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Sunday, October 15, 2006

Southwest Road trip: Day 1


(posted from my Treo so sorry for the spelling) There is nothing more perfect than a flat twisty road through the mountains on a crisp autumn morning and a throaty v-twin. Not sex, not money... What a long day. I ended up spending about 12 hours in the seat. I left Coulterville around 9 and made my way to Yosemite. I had been told by several people that because of the rain we had two weeks ago, that Tioga pass had closed due to snow for the season. I had to hear it for myself so I called the park and it turns out they just reopened it. Yes!! I tore off through the valley and then froze crossing the 10k foot pass. The snow mostly melted but it was still icy. I think I had a touch of hypothermia at the end and once I left the park and dropped back down to 7k, I sat defrosting, shaking and eating lunch outside outside of Lee Vining. The joys of being on a motorcycle. I really don't get this whole romantic idea people have of it. Try this. Sit on a chair or your bicycle for 6 to 8 hours not moving you hands or feet and taking 15 minute breaks every hour or so. No radio, no one to talk to. In fact most of the time I'll sing every song I can think of to pass the time. My top 10 this trip:

10: Car Wash Blues (Jim Croce)
9: Cotton Fields (CCR)
8: All I Want Is You (U2)
7: Blue Skies (Ella)
6: Free Falling (Tom Petty)
5: Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You (Ella)
4: Carefree Highway (Gordon Lightfoot)
3: Behind the Wall of Sleep (Smithereens)
2: The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot)
and at number 1: It Had to Be You (Sinatra version)

so after 6 hours of arrow straight highway 95, my voice was giving out as I rolled into the "new" Frontier (which is anything but) in Vegas around 9. Fell down on the bed. Time for some sleep.

For more photos check out the link below
Roadtrip Day 1

3 comments:

Ben said...

Very cool stuff Mat. I wish i was riding along with you! I think that I might like the romatic side of it a bit more than you though... Loving the travelogue though, how about some thoughts from the trip or maybe a zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance chataqua or something?

Nice bike.

Anonymous said...

sounds awesome mat! can we please get together soon. thank you.

the ella and frank are what make music worth listening too. at least for me...

peace and love bebe.

-nzingha

Anonymous said...

No I Pod with 10,000 songs? Doing it hard core. Quit yer bitchen and try not to lay er down. Probably wore a helmit too huh?