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 <strong>2011</strong> MOTORCYCLE RIDER NEWS—ENTERTAINMENT MOTORCYCLERIDERNEWS.COM
MOTORCYCLERIDERNEWS.COM MOTORCYCLE RIDER NEWS—ENTERTAINMENT MAY <strong>2011</strong> 11
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