall composure and linear/torquey power delivery), I have to admit that the GS certainly felt noticeably more nimble and eager - allowing you to take a few more liberties by braking later in to the corners, and really cranking the bike over (more like a dual-sport/enduro); and would concede that I found it easier to ride this bike faster than I would probably chose to do so [or consider prudent at least] on the heavier Honda. Another observation that this trail particularly highlighted was just how good this latest generation ABS on the 310GS seems to be when riding off-road - it feels very much like the Honda system in that it seems to work very well on loose trail conditions like this (ie. not cut-in too early, and/or ultimately then let go and run away with you like the earlier systems used to!) Certainly I never felt the need to disengage the ABS, even when I’d been braking hard into corners - in fact I tended to simply forget it was even switched on - so that’s a big tick for BMW at last. As I rejoined a minor tarmac road just outside Newport, there was an old wooden covered bridge that had been bypassed, so stopped to take a look: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kZmQjbw-XL.jpg The Clover Hollow covered bridge was built in 1916 as one of four in the area that crossed over Sinking Creek, although it is the only one left [standing] on public land that you can visit. The town raised funds to repair this local landmark (the names of those who donated have been inscribed the brick paving footpath that approaches the bridge), although I was disappointed to see that someone had spray-painted graffiti on the historic woodwork inside - which is not the sort of thing you tend to see in the USA generally I’ve found. It was now well after midday, so I marked a waypoint where I left the official TAT route (to rejoin it here in a few days’ time, after Horizons Unlimited), and headed back north, dropping into Roanoke again to refuel the bike and myself before embarking on the long shlep north on highway 29: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jWNKvcd-XL.jpg photo. yes, it’s a cliche I know… Although I’d been doing my best to keep the revs below 6000rpm during this initial running in period, I factored that by now any damage would have already been done, so as the odometer passed 450 then 500 miles, I progressively increased my speed to 70 and even 75mph where appropriate (for info. 6th gear seems to equate to 10mph per 1000rpm or thereabouts), and I have to say, the GS continued to impress beyond what you might consider is a rather meagre on-paper specification. More soon - although perhaps not terribly soon as I’m going to be camping at Horizons for the next four days... Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
Ok then, a quick update to try and get everything up to speed...
The last week has been pretty hectic, as not only had I agreed to ride all the way to northern Virginia to meet with the editor of ADVmoto magazine (plus a guest appearance from British travel author Sam Manicom), but then I had to rush back south again to Appomattox to attend the Horizons Unlimited meeting, where I was scheduled to host four separate presentations (the bastards, I only really agreed to three!), over three days... Day 3: Tuesday 24th April 2018: Chantilly VA 27 miles! "Pimping my ride" Having arrived in time for dinner that evening, I was welcomed by ADVmoto editor Carl Parker at his family home, who was also paying host to British travel writer (and a personal friend) Sam Manicom, who over the years has ridden pretty much all over the world, and written a series of books about his travels. It was great to catch up with Sam, and to actually meet Carl in person (until now we've only communicated via email and Skype), along with his family - and the atmosphere was relaxed and informal - a perfect way to unwind after a 250+ mile highway shlep on the little beemer. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GBtpg7R-XL.jpg The next morning, we were fortunate to be blessed with some grey skies before the rain came later that morning - and the opportunity to bag a few photos for the magazine, plus a short video interview for their associated website. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-4VWNz2d-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zhj35Q2-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XZhGbBm-XL.jpg note. There are currently a few more photos on the ADVmoto Facebook page, plus will be part of a follow-up feature in the magazine once I've reached The west coast in a few weeks' time. After another lovely family evening meal, we retired slightly more early this time - having once again put the ADV market in general, and world to rights... as I really had to be be back in Roanoake by the following evening, so that I might pay a final visit to Frontline Eurosports who had supplied my bike, and been so generous in allowing me a corner of their workshop to build up the bike. Unfortunately the next day was teeming with rain, and despite a leisurely restaurant breakfast with the boys, I had no choice but to brave the weather for another 250 miles south again... cont. |
cont.
Day 4: Wednesday 25th April 2018: Chantilly VA to Roanoke VA 256 miles Having just passed the 600 mile mark on my arrival in Chantilly the day before, I was able to change the oil in Carl's garage after our photo session on Tuesday: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9q3wp9v-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gVhVR5V-XL.jpg ...and yes I can confirm you can change the oil and filter without completely removing the Rally Raid engine guard - result! In that regard, I felt the bike was as run-in as well as it was likely to be now, so I could press on south at full pelt and try and outrun this rain... Fortunately, as I approached Charlottesville, the rain receded, and I even felt confident enough to jet-wash the road-grime and general filth off the bike in preparation for my attendance at the Horizons meeting the following day, and the subsequent show-and-tell about the new bike and Rally Raid kit... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CZgTmSR-XL.jpg I then elected to ride the whole length of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Waynesborough to Roanoke (110 miles) in the emerging afternoon sun: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wFMxmzQ-XL.jpg What a way to end the day! Jx |
Day 5: Thursday 26th April 2018: Roanoke VA to Appomattox VA
109 miles I won't bore you with the details about the Horizons weekend, but suffice to say it was a wonderful social event, with plenty of interesting presentations and attendees from all over North America and much further beyond (including Europe, the Philippines and even Australia). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GzQBpkf-XL.jpg photo. that is my tiny little tent on the far left, next to a useful bench seat. We all awoke to a rather damp morning on the Friday (well, those of us camping, and who had not had the forethought to set up under the canopy of one of the pavilion buildings... while other attendees had seen the forecast and booked a cabin or bunkhouse), but none-the-less, the G310GS show-and-tell went down a storm with a lot of interested people in both the bike itself and of course what Rally Raid had done with it. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JMKxjc5-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6rwdXcT-XL.jpg photo. this made me laugh - an etch-a-sketch, perfect for when you're stuck in traffic presumably? I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed the women's meet-and-greet seminar later that afternoon, which culminated in us all being inaugurated into the exclusive club known as the "Tequila Swilling Whores", complete with shots and a silly dance to earn ourselves a badge and sticker - priceless! With zero miles ridden on the Friday (due to a combination of a morning presentation, and afternoon of drinking, and rain that didn't really lift all day), I decided that I would head back west towards the point at which I left the TAT earlier in the week on Saturday afternoon, after my final two presentations (Packing Light, and the US debut of Northern eXposure) that morning. [riding] Day 6: Saturday 28th April 2018: Appomattox VA to Roanoke VA 96.7 miles It seems I really can't escape this town, well, not until tomorrow at least when I will do my best of course! I decided to only ride as far as a familiar hotel and get an early night tonight - plus the opportunity to hook up to some wifi and update you all, which as you see I have done - despite absorbing a huge bucket of Margarita in the local Mexican restaurant earlier this evening ;o) hic. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mjfxvhs-XL.jpg photo. this made me smile/happy... on my way back from Appomattox this afternoon, I noticed I'd marked a waypoint in my GPS during the Trans-Am500 ride as I thought this was a particularly twisty and fun road to ride. This alternative route back to Roanoke was a perfect opportunity for the GS to be in it's element, and I was delighted that my marker sticker (on the back of the aluminium sign) was still here three years later! With my gear now all nice and dry, and everything repacked and ready to hit the trail tomorrow, it is my intention to roll out of here in good time, and see how far along the rest of the Virginia TAT (and who knows, even as far as North Carolina) by tomorrow evening - in a vain attempt to try and ride it all the way to the previous start in Andrews NC, near to the southern end of the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap (hwy 129 - ie. 318 curves in 11 miles, just in case you were in any doubt what I was talking about!) and therefore will have ridden all of the new TAT sections to connect up with those have ridden previously. From there I'd like to ride the first few sectors of the Tennessee TAT, just for old times' sake, but by then I will really have to make a bee-line for Arizona if I'm to make it there by this coming Friday evening... Wish me luck! And much more to come of course, just as soon as I can get online again... Jenny x |
Day 7: Sunday 29th April 2018: Roanoke VA to Damascus VA
273.3 miles (inc. 190.4 miles new TAT) I'd set my alarm for 6.45am with the intention of heading out early to try and nail as much of the remaining Virginia TAT as I could today... however, the after-effects of a bucket of Margarita the night before in the adjacent Mexican restaurant meant I was nursing a new kind of migraine/hangover hybrid, which only began to be alleviated after a waffle and crispy bacon at the local diner. I hit the road just after 8am, and stopped off to top up on fuel and cash on my way out of town: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2qjZqN3-XL.jpg photo. I still get a kick out of these drive through ATM machines... we have nothing like this in the UK you see... It was about 45 miles to the point where I'd left of the TAT last Monday, and I was soon back into the swing of things on the minor [mainly paved] roads that wound their way up and down over the mountain ridges that make up the Appalachians in this area. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8M9s8td-XL.jpg Fortunately, just when you think "I could do with a bit of dirt now" Sam dishes up the goods, in this instance about 30 miles in with the entertaining Sugar Run Road (note that the bottom half of the Virginia TAT appears to share a lot of the [exact] same routing as the new Mid Atlantic BDR does - I guess there are very few through dirt-roads in the region). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hmG5hMc-XL.jpg As I was razzing along Sugar Run', followed by an entertaining uphill climb on Flat Top Mountain Tower Rd (I could imagine this being a special stage sprint in a rally ;o), I thought I might confirm the ABS functioning on the bike - sure enough, if you've disengaged the ABS using the bar switch, it remains off if you stall the engine and/or use the kill switch. It only defaults back to ABS on if you switch the bike off and on again with the key. Nice. Looking at the bigger picture on the GPS screen, I did wonder why Sam had seen to divert north towards Tazewell, rather than continue diagonally south west at Ceres... I should have known really - a corking climb over another ridge on dirt, followed by a wonderful sweeping decent into town where you can get gas and food, and accommodation should you require. Best of all, the TAT route then starts up (or is that down - heading south) highway 16, aka. the BF Buchanan Highway, aka. the Back of the Dragon - a fabulous 19 miles (each way) of twisty country road that doesn’t have an absurdly low speed limit, nor is blighted by Sunday drivers on this sunny afternoon - result! Of course all this tyre shredding put me a little behind on the TAT schedule, but then I hadn’t come all this way [not least flying across the county to buy this bike in the first place] to miss out on an opportunity like this! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gnWLLbG-XL.jpg The TAT actually turns off highway 16 precious few miles in, so I’d definitely recommend passing by and riding the whole thing to Hungry Mother Lake and back, before getting off onto the dirt again. The next section had me feeling a little uneasy. Poor Valley Road lived up to its name exactly - a twisting dirt road though a valley, that passed through some very poor communities indeed. Ramshackle and abandoned houses, and amongst this shabby property and junk, those that were occupied were populated by some pretty scary looking people too - the kind you imagine spend what little money they do have on ammo and booze, and certainly not repairing the heaps of broken vehicles that littered their yards. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CgTN7T9-XL.jpg Only once before (in Africa) have I been this embarrassed that my motorcycle was worth more than someone's house... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6sDHJrr-XL.jpg photo. Southern Virginia is littered with abandoned property - you wonder what happened to make someone leave a house like this to ruin (it had been completely gutted of internal fittings)… Time was pressing on now, however, once I refuelled at Atkins I factored I still had enough daylight to probably make it to Damascus VA - the technical end of the Virginia leg, and start of the North Carolina sections… and where I should be able to find a comfortable bed for the night. The Virginia TAT ends on a metaphorical and literal high - climbing to over 4200ft on a cracking rough road though the woods (plenty of camping opportunities here, which I would have considered myself were it not so damn cold today!), while the final paved section into Damascus another epic twisty river road: the Jeb Stuart Highway. So that’s the Virginia TAT - done! Jenny x |
Day 8: Monday 30th April 2018: Damascus VA to Mars Hill NC
224 miles (all new TAT, other than slight detour due to a locked gate) I’d rolled into Damascus pretty late the previous evening, and there seemed to be a dearth of traditional hotel/motels, only odd B&Bs that either looked really fancy/expensive, or closed. I was getting desperate now, when I spied this joint set back from the main road: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...whxQPk6-XL.jpg The sign on the door said to call the number (the owner lived a few blocks away) to make a booking - although my phone seemed to be on the wrong network for this town, so I ended up using the landline from a local gas station… ah, remember the days when there used to be pay-phones?! Anyway, to cut a long story short - the Appalachian Trail Town Inn is a delightful property, very much like a home stay (I was sharing with a couple of hikers who were walking the whole length of the Trail - hardcore!), very clean and newly decorated, and with excellent wifi, and the kitchen at your disposal. It would be great for a group (three double bedrooms plus a nook with two further single beds), and especially as a jumping off spot for mountain biking - ah, duh, turns out I was in the epicentre of southern Virginian cycling country! Anyway, despite some confusion about how to pay my bill, it was a very nice place to stay, and plan the next stage of my attack on the TAT... Having not left until after 9am, I felt there would be no point in rushing now, so dipped into the local coffee house on the way out of town - excellent coffee and great food too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tQWLSxP-XL.jpg photo. I’d certainly got mine back this morning with a quad shot espresso and warm sticky cinnamon roll! Again, the North Carolina section/s started out on minor paved roads - and the crisp morning sun picked out every crest of white water in the rushing rivers and creeks that I was riding alongside first thing… Some observations of the new TAT sections so far: First of all, having ridden the TAT twice now in its entirety, and certain sections more times than that - if you are looking for a primarily dirt [road] challenge while crossing the country, I would have to concede that you’re really better off starting out in Colorado (or at least Arkansas) and heading west from there… That is not to say that further east does not have it’s own kind of charm - but the ‘trail’ is very patchy with regard to unsurfaced roads, and offers very little of what you might consider an actual ‘Jeep trail’. However, if you want to ride some absolutely epic twisty minor highways and paved backroads, plus glimpse at a life that much of the modern world has passed by, then the Virginia and North Carolina sections are an excellent way to warm up for your complete cross-country ride… you’ll just have to allow the corresponding extra time for this indulgence, particularly if you want to say you “did it all”. And I have to say, the G310GS seems to be absolutely perfect for this kind of sub-60mph backroad riding. The engine is peppy (especially when you’re rolling on and off the throttle in 4th gear), and the bike feels perfectly at home pointing and squirting between corner after sweeping corner, and flick-flacking from side to side as you carve through even the tightest turns - I do love the TKC80s in that regard. You do get a great glimpse of rural life here in North Carolina too, although much of it is also very poor and run-down, such as it is in Virginia (and similarly in the Tennessee and Mississippi sections too) with abandoned and tumbledown properties. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qwpJf7h-XL.jpg photo. This barn was surprised (and perhaps even a little disappointed) to see I wasn’t on my Honda! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...H7bPQvx-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M6bDtwn-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bJBs7GS-XL.jpg Personally speaking, I can’t help but think that there is a more obvious and direct route towards the dirt proper sections, ie. those that become far more regular as the TAT progresses west… but at the same time, I think what Sam [Correro] is trying to offer here now is not simply a ‘straight line’ from coast to coast, but rather the opportunity to explore a little more of each State as you pass through - which is increasingly important perhaps for those choosing (or only able time-wise) to ride the TAT a few sections at a time, rather than end to end in one hit - something that is increasingly going to the be the case for more and more riders I imagine, the longer and more elaborate the route becomes? The TAT almost touches the Blue Ridge Parkway (you actually ride along side it for a short distance) just outside Blowing Rock, and it turns out that here is where all the [property] money resides in North Carolina. The town itself is full of restaurants and boutique shops, although not one traditional coffee shop/cafe that I could see, so I had to make do with a huge ice cream for lunch instead! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ftwrWk3-XL.jpg photo. I thought this sign was cute - one little guy is even trying to fly! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Bqz8G4H-XL.jpg photo. Very fancy! The trail sections south of here (and the Blue Ridge Parkway) are finally what I’d been waiting for... still well groomed for the most part, but more a traditional ‘trail’ than simply a gravel road, that even now you could still drive a car or SUV along with no bother. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DTqHhTG-XL.jpg I realised I was starting to run rather low on fuel (for info. I finally filled up after 173 miles this afternoon, with 21 still showing on the range display), on the second dirt section, so took it easy and popped out at the top of highway 181 (aka Jonas Ridge - another infamous and epic motorcycle road in the region) to finally refuel. Interestingly, I must have came this way in 2015 on the CB500X as I’d actually marked a waypoint in my GPS along highway 181 as “Hoontown” - having clearly already enjoyed it on that bike too! The TAT route once again flirts with the Blue Ridge Parkway, and detours along highway 226A, and Little Switzerland, before finally joining the BRP for some of the best (and highest so far - 5500+ft) sections as you head south west towards Asheville. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wZgBGkG-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mXn3Lhv-XL.jpg Sam does send you off and downhill on some dirt roads, then back up to rejoin the Parkway (personally, unless you’re looking to camp round about now, I’d just stick on the main BRP, it is an utter delight and the views are wonderful over either side here), but when he finally decides you’ve had enough, the trail down from the ridge turned out to have a locked gate: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...83tsbX7-XL.jpg photo. Yes I know I could have ridden around the gate, but I was worried that there would be a more substantial/official obstruction at the bottom of the hill, and I didn’t fancy riding down just in case… Instead I continued on the Parkway a few more miles, briefly debated about heading for the familiarity of the Motel 6 on the outskirts of Asheville (just off the BRP btw), but then elected to try and get back onto the TAT as soon as possible, and aim for the stop that Sam had noted (complete with a hotel) at Mars Hill, a few miles further north of Asheville, and right on the TAT route. Despite feeling I’ve broken the back of North Carolina today, there is still a long way to go before I reach the previous start point in Andrews, and can consider the current route joined up. I also fancy having a quick blast down and back up highway 129 (The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap) before I absolutely have to head due west for Arizona later this week - especially as the weather forecast is good for the next few days, and being a weekday, is likely to be less busy with traffic and police. Wish me luck! Jenny x |
Day 9: Tuesday 1st May 2018: Mars Hill NC to Andrews NC
197 miles (all new TAT) So having comprehensively availed myself of the facilities at the Comfort Inn in Mars Hill (I note this primarily for anyone else wishing to ride the NC TAT sections, as it's really the only place in town - not cheap, but clean and comfortable, with a laundry plus the requisite waffle machine for breakfast too - of which I am a firm advocate of course), I hit the road again a little after 9am... Something had been bugging me since my first [600 mile] service - I'd taken what the dealer said with regard to the oil capacity [1.9L] as read, rather than actually read the manual - and was concerned my sight-glass was full to the top. Sure enough, the actual capacity for this engine is only 1.65L - so basically I had a whole can of Redbull extra oil in there, not ideal - as it could potentially start to damage the oil seals under pressure. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...C67n7Fm-XL.jpg photo. yet another abandoned house in this part of the country... So I took the opportunity once I hit the first dirt section after Mars Hill (which I have to say is around 40 miles into the day's route, after some utterly epic Supermoto style paved back roads - a luverly way to warm up for the day ahead!), and effected a ghetto oil-tapping, in true 'Mondo Enduro' style: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Sr4t4jr-XL.jpg photo. I used a trash bag (always carry a roll of them in my back-pack for cleanliness around camp and/or as a emergency rain-cover, or simply an impromptu trail-side clean-up if I'm feeling particularly socially minded...), plus a stack of leaves to soak up the extra oil I was about to drain. With my trailside 'workshop' set-up, I brewed a quick cup of coffee in my Jetboil, in an attempt to allow the now hot engine oil to cool a little at least... unfortunately, it wasn't quite cool enough, and while I was able to restrict the initial flow of oil reasonably carefully, the hot oil glugged over my hand causing me to flinch and drop the drain plug from the end of my socket wrench - so the only option was to lean the bike away from me to stop too much oil pouring out... Of course the bike was parked pointing ever so slightly downhill at this point, and I'd [stupidly] forgotten to put the bike in gear - so the result was the bike now rolled forward a few inches, enough to give me no option but to lay it right down on it's far side to stop an otherwise environmental disaster* from befalling rural North Carolina that morning... *If I'm honest, it was more to stop any more/too much oil from draining out, having none with me to top up again - and let's face it, there is enough trash and general junk road and trailside in this part of the country that a splash of two of used engine oil isn't exactly going to cause any major concern to anyone, sadly. Hell, I'd actually be doing my bit to return the processed dinosaurs back to whence they came ;o) With the mess cleaned up and contained in the trash bag and leaf/dirt combo, I packed up and continued on to where I could refuel and dispose of the waste safely. Again, for those particularly interested in these new sections of the Trans-America Trail, it's worth noting that with regard to the [numerous] paved sections here in Virginia and North Carolina, that there simply isn't clearly isn't an obvious and direct 'dirt' route though these states, so instead Sam has chosen to incorporate some of the finest and most remote/lightly-traffic'd paved roads as part of his odyssey west. Now this ought to be considered nothing new of course - the whole purpose of the TAT was never to simply to offer a [direct] dirt route from one side of the country to the other, but more the opportunity to see some corners of the USA that you might otherwise never have reason to ride/drive - and that fundamentally, if you're on the right bike - ie. a genuine dual-sport or 'Adventure' bike, rather than think you're going to need a dedicated 'dirt bike' for those few technical off-road sections that you might/will come across - then and from a personal perspective, then mix of back roads and dirt roads/trails is wholly welcomed - "It's all good" as the saying goes. However, I would counter that with the suggestion that if you're ultimately going to be limited by a time constraint (as most people tend to be of course), then you may need to take some time before you start the TAT and consider where you might streamline your own personal attempt - fortunately there a good number of opportunities to bypass certain sections if needs must, although I'd ultimately end by suggesting it would be a huge shame if you did, as you're more often than not going to miss a visual and/or visceral treat if you do end up cutting the route simply because of time... the moral of this story being that if you intend to ride the current TAT in it's entirety, then you really need to allow an extra week (ie. a good 5 weeks in total) to really do it justice. Certainly, although I was aware of personal commitments right across the country this coming weekend, I was not planning on forfeiting any of the current new route on my way to join the previous start point in Andrews NC. Back on the dirt, I came to 4-way track junction high in a forest, and noticed on my GPS that Sam had included an alternative 'hard' route to the main gravel forestry road. As I considered the option, I heard a pair of trail bikes climbing up the hill from below, and they emerged from what would be the hard route down hill via Hurricane Creek Rd. That was all the incentive I needed to take it myself of course! I chatted with the two riders for a while (one was from the UK!) - who actually work at the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum in Maggie Valley NC (located a few miles south of where I currently was), which, as it turns out, is also on Sam's new TAT route of course! I have to say Hurricane Creek is really the first really 'technical' trail section you encounter on this new TAT route - in that it is a dedicated 'jeep road' with numerous creek crossings (some of the muddy) and some rocky terrain to navigate - nothing impossible, but on a larger Adventure bike especially laden with luggage, you might start to sweat. As it was, since it was in the 80°s already, I freely admit to perspiring myself even on a smaller and lighter machine! A couple of notes I made with regard to the bike at this point: the first is the stock pegs are truly atrocious to try and stand on for any length of time - certainly in the boots I was wearing - not only were they painfully thin, but also so short that my feet were hanging uncomfortably over the ends too. The second thing I noticed was that the tank side covers (the grey plastic parts on the 310GS) actually splay your knees rather wide and awkwardly when standing up - certainly more so that the comparatively narrow [and yet significantly more capacious] tank on my CB500X for example. This wouldn't be so bad if BMW had actually chosen to fill those voids with actual fuel tank, rather than only looking like it has a 5 gallon capacity! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...R8bLC3g-XL.jpg photo. I recall I crossed this bridge (in the opposite direction) many years ago on my XT660Z when I was exploring this part of the country en route to the Tail of the Dragon and the original start of the TAT in Tennessee! The trail sections came thick and fast now on my way south through the eastern end of the Great Smoky Mountains NP, and I bopped out in Maggie Valley, albeit with not enough time (or admittedly inclination) to visit the museum after all; instead I was eager to try and complete the rest of the North Carolina TAT to Andrews by nightfall... After an entertaining climb past the North Carolina Ski resort of Cataloochee, the TAT ultimately rejoins the Blue Ridge Parkway for another particularly entertaining and scenic section (it's all pretty entertaining and scenic of course!), although once again, it turned out that a side spur that forms [a loop] part of the new TAT was currently closed with a seasonal gate: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HmL6pC6-XL.jpg Still, the main BRP is more than enough compensation, and I was able to rejoin the TAT route at an underpass a few miles further south west, where again I recognised the junction (and trail number, which I'd previously logged in my GPS as a waypoint) from when I rode though here with some ADVrider inmates as part of the Trans-Am 500 ride in 2015 - as with the Old Cataloochee Turnpike through the east side of the Great Smoky Mountains NP that I'd ridden both previously and earlier in the day, it turns out this particular trail is now part of the official new TAT route too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rLvQW43-XL.jpg As the TAT finally left the Blue Ridge Parkway behind and headed further south (and west) towards Andrews NC, it encompassed a particularly entertaining climb up a huge powerline cutting, and crossed over the Appalachian Trail: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RWztsB7-XL.jpg ...and followed this surreal pipeline for a good few miles on fast and easy gravel roads before finally giving way to tarmac again for the final stretch into Andrews: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WwPJwjQ-XL.jpg photo. I always like riding in the late afternoon/early evening (although you do have to watch for deer of course!) - and this final stretch of the new TAT was a delight to encounter at this time of day. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pF8BD73-XL.jpg photo. Piglet emerged to make sure we had actually joined up with the previous TAT start point on Locust St. Andrews NC. It was now getting dark, and having grabbed a burger at a local stand (I subsequently heard via the internet that there is a great bar/restaurant at the other end of town - the Hoppy Trout), I considered my accommodation options... Having only Sam's GPS tracks, not his full maps and roll-charts that offer a wealth of additional information, I did not realise there was a proper hotel in town [I previously had elected to stay a further 15 miles away in Murphy] - turns out the Comfort Inn (yes, another one) has been there for 25 years, right on the edge of main highway, where Locust St/ crosses over to begin the TAT. I felt like such a fool for not making a note of this the last time I was here! I booked in and bedded down. There was a Dragon that needed slaying in the morning before I could start to finally head resolutely west. More soon! Jenny x |
Day 10: Wednesday 2nd May 2018: Andrews NC to Counce TN
420 miles "Dragon my heels" https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rWTNfgF-XL.jpg photo. The TAT route out of Andrews heads north/north west towards the Cherohala Skyway (hwy 143), but I wanted to ride the Tail of the Dragon (hwy 129) first, so headed north east to Robbinsville on this alternative dirt-road/trail instead... My mission today was twofold - first of all, to ride the Tail of Dragon (Deal's Gap, hwy 129) in both directions because, well, just because... I've said it before (as part of my Trans-AM 500 report), but the internet loves to criticise the Dragon as being 'crap', more often without much quantification... it's true that the popularity of the road (due to Youtube and like) means it is an utter bun-fight on a sunny Sunday afternoon, littered with screaming street-bikes and cumbersome cruisers, or a procession of four-wheelers - usually led by either the inept or someone who just scared themselves silly, and a magnate for easy pickings by the local constabulary (it's a 35mph limit, and solid double yellows the whole way other than a couple of hundred yards where you'd get the opportunity to overtake legally, ahem.) - the point being, this road has the reputation it does for good reason - 318 bends in 11 miles - mental! Fortunately today was a Wednesday, early morning (well, early for me - ie. before 10am), and I was blessed with a clear run both ways - save for one small convertible who was slowing specifically for one of the numerous roadside photographers, giving me ample opportunity to overtake and be in perfect focus for my Killboy close-up ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jzthGPH-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XcdL8Zc-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZBmPh8H-XL.jpg photo/s. yep, I even paid for a trio of photos from Killboy, although there were some equally nice ones from the alternative photographers/locations too. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-XJchcjQ-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-Fsfn8V9-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-W4J8wrJ-L.jpg Deal's Gap itself (the 'motorcycle resort' with a motel, restaurant, fuel and now a dedicated photographers merchandise store on the opposite side of the road) was already awash with action - it would appear that a vintage Japanese 2-stoke club had taken over all the motel rooms, and erected their easy-ups to embark on their tune-ups, out of the increasingly fierce spring sunshine: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xHZp6XF-XL.jpg The ever present Tree of Shame was loaded with the latest debris: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...q5jvL9V-XL.jpg While a quick walk-around had me smiling for different reasons: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...P9KTJ4g-XL.jpg photo. A 170cc Grom - nice! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...V3PWxzJ-XL.jpg photo. A shed-built hard-tail Kawasaki - interesting! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wKQkZxJ-XL.jpg photo. The Killboy metal dragon (with details made from various old motorcycle parts). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wRVs6ZL-XL.jpg photo. This made me laugh - the main store sold any number of different design T-shirts and stickers as souvenirs, but most telling was the rack with zip-ties and webbing tie-down straps - presumably to bodge back-together and/or drag your broken bikes home with ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3JzF52L-XL.jpg photo. I thought this was fun! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n8jrSpp-XL.jpg photo. Killboy is the most well-known of the the Dragon photography agencies, and in recent years they have built a dedicated store where you can order pre-printed and personalised merchandise. As I say, I can't hate it - because each time I've been here I've enjoyed myself, and had a nice clean run of the road. cont. |
cont.
However, it really was time now to stop messing around, and start to head for Cottonwood AZ - yes, Arizona, to which I'd committed to meeting friends by Saturday, for some trail-riding together over a long weekend. I also wanted to pop by and say hello to Sam Correro (originator of the Trans-Am Trail of course), who had recently moved from Corinth MS just north of the state-line into Counce TN, which is another location right on the TAT route itself. It would be some task to try and get there in time for dinner this evening (as it transpired he was busy that evening anyway, so we elected to meet for Breakfast the following morning instead), and at the same time - I already felt that I'd blasted though the new sections of TAT more quickly that I might otherwise have liked to - although at least I was able to commit some key highlights to both camera and my notebook before they slipped my memory into what was now fast becoming a bit of a blur... So I decided to let fate decide my schedule and plotted a route into the GPS that would be both fulfilling, and also fulfil the need to get significantly further west by the end of the afternoon. My route south and west from Deal's Gap was around the delightful Lake Santeetlah (plenty of camping here if you're ever in the area), before picking up the epic Cherohala Skyway (hwy 143) that crosses into Tennessee just east of Tellico Plains - which until 2015 was always the official starting point of the Trans America Trail. I snaffled down a burger and iced tea at an independent cafe in the town square, then made a bee-line for a familiar and fun trail that forms the first dirt section of the Tennessee TAT - Witt Rd - which I imagine for many of you who have either ridden the TAT, or simply watched a video clip or read a report, will be immediately recognisable by the series of creek crossings, photos of which are almost always included in any ride report, including this one of course ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8d68RKg-XL.jpg photo. this crossing in particular is notorious in having riders on their arses - the water upstream being deceptively deep, while the rock ribs are covered in slimy algae. Cross with care! Ultimately I broke from the TAT route a little way north of Lake Ocoee (another scenic highway 74/64 runs around the north shore here), and had no real choice but to endure the interstate network south of Chattanooga to get around that urban sprawl, before heading west on the continuation of hwy 64, and ultimately tip-tapping a series of intermediate waypoints that would direct me along much more minor roads, to ultimately dove-tail with the final few miles of the TAT route across Pickwick Dam and into Counce itself. That evening I elected to bed down right on the TAT route at Little Andy's motel - something of an institution amongst the TAT aficionados I'd been led to believe, although I initially baulked when I squinted through the lobby window at the pricing board - fortunately it turns out the "80" was actually just cents, and the room was a little over $45 with all taxes included! It's not the most modern joint I have to say, but quiet and comfortable and right next door to a BBQ and breakfast restaurant - what more* do you need? *Turns out what you need is a wider choice of beer at the RnB diner - sure, they have both kinds: regular, and Lite. As I supped a glass of their least insipid pale yellow liquid and licked barbecue sauce from my fingers, I totted up the miles (420.7 door to door today), and factored with the time change that I had actually been riding for over 12 hours pretty much straight - including a number of great trails, the Tail of the Dragon (both ways), the sweeping scenic Cherohala, interstate, highways, back-roads and byways - and this little GS was proving to be pretty adept at all of it so far - I was impressed! More soon, Jenny x |
Day 11: Thursday 3rd May 2018: Counce TN to Oklahoma City OK - yes, really!
649.7 miles (that's 1045 kilometres in metric!) I'd arrange to meet with Sam for breakfast at the Outpost Cafe north of Pickwick Dam, so was showered, packed and ready to roll out of the motel carpark by 7.20am - a good thing, since although I didn't know it at the time, today was going to be the longest so far, by quite some margin! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NJGpK3C-XL.jpg photo. Trans-America Trail originator: Sam Correro - 78 years young! We chewed the fat about the trail in general, discussed the new additions, and when I mentioned it was my intention to ride some of the initial Mississippi sections again as part of my morning ride west, Sam warned me that he'd had to reroute around what had been one of my most favourite sectors right out of Counce itself: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...L2kdQfK-XL.jpg photo. 2015 on the CB500X - I love these old railway bridges (you might notice a TA500 sticker here ;o), but this trail has since been closed just a few hundred yards further on... It turns out that the road [trail] bridge over the river just after the railway bridge has been partially dismantled to deter hunters from using this trail: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...b9pcBdX-XL.jpg photo. now it's more like something you might find on the Road of Bones... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fDj6HTf-XL.jpg photo. I suppose if you were brave, you could try to cross the river itself though the shallow section seen here, but it is soft and sandy underneath... (note also that the water level was currently much lower than it was in 2015 when the whole basin was full of water). For info. I'd taken the suggested detour, but then rode back along the original route for a mile or so just to check it out for myself: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8HKPHdL-XL.jpg photo. sure enough, the armco barriers means it doesn't look like this crossing is going to be reinstated any time soon. I rode a few more miles of the Mississippi TAT route, and again happened on a Closed Road sign: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WtG65mZ-XL.jpg However, in this instance, I can confirm that this one is still perfectly navigable by motorcycle ;o) From here, I left the TAT route in an effort to plot a straight route across northern Mississippi, electing to use highway 310 (of course ;o) which happened to run almost directly east west towards my intended crossing of the Mississippi river in to Arkansas over the Helena Bridge (hwy 49) - again, picking up the TAT route fore final few miles in Mississippi, and continuing on the TAT though eastern Arkansas, until it crosses Interstate I70, where I'd absolutely have to leave the dirt behind if I would have any chance of making my Arizona rendezvous on time. A few photos to illustrate the rest of the day: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KGM9XSx-XL.jpg photo. The ubiquitous crossing an abandoned railway line picture... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SGMGmS5-XL.jpg photo. the start of hwy 310 near Sardis Lake. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Dd4xzH2-XL.jpg photo. an abandoned car at an abandoned gas station... you do wonder which happened first?! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jW5TpKx-XL.jpg photo. I'm not sure if this was a flood, or just a joker had put the street sign in there! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zpcSsnT-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LmJD56d-XL.jpg photo. I love this sort of scenery that you get in Mississippi. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sskWb49-XL.jpg photo. down on the Bayou, back on the TAT... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hVJgcxF-XL.jpg photo. having crossed into Arkansas at Helena West Helena (crazy name, crazy gal!), I continued west on the TAT route, and was disappointed to see the amount of trash and fly-tipping that had gone on along this particular rural road. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4JtmMvN-XL.jpg photo. Familiar territory - as the Trail turned to dirt, this was my first TA500 sticker in Arkansas back in 2015. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4KLgF8x-XL.jpg photo. At the TAT Stop - you've got to stop at the TAT Stop! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9pdddFs-XL.jpg photo. Just a reminder that there is still a long way to go if you intend to ride the whole TAT! This time around I got to meet the owner Percy (who offered me a welcome ice-cold coke!) and signed their 2018 yearbook - it would appear I'm only the 6th rider to pass though this season! I also met Al who then took my photo for their annual photo compilation book too. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CNxxRnx-XL.jpg It was now after 3pm and I'd already ridden nearly 250 miles (yep, I'd been on a mission all day), and I debated just what to do next. The TAT route crosses over I70 near to Brinkley AK, which my Garmin Montana had calculated was 1014 miles from Grants NM - in other words, the perfect way to knock out an Iron-butt Saddle-Sore ride (that is 1000 miles in less than 24 hours) while crossing the country in the most direct way possible... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cp83X5D-XL.jpg Hmmmmm. I gassed up the bike on ethanol mix regular at exactly 4pm, and contemplated the next 24 hours over some equally poor quality human fuel: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6p87x7Z-XL.jpg photo. Shameful I know. As I chewed my way though a rubbery quarter pounder with cheese and an equally rubbery 'Americano', I considered it was certainly unrealistic to try and ride another 1000 miles in 24 hours now, starting at 4pm - and even though I'd already amassed 250 since leaving Counce this morning at 9am, I'd not averaged anything like enough to make those miles count towards the total (which btw. I'd calculated would need to see me in Tucumcari NM before 9am tomorrow to make it count). However, regardless of how I ultimately managed to break up the next stage of the journey, I was conscious that I really needed to be in Grant's NM by Friday night if I'd have any chance of getting to meet up with my friends in Cottonwood the following day - especially as after two full days on the interstate, I was going to want to take a more gentle and scenic route from New Mexico into Arizona, one that would ideally result in the ingestion of pie en route [in Pie Town NM]. So I rolled onto I70 at approximately 4.30pm that evening, with the intention of riding until I was tired, and see how the trip unfolded from there... As it was, I arrived on the outskirts of Oklahoma City a little before midnight, having ridden another 400+ miles since that McDonalds. I was beat. 649.7 miles since Breakfast with Sam that morning - it felt like at least a whole other day away by now! notes. The fuel economy does start to suffer at higher speeds on this bike (at least with TKC80 tyres fitted) - I was only getting around 49mpg at 70mph this evening, into a headwind admittedly. I also notice that the bike does have a vibration between 5000-6000rpm - it's not overly intrusive, and something that a lot of singles tend to suffer from... once you get over 6750rpm it smoothes out again appreciably, and I'm amazed how refined it feels at 70, even 80, mph when you consider it is such a small capacity single cylinder engine. The gearbox is also very slick and smooth - so I'd suggest that's two fingers up to all those internet critics who think the Chinese can't assemble an engine ;o) I was also impressed with the low-beam of the headlight, a nice broad spread and good penetration I thought... however, conversely the high-beam is absolutely rubbish - you loose all of the foreground, and get no real penetration to compensate either... I think a trip to Motominded might be in order in future ;o) Jx |
Day 12: Friday 4th of May 2018: Oklahoma City OK to Grants NM
628 miles "Wake up Piglet, we've got another huge day ahead of us..." I really felt I'd pushed my self to the limit yesterday - not that 650 miles in itself is not far enough on a small capacity single, but particularly as I'd spent all day riding trails and rural roads, and eating well and chatting with locals (at the TAT Stop), before then deciding to embark on another 400 mile shlep on the interstate late into the night... and I was still over 1000 miles from my ultimate destination of Cottonwood, where I'd planned to be by tomorrow evening. There was only one thing for it really: Waffles. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...V7tzn74-XL.jpg photo. I'd been given a 'free waffle' token at the branch in Roanoke (goodness, that already felt like a lifetime ago!), so thought I'd best get my syrup fix before their locations petered out the further west I went... For here on in, I figured there would be nothing much to report on today - the world flashed by in a blur of iPod enhanced surreality - punctuated by fuel stops typically every 130-150 miles and the regular ingestion of sugar and caffeine - sometimes a combination of solid and liquid form, but most usually combined in a single can. I have to say, while I consider the G310GS perfectly comfortable cruising at higher highways speeds - I found, as John from Rally-Raid had also suggested, that the bike is probably sweeter (and feels less stressed) cruising at 70mph rather than trying to push 80mph... although it will certainly do that too with out much complaining - certainly on the flat and without too much of a headwind - however, the fuel economy does seem to take a dramatic dive over 75mph... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9ztdB94-XL.jpg photo. stopping for a little roadside relief, I pulled off the main interstate onto the frontage road and realised that Route 66 actually shadows I40 for much (in fact pretty much all) of the distance through western Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico... I mention this here for anyone contemplating riding the entire length of the Mother Road - my advice is, don't bother (unless you're planning on doing it on a Monkey-bike or roller skates), it is dull as hell... trust me - the best part of R66 is from Williams AZ west. I had plenty of helmet time to start drawing up a list of likes and dislikes so far (I'll post these in a separate list a little later), and on the whole I was increasingly impressed with the way the bike was handling the mundanity of a long highway journey, certainly now the engine had really begun to loosen up (have passed over the 2500 mile mark a while back now)... However, if I'm honest - this kind of riding was not it's forte, yes it will do it, and do it comfortably (ergonomically) and reasonably fuel-efficiently too, but so far this trip, the bike has not really offered me anything that my Honda CB500X does while feeling far less stressed and with a significantly longer fuel range and more comfortable seat. I will continue to reserve judgement of course - certainly until I've had a proper chance to really put the GS through it's paces off-road (which would have to wait until I got to Moab the following week) - terrain where I trust the 50+lb lighter weight of the GS (despite the 25% power and torque deficit) is likely to give you a little more margin for error, if not make the bike 'feel' ultimately more capable off road*, or at least be ultimately less wearing to pilot in really technical terrain. *note. I'm speculating here, as I consider myself pretty handy on-board the 430lb Honda CB500X, and that the Rally-Raid kit fitted to that bike gives you the confidence to ride it much as you would a 650cc class dual-sport thumper - indeed, you really are only aware of it's weight when you are faced with a steep/step climb, and/or have to pick it up, otherwise, it is incredibly nimble and has excellent traction for it's size and weight - honestly, I really do believe it is the BEST 'Adventure' bike with regard to combined on and off road performance... as John and I designed it to be of course ;o) Sorry, my mind was slipping away from the task and subject in hand there for a moment - time we stopped for fuel again Piglet... uh oh, look at the fuel range! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7wsLK4J-XL.jpg photo. I rolled into a gas station in Amarillo Texas on fumes (in fact I want to say I even felt the bike hiccup briefly at the intersection off the interstate), and sure enough, it appears I had maxed-out it's range on this particular leg: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...m3fpCg2-XL.jpg photo. I think someone is lying - either the BMW tank capacity is a touch larger than advertised, or that Shell need to calibrate their pump more accurately (although I did fill it part way up the filler neck too!) So with the pithy consideration that I might just drop Tony Christie (and Peter Kay, UK fans ;o) a note that the way to Amarillo is indeed straight along the I40, I ploughed on through the hot afternoon towards the next state-line, New Mexico. With the wind picking up, and an average speed of 67mph on the comprehensive dash display (the wealth of information is one of the things I like about the baby Beemer, although it's design is a little fussy), my economy had now dipped into the high forties... yep, I really might as well be on the Honda for this kind of riding - it would feel both more relaxed, and be more economic! By mid afternoon (3pm) I'd reached Tucumari NM - and this is where my 1000 mile Iron-butt would have ended if I'd counted all the way from Counce TN the previous morning - ie. 6 hours* more riding on top of what I'd already managed before hitting the motel at midnight last night, so technically I could have completed the distance in about 21 hours - although not something I would even consider based on the route and timing I'd actually taken... *7 hours actually, I'm sure there was a time zone crossing in there somewhere! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Twz9VJF-XL.jpg photo. This was on the old Route 66 near Moriarty NM (as part of a fruitless attempt to find a Starbucks that was showing in my outdated 2015 GPS database) - if God was giving me a sign, it wasn't to where I could find a proper cup of coffee! I finally sated my lack of caffeine with a quad-shot of espresso and a correspondingly high-octane refuel of the bike too in Albuquerque NM - it was starting to get chilly now (a quick glance at my GPS showed I'd been steadily climbing all afternoon as the sun was going down, and had been riding at over 7000ft - so no wonder!), and continued counting down the miles towards another Motel 6 (in Grants NM), where I finally decompressed the day while taking the opportunity to launder all my clothes from this past week, in preparation prior to spending the next few days camping with friends. Sitting there in my last clean set of underwear and a sarong (what a vision eh?) - I totted up some numbers: rolling into the motel car-park at 8.30pm, I'd racked up another 628 miles today - which since leaving Counce TN yesterday at 9am, means I'd covered 1280 miles in just less than 36 hours, so not quite an IBA 'Bun-burner' then (which is 1500 miles in 36 hours), but still pretty impressive for such a small capacity machine I thought. Interestingly, I had actually covered the last 1000 miles from Brinkley AK in approximately 28 hours, so factoring in the 8 hours I spent in a motel from midnight last night, technically I could have ridden an 1000 mile Iron-butt had I not elected to start late afternoon and also take a break overnight... although I'm not sure I'd want to spend 20+ hours* on any bike, especially not straight through! *note. it would actually have been around 21 hours when you consider the time change. In other news, apparently I didn't quite make it Back to the Future either, having only managed to max-out the G310 at 87.6mph this afternoon. More soon... Jenny x |
Day 13: Saturday 5th of May 2018: Grants NM to Cottonwood AZ
348 miles 7am alarm: I really didn't know what day it was anymore... ah Saturday, according to my freshly charged phone piled high on my stack of clean laundry. I elected to forfeit breakfast now (other than a splash of free coffee for the motel reception, which I have to say was more than reasonable in this instance) for the promise of a tasty pie a few miles - 67 as it turned out - down the [dirt] road... I'd stayed in Grants before in the past, right after a pretty epic day of dirt road riding north, en route for Colorado - and knew of a network of fun trails that ran north and south to the west of here. However, I had commitments in Arizona that afternoon, so elected to take a more direct dirt road south via Pie Town New Mexico, a section of road which actually forms part of the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...67P7mTH-XL.jpg photo. I don't know what's at the end of the rainbow, but I'm pretty confident that I know what I'll find at the end of this road... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Gs9jGPs-XL.jpg photo. this was my initial destination - the Pie-o-neer restaurant in Pie Town, which I last visited ten year's ago when riding my Yamaha XT660Z - that happened to be another black, single cylinder, ADV bike, with minimal luggage - I seem to have a thing for those ;o) edit. aha, here's a photo of that very instance! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...C7T2q7K-XL.jpg Unfortunately this time my beloved Pie-o-neer was closed (I hope not indefinitely), so I took my pick of the two other establishments on this dusty main street (which is effectively highway 60), electing to eat from the plate less populated, and try the Pie Town Cafe which was 'under new management' and spread the pie love around... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LfSTgD4-XL.jpg While it may not have been the best piece of pie I'd ever had (no whipped cream, no ice-cream!), it was an interesting twist on a traditional apple pie with green chilli and pine nuts - a quick google seems to suggest that '[New] Mexican apple pie' is indeed a genuine thing, and not just the bastard brain-child of a sun-addled hippy who lives off the grid in the middle of the desert. ahem. I have to say, the new owners were very relaxed, topped up my coffee with an attentive but not obtrusive regularity, and let me avail myself of their reasonably efficient WiFi to upload a few photos from the previous days. It was also getting proper warm sitting outside in the sun. Result! But it was still like three hundred miles to Cottonwood the way I intended to go, so it was time to split. A few notes from the road: Great Donut/lunch restaurant in Show Low AZ - I can recommend the Crunchy Pig sandwich (don't tell Piglet!) and their brew coffee is not bad either... however, the icing on the cake, both literally and metaphorically is their traditional glazed donuts - divine! It was a fun ride/route that afternoon winding my way west though the Arizona highlands (still typically 7000+ feet around these parts), and I picked up a fun and fast dirt section: 'Fire Control Road' that cuts the corner of highway 260 north of Payson, and is highlighted on the Butler Map of AZ (FS64) as a recommended through route on dirt - nice. However, as I was ragging along at 50 even 60 mph on the loose gravel (this bike is actually deceptively fast off-road with the Rally Raid suspension fitted), I started to notice a bit of chattering from the rear end... Nothing seemed much out of the ordinary, although I recalled an email that John had forwarded me from another G310GS owner who'd just got back from a big cross-country ride (around 4000 miles as I recalled) and said that his cush-drive rubbers had worn significantly and prematurely, and had been replaced under warranty by his dealer - and who was passing this info on for both Amy [Harburg, who's riding from Mongolia to the UK] and myself [all over North America this summer] to keep an eye on things. Sure enough, when I inspected the cush-drive there was now at least a good quarter inch of fore/aft movement of the sprocket - so it was actually pretty f**ked after what was currently only 3500 miles, and of primarily on-road riding. Now that is a bit disappointing I have to say. Still, there was nothing I could do for now (until I got to camp, where I'd have facilities to service the bike), so took it easy for the rest of the ride into Cottonwood. A sign said that the next dirt road I'd intended to take (708 between Strawberry and Verde lakes) was closed part the way along, which was a further disappointment but would at least mean I put less stress on those cush rubbers; and I have to say, the long decent through the Fossil Springs Wilderness along hwy 260 to Camp Verde (another highlighted 'gold road' on the Butler maps in case you were wondering), was a joyful compensation. cont. |
cont.
Day 14 & 15: Sunday 6th/Monday 7th May 2018: Cottonwood AZ. I have to admit, I was utterly exhausted after these past few days hammering across the country. Fortunately it was lovely and warm in Cottonwood, the campsite agreeable with clean facilities, and the perfect opportunity to finally relax with friends, and to check over the bike which had now covered over 3800 miles since it had first turned a wheel out of the dealer in Roanoke just two weeks ago! Rather than prop-up my bike on rocks or logs in lieu of a centre stand (don't get me started on that subject again!), I was able to borrow a hydraulic lift-rack that a friend uses to carry her trail-bike on the back of her car, and plugged it into the receiver hitch on Lisa's 4Runner: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...C9q3D57-XL.jpg I'd elected to spend the day around camp today (rather than go out trail riding with the tiddlers), not least as I was not feeling great with both blocked sinuses plus a chesty cough that I'd been nursing this past week, and which the long days on the road had exacerbated. the weather was also proper roasty too, so I factored this would be a good opportunity to finally get a day off, and get to know the bike a little better. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LZQdpwS-XL.jpg photo. Access to the rear shock is really easy on this bike, one of things I consider a positive for my list (see below). I wanted to try and reduce the preload on the spring. For info. the shock (120 weight spring on my bike) comes set from the factory with 11mm of static preload already added, and I'd specified the remote preload adjuster to allow me to quickly dial in the exact amount of sag I'd require, depending on the load being carried - typically trail-riding unladen vs. riding with all my luggage attached). However, during the initial set up of the bike, I considered that I already had more than enough preload for my weight and preference, and so the hydraulic adjuster (which offers around 10mm range of adjustment) had remained in the minimum position, rather than somewhere between the two which is far more preferable. So removing the shock allowed me to easily wind back the base setting a few turns (5mm), which in turn could be reinstated by setting the remote adjuster in the mid position, allowing me to add or reduce the preload by 5mm in each direction. Bingo. I also pulled the rear wheel, and inspected the worn cush-drive rubbers - sure enough, the three fingers of the sprocket carrier were now loose between the compressed rubber cushions on either side - so as a temporary repair I packed the free space with strips of rubber cut from an old inner-tube (a trick I'd picked up from the XT660Z owners forum - another bike which tended to suffer from premature cush-rubber wear, albeit not quite as quickly as the G310 seems to have worn). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...VXKb44c-XL.jpg photo. Initially I tried two strips of rubber (one either side of each finger on the sprocket carrier), but ultimately it would only go together using a single piece in each segment. The other thing I wanted to try was to fit the taller screen that Rally Raid had included with my order. Initially I had wanted to see how the stock screen handled riding big distances (plus I really liked the all black look of the polythene screen you get on the US bikes), then would be in the position to make a proper comparison with the Rally-Raid Adventure screen during the next leg of this cross-country trip. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...z8M9Gww-XL.jpg photo. Tall screen fitted, and minimal luggage - all you really need to cross the country ;o) Although I didn't get much of an opportunity to test the screen at higher speed until I left Cottonwood for California on the Tuesday, I have to say it does make an appreciably difference to the wind noise that I get from my Icon Variant Dual-sport/Adventure style helmet... Certainly when I'm on my Honda (with the Honda Accessory Tall screen fitted) I notice a considerable wind-roar from the sides of the peak on that helmet when travelling above 60mph. On the GS (with the stock screen) it was already appreciably quieter, and I'd experimented with raising my hand to approximately the height of the Rally Raid screen which seemed to cut the noise even further. Sure enough - for my height and wearing this particular helmet at least, the tall screen on the GS, makes a noticeable difference particularly at higher highway speeds, and especially if you just dip your head/the peak of the helmet slightly so that the wind is deflected over the top. it was so much quieter than I was used to [on the Honda] that I could even hear my iPod without having the volume cranked up to the max. I really enjoyed the time off the bike, soaking up some sun and catching up with my riding buddies. Ultimately however, it transpired that the next stage of my plan would have to change slightly - I had hoped to head straight up to Moab after this sojourn, meet with Juan Browne, and put together some video of the bike in action on the slick-rock trails and more technical terrain you get in that area. However, logistically this would then make getting my bike registered in California (it is currently on a temporary tag from Virginia of course) a bit of shlep, particularly as I also had committed to (and paid for!) attending the Overland Expo back in Flagstaff the following weekend (18-20th May). I was also a bit narked at the worn cush-drive - it wasn't a deal breaker by any means, but I'd want to register the issue with a dealer at least, and try and get some replacement rubbers as soon as possible. So I elected to head straight for California this coming week instead, get the bike sorted (included a couple of wiring jobs I wanted to incorporate during the initial build, but had run out of time), and basically really get everything dialled-in properly before heading to Moab to meet Juan the week after Expo instead. In turn, this logistical about-turn would mean that rather than have to leave the bike in California while I returned to the UK next month, I could feasibly leave it somewhere more in the middle (either Utah or Colorado), and collect it again early in July - dramatically reducing the amount of time it would take to get back across the country to my scheduled commitments in Toronto and the following week in Iowa at the BMW MOA rally (where I intend to debut my dedicated G310GS video/slide show of the adventure so far...) This would mean another long road ride of course - something I was getting used to by now admittedly, but which turned out to be the longest ride yet! More soon! Jenny x |
Day 16: Tuesday 8th of May 2018: Cottonwood AZ to San Jose CA - yes really, in one day, on a 300cc bike.
746.1 miles (that 0.1 is important you know!) As if two 1000+ kilometre days last week were not enough, I think today proved the ultimate long-distance capability of this bike beyond any doubt! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LRZf8KW-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wQ4jWbd-XL.jpg Honestly, there really isn't much to report (or that I can even recall) about this particular day, other than a tasty breakfast sandwich at the Red Rooster Cafe in Cottonwood (I can recommend everything I had - including the bacon & goat's cheese on sourdough sandwich, the banana & blueberry smoothie, although it was quite possibly the smallest 'double' espresso I've ever inhaled) before hitting the road at about 10am. On average I'd be stopping about every 2-2.5 hours to refuel, and as I crossed into California (having detoured off the I40 along what I consider is the nicest part of Route 66 - between Kingman and Needles, via the cowboy/donkey town of Oatman), the weather got proper hot* *Lisa (who was driving her car about an hour ahead of me the whole way) later confirmed it reached 106°F across the Mohave Desert east of Barstow that afternoon. I knuckled down, dipped my peak a touch to minimise that wind roar, and cranked up the tunes in my earphones. The ride was uneventful, other than fighting against a strong headwind as I rode up the pass near Tehachapi - the fuel economy dropping to as little as 39mpg while trying to maintain close to 70mph as I could - WTF?! As the evening got cooler, and the wind subsided, I settled into a peaceful and almost trancelike state for the final shlep up I5 - pausing only to ingest over twelve hundred calories courtesy of Carl's Jr. and finally rolling onto Lisa's driveway at two minutes to midnight. The odometer clicked over 4590 miles as I pushed the bike into the garage. Crossing the country - done! Jenny x |
Summary so far... So a quick summary of my thoughts on the new bike, now that I've racked up nearly 5000 miles (in three weeks of ownership to the day today). To recap, before flying to the east coast and collecting the bike from the supplying dealer (Frontline Eurosports in Roanoke/Salem), I'd probably ridden a G310GS less than a mile, and spent as little time actually looking over the bike, other than the photos and information that John at Rally Raid had been sharing between us of course. Unlike the Honda CB500X 'Adventure' project which I'd been instrumental in developing, the G310 range of upgrades has been much more of John's own work - and while they are effectively a derivative of what we'd already developed for the Honda (ie. dedicated heavy-duty spoked wheels with tubed/tubeless options that accept all the OEM drive and braking components, together with a choice of standard travel or longer travel high quality and adjustable front and rear suspension; plus substantial engine protection and a range of ergonomic and longer-distance travel specific accessories), I'd not spent any time myself on the pre-production examples, so would effectively be approaching this build and subsequent 'adventure' on the bike in just the same way as any other regular customer might be - and therefore the perfect opportunity to appraise the bike more objectively that otherwise perhaps? I'll aim to include a few of my personal assembly and preparation hints & tips below, but generally speaking, the kit went together perfectly, and was very straightforward to fit (My LEVEL 1 GS kit being less time-consuming than the equivalent LEVEL 2 Honda kit, which gives that bike similar travel, ground clearance and wheel size/wheelbase as the GS has as standard). One thing I did appreciate with the GS was how easy it was to remove a lot of the superficial plastic parts: the chain guard and shock protector for example are separate items that you can leave off or replace individually as required*. Another example is the front fender bolts on using 3 x 5mm allen head bolts each side, and can be completely removed while the brake hose stays in place - meaning that if conditions got particularly muddy, you could feasibly continue with the fender bungeed to your back seat/luggage. The rear fender extension (and stupid rear light location) is very easy to remove and replace with the R&G Tail-tide assembly, and if you choose the red rear lamp lens option as I did, I think looks very factory still with the OEM rear turn signals reattached? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tpvfCKp-XL.jpg I noted that the headlight bulb is also easy to access too if required. Conversely however, it does seem rather difficult (or at least long-winded) to remove the fairing and other bodywork panels to gain access for wiring-in accessories neatly for example. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3sWWJF4-XL.jpg *One thing I did have to do (you may notice that initially I had not refitted the rear shock guard) is to trim the plastic with a Dremel if you want to fit the remote hydraulic preload adjuster, but otherwise everything is completely bolt on, and therefore off again should you ever wish to remove the kit and revert to standard. So, having ridden this bike right across the country, on a mix of dirt roads and trails, back roads and byways, and a huge amount of highway and interstate miles too - what are my conclusions so far? In no particular order - Things I like (and don't like, where related): 1. Generally speaking, the body/plastic parts all strip down relatively easily, and all seem to be secured using the same size 5mm allen head bolts - meaning you really only need that size tool readily to hand. However, I did notice that rather than use captive nuts welded to the frame, almost everything is secured using the clip/spring-nuts, which is cheap, and doesn't provide as easy/secure location until the bolt is done up (ie. they can slide around a bit on their respective mounting tabs.) 2. The side stand seems suitably strong for hoiking the bike up to get a wheel off the ground. It does seem to hang down rather low and directly under the left hand footrest, but so far has not proved to be a liability. 3. The fuel economy is good. Initially while keeping the bike under 60mph, I got as high as 67mpg, and typically 62mpg was my average according to the dash display. However, it does start to increase once the speed rises - 70mph or thereabouts sees it drop to 57mpg (and as low as 48-50mpg in a head wind), while pushing 75-80mph means I didn't get over 50mpg, and as low as 39mph into that strong headwind and uphill over Tehachapi on Tuesday. note. This is based on the dash readout, not calculations between actual fuel fill-ups. I'd say that at typical trail riding speeds (ie. sub 60mph on the pavement and around 30-40mph off-road), you will get 60+mpg even on the TKC80 tyres, which is technically close to a 180 mile range. I do like the fact that the dash offers fuel/miles remaining display too. Realistically though, you need to factor that 150 miles is about your limit on the stock tank. 4. The headlight low beam I thought was very good - the high beam conversely, is useless - removing all the foreground light but not giving any appreciable penetration further down the road. edit. it turns out the High-beam is much better once the headlight is adjusted down slightly - see later posts... 5. I've already mentioned the dash display in the main text and some of the functionality above - it has two trips, fuel range, engine temperature, average speed, plus a gear indicator together with the traditional fuel gauge, revs, speedo and clock. The one button control does take a little getting used to (I did bump the year to 19 at one point, requiring me to press the button over and over another 99 times to get it back to 18) and I do wonder if a date function is strictly necessary (especially as it has that silly month first then day/year order so beloved of Americans ;o) The downside of having such a comprehensive display is that the single button means you also have to step through every function in order, rather than have the ability to skip backwards and forwards between your favourites as desired. 6. The side cheek panels below the seat on either side have actually proved to be really useful - I can stow all of the tools and bodge-it spares I carry on my Honda under here too (including a trio of MotionPro T6 tyre-iron/wheel wrenches), other than my 12v compressor. However, I do wonder why BMW made these panels so bulbous (unless stowage was the intention), as it means my Giant Loop Coyote has already rubbed the paint away on either side. 7. I like the easy access to (and simple number of) fuses under the seat - however, it is a shame there is not a dedicated fused 12v auxiliary socket under there for attaching accessories and or heated gear if you wished. The seat (and latch) itself is very easy to operate and secure on and off as required. 8. I like the fact there is plenty of hose/cable/wiring length as standard. I have fitted the taller RC High bend fat-bars, with risers and 10mm spacers (so approximately 45mm higher than the OEM bars in total) and the cables do not appear to be at their limit yet, although I did have to release one of the cable ties on the headstock that holds the loom, and reattach the wiring to the brake hose with a zip-tie instead so that there was sufficient free-play on full right hand lock. 9. I like the fact that the pillion footrest brackets are bolt-on/easily detachable, although the location of the exhaust mount means you'd need to replace the right hand assembly with something similar to support the silencer. 10. I like it's general on-road refinement - especially when you consider it is a small capacity single cylinder engine. It does seem to be a bit buzzy and vibrate around the 5000-6000rpm mark - something that can affect a number of single cylinder machines on the highway (they all have a rough/sweet spot it seems), but it does smooth out again once you get over 6750rpm, and is more than acceptable at 70-80mph. However, if you touch the tank side panels, you can feel it's heart is busy buzzing away under there. Things I don't particularly like (most are quantifiable, some more subjective I admit): 1. The stock footpegs. They look great, but are far too small and skinny for standing up on for any period of time. Now I know I'm wearing some pretty soft touring boots on this ride, but really, the pegs are so uncomfortable, and also too short - my boots feel like they are about to slip off the ends the whole time. I really hope John can get a version of the CB500X platform pegs to me as soon as possible, as I'm not really looking forward to riding this bike aggressively off-road with the stock pegs. 2. The rear brake pedal is a little low (as a number of reviewers/owners have already commentated) and is unadjustable. you get used to it, but it's not ideal for off-road riding. Conversely, the gear shift leaver is easily adjustable - I wish they'd had the forethought to include a similar threaded adjustment for the brake too. 3. Both the gear lever and the brake pedal are cheap and rather clumsy looking pressed steel parts. However, in general steel is a good material for such extremities, as it can be bent back into shape rather than snap. I'll be interested to see how they fare in the rocky terrain around Moab at the end of this month, but so far they work, and I have to say, the gearbox on this bike is a delight to use with or without the clutch. 4. The stock front brake and clutch levers work well enough, but are way too long (to fit neatly with hand guards) and unadjustable. I find their span and action fine, but would prefer a more tactile and adjustable throw set. Again, this is something Rally Raid intend to offer very soon. 5. Cush-drive rubbers. Mine were seriously worn at well under 4000 miles. I'll be speaking to the dealer about some replacements asap. 6. Air-box access. While the packaging of the reverse cylinder engine dictates the airbox/filter needs to be high up under the front of the tank (a good thing, especially when crossing deep water or in dusty conditions), it seems inordinately tricky to gain access to the filter to check it/clean it/replace it as required. I know the service schedule only suggests replacement every 12,000 miles, but if you were riding in a group in dusty conditions, you want to inspect and potentially change it much more frequently than that. I need to get my spanners out now I'm back home in the workshop, but it appears you have to remove half the body panels just to get at the filter cover. 7. Fuel-filler splash back. I noticed more than a few times that the angle you hold the pump hose can result in quite serious splash-back when filling - resulting in a Long Way Round Ewan-get's-fuel-in-his-eye scenario. You do need to be careful, and I've found that angling the nozzle slightly towards the rear of the tank seems to help minimise any splash-back. 8. Mirrors. I never even rode the bike with them so cannot comment on their effectiveness, but to me the OEM mirrors seemed very small and not much use. I fitted the Double Take ADV mirrors on RAM mounts straight away, and while they do buzz a little at higher speeds, they offer a nice wide field of vision on this bike I've found. 9. Coolant bottle access - again, much as with the air filter - the coolant overflow (and level indicator) is hidden underneath the right hand fairing side, and seems rather tricky to access/top up, never mind actually try and read the reservoir level. 10. Tank covers/side panels. While seated I find the ergonomics pretty much spot on with this bike (keeping in mind the scooped seat doesn't really offer you a lot of room to move around), conversely I've found that when standing up, the side panels on the tank splay your knees out far further than you'd like. This is particularly irksome, as they are essentially cosmetic trim to make the tank assembly appear larger and more macho (in the style of the 1200GS) than it actually needs to be, especially when the internal tank is the same 11 litre size as the R version. I do hope that either BMW themselves or at least the aftermarket offer a larger fuel tank for this bike, that actually utilises that otherwise wasted space - then I wouldn't mind the knee splay quite so much! Certainly my Honda CB500X has a far narrower width between the knees when standing - although admittedly the pegs are located a little further back. 11. On a more subjective, but related note to the above - I generally find the bodywork/styling overly fussy (this is a BMW trait in general of course). Where Honda might incorporate a swage or scallop primarily for ergonomic reasons, BMW seem to add recesses, steps and other '3D' detailing just for the sake of it? An example is those side panels under each side of the seat - not only are they quite bulbous in the first place, but they appear to have four 'lumps' moulded in for no reason, other than to perhaps replicate the pannier slots you get on the 1200GS. If that is the case BMW, then please tell your design team no-one, even in emerging Asia markets is going to be impressed with such superficial flim-flam. 12. I do like the shape and general brightness of the OEM turn signals (for info. conventional bulbs, but orange with clear lenses), but feel the stalks are a little overly long, making them potentially vulnerable in the event of a drop. note. This is a US specific detail. The EU model GS's have much shorter stalks, particularly on the front. 13. Bouncy headlight. Again, this is something previous owners have already commented on. Some might say it helps to draw attention to you when drivers are looking in the their rear-view mirror, but personally I've been a bit embarrassed when following another vehicle hoping they don't think I'm aggressively flashing them for example. That said, even oncoming traffic doesn't seem to be unduly put out by the bounce, so perhaps it's simply more noticeable when you see the reflection on a roadside sign for example? 14. Did I mention the headlight high-beam is utter crap? Oh yes I did. It's crap. I feel a visit to MotoMinded coming on when I'm passing through Colorado Springs later this summer ;o) So, that's about the size of things so far. Overall, the bike has continued to impress me - I'd had high hopes for this machine, and in general it has not disappointed so far. I do feel there are better/more appropriate bikes (not least my own Rally Raid CB500X) for embarking on exactly the same trip as I have just done, but the fact that the 310GS can do it too just shows it's potential versatility too of course. The real proof of the concept of a lighter weight [than even the twin-cylinder CB500X] Adventure bike is going to be once I really get it into the rough stuff - and that starts next week with my revised trip, starting here in California and heading back to Arizona for the Overland Expo - indeed, a journey much the same as that initial proving trip I undertook with the first Rally Raid CB500X in the US back in 2015. From there, I'll be heading up to Moab UT, and I know Juan is itching to see what this smaller bike can achieve on the more demanding trails - film at eleven as they say. Then, well, the second chapter is only just beginning... but you can expect a lot more dirt, plus some entertaining stories and associate photographs of course. In the meantime, if anyone is looking to invest in stocks and shares, I'd suggest Starbucks, Waffle House and Motel 6 as good a place as any. Plus any and all of the petrochemical companies too of course. It's going to be a long hot summer - I hope you can join me! Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
Fettling after stage 1...
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GwSX3gs-XL.jpg photo. finally registered, in California... Because I'd elected to come all the way back to California this past week (and get the bike registered etc. before heading back east again), once the bike was back in Lisa's garage I took the opportunity to pull various panels off and see how easy - or as it turns out, not easy - it is to access and service things like the air-filter, coolant tank, and general wiring (note. there are a pair of auxiliary 12v power tails tucked up next to the headlight behind the dash, but that necessitates pulling the whole thing apart to access them - makes the Honda auxiliary feed by the right front turn-signal a doddle in comparison!) So first of all, one thing I wanted to do is remove the side-stand cut out switch - not least as on this bike, the side stand hangs down precariously low, and the switch itself would be vulnerable to damage on a rock, or just by the general ingress of mud and water... Chasing the cable from the stand back up to the loom (it connects behind the right hand side panel - next to the rear brake master cylinder), and a bit of internet deduction - note. this info is not out there until now, although I based my assumption on a YouTube video from a guy who bypasses a similar design switch on a R1200RT - is that you need to join the middle and rear two wires from the switch together, in the case of the G310GS, this is the black/green and blue/yellow wires, leaving the red/green wire free. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bwpSCCZ-XL.jpg I elected to remove the switch and wiring right back to behind the side panel, and neatly joined/soldered and heat-shrinked the wires there (note this is technically reversible should you ever wish to). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tG8xtXs-XL.jpg The next job was to wire in my GPS properly (to a switched 12v feed, which I prefer) and also a USB socket to the dash - something I'd not had time to do during the initial build at the dealer in Virginia. This necessitated pulling the whole front-end of the bike off, or more accurately, to pieces - as [typically BMW] everything seems to interlock and is held together with at least six bolts, when I'm sure just two would do! Still, I now know how long it's going to take should I ever need to access the air-filter: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SMC8Mg5-XL.jpg photo. note the snorkel just unclips with the two spring-clips, and there is a paper K&N style [albeit replaceable, not washable] filter inside. Behind the dash are two 12v power tails - these have covers on to protect the male terminal, but unfortunately they are not simply the regular female side, but blanking panels, so you need to purchase the correct connecters and corresponding pins to do a proper job. I did. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...836WdKK-XL.jpg I attacked the dash with a hole-saw (wood boring bit actually), and finished it with Dr. Dremel. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9NSbBTX-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...c4Rrpd9-XL.jpg photo. Waterproof covered USB socket from Rally-Raid Products. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...khP2v7d-XL.jpg photo. 2 x 2A USB 5v sockets to charge your phone/camera etc. and a natty back-light when active (with the ignition on). cont. |
cont.
A few other personal details I've chosen to incorporate on my own build are as follows: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MFJfrfd-XL.jpg photo. as you may have noticed from the original photos, I elected to remove the chain guard, and also the stock shock cover would not fit straight on with the remote preload adjuster fitted, which I've subsequently trimmed with the Dremel to fit around the knob. I chose to replace the stock mirrors with a pair of DoubleTake ADV versions (that use RAM arms and fittings) straight away - the left side fits straight into the Clutch perch clamp (traditional right-hand threaded M10 bolt hole): https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PQ9dN4F-XL.jpg photo. You'll notice I've also included a second RAM ball on this side - useful for mounting a range of accessories - either my GoPro Session camera, an X-grip for my phone (which doubles as a remote for the camera when it's mounted lower on the engine bars) or even an iPod cradle - these things are important you know ;o) On the right hand/brake side, the perch clamp actually has a left-hand thread M10 hole - Rally Raid make an adaptor which is the simplest way to mount aftermarket mirrors (almost all of which have right-hand threads on both sides), but ultimately I chose to buy an inexpensive replacement mirror mount clamp, and fitted the right hand mirror RAM ball to that: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SVghQvf-XL.jpg Rather than fit an AMPS RAM ball to the Rally-Raid bar clamp to mount my GPS cradle centrally, I elected to use a bolt-through ball mount on one of the sockets so that I could still see my little BMW badge* *I don't actually care it's a BMW as such, but I really like the fact that John bothered to incorporate the recess to mount the OEM badge in there ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FDJ7Js9-XL.jpg Other cockpit ergonomic improvements you can see above include Renthal RC High bend fat-bars in the Rally-Raid billet bar clamps, and I chose to include 10mm packers/risers to dial-in the hight to my preference... note. the combination above means the bars are about 45mm higher than standard, and there is plenty of cable length for this increase - although it is a good idea to release the left-hand switchgear wiring from the frame clip, and reattach it to the brake hose: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sLXwpJ9-XL.jpg This rise/sweep means my Barkbusters fit perfectly into the cut-out in the stock low screen: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wr2W6ZH-XL.jpg You may also notice I've drilled a second set of M8 holes (20mm centre to centre inboard of the originals) in the Barkbuster spines - this allows everything to fit very neatly around the brake master cylinder/wiring hoses etc. while the Barkbusters remain nice and level/parallel to the ground (when using their universal fat-bar mounts): https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3sw2rvc-XL.jpg Finally, an indulgence was to have my lower fairing panels painted to match the rest of the bodywork: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tppwzMX-XL.jpg photo. Keeping it classy San Diego... ;o) And also the two side panels under the seat - although these have since been rubbed by my Giant Loop Coyote bag: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...D8ctT5R-XL.jpg photo. Note. all my tools are contained within the Kriega Pocket pouch, which fits really neatly under the GS seat. The only other tools I carry are a trio of MotionPro T6 combo tyre levers/wheel nut wrenches, which actually fit inside the right hand side panel too - very neat! So those are the personal touches I've chosen to incorporate - as I've said all along, I've tried not to add anything to this build which I don't consider absolutely necessary - even to the extent of deleting the OEM rear luggage rack and fitting R grab handles in it's place (note. there are slots in the R handles that the clips from the Coyote just about fit in, although you really need to trim them down slightly so they sit home in there). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vBszKzW-XL.jpg photo. Slots in the perfect position, but original hooks slightly too wide... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6g2wjR9-XL.jpg photo. Dr. Dremel to the rescue again. I factored-in that with the weight saving from removing the rack, and the lighter weight Scorpion exhaust, I've saved at least 12lbs of OEM weight - which in turn allows me to fit the engine guard, Barkbusters and a few RAM/electrical components, and still remain at or around the same weight as the stock bike, just vastly better prepared and equipped. Now it's time to really get this baby off-road - starting out again tomorrow and going via Death Valley and Las Vegas/Spring Mountains en route to Overland Expo next weekend! Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
Thanks for a good write up about one of the few new bikes I would consider buying, I did test ride one and was most impressed. Just to clarify I presume your fuel consumption figures are US gallons?
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Yes, the mpg figures above are US gallons (ie. just under 4 litres), and actually as I realised as the trip went on, the fuel gauge/mpg read-out can be a bit pessimistic at times - although broadly speaking, the ratio is pretty much the same, in other words - under 60mph it seems very economic (at trail riding speeds up to about 40mph, you'll get 70+ mpg), but it does drop down once you start pushing 70+mph. More soon - chapter 2 gets a lot more rocky! Jenny x |
Chapter 2 - California to Toronto Day 1: Monday 14th May: San Jose To Ridgecrest CA 408 miles After a thorough 'getting to know you' session in the garage over the weekend, I was confident I now knew a lot more about how this bike went together, and had fixed a few little niggling details that I'd not had time to sort before my initial journey west. In regard to the Rally-Raid parts I now felt I'd got the suspension set up the way I wanted: I'd backed off the initial preload a couple of turns, so that the hydraulic adjuster was more in the middle of it's range - allowing me to soften up the rear end for solo 'trialsy' technical riding (better traction and grip), then wind on some preload for carrying my luggage in touring/travel mode. I also elected to refit the OEM black screen, not that there was anything wrong with the taller Rally-Raid screen - quite the contrary in fact, I liked the way it cut the wind roar from my Icon helmet at higher highway speeds - but more that I'd decided that for this next leg I'd wear my open-face Arai, and noticed it was now more noisy with the taller screen* *this is why screen choice/height is so difficult to recommend, since there are so many variables - not just rider height and build (and the angle you like to lean into the bars), but also down to which helmet you choose and/or even if it has a peak fitted or not. I also elected to forfeit my Icon riding pants for regular jeans, plus my Alpinestars roll-up rain pants in the back pocket of my jacket (the same set-up I had for my Canada trip last summer); and since I was expecting good weather now in the Desert Southwest for the next couple of weeks, left my original [thicker/bulky] fleece jacket at home, and bought a down quilted jacket that packs down really small into it's own pocket. Right, time to hit the road then! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GDtcXcg-XL.jpg photo. a slippery water crossing on Deer Creek Rd south east of Porterville CA I seem to ride drive this initial run south from San Jose a lot these days, and having shlepped home from Arizona less than a week ago, this time I elected to stay off the Interstate and took a series of alternative highways and two-lane country roads between the main Central Valley arteries of I5 and 99, before picking up a lovely scenic dirt road [which I've ridden before] to California Hot Springs in the Sequioa National Forest. Climbing higher into the foothills on the western side of the Sierras, I'd half hoped that Portuguese Pass might be open en route to Kernville, but the seasonal gate was still locked, so I made do with more twisty mountain forest road and the delightful creek canyon Kern River Rd all the way to the north shore of Lake Isabella - again I mention these pointers specifically if you are ever in the region yourself - some truly epic motorcycling roads almost free of traffic the whole way. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rtLbgDC-XL.jpg photo. Looking back west through the mountains down hwy 178 towards Bakersfield, from the Canebrake dirt road that winds its way over a pass to dovetail with Nine Mile Canyon. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FzKfb78-XL.jpg photo. Controlled burn area on the far side of the pass. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M6z2hPf-XL.jpg photo. The view east down Nine Mile Canyon - one of the epic back-country byways in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. By the time I rolled into Ridgecrest at dusk, I'd clocked up over 400 miles again on a mix of scenic paved and unpaved/dirt roads, but most importantly was now set up for some serious off-road riding the following morning... After all, this is really what I'd built this bike for! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 2: Tuesday 15th May: Ridgecrest CA to Las Vegas NV
210 miles If yesterday was about trying to catalogue a definitive minor road route though the southern Sierras, then today would be similarly dedicated to a defining dirt route to Las Vegas, using a number of trails I was already familiar with. I admit I'm a creature of habit when it comes to this part of the country - those of you who followed my Trans-Am 500 ride in 2015 (on the Rally-Raid CB500X) will be familiar with much of this route though the bottom end of Death Valley, but this time I intended to include a few more dirt/trail sections east of Pahrump through the Spring Mountains which I'd had to forfeit the previous journey due to time constraints. Motel 6 in Ridgecrest is cheap, but increasingly shabby these days; but at least it's across the road from one of my favourite breakfast diners - and their cinnamon roll French toast was a treat - although I'm not sure if anyone had shown it some egg this morning to be honest, it was more a cinnamon bun covered in frosting and subsequently dripping in syrup courtesy of my own fair hand - a diabetic overload and no mistake, served with a 'side' of scrambled eggs, bacon and two sausages - it was essentially two breakfasts in one to set me up well on this sunny morning! There was no need to gas up before I reached Trona (the last gas stop before you enter Panamint and Death Valley), and I took a little time to hydrate fully with a bucket of fountain soda (using the cup to fill my Camelbak with ice first) and I filled both my internal and external bladders to the brim - it was going to be hot out there today... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SpwZXWC-XL.jpg photo. Off highway 178 between Ridgecrest and Trona is this funky shrine to a local firefighter who was killed in a car accident in 2015. It must be quite surreal to drive past and night and see it lit up by the solar-powered spot-lights. Due to my more modest pace though the mountains and dirt roads yesterday afternoon/evening, I'd actually managed to eek 173 miles from a tank of fuel (with still 22 to go according to the range gauge), which equates to around 65mpg - so clearly the fuel consumption is much better at sub 60mph than what I'd been achieving at higher speeds on the highway in recent days/weeks. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Rr8H6nN-XL.jpg photo. The Escape Trail (Fish Canyon) between Trona airport and the bottom end of Panamint Valley - an excellent warm up for the day ahead. I've ridden the Escape Trail a few times now, and it always impresses me with the big reveal as you crest the initial climb and start the decent into Panamint Valley. More recently Juan, Harold and I witnessed a pair of jet-fighters (presumably out of the nearby China Lake base, or possibly Edwards AFB to the south of here) playing tag at low-level in the valley; and previously Dave Lin (from ADVaddicts) and I rode this trail together in 2015 when he joined me on his KTM 690, which promptly ran away from him when he forgot to disengage his ABS on what will be forever known as 'Dave's Hill' now ;o) Mindful of this loose and rocky decent (with little grip, even if you're on the brakes), I elected to switch off the ABS on the GS and pick my way down gingerly - although I have to say it wasn't easy, as the bike seems to have a propensity to cough stall when you try and drag the rear brake - a technique not helped by the low rear brake pedal that forces your foot into an unnatural angle, making it hard to modulate accurately. The stock foot pegs are also absolutely horrible to stand on too. It's conditions like this that really make me appreciate how easy and relaxed the twin cylinder Honda is (even though it's a good 50lbs heavier, it also hides that weight well and low), and how much more lazy you can be on it. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7B6rqpw-XL.jpg photo. The bottom of Dave's Hill - it looks so innocent here, but it's actually far rougher at the top end, and pretty nerve-wracking the whole way down as there is so little traction and grip. Conversely, the BMW begins to reward you if you decide to put a little more effort in, ride it a bit harder and faster than you might a physically larger and/or heavier bike, and let the suspension do the work - certainly once I'd left the rocky baby-heads behind and the trail opened up into a fast sandy piste, the bike would rip along at a deceptively decent lick (40mph or more) over the whooped-out trail - although I did have to stop and add three clicks of preload to the rear to stop the shock bottoming out with the weight of my luggage on board once I started riding at that sort of speed on that terrain. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HB7vRXJ-XL.jpg photo. Once the trail levelled-out and opened up, you could really pick up some speed (and carry it) on the nimble GS. cont. |
cont.
The Escape Trail spits you out a the bottom of Wingate Rd, almost directly opposite the entrance to Golar Wash, which in turn leads to Mengal Pass, Butte Valley and ultimately through the bottom end of Badwater Basin in Death Valley itself. It really is one of the classic trails in Southern California, a wonderful mix of scenery, some challenging (but not too challenging ) terrain, points of interest (Newman's Mine cabin and the Barker Ranch), and not least Mengal Pass itself which again is not overly technical (you can pick a line through on a bike), but enough to catch out the unwary if you're not paying attention. Certainly I was glad I'd removed my side-stand switch from the low-slung undercarriage position on this bike, as I would have probably smashed it by the time I rolled into Butte Valley: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qnd2FwW-XL.jpg I also must admit to my first drop with this new bike (if you don't count it rolling forward and falling on the far side when I was trying to drop some oil on the side of the trail in North Carolina)... As I approached the first rocky section in Golar Wash (a series of jagged rock steps that have got more and more aggressive in recent years as the water has washed the smaller debris out of the nooks and crannies), I saw two Jeeps parked right in the middle of the trail. The occupants were mingling around taking it easy, and they asked about the general condition of the trail ahead, so I helped to set their minds at ease and also made a few suggestions of things to see along the way... I then made a start along side the two vehicles in an effort to get up the rocks ahead as nonchalantly as I could. Bloody rear tyre hung up on a wet rock slab and spat me sideways didn't it! Still, it's always good to get that first proper drop out of the way now - even if it was in front of an audience! - and at least I was able to appreciate that the bike does indeed feel lighter than the Honda to pick up off the deck, I positively snatched it off the ground in an effort to save face - but damn I had to clutch the bastard up and over those rocks. Time to air down the tyres I think... I dispatched the next few miles at a fair old lick - again, it appears this bike actually rewards a little more aggressive riding, although I noticed the front end did seem to push/run wide in loose turns - certainly compared to my CB (on the same tyres) which always feels utterly planted... However, get on the throttle a bit more and you can adjust the attitude of the bike well enough, despite it's modest power output. In that regard, personally I think this bike is rather over-tyred with the 150 width rear (and even that 110/80 front) and I intend to fit the Continental TKC80 in 140/80 x 17 size when I replace the rear in Moab next week. I also think an even lighter and more narrow profile tyre on each end would make this bike feel even more lively off-road; although I have to concede that for it's overall weight and load carrying capability, the specified tyre sizes are appropriate - it's just I feel the 34hp can struggle to turn the heavier all-terrain tyres at times. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qK3KdsH-XL.jpg photo. I emerged from Warm Spring Canyon onto West Side Road, and headed for the highway over Jubilee Pass to Shoshone for a well earned ice cream! Even though I'd averaged 70mpg over the last 80 miles primarily off-road, I supported the local fuel station at $4.60 a gallon (still factoring that was some cheap fun I'd just had!), and blatted along the empty highway to Pahrump with only my iPod for company, planning the next stage of attack... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Dd8BnGX-XL.jpg photo. Nice new sign, no bullet holes as yet... Wheeler Pass is one of my favourite trails (and way to cross the Spring Mountains to the north into the Las Vegas basin) in this area, however, those of you familiar with the classic LA-Barstow-Vegas dual-sport ride may well be familiar with the southern crossing though Red Rock Canyon - an even more technically challenging (in places) climb through a narrow creek/wash and down the far side on a series of tight gravel and rocky switch backs. There is also a lovely dirt-road/easy trail connection from the highway south of Pahrump and east into the foothills - Lovell Summit/Canyon Rd - this would be my route on the GS of course! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...s6mTvk9-XL.jpg photo. This is the point in Red Rock Canyon where things start to get technical... the main wash is a great playground for four-wheelers, while the bikes can usually find a line through the boulders or along the edge of the main trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FTxrdgC-XL.jpg photo. I haven't been though here in a good few years (and the last time on a bike was actually over 8 years ago now), but parts of this trail were immediately familiar... As is the nature of wash trails, some sections had deteriorated, while others actually smoothed out and/or new lines developed. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GSNgNzG-XL.jpg photo. This has to be a road, it's in the GPS right? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pt7vKTc-XL.jpg photo. Once you reach the Pass, the worst is over - the descent is a series of tight switchbacks all the way into Willow Springs in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This time, I elected to leave the ABS engaged the whole time, and I have to say, I am impressed with how well it copes with off-road and loose terrain conditions - very similar to the excellent system on the CB500X in that regard - and although I have managed to get the GS to skip/let go a couple of times in certain conditions, it has so far never resulted in a total run-away as BMW have been notorious for in the past. The result on these tight downhill switchbacks was actually a revelation! Instead of the bike cough-stalling out on me if I was a bit heavy on the brakes (typically trailing the rear brake into corners to tighten up the line), I could brake right up to the point of the wheel locking which would typically result in the engine stalling, and yet the engine kept on ticking over while the brakes continued to retard the bike enough to keep control and momentum retained - it was essentially a form of ghetto traction control in reverse... This was fun! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zMPVNvn-XL.jpg photo. when I first rode this trail back in 2007 on my XR650R, this sign used to say: "Travel at your own risk" (which I soon adopted as my mantra for life ;o) I cruised out of the park (if you join the one-way highway at this point halfway around, you avoid the fee station at the official entrance) at a sedate pace, confident that the bike had finally just spent the past two days in its element - twisty two-lane highway and backroad byways, fast gravel and sandy trails and some proper rocky technical riding too. This is what I'd ridden all the way across the country for, and it was only going to get better once I got to Arizona and Utah too of course! However, I'd noticed that my cush-drive was once again starting to show excessive play, despite my inner tube packing, so stopped at the roadside and employed my Google machine. Sure enough, there was a BMW Motorrad dealer in Las Vegas (of course there was, although as it transpired they had moved location recently), so I tapped the address into my GPS with the intention of simply dropping by to ask what the warranty situation might be... I have to say, I'm really liking the BMW ownership experience so far - well, apart from the fact I needed a warranty claim for cush-rubbers in the first pace of course! - and certainly this particular dealer [EuroCycle Las Vegas] made me feel very special - despite rocking up in dirty dusty jeans on their cheapest model, that I hadn't even bought in that State, never mind from that actual dealership themselves - they ordered me up the three required rubbers to be sent overnight, and booked me into their service department for the following morning. All done, gratis. So currently I am now sitting here in an air-conditioned home of some good friends on the outskirts of Las Vegas, drinking a beer (my excuse for any spelling mistakes), with a fully functioning BMW again - all ready to head to Overland Expo tomorrow! So if you're in the Flagstaff area (or are within striking distance at least) over the weekend, then do drop by (day tickets for Expo are available online) and say hello - Harold from Giant Loop and I will also be hosting an informal happy hour chat/presentation on the Friday night too, where you'd be most welcome! More soon! Jenny x |
Day 3: Wednesday 16th May: just putzing around in Las Vegas getting my cush-drive sorted.
Day 4: Thursday 17th May: Las Vegas NV to Flagstaff AZ: Overland Expo West 2018 252 miles So along with new cush-rubbers (which didn't seem to be that much better if I'm honest - see later), I also took the opportunity to nip up the steering-head bearings before heading off to Arizona. Today was basically a highway road-trip... crossing the Colorado River by the Hoover Dam, and shadowing the old Route 66 that runs alongside I40 for the most part en route for Flagstaff. I've ridden through here a good few times before (not least barely a week before on my way back to California), and while it's fun to take some dirt-road alternatives, today was all about getting to Overland Expo in good time to secure a decent camping spot for the weekend. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...D6mKB7H-XL.jpg photo. The SnowCap cafe in Seligman AZ https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cvGbsvX-XL.jpg photo. the owner is a complete practical joker and pun meister extraordinaire - asking if you want a straw (and hands you a small bundle of hay), mounting the door handles on the wrong side (that I admit caught me out initially, I went around to the other door before I realised that had two handles too!), and a mustard bottle that squirts a yellow coloured string over customer's shirts - much to their initial horror! Oh how we laughed. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jFDcsDD-XL.jpg photo. and the comedy continues outside. Presumably this Kazi is for shit-heads... I have to say the little Beemer dispatched the day without fuss, at highway speeds drinking at around 58mpg (so pretty much the same as my twin-cylinder CB at similar speeds and on the same size tyres), and quietly comfortable with the stock screen and my open-face helmet. I finally joined the British (and mainly BMW) contingent in the moto-camping area after queuing up for nearly an hour to get in the public gate. This year traffic was directed around the park in an effort to save it backing up on the main highway (which I understand had been a major headache at last year's event once they had moved the new venue), and not being an exhibitor or presenter this year, I had to slum it with the endless parade of 4x4s and campers in a single line waiting to present their pre-paid tickets at the gate. I was just grateful I'd elected to arrive on the Thursday (set-up day) afternoon, as the following morning the increased popularity of this event meant that it took some day-visitors over two hours to get in. Tedious. Day 5 & 6: Friday 18th/Saturday 19th May: Overland Expo. Having scoped out the venue the evening before (and found a most excellent vendor selling wood-fired pizza from a converted trailer), it was actually a surprisingly long walk (over half a mile) from the camping area to the main exhibition village - although I soon realised I could actually ride my bike around the perimeter road to the far-side of the venue where the moto-village was located, park up, and spend the day perusing the various two-wheeled, four-wheeled and in some instances even 6-wheeled overland vehicle displays: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...c9BRZ5s-XL.jpg photo. beautifully nut-and-bolt restored Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser (this one started at $100,000!) - they can even install a modern V6 and auto transmission while retaining all the period detailing. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8Trk9nH-XL.jpg photo. there were a lot of Jeeps as you might imagine, although surprisingly, modern Toyota Tacoma/Tundra and 4Runners seemed to be the most popular camping/overland conversions at this event. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PsD5HT6-XL.jpg photo. These guys were busy all day and all night - great tucker! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SrKg9hQ-XL.jpg photo. 2WD, electrically powered, and now fully street legal (including California) - shame they didn't have any demos available! I have to say, the Moto-village was actually a little disappointing this year (compared to two years ago at Mormon Lake when Harold, Juan and I attended as part of the CBXpo ride) - very few stands of any real substance or innovation (other than the two electric bike retailers), although at least KTM showed up with their demo fleet, and Alpinestars had a huge tent and some good discounts (minimum 20%) on various riding gear. I did the rounds then wondered off to eat some more pizza, and ultimately met up with Rob and Shaun from ADVpulse magazine to discuss the plan for our photo-shoot and (off) road test scheduled for the following day... cont. |
cont.
It's a quote I've paraphrased before - when PJO'Rourke said: "The fastest car is a hired car", I concluded the best vehicle to use off-road is probably someone else's too... Certainly the guys from ADVpulse appeared to have a ball on-board my baby GS the following morning: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Rmpx3wS-XL.jpg photo. Shaun doing techie stuff before the onslaught... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zfF5PNC-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tXGh7mW-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QLdjdVB-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zxSGprD-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hKV5rCq-XL.jpg note. the above are my 'behind the scenes' pictures of the guys at work. You can expect to see their pictures (and video) on the ADVpulse web-magazine soon - and I'll do my best to match up the official shots with my candid snaps then. EDIT: full-length video review from ADVpulse now on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MRqXT_Xakco I have to say it was a lot of fun watching Rob (and Shaun) really start to put the bike though it's paces - until now I'd been a little wary of really hammering the thing off-road myself - not least as I didn't want to have to start fixing the results of any clumsiness on my part, but clearly once the bike was not so hampered with luggage, there was no doubt the thing could really fly - both literally and metaphorically. I resolved to head off early the next day for Moab, and grab me some similar fun for myself! More soon! Jenny x |
"Piglet - wake up! We've got to get to Moab and meet Juan..."
Day 7: Sunday 20th May: Flagstaff AZ to Blanding UT 295 miles "Some Reservations..." Although I'd initially had my reservations about the size and scale of what the Overland Expo West has become, I have to say it had been a very enjoyable few days - not least meeting up with some old friends (from the UK and US), making some great new acquaintances (both BMW related and in general), and punctuated with eating plenty of wood-fired pizza. Oh, and perhaps best of all I got the keys to a proper shower-block to clean up after the past two days lick-spit and wet-wipe washing, something that was really essential after that dusty session with the guys from ADVpulse - Re-vitalised, Re-sult! With the best intentions of being packed and ready to roll by 9am, inevitably after a few goodbyes (plus a friend dropping in on the show just as I was about to leave), I didn't actually get on the road much before midday, and dipped off the highway near Flagstaff to juice up the bike, plus for this [more] remote leg particularly - take the precaution of carrying a little extra fuel with me, at least for the next hour/60 miles or so: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DTMSpWr-XL.jpg photo. Giant Loop Gas-Bag - a product that those less than kind suggest was apparently named after me ;o) I wasn't due to meet up with Juan until the following evening (Monday) at the earliest, but I had arranged to get a new rear tyre fitted once I arrived in Moab (at the TAT staple that is Arrowhead Motorsports south of town), so wanted to make plenty of headway this afternoon so that I wasn't rushing, and fundamentally, would have the opportunity to ride some new [to me] trail sections en route. So rather than shlep up the main highway 89 and 160 via Monument Valley, I plotted an alternative route diagonally northwards through the Hopi Reservation - a mix of minor paved highway and dirt/gravel roads: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...H6TqShc-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mKtdb7M-XL.jpg ...and at one point, picked up a two-track trail that deteriorated into an awesome single-track and even off-pieste adventure! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...84DNcnx-XL.jpg photo. You can see my tyre track once the 'road' had run out - even though I was still loosely following the GPS at this point. Apparently the actual 'trail' was on the far side of a fence that was ominously marked 'US Federal Property', so I picked my own way though the rocky outcrops and even a small sections of dunes to rejoin an established dirt road a little further on. I also have to admit that I actually rolled into a family's front yard after descending those dunes, much to their initial bewilderment! I juiced up again Kayenta (the 'gateway to Monument Valley' - with all the overpriced hotels that title implies, yep, I've had no choice but to stay there once before and I won't be making that $180 mistake again thank you!), and plotted the next leg north while imbibing a Sonic Drive-in burger and shake. My aim was to get as far as either Blanding or Montecello across the boarder in Utah this evening - that way I'd be set up with only around 100 miles to Moab the follow day, which would mean I could hopefully explore more of the OHV routes* through the Abajo Mountains (the range just south of Canyonlands NP for anyone having trouble with their geography) on my way north. *Those of you who followed my Northern eXposure trip last summer may recall that once I'd left the 3-Step Hideaway heading west, I rode up into and around the Abajo range on the main 'through route' - which if I'm honest is pretty much accessible to a regular car/truck, at least one with reasonable ground clearance - although the scenery and the view is no less spectacular up there of course. During that traverse, I'd seen some signs for alternative and dedicated OHV trails, and had vowed to return and explore when heading in a more appropriate direction. Now was that time... Having ridden past Monument Valley in the distance back in 2015 (during the initial Trans-Am 500 ride), I had no burning desire to retrace those particular steps, especially when once again I'd have to forfeit actually stopping and exploring at close quarters due to time constraints - so instead headed due east on highway 160 a little further, before picking up a dirt road through the Navajo Reservation which turned out to be the highlight of the day for me: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CcmTHFQ-XL.jpg photo. My GPS was initially sending me due north along this particular section, although a more established road had also been cut that circumnavigated this soft sand field of dunes that was engulfing the original trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cMBR4Bh-XL.jpg photo. The 'big reveal' came as the sun was starting to set - the little seen 'opposite' side of Monument Valley. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...J3g4MQJ-XL.jpg After the initial glimpse, the road appeared to be heading directly towards the huge monoliths for mile upon mile, before ultimately heading north and away towards Mexican Hat. It was now almost dusk, and in an open face helmet and sunglasses, I considered I'd had my fill of dirt for the day, forfeit the final planned trail section and instead pressed on up highway 191 for Blanding to finally find a bed for the night. Those of you who've followed my exploits before will recall I currently have a penchant for the Super 8 motel chain - primarily for their DIY waffle machine breakfast, and the impressive Blanding establishment also included a laundry service (now necessary after the last five days on the road, with only five sets of underwear... ahem) - however, despite offering everything I desired at this juncture, I was simply not prepared to pay the $109 room rate - after all, this is Blanding FFS - it's still a hundred miles to Moab where the actual action is! Instead I elected to distribute slightly less of my wealth towards an independently owned and run motel in the centre of town (the Gateway Inn) - no waffles, and no laundry - although rest assured I did end up hand-washing my smalls and drying them on the fan heater overnight... which meant it was like a sodding sauna in there by morning! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 8: Monday 21st May: Blanding UT to Moab UT
105 miles Although these days I navigate almost exclusively using my GPS (Garmin Montana, with NA City Navigator and TOPO maps installed), I still like to plot my initial route using good old fashioned paper maps, and certainly once you get to a region where there are a myriad of OHV trails, then some of the clearest I've found are the National Geographic series - a handful of which cover the area north south and around Moab, and which I'd made sure to pack for this leg of the adventure. Sure enough, while my GPS showed dozens of spur trails (some motorised, some not - in the TOPO maps at least) - a quick glance at the paper map showed me the route I ought to be taking, and sure enough, once on the ground the trail status' were well marked with the usual fingerposts and general signage: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FkK3gBt-XL.jpg photo. Heading in to the Abajos, it was barely 9am and I was already up at 9000ft! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...j3wT8pr-XL.jpg photo. Well marked trailheads - this one is rated 'more difficult' - just what the doctor ordered! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rSjrQnf-XL.jpg photo. Camp Jackson Trail started easily enough - interestingly the OHV trails in these mountains are only for motorcycles and ATVs - and for good reason, they get very narrow and rocky! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7JMNbqX-XL.jpg photo. Things started out easily enough (although I was glad someone had been down here with a chainsaw at some point!) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QPdV79n-XL.jpg photo. Before taking a turn for the worse - both literally and metaphorically - as the trail suddenly climbed steeply through a series of switchbacks. So far, the GS had been making short work of the off-road terrain I'd been riding. For example, while the Escape Trail and Mengal Pass [in Death Valley last week] have the odd tricky section, I know both of those trails very well these days, so they hold no real surprises - and so I'm well prepared to ride around any limitations a bike may have... However, this trail was completely new to me - and was not only steep and loose and rocky, but I was rapidly approaching 10,000ft altitude too - so any manhandling and other general exertion would be correspondingly harder on me and that little 313cc heart beating away between my thighs. I freely admit I started cursing the bike at this point - I think I've mentioned already that the general lack of capacity, coupled with being a reasonably high compression single cylinder engine tuned more for mid and upper range performance (ie. a corresponding lack of bottom-end torque) meant the lil' bastard would typically cough-stall on me at the most inopportune moments... at one point dumping me against the bank on a particularly snarly step. In some instances you could ride around this shortcoming - but loaded with luggage, and trying to gain traction on the loose shaley surface while running the stock [street] gearing was proving to be hard work. Damn hard work! That said, a little more aggression on the throttle (more than I'm used to/like to use in such circumstances) eventually saw me to the summit, but I had to concede that this particular climb had been almost too much for the bike - or at least me on this bike... I felt I'd abused both the clutch and the rear tyre, and that on the current gearing at least, the bike really needs to be rolling along at 10-12mph or more before you're in the meat of the power in 1st gear. If you can get it up to that speed in such terrain (ie. let the suspension soak up any nasties while you keep the engine on the boil), then all is well enough - but certainly I was now concerned how it might handle the far more technical terrain I'd got planned once we arrived in Moab. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5tfZmWL-XL.jpg photo. It was easier on the way back down... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NgtRhJS-XL.jpg photo. another ATV/Motorcycle gate on north end of Camp Jackson Trail - good job I fitted that R&G side-stand shoe eh?! The next trail on my list was the one I particularly had wanted to explore last time I was here (July 2017) - Shay Ridge Trail - which cuts right through the middle of the Abajo range, and climbs to well over 10,000ft... and although it had been a relatively mild winter followed by a warm spring, there was a chance there would still be snow in the shadier parts up here. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...f2ZNgsv-XL.jpg photo. the view south from the feeder 4x4 trail to the Shay Ridge trailhead. Once again, Shay Ridge is a Motorcycle/OHV trail only (no side-by-sides or larger 4x4 vehicles), together with hiking, horses and mountain-bikes too: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bPhBrxd-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hXVqpjc-XL.jpg photo. The fence/gate is only 50" wide... which is usually the promise of something good! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zbq4hK8-XL.jpg photo. You can see why this trail is not really appropriate for anything wider than a traditional ATV. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gGvtSfg-XL.jpg As the trail climbed beyond 10,000ft, sure enough snow spits were soon to be found under the trees on the shadier parts of the trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cdDLmgM-XL.jpg photo. This was actually pretty sketchy to get around - having thawed and re-frozen countless times in recent weeks, the snow was now like a block of ice, so you had no choice but to ride right on the edge of the trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...p4Qm7bx-XL.jpg photo. Starting down from the summit, the trail itself was totally blocked with frozen snow. Fortunately in this instance there was room to get around... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vHrq4Dh-XL.jpg photo. ... while others only required a bit of brut force! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LmH9qRm-XL.jpg photo. My rear tyre was now pretty worn out - not ideal for digging in to try and find traction. cont. |
cont.
Once again, the technicality of the trail eased off a little as the altitude decreased and the terrain started to level out - although progress was occasionally hampered by fallen trees: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2jmnWFW-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...G3xJpfP-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JNSmqxW-XL.jpg I have to say, it was refreshing to see that someone had been though and cleared the majority of the hazards already - especially as these trails had only been open for the season since the end of the previous week (15th May - 1st October) for motorised travel. I was also encouraged by the fact there was a faint tyre-track of a motorcycle that had apparently already ridden the trail this year - so unless I met them coming back the other way shortly, was confident this was indeed now an open/through-route. I stopped for a brief chat with some mountain-bikers who were riding uphill in the opposite direction, before coasting downhill some more, considering whether or not to 'do the triple' with the final trail on my list, when: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bzXfgtd-XL.jpg photo. I think this must me the most embarrassing crash I have ever had! Honestly, I could see NOTHING on this trail that might have caused this! Yep, a moment's inattention led to many minutes inspecting and straightening everything - I went down surprisingly hard! It's also worth noting that despite the bike being comprehensively on it's side, the engine continued to run and needed the kill-switch to stop it. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HTN8Cfh-XL.jpg photo. a slightly dented can... fortunately my Giant Loop Coyote protected it from the brunt of the fall. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HTVd2nk-XL.jpg photo. Rally-Raid engine guard did it's job. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...C3ZKkH5-XL.jpg photo. Arrrrgh! my lovely custom paintwork! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6HndkM8-XL.jpg photo. The scars don't lie. Whatever was the cause, in an instant I felt the front end wash out on the soil, and just wasn't able to catch it before I hit the deck. I feely admit this was not a 'drop' - this was a proper crash. I was so ashamed! Now I'm not looking to make any excuses, but it might well have been that my front tyre pressure was a little high (although I don't think so) - since I had already noticed that on occasion the front end did like to run wide/wash out a little than I am used to on my CB on the same size wheels and tyres - combined with the off-camber downhill corner and loose soil surface... but whatever the reason, I took a certain solace in the fact I had finally dropped this bike on both sides now, and particularly before Juan and his video camera were around ;o) Taking an enforced break to tweak things just before the end of this trail meant I was able to flip a metaphorical coin with regard to the final trail on my list for this morning - Lower Indian Creek, which rather ominously is 'motorcycle only' (together with bicycles, hikers and horses) - which would imply it is not even wide enough for an ATV. Ah heck, let's do it! Sure enough, it started out much like the others, although it wasn't long at all until this became very much a proper single-track... in places I'm not sure a horse would actually be comfortable navigating it! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M8fCRdz-XL.jpg photo. The trail loosely follows the creek, and regularly climbs up and down the steep bank on the west side. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4NFZthQ-XL.jpg photo. This is looking back up one steep section I'd just ridden down - and I considered it would be tough [if not impossible on my own] to try and get back up this way if the route turned out to be blocked further on... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vtsS877-XL.jpg photo. "Ah, just leave the rest of it there..." https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...B7rG6CM-XL.jpg photo. another sketchy section - you can see why it really isn't ATV suitable. I loved it! I stopped to speak to another couple on mountain-bikes heading in the opposite direction, and hoped this wouldn't be a similar omen to before (ie. another crash soon after!), and they assured me the rest of trail was open, and there was nothing too technical. Maybe not for a bicycle, but there were a couple more gnarly single track climbs (which they had been going down of course), including this one where the trail had crumbled away 30 or 40 feet into the creek below! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BhSFKZj-XL.jpg photo. Commitment was needed here - I did not need the little fekker coughing-out on me at this point for sure! I have to say, it was with some relief that I rolled though the final wire-fence gate at the end of this trail, and parked up in the shade on the edge of highway 212 (near Newspaper Rock) to set about straightening my now banana-shaped gear lever which apparently I'd caught at some point on the trail earlier (I don't quite recall when, since most of it was 1st gear stuff anyway!) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...X7Wjc87-XL.jpg photo. At least it's made of steel, and could be bent back into place quite easily using the ring-end of a MotionPro tyre lever. It was now after 1pm, and while the start of Lockhart Basin* [Trail] is not far from here at all, I conceded that I really ought to head straight to Moab now (about an hour or so away by road), to give me plenty of time to get the new rear tyre fitted before end of day today. *particularly since I had already ridden that one as part of the Trans-Am 500 ride - some photos: here. More soon... Jenny x |
Day 9: Tuesday 22nd May: Moab (Kane Creek Canyon)
some miles (I'd say about 70 in total...) "Fresh Meat" Juan had been in touch en route to confirm he didn't expect to arrive much before lunchtime today (Tuesday), which meant there had been no rush to get my new tyre fitted the previous afternoon after all. Instead Fred [from Arrowhead Motorsports] had arranged a quick interview with the local paper Link Here, and in return offered to buy me a burger and beer at the Moab Brewery, which of course I found impossible to refuse. I'd also been very fortunate to meet a local [Rally-Raided] CB500X owner a few days early at Overland Expo, who had subsequently invited me to stay at their house located a few miles south of town, rather than have to find a camping spot somewhere - in what was due to be 90+°F temperatures this coming week... To round off this trio of good-fortune, the previous afternoon I had happened on a new restaurant 'Hidden Cuisine' located nearby, which offered an interesting breakfast and lunch menu with a Mediterranean flair... So after a leisurely breakfast of crêpes and coffee, I headed down to Arrowhead Motorsports again the following morning to get that fresh rear tyre fitted: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SkDWkMf-XL.jpg photo. Arrowhead Motorsports is a small independent shop south of Moab. Proprietor Fred Hink still primarily specialises in KLR parts, but at the same time can pretty much help out anyone either scheduled to stop or who is simply in a hole as they pass through town - typically on the Trans-America Trail. To be honest, while I'd rolled over the 6000 mile mark on my way into Moab yesterday (which typically for a Continental TKC80 on the rear of most bikes means it's well worn out), this particular example had not seemed to wear appreciably further than it had been already back in California - so it actually felt a bit extravagant and even wasteful to replace now - although it was only fair as I'd pre-arranged with Fred to purchase a tyre from him, and I was also keen to try the slightly narrower profile 140/80x17 version that he'd ordered in especially for me. note. I'd also been rather disappointed with the new cush-drive rubbers that the dealer in Las Vegas had fitted [under warranty at least], as already they seemed to have a lot of play in them again after what had only been around 700 miles this time (in fact I did wonder if they'd actually fitted the worn ones back in by mistake!) - so took this wheel-off opportunity to once again pack out the spaces with a series of folded pieces of thinner inner-tube, which has now made everything properly snug again. By mid-afternoon Juan had finally rolled into town with his Toyota camper-combo (complete with bike carrier and this time, his KTM350EXC-F mounted on the back), and we headed out for a nice 'warm up' for the week on one of my favourite trails "Kane Creek Canyon": https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SSqr7F4-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...C4755QD-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7Rd7Cxh-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...s2JPxGv-XL.jpg photo. Juan had chosen to bring his KTM to Moab this time, as although he's ridden in this area before (typically on his CB500X), he'd not ridden many of the more challenging trails that I'd pencilled in for our proving test of the G310GS, so felt the smaller/lighter (albeit much taller) dedicated dirt-bike would make thing a little easier for him to navigate, especially while setting up for drone and GoPro filming... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KhbP2vk-XL.jpg photo. Juan had also brought along his Mavic Pro drone - exceptional [HD/broadcast] quality footage from such a compact device that can be folded up and carried in a back-pack on a bike! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qCgRXNH-XL.jpg photo. this week we aimed to put the baby GS through it's paces, much as you might when riding with your buddies who own more dedicated dual-sport and trail/enduro machines, and see how they compared - certainly in more open and faster going, in places they turned out to be very comparable I might add ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...B3dFx2h-XL.jpg photo. Ahem. someone took the wrong line here! Over the years, Kane Creek Canyon (which tends to be heavily traffic'd during the Easter Jeep Safari each year) has deteriorated in places, creating far more extreme challenges than in offered the past - certainly there are now two or three steep step sections that really mean you need to head downhill (ie. north, back towards Moab) to enjoy them on a two-wheeled machine. Once the trail levels out again after the steep canyon section, and criss-crosses through the creek once more, we could really start to pick up the pace (again, you'll need to see Juan's video footage of this), and we enjoyed a spirited tussle all the way back to Moab - both of us impressed how well the BMW handled proper dual-sport riding conditions, particularly now it was unladen with luggage. cont. |
cont.
Day 10: Wednesday 23rd May: Moab (Gold Bar Rim, Golden Spike, Poison Spider) some more miles... (maybe 60 today?) 'The Triple' For our main filming day, I'd elected to ride a series of interconnecting trails that I affectionally refer to as 'The Triple' - and which run along the top and back of the rim that overlooks highway 191 and Arches National Park. The story goes that originally the two end trails: Gold Bar Rim and Poison Spider were eventually connected together in the middle by some pioneering Jeep owners - the resulting trail named 'Golden Spike' - after the ceremonial staple that was used to finally connect the trans-continental railroad together [in 1869] at Promontory Summit, which is located further north in Utah above the Great Salt Lake. note. Train nerds might like to check out the particular entry Here in my Trans-Am 500 ride report, since the current TAT route now goes right past Promontory Summit. I've only ridden the three consecutively once before (and only on my XT225 which is like a trials-bike in comparison) but recall that while there were indeed some substantial rock step hazards to navigate, as with Kane Creek Canyon we'd be able to mitigate some of the worse [and by that I mean impossible] steps and climbs by starting north at Gold Bar Rim, and heading back towards Moab. This would also mean that if we were running short of time or indeed energy towards the end of the day, we could simply miss out the loop section of Poison Spider - although I'd encourage anyone not to, as it really is the best part of that particular trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jHhV3KZ-XL.jpg photo. Trail-head access to Gold Bar Rim is off Gemini Bridges Road (trail), which in turn is part of the official TAT route. Everyone who rides the TAT north out of Moab takes this picture. Everyone. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wQ7Pwkt-XL.jpg photo. See what I mean - this is my CB500X in 2015 during the Trans-Am 500 ride... and I bet if you look at any other ride report of the TAT west of Moab here on ADVrider, they've also taken a photo at this same spot too ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dSDvVWn-XL.jpg photo. Today would be all about how this 170Kg ADV bike would handle technical trails, far more suited to a 115Kg dirt-bike. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NNGCFXn-XL.jpg photo. Juan chasing me down - close to Gooney Bird Rock. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n5SK8GR-XL.jpg photo. No going back now - well technically you can go back from this point, but not long after you have a 'gate keeper' of a rock step which means the only realistic way out on a bike this size and weight is to then keep heading south... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PxdTmsr-XL.jpg photo. This is the step I mean... 'The Waterfall' https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wdhdSJh-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...r35Ds4S-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3mJPbkZ-XL.jpg I know that photos don't always show the severity/steepness of a step, but trust me when I say the only real way down here (without a real danger of going over the bars) on a bike is to wedge it into the crack at the far end, and walk it down... In that regard, trying to get back up it would almost seem impossible - the step immediately to the right is essentially vertical (and with soft sand at the base too), while a little further right the slope is at 45° or more (so very easy to loop-out a bike), and has loose rocks at the base - which again is no good for traction on a one-wheel-drive machine. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n2Kw5wf-XL.jpg photo. interestingly, since I was up here last (three or four years ago) they have added another official side/loop trail: "Where Eagles Dare" along with the existing 'Rusty Nail" which is billed as an extreme (modified vehicle) crawling trail only. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...86Nv3dH-XL.jpg photo. another gratuitous bike shot - you'll notice I have removed my DoubleTake ADV mirrors and RAM arms here - after all, it's almost inevitable the bike is going to go down at some point I fear... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...772LXpM-XL.jpg photo. the view west from the rim is spectacular - that is the Colorado River in the distance... You can also see the trail route is marked with white dashes across the open slick-rock sections. One of the most famous Hazard sections on Golden Spike is the appropriately named 'Golden Crack' (stop sniggering at the back there!) - a typical cross-axle crossing for 4x4s that can stretch a stock suspension to the max and beyond, and even some modified vehicles can still struggle, and many are rewarded with a bent rear bumper for their efforts: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4RQ8dMh-XL.jpg photo. Old skool short-wheelbase leafer walking the crack... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bxB4qBT-XL.jpg photo. Coil-springs and a longer wheel-base helps... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DmNPdpr-XL.jpg photo. as do axle diff-lockers... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rqKk4Wp-XL.jpg photo. ...even then, you can still end up kissing your ass! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4s3XJRL-XL.jpg photo. Ahhh, the wonder of the GoPro frame-grab! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qZDpJ89-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JKNXKn7-XL.jpg photo. on a bike, this useful rock pile makes things a bit easier - well, going in this direction at least... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LGSM3Kp-XL.jpg photo. Juan fully-compressed - again, perhaps this photo doesn't really do the scenario justice. cont. |
cont.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BFKXX4R-XL.jpg photo. The three interconnecting trails all skirt close to the rim from time, offering fantastic views... in this instance, looking north up hwy 191. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bjtz7FL-XL.jpg photo. Juan's ambition overtakes his talent for a moment... So you might be wondering how the GS was handling all this rocky terrain - and particularly in comparison to the dedicated dual-sport enduro that Juan was riding... One thing was for sure, I was starting to find the limitations of the 'standard' specification elements of this bike - and while the Rally-Raid suspension had dramatically improved the general dynamics of the bike - especially yesterday as I was ragging along the faster open trails with Juan in hot pursuit - it was here, in much more technical and slow-speed 'trials' type terrain, that a couple of fundamental issues came to the fore. Firstly, the stock gearing (which I'd elected not to change since collecting the bike) of 15/41 was far too high for creeping around - I'd already come to this conclusion whilst traversing the Abajo mountains a couple of days before (where the relative lack of torque off the bottom end exacerbated the need to slip the clutch and get a bit brutal from time to time), but increasingly on this particular terrain it was starting to become downright tedious - especially coupled with the engine's propensity to cough-stall at the most inopportune moments too. A couple of times I freely admit to asking Juan to help hold/push the back end of the bike while I walked and clutched it up a series of rock steps - to try and make sure I didn't either loop-out or cough-stall, and either way end up potentially dumping it on the ground... The other thing that started to become apparent was the relative vulnerability of the foot controls and now also the side-stand - it was a good job I'd removed that plastic cut-out switch [back in California], as there would have been nothing left of it by the end of this afternoon! note. for those unfamiliar with the bike - the main issue with the side stand is the location of it's pivot point, which hangs down a good two inches directly under the left-hand foot-peg, and is effectively the lowest point on the bike. While the Rally-Raid engine guard was designed specifically to protect the sump and side cases of the engine, it did not make any sense to try and encase the side-stand pivot too, as that would dramatically reduce the otherwise excellent standard ground clearance of this bike (measured at 10 inches under the engine guard with the standard-travel LEVEL 1 suspension and TKC80 tyres fitted), but conversely it does mean you have effectively a small anchor hanging down under your left foot - which you constantly need to be aware of when navigating really rough and rocky terrain. Fortunately, although there seems to have been a number of reported incidents of the side-stand pivot on these bikes potentially cracking/snapping recently, mine appears to be extremely strong, as the scratches and gouges can now attest. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qtccrVm-XL.jpg photo. however, my R&G side-stand shoe was an eventual casualty. The other limitation I found, which again has already been mentioned, is the narrow standard foot-pegs - even with their rubbers removed, they provide little grip, and their overall size means they offer very little proper support too - although in this kind of going, I simply had to grin and bare it as standing up was a regular necessity today. The gear and brake pedals actually survived these trails pretty much unscathed (we'd have to wait until tomorrow to properly destroy those ;o), but again as I have already illustrated previously, while the fact they are made [cheaply] of steel can actually prove to be a benefit with regard to repeated bending and straightening, it would be nice for it to not happen quite so much in the first place! Fortunately I understand John at Rally-Raid is working on some far more substantial replacement pedals, together with some proper billet platform foot-pegs too. And they can't come soon enough! Otherwise, the bike seemed to handle these tough conditions surprisingly well... yes there were a couple of instances where the longer travel of Juan's KTM allowed him to plough into/up a series of rock steps that might have had my bike bottoming out (and potentially catapulting me off), but on the whole, if you picked your line carefully, it was surprising just how well the GS could cope - especially if you showed the commitment the lack of bottom-end torque required to ensure you made it up first time. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6KRwPbj-XL.jpg photo. a view of the Colorado River from the Poison Spider overlook. Just south of this point there is a bicycle/hiking only trail [The Portal Trail] down the side of the cliff to the river. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...djPFs9t-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rBPLpnm-XL.jpg photo. Little Arch is perfectly placed for a view of the parking-lot/trail-head for Moab Rim. I have to say, we were both getting pretty tired by the time we reached the left turn for the loop section of Poison Spider, but it really is a highlight of not only this trio, but all of the trail network close to Moab - so Juan and I elected to ride it in a clock-wise direction, through the deep sand first and then up onto the slickrock; before our final decent across the Masa and down to the highway which runs along the north bank of the Colorado River. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nPFwqkt-XL.jpg photo. Poison Spider has it's own series of hazards on the way down to the river, although most are relatively easy to navigate on a bike in either direction. The view of Behind the Rocks in the distance, and the La Sal Mountains beyond is one of the unique treasures of navigating this particular trail. On reaching the tarmac, I hammed it up for Juan's camera (see the end of the video above) - quipping that the pavement was perhaps the GS's natural habitat after all... However that would be a little unfair - as fundamentally, while I'd of course taken steps and precautions to try and avoid unnecessary damage, it turns out I'd been able to pilot this little BMW through three of the tougher trails in Moab, without dropping the bike at all, nor it suffering any serious damage. I considered that tiny triumph deserved at least one beer at the Moab Brewery! More soon... Jenny x |
Ok then, I think it's time to see how many times I can bend my brake pedal like a banana in one day... (three is the answer btw.)
Day 11: Thursday 24th May: Moab (Onion Creek, Thompson Canyon, Geyser Pass, La Sal Pass) even more miles (over 100 today...) It was forecast to be well into the 90°s today down in the Valley, and having given ourselves and our bikes a thorough work-out yesterday up on the rim, Juan and I decided the best plan would be to head for some more scenic riding at higher elevation, in an effort to avoid the worst of the heat and to flesh out his filming with some of the more epic views towards and from the La Sal Mountains. It would also mean that Joe (on his LEVEL 2 Rally-Raid CB500X) would also be able to join us for the day, as he knew this area well and was looking forward to riding rather than potentially have to drag his bike over the more gnarly stuff we'd elected to ride the day before! It's a fair old schlep up highway 128 alongside the Colorado River to Onion Creek, but a beautiful scenic ride (one of those Gold roads on the Butler maps of course), and certainly on the little GS and slightly larger CB500X, both Joe and I ragged along very nicely thank you - illustrating how an 'adventure' bike is a far more comfortable companion on the highway compared to Juan's enduro based bike. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fTJznsp-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2n4gjq9-XL.jpg Onion Creek is a gentle meander through a narrow canyon, on an easy (for the most part) dirt road that criss-crosses the creek countless times, before climbing out onto higher ground in the valley directly below the "Top of the World" trail and overlook (see this post in the Trans-Am 500 ride report for that little doozy). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GgBPnZd-XL.jpg I've ridden this trail numerous times now, but still the various rock formations always amuse and entertain: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bmxRjCM-XL.jpg photo. Baldrick had a thingy shaped exactly like a turnip... (Ed March would be so pleased with this one ;o) And it was the perfect opportunity for Juan to get not only some dramatic footage of Joe and I riding our respective Rally-Raided bikes together - but also to see the canyon from a proper bird's eye view (again, see the Video teaser here): https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MZQ2t7d-XL.jpg photo. Juan is more used to piloting things from inside of course! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bgxrbgD-XL.jpg photo. the 'bird' in question - a Mavic Pro drone - awesome! After bagging what we hoped was more than enough canyon footage, it was time to press on and head for higher elevations - as the weather was already getting hot... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tBWfGHf-XL.jpg photo. Joe and his LEVEL 2 (+2" suspension and 17/19" spoked wheels) CB500X - a bike both Juan and I also own and ride of course. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mJgpNhN-XL.jpg photo. again, being familiar with this route, I already knew of a few key locations that I felt would work well on camera... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qg2M5Wc-XL.jpg photo. Juan's drone doing it's thing again... While Juan and I were messing about setting up the title shots for the video, Joe had noticed a potentially tedious hitchhiker in the KTM's rear tyre: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mpQDMq2-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HmDSm3X-XL.jpg photo. Miraculously though, it had only penetrated the sidewall and not actually the tube at all - result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...VdjJ9Fk-XL.jpg photo. You goof! Once the trail joins the Castleton-Gateway road (which is part of the long-distance hiking and primarily mountain-biking Kokopelli Trail), it passes by a recently dedicated visitor site where a series of Dinosaur footprints can be clearly seen embedded in the rock: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...P7X8NqR-XL.jpg With that, it was time to head for the hills proper (ie. 10,000+ft) at last! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...w8bpDJn-XL.jpg photo. Heading up Geyser Pass Rd - this route is part of the Trans-America Trail (usually heading downhill in the opposite direction) and this corner is traditionally the first glimpse many people get of the striking Moab Rim in the distance... We had a lot of fun messing around on the original TAT route (which I still have logged in my GPS) and some associated OHV side trails, before heading back over the mountains again on La Sal Pass - a slightly more technical challenge, albeit excellent alternative route into Moab if you're riding the TAT. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zGCBzXT-XL.jpg photo. Juan and I waited like vultures for Joe to appear and navigate this mud-hole. He passed without incident. It was here, on the particularly rocky tailing slope section of the La Sal Pass that I first bent my brake pedal right back on itself. I then did it again. And again. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JRm3LC3-XL.jpg photo. I'm amazed it didn't eventually just snap off like a soda-can tag! Other than being a rather loose and rough rocky decent, our eventual return to Moab was uneventful - and we rolled back to Joe's house with the film in the can (well almost, bar the interview tomorrow morning) and a hunger in our bellies - which was suitably sated at a Thai restaurant in town. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PRTQK4v-XL.jpg photo. Juan on the three-fiddy EXC... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6CTGTSm-XL.jpg photo. Joe on the CB500X with Rally-Raid LEVEL 2 wheels and suspension... Job done! Jenny x |
Day 12: Friday 25th May: Moab UT to Lehi UT
209 miles Planes, trains and automobiles...* *not in that exact order, admittedly. With a long journey back to California for both of us, Juan and I decided to leave Moab after a leisurely breakfast and quick piece to camera to finish off the filming, and head north in convoy. EDIT: the full-length video review/interview from Juan Browne [Blancolirio] is here on YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng7oFzQ9QHU Since I was due to fly back to the UK early the following week from San Francisco, I'd arranged to leave my bike en route south of Salt Lake City (where it would be easy enough to fly back into and continue my journey east the following month), and hitch a ride back west with Juan in the camper... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Knc9Rcg-XL.jpg photo. tucked up tight in a friend's barn (I left most of my camping/luggage there too to save me hauling it back and forth during my return in a few weeks' time)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cWTm5z3-XL.jpg photo. Goodnight for now... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Ng6H4cg-XL.jpg photo. Juan and I made it as far as Elko NV that evening, before finding a wild-camp spot in the desert, and setting fire to stuff. The next day we took it in turns to drive the Toyota back to [his] base in the western Sierras, before Juan dropped me to the train station the following morning - en route for him flying to London for his regular job! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-vFF5tnX-L.jpg photo. ADV reprobates! It's been a lot of fun so far... stay tuned for part 2 of chapter 2 as I pick up the bike again next week and continue my journey back east to Toronto for the Overland Adventure Rally/Tour (6-8th July), followed by presenting again at the annual BMW MOA rally - this year held in Des Moines Iowa (12-15th July) just a few days later... yep, I fear I'm going to need new tyres again! More soon! Jenny xx |
Ch.2 pt.2...
Day 13: Friday 29th June 2018: Lehi UT to Moab UT 283 miles “Back on black” Yes, I know its a rather obvious title, but I’m delirious having ridden a 300cc bike 1600+ miles in the last three days... So, let’s pick this up where we left off - that is in a shed in Lehi UT while I flew back to the UK last month. The good news is the bike fired straight up after a few weeks’ inactivity, plus I’d managed to purchase a 43T rear sprocket to trial over the next few days/weeks through Colorado and beyond. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nWHskVX-XL.jpg photo. JT sprockets #JTS05/43 - listed for an Aprilia Pegasso 600 (1993 model!), and which has the same 6-bolt 160mm PCD as an F650GS for info, although stock that has a 47T rear. As you can see, 3 teeth larger than stock is likely to mean the standard chain will no longer fit - and it doesn’t, so I had to buy a new one of those too: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DLx5K9f-XL.jpg photo. Natty gold chain (you can see it is a clip-link version too, easier to change in the field, or a barn, with my MotionPro trail chain press tool). I didn’t get the chance to test the new gearing before I left on Friday morning, and having put a fair few miles on the bike now (over 2300 at the time of writing) I have mixed feelings about it... The good news is the speedo would appear to be driven off the ABS sensor, so changing the final-drive gearing does not affect the speedo - it’s still within a mph or two of the GPS reading - nice. However, on road particularly, you really do notice the difference with what is really only a modest change - basically in top gear, you’ve lost about 5mph for the same rpm, ie. you’re now doing 65mph at 7000rpm rather than 70mph. If you rag the bike you can still see 80+ mph (I hit 81.4 the other day, officer), but fundamentally you are now revving the engine around 500rpm higher and using correspondingly more fuel when cruising... not ideal with such a big [highway] journey ahead of me. Off-road, pulling away does seem to require a little less clutch-slipping/revs, but the lack of torque right off the bottom end still limits the ‘chugability’ of this bike in really technical terrain. Indeed, while I’m no physicist, it is quite possible that the 16T front sprocket is exacerbating the problem - in that the engine still struggles to initially spin up the transmission, whereas one tooth off the front (ie. 15T) would give a similar overall reduction in final drive, but allow the output shaft to spin up quicker with what modest torque is available? - it is certainly something I intend to try as an alternative as soon as I can find a source for a replacement front sprocket. note. Dropping one tooth from the front (rather than adding 3 to the rear) would mean you could still use the original chain too. Unfortunately with the 43T rear, the stock chain length means the tyre is now too close/actually touching the swing-arm. Still, in the meantime it does seem a touch more lively in the mid range/gears (you find yourself changing up to 3rd or even 4th earlier than before), and 2nd gear is now very usable as long as the going isn’t really technical and rocky (where 1st can help prevent it cough-stalling), so I think the overall ratio is about right - at the expense of higher speed cruising of course, certainly you can appreciate why BMW specced the gearing they did to get impressive top speed and economy figures on-road from such a small engine. If I sound a bit down on it, I don’t mean to - it’s just compared to the silky smooth and [significantly more] torquey twin in my Honda CB500X, I find the benefit of the 50+lbs lighter weight of the GS is hampered slightly by the more revvy nature of this particular single-cylinder engine... don’t get me wrong, in open going the GS is a joy to rag along like a dual-sport enduro (which is kind of where Rally-Raid wanted to pitch this bike to compliment the CB in their ‘Adventure’ bike range), it’s just the Honda engine (and gearing) makes finding traction in tricky terrain easier, and as I always say about that bike - it’s only heavy when you have to pick it up, and it you don’t stall [and potentially drop it] in the first place, then you won’t need to pick it up! Anyway, that’s enough tech nerdage for now - what was my plan for the next stage of this adventure then? cont. |
cont.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Lh8VM7S-XL.jpg My plan was to break back into this trip relatively easily - by picking up the Utah BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route) where it passed by Lehi, and head south towards Moab, where I’d meet up with Jo and his Rally-Raid CB500X again, and enjoy riding with some company for a change. I only made a few notes as I was on a bit of a mission to arrive in good time for dinner (and typically didn’t leave Lehi until way after I’d planned to), but it is worth nothing that highway 92 due east of Lehi is a wonderful paved ‘Alpine’ loop road, barely one lane wide in places, and mercifully free of traffic - recommended! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...df93FDg-XL.jpg photo. Just one view from the middle section of the Utah BDR - beautiful! Initially the UTBDR south of Heber City was just fast gravel roads, but soon it started to climb along a fantastic ridge line road for miles and miles (see above) - Timber Creek (left fork), Reservation Ridge and Indian Head Rd - what a fantastic way to spend the afternoon avoiding highway 6 when heading south east for Price and Green River! As I rolled down highway 191 towards Moab with a convoy of weekender traffic (this would be a holiday weekend too, being just prior to July 4th of course) I could feel the heat getting more and more oppressive. There had been a seasonal high in Moab of 105F earlier in the week, and it was certainly still in the mid/high 90s now... Day 14: Fork service and taking it easy in Moab… As it turned out, neither Jo nor I much fancied trail-riding in that kind of heat the following day, so we took it easy around town, before I embarked on some minor maintenance and set-up tweaking of the front end* of the GS in the shade of his garage. *I’d noticed that there was a little play in the head bearings when braking to a complete stop, plus I wanted to drop the forks through the triple clamps a little more (relaxing the steering head angle) from the 10mm protruding John had suggested - I now barely have a couple of mm gold showing below the Rally-Raid fork caps, and have to say, I feel much more confident the front end is not going to wash-out now (in the way it felt when I first took the bike off-road in Virginia), and would certainly suggest it is an improvement. Jobs done and over a bucket sized portion of ice cream, Jo and I hatched a plan for the following day (Sunday) - I really had to start making my way directly east now since I needed to be in Toronto by Thursday evening at the latest (still 1800+ miles away by the shortest/fastest Interstate route), but at the same time, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ride one of two of the high passes in Colorado on my way - especially as Jo had never ridden over the highest of them all: Imogene. That was settled then! Jx |
Day 15: Sunday 1st July 2018: Moab UT to Beaver Lake CO
220 miles “Pinch punch” What a way to welcome in the summer - by heading as high as possible off-road in an effort to escape the desert heat... Jo and I togged up and rolled out of Moab after a leisurely breakfast, and were soon riding some wonderfully scenic roads east of town - Sand Flats Rd (the current TAT route entry into Moab), Kokopelli’s Trail (part of the Whole Enchilda MTB route), La Sal Loop Rd (freshly paved - awesome!) before picking up the Castleton-Gateway road (dirt/easy gravel) that crosses the state-line into Colorado. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3chX6n8-XL.jpg photo. Once back on the pavement south of Gateway CO, highway141 south shadows the Delores River and passes by the Hanging Flume overlook. Jo knew a good spot for lunch in Telluride, and soon after we were immediately heading uphill at quite the rate (Telluride itself is already around 8500ft above sea level): https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZR49rs9-XL.jpg photo. Black Bear Pass switchbacks (one-way, downhill) from the initial climb to Imogene Pass. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HRcGLz7-XL.jpg photo. Looking back towards Telluride - the most expensive town in all Colorado! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8GSH3pt-XL.jpg photo. Rally-Raid (LEVEL 2) CB500X vs. their G310GS alternative...two smaller and less expensive ADV bikes - made much better! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...L5T4hqt-XL.jpg photo. The iPhone makes it all so easy - a dramatic panorama of the whole Telluride valley. Those of you who followed my Northern eXposure ride last summer will recall I rode Imogene on my CB500X, albeit in the opposite direction, and on the whole did not recall any particularly tricky spots... however, I may have underestimated how loose the terrain would be when trying to climb up it from the west side. I was certainly glad I’d fitted the lower gearing, as the bike began to really struggle once over 12,000ft (lack of power in anything but first gear on a steep gradient), and it needed a fair degree of commitment to fire it up the loose shale sections in an effort to avoid the ever-present threat of a cough-stall on a steep incline. Jo [on the CB] was doing well, right up until he wasn’t... not so much the bike or rider’s fault, as simply too much air in the rear tyre, causing it to spin out on the loose shale with no chance of picking up any momentum again, without rolling back downhill for another try. -10psi later and he sailed up with no problem! cont. |
cont.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...j4dF6Wp-XL.jpg photo. Almost at the top... you can see the Telluride airport runway in the far distance - it was the perfect weather to ride this pass! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sMVhNsF-XL.jpg photo. Jo about to embark on the final ascent - personally speaking, I would recommend you include Imogene Pass as part of your TAT ride, it is a truly spectacular way to leave the Colorado Rockies behind. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...v926vWw-XL.jpg photo. Imogene Pass is one of the highlights of the area, and a great alternative to the official TAT route over Ophir Pass, if you're feeling slightly more adventurous! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fctHgdL-XL.jpg photo. And that my friends is 'a wrap' as they say - the highest motorable pass in Colorado. note. While the Pass itself is purportedly 13,114ft, you can actually go a little higher if you take the spur road to the overlook towards Corkscrew Pass (see below). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9FrR6mb-XL.jpg photo. A rare picture of the author at work, well, posing for a silly photo having posted a few stickers on behalf of Giant Loop and the TSW (Tequila Swilling Whores) - note. That mug was empty, honest ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QNRdHnJ-XL.jpg photo. Jo contemplating that he now has to ride the fekker back down the other side! Before starting downhill towards Ouray (the second most expensive town in all of Colorado), we headed up to the overlook - primarily so that I could post a photo on Facebook with the hashtag #BrianGriffinWee* - yes, there is 3G at the top of Imogene Pass (such is selfie-culture these days!) *You know the episode ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qCKSCZs-XL.jpg photo. This is the very very top... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fWJD6HB-XL.jpg photo. Apparently 70-86ft higher than the pass itself, allowing for GPS inaccuracy of course. So a funny thing happened while we were up there... as we’d finished photographing at the Pass, a guy rolls up on a 1200GSA - yes, he’d just ridden it up from Telluride the way we had come. He commented on how impressed he was to see a 310 at the top (and in return I paid him a similar complement regarding the behemoth he was astride), and we said our goodbyes... A short while later he joined us at the overlook too: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...f7jd9pr-XL.jpg photo. Don’t tell me how inappropriate any of these are up here ;o) And he was clearly keen to check out the Rally-Raid kitted G310GS some more: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5Ws84Sd-XL.jpg We exchanged a few more pleasantries, when he revealed he’d just got back from riding in Mongolia... yes, this was none other than Thomas Thompson who had just competed in the GS Trophy as part of Team USA, with a very creditable 2nd overall result! No wonder he’d had no trouble piloting his huge bus to the top of this mountain! We felt it only prudent to let him go on ahead, before working our own way down the east slopes at a more leisurely pace: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RG2spZF-XL.jpg photo. Only a very few patches of snow were left on the sides of the trail, and the surrounding mountain tops essentially bare. It will be another dry summer. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4tDNChp-XL.jpg photo. The east slopes are equally stunning. As the steep slopes gave way to more level ground, the trail got progressively easier until we finally hit the smooth dirt road that dovetails with the Million Dollar Highway (550) just outside Ouray. I knew a whoopie spot (where the ice cream’s cold, and the coffee hot) for us to take a short break, before ultimately we would head our separate ways - Jo back home to Moab (now around three hours away by road), while I pressed on east alone again once more. I’ve said it before, but I always like riding in the early evening - the soft light and long shadows helping to highlight the scenery, and winding my way over Owl Creek Pass was a beautiful way to end what had been an intense day of all-round adventure riding... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...p9Zd9xC-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MfZGnz3-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Nc37m3b-XL.jpg It was still a lovely warm evening, so rather than press on into what would have soon been the dark (to try and find a hotel), I elected to stop at a quite USFS campground a few miles south of highway 50, break-out the tent once more, and savour the moment of a life on (and off) the road. More soon... Jenny x |
Day 16: Monday 2nd July: Beaver Lake CO to Big Springs NE
466 miles So where did we leave off? - oh yes, that's right - I'd had a great day riding from Moab UT to the very middle of Colorado (Beaver Creek Campsite, a few miles south of hwy 50 west of Gunnison), with my good friend and fellow Rally-Raid CB500X owner Jo: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...c3Q4NgV-XL.jpg photo. I promise this is the first and last selfie of this trip! This had included an epic ride over Imogene Pass (heading east towards Ouray), as although I had commitments in Toronto towards the end of this week, I was not going to simply blast through Colorado, especially at this time of year when all the high passes were open and free of snow. Yesterday had proven that the reduction in gearing (replacing the 40T rear sprocket with a 43T version, which needed a longer chain too) had already proven it's worth in more technical and extreme off-road conditions (13,000+ft - the little GS needed all the help it could get!) and certainly there was now less propensity for the engine to cough-stall in first, and 2nd gear was genuinely useable off-road in rougher terrain too. With this new-found ability, I was keep to see how the 310 would handle an even tougher trail en route for the flat east side of the state, and over my Starbucks Via and Oatmeal Clif bar (a modest but satisfying campsite breakfast), plotted a route though the heart of the Gunnison National Forest that would take in what has become one of the most gnarly trails in the locale - Hancock Pass. As a bit of background: In the good old days, both Hancock and Tomichi Passes used to be part of the original TAT (Trans-America Trail) route; however, in recent years Tomichi has been devoid of county maintenance (and often suffers from landslides each spring as the snow melts), while Hancock has suffered further deterioration too due to the increase in 4x4 and especially rental SXS vehicles using that trial as part of a loop from St. Elmo to Pitkin and back via Tincup. Now of course all sorts of OHV vehicles ought be allowed on suitable trails, and in general, regular use helps to keep the routes clear, and if you're on a bike at least, most hazards can still be navigated - and the [increased] challenge usually welcomed for more adventurous and experienced riders. However, commercial use inevitably increases traffic and wear, and the responsibility for trail maintenance ought to fall at least in part to those users and not just the local authority/county - who's financial resources are increasingly limited. Certainly if you've ridden Hancock and Tomichi in the past couple of years (as I have, on my CB500X last summer), you can see why Sam Correro (originator of the TAT) no longer recommends or promotes those two passes as part of the official route - they are simply too much like hard work (and potentially dangerous in places) for the average rider on the typical luggage-laden ADV bike. But I wasn't on the typical ADV bike was I? - and my luggage load was about as compact as can be, at under 30lbs in a single Giant Loop bag. I was confident I could get the little GS over Hancock, and the route I had plotted also took in the old railway bed trail* from Pitkin. *this railway used to cut through the mountains here via the Alpine Tunnel, which has been closed for a good while now due to a landslide - you can still visit each end of it (by foot), but it is no longer a through passage, which is kind of a shame really... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bHNFRvP-XL.jpg photo. It's a good job I elected to take the railway bed trail and not Tomichi to reach the base of Hancock - looks like Tomichi has suffered another harsh winter, and is now unlikely to be a legal through-route for the foreseeable future. What was also slightly humbling is that on stopping for fuel (and snacks!) at the Pitkin General Store, the lady behind the counter informed me that there had been a [motorcycle] accident on Hancock the previous day, and the female rider in question quite badly hurt. Certainly the climb up to the pass from the west side is seriously tricky now - lots of loose rock and gravel, and therefore very little traction on the steep upward slope. I freely admit to royally f*cking-up a couple of times - cursing the still too high gearing and lack of low-end/bottom end torque from the puny little engine (it's not that bad, I'm just trying to impart my frustration at the time ;o) - coupled with the fact I'm having to manhandle this loaded bike at 11,000ft or so. Ultimately I resorted to dumping my luggage off the back of the bike, and clutching the bastard up the first few steep sections until I was confident I'd be able to ride the rest of the switchbacks (with my luggage reattached) to the pass. I have to say, it took my breath away - and not in a good way! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QBCfCfZ-XL.jpg photo. it took a lot of effort and some bad words to reach this point. The ride down the far side was easy enough to pick a line across the worst of the rocks (albeit they'd be a bitch in places coming up the other way), and as I mention above, sadly this really isn't an 'adventure' bike route anymore. Fun though, in a masochistic kind of way. I admit it was actually a relief to hit the pavement once again, and I was conscious that it was now well after noon on Monday, and I had to be in Toronto by Thursday night - still the best part of 1300 miles away. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JVqg2QM-XL.jpg photo. I witnessed the start of the huge wildfire north east of Buena Vista CO at the beginning of June. Once on the highway heading north and east, I was diverted from my intended route (hwy 285) by an ominous looking roadblock... coinciding with a sizeable lunchtime hunger-pang, I punched 'find food' into the GPS and dropped into the small town of Hartsel that was just off the official diversion route, and which in turn led me to a series of wonderful gravel roads that cut across the plains towards Denver later that afternoon - lemonade out of lemons and all that. note. As I was leaving the restaurant, two cyclists who were currently in the middle of riding the Continental Divide trail north from New Mexico to Canada, informed me that the fire I'd witnessed had already quadrupled in size since this morning - from 8000, to 16,000 to now 32,000 acres, and had actually breached the highway while we'd been eating. A humbling thought - especially when you consider all those campers who'd had to evacuate, having planned a relaxing July 4th holiday that week. With the bike thoroughly jet-washed, refuelled and generally checked and fettled, it was time to get the hammer down now and try and dispatch as much of the mid-west as I could, without driving myself half insane*. *The downside of lowering the final drive gearing on the bike [in an effort to improve the off-road ability] was that it is now about 5mph slower in top gear for the same amount of revs - ie. while it would originally sit quite happily on the freeway at 70-75mph (at around 7000rpm), it now felt rather stressed at 70+mph, being far more relaxed cruising at 65mph. That's fine of course, unless you had over 1200 miles of Interstate to cover in the next two days... Fortunately I managed to navigate the worst of the Denver rush-hour around the west side of the city, and ploughed on into the evening - managing to reach I80 across the Nebraska border before I'd finally had enough. Tomorrow would be inevitably tedious, so I was going to need a good night's sleep and a laundry re-fresh courtesy of Motel 6. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9m2QMn5-XL.jpg photo. Charging my phone en-route - the slot under the headlight turns out to be the perfect size for the iPhone 5! - although I was worried it might fall out at speed, so ultimately put it in my jacket pocket instead. I can't believe I haven't fitted a USB socket to the cockpit of my Honda already, it's a revelation I tell you - I've charged my phone, my iPod and even my GoPro during this trip - duh, welcome to the 21st century Jenny! cont. |
Day 17: Tuesday 3rd July: Big Springs NE to Coralville IA
602 miles "Knock knock knock, Penny..."* Well, I'm in Nebraska aren't I? Although the Interstate is not really this bike's forte, even with the lowered gearing, it actually bops along quite nicely for hours on end, without any sign of complaining, and personally I even find the stock seat bearable for a number of hours at a time. Of course at higher speeds you are usually stopping around every two hours for fuel at 70+mph (note. the light tends to come on around 130 miles, with another 20 or so to go until empty - so somewhere in the mid 50's mpg* can be expected at higher speeds I'd suggest), so plenty of regular opportunity to top up on water, food and any high sugar/caffeine imbibation you require. *it's worth noting I was seeing as little as 46mpg from the dash display today, although when actually stopping and filling up at around 130-140 miles, I was putting in just over 2.5 US gallons, hence my conclusion the gauge is a little pessimistic. But f*ck me Nebraska is dull. It really is just one big farm. Iowa is not dissimilar to be honest, and I blasted past Des Moines [the location for the BMW MOA rally I was scheduled to attend the following week] late-afternoon, and carried on with just my iPod and the trucks for company... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6zFC9jr-XL.jpg photo. Really Iowa? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gXwkjPZ-XL.jpg It was after 10pm that evening by the time I'd hit the 600 mile mark, so dived off the Interstate into Coralville (near Iowa City) to find somewhere to lay my weary head. Faced with a choice of Motel 6 or Super 8 for a similar price, there really was no contest. Waffles win every time when you're on the road. And I've still got 706* miles to go! *by the shortest route. Jx *(knock knock knock, Penny... knock knock knock, Penny... like Sheldon, I've got to finish it ;o) |
Day 18: Wednesday 4th July: Coralville IA to Imlay City MI
574 miles I checked the date. Ah, this is why all the bike shops in town are closed today - no chain lube for you then! My plan today was to break the monotony with a visit to a movie location from one of my other favourite films... Those of you who followed Northern eXposure last year may recall that during my travels I visited some of the locations from Twin Peaks (North Bend in WA), Deadwood (Deadwood, Black Hills SD) and Purple Rain (Lake Minnetonka and First Avenue, Minneapolis MN), and since this was the first time I'd be passing close by to Chicago, there was only one place I needed to go: 1060 West Addison. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wRTXQB6-XL.jpg photo. "Mr Blues is going to f*ck up, and when he does, he'd better pray the police get to him before we do..." https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zX6rDk5-XL.jpg photo. World Series (erm) winners in 2016 - the Cubs had to wait over 100 years to claim that title again. Traditionally a game was in full swing on this holiday day, although I managed to snap a few kerb-side photos before I was moved on. To be honest, heading into the city on a day like today was always going to be a mistake - it was the best part of 100°F in the midwest, exacerbated by roadworks and crawling traffic once inside the city limits. That said, the suburban streets to the north of the city (where Wrigley Field is located) where actually quite quiet, tree lined and flanked by older Victorian era properties... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RQVMvgQ-XL.jpg photo. it was a bit like cruising around north London to be honest... But once I rejoined the arterial freeway network around the city, things hotted up again, and culminated in a confusing detour into the south side of the city which truly is the badlands. In all honesty, I actually felt wary of stopping at any red light (thankfully they all switched to green as I was passing through, or at least were yellow, officer...) and snuck back onto the freeway on a short access ramp just as soon as I could, only to be charged over five bucks at the toll less then a mile down the road! I really don't need to go there again. The rest of the afternoon/evening was again a shelp on the Interstate network - I'd wasted enough time today, got hot and bothered, and really wanted to get as close as I could to the Canadian border (I'd chosen to cross north of Detroit - a city I had absolutely no interest in visiting at all!) at Port Huron, and rolled into a suitable Bed and Waffle establishment about 30 miles west of the crossing - leaving a short ride in the morning, and the rest of the day to work my way towards Toronto via a succession of Tim Horton's (and try and find some chain lube too!). I was almost there. cont. |
Day 19: Thursday 5th July: Imlay City IA to Brampton ON
330kms (205 miles) Yes, I'm in Canada now, so I've temporarily gone metric with regard to mileage. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MqDC3M8-XL.jpg photo. more tolls... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...x9c9PPV-XL.jpg photo. clouds gathering to welcome me into Canada... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kvH8b92-XL.jpg photo. unfortunately most of the rest of today was spent like this... Were the relentless rain not bad enough, the day had already started with a bit of a disaster - during my waffle breakfast, I'd switched on my GPS only to find all of my waypoints had disappeared. I mean completely gone: waypoint memory 0%. Nothing. Fortunately all the tracks were still in there, but for some unfathomable reason, the waypoint section of the memory had seemingly decided to wipe itself. Of course those few hundred existing waypoints from my previous trips could at least be reinstated from my computer back-up once I got back home, but those intermediate points I'd saved from the past week in Utah and Colorado were gone, plus all the pre-entered points for the next few days trail-riding in Canada and my ongoing adventure once I crossed back into the USA - the various BDR points of interest, event venues, dealers and friends addresses, all gone. I've always said the Garmin Montana is the perfect ADV motorcycle GPS, right up until the point it sh*ts itself like this. Tedious. More soon, once I've re-programmed all the damn addresses into the memory for the next few days, plus dried out all my gear and laundered my clothes. Life on the road eh? Jx |
OK then, I think it's time we got a bit dirty again don't you?
Day 20: Friday 6th July: Brampton ON to Tobermory ON 345kms (215 miles) I have to say, I was feeling a bit weary having blasted across the mid-west in two and a half days in 100°F heat... compounded by the fact that I really hadn't stopped moving by some form or transport or another since I got off a plane from the UK on the 25th of June. However, I'd really enjoyed attending the Overland Adventure Rally (that Canadian Dakar rider Lawrence Hacking hosts each summer) last year - indeed it had been my ultimate easternmost destination during the Northern eXposure trip, and was keen to renew acquaintances and make some new ADV friends this time round - even if getting here had been rather more of a trial than it had last time... This year, the format had changed - rather than being based around a single [hotel] venue for the whole weekend, the Rally this year would become a three-day ADV tour of the local area - and by 'local' I actually mean a thousand kilometre loop north, including taking a ferry to Manitoulin Island, with three individual overnight stays... neat! The route offered paved-only options for those riding more street orientated bikes, otherwise the pre-planned GPS route took in a series of trails, from easy gravel roads to more technical two-track jeep trails. Nice! Of course, having been on the road these past couple of weeks, I'd had no way to download (or at least transfer) the final GPS tracks into my Garmin (which as we're aware from the previous post, for the past 24 hours now appeared to have a lot more memory space in it that it had before, bastard), so elected to hook up with Eric on his Triumph Tiger, who was the man in charge of this year's route. I considered I was in safe hands there, even if it did mean I was likely to be riding in someone else's dust for most of the weekend. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kN7h5dK-XL.jpg photo. Route planner Eric lead our small group on Day 1. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HKrwwkt-XL.jpg photo. there are a lot of long gravel (all-weather) roads that often run close to or parallel with the paved highways in this part of Ontario. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MJBdZgc-XL.jpg photo. There are also plenty of more technical and little used two-track routes open to motorised vehicles. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qMCFrB3-XL.jpg photo. although most attendees split up into smaller groups, occasionally there would be an impromptu rendezvous, at a gas station, snack shop, or junction! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...x8zNZHJ-XL.jpg photo. this was a particularly fun trail, leading to a 'closed' bridge, that was a tight fit around the blockade - especially for those big bikes with panniers fitted. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FKRC9bL-XL.jpg photo. It had been a really fun day, with some lovely scenery and entertaining trails. We rolled into Tobermory early evening, checked into a delightful motel that overlooked the harbour, and enjoyed some great company at dinner that evening in a nearby hotel. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BfH3swm-XL.jpg The long ride last week had already proved worth it, and it was only going to get better tomorrow! cont. |
Day 21: Saturday 7th July: Tobermory ON to Little Current (Manitoulin) ON
342.8km (213 miles) 5.30am alarm, ugh. The reason for this was that the ferry from Tobermory left at 7am, and you had to check in by 6am. At least there was some pretty decent coffee on the boat! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FWfKDmT-XL.jpg photo. Fortunately our ferry was a bit bigger than this! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9W4t26z-XL.jpg photo. Just some of the OAR/T crowd waiting for the ferry... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MX6PHPB-XL.jpg Photo. Loading... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QrQxC4T-XL.jpg photo. Sailing... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rFxbCGH-XL.jpg photo. Disembarking... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rTf2VcG-XL.jpg photo. hitting the trails again! I have to say, Manitoulin was an absolute joy! The largest island in Lake Huron, it is sparsely populated, and while much of the property is farmed or private land (particularly along the coastline and around the interior lakesides), there is a network of dirt-roads and trails that criss cross the island, just waiting to be explored! While Eric had plotted some [primarily paved] options for the participants - primarily taking in various landmarks and scenic views, he himself had not actually ridden on Manitoulin before, and was keen to explore some potential trails, even if that meant we might have to backtrack from time to time of course. Hell, I'm always up for that sort of thing! And again we quickly formed a small group of likeminded riders who also fancied seeing where the road might take them... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FB8PDtj-XL.jpg photo. This ended up being an awesome trail, running right along the water's edge for a good distance, before diving deep into the forest on a barely visible ATV two-track. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...X2md7Gf-XL.jpg photo. Shannon on his KLX (using oil, chewing chains) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nLWnW6h-XL.jpg photo. Geoff on his DRZ - taking things easy (until tomorrow ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3mnBJNj-XL.jpg photo. Eric (standing) and Mia goofing for the camera - she did genuinely fall off the bike as she got on it here! I have to say, the next 27 kilometres turned out to be some of the best trail riding I have ever done! Initially the route was well defined - typically OHV two-track (side-by-sides or ATVs I imagine) that led right down to the water's edge... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DcQw8Kn-XL.jpg photo. Mia on the Husky, Shannon on the KLX. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JGc8C94-XL.jpg photo. Gratuitous shot of the little GS paddling in Lake Huron. We messed around riding along the rocky shoreline, dipping in and out of the water and posing for photos - which almost would have been enough in itself - but at the same time, the GPS seemed to show an ongoing route... After a couple of dead-ends (it would appear the majority of these trails were cut primarily for lakeside access and dispersed camping), the group were starting to get a little despondent and weary of the heat, when I offered to reccy 'one more option' according to the mapping in my GPS... As I skirted the perimeter of the forest, sure enough, the 'trail' itself seemed to be only a few yards away through the undergrowth, but there was no sign of it from where I was parked. I returned to the more established track we'd already ridden, and recalled I'd seen a pair of ATV tyre tracks diving off into the woods. Sure enough, once I stopped there and walked a short distance on foot - there was the faint depression of a two-track trail through the long grass and undergrowth after all. Bingo! I returned triumphantly to the rest of the gang, and encouraged them to join me on this 'pioneering' adventure! I have to say, in places it ended up being pretty hard and technical going - especially for Eric on the Triumph Tiger - and we soon fell into an order of myself on the G310GS leading and Mia on her Husky 250FE following close behind; while Shannon (KLX 650) and Geoff (DRZ400) rode slightly more cautiously and Eric on the Hinkley Behmoth brought up the rear. Certainly this was much more a dual-sport and light-weight enduro trail than a typical ADV route, and as we dove deeper into the forest we did wonder (and kind of hoped not) if this would ever end... it was epic! At the same time, my primary desire was to prove this as a through route, as I'm never really fond on riding trials that run out and back just for the sake of it. Sure enough, our two-track emerged onto a more established trail a few kilometres west, which alternated between flat rock slabs and sandy two-track - prime adventure riding terrain and no mistake! Well, except one: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rJbKZvq-XL.jpg photo. Yep, that frikkin' hurt! At some point during of foray through the undergrowth, I must have caught my right foot on a stump or rock - Jeeeeeez that bloody hurt. I honestly thought I done some serious damage, but had no choice but to continue riding on with my foot throbbing inside my boot. I tried my best to ignore it for the the rest of the day - I was certainly able to stand on that foot without too much pain, so factored I hadn't actually broken anything too major, and the boot keep things contained until I could get to the hotel that evening to inspect the damage. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...VcvJcCs-XL.jpg photo. We all conceded that after our epic trail find, we'd now spend the rest of the afternoon doing the tourist thing (this is the lighthouse at the western end of Manitoulin) - before heading back to our overnight rendezvous, where I was also scheduled to present my GS AV slideshow later that evening... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4tLxgh8-XL.jpg photo. beautiful clear water in Lake Huron. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QtrW2SM-XL.jpg photo. Looking north from Maclean’s Mountain lookout. It ended up being a pretty late night all told - while the majority of the participants were all staying in the same motel, there was no catering there, so inevitably people dispersed through town to find something to eat. By the time everyone had regrouped at the evening venue for the presentations we were fast approaching last orders at the bar. Work hard, rider harder, party hardest. cont. |
Day 22: Sunday 8th July: Little Current (Manitoulin) to Parry Sound ON
345km (214 miles - the daily route mileages turned out to be nothing if not consistent!) For some attendees, today would be all about getting back home to the Toronto area in good time for work the following day - however there was still one last treat in store for the dirt riders before they left the island for the mainland (via the bridge to the north this time). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Vd8cdBj-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...b49R9z4-XL.jpg The 'trail' section today followed an old railway bed which starts just north of Little Current and essentially shadows the highway all the way back to Espanola on the mainland, just south of the main Trans-Canada Highway (hwy 17) - which would for most participants, be their final and fastest route home. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pK8PfRz-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SBHhcw6-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...w5hzHCL-XL.jpg photo. the otherwise easy/firm-surface trail was occasionally flooded in places... It really was the perfect way to end what had been an excellent 'adventure' weekend - riding some of the best paved minor highways and unsurfaced roads and trails in the region - plus for a handful of us, proving a truly exceptional 'off-road' dual-sport route - and everyone enjoying the social side each evening that events like this offer... However, Eric still had one or two more trail options he wanted to include for our particular group (we were down to four today as Mia had elected to head back early with the rest of the leading party), and we shadowed the main highway for much of the afternoon on fast gravel roads and dry dusty trails... Until I hit a puddle that is! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DTrkmLp-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xVJWLtK-XL.jpg photo. this stuff was filthy, and got everywhere! I usually try and avoid puddle whenever I can - since you never know what's in them, although you can usually gauge how deep they are at least... Unfortunately, while the first couple of wet spots on this section were barely a few inches deep, the one I ended up ploughing straight through was over a foot deep, and the front end bottomed out on the far bank as I came to an abrupt stop under a wall of filthy water. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2GRtxcB-XL.jpg photo. Not technically a selfie, as it's a frame-grab from my GoPro ;o) Worst of all, once we arrived at the hotel, I noticed that both my fork seals had started leaking (hopefully not actually blown in the impact earlier): https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7XX84Xn-XL.jpg But if I'm honest, all I could think about right now was a shower... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hWTmvTd-XL.jpg More soon! Jenny x |
Chapter 3 - Toronto to Boise Day 1: Monday 9th July: Parry Sound ON to Imlay City MI 630kms (391 miles) Even though last night was officially the end of the Overland Adventure Rally for this year, there were still a few hundred kilometres to go before some of us would finally disperse our separate ways... I was concerned about my fork seals that were spewing out oil with every bump and ripple now (although typically the actual amount of oil is very small), so the hunt was on for a shop that might sell one of those MotionPro Seal Mate tools (basically a thin piece of soft plastic with a hooked end, that you drag around the fork leg under the lip of the seal to clear any debris) to see if it was simply some dirt that had been forced in there during that heavy puddle hit yesterday... or something more serious. In the meantime, I'd already given the bike a proper wash, and before we left took the opportunity to buy a small scrubbing brush to dust off the worst of the mud that had now dried and formed a crusty shell over my riding gear. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nK5CFKR-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7vfWv6C-XL.jpg Again, we elected to stay off the main highway and take the minor roads and a few gravel short-cuts as we zig-zagged our way south on the grid-like network of minor roads. A relaxing end to what had been some pretty intense riding all weekend! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dBhW9ck-XL.jpg photo. courtesy of Miguel Arango For me, there was still a huge ride ahead - particularly as I had to be in Des Moines in 48 hours time (Wednesday evening), with at least 825 miles to go... I pressed on into the evening for the border (having found a motorcycle accessory shop open en route, and sorted my seals in their parking lot - thank goodness it was only some grit in there) with the intention of at least making US soil again before my head hit the pillow. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7JpXw9g-XL.jpg I have to say, after spending he past four days bopping along at around 55mph or less (with my currently gearing, now the 'happy zone' for this bike I felt), I was not really relishing having to wick it up to 70+mph again on the Interstate just to keep up with the traffic and make Des Moines in time... this is not what I came all this way, nor bought this bike for. cont. |
Day 2: Tuesday 10th July: Imlay City MI to Joliet IL
356 miles "Rural reTreat" A creature of habit, I'd been comfortable enough at the Super 8 in Imlay City on my way east, and factored that by staying there again on my way back west, I'd be able to properly launder all my filthy gear and catch up with some admin online overnight, and enjoy a waffle or two for breakfast too of course ;o) Unfortunately, by the time I'd rolled in there after the third degree from the US immigration officers at Port Huron - seriously, all I'm doing is actually spending a shit-tonne of money here in your country you know!!! - it was inappropriate (and not really permitted anyway) to fire up the washing machine at such a late hour. Bummer. Consoling myself with a waffle the following morning, I decided life was too short for simply shelping along effectively the way I'd come (the interstate network at a soul-destroying 65-70mph in the blistering heat), and after poking around in the GPS realised there were a myriad of dirt roads in Michigan that would essentially parallel the main arteries, while hopefully providing a more serene and 'Trans-America Trail' feel to the journey west. And I wasn't wrong! I trusted my Montana to guide me along a series of unpaved roads using the 'shortest route' function between a series of intermediate waypoints I tapped onto the map screen every so often. It was an utter delight to be riding at my own pace with no one but the odd box-turtle for company, along minor paved and hard-packed all-weather gravel roads - a number of which passed by and provided access to some rather fancy properties - and really enjoying riding in rural Michigan. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RkXjxfL-XL.jpg photo. Cravingz, Stockbridge MI - I really enjoyed the coffee here. And the pesto sandwich. And the ice cream! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XKzDz4N-XL.jpg photo. See a covered bridge... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mXdgH7v-XL.jpg photo. ...gotta ride through it! However, while I'd actually made good progress both south and west - exactly the direction I needed to be going - I inevitably had to jump on the Interstate (180 at this point) in an effort to at least get close to the half-way mark [to Des Moines] before finding somewhere to stay tonight... Fortunately, this would coincide rather nicely with another movie location I'd wanted to visit - the [Old] Joliet Prison on Collins St. which features in the opening scenes of the Blues Brothers - where Elwood picks up his brother Jake when he's released... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XbfQSG7-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xHGWnHz-XL.jpg Of course by the time I arrived it was early evening, (rather than early morning as in the film) - but the overall feel of the location was still surprisingly similar to the movie, shot nearly 40 years ago! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qhqXqRF-XL.jpg photo. "She caught the Katy, left me a mule to ride..." It was almost dark now, and not wanting to stay too far from my intended route, nor spend too much money, I trusted the local Motel 6 to come up with the goods (particularly as they tend to have laundry facilities on-site), and tapped in the address of the property just of I80... Good God man - I have never stayed somewhere so scary in my life! Seriously, this was the sh*ttiest (and I use that word advisedly) Motel 6 I have ever stayed in - the worst. I'd been given an upstairs room, and as I negotiated the walkways strewn with litter and impregnated with what looked like cooking grease from fast food, a guy in a doorway to a neighbouring room ask if I'd like to come in... in his hands was a cone of aluminium foil - the guy was either eating fried chicken, or smoking crack. Honestly, I feared the latter. I bolted the door behind me (thank God that worked at least), and didn't even dare venture out to try and launder my clothes - trusting neither the cleanliness of the machines themselves, nor if my belongs would even still be there when I returned. I set my alarm for 6am and vowed to get the hell out of here just as quickly as I could in the morning! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QtRX9C2-XL.png photo. As Lisa pointed out to me in a text that evening, I was actually bedded down in the cheapest motel at the epicentre of of Illinois' State correctional facilities... cont. (I hope!) |
Day 25: Wednesday 11th July: Joliet IL to Des Moines IA
368 miles Early next day I crept out of the carpark while the crack-heads were still sleeping, and sought solace in a Starbucks a few blocks away. As I chomped away on what had become my default non-waffle breakfast - that's a four shot espresso, bacon & egg croissant and a hunk of banana bread, should anyone happen to be buying ;o) - I considered my lucky escape, and factored at least I had one more night in a hotel to get properly cleaned up (I have to admit my underwear was now on it's second sitting, and I'd not even dare shower last night in the gangsters-moll motel) and prepare for the next few days camping again at the BMW MOA rally. Perhaps most strangely of all, as I tapped on my GPS screen to enter today's destination, I realised all my original missing waypoints had returned. Seriously. They were all back in there, and the waypoint memory showing 20% full again. WTF?! I am in the Matrix! So, apparently it was 306 miles to Des Moines, it's hot, and I was wearing sunglasses... Hit it! After an hour or so of Interstate, again I couldn't bare the monotony, so plotted a similar B-road route to yesterday, shadowing the main highway around 20-30 miles to the south, but in far more relaxing countryside. Hell, Iowa even had a few hills to break up the horizon from time to time! My plan today was to drop into the BMW dealer in Iowa City (about 100 miles from Des Moines) on my way past, and pick up some service items - oil & filter, and a fresh air-filter too - as the bike was fast approaching 11,000 miles now, and had suffered a particularly dusty time in Canada the previous weekend. Unfortunately, it seemed I would have to order in an air-filter, so elected to continue west to another dealer a few miles south of Des Moines, where I'd also planned to order a new front tyre and get it fitted at some point during the next few days. I also gathered together those extra items I'd need for my ghetto/kerbside oil-change: a 4 gallon jug of water, some rags, and a roll of trash bags as a token environmental mat. Ghetto oil-change The idea here is you first empty the drinking water into your Camel-bak, and any other water bladder you may have (for example I have a 3L bladder in my Camel-bak, plus I carry a 2L Ortlieb bag for extra water around camp) - you then have an empty gallon jug with a spout. You lay it on it's side and cut an opening in one side of the plastic jug (the gallon ones are usually square/flat sided you see), and now you have a 4L oil pan that should typically fit under your dual-sport/ADV bike. Once you dumped the oil (using the trash bags to help avoid any spills on the ground of course), you can clean everything up using a rag (initially I looked for a tea-towel, but found a bundle of four face-cloths for just a single dollar in Walmart - result!), and the old oil in the jug can then be poured via the spout into the now empty bottles from your fresh oil. Finally you can wrap everything up in the trash bag/s and dispose of them appropriately. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pgZnghh-XL.jpg photo. I already had chain lube and WD40 with me, so the only other things I needed to purchase were a dedicated oil filter wrench, plus a short 3/8ths socket extension bar* to reach though my engine guard without having to completely remove it. *I have the 3/8th socket drive adaptor as part of my MotionPro T-6 tyre lever set. Shopping done and a fresh TKC80 front tyre due to be delivered by Saturday, all I had to do now was find a hotel reasonably close to the Rally venue (the Iowa State Fairgrounds) and reset my personal hygiene levels to somewhere around acceptable for presenting in public over the next couple of days. I thought I'd give the Motel 6 chain another chance (after all, yesterday in Joliet was essentially an anomaly - or so I thought), and not least as a lot of the hotels near the Rally venue were already booked, or silly expensive. So I elected to stay near the airport instead - factoring there would be plenty of choice, and therefore things ought to be correspondingly reasonably priced. Nope. Motel 6 was indeed the cheapest, but at $72 a night (with discount), hardly what you'd consider affordable. It was also the crappiest property in a run of otherwise quite presentable options from Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Hamptons and a dozen others (including Super 8) - all of which these days are owned by the same cartel, and price themselves accordingly within a few dollars of each other, presumably just to maintain their respective hierarchy. It didn't help I was given an end room, barely in wifi range (at least that is included in the price these days at Motel 6), and with a rather ominous looking door latch: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...G78zHLM-XL.jpg photo. Yep, that's daylight. At least the laundry worked, and I have to say exceptionally well - cleaning all my clothes, my riding jacket, and... the contents of my wallet. Yep. Bugger. As I dried a dozen freshly laundered twenties (yep, I'd just been the ATM that afternoon) and disposed of my now paper-mache address book pages, I realised this hotel was also directly under the flightpath. I employed my earplugs and went to sleep thinking things had to get better soon! Jx |
Day 4 - 6: Thursday 12th - Saturday 14th July: Des Moines IA - BMW MOA Rally
Approx. 60 miles or so - just getting my new front tyre fitted. The BMW MOA (Motorcycle Owners of America) annual rally is huge - each year the location changes around the country, and for the 2018 edition over 4500 people had descended on the Iowa State Fairgrounds to take part... Along with a sea of tents and hundreds of examples of BMWs quirky engineering over the years, the primary activity centred around a huge hall (air-conditioned thank goodness, it was 100°F outside in the sun!) full of traders - the usual clothing suspects of course, a good number of communication and other gadgets (some genuinely useful, other less so), a handful of tyre manufacturers (complete with fitting facilities outside) and seemingly dozens of international holiday and fly-ride travel companies... There was also a guy selling banana based energy bars - I bought a box of twenty to help me prepare for the first of two afternoon presentations. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...g32gMK8-XL.jpg There was an extensive list of presentations being held each day in a series of rooms adjacent to the main hall, plus evening entertainment in the form of live music and beer, and most usually a combination of both... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bR72965-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n9NQmCJ-XL.jpg photo. "If I told them once, I told them a thousand times... put Spinal Tap first, and Puppet Show last..." However, other than the off-road training arena (somewhere over the far side of the showground) there didn't seem to much in the way of riding-out based activities as such - although I realise these kind of events tend to end up being just as much about socialising as they are riding in the local area - and this year particularly most people would have had to already ride a frikkin' long way just to get to central Iowa of course! In that regard, I have to say I was slightly miffed on arrival. I'd arranged many months ago with the MOA organisation to attend this event with my G310GS as a presenter - not least as I would be in the middle of a comprehensive real-world test of the bike and felt the attendees would be keen to a) learn more about what was a brand new bike on sale this year; b) potentially interested in the Rally-Raid upgrades I'd fitted and it's general off-road and all-terrain ability; and c) more generally with regard to how you could travel extensively all over the United States on a smaller capacity ADV bike combined with minimalist luggage. Certainly the secretary in charge of presentations was delighted to add me to their list of guest speakers this year; so I was rather taken aback when, having traipsed around the venue for more than an hour trying to find who exactly I should speak to and how to sign in, was ultimately told that I actually had to pay the full entry fee as a non-member - $105 no less - essentially for giving the organisation two hours of my time [never mind the associated preparation time] for the benefit of their members. Now please don't think I'm being some sort of a prima-donna here... If they had mentioned just once in the countless emails back and forth over the past few months that I would have to pay to attend, I would have at least been prepared for that, and indeed it became apparent over the weekend that the majority of the presentations seem to be hosted by those vendors already paying to attend... I also appreciate that smaller and less well-financed overland events such as Horizons Unlimited tend to rely on the goodwill of international travellers to share their stories essentially free of charge at events - but this is still in return for at the very least free entry and a T-shirt! Indeed I have presented on numerous occasions in both the UK and USA under just such circumstances over the years, as on the whole I feel I'm in a privileged position to be able to travel as much as I do, and enjoy sharing those stories in an effort to hopefully inspire others to do something similar - and not least as there is every chance that I would choose to attend that particular event anyway... But the MOA is different. They make hundreds of thousands of dollars out of an event like this, and while I don't necessarily expect an appearance fee or even expenses to be covered (as one might at a purely commercial event), I was incredulous to actually have to PAY THEM under the circumstances. Still, as Nigel Tufnell would say "I'm a professional", and begrudgingly stumped-up for the most expensive wrist-band ever, then took part in a podcast interview (that had been pre-requested), before checking out the room I'd been allocated for my presentations that afternoon and again the following day. Goodness, it was huge! It turns out they'd given me the largest capacity room of the six available, and I'm rather pleased to say I pretty much filled them on both days - and if the feedback was anything to go by, then they were very well received. Turns out the little GS is intriguing after all ;o) cont. |
cont.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FfRvg6X-XL.jpg photo. Camping in the most shady spot I could find... My presentation commitments on Thursday and Friday met and dispatched, it was time to turn my attention back to the bike, and get it ready for the next stage of this trip. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vJF7KMv-XL.jpg photo. Fresh meat fitted while I waited at Van Wall Powersports - the official BMW Motorrad dealer in Indianola, south of Des Moines. for info. While the stock tyre sizes for the G310GS are a 110/80 x 19" front and 150/70 x 17" rear, personally I feel these are rather big (and heavy, especially if you're considering a more aggressive all-terrain/knobbly tread) - the bike only has 34hp after all... although unlike a [typical] dual-sport machine of similar engine capacity, the cycle parts and especially the wheels are much more heavy duty too - more like a full size ADV machine rather than a dirt-bike in that regard. Of course the GS has been designed (or at least specified) to carry a payload of nearly 400lbs, so stronger/heavier wheels (and correspondingly larger tyres) really are to be expected in that regard - and is all part of the reason the 310GS weighs more than a typical 250cc dual-sport bike too. However, for solo adventure and dual-sport riding, there really is no reason to have such fat tyres on a relatively little bike like this - and indeed part of the reason Rally-Raid specced a 3.5" rear rim for their spoked wheels on this bike (rather than the 4.0" stock cast wheel width) is to offer the option of fitting a narrower rear tyre - a 140/80 x 17" (which as you may recall I fitted back in Moab), and I feel offers just as much traction, and a slightly more nimble feeling to the rear end, even if it honestly doesn't save all that much weight... So similarly, now it was time to change the front tyre, I thought I'd reduce the width there too - and spec the Continental TKC80 in 100/90 x 19" size* (as pictured above). *It's worth noting that while most of the Conti TKC80s are moulded on a tubeless carcass, they do state the 100/90 version of the front tyre is only designed for tubed application. Good job I'm running the budget [non-tubeless] version of these wheels then eh? While the slightly thinner/taller tyre does sit slightly more squarely on the front 2.5" rim (typically a 100 width tyre is more usually found on a 2.15 or even 1.60/1.85 rim), it seems to offer the same sort of improvement as the narrower rear does - road handling is seemingly unaffected, while it's directional stability seems significantly improved, especially in soft sandy or muddy conditions where it 'cuts' more readily and holds a line better without skittering around on top so much - something I'd really begin to fully appreciate in the days to come... Basically, if you are looking for a set-up recommendation (for the LEVEL 1 bike at least), I'd suggest you consider fitting the 100/90x19" front tyre and the 140/80x17" rear (I'm talking about Continental TKC80s here, since not all brands come in these sizes of course) to the Rally-Raid wheels, and also slide the forks through the triple clamps until only 2mm (rather than 10mm*) of gold is showing, as the bike seems to feel much more planted and has less tendency to wash-out, particularly at the front. *Interestingly, the stock bike set-up apparently has less than 4" of trail, which results in a sharp turning, but potentially skittish front end. Therefore relaxing the rake slightly lengthens the trail, and increases stability. Anyway, what about all those parts and supplies you bought the other day Jenny? Ah yes - rather fortunately the BMW MOA Rally offered an oil changing facility/station in one of the cattle sheds (well, it is a State Fairground after all), including oil pans and suitable disposal facilities - so there was no need for me to butcher a gallon water bottle after all... result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RpwPMpz-XL.jpg photo. fresh air-filter - I'd already tapped out the original one at my 4,500 mile service after I'd arrived in California, but now it was time to replace it! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cXCL6g6-XL.jpg photo. debris collected on the OEM magnetic drain plug. To recap - after the initial east-west leg back in May, I'd taken the opportunity to service the bike back home in California - since I'd pretty much hammered across the country, often at high speed and for long periods/short number of days at a time, so elected to change the oil/oil-filter (plus inspect/clean the air-filter) at around 4,500 miles, rather that wait until 6000 miles as per the service schedule. I'd now racked up another 6000 miles, so it was certainly time for another oil & filter change, and while the air-filter is scheduled to be replaced at 12,000 I also elected to change it at this 10,627 mile mark, rather than frick about with it again 1400 miles further down the road - since as anyone who's done this job will know, you have to take about 30 bolts out and remove half the bodywork to access the filter... bloody BMW! I also throughly cleaned and lubricated the chain (using one more of my 25 cent towels!), and generally inspected the machine - checking the tightness of things like the axle and brake calliper bolts, and generally bonding a little more with the machine. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nk5dRdw-XL.jpg photo. Interestingly one thing I did notice during my inspection was that the wire loop that acts as heel guard for the passenger foot-peg was now missing on the left-hand side - seemingly snapped off at some point and I'd not noticed until now! So with the bike finally fettled and feeling far fresher again, all there was to do now was to start packing my bag before attending the 'closing ceremony' that Saturday evening: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fBNKxBS-XL.jpg photo. That is a LOT of BMW owners! Of course I didn't win any of the grand-draw raffle prizes - although one lucky attendee walked (or is that rode) away with a brand new R1200R! Let's hit the road again eh Piglet? - I fear this is rather too much for the likes of us... Jenny x |
Day 7: Sunday 15th July: Des Moines IA to Fort Morgan CO
619 miles Another marathon day today, so plenty of time for a quick summary: If the past week or so on the road had proved one thing, it's that the little GS is surprisingly adept at all manner of different disciplines. Sure it's forte is certainly not in shleping across the mid-west in the hight of summer, but then really, what bike is? However, even when faced with such a daunting commitment, the bike itself never complains - it just knuckles down and gets on with it - for hours and hours and hours at a time if needs be. I have to say, I'm impressed. At the beginning of this 'experiment' way back in April this year (it seems like a lifetime ago now, if less than eight actual weeks of riding!) I had my reservations, but had specced this bike (and the various Rally-Raid parts) specifically as a direct comparison to my usual cross country all-terrain bike - the Honda CB500X with the LEVEL 2 Rally-Raid wheels and suspension fitted* - to see how it might handle exactly the kind of cross-country riding I like to do. *to recap the stock G310GS and CB500X with the LEVEL 2 kit fitted are actually very close in physical dimensions - sharing the same size wheels, wheelbase, suspension travel and ground clearance (actually the GS is around 1/2" higher). Even the seat height and overall rider ergonomics are pretty similar - which either illustrates how 'full size' the baby GS is, or conversely how compact the CX500X is compared to other twin-cylinder ADV bikes, you decide ;o) However, while both bikes measure and feel similar in overall size, if I'm trying to be objective - the GS does feel a little less 'bulky' perhaps, and certainly with the tail-chop and rack deletion I'd performed back in Virginia, has the visual impression of a very compact and arguable more 'aggressive' and dirt-bike look to it - and this does translate into the way you end up riding it accordingly I'd suggest... To clarify the #1 question people seem to have asked me so far (most knowing I'm an utter advocate of the Rally-Raid CB500X project of course) - is how do they two bikes compare? And I always start by clarifying that the G310GS kit was not designed to compete with or replace the CB500X, rather to compliment it in the range of bikes Rally-Raid have turned their attention to... At the end of the day, you'd expect the CB to be the better high-speed/high-mileage bike - and of course it is, that's why John and I chose it in the first place as fundamentally that 471cc twin-cylinder engine in the Honda is an absolute gem, that makes short work of highway riding in much the same way as the larger (eg. 700-800cc) capacity ADV bikes do - and that is the primary benefit of having a twin cylinder engine as opposed to a thumper buzzing away between your knees... The Honda also has noticeably more torque off the bottom end, and very smooth and tractable power delivery in general, which makes piloting the bike in more technical terrain deceptively easy. You can be utterly lazy with the CB if you wish, and let it do all the work... or equally you can grab it by the scruff and pilot it like you might a large capacity dirt-bike - particularly in more open going like the desert or fast forest trails. It really is very handy in either role. Certainly the main difference between the GS and the CB, other than the appreciable lighter weight of the GS (50+lbs is not to be sniffed at, especially when it turns out the GS can and does handle long-distance highway and side-winds/truck blasts very well too), is the way the power is delivered, or more accurately what you need to do to eek the best out from it... Essentially the GS rewards you if you're prepared to put a little more effort in, and ride it more aggressively, particularly off-road. If you try and baby it along at tick-over, it can feel snatchy, and you're never quite sure if it might cough-stall on you at an inopportune moment (and believe me, it has, and I've cursed the little c**t more than once!) - particularly if you're still running the stock gearing, which really is very tall (as is the BMW way) - presumably in an effort to lower the revs and noise and improve economy when highway cruising. However, once you decide to wick it up a bit, the bike suddenly starts to make sense: use a few more revs, brake later, throw it into corners, and you can actually ride it deceptively fast off-road - for an ADV bike that is - and it feels much more like a regular dual-sport or trail bike in that regard. However, you can only really do that of course once you've upgraded the stock suspension - try that sort of behaviour on a boggo bike, and you'll soon feel it getting overwhelmed - which is why I suspect the [some of] the press and those who have only taken a short test ride on the standard bike have left feeling a little unimpressed? However, as with the CB project that he and I worked on together back in 2014, clearly John at Rally-Raid saw a certain potential with this bike too - and once you're able to set-up the [better quality] suspension correctly and generally dial the bike in to ergonomically to suit you better, it actually becomes a very handy device for simply having a lot of fun on! But foremost this summer's trip is as much about what the bike is like to live with day-to-day as it is about putting it though it's paces with regard the off-road improvements the upgraded parts I've fitted. So the question is, am I more tired than I would be after a similar amount of time on the road riding my Honda? Possibly - but that is not the fault of the bike per se, rather as commitments have meant I've been using it outside of what I consider it's optimum environment to be - and that is exploring new backroads and jeep trails, typically sub 60mph stuff, rather than trying to cover considerable distances in a very short space of time. But I still had over 600 miles to go before I'd see some proper mountains again, so needs-must, for one more day at least. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9RQgLzr-XL.jpg photo. somewhere in rural Iowa - another town with a distinct lack of breakfast restaurants it would seem! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RBkZGnT-XL.jpg photo. an amble through Madison County. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wLMXRwG-XL.jpg photo. I imagine James Brown had a holiday home here... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Hx4tCpR-XL.jpg photo. It had been another long day as I finally crossed into Colorado... Again, rather than plod along the east-west interstate surrounded by trucks, I elected to take the more minor roads a few miles south of the main artery, and continued to shadow it all the way through rural* Nebraska too... *is there anything other?! I admit to feeling pretty weary as I rolled into another Super-8 motel - especially when I found out the bill would be almost a hundred bucks! - but factored this was probably the last opportunity I'd get to once again re-launder my meagre collection of undergarments, get up-to-date with regard to online banking and general communication, oh, and make my own waffle for breakfast of course. From here on in I planned to camp whenever I could now - not only to save money (of which I was rapidly running out), but also to get closer to the experience we'd come all this way for. "Tomorrow, we'll be heading for the hills Piglet" - and we couldn't wait! cont. |
Day 8: Monday 16th July: Fort Morgan CO to Leadville CO
253 miles The reason for hammering out such another long day yesterday was to set myself up for the week ahead, where I planned to intercept the Colorado BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route) somewhere in the middle of the state, then work my way north towards Wyoming and ultimately Montana during the next few days... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...VbnXQ2K-XL.jpg photo. Mt Evans (centre, behind the lake) and Mt Bierstadt to the right - neighbouring 'fourteeners' in the Colorado Rockies. I'd had the forethought to pack a few of my Butler Maps including some the the BDR versions (although not quite the forethought to also download/upload the free GPS routes into my Garmin before I left - doh!), so set about manually entering a series of waypoints that I hoped would coincide with the official route - although anywhere is an adventure if you've not been there before, right? So in that regard, I planned to pick up the BDR in Leadville, which is approximately half way along the Colorado route between New Mexico and Wyoming, and also pretty much slap-bang in the middle of the state too. This was particularly appealing to me since I've criss-crossed through the Colorado Rockies a number of times now, but always a little further south (typically on the Trans-America Trail route or various off-shoots), so was keen to see what the more northerly ranges had to offer, during these balmy summer months. I'd skirted north around Denver, aiming for Golden (where Coors is brewed, for all you yellow piss fans) - effectively the gateway to the good stuff, and which rather fortunately also coincides with the start of one of Butlers 'gold road' paved routes - Highway 6 that runs along the base of Clear Creek Canyon through a series of tunnels for a dozen miles or so - wonderful! From there I'd plotted a mix of gravel/dirt roads and paved passes, that zig-zagged south west through the Mt. Evans Wilderness - a region which is a skiers paradise in the winter months of course. I dispatched a series of passes that afternoon - the road from Georgetown to Grant (via Guanella Pass 11,669ft) is very scenic - part paved [heading south to the summit] and part gravel - it's a wonderful backcountry route that gets you within a few miles of Mt. Evans itself. Kenosha Pass (paved, Highway 285) is relatively modest for this region, just scraping in over the 10,000ft threshold by a single foot no less! The it was back onto dirt for an epic ride to Breckenridge via Boreas Pass (11,481ft) which is on the Continental Divide. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...89SM4Zd-XL.jpg photo. Ooooh I do like a steam-train - strange funnel cowling is to prevent sparks causing wildfires. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nxZ9fz5-XL.jpg photo. Old rotary snow-plough on display in Breckenridge CO. I have to say, Breckenridge was one of those uber expensive ski-towns (I already knew it was, but wanted to see it for myself), that actually holds little appeal for me, I much preferred the atmosphere along main-street Frisco just a few miles to the north (and close to I70). I could have headed directly to Leadville from here (down Hwy 91), but it was still mid-afternoon, and more importantly, my map showed a series of other passes and dirt-roads that were just begging to be explored en route! Vail Pass (10,662ft) is actually I70 itself, and coincides with the turn-off to Shrine Pass Rd (gravel) a few miles further west and slightly higher at 11,094ft. To be honest, you could also drive a regular car all the way over Shrine Pass if you wanted, but still it's always nice to have an empty road ahead and grit under your wheels I feel. As I rolled down the easy descent towards highway 24, something to the left caught my eye - an innocuous little NF route marker #747. A quick poke at my GPS revealed a potential network of trails, that would also lead back out onto the main highway somewhere a little further south of here - exactly the direction I wanted to be going. I needed no more encouragement than that of course! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rL9pmLX-XL.jpg photo. The trail initially climbed up a narrow gorge where the creek had burst its banks onto the surface of the main trail in places. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...K9cSVpP-XL.jpg photo. 'Wearyman Creek' I thought was very aptly named! - you'll have to wait for the video to see what I'm talking about here ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mLwxXXL-XL.jpg photo. The camera really doesn't do it justice - in places this was like riding up a waterfall! It was also over 10,500ft here, so any physical exertion soon took it's toll too. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SLMQCBh-XL.jpg photo. There is some really nice/thoughtful off-road orientated detailing on this bike. Unfortunately the side-stand location is not one of them! I have to say, this turned out to be an absolutely killer Jeep/OHV trail! Having worked my way up a series of wet rocky steps (the creek was actually flowing at quite the pace too), after about a quarter mile or so the trail turned hard right and climbed steeply up a series of rocky switchbacks all the way to the peak of Hornsilver Mountain (11,570ft), before dropping steeply down the far side to exit along McAllister Gulch (NF-708). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xPGjZjq-XL.jpg photo. Ominous storm clouds gathering... As I took a breather at the summit (and uploaded a photo to Facebook - there was 3G up here of all places!), in the corner of my eye I noticed a rider on a small red dirt-bike pass by on the main trail, and factored he knew not to stop for long when there was a storm like this brewing in the distance. Sure enough, as I wound my way down the trail a few minutes behind him, it started to spit with rain, and I was glad I'd chosen to ride this trail in this direction, as the south face featured some very steep and loose sections to navigate - the sort of thing that is no fun at all trying to get up with one-wheel-drive. As the trail emerged from the forest, I spied the highway a couple of miles away, and just ahead - pushing his bike - the guy on the Honda trailie I'd seen previously. I pulled along side, roosted him and shouted "So long sucker...!" No of course I didn't! I asked what had happened (thinking it was a broken chain or something), and he said it had been fine all the way up and over the Pass, right up until the point he'd dropped it a few hundred yards back... and now he just couldn't start it. I offered to give him a tow to the highway (where he'd parked his truck - this was a non-street legal XR200 he was riding) Mondo-Enduro style using a length of tow-strap from foot-peg to foot-peg, but I don't think he much fancied that idea to be honest, especially as the trail was still pretty rough in places. He said he'd try kicking it a few more times - choke on, choke off - and soon enough, the familiar wiff of petrol filled the air (I have an XR400, so know the score with these kick-start carb-fed bikes), and I suggested he had or at least was now, flooding it... The trick I've learnt is to open the throttle all the way, and kick it through between 6-8 times, and that usually clears it. He closed the choke, opened the throttle, kicked it - and it burst into life right there! His face was an absolute picture I have to say - he couldn't believe it! A fist-bump and a high-five later, and I waved my goodbye and trucked on along the trail, confident someone had learnt a new trick today. I'd managed to dodge the worst of the storms now gathering around me so far, and with hindsight, I should have probably just joined the highway and got as quickly to Leadville as I could now - but my GPS showed a tantalising dirt-road/trail that followed Eagle Creek east and crossed back across the mountains to the comically named town of Climax - I mean that had to be worth it just for a photo of the Welcome sign, right? As I wound my way up the valley, the rain was starting to fall more heavily now, and I ignored the 'Dead End' sign at my peril... Sure enough a few miles further on (up what was an entertaining washed-out trail at least), unfortunately some mining company had dug a huge hole, and erected a very locked gate: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZM8k6rQ-XL.jpg Still, as I slithered back down the trail on an ever increasingly greasy surface, I had plenty of time to come up with the perfect photo caption: "Unfortunately I was unable to reach Climax today..." Boom! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mxvnmPf-XL.jpg photo. Once the rain came down, the trail turned to mud, and the tail-chop and lack of rack meant I got filthy... still, what price style eh? I picked up paved Hwy 24 over Tennessee Pass (10,424ft) and made a bee-line for the first Leadville hotel in my GPS database now - I was utterly soaked, cold, and it was getting dark. At the gas-station opposite the hotel, I quickly checked the prices of neighbouring establishments, and to my dismay found pretty much everything in town was sold out for tonight. However, it turns out my initial instinct (and the Garmin database) had proved it's worth, the neon sign said Vacancy, and while it did cost me $86 bucks, I got a proper breakfast, free laundry and decent wifi. Plus it was right opposite a Pizza Hut. I'm not ashamed to say I felt I deserved a little personal-sized treat today! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dZCJKCq-XL.jpg More soon! Jenny x |
Day 9: Tuesday 17th July: Leadville CO to Stagecoach State Park CO
196 miles I do like independent hotels - well, when they're good ones at least... and this one [the Silver King Inn] was one of the very best - if for no other reason that they had proper crockery and cutlery for breakfast. You see I've already stayed in dozens of hotels since I started out on this year's trip, and indeed over all the years I've been travelling around the United States - and very few (if any - certainly none under $100 a night) seem to have a dishwasher. They all use paper (or worse, polystyrene) plates, cups and plastic knives and forks etc. Pre-packaged breakfast items also come seemingly wrapped in un compostable cellophane, yogurt pots, the list goes on... Now I'm certainly not some sort of eco-weenie, but seriously, just consider how many hundreds of thousands of people are staying in chain hotels and motels all over the USA every night, and just how much land-fill trash is being thrown away at five past nine every morning... it makes me weep to be honest. When I handed back my key I thanked the girl on reception for a lovely comfortable stay, and felt it important to mention how pleased I was to see they provided proper plates and glasses and cutlery for their guests, and she agreed "We're trying to set an example for the rest of the town" she smiled. Right, now that's been said and done, let's go burn some more fossil fuels then! Downtown Leadville is kinda fun and quirky in a typical brick-built pioneer-town kind of way: independent shops, plenty of cafes and restaurants... lots of hotels too - you can certainly see why it's a recommended stop-over on the Colorado BDR. As I'd left my hotel, and then continued to cruise down main-street, I could feel my clutch was right at the end of the range of it's adjustment - I guess I'd given it a pretty hard time yesterday - not least manhandling it up that flooded trail and rocky steps - so took the opportunity to sample a local coffee shop, temporarily discard my personal belongings over a good number of their outside tables and chairs, and get to work on the bike (not a long job to be honest). It was only mid-morning and already the sun was pretty fierce. All traces of the previous evening's storm were gone, and there was a bright blue sky in exactly the direction I wanted to be going... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...F7DbFsJ-XL.jpg photo. This is the dirt road up to Hagerman Pass (11,925ft) - Hagerman Pass Rd no less. Beautiful! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gC8GQH8-XL.jpg photo. Sometimes we forget to just stop and take in the view. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...g7d7HPg-XL.jpg photo. Only a few traces of snow left at this time of year. While it was my intention for the next day or two to basically follow the official COBDR trails, at the same time, should any alternatives crop up that looked slightly more, shall we say 'interesting', then I was not going to rigidly stick to the prescribed route - not when I was on the ideal bike to poke around on more technical trails should they happen my way. And happen they did! The main BDR route here is a reasonably gentle and wide well-surfaced, all-weather road for the most part - nothing wrong with that, on the right bike you can make good progress of course - but for me, I wanted to make the most of the potential this smaller lighter bike (and my minimalist luggage set-up) allowed. I took a well defined side-trail (CR-4L if anyone was wondering - I'm giving this stuff away!) that wound it's way up to a narrow saddle, before snaking down the far side via a series of sharp switchbacks - wonderful stuff, and very reminiscent of the Spanish Pyrenees I thought - another killer trail! I poked around on some OHV trails around Diemer Lake (the nice thing about having the official BDR map is that on the reverse side certain [key] sections of the map have been printed in larger scale with more detail together with a brief summary - and these are very helpful during general route planning), and the bike really came into its own on some of the more technical power-line climbs, ripping up them (I had no choice, I couldn't let it stall on me here) and letting the suspension soak up the worst of the rocks and ridges... great stuff! However, at the same time I was mindful that I did want to keep heading north - not least as the focus of this next leg was to spend as much time in Montana as I could - ideally starting this coming weekend. But that wasn't going to stop me enjoying these moments - and back on the main BDR, it wasn't long before another alternative revealed itself - remember I didn't have the official track log in my GPS, so was winging it with a series of intermediate waypoints I'd manually entered - and one such example was road 431, which essentially paralleled the main BDR, but via a twisty ATV two-track power-line trail - awesome! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Ts6S8wH-XL.jpg photo. If you're riding the COBDR and see this sign, take it! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jtdfVdp-XL.jpg photo. You can just see the trail in the distance - snaking it's way up the opposite side of the valley. Again, none of these alternative OHV trails were overly testing - not on a smaller bike at least - but the sandy two-track was just enough to keep you entertained, and the odd creek crossing a welcome relief from the heat... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5cQQLc4-XL.jpg I elected to take 'Hardscrabble Mountain Rd', thinking the clue would be in the name, but actually it's just a rough and rocky road [in places] up and over the mountain (10,662ft), and by now I was starting to get a bit weary of all this jigging around, and in need of more coffee and sustenance... on balance I can see why the BDR team chose the alternative route [Gypsum Creek Rd] to Gypsum, although it does mean you miss out on the Yeti Grind Coffee House in Eagle, which is definitely worth a visit if you're passing through. The section [of BDR] from Gypsum to Sate Bridge is described as 'a mellow dirt road... private land limits off-road options... paved riding is necessary..." - I think they're selling it short - it was utterly delightful, and while not technical [terrain], some of the most scenic and relaxing riding I'd done all day as I followed the Colorado river north east to McCoy and then the quirky music venue/rental cabins/general store that overlooks the State Bridge. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8HCNj7p-XL.jpg photo. cold drinks and candy is about the limit of the victuals on offer here, but that was ok by me. I'd suggest that if you're riding the BDR north from Leadville, then State Bridge is a realistic target/destination for an overnight stop (it was about 5.30pm when I rolled in off the highway), but being another balmy summer evening, I was intent on pressing on a little further, planning on a wild camp or similar somewhere along the line before sunset - there not being any formal accommodation options now before Steamboat Springs, which was realistically too far [and too expensive] to consider at this point. It's worth noting that there is no gas available at State Bridge itself - rather at a camping and river access site [Rancho Del Rio] a few miles further east along the easy dirt road... I wasn't sure I actually needed to top up (the bike had been exceptionally frugal all day today, tickling along at typically less than 40mph most of the time), but factored it would be better to be safe than sorry to fall short a few miles south of Steamboat Springs. for info. they'll want to relieve you of $5.00 a gallon for 87Ron if like me, you're not prepared to gamble on your range. This really was open country now (although not open enough to simply pitch your tent wherever you like) and by the time I rolled into the State Park campgrounds at Stagecoach Reservoir (pretty, but pretty pricy - they charged me the overnight camping fee $18, plus another $7 for a day pass - even though I rolled in after 8pm and left before 8am) I was pretty tired out... although I was still shy of 200 miles today, they had been some intense miles indeed! Sleep now, more soon... Jenny x |
Day 10: Wednesday 18th July: Stagecoach State Park CO to a ridge, somewhere in WY
314 miles While I sit around camp drinking a cup of coffee, please allow me to make a somewhat convoluted side-bar here, although I trust it will be of value to anyone planning a multi-day overland trip, such as this or any other.... One of the discussions that comes up on [for example] the Trans-America Trail forums/Facebook page/s a lot is regarding camping vs. hotels... Obviously the main difference is going to be cost (especially if you can find some good free/wild camping spots en route) - and certainly riding all the way across the country while staying in a hotel/motel every night (which is perfectly possible on the TAT should you wish - but only if you're prepared to divert off the main route a few miles each evening) is a very expensive way to do it these days. However, what is perhaps often overlooked, and not to be underestimated either, is not only the benefit of having a clean bed and warm shower to help you recover each evening - but the fact you won't need to carry quite as much luggage with you (note. camping equipment tends to be at least 50% of your luggage - and while it's a good idea to have at least a basic camp with you just incase of an emergency stop over - ie. getting stuck or breaking down, close to nightfall - you could get away with just a sleeping bag and some kind of bivvy if you weren't planning on using it regularly), which is of immediate benefit when riding more technical terrain, and also, fundamentally you have less stuff to pack and unpack each day. And it's that element particularly this morning - while supping on my Starbucks Via and Oatmeal Clif bar breakfast (about as minimalist as you can get) - that I was contemplating... in that on those few occasions I have been camping this trip, it always seems to take a good hour between waking and breaking camp - which, if you're on a time schedule such as most TAT riders are for example, can seriously eat into your day each day. Of course I would never discourage anyone from camping - or at least bringing camping equipment with them on a trip like this (as per the fundamental reason above) - as if you love the outdoors, then the opportunity to set-up a simple shelter and immerse yourself in nature overnight is one of the few free pleasures we have left. Well, free if you wild camp of course - I'd just paid $25 for a pitch in a rustic campground surrounded by travel-trailers, pets and children... but don't worry, fortunately this balance was going to be addressed in the next few days. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MdS78Jm-XL.jpg photo. Breakfast at Winona's restaurant and bakery in Steamboat Springs CO - yep, I'm a Winona Rider... I'd felt it prudent to stop at an official campground last night, not least as it was getting dark by the time I'd arrived, and I wasn't sure what the trail ahead would hold - nor if there would be any opportunity for a wild camp so close to the holiday mecca* of Steamboat Springs. *I must admit a certain naivety here, I knew my Big Agnes tent came from a town called Steamboat Springs CO, but hadn't realised to what extent the ski facilities particularly, extended - the resort is a huge multi-peak world-cup venue. Doh! It turns out I'd made the right decision, as the dirt road around the north shore of the Stagecoach Reservoir was flanked by private land on either side, while closer to the city itself was again either ranch or holiday-home private property. I didn't even bother to Google how much the hotels might have been in this town! I was still following the official COBDR here, and heading out of Steamboat Springs it follows a wide gravel road that connects more ranch and holiday properties... nice, but like some critique of the TAT (again), I did feel it was following 'dirt' for the sake of it here - but hey, I wasn't far from the end of the Colorado BDR now, and I guess the route planners wanted to maximise your last few dirt miles where possible. Fortunately, once I got just north of Pearl Lake State Park, I saw a dedicated OHV (bikes and ATVs only) side trail marker post (Elkhorn Trail NF505), which again I'm highlighting here as a recommendation: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hLFB7sG-XL.jpg photo. The narrow rocky OHV trail eventually exited the forest into wide open pasture. Rejoining the main dirt road though (NF550 to Mexican Fork) I realised it passes through a huge network of OHV trails, and plenty of opportunity for camping/staging too - nice! Ultimately the northern end of the Colorado BDR winds down by following the Little Snake River along the CO/WY state line, and I skipped over the border pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Wild Wyoming https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M3stfPc-XL.jpg photo. Another state, another town, another cafe, another espresso. Although there is not an official BDR route/map for Wyoming yet (they are meant to be working on it), the regular Butler map of the state actually shows a good number of navigable dirt-roads as well - so it was easy enough to plot an unpaved south to north crossing while I chomped away on a late lunch in Rawlins - which is a stop-over point on the Continental Divide Trail, which I came to realise having passed any number of hikers and cyclists on the road due south of town. According to my Butler map, this was also the last place I'd get the chance to fuel up for a good while (without diverting off my intended route anyway), so took the opportunity to fill my Giant-Loop Gas-Bag again, just as a precaution - although I was almost certain I'd need it this time, since I really would be passing through the middle of nowhere during the next 24 hours or so. And who knew that Wyoming had desert?! After a short stretch of highway, I turned off on 'Buzzard Rd' - initially 16 miles or so of hard-packed dirt (the kind that turns to slime after rain) with the odd mud-puddle to circumnavigate, then, to my utter delight - the GPS pointed me down a soft sandy two-track like something right out of the Dakar! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2mnJbBL-XL.jpg photo. Ripper! Again I relied on the shortest route (between manually input waypoints) function and was grinning from ear to ear as the trail split once again and petered out into a faint two-track through pasture - certainly it would appear no-one had used this particular trail for a long time (note. when I zoomed out on the GPS a little later, I realised there was a network of alternative and more established roads/trails, that typically joined ranch buildings to one another)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZcwB8sG-XL.jpg photo. If it ain't posted private, it's fair game in my opinion... Of course you must leave gates as you find them, and stick to the trail. I finally rejoined the main Buzzard Rd (at this point a huge graded swathe through the barren scrubland) which ultimately connects to the paved highway near Pathfinder Reservoir, and as I paused for a rest at the junction - that felt very much like a typical stage finish (ASS) of a desert rally - I couldn't help but giggle to myself... who'd have thought from such an innocent dotted line on a map there would be such an epic trail to follow! So, in an effort to milk the rally racing analogy just a little more, I was now faced with a long liaison [on dirt] before I could finally set up camp in my 'bivouac' this evening... Again, I was basing this assumption on the information on my Butler map (which shows a good number, if not every, campground on key roads and trails), and I have to say, with the sun now slipping behind the mountains to my west, it was an ambitious plan to reach one of the marked campgrounds - still nearly 90 miles away. I paused briefly to top off my tank with the contents of my Gas-Bag (at the junction with the aptly named Gas Hills Rd), but ultimately lost the race with the sun a few miles north of Arminto (a ramshackle collection of tumbledown houses, some of which were inhabited, but none of which looked overly welcoming) - and I was still right in the middle of nowhere... I don't really like riding at night, not on trails, especially with the potential of animals around every corner - so slowed right down, and peered through the darkness on either side of the trail (note. the low-beam on the G310GS is surprisingly good I feel, but conversely the high-beam is rubbish - just a halo of light around a central void that is otherwise well lit by the low-beam) - increasingly desperate to find somewhere suitable to pitch my tent, far enough away from the road so as not to draw attention from any passing traffic, should it come along overnight. Eventually I spied a faint two-track to my right that doubled back into the desert and headed uphill towards a ridge - that would have to do. cont. |
cont.
Day 11: Thursday 19th July: Wild-camp WY to Billings MT 327 miles https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CvwcGtF-XL.jpg photo. Dawn revealed it was quite the location after all! Despite setting up camp in the pitch dark (other than my head-torch of course), it turns out I'd found a pretty cool spot after all! The two-track had led up a rough climb to a saddle on the ridge-line, and I factored that if vehicles had been here before, then it was probably a decent camping location - however, as it turned out, there was very little flat area to pitch a tent on, and the saddle itself was a funnel for a brisk evening wind that blew up the moment I unpacked my bag and set up the most simple camp I could - just my tent, my air-mattress, pillow and sleeping bag - the rest of my gear could stay on the bike tonight! As the wind lashed at my hastily pegged-out rain-fly, for a few moments I did consider moving everything down the hill a bit - but tiredness soon overcame me, and I hunkered down with my earplugs, still in most of my clothes... Fortunately, the wind eventually died down overnight and everything was beautifully calm and quiet when I awoke the next morning. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2TQkd8b-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tj5Nx4F-XL.jpg Having woken at 6am, and not had much stuff to pack away - I was back on the trail in good time, and made fast progress north along the backbone of the Big Horn Mountains. I would appear there were a number of alternative routes I could have taken towards Ten Sleep (the next nearest fuel and food point according to my map), but by electing to stay in the high country until the last opportunity - I was rewarded with not only a spectacular 'big reveal' view as I descended into the valley, but to top it off, the final few miles into town was along a doozy of a sandy two-track trail... according to my GPS it had an official road name: Juniper Rd - but in all honesty was more of an OHV trail that wound it's way up and down like a rollercoaster above the sleepy town just to the north. Spot on! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4HGk2S6-XL.jpg photo. I would of course have eaten here, were it open... instead I had to make do with a burger for breakfast a few doors down. Like that infamous scene in the Michael Douglas movie Falling Down, I had missed the breakfast cut-off by 2 minutes (11.02am), so instead had to make do with the lunch-menu for breakfast - but unlike Michael, I wasn't about to complain - it was no bad thing if I'm honest, and by the time I'd made my way though that mammoth bacon cheese burger and fries, I considered it was now time for an ice cream too! I'd already ridden the best part of 90 miles of dirt this morning, and was essentially 3/4s of the way across the state now - ahead of my target to make Montana by the weekend, which would allow me the maximum time to explore* before I had to start making my way further west. *As some of you may recall from my Northern eXposure ride report from last year, originally I'd not considered the middle of Montana much more than a way to get from the Canadian border to the Beartooth Highway reasonably quickly, as part of my journey east... however, just a few miles of dirt in and I realised I'd stumbled into prime adventure and dual-sport riding country, and actually spent the next fours days (basically as long as I could, before I absolutely had to continue east to meet my prior commitments) plotting and track-logging my own 'Trans-Montana Trail' BDR style route right through the heart of the state, and that this year I wanted to go back and expand upon... By this stage of the trip, I'd also made a few decisions that would ultimately punctuate the final stage/s of the journey back home to California. I'd already committed to a series of presentations at the Horizons Unlimited Can-West event that was being held in Nakusp BC towards the end of August (23-26th - so if you're in the area please do come along!), but that was still more than a month away, and to be quite honest, I'd haemorrhaged money over the past couple of weeks, and didn't really relish chasing my tail and filling in time for another four weeks on the road. Of course I could have lived like an animal and wild-camped in the wilderness for a while (not really my style if I'm honest!), and I'm also fortunate to have a number of friends in both Alberta Canada and Idaho whom I consider close enough to, and be not too much of a burden, as to be able to bunk with for a few days if I were passing though... but I was also very conscious that I'd hardly spent any time in California this spring/summer, and that a couple of weeks of home cooking and some keyboard time (to catch up with this huge ride report) was probably exactly what I needed to reset my sanity after all the relentless riding I'd been doing. Fortunately I have a very good friend who had recently moved his family back to Boise ID, and had extended just such an invitation to stay with them if I were passing through... so via text, email and online flight reservations - a plan was hatched to spend a couple of days riding with them, then leave my bike at their house while I flew back to California for a couple of weeks. I'd then return to Boise on the 18th of August to host a presentation afternoon at the local BMW dealer there (BigTwin Motorcycles), before carrying on northwards to meet my commitments in British Columbia the following weekend. Sorted! So now the pressure was on to make the most of the time between now and then to reccy as much as I could in Montana, then take the southern section of the Idaho BDR (yes, I'd packed that map too, but again forgotten to download their official GPS track) to meet up with Neil and his family by the following weekend. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n47F82q-XL.jpg photo. You don't need a centre stand to lube your chain, just find a handy trail-side log ;o) The final dirt leg in Wyoming took me cross country again to eventually intercept some of the 'Gold Roads' on the Butler map - including the spectacular Medicine Wheel Passage that drops more than 5000ft down the west face of the Big Horn Mountains from around 9000ft to under 4000ft once you've reached the river and town of Lovell. I debated 'one more trail' and perhaps finding somewhere to [wild] camp again... but after three huge days in the saddle and two nights under canvas, punched in the location of the nearest hotel in Montana that wasn't priced at a premium being part of the 'Gateway to Yellowstone' (seemingly being located within 100 miles in any direction of the National Park earns you that moniker!), and ended up in Billings - another eighty odd miles away! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TXGSVJr-XL.jpg photo. It was indeed a 310, heading north. More soon! Jenny x |
Day 12: Friday 20th July: Billings MT to the most awesome trail in all Montana!
257 miles I have to say, it does take some discipline to not have a second waffle at a Super-8 each morning. I'd elected to stay in Billings Montana last night, as I felt it was close enough to where I wanted to start my 2018 exploration (Big Timber), but without the expense or going over old ground that would involve staying in Livingston which is where I'd ended up last year after my epic river crossing foray. However, when I tapped 'Big Timber' into my GPS as I rolled out of the carpark, I realised I actually had 83 miles of Interstate to endure before the good stuff. Hey ho. iPod it is then... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zhQJxPx-XL.jpg photo. I felt like I was in the Matrix here... this is my GS, in southern Montana 2018... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Kt9rbCB-XL.jpg photo. and this is my XT in eastern Utah 2009. I'd already uploaded my previous trip track-logs into my GPS, and the nice thing about the Garmin Montana is that you can select individual tracks to show on screen or be hidden as required, and also set them to display in a range of colours... In effect, I now had last year's network overlaid on the main maps, and could therefore plot my further exploration in relation to the previous year, and hopefully end up with a comprehensive network of 'proved' routes, that I could ultimately connect into a definitive 'Trans-Montana Trail' for the future... Last year's route essentially connected the north western corner (near Glacier National Park, which includes the famous Going-to-the-Sun highway) with the Beartooth Highway (another Butler Gold Road, and world-renowned mountain highway) that crosses into Wyoming a little east of Yellowstone NP. In between there was some prime adventure bike and dual-sport riding to be had - long stretches of unpaved gravel and dirt roads, punctuated by more technical OHV and Jeep trails. Although much of eastern Montana is flat, like Colorado, there is suddenly a defined ridge of mountains half way across the state (a continuation of the Rockies no less) that offers a wealth of more technical adventure riding potential, including dramatic elevation changes, forests, high plateaus... and like the big sky all around you, it's endless! My plan for the weekend ahead was two-fold - to explore essentially a long loop sector north east of Great Falls (which I'd not had time to visit last year on my way through), plus revisit the Lewis & Clark National Forest to the south of Great Falls, where I'd noted any number of [presumably more technical and challenging] OHV trails off my main through-route... and fundamentally, to try and find the 'correct' way out of the maze of trails just north of the Crazy Mountains, where I'd had to wade my bike through a series of flooded creek crossings, and somewhat embarrassingly ended up in the front yard of a rather fancy hunting lodge (fortunately it appeared no one was home that evening ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hd9vkPL-XL.png photo. Last year, on my CB500X - what do you mean you've not read Northern eXposure already?! However, before I embarked on that particular task (planned for later than afternoon), I thought I'd take the opportunity to reccy a few more modest trails that could offer an alternative outside of the seasonal closure (note. the mountain trail in question was only open from the 15th June to the 15th of September), or for bigger bikes for example. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cNqTbmX-XL.jpg photo. The Village People's retirement ranch... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZWG5j3g-XL.jpg photo. So close, but ultimately denied by a locked gate! The trails directly to the north of Big Timber were simply all-weather access roads to ranch property on either side - pleasant enough to be away from the paved highway running parallel of course, but ultimately once I got due west of Two-Dot (crazy name, crazy town), I had no choice but to retrace my steps - over and hour and a half of my time, and more importantly 50 miles of precious fuel wasted - as there was no public though route to join with Cottonwood Rd that led up into the mountains. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...r9MMQSX-XL.jpg photo. It appears to be the only place in town actually. And there is no fuel near here either. Still, it wasn't long until I was back on my route from last year, winding up the rough road that leads to Forest Lake (plenty of dispersed camping options up here should you wish)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mZxGgW3-XL.jpg photo. Last year I was here much later in the day, in the pouring rain - wondering if I'd made the right decision to try and cross over a 8000ft mountain pass in a thunder storm... I have to say, this time I simply breezed across the meadow and pasture - winding my way on the two-track between cattle grazing, birds tweeting - it was like a scene from the sound of music! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LCHLbzn-XL.jpg photo. This is the point I elected to head straight downhill (on a faint track) last year, which ended in a series of creek crossings, trying to reach the Shields River Rd less than 3 miles away according to my GPS map. The obvious track was indeed the one above (complete with trail number signage), but on reaching the crest, I was faced with a dubious looking narrow downhill on loose shale, with what looked like little opportunity to turn around should the trail eventually peter out. Of course had I the forethought to try and source an official OHV map of this area, it would have revealed if this were a dead end or not... as it was, I was relying on my GPS mapping software, which even using the TOPO maps, did not show a connecting trail in this area. So, I felt it only prudent to head directly downhill again - as I had last year - and see if there was a more obvious way out that I'd missed last year in my desperation to cross the creeks before nightfall. Of course, on a bright sunny afternoon, coupled with a closer look at my GPS maps, there was an obvious route out by turning Left (rather than Right, the natural direction, and which I'd taken last year) - doh! However, in a double doh! - while this was clearly an established track, it was sort of dubious whether I was still on public land or not. And not as it turned out. I'd almost made it to what I considered was the public road (which led to a campground not far from here), when a huge horse trailer pulled up in front of me - not aggressively you understand, but making it quite obvious that there was no intention to let me pass. Knowing the best way to defuse any tension is to immediately remove my sunglasses and helmet, I smiled apologetically at the lady driving the truck and exchanged a series of increasing pleasantries - thank goodness. She was not the landowner herself, but informed me that the trail I was on [although in the GPS] was not a public road, and that this was not the first time people had ended up on their property in an effort to find the way down off the mountain. I stopped short of revealing that I'd actually been here before (ahem), and instead asked if she knew if there was a [public] through route from the trail I'd been on further up the hill... and in a scene reminiscent of my run-in with the Rangers in Idaho when I'd been pioneering my own route to join the new TAT with the old on Trinity mountain back in 2015, she reached into the cab and opened up a huge paper map of the area marked with all the official trails - result! A quick glance was all that I need to commit the necessary trail numbers to my short-term memory, and I was on my way again with an series of contrite waves goodbye to her and the ranchers gathering their horses. The evening was drawing in now, but armed with this golden information, I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass by, nor even wait until morning to finally join the two trails together! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pzrTx88-XL.jpg photo. Heading back into the mountains, this time a little further west from neighbouring Smith Creek Rd. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5Nr8hfW-XL.jpg photo. this is looking promising! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9FrDbPs-XL.jpg photo. Bingo! Bloody bingo! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zD4bBq7-XL.jpg photo. All the effort had been worth it! Yes, as the sun was slipping rapidly away, I'd finally managed to join the two trails, and prove a perfectly legal route through these mountains (albeit still subject to the seasonal restrictions mentioned above of course), it was a tiny triumph indeed! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KtstmDX-XL.jpg photo. This is at the top of the steep narrow trail I'd stopped at a few hours previously - turns out it is a legitimate through route after-all, although it is quite challenging in places - including tight switchbacks and off-camber side-slopes to negotiate... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fdTHJPf-XL.jpg photo. ...and not least this 50" bridge - only motorcycles and ATVs allowed beyond this point. Elated, I retraced my route back down the hill - factoring that I needed to exit this way (west) anyway in the morning, and try and find somewhere to camp tonight... I'd noticed a nice flat level [parking/staging] area prior to the 50" gate a few miles back, that ought to serve such a purpose well. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...c87ZdVS-XL.jpg photo. a deep and muddy bog-hole which I'd managed to avoid on the way down into the valley, caught me off-guard on the way back out! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sn9s9ZC-XL.jpg photo. simple stealth camping at 7500ft. It was such a balmy evening, I didn't even consider fitting the fly to my tent (note. I chose my Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 tent specifically as it can be erected as a self-supporting mesh 'bug-hut' on firm/hard ground as needs be, or pegged out with the rain-fly as required), and I slept soundly with my smelly stuff hung in a nearby tree, and my knife, lighter and can of WD40 (as a makeshift flame thrower ;o) to hand - should the local wildlife take a fancy to my deodorant or Clif bars. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Mb9CJ2G-XL.jpg photo. this is why I carry camping gear... It had been a good day today! Jx |
Day 13: Saturday 21st July: Wild-camp on the Joint trail MT to another wild-camp somewhere else in MT
218 miles I have to say, I was starting to enjoy being off the grid now... camping right on the trail meant there were no distractions other than my own coffee brewing facility, and I was all packed and rolling again just after 7am. Trusting my fuel range gauge on the bike was accurate (currently still showing 104 miles remaining), I decided I had enough margin to explore a little more en route to a suitable refuel, and see if what appeared on my GPS to be a network of through roads to the north, correlated to what was actually on the ground. On the whole, the unpaved/dirt road information shown in the Garmin City Navigator mapping software (in the US at least) is surprisingly detailed - each twist and turn and junction accurately represented, and can be routed along just as if they were paved highways - typically making it easy to follow your chosen route through a myriad of side-trails, once you've put an initial destination waypoint in... However, you have to keep in mind there is no distinction between an old logging road that may have been cut (and mapped) 50 years ago and subsequently returned to wilderness, and a definitive 'road' that remains in constant use. There is also no indication whether a particular road is public or private either... which can make initial route planning on-screen a little tricky. Once on the ground it's not usually a issue, as most dirt roads [in City Navigator] are considered public rights of way unless specifically posted, and unfortunately in this instance, what seemed to be a well-used continuation of the initial access trail through an OHV network ended ominously with this sign: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RG3Rk7R-XL.jpg photo. I really was in the middle of nowhere, and only a few miles from the highway too - but it wasn't worth the risk... I used this enforced retreat as the perfect excuse to explore some of those OHV trails that I'd passed by earlier - not least so that I wasn't directly retracing my steps (I always hate to do that in these circumstances) - but at the same time mindful that while the GS was seemingly sipping fuel at an incredibly frugal rate during these exploratory trail conditions, I was still a good distance from anywhere that might allow me to refuel without significantly diverting from my intended route for the day. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jQd9NBw-XL.jpg photo. another 50" gate (concrete posts) - most of the OHV trail network here is for motorcycles and ATVs only. With no choice but to ultimately rejoin the same route out as I'd plotted last year, at least I recalled there was an independent gas station a few miles south (on the main highway) with old-style pumps - that should be open now it was after 9am on a Saturday morning. As it turns out, I can confirm that Dales Fuel in Clyde Park also has a 24 hour pay-at-pump facility, along with their existing crank-handles. There is also a killer coffee stand on the lot opposite. Breakfast was served. This minor detour meant that on my way back to join my intended route west, I noticed an alternative and parallel trail to the otherwise paved road that led to a small mountain range in the distance. This was an absolute corker - a proper 'green lane' as we'd call it in the UK - typically two-track between a wide fence-line on either side, and undulating just enough to ensure you were never quite sure what was over the next horizon - wonderful stuff! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XknR2C8-XL.jpg photo. Checking in after a night out in the wilds - I factored I'd be guaranteed a strong 3G signal here... Flathead Pass crosses through the middle of the Bridger Range [of mountains] just to the north of Bozeman, and is a proper 'Jeep' trail - easy enough on the climb up to the pass itself from the east, but much more rocky, rutted and loose on the west side - and I admit I was glad I'd chosen to navigate this particular stretch in this direction! Again, as with many of the through routes in this part of the state, there seemed to be a network of alternative and potential even more challenging OHV trails leading tantalisingly into the forest on either side - some of which I'm sure would have reconnected to where I was heading - so many trails, so little time. Still, as I always say, it's always worth leaving something to come back for. Certainly it would have been very easy to lose sight of the task in hand, which was to continue to prove a series of interconnected dirt roads and trails, ideally punctuated by more technically challenging sections where appropriate, as a definitive 'through route' that was not too convoluted. It was a pleasant if not especially taxing ride from the ghost town of Maudlow alongside the Sixteen Mile Creek heading north, then out into more open country under clear blue skies, perfect. However, on glancing down at my GPS, I noticed the screen had started glitching on and off between the hardwired cradle and battery power. What the hell is going on now then? I stopped at the side of the trail and initially checked the fuse - turns out the two 12v auxiliary circuit/s actually share the same fuse as the dash so I knew it wasn't that... and since the GPS seemed to be working fine on just it's internal battery power, deduced it had to be something in the wiring between the cradle and the loom... Mind you, I wasn't going to start delving any deeper than that at the side of the road until I'd had some lunch - priorities and all that you know! Fortunately, I knew a great diner in White Sulphur Springs (the Branding Iron Cafe) a few miles away, which not only serves a mean fried-chicken sandwich and fresh-fruit milkshake, but has a covered patio area to one side, under which I was able to dismantle the front end and sort the damn wiring while staying out of the sun... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...B6vJr9h-XL.jpg photo. this is what is most tedious about this bike - the fact you have to remove half the bodywork just to get to anything - including the auxiliary connectors behind the headlamp cover. Ultimately it turns out the issue was a broken wire inside the connector I'd fitted to the GPS power cable (note. the power wires on the Garmin cables are very thin), and I was able to disassemble the connector, bodge-crimp the wire and terminal with my Leatherman pliers, and seal it all together again - using a dollop of Quik-steel around the wire itself in an effort to stop it from vibrating and snapping again*. I also took the opportunity to re-route the cradle cable so that the connector was more easily accessible (behind the headlight bulb) without having to remove any of the bodywork in future. *note. should you decide to hardwire your own Garmin power cable into a typical auxiliary connector socket, I recommend sealing/seating them with some clear silicone sealant (some connectors come with little rubber grommets, but silicone is still better in this application)... but in this instance, Quik-steel had to do. All this frikking around in the hot afternoon sun meant it was now after 5pm (and two huge buckets of Pepsi) before the bike was all back together again and I was ready to hit the road... I topped off with fuel, stocked up on water and Clif bars, and headed back out into the wilderness with the intention of simply riding on until it was almost dark, and find somewhere to camp trail-side again. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MWvL2Zn-XL.jpg photo. this was a pretty trail down off the mountain, but again it would appear the official trail petered out into private property. As the evening started to draw in, so too clouds began gathering directly ahead over the higher ground - although fortunately my intended route would ultimately drop down and head north again, away from the brewing storm. Continuing the theme of the day, I then took a punt on a marked OHV side trail that I hoped would provide an alternative to a route I'd already ridden before... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6xrSL93-XL.jpg photo. Ah, this didn't look good... although you can see to the left of the picture, there is a potential way down and into the creek itself... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sQzpsZL-XL.jpg photo. ...which I took, obviously ;o) Although initially this appeared to be a well-established trail (complete with an OHV route marker at the beginning), it started to deteriorate as it wound it's way down into the valley, and eventually led into open pasture... covered in literally hundreds of sheep - who, being sheep, all decided it would be a great idea to funnel together and run along the trail directly ahead of me! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...V64M3c7-XL.jpg photo. Oh no - please don't... shoo, go on, shoo! I stopped short of creating an outright stampede, not knowing exactly what to do now. On the horizon I could see a gate in the distance, and these wooly bastards knew that too. Fortunately a pair of Pyrenean Mountain dogs soon appeared on the fringes of the throng, and in what presumably was a well-rehearsed scenario, started to guide them away from the main trail and back onto the open range - thank goodness! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5KzKLdX-XL.jpg I waited contritely to see if their handler was about, so that I might proffer some sort of apology (certainly if this was England or Wales, I'm pretty certain that at any moment an irate farmer would have stormed up on a quad-bike and given me a good ticking off), before gingerly skirting around the remainder of the flock and making a bee-line for that gate in the fence ahead. Phew! Back on the highway, I concluded that I'd probably strayed onto private land after all (although in my defence I'd stuck religiously to the trail, and there were no signs demarking any public/private boundary that I noticed), and so headed for the National Forest to the north and picked up on last year's trail along the Judith River where I knew there would be a number of camping options - dedicated or otherwise. As it turns out, trying to find a vacant spot in a dedicated campground on a Saturday night in high season is more of a task than I imagined - even this far out in the boonies! Certainly every pitch I passed was seemingly crammed with a huge travel-trailer and collection of quad-bikes, camp-fires burning, beers-a-swilling and a general party atmosphere which would not be at all conducive to a solo traveller trying to get some sleep after a hard day on the trails... I finally found rough patch of ground just off the road and next to the creek itself. Electing to install the fly-sheet tonight - if only to afford some degree of privacy - I endured the inevitable drone of a late-night RZR rodeo back and forth along the road nearby, until sleep finally overtook me. Still. I was likely to be up and long gone the next morning before any of my neighbours awoke. More soon... Jenny x |
Day 14: Sunday 22nd July: Judith River Basin MT to Highwood Mountains MT
369 miles (yes, I went the long way round!) When I rode though this region last summer at the end of June, I was denied riding a seasonal Motorcycle/ATV OHV trail (50" gate again) by a single day - so part of the reason for stopping here last night was so that I might ride that particular route, and in turn prove some of the trail network at higher elevation, including the Ettien Ridge [road] - J821 - which is a pukka long-distance Jeep-trail alternative to the otherwise more mundane gravel access road that runs alongside the Judith River. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LDwFrzx-XL.jpg photo. one of the overlooks along Ettien Ridge. I have to say, this was an excellent decision on my part - while the lower elevation gravel road is a great way to cover ground quickly back and forth (especially if you're tugging a huge 5th-wheel camper), and ideal as a 'big bike' ADV route - which is probably why Butler mark it on their map as such - the alternative high-line trail is much more what this particular bike is all about! Starting out on a narrow rocky two-track (don't forget this is a 50" trail), it emerges from the forest onto a high plateau alpine meadow (which would be perfect for wild camping) - then heads higher to T-join the rough trail along the escarpment. I chose to prove it in both directions, but ultimately headed north towards Utica, as still being early morning, breakfast was calling... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bVkwqbh-XL.jpg photo. as the trail began to decent (quite steeply in places I would add!), I noticed a series of rubber ridges embedded diagonally across the trail - these are to deflect rain water away and protect the main surface of the trail from washing out - neat! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bVcn7r9-XL.jpg photo. at the north end of the Ettien Ridge trail there is a sizeable creek crossing - it was also far deeper and more rocky than it first appeared too - no problem in a 4x4, but on a bike with luggage you really need to take care. I rolled up outside the Oxen Yoke Inn in Utica with my feet still soaking after that final creek crossing, and dripped my way to a table, eager for breakfast - only to be informed that they only offer lunch and dinner... Not to be deterred, I agreed that 10am was a perfectly acceptable time to tackle their 'garbage burger' (which comprises 3/4lb of beef that's been stacked with pretty much everything in the kitchen - including mushrooms, fried onions, bacon and cheese!), and set about planning the next stage of today's route. I was leaving the mountains behind now, for a while at least - choosing to head north towards Havre through the heart of the Upper Missouri River National Monument, which appeared to comprise more open desert terrain. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fpb4njx-XL.jpg photo. I elected to try and stay off paved highways as much as I could as I wound my way north towards Winifred - the last chance of a refuel before hitting the desert for 100 miles or more... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TbHpFf8-XL.jpg photo. the same bridge from the far side... heading down to Christy Bottom (yes, that made me giggle). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2L9cP8b-XL.jpg photo. this was a 'shortest route' gamble that didn't pay off... looks like there had not been a bridge here for a long time! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vL3D9Rs-XL.jpg photo. The trail north from Winifred requires you to cross the Upper Missouri River by boat! Fortunately the ferry crossing is a seven-day-a-week operation (although more limited hours on a Sunday), and I pressed on along a sweeping sandy trail, wondering how many people actually make use of this service, since it really is a very remote dirt road through open desert country! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zn7LpwJ-XL.jpg photo. the ferry docks on the north shore, and you call it over by switching on a handheld walkie-talkie in a post box, and pressing the button! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...m2fVqrR-XL.jpg photo. I asked the operator how much traffic he typically sees each day, and he replied "We've been busy today - you're the 13th passenger!" - while 10 tends to be the average! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pLKqqWk-XL.jpg photo. you can see why they [still] utilise a ferry - building a bridge of this span would be hugely expensive for so little traffic. I tipped the ferryman (although there is no actual charge to cross in either direction) and continued northwards at a good pace on the well-maintained gravel road - having been informed it was still 80 miles or more across the Bear Paw Mountains before I'd reach civilisation again. It was a pleasant enough ride, away from any traffic, people, and indeed other than the odd fence and cattle-gate, any sign of human activity whatsoever to be honest - this was remote! But I was starting to feel the compound effect of being on the road without a break for a good number of days now - long days, with plenty of off-road/trail and more technical riding to punctuate many more mundane hours in the saddle. The bike was also starting to feel a little 'tired' now too - the cush drive [rubbers] I'd replaced back at around 5000 miles were now completely shot again, and you could feel the transmission 'shunting' back and forth on a constant throttle, particularly on the washboard surface. That increasing wear in the rubbers resulting in fore-aft play had now resulted in an increasing side-to-side play in the actual sprocket-carrier bearings too - there was nothing I could do about it right now of course, but I was mindful that an actual bearing failure out here could potentially be catastrophic. I followed my outlined route through the Bears Paw Mountains, with, if I'm honest, an increasing lack of enthusiasm... I guess I'd been spoilt by all the epic trails I'd found further south in mountains during the previous few days, and while I usually love the desert, this just wasn't 'doing it' for me today. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fKkTXpt-XL.jpg photo. south of the Bears Paw Mountains - beautiful scenery! My plan was to loop back south towards Great Falls (having now seen enough of this region to decide that other than the ferry crossing itself, there was little to commend it as part of any 'definitive' Trans-Montana Trail), and to finally start heading west for Idaho in the next couple of days - again, punctuating an obvious direct route with any choice side-trails I happened to find. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8zNFHGg-XL.jpg photo. easy going open country meant I'd been able to cover a lot of ground today... I was starting to run a little low on fuel again by now, and being unable to cross back over the river at Virgelle (another ferry, which at this time on a Sunday evening was almost certain to have stopped running), I took the next available crossing - a bridge - at Loma, where the river was far more narrow than it had been further east - and gambled there would be fuel at Geraldine (the direction I wanted to be heading), rather than have to route via the relative metropolis of Fort Benton on the main highway a few miles further on... And I'm glad I did, as the 'shortest route' function again led me down a corking alternative to the main dirt-road (photo above) which was already enjoyable... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RFP64XS-XL.jpg photo. Hidden below the horizon, Chalk Bluffs Rd was a delightful sandy two-track that skirted the rim of this shallow canyon... Zig-zagging my way south to eventually join the highway, I rolled into the no-horse town of Geraldine a little after 8pm... There was no sign of life, or even anywhere I might get something to eat or drink, never mind sleep - thank goodness for 24h pay-at-pumps! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...w4gmHbh-XL.jpg photo. Square Butte. I had no choice but to continue into the rapidly approaching night on my chosen route - a fast gravel dirt road south - which unfortunately only skirted the National Forest rather than dipping into it, and instead was flanked on either side by some stern wire fencing with open ranch pasture beyond - there would be no chance at all of stealth camping here. Ultimately I lost the fight with the sunset again, and dodged through countless gormless cows (bless 'em, but they are dumb!) on my way into the National Forest at last... having crossed a succession of cattle-guards, I figured now was a good a place as any to find somewhere to pitch my tent, and hopefully not be interrupted by any bovine intruders overnight. I took the first turn off the trail, ducked behind the trees, and sure enough there was a fire-ring of stones - someone has always been here before. Despite being at significantly lower elevation (4900ft) than the previous two nights, it was cold here - and damp. I concluded that not only had today been a long and arduous ride for little real reward [with regard to extending my TMT route at least], but I was rapidly becoming tired of camping in woods where you have to hang all your stuff in a tree. Grrrrrrr. snore. Jx |
Day 15: Monday 23rd July: Highwood Mountains MT to Missoula MT
358 miles It was a good job I'd decided to stop where and when I did... On leaving camp early next morning (my damp rain-fly bungeed to the top of my Giant Loop bag to try and dry it out), what followed in quick succession was a series of creek crossings - some quite deep, others less so - some wide, and all with a rocky, if compacted base below the water - this would have been potentially disastrous in the thick of the night, as all were deep enough to potentially drown the engine if I'd dropped the bike due to a clumsy mistake in the dark. Fortunately, the daylight and clear creek water meant navigating them was easy enough and therefore entertaining, although once again my feet were soaking by the final and longest crossing (where the turn off to the official campground was) - I really needed some new boots* now! *note. although I'd started this trip with a brand new pair of Icon Patrol 2 boots - which I have to say are very lightweight, comfortable and properly waterproof too - I'd actually left those behind in the UK when I'd returned there last month, so for the continuation of this trip was now wearing my older original Patrol boots, which after three years and 50,000+ miles of ADV riding, had finally started to come apart at the sown seams - and ghetto-fixed with Gorilla-glue ;o) I was on a bit of a mission today - I wanted to be in Boise ID by Friday afternoon at the latest, and there was still a huge chunk of Montana, plus the southern half the Idaho BDR route which I was planning to ride on my way there. Stopping for breakfast at a new cafe in Belt (recommended) I plotted the day's route using my Butler map, and factored that Missoula was a realistic target for this evening - allowing me to work my way west on a series of dirt roads and trails, many of which would cross right through the various mountain ranges, rather than simple shlep along the highway (which according to Google would only have taken a little over three hours in comparison - but where's the fun in that?!) - after all, I'd come all this way specifically to explore the backroads and byways of Montana, and I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity to add to my already impressive tally of unpaved routes across the state. As such, I didn't stop for many photographs today - it was all about the riding... Endeavouring to stay off paved roads as much as I could, I rejoined my GPS track for last year a little way east of Cascade (a good food, fuel and motel stop, just off I15), and continued westward along Mission and Birdtail (dirt) roads (fun, easy riding) - to briefly pick up a couple of paved passes (Rogers and Fleshers, both of which were 5610ft!) that had been highlighted on the Butler map, before diving onto the dirt again at Stemple Pass (6376ft). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sXZrLbf-XL.jpg photo. the remains of the ruined St. Peters Mission on Mission Rd. I was making good progress, navigating suitable alternative and side-trails on the fly (Dalton Mountain Rd - Buffalo Gultch - Clear Creek Rd was a particularly entertaining combination), before hitting highway 141 a short way south of Helmville. I mention this specifically, as the following trail (the old Helmville Back rd, which runs parallel with the current highway) was just like riding a British Green-lane - it certainly appeared to be a legit through-route, although it did pass close by a couple of properties (one with a dog!) that had typically expanded on either side of the trail - primarily with a collection of old vehicles and sheds. It was certainly an entertaining alternative to the eight or more miles of highway - which you could just see across the valley in the distance... Choosing to staying on the fast gravel road north of Helmville meant I popped back into civilisation (if you could call it that) right in the centre of Ovando - a tiny town just far enough off the grid for the inhabitants to be considered 'quirky'. I liked it. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RCgrfzF-XL.jpg photo. great coffee and ice cream here... fuel available too. Refreshed, I continued north into the National Forest east of Seeley Lake - an huge recreation area which had been devastated by forest fires around this time last year, and you could still smell it in the air - although it was encouraging to see so much new growth below the charred remains of those huge trees not yet felled. It would have been easy enough to just pick up the highway to Missoula now, but that would mean missing out on what turned out to be, the grande finale to Montana (well, for this year at least) - Jocko Canyon Rd. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...48gTTGZ-XL.jpg photo. Jocko Canyon Road essentially follows the creek and series of reservoirs for 30+ miles... it's stunning! Here I was, barrelling along this easy gravel road at he base of an impressive canyon, and marvelling at the clear water glistening in the late afternoon sun... the perfect ending to these past few days exploring... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Xrq2jgV-XL.jpg And this could easily have been enough to end on a high - find a hotel in good time, and call it quits. But you know me, if I see a side trail, I'm going to take it aren't I (well, once I've zoomed out on my GPS screen and see if it actually leads anywhere in the direction I want to be going) - and sure enough, I realised there was a whole network of trails just to the north of this main thoroughfare... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2Z75R9b-XL.jpg photo. One of the lesser used side trails that interconnects the trail network to the north of the main through-route. ...and spent the next two hours or more zig-zagging back and forth on a series of lesser used forest roads and two-track trails proving a whole series of alternative routes, before ultimately calling it a day a little before 8pm. I say we're done here for this year Piglet. cont. |
Day 16: Tuesday 24th July: Missoula MT to French Creek ID (BDR)
249 miles It's nearly midday and I'm still in Missoula - shaming myself in a Starbucks having had no breakfast until now! Last night did not go well. I was on such a high after proving a series of such epic trails yesterday, that I felt I'd earned a night in a decent hotel. Well, I say decent - it turns out that hotels around Missoula are pretty damn expensive for some reason, even Motel 6 (usually the cheapest of the chains) wanted to relieve me of a hundred bucks just so I might stay on the north side of town (admitted very close to where I wanted to be the following morning - a motorcycle dealer where I might buy some new boots), so instead I headed further east to their 2nd location closer to the university. Big mistake. This place was a dump. Not just compared to their shiny new-built property I'd just forfeit for austerity you understand (and it was only a $20 saving anyway) - but in the grand scheme of things, this was a bad example in anyone's book. You may recall I considered the Motel 6 in Joliet the worse I had ever stayed at, and I still stand by that... The second worse I then considered to be the rather shabby example the following night in Des Moines (you know the one, under the flightpath, and with the broken lock on the door) - but by the time my head hit the pillow, that had been comprehensively usurped by this current location. All I wanted was a clean and quiet room after another long day on the road, plus some change for the laundry machines. The rather nonchalant young man on reception apparently ignored what ought to have been the fundamental requirements, and presumably felt that only the laundry was a priority - as my huge, echoey and dirty room was right next to the decrepit washer-dryers. Great... thanks. The room lights flickered irritatingly, the shower barely showered and the drain didn't drain properly... there was also only one small towel (and no other linen/bath mat), the curtains didn't quite cover the full width of the window, and someone had even left a broom in the corner of the room! I can imagine that whoever had been allocated to clean this particular room finally thought that life was no longer worth living, and simply left half way through... who knows? Certainly the general prison ambiance was doing nothing but exacerbate the irritation I'd began to feel when the washer swallowed my money, not once, but twice - and I'd subsequently been fobbed off by the guy on reception who said they weren't responsible for the machines, and suggested I kick it... and that ultimately I'd have to wait until the weekly engineer came to get a refund - seriously? Had I not already unpacked, and covered all my clothes in detergent (yep, so I had no choice but to hand-wash them now - at least the damn dryers worked), I would have demanded a refund and got back on my bike... as it is, Motel 6 is dead to me now. But Starbucks isn't, well, not yet anyway - I do like their chorizo breakfast sandwich (available all day!) and if I ask for a four-shot espresso and an inch of water, it seems I finally get what I want! I also spoilt myself rotten this morning with a new pair of boots at the BMW/KTM dealer [BigSky] on the south side of town, and stocked up on Clif bars and a new propane cylinder at REI - yep, I'd be camping again these next few days. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...w8xVrgZ-XL.jpg photo. One other dealer I stopped at also sold these Mahinda 'Jeeps'. I recall this brand from the mid-90s (they are made in India) who at the time made a rather dowdy copy of the old CJ series Jeeps, but seem to have reinvented themselves for the OHV market with a more stripped-down and well-prepared version - unfortunately these days they are no longer fully street-legal, rather categorised in the same was as SXS vehicle is - which means they can be road-registered in certain states, but not for use on major highways. Shame. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...StSwHDh-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...t9WnZbW-XL.jpg photo. Selling Yamaha and Triumph too, Maverick Motorsports had this lovely stripped-down example of the new Bonneville Bobber... I have to say, I'm tempted by one of these! I really had to start making tracks now... fuelled up at Lolo, and decided that the sinuous highway 12 looked far more enticing on this hot afternoon than shelping along off-road (on the BDR route just to the north) for the sake of it, especially when I had some ground to cover today. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pkXgvsm-XL.jpg photo. Lolo Pass (the state line) itself isn't all that exciting, but the next 100 miles are! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2GPqHKW-XL.jpg photo. I imagine these guys were planning on (or in the middle of) riding the Idaho BDR... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...X9JLpW3-XL.jpg photo. for the most part there was little if any traffic on the Lolo Highway - unfortunately the moment I went to overtake these guys, there was a stream of vehicles in the other direction! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vStwWnc-XL.jpg photo. I turned off highway 12 at Kooskia, planning on joining the official BDR route a few miles south of here, after some more epic twisty pavement! Although not part of the official BDR route in Idaho, for me Kooskia is the perfect stopping-off point - particularly if you don't plan to take the 300+ mile side trip into eastern Montana and back again - offering a number of affordable motels, fuel and food options. I took a punt on the 'Backroads Diner' (well, you've got to pick one right?) - who rather ambitiously if not also ambiguously, advertised themselves as offering the "Best Burgers Around"... hmmmmm, we'll see shall we? Turns out their reputation is both well deserved and remains intact - everything was really tasty, from the huge banana milkshake made with what was essentially a pint of ice cream and fresh bananas (so fresh in fact that the chef had to run out and buy some once I'd ordered that particular flavour!) to the stack of grilled meat and pineapple smothered in teriyaki sauce served on an open bun, surrounded by hand-cut string fries. Yepper. note. I factored that since I was about to head into the wilderness of the BDR, I probably wouldn't be eating [a meal] again for at least 24 hours now - well, that was my justification, and I'm sticking to it! Highway 13 and 14 south of Kooskia are another example of those epically twisty and scenic minor highways that are such fun to ride on a bike. note. If you do decide to ride the whole of the IDBDR, then the southern 'Magruder Corridor' section of the loop in and out of Montana actually utilises part of highway 14 along one of the most scenic sections west of Elk City. But it was about time that we picked up some more dirt now, so I joined the BDR route due south here, and was immediately climbing high into the mountains on a twisty gravel road, surrounded by lush forest and every so often, catching a glimpse of some epic scenery through the occasional gaps in the trees. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NNCBR8t-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kLk4BMJ-XL.jpg A highlight of this particular section was picking up the network of dirt-roads and trails that lead to the old mining [ghost] town of Florence. Here my route left the typical hard-packed forestry roads behind, and took a sandy two-track deeper into the woods, snaking it's way through the trees - huge fun! As the sun began to dip below the peaks, a series of long switchbacks led me back down off the mountain towards French Creek, and I soon came to realise that much of Idaho is essentially like a grid (albeit a natural one rather than man-made) - in that the roads (most of which are all-weather gravel rather than actually paved) tend to follow alongside the creeks - typically north and south, and every so often east and west - which allow you to connect to the main north-south highway up the western side of the state, where you'll find services for food and fuel. However, if you stick to the north-south unpaved routes that comprise the BDR, there are very little options for food, fuel or accommodation - in Idaho especially, it's a good idea to bring a tent. I eventually found a quiet campground a little way along the Salmon River near French Creek - chose an elevated pitch overlooking the river beyond, and once again set up my tent with no fly-sheet so that I might marvel at the million stars above. Jx |
Day 17: Wednesday 25th July: French Creek ID to Deadwood Reservoir ID
203 miles "My own private Idaho" https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...k3pwN6j-XL.jpg photo. The Salmon River (near French Creek), early morning - just a few hundred yards from my campsite last night... As I mentioned previously, the BDR through Idaho is pretty remote with regard to food and fuel options, although camping is plentiful on the whole - be it in a designated campground or a suitable dispersed/wild spot. You just need to be aware of wildlife of course, as this is very much bear country. Had I been especially low on fuel, I could have ducked out west along the paved highway for a few miles and gassed up, but figuring it was only 30 or so miles this morning to Burgdorf (a hot spring and cabin resort) where they also had fuel, I decided to stick to the trail ahead - with any luck there would be some sort of [cooked] breakfast available there too, to bolster my early morning coffee and crunch-bar... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...w5dSvpQ-XL.jpg photo. Manning Bridge - shortly before the dramatic French Creek Grade switchbacks (when heading in this direction). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sNmXSxj-XL.jpg photo. Manning Bridge was originally a wooden structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936. It's recently been replaced with a new design using more modern materials - a decision that caused some controversy*. *At the time I did wonder why the BDR map description referred to this specifically as an 'historic' bridge (and presumed they must mean the location and/or the original reason it was built) - and it is only in writing this report with my journalistic integrity hat on, that I noodled around for some more information... It turns out that the current bridge is actually brand new - having only been officially 'opened' on the 5th of June this year - and has replaced the original two-pier suspension bridge with one using a [much larger] single asymmetric design. The controversy seems to be primarily that the original structure has been completely dismantled and removed. note. Bridge and civil-engineering nerds may want to view the time-lapse on the official website link here. But back to the trail, and more specifically, my ongoing hunt for breakfast... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FdT88Jv-XL.jpg photo. French Creek Grade - some more crazy civil engineering going on right there! I have to say, I always admire these remote civil engineering projects... Of course a lot of these existing roads out west were originally constructed for mining access - Gold being a huge incentive to dig with shovels I imagine (or at least to get Chinese people to dig with shovels on your behalf...), but once those mines were exhausted and the associated towns eventually died, you do wonder what incentive there is these days to maintain and improve many of these old roads and trails? I'm not complaining of course, I think it should all be applauded, supported and continued! Of course when you look at a map more closely, you do realise that those few towns there are out here still need to be accessed, and there are any number of parcels of private land too - so while they may not be paved (nor ever), they are generally of the all-weather kind - allowing both locals and those of use travelling through, reasonably easy passage. However, you are clearly at the mercy of the geography, which in this part of the country is very steep and unforgiving (see the GPS route above) - there is certainly not enough money nor inclination to actually tunnel through these huge mountains (were that even physically possible, a lot of these are primarily granite), so the only option is to either follow the creek, or go up and over - which in this instance, is exactly what I was about to do! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pRchFXc-XL.jpg photo. the 'reception'/office/dining room at Burgdorf Hot Springs. For your second history lesson of the day, let me introduce you to Burgdorf Hot Springs. It is a funny place. And by that I mean just a bit weird. Maybe it's the altitude - living at 6000+ft in an Idaho forest all year round probably does that to you ;o) Originally established as a mining camp, the local Hot Spring/s meant Burgdorf soon became a [presumably more profitable?] rustic cabin resort, which continues to this day. There are very few facilities or even actual residents in 'town' these days, really just the staff who run the springs - but it is a fun place to explore, and the pool itself looked incredibly inviting. You can even rent a cabin and stay a while if you wish... although if my warmed-over breakfast burrito and weak coffee is anything to go by, I'd aim to self-cater if I were you. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TkjWZvz-XL.jpg photo. The original cabin (#1) at Burgdorf. However, the saving grace for many travelling though is that Burgdorf has a pair of gravity-fed gas tanks - one regular and one premium. I chose premium (just because - and after all, who knows how long the gas had been sitting in the tanks right - I probably needed all the octane help i could get!), even though I was informed [prior to pumping at least] that it would be seven bucks a gallon! I didn't mind - not only do I never begrudge anyone who's prepared to provide this sort of facility on their own property, but it was still cheaper than buying petrol in the UK! I continued south and east for a while, confident I was following the BDR exactly, as there really wasn't any other option than the trail I was on! And that was sort of the problem - once you pick a particular route here, you really are committed - and while it was wonderfully remote and peaceful, the road itself was a rough and often rocky trail that ran around the terraced contours for mile upon mile upon mile. I was also more often than not surrounded by dense foliage on either side - and much as with the penultimate stage of the Trans-Am Trail in Oregon [for example] I soon felt like I was going though the motions a little now, just to say I'd stuck to the route. Of course here there really was no other option, so I sucked it up and considered that once I got to the next food/fuel stop of Yellow Pine, I might start to reconsider my route. It was Wednesday now. I could easily be in Boise by tomorrow night (tonight if I took the highway after lunch), and I was looking forward to spending some time with humans again now. As I was day-dreaming along, I happened on one of those classic BDR/TAT moments - coming around a corner and there were two bikes parked at the side of the trail. The Africa Twin owner already had his rear wheel off and was wrestling with his tyre irons... I stopped and asked if they needed any assistance, and while not directly, felt it prudent to stop and chat a while to make sure they got on their way again. And it was a good job I did, as Brian - with the puncture - soon realised his bicycle pump he'd brought along was not working (good luck blowing up a 150x18 rear tyre with that even if it was!), and that was the only means of inflation they had between them... I dug out my BestRest 12v compressor - much to their intrigue and relief - and we soon had that tyre mounted back on the rim. Unfortunately, in his scrabble to swap the tube, he'd now lost a vital wheel-spacer from the rear axle - oh how we searched and searched in the dirt, raking it with our fingers until after fifteen minutes or more, finally Brian found it buried deep in the ground where he'd originally been working... Thank goodness! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4wWd7cq-XL.jpg photo. My good-deed for the day - helping Brian (Africa Twin) and Leigh (KTM 1290) trail-side - great to meet you fellas! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KQnBw7p-XL.jpg photo. these guys were the only riders I'd actually seen on the BDR so far, although there had been the odd 4x4 further north the evening before. I rolled into Yellow Pine way after lunchtime now - although it appeared the Yellow Pine Tavern kept it's own hours, and if the door was open, you were welcome. I enjoyed yet another Idaho burger and a sizeable coke, and counted up the casualties of this trip so far: • cush-drive worn (first set replaced, but gone again now) • fork-seals leaking (cleaned) • GPS wiring broken (fixed) • low-beam filament blew at 12,000 miles (replaced) So the bike itself was doing ok still... however, some of my personal gear was not doing so well, and ultimately needed replacing: • wash-bag zipper broken (bought a new one in REI) • old boots leaking (bought new ones in Missoula) • new boots rubbing my shins (need longer socks for these ones) • camera lens packed up (this morning - bugger) • Camel-bak mouthpiece leaking (unless I close the valve every time - tedious) • colon - starting to suffer from far too many burgers and sugary drinks I'm sure. As I was licking my wounds (together with the remainder of the ketchup from my fingers) while contemplating my next move, the lady who ran the bar came over and started chatting - where was I from, where had I been, where was I going - and then asked if I was interested in the location of a 'secret' hot spring nearby* - obviously sensing that I was pretty weary and probably looking for an opportunity to relax and recharge myself a little. She then proceeded to draw me quite the elaborate map on the back of a napkin, and all that effort convinced me the gracious thing would be to at take up her generous offer, and go and find it after all - although I almost reconsidered when her parting words were "Just go up this road about 18 miles, then take the first left" like it was the end of her driveway. And I'm glad I did - the 'secret spot' was absolutely idilic: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mrWsq2P-XL.jpg photo. the pool itself is fed by natural hot spring a little further up the hillside... She'd explained that someone had created a plunge-pool by augmenting a natural depression with some strategically placed and concreted-in rocks, and that it could only be found by following a series of wooden steps that were barely visible from the road... However, what I'd not realised until I eventually found the steps, is that the pool was actually on the bank of the creek itself - how magnificent! I freely admit to getting all Ed March at this point, and enjoying nature at it's finest! Feeling thoroughly rejuvenated, if smelling slightly like a volcano now, I got dressed and hopped back on the bike - heading south again on the BDR and keen to make camp somewhere ideally within a half-day ride of Boise in the morning... And as the sun was setting, I found the perfect pitch - while the official campgrounds at Deadwood reservoir were pretty much brimming with family groups, I found a trail that led right to the water's edge - and set up camp on the beach itself: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...V2mZCJC-XL.jpg photo. west-facing at the water's edge - the perfect camping spot! It had been one of those days that for me exemplified what 'adventure' riding is all about - rode great trails, saw historic landmarks, met quirky local people, helped other travellers, ate a nice lunch, soaked in a hot pool and camped on a beach. By this time tomorrow this life on the road would be temporarily put on hold again - I was going to savour it for one more night. More soon... Jenny x |
Day 18: Thursday 26th July: Deadwood Reservoir ID to Boise ID
128 miles In my enthusiasm for finding the hot spring yesterday, it had slipped my mind to top-off with fuel at Yellow Pine (another highlighted location on the BDR map) - and while the bike was proving very frugal at this modest trail-pace, I was concerned that I might have under-estimated my range now. Certainly if I were to have continued on the official BDR route from here for the final few miles to Lowman, it really would have been touch-and-go, especially as the trail climbed quite steeply again to well over 7000ft, and followed more twisty terraces in and out of a series of valleys according to the map. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xts2VK3-XL.jpg photo. My modest camp by the lake. But as I always say, everywhere is an adventure if you've never been there before - and factored that there would be no bad choices in this part of the country, and that presumably there was an alternative route that all these big travel-trailers had been taking in and out of the recreation area around the reservoir. Sure enough, my 'shortest route' function revealed an alternative dirt road that continued due south, to join the highway a few miles west of where I could find fuel. Done. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...R583wpJ-XL.jpg photo. the Dam at the head of the Deadwood Reservoir is not particularly large or deep, but the water is immensely powerful! I have to say, there were parts of this dirt road that would be pretty tough going if you were hauling a 5th-wheel camper behind you - you'd almost certainly need four-wheel drive in places, and some strong brakes on the twisty switchbacks coming down off the ridge towards the highway! It was interesting, and I have to say somewhat disconcerting, to watch my fuel range/miles remaining gauge recalculating in real time as I initially climbed out of the valley. There was a point were my fuel range was actually 3 miles less than the actual distance still to be covered according to my GPS - yikes! - only for it to recalculate once again I'd reached the ridge-line and subsequently started to descend the far side - feathering the throttle on little more than tick-over whenever I could now - and sure enough, the initial estimate was pretty much the same as it had been at camp - with 16 miles left showing when I rolled into Lowman and fuelled up. Having brought both the regular Idaho Butler map (with all the 'gold' highways marked) and the BDR version with me, it was easy to plan and modify my own route using a mix-and-match approach - and on the whole I always prefer to use a paper map for initial route planning (rather than just rely on the GPS or iPad) as it allows you to get a much better overall picture immediately of the ground you need to cover. Certainly the obvious route to Boise from here was to take highway 21 - the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway - a gold (and red) highlighted sector on the Butler map which I was confident ought not to be missed. And it didn't disappoint! The initial run south was a sweeping series of sinuous switchbacks until you reach the pass at Beaver Creek Summit. There appeared to be a good number of unpaved and OHV side trails in this basin too, but I was more than happy on my little 'adventure' bike riding this rough, and in places broken, pavement instead... Indeed, I'd suggest this kind of highway really isn't dedicated sports-bike territory anyway - the patchy pavement and occasional rocks and gravel on the inside of corners particularly, means a longer-travel and more softly-sprung machine is likely to make better progress, and certainly cause far fewer 'oh shit' moments than you might experience on a chin-down arse-up style of bike. I rolled into Idaho City (a typical tourist town, that makes the most of it's 'wild west' heritage - particularly along main street), and while initially drawn to the 'Ice cream and Espresso' sign prominently positioned at the side of the highway, elected to stop at a proper restaurant a couple of hundred yards further on instead - and once again I missed out on a cooked breakfast by just a few minutes (Michael Douglas would be seething by now I'm sure). But if Trudy's Kitchen is genuinely 'World Famous' as their signage suggests, then I'm going to do my best to uphold that reputation by sampling and reporting their lunch menu here on the world-wide-web. Yeah, it's good. Idaho City is actually a great jumping-off spot for some great OHV style trail riding (as I was subsequently to find out over the coming weekend with my friend Neil), and is also essentially a 'cross-roads' on the current Trans-America Trail route too. I was tempted to head south-east from here, using the network of trails through the Boise Mountains that both the BDR and the TAT use en route to Featherville and explore Trinity Mountain. But it was hot, and to be quite honest, I felt I'd been pushing my luck the last few hundred miles with that cush-drive assembly, which was increasingly vibrating/shunting over rough surfaces, and had significantly play side-to-side as well as fore-aft now. Plus my rear tyre was also completely bald. I thought it most prudent to continue on the highway to Boise now, drop by the BMW dealer (with whom I'd already arranged to replace my rear tyre) and ask them about getting the cush-drive sorted under warranty again, and also to firm up our plans for the open-day/AV presentation to be held on the 18th of August, once I returned from my previously arranged sojourn to California. Day 19/20: Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th July: Sat: Road-ride (via Sun Valley) to Stanley and back / Sun: Boise Ridge trails ID 343 & 115 miles So that's it so far. I had a wonderful weekend with Neil and his family - relaxing and riding, and I took the opportunity to utilise his well-equipped and immaculate garage to change the oil (again!) on my bike, thoroughly clean and lubricate the chain and transmission, and generally check things over before I was scheduled to leave for California on Monday morning. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vD7xqdr-XL.jpg photo. Neil and Angela on their Rally-Raided CB500X on Saturday... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8x8p9jW-XL.jpg photo. That is a big bastard bug! Angela introduced me to the Mormon Cricket "The Hummer of crickets" she called it! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7fQMW7W-XL.jpg photo. Back in Idaho City again for tea. It was a joy to be riding this bike without luggage for a change! More soon of course - in fact I fly back to Boise in about 18 hours' time - with, I'm delighted to add, a 15T front sprocket that arrived in the post this morning all the way from the UK! 'Stand by' as they say... Jenny x |
Chapter 4 - Boise to California Day 1: Saturday 18th August: San Jose CA to Boise ID (via Salt Lake City UT) 1107 miles - on a plane... Have I made the "Idaho? - no, you da ho!" joke yet? - if not, there it is... After a couple of weeks catching up with real life back in California (well, as 'real' as it can be there of course), it was time to head back to Boise, collect my bike, and continue north for Nakusp in BC the following weekend. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7DNMW95-XL.png photo. I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of this sort of thing! Because I was also scheduled to present my current AV Slide-show about the trip so far to an assembled audience at the local BMW Dealer (BigTwin) at 3pm this afternoon, it meant I'd had to catch a 6am flight from San Jose to arrive in time. Ugh! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KncShdf-XL.jpg photo. this is a classic Bonneville Speedway bike, owned and run by BigTwin DP Fred Wiley. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pB4K7Z8-XL.jpg photo. Just some of the specialist tools required to service the various BMW models... It was a very enjoyable afternoon - with plenty of Q&As about the bike in general, what it had been like to live with so far, and of course details about the various modifications and upgrades/accessories I'd fitted to my own example. While I'd been in California, I'd also asked BigTwin to perform the first valve inspection (due at 12,000 miles - but performed at closer to 14,500 in this instance), change the cush-drive rubbers [plus bearings this time too] under warranty again, and also fit a new 140/80 x 17" rear TKC80 as my current back tyre was completely shot by the time I'd arrived in Boise. So with fresh meat, replaced rubbers and fettled valves, I rolled off their forecourt at well past closing-time on Saturday afternoon, planning on heading north first thing the following morning... It was only an hour or so later, back at Neil's house (where I was staying overnight) that I realised I'd left my phone (and charger) plugged into the wall in the showroom. The showroom that was now well and truly locked up for the weekend, and would not open again until 9am on Tuesday morning... Bollocks. cont. |
cont.
Day 2: Sunday 19th August: Boise ID to Boise ID (loop ride) 158 miles There really was nothing I could do but wait now. We'd emailed a couple of the dealership staff the evening before, but of course it was their weekend off with their families etc. - so resigned to the fact that I would probably have to wait until first thing on Tuesday before I could get on the road proper (which would now mean having to blast north through Idaho, forfeiting much of my intended trail riding plans to ensure I got to the Horizons Unlimited venue in good time for my first presentation on the Thursday afternoon), I took the opportunity to get in some more local riding with Neil and his wife, having also fitted a 15T front sprocket (and refitted my original 40T rear) to see how it compared to my previous 16/43 set-up* *not much difference to be honest - but obviously cheaper to do, particularly as you can still use the existing chain with the smaller front sprocket rather than a larger rear which requires a longer chain too. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Vs3BkqR-XL.jpg photo. The Magnolia Saloon in Placerville is now a museum full of random historical artefacts collected from around the town over the last 150 years or so... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PnWRxq2-XL.jpg photo. The town museum has expanded into the nearby old grocers store... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wXXTFcn-XL.jpg photo. A great place to poke around examples of late 19th and early 20th century town life. We took a fun road and unpaved-road (which is actually part of the current TAT route in this area) ride up to the historic mining town of Placerville and poked around the Magnolia Saloon museum before lunch in Crouch a few miles further north. This set us up nicely for an afternoon of blasting some scenic highways (marked as Gold Roads on the Butler maps) alongside the South Fork Payette River - a world-class white water destination - before heading once again down highway 21 from Lowman (which is on the BDR route) back to Boise - an epic twisty highway with which I was becoming increasingly familiar these days... Fortunately, one of the dealership staff had been in touch to say there was likely to be someone at the shop tomorrow (Monday) even though they were technically close to the public, so it was with some optimism that I packed all my gear into my Coyote and onto the bike, in preparation for getting going only one day behind now... Jx |
Day 3: Monday 20th August: Boise ID to... Boise ID again, but ultimately a wild camp about 70 miles north of there...
258 miles I thought I'd leave it until 10am to make sure someone was at the dealership - and they were, but unfortunately the mechanic only had keys to the workshop out back, and not the main showroom. Bugger. He did say he's leave a note for anyone else who was coming in later that day (to retrieve my phone and leave it in an agreed 'safe spot' where I could collect it later), so with nothing else to do for the time being, I decided it was time to make some lemonade out of this enforced lemon - and go trail riding again! Although this ongoing delay meant I almost certainly would have to miss out some of my proposed off-road segments of my route north over the next couple of day, conversely having to stay close to Boise for the time being meant that I could at least ride a particular trail that I'd had to forfeit in 2015 when I came through on the Trans-Am 500 ride - where I might have circumnavigated a locked gate (ahem) to try and reach Trinity Lakes and lookout, and subsequently been caught by the Ranger. There was a pretty clear dirt-road loop out and back starting a little south of Boise - Blacks Creek Rd to the 'resort' town of Prairie (gas, food and cabins) before things got immeasurably more 'trail' like as I took Burnt Creek Rd - a softer sandy two-track - to join with Trinity Mountain [and Ridge] Rd. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WqQD2TG-XL.jpg photo. The air was thick with smoke in southern Idaho - forest fires in northern California and southern Oregon being primarily to blame (along with a few smaller fires in Idaho itself). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sDpfmF5-XL.jpg photo. It's a wonderful scenic ride heading east along Black Creeks Rd - a wide easy dirt road (used by trucks, so be careful on corners!) towards Prairie. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pDgDNtT-XL.jpg photo. approaching the Lakes from the south, you pass the turn-off/side trail to the [forest] fire look-out tower... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JqDLqJg-XL.jpg photo. my replacement camera for my defunct Lumix (see the end of chapter 2) has a much longer zoom! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...S8NzJhv-XL.jpg photo. so of course I had to ride up there! The side trail to the lookout tower is actually closed to all but motorcycles (and really narrow ATVs), but the tower itself is open to visitors from 10am-6pm daily. for info: It's actually marked/suggested as an optional 'hard' route on the Idaho BDR map, and I have to say in places it was quite the scrabble on the loose and rocky surface, so I can see why they don't particularly recommend it for bigger and/or loaded ADV bikes. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sh4k37r-XL.jpg photo. A crapper with a magnificent view - well, if it wasn't so smoky perhaps! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3XHWXXN-XL.jpg photo. the modest accommodation for the watchman - who is typically stationed here alone for 6-day shifts at a time. I hope they have wifi! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LdXkK2t-XL.jpg photo. I'm not sure you could even spot a fire if it did break out on a day like today?! I retraced my steps back to the main trail, and dropped by the big lake to check out the campground/s for future reference (nice btw.), before heading down towards my 'gate of shame' from 2015: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tnGhnRS-XL.jpg photo. 2018: this is a seasonal gate - only open from mid July until early November each year. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dmpchN6-XL.jpg photo. 2015: my 'friendly' Rangers - good cop and bad cop... good cop ultimately gave me a trail map of the Boise National Forest! Both the Idaho BDR and the Trans-America Trail routes pass though this area, but equally there are any number of alternative dirt-roads and trails that interconnect, allowing you to create your own personal route through the wilderness, which is exactly what I did! I have to say, I happened on a couple of cracking OHV side trails that essentially paralleled the main gravel/dirt roads though the mountains and alongside the fast flowing creeks between: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Z3SPcG7-XL.jpg photo. Narrow OHV trail - lovely! ...and one in particular which I shall surely return to try when I have more time! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4xqRRx7-XL.jpg photo. no Jeeps, and not even ATVs allowed... you just know this one is going to be good ;o) However, time was marching on now - it was after 4pm and I was still a way away from Idaho City (the epicentre of excellent ice-cream and espresso in Idaho I might add), but it had been a good day on the trails - and by this time, that was all that really mattered now. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QQFJgSH-XL.jpg photo. this is the '50" bridge' marked on the Idaho BDR map... clearly not a 50" bridge anymore! I stopped off at the Sarsaprilla Ice-cream parlour, where you can basically combine any of their flavours into your own milkshake - and sucked down on a huge salted-caramel and espresso combo (recommended!), and bought myself a finger-puppet racoon as a key-fob for my black and grey BMW: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wdLGcpF-XL.jpg photo. "It's a PUPPET!!!" As the surrounding shops shut for the evening, I fuelled up the bike and rolled back down highway 21 once again (very much for the last time this trip I hoped) to Boise, hoping that I'd finally be able to retrieve my phone and get gone. I was, and so I did. Even though I was essentially two full days behind schedule, I factored a couple more hours riding [basically until it got dark] this evening would at least give me a change of sticking pretty close to my intended route north - even if that meant a couple of long days in the saddle now. Since I didn't much fancy paying hotel prices - I elected to follow my initial planned dirt-road route north via Ola (a few miles west of the main arterial highway 55 north of Boise), hoping to find a suitable campground or wild-camp. As it was, much of the [dirt] road was flanked on either side by private ranch property, clearly fenced and posted 'no trespassing'. Fortunately there were also pockets of open range - and particularly once you enter the National Forest - and as the light was fading, took a punt on a narrow cow-trail to one side, and eventually found a suitable spot high on the hillside above the road. This'll do. More soon... Jenny x |
"OK, I think we really ought to press-on now Piglet - since we really ought to be in Canada by tomorrow night..."
Day 4: Tuesday 21st August: nr. Gross ID to St Maries ID 322 miles (and about half way to Nakusp from Boise... so on target ;o) It always seems to take an hour from waking up to being ready to roll when I'm camping... always! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...T945C83-XL.jpg photo. this was my wild-camping spot from last night - surprisingly comfortable, and warm too... and no cows! I got back on the main dirt road [618] north from Ola through the West Mountains that are, well, west - of the main arterial highway 55 that passes through Cascade and McCall, and soon realised that had I left Boise a little earlier last evening, then there were actually plenty of suitable camping spots and official sites once you enter the National Forest - as is usually the case of course. I made good progress on the fast forestry trails, and wound my way into McCall in plenty of time for an extended breakfast and wifi catch-up at a coffee stand/cafe on the outskirts of this funky lake-side location. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nbXPHdb-XL.jpg photo. This had been a disappointment the evening before... turns out that the [earth] contact in the headlight plug had been arcing or something, and had heated up sufficiently to melt the surrounding plastic. Fortunately I was able to chip the elephantiasis away and crimp things back together. The next leg would essentially be all on-road, but boy what roads they were - the hwy 95 corridor from New Meadows to Grangeville is almost all highlighted in either Orange or Red on the Butler map, together with two Golden sections reserved for the old highway 95 just north of White Bird - stunning stuff! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...97grjb3-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rw8LdfR-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...68X2DWv-XL.jpg By the time I rolled into Grangeville early afternoon, I also realised I was now back on Pacific Time again (interestingly northern Idaho chooses to use the Pacific, rather than Mountain Time, despite being this far east - as a great deal of business is done in Spokane WA which is pretty much right on the boarder, so it makes sense for such neighbours to share the same clock), which meant I now had another hour in hand - well, I was pretty sure I did anyway... From Grangeville I tried to plot as straight a line as possible north now, and picked up a series of unpaved roads high in the hills above Orofino, that ultimately switchbacked down into the valley below: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HRRjQjS-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Djh3pm5-XL.jpg photo. I do like the zoom on this new camera! The air was still pretty thick with smoke, even this far north (I guess I'd left the California fug around the Boise Basin behind now, and was no suffering more from the forest fires in neighbouring Oregon and in northern Idaho itself), but undeterred I headed for what I trusted would be a scenic detour from the main highway route north-west, and crossed over the Divorshak Reservoir using Dent Bridge: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7QNxKBz-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wkXtKxH-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jcpkbM2-XL.jpg photo. the Dent suspension bridge is an impressive structure - who'd have thought it was worth building something quite so substantial just to essentially reach a campground and boat launch on the far side?! Before long the pavement gave way to an easy gravel road [Elk River Rd] which continued though the forest, to eventually emerge and the quaint lakeside settlement of Elk River. I stopped at the general store (the rest of the town was already pretty much deserted by going-home time) and indulged in a soft-serve huckleberry ice-cream while taking a break on a bench outside. Yepper. As I was chowing down on this huge confection, an old couple pulled up in a conventional car (you don't see many of those in these parts I have to say) and asked if this was the way to Orofino... I explained that yes it was certainly the shortest, and confident also the most scenic way - but that the next 20-30 miles was gravel and not paved. Initially they seems wary, but I assured them that other than the loose topping (which on a bike was admittedly a little tedious), it really was an easy road to navigate, and watched them trundle off into the distance... For me however, despite only really having a couple of hours light left this evening, I was itching to get a little more and indeed some 'proper' dirt under my tyres before finding a place to pitch my tent again - endeavouring for this leg to try and camp as many times as I could, both to save money and to make the most of travelling during the high summer. While planning this penultimate leg of the trip (ie. heading north for Nakusp in BC, before finally heading south and west for California again), I'd utilised both my Butler maps - the regular and BDR versions - plus my GTR map of Idaho, which despite being essentially printed in black and white (with just the basic topography shaded in colour), has a surprising amount of dirt-road detail included, and I find invaluable for unpaved route planning - often revealing through-route roads and trails that you might otherwise overlook or ignore if trying to plot an outline route using a digital medium such as Google maps (handy though that can be too). Certainly when I've used Google maps on my iPad, while there is often a considerable amount of minor road and trail detail (once you've zoomed in), there is little distinction or indication whether it is a through route or on private land... sometimes you get lucky, other times, not. The mix of maps showed a series of dirt roads [through the St. Joe National Forest] that would allow me to avoid a chunk of highway [3] while continuing in my general north-westerly direction towards St. Maries - that was all the incentive I needed to carry on, and trust to luck I'd find a suitable camping spot along the way. And I have to say, the Palouse Divide Rd is a doozy! - a winding ridge-line trail between two valleys - sandy and soft at the top, while twisting and turning through the trees (but not too tightly as to become laborious) - this was fun forestry single-lane Jeep trail stuff - wonderful! In fact I was guilty of having my head turned once again by the Idaho 'Beautiful people' - with a myriad of inviting side trails and alternatives just beaconing to be explored. Sorry, but another time ladies, I'm on a mission today... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cnJWHpC-XL.jpg photo. I considered camping somewhere in the heart of the forest, until I saw these tracks... those are not deer, nor cows. Nope! Having taken a gamble on an alternative and more direct 'through route' according to my GPS, it turned out to be nothing of the sort (just a bird's nest of logging roads over what was now a barren hillside), so I ended up taking my original planned route - marked on my GTP map as the 'Palouse Adventure Road' - towards Emida after all, eating in to the evening which I realised now got dark an hour earlier of course, due to the change in time zone. Emida appeared to be pretty scary in the dusk, and with no hint of a hotel there anyway, elected to press on north and find somewhere more salubrious. I rolled into St Maries a little after 9pm and headed straight for not only the best, but apparently also the only, hotel in town - the Pines Motel. I have to admit there was a mild moment of panic on arrival, as the carpark was rammed full of logging trucks, and almost every room window was already lit... the office was also closed, however, a phone call to the scribbled note on the door revealed they had one room left - not cheap, but I took it anyway. It had been a pretty epic day after all. cont. |
Day 5: Wednesday 22nd August: St. Maries ID - Castlegar BC
247 miles The hotel had been quiet and comfortable - no laundry unfortunately, and far too good wifi - which meant I'd been up half the night making sure the Internet was ok (turns out it isn't, but I did the best I could ;o) so it was a slow start this morning... It was made slower still by the fact there was a cafe right next door [Heidi's] that served huge portions of all manner sweet and savoury - complete with freshly squeezed juice, but weak coffee - which of course I then had to rectify by visiting a coffee hut on the way out of town too! So it was after 10am by the time I eventually got rollin' on my way - heading for Harrison on the eastern edge of of Coeur d'Alene Lake, where there appeared to be an enticing network of trails to explore on my way north... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3VFCgLC-XL.jpg photo. This gate you could ride a bike around... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LtLmCjC-XL.jpg photo. ...unfortunately a mile or so further on, it turns out they definitely didn't want traffic of any kind on this trail. Again, Google had let me down (it's worth noting that a chunk of this direct [closed] trail was not shown on my Garmin City Navigator maps - it was on their Topo maps however) - and I had no choice but to defer to the Butler map in this instance, and stay on the trail they'd highlighted on paper as a through route - even though it was a little more convoluted. I'd say there are no bad trails through the mountains - only that some can prove a little more tedious than others perhaps... certainly I'd hoped for an other epic ridge-line trail - like the one I'd enjoyed the previous evening, but instead I was once again winding my way though a forest, shrouded in trees which hid any chance of a scenic view. It was still fun mind, only I was aware that the late start and subsequent messing around in the woods meant it was now lunchtime and I'd really not made any meaningful progress north today... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...P4xmD6s-XL.jpg photo. low-siding and spinning almost 180° didn't help progress either, although fortunately I was unhurt (other than a slight scuff on one knee) and the forks slightly twisted in their yokes. I have to admit, it's still quite the weight to lift when it's loaded with luggage and full of fuel mind you! Fortunately the 'forestry' road out of the forest [Beauty Creek] towards Coeur d'Alene and I90 turned out to be paved - albeit broken pavement with some huge pot-holes in it too, just to keep you on your toes! But at least I could make good progress now without the fear of sliding out on every gravel corner.... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bkzvLXv-XL.jpg photo. "You take the low road and I'll take the high road..." I forfeit a short stretch of I90 for the far more twisty two-lane alternative to skirt around the city itself, and was soon heading due north now towards Priest River (refuel) on minor highways, before once again the pavement ceased a short way north of Nordman [west of Priest Lake] - and where I wound my way out of Idaho and into Washington via Pass Creek Pass: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZHvHZMk-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SKwXr6m-XL.jpg photo. Once in Washington, the road numbers got crazy - are there really two million, two hundred thousand National Forest roads in this state? Actually, probably yes... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tdptbcP-XL.jpg photo. Bathed in early evening light, what a wonderful way to leave Idaho behind - for now anyway. The road up to Pass Creek Pass starts off as a wide gravel forestry access road, before getting more and more narrow as it climbs up and over Granite Pass close to the ID/WA state line. The far side is a wonderful meander on a narrow shelf road, high above a deep gorge, all the way to Metaline Falls, where it's then just a short hop on the highway to the Canadian border crossing: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MfGXRfX-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HBKsm6k-XL.jpg photo. wired for sound... not knowing where I might be staying tonight (camp or hotel), I took the precaution of charging up my phone and iPod while riding - the bonus of having a twin socket USB port on the dash! Since I was less than 200 miles from Nakusp now, I figured I'd find somewhere to stay tonight - somewhere I could hopefully do some laundry since I'd not had the opportunity the night before, and I needed to refresh everything now before four days camping at Horizons Unlimited - then push on for the final leg in the morning, since my first presentation was not until 3pm that afternoon. I refuelled at Castlegar, and briefly considered a motel in town - but the only affordable place didn't have a laundry, and I wasn't going to spend over $100 just to wash my smalls... I ended up in a delightful camp ground on the outskirts of town - $17 CAN for a quiet spot and a wonderfully warm shower. There was even reasonable wifi if you pitched close enough to the office building. Sweet! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 6: Thursday 23rd August: CastleGar BC - Nakusp BC
149kms (93 miles) A short day today - in fact as I recall, the first travel day under 100 miles (that is if you don't count just messing around on trails in Moab ;o), and I was up in good time to grab a shower before getting on the road to find some breakfast... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...63BfNZG-XL.jpg photo. Frog Peak Cafe on hwy 6 near Crescent Valley BC - go there! I was ready to roll out of camp in great time - before 8am (including my comprehensive ablutions and packing all my gear away), and was debating heading back into Castlegar to use the laundromat there, as I was now down to my last set of underwear, and had another three nights [at least] of camping ahead of me... particularly since a google search had been inconclusive whether there was a laundromat at Nakusp or not (all it came up with was a gas station?), so I factored it would be safest to get the washing done now, and suffer the indignity of a McDonalds breakfast next door... However, as I was just about to leave, the lady in the RV parked next to my pitch got chatting - turns out they live in Nakusp, and yes, the googled gas-station does indeed have a coin-op laundromat on the site - result! Then, just as I was about to remount, she said "Hang on" and scurried back with her business card saying if for any reason the laundromat wasn't working, to give her a call and I could use their washing machine once they'd got back home later that day! And that my friends, is why I LOVE Canadians so much! Now, back to breakfast: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4cp8wBb-XL.jpg photo. the cab of the VW bus out front is perfect for those 'social-media' moments with your friends... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Q3PTPzM-XL.jpg photo. If you ever wondered what happened to the 80's band King - it would appear they went on tour in Canada and never came home... I was rolling up the highway (3 at this point) and saw a faded sign at the side of the road [that says 15 miles to the... loooove... shack!], advertising the Frog Peak Cafe - looked funky I thought, so kept an eye out for it, and sure enough, overlooking the river north of Crescent Valley on hwy 6 was this delightfully quirky joint - staying just this side of contrived perhaps, but fundamentally serving excellent food and coffee and smoothies and cakes and... well yes, I did over indulge I admit! Back on the road, it was less than an hour to Nakusp now - but the smoke was still thick in the air, and I was concerned that if it didn't clear, then it was likely to be chilly camping by the lake over the next few days... as it was, you could barely see the water's edge just a few hundred yards away all weekend - the sky simply merged with the water like it was shrouded in mist. Eerie! Day 7/8: Friday 24th and Saturday 25th August: Nakusp BC - Horizons Unlimited Can-West I'd arrived in plenty of time on Thursday to say my hellos, set up camp, and then rush around trying to sort the tech for the first of my series of presentations this weekend (come on HU... VGA is so last century - every projector uses HDMI these days you know!) - fortunately all my slideshows and AV presentations are in MP4 format, so can be played on any PC with a media player - so I was able to use their equipment instead. It was a fun weekend - I'd offered them a choice of three presentations, and they'd taken me at my word - scheduling a different one for each day, which meant I was pretty busy most of the time... however, I didn't mind, as I knew a lot of people would be interested in the G310GS I was riding - so that was a given; while I am especially proud of the 'Northern eXposure' video I put together from last-year's big trip which really highlights some of the best dual-sport and adventure riding in the US and Canada; and of course the 'Packing Light' show-and-tell is always popular at events like these... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KT5TfDD-XL.jpg photo. looning with my campsite buddies (photo by Eric - thank you!) I did manage to attend a couple of excellent and inspirational presentations too - including the event hosts Ekke and Audrey who have been all around the world in recent years: Ekke-Audrey.ca and two presentations by the awesome photographer and travel V-logger Rosie Gabrielle - wonderful stuff! cont. |
cont.
Day 9: Sunday 26th August: Nakusp BC to Omak WA 218 miles By the time I'd messed around with silly photos (see above), said my goodbyes, had breakfast (at the third and arguably best of the cafe's I'd tried over the past three days) and fuelled up the bike, it was almost midday before I hit the road south for the border once more. I have to say, I do feel a bit of a fraud this year (compared to last summer) with regard to Canada - while it's true I'd milked the most out of Ontario a few weeks earlier (including a broken toe to show for it), I had only just dipped into British Columbia this time - and so far, only on paved roads - so was itching to get a few dirt-miles in before re-entering the USA for the final time this trip. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WvgfGVS-XL.jpg photo. the smoke was still terrible as I waited to board the Fauquier-Needles ferry across Upper Arrow Lake. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HspXR6K-XL.jpg photo. fortunately there are three ferries that cross the Upper Arrow Lake at various points - otherwise it would be hundreds of kilometres to drive/ride around to cross from one side to the other. The reason I'd chosen to cross at this particular point (other than it was on the way south anyway, rather than simply retracing my steps via Castlegar) was that on the west side, there appeared to be a long dirt-road alongside Burrell Creek through the forest, that popped out close to my intended boarder crossing between Grand Forks BC and Danville WA. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...43THxQQ-XL.jpg photo. The BC Mafia would have to find another location... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CVd5B7j-XL.jpg photo. That's not moody mist, it's forest-fire smoke. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zCPLJpF-XL.jpg photo. plenty of trails to explore if you had the time. I didn't unfortunately. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LLvJhbd-XL.jpg photo. a hint of blue skies once I got closer to the Washington border. I have to say, the Danville border crossing was the most straightforward I've ever encountered - and in complete contrast to the last time I crossed back into the US from Canada (where, as you might recall, I was given a secondary inspection and the third degree by a bored border guard at 11pm at Port Huron MI) - there wasn't even a single vehicle ahead of me - just a cheery HSO who I momentary had to distract from his crossword (I say crossword, I mean the internet of course). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...S3P5X7R-XL.jpg photo. It's good to be back... especially as it's not raining this time! I have to say, as I was chowing on a burger and shake at a roadside cafe 'Tugboats' in Curlew WA, I did feel like this was the last leg now - even though I was still the best part of 1000 miles from San Jose CA (and that was the most direct route), and still wanted to explore a little more rather than head straight home now. In that regard, while I had the BDR map for Washington state with me, I'd not got the regular Butler G1 map - although fortunately one of my camping buddies in Nakusp had, so I'd taken a few snaps with my phone to help me route plan on the fly... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nJKhKjT-XL.jpg photo. I love the Butler Maps - they are clear and concise, and always throw up a doozy when you follow their recommended roads (and trails). A glance at both versions showed a series of unpaved roads/trails that would cut diagonally from Curlew, via Republic (fuel) and Aeneas to Disautel on highway 155 - which in turn would lead to Omak, where I could pick up the official BDR route as I continued my way south and west. That would do for me. A few intermediate waypoints manually inputted on my GPS screen that coincided with the paper maps, and I was good to go - trusting the Garmin to navigate me through the myriad of alternative and side-trails, while I concentrated on the scenery. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7PX9xMg-XL.jpg photo. backwoods backyard - cute if somewhat precarious tree house! There would have been plenty of opportunities to camp along this route if I'd wished, but I'd been fortunate to pack all my gear away bone-dry for once, and not really wanted to embark on the BDR until the morning anyway now, elected to find an affordable motel in Omak... it was good to be back in the land of the sub-sixty-buck hotel - especially one that offered a hot breakfast, free wifi, in-room coffee, and even a laundry (although the dryer wasn't working - dammit!) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M7z4SgT-XL.jpg photo. You pick your own caption for this one, I'm saying nothing... ;o) Tomorrow we'd hit a good chunk of the BDR on a mission - aiming to circumnavigate any forest fires, and detour west to Seattle to overnight with some friends in the city. This week would be the last hurrah, and I was going to make the most of it! cont. |
Day 10: Monday 27th August: Omak WA to Seattle WA
285 miles https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3HbLTb8-XL.jpg photo. I do wonder what the hell happened in here when you see a lock like this... I thought it best not to ask. For this final leg of the trip, I'd had the forethought to upload the official BDR routes into my GPS, so rolled out of town and heading for my rendezvous with the nearest little pink line (it was originally yellow as I recall, but I changed it to pink as that is easier to see at a glance on the Garmin screen I find), and picked up my first dirt of the day... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jwXWgX2-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pcmX63z-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KCTdLqG-XL.jpg photo. Cooper Mountain peak with Lake Chelan in the distance. Although much of today would be following the official WABDR route, as with my cross-country route yesterday [and indeed all through this trip], I'd elected to deviate from the defined route from time to time - typically if what appeared to be a potentially more exciting/alternative trail in the GPS mapping seemed to follow in a similar direction, and equally to then make up time by 'streamlining' the more convoluted BDR trail sections, in an effort to keep on some sort of schedule. However, more often than not there is a reason the 'official' routes are the ones highlighted on the maps (and in the case of the TAT for example, those that Sam has reccied and can guarantee are open/through routes) - and more than once, I took a lesser-used side trial, only to find there was a reason it was less used - typically dead-ending in a heap of forestry cuttings or a locked gate - even if the GPS map showed a trail continuing... ah well. Once again I recalled the analogy I first made back in 2009 in Arkansas (on the Trans-America Trail), and repeated more recently during the Trans-Am 500 ride in 2015: that [when faced with a series of inviting side trails off the main route] it's like walking into a bar full of beautiful people, and forgetting about the honey on your arm! Certainly the main BDR route in the region offers plenty of stunning scenery (albeit not exactly overly challenging riding) - and I soon conceded that after all, everywhere is an adventure if you've never been there before... I was starting to get a bit bored of trees mind you! I rolled into civilisation (Chelan) round about lunchtime, and banked another 100 miles in my GPS tracklog - something I'd elected to do religiously, in an effort to create a definitive route between Canada and California over this coming week... forfeit a loop section of the BDR, and picked it up again south and west of Ardenvoir - close to where there had been a lot of forest fire activity recently. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sVX4R7K-XL.jpg photo. Leaving Chelan for the mountains again... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2CXrjzD-XL.jpg photo. tunnel on hwy Alt 97 (my short-cut route) just west of the Columbia River. Sure enough, as soon as I was back up in the hills you could start to smell the smoke in the air again, and before long, my proposed route (the BDR) was diverted around a still active burn area: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...T8x5KTs-XL.jpg Once again, a quick tip-tap on the Garmin revealed a network of forest roads and trails in this area, and while the BDR continued unabated due south at this point, I really wanted to be heading west now, so picked my way down of the mountain on an excellent alternative route - that in places followed a series of narrow terraced trails between the trees, typically smooth and sandy, punctuated by the odd rougher patch. Popping out on minor highway 207 (between Chumstick and Plain) I considered this sector an excellent addition to what was fast becoming [if rather grandly titled] my definitive 'Trans-Washington-Trail' route. However, I soon realised I might have to reconsider the associated acronym: T-WA-T. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8xSTqwm-XL.jpg photo. The 59er Diner on hwy 2, near Coles Corner WA https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wXfSQ3N-XL.jpg photo. this sign was erected back in 2016, but fortunately they are now close to reopening the refurbished building later this summer. I have to admit that this trip particularly, I've found it almost impossible to pass by any establishment that offers hand-scooped ice cream, milkshakes and/or proper coffee - and when you find a place that offers all three, served in a single cup (I say cup, it was more like a bucket if I'm totally honest!), then all I can do is take five [bucks] and ten [minutes] to contemplate my day so far, and consider that which still remains... Ultimately I'd be back on the pavement now all the way west to Seattle (hwy 2 alongside the South Fork Skykomish River - wonderful!) - and although the GS had been sipping fuel at these trail-riding speeds (racking up another 80 miles since the lunchtime refuel), according to the range gauge there was now not quiet enough left to get me all the way to my destination this evening without a quick splash-and-dash at some point... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...m7Rd93k-XL.jpg photo. crossing the bay from Bellevue to Seattle. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MTWcfLf-XL.jpg photo. my good friends Shannon (and Mike) from Seattle - who are recently home from a two-year trip all around the world on DR650s. More soon... there was some wine to be drunk and some catching up to do this evening ;o) Jenny x |
Day 11: Tuesday 28th August: Seattle WA to Detroit OR
349 miles A big day planned today - since I wanted to get as far into Oregon as I could by this evening, while picking off a few choice trails and tourist spots en route... I'm not a huge fan of cities to be honest, certainly not when travelling by bike anyway - so rather than hunt out Starbucks #1 just for the sake of saying so, I thought I'd make do with one of their countless subsidiaries on the outskirts for my morning caffeine imbibition! And it's a good job I did - I'd started to notice a burning smell as I was riding along (initially thinking it was a car I was following or something), and looking down behind the headlight it appeared something was actually glowing orange - it was certainly hot to the touch when I pulled off the connector: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5BqwjTJ-XL.jpg photo. you can see where the plastic connector had melted before, together the plastic coating on the wiring... It seemed that despite my rudimentary fix back in Idaho, something was continuing to cause an arcing - possibly something as simple as a loose spade connector on the bulb terminal, exacerbated by vibration - from both the buzzing of the engine, and the large amount of off-pavement riding I'd been doing... at this juncture I decided it was probably best just to leave it disconnected (note. the side/parking lamp bulb is on a separate wire, so the headlight basically has a DLR [daylight running light] still, it's just not as bright as the low-beam would be of course), and have another coffee. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rnvKpg2-XL.jpg photo. I also took this artsy photo while I was messing around in the Starbucks carpark ;o) Back on the road, my plan was to follow the 'Stevenson-Seattle' route on the BDR map - in reverse obviously - since I'd already ridden a good chunk of the southern end of the WABDR last year with some ADVrider inmates as part of my Northern eXposure trip. I picked my way south and east towards Enumclaw using minor roads - some particularly scenic and almost all were traffic free, before picking up highway 410 south through the Mt. Rainer National Park - some epic volcanic scenery there of course! Toward the summit, just before the switchbacks, a second road (hwy 123) peels of due south, and I continued down the far side towards Packwood, which is where the official BDR route intersects. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hcqKPWp-XL.jpg photo. time for more coffee and cake... plus another headlight bulb from the Autoparts store across the road. I don't like it when my bike isn't working properly - or to be more specific, when I don't know why it's not working properly... and although the replacement headlight bulb I'd bought back in Missoula (goodness, that was like a lifetime ago!) had a higher output high-beam (100/55w), it really ought not to be drawing any more current on the 55w low-beam circuit that a stock 60/55w bulb, but in an effort to eliminate (or should that be illuminate - aha ha) any possibility that previous bulb was duff, I bought a direct replacement just in case. As I mentioned above, rather than follow the BDR south from Packwood, I continued on the alternative suggested route closer to Mt St. Helens, and again utilising my GPS on the fly, found a nice dirt-road detour to cut the corner around Randle, which was a fun and little used trail by the look of it. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JGgfSSd-XL.jpg photo. Mt St. Helens - originally much taller, the volcano violently erupted in 1980 - chopping over 1300ft off the original height and creating huge devastation for miles around. NF-25 is a lovely paved minor road that runs south to the east of Mt St. Helens, and helps to get you deep into the back-country... since I intended to cross into Oregon using the bridge at Hood River, I picked my way east slightly using a series of well surfaced gravel forest roads (some of which are the official BDR in this area) which in turn offered a view of St. Helens sister (or should that be brother?) volcano - Mt. Adams: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WFH4gtZ-XL.jpg photo. Mt Adams is significantly taller (at over 12,000ft still), but not as infamous as it's neighbouring hot headed sister. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...g4SLPFd-XL.jpg photo. part of the Mt. Adams Wilderness has been given to the indigenous Indian community (the fact it was theirs to begin with not withstanding of course) who are allowed to forage and hunt exclusively on this side of the road. I also took this opportunity to visit an Ice Cave near to Trout Lake: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5ZPgSNJ-XL.jpg photo. I did eventually explore deeper into the cave, which actually runs for a few hundred feet in various directions underground - had I a more powerful torch, it would have been fun to try and crawl through to what appeared to be a second exit. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jFFCWTj-XL.jpg photo. Crossing the Columbia River towards Hood River OR - the deck of the road was corrugated metal mesh, which is quite unnerving on a bike I can tell you! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zmvPT9k-XL.jpg photo. The volcano Mt. Hood is the tallest point in Oregon (11,239ft) and a skiing mecca in Winter as you might imagine. It was a lovely time of the day to be riding such a scenic highway which climbed through the Cascades and skirted around the east side of Mt Hood - although it was getting surprisingly chilly in the shade - so much so that I really didn't fancy camping tonight, despite a number of [campsite] opportunities along my chosen route. Instead I continued deeper into the evening on my intended route - a wonderful single-lane paved road flanked by imposing trees, and which ultimately connects to another scenic highway (224) which runs alongside the Clackamas River through the heart of the Mount Hood National Forest. Ultimately I decided to bed down in a reasonably priced independent motel in Detroit OR (a lakeside community and general outdoor activity destination) - not least as I recalled there was a decent cafe [for breakfast] in the gas-station opposite, from when I'd passed though here the year before. cont. |
Day 12: Wednesday 29th August: Detroit OR to a wild camp, somewhere near Peel OR
263 miles Investing in a motel had proved worth every penny so far - having slept right through until my alarm rang at 8.30am... albeit just like camping, I didn't actually roll out until an hour later - right across the road and into the cafe: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BXRHj7x-XL.jpg photo. The innocuous little gas station in Detroit actually has a cafe/deli counter inside and a cute deck out back... Unfortunately while the weather was far better this year than last, the breakfast didn't seem to be quite as good - a rather stale bagel if I'm honest, although their coffee was still good. Over breakfast I plotted today's 'cross country' route - again using a mix of a paper map and tapping corresponding waypoints onto the screen of my GPS - before topped off with barely a gallon and hitting the trail. Originally I'd planned to head pretty much due south through the heart of the Cascade Range here (staying somewhat west of Bend) - factoring that I've been through Oregon a number of times now, and it's always nice to pick a new/alternative route whenever I can... However, the google machine had revealed that there was a significant forest fire around the Cougar Reservoir (exactly the way I'd wanted to go), and that it had breached to both sides the highway - there was no point in even attempting to go that way now I factored. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n3DGTTT-XL.jpg photo. "Ah, you know what? - we'll just leave the old one there..." deep in the Oregon backwoods, north of Green Peter Reservoir. Instead I picked up a wonderful series of forest roads and trails diagonally west towards Sweet Home (Oregon, not Alabama you fools!), where I punctuated the proceedings with a wonderful 'ginger-bread and salted-caramel' milkshake - you could basically pick any and any combination of their flavoured syrups, so I did - before skirting around Springfield (again, Oregon not Illinois) to try and pick up a trail network again just south of Lowell and the Lookout Point reservoir... Patterson Mountain Rd started out with great promise - winding it's way steeply up into the mountains, right off the main highway north of Oakridge. Unfortunately, some ominous signs suggested the road was currently closed a few miles ahead, and sure enough - someone was digging a huge trench to bury a culvert pipe. Bugger. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wC8GmKM-XL.jpg I'd felt it was worth a look at least, since in such instances it's often possible to get a bike around such road-works - but here, with thick forest (covered in brush) and steep banks on either side, there was no obvious, and certainly no easy, way around... As I was about to remount, I heard a pick-up racing up the trail behind me - uh oh... But rather than a "WTF are you doing here, didn't you see the sign?", the driver jumped out and first apologised for not being able to catch me earlier, before proceeding to discuss how we might get my bike through the middle after all! Ultimately though, I felt his suggestions were rather too ambitious - not only was the trench far steeper on the far side (with an abrupt lip that would loop-out most bikes I imagined), but the soil in the middle was so soft I'd have buried the bike had I attempted to ride through the middle of this trench... of course he could always have fired up the damn digger and just knocked the edges off for me, but that might have been pushing my luck a little too far perhaps ;o) He did suggest there was an alternative route a few miles further south off the main road that mountain-bikers apparently used to access the trail network I was trying to reach, so thanking him for his time, I had no choice but to retreat and try to find an alternative... still, this is what proving new [through] routes is all about right? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kFvPbtb-XL.jpg photo. double bummer - this road was closed too. Thwarted once again, ultimately I had no choice but to continue further south - stopping in Oakridge after all for a coffee and bun, and consider my options for the rest of today. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Cs6nKQB-XL.jpg Photo. A burger joint with a decent coffee-stand on the side too - result! My plan for this final leg home had always been to try and dovetail with the official TAT route that runs a short distance south of here - although again I was aware that a good portion of the Umpqua National Forest to the west of Diamond Lake was currently off-limits to traffic due to some pretty substantial forest fires. Certainly I've been fortunate to have ridden through this area a good number of times in recent years, so my primary reason for heading to this particular section was to not only map some alternative interconnecting trails, but fundamentally to have another go at the one particularly tricky part of the TAT (the infamous climb on NF32 between Tiller and Azalea) that had been the subject of a discussion recently online - and which I recalled from 2015 when I first rode it on the CB500X, that it was arguably the toughest part of the TAT with regard to commitment and the potential for dropping your bike in a bloody difficult spot on the edge of a mountain! I'd been reading some horror stories, so not only did I want to see if this sector had deteriorated significantly since I was last year, but factored that whatever happened, it would be an excellent test of the 310GS's ability to 'keep on chugging' when the going got tough - a grand finale if you like, and confirmation of it's all-round ability as a more trail-orientated 'adventure' machine. Actually, if I'm honest - all I really wanted to know is whether my Trans-Am 500 sticker was still there on the rock at the top ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vNRcdNQ-XL.jpg photo. I put this sticker on a rock at the summit of this particularly gnarly climb after I'd clawed my way to the top onboard the CB500X in 2015, and suggested if you ever got your loaded 1200GS up there, I'd send you a T-shirt myself! So in an effort to avoid the burn area, I'd sketched out an alternative route using the detailed maps in my GPS, which would keep me further west of the TAT for the time being... my only concern was if the 'roads' on the GPS map would correlate with what was actually on the ground, especially as this was prime logging country. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3pqxWKN-XL.jpg photo. beautiful lakeside ride along Hills Creek Reservoir - although the water level was really low - I wonder if it had been used to try and quash all the fires over the summer? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ssN3LjZ-XL.jpg photo. Not a good sign, but I was here for an adventure, right? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KPLSkmL-XL.jpg photo. fortunately this landslide had only narrowed the road enough to make it sketchy for full-sized four-wheelers... bikes were fine ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Lf8DwFn-XL.jpg photo. Promising! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...v3HbH6j-XL.jpg photo. Uh oh... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TKQQXqG-XL.jpg photo. Bollocks. Denied! The problem with navigating on the fly though this region is that a lot of the forestry service roads are either still active (so often closed/locked to non forestry traffic), or have simply been abandoned over the years... or indeed are now on private land. This is compounded by the fact that the few official through-routes that are available can also be closed due to damage and/or fire activity, leaving no option but to embark on a significant detour - often way out of the way - just to get back to where you wanted to be. I freely admit I started cursing both the logging industry and Oregon in general (I was getting tired), and eventually had no choice but to rejoin the highway and head west, and try to find somewhere to sleep tonight. As the sun set, I considered a smart looking albeit completely deserted independent motel in Glide - but when I rang the number to ask about a room, immediately baulked at the $100 price tag for what now would have been less than 12 hours accommodation. My frustration was compounded by the fact that earlier in the day, once again I'd had to disconnect my headlight bulb since it had been glowing red hot again (adding to my frustration that it wasn't just a dodgy bulb after all then), and I rode on into the night, squinting through my now bug-splattered visor, desperately trying to spot a suitable place to set up camp, when all along the road were bloody private properties... typical! Ultimately I had no choice but to reconnect the headlight wiring - fumbling around in the dark, while continually cursing how the day had ended up "a frikkin' disaster" etc etc. - and finally picked the first side-road that wasn't posted private property... wound uphill a couple of miles, until it dead-ended in a clearing. This would have to bloody do. Grrrrrr. cont. |
Day 13: Thursday 30th August: Peel (wild-camp) OR to a campground somewhere along the Klamath River (hwy 96) CA
282 miles I don't mind impromptu camping - not when it's warm anyway - but I am wary of setting up after nightfall, as like Forest Gump, you really don't know what you're going to get... I was confident the clearing I'd found (or rather been forced to adopt - the trail dead-ended right here) was away from any property, and indeed far enough away from the road that I'd not be disturbed by humans at least - but was conscious this was bear country and didn't much fancy any kind of overnight visitors to be honest! Still, I set up just my bug-hut, hung what was left of my depleted Clif-bar stash and wash-bag in a tree as far away as I could be bothered, and got my head down - consoling myself that at least I was still on my intended route, and by camping here, now, I could be up and away at first light, and with any luck be able to make the Morning Star Coffee House (my favourite cafe in the whole wide world) in Glendale at some point tomorrow during opening hours. As it was, it wasn't until 8am that I was finally packed and ready to leave - coffee and crunch bars and a bit more map-work/GPS programming to be undertaken in daylight, before hitting the road. It was actually a pretty nice wild-camp location - certainly worth waypointing the turn in the GPS for any future time I might caught short with little funds for a hotel... and if I'd been a little earlier in the season, then the surrounding bushes would have been full of blackberries too! I took a punt on a series of trails and forestry roads that I hoped would be both more direct, and also more entertaining, than simply staying on the main road south from Peel, and I have to say, that gamble paid-off! Cavitt Creek (NF50) Deadman Creek (BLM 32) and Dompier Creek roads were all a lot of fun to ride - very reminiscent of the TAT route a little further west of here, and fundamentally a through-route to where I wanted to go... I did take a 'short-cut' at one point that ended up on private property, and on my retreat, spotted a baby bear alongside the trail: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QvvrX5H-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...q3zLJWg-XL.jpg photo. caught on helmet-cam as I rode past - I wasn't going to wait and see if his mum was around! Dropping out of the forest just east of Tiller on the highway alongside the South Umpqua River (close to where the TAT joins), I thought I might head into 'town' to see if there was any sort of breakfast available... nope. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bcXH9tD-XL.jpg photo. good job I didn't need gas - the whole town on Tiller is apparently up for sale. Once again I trusted my instincts to help prove an alternative to the official TAT route here, and despite a 'Road closed 3 miles ahead' sign, I followed Callahan Creek [Rd] to cut the corner towards Cow Creek, where I would then pick up the official trail again just before the gnarly section up BLM 32-2-32 otherwise known as 'Cedar Spring Mountain Rd', which climbs up a steep ridge-line, offering fantastic views to the south - if you can take your eyes off the trail itself for a moment that is ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zqjgbQn-XL.jpg photo. when they say 'road closed' they usually mean it... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jmTJH6Z-XL.jpg photo. but on closer inspection it turned out that vehicles had subsequently dropped into the gully to get around... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gmGJcT3-XL.jpg photo. I followed suit. The Tiller Killer! Sure enough, it wasn't long until I missed the turn into the bushes that marks the start of Cedar Mountain Rd on a sharp right-hander - just, as I recall, I did back in 2015 - although this time I realised my mistake as it happened, and spun around and back on track... And boy what a track it was - I'd named a waypoint here "This is why we built it" back in 2015, as it was exactly the kind of trail that John and I had designed the CB500X kit for - where you didn't quite know what might be around the corner, but you'd give it a go anyway... Almost immediately the narrow trail started to climb steeply, drop in and out of some loose and washed out sections under a canopy of trees, before emerging onto a level saddle, approximately half the way to the summit. This was really your last chance to take a breather, turn around, or even set-up camp perhaps if it was particularly late in the day - not least as the view to the south and west is stunning... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jtd6TFZ-XL.jpg photo. It never looks bad from a GoPro, but trust me, this climb is steep and loose and relentless... Should you chose to continue upwards, this is where things start to get tricky... Were it not bad enough trying to maintain momentum and traction on this section, just ahead is a sharp right hand corner that then climbs directly up the fall-line - requiring utter commitment if you are to avoid a stall or fall, and the almost inevitable slide backwards down the hill - to a 90° corner with a steep drop off into the bushes and beyond, should you not be able to successfully reverse back around the corner. The trail at this point is barely wide enough to turn a bike around on too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5nq4XW8-XL.jpg photo. made it... but where is my rock? A concerted effort saw me to the top without any drama, albeit through gritted teeth and a "don't you f***ing dare stall out on me" muttered under muted breath. Yep, the little bastard had made it up without a problem - and if I'm honest, riding this sector a second time [ie. knowing what to expect] meant it didn't cause me quite as much concern, and certainly the trail itself did not appear to be in any worse condition than it was in 2015. I would say however, that for anyone on a bigger bike, or with much more luggage than I was carrying, you need utter commitment to make it up without things potentially going extremely pear-shaped. It's not a trail to attempt at the end of a long day when you're tired, for sure. I took a well-earned five minutes here, and hunted around for my rock... sure enough, it was still there (with the sticker intact), just had fallen over in the grass at the side of the trail. It was reinstated in it's rightful position of course... if only as a warning to fear my pioneering* Honda 500 - grrrrrrr! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...B3xw52N-XL.jpg photo. the trail looks so innocent here... but if you reach this point, you've earned your rest! *I say pioneering, because as far as I am aware, this sector was not part of the Trans-America Trail until the 2015 route revisions, of which I was the first member of the pubic to ride, early that summer on the Rally-Raid CB500X. Rather than continue on the official TAT to Azala - no bad thing of course - I elected to break from the Trail once again, in an effort to streamline my route to Glendale, where I was certain I'd inevitably ingest another 'Krakatoa' (this is a five-shot espresso - seriously!) and consider the morning a job well done. Again, the myriad of trails in the area afforded an alternative, which ultimately I felt was even more rewarding that the original TAT route - Kings Mountain Rd continues due west (when the TAT turns north and follows Burma and Starveout Road back towards Cow Creek), again following a lovely ridge-line trail - nothing too gnarly, just wonderful scenery and a good firm trail surface. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BGC8g24-XL.jpg photo. shrine on King Mountain Rd, close to the summit. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JVrBgwR-XL.jpg photo. crash-landed alien invasion by the look of it... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZqNmvxZ-XL.jpg photo. Restorative victuals in Glendale, at my favourite quirky cafe... It was only a short hop up I5 (the first time I'd been on an interstate in weeks!) to the Glendale turn-off - a backwoods (I said woods, not wards) logging town that on the surface at least, would appear to be struggling to survive (even the gas station in the centre of town that I filled up at in 2015 was now gone), but is still populated by some cheery if slightly odd inhabitants... I love it. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HbxSdg8-XL.jpg photo. You are! The girl behind the counter remembered me from last summer, so we passed the time of day while she mixed me an epic smoothie and assembled the mighty 'Krakatoa' - only this time, much to my dismay, the five glorious shots came in a 24oz cup complete with frothy milk, caramel syrup and whipped cream - what the hell ?! - the ONE place I thought I could rely on to get my coffee order bang-on, and they couldn't have got it more wrong if they tried... I despise milky coffee! Of course being British I didn't dare complain - not least after the amount of work she'd apparently put into assembling this monster creation. And I have to admit, similar to the Pumpkin Spiced Latte you get in Starbucks at this time of year, it actually tasted pretty good... like a warm milkshake really! Having essentially completed my mission for the day - by that I mean the previous trail, not the coffee of course - my plan now was to head south and see how far I could get into California before the sun went down. Rather than hop back on I5, there appeared to be a reasonably direct dirt-road route to the west of town (a sign said 'no through road' - they lied) that eventually looped back to the Wolf Creek junction from the other side. That'll do now Pig, time to crack on. Both highway 199 (heading south west to Crescent City CA) and even I5 (south east to Yreka CA) are wonderfully scenic ways to leave Grants Pass and ultimately Oregon behind, but I'd elected to take a dirt-road route straight down the middle - heading due south past Applegate Lake and then up and over the Siskiyou Mountains, to connect with scenic highway 96 near Happy Camp in northern California. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XT5rWng-XL.jpg photo. this remote forestry road would actually be navigable by regular car, but it was still a wonderful backwoods way to cross the OR/CA state line. Again, my plan was nothing more solid than to continue riding until almost dark, and then find somewhere to camp - and highway 96 that clings perilously in places to the cliffs high above the Klamath River, is another of those awesome Gold (and Red) roads on the Butler map that simply needs to be enjoyed at your own pace. That pace was pretty sprightly in places I must admit ;o) More soon... Jenny x |
Day 14: Friday 31st August: Weitchpec (or thereabouts) - San Jose CA
383.5 miles "It's the last day of summer Piglet, shall we go home now?" I'd found an official campground just off the highway - nice and secluded, although you could still hear the traffic going by... especially any trucks. There were only a couple of other pitches occupied, and other than a cursory wave on my way in, everyone kept themselves to themselves and it was a peaceful evening. There were a lot of 'beware of bears' signs around the site though, so I took the precaution of putting anything remotely fragrant in a bag inside a rather cute brick and cast-iron stove that each pitch included. Try getting in there, bear! The following morning I brewed up a coffee, and sat down with my map/GPS to plot the final day's route. It was perfectly feasible to reach San Jose by this evening (around 400 miles away) if I wanted, and I did want to be honest - not that I hadn't been enjoying these past few days - it had been a great mix of some familiar routes through favourite regions, punctuated by exploring a lot of alternative/new-to-me trails which is always fun... but I really felt I hadn't stopped all summer - what with either being on the road or on a plane, I don't think there had been a single day where I hadn't moved some considerable distance by one means or another, and pretty much slept in a different place each night too. It was time to go home now. I rolled out of camp around 8.30am, and back onto another fabulous portion of hwy 96 (between Weitchpec and Hoopa) - an epically twisty narrow highway high above the Trinity River canyon - what a wonderful way to wake yourself up! Passing though Hoopa itself, it looked like some kind of military encampment - dozens of tents and vehicles, helicopters, trucks lined up along the road - this was the main fire-base for the nearby forest fires that had been raging for weeks, and which I was informed later had only just been finally contained. I stopped for fuel at Willow Creek - I mention it particularly because I remembered the name from way back in 2007 on my XR650R, and sure enough as I rolled through town - the 'Bigfoot Motel' immediately brought back memories of when you could regularly get a room for less than forty bucks, and sure enough - a few doors down there was the 'Espresso and More' cafe, which as I recall had provided me with a more than reasonable breakfast during that trip too - result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sppnqZP-XL.jpg photo. Coffee shops I have known and loved: #471 - Espresso and More, Willow Creek CA So I had my [double] espresso and more, and then more espresso and more cake too - well, this would be my last breakfast on the road for a while now, and I'm a sucker for a pastry 'of a morning' anyway... ;o) I wasn't planning on riding trails simply for the sake of it today - as primarily I wanted to make good progress south; but at the same time I would certainly utilise any unpaved roads if they offered the most direct route and help to avoid any major highways for as long as possible - there would be the inevitable multi-lane shlep at some point once I got closer to the Bay Area after all... For me, this is the joy in travelling around the US on a bike like this: something that works equally well regardless of the surface under your tyres - opening up any number of [route] options once the map is unfolded... and today would be all about sticking to whatever was showing on my Butler map for Northern California - plenty of gold [minor] paved roads interconnected with some unpaved trails - that essentially followed the backbone of the coastal ranges though the middle of the Shasta National Forest. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5pDVVgG-XL.jpg photo. backroads and byways... Underwood Mountain Rd and Corral Bottom Rd are 'gold' single lane paved roads that cut through the mountains south of Willow Creek. You need to be careful in places mind you, even on an ADV bike! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M4bfjZd-XL.jpg photo. much of the route here was at high elevation, offering great views both east and west. This is looking back inland [east], to where the huge Carr Fire had been burning west of Redding CA. After an entertaining climb up a well-graded dirt road (Pelletreau Ridge Rd) through a huge burn area, I joined another Butler 'gold' road (Titlow Hill Rd that turns into Berry Summit Rd, north of Mad River) which once again afforded wonderful views to the west: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8kLsw4X-XL.jpg I have to admit that while I consider myself pretty good with maps in general, I often get my contour lines the wrong way around - and certainly I expected to be descending into a valley at this point, not climbing up to another ridge - although the clue really was in the name of course - Berry Summit Rd- duh! (note. looking at the map again while I'm writing this, it's pretty obvious that this particular road would have been on a ridge, as I'd just crossed a major river which is always in a valley in such mountainous terrain of course). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...X4M6cMD-XL.jpg photo. Heading down towards Mad River - wonderfully remote minor roads in this region. So before we leave these mountains behind, a couple more road names for you if you've been nerdily following my route on a series of maps or google etc. and plan to explore this area yourself - Van Durzen Rd (south of Mad River) is another epic paved road - very reminiscent of the Tail of the Dragon for example - heading south towards Zenia (a tiny hamlet with no sign of life here at all, so I resorted to my last Clif-bar for lunch), followed by another epically twisty single lane section - which in places was fast resorting to nature - before picking up my final unpaved sector south of Harris along Bell Springs Rd - another backbone ridge road (complete with snow poles in places!) as I got ever closer to the coast, and the inevitable final leg down highway 101. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4jQXcJd-XL.jpg photo. crossing the north bay on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge - that's San Fransisco in the fug in the distance. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xXsRKsP-XL.jpg photo. Home at last - adding one more to the collection... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mN9b875-XL.jpg photo. I'd say that has been a pretty comprehensive test of this bike... cont. |
cont.
So I suppose you're expecting some sort of summary now? Well, ok then - let's crunch some numbers first: Miles First up, I've now ridden the best part of 17,500 miles on this bike - over what was only 64 actual riding days - so that is an average of over 270 miles per day, and pretty much day-in and day-out. There were of course some days that were significantly longer than that - a couple of 650 mile days back to back, followed by a trip maximum of 750 miles in a single day. There were also plenty of occasions where I would be riding in the high 300s or even 400+ miles each day - particularly while crossing through the mid-west earlier in the summer. Wear and tear Even when I'd been ragging this bike on the highway for hours on end - other than an increase in fuel consumption at higher speeds (70+mph), it never seemed to complain at all. Nothing mechanical broke, nor seems to have worn prematurely either. It's solid (well, at least my example seems to be). In fact the only 'failure' has been the headlight bulb connector wiring - possibly due to vibration, causing the earth terminal to come loose and arc, melting the plastic connector plug. Even then, I have been able to crimp the spade connector tight[er] again, and continue - although it still seems to be an issue the dealer will need to sort out under warranty. The only other 'wear' issue has been the cush-drive rubbers. I've had three sets now, and they have all worn what I consider to be prematurely - they were very loose at around 5000 miles (the first change, in Las Vegas), complete shot again by 12,000 miles, although I persevered until I got a new rear tyre fitted in Idaho (14,000 miles) - by which time the sprocket carrier bearing also showed signs of side-to-side play. The final set have not lasted more than a week (1,500 miles) before significant play was showing again - they are rubbish. It doesn't seem to have used any oil so far, nor boiled any coolant away... and I would say you seem to get slightly better mpg using higher octane (or non ethanol) fuel - although equally keeping the speed down below 60mph sees your fuel range increase significantly - I've been regularly seeing a potential range of over 200 miles from the tank when I've filled it up recently, although I always end up filling up somewhere between about 150-175 miles typically. Servicing I've changed the oil and filter four times so far - the first (600 mile service) in Virginia; and again at 4,500 miles once I got to California; then again at the MOA rally in Des Moines (10,500 miles), and finally in Idaho (14,000 miles) as a precaution - since there would be little opportunity to do it again before I'd been up to Canada and back to California. I checked/cleaned the air filter at 4,500 miles, and replaced it at 10,500 in Des Moines. I had the valves checked/serviced at 14,000 miles in Idaho. I've been through two front and thee rear tyres so far - all Continental TKC80s. note. Initially I fitted a 110/80x19 front and 150/70x19 rear, but changed to the more narrow 140/80x17 rear in Moab, and a 100/90x19 front in Des Moines, plus a replacement 140/80x17 rear again in Idaho. I also fitted a fresh set of rear brake pads (I like to trail-brake into corners, particularly off-road) in Idaho. In Moab, I changed the OEM 40T rear sprocket for a 43T version, complete with new X-ring chain. Then in Idaho I refitted the OEM rear sprocket and a 15T front instead (shortening that existing x-ring chain to suit). The current chain and sprocket set-up continues to wear well with little need for adjustment. Moneywise Initially the basic bike cost me $6,250 (ex. tax and registration - as I bought it in Virginia, but would register & pay the sales tax back in California, which cost another $700 or thereabouts) including the custom colour-matching paintwork on the fairing and seat panels, and swapping the rear rack for the R model grab-handles and tail-trim from a bike they had in the showroom. The Rally-Raid and other upgraded parts and accessories I fitted were as follows: • RR LEVEL 1 rear shock with remote preload adjuster • RR LEVEL 1 fork kit • RR Tubed spoked wheel kit (black rims) • RR engine guard (pre-production, but basically the same as the one you can buy now) • RR/Scorpion exhaust system (the non-cat version, ahem California) • R&G tail-tidy • R&G side-stand shoe • R&G radiator guard • RR Fat-bar risers • Renthal RC High bend bars • Double Take ADV mirrors (pair) • Barkbuster Storm hand-guards I've just totted that lot up [based on the current exchange rate] and it is pretty substantial: $3,550 USD if you're buying everything at once... although if you're taking about just the RR spoked wheels and LEVEL 1 suspension kit (and you choose your own/alternative accessories or use stuff you already have), that package is going to be a far more palatable $1,876 - or $2,100 if you want the hydraulic remote preload adjuster like I fitted. What else you decide is actually important is up to you of course. I would say the engine guard is essential if you're going to take this bike seriously off-road, and you always need to budget for a set of tyres when building up a bike beyond factory spec. - but otherwise, the brands and specification of those additional parts is really down to you... Me, I wanted something that looked bad-ass - hence the added expense of the tail-tidy and the Scorpion exhaust; and ergonomically, I knew I'd be riding a lot of miles day-in and day-out, so the RR bar-risers and Renthal fat-bars were a significant upgrade over stock, and similarly I already use Bark-Busters and Double-Take mirrors on my other bikes - so indulged in those high-end/higher priced components as I feel they are worth spending the money on - particularly if you're in the habit of throwing your bike on the ground a lot ;o) So there you go - all told, it was the best part of $10,000... so was it money well spent? I think so. As I've punctuated this report from time to time - the basic bike (well, what I'd left of it) impressed me. For a small capacity single cylinder engine it feels smooth and refined - and overall the bike feels more like a low-powered 'adventure' bike [that just happens to have a single rather than multi-cylinder engine] - than a traditional dual-sport, and certainly the little GS is quite capable of eating up long distances far more comfortably than a traditional small capacity trail-bike would. There are a few shortcomings to the overall design (which I'll list below in my 'long-term likes and dislikes'), but on the whole, the packaging is pretty much perfect for the solo rider travelling with minimalist luggage - which is pretty much exactly what attracted me to it in the first place of course. However, while I'm sure the stock bike is more than adequate for a large number of owners for the odd foray off paved highways, personally speaking - for the kind of riding I like to do, and have hopefully illustrated over this summer - I would not want to ride/own this bike without the Rally-Raid suspension fitted, and ideally the spoked wheels too. Certainly a regular 'criticism' of the stock bike [in the press] is that it's not sure what it wants to be... it's not light and small enough to be a 'proper' trail bike, but it's not meaty or powerful enough to be a genuine 'adventure' bike (although I would respectfully disagree with that assumption, other than if you want to cruise endless highways at high speed, and carry a passenger and/or a lot of luggage perhaps). Basically, it's fair to say the bike is effectively a compromise between the two [existing categories] - but I'd suggest that is not necessarily a bad thing - after all, 'adventure' bikes by their very nature need a degree of compromise on either side if they are going to be capable both on and off-road. What I feel adding the Rally-Raid parts does, is actually give this bike focus. Once you've upgraded the suspension to something that can actually handle more aggressive off-road riding, then it starts to make a lot more sense. It effectively becomes a lighter-weight 'adventure' bike with an off-road bias - something that, should you wish, can be ridden much harder and faster off-road than anything bigger and heavier might allow you to do comfortably, or not without a lot more input and corresponding fatigue at least. Sure my example still only has 7" of travel overall (for those unfamiliar, the LEVEL 1 suspension kit retains the original travel and ride/seat height), but it is very good quality and well-damped suspension, which makes the most of the travel available. I'd go as far as to suggest you'd have to be really clumsy to bottom out this bike with any regularity - and if you're really riding hard enough for it to start doing so, then as the saying goes: "check yourself before you wreck yourself!" - this is designed to be an all-terrain adventure machine, not an out-and-out enduro weapon after all! So leaving any performance comparison with a competition enduro bike aside, what I've found is that when riding pretty much as hard as is prudent - particularly solo and with luggage, this bike can rip pretty hard if you want it to - especially if you're prepared to rev it into the top half of the rpm range and throw the bike around a bit more - it rewards you with plenty of feedback and [once I'd got it dialled in] plenty of grip and predictable handling - from both the front and rear end... No of course it's not going to [ultimately] keep up with the EXC and CRF 450s of this world - but if you're simply out play-riding with your buddies, you ought not be all that far behind, unless they are on an absolute mission to lose you... ;o) But again, we are still talking about a hybrid bike here - something that you can rag around on at the weekend with your dual-sport friends, but fundamentally, something you can then hop on and ride half-way (or even the whole way ;o) across the country to explore some new riding territory - and that is where this bike offers more than a typical small-capacity traillie, never mind a dedicated street-legal enduro. Yes, as I built it, it costs significantly more than a 250cc class dual-sport - indeed getting close to the price of a dedicated competition enduro - but I'd suggest neither of those are able to offer the same sort of versatility as this particular GS is...? At the end of the day, I think it's just great to have another choice in the mix - and that being able to choose a solid platform as the basis for a personal 'adventure' build with the help of the aftermarket is really what our hobby has always been about? cont. |
cont.
But that is enough pontificating for now... here is my summary of the good and bad points, updated from my initial appraisal once I reached California the first time, way back in May. Things I liked, and still like (and don't like, or have even grown to hate!) 1. Generally speaking, all you need to strip the bike [bodywork] down is a 5mm allen key, which is great. However, the design of the bodywork [the way it all interlocks with a bazzilion screws) is tedious. It ought to be much easier to get to the air-filter (if only to check it) on a bike designed to be used in the dirt - and similarly, it would be nice to have had easier access to 12v auxiliary power tails, without having to remove the whole front end just to get behind the headlight mask. As I mentioned previously, I also take issue with BMW using spring clip style riv-nuts on plastic tabs, rather than proper welded captive nuts on the frame itself. 2. Despite smacking the crap out of it in Moab, Colorado and during a good number of other occasions throughout the summer, it would appear that my side stand is particularly resilient to damage. Yes the design itself is poor, hanging down the way it does directly under the left-hand foot-peg, and well below the otherwise high and smooth engine guard - but I've been able to lift the bike using just the side-stand and a prop on the far side - and even strike a silly pose standing on the seat (see Horizons Unlimited in Nakusp recently ;o) That said, the stand leg itself has started to wobble a bit on it's mount now (although the mounting plate itself seems fine), so I wonder whether BMW will consider it a potential failure point, or just fair wear and tear now. I'll let you know after it's been in for the headlight wiring and yet another set of cush-rubbers under warranty... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...J6fn2zj-XL.jpg photo. Side-stand has had a hammering, but seems to have stood up well after all. note. I removed the cut-out switch as a precaution, once I got back to CA initially. 3. The fuel economy is good. Originally I was going by what the dash/range read-out was saying - and dismayed that I was getting as low as 40mpg in some circumstances. Now it may just be that I'm riding a little slower - both due to lowering the gearing, plus taking more backroads and unpaved routes during the second part of my trip - but the mpg seems to have improved as the miles have piled on. I regularly see a potential range of 200 miles or more when I fill up - although I still tend to fill up between 150-175 miles (as soon as possible after the light comes on), when I get around 2.5 US gallons in the tank - so that's typically anywhere between 60-70mpg US, on TKC80s, with around 30lbs of luggage onboard. 4. The headlight low beam I thought was very good - and it turns out (after a couple of suggestions on this thread) that the High-beam is much better once the headlight is adjusted down slightly. Overall I'd say it's perfectly adequate for the kind of riding/speeds this bike was designed to do - and appreciably better than my Honda CB500X headlight is as stock. However, the headlight bouncing is still irritating (although not particularly to oncoming traffic it would seem), and may well have influenced the faulty bulb connector/melt-down. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PvW8Js4-XL.jpg 5. I do like the comprehensive dash display - even though the screen layout is a little fussy, and indeed it felt odd riding my CB500X recently without a gear indicator, which I now take for granted... Turns out the single button [to both step through displays and program] is fine in practice. The only thing I've found is it's hard to see the green turn-signal warning light in daylight - well, that is my excuse for often leaving my indicator on anyway ;o) 6. Access to the battery and fuses is straightforward, and under-seat storage is small, but useful. The side cheek panels under the edge of the seat are great for stowing extra tools and spares in, but they do look a bit tatty now my Coyote has rubbed them for so many thousands of miles. Some call it patina of course. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GtT28tB-XL.jpg 7. As I've mentioned previously, there are some nice 'off-road' details, such as the frame protectors for your boots, the fact the low front fender comes off quickly with the minimum of tools if required (while the brake hose and ABS sensor wire remain in place), and similarly the chain-guard and shock protector and other matt plastics all seem to be well thought out. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TVHxNcX-XL.jpg photo. this was odd though - at some point it appears the heel guard loop for the left hand passenger peg snapped off somewhere?! 8. The stock footpegs. They are still not great, but I've got used to them - particularly once I got some new boots with much more rigid soles. They would still be much better if they were both wider and longer though. 9. I've bent (and bent back) the rear brake pedal so many times now, that actually the tip is pretty much where I'd want it to be: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...z4kBJRh-XL.jpg However, as with the side-stand, it still hangs way too low and reduces the otherwise excellent ground-clearance (around 10") under the RR engine guard. As with the gear shifter, being made of mild steel has proved beneficial, in that I've been able to bend them straight again using a tyre-iron at the side of the trail. Worth noting is that the potentially vulnerable 'feather' brake light switch seems to be much more resilient than John imagined - although I've not been riding in really filthy muddy conditions like you often get in the UK of course. 10. Rally-Raid engine guard. What can I say, it's proved it's worth time and again this trip - with only the odd scar. I honestly don't think you need any other protection on this bike, other than some decent [aluminium backbone style] hand-guards. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3NK5sKz-XL.jpg 11. Tank covers/side panels. As with the skinny foot-pegs, I've kind of got used to them now... and I don't tend to ride standing up all that often (in trail/travel mode) anyway. I would still prefer the plastic panels to be either more narrow between the knees, or at least have the space filled with an actual fuel tank. Where are you Safari or IMS? 12. The seat (OEM standard hight on my bike). I've found it comfortable enough [often for many hundreds of miles at a time], but increasingly I am aware of the step in it, and how you are essentially held in one position. If you have the inseam for it, I would certainly suggest you consider a taller or re-shaped seat foam for improved all-day comfort. So there you have it... a quick wash, and I feel it's stood up to an intense summer of all-terrain adventure riding pretty well don't you think? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FXftPrf-XL.jpg photo. One careful lady owner etc. - never raced or rallied... yet ;o) Do feel free to ask any specific questions I may have missed, or elaborate on any element above... Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
310 gs
i have just run my 310 to morocco and back and would say it a good bike . nowt went wrong and it was used well off road. seems that they may have a great small travel bike in bmw range now . rr sump guard held up well . the level one fork spring tops out far to much needs some work done on that, about 70 mpg at 70 mph is good. seat is fine and michelin anakee wilds were great . alloy wheels seem to remain unmarked and true . took the plunge after reading your report,so lets hope we have a few more trips next year .....:mchappy:
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Quote:
With regard to the fork top-out noise - yes, as I've mentioned earlier in my report above, it seems to affect some bikes more than others (it was noted by some testers on the initial BMW press launch in the US), and certainly it was something Adam and John [from Rally-Raid] and I noticed once we started riding the bikes harder and harder off-road (although strangely, it was not present on some bikes they ridden)... The upshot of that ongoing feedback is John pulled the forks apart again recently (there is more info over on the Rally-Raid G310GS thread on ADVrider) and ultimately felt the OEM top-out spring was both not strong enough nor long enough to stop the damper rod fully extending, and making that clunk you've witnessed too. Together with TracTive they've also manufactured a replacement spring for that element too, and it will soon be included in future fork kits. Existing customers who do suffer that issue can contact Rally-Raid and they'll send you the new spring retrospectively. Jenny x ps. It's worth noting, that although mine knocks/clunks too from time to time, the suspension itself has not suffered any ill effects over 17,500 miles of pretty hard riding. However, purely from an engineering perspective John feels it is not good-enough and spoils the otherwise perfect upgrade - hence revisiting that particular element to eliminate it. |
A dirty double bill...
A little shameless self-promotion here, but if you fancy a weekend in the Sierra Nevada foothills (Mariposa California) at the end of September - I'll be hosting two presentations at the annual Horizons Unlimited traveller's meeting: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/events/california-2019 In addition to my updated Packing Light presentation, there will be the debut of my brand new video which covers the second half of this trip (from Moab to Toronto, then all the way back to California), proceeded by the original part 1 of course. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-kp2p7CX-L.jpg This is always an excellent and inspirational event, coupled with some awesome on-road and off-road riding right on the doorstep of the venue, just west of Yosemite National Park - hope to see some of you there this year! Jenny x |
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