since i cant go on a moto-tour this year i thought id repost a couple entries from when i had a myspace blog about my month-long Grand Canyon/Joshua Tree/Hwy. 1 trip from 2007...
tests of character dont get much more potent than getting a flat tire 50 miles from civilization in the middle of the desert and not having whats needed to fix it; or having to ride 12 hours through dehydration and exhaustion to escape a record-setting natural disaster; or being forced to refuel, eat a clif bar, change the oil in the Chevron parking lot at 10PM then ride thru the night after 11 hours in the saddle because theres nowhere to sleep for miles; or keep working on that tire bead even though your arms are trembling from the strain and the lack of food, water, and sleep, while sweat is dripping from your bent-over face and soaking your greasy, bloody knuckles; or trying to sleep thru the night when you've run out of shit to burn and its 10 below freezing, windy, and ice is forming on anything thats not on fire ... the list goes on and on, and some of them happened all at once or at least in the same day.
every day contained some combination of crisis, victory, revelation, and fear; every day contained an omen, an animal familiar, a hex, and a supernatural detour; coincidence, uncanny generosity from strangers, unsolicited life-story-monologues, and equal amounts of suspicion.
take "Bud" for example: 180 miles north of Vegas, on the banks of Adams-McGill Reservoir, a popular spot for local "sportsman" to camp (they all wanted to know what the fuck i was doing there as its prety much unmarked and only accessable by a 20 mile dirt road), full camo hunting frock, huge frame, giant red nose swollen with whiskey, and nearly mute in that good-ole-country-boy way. turns out Bud rode for Husqvarna in the late 70s, as well as KTM and a short stint with Husaberg, eventually becoming team mechanic and driver, then working in tandem with the head engineer from Sweden in the development of the next generation bike for the 80s. highly educated with a degree in mechanical engineering, Bud enjoyed great success as a professional racer and designer, then contracted lupus and was forced to retire, then caught his wife in bed with his best friend. He divorced & moved to rural Nevada to spend the rest of his life alone, fishing. Bud told me, "i wish i had 10 guys like you, i'd make a fortune." we sat around drinking coffee around his campfire, bullshitting and generally complaining about our ill society all morning. not what i expected, to say the least. Then theres the group of friends i met at Toroweap who offered to share their campsite since the rest of the grounds were full; kind of a camping double-date, there was Barry & Lindsey and Doug & Val, all from St. George, UT. as soon as i pulled up Barry offered a spot in their site, cold beer, dinner, campfire, breakfast, anything i needed. both couples were motorcyclists of the Harley variety and were welcoming almost beyond reason. that night we ate grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables and pasta salad, then drank beer from the coolers til late. Barry & Lindsey were like Will & Renee's dopplegangers, it was surreal. the next morning we had scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon. i was treated like family just for showing up. they were one of the real highlights of my trip at a time when i was really missing the company of friends.
while the classic adage certainly rang true on a daily basis ( judging books, etc.) there was something else at work, too: there was (is) a signifigant difference between being a motorist and a cyclist when it comes to ones reception by the general public, especially in campgrounds. others have written about this phenomenon, and its really something to experience it first hand. ive road-tripped, camped, and toured in cars and never once did i have total strangers introduce themselves, offer me anything i needed, and wish me a safe journey like i was an old friend. unsolicited generosity and good will from strangers was a routine occurrence. In fact, i would have never made it without the help of people like Bud, Barry & Lindsey & Doug & Val, Paul, Lloyd, and a long list of others whose names i forgot to write down. good people...
