To: WL
From: "Kathy E. Gill" <kathy@motogrrl.com>
Subject: Day Four - Making Tracks - part 1
Cc: 
Bcc: PE 
X-Attachments: 

Started the day with chain lube, adjustment. I'm starting to get used to 
this regime. ;-)

The office opened at 7 - I asked the manager about a phone line splitter 
and he loaned me the one from the office. So I was able to send/receive 
mail before leaving the motel.

The couple from FL was packing up also. On two cruisers, with 
stereotypical cruiser chaps/leather/fringe/bandanas. They liked my 
Stich, though, and asked good questions about it. Sandy was expecting to 
be cold today - and told me that temps had been very mild in UT while 
they were there (the prior 3-4 days).

Headed out of town - and the landscape made me catch my breath. And they 
call Wyoming 'big sky'. The scale is indescribable. I looked across at 
the eastern mountain range - with the road pointing to it like an arrow 
- and thought, "I wonder how far that is? 10 miles?" After a few 
minutes, I modified the guess to 15. Wrong again. 19+.

When you can see that far, it's very easy to want to Go Fast. Before 
long, I found myself at indicated 100-110. Later, up to 118, as fast as 
I was comfortable in the wind.

Oh. I forgot to mention the wind. I don't know where it comes from, but 
it never goes away. You're canted against the wind, which is then 
punctuated by gusts. Often moved me 18" one way or the other. (Did I 
mention it changes direction?)

Slowing down to navigate the turns as you cross each mountain range 
requires conscious intervention. My initial "slow down" was rarely below 
80. Sometimes that was enough (for sweeper-type curves) but other times 
conscious application of brakes was needed.

Why is this called a National Forest? There Are No Trees! There is only 
sagebrush. There's a lot of sagebrush, but is it a tree? Well, later 
there are cacti - but they aren't trees either? are they?

And which came first? The fact that there is nothing out here? Or the 
test site making no one want to be out here. It is among the most 
remote, desolate area I have experienced.

At one point - on this straight-as-an-arrow part of the road - I see 
serious skid marks angling to the right and off the road. Why? I suppose 
it must have been a critter in the way. Didn't see any deer, but lots of 
cattle. And even several herds of horses.

Tonopah to Caliente : 200 miles : 2 hours and 20 minutes, which 
included:

-- an "oh was that my turn?" stop. the map shows 6/375 junction as a "Y" 
- not 365 off to at a right angle. i blew right by it because it looked 
'wrong'

-- a photo op - the bike in front of the ET Highway sign ;-)

-- gas stop at Rachel - the only gas in that 200 mile stretch - which 
was a good thing because 100+ mph and head/cross winds dropped my 
mileage from the 50-52 mpg that I had been getting down below 40 mpg.

-- the last mile into Caliente at 25 mph - the locals value their 
traffic fine dollars ;-)


One "gulp" moment for the morning. NV-93, the road to Caliente, is more 
heavily trafficked than the roads around the test site, so i wasn't 
riding as fast. plus the speed limit had dropped to 65, i think. anyway, 
i was about 10 miles from caliente and thinking about the need to make a 
necessary stop ... which may have made me twist the throttle a bit.

Anyway, over a hill and a car is approaching - what's that on the roof - 
ACK - somewhat simultaneous off throttle-Valentine1 warning-single 
"bleep" siren from the state-y. I must have not been speeding *enough* 
to warrant his turning around for me.



kathy
still postponed