Hmm, it's Monday, my day off, it's mid-November and it's dry and relatively warm. What to do? How about a 1,000-miler? Actually, 1,031 miles, out and back from one side of South Dakota to the far northeast corner and then back again, in 16 hours and 59 minutes. I'm submitting this ride to the Iron Butt Association (IBA) for …
November ride to and through Badlands National Park
Went for a ride to and through Badlands National Park today, 268 miles. It's been one month since my big trip ended, and I have to admit that I've been missing those long, long days on the road. …
Black Hills BDR-X, part 2
As if I haven't ridden enough lately, Aaron Sachau called me yesterday and said we should go ride the second half of the Black Hills BDR-X, picking up the trail where I left off back in July. So we did. 230 miles today, from Spearfish down to the wildlife loop in Custer State Park, and then back to Spearfish following the …
Day 22, Fort Collins, Colorado to Spearfish, South Dakota – 402 miles
22 days, 6,000-ish miles, and I'm home again. Not too many photos today, as I was riding like a horse headed for the barn. 🙂 Temperatures were in the high 40s to low 50s. Strong winds out of the north through Wyoming, Nebraska, and into South Dakota, made for challenging cross- and headwinds. I lost around ten …
Day 21, Ouray, Colorado to Fort Collins, Colorado – 470 miles
I learned from Andrew, the college student in the campsite next to mine, that Ouray is pronounced "YER-ay." He's a college student from Iowa going to school in Gunnison, and he works on a SAR (Search and Rescue) team. He's in Ouray all week taking a Technical Rope Rescue course. My plan for today was to ride the Million …
Day 20, Green River, Utah to Ouray, Colorado – 281 miles
I hadn't planned on it, but I visited Dead Horse Point State Park today on a recommendation from my friend Daryl Peters, and the park was pretty good. Canyonlands National Park was okay, but too many people. I talked with Rick, a biker from Oregon, for a while about where we've ridden and what's next. I also learned …
Day 19, Kanab, Utah to Green River, Utah – 337 miles
Warning: this post has over 100 photos in it, due to the high volume of incredible scenery on today's ride. I debated riding through Zion National Park right up until I was past the turn-off to the park. It's a good thing I passed it up, because I made it to my campsite in Green River just as the sun was setting. We need …
Day 18, Flagstaff, Arizona to Kanab, Utah – 305 miles
I like Flagstaff, but man, that campground was noisy. Lots of traffic on the road next to it, and the wind! Oh well. As I was packing up this morning I had a message on my phone from Mike Snively. He and Judy had just arrived in Flagstaff the same day as me, but in a different campground. We know the Snivelys from our …
Day 17, Fresno, California to Flagstaff, Arizona – 614 miles
Having to pack and unpack some, most, or all of my gear each day means I've had plenty of practice. Some days when I'm riding I'm mentally going over the load and trying to figure out how to arrange it better and more compactly. It's one part art and one part science, and today I think I finally arrived at an arrangement …
Day 16, Lake Tahoe, California to Fresno, California – 279 miles
Tough riding today, and plans changed. Temperatures ranged from 36 to 73, with wind, rain, snow, fog, and finally sun. My trip meter tells me I've ridden 3,807 miles so far on this expedition, and you know, it kind of feels like it. It was 41 degrees when I left the Lake Tahoe area today. The rain held off during the …