This map shows the route pretty close to what we actually traveled. The exception is in the lower right where we didn't go through Tucson but the map software limited the number of waypoints I could put in so we have that anomaly. Other than that, it's pretty close.
I always like to take some time after an adventure to reflect on it, see what bubbles to the top, and if anything happened that would change what I would do in the future. Here it is for the 2023 Adventure 1.
The first thing that comes to mind is that I was colder than I anticipated. Yes, it was 104 degrees F when crossing the desert but that wasn’t as bad as it sounds, especially when compared to the cold night spent at Bates State Park in Oregon. That 30 degrees was something I wasn’t prepared for. I had the same issue last year when I camped at the O’Brien campground on the Salmon River, again 30 degrees in the morning. While my heavier, cold weather motorcycle gloves work, I’d like to have what I use for my running gloves, smaller and in 2 layers. I will also never leave home without bringing my knit hat. Keeping my bald head warm is a must and, other than my helmet, I only had a baseball cap, something difficult to sleep in.
And sleeping…I need to reevaluate my sleeping bag. I bought it in 1979 for the cross country riding I was doing that summer and it’s the only bag I’ve used for traveling since then. In better weather it works fine but I think that the insulation might have lost some of its lofting. I have another bag but it’s a bit bulkier so I’m wondering if they make newer bags that have less bulk but higher insulation properties. That’s something to look into.
Another issue that has come up is age-related. I suppose it was inevitable but even though I work out to keep myself in reasonable good shape, the wear and tear on parts is coming to the forefront. In particular, I was, long ago, diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand and instead of opting for surgery I did, and do, physical therapy by stretching and resting. While it mainly impacts my drawing, when I do that it’s easy to take a break every 15 minutes, but on a motorcycle ride, that really isn’t an option. Having cruise control helps a lot but this trip really hammered my right hand. By the last morning I could barely make a fist when I first got up. Perhaps surgery for that would remedy this but after 3 surgeries in the past 5 years it’s not something I want to do right now. Plus, it’s something I’d only schedule for winter when riding season is over.
Maybe a change in angle on the grips would help. My bars are adjustable, to a point, so maybe I’ll have to try that. Some guys install bar risers so that could be an option as well. It really is something that I need to address as the discomfort does impact the enjoyment, especially with the more technical requirements of riding the twisties.
Another physical issue came up for me on this trip as well. After 2-3 days on the road, I started having massive leg cramps at night in one leg or the other. At first I thought it might be a side-effect of a statin drug I’d just started taking but I cut my dose in half and even missed a day and still was on the verge of these cramps. After returning home I resumed my normal dosage and I have no cramps. At this point I am leaning toward a lack of physical activity as the culprit. While piloting a motorcycle is certainly a physical activity, it really is sedentary and, considering that I workout by running or swimming on most days, going cold turkey from that on this trip and sitting in one position for hours at a time is the likely cause of the cramps. Dr. Google even backs up that idea.
On previous rides it was not uncommon to get up after sunrise, don my running gear, and go out for a 3-5 miles run. The only time I did anything close to that was the cold morning I woke up to at Bates State Park and I got out for a 45 minute hike at a very brisk pace. No leg cramping that night. I think I see the solution to the problem.
On this ride I averaged about 400 per day. That’s fine but I think in future rides I want to intersperse that with some way shorter days. When I see something interesting to draw, I want to stop, get out my stool, my sketchbook, pencils and pens, and watercolors, and sit for the 2 hours or so it takes to get an urban sketch done. Combining riding and drawing is as attractive to me as the combining of my photography with drawing as I’ve done over the past couple years. Last summer/fall I was riding to the nearby town of Fromberg, MT and doing some drawing, eventually completing the north side of their Main Street. I really like the results. I am guessing these might end up being 250 mile days on a long trip.
The dashcam was a revealing experience on the trip. At first I wasn’t sure if I would do it, or would want to put up with the hassle, but after returning and going through the video clips I picked up, I’m sold. I have some great footage of the scenery and all from the point of view of the bike.
The problem with the cam I am using is that I don’t really understand its workings. The instructions are rather vague. I think it just records 3-5 minute clips before starting the next one. Once the memory card is full it goes back and writes over the earlier files, limiting the number of video files it can record. At times, when I know it was supposed to be recording, it sometimes wasn’t. Files are named in a numbered sequence and I was missing a bunch within the sequence and have no idea what happened to them.
To make things more complicated, I would download the files from the camera's memory card to my iPad in the evening. I had to get two adapters to make it happen but it worked fine until the iPad got full. I suppose bringing along some high capacity flash drives would be a solution BUT I will look for a more complete fix. On the motorcycle forums this is discussed and other riders have mentioned having a camera permanently mounted to the bike. It records to a unit mounted under the seat whenever the ignition is on. That sounds like a great solution and I’ll have to track down what they are using.
Other electronic issues were not really issues. I have two USB charging ports in my tank bag. One is usually dedicated to running the webcam and the other is hooked to my phone. I have an Anker backup battery that I like to keep topped up so it has to take turns with the phone. I have an extra port in my glovebox and I might have to run some wiring out of there to add an extra charging point. I have my iPad with me and I had to charge it twice. Once I used the Anker battery which took it to 75% and the other time I ran my extra-long USB cable to the iPad which I had placed in my satchel behind me so it could charge while I was riding. This is all a necessity if I want to document my travels and I mostly have it working fine but it’s just something to keep on top of.
I didn’t take a paper map on this trip, figuring I could just rely on the map app on my phone. That works until there is no cell service so, based on my experience this time, I’d bring a paper map as a backup as I’ve done on previous rides.
Food and cooking was fine this time out. The backpacker meals are still the way to go due to their simplicity of only requiring boiling water. I’d filled my main fuel bottle and only used about 2/3 of it, not needing the extra bottle I’d brought. This was the same experience I had last year so the extra bottle might get left behind on the next 10-day ride. The breakfast oatmeal mix really worked well. It was filling and simple to do, again, just add water. As I’ve done on past rides, I like to eat out for lunch. I want to get a fresh salad and a piece of bread at least every other day so Subway sandwiches, found nearly everywhere, are fine for that. As a vegetarian, I know that my options are limited and the last thing I want on the road is fried fast food. I never eat it at home so I’m not going to eat it on the road.
On my last long rides, in this blog I mentioned the music I listen to while riding. I have the same playlist on my phone but on this trip I listened way less than I have in the past. I never listen while I am riding in a town of any size, nor do I listen when I am riding the twisty roads, because I find the music to be a distraction when I need to concentrate on what I am doing. For whatever reason, on this trip, even on the long, straight roads, I generally did not have the music on as I enjoyed the solitude and the time to think. Think about what? Well, stuff I am trying to find the answers to and it takes some time to mull over the issues and attempt to draw some conclusions. One topic I like to think on that I just can't while I am riding is about my artwork. As a visual artist, I think in pictures, sometimes representational and other times abstract. These images stream to me in full color as if they are right in front of me and that is a dangerous situation whether riding a motorcycle or driving a car so I avoid that topic until I'm off the road.
The bike did get a pretty good wash after I returned home but it still needs some touching up. I did change the oil and filter today so it's ready for more riding.
That’s about all that comes to mind at the moment. I’m getting pretty good at this motorcycle camping having now done, in the past 2 years, 3 trips totaling around 14,000 miles. It’s loads of fun and I hope to continue doing it as long as I can throw my leg over the bike. After all, I am hitting the 4 corners of the lower 48 states and I only have Key West in Florida to finish the set.
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