June 24, 1997 Lake Eufala, OK

Before we get into today's ride, I need to take care of a few announcements. Congratulations to my wife who went on her first motorcycle trip on Sunday! Yeah Marci! 70 miles roundtrip with her riding buddy Layna! Happy birthday to both of my brothers, Mike and Scott, who celebrated birthdays recently. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. And last, best wishes to Canadian GTS1000 rider Richard Lanouette who had a close encounter of the Bambi kind recently while riding through Colorado. He's okay but his bike suffered a lot of damage to the fairing and Givi rack. He had a new Givi bracket FedEx'ed and secured a car headlight to the front of his bike to continue his trip.

We left Grand Junction this morning with no real destination in mind other than southeast. We'd try to cover another 600 miles before sunset in order to make an early arrival into STAR '97 at Lake Eufala, OK the next day. Within 10 minutes we had made a wrong turn and ended up on Rt. 92 east. No big deal really. We had planned on taking Rt. 50 but they eventually run into each other outside of Gunnison. Our wrong turn paid off! If you own a motorcycle, please go out to the garage and sit on it now. Now close your eyes and imagine the finest twists, turns and sweepers imbedded in the most beautiful mountain scenery. That's where we were!! For hours we rode one mountain pass after another continuously through aspen forest, mountain lakes, streams, dams, and snow peaks. The area is officially called Grand Mesa and Gunnison National Forest. We've taken a vote and Colorado wins! Of all the states we've passed Colorado is an easy winner when it comes to everything motorcyclists desire. Having passed through this state twice now in different areas, it simply offers it all!

Well, it happened again and this time I've got pictures! We rode through TWO cattle drives today on Rt. 92! It's really quite simple. You approach the cows very slowly and watch the dairy sea part. The only trick is to keep an eye on the bulls and don't get between a cow and it's calf. If the calf cuts to the right, give mama room to go too. Okay, you first Dave!

For the first time since I purchased my GTS1000, I had to use the ABS brakes today. Sure, I've experimented with it on gravel just to make sure it works, but today it engaged when I didn't think that it would. As we approached a 15mph turn at Gunnison Dam, the scenery was breath taking. I was caught looking a little too long and had to get on the brakes pretty hard to prepare for the turn. What I didn't see was the severe washboard texture of the road that had even the RADD front end doing a dance. Obviously, the available traction wasn't quite what I thought and the ABS took over for a split second. The bike slowed nicely and I easily made the turn. Other than the vertical crease left in my seat, the whole thing was pretty uneventful. Absolutely and totally composed. Yamaha....I'm impressed and it further justified my feelings towards motorcycle ABS systems. I love them!

Near Pueblo, CO the terrain turned drastically flat which helped us make time, but we much prefer the mountains. Our stop for the night is Dodge City, KS. That's right Toto, we're in Kansas again. The land that made flat famous! Dave hasn't started his Bob Dole impersonation yet, but it's only a matter of time. Tomorrow, we get the hell out of Dodge.....sorry, but you knew it was coming. STAR '97, we're on our way!

It hurts....this morning hurts. Only 6.5 hour's of sleep after riding another 600 miles and uploading last night's report, has left my body protesting. It's almost a miracle that Dave and I haven't become sick somewhere along the way. To ask this much from the body and mind for 18 consecutive day's is just too demanding, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. This afternoon we should arrive at Fountainhead Resort and enjoy a day off before returning home to our loving wives.

Once again we decide to cover a couple of hundred miles before stopping for breakfast. Sixty miles down the road we ride through Laverne, OK, home of the 1967 Miss America, Jane Jayroe. I just thought you'd like to know because for some reason they thought that I'd like to know as they've draped a sign across the city street stating this fact. WHO CARES!?!?!

The Oklahoma plains were not kind this morning producing steady winds with gusts up to 40 mph. If this had been a tail wind, the boost in MPGs would have been nice, but instead it was coming from the southeast which made it a crosswind. In order to handle these on a motorcycle you must lean the bike against them. In Oklahoma, the winds were so vicious and constant that we had to lean the bikes 25 degrees from vertical for 200 miles. After the first 25 miles you kind of get used to it, but the body takes a beating. Your head struggles against the force and your neck gets sore. At times the wind will suddenly subside and leave you heading for the ditch. Once you make the correction for this, the next gust hits you and you start over. Needless to say, it was a tough day. The only unusual event took place outside of Oklahoma City as Dave decided to hang off his bike and look at the front wheel while clipping along at 70mph. Well, his Sony Walkman had enough of this shit and bailed. It took one bounce then disintegrated! I key the Chatterbox "Uh....Dave....do you notice anything different about your bike now?" "Maybe that it's about 8 oz. lighter. Not that you'd notice it on the ST1100 pig." "How about the fact that the music you were just listening to stopped?" "Get the picture yet?" "That's right, your radio is gone!" He pulls to the shoulder, but I convince him that it's in a hundred pieces a mile back.

When we finally arrive at Fountainhead, we are treated by Bob Higdon and Mike Kneebone to a slideshow about their attempted journey to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in '94. I laugh at my own aches and pains that I've felt during this trip. It's small change compared to what these guys have done. They're the Ironbutters, uh....Ironbuttmen, uh...they like to ride long distances! It was the perfect ending to a hard days ride.