Riding season begins? Well, maybe not.

I hadn't ridden for almost a month and I was getting a bit crazy, going out to the garage and staring at my bike, sitting in the saddle and making motor noises.The streets have remained snow packed and icy since well before Christmas. On Thursday and Friday it warmed enough to melt most of that ice and on Saturday at about midday I rolled out and rode for a couple of hours. It was wonderful. Cold but satisfying. The temperature was about 30-31 degrees for most of the ride and when I hopped onto the interstate and climbed up to 70mph it was a "bracing" experience. With my insulated overhauls and boots I was fine. I was hoping to go longer today but, alas, more snow fell overnight and the streets are unsafe again. Sigh!

My goal is still to ride here in SE Idaho in all 12 months of the year. I need only to ride next month to reach that goal, but I still want to ride NOW!

Another Day, Another Ride

I continue to marvel at the fact that we are still having ridable weather at this late date in November. Last year at this time we had ice and snow. The bikes were in the barn. Today I wnet for a great ride with four friends and it was beautiful. Cold, but sunny and calm, near perfect riding weather. With regular stops to warm up, I could have ridden all day. I hope this keeps up.

Riding in Idaho/Global Warming?

Although it has been overcast all day there has been no precip and the temp is up to sixty. I went out and rode for a couple of hours this morning. Put about 85 miles on the King, up over Bucksin to Rapid Creek, Rapid creek to Inkom, Inkom to Lava then back to McCammon for a cuppa joe and a gnosh. The over to Marsh Creek, down to Portneuf road and home. The temps were in the fifties, maybe high forties at the top of Buckskin and, although there is no snow evident. Higher up on the mountain tops you can see some white but I'm planning on riding for a while longer. By this time last year there was ice and snow and the bike was in the barn. Global warming/ climate change? Perhaps, and if there's an up side it's riding time. But the farmers and the ski areas need the snow and I have many friends who are chomping at the bit to get on the slopes. Not me though. I'll ride until it's just too damn icy and/or cold. Who knows, maybe a Christmas day ride this year?

November 17th, still riding

At this time last year we had ice and snow and the Road King was in the garage. Today it was up to 55 degrees and a group of us went over to donate $500 to the local food bank from our HOG Group. Only a few of us rode but it was good weather. Plan on riding again tomorrow and some of us are planning Thanksgiving Day ride. Short, probably only about 50-60 miles round trip but the weather is supposed to be good. Of course it's chilly. When I leave for work in the morning it is sometimes in the low twenties and has been below that a couple of mornings. I dress warmly and only have about three mile to go to get to work. By the time I get off it's usually in the upper forties, sometimes low fifties. A couple of weeks ago we were still in the sixties. No snow-packed or icy roads? Then its still riding season baby.

Have I mentioned that I love to ride?

I love it, absolutely love it. I love the feel, the smell, the taste, the sound of riding. It was about sixty degrees outside today and you couldn't have asked for better riding conditions. Especially in SE Idaho on the 4th of November. We have had consistently good weather for the last two weeks. (one day of rain but I rode then too). I hope it holds like this. Highs in the fifties most days and even the low sixty range, with sunshine and little wind. Some of my readers from warmer climes may find this weather a little chilly for riding but if you dress for it it is great. I hope it lasts until Christmas and then gets nice. Last year it was colder than this by now and the bike went in the shed about now. Not this year. I might make my goal of riding in every month of the year.
I ride to work each morning and it has been in the twenties most mornings, but I only have about three miles to go so I bundle up and take off. By the time I'm out of work, the temps are up and I can take a short ride before I head home.

I'm behind, A ride, a poem, and more.

Computer was down for about a week and that put me somewhat behind. I could have used my computer at work, but I don't really like to do that so now I'm a bit behind. But I'm back now an I will get caught up.

Or maybe I won't. The 'indian summer" weather is holding, temps in the fifties, sunny and I love to ride in weather like this. Bundle up a bit and hit the road. The only thing that really keeps me off the bike is ice and snow and The Old Farmers Almanac says we're going to have a dry winter. My ski-bum friends and farmers will hate me for this but, I hope that forecast is accurate. I want to keep riding.

Speaking of which, I had a great ride yesterday, rumbling down some curving local backroads. Sunshine, cool temps, a nice ride which, not surprisingly, inspired a poem which I posted this morning on Songs of the Open Road for your enjoyment and my own therapy.

I ran across a guy on this ride who has just purchased a new Fat Boy and he was really enjoying himself; big grin on his face, his young son on the pillion, less than a hundred miles on the new bike. I still have a grin like that on my face and I hope you do too. I hope we don't lose it. That would be a pity; to start riding just for the transportation. You ride for the joy, and even a hard ride can be joyful. Get out there and put the wheels to the road. Ride for enlightenment. Ride for your soul.

Grandkids, helicopters,Kalispell, Forest Fires, Poetry

I'm back at work now but before I had to report, I put in the last long ride of the Summer. I left on a Friday morn and pointed the Road King north to Missoula, MT, home of my daughter, her husband Brian, and most importantly, my two grand-children, pictured here.












It was a great ride . I spent all day Saturday with family in Missoula, a great town, and on Sunday I rode north to Kalispell, Whitefish and Flathead lake. Over the whole trip, both up to Missoula on Friday and then up to Kalispell on Sunday, hung a cloud of smoke. Both Montana and Idaho were on fire in various spots, particularly Montana. On Friday as I rode up along the Salmon River, a helicopter dipped down to within twenty yards of me as I rode. It dropped a large hose into the river, sucked up a load of water and flew away to drop it's load on nearby fire. I rode most of the day Friday and all day Sunday with a wet bandanna tied around my face to fight the smoke and ash. On Sunday just outside of Missoula, I passed through the "Blackcat" fire, with flames just a few feet off the highway. This is amazingly beautiful country to ride in but most of that beauty was obscured by smoke as I passed through. Still, it was a fun ride.




























On Monday, I rose early and headed back towards home, the long scenic route. At Drummond, I left the Interstate and took the Pintler Scenic Route which winds up into the mountains past Georgetown and beautiful Georgetown Lake and then back down into the old smelter town of Anaconda. The back onto the interstate for the twenty mile ride to Butte Harley Davidson and from there south to Twin Bridges, the historic old mining camp of Virginia City and on to the ranching community of Ennis in the beautiful Madison Valley, home of some of the best fly-fishing waters in the west. On to West Yellowstone MT, Island Park, ID and home to Pocatello. With an easy 1100 miles under my belt, I was off to work again on Tuesday. It was clear all the way home on Monday. Most of the smoke was gone and the weather was pleasantly mild. Here are some pictures from the Monday ride.

The smoky ride inspired a poem, Riding Through The Fire , which I've posted on Songs of the Open Road

I think you'll enjoy it.

Keep On Keepin' On

The West is Burning

Fires, started by lightning in many cases and man in others, are burning all over the west. Idaho in particular is hard hit and a large brush fire is burning on the Arco desert near here. A lot of the fire is within the boundaries of the Idaho National Laboratory, a nuclear research facility along the lines of Lawrence Livermoore in Berkley and Los Alamos in New Mexico, although at last report none of the facilities or buildings at INL were in danger. One small community of about 50 people was in danger of being cut-off by fire last night but I haven't heard anything today. High temperatures coupled with low humidity and a lack of rainfall have caused the government to raise fire danger warnings to the highest level.

This hot, dry weather is great for riding but you need to be damn careful when you camp and stop to rest. Also, dehydration can be a problem and you need to carry and drink plenty of water. I usually freeze a quart bottle of water and toss it into the saddle bag as I leave. It melts gradually and stays cold for a few hours.

A wild fire swept through a canyon in South Dakota's Black Hills destroying a number of homes. With Sturgis only a little more than two weeks away this could be a concern for all headed that way.
r
More on the fires from New West

Ride To Work

Wednesday, July 18, is Ride To Work Day, dedicated to the proposition that much fuel could be saved along with more pleasant commutes if people just rode their motorcycles to work. I ride my bike to work every day the weather allows (snow, ice, extreme cold are stoppers). In my climate that means I can ride 8-9 months of the year. The only exceptions are days when I need to haul something, maybe three-four times a year. If you don't usually take the bike to work, Wednesday is the day to ride.

Keep on keepin on

Thursday Night Ride

I rode again with a group of riders that goes out almost every Thursday evening. A mixed bag of bikes, some Harleys, couple of Goldwings, Suzukis, a Yamaha or two. Mostly cruisers, but one "sport" bike in attendance. Fun to ride with these folks because they are all about the riding. The fellow who usually leads is 78 years old and purchased a brand new Ultra Glide last week. Stage One kit too. He still has the skills and the love of riding and told me,"The Harley keeps me young."

Now most(not all) of these folks are Mormons. Exactly how this heathen got invited to ride with the Saints is a long, and not particularly interesting story. Anyway, like I said before, they're about the riding. Are they "bikers" as defined by some narrow minded, self-appointed guru of the so-called "biker" lifestyle? Probably not. No tattoos here, not that much black leather, and lots of helmets. No stops every ten miles at biker bars (but good eats will draw them in). This is not the "show us your tits" crowd. Are they "bikers" as I define that term? Most definitely. They love the road and they love putting on as many miles as time and seasons allow. I have friends and ride with people who fit into both groups, but I make no bones about it. I'm in it for the ride.

On another note, we rode a loop last night that took us over Fish Creek Summit and then to Thatcher and Grace via the Bear River Valley. Beautiful ride of about 140 miles. I'm going to do it again solo in the next few days, take pictures and record the exact route so that some of you might be able to duplicate it. It's a ride that's easy to access from a couple of different directions.

Bike is in the shop today for 10,000 mile service. New plugs, etc. Actually I'm at 11,700 but this is the soonest I could get it in and have the money to pay for it.
No rich yuppie rider here.

I Rode the Three-Legged HOG

Just returned from a 720 mile ride with a few of my friends and bros in the mountains of central Idaho. It was a fantastic weekend of fun. I'll offer more details later. Right now I'm still absorbing and recuperating. I'm a bit tired. Here's couple of pictures of some of my friends against the backdrop of the remarkable Sawtooth Mountains.

Pebble Creek

I Rode up to the top of Pebble Creek today, an easy and fun ride from here. Justride out to Inkom, however you might, then catch old Highway 91 headed to McCammon. A couple of miles outside of Inkom you'll see the Pebble Creek turnoff, and from there just follow the signs. The road winds up the mountain to the ski area, finally ending just below the lodge. The views from up here are spectacular. This picture is looking North towards Pocatello. Thats Inkom lower right and the Portneuf Gap to he left. Pocatello spreads out along the river beyond the gap.


This "ski sculpture" sits beside the Pebble Creek road at a private driveway near the top.


A short yet enjoyable evening ride close to home.

Keep on keepin' on

A Day Ride to Jackson- Swan Valley to Victor

In the Beginning,I went out to the Harley Shop on Saturday and waited around for a pick up ride. Sometimes people show and we take off. Not to be this Saturday. After about an hour I decided to ride over to Jackson, Wyoming for lunch. Here are some pictures and a description of the ride. Since I can only add about 4-5 pictures per post, there are six posts here. I put them up in reverse order so that you can start here, then scroll down to the previous post and so on, getting the whole story in correct order from top to bottom. Let's kick the tires and light the fires.
******

You resolve to not take the interstate at any point on the trip, so you leave Pocatello and ride to Idaho Falls on the old highway. Not exactly a challenging ride, but more interesting. In I.F. you pick up U.S. 26 East and head for Swan Valley, where your ride really starts. The closer you get to Swan valley, the better the scenery and the more interesting the road.



You're not alone on the road. These two intriguing ladies are astride a Heritage Softail. They also are heading to Jackson.



You round a curve, drop down a hill and Swan Valley lies before you. The bridge across the Snake River beckons. The road contiues to twist and turn into the small town of Swan Valley where you turn north on Idaho 32.



Idaho 32 is a wonderful motorcycle road with lots of twisties and esses. Road conditions and scenery can combine to reduce your speed. (This picture was taken along this route by accident but I like it.)



Eventually, as you head on towards Victor, you'll catch you first glimpse of the Tetons through the trees.



Continued

Cool Wind In My Hair

I had a lot of stuff to get done around here today, not the least of which was to finish reading a book for a two day seminar I have to attend starting tomorrow. I did my laundry, helped my wife in the garden a bit and then went for a short, 50 mile spin on the bike. I can't say it often enough...riding is good for the soul. Came out of town headed south on old highway 30 and the vista was stunning. We've had a fairly wet spring and the mountains and the sage-brush desert wear their greenest clothes. The wildflowers bloom everywhere and, although we were in the eighties again today, about half-way through the ride some storm clouds came up and a cool breeze began to blow. The smell of rain was in the wind but it was off and away in the mountains. A short, beautiful ride. I'm lucky to live in this time and place. I came up through a short series of "s" curves up through the lava beds and hit the straight on top with the throttle open. I couldn't help myself. I shouted for joy.

Keep on keepin' on

Double Whammy!!

The week ended badly. On Thursday an acquaintance, brother biker, purchased a new bike, rode it out of the shop and only minutes later put it into a guard rail at high speed. No helmet and currently hospitalized with serious head trauma. (Of course, I rode all day today without a helmet, but I'm different.)

This was followed by the news that one of my students hanged himself on Thursday night. Eighteen years old and a young man I thought was going to make it. I had talked and joked with him the day before. I work with troubled teens and John carried a large bag of problems, his family not the least of these, but this was out of the blue. Today's ride was needed to clear my head. As were the several beers and the companionship I shared with friends last night.

Riding can be cathartic. The wind, the sounds, the smells, the feel of the road and the immediate need to focus on the ride, all work together to clear the mind and center the thoughts. So I ride.

and I keep on keepin' on

It's all about ridin'

We hit the upper eighties for the first time this year. I went down to the Harley shop and hung around for a while hoping some folks would show up for a pick-up ride. Some did and we rode. We rode some back roads I'd never ridden before and we checked out some roads none of us had ever ridden before, just to see where they went. It was a blast and a great ride. Isn't that what this motorcycle thing of ours is really all about? Miles and smiles, friends, miles and smiles.

Keep on keepin' on

The Road

The Road

The road goes on forever
and the party never ends. Robert Earl Keen

Miles and miles of
Miles and miles

Big sweeping curves,
Tight hairpins and mountain switchbacks
Long straight-aways

Miles of corn, wheat, soybeans and sunflowers
Miles of pine, spruce, redwoods and cedars
Miles of prairie grass, sagebrush, mesquite

Narrow canyons open to wide vistas
Spectacular sunsets
Soft, ghostly coastal fog
Rolling into the rising sun

Idaho wind,
Nebraska heat,
Iowa rain,
Cold at 10,000 feet-- July in Wyoming's Snowy Range

Oceans, lakes,
Ponds, streams, and those rivers-
Those rivers.
Crossing the Snake, Madison, Salmon
The Platte, the Missouri
The Big Muddy

The rivers of concrete, asphalt, gravel

U.S. 101, 20, 30, 66, 26, The Lincoln Highway,
America's Roads,
State roads, County roads
Roads which appear only
On the map of the mind.
Blue Highways,
Highway blues

Riding the soul of America,
Riding my soul
Riding those miles and miles of
Miles and miles.

uglicoyote 2007

On the road again

I've been going through withdrawal while the bike was in the shop. Symptoms? Irritability, headache, general malaise, a real "dilligaf" attitude. Picked Blue up after work tonight and all is well. Of course today we never got out of the forties and that makes for damn chilly riding, but riding is riding and riding is good.

As the song says, "You don't know what you've got til its gone." Although Blue was only down for four days, I missed the ride. I love riding. I love the vibration, the sound, the feel of the handlebars as I accelerate, the smell of gasoline when I fill up, all of these things and more. Riding for me is very zen. I'm living in the moment, more aware of what is happening to me physically and mentally than at any other time. Riding alone, riding with friends; just riding, riding, riding. Sometimes I feel like I could, like I should, ride forever.

Four wheels move the body, but two wheels move the spirit.

National Motorcycle Museum

Win this Bike
Win this cool custom panhead bobber in a raffle being conducted by the National Motorcycle Musueum in Anamosa, Iowa. Tickets can be bought online and are only $5 apiece or six for $25. I visited the NMM in Anamosa( also the hometown of J&P Cycles) this past summer and it is a worthwhile cause. Some cool stuff there including the original Easy Rider Chopper and some fantastic antiques and collectables. Well worth the trip. Anamosa is in east central IA, not far from Ames.

Rolling Stoned

Far to many bikers see their motorcycles as great bar-to-bar transportation. Back in 1999, Motorcycle Cruiser magazine did a great story on an experiment they conducted with a group of riders and varying amounts of alcohol. It's a story well worth revisiting. Don't get me wrong. I'm no teetotaler, but I do want to get home alive and I want the same for you. Read it and think.