Day 2 - Lucky S.O.B.

Oh, my goodness, what a day. I slept as long as I could this morning, still confused about what local time is where ever I am. I ate breakfast a 'Mom's' and shipped 20 pounds of stuff home courtesy of the US Postal Service. That is the best $21 dollars spent today. Less to pack, unpack, bungee and weigh the bike down.

I got immediately on Route 50, which happened to be Main Street, which is where the post office was. I'd be on 50 for quite a while again. Yesterday's adventure was on 70/50 out of Moab, Utah. Today out of Salina 70 and 50 split and I'll be on 50 (which joins up with 6 in Delta. Delta is 88 miles from the border 'town' in Nevada that has gas ~and a casino~)

all the way to Great Basin in Nevada. I looked at gas can at one of my stops after yesterday's nonsense, but didn't know if it would be safe to carry a gallon or 2 of gas on the back of the bike in the heat. I decided not to get it. (oops.)




It went pretty well. Well, except for the vicious numbness of my posterior. I got to Great Basin National Park and was facing some nasty weather at the mountains I needed to pass through to get to Nevada.









I went from the Great Basin visitor center to the Lehman Caves visitor center about 6 miles away and watched one of their films about the caves. Very interesting. As I packed up the bike and looked at the sky it started to rain, so I finished strapping plastic down over my bags and went back in to the cafe/gift shop to wait it out. I met some lovely folks there: a group from Utah, 6 of whom ride Harleys and 2 of whom don't ride, hence the van they were traveling in. As I was talking to them I saw two bikes pull up and I got to meet

Sunshine and her Dad, Joey, I believe he said. We ate and chatted about riding and climbing and such and had a great time. The rain never came, but I was glad the threat had kept me there. Sunshine is an amazing young woman, traveling by bike with her dad for her graduation trip. They were quite a pair and I wish I could have spent some more time with them.

While the rain didn't get *me* wet, it as obvious from the roads I was on that something hard had come through and I was again glad for the break at Lehman.



For most of the day I went unnoticed by the sky. People had commented about Kansas being 'miles and miles of miles and miles', which was true. I'm not sure why no one said the same about Utah. And Nevada for that matter. Where Kansas is miles of nothing but green and more green, Utah and Nevada lacked the chlorophyl that at least gave signs of life to the midwest. I was compelled to buy a pin at the Nevada border that said "I survived 50. The world's loneliest road." I saw exactly 6 living creatures that weren't behind a wheel and I didn't see many of those, either. I did eventually pass through some rain, but clearly missed the worst of it.

From Delta, Utah to Tonopah, Nevada it ws 167 miles with 'no service'. I had decided against the gas can figuring that even at 40 mpg, rather than my usual 50, and with the 20 pounds less on the bike that I should make it, but was very aware that yesterday I'd run out of gas at 163 miles. After a very stressful ride of odo watching and trying to keep my speed constant and no stopping, my low gas light started blinking. 141.5. The last sign had said I was 30 miles away from the exit. I had been noting the distance between passing cars, using my vast mathematical knowledge to calculate approximately how long I would have to wait for someone to pass by if I had to stop. I'd marked the odo reading of every house or shack as i passed it in case I needed to find them again.

I wrapped my mind around the gas tank to keep the fumes in and I could see the exit and was still running. At the exit, I took the right yeild as the gps commanded and as I looked left for a clear path so I could merge, I saw a gas station. It occurred to me that if I had to turn around for gas I'd be going uphill and would likely *chug* not make it. My eyes got really big and my head turned to center to make the merge *chug* and I gratefully spied a Shell station on the left. I grabbed the clutch and drifted in before the 3rd *chug* came. I paid $3.24 for 4.007 gallons and was damn happy about it. (I believe I have a 4.1 gal tank.)

So, after taking off my rain gear and recovering a bit, buying some dried pineapple from the Shell and looking at my gps, I finally decided that I would call it a night.

The gps brings up 4 local motels. Can you guess which one Joanne chooses?
Silver Queen - $54.49
Best Western - $89.99
Jim Butler - $47.41
Clown Motel - $37.61

If you know me at all, it wasn't a hard choice, was it?

And this would be the 1900-1911 cemetery that was next to it.



While texts from home suggested that the Clown Motel was a perfect horror movie backdrop and the cemetery would certainly reinforce that, I slept till 530 am local time without visitation from any clowns or the occupants of the cemetery I walked through in the dark. I packed up to get going. I was about 2-3 hours from Yosemite, they tell me, and then a very long and lonely ride thru desolate Nevada again on the way to John Day, Oregon.

The Adventure Continues - Day 1

Well, another exciting day on the road. This morning the gang packed up and said goodbye and we went our separate ways.

I headed West to continue the quest for National Park stamps to complete my Master Tourer Challenge. I had intended on going to Pipe Springs, NM, Death Valley, Ca and Lake Meade, NV, but Death Valley got scrapped on the advice of a local rider and some of the other parks changed, too. By changing things around I've gained about 5 hours of flex time for unforeseen delays.



I headed toward Colorado National Monument and got some great help at Colorado Junction's visitor center. I walked out with a highlighted map and the name of the last gas stop on 70, Green River, before a 115 mile stretch to Salina, Utah. I drove through the park's 26 miles and it was stunning. It was the best lost hour I could have spent. (4 hours flextime left.)






From there I went to Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. I'd been before, so only went to the visitor's center. I got my stamps and watched the 15 minute orientation film about the park and got back on the road. I wanted to get as close to Baker, Nevada as possible to start tomorrow off close to Great Basin, the first stop for Monday.

I passed 2 gas stations on the way to Green River wanting to fill up at the last opportunity, since I had about 80 miles left in my tank. As I saw the exit sign for Green River the bike hiccoughed and my eyes got big. I looked at the odo *chug* and it read 163. *chug* Well under the 200 I can squeeze out of a tank. I leaned right to enter the long stretch of ramp *chug, chug* and looked ahead to see where the gas station was, and...couldn't. I saw nothing. I grabbed the clutch to drift as far as I could as it was clear that, unlike last time I drained the tank, the chugging wasn't gonna get me where I needed to go.

I came to a stop after a decent drift 2/3 of the way through the ramp. I tried to push it for a bit, but at 100 degrees and with no station in sight, gave up. I grabbed my tank bag and my water bottle and started walking. I could see the sign that pointed to where the gas would be 1.5 miles away...and finished off my water. I was still in full gear and it was hot. I reached the stop sign at the end of the ramp and was greeted by a guy sitting on the ground by his bicycle who asked if I'd broken down or run out of gas. Apparently, he was hitting cars up for money for food/travel. He kindly offered to get me a gas can or watch the bike. I headed to the gas station and didn't have to walk too long before an 18 wheeler pulled over to offer a ride. Apparently my bike guardian had told them I was out of gas and in need of a ride.

Dorian (BFD) and his trainee driver were great and as I reached for my Parks book to help explain what I was doing on a bike so far from home...it wasn't there. I couldn't find it. Had i left it? DAMMIT. DAMMIT!! sigh.

I filled my empty water bottle with gas to get me back to the gas station and the guys waited for me to start the bike. When they caught my wave they went on their way. I went back down to the gas station to fill up and then headed BACK to Arches to get my book. I wasn't thrilled, but I wasn't throwing a tantrum, either. Turns out it was where I left it and then I turned BACK around and got to see a 4th run of the 30 miles of the driest, most tedious, barren wasteland ever. Ok, it wasn't THAT horrible, but it was pretty hot, dry and boring. (2 flex hours left)

So, BACK to Green River exit for gas. (Yes, I made it.) Then on to Salina (like Saliva, not like a girl's name). After coming dangerously close to being caught in some bad weather, it rained for less than 15 minutes and I was able to find a motel in Salina for the night.

So, I survived another day of silliness. Didn't get as far as I had hoped, but who knows...that 2 hour snafu either put me in the rain or set me up to perfectly drive thru the center of a bit of nasty weather and get the least of it for a change. :) It could always be worse. And, hey, there's always tomorrow to see how my genious will manifest itself. :)