22 Miles in First Gear.

The Apache Loop, and certain stops along the way, are popular destination among Phoenician motorcyclists. Wanting to check it out ourselves we so we happened across an seeming reasonable local travel guide and borders and began using it to explore




Day Trips by Sheila Stein has a partiulary useful quality to this author. The trips dont require and planing, one just gets up and goes. The Wrench Wench and I were quite pleaesed this format because it fits our traveling style so well, One major detail this book has though is lack of detail, particularly in the area maps.. This has gotten us into an adventure situation a few times.

The following narrative is but one of those adventures.

This ride actually turned out to be an attempt to connect with one of the local BMW riding clubs. As these things often work out for us there was no real connection with the people. We did make an effort to go along with the plan though, but the ride captain for that day was too aggressive and I soon let us fall back and lose the crowd and then ride our own ride. This had two advantages, first, we could ride our own pace and enjoy it more. We got to turn down a road and play "where does that road go?" And in this case it was very, well interesting little exploration.

Following the group leader for the first part of the ride had put us well into The Apache Loop, or as it is known in the local vernacular, The Apache Trail Circle Road




Without the proper details on the map, we did make it to Roosevelt Dam, and we had to decide whether to go to some of the further possible destinations, or finish the Apache Loop.



Because we were both feeling a bit beat up that day we decided on the shorter route...which finishes the loop. Unbeknown to us the rest of the trail from Roosevelt Dam onward is 22 miles of fairly rough dirt road. And the lovely travel guide we had failed to mention this particular bit. Needless to say it was an interesting 22 miles.



There is a whole lot more story to tell here...but for now I hope this video keeps you entertained.

Thanks!

BMWeerman

Motorcycling to the Stars

This is part two of a journal entry about a recent overnight trip to for Phoenix to Tucson which include some moderate terror and some great joy. As I stated in the previous entry the mechanical problems and change of schedule on Saturday night had put me in a funk and I woke up pretty cranky the next day. However, I really wanted to get my mojo back so while the Wrench Wench slept in a little I was up before dawn hoping to catch some great "sunrise over the mountain" pix. Some reading in the local literature in the hotel room told me that Catalina Mountain Park was just up the road a ways. So in the pre-dawn hours I took my tools and flashlight down to the bike, wrenched on the starter a little bit, which seemed to help, and headed off toward the park.

Because we had not planned for any real early or real late riding there was not a lot of warm stuff packed in the panniers. So, it was pretty chilly ride to the park. I turned off on the exit and drove into the park. A few hundred yard in I encountered the ranger booth. At the booth was a stooped over, elderly woman who regarded me, dressed in full black riding gear, and my motorcycle with profound distrust. I told her I just wanted to come in the park and shoot a few sunrise shots. She was clearly trying to discourage my interest by pointing out that is was yet a ways 'till sunrise. Not swayed by this argument I told her I would need time to set up so that would be OK. Her next tack was to lay the six dollar charge on me which I would be subject to if I was in the park longer than 15 minutes. She made an obvious show of checking her watch and telling me "exactly" when I had to be back. No problem, I handed over six buck, she reluctantly gave me a pass and off I went.

Navigating the narrow, unmarked roads by high-beam it very quickly became apparent that the paved portions of the park were very short and led to RV parking spots and the heads of hiking trails. No way to get any elevation for the shots I wanted. Checking the clock on the bike I noted that there were 3 minutes left of my alloted 15 free minutes. Quickly motoring back to the small, dimly lighted haunt of my nemesis I reminded her of the time and asked for my money back. After another bit of unpleasant exchange I returned my pass and got my six bucks back. I watcher her watch me leave in the rear-view. It was obvious she was happy to see me go.

It was still dark when I arrived back at the hotel so I made do by taking some shots of sunrise over the Santa Catalina Mountains from the window of the hotel room.





Sunrise over the Santa Catalina Mountains from a thid floor hotel window

Patti slept in kind of late and we lazed around the room for a bit, went downstairs for the free breakfast-which was unexpectedly excellent, then had to make a decision on what to do that day. The working plan was to go visit Tombstone, but after a bit of research it became apparent that, in spite of its colorful history, it was merely a tourist trap and we wanted something less touristy and a bit more interesting. So, we opted to drive out into the Sonoran desert and visit the Kitt Peak observatory.

In order to get to Hwy 86 we had to travel the length of Tucson from north to south. Given our newly acquired sensibilities gained by living in Phoenix for six months we assumed an hour and a half drive at least. It turned out to be more like 20 minutes.
Turning west on Hwy 86 we headed onto the Tohono O’odham wilderness.



Riding west into the Tohono O’odham wilderness

Not too far on down the road we came to the intersection of 86/386 which turns roughly north.



Looking north from the 86/386 intersection..probably not visible at this picture scale but you can see the dome of the 4 meter telescope dome at the far upper right



From the same vantage point, but with a bit of zoom

It is a fair distance down 86 to the bottom of Kitt Peak, but the road is reasonbly well pave with a minimum of rock and sand patch hazards to be avoided. Once you start climbing the peak it goes from 2000 feet of elevation to 7000 feet in just under 12 miles. Quite a ride. Because the mountain is made of granite there are none of the hazards of rock slides on the road or patches of blowing dust that have characterized so many of our other mountain rides, very pleasant.







A couple of views ascending Kitt Peak

The tempature began to drop dramatically as we rapidly gained altitude and the wind also picked up considerably. Enough that once we had reached the top and parked in the visitors lot we needed to dig out another layer of clothes.



Red at the chilly and windy top of Kitt Peak

Note-In order to get a scale for this picture, the four-meter telescope pictured in the upper right is ten stories tall from it's base to the bottom ring of the dome. The actual dome towers another several stories above that.

Places of this nature, observatories, etc, have always fired my imagination and this was spectacular. Having been a regular visitor to such places as Griffith Observatory and Mount Wilson with their few attraction, the scale of this instillation was amazing! The four-meter optical telescope in the upper right of the above photograph towered over the parking lot with other mysterious and magic structures stretching into the distance.





Ok I have been working on this post now for quite a while...the best is yet to come, but also some very detailed work to do on it. I am going to publish this one and get to work on part 2. Keep your eyes open for that. In the meantime...keep your eyes on the road and your thoughts in the stars...

BMWeerman

15,000 Miles with John Silkosky

In April of 2008 John Silkosky a native of Fairbanks, Alaska who is also stricken with Cerebral Palsy set out from his hometown on a custom built tryke with a Voyager kit on it for what turned out to be a 15,000 mile trip around the U.S. Along the way he totaled his bike hitting a deer, spent time working at the Quantum Learning Center and overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to eventually arrive in Scottsdale, AZ in November. I recently sat down with Silkosky at a Scottsdale Starbucks where he outlined his journey. Part one of which is presented in the latest Road Show Podcast.

Click on the Blubrry Icon at right to listen to podcast --->>>




John Silkosky poses in front of his custom Honda Shadow



Silkosky was kind enough to fully load his bike for the Road Show photo shoot



Check out the powerful electrical solenoid attached to a switch on the handlebars that allows Silkosky to shift normally



Bottom Center is the custom crutch box built by Silkosly's father

Best of Road Show Podcast #2 - Horizons Unlimited

In 2006, during the early days of Road Show, we had the pleasure of first becoming acquainted with Grant and Susan Johnson. They are the creators of the world travel website Horizons Unlimited.

I have been impressed from our first talk about how positive they are. Mr. Johnson is particularly upbeat. Even when being held at gunpoint he remained nonplussed. His attitude is you just treat everybody like your next door neighbor and everything will be fine.

Just recently I had the chance to speak briefly to Johnson from Horizon's. Unlimited home base in London and asked him if world events, particularly the rise in energy prices was having an effect on world motorcycle travel. I was surprised when he answered no.

We told me that, overall, the cost of an around the world motorcycle trip had increase 10-15%. I do not know how he calculated that but he should know.



Grant Johnson astride the custom built "Beemerbago."

Also check out the Johnson's how to video "The Achievable Dream"

Micro-Adventuring

Yesterday was one of those perfect days for motorcycling, cool, but not too cool with the promise of warming up later. Unfortunately, I had "THINGS TO DO." It had been a long time since the right combination of available time, a running bike and my health had conspired to even make such a day possible. But I had, "THINGS TO DO."

I spent the morning and most of the afternoon in an agony of indecision..."should I stay or should I go?"

You know that eventually I had to go, even though it was getting late.

Just to the east of Bakersfield on SR58 there is a railroad service road known as Bena Road. It is isolated, fairly well-maintained, and has long straight sections, in other words the perfect motorcycle road however so short it may be.




Traveling east on SR58 I pull in the cluth and slow down to exit on Tower Line Road. A short hop over to Bena and then reign in the beast past the landfill. Just past the landfill Bena takes a turn to the north and drops off steeply into a shallow valley. Rounding the corner throttle up letting gravity and internal combustion do their work. Hit the bottom corner at close to triple digits then roll on the throttle the rest of the way. Having recently just been in the engine, can see in my minds eye the throttle bodies opening full and in concert with the fuel injection computer pump as much air and fuel into the cylinders as possible.

Being the technical marvel that that is it still just adds up to one thing. adrenaline.

Ride to redline and hold. Still no windshield on the FrankenBeemer - 125 MPH in the naked wind. Helmet straining at my neck wanting to take flight on its own. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING will focus ones attention like being responsible for half a ton of bike and rider on a road like this. The tiniest lapse of attention and a rock, pothole or unseen patch of sand could put you down. Attention does not lapse.

In the twisties now, throttle rolls back, downshift into the tall end of fourth, countersteer into the first long right. This is classic peg-scraper, can I go for it? NO! No Balls. Right leg seems to have a memories of its own and I hear it telling me to play it safe.

Next up a classic sweeper to the right, looks clear, press the bike into the turn. Right leg exposed to the pavement now, toes twitch for the rear brake as Frankbeemer edges out of the line I set. Press harder into the turn now overiding the cellular feedback from my ankle.

At last the sound of tortured metal and sparks in my rear view mirror. Better.

FrankenBeemer begins to sense I am coming back and responds, the old confidence starts to flow back. Ascending hairpins coming up. Remembering the advice of master race coach Keith Code I feather the front brake only, slowing just enough to bring the lean angle of the bike up enough to stay in my lane. Yes this is good, we do the third gear dance.

Then anger...

There are blind corners on this road where if one blows the turn one will be launched into space. They are all marked by signs, but some freakin' morons have tagged up the sign. It's a NAVIGATION sign you idiots not gang territory...then gratitude I don't have to teach anymore.

Near the top of the hill I pull in the brakes hard and decide to turn off onto Caliente-Bodfish road.



Because this is a railroad service road it more or less follow the track of the Tehachapi Railroad as it ascends into the Tehachapi Mountains. (Geez that is brilliant)





As you can see one of the many very interesting looking tunnels that populate this route is located here as well.





As you can see here though the little buggers were ahead of me again!

The Abuse of Power By Doctors and a Desperate Gamble

This blog post does not have a clear beginning or a foreseeable clear end.  It does, however, have a clear now.  

For those readers who do not know that story, on May 14th 2007 I was horribly injured in a freak motorcycle accident on a desert road on the Arizona/New Mexico border.  I was miraculously rescued and, in fairness, have to thank the doctors who saved my life and put me back together.  
However, since that time, doctors with their over-medication, career and life-damaging reports which they refuse to take responsibility for, and mercenary financial tactics have brought me to a desperate place.

That desperate place is right, here, right now.

There is a specialist at UCLA who several months ago wrote a report, based on hearsay, that prevented me from returning to work and is about to make me lose my drivers license.  In this report she brought into question my my cognitive functioning.    Since that time I have been to another specialist at great expense to myself personally to have my cognitive functioning tested.  (Oh, by the way, no thanks to my psychiatrist, who has consistently over-medicated me and then refused to take any kind of responsibility for the implications of that.)
The cognitive testing shows me all normal.

IN SHORT, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME THAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM DRIVING OR PERFORMING ANY OTHER TASK AND I CAN PROVE IT.  HOWEVER, NEITHER THE SPECIALIST AT UCLA OR THE PSYCHIATRIST WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THIS!!!!!!!!

Worse still, their foot-dragging and buck-passing cost me a months work and a months disability which cost me my truck.  We are now down to just motorcycles and on March the 2nd I lose my drivers license unless a doctor will sign off on my medical

MY PSYCHIATRIST REFUSES TO SEE ME AND THE SPECIALIST SPECIALIST AT UCLA WILL NOT RETURN MY URGENT PHONE CALLS.  HOWEVER, IN THE BACKGROUND, THEY CONTINUE TO PASS THE BUCK AND DESTROY MY LAST OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LIVING AND DIG MYSELF OUT OF THE HOLE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED.

So, here is my desperate gamble-when I finish writing this and posting all over the internet, I am going to get on a motorcycle which needs a new clutch and new rear-end bearings and driving to UCLA. This is a distance of about 120 miles over some difficult and dangerous mountain terrain.  I am going to do whatever it takes to confront this doctor and/or one of her superiors and get them to take action.

At this point I am not naming names and I am keeping this report in the domain of blogs and private e-mails.  If I survive the day and do not get some satisfaction I will start naming names and start using my position as a member of the press to spread the story far and wide.  

I have nothing more to lose at this point.

Wish me luck.

J. Cameron Weckerley  Aka  BMWeerman  ....out 

Blogged with Flock