Gypsy Stats: 6 hr 5 min elapsed time 3 hr 38 min riding time 1 hr 40 min eating fire house breakfast and swapping lies 128 miles total distance 35.2 MPH average speed
Beemer Stats: 38 MPH average speed 48 MPG average fuel consumption 133 miles total distance
Tim: Ducati Desmo 907 EI Dave: ’03 BWM F650GS Bob: '03 BMW R1150RT Lindsey: '07 BMW R1200R (grin) We actually got accused of being a mini BMW club as we pulled into the firehouse parking lot.
Last Sunday of the month and we gotta go short today and get back for 1:00 pm obligations. Nesquahoning is a little far, so off to the Haycock Fire Co for the $6.00, all-you-can-eat, Sunday morning, fire house breakfast. They had the big garage doors open and the tables set up in the main Fire Engine garage - a kinda European, dining-al-fresco, feeling. Really not too much to report today except that Bob was able to join us on his RT for the first time in a long time. Well, except for Dave basically stopping in the middle of a corner when his chain fell off (boy, do I love shaft drive!). Haycock does a pretty good SOS and I was in the mood, so by the time we hit the road again, I was feeling good.
The temperature was in the mid-50's starting out, with a glorious, red sunrise. As the morning progressed we got up as high as 67 before clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped back down to around 64. Probably just as well that we are going short as rain is predicted for later in the day. Overall, great riding conditions with the right gear. This morning, that means two piece, long sleeve, custom made (well, OK, not really custom made, but specifically designed to the purpose) motorcycle underwear, the Gerbing electric jacket liner (not plugged in, just acoustic today), and the ES riding suit with liners. I was wearing the light weight summer gloves but turned the hand grip heaters on low. I really appreciated the "jet fighter" sun shield in the Shark helmet as we headed out going primarily east into the rising sun before the clouds rolled in.
Overall, a nice, short day for the first ride of autumn. Hey, Tim, what year is that Duck?
Gas Pump:$32.74 for the R1200R burning 93 Octane (R+M/2)
47.3 MPG
$2.89/gal ave for 93 Octane
6.10 cents/mile for gas
Cost Stats:Campsite $30
Dinner for three $12.81
Breakfast $27
Breakfast $30
Firewood $3
Total $105. or about $35 apiece. Pretty reasonable
Tim:’00 Triumph Sprint ST 955 Triple
Dave:’04 Triumph Sprint ST 955 Triple
Lindsey:’07 BWM R1200R (grin)
A Triumphant blue preponderance once again.
We got thinking about motorcycle camping and realized that is we didn’t get to it soon we were going to miss our chance for this year, so we picked the one free weekend in September and headed off.I focused on trying to put together the right gear for (1) riding in any weather and (2) camping comfortably as a cheap overnight accommodation.The problem is, there is a very limited amount of storage capacity on a motorcycle, so you need to limit the number of items and get them as compact as possible.We accommodate temperature change by regulating the number of layers, but you can carry only so many layers.Usually it’s not a problem but when you want to add in a bed (sleeping bag and pad), house (tent), and camp kitchen, room gets limited.The electric jacket liner is a great addition.We ride ATGATT, so the outer layer is always the safety suit, but I usually have the suit liner in as well, at least until it goes up to 80.The liner also serves as the primary defense against rain for anything up to a massive continuing downpour.I have been finding the LD Comfort base layer to be extremely comfortable in long or short version depending upon temperature.By itself, the electric jacket is all the internal layer you need down to about 60 degrees (if you’re a temperature wimp like Lindsey) or somewhat lower.Below that, plug it in and just turn up the thermostat as the temperature drops.I also am comfortably down to 60 with just the long LD tights and suit with liner on my legs.The next internal layer needs to be whatever you carry for off-cycle pants, a pair of jeans so far, but still under development.We pretty much proved that you also need a waterproof outer layer for the really serious downpour, but this can also add about 5 degrees of temperature tolerance as well, I found this weekend with the new Frogg Toggs.
Trying to get everything in the right place is important also.This weekend, I tried packing the camp kitchen in one saddlebag.Not a disaster, but really not a good solution.The kitchen parts do not fit in the hard bag as well as soft goods, are difficult to pack, and make inefficient use of space.When we got home this afternoon, I washed up all of the cooking gear then tried repacking it in the new Wolfman tail bag.Much better solution, so we’ll try that next time out.BTW, I bought a new tank bag and then tail bag from Wolfman.Both are excellent – heavy duty, well made, well designed, and American made in Colorado.A definite winner.
Back to camping gear, I just bought a Kermit Chair which packs up compactly but sets up to be a very comfortable camp chair.Expensive, but a good product meeting a tough set of requirements.Tim carried his also on this trip.
So what about the trip.Lindsey’s start was much like last week:out a little after 7 with the temp at a brisk 50 degrees and the sun coming up to light up a clear bright day.Heading over Levengood Road towards 662 I saw a bald eagle.It was down at about treetop level, having trouble trying to gain altitude and being harassed by two or three crows.Lindsey got to the Redner’s Quick Stop with enough extra time to grab a cup of joe and a piece of shoofly pie.Not that I would ever doubt that Navigator Tim will get us to breakfast eventually, it’s just nice to be fortified against the vagaries of how long that might sometimes take and a piece of shoofly pie with coffee is always a treat.
Tim had heard that Cabella’s restaurant does an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet for $6.99, so we decided to give it a try.It was OK, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.Also, the coffee was extra, so by the time we were done, breakfast was about 9 bucks.While there, we got concerned that our lightweight (and space conserving, compression sack stored) sleeping bags might leave us a tad cool if the temperature dropped as much as was threatened by the weather report, so we supplemented our sleeping gear with a couple of polar fleece watch caps (not bad at $9.99 each).Tim heard that in cold weather you lose as much as 30% of your body heat while sleeping through the scalp, so a cap is very important sleep gear when the temperature drops.
After breakfast, the temp was comfortably in the 60’s as we went up through Pine Grove and over Rt 125, one of our favorite rides. Eventually it got up to 70, time to shed a layer and switch to lighter gloves.Navigator Tim had a route all planned but when we got to Stony Run Road we found that they had forgotten to pave it and we had forgotten to bring the off road bikes.I guess we found the stony in Stony Run.A brief navigation meeting ensued.By mid-afternoon, we were passing through Williamsport.Last time we did that, it turned out the Little League World Series was in full swing, making it nearly impossible to get through town.This time, we found folks setting up chairs and sitting along side of the road.This went on all the way down the highway to Montgomery where the fire police tried to direct us into the midst of what turned out to be a massive, 23 mile long, 9/11 motorcycle ride, whatever that is.Thankfully Tim deeked down a side street and out of harm's way before we were captured.We backtracked the highway before the festivities were quite started and gave the whole area wide berth.
By the end of the day, we rode into Ives Run recreation area on HammondLake just north of Mansfield.This is a top notch camp group run by the Army Corp of Engineers (they built the dam that made the lake).Luckily, Dave had made a reservation because the camp ground was full.We set up tents and got dinner started.Tim went out to buy firewood, Dave went for a walk to look at the lake, and Lindsey stayed at the campsite and got busted by Ranger Tammy for having three tents (two tents max).Luckily, Tim’s bike was not there (2 vehicles max also, it turns out).It was looking dire until Ranger Tammy decided since there were only three of us and the tents were small and there was nowhere else for us to go and we were only staying one night, it would be OK and she would let it go.It was either good luck, good sense, or the fact that I am pure of heart, but the problem resolved itself with little fuss.
Dinner was Katherine’s one pot chicken and rice recipe, canned green beans, and spice wafers for dessert.Dave brought along his one burner propane stave to supplement Lindsey’s one burner white gas stove, which was good for getting both the chicken and rice and the green beans hot at the same time.The one burner propane stove was uber simple and worked really well.I think there may be one of those in my future.
A little time around a welcome campfire (we could see our breath by this time) and then off to bed, not forgetting the new cap.
Some time in the middle of the night, a new front blew in bringing clouds, a little light rain, and warmer air, so we had no problem staying warm. There really wasn’t much rain, just enough that it would have been a problem without a tent, so gear was basically dry by morning.As it happened, that didn’t last.We set off in the dry but were soon looking at 60 degrees and a definite case of Portland sunshine, i.e. not enough moisture to call it rain, but enough in the air to leave droplets on the face shield as we swept through the moist air.By the time breakfast at the Wellsboro Diner was over, it was 60 degrees and definite intermittent rain.We suited up, Lindsey in the new never before tried Frogg Toggs, and set a path to home.The rain never became extreme.Some of the time we were on dry pavement, but would then run into fog going over a ridge.So we plotted a straight (and shorter) path home, arriving here by 2:30 with plenty of time to put the travel gear away.
Labor day weekend with incredible early September Pennsylvania weather, Zoe wanted the day to go to the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show without interference, no other real obligations for the day – what to do?Go long!
Back at the end of July we had set out on a long day intending to have a look at the Tunkhannock Viaduct.We were thwarted not so much by an overwhelming rain storm as by our underwhelming attention to proper rain gear and wound up turning tail and running home like the pack of wet dogs we were.Today was the chance to make up for it.
Setting out to form-up point a few minutes after 7, the temperature was a mere 50 degrees.Sun was just up on a beautiful, clear day but it was might chilly.The LD long underwear with a second layer under the RevIt suit with liners turned out to be just the ticket.I was using the Gerbing electric jacket liner for the intermediate layer without needing to plug it in yet.Turns out it’s a pretty warm jacket in its own right.It was as cold at 47 in the low dips down by creek where the cold air settles, so I was glad for the warm gear.
We were jonesing for firehouse breakfast at Kutztown, it being the first Sunday of the month, but no luck.The parking lot was plumb empty, so we moved along to Letterman’s on Main Street in Kutztown.Letterman’s is an original Silk City Diner where the meals are large, the room is small and crowded, and waitresses are friendly, so we found we could make do.
After breakfast, we headed north with temperatures now in the low 60’s.It was about as nice an end-of-summer day as Pennsylvania can dish up.As usual we made the most of crossing the valley and ridge province, finally getting to Nicholson, PA around 1 pm, just in time for a soft ice cream cone in the shadow of the Tunkhannock Viaduct.
The Tunkhannock Viaduct was built in 1915 to carry the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad across the Tunkhannock Creek.It is nearly half a mile long, crossing the valley 240 feet in the air.At the time it was the largest reinforced concrete structure of its kind ever built.We couldn’t just look from below, of course, so we found our way up to the railroad bed at one end of the structure.Seems the Canadian Pacific Railroad is still using the roadbed and takes a dim view of track walkers.We had to ignore 3 or 4 signs walking over to the tracks from the road where we parked the bikes.The view was worth the effort.
A preponderance if not an actual plethora of Blue Triumph Sprint Triples
The original plan was to ride up to Mt Greylock in North Adams, MA, (highest point in Massachusetts) to spend the night in Bascom Lodge and see what the two year make-over of the lodge and park facilities looked like. We had stayed in bunk room of the lodge a couple of times before and wanted to be sure they hadn’t wrecked the charm with renovation. But it was not to be due to a weekend reservation for a wedding party booking the entire facility. We wound up making our way to the Econo Lodge on Rt 4 outside of Killington, VT. Well it never really matters where you wind up as long as there are good roads on the way.
As usual, we formed up at the Redners Quick Stop to gas up and get moving. Navigator Tim took us slabbing up Rt 33 across the Lehigh Valley to make a little time, with a stop at the Waffle Diner in Stroudsburg for breakfast (very important!), then up over the Pocono plateau to cross the Delaware into NY at Narrowsburg. The Beemer turned 10 just minutes before our first gas stop outside of Narrowsburg, then off across the Catskills.
From the department of ironic signage, we rode past the Neversink Reservoir with its sign advertising the former site of the town of Neversink. Maybe they should have renamed it “Well, Hardly Ever Sink”, or possibly “Mighta Sunk Once” since it’s now at the bottom of 200 ft of water waiting to make the trip to NYC.
A short slab up the NY Thruway took us to Albany and our crossing of the Hudson, then off on Rt 2 across the Taconics and Berkshires thru Petersburg, teeing into Rt 7 just south of Williamstown, MA. This is a great stretch of road with one of my favorite signs, “Warning! STOP 4 mi Ahead”, on the downside swing heading into the tee at Rt 7.
Rt 7 took us thru the north end of the Housatonic valley into Vermont at Pownal, thru Bennington, up the Otter Creek Valley to Rutland, then just five miles east of Rutland on Rt 4 to the Econo Lodge Killington where we put up for the night. A quick run into Rutland left us full of dead cow with a quick late evening run home up the hill on a full stomach. A short relax and recap of the day’s events by the pool put a wrap on the day: the guy who tried to pump gas from the 87 octane hose while Dave was filling up with the 93 octane hose from the same pump – “Well, they have three hoses…” “Sure, buddy. Here’s your sign,”; and the chick on the pink Harley in Rutland complete with pink leathers, pink helmet, and a pink stuffed bear on the luggage rack – How much Mary Kay do you have sell (and to whom???) to get one of those?).
Sunday morning we got up early and on the road before 8 for a brisk hour riding across Rt 4 to Killington, then south on Rt 100 for breakfast at Dot’s of Dover where the Big Breakfast really is big and the Little Breakfast is half of the Big Breakfast (one egg, one pancake, one bacon, one sausage… you get the picture).
About 11:30, we rolled up to the top of Mt.Greylock, the high point of Massachusetts. Aside from fixing the roads up and down the mountain and posting a ranger to collect $2 apiece parking fee, the place didn’t look much different. We grabbed a cup of joe in the dining hall and took the time to climb up to the top of the obelisk on the summit to see the view. Bascom Lodge looked about the same as before (except they refinished to floor in the main room and seem to be sensitive about shoes with cleats). Another time when it’s not so crowded, it will probably be worth the $35 per night for a space in the bunkroom with family style breakfast in the morning.
We crossed the Hudson at Kingston and stopped to gear up. It had been spitting light rain off and on for a while, but was starting to get serious. This time, we remembered to bring the gear and we took the time to put it on right. I added the impervious one piece Triumph rain suit over my normal Revit riding suit with liners in. The temperature had dropped to about 68 degrees, so it wasn’t too warm when moving. By this time, it was about 3:00 in the afternoon with 200+ miles still to go to get home. The rain was coming down like it meant it and the weather was turning dark gray. We decided to beat it home the fast way and jumped on the thruway meaning to slab it all the way to Emaus via I 87 to I 287 to I 78 – just a fast run around the corner in NJ to get home. Ha! It was a Sunday afternoon in August and that road connects the Catskills and points North with NYC. The road barely moved. Crawling in stop-and-go traffic in rain with falling light is definitely a low point in motorcycling. At least it wasn’t cold. We deeked off onto I 84 at Newburgh and headed west towards Scranton. The traffic was light, the rain came and went, the new tires held steady and we made good time. Heading south on I 380 is supposed to be a 20 minute jaunt from I 84 to I 80. Once again, I 80 goes into NYC and it was still an August Sunday afternoon, so traffic was backed up several miles onto I 380. We jumped off onto 611 and slowly made our way to the north end of Rt 33, from which it was a quick ride, now with failing light and limited visibility, down to I 78 at Easton. Traffic was backed up on I 78 East – NYC again, but we, luckily, were heading west. In 20 minutes we were sitting in Yacco’s in Emaus with a couple of dogs recapping the ride.
So here is a learning: I had tried sticking the new EZpass on the Beemer windshield before we went and it didn’t make it to the end of the driveway. But it was very happy to reside in the top pocket of the new tank bag from where it worked perfectly every time we hit the thruway. Even of you plan to never slab a mile, get one of these. As far as I am concerned, just one pass through a toll booth while wearing a rain suit makes it worthwhile.
Near perfect morning for riding with temp in the mid-60’s heading over to Tim’s before 8, rising to around 70 before breakfast, and running up to mid 80’s in the second half of the morning. One of those clear and bright Pennsylvania high summer, August days with just enough yellow walnut leaves swirling down to let you know that September is just around the corner and coming into view.
Breakfast was Haag’s Hotel in Shartleville – family style seating with a full service buffet – the pig did not die in vain! - $8 all you can eat – tapioca pudding and shoo-fly pie for dessert.
Only a half day planned for today so we decided to run Rt 125 over the mountains from Ravine to Shamokin including a shortcut up Molleystown Road through Molleystown where Zoe’s mother grew up. The coal breaker is gone, now the site of an over-landscaped swimming pool and gazebo, but Aunt Sarah’s house is still there (albeit sporting an atrocious faux stone front face) as is the house which George and Anne built across the street.
Rt 125 runs across the ridges of the Valley and RidgeProvince with plenty of the requisite twists, turns, and switchbacks required to get the road up and down the mountain. In a short, it’s motorcycle heaven. It may not be the Dragon’s Tail, but it is a great Sunday morning ride right in our back yard - and so far, undiscovered and un-crowded. Whooee – what a run. We went “around the block” in Shamokin and headed back to run 125 in the opposite direction going home. Not so much fun, as the good people of the world were making their sedate way home from church by that time and kinda blocking up traffic from our point of view.
The valley between Hegins and Shamokin is just glorious – typical Pennsylvania full of corn, soybeans, and apple orchards. It’s a stunning view coming down the mountainside. Turns out it’s better not to mix site seeing with twisties. The view was great but I started missing my lines in the curves, had to slow down and held up the whole works.
Even with a long tongue wag at the wrap up at the Quick Stop it was home by 2:30 with a grinning 193 miles on the clock.
Amazing how a new set of wheels can put a grin on your face! I guess it runs in the family. This is Lindsey's grandson, Will, with his first bike. Good to see he's riding ATGATT.
Well, Zoe was back in Rhode Island at summer school, Jo was at work, business partner Marcus was off sailing on Gazela so I was home alone looking at the lawn which needed to be mowed or …. thinking about a crab cake sandwich for lunch in Chesapeake City MD. Crab cakes won – go figure.
We don’t often head south. The roads through the Pennsylvania Valley and Ridge Province tend towards twisties and grins, while the Coastal Plain lends itself more to flat, straight and boring (from a motorcycle perspective), so north or west over the mountains usually wins. But I had a hankering to take a look at the city-under-the-bridge and the idea of a good Maryland crab cake had a huge appeal this morning, so south I went.
The ride itself was pretty uneventful, but there is always something exciting about approaching big water, and the swooping bridge that carries MD Rt 213 up into the sky and over the C&D canal is a treat in any vehicle, especially out in the open on a motorcycle. On the south side of the canal, I took the immediate exit and doubled back under the bridge approach to Rt 186. The bridge over the C&D rises so high to clear the commercial vessels in the canal below that by the time it makes it back to earth, it has completely by-passed ChesapeakeCity, which sits on the bank of the canal. As result, the town looks like it has been by-passed by time itself. The historical district is made up of very old clapboard houses, now mostly converted to B&B’s, Antique Shops, and other attractions for the tourists who appear to be the backbone of the town economy. But it is a beautiful, peaceful settlement, sitting by the canal with vessels of all types slipping quietly by while the daily traffic passes far overhead on the flying buttress of a bridge which dominates the view.
Today was the first trip with the new rear luggage rack, new tank bag, and GPS shifted up so it does not interfere with the tank bag as the handlebars are turned. I am basically trying out all of the gear and loading for multi-day motorcycle camping, so a photo of the how we're ridin' is in order.
Lunch was a crab cake sandwich at the tavern on the main drag, as promised. Unfortunately, it was pretty mediocre and the bread (an ersatz Kaiser roll) was atrocious. Oh well…. Still, it’s a good reason for a ride – just means I keep going back and looking elsewhere until I find a really great crab cake, at which point, I have a reason to go back again later to have another really great crab cake, and then go back again with friends so they can try the really great crab cake….
After lunch, I stopped in at the C&DCanalMuseum.The museum is in the pump house holding the 14 ft diameter cypress bucket wheel which was used to pump water into the upper level of the canal (when it had locks) until it (the canal) was cut through to sea level in about 1929.The wheel and the two 3 ft diameter x 7 ft stroke walking beam steam engines which powered it are still there beautifully preserved.When it ran, the wheel turned at 1½ RPM and pumped 1.2 Million gal per hour into the canal from Back Creek.Amazing.I love this old technology.If you want to know more, I recommend a day trip the ChesapeakeCity to see the museum yourself.It won’t take too long, but it’s well worth the look.
The ride home up Rt 896 through Newark, DE (past Molly’s alma mater) and north the back way home through “Blow Horn”, Doe Run, Ercildown, Coatesville, etc. was pleasant and uneventful - always a plus on a motorcycle ride at the end of the day.
