My wife and I test ride retirement

[tshelfer]

Nice pix. I haven't been to Zion in many years, never to Angels Landing. And after looking at that last ridge, I probably won't. I've walked the Grand Canyon - probably harder, but a lot less scary.

[xcaliber]

I agree with you on Bryce Canyon, that place is hard to believe while you are standing there looking at it. Agree to on the Moki. It's not that difficult but the way to go to Or come from Mexican hat. We rode it on a Goldwing, a VTX , a HD Road King and a BMW RT. No prob. Iwas concered with the run from Mexican Hat to Hanksville. 167 miles between towns and the gas lite on the X comes on at 120! thank goodness the Marina was open. Paid $4.50 a gal and was glad to do it. Beautiful report, can't wait to go back. My avitar is just outside of Monument Valley.

[humanrace]

Originally Posted by tshelfer

Nice pix. I haven't been to Zion in many years, never to Angels Landing. And after looking at that last ridge, I probably won't. I've walked the Grand Canyon - probably harder, but a lot less scary.

Walking the Grand Canyon is on my BL. Angels landing is mainly like Pikes peak. Do it because everyone else did it. The views from the West Rim Trail are essentially the same and no ridge or chains.

[humanrace]

Originally Posted by xcaliber

I agree with you on Bryce Canyon, that place is hard to believe while you are standing there looking at it. Agree to on the Moki. It's not that difficult but the way to go to Or come from Mexican hat. We rode it on a Goldwing, a VTX , a HD Road King and a BMW RT. No prob. Iwas concered with the run from Mexican Hat to Hanksville. 167 miles between towns and the gas lite on the X comes on at 120! thank goodness the Marina was open. Paid $4.50 a gal and was glad to do it. Beautiful report, can't wait to go back. My avitar is just outside of Monument Valley.

Moki is doable on a stretched out hardtail chopper if you're a good rider. There used to be a gas station between Hanksville and Mexican Hat at a place called Fry Canyon. I noticed that it looked deserted. We bought gas in Hanksville and the price was 4.19/gal, the highest we paid on the trip. It was also a pump first then pay kind of place. I guess at 4.19 you can afford a few drive offs.

[tshelfer]

Originally Posted by humanrace

Walking the Grand Canyon is on my BL. Angels landing is mainly like Pikes peak. Do it because everyone else did it. The views from the West Rim Trail are essentially the same and no ridge or chains.

Go for it. It's hard, but it's perfectly doable. To do it and enjoy it, it's all about research and preparation. You'll see all sorts of flabby, ill prepared people close to the river and the vast majority of them somehow make it out under their own power. For the rest, the mule trains always have a couple of spare animals along, to carry the "drag-outs", as they call them - for a price, of course.

I trained for a year - which is how far in advance I had to make reservations to spend the night at the Phantom Ranch. I'm a runner anyway, and I work on the theory that if I can run 10 miles on flat ground, I can walk 10 miles up a steep hill.

The Bright Angel Trail is like the interstate highway - carries over 90% of all the traffic from the South Rim. I went down the South Kaibab - 7 miles and pretty step, but the views are spectacular - and, the next morning, came up the Bright Angel. Going down, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Coming up, there was a steady stream of people. There are other, less used trails, but they're definitely not for amateurs like me.

BTW, I do want to try it again before I'm 65.

[humanrace]

Originally Posted by tshelfer

BTW, I do want to try it again before I'm 65.

I can't do that. I did walk the Colorado Trail 10 years ago. At least most of it, I ran out of time and skipped the part from Salida to Lake City.

[P-Ratt]

Originally Posted by humanrace

... an FZ1 is shorter isn’t it? I can’t think of a better dual sport bike than an FZ1, right? I could even sell my aging Superhawk. That’s what I said when I bought my Mille. Might as well keep the DRZ. It’ll be easy to load into the Ecoboost.

We can always compare size the next time I see you...

[tshelfer]

Originally Posted by humanrace

I can't do that. I did walk the Colorado Trail 10 years ago. At least most of it, I ran out of time and skipped the part from Salida to Lake City.

Good for you! That's something I had always wanted to do at retirement. But instead, life happened and I won't have the time anytime soon.

How long did that take?

[humanrace]

Like I said, I skipped the part from Salida to Spring Creek Pass between Lake City and Creede, that's 100 miles. Also, the first 25 miles was a burned out area due to some jilted ranger lady burning love letters and starting a forest fire and I skipped that, another 25 miles. I ran out of vacation when I got to Molas Pass and had to go home. The last 70 miles would have to wait. The math doesn't add up. 195 miles skipped from 478 miles total trail distance is 283 and I walked 335 miles. I got lost, twice. I walked the lost distance so I counted it. I did not count the distance I walked to towns to resupply. I have since gone back and walked 70 miles and plan to walk the 100 mile section from Salida to Spring Creek Pass. I probably won't walk the 1st 25 miles near Denver.

Total vacation was 30 days. 2 days to get there, 2 days to get home, 1 day to get aclimated at 10,000' (Kenosha Pass campground) and 1 off trail day when I hitched a ride from Salida to Lake City. I got a ride with Gudy, the matriarch of the Colorado trail. That was only 1 of the amazing things that happened during my walk. 24 days of backpacking, averaging 14 miles per day. My shortest, and hardest, day was 8 miles and my longest was 22.

I resupplied in Copper Mountain, Twin Lakes and Salida. The best way to resupply is to send yourself packages. Joe Blow, General Delivery, Copper Mountain. The post offices will keep the package for a month or more.

I met 12 other backpackers and I was the slowest by far. My notes for day 13 say, "I got lost today and found the Continental Divide Trail which branches off a jeep road. I should have gotten out the trail guide instead of relying on the trailside data book, but I had already walked 18 miles and was in a big hurry. No big deal. I was trying to get to the post office in Twin Lakes grocery before it closed. In this small town they will let you pick up packages on Sunday. I met a guy that started the trail in Denver 4 days after I started. He has hiked 25 miles farther in 4 less days." Note: the post office in Twin Lakes is in the grocery store and the store owner is the postmaster.

Everyone was faster, even the 70 year old woman that put on her pack by laying down on it, putting on the straps, turning over on all fours, and using hiking poles to help her stand. She took off and 20 minutes later was out of sight.

[SL350]

I enjoy all of this. Not sure 2 up on a DR400 is my cup of tea but the rest of it rocks.

[humanrace]

Originally Posted by P-Ratt

We can always compare size the next time I see you...

What!!!!!

[tshelfer]

Sounds like quite an adventure (the Colo Trail). I also have to say that it sounded a lot more enticing when I was 51 than it does now that I'm 61. The ground is getting harder or something. Thanks for the info on that adventure.

[fastf3]

Originally Posted by humanrace

Final race of the season coming up this next weekend and my team is in the lead for the overall championship. If it happens, it will be the first time an F7 bike has won overall.

ahhh, Dennie... correction!! ur memory must have gotton clouded on that awesome vaction! Maybe it was all that beer! haha The over all championship was won on a F7 (XR100) bike piloted by Tuttle n Fisher way back when the first 65's started coming out. 😃
PS... U are still my hero!!!

[humanrace]

Originally Posted by fastf3

ahhh, Dennie... correction!! ur memory must have gotton clouded on that awesome vaction! Maybe it was all that beer! haha The over all championship was won on a F7 (XR100) bike piloted by Tuttle n Fisher way back when the first 65's started coming out. ��
PS... U are still my hero!!!

Ahhhh Mark. I beg to differ. I sleep with the woman that keeps the records. Do you think that record could escape the shredder? I do have a faint memory of racers named Tuttle and Fisher.

[fastf3]

Originally Posted by humanrace

Ahhhh Mark. I beg to differ. I sleep with the woman that keeps the records. Do you think that record could escape the shredder? I do have a faint memory of racers named Tuttle and Fisher.

ahhh Dennie, after checking my sources, i stand corrected. the championship im thinking about was won on a stock XR100 ridden by a blazingly fast Tuttle n factory Fisher. unfortunately it was called superbike back then, not F7. congratulations if in fact you do win this weekend and become the first overall F7 champions!😘
and who is this Mark guy u speak of? He must be fast!😉

[ekms377]

Denny, thanks for the pics and story. Amazing shots. I need to get out there.

Also, good luck in the race.

[Irishcoffee]

Retirement, just do it! Takes a while to deal with all the doubts and nagging worries till you can fully understand "freedom" but one day you will wake up and understand. And don't pay much attention to anything a financial planner tells you, he doesn't understand either or he would be retired also. You can always buy another bike, etc but you cannot buy more time. Use what you have left wisely.

[humanrace]

Originally Posted by ekms377

Denny, thanks for the pics and story. Amazing shots. I need to get out there.

Also, good luck in the race.

You do need to get out there, Eric. Thanks for the compliments and the good wishes.