May 2011 - Motorcycle Rider News

Getting to Sturgis.....the Long Way
by T-Bone
August 4, 2010 - Forest Lake, Minnesota. One Road King, two Fat Boys
and three great friends set out on a trip to Sturgis. But not an ordinary
road trip. This was a journey that speaks to the heart of every biker longing
for the open road. Six days, twelve states and five thousand miles .
You might say that they took the long way.
Robert Marshall, Jesse Lowther, and Sean Johnson had planned this
journey for more than a year. Only there was one slight problem to the
plan. Marshall lives in Parker, Colorado. His friends live in Forest Lake,
Minnesota. Being a problem solver Marshall decided that he would ride
out to
Minnesota
solo and meet
the other two.
From there,
they would
cruise through
miles and
miles of cornfields,
alfalfa,
desert, mountains,
and the
Pacific Ocean.
Their route
included North
Dakota,
Montana,
Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and finally
South Dakota for Sturgis.
Growing up on motorcycles and riding was a way of life for Marshall.
He had always dreamed of doing a trip like this. It would test his mental
and physical endurance. Marshall worked out in the gym and road his bike
- a lot. He would regularly
jump on his
bike and ride to the
New Mexico border
and back. One of his
favorite "training"
runs was up to
Laramie, Wyoming
and then down
through Cheyenne
and back to Denver.
The training was
almost as much fun as
the actual run, almost.
At 4:30 a.m. on August 2, 2010, Marshall kissed his wife goodbye and
pointed his Road King north and east. His goal was to get to Minnesota
that day and meet his friends. After 970 miles, he pulled into Sean's driveway
that evening. Of the entire trip, his least favorite stretch of road was
I-76 past Sterling and to the Colorado state line. He couldn't wait to get to
the cornfields of
Nebraska. As if in
some euphoric state,
he recalled stopping
at a Harley dealer in
Lincoln and seeing
115 on the thermometer
and thinking
that it wasn't really
that hot!
After a oneday layover,
the group left
Forest Lake,
Minnesota at 4:00
a.m. - headed for the
Pacific Ocean. Two
days of hard riding lay ahead. The first day took the trio through the farmland
of North Dakota. Fueled with the desire to log miles the group
pushed hard and fast through Eastern Montana, and hit the thousand mile
mark on the outskirts of Bozeman, Montana. After 1125 miles they called
it a day and pulled into a rest stop outside of Butte, Montana. No motels
for this crew. They circled they circled the bikes and slept in the middle on
the ground to bed down for the night.
After 6 hours of "sleep" it was up and at it again for another long day in
the saddle across the high desert of Idaho and Eastern Washington.
Breakfast consisted of granola bars and Gatorade. Pushing hard across the
Cascades of Western Washington, a solid meal of Subway sandwiches was
consumed in Portland, Oregon. Heading south out of Portland, they
pushed hard and finally stopped at 1:11 a.m. after crossing into California.
With another 1000 miles logged, they bedded down again for some much
needed rest.
On day 3, the group treated themselves to a real meal, and later took
time to bath "Wild Hog" style. The cold mountain water was refreshing to
say the least. Just past noon, with 2222 miles behind them, they parked
their bikes next to the Pacific Ocean outside of Eureka, California. As they
traveled along the coast, the road twisted and turned with sharp cliffs on
one side and vast views of the Pacific Ocean on the other side. The ocean
would give way to the majestic Sequoia redwood trees as they rode away
from the coast toward Redding. California. Could they make it to Reno,
Nevada before calling it quits for the day? Some of the toughest miles lay
ahead. To get to Reno, they crossed Donner Pass after midnight.
According to the warning signs, the road was icy and the temperatures
were frigid The riders were wearing layers of leather and rain gear, but it
wasn't enough. Shivering and exhausted, they pulled into another rest stop
east of Reno at 1:48 a.m.
Having made the turn from the west coast and now heading east toward
Sturgis, there were a couple of long days that still lay ahead. Day 4 saw a
push across the Nevada and Utah desert. While the desert can be beautiful,
it is also prone to violent wind and sandstorms with an added bonus of salt.
As darkness fell across the Bonneville Salt Flats, the group rode through a
sand and salt storm that stung their eyes and choked their throats. The
wind was unrelenting and they were forced to bed down for the night in the
middle of
the storm -
again
camped out
at a rest stop
with the
bikes circled
around
them.
Day 5 was
met with
long miles
across
Wyoming
and finally
into Lead, SD. Mentally and physically exhausted, the men were satisfied
with their accomplishment.
Marshall shared a few words of advice for anyone considering a trip like
this one. Pack only what you need. He overpacked - for example he
brought a case of MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) there were plenty of stops
for food along the way and no need for that much instant food. Enjoy the
ride. Next time, Marshall is going to take the time to see enjoy the scenery
and not try and pack as many miles into a few days. It is not often that you
get to take a tour like that and it is important to enjoy it. Choose your riding
partners carefully. Marshall says that his partners were perfect, but
being that far away, you need to make sure that everyone is committed to
the trip. Train for such a trip - get in shape physically and mentally.
Will he do it again - absolutely. Marshall bought a Road Glide this year
and is looking forward to a trip east this time. He is planning on riding to
the east coast and into and across Canada.
10 MAY 2011
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