rocketbunny

2009-08-17T13:45:00.001-06:00

Rocketbunny in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Day 07

2009-08-14T20:34:00.004-06:00

Day 07
Friday, August 14, 2009
Front Royal, VA to Rocky Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway, VA
297 miles

I woke up with a huge feeling of eager anticipation. Today was the day the trip REALLY got started. I had 3 days of parkways ahead of me, some of it new territory. The bike was packed and before I knew it, I found myself stopping for a photo shoot at the entrance to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive!

Starting to get hungry, I stopped at Big Meadows for another national park sticker for the ST and some food for me. After perusing the menu at the cafe, I opted for a take-out sandwich and bottled juice.

Half an hour later I was off the bike again, enjoying my lunch at a vista point.

On my way again, I crossed out of the national park and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'd been a little concerned about getting confused at the exit, but the transition was seamless.

Out of the national park, the area immediately began to feel more inhabited. I occasionally saw farmhouses and fields through the trees. Still beautiful though.... and NOTHING like riding through towns and past billboards on a state highway.

I'd been eagerly anticipating spending the night at Willville Bike Camp, a motorcycle-only campground at the midpoint of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It had been a long day of riding and I was very ready to get off the bike and relax.

However, when I pulled up to the driveway to camp and saw that it was a steep gravel road down to more gravel and lawns, I twisted the throttle and rode right back on to the parkway. I'd remembered seeing a national forest campground about 10 miles back. I spent the entire ride trying not to speed and grumbling to myself about proprieters who call themselves "motorcycle-friendly" yet neglect to pave their cliff-like driveways.

Note: I realize that most motorcyclists don't have this particular problem of mine and I'm sure the campground is very nice. I just wish it took into account vertically-challenged riders of heavy bikes.

On further thought, I suppose my previous day's experience with the mud had given me more than my fill of uncertain surfaces.

Rocky Knob Campground turned out to be very nice, with a paved driveway, a paved campground loop, and even *GASP* paved campsite pull-ins.

Absolutely no cell phone service though. I set my SPOT to send the nightly sign-off and set up camp.

2009-08-14T17:53:00.001-06:00

2009-08-14T07:53:00.001-06:00

Rocketbunny in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Day 06

2009-08-13T19:38:00.002-06:00

Day 06
Thursday, August 13, 2009
near Williamsport, PA to Front Royal, VA
272 miles

I've ridden in some pretty scary situations. I think the forty miles of snow back in 2004 is up there, closely followed by that snowy pass in Yellowstone and the endless gravel construction zone in 2005(?).

The two miles on that muddy dirt road eclipses them all.

Those with plenty of dirt experience are probably pooh-pooh-ing right about now. Mud isn't a big deal, right?

Well, try it a few 1000 miles from home on a big heavy expensive touring bike!

I was in no hurry this morning, trying to give the road time to dry off. Scott and his mom were following me in the mini-van to make sure I had help if needed.

The first part of the road was mostly dry. I started out slowly but with a little confidence. I kept reminding myself to stay loose and look ahead.

I made it through the first little mud patch, but the rear end slid around and my feet went down reflexively. After a deep breath I continued, that familiar sick feeling in my stomach.

In the second mud patch, the bike went right, went left, and went down. Scott jumped out of the van and helped me off. I wasn't injured and the bike didn't appear to be damaged, but I knew that this wasn't going to work.

After indulging in a nice little panic attack, I helped Scott pick up the bike. It was resting on the cylinder head and saddlebag, so not completely over, but the wheels kept sliding sideways in the mud. We took another break once it was upright and then began the slow process of pushing it the remaining mile or so to the paved road.

I don't do well in bike-push situations (understatement). My sense of balance disappears and a constant fear of falling over manifests. We took frequent breaks and experimented with different speeds. I kept the ignition on to have access to the power brakes and tried to ignore the gnawing fear that the battery would be drained by the time we made it to pavement.

The 6" deep sucking mud ruts finally gave way to graveled dirt. We rolled onto the chip-seal and parked the bike.

I stripped off my riding gear to dry off and catch my breath while everyone admired Scott's muddy boots. A passing neighbor expressed astonishment that we'd gotten the motorcycle through the road.

After good-bye's and profuse thank-yous, I started up the ST and shakily rode off.

I've found in the past that after a scary experience, it takes me a while to relax into the road. The steep pass over PA-487 through Ricketts Glen would normally be a fun experience, but I was too stressed out today. Orange construction signs on the Pennslyvania roads made me instantly tighten up. Happily, I encountered nothing more serious than loose gravel on chip seal.

In Sunbury, I treated myself to some iced coffee and a break before once again riding along the Susquehanna.

I finally began to relax and enjoy myself riding through Catoctin Mountain Park near Hagerstown, MD. There was scenery, curves, and lovely sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees.

I love stopping at historical sites. Earlier in the day I'd passed through Gettysburg and had been torn over whether to explore the battlefield (had visited on a family vacation several years ago). I ultimately decided to skip the already-been-there Pennsylvania battlefield in favor of a visit to Antietam in Maryland.

I had originally planned to camp that night in Shenandoah National Park, but found myself checking into a hotel in Front Royal, VA late in the day. I was aching for air-conditioning and just couldn't face the additional 50 miles to the campground (assuming it would take hours on slow national park roads).

Rocketbunny in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Days 03 & 04

2009-08-12T06:21:00.000-06:00

Days 04 & 05
Tuesday - Wednesday, August 11-12, 2009
near Williamsport, PA
0 miles

After a relaxing Tuesday morning, a group of us decided to spend the afternoon hiking in Ricketts Glen State Park. Scott's mom drove us to the top of the canyon, promising to pick us up at the bottom in a few hours. The ~3 mile long hiking trail follows Kitchen Creek down a series of waterfalls.

That morning, we'd found construction equipment starting to grade the dirt access road to the house. Scott's mother had struggled to avoid the loosened mud on one side of the road. Coming back through a light rain storm that afternoon, the equipment was gone, but so was that lovely hard packed dry dirt road. I tried not to think about getting the ST out of there.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the porch and walking around the property. As the sun set, we walked down to the nearby lake with fireflys flickering around us.

It rained that night. Hard.

On the following day, Scott took me out on the lake in a two-person kayak. We paddled along the dam, visited the beaver house, and plucked blueberries off bushes overhanging the water.

I kept hearing horror stories about the state of the road. Just before dinner, we drove out to survey the conditions. The road was mud. Most of it was relatively smooth, but there were a few places where the rain wasn't draining well and several ruts were torn in by passing traffic. An alternate route through the fields was dry, but it was essentially a deeply rutted jeep trail with at least one steep hill. I was more worried about getting stuck in the woods than falling in the mud.

Rocketbunny in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Day 03

2009-08-10T20:27:00.000-06:00

Day 03
Monday, August 10, 2009
Winchester, VA to near Williamsport, PA
235 miles

I was more excited than usual to begin my ride this morning. I had a little over 100 miles of interstate, followed by about two hours of local roads that I had high hopes for.

Back on I-81, I quickly passed through West Virginia and Maryland. Concerned about rain, I hadn't mounted the camera. I stared ruefully at the "Welcome to" signs as they flashed by overhead.

Just before Harrisburg, I exited I-81 to ride north along the west bank of the wide Susquehanna River.

Unfamiliar with what I call "the roads paradigm" of the east coast, I wasn't sure just how rural the area around the house would be. I was picturing the "few and far between" gas stations in some prime riding areas of California, Utah, and Nevada. Scott's mother had given me the names of some towns near the house with gas stations, but I decided to stop early (100 miles out) to get lunch and fuel up. I was spending too much time watching my gas gauge and not enough time enjoying the road. I shoudn't have worried. It turned out that there were little towns with adequate fuel availability all along the route.

From the road reviews I'd read while planning my route, US 220 was supposed to have been one of the better motorcycling roads in the area. There were some nice curves, but also lots of construction. Portions of the road were grooved and I was stopped a couple of times by flagmen.

The local roads close to Scott's family's house really shone. They dipped and curved over wildflower covered hillsides and through tunnels of trees.

I had been dreading the final approach to the house. Scott had warned me about the mile+ of hard packed dirt road that I'd need to navigate. Riding buddies know that I have an irrational fear of dirt and gravel roads. It had rained recently in the area, but the road was fine. I tried to relax, stay loose, and let the ST move as it needed to.

I ended up overshooting the driveway by a few feet, but Scott was sitting on the screened in sun porch and saw me arrive. He and his sister's husband helped me get turned around and gave me a push to get off the dirt road and onto the gravel driveway. I parked the bike and unpacked, very ready to stop riding and relax for a couple of days.

Rocketbunny in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Day 02

2009-08-09T19:25:00.000-06:00

Day 02
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Athens, TN to Winchester, VA
481 miles

I was feeling very good about my schedule getting to Pennsylvania. With only ~700 miles to go and two days to do them in, there was no rush.

My SPOT was flashing a low battery light that morning, so I decided to look for a Radio Shack along the route (I also needed another stereo extension cable). I found a likely exit near Knoxville and pulled over in a strip mall to consult the GPS. A shouted question to a man who happened to be walking by resulted in a point at the large shopping center just across the street. I thought that I couldn't get any luckier until I rolled up to Radio Shack and found that it wouldn't open til 11:30 (over an hour later) on Sunday. I ended up finding everything I needed at the adjacent Walmart, but the gear-down and lock-up required for shopping at a large store delayed me more than I had really wanted.

I felt a little silly stopping for lunch at Hardees (Western Bacon Cheeseburger, WOOO!) less than 100 miles into my day. At least I was on I-81 (the interstate that would take me all the way to Pennsylvania) at that point.

I encountered some of the worst traffic of the trip on I-81 in Virginia. The interstate was congested and hilly. This translated into abrupt slowdowns that made this section of the trip one of the least relaxing. I was forced to cover my brakes more closely than usual.

For Scott:

I had been hoping for a cool down in temperature as I got into the mountains. Instead I had another crazy hot day. It was so refreshing to walk into my air conditioned motel room in Winchester, VA, only 230 miles away from tomorrow's destination in Pennsylvania.

2009-08-09T11:31:00.002-06:00

Yes. I know it's upside down. You try taking a photo with your mobile phone on the side of a busy interstate. It says "Virginia". (it's a state)

Rocketbunny in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Day 01

2009-08-08T21:41:00.000-06:00

Day 01
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Monroe, LA to Athens, TN
561 miles

I've gotten a bit of a reputation among riding buddies as a late sleeper. On past trips, the only legitimate reason for waking up before 8 AM has been a planned long mileage day. Well, this morning I didn't use slightly sore shoulders as an excuse to skimp on my (relatively new habit) "every other morning" 6:30 AM jog. My riding camelbak flopped around a bit more than my usual waist hydration pak, but it was fine for a quick 40 minute run. I got back, took a shower, packed the bike, and was on the road before 9 AM.

I found I-20 to be very similar to US59 in appearance. Road construction crews basically chopped down a swath of pine trees and laid down a ribbon of pavement.

I got a few sprinkles just after stopping for gas near Tuscaloosa, AL. I quickly pulled over to stow my camera and cover my GPS with a ziploc bag. A few miles later the cooling rain really caught up with me on I-459 around Birmingham, AL. It was only a cherished memory when I took the I-59 ramp toward Gadsden.

Drying off, I passed my intended destination for the night, Ft Payne, around 5:30. I again decided it was too early to stop and continued on toward Chattanooga, TN.

When riding in the west, I'm generally pretty aware of where the time zone borders lie. I know that Mountain begins roughly even with the New Mexico/Colorado eastern border, and Pacific as I cross into California/Nevada. I'm not as familiar with the boundaries of the Eastern time zone though, and was watching for a notification sign that never showed. I should have gotten a clue when I crossed briefly into Georgia.

I had initially felt a little guilty for stopping for the night just past Chattanooga in Athens, TN at only "6:30". I felt much better about my decision when I realized that it was actually just before 8 PM.

2009-08-08T18:03:00.001-06:00

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Rocketbunny in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Day 0.5

2009-08-07T21:31:00.002-06:00

Every spring my mind turns to motorcycle trips. I cast about for ideas, weighing where I've been against all the farflung places I'd like to go. When the boyfriend invited me to spend a couple of August days with his family up in northeast Pennsylvania, I immediately saw the possibilities. I haven't ridden northeast since June 2006. It's clearly time to revisit the Blue Ridge Mountains and tag a couple more states.

My plan is to leave work early on Friday, August 7. I'll spend a couple of days interstating north, arriving in Pennsylvania on Monday, August 10. I'll spend a few days there before starting a more leisurely ride back via Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Deals Gap. The last two days of my ride will be mostly interstate, arriving home on Monday, August 17.

I've been avoiding trip reports lately. I rode in the Georgia mountains last year, and more recently in New Mexico. Those rides had an ambitious itinerary so I took few pictures and ended my days too tired to do a trip report. My For this trip, I'm pushing the reset button. I resolve to take more pictures, spend time each night on my trip report, and stop the bike when a truly beautiful vista presents itself.

Day 0.5
Friday, August 7, 2009
Houston, TX to Monroe, LA
341 miles

I left work around 1pm, fully prepared for the blistering heat of Houston August. My camelbak was full of ice water and all vents were open on my touring suit. I navigated my way around to US59, one of my favorite ways to get out of the city.

My mapping program had initially told me that the fastest way to Pennsylvania included a half day's travel eastbound on I-10. I'm tired of I-10. I've done that segment a couple of times recently and on a (undocumented) riding tour to Georgia last year. I decided to instead ride up US59 to I-20 and take that across Louisiana and Mississippi, picking up the mapping program's route in Meridian, MS.

For the most part, US59 north of Houston is tree-lined and high speed, much like an interstate. There are a few town bypasses to pay attention to (if you don't want to slow to a crawl passing through a "downtown").

It was HOT. My POS Formotion thermometer was registering 110 for most of the ride while the cheap Walmart thermometer in my tankbag map window ranged through a (probably) more accurate 97 to 105. Sweat was dripping off my nose and chin, but each ice cold sip from the camelbak noticeably cooled me.

My intended destination for the night was Marshall, TX, an easy ~200 miles away at the intersection of US59 and I-20. Rolling through Carthage, TX at 4:30pm, I started seeing signs for both Marshall (~30 miles straight ahead) and Shreveport, LA (~40 mile cutoff toward the northeast). Just as the exit for US79 toward Shreveport came up, I decided that it was WAAAAY too early to stop for the night and why not get ahead of myself on the I-20 segment. I veered toward Shreveport and figuratively tossed my tentative itinerary "out the window".

A construction detour on the I-220 bypass around Shreveport slowed me down a little, so I "only" made it 140 miles into tomorrow's route before deciding to stop around 7pm in Monroe, LA.

2009-08-07T15:42:00.001-06:00

2009-08-07T12:08:00.001-06:00

Lunar Rendezvous 5k

2009-07-18T18:51:00.000-06:00

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...LIFTOFF!" and the front runners streamed away as astronaut Sandra Magnus started the 31st running of the Lunar Rendezvous 5k race. Held on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake, the course wound around the perimeter of the campus.

Anticipating being one of the slower runners, I held back and crossed the start line (starting my chip) about a minute after the race started. I'd warmed up by walking back and forth between the start line and the finish line (a little ways away) a few times and was feeling pretty good. I resolved to run at least the first 35 minutes of the race (following my "One Hour Runner" plan for the day). I also wanted to improve my 5K time.

I let my heart rate settle in the mid 160s during the first mile as we passed the rocket park and a long building with a line drawing of the Saturn V rocket it contained painted on the side. This building and others provided plenty of shady areas that really helped keep the temperature down. At the first mile marker, I glanced down at my HRM and saw that I was at just over 12 minutes.

The HRM slowly crept up into the 170s during the 2nd mile. I slowed down slightly a couple of times to bring my heart rate down, but I didn't worry about it too much. I know from my training runs that my heart rate will tend to rise slightly as I tire. I downed the second mile in around 13 minutes.

During the first half of the run, I noticed a pattern to the people around me. There were several people that jogged past me at a blazing pace. A few minutes later, I'd pass them as they slowed for a walk break. My pace was fairly consistent the whole time. I told myself that I was the slow and steady tortoise getting passed by a succession of hares (Yay Bunnies!). Sure enough, by the second half of the race, I was no longer seeing any of these people. They'd dropped behind me and their jackrabbit hops were no longer sufficient to pass me.

The last mile of the race turned into a mental battle to keep going. Somewhere around 32 minutes in, my legs were suddenly awash in a wave of lethargy. My heart rate was high (into the 180s) but my breathing was easy. I kept going.

My determination was rewarded a few minutes later when I got my second wind. At 35 minutes into the race, longer than I'd ever run before, I was good to go. Nothing was hurting, nothing was overwhelmingly tired, heart rate was high but not worrisome, and I could see the spires of the rocket park in the distance.

I jogged across the finish line with a chip time of 40:57, 22 seconds slower than my Dad's Day 5k time. I'm okay with that. It's only 7 seconds difference per mile, about as close as it could be.

I'm SO proud that I actually ran the entire 5k. A huge milestone has been passed that will give me extra confidence during my next 5k.

My First 5K Race - A Run Report

2009-06-20T22:09:00.002-06:00

To give some background, ever since I got Lucy, I've been casting around for ways to make sure that she gets enough exercise to keep her from bouncing off the walls of my apartment. Along the way, I decided to make a major push toward improving my own fitness levels.

In late April I discovered and began the Couch to 5K program. Over 9 weeks, I worked up from running very short intervals all the way to 40 minute training runs (5 minute warm up walk, 30 minute run, 5 minute cool down walk). To give myself even more motivation, I signed up to run in a 5K race that a couple of friends were also doing. Lucy has been running alongside me this entire time, but for some unfathomable reason, the race organizers do not permit dogs on the course.

This morning's Dad's Day 5K race in downtown Houston was my first 5K race and also my graduation run from the Couch to 5K program.

Results:

Chip Time: 40:35

Gun Time: 41:16

Overall Place: 630 / 725

Division Place: 33 /44 (F 30-34)

I met up with friends Michelle and Jesse at the race start under the Wortham Arch around 7:40 AM. We were standing towards the back of the crowd (past the 10 minute/mile pace sign) so we hadn't been able to make out what the announcer at the front was rambling on about. When the gun went off at 8 AM, it was a little unexpected.

As the crowd started to slowly edge forward, I quickly put my headphones in and started my music. My trusty Polar F11 HRM was queued up, requiring just a one button push as I crossed the start line about a minute later.

I emerged from under the arch and was immediately presented with brilliant sunshine and a fairly steep (compared to the few other hills I've covered during my training) climb up and over 6+ lanes of Interstate 45 through downtown Houston. I knew I would be slow compared to other runners, so I stayed to the side, but I will say I was a little surprised at how very many people were passing me on each side. Michelle and Jesse quickly disappeared into the crowd ahead.

The run had started over an hour later than my training runs. The sun was beating down and there was very little shade on Memorial Drive. I estimate that it was already in the high 80s or low 90s. I kept telling myself that just like my initial *long* runs, this would be a mind over matter experience. I was capable, I just had to keep my mind on running and off my aching legs.

Passing the first mile marker, I was shocked to see that I had run it in only 12:15. This was my fastest mile ever, at least two minutes faster than my training pace. My heart rate was also much higher than it has been during my training. I started to constantly remind myself to slow down and save my energy for the rest of the race. I finally gave myself permission to walk about 16 minutes into the run when I glanced down at the HRM and saw it in the 180s, higher than I've seen it since my first week of C25K.

I started paying a lot more attention to the HRM at that point. Even at a brisk walk, it was high, at running rates. During the rest of the race, I ran only in brief spurts. I'd set a goal: run to that water station, run to that overpass, etc. Once I made the goal, I'd walk for several minutes. Despite walking large portions of it, I took only 14 minutes to get through the 2nd mile.

Climbing back up the I-45 overpass, I spied the Wortham Arch in the distance and saw that my time was still under 40 minutes. I decided right there to make a big push at the end and try to come in under 42 minutes (14 minute/mile pace). A few moments after starting to run, I found myself getting chills, and thought "This can't be good". I ignored it and the feeling soon went away.

Michelle and Jesse were on the sidelines cheering me on as I approached the finish line. I'm still a little surprised that I had the presence of mind to hit the "end" button on my HRM as I crossed it. I didn't make it in under 40 minutes, but my chip/HRM time of 40:35 far surpassed my original pre-race estimate of 42 minutes minimum, 45 minutes probable.

After I'd cooled off a bit, I looked more closely at my HRM results and was slightly horrified to see that over the 40 minutes, I'd averaged 91% of my max heart rate and even hit 101% at some point during the race. To compare, my recent training runs have averaged 80% and maxed out at 89%. I know that none of this is where I *should* be running, but as my body continues to adjust, average HR is trending slowly downward.

Anyway, the 5k was a lot harder than I expected. I need to work on not getting excited about running in a group and keep my pace slower and more sustainable. I hate to make excuses, I but I feel the weather was a big factor in my inability to run as much of the race as I would have liked. Houston in summer is pretty brutal. The organizers might have done better to schedule the race an hour earlier.

Lucy and I will continue to run and plan for another 5k in July or August. I'd like to improve my time and aim for actually running more of the race.

For my readers who are more interested in motorcycle topics, I have not been riding much lately, but I do have a 9 day trip planned for late August. I will be heading toward the east coast this time.

Life With Lucy

2009-04-18T13:03:00.003-06:00

I've had Lucy for about 4 months now. She's mostly figured out how things work: where to "go", which toys are hers, don't chase the Cat, etc.

Some pics for the grandparents:

A typical evening nap on the couch (she steals pillows)

At work (she comes with me about once a week)

Taking a bath (poor little abused puppy)

On a hike

30 Days of 30 (cont.)

2009-02-16T21:19:00.001-06:00

W1A3 (week 1, activity 3):
(Feb 6) My actual 30th birthday. Nice day at work, got some gifts from coworkers and boss. BF and I met up at Rice Village after work and went out to dinner at Bombay Brasserie, a yummy Indian place.

W2A1
(Feb 7) My "observed" 30th birthday. (if public figures can do it... :P ) I dragged BF over to my parent's place around 3pm. We spent 3-5 cooking furiously and then the next few hours after that being furiously social. It was a nice relaxed party with around 10 friends (mostly fellow riders) in attendance. Everyone raved about the food: Tri Tip (it's a California thing), roasted turkey breast, red potato salad, Dad's Special baked beans, garlic bread, shrimp nachos, salsa, and guac. We finished off the party with a home-baked cake (yellow cake filled with vanilla pudding and fresh bananas with chocolate frosting). I managed not to spit on it. (I think/hope)

W2A2
(Feb 11) BF and I decided to be adventurous. Most of my past home cooking Thai endeavors have involved lots and lots (and lots) of peanut butter. This time we tried for Thai-style red chicken curry. There was a hint of restaurant-grade taste to it, but we both agreed that something was missing. There will definitely be more attempts (we have 3/4 can of curry paste to go through).

W2A3
(Feb 14) (the Valentine's edition) A while back, one of BBFITW (bestest BF in the world)'s coworkers introduced me to a wine type that I could actually drink without making a face (Muscato D'Asti). BF got me a bottle of that wine for my birthday. After going out for sushi, we headed to Pier1 for some fun wine glasses. Then back to his place for a relaxing evening with wine (yummy), a movie, and Lucy.

30 Days of 30

2009-02-02T22:39:00.001-06:00

Last month I half-jokingly designated January 30th + February + March 1 as my "30 Days of 30".

I will turn 30 on the 6th of February, a date that is now fast approaching. Thinking further about it, and with the BF bringing it up again and taking it much more seriously than I originally did, I've made it a goal to do something neat and out of the usual rut for myself on a regular schedule during the 30 day period.

I think a daily activity is probably an unattainable goal (a bit too much like a grueling IBA ride) so I'll go with a number-riffic! THREE out-of-the-ordinary activities per week.

It's only Monday and I've already gotten two down.

W1A1 (week 1, activity 1):
(Jan 30 - Feb 1)Last weekend was spent in Austin, TX. BF, I, and some of BF's friends attended a showing of "Master Pancake Theater : The Matrix" at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown. We had dinner and drinks in the theater while 3 comedians spent some time mocking the movie but mostly focused on Keanu's acting skills (or lack thereof). Before heading back to Houston in the morning we stopped at Kerbey Lane, a cute local cafe. I had some of the best buttermilk pancakes ever (sorry Dad!).

W1A2:
(Feb 2) I attended a Bike Night! It's been FOREVER since I managed to get myself out for a ride after work. The GS accommodatingly roared to life after a night on the trickle charger. I was a good little rider and made sure to top off the tires before riding off to Sugarland and the Live Oak Grill. I only realized after I'd gotten on the freeway that the last time I'd worn my winter/touring jacket was in July and all the vents were open, streaming 50 degree plus a 70 mph windchill air onto my body. Brrrrrrr!

April 08 Trip - Day 11

2008-07-22T19:11:00.000-06:00

Day 11
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Alpine, TX - Houston, TX
578 miles

I'm used to being the last person out of the parking lot at these events, so I was surprised to find that there were still a few riders hanging around when I opened the door to my motel room. I packed the bike, said my goodbyes, and headed out for the now-familiar grind on I10.

The ride was uneventful. Warm temperatures and humidity welcomed me home.

My day was not over when I pulled into the garage and stripped out of my riding clothing. I took a shower and got into the truck for a 70 mile round-trip drive to my parents house to retrieve the grand-pets.

Finally in for the night, I relaxed on my couch, perused my pictures, and petted my cat.

Trip Costs:

Gas: $385.93
Lodging: $224.25
Food: $98.09
Petty Cash: $125.23 (includes ATM withdrawals and misc purchases)

Total Cost of 11 days on the road: $833.50

Not bad.

April 08 Trip - Day 10

2008-07-22T19:07:00.000-06:00

Day 10
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Alpine, TX
319 miles

We had a big group for breakfast this morning at a diner just down the street from the meet motel. Afterwards, many of the riders split up for day rides on their own.

I found myself roped into leading a small group up through the Davis Mountains to McDonald Observatory. From there, Rich (a fellow Texan who I've gotten familiar with over several pie runs and past STN events) led us down to Presidio for lunch at El Patio and then east on 170 for a roller coaster ride along the Rio Grande.

The funny thing is that many of these photos are duplicates of shots I took in December 2006. I guess I need to ride this route the other direction...

We got back to the hotel with plenty of time to relax before supper. For the "official* meet dinner, I had booked a group room at the Edelweiss Brewery & Restaurant in the historic Holland Hotel. I'd been looking forward to schnitzel all day... and the food did not disappoint.

April 08 Trip - Day 9

2008-07-22T18:35:00.001-06:00

Day 09
Friday, April 11, 2008
Socorro, NM to Alpine, TX
411 miles

"Screw that!" was my immediate thought this morning when the GPS presented me with an ETA of ~9 PM.

I threw out my original highly optimistic route that was going to take me over some scenic NM backroads and past Carlsbad Caverns NP for a quick stop.

Instead, I punched in a direct route to Alpine for a much more comfortable ~4ish arrival time. I spent the day racing along I-25 and I-10. The last hundred miles was on US-90, but the speed limit was still at interstate speeds.

The only bright spot worthy of mention flashed by with a double take. I didn't turn around for pictures, but I looked up the Prada Boutique in the middle of nowhere that night in my motel room. (It's "art")

I had made excellent time and really hoped to arrive at the motel in time to nap for an hour or two before having to put effort into being social. Instead, I found half the parking lot already filled with sport-touring bikes. Fortunately, the smiles came easily to my face and I happily greeted old and new friends.

At the appointed time, we strolled across the street to a steakhouse. My black and blue steak was excellent, although I think some of the other attendees were a bit put off by the idea of meat with a cool center (yum!). The accompanying (and also yummy) portobello mushrooms got a few sidelong glances: "Those look like cow ****!"

No photos today. I was insufficiently inspired and reluctant to stop on the side of the interstate.

April 08 Trip - Day 8

2008-07-22T18:30:00.000-06:00

Day 08
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Flagstaff, AZ to Socorro, NM
432 miles

In a way, the snow encounter in Utah, while unwelcome at the time, actually simplified and removed some potential stress from my trip.

From the first days of planning, I'd looked skeptically at the road options between Moab, UT and the Texas border. The good roads were in the mountains and it was still very early in the season. The safer roads, on the plains of NM, were likely to be fraught with hair-raising gusts of wind. These worries were now moot.

I had two days to get to the STN Region 2 Meet. The base (interstate) route between Flagstaff, AZ and Alpine, TX is about 800 miles. I always figure that adding interesting roads will add at least another 100 miles. My days are further lengthened by stops for attractions along the way.

Sitting in my motel room with Mapsource running on my laptop, I decided that the only thing to do was shortcut Arizona on I40 (after all, I had just ridden in the region a year ago) and try to make it to some new (to me) roads in NM.

Just cuz, I stopped for gas (and breakfast) in Winslow, AZ. It wasn't much of a corner.

To break up the interstate dash, I took some time to ride through Petrified Forest National Park.

The ranger at the entrance station swiped my parks pass, and then told me to be sure and have my camera out for the first six miles. Riding away, I looked at my gloved hands and shrugged internally. Riiiiiiiight.

Instead of attempting to take pictures while moving (yeah, I know some riders do it) I stopped at several of the Painted Desert vista points to take in the view.

The park road commemorates it's crossing of Rt 66 with a nice informational plaque and blatant photo op.

Having seen some geology and history, I was ready for the main attraction: petrified wood (yeah, I know it's stone).

Jasper Forest was once filled with logs fallen away from the eroding cliffs that once encased them. Around the turn of the century (the 19th/20th one, that is) the valley was plundered and many of the logs were dragged away to be ground down for minerals or sold to tourists.

The park was created to protect the remaining logs, but in it's early years, tourists often didn't follow the rules against collecting rocks. I couldn't help but think of all the times my parents hammered into us the rules against picking things up in National Parks.

Reaching Gallup, NM, I headed south on fairly straight state highways through a large indian reservation. The area appeared to be fairly depressed, so when I saw what appeared to be a bunch of junked trucks spread out in the valley ahead of me, I didn't give them much scrutiny...

...until ten miles later when I hadn't yet passed them and they had slowly resolved into satellite dishes. The gravel paving in the turnout couldn't stop me from pulling over to read about the VLA (Very Large Array).

About an hour later I reached I25 and decided that I'd had it for the day. I found an inexpensive motel on the strip in Socorro, NM.

Monday night bike meet

2008-07-07T18:58:00.001-06:00

April 08 Trip - Day 7

2008-06-19T18:29:00.001-06:00

Day 07
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Zion NP, UT to Flagstaff, AZ
288 miles

The day dawned breezy and cool with patches of gray clouds rolling over. While packing my camping gear, I continuously switched between jacket and jacket-less. I’d get just cold enough to need the warmth, but quickly start sweating. Once I was off and moving, jacket with liner was just about perfect.

Some shots that don’t really capture the full glory of Zion: (I’m convinced that there is no good time to photograph this end of the canyon… I’ve been here in evening and now morning. The lighting sucks!)

I stopped at an overlook to read about the Zion Park Tunnel. Back in the 1920s this end of the canyon was seen as a dead end. There was only one way into the remote park and it was poorly paved.

In 1927, the NPS started the ambitious project of building a series of switchback up the side of the canyon and then boring a tunnel through solid rock. At the time of completion in 1930, it was the longest tunnel in the United States. The road made Zion more accessible to tourist from the Grand Canyon and Bryce, leading to an explosion in the number of visitors to the barely a decade old park.

Thinking about the history, I felt shivers looking up at the tunnel *windows*, which provide ventilation and were the means to remove excavated rock. I do love seeing and thinking about the debris of history.

Past the tunnel, I swooped along the Zion-Mt Carmel Road, stopping briefly to look at the various rock formations. I told myself that I would be seeing nothing but rock formations this day and promised to put effort into not becoming indifferent to their beauty.

As I approached Mt Carmel Junction and my turn north, the skies started to become worrying. I hadn’t seen a weather report in days, so it felt prudent to stop, get some gas, and figure out the situation.

I sat down to a very unhealthy breakfast at the Thunderbird Lodge and heard that there was a good chance of snow that day.

I find it interesting that 20 miles later, even as the first barely perceptible flakes were swirling around me, I wasn’t cold, I had my heated vest running in the background, my heated grips on, balaclava in place, and all liners in. All I was really thinking about was that sickening out-of-control feeling from September 2006 when I felt my bike slide out from under me in the snow.

I told myself that I would be fine as long as I had good visibility and the snow didn’t accumulate on the road. I drove serenely into the storm.

For the first few miles, the snow wasn’t sticking to the road. The lanes were clear and I felt good about traction. Then it got to the point where there were two distinct tire tracks on the asphalt, soon followed by two tracks in the snow. Road conditions were strongly reminding me of the last time I’d stupidly ridden into snow. With my visor starting to fog up and the constant wiping no longer working, I decided it was time to turn around and find a place to hole up until the storm was over. I put on my emergency flashers and, after checking carefully for oncoming traffic, got myself turned around.

I remembered seeing a gas station not far back. It seemed an attainable goal, but my logical reasoning about visibility and traction had failed to account for the idea that snow would also accumulate where I had been. Instead of quickly finding clearer roads, I continued through my frozen nightmare.

Somewhere in there I passed 2 bicyclists…doggedly pedaling along through the storm. I remember marveling at their determination.

In hopes of clearing the ice, I stopped briefly on the side of the road to spray my visor down with defogger. Unable to manage to cleaning more than the bottom half of the interior of the visor, I ended up forced to ride with it cracked open. My head was tilted up to look through the cleared portion and snow flakes, feeling just like small pebbles, continuously battered my neck and chin.

The parking lot at the gas station was seeing a lot of traffic. Every spot in front was taken, so I carefully parked the ST in the front corner and grabbed my tank bag. Chunks of snow dropping off my shoulders, I geared down under cover, just outside the entry. The attendant didn’t have much information about the storm, and I *needed* to know what was happening on radar, so I put my stuff down on a table and called Rebecca.

Cell signal was bad enough that I had to stand outside for most of the call. Rebecca was able to pull up some animated radar. Once I was able to make clear to her exactly where I was, she was able to tell me where the storm was and where it was going.

Bad news. The storm was headed north and east, just like me.

That pretty much clinched it. My red rocks excursion was over. I couldn’t risk running into snow at high altitudes in Bryce or on Utah 12 through the Grand Staircase area.

The storm was moving on at this point and the snow starting to melt. I went out to the bike to dig up my big US road atlas and to document (in a very melted state) the snow coverage on the R1200ST.

Feeling defeated, I headed south. The rest of the day was cold. Temperatures never rose out of the low 50s. I went through a few areas with light flakes, but no more snow like the morning. Constantly eyeing the sky with trepidation, the road seemed less fun and the scenery dull.

In Jacob Lake, AZ, with the skies once again threatening, I stopped for an early dinner. Walking into the bathroom in my geared down state of spandex-ey Underarmour shirt, biker shorts, and knee-high soccer socks with boots, I think my appearance shocked 2 women clad in pioneer style dresses. We eyed each other while waiting for a similarly dressed child to finish in the one stall.

Attempting to tear myself out of my funk of disappointment, I stopped several times for photos in the Vermilion Cliffs area. It was very windy, making for several scary moments wrestling the R1200ST off the side stand.

The wind was still a concern later in the day when I stopped at Navaho Bridge, but I ALWAYS brake for history!

Built in 1929, the Navajo Bridge is one of only 2 crossings of the Colorado River within 600 miles. At the time it was built, the only other way across the river between Utah and Arizona was an unreliable ferry a few miles down river.

In the early 90s it was determined the that bridge couldn’t withstand the increasingly heavy traffic. A new, similarly styled but more modern bridge (shown on the left) was completed in 1995. The original Navajo Bridge (on the right) is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and open only to pedestrian traffic.

I approached Flagstaff on US89, eyeing the clouds cloaking the tops of the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in Arizona. Light snowflakes began to fall as I entered the city, making my decision to pass by the local KOA very easy.

I was aiming for my Old Reliable, a Motel 6, but the newish looking Travelodge next door was advertising free wifi, a guest laundry, and comparable prices.