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

[DrBlackbird]

Re: Big Bend revisited

Yeah, I wish I had known. Have a couple of vertebrae out of alignment and they're grinding as well as pinching. My R traps and neck feel like a constant bolt of lightening going through them and my R hand fingers go numb quickly. It really put a damper on the three days of riding (and still does).
Oh well.......

.
For the rest of you TWT'ers out there, don't feel shy about coming up to me and asking for help. I assure you I won't, out in the field do anything that will put either of us at risk. If I can do a little magic and put a patch on your area of complaint, and get you back in the saddle, I'll be glad to help.
.
.......Doc

 

[KenH]

Doc,

Your willingness to help fellow riders is commendable. I've noticed several people who work in medical professions have given freely of their time and expertise on rides. Such a willingness to serve others out of the kindness of one's heart is rare in the day-to-day world.

 

[DFW_Warrior]

So Doc..... uh, you wanna move up to the Dallas area??? DFW to Katy is a bit far to go for my regular adjustments!!!!

 

[Tourmeister]

Sunday night...

"Hmmmm.... I'm actually not on call this weekend." A moment or two passes while weatherunderground.com loads... "Man! The weather looks to be awesome this weekend!" The sound of cosmic realignments begin whispering throughout the universe... "If I camp, getting there will be my biggest cost and if I trailer with someone..." The whispers become persistent cat calls to my id.

Monday morning...

"So Dad, there is this big get together of TWT people out at Big Bend this weekend..." Dad responds with that knowing Dad tone, "How long...?" He's got my number "Just Thursday and Friday," I mumble. "Two days!" and I fire back, "But you are gonna be gone ALL next week!!" He hesitates for a moment, "True... so do you want to use the truck and trailer?" And it is settled It's nice to have an understanding boss

Monday evening...

"So.... there's gonna be a LOT of people out at Big Bend this weekend..." A brief moment of silence ensues... "and Dad has already said I could have the time off work..." More silence. "I'd realllly like to go..." Nail biting moments pass... "Okay, go." It pays to have an understanding wife! "If you don't go, you'll just be moping around here driving me nuts, so go!" I married up

Later that night in the garage...

"So sweetheart, how you doing...?" A few furtive glances under the skirts, "Hmmm... your rear is looking a little worn out," "Looks like you've been around the block a few times!" :shocked: A few more glances, "My... you are a dirty girl!" Silence... "So... you up for doing anything this weekend?" More silence... "I'll take your lack of protest as a yes!"

Tuesday evening...

PM's are fired back and forth in a flurry. The whispers give way to the groans of grinding movement of celestial bodies. Alignment is achieved. My bags are packed. Now the wait...

Wednesday

It's a nice day here in Huntsville. Sitting at work, I watch the clock... and the weather radar! It is NOT looking pretty. Several hours of rush hour freeway traffic through Houston on the KLR in a nasty storm is not my idea of fun. But... it IS an adventure! I cut out from work a bit early, hoping to hit a lull between lines in the storms. Kisses are kissed and hugs hugged, I head out into a thickening mist, the evening light fading...

Several adrenaline inducing hours pass and I eventually find my way to Squeaky's condo in SW Houston. My water proof Joe Rocket gloves... aren't. My water proof SIDI Flex Force boots... aren't However, my Cycleport Air Mesh Kevlar rain liner rocks!! I make a mess of the entry into Squeaky's place, dripping all over, and then work on drying my gear. The riding suit just gets tossed over some stools. Next, I torture test Squeaky's hair dryer by running it for over an hour nonstop to dry my boots, socks, and gloves. I forget the brand, but it worked great! Squeaky is a bachelor. There is no food in the house... except for the freeze dried camp food. I boil up some water and scald my tongue eating some kind of meat, taters, and onion stuff. This would turn out to be a bad move...

Later in the evening, 11:30pm or so, Squeaky finally gets home from work. She is pumped with energy and excitement about the trip. Soon though, I head off to the spare room, For someone that typically knocks off for the night between 2:00am and 3:00am, 5:00am is coming FAR too soon

Thursday morning...

The cell phone alarm goes off. My brain reels at the unnatural hour of torment. Regardless, I force myself to gear up for the ride over to meet Gary "Dr. Blackbird" and Carl "Cdc1". We'll be trailering out to West Texas. There is no way my date's worn out rear end could survive the weekend otherwise I look outside and it is still raining... Not knowing where I am going, I have to follow Squeaky. She's trailering her XR400 over to Gary's. However, we have to head to her office because she left her driver's license there last night, so that set's us back a bit. No problem though. We finally reach Gary's and find him and Carl loading up the truck.

Note the blinding absence of light...

If it weren't for the street light, it would be pitch black. Who wants to be awake under such horrific conditions

We make short work of getting the bikes and truck loaded. We all pile in and hit the road. There is some nervous energy in the truck and some light conversation. I drift in and out. Once the sun comes up I feel a little better and can form complete sentences.

It has begun...

 

[TexasShadow]

Big Bend Revisited: Terlingua Time

For all intent and purposes, schedules in Big Bend area are almost impossible to keep. Too much ground to cover, too much to explore, too many temptations to veer from plans, and, most assuredly, not enough time. Unlike my usual approach when traveling, this time I had a list of roads to ride, things to do and see. I realized halfway through the second day that the list and schedules be ******. I relented, as I should have in the beginning, to Terlingua Time.

Visiting the Big Bend area reminds me of living in the woods of Maine: time is dictated not by hands on a clock or digits on a watch. Human-contrived time measured by ascribed units -hours, minutes and seconds- means little in the desert and wild canyons. Nature dictates time: cycles of the moon and circling around the sun, rains, wind, blasting sand, heat and cold, hunger, sleep, thirst and adapting to what surrounds you. Learning to live with it, not fight against it.

Ironically, while watching the blood orange ball of a moon peek and rise over the Chisos one night, I recalled how only a few full moons ago I sat with others near a campfire and watched the moon crawl across the sky. Peeking over the Chisos Mountains to the east, it climbed the sky to hang and throw its light over the desert landscape like an eerie glow casting a spell over everything animate and inanimate. No wonder ancient civilizations equated emanating magical powers with the full light of the moon.

Just as when I lived in the Maine woods, I automatically began to refer to my previous visit there measured by cycles of the moon. Three moons ago I sat enjoying the same view of a Terlingua full moon. In Terlingua Time.

The rising sun and chirping of quails woke me; the desert was coming alive. Morning preparations were basically the same: coffee, food, clean up and get dressed, more coffee, then prepare the bikes. An early departure was planned for this morning because we had a 63-mile ride on blacktop to reach the head of Old Ore Road in the national park.

At the top of my list this trip was one of the several back country roads in Big Bend National Park: Old Ore Road. The 26-mile road runs north-south through some of the most interesting parts of the park. Several miles of the northern section run through Tornillo Flats, a dry river bed in which Tornillo Creek flows, and along the base of several ridges in the Sierra del Carmen mountain range to the east.

The ridges closest to the road are named Sierra del Caballo Muerto, Spanish for Dead Horse Mountains. Alto Relex towers over you as you ride along its hem; as if a giant were standing next to you and you want to go by as quietly and softly as you can, respectfully so as not to awaken it.

Looking west the Chisos Mountains interrupt the horizon with their brown jagged peaks. Squat flat mesas protrude above the chalky flats where dinosaurs once walked eons ago when that area was a shallow sea. I tried to imagine what life was like at every stop on Old Ore Road, both prehistoric and historic, natural and cultural.

Parking the bikes, we walked around remains of human habitation at various places. I smiled at the irony that little evidence remains of the hundreds of people that lived near the springs, creeks and river in the park. Despite the rapid destruction by our hands of the more temperate ecology, nature has its own way of erasing our presence there just as quickly. Tit for tat, I hope nature wins in the end. This land speaks loudly of cyclic life and death. It is indeed a museum of both.

The road surface is primitive; rocks, boulders of all shapes and sized, ledge, ruts and holes, washes full of sand and pools of tiny pebbles, cacti and mesquite reaching over the sides of the road. Steep inclines and declines, sudden twists and turns, sometimes hard packed shiny clay. To think that settlers and ranchers traveled these same roads for days, sometimes weeks, to reach their neighbors, the schools and post offices, gathering supplies in the towns once or twice a year. Before them the Apache and Comanches walked and rode along trails in the park on their way to and from Mexico.

At a few points I tried to imagine what it might be like back then. Did they share the wonder and awe that some of us visitors have for the primitiveness, beauty and solitude of the area? Or were they so caught up in surviving and struggling for their livelihood and lives that it was all lost to them, or, at the worst, their enemy? I'll never know except for reading written accounts or recorded oral stories by earlier residents of this land. Yet sometimes, when I stand still and look up at the towering cliffs, the desert flats near the springs, or remnants of old adobes by the river and creeks.......sometimes I can feel them all here and around me. As if their voices and thoughts, their lives are imprinted forever in the stone and sand.

It was riding this road and exploring the landmarks and human-imposed remains that I realized I would never intimately know this place unless I lived here. The revelation that I wanted to live and experience the area permeated my entire psyche. It already knew I was home there; it just took a little while for my consciousness to comprehend.

I know I'm a visitor here; I'll always be a humble guest. But as if I was a starving pauper at a gigantic banquet, I don't think I could ever grow tired of, bored, or be satiated with the feast before my eyes and under my feet. Perhaps that is the advantage of being a visitor and not a native. Seeing and experiencing it all through fresh and new eyes. I hope that readers can see the wonder that I do through my eyes and words; and help preserve it for you and your descendants.

I am the child that stares in amazement and awe, mesmerized by the past, present and future, the untold and recorded stories of struggle and success by river, stone and life. It makes me feel like a newborn child and an old wizened elder; I want to cherish and protect it. Because it is representative of what we are made of and where we came from. It reminds us of what it is to be human.

We all know that places, things and people change over time. Time, often the common denominator of change, is also in flux. Nowhere else as much as in Big Bend is it evident the changing of time over time. The evidence and portrayal of hundreds of millions of years makes our time so inconsequential; yet at the same time, so precious.

The photos above are of Ernst Tinaja and the canyon where it lies hidden. it is by far one of the most amazing places in the park.

 

[Duke]

Teach me, please, to take photographs like this

 

[Tourmeister]

Parking the bikes, we walked around remains of human habitation at various places. I smiled at the irony that little evidence remains of the hundreds of people that lived near the springs, creeks and river in the park. Despite the rapid destruction by our hands of the more temperate ecology, nature has its own way of erasing our presence there just as quickly. Tit for tat, I hope nature wins in the end. This land speaks loudly of cyclic life and death. It is indeed a museum of both.

Are we not as much a part of nature as rocks? Does not lava from a volcano scar the landscape and destroy what already exists? Do not the fumes from the volcano poison the atmosphere? I have often wondered why so much of man's effort has been considered by some as foreign to the "natural" world. If one accepts the view that ALL is the result of natural causes, what basis is there for bias against mankind? Malls are as natural as centuries old solidified lava flows.

I admit to preferring the the look and feel of human free nature. I often wonder why though? Perhaps it is the lack of human emotiveness in the raw physical processes? Does that lack of the human touch remind of purity and thus hint at the impurity of man?

There is something exceedingly primal about this area that pulls deeply in me. I cannot put it to words. I cannot convey it to others. Yet I feel its tug as sure as pull of the strings that entwine my heart towards my family and friends. It calls to me. It beckons me to immerse myself, to lose myself...

 

[DFW_Warrior]

I like where this thread is going!!! I can't wait to have you guys post up some more.

 

[TexasShadow]

/philosophical musing on

Are we not as much a part of nature as rocks? ....I have often wondered why so much of man's effort has been considered by some as foreign to the "natural" world. If one accepts the view that ALL is the result of natural causes, what basis is there for bias against mankind? ....

Humans are, as is humanity, very much a part of nature. Yet in our egocentric ideals, that humans are the supreme in the Great Chain of Being, we fight against that which sustains us and we beat it into submission. In the process we usually destroy it. History is full of evidence for that.

However, I don't believe it is a part of 'human nature'. Many peoples, past and even some remaining in the present, have not exhibited that trend to such extremes that industrial and modern civilizations have. And even now we grow more aware and concerned about our environment. But we have forgotten how to work and live with it.

I'm not naive as to over-romanticize 'nature'. No matter what we brew the forces that made and move this planet can destroy us, and itself, in a twinkling of an eye. Viruses can wipe us out within a year's time, as a bacteria almost did centuries ago. Volcanoes can wipe out civilizations as it has in the past. That, too, is a part of the cycle.

I do not condemn progress of the human race. As a species we can do and build the most wondrous things. But as someone once posted here awhile ago, and has been echoed elsewhere more recently, when does 'progress' become detrimental to us, and to that upon which we live; to our health, happiness, and long-term survival and that of our children's children?

Somewhere there has to be a balance.

I admit to preferring the the look and feel of human free nature. I often wonder why though? Perhaps it is the lack of human emotiveness in the raw physical processes? Does that lack of the human touch remind of purity and thus hint at the impurity of man?

That is a question pondered upon for centuries. Some evolutionary psychologists suggest that a connection with our natural world is hardwired into our brains and unconscious and subconscious behaviour. The most outstanding evidence for that is it took hundreds of thousands of years for humans to evolve as a species. Our physiology is still that of our recent ancestors. A part of our brain is the same as most other vertebrates, even reptiles (ask me about the lizard brain sometime ) As much as we are drawn to the natural environment, we also evolved to fear it. For a good reason: survival.

Now we have the luxury of deriving enjoyment, solace and strength from our natural environment without constant worry of survival. Some of us seek it and prefer it because more and more it is lacking in our daily surroundings, and in our lives. We no longer live out in contact with our environment and we no longer spend most of our days, lives, outside of four walls. We even travel from box to box within four-sided containers. But we still have a subconscious need for a natural environment that is becoming less satisfied. So we build bigger houses and buildings and four-sided containers. And we build more toys to fill that empty space within us. And our natural environment becomes more foreign to us. It's viewed only to supply our demands to build 'things' for consumption. We consume but we don't give anything back. Nor do we take care of that which provides us with what we take.

Some of us can't function without human-made surroundings. Others choose to find remote and primitive places to live or visit for periods of time. Most people find a solace and welcome solitude in natural surroundings; it gives them an opportunity to shed the stress, pressures and responsibilities of their lives elsewhere. It offers an environment free from constant distraction; it gives their heads a break. Some seek it out and even choose to live in such environments away from others just because they prefer to be alone, and instead enter the social world of their fellows when they choose to. A variety of reasons exist for why people are attracted to and seek out such surroundings, while others avoid and even fear them.

There is something exceedingly primal about this area that pulls deeply in me. I cannot put it to words. I cannot convey it to others. Yet I feel its tug as sure as pull of the strings that entwine my heart towards my family and friends. It calls to me. It beckons me to immerse myself, to lose myself...

I have known that feeling since I was a kid. I am very sensitive to my immediate surroundings; always have been. But I didn't understand it until I was in my late twenties. After I had immersed myself in the woods of Maine living as a hermit for eight years, being almost completely self-sufficient. I chose the primitive and solitude over the modern. I had to learn to know myself before I could understand the people around me. It was thirty-plus years before I returned to the cities. And then I had to learn again. I'm still learning. As should we all.

That pull you feel is partly who and what you are. It is also partly what we all are. Some feel it more strongly than others, some not at all. Others battle with it, like Ed Abbey did his whole life. I still do as well (the idealist and the cynic) but have come to a truce (most of the time). You can either accept it, succomb to it, let it take you, or deny and battle it. Nor does it have to be forever. Periodic doses are sometimes all that is required. It rejuvenates and refreshes, like recharging a battery.

A book I highly recommend reading is Walking it Off, by Doug Peacock. He was a close friend of Ed Abbey's, but his battles were more real and extreme: faced with life and death in many situations, both by human hands and in the wilderness. It's a very profound book. You will see one man's perspective of that which you ponder in a very different light.

/philosophical musing off

 

[KenH]

Such wrestling with the demons of one's mind reminds me of the talk of the acid-dropping old hippies hanging around Grenold's Park and Coconut Grove in the '70s and '80s. It is a natural barrier to psycho-social development that a late 20-something or early 30-something must overcome to achieve cognitive maturity, one that many people stumble against for decades, arresting their development. It's part of the process Winston Churchill alluded to when he said, "'A young man who is not a communist has no heart, an older man who is a communist has no mind." This new direction for this thread will touch many people. Carry on.

Elzi, you could live in the Big Bend area for 100 years and never learn all its secrets. It is a vast place, with at least 10,000 years of human history that is poorly understood and has been almost totally ignored by the anthropologist set because of the difficulty of working in the area. "It's just a lifeless desert" translates to "That looks like a difficult and uncomfortable place to study. Lets move on to a more comfortable place." Hence, there is little more known about past residents of Big Bend than "They came, it was harsh, the died, they left."

There is much work to be done to learn about the "how comes" of the people that arrived, lived, died, and left the area. I think an inter-disciplanary study of the archeological and anthropological history of the pre-Columbians that focused on their biological interactions in the environment would be a major accomplishment of high value not only to academia but to the population at large. Most people don't have a clue about their biological interactions with their environments. An example is, "FLUSH it and forget about it." Promoting awareness of one's biological "footprint" might go a long way towards making this world a better place for our descendents.

 

[TexasShadow]

Such wrestling with the demons of one's mind reminds me of the talk of the acid-dropping old hippies hanging around Grenold's Park and Coconut Grove in the '70s and '80s. It is a natural barrier to psycho-social development that a late 20-something or early 30-something must overcome to achieve cognitive maturity, one that many people stumble against for decades, arresting their development.

I don't necessarily agree with you. Everyone faces, or should face, their demons at some point in their lives. Those demons many times represent self-unawareness or merely questions about themselves, others or life in general. They often eventually become resolved, but they always remain a part of one's self. To ignore or run from them is to allow them to control you. I don't regard this process as an inability to 'achieve cognitive maturity' or 'arrested development'. That is the talk of psychologists that often need a psychologist.

Enough on that issue. This is not the place for it.

Elzi, you could live in the Big Bend area for 100 years and never learn all its secrets. It is a vast place, with at least 10,000 years of human history that is poorly understood and has been almost totally ignored by the anthropologist set because of the difficulty of working in the area.

I understand and accept that I, nor others, will ever learn all the secrets of that region. Yet that does not prevent or dissuade me and others from the desire, curiosity and attempts to learn. In fact, currently it is the most studied park in the US; the national and state parks and surrounding areas.

I have an insatiable curiosity, which is why I followed the path of a scientist. I am not alone in that pursuit. Nothing is more rewarding than living in an environment that embodies a passion for exploring and studying, experiencing and enjoying, an environment of which one is deeply passionate about. I don't care to know the answer to everything; nor will anyone. That is not my quest. It is the journey of discovery that moves and motivates me. The Big Bend area embodies that..... for many.

FYI, several scientific teams -geologists, biologists, archaeologists, etc.- are currently active in the parks and the surrounding area exploring and discovering just as you recommended. Not all are scientists; many are volunteers, students, and locals. People not only want to know about it, they want to be involved in the discoveries. This is an opportunity for real (hands-on) knowledge that can be passed along to others that do not have that opportunity.

Rather than simply reporting findings in academic publications, the discoveries and knowledge gained are and continue to be available to all at a grass-roots approach. This is what we need, rather than just delivery of scientific words to a lay public that has no notion of what they did or found. Or care. Instead it adds a layer of empathy; that is what touches people. That is what they associate with and remember. And pass on to neighbors and their children.

/back to changing tractor oil.......

 

[Butte]

Elzi, you could live in the Big Bend area for 100 years and never learn all its secrets.

maybe that's part of it - I think I'd go crazy if I ever ran out of new things to wonder at.

 

[BMWbabe]

maybe that's part of it - I think I'd go crazy if I ever ran out of new things to wonder at.

It sure was good to meet you. Like I was telling you, I could ride over and over again in Big Bend and still be awed. That is never a hardship on anyone.

 

[hylandspirit]

The next day I had planned to ride the dirt with good friends but as it turned out, I had a bad feeling and bailed very early on. (thank you for the invite though) I ended up making plans to ride to presidio with Roxanne (highland spring?). That’s a good-feeling ride over fun roads and at the top of this steepish hill, we stopped for the view and met some very nice vacationers that come to the area often. We learned about the crash, the best pizza and beer around for miles, and some lovely dwellings at Terlingua House.

Hi Molly. It was great fun meeting you and riding on Friday. I wish Rick and I weren't in the process of coming down with a terrible cold. I took it easy on Sat and rode again on Sunday. Rick never did feel good enough to get out and enjoy those beautiful roads. We have decided that we will definitely visit Texas and BB again.
Roxanne

 

[Butte]

It sure was good to meet you. Like I was telling you, I could ride over and over again in Big Bend and still be awed. That is never a hardship on anyone.

the same to you, Mollie. I'm glad you still ejoyed yourself

 

[TexasShadow]

Taking advantage of the satellite connection that has been out more than on tonight because of snow and ice, I'll quickly post more photos from the Old Ore Rd Day:

I love this one because of the depth and contrasting scales of everything. That's one of the things I really like about that area is the amazing scale of the geography and everything else. I smirk when I see how it throws people off that aren't used to it. What looks like a half a mile away is sometimes 5 miles or more. People and vegetation are dwarfed by the giant craggy mountains. And the sky...... it's so big that you can fit an entire planet in just Big Bend alone.

I remember Scott's comments about the Boquillas Canyon walls. He felt the same thing I do; it draws you in, it captivates and commands you. It's difficult to tear yourself away from looking at it. Next time I'm there I plan to hike up and into it. Some time I want to take a few weeks and raft down the river and spend time getting to know the canyons from the inside.

I liked photographing the tunnel. Earlier in the day would have been a better opportunity. It serves as a window, or a gateway into another world. Its also an example of how adaptive the vegetation is down there; look at the face of the tunnel and see what grows in the crevasses in the rocks. Rocks catch blown sand and soil, dew and rain, and offer some shading during portions of the day. Plants take advantage of that.

Like a kid, I blew my horn the entire time I was riding through the tunnel, both ways. I couldn't resist

The pan below was taken from the hilltop above La Noria, just west off Old Ore Rd. What's really amazing is a thriving community use to be there: adobe and rock houses, post office, store, school house, temporary fort, corrals, etc. Hardly anything is left to indicate that the area was teeming with life and human activity. Except for a few stones that are left that mark the perimeter of some of the structures. Everything else is gone: wind, rains, blown sand, animals, and it all returns to the desert.

The view overlooks the Tornillo Creek bed with the Chisos in the distance. It's also amazing that that huge clump of jagged and craggy rock is the youngest formation in the area; and itself an oasis in the desert. Look close at the lower left corner of the pan and you might be able to see a portion of the remaining rock perimeter of what once was a store and post office.

Next: Glenn Springs Rd, River Rd, Basin Rd, and............ water.

 

[Gilk51]

We have decided that we will definitely visit Texas and BB again.

Roxanne (and Rick)

Ya'll were pretty far from home to make it to this. Sorry the cold thing bothered you, it's just that time of year...

-------

OK, Elz, this photo has really got my interest up into getting down to BB sometime soon...

 

[ed29]

My report is going to be more pictures than words. Just be aware that this is the first big trip since I converted from 35mm to digital, and I am still getting used to the creative difference of the new medium...

Loading up to go we have a cool mix of three dual sports and a sport bike...

Kind of reminds me of school days when the one different kid hung out away from the cowd.

The first day's ride took a small group of us north of Terlingua...

Ice cream to mark the middle of the day of course!

The shadows were growing long nearing the end of the first day of riding. I was holding the grips much more than I was the camera each and every day.

The second day started with a trip to Kathy's of course, then it was off to Old Ore Road..

The scale of this place always amazes me, and see how the Sherpa is camoflaged, like a native desert rat...

Less than 100 years ago there was a thriving town here... all that is left are remnants of foundations. The adobe has disolved back into the desert.

We took a hike into Ernst Tinaja, this is a walk well worth doing, even in MX boots.

I marvel at how plants grow out of the cracks, anywhere there is a hint of nutrients it seems a plant finds a way to spring right out of the rocks.

The walk is long and hot...

The payoff is worth the effort.

Overhanging cliffs give shade, and relief from the heat. Lying back on the cool limestone is really pretty comfy.

Where the gravel meets the pavement we see some of our crowd crossing our path.

This was not the end of the day, but at this point the camera got put away, and the ride took center stage.

Saturday brought a change in plans, and once the day was ours again plans shifted again. We headed to Glen Springs as a group of six. Two of us did Glen Springs to River Road, while the rest played on Black Gap.

More riding than photographing that day.

While waiting for the Black Gap Gang to re-join we saw this being pulled out.

Back together, time to run for Rio Grande Village, and a lunch of champion riders... Ice Cream of course!

You see the darndest things in Big Bend...

What tops off an Ice Cream lunch.... can you say cobbler?

Our group grew to eight and we headed for the Basin for a treat to cap a great day of riding.

One of the last shots on my camera was not taken by me. Elzi had filled her memory card completely and had not captured Rusty on the water crossing, so I loaned her my camera.... She is good... if you look close you can see the big smile on Rutsy's face here....

What a fitting capper for the trip. After all, smiles like that are why we do the miles.

 

[BMWbabe]

Hi Molly. It was great fun meeting you and riding on Friday. I wish Rick and I weren't in the process of coming down with a terrible cold. I took it easy on Sat and rode again on Sunday. Rick never did feel good enough to get out and enjoy those beautiful roads. We have decided that we will definitely visit Texas and BB again.
Roxanne

I had the most fun that day.....I looked for you the next day. So sorry you're under the weather. Feel better soon So happy to have met you too!

 

[Gilk51]

Excellent photos, Ed!

 

[TexasShadow]

Six Shooter Ride

In the Beginning.....

.... there was a headache and the moon. Although, something about the desert seems to placate discomfort; its stark beauty and silence grabs the inward to the outside, soothes it and returns it to settle the spirit inside.

Like nearly every morning on the desert, no matter what the weather, nothing is the same. Each sunrise is different; each sunset is never the same. The sun begins to peek over the Chisos and illuminates the grand stone walls that tower over the desert floor in hues of rose and amber.

Everything in the desert plays hide and seek with the rising sun as it rapidly casts its luminescence everywhere.

After coffee, a badly needed shower, food, and more coffee to wash down more Advil, we receive the news of that morning and gear up to meet the others at Kathy's.

Standing by the bike, I witnessed a black rear end attached to partly naked legs.....

....then the face attached to the legs by way of a torso.

Don't feel embarrassed; I change in the parking lots, too.

After the fiasco settled down and everyone's plans were postponed, delayed or dumped, six of us decided to hit the back country roads in the park.

 

[TexasShadow]

Six Shooter Ride

Desert Rats Ride Again

Who knows what obstacles lurk in the shadows, canyons, dust, rocks and sand?
What draws rats out of their ruts and holes to go where mice dare not to tread?
When are grins, grunts, whoops and hollers entwined with groaning engines?
Where do rats run on two wheels that grab, bite, skim and float, pound and grind?
Why do they leave everything behind to submit to this which draws them?

Only Desert Rats know.

Six of us embarked on a ride that made some of us laugh, some grin, some grunt, and one of us sweat and mutter expletives. Starting at the northeast end of Glen Springs Road, we rode our dirty bikes south.

We climbed hills and maneuvered over boulders, rocks, pebbles, sand, and gravel. At a more rapid pace than I've ridden these roads before.
The Six Shooters:

Bill

Graeme

Rusty

Scott

Me, shooting behind the lens, and Ed, somewhere.

Four of the riders split off the the west to ride Black Gap Road which meanders southwest, while Ed and I continued south on Glen Springs Rd. I did not stop to take any photos. I seemed to be on course, sometimes barely under control with Lizard Brain at the helm, toward River Road to the south. Glancing at the Sherpa's speedometer, we were traveling from 5-10 mph faster than I did yesterday. Sometimes I had time to think about what I was doing, other times I was on autopilot (Lizard Brain as pilot). In all, I thing we both (intellect and Lizard Brain) did quite well (see post here in another thread).

But I missed everything of interest off the road. Which means I have to ride the road again

Admittedly, it was with relief when we reached the junction of Glenn Springs and River Roads. Relief because my lips were sticking to my teeth, my legs were tiring, my right fingers were literally numb (from neck issue), and I needed a break.

Since collectively we decided to meet up at this junction, I got off the bike,stretched, drank and drank some more from my Camalbac, and enjoyed the scenery of the east part of the notorious River Road. I found a hillock beside the road which offered a good vantage point for scouting around me.

We were warned about the high-centered SUV/truck on Black Gap Rd. by another rider that passed us. Sure enough, I watched as it was being towed by a wrecker truck. I was amazed that the wrecker made it up BG Rd.

From my perch I could see a long ways down the road as it meandered west. When I saw a distant cloud of dust, I knew what was coming.

The four stopped near the road junction and began sharing stories about the ride.

After everyone was refreshed, plan was quickly hatched to head to the River Village, and we continued east on River Road to the paved park road. Now that was some sand........


Stay tuned for more....

 

[Tourmeister]

Hmm.... Still Thursday...? Are we there yet?

The sun is barely up, even it knows this is an unnatural hour! I glance around the cab of the truck and hear someone say something, "wife... made... cookies..." Huh? Cookies? Moments later a ziploc baggie full of some kind of delicious cookies is being passed around. It never makes it back to the front of the cab Mmmmm.... sugarrrr....

I fade out for a bit only to stir to the sounds of, "You wanna meet up and keep me warm in my sleeping bag?" Gary had been on the phone off and on all morning with a guy we were going to meet up with in San Antonio... I come out of fuzzy land a bit more and realize he's talking to his sweetie... a lady... We're gonna get some mileage out of this one Before long we are rolling into San Antonio. A few more calls and we find ourselves pulling into a parking lot right behind Gary's friend. Perfect timing!

Gary handing off some KLR lowering links to Roger

We spend a few minutes visiting with Roger, stretching our legs, and then it is back in the truck. We still have a longgg way to go. The miles drone on and on as the hours slip away. We reach Ft. Stockton and stop for lunch. Back in the truck... Soon we are heading South towards Alpine. That edgy feeling starts to creep into the outer realms of my consciousness... excitement... anticipation... nervousness... giddiness... It makes me flash back to the young days as a kid trying to fall asleep the night before Christmas

We reach Alpine and stop to fill up the bikes and grab last minute groceries. The wind is howling and cold. It is now that I realize I never packed my sweatshirt Standing in the sun it is not too bad. Move into the shade and it is cold! Thank goodness all the areas we will be riding in are essentially treeless, as in no shade! We spot a few other trailers full of bikes, most likely people that are part of our extended group that are heading to Uncle's place in Terlingua. We leave town on Hwy 118, heading South towards Study Butte.

Almost immediately, the highway begins to twist and climb its way up into the mountains. Scrub cedar trees dot the landscape, making things look greener than I'd have expected for the middle of February. The sky is clear and the sun is starting its descent towards the horizon. Mountain peaks dot each side of the road, many topping out at around 6000 ft. We pass the Mile High road and then start dropping back down to a valley below. As we reach the bottom, I spot a familiar gate from a previous trip. We cross the valley, climb back into some mountains and before long arrive at Hwy 170. None of us are exactly sure where Uncle's place is located, so we just head West hoping to see other folks...

We find Robert at Kathy's Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe

It would seem Robert knows where to go, so he offers to lead us there. A few more miles down the road and we hang a left onto some gravel. The old Terlingua Ghost Town is just off to our right. We wander down a short gravel road, round a small hill, and find lots of bikes and people. We've arrived

East on left side, South center, West right (I think...)

Doesn't that little squiggly road off to the right just calllll to you...

Uncle heads over to welcome more newcomers

With daylight fading, we start thinking that finding a place to setup camp would be a good idea. A quick look around Uncle's place reveals most of the good spots are taken. However, he has a friend with property merely a good stone's throw away that is perfect! It's right between the two helmeted heads in the above picture, just across a few small ravines. We pile into the truck and work our way over there to see what we can find...

Well... at least there is a small office for the morning paper work...

It has been a while since our last stop for bladder relief, so I head over to check out the "facilities". I get there to find the door chained shut, uh oh... I start looking for a lock but only find some wire twisted through a few links to keep the door closed when the wind starts blowing. I fumble with it while dancing around, finally get it undone and open the door...

Uhhh...

A few frantic moments later the garbage cans are removed, all is well...

Looking back towards tent city as Squeaky likes to call it

The sun seems to take forever to make its arc across the sky out here. However, once it decides it is time to call it a day, it turns in pretty fast!! I get the tent setup, gear unpacked, and start thinking about dinner

David "Cagiva549" (note the nice shirt )

The Taj Mahal behind him is Gary's tent...

Looks like a forest fire behind the crest of the hills...

We head out to find dinner. Someone suggested a place just across the road, so off we go. I never catch the name of the place, but it is a restaurant/hotel combo with maybe 25-30 rooms. We head in and I check out the beer selection. Moments later I feel much better A quick browse of the menu reveals that food is pricey out here in the sticks I settle for some quesadillas. About half way through dinner, the live entertainment gets started...

Never did catch her name, not that I could remember it if she had told me...

She had a nice voice, played well, and obviously wrote her own lyrics. They were hilarious. She wrote about the "Little Green Men" (Border Patrol) and their effects on their daily lives in these parts. She also wrote about Chemical Warfare. It seems her husband has some flatulence issues... We listened for a bit and then headed back to Uncle's to hang out for the evening.

Back over at Uncle's I finally notice how bright the stars are out here!! Looking up I am amazed and the brightness and number. Finding familiar stars is difficult because they are lost in the multitudes. The Milky Way really stands out and stretches across the sky. However, before long the moon starts its ascent into the night sky. Soon its blazing luminescence has drowned out all but the brightest of stars. No need for a flashlight out here. I can see easily. Seeing such well defined shadows at night is interesting.

My first attempt... I moved

My second attempt, I found something to steady myself on

Before long people started drifting away for the night to get some sleep. We headed back over to tent city where we hung out a while longer. Soon though, we were all tucked into our tents, eyes closed tight to blot out the bright moonlight, and drifting off to dreams of dusty roads... occasionally interrupted by the diesel like snoring of several of our tent city dwellers (and don't let Squeaky convince you she wasn't one of them )

 

[TexasShadow]

Doesn't that little squiggly road off to the right just calllll to you...

Hey, that's my 'special' road!!!
(looking down it from the bend near the top)

 

[ed29]

Doesn't that little squiggly road off to the right just calllll to you...

Oh yes... it is a fun little ride too!