You talk'n to me?

Yesterday I looked the motorcycle gods right in the eye, struck an insolent pose, and snarled, "you talk'n to me? That's right, me - the go anywhere/anytime motorcycle king!"

Badges? We don't need no stink'n badges! Or, in this case, a wimpy U-Haul truck to avoid a few mountain passes. We got up early yesterday to a hard cold overcast sky but no fresh snow and bare roads. It was minus 7 when we rolled out VERY carefully at 7:30 and the first three hours were some of the most exciting, most beautiful but coldest riding either of us have ever done. We took our time and went slow as we climbed over two high passes with bare windswept roads all the way. Slowing down also really increases your gas mileage which is a VERY good thing when the gas stations at both the way points along the way were closed because of it being Easter Sunday! Anyway, after we dropped down out of the highest mountains it was some great riding through the rest of northern Nevada, a brief foray into Idaho and then much of eastern Oregon.

One final note; in the ongoing battle between gas pumps and windshields the gas pump won round one. I put my side stand down at a VERY remote out of the way, one-pump station, and didn't realize how soft the gravel was. The bike fell to the left and the windshield gave way well before the gas pump. Grrrr....

Oh well, a lesson learned.

We arrived here in Kennewick at ~ 5:30 which means it was a ten-hour/800klm day. We're tired but happy, and wouldn't change anything at all. (OK, maybe I wouldn't mind a little warmer but hey, didn't I hear somewhere.....if it was easy, everyone would do it!)

500 klm and 6 hours of riding to go.......

Just one freak'n time is all I ask

As the old saying goes, if it was easy everyone would do it. Well, just once, just one freak'n time, I'd like it to be easy!

That's not to say it hasn't been fun - it has - great in fact - but easy? No.

Today was 750 hard klm under a cold slate gray sky, with gusty winds and a snow line MUCH lower than expected for early April. We rode through much of northern Nevada, which, by the way, gives a whole new meaning to depressed, despair and desolate. Some of what we saw would make for a great Stephen King novel except it's probably too desolate for even him. Las Vegas may be the play ground for the rich and famous but the rest of Nevada is decidedly for the down and out. There’s something about seeing someone down on their luck but still grimly clinging to the handle of a one-armed bandit in a roadside standalone casino, while the rest of the world is sitting down to breakfast, that makes you wonder if all the handwringers that claim gambling is the devils work may just be right after all. I don’t know the answer but I can tell you that it’s more than a little sad and a real eye opener.

As for the ride - we’re not sure. The sky closed in as we arrived here in Winnemucca and the temperature has dropped. As I type this the snow is falling pretty heavy and it’s only guess whether or not the passes will be open tomorrow. If the road is passable but just not good enough for a motorcycle we’ll probably have to go to plan B which is to rent a U-Haul and carry on.

More to follow….

On the road again........

Greetings from Indian Springs Nv. Today was a great day. A little cold at times but nothing too serious and nothing that we couldn't bundle up to compensate for. We did about 650klm in total and the only thing that held us back from more is how long it took to drive over Hoover Dam. Every family on spring vacation within 1,000 miles must have been there because it was absolutely wall-to-wall people and a loooooong snake of cars slowly making their way across the dam. It took us a good hour and a half to go from one side to the other but after that it was smooth sailing again.
No pictures, though. I'm too tired and the Internet connection is too slow.

Maybe tomorrow

Cheers
Dale