PatrickM Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 truely amazing and beautiful, thx for sharing but but..... i am depressed now....i feel like my life sux hehehe ... wish someday i have the time and courage to do this on a side note, genuine question, do people have CCW when they go camping etc in these remote places? just curious coz i wont ever have one Thanks for reading. I actually had to google what CCW meant. I find no need for that stuff. If anything, it invites more trouble than its worth. I was completely comfortable out in these remote areas. I feel in more threat of danger in my own neighborhood in Philadelphia than I do anywhere else. I would get some rights secured to that photo...might be worth some money to a variety of magazines and such. May be too late since posted here... Thanks man, that's a nice suggestive compliment. I reserve all rights to the photo and also possess the RAW file as well. So legally, all rights were secured once I took the photo. I appreciate the heads up. Thanks for the camping gear suggestions. Did you have a bear proof box or something to store food in while camping in bear country? +1 on the Jetboil - great product. Looking forward to more.... No bear proof box, only those which were provided in the campsites. In the few instances I didnt have a bear box, my hard cases were the next best option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 Day 16: September 16th, 2012 Durango CO to Gunnison CO ~200 miles After being exhausted from a run of desert camping during the past few days, a stay in a bed was a nice treat. Today I would be riding north on the Million Dollar Highway (US 550) towards Montrose, then east towards Gunnison with a stop at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (9th National Park of the trip). The weather was perfect and it's amazing that you can see the newly arriving autumn colors only a couple hours away from the deserts of Utah. The road becomes real fun as you head north and climb the San Juan range. It's interesting to see the differences in the mountains here compared to the Rockies in Montana. They have a whole different character. 550, a great road to get stuck behind a granny. As I started to near the end of the "good parts" of 550 in Ouray, CO I felt like I was missing something. I had heard that this road was a white knuckle type of ride but it didn't seem that way at all. Maybe it was the reduced speed? It was more fun than tricky. I guess after the Moki Dugway it's tough to get surprised on a road such as this. Great ride nonetheless! I like Ouray's style... After a Mexican lunch in Montrose I worked east towards Black Canyon National Park. I was feeling a bit underwhelmed at this point in the trip, and maybe even a bit homesick. Part of me just felt like starting the trek home. I felt like I had lived my trip already and it would be hard to top the energy it had in the beginning. This ridiculous feeling was soon dismissed once I reached the Park. Black Canyon is the shit. I rode the loop a bit but the sun was a bit harsh for photos so I decided to ride the 10%(?) grade, pot-holed road down to the bottom. This road is a bit of a doozy with the angle/torn up road and it will vibrate your packed gear off your bike if its not secured well. I found out. It's a beautiful place down here. I left out of the park and headed towards Gunnison with a plan to find a campsite for the evening. This ride was spectacular and Blue Mesa Reservoir (below) is a place I'd like to stop at next time. I needed to pick up some groceries so stopping in Gunnison and staying at it's K.O.A. campground was my best bet. My camp at KOA was fairly docile, as they are, and uneventful. But it was nice to be camping again after the hotel stay the night before. Tomorrow I head to Great Sand Dunes National Park. The United States' newest National Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Recalcitrance Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Fantastic stuff! I hope you don't mind that I shared this journal with my students. They come to this amazing country wanting to travel here and there. They will LOVE your photos. Thanks for sharing! Check back tomorrow. =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Fantastic stuff! I hope you don't mind that I shared this journal with my students. They come to this amazing country wanting to travel here and there. They will LOVE your photos. Thanks for sharing! Check back tomorrow. =D Not at all! That's exactly what they are for. I hope they like them and get to see some of these places some day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted October 16, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 16, 2012 This is making me homesick for my parent's old time share condo in Pagosa Springs, CO about 60 miles east of Durango. We used to make the drive over to Purgatory Mtn (now Durango Mtn) for a change in skiing from Wolf Creek during our yearly vacations. I love this part of the country. Your photos of the fall colors are spectacular. Since we always were there in the winter or early spring, these photos were a real treat for me. There is a cool narrow-guage train that runs from Durango up to Silverton that you can take as early a spring for a great site-seeing trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 You know, this whole thread would make an excellent coffee-table book..... I'd buy a copy or two... Awesome pics and comments! Also, a great song to be listening to while reading this is "21 Days" by Cory Morrow (one of our local Texas country singers). Great post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Day 17, September 17th 2012 Gunnison CO to Great Sand Dunes National Park near Alamosa CO ~150 miles I woke in the cold Colorado morning and began to feel a bit burnt out like I did yesterday. I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe it was my riding through the seasonal transition these past few weeks and it finally feeling like summer was over. I headed out east along Route 50 then soon south on Route 114 to cross the San Juan Mountains again. I was headed towards the Sangre De Cristo Mountains that border Great Sand Dunes NP to it's northeast. Rain was falling here and there, but not enough to get me soaked. The cold dampness in the air felt like autumn had arrived here. The skies cleared a bit and I rounded a corner as these guys were quickly dodging my path running up the hill. It was a beautiful morning looking south despite the occasional shower. The Sangre De Cristo Mountains to the east. The National Park is just a bit southeast of here. After a short ride of 150 miles (which is a good day on the east coast), I arrived at Great Sand Dunes National Park. The weather was like a windy winter day and in the mid-40s. It's such a crazy sight to see these enormous sand dunes appear. I had a lot of free time left in the day, so I set up my campsite and began to hang out as thoroughly as I could. I did a lot of walking and hiking around the dunes. There was so much to photograph and the clouds kept changing the sunlight shed on the dunes. Eventually the dark, winter-like clouds began to disappear. I started to finish my beers leftover from a couple nights ago while working on getting a fire going. It was nice just to hang out here and not work to be somewhere. Caught this guy walking through my site. It began to rain again, and it was the sunniest, most cloud-less sun shower I've ever seen. A truly magical place. I even went to a presentation made at the campground's amphitheater to learn about the dunes and the people who lived here over the thousands of years before. In general, the constant battle between northeasterly and southwesterly winds, with the help of water and specific topology, is what builds the dunes. Then the sun began to set... Sitting around this while the sun set and the temperatures dropped into the 30s was welcomed. And Tomorrow would begin the trek home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Day 18, September 18th 2012 Great Sand Dunes National Park to Greensburg KS - 411 miles Such a cold night. It was 33 degrees when I woke up. Coyotes and their yelping kept me up all night. That was a first. Today would be a haul across eastern Colorado and as far as could get into Kansas. It was a beautiful morning in Great Sand Dunes NP. The Sangre De Cristo mountains in the morning light were surreal. I saw a herd of pronghorns near the road east of the Rockies. After passing Walsenburg CO, before La Junta along Route 10, I thought what to be a small animal crossing the road ahead. As I got closer it appeared to be a spider, a really large spider. As I continued on, I saw one more, then another. In all I probably saw over a dozen Colorado Tarantulas crossing the road. This is their mating season, and these were males seeking out some ass. I stopped in Lamar to find food but was quickly swarmed by flies. Since my bike was covered in bugs, and me too, they were everywhere. I had to get out of Lamar. It smelled like shit from the feed yards everywhere. The heat didn't help either... It was a long day making miles across Kansas, just trying to get east. I lost an hour from the time zone change and the sun soon began to set. There is a big shortage of places to camp in south-central Kansas so I started to stress a bit about where I'd stay. I eventually settled on a Best Western to the end the day. I used the WIFI to plan out the campsites for the next couple days... Not too many photos today, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Day 19, September 19th 2012 Greensburg KS to Leasburg MO - 493 miles Kansas was beautiful this morning all the way to Wichita. East of there, the winds picked up pretty heavily but the landscape turned green and fresh. This was near the Flint Hills region of the state. I saw the weirdest fungus while taking a rest. Does anyone know what this is? As I entered Missouri, the road (Rt. 54) got real nice and twisty. The landscapes were beautiful too... Miles and miles later (493), I finally reached Leasburg Missouri at the campground I found via Google the night before, Ozark Outdoors. It is normally a raging rapids-summer-fun time place but this place was DEAD. It reminded me of a 70s or 80s summer camp horror movie. It was huge too. And I was the only guest there. Pretty creepy. The girl at the desk was nice though. I rode up the street to the local biker dude hang out for food and it was like a record scratch when I walked in. Nice people regardless. Had some food then went back to hide in my tent from the zombies before the sun set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Day 20, September 20th 2012 Leasburg MO to Springfield OH - 492 miles Direct excerpt from my journal: "I-44, St Louis, I-70, iPod on Shuffle all day, tractor trailers, cops everywhere, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, miles, miles, miles..." Not much to report today. A Pretty mindless, drone of a day. I camped at Buck Creek State Park in Springfield near Dayton OH. Its a real nice place and very quiet. I was the only camper. Expensive camping for a state park though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Day 21, September 21 2012 Springfield OH to Philadelphia PA - 516 miles The last day... I can't believe it. The trip was amazing. I am a different person from it and would do it again in a heartbeat. I left Springfield and paced home to my woman. And it was a great feeling. The homecoming... Thanks for reading everyone!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Patrick, I really enjoyed your trip report and the pics are outstanding. Thanks for taking us with you. Now that you've done 21 days, try for 5 months, as I once did on my now gone '96 VFR. You'll probably have to take your woman with you, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Your mystery fungus is not...it is a "horse apple". It's the fruit (not edible) from a common tree in the Midwest (Bodock), originally planted as wind blocks for farmers' fields to prevent soil erosion in the time of Franklin Roosevelt. As always, incredible, lovely photos...you, young man, are a gifted photographer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer ronimalvfr Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Just an awesome report.Sad to see it over,but I'll look back at it often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee 2002 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I saw the weirdest fungus while taking a rest. Does anyone know what this is? Your mystery fungus is not...it is a "horse apple". It's the fruit (not edible) from a common tree in the Midwest (Bodock), originally planted as wind blocks for farmers' fields to prevent soil erosion in the time of Franklin Roosevelt. As always, incredible, lovely photos...you, young man, are a gifted photographer. Yeah, what the good dentist said. It is the fruit of the Osage Orange Hedge tree. Not edible by humans, but squirrels will eat the crap out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BIGRHINO Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Awsome trip and pics. I hope to do this some day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Recalcitrance Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Inspiring. Absolutely inspiring. Thank you for sharing and for taking the time to make such a great chronicle. I'm hoping to be able to do the same SOON. (Should probably figure out how to use my camera before then.) Glad you're home safe and sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee 2002 Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 We were talking about the "fungus" at work and all got a good laugh out of that. Squirrels, cattle, and deer like to eat what we call "Hedge Balls". My friend Troy had some good game camera photos of deer eating hedge balls. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer hondalover Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 We were talking about the "fungus" at work and all got a good laugh out of that. Squirrels, cattle, and deer like to eat what we call "Hedge Balls". My friend Troy had some good game camera photos of deer eating hedge balls. I've always know them as a comination of your "hedge balls" and 2thdr's "horse apple". I was taught they were called "hedge apples". Regardless, Patrick this has been the most inspiring post I've followed to date. Your pictures and discriptions are spectacular. Be sure to thank that woman you have at home, because many would NOT want their man to be gone for 3-weeks on a motorcycle trip. Thanks for taking the time to allow us to partially relive your trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Gives me an idea...put exploding bombs inside the "deer apples" to thin out the heard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graves Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 This was a great read. My wife would never let me out of her sight for that long. She would make me buy a Goldwing, Royal Star, or the like so that she could go with. plus a side car so the kids could come too. . Seeing the Hedge Apple my mind jumped to the zombie track and thought hmmmmm . . . zombie brains! Any how Thanks so much for sharing. Until my children are older and I'm let off my leash I'll have to suffice with reading these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted October 17, 2012 Member Contributer Share Posted October 17, 2012 Well done my good man and thanks for telling your tale. I have to agree with others here, the photography is awesome and I definitely see some VFRD calendar candidates. If fact, you could probably make a whole calendar of this trip alone and relive it over again next year, well the visuals at least. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 Patrick, I really enjoyed your trip report and the pics are outstanding. Thanks for taking us with you. Now that you've done 21 days, try for 5 months, as I once did on my now gone '96 VFR. You'll probably have to take your woman with you, though. Thank you man. I would be into both of those things. 5 months and the wife part too. Your mystery fungus is not...it is a "horse apple". It's the fruit (not edible) from a common tree in the Midwest (Bodock), originally planted as wind blocks for farmers' fields to prevent soil erosion in the time of Franklin Roosevelt. As always, incredible, lovely photos...you, young man, are a gifted photographer. Excellent info man. That's pretty interesting. I don't know what made me think it was fungus other than it looked to be growing out of the ground. I appreciate your comments on the photography and am glad you enjoyed the report! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 18, 2012 Share Posted October 18, 2012 Patrick, I have visited most of these places many times, including sometimes on MC camping trips. And, yes, I have plenty of photos of many of the same scenes. However, the quality of my pics doesn't come close to that of yours. You have an outstanding eye and a great knack for capturing the essence of natural wonders. You also tell a great story. Once I started reading your post, I couldn't stop until I got to the end. Thanks for helping me relive some of the best days of my life. Nice work! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickM Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 Patrick, I have visited most of these places many times, including sometimes on MC camping trips. And, yes, I have plenty of photos of many of the same scenes. However, the quality of my pics doesn't come close to that of yours. You have an outstanding eye and a great knack for capturing the essence of natural wonders. You also tell a great story. Once I started reading your post, I couldn't stop until I got to the end. Thanks for helping me relive some of the best days of my life. Nice work! Jon Thank you for reading and the compliment, Jon, I am happy you enjoyed it! I've made a blog for the trip that has all of the entries and photos. This was mostly done for the pedastrians so they can read it out of message board format. http://wellyourealongwayfromhome.wordpress.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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