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Rode the Rio and then some.......

Re: Uncle's Ride the Rio - Feb 21 - 24, 2008

HOME!!

Paid toll coming back from MX to Presidio, TX at 11:26am yesterday and I'm in Kansas City as of 5:25 today. Left Terlingua at 3:45 and rode to Sweetwater and grabbed a hotel and hit the road at about 6:30 this morning. White stuff on the ground all the way through Kansas... quite a chilly ride.

Good meeting you folks. Had a great time and hope to see you down the road.

I'll post a link to my smugmug account later this week.
 
Yep you do. I'm already home in Kansas City. Lots of saddle time since Tuesday afternoon. 2750 miles and lots of pictures.
 
Couple of pics to start things going....
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Chopperbob and I made it home safely. I've just checked work emails :eek2: and pulled my pictures off the camera, but I'm going to go hang out with the family a while and will get them uploaded and posted with a real ride report tomorrow. Highlights are Transalp on River road, cobbler in the basin, mexican food, rescue party? and getting rousted by the Sheriff at the Front Porch with Richard and some of the other riders. Many thanks to the (insert choice word here yourself so I don't have to try and spell around the filter) rider on the Hayabusa in the parking lot that instigated the visit by the Sheriff and no, he wasn't with us for the Ride the Rio.
 
When, where, what, who and why?
Well, ya just had to be there to understand.

There comes a time when you are in a place and you just don't want to go back from where you came. Big Bend is that to me. Each time I'm there, I don't want to leave. Each time I leave is like leaving home. Not going home.

This time it was to share the entire area with riders I consider very good friends, riding with others known only virtually, and meeting many more. It was like a giant motorcycling community with common ideals and desires: to ride in and amongst the region enjoying it for the sake of the ride, the desert environment and sharing it all.

Except for a few incidents, it all went well. For me, yesterday's ride off road with the Six Shooters was the best day. Thanks for sharing that ride Rusty, Graeme, Bill, Scott and Ed. Soozy and Rachael joined us for the last loop on pavement. I had an absolute blast.

A teaser:

Mornings in Big Bend are like no other:
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Even from Boot Hill, things look ominous ;) :
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Full moon and black moon?
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We never ride away when one of our own turn up missing: (ahem)
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Old Ore Road was old alright,:
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where we were dwarfed by the terrain:
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and took a break in a magical canyon:
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The end in sight for Old Ore and we ran into other riders:
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The scales of the terrain there never cease to amaze and captivate:
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No tunnel vision here:
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The Six Shooters on parade!
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On Glen Springs Rd:
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Who's eating Bill's dust? :mrgreen:
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Time for a break on River Road:
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The run for cobbler!!
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Scott gives birth to a KLR with Bill hot on his rear:
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Thanks, guys.
Full story and more later.
 
Back safe here, too. This was a wonderful trip!!! I enjoyed meeting new friends, riding with Rachel-Boom, and those curves into the Basin! I am working on a report idea, but I have no pictures of my own...so I will be borrowing some.
 
Connie, Jeff, and I had a great time at Uncle's Ride the Rio. Connie became a motorcycle rider on Friday (her first ride ever) and a dual sport rider on Saturday (she rode Fulcher Road). Here's some of the pics I took:

Official Sign for Uncle's Ride the Rio
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Scott working on his KLR at Uncle's
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Uncle
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Here's what Big Bend does to a trials tire on a Husky dual sport
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Sunrise over the Chisos Mtns
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Moon over Paradise (Uncle's Place)
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Typical pose for TexasShadow
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You can see Santa Elana Canyon in the far distance from Sotol Vista
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Jeff in repose (if that's the right word)
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First, never kick back with two women with sophisticated senses of humor.

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That laughing hurt worse than sideswiping a cliff dodging a speeding (for a Jeep) Jeep rounding a blind corner taking his 3/4 of the road right up the middle. Fortunately, the handguard took the brunt of the hit, yanking the bars to the right, which pitched the bike to the left, and I wasn't riding faster than my guardian angel could fly, so she gets the credit for keeping the bike right side up.

Here is a 360* pan of the intersection of Glenn Spring and River Roads, 9.6 miles from the nearest pavement, ...

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..., when you stop for water and to enjoy the 90*F+ breeze, you just never know who will ride up.


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Re: Uncle's Ride the Rio - Feb 21 - 24, 2008

Gordo:


Glad your back safe. Im glad we went to Mexico, it was so worth it.


Mike
 
Home and unloading, will add more later.
Yet another amazing trip to Big Bend.
 
I've got to admit I like the way you Texinians drive. I was totally irritated by the Okies. They are a bunch of left lane hogs and get mad if you pass on the right. Now in Texas... even if it's a two laner they'll take to the shoulder to let you pass. That's right nice of em. Interstates... not one person in the left lane less they be passing. I crossed the whole state in the left lane BTW... I had places to go ya know.
 
I'm in!!

As in home... :mrgreen: That last two hours was COLD.... Rolled in about 10:30pm. I have four days worth of crud to wash off :uhoh: VERY sleepy, so pics and story can wait till later :sleep:

It was... uh... let's see... A TOTAL BLAST!! :-P
 
Interstates... not one person in the left lane less they be passing.

We keep all the jerks in the metropolitan areas. Most Texas rural areas are friendly like you mentioned. Glad you experienced the better of the two.

Looks like a great deal of story telling and pictures coming up.

I'm ready! :popcorn: :coffee:
 
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