Zion Tunnel on a Harley-Davidson

Leave a Comment / Dunn Brothers, Family Rides / /

I havent been riding on the weekends this month like I normally do, just because of work and other commitments, as well as its been pretty cold lately.   This weekend it was warm, and earlier in the week Pat talked about trailering his bikes down to do some riding and leaving them here to do some exploring of southern utah.   Ive done that here ad naseum, as most of my friends think riding to zion is a day of hardcore riding, but Pat is different.    He’s like me, where he likes to explore and see new things make him curious and ride new roads to explore, so friday morning when it was confirmed that he was coming, It made my day.    He showed up with his kids and friday night we hooked up and made plans to show his wife zion the next day.    Robyn was ready to go too, and with my kids wanting to earn babysitting money, as well as a desire to have my kids get to know their cousins, the plan seemed to fit perfectly.   In the morning, we ride.

Mental note to self:  Always remember the smile on Pats face as he pulled up to the convenience store that friday on the fat boy, and how much fun he said he had on that bike.    Also remember he hole shotted me three times on highway 91, even if for a few feet.   Our tires both busted loose.

Robyn Me and Staci at Zion National Park
Robyn Me and Staci at Zion National Park

Pat slept in and we started later than I expected, but the timing was still perfect and noone cared we were getting on the road at 11.    I certainly didnt.    I was just excited to to go with the wives and have a good time.   I found a pair of leathers in my closet that quite frankly, I have no freaking clue where they came from, but I cut them to fit robyn and once we hit the harley shop got her the boots she wanted, so the day couldnt have started any better.     We left the dealership by noon and headed out towards Zion National Park.   The weather and the company was just right.  Good rides are effortless if the the people you are with are right.

We headed up through zion, through the tunnel.   Robyn took some video on the camera:   Heres on the switchbacks, stopping to take it all in:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM43pymbOMs&hl=en&fs=1]

As we headed through the tunnel:[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwH2cxaUWBE&hl=en&fs=1]

The mid part of the Zion tunnel:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_O-4Pe7Rkc&hl=en&fs=1]

Coming out of the Zion Tunnel:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzNxm-Mpi1g&hl=en&fs=1]

we then rode through kanab, stopped at the buckskin tavern in Kanab for a couple, then to Pipe springs and on home.   Was a good riding day.   I gotta say, Staci is a GREAT rider.    She handles her bike better than any of my friends, keeps great formation and was a straight up pleasure to ride with.   Robyn and I both had a great time.  I want to do this a bunch more.   It was great to take robyn, and adding staci to the mix was perfect.    Their bikes are in my moms garage, so hopefully we can sneak a few more rides in over the next few fall and winter months.

Im feeling the pull to explore today pretty bad.   If I didnt have a meeting on monday I’d be on the road already.  I think next weekend I need to point my bike in a direction, pack my sleeping bag and sleep out under some familiar stars with a new skyline.    Im running out of time.    I need to feel that feeling of a new experience.   I can feel it right now.

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damn winter.

1 Comment / Random Thoughts / /

Its getting cold.  I wen to a BACA event today and it was just damn cold.   For the first time in months, my truck is starting to look good.   Thats not good.

I started looking into getting heated gear.  Pants, socks, jacket liner.   That might do it.    I know I wont be able to go too long without riding, but riding to work isnt the same as touring.   Theres alot to see.

On a good note, my business is turning around.   If it keeps going at this rate, next summer I’ll be able to take a couple of weeks off and ride back east.   Right now, thats the only warm thought I have.

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Las Vegas Bike Fest

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Old Highway 91 Outside of Mesquite
Old Highway 91 Outside of Mesquite Nevada

Well, we made it.  Pat came down thursday night, and friday morning mister sunshine finally got his legs underneath him and we hit the road and on over the utah hill.   We stopped at lees to buy some scotch, sample the same, and then on to vegas, avoiding the freeway as much as we could.   What the hell right?  we had nothing but time.

We hit vegas, and gassed up right before we checked into the hotel to get settled and head out.  The only problem is I filled up on 85 percent ethanol without noticing what I’d done.   by the time it hit my injectors, I knew It wasnt going to fly on that fuel, so we had to find a place to drain it.   In about a half hour, we fixe the problem, I fueled up again on shit that wasnt made out of corn and we went and got registered.   Our fun wasnt over.   After registering, Pat and I managed to illegally pass a vegas cop who pulled us over.     Luckily he was a biker himself and very cool and even had a sense of humor:

Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do...
Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do...

After that, we went over to Las Vegas Harley to see the local entertainment, then back to cashman center to check out all the vendors, which there was quite a few.

Friday night was pretty uneventful.   We headed back to the hotel, grabbed some dinner and some drinks and crashed fairly early to be up by 7 to hit the poker run.    The pot was $100,000, and we had as good a shot as anyone.

Saturday October 4th

Load em up, heading out...
Load em up, heading out...

woke up, grabbed some coffee and headed out.   It had rained that night a bit, and the clouds were looking like it might again.   It didnt.   It was overall a helluva good day.    We went and registered, made our stops at Las vegas harley for our first card and a doughnut, then out to Mt Charleston, a place I’d never visted.    It was awesome.   Nice and high, and you could really smell the desert from the rain that night.   It smelled great, and I really enjoyed the ride up the mountain.    I had a possible straight flush at that point.   I was feeling lucky to be honest, and had a feeling I was gonna win the 100k.    If I didnt, I didnt care.   The deal Pat and I had that whoever won, we would split the money and pay off the bikes.   Maybe I felt

100k Poker Run
100k Poker Run

lucky because my bike might be paid off sooner than I thought, but it wasnt because of my hand, because the next stop in south vegas screwed my straight flush up, but not a straight.    The next stop screwed up my straight at the harley cafe, where we ate lunch and then pressed back to the final spot, then to cashman center where we started.

We walked around, had a few beers and I bought a novelty helmet that everyone wears in Nevada, some stickers, and we pulled out and headed back to the hotel.   It was a pretty mellow weekend, but the company was great hanging out with my bro.    We hit up a hooters for dinner, i lost 50 bucks at the roulette table, then went back and crashed.   The next morning we were up early and opened em up, hit a steady 90 and I was home by noon.   Pat was home by 4.
All in all, a great weekend.

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Vegas bike week is finally here

Leave a Comment / Random Thoughts / /

Pat rode down today, and at the end of a particularly great week, topped off by a really positive day having his hotel right around from the office with a bar across the street really topped it all off.   Tomorrow morning we’re heading down to vegas bike week.

I think I prefer glen fidditch over glen livet.   Its a bit stronger on the peat side, and my self imposed graft from celtic welsh to celtic scottish almost complete in my head, im going with more peat in my diet.   Peat makes the man.  If you drink enough, I find myself more apt to feel like a have a proper brogue-ish scott about me.   Pat would disagree, but I think my scotch of choice is fidditch.

Tomorrow morning we ride.   Ill take my laptop with me and try and grab some good pictures and report from the road.   This should be one for the books.

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Sunday Morning Coming Down

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Its sunday morning, and sitting here in bed on my laptop watching easy rider and thinking I havent had a meaningful ride for a few weeks.    Ive ridden every day, but not really gone anywhere but around town.
Next week is bike week in vegas.   My brother will be down and we’ll hit that up, and that will count for one.   Theres a poker run and Im excited about seeing the vendors.

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Need to Ride…

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I wished I could sum up why I ride.  I cant.   Today I think I got closer to why, and I think its one of the greatest things about riding:  Its the surprises.   I always seem to find an answer to a problem on a ride, or not seem to care about the problem itself, which is such a needed break from reality sometimes.   This last week ive been focused on work, what I need to do, and how I needed to improve my work.   Its been in my head all week, and I think I did that.   My head was full of everything but riding, even though I havent driven my truck for about 3 months.

Tonight was a BACA meeting in hurricane, so after work I jetted out on the freeway to go do my duty for BACA, and all of a sudden it happened:  The ride took over.   It did indeed surprise me, on a short 5 mile stretch of 1-15 where I could feel my bike’s horsepower loving stretching its legs.   the wind, the music, the feeling of seeing everything around me and being a part of it.   Its the surprise.    I love the suprise.   Im addicted yet again.

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3 old friends

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Heading through Veyo
Heading through Veyo

I had big plans this weekend to ride with my brothers from BACA, but at the end of the day only 3 people showed up.  Me, and my 2 old friends Justin and Matt.    We’ve been friends for a long time, since high school 20 years ago.    We get together fairly often, and when justin called me and told me that he and matt were in for a friday ride to caliente and back the next morning, It was good news.   I was seriously about to go by myself as usual, but having 2 good friends go with was great.

We headed out friday around 3 or so, and made our way through gunlock, and north on 18.

Me on the Street Glide
Me on the Street Glide

Matt has a really good looking and well taken care of 94 Dyna Wide Glide, and Justin has an 08 Street Glide.   We rounded up past enterprise and showed them modena.   We kicked around checking out the old store and I managed to talk to the guy who lives next to it.   He said its been vandalized pretty heavily the last few years from people helping themselves to old radiators and sinks, and the roof started on fire a few years back.   Its old.  He said he’s got pictures from the 1880s that show the hotel/store but wasnt quite sure how old it is.   Its a cool old building.

we then bombed into Caliente, checked into the motel, and found the bar and drank beer to our hearts content.    Matty is on the wagon, so jug and I got drunk and we all played pool.   Jug is a dick.  Noone can beat the guy at pool.   I came close, but sunk the 8 ball and lost by one ball twice.    the man has skills.

Just past Modena
Just past Modena

The next morning we loaded up, had breakfast and was home by 2.    Great ride.   One to do again.  Its close, and its  in nevada.   I gotta take robyn.

Totals:  230 Miles Round Trip – 2 States

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=37.149809,-113.68927&daddr=1945+Swiss+Cir,+Santa+Clara,+UT+84765+to:CR-3184%2FN+Gunlock+Rd+to:Caliente+NV&hl=en&geocode=%3B%3BFfwNOAId9uc3-Q%3B&mra=mi&via=2&sll=37.474858,-113.90625&sspn=1.013561,2.471924&ie=UTF8&s=AARTsJpZWq9FC9H5DRbqjnGF3umnyK6NXA&ll=37.474858,-113.90625&spn=3.051492,4.669189&z=7&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

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Johnny Cash – The Man in Black

1 Comment / Random Thoughts / /

Look at this.   this is a man who truly did walk the line.   any man would be so lucky to be remembered as he was — the man in black:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7K4jH7NqUw&hl=en&fs=1]

I listen to alot of johnny cash when I ride.  His music really resonates with me, especially on the bike.   Like him, I am a misfit – an outisder, and theres room in this world for outsiders, because many of you are outsiders too.   I am not always positive, sometimes the world doesnt warrant that.  Sometimes  a spade is a spade, and thank god for men like johnny cash who saw it that way.   Im a big fan.

Im 41 years old, and Ive seen my share of hard times in this world.  Its not all celestial, sometimes its downright hell.    The hell times have formed me, the celestial is what I shoot for.    Its nice not to walk alone, and for those who feel they walk alone:  Open up your heart, because theres something out there for you my friend.   The world awaits, its a great big place… and there is something out there for everyone.    Sometimes all you need to do is flip the coin of your perspective, and a whole new experience is out there for you.  I know, because everytime I flip that coin, the world looks and feels different.  Im getting used to flipping it.    Im glad its there.
RIDE ON!  Walk the line….

Heres another one, from the movie Walk the Line:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P6BIlikDBs&hl=en&fs=1]

Life is short.   This was johnny when he was young, he hadnt much slowed down and was at his peak of experience and energy.   Experience in life comes at a great cost, and later he realized that cost as we all will.    Look at a man who was with the one he loved, still vibrant in his life and had full faculty.   He lived another 33 years past this, but he would never have this moment again.    today really is the most valuable thing you hold.

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