Finally got the plate for the ST, installed it, then rode it to work this morning. Then have a few errands to run before I get to the gym. Then I hope for a nice evening ride home.
After a number weeks of dealing with my father in and out of the hospital. We finally got him into assisted living. We went for a short ride in our usual haunts. Only 43 miles but it felt great. 2 weeks to MNSTOC.
I came home yesterday from the Bay area. Stopped on the way at Lassen Volcanic National Park. I was toying around the idea of hiking to the volcanic pool area, which is similar to Yellowstone's, but decided against it when I looked at the sky.
Made another one of my German Bakery runs, as I was out of my German Rolls. Took the FJR for todays ride. 166 miles round trip 4.5 hours. Down south to the Springs to the Bakery, then to Woodland Park, on to Deckers, along the river an up and over Rampart Range then down to Parker and home to SE Aurora.
Loaded up the Vulcan S and Uni-Go as if I were on my way to a STOC events and went for another test ride with the new hitch and trailer hookup. Hit all the speed limits up to 65 MPH and all normal road conditions. Only that faster speed showed a little unstabillity with the trailer. I think it's due to how light the Vulcan S is (495 lbs wet) vs the weight of the trailer (maybe 140 lbs or slightly less loaded). Rode almost 47 miles. I put 82.5 miles on the trailer since installing the new hitch on the Vulcan S on Aug 1.
Rode the NT up on a favorite route of mine Squaw Pass Rd up to Echo Lake and then back home see map. 152 miles from my garage and back. A four hour ride with 75 min. of it getting across the City to and fro. Really wish I lived on the west side of Denver.
I usually head toward the eastern slopes and mountains when I go for a day ride but east of here are a series of irrigation canals that have service roads alongside of them. A friend, who knows the area asked me along for a ride.
Much prettier than I had envisioned.
The canal actually goes across this coulee, via a large concrete culvert under the valley. There is enough of a elevation difference that it works by siphon. No pump needed.
STAY AWAY FROM the SIPHON entry!!
Things were going real good. Nice day, good roads. Right up until we hit MUD. The kind that clings to things but is slicker than grease. Makes your boots 10 inches wide and sticks to tires and clogs fenders! Took us about 2 hours of pushing, pulling, digging out mud, to get turned around and get back to hard ground about 200 yds away at the bridge (road was dry on the other side; the side we came from). My friend's 1090 was particularly difficult. The mud clogged in the fender and kept locking the wheel tight. Mine did as well but not as bad. Who thinks low fenders on "adventure" bikes is a good idea ??! Lesson learned. Turn around earlier rather than later!! I was whipped by the time we got them out.
But the ride home yielded a nice picture of an old barn.
No pics. Rode over to a friend's trailer. He's in his mid-80s. His wife just got home from having heart surgery. He needed some help clearing out a pathway to get her inside to the bedroom. I think they've made a TV series about people like him. I found a holiday card, not a Christmas card, from 2016 in amongst the things I helped carry to the dumpster.
Not a scenic ride, but any excuse to ride is a good one.
Ah thank you Andrew, that is the song I was trying to remember, of course Echo Beach not Echo Lake , now going to have to put them both on the to ride to list. G