It is really a shame that I have only recently started documenting the journeys
we take on motorcycles. I have taken so many over the last several years that
they are already starting to fade into each other and I have a hard time distinguishing
one from another.
Some of my first motorcycle journeys took place with my father, sitting on the gas tank of his motorcycle he took me around the mountains surrounding the tiny town where I was born. I have no way to connect these memories with each other, but moments of them stand strong in my memory. I wish that I, at least, had photos.
I started documenting these trips more for myself than any other reason. It is only when they are written down a shortly afterwards is it possible for them to remain intact. Photo's are always great because they can remind us of certain parts or certain feelings associated with a trip, but still, many of the priceless moments have slipped from my memory and would require a great deal of effort to try to recall them. This is part of why I started this website. As a way to document and share the fun I've had on motorcycles. Below are some of the images I was able to dig out of shoe boxes and rob from my wife's photo albums, scan into the computer and put in here. I'm not sure if they are in the proper order. But they at least they are still here, and if a picture is worth a thousand words, they will be able to tell their own stories.
Here's a photo of me parked in the middle of a very famous stretch of road. Monument Valley is behind me. (Isn't this where Forrest Gump Turned around to go home?)
As soon as I got back from Bosnia, I wanted to go for a ride on my motorcycle.
- Go figure - This is where the biker culture started. World War II vets coming
home, got on their motorcycles and rode to forget the war. Bosnia, does in no
way compare to World War II or Vietnam, but I wanted to ride just the same.
I had never been to southern Utah before in my entire life. (I was 23) My father
and I took off to go explore these places that I had never seen before. This
was my first experience riding my own motorcycle for more than a weekend away
and it proved to not only, help me forget the past, but turn me onto the Joys
of Sport-Touring. Thanks Dad.
Okay, its a gratuitous bike shot, taken on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
This trip was based around a motorcycle rally called "Four Corners"
in Colorado. Things I remember are; The bike had a major problem somewhere in
Colorado where we couldn't get it started and we had to use a Harley to pull
the bike until we could get the thing to fire. I had a temper tantrum in front
of 30 or so bikers when I slipped on a couple pebbles and dropped the bike.
I test rode my first Buell and decided Ducati's were way better. And a handful
of other disconnected items. But I remember having fun and I look back on this
trip as though it were something created just for me. This magical little, metal
and plastic machine that took me to all these magical places that I had no Idea
existed. Even though I can't remember many specifics about this trip, the emotions
I felt on this trip will stay with me for the rest of my life and this trip
is a big reason why I feel so strongly about sport-touring.
On that same trip we spend one night at Hite Marina. Just off Hwy 95 in Southern
Utah. It was here that I made a very important decision that impacted the rest
of my life. This picture always reminds me of that decision. It was here that
I decided that I would do everything I could to make Kris, (now my wife) fall
in love with me. I guess when you put your mind to something...
This was taken only a few hours after the last Picture. We were leaving Hite
Marina and heading for home.. I just love the look of that Red Rock. It is interesting
to note that I followed, almost, this exact same route on my Honeymoon. The
interesting part is that when I rode it on my honeymoon, it was like riding
it for the first time. Hardly anything seemed familiar. I guess my mind was
in other places.
This is actually the very first photo from the Historic Henry Store. This is
also the trip that I met Loretta for the very first time. I'm in the foreground
on the left. Danny and Loretta are in the matching red coats. Bill is drinking
from a bottle. Mom is just under the window smiling, and Ken is eating something
(denim coat) This is also an image from the very first Bubba Run.
When Danny and I met for the first time It was an instant bond. We both had
cool bikes. We had to take some cool photos of them in the alleyway near my
apartment. Pretty artistic, wouldn't ya say? Mine was the 91' FZR 600. He was
on the 93' SecaII. Actually in this image if you look close you can see his
taillight is damaged. This photo was taken only a few days after the accident
that saved my life. (Long Story.)
Kris was quick to get a bike (center) her GS500E and this is a picture from
her very first road trip. (The FZR on the left and Danny's New TDM 850 on the
right.) We rode from Logan where we were all in College to Jackson Hole. She
had to be back early for work so we only spent one night out. But if you ask
her, the tent was pretty memorable. I think she had fun, because we started
dating seriously by about the time we made it back to Logan. So, I think it
was a pretty good trip too!
We stopped the morning before heading back and bought matching fleece vests
at a discount outlet store. Aren't we just SOOOO cool!?
Not long after that trip, Danny had to bring his girl along for the fun. So
Loretta joined us! We took the fourth of July and wandered around Yellowstone
National Park. Even thought It was the forth the temperatures were dropping
down to freezing at night. Brrr. But we had tons of fun despite it all. Sometimes,
these trips were the most fun because we had the least amount of equipment and
the least amount of money. We lived cheap, ate cheap and had a blast!!
Part of not having a tremendous amount of resources meant that we were very
content to do the nature hikes to see everything. Even though we had all been
to Yellowstone hundreds of times in the past with our families. We took a short
hike to the top of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Great scenery! I really
like the cap!!!
Like I said. Great Cap! Here we are at one of the many, stinky, hot pots in
Yellowstone. You can tell by all the smiles that we were having a more fun than
we knew what to do with!
Then of course we had to go back home. Here's Kris riding in front of the Grand
Tetons towards home. (Do you know what Grand Tetons means? - was the joke of
the trip. We had so much fun with that one)
And what trip would be complete without a stop at the Historic Henry Store.
I still don't know why we have such an affinity for this place?
This is the next fourth of July ride. This year we went exploring Southern Utah.
This was only my second time down there. The day before I had gotten a flat
tire in Green River, Utah. It was a Sunday afternoon in a town so small that
we didn't' think we would ever be able to leave. We spent most of the day with
a friendly mechanic from the local truck stop working to get a car tube into
my tire. It worked and we were able to do the rest of the trip. When we got
to Hite Marina we were so tired that we just stopped out on the rocks and camped.
It was quite a bit of fun after the stress of the possibility of searching for
jobs in Green River, Utah.
This picture was taken some time later that summer. You can tell by the shadow
that my mom took this shot. Turned out quite nice. That little GS was a great
bike!
One of the many times we had to stop to consult the map. It looks like we are probably somewhere south of Yellowstone National Park.
Not even a flat tire in Green River Utah, (if you've ever been there you understand
the look on Loretta's face) could keep us down. Even though Kris was ready to
get a job and look for an apartment thinking we would be stranded there forever.
The end of a great ride!