DDT (12)
Member
Posts: 4120
Sometimes ya just gotta go...
Winter Springs, FL - Occasionally...
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« on: May 08, 2017, 10:28:14 AM » |
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“Into each life, a little rain must fall…” We’ve all heard that clever little refrain countless times over, and it does carry with it certain ‘realities’ that are undeniable… unless those words are uttered by one of the so-called ‘forecasters’ on the Weather Channel!
I’m sitting here in a motel room in northwestern New Mexico… staring out the window at a clear blue sky! I’m still here because of the ‘forecast’ that called for rain today, and which led me to take the room for two nights. Oh well, I need the rest anyway… At least I think I must. I have been resting a bunch lately, and I haven’t engaged in anything too strenuous in recent memory… Well…
The ride yesterday was a bit long considering the warmth and dryness later-on. I’d left the cabin a little after 8am, and the trusty Gerbings were hooked up and turned on full blast. By the time we arrived here, though, things had progressed to what one would more likely expect… hot and dry! Much lower altitudes, further south, sun beating down on us all day… But, the ride itself, and, more precisely, the scenery viewed throughout the day were spectacular!
I had a vague recollection of having ridden through here before, once upon a time long, long ago, but… For whatever reason, what I had seen then hadn’t created a special memory… like this time through has! The Glen Canyon NRA is absolutely stunning! I stopped at several scenic overlooks and pull-offs just to get a longer and more detailed look-see. WOW! Much like all the other sights I’d recently beheld, but of such things I simply cannot get enough…
The mornings out here are a bit nippy… if you happen to be of the Yankee persuasion… For us southern boys, however, they are downright cold! The longer days this time of year cause those views to flip around by mid-afternoon, though, and things are much more familiar to this product of our nation’s southland. And, therein lies an interesting challenge for the stalwart trekker…
What a worthwhile purchase those Gerbings have turned out to be!!! Mine happen to be Gerbings, but what I'm referring to here is heated gear generally. Besides being a great comfort when dealing with cold, they also contribute in another very important way… range…
When one travels extensively over vast areas and conditions and seasons for extended periods, one is, naturally, confronted with an enormous range of conditions for which to prepare. On this outing alone, now in its second month - and season - for example, we’ve ridden in temps as low as the 20s and as high as near 100! We’ve dodged rain countless times, yet we’ve frequently been exposed to humidity levels in the single digits… Sunscreen is an absolute essential item on any ride, of course, and a rain suit is always aboard, though rarely employed. But, beyond the obvious…
The broad temperature ranges, however, are the ones that present the greatest challenge to yours truly. Packing for an extended ride, one must prepare for the cold surely to be encountered… One must also consider the heat which will also be encountered… Sounds easy enough, but then storage must also be considered! When not being used, cold weather gear must be packed, stacked, and/or strapped on-board an already heavily laden bike with extremely limited storage space! And, that’s just if you’re riding one-up!
For lengthy outings, as mine tend to be, it is nice to have an extra change of clothes or two so the frequency of visits to the laundromat can be stretched out… there are, after all, more pleasant ways for one to spend his/her evenings… Add to that all the other essentials necessary… toiletries, laptop, minimal tools and implements for tire repair, etc., and before you know it, you realize what you really need is to hire a truck and driver to follow you around!
Pulling a trailer is a viable and most appealing alternative, and many have chosen to go that route. I have resisted. I’m a firm believer in that adage of the gas, “Any amount will expand to fill whatever space is available.” In other words, if I were to add additional storage space, I’d likewise add cargo items to my ‘essentials list’ and simply carry more and more stuff along with me… and jettison less and less stuff when I otherwise would have cast them aside… I am aware of some of my self-discipline limitations!
Before the Gerbings, a ride like this one would have absolutely required my leather jacket. If this ride had been made without much consideration for heat, then I would have worn it anyway… it’s just that nice when cold! Since I did correctly anticipate prolonged high temperature exposure, however, I chose to bring a denim jacket instead. Enough, just barely, for the cold, but when coupled with those Gerbings they together are quite adequate.
My chaps and Gerbings gloves also had to be brought along this time, but they are not all that bulky and don’t present much of a challenge. That leather jacket, however, is a real booger to secure when not being worn! The best way I’ve found is to drape it over my T-Bag backwards, then wrap a giant bungie cord around the whole thing, bag and jacket.
Yeah, there were plenty of days, mornings especially, when that the leather jacket would have been most welcome. There have also been many days when I was mighty glad I didn’t have to wrestle with it, and settle it down enough to prevent the wind from taking it away… Gerbings have proven to be the ‘silver bullet’… at least for this novice trekker…
Hmmm, I just cast my gaze out the window again, and guess what I saw? Yep, it is now cloudy, hazy more accurately, with cirrus, but not serious, clouds everywhere! Could it be? Weather ‘forecasters’ are like economists and politicians, all ‘futurists’ really, in that they can tell us in logical, eloquent, persuasive detail exactly what is about to happen… Later, they can tell us in equally logical, eloquent, persuasive detail exactly why it didn’t…
I plan to ride tomorrow… if I don’t check on the weather forecast in the meantime, that is…
DDT
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