"Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut
that connects the handlebars to the saddle."
~Unknown
A main item on my Original Bucket List was to stay in good enough shape to continue the Annual Summer Scooter Ride with the "Boys" into my 80s. So far, so good. I've done these rides annually since 1994. The ride this year is a six-day round-trip from Logan, Utah to the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado covering an estimated 1,230 miles. Riders this year are Jon C, Ted, Quent and myself. The "Official" Summer Scooter Ride begins August 14th and is summarized below (as in the past, I'll do a 2-day ride between California and Utah before and after the Official Ride).
Day 1 - Logan,UT to Heber City, UT - Approx. mileage = 196 miles
Day 2 - Heber City, UT to Craig, CO - Approx. mileage = 248 miles
Day 3 - Craig, CO through Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park to Estes Park, CO - Approx.
mileage = 182 miles
Day 4 - Estes Park, CO to Craig, CO - Approx. mileage = 182 miles
Day 5 - Craig, CO to Heber City, UT - Approx. mileage = 248 miles
Day 6 - Heber City to Logan, UT - Approx. mileage (skipping the Uintas) = 174 miles
I intend to publish a separate "Serial Blog" each day covering the 2017 ride. This is primarily so our family and friends will know each day that we arrived safely at our planned destination. I also hope to include some good photos and any interesting small adventures we may have along the way. See below for some comments of a few past Summer Rides.
A Little History: I purchased my first Harley Davidson motorcycle, a 1994 Heritage Softail Special, in the fall of 1993. Merlin and I decided to go on a 3-day ride to Jackson Hole in 1994 (he borrowed a bike from his brother-in-law), and we had so much fun that Covert, Duncan, and Ted joined us on a ride the next year. From the first ride in 1994 to last year's ride, I didn't miss a year, going on 23 successive annual rides. Write-ups and photos of summer rides in the recent past can be viewed on a different website by typing or copying the following address into your browser: http://ronald891.wixsite.com/road-trips. After the first ride, most rides have been between five and seven days.There were a few years that one or more of us didn't go because of scheduling conflicts, particularly after 2009. Covert and I went alone in 1996 and again in 1998 when we rode to the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota. There were a couple of years when Merlin and Duncan didn't join us, and a couple of years when Ted was the only one with a conflict. In 2008 Bob and Carl joined us and this was the last year that Merlin went with us, as he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009 and passed away in 2010. Beginning in 2010 our group changed almost every year, but I was on every ride. Dennie joined us for the first time in 2010, and has been on every ride since that time. In 2013 Dale, Dennie, Joe, and I went to the Sturgis Rally, in 2014 Dale, Dennie and I did what we called a National Park Ride, hitting almost every national park in the mountain states. In 2015 Dennie and I rode the California Coast up into Oregon, and last year, 2016, Covert, Ted and Jon C. joined Dennie and I as we went up into Montana and through Yellowstone National Park. Twice we have been up to Glacier National Park at the Canadian border. Twice we have been to Mt. Evans near Denver, the highest peak in the country that can be reached on an asphalt road. And twice we have gone South down to Mesa Verde National Park.
On two occasions we have been joined for a couple of days by friends who were not on bikes. In 2005, we were riding primarily in Montana and Jon F decided to drive to Clancy, Montana to play golf with Chuck, then join us for a couple of days. Riding in his SUV after dinner is the only time we have been stopped by the law on any of our trips (Jon F had done nothing wrong and there was not a ticket). In 2012 we were riding primarily in Colorado/Utah and Mel & Al were on a 3-day sight-seeing trip in their car. They joined us for dinner on two nights in Durango. Riding through the Mountain States with my buddies over these 23 years has been a wonderful experience - seeing beautiful scenery, meeting new people, and doing some "male bonding."
The photos below are a few chosen from these many rides. From the left - 1st row: Covert, me, Duncan and Merlin; at Bryce Canyon - me, Merlin, Ted, Duncan, Carl, Covert and Bob M; Ted, Covert, Carl, me, Merlin and Duncan; at Glacier Nat'l Park - me, Dennie, Ted, Covert, Carl and Bob M.
2nd row: At Independence Pass Dale, me and Dennie; lunch on our way to Durango - Carl, Dennie, Ted, me and Covert; our bikes and Carl at our hotel in Big Fork; lunch on our way to Jackson Hole - Ted, Dennie, Covert, Bob M, Duncan and me.
3rd row: With Tetons in background - Duncan, Bob M, Carl, Ted, me, Covert and Dennie; in Cody- Covert, Ted, Carl, Duncan, Bob M and Merlin; lunch near Jackson Lake - Carl, Covert, Duncan, Ted, me and Bob M; at Sturgis, in the foreground, Dale, Dennie and Joe.
4th row: At Mount Rushmore - me, Dale, Joe and Dennie; at the top of Mt. Evans - Dennie, Dale and me; at Bryce Canyon - Dale, Dennie and me; Dennie and me at the Chandler Tree on the California Coast Ride.
5th row: At the motel in Cambria; leaving on the 2016 Scooter Ride after breakfast at Angies - Jon C, me, Covert, Ted and Dennie; in Clancy Montana visiting the Tolsons - Vanessa, Chuck, Dennie, Ted, Covert, Jon C. and me; in Yellowstone Nat'l Park - me, Ted, Jon C., Covert and Dennie.
Click Photo to Enlarge - Use Arrows for Next Photo
