Last month's great ride ()5722 miles)

[Chris Weld]

Alberto Sevillia and I left on Sunday 7/1.  We went straight up to Roseberg to visit with Harvey and Darleen Brooks (spent the night) before heading into NE Oregon for the little town of Condon OR (2nd night).  We left there for Sandpoint ID (expensive - 4th weekend), where we got a first taste of rain.  Guess who forgot to pack rain gear?  I bought a suit at Walmart the very next day...and have yet to open it.  We picked-up US #2 EB for Bemidji MN.  Alberto has friends in who own a private island on Lake of the Woods, Ontario CN.  We were invited-up for the week-end.  This lake is HUGE (see a map, it has 1400 islands [no lie/exaggeration]; their island has three abodes on it and is about three acres.  We fished & partied.

Back in Bemidji by early Sunday PM it wasn't a two-hour ride down to Baxter/Brainerd and my perennial riding partner for National Rallies, Marv'n Carol Bohn's home.  Two of our other 'perennials' had already been in residence with the Bohn's.  We all met by chance at the National in '95.  One of the two took-off before Alberto and I got there (Nick Shultz), but Buel Wortham was there for the duration.  Collectively we set Marv'n Carol up with an automated deer feeder.  The four riders took-off Thursday for the National which was held this year in Des Moines IA.  It's a one full days ride from Marv's place.

We escorted Marv back home after the National.  Buel took-off going back to Arkansas while Alberto and me, we headed for the yearly regional rally in Colorado, the Top'o the Rockies.  Leaving very early we rode 40 miles before coffee and I stopping I had a problem,a  serious problem.  I had checked my ride the night before (oil/tires and load), added oil but got distracted at some point and failed to replace the oil filler plug.  When I stopped my boot was soaked and oil dripped from every appendage on that side of the motorcycle. What to do?

Walked to a nearby gas/convenience store and bought oil, not the blend/weight I would have preferred but any oil beats no oil.  Using Gorilla Tape (great product), I fashion a cover after cleaning-up the area.  Looked solid!  Off to a wash rack and clean-up.  We were back on the road.

We met a nice new State Trooper in Minnesota just before the state line, something about 'speed'.  In Nebraska, talking with local coppers in Lincoln, I was given a medal.  I also learned that Gorilla Tape isn't worth squat where heat is involved.  We headed for this small town hardware store to try'n find a solution.  We found that a bathroom sink drain plug worked fine on our second selection.  It is still in place as I write this.

The mentioned regional rally was great, good food at reasonable prices save for the beer.  $5./beer or wine was steep.  We did laundry here (Paonia CO), seems Carol and her machines couldn't come along.

Leaving Paonia we headed due south, for Durango CO   Our arrival in Durango saw us got straight to the train depot where we secured some of the last few tickets for the next day's train.  The train is an all-day affair, it climbs from Durango up to Silverton, gives you a 90 minute or so lay-over before returning to Durango.  You leave at 8am and return circa 5pm.  I've ridden it three previous times and looked forward to this junket, though prices had gone up considerably, less'n $50./ticket to the current $106./

I discovered on our post train-ride oil beneath the transmission and suspected a blown seal.  On our 'plastic covered' motorcycles there's no easy way to check transmission fluid.  One has to remove both seats and twenty-two torque screws (three body panels) to check oil level.  It was 'down' but only about a 1/4th of a cup.  Oil added and no problem/leakage since.  But to do this we used the Anonymous Book to find a local member who made his lit garage available to us.

We left Durango the following day for Mesa Verde and a look at the cliff dwellings before heading for Utah and our second rain ride however brief (about 7 miles worth).  This occured coming into and leaving Monticello UT.  Since it was hot (90º's), with high humidity, the rain proved welcoming.

Our next destination was Baxter NV so as to visit Lehman Cave Nat'l Park.  When coming off I-15 (we couldn't avoid the Interstates though we tried), there was a Victory (brand) rider at the end of the off-ramp trying to use a funky atlas, the kind insurance companies give away.  He was out of his element.  He wanted to go the Reno so we told him we go through Reno and to 'hook-up'.  Dan has some obvious health problems but he was 'game'.  He slept with us, ate with us, did the cave tour with us.  I got to introduce both Dan and Alberto to highway NV#722, the old US #50 route.  It has been recently repaved but has a twisting mountainous section made for a motorcycle.  I've always seen game on #722 (this was my second ride), and wasn't disappointed.  The range cattle are always an issue, but I don't recall but one other vehicle in the 50 or so miles of this roadway.

Dan was left in Reno but only after giving him some directions and iPhone training. 

Alberto wanted to see a show and we did, Circus Soule, right after a welcomed visit to a casino's buffet.  We were back home Friday afternoon, 7/27 after a 5722 mile fun ride.  Next year?  Lebanon TN.

I have 147 pictures, but early ride pictures have been lost/misplaced as I threw the camera way after removing the SD card.  The new-to-me Cannon camera was acquired in a pawn shop in Bimedji, with card for $27.tax included.  My software doesn't present the photos in the order taken - they'll come at you in batches.  Call these batch #1.