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tjrockit
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This was my first trip to Big Bend. I have only been riding Dual Sport motorcycles (or any motorcycles) for a little less than 2 years now so this is my biggest adventure ride since the 2009 TAR (Texas Adventure Ride) ride in Junction, TX.
So how did it get started. Last year, the Torch Riders invited me to go to Big Bend. They had a meet and greet and discussed the logistics of going. At the end of the meeting I got handed a copy of "Dual Sport Ride Check List" After reading it I got a little freaked and decided I wasn't up to the skill level yet to go so I backed out and spent the next year working on techniques and it was well worth the wait.
Richard of "The Texas Adventure Company" posted the announcement and I jumped on board immediately. Now to find a room, someone to ride with and get all the supplies needed.
Bob (BobAustin), a co-worker of mine was the first to jump aboard. He brought an old school buddy of his, Andrew (pecos). I met Jeff ( medicjeff) on RDS who was also looking for other riders to go. And finally I saw James (JBay)was looking for a room and he and I roomed together at the 2009 TAR ride.
Below is my account of the Big Bend ride with the guys from Cabin #19.
The day before the ride, Austin gets hit with a small snow store. Being from Colorado, it's just a light dusting but the citizens of Austin rarely see snow so the weathermen were exuding with excitement!! Our group had decided to drive down Wednesday, ride 3 days and come home on Sunday. Wednesday morning, it was still below freezing and I had to pour cold water our my truck doors so I could get them open.
James drove down on Sunday. The rest of the group was going to caravan from Austin. Jeff and I in my truck with the 3 wheel trailer and Bob and Andrew in Andrews truck with his Versa Hauler. We meet at an Exxon on 290. On my way out of the store after a quick pit stop, this old boy was standing at the door looking at our motorcycles and says, "Are those idiots going out riding today?" and smiled and looked at him as I pushed open the other door and said, "Yes we are and we're going to love it!!"
We reached Terlingua, TX in about 8.5 hours, got the bikes unloaded and settled in Cabin #19.
Wednesday night we ate at the Starlight Theater Restaurant & Bar and listed to live music. I can't remember the name of song writer/singer but we loved the trash can song!! Great burgers, excellent service, nice ambiance and reasonably priced.
We got up the next morning at 6:00 AM to the sound of Andrew's alarm and him pleading, "Bobby, would you come rub my feet!!". There were some manly "things" that were also shared that have the same effect as smelling salts.
After suiting up, we ate awesome burritos at Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe and hit the road by 8:00 AM.
After being on the road for about 20 minutes we stopped to take a break because is was only about 40 to 45 degrees and it was COLD!! I wish I got a picture of Bob sucking his thumb trying to get it to warm up.
The first day we decided to ride Big Bend Ranch State Park. From the Chisos Mining Co. Motel it took an hour to get to the entrance and about another hour to get to the back section where all the best riding is in my opinion. By 10:00 we were getting into some good dirt and very quickly we were peeling off the layers. Here I am taking a break with the boys.
James is all smiles after doing a close up dirt sample.
He got a pretty good bruise from the Cycle Rack landing on his shin. Somehow it got between his body armor.
I put my name tag on my bike so folks would recognize me and introduce themselves.
The next set of pictures is in "The Solitario" area. We followed a few roads that ended up at dead ends that I'm guessing are for camping. I really enjoyed this section and many of the roads looked like they had been cut in the last several months since there was still fresh vegetation in the road.
We got back to the cabin around 6:00 PM after doing a little over 200 miles that day. Since it was 60 miles to the entrance, we only got a little over 80 miles of dirt.
We ate dinner at La Kiva Restaurant & Bar. It is a cool little place from the building structure but unfortunately the service and food was lacking. It took an hour and a half to finally get our food and we heard the waitress tell someone else near us that the cook can only cook 6 meals at a time. Which was no big deal when there was only about 20 folks there to eat.
Again, Thursday morning, Andrew's alarm goes off at 6:00 AM and the sound of "Bobby, please, would you come rub my feet" is echoing through the cabin. We had another fine breakfast at Kathy's and hooked up with a new rider, Ken (dfwrider) who was looking for a group to ride with. We had decided to ride Big Bend National Park.
We peeled our outer layer pretty as it was already heating up. We started our ride on Old Maverick Road. The canyons and the desert mountain scenery can be breath taking.
Be prepared for pebble sized gravel that is loose and can be deep in spots. Very similar to riding in sand.
Me and my bike before we were grey with dust.
Another little break to take a rest and drink in the scenery.
Once we completed Old Maverick Road we tackled River Road West. Since it was still early morning, my energy was high and my muscle soreness from the previous day wasn't hindering my riding. I usually ride sweep for 2 reasons. One, I'm the slowest rider
and Two, I don't the feeling of another rider on top of me. I was doing well keeping up with the group. Standing on the bike and pushing through the loose gravel and sand was excellent. I had one long straight where I was running around 40 mph through loose sand when out of nowhere there was a dip in the road. My back tire caught the bottom and then the edge and slapped back so hard it hit me in the buttock in a standing position. It was a quick adrenaline rush but didn't phase my confidence and I just keep hanging in there and enjoying the ride.
At the south end of Black Gap Road where we stopped to eat lunch and take a break, we met a gentleman, Robert (RLCanon) riding a sweet KTM 990 Adventure that was fully loaded with all his camping and traveling gear. At this point my energy was still good and I took a little time to stretch my legs.
A short time later Robert needed a little help.
This is the one section of Black Gap Road that in my opinion makes it a class 3. A little tricky but doable.
Here I am sporting my "Beaker" from the Muppets look.
Andrew hailed us to stop here to get some pics of the bike with the nice landscape in the background.
The herd...
The riders...
After riding hard and finishing Black Gap Road, we conquered Glenn Spring Road and then headed up to Panther Junction to gas and take a break. At this point I was getting mentally fatigued and my legs were really sore from standing and using them as shock absorbers. I was debating heading back to the cabin and calling it a day when the guys started talking about Old Oar Road. I wasn't sure I could make, so I went and got a Snickers bar to think on it a bit. There was something in that candy bar that my body was missing. My mental energy came back and I decided to go and it was well worth it!! Some of the best riding all day and the views were beautiful.
Two little pigs.
We finished the day and did near 200 miles again. We decided to eat dinner again at the Starlight where the burgers were good. James had finished his 5th day of riding and decided to pack up and go home on Saturday. He was missed but he got in all the riding he wanted to.
Saturday morning, 6:00 AM, "Bobby..." We decided to ride Terlingua Ranch. An excellent area to ride, enjoy the views, get lost and turned around and practice your dirt corner slides. It was a great day for me since my legs were very sore and I got to sit most of the day.
On our search for Hen Egg Road, we found this sweet hill that we all got a little air off of.
On our lost journey we found this dead end that had this old bike and an area that looked like someone at one time was trying to create a living area for themselves. We ate lunch here and took a little break.
Those fuel cells pay off when you're far from a gas station. Andrews is videoing Bob and providing a little commentary.
The only flat tire of the trip. Ken got a pinch flat at the bottom of one of the dry creek crossing.
I got to use my portable Slime air pump that I bought for this trip. It was excellent to make that investment and then be able to lend a helping hand.
Sign says it all.
Here's the boys at the end of the day. Enjoying a beer and sharing stories. It was a privilege and a joy to meet and ride with all of you.
Sunday morning, 6:00 AM, ...
On I-10 we got pounded by the wind on the drive home. Got the worst gas mileage I've ever gotten in my truck. At one of the gas stations, I took this shot of a near by flag.
Still got home around 3:30 PM on Sunday. Can't believe how dusty bike is and all my gear. Looks like I've got a large washing project to work on for the next week.
Can you say DUSTY!! FYI - The helmet is gloss black.
Two thumbs up for Big Bend. Loved it!!
So how did it get started. Last year, the Torch Riders invited me to go to Big Bend. They had a meet and greet and discussed the logistics of going. At the end of the meeting I got handed a copy of "Dual Sport Ride Check List" After reading it I got a little freaked and decided I wasn't up to the skill level yet to go so I backed out and spent the next year working on techniques and it was well worth the wait.
Richard of "The Texas Adventure Company" posted the announcement and I jumped on board immediately. Now to find a room, someone to ride with and get all the supplies needed.
Bob (BobAustin), a co-worker of mine was the first to jump aboard. He brought an old school buddy of his, Andrew (pecos). I met Jeff ( medicjeff) on RDS who was also looking for other riders to go. And finally I saw James (JBay)was looking for a room and he and I roomed together at the 2009 TAR ride.
Below is my account of the Big Bend ride with the guys from Cabin #19.
The day before the ride, Austin gets hit with a small snow store. Being from Colorado, it's just a light dusting but the citizens of Austin rarely see snow so the weathermen were exuding with excitement!! Our group had decided to drive down Wednesday, ride 3 days and come home on Sunday. Wednesday morning, it was still below freezing and I had to pour cold water our my truck doors so I could get them open.
James drove down on Sunday. The rest of the group was going to caravan from Austin. Jeff and I in my truck with the 3 wheel trailer and Bob and Andrew in Andrews truck with his Versa Hauler. We meet at an Exxon on 290. On my way out of the store after a quick pit stop, this old boy was standing at the door looking at our motorcycles and says, "Are those idiots going out riding today?" and smiled and looked at him as I pushed open the other door and said, "Yes we are and we're going to love it!!"
We reached Terlingua, TX in about 8.5 hours, got the bikes unloaded and settled in Cabin #19.
Wednesday night we ate at the Starlight Theater Restaurant & Bar and listed to live music. I can't remember the name of song writer/singer but we loved the trash can song!! Great burgers, excellent service, nice ambiance and reasonably priced.
We got up the next morning at 6:00 AM to the sound of Andrew's alarm and him pleading, "Bobby, would you come rub my feet!!". There were some manly "things" that were also shared that have the same effect as smelling salts.
After suiting up, we ate awesome burritos at Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe and hit the road by 8:00 AM.
After being on the road for about 20 minutes we stopped to take a break because is was only about 40 to 45 degrees and it was COLD!! I wish I got a picture of Bob sucking his thumb trying to get it to warm up.
The first day we decided to ride Big Bend Ranch State Park. From the Chisos Mining Co. Motel it took an hour to get to the entrance and about another hour to get to the back section where all the best riding is in my opinion. By 10:00 we were getting into some good dirt and very quickly we were peeling off the layers. Here I am taking a break with the boys.
James is all smiles after doing a close up dirt sample.
He got a pretty good bruise from the Cycle Rack landing on his shin. Somehow it got between his body armor. I put my name tag on my bike so folks would recognize me and introduce themselves.
The next set of pictures is in "The Solitario" area. We followed a few roads that ended up at dead ends that I'm guessing are for camping. I really enjoyed this section and many of the roads looked like they had been cut in the last several months since there was still fresh vegetation in the road.
We got back to the cabin around 6:00 PM after doing a little over 200 miles that day. Since it was 60 miles to the entrance, we only got a little over 80 miles of dirt.
We ate dinner at La Kiva Restaurant & Bar. It is a cool little place from the building structure but unfortunately the service and food was lacking. It took an hour and a half to finally get our food and we heard the waitress tell someone else near us that the cook can only cook 6 meals at a time. Which was no big deal when there was only about 20 folks there to eat.
Again, Thursday morning, Andrew's alarm goes off at 6:00 AM and the sound of "Bobby, please, would you come rub my feet" is echoing through the cabin. We had another fine breakfast at Kathy's and hooked up with a new rider, Ken (dfwrider) who was looking for a group to ride with. We had decided to ride Big Bend National Park.
We peeled our outer layer pretty as it was already heating up. We started our ride on Old Maverick Road. The canyons and the desert mountain scenery can be breath taking.
Be prepared for pebble sized gravel that is loose and can be deep in spots. Very similar to riding in sand.
Me and my bike before we were grey with dust.
Another little break to take a rest and drink in the scenery.
Once we completed Old Maverick Road we tackled River Road West. Since it was still early morning, my energy was high and my muscle soreness from the previous day wasn't hindering my riding. I usually ride sweep for 2 reasons. One, I'm the slowest rider
and Two, I don't the feeling of another rider on top of me. I was doing well keeping up with the group. Standing on the bike and pushing through the loose gravel and sand was excellent. I had one long straight where I was running around 40 mph through loose sand when out of nowhere there was a dip in the road. My back tire caught the bottom and then the edge and slapped back so hard it hit me in the buttock in a standing position. It was a quick adrenaline rush but didn't phase my confidence and I just keep hanging in there and enjoying the ride.At the south end of Black Gap Road where we stopped to eat lunch and take a break, we met a gentleman, Robert (RLCanon) riding a sweet KTM 990 Adventure that was fully loaded with all his camping and traveling gear. At this point my energy was still good and I took a little time to stretch my legs.
A short time later Robert needed a little help.
This is the one section of Black Gap Road that in my opinion makes it a class 3. A little tricky but doable. Here I am sporting my "Beaker" from the Muppets look.
Andrew hailed us to stop here to get some pics of the bike with the nice landscape in the background.
The herd...
The riders...
After riding hard and finishing Black Gap Road, we conquered Glenn Spring Road and then headed up to Panther Junction to gas and take a break. At this point I was getting mentally fatigued and my legs were really sore from standing and using them as shock absorbers. I was debating heading back to the cabin and calling it a day when the guys started talking about Old Oar Road. I wasn't sure I could make, so I went and got a Snickers bar to think on it a bit. There was something in that candy bar that my body was missing. My mental energy came back and I decided to go and it was well worth it!! Some of the best riding all day and the views were beautiful.
Two little pigs.
We finished the day and did near 200 miles again. We decided to eat dinner again at the Starlight where the burgers were good. James had finished his 5th day of riding and decided to pack up and go home on Saturday. He was missed but he got in all the riding he wanted to.
Saturday morning, 6:00 AM, "Bobby..." We decided to ride Terlingua Ranch. An excellent area to ride, enjoy the views, get lost and turned around and practice your dirt corner slides. It was a great day for me since my legs were very sore and I got to sit most of the day.
On our search for Hen Egg Road, we found this sweet hill that we all got a little air off of.
On our lost journey we found this dead end that had this old bike and an area that looked like someone at one time was trying to create a living area for themselves. We ate lunch here and took a little break.
Those fuel cells pay off when you're far from a gas station. Andrews is videoing Bob and providing a little commentary.
The only flat tire of the trip. Ken got a pinch flat at the bottom of one of the dry creek crossing.
I got to use my portable Slime air pump that I bought for this trip. It was excellent to make that investment and then be able to lend a helping hand.
Sign says it all.
Here's the boys at the end of the day. Enjoying a beer and sharing stories. It was a privilege and a joy to meet and ride with all of you.
Sunday morning, 6:00 AM, ...
On I-10 we got pounded by the wind on the drive home. Got the worst gas mileage I've ever gotten in my truck. At one of the gas stations, I took this shot of a near by flag.
Still got home around 3:30 PM on Sunday. Can't believe how dusty bike is and all my gear. Looks like I've got a large washing project to work on for the next week.
Can you say DUSTY!! FYI - The helmet is gloss black.
Two thumbs up for Big Bend. Loved it!!
A pack of XRs, DRZs, Katooms, and what, a BMW XChallenge? Looks like a good group. Glad you'll be able to guide me when it's my turn. 
