| Author | Message | ||
     Jerry_haughton  |
DAY 22, cont.  meet Trooper Rob, one of Utah's finest.  he's happy 'cause he just got to grab a snack and some water before heading back out onto the interstate. I'M happy because several minutes earlier, as i ripped westward on I-80 at about a ton, he was busy writing someone ELSE a ticket, giving me time to snap out of my fatigue-induced daydream long enough to haul the 'Strom down to a less-citationable pace. no, i never mentioned my little "close encounter" during our visit. Trooper Rob was a bit self-conscious about getting his photo taken, as he had just shaved his head the night before and was still getting used to his new 'do. "My wife HATES it," he said, "but I guess she can't complain too much as SHE was the one who cut it!" (Message edited by jerry_haughton on December 02, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY 22, cont.  Fireman Jim, I'M here, where are YOU??? i didn't ride beyond the sign, which is just off the freeway, as the folks at the store/gas station - none of whom had any command of the English language - couldn't tell me how far it was to get to the actual Bonneville Salt Flats, and i didn't have the time or energy to explore. seeds for another trip... (Message edited by jerry_haughton on December 01, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY 22, cont.  FACT: the imaginary line separating Mountain from Pacific time is also the imaginary line separating Utah from Nevada. FACT: as you can plainly see by the long shadows and the very bitchin' side-lighting, it's VERY late in the day. FACT: it's taken me an AWFUL long time to finally vacate the great state of Utah today. FACT: i'm screwed. my situation wasn't helped in the least by the desire to explore West Wendover, NV for a bit (this didn't take long, as anyone who's ever been there can attest) whilst i was in the area, knocking out some last-minute souvenir shopping (this DID take long). FACT: as i pulled back onto I-80 west, into the last rays of the day, i still had a lot of riding ahead of me if there was a prayer of a chance that i was still going to hook up with Denise in Death Valley in 24 hours with the all-important 7500 miles on the 'Strom. as it got dark, it got cold, as cold as anything i'd yet encountered on this trip. to make matters worse, i was tired. VERY tired. as the evening quickly morphed into night the high desert closed in around me, cold, unfriendly, and harsh. i HATE riding at night. it's dangerous (tough to see all the coal-black rubber alligators on the coal-black tarmac on a coal-black night), and it's boring, nothing to look at but the road immediately ahead, hoping to see the large, angry alligator in time. i rode on. there came a point where i couldn't shake off the cold any longer. ONE of these days i'll have heated gear (hey, i've only been riding since '65 - what's the hurry, right?), but tonight i had on every bit of cold-weather gear i could muster, and it wasn't enough. stopping for the night was not an option. not yet. towns are few and far between in this part of the world, and when the shimmering lights of Elko finally came into view i took the first exit, stopped for gas, and asked the attendant if there was a WalMart in town. there was. five minutes later i was in the men's clothing department, trying on snow suits. ten minutes later i was back on the bike, comfortably ensconced in my brand-new heavy-duty bib-type snowmobile suit, over the top of my trusty Joe Rocket w/liner and a brand-new heavy-duty turtleneck sweatshirt (which was over the top of two more sweatshirts and two t-shirts), with my brand-new heavy-duty insulated snowmobile gloves gripping the controls. i looked like the Michelin man's illegitimate step-child, and could barely waddle to the bike for being bundled up so tight, but when i got back on the freeway - where i was promptly swallowed up by the ebony night - all was right. FACT: i was weary. i'd burned a ton of time taking pix this day, knowing full well that every minute i spent playing behind the lens would have to be made up somewhere, and the making up was happening now, in real time. given the opportunity to do this day over, however, there's very little i would have changed - the memories and the photos to prove it are priceless. still, droning along the dark interstate, late enough now that i'm slabbin' virtually solo, was an exercise in perseverance. FACT: i gave up at Winnemucca. i was a motorized menace by this point, riding trance-like and sluggish, and i couldn't (nor did i want to) take anymore. it's time to sleep and get warm, probably in that order, regardless of what the frikkin' odometer says. FACT: it's late Friday night in a bustling Nevada gambling town, and all the places i would LIKE to stay at are full. after a half hour of tense searching i finally found lodging i could live with, down a dark side street and butted up against the freeway, but with relatively secure outside parking for the bike (after i convinced myself that i couldn't muscle it up the steps and into the room), and a marginally comfortable twin bed. this motel was old, bordering on shabby, bordering on being overpriced, and the only room available was smoking. almost literally. sigh. well, the ghosts of a million cigarettes was a relatively small price to pay, i decided, for the sleep i so desperately craved. i hung both Kryptonite cable locks on the 'Strom, securing it to a small tree in front of my room, locked the forks, and positioned the disc lock where it was visible to any wandering eyes, running the bright orange "reminder" cable from the lock up and over the throttle as one last visual clue that THIS bike was not going without a fight. good luck, i whispered to the machine that had taken me from coast nearly to coast, hope to see you in the morning. TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 599.4 (Message edited by jerry_haughton on December 02, 2004) | ||
| Denisea |
Friend Ferris....you and I could have us one frickin' good time with one of those tanks, old or new, in a single afternoon. now THAT is scary. ...Fellow Woffordians beware | ||
| Bomber  |
don't be scared -- heck, if I can figure out how to make one march, JH will be aces at it! simple, really, just watch your head, knees and shins on entrance/exit events! JH -- I broke down and got some heated gear two years ago (we've been riding about the same length of time) -- do it, man, it'll extend the SAFE riding season and miles per day, when necessary | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Bomber, heated gear is on the short list - the folks who own Widder live just a couple minutes from us... | ||
| Pdxs3t  |
Wonderful piece of writing my friend. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks Jim. | ||
| Edmanning  |
JB2, When are we riddin out to the left coast to shake up Ol Ferris's neighborhood. I'm workin on a trailer for the Magic Bus, think it oughta be able to pull the Fault home to Daddy. Might get stoned by HD riders though. BTW, Ferris your porch and room will be ready shortly. Ride Hard, Killbilly | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
will my room have padded walls??? | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY 23, Saturday 9/25/04: it was still dark when i pulled out of Winnemucca, Nevada this morning. and still cold. i hadn't slept well, nor had i slept long. but i HAD slept, and the 'Strom was waiting right where i'd left it. so far, so good. i spoke with Denise on the phone last night when i drug in to Winnemucca, and again as i readied to leave this morning. we EACH had a decision to make today - she whether to commit to the ride to Death Valley to meet me; me whether or not i realistically thought i could achieve DV tonight with the magic miles i needed to legally enter California. Denise's decision hinged on MY decision, and we both knew what was in store on this, my (hopefully) next to last day on the road. with all the casual lightheartedness i could muster at such an early hour i told her that today was gonna be a piece of cake for BOTH of us, an epic adventure, the stuff of legend. well, maybe i didn't use the "E" word or the "L" word, but you catch my drift. i promised to call her somewhere down the line and update her on my initial progress. i was gonna need a full day and then some to get to Death Valley, she was only gonna need about four hours, so i was getting a considerable head start. Interstate 80 was dark. and lonely. and cold. and for the 23rd day in a row, the Michelin man's illegitimate step-twin was back in the wind. | ||
| Blake  |
"They" say that a picture is worth a thousand words. "They" obviously don't read Jerry Haughton. Thanks for sharing your gift with all of us. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks Blake. | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Hello......Mr Haughton......Can you please stop working and continue. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
patience Master Luke... | ||
| Bartimus  |
<sigh> Excellent job, Ferris ! I'm loving every minute of your ride !  | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks Bad Billy Bartimus! not many minutes left in this one... | ||
| Clydeglide  |
Thanks for sharing your gift with all of us. Ditto  | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks Clyde. | ||
| Dino  |
not many minutes left in this one... I was just thinking about that. Not many days, or even hours left. Soon our friends in the frozen north will be left with stored bikes and no epic adventures to keep them occupied thru the cold winter months. Maybe you need to take a coupla weeks and take that Strom on a Baja adventure in order to gather fresh material. Fellow BadWebbers are counting on you to keep them sane (well you know what I mean.) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY 23, cont. i headed away from the sun (when it finally got light, that is), using I-80 West as my initial Tool to Achieve Maximum Miles this morning. and as much as it caused me grief and great anguish, i knew my Nikon had to stay squirreled away in my tankbag - at least until i documented the border crossing into Cali tonight - or i'd NEVER get this day under my belt. there was a certain measure of relief mixed in with my sadness, however, as today i'd get to see the road a little differently than usual, not always on the prowl for a photo, not stopping every two minutes to catch a ray of good light or documenting a catchy landmark. it got light soon enough, another sharp, blue, high desert sky, with horizon-to-horizon sagebrush and precious little else for company. i looked forward to the warming effects from the fiery sun - which was now filling both mirrors - with great anticipation. as i motored west i plotted my route. i didn't want to go clear into Reno as i was concerned i'd lose time navigating over, under, around and/or thru the city, so i opted to leave I-80 at the junction of 95 south, where i reasoned a low three-digit cruising speed could then be maintained thru the vast desert void without undue attention of the wig-wagging red and blue kind. i pulled into the rest area at the 80/95 junction to peel off a layer of gear and grab a quick breakfast. for much of this trip i had lived on trail mix and jerky, washed down with copious amounts of water, and had found this to be an easy, tasty way to refuel and rehydrate in a short amount of time. rest areas fascinate me. much like people-watching at a busy airport, people-watching at a rest area is often entertaining, and occasionally humorous. as i grazed a car pulled up and the front seat passenger powered down his window. "Yo, we headed the right direction to get to Reno?" he asked, pointing to his map and then pointing into the rising sun. i sauntered over to the car, smiling to myself, wondering how one could be driving eastbound (if the signs didn't clue them in, the blinding sun in their eyes sure should have), an hour EAST of Reno, while trying to get to Reno. ok, so how do i put this? um, there were four people in the car, woman and man in front, woman and man in back, and, um, well...they looked very much like two pimps and their ho's. got an image? they were pleasant enough, but obviously confused, and looked like they'd been up all night. or perhaps longer. the lady driving (Ho Mama #1) was dressed to thrill (they ALL were, actually), wearing lots of makeup but very little else. i pointed to the sign that said I-80 West and told them to go until they ran into Reno. "You sure?" asked Pimp Daddy #1. can't miss it, i said. with great relief PD1 told HM1 to change places. as HM1 slinked out of the car she flashed me a bright, friendly smile, turned around, bent WAY over and reached back into the car to grab her purse. she was, to put it bluntly, sans panties. i was stunned, and couldn't avert my eyes for the life of me. she turned again and smiled, strutting and slutting around to the passenger side. PD1 looked at me looking at her. i wasn't entirely sure at this point what was a safe and appropriate reaction on my part, not wanting to offend, but afraid that i already had. after a pregnant pause i simply mouthed the word "WOW". PD1 smiled, shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "I can't take her ANYWHERE!", and climbed behind the wheel. with that they were off to the Biggest Little City in the World (providing they didn't get lost again in the intervening 60 miles and end up in Boise), and i was left pretty much gobsmacked and dumbstruck. dammit Jim, the sun's barely up and i've ALREADY missed a photo op! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
...Maybe you need to take a coupla weeks and take that Strom on a Baja adventure in order to gather fresh material... do you know how tempting that sounds? yeah, i know you do. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
ps: cool avatar. | ||
| Pdxs3t |
You know Master Jedi Photog, even the best slip from time to time. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
that's ok, couldn't have posted the pic here anyway. | ||
| Court |
>>>>i've ALREADY missed a photo op! Not so my learned student. What you missed was the chance to MAKE that ride to Baja, to live another day and to ensure domestic peace and tranquility should that photo show up in the wrong place at home. You would be no match for birthday girl ... Take yet another lesson, guard her preciousness and keep taking pictures of porches on hazy days and concrete balls. We'll all be the better and safer for it. By the way....thanks for the mental image. I sense cigarettes lighting up around the globe. | ||
| Dino |
ps: cool avatar. Thought you'd like that. Thanks, again. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY 23, cont. suitably aroused i pointed south on 95, aimed the right direction yet knowing it would be anything but a straight shot to Death Valley – i still had a ways to go before i would lose my illegal alien status. wish i had some pix to show for my effort, or even some highfalutin multi-syllabic words to throw your way, but it was all about gettin' the job done at this point, with no time for feeding the camera OR the journal. Fallon, Nevada came and went, after fuel and a well-earned potty stop, as did Hawthorne another 72 miles later. this was my first circuit of Hawthorne, home of the Hawthorne Ammunition Depot, the world's largest ammunition storage facility. there are thousands of bunkers (2427 to be exact) of who knows WHAT kinda "fall down and go boom" stuff housed here. thus, i'm thinkin' if me 'n Court 'n Bomber ever get our hands on that Stuart tank pictured earlier THIS is the place we wanna do our shopping. btw, the ride south along the western shores of Walker Lake was pretty purty, with the road doing its best to encourage unlawful behavior of the Ferris kind. it sure felt right at the time, since i WAS trying to get somewhere... at 11:45 a.m. i pulled into Tonopah, Nevada for the FIRST time today (hey Dino, where ARE you??? ), nearly overpowered by a sense of déjà blu - just over three weeks ago Dino and i had called Tonopah home on the very first night of this trip, and it was an odd experience to see the town again from the same, but strangely dissimilar, perspective. THIS time, however, i wasn't staying, simply grabbing a load of jet fuel, re-supplying myself with rations, and hammering on, soon to be pointed the WRONG direction... 305 miles down, 573 miles to go. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY 23, cont.  hey, almost forgot, i DID take a couple of photos today! before i lit on outta Tonopah i pulled up to the only working pay phone in town to check in with Denise, and in so doing caught the attention of a trio of boys who were simply agog at the haggard-looking motorcycle and the handsome-looking man astride it. (yeah, yeah, so i flopped my adjectives again - dyslexics have more fnu. ) this was the third time on this trip that a Nikon moment came in the form of a charming, precocious cluster of three wide-eyed boys (remembering with great fondness the "Boys from Naturita" on day 4 and the "Famous Boys from Arkansas" on day 18), and THIS encounter was no less satisfying than the others. so much so that i broke my self-imposed "No Photography" rule today and grabbed two quick shots for posterity. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on December 04, 2004) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
DAY 23, cont.  all three utes were bright and inquisitive, talking a mile a minute and as excited as healthy, happy kids can be. the Hooligan on the far left, however, was PARTICULARLY earnest in his inquisitiveness, asking a lot of thoughtful questions about who i was, where i was headed, and how long i'd been on the road. then he brought my house down. "Hey mister, how fast does your motorcycle go???" i thought for a second, and answered honestly. "Well, I haven't had it very long, and I really don't know." blatantly dissatisfied with my answer, he gave me the look that kids reserve for an adult who is, obviously and most assuredly, quite literally brain dead. his next words were dripping with respectful yet pained disdain. "Like, doesn't it have a speedometer?" i had to laugh out loud at my own ignorance. why of COURSE, in a kid's world a vehicle can go as fast as the biggest number on the speedometer, right? why else, after all, would they put such big numbers on there in the first place??? like, DUH!!! his logic was inescapable, and resistance was futile. i spun around and looked, turned back to the boys, and in a sheepish voice said, "150." "WOW!" "WOW!!" "WOW!!!" came the reply, in perfect three-part harmony. and with that, i was cool once again. Court, allow me to borrow one of your best lines? "Folks, I LIVE for stuff like this." ok, this time i'm REALLY outta here. 305 miles down, 573 miles to go. (Message edited by jerry_haughton on December 05, 2004) |
