MSF Dirt School...this should be interesting

Morning...

After riding for eight years now and surviving several thousand miles off-road on my BMW R1200GS, I've decided it was time to take a class to learn how to do more than survive. Today I will be attending an MSF Dirt School to learn how to ride a dirt bike. I am hoping to learn skills that will allow me to be able to take advantage of the vast off-road riding available near my new home in Southern California.

After looking around at different companies that offered off-road training with options from three day camps at $1,400 riding your bike to half day courses bike provided. I have signed up with is www.schoolofdirt.com to attend their half day course, for several reasons. First, I'm an aspiring writer, former software engineer that is currently unemployed so, cost means allot. Second, I don't like the idea of using my bike to take a class where, I know, I'm gonna end up in the dirt which risks my expensive bike, part of the reason I want to take the class is to minimize the risk of damage to the bike, not to mention myself. Third, proximity is a big deal. The School of Dirt is only twenty five minutes from my house, which means I can be home in time to cook dinner, as well as, be close enough to go back in with follow up questions or additional instruction without having to plan a major trip in advance. Finally, my biggest deciding factor was around community. This organization is run by local people that have found a way to give back to the local motorcycle community by teaching responsible/safe riding and do something they enjoy. Working with a small organization gives me an opportunity to meet locals and hopefully begin establishing my own connections to the community, in which I am new.

My research suggests the intention of this class is to teach basic techniques and how to ride dirt bikes responsibly. Further techniques developed are riding strategies, direction change, signaling, control, starting and stopping, traversing hills, emergency maneuvers, and negotiating obstacles.

Well, time to get ready! I'll write a full review after I've completed the class.

Live like I ride...with a smile...
...it only takes one lifetime to get it right...
...but all of them to whine if you don't!

The Trip That Wasn't

I think I've been time warped again. I guess that thats one of the downside of having Merlin (the master of time warps), as your guardian or guide. I've been dreaming off and on for the past six months about the ride to and from this years BMW MOA International Rally in Salem, Oregon. Riding up the California Coast on the Pacific Coast Highway then follow the 101 all the way to Otis, Oregon turning east onto 18 the Salmon River Highway through the Siuslaw National Forest and then Oregon State Highway 22 into Salem. I had big dreams of checking off at least four of the final six states in the country, I have yet to ride. I was hoping to be able to check off forty nine states in 2013, but it appears that is not in the cards this year. Last week, between writing the Story of Dax and Amanda Arach (The Original Crusade), researching blue water capable liveaboard sailboats and cooking diner for my family, I mapped out the ride and cost of attending the rally.

It was with much frustration, that I resolved myself to the fact that, seventeen months of being unemployed has drained my savings to a point, I can not make the trip to Salem. Oddly, before mapping it out I was confident that the trip would be possible since, it was on the west coast this year, where I happen to find myself. However, upon completing the map it turns out that the round trip ride would be a little over 2,500 miles not including my hope to hit Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington on top of Oregon. In spite of the continental proximity, the trip would require a two day ride to arrive and a minimum of two return days and a potential price tag of $700 - 1,000. In a previous time in my life, that wouldn't be a big deal, as it would have been less than half of what I made while on vacation. But these days, that would set back my solvency by a month. Not an option!

The big adventure for this summer is going to be lived vicariously through the Instagrams, Facebook posts, emails and Facetime calls from my two little sisters (Carly and Carrie) and my Mom (Colleen Sayre). I have gotten accustomed to being the adventurer in the family that everyone is living through and now I get to be a watcher. Don't get me wrong. I am happy for them to have made their dream come true. This trip has taken over two years to plan and bring to fruition. As I write this, they are high above the earth traveling from Orlando to Philadelphia in the first leg of their trip to Scotland. They will be spending the next ten days traveling the Scottish Highlands and drinking in all the Outlander sites they can behold, as well as, camping on my sister's, Lady Carrie Wood's, newly gifited land in Glencoe.

As far as the rally is concerned, I will content myself with reading about the antics at the rally, in next months issue of the BMW MOA Owners News. Oh and see if I can find an off road training class close to home and learn how to ride in the sand or just disappear onto a winding road for a few days...Shhhhh!

Live like I ride...with a smile...
...it only takes one lifetime to get it right...
...but all of them to whine if you don't!

Time Warps...some call them anchors

Well, CaveDweller you're right, our family has our own series of time warps. You personally get the benefit of extra time to visit benefit of the extra time to visit by getting there faster or spending less time in the car. For me, the stretched side of the warp is most commonly while I'm writing or traveling and on a deadline. Most of my life, I have found that when I do my best work is with my back against a wall. When there is a problem that has to be solved immediately or a deadline to meet, everything around me seems to slow down and I write a document that would take two weeks in a night. When the sun rises, I have finished a fifty page Software Strategy document complete with pictures, diagrams and meeting invitations to the key stakeholders. Then, I take a shower, ride Dragon to the office and present the paper for review without anyone the wiser, that I did it last night, let alone that I haven't slept in twenty four hours.

The time warp gives to help my life and career but the way it takes is just too hard some times. For instance, one morning, I'll stroll by Dragon and think "Why all the dust? We were just on the road... Oh Crap! We haven't been out in over two weeks! Later today! I promise!" A few more days go by and I pass her again, "Why all the dust?" I think. Once again, I make my promise.  The truth is that these are the times she takes from me. My favorite and most meditative gift to myself is riding or being on the open road in anything at all and she continues to tie up my time, keeping me anchored to the land.

She chooses her victims, I mean partners, carefully and doesn't allow everyone to experience the full glory of her gifts. The ones she chooses however, need be careful what they ask for as the price you pay could be much more than you are able to bare as it may be the loss of your only tranquility.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that on the rare occasion the time warp mistress will be generous and allow you the opportunity to experience the stretch while you are doing that which she usually takes away. Recently, I spent an entire day riding. I started with cool crisp air along the coast, a brilliant sun filled afternoon in the heat as I stormed the mountain turns and then the return trip in the dark shadows of the late afternoon in the turns. Finally, capped with the sounds of waves crashing on the rocks as I coasted home. Again, I say a spectacular day of riding that only took me away from my family for three hours (their time) and Dragon grinned at the two hundred fifty plus miles on the trip meter. Just then, my phone beeps, "U be home for dinner?" While dismounting, I think to myself, "As a matter of fact!"

My final thought for the subject today.  If, like my family, you are able to experience these quirks or holes in the fabric of time or your not. Remember, not to bemoan the little setbacks that make them possible. Embrace the time you have and every so often maybe you'll actually give yourself a break.

By the way, time warp mistress or not. Dragon says the last ten thousand miles have been her favorite, on account of most of the miles have been headed to "No specific destination!"

Live like I ride...with a smile...

...it only takes one lifetime to get it right...

...but all of them to whine if you don't!

Re: Don't buy the boat!

What can I say to The Joy (and Power) of Being Right Here?

You know me...everything is an adventure and you're right, for years now "Dragon" has been my escape hatch, so to speak. She still is and will be for a long time to come. Believe it or not, after spending seventeen years is one place, I remember and appreciate the art of finding joy where my feet are planted. Although, much like Fitz in 'Martin Vane Says Hello', I too have forgotten the meaning of life, intentionally at times, only to awake later and be mesmerized by the joy of find myself all over again.

The idea of the boat however, has been in my psyche since I was very young. Why is that Mom? The first images I remember, in my minds eye, are of a boat anchored at the edge of a harbor in dark choppy seas, cold walls of sea water crashing into and over me on the deck, storm clouds raging over head, and a very young me being encouraged to climb the mast and command the seas to calm and then lay on the deck and break the clouds one at a time till there was nothing but blue skies as far as I could see. This little single-masted dinghy grew over the years, replaced plank by plank, as you taught me to master the pain of my migraines through visual meditation. Now, moored at the edge of that same harbor on the western edge of Scotland is a huge three-masted ship complete with galley, three bedrooms, a head with shower, and most importantly, a crows nest with a hammock to relax in once I have calmed the seas and sky of my world. That was my only escape hatch for years, until I found the "Blue Dragon," a '99 Moto Guzzi Bassa which gave me a physical freedom all my own.  Together, the two Dragons have taken me all around this great country of ours and even to Canada on a whirl-wind ride that has spanned almost eighty thousand miles in eight years.

I am living firmly in the here and now...truly absorbing as much of what is around me as possible.  Still my mind wanders, both as I write my first novel that takes me around the world and back and as I sit in quiet meditation and allow myself to fall away and my soul to emerge from its glimmering leather and scaly shell, deep within my sub-conscience.

After all these years of settling the seas and calming the winds around my ship, I have come to realize that for all the hard work I have put into creating this beautiful vessel, it is far too complex to sail enjoyably.  So, I have begun rebuilding my ship into a live aboard, ocean worthy sailboat that can be manned single-handed but has room for a partner and a little more.  Remembering how to sail in my mind is effortless, even on the large ship as a respite from the real world.  I want to know (remember that is) that, not only can I sail the pleasure cruiser I've name "Phoenix" in my mind but that I can sail away on her, in this world as well.

See, I inherited this thirst for knowledge and adventure from someone, I won't name names "Mom", and the idea of learning to sail and know about boats and how big it needs to be to safely transport us and Dragon are simply an extension of that thirst.

Until I find a suitable manifestation of Phoenix within our price range, I will build her in my mind's eye, and take reminder courses from the ASA, to master the art of sailing her safely into the next big adventure.

I hear you MOM! I'm not buying a boat, I am manifesting it, one plank at a time, just like you taught me. And don't worry, it will be big enough for you to sail with us on occasion, if you're not too busy writing another book. Congratulations on your latest book, 'Martin Vane Says Hello'.

Sat Nam!

~Topher

Life Anew

Hey everyone...

Well, as you may have noticed, I have not exactly been posting much in the last few months. I had taken a break from my blog and social media. There have been a lot of changes in my life, during which I felt silence was the better part of valor. Now that I have gotten beyond most of that, I am back and ready to begin my new adventures and share some of it with the world.

In the past year, I have traveled over 50,000 miles in my car and in excess of 7,000 miles on my motorcycle. I have visited all but ten of the lower 48 states and moved from my home of twenty years in Massachusetts back to the state of my childhood, Georgia, made brief but important visits with my Mother in Florida and my Grandpa in Ohio. I spent a good deal of time in Alabama, with my girlfriend and partner in life prior to our move to Costa Mesa, California.

My youngest daughter graduates from college in May, my divorce is final, my house has an offer and will hopefully be sold within the month and my family is beginning to find its way in this world!

On my adventure, this year, I spent a great deal of time in California, exploring the beaches, and towns along the coast and in the mountains living in my tent and cheap hotels. I saw the sunset on the a Pacific Ocean for the first time, committed the ashes if my loyal friend and companion Merlin, whom was a 14 year old a Bichon Frise, to the ocean and various other locations along the journey. I watched the sun rise and set over the mountain peaks around Copper Mountain, Colorado. Witnessed the onset of darkness as it enveloped the Redwoods and myself in northern California. Fell asleep to the roar of the surf on dark sand beaches, and awakened to the gentle crashing of the waves on those same shores. Felt the sharp bite of cold as it stole into my tent though the night, both in the mountains of Colorado and in the Sierra Nevadas of California. Awoken to find frost on the inside if the tent just inches from my face. Sat in the snow and stared with wonder at the hot sulfur springs erupting from the ground at Lassen National Volcanic Park in June. Fallen asleep with my sliding door open to the ocean and the I-5 in San Clemente as the sound of the rushing traffic and crashing surf washed over my soul. Lay in an attic bed, mere inches from the roof, listening to the winds of a tornado hurdle cars through the air and tear roofs from houses in the heart of Mobile, Alabama, while waiting and wondering if it would find me as it tore through the neighborhood only two blocks away. Spent sleepless nights with my hand in the bed of my partially paralyzed companion to both comfort him with my presence and monitor his movements in the night. Giving countless late night baths to clean him up and then hours holding and warming him and exercising his legs. I spent innumerable hours alone: writing, thinking, reading, riding, driving, contemplating life and capturing my view of the world through word and photography. There have been late nights in the hospital, visits to animal clinics and animal acupuncturists. Break downs of the body, both emotional and physical, as well as on trailers and moving trucks. Searches for welders and machine shops, long waits for road side assistance in the middle of nowhere and the pleasant surprise of an unexpected sunset in the dessert! I've been snowed on in the dessert, and snowed in in Texas. On the bike, I have frozen in Alabama and Florida and roasted in Missouri while sitting in traffic overheating. Learned to lane share in California to navigate and weave through the bumper-to-bumper traffic and avoid overheating. I have driven or ridden for up to 1,400 miles without stopping and hit the wall at 140 miles and stopped for the night. At a small two man shop on the side of the road i learned how to reset the maintenance light on my Prius and I have had my oil changed at big chain garages, where I taught them how to reset the maintenance light. There have been days, that I haven't talked to another living soul and others where everyone I encountered seemed to have the need to talk, either to share their story or ask after mine. I've seen men go out of their way to help a stranded motorist in need and a cop drive by without a look. Strangers have fed me in campgrounds in return for conversation and a telling of my story; another tried to rob me in the parking lot of a gas station; others scoffed at me for living the dream when I answered their inevitable question, "Where are you heading?" and I replied, "I don't know yet! Whichever way the wind takes me today!"

So, here is where I find myself! My sun and the wind have guided me here, to Costa Mesa, California...for the first time in a long while I feel at home. I can breathe, I can sleep, I can write again.

Today, I am starting my life anew! I am no longer bound by the conventions of how things should be, but by how I decide things will be!

Get out there...find your life anew!

Ride Hard...Live Well...it only takes one lifetime to get it right!

~Chris Wood

Blog Hop: Welcome to The Next Big Thing

Thank you, Colleen Sayre for inviting me to The Next Big Thing Blog Hop.  I'm excited to have the opportunity to share and participate.

Currently, I am an unemployed Senior QA Software Engineer.  I've worked for large multi-billion dollar corporations, small credit collection agencies, prestigious colleges and Video On Demand software companies.  I thrived in the software industry and enjoyed the challenge of building products out of dreams, poking holes in plans, finding ways to break programs before the customers got a chance and helping find better ways to design our mouse traps.  In retrospect, I have found that the vast amount of work that I did revolved around the written word.

The majority of my career has been spent documenting how we would build the products other people dream about, reading or writing functional and design specifications, and looking for the holes in the plans laid out before me, devising and documenting ways to validate or break the program and then using that documentation to help define fixes for the product.  I've worked with documentation team to prepare user documents that help customers install, deploy, or upgrade as well as train their employees how to use applications.

Along the way, I realized that the part of my job I liked the best was finding the most illustrative manner in which to convey my message.  With that in mind, I decided that while I am out of work, this is the perfect time for me to exercise my passion and talent to write something that others will enjoy, something a little less technical.  I want to write fiction.

I started off this month with every intention of diligently participating in the NaNoWriMo challenge to write 50,000 words in the month of November and basically write my first novel.  Unlike, many of the other participants, I went into the month without any sense of what, who or where my novel would take place.  I hadn't made story idea notes; I didn't have a framework developed; I didn't know my characters names!  Hell, I didn't even have any ideas floating around in my head.  I'd been working over the summer on a book of travel and roadside adventure stories from my six-week journey around the U.S. either in my car Tug or on my motorcycle Dragon.  The Adventures of Dragon Wrider is still in the works and I hope to have it pulled together soon.  So when the first day rolled in and out and I didn't really have a clue, I wasn't surprised.  Early one morning several days later, I awoke to a familiar voice telling me his part of a story and so it began.

I have been asked to answer a few questions about the newest book I am working on and I'll do my best to answer them in a way that my characters would approve.

What is the working title of your book?

The working title is The Original Crusade.  Although I think that Nadan, my favorite character--and the one who keeps waking me up at night to remind me I'm not done--prefers the Genesis of Camelot. Seeing how pushy he can be, I figure Nadan will win.  But for now, I'm resigned to the say the official working title is The Original Crusade (The Genesis of Camelot).

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Twenty plus years ago, I began writing a story around a central character named Nadan.  He related to me his adventures, and his companions adventures, through several incarnations and reincarnations.  Their stories centered around their lives in Camelot in the years after the disappearance of Merlin.  I still have the old remnants of this book floating around my office and hope to one day renew it.  However, this time Nadan has returned to introduce me to an entirely new battalion of characters whose stories span a much greater time frame.  It is a tale that tells of the beginning of the ideas of Camelot not just of Camelot.

What genre does your book fall under?

I am not sure that the vast number of genre that exist in the book community do much to help either authors, or readers find the books they are interested in reading.  Instead, I believe they provide critics and publishers a means of stereotyping authors and works into categories, making it easier for them to isolate them for marketing purposes and justify writing off entire groups of writers.  That said, I believe that this work would fall into the Literary Fiction or Fantasy genre.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Jesus, Merlin, Arthur, Nadan and Dax:  Ewan McGregor
Mary, Guinevere, Gabriela, Angela:  Kelly MacDonald or Kiera Knightly
Ilisiador (Druid):  Ian McKellen
Mary's Oldest Brother:  Eoin Macken
Mary's Middle Brother:  Henry Ian Cusick
Mary's Youngest Brother:  James McAvoy
Mary Mother, Evelake and Barbara:  Cate Blanchett or Charlize Theron
Lamerok:  Kit Harrington
Young Merlin:  Isaac Hempstead Wright
Narrator:  Colin Morgan

What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?

This is an adventure through history that tells how a few several souls continue to reconnect, sometimes across continents, to make a difference and shape the world we all live in, by believing in themselves, one another, love and the goodness buried in the human condition.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

The current intent is to self-publish although, that doesn't mean that if approached I would not consider working with an agency.

How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Well...I'll have to answer that question definitively once I have completed the first draft.  However, I will say that I am around three weeks calendar time into the writing and feel that I am about halfway finished, although my characters control when and where I go and therefore, how long I will have to write to tell their story.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

That's a truly interesting questions.  I have never read anything quite like what I am writing.  I am sure there are some out there however, this idea of a soul coming back over and over again has roots in religion, with reincarnation being the theme tying them together.  As a child (I still am at heart), like may boys my age, I was intrigued by the stories of Arthur, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table.  It is in this vein, of morals, ethics and pursuit of happiness that I write.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Interestingly, complicated questions to answer.  Why truly does anyone do anything, but to be happy?  I would have to say that for the 'Who' portion of the question, it is first and foremost my mom and author Colleen Sayre.  As far back as I can remember, my mom told me stories about far off lands and the chivalry of the knights of the round table.  In her spare time, she wrote, always working on some story or song or book, and she would tell the stories to me and share in her passion for storytelling.  As I got older and became interested in writing, she encouraged me and acted as my editor on much that I wrote, including that first adventure of Nadan many years ago.  However, neither of us ever pursued our passion as intently as we desired.  However, in Dec 2011, Colleen Sayre published the first of four books and got me thinking, "If she can do it, maybe I could too."  That lead to the 'What.'  A few months ago, my mom enlisted my help to publish her fourth book, A Solitary Life.  I agreed and set to work doing minor editing and then cover design, artwork and photography for the book.  Being involved in such a great work and having the opportunity to help bring it to life pushed me to begin in earnest to pursue my passion for writing as a possible career alternative.  Finally, Mom challenged me to participate in this year's NaNoWriMo.

What else about your book might pique the readers interest?

I think that the mingling of the stories of the genesis of Camelot, the life and death journey of joined souls, the connection with Jesus and Mary Magdalene and finally the struggles of a modern day love story, of a family, and of a man raising his son to be the man he wished he could have been all those centuries ago.  The message being how to search for a moral and ethical balance to life while pursuing personal happiness and honor.

Back to the Road...

Like Odysseus, I am to begin my journey again, tomorrow. I begin with a new stillness in my soul and the understanding things are as they should be...and tomorrow will be what I make it. Nothing more, nothing less. A two century old story reawakens to find that it has the cast needed to move the plot forward without a force of will but by rise and fall of the sun and moon and the seasons ushered in by the wind. I invite the wind into the folds of my jacket to wrap itself around me, as I ride out into the world once again.

Always Safe, Never Careful!

Waking

A couple of days ago I posted a new piece named "Waking" on the Writing page of my website. http://dragonwrideradventures.com

The sun and the wind

It's been weeks since last I saw a sunset, felt the warmth of its rays on my skin, the last remnants of the golden red rays of light dancing off the water, disappearing into the depth of my eyes. But the wind...the wind never disappears, it never leaves, it's there waiting when I emerge from the dark hovel which I am holed up in...laboring to find the ideas and glimmering thoughts that light up my world. The wind swirls in place waiting, waiting, and it knows what I want, senses what I need. The hot rays of the afternoon sun crash down on my body, basting my skin in its warmth. As my body absorbs every last ray it can stand, the wind ramps up its speed and rushes over the shallow inlet waters, over the shell covered beaches, over gleaming, warm salt water. The afternoon sand glows orange as the wind, ever present, wraps itself around my soul and cools my skin...all in an effort to remind me...even when I can't feel them in the last rays of the sunset, the wind ushers those feelings to me from the west.

~Topher

You adventure your way and I'll adventure mine

The last couple of days have been hard. I was torn between continuing my adventure traveling around the country and returning to "the real world." Therefore, instead of taking the time to explore the Mojave and and Moab, I have been driving east. My little '09 Prius reminds me of "The Little Engine that Could." Tug, as I have named her, is pulling a trailer loaded with Dragon, my R1200GS. She just keeps on humming along, slow at times, but never letting us down. At times I think I can actually hear her: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can." So far, Tug has taken us from Covington, Georgia, across southern Texas to San Clemente, California, and then north up the coast on the Pacific Coast Highway, as far as Manchester and east to Sacramento and Yosemite, south into the Mojave and east again through Utah to Grand Junction, Colorado. In all, this has been a 5,500 plus mile journey for us and Tug just keeps pulling us along.

Meanwhile, Dragon has only clocked a little over 1,300 miles exploring Big Thicket National Preserve and the Sam Houston National Forest in Texas, Yosemite National Park, the Pacific Coast Highway from its beginning in San Clemente up to the Redwood National Park just south of Crescent City, CA. If a year ago, you had told me that I would have seen this much of the country on the trip of a lifetime and that I would spend more time in Tug than on Dragon, I would have thought that idea preposterous. Now, looking back, I think that doing the entire journey this way has been brilliant. I would not trade this for the world. I wish that I had ridden more of the journey and will make a point of doing that going forward, but the addition of Tug and her trailer was born of necessity.

When I first hatched this plan in early April of 2012, I was discussing it and dreaming about making this trip with my loving companion Merlin, whom you may have read about in previous stories. But doing a 10,0000 mile adventure on a motorcycle, even one as comfortable and capable as Dragon, simply was not feasible for little Merlin's frail 14 year old body. So enter Tug and a new trailer as a means of traveling from place to place in comfort, using Dragon as our day tripper to see the sites. Merlin and I planned the entire trip, prepared and accounted for all the know issues of traveling together. We did not see an alternative, but before the official trip began, Merlin passed away. There I was ready to go, all contingencies accounted, ready for to drive Tug and Dragon across this beautiful country. Had I not originally planned on taking Merlin, this trip--like so many others before it--would have been just Dragon and me traveling with the bare essentials. Instead, we have living quarters, air conditioning in the scorching heat of the desert, room for a week's worth of clothing, food and cooking supplies, my guitar, various and sundry electronics, both helmet for different needs (on/off road), shoes, flip flops, and boots, extra jackets and fishing gear, all conveniences that I would have done without and been happy to, but that I have been glad to have at times. Thanks to Merlin, instead of having a vehicle that has to be both transport (rushing to get to the next place to get setup and camped early and for leisure to absorb the countryside from inside my helmet, and miss out on many of the little things along the way), I have been able to take my time getting from place to place. Driving at night is safer. Stopping on the road side on a whim, grabbing my camera from the seat beside me, and hiking into the bush to take a picture is much more comfortable and convenient and less time consuming. I'm not roasting in my suit or taking 15 minutes to remove it. Traveling on Dragon means putting on my motorcycle gear (and taking it off) and it is more likely that my breaks include a quick stop for moment to observe scenic vistas along the roadway and then riding away with nothing more than a memory for myself and no photo to share with the world.

I hope in the future I will remember what a blessing traveling with Tug has been and choose to do it this way again. People give me the most curious looks and other bikers look at me askew for towing my adventure bike from place to place. I keep reminding myself, I have an adventure bike, but this is my adventure. You adventure your way and I'll adventure mine! So, to you I say, "Let your adventure take shape your way, whether it is on two wheels, three wheels, four wheels, or in my my case, eight wheels. Or with no wheels at all! Stay true to your adventure because you're the one out there, not anyone else!

Ride to the Redwoods and Back

Yesterday, I had the best ride of the trip which entailed 11 hours in the saddle and more switchbacks than I could count on the Pacific Coast Highway and CA-101. The purpose of the ride was two-fold: see the Redwoods and complete the spreading of Merlin's ashes.

The rush of adrenaline and endorphins from riding was like nothing else. The pull of the earth as I round each corner, feeling the suspension of my spine and that of the bike enforces the feeling of oneness with the machine as it simply becomes an extension of you or perhaps the other way round. The twinge in my legs and back as the rear tire finds loose gravel on the ground and slides ever so slightly in the turn. The vibration in my hands as the smooth caress of the fresh glistening asphalt abruptly changes to the course, dull, gravelly pavement of old surface. I can feel the wheels of time roll back as the trees and plants around me begin to become larger and more majestic. The road gyrates in all direction, distracting me from the changes that are now rapidly occurring. Signs are posted to beware of Elk crossing. While looking at the huge display of moose statues in the campground, I suddenly notice one of them move, and look back from across the 50 yards of grass to say "Moose? Where? AlI I see are Elk!"

On a quiet road in the midst of Redwood giants, I dismount from Dragon and note as I venture onto a small path that even the smallest vegetation in these woods is almost my height. I look up to see nothing but tree...large enough around to almost encompass my peripheral vision; this tree has burrows in the base large enough for me to easily fit into, yet when I look up, straight up the tree, I cannot see the top, and I can't see sky either. There is a gentle breeze in the forest, but not enough of a breeze to rustle the vegetation as it just did 50 feet away. Seconds later, another sound--only closer and this time from the left. Turning, I realize that I have ventured several hundred feet into the forest, although it didn't seem that far when walking tree to tree and taking pictures. It is now an overwhelming distance between me and the safety of Dragon. Slowly, but with purpose, I make my way across the distance and when, once again, I feel the familiar solidity of paved ground under my riding boots, I turn quickly to see what it was that was following me. There was no movement. At this point, even the wind has ceased. Climbing back on Dragon, we (Merlin and I) set out further north in search of where the Redwood Nat'l Park meets the ocean. I am awestruck at the site! The Redwoods are on one side of me and the Pacific Ocean is on the other. Looking out into the ocean, I walk down the course dark sand that makes up the beaches and shoreline of northern California. The tide is on its way in along with the fog, as it creeps its way onto shore and steals away into the redwoods. Here, I said my last farewell to Merlin, reminding him that we finally made it together. Here is where the last of his ashes will lay, but I am not parting with his loving spirit and wisdom as they will live with me forever in my heart.

The return trip was an exercise in melding stamina, determination, and pure joy into one passionate ride through the same curves that so challenged and inspired my riding some six hours before. Now, however, it is dark, the sweet yet pungent smell of decaying redwood and leaves fills every breath with a reminder that I am in the presence of the most majestic living plants I have ever experienced. They stand tall against the cold and wind, having witnessed the entry of man if not life into their midst. Throughout the course of history, the forest has thrived in spite of the changes it has seen. On the edges of the road where the asphalt impinges on the daily life of the forest, eyes glow in the brilliance of the headlight, many looking back to take heed of the possible danger, others looking askance at the oncoming object, stunned and motionless until the final seconds of my approach when the animal makes a sudden decision to dart one direction or the other while another simply freezes, looking on in horror. On this night, we are not in harms way--me or the animals in the forest.

On the final stretch, I feel the cold dampness of the pacific seeping into my suit. Following the coast in these hills requires many turns and switchbacks and the ocean and wind seem to know it, together finding me at my most vulnerable, leaning hard into a right switch while climbing hard. Just as I accelerate to complete the maneuver, a cold blast of wind races down the road carrying the salty mist of the sea and blurring my vision once again. On the straightaways, the wind hit the cliffs and wraps around the top pulling me closer to the edge. In the distance is a faint light. That's it. The end of today's journey. Ahhh, what a brilliant day! I wonder what tomorrow...

~Topher

Yosemite village...parking lot...you could save a life!

It's now been 5 minutes and I can breathe again! I will start off by telling you that I am perfectly fine...and so is Dragon...she just has a scratch and a ding.

I stood in line for 15 minutes waiting on the express shuttle to the Yosemite Visitor Center which is a half mile from the parking lot. Okay, so I'm a wimp. My foot is still killing me and my riding boots are just that, "Riding Boots." I decided I would just ride over and see it from the outside and maybe come back tomorrow for my passport stamp. I tool along through the village, checking it out, and realize that there may be some open parking spots right up close. I round a corner in the parking lot and see a white E 350 touring van stopped in the middle of the lot. I see the spot he is gonna turn into and think to myself, "That'll be tight but he can do it." Then I suddenly notice the reverse lights come on. I'm like, "Okay, he's decided to give himself a little room. Cool." Then the van begins to pick up speed. I stop Dragon in the middle of the road, but I can do nothing except try to push backward with my feet. At this moment, I am hating the fact that I have increased the suspension for a smoother ride and think, "Oh shit this is a downward slant and I'm going nowhere!" Picking up more speed as he gets closer, the driver of the van is backing up--either with no regard for what's behind him or he just isn't looking! Realizing I have to try to avoid the inevitable, I hit the kill switch, pull the clutch, set the tire perpendicular to the van's bumper, lighten the weight on my feet, and lay on the horn! The van hits me. After being pushed about 5 feet, the bike and van come to a halt. I manage to pull the bike away from the van. I'm checking the bike for damage (aside from a scratch on the bumper where the handlebar twisted and it hit the rim, there is zero damage) when a young man and woman come running back to me yelling,  "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" All I could manage to say was, "I'm fine, but I'm not sure about my bike!" After completing a thorough check of Dragon, I determine everything is fine. The young man who was driving gives me a hug, shakes my hand, apologizing profusely. I tell him, "I'm alright and so is my bike. Next time neither you nor the rider may be so lucky! Please, look twice! You could save a life!" Man, that was crap! Really? That's the best thing I could think to say to this guy who could have killed me? If I had been riding anything other than an Enduro bike, there would have been extensive damage.

I headed back to the the car and called it a day. So, I'm heading north again. All in all, it was a great day, closing with a spectacular sunset!

~Topher

,

Beautiful Ridin...

I road into the Sequoia National Forest...the roads go from gentle curving turns that you just relax into. Sitting back in my seat, the bike glides from one curve to the next. Just when I think you can relax and view the scenery, 41 jumps up and gets me involved. The road drops away to the left quickly and the bike reacts; I feel gravity plunge, the suspension and my stomach rise into my chest. Just as I get it together, the road banks hard right and the bike falls into line and the endorphins have raced into my system. The smell of dense forest decay and fresh sequoia growth fill my senses while the wind pours into my helmet. I force myself to look as far as I can through the next curve in anticipation of a new surprise and the mountain answers...the line disappears up and into the trees...along with my heart.

On my return ride to the campsite, I stopped for gas and well, you guessed it...too much time has passed since my last debacle and right after lunch, the Dragon reared her head! She started spitting and sputtering, then just cut out. I got her off the road before being run over. After coaxing her back to life, we limped back to our camp site where I began taking her apart!Apparently, a guy throwing motorcycle parts and tools around was not a noteworthy sight as no one around me seemed to notice or care. Before long, however, my next door neighbor strolled over.

"You alright over there?" he asked.

Rolling out from under Dragon, I explained my issue and that I was at a loss for how to fix it.

At this point, somewhat confused he asked, "How far do you have to go to get home?"

"Luckily, not far since I towed her just around the fence to the trailer," I said.

With a disapproving scowl on his face, he continued: "You trailered your bike? Then I guess you don't have to have it fixed immediately."

"I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out or find a mechanic somewhere who can. I just won't be able to do it without the manuals and light."

The sun was beginning to sink below the tree line as we spoke. "Well, I'm no mechanic so I won't be of any help. Besides, I just saw you laying sprawled out under the bike and I wanted to make sure you weren't hurt. Have a safe Drive Home," he said as he walked away.

Well, you just can't understand them all. You have to focus on understanding yourself and those you love. Everything else will work itself out.

After a few hours of research, I think I've found the answer. We'll see tomorrow after I rip the bike apart and disconnect the vent hoses for the gas tank...yet another story.

It's a blur...

The last few days have been a blur...working on getting the write up complete for the first couple of days and will post shortly...it's nice just sittin between two GS kicked back in my camp chair at the 40th '49er Rally. A conversation about BMW vs Japanese bikes going on not far from me. The sweet smell of cigar smoke in the air melds with the moist decaying grass beneath me and the warming spicy aroma of my Captain and Coke. The latter is to stoke the fire inside as this is the most crisp weather I have been exposed to since January in New England. Off in the distance, I can hear the joyous laughter of fellow travelers of the road. I see  fellow riders mill about looking for long lost friends and new fast ones they've encountered on the ride in this afternoon. Still others are looking at bikes that may have been theirs in year long past and harken back to earlier days. The bikes range from a BMW airhead to the newer liquid cooled models, Harley tourers, V-Stroms farkled out with the best off-road gear. There is even a bike that I could find no identifying marks on that appears to be held together with duct tape. Bikes at every end of the spectrum make everyone feel together even while being alone in this crowd. At 40, I feel as though I'm the kid at this BMW Rally.

A younger group has quietly decided they need a late night ride. Stealthily, so as not to wake those riders already in bed, they pushed their bikes to the edge of the pavement, waited for everyone to arrive and get ready to roll, and then fired up, almost in harmony. They were careful not to rev their engines more than necessary as they quietly coaxed their rides off the fairgrounds. Once on the road, however, it was a different story. Each of the bikes accelerated, rearing off the stop and down the mountain, giving it hell all the way until each of the eight riders had sped past the grounds and the tranquil sound of there engines disappeared into the night.

Delayed posting...

Sorry for the delay in posting the next installment. Today has been all about mile = smiles and I have been driving off and on since 9am. I'm still on the road and likely will be through the night! I decided a few hours ago that I'm gonna see the sun set on the pacific Tuesday evening. I'll post more at my more lengthy stop in the morning! Thanks for reading!
~Dragon Wrider

DWA Walkabout Day 1

Day 1: May 16th

After getting the all the gear I figured would be needed for a trip around the country; cold gear, rain gear, hot gear, clothes for all climates, boots for all occasions; I then loaded the bike on the trailer with all my stuff for the first time...well if you have ever packed for a big trip in a small car you know what I am about to say.  Yep, even though we moved the bike back 16" to remove the tongue weight the was still too much weight on the shocks.  So I moved the most important things as far forward as possible.   I then backed the trailer into the yard to see how much clearance I really had with a slight variation in the ground.  Turns out I only had 4" of clearance at the front of other trailer and I needed to have a minimum of 6".  Removing enough weight to raise the deck by 2" proved not difficult physically, however, the logistics and readjusting the gear I actually was going to take was painful.  In the end I lost; a pair of motorcycle boots, hiking boots, second riding jacket and pants, some everyday t-shirts, two pair of jeans, spare tire mounting bracket, second (backup) tent, inflatable sleeping pad and various and sundry other things that I deemed, at the moment, to be superfluous to the gear I already had in the vehicle.  Once all this was removed and the remaining item were moved as far forward as possible, I deemed the trailer clearance sufficient and hit the road.  The first night, I intended to get as far as I could and most importantly beyond the typical area that I and already familiar with in the south east.  Thus, I made it to Meridian, Mississippi the first night and found a room at the Days Inn.  A word of caution, although the people were nice the room were sub-standard even for Days Inn, and I for one will not stay at that location again. It still hasn't sunk in that, I am going on the road...for a while.

...And the Adventure Begins...

This years adventure is: Dragon Wrider's Walkabout

After 13 years in the computer industry, doing everything from Data Entry, project management, development (software and data warehouses), quality assurance, performance engineering, load/stress testing, capacity planning and business report design, I find myself unemployed.  So, I have decided that it is time to see the world, or at least the country while I continue to look for a job and hopefully find a career.

As some of you may know I did not begin this adventure alone.  When we hit the road on April 1st, I accompanied by my 14 year old dog named Merlin.

Merlin had been suffering with back issues off and on for years and last October paralysis started in his rear limbs.  By November the vets said that he wouldn't get any better without surgery, which he may not survive, due to his age.  Not wanting to put him through the pain of the surgery, I decided that I would find a way to help him be comfortable and see if rest and previcox would be sufficient, to get him back to health.  Well, it was and by mid January he was moving around pretty good on his own, provided he was on carpet (he still walked like he was drunk, but his tail was wagging most of the time).

In the car on the move to Georgia, I began talking to Merlin, my closest confidant, about all the places that we would see together in this new adventure we were embarking on.  I explained the smell of the Atlantic ocean off the New Smyrna Beach sands, the sound of the forest in the Smokey Mountains at night, the views of the high plains near the Grand Canyon, the colors in the Grand Canyon at both sunset and sunrise, the sounds of the Pacific Ocean lapping onto the shores of Los Angeles, the taste and smell of the Redwood Forest, the spectacular scenery of Yosemite, the Lava Fields and the magnificence of the Rocky Mountains.  All the while he would lay in the seat next to me, looking up and appearing to be listening and encouraging me to tell him more.  So, it was near the end of those many hours riding together that I began to lay out a plan, no an adventure for he and I to go and see all those things instead of just talking about them.  Every time I had an idea, I would fill him in, as a way of thinking out loud to see how it sounded.

Our first adventure was New Smyrna Beach and Moms house.  Together we smelled the beach and even took Erica with us.  To me it was another beach but, to Merlin and I it was the next step in our big adventure, which I dubbed The Adventures of Merlin and Dragon Wrider.  During that week, there was an altercation with one of Mom's dogs and Merlin was bitten, at 14 an attack can be life threatening, but Merlin was tough as ever, and soldiered on.

The weekend after Easter, I noticed that he was having issues walking again.  I had taken him off the previcox while he was on another medication and the effects had definitely worn off.  I immediately put him back on his regimen and began putting him in his wheelchair to allow him some freedom.  A week later he was needing assistance urinating and just as before, I did everything I could.  I went outside with him periodically to make sure I emptied his bladder and to walk him around so he could poo.  Periodically he would have a bowel movement and not even know, which clued me in to the fact that my efforts were not enough.  We couldn't go far because of his issues but he loved being in the car.  He would get excited when I would walk toward the car and generally meet me at his side, tail wagging and waiting for me to take him out of his chair and into his seat.  During these rides, for hours sometimes, I would explain what we would need to take with us on the trip, the food, mosquito nets for the car windows (home made and work great), what campgrounds allowed pets and which ones wouldn't, what type of trailer we would need to pull the motorcycle (Dragon) and the biggest question...how do we get both of us on Dragon?  Finally, we found a pet travel case that we could modify so that he could ride in front of me...it was all coming together.

Then, in the early morning hours of April 27th, everything went pear shaped.  Here is an excerpt from my diary:  "...Merlin pooped and urinated in his sleep but woke in a panic, seemingly worried about me scolding him...I kissed him, then got up, bathed him, changed his bed and tucked him back to bed with my hand on him...he's been rather despondent for a few days now, he's not acknowledging my existence, ans is actively refusing my attempts to give him belly rubs.  All morning I tried working with him to get a response letting me know that he was in there and wanted to continue...I got an appointment to see an acupuncturist and he seems much more aware, happy and energetic...I thought today was the day I would have to put him down...but the adventure continues..."  We had a great weekend together, he still had minor accidents but seems in much better spirits which was a key for me.

Unfortunately, Merlin passed away on May 2nd 2012, after 14 great years together.  It is in his honor that I continue this adventure and will be spreading his ashes throughout the country, at each of the sites that I had planned to taking us.  Although, Merlin won't be there physically he will always be in spirit and in my heart.  My stories will occasionally include him, as my guide.  Here is our story.

Since I purchased my first motorcycle in 2004, I have been obsessed with the desire to ride, I have since realized that the riding was nothing more than an excuse to get out and see the world.  Don't mis-understand, riding is still my passion but I no longer feel that I have to ride everywhere...it's perfectly acceptable if not preferable to tow the bike to new locations.  As you will find out this is actually the form of travel that I have adopted.  Towing the bike and then riding out of a central location actually makes life more enjoyable in the long run.  I use the car, in this a 2009 Toyota Prius that I have nickname "Tug" to pull my "Dragon" my 2008 BMW R1200GS.  Tug serves several purposes, carry the core elements of the journey like clothes, food, camping gear and other necessities; it can be used as sleeping quarters in the event of bad weather, unsafe environment or just  to get off the ground; and finally to tug or pull the Dragon down the road from one major location to another.  To accomplish the latter, I have acquired and modified a new Ultra-Tow motorcycle trailer and installed a tow hitch on Tug.  In order to make the trailer compatible with Tug we needed to keep Dragon at the back of the trailer instead of the front where the built in wheel chock is located.  The purpose of this shift is to move the weight off the tongue of the trailer and lessen the drag on Tug's rear suspension.  We then installed a wheel chock further back on the trailer to keep Dragon from rolling forward and installed additional tie downs in the rear to assist with immobilizing her.  We then added a wheeled swivel jack to allow us to take the weight off of Tug during overnights or stops in which the Dragon would not be unloaded.  The final addition was a spare tire, unfortunately, we could not find a suitable location that didn't require significant trailer modification, or adding unwanted tongue weight, so the tire is housed in Tug's backseat.

Now that Tug, the trailer, Dragon and the Wrider are ready, the story will begin...

Wood Bros Adventures TAT 2010 - Day 1

OK, so this is the part of the trip where I put the bike in the truck and high tale it to GA to start the trip with batman6630016 and Maxpacker. Even still it is the start! So, here is the SpotWalla link to follow along.

Dragon Wrider Adventure Map

I'll start putting up pics, observations and various other tid-bits starting tonight!

Spring Morning Commute

So getting out the door was a little challenging.  My desire is usually to take as little gear and other personal items on the bike as possible when I ride...it usually comes down to a compromise though.  This morning was a beautiful spring morning in New England, it was crisp and clear, not a cloud in the light blue sky.  The temperature was 62 degrees in the shade and 71 degrees in the sun.  While getting my gear together for my commute to the office I turned on the weather channel in the background.

Hmmm...what do I need to bring with me...gulping down my coffee, as I can't drink and ride.  Well, I didn't bring my laptop home (rarely do anymore) so, I don't need to worry about that.  I'll need to bring the top box which always has the New England basics stored inside; warm riding gloves, thermal undershirt, second pair of wool socks, glove liners, sweatshirt and a neck gator.  Also in the box is an unopened bottle of water, gatorade/lemonade packets, Bike log, registration, notebook and my trusty mechanical pencil.  As I am going through the inventory in my head I am thinking, "This is great, another light pack day.  Just the one box of standards and I am one the rode.  That's when I catch the weather channel voice say in the background, "...scattered thunder showers in the evening hours with a chance of heavy rains possible."  The list just got longer.  Now I need to pull out the liner bag kit and the side panniers for the bike...

where am I?

Watching...waiting...coasting down this desolate road...enjoying the warmth of the sun as the last few rays all too quickly disappear behind the mountains ahead. Suddenly, darkness all around. Eyes struggle to acclimate to the change. In the night the chilled damp wind begins to seep around the edges of my shield, stinging my eyes with shards of cold. My eyes blur from the pain and the yellow ribbon that has guided my coarse for so long, fades into the darkness. The wind begins stabbing my flesh at every seam, fold and opening that it can force its way in around my suit. The dense hard armor that lines my suit begins to transfer the night in to my joints as they cool. The only warmth left is that of the ever inviting hum of the dragon, then heat transfered from the heart of the beast through the veins and into my hands, in an attempt to keep the frost at bay while the mind struggles to find the path...and return to the light...but none can be found...its not there...its gone. Maintaining my course I ride through the night, relying only on the vibrations of the road and the buzz of the tires against the rough asphalt road... I begin to pick up speed, I sense the road bank to the left and in the darkness push gently on the left handlebar while leaning to the left and shifting my weight to my cold right foot. The shocks compress as I grind through the curve then upright again. I hear the hum of the motor begin to increase as a fresh wave of cold heavy decaying air begins pressing against my chest...forcing its way deeper into my suit and behind my shield. The vibrations turn to undulating bounces and the buzz transforms into a crackling. I have left the safety of the worn path and turned onto the path seldom encountered. Beware of the feel of the gravel as it often lies and seldom allows one to return...watching...waiting...for what?...where am I?...

~Topher