Caladin's 2009 trip.

Well I finally have had a little time to sort through some of the 1500 pictures I took on my trip this Sept ('09). I picked out about 450 that I thought were the better ones. It took me a long time agonize over and narrow it down to the best pictures. So, rather then delay posting them for a couple months 'till winter, I have decided I will just post all of them! Sooooo those with low bandwidth be warned.

As many are aware I did a long motorcycle trip in the summer of 2007 that took me across Canada and through a large part of the US. I managed 22,788km (14,159.8 mi) in 49 days. I had almost as much time as I wanted off work so I was never in a huge rush.

For this trip I was rather constricted with the time I had. I could not get time off in the middle of the summer. So I ended up with 18 days off starting on Sept 21. I had wanted to go to Florida on my last trip but had changed my mind along the way. So Florida seemed like the obvious direction now given the time of year (Alaska will have to wait). I have been keeping a list of some places I would like to see, so I tried to incorporate as many of those into my route as I could. My route planned on MapSource was 12,980km (8,065mi). I was not sure if I would be able to cover that much ground and still manage to see things, but I decided to give it a go and play things by ear.

I don't plan out my day to day riding. I always just pick out destinations of things to see and then just see how far I can go. On my last trip I camped most of the time unless staying with friends/or relatives. On this trip I originally planned to do the same. It was perhaps a little naive to plan on covering so much ground so late in the season and still have time to camp. It was getting dark rather early already and that really limited my riding time and would make it difficult to find places to throw my tent down. It was also getting very cold in the night and early mornings and that too limited my traveling time . In the end I shamefully ended up only camping one night on my entire trip! Not something I had wanted to do, but it was more out of necessity if I was going to see everything that I had in mind.

I have a lot of people ask me what I bring with me on a trip and what modifications I have done to my bike. So I guess I will start by breaking it down to a basic list off the top of my head and a few pictures of it all loaded in my Side/top cases.

Camping Gear:
Tent (poles/stakes/footprint), bear spray, nylon rope, gasoline stove, cooking pot/cup, lighter, fire starter, warm sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, sleeping pad, canned food (x3), 1L bottle water, camp suds soap, quick dry towel.

Motorcycle Riding Gear:
General waterproof light gloves, winter riding gloves, summer gloves, riding jeans, waterproof armored pants with liner, waterproof jacket with liner, waterproof boots, balaclava, tinted/clear helmet visor.

Clothes: (bring as much quick drying stuff as you can!)
Underarmor shirts, bike shorts, micro fleece long sleeve top, long underwear, socks, wool socks, sandals, zip off cargo pants, sun glasses.

Other:
Shaver (with 12v charger), misc grooming items, laptop (with 12v charger), spare AA batteries for camera/SPOT, bike disc lock, Oil Filter, tank bag for camera, cell phone and charger, medical kit, 12v tire pump, tire pressure gauge, tire repair kit, chain lube, 2L spare gasoline (also for stove), Cable lock for gear, Flashlight (x2), Sunglasses.

Tool Kit:
Standard factory tool kit, assorted 1/2" sockets, socket drive extension, 1/2" ratchet, allen key set, spark plug socket for front axel, channel lock pliers, adjustable crescent wrench, hammer, screw driver bit set with 1/4" driver, spare fuses, length of spare wire with connectors, multimeter, electrical tape, duct tape, marker pen, assorted mix of zap straps, JB weld, thread lock, nitro gloves (4x), connector for jumper cables (to battery tender connection), backup voltage regulator/rectifier (I was having charging issues prior to leaving).

I used compression sacks to pack things down and make everything fit. I spent a huge amount of time figuring out just how to get everything to fit and still be balanced weight wise. It's like doing a complex jigsaw puzzle.

Left Case (35L):


Right Case (35L):


Top Case (44L):


My motorcycle is a 2006 Yamaha FZ6. I got it with the intention of doing my first trip. Here is a quick list of what I have added/changed. Givi V35 side cases, Yamaha 44L top case, Top Saddlery seat, Addmore lighting LED side case lights (signal/brake), Starcom 1 advance intercom, Garmin Zumo GPS wired to intercom, dual headlight mod, led pod light signal/running lights, Puig double bubble wind screen, heated grips, digital volt meter, 2x 1L fuel bottle carriers, SPOT holder, throttlemeister throttle lock, LED brake light, Alarm.

Now onto the pictures! Many are just shots while riding down the road. I have picked out a "small" sampling of them. Many are just to show the change in scenery.


Day 1: 983km / 611mi - Home to Missoula, WY



My starting odometer reading for the trip. 68,965km (42,853mi). As you can see by the clock I got a late start to my day. I had worked late the night before. And I am anything but a morning person.


Aldergrove border crossing into the US. The guard was very interested in my trip and where I had been prior. I have a list of all the states and provinces on my side cases that I have ridden in. It reminds me of where I have been and why I ride. It's also a good conversation starter.


Out on the highway in Washingston state.






Welcome to Idaho! A new state for me.


I covered a lot of ground considering the rather late start to my day.

Day 2: 604km / 375mi - Missoula, WY to Yellowstone



Odometer rolling over to 70k km. I always try take pics every 10k km.










Nearing Yellowstone.


The Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance to Yellowstone.


The I was here shot!


It was already late in the day when I got the Yellowstone. So taking pictures into the low sun became a real problem for me.

Shortly after entering the park you cross into Wyoming.


Local residents of Mammoth




Mammoth Lower Terraces








I was expecting more water flowing over the rock formations. There was just a trickle of water in a few places. Signs warned of hot scalding water. I of course had to test that out. The water was ice cold!




Mammoth Upper Terraces

This guy made a quick crossing across the road.






Entering into Norris Geyser Basin.

This big guy was making good use of the road to get up the large hill. I wanted to snap a picture of him walking past my bike but the camera battery died! As he got closer he crossed to the middle of the road so he was walking very close to me! I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous.




By this point it was getting dark and cold! I had expected to camp in the park, but every single campground was packed full, with not a single spot for me to throw my tent down. I had read online that at this time of the year I should have been able to easily get a space. That was certainly not the case. I ended up having to ride back out of the park and backtrack a ways to a small overflow like campground a fair ways outside the park. It was a stressful ride from as it was dark and there was a lot of wildlife. I let a nice big SUV drive ahead of me. A good idea, but only if they are paying attention! They nearly smoked a bison while coming around a corner. Their sudden skidding stop led to a bit of a panic stop of my own with the back tire breaking loose a little. It was safer to just take my own time with no one in front of me. The tiny campground I stopped at was actually full as well. I simply parked my bike near a big tree with no near spots and threw down my tent. I was so happy to crawl into my nice warm sleeping bag. It was close to freezing during the night.


Day 3: 389km / 242mi - Yellowston to Jackson, WY





The ride back to the park. It was 6c (42F).


Tower Falls. Access to the base of the falls was closed. But I did hike down as far as I could go to the river.

More Bison.


Between Canyon and Lake Yellowstone.








Mud Volcano

Dragon's Mouth Spring. The steam coming out really can make a lot of noise.






West thumb geyser basin.


I love how clear the water is.




This little one was next to one of the walkways with 3 adults. They were really close and didn't seem to mind the people nearby.


You can see smoke in the distance from a forest fire.

I headed out now to the last stretch of the park. As I got near Old faithful I saw it shoot water high above the trees. I continued on past it to See other landmarks before the next event.


Lower Geyser Basin.






Bison crossing the road. They take their time and stopped traffic for a while. When I left the area, traffic was still not moving.


Baby bison with mother. Notice the radio tracking collar.








Waiting for Old Faithful. And waiting.... and waiting... It was about an hour and a half. I was baking in the sun and got a nice little sun burn to show for my wait.

I was really surprised how long the geyser goes for. Obviously I managed to take a lot of pictures.


Don't I look happy!


Heading out of the park towards the south entrance.


The road to hell! There had been big signs warning of 15 miles of gravel road and very poor road conditions. They were right!


A pilot car was leading the line of waiting cars and trucks. I was 2nd in line. The road conditions varied from packed gravel to deep gravel to wet slippery mud. It was slow going. But I was glad to be able to keep up with the pilot car. All of this riding was through a heavily forested area. Before reaching the end it was almost dark. It was spectacular to come out of the construction and ride up on a beautiful lake with an amazing mountain range running along side it. This is part of Grand Teton National Park.





I like this shot!

I rode the rest of the way through the park in the dark, not able to see anything. But I did pass several full campgrounds! I found a place to stay in Jackson WY. In the morning I would head back into Grand Teton NP.

Day 4: 658km / 408mi - Jackson WY to Laramie WY













I love this picture.

It's hard to see in these next pictures, but there is a moose with its calf crossing the river.










The Grand Tetons is one of the highlights of my trip. Its open ruggedness is just spectacular.


And what would the day be without another 15 miles of gravel "road". This was a lot of deep gravel and massive pot holes etc etc. But at least no slippery mud so it was just a good challenge. I was able to keep right up to the pilot car. The line of traffic behind me frequently fell behind and we would wait for them.

Wyoming has a lot of different scenery.

Hmmmmm that looks like a little bit of snow on that hill. It was really cold out here. I was told it snowed the week prior.



Day 5: 1071km / 665mi - Laramie WY to St Joseph MO



I set out this day to cover as much ground as I could. I started fairly late in the day (10ish) to avoid the freezing weather. It had warmed up to 4C (39F). I rode out 3 consecutive tanks of gas with only stopping for fuel.

Bike is a little dirty now. I really keep my bike clean normally. Before I left on this trip I had someone comment on what a nice brand new motorcycle I had.




I took this picture because I was a little worried there may be snow clouds up ahead.


A little to quick on the shutter. But the sign says Nebraska.






I had managed to dodge around every rain storm up to this point. There were some really heavy rains all around me but except for a few light sprinkles I managed to stay dry till late in the evening. I stopped in a heavy down pour. I got some pretty good looks from people at a Denny's that I stopped to eat at. People expect you to be soaked under all that gear. But I was bone dry.


Day 6: 1165km / 724mi - St. Joseph MO to Monterey TN

It rained off and on all morning. When I got to St. Louis it had cleared a little. I really wasn't in the mood though to stop for sightseeing though. I really wanted to cover a lot of ground again.




Welcome to Kentucky! It really started to warm up now.


Welcome to Tennessee!


Once again it started to pour buckets of rain! It was heavy rains just like back home so I was use to riding in it. This was different though, every now and then my bike would feel like the bike was SLAMMING into pot holes on the highway. I figured there were just pot holes that I could not see in the dark pouring rain. I stopped for the night at the first hotel I could find because of what I thought to be poor roads.




Day 7: 769km / 478mi - Monterey TN to Macon GA



I awoke to clear skies this morning. It was sure a welcomed sight. I head out on the road. No signs of pot holes.


Entering Cherohala Skyway.

I really liked riding the Cherohala Skyway. It's a very nice scenic piece of road.


Now onto US129 - Tail of the Dragon. I know how many people love this road and travel great distances to ride it. It is an amazing piece of crazy twisting highway. I am really glad I have had the opportunity to ride it. But I honestly can't call it a highlight. There are just so many people on it that make it really hard to enjoy at your own pace. You are either stuck behind really slllloooooow moving cruisers or you are being passed by sport bikes that seem to consider this piece of highway their own personal race track. At one point I was passed in a blind corner by several bikes moving at a very high rate of speed. I was making sure to check my mirrors constantly so as to let others pass when needed so there was no excuse for the reckless passing. I am by no means a skilled rider. My pace through the dragon was slow and steady. I was honestly was just glad to be done with it and make it away safe and sound.

Welcome to North Carolina.


More bikes at the other end.




The tree of shame! I made no donations.

Day 8: 891km / 554mi - Macon GA to Lantana FL



Helllllooo Florida!




Is it just me or does the Florida Highway Patrol like to follow motorcycles. I had several tail me, one making a U-turn from an on coming lane through the median! At one point I stopped on the toll highway rest area to get fuel. A FHP cruiser pulled up off to the side behind me. I noticed he was watching me fuel my bike. He waited there as I oiled my chain, checked my tires and ate some M&M's. As soon as I got on the bike I saw him put the car in gear and start to creep forward. I stopped moving and he very slowly passed me. As I merged back on the highway he went realllllly slow like he wanted me to pass him. I wasn't about to do that though. He eventually picked up the pace and carried on his way.





My hotel for the night had 2 police cruisers hired to patrol the parking lot all night. It must have been a good part of town.


Day 9: 863km / 536mi - Lantana FL to Punta Gorda FL





Out around Miami.


The Overseas Highway through the Keys.

The highway is composed of many long/short bridges jumping from island to island.


Highway 1 - Mile 0 - Key West!


Just some houses around Key West.




This was my primary destination for Key West!

Looking at this picture makes me amazed that I really was able to ride my motorcycle all the way to somewhere so beautiful.


Little bit warm out. But I never felt like I was baking, The jacket I used is sooooo versatile. Worth every penny.


My mileage at Key West. 6905km (4290mi) from home.




Such nice beaches!




Heading back over the overseas highway.






I spent the evening riding through the Everglades. I was told that if you stopped at night and looked off a bridge with a flashlight you would see the eyes of alligators reflecting. I stopped several times but all I managed to find were HUGE spiders right infront of my face!

Panthers X-ing!

The everglades has a lot of bugs!



Day 10: 840km / 522mi - Punta Gorda FL to Destin FL



A bridge outside Tampa.


I took a wrong exit near Tampa at one point. I was riding through an average neighborhood when 4 young kids (6-12) walking on the road seemed to find me very interesting. As I passed, the youngest gave me the finger!

I noticed the Ram mount for my SPOT tracker was wearing away at the bottom of my SPOT.




I pulled in to get fuel at about this point. It was not the best neighborhood with alot of people hanging out around the gas station. When I went to leave, I thumbed the starter and nothing happened. The knocking of what I had felt in the rain in Tennessee was actually my kill switch cutting out for a fraction of a second. I wiggled it a little and managed to get the bike started. I rode about 15 minutes down the road when the bike suddenly shut off again. I coasted into a parking lot of another gas station.



It took me about 45 minutes to pull the switch apart and test that it was the in fact the problem. I took a short length of multi strand wire and removed the insulation. I then carefully wrapped that around the terminals of the switch tightly. With the switch bypassed I had no more problems.

Sunset on the Gulf of Mexico @ Mexico Beach



Day 11: 862km / 536mi - Destin FL to Alexandria LA



Welcome to Alabama.








Welcome to Mississippi.


Louisiana. My hair is really starting to form to the inside of my helmet!