Jonesin for a Ride!

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Started early for a change so we could beat the heat. Woke up at quarter to five and we started at 6:00 am sharp under high clouds. We were tired of droning on the freeway and we were glad to be on the two lane highways. We started on Highway 95 north through Nevada. Now the air is cool and we stop later as we gain some elevation to put on our jackets, and later our rain pants as it got cooler and the sky's darker. We were witnessing lighting strikes maybe 100 yards away. The smell of smoke was in the air and the haze was in the sky indicating forest fires somewhere….

Starbucks Via's – a bikers best friend in crummy hotels.

Our Morning Ride

Now picture this. We are traveling in Nevada on a two lane road and it is deserted. The posted speed limit is 65, but I like to peg it 10 mph over that, so we are crushing averaging 74-75 mph. Somme times you inch up to 80 but back down. Steve is riding after me taking pictures, so at times he slows down then speeds back up to catch up… Maybe 85 or 90 at times. The rubber band effect.

The Open Road – Not a Soul in Site…

Then we enter into Oregon. I now remember why I don't like riding in Oregon. The scenery is the same as Nevada – like a desert, no homes in site, no crossroads anywhere, no traffic at all. Just a desolate highway with the occasional trucker and car. The posted speed limit is 55. Surely this must be wrong. I continue in the same manner.

We are 160 miles into our morning ride, about 15 miles from our first gas stop and about 25 miles till we enter Idaho. I am approaching a crest of a hill and a black and white comes over the hill. I let go of the gas and notice I'm at about 70 and falling fast. Shit! I continue to slow down and keep cruising and looking into my mirror and sure enough I see light flashing. I see a spot at the bottom of the hill and pull over. I see Big Steve pulls over about half way down the hill. The cops pulls behind him. I get off my bike and gather my items I'll need for the cop. I figure when he is done with Steve he will come for me. Then 15 minutes later Steve starts heading towards me and the cop turns around and heads the opposite way. I lucked out, Steve gets the service award….

Service Award Ceremony

BS expressing his appreciation

We finally get to Bosie and wanted to take highway 21 into the Sawtooth Mountains to Stanley, on to see a roadside sign stating road closes at mile post 90 to 110 because of a fire. The other road north from Boise is 55, and that is closed too. So we backtrack and continue east to try highway 75, which is the way to Sun Valley, to get to Stanley. Luckily that road was open.

From Sun Valley to Stanley the road through the Sawtooth mountains is awesome. The road north (93) from Stanley to Salmon Idaho is just fantastic. The road is sweepers running along the Salmon River. Very little traffic and great scenery.

Sawtooth Range – and the road below we will be on.

600 miles later we end. The day in Salmon and had a prime rib dinner at the local brewery in town, which was just one of the tastiest meals in a while.

Posted with Blogsy

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We got rolling fairly early, (7:30ish), weather was cool and traffic was the crowded but moving. Our plan was to get to Boise, ID were we reserved a nonrefundable room with Hamptons Inn. We are in the fast lane traveling 75-80 mph. 30 minutes from our start I notice my bike wiggling just a bit, kind of like strong winds or the grooves from the pavement. That is what I first thought it was, the pavement grooves. I look in my mirror to see if Steve is having any trouble. I notice it but it isn't bad, I still think it is the grooves. But it keeps up and seems to be a larger wobble now. I move to the center lane. Still wobbling and getting worse. I pull off to the right hand lane so I can exit on the next exit. It gets bad enough that i decided to pull off on the shoulder before the exit. I tell Steve my bike is tracking weird and he looks down and said my tire is flat!

Sure enough, picked up a nail and lost air. I only have 400 miles on this tire. Luckily we have a patch kit to plug it and we get-r-done (or Steve does). We head into the next town of Livermore to see if we can get a patch applied to it. After four denials (we can replace the tire, but due to legal reasons, can not patch it) we decided to run till the next stop and make calls.

In Reno, no luck, same answers. We have been in heat all day, traffic all day and it is going to get hotter as we head into the desert areas and it is about 2:30 pm and 350 miles to go? In the heat? We lost about an hour and a half with the tire fiasco….

We take off from Reno and drop further down. We stop about every 100 miles for a cool down and water. We get to Winnemucca, NV at 5:00 pm. We have 260 miles to go in the heat and wind. I ask Steve to call the Hamptons Inn to tell them our situation and can we cancel without getting dinged. they must have liked his charm because we got off the hook. Thank God, let's look for a hotel here and call it quits for the day- we have about 450 anyway.

Don't know yet about how I will handle my tire. Plugs can make it. I could just purchase a new tire. Don't know yet what I'll do, except go get a beer and some food for the night.

Posted with Blogsy

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We are rolling. It is HOT, HOT, Hot… So our original game plan to head into the foothills of the Sierras is nadda…., we are first going to head north along the coast to stay cool…..

On Monday night Shai and I took in a show at the Hollywood Bowl to see Cheap Trick and Aerosmith-my vacation started a little early on Monday, This was Shai's first trip to the bowl, and I must say, I think he enjoyed the venue. As usual, a rock'n good time! Stan Lee came on stage to introduce the boys in the beginning, and Johnny Depp showed up on Aeros encore to play along on his axe to Train.

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Sadly on Wednesday we started our ride home. Jim likes to get an early start and we were on the road before eight. This was our coldest morning and I felt like the Pillsbury Doughboy with all the layers. But I stayed nice and warm as we slowly dropped in elevation. The scenery was nice but I had been spoiled by the ride from Zion. Our route included a four hour stretch on old Route 66. That was fun. We had some five hundred miles to make it home and Jim left it up to me if I thought I could do it in one day. When were at about the halfway point, it just seemed to early to call it quits and I was feeling good so we pushed on. The last hours were through the Mojave. It was hot and it was actually better to wear a long sleeve top to keep those unrelenting rays off your skin. Drink drink drink. Saw two old lava flows which were interesting. So much emptiness could have fit several (50!) Rhode Islands in all that empty space

As we got to the coast it was time for more layers as it cooled off. We arrived home just after seven. I did it – 500+ miles!

How can I ever thank Jim for such a fantastic trip. It was more than I imagined. So much fun to be on the back of the bike with each day filled with spectacular scenery and new experiences. I hope you all have such a wonderful brother.