Passes & Canyons Blog

The most direct route looked pretty darn straight. But off to the east a bit was a squiggly line on the map that had some promise. A no-brainer. I took Nebraska 250 from a bit east of Alliance to U.S. 20 at Rushville. And I was rewarded. Who knew there were roads this squiggly in Nebraska?

So yes, I’m off on my 16-day, 3,000 mile trip out to Michigan and Ohio. The sky was looking threatening when I left home this morning but I figured I’d go cruise over to get gas before I really got going and see, in the process, what the rain would do. Well, I got about four blocks and it started pouring. I pulled into the shelter of an office building and put on my rain suit pants and jacket but didn’t figure I needed anything more. It wasn’t raining that hard.

Except that while I was putting those on it started raining harder. Within a minute my gloves were drenched beyond the point of doing anything about it. And after a few minutes I noticed something flapping and found that I had somehow forgotten to zip up my rain jacket, so my riding jacket was also soaked in the front. By this point I’m about 2 miles from home.

So I pulled into the shelter of the gas station and got organized and totally geared up. Of course, by the time I had done so–this being Colorado–the rain had mostly stopped. So I rode on and headed out by DIA, up Tower Road to Barr Lake and hit I-76 at Brighton. There I stopped and removed most of the rain gear because while the sky to the west looked like a boxer’s face after a title bout, to the east there was sunshine and puffy clouds.

As I rode everything dried out until things might never have been wet. The day remained cloudy and cool, which is to say comfortable, and I slabbed it to Sterling. At Sterling I went north to Sidney, NE, and on up to Alliance. Taking the main road north from Alliance would have taken me by Carhenge but that squiggly line on the map looked pretty good. What the heck, I’ve been to Carhenge several times before. Let’s try something new.

And I got to Rushville, turned east on U.S. 20, and was soon at Gordon, my stop-off place for the night. Staying here with a Motorcycle Travel Network couple. Yahoo! Road trip. I’m gone.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Vintage Motorcycle Days draws riders to Ohio

Biker Quote for Today

Total rookie who decided the best way to learn was to buy a bike in Ecuador and take her for a spin through South America.

I’m going to be leaving Monday on what will be the longest motorcycle trip I’ve ever taken. Should be interesting.

It started off when I decided I wanted to go to Vintage Motorcycle Days (VMD), an event the American Motorcyclist Association puts on each year outside of Lexington, OH.

When my brother in Ohio got wind of that he decided he wanted to tie my trip in to his latest business venture. He and a friend have started a winery and tasting room/cafe up in Northport, MI, and it has a biker theme to it. It’s called Motovino Cellars and their wines have names such as Cruiser, an un-oaked chardonnay; Thumper, a dry riesling; F-Head, a red table wine; and others.

Come visit our winery and write about it and help get the word out, he said. So I added Michigan to my itinerary.

Then I looked at a map and found that Northport is way up in northern Michigan, so that got me to thinking. I have friends in northern Wisconsin who I haven’t seen in a long time. I might as well run my route up that way.

Then things really started happening. I ended up with this: First night out to Gordon, NE, where I’ll stay with the first of four Motorcycle Travel Network (MTN) families. From there to Sioux Falls, SD, to see a high school friend I haven’t seen in 40 years. On to Minneapolis to another MTN house, then to northern Wisconsin to see those friends.

From there it will be through the Upper Peninsula with a night in Wells, MI, and then on to Northport. From Northport to Cedar Springs, MI, and another MTN family. Then to my brother’s in Yellow Springs, OH, for one night and then three nights at VMD, the original purpose of the trip. Follow that with another night at my brother’s in Yellow Springs and then on to Peoria, IL, to see a good friend–the best man at my wedding–who I haven’t seen since the wedding.

From there it’s on to Lawrence, KS, and the final MTN stop and the next day, the longest day of the trip, I’ll blast home. That’s 16 days and about 3,000 miles. Then, just for kicks, I’ll be home for one day and then off again for another week on the annual OFMC ride.

Oh man, I’m looking forward to this.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Pikes Peak hill climb reset for August 12

Biker Quote for Today

Adventure is what happens when you thought you were going to have a good time.

I’m home after six days on the road and while I enjoyed the Overland Expo, the object of this journey, it could not be more clear that my favorite parts were the two day ride down to Flagstaff and the two day return trip.

The best parts of those days were the mornings. Each day I woke with the sun, rolled out of my sleeping bag, packed and broke camp, and got on the bike. And there I was, riding through forest and mountains with the day just beginning, with colors so vibrant–it was heaven.

This morning I started the day in a campground about midway between Creede and South Fork. I don’t know the elevation of the campground but South Fork is about 8,100, so the campground was higher. It was cold! Plus, the campground was in a spot where the canyon walls keep the sun off it until probably 9 a.m. I put on my long johns, plugged in my electric vest and turned it on, and hoped my hands didn’t freeze.

But it was glorious! It was so beautiful and I was right there in it all. The morning after my first night camping was the same, though not so cold. I had ridden from Denver to just a little east of Mancos and stayed in a campground there. Next morning I headed out and could not get over how beautiful it was and how happy I was not to be waking up in the city and heading for an office somewhere.

At Mormon Lake, in Arizona, the Overland Expo was good, I sat in on a number of good sessions that gave me more confidence if I ever find myself needing to change a tire on my bike and other useful things like that. And waking up there was nice, too, surrounded as we were in trees and hills. But it wasn’t the same as the morning I left and was out riding through it all. The beautiful morning light. The cold, crisp air. The deer that stood in the road and looked at me as I approached, only to scamper away as the sound of a car coming the other direction persuaded them it was time to go. It all came back to one thought: This is why I ride a motorcycle.

Trite as the phrase has become, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Anticipating adventure at the Overland Expo

Biker Quote for Today

I have no idea where we are, but at least it’s getting dark.

I meet a lot of people in this work, and among my favorites are Jungle and Willie Fuhrman, who operate Ball O’ String Custom Adventure Motorcycle Tours and Sports Car Tours from their home in Eagle. This is a shameless plug for them and their offerings. If you’re looking for some out-of-the-ordinary rides, check these out. And just so you’ll know, Willie and Jungle like to eat really good food, so there’s no stopping at McDonald’s on their tours, they go gourmet all the way.

North to Alaska — Willie and Jungle are leaving June 10 for Alaska and while there is no official tour planned, if you’d like to join them, they’d be glad to have you.

Colorado Rocky Mountains Tour — Eight nights luxury lodging with riding everywhere from Trail Ridge Road to Independence Pass, the Million Dollar Highway, Telluride, Crested Butte, Vail and more. This trip will be running July 7-15.

Vail Ride & Dine — Judy and I are going to join Jungle and Willie and others on this 3-night adventure, August 10-13. As always, luxury lodging and dining. You should join us.

Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier Park Ride and Dine — Running from August 18 to September 1, you’ll visit the places mentioned as well as Flaming Gorge, Waterton Lakes Canadian National Park, and various other stops in Montana and Idaho.

Fall in Love with Italy — Willie and Jungle fell in love with Italy a long time ago, and so every chance they get they go back there, preferably leading a group of riders. No hard and fast dates yet but this tour will be in September.

Colorado and Utah National Parks Tour — Including eight nights of luxury lodging, you’ll visit Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and other scenic spots in these two states. This trip will run October 6-14.

If one of those catches your fancy, check it out. And I guarantee you’ll enjoy the time you spend with Willie and Jungle, in addition to the riding.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Pennsylvania consider requiring rider training for young motorcyclists

Biker Quote for Today

You’re a biker wannabe if your saddle bags say “Gucci.”

Dan Patino and I were hoping to ride a couple KLR 650s up to Alaska last summer but we couldn’t swing the financial end of it. This year Dan is definitely going and he’s hoping to find three other people who are interested in a (relatively) inexpensive adventure ride.

As the proprietor of Go 2 Motorcycle Tours, Dan has a need to move a few KLRs from Seattle to Anchorage. In exchange for you helping him get them there, he’ll set it all up and for your $1,300 you’ll get 10 days bike rental, a guide, and a support vehicle. What is not covered is gas, food, and lodging. Of course, it’s up to you to get to the starting point in Seattle, and also to get home then from Anchorage.

Let’s put this in perspective. I don’t know the details but this is all somehow in connection with a MotoQuest North to Alaska Tour that will be making the same ride at the same time. If you ride with MotoQuest your fees cover gas, food, and lodging, but the very cheapest option they offer is $3,400 if you ride your own bike and share a room. It’s $5,600 if you ride their bike and share a room.

That’s making Dan’s option sound pretty enticing, isn’t it?

Well, if you’re interested you have to decide quickly. The ride leaves Seattle on May 17 and arrives in Anchorage on May 26. You can get to Dan through his website or by email at go2mototours@yahoo.com.

Like the song says, “North! To Alaska! We’re going north, the rush is on.”

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Setting the standard for electric motorcycle speed rating

Biker Quote for Today

Adventure begins when the pavement ends.

Most of us have learned a lot of lessons in motorcycling by doing things that make us say, “Oops, I guess I won’t do that again.” It’s called experience.

Well, the folks who work for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) have between them an awful lot of experience. And somebody got the idea for them all to collect the tips they have picked up along the way and offer their wisdom to all riders. The result is the Rider Resources page on the AMA website. It’s worth a look.

The page has three sections, Riding, Wrenching, and Learning. Each section offers a variety of articles on different topics. For instance, under Riding they offer “33 Secrets for Smart Touring,” “Tips for Crossing the Border,” and “Keeping Warm.” Under Wrenching the topics include such as “Used-Bike Buying Checklist” and “The Bike Stopped. Now What?” “Books We Love to Read” and “Riding With Disabilities” are two of the topics under Learning.

A lot of the info is sure to be stuff most of us already know, though newbies will find it very helpful. A lot is not such common knowledge. For instance, among the 33 touring tips are some jewels like this: If you’re nearing the end of your riding day and want to set yourself up for a quick getaway in the morning, consider riding to the far side of the next city you reach before you stop for the night, eliminating urban traffic the next morning.

At the same time, I find it amusing that the piece on what to do if the bike stops on you doesn’t mention what is probably one of the biggest reasons for this sort of occurrence: the kill switch. Who among us hasn’t had the experience of the bike either dying or failing to start and after beating our heads against the wall for . . . how long? . . . realizing it was just the kill switch. It happened to me one time when I reached over to engage my throttle lock and inadvertently hit that switch. I was stopped there by the side of the road for 15 minutes before it dawned on me.

That shortcoming aside, however, a whole bunch of riders offering their best advice has to have something of value for just about any rider. Take a look and see what you can learn.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re becoming addicted to riding when you crash your bicycle when you lock up the tire because you were trying to use the brake as a clutch lever.

For a lot of people, getting into riding motorcycles consists of simply throwing their legs over the bike and riding off. Never mind that that may be just a bit less preparation than would be good, most do eventually figure it out.

Others are a bit more hesitant. They welcome some coaching, and even once they learn to ride they still welcome coaching to move to the next level. That’s where the AMA Conference Tour comes in. Organized by my friend Alisa Clickenger (aka MotoAdventureGal) and her associate, Karen Thomson, this ride is intended to help women riders gain confidence in and learn the ways of motorcycle touring.

I’m interpreting some of this from their website but as I read it, their name for their venture is Women’s Empowerment Motorcycle Tour, and this AMA Conference Tour is one of two they are promoting this year. The other is a 10-day Pacific Northwest Tour. Their first ever event was the original Women’s Empowerment Motorcycle Tour last year. (I’m sure Alisa will clarify this for me if I’ve got it wrong.)

So anyway, this AMA Conference Tour starts out in Denver on July 20 and is a 6-day ride to Carson City, NV, where the American Motorcyclist Association will be hosting the International Women & Motorcycling Conference.

As they note on the site, “Besides the normal tour itinerary and enjoyment, the tour will include pre-trip personal coaching, confidence building exercises, and during-tour seminars to give every rider a toolbox of skills they can rely on when planning or implementing their own future trips.”

Now, there’s no mention of the return trip, so I have the idea that once the riders get the experience going out there they’re going to get to put what they’ve learned into practice immediately getting home on their own.

So hey, great time. Road trip. Just ride the dang thing.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
AMA doubles up on dirt ride series

Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycles make good girls do bad things!

If you’re like most touring motorcyclists you’re limited as to how far you can go by the amount of time you have off from your job. One way to expand your horizons is to ship your bike to some far-off destination, then fly out there and ride the bike home. But I’ve looked into this and it is pretty expensive. Not out of the question but darn pricey.

There’s another option and it could save you a lot of money. Using a website called uShip.com, you can post a notice as to what you want to ship, when, from where to where. Then carriers bid on your load, trying to undercut the competition in order to win your business. Once you select the bid you want to go with you are put in touch with that shipper. Afterward you both provide feedback which builds confidence on both sides for future shippers/carriers.

I had never heard of this site until they contacted me recently to inquire about placing an ad here on the Passes & Canyons website. That’s their text link over in the right-hand column, just below my picture. When Carlos told me what their business was I said hey, I want to do a post about you guys just to let people know you exist, because I think what you’re doing is great!

As I said, I’ve looked into shipping the bike before and it’s not cheap. But looking at the listings on the site right at this moment, here’s what I see. There’s a guy in Cheyenne who wants to ship his 1997 Honda Z50 to Austin, TX, and he has a low bid right now of $225. There’s another guy in Grand Junction who wants to send his 2001 Indian Scout to Lancaster, CA, and has a low bid of $532. Then another guy there in Junction has 1975 Suzuki re5 Rotary that he wants to ship to Sydney, Australia. He doesn’t have any bidders yet.

There are a lot of bikes waiting for bids. As a matter of fact, there might be a business opportunity here for someone with a truck. String a few of these shipments together and you could make some money.

So it’s free to list your load, and presumably (I didn’t dig deeply here) the hauler pays a percentage of the shipping fee to the folks running the site. Clearly there’s no guarantee, so if you absolutely have to get a bike to particular place by a specific date this might not work for you. But it might. And you’ve got nothing to lose by trying. The more flexible you can be, the better, I’m sure.

Then couple inexpensive shipping with a cheap airplane ticket and you could be set for a terrific ride in places you’ve just never had time to get to before. I tell you what, I’m going to be checking this out myself this summer. Judy and I have spoken numerous times of shipping the bike to Seattle or somewhere like that, flying out, and riding back. It just might happen.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Highway bill in current form would prohibit motorcycle checkpoints

Biker Quote for Today

I don’t ride because I have a death wish, I ride because I wish to live.