buck000
05-06-2004, 11:08 PM
Sorry for the long report but, hey, it was a long ride.... :-)
Summary
* 1040 miles in 23 hours
* Interstate roads accounted for only about 30 miles of it...!
* This is a pretty fun way to get your SaddleSore 1000...
* ...except for the last few hours... ;-)
* The Futura ran like a top, and was pretty comfy, wind roar excepted.
* The ThrottleMeister and ThrottleRocker proved very valuable on a ride like this :cool:
* I have a lot of respect for the super-long-distance riders....
* Word to the wise: have a hotel room waiting for you when you finish the rally.
Now, enjoy the pictures, or slog through the text, as well... :-)
(Most of the pictures are clickable to get to a larger version)
Impetus
Since finding out about Iron Butt rides, I've increasingly wanted to attempt at least a SaddleSore 1000, just as a goal (and excuse to get a lot of riding in, in a short period of time ;-) ). However, I wasn't particularly enamored with the idea of superslabbing for 24 hours. Although definitely the most efficient way to get your 1000 miles in, it just didn't seem that interesting. I got to thinking about doing an SS1000, but on secondary roads.
For the last year or so, I've known about the Waltz Across Texas (http://www.waltzacrosstexas.org), a 24-hour Iron Butt rally that involves a sort of scavenger hunt throughout various parts of this big state. The rally master, Jack Tollet, is a Futura rider, and mentions it now and then on the Futura mailing list. I suddenly realized that this might be a good opportunity to get my SS1000 the way (I thought) I wanted to. Plus, the rally raises money for a great cause: the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Ft. Worth (http://www.tsrhc.org/). So, I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a shot.
I'd been wanting to sort of 'work up' to an SS1000 by doing some 500 to 700 mile days, but work and other nonsense kept intruding. Nonetheless, I showed up at the Hill Country Inn (http://www.hillcountrymotel.com/) in Marble Falls, the jumping off point for the rally. I had figured that, at worst, I can pick up a few bonus points, just to get them, and if necessary, call off the ride if I get tired (shyah, right).
Reality hits
After checking in, and doing a quick odometer run, I parked the bike, and wondered around. Despite the relaxed and friendly attitude of the other riders who had shown up, I started to realize, "Yoiks! This really is a pretty intense long-distance affair." If I had to ascribe a human characteristic to the bikes I saw as I walked around, I have to say they were serious. I began to wonder what I was in for. Here's my little poser-moto next to such a bike with an "11 days / 11, 000 miles" Iron Butt Rally license plate on it:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0001sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0001.jpg)
There were a few suprising entries, too. Look at this nice old CBR, which wound up finishing the 24 hour rally (there was a 12 hour version, too):
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0002sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0002.jpg)
And another beauty:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0003sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0003.jpg)
Jack, the rally master, is part of a group who call themselves the Chatty Morons. I guess it helps to have a sense of humor when doing a bunch of insanely long rides...
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0004sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0004.jpg)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0006sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0006.jpg)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0007sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0007.jpg)
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that this bike has no problems with nighttime visibility! :-)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0005sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0005.jpg)
Some of more dedicated LD rides were really set up nicely. Note the beads and the auxiliary fuel cell on this Wing:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0008sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0008.jpg)
And this Concours, with Florida tags, is really set up to annihilate bugs across the country...
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0012sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0012.jpg)
The rally also had a 12-hour portion, and some folks brought in some equally capable, but slightly more lightweight steeds:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0009sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0009.jpg)
I guess some folks are just honest about their addiction. Here's a cool BMW t-shirt:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0010.jpg
Before the Friday orientation meeting, we got some BBQ from this tiny little shack behind the motel, which had some suprisingly good sandwiches, imho:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0011sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0011.jpg)
Here's our fearless leader, Jack Tollet, along with his wife, are truly two of the Really Nice People in this world, despite his LD riding affliction ;-). This man has some really interesting stories to tell. Sorry for the lousy picture, I think I was getting more and more nervous about what I'd signed up for!
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0014sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0014.jpg)
After getting some Gatorade and beef jerky from the convenience store, I noticed a whole other section of the motel that was housing some more riders:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0015sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0015.jpg)
Preparation
After receiving the list of checkpoints and bonus locations, I retreated to my room and started figuring out my route. A lot of other riders had GPS's, but Mr. Novice has to make do with a little map of Texas. Actually, I went out and bought a Mapsco map, too, in order to find some of the towns that were in the bonus list.
The rooms are nice at the Hill Country Inn:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0016sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0016.jpg)
After finishing off my provisional route, I decided to try and get some sleep. Unfortunately, the excitement of the event got a hold of me, and I just lay in bed thinking, "What the heck am I doing here?" After a while, though, I was able to relax a bit, and that's when I realized something...
Whenever I go on any kind of outing, I seem to always forget One Thing. This time, I had made lists of all stuff that I needed to bring, and had taken Friday off to do some chores, and make sure that I took my time getting up to Marble Falls, all prepared.
That still didn't keep me from forgetting One Thing.
This time, it was the controller for my Gerbing heated liner and gloves. That got me all anxious and, again, it was hard to get to sleep. Add to that that folks around me decided to party a bit, and it was a while before I finally gave up and slept. I woke again at 3:00 a.m., to the sound of rain outside (uh-oh). I lay awake a bit, then finally went to sleep, hard, only to be jangled awake by the alarm at 5:00.
And they're off...BOY, are they off
The Saturday morning meeting was at 6:00 a.m., and the official departure time was 7 o'clock. We received some additional bonus items, including 3 that we could get right at the hotel. So I was assured of at least 30 (unadjusted) points ;-).
Seven a.m. comes, and the rain is pouring down, with thunder and lightning. I start readying the bike, but am really not sure about heading out in such conditions. I chat with Terry, an apparent IB veteran riding the GS parked next to mine, and I ask him what the experienced folks generally do in conditions like this. He replies, "We just stay here!" Of course, he follows that up with, "But I might take off anyway." Five minutes later, he's gone.
At about 7:15, I decide that maybe the rain is letting up, and head out.
My first 12 hours required me to go through Del Rio and Brady, so I head down 281. My original plan was to grab a bonus at Willow City, then get over to 16 and down to the next bonus at Medina, but on the way down, I worried that the low water crossings on the twisty part of 16 south of Kerrville might be flooded. As I made my way along 281, and watched lightning arc horizontally in front of me, hitting spots in my peripheral vision, I began trying to decide how stupid I was to be doing this. After watching some more impressive lightning, then riding through the smell of ozone a minute later, I tried to calm myself with statistics about how rare a lightning strike is. I decided to just relax, and put myself in the hands of fate, and make the best of it.
I switched my plans to head straight down 281 to 46, then head through Boerne on some nice, but wet, sweepers to 16, and go through Bandera to Medina (enjoying the Big Sweeper between those two towns). If I recalled correctly, this wouldn't have any low points, and luckily, I did, and it didn't.
The bike was super stable in the rain, and 281 was straight and well-drained, so thank goodness for that...
By the time I got to Medina, the rain had ended, and I snapped my first bonus picture of the stone apple across from the Cider Mill. A number of other participants thought this was a decent bonus, too:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0018sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0018.jpg)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0019sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0019.jpg)
I went inside the Cider Mill for a quick bathroom break, and saw a couple of guys who had ridden down 16. They stated that the low
water crossings weren't bad at all, but I figured better safe than sorry. One guy had gotten the chills (something I would become familiar with later), and was trying to warm up.
The next bonus was one of my favorite places (owned by two of my favorite people) in Texas, the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum (http://www.lonestarmotorcyclemuseum.com), in Vanderpool, so I had to go say Hi and get my photo of the Vincent. So off I went on the wonderful eastern third of 337. In no time, I was pulling into the gravel parking lot of this wonderful place.
Alan and Debbie were there, and I went ahead and splurged the $20 for a lifetime membership, since I figured I'll be back a few more times. Alan was his usual energetic self, and was excited about his most recent restoration, a 1958 Ariel Square Four 1000cc four-cylinder engine:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0020sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0020.jpg)
Some other riders (not from the Waltz) were hanging out, and Alan asked them if they wanted to hear the Ariel running. Of course, they said Yes, so he fired it up on the second kick. (Being from the, er, 21st Century Era of Motorcycling, I was thrown for a few seconds as he fiddled with starting it up, wondering why he just didn't press the starter button!)
I then went over and Alan took a picture of me next to the Vincent, where other riders had had their picture taken. It turned out that the instructions had said to get a picture of the Black Lightning, but we were all getting pictures along side the Black Shadow, but the rally officials wound up giving everyone a break on this one. I'm not sure if Alan has a Black Lightning, but wouldn't be at all suprised if he did... :-)
Anyway, I snapped a few more pics in the museum before I left. Here's a Velocette:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0022sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0022.jpg)
And here's a Brough-Superior:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0023sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0023.jpg)
I finally, grudgingly, geared up and headed out. Someday, I'll come back to Vanderpool just to hike and hang out a bit longer at that wondrous place...
The next leg, down the fun 187 to Sabinal, then west on ruler straight 90 to Del Rio was dry but windy. I got my proof that I had made it to Del Rio (a fuel receipt with time and date on it), ate some beef jerky and a chewy granola bar, gulped down some Gatorade, and headed north on 277 toward Sonora. 277 is a nice 70 mph speed limit road, with pretty sweet sweepers and lots of rugged vistas of scrub-covered buttes or somesuch. I had to stop once for a border patrol q&a, then was on my way. I was happy the Futura was running smoothly, as this was no place to break down...!
There was a bonus location near Sonora (the Caverns of Sonora on private property), but being new to all this, I wanted to make sure I made it back to Marble Falls on schedule so I bypassed that, taking 864 to Fort MacKavett, which was the next bonus stop.
864 was a nice, straightish road that would be excellent for doing a top speed run of your bike :-). It looks like, this wildflower season, the yellow daisy-ish ones (Brown-Eyed Susans?) predominate:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0024sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0024.jpg)
I made it to Fort MacKavett soon enough, and got my patch for that bonus. I joked with one of the site employees, asking if my bike was safe out there, he didn't quite get the humor, and assured me it was fine:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0025sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0025.jpg)
From there, it was on to Menard, bypassing yet another bonus location, and up 190 to Brady, the other "first 12 hour" checkpoint.
Getting on 71 to Llano, I wound up getting close to some other Waltz riders, and we made our way southeast.
It seems like no matter where I ride lately, I wind up at Cooper's ;-), and today was no different, as this was worth some bonus points:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0026sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0026.jpg)
Back on the bike, and down 71 to 1431 to Marble Falls. I check in at 6:30 p.m., after about 550 miles on the odometer. I'm feeling pretty good, and decline folks' offer to hang out and have a soft drink. I decide to push on.
So much for the easy part of the trip :-)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/img_2053sm.jpg (http://www.ldrphotos.com/photo.php?eid=13&lid=56&p=4212&tn=1&size=l)
The Second Half
The next half of the trip involves hitting the eastern checkpoints of Crockett and Conroe. Since one way to get there goes by my house, I decided to stop in and get my heated gear controller (and unload some stuff that I wouldn't be using).
From Marble Falls, I zipped up 281 to 29 to I-35 to 79. I got home, heated up some leftovers, made sure I had my controller, and dropped off some clothes that I didn't need, and the tinted visor I figured I would no longer have a use for in the rally (boy, would I be wrong about that).
I was back on my way by about 8:00 p.m. From Round Rock, it was up 79 through Taylor, Hearne, and up to Marquez cruising the limit through the towns on the way, due to quite a bit of police presence. I got some gas, chewed some jerky, gulped some Gatorade, and turned on to 7 eastward to Crockett, slowing down for the raccoon that was sauntering in the middle of road at one point.
In Crockett, I got gas at an otherwise closed spot in order to get a timed/dated receipt, only to have the pump tell me to get the receipt from the cashier. Grrrr. Fortunately, there were some folks doing final cleanup, and they were nice enough to print out a receipt. I then made my way to look for a pink granite dedication marker to Davy Crockett in a local park. After searching the spot for a number of minutes, and rereading the directions, I finally found it:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0027sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0027.jpg)
At this point, there was a tough to find, but juicy bonus an hour round trip to the NE of Crockett, but I really wanted to make sure I finished, so I made my way to the next checkpoint, in Conroe. I took 19 down to Trinity, dodging yet another raccoon, then across Lake Livingston and on to Huntsville. I hopped on to I-45, then remembered there was another bonus on the way, in the Sam Houston Statue and Visitors Center (http://www.huntsvilletexas.com/stvc.html). Since I had forgotten about this, I'd overshot the recommended exit, and had to make my way back through some forest road to get back to it. Once again, my blazing highbeams highlighted some wildlife, this time deer on either side of the road who, thankfully, jumped back toward the forest as I basically idled my bike through that section.
Now, imagine this nice area at 1:00 a.m. or so:
http://www.huntsvilletexas.com/hvc2.jpg
I walked through the visitors center in an absolutely idyllic little glade, with a soft footpath and burbling waterfall somewhere.
From the road, in the daytime, the Big Statue looks like this:
http://www.huntsvilletexas.com/stt1.jpg
From the footpath, in the middle of night, it looks pretty much like this:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0028sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0028.jpg)
Anyway, with my trusty little flashlight and rally book, I followed the directions, and snapped my bonus shot in the little ampitheater in that area:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0029sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0029.jpg)
From there, it was back on to I-45 down to Conroe, grab some gas (and the precious receipt), munch a bit, and back on the road, taking 105 west through Montgomery. Between Montgomery and Navasota, as I kept the speed at or just a few mph above the limit, I got to thinking, "Hmmm, why not wick it up and make up some time?" Almost immediately, I crested a hill and remembered why, as I saw flashing blue lights of an LEO dealing with someone else on the road. Whew.
In Navasota, I grabbed a little more gas, and some milk, and headed up 6 toward Bryan/College Station. It was begining to be Crunch Time as, even with the heated gear, I was getting the shivers and, while not sleepy per se, I was definitely getting a tad punchy.
Arriving in College Station, I tried to find the bonus in that area (the Bush Library), and follwed the signs, but as I wound up out of town, with no other signs, I decided to bag that idea and just head onward.
I took 6 on to Hearne, and got back on to 79. In Taylor, I needed to make a pit stop badly, and began the curse the one-horse town'ness of Taylor until I found the H.E.B. open on 95. I emptied some things ;-) and did one final gas fillup, and headed up 95 to 29.
The stretch of 29 between 95 and Georgetown is a really nice set of sweeping curves. I toodled through there at 60, enjoying the solitude and the orange moon, which had outpaced my progress westward and was settling as a weird orange, elliptical ball on the horizon. Or maybe it was just my weird state.
In Georgetown, I approached some flashing red lights. My brain quietly noted that they were flashing red lights, then suddenly, I realized, "Flashing red lights mean STOP, you idiot!" So I made it through G'town no problem, and continued on 29 along with the dawn's light, took 281 down to Marble Falls, and pulled into the hotel.
6:20 a.m. or so. Made it.
Epilogue
After turning in my bonus sheets and whatnot, I chatted with Jack Tollett and other folks a bit, but quickly realized that it was highly unlikely I'd be in any state of coherency by the time the 11:30 a.m. banquet rolled around. So, what better thing to do in that case but get back on the bike and head back home.
Actually, I was in OK shape to do this (once I remembered how to shift and brake again...!). There was one big, glaring problem, however, in the shape of the rising sun.
Remember that nice tinted visor I offloaded while at home? Well, I would have given Lots of Cash to have had it back at that point, as I turned on to 29 in Burnett, and headed due east into an eyeball-searing light explosion.
Somehow, I made it to I-35 and have never felt so good to make a right turn in my life...!
I made it home without incident, unpacked my toothbrush, and left everything else where it was.
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0030sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0030.jpg)
I said my hellos upon entering the house, went upstairs, took a Nice Hot Shower, brushed my teeth, and basically collapsed for about 6 hours. After awaking, I felt a bit like roadkill must, but after some Advil and food, I started to recover.
All in all, I was happy to have met a little riding goal of mine, and I enjoyed the rally quite a bit (except for the post-rally eyeball roast).
The bike ran flawlessly, and the seat was fantastic. Of course, I would get a bit of a sore rear, but the seat allowed me to change position and still have good ergonomics. After about 14 hours, my right wrist got a tad sore, but I realized that this was from a slight slouch from being tired. Straightening up, along with judicious use of suddenly invaluable ThrottleMeister and ThrottleRocker on the right grip, helped alleviate that problem.
The only real complaint I had was the roaring wind noise. I actually think the Saeng Stealth Edging I put on to my aftermarket double-bubble may have actually worsened the problem. I may have to experiment a bit without it.
A few days later, I found out I'd won a door prize at the banquet, namely, a track day, courtesy of Eurosport Cycles (http://www.eurosportcycle.com/), woohoo!
Yup, a pretty interesting way to do an Iron Butt... :mrgreen:
Summary
* 1040 miles in 23 hours
* Interstate roads accounted for only about 30 miles of it...!
* This is a pretty fun way to get your SaddleSore 1000...
* ...except for the last few hours... ;-)
* The Futura ran like a top, and was pretty comfy, wind roar excepted.
* The ThrottleMeister and ThrottleRocker proved very valuable on a ride like this :cool:
* I have a lot of respect for the super-long-distance riders....
* Word to the wise: have a hotel room waiting for you when you finish the rally.
Now, enjoy the pictures, or slog through the text, as well... :-)
(Most of the pictures are clickable to get to a larger version)
Impetus
Since finding out about Iron Butt rides, I've increasingly wanted to attempt at least a SaddleSore 1000, just as a goal (and excuse to get a lot of riding in, in a short period of time ;-) ). However, I wasn't particularly enamored with the idea of superslabbing for 24 hours. Although definitely the most efficient way to get your 1000 miles in, it just didn't seem that interesting. I got to thinking about doing an SS1000, but on secondary roads.
For the last year or so, I've known about the Waltz Across Texas (http://www.waltzacrosstexas.org), a 24-hour Iron Butt rally that involves a sort of scavenger hunt throughout various parts of this big state. The rally master, Jack Tollet, is a Futura rider, and mentions it now and then on the Futura mailing list. I suddenly realized that this might be a good opportunity to get my SS1000 the way (I thought) I wanted to. Plus, the rally raises money for a great cause: the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital in Ft. Worth (http://www.tsrhc.org/). So, I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a shot.
I'd been wanting to sort of 'work up' to an SS1000 by doing some 500 to 700 mile days, but work and other nonsense kept intruding. Nonetheless, I showed up at the Hill Country Inn (http://www.hillcountrymotel.com/) in Marble Falls, the jumping off point for the rally. I had figured that, at worst, I can pick up a few bonus points, just to get them, and if necessary, call off the ride if I get tired (shyah, right).
Reality hits
After checking in, and doing a quick odometer run, I parked the bike, and wondered around. Despite the relaxed and friendly attitude of the other riders who had shown up, I started to realize, "Yoiks! This really is a pretty intense long-distance affair." If I had to ascribe a human characteristic to the bikes I saw as I walked around, I have to say they were serious. I began to wonder what I was in for. Here's my little poser-moto next to such a bike with an "11 days / 11, 000 miles" Iron Butt Rally license plate on it:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0001sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0001.jpg)
There were a few suprising entries, too. Look at this nice old CBR, which wound up finishing the 24 hour rally (there was a 12 hour version, too):
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0002sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0002.jpg)
And another beauty:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0003sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0003.jpg)
Jack, the rally master, is part of a group who call themselves the Chatty Morons. I guess it helps to have a sense of humor when doing a bunch of insanely long rides...
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0004sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0004.jpg)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0006sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0006.jpg)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0007sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0007.jpg)
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that this bike has no problems with nighttime visibility! :-)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0005sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0005.jpg)
Some of more dedicated LD rides were really set up nicely. Note the beads and the auxiliary fuel cell on this Wing:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0008sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0008.jpg)
And this Concours, with Florida tags, is really set up to annihilate bugs across the country...
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0012sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0012.jpg)
The rally also had a 12-hour portion, and some folks brought in some equally capable, but slightly more lightweight steeds:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0009sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0009.jpg)
I guess some folks are just honest about their addiction. Here's a cool BMW t-shirt:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0010.jpg
Before the Friday orientation meeting, we got some BBQ from this tiny little shack behind the motel, which had some suprisingly good sandwiches, imho:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0011sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0011.jpg)
Here's our fearless leader, Jack Tollet, along with his wife, are truly two of the Really Nice People in this world, despite his LD riding affliction ;-). This man has some really interesting stories to tell. Sorry for the lousy picture, I think I was getting more and more nervous about what I'd signed up for!
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0014sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0014.jpg)
After getting some Gatorade and beef jerky from the convenience store, I noticed a whole other section of the motel that was housing some more riders:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0015sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0015.jpg)
Preparation
After receiving the list of checkpoints and bonus locations, I retreated to my room and started figuring out my route. A lot of other riders had GPS's, but Mr. Novice has to make do with a little map of Texas. Actually, I went out and bought a Mapsco map, too, in order to find some of the towns that were in the bonus list.
The rooms are nice at the Hill Country Inn:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0016sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0016.jpg)
After finishing off my provisional route, I decided to try and get some sleep. Unfortunately, the excitement of the event got a hold of me, and I just lay in bed thinking, "What the heck am I doing here?" After a while, though, I was able to relax a bit, and that's when I realized something...
Whenever I go on any kind of outing, I seem to always forget One Thing. This time, I had made lists of all stuff that I needed to bring, and had taken Friday off to do some chores, and make sure that I took my time getting up to Marble Falls, all prepared.
That still didn't keep me from forgetting One Thing.
This time, it was the controller for my Gerbing heated liner and gloves. That got me all anxious and, again, it was hard to get to sleep. Add to that that folks around me decided to party a bit, and it was a while before I finally gave up and slept. I woke again at 3:00 a.m., to the sound of rain outside (uh-oh). I lay awake a bit, then finally went to sleep, hard, only to be jangled awake by the alarm at 5:00.
And they're off...BOY, are they off
The Saturday morning meeting was at 6:00 a.m., and the official departure time was 7 o'clock. We received some additional bonus items, including 3 that we could get right at the hotel. So I was assured of at least 30 (unadjusted) points ;-).
Seven a.m. comes, and the rain is pouring down, with thunder and lightning. I start readying the bike, but am really not sure about heading out in such conditions. I chat with Terry, an apparent IB veteran riding the GS parked next to mine, and I ask him what the experienced folks generally do in conditions like this. He replies, "We just stay here!" Of course, he follows that up with, "But I might take off anyway." Five minutes later, he's gone.
At about 7:15, I decide that maybe the rain is letting up, and head out.
My first 12 hours required me to go through Del Rio and Brady, so I head down 281. My original plan was to grab a bonus at Willow City, then get over to 16 and down to the next bonus at Medina, but on the way down, I worried that the low water crossings on the twisty part of 16 south of Kerrville might be flooded. As I made my way along 281, and watched lightning arc horizontally in front of me, hitting spots in my peripheral vision, I began trying to decide how stupid I was to be doing this. After watching some more impressive lightning, then riding through the smell of ozone a minute later, I tried to calm myself with statistics about how rare a lightning strike is. I decided to just relax, and put myself in the hands of fate, and make the best of it.
I switched my plans to head straight down 281 to 46, then head through Boerne on some nice, but wet, sweepers to 16, and go through Bandera to Medina (enjoying the Big Sweeper between those two towns). If I recalled correctly, this wouldn't have any low points, and luckily, I did, and it didn't.
The bike was super stable in the rain, and 281 was straight and well-drained, so thank goodness for that...
By the time I got to Medina, the rain had ended, and I snapped my first bonus picture of the stone apple across from the Cider Mill. A number of other participants thought this was a decent bonus, too:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0018sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0018.jpg)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0019sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0019.jpg)
I went inside the Cider Mill for a quick bathroom break, and saw a couple of guys who had ridden down 16. They stated that the low
water crossings weren't bad at all, but I figured better safe than sorry. One guy had gotten the chills (something I would become familiar with later), and was trying to warm up.
The next bonus was one of my favorite places (owned by two of my favorite people) in Texas, the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum (http://www.lonestarmotorcyclemuseum.com), in Vanderpool, so I had to go say Hi and get my photo of the Vincent. So off I went on the wonderful eastern third of 337. In no time, I was pulling into the gravel parking lot of this wonderful place.
Alan and Debbie were there, and I went ahead and splurged the $20 for a lifetime membership, since I figured I'll be back a few more times. Alan was his usual energetic self, and was excited about his most recent restoration, a 1958 Ariel Square Four 1000cc four-cylinder engine:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0020sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0020.jpg)
Some other riders (not from the Waltz) were hanging out, and Alan asked them if they wanted to hear the Ariel running. Of course, they said Yes, so he fired it up on the second kick. (Being from the, er, 21st Century Era of Motorcycling, I was thrown for a few seconds as he fiddled with starting it up, wondering why he just didn't press the starter button!)
I then went over and Alan took a picture of me next to the Vincent, where other riders had had their picture taken. It turned out that the instructions had said to get a picture of the Black Lightning, but we were all getting pictures along side the Black Shadow, but the rally officials wound up giving everyone a break on this one. I'm not sure if Alan has a Black Lightning, but wouldn't be at all suprised if he did... :-)
Anyway, I snapped a few more pics in the museum before I left. Here's a Velocette:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0022sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0022.jpg)
And here's a Brough-Superior:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0023sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0023.jpg)
I finally, grudgingly, geared up and headed out. Someday, I'll come back to Vanderpool just to hike and hang out a bit longer at that wondrous place...
The next leg, down the fun 187 to Sabinal, then west on ruler straight 90 to Del Rio was dry but windy. I got my proof that I had made it to Del Rio (a fuel receipt with time and date on it), ate some beef jerky and a chewy granola bar, gulped down some Gatorade, and headed north on 277 toward Sonora. 277 is a nice 70 mph speed limit road, with pretty sweet sweepers and lots of rugged vistas of scrub-covered buttes or somesuch. I had to stop once for a border patrol q&a, then was on my way. I was happy the Futura was running smoothly, as this was no place to break down...!
There was a bonus location near Sonora (the Caverns of Sonora on private property), but being new to all this, I wanted to make sure I made it back to Marble Falls on schedule so I bypassed that, taking 864 to Fort MacKavett, which was the next bonus stop.
864 was a nice, straightish road that would be excellent for doing a top speed run of your bike :-). It looks like, this wildflower season, the yellow daisy-ish ones (Brown-Eyed Susans?) predominate:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0024sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0024.jpg)
I made it to Fort MacKavett soon enough, and got my patch for that bonus. I joked with one of the site employees, asking if my bike was safe out there, he didn't quite get the humor, and assured me it was fine:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0025sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0025.jpg)
From there, it was on to Menard, bypassing yet another bonus location, and up 190 to Brady, the other "first 12 hour" checkpoint.
Getting on 71 to Llano, I wound up getting close to some other Waltz riders, and we made our way southeast.
It seems like no matter where I ride lately, I wind up at Cooper's ;-), and today was no different, as this was worth some bonus points:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0026sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0026.jpg)
Back on the bike, and down 71 to 1431 to Marble Falls. I check in at 6:30 p.m., after about 550 miles on the odometer. I'm feeling pretty good, and decline folks' offer to hang out and have a soft drink. I decide to push on.
So much for the easy part of the trip :-)
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/img_2053sm.jpg (http://www.ldrphotos.com/photo.php?eid=13&lid=56&p=4212&tn=1&size=l)
The Second Half
The next half of the trip involves hitting the eastern checkpoints of Crockett and Conroe. Since one way to get there goes by my house, I decided to stop in and get my heated gear controller (and unload some stuff that I wouldn't be using).
From Marble Falls, I zipped up 281 to 29 to I-35 to 79. I got home, heated up some leftovers, made sure I had my controller, and dropped off some clothes that I didn't need, and the tinted visor I figured I would no longer have a use for in the rally (boy, would I be wrong about that).
I was back on my way by about 8:00 p.m. From Round Rock, it was up 79 through Taylor, Hearne, and up to Marquez cruising the limit through the towns on the way, due to quite a bit of police presence. I got some gas, chewed some jerky, gulped some Gatorade, and turned on to 7 eastward to Crockett, slowing down for the raccoon that was sauntering in the middle of road at one point.
In Crockett, I got gas at an otherwise closed spot in order to get a timed/dated receipt, only to have the pump tell me to get the receipt from the cashier. Grrrr. Fortunately, there were some folks doing final cleanup, and they were nice enough to print out a receipt. I then made my way to look for a pink granite dedication marker to Davy Crockett in a local park. After searching the spot for a number of minutes, and rereading the directions, I finally found it:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0027sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0027.jpg)
At this point, there was a tough to find, but juicy bonus an hour round trip to the NE of Crockett, but I really wanted to make sure I finished, so I made my way to the next checkpoint, in Conroe. I took 19 down to Trinity, dodging yet another raccoon, then across Lake Livingston and on to Huntsville. I hopped on to I-45, then remembered there was another bonus on the way, in the Sam Houston Statue and Visitors Center (http://www.huntsvilletexas.com/stvc.html). Since I had forgotten about this, I'd overshot the recommended exit, and had to make my way back through some forest road to get back to it. Once again, my blazing highbeams highlighted some wildlife, this time deer on either side of the road who, thankfully, jumped back toward the forest as I basically idled my bike through that section.
Now, imagine this nice area at 1:00 a.m. or so:
http://www.huntsvilletexas.com/hvc2.jpg
I walked through the visitors center in an absolutely idyllic little glade, with a soft footpath and burbling waterfall somewhere.
From the road, in the daytime, the Big Statue looks like this:
http://www.huntsvilletexas.com/stt1.jpg
From the footpath, in the middle of night, it looks pretty much like this:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0028sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0028.jpg)
Anyway, with my trusty little flashlight and rally book, I followed the directions, and snapped my bonus shot in the little ampitheater in that area:
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0029sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0029.jpg)
From there, it was back on to I-45 down to Conroe, grab some gas (and the precious receipt), munch a bit, and back on the road, taking 105 west through Montgomery. Between Montgomery and Navasota, as I kept the speed at or just a few mph above the limit, I got to thinking, "Hmmm, why not wick it up and make up some time?" Almost immediately, I crested a hill and remembered why, as I saw flashing blue lights of an LEO dealing with someone else on the road. Whew.
In Navasota, I grabbed a little more gas, and some milk, and headed up 6 toward Bryan/College Station. It was begining to be Crunch Time as, even with the heated gear, I was getting the shivers and, while not sleepy per se, I was definitely getting a tad punchy.
Arriving in College Station, I tried to find the bonus in that area (the Bush Library), and follwed the signs, but as I wound up out of town, with no other signs, I decided to bag that idea and just head onward.
I took 6 on to Hearne, and got back on to 79. In Taylor, I needed to make a pit stop badly, and began the curse the one-horse town'ness of Taylor until I found the H.E.B. open on 95. I emptied some things ;-) and did one final gas fillup, and headed up 95 to 29.
The stretch of 29 between 95 and Georgetown is a really nice set of sweeping curves. I toodled through there at 60, enjoying the solitude and the orange moon, which had outpaced my progress westward and was settling as a weird orange, elliptical ball on the horizon. Or maybe it was just my weird state.
In Georgetown, I approached some flashing red lights. My brain quietly noted that they were flashing red lights, then suddenly, I realized, "Flashing red lights mean STOP, you idiot!" So I made it through G'town no problem, and continued on 29 along with the dawn's light, took 281 down to Marble Falls, and pulled into the hotel.
6:20 a.m. or so. Made it.
Epilogue
After turning in my bonus sheets and whatnot, I chatted with Jack Tollett and other folks a bit, but quickly realized that it was highly unlikely I'd be in any state of coherency by the time the 11:30 a.m. banquet rolled around. So, what better thing to do in that case but get back on the bike and head back home.
Actually, I was in OK shape to do this (once I remembered how to shift and brake again...!). There was one big, glaring problem, however, in the shape of the rising sun.
Remember that nice tinted visor I offloaded while at home? Well, I would have given Lots of Cash to have had it back at that point, as I turned on to 29 in Burnett, and headed due east into an eyeball-searing light explosion.
Somehow, I made it to I-35 and have never felt so good to make a right turn in my life...!
I made it home without incident, unpacked my toothbrush, and left everything else where it was.
http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0030sm.jpg (http://bitsof.info/us/tx/wat04/Cimg0030.jpg)
I said my hellos upon entering the house, went upstairs, took a Nice Hot Shower, brushed my teeth, and basically collapsed for about 6 hours. After awaking, I felt a bit like roadkill must, but after some Advil and food, I started to recover.
All in all, I was happy to have met a little riding goal of mine, and I enjoyed the rally quite a bit (except for the post-rally eyeball roast).
The bike ran flawlessly, and the seat was fantastic. Of course, I would get a bit of a sore rear, but the seat allowed me to change position and still have good ergonomics. After about 14 hours, my right wrist got a tad sore, but I realized that this was from a slight slouch from being tired. Straightening up, along with judicious use of suddenly invaluable ThrottleMeister and ThrottleRocker on the right grip, helped alleviate that problem.
The only real complaint I had was the roaring wind noise. I actually think the Saeng Stealth Edging I put on to my aftermarket double-bubble may have actually worsened the problem. I may have to experiment a bit without it.
A few days later, I found out I'd won a door prize at the banquet, namely, a track day, courtesy of Eurosport Cycles (http://www.eurosportcycle.com/), woohoo!
Yup, a pretty interesting way to do an Iron Butt... :mrgreen: