Day 17: Tuesday 3rd July: Big Springs NE to Coralville IA

602 miles

"Knock knock knock, Penny..."*

Well, I'm in Nebraska aren't I?

Although the Interstate is not really this bike's forte, even with the lowered gearing, it actually bops along quite nicely for hours on end, without any sign of complaining, and personally I even find the stock seat bearable for a number of hours at a time. Of course at higher speeds you are usually stopping around every two hours for fuel at 70+mph (note. the light tends to come on around 130 miles, with another 20 or so to go until empty - so somewhere in the mid 50's mpg* can be expected at higher speeds I'd suggest), so plenty of regular opportunity to top up on water, food and any high sugar/caffeine imbibation you require.

*it's worth noting I was seeing as little as 46mpg from the dash display today, although when actually stopping and filling up at around 130-140 miles, I was putting in just over 2.5 US gallons, hence my conclusion the gauge is a little pessimistic.

But f*ck me Nebraska is dull. It really is just one big farm.

Iowa is not dissimilar to be honest, and I blasted past Des Moines [the location for the BMW MOA rally I was scheduled to attend the following week] late-afternoon, and carried on with just my iPod and the trucks for company...


photo. Really Iowa?



It was after 10pm that evening by the time I'd hit the 600 mile mark, so dived off the Interstate into Coralville (near Iowa City) to find somewhere to lay my weary head. Faced with a choice of Motel 6 or Super 8 for a similar price, there really was no contest. Waffles win every time when you're on the road.

And I've still got 706* miles to go!

*by the shortest route.

Jx

*(knock knock knock, Penny... knock knock knock, Penny... like Sheldon, I've got to finish it ;o)

Day 18: Wednesday 4th July: Coralville IA to Imlay City MI

574 miles

I checked the date. Ah, this is why all the bike shops in town are closed today - no chain lube for you then!

My plan today was to break the monotony with a visit to a movie location from one of my other favourite films...

Those of you who followed Northern eXposure last year may recall that during my travels I visited some of the locations from Twin Peaks (North Bend in WA), Deadwood (Deadwood, Black Hills SD) and Purple Rain (Lake Minnetonka and First Avenue, Minneapolis MN), and since this was the first time I'd be passing close by to Chicago, there was only one place I needed to go: 1060 West Addison.


photo. "Mr Blues is going to f*ck up, and when he does, he'd better pray the police get to him before we do..."


photo. World Series (erm) winners in 2016 - the Cubs had to wait over 100 years to claim that title again. Traditionally a game was in full swing on this holiday day, although I managed to snap a few kerb-side photos before I was moved on.

To be honest, heading into the city on a day like today was always going to be a mistake - it was the best part of 100°F in the midwest, exacerbated by roadworks and crawling traffic once inside the city limits. That said, the suburban streets to the north of the city (where Wrigley Field is located) where actually quite quiet, tree lined and flanked by older Victorian era properties...


photo. it was a bit like cruising around north London to be honest...

But once I rejoined the arterial freeway network around the city, things hotted up again, and culminated in a confusing detour into the south side of the city which truly is the badlands. In all honesty, I actually felt wary of stopping at any red light (thankfully they all switched to green as I was passing through, or at least were yellow, officer...) and snuck back onto the freeway on a short access ramp just as soon as I could, only to be charged over five bucks at the toll less then a mile down the road!

I really don't need to go there again.

The rest of the afternoon/evening was again a shelp on the Interstate network - I'd wasted enough time today, got hot and bothered, and really wanted to get as close as I could to the Canadian border (I'd chosen to cross north of Detroit - a city I had absolutely no interest in visiting at all!) at Port Huron, and rolled into a suitable Bed and Waffle establishment about 30 miles west of the crossing - leaving a short ride in the morning, and the rest of the day to work my way towards Toronto via a succession of Tim Horton's (and try and find some chain lube too!). I was almost there.

cont.

Day 19: Thursday 5th July: Imlay City IA to Brampton ON

330kms (205 miles)

Yes, I'm in Canada now, so I've temporarily gone metric with regard to mileage.


photo. more tolls...


photo. clouds gathering to welcome me into Canada...


photo. unfortunately most of the rest of today was spent like this...

Were the relentless rain not bad enough, the day had already started with a bit of a disaster - during my waffle breakfast, I'd switched on my GPS only to find all of my waypoints had disappeared. I mean completely gone: waypoint memory 0%. Nothing.

Fortunately all the tracks were still in there, but for some unfathomable reason, the waypoint section of the memory had seemingly decided to wipe itself.

Of course those few hundred existing waypoints from my previous trips could at least be reinstated from my computer back-up once I got back home, but those intermediate points I'd saved from the past week in Utah and Colorado were gone, plus all the pre-entered points for the next few days trail-riding in Canada and my ongoing adventure once I crossed back into the USA - the various BDR points of interest, event venues, dealers and friends addresses, all gone.

I've always said the Garmin Montana is the perfect ADV motorcycle GPS, right up until the point it sh*ts itself like this. Tedious.

More soon, once I've re-programmed all the damn addresses into the memory for the next few days, plus dried out all my gear and laundered my clothes. Life on the road eh?

Jx

OK then, I think it's time we got a bit dirty again don't you?


Day 20: Friday 6th July: Brampton ON to Tobermory ON

345kms (215 miles)

I have to say, I was feeling a bit weary having blasted across the mid-west in two and a half days in 100°F heat... compounded by the fact that I really hadn't stopped moving by some form or transport or another since I got off a plane from the UK on the 25th of June.

However, I'd really enjoyed attending the Overland Adventure Rally (that Canadian Dakar rider Lawrence Hacking hosts each summer) last year - indeed it had been my ultimate easternmost destination during the Northern eXposure trip, and was keen to renew acquaintances and make some new ADV friends this time round - even if getting here had been rather more of a trial than it had last time...

This year, the format had changed - rather than being based around a single [hotel] venue for the whole weekend, the Rally this year would become a three-day ADV tour of the local area - and by 'local' I actually mean a thousand kilometre loop north, including taking a ferry to Manitoulin Island, with three individual overnight stays... neat! The route offered paved-only options for those riding more street orientated bikes, otherwise the pre-planned GPS route took in a series of trails, from easy gravel roads to more technical two-track jeep trails. Nice!

Of course, having been on the road these past couple of weeks, I'd had no way to download (or at least transfer) the final GPS tracks into my Garmin (which as we're aware from the previous post, for the past 24 hours now appeared to have a lot more memory space in it that it had before, bastard), so elected to hook up with Eric on his Triumph Tiger, who was the man in charge of this year's route. I considered I was in safe hands there, even if it did mean I was likely to be riding in someone else's dust for most of the weekend.


photo. Route planner Eric lead our small group on Day 1.


photo. there are a lot of long gravel (all-weather) roads that often run close to or parallel with the paved highways in this part of Ontario.


photo. There are also plenty of more technical and little used two-track routes open to motorised vehicles.


photo. although most attendees split up into smaller groups, occasionally there would be an impromptu rendezvous, at a gas station, snack shop, or junction!


photo. this was a particularly fun trail, leading to a 'closed' bridge, that was a tight fit around the blockade - especially for those big bikes with panniers fitted.


photo. It had been a really fun day, with some lovely scenery and entertaining trails.

We rolled into Tobermory early evening, checked into a delightful motel that overlooked the harbour, and enjoyed some great company at dinner that evening in a nearby hotel.



The long ride last week had already proved worth it, and it was only going to get better tomorrow!

cont.

Day 21: Saturday 7th July: Tobermory ON to Little Current (Manitoulin) ON

342.8km (213 miles)

5.30am alarm, ugh.

The reason for this was that the ferry from Tobermory left at 7am, and you had to check in by 6am. At least there was some pretty decent coffee on the boat!


photo. Fortunately our ferry was a bit bigger than this!


photo. Just some of the OAR/T crowd waiting for the ferry...


Photo. Loading...


photo. Sailing...


photo. Disembarking...


photo. hitting the trails again!

I have to say, Manitoulin was an absolute joy! The largest island in Lake Huron, it is sparsely populated, and while much of the property is farmed or private land (particularly along the coastline and around the interior lakesides), there is a network of dirt-roads and trails that criss cross the island, just waiting to be explored!

While Eric had plotted some [primarily paved] options for the participants - primarily taking in various landmarks and scenic views, he himself had not actually ridden on Manitoulin before, and was keen to explore some potential trails, even if that meant we might have to backtrack from time to time of course. Hell, I'm always up for that sort of thing! And again we quickly formed a small group of likeminded riders who also fancied seeing where the road might take them...


photo. This ended up being an awesome trail, running right along the water's edge for a good distance, before diving deep into the forest on a barely visible ATV two-track.


photo. Shannon on his KLX (using oil, chewing chains)


photo. Geoff on his DRZ - taking things easy (until tomorrow ;o)


photo. Eric (standing) and Mia goofing for the camera - she did genuinely fall off the bike as she got on it here!

I have to say, the next 27 kilometres turned out to be some of the best trail riding I have ever done! Initially the route was well defined - typically OHV two-track (side-by-sides or ATVs I imagine) that led right down to the water's edge...


photo. Mia on the Husky, Shannon on the KLX.


photo. Gratuitous shot of the little GS paddling in Lake Huron.

We messed around riding along the rocky shoreline, dipping in and out of the water and posing for photos - which almost would have been enough in itself - but at the same time, the GPS seemed to show an ongoing route...

After a couple of dead-ends (it would appear the majority of these trails were cut primarily for lakeside access and dispersed camping), the group were starting to get a little despondent and weary of the heat, when I offered to reccy 'one more option' according to the mapping in my GPS...

As I skirted the perimeter of the forest, sure enough, the 'trail' itself seemed to be only a few yards away through the undergrowth, but there was no sign of it from where I was parked. I returned to the more established track we'd already ridden, and recalled I'd seen a pair of ATV tyre tracks diving off into the woods. Sure enough, once I stopped there and walked a short distance on foot - there was the faint depression of a two-track trail through the long grass and undergrowth after all. Bingo!

I returned triumphantly to the rest of the gang, and encouraged them to join me on this 'pioneering' adventure!

I have to say, in places it ended up being pretty hard and technical going - especially for Eric on the Triumph Tiger - and we soon fell into an order of myself on the G310GS leading and Mia on her Husky 250FE following close behind; while Shannon (KLX 650) and Geoff (DRZ400) rode slightly more cautiously and Eric on the Hinkley Behmoth brought up the rear. Certainly this was much more a dual-sport and light-weight enduro trail than a typical ADV route, and as we dove deeper into the forest we did wonder (and kind of hoped not) if this would ever end... it was epic! At the same time, my primary desire was to prove this as a through route, as I'm never really fond on riding trials that run out and back just for the sake of it.

Sure enough, our two-track emerged onto a more established trail a few kilometres west, which alternated between flat rock slabs and sandy two-track - prime adventure riding terrain and no mistake!

Well, except one:


photo. Yep, that frikkin' hurt!

At some point during of foray through the undergrowth, I must have caught my right foot on a stump or rock - Jeeeeeez that bloody hurt. I honestly thought I done some serious damage, but had no choice but to continue riding on with my foot throbbing inside my boot.

I tried my best to ignore it for the the rest of the day - I was certainly able to stand on that foot without too much pain, so factored I hadn't actually broken anything too major, and the boot keep things contained until I could get to the hotel that evening to inspect the damage.


photo. We all conceded that after our epic trail find, we'd now spend the rest of the afternoon doing the tourist thing (this is the lighthouse at the western end of Manitoulin) - before heading back to our overnight rendezvous, where I was also scheduled to present my GS AV slideshow later that evening...


photo. beautiful clear water in Lake Huron.


photo. Looking north from Maclean’s Mountain lookout.

It ended up being a pretty late night all told - while the majority of the participants were all staying in the same motel, there was no catering there, so inevitably people dispersed through town to find something to eat. By the time everyone had regrouped at the evening venue for the presentations we were fast approaching last orders at the bar.

Work hard, rider harder, party hardest.

cont.

Day 22: Sunday 8th July: Little Current (Manitoulin) to Parry Sound ON

345km (214 miles - the daily route mileages turned out to be nothing if not consistent!)


For some attendees, today would be all about getting back home to the Toronto area in good time for work the following day - however there was still one last treat in store for the dirt riders before they left the island for the mainland (via the bridge to the north this time).





The 'trail' section today followed an old railway bed which starts just north of Little Current and essentially shadows the highway all the way back to Espanola on the mainland, just south of the main Trans-Canada Highway (hwy 17) - which would for most participants, be their final and fastest route home.






photo. the otherwise easy/firm-surface trail was occasionally flooded in places...

It really was the perfect way to end what had been an excellent 'adventure' weekend - riding some of the best paved minor highways and unsurfaced roads and trails in the region - plus for a handful of us, proving a truly exceptional 'off-road' dual-sport route - and everyone enjoying the social side each evening that events like this offer...

However, Eric still had one or two more trail options he wanted to include for our particular group (we were down to four today as Mia had elected to head back early with the rest of the leading party), and we shadowed the main highway for much of the afternoon on fast gravel roads and dry dusty trails...

Until I hit a puddle that is!




photo. this stuff was filthy, and got everywhere!

I usually try and avoid puddle whenever I can - since you never know what's in them, although you can usually gauge how deep they are at least... Unfortunately, while the first couple of wet spots on this section were barely a few inches deep, the one I ended up ploughing straight through was over a foot deep, and the front end bottomed out on the far bank as I came to an abrupt stop under a wall of filthy water.


photo. Not technically a selfie, as it's a frame-grab from my GoPro ;o)

Worst of all, once we arrived at the hotel, I noticed that both my fork seals had started leaking (hopefully not actually blown in the impact earlier):



But if I'm honest, all I could think about right now was a shower...



More soon!

Jenny x

Chapter 3 - Toronto to Boise

Day 1: Monday 9th July: Parry Sound ON to Imlay City MI

630kms (391 miles)

Even though last night was officially the end of the Overland Adventure Rally for this year, there were still a few hundred kilometres to go before some of us would finally disperse our separate ways...

I was concerned about my fork seals that were spewing out oil with every bump and ripple now (although typically the actual amount of oil is very small), so the hunt was on for a shop that might sell one of those MotionPro Seal Mate tools (basically a thin piece of soft plastic with a hooked end, that you drag around the fork leg under the lip of the seal to clear any debris) to see if it was simply some dirt that had been forced in there during that heavy puddle hit yesterday... or something more serious.

In the meantime, I'd already given the bike a proper wash, and before we left took the opportunity to buy a small scrubbing brush to dust off the worst of the mud that had now dried and formed a crusty shell over my riding gear.





Again, we elected to stay off the main highway and take the minor roads and a few gravel short-cuts as we zig-zagged our way south on the grid-like network of minor roads. A relaxing end to what had been some pretty intense riding all weekend!


photo. courtesy of Miguel Arango

For me, there was still a huge ride ahead - particularly as I had to be in Des Moines in 48 hours time (Wednesday evening), with at least 825 miles to go... I pressed on into the evening for the border (having found a motorcycle accessory shop open en route, and sorted my seals in their parking lot - thank goodness it was only some grit in there) with the intention of at least making US soil again before my head hit the pillow.



I have to say, after spending he past four days bopping along at around 55mph or less (with my currently gearing, now the 'happy zone' for this bike I felt), I was not really relishing having to wick it up to 70+mph again on the Interstate just to keep up with the traffic and make Des Moines in time... this is not what I came all this way, nor bought this bike for.

cont.

Day 2: Tuesday 10th July: Imlay City MI to Joliet IL

356 miles

"Rural reTreat"

A creature of habit, I'd been comfortable enough at the Super 8 in Imlay City on my way east, and factored that by staying there again on my way back west, I'd be able to properly launder all my filthy gear and catch up with some admin online overnight, and enjoy a waffle or two for breakfast too of course ;o)

Unfortunately, by the time I'd rolled in there after the third degree from the US immigration officers at Port Huron - seriously, all I'm doing is actually spending a shit-tonne of money here in your country you know!!! - it was inappropriate (and not really permitted anyway) to fire up the washing machine at such a late hour. Bummer.

Consoling myself with a waffle the following morning, I decided life was too short for simply shelping along effectively the way I'd come (the interstate network at a soul-destroying 65-70mph in the blistering heat), and after poking around in the GPS realised there were a myriad of dirt roads in Michigan that would essentially parallel the main arteries, while hopefully providing a more serene and 'Trans-America Trail' feel to the journey west.

And I wasn't wrong! I trusted my Montana to guide me along a series of unpaved roads using the 'shortest route' function between a series of intermediate waypoints I tapped onto the map screen every so often. It was an utter delight to be riding at my own pace with no one but the odd box-turtle for company, along minor paved and hard-packed all-weather gravel roads - a number of which passed by and provided access to some rather fancy properties - and really enjoying riding in rural Michigan.


photo. Cravingz, Stockbridge MI - I really enjoyed the coffee here. And the pesto sandwich. And the ice cream!


photo. See a covered bridge...


photo. ...gotta ride through it!

However, while I'd actually made good progress both south and west - exactly the direction I needed to be going - I inevitably had to jump on the Interstate (180 at this point) in an effort to at least get close to the half-way mark [to Des Moines] before finding somewhere to stay tonight...

Fortunately, this would coincide rather nicely with another movie location I'd wanted to visit - the [Old] Joliet Prison on Collins St. which features in the opening scenes of the Blues Brothers - where Elwood picks up his brother Jake when he's released...





Of course by the time I arrived it was early evening, (rather than early morning as in the film) - but the overall feel of the location was still surprisingly similar to the movie, shot nearly 40 years ago!


photo. "She caught the Katy, left me a mule to ride..."

It was almost dark now, and not wanting to stay too far from my intended route, nor spend too much money, I trusted the local Motel 6 to come up with the goods (particularly as they tend to have laundry facilities on-site), and tapped in the address of the property just of I80... Good God man - I have never stayed somewhere so scary in my life!

Seriously, this was the sh*ttiest (and I use that word advisedly) Motel 6 I have ever stayed in - the worst. I'd been given an upstairs room, and as I negotiated the walkways strewn with litter and impregnated with what looked like cooking grease from fast food, a guy in a doorway to a neighbouring room ask if I'd like to come in... in his hands was a cone of aluminium foil - the guy was either eating fried chicken, or smoking crack. Honestly, I feared the latter.

I bolted the door behind me (thank God that worked at least), and didn't even dare venture out to try and launder my clothes - trusting neither the cleanliness of the machines themselves, nor if my belongs would even still be there when I returned. I set my alarm for 6am and vowed to get the hell out of here just as quickly as I could in the morning!


photo. As Lisa pointed out to me in a text that evening, I was actually bedded down in the cheapest motel at the epicentre of of Illinois' State correctional facilities...

cont. (I hope!)

Day 25: Wednesday 11th July: Joliet IL to Des Moines IA

368 miles

Early next day I crept out of the carpark while the crack-heads were still sleeping, and sought solace in a Starbucks a few blocks away.

As I chomped away on what had become my default non-waffle breakfast - that's a four shot espresso, bacon & egg croissant and a hunk of banana bread, should anyone happen to be buying ;o) - I considered my lucky escape, and factored at least I had one more night in a hotel to get properly cleaned up (I have to admit my underwear was now on it's second sitting, and I'd not even dare shower last night in the gangsters-moll motel) and prepare for the next few days camping again at the BMW MOA rally.

Perhaps most strangely of all, as I tapped on my GPS screen to enter today's destination, I realised all my original missing waypoints had returned. Seriously. They were all back in there, and the waypoint memory showing 20% full again. WTF?! I am in the Matrix!

So, apparently it was 306 miles to Des Moines, it's hot, and I was wearing sunglasses...

Hit it!

After an hour or so of Interstate, again I couldn't bare the monotony, so plotted a similar B-road route to yesterday, shadowing the main highway around 20-30 miles to the south, but in far more relaxing countryside. Hell, Iowa even had a few hills to break up the horizon from time to time!

My plan today was to drop into the BMW dealer in Iowa City (about 100 miles from Des Moines) on my way past, and pick up some service items - oil & filter, and a fresh air-filter too - as the bike was fast approaching 11,000 miles now, and had suffered a particularly dusty time in Canada the previous weekend.

Unfortunately, it seemed I would have to order in an air-filter, so elected to continue west to another dealer a few miles south of Des Moines, where I'd also planned to order a new front tyre and get it fitted at some point during the next few days. I also gathered together those extra items I'd need for my ghetto/kerbside oil-change: a 4 gallon jug of water, some rags, and a roll of trash bags as a token environmental mat.


Ghetto oil-change

The idea here is you first empty the drinking water into your Camel-bak, and any other water bladder you may have (for example I have a 3L bladder in my Camel-bak, plus I carry a 2L Ortlieb bag for extra water around camp) - you then have an empty gallon jug with a spout.

You lay it on it's side and cut an opening in one side of the plastic jug (the gallon ones are usually square/flat sided you see), and now you have a 4L oil pan that should typically fit under your dual-sport/ADV bike.

Once you dumped the oil (using the trash bags to help avoid any spills on the ground of course), you can clean everything up using a rag (initially I looked for a tea-towel, but found a bundle of four face-cloths for just a single dollar in Walmart - result!), and the old oil in the jug can then be poured via the spout into the now empty bottles from your fresh oil.

Finally you can wrap everything up in the trash bag/s and dispose of them appropriately.


photo. I already had chain lube and WD40 with me, so the only other things I needed to purchase were a dedicated oil filter wrench, plus a short 3/8ths socket extension bar* to reach though my engine guard without having to completely remove it.

*I have the 3/8th socket drive adaptor as part of my MotionPro T-6 tyre lever set.


Shopping done and a fresh TKC80 front tyre due to be delivered by Saturday, all I had to do now was find a hotel reasonably close to the Rally venue (the Iowa State Fairgrounds) and reset my personal hygiene levels to somewhere around acceptable for presenting in public over the next couple of days.

I thought I'd give the Motel 6 chain another chance (after all, yesterday in Joliet was essentially an anomaly - or so I thought), and not least as a lot of the hotels near the Rally venue were already booked, or silly expensive. So I elected to stay near the airport instead - factoring there would be plenty of choice, and therefore things ought to be correspondingly reasonably priced. Nope. Motel 6 was indeed the cheapest, but at $72 a night (with discount), hardly what you'd consider affordable. It was also the crappiest property in a run of otherwise quite presentable options from Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Hamptons and a dozen others (including Super 8) - all of which these days are owned by the same cartel, and price themselves accordingly within a few dollars of each other, presumably just to maintain their respective hierarchy.

It didn't help I was given an end room, barely in wifi range (at least that is included in the price these days at Motel 6), and with a rather ominous looking door latch:


photo. Yep, that's daylight.

At least the laundry worked, and I have to say exceptionally well - cleaning all my clothes, my riding jacket, and... the contents of my wallet.

Yep. Bugger.

As I dried a dozen freshly laundered twenties (yep, I'd just been the ATM that afternoon) and disposed of my now paper-mache address book pages, I realised this hotel was also directly under the flightpath.

I employed my earplugs and went to sleep thinking things had to get better soon!

Jx

Day 4 - 6: Thursday 12th - Saturday 14th July: Des Moines IA - BMW MOA Rally

Approx. 60 miles or so - just getting my new front tyre fitted.

The BMW MOA (Motorcycle Owners of America) annual rally is huge - each year the location changes around the country, and for the 2018 edition over 4500 people had descended on the Iowa State Fairgrounds to take part...

Along with a sea of tents and hundreds of examples of BMWs quirky engineering over the years, the primary activity centred around a huge hall (air-conditioned thank goodness, it was 100°F outside in the sun!) full of traders - the usual clothing suspects of course, a good number of communication and other gadgets (some genuinely useful, other less so), a handful of tyre manufacturers (complete with fitting facilities outside) and seemingly dozens of international holiday and fly-ride travel companies... There was also a guy selling banana based energy bars - I bought a box of twenty to help me prepare for the first of two afternoon presentations.



There was an extensive list of presentations being held each day in a series of rooms adjacent to the main hall, plus evening entertainment in the form of live music and beer, and most usually a combination of both...




photo. "If I told them once, I told them a thousand times... put Spinal Tap first, and Puppet Show last..."

However, other than the off-road training arena (somewhere over the far side of the showground) there didn't seem to much in the way of riding-out based activities as such - although I realise these kind of events tend to end up being just as much about socialising as they are riding in the local area - and this year particularly most people would have had to already ride a frikkin' long way just to get to central Iowa of course!

In that regard, I have to say I was slightly miffed on arrival. I'd arranged many months ago with the MOA organisation to attend this event with my G310GS as a presenter - not least as I would be in the middle of a comprehensive real-world test of the bike and felt the attendees would be keen to a) learn more about what was a brand new bike on sale this year; b) potentially interested in the Rally-Raid upgrades I'd fitted and it's general off-road and all-terrain ability; and c) more generally with regard to how you could travel extensively all over the United States on a smaller capacity ADV bike combined with minimalist luggage.

Certainly the secretary in charge of presentations was delighted to add me to their list of guest speakers this year; so I was rather taken aback when, having traipsed around the venue for more than an hour trying to find who exactly I should speak to and how to sign in, was ultimately told that I actually had to pay the full entry fee as a non-member - $105 no less - essentially for giving the organisation two hours of my time [never mind the associated preparation time] for the benefit of their members.

Now please don't think I'm being some sort of a prima-donna here... If they had mentioned just once in the countless emails back and forth over the past few months that I would have to pay to attend, I would have at least been prepared for that, and indeed it became apparent over the weekend that the majority of the presentations seem to be hosted by those vendors already paying to attend...

I also appreciate that smaller and less well-financed overland events such as Horizons Unlimited tend to rely on the goodwill of international travellers to share their stories essentially free of charge at events - but this is still in return for at the very least free entry and a T-shirt! Indeed I have presented on numerous occasions in both the UK and USA under just such circumstances over the years, as on the whole I feel I'm in a privileged position to be able to travel as much as I do, and enjoy sharing those stories in an effort to hopefully inspire others to do something similar - and not least as there is every chance that I would choose to attend that particular event anyway...

But the MOA is different. They make hundreds of thousands of dollars out of an event like this, and while I don't necessarily expect an appearance fee or even expenses to be covered (as one might at a purely commercial event), I was incredulous to actually have to PAY THEM under the circumstances.

Still, as Nigel Tufnell would say "I'm a professional", and begrudgingly stumped-up for the most expensive wrist-band ever, then took part in a podcast interview (that had been pre-requested), before checking out the room I'd been allocated for my presentations that afternoon and again the following day.

Goodness, it was huge! It turns out they'd given me the largest capacity room of the six available, and I'm rather pleased to say I pretty much filled them on both days - and if the feedback was anything to go by, then they were very well received. Turns out the little GS is intriguing after all ;o)

cont.

cont.


photo. Camping in the most shady spot I could find...

My presentation commitments on Thursday and Friday met and dispatched, it was time to turn my attention back to the bike, and get it ready for the next stage of this trip.


photo. Fresh meat fitted while I waited at Van Wall Powersports - the official BMW Motorrad dealer in Indianola, south of Des Moines.

for info. While the stock tyre sizes for the G310GS are a 110/80 x 19" front and 150/70 x 17" rear, personally I feel these are rather big (and heavy, especially if you're considering a more aggressive all-terrain/knobbly tread) - the bike only has 34hp after all... although unlike a [typical] dual-sport machine of similar engine capacity, the cycle parts and especially the wheels are much more heavy duty too - more like a full size ADV machine rather than a dirt-bike in that regard.

Of course the GS has been designed (or at least specified) to carry a payload of nearly 400lbs, so stronger/heavier wheels (and correspondingly larger tyres) really are to be expected in that regard - and is all part of the reason the 310GS weighs more than a typical 250cc dual-sport bike too.

However, for solo adventure and dual-sport riding, there really is no reason to have such fat tyres on a relatively little bike like this - and indeed part of the reason Rally-Raid specced a 3.5" rear rim for their spoked wheels on this bike (rather than the 4.0" stock cast wheel width) is to offer the option of fitting a narrower rear tyre - a 140/80 x 17" (which as you may recall I fitted back in Moab), and I feel offers just as much traction, and a slightly more nimble feeling to the rear end, even if it honestly doesn't save all that much weight...

So similarly, now it was time to change the front tyre, I thought I'd reduce the width there too - and spec the Continental TKC80 in 100/90 x 19" size* (as pictured above).

*It's worth noting that while most of the Conti TKC80s are moulded on a tubeless carcass, they do state the 100/90 version of the front tyre is only designed for tubed application. Good job I'm running the budget [non-tubeless] version of these wheels then eh?

While the slightly thinner/taller tyre does sit slightly more squarely on the front 2.5" rim (typically a 100 width tyre is more usually found on a 2.15 or even 1.60/1.85 rim), it seems to offer the same sort of improvement as the narrower rear does - road handling is seemingly unaffected, while it's directional stability seems significantly improved, especially in soft sandy or muddy conditions where it 'cuts' more readily and holds a line better without skittering around on top so much - something I'd really begin to fully appreciate in the days to come...

Basically, if you are looking for a set-up recommendation (for the LEVEL 1 bike at least), I'd suggest you consider fitting the 100/90x19" front tyre and the 140/80x17" rear (I'm talking about Continental TKC80s here, since not all brands come in these sizes of course) to the Rally-Raid wheels, and also slide the forks through the triple clamps until only 2mm (rather than 10mm*) of gold is showing, as the bike seems to feel much more planted and has less tendency to wash-out, particularly at the front.

*Interestingly, the stock bike set-up apparently has less than 4" of trail, which results in a sharp turning, but potentially skittish front end. Therefore relaxing the rake slightly lengthens the trail, and increases stability.


Anyway, what about all those parts and supplies you bought the other day Jenny?

Ah yes - rather fortunately the BMW MOA Rally offered an oil changing facility/station in one of the cattle sheds (well, it is a State Fairground after all), including oil pans and suitable disposal facilities - so there was no need for me to butcher a gallon water bottle after all... result!


photo. fresh air-filter - I'd already tapped out the original one at my 4,500 mile service after I'd arrived in California, but now it was time to replace it!


photo. debris collected on the OEM magnetic drain plug.

To recap - after the initial east-west leg back in May, I'd taken the opportunity to service the bike back home in California - since I'd pretty much hammered across the country, often at high speed and for long periods/short number of days at a time, so elected to change the oil/oil-filter (plus inspect/clean the air-filter) at around 4,500 miles, rather that wait until 6000 miles as per the service schedule.

I'd now racked up another 6000 miles, so it was certainly time for another oil & filter change, and while the air-filter is scheduled to be replaced at 12,000 I also elected to change it at this 10,627 mile mark, rather than frick about with it again 1400 miles further down the road - since as anyone who's done this job will know, you have to take about 30 bolts out and remove half the bodywork to access the filter... bloody BMW!

I also throughly cleaned and lubricated the chain (using one more of my 25 cent towels!), and generally inspected the machine - checking the tightness of things like the axle and brake calliper bolts, and generally bonding a little more with the machine.


photo. Interestingly one thing I did notice during my inspection was that the wire loop that acts as heel guard for the passenger foot-peg was now missing on the left-hand side - seemingly snapped off at some point and I'd not noticed until now!

So with the bike finally fettled and feeling far fresher again, all there was to do now was to start packing my bag before attending the 'closing ceremony' that Saturday evening:


photo. That is a LOT of BMW owners!

Of course I didn't win any of the grand-draw raffle prizes - although one lucky attendee walked (or is that rode) away with a brand new R1200R!

Let's hit the road again eh Piglet? - I fear this is rather too much for the likes of us...

Jenny x

Day 7: Sunday 15th July: Des Moines IA to Fort Morgan CO

619 miles

Another marathon day today, so plenty of time for a quick summary:

If the past week or so on the road had proved one thing, it's that the little GS is surprisingly adept at all manner of different disciplines. Sure it's forte is certainly not in shleping across the mid-west in the hight of summer, but then really, what bike is? However, even when faced with such a daunting commitment, the bike itself never complains - it just knuckles down and gets on with it - for hours and hours and hours at a time if needs be.

I have to say, I'm impressed. At the beginning of this 'experiment' way back in April this year (it seems like a lifetime ago now, if less than eight actual weeks of riding!) I had my reservations, but had specced this bike (and the various Rally-Raid parts) specifically as a direct comparison to my usual cross country all-terrain bike - the Honda CB500X with the LEVEL 2 Rally-Raid wheels and suspension fitted* - to see how it might handle exactly the kind of cross-country riding I like to do.

*to recap the stock G310GS and CB500X with the LEVEL 2 kit fitted are actually very close in physical dimensions - sharing the same size wheels, wheelbase, suspension travel and ground clearance (actually the GS is around 1/2" higher). Even the seat height and overall rider ergonomics are pretty similar - which either illustrates how 'full size' the baby GS is, or conversely how compact the CX500X is compared to other twin-cylinder ADV bikes, you decide ;o)

However, while both bikes measure and feel similar in overall size, if I'm trying to be objective - the GS does feel a little less 'bulky' perhaps, and certainly with the tail-chop and rack deletion I'd performed back in Virginia, has the visual impression of a very compact and arguable more 'aggressive' and dirt-bike look to it - and this does translate into the way you end up riding it accordingly I'd suggest...

To clarify the #1 question people seem to have asked me so far (most knowing I'm an utter advocate of the Rally-Raid CB500X project of course) - is how do they two bikes compare? And I always start by clarifying that the G310GS kit was not designed to compete with or replace the CB500X, rather to compliment it in the range of bikes Rally-Raid have turned their attention to...

At the end of the day, you'd expect the CB to be the better high-speed/high-mileage bike - and of course it is, that's why John and I chose it in the first place as fundamentally that 471cc twin-cylinder engine in the Honda is an absolute gem, that makes short work of highway riding in much the same way as the larger (eg. 700-800cc) capacity ADV bikes do - and that is the primary benefit of having a twin cylinder engine as opposed to a thumper buzzing away between your knees... The Honda also has noticeably more torque off the bottom end, and very smooth and tractable power delivery in general, which makes piloting the bike in more technical terrain deceptively easy. You can be utterly lazy with the CB if you wish, and let it do all the work... or equally you can grab it by the scruff and pilot it like you might a large capacity dirt-bike - particularly in more open going like the desert or fast forest trails. It really is very handy in either role.

Certainly the main difference between the GS and the CB, other than the appreciable lighter weight of the GS (50+lbs is not to be sniffed at, especially when it turns out the GS can and does handle long-distance highway and side-winds/truck blasts very well too), is the way the power is delivered, or more accurately what you need to do to eek the best out from it...

Essentially the GS rewards you if you're prepared to put a little more effort in, and ride it more aggressively, particularly off-road. If you try and baby it along at tick-over, it can feel snatchy, and you're never quite sure if it might cough-stall on you at an inopportune moment (and believe me, it has, and I've cursed the little c**t more than once!) - particularly if you're still running the stock gearing, which really is very tall (as is the BMW way) - presumably in an effort to lower the revs and noise and improve economy when highway cruising.

However, once you decide to wick it up a bit, the bike suddenly starts to make sense: use a few more revs, brake later, throw it into corners, and you can actually ride it deceptively fast off-road - for an ADV bike that is - and it feels much more like a regular dual-sport or trail bike in that regard. However, you can only really do that of course once you've upgraded the stock suspension - try that sort of behaviour on a boggo bike, and you'll soon feel it getting overwhelmed - which is why I suspect the [some of] the press and those who have only taken a short test ride on the standard bike have left feeling a little unimpressed?

However, as with the CB project that he and I worked on together back in 2014, clearly John at Rally-Raid saw a certain potential with this bike too - and once you're able to set-up the [better quality] suspension correctly and generally dial the bike in to ergonomically to suit you better, it actually becomes a very handy device for simply having a lot of fun on!

But foremost this summer's trip is as much about what the bike is like to live with day-to-day as it is about putting it though it's paces with regard the off-road improvements the upgraded parts I've fitted. So the question is, am I more tired than I would be after a similar amount of time on the road riding my Honda? Possibly - but that is not the fault of the bike per se, rather as commitments have meant I've been using it outside of what I consider it's optimum environment to be - and that is exploring new backroads and jeep trails, typically sub 60mph stuff, rather than trying to cover considerable distances in a very short space of time.

But I still had over 600 miles to go before I'd see some proper mountains again, so needs-must, for one more day at least.


photo. somewhere in rural Iowa - another town with a distinct lack of breakfast restaurants it would seem!


photo. an amble through Madison County.


photo. I imagine James Brown had a holiday home here...


photo. It had been another long day as I finally crossed into Colorado...


Again, rather than plod along the east-west interstate surrounded by trucks, I elected to take the more minor roads a few miles south of the main artery, and continued to shadow it all the way through rural* Nebraska too...

*is there anything other?!

I admit to feeling pretty weary as I rolled into another Super-8 motel - especially when I found out the bill would be almost a hundred bucks! - but factored this was probably the last opportunity I'd get to once again re-launder my meagre collection of undergarments, get up-to-date with regard to online banking and general communication, oh, and make my own waffle for breakfast of course. From here on in I planned to camp whenever I could now - not only to save money (of which I was rapidly running out), but also to get closer to the experience we'd come all this way for.

"Tomorrow, we'll be heading for the hills Piglet" - and we couldn't wait!

cont.

Day 8: Monday 16th July: Fort Morgan CO to Leadville CO

253 miles

The reason for hammering out such another long day yesterday was to set myself up for the week ahead, where I planned to intercept the Colorado BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route) somewhere in the middle of the state, then work my way north towards Wyoming and ultimately Montana during the next few days...


photo. Mt Evans (centre, behind the lake) and Mt Bierstadt to the right - neighbouring 'fourteeners' in the Colorado Rockies.

I'd had the forethought to pack a few of my Butler Maps including some the the BDR versions (although not quite the forethought to also download/upload the free GPS routes into my Garmin before I left - doh!), so set about manually entering a series of waypoints that I hoped would coincide with the official route - although anywhere is an adventure if you've not been there before, right?

So in that regard, I planned to pick up the BDR in Leadville, which is approximately half way along the Colorado route between New Mexico and Wyoming, and also pretty much slap-bang in the middle of the state too. This was particularly appealing to me since I've criss-crossed through the Colorado Rockies a number of times now, but always a little further south (typically on the Trans-America Trail route or various off-shoots), so was keen to see what the more northerly ranges had to offer, during these balmy summer months.

I'd skirted north around Denver, aiming for Golden (where Coors is brewed, for all you yellow piss fans) - effectively the gateway to the good stuff, and which rather fortunately also coincides with the start of one of Butlers 'gold road' paved routes - Highway 6 that runs along the base of Clear Creek Canyon through a series of tunnels for a dozen miles or so - wonderful!


From there I'd plotted a mix of gravel/dirt roads and paved passes, that zig-zagged south west through the Mt. Evans Wilderness - a region which is a skiers paradise in the winter months of course.

I dispatched a series of passes that afternoon - the road from Georgetown to Grant (via Guanella Pass 11,669ft) is very scenic - part paved [heading south to the summit] and part gravel - it's a wonderful backcountry route that gets you within a few miles of Mt. Evans itself.

Kenosha Pass (paved, Highway 285) is relatively modest for this region, just scraping in over the 10,000ft threshold by a single foot no less!

The it was back onto dirt for an epic ride to Breckenridge via Boreas Pass (11,481ft) which is on the Continental Divide.


photo. Ooooh I do like a steam-train - strange funnel cowling is to prevent sparks causing wildfires.


photo. Old rotary snow-plough on display in Breckenridge CO.

I have to say, Breckenridge was one of those uber expensive ski-towns (I already knew it was, but wanted to see it for myself), that actually holds little appeal for me, I much preferred the atmosphere along main-street Frisco just a few miles to the north (and close to I70).

I could have headed directly to Leadville from here (down Hwy 91), but it was still mid-afternoon, and more importantly, my map showed a series of other passes and dirt-roads that were just begging to be explored en route!

Vail Pass (10,662ft) is actually I70 itself, and coincides with the turn-off to Shrine Pass Rd (gravel) a few miles further west and slightly higher at 11,094ft. To be honest, you could also drive a regular car all the way over Shrine Pass if you wanted, but still it's always nice to have an empty road ahead and grit under your wheels I feel.

As I rolled down the easy descent towards highway 24, something to the left caught my eye - an innocuous little NF route marker #747. A quick poke at my GPS revealed a potential network of trails, that would also lead back out onto the main highway somewhere a little further south of here - exactly the direction I wanted to be going. I needed no more encouragement than that of course!


photo. The trail initially climbed up a narrow gorge where the creek had burst its banks onto the surface of the main trail in places.


photo. 'Wearyman Creek' I thought was very aptly named! - you'll have to wait for the video to see what I'm talking about here ;o)


photo. The camera really doesn't do it justice - in places this was like riding up a waterfall! It was also over 10,500ft here, so any physical exertion soon took it's toll too.


photo. There is some really nice/thoughtful off-road orientated detailing on this bike. Unfortunately the side-stand location is not one of them!

I have to say, this turned out to be an absolutely killer Jeep/OHV trail! Having worked my way up a series of wet rocky steps (the creek was actually flowing at quite the pace too), after about a quarter mile or so the trail turned hard right and climbed steeply up a series of rocky switchbacks all the way to the peak of Hornsilver Mountain (11,570ft), before dropping steeply down the far side to exit along McAllister Gulch (NF-708).


photo. Ominous storm clouds gathering...

As I took a breather at the summit (and uploaded a photo to Facebook - there was 3G up here of all places!), in the corner of my eye I noticed a rider on a small red dirt-bike pass by on the main trail, and factored he knew not to stop for long when there was a storm like this brewing in the distance. Sure enough, as I wound my way down the trail a few minutes behind him, it started to spit with rain, and I was glad I'd chosen to ride this trail in this direction, as the south face featured some very steep and loose sections to navigate - the sort of thing that is no fun at all trying to get up with one-wheel-drive.

As the trail emerged from the forest, I spied the highway a couple of miles away, and just ahead - pushing his bike - the guy on the Honda trailie I'd seen previously. I pulled along side, roosted him and shouted "So long sucker...!"

No of course I didn't!

I asked what had happened (thinking it was a broken chain or something), and he said it had been fine all the way up and over the Pass, right up until the point he'd dropped it a few hundred yards back... and now he just couldn't start it. I offered to give him a tow to the highway (where he'd parked his truck - this was a non-street legal XR200 he was riding) Mondo-Enduro style using a length of tow-strap from foot-peg to foot-peg, but I don't think he much fancied that idea to be honest, especially as the trail was still pretty rough in places.

He said he'd try kicking it a few more times - choke on, choke off - and soon enough, the familiar wiff of petrol filled the air (I have an XR400, so know the score with these kick-start carb-fed bikes), and I suggested he had or at least was now, flooding it...

The trick I've learnt is to open the throttle all the way, and kick it through between 6-8 times, and that usually clears it. He closed the choke, opened the throttle, kicked it - and it burst into life right there! His face was an absolute picture I have to say - he couldn't believe it!

A fist-bump and a high-five later, and I waved my goodbye and trucked on along the trail, confident someone had learnt a new trick today.


I'd managed to dodge the worst of the storms now gathering around me so far, and with hindsight, I should have probably just joined the highway and got as quickly to Leadville as I could now - but my GPS showed a tantalising dirt-road/trail that followed Eagle Creek east and crossed back across the mountains to the comically named town of Climax - I mean that had to be worth it just for a photo of the Welcome sign, right?

As I wound my way up the valley, the rain was starting to fall more heavily now, and I ignored the 'Dead End' sign at my peril... Sure enough a few miles further on (up what was an entertaining washed-out trail at least), unfortunately some mining company had dug a huge hole, and erected a very locked gate:



Still, as I slithered back down the trail on an ever increasingly greasy surface, I had plenty of time to come up with the perfect photo caption: "Unfortunately I was unable to reach Climax today..."

Boom!



photo. Once the rain came down, the trail turned to mud, and the tail-chop and lack of rack meant I got filthy... still, what price style eh?

I picked up paved Hwy 24 over Tennessee Pass (10,424ft) and made a bee-line for the first Leadville hotel in my GPS database now - I was utterly soaked, cold, and it was getting dark. At the gas-station opposite the hotel, I quickly checked the prices of neighbouring establishments, and to my dismay found pretty much everything in town was sold out for tonight. However, it turns out my initial instinct (and the Garmin database) had proved it's worth, the neon sign said Vacancy, and while it did cost me $86 bucks, I got a proper breakfast, free laundry and decent wifi. Plus it was right opposite a Pizza Hut. I'm not ashamed to say I felt I deserved a little personal-sized treat today!



More soon!

Jenny x

Day 9: Tuesday 17th July: Leadville CO to Stagecoach State Park CO

196 miles

I do like independent hotels - well, when they're good ones at least... and this one [the Silver King Inn] was one of the very best - if for no other reason that they had proper crockery and cutlery for breakfast.

You see I've already stayed in dozens of hotels since I started out on this year's trip, and indeed over all the years I've been travelling around the United States - and very few (if any - certainly none under $100 a night) seem to have a dishwasher. They all use paper (or worse, polystyrene) plates, cups and plastic knives and forks etc. Pre-packaged breakfast items also come seemingly wrapped in un compostable cellophane, yogurt pots, the list goes on...

Now I'm certainly not some sort of eco-weenie, but seriously, just consider how many hundreds of thousands of people are staying in chain hotels and motels all over the USA every night, and just how much land-fill trash is being thrown away at five past nine every morning... it makes me weep to be honest.

When I handed back my key I thanked the girl on reception for a lovely comfortable stay, and felt it important to mention how pleased I was to see they provided proper plates and glasses and cutlery for their guests, and she agreed "We're trying to set an example for the rest of the town" she smiled.

Right, now that's been said and done, let's go burn some more fossil fuels then!


Downtown Leadville is kinda fun and quirky in a typical brick-built pioneer-town kind of way: independent shops, plenty of cafes and restaurants... lots of hotels too - you can certainly see why it's a recommended stop-over on the Colorado BDR.

As I'd left my hotel, and then continued to cruise down main-street, I could feel my clutch was right at the end of the range of it's adjustment - I guess I'd given it a pretty hard time yesterday - not least manhandling it up that flooded trail and rocky steps - so took the opportunity to sample a local coffee shop, temporarily discard my personal belongings over a good number of their outside tables and chairs, and get to work on the bike (not a long job to be honest). It was only mid-morning and already the sun was pretty fierce. All traces of the previous evening's storm were gone, and there was a bright blue sky in exactly the direction I wanted to be going...


photo. This is the dirt road up to Hagerman Pass (11,925ft) - Hagerman Pass Rd no less. Beautiful!


photo. Sometimes we forget to just stop and take in the view.


photo. Only a few traces of snow left at this time of year.

While it was my intention for the next day or two to basically follow the official COBDR trails, at the same time, should any alternatives crop up that looked slightly more, shall we say 'interesting', then I was not going to rigidly stick to the prescribed route - not when I was on the ideal bike to poke around on more technical trails should they happen my way.

And happen they did! The main BDR route here is a reasonably gentle and wide well-surfaced, all-weather road for the most part - nothing wrong with that, on the right bike you can make good progress of course - but for me, I wanted to make the most of the potential this smaller lighter bike (and my minimalist luggage set-up) allowed.

I took a well defined side-trail (CR-4L if anyone was wondering - I'm giving this stuff away!) that wound it's way up to a narrow saddle, before snaking down the far side via a series of sharp switchbacks - wonderful stuff, and very reminiscent of the Spanish Pyrenees I thought - another killer trail!

I poked around on some OHV trails around Diemer Lake (the nice thing about having the official BDR map is that on the reverse side certain [key] sections of the map have been printed in larger scale with more detail together with a brief summary - and these are very helpful during general route planning), and the bike really came into its own on some of the more technical power-line climbs, ripping up them (I had no choice, I couldn't let it stall on me here) and letting the suspension soak up the worst of the rocks and ridges... great stuff!

However, at the same time I was mindful that I did want to keep heading north - not least as the focus of this next leg was to spend as much time in Montana as I could - ideally starting this coming weekend. But that wasn't going to stop me enjoying these moments - and back on the main BDR, it wasn't long before another alternative revealed itself - remember I didn't have the official track log in my GPS, so was winging it with a series of intermediate waypoints I'd manually entered - and one such example was road 431, which essentially paralleled the main BDR, but via a twisty ATV two-track power-line trail - awesome!


photo. If you're riding the COBDR and see this sign, take it!


photo. You can just see the trail in the distance - snaking it's way up the opposite side of the valley.

Again, none of these alternative OHV trails were overly testing - not on a smaller bike at least - but the sandy two-track was just enough to keep you entertained, and the odd creek crossing a welcome relief from the heat...



I elected to take 'Hardscrabble Mountain Rd', thinking the clue would be in the name, but actually it's just a rough and rocky road [in places] up and over the mountain (10,662ft), and by now I was starting to get a bit weary of all this jigging around, and in need of more coffee and sustenance... on balance I can see why the BDR team chose the alternative route [Gypsum Creek Rd] to Gypsum, although it does mean you miss out on the Yeti Grind Coffee House in Eagle, which is definitely worth a visit if you're passing through.

The section [of BDR] from Gypsum to Sate Bridge is described as 'a mellow dirt road... private land limits off-road options... paved riding is necessary..." - I think they're selling it short - it was utterly delightful, and while not technical [terrain], some of the most scenic and relaxing riding I'd done all day as I followed the Colorado river north east to McCoy and then the quirky music venue/rental cabins/general store that overlooks the State Bridge.


photo. cold drinks and candy is about the limit of the victuals on offer here, but that was ok by me.

I'd suggest that if you're riding the BDR north from Leadville, then State Bridge is a realistic target/destination for an overnight stop (it was about 5.30pm when I rolled in off the highway), but being another balmy summer evening, I was intent on pressing on a little further, planning on a wild camp or similar somewhere along the line before sunset - there not being any formal accommodation options now before Steamboat Springs, which was realistically too far [and too expensive] to consider at this point.

It's worth noting that there is no gas available at State Bridge itself - rather at a camping and river access site [Rancho Del Rio] a few miles further east along the easy dirt road... I wasn't sure I actually needed to top up (the bike had been exceptionally frugal all day today, tickling along at typically less than 40mph most of the time), but factored it would be better to be safe than sorry to fall short a few miles south of Steamboat Springs.

for info. they'll want to relieve you of $5.00 a gallon for 87Ron if like me, you're not prepared to gamble on your range.

This really was open country now (although not open enough to simply pitch your tent wherever you like) and by the time I rolled into the State Park campgrounds at Stagecoach Reservoir (pretty, but pretty pricy - they charged me the overnight camping fee $18, plus another $7 for a day pass - even though I rolled in after 8pm and left before 8am) I was pretty tired out... although I was still shy of 200 miles today, they had been some intense miles indeed!

Sleep now, more soon...

Jenny x

Day 10: Wednesday 18th July: Stagecoach State Park CO to a ridge, somewhere in WY

314 miles

While I sit around camp drinking a cup of coffee, please allow me to make a somewhat convoluted side-bar here, although I trust it will be of value to anyone planning a multi-day overland trip, such as this or any other....

One of the discussions that comes up on [for example] the Trans-America Trail forums/Facebook page/s a lot is regarding camping vs. hotels... Obviously the main difference is going to be cost (especially if you can find some good free/wild camping spots en route) - and certainly riding all the way across the country while staying in a hotel/motel every night (which is perfectly possible on the TAT should you wish - but only if you're prepared to divert off the main route a few miles each evening) is a very expensive way to do it these days.

However, what is perhaps often overlooked, and not to be underestimated either, is not only the benefit of having a clean bed and warm shower to help you recover each evening - but the fact you won't need to carry quite as much luggage with you (note. camping equipment tends to be at least 50% of your luggage - and while it's a good idea to have at least a basic camp with you just incase of an emergency stop over - ie. getting stuck or breaking down, close to nightfall - you could get away with just a sleeping bag and some kind of bivvy if you weren't planning on using it regularly), which is of immediate benefit when riding more technical terrain, and also, fundamentally you have less stuff to pack and unpack each day.

And it's that element particularly this morning - while supping on my Starbucks Via and Oatmeal Clif bar breakfast (about as minimalist as you can get) - that I was contemplating... in that on those few occasions I have been camping this trip, it always seems to take a good hour between waking and breaking camp - which, if you're on a time schedule such as most TAT riders are for example, can seriously eat into your day each day.

Of course I would never discourage anyone from camping - or at least bringing camping equipment with them on a trip like this (as per the fundamental reason above) - as if you love the outdoors, then the opportunity to set-up a simple shelter and immerse yourself in nature overnight is one of the few free pleasures we have left.

Well, free if you wild camp of course - I'd just paid $25 for a pitch in a rustic campground surrounded by travel-trailers, pets and children... but don't worry, fortunately this balance was going to be addressed in the next few days.


photo. Breakfast at Winona's restaurant and bakery in Steamboat Springs CO - yep, I'm a Winona Rider...

I'd felt it prudent to stop at an official campground last night, not least as it was getting dark by the time I'd arrived, and I wasn't sure what the trail ahead would hold - nor if there would be any opportunity for a wild camp so close to the holiday mecca* of Steamboat Springs.

*I must admit a certain naivety here, I knew my Big Agnes tent came from a town called Steamboat Springs CO, but hadn't realised to what extent the ski facilities particularly, extended - the resort is a huge multi-peak world-cup venue. Doh!

It turns out I'd made the right decision, as the dirt road around the north shore of the Stagecoach Reservoir was flanked by private land on either side, while closer to the city itself was again either ranch or holiday-home private property. I didn't even bother to Google how much the hotels might have been in this town!

I was still following the official COBDR here, and heading out of Steamboat Springs it follows a wide gravel road that connects more ranch and holiday properties... nice, but like some critique of the TAT (again), I did feel it was following 'dirt' for the sake of it here - but hey, I wasn't far from the end of the Colorado BDR now, and I guess the route planners wanted to maximise your last few dirt miles where possible.

Fortunately, once I got just north of Pearl Lake State Park, I saw a dedicated OHV (bikes and ATVs only) side trail marker post (Elkhorn Trail NF505), which again I'm highlighting here as a recommendation:


photo. The narrow rocky OHV trail eventually exited the forest into wide open pasture.

Rejoining the main dirt road though (NF550 to Mexican Fork) I realised it passes through a huge network of OHV trails, and plenty of opportunity for camping/staging too - nice! Ultimately the northern end of the Colorado BDR winds down by following the Little Snake River along the CO/WY state line, and I skipped over the border pretty much in the middle of nowhere.


Wild Wyoming


photo. Another state, another town, another cafe, another espresso.

Although there is not an official BDR route/map for Wyoming yet (they are meant to be working on it), the regular Butler map of the state actually shows a good number of navigable dirt-roads as well - so it was easy enough to plot an unpaved south to north crossing while I chomped away on a late lunch in Rawlins - which is a stop-over point on the Continental Divide Trail, which I came to realise having passed any number of hikers and cyclists on the road due south of town.

According to my Butler map, this was also the last place I'd get the chance to fuel up for a good while (without diverting off my intended route anyway), so took the opportunity to fill my Giant-Loop Gas-Bag again, just as a precaution - although I was almost certain I'd need it this time, since I really would be passing through the middle of nowhere during the next 24 hours or so.

And who knew that Wyoming had desert?! After a short stretch of highway, I turned off on 'Buzzard Rd' - initially 16 miles or so of hard-packed dirt (the kind that turns to slime after rain) with the odd mud-puddle to circumnavigate, then, to my utter delight - the GPS pointed me down a soft sandy two-track like something right out of the Dakar!


photo. Ripper!

Again I relied on the shortest route (between manually input waypoints) function and was grinning from ear to ear as the trail split once again and petered out into a faint two-track through pasture - certainly it would appear no-one had used this particular trail for a long time (note. when I zoomed out on the GPS a little later, I realised there was a network of alternative and more established roads/trails, that typically joined ranch buildings to one another)...


photo. If it ain't posted private, it's fair game in my opinion... Of course you must leave gates as you find them, and stick to the trail.

I finally rejoined the main Buzzard Rd (at this point a huge graded swathe through the barren scrubland) which ultimately connects to the paved highway near Pathfinder Reservoir, and as I paused for a rest at the junction - that felt very much like a typical stage finish (ASS) of a desert rally - I couldn't help but giggle to myself... who'd have thought from such an innocent dotted line on a map there would be such an epic trail to follow!

So, in an effort to milk the rally racing analogy just a little more, I was now faced with a long liaison [on dirt] before I could finally set up camp in my 'bivouac' this evening... Again, I was basing this assumption on the information on my Butler map (which shows a good number, if not every, campground on key roads and trails), and I have to say, with the sun now slipping behind the mountains to my west, it was an ambitious plan to reach one of the marked campgrounds - still nearly 90 miles away.

I paused briefly to top off my tank with the contents of my Gas-Bag (at the junction with the aptly named Gas Hills Rd), but ultimately lost the race with the sun a few miles north of Arminto (a ramshackle collection of tumbledown houses, some of which were inhabited, but none of which looked overly welcoming) - and I was still right in the middle of nowhere...

I don't really like riding at night, not on trails, especially with the potential of animals around every corner - so slowed right down, and peered through the darkness on either side of the trail (note. the low-beam on the G310GS is surprisingly good I feel, but conversely the high-beam is rubbish - just a halo of light around a central void that is otherwise well lit by the low-beam) - increasingly desperate to find somewhere suitable to pitch my tent, far enough away from the road so as not to draw attention from any passing traffic, should it come along overnight.

Eventually I spied a faint two-track to my right that doubled back into the desert and headed uphill towards a ridge - that would have to do.

cont.