• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Uncle is Great, Beer is Good, Dual Sport Riders are Crazy - Around the Bend 2010

Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Messages
4,465
Reaction score
1,222
Location
Buda, TX
First Name
Rich
Last Name
Gibbens
Uncle is great
799458285_hwwzv-L.jpg



Beer is good
799473448_wa4RJ-L.jpg



Dual Sport Riders are crazy
799462255_EsNLi-L.jpg



799453483_u9Hzt-L.jpg



Post up your Around the Bend 2010 ride report and pics.
 
A funny thing happened on my way to Big Bend

OK. Guilty. I was feeling wishy-washy about this year's Ride Around the Bend with Uncle.
Why?? I kept asking myself.
I love Big Bend. Roger is a stand-up guy. I like riding in the dirt. (Though I cringe whenever I think how hard those rocks are out there in the Big Bend.) No..... What was it?
I'm getting up in my years. Another trip out to the Bend? What is it that turns me on? I fretting with this for days.

Finally...., I opted out of my ride out to the Bend. The bike's battery was dead and recharging didn't work.

Well. Now what? I had already taken the time off work, and been so looking forward to this. But kept asking myself,
Where is the FIRE ???

My ride left. I went and bought a new battery. Still no plans.
Thursday morning I woke up and suddenly all was crystal clear.

I know what! I'll ride my Suzuki DRZ400 S out to Terlingua! Yeah, that's it. I'll ride to Uncle's.... thru Mexico. Fantastic. Yeah, I'll cross at Del Rio and re-enter at Ojinaga. Heck, I won't even have to mess with papers. I'll be under the radar. I jumped out of bed and pulled some maps together to check my epiphany. Yeah, you can do that. It'll take a day or so. If I arrive in Presidio Saturday afternoon, ride to Terlingua by Saturday night, hopefully I'll be able to find a ride back to Austin, or at least part way.

I threw together some stuff, overloaded the DRZ and headed out without further ado.
Just have fun, I told myself. You are on your own.

799824584_XTosa-L.jpg


Obviously, there is more to come.
You already know I didn't make it to Terlingua. But it was a neat idea.
 
Re: A funny thing happened on my way to Big Bend

Obviously, there is more to come.
You already know I didn't make it to Terlingua. But it was a neat idea.

This is gonna be good...

:rider:
 
Milton,

I kept expecting you to show up at Terlingua, having traveled there in your inimitable Milton style. Looking forward to your report.
 
Let's go Milton, I can't wait to hear this!

Now come on, guys. I don't want to hijack the thread.
Youse the guys who were in Terlingua. It's your thread. :giveup: I gotta go to work :shrug: and it'll be 8 hrs or so before I post again. :sun:
In the meantime, more pics and stories from those who actually showed. :rider:
Mas adelante
 
Milton,

I kept expecting you to show up at Terlingua, having traveled there in your inimitable Milton style.
Me too, Richard. Me too.
Ahhh, well. Always a day late.
Next time!
 
One of the things that made me laugh was ever time we stopped to take a break and all the guys would pull off their helmets and goggles, they would have this white mustache and a white dot on their nose from the dust. They looked like a little kid who put his face in the milk glass and drank it too fast. :lol2:

I can't believe how dusty all my gear is. I have a ton of laundry to do and then go clean all my gear and the bike. :brainsnap
 
Just an FYI. The older fellow that broke his collar bone Friday out on River Road was John Schuenemann. He's a 75 year young dirt rider and I might say tough as nails. We were forty six miles from the park entrance at highway 118,twenty or so miles into River Road West,and forty one miles from Rio Grande Village when he went down.
I left him and his son Alex at the location where he went down,then headed for the Village to get him some help. Luckily for everyone, I ran into Ranger Rod twenty miles on down the road. Ranger Rod whipped out his trusty satellite phone and got an emergency crew down there to help him out. The emergency crew decided not to take him over land,so the called in Care Flight. Any way,John got him a nice helicopter ride ($$$$$$$),his son Alex made it back to town,and finally they got John's bike out of there.
John is back at home in Dallas taking it easy,and he said he can't wait for the next ride.

By the way.............I still had a blast.
 
Richard on the down hill side of Black Gap.

P1100316.jpg


Trice Pilot having a flat right out of the gate.

IMG_1286.jpg
 
Had a great time at the Ride around the Bend, Met some great people and had a couple really good rides. Hadn't been on the bike in a while and its amazing how easily it can put a smile on my face. Now, I really want to hear the story about how those guys went for a ride in Terlingua Ranch (I think it was Hen Egg Road), and wound up in Presidio. And better yet can they map it for us?
 
What goes here, ain't no one gonna post??
Someone got medivaced out?
Someone headed out for Hen Egg Road and ended up in Presidio?
Are you guys gonna post or do I have to start with my story and I wasn't even there?
Maybe I should start a seperate thread.
 
Now THAT was a good weekend. I had a great time meeting all of the great riders on here and riding through the desert with you guys. Here are a few photos from the more than 200 I snapped.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1646.jpg
    IMG_1646.jpg
    36.5 KB · Views: 305
  • IMG_1681.jpg
    IMG_1681.jpg
    55.4 KB · Views: 311
  • IMG_1619.jpg
    IMG_1619.jpg
    66.2 KB · Views: 304
  • IMG_1588.jpg
    IMG_1588.jpg
    60.4 KB · Views: 302
  • IMG_1728.jpg
    IMG_1728.jpg
    50.8 KB · Views: 314
Prelude - The Fellowship of the Ride

"Milton are you in?"
"I don't know, Richard. I have the time off but I've got some other things I need to do."

I called Milton the weekend before the rally to discuss our travel arrangements but Milton wasn't sure if he was going. After a short discussion he decided all the other stuff in his life could wait. He was going to Big Bend with me on Wednesday afternoon.

On Wednesday morning he called and said he wasn't going to make it after all. Life was getting in the way and was screwing up his mojo.

Two hours later Tricepilot called. He had lost his ride - his buddy was having trailer problems. "Hey, Bob, I just happen to have an extra spot on my trailer as of 8:30 this morning. It's yours if you want it." "Okay, I'll take it."

The Fellowship of the Ride was set. Stuntman Jeff, Tricepilot, Mrs._, and I would load the bikes on my trailer and head west with adventure as our goal.

At 4p.m. Milton showed up at my house. I could tell he wanted to go to Big Bend but the stars weren't aligning for him. We talked about it for a few minutes and as I watched him drive off I figured, I hoped, he would jump on his DRZ Thursday morning and ride it to Terlingua. He's crazy enough to do it, too, as those of us lucky enough to know him are well aware.

At 2 p.m. we rolled into Uncle's place. Odie Coyote greeted us with a howl.
725601379_ySBw2-L.jpg
 
Day 1 - My Favorite Road in Big Bend National Park

The reason we headed to Big Bend on Wednesday afternoon instead of Thursday morning was so we would have an extra day of riding. More riding is good, right?

I really wanted to go exploring in Mexico on Thursday but we got in later Wed night than planned and started Thursday morning later than planned that I knew we just wouldn't have time to do so. No problem. Neither Stuntman Jeff or Tricepilot had ridden Old Ore Road in Big Bend National Park and it's a great road so we decided to ride it instead. You can't go wrong riding Old Ore Road.

Tricepilot and the Darth Vader black KLR
800312887_HovFB-L.jpg



Stuntman Jeff and the DRZ
800309630_s68JU-L.jpg


First, we had to grab some breakfast at Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe. You gotta be fueled up for the ride. Wow, that Kathy sure can cook. You've got to eat breakfast there at least once the next time you are in Terlingua. You can't miss her place - it's right on Hwy 170 and it's really, really pink.

The food and ambiance are Kosmic
725517477_eHrfj-L.jpg


Kathy has a cowboy fire every day
725513562_ZUf2v-L.jpg


Artist's rendition of Kathy's silhouette.
725515480_dnq5G-L.jpg


We ran into Byron and Cody and they decided to join us for the ride. They are young, fast, and skilled.

Cody rides a KTM 640 Adventure like a Dakar racer
800303444_nSwtA-L.jpg


Byron and his beautiful KTM 690 Enduro R. I'm not sure if he rides like a Dakar racer too - he was so far ahead of me all day I never actually got to see him ride. :lol2:
800305524_qJpwo-L.jpg


We stopped at the Study Butte store to top off our tanks. When was the last time you saw a pay phone? Think about it. If you ever need one, there is still one on the wall outside the Study Butte store. I have no idea how long it will be there, so you might want to hurry if you want to use it.
800303902_n9am9-L.jpg



All the prelimanry stuff was now out of the way. It was finally time to ride...
 
Sorry about just a link. Too many pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vinnyrubicon/20100302?feat=email#

Thanks Richard . Lots of fun as always. Riding back was tough on Sunday. Made it to Fort Stockton, then it got too windy for I-10. Passed the night in Fort Stockton and then rode in the rain and 50 F weather today.
You guys w/ trailers had it right this time:giveup:

Names have been held to protect the innocent.
 
Vinny...your tent was in a tent? (pic #62 I think). you guys had too much fun...again.
 
Sorry about just a link. Too many pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vinnyrubicon/20100302?feat=email#

Thanks Richard . Lots of fun as always. Riding back was tough on Sunday. Made it to Fort Stockton, then it got too windy for I-10. Passed the night in Fort Stockton and then rode in the rain and 50 F weather today.
You guys w/ trailers had it right this time:giveup:

Names have been held to protect the innocent.

The wind kept the speed down to 70 or under with a trailer in tow. Some dicy moments in some of the rock passes.
Great pics by the way.
 
Back
Top