I've spent a good amount of time in the Big Bend region over the last 10 years I've been in Texas. That said, I had never explored the back roads of Big Bend National Park, except a few jaunts a couple miles down Old Maverick and a couple other easy spots.
A couple buddies agreed to meet me in the park on Sunday the 14th and threw their bikes on a trailer and headed down from Arkansas while I spent Saturday doing some light riding down Maverick and Old Ore Roads.
The only established campsite they had available in the ENTIRE park was a ways down Old Ore, so I snatched it up and started the solo ride to my first sleeping spot of the trip.
Still working on editing photos from my DSLR, so my Iphone photos will have to do for the time being
Packed up for a weeks stay in Big Bend.
It was hot. SO **** hot. The kind of heat you expect in late May/early June out there. I waited as long as I could before getting on the road, but it was still in the low 80s when I took off.
Beginning of Old Ore Road
It was hot, but pretty easy going. I stopped to take a couple photos when I heard the familiar hissing sound coming from the gas cap from a hot pressurized gas tank. I let the bike cool off and continued down the road, not worrying about it.
I had just about made it to my camping spot when I heard the hissing noise again, this time a little louder. I pulled the tank bag aside to let it breath and rode the last mile or two to camp.
That's when things got kind of interesting...
I stopped the bike, got off and the hissing wasn't going away. I had the bright idea to just crack the gas cap to let it vent before I started unpacking the bike.
You know those moments where you wish you had a gopro? Or, you know, those moments where you wish you could go back and do something different?
I cracked the gas cap and........ WOOOOOOSH, out came just over a gallon of gas, bursting like old faithful almost 8 feet in the air.
Ecoterrorism in Big Bend - The aftermath of the gas ...accident
After running for my life, expecting the bike to explode, I took that photo and figured I was stuck in the desert with a gallon of water and 11 Mountain Houses. I could survive for at least the night.
I rolled the bike away from all the plant life and started taking her apart, assuming I had a clogged vent line, a fouled up gas cap or something clogging the fuel tank, not letting vapor escape.
Worse places to be taking your bike apart - Notice the vent line coming from the tank, where the seat goes
More stripping down
Found that the Wolfman Rainer tank bag that I had bought/installed had rubbed the tank vent line in half with one of the tie down straps under the seat. Ditched the bag, cut a new vent line and started to button her back up.
Juggling a beer and tools at the same time. This was a common result. So much so that I took a photo of it
Find the dropped bolt
Got the bike buttoned back together and she fired right back up, a little low on fuel, but no more vapor issues (yet anyway ).
Set up the tent and got ready to hit the sack. Watched the last bit of sun drop over the mountains, drinking a then warm Coors.
Old Ore Road heading South
Last look before hitting the road in the morning to join some friends in Terlingua to start the week.
A couple buddies agreed to meet me in the park on Sunday the 14th and threw their bikes on a trailer and headed down from Arkansas while I spent Saturday doing some light riding down Maverick and Old Ore Roads.
The only established campsite they had available in the ENTIRE park was a ways down Old Ore, so I snatched it up and started the solo ride to my first sleeping spot of the trip.
Still working on editing photos from my DSLR, so my Iphone photos will have to do for the time being
Packed up for a weeks stay in Big Bend.
It was hot. SO **** hot. The kind of heat you expect in late May/early June out there. I waited as long as I could before getting on the road, but it was still in the low 80s when I took off.
Beginning of Old Ore Road
It was hot, but pretty easy going. I stopped to take a couple photos when I heard the familiar hissing sound coming from the gas cap from a hot pressurized gas tank. I let the bike cool off and continued down the road, not worrying about it.
I had just about made it to my camping spot when I heard the hissing noise again, this time a little louder. I pulled the tank bag aside to let it breath and rode the last mile or two to camp.
That's when things got kind of interesting...
I stopped the bike, got off and the hissing wasn't going away. I had the bright idea to just crack the gas cap to let it vent before I started unpacking the bike.
You know those moments where you wish you had a gopro? Or, you know, those moments where you wish you could go back and do something different?
I cracked the gas cap and........ WOOOOOOSH, out came just over a gallon of gas, bursting like old faithful almost 8 feet in the air.
Ecoterrorism in Big Bend - The aftermath of the gas ...accident
After running for my life, expecting the bike to explode, I took that photo and figured I was stuck in the desert with a gallon of water and 11 Mountain Houses. I could survive for at least the night.
I rolled the bike away from all the plant life and started taking her apart, assuming I had a clogged vent line, a fouled up gas cap or something clogging the fuel tank, not letting vapor escape.
Worse places to be taking your bike apart - Notice the vent line coming from the tank, where the seat goes
More stripping down
Found that the Wolfman Rainer tank bag that I had bought/installed had rubbed the tank vent line in half with one of the tie down straps under the seat. Ditched the bag, cut a new vent line and started to button her back up.
Juggling a beer and tools at the same time. This was a common result. So much so that I took a photo of it
Find the dropped bolt
Got the bike buttoned back together and she fired right back up, a little low on fuel, but no more vapor issues (yet anyway ).
Set up the tent and got ready to hit the sack. Watched the last bit of sun drop over the mountains, drinking a then warm Coors.
Old Ore Road heading South
Last look before hitting the road in the morning to join some friends in Terlingua to start the week.