Never Been On This Road Before
Monday, November 1st, 2021
Riding in the Black Hills with the OFMC.
Sort of the opposite side of my mantra to never let Bill lead is probably part of the reason he is so bad a leader: he doesn’t know the roads and he doesn’t even remember the ones he has ridden previously.
Of course, Bill is not the only one in this category. I can’t count the number of times Judy and I have been out on a trip and she has remarked that, gosh, I’ve never been on this road before. Except that she has. More than once. And I can cite her those times.
Dennis is no better. Both he and Bill on this year’s OFMC trip remarked on several occasions that, gosh, I’ve never been to (blank) before. Take Scottsbluff, NE, our first night’s stop. Bill said he had never been there. I said yes you have, the OFMC was through here in 2014. And then there was the 2004 trip. When we went to dinner I pointed out that this was the same place we had eaten at in 2014 and he did recognize the place.
We got to the Black Hills and spent one day riding the Iron Mountain Road, the Needles Highway, and the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop. We stopped for a break in Keystone and then I led the way up to Hill City via Old Hill City Road. Both of them claimed they had never ridden that road before but I assured them we had all ridden it in 2014. Do you guys ever pay attention?
Then later in the trip we were in the Black Hills and we got on Nemo Road to get to Vanocker Canyon and Dennis said he had never been on this road (Nemo) before. I had to point out to him that this was the road where he almost died in 2014. We had stopped where Nemo Road intersected another road and were getting ready to roll again. I pulled across the road to get in position and without looking down the road, Dennis followed me, slowly. What he did not see because he did not look, and did not hear because of the noise of all the Harleys, was a semi coming along straight toward him. I yelled but, again, there was no way to be heard. He finally heard the scream of the truck’s brakes and goosed that Indian to scoot out of the way. Yes, Dennis you have indeed been on this road before. It was almost the last road you were ever on.
Then there was another time, the night we spent in Spearfish. We were talking about previous trips and Buffalo, WY, came up. Bill said he had never been to Buffalo. This time even Dennis joined in to say yes you have; we have spent nights there more than once.
So is it any wonder these guys have a hard time knowing where they’re going? I don’t know, I think it may just be a particular mind set, one that John and I share but these other guys don’t. John loves poring over maps, and always knows where he’s going. I wouldn’t say I love maps, but I sure as heck can read them and when I read I lodge the relevant information in my brain. That’s what they’re for, aren’t they?
But some people are just followers. This has always been true of Dennis and Bill. John used to always plan our trips. I objected, saying I wanted a say in the planning. The other guys didn’t care. Let someone else do the work; if it’s a good trip that’s all that matters. I’ll just follow whoever is leading.
Well, that’s not me. And that’s why I’m now the planner and the leader. And speaking of that, it’s getting to be about time for me to be thinking of next year’s trip. I wonder what cool stuff I’m going to come up with.
Biker Quote for Today
You were born an original, don’t die a copy.
