4 posts tagged “motorcycle touring”
Recently I have noticed that when talking to bikers about past rides one of the first details shared is the mileage of the trip. An example would be, Yeah I just did a 3000 mile ride to Yellowstone.
I have noticed I do the same thing and I am not sure why. If I lived 400 miles from Yellowstone, would my Yellowstone experience be diminished? I don't think so. To be honest some of my shorter trips have been more rewarding and engaging. I am finding that I like exploring and eating at little out of the way places. I like to arrive at camp with enough light to take in what the area has to offer.
For me it is becoming more about the experiences and less about the mileage badge of honor.
So next time someone asks me about my motorcycle trip I can say… Let me tell you about what I've seen.
We made it back from our Death Valley motorcycle trip in one piece although not entirely unscathed. I had developed some kind of heat rash on both feet, with a fair bit of swelling, I could not feel my fingers in my right hand and I was so tired I could not function well for a couple of days. I guess you could say that was a proper motorbike trip.
The temperatures offered the most challenge. We experienced everything from the low 30s to a high of 108 degrees. The views of the east Sierra Nevada range and Yosemite were breathtaking and well worth the price of admission.
Speaking of price, I just added up my fuel bill for the 2524 mile trip and it came to $133.34. I would have to say that is not a bad price to pay for over a week of adventure.
It was a lot of fun seeing some of the most scenic parts of the state. This was our route.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107231689943153362643.00046a962a7a2af1e642a&z=6
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107231689943153362643.00046a962a7a2af1e642a&z=6
Now that the good weather is heading south for the winter and my touring is sidelined till spring. It is a good time to evaluate what gear is working and what could be better. There is always room for improvement and stuff just wears out.
Lets start with the old bag, the sleeping bag that is. I am using a well used Coleman backpacking sleeping bag. The thing must be 20 years old. It is fairly compact and lightweight but on our motorcycle trip around Washington this year, it became clear to me that maybe it was time to start looking for a more modern bag. I would like to find one that is either more compact or if it stays the same size then it will have to be warmer. I froze my buns off a couple times this year.
My Eureka tent is also another relic from years past. It has served me well. It is strong, compact, lightweight and goes up fast. With all it's good points I am seeing room for improvement here as well. On a trip to Eastern Oregon Ed Patton and I got caught in a pretty severe storm and my tent could not hold back the water anymore. It might help if I sealed the seems but this bad weather revealed other weaknesses. The entrance to the tent is from the end which forces you to crawl into the lowest point, this is not that big of a deal accept when it is wet outside. My next tent will be a side entry. The vestibule is also to small to be of use when conditions are bad.
My flashlights worked pretty well this year with no major failures or complaints. The LED lights that are out these days put out a good amount of illumination for their size. What I have noticed is that my lights have different power sources. I would like to streamline my choices to all running on one size battery.
I am sure I will come across other areas that I will need to improve. As usual it is the lack of funds that makes it easier to live with my gear. Hopefully there will be some upgrades in the future.
This years Washington ride should be between 1500 and 1600 miles so the price of gas has got me a little concerned. There is nothing I can do about the price of gas but I can save money in other areas of the trip.
This is a camping only affair so there will not be any hotel costs and dividing the camp fees fore ways should make lodging affordable. Even with the extra vehicle charges for each motorcycle ( which I feel is extremely unfair to motorcyclists ) each rider should be paying 15 dollars or less a night. Even if I wasn't trying to save money I would camp, I just prefer camping to motels.
Food will be a combination of fast food, balance bars, and trail mix. We may hit a market while passing through some of the small towns and take food back to camp. I don't plan on any fancy dinners so food cost should not be to bad.
Although the price of gas does give me pause I will do what I can in other areas to keep my wander lust affordable.
