WELCOME to Between The Lines

This is my chronicle of my occasional travels about the country. I started it in 2010 for my trip on my 2005 Harley Road King Classic for Big Daddy's Gulf Coast Gypsy Tour to New Orleans...Read below to find out about it! NEW REQUEST FOR READERS! If you are following this blog, sign in as a follower! That way I get to know who my audience is, which makes it more fun. Thanks!

In 2011 its the same destination, and its another Big Daddy Gypsy Tour, but on a different bike (my new Road Glide Ultra) and via a different route. This year is going to be in preparation for a 'Travels with Charlie' trip sometime in the future --so its camping along the way, and reporting as I have energy and internet connections.

Periodic posts will appear below, latest first. The
"Pages" down at the bottom have some information of more general applicability or interest. Enjoy! HippieDave

Monday, June 9, 2014

OK folks, here goes.  Circumstances, explained below (so you'll have to read all the way) have me holed up in a run down motel in southwestern Kansas.  But it leaves me with some time to get caught up.  As the blog will put this all under today's date, I will list the days so far chronologically.

Day 1 I leave South Lake Tahoe, headed east.

Most of Nevada is in what is called the Great Basin.  This is part of the Basin and Range area, which extends from central Utah to the Sierra's on the west, and from southern Idaho to Mexico to the south. The defining feature of this area is that no surface water exits.  Exceptby evaporation of course, wotch occurs in spades.  One would think that this feature would create a big lake, but other features...notably exceedingly hot temps, result in this area being a high desert instead.

And I say High.  I left Lake Tahoe at 6200 feet, and for the next several days meandered from a low of 4500 feet to a high of 7400 feet in central Utah, with most of it probably around the 6500 foot level.  This is high desert!

So, that is what is interesting about it.  Unless you like lots of sagebrush and alkalai plain...then you have a lot to feed on.  But, personally, once I've seen a tunbling tumbleweed, I've seen 'em all.  I saw lots.  Fortunately, it wasn't too hot--mid 80's.  I was thankful.

Day 2:  I leave Ely Nevada, intending to make it to Gunnison Colorado.

I don't.  I camp out in Ely, leave early.  beautiful mornin!
I have dedided at tnt to follow U.S. 50 as far as Kansas City, and then perhaps pick it up on the east coast on the way back, so as to completely navigate the Lincoln Highway.

Started in 1913, the Lincoln Highway--nowU.S. 50--was the country's first coast to coast highway.  It began at the time in New York, and went to Sacramento.  It still ends in Sacramento, but now terminates at the other end in Ocean Beach Maryland.  There are signs at either end saying "Ocean Beach/Sacramento 3500 miles" etc.

It is a LOT slower than today's interstate however, and I slog along through Utah and into Colorado, and run out of steam in Montrose CO.  I AM POOPED! so I motel it.  Camping for sure tomorrow though, as all I have to do is make it across the Rockies and into flat as a pancake, easy as pie Kansas.  See below.

Day 3:  Montrose to????
I leave Montrose to sunny skies and head for Monarch Pass, the highway 50 route over the western range of the Rockies.  All goes swimmingly...or, rather, dryly.  However, looming thunder clouds seem to be following me, so I keep the throttle open and scoot eastward.  As I approach the eastern range of the rockies in the mid afternoon, however, the thunder heads catch up and there is as ugly a sky as I can ever imagine!  Bravely, I soldier on towards the 12,000 foot pass. Ooops! Lightning!  I can tolerate all kinds of weather, but lightning is not among them. I spin around, determined to find the nearest road going south,thence to pick up something going east.  While I quickly find the southern route, the eastern one is more elusive.  All routes east actually go northeast, into the same system I am running from.  The afternoon turns into a hunt and seek, with the storm system relentlessly pursuing me south.  But I prevail. Blue skies at last!!! I am in Santa Fe New Mexico!

I go east around the southern end of the Rocky Mountains and  north towards Kansas, determined to hole up in the first motel I see.  150 miles later in freezing cold, I encounter the same storm system i have been running from all day..but at least we are now b oth on the eastern side of the Rockies.  All it is is cold and wet;  all I am is freezing and wet.  But not fried.  I consider it a victory, and twelve long hours in the saddle later, pull into a motel in Raton New Mexico, poised for Day 4's thrust into the heart of America...Kansas!

Day 4: Shit Toto! I think we're in Kansas again!

Up to breakfast at 6 at the 'free' best western breakfast...this one consisting of granola and english muffins.  I feel virtuous.  The only thing good about it is that it is quickly over with and I am on the road.  For about a mile.  There is a tornado watch on, and though none are visible it is extremely windy and very cold.  I don a sweater, and move on.  then stop for another sweater.  Then stop again for a rain jacket/wind protector for under the jacket.  I am wearing every piece of cold weather gear I have short of stripping down and putting on my longjohns -- which I consider.

But it is not the cold that is bad.  Cold is bearable because I plan for it.  As is rain, sleet and anything short of snow.  But the wind!!! I have motorcycled across Wyoming and thought I had experienced the worst.  HA!  I had not experienced Kansas/Oklahoma in June!  For four hours I fight forty mph cross winds, stopping every 80 miles or so to catch my breath, fuel and hydrate.  I am making good time, but the system is getting worse.  Outside of Liberal Kansas the wind gets so bad that it is flicking around a 1000 pound combo  of Harley and rider like a leaf, and I am barely able to maintain control.  It is time to go to plan B, which hasn't existed 'til now.  Plan B is to return to Liberal and hole up in a motel 'til tomorrow.  That's the circumstance that permits me to update the blog.  It is still gusting in the range of 45 to 60 mph outside with rain now joining in on the fun.  so I am happy I'm inside.  Adventure is all well and good, but....
I have had to cancel my reunion in Topeka for this evening with my old folk trio from high school, which is a shame.  But maybe we'll hook up with one another my return trip.  Tomorrow my plan is to high tail it to Kansas City to catch up with my schedule.  More later good friends, I am yrs. trly.....


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