Day 1: From the beginning. . .
"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
-J. R. R. Tolkien
Day 1 - Saturday July 20, 2011
I arrived at Ted Stevens Intl. Airport after 4 different flights and 10 hours on a plane. The last flight was from St. Paul to Anchorage and was grueling. After 6 hours the airplane seat had pretty much killed me. I specifically got a window seat so I could see the Yukon and BC from the air; no such luck. It was mostly cloudy especially the closer I got to Anchorage. I did get a chance to take a few pictures from the plane of the mountains with the cell phone and it was gorgeous.
Those kinds of views last about 15-20 minutes then it was back into the clouds. Once we started losing altitude coming into Anchorage we got below the clouds again and it was just lush green and small lakes everywhere.
I arrived at Ted Stevens Intl. Airport after 4 different flights and 10 hours on a plane. The last flight was from St. Paul to Anchorage and was grueling. After 6 hours the airplane seat had pretty much killed me. I specifically got a window seat so I could see the Yukon and BC from the air; no such luck. It was mostly cloudy especially the closer I got to Anchorage. I did get a chance to take a few pictures from the plane of the mountains with the cell phone and it was gorgeous.
Those kinds of views last about 15-20 minutes then it was back into the clouds. Once we started losing altitude coming into Anchorage we got below the clouds again and it was just lush green and small lakes everywhere.
Arrival
After landing I hopped in a cab with a guy from Africa and I asked why he came to Alaska. “To drive a cab.” Is all he said. He had been working in Northern Virginia but heard the money was better in Alaska for cab drivers. I guess one reason is just as good as another to come to Alaska. I think he may have been right though. It cost me $25 to get from the airport to Adam’s house (Adam is the guy I’m living with while I’m here) about 9 miles away.
I got to Adam’s house and his wife Christine met me at the door. I told her who I was and she acted confused… not a good sign. Haha It turns out Adam thought I wasn’t coming until next weekend but once we got that figured out everything else went great. They are great people and I owe them both a lot. Adam is the guy that not only stored the bike I bought but also paid for it out of his pocket until I got here to buy it from him. That’s not all though, he let me ship a ton of camping/riding stuff to his house and stored it for me as well. Very nice guy and he’s in to everything. He brews beer, keeps bee’s, and runs marathons that cross mountains and glaciers… yeah he’s pretty hard core. Haha I couldn’t ask for better hosts though. The pic is Adam’s place.
I got to Adam’s house and his wife Christine met me at the door. I told her who I was and she acted confused… not a good sign. Haha It turns out Adam thought I wasn’t coming until next weekend but once we got that figured out everything else went great. They are great people and I owe them both a lot. Adam is the guy that not only stored the bike I bought but also paid for it out of his pocket until I got here to buy it from him. That’s not all though, he let me ship a ton of camping/riding stuff to his house and stored it for me as well. Very nice guy and he’s in to everything. He brews beer, keeps bee’s, and runs marathons that cross mountains and glaciers… yeah he’s pretty hard core. Haha I couldn’t ask for better hosts though. The pic is Adam’s place.
The bike!
Once I got all the pleasantries out of the way I was dying to see the bike and I finally got to check it out. It was about 10:00 PM by now but I decided I had to ride it a bit and see what was up.
The bike is a 2007 Suzuki Vstrom DL650. I am very happy with it so far. I love the looks it gets in parking lots. It looks ready to cross the continent.. which is good because that is my plan. The tires will be changed. I can’t say I’m a fan of that front tire. It looks awesome but it is just annoying riding it down the road like that.
The bike is a 2007 Suzuki Vstrom DL650. I am very happy with it so far. I love the looks it gets in parking lots. It looks ready to cross the continent.. which is good because that is my plan. The tires will be changed. I can’t say I’m a fan of that front tire. It looks awesome but it is just annoying riding it down the road like that.
Day 2: The adventure begins in earnest.
"Why, I'd like nothing better than to achieve some bold adventure, worthy of our trip."
-Aristophanes
Sunday July 21, 2011.
I woke up and knew I had slept late. It wasn’t a big deal because it was Sunday and my rotation hadn’t started yet. I could just tell though because I had that completely refreshed feeling that only 10 hours of sleep will give you. I glanced at my phone to find out what time it was and it said 10:45, yep.. I slept a good long time! I decided to come out of the room and say hello to everybody and sneak outside to see what the weather was like. I came out of my room… nobody was moving in the house. I thought maybe they went to church or out to do something so I went down to the garage and opened the door. Both of their vehicles were there.. very odd. Bike riding or something maybe? I took a quick stroll down the road to the end of the block and then realized that nobody.. anywhere was moving around. Very strange. Then it hit me.. I was still on Virginia time. It was 6:45 in the morning!!
I couldn’t go back to sleep so I fiddled with the bike until everybody else started waking up then chit chatted with Adam for a while and got myself ready to go riding.
I ended up riding up the Glenn (highway 1) to Eagle River Alaska about 20 minutes up the road. The bike is working wonderfully and the heated grips are awesome.
I woke up and knew I had slept late. It wasn’t a big deal because it was Sunday and my rotation hadn’t started yet. I could just tell though because I had that completely refreshed feeling that only 10 hours of sleep will give you. I glanced at my phone to find out what time it was and it said 10:45, yep.. I slept a good long time! I decided to come out of the room and say hello to everybody and sneak outside to see what the weather was like. I came out of my room… nobody was moving in the house. I thought maybe they went to church or out to do something so I went down to the garage and opened the door. Both of their vehicles were there.. very odd. Bike riding or something maybe? I took a quick stroll down the road to the end of the block and then realized that nobody.. anywhere was moving around. Very strange. Then it hit me.. I was still on Virginia time. It was 6:45 in the morning!!
I couldn’t go back to sleep so I fiddled with the bike until everybody else started waking up then chit chatted with Adam for a while and got myself ready to go riding.
I ended up riding up the Glenn (highway 1) to Eagle River Alaska about 20 minutes up the road. The bike is working wonderfully and the heated grips are awesome.
I stopped by the river and walked down the bank about 40 yards to take this picture. When I got down there I startled a bird out of it’s tree and almost pee’d my pants. Less than 12 hours into my Alaska adventure and I already forgot and left the bear spray in a completely useless place and walked into the bushes. Brilliant!
I did a lot of riding around all day but to be honest I didn’t do anything exciting. It rained ALL day and never got above 52 degrees. My tourmaster suit is working great though. I road at least 5 hours in the rain and never got damp or cold. I got a big boost of confidence from that. I had been worried about riding in those type of conditions and I am much less apprehensive now especially knowing I never even felt the need to turn on the heated vest or grips even when moving at 70-75mph for sustained periods.
I went to the downtown part of Anchorage and went to a little street market they do every weekend. A lot of crafts and foods. There were some beautiful portraits and paintings as well as knives and carvings. I could spend a fortune there for sure. I ended up getting out of there after spending $8 though. $5 for a funnel cake (yum!) and $3 for a little handmade crown with ribbons flowing off the back for Chloe.
I rode over to earthquake park which is near the airport and took some pictures of planes taking off. Parks here are mainly parking lots that have trails leading from them I am learning. Lots and lots of trails!
I would have taken more pics but the batteries are dead. I'll rectify that situation tomorrow.
I went to the downtown part of Anchorage and went to a little street market they do every weekend. A lot of crafts and foods. There were some beautiful portraits and paintings as well as knives and carvings. I could spend a fortune there for sure. I ended up getting out of there after spending $8 though. $5 for a funnel cake (yum!) and $3 for a little handmade crown with ribbons flowing off the back for Chloe.
I rode over to earthquake park which is near the airport and took some pictures of planes taking off. Parks here are mainly parking lots that have trails leading from them I am learning. Lots and lots of trails!
I would have taken more pics but the batteries are dead. I'll rectify that situation tomorrow.
Day 3: Looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays!
"Into each life some rain must fall."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Monday July 22, 2011.
Today was a miserable day. It was cold and rainy when I went in to work at the hospital and then I had to leave for a few hours in the middle of the day and .. you guessed it.. cold, rainy, and miserable. I had to go by the dmv to get the bike registered in my name so I could get my permanent base pass for the month. The air force is very big on making sure you are insured and registered if you are driving on base. Registering a vehicle in AK is a bit odd compared to doing the same in my home state of Virginia. The first thing I noticed is that nobody goes to the actual DMV. They have lots of private owned "satellite" DMV's that can do most of what the DMV does, though they charge a bit more for it, only they do it like a private business would. The difference? I'm sure you already know. The people were friendly, helpful, and didn't take all f'n day to click 3 buttons and put a sticker on a piece of paper. Even after I paid the extra fee (which I would gladly pay again) of $15 it was still less than $50 to transfer the motorcycle to my name, register the tags to me, and pay the tag fee for a year. Brilliant! The whole process took me 20 minutes and the clerk lady was good looking. Win/Win! In Virginia the same process would take 30 minutes of sitting there waiting for your number to be called, watching 2 clerks sigh, roll their eyes, and grudgingly do their job... assuming you have virtually everything finished for them when you walk up, if not... get a new number and wait some more. When you finally got up there it would be a minimum of $70 to transfer the title and another $45-50 for new tags, plus more sighing and eye rolling if you dared ask them a question. Va DMV people suck.
Anyway, the point is … it has been raining since I got here and it’s starting to wear on me. I have no choice but to ride in it and my gear is just damp and clammy. My gloves are wet, my helmet is wet inside, and I’m just not happy.
At 4:00 I got finished working and walked outside the hospital to, you guessed it, rain. The sky was a little lighter than it had been so who knows maybe it’s breaking finally.
By the time I got my riding gear back on and got back to the house the rain had stopped. It was still cloudy, but at least it wasn’t raining. I took off and had intentions of going to Wasilla just to see what was up with it. I never actually made it there. I kept getting side tracked by the exit ramp signs. Mirror lake, Knik river access, Echo lake, etc. etc. Chugach National Park is in this area, well, no, Chugach national park is MASSIVE… bigger than some states actually. I just happened to turn up a road that led to one of it’s lakes. It was just breath taking. That’s all I can say about it. I tried to take pictures but I knew the camera wouldn’t capture how awesome it was even before I took the picture. I remember holding the camera up and zooming all the way back and realizing that the camera’s field of view just wasn’t big enough to take the picture. I’ve never experienced that before but that lake and the mountains around it were just a 360 degree panorama of beauty. I tried to make a panorama out of it. It looks ok but it still doesn’t capture what it was really like to be there.
The grass reminds me of wheat fields. Whenever the wind blew the grass had waves in it too. The lake is the greenish/blue that a lot of water here is. The only exception I have found to this is water that comes directly from glaciers. It always has a gray sediment floating in it.
At any rate. This lake is beautiful. Notice the little black specks near the water. Those are people so you sort of get an idea of the size of this picture.
Today was a miserable day. It was cold and rainy when I went in to work at the hospital and then I had to leave for a few hours in the middle of the day and .. you guessed it.. cold, rainy, and miserable. I had to go by the dmv to get the bike registered in my name so I could get my permanent base pass for the month. The air force is very big on making sure you are insured and registered if you are driving on base. Registering a vehicle in AK is a bit odd compared to doing the same in my home state of Virginia. The first thing I noticed is that nobody goes to the actual DMV. They have lots of private owned "satellite" DMV's that can do most of what the DMV does, though they charge a bit more for it, only they do it like a private business would. The difference? I'm sure you already know. The people were friendly, helpful, and didn't take all f'n day to click 3 buttons and put a sticker on a piece of paper. Even after I paid the extra fee (which I would gladly pay again) of $15 it was still less than $50 to transfer the motorcycle to my name, register the tags to me, and pay the tag fee for a year. Brilliant! The whole process took me 20 minutes and the clerk lady was good looking. Win/Win! In Virginia the same process would take 30 minutes of sitting there waiting for your number to be called, watching 2 clerks sigh, roll their eyes, and grudgingly do their job... assuming you have virtually everything finished for them when you walk up, if not... get a new number and wait some more. When you finally got up there it would be a minimum of $70 to transfer the title and another $45-50 for new tags, plus more sighing and eye rolling if you dared ask them a question. Va DMV people suck.
Anyway, the point is … it has been raining since I got here and it’s starting to wear on me. I have no choice but to ride in it and my gear is just damp and clammy. My gloves are wet, my helmet is wet inside, and I’m just not happy.
At 4:00 I got finished working and walked outside the hospital to, you guessed it, rain. The sky was a little lighter than it had been so who knows maybe it’s breaking finally.
By the time I got my riding gear back on and got back to the house the rain had stopped. It was still cloudy, but at least it wasn’t raining. I took off and had intentions of going to Wasilla just to see what was up with it. I never actually made it there. I kept getting side tracked by the exit ramp signs. Mirror lake, Knik river access, Echo lake, etc. etc. Chugach National Park is in this area, well, no, Chugach national park is MASSIVE… bigger than some states actually. I just happened to turn up a road that led to one of it’s lakes. It was just breath taking. That’s all I can say about it. I tried to take pictures but I knew the camera wouldn’t capture how awesome it was even before I took the picture. I remember holding the camera up and zooming all the way back and realizing that the camera’s field of view just wasn’t big enough to take the picture. I’ve never experienced that before but that lake and the mountains around it were just a 360 degree panorama of beauty. I tried to make a panorama out of it. It looks ok but it still doesn’t capture what it was really like to be there.
The grass reminds me of wheat fields. Whenever the wind blew the grass had waves in it too. The lake is the greenish/blue that a lot of water here is. The only exception I have found to this is water that comes directly from glaciers. It always has a gray sediment floating in it.
At any rate. This lake is beautiful. Notice the little black specks near the water. Those are people so you sort of get an idea of the size of this picture.
Then I started my rock collection. My plan is to take a small rock from different places and label them. I hope I can remember to do it and figure out how to get them home. I think it would be a very cool thing to have. This one obviously has a ton of quartz in it.
On the way back down the mountain from this lake it happened. I saw my first truly wild Moose. She was chilling out up on the bank and let me take a few pictures. I would take a picture and then just look at her for a little while and then sneak up a little closer and take another picture. She tolerated me doing that for about 5 minutes and 3 "sneak ups" then she decided she was bored with me and went back into the bushes.
Day 4: The curious case of the missing vest.
"This is the kind of law that people remember and talk about."
-Scott Weiser
Wanna' ride my hawg?
I ran all over Anchorage looking for a reflective vest to get the damn base MP’s to leave me alone about it. Apparently on a military base you have to wear some kind of hi-vis reflective vest type of thing for safety if you are on a motorcycle. As the MP was telling me all this crap at least 30 cars drove by speeding. I know for a fact they were speeding because there was one of those automatic speed sign things that tells you to slow down about 1/10 of a mile away. I know he’s just doing what he’s told to do but damn….
Anyway.. I rode all over Anchorage going to motorcycle shops looking for one. All I found were vests that cost $70-$90.. no thank you. Finally I came across a carhartt store and they had some like you use for road construction for about $18.. good enough. If that’s not bright enough and reflective enough they can blow me. The upside to this story was that I found a sweet little camp chair that I can put on the bike for about $15.
After that I just went home and chilled out. Uploaded a ton of pics to photobucket and updated this journal.
** update. I was at Fred Myers today for some other crap and they had a yellow reflective vest that would have worked for $5.89. FML!
Anyway.. I rode all over Anchorage going to motorcycle shops looking for one. All I found were vests that cost $70-$90.. no thank you. Finally I came across a carhartt store and they had some like you use for road construction for about $18.. good enough. If that’s not bright enough and reflective enough they can blow me. The upside to this story was that I found a sweet little camp chair that I can put on the bike for about $15.
After that I just went home and chilled out. Uploaded a ton of pics to photobucket and updated this journal.
** update. I was at Fred Myers today for some other crap and they had a yellow reflective vest that would have worked for $5.89. FML!
Day 5: Girdwood and beyond.
"It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility."
~Rachel Carson
Day 5 – July 27, 2011
I went down to Girdwood today and took a bunch of pictures. I originally intended to ride the seward highway to seward and come back. I kept having to stop and take pictures then I found Portage glacier and Byron glacier.. and I stayed there taking pictures and had dinner and then came back. A few of the pics are below but to see them all go to the photo links page and click on the link that includes day 5.
I’m a little concerned about my back. I am having tingling/electrical pains when I’m on the bike. I was a little worried about the different riding position being a problem but I expected soreness.. not neuropathy!
This whole state is epic. I looked like a bobblehead going down the road looking from this way to that way to the other way. At one point I just left the camera around my neck and was taking pictures going down the road because I kept stopped everywhere to take a picture. It would have literally been faster to walk as much as I was stopping. That is the point though. If I even think a picture needs to be taken I am doing it. I don’t want to get back home and start looking through my pictures only to realize I didn’t take half of the pictures I should have.
I went down to Girdwood today and took a bunch of pictures. I originally intended to ride the seward highway to seward and come back. I kept having to stop and take pictures then I found Portage glacier and Byron glacier.. and I stayed there taking pictures and had dinner and then came back. A few of the pics are below but to see them all go to the photo links page and click on the link that includes day 5.
I’m a little concerned about my back. I am having tingling/electrical pains when I’m on the bike. I was a little worried about the different riding position being a problem but I expected soreness.. not neuropathy!
This whole state is epic. I looked like a bobblehead going down the road looking from this way to that way to the other way. At one point I just left the camera around my neck and was taking pictures going down the road because I kept stopped everywhere to take a picture. It would have literally been faster to walk as much as I was stopping. That is the point though. If I even think a picture needs to be taken I am doing it. I don’t want to get back home and start looking through my pictures only to realize I didn’t take half of the pictures I should have.
Day 6: Uh, OUCH!
"Stupid is as stupid does."
-Forest Gump
Day 6 - July 28, 2011
Not much to talk about today. I changed the oil in the bike and did some maintenance stuff to get ready to go out camping for the weekend. I’m debating between denali nat. park and just going south toward seward/homer. I cut the crap out of my finger when I was trimming some wire tires. Adam has a knife that stays in the garage so I just grabbed it. I’m used to dull knives.. this thing could do double duty as a scalpel. It makes razor blades seem only mostly sharp. I sliced off a nice little piece of thumb flesh. The knife was so sharp and the cut so clean there is very little pain so it’s all good.
Aside from that I'm just relaxing and getting ready to go exploring this weekend.
I added a few pics from around Anchorage and the hospital I was working at.
Not much to talk about today. I changed the oil in the bike and did some maintenance stuff to get ready to go out camping for the weekend. I’m debating between denali nat. park and just going south toward seward/homer. I cut the crap out of my finger when I was trimming some wire tires. Adam has a knife that stays in the garage so I just grabbed it. I’m used to dull knives.. this thing could do double duty as a scalpel. It makes razor blades seem only mostly sharp. I sliced off a nice little piece of thumb flesh. The knife was so sharp and the cut so clean there is very little pain so it’s all good.
Aside from that I'm just relaxing and getting ready to go exploring this weekend.
I added a few pics from around Anchorage and the hospital I was working at.
Day 7: Camping on a game trail.
"The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another. It is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness."
-Henry David Thoreau
I ended up going south and am camping as I type this. It’s almost 1 am and the ride down was beautiful as was expected. I got caught in a bunch of traffic for a crash so I didn’t make it as far as I meant to. I’m only about 70-80 miles from anchorage to be honest. I set up camp and cooked dinner from one of those dehydrated things. It was surprisingly very good. I’m in the tent trying not to think about bears and the game trail that looks like it goes right through my tent. I don’t want to kill the battery so I’m not going to type much but I had a thought today while riding down the road. Everytime I think I’ve seen the most amazing scene in Alaska I go around the next turn and see something equally as beautiful as the last thing. I am so glad I am here this trip is already unforgettable and it’s just getting started. I do miss Tonya and Chloe, more than I expected to really I think. I will add pictures later. Tomorrow I am hoping to finish riding down to homer. It’s about 2-3 hours away so I’m going there for lunch, fill the tank, and headback. I want to camp at a place I passed an hour or so back from here Saturday night and then go back to the glaciers and take the time to do the hike up to them and actually touch one.
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Day 8: My first full day of travelling.
"To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world."
-John Muir
The road to Kenai.
Day 8, July 30, 2011 (Saturday) I got up and went to Seward. It was supposed to have been breakfast but it turned out to be lunch. I woke up at 8am.. but then went back to sleep and slept till 12:30. So that screwed that plan. I had a halibut sandwich. It was good but nothing to get overly excited about. Seward was beautiful with the sun shining down. I debated going to the sealife thing but decided against it. If Chloe had been with me I would have done it though for sure. After I ate I left Seward heading back with intentions of going to Homer. Well I didn’t make it all the way to Homer. I kept getting sidetracked. I decided to ride over to Kenai City and got seriously side tracked. (see pictures)
First I had to keep stopping to take pictures then I really got stuck taking pictures and chilling out at 2-3 different places that were beautiful beyond other stuff I’ve seen. I hope the pictures look nice. I went through a section on the kenai peninsula that is supposed to be 16 miles of high game crossing area. Moose, bear, elk, buffalo, etc. So I was excited to see some wild life. I was a bit disappointed I actually didn’t see anything on the way down. On the way back I saw a moose but it was a terrible place to stop and take pictures. I did it anyway though. I almost died for the shots but I got them.
I decided to bail out on Homer for the time being and start heading back. I came all the way back to the Hope/Seward highway intersection to camp for the night. While looking for my camping site I managed to toss the Vstrom into the mud and drove my shoulder into the ground. I gave the bike some scratches and myself some soreness but no major deal the best I can tell. I'm not sure exactly what happened. It looks like the front tire just washed completely out from under it but I was going straight. I had just hit a little bump so I believe I was a bit crooked and had a mini wheelie and then the tire just started sliding in the mud and never caught and down she went. I'm going to estimate the speed to be about 15mph or so. Enough to hurt but not enough to seriously hurt. I am officially blaming it on the knobby front tire, wet grass, and mud.
I set the tent up got a decent fire going (with a little help from Mr. Gasoline) ate my dehydrated food (still impressed!) Time for some sleep. I am bushed.
First I had to keep stopping to take pictures then I really got stuck taking pictures and chilling out at 2-3 different places that were beautiful beyond other stuff I’ve seen. I hope the pictures look nice. I went through a section on the kenai peninsula that is supposed to be 16 miles of high game crossing area. Moose, bear, elk, buffalo, etc. So I was excited to see some wild life. I was a bit disappointed I actually didn’t see anything on the way down. On the way back I saw a moose but it was a terrible place to stop and take pictures. I did it anyway though. I almost died for the shots but I got them.
I decided to bail out on Homer for the time being and start heading back. I came all the way back to the Hope/Seward highway intersection to camp for the night. While looking for my camping site I managed to toss the Vstrom into the mud and drove my shoulder into the ground. I gave the bike some scratches and myself some soreness but no major deal the best I can tell. I'm not sure exactly what happened. It looks like the front tire just washed completely out from under it but I was going straight. I had just hit a little bump so I believe I was a bit crooked and had a mini wheelie and then the tire just started sliding in the mud and never caught and down she went. I'm going to estimate the speed to be about 15mph or so. Enough to hurt but not enough to seriously hurt. I am officially blaming it on the knobby front tire, wet grass, and mud.
I set the tent up got a decent fire going (with a little help from Mr. Gasoline) ate my dehydrated food (still impressed!) Time for some sleep. I am bushed.
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Day 9: Oh crap, it's 15 miles to even get cell signal!
"If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all."
-Dan Rather
Day 9, July 31 2011.
The next morning I was looking forward to breakfast somewhere in Hope so I loaded all the stuff up quickly and was ready to pull out about 9am. I hit the starter button… nothing. “Oh crap!” I must have left something turned on and killed the battery? I thought.. even though I knew I hadn’t. I kept checking the emergency kill switch because that’s exactly what it acted like. Headlights were bright, the fuel pump was running.. it just wouldn’t crank at all. I checked the kickstand switch since that was the side I dropped it on .. everything seemed to be good. I decided it must really just be dead for some reason. The little battery gauge was showing 12. 9v but nothing else made sense. I decided to drift start it. I pushed it up out of my little camping area and my neighbor was up playing with his dog. We started chit chatting about it and he mentioned he had some booster cables. So we hooked them up and .. nothing. Same deal. Now I’m a little worried. It’s at least 15 miles to even get cell signal… 3 hours for anybody to get there from anchorage… and a huuuuuge tow bill if you break down. I check the battery connections.. they are fine. I disconnect all the accessories and hook the battery back up “as stock” .. nothing. I check the wiring to the starter.. I peck on the starter. I check fuses… I eventually try to drift start it. Nothing. It is dead in the water. I keep thinking it must have been the kickstand safety switch. Something had to have happened to it when I dropped it last night. I fiddle with it and poke around on it and nothing. The bike is toast, I am screwed, this sucks.
I decide I need time to think about what to do and notice the hand guard on the left side is loose from dropping it and I’ve got my tools sitting there so I may as well tighten it back up. I look underneath it to see what size bolt it is and I see the problem. The safety switch on the clutch has a plug in and it had come unplugged when the hand guard had hit the ground in the fall. It prevents the bike from starting unless you have the clutch pulled in and since it was unplugged it though the clutch wasn't engaged.. so no starting. I plugged it back in and hit the starter. She started up and purred like a kitten ready to go. I was so relieved and happy. If the bike really had left me stranded I would have been so less confident in riding it across Canada. No worries!
I road over to Hope and ate at a little café called Discovery. Apparently Hope Alaska was the very first gold rush area, even before Dawson in the Yukon. It wasn’t as big obviously, but it was the first. The population was over 3,500 then now it’s about 200. They have a lot of really old buildings in the downtown part. I’m assuming they are the original buildings. I didn’t stop really. I just drove through. The place was kind of creepy somehow I thought. The lunch I had was awesome though. Reindeer Sausage sub with onions and peppers. It was so good. Kind of like a brat but spicier and a bigger flavor. No game-iness at all. I could have eaten at least 4 more right there on the spot. At $15 ea. Plus $2 for a dr. pepper it wasn’t time to pig out. I'm sensing a trend here. The further away from Anchorage you get the more expensive stuff is.
The rest of the day was great. It was very windy and you could tell it was thinking about raining so I didn’t get into a lot. I took some pictures around Girdwood (on the road back to anchorage) and stuck around late enough to see the bore wave come up the inlet (google it, I’m not taking the time to explain) It was interesting.. but not overly so. I wouldn’t make a special trip for it. In other words.. it’s aptly named.
I’m “home” now and wanted to try and write up the interesting stuff. I left half of it out of course and I’m sure a lot of the details will come back to me when I re-read this so maybe I can add them then. My leg is very sore. It feels like I have a mini-cramp going on that won't go away. I don’t know what I did to it. My back is okay.. sore but manageable. I have a little sunburn (or windburn?) on my face. All in all I could take off again tomorrow and ride all day I’m fairly sure.
I do want to see if I can’t find an improved sleeping pad though. The one I have takes up a ton of room and doesn’t work that great anyway. All my other camping stuff worked great. I even watched tv in my tent with the laptop and stuff I had downloaded (Archer mainly). I’ll take the charger next time and charge it while I’m eating at restaurants.
The next morning I was looking forward to breakfast somewhere in Hope so I loaded all the stuff up quickly and was ready to pull out about 9am. I hit the starter button… nothing. “Oh crap!” I must have left something turned on and killed the battery? I thought.. even though I knew I hadn’t. I kept checking the emergency kill switch because that’s exactly what it acted like. Headlights were bright, the fuel pump was running.. it just wouldn’t crank at all. I checked the kickstand switch since that was the side I dropped it on .. everything seemed to be good. I decided it must really just be dead for some reason. The little battery gauge was showing 12. 9v but nothing else made sense. I decided to drift start it. I pushed it up out of my little camping area and my neighbor was up playing with his dog. We started chit chatting about it and he mentioned he had some booster cables. So we hooked them up and .. nothing. Same deal. Now I’m a little worried. It’s at least 15 miles to even get cell signal… 3 hours for anybody to get there from anchorage… and a huuuuuge tow bill if you break down. I check the battery connections.. they are fine. I disconnect all the accessories and hook the battery back up “as stock” .. nothing. I check the wiring to the starter.. I peck on the starter. I check fuses… I eventually try to drift start it. Nothing. It is dead in the water. I keep thinking it must have been the kickstand safety switch. Something had to have happened to it when I dropped it last night. I fiddle with it and poke around on it and nothing. The bike is toast, I am screwed, this sucks.
I decide I need time to think about what to do and notice the hand guard on the left side is loose from dropping it and I’ve got my tools sitting there so I may as well tighten it back up. I look underneath it to see what size bolt it is and I see the problem. The safety switch on the clutch has a plug in and it had come unplugged when the hand guard had hit the ground in the fall. It prevents the bike from starting unless you have the clutch pulled in and since it was unplugged it though the clutch wasn't engaged.. so no starting. I plugged it back in and hit the starter. She started up and purred like a kitten ready to go. I was so relieved and happy. If the bike really had left me stranded I would have been so less confident in riding it across Canada. No worries!
I road over to Hope and ate at a little café called Discovery. Apparently Hope Alaska was the very first gold rush area, even before Dawson in the Yukon. It wasn’t as big obviously, but it was the first. The population was over 3,500 then now it’s about 200. They have a lot of really old buildings in the downtown part. I’m assuming they are the original buildings. I didn’t stop really. I just drove through. The place was kind of creepy somehow I thought. The lunch I had was awesome though. Reindeer Sausage sub with onions and peppers. It was so good. Kind of like a brat but spicier and a bigger flavor. No game-iness at all. I could have eaten at least 4 more right there on the spot. At $15 ea. Plus $2 for a dr. pepper it wasn’t time to pig out. I'm sensing a trend here. The further away from Anchorage you get the more expensive stuff is.
The rest of the day was great. It was very windy and you could tell it was thinking about raining so I didn’t get into a lot. I took some pictures around Girdwood (on the road back to anchorage) and stuck around late enough to see the bore wave come up the inlet (google it, I’m not taking the time to explain) It was interesting.. but not overly so. I wouldn’t make a special trip for it. In other words.. it’s aptly named.
I’m “home” now and wanted to try and write up the interesting stuff. I left half of it out of course and I’m sure a lot of the details will come back to me when I re-read this so maybe I can add them then. My leg is very sore. It feels like I have a mini-cramp going on that won't go away. I don’t know what I did to it. My back is okay.. sore but manageable. I have a little sunburn (or windburn?) on my face. All in all I could take off again tomorrow and ride all day I’m fairly sure.
I do want to see if I can’t find an improved sleeping pad though. The one I have takes up a ton of room and doesn’t work that great anyway. All my other camping stuff worked great. I even watched tv in my tent with the laptop and stuff I had downloaded (Archer mainly). I’ll take the charger next time and charge it while I’m eating at restaurants.
Day 10: Another day, Another crash.
John Cole - "Can you ride?"
Jimmy Blevins - "Hell yeah, that's what I was doing when I fell off!"
~excerpt from All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Day 10 - part 1
Nothing much to report today. I had to be at work early and just came home after that. The rear tire is toast. I have to get lined out with tires soon. I called the local Suzuki place and they are closed on Mondays. So…. I’ll call tomorrow. I fixed all the unwiring I did trying to figure out what was wrong with the bike yesterday morning. Everything is back to working except the hand grips which weren’t working properly anyway. I took the switch box apart and water has gotten inside of it. I figure that is going to be a lost cause. I’m thinking I will just buy a toggle switch and do it that way. I can't buy just the switch box so it would be a whole new set ($80 plus shipping) so compare that to a $5 toggle switch. I won’t have the ability to adjust the temp like before but if it’s cold enough to want them turned on I’m sure I’m going to want full throttle anyway.
Day 10 - (part 2)
I did the above right after work.. then I decided to go ride the bicycle and that lead to another update.
Monday, August 1st 2011.
I borrowed a bicycle off of my host and went out to ride around some of the local trails. Anchorage has hundreds of miles of bicycle/horseback/walking/jogging/snow mobile & dog sled trails in and around the city. It is quite unique I've never seen anything like it. It's not wonder I see so many bikers out everyday. All you have to do to have a great ride is go out of your driveway and there will be a trail within at most a mile or so to jump on. The other interesting thing is that most of the trails meet up with other trails. Looking at a map of you them you can literally get on a bicycle trail in Anchorage.. and with a little effort be in Girdwood or anywhere else in Alaska for that matter. It's basically it's own highway system.
Most of it runs through forest area's so wildlife is possible. Not like racoons and squirrels. I mean Moose, Elk, and Grizzly bear. People have been killed on these trails by Bear in the past. Most people carry bear spray with them and try to make noise. I personally haven't seen anything but I am sure it will happen because I really want to ride a lot more of the trails now that I am settled in a little bit.
I didn't take a lot of pictures on the ride but the few worth seeing are below. As normal all of the pics are on Photobucket under the corresponding day (day 10)
The picture above is informing me that there are active bear in the area especially close to the creeks since all the fish are swimming up them this time of year. I saw that several times. I did walk down and take a picture of the creek and look for Salmon swimming near the bank. No bear, no salmon, no problem. I went on a little further and managed to crash the bicycle and bash my knee like an idiot. There was a little wooden deck with some benches on it over a stream and I figured there would be Salmon to see there. I noticed there was a 5-6 inch difference in the height of the deck and the trail I was on. "No problem, I can just pop a wheelie and get right up there; I don't need to even slow down." So thats what I did. Unfortunately my timing was off and the front wheel came down and dead stopped itself on the edge and over the bars I went. I'm not gonna lie. It hurt considerably and my knee is still in pain. Alaska is letting me kill myself one piece at a time.
Aside from that little adventure I just worked on the bike a little. I wanted to hook the heated suit back up correctly and try to figure out why the heated grips are acting up. I got the suit lined and i'm pretty sure the switch for the heating grips is toast. I think water got in it. I can make it work but it is stubborn to get it to turn on and turn up. I'm looking into getting a new control panel or just putting them on a toggle switch. That later is probably going to happen because I'm not dumping $100 on a switch just so it looks fancy.. especially since it let water in and screwed itself up anyway.
Other pictures worth looking at...
The first is a picture of 2 male Salmon swimming in the creek I was over. You may not be able to tell from the picture but I am sure they are male. they were very bright and had the typical male salmon mouth thing going on; also I could see them much better because the camera won't focus on things under the water. They change during spawn time and they are very different than the females. The females don't show up as well and are more burgundy/maroon colored in the water.
The second picture is one of the trails I mentioned. That particular one is a dog sled trail so it's a bit rougher in the summer because it's normally used when it's covered in snow of course. They say you don't want to even walk on a dog sled trail during the winter because you can leave holes in the snow that can hurt the dog.. or you may not even hear them coming and end up getting trampled by the dogs and etc. Apparently they are very quiet. I can see that happening with the snow muffling all the sound. I would love to see a dog sled team though but I don't think thats going to happen this trip.
The last picture is of one of the bike trails. This one is paved but many are dirt, some are gravel, and some are basically a footpath through the grass/bushes. I took the pic so you could see the way the woods are on both sides. Apparently it's not that uncommon to suddenly see wildlife just walk out of the bushes in front of you. I'm not sure I want to have that kind of bear encounter.. but a moose. That would be pretty wild. (note - Moose can and do kill people as well but they don't eat you.. ergo - they don't scare me as much.)
Nothing much to report today. I had to be at work early and just came home after that. The rear tire is toast. I have to get lined out with tires soon. I called the local Suzuki place and they are closed on Mondays. So…. I’ll call tomorrow. I fixed all the unwiring I did trying to figure out what was wrong with the bike yesterday morning. Everything is back to working except the hand grips which weren’t working properly anyway. I took the switch box apart and water has gotten inside of it. I figure that is going to be a lost cause. I’m thinking I will just buy a toggle switch and do it that way. I can't buy just the switch box so it would be a whole new set ($80 plus shipping) so compare that to a $5 toggle switch. I won’t have the ability to adjust the temp like before but if it’s cold enough to want them turned on I’m sure I’m going to want full throttle anyway.
Day 10 - (part 2)
I did the above right after work.. then I decided to go ride the bicycle and that lead to another update.
Monday, August 1st 2011.
I borrowed a bicycle off of my host and went out to ride around some of the local trails. Anchorage has hundreds of miles of bicycle/horseback/walking/jogging/snow mobile & dog sled trails in and around the city. It is quite unique I've never seen anything like it. It's not wonder I see so many bikers out everyday. All you have to do to have a great ride is go out of your driveway and there will be a trail within at most a mile or so to jump on. The other interesting thing is that most of the trails meet up with other trails. Looking at a map of you them you can literally get on a bicycle trail in Anchorage.. and with a little effort be in Girdwood or anywhere else in Alaska for that matter. It's basically it's own highway system.
Most of it runs through forest area's so wildlife is possible. Not like racoons and squirrels. I mean Moose, Elk, and Grizzly bear. People have been killed on these trails by Bear in the past. Most people carry bear spray with them and try to make noise. I personally haven't seen anything but I am sure it will happen because I really want to ride a lot more of the trails now that I am settled in a little bit.
I didn't take a lot of pictures on the ride but the few worth seeing are below. As normal all of the pics are on Photobucket under the corresponding day (day 10)
The picture above is informing me that there are active bear in the area especially close to the creeks since all the fish are swimming up them this time of year. I saw that several times. I did walk down and take a picture of the creek and look for Salmon swimming near the bank. No bear, no salmon, no problem. I went on a little further and managed to crash the bicycle and bash my knee like an idiot. There was a little wooden deck with some benches on it over a stream and I figured there would be Salmon to see there. I noticed there was a 5-6 inch difference in the height of the deck and the trail I was on. "No problem, I can just pop a wheelie and get right up there; I don't need to even slow down." So thats what I did. Unfortunately my timing was off and the front wheel came down and dead stopped itself on the edge and over the bars I went. I'm not gonna lie. It hurt considerably and my knee is still in pain. Alaska is letting me kill myself one piece at a time.
Aside from that little adventure I just worked on the bike a little. I wanted to hook the heated suit back up correctly and try to figure out why the heated grips are acting up. I got the suit lined and i'm pretty sure the switch for the heating grips is toast. I think water got in it. I can make it work but it is stubborn to get it to turn on and turn up. I'm looking into getting a new control panel or just putting them on a toggle switch. That later is probably going to happen because I'm not dumping $100 on a switch just so it looks fancy.. especially since it let water in and screwed itself up anyway.
Other pictures worth looking at...
The first is a picture of 2 male Salmon swimming in the creek I was over. You may not be able to tell from the picture but I am sure they are male. they were very bright and had the typical male salmon mouth thing going on; also I could see them much better because the camera won't focus on things under the water. They change during spawn time and they are very different than the females. The females don't show up as well and are more burgundy/maroon colored in the water.
The second picture is one of the trails I mentioned. That particular one is a dog sled trail so it's a bit rougher in the summer because it's normally used when it's covered in snow of course. They say you don't want to even walk on a dog sled trail during the winter because you can leave holes in the snow that can hurt the dog.. or you may not even hear them coming and end up getting trampled by the dogs and etc. Apparently they are very quiet. I can see that happening with the snow muffling all the sound. I would love to see a dog sled team though but I don't think thats going to happen this trip.
The last picture is of one of the bike trails. This one is paved but many are dirt, some are gravel, and some are basically a footpath through the grass/bushes. I took the pic so you could see the way the woods are on both sides. Apparently it's not that uncommon to suddenly see wildlife just walk out of the bushes in front of you. I'm not sure I want to have that kind of bear encounter.. but a moose. That would be pretty wild. (note - Moose can and do kill people as well but they don't eat you.. ergo - they don't scare me as much.)
|
Day 11 - Missing my dog. . .
"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."
-Robert Louis Stevenson
Hinkley, my dog at at the beach.
Day 11 - Tuesday August 2, 2011.
I called around everywhere today looking for tires and nobody has what I want in stock. I finally went to the local Triumph/Kawi/BMW place and found a set of Metzeler Tourance tires to the tune of $419.00 (!!!) not including mounting. I at least like these guys. I went by the Suzuki place and they just acted like bitches. I could order the tires I wanted today (Aug 2) they would actually get ordered on the 9th and if I was lucky they would be here by the 20th. F that! I leave on the 23rd. I'm not running around on a bald tire the whole time I'm here. Yes, I know, it's my fault for not getting on this sooner... but still. Those guys can blow me.
Anyway, so I bought the tires at the motorcycle shop and for another $80 I can bring them my wheels and they will swap them out. Thieves. I don't mean the price of the tires. I understand it costs more to get them here. I mean the labor for changing 2 tires. It's highway robbery and a BIG reason why I learned how to do it myself. I am seriously contemplating just doing it. I have everything I need to do It and I have to take them off anyway. Given the money situation I am leaning toward doing it myself but I want to be sure there is a suitable supply of air to get the tires to bead correctly. I am hoping adam has a air tank that he uses for the bikes or if that doesn’t work out I may try to find a gas station or whatever that has a compressor and go that route. I just can’t see spending $80 to change 2 tires when I’m doing 90% of the damn work by taking them off. That doesn’t even include figuring out how to get both tires off the bike at the same time, finding a way to get them to the place and finding a way to get to work and back. Adam is gone camping so I don't want to do anything till I clear it with him first. It would be a bit shocking to come in and find a motorcycle hanging from your rafters in the garage and a guy asking for a ride to the bike place and to work, or alternatively, asking if you have an air compressor so he can't get the bike out of the hanging position afterall. I think Adam would probably just laugh and help me get it lined out but I want to be sure first.
It’s killing me because I know I could have already taken the rear wheel off and had the new tire on by this point. I’m 99% positive. Anyway, so I’m chilling again today. It’s rainy and the tire is in pretty bad shape so it’s probably for the best anyway.
Oh, and it's raining in case I didn't mention it. Thats the way the weather goes in Anchorage in the summer I think. A few days of beautiful high 60's/low 70's weather followed by a few days of solid sprinkling rain and high 50's temps. It's not bothering me as much this time since I know the weather is going to turn and it will be nice again soon. It's was just annoying going all over town in the rain shopping for tires.
Other stuff I did today aside from work that nobody cares to hear about, expect maybe other pharmacy students and they know my email address so I won't bore you. I played with the Atigun the dog; she loves tennis balls. I worked on this site. I cooked and watched a little tv. Very mundane and not what I want to be doing with my time here... well except playing with the dog. I have to get a fence around my yard at the house so I can play with Hinkley like that. He would love being able to run and play in the yard instead of having to be on a leash all the time.
Playing with their dog makes me miss my dog.
I called around everywhere today looking for tires and nobody has what I want in stock. I finally went to the local Triumph/Kawi/BMW place and found a set of Metzeler Tourance tires to the tune of $419.00 (!!!) not including mounting. I at least like these guys. I went by the Suzuki place and they just acted like bitches. I could order the tires I wanted today (Aug 2) they would actually get ordered on the 9th and if I was lucky they would be here by the 20th. F that! I leave on the 23rd. I'm not running around on a bald tire the whole time I'm here. Yes, I know, it's my fault for not getting on this sooner... but still. Those guys can blow me.
Anyway, so I bought the tires at the motorcycle shop and for another $80 I can bring them my wheels and they will swap them out. Thieves. I don't mean the price of the tires. I understand it costs more to get them here. I mean the labor for changing 2 tires. It's highway robbery and a BIG reason why I learned how to do it myself. I am seriously contemplating just doing it. I have everything I need to do It and I have to take them off anyway. Given the money situation I am leaning toward doing it myself but I want to be sure there is a suitable supply of air to get the tires to bead correctly. I am hoping adam has a air tank that he uses for the bikes or if that doesn’t work out I may try to find a gas station or whatever that has a compressor and go that route. I just can’t see spending $80 to change 2 tires when I’m doing 90% of the damn work by taking them off. That doesn’t even include figuring out how to get both tires off the bike at the same time, finding a way to get them to the place and finding a way to get to work and back. Adam is gone camping so I don't want to do anything till I clear it with him first. It would be a bit shocking to come in and find a motorcycle hanging from your rafters in the garage and a guy asking for a ride to the bike place and to work, or alternatively, asking if you have an air compressor so he can't get the bike out of the hanging position afterall. I think Adam would probably just laugh and help me get it lined out but I want to be sure first.
It’s killing me because I know I could have already taken the rear wheel off and had the new tire on by this point. I’m 99% positive. Anyway, so I’m chilling again today. It’s rainy and the tire is in pretty bad shape so it’s probably for the best anyway.
Oh, and it's raining in case I didn't mention it. Thats the way the weather goes in Anchorage in the summer I think. A few days of beautiful high 60's/low 70's weather followed by a few days of solid sprinkling rain and high 50's temps. It's not bothering me as much this time since I know the weather is going to turn and it will be nice again soon. It's was just annoying going all over town in the rain shopping for tires.
Other stuff I did today aside from work that nobody cares to hear about, expect maybe other pharmacy students and they know my email address so I won't bore you. I played with the Atigun the dog; she loves tennis balls. I worked on this site. I cooked and watched a little tv. Very mundane and not what I want to be doing with my time here... well except playing with the dog. I have to get a fence around my yard at the house so I can play with Hinkley like that. He would love being able to run and play in the yard instead of having to be on a leash all the time.
Playing with their dog makes me miss my dog.
Day 12: Tires 1/2 installed.
"I may be a living legend but that sure won't help when I've got to change a tire."
-Roy Orbison
Day 12 - Wednesday August 3, 2011
More rain today. It's starting to get old again. I heard someone say that the weekend is supposed to be pretty so I guess thats a fair trade off.
I decided it was as good a day as any to mount the tires, or at least get the rear mounted. I got the old tire off in about 3 minutes flat and made the mistake of telling my wife "Yeah, another 20 minutes and I'll be done with the rear. It's going real smooth." That type of statement is always an invitation for Murphy to kick you in the balls but good. He did just that. The new tire was an absolute dog to get on the wheel. I don't know what the problem was but I honestly struggled with that thing for a good 2.5 hours before it finally went on. Only then did I realize that I had actually mounted it backwards per the rotation ---> arrow that the manufacturer puts on it. I am torn now. I honestly don't know if I can get it back off with the tools I have here. (3 - 8 inch tire irons only) and at the same time I really want to switch it around correctly. That would involved breaking the bead getting it off and putting back on. I am almost more scared that I would damage the tire with all this stretching and pulling on it with the irons. There is the possibility that I could finish breaking my jaw as well... That probably needs an explanation. I let a tire iron slip and it caught me right on the side of my face where the jaw bone curves. It seriously hurt and it's swollen and painful now. I'm mostly certain it's not broken but I bet it's going to hurt like 7 bitches on a bitch boat tomorrow morning. At any rate I am going to think on the tire situation overnight and see how it goes replacing the front tire tomorrow and go from there. On the plus side my little 'slime' travel tire pump preformed perfectly. I was concerned that it wouldn't be able to properly seat the tire but just a few minutes after I turned it on.. *POP* then a few seconds later *POP* and both sides had seated correctly.
Aside from that not much went on today. I went out for some ribs at chilis and had an Alaskan white beer. It was pretty good. I'm not really sure what to compare it too right off. Maybe Samuel Adams without the shitty after taste. They served it with an orange, I'm not sure what that was about. It didn't seem to do anything for the beer other than get orange seeds in it that I had to dodge.
More rain today. It's starting to get old again. I heard someone say that the weekend is supposed to be pretty so I guess thats a fair trade off.
I decided it was as good a day as any to mount the tires, or at least get the rear mounted. I got the old tire off in about 3 minutes flat and made the mistake of telling my wife "Yeah, another 20 minutes and I'll be done with the rear. It's going real smooth." That type of statement is always an invitation for Murphy to kick you in the balls but good. He did just that. The new tire was an absolute dog to get on the wheel. I don't know what the problem was but I honestly struggled with that thing for a good 2.5 hours before it finally went on. Only then did I realize that I had actually mounted it backwards per the rotation ---> arrow that the manufacturer puts on it. I am torn now. I honestly don't know if I can get it back off with the tools I have here. (3 - 8 inch tire irons only) and at the same time I really want to switch it around correctly. That would involved breaking the bead getting it off and putting back on. I am almost more scared that I would damage the tire with all this stretching and pulling on it with the irons. There is the possibility that I could finish breaking my jaw as well... That probably needs an explanation. I let a tire iron slip and it caught me right on the side of my face where the jaw bone curves. It seriously hurt and it's swollen and painful now. I'm mostly certain it's not broken but I bet it's going to hurt like 7 bitches on a bitch boat tomorrow morning. At any rate I am going to think on the tire situation overnight and see how it goes replacing the front tire tomorrow and go from there. On the plus side my little 'slime' travel tire pump preformed perfectly. I was concerned that it wouldn't be able to properly seat the tire but just a few minutes after I turned it on.. *POP* then a few seconds later *POP* and both sides had seated correctly.
Aside from that not much went on today. I went out for some ribs at chilis and had an Alaskan white beer. It was pretty good. I'm not really sure what to compare it too right off. Maybe Samuel Adams without the shitty after taste. They served it with an orange, I'm not sure what that was about. It didn't seem to do anything for the beer other than get orange seeds in it that I had to dodge.
Day 13: Now I got a new front tire!
"Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment."
-Will Rogers
Thursday - August 4, 2011.
I installed the front tire today and had a much easier time with it. I even managed to save the dyna beads that the previous owner had in the tire. Yes, I did remember to get the rotation correct. I am going to try and change the rotation of the rear wheel Monday if all goes OK. I simply cannot do it without a few days to let myself rest. My shoulder is sore (crash on motorcycle), my knee is sore (crash on bicycle), my finger(s) hurt (various), my back is one big area of pain, (working on the bike all day yesterday on my knees and concrete floor), my rib is hurting (perhaps motorcycle crash or bike crash.. not sure which), and my jaw is sore (smashing it with a tire iron). In short. I am wrecked. I refuse to do anything else today other than lay on the bed, do a little laundry and try to let things heal up a bit. I could barely stand by the time I got the front tire back on and if I tried to double over in pain well then it hurt worse. 800mg of ibuprofen and a hot hot shower have got me feeling halfway human again. I'm taking my bodies advice and just letting it go for now. I haven't even taken the bike out to test ride the new tires. I may do that later but honeslty I'm hoping to just go to sleep and wake up around 4:00 AM so I have plenty of time to eat a big breakfast before work. I'm really not sure when the rib started hurting. I think it could have happened in the bike crash or in the bicycle crash. I am concerned about it because I broke a rib early this spring snow skiing and this hurt much the same and in the same general area. I think maybe it's cracked again or something. No major worries if thats what it is. Yes there is some pain but it's not all that bad if I'm not working it to death like I have been. If I had to bet I would say at worst it's cracked and at best it's just bruised fairly badly.
It's Thursday and that means I need to get my weekend plan lined out. I really want to have a low key weekend for the above reasons. I don't want to stay at home though. I am thinking of getting my stuff ready in the morning and leaving straight from work back to Hope and trying to get into a really awesome little cove off one of the lakes I saw. If people are there I'm not sure where I will go but I am really hoping to score that spot and then I can just lay back and watch the clouds drift by. Oh yeah, the weather is supposed to be pretty this weekend so that is bitchin'. We'll see how the weather goes and go from there. If it's raining I may just sit on my butt this weekend and feel sorry for myself.
Aside from that.. not much going on. I went shopping last night to get a toggle switch to rewire the heated grips since they seem to have crapped the bed due to water getting into the control box. I got some other stuff too but nothing exciting.
Things I need to buy that I keep forgetting!
Fingernail clippers! More breakfast type foods for the trip back (dehydrated stuff) and .. and I forget. Good night!
I installed the front tire today and had a much easier time with it. I even managed to save the dyna beads that the previous owner had in the tire. Yes, I did remember to get the rotation correct. I am going to try and change the rotation of the rear wheel Monday if all goes OK. I simply cannot do it without a few days to let myself rest. My shoulder is sore (crash on motorcycle), my knee is sore (crash on bicycle), my finger(s) hurt (various), my back is one big area of pain, (working on the bike all day yesterday on my knees and concrete floor), my rib is hurting (perhaps motorcycle crash or bike crash.. not sure which), and my jaw is sore (smashing it with a tire iron). In short. I am wrecked. I refuse to do anything else today other than lay on the bed, do a little laundry and try to let things heal up a bit. I could barely stand by the time I got the front tire back on and if I tried to double over in pain well then it hurt worse. 800mg of ibuprofen and a hot hot shower have got me feeling halfway human again. I'm taking my bodies advice and just letting it go for now. I haven't even taken the bike out to test ride the new tires. I may do that later but honeslty I'm hoping to just go to sleep and wake up around 4:00 AM so I have plenty of time to eat a big breakfast before work. I'm really not sure when the rib started hurting. I think it could have happened in the bike crash or in the bicycle crash. I am concerned about it because I broke a rib early this spring snow skiing and this hurt much the same and in the same general area. I think maybe it's cracked again or something. No major worries if thats what it is. Yes there is some pain but it's not all that bad if I'm not working it to death like I have been. If I had to bet I would say at worst it's cracked and at best it's just bruised fairly badly.
It's Thursday and that means I need to get my weekend plan lined out. I really want to have a low key weekend for the above reasons. I don't want to stay at home though. I am thinking of getting my stuff ready in the morning and leaving straight from work back to Hope and trying to get into a really awesome little cove off one of the lakes I saw. If people are there I'm not sure where I will go but I am really hoping to score that spot and then I can just lay back and watch the clouds drift by. Oh yeah, the weather is supposed to be pretty this weekend so that is bitchin'. We'll see how the weather goes and go from there. If it's raining I may just sit on my butt this weekend and feel sorry for myself.
Aside from that.. not much going on. I went shopping last night to get a toggle switch to rewire the heated grips since they seem to have crapped the bed due to water getting into the control box. I got some other stuff too but nothing exciting.
Things I need to buy that I keep forgetting!
Fingernail clippers! More breakfast type foods for the trip back (dehydrated stuff) and .. and I forget. Good night!