From: phil@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Phil Stone)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Ride to the Divide
Summary: Part 2 of an account of my trip to the Ride 'n Feed and back
Date: 21 Jul 92 23:57:13 GMT
Organization: NASA Ames Res. Ctr, Calif.


[part two of an account of a trip to and from the Ride 'n Feed.
 Part one was posted last week (sorry, I haven't had time to get
 this out sooner).  The story picks up in Provo, Utah]

We met Dan Canfield and his friend Evan way too early the next morning.
Evan's project for the last year had been restoring the "Battlescar"
into rideable condition.  This bike, a Honda Aspencade, used to be
known as the "Battlestar" back when it belonged to Bob Palin.  It
picked up its scars on a fateful Utah day a few years back when Hesh
took it for a ride with the kickstand down.  Hesh and the Honda executed
several gymnastic feats considered quite impossible for a bike of that
size, and neither of them enjoyed the experience.  But with Evan's
diligence, the bike had survived to ride again, and Hesh was little
changed, except for the legendary attitude of extreme caution which he
has assumed ever since.

Our group of four bikes carved a cold, cage-crowded canyon up to the
Wasatch plateau.  Hot breakfast in Heber City steamed away the morning
chill, and we set out on U.S. 40 towards Steamboat Springs and eventually,
Boulder.

The ride that day was uneventful; the usual stupendous Western vistas
entertained us for 500 miles.  Red rock mesas arose rudely from the
earth near Dinosaur National Monument, and by noon, the Rockies were
visible in the distance.  We stopped for lunch in Steamboat Springs,
then climbed through the alpine drama of Rabbit Ears Pass.  Dan led the
way at a steady, if not completely law-abiding pace, and I kept up as much
as my "governed" throttle permitted - I had to plan my passing of slower
traffic pretty far in advance, though.

It was late afternoon when we made the decision to go through Rocky
Mountain National Park.  Slow progress among heavy holiday traffic
strained our road-wearied bodies a bit beyond reason, but the scenery
made up for it.  The road climbed in endless switchbacks, rising from
lush valley forests to wind-scoured tundra and through every microclimate
in between.  Clumps of cars marked roadside encounters between tourists
and elk, staring at each other with mutual levels of incomprehension.  We
passed a sign that told us we were two miles high, and still the ascent
continued.  At 12,000 feet above sea level, snowbanks lined the road;
we crested a final ridge, and with it, the Continental Divide.  The
Rockies spread in limitless majesty to our north and south.

We wound slowly down into Estes Park, and after another hour or so of fighting
the holiday hordes to the outskirts of Boulder, we found Left Hand Canyon
and the Bradley Ranch, site of the Ride 'n Feed.  The Driveway of Death
proved no match for our small band of Road Weary-ers, and I gazed in slack-
jawed wonder at the glow of sunset on the large cliff hovering over us just
across the canyon - a fine setting for a gathering of Denizens, and an
excellent destination for a 1250 mile ride.


 Phil Stone         (phil@eos.arc.nasa.gov | ...ames!eos!phil)
 '83 R80ST               DoD #95              "Motorcycles OK"