| Author | Message | ||
     Tankhead |
I will be posting on ADV and sport-touring.net. Here is my googlemaps site. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0 &msid=111479501882517875149.00044e25fbad06e190e7c& ll=36.958671,-109.423828&spn=5.424442,12.041016&z= 7 More to come............ | ||
| Cityxslicker |
go Tank go. Looking at the Bendy and Dirty Tour with my CityX before my 40th this year too. Some nice points of interest there, mind if I borrow a few ?  | ||
| Cletusberontwood |
Very nice present! Did you get any good pictures while you were out? Tell us about the adventure! | ||
| Tankhead |
I haven't left yet. Will be leaving the 21st of June. Trip of a lifetime, a years worth of researching. More to come.......... (Message edited by tankhead on June 14, 2008) | ||
| Tankhead |
Here ya go; Gettin ready for the cross country trip. They are Hepco & Becker Junior Flashes 40 liters and they are all mine.     I have purchased the following: Tourmaster rain suit, Coleman multi-fuel stove, 12 egg carrier, dry fit shorts, SLime tire inflator, tire plug kit, North Face running shoes, camping pots, Lexan utensils, inflatable sleeping pad, Latern, Stuff I have: Ipod, Cannon camera, tent, tarp, maps, GPS ZUMO, Atlas, knife, Buell City-x, etc | ||
| Ksc12c |
Tank, Remember to pack Sun screen. It's hot here in Texas.  . In ridden from Amarillo up to Durango and around the Four Corners area. Great riding! If you get a chance see the following: Amarillo: Palo Duro Canyon State Park Cortez, Co.: Blondie's Pub and Grub Enjoy the ride. Kevin | ||
| Dazed1 |
Tankhead, who made the mounts for your saddlebags? | ||
| Tankhead |
It's all Hepco & Becker. check out twistedthrottle.com | ||
| Tankhead |
The trip is incredible. Many pics of my bull (buell) in all the wonderful places in fourcorners area. Traffic has been extremely light. abiquiu NM, mesa verde, grand canyon, zion, bryce, capitol reef, arches. Today will be going to cannyonlands and then to grand junction co, then on to black canyon of the gunnison, then right on to rocky mountain np. many pics to come. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Cool! Looking forward to pics! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
GO TANK GO. I am on the countdown to my own disappearing act. Turn 40 in september. Got the gear, got the bike, just need to sell off the house and get on the road. Nice to see another City-X doing the long haul | ||
| Tankhead |
teaser pics. report to follow....   | ||
| Tankhead |
I was released from work as a teacher on June 20th to have off for another summer. After one year of planning, a horrible divorce in the process, I set off at about 5:00 am June 21st with my gear loaded and my odometer reading recorded.   Did not sleep to well the night before, as you all know, just could not believe that my journey was to begin, by myself, for three weeks. Woke up late actually. Was planning to be on the road by 5:00 but actually was out on the road 'bout 5:30. Stopped to get gas and check tire pressures. I remember saying how wonderful the weather was.  I headed across NJ to De memorial bridge and on to route 95. Headed to Route 66 across VA. Stopped to take the pic of Skyline Drive (Front Royal) and headed south on Route 81. For some strange reason I got incredibly tired and pulled off somewhere on 81 and laid down, ate a couple of hard boiled eggs and took a 15 minute power nap on the shaded hillside. I pulled off to get gas and found a sign that mentioned natural bridge and foamhenge. I will let the pics speak for me. Creepy......     (Message edited by tankhead on July 18, 2008) | ||
| Tankhead |
I headed onward and downward..... My first stop was to be at a fellow ADV'r. Shannon Riley, I believe. I called and told him that I was earlier than expected and would be traveling farther south into TN as far as I could get. The strange thing about 99% of this trip is that the weather was incredible and the traffic, because of the high gas prices, was incredibly light. Great for me.... I spent the night on the east side of Knoxville on the beginning of my long shlep across Route 40.  Woke up early. On the road by 7:30. Had a couple bagels with cream cheese and a bath tub full of coffee. I felt invigorated and ready for an ultra long day in the saddle. Driving through Tn around some watershed areas, the cool water sent up fog through the hills that caused some wiping of my tinted Vemar face shield and a chill down my back but it lasted a very short time. As the day grew long I noticed that my bike was running great. Averaging about 130-140 miles before the 2.8 tank begged for more fuell in my Buell. About mid-day I stopped to get gas early because I was now going to be hitting my first 1000 miles on the trip. I was still on the west side of TN and took a shot of my odometer to record the milestone.  I called my sister and told her I would be having lunch with Elvis later on. Headed west some more. I crossed the Mighty Mississippi. I got to Arkansas and noticed a huge metal pyramid structure that was on the right side of me Route 40. Did not have enough time to get out the camera but if anyone would like to edumacate on this pyramid that would be great. Straight shot to Oklahoma.  The day was beautiful and the riding was incredible. I stopped finally at about 9:00 p.m. and had clocked 869 miles for the day. I actually thought of finishing the day with one thousand miles but instead found a hotel in Shawnee OK. Oklahoma skies.  I wanted to stop in OK city to view the bombing site early the next morning but for now it was all about the food. Taco Bueno with Steel Reserve beer.  Tomorrow New Mexico would be mine. | ||
| Tankhead |
The next day's mission was to get to the first part of the four corners. I have been fascinated by the four states since the early 90's. Being a competitive mountain biker back then, I would read and re-read the article in all the mountain bike rags over and over. I couldn't believe that in the country that I live in holds that kind of beauty and that piqued a desire to get my ass out there and check out the beautiful landscapes that looked so violent, peaceful, and in the purest sense of the word AWESOME. I headed out of my hotel refreshed and ready. Downed the coffee, ate the bagels, and moved on. First on the list was a short stop at the OK Bombing site. I just felt that being so close, and not getting to see the destruction that was once the World Trade Center, I needed to pay my respects. Drove in circles for awhile, even with the ZUMO, but decided to park illegally across the street on the corner under a shaded tree. Took out the camera, and started running, up until I saw plain clothes police officers carrying sidearms. I first saw people lined up to an entrance that read something about a bombing site store. I immediately felt very uncomfortable about a store profiting from such a violent act. I can only assume that the proceeds are being spent for some greater good. I did get goosebumps. I also felt a great sense of anger. The sheer lunacy of people becoming so pissed at a government that they destroy innocent life in the name of their cause ( INsANitY ). Here ya go.     Immediately upon my return to Route 40, I found myself being followed by two bikers. One was on a cruiser, the other on a sport bike. I was traveling at a good clip, 75mph, then 80, then 90. They stayed right behind me. I really didn't like riding behind trucks with the re-treaded tires. So the increase in speeds was manly to get around the trucks to avoid the potential risk. After riding along with the other phantom riders for about a hundred miles they signaled that they needed to get gas. I pulled off with them. It was a father and son team heading back to Orange County CA from NY. They rode across the country and were now heading back. The father's name was Martin who was riding the big Triumph and the boy was riding a Duc. I feel bad that the young man's name escapes me. They have been riding for years, put in some track time and were very nice lads.    | ||
| Tankhead |
We traveled through OK and then across the northern square of TX. The landscape drastically changed within a few minutes. I became loaded and ready, full of adrenaline and a sense of "Yes, I am making this happen." I am getting so close. The wind was a factor, pulling my trusty steed to the left and to the right. I could feel the change in wind direction based on the heat on either my left or right shin coming from the Thunderstorm engine. I was living......living on two wheels. Many emotions invaded my consciousness throughout my 7500 mile journey. This was the start of a fascinating, adrenaline filled, sensory explosion that was a constant daily occurrence. It left me at the end of every day exhausted but extremely satisfied about life. As I entered New Mexico, with my two partners for the day, the landscape changed yet again, and in my helmet, down my cheeks, tears streamed, as I laughed while crying out loud. Mission accomplished. I had made it to the first destination. I was in New Mexico. A life's dream and I made it.        | ||
| Tankhead |
My two touring partners and I stopped for lunch at a gas stop. Talked for awhile and I let them know that I would be pulling off at the next gas stop with hopes of camping at Villanueva State Park. We continued west on Route 40 and I noticed some plumes of smoke in various parts of the plains to my left. With the wide open undulating tarmac in front of me, after 500 miles of riding with my new found travelers, I was alone again and pulled off onto Route 3 heading north.    | ||
| Tankhead |
Immediately I felt an incredible sense of adventure and a feeling of being alone in the dessert, descending into a canyon where the road snaked and undulated. When I got to where the trusty ZUMO informed me that the state park entrance was right in front of me I was shocked to conclude that without much water, one Cliff bar, and the impending lightning strikes to the north of me, I was not prepared for spending the rest of the 95 degree afternoon setting up camp so I continued through the canyon and found myself in a canyon with a neighborhood of tiny adobe shacks. The red rock walls so close that I could touch them, the blooming cactus, the river that lead me through the tiny towns of Sena and Ribera was almost too overwhelming for me to comprehend. Pure beauty that I could breath in and touch. (Message edited by tankhead on July 18, 2008) (Message edited by tankhead on July 18, 2008) | ||
| Tankhead |
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| Tankhead |
After leaving that area I decided to head to Santa Fe. I hopped on Route 25 and the cloud to ground lightning strikes became closer and closer to me. I stopped at a place to eat. It was packed with cars. After 600 miles, with the shadows creeping longer, I stopped to call my girls and then met up with this young plump girl who was waiting for her business partner, she invited me to eat with them. After a nice smoked salmon dinner, the other woman offered to escort me to a hotel in town. I paid the bill, dinner on me, and followed her through the narrow streets of Santa Fe. She directed me to park, and waited while I checked in. I told her that I was all set, she thanked me for dinner and she was gone. A married unattractive woman (to me) was genuinely nice to me and was kind. I opened the door to my hotel and began writing in my journal about the day. Collapsed and passed out for the night.  Santa Fe the next morning. A stroll through town   There were snails the size of quarters on some of the flower beds getting nourishment from the dark root mulch   | ||
| Tankhead |
After buying some t-shirts for my girls and packing them up for delivery through Fed-Ex, I unfortunately started to get the point of Santa Fe. Through talking with some of the locals, and from my own observations, it appears that there is a serious attitude with many of the "transplants." Apparently they came in with their trust monies and decided that they could be considered the socialites in a hippie town where no would could compete with their status, but glad to be singled out instead of being the low man on the totem pole from wherever they came from. Disappointing, yes. Time to leave, yes. Hot HOT HOT. It started getting pretty hot so I loaded the camelback bladder with water and headed north to start a base camp at Lake Abiquiu.  The structure that you see out the back window from my tent is called the Cerro Pedernal. It is a 9862 ft. flat top mountain that was the favorite subject of a famous artist, Georgia O'Keeffe. "If I paint it enough times maybe God will give it to me."   After setting up camp with the desire to ride the bike free from all of my gear I headed up Route 84. This is what I saw. Have fun.         | ||
| Tankhead |
I headed back down the mountain and stopped for gas. I went in to pay. I noticed that the gas stop had a bar in it and three gentlemen were swigging back some brew. I said hi and we got to talking. Turns out they are all cousins. One guy looked European, the other looked spanish and the other one looked Native American. They insisted that they were Spanish and did not seem to take to kindly of native americans as much. They were fighting for land that apparently was theirs for many generations, but have since been encroached upon and strangers were systematically taking parcels of the land through the years. They had my attention, but I noticed that they kept taking swigs of salt from the salt shaker. :huh I asked what was up with the salt, and the older cousin told me that it helps with altitude and alcohol. OK? They told me about their family crest and their heritage. before I left on this trip one of the goals was meeting the locals, the folks. I was very fascinated hearing them speak for about an hour and a half. Listed is some of the pictures on the wall of the bar. We said our goodbyes and I headed back down to base camp. The sky was my friend.    | ||
| Tankhead |
I had to charge my phone so that I could say goodnight to my girls. The only place that I knew that had a phone was the park bathroom. So I made several trips back and forth those two nights charging phones, cameras, Ipods. The sky was on fire that evening.  After that evening of reading in my tent and completing my journal entries, I peeked outside to witness the vast and "so close you could touch", star show. WOW did I ever...... What amazed me the most is that I thought I could see the trail of the Milky Way in a long vaporous cloud line. Simply incredible. The next morning I saddled up, again with a more lightened load and headed up and east to Toas. I was using a book called "Motorcycling the Southwest" as my tour guide, took some notes which I slipped in my tank bag and head back through Espanola. Some of the roads that were supposed to connect I just could not find. I searched for a while and then just gave up and created my own route. Route 76 to Route 518. I started to get a strange feeling that I could not figure out. I knew the symptoms of altitude sickness, but I felt different from what I had researched. I felt like my head was a tv and my body and bike was part of a video game. I felt disconnected to my arms and hands. I also felt like if I fell off of the sides of the road that maybe it would not hurt. I continued up 518 looking at the snow capped mountains of the 13,161 ft Wheeler peak. Took this pic.  At the time, not really thinking clearly now looking back, I thought I was looking at some of the Colorado peaks. It was the first time in my life that I have been witness to snow capped mountains and it blew me away. I then headed down into town. After not eating yet, I decided I was in dire need of nutrition and fluids. I had been drinking water from my pack, but I started feeling so hypoglycemic and extremely TIRED, ike I almost could control the desire to just let the bike go and fall to the ground and sleep. I knew that I was having problems so the first place to eat I pulled in. Tex Mex joint. Walked in at collapsed at the table that the host provided me. I called my dear friend who is a nurse, she told me that I was experiencing altitude problems and to keep drinking as much as I could tolerate. I gobbled up my nachos and chimichanga, and thought I started to feel better. Paid the bill, and headed out, the heat hit me quite hard, so I thought well let me check out the town of Taos. Traffic was a bear (looking back this is the only part of my trip that traffic seemed relentless). I tried my damnedest to get out of town, but even with my GPS barking at me, I was so confused that I kept going in circles. The heat, the altitude, and the incredible feeling of sleepiness, I knew I had to descend more. The decision to get back to base camp was made. I headed south, down through a canyon and tried to sing very loud in my helmet to stay awake. The song of choice was "One is the loneliest number" I was trying to give it a Scott Weiland type of feel. I soon began to recognize that I was getting close and was overjoyed to be back at my tent, stripped down, drank more water. Just then I saw movement near my tent. Here was my little friend hiding out near my tent.   Charged my phone again at the bathrooms down the way and went to bed. Tomorrow I would witness ancient Anasazi cliff dwellers' homes.  | ||
| Tankhead |
The next morning I packed it all up. It was strange leaving that beautiful place called Abiquiu. I was excited to get back on the road but missed that place before I left. The decision was made to head somewhat north to Mesa Verde CO. Now that was not the original plan however, I felt that if I hit the "Green Table" while I was only 80 miles away I wouldn't have to head that far south when heading back through CO. So without further ado, here are some of the pics of that morning heading west on 96 to 550 which brought me right into Durango CO. I bid farewell to O'Keeffe's baby:         | ||
| Tankhead |
Boy it was getting HOT. I remember pulling off at a dollar store to get more water and noticing a ICE stand and the sign said "water $1.00 a gallon" so I walked over to it and took note of how new and clean it looked. Popped in four quarters, opened the vending machine door, and sure enough pure, cold, crystal clear water started flowing into my camelback. I hope that the overflow was recycled in a good way because my back could not hold the whole gallon. Within a couple miles I was passing through Aztec, CO. As I crossed the Colorado border I immediately got the hourly renewed pang of adrenaline blasting through my circulatory system. The white capped mountains were everywhere I looked, the sun was shining, my heart was pumping, and I was alive, alive in Colorado. The wind was constant but not harsh, the views were large, and beautiful:     | ||
| Tankhead |
The last picture you see above was right about the time the fuel light came on.  :headscratch:  I just couldn't believe how dumb I was for just being at the gas station and ended up not getting gas. By this time I was just about done. I headed back down the twisty park drive and headed for the gas station I was just at an hour before. This altitude was getting me pissed off at this point. Called my friend again and she, as always, was available for me to vent for awhile. I pulled my head out of my ass and decided to go back up the mountain and try again, questioning the whole time whether I would have enough time to get it all in. This time I was feeling great up the twisty road up to the ruins. I was laying the bike down into the corners, screaming "yahooooo" the whole time. Very spirited riding to say the least. Constant turning. I reached the ruins and began my exploration of the ancient ones: Unbelievable history, views, rocks, and architecture. Enjoy:      | ||
| Tankhead |
As I headed towards the four corners area on Route 160 I immediately noticed that I was getting freakin HOT. Really Hot. Felt like my shins, from engine heat, were melting, so I continued to pull one leg off of the foot pegs and stretch it far from the engine in intervals. Not much to tell on the ride there so I will let the pics do the talking.             | ||
| Tankhead |
After I purchased many t-shirts off of a local vendor, with his signature on his artwork, I headed out of there to a post office 5 miles down the road. It was very hot and I tried to find a shaded area to park the Buell. I sent out the items that needed to be shipped and headed west north west to Page, AZ where I would spend the night. On the way there I stopped at another Navajo jewelery stop and started hunting for some trinkets for my girls. I purchased some very interesting juniper beads that had a spiritual meaning. I also purchased some earrings for my friend. There was an older women selling jewelry that had her young granddaughter with her. I tried to talk to the young girl and tell her about my daughter who was also 8 but she was shy and I did not even know if she could understand my language. I missed my girls painfully and was sad to say goodbye to the little Navajo girl and her grandmother. It was the first of many serious pangs of home sickness that I encountered on the road for the rest of the trip. The scenery was very, shall I say again, unbelievable. Everywhere I looked beauty abound. It flooded my visual senses almost to a point of a dream like status. Here are some of the pics of that ride. Page was the final destination for the day.                 Final resting stop: my hotel to recover from the heat in page. Jumped in clothes and all. Felt incredible to be floating.  | ||
| Snub13 |
Hey Chris, GREAT report! I want more. What a trip. Glad you made it home safe. Tim | ||
| Tankhead |
The next morning I realized that I had entered another time change. Packing everything up every morning become second nature and I knew what was in store for me this day. I would be traveling to the north rim of the Grand Freakin' Canyon. However, I never imagined what was waiting for me in between here and there. I descended a bit out of Page and noticed Lake Powell. I had seen a bit of it the day before. As I traveled west, I was beginning to see various colors in the huge canyon walls. I would soon be in the middle of the most beautiful colored rock cliffs that you could imagine. This was my ride to the Grand Canyon.         | ||
| Tankhead |
The scenery passed me serenely. At peace I was, trying my best to gather in my mind what I was viewing constantly and though it was hard to process all that I was seeing I was at total peace. I felt at home. The terrain changed within a couple of turns of the tarmac and before I could absorb the changes I was in a full on Alpine mix of Aspen and Ponderosa pines. Now, doing the amount of research that I did prior to the trip, I was ready for the miles and miles of RVs, bumper to bumper, as I have read. To my amazement when I got to Jacob Lake to begin the 60 mile journey into the park, I could only laugh out loud in pure excitement at the empty road taking my to the end of the earth.   The Grand Canyon was at the end of the skyline and there was no stopping me.        (Message edited by tankhead on July 30, 2008) (Message edited by tankhead on July 30, 2008) | ||
| Tankhead |
 I was close to the heavens  I made it. I was proud. I had arrived.   The GPS was telling me I had arrived at the end of the earth.      | ||
| Reepicheep |
Excellent! Never knew I bought a sport tourer  | ||
| U4euh |
Damn fine read, memories to last a life time no doubt! |
