Dude...a 741-mile first day and still up for pitching a tent and sleeping on the ground?! Oh, to be a young guy again. Nice work.....nice bike, too. Did a 650 day last summer and at the end it was AC, hot shower, Tito's and tonic and a plush bed. Looking forward to hearing more about your ride.

 

That's what I was thinking too. Ride on!

 

So far, 1686 total miles, 541 today to get to Jackson, WY. Too tired to look for a campsite and wanted a shower. So I'm in a hotel tonight. Back to camping tomorrow.

I didn't have any cell reception last night at my camp about 10 miles or so south of Estes Park. I got in there too late and was tired. I was in Colorado Springs early yesterday, so I had to make another run up Pike's Peak, this time on my SGS. I think so many miles, altitude and the fact I screwed up and didn't stay as hydrated as I normally do, gave me cramps through out my legs last night. Luckily they didn't start until after I had pitched my camp. I was laying down trying to read and then it was cramp city off and on all night.

I don't expect to have to put in the amount of miles I have been doing each day for a bit until I'm heading home.

The green jump bag has my sleeping bag which is kind of huge. Its one of those, four piece modular military ones that is good to keep you alive a good deal below zero (Fahrenheit) and I wasn't sure what kind of temps I'd hit in these mountains in September. I slept in one of those for seven months in the the Balkan mountains, winter into Summer and I knew it was good to go, but man its big. I also have a Coleman air mattress that takes up some space. Almost bought a sleeping pad, but I'm a side sleeper and didn't trust that I wouldn't be touching the ground with those.

As for the bike's handling with the gear, does fine. It is not as heavy as it looks, just bulky. The heavier items are down in the saddle bags, and I must have it balanced pretty well, as I've ridden no hands a few times for good stretches and it keeps going straight. Though oddly enough I think my Wide Glide did better going up Pike's Peak, and that is strange with its rake, skinny tire and limited lean. I recorded my ride up, but haven't went through it yet. I remember making some rookie mistake but got away with it, don't really remember what, maybe front brake in a curve or something. What ever it was I realized it right away and corrected it.

The thing about that wrapped fender, I came out of some restaurant a couple weeks ago and my stocker looks like somebody had backed into it. Barely bent it down but it was bent. Nobody saw and there were no cameras, heck the person that hit it, may not have even known. Instead of turning it in to my insurance, I just bought the wrapped one. Though I do like the wrapped fender better, wish it had the same pin striping the stocker had, and I probably would have rather used that $$ for some of my stage one when I start that.


Going somewhere around Brenkenridge, I had a close call, I was equally at fault. Was following a slow car and waiting to pass them with a pick up behind me. Saw a passing zone coming up, put on indicator and when we got to the passing zone, I started to pass. Only problem was pickup truck behind me decided he was going to pass both of us before the slow car had even gotten to the passing zone. I damned near ran right into the side of that truck. Commuting on the interstate, I have it drilled into me to always turn my head to check before changing lanes and I didn't this time and it almost cost me.

Weather wise, its been mostly fine, a little cold in some places. Got rained on a bit yesterday. It was one where I could see it was clear in the direction I was going, and it wasn't quite a downpour, so I never stopped and put on my rain gear. Just rode it out and rode myself dry.

Think I offended a couple BMW riders today. I was somewhere in Wyoming, think I had just gotten off I80 and was sitting outside a McDonalds, having a sandwhich and lots of water. I saw the GS riders at the gas station next door, then they rode over and parked in front of me. Anyway I started up a convo with them and one asked me where I was from. I said St. Louis, and he replied that that was pretty far away. Now this guy to me at least had a strong German accent, coupled with being on a BMW, so I replied that it wasn't as far away as him, I assumed he was a German tourist. Well apparently not, and he didn't seem to friendly after that. No big deal, maybe they were tired too.

That's a bit for this one. I'll work on some pictures in a bit. I've had my GoPro on taking a picture every minute.

 

Night two campsite



This couple waved me up at the bottom of Pike's Peak. We chatted for as long as the light took to change. Notice no gloves on my hands, I've been up Pike's peak, I knew it gets cold up there yet I didn't put them on. Then when I got to the top and had been thinking, "I need to get my gloves on," I still forgot to when I left.


Going through the tunnel on I70. Actually wished it was longer... it was raining at the time.


Came down from the mountains and it opened up into this big basin. There was a kid there on a GSX. I pulled in beside him and we talked for a bit. He was from Pueblo, and said he would stop at that pull off just about every time he came through there.


This is either on the Peak to Peak Hwy, or not far away from it.


Now this white little Geo Metro in front of me on the Peak to Peak Hwy. This guy pulled out in front of me, he was kind of in the grey area of "I hope that car doesn't pull out, but I can't really fault him if he does, cause I am far enough away..." He does pull out, but then I think he realizes I'm behind him, and the bike was taking those big sweepers pretty good even loaded up, so he is taking those curves about as fast as I think an old Metro could. I very nearly saw a wreck when the back tires broke free for a bit a slid about a foot. Luckily he got it under control and eased up a bit but not before he caught up to a slower car in front us. I think he was happy he caught that slow car as even when it turned, he didn't go back to the fast pace he had been running. I eventually passed him this time. I didn't push my bike nearly as close to its capabilities as that guy was pushing that little car.

 

You really should have jumped off 70 and taken Loveland Pass instead of the tunnel. Great ride and really not that much more time.

 

Beartooth Pass is my new favorite road I've ridden on. More fun than the Dragon, Cherahola, and Pike's Peak and the others. I did it both ways, and I'm pretty sure I recorded it on my way back over. Am in Cody, WY now. Though I said I wasn't going to do a bunch of miles today, I suspect its over 400 but I don't think over 500. I haven't checked yet. Got into Cody at around 5:30 to 6, so just took a tent spot at the KOA. There was a free camp site I really wanted to go to, but the reviews said it was a steep, deeply rutted gravel road to get there. I didn't want to risk it on tired legs, as I've noticed the bike is much harder to get off the kickstand at the end of these long days. I'll do a better report with pics later. I'm trying to decide if I want to go into the main Yellowstone park tomorrow with Old Faithful, or start heading to Deadwood and the Badlands to get some riding in there and spending a few days there. I at least have a campground already scoped out in that area that should be easy to get to even if its down 10 miles of gravel.

Oh, and I guess these slow roads and going downhill so often have boosted the crap out of my mileage. I haven't gotten 200 miles on a tank since I got this bike, admittedly because I ride well above the speed limits. But I fueled up in Estes Park, and was at 225 miles when I got gas somewhere on I80, reserve said I had about 20 miles to go. I was able to get a crap load to a tank today too. I'm about 250 lbs and the bike is loaded and still getting better mileage than I do back in STL with the bike empty. Oh and I found that my Cruise control doesn't think I should be cruising above 90mph, its like, nope why not set me at 89.

 

My bike normally gets around 32mpg here at home thanks to my Power Vision. In Colorado I was getting over 50!!!!

 

Must be elevation, my bike's mileage is much better there also.

 

I've noticed better mileage out west too! 50+

 

Always wondered if the better MPG's many report in the West is really due to a higher percentage of 2-lane riding compared to the riders' home area.