Matt Placed 17th in the 2007 Iron Butt Rally

 

More Summer Riding…How About One More Ride Across the Country?

Leg 2 of the Iron Butt Rally

This is Part 3 in a 4 Part Series. They are the The Prologue, Leg 1, Leg 2, and The Epilogue

Day 6, Sunday, 03:00, Chesterfield, MO to Zuzax, NM

As the alarm clock went off I awoke excited, but not quite as rested as I had hoped. 4 ½ hours was a fair amount of sleep in the scheme of things, but this was the beginning of a very long leg and I was hoping to recharge my net battery reserve a bit. We got up for a 4 a.m. rider’s meeting where I found I was 43rd and handed our Leg 2 Packets.

Back to Doug’s room and we crunched the route and it’s 139 bonii for 3 hours and 20 minutes into Streets and Trips. This was a huge amount of bonii data, but it took only about 30 minutes before we pretty much homed in on the idea that Lick Oservatory was the far point and center of a well-crafted route. The question was what loop to choose getting there and back.

It seemed fairly obvious to me that the top dogs would try and go for Washington State first, pick up some 10K bonii including St. Helens, and work down to California before going back. Doug and I weren’t sure we could swing it and conservatively chose a more direct route totaling 5,000 miles with a a set up for a gnarly day of California bonii, then Lick and the Bay area another day, and then back through Nevada, Arizona, Colorado scooping up smaller bonii to round things out. To do that The Oklahoma City bonus when strung with the Grand Canyon and some stuff along I-40 seemed our pace….and it was a sweet route that would yield nearly 190,000 points…more than enough to move us from Bronze position to Gold medal position. It was a strong move for this leg to make up for taking it a bit easy on Leg 1. It was also achievable.

Here’s the final route plan followed shortly by what I ended up doing. Although not identical….it’s fairly close to the original plan:

Doug and I packed up and headed to the parking lot about 10 a.m. and noticed a large number of motorcycles still in the parking lot. 6 hours of route crunching and people still weren’t done! Lisa had created a tough nut to crack. Regardless, we had our plan, a full tank of gas, and headed to Oklahoma City. ….well, we stopped at Best Buy and bought a couple of FRS radios to be able to talk first. My levels still weren’t right, but they kinda worked so we got on I-44 and headed Southwest to the first bonus.

Separation is Bittersweet

I had big internal plans for today and didn’t plan on staying at a hotel that night, but wasn’t sure how that would go with Doug. I really wanted to kick this leg in the butt and maybe even snag more bonii on the return leg than we had initially planned. However, I figured we’d have a conversation about it later in the evening.

It seems Doug had been thinking already and pulled beside as we got into Oklahoma. He told me he was pulling out of the rally. He said he just wasn’t having fun and the prospect of slogging across the country to California on the Interstate just wasn’t worth it.

Needless to say I was surprised and I asked him very seriously, but his mind was made up. We stopped at the next exit for gas and he turned around.

I guess it would make for a better read if it was a big drama, but it wasn’t. I surely felt bad and adjusting my mindset I felt bittersweet. I was going to miss Doug to be sure…he was a rock and mentor in the first leg….besides being fun to ride with. In the second leg he and I came up with GOOD, solid ride plan and it was now my roll to execute the plan. I quickly resolved I’d try and kick the 2nd leg’s ass for Doug.

So, I got back on 44 and headed for Oklahoma City. I debated the 761 points for a bonus in Tulsa, but the extra 10 miles somehow didn’t make sense to me…or was close to a wash. This being my first rally across a continent I had this urge to get out to the juicier bits in New Mexico, Arizona, and Kalifornia.

The stretch from Tulsa to OKC was familiar to me having driven it once a decade earlier in a galaxy with a girl friend far, far away. And I had been downtown OKC not too long after the bombing. It was easy to find and the early evening air was warm and humid.

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 3,110 points Available daylight hours
Survivor Tree/Oklahoma City Memorial
620 N. Harvey
Take a photo of the Survivor Tree. Oklahoma City is located in central OK, near the junction of I35and I40. The memorial is located about 1½ miles northwest of the junction of I40and I235, at the corner of NW 6 th Street and N. Harvey Avenue. Surviving the blast that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in OKC, the tree is located on the north side of the memorial
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: ST Approved: ______________* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Aimed back west on I-40 I ran the remainder of my tank until dusk and in the Texas panhandle found a gas station in the aptly named town of Shamrock with a Subway and took a break with my laptop. Even though I had a plan I wanted to refine and reinforce the shape and distances it in my head, as well as have contingencies. I knew at this point that the most critical two days of the rally were clearly the observatory, but also trying to scoop as many big-ticket points in the California area the day before. Death Valley, Yosemite, and some others were possible if I could figure out where to stage and be on the morning after the next.

I also realized that family and friends had been watching my progress via Doug’s Star-Trax GPS locator, but wouldn’t be able to anymore. I gave a quick call to my buddy John and knew he’d be able to do updates in areas I could use a cell, but not Internet access.

After the whole rally my Mom would say, “Man, I got hooked on that GPS thing! You ever do another one of these rallies….you’re going to have to get one of those.”

OK Mom. I have a birthday in June next year. ;)

Belly full after less than a sub I had also noticed I was losing weight at this point. I was eating decently, keeping hydrated, but I felt 5 pounds lighter. I’d end up losing 15 pounds total and this time in Shamrock really shifted my mindset into a different rally. Doug was gone, no hotel plans, and I’d try and ride through the night, probably take a nap on the side of the road (aka The Iron Butt Hotel) in the early a.m., and welcome the dawn like a true IBR warrior. In fact, far more than the money savings is the time savings. No clerk to talk with, no credit card, no covering your bike and lugging the expensive bits to the room that’s inevitably the farthest point away from where your bike is parked. And no undoing the routine in the morning.

As it turns out I made it almost to Albuquerque before I had a micro sleep and decided to pull over. Long ago I had read Don Arthur’s excellent treatise on fatigue and promised myself I would follow it’s tenets. In many ways I’m a far safer traveler…..like in college where I’d “road rally”….I’m older and wiser now. Plus the benefit of having on all this motorcycle gear including a helmet, earplugs, and body armor is that you’re wearing the equivalent of a sleeping bag and bedroll just by letting gravity do it’s job.

Somewhere about Santa Rosa I found an agreeable exit with no traffic, a nicely inclined sandy bank without too many stickers or critters, and slept for a couple of hours. When I awoke a semi was about 40 feet from me, but that just means I knew something truckers new. I returned to the road in the same I-40 drone and made it another 30 miles before my rally came to a sudden halt.

Poof. Darkness.

My single remaining HID light went out near Zuzax (I couldn’t make that up if I wanted too). My only light source was instantly dark and I was still traveling down the freeway at 3 a.m. in the dark.

Slightly panicked I rolled off the throttle and consciously continued to keep the bike pointed straight. As my eyes adjusted my parking lights cast a ghostly glow on the white stripe to the right and the yellow to the left. In an ethereal effect of perspective I kept the bike between the middle of the glowing stripes and eased on down the road to the next exit a mile distant.

Damn.

It was chilly out and I emotionally rolled over from excited about the leg plan to bummed that I just DNF’ed the whole rally. My HID lights were a serious project last winter involving taking off the whole nose of my bike and wiring things with special care. I had loved my HID lights as serious emitters of photons FAR superior to the dingy yellow of halogen bulbs, but was now lamenting not leaving this part of the bike stock. Relays, zip ties, high-voltage circuit’s, low voltage circuits, signal wires…..it was all rather depressing.

With my Petzl Zipka Velcroed to my helmet chin I looked around vainly hoping for a loose wire or that if I jiggled something the light would come back on. I banged the fairing in desperation, but nothing would happen.

Damn again.

…then it came to me like Foghorn Leghorn saying, “Fortunately……I say….fortunately I carry a spare halogen bulb for just such an emergency.”

I remembered that when I rigged my HID lights I had left it so that I could abandon the relayed component, swap HID bulb for halogen, and revert back to the stock connector. The only trick was now to pull out the bulb in the dark, in frosty cold, and hope it lit back up.

It did, but took about 45 minutes and pulling off some of the fairing pieces.

Repair made I returned to the road with the single yellow glow of a crappy halogen bulb.

Day 7, Sunday, Zuzax, NM to Death Valley, CA

Back on the road I made for Albuquerque and a gas stop in the wee hours before dawn. My next bonus was Mancos, CO and some arrows in the ground at a trading post. Kitchy I knew it was in the middle of Navajo country and had another brainstorm that was very un-Iron Butt-like, but was a personal necessity. My college roommate, James Fundarke, lives in Farmington, NM and I had not seen him since just shortly after college. I had called the night before in Shamrock, but he wasn’t home, so I called again as he had left message while I was on the road. We made a breakfast date at a Denny’s and I slogged up NM 550 to meet him. The cold got to me as I entered Navajo lands and tried to stay warm with electric clothing and even pulled over for another nap just after dawn.

I’d find out months later that I was probably about 2 hours behind Chris Sakala at this point and two unknown FJRs. He was probably at Mancos at this point.

It was beautiful, but very harsh country. Except for the modern ribbon of Tarmac it was very easy to imagine the land being the same hundred and thousands of years ago…..with the culture of a people old as oral traditions can reach back.

I got to the Denny’s a bit earlier than the appointed time, so used it to make some clothing changes, steel some bandwidth from the nearby hotel, and blog a bit. I’m also trying to home in on a plan for my next day in California. I’ve got today figured out, but where I land tonight is critical to how I attack tomorrow.

James comes in and it’s great to see the ol’ lug. James is a couple of inches taller than me and played football for Weber State back before Mike Price moved to WSU. A long story of karma for another day. It was just great to see this guy. It was also fun to share the perspective of the journey I was in the middle of…one that I think he figured out fully by later reading this blog.

After Farmington I wandered through a nice chilly rain storm up to Mancos, Colorado, took a picture, and score a nice curio of a handwoven basket for the girlfriend.

Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: DH Approved: ______________
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Mancos, Colorado 2,767 points Available 24 hours
Giant Arrows
38651 Hwy 160Take a picture of the Giant Arrows at The Hogan Trading Post. Located in southwestern Colorado along US160 at MP 53, 3 miles West of Mancos, CO, and 15 miles East of Cortez, CO.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: RR Approved: ______________
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Heading back down to I-40 I diverted off and caught another 5,000 point bonus and see Shiprock in the distance. Also, very important relgiously for the Navajo, Shiprock is a great geologic formation in the warming sun. Another fuel stop and clothing change in Yah-ta-hey.

 

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Shiprock, New Mexico 5,320 points Available daylight hours
Take a photo of The Shiprock.
Located in northwestern NM, the Shiprock is large rock formation located south of US 64 and west of US 491
(formerly known as US 666) just south of Shiprock, NM. From the intersection of US 64 and US 491, go south
on US 491 approximately 6.4 miles to Indian Service Road 13 (the Red Rock Highway). Go west
approximately 4.8 miles.
Time: _____________ Odometer: ______ Code: SR Approved: ______________
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Rejoining I-40 at Gallup I head West more and stop off at Holbrook for a picture of a hotel. It’s just off the freeway so an easy 1800 points.

 

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Holbrook, Arizona 1,845 points Available 24 hours
Wigwam Motel 11 W Hopi Drive
Take a photo of your bike in front of one of the wigwams. Approximately 90 miles east of Flagstaff, AZ In Holbrook, AZ, the Motel is 1 mile east of I40
exit 285 (US180 Business I40 Route 66).
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: AZ Approved: ______________
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Another 15 miles and it’s another quick exit, picture, and return to I-40. I have an appointment to visit the North edge of the South rim of the Grand Canyon for 13,000 points that’s the big bonus for the day.

 

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Arizona Route 66 677 points Available 24 hours
Jackrabbit Trading Post
Take a picture of the giant Jackalope
Approximately 80 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona at Jackrabbit Trading Post, along south frontage road of I40,
2/10 mile east of exit 269 (Jackrabbit Road).
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: JK Approved: ______________
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After bagging the latest bit of Americana I blaze for Flagstaff and turn off of I-40 for 64. A little unsure how far it was to the Grand Canyon I pull out my packet and laptop to try and pinpoint things further. Again, being set up in the morning for California is critical and I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon before. I read very carefully the following:

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Grand Canyon NP, Arizona 12,978 points Available daylight hours
Cape Royal
Take a photo of the Grand Canyon Vista plaque at the rim overlook. Located in north central Arizona, Cape Royal is 175 miles east of Las Vegas, NV on the extreme southeastern point of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Cape Royal is near the end of 15mile long Cape Royal Rd, which turns off of AZ67. The trail to the rim overlook is approximately ¼ mile from the parking lot.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: CP Approved: ______________
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AZ67? Hmmm. Must be a typo….I’m on AZ64. My bonus is 56 miles away.

Why is the bonus talking about being east of Vegas and what’s this Cape Royal thing? I’m not seeing that on the map.

….hmmmmm……

South edge of the North Rim…..check….I’m going to the North edge of the South Rim……

Call Doug. “Doug, gut check me here. I’m on AZ67 near Flagstaff……which side of the Grand Canyon is this bonus? …….Thanks….talk to you later.”

Phuck me……I’m on the WRONG side of the Grand Canyon! Instead of 56 miles…how about 268 miles? There’s 13,000 points I can’t do. I kick myself, but only for a couple of minutes and start heading West. It’s a loss, but I can’t dwell on it. I need to head for Death Valley…I’ll just be there earlier than I had planned.

Had I made it to the Grand Canyon….a thought I really liked as I’ve never been there before…it would have looked something like this. I could have tried taking a picture of the plaque, however I’m sure it would have resulted in something like a George Zelenz Lighthouse Bonus picture….so didn’t even try. However, I did ponder making for the nearest hot spring and bagging the rally for a second.

 

In fact, as I rode my mental wheels started turning and the hard work I had done setting up this route and downloading all the bonii to my GPS paid dividends. I quickly figured out that even though I couldn’t score the 13K bonus, I might be to go after some bonii that would be second best. In fact, I figured out I should have enough time to hit Kingman, Lake Havasu, and Vegas instead. 5,000 is 8,000 less than 13,000, but not a total loss.

First stop was Kingman….and I think I even rode by Greg Marbach…or another FJR rider.

 

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Kingman, Arizona area 976 points Available daylight hours
Golf Ball House
Take a photo of the golf ball house. Kingman is located in west central Arizona, along I40,
approximately 100 miles southeast of Las Vegas, NV. The Golf Ball House is approximately 20 miles south of Kingman, AZ, from I40 take exit 25 (Alamo Rd). The house is approximately 4/10 miles south on the east frontage road.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: GB Approved: ______________
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Then off to Lake Havasu….where it was seriously HOT! Horribly hot, 107 hot, but I was committed. Even though the sun was going down it stayed hot and I had to stop for a Gatorade recharge and a yucky AM/PM burger including burned cheese.

 

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Lake Havasu City, Arizona 1,320 points Available daylight hours
London Bridge
Take a picture of London BridgeLake Havasu City is located on the Colorado River in west central Arizona, approximately 55 miles south of Kingman, AZ.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: LH Approved: ___________
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In hindsight, that evening was the beginning of a fog that would happen as each evening descended into night. Days were fine, but with the limited visibility of night I was living in a world that only extended as far as my HID’s could reach. This was all country I had regionally near before, but while the GPS did it’s best to share basic compass directions I couldn’t fathom more than the 100 miles it showed on the screen. In a way I became an automaton heading from way point to way point….or maybe like I’ve heard military pilots live life in their radar screens at night going from way point to way point.

 

Also in hindsight I had always found that southern wedge of Nevada interesting when looking at map as it angled up against California, but I didn’t realize I had ridden it until long after the rally. I can’t remember Needles, CA at all and no clue the Mojave was off to my left. What was extremely weird was ascending some mountain in the middle of the desert for no apparent reason and riding through casino-laden Searchlight, NV. My mind mushy I descended the beacon of light slightly, found a side road, and took a nap on what I do weirdly remember as Grandpa’s Road.

After a nice combat nap of 45 minutes I was freshened up a bit and headed for Vegas.

Vegas was a whole can of surreal I probably will never reconcile, but here goes. It’s night 7 in the Iron Butt Rally and I haven’t showered in several days or shaved the whole time. I have every manner of crust, crud, and critter caked on my face and gear….and I park my bike in an obscure corner of the New York, NY Casino’s parking garage. By this point I even leave the expensive bit on it and just throw my jacket over the top.

With a forward lean of authority I take my best guess at a shortest route to the Statue of Liberty on the strip and find myself…..miraculously….wading through the casino floor. Hotty chicks dressed in glittery dresses and most-excellent brevity of undergarments walk by and give me weird looks. I’m sure it was because I had a rally flag, waterproof pouch, and Polaroid carabeenered to my jacket and not because of my disheveled appearance or zombie-like facial expression.

I made it outside eventually and found my best vantage point for a picture. Shit-faced 20-somethings with Mardi Gras cups in hand slurred lines to skanky coeds as I hung my flag on a fence and snapped photos.

I was in another dimension.

 

Finally getting a picture far worse than above, but meeting the requirements of a recognizable statue I headed back for the bike…again through the Casino floor, but getting totally lost this time and seeing even more cute butts in various girly outfits. Nose rings, glitter, pert butts, and in my mind’s eye they were twirling on brass poles. It has been 7 days after all and the Donger needs more than food!

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Paradise, Nevada (aka Las Vegas, Nevada) 3,112 points Available 24 hours
New York, New York Casino
3790 Las Vegas Blvd South
Take a picture of the Statue of Liberty. Las Vegas, Nevada is located in southern Nevada on I15. New York, New York is located east of I15. Take exit 37, Tropicana Avenue east one long block. You will have to park your motorcycle in the casino parking lot and walk to the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Blvd to take the picture.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: NY Approved: ______________
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Blasting out of the parking garage I pointed the bike what I thought was north (which was actually west) towards Pahrump and the conclusion of night 7.

Pahrump, NV 00:23 - Funny and Serious at the Same Time

One has to laugh at the name Pahrump. Is it Puh-rump, Pah-rump, or Pair-ump? That there’s funny right there…I don’t care who you are. Gassing up around there (I think I was closer to Vegas) I called in for a call-in bonus and sure I sounded fairly stupid when Austin played the message. But 2,000 points is 2,000 points and who knows where I’ll be in the next 23 1/2 hours.

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CallIn Bonus no specific location 2,000 points Available August 29, 2007
Call 916XXXXXXX and leave the following information:
Your name, your rider number, your location (city/town and state/province), the last bonus you scored, and the
next bonus you are headed for. While it is not required for this bonus, if you have a quick story, please leave it also!
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: CI Approved: ______________
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No quick story of substance that I remember, but if it had been 20 minutes later I could have provided a great anecdote as I got pulled over for the first and only time in the rally. At o’dark thirty it seemed like nobody that wasn’t on Casino Row was awake in this town…..except for one very perplexed looking young deputy carrying a box from his SUV to some building.

As I came around a hedge at a velocity that was appropriate to me for an asleep town, but totally inappropriate for an officer on the night shift…we made eye contact.

He saw me.

I saw him.

He saw me see him and I saw that he had seen that I had seen him. It was fate.

Instinct took over on both our parts. He dropped the box on the ground running for his cruiser and I executed throttle roll-off maneuvers.

We both practiced the soon-to-happen conversation in our minds. I knew that conversation would probably start with him and would probably be in the form of a question, “Where are you going so fast?” And, I knew that my response would be short and involve a destination that was in the range of my current tank and in no way would involve the full length of my journey. Besides, saying, “Chesterfield, MO by way of California.” just doesn’t compute.

At about this point I saw headlights appear in my rear view and a brief radar blip, but even if he had shot I was definitely cruising at whatever the signs suggested. He was a 1/2 mile back so I went ahead and slowed more…in fact, I stopped on the road with nobody but us two on it and even had time to take off my helmet, pulled out my wallet, and put my hands back on the grips before he decided then to turn on his whirly lights.

“Goin’ a bit fast there!”, this 19 year old kid said to me. ….OK, so it wasn’t a question at all. He’s going to want to do the talking so I’ll indulge him.

I answered positively with a nodding head and cryptic, “May….be!”

“Well, license and regsitration please.” to which I obliged as well as proof of insurance. Two minutes later he came back and said, “Well, I’ll just ask you slow down and realize there are cops ahead where you going”….which made little sense to me as I’d be cruising Death Valley at 3 a.m. on Sunday night and doubt there’s any other traffic at all let alone cops….but whatever. Pahrump was his world and I was just passing through. Puh-rump….that’s just funny….but not a good time to laugh.

Released from my only talking to of the whole rally I rode along 10 miles I returned my V1 to it’s perch and realized I had lost an important mid-IBR farkle. My bottle anti-cancer SPF30 was caribeenered to the power cord on the ground back where I had stopped. Now was not going to have sunblock for the rest of the ride. Oh well…I’m in now technically in Day 8 of the IBR and no longer a virgin.

Death Valley Junction, CA

Another 30 miles and I was at the point that I needed to ride to start at in daylight…or so I thought.

There was a gaggle of smallish bonii in the area that teased me for their point values. Was it best to wait a few hours until dawn and start with this 1410 point piece of the Amargosa Opera House, 2,345 at Bad Water, 4,787 at Trona, or ride on and stage for 4,996 at Scotty’s Castle? My dulled mind raced and I tried to predict the next day. I knew I needed to make it to Mono Hot Springs for 12,667 and wanted 8,704 at Sequoia. I decided Mono and Sequoia were worth too much to risk and rode on past Amagorsa, and decided to skip Bad Water and Trona. Those three totaling 8542 equaled the one at Sequoia…and it would end up being a good choice later when Mono Hot Springs would throw me for a loop.

Had I waited until dawn this would have been Amargorsa Opera House, Bad Water, and had I not gone for Bristlecone, Yosemite, and Mono I likely would have gone Sequoia. As I write this I realize Lisa and Tobie were in the same area.

 

 

 

The weather was also threatening. A massive thunderstorm did it’s show in front of me and I began to feel like a very small bug in the middle of nowhere. I pressed on though and started an unrelenting descent from a pleasant temperature into a pit of 100+ degree ugliness…..all well after midnight. I had wished the thunderstorm was on me to cool things down, but as I stopped at a Death Valley entrance and made a dooky in an echoey toilet I read provided material about the climate of Death Valley.

I imagined a force field above this regional depression and imagined clouds being rebuffed in a stratospheric dilemma. The mind was foggy and starting to get a bit emotional. This would be my second night in a row sleeping at the Iron Butt Hotel and I missed having Doug around to bounce off of. Also outside the bathroom was a kiosk that you were supposed to pay money for park entrance. Intrigued that there wasn’t a powerline around I inserted $10 into it…and pleasantly surprised it whirred in the pure silence and produced a printed ticket. This was probably the ultimate in the honor system as I was hopefully going to be out of Death Valley by noon and headed to the second of a gnarly bonus, but whatever.

I rode as far as I felt safe….marveling at the fact I was the lowest I had ever been on the planet. I’ve even scubadived to the stunningly stupid depth of 186 feet below see leve….about 50 feet deeper than recreational divers should go, but as I rode by the aptly named Furnace Creek I saw a sign that said -200 feet and noted it was as hot as it was deep.

Finally stopping at where several random blacktop roads intersected I pulled to the side of the road and grabbed some more sleep. I had about 35 miles to Scotty’s Castle and would get up about 30 minutes before sunrise.

I slept marginally in the balmy 95 degree night. I could hear to super-distant rumble of thunder and I was intellectually aware that long-term fatigue was setting in. This was the blurriness I had been told about by many IBR veterans and that this was the time that people either folded in forgivable humanness….or endured instictually. My thoughts and internal mind conversation were now only short sentence and I knew enough to know that didn’t fully fathom intellectually the cumulative effect that would happen the next 3 days. I was running more and more on instinct…..running a plan I had made days earlier and committed to memory every time I stopped and pulled out the laptop. I was actually doing probably pretty well..or at least far better than I had expected. But, was I doing as well as Jim Owen, Jeff Earls,…or Greg Marbach? How were Lisa and Tobie doing…..where was Paul Peloquin? I drifted to soap opera sleep….sort of.

Day 8, Tuesday - Death Valley, CA to Mono Hot Springs, CA

Waking up in the early glow of pre-dawn and a passing car I lifted my body mass onto my bike and started the daily ritual again. Point the bike towards a direction and twist the throttle. Let gyroscopic forces do the work of steering a thousand pounds of bike and 250 pounds of mush-brain to the next bonus.

A car had passed my location as I was sleeping and I could see it’s brake lights in the distance. I knew I was making ground on it as the light of morning glowed stronger and stronger on this weirdest of world geologies. I was pretty sure he was headed to the same place and found myself rolling into the parking lot Scotty’s Castle just about a minute behind him. The pale green of his pickup truck quickly identified him as a park ranger.

As he wandered the parking lot he appeared to be a Harley rider that was forced to put on a uniform as a job. He also was not the least bit impressed as I tried to ride past him to my target where 3 or 4 other riders including Paul Peloquin and Rebecca Vaughn were parked. He gesticulated wildly and sent me back to the stripes of a formal parking lot. Settling on walking an extra several hundred feet I looked around and saw other structures in the area and engaged in loud-voice speaking with the other riders as we all had earplugs in.

 

Flag plant, back up, picture snap, take flag, walk back to the bike as it develops.

 

For good measure I asked the Ranger with airquotes if that was “Scotty’s Castle” and he said something I couldn’t hear, but his anger was unmistakable. He gave me the finger “come here” sign and I wandered over oblivious to how much myself and the other riders had already botched his day.

I’m sure he had hoped to get out here before any of us crashed the gate, and have a cup of thermos coffee before tourists arrived. What he found were a bunch of scruffy non-Harley bikers ignoring his precious No Parking signs. “I’m sure you want to ride free on the road and all, but Man I could arrest you all for ignoring the No Parking sign. Who are you all with? What ride is this?”

My eagerness to chuckle was totally deflated by his pointed question. We had been cautioned about this at our earlier riders meeting and doing like anybody in Day 8 of the Iron Butt Rally did when asked a terse question does…I froze in place and looked guilty as hell. Hiding my flag that was an obvious common denominator to this man yet I feebly tried, “No formal group. We’re just doing….ummm….a scavenger hunt.”

Meanwhile, I had removed my helmet and earplugs as he had pointed at his badge several times to underline some level of authority I wasn’t giving enough respect too.

Behind me I heard a motorcycle start and take off….Rebecca I think. For a fleeting moment he thought about chasing it on foot, but gave up renewing his anger with me. I knew I was the sacrificial lamb at this point and them having to converse with this guy would not help things in the least.

As he started to thing about waving his hand and stopping whoever it was departing I tried to deflect his attention, “Hey, so what is the history of this place?”….which seemed to work because he commenced to start into a rehearsed explanation of Scotty’s Castle. Another bike rode away and I started walking backwards to my bike hoping he’d lose interest in me.

The ranger eventually gave up as my comrades left the scene and I had stuffed earplugs back into my ears. Yet another place that I’d have to come back to when I had more time. Yet another civilian that is probably just a great guy that I can’t make understand in the short time I have.

Such is rally life.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Death Valley National Park, California 4,996 points Available daylight hours
Scotty’s Castle
Take a picture of Scotty’s Castle
In Death Valley, approximately175 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Scotty’s Castle is located at the
extreme northern end of Death Valley National Park, along North Hwy, approximately 38 miles north of
junction of North Hwy and CA190
(milepost 93). Follow signs to Scotty’s Castle.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: DV Approved: ______________
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As I left the parking lot I started to follow Paul Peloquin, but his route wasn’t the one my GPS had chosen for me so I turned around and went the direction. He must have been going to another bonus.

Wrong! I had thought….or probably more precisely….vainly hoped my route would be asphalt, but it wasn’t. Paul was smart enough to not blindly listen to his GPS and I had chosen a route that turned into a 37 mile gravel road of washboard. Click here and imagine my desire to find a more direct route from A to roughly B.

Taking it in stride though it began what was an interesting morning of a rain storm turned into a hail storm….while in Death Valley…to flashbacks of being a kid on my very first washboard road and a dirt bike….to a journey that would take me to the highest altitude I’d ever been on the planet…a scant six hours after I had been to the lowest point.

Just simply an epic day.

Coming out to black top near Big Pine, CA I hung a right and went east on 168 and found the turn-off described in the next bonus, Bristlecone. The road was twisty and technical and a welcome change from the washboard gravel. I passed a couple of other riders coming down and made it past the visitor center and back onto ugly gravel again.

But for nearly 20,000 points I knew this bonus was a must-get.

Miles and miles later the road just seemed to keep going. As I came around yet another corner parked in the road was Paul. Doh! Now I know how my gravel shortcut had worked…not well. He was puffing a cigarette and had a very dour look on his face.

“Matt, I don’t think this is the right road!”

Instinctively I replied, “Of course it is….it’s just a little farther.”

“Are you sure?” he asked probably realizing I had never been here before and had no frickin’ clue.

“I’m sure.”, I assured him nodding.

“OK. I’m going to finish my cigarette and will be up there.”

As I left I said to myself, “It’s the right road……I think it’s the right road…..God I hope it’s the right road.”

Turns out my optimism was rewarded and in about 1.5 miles I found the target. I even recognize the scene described from stories of previous IBR riders nearly burning this thing down.

But, a bit concerned I realized my low gas light was flashing. Ugh…this is not the place to run out of gas, to blow a tire, or to otherwise be stranded. I checked my fuel cell and there was a bunch of gas in it, but the constant grade up had pulled fuel from my tank to my cell…so I parked the bike downhill and left the fuel cell cap off hoping to transfer for the ride back to civilization.

Paul rolled up and had gone from Mr. Sour to Mr. Beaming Smile.

“Thanks Matt! You came along at just the right time!”

We would later find out that Paul and I finished right next to each other in the final standings. I scored about 2,000 points more than him, but we had done different routes and only ended up seeing each other at 2 or 3 of the big ticket bonii. It’s like we were on a similar orbit, but paths didn’t cross that often.

We even got a picture together. It’s not a great one, but is definitely one of my favorite as we stand in front of the Patriarch…a 4,000+ year old tree on top of the planet.

Matt and Paul Peloquin with a timer shot

 

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Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, California 18,567 points Available daylight hours
Take a picture of the plaque located near the Patriarch tree with the tree in the background.
NOE: In 2003, Sparky (accidentally) tried to burn down the oldest living thing on earth; please try and NOT do
the same this rally!
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is located in east central California, northeast of Big Pine, California. From
Big Pine, ride approximately 13 miles east on CA168. Turn north on White Mountain Road to Bristlecone Pine
Forest. Follow the road approximately 10 miles to the Visitor Center. Continue approximately 12 miles further
past the Visitors Center on the dirt road to the turnoff for the “Patriarch Grove” (which is well marked). From
the turnoff, follow the road approximately 1 mile to the parking lot. This road may not be passable in wet
weather. Unless the road is officially closed, you will not receive credit for not making it to the tree.
Follow the trail from that parking area approximately 150 feet to the Patriarch Tree and take a photo of the
plaque (which is mounted on a large rock) with the Patriarch tree in background (the Patriarch Tree is the
largest known Bristlecone).
Time: ___________ Odometer: _____________ Code: AB Approved: ______________
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Coming down off the peak I started to make an incorrect turn down Silver Canyon Road, but when I saw a sign that said “Four Wheel Drive Recommended After This Point” I wisely turned around. It would turn out that Brett Donahue would also make the mistake. He let “Betty the Bitch” from his Garmin GPS route him and his Harley Sportster down a goat trail called Silver Canyon Road. Six stream crossings later, he finally got back to pavement.

Or somebody holed their tire. How about having to plug a hole in your tire on the side of a gravel road.

 

Making it back to civilization myself I gassed up in Bishop, CA and pondered what my afternoon would be like in Yosemite.

Another Stretch of 395 and Lots More Points

I live on Highway 395 in Washington, and know it starts way deep in California and was the primary route to travel North and South before the Interstates. I’ve also been on all of it until about Reno. So, I waxed nostalgic that I rode it from Bishop to Lee Vining.

Munching more granola bars today would be a no-meal-stop day…just not enough time. I had already bagged 25,563 points and was hoping to scoop up another 36,000.

Turning up the mountain to Yosemite entrance I, for some reason, thought of Yogi Bear. However, that was Jellystone Park and was an homage to Yellowstone…which was a thousand miles from here.

More mind tricks. More pseudo-random thoughts weirdly interconnected. More depletion of my higher order cognitive abilities……oooohhhhh…..look at the pretty butterfly!

….what was I talking about? Oh yeah….off to Yosemite!

Entering Yosemite was bittersweet. I knew this place was beautiful and was a place I wanted to visit for a long time, but I also knew that every other resident of California was going to be here today. I’d be lucky to do 10 miles under the speed limit and just knew it was going to be a tough ride.

I made it to the Ahwahnee Hotel and the road up to it was everything I imagined in scenery. The picture of the actual bonus sucks, but one I found of this hotel in the Winter is more like I remember it.

 

 

 

 

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Yosemite National Park, California 4,567 points Available 24 hours
Ahwahnee Hotel 9005 Ahwahnee Drive
Take a picture of the plaque to the right of the front door of the Ahwahnee Hotel designating it a National
Historic Landmark. Ysemite National Park is located in central California, approximately 80 miles north of Fresno, CA. The
Ahwahnee Hotel is located inside Yosemite National Park at Yosemite Village
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: AW Approved: ______________
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The next bonus was suspiciously close as the crow flew, but many miles via the roads available. I figured out as I rode that I was going to go from this valley to a much higher elevation overlooking Half Dome. But for another 10K points…it was easy-pickings.

Lots of tourists, but a very nice…and increasingly cute to this guy…..German lady took my picture in front of Half Dome.

 

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Yosemite National Park 10,234 points Available daylight hours
Glacier Point
Take a picture of Half Dome from the Glacier Point overlook.
NOTE: Half Dome is marked on several signs (it is across the valley), if weather prevents you from taking the
picture, document your stop at Glacier Point by taking one of the information signs at the overlook.
Yosemite National Park is located in central California. Glacier Point Road is within the Park and begins near
Chinquapin, CA, from CA41, approximately 80 miles north of Fresno, CA. Turn right onto Glacier Point Rd
and follow to the end. Half Dome is marked on several signs (it is across the valley).
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: GP Approved: ______________
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

After Glacier Point I started to get drowsy and decided an afternoon nap was absolutely needed. Finding a nice slope in the shade I took what I think was an hour siesta and woke up a bit startled, but definitely refreshed. It was a warm afternoon, but the altitude kept it from being too hot.

However, descending out of the park, it just got hotter and hotter. I made it to Shaver Lake by the early evening and found myself jerking the bike to the right to a parking lot near the lake edge.

Unceremoniously I shucked all my clothes except my bicycle shorts and dove into the lake. Ducks and and humans looked at me a bit oddly as I swam around in the lake. Layers of grime and many degrees of heated body core melted away in this needed diversion. I knew that my day had been overly ambitious and I wasn’t going to have enough time to make it to Sequoia before dark, but I figured this Mono Hot Springs thing was in the bag. Feeling normal for 10 minutes was a reward for riding a hard day. A couple quick phone calls and I was back on the road.

 

With gear back on, a grime layer removed, and ducks getting back to their normal routine of whatever it is ducks do in the early evening hours in California I made the final push to Mono Hot Springs. I envisioned a nice two-lane highway to some little burg on the edge of civilization…but what I found was nothing near what I’d call civilization.

My first clue that Mono wasn’t easy points was turning off the major highway onto a borderline blacktop road with no striping. When asphalt gave way to a glorified golf cart path I began to worry. When the golf cart path started to have trees and large rocks poking through the surface I worried more. When I had ridden 10 miles and still didn’t find the place and shadows were getting longer I started to freak out a bit.

Then a blur passed me, “Zoooooooom!!!!!”

Here I was on a sport bike, Day 8, I’m on the top of my motorcycle handling game…clearly at one with the machine and the road in front of me and a frickin’ Harley Sportster with a fuel cell just passed me like I had been lapped. This guy was a good!

Another 10 miles through several streams, through some mud, off-camber on the edge of a cliff with a crumbling edge, and some beautiful scenery mixed I rolled into some weird little enclave of buildings in the middle of nowhere.

How the hell did they get here? Were they airlifted in as part of a military exercise? And that dude sitting by the fountain…he looks like a gray haired version of Jeff Spicoli. Was Rod Serling just out of frame doing a 30 second monolog about the Twilight Zone?

Removing my gear I shrugged it off long enough to snap a picture with some light in it and ask Spicoli Senior if it’s OK to drink from the fountain.

“No problem….it’s full of minerals but you can drink it!”

I look around and see that I’ve suddenly gotten lost and traveled back to 1969 and found a hippy colony. The “dude” must have been Jeff’s grandfather in this time portal. Brett Donahue and I are voyagers from the future….however his thoroughly abused Harley Sportster looks at home in this area.

 

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mono Hot Springs, California 12,667 points Available daylight hours
Mono Hot Springs Post Office & General Store
5593251710
Take a picture of the Mono Hot Springs Post Office & General StoreMono Hot Springs is located in central California, approximately 90 road miles northeast of Fresno, CA. and may not be on many regional maps. From Fresno, CA, follow CA168east. Near the end of CA168there willbe signs to Mono Hot Springs. The Mono Hot Springs Post Office & General Store is the only store in town.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: MH Approved: ______________
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Brett and I pondered a burger at the restaurant. It was getting dark and we thought we were the last ones going to make it that evening, but Curt Gran rolled in with eyes wide. I snapped a photo of him trying to accentuate the borderline daylight left. He said, “No problem….I’ll just get a receipt from the store to corroborate.”

I mocked friendly, “Sure! They’ll make you a nice handwritten one inside.” Handwritten notes are acceptable forms of corroborating evidence from what I understood.

He frowned slightly, but did whatever he needed to make good on the bonus.

I had learned many years earlier that people interested in knowing the world don’t all go travel and see it themselves. Some folks like Fijians or Mono Hot Springs dwellers purposely live in a

place that encourages tourists to come and stay.

Coupled with an open attitude these folks are actually worldly in their non-conventional way. I mocked as I pulled out my cell phone that it would show no bars, but was stunned as it showed 5 full bars. The same local pointed to a sturdy tree that had an industrial piece of hardware attached to it. He said proudly, “We’ve got Gen 3 cell service and phat AT&T bandwidth up here. We’re seriously wired!”

More weird.

Curt left us…probably hoping to score more points. Turns out he’d get Sequoia in the morning…which was probably a smarter move than I made. Brett and I settled long enough to down a burger though. Firing up lights my gnarly FF200’s interested him enough to follow on the ride down…and it was as fast a one as I could muster to be sure. It reminded me of late-night snowmobile blitz from my teenage years….only much warmer.

 

 

As I got back to civilization I rolled as smoothly and directly as I could towards Santa Cruz, but by the time I got to Madera I was exhausted. I got my receipt for a rest bonus and went to sleep for about 5 hours….maybe even 6. This was the first time I had been in a hotel for 3 days and I justified it as well earned.

In fact, for all intents and purposes I had bagged over 60,000 points for this 30 hour period. This was my best effort of the rally even though the the next day was purposely designed to have more points as it was apogee for this leg.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rest Bonus – no specific location 7,723 points Must start on Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Stop for 5 or more hours. Document this stop as follows:
___ at the start of the rest period, obtain a dated, time receipt from a location, for example, a gas station, a
motel, a store, etc.
___ at the end of the rest period, obtain a dated, time receipt from the same location
Our preference is that you also include your motel receipt with this bonus if you motel it, however, it is not
required.
WARNING: We are giving you wide latitude on this bonus with few restrictions so that you may have the
flexibility to use it as needed. However, we want to stress that if you are caught bending the rules in the
slightest, you will be expelled from the rally. This bonus DOES NOT mean ‘get a receipt and go collect
bonuses’, it means stop and rest.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: R5 Approved:____________________
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Day 9, Monday - Madera, CA to Lovelock, NV

Fatigue: Friendly Foe

Note: On January 19th, 2008 I was working on my taxes and came across some credit card receipts. It turns out I wasn’t in Madera, but the receipt says Gustine. Looking on a map….Gustine was about 60 miles farther….and kind off the optimal route. Now, I’m not sure. Weird…this is the only part of the whole rally I’m not 100% sure of a route I took.

I tried to awake after a ridiculously long 5 hours of sleep, but couldn’t quite pull it off…and hit the snooze on my cell phone for another half hour. How do the Top 10 do it!? I drug myself from a coma knowing that lingering in a bed was contrary to my goals…..but it just felt so good!

Even once back on the bike it took longer to get back into routine this morning. I knew I was on the negative size of the rest equation and it would take more time to come up with decision, more focused concentration to process information, and not delude myself into missing a bonus.

I had resolved myself that my immediate choice this morning was to make it down to Big Sur and try and score an extra 2,222 points…or risk it and leave that one out. Lick Observatory was a “must-get” and I didn’t know how California traffic was going to be. There was also a 1900 point bonus in San Juan Batista, but it wasn’t open until 9 a.m. That was a natural pair with Big Sur, but I skipped both erring on the conservative side.

I did have plenty of time for Santa Cruz and it was more on the way so made as straight a line as I could for that city.

As I rolled into the area of the sign I saw Rebecca Vaughn long enough to share a smile, thumbs up, and “See ‘ya at Mt. Hamilton.”

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Santa Cruz, California 2,984 points Available daylight hours
The Boardwalk
Take a photo of the overhead sign that reads “Welcome to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk”
Santa Cruz is located in west central CA on the north shore of Monterey Bay, approximately 30 miles south of
San Jose. The Boardwalk is on Beach Street between Riverside Avenue and Raymond Street.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: SC Approved: ______________
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After leaving Santa Cruz I cruised up 17 on a road I had traveled to a cousin’s wedding about 15 years earlier. Eventually twisty and fun as it got closer to San Jose I recognized though it was full of traffic and got worried as I saw a sea of brake lights in front of me.

Con-frickin’-gestion! Ugh! This is not cool….this has the look like it’s going to be stop and go for 25 miles.

Then just as sudden as my shoulder slumping dread moment a light bulb went off. BING! This is California. You can “lane share” here!

…but how do I do this? I’ve never actually done it and only seen it done once by a motor copy 15 years earlier. …boy those cars look close together….how are they going to like a motorcycle riding between them? If this were at home they’d freak out in 3 seconds……I gotta make a choice……go slowly……CAR PASSED!

I made it by another several cars…and another…..then a car sees me approaching and moves away an extra foot out of courtesy….WOW! Lane sharing rocks! We should get this in Washington!

I adopt a heady, but cautious routine of going about 10 or 15 mph faster than the other traffic. I quickly figure out that the safer time to overtake a vehicle is actually when cars are side-by-side. If you go when there’s an open spot beside them…there’s a risk they might change lanes suddenly.

After 5 miles it’s becoming second nature..or at least it’s not freaking me out. The FJR is wide in the hips, but if I remember correctly the handlebars are slightly wider. If the bars can make it…so can the bike’s ass.

I then see Rebecca Vaughn in the distance sitting in a lane perched on her BMW. It’s amazing how one can spot fellow competitors with increasing accuracy and distance…. I’m sure she’s never lane split so I wave at her as I go by with a big arm sweeping, “Follow Me!” Tentatively, she comes out…and picks up the pace a bit. I end up losing her, but smile anyway. I’m sure she’ll catch up with me at Lick.

Cruising through the metro meat of San Jose I find myself back in rural twisties again and still 20 miles until the GPS destination. Carving up some seriously cool and snaky countryside this bonus isn’t quite as easy to bag as I had thought.

Half way up the final mountain I’m in a sport bike groove…and even dragged my pegs on two occasions. The rear tire howls and complains it’s middle-age.

Ahead of me a minivan with rear door up squeals it’s tires and jumps in front of me. A camera is pointed at me and I look sternly serious as I catch up to it. I can’t help myself, but pretend I’m a Valentino Rossi and I have to pass them to secure the season Grand Prix championship. Yes, myself and bikes are fat whales compared to his MotoGP swagger, but it’s still fun to pretend on this glorious California day. I’m less than 5 miles from being at the more-than-symbolic downhill point for the 2007 Iron Butt Rally and only finally scrubbing off my chicken strips!

“Snick” as I twist the throttle on a straight stretch and rocket past the mini van…hoping it will make for a great shot in the documentary Tanji is working on.

Somebody snapped this picture of me and besides having IBR patina all over me this is probably the skinniest I’ve looked in 5 years. I can actually see a dimple and not so much on the double-chin. One helluva weight loss program.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mt Hamilton, California 24,057 points August 28, 2007
Lick Observatory 9:00 am to 3 pm
This bonus has two parts: Take a photo of the sign above the archway entrance to the observatory that reads: “Lick Observatory, University of California”. Make sure the observatory dome is visible in your photo. Sign in with Dean Tanji in the Observatory Parking Lot. Lick Observatory is located on the summit of Mt. Hamilton in the Diablo Range about 12 miles east of SanJose, CA. From I680 take the exit for Alum Rock Avenue / CA130, turn east on Alum Rock and ride about 2 miles, then turn east on Mt. Hamilton Road to the observatory There are several telescopes on the mountain. Toget to the main observatory you need to make a sharp right turn at the top and follow the road around.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: LO Approved: ______________
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Making it to the top of the mountain there is a sea of rider activity going on. People are munching granola, snapping photos, signing in to logbooks, catching up with fellow competitors, and being interviewed. Everybody is upbeat.

Rebecca Vaughn shows up a few minutes later and thanks me, “It was so great you went by. I always wanted to try lane-splitting, but it was so much better having an expert show me how to do it.”

I replied, “Expert? Sure. At the point I showed you…I had 5 minutes more experience than you did.”

“Really!?”, she replied.

“Yep. You’re as much of an expert as I am!”

We laughed.

 

Also rolling in was Jeff Earls. He looked tired and affirmed that he’d ridden his butt off. In fact, “Crispy” was his choice of an adjective and he definitely looked it. Not only has he come her by way of Washington State first…he’d even bagged Victoria on Vancouver Island! He’s probably 50,000 points over me right now…and I just have to be thoroughly impressed. The dude is a point scooping Terminator.

It’s like a reunion here. I see Brian Roberts….when I had last seen him his V-Strom had to be trailered back to the hotel because of a grinding metal problem. He’d later write a full report of his adventures.

 

I saw Paul Peloquin again and he was particularly upbeat this time.

 

And I even saw Tobie and Lisa Stevens…although Lisa didn’t look like she was having that much fun at this point. It turned out the switchbacks had scared the bejeebus out of her…….and rightfully so. One of the turns I thought of less like a road and more like a slope I had snowmobiled before with heavy avalanche risk.

I knew Tobie was a great wing man though and would make sure she got back to St. Louis safely and enough points to finish.

 

 

Descending the mountain seemed a bit easier than the ride up, but I played it a bit more cautiously going down. I had scrubbed the tires going up fairly seriously and knew they were starting to get a bit cupped. Plenty of tread, but I could feel them being a bit fishy and noisy when I leaned over.

However, once I got done with San Francisco this afternoon I’d have mostly a straight ride back to St. Louis.

I pointed North on 680 and made for my next stop, Livermore, CA. Livermore was a cute little community, but the bonus involved firefighters that may or may not be on a call…and as I rolled past a grocery store in downtown I actually spotted their engine flanked by cones. They were getting lunch and I’d have to wait 15 minutes with Vicki Johnson and Chris Sakala until they got back.

Chris seemed in a funk. I knew he had finished second in ‘05 so when I had heard him say, ‘This is the stupidest thing ever to ride our motorcycles around for 11 days. Stupid, stupid, stupid.’….or so I think I remember. I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or serious. I’d later find out in January when he wrote his tongue-in-cheek report that context is everything and that a few things going wrong can sink an entire rally. Chris, man, my heart goes out to you.

 

Picture from Chris Sakala

(I think I’m the guy on the left)

Taking a picture of a dimly glowing light bulb seemed sappy at this point. I don’t know why, but it just seemed a weird claim to fame to be the World’s Oldest Light Bulb. Here’s a live webcam shot to make it a bit more interesting. Maybe I was just in a funky mood.

 

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Livermore, California 3,123 points Available 7 am to 10 pm
Fire Station #6
4550 East Ave. (925) 4542361
Take a picture of the Centennial Light, the oldest continually burning bulb in the world on since 1901.
You will need to go into the Fire Station and ask to see the light. Go to the door and ring the bell. You MUST
also sign the guest book as we will be monitoring it! If the fire personnel are out on a call, you must wait for
their return. Livermore is located in west central California, approximately 40 miles east of San Francisco, CA. From I580,
exit at Vasco Rd and go south. Turn west on East Ave.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: LM Approved: ______________
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Getting In Touch With One’s Sensitive Side

After leaving Livermore I aimed my bike at San Francisco and pondered if this slug of six bonii were going to be easy or hard. They certainly were different with so many bonii adding up to a healthy 17K in gravy….was there some sort of trick? Why was Lisa encouraging us to actually go into densely packed suburbia for points?

Well, I got it as I rounded I-580 and caught my very first glimpse of the Golden Gate bridge. Or, more precisely I began to cry like a baby.

Here I am riding….a stable guy’s guy….been that way all my life. Sure, I’ve cried at movies after I’ve worked myself up into a lather, but I just start bawling for no apparent reason. Deep sobs, tears, and jerky breaths….like a four year old….and I have no idea where it’s coming from.

I even panic a bit. For one reason having your eyes full of tears as you’re cruising in the left lane of a major freeway in California is NOT when one should get weepy. I move over a couple of lanes and slow down the bike…and the water works. The second reason I’m panicking is I don’t have an intellectual explanation for why my emotions just puked out onto the sleeve of my riding jacket.

So, I do like any macho male would….and make up a reason. It doesn’t even matter if it’s true or I totally believe it….just a veneer of truth will suffice.

I think to myself, “I’m on the West Coast…on the downhill leg of an eleven day journey.” ……yeah.

“I’m fatigued and not thinking straight.” .…..this is working.

“That bridge is frickin’ beautiful with it’s Art Deco arches and wisps of fog on the bay.” Wahhhh!!!! ……damn more crying…….

“Perce Rock was an arch on the blue Atlantic Ocean. St. Louis was an arch that was a gateway to the West. I’m seeing arches on the green and huge Pacific Ocean.” ….yeah, that’s it.

My sobbing settles down into an occasional sniffle and I wish Lisa had been there to hug. This was that priceless moment I’d been preparing for 2 years, the result of why I’d spent four grand and three weeks of vacation on a giant tour of the continent– the very reason I’m broken down and fatigued.

I’m finally open to truly appreciate the beauty and spectacle of North America and it overwhelmed me with a sense of calm and perspective.

As the day would wear on I’d intellectualize it even more and take stock at how good we really have it in North America. The newest settled continent on the planet…even post 9/11 still remains remarkably open. Here I was on a two wheeled motorcycle and could navigate the length and width of it with near impunity. Flashing a piece of laminated plastic I only had to pass one marginal homage to a border and navigate easily from from a gigantic ocean to an even more gigantic ocean.

I’d communicated with French descendants that didn’t even share a common language with me, I’d learned how there’s no “r” in car in New England. I’d seen a neon glowing read Pagoda in the green mistiness of Pennsylvania and the rural flyover subtlety of Ohio. I had seen the tragedy of a building blown up by a very intolerant whack job in Oklahoma and somber grandeur and spirit of rock formations in the sovereign Navajo nation. I had been an alien amongst the glitzy poll-dancing glamor of Vegas and slept in the hot bowels of Death Valley while then launching vertically to the top of the world to touch a 4700 year old gnarled tree before lunch….all without burning it down. Then to wind the stark beauty of Ansel Adams in Yosemite and to happen across an enclave of unknown American culture near the Muir wilderness of California was gravy.

Now to stretch the rubber band to the fullest extent I was going to ride into San Francisco and orgy on what I’ve learned is a Seattle on Steroids.

Resolved.

Back to the left lane, twist the grip, rush forward, and sail the afternoon breeze onto The Embarcadero.

This is the true zenith of the 2007 IBR and I’m going to savor the experience.

San Fransisco Is Alive

I’d like to think by this point of the rally I’m getting good at finding destinations and grabbing the first available parking spot regardless of what the authorities might consider legal..however I’m no Jim Owen. I fumble around taking two laps of The Embarcadero before squeezing into a spot flanked by a scooter and a sleeping homeless guy. He quickly quit sleeping as I nosed in, but seemed satisfied with giving me a sneer and decided I smelled worse than he did.

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San Francisco, California 1,415 points Available daylight hours
Cupid’s Arrow
Take a photo of the Cupid’s Arrow sculpture with the Bay Bridge in the background. NOTE: If weather prevents getting the Bay Bridge in the background, obviously we will accept the foggy background. San Francisco is located in west central California, near the western terminus of I80. Located in the northeast corner of the San Francisco peninsula on The Embarcadero between Folsom St and Howard St, just north of theSan Francisco Bay Bridge
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: AR Approved: ______________
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Floundering further it takes me a good 15 minutes to find the right nook and cranny to traverse and make it to the top of Telegraph Hill.

 

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San Francisco, California 2,567 points Available daylight hours
1 Telegraph Hill Blvd.
Take a photo of the statue of Christopher Columbus
San Francisco is located in west central California, near the western terminus of I80.
In the northeast corner of
San Francisco, from The Embarcadero, go west on Bay Street. Turn south on Stockton St and then east on
Lombard. Follow Lombard and it turns into Telegraph Hill Blvd.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: TE Approved: ______________
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Lombard Street was easy to find and I ponder just taking a picture, but since I’ve never been here I decide it’s worth the extra 10 minutes and ride down it. It really IS steep. I, again, don’t have the balls to blow off signs like this Goldwing, but like their picture much better than mine from across the street.

 

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San Francisco, California 4,109 points Available daylight hours
Lombard Street
Park at the bottom of the “World’s Crookedest Street” and take a photo of your bike. Make sure we can see
some of the world famous turns. San Francisco is located in west central CA, near the western terminus of I80.
Lombard Street is located in the northeast corner of the San Francisco peninsula; go to the intersection of Lombard and Leavenworth Street.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: LS Approved: ______________
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Finding the Palace of Fine Arts was easy too and this place stunned me. I know I had seen it before in movies….I just couldn’t remember which ones. In my state it actually reminded me of the CG effects in Star Wars of the Nabu world. Would JarJar come out and greet me?

 

Here’s another rider’s morning shot to show how things look so different.

 

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San Francisco, California 2,452 points Available daylight hours
Palace of Fine Arts
Baker Street
Park your bike on Baker Street and take a photo of your bike in front of the domed building, the Rotunda of the
Palace of Fine Arts. San Francisco is located in west central California, near the western terminus of I80.
The Palace of Fine Arts is located on the north end of San Francisco, just east of the terminus of the Golden Gate Bridge, 2 blocks south of the intersection of Baker and Marina Blvd.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: GS Approved: ______________
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I’m cooking with gas at this point and on a high. 4 bonii in less than an hour. I zoom out to the western edge of the city and snag Sutro Baths. I talked with Curt Gran–he had talked about popping a tire at Bristlecone and I counted myself lucky.

 

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San Francisco, California 3,345 points Available daylight hours
Sutro Baths
Take a photo of the Sutro Baths ruins.
San Francisco is located in west central California, near the western terminus of I80.
Located in Sutro Heights Park, in the extreme northwest corner of the San Francisco peninsula. From the Golden Gate Bridge, follow CA1 south to Geary Blvd. Ride west on Geary which will turn into Point Lobos Avenue, go north on Merrie
Way into the parking lot. If the ruins are visible in your photo you may take the photo from the top of the stairs.
Otherwise, walk down the steps until you get a photo CLEARLY showing the ruins.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: SB Approved: ______________
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15 minutes later I ride across the Golden Gate and stop for a common reverse shot with hundreds of other tourists. Bam! another 2453 points and I’m done with SF.

Now back East, to Sacramento, and revel in the gnarly day of points. By sundown I should have my second highest one day total of 54,000.

 

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San Francisco, California area 2,453 points Available daylight hours
Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point
Take a picture of your bike so that the Golden Gate Bridge is visible behind it. San Francisco is located in west central California, near the western terminus of I80. Located north of San Francisco, take CA1/US101 north across the Golden Gate Bridge and take the first exit to Vista Point (the viewing area on the right).
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: GO Approved: ______________
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Into the Bi-Polar Frying Pan

The coolness of the Pacific lasted until I made it about half way to Sacramento. The heat was ugly and my sweat glands began to hurt as they oozed out fluids. I was well hydrated, I’ve learned after days and days in 100+ heat while running Unlimited Hydroplane Races that the beating sun just hurts to be in. I was cooked myself.

But, I pressed on as the evening was approaching. I engaged in some more lane splitting and found myself heading towards another ebb in my spirits. Snagging the sub-1000 points of a Coca-Cola cup I knew I was headed towards the more usual sparse bonii gathering typical of the West.

 

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Sacramento, California 993 points Available daylight hours
Huge CocaCola Cup 4101 Gateway Park Blvd.
Take a photo of the CocaCola Cup Sacramento is located in central California near the junction of I15
and I80. The building is 1 ½ miles East of I5 Exit 524 (Arena Blvd). Take Arena Blvd east to the southwest corner of Arena Blvd and Gateway Park Blvd.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: CC Approved: ______________
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Rolling into the mountains it cooled down again and my mood improved as I made it to a little burg called Grass Valley.

Trying to find the “Kneebone Cemetery” I wasn’t in any state of mind to say with authority if it was actually Mike Kneebone’s relatives…or some clever bonus by Lisa. In fact….I still don’t know to this day. Regardless, I was respectful and the evening was golden with dear foraging for supper. Normally, I’d flip off these forest rats and wish them a painful death at from the grill of a semi, but I contained my anger out of respect for whoever these Kneebones were.

 

 

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Grass Valley, California area 2,786 points Available daylight hours
Kneebone Cemetery
Take a photo clearly showing one of the Kneebone headstones. Located 55 miles north of Sacramento, California in South Yuba River State Park on Pleasant Valley Road, 8 miles north of junction of CA20 and Pleasant Valley Road. This junction is approximately 8 miles west of Grass Valley, CA, and the road is well signedfrom both directions on CA20 (traffic signal at junction). Approximately ¼ mile walk to the fenced in cemetery.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: KB Approved: ______________
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It was a double bonus in that a covered bridge was just walking distance away. I had remembered I had stressed this paired bonus days planning at the hotel as maybe being on other sides of some mountain…kind of like the two in Yosemite, but found it wasn’t a problem. I think Doug even homed in on the locations. In fact, it was a nice walk and such a luscious evening. The cooling air made sound travel up and down the canyon in subtle waves.

I thought about what normal people were doing and how crazy it was to bust my ass to ride all around the country for stupid Polaroids.

My emotional state was becoming a roller coaster. In less than 5 minutes I had gone bipolar from blissful to pissed to confused to smiley again.

…it would turn out to get even worse as the night unfolded.

 

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Grass Valley, California area 3,314 points Available daylight hours
Bridgeport Covered Bridge
Take a photo of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge
Located in central California, 55 miles north of Sacramento in South Yuba River State Park, on Pleasant Valley
Road, 8 miles north of junction of CA20 and Pleasant Valley Road. This junction is approximately 8 miles
west of Grass Valley, CA, and the road is well signed from both directions on CA20.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: CB Approved: ___________

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Mounting back up several riders came by and were happy to see my bike as they said they’d have ridden right past the cemetery. I had a choice of back-tracking to I-80 on straight two-laners or to take a twist road that would save me some time and opted for the latter…however that was probably the wrong choice in retrospect. When I’d lean over the bike it would shudder in a very bad sounding way…..so much that it felt like metal on metal and the rear end was going out.

It happened to a bunch of Beemers by this point and it could happen to an FJR I thought. I could hear and feel this horrible juddering like teeth were slipping on gears…ugly. I stopped several times fearful that I was gushing burnt oil and that my tire would slide out from under me. For the next 2 or 3 hours I dreamed up worse and worse scenarios ranging from not finishing the Iron Butt Rally to me dying a nasty and horrible death.

I did make it back to I-80, but even in the long highway sweepers the bike was vibrating badly.

It didn’t help that I was ascending Donner Pass. My personal roller coaster of despair was running a hundred miles per hour and it wasn’t even 10 p.m. How was I going to survive the night trying to cross Nevada? This was the worst place in the world to have a mechanical failure and I’m groggy.

So, I got off the bike and started making phone calls trying to solve the problem. I called a fellow FJR rider in the Reno area hoping I could borrow his rear drive. That seemed logical….just replace the entire chunk that’s freaking me out. I’d even buy a new one if it meant that. What’s another grand?

He didn’t answer though and depressed I decided it was time for some comfort food and take a break…so I rolled into one of my favorite restaurants The Black Bear Diner had a franchise in Truckee. The waiter looked at me weirdly for no reason…except that I thought it was because he knew I was a failure in life and would mock me with the line cook after he seated me.

Fine.

I went into the bathroom and realized how crusty my face was. Normally, I’d have laugh, but it didn’t fix my failing rear drive any. More grimness.

No answer from my friend so I finally called Warchild…which I should have done in the first place…and he calmed me down.

“It’s not your final drive. It’s an FJR! They don’t break!”, he said as a helpful beacon in the night.

“It’s gotta be your tire. Go out and run your hand on the edges and see if it’s cupped. If so, nothing you can do about it, but it’s probably safe to ride….at least until Salt Lake.”, he finished with honesty and the right amount of caring.

“You’re fried. Get some sleep.”, as only somebody who had gotten a 4th place in the ‘97 Butt could share with me.

Slightly buoyed I ate a meal, cranked up the laptop, and pondered how I’d spend tomorrow bonii hunting if my bike didn’t fall apart. The rest helped, the tire turned to be badly cupped, and I felt a little better, but still very, very tired.

So, I rode as far as I could and tried sleeping at an exit near Lovelock, NV. However, mosquitoes chewed on me and I had to get up after just a few minutes. I made it about 25 miles farther up the road to an actual rest stop and pulled in. Two LD riders were posed like vampires under a picnic bench on the horribly uncomfortable concrete. (I had thought they were Vicki Johnson and Chris Sakala, but found out later they had gotten a hotel in Winnemucca and ahead of me) They could have chosen the bench-tops, but the buzz of the fluorescent lights would have been horrible so I opted for the concrete.

I fell asleep in 27 seconds.

Day 10, Wednesday, Lovelock, NV to Dillon, CO

Waking up sometime before sunrise somewhere on I-80 in Nevada ….near Imlay…I think….I continued rolling east. The miles of Nevada melted away due in equal parts of my mind being numbness, boring scrub scenery, and nobody around to worry about one’s choice of velocities.

Wendover was a welcome oasis even if I missed the proper exit for Bendover Bob. In fact, I blew two exits and made it to the Utah exit for the Bonneville Salt Flats before I backtracked through town. I’d like to blame it on a firetruck that went passed me, but I knew it was a goof. I thought to myself I was still doing pretty well for what was Day 8 or 9 of the Iron Butt Rally.

….that fact you obviously just saw my paragraph title as being Day 10 should make you wonder a bit how my days were running together….

Good ol’ Bob was tall and slim in the Nevada/Utah desert and acted like a beacon to corrupt Mormons from the Salt Lake area. I should know as the only other time I’ve been to Wendover was with temple-worthy Mormons playing Black Jack all night. They wouldn’t consume booze, but that’s about the only thing they wouldn’t do. ;)

 

And yes, I know the locals don’t call him Bendover Bob, but Wendover Will. But it’s Day 8 or 9 for me (or 10)….and I can hallucinate all I want thank you very much.

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Wendover, Nevada 2,878 points Available 24 hours
Take a picture of Wendover Will (we will give you very wide latitude on a nighttime shot)
Wendover, Nevada is located on the Nevada/Utah border along I80. Wendover Will is located off I80 in Wendover (it is not a very large town). Will is 64 feet tall, we are pretty sure you will be able to find him!
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: WW Approved: ______________
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My mood was hugely different than the night before. Where I was in a deep funk the light of morning melted it away and I thought a McDonald’s breakfast was in order…and a session on the laptop to nail down bonii for the next several days. By this point I had gotten pretty good at estimating where I’d be by the end of dark and a cluster of bonii in Colorado intrigued me. Where it looked impossible to do days before seemed very possible since I had purposely skipped Gerlach because it was the week of Burning Man. Normally totally vacant Gerlach was overrun with 20,000+ “Burners“…..and I should know because I had been to that event a decade earlier. They didn’t scare me, but the fact that half the law enforcement in the State of Nevada did scare me.

Missed the IBR Memorial, but the Stevens didn’t.

 

Sunrise at Doobie Lane. “Burners” snooze off to the right in a camp of tens of thousands.

 

Sexy!

 

And who will be listed for 2007? We’d know in a bit over 2 days.

I’d hit a bonus in Salt Lake, a bonus in Vernal, and then boogy to Colorado and see what I could snag before dark. Anything left I’d get the following day and then beeline for St. Louis. Whoa….I just figured out it’s Day 10. I only have one more day to go!

Another rider came in as I was about to leave and said Hello. Back on the road, however, I was stopped on I-80 because of a bad accident. Good thing I had chosen breakfast because had I kept going I’d have waited in line. Needless to say the prospect of sitting behind 2 miles of semis and cars sounded horrible…so I “filtered” to the front like I was a lost Californian used to lane sharing. As if fate I parked next to a fellow competitor, Mike, on a BMW near the front like we had been separated.

One of the noted masters of line-cutting is Jim Owen. You’d look at the guy with his warm and amiable smile and think he’d be the paragon of courtesy. But more than once there has been a rallier sitting in a line to watch him ride by like he owned the place. Owen would be proud of me for my line cutting stunt. I smiled the whole time either like I was a lost tourist, that I belonged there, or I was supremely grateful they had motioned me to do it. ….I thought a parade wave would have been over the top.

We exchanged pleasantries and watched two helicopters take away two people from what appeared to be a bad rollover.

Shortly after the second chopper lifted off the traffic started to move and both our cycles quickly sprang out in front. Weirdly, this is the very first time I’ve ever traversed I-80 from Wendover to Salt Lake City. I’ve always been to those cities from other directions and it felt strange to have zero traffic for nearly 100 miles. I can tell you though that I eventually caught up with pre-accident traffic somewhere about Toele…and I could see the HID lights of the BMW about 5 miles back in my mirror. Mike would later say that he was cruising “LTO” or “LT Optimal”. Gotta love FJRN….. or “FJR Nominal”…even if my fuel economy sucked on this leg!

Filtering through morning SLC traffic I journeyed across from the capital and snapped a picture of some very weird looking composite buffalo. I’d been to this two block area three times in the past two years with this stop and the Utah 1088. Seems like SLC is the center of my rally universe.

 

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Salt Lake City, Utah 1,021 points Available 24 hours
Council Hall Building
300 N. State Street
Take a photo of one of the decorated buffaloes Salt Lake City is in northwest Utah at the intersection of I80
and I15/I84. Exit I15 at 600 South/UT269 and travel east approximately 1.2 miles to State Street. Turn left (north) on State Street and travel north to the intersection of State Street and 100 North (the state capitol will be right in front of you). Turn right (east) on 100 North. On the southeast corner of State Street & 100 North is the Council Hall building and the home of the Utah Travel Council. In front of the Council Hall building are two painted buffalos.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: SLC Approved: ______________
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Getting back on I-80 I headed East and rode a familiar route to Vernal…where I had taken a picture of a sign in a previous Utah 1088 at night, but would get to see more of the park this day. Colorado weighed heavily on my mind. At this point I was in the mode that I would always be heading back to St. Louis, but it was important to squeeze out every point I could. That squeezing would make a difference in the end I was sure. Barring mechanical failure, bad luck, or a horrible mistake it was at this point that I could see the end of this epic adventure…and I had my fangs out to get as many points as my greedy little Polaroid could take. 10K is also a good chunk of points.

I also was down to my last container of film. I was having to be careful to get the picture right on the first try.

 

Again, I don’t have a picture myself of this bonus, but a fresh shot of the dead sexy Polaris Vision is always good. I wonder how Andy is doing? Or how Brian Roberts is doing……oh I find months later he was doing just fine.

 

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Dinosaur National Monument, Utah 9,102 points Open daily 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Fossil Bone Quarry Visitors Center
Take a photo of the large stegosaurus sculpture outside the Visitors Center. Located in the northeast corner of Utah near Jensen, Utah, the Visitors Center is along UT149, miles north of the junction of US40
and UT149.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: FB Approved: ______________

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I meandered through Colorado on secondary roads encountering some construction delays between Meeker and Rifle. There were four bonii in the area and I couldn’t compute a bullet-proof method for attacking them. I had dark to worry about and figured I couldn’t get all four before dark so I tried to find the best combination of two that I could get…and then either get the other in the morning or be able to move along to St. Louis.

The road from Aspen to the pass was incredibly beautiful, but my severely cupped tire were a handful. Combined with the altitude, slight moisture on the road, impending night, and my general fatigue level I went slowly and concentrated. My fuel level light also started to flash and I shut off my cell on the incline to prevent losing more fuel. Once I made it to the top of the pass I could then point down and have the fuel transfer. That probably wasn’t the smartest thing skipping gas in Aspen…oh well.

12,095 feet….yet another record for me! The air was thin and my fingers and toes felt cold even though I had my electrics going on full. But, at the same time this was some marvelous country.

 

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First was Independence Pass for 4300 points and was gotten to by going through the uberchick Aspen. I skipped gas figuring I could make it to Leadville after the bonus.

Independence Pass, Colorado 4,341 points Available daylight hours
Independence Pass
Take a picture of the Independence Pass sign on CO82
Independence Pass is located in central Colorado, approximately 19 miles east of Aspen, Colorado (between
Aspen and Leadville) on CO82.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: IP Approved: ___________
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I coasted down the hill and gingerly twisted the throttle…even with the incline my low fuel light never stopped flashing and I had 43 miles to Leadville…the nearest probable gas. I ended up making it, but took on the biggest load of fuel I had to date…11 gallons. Under optimal conditions I had 1/2 gallon or 20 miles left, but I’ve never squeezed in more than 11.1 before…so I could have been just a few miles to Sputterville.

Perhaps coincidental, but clearly I was on the long end of the stick in karma, I’m pretty sure I saw Chris and Vicki again around this time. Memory’s fuzzy, but the light profile from those BMW’s stuck in my mind. Again months later I’d find out that Chris’ bike had grenaded its transmission in Leadville….just after they had gotten Independence Pass. Again, man, wow. Chris’ ride was over and he’d DNF.

Light was waning, but I thought I could squeeze in Tennessee Pass and made it with probably 15 minutes to spare. These two passes represented 8,000 points I had almost skipped…and I thought I’d have enough time tomorrow to score the other two bonus locations before continuing on to Kansas.

 

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Leadville, Colorado area 4,320 points Available daylight hours
Tennessee Pass Take a picture of the Tennessee Pass sign Leadville is located in central CO near the junction of US24 and CO91, approximately 85 miles southwest of Denver, CO. Tennessee Pass is located on US24
located north of Leadville, Colorado and south of I70.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: TP Approved: ___________
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Rolling down off the pass back towards Leadville evening gave way to inky-dark night and I could feel fatigue coming again. I debated hard whether to stop at Leadville, but remembered the city was over 10,000 feet. I genuinely worried about altitude sickness and held out to Dillon, which was about three thousand feet lower. I even thought about toughing it out and trying to score the Idaho Springs 24 bonus and getting closer to the fourth bonus to the North, another pass, but I was just plain tired and needed to rest.

In a Super 8 I found some time to catch up on blogging, scarf a Subway sandwich, and catch some sleep. Not a huge point day like the previous two, but I felt like I had done well as a transition day to get back towards St. Louis. Tomorrow could be a good day if I could make it to eastern Kansas before night.

Day 11, Thursday - Dillon, CO to A Picnic Bench, Missouri

Getting out a little after sunrise I whipped out 35 miles to Idaho Springs and snagged a small point bonus, but hugely symbolic bonus. It was a figure that had loomed large in the IBR ‘07 artwork and confounded many of us as being some key to solving a riddle. It turned out it wasn’t a big key at all, but still fun and I was lucky enough to have a local snap this fun picture of me.

 

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Idaho Springs, Colorado 878 points Available 24 hours
Steve Canyon Statue
Take a photo of the granite statue of Steve Canyon Idaho Springs is located in central Colorado, approximately 30 miles west of Denver, CO. Located off I70 at exit 240 eastbound or 241a westbound, at the east end of town, on the corner of Colorado Blvd. and Miner St.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: IS Approved: ______________
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From Idaho Springs I backtracked about 20 miles and started up another road to the last Colorado pass bonus. 6300 points just seemed worth it…and seemed a better choice than the increasingly small points available closer to St. Louis…..besides I think I had enough time to pick up some stuff in Kansas later in the day.

Milner Pass was lower than the others, but between here and my escape to the East would end up lying the gnarliest of roads I’d ever been on.

 

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Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado 6,320 points Available daylight hours
Milner Pass
Take a picture of the Continental Divide sign. Rocky Mountain National Park is located in north central Colorado, approximately 60 miles northwest of Denver, CO. Milner Pass is on US34, approximately 4.5 miles west of the Alpine Visitors Center.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: RM Approved: ______________
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I’d run across breath-taking beauty before, but Rocky Mountain National Park was staggeringly beautiful. One corner I rounded I thought to myself, “Why would they put that huge stuffed elk so near the road? It’s rack could clip passing cars?” And, of course, in my fragile mental state the fact the elk moved as I rode by. This doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence for my mental state, but was smart enough to stop, turn around, and snap a picture of the behemoth that later Tobie and Lisa would say similarly scared them.

 

Another corner and I realize the road I’m riding is on a serious slope at the 12,000 foot level. The edge is crumbling and I found myself hugging the centerline to occasional oncoming traffic. Beautiful country…and I hope to come back here someday.

 

I descended the mountain quickly into Estes Park and civilization again. Motoring on around Denver I was running out of bonus hunting time and did the mental math and GPS routing to decide what I could get in my last 18 or so hours. I figured I could get Chalk Canyon (only slightly off the direct route for 3,000 points) and Greensburg, KS that was more off course for 4,000, but made it easier to pick up Olathe for another 3,000. It would be better to get these and still have a chance of 4,000 more closer to home base.

So, after a short entertaining stop on the freeway for:

 

Chalk Canyon was about 7 miles of gravel road going in and the same coming out. Fairly uninteresting in terms of what the West has to offer in the way of geology….but we’re in Kansas where anything that isn’t dead flat is interesting.

 

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Chalk Canyon, Kansas 3,012 points Available daylight hours
Monument Rocks
Take a picture of your motorcycle in front of the “HoleintheWall.” Located in northwestern KS Monument Rocks is approximately 26 miles south of Oakley, KS. From I70, take exit 70 (US83 at Oakley, KS) and ride south on US83 for 20 miles turn east onto gravel road at the sign, go 4 miles east, then 2 miles south from the “T” intersection. Roads to this site are good, but one 300 yard section is very fine, loose dirt. In rainy conditions, caution is required.
Time: _____________ Odometer: _____________ Code: CK Approved: ______________

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Heading farther south…and against what my internal compass was chanting, “East….east….east”. I rode 83 south towards Dodge City. I reveled in the idea of a childhood memory of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke…and the idea of first name Matt, driving by Watkins, after having woken up in Dillon….well added to my already rattling brain.

Time to stop again and eat a Subway sandwich…and to look one last time at the map and make sure I haven’t missed something obvious on the way back home.

 

Dinner was tasty and confirmed that if I could ride through the night I was going to snag four more bonii. It was like a 14 hour rally now and I just had to ride 800 miles. Easy as pie….which is weird because here I am 10 1/2 days into a rally and 800 miles seems like nothing to me. I must be crazy….

As I left Dodge City I started to see signs for Greensburg and got a weird feeling. Reading my packet the night before I vaguely remembering something on Discovery Channel about this town getting wiped out by a tornado. Besides never seeing a tornado I had never even seen the result of a tornado.

When I got to Greensburg a sense of sorrow just overwhelmed me.

It was SO quiet.

Not just quiet because 12 people had died, but an empty quiet where a small