Sunday, May 26th 4:33 p.m.

What a day. I hurt all over and am exhausted. It is a good hurt, though. One earned by having just a bit too much fun. Mike and I headed out for Uncle Tom's Cabin up in the hills with the intent of riding on the beginning of the Rubicon. After several miles of twisties in some of the most beautiful country in the world the asphalt came to an abrupt end. We were faced with about 100 yards of LARGE gravel (almost small boulders, really) followed by rutted, washboard dirt road. As we stopped at the frontier between the asphalt and gravel I could tell Mike was disappointed. He didn't think I'd want to ride the LT across such a surface... Neither did I, really, but I knew if I didn't at least give it a try I'd forever regret the decision. So off I went, standing on the pegs, up the gravel hill. They had it packed rather well and it didn't wiggle around too badly so I continued on... It really wasn't that bad at all. I managed to keep the rubber side down and the formerly shiny side up... None too soon we arrived at Uncle Tom's Cabin. About the best way I can describe the place is as a friendly old bar out in the middle of nowhere. The kind of place with dollar bills, photographs, and various other moment's stapled everywhere you look. I'm not really sure what the history behind the place is, but if I find out I'll be sure to let you know. The ride back was even more fun for a couple reasons. By now I had a little time negotiating the road on the LT so I was a little more confident at my ability to keep it upright. (Squeeze with the knees and hold a loose grip on the bars... Let the bike have its head and it'll do you fine. Just be ready to "encourage" it to take the proper path... Sometimes it really doesn't know what is best for it....) I was also running in front this time so I wasn't eating so much dust...

We were a little late getting back... We were supposed to be back by 1400 so I could take part in the Asphalt Trials. It's kind of a competition using traffic cones in the parking lot. Tight turns, off set weaves, figure 8's and a "stop and go". All without putting your feet down. Mostly stuff I do on a regular basis in the MSF classes I teach. I did all right, but not as well as I could have. I ended up putting a foot down near the end of a tight decreasing radius turn. Everything else went well right up to the end. In the stop-box I managed to stop for a full second but I couldn't hold it much longer so I took off again. At the very end you were supposed to stop with the front tyre on the line... THAT part was no problem. I stopped ON the line, they stopped the clock and I promptly fell over to the left. I was so concerned about NOT putting my feet down that I hadn't realized I was finished, that they had stopped the clock. I was able to slow the fall sufficiently to allow it to just roll over on the crash bar...
Since I had removed the saddle bags for the trip this morning they weren't there to get damaged. I *think* I might have put a little scratch on the crash bar. Had I not gone on the ride this morning and just chilled out and relaxed I am certain I would have done much better, just as I had last night. Do I regret it at all?? HELL NO!!!!!!!!! Ain't no prize they are giving away for that competition worth trading for the ride that Mike and I had this morning. It really is nice to be able to ride with him again. Although he smokes my ass in the twisties, we get along real well and, with the exception of one little incident on a highway in Oregon about 8 years ago, we usually think "with one mind" on the road....

My chances of winning anything in the Poker Run aren't looking too good either... That's okay, I've got my eye on the Garmin GPS V they are giving away tonight... Speaking of tonight, this will probably be my last entry until after I get established in San Diego. It is nearly time for them to start serving the Bar-B-Que dinner and I need to get all my stuff packed up so it will be ready to take off in the morning. So with that I guess I'll close for now...

On to next chapter

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