2011 Winter Tour - year two

[BonusVFR]

Ok while I managed a swing out to Las Vegas in January I was looking for a repeat of last year’s successful tour to Big Bend. Like 2010, the excuse was a motocamping trip this time to the Hill country and a visit to my brother in Midland Texas….one of the garden spots in all of West Texas. Besides where else can you go in February.

All told it looked like about a three thousand mile tour with lots of options contingent on the weather. I laid out lots of alternative routes in Mapsource but the weather was certain to be the driver, which meant flexibility was key. The 2010 trip was cold but relatively dry although many of the mountain passes I had hoped to ride were not suitable for a motorcycle ride due to frozen water from storms while I was in Big Bend.

While the event dates dictated the timing I was hoping to dodge a new wave of Pacific storms that were queued up ready to strike. It did not boost my confidence tracking the weather in Texas for the last month. Snow and Ice and dead cold..............I was worried!

As the distances were large I took the barge and decided to upgrade my heated gear another notch from last year. My experiences with a heated vest have been sublime but extended riding in cold weather necessitates more coverage and turbo power. My Aerostich vest has worked well for me in summer inclement weather whether hitting the peaks of Colorado or the Sierras or touring in Canada or Alaska. But last year's trip to Southwest in March proved that even though behind a big screen and fairing, I need more throbbing electrons.

So I upgraded to a Warm N Safe full liner with about double the wattage of my vest. I also added a wireless remote dual controller so that I could easily switch it from bike to bike. In doing this I violated one of my tour maxims .....avoid wireless crap and more batteries. Whatever! The dual controller allowed me to add more gear and separately manage heat to different parts of my old body.

I also upgraded my windshield................don't ask me how many I have had! :beatdeadhorse:

Wing setup

initial VFR setup...although this may change. Note stock windshield.

When a San Diego buddy opted in for the the eastbound portion it looked like we were slabbing to Texas and then trying to hit some more northerly twisties on the way back by myself. My colleague routinely bangs out 800 and 900 mile days in the limited daylight of winter so a two day trip to the Hill Country was in the cards like it or not.

Here is my eventual route not including planned rides out of Garner State Park.

Next Underway literally and figuratively.

[BonusVFR]

My wife gave me the You have to be …hitting me look as I inched out of warm garage to pouring rain and a gusty wind - a classic winter storm in San Diego. It was about 5:30am and black. I was not a happy camper (sorry) and my wife was pleading with me to be careful. She was expecting to see SPOT tracks piling up in a ditch a few miles up the road. This was not the time to voice What could happen Dear?

I immediately jumped into the twisty hills just to the east of my house. It was in the mid forties and I still had to climb another three thousand feet to clear the Laguna mountains. Snow?

A beautiful start to a 1300 mile ride to Texas....about 45 minutes into the ride. :pissed: This is beyond cutting it close on the weather. :laughing6-hehe:

This is probably the slowest I have ever traveled my familiar backroads. A scared rider is sometimes not a safe pilot so I began to trust my tires and rolled up to our rendezvous on time with no snow at 3K. I had just changed my rear in January so both tires were in good shape.

The sun started to break about an hour or so later. Mercifully it popped just as we were about to descend the high speed section of sweepers on Interstate 8 and the rain stopped as well. The normally high cross winds were just not there toooooooo. Nirvana! The sun coming up in the morning is uplifting. :cheerleader:

Not much to say as we slabbed 750 miles to El Paso. Just West of El Centro the road is below sea level but after you cross the Colorado the road climbs but never gets above about 4,500 ft as you approach the continental divide. This is important to know in planning winter rides as the weather often reports on the snow line. Anything can happen at altitude. One night on this trip I pulled up some Topo maps to check out the altitude of a proposed route plus I have a WB radio for general forecasting on the move. One of these days I may get the weather radar thingy superimposed on a GPS.

The weather warmed up nicely and the temp eventually climbed to nearly 80. My buddy has a 2010 Wing and was pulling a trailer. This is the same rig he used to make a dash to the Yukon last year, while I was on my KLR up North. He had also made a trip to Moonshine in Dec. He is the ultimate LD rider and consistently travels over 50K miles every year. In 2009, he traveled 92K in one freaking year but he had more girl friends then. His 2010 wing is his 7th 1800.

He is packing and prepared for much colder weather:

• Heated grips
  
• Heated gloves
  
• Heated seat
  
• Heated liner
  
• Heated pants
  
• Heated socks.
  

We typically try to cruise just below 80 as his trailer does not help the mileage. We were hoping to get at least 200 miles a tank if there were no head winds. But oh boy he is a hit when he breaks out the cast iron skillet, the stoves, plates, silverware and pulls out the food from the cooler.

We spent the night in El Paso getting in just before dark despite the time change. If I am going to make big miles for the day or the next, I usually hit a dump instead of camp.

My last bike camping trip was way back in December 2010...so I was looking to get back in the swing of it once we arrived in Texas.

Next continuing to the Hill Country

[BonusVFR]

We slabbed till Fort Stockton on I-10 and then headed south on 285 and then 90. Tough to equal Colorado views here.

I did find a corner.

And a bump in the road.

I have more but you get the idea……………….on this trip it is not about the journey but the destination at least on the Eastern leg. But that would change.

The temperatures were ideal as we headed over the Pecos River, Amistad NRA (where the Jet Ski murder occured) and eventually your favorite camping supply store, Wally World in Del Rio. We filled one cooler with provisions and liquid refreshments.

Pulling into Garner State Park. We were the first bikes there. Not too many folks at all…no reservations required at least in February.

We logged some 550 miles today and managed to setup before dark after some needed hydration.

Next the weather and three sisters or maybe it was only two.

[Guest]

Good luck and have fun on your trip.

[Polarbear]

Interesting read. Please keep it coming, :cool: we all need some encouragements and something to keep our minds off our inability to ride at this time of year... :pissed:

I feel compelled to add that you guys are tough, riding and camping in this weather... :fing02:

C

[BonusVFR]

Interesting read. Please keep it coming, :cool: we all need some encouragements and something to keep our minds off our inability to ride at this time of year... :pissed:

I feel compelled to add that you guys are tough, riding and camping in this weather... :fing02:

C

I don't think I have ever taken a MC tour when it all worked according to plan.

[BonusVFR]

We were in the Oakmont camping area right on the Frio River. Most of the guys are serious LD riders and came in from Florida, California, Missouri, Tennessee Pennsylvania and as well as Texas of course.

No VFRs or CRs put one C14 was there. ST1300s were the most popular with several Wings, Harleys and GS1200 Adventures thrown in for good measure. A couple of the guys had trailers. Stay close to those folks as they have everything you did not bring or forget. I like staying in camp if you have to ride to eat out. So we rustled up some food and hydrated.

Surprisingly my Verizon phone had zero bars and ATT had almost five. There was no Wifi so I put out my SPOT message to let my wife know I was OK. The nearest Verizon coverage was thirty miles south in Uvalde, which we had come thru on the ride up from Del Rio.

The fog and light mist rolled in later that evening but I had put on my fly for warmth anyway so I was dry. Fortunately I was under a live oak so I had more protection. We setup our chairs under the trees.

Speaking of tents I am almost done with my ultra light and small packing backpacking tent. It is a great tent if you are 20, 30, 40 and maybe 50 but I am reaching new ….lows actually for comfort. I need more room. Frankly I am now looking at a 3 or 4 man tent with more headroom and the ability to put a chair in the vestibule. Naturally I want it to pack small too as well as being bullet proof in wind and heavy rain. This kind of attitude must drive tent manufactures' crazy. Just like bikes the perfect tent is…..well it depends!

In the morning of day three it was slick with a light rain/heavy mist. The visibility was poor …………….perfect conditions for exploring tight, twisty roads that you had never been on. Yeah right!

We waited for a couple of hours to breakout as forecasted. It did not so I said screw it I am out of here. So out I went hoping to pickup one or two of the three sisters (local routes that they have tee shirts about so they must be good right). I had optional routes of anywhere from 250 to almost 400 miles around the Hill Country. It just did not happen. But this is what happens on MC tours …you have to be flexible.

I rode two the three sisters: Rt 337 East out of Leakey and 336 South to Leakey.

Duh - I did not push the Pace! RT 337

This sign graced the top of RT 336. 337 had one too but with a higher count.

It cleared a bit on 336.

Normally I like to shoot from the overlooks but with the weather ....just gotta ask yourself ....do you fee lucky? NO!

After I gassed up in Leakey - I headed over to Utopia on 1050, which was more of VFR road but the rain started to spit some so I was careful. No cell coverage there either. Utopia was just a little short.of well................Utopia.

These roads are twisty but not I have ridden tighter ones in the Sierras....no problem on the Wing. I think a lot of the danger many of the roads in Texas are straight so this terrain in not routine for some and they are not prepared. Last year I had a chance to ride in the Fort Davis area which are twisty as well but you can pick up pace there a bit more as they are not as tight………..even better VFR territory.

When I got back to Camp about 4:30 the clouds were just breaking although the gloom and mist would come back that evening. All told about 150 miles for the day. I had some dehydrated food that worked out well (relative term) when I consumed in Alaska too.

Another night in the rain and then heading out.

[BonusVFR]

We had a light rain/drizzle all night. Like the night before don't think it got much below the high forties so not terrible. I stayed dry but it put a damp...er on things as I packed up. Nothing like packing up a wet tent. I stuffed my fly under a net in hopes that it would dry out if the rain stopped.

We pulled out in the rain. Let's see 4 days on the road and 3 of those with rain. :cheerleader:

I prefer riding the Wing in the rain as it has superb weather protection and rear visibility is better. Regardless of the rain it was going to be a relatively easy day as my destination was Midland some 300 miles North West.

Leakey...I did not stop. THere is a motorcycle camp spot just down the road to the West. I did not pull over to get my tee shirt. :goofy:

Instead of taking the direct route up to the Interstate, I detoured a bit and took 337 West out of Leakey and then hooked into the last of the three sisters, RT 335, right out of Camp Wood.

Again caution was the order of the day although this road is not as tight as the others....it would be the one for my VFR!

The weather broke a little but the road was still slick. Like quite a bit of Hill Country there were more than a few deer farms and hunting ranches. This was an exotic game ranch.

I might add that there are lots of deer about in this area. But I did not see any Jurasic Venison.

After a blast west on Interstate 10 I turned north at Ozona for Midland where the skies finally cleared.

Do you need pictures of Midland? It warmed up a bit to nearly 70 by the time I pulled into my brother's garage.

Next the highlight of the trip and five eight thousand feet passes IN FEBRUARY!

[Polarbear]

"Normally I like to shoot from the overlooks but with the weather ....just gotta ask yourself ....do you fee lucky, PUNK?!?? NO!"

Fixed it for you. :laughing6-hehe: But the answer comes from a wise man, I see... Never risk it in the rain.

I liked your comment about the tent too. Like you said, I bet not very many manufacturers like to hear that.

I'm still liking this post. Thanks for the report and, again, I'll say you are one true rider, riding in the rain for sheer fun like that... :fing02:

Cheers man! :beer:

C

[BonusVFR]

"Normally I like to shoot from the overlooks but with the weather ....just gotta ask yourself ....do you fee lucky, PUNK?!?? NO!"

Fixed it for you. :laughing6-hehe: But the answer comes from a wise man, I see... Never risk it in the rain.

I liked your comment about the tent too. Like you said, I bet not very many manufacturers like to hear that.

I'm still liking this post. Thanks for the report and, again, I'll say you are one true rider, riding in the rain for sheer fun like that... :fing02:

Cheers man! :beer:

C

Thanks for cleaning up the quote for me. :cheerleader:

I got used to rain last summer in Alaska where it rained every day except one. :pissed: You have to work around the weather on a a trip like this. I have been pretty lucky with weather in the summer in the Sierras. But a couple of years ago in your neck of the woods I got plenty cold and wet on a "summer" ride.

My trip to Texas and back had it all. Coming up!

[PhatPat33]

Calendar shot if I've ever seen one. :fing02:

[BonusVFR]

After a weekend with my brother, I pulled out of Midland at first light. It was a bit warmer than last year and was NOT raining. The Temps were in the low forties and the wind was not toooooo bad. Wow!

Only thing missing from this West Texas vista is the white pickup truck with deer smasher front end.

Oh here it is :cheerleader:

Enough said..........but better than the slab...........I think :mellow: Watch your gas. I always carry a spare MSR bottle for another 10 miles (I hope).

Last year I headed for Guadalupe Mountain NP but this time I was pushing a little north thru New Mexico trying to avoid Interstate 20 and 10 entirely. I was looking at making it to Eagar or Springerville AZ for the night or about 650 miles but with quite a bit of twisty stuff. While the roads looked good according to the NM & AZ DOT sites you never know. I was playing/riding it by ear.

After I went thru Carlsbad I turned west on NM 82 and started climbing and the road started to twist.

Over 8,000 ft and eventually it topped at 8.6K. Clouldcroft in a neat town at the top. I acutally saw a couple of CBR1000s climbing the hill on the other side, which were the first sport bikes I saw on the trip not in town.

Just outside of Alamogordo I got a glimpse of my next stop. You see that WHITE strip?

Who woulda thunk?

Those would be drifts......... The other kind!

If you have not been to White Sands NM, you have to go!!!! I took advantage of my geezer lifetime pass. I like to call it my "forever" ticket.

Frankly it was tough to control the speed (I did not) and I felt exhilarated. So I decided to take a shot at the Gila Monster or NM152. After all I had just made it over a 8,600 ft pass. So I turnd north for a few miles on I-25 and headed up to RT152. I tried to do this last year in March but bad weather thwarted my efforts. But out west I have had problems in June and July with snow so..............go for it!

SEE VFRD thread and I think HS has a video somewhere to.

http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/topic/61773-gila-monster-run/page__p__724898__hl__gila__fromsearch__1#entry724898

If you are looking for gas here you screwed up. Downtown Hillsboro just after the really good stuff starts.

It gets serious .........plus it was dry! :fing02:

Pull over at the top.........about 8,200ft.

The road is in good condition and many corners are tight...it is a ball!

You need rhythm

I was on reserve when I pulled in for gas in Silver City and a delightful repast at Mickey Ds.

Next heading north on 180 and then 191 at Alpine.

[BonusVFR]

RT 180 out of Sliver City, NM is a fantastic road but not sure the speed limit is ever over 60. SO...............this could be problem as most of the corners are sweepers and the road is excellent condition.

Warning! :pissed:

While this road would seem to be lower than the adjacent 191 in AZ it is still quite high and you are riding consistently over 5,000 or above. In my mind RT 180 is the equal of 191 in AZ. Though 180 does not have the tight corners of 191 particularly at the southern end it does have the flowing sweepers that a VFR thrives in.

RT 180 has two passes at 8,000 ft near the AZ/NM border so be careful and keep an eye on the weather.

And of course it was getting colder.............grips at full blast and the Liner at over 50%.

Just east of Alpine where 180 joins 191 in AZ.

Alpine is like .....alpine high. From 2006 AZ tour.

Frankly, I cruised as the sun started to fade and temp plummeted. I had forgotten that there was one more pass north of Alpine which crests at 8,500 ft just before you drop into Eagar which sits at about 7K.

South of Alpine RT 191 is one of my favorite roads of all time. It tops at over 9,000ft. I would rate both 180 and 191 among my favorites.

My 2006 AZ tour. Sebspeed has some great shots of 191 in his gallery as well.

Forget about a tent......................I pulled into the Best Western in Eagar and a hot shower. A long 650 mile day considering the twisty portions which cut down the average speed.

[BonusVFR]

I am not sure what the low temp was in Eagar but this is what I recorded after a few minutes of running the bike............and the water temp gage had not budged yet. For some reason I did not put my cover on the night before...a mistake as there was ice on the seat.

Just before first light I crawled out of town and immediately started climbing on RT260. The clerk at the BW said the road topped at 10k but I did not believe him as I thought 191 was the highest in AZ.

The road looked like there was a white film on it ....ice or some type of treatment. I was not sure!

I reached a meadow and was just putting along as it was getting colder by the second. My liner was acting up and my grips even at full power were not cutting it.

Shorty after I topped out. Are you nuts?

I saw 15 degrees and then I pulled over to take this snapshot.

I must say I was getting some serious looks from the guys going to work. Kind of like the look my wife gave me to start the trip when I rolled out in the rain.

Next up joining RT 60

[BonusVFR]

Note: RT261 off of 260 looks to be closed every winter. Could be a hell of a road but a diversion if you are making serious tracks.

RT 260 joins up with RT 60 in Show Low just past Pinetop which is a Alpine village kind of place. Most folks do not know these type of towns exist in Arizona.

For less altitude, you can take RT 60 west just out of Eagar/Springerville which makes its way to Show Low. RT 60 to Show Low is a faster way to go if not as scenic.

2006 RT 60 pictures west of Springerville. Again an early start and not as cold and not as much protection of the VFR.

Just east of Show Low.

Next routing south west on RT60.

[BonusVFR]

RT 60 and 260 meet up in Show Low. As this point, I switched routes and headed southwest on RT 60. All reports on this portion are glowing. I was quite sure the 8k plus mountain passes and my worry bit about ice on the roads would be a distant memory.

I figured out what was wrong with my liner and enjoyed consistent warmth as I descended from Show Low. While I had done one test ride with this new heated gear setup I had a few moments on this tour. On the way to Garner, I had uplugged my liner after a gas stop and unfortunately the lead from the battery was dangling and ground itself to pulp on the Texas Interstate. I had never experienced this issue before as my SAE leads for my Aerostich vest are considerably shorter. Live and learn and another tour lesson in the bank. :pissed: Luckily my bud had a spare lead that worked on my powerlet jack. Henceforth I will always carry a spare on all my bikes....and carry extra fuses as well.

The promise of RT60 was delivered in full. This is a tremendous road and just what I needed to unwind after a slow anxious crawl at high elevation.

The sun was out and I was starting to go with the flow.

It continued to warm "outside" as well which encouraged me to pull over and use the other camera a bit. Besides the expected downsides (cold and wet) to winter touring, there a few other negatives in that your tour routes are not generally as scenic which also means you are putting in big miles to get to your destination ie Big Bend or the Hill Country. This does not encourage frequent stops like a 300 miler (my baseline summer tour distance) does and of course less daylight does not reward dawdling. But what the heck it has been fun just like last year.

The majestic Rockies or Sierras top this but this was a most excellent vacation. :fing02:

Salt River Overlook.

And down we go.

You can scream on this road. There is enough distance between corners to pass anybody and the Wing has plenty of torque....plenty.

Up the other side.

The Gila Monster may rank among the best but this stretch shines too

Around to Globe.

I did not stop in GLobe but you could.

Next the dash to home.

[BonusVFR]

Out of Globe AZ you have about 30 minutes of good riding before you straight line for So Cal.

Just out of Town.

I zigzagged a bit to join the Interstate at Casa Grande. The plan worked as I avoided I10, greater Phoenix and Tuscon before joining I8 and heading west.

I must be getting close to California and another kind of riding. Shot in Yuma just before the Colorado River. Can you say SAND.

At the foot of the mountains just past Ocotillo, there is one especially nice stretch of I8 with very high speed sweepers. It is a welcome relieve in the summer as you climb over 3000 ft but in the Winter there are three four thousand peaks that you must top. So it is quite possible to get nabbed by weather and my Wing buddy rode thru a snowstorm a couple of days earlier as he blasted home directly from Garner.

Here I have joined my "favorite winter loop ride" out of Descanco. You can see that another storm is brewing.

As bad as my weather was in spots it rained most of the time I was gone. Yes it did rain! So a little fording is ok in a Honda.

550 miles for the day.

[Guest]

My wife gave me the “You have to be …hitting me” look as I inched out of warm garage to pouring rain and a gusty wind - a classic winter storm in San Diego. It was about 5:30am and black.

Freakin' awesome, Bonus. This sounds like the beginning of Melville's Moby Dick. "Call me Ishmael..." Love it, rock on and ride safe!

[BonusVFR]

My wife gave me the “You have to be …hitting me” look as I inched out of warm garage to pouring rain and a gusty wind - a classic winter storm in San Diego. It was about 5:30am and black.

Freakin' awesome, Bonus. This sounds like the beginning of Melville's Moby Dick. "Call me Ishmael..." Love it, rock on and ride safe!

Call me Ishmael! I need a part time editor are you available? :cheerleader: But the compensation package sucks!

Now when I brought this Bonus home you should have seen that look! :mellow:

So for next year I was thinking?

[keny]

:fing02: Seem like a nice trip whit twisty bits and nice landscape!

Exelent!

[vanion2]

I bet you had more fun going the the Gila Monster than we did... :mellow:

When we were making the run they had just dropped a bunch of rock on the surface so we were limited to 20mph stuck behind a pack of Harley's and cages. That part super sucked but after we got passed that the ride got fun again.

Glad it was clean and dry for you. :fing02:

I've been to White Sands 4 times in the last year and keep telling my wife I am going to take the VFR down there one of these trips. :cool:

[BonusVFR]

:fing02: Seem like a nice trip whit twisty bits and nice landscape!

Exelent!

This trip had it all even if it was a bit damp in parts. Of course my options are somewhat limited so I could not capture the most majestic of the US National Parks. I consider myself fortunate to be able tour in the Winter at all.

[dr.toto]

When I saw the title, my first thought was " winter tour 1957" Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. Nice report! I give you credit. Not everybody can handle the cold even with good gear. Does the vfr have enough capacity to run your full heated gear? I only have a a vest and have been concerned to try any more drain on the system.

[BonusVFR]

I bet you had more fun going the the Gila Monster than we did... :mellow:

When we were making the run they had just dropped a bunch of rock on the surface so we were limited to 20mph stuck behind a pack of Harley's and cages. That part super sucked but after we got passed that the ride got fun again.

Glad it was clean and dry for you. :fing02:

I've been to White Sands 4 times in the last year and keep telling my wife I am going to take the VFR down there one of these trips. :cool:

I was pretty lucky or crazy as there were not a lot of bikes or cars or anything on the road during my Gila run. Indeed on the Monster I don't think I passed a single car after Hillsboro. For others the real fun starts about two miles before Hillsboro. The road was in perfect shape not even a speck of sand on the surface. I was happy!

More Gila:

I have to say it is one of my favorite roads but it does cut down on the moving average a bit if you are trying to log the miles. But it is a destination in itself have no doubt ......right guys!

This was my first trip to White Sands and since it is almost right off RT 70 it is no brainer to hit the SANDS. There were lots of snow birds in the parking lot and moving slowly down the road to explore.

I did not do any hiking as I was on track for a 650 mile day incl the Gila. I hiked a couple of times from the road bikes: Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Arches.

[Guest]

My wife gave me the "You have to be …hitting me" look as I inched out of warm garage to pouring rain and a gusty wind - a classic winter storm in San Diego. It was about 5:30am and black.

Freakin' awesome, Bonus. This sounds like the beginning of Melville's Moby Dick. "Call me Ishmael..." Love it, rock on and ride safe!

Call me Ishmael! I need a part time editor are you available? :cheerleader: But the compensation package sucks!

Now when I brought this Bonus home you should have seen that look! :mellow:

So for next year I was thinking?

:biggrin: Beautiful. If you're serious about Daytona next year look me up. That would be an absolute hoot. DMG has started scheduling Saturday afternoon for the 200 race this year, which is prime. Maybe it'll last until next year. :fing02: Hard to say with that lot. Not sure whether they know if they're coming or going. :comp13: