Today we got up fairly early and made the mad scramble to get our stuff packed and get on the road at a reasonable hour. We failed. By the time we got packed, gassed, fed, and caffeinated it was almost noon.
Overall, I thought the weather was pretty awesome for a return trip from the Black Hills. Granted, it was a bit windy in spots, but the temperatures were comfortable and we didn't run into rain.
As we traveled south, I thought about The Ride. What is it that makes us love riding the motorcycle?
On a motorcycle, you are out in the elements -- the wind, the rain, the sun all have immediate effects. You are exposed to conditions that you have little to no control over. You travel the same roads and at the same speeds as people in cars. Many of those people don't see you because you are small and easy to miss. So you ride like you are invisible, because to most people you are.
But what makes us love it?
Motorcycle riding is a visceral activity. When I ride, I feel like I'm floating. I react to the road with a twitch of the hips one way or another, a slight lean into a handlebar as gusts of wind try to shove me off my course. The wind screams past my ears not quite drowning out the sound of the 1300 cc engine thundering below me.
The road itself is part of the sensation. Each different surface has its own feel through the tires. Some pavement is grooved, some not. Some surfaces are noisier than others, some more difficult to navigate. The heat affects different surfaces in different ways. And tar snakes are always a bikers favorite.
The wind brings fragrances, odors, and aromas that are gone as soon as they cross my nose. The sun beats down, turning my exposed skin a dark reddish-brown. When a cloud passes overhead, the air temperature drops. And you can tell where a field has been recently irrigated or fertilized.
There is a certain freedom in being out in the wind, exposed to the elements. If I could take all of my trips on a motorcycle, I would be a happy girl. But, this is a summertime activity, so we take advantage as we can. And so, we complete up another Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Thanks for reading my ramblings on our trips. And please take a peek back for photo and video updates as soon as I edit the GoPro footage.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
Sturgis: Out and About
This morning we didn't have a plan outside of coffee and breakfast. Over breakfast we decided to go over to Harley-Davidson and get my mirrors installed, Lin wanted to look for shocks, and Donna wanted to look into getting her seat repaired. We will have to go into Sturgis for the seat repair, and Lin didn't like the price on the shocks. I got my mirrors installed, so one out of three ain't bad.
With my new mirrors installed, we took a little ride out to Caputa to take a look at the old camp spot. The fence had been removed, but other than that the place looked the same as the last time we were there.
After the visit to Caputa, we rode out to Box Elder to see Genevieve, Dave, and the kids. Bree was glad to see us, but it was hard to drag Aiden away from Minecraft. The visit was short as it was getting late and we still needed to eat, shower, and start packing for the trip home tomorrow.
We rode into Rapid City to the LongHorn Steakhouse, where Lin was kind enough to buy dinner for us (today is our 22nd anniversary -- thanks Lin). The place was busy as usual, and the service was very slow. By the time we made it back to the cabin, it was much later than we wanted (9:45, where does the time go?), so we postponed the shower and packing until morning.
Today's post is short, just like today's ride. Tomorrow we head for home.
With my new mirrors installed, we took a little ride out to Caputa to take a look at the old camp spot. The fence had been removed, but other than that the place looked the same as the last time we were there.
After the visit to Caputa, we rode out to Box Elder to see Genevieve, Dave, and the kids. Bree was glad to see us, but it was hard to drag Aiden away from Minecraft. The visit was short as it was getting late and we still needed to eat, shower, and start packing for the trip home tomorrow.
We rode into Rapid City to the LongHorn Steakhouse, where Lin was kind enough to buy dinner for us (today is our 22nd anniversary -- thanks Lin). The place was busy as usual, and the service was very slow. By the time we made it back to the cabin, it was much later than we wanted (9:45, where does the time go?), so we postponed the shower and packing until morning.
Today's post is short, just like today's ride. Tomorrow we head for home.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Sturgis: Oh My Hail!
This morning we woke to cloudy skies and cooler temps. After a slow start (so what else is new?) we made our way to the Morningside Cafe, a local breakfast and lunch restaurant. We found that place last year, and decided to find it again. It was much less crowded this year than last, much like everywhere else.
Not long after we were seated, we heard from our friend Genevieve. She was able to take the afternoon off, so we arranged to meet her in town and go for a ride.
Despite the darkening clouds, we decided to ride for Sturgis along our original route -- through Nemo and Vanocker Canyon. We left the parking lot and headed for the road leading to Nemo. A few miles down the road, the raindrops were falling on our heads so we pulled over to don the rain gear. I loaned Genevieve my rain gear since I had worn my chaps and had my all-weather jacket with the water resistant liner.
By the time we had geared up, the rain had started in earnest. The ride from where we had stopped to don our rain gear until we reached Nemo was only about five or so miles, but I think it took us about 20 minutes to ride that five or so miles. A mile or so from where we had stopped to add clothes, the hail started.
The hail pelted us for about half mile, and of course the rain came down harder. I stayed in the lead until I couldn't see for the fog on two layers of glasses, then Donna took over. As long as I could see her, I was fine.
We stopped at the first beer garden we came to and waited out the rain. The break gave us a chance to dry out, warm up, and down a beer. The better part of an hour later, we rode out of Big Mama's beer garden and headed for the turn to Vanocker Canyon.
By that time, the rain had pretty much quit and the rest of the ride into Sturgis was beautiful. The air had a little bit of a nip since we were still damp from the rain, but it wasn't enough to pull us over to change anything.
Traffic in Sturgis was the lightest we have ever seen. In the past, the line of vehicles was almost a mile long. Today we had two bikes in front of us, and the only thing that slowed us down were the stop signs at almost every intersection. We even found places to park on the first block, all within sight of each other. That is unheard of.
After walking around and shopping for about an hour and a half, we met for a meal then headed back to Rapid City. We decided to ride back through Vanocker Canyon and Nemo since the skies had cleared and the air had warmed back up. Once we got riding up the canyon, we discovered that it hadn't warmed up that much, so on came the gear again. Not because it was raining, but because it was starting to cool off.
We dropped Genevieve off at her car and headed back to the cabin. We even managed to make it back before dark. It was a treat to get out of Sturgis during the day and under clear skies. Usually the rain chases us out and we're floating down the interstate after nighfall.
We haven't quite decided what we are going to do tomorrow. Probably go back over to the Harley shop. Lin wants to look at pipes and I'm going to see about getting mirrors mounted.
Not long after we were seated, we heard from our friend Genevieve. She was able to take the afternoon off, so we arranged to meet her in town and go for a ride.
Despite the darkening clouds, we decided to ride for Sturgis along our original route -- through Nemo and Vanocker Canyon. We left the parking lot and headed for the road leading to Nemo. A few miles down the road, the raindrops were falling on our heads so we pulled over to don the rain gear. I loaned Genevieve my rain gear since I had worn my chaps and had my all-weather jacket with the water resistant liner.
By the time we had geared up, the rain had started in earnest. The ride from where we had stopped to don our rain gear until we reached Nemo was only about five or so miles, but I think it took us about 20 minutes to ride that five or so miles. A mile or so from where we had stopped to add clothes, the hail started.
The hail pelted us for about half mile, and of course the rain came down harder. I stayed in the lead until I couldn't see for the fog on two layers of glasses, then Donna took over. As long as I could see her, I was fine.
We stopped at the first beer garden we came to and waited out the rain. The break gave us a chance to dry out, warm up, and down a beer. The better part of an hour later, we rode out of Big Mama's beer garden and headed for the turn to Vanocker Canyon.
By that time, the rain had pretty much quit and the rest of the ride into Sturgis was beautiful. The air had a little bit of a nip since we were still damp from the rain, but it wasn't enough to pull us over to change anything.
Traffic in Sturgis was the lightest we have ever seen. In the past, the line of vehicles was almost a mile long. Today we had two bikes in front of us, and the only thing that slowed us down were the stop signs at almost every intersection. We even found places to park on the first block, all within sight of each other. That is unheard of.
After walking around and shopping for about an hour and a half, we met for a meal then headed back to Rapid City. We decided to ride back through Vanocker Canyon and Nemo since the skies had cleared and the air had warmed back up. Once we got riding up the canyon, we discovered that it hadn't warmed up that much, so on came the gear again. Not because it was raining, but because it was starting to cool off.
We dropped Genevieve off at her car and headed back to the cabin. We even managed to make it back before dark. It was a treat to get out of Sturgis during the day and under clear skies. Usually the rain chases us out and we're floating down the interstate after nighfall.
We haven't quite decided what we are going to do tomorrow. Probably go back over to the Harley shop. Lin wants to look at pipes and I'm going to see about getting mirrors mounted.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Sturgis: Black Hills Challenges
The goal of the day was Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway. These are listed as two of the most challenging rides in the Black Hills. Now, I don't know if they are considered equally challenging riding one direction over the other, but this year, we chose to ride UP both. Usually when we ride Iron Mountain Road, we ride into Keystone instead of out of Keystone.
The Black Hills are criss-crossed with windy little state roads that connect the major highways. These roads are generally a little more narrow with fewer (if any) passing lanes and they hide some of the most beautiful scenery in the Hills.
We started the day in Keystone with a quick breakfast, then herding the cats.... er.... gathering all the bikes for the ride up Iron Mountain Road.
After Iron Mountain Road, we entered Custer State Park and saw a herd of buffalo along the side of the road. They pretty much ignored the tourists and just munched the grass.
Riding through Custer State Park along the Needles Highway seemed like a slow motion ride. The speed limit is 25 MPH, and for good reason. The road is narrow and has a lot of tight turns and switchbacks. But the views are awesome.
After Needles Highway, we rode into Hill City for a beer, a bite to eat, and conversation before heading our separate ways for another year.
Lin, Donna, and I had discussed riding over the Old Hill City Road back into Keystone when we left, then up to our cabin, but the turn onto Old Hill City Road came up sooner than we expected and we missed it, so decided to skip that part of the day. It was probably a good thing, too, because the clouds were building up for their afternoon downpour. While we managed to miss most of the raindrops on the ride back to the cabin, the rain did chase us inside after we parked the bikes.
Tomorrow we head to Sturgis for some shopping and to register at the administration building. The plan is to ride up to Nemo then take Vanocker Canyon into Sturgis. Should be a fun day.
The Black Hills are criss-crossed with windy little state roads that connect the major highways. These roads are generally a little more narrow with fewer (if any) passing lanes and they hide some of the most beautiful scenery in the Hills.
We started the day in Keystone with a quick breakfast, then herding the cats.... er.... gathering all the bikes for the ride up Iron Mountain Road.
After Iron Mountain Road, we entered Custer State Park and saw a herd of buffalo along the side of the road. They pretty much ignored the tourists and just munched the grass.
Riding through Custer State Park along the Needles Highway seemed like a slow motion ride. The speed limit is 25 MPH, and for good reason. The road is narrow and has a lot of tight turns and switchbacks. But the views are awesome.
From left to right: Lin, Joby, Carrie, Donna, Jae, Vicki (trying to hide behind Jae), and Sharon.
After Needles Highway, we rode into Hill City for a beer, a bite to eat, and conversation before heading our separate ways for another year.
Lin, Donna, and I had discussed riding over the Old Hill City Road back into Keystone when we left, then up to our cabin, but the turn onto Old Hill City Road came up sooner than we expected and we missed it, so decided to skip that part of the day. It was probably a good thing, too, because the clouds were building up for their afternoon downpour. While we managed to miss most of the raindrops on the ride back to the cabin, the rain did chase us inside after we parked the bikes.
Tomorrow we head to Sturgis for some shopping and to register at the administration building. The plan is to ride up to Nemo then take Vanocker Canyon into Sturgis. Should be a fun day.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Sturgis: Deadwood
Today we rode to Deadwood to test our luck at the slots and grab dinner. The ride over was great. Bike traffic was light, as we noticed before, and we've heard a couple of locals comment the same thing.
We took Lake Sheridan Road to US Hwy 385 and practically had the road to ourselves. That's almost unheard of during rally week. It's nice when it does happen because no one is pushing us faster than we want to ride and we aren't pushing anyone else along.
We arrived in Deadwood around 2:30-ish, parked in the big lot across from the casinos, and walked the length of Main Street down to the Mineral Palace Casino to have dinner with our friends from North Dakota.
A few beers and steaks later, we toddled down to the casino and I dropped a twenty into an interesting looking machine. I started slow, like I always do, and I got a bonus spin. Then I got another bonus spin. And another. Pretty soon I was up about $50.00. That was when Lin told us that she had found a roulette machine.
We spent the next half hour or so playing roulette before we got the weather report from our friends who were wandering around outside. The clouds had turned black to the south and east, so we decided to cash out and head back to the cabin.
The skies over Deadwood had cleared by the time we got out to the bikes and on the road back, but we could see the blackness in the distance. Heading down US Hwy 385 we watched the sky with our eyes on the clouds. Luck was on our side all the way from Deadwood to Rapid City. The roads were still wet in spots, and we could tell that we had missed the rain by mere moments. But overall, the trip back was dry and incident free.
Tomorrow we ride Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway.
We took Lake Sheridan Road to US Hwy 385 and practically had the road to ourselves. That's almost unheard of during rally week. It's nice when it does happen because no one is pushing us faster than we want to ride and we aren't pushing anyone else along.
We arrived in Deadwood around 2:30-ish, parked in the big lot across from the casinos, and walked the length of Main Street down to the Mineral Palace Casino to have dinner with our friends from North Dakota.
A few beers and steaks later, we toddled down to the casino and I dropped a twenty into an interesting looking machine. I started slow, like I always do, and I got a bonus spin. Then I got another bonus spin. And another. Pretty soon I was up about $50.00. That was when Lin told us that she had found a roulette machine.
We spent the next half hour or so playing roulette before we got the weather report from our friends who were wandering around outside. The clouds had turned black to the south and east, so we decided to cash out and head back to the cabin.
The skies over Deadwood had cleared by the time we got out to the bikes and on the road back, but we could see the blackness in the distance. Heading down US Hwy 385 we watched the sky with our eyes on the clouds. Luck was on our side all the way from Deadwood to Rapid City. The roads were still wet in spots, and we could tell that we had missed the rain by mere moments. But overall, the trip back was dry and incident free.
Tomorrow we ride Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway.
Monday, August 8, 2016
Sturgis: Hail No!
The day started a little later this morning than expected. On the other hand, the night was much longer than expected. An hour or so after we turned the lights out, while we were still tossing and turning trying to get comfortable in unfamiliar beds, lightning and thunder rolled across the Black Hills along with the rumble of motorcycles. At one point, the thunder rumbled for almost two minutes as heat lightning lit up the clouds and our metal water bottles rattled against each other.
We woke to blue skies and sunshine. After breakfast, we headed to Black Hills Harley-Davidson, a regular stop during the rally.
Now, Lin is the only Harley rider in the group, but even us Honda riders can find a deal or two at BHHD. The vendors sell all kinds of accessories for more than just Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We found some new-fangled tie-downs to try out on the ATV and new mirrors for my Honda.
After we finished walking around and looking at accessories, it was time to find a bit of air conditioning and cold beverages before stopping for a few groceries on the way back to the cabin. As we left the bar and rode toward the store, our eyes turned west, to the clouds building up and moving east. We would have to make it a quick trip though the aisles.
The clouds were blacker and closer when we came out of the store. We quickly packed the bikes and headed back to the cabin. Watching the clouds, we rode the handful of miles and got everything into the cabin moments before the sky opened up.
For the first time in my life, I saw golf-ball sized hail. The weirdest part of the storm was hearing the hail before I saw it. I could hear them hit the road as they traveled across the highway, then they ripped through the trees around the cabin, losing enough energy that they didn't damage our bikes.
Some bikes out on the highway weren't so lucky. We heard reports of broken headlights, cracked windshields and a few minor injuries, but nothing serious -- as far as we know.
That was our excitement for the day. Tomorrow we ride to Deadwood. Wish us luck!
We woke to blue skies and sunshine. After breakfast, we headed to Black Hills Harley-Davidson, a regular stop during the rally.
Now, Lin is the only Harley rider in the group, but even us Honda riders can find a deal or two at BHHD. The vendors sell all kinds of accessories for more than just Harley-Davidson motorcycles. We found some new-fangled tie-downs to try out on the ATV and new mirrors for my Honda.
After we finished walking around and looking at accessories, it was time to find a bit of air conditioning and cold beverages before stopping for a few groceries on the way back to the cabin. As we left the bar and rode toward the store, our eyes turned west, to the clouds building up and moving east. We would have to make it a quick trip though the aisles.
The clouds were blacker and closer when we came out of the store. We quickly packed the bikes and headed back to the cabin. Watching the clouds, we rode the handful of miles and got everything into the cabin moments before the sky opened up.
For the first time in my life, I saw golf-ball sized hail. The weirdest part of the storm was hearing the hail before I saw it. I could hear them hit the road as they traveled across the highway, then they ripped through the trees around the cabin, losing enough energy that they didn't damage our bikes.
Some bikes out on the highway weren't so lucky. We heard reports of broken headlights, cracked windshields and a few minor injuries, but nothing serious -- as far as we know.
That was our excitement for the day. Tomorrow we ride to Deadwood. Wish us luck!
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Sturgis: On the Road Again
The annual motorcycle pilgrimage has begun. This morning, Lin, Donna, and I mounted our steel ponies and headed north to Sturgis, South Dakota.
Our day started around 7:30-ish with coffee and conversation. As usual, we chatted longer than intended and finally got our butts in gear and loaded the bikes. We finally got out of the driveway and off to Vern's Place for breakfast around 9:30. As usual, the food was very good.
The first leg of our trip started on I-25. This year, we decided to take the county roads out to Wellington and grab the Interstate there instead of Fort Collins. We gassed up and headed to Cheyenne. North of Cheyenne we took US Hwy 85 toward Torrington.
Having tested the range of the bikes on our trip to Pagosa Springs earlier this summer, we decided to skip one of our usual gas stops (next year we might skip two). Normally, we stop in Lusk, WY, for gas, but this year we skipped Lusk and rode straight through from Lingle, WY, to Edgemont, SD. About a mile or so before we reached Edgemont, Donna had to turn on her reserve tank.
Overall, today's ride was pretty uneventful. The weather was just about perfect when we hit the highway, with not a breath of wind in the air. That changed the further north we rode. By the time we reached Lusk, the wind kept trying to push us around. For the most part, the wind was behind us, but every once in a while the road curved around and the wind would broadside us.
We were able to make the ride with fewer stops this year, which makes a faster trip. We arrived at our camping cabin just outside of Rapid City before 7:00 PM. This year we rented a camping cabin at the Happy Holiday Resort. We are a little closer to Rapid City, which might or might not be a bad thing, I'll let you know.
So begins another adventure on a motorcycle.
Our day started around 7:30-ish with coffee and conversation. As usual, we chatted longer than intended and finally got our butts in gear and loaded the bikes. We finally got out of the driveway and off to Vern's Place for breakfast around 9:30. As usual, the food was very good.
The first leg of our trip started on I-25. This year, we decided to take the county roads out to Wellington and grab the Interstate there instead of Fort Collins. We gassed up and headed to Cheyenne. North of Cheyenne we took US Hwy 85 toward Torrington.
Having tested the range of the bikes on our trip to Pagosa Springs earlier this summer, we decided to skip one of our usual gas stops (next year we might skip two). Normally, we stop in Lusk, WY, for gas, but this year we skipped Lusk and rode straight through from Lingle, WY, to Edgemont, SD. About a mile or so before we reached Edgemont, Donna had to turn on her reserve tank.
Overall, today's ride was pretty uneventful. The weather was just about perfect when we hit the highway, with not a breath of wind in the air. That changed the further north we rode. By the time we reached Lusk, the wind kept trying to push us around. For the most part, the wind was behind us, but every once in a while the road curved around and the wind would broadside us.
We were able to make the ride with fewer stops this year, which makes a faster trip. We arrived at our camping cabin just outside of Rapid City before 7:00 PM. This year we rented a camping cabin at the Happy Holiday Resort. We are a little closer to Rapid City, which might or might not be a bad thing, I'll let you know.
So begins another adventure on a motorcycle.
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