Your first Motorcycle Camping story

[Mellow]

I thought it might be fun to describe your first motorcycle camping trek and how things did or didn't go the way you planned.

[Mellow]

My first camping trip was with Rick. I met him at a ride in Arkansas a couple months earlier and talked to him about how much he liked camping.

I was splitting an $80+tax room with someone else and Rick had mentioned his camping was around $12/night. I was still relatively new to motorcycling but I wanted to do more trips yet the cost was an issue as I'd just traded my '99 Valkyrie in on an '01 GL1800 and all I could really afford to do was make the payments on the bike.

So, I spoke to him about all the gear and I added up the cost and after just one long 3-4 day trip, it would all just about pay for itself.

Off to REI I went and I found some good sales and got everything Rick suggested.

My first trip was to the Smoky Mtns. We went to Cloudland Canyon SP in Georgia then a KOA in Ashville where I learned why mummy bags keep you so warm, well, I learned what I should have done in a mummy bag to stay warm, my head was out of the bag the whole night and I froze.

From there we went as far as Lake Lure before heading back. We tried to find Two Wheels Only but instead found some abandonded campground and another biker pulled up, it was getting dark at the time. We told him we were looking for TWO and he didn't know where it was but offered us a beer instead. :eek: We said no, we still had some looking to do.

We tried Pisgah (sp?) mtn and that campground was closed for the season. That night we ended up driving back towards Texas and driving and driving and finally found Roosevelt SP near Jackson MS, I think it was 2am.

I learned a lot on that trip, I wasn't as prepared as I could have been but I had the best time ever and it started an obsession that's only equal to the obsession I have with riding.

[FrioPoint]

I lived in Colorado in 1988 and I took my girlfriend, Paula, camping on my Honda XL600R. I had all of the gear in my backpack, and she put the backpack on and rested it on the motorcycle's rear rack. We rode from Colorado Springs to somewhere near Divide and just found a spot to camp. We didn't have any of the right gear, so I'm glad that we didn't encounter any bad weather. Since the passenger pegs were attached to the swingarm her legs must have been going up and down the entire ride. Plus, she was holding up the pack. Poor girl...she must have been exhausted, but she didn't complain. We had one sleeping bag, a blanket, plastic wrapped sausage, crackers and a couple of Coors. When I think back on all of the trips I made in Colorado on that bike I don't know how I survived.
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[Mellow]

Great story, I love that last picture.. LOL

[mongo]

BMW campout Cass WV. I already had the gear from Family trips, just had it all bungied to the rear seat, Luckily it stayed. Lost my wedding ring when some guy tried to swap me Olympia water proof gloves for my JR water proofs, the olympia gloves were better but tight fitting. A silver hair was crawling around on her knees saying I was in trouble if I did not find it but I gave up. When I made it home the wife met me at the ggarage door wqith a sad look on her face. She had broken my best fishing rod when the youngest son caught a huge fish and could not get it into the bank. Since then any time I want to go she says hurry!

[dannyk]

My first real camping trip on a M/C was in 1981, left the U.P. of Michigan on a warm day in August with a friend, I was riding my 81 Wing and he was on a 80 Hog. We worked our way west to Glacier National Park then south to Yellowstone and returned home, a two week adventure that I have never forgotten. Several bikes later and a little age have not dampened my desire to camp with the bike, looking forward to getting out again this year.

[Big Bandit]

I have been camping all my life and rode a 74 Bonnie in the early 90's for a few years. I was married at the time and the Bonnie had a solo seat and like all Triumph's was not very reliable so the thought of traveling, or camping never crossed my mind. I lived in San Antonio at the time and went on short trips into the hill country as well as commuted on the bike.

Fast forward to about a year ago, three kids and a divorce later, I am a divorced dad who has his kids about half the time. Well when I don't have the kids I need something to keep me busy and decide I need a motorcycle. I bought a 98 Bandit 1200S with a Corbin seat and Beetle Bags off of ebay. I bought it in late Jan and the guy agreed to store it in his garage until Spring Break in March. I am a teacher. When I first started shopping for bikes on ebay I planned to buy one in Texas and go pick it up with my truck, or if it was out of state, have it shipped. Well the owner of this Bandit said in his ad he would meet the buyer halfway and I e-mailed him and asked him if he would drive halfway to central Texas and he said "Why don't you fly out here and ride it back, I'll pay half your ticket". The seed was planted. After I won the bike, I started making plans. I had not ridden in 10+ years, so I took an MSF course. I bought riding gear. I have been a camper all my life and I started packing my backpacking gear in my waterproof backback used for canoeing trips. I got a tank bag and the bike had hard saddlebags.

I skipped school on the Friday before Spring Break started and flew out of Austin Thursday evening. I got to Atlanta and bought supper in the airport and parked myself near my gate for my connecting flight to Daytona Beach. I had about an hour to kill. I sat there and listed to all the announcements and never heard anything about my flight. With about 15 minutes left until departure I walked up to the gate and inquired, they said my flight had already left and there would not be another flight until Friday afternoon. I stepped to the side stunned as two women came running up to the gate and were told the same thing. I approached them and suggested we rent a car together and take turns driving all night to get to Daytona Beach by the next morning, which they agreed to. These two were a pair of charachters. The cute one, was going to Bike Week to meet her online boyfriend for the first time and brought her cousin with 11 kids along for safety. The one with 11 kids was divorced and fllew to Minnesota every other weekend, while the kids were with thier Dad. Her online boyfriend lived in Minnesota. These women were from Arkansas. We arrived at the Airport in Daytona Beach about dawn and I called the owner of the bike. He came and picked me up and took me to his house. The bike was as advertised, so I gave him the other half of the money, strapped down my back pack to the back seat, mounted my tank bag and rode off in search of my campgorund. I found my campground and spent the next two days experiencing the last weekend of bike week. By the way I picked up the bike on my 45th birthday. Nice present to myself, no?

I am glad I got to experince Bike Week. I especially enjoyed the Daytona 200. Two days was enough and I never need to do it again. I did not enjoy paying $20 a night to pitch a tent in a pasture with a porta potty for a restroom. Sunday morning Bike Week was over and I had eight days to get home. Mapquest said it was 1200 miles. San Marcos Texas was about due West. I headed north up the coast. I stopped in San Augustine, FL for lunch and a little sight seeing. I rode on a ferry. Once I crossed over into Georgia there was no good road along the coast so I got on I-95 going north. That day I saw probably a hundred trailers, or more, hauling bikes. I saw two other people riding their bikes north. I ended up spending camping on Tybee Island off the Coast of northern Georgia, east of Savannah. The next day I rode acroos the state line into S. Carolina, just to say I was there and headed for Stone Mountain, GA. I did the tourist thing that afternoon, evening and camped there. I was camped next to a lake with a steam boat giving tours on it. A lit up stemboat on a lake, at night is real purty. I got up real early the next morning and rode through Atlatnta before the morning rush hour started. I arrived at the Barber Motorcycle Museum, in Birmingham, AL about 30 minutes before it opened at 10. I spent about four hours looking at the bikes. That is a must do, if you are ever in the area. I had that much of my trip pretty well planned after that all I knew was I wanted to ride part of the Natchez Trace Parkway and had to be home by Sunday.

It was Tuesday afternoon, so I headed north and it was getting colder, a front had blown in. I got to the little town just south of Nashville where, the parkway starts, about dark thirty with a 100% chance of rain that night and I was cold. I checked into a hotel. I got up the next morning and it 34 degrees with a "wintry mix falling". I thought "I can lay low here for a day. Spend another night in the hotel and leave tomorrow". I checked the forecast. In 24 hours it was supposed to be 28 and snowing. Schools just north of Nashville were closing that day, because of snow. I decided to get, while the getting was good. I ate breakfast at the Waffle House and by then the "wintry mix" had stopped falling. I dried the bike off with a motel towel and loaded up. I found the begining of the Natchez Trace Parkway and stated riding. The bridge near the North end is really cool. I stopped at a couple of features that morning, but it was so cold I just wanted to make time. About noon it started drizzling. I had intended to take my time and enjoy the Parway, but the weather was miserable, it was about 40 and drizzling. I put my head down and headed south. I pulled into Jackson, MS after dark, running on fumes.

I was looking for an exit with a Best Western, or Motel 8 sign when the bike started running out of gas. I reached down and put it on reserve. I took the first exit because I did not know how much it held in reserve. I now know I had a gallon of gas left. I bought gas. There was KFC across the street. I asked for directions to a cheap motel. I was told there were two down around the corner. I do not remember the name of the motel I stayed at,I passed on the Rainbow Motel. I walked in the lobby and asked "How much?", the guy said $42 including tax. I thought "Not bad" and pulled out my credit card. He said they did not take credit cards, cash only. I handed the guy a $100 bill and while waiting for my change I noticed a sign that said " For our overnight guests, check out time is 1 p.m." I thought "uh ohg" but I was tired and cold and did not feel like trying to find another hotel. There were only two empty parking places in the lot. Luckily one of them was right in front of my room. When opened the door, the first thing I noticed was the king size bed with the red velour bedspread. Then I noticed the kingsize mirror on the ceiling. I looked around and upacked the sleeping bag an spread it out on top of the bed spread. I soon discovered you do not have to pay extra for the porn channels at this place. I am sitting there flippping channles when, whoa! What a suprise. When I turned out the lights I learned that there were glow in the dark moons and stars painted on the ceiling. I thought those yellow spots were stains. When I woke up at 6 the next morning the first thing I did was peek out the window and check on the bike. It was fine, there were two cars in the parking lot. I didn't know places like that existed.

That day I finished the Natchez Trace Parkway and rode to Hodges Garden in western LA. My grandmother lived next to me when I was growing up in Port Arthur, TX and she was born and raised in Many, LA and she used to talk about Hodges Gardens all the time. It is a nice campground if you are in the neighborhood. The next morning I checked out Hodges Gardens and Many, LA neither of which I had ever visited. My grandmother passed away back in 87, at the age of 93. It was neat to see where she was little girl. That day I rode across east Texas and went about 60 miles out of my way to eat lunch in Woodville at Heritage Gardens Coachouse Inn. I had not eaten there in 25 years and it was as good as I remembered. I rode into San Marcos on Sat night at sunset. It was a beautiful sunset and I had one day to rest before going back to work Mon morning. That was my first motorcycle camping trip. I put 2500 miles on the bike getting home.

[Trailace]

That's a great story thanks for sharing.:)
I have been camping all my life and rode a 74 Bonnie in the early 90's for a few years. I was married at the time and the Bonnie had a solo seat and like all Triumph's was not very reliable so the thought of traveling, or camping never crossed my mind. I lived in San Antonio at the time and went on short trips into the hill country as well as commuted on the bike.

Fast forward to about a year ago, three kids and a divorce later, I am a divorced dad who has his kids about half the time. Well when I don't have the kids I need something to keep me busy and decide I need a motorcycle. I bought a 98 Bandit 1200S with a Corbin seat and Beetle Bags off of ebay. I bought it in late Jan and the guy agreed to store it in his garage until Spring Break in March. I am a teacher. When I first started shopping for bikes on ebay I planned to buy one in Texas and go pick it up with my truck, or if it was out of state, have it shipped. Well the owner of this Bandit said in his ad he would meet the buyer halfway and I e-mailed him and asked him if he would drive halfway to central Texas and he said "Why don't you fly out here and ride it back, I'll pay half your ticket". The seed was planted. After I won the bike, I started making plans. I had not ridden in 10+ years, so I took an MSF course. I bought riding gear. I have been a camper all my life and I started packing my backpacking gear in my waterproof backback used for canoeing trips. I got a tank bag and the bike had hard saddlebags.

I skipped school on the Friday before Spring Break started and flew out of Austin Thursday evening. I got to Atlanta and bought supper in the airport and parked myself near my gate for my connecting flight to Daytona Beach. I had about an hour to kill. I sat there and listed to all the announcements and never heard anything about my flight. With about 15 minutes left until departure I walked up to the gate and inquired, they said my flight had already left and there would not be another flight until Friday afternoon. I stepped to the side stunned as two women came running up to the gate and were told the same thing. I approached them and suggested we rent a car together and take turns driving all night to get to Daytona Beach by the next morning, which they agreed to. These two were a pair of charachters. The cute one, was going to Bike Week to meet her online boyfriend for the first time and brought her cousin with 11 kids along for safety. The one with 11 kids was divorced and fllew to Minnesota every other weekend, while the kids were with thier Dad. Her online boyfriend lived in Minnesota. These women were from Arkansas. We arrived at the Airport in Daytona Beach about dawn and I called the owner of the bike. He came and picked me up and took me to his house. The bike was as advertised, so I gave him the other half of the money, strapped down my back pack to the back seat, mounted my tank bag and rode off in search of my campgorund. I found my campground and spent the next two days experiencing the last weekend of bike week. By the way I picked up the bike on my 45th birthday. Nice present to myself, no?

I am glad I got to experince Bike Week. I especially enjoyed the Daytona 200. Two days was enough and I never need to do it again. I did not enjoy paying $20 a night to pitch a tent in a pasture with a porta potty for a restroom. Sunday morning Bike Week was over and I had eight days to get home. Mapquest said it was 1200 miles. San Marcos Texas was about due West. I headed north up the coast. I stopped in San Augustine, FL for lunch and a little sight seeing. I rode on a ferry. Once I crossed over into Georgia there was no good road along the coast so I got on I-95 going north. That day I saw probably a hundred trailers, or more, hauling bikes. I saw two other people riding their bikes north. I ended up spending camping on Tybee Island off the Coast of northern Georgia, east of Savannah. The next day I rode acroos the state line into S. Carolina, just to say I was there and headed for Stone Mountain, GA. I did the tourist thing that afternoon, evening and camped there. I was camped next to a lake with a steam boat giving tours on it. A lit up stemboat on a lake, at night is real purty. I got up real early the next morning and rode through Atlatnta before the morning rush hour started. I arrived at the Barber Motorcycle Museum, in Birmingham, AL about 30 minutes before it opened at 10. I spent about four hours looking at the bikes. That is a must do, if you are ever in the area. I had that much of my trip pretty well planned after that all I knew was I wanted to ride part of the Natchez Trace Parkway and had to be home by Sunday.

It was Tuesday afternoon, so I headed north and it was getting colder, a front had blown in. I got to the little town just south of Nashville where, the parkway starts, about dark thirty with a 100% chance of rain that night and I was cold. I checked into a hotel. I got up the next morning and it 34 degrees with a "wintry mix falling". I thought "I can lay low here for a day. Spend another night in the hotel and leave tomorrow". I checked the forecast. In 24 hours it was supposed to be 28 and snowing. Schools just north of Nashville were closing that day, because of snow. I decided to get, while the getting was good. I ate breakfast at the Waffle House and by then the "wintry mix" had stopped falling. I dried the bike off with a motel towel and loaded up. I found the begining of the Natchez Trace Parkway and stated riding. The bridge near the North end is really cool. I stopped at a couple of features that morning, but it was so cold I just wanted to make time. About noon it started drizzling. I had intended to take my time and enjoy the Parway, but the weather was miserable, it was about 40 and drizzling. I put my head down and headed south. I pulled into Jackson, MS after dark, running on fumes.

I was looking for an exit with a Best Western, or Motel 8 sign when the bike started running out of gas. I reached down and put it on reserve. I took the first exit because I did not know how much it held in reserve. I now know I had a gallon of gas left. I bought gas. There was KFC across the street. I asked for directions to a cheap motel. I was told there were two down around the corner. I do not remember the name of the motel I stayed at,I passed on the Rainbow Motel. I walked in the lobby and asked "How much?", the guy said $42 including tax. I thought "Not bad" and pulled out my credit card. He said they did not take credit cards, cash only. I handed the guy a $100 bill and while waiting for my change I noticed a sign that said " For our overnight guests, check out time is 1 p.m." I thought "uh ohg" but I was tired and cold and did not feel like trying to find another hotel. There were only two empty parking places in the lot. Luckily one of them was right in front of my room. When opened the door, the first thing I noticed was the king size bed with the red velour bedspread. Then I noticed the kingsize mirror on the ceiling. I looked around and upacked the sleeping bag an spread it out on top of the bed spread. I soon discovered you do not have to pay extra for the porn channels at this place. I am sitting there flippping channles when, whoa! What a suprise. When I turned out the lights I learned that there were glow in the dark moons and stars painted on the ceiling. I thought those yellow spots were stains. When I woke up at 6 the next morning the first thing I did was peek out the window and check on the bike. It was fine, there were two cars in the parking lot. I didn't know places like that existed.

That day I finished the Natchez Trace Parkway and rode to Hodges Garden in western LA. My grandmother lived next to me when I was growing up in Port Arthur, TX and she was born and raised in Many, LA and she used to talk about Hodges Gardens all the time. It is a nice campground if you are in the neighborhood. The next morning I checked out Hodges Gardens and Many, LA neither of which I had ever visited. My grandmother passed away back in 87, at the age of 93. It was neat to see where she was little girl. That day I rode across east Texas and went about 60 miles out of my way to eat lunch in Woodville at Heritage Gardens Coachouse Inn. I had not eaten there in 25 years and it was as good as I remembered. I rode into San Marcos on Sat night at sunset. It was a beautiful sunset and I had one day to rest before going back to work Mon morning. That was my first motorcycle camping trip. I put 2500 miles on the bike getting home.

[Rich Johnston]

This isn't my first camping trip, but it's one of the funnier stories. Several years ago it was mid-april and warm in here in NC. I managed a long week end and talked my Uncle Shakey into going camping with me. This is before I had my trailer and camping gear, so if I wanted to go camping it would be with my dear Uncle. Uncle Shakey got me into motorcycles as a kid and then turned me onto M/C camping when I got a street bike.
I had just bought a new electraglide standard and Shakey was riding an 88' heritage softtail with too many miles on it. He just took the stock sheet metal off of it and replaced it with some really cheap stretched out tanks with those flat aviation gas caps that probably carried only 3/4 of the stock tanks fuel. I got there the night before we were to leave only to find the primary case off of his bike, him with the manual out and a very confused look on his face. He was having stator problems and needed a hand. I arrived around 11 that night after work and only wanted to crash and get an early start. Instead I've got my sleaves rolled up getting his bike back together. We finished around 1am and discussed our plans for tomorrows ride.
The next morning we hit the local diner for breakfast and I'm ready to go. At this point Shakey asks if I can do him a favor. He needs a new wax tiolet seal installed since the one he has is leaking. No problem. Off to lowes and toilet seal is installed. Next he says could you look at my car. He's driving my Granny's old 87 Olds that leaks every thing and has more holes burned into the drivers seat than a piece of swiss cheese. Granny didn't believe in ash trays and had a hard time holding onto her smokes because of her arthritis. "It's running a little rough do you mind putting the timing light on it and looking at the carb?" No problem. Timing adjusted, fuel filter replaced. We couldn't get the filter on the trip to lowes. This requires a seperate trip. It's lunch time now and he's not even packed. Now out to lunch. Shakey is a truck driver and keeps no food in the house that isn't canned or frozen. By now it's 2 PM and I tell him to hell with it. I'm going home. He finally gets the picture and hitches up his trailer and we're ready to leave. His bike won't start. It has been two months since the stator problems and he forgot to charge the battery. We jump it off Granny's car. I refused to jump it off my bike. Telling him I didn't want to pull the seat. (I was really scared it would fry something on the new glide.) Some how and by the grace of God it started. It blew out a cloud of smoke so thick that it killed every skeeter in Hickory NC. Ten minutes for the bike to warm up and off we go. It's almost 3 PM.
Great weather. Great riding. Off to Gaffney SC to pick up the Cherokee scenic hwy, SC route 11. Great road. Bikes every where. The further west we went the more bikes we saw since we were headed towards the mountains. The hill country in SC is a great place to ride. Lots of sweepers and great views of the mountains to the west and north. We follow SC 11 to US 276 north of Greenville and turn North towards Brevard NC. Incredible road! It's like riding a roller coaster. Lots of tight turns and sudden elevation changes mixed in with short sweepers and lots of decreasing radius turns. When we pass Ceasars Head State Park it starts to rain lightly. We arrive in Brevard a little while later and the rain has picked up, but isn't too bad. We stop in the Grocery on US 276/64 for some dinner supplies. It's almost early evening now and Shakey is wandering up & down every isle in the store. I press him to hurry and he tells me to be cool. It's like he's stalling for time. Come to find out he's trying to wait out the rain. We spent and hour in that store and only picked up enough supplies for one day. Not only did it not stop raining (it was raining harder) it got dark! Great we've got to run up and over the Blue Ridge Parkway on US 276 to Blue Ridge M/C Campground in Cruso. The road up isn't bad, but it's dark and raining. It doesn't get tight until the top near the parkway. The drop off the parkway to Cruso is tight and slow, dropping 2500 feet in 3 or so miles. After that it's easy sweepers to the campground. As we get to the parkway the rain lets up and we crawl down the mountain near Mt. Pisgah headed towards Cruso and Cold Mountain. It's after 8pm and we pull into BlueRidge M/C Camp and the gate is closed. The place is empty and dark. We could have been here half a day earlier if not for his scewing around, and would have had plenty of time to find another spot to camp. Just as I'm about to choke Shakey to death Henry (previous owner) comes out and opens the gate. He tells us that the bath house is open, but the resturant is closed and that we were welcome to pitch the tent. He saved my Uncles life that night.
We camp for a couple of days. The weather is good for the rest of the trip. The riding is great. We hit the smokies and points S.W. Too many gas stops because of Shakey's beer can sized tanks on the softtail. We had a great time. The morning we left we got a good start and headed back up US 276 to the Blue Ridge Parkway and turned North. I asked Shakey if he needed gas before we left and told him we could stop at the pump at Mt. Pisgah less than 10 miles from the campground. He said we were good so we rolled right past the pump up the parkway to Spruce Pine where we were getting off the Parkway heading back to Hickory. All is good til' we're 13 - 15 miles south of Spruce Pine when I check my mirror to see him falling back and heading for the shoulder of the road. At this point I cursed knowing that he was out of gas. When I got back to him he was laughing and said "I guess I shoulda' stopped for gas at Mt. Pisgah." No sh@t! We discuss our options and I decide to disassemble a perfectly good new motorcycle so as to remove the fuel line and give him about a half gallon of gas. I've got to pull my air cleaner assembly and cut the clamp to pull the line. Luckily I always carry worm gear clamps in my tool bag. Next we need some thing to pour the gas into to transfer it to Shakey's bike. He had a half bottle of gatorade in my saddle bag. I poured it our and he protested. The exchange went some thing like this;
Shakey- " hey that's my gatorade! Why you pourin' it on the ground?"
Me- "Do you honestly think that I'm going to pour out MY gatorade so that I can dissassemble a perfectly good new motorcycle, so as to put fuel in your raggedy, run down, wore out, broke down, dog dick motorcycle with beer can sized gas tanks when you ride past a gas pump less than 10 miles from the campground after I asked you if you needed fuel? I don't think so! Be glad I'm not leaving you here."
Shakey's attitude is now in check. Five minutes later we're back on the road. The rest of the ride to Hickory is uneventfull. I stop by to see my Grandma while I'm in town, and head home to Durham. That night I talk to my Pops who I also ride and camp with and tell him about the trip with Shakey. He says "Boy, you know that he's your Mamma's family so you should've known you'd be baby sittin'. I don't believe I could do too much camping with him and not want to kill your Uncle." "You're right Pop, but I still had fun."

[nyener]

Rich, Thanks for the very entertaining story. You must have a heart of gold!

[Trailace]

Another great story Thanks :D

[Mellow]

LOL... a nice family-oriented story.... :D

[Mark G]

Hi all, just registered.

My first motorcycle camping experience was in 1970. We went to Big Bend with about 15 other hippies. Typical deal.

The second was more interesting. My bride and I took off from Austin on our Suzuki Titan 500 two stroke twin on what turned into a month long, 10,000 mile swing into Oklahoma then west to Utah and back to the tip of Texas.

That first night we set up camp beside the shore of Lake Whitney, about 120 or so miles from Austin...we'd gotten off in the middle of the afternoon. We had a brand new little ten, some cheapo sleeping bags, and a giant car-camping nested Sears cookset. And assorted other items strapped every which way to the bike, which had no saddlebags of any sort. Bride cooked us up some hamburgers in the skillet on the campfire, which was right outside the opening to the tent, and after dinner we watched the stars for a while, then eventually climbed into our bags and drifted off to a wonderful night's sleep.

Until the guys came to check their trot lines. Every hour. Drunk. Dead drunk. Pointing the headlights of their pickup directly at our little tent. Yelling at each other. Breaking bottles.

They kept it up until the giant thunderstorm came, which huffed and puffed and blew our little tend down, bending the two aluminum poles into pretzels, covering us with a very wet layer of nylon tent roof. Raining buckets. Big buckets. As soon as the storm moved off We struggled out and managed to sort of prop the tent up enough to get the wet nylon off our now-wet cheapo sleeping bags, and drifted back off to sleep. Until of course the drunks came back another time. Finally, FINALLY, we slept peacefully, if damply.

Until the Sound started. Scraping, scraping, scraping. My bride snored daintily next to me. I turned my head and looked out the opening of the tent...into the oblivious behind of a medium sized skunk, who was delighted at our thoughtfulness in leaving the dirty greasy skillet out to wash in the morning. I held my breath for what seemed like hours as he finished up, and began rooting around to see what other treasures we'd left.

Never have I been so happy to have drunks in a pickup reappear. He scampered off. The skunk. The drunks fell down in the mud.

The next morning we bought army surplus wooden pup tent poles and rigged up a makeshift set of supports which lasted us through more than 20 more years of camping.

That was just the first night.

Later on there was the Wind of Death in the middle of the night somewhere in Oklahoma or Kansas. Blew everything everywhere, including people inside their tents, but not us, as we'd learned by then to tie the tent down nice and snug.

And the angry bears that fought over the margarine we'd left out by a beaver pond in the Rockies. That turned out to be two pissed-off raccoons. Who sounded like bears to a couple of kids from the Texas-Mexico border. Hiding in their tent holding a hatchet and a dim flashlight, ready to fight the bears to the death.

The ice storm in Rocky Mountain National Park, trapping us in our tent with a single hard boiled egg.

I left some stuff out.

[sandman]

This isn't my first motorcycle camping trip but it remains one of the most interesting.

Last year ST-owners.com had a small rendezvous planned at Mt Magazine, Arkansas. I had planned to be the first camper to show up on Sunday afternoon. Because nobody knew how many riders were likely to show up the park administration decided to give us a dedicated area to camp. The area they chose was Brown Springs picnic area.

On the trip up from Lake Chicot state park in Southern Arkansas the weather had been getting more ominous all afternoon. By the time I got to Havana,AR it was looking pretty wet up on the mountain. I stopped in for a burger and coffee at the little convenience store and spent an hour waiting out the storm.

I finally decided to head on up before it got too late.

You have to understand I hadn't been riding for about 20 years before I bought my '04 St1300 and I had never traveled in the mountains by bike before.

Mt Magazine has a beautiful road to the top in dry weather but the road was wet and it was getting late and I found the lack of guardrails and the narrow road very disconcerting. Even so I made it up safe and sound and checked in at the Lodge. While waiting for another storm to pass I went through the museum and learned another fact that I hadn't considered. THERE ARE 3000 BEARS IN ARKANSAS!

Well, the storm passed and I moved on to Brown Springs to setup camp. The rain held off while I got the tent up but the wind started to build around 20 to 30 knots (this continued every night) and I thought I should probably use some parachute cord I brought along to add some extra tiedowns to my Wal-Mart tent. I completed setting up camp around dark and though it was still early I decided to turn in and start early Monday.

I stashed my gear put the bike to bed and climbed in my sleeping bag. Could I go to sleep?
NO! All I could think about was the fact that there were probably some picnics going on in the area around me today and who knows what sort of scraps were left all around my tent area and...THERE'S 3000 BEARS IN ARKANSAS!

Every sound made me think about that fact and when the wind is blowing 25 to 30 knots there is plenty of noise.

I still got a good night sleep and enjoyed the week of camping with other bikers.

One thing I've found in life is you have to experience the unexpected and disturbing sometimes to really appreciate the best times. "If we knew no sorrow, we wouldn't know what joy was".

Gordon

[Trailace]

Mark Great story, sounds like my first backpacking trip.

Welcome to the site!

Rick

Hi all, just registered.

My first motorcycle camping experience was in 1970. We went to Big Bend with about 15 other hippies. Typical deal.

The second was more interesting. My bride and I took off from Austin on our Suzuki Titan 500 two stroke twin on what turned into a month long, 10,000 mile swing into Oklahoma then west to Utah and back to the tip of Texas.

That first night we set up camp beside the shore of Lake Whitney, about 120 or so miles from Austin...we'd gotten off in the middle of the afternoon. We had a brand new little ten, some cheapo sleeping bags, and a giant car-camping nested Sears cookset. And assorted other items strapped every which way to the bike, which had no saddlebags of any sort. Bride cooked us up some hamburgers in the skillet on the campfire, which was right outside the opening to the tent, and after dinner we watched the stars for a while, then eventually climbed into our bags and drifted off to a wonderful night's sleep.

Until the guys came to check their trot lines. Every hour. Drunk. Dead drunk. Pointing the headlights of their pickup directly at our little tent. Yelling at each other. Breaking bottles.

They kept it up until the giant thunderstorm came, which huffed and puffed and blew our little tend down, bending the two aluminum poles into pretzels, covering us with a very wet layer of nylon tent roof. Raining buckets. Big buckets. As soon as the storm moved off We struggled out and managed to sort of prop the tent up enough to get the wet nylon off our now-wet cheapo sleeping bags, and drifted back off to sleep. Until of course the drunks came back another time. Finally, FINALLY, we slept peacefully, if damply.

Until the Sound started. Scraping, scraping, scraping. My bride snored daintily next to me. I turned my head and looked out the opening of the tent...into the oblivious behind of a medium sized skunk, who was delighted at our thoughtfulness in leaving the dirty greasy skillet out to wash in the morning. I held my breath for what seemed like hours as he finished up, and began rooting around to see what other treasures we'd left.

Never have I been so happy to have drunks in a pickup reappear. He scampered off. The skunk. The drunks fell down in the mud.

The next morning we bought army surplus wooden pup tent poles and rigged up a makeshift set of supports which lasted us through more than 20 more years of camping.

That was just the first night.

Later on there was the Wind of Death in the middle of the night somewhere in Oklahoma or Kansas. Blew everything everywhere, including people inside their tents, but not us, as we'd learned by then to tie the tent down nice and snug.

And the angry bears that fought over the margarine we'd left out by a beaver pond in the Rockies. That turned out to be two pissed-off raccoons. Who sounded like bears to a couple of kids from the Texas-Mexico border. Hiding in their tent holding a hatchet and a dim flashlight, ready to fight the bears to the death.

The ice storm in Rocky Mountain National Park, trapping us in our tent with a single hard boiled egg.

I left some stuff out.

[Trailace]

Welcome to the site Gordon!

I like Mt Magazine.

Can anyone tell me why every first camping story have a rain issue?

Rick


This isn't my first motorcycle camping trip but it remains one of the most interesting.

Last year ST-owners.com had a small rendezvous planned at Mt Magazine, Arkansas. I had planned to be the first camper to show up on Sunday afternoon. Because nobody knew how many riders were likely to show up the park administration decided to give us a dedicated area to camp. The area they chose was Brown Springs picnic area.

On the trip up from Lake Chicot state park in Southern Arkansas the weather had been getting more ominous all afternoon. By the time I got to Havana,AR it was looking pretty wet up on the mountain. I stopped in for a burger and coffee at the little convenience store and spent an hour waiting out the storm.

I finally decided to head on up before it got too late.

You have to understand I hadn't been riding for about 20 years before I bought my '04 St1300 and I had never traveled in the mountains by bike before.

Mt Magazine has a beautiful road to the top in dry weather but the road was wet and it was getting late and I found the lack of guardrails and the narrow road very disconcerting. Even so I made it up safe and sound and checked in at the Lodge. While waiting for another storm to pass I went through the museum and learned another fact that I hadn't considered. THERE ARE 3000 BEARS IN ARKANSAS!

Well, the storm passed and I moved on to Brown Springs to setup camp. The rain held off while I got the tent up but the wind started to build around 20 to 30 knots (this continued every night) and I thought I should probably use some parachute cord I brought along to add some extra tiedowns to my Wal-Mart tent. I completed setting up camp around dark and though it was still early I decided to turn in and start early Monday.

I stashed my gear put the bike to bed and climbed in my sleeping bag. Could I go to sleep?
NO! All I could think about was the fact that there were probably some picnics going on in the area around me today and who knows what sort of scraps were left all around my tent area and...THERE'S 3000 BEARS IN ARKANSAS!

Every sound made me think about that fact and when the wind is blowing 25 to 30 knots there is plenty of noise.

I still got a good night sleep and enjoyed the week of camping with other bikers.

One thing I've found in life is you have to experience the unexpected and disturbing sometimes to really appreciate the best times. "If we knew no sorrow, we wouldn't know what joy was".

Gordon

[Mellow]

More great stories!... :fire1: :bike1: :tent7:

[Trekker]

It was 1981 on my KZ650 and a buddy on his Yamaha 750. We didn't have saddle bags or racks on our bikes, so we just sorta strapped it all on and hoped for the best. I packed all my old boyscout gear in an old backpack and tied that onto the backseat of the bike. It kinda hung out both sides, but actually stayed in place, mostly.

We drove up to Old Forge NY in the central Adirondacks for a weekend of swapping lies by the campfire. Of course, as young men, we were very much interseted in throwing back a few beers around said campfire. The last night there I managed to drink a few too many and fell forward into the fire burning my hands. Well, luckily the burns wern't too bad..... but the ride home really sucked. Everytime I pulled in the clutch would bring on a new grimace and a reminder of my overindulging the liquid stupid juice.

Anyway, we made it home alive and mostly well. I think that lesson was better than any toilet hugging I ever experienced! I HAD to get my bike home dammit!

[sandman]

It kinda hung out both sides, but actually stayed in place, mostly.


Hanging out the sides...YEAH! That's the way to pack, Jed Clampett had it right.

Wait till you see my bike loaded and ready!

Gordon:D

[mongo]

Gordon Your bike looks like mine packed up right down to the faSTest blue!

[Mellow]

Gordon..... you forgot something.... a shaving kit... :dizzy1: :dizzy1:

[STeve1300]

I have a small 3x5 framed picture sitting on my dresser. It was taken on my 20th birthday in August of 1978. It is a picture of my 1972 Honda CL 350 nestled in a small clearing between pine trees, with Lake Superior in the background. The place was the Bad River Indian Reservation, and I was in a rustic campgrounds at least two miles from the secondary road, which was over twenty miles from the nearest small town. I was low on gas, low on food, and my bike had just leaked so much oil that it was unfit to drive. This was the bike that would light the passion of motorcycling in my life, and the story has a happy ending.

I set out from Milwaukee alone on a shoestring budget and whatever camping gear I could stuff into a backpack that was tied to the seat. My destination was simply "north", and I had a week to get there and back. I had only been riding a bike for all of a couple months, but I had plenty of camping experience. I was not discouraged when at my first rest stop 100 miles from home, I found that my backpack had come undone and much of my cooking utensils and clothing were gone. I was off on an adventure.

A couple of days, and maybe 300 miles later, I found myself nearing the southern shores of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. It was slow going on that little 350! I really wanted to see and touch this lake, and when I saw a sign on a narrow blacktop road that said campground, even though I knew I was in an Indian Reservation, I took a chance it would lead me to water. It did. I found the most pristine, isolated, and beautiful campsite that still stands ranked at #1 in all my travels. There was no attendant, no posted rates, not even a sign with the name of the place. It was deserted and abandoned for quite some time, as long grasses grew in the centers of the half dozen once maintained sites, just a few yards up the long sandy bluff along the endless beach.

After absorbing the sheer majesty of the lake, and the true wilderness retreat I discovered, it was time to move on. I had to pick up food and supplies, and I wasn't sure if I was even allowed to be on this part of the reservation. This was when I noticed the puddle of oil under my bike. The oil breather tube had been pinched by the stand since my previous stop, and the resulting pressure build up caused the leak. Of course it would then begin to lightly rain.

I set up camp with my pup tent and sleeping bag and lit a campfire. I must have had some food and water because it wasn't until the next day that an old Indian couple came driving through the camp on a sightseeing tour. They stopped, possibly wondering what I was doing out alone in the woods, and I asked for help. They drove me to the next city, bought me lunch, bought me oil, and drove me back to camp. I was able to drive another 50 miles to a major city to have the bike repaired.

I can't remember much from that wildly irresponsible period of my life, but this camping adventure on that bike will never be forgotten.

[Trailace]

STeve1300

Great Story!!!!!!!!:D

[larleesekunert]

Thanks for setting up this site. Lots of good info as my wife and I start our motocamping.
My son was attending his first 6 weeks of Officers Candidate School USMC at Quantico, VA.
We are from Michigan, I was not going to miss his graduation and I also looked forward to a long ride in the saddle. 650 miles each way. 12 hours each way.
I picked the National forest campground just outside Quantico. I set up a nice 2+ man tent I had borrowed from my neices, no it did not have flowers or anything on it. 2 lane asphalt running back to this campground for 5 miles. Switchbacks, sweepers and rolling curves the whole way. I want to shake the hand of whomever layed out this campground and road to it.
He surely must have been someone who was upset for living sooo far away from the Dragon at Deals Gap. Believe me any trip to the D.C. area look for the National Forest near Quantico VA. The ride in and out is worth it.
I spent 2 nights, the 2nd with rain, nice bathroom facilities, no electricity or anything but I toughed it out. We have been traveling for 12 years in a 32 ft motorhome, this was a old experience from my youth.
I ride a GL1500, (my wife just bought a 2005 ST1300 last Thanksgiving, looking at the bike in the basement all winter, and is going nuts having such a blast) my wife has 9,000 miles of riding GL1500's but wanted to lighten up.
I packed my saddlebags and trunks. A army duffle on the back seat had the tent, sleeping bag, air mattress and pump and ground tarp.
For my son to ride while I was in Quantico, I brought a spare helmet, chin straped to the top of the duffle. I had a guy at a rest stop on the Pennsylvania turnpike comment they had followed me all the way from Michigan watching the guy on the back head bobbing the whole way. He had a surprise with the duffle and helmet.
I love the ST owners forum for all the good info and with my wife agreeeing to give motocamping a try I hit the jackpot with this site. Thanks again:D

[Mellow]

Thanks for setting up this site. Lots of good info as my wife and I start our motocamping.
My son was attending his first 6 weeks of Officers Candidate School USMC at Quantico, VA.
We are from Michigan, I was not going to miss his graduation and I also looked forward to a long ride in the saddle. 650 miles each way. 12 hours each way.
I picked the National forest campground just outside Quantico. I set up a nice 2+ man tent I had borrowed from my neices, no it did not have flowers or anything on it. 2 lane asphalt running back to this campground for 5 miles. Switchbacks, sweepers and rolling curves the whole way. I want to shake the hand of whomever layed out this campground and road to it.
He surely must have been someone who was upset for living sooo far away from the Dragon at Deals Gap. Believe me any trip to the D.C. area look for the National Forest near Quantico VA. The ride in and out is worth it.
I spent 2 nights, the 2nd with rain, nice bathroom facilities, no electricity or anything but I toughed it out. We have been traveling for 12 years in a 32 ft motorhome, this was a old experience from my youth.
I ride a GL1500, (my wife just bought a 2005 ST1300 last Thanksgiving, looking at the bike in the basement all winter, and is going nuts having such a blast) my wife has 9,000 miles of riding GL1500's but wanted to lighten up.
I packed my saddlebags and trunks. A army duffle on the back seat had the tent, sleeping bag, air mattress and pump and ground tarp.
For my son to ride while I was in Quantico, I brought a spare helmet, chin straped to the top of the duffle. I had a guy at a rest stop on the Pennsylvania turnpike comment they had followed me all the way from Michigan watching the guy on the back head bobbing the whole way. He had a surprise with the duffle and helmet.
I love the ST owners forum for all the good info and with my wife agreeeing to give motocamping a try I hit the jackpot with this site. Thanks again:D

Great story... welcome to the site and fee free to ask any question or suggestions that might make it a better place.

[Trailace]

larleesekunert Welcome to the site!

[nomad dan]

My first Motorcycle camping trip was a 4,000 mile trip, camping except for when it was raining in 1999.

The first night I pushed my luck running past Craig Colorado and didn't come to a camp ground. I found an entrace to a farmers field and rode my bike into some tall grass surrounded by trees just off the road. I didn't want my bike or tent to be visible to a local LEO and got bedded in amongst the tall grass. Worked out fine.

The next night I spent at a friends house in Estes Park, then went the next day to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Spent the first night at a KOA near Mt Rushmore, it was nice and had good showers.

The next night Rained like mad, took a motel.

The next night I hoped that a campground would show up about the time the sun was going down, and one did. Met a nice couple from Iowa on a Goldwing and shared a fire and stories with them.

The next night a state park in Iowa on a river showed up about dark and once again shared a fire with another couple on a bike and had a great shower. Very nice State Park, Don't remember the name.

Crossed the Mississippi into Ill. at Nauvoo and stayed at another State park. Loved the fire flies. It was the first time that I had seen them ever. They are awsome. When they hit your windshield they leave a glowing streak. I layed in my tent witht he flaps open watching them mesmerized.

Next night I was going through Nebraska and saw a big storm to the west, was trying to have it move out of the way by the time we crossed paths. Didnt' happen. Rode through the worst rain of my life and at the next exit, Ogalala, I took another motel. During the night a twister came through town, good night to be in a motel.

Next day while riding through Colorado I became very tired and in Grand Junction I pulled off the freeway because I was falling asleep. Tried to find a city park to nap in and was falling asleep while looking so I took the next piece of grass I found. It was a grocery store with a big lot and I rode to the end of it and laid in the grass next to a tree and fell asleep. 7 minutes later one of the towns finest woke me up asking for ID. Gave it to him and he found out I wasn't a wanted bad guy and said I could sleep. Too late, was awake now and rode on in to Salt Lake City.

If I had it to do over now that I'm more profeciant with the net, I'd plan out my camping spots. Back then computers were a mystery to me and so I just rode hoping that a camp spot would present itself by the time the sun was going down. Usualy did and I had a great time.

[sandman]

I've always liked those Nomads. You ride kinda like your bike's name. Sounds like a good way to go.

Gordon

[Mellow]

Good Story...

Ya gotta love the pic of a fully loaded bike alone with a mountain in the background... geez, that's what it's all about.

Welcome to the site and let us know if you have any questions.

[Trueblu]

My First Motocamp was what started me on long distance riding. It was on a Yamaha Maxim 650 from Vancouver Island down the coast on the 101 and the 1 and across the Desert via Bakersfield to the Laughlin River Run. Boy did my backside ache I was taking pain pills like crazy but having the time of my life.

It was the same year the Banditos shot up 12 Guys in the Casino. On the way down we stayed in KOA Cabins but when we reached Needles we pitched our tents. As soon as I got mine up a hot desert wind swept the camp site and took my tent tumbling like a tumble weed across the site with all the biker Guys shouting encouragement (and other remarks) as I charged after it. Boy was I embarrassed, being a beginner! But the bug bit! I try to go on a long ride twice a year and now, 4 bikes later, I am off on another trip at the end of the month to the bottom of the Baja, this time astride an ST1300, the fast Blue one, with all the Farkles. I have a much smaller tent and am well practiced at getting it up and staked down!

[Mellow]

Ah yes.... the Tent Chase Dance....

I've yet to fall prey to it's powers but I came close once earlier this year at Guadalupe Mtns Nat'l Park in Texas... it was completely calm and then the wind would just gust at 30 mph out of nowhere... luckily, I was just standing next to my tent and grabbed the poles to hold it.

[nomad dan]

Good Story...

Ya gotta love the pic of a fully loaded bike alone with a mountain in the background... geez, that's what it's all about.

Welcome to the site and let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks for the welcome.

That pic is from Zions National Park in southern Utah.

Utah is a great place to ride a bike. Here is another utah pic and if anyone wants to come this way hit me up for route suggestions.

[Trailace]

nomad dan

I like the way you camp!

I have more fun just camping on the side of the road away from traffic.

Welcome to the site.

Rick

[nomad dan]

nomad dan

I like the way you camp!

I have more fun just camping on the side of the road away from traffic.

Welcome to the site.

Rick

Thanks Rick, if you are ever headed for CanyonLands National Park in Moab, Ut; I found a good place off the side of the road just south of Moab off a short dirt road, maybe 1/4 mile off the pavement.

Here's a CanyonLands Pic

[Mellow]

I could have used that spot back in 2004 when I couldn't find anything in Arches Nat'l Park and ended up at the KOA on Moab... at 2am some dork with squeaky car doors and a noisey bag pulled up at the site next to me... I was sound asleep and couldn't get back to sleep so I started that day early.

[Trailace]

Thanks Rick, if you are ever headed for CanyonLands National Park in Moab, Ut; I found a good place off the side of the road just south of Moab off a short dirt road, maybe 1/4 mile off the pavement.

Here's a CanyonLands Pic
Thanks Dan I like free sites.

[DonD]

This Nov. marks the official 40th year since my first visit to Death Valley CA camping via MC. I had been before as a child and really didn't remember too much about it. In Nov 1966 I rode out on my SuperHawk into the night for quite an adventure. I left my home at 9pm and rode all night with many stops at checkpoints to complete the ralley. I arrived in DV in daylight to see more motorcycles than I'd seen in one place ever. I was truly in awe of the whole spectacle and I was part of it. I camped out at Texas Springs across the road from Furnace Creek and in my haste to pack and get on the road, I'd forgotten the poles for my tent. It didn't matter, I had participated in something I'd only read about up 'til then...I rode a Gypsy Tour!!
In Nov I plan to return to relive those warm memories aquired 40 years before.

Where has the time gone.

[Trailace]

40 years man thats a long time.

The older we get the faster the time goes by.

[STeveGray]

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering -- "What happened?"
--Ashleigh Brilliant

[Mellow]

Okay... you might just have the best one.. LOL

[STeveGray]

Wow. I'm starting to feel I've lived a rather sheltered life! :rolleyes:

[Trailace]

I want to ride with Tiny he has all the fun.

[nomad dan]

Bravo for good christian girls!

[EdsST]

My first camping experience was in Arizona - I stayed at Lyman State Park which was basically empty in Early March. There was me and 3 or 4 RV'ers about 1/4 mile away. I had called my wife told her what I was doing. Of course she was worried because I was out in the middle of no where by myself. She kept telling me something could happen and nobody there would know etc.

Its cold and the sleeping bag I got while rated to 25 degrees was too short (I'm 6"2' - at it was supposed to be for someone that tall - well not if you need to be completely covered). So had put my riding jacket over my head to help.

Then about 3 am something hits me in the head - scared the living bejesus out of me and it hit me a couple of times. Deciding that I needed to face whatever was after me I open the tent up to find that the wind had significantly picked up and had pull one of my stakes out of the vestibule and the clip on was what was hitting me head.

It took me a while to get back sleep after that

[Mellow]

My first camping experience was in Arizona - I stayed at Lyman State Park which was basically empty in Early March. There was me and 3 or 4 RV'ers about 1/4 mile away. I had called my wife told her what I was doing. Of course she was worried because I was out in the middle of no where by myself. She kept telling me something could happen and nobody there would know etc.

Its cold and the sleeping bag I got while rated to 25 degrees was too short (I'm 6"2' - at it was supposed to be for someone that tall - well not if you need to be completely covered). So had put my riding jacket over my head to help.

Then about 3 am something hits me in the head - scared the living bejesus out of me and it hit me a couple of times. Deciding that I needed to face whatever was after me I open the tent up to find that the wind had significantly picked up and had pull one of my stakes out of the vestibule and the clip on was what was hitting me head.

It took me a while to get back sleep after that

Great first post Ed !... Welcome to the site.

[wengland]

Ah; guess I can post my story here. Planned to go camping with my friend Nathan. Then he invited one other guy. Who invited another. And some guy from work decided to tag along.

Left Winfield to head to Arkansas. It was Nice ride down - US 169 to 69 to Talequah, US 62 to Fayetteville. At least, after I got out of the pouring rain from KC to Ottawa.

We had Nat, me, T and A and some FNG, J, on a 1980 Kawasaki KZ650 with a vetter fairing. He borrowed the bike from his dad, borrowed his dad's helmet and one of Nat's jackets. You can see where this is going, eh?

T insisted we go to hooters for dinner. $20 for a fish sammich. Bleh.

All but me want to take I-540 from Fayetteville to Devils Den state park "to save time" instead of the nearly abandoned twisty US 71. Feh.

J's sleeping bag unrolls at 80MPH on 540. He pulls over and repacks. Starts back up, gets to speed, gets a wobble - flat rear tire.

Pull back over.

It's a bald, weather cracked Chen Shing tire. With a 3" screw.

He has a can of FixaFlat. No plugs, nothin.

I give him my tire plug kit - at least he knows how to use it. Plug tire, air up with my compressor.

While I was standing around killing time, I found 3 more honkin big nails on the shoulder. Act of g*d that I didn't get one in a tire myself.

45 minutes later, we're back rolling.

Arrive Devils Den. Set up camp, BS, eat gorp, sleep.

Total Miles: About 400 or so.

Monday: J's tire is still flat. Ride to Fayetteville, go to Dennys (T's choice), find open Honda dealer in Bentonville. OK, so much for riding AR16 to Pig Trail to Eureka Springs.

Ride to Honda shop. Sit there for 4 hours waiting on J's tire to get changed.

Mention to 3/4's of the employees at the shop that we're taking US 62 over to Eureka Springs. Not one of them mentioned that there was a 45+ minute delay for construction.

Ride to ES after huge construction delay. Eat at Sparkies. (Finally - non chain food!)

They buy beer for T&A&J. Case and a half of Natural Light. (Ok, Nat and I split a 6-pack of some good import) Use Givi trunk as a cooler.

Ride to Table Rock. Set up camp. 25 yards from a led zepplin reunion party. or, at least some pack of fscktards with a loud stereo.

Watch T&A&J drink case and a half of beer. Walk to convinience store down road, buy Mt Dew, book. Sit, read, wait for this weekend to be over. Too dang frustrated and tired to bother saddling up the bike and going for a ride.

Total miles for Monday: 86

Tuesday: Get up, pack up, head out. Finally, some riding. Up 86 to 'F' across Rolling River state park. Must camp there sometime. Down 123 to Seligman. Stop for breakfast at itty bitty cafe. Dang fine chow.

76 to Washburn, 90 to US 71. 71 to Joplin, Nevada, KC, home.

Glad to be home.

700 miles for the 3 days. I could have had as much twisty-riding and acutal riding by simply leaving at 5:00 AM Saturday, running to ES, 2 hrs down Pig Trail, back up and home by midnight.

*NEVER* ride with anyone who won't do 1,000 miles in a day.

I was pretty leery of this trip in the first place, now I know I was right.

Ah well. Bad day of riding is better than a good day of work.

Will

[Trailace]

My first camping experience was in Arizona - I stayed at Lyman State Park which was basically empty in Early March. There was me and 3 or 4 RV'ers about 1/4 mile away. I had called my wife told her what I was doing. Of course she was worried because I was out in the middle of no where by myself. She kept telling me something could happen and nobody there would know etc.

Its cold and the sleeping bag I got while rated to 25 degrees was too short (I'm 6"2' - at it was supposed to be for someone that tall - well not if you need to be completely covered). So had put my riding jacket over my head to help.

Then about 3 am something hits me in the head - scared the living bejesus out of me and it hit me a couple of times. Deciding that I needed to face whatever was after me I open the tent up to find that the wind had significantly picked up and had pull one of my stakes out of the vestibule and the clip on was what was hitting me head.

It took me a while to get back sleep after that

Welcome EdsST!

[Trailace]

Will Welcome!
I was on a ride like that once and it's not fun.

[Mellow]

Will, Good story????.. Man, that sux... But, I'll bet, or at least hope, he learned a lot on that trip.

Hey, feel free to post your site in your sig or anywhere here, you've got some great info there:
http://will.mylanders.com/mc/notes/

[Echo]

My Dad got me hooked on bikes when I was a kid. I remember riding on the gas tank in front of him while my Mom was on the seat behind him. He taught me to drive the Honda Dream he had when I was 12.
Got motorcycle added to my drivers licence when I was 19 in '73' and a brand new Honda 360 that spring. That summer was my first bike trip but no camping. With my then husband and I on our bike, my brother and his wife on their bike we took off for a 2 week trip from upstate NY to NH to visit my Uncle and his family. We took our time, did a lot of cruising around siteseeing. I, myself fell in love the idea of camping with the bike.
My first bike/camping trip was in '78' with my 2nd husband. We used motels when it rained. Other than that the only 'shelter' we had was a ground sheet and a sqare tent fly we stretched over us and tied to whatever was handy, the bike, picnic table, trees. We traveled from upstate NY to Skyline Drv in VA. We drove down that onto the Blue Ridge Pkwy. A side trip to Mammoth Cave in KY, over thru Nashville, then into Cherokee NC. We ended up breaking down in the Great Dismal Swamp in VA. (we were headed for Va Beach to visit hubby's buddy)
What an experience! There we were in the middle of a swamp with nothing around and no traffic either! We just kinda stood there not knowing what to do and it was about 11pm. We hadn't planned on stopping until we reached the buddies house. Finally we heard a dirtbike coming. We were at a 4 way intersection and stood there waving our arms so that we would be seen. !!! The bike stopped very fast as soon as we were visible in the headlite and just sat there up the road? Finally the driver of the bike drove up to us? My husband told him the problem and the guy told my husband to jump on behind him and he could use the phone at his house. Me? I was fine until I started hearing 'noises' and realized just how alone I was with swamp surrounding me! One noise was a bull frog croaking happily. But all of a sudden he let out a wild squawk and then nothing more! That did it! I ended up sitting on the bike with my feet pulled up on the seat. Not 20min later (seemed like forever) the dirtbike came back, he never even stopped! My husband simply put his feet down and the guy drove out from under him? Hubby very quickly told me to come on that he wanted to push the bike up the road where we could see a light. It was a lot longer push than we both thought. Hubby was acting very strange but would say why? His buddy finally got there with his pickup, we loaded the bike into the back and got out of there!
It wasn't until after we were in the pickup that my hubby told me what had went on and what was told to him while he was gone and I was sitting there by myself in the dark.
When he got to the dirtbikers house the guy had to pound and shout to get his wife to unlock the house trailer to let him in. And she had a shotgun in her hands. My hubby called his buddy, then the guy told him that for the past month or so 3 women had been raped and mutilated in the area and that they hadn't caught the guy! My hubby about went nuts!!! He told the guy, "Why didn't you say that before?" "You let me leave my wife out there all by herself?" He said they flew back to where I was and that's why the guy didn't even stop to let him off just drove out from under him.
I have been on other trips since then. Just my husband and I. Then with both kids and 2 bikes to Nova Scotia. With my Dad up into the Adirondaks and one great trip with my Mom to Niagra Falls and Canada. And a couple of trips just me by myself.
But never will I forget sitting in that damn swap in what was close to pitch black night on top of the bike all by myself!!

[Mark]

Echo,

I'm sure it wasn't fun but your story had me grinning... I can just imagine your x giving that guy grief!
And I've been out in the middle of no-where with no one around but bugs and when everything goes quiet... incipient panic...

Glad to here you're looking to get back onto motorcycles.

Mark

[ChipSTer]

...A couple of days, and maybe 300 miles later, I found myself nearing the southern shores of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. It was slow going on that little 350! I really wanted to see and touch this lake, and when I saw a sign on a narrow blacktop road that said campground, even though I knew I was in an Indian Reservation, I took a chance it would lead me to water. It did. I found the most pristine, isolated, and beautiful campsite that still stands ranked at #1 in all my travels. There was no attendant, no posted rates, not even a sign with the name of the place. It was deserted and abandoned for quite some time, as long grasses grew in the centers of the half dozen once maintained sites, just a few yards up the long sandy bluff along the endless beach...
Were you on the Bad River Indian Reservation? See thumbnail for suspected location...

[STeveGray]

Wow, Echo. :eek: That reads like the beginning of a Stephen King novel! Great post. I'm sure glad you made it out of there OK. I hope you enjoy the continuing adventure of riding and camping but no more adventures like that one! OK?

[Trailace]

Echo Great report glad you mad it out of there ok.

Again Welcome!:)

[Echo]

Thanks to everyone! LOL

[sandman]

Wow!

Echo, just read your story, have you sold the movie rights yet?

Glad to welcome you to the group.

Gordon

[sandman]

It's been a while since the last camping story was posted.

Come on you new guys somebody's got to have a good one!