Wilsons Sandbox

Listers, OK Heads, Travel time is actual time moving. Distance is according to the GPS. Travel time: 4 hrs 30 mins Distance: 111 miles We get a late start as I'm still trying to catch up from school, working with Matt on his bike, working with me on my bike, tech day and the aftermath of tech day. I start figuring out what I'm really gonna take about 7 or 8 the night before. We finally get going around 9:30. Steve's been ready to go since 5:30. I'm leading as this is "my" country. We head out Nemo Road and then take Bogus Jim road. This is my first time using the GPS to navigate a route and although I think I know where I'm going the GPS says to turn left. We do. I'm lost. Twenty minutes later we're about three miles south of where I thought I wanted to be. But it works out well. We are heading into the Black Hills and on our trip. We connect with the planned route after maybe a mile. Actually less pavement than originally planned. The roads are pretty good and these are some of the same roads Steve first rode two summers ago when getting ready for the GDR. We're heading toward Rochford and the Moonshine Gulch Saloon. We take a few more interesting turns and I think I'm starting to get the hang of navigating with the GPS. We find another interesting section near Slate Creek and I think it's a closed road but no notice from the side we're on. We figure that out after taking it. Mostly this is logging roads with a bit of two track thrown in now and then. Some of the route is also better county roads that are graded somewhat regularly. Heading to Bloody Gulch I miss the turn with the GPS. It looks like some ATVs are heading up that way. We continue and after a mile or more take another road to connect with Bloody Gulch. This is now two track and has some interesting sections up hill. After the first 300 yards we're both real glad Steve has 14/45 and I have 14/46 gearing. Stock gears would make some of this tough. Well, we asked for it so here it comes. Now we start hitting gates too. Get off the bike, open the gate, get on the bike, ride through, get off the bike, close the gate, get on the bike and continue. Next gate, same procedure. As we get to Rochford it seems like it's about to rain. I get the liners for my First Gear Kilimanjaro air jacket and air overpants out of the saddlebags. We order lunch and talk a bit with some riders visiting from Michigan I think. The saloon is pretty neat and after a nice break off we go. Ten minutes later it's raining on us and we're headed to the high country around 6,800 feet or so. I put on my industrial over gloves to keep my hands dry. On go the grip heaters. High is too high. Low is ok with the rain and 42 degree temps. We ride on and finally the rain passes, or we've passed through the rain. I turn right after Moon and we go maybe a mile or so and we get to a nice overlook and burn area. We scout the trail ahead and this is a serious "we're not gonna ride this trail" situation. It probably hasn't been used in years and we can't even tell where the trail is after maybe 200 yards. We turn around and see another road to the right. It's going in the correct direction. We decide to try it. It's down hill and two track. After maybe 1/4 mile we meet two guys on ATVs. I ask if we can get to Newcastle this way. The elder of the two looks at me and says to just go ahead. The other guy adds some directions for when we get to the road. I suppose these were the guys that owned the land. : ) We ride another 1/4 or 3/8 mile and get to the DESCENT. Loose rock on top of rock. And pretty steep. If we go down I don't think we're getting back up. So off we go. A bit of slip sliding and a few silent prayers and I'm at the bottom. Steve comes down no problem. We continue and take a few pictures of the meadow with Steve riding across it. We finally come to a gate with a private land sign on the other side. We go through and onto the county road. A few misturns and Steve has us in Newcastle. We decide a motel is fine for tonight as Steve's not feeling 100 percent and we're both a bit cold. Steve asks a Wyoming Highway Patrolman for suggestions on where to stay while I'm getting fuel and it works out well. We get to talk with the guy from California in the room next to ours. He's finishing a week of prairie dog shooting. He had some interesting comments about distance and accuracy. We take a walk to Pizza Hut for the buffet and then sit in the parking lot and watch the world go by. I sleep well. End of Day One Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

Listers, Travel time is actual time moving. Distance is according to the GPS. Travel time: 4 hrs 30 mins Distance: 111 miles We get a late start as I'm still trying to catch up from school, working with Matt on his bike, working with me on my bike, tech day and the aftermath of tech day. I start figuring out what I'm really gonna take about 7 or 8 the night before. We finally get going around 9:30. Steve's been ready to go since 5:30. I'm leading as this is "my" country. We head out Nemo Road and then take Bogus Jim road. This is my first time using the GPS to navigate a route and although I think I know where I'm going the GPS says to turn left. We do. I'm lost. Twenty minutes later we're about three miles south of where I thought I wanted to be. But it works out well. We are heading into the Black Hills and on our trip. We connect with the planned route after maybe a mile. Actually less pavement than originally planned. The roads are pretty good and these are some of the same roads Steve first rode two summers ago when getting ready for the GDR. We're heading toward Rochford and the Moonshine Gulch Saloon. We take a few more interesting turns and I think I'm starting to get the hang of navigating with the GPS. We find another interesting section near Slate Creek and I think it's a closed road but no notice from the side we're on. We figure that out after taking it. Mostly this is logging roads with a bit of two track thrown in now and then. Some of the route is also better county roads that are graded somewhat regularly. Heading to Bloody Gulch I miss the turn with the GPS. It looks like some ATVs are heading up that way. We continue and after a mile or more take another road to connect with Bloody Gulch. This is now two track and has some interesting sections up hill. After the first 300 yards we're both real glad Steve has 14/45 and I have 14/46 gearing. Stock gears would make some of this tough. Well, we asked for it so here it comes. Now we start hitting gates too. Get off the bike, open the gate, get on the bike, ride through, get off the bike, close the gate, get on the bike and continue. Next gate, same procedure. As we get to Rochford it seems like it's about to rain. I get the liners for my First Gear Kilimanjaro air jacket and air overpants out of the saddlebags. We order lunch and talk a bit with some riders visiting from Michigan I think. The saloon is pretty neat and after a nice break off we go. Ten minutes later it's raining on us and we're headed to the high country around 6,800 feet or so. I put on my industrial over gloves to keep my hands dry. On go the grip heaters. High is too high. Low is ok with the rain and 42 degree temps. We ride on and finally the rain passes, or we've passed through the rain. I turn right after Moon and we go maybe a mile or so and we get to a nice overlook and burn area. We scout the trail ahead and this is a serious "we're not gonna ride this trail" situation. It probably hasn't been used in years and we can't even tell where the trail is after maybe 200 yards. We turn around and see another road to the right. It's going in the correct direction. We decide to try it. It's down hill and two track. After maybe 1/4 mile we meet two guys on ATVs. I ask if we can get to Newcastle this way. The elder of the two looks at me and says to just go ahead. The other guy adds some directions for when we get to the road. I suppose these were the guys that owned the land. : ) We ride another 1/4 or 3/8 mile and get to the DESCENT. Loose rock on top of rock. And pretty steep. If we go down I don't think we're getting back up. So off we go. A bit of slip sliding and a few silent prayers and I'm at the bottom. Steve comes down no problem. We continue and take a few pictures of the meadow with Steve riding across it. We finally come to a gate with a private land sign on the other side. We go through and onto the county road. A few misturns and Steve has us in Newcastle. We decide a motel is fine for tonight as Steve's not feeling 100 percent and we're both a bit cold. Steve asks a Wyoming Highway Patrolman for suggestions on where to stay while I'm getting fuel and it works out well. We get to talk with the guy from California in the room next to ours. He's finishing a week of prairie dog shooting. He had some interesting comments about distance and accuracy. We take a walk to Pizza Hut for the buffet and then sit in the parking lot and watch the world go by. I sleep well. End of Day One Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT