more pictures and a story soon.

 

Ok so here are some more pictutres and the "rest of the story" So last week, I forget which day, I decided to jump on the KLX and go for a ride right at 4. In my defense I forgot how much sooner it gets dark here. I had an idea where I wanted to go and took a couple of the MSR bottles along just in case I got low on gas. With my current setup I need to be heading back home at 40-45 miles.

Anyway my wife works until 6 and so I thought hey I could get a couple of hours of riding in. So I told my kid I was going riding and the general area in which I was headed. So off I went. After 35 miles up a logging road, and by the way 35 miles on gravel is actually a good ride as far as distance and time goes, since you are not going to get back as fast as you would like to if need be. Anyway at 35 miles on top of one of the ridges I punched in my home address on the Garmin 60 CSX because I wanted to go back a different way that either I had not been on in a long time or had never gone before.

At first the GPS wanted me to go back the same way I came....BORING!, so I headed down a road that I sort of knew would head in the direction I wanted to go. Sure enough the GPS recaclulated and off I went. The distance to home was 33 miles so I was well within my 80 miles round trip on the gas in the tank.

So down the North side of the ridge I went, and it was a great road, nice shaded areas, just enough large rocks in the road to keep you awake and alert. After about 8-10 miles into the ride, I ran into a road closed sign 1500 ft ahead. I was like you got to be kidding me. So I rode up and sure enough there was a huge slide area that was being worked on although everyone had gone home for the day.

I was tempted to drag the bike down the bank and then I could get up the other side, but I had to be honest with myself, if the road was gated or unpassable farther ahead I would never get my bike back up the steep bank, so I decided to just head back. So there I was, low on gas, 20 miles wasted because the road was closed and it was getting late, and in fact my wife would soon be home and I had no cell signal where I was.

I got to the top of the ridge where the track on my GPS showed how to get home and the distance to home said 33 miles. If you start doing the math, you soon realize that it was going to be close on the gas. I dumped in the two bottles in my camelback and I coasted every chance I could, sometimes over a mile at a time then I would have to start the bike ride level or up a bit then repeat the process. I hit reserve with nearly 15 miles to go to home.

I know, I know I need a bigger tank, but for now I'll start taking my other backpack with the two heavy duty chemical jugs with a total capacity of 2 gallons. That way I won't have to worry about it anymore.

I made it home but as I rounded the corner just as it was getting dark I spotted a couple of extra vehicles in the driveway and soon realized that my wife and son were not happy with me and in fact were recruting a search party to go find me. They over reacted and I under reacted, not a good combination. We all went out to eat but needless to say dinner was a bit on the quiet side and the looks....lol yeah, oh well.

I guess I need to think about one of the Spot Locators or something. Honestly I go out 99% of the time by myself, and I'm not going to stop riding just because nobody else wants to go. If I waited for a riding buddy I would have a beard and fingernails longer than Howard Hughes.

Well That's it, and here are the ride pictures from the 3 hour tour,,,,,,a three hour tour.

















This is not the road closed at the slide, just early on in the ride.












"Hole in the Wall"










The washout and equipment. THis is on Forest Service land. I can't imagine the cost of a project like this not to mention the permit process.















I should have done a panarama picture so you could tell how huge this project was.

 

deej, with that pic of you at the "road closed" sign, at least they would have had a nice parting shot of you...when they found your body.

Yeah, I tell ya...as you probably remember, I ride alone a lot too in some really remote areas out west. The SPOT has been great...for my wife. I've never had to use it for an emergency or even a mechanical, but when I'm out or later or whatever, she knows I'm OK when I send an "OK" signal. They really do work, and if the worst happens it could make all the difference.

And yes...you need a bigger tank.

 

My wife never worries about me. She says I'm a big boy and she's holding the insurance policy

 

Yes, but my wife says the SPOT will allow the insurance man to quickly find my body so that the policy can be processed ASAP.

 

Nice pics Deej.
I thought you had a setup for an additional fuel tank.
Get a SPOT or Delorme InReach. The InReach has texting capability which is pretty cool. You could tell the family "I'm good, bring gas" and they can see right where you're located.