| Author | Message | ||
     Tootal |
On the last week of July my brother and I took off to the Black Hills. We rode the back roads and had an enjoyable ride through Illinois, up the river road and then crossing into Iowa at Ft. Madison. We rode up through Iowa coming to a rest in Albia. There's a nice motel just as you enter town where we have stayed before. Across the street there is a nice lounge and restaurant. While my bro was taking a shower I checked out the yellow pages and found a brewery in town. How did this escape my search of breweries?! After dinner my brother just wanted to kick back and watch the idiot box so I took a ride and found the brewery. Met the owner who had to leave so no chance to really talk much but his beers were excellent. Nice to find a diamond in the middle of Iowa! The next morning we awoke to one heck of a storm so we slept in. By the time we ate and were ready to go the sun was out but we donned the rain gear for a while with all the wet roads. We made it to North Sioux City South Dakota and got a room. In the morning we awoke to another storm but by the time we were to ride the sun was out again with only wet roads. We did hit the interstate and it's 80 mph speed limit for a little while until we made it to hwy 50 and headed west. Now one thing I discovered was that with 93 octane ethanol I achieved 45 mpg running 62 mph. During our Iowa ride we needed fuel but could only find 87 octane ethanol or non ethanol. It was only in the 80's so I filled the tank with the non ethanol 87 octane. The bike did not ping and returned 51 mpg running the same speeds. Ethanol sucks!!!! As we rode through South Dakota we experienced temps in the upper 90's and then the 87 octane started pinging so when we stopped for lunch in Winner we found some 91 octane non ethanol. Boy did the Uly like that!! No pinging and over 50 mpg! We made it to our hotel in Rapid City and walked into our room just as a storm hit. Huge wind and hail but as they say, timing is everything. The next day we rode to Keystone but there was a half a mile line going down into town and this is the week before the Sturgis rally! I hit route 323 at the light and rode over to Hill City. There was nobody on this twisty two lane and we had a blast! We checked out the latest work at Crazyhorse. They have removed a lot of rock at the base but it's hard to see a huge change from the angle of the observation deck. We then rode back to Hill City and had lunch on the porch of the Alpine Inn. Love this place. After lunch my brother took a walk around while I rode down to a new brewery just outside town called Miners brewery. They had a Gose beer on tap and I needed to try it since I love that style. It's originally brewed in Leipzig Germany and I was there last year and really enjoyed it. Well I tried a flight first which didn't include the Gose. The beers were solid and I was really looking forward to the Gose. I had them just give me a taste of the Gose but was really disappointed. It didn't taste anything like Gose. It wasn't a bad beer, just not Gose. My brother arrived so we left to head back to Rapid City where we walked into town and found dinner. The next day we left a little earlier and headed back to Keystone and found the traffic a bit lighter. We made it to Iron Mtn. Road and rode to Custer State Park where we paid our fee and took off for Needles Hwy. We ended up behind a car but were fortunate enough to have a straight a way long enough to put them behind us. After that it was a nice ride to the eye of the needle. Once there I like to climb one of the needles that gives you an awesome view of the valley below. I met a German along the way and I showed him the way up. He took some pics and we headed back to the parking lot. Now I've been coming here off and on over the last 25 years and I've jumped around on these rocks but this time my usual spring in the proverbial step was a little weak and I wasn't able to stick my landing on a rock and started to fall backwards. I jumped up and spun around in the air and missed the rock I had come from and fell 5 feet into a crevice landing on my right foot and breaking my heel! Thanks to those around who helped me out of there and fixed me up enough so I could ride down to Sylvan Lake where they called for an ambulance. They hauled me to the emergency room and took x-rays confirming my heel was fractured. They gave me a boot and some crutches and said good luck! They really treated me well, just wasn't anything they could do. So I jumped on the back of my brother's Uly and rode to the hotel with my boot in the wind. A friend was also in the Hills and he took my brother over to get my bike while I ordered up a U-haul. So our two week, Black Hills/Colorado, road trip came up short with a long drive back home in a 15 foot U-haul. But hey, the air conditioner worked great! | ||
| Etennuly |
Wholly crap! Talk about an off base, how could that happen, bad luck, injury! You probably could not do that again if you tried! The alcohol gas thing sucks. It has from it's beginning. Every vehicle I have that has run on it looses nearly 10% of it's MPG. Hope everything heals well and quickly!  | ||
| Tootal |
Thanks Vern, I'm really hoping I can make Buelltoberfest. Had a CT scan Friday but won't see the Dr. till Wed. He will decide if I need surgery then. I'm hoping it's close enough since surgery would put me back a couple of more weeks. He's already told me I'll be out for 8 weeks. The bad news is, until I can get back into the shop and prepare some more TB shafts, I'm out of them. I do have a couple that I might make work here at home but would only sell if somebody was actually broke. | ||
| Etennuly |
Well since you are taking a little time off what about the WVBR next weekend? Prop that thing up and drive one footed in your A/C. We'll find a way to help you get comfortable I'm sure! | ||
| Tootal |
I've heard you lost your source for pain medicine!  | ||
| Rayycc1 |
sorry to hear...but yes definitely come to WVBR...i'm looking forward to meeting all you guys i didn't meet last year I'll be on my ULY ...although i probably shouldn't be... I was diagnosed with diabetes 4 weeks ago and my legs have been completely numb from the knees down...makes riding a real trick | ||
| Etennuly |
Pain medicine? I never said "pain medicine".....it was more like liquid brain medicine!   I haven't been able to source it....but not to worry.....somehow others will! | ||
| Rayycc1 |
i have 2 quarts of homemade moonshine with your name on them...one apple and one cherry...pain will be the last thing on your mind  | ||
| Fotoguzzi |
I broke a heel many years ago.. I feel your pain.. heal well and fast. | ||
| Toolinround |
Sorry to hear about the injury! Sounds like a great ride. Maybe a good set of boots would have eliminated an injury. I sprang for some Gaerne Balance Oiled boots a year ago and wish I would have done it sooner. These are actually trials boots and are super comfortable. I have comfortably hiked several miles in these and have ridden a couple of 2k + mile trips with no complaints. | ||
| Tootal |
Thanks guys but I think I'll have to pass. Just got a call from my podiatrist and he's looked at my CT scan and is sending me to an orthopedic surgeon. That can't be good! I was wearing my Oxtar riding boots which are pretty tough. It was too far a fall on too old of bone! Ray, sorry to hear of the diagnosis. My best friend has the same problem plus he's had a mild stroke which didn't help either! I'm sure you're in good boots since your feet won't heal as fast as normal. Be careful out there and you all have fun! | ||
| Etennuly |
Sorry to hear that Greg. You are just a mess.  Not to worry though.....no body will shoot you  .....in you current state you're not even worth a bullet! What the heck.....you couldn't even play fire pit jinga with this going on! Oh well, we'll toss one back in your honor I'm sure! | ||
| Sagehawk |
Damn, Tootal, how you do all that with those anti-gravitational boots you got? Hope ya get to feeling better. Just reading this, I got on my second Yukon jack for the evening. Lighter note, went to catch the luncheon being given to the cannonball riders several years ago in oklahoma. Drove up as rain was pretty bad at home decision time. Of course cleared Huntsville and it cleared for a perfect weather. Anyhow, stopped off for burger n beer at rick fairless roadhouse in dallas. Headed to Turner falls in ok. For a afternoon of swimming . Slipped and fell in water on rocks that evening. By myself and at the time no issues, just a bit sore next day. Next week liked to die I thought. Pinched nerve in left hip. Chiropractic work, n acupuncture for 6 weeks to get well. S.u. was not happy. Better than 1300.00 bucks for treatment. Oh well. Seeing those open tappets clattering, oil leaks, old iron was worth it. Oldest bike there was 1907 bsa ridden by a German woman. Belt direct drive, push start. Hearing that thing push started, pop, pop ,pop and off she rode. So fu___kING cool. I think I've lived in the wrong era of life. End of tale. If you aren't on the edge, your not living, right Tootal? | ||
| Tootal |
 A fellow trials rider, who was much more talented than me, once said, "If you don't crash once in a while you're not trying hard enough!" Of course he said this right after he failed to climb a 15' high vertical wall! He then tried it again and succeeded! I'm just trying to figure out, at what age do you quit thinking like that???? Still working on that one!  | ||
| Sagehawk |
Never quit thinking like the way you are now. Life is truly to short. Wish you the best and if your off work for a bit, see if you can moonlight for Erik and Bruce! You've always got good ideas roaming in that noggin of yours! Take care Tootal! | ||
| Tootal |
You've always got good ideas roaming in that noggin of yours! Thanks Paul, coming from you that means something! Going to see Orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. We'll see what he has to say. | ||
| Tootal |
Ok, so is "You're a mess" a clinical term? That's what the surgeon said as he was shaking his head! So surgery on Monday. Said the heel is not just fractured, it's shattered in two directions and they are going to try and put the bone back where it's supposed to be and then put a plate in to hold it there. From now on I should be able to tell the weather! | ||
| Sagehawk |
I sure hate hearing that tootal! Hope all goes well for you. If you have a hard time with weather telling, remember when you first come to after surgery. If your hearing the radio , they may have done some filling work. Remember that Gilligan island episode where professor did some teeth work on gilligan, mouth would come open at night, keeping skipper awake with him receiving a radio station? Just curious if I have the only brain with all this crap still in it? All I n all, good luck with surgery. And now go kill a few pints by sunday, as you'll be on a lot stronger crap next week! | ||
| Tootal |
I did finally have a couple of beers since I took myself off all meds. The pain is just minor but I have to keep the beers at a low level since walking on crutches and getting drunk is probably not a good idea!  | ||
| Arry |
Too bad about your trip getting spoiled like that. Hope your injury heals up well, and your back in the saddle soon. | ||
| Xbimmer |
Geez what a crappy place to take an injury. Here's to your speedy recovery! What are old guys doing jumping around on rocks, anyway? JK, youngster...!  | ||
| Tootal |
What are old guys doing jumping around on rocks, anyway? Because we could!?  | ||
| Xbimmer |
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| Buewulf |
"Because we could!?" Until you couldn't!  Just reading this. Sorry to hear it, man. When I read the post at first, I understood it to mean that you got hurt while rock hopping on the Uly, trials style! That sounds so much more heroic than the reality, so I think I'll keep that picture in my mind! I wish you a speedy and full recovery. What kind of recovery time does the doc say you are looking at anyway? | ||
| Tootal |
Just got back from the surgeon. Took X-rays and it looks great so good news. He had to do a lot of work, three hours. He's pretty happy now so I am too. He put my foot in a cast but I still can't put any weight on it for quite a while. He's saying 10 to 11 weeks before I can return to work. I rented a knee scooter and man it's nice compared to crutches. Need to figure out how to motorize this thing!!  | ||
| Sagehawk |
Glad it's turning out good for you Tootal! Best wishes and speedy recovery to you! |
