27Aug08 Hulet, WY - Alliance, NE
26aug08
I'm sure that during the Stugis Rally the road noise and whatever was going on at the Feed Coop across the street gets drowned out by the hoohaa in the campground, but my tossing and turning didn't diminish it whatsoever. And I could hear the shotgun blasts at 1am even through my earplugs. Bear? Beer? Jealous lover?
Anyway, I tried for breakfast in camp and discovered that, yes, there IS an expiration date for instant oatmeal, so after a quick valve check (been 3000 since I left DFW) I headed down the road to Devil's Tower. The valve check sorta put me in the mind of what it takes to put a bike on the road for an extended period.
There is routine maintenance which is done at predictable intervals. Preventative maintenance, which is done when necessary to forestall more serious problems.
And then there are repairs, which obviously take place when something has failed.
Many riders do not consider themselves, nor want to be, mechanics. That's fine, and a personal decision. However, I think it prudent that we be maintainers of our machines, else become forced into becoming repairmen on a dark road in the middle of nowhere. Some foresight/forethought is necessary to have fresh oil, tune up or tires before a trip, or be learned enough to accomplish same along the way either personally or by appointment with a shop. I prefer to do it myself rather than be tied to a scheduled appointment in a particular location.
We also need, on longer trips, maintain the rider, as well as his ride. Proper hydration, proper nutrition (my weakness), proper rest (ok, another weakness), and even proper hygiene are all necessary to avoid emergency repairs. Sure we want to go, see, do; but it is also absolutely necessary to rest, eat properly, stop and drink fluids, and take care of washing and waxing, so to speak.
So, after taking care of the horse (as I taught Emily to say), it was off to Devil's Tower, a short distance away. In fact there were several very nice, probably quieter, probably more expensive, camping grounds en route, but, as I said, I needed to get off the road ASAP.
Devil's Tower was originally called Bear's Lodge by the locals (before the White Men came) and the legend was that 6 sisters and their brother were out in the woods when the boy turned into a bear and began to pursue the girls. The Great Spirit caused the earth to rise beneath the girls, lifting them to safety in the sky, while the bear clawed at the mound of stone. The girls are now the stars of Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) and the claw marks are the stress cracks in the rock. Actually geologists think it was a magma push that originally was buried underground, and the Belle Forche River eroded many cubic miles of dirt to expose it. When the magma cooled the stress was relieved by fractures into hexagonal (like bee hive) columns.
Lots of visitors, and all very friendly. One, Scott from VA, on a BMW R1200GS on his way to Alaska. Bit late in the season, isn't it? Yeah, but when the boss gives you a month off, you go. He was on his way to Billings for a valve check-up (maintenance, remember?).
Now back to some mileage to the south and east. Off to Newcastle WY for lunch at Subway (just a check in the block) where Phil, once I mentioned Mt Rushmore, put me onto Iron Mountain Road. I was heading to Custer on 16, and he told me just to continue east through Custer NP on 16A, then on the east side to take IMR north. He said I wouldn't regret it.
I didn't. It is one of the most spectacular roads I, ah, rode this trip.
Custer NP is a beautiful CCC park, with attendant log and stone structures, open fields, and wildlife including Buffalo. Several times traffic came to a stop either to look at them, or because a herd of one or two dozen was slowly crossing the roadway. Everywhere are signs reminding drivers that "Bison are dangerous, do not approach", so it was I was a bit apprehensive motoring around and between on the bike. Then came the 'pig tail' bridges - these roll around and back over themselves going up the hill toward Rushmore. Each is followed by a 10' wide by 13' high (one car) tunnel. From my direction I was treated to a framed view of the Presidents each time!
Mt Rushmore is everything the brochures and encyclopedias say
is and I was not embarrassed to be an unabashed tourist there. I also learned that point and shoot cameras are not as simple to operate as one might think. Several times I asked passers by (many with much larger and more complicated photography equipment dangling from their necks) if they would take a shot, assuming they could include both me and the faces of Rushmore in a level, focused picture. Nope. I had my head cut off, my feet cut off, stood at an angle, missed me entirely, and, oh, yeah, only 3 of the 4 presidents showing. Viewing the monument is free, parking is 10$ (I did hear 2 bikers work a deal about 10$ is for 4 wheels in one space and two bikes is..... 5$ each. If you really are touring on the cheap, you can find a parking spot around the corner (called Profile Pull-out because you can see Washington's, ah, Profile from there) and walk back!
Ok, now for some distance. I have a plan to meet one or more of my ridding buddies at a CG in Oklahoma, and I want to be there in time to get a good campsite. On down through Nebraska to the town of Alliance, along Rt 385 where I pull off to fill the 'dinner' square. The Mc'server says that there's an RV site along 385 just a mile further on, so I pass-up the Sunshine RV Park and Campground advertised on the billboard. This was a mistake. The RV site was where and as advertised, but it's proximity to the highway made for a noisy night. It was also squarely in the middle of a truck dispatch yard AND was Bud and Cathi's backyard moneymaker. They have dogs.
Earplugs.
I'm sure that during the Stugis Rally the road noise and whatever was going on at the Feed Coop across the street gets drowned out by the hoohaa in the campground, but my tossing and turning didn't diminish it whatsoever. And I could hear the shotgun blasts at 1am even through my earplugs. Bear? Beer? Jealous lover?
Anyway, I tried for breakfast in camp and discovered that, yes, there IS an expiration date for instant oatmeal, so after a quick valve check (been 3000 since I left DFW) I headed down the road to Devil's Tower. The valve check sorta put me in the mind of what it takes to put a bike on the road for an extended period.
There is routine maintenance which is done at predictable intervals. Preventative maintenance, which is done when necessary to forestall more serious problems.
And then there are repairs, which obviously take place when something has failed.
Many riders do not consider themselves, nor want to be, mechanics. That's fine, and a personal decision. However, I think it prudent that we be maintainers of our machines, else become forced into becoming repairmen on a dark road in the middle of nowhere. Some foresight/forethought is necessary to have fresh oil, tune up or tires before a trip, or be learned enough to accomplish same along the way either personally or by appointment with a shop. I prefer to do it myself rather than be tied to a scheduled appointment in a particular location.
We also need, on longer trips, maintain the rider, as well as his ride. Proper hydration, proper nutrition (my weakness), proper rest (ok, another weakness), and even proper hygiene are all necessary to avoid emergency repairs. Sure we want to go, see, do; but it is also absolutely necessary to rest, eat properly, stop and drink fluids, and take care of washing and waxing, so to speak.
So, after taking care of the horse (as I taught Emily to say), it was off to Devil's Tower, a short distance away. In fact there were several very nice, probably quieter, probably more expensive, camping grounds en route, but, as I said, I needed to get off the road ASAP.
Devil's Tower was originally called Bear's Lodge by the locals (before the White Men came) and the legend was that 6 sisters and their brother were out in the woods when the boy turned into a bear and began to pursue the girls. The Great Spirit caused the earth to rise beneath the girls, lifting them to safety in the sky, while the bear clawed at the mound of stone. The girls are now the stars of Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) and the claw marks are the stress cracks in the rock. Actually geologists think it was a magma push that originally was buried underground, and the Belle Forche River eroded many cubic miles of dirt to expose it. When the magma cooled the stress was relieved by fractures into hexagonal (like bee hive) columns.
Lots of visitors, and all very friendly. One, Scott from VA, on a BMW R1200GS on his way to Alaska. Bit late in the season, isn't it? Yeah, but when the boss gives you a month off, you go. He was on his way to Billings for a valve check-up (maintenance, remember?).
Now back to some mileage to the south and east. Off to Newcastle WY for lunch at Subway (just a check in the block) where Phil, once I mentioned Mt Rushmore, put me onto Iron Mountain Road. I was heading to Custer on 16, and he told me just to continue east through Custer NP on 16A, then on the east side to take IMR north. He said I wouldn't regret it.
I didn't. It is one of the most spectacular roads I, ah, rode this trip.
Custer NP is a beautiful CCC park, with attendant log and stone structures, open fields, and wildlife including Buffalo. Several times traffic came to a stop either to look at them, or because a herd of one or two dozen was slowly crossing the roadway. Everywhere are signs reminding drivers that "Bison are dangerous, do not approach", so it was I was a bit apprehensive motoring around and between on the bike. Then came the 'pig tail' bridges - these roll around and back over themselves going up the hill toward Rushmore. Each is followed by a 10' wide by 13' high (one car) tunnel. From my direction I was treated to a framed view of the Presidents each time!
Mt Rushmore is everything the brochures and encyclopedias say
is and I was not embarrassed to be an unabashed tourist there. I also learned that point and shoot cameras are not as simple to operate as one might think. Several times I asked passers by (many with much larger and more complicated photography equipment dangling from their necks) if they would take a shot, assuming they could include both me and the faces of Rushmore in a level, focused picture. Nope. I had my head cut off, my feet cut off, stood at an angle, missed me entirely, and, oh, yeah, only 3 of the 4 presidents showing. Viewing the monument is free, parking is 10$ (I did hear 2 bikers work a deal about 10$ is for 4 wheels in one space and two bikes is..... 5$ each. If you really are touring on the cheap, you can find a parking spot around the corner (called Profile Pull-out because you can see Washington's, ah, Profile from there) and walk back!
Ok, now for some distance. I have a plan to meet one or more of my ridding buddies at a CG in Oklahoma, and I want to be there in time to get a good campsite. On down through Nebraska to the town of Alliance, along Rt 385 where I pull off to fill the 'dinner' square. The Mc'server says that there's an RV site along 385 just a mile further on, so I pass-up the Sunshine RV Park and Campground advertised on the billboard. This was a mistake. The RV site was where and as advertised, but it's proximity to the highway made for a noisy night. It was also squarely in the middle of a truck dispatch yard AND was Bud and Cathi's backyard moneymaker. They have dogs.
Earplugs.
posted by Randy Masters at 4:47 PM
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