What was wrong with your gear? You mentioned something about it 2 weeks ago.

I've done a few saddle sore 1ks and have yet to document one, mostly for the same reason that you just did it without docmenting it, it happened without you realizing it. Most of them for me have been because I got lost and had to back track a few miles. One of the last ones finished up at your house (actually I was 50 miles short, but I had 8 hours left to do that 50 miles).

And yes, I find that things I have seen my whole life seem less grand in real life than in my mind.

anyways, epic post, looks like a rad trip

Rev'It suit had some issues. I have the Tornado summer 2 piece suit. It doesn't zip fully around the waist, which is really irritating in the cold. The neck closure system is not very good. The material is too abrasive around the neck and it completely rubbed my neck raw and I had to leave it undo after Day 2. The liner is way too warm for summer, but it works great in cold. I had to get an outer liner (2 piece coleman rain suit at walmart) for the rain when it was warm. This also served well with the liner when it was really f'iin cold as a windbreak.

My soft earbuds were not soft enough. I need to go back to speakers with my Sena. My ears were bleeding by Day 3 and I didn't use my Sena at all after Day 3.

This also hurt my ears enough I couldn't wear ear plugs for most of the trip. Wind noise killed me.

My first gear summer gloves and winter gloves performed awesome. Between the two, I was more than happy.

That's all I can think of right now. I also had some video shooting issues. I stopped shooting video after Vegas because it was too much of a pain to keep it working. The trip became much more enjoyable when I put the camera away, but I am sure I will regret that later.

I know the feeling, my fieldsheer set is the same way, I get a breeze across my stomache and around my mid section in the cold, not cool. I just got a 2nd hand roadcrafter that should fix it.


Yup I can do a few hundred miles before my ears start to hurt

Great pics and great write up. I've often found there are many "I wish I had done this or that" moments when looking back on long trips. However, there simply isn't enough time to hit up everything. Someday when I'm retired, I'd love to just set out on the open road and ride until I've seen everything I want to see...take my time and stop wherever and whenever I want. But that's a LONG way from now. As for Crazy Horse, I think it's been 10 or 15 years since I was there and it really doesn't look like they've done much to it. Was there any story behind it?

Glad you had a great trip and still very sorry I had to bail on you.

I'm suppossed to go on this trip, and instead I start a family..... life has a funny way of changing paths

AMAZING trip, Trip!! I hate you cause I'm green with envy.

Awesome pics. Awesome that the preson turned in your camera. I would want to mail them a dinner gift card. For realz!

What was the total miles?

OH and let me know when you want to do michigan. I would love to take you through it. Up the western side of the coast along lake michigan, and into the U.P. Do some water falls, and maybe rent the kyacks to go under the rock castle in lake superior. There is great camping throughout michigan, or we can do motels. Heck up north just south of Mackinaw we could stay at my father in laws.

I asked for information on the person that turned it in, they didn't have any, person was just being an honest abe. I would of sent them something.

I want to do an UP trip eventually, I will let you know when that comes together.

7000 almost exactly.

I want to do a UP trip myself. I'm itching to see the Mackinac Bridge and ride over it!

We should try to do that for a rally one year. Get a big group of TWFixers to do the UP.

I did it on the DRZ and fuck was it scary... they blocked off all but the grated portion... and had big box trucks in the paved portion... which held the wind back...then when you passed them, you'd get a blast that would send me literally sliding sideways on the grate... and of course I had to be in front of some ass that kept riding my ass across the bridge, had I gone down, he would have probably been over me before he realized it.

but the area up there is GORGEOUS! like Trip said, a rally up there would ROCK.. but I think it should be a traveling rally... like a rally to circle the great lakes... like a week long...