Morning musings: Every
clock in my possession is reading a different time. Computer is still on Eastern…Fitbit made it
to Central…phone is on Mountain. So it’s
a mental adjustment every time I look at the time. However, this morning my brain was still a
little fuzzy when I sat up and looked at my Fitbit. It was light outside and the clock read 7:42
so I got up. Wasn’t until later that I realized it was an hour fast…that I was
ready to start my day at 6:42 a.m. which is not normal for me at all. But we went to bed before 10 last night so I
suppose that gave me 8 hours of sleep.
--------------------
Saw the sun come up blood red and hazy over the mountains. Beautiful sight but the day is already shaping up to be hot. My phone indicated that it stayed in the 60’s overnight and was a balmy 67o when I stepped out of the tent a little before 7 a.m. Already up to 73o at 9 a.m. Hate to think what it might be like if the sky wasn’t hazy right now.
--------------------
We are surrounded by big hills/small mountains so phone service is spotty but we’re hanging around camp until 10 a.m. to call a local bike shop. The Hill City Harley Store is mostly apparel so they are no help to Kim...he wants new mirrors. Currently his mirrors are mounted on the faring and sit below his handlebars so he actually has to lift his elbows to see what’s behind him. Not so much a problem with just one bike back there but keeping tabs on two bikes while pulling the trailer has become an issue. So new mirrors have become a priority for him. Larry just wants oil and Hill City Harley does have that.
Evening update:
OMGoodness! It’s been quite a day.
--------------------
Kim found mirrors at Hill City Cycle. They were used but he didn’t care about that…they were top mount mirrors and that’s what mattered. The fact that they only cost $30 made that guy a friend of Kim’s for life. 😎
--------------------
Rode into Custer State Park…turned left out of the campground and we were on our way to Needles Highway. Has to ride some switchbacks and twisties to get there but we eventually made it through the Needles Eye Tunnel where we stopped for a photo op, play traffic director and talk with people. Then it was ride another 15-20 miles on more twisties until we reached the intersection that would take us to the Wildlife Loop. And that’s when our finely crafted plans went sideways.
Larry pulled up alongside Kim to tell that his clutch wasn’t working. Thankfully there was a large
paved area with restrooms across the road so
he pulled into there. Somewhere between
the Needles and this intersection his clutch gave out. He could shift up and down without using the
clutch by listening to the rpm’s…neutral and starting from a dead stop were
going to be the issue.
Kim assessed the situation then Larry made a call to a mechanic friend back home who concurred with Kim’s assessment. While that was happening I rode to a nearby store to get water…lots of water because it was freakin’ hot again today. Then Kim rode to the Custer Ace Hardware to get tools and fluid to carry out Plan A…do something about bleeding the line. Plan A didn’t work as hoped.
So another call was made back home for more advice then Kim went back to the hardware store for
Plan B supplies. By the time they realized that Plan B wasn't panning out, it was 6:30 and the sun was on its downward path. It seemed prudent to get Plan C into play…get the bike back to camp. From there, the bike would probably have to be towed to Hill City Cycle but that was preferable to leaving it on the side of the road in Custer State Park.
What ultimately became Plan C sounded a little dicey to me but Larry was game…try to start the bike in first without the use of a clutch and just get going. I’ve accidentally tried to start my bike in first without the clutch and there was nothing smooth about it. However smooth it was or wasn’t for him, Larry got the bike started and we took off on the least twisty route…me in the lead, Larry in the middle and Kim brought up the rear. We stopped along the way to propose another option to heading back to camp: Drop the bike off at Hill City Cycle tonight and call them first thing in the morning. Of course that would mean we’d have to juggle ourselves around to get back to camp because there would be three people and only two bikes, one of which doesn’t have passenger pegs. Still, we could make it happen if we needed to.
It was during this stop while Kim was calling Hill City Cycle to leave a message about the bike that Larry pulled in his clutch and felt some pressure. What?! Kim quickly came over and tried it…yes, there was pressure. At that point our options changed again. Larry was able to start the bike like normal and run through the gears using the clutch as he accelerated. Wow! That was truly an answer to prayer…a little later than I had hoped but an answer still the same. We cruised on into Hill City for supper and made a tentative plan for tomorrow…which is subject to change depending on the weather forecast. But a stop at Hill City Cycle is still on the agenda.
--------------------
At the intersection where we stopped there were big green signs indicating that going either left or right would lead to the Wildlife Loop. The bike’s saddlebags were open, Larry was obviously searching for something and I was standing nearby drinking water. A van pulled near and the passenger window rolled down…I thought they were going to ask if we needed help. But the young woman pointed to the left and asked if going that way would them to the Wildlife Loop. Momentarily surprised, I just nodded and my mouth said, “Sure, you can go that way” while my brain was sarcastically saying “Do I really look like a tour guide, lady?” 😐
--------------------
Kim made pancakes, eggs and sausage again this morning. When the neighboring camper wandered out of his camper, he inquired whether there was any left. When Larry told him that it was gone, that he needed to get up earlier, he responded, “Oh, I was up early enough to see him cooking, just didn’t get outside in time. Yeah, I’s up early, just late gittin’ around.”
“I’s up early, just late gittin’ around.” I liked that.
--------------------
Today’s miles: 64
Total miles: 1331
--------------------
Saw the sun come up blood red and hazy over the mountains. Beautiful sight but the day is already shaping up to be hot. My phone indicated that it stayed in the 60’s overnight and was a balmy 67o when I stepped out of the tent a little before 7 a.m. Already up to 73o at 9 a.m. Hate to think what it might be like if the sky wasn’t hazy right now.
--------------------
We are surrounded by big hills/small mountains so phone service is spotty but we’re hanging around camp until 10 a.m. to call a local bike shop. The Hill City Harley Store is mostly apparel so they are no help to Kim...he wants new mirrors. Currently his mirrors are mounted on the faring and sit below his handlebars so he actually has to lift his elbows to see what’s behind him. Not so much a problem with just one bike back there but keeping tabs on two bikes while pulling the trailer has become an issue. So new mirrors have become a priority for him. Larry just wants oil and Hill City Harley does have that.
Evening update:
OMGoodness! It’s been quite a day.
--------------------
Kim found mirrors at Hill City Cycle. They were used but he didn’t care about that…they were top mount mirrors and that’s what mattered. The fact that they only cost $30 made that guy a friend of Kim’s for life. 😎
--------------------
Rode into Custer State Park…turned left out of the campground and we were on our way to Needles Highway. Has to ride some switchbacks and twisties to get there but we eventually made it through the Needles Eye Tunnel where we stopped for a photo op, play traffic director and talk with people. Then it was ride another 15-20 miles on more twisties until we reached the intersection that would take us to the Wildlife Loop. And that’s when our finely crafted plans went sideways.
Larry pulled up alongside Kim to tell that his clutch wasn’t working. Thankfully there was a large
Kim assessed the situation then Larry made a call to a mechanic friend back home who concurred with Kim’s assessment. While that was happening I rode to a nearby store to get water…lots of water because it was freakin’ hot again today. Then Kim rode to the Custer Ace Hardware to get tools and fluid to carry out Plan A…do something about bleeding the line. Plan A didn’t work as hoped.
So another call was made back home for more advice then Kim went back to the hardware store for
Plan B supplies. By the time they realized that Plan B wasn't panning out, it was 6:30 and the sun was on its downward path. It seemed prudent to get Plan C into play…get the bike back to camp. From there, the bike would probably have to be towed to Hill City Cycle but that was preferable to leaving it on the side of the road in Custer State Park.
What ultimately became Plan C sounded a little dicey to me but Larry was game…try to start the bike in first without the use of a clutch and just get going. I’ve accidentally tried to start my bike in first without the clutch and there was nothing smooth about it. However smooth it was or wasn’t for him, Larry got the bike started and we took off on the least twisty route…me in the lead, Larry in the middle and Kim brought up the rear. We stopped along the way to propose another option to heading back to camp: Drop the bike off at Hill City Cycle tonight and call them first thing in the morning. Of course that would mean we’d have to juggle ourselves around to get back to camp because there would be three people and only two bikes, one of which doesn’t have passenger pegs. Still, we could make it happen if we needed to.
It was during this stop while Kim was calling Hill City Cycle to leave a message about the bike that Larry pulled in his clutch and felt some pressure. What?! Kim quickly came over and tried it…yes, there was pressure. At that point our options changed again. Larry was able to start the bike like normal and run through the gears using the clutch as he accelerated. Wow! That was truly an answer to prayer…a little later than I had hoped but an answer still the same. We cruised on into Hill City for supper and made a tentative plan for tomorrow…which is subject to change depending on the weather forecast. But a stop at Hill City Cycle is still on the agenda.
--------------------
At the intersection where we stopped there were big green signs indicating that going either left or right would lead to the Wildlife Loop. The bike’s saddlebags were open, Larry was obviously searching for something and I was standing nearby drinking water. A van pulled near and the passenger window rolled down…I thought they were going to ask if we needed help. But the young woman pointed to the left and asked if going that way would them to the Wildlife Loop. Momentarily surprised, I just nodded and my mouth said, “Sure, you can go that way” while my brain was sarcastically saying “Do I really look like a tour guide, lady?” 😐
--------------------
Kim made pancakes, eggs and sausage again this morning. When the neighboring camper wandered out of his camper, he inquired whether there was any left. When Larry told him that it was gone, that he needed to get up earlier, he responded, “Oh, I was up early enough to see him cooking, just didn’t get outside in time. Yeah, I’s up early, just late gittin’ around.”
“I’s up early, just late gittin’ around.” I liked that.
--------------------
Today’s miles: 64
Total miles: 1331
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