Thursday 4/29/04 - Minneapolis, MN to Morris, MB : 400miles

The ride official started on Friday 4/30/04 at the Canadian border north of Pembina, ND. The closest lodging that would hold 80+ people was in Morris, MB, 30 miles north of the border. Temperatures were forecast to be chilly with snow possible. We left Minneapolis about 12:30pm Thursday. The temperature was 50degrees with a stiff headwind.

Around Fargo, we ran into a Critter on the road. He rode with us the rest of the way up. There was an unusual wait at the Canadian Border and we didn't make it to Morris until 6:45pm. Critter and Paul overheard some truckers on channel 19 commenting on all these fairy bikes waiting to cross. We filled up with gas in Morris before checking into the hotel. Paul overfilled his VFR's fuel cell and spilt a little gas. While pushing it off of the center stand trying to avoid the spilt gas,  he managed to tip it over into the pump. It took 3 people to get it righted due to the awkward angle it was leaning. Not a good start.

Rider check-in had started and dinner was served at Burke's across the street from the hotel at 7:30pm. After the meal, Greg gave a little rally speech and warned us that "Armadillo's just don't care, so watch out."

We hit the sack about 10:30pm. Kerry is our traveling roommate and he needed to check riders out at the border at 5am. Alarm was set for 3:30am. Ouch.

Pictures:

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Friday 4/29/04 and Satuday 4/30/04 : Morris, MB to Nuevo Laredo, MX : 1686miles

Day 1

Like many riders, we started the ride with the mindset to complete the ride in 24hrs. This would be called a Border to Border Insanity. Brett Donahue had completed the ride on this exact route last year. We had prepared our bikes with fuel cells to increase our range and cut the gas stops to 5. We've done Bun Burner Golds and other 24hr rides and rallys. Will the weather and road construction cooperate?

The ride started off well. The forecasted snow was nowhere to be seen. It was a brisk 37degrees when we fired the bikes up at 5am. We set the Gerbings at  1/4 power, heated grips on high, and rendezvoused with Paul Sundet and Chris Berg. Team Newbie^TM was complete, we headed to the border. After proceeding through a grumpy US customs, Greg, Kerry, Lunatic and Bob checked us out at 5:31am. We were sure grateful Bob and Lunatic had come up to help out. If they hadn't, Carrie and I were scheduled to be checking out the riders. It was too cold to be off the bike for that long.

We proceeded down I-29. Stephanie Metsker, one of few female riders, was on the side of the road just outside of Grand Forks. Rotten luck to have mechanical problems so early into the ride, but another rider had pulled over to assist. The 75 mph speed limits in North and South Dakota allowed us to get an hour ahead of schedule. We saw a few other riders on the road but it was a rare event. It was probably a unique sight from the space station though, 83 riders stretched out over 100miles crawling like ants to a picnic basket. I hope they took a picture. The sun made an appearance in South Dakota and the tailwind gave us great mileage. Life was good.

We had called and verified some 300mile gas stops earlier in the week. Much to our surprise the paythepump did not work at the first stop in Sisseton, SD. Mike Senty and a few other riders confirmed the bad pumps before we scratched our heads for too long. The second stop in Onawa, IA was full of B2B riders but there was other gas available across the street.  Our first 2 gas stops were less than 12minutes ramp to ramp time. Unfortunately, Paul was lubing his chain and didn't make it out with us in Onawa. It was the last time we saw him for a while. On a ride like this, you can't wait around if someone is taking extra time.

The route took us down Highway 75 in Nebraska and Kansas to Topeka. It started to rain lightly and much of the road was 2 lane with some cities and stop lights. Our 75mph overall average that we had built in the Dakotas was slowly getting widdled away. We hit Topeka with a 35minute buffer for a 24hr run and nothing but interstate from there.

Our ride took a literal turn for the worst in Topeka. I-470 made a hard right turn which we went into too hot. We had prepared for the tolls with Ktags but the Ktag lane was the furthest to the right. Carrie jumped on the CB to steer me to it since I almost overshot it. She kept moving and ended up in front of me and passed through the toll first. As she went through there were 2 ramps. All the cars were taking the left ramp, Carrie followed them not seeing any signs. It was northbound. By the time I could get on the CB it was too late. Carrie led the ride for a total of 50ft and had went the wrong way. Doh! I followed her and radio'd Chris to take the correct ramp. We'd try to catch up with him on the road. Carrie and I were now headed north on the tollway. The GPS was going mad trying to recalculate and there appeared to have been recent construction in the area so the GPS maps were incorrect. We ran into I-70W and headed that way. Even without the GPS I knew we didn't want to go to Kansas City. The GPS was still recalculating by the time we passed Hwy75 again completing our loop of Topeka. We passed a couple of riders on the side of the road that looked lost. We gave a honk and waved them up to follow. We'd get it right this time, we know Topeka well now.

Headed the correct way on I-335 we tried to make up some time. It started raining heavier now. Road spray and limited visibility were starting to become a problem. It would rain hard for a few miles, then let up. Every time we thought we were getting out of it, it would return. We rolled into our Emporia, KS gas stop with heavy rain and were now 5minutes under the 24hr pace after our loop of Topeka. We caught up with Chris just as he was about to leave. More importantly, Paul had caught back up so they could continue together. Once again the receipt did not print at the pump forcing a trip inside. Dave Nelson and a few other riders were warming up inside. It was still only 50degrees and the rain had made matters worse. It was good to hear Deer Slayer was running well since we saw him on the side of the road our first time through Topeka.

After Emporia we were trying to catch Chris and Paul and get back on track with our ride plan. The rain was sporadic and heavy. Lightning started filling the sky. Somewhere around Wichita we witnessed a lighting strike hitting the pavement in the northbound lane. Scary. When we hit Wichita we were greeted with brake lights. I jumped to channel 19 and there had been an accident. My worst fear was that a B2B rider had been involved, but it turned out to be a couple of vans that had hydroplaned and collided, no injuries we could see. We were delayed about 10minutes and there was a break in the rain while waiting. The sun even winked at us. It was like being in the eye of a storm.

We plowed on, the rain was still getting heavier and more frequent. Exiting the turnpike our Ktags were no longer working. I drove around the gate to be greeted by a hysterical toll booth agent sprinting through the rain to get my Ktag number. Apparently this had happened earlier with others. We caught Chris and Paul around the Oklahoma border. It was nice to see them again and they filed in behind us. As darkness was approaching, storm alerts were being issued on weather band radio. Weather band was warning of flooded roadways and 69mph straight-line winds. We passed a few cars that had recently went into the ditch. Some of them trying to get running starts and get back onto the roadway. Chris used his satellite radio to get forecasts further down the road. This weather pattern would continue all the way to San Antonio. When we reached the northern suburbs of Oklahoma City the winds started kicking up. We started discussing our options. Chris jumped on the radio and said he was getting off whether we did or not. He had been riding without electric heat and was thoroughly wet and cold. Carrie wanted to continue but she hadn't been listening to the weather and was happy in her own little Gerbing heated world. With the conditions deteriorating, the little guy with the halo sitting on my shoulder convinced me we could not make it in 24hrs safely. Apparently the guy with the horns on my other shoulder had been blown off a few miles back. The right blinker went on at exit 141, our 24hr attempt was over.

We navigated the local roads to an Ihop for some food and planning. We ditched our clothing in the entryway, opened our Ihop ticket at 8:20pm and had what many of us consider our best meal ever as we drowned our sorrows in maple syrup.  We called the Holiday Inn which was by the freeway and reserved a couple of rooms. The storm was still raging outside as our thoughts turned to the other riders making their way through the mess and we hoped everyone was safe. We made a call to Kerry to let him know where we were if he ended up making it this far since he had left at least 1.5hrs after us it was possible he could catch us. Much to my surprise he answered instead of voice mail. Instead of being chased off the road by storms, his GL1800 gave up the ghost around Sioux City. A rare failure for the GL but one of many mechanical DNF's for the B2B riders. He was safely in Sioux Falls with a U-haul, warm bed, and delivered pizza.

After our meal we pulled into the Hampton Inn just as a lighting strike took out their power. Dripping gallons of water in their entry way, we waited while it took a while for their computers to come up. The weather channel was on the TV before the lights when we made it into the room. Just as reported earlier there was poor weather all through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It was going to continue into the morning. There was even a few tornados in southern Oklahoma. Our Olympia gloves which had usually held up in rains were soaked through. They went into the hotel dryer in a fruitless attempt to dry them out. Our Aerostitch suits had held up fine, but Carrie's receipts and cell phone were in puddles of water in her pockets. A patent pending museum quality document restoration process was used to return them to their original glory. The lights finally went out a little after 11pm.

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Day 2

We were back on the road around 6am. We were greeted with a light drizzle while packing up the bikes but the rain was light and sporadic through Oklahoma. We filled up in Paul's Valley, OK in no real hurry. Though we had failed in our 24hr attempt we had plenty of time to finish in 36hrs and be part of the group record. Southern Oklahoma was pretty and it took our minds off the night before. Down through Fort Worth the light rain and 50degree temps had continued but you could see a lot of water had been coming down earlier in the morning. In the traffic on I-35 we became separated from Chris. I tried radioing him as we exited the freeway and pulled into our last gas stop in Jarrell, TX. A few minutes later he passed us on the freeway missing the exit. It was the last we would see our neighbor until we were all back home. Chris was behind schedule for meeting his wife and Aunt in Austin. He would continue on to Austin and do his Border to Border later.

South of Jarrell and all the way to San Antonio was a test of nerves. Traffic was heavy and apparently in Texas they don't sell cars with blinkers, side mirrors, or cruise controls. It was a continuous suburb between Austin and San Antonio. We saw a few other B2B riders heading back north in Austin stopped for a truck spill. It was nice see some were successful. We looped around San Antonio and missed the I-35 south exit on the south side of town. Luckily Texas has great turn arounds so we were back on course less than a mile later.

The weather started to clear and get warmer the further south we went. Traffic was minimal and we were going to be 1.5hrs early. It was now an officially nice day. We pulled into a nice rest stop and visitor's center just north of Laredo to change out of our Gerbings so we could sit in border traffic in cooler clothing. Rolling into Laredo on I-35 we spied the La Quinta hotel which was the finish staging area. Riders in the parking lot waved us on in encouragement while pointing at their watches reminding us not to spend too long shopping for souvenirs in Mexico.

Traffic was heavy crossing into Mexico and Mexican customs was confusing. There were no booths and no one was standing there to ask us questions. I spied a green light just as I went through. I radioed back to to Carrie and Paul. Its a "green light go, red light pull over to be searched because we really don't care system" . We all made it through without being red lighted. 3 lanes of traffic narrowed into 1 and Carrie and I became separated from Paul. We carefully navigated the 3 blocks of alleys that are suppose to be roads. Swerving to avoid pan handlers, prostitutes, and pot holes that had swallowed cars in the 70s but have remained untouched.  We made it back to the toll bridge for our final receipt. The gal could've kept my $20 bill and I wouldn't have cared. I had the receipt and Carrie was behind me. Our time was somewhere under 35hrs but I didn't make note of it or record GPS stats. Our ride had been lazy after missing our 24hr goal.

We waited on the bridge for US customs. The Mexican's waiting in line were certainly entertained by our appearance. The bridge was slick with oil leaking from cars and the temperature climbed to 80's on that stretch of bridge. Carrie kept the RT off when possible to prevent overheating despite the worry it may not restart. We couldn't see Paul, but he was only 2 cars in back of us after a confirming CB transmit. Carrie and I cleared customs without much problem, except the customs agent insisted I was pronouncing and spelling the name of the La Quinta hotel incorrectly. Whatever. I radioed Paul that we were going to continue on to the Hotel and grab some beer.  He had the route programmed into his GPS so no worries.

Carrie and I arrived to be greeted by Dave Becker in the hotel lot. Many riders had already made it and were relaxing or doing paperwork. 11 had driven through the storms and completed the ride in 24hrs or less. Crazy. All told 56 or so riders ended up making it in under the 36hr mark for the unofficial group world record. After 20minutes, Paul had still not shown up. I checked my cell phone but there were no messages. I called him and his VFR would not restart after turning it off to talk with US Customs. He had been trying to reach us and left a message. Weird. Apparently there is a recall on the VFR he knows about but hasn't done the repair. His charging system will not keep up with the cooling fans while idling. I bet he gets that fixed soon. I resuited and headed back to give him a jump start. No one from customs was willing to help him at the border. Jumper cables are not a commonly carried item in south Texas apparently. They probably wouldn't survive long in a Minnesota winter.

Carrie finished our paperwork while we checked into our room. Tall tales of brave deeds followed around the hotel pool and BBQ joint later.

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Sunday 5/1/04: Laredo, TX to Paris, TX : 575miles

Sunday was a day of rest. The weather was a perfect 70degrees with no wind and a clear sky. We took extra time packing up and chatted with some other riders about routes home. Our plan was to head back through Arkansas and ride in the Ozarks for a bit. John Coon's showed us the route he was taking. He was headed to Talihina and would ride the Talimena Highway into Arkansas then up to Pigs Trail Scenic Byway through the northern Ozarks. This sounded like a good plan. We agreed to keep our eyes open for each other.

By the time we hit the road it was after 9:30am. Traffic once again was heavy through Austin and San Antonio. After stopping for gas in Jarrell, TX we needed food. No Power Bars for lunch today. We wanted greasy drive-inn food. GPS, Find, Points of Interest, By Name, Sonic's Drive Inn. Ahh, Belton, TX. Just a few miles up the road.

After a nutritious meal we headed to Dallas. The GPS showed a GLMC Grand Tour spot close to the freeway. We took the ramp and made our way into Italy, TX. We had to ask directions to the local post office. It was hidden off the main street a bit. Sadly, that was our only Grand Tour stop though we were within 20miles of others along our trip back. Time is precious though.

Past Dallas we rode through the northeast Texas countryside. There are some nice areas but I was expecting more of what you'd see on DALLAS the TV show. Not. We gassed in Paris, TX around 5:30pm. We needed to have some Mexican food before leaving Texas and it would be our last opportunity. We found a great restaurant with the best chips ever, and I mean ever. The dopamine kicked in quickly after dinner and our thoughts turned to lodging. There were certainly not going to be any nice hotels past this town and the odds of finding John were slim. We got a good rest in a nice Hampton Inn on the edge of town.

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Monday 5/2/04: Paris, TX to Minneapolis via the Ozark Mountains: 1070miles

We wanted to be home Tuesday but we were determined to do some sight seeing and peg scraping in the Ozarks before leaving the area. This was a mini-vacation after all.

We left Paris, TX around 7am. The temps were in the 50s again but the sun was out. We went north on the Indian National Turnpike to Antlers, Ok. We turned up Highway 2 and were immediately rewarded with spectacular scenery. After making our way through Talihina we found the Talimena Parkway, SR-1. This was an old military road that runs for 40 miles across the top of an east-west mountain spine. The views, curves and hilly roads were good for the soul. We only saw 2 other vehicles in 40miles.

Winding up through Arkansas on 23 we came to the town of Ozark and I-40. 23 North out of Ozark is Pigs Trail Scenic Byway. While filling up with gas we talked to a couple of Harley riders. They warned us that the posted speeds on the corners should be believed. 2 motorcyclists had died in separate incidents the day before on that same road.

True enough the roads were tight in some corners. On more than 1 uphill/downhill corner the GL was making sparks at 20mph. The roads were tightly crowned with trees so there wasn't much to see. Overall it was a nice ride but we preferred Talimena.

We left Paul in Huntsville. He had an extra day of vacation and was going to spend it in Arkansas. Carrie and I shot out to the freeway and pointed the bikes north. We had a nice wind at our back the way home. A couple of 350mile legs later we rolled into our garage at 1:43am. The answering machine had one message from Saturday. It was Paul telling us his VFR was dead at US customs in Laredo and to come rescue him. You were suppose to call my cell phone dummy.

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Some more photos from Paul Sundet after we split up in Arkansas