So, here I am out in my bunker in the woods of Northern New York .Rode up from Long Island Saturday and have been riding and enjoying myself since.It’s a cold and rainy day here today .It’s Tuesday the 25th of September.The ride up was a good one.It started out with worry about the bike.Five miles into the trip at 4:45 AM the bike missed.It was only a quick buck but then it did it again a few minutes later and one more time when I hit a bump.I almost turned back but something inside me said it’s nothing, probably some bad gas and I continued on to the ferry to Bridgeport CT. Once on the other side of the LI Sound I hit some good road and for the next seven hours the bike ran great and is still doing so.Sometimes you just have to roll with this shit.
Got to my camp around two thirty in the afternoon and found it just as I had left it a month ago when I was up on my Moto Guzzi 850-T. As I was setting up my neighbors stopped by to say hello .It’s a nice feeling knowing some people here again.I used to have friends here but they have all either moved away or died so for the past few years I have been alone up here while doing my thing.I like being alone so it’s not a problem for me but I also like being with people and it’s good to be making some new friends here again. Here is my old friend Cosmic Bob taken when I rode out west on my Moto Guzzi in Montana where he settled.
This guy used to own 30 acres across the road from me.He was a logger and taught me how to use a chain saw, hunt grouse, and we built a log cabin together with these two high school kids he knew who also became good friends. Bob and I cut all the trees ,skinned them ,and skidded them to the site using a small three wheeler, and a tractor where we could . Ah, the good old days in The Falls .They all moved on.
Last year in 2017 on July 4th I was here and had my 1971 Yamaha R5B with me. Brought it up in my old ’71 ChevyC20 truck with my kayak .I was out riding it when I went into the coffee shop in Potsdam NY to get online and check my emails.I’m sitting there when this old guy comes up to me and declares “ It has to be you” I look up with a puzzled look and he explains that he was talking about me being the owner of that beautiful Yamaha outside. So, we talked bikes for about twenty minutes and went on with our lives.
I needed gas for the bike and there is a station across the street from the coffee shop so I went there.As I was walking back to my bike after getting my change from the clerk inside I see this guy on a dirt bike checking out my Yamaha.We started talking bikes, the government, and all this other crap for about fifteen minutes when he asks me if I want to go for a ride with him.He explains he lives near by and has a whole bunch of bikes so I should follow him and he’ll show me his collection while he switches bikes.It turns out he’s another one like myself with ten or more bikes to ride all from different time periods ! So, he introduces me to his wife ,tells her we are going out riding and off we went on a 120 mile ride all over the western part of the Adirondacks. I made a friend ! After the ride we exchanged emails and phone numbers and I was on my way.
Now it’s 2018 and it’s July.I come up and we get together for a day of riding.This time I show him my part of the world up here to the east. I was on the Moto Guzzi and he was on a new Moto Guzzi Stornello .We had a great ride and a great lunch at this place he knew about over in Saranac Lake. Now it’s September and we are trying to workout a day to ride again to someplace nice.May go on Thursday if he’s free or some day next week.This trip I’ll be here a while so I’m sure we will get a ride in together.As for me, I ride every day it’s not raining.I had good weather Saturday on the ride up,Sunday to ride and get supplies, and yesterday on Monday to get more supplies after going riding for a hundred miles thru the woods on backroads.This K100 loves these backroads.It’s a different bike up here in the country than it is at home in the suburbs of New York City. Here she can breath . There is no traffic ,no stop signs, no lights, just open road with very few cars.I’M LOVING IT !
Next Day
Yesterday it rained most of the day.Did stuff around the camp and kept a fire going in the stove to keep the dampness at bay.Managed to get a shower during one of the short dry spells .Cold showers are the norm here.The stream is ice cold but warms up some when it rains so I got a not so freezing shower. Being off the grid is good but there is a price to pay. I use stream water for my utility water. I pump it with a small pump that I run off a 2100 watt generator.Usually I take gas from the motorcycle when I’m up on 2 wheels if the can is empty.It’s kinda hard to cary five gallons of gas in a can on a bike but with the “K “ I don’t want to be sticking that syphon tube into the tank and run the risk of fucking up some wires or hoses . Today I got lucky and my neighbor brought me into town with him and I filled the can so now I’m good for the rest of this trip as far as fuel for the generator goes . This is rainy day stuff ,dealing with these chores that suck up time that I don’t want to waste on nice days when I can be riding.Tomorrows forecast is for blue Skys and temps in the 60’s F so you know what I’ll be doing. For now though it’s chores.Gonna run the generator and do the breakfast dishes while I’m also charging the 12v car battery I run my stereo with , this computer & iPod will also get charged some. I have the place set up sort of like a boat . Kerosene lamps 12v radio . It works for me.So far the bike has been treating me well and the next couple days she will be out there running down the road up here in the North Country of New York. Soon the leaves will be changing and it will be all colors everywhere I ride. Can’t wait !
The Ninth Day
Now it’s October 2nd and I’ve been here for nine days. The colors are amazing ! Been riding lots on the days it’s not raining. Yes ,it’s been raining lots , pretty much every other day or two it will rain for two days then clear for a day then rain for two more days.Climate change in action . Today is the second day I’m spending in my bunker here in the woods because of this last bout of wetness.Wasn’t so bad the other times ‘cause it would let up for a few hours and I did stuff like cut fire wood and whatnot but this time it’s a steady heavy rain.I had to disconnect my water pump down at the stream before out of fear the stream will overflow it’s banks and ruin it. Moved it to higher ground until the stream drops .It’s rising fast now.There is a small lake that has backed up at my bridge .Ah, this is life on a motorcycle out in the woods of Northern New York State.It’s always a challenge and I kind of like that.
The bike is treating me well.I went out riding with my friend Rick last week, rode a few days alone, and now tomorrow we are supposed to ride again.The forecast is for clearing overnight and partly sunny tomorrow so we have a day.Thursday the shit weather returns as a cold front moves across and Friday is dry again. The weekend is all rain so I’m going to make a break for it and head south towards home on Friday morning.There is no point sitting here in the woods alone just burning up wood and hanging out.It’s been nice being alone but I have had enough for now.I kind of thrive on it but when I can’t go out and ride and just sit here day after day it gets old.It wouldn’t be bad at all if I had my painting supplies with me .I used to paint when I came up on days like this but when I gutted the building three years ago to begin the fix up that stuff left.Gotta remember to bring an easel ,a few canvases ,and my oils up next time I come in a 4 wheel vehicle.
.So, now I start to plan my ride south towards home.I’m thinking of taking back roads and possibly camping in the Catskills somewhere. Yeah , I’ll take NY RT 30 south instead of the ride across the mountains to the east to the interstate. 30 is a good road on a bike and goes right thru the Adirondacks and the Catskills .That puts me a couple hours from the ferry across the LI Sound to Port Jefferson and home.Maybe I’ll get lucky and ride out of this wet pattern of weather we are stuck in up here in the Adirondacks, , maybe not . My little NOAA radio will tell me that story when I get down south.
I’ve been able to run the K on NON ETHANOL FUEL ! What a difference. My gas mileage went way up, maybe 10% or more and the bike is way smoother. All that bucking at low speeds has gone away.It must be that fucking alcohol they dump into our fuel here in the US that is the cause of that.Can’t get this good fuel in the populated areas like the burbs of New York City where I live most of the time.My other bikes aren’t as sensitive to it but this bike is the exception. Must be the computer controls and the effect they have on the A/F mixture.All I know is that as of now the K 100 has passed the test ! She’s not only a keeper but she’s the bike that is going to take me all over North America next year.Now that I have made this decision I feel comfortable buying the rest of the parts I need to make her the machine to get that trip done.Gonna start with the cooling system. Then after I recover from the sticker shock from that it’s a new mono shock.I also want to lube the splines.I think I’ll do the splines soon and get that behind me because it’s a no dollar job.Seems like a lot of work to get at them but like everything , once you do it it is easier the next time so I’m going to dive in and use up that tube of Honda Moly I did the Moto Guzzi with the last time.
I love making plans for the future even though most times they get changed. Well time to shut this down for now.Gotta cook some lunch on the wood stove.It’s probably grilled cheese today but I have a real good dinner planned for this evening that I actually began making last evening.Tomorrow I ride .
Now It’s Later
The weather forecast has changed somewhat .It’s about 8PM now and I have started rethinking my plans to travel.Tomorrow is now starting off as cloudy and foggy with some afternoon clearing .At 2PM it was a different forecast of partly sunny and dry.Thursday is supposed to be cloudy and dry in the morning with a 50% chance of afternoon showers.Friday is still looking OK but I’m just sitting here dead in the water . I’m thinking I may head south tomorrow late morning and get as far as I can get before dark to put some distance between me and this shitty weather.Looks like I’ll have to skip riding with my friend Rick.Well, I’ll make the decision in the morning.I may stay tomorrow, cut some firewood ,and go riding a little in the afternoon with Rick.Gotta see what develops .It’s no fun traveling thru the mountains in 50 degree F rain so if I can avoid that I will.It’s always a crap shoot up here this time of year.Last year it was incredible but I was in a car with my wife not on a motorcycle .Had fun hiking and exploring but I was chomping at the bit to get out and ride thru the countryside while the trees were exploding in color .So, tomorrow morning will tell the story . I’ll see what the weather is and make the call then.
The Last Full Day
Got a forecast for good weather Friday again this morning so I guess I can believe it.It’s been raining her for days now.The woods are very wet and the stream is full so when we get a downpour it backs up causing me to move my little 120v water pump .The cold showers are kind of nice actually.At first they seem brutal but after one or two of them I get used to them.Got one last night between rain showers.Got to ride into Potsdam yesterday too ! Whew, it sure felt good to ride after being caged up in my cabin for two days.The ride was to get some needed supplies so I could wait out this crappy weather.I have to buy my drinking and cooking water now that the nazi’s in the state government closed every spring in the state last year.For 40 years I got my drinking water down the road from a spring that the whole town used.That water was incredible.I used to bottle it and bring it home by the case so I could have it down in the city. But, those bastards seem to think they know what is best for the rest of us.Bullshit ! Is what I say to that.So anyway I rode the 25 miles to Potsdam where the food coop is and got another gallon of water and enough food to make it thru one extra day.It was misting out ,not wet enough for the rain gear but wet enough to use my little windshield wiper I put on my thumb.Now the bike is all gased up and ready to go tomorrow morning.I’m pretty much packed up with just what I need left to put into the bags.This afternoon I board up the windows so I don’t have to waste time in the morning, put away the water equipment, close up the barn and clean the place some.In the morning it’s just the beading ,breakfast dishes, and packing the bike with my gear before I put the board over the door. It’s always a sad time for me to leave. I love it here but living here is impossible .The weather is too fucked up, there isn’t enough days to ride, winter starts way too soon and drags on until sometime in April ,then, the black flies attack for a month.So,I come and visit when I can and try to bring a bike if I don’t ride one up like this time.Actually I prefer to bring a smaller bike like my 1971 Yamaha R5B up in my truck rather than riding up and being trapped here on rainy days. This trip has reenforced that belief. It gets mighty lonely out here in the woods alone for days on end.I do like it but after a while it gets to be too much.I’m not at that point yet but I can see it looming on the horizon .Tomorrow I ride ! I have a cold night ahead of me with frost in the morning but by 10AM it will be warm enough to hit the road and sunny.I’ll probably get down into the Hudson River Valley area by late afternoon, set up camp in a state park and finish up the trip the next morning. Called home yesterday and my wife looked on the weather for me.What she says is Friday and Saturday will be sunny with temps in the high 60’s F down state so I’ll be heading into better weather .
It has been a good trip.The bike has treated me well and I had lots of fun on those days I got out on her. The ride tomorrow thru the mountains should be a good one with lots of Fall leaves showing their colors off all over the place and as I head south it will start to return to late summer and green. Fall is my favorite time.It’s the colors , they always inspire me to paint .Sure hope that happens this year.You see, coming up here extends that season by almost a full month.I’ll be at the beach next week swimming and paddling around in my kayak waiting for Fall to catch up with me . She will and when she does I’ll be riding out to Eastern Long Island after all the crowds of pumpkin pickers are gone .Our leaves at home change in the beginning of November. Our weather is also much better for riding but the price for that better weather is millions of idiots in SUV’s totally distracted with their devices or putting on make up in the rear view mirror while piloting a 7000 lb Lincoln Navigator down the interstate at 75 or 80 MPH. Some of them read newspapers while they are driving.It’s a scary place to ride a motorcycle. Can’t wait to move to the desert in Arizona ! I want to spend my last days riding the west. I turn 70 in April .I’m still in good health and fit. If I can I want to ride right out of this asylum and skip the medical professions bullshit.So,I need a warmer climate where I can head to the mountains to escape the heat and be far enough south to escape the cold.South east Arizona fits that bill. I’ll have to sell my camp here in Northern New York to pull this off .This will be one of the hardest things I will ever have to do.
Home
The trip down from St Regis Falls went as planned and was a good ride.I started getting ready the day before on Thursday. Worked all day packing up, got the building all boarded up except for the door, got the water equipment all stowed away, the bags all packed and so on so in the morning it would be an easy exit. It was a cold last night in the place.Had to keep a fire going all night because as it cleared the temps dropped down into the lower 30’s F . Got up early but it was way too cold to ride so I took my time ,made a good breakfast, packed the bike and by 10:30 I was ready to hit the road. Once the sun got up into the sky it warmed up and it was a real nice ride across the Adirondacks towards the southeast. The leaves were peaking and there was color all over the place from my camp all the way down to Lake George 3 hours away. The road was my own . I love traveling on a weekday in October, the roads are empty ! As I made my way south the green returned to the trees and once into the Hudson River Valley south of Albany it was like a time warp back into late summer.
Spent the night at a state park south of Reinbeck . The place was pretty full but it was OK for a stop over. I met this couple who had this great tent .I’m looking for a real good tent for my trip out west next summer so I was glad to actually meet someone I could talk with about one. I think I found what I’m looking for.
Here is a link to it:
https://www.campmor.com/b/marmot-limelight-4-tent After leaving the park and starting on my final ride to home the bike did a strange thing.It just quit as I was going down the road at 50 mph I flipped the kill switch back & forth and she came back to life.Must have moved it ever so slightly when starting I guess. Then, a mile or two down the road it did it again . I flipped it back & forth again and all was good again . That was the end of it and it ran great to home. Funny how it acted up at the beginning and the end of the trip but ran GREAT for the 2500 miles I covered in between. I think that kill switch was the cause of the first 3 misses when I started out as well now that I am thinking about it.Sometimes you just have to roll with this shit to figure it out !
This is the tent I want for my cross country trip next summer in 2019 . I think this will keep me and my gear good and dry. This was the final test ride to decide if I can use this bike next summer and it passed with flying colors !
