Home!

Turns out, that we were not very far from home. We took it easy getting back and made it home before 5! I even had time to run in and get a shower before Mr. Norm got in!

I was told that my posts sounded as if I were disappointed in the trip. I was, both Jose and I were. However, while I cannot speak for Jose; I will tell you that for the first week or so, it was a trip that was beyond my wildest dreams! Would I ride in the Mojave again? No, would I figure out how to get through California without taking any major (or minor) highways - yes! Would I have done the entire trip differently? Absolutely! Would I trade riding across country with my best friend - NEVER!

We have seen parts of the country that neither of us have while on a bike. Some may say that we failed, but I disagree. Two women, one 64 and the other 50, traveled across the country on our own. One could say that the wheels feel off on the return leg. Even then, we were still able to see things that had we been on the bikes, we would not.

We rode in rain, through snow (though not on the road), through dust storms and through sickness. Through all of this, one thing stood strong; the friendship between two women. That was never in doubt.
I will write more, like when we were on this small, dusty road in Wyoming and I was humming the theme to Deliverance, because we had NO idea where we were and if we would get off the mountain!

Today is clean up day and a time to reflect on what we have done. I want to go through the pictures and add some to the blog as well as some other thoughts.

Our primary goal was to bring attention to Gray Lady Riders and the purpose of find the child and children that will break the pencil in half and for those that are willing to help find or support them. In that, I feel that this has been a start. It will be up to those that have been following to continue the dream!

We were glad to get home. Shaun was not as happy as the rest of us.... He did not want to leave the trunk of the silver horse, but of course, but I made him!

Jose, loved the silver horse - he got her home!

If not Colorado, does Iowa and Kentucky count?

We are trying to get home. Jose had wanted to go through Colorado, but we could not do it. We spend the night in Kansas City, where we had some pretty decent barbeque. Planned on being almost home, but the highway we needed to take was closed in St Louis. Jose is still shaky in the head department, so I could not figure out how to get to an alternative. We are now on our way to Memphis and will be trying to find a quicker way home that way. The traffic, plus having to keep up with everything was a bit too overwhelming.

One good thing, we gave away lots of pencils last night. Hopefully, one will find the right child.

Where the deer and the antelope (plus wild horses) play

Today was great. I stayed off of the bike all day long, but we used Jose's new ride (the silver horse) and went roaming. Our morning began right behind the hotel. There is a canyon that is full of wild horses! We stayed at a hotel behind Wild Horse Mountain. We saw lots of them! I was amazed as we had seen a few from a distance in New Mexico, but nothing like this! They were everywhere! If you look closely, you may be able to see the snow covered mountains in the background. Then we went to Flaming Gorge Recreational Area. We saw some incredible rock structures, including a petrified tree. Our hope was to see big horn sheep, elk or moose. We did not see that, but we were able to see tons of deer and antelope. One particular time we had stopped to see the antelope. One crawled over through the fence (yes, through) and then headed straight for me. Rather than stop, I continued to click the camera. It was amazing. While this trip has been full of surprises (both good and bad), had Jose not gotten ill, we would have never seen the things we did today. God works in amazing ways!

Wyoming!

When we got up yesterday morning, a family of woodchucks (or ground hogs..) I got some good pictures, but the silly camera kept on focusing on the rocks!

We traded out cars in Salt Lake City. It is ironic that we got another silver car... Kind of keeps with the Gray Lady Rider theme! We made it to Wyoming. I am now glad to know we are not going to Yellowstone. I had my heated gear on all day. When we were first coming into Wyoming, I was thinking that most of the white stuff we were seeing was still salt.. Nooooo, it was snow! We are now at a place called Green River. The rock formations are unbelievable. We got to see more antelope today and are staying at a hotel where wild horses play in the back. We looked for some today, but it was too late. We did see the evidence of horses all along the trail (lots of poop..) Yesterday was a tough day for Jose, she did not do well. We are still at 6000 feet or so. If she is better today, we may stay one more day to explore the area. If not, we head for lower ground. If that happens, we hope to be home no later than Sunday. Lets hope that she gets better!

Utah!

Yesterday we made it to Utah. Jose is still suffering from altitude sickness, but yesterday was a pretty good day. We went to the Bonneville salt flats and saw more beautiful scenery. She also got to meet old friends and we all had a great time! (she is sleeping now, so I will update with all the names later...)

It was an easy day for her, but the wind was wickedly bad again. My arms were sore by the time I got off!

Altitude and attitude

Well, the good news is that Jose’s heart is great. However, her ability to handle this altitude is not. Evidently, she is suffering from altitude sickness. So her friends Kristy and Chuck Jensen from Salt Lake City came down last night to be here when she got her stress test. If good, they would bring the bike back with them. If bad, they would be bringing all of my stuff save a few changes of clothes, her bike and Jose. They just took the bike. So today, we continue the journey, just a bit modified. We are renting a car and bringing it back to Huntsville. I will continue to ride, but primarily because it is cost prohibitive to ship/transport my bike in addition to renting a car. I am amazed at the cost (and difficulty) in finding a company that will let us rent a car one way. If you ever have to do it, get your wallet ready!
Jose has finally realized that she can no longer ride the bike. Not because of any other reason, than she is simply not safe. She is suffering from a lack of oxygen which is somewhat like riding with the flu. More about that later. But suffice it to say, that despite the fact that it killed her to watch her bike be ridden away, she is happier about finishing the journey in what method is required.
Today we went to Humboldt National Forest where we once again saw amazing landscapes. We saw incredible amounts of snow and even a snowmobiler. Tomorrow, we head for Salt Lake City then off to continue the journey to find children that will break the pencil.

It could have been better........ or worse..... (again)

Well... How do I start. Yesterday was not good day. Jose woke up in the morning and could not breathe. She said that she could not take her bags downstairs. I was afraid that she was having a heart attack. My first call was to Norm, where he said, go ahead and talk with the hotel. That is when the fun started... Within 5 minutes we had 4 EMT's, the entire sheriffs department and if there had been enough parking, a state trooper in the hotel room. So off she went to the clinic. In Eureka, where we were staying, there is not hospital. If there is a medical emergency, they call the PA and he meets the ambulance at the clinic. I with a nice sheriff (the first time I have ever ridden in the back of a police vehicle (I swear!). After about an hour or so of evaluation, they decided to ship Jose off to the nearest hospital - Elko 120 miles away. Eureka was an amazing helpful town. The hotel we were staying at, let us dump all of our stuff in a closet so that we would not have to pay the extra night. I rode up to Elko to stay with Jose. She was still in the ER when I got there. At that time, she was still in denial thinking that I had overreacted. Mad is probably an understatement for her thoughts. (Glad that she was not in a cage behind me while I was on a bike ;-) )
We met with the cardiologist where he said that he wanted to keep her overnight – and they did. Now, she is getting to take a stress test tomorrow. If good, she cages home with me and the adventure continues. If not, she flies home and I iron butt the trip back home on Baby. We will keep posted. Say lots of prayers.
I did want to expound on Eureka. We had several people offer to ride/trailer/bring Jose’s bike and our stuff up to Elko. The hotel clerk Ula Garrison, offered to have her husband ride the bike up if we needed. In addition, the ambulance driver also offered to ride Jose’s bike up. We opted for the ambulance driver Joyce Jeppson. Primarily, because she was a woman and well, it just seemed fitting. Jerry and Joyce (along with their applehead chiwawa Maggie) brought everything - her bike and all of my stuff as well (about 300lb of pack in total) We cannot express our gratitude to the city of Eureka. I believe that had we been anywhere else, Jose would not be taken care of as well as she was. God once again was looking out for us!

Top Gun and Antelopes...

Today was my best day…. We got to see things that I would have never even imagined. We rode a US blue road called 50. It is known as the loneliest highway. It is also known as Lincoln highway and crosses the pony express route several times. We are still in Nevada, but, are far from lamenting over it. Today we go to really ride. No destination, no place to be, just enjoy the road. Nevada has got to be one of the most beautiful states in the nation. There are stretches of road, where we never met an another car. Some would call it desolate, I call it beautiful. We saw mountains covered with snow, salt flats and tumbleweeds, and the most varied of topography that one could imagine. My camera could not encompass the views that we were seeing. The fact that there were few places to stop easily on a bike, contributed to this. We saw the infamous shoe tree, and then, while taking a picture of the scenery, a F-18 flew into my viewfinder. We were at the training grounds for Top Gun. We got to see some of the bravest men fly exercises using live bombs. We stopped a young marine (and fortunately for me – I can’t tell you his rank – never really taught that..) But he told us what to look for and what they were doing. The enemy was on the other side of the mountain and their task was to drive them back. The enemy was firing howitzers (size unkown) and the pilots response was to drop chaff and then bomb the enemy. We stayed there so long that we ended up running out of daylight and had to stop in the town of Eureka. In addition to these amazing pilots, we also got to see some wildlife, in the form of pronghorn antelope. I told Jose, that this, is my route 66. If you ever get a chance to ride this part of the country, the only way to go is via US 50. Tried to post pictures, but the battery is dead. Will do so tomorrow. Gave some pencils away. Hopefully, those that are following, will start sending or showing a desire to give backpacks and school supplies!

Interesting day...

Today was a fix the bike day... We decided to stay here in Carson City because there was both a Harley dealer as well as a Yamaha dealer. I got a filter cleaning kit from them, and Jose got a light bulb from Harley. We went to see Lake Tahoe. It was pretty, but again, too many cars!!!! The view was spectacular. I took a picture of a couple that wanted to have their picture taken. I am hoping that they will be able to help us get backpacks. At the hotel,I met an incredible woman. She helped us to stay a day longer. I have her name, but not with me at this minute. I am hoping that both the couple and this wonderful woman, will read our blog and know what they need to do.

One of the funnier moments was when we went to the Yamaha place a second time to get a screw to fix my headlight. Jose, got tired of waiting and went to her bike. She fell dead asleep sitting on the bike. It was pretty cool when I hit her and she jumped. Fortunately, she stayed on the bike. Kind of sad in a weird sort of way. I never knew that you could actually sleep on a bike!

The only fly in the ointment was a bike prejudiced general manager that would not let us park our bikes under the alcove. She was pretty rude about it. I got into a rather heated argument, but gave up. Such is life...

Nevada!!!

We are finally out of California. It is a beautiful state, but very agressive drivers. Jose thinks that the bottom part of California is not very nice. But she is thinking of the Mojave desert and the winds.... We finally got fed up with the traffic and decided to take another route. We rode a state highway 88 East to Nevada. It took us through more of the fruit, wine and orange country. Since Jose does not drink wine and I was on a bike, it was not worth the time to take to see a vineyard. We like the views instead. We started going into mountainous areas. We started through a series of national forests, the first one being Eldorado. To me, it was God’s way of somehow making up for the fact that we did not go to Yosemite. The roads were easy but curvy. Not the trying drop off the face of the earth type of roads, but scenic and wide. Most of the properties were closed until the summer season. I now understand the words “boarded up for the winter.” We actually saw buildings that had the windows boarded up. We saw far more snow than we anticipated. It started getting colder and the altitude higher. We finally reached the apex at slightly higher than 8500 feet. Yes, the air is thin there. Baby does not like it at all. She coughs terribly. This would not have been as much an issue except we kept seeing signs warning of avalanches. Having a loud motorcycle backfiring constantly is a bit disconcerting at that point. Fortunately, we were going downhill and I was able to hold in the clutch and simply coast. But yes, there was sufficient snow above us to still be concerned. They issue permits in that area for snowmobiles until the 30th of May. We took several pictures, including one of a frozen lake. There were several more pictures that we could have taken, but the sun was setting and we did not want to be on the mountain at dark. Plus, it was freezing. We almost went Lake Tahoe, but did not want to continue north. We stopped tonight in Carson City. Tomorrow will be an easy day. I want to get a clean out kit for my air filter (and if James is following this – kind of scary, but I have actually figured out how to clean the K&N filter…. Shampoo works for a while, but we really need a degreaser.) Jose needs a bulb and we need to get a few supplies from Wally world. So, we are going to ride just to Elko, which will put us back on the original map. Still looking to find the time to upload the pictures, but have not been able to do so.

General Sherman and others

Today we went to Sequoia National Park. It was incredible! The views were amazing and as varied as one can imagine. We saw rivers, waterfalls, desert flowers and giant redwoods. The most notable was called General Sherman. He is the largest (in cubic feet) of any tree in the world. I have seen them before, but not on a motorcycle. The ride up was unbelievable. We rode once again through the orange blossoms and fruit stands of California. We even got to see olive trees. On our way up, we saw lake and took pictures. There was a hawk that was flying around, as if it beckon us to follow him. I tried to take his picture, but he went away. When we left, he flew past us again. The irony is that when we were returning from the park, he once again, flew by as if to welcome back to the area.
The ride to the park was remarkable. If those that know me could see the road that we rode on, they would think I was lying. (I took pictures to prove it otherwise...) You see, I don't like curvy roads. But the road we took was beyond curvy. The Tail of the Dragon is more like a mouse when compared to this road. Suffice it to say, we did not count the number of switchbacks and the there were miles of curvy roads. But one lesson was learned. Jose can't do roads where there are several hundred (possibly thousand) feet drop offs with no guardrail. We were to go to Yosemite tomorrow and she just can't do it. And this is where it is. Both of us have agreed that we will not do something that will jeopardize our lives. The only way she was able to manage today was to follow behind me and watch. The height was so great, that we were able to travel almost 40 miles in neutral (we have great gas mileage figures this time!) We stayed overnight in a hotel and left all of our gear at the hotel, which was fortunate, because that ride would have been impossible with the gear. While in the park we got to see a young deer that appeared to be unfazed by our presence. The best part, was that each time I clicked the camera, it would look up at us. So the pictures should be great.
On the way down, I had one interesting experience. I parked the bike on a significant slope. Significant enough that I was unable to lift the bike off of the kickstand. So, I walked the bike down the hill to a level area. Jose was yelling “You can’t do that”, and there were at least 4 people there to help. But, I was able to do it. Thanks to a demonstration by someone called Skirt on how to pick a bike up (from a fall) and then from lessons I learned from my BRC class on how to walk a bike. It was pretty impressive to see someone my size, walk a 800 pound bike down a steep incline, then get on and ride away. Of course we had to stop later on level ground so that I could stop shaking! But it was still one of the best days I have had so far.
I will be posting pictures once I figure out how to do multi-uploads. Right now, we are limited to just one picture.

The Wind is Gone

We ended up leaving late again. This is primarily because I can’t seem to get my act together. It takes an impossibly long time to get my bag up and set on the sissy bar. Quite simply, it is too short. We think that we have finally gotten a system together that will ensure that it no takes an hour to secure. I also think that it is because we (namely me) are just plain burnt out.
Today we got to see more of the Mojave desert. We tried to go to a wildlife viewing area, but unfortunately it was covered with sand and not a good place to go with fully loaded bikes. So we turned around only to realize that we did not have a full tank of gas. So back we went to Barstow. When we finally got going, it was nice, because it was overcast and not boiling hot, but the winds were once again unmerciful and even worse than before. Both Jose and I were literally sitting on the sides of our bikes willing them straight. We did this for about three hours more. Then, we went over the mountain and froze. But, they were incredible. Not the rocky waking giants that we saw in New Mexico or the striped, multicolored banded mountains of Arizona, not even the scruffy, scratchy mountains of the desert. These were smooth and almost looked to be covered in a fine suede felt. The wind was still hard and as an testament to their strength, the windmills were there. Not the graceful dancing women we first saw in Texas, but funny, boxy, windmills that looked almost childlike compared to their elegant cousins in the East.
Finally, there was a gradual change in both temperature and scenery. Desert no more!!!! Even better, the wind was gone. The skies opened up and it warmed. We were in Bakersfield and we were in the valley. Off in the distance you could see the patchwork of farms most likely used to support vegetables and fruits. This is just a guess, but one based on the type of trucks passing us on the roads. Once, we got lost, we were headed toward the wrong town. Thank you Norm! TomTom actually came to the rescue…. We turned down a road and were instantly hit with the magical smell of orange blossoms. Ironic that we could even smell at that point given how dry our noses were. Then, we alternated between orange trees and vineyards all the way down until we reached a little crossroads of sorts. We stopped for gas and it was amazing. This was a town of migrant workers. It reminded me of times long past within our own world. People were waving and greeting each other like long, lost friends. We even managed to give away a few pencils. One little boy was showing off the fact of how well he could read the pencil. I regret now, not telling him how good his reading was, but we were tired and trying to get to the hotel.
We have settled into the town of Visalia which is about 35 miles from the Sequoia National forest (for those that had bet we would not make it to the ocean – you may think you have won, but we would have not experienced the beauty of this area. It is we that have won.) We are now taking roads that are much less congested and slower, and not as filled with the 18-wheelers we have come to dispise. The only thing is that in California there is not much respect for motorcyclists. They will take part of the road from you and pull out in front of you and just simply be dangerous. Part of this may be due to a practice called “white lining” where a motorcyclist will ride between the cars in traffic. It is legal here, but something that neither Jose nor I can quite understand.
Tomorrow we are off to see the great giants.

California!!!

Today was the hardest day we have had so far. Since we hit New Mexico, we have been fighting incredible winds. They are unmerciful and unrelenting. I have come to the point (as has Jose) that we now hate I 40. We are tired of being run over by 18 wheelers and having to ride at very high rates of speed just to keep up. It is even harder, when the wind is blowing cross ways strong to blow across the lanes. There were have been several occasions where we have been litterally leaning into the wind just to keep the bikes up. Today, a truck blew his tire just as he was passing Jose. I looked behind and saw her suddenly slow down. At the same time, part of the tire were being thrown into my lane, it barely missed my head and remarkably, did not hurt the bikes or us. However, it was a sobering reminder of how dangerous what we are doing is.

The way in which the landscape changes is amazing. New Mexico was yellow, not like a crayon, but more like mustard. Then, when we hit Arizona, it was like she welcomed us with these amazing red mountains that served as gateways into the state. Then, when we left Arizona and entered the Mojove desert, we went from being relatively cool to instantly. Jose is actually drinking water rather than her standard Dr. Pepper. But just as it was hot, it was also very, very windy, we are blowing sand out of our noses and snorting saline like it was a drug. Our arms are tired due wrestling the bikes and our legs are tired just because we had to hold on so hard. Jose even lost her tank bag due to the wind, but fortunately was able to retrieve it without any big issues. We have decided that since we have reached California, we have done something remarkable. We have ridden 2400 miles in about 5 days (when you factor in the flat and the fact that we stayed an extra day in the Grand Canyon).

Now, it is time to play. We are not sure if we are going get to the ocean. There is so much more to see. Already we have seen wild horses running in New Mexico, more rain and storms than we thought, and some of the most unbelievable landscape that we could have ever envisioned. Our only lament is that we were always running too fast to fully enjoy it. This was necessary to stay up with traffic. Now we are looking at what to do next. Do we ride through the middle of the state and see all the parks, the Sequoias, the forests, and perhaps Yellowstone, or do we go all the way to the ocean. Neither of us have a taste for dealing with traffic and speed any more. We want to be able to ride and relax, yet know that we are going to be safe and find decent places to stay at night. Such is the issue of women traveling alone on motorcycles.

Tomorrow we will let you know.

Arizona!!

We got here last night. We celebrated Jose's birthday... (she won't let me put her age down...) Today we saw the Grand Canyon. It is late and we are tired. We will post tomorrow with the specifics of what has been the most incredible part of our trip. We were staying in Williams, the last town to be bypassed by I-40. When we got there, we decided to stay in a period hotel rather than a chain. What a great choice. We stayed at the Lodge, which has been restored to reflect the flavor of route 66. When we rode up, there were tons of older cars there including a Pontiac Bonneville station wag pulling an old airstream. The people were camping in it and there were many others around sitting in the patio area with fireplaces going and grilling food for the group. It was as if we had been transported back in time. It was incredible and very appropriate for Jose’s birthday. We celebrated her birthday by going to a few locations. We settled on a local restaurant where we had appetizers and I went down to the bar and pulled several biker back to sing happy birthday to Jose. I‘ve never seen her turn so red in my life. She could have lit up a room. It was great. Then, we came back to the room and collapsed from the ride. Then next day we woke early to catch the train to the Grand Canyon. This, in itself is an experience. We went ahead and took the first class section, because you could stand outside as well as go up into an observation deck. The trip lasted a couple of hours and we went through three types of tundra. Unfortunately, wildlife was shy, but it was amazing to be out at the end of the train and see the engine from the platform (at the rear of the train.) We had lots of entertainment, including a singer and very informative wait staff, they told where to eat and how to see the most of the canyon while we were there. We ate at a restaurant that overlooked the canyon. Bright Angel... something. We walked out of the restaurant and into the canyon area. There were several places to stop and look into the canyon. Jose, tended to hang back because she love heights so much. I was surprised that it did not bother me. While we were walking up, we saw a condor flying around. Jose said he was showing off. I took the camera and put it in sports mode and just held the shutter down. I managed to get some pretty decent shots. The only thing that was disappointing is that he flew over the same place I had been standing only 5 minutes ago! We also saw a big fat squirrel (much larger than the ones we have home) in a tree. It was nice to get him with the canyon in the background. We also saw another portion of the canyon and many different rock formations. It was as spectacular as both of had envisioned. Then we took the train back and got pictures of snow capped mountains and long dead volcanoes. We finally got back to the hotel room and went to the Cruisers 66 café., where they had a pretty decent live band, and as we were sitting outside listening to the music the mustang road tour came in. Jose got to see the newest 2010 mustang and had her picture taken with the car. It was all in all, a pretty cool stay. It was nice to be off the bikes for the day.

The silence is deafening

Somehow, I managed to delete this post. Probably a good thing, because I was in a bit of a foul mood when posting that day. Amazing how things turn out. I have updated the blog to provide instructions on how to comment on our trip. Keep looking for backpacks and school supplies. If you know of anyone or group that will break the pencil in half, let us know!