Road Show Journal

Spring at last, almost

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Today was a safari day. It was supposed to be safari day, but it turned into dead battery day.

We did get in a little safari like action in early on....

The Rio Grande River as it appears in the canyon below the gorge.

Wild flowers - Aspens...what is the difference?

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:56:00 +0000

In central California there is a season of wildflowers which many to got great length to view and be among.
As fall came here in Santa Fe, the bowl of the ski basin began to turn bright yellow. This might leave one to believe there was a field of wildflowers growing there. However, there is a sense of scale that is off and taking a bike ride up Artist Road and Hyde Park Road into the ski basin it becomes apparent that the yellow mass seen to the north east of Santa Fe is really a large grove of Aspen trees.

The video pretty much explains it all...

Nolichuckey Bluffs and the Tennessee Twisties

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 20:52:00 +0000

Tennessee and totally cool roads were never something I would have thought of using in the same sentence. Until this last week that is. While staying at Nolichuckey Bluffs in Greenville, I happened to go on a car ride with my brother on a whim and was totally stunned by the amazing potential riding basically right off his doorstep.

Heading south highway 70 is a narrow ribbon of road is one of those beautiful pieces of engineering that has almost no straightaway for miles and miles. A few short miles south we crossed into North Carolina.

Along the fly fisherman flocked, like well, flies along the side of the 208.

The trees even at this time of year formed a type of tunnel making the mountains seem dark and foreboding, much like I imagined the Smoky Mountains would look like.

Enjoy the video....more to come.

That voice leading in my head...pt.1

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 03:58:00 +0000

One of the things I keep on my desk at my "day job" is a list of ten things to do to reduce daily stress. One of the things on the list is "always have something to look forward to." For the last six weeks I have been looking forward to a trip to the American Indian reservation at Window Rock, AZ.

I actually took a day off from work and gave myself a three day weekend and headed out. I was a little, actually a lot, apprehensive about what was going to transpire at our destination.

My riding partner and I were suppose to meet up with a Shaman on "the rez" to do a sweat and possibly some other types of ceremonies. I was excited about the sweat and the ceremonies, but apprehensive because I was informed that the Shaman may or may not show up. I also found at the last minute that we may or may not have shelter. I was OK with that, sort of, sleeping in the arroyo somewhere...but I was not totally thrilled about it.

Nevertheless at eight AM we met at Java Joe's to get caffeined up and make our final preparations. After making sure our caffeine levels were correct we headed south on I-25 toward Albuquerque then head west on I-40 toward Gallup, NM.

It was a long, mostly boring ride as the slab from Albuquerque to Gallup is more reminicent of southern New Mexico to wit dry, brown and boring. At Gallup we turned north on US 491 (Previously US 666) and things began to get more interesting. Large, oddly shaped rocks and red buttes normally associated with norther New Mexico began to appear.

As we grew close to our destination there were some large stones that were more intriguing than the others appeared in the distance..

Bohemian

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 02:52:00 +0000

I had a suitably Bohemian weekend with my Santa Fe friends. I had a need today and another one of my "mad" friends (Refer to Ginsberg to put that in context) gifted me exactly what I needed. I gifted back with some music and he seem pleased. Back to five days of corporate life tomorrow....yeah!

'till next time...

Cameron

Rolling with the "Beats"

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:18:00 +0000

I recently picked up a book at the library called "The Beat Reader." One thing anyone who is familiar with this literature could probably agree on is that it is Leftist to say the least. In the context of this post I wish it were possible to strip the Lword of its chequred baggage and use it as a descriptive word only.

To get to the point, I am having a great day today living the Beat life. There was a time not too long ago when I didn't think I would ever say that, given my Objectivist ideals. But, personal and prolonged brushes with poverty have a powerful influence.

Even more to the point is I enjoy the relationship I have with the other members of the Hooligans. We are all fans of Beat writing and have many discussions about books and philosophy. The outcome of this type of thinking is nobody goes without in the group. Just like today.

I met one of the Hooligans for coffee and only had three dollars in my wallet and an empty gas tank. The other Hooligan is question had 23 dollars. I told him I could only have coffee that morning because we were in-between paychecks and I had no money. With out even a thought the twenty dollars was split into two ten dollar tanks of gas. We chose a shorter ride than originally planned to accommodate the comfortable range of the bikes in question. When we got to our destination we pooled what money we had, scrounged for a little change and asked the young lady behind the rough, wooden coffee bar if we could get two of something for that amount of money. Turns out it was just the right amount with a little left over for tip.

We came home broke, but happy in a morning well spent.

See the rest of the pix HERE

Hangin' out at the Holy Ghost Campground

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:05:00 +0000

It has been a long hard winter in Santa Fe and spring is just now reluctantly emerging. Even with the days warming up, the windows of opportunity for pleasant weather riding are still rather narrow. Mornings are cold and the wind tends to blow fiercely in the afternoon. One of the beautiful things about living in or visiting this area are the number of good rides in easy reach. One of these mini-adventures that is particularly inviting is a visit to the "Holy Ghost" camping area. The entire adventure is just over 80 miles but takes one out into a wonderful wilderness world.

Heading "north" on US-25

From Santa Fe the entire trip is just about 80 miles but it seems much farther because it takes one deep into the world of the wilderness. Travel north north on US 25 which oddly enough heads south initially. Travel seven miles to exit 299/NM 50. NM 50 vectors south east through the storied town of Pecos. The speed limit along this rural route is 45 miles and hour and rather strictly enforced. Drivers are courteous but not always entirely aware of their surroundings.

Art gallery in Pecos, NM

At the intersection of NM 50 and NM 63 turn north. The outskirts of Pecos continue for another mile or two and the urge to twist the throttle must be resisted. Soon, however, civilization falls away and freedom of both motor and mind are attainable.

The road signs are marked will continue to point the way towards Cowles, NM. Points of interest along the way include the Pecos Benedictine Monastery and the Lisbosa Springs fish hatchery.

The road to the Holy Ghost - don't worry it get worse!

At Tererro there is a sharp and easy to miss turn to the north west which is marked intriguingly "Holy Ghost," referring to the "Holy Ghost" campground which lies at roads end.

Although this road is accessible on any street bike caution is indicated, and if you just can't bear to get a chip in that $5000 paint job you might want to give it a miss. That caveat aside this little ribbon of pavement is a ton of first and second gear technical fun.

The center of the road is liberally strewn with pebbles and sharp gravel so riding a clean line is a necessity. The edge of the high and fragrant conifer forest meets the rider to the right and large, broad valleys rise and fall hundreds of feet to the left. The Pecos river braids itself around the route through a series of slippery and narrow bridges. (Meeting up with those too large RV's making their descent from the campgrounds is a particularly adventurous experience.)

Even this early in the season (early May) the air is lightly seasoned with the scent of woodsmoke rising from the many cabins intriguingly place on unlikely rocks and ledges along the river. A bit further up the road riding becomes even more challenging as speed bumps built for giants began to make their appearance along with cattle gaurds which have been flooded with mud and gouged by the recently departed heavy weather.

After crossing one final bridge the road opens up onto a broad parking lot with a couple of picnic tables. The it is possible to ride farther on into the campground but a very official sign warns in no uncertain terms, "Picnickers Must Pay." There is an $8.00 per day fee for day use or camping in the campground proper but the aforementioned parking lot is free.

Stopping at the free site and having a mid-ride snack is extremely pleasant. A small fork of the the Pecos river runs bubbles by next to the picnic tables. A short hike west reveals a network of interlocking small tributaries making their way down the high slope.

A scene from the Pecos river

It is very peaceful except for the occasional sound of distant gunfire. One hopes they are shooting the other way!

Motorcycle gloves make great drink covers and "hopefully" protect from random bullets.

After lunch and maybe a hike, home base is an easy 40 miles away and there is still time for a nap before dinner.

NM4 Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:24:00 +0000

A few meandering miles north of Jemez Pueblo lies the little town of Jemez Springs. Passing through this little burg provides ample opportunity for stopping and diving into local culture. However, the road onward beckons and this time of year (early spring) daylight is still in somewhat short supply so that exploration must wait for another day.

The road continues northward and ascends slowly through the deeply red rocks of Jemez National Monument. There is ample parking, picnic facilities and hiking in the pullout area amid the bright red rocks.

Jemez Springs National Recreational Area

The clue to the next interesting attraction is olfactory rather than visual. Traveling through a deep canyon the river is revealed through a natural waterfall appearing through a twisted mass of frozen fluid rock, obviously volcanic. Called Soda Dam, it is a popular place for people to hang out during the warm hours of the day.

Soda Dam

Passing Soda Dam the road continues upward and begins to gradually bend to the east. The riding continues to be excellent and mostly solitary until coming upon Battle Ship Rock. With ones riding head on the looking through the corners it would be extremely easy to slam on the brakes because when it first appears one has the illusion it lies directly in the path ahead.

Battleship Rock

After navigating up, over and around a couple of very technical hairpins Valles Caldera comes into view.

Also known as Jemez Caldera this 95,000 acre natural wonder is also one of the newest national preserves, passing from private to public ownership in 2000.

Note the height of the snow at 11,000 feet even in early April. The coyote fencing is almost completely covered.

After passing beyond Valles Caldera NM 4 meanders pleasantly west toward the general vicinity of Los Alamos. After negotiating another set of technical hairpins the there is a fork in the road that offers the choice of heading north into Los Alamos on NM 501 or continuing west on NM 4 toward White Rock. On this particular journey the choice was to continue heading west. Even passing rather far south of Los Alamos proper things can get pretty weird. All manner of official warnings, gated-off areas and, and mysterious gadgetry punctuates the landscape.

After passing through White Rock turn south on US 84 at Pojuaque (steering clear of the tribal police) and slab it back to homebase.

This is a ride that could easily take a couple of days if one stopped and gave justice to every worthy attraction. Keep your eyes on these pages for more to come this summer.

Wonders along NM4

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:26:00 +0000

March madness has a new meaning in northern New Mexico these days. A long, hard winter is finally releasing its grip and the two wheel monsters that have been caged up inside the riders looking for any excuse to roll. In this riders case a long, free afternoon presented itself and a quick study of the map and a few calls local riders made NM4 look like a promising candidate for, finally, an afternoon's adventure.

From Santa Fe, head south on I25 towards Albuquerque, toward US 550. No matter what time of day or night the ride on I-25 down La Pajada hill is always a race. The posted speed limit is already a generous 75MPH, however the reality of the situation is that ride anything less than 90 and be mowed down like so much motor meat.

Turning west on US 550 N, go figure, proves to be a moderately frustrating experience. Skirting the northern outskirts fo the community of Rio Rancho the strip mall traffic is dangerous and annoying. Fortunately, it does not continue for too long.

The real fun begins when turning north on NM 4 at the little village of San Ysidro. Just as a side note by now the ride from Santa Fe will have covered 60 miles of slab and, depending on the range of your motorcycle, it might be a good idea to to take the opportunity to fuel up at this juncture as at least 50 miles of of motorcycling heaven stretches ahead, but the opportunities to get gas along the rest of the route are sketchy at best.

50 Miles of sweet carving lie ahead on NM4

Just a couple miles up the road lies Jemez Pueblo and it is a study in contrasts. Upon first entering from the south there is a group of modern government buildings which at first blush can give a mistaken impression of Pueblo life. Once past the official complex the road continues to ascend, but the ground falls away to the west of the road giving a good overall view of the actual working Pueblo.

Small dirt roads lead off down and to the left and large signs both invite the visitor in and also give dire warnings about the consequences of breaking tribal rules. Because pueblo life is relatively secretive this ride along the high ground gives a rare glimpse into actual conditions inside these tiny little sovereign nations.

Upon leaving Jemez Pueblo the road becomes lonely again twisting the throttle again becomes almost imperative. At this altitude the road has not been ravaged by severe winter conditions and the quality of the road and the almost perfect symmetry of the twisties remind those emerging from long winter layoff just exactly what motorcycling is about in the first place.

Next up on our little road beaded with wonders is the community of Jemez Springs. This first impression one gets upon entering the area is that of yet another impoverished New Mexico community. Small, dusty, run-down trailer park communities lie along the edges of town. Yet despite their overall dilapidated nature, many of them boast amazing artwork of various genres either attached to the dwellings themselves or on diplay in their sad little yards.

This little adobe church pictured below is a good example. Although it sports a sad looking and sagging tin roof which is painted in an unsuccessful attempt to make it look like what it is not, these features are offset by intricately designed stained glass windows and hand carved wooden doors.

The above photos illustrate the dichotomy of life on the outskirts of Jemez Sprngs

The new Road Show

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:09:00 +0000

Once upon a time, say five years ago, motorcycling and motorcycle travel was new, fun and exciting. It is still so, but like any good long-term relationship it has gone beyond the infatuation stage, through some of the frustrating and baffling adjustment stages, and is beginning to emerge into some form of maturity. Also, we all live in a very different world than we did five years ago.

All these factors have shaped and are re-shaping Road Show Magazine. Due to economic and time factors I have made the difficult decision to discontinue Road Show Podcast. There is quite a bit of grief associated with this, and guilt. Grief because when we started the podcast I made a promise to myself that I would keep it going no matter what. Unfortunately that is a promise to myself I can no longer keep.

Road Show Magazine as a website will continue on but in a different form that has yet to be completely determined. Many of our archives were lost due to computer and hard-drive failures and losses of back-ups during five moves in the last 18 months. So the magazine, like our lives, will be starting over. Which brings me back to the beginning of this little essay.

As a starting point for this new format I will be posting articles and media from my own personal archives from the earlier days of my travel. It has been interesting personally to review them because they recapture the excitement and romance of my early days of motorcycle traveling.

I would also like to invite more reader participation. I am not quite sure what form that will take, but please e-mail me any materials/suggestions you may have.

Thank you and I look forward to the future of Road Show as we continue on this uncertain, but interesting journey.

Cameron aka BMWeerman

A little danger on NM 502 (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:04:00 +0000

"Where does this road go?" It is a great game for a traveling day. And sometimes serendipity plays and awesome role as it did on a recent winter day just north of Santa Fe. During the winter the high temperatures in the area often linger in the mid 20's for extended periods. However, an occasional window will open up and provide a bright, clear sunlit day where one can gear up and pretend the riding season is not really over.

Actual beautiful, non-tagged road art.

One of the pleasures of living and riding in northern New Mexico is that the slabs and the highways are actually made pleasant to look at which to me is pretty stunning. As a long time resident of central and southern California it is so pleasant not to have a bunch of inconsiderate "taggers" mucking up every public surface with their stupid gang signs.

Nice curves and great scenery greet the rider on US-285N just out of Santa Fe.

Actually the slab riding up here can be downright pleasant as there are lots of mountains and the engineers chose not to blast every curve out of existence.

In keeping with the theme of let's see where this road goes mentality, in this community and surrounding area it pays to keep your eyes and awareness open to small things that are easy to miss.

A case in point being the Cottonwood Gallery just off of NM502 on the way to Los Alamos, sometimes called Atomic City. On an scantily marked dirt side road, one drives on what is little more than a dirt side road to a modest looking faux adobe structure. Waking through the door is a significant surprise. Inside is a very modern, yet intimate and comfortable working gallery inside what used to be a large private dwelling.

The road to the Cotton Wood Gallery

We will get to the danger aspect in part II

Road Show Christmas Podcast and Music Show

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:27:00 +0000

As the end of the year approaches and Christmas is a few days away our minds naturally turn reflective and look towards hope and renewal as well. Perhaps because most of us are not in a position to acquire material things to trade with each other the focus seems to be largely turning towards making or remaking connections with our friends and loved ones. In this spirit I took a little break from obsessing on motorcycles and turned towards the language of music to communicate the spirit of the season and hopefully bring a little extra joy to those around me.

In that same spirit I want to share the same joy and communication with our Road Show family. However in keeping with the focus of Road Show Podcast it also seemed appropriate to have something about motorcycles included in show.

In this sense I was fortunate enough to connect with David Woodby a biker, writer and web publisher from Panama City, FL. Woodby seemed like a natural choice to spotlight on this Christmas episode because of the helpful and supportive nature of his websites.

David Woodby Panama City, FL motorcycle examiner

Woodby and his wife started the website panamacitymetro.com a number of years ago as a service to help stranded travelers connect with hard to find resources such as shelter, medical care, clothing, etc. As an ex-soldier and area police officer he was well positioned to have access to this type of information. This website has been tremendously successful and its attitude of giving is very much in the Christmas spirt.

Woodby recently launched another website which really takes the form of on online magazine. His panhandlebiker.com website features events and things of interest to the riding community and is updated almost daily. Anybody in the area or thinking of traveling to an event there should check it out.

---------------------------------------------------

About the music: I first had the idea to do this album back in October with grand plans to do an entire CD's worth. As the project progressed and demands on my time and technical problems increased it became clear the scope of the endeavor would have to be severly cut back. I very much like the idea of re-arranging Christmas songs in different settings without disturbing the integrity of the original melody, at least too much. I also thought it appropriate to compose at least one original piece that captured, at least through the lens of my experience, my personal feelings about being in Santa Fe at this time of year.

Credits: Heartfelt thanks go out to two special people who helped this project come together. Mike Ferenci who played all the guitar tracks from his studio in Los Angeles.

Ace guitarist and producer Michael Ferenci ponders a mix from his LA studio.

I also want to thank my great friend and overall master musician/mixer Raul Duarte who contributed valuable advice on mixing and instrumentation.

Of course many thanks belong to my wife Patti who continues to support the whole process.

The tracks you heard on the show are all available for free MP3 download at my music website. I hope they bring you some pleasure and joy.

Merry Christmas to all...

Cameron Weckerley (bmweerman)

Tribal Trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:58:00 +0000

On a cold sunny day not too long ago the task befell on me to deliver a motorcycle to a customer living in the no man's land between Santa Fe and Los Alamos. The customer to whom the bike was being delivered wad, well interesting. The map the shop manager gave me was a good one, but a lot of the little roads and small communities out barely show up on them at all if at all. So here I am driving the company truck with a motorcycle in the back looking for nonexistent information on a map and trying to read these funky little county road signs. I keep pulling over to call the customer who sometimes answers the phone and sometimes does not and gives conflicting directions. OK, you get the idea.

I had just pulled back out on to the road when the dreaded flashing lights showed up behind me. I had no idea what I had done wrong but I dutifully pulled over. Seems I had run a stop sign which I did not see, and honestly, could barely see it even after the "cop" had pulled me over.

Here I must digress for a moment. One of the things that is unusual about this area of New Mexico is how the land is divided up piecemeal between United States property and Tribal Indian lands more commonly known as pueblos.

Above is an overall map of New Mexico tribal areas. For a more detailed map click here

Turns out when I got the ticket I found out I had actually been stopped by the tribal police who have jurisdiction even on public roads they happen to cross pueblo land. The traffic tickets they hand out do not go on your driving record nor are they reported to your insurance which is a good thing, but they still cost you. However, the information the tribal police and justice system gives you about how to clear things up is incomplete and misleading.

Initially the officer told me that I had to go to court, in Pojoaque no less, then he said I could just pay the $60.00 fine. Ok great, but wait, you have to show in in court even if you just want to admit guilt and pay the fine. I did a mental double-take on that one and asked for clarification and was assured that indeed, yes, one does have to show up to court just to plead guilty and pay the fine. The paperwork (ticket) I was handed seemed to confirm this.

Two week later I had to take the morning off from work and drive from Santa Fe to Pojoague, checkbook in hand, to sit out my court appearance and pay my fine. When I walked into the tribal justice building there on the left was a little window with a large sign that said, "pay traffic fines here." As it turns out you can go to the justice center any day of the week during business hours and handle your fines or, I also found out, you can indeed just MAIL THEM IN! No one in the system will tell you any of this in advance of course. But wait, they have one final trick up their sleeve. They only take cashiers or certified checks, not cash, no credit cards, nothing. Another fact that appears nowhere on the paperwork or will anyone tell you. Which means you either have to go to one of the local grocery stores and pay an overpriced fee to get a certified check, provided you have the right kind of debit card or cash, or go somewhere else to get one. The other option being, which is the one I chose, just go home and get a cashiers check from your own bank at mail it in which is what you could have done the first place.

Is there a point to this rather long rant? Yes there is, two in fact. First, be very careful when driving on tribal lands, the local lawmen are just out there waiting to pop you for the slightest infringement. Second, if do get busted just get a certified check and mail it in! Of course one could try to fight it in tribal court, but given my experience that seems like it would be a pointless venture.

Don't believe everything you read: Pecos, NM

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:04:00 +0000

Having never lived in a place where there was such a thing as a "riding season" it has been somewhat disconcerting to watch and feel the temperature get lower and lower each day here in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Chipping ice off the seat of the bike in the morning to go to work and see actual snow fall around our apartment. Nevertheless, as wise man once said that, "...there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes." With that in mind the Wrench Wench and I set off on a short adventure today to visit Pecos, NM. I had been curious about "The Old Las Vegas Highway/NM 300" which runs from southeastern Santa Fe almost all the way to Pecos.

Old Las Vegas Highway/NM 300

The Old Vegas Highway is a popular spot for local vendors to sell firewood and the ubiquitous strands of red peppers.

For sure it is not a road to burn off chicken strips, but it is an interesting late morning scenic ride through the outskirts of Santa Fe. Although it mostly parallels I-25 it is a much more interesting ride. It rejoins I-25 at the village of Canoncito although if you are just passing through all you will see is a really sharp turn with some bad pavement and a lot of gravel, caution is indicated.

After a few miles on I-25 we took exit 299 heading south on NM-50. It is a pleasant little six mile, mildly curvy ride into the Pecos.

Now, as is my normal practice I had researched on-line our destination of the day. From the website it looked very promising. Lots of pictures of quaint, rural activities and the quote, "Pecos is a an ancient place with modern amenities, a village of small, family-owned lodges, restaurants, shops and guiding services. Pecos is a place of senses for people who value their sense of place." (http://www.pecosnewmexico.com/about.php)

Upon our arrival we were greeted with something completely different. The Pecos we saw driving through was almost a caricature of a declining small town just barely hanging on.

A typical scene from the street of Pecos

We rode up and down the few small streets that seem to comprise the town looking for something captivating enough to stop for, there was nothing.

At the east end of town NM 50 ends and NM 223 begins. Since it seemed to head up into the mountains there was the promise of a twisty road and maybe some good riding. So off we headed.

Looking west from NM 223 towards Pecos, Glorieta, and the western slopes of the Santa Fe National Forest

After pausing to consult the map and consider our next move we decided to continue on with the game of "where-does-this-road-go" and a couple more miles east on NM 223 landed us at the end of the pavement and onto hard pack gravel.

The end of the "paved" road.

Now I have taken street bikes before where street bikes ought not to go, but on this day I was just not in the mood and was wishing we were on a dual sport. So I dutifully and carefully executed a three point turn and we headed back down the hill.

With one more place to visit, the Pecos National Historic Park, we turned south on NM 63 and followed the signs to the Park.

The park documents at least 1200 years of human habitation in the area. There are remains of pithouses going back to the earliest Pueblo dwellers, 17th century farmhouses, and the centerpiece the remains of the first mission built in 1625.

"Red in the foreground with the Mission Church in the background

We were going to linger, but since it was already cold and the sky was quickly turning ominous, as it does this time of year we decided to head for home and shelter.

Ominous skies sent us packing or shelter

It was just a preliminary excursion, but worthy of more exploration in the future with more promising weather or more appropriate clothing.

BMW Track Day 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:16:00 +0000

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I have always been curious about track days, but as a primarily touring motorcyclist it has, until now, remained just that a curiosity. This year as a perk of my job I was offered a free ticket and there was a chance to see the new BMW S1000RR up close and personal. It was also a chance to watch my buddy and co-worker Ben aka Mr. Wizard show off his Frankenstein airhead build.

Sandia Motor Speedway from "The Tower"

BMW S1000RR looking lean and mean from the front all taped up for track day.

Traditional racing design with some special improvements compliments of Motorrad engineering. For more info on this bike visit bmwplanetpower.com

Beemerman with BMW factory rider Gary Hardin

Mr Wizard aka Ben Grant with his "slightly massaged" airhead.

We are going to do a whole article on this bike, there is just too much to go into here.

It is the only "Santa Fe" model BMW in existence!

Andy Caparones also made an impressive showing on the track with his two custom builds.

Andy's aqua Honda performed reliably and FAST

His "7/11" Gixxer also showed promise, but was plagued by oil leaks and was disqualified early on

And then there was ever faithful "Red" shown here decked out for her track day debut

Glad I left my ego at home and signed up for the novice class, where I put a a respectable showing, otherwise I would have had my ass handed to me.

In other Road Show news, Rupert Piston a good friend and part-time guest host of the show is taking his motorcycle based art in a new direction using some new media and introducing some new characters. Check out his latest work at Cartoon Thunder.

Also thanks to the guys at 1 OFF Motorsports for the video!

Be looking for more details on Mr. Wizards bike soon and thank you for downloading Road Show Podcast.

Searching for the Real Santa Fe - Los Cerrillos

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:01:00 +0000

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ghost town as, "a once-flourishing town wholly or nearly deserted usually as a result of the exhaustion of some natural resource." By this definition Los Cerrillos, NM certainly fits the bill. And if
you are looking for a way to experience some local history and culture without the crush of the downtown tourists Los Cerrillos is a good bet.

Los Cerrillos means "little hills" and can trace it's history back 1500 years when the first Native Americans exploited the lead and turquoise deposits rich in the area. The town was not officially founded until 1879 when it became a hotbed of Western mining and railroad activity. The great depression of 1929 put an end to large scale commercial ventures in this once prosperous crossroads, but enough remains to make a fascinating historical visit.

From Santa Fe there are two ways to get there. Take NM-14/Turquoise Trail South toward Madrid and follow the signs. Or a more adventurous route.

Take I-25 S/US-85 S to exit 267 and turn south on County RD-57. This route is probably navigable by an experienced and adventurous rider on a street bike, however a dual sport model is recommended for this road. It is mostly hard-pack with light gravel, but there are some deeply rutted and steep stretches as well as some severe washboarding which could be problematic with shorter suspensions.

Yeah, you could do this on a street bike.

This bit could be a little more problematic.

One of the main attractions in Los Cerrillos is the What Not Shop. It bills itself as an antique store but in its cramped and dim interior one can find everything from gemstones of dubious quality to worn wooden children's toys and just about everything in between. Next door is Mary's Bar where one can still buy a cold beer, if you are not riding, but it requires navigating past the lounging locals and lazy dogs who look like they appeared there about the same time as the town.

Other businesses that are still open include the Casa Grande Trading Post and Mining Museum. There is also an art gallery still operating which hosts some interesting pieces and a petting zoo. One hardly need to visit the petting zoo though due to the preponderance of local dogs. None of them a menace, just lazy and sometime creating a hazard to riding due to their tendency to loll in the sunshine in the middle of the road.

Due to its close proximity to Santa Fe, Los Cerrillos makes and ideal afternoon jaunt. Or, for a bit of a longer ride one could continue south a few more miles to Madrid where the movie Wild Hogs was filmed. Either way just the ride itself provides plenty of interest. Fairly high speed roads which are well maintained and the mixture of high-desert and alpine surrounding often accented with small yellow and purple wildflowers provide plenty of interest. Add to this the punctuation of brightly colored and uniquely shaped rock formations that seem to come out of nowhere and it makes a non-commercial ride that is sure not to disappoint.

Discovering the Real New Mexico - Hyde Park Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:48:00 +0000

In the previous entry of this post I said I would be back after a little more research. Which I did, but surprisingly came up with very little background information on Hyde Park other than the facilities it offers.

What I did find out is that the Sangres are the very southern end of the Rocky Mountain Chain. Which stretch from Poncho Pass in Colorado to Glorieta Pass in New Mexico. Fascinating!

To continue the story riding through Hyde Park proper is pleasant, but can be quite annoying with gawking cagers slowing down the two wheel mojo and the ever present bicyclists who seem to regard everyone else from some kind of moral high ground only they seem to possess, even when they are riding down the middle of the road.

Past the park though things get a little a lot more interesting, the traffic thins out, the rangers disappear and the road gets really good.

Somewhere on the road above Hyde Park

A little further on up the road, as they say, we stopped at a turn-out/campsite parking area.

Bike and Road Shot...I know, I know...again....

While Patti took the camera and went searching for interesting subjects I was accosted by a vintage BMW motorcycle fan who would NOT let me break off conversation with him politely. So I did not get to look around a lot, but Patti got some good pix which follow...

It had been a nice sunny, but cool ride all day. But, in this neck of the woods, particularly in late September the weather can change fast. The temperature dropped suddenly and menacing clouds starting rolling in. Since we were not packing any rain gear we decided to high-tail it for lower elevations closer to home.

Fall Weather Moving in Fast

In the next installment of this blog the first impressions of the back streets of Santa Fe.

For a great preview of things to come check out this great slide show Patti made.

Hail, Lightning and Hot Pockets:More Tales of Fun on the High Desert.

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 03:14:00 +0000

It started off accidentally, almost. I had been contemplating riding out to Springerville, AZ and catch a little ride down AZ 191 which is reportedly some of the best canyon carving in AZ. Much to my surprise one of my younger shop mates was willing to take me up on the offer. The ride I had planned was to be 730 +/-, something I would of once thought nothing of. However, since the events of 2007, my endurance wings have been clipped a bit. To my surprise my young friend took me up on the challenge, so a Saturday morning ride was on.

Scheduled time was to have rubber on the road by 7AM and to his credit he was ready to roll with emergency water bottles packed, etc. We headed out for the 45 minute drive just to escape Phoenix. Beyond that we head north east on AZ 60 AKA the Superstition Highway. We were vaguely headed for the time and place where the Devils Highway run was supposed be begin that day out of Springerville, AZ.

There was some weather predicted but it was supposed to stay west of Flagstaff, not anywhere near the New Mexico border in which direction we were spinnig our wheels rapidly. North of Globe we had just carved our way through a series of worthy twisties.

However, we unexpectdedly found the skies turn foreboding and the dusty smelling wind rise around us.

Looking east on AZ 60 towards Springerville:So close and yet so far.

Out of nowhere it felt like we were getting shot at with a rapid fire BB gun. I looked down to see pee size pellets forming on my riding jacket. Behind me my young partner was ducked down as far as he could get behind his tiny windscreen shielding himself with his non-throttle arm as best as he could.

Fortunately the riding gods were with us that day and we soon found shelter at a little mom and pop general store in Vernon, AZ. For the budget conscious and somewhat taken aback traveler it proved to be a perfect stop. A kindly lady with a long silver braid greeted us and sold us some hot pockets and soda. She also let us consult her atlas which was a good supplement to the adequate but not extremely detailed map of Arizona we were already carrying.

A moto-friendly oasis in a suddenly hostile desert.

The weather conditions were changing rapidly and I could not see clearly what was trending on the small screen of my Blackberry. Fortunately my wife was home with access to bigger screens and better radar maps. My companion and I spent of hour of back and forth indecision before deciding we should head back but by a slightly different route than we had come.

Heading back from Vernon we had decided to catch AZ160 north west which would put us on a circuitous route back towards Phoenix. Unfortunately, being in the lead I took the first exit for 160 which actually took us back in the general direction we had just come.

30 Miles later we pulled off in the woods in the middle of nowhere and took a location with the Blackberry. At that point it was decided we had come to far to return to Show Low and the best course of action seemed to retrace our steps back to AZ 73, an unknown, which would put us back at AZ 60 at Carrizzo.

That turned out to be a fortuitous decision because AZ 73 turned out to be deserted and wonderfully well-maintained. Just the kind of place a person might get their ya yas out with a bit of throttle twisting should one be so inclined.

Prescott, AZ

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Prescott is, in this writers opinion, one of the "old-west" towns which has retained a modicum of authenticity. It is also a destination amenable to taking a guest, it is a nice ride and there is something interesting to do when you get there.

Mixed company at the saloon.

Whiskey Row is where most of the action happens in old-town. Oddly, it is only a two block or so long piece of AZ 89. On weekends and holidays lots of bikes, and other vehicles, congregate in the area. The west side of the street sports a variety of motorcycle friendly saloons and interesting, odd shops. Along the east side of the street runs one side of the court house park which is quite pleasant.

Most of the action in Old Town takes place on Whiskey Row
.

I happened to arrive in Prescott on Memorial day and there was an art fair set up along the park. I get the feeling from the looks of it that it is a regular event, Prescott being known for commitment to the arts as well as its western heritage.

Street fair at the courthouse park, Prescott, AZ

To make a loop out of the ride from Phoenix take I-17 north to AZ 74/Carefree Hwy. and turn west. Pass Lake Pleasant and then continue north-west on US 60 to Wickenburg. At Wickenburg catch AZ 89 north taking you directly to downtown Prescott. When you are ready to leave head west on Gurley St. which will take you to AZ 69 and

After having a pleasant afternoon in Prescott the ride home is somewhat boring, but quick. A turn to the east on Gurley Street will put you on AZ 69. And on the subject of AZ 69, with no disrespect to the fine citizens of Prescott Valley, riding east through the valley is like riding along the longest and most remote strip mall know to man.

Before too long you can catch I-17 south where you can make REALLY good time back to Phoenix. The speed limit on the open freeway is 75MPH which means real traffic speed is 85MPH and they will run you down if you do not go with the flow of traffic, so be prepared for a speedy run down the hill.

Be aware of brake lights and slowing traffic as you approach Anthem just north of entering Phoenix metro. It is a big city and there is big city traffic to contend with.

Salt River Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:55:00 +0000

This article really is just a preliminary report, but should be useful to other riders not having been through Salt River Canyon from the west side. As I wrote about in a previous article we got significant part of the way there when we visited Miami, AZ Recently. However, to go into more detail, just past Superior, AZ US 60 passes through Queen Creek Tunnel

The eastern end of the Queen Creek Tunnel

There is a turn out and day parking spot on the southern edge of the road just past the tunnel where one can pull over for a photo op or descend the rather steep and primitive trails to the bottom of the canyon for some hiking or rock climbing.

Rock Climbing in Queen Creek Canyon, AZ

Water, wind and time have created and enormous 3-D panorama of spires and other fascinating shapes here.

Interesting working on a photo job with the Wrench Wench...she sees small things, such as the lizard above who makes his home nearby, and I see the bigger, more dramatic scenes.

Beyond Queen creek stretches 15 miles of sweet canyon riding towards Miami heading toward Salt River Canyon. The road here is in excellent shape and this part of the ride consists mostly of back to back high speed sweepers. US60 then takes you through some more twisties and sweeper into Globe. Globe is a fairly large town for being in the middle of the desert and, most interestingly, still boasts a working drive in movie theater.

Great pillion (passenger) shot by Patti Weckerley.

Just past Globe pick up AZ 77 and ride north into Salt River Canyon. The road into the canyon continues to be of excellent quality and because it is cut out of parts of the mountain that are largely granitic, there is little danger of accidently washing out on a sand hazard or something of that nature. The road continues to get more interesting as one gets higher in the canyon. The aforementioned sweepers then become mixed up with an interesting assortment of twisties and switchbacks.

Another great pillion shot by Patti.

Our exploration of Salt Creek Canyon was unfortunately cut short by a mechanical failure which occurred at the Becker Butte Outlook. The view from which you see pictured. To our good fortune the machine was able to be restarted and ridden back to homebase. Which brings me back to what I said at the beginning of the article, this is really just a preliminary report because we were not able to finish exploring it.

However, what we did get to ride was outstanding and as you can see there are some breathtaking views. During the next couple of weeks or so a full report should be available. In the meantime, if you have a chance to head out that way it is a great ride and will take you about 300-350 miles round-trip give or take depending on where you start from in Phoenix. There is a Google map here, which will show you how to get there from the outskirts of metro. Some of the pins on the map are interactive and some are not, but it will point you in the right direction.

Back soon with a full report. In the meantime shiny side up!

The Apache Falls Legend

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:43:00 +0000

When the mood strikes you to motor out, but not too far, take this hour and a half- long ride to the little town of Superior, AZ. Superior, was built into the foothill of the Apache Falls and the red mountain dominates everything in the area. For me, it is always a powerful presence and I am saddened by the fact that so few people know the story of the mountain's name.

During the 1870'a the U.S Cavalry had frequent skirmishes with the Apache Indians in the region. One of these conflicts resulted in the Cavalry cornering a group of Apache warriors on the top of the mountain where they leaped to their deaths, rather than face the shame of defeat.

Apache Falls Mountain Towers over Superior, AZ

Another local attraction is “The World's Smallest Museum.” I do not know if it is actually the smallest museum in the world. But having been there, I can tell you it is about half the size of a typical walk-in closet.

If food and drink are on your mind, there are several places to fulfill that need. However, riders in the know often choose to go to the east end of town to Dairy Queen. Not only do they have good ice cream and acceptable road food, Dairy Queen also sits at the intersection where two wheel travelers, can continue to ride north-east on U.S .60 towards the Apache Trail or turn south on AZ 177 towards Tucson.

Riders in the know choose Dairy Queen

Once you get out of the city the ride to Superior provides two different riding environments, From just beyond Phoenix. The first 14 miles are straight with panorama view of very stark desert. But, the road is in good shape so it makes for pleasant riding.

One your reach Florence Junction U.S, 60 becomes a designated scenic road way. The ubiquitous Saguaro cacti re- appear and you can enjoy the scenery via a fantastic set of high-speed sweepers. Once you get near Superior though roll back on the throttle because the local lawman is not fond of people ripping through his town at high speeds.

Also remember that you will be traveling from 1300 to 2700 feet and at this time of year that bit of elevation can bring quite a temperature drop. It probably will not matter in another month or so, but I recommend packing an extra layer or two so you being cold does not spoil your fun while at the top

The Phoenix to Superior run is an off the beaten path destination for a half day ride. Spend some time with your imagination and picture what it must have been like on that day when Apache Falls got its name. Of course do not forget the ice cream or visit to the “Worlds Smallest Museum” All in all a good ride and a great time, I highly recommend it.

______________________________________

To get to Superior from Phoenix, take the I-17 south until it turns into U.S. 60 east and continue to Superior From I-10 travel south until it meets U.S. 60 east and, as above, continue to Superior.

22 Miles in First Gear.

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:49:00 +0000

The Apache Loop, and certain stops along the way, are popular destination among Phoenician motorcyclists. Wanting to check it out ourselves we so we happened across an seeming reasonable local travel guide and borders and began using it to explore

Day Trips by Sheila Stein has a partiulary useful quality to this author. The trips dont require and planing, one just gets up and goes. The Wrench Wench and I were quite pleaesed this format because it fits our traveling style so well, One major detail this book has though is lack of detail, particularly in the area maps.. This has gotten us into an adventure situation a few times.

The following narrative is but one of those adventures.

This ride actually turned out to be an attempt to connect with one of the local BMW riding clubs. As these things often work out for us there was no real connection with the people. We did make an effort to go along with the plan though, but the ride captain for that day was too aggressive and I soon let us fall back and lose the crowd and then ride our own ride. This had two advantages, first, we could ride our own pace and enjoy it more. We got to turn down a road and play "where does that road go?" And in this case it was very, well interesting little exploration.

Following the group leader for the first part of the ride had put us well into The Apache Loop, or as it is known in the local vernacular, The Apache Trail Circle Road

Without the proper details on the map, we did make it to Roosevelt Dam, and we had to decide whether to go to some of the further possible destinations, or finish the Apache Loop.

Because we were both feeling a bit beat up that day we decided on the shorter route...which finishes the loop. Unbeknown to us the rest of the trail from Roosevelt Dam onward is 22 miles of fairly rough dirt road. And the lovely travel guide we had failed to mention this particular bit. Needless to say it was an interesting 22 miles.

There is a whole lot more story to tell here...but for now I hope this video keeps you entertained.

Thanks!

BMWeerman

Motorcycling to the Stars Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:22:00 +0000

Places like this have always been extremely exciting to me and Patti and I both felt a sense of wonder as we walked on the grounds and began to get a sense of the scale and grandness of the facility. Founded in 1958 the Kitt Peak Observatory is home to 23 telescopes making it the largest collection of astronomical instruments in the world.

Click Here for an Interactive View of this Map

View from the observation deck of the four meter telescope looking south

There are three guided tours provided each day for a nominal cost and each one covers a different area of the facility. We arrived just in time to take the last tour of the day which was to the main attraction; the four meter telescope. It was quite a hike from the visitors center to the telescope, and because of the lay of the land, it really is uphill both ways. At 8000 feet the temperature was significantly cooler than on the desert floor. We were wearing all of the layers that we had brought, which was not a lot, and felt quite chilled. In addition, at that altitude, the wind was blowing at a pretty good clip.

Trudging up the hill to the four meter telescope building

And it gets even more imposing as you actually approach it.

We had a really great guide for the tour and got more information than we could possibly have retained. The view from the observation deck of the four meter is stunning. One of the things that stuck in my head was the story about the near-earth collision detection program. The telescope pictured below is part of a government project that does nothing but scan the sky constantly for space objects that have the potential for hitting the earth. As of October 2008 982 of these near earth objects NEOs have been detected. Kind of an alarming fact when you think about it.

The silver dome in the center of the above picture is the NEO telescope

There were also some stunning views of the road we had just come up...

Above: US 386 as seen from the observation deck of the four-meter telescope looking to the west

After spending some time on the observation deck our group climbed a narrow set of stairs to view the instrument itself. Without the proper photographic equipment it is impossible to get the right shots or even convey the scale of the inside of the dome, but here is my meager attempt.

One of the things that made this trip visit special was we had a really great guide, I am not sure what his education or background was but he made the trip very interesing.

Definitely a trip worth making!

Motorcycling to the Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:10:00 +0000

This is part two of a journal entry about a recent overnight trip to for Phoenix to Tucson which include some moderate terror and some great joy. As I stated in the previous entry the mechanical problems and change of schedule on Saturday night had put me in a funk and I woke up pretty cranky the next day. However, I really wanted to get my mojo back so while the Wrench Wench slept in a little I was up before dawn hoping to catch some great "sunrise over the mountain" pix. Some reading in the local literature in the hotel room told me that Catalina Mountain Park was just up the road a ways. So in the pre-dawn hours I took my tools and flashlight down to the bike, wrenched on the starter a little bit, which seemed to help, and headed off toward the park.

Because we had not planned for any real early or real late riding there was not a lot of warm stuff packed in the panniers. So, it was pretty chilly ride to the park. I turned off on the exit and drove into the park. A few hundred yard in I encountered the ranger booth. At the booth was a stooped over, elderly woman who regarded me, dressed in full black riding gear, and my motorcycle with profound distrust. I told her I just wanted to come in the park and shoot a few sunrise shots. She was clearly trying to discourage my interest by pointing out that is was yet a ways 'till sunrise. Not swayed by this argument I told her I would need time to set up so that would be OK. Her next tack was to lay the six dollar charge on me which I would be subject to if I was in the park longer than 15 minutes. She made an obvious show of checking her watch and telling me "exactly" when I had to be back. No problem, I handed over six buck, she reluctantly gave me a pass and off I went.

Navigating the narrow, unmarked roads by high-beam it very quickly became apparent that the paved portions of the park were very short and led to RV parking spots and the heads of hiking trails. No way to get any elevation for the shots I wanted. Checking the clock on the bike I noted that there were 3 minutes left of my alloted 15 free minutes. Quickly motoring back to the small, dimly lighted haunt of my nemesis I reminded her of the time and asked for my money back. After another bit of unpleasant exchange I returned my pass and got my six bucks back. I watcher her watch me leave in the rear-view. It was obvious she was happy to see me go.

It was still dark when I arrived back at the hotel so I made do by taking some shots of sunrise over the Santa Catalina Mountains from the window of the hotel room.

Sunrise over the Santa Catalina Mountains from a thid floor hotel window

Patti slept in kind of late and we lazed around the room for a bit, went downstairs for the free breakfast-which was unexpectedly excellent, then had to make a decision on what to do that day. The working plan was to go visit Tombstone, but after a bit of research it became apparent that, in spite of its colorful history, it was merely a tourist trap and we wanted something less touristy and a bit more interesting. So, we opted to drive out into the Sonoran desert and visit the Kitt Peak observatory.

In order to get to Hwy 86 we had to travel the length of Tucson from north to south. Given our newly acquired sensibilities gained by living in Phoenix for six months we assumed an hour and a half drive at least. It turned out to be more like 20 minutes.
Turning west on Hwy 86 we headed onto the Tohono O’odham wilderness.

Riding west into the Tohono O’odham wilderness

Not too far on down the road we came to the intersection of 86/386 which turns roughly north.

Looking north from the 86/386 intersection..probably not visible at this picture scale but you can see the dome of the 4 meter telescope dome at the far upper right

From the same vantage point, but with a bit of zoom

It is a fair distance down 86 to the bottom of Kitt Peak, but the road is reasonbly well pave with a minimum of rock and sand patch hazards to be avoided. Once you start climbing the peak it goes from 2000 feet of elevation to 7000 feet in just under 12 miles. Quite a ride. Because the mountain is made of granite there are none of the hazards of rock slides on the road or patches of blowing dust that have characterized so many of our other mountain rides, very pleasant.

A couple of views ascending Kitt Peak

The tempature began to drop dramatically as we rapidly gained altitude and the wind also picked up considerably. Enough that once we had reached the top and parked in the visitors lot we needed to dig out another layer of clothes.

Red at the chilly and windy top of Kitt Peak

Note-In order to get a scale for this picture, the four-meter telescope pictured in the upper right is ten stories tall from it's base to the bottom ring of the dome. The actual dome towers another several stories above that.

Places of this nature, observatories, etc, have always fired my imagination and this was spectacular. Having been a regular visitor to such places as Griffith Observatory and Mount Wilson with their few attraction, the scale of this instillation was amazing! The four-meter optical telescope in the upper right of the above photograph towered over the parking lot with other mysterious and magic structures stretching into the distance.

Ok I have been working on this post now for quite a while...the best is yet to come, but also some very detailed work to do on it. I am going to publish this one and get to work on part 2. Keep your eyes open for that. In the meantime...keep your eyes on the road and your thoughts in the stars...

BMWeerman

It's A Tough Road to Tucson

noreply@blogger.com (Cameron Weckerley) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Greeting from "The Old Pueblo" as Tucson is sometime referred to. Arguably the oldest continuously inhabited city in the U.S. Tucson was probably first visited by Paleo-Indians, known to have been in southern Arizona by about 12,000 years ago. This particular entry though has more to do with the particular trials tribulation of getting here on this particular trip.

Because we have been working 10-11 hours days there was not a lot of time to prepare to we had planned to get up early and pack our bags, do a bit of maintenance to the bike, unfortunately my early inspection revealed some things that made me extremely uncomfortable. So I had to break out the tools and and ended up spending 3 hours disassembling and reassembling the bike which got us off to a late start. Unfortunately, it kind of wore me out and got in a bad mood. Once we got going though my mood improved and we had a beautiful day to go riding.

Above it the map from yesterdays ride from Phoenix to northern Tucson

Fortunately we were able to miss the spring break traffic by avoiding the slab of I-10 taking the back route which was suggested to us by some of the locals.

Dairy Queen in Superior, AZ...Doe not look like much,but it is a popular biker spot and the hot dogs are good

We had been puzzling over a recently purchased guidebook trying to decide the best,and most interesting, way to get to Tucson and were fortunately given some guidance by our new-found Harley friends. We had headed east out of Phoenix on highway 60 then turned south on 177 in the Pinal Mountains.

The Wrench Wench pauses to ponder one of the smaller copper mining operations along 177

One of the Anonymous copper mines..actually the one the Wrench Wench is contemplating in the above pic.

Looking to the north from same spot one sees a fabulous road cut...one of my favorite roadside geology features that make this part of the American Southwest one of my favorite places to travel

The initial southbound portion is a beautiful set of set of sweepers with not much debris on the road to worry about.

Further on down the road, so to speak, the landscape flattens out, but the desert still remains close

Unfortunately as we traveled along a nagging starter issue kept raising its ugly head. The three hours I had spent in the morning doing service and alignment had not touched the starter. I though I had fixed that a week ago, but as we began making stops for gas, drinks, sightseeing and the like the starter/flywheel was making an increasingly alarming sound, which unfortunately, sucked some of the joy out of the ride for me.

Yet, like what I like to call "real motorcyclists" we persevered without too much diversion towards our goal.

Finally rolling into the outskirts of Tucson, Oro Valley in this case, we began to ride along the Santa Catalina Mountains which are magnificent!

Traveling south on 77 with the Santa Catalinas to to the east

Once we rolled into Tucson proper we had to find our hotel and we realized no one had the address or directions. Fortunately, the was a Barnes and Noble parking lot nearby, and we were able to get our email and direction using the handy Blackberry.

Turns out the motel was only .7 miles from where we stopped and we arrived in due time. Our original intention had been to check in and then meet up with the Wrench Wenchs sister, but due to our late start that didn't happen. Also, the starter was really grinding by now and so while the Wrench Wench tried to make the best of it, I spent most of the evening sulking. Not the greatest way to finish off a days run.

Things did get A LOT better the next day which I will detail in the next blog post.