S'mores and Credit Freezes

KC and I had a busy morning...locating and paying for our motorcycle trailer storage, getting his front tire repaired (nail and slow leak)

Waiting for a tire repair in Albany

and then meeting Karen and Sherry at the Albany airport.  As we circled baggage claim for a third time hunting for the girls, I heard a female shout well behind us.  Given our history of confusion when meeting the girls at airports, I suspected that shout might have come from them and suggested KC pull over and let me go looking .  I found them quickly and we loaded them up, departing the airport for Lake Placid and the Whiteface Lodge.

Delta Buddies

The girls were animated and excited, and they gushed about their Delta flight attendant named Randolph.  It came as little surprise that they'd charmed him thoroughly and were rewarded with free drinks.

KC had a route planned out for us that took us through a number of quaint small towns with a historic look to them, one with an old brick church founded in 1783.  We crossed the Mohawk River, Erie Canal and Hudson River, eventually dropping into historic Saratoga Springs. 

Saratoga Springs in all its preciousness

We landed in section of town that was crammed with shops, restaurants and a boatload of tourists, us included.  Unfortunately we chose a spot for lunch that was completely empty (that wasn't warning enough?) and that served me frozen haddock.  It might have worked for a casual visitor, but I knew better, I really did.

Hotel In Saratoga Springs

A short shopping session followed (Karen just HAD to have flip-flops and Sherry has NEVER passed up a shopping opportunity), mercifully so since the temperatures, now in the mid 80's, were higher than what we'd left behind in Georgia.  Back in the truck, we proceeded north along I-87 leaving Albany's sprawl behind us and wound our way towards Lake Placid and deeper into the heart of the Adirondacks.  The country was isolated and undeveloped, the mountains became more impressive and the fall colors gradually emerged, though still far below their ultimate state.  With thirty miles to go we left the interstate and took Hwy 73 towards Lake Placid.  The route took us deeper into the mountains and along several boulder strewn creeks, all very low on water, including the Au Sable River-a noteworthy trout stream.

Approaching the town of Lake Placid we passed several venues dating from the 1980 Winter Olympics.  The Olympic ski jumping facility suddenly appeared on the horizon, a massive man made structure that jutted straight out of the tree line like one of the aliens in War of Worlds.  I hope to be able to ride to the top of that later this week to see what it would look like for a ski jumper.

The dining room we had breakfast in each morning

One of two fireplaces in this dining room

Whiteface Lodge

Lobby of Whiteface Lodge

We are staying at The Whiteface Lodge, a very upscale lodge in the grand style of old log guest lodges.  Our rooms are magnificent suites with full kitchens, living rooms and over stuffed leather chairs, couches, fireplaces, bathrooms with heated floors and Jacuzzi tubs...even washing machines.  It may be the finest guest accommodations that Sherry and I have ever stayed in, anywhere.  Dinner, simple hors'derves and drinks, was on a beautiful stone and wood balcony looking out to Whiteface Mountain. 

Whiteface Mountain

Drinks on the veranda

After dinner, as the sun set and the day's heat finally subsided, we walked the beautifully landscaped grounds a bit and ended up in a "lean to" built of huge logs with couch's and chairs and a roaring fire pit behind us. 

End of day in the Lean To

As our day wound down we relaxed together in this fantastic setting.  Conversation was wide ranging, from Equifax credit freezes to Sherry's Native American heritage and I found some Southwestern Indian flute music to add to the mood. The lodge supplied a "S'mores chef" for us and these sweet treats capped off the day.  I don't know how it could have been any more perfect.

Sherry and her relative?

The Shortcut Dispute

Today was a short day, uneventful by nearly any measure I can think of.  Weather was mild to warm, skies were partly cloudy to sunny and traffic was light to moderate.  Road surfaces ranged from flawless new asphalt to frost heaved and pot holed concrete.

One bit of diversion, that seemed to annoy KC but charmed me, was a 5 mile "shortcut", recommended by Google Maps as a way to bridge between I-81 and I-88.  We could have stayed on the interstates and taken a longer route, but Goggle said get off...and get off we did.  The shortcut was a straight two lane road through back country that ran over rolling hills, to a limited degree, in their fall colors.  I'll admit it did take us away from any shot of finding a decent lunch break around Binghamton.  We had to drive miles further and finally make do at a DQ.  It was about what you'd expect at a Dirty Queen.

KC remarked that he thought the country looked much like what he would have expected upstate NY and New England to look like.  Some of the towns, often dating back to the 1700's, were very picturesque and historic.  But others were economically depressed and run down and the small villages had the look of places in which folks would grow up and then flee elsewhere for better opportunities.  Occasionally we'd spot small towns with white church steeples jutting above the tree cover.  Farms with weathered red barns, silos standing at slight angles and fields with silage about to be harvested dotted the hillsides.  Yup, it's about how I remember the place.

The terrain alongside the interstate ranged from rolling hills to semi-mountainous (east coast/Appalachian type mountains) covered with hardwoods and eastern Aspens.  While isolated trees proudly announced their full fall bloom,  the overall effect was still very muted fall colors.  It needs a couple more weeks and a good hard frost to reach its full crescendo. However, there was a subtle shift to more pronounced fall colors with each mile driven northward.  Tomorrow we'll drive another couple hundred miles north rising into the cooler temperatures of the Adirondack Mountains, so I'm confident that we'll see more color as the trip proceeds.

Today we finished our book on tape...."The Royal Wulff Murders". The story had more twists and turns than a licorice Twisler.  So it was with some dismay, though little surprise, that KC predicted the end of the story. I LOVED the extent to which the author accurately portrayed fly fishing for trout on the Madison River.  It was such fun to revisit my fishing trips on the Madison going back 25 years and talk to KC about the things I learned there.  This was the very beginning of my love affair with fly fishing and the great state of Montana.  As described in this book, the Madison River presents an excellent spot for one's ashes to be spread.

As we often do, our day has ended at a Hampton Inn...this one appears to either be very new or newly remodeled.   It is VERY nice.

Hampton Inn for tonight and for the night the girls fly back home....Very nice!

An Inauspicious Start

KC's F-150 with trailer...parked in Chambersburg, PA after Mexican dinner.

Today was the start of our Six Days in New England trip and it got off to a somewhat difficult start.  I planned to meet KC at 6:00AM which dictated a 5:00AM wake up call.  At 5:07AM I woke up and glanced at our bedroom clock.  Shit. I'd set the alarm but neglected to turn the alarm on.  Mayday, mayday.

En route to KC's I pulled into McDonald's drivethru for a quick biscuit and discovered that the car in front of me was ordering Thanksgiving dinner.  I watched a series of cars go by in the other curbside ordering line before I finally got to order.  Shit.

However, with a bit of speeding, I was able to recover this lost time and arrive at KC's right on time.  At least I would have if I hadn't driven past his driveway.  In the dark.  Pulling my trailer.  I stopped 150 feet past his driveway, unwilling to back up my truck and trailer in the dark.  As I pulled down the road to find a turnaround, I thought, "I hope KC didn't see that."


Four seconds went by and I received a text from him.  My iPhone lit up the dark interior of my car in a eerie green light.

His message read, "Not a very auspicious beginning."  Shit, he saw me.

Four miles down his road I found a spot to turn around and this time I managed to pull in his driveway and up to his house.  We doubled over laughing at my mistake.

I parked my SUV/trailer, loaded my suitcase and cooler into his truck and announced I was ready to go.  A hundred feet down his driveway I yelled, "Stop."

"I think I forgot my cell phone."

Running back to my SUV, I plucked my iPhone off the dash.  Shit.  This is getting ridiculous.  Its 6:07AM, the sun hasn't even begun to rise and I have narrowly avoided multiple episodes of serious mental lapses. Where's my Mojo? Have I got Bad Karma?  Early Onset?

I thought, "I'm scaring me" and wondered, "What else could go wrong?"  Oh yeah, Hurricane Jose is paralleling our path along the Atlantic coast.  Won't that be special?

In spite of a beginning to my day that many would have used as an excuse to call off the trip and crawl back into bed,  KC and I struck out on our route...I-85N to Charlotte, I-77 N to I-81N to Chambersburg, PA.  The drive was great...clear/warm weather, good roads, moderate traffic.  We covered 600 miles in 10 hours without any incidents.

Our entertainment today was a book on tape...a murder mystery set on the Madison River in Montana called "The Royal Wulff Murders" by Keith McCafferty.  The author knew his fly fishing stuff and the Madison River in areas that I've fished for years which made the book all the more entertaining for me.

By 4:00PM we'd found a Hampton Inn right off the interstate, adjacent to a Bob Evans.  Excellent Mexican for dinner at Montezuma's.  Room is quiet and cold.

Life is good.

Fits Like A Glove

There's less than a month to go before KC and I head north for our Six Days in New England tour.  So, out come the checklists and that drives the decision making process for what gear I'll need to pack. Although I cannot know what the weather will be, given that we are talking about the northeast US in late September, I think we can expect a bit of everything.  And that includes some fairly harsh stuff...I suspect we'll see serious rain and cold temps.  There will be no days off...got to be ready for everything.

While my hands may only account for 5% (my unscientific estimate) of my total body mass, they may account for 50% of my DP (Discomfort Potential).  And given that my hands do most of my steering, accelerating, controls operation, helmet wind screen cleaning and braking they are, with the possible exception of my head, the most important part of my body while riding a motorcycle.  The fact is that my hands are highly exposed to the weather and wind during a ride.  And so, my gloves are highly important pieces of gear and an area that I obsess over.   I’d estimate that I own a dozen pair of motorcycle gloves and will probably bring 4-5 pairs of gloves on our upcoming trip…gloves suited to a variety of weather conditions.  After a couple hours of obsessing over which gloves to pack, I have made my decisions.

On the edge of your seat yet?

Fair Weather

Held Airstream

My Held Airstreams are my favorite gloves.  Bar none.  They fit me perfectly and are sublimely comfortable.  I’ll wear these in dry conditions down to 50 degrees.  They are made for summer riding conditions and have breathable mesh between the fingers, hard shell knuckle guards and goatskin palms.  When these gloves are on I have zero awareness of them...nothing pinched or pressured.  Expensive and worth every dime.  I love these gloves so much that I bought a replacement pair and have those on the shelf for the day (Oh, the horrors!) when these finally wear out. 

Dry, Cool Weather

When the temps range down to 50F my Held three season gloves come out and of course can be  supplemented with my BMW’s heated grips.  With an embedded thumb squeegee, these gloves can also handle helmet windscreen wiping chores in an intermittent rain.  These gloves are less comfortable than the Airstreams, but offer a good fit and are well constructed gloves made from very high quality materials.

Held Three Season

Cool and Wet Weather

BMW Goretex

In a steady rain in cool temps, I have two choices.  The first is my BMW Goretex gloves.  Honestly, I've never worn these gloves but they fit OK and should be waterproof and breathable.  With some insulation and a squeegee thumb, they'll be OK in a light rain.    If the rain gets more intense, I can go to my Aerostich Lobster Claw Mitts.  Constructed of fully waterproof material and extra long gauntlets, I have ridden with these mitts in cold, heavy rain (Livingston-Great Falls) and stayed completely dry.  Seriously, 100% bone dry.  With my heated grips set on "high" and a pair of fleece liners, I’m good into the low 40’s and maybe a tad lower.  I’m not crazy about the crash protection offered (practically zero) with this combo, so it’s probably my last choice.

Aerostich Lobster Claw Mitts

To complement these Aerostich Mitts I'll wear a pair of fleece liners to provide some insulation, since the Lobster claws are simply rain shells. Again, these offer zero impact protection and minimal abrasion relief, though a crash in wet conditions is likely to end up as a sliding event on a wet highway. 

Cold Weather- Wet or Dry

My newest glove edition, Warm & Safe Ultimate Touring Heated Gloves, will come out when the temps fall below 40 degrees (think Cherohala Skyway last New Years Eve...snowing and 26F).  These are conditions that go beyond uncomfortable and become dangerous, dictating serious technical gear.  The W&S gloves have cowhide outers,  Thinsulate insulation, Carbon fiber knuckle guards, a waterproof/breathable membrane and 12V heating elements.  The manufacturer claims they work in the worst weather...cold and wet.  I'll probably form an opinion of this by the time our trip is over.

Warm & Safe Ultimate Touring Gloves

When the weatherman trots out his worst-case scenario, bone chilling cold and raining/snowing/sleeting hard, I'll resort to my Nuclear Option. 

The Wunderlich Handlebar Muffs have waterproof and windproof shells that should allow my hands to remain dry while the heat produced from the bike's electric grips is trapped in the cocoon surrounding my hands.  The Wunderlich muffs are unique in that they have "windows" designed to allow the operator to see the key control clusters on the handlebars.  This may be of limited practical value, but it appeals to me.  The muffs also incorporate a heavy plastic band that creates a wide rigid opening...one of my fears about handlebar muffs is that the opening closes after you've withdrawn your hand for any reason and then you engage in a struggle to get your hand back on the handlebar, perhaps at a critical point. Wunderlich seems to have a solution to this problem.

I may even be able to pair the Warm & Safe Heated gloves with the Handlebar muffs…but I doubt I’ll need both.   Also, re-entry to the muffs while wearing thick gloves may be an issue, especially when the heavy gloves are wet leather.

Scattered, Covered, Chunked and Diced

This post has NOTHING to do with our upcoming New England ride, but since it occurred after I started my New England Tour blog I thought I'd add this.  Also, it was a chance to test out my new King of Fleece rain cover so it was part of my New England tour prep.  So sue me.

Yesterday KC texted me and asked if I'd be up for an early ride today.  A quick check of the weather showed that it wouldn't hit 80F (my personal "boil-over" point) until nearly noon, so I checked the "yes" box.  When I pulled in to our usual meeting place on Sunday morning, I saw that his son Kyle would be joining us.  Adding Kyle to the ride allowed us to add a third participant to our Sena intercom...and that worked well all day...though we think Kyle's unit was adding in some audio noise all morning.  Could have been his missing windshield or microphone cover.  In any event, it was helpful to have all three riders connected to call pee breaks, road gravel and to negotiate our lunch plans.

It was great fun having Kyle along- he is a highly skilled rider and definitely one of the cool kids.

Our route took us north on Hwy 441 to just outside Franklin, NC at which point KC had us peel off to the east on a winding two lane road that skirted alongside the Tuckaseegee River.  As we negotiated the twisty and scenic road, the southern tip of the Appalachians loomed in the distance and KC announced, "We're going over those." For the next two hours we wound our way through mountain twisties, shielded from the sun by hillsides and a dense canopy. Some of the views were stunning although we agreed that a winter ride through here would reveal much more of the terrain.

The temperature stayed around 60F for a long time and I was thankful that I'd thought to add a long sleeve shirt under my new Klim mesh jacket.  The traffic was nil and the road conditions were generally excellent, though we did have to keep an eye out for gravel in places.  Much of the ride today was on new roads for me, though we did ride on the same route we'd followed earlier this spring coming home from Cherokee, NC...an amazingly beautiful and densely shaded road.  Its a great warm weather ride.

We stopped in Clayton for a late breakfast and found crowds or Sunday closures at our preferred joints.  Since Waffle house seemed to have room for us, we grabbed a booth and ordered an embarrassing amount of food.  My gigantic hash brown plate came the way I like 'em...scattered, covered, chunked and diced.  The ride home was marginally comfortable...it was now 80F+ and moving through the hot, heavy air at 70 MPH was the only way to tolerate it.  By the time I pulled down my gravel driveway, it was like a sauna.  Still, it was a great ride and overall, very comfortable.

Here's an overview of our route...note that the southernmost portion of the route (along Hwy 441 is missing)...nothing to see there.

Thanks to the Keith and Kyle for including me on their ride!!

Obstacles and Opportunities

With full recognition that "shit happens", I have laid out the approximate route for our motorcycle trip through New England.  I say "approximate" because one never knows when one will be presented with obstacles and opportunities that demand that THE PLAN be thrown overboard.  When the "Worlds Largest Ball of String" sign appears, suggesting that we take an unscheduled turn, we will, by God, make that turn if its suits our fancy.

Having said that, we'll need to know whether to turn right or left out of the hotel each morning and with that reality in mind, I created a "plan".  Also, given the need for these two pensioners to have solid WIFI, high thread count sheets and a flat screen TV to watch each night, the destinations laid out in the plan are pretty well set in concrete....can you spell Hampton Inn?

Day One:  Albany to Penn Yan, NY.

Today's route takes us quickly away from the Empire State capital city and into the Catskill Mountains.  Heading west through these ancient mountains we'll motor along the southern tier of New York, pass through Ithaca and Watkins Glen and then skirt along the western shoreline of magnificent Seneca Lake.  Halfway to Geneva, we'll steer due west and cruise into Pen Yann which is situated on the north end of Keuka Lake .

Day Two:  Penn Yan to Watertown, NY.

Today we'll head west towards Naples, NY which is situated at the south end of Canandaigua Lake.  The first third of this ride takes us through my childhood/teenage/college age stomping grounds and I won't need a map for the first few hours. We'll ride up the western shore of Canandaigua Lake, through Cheshire and into Victor...where I grew up.  From there, the route is iffy..its unfamiliar territory for both of us and Butler maps doesn't cover it.  Oh well, just a couple of wanderers depending on the kindness of strangers.  Our day ends in Watertown, NY...a genuine shit hole if there ever was one.

Day Three:  Watertown, NY to Plattsburgh, NY.

This plan is credited to Mike Miller, who HATED my original plan to ride along the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Mo betta, he said, to seek out the secrets of the Adirondack Mountains...his old stomping grounds.  The people at Butler Maps happen to fully agree...all of the roads beyond Booneville are highly rated motorcycle roads...sounds good to me!!

Day Four:  Plattsburgh, NY to Kennebunkport, ME

Today's route starts in New York, crosses Vermont and New Hampshire and ends up near Kennebunkport, ME and the Atlantic Ocean.  We will ride the best roads Butler offers and pass through the White Mountains and the Green Mountains.  I expect this route will reveal some of the most New Englandish scenes we will see on the entire trip.  If we make it to the coast (and why wouldn't we?) I plan to stuff myself with lobster rolls.

Day Five:  Kennebunkport, ME to Burlington, VT

Today our route is a bit of backtracking though I'm sure we'll find a different route back to Vermont.   Mike Miller helped on this route as well and he and Butler maps collaborated to pick out some really great roads.

Day Six:  Burlington, VT to Albany, NY

Today will be our final day on the GS's.  It is mostly mountain roads through western Vermont and uses very highly rated roads courtesy of Butler Maps

Our Gear

My 2016 GSA basking in the fall sun in Silverton, CO...from Four Corners Tour 20016

KC prepares to remount after breakfast in Silverton, CO...Four Corners Tour 2016

This year's motorcycle tour will be done aboard our BMW R1200GS Adventures.  Both bikes are equipped with the BMW OEM Adventure panniers and are loaded from an option standpoint...so we have the full electronics packages, including ABS, ride modes, cruise control, GPS, heated grips, etc., etc., etc..   They're powerful, comfortable, capable mile munching feats of German engineering.

Lunch break in Ozarks in 2016

UPDATE:  One of the advantages of being a BMW motorcycle dealer is that KC gets to see every new bike that hits his showroom floor before the public can smear them with their greasy fingerprints.  Because of this, he spotted a 2017 GS Adventure in Triple Black with his preferred low suspension and arranged to trade in his 2016 GSA for it.  I must say, it is a flat out gorgeous bike.

KC's 2017 Triple Black GS Adventure

We'll use Sena 20S bluetooth intercoms to stay connected and to give us easy access to our music libraries.

KC at the Budville Trading Company on Old Route 66 west of Albuquerque ...Four Corners Tour 2016.

KC will be wearing his Klim gear and he has RAVED about this on past rides.  He claims it is cool when its hot, warm when its cold and dry when its wet.  I plan to stick with my Aerostich Darien suit, though if the weather looks particularly cold/wet I may wear my Aerostich Roadcrafter suit.  There's a slight chance I will cave in and buy a Klim Badlands suit...but I am resisting at this point.  Having said that, I am willing to concede that Klim has set the bar for four season adventure touring suits and at some point I'll probably cave into to the insistent Klim exposure and praise to which I am being submitted.

GS Adventures with Mexican Hat in the background...Four Corners 2016.

I used Butler Motorcycle Maps to plan our route.   Butler Maps are the Gold Standard for motorcycle route planning and we've used these maps for our last two trips.

Butler Map for New England

Butler Maps show the best motorcycle roads

New England...Here We Come

Over the past few years KC and I have done bucket list motorcycle tours that begin with a week's vacation or so with our lovely wives (who are BFF's and daily workout buds) in a luxury resort nearby our starting point.

Getting outfitted in Moab in '14.

Sherry and Karen flirting with The Law in Jerome, AZ.

Once the couple's trip ends and the girls fly home, the motorcycle tour begins.

Hot tubbing in Ouray, CO...Tour the Rockies 2015

From Durango to Telluride...the Aspens in '16 were perfection.

We've followed this model for our Moab trip ('13),  then Tour the Rockies /Denver to Glacier NP ('15) and last year's Four Corners Tour /Albuquerque to Taos to Pagosa Springs to Telluride to Mexican Hat to Telluride ('16).

Posing for an Indian tourist in Silverton, CO...Four Corners 2016

This year's trip breaks the western mold we've been following and points us due north for the New England area...a first for KC and Karen but a region that is somewhat familiar to this Yankee.  Departure is scheduled for September 16 and return for October 1.

Leaving Sedona in our 4WD vehicle...Four Corners 2016

The plan is for KC and I to trailer our 2106 BMW R1200GSA's to a secure parking area near Albany, NY.  The girls will fly into Albany and the four of us will head north to The Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, NY in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains.  We'll spend three nights there exploring the Adirondacks, hopefully catching the fall colors in their prime.  We'll then head east to Mount Washington and will stay at a very nice lodge there in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Mount Washington is notorious for its erratic and often extreme weather...having held the record for the highest wind speed ever recorded on the planet (231MPH) for a very long time.  They have recorded temperatures of -50F and normally only experience temperatures in excess of 60F on an average of 13 days a year.

Riding up Moki Dugway from Valley of the Gods in southern Utah...Four Corners Tour 2016

Moki Dugway was SPECTACULAR!!!!  Four Corners Tour 2016

The final stage of the couples trip is the ride back to Albany where we'll drop the girls at the airport.

The motorcycle trip will begin immediately following this.  We're planning on six days of riding which will take us through the Catskills, the Finger Lakes,

My first bike...a Honda ST1300 posed at south end of Canandaigua Lake in 2011...my first long distance motorcycle tour.

Canandaigua Lake...a jewel in the Finger Lakes taken in 2011

along Lake Ontario to Lake Champlain.  We'll then use our Butler Map to find great roads across Vermont and New Hampshire and end up on the Maine coast near Kennebunkport where I plan to gorge myself on lobster rolls.  We'll then motor back through Green and White Mountains and end up back near Burlington, VT.  On our final day we'll ride south and end up back in Albany.  We'll load the bikes and haul ourselves back to north Georgia two days later.

Beartooth Pass from Tour the Rockies 2015

Deadhorse Point take during Moab trip 2013.

Friends and family have cautioned us about weather in New England, particularly in the mountainous areas, in late September.  My initial reaction is to give a polite "thanks" and then ignore this.  KC and I have ridden in some cold and wet weather before (Livingston to Great Falls, MT comes to mind as does New Years Eve over Cherohala Skyway).

From Livingston to Great Falls;  Rain, snow and freezing temps.  Tour the Rockies 2015

On the other hand, one is always well advised to listen to the locals especially if they have motorcycling experience.  So, I am preparing for cold and wet weather and am seriously evaluating upgrading my riding gear (can you spell Klim?), riding gloves (maybe waterproof and heated Safe and Warm gloves??) and the ultimate cold weather accessory...Wunderlich Handlebar Muffs.  Nothing fun about a cold wet motorcycle ride, let alone a string of such days.  Its uncomfortable, distracting and poses a safety risk.  So, dear reader, trust me on this, I will be prepared!