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Around the Bend 2011 - Feb 24-27, Terlingua

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Location
Buda, TX
First Name
Rich
Last Name
Gibbens
Early registration has ended - I'm placing the order today for the commemorative mugs, so early registration is now over. If you missed early registration you can register Friday morning, Feb 25th (first day of the event), at the riders meeting. I'll have a few extra commemorative mugs - first come, first served.



Mark your calendars: The 2011 Around the Bend motorcycle rally is Feb 24 - 27, 2011 in Terlingua, Texas.

This is the 4th year of the Around the Bend rally and, as always, this event is open to all. It doesn't matter if you are a street only or a dual sport rider, there is plenty of good riding for all, so come on out.

What kind of event is this? It's a casual event. No pre-determined course for everyone to ride. No set schedule to follow. Just show up, ride, and have a great time. Whether you attend by yourself or bring your friends, there will be others to ride with. Grab some buddies and ride when you want and where you want. Have an adventure. Got a few extra days off? Then come on out early. Or stay a few days late.

Rider Meeting: Riders are invited to converge each morning at 8 a.m. at Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe to meet up, find someone to ride with, and/or select the day's route. Come early if you want breakfast or to enjoy Kathy's campfire (highly recommended).

Bring Firewood if you can Kathy of Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe always needs firewood (it's a desert out there, no trees) for her cowboy breakfast fire so if you bring some with you we will all be very appreciative. Just drop it off at her Kafe when you arrive.

Evenings: Thursday and Friday evening at 6 p.m. there will be an informal rider gathering on the front porch of the Starlight Theater / Terlingua Trading Company to drink a few beers, grab a meal, and share the adventures of the day. Saturday evening, 6 p.m., there is a banquet at the Study Butte Community Center.

Hanging Out at Uncle's Place: Uncle's got a nice place in Terlingua. Please feel free to stop by and say hello. The grid coordinates to Uncle's place are 29°18'49.32"N 103°36'33.39"W.

Sleeping: Need a place to sleep? Grab a room at one of the local motels; there are several to choose from. I suggest the El Dorado hotel in Terlingua as "hotel central". It is a nice place to stay and is centrally located. The last time I checked single rooms were $79 per night and doubles were $89 per night. Their phone number is 432-371-2111.

Want to camp? Free camping is available at Gareth Park (across the street from the El Dorado Hotel). The land is private property but the owner allows us to use the land during this event. It's just raw land, so no hook-ups or anything like that but it did have an outhouse the last time I was there. In the past, most campers end up at Gareth Park, which can be good and bad (good = lots of folks to hang out & visit with; bad = might be a little too close to snoring campers; the good probably outweighs the bad). There are also several pay camp sites where you can pitch a tent for a few dollars. See the Big Bend ride guide for a list of all the motels & camping places.

Dirt or Street? Is this a dual sport event or a street bike event? Yes! It is both. Both dual sport and street-only riders attend the Around the Bend. It doesn't matter what you ride, there will be places to ride and people to ride with, so come on out. You won't regret it.

There are some awesome paved roads in the Big Bend area that really shouldn't be missed, especially if you are a Texas motorcyclist. In fact, Hwy 170, aka "River Road" is one of the top 5 motorcycling roads in Texas.

Lots of dual sport riders show up to ride the Big Bend boonies, so if you've always wanted to go play in the dirt at Big Bend but just haven't made it yet, this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.

Will it be Fun? Absolutely! No question about it! Unless you don't like riding, then you won't have any fun. If you haven't ridden in Big Bend before you simply don't know what you are missing. If you have, then you already know how much fun it is.

T-shirts? Not this year. At least not an Around the Bend commemorative t-shirt. For 2011 you get a commemorative engraved drinking glass. You get one with your registration but if you need extra order them with registration because only a very few extras will be available for purchase during the event. If you wait untill the event to register the odds are that you probably won't get a glass. If you wait till the event to buy an extra one you probably won't get it. Like I said, limited quantities.

Texas Adventure Rider t-shirts? A time or two each year I have a new batch of limited edition Texas Adventure Rider t-shirts printed up. This is one of those times. If you don't have one of the new ones, now is your opportunity. Order one with your registration.

Can we ride in Mexico? Absolutely. There is a really awesome canyon (Peguis Canyon) about 25 miles south of Ojinaga, Mexico that is well worth a visit. You don't need to do any paperwork to visit it either; just cross the border and head south, you can't miss it. Bring your passport or passcard though, because you will need it to get back into the United States.

Is it safe? Mexico sure is close. As of this writing all the border drug stuff you've been hearing about on the news hasn't been an issue in the Big Bend region.

More information here: Around the Bend web page

Download the registration form here: 2011 Around the Bend Registration Form

Rusty's GPS Class - Friday Night, 6:30pm, Study Butte Community Center: New to the GPS and need a little training? Want to move from beginner to advanced user? Well, this 1 hour class is just the ticket. Rusty is an expert GPS guy and will be teaching a very informative 1 hour GPS class that is open to any and all. The cost is $1 per person, payable to Rusty at the door.

Adventure Photography Class - Friday Night, 7:30 pm, Study Butte Community Center: For those looking to improve their photography skills we will have a 1 hour adventure photography class on Friday night. This class will provide an introduction to both the technical aspects of photography (things like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, etc) and the art of photography (the rules of composition). If you've been wondering what all those buttons on your camera do or want to develop your "photographer's eye" then this class is for you. $1 per person, payable at the door to the instructor. Bring your camera.
 
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Sounds like a great winter break. Is a campfire allowed at Gareth Park? As one guy said, it can be colder than a witch's heart out there in February without a fire. If so there's 3-4 of us in for camping and the dirt.
 
Good question. I don't know of any issues with having a fire at Gareth Park as long as there isn't a county fire ban. You'll need to bring firewood with you (no trees in the desert).
 
We've got plenty of firewood and room for it since I'll be trucking the DRZ down there. I'll watch for a ban in February. Looking forward to it.




Good question. I don't know of any issues with having a fire at Gareth Park as long as there isn't a county fire ban. You'll need to bring firewood with you (no trees in the desert).
 
Me and two friends did almost all the dirt in BBNP. I was on a DRZ, one KLR and one GSAdventure. The GSA was hurting. The KLR was OK. The DRZ rocked. Lighter is always better I guess. Most of the dirt is hardpack, but there's some deep sand and then there's Black Gap.

Black Gap is the only road you'd have to be careful of, and its easier N/S or S/N (can't remember right now), but after all the hype it was really no concern either way once I got there. I'll look up the ride reports I used a few years ago and post the Easy Way when we get closer to the ride.


I'm in.
Only question is KLR or XRR?
 
I'm in.
Only question is KLR or XRR?

With your fine riding skills either bike will be fine on any of the non-paved roads in the area.

Hi Astor, Richard is right, but isn't the Honda just more fun?

I am going to try to get down early for this. :trust:

Richard here's a little of what you missed in Clarksville, JJ stuntin' in the creek!
1072315182_ibx28-L.jpg
 
This sounds great - I'll try to make it too.

If I show up on a Triumph Scrambler will I be shunned?;-)

Does a group usually ride to Peguis canyon? I'd really like to try that!
 
Your Scrambler is more likely to be ogled than shunned.

So far every year at least one group of riders has ridden over to Peguis Canyon. You just got nominated to organize the ride to Peguis this year. :clap:
 
This sounds great - I'll try to make it too.

If I show up on a Triumph Scrambler will I be shunned?;-)

Does a group usually ride to Peguis canyon? I'd really like to try that!

I went last year. Worth the trip!

1094560808_D5zNq-L.jpg


1094560975_wj2GA-L.jpg
 
Hi Astor, Richard is right, but isn't the Honda just more fun?

I am going to try to get down early for this. :trust:

Richard here's a little of what you missed in Clarksville, JJ stuntin' in the creek!
1072315182_ibx28-L.jpg

I wasn't stuntin JT......I was trying to keep the rubber side up!Needles to say......it didn't work.
 
You mean go into Mexico? Are you nuts?

The front page information says this area hasn't been a safety problem. That's my question too and why I was interested in a group ride.

Maybe someone in the know can provide more information about what that ride is like, and what the conditions are.
 
The front page information says this area hasn't been a safety problem. That's my question too and why I was interested in a group ride.

Maybe someone in the know can provide more information about what that ride is like, and what the conditions are.

Dude, Bob is pulling your leg. He's just back from riding to Oaxaca for a week!
 
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