To: WL
From: "Kathy E. Gill" <kathy@motogrrl.com>
Subject: Day Three - Catch Up - Part 2
Cc: 
Bcc: PE
X-Attachments: 

I'm now on 395 and I'm hungry. Plus, I need gas. I stop in Bridgeport 
(under the illusion that I'm Right At 120E - which is actually 30 miles 
down the road). There's a nice little outdoor mexican place there with 
burritos that are better than Taco del Mar (imo).

SR120 east from 395 to the Nevada border is a combination of roller 
coaster ripples, straights, and a few twisties. I hit indicated 100-110 
on the straights. I remember to slow down when transitioning from 
straight to twistie -- sometimes this is difficult as 60 feels Very Slow 
after you've been doing 100. But it may still be too fast for the corner 
i'm approaching. The winds remind me of those on our Hanford run coming 
back from CTS. 

It's ~80 miles from the border to Tonopah. How fast can I make this? It, 
too, is a combo of straights and twisties, but the twisties are like a 
dash of seasoning. As the evening progresses, I find I need to do 
indicated 90-100 on the straights. Wind has picked up - and the blast I 
get from 18-wheelers headed west is disconcerting.

I stop for a photo op - I've watched the distant mountain range start to 
turn pink. I've wanted to stop several times - but there is no shoulder. 
The pulloffs are all gravel, and I'm still nervous about tipping over. 
Finally, there is a road intersecting R6 - I use it as my 'shoulder.' I 
take this opportunity to shift from heavy gloves to light ones and to 
take off the vest. It's warmer here (whoever suggested 395 was going to 
be warm was WRONG).

My ValentineOne is doing odd things again. It keeps pointing 'behind' me 
- but there's nothing there. I see a car coming up pretty fast - so I 
back off (speed limit is 70). It's an SUV; they pass me, I fall in 
behind them. The radar detector quiets down.

I make it to the Clown Motel in Tonopah just before 9. I've done 390 
miles in 7 hours and 15 minutes. With potty, gas, food and photo stops. 
And twisties.

There are other bikes here - and I meet the couple in the lobby. Their 
dog (Hilliary) has traveled 32K miles! (yes, you read that right). They 
are from FL and are on their way to BC. I get a report on Zion - freshly 
laid oil/gravel. Not for me - I did that at Crater Lake last year - but 
this is on a section of switchbacks. I'll proceed straight to Bryce.

Got the pictures out of Phil's camera and on the hard drive. But I can't 
access mail or FTP. My "dial manually" option (so I can use the MCI 
card) requires that you us the PHONE's push buttons; I don't have a 
splitter and this phone doesn't have a data port (like that's a 
surprise). I don't know when I'll get these posted - but at least I've 
gotten them written, so my "diary" is complete to date.

It's Very Late (much later than I planned to hit the sack) so a 6 am 
departure is looking unlikely.


Kathy
still postponed