New post

800+ miles to home. 350 to berea Kentucky. Before I got deep into the Missouri ozarks the day before yesterday I had a couple traditional cornhusk wrapped tamales at a roadside stand with some great salsa. 
In a town that was part of a forty mile detour from my mapped route due to bridge damage sustained in this years flooding. The ozarks are crazy kind of like the weave of a cloth I would go up at a 7-9 % grade for an 1/8 or 1/4 mile and then back down for the same distance then repeat. At the bottom of most descents was a sign reading impassible when flooded and a depth gauge marked on the sides of bridges. Luckily the water was down. I  chased a thunderstorm for a couple hours around and after dark finally catching it at the ozark national riverways park I spent the night at. It was a hot and muddy night but I found some fire wood anyway and had a fire and cooked dinner. The dinner roused the parks native in habitants a pack of 5 raccoons and I had a battle royale to keep them from my food while cooking if I turned my back they would be on the picnic table in a flash.  

In the morning I walked to the river branch by my camp site waded out into the current and sat in the water in a pool of sun for a couple hours. It was a good experience and much more comfortable than the moped seat has become. I broke camp and headed toward Jonson shut ins state park over more of these short hills and rice crossings the park is a mustsee one of the last southern glacier glades and a nice campground and visitors center built with stimulus funds. 
After finally hitting flatlands again at an old mining town I decided to head off route angling north to st Louis. To stay with a friend from college. What should have been a two hour ride stretched to four and a half repairing two flats from driving on the shoulder of a busy fourlane. St Louis wAs good had a nice bed an a home cooked meal. The next day Seth and I ride around and looked at urban decay. Exploring a turn if the century burned out apartment complex. My professors always said that a building was at it's best with it's bones laid bare and this one was no different. In the way back I got some st Louis style ribs and stopped by Burroughs grave. The monument to a man who did everything in his power to disappoint and abandon his family and responsibilities only to be brought home in death trapped with them for eternity. That reads as poorly as I sounded in my head. I changed out the transmission fluid before I left replacing 10w30 that I had mistakingly topped off with hd30 the day before. The tranny had sounded like it was dying when I pulled into st Louis. I used type f transmission fluid this time and was pleasantly surprised that the bucking I had noticed pulling away in first gear was gone the shift to second no longer required me letting off the throttle. A huge improvement. My new worry is a rear tire showing excessive wear and maybe a wheel bearing that is beginning to protest. After experiencing a high speed blow out the night before I figure that I can deal with those when they completely Fail.

I crossed the Mississippi and heade I to Illinois and ended up at devils kitchen lake campground after eating some egg battered chile relleños  in a college town just north of there. I awoke to find I'd camped on an isthmus and had lake on bithsides of me. A cool breeze helped to fight what had been 101 degree heat the day before. Kentucky here I come
Brett Price

Hutchinson ks to Pittsburg ks

Flat and hot. The rude into Hutchinson home of the state fair and a large collection of space memorabilia was interesting. It smelled like the family lands up in west Virginia leaking natural gas wells and fresh cut grass. Although I couldn't see it I was traveling through low marsh lands past oil dericks. I got into hurchnson after midnight. Left early and rode along flat lands all day. The most interesting thing was trying to follow the directions for the transamerica bikecentenial route. This was my first day with actual turns. I had had a sneaking suspicion since California but Kansas has confirmed that everytown with a population higher than 900 people has a sonic in it. These are often right next to the husks of local dairy bars. I m a little offended that west point lacks one since it has a population close to 3 thousand.
I very nearly made it out of Kansas lastnight but stayed instead in pittsburg ks 30 miles from Joplin mo. This was a nice college town with a tuen if the century cinema showing new releases and a few 1920 s hotels one had an old cafe in it where I had a beef brisket breakfast with homemade applesauce. My reason for staying in Pittsburg was a need to find a motorcycle shop who could take a link out of my chain. With that done I also topped if my transmission finding a missing bolt in the case. I'll need to replace that before long although there are no leaks in the seal near it. My oil injection pump is also weeping oil. I m not sure why but at the same time it doesn't concern me. On ward towards st Louis.

Mountain goats and other animals

Yesterday leaving salidas in the canyons I saw 6 mountain goats grazing at the roadside. I stopped to watch and photograph them and once they noticed me I felt kind of exposed. Where I had been passing chipmunk, prarie dog, and squirrels leaving Colorado these were replaced by rabbit and doves along the roadside shouldEr. The flat lands of Colorado grass land gave over to the flatlands of Kansas. The only difference was an increase in the awareness of the bikecentenial route with rest stops and camping areas. However upon crossing the line the number of feed lots I passed was amazing they assaulted my nose fiercely often for miles. In ness city I passed the offices of feedlot magazine. I kid you not.
I passed four cyclist going the other direction. They seemed in good spirits.
The bikes been running well although the chain has stretched past where the adjusters can keep it tight. I need to find a shop that can remove a link on Monday. I stopped at a roadside beer joint which my map indicated as the last restaurant for three hours. And got the $8 dollar 16 oz t bone a heck of a steak dinner for the price. But I had to pass on the mountain oysters they also had on the menu. Maybe next time.

Salida to eads

Out of Salida to canon city I rode through the royal gorge area with public and private campgrounds every 2 miles. Tons of people were out using the river. Salida was having a custom car show and motorcycle rally this weekend and I passed a large number of both. In canon city I picked up the bikecentenial trail. After passing through pueblo the land flattened and the road ran straight. For hours I wouldn't see a car or cross road but I watched a storm off in the distance at eads I stopped and hot a hotel as the rain began. My map had said no services for 58 miles pad eades so it seemed like a good idea. I had topped off my oil tank in cañon city somewhere along the way the cap came off I ended up coating a couple of items in two stroke oil I spent two hours trying too clean things up last night I don't think I did much excePt coat my arms and hands in the stuff. I won't leave that cap loose again. It's 412 miles to where I want to stop tonight I hoPe I can make it even though my longest day has been 312 miles

Earthship world headquarters to Salida CO

I grabbed breakfast at Doc Martins restaurant in Taos. For 6 $ I ordered an eggs Benedict of sweet potato biscuits poached eggs chorizo and covered in a green chili sauce. The restaurant was almost as impressive as the meal the structure dated to the late 1800s built in the adobe style with hundred some yEar old timbers throughout.

I then headed to the earthship world headquarters to tour a few earthships and discuss interning for a build out or two this winter. The whole experience was great sustainable design built with recycled materials. I got to see the remains of the architects original homestead from the 1970s. I returned to my crash site and found the remand of my mirror glass. At tres piedras I turned on 285 and into an arrow straight drive into a 25 mph headwind. I crossed the border into Colorado and contemplated stopping for the night it was 640. 86 more miles would put me into the Rockies I had just begun to see. I decided to push on. 15 minutes later I arrived at the end of civilization and entered the great sand dune within a volcanic valley between to mountain ranges. I traveled here on about a three percent grade arrow straight against a strong headwind and ran out of gas sometime after dark 22 miles from the next gas station halfway up a steep mountain pass. I had neglected to fill my spare tank and couldn't fill the tank past the 15 mile reserve mark. Luckily once I mounted the summit I could coast the 9 miles into the valley at the otherside. I put a full gallon in the tank there and spent the night in Salida. After attaining an elevation of 9000+ feet. In the morning I did laundry at a laundromat and got to watch 2 fauns bounding around the parking lot I hadn't seen deer that tame in a while. I ate lunch at a tamale stand voted best green chile in Colorado two years running.

Farmington to Carlton National Park a wreck and then Taos

Left Farmington around noon after picking up a quart of two stroke oil and some pj1 chain lube. I had spent the morning looking for something to pad the seat with no luck. I forgot to get breakfast so I figured I'd get lunch on the road. I headed out Of town over the animas river. Into a land of oil and gas wells through low mountain desert.
This whole section was full of prarie dogs ground squirels chipmunks and mice. I watched as they spooked on the side if the road as I passed. Something i no doubt would have missed at higher speeds.
I pulled into a small valley with a gas station the first I d seen in three hours. There was no food store in town so I bought a piece of beef jerky. There was a food cart in town but the owner was asleep and I decided not to wake him. Here i talked to a few people who help keep kids off the streets by teaching them how to repair and ride little pit bikes. I always thought that giving kids the opportunity to have fun learning a skill can make a positive change apparently others do too.
I only had 80 miles to Taos. Then I hit a green mountain. First off there was roadwork for 20 miles with traffic stopped for almost an hour. Which gave ms time to talk to some of the others waiting. Then the path steepened i spent the next three hours climbing switch backs in 1st gear at 10mph. Atleast the scenery was epic. A rain storm caught me halfway up but at the top I found a lakeside national park campground and clear skies i decided to stop and ride into Taos in the morning. At that altitude the temps were inthe low 40s. After a cup of rice I went to sleep. Overnight the clouds must have raised and a small rainhad fallen. In the morning I was packed to ride the 59 miles to taos at 7 only to realize I had a flat rear tire. I installed my repaired tube from the day before and it went flat before i arrived on the road. After replacing that tube I set off. It was a downhill ride past ranches. Into tres piedras a new ghost town with shuttered gas stations and convenience stores.
I had come to Taos to sees an architect I admire and his earthship homes. A few miles outside trespiedras I saw a subdivision of these homes he has started. I was so engrossed by the site that I rode off the road into a sand dune. The bike seemed fine and my luggage was fine if dusty. Needless to say I did this directly in front of his office I rode on a few miles meaning to find a place to death and shower before returning to talk. Within five miles I realized I had bent the swingarm on the bike in the crash. The tire was now fouling the frame and the chain would not stat tight. So I spent 4 hours disassemblng everything from the engine back at a turnout next to the rio grande canyon. I now know more about how the bike is put together. I found I could bend the swingarm back into allignment. This troubles me as much as the fact it bent in the first place.
With the bike As good a s new I rode into Taos and ate a hamburger my first real meal in 36 hours. Taos has a vast number of pueblo style homes after unloading the bike inrode around town and out into the suburbs after sunset i bought some camping food at a convenience store and went to sleep. a long day for only making 59'miles

Product reviews

I bought a cheap full face helmet made by vega. This has been a great investment it's quite light has decent vents and the face shield has held up well although I look like a dork riding a moped with a full on motorcycle helmet. A bug in the eye would be way worse than that.

I had a pair of Joe rocket textile gloves which I lost yesterday and good riddance they were a huge disappointment. The faux suede of the fingers had rubbed through on 7 of 10 fingers by day 4. I had not abused these gloves and it makes me doubt they would offer much protection in the event of a crash. That said the palms were reinforced with a mesh so maybe that would have helped. Riding without gloves yesterday was fine.

I also bought a mesh jacket with padded back and elbow support. This jacket has been great it fits well and kept me cool in the dessert. I couldn t feel any heat difference with or without it on. The jacket is made by agvsport.

I have been listening to music on a scandisk Sansa fuse. I hate the interface but can't fault the player itself. Adam who I stayed with in San Diego works for Nixon in their headphone department. He has let me sample their earbuds and the fit and sound of these have been impressive. They are by far the best headphones I ve used.

My iPhone has definitely paid for itself being a computer gps and camera all inone. The yelp app has helped me find good restaurants in every town I ve been to. Photobucket has let me upload my photos of the trip to the Internet. I ll try to ntrgrate photos at a later date to this blog.