Look who's at my house!
- Thread starter captain
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Beartooth Scenic Byway! Chief Joseph Scenic Highway! Yellowstone National Park! Bison!
Beartooth was the most intense riding I've done so far... and since it was 2-up on a heavy bike that I had only put around 100 miles on since I got it... and it was suffering thru altitude sickness... it didn't surprise me at all to be dragging hard parts.
Beartooth was the most intense riding I've done so far... and since it was 2-up on a heavy bike that I had only put around 100 miles on since I got it... and it was suffering thru altitude sickness... it didn't surprise me at all to be dragging hard parts.
The most interesting things can happen when you're 3000 miles from home. I was standing behind a family at the park office for Grand Teton... They were making reservations for all kinds of stuff they wanted to see and taking a while to do it as evidenced by the growing line behind them. The Dad seemed truly apologetic when he made the remark that they had come all the way from Delaware and were making the most of their family vacation... He says "I'll bet you don't get a whole lot of visitors from DE here!..." I tapped him on the shoulder and showed him my drivers license... we all had a good laugh - the comic relief was appreciated by everyone in the line.
Unfortunately, this trip was not without a bit of bad luck - or, more accurately - bad judgement... After Yellowstone and Grand Teton we went thru Jackson WY and over WY22 (neat road!) into Idaho. It was getting late, I wanted to get to Driggs before dark, we were tired but I also wanted to get a picture at the state line - you know, the sign, bike, kid - memories... Anyway, that little voice was telling me to keep going but Nooo, I had to stop. I can see the turnout has gravel but there's a direct path off the road instead of the sharp turn at the sign so I figure if I head in the straightest way possible, I'll be OK... Not exactly - the straight part is fine but where the turn-out part meets it at a 45 degree angle, there's a 5 inch bump that I can't see until I'm right on top of it. I slow down as much as possible but it doesn't matter - the bike hits the bumb and we go over on the right side. Wham! Kid is OK, I hit my right shoulder but the 700 lb bike loaded with luggage is on it's side. There's a guy and his girlfriend there (who also stopped to get a pic at the sign) who runs over to see we're OK and we get the bike up off the ground. It starts, the bars seems straight, moves without any weird sounds or sparks flying so I take it easy and get it to the hotel. It feels OK - no wobble or vibration - not sure if the bars are perfectly straight but I'll see if I can find a Yamaha dealer nearby in the AM. I just want to get the kid to bed and be sure he isn't hurt (physically or emotionally) the next morning. Next day, I find a place on the way to our next stop in Park City UT and the guy says it feels OK. He rides it for a few miles, doesn't feel anything unusual (yes, he's familiar with FJRs) and says we should be OK for the rest of the trip but be aware of anything strange... Good thing we didn't have any real plan for the day so instead of a scenic, twisty route, we take a more direct way to the hotel - get there ahead of schedule (in the daylight for the first time!) and chill out in the hotel spa and pool. Could always be worse, right?
the pics: the approach, the bumb (where the gravel changes color), we make it to Park City, the kid is OK, the next day Idaho sign (the happy one). I gotta say - that bike is a tank. Looks like all the damage is cosmetic. But one thing's for sure - if my kid had been hurt, I'd probably never ride again. Gear up folks.
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View attachment 2012-08-20 20.00.15.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-21 17.08.35.jpg
Unfortunately, this trip was not without a bit of bad luck - or, more accurately - bad judgement... After Yellowstone and Grand Teton we went thru Jackson WY and over WY22 (neat road!) into Idaho. It was getting late, I wanted to get to Driggs before dark, we were tired but I also wanted to get a picture at the state line - you know, the sign, bike, kid - memories... Anyway, that little voice was telling me to keep going but Nooo, I had to stop. I can see the turnout has gravel but there's a direct path off the road instead of the sharp turn at the sign so I figure if I head in the straightest way possible, I'll be OK... Not exactly - the straight part is fine but where the turn-out part meets it at a 45 degree angle, there's a 5 inch bump that I can't see until I'm right on top of it. I slow down as much as possible but it doesn't matter - the bike hits the bumb and we go over on the right side. Wham! Kid is OK, I hit my right shoulder but the 700 lb bike loaded with luggage is on it's side. There's a guy and his girlfriend there (who also stopped to get a pic at the sign) who runs over to see we're OK and we get the bike up off the ground. It starts, the bars seems straight, moves without any weird sounds or sparks flying so I take it easy and get it to the hotel. It feels OK - no wobble or vibration - not sure if the bars are perfectly straight but I'll see if I can find a Yamaha dealer nearby in the AM. I just want to get the kid to bed and be sure he isn't hurt (physically or emotionally) the next morning. Next day, I find a place on the way to our next stop in Park City UT and the guy says it feels OK. He rides it for a few miles, doesn't feel anything unusual (yes, he's familiar with FJRs) and says we should be OK for the rest of the trip but be aware of anything strange... Good thing we didn't have any real plan for the day so instead of a scenic, twisty route, we take a more direct way to the hotel - get there ahead of schedule (in the daylight for the first time!) and chill out in the hotel spa and pool. Could always be worse, right?
the pics: the approach, the bumb (where the gravel changes color), we make it to Park City, the kid is OK, the next day Idaho sign (the happy one). I gotta say - that bike is a tank. Looks like all the damage is cosmetic. But one thing's for sure - if my kid had been hurt, I'd probably never ride again. Gear up folks.
View attachment 2012-08-20 19.59.41.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-20 20.00.15.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-21 17.08.35.jpg
thanks for sharing
OK, so we feel fine in the morning... kid has a small scrape on his hand and my shoulder hurts a lot but not while riding, so - we're good to go. There's all kinds of twisty roads and mountains in UT so we pick a route and head south towards Torrey and Capitol Reef Natl Park. Only problem is - UT isn't great about marking their route numbers and we get lost. Not only lost but we were on some decent roads that turned to gravel and then - at the steepest part while going into a hairpin turn - turned to dirt. Considering recent events, I'm not pushing my luck. I tell the kid to get off and keep an eye out for oncoming traffic while I get the bike pointed back down the hill we just came up. So much for scenic and twisty - rain is coming so we back-track to civilization and try again. We make our way to UT24 and the rain is right in front of us, it's only a matter of time before we run right into it. The last hour or so was slow and steady... the bike is great in the rain and we had gear but it was also getting dark and the closer we got to the reef, the more desolate the area became. It was pouring when we checked in but we got our stuff sorted out and walked across the street to a little cafe-patio-bistro type place with local micro-brews... just what the doctor ordered! A few locals were there, the staff was friendly and we're just chilling out after another long day on the road... and then a bat flys in. It's flapping around in circles over everyone's heads - doing it's bat thing and everyone is freaking out. Except me and my kid. After the last 2 days, a bat is hardly worth getting worked up about.
It rained off and on thru the night and all the next day. Our ride thru the reef wasn't as exciting as it would have been without the rain but it was still cool. If you've ever been out west where 95% of the time, there's very little rain - you've seen the bone dry stream, creek and river beds. We got to see just what happens when the area gets rain and it was really neat. Waterfalls form off of the high rocks and the tributaries fill up and run very fast - all the times we crossed a named river and there was no water to be seen anywhere - there was water now and lots of it.
We didn't take a lot of pictures but here's a few: the view from the room, a less than happy camper, 4 corners on the way back to NM.
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It rained off and on thru the night and all the next day. Our ride thru the reef wasn't as exciting as it would have been without the rain but it was still cool. If you've ever been out west where 95% of the time, there's very little rain - you've seen the bone dry stream, creek and river beds. We got to see just what happens when the area gets rain and it was really neat. Waterfalls form off of the high rocks and the tributaries fill up and run very fast - all the times we crossed a named river and there was no water to be seen anywhere - there was water now and lots of it.
We didn't take a lot of pictures but here's a few: the view from the room, a less than happy camper, 4 corners on the way back to NM.
View attachment 2012-08-23 08.17.34.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-23 08.17.46.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-23 08.18.08.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-23 11.55.04.jpg
View attachment 2012-08-23 16.55.54.jpg
Our trip is winding down - next stop is back to Lou & Nanette's for the night and then I40 to Doug & Kristie's in OK to load up the bike and head east. What a time we've had - all the stuff we've seen. I have to say, my son Ian has impressed me once again. We did a 5 day trip on the white bike back in April but this was much more and a lot to ask of him. He was a trooper thru long days, bad weather and my poor judgement. I asked him if he would do another trip with me on the bike and he didn't hesitate to say "YES!"
Huge thanks to the Wagners who took us in, sight unseen and made us feel like old friends the moment we arrived. Nanette & Lou - you guys are the best!
Doug & Kristie - what can I say... you have, once again, been the most gracious of hosts. Thank you for making this trip be even more memorable not only for me but for my son as well. Please let Tristan know that Ian is very happy to have a new friend! Also, all the best to Evan - hope school is everything he wants it to be.
Epilogue - We crossed the Continental Divide 9 times, we went to 5 National Parks and 15 Harley dealers. I lost count of how many National Forests we went thru. We did 4822 miles on the bike, 2800 miles in the car and we never got pulled over. Ian crossed the Mississippi, the Tennessee and the Rio Grande rivers for the first time. We left OK Sat morning and made it home without incident by 3:30 Sunday afternoon. I had to go to work the next day and Ian started school Tues. We're still wrapping our heads around this trip - it's still a bit of a blur. But it has been a trip we will ever forget.
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Huge thanks to the Wagners who took us in, sight unseen and made us feel like old friends the moment we arrived. Nanette & Lou - you guys are the best!
Doug & Kristie - what can I say... you have, once again, been the most gracious of hosts. Thank you for making this trip be even more memorable not only for me but for my son as well. Please let Tristan know that Ian is very happy to have a new friend! Also, all the best to Evan - hope school is everything he wants it to be.
Epilogue - We crossed the Continental Divide 9 times, we went to 5 National Parks and 15 Harley dealers. I lost count of how many National Forests we went thru. We did 4822 miles on the bike, 2800 miles in the car and we never got pulled over. Ian crossed the Mississippi, the Tennessee and the Rio Grande rivers for the first time. We left OK Sat morning and made it home without incident by 3:30 Sunday afternoon. I had to go to work the next day and Ian started school Tues. We're still wrapping our heads around this trip - it's still a bit of a blur. But it has been a trip we will ever forget.
View attachment 2012-08-15 22.59.18.jpg
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