Caladin
Junior Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2008
- Messages
- 175
- Reaction score
- 23
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- Location
- Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Because I was finding it so cold and I was feeling sick I decided to skip going the Salt Flats and head west into Nevada in hopes that it would be warmer. The route required me to drop back into Arizona for a short run.
Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks, but droping down into Nevada was a lot warmer at first.
I considered riding into Vegas. But instead decided to head north a little and take a hotel soon. Well, as luck would have it, every hotel I came to was full. Even one's in little tiny towns with nothing around. So I rode off into the high desert. I ended up on the Extraterrestrial Highway which had signs of no services for over 100 miles. Well, in the end, it was over 150 miles. The entire route was all open range. I saw more cattle on the road in that section then anywhere else. You would see a sudden cloud of dust at the side of the road that was followed by a running cow. If that wasn't bad enough, there were what seemed like millions of suicidal jack rabbits on this road. They would sit at the side and watch you approach, then, at the last second, they would bolt out at lightning speed in front of you. I had hit the brakes what seems like 100 times for these darn things when all of a sudden one bolted out just in front of my bike. I didn't have time to hit the brakes (likely a good thing). He was about 2 feet tall and I nailed the rabbit at 100km/h. The front end shook pretty bad and I felt the back tire go over as well. I didn't stop to check on the rabbit as I'm sure he was toast. I swore that the first place I came to I would stop at. When I finally reached Tonopah I was so cold and tired. I took a room at the first hotel I came to. I must have spent 45 minutes in the shower with hot water running over me jut trying to warm up. I have ridden in much colder weather, but being sick had just pushed me over the edge. I went to sleep and hoped to feel better in the morning.
Day 17: 802km / 498mi - Tonopah NV to Klamath Falls OR
Come morning I slept in 'til check out time. I felt better after a night's rest but I was still feeling sick.
Mmmmm more snow.
So as I rounded this lake I was following this local that had pulled out in front of me. The speed limit had dropped from 70mph to 60mph. I was doing about 67mph behind this car when a police car rounded the bend. I watched him go past and saw him turn on his overhead lights. He had no place to turn around so he continued on half a mile before turning around. When I saw him turn I pulled over to the side of the road. The car in front of me continued on. The cop sped past me at what seemed like 100mph to go after the other car. I pulled out a few seconds later and continued down the road. A minute down the road, there he was with the other car pulled over. He was standing at the side of the road waiting for me and signaled for me to pull over. I pulled in front of the car. I stayed on the bike and removed my helmet, got my licence and registration out and waited my turn. When he walked over he thanked me for pulling over both times and for staying on the bike. He said right away that I would not be getting a ticket but that I had to sit tight as he didn't want the other driver to know that I was being let go. After he wrote them up a citation and let them go, he returned and asked me about my trip a little and then let me go on my way with just being told to keep the speed down a little.
Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks, but droping down into Nevada was a lot warmer at first.
I considered riding into Vegas. But instead decided to head north a little and take a hotel soon. Well, as luck would have it, every hotel I came to was full. Even one's in little tiny towns with nothing around. So I rode off into the high desert. I ended up on the Extraterrestrial Highway which had signs of no services for over 100 miles. Well, in the end, it was over 150 miles. The entire route was all open range. I saw more cattle on the road in that section then anywhere else. You would see a sudden cloud of dust at the side of the road that was followed by a running cow. If that wasn't bad enough, there were what seemed like millions of suicidal jack rabbits on this road. They would sit at the side and watch you approach, then, at the last second, they would bolt out at lightning speed in front of you. I had hit the brakes what seems like 100 times for these darn things when all of a sudden one bolted out just in front of my bike. I didn't have time to hit the brakes (likely a good thing). He was about 2 feet tall and I nailed the rabbit at 100km/h. The front end shook pretty bad and I felt the back tire go over as well. I didn't stop to check on the rabbit as I'm sure he was toast. I swore that the first place I came to I would stop at. When I finally reached Tonopah I was so cold and tired. I took a room at the first hotel I came to. I must have spent 45 minutes in the shower with hot water running over me jut trying to warm up. I have ridden in much colder weather, but being sick had just pushed me over the edge. I went to sleep and hoped to feel better in the morning.
Day 17: 802km / 498mi - Tonopah NV to Klamath Falls OR
Come morning I slept in 'til check out time. I felt better after a night's rest but I was still feeling sick.
Mmmmm more snow.
So as I rounded this lake I was following this local that had pulled out in front of me. The speed limit had dropped from 70mph to 60mph. I was doing about 67mph behind this car when a police car rounded the bend. I watched him go past and saw him turn on his overhead lights. He had no place to turn around so he continued on half a mile before turning around. When I saw him turn I pulled over to the side of the road. The car in front of me continued on. The cop sped past me at what seemed like 100mph to go after the other car. I pulled out a few seconds later and continued down the road. A minute down the road, there he was with the other car pulled over. He was standing at the side of the road waiting for me and signaled for me to pull over. I pulled in front of the car. I stayed on the bike and removed my helmet, got my licence and registration out and waited my turn. When he walked over he thanked me for pulling over both times and for staying on the bike. He said right away that I would not be getting a ticket but that I had to sit tight as he didn't want the other driver to know that I was being let go. After he wrote them up a citation and let them go, he returned and asked me about my trip a little and then let me go on my way with just being told to keep the speed down a little.
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