Sturgis 2011- The Road Less Traveled
Posted on 17. Aug, 2011 by admin in Open Road
You could feel the anticipation building in the weeks ahead of our great ride to Sturgis. Preparations were being done to the bikes, camping gear was being sorted out, and even details like “how the hell am I going to pack all this stuff?” were bandied about.
Modifications moved along at breakneck speed on Talley’s new Ultra. Bars were changed, backrest and tour pegs added. An Ipod and Ridersclaw, and of course the hours of loading his music into the ipod were all accomplished.
Our carefully planned departure called for us to leave at 4:00 PM on Thursday to Las Vegas. This would get us through the desert, especially Baker, in cooler temps. We would then jump early from Las Vegas across the desert to Rifle, Colorado. Well, that was the plan, anyway.
Come departure day, Panman and Talley were like to kids on Christmas morning. They both took off work, and the new plan (devised by Panman and Talley) was to depart at noon. “So what if we have to ride through the heat! It will give us more time in Vegas!” Seemed like sound logic, or maybe not. Either way, I was outvoted. A noon departure it would be.
With our bikes heavily loaded, we set out for Las
Vegas at 1:00 PM. Yeah, the kids weren’t ready yet. Go figure. Anyway, we turned the throttles and headed for the heat of the desert. Talley was surprised that we didn’t have to stop in Barstow this time for gas. A 6 gallon tank is a lot different than a 3.5 gallon tank, huh?
The road to Las Vegas was pretty uneventful. Mostly we did our best to zone out the searing heat as we roared down the highway. I just kept telling myself, “tomorrow will be a better day”.
Once into Vegas and checked in, equipment stowed, and the process of rehydration had begun, we wandered down the strip in search of food and entertainment. For those of you who have been to Vegas, do you ever notice
the ongoing game of bait and switch that is so prevalent? Motel rooms for $29, except on the night you arrive. Buffets for 5.95, except when you are hungry. Lobster and steak special, except when you sit down to order. What a racquet!
The rest of the night was as uneventful as the ride there. Talley snuggled up to a roulette table, while Panman and I searched out beverages and entertainment. At least Panman and I found our rooms at a reasonable hour. The same cannot be said for Talley. Oh well, he will pay for it in the morning!
Morning came early, well maybe not as early as it should have. The intent was to hit the road by 6:00 AM. But hey, 8:00 AM is still morning, right? Am I the only one that gets up early? And damn, that desert is going to get hot!
We finally pushed out and raced into the Valley of Fire, past Lake Mead, and finally into the Virgin River gorge. I always seem to mark this point as moving out of the low desert. We then stayed on I-15 into Utah, and made our way north to the I-70.
Fortunately, even with our late start, the temps were not to bad. We rode easily across the Utah high desert, marveling at the plateaus and scenery. The wind felt good, and our Harley’s rumbled effortlessly as we roared through the canyons and across the the flat desert landscapes.
Once we finally got to the eastern side of Utah and began our descent into the Green River valley, the temps began soaring. I have to admit, it became down right uncomfortable. To add to the misery, we missed both turn-offs for Green River (yeah, I know, kinda hard to do) and found ourselves scrambling for a gas stop. We found a lone gas station, with an old house of some sort out back that looked ready to fall at any time. Talley referred to it as the Hotel Obama.
Fueled and rehydrated, I promised the guys the temps would drop off once we got along the Colorado River. Wow, I was just a little off.
We pushed into Colorado, and raced along the river towards Rifle. Rifle is a small town located about 60 miles east of Grand Junction. And although we are now in the foothills of the Rockies, it was still no cooler. I know I am being punished at this point.
Rifle is a neat little town, catering mostly to hunters. While we were there, they were having their town fair. All 40 people were in attendance, we stayed at the grill and enjoyed dinner and a couple of pitchers.
Morning came, and I was as surprised as anyone when we set out by 7:00. We moved north on 789 to Meeker, where I know of a great little restaurant attached to an old hotel. You know, the kind with the old wooden stairs that winds itself upwards towards the only 6 rooms in the place. Classic!
Well, we arrived too early for breakfast, and had to move on. This will be the last time that happens on this trip! Oh well, breakfast should be right around the bend in the next town, right? Famous last words.
We rolled up 789 through Colorado and into Wyoming, traveling though beautiful rolling hill country dotted with small ranches and fields of freshly mowed grasses that now lay scattered around the fields in large round shapes. The air remained crisp through most of this part of the ride, but we weren’t complaining.
We hit I-80 east until Rawlins, and then once again resumed north on 789 until we got to Muddy Gap. This part of the ride could become quite boring, with a landscape that doesn’t seem to change any too quickly. Once we hit Muddy Gap, however, and started along the 220 east, things began changing.
We rolled by lakes and rivers, through canyons and over rolling hills until we reached Casper. There we picked up I-25 north to the 387 east. This would take us up to the I-90 and into Sturgis. Funny, it seems at the point that we reached I-25, we began to pick up the pace. Anticipation was truly growing as we raced through the hills of Wyoming onwards towards South Dakota and the Black Hills.
And then it was there. We had arrived in Sturgis, and took up our positions in the Lazelle
Street parade. Not really a parade, but it might as well be. When you try to move over 40,000 motorcycles down a two lane road at 35 mph for a couple miles, that is your end result. A parade! And by now our bikes are hot. Red hot! And yet we walked our bikes along the parade route, anxious to make camp, and yet marveling at the sights of Sturgis. It is good to be in Sturgis again!
Be sure to check out Part II: Sturgis 2011 – The Gangs All Here