This is the same view as above with yours truly, taken by a fellow camper of similar interests. He spoke of adventure biking with his son out into the mountains in Mexico. I told him about my dream trip of riding to Seattle and taking the ferry to Prince Rupert, BC and then riding back through the Canadian Rockies. He liked the idea.
These are a couple of photos taken at the Cascade Falls in Ouray, CO. There's a constant spray coming from the falls that dampens camera lenses as well as camera operators. It dries so quickly in the dry air though that it's really not an issue. But I do want to tell a quick story about the parking lot adventure while trying to park my adventure bike in the gravelly parking area. A man and woman had just parked there car in a spot that actually blocked traffic in and out of the rest of the parking area. It's a relatively steep grade with plenty of loose gravel. As I maneuvered to park next to them, I found myself unable to position the motorcycle so it would rest safely on the kickstand and still allow me a path to exit when I came to leave. While jockeying for position, the front wheel began slipping downhill and I rolled back a little to get it into a better position. As I swung the handlebars far left, the horn button contacted the tankbag and let off a loud blast right next to this couple who had just parked. They were exiting the vehicle as I tried to explain that the horn went off by accident, but they jumped back into their car and found another space. This offered my a chance to get out of my slippery predicament and into a better spot. Interestingly enough, the gentleman approached me and asked how I liked my LS2 helmet. I said that I was very happy with it and that I would buy another if needed. He said he worked for the LS2 company and asked where I'd purchased it and the like. He asked if I minded his taking a picture of the helmet on the bike and if I had an Instagram account. When each of us were leaving the parking area some 20 minutes later, he came over again as I wrestled with the bike in my "better" parking spot and helped push the bike uphill a bit to get me in a position to get back down the hill. He was very kind, even after my accidental horn blasting. I think he said his name was Adam.
So after leaving Ouray, CO...things changed a little for me. It was as though the momentum of this roadtrip had changed. Ouray was as far north as I ventured. The crossing off-highway road further north, the one I had hoped to cross when planning the trip from Bisbee, was closed due to snow accumulations. I was glad to have checked with the Forrest Service office in Durango. So I was now officially on my way home. And that's where the momentum of a roadtrip always shifts for me. Sure, with some effort I could plan a side trip through the Superstittion Mountains, or plan to camp another night in Alpine, or spend a night in Reserve, NM, but no. It was not to be! Once I had my "headin' home" shoes on, I was off in a flash. On the way, I passed saw the turn-off for Telluride, and I could not resist the diversion. I've heard so much about the city and the yearly music festival that I knew I wanted to visit and at least have lunch. I did that, and the picture above was made there. The cirque, as I believe to be the correct geologic term, occupies the the view from anywhere along the main drag through town. It's a majestic sight. I lunched on a rather pricey burger, fries, and shake, and turned back for my trip south. From what I saw on my brief glimpse of Telluride, I am sure to return.
I continued south to Cortez, CO. The drive is beautiful, as was the ride into and out of Ouray. I passed a small town called...Sawpit It looked like a town that could only have been for the very wealthy. The little home, well fairly little, up against the stream in the valley looked like something from a storybook. The little town had that sort of a feel. So in Cortez, having blown my rigorously thrifty enterprise, I found a moderately priced motel room and indulged in a hot bath and a real bed. My sore back and spider bitten body were wildly appreciative. I relaxed and enjoyed the luxury. In the morning I set my sights on Mesa Verde. I'd been encouraged to visit and had heard much about over the years, so it was worth the diversion to see what it was all about. The next few pictures show excellent vistas over the surrounding valleys and off into the snow-topped Rockies to the north.
So there it is. The last story here is about riding south from Cortez. Riding south on Rte 491 was a ride I remembered taking a couple of years ago. I don't remember anything except the remote and desolate Navajo Indian Reservation and the high winds and high heat. I remembered because I had done it again. I'm sure I swore off this route south the last time I took it, but here I was again. The winds were steady out of the west at 30 mph, gusting to 50. The temperature hovered at 100 degrees, and just below. There is absolutely no shade. I think that this trip was made worse than the last by the high profile of the Honda Africa Twin. Additionally, the big duffel bag on the back caught every bit of the wind and sent me halfway across my lane of traffic. There was not very much other traffic to contend with,, and if I kept my speed somewhat below the speed limit, I was okay. But I must say it was most frustrating. I won't say that I laid on the horn button for minute long stretches when no other cars were around, or that I yelled a few bellowing, "Arggghhhh"'s inside my helmet. Suffice it to say that I'm not saying that I did those things, but surmise what you may. It was a very tough 200 miles. I think the salve for those rough winds, bug bites, and sore back was this second motel room of the trip, and a second meal out, this time at a really scrumptious BBQ joint. All is well.
Lessons learned:
The Africa Twin is a big bike. It's heavy and with a load of luggage and camping gear, it's unwieldy for me. It's not the perfect enduro or dual-sport off-road motorcycle, but with more and more and more off-road experience, I hope to improve my skills enough to handle more of the sandy, gravelly, rocky and wet back roads of the west. Also, the AT (Africa Twin), is not the perfect cross-country street bike. It cruises very well at highway speeds, and passes tractor-trailer trucks with ease, but it has a tall, skinny front wheel and tire, well suited for off-road applications. It's a tall, very tall motorcycle which makes it catch the wind more easily. It's height, which gives it great ground clearance for off-road applications also allows for a shorter wheelbase. A shorter wheelbase allows for quicker, more nimble handling. Also great for off-road applications. But short wheelbase bikes have less straight line stability. A big, long, low Harley-Davidson of Indian, or Moto-Guzzi, or Honda Goldwing, all have excellent straight line tracking. But the Honda Africa Twin? Not so much.
So, as has been said of ADV bikes ad nauseum, Maybe they don't do either off-road OR street riding excellently, but no other bikes do BOTH as well. Again, NO other bikes do 90 mph down an interstate ably, AND crawl uphill in rocky terrain at idle. The AT does both. Period.
Also of note, my gear is woefully lacking. After having used a great Marmot 2-man backpacking tent for years, it's time to replace a recently acquired Army & Navy store special with another quality tent. My sleeping bag is worn out as well. My inadequate closed-cell foam sleeping pad is not up to snuff. Or maybe my tired and sorely arthritic 63 year-old body needs a little more TLC. So, all three need replacement.
Also, less is more. I had several items that never made it out of the duffel. One was the pants to my riding suit. I'll carry those anyway since they act as rain gear. But I can get by with less than 4 T-shirts, less than 4 pair of socks, and less than 4 pair of shorts. If need be, these can be washed streamside, or in a sink. No need for extra duds. And no need for the spare shoes. I didn't wear the extra pair of shoes. And, I think I should upgrade my electronics profile. This will need fine-tuning, but it seems like I could get away with far less. I carried a Chromebook, I Canon digital SLR, chargers for each, a flip-phone and charger, and a card-reader to move images from the camera to the laptop. I also had little need for the binoculars or the swim trunks. And I also need to repair or replace my tank bag. The saddlebags, though too small, are stylish, and probably less clunky than a big pair of ADV bags. And though I'd like to have a good set of off-road tires for when those off-road situations come up, I'm really not off-road more than 20% of the time. Is that it? Physical conditioning and more off-road practice will help. But this is all just, "More Blather." More another time...
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