The 6th Annual Moonshine Lunch Run - 2010

(Click Pictures to Enlarge)

I had long been told by my Motorcycle Touring Forum buddies that I would never be a true Long Distance Motorcycle rider until and unless I had attended a Moonshine. With that sage advice in mind, I left Paducah early Friday morning for the short 200 mile ride to Casey, IL and my first Moonshine Lunch Run. 

Unlike many of the past years, the weather this year could not have been better! I am told proper credit for the stellar weather goes to this years Weather Chairman, Tim Yow.

Fortunately, I took Terry Hammond's advice and followed friends to the Moonshine Store, ignoring my lying Miss Garmin!

Bikes poured in while we were eating our burgers.

Yep, the burgers were delicious, just ask Ray (jumper5392). We were there early before the line formed. I learned quickly you can kiss your diet goodbye at any Moonshine event!

John (Sarkri), keeping an eye on the somewhat scarce Diet Dew. 

Diet Dew, Cheeseburgers and Chocolate Rice Krispies 

"Moonshine's Breakfast of Champions!"  

Hundreds of different bikes could be seen at Moonshine.

A great place to put new faces with old names.

From adventure to full touring ... they'll all be at Moonshine!

Tail Dragger Fuel Cells, Power Windshields and Aux Lighting. Obviously I was very interested in any Wing set up for LD Riding and there were plenty of them.

Tim Yow led 250 Moonshiners to Fridays BBQ Lunch at The Stovepipe Grill and Smokehouse

The Stovepipe Restaurant is located at The Lincoln Springs Resort, the home of The Worlds Tallest and Ugliest Lincoln Statue.

Four hundred people showed up for Friday Nights Awards Dinner, held at Richards Farm Restaurant in Casey. Riders converged on Moonshine from as far away as California!

Hundreds of bikes arrived early, filling the parking lot and lining both sides of the road.

Moonshine benefits several deserving local charities in a big way. Terry Hammonds and his many helpers have done a wonderful job pulling it all together each year. The event is truly a credit to everyone involved.

Moonshine is also a lot of fun! It's a great place to meet old friends and make new ones. Also, if you love to kick tires and ogle LD bikes you'll love Moonshine!

The only  fault with Moonshine I found was there were so many people attending I wanted to talk to but never got a chance. Many I didn't even know were there until afterward. That is all the excuse one needs to attend next year.



Moonshine Update:


The Official Count!

1,908 Moonburgers ate at Moonshine Saturday!
Beat the old record by 789!

1,100 Motorcycles

250,000 miles 1 way

500,000 miles round trip!

39 States and Canada!

Farthest riders are 2,132 miles 1 way!

.

With all due respect... "Because I said so" wasn't a valid response when I was 5, and is even less valid as I approach 65.  ~Michael Jordan~ (LD List)

"All great truths begin as blasphemies."  ~George Benard Shaw~

Iron Butt Kentucky (In-State) Saddle Sore 1K

 SPOT Tracking Map.

Iron Butt Kentucky (In-State) Saddle Sore 1k Route    (Click Map)

Starting Date: Friday 03/19/2010
Starting Time: 4:01 am (CDT)
Starting Location: Paducah, KY
Ending Date: Friday 03/19/2010
Ending Location: Paducah, KY
Ending Time: 8:58 pm (CDT)
Total Elapsed Time - 16 Hours 59 Minutes
Total Mileage - 1031 (Garmin/MapSource)
Total Stops - 15 (not counting begining and ending)

The winter in Western Kentucky seemed unusually long and hard this year. I normally ride all winter, but this year was the exception. If it wasn't extremely cold or slick, it was salt covered roads. I have ridden some locally but Friday was the first pretty day I could set aside for an Iron Butt ride.

The goal of this ride was not to simply accumulate Interstate miles, but rather, to circumnavigate the state of Kentucky, while coming through or near as many of the states major cities as possible.

Friday was a beautiful day to ride. I left Paducah early (4:01 am, CDT), knowing it would take at least 16 to 17 hours to complete the ride, barring any unexpected delays. I rode to Mayfield, Murray, crossing The Land Between the Lakes, and on to Cadiz and Hopkinsville before sunrise.

Sunrise seemed to take forever due to the recent switch back to Daylight Savings Time. I would be rewarded later in the day when the sunset took its time arriving. Riding at dawn/dusk or at night is always a concern due to Kentucky’s heavy deer population.

The temperature held steady at 36 degrees well after sunrise.  However, reasonably cold temperatures are not really a problem once a rider discovers the wonders of heated clothing.

To properly document a turn on an Iron Butt ride requires a time/date-stamped receipt. Due to the many twists and turns on this ride, many times I would simply stop and quickly buy something instead of fueling.

The southern, eastward leg of my route, basically followed Hwy 80 East to The Louie B Nunn Cumberland Parkway and The Daniel Boone Parkway. Much of this portion of the ride was on two lane roads and/or 55 mph speed limits. Other cities on the southern portion of the ride included Russellville, Bowling Green, Glasgow, Somerset, London, Hazard, and Paintsville. Around noon, I arrived at Catlettsburg (near Ashland), the eastern most point on my route, where I took a very short, ten minute break.

From Catlettsburg I turned west on I-64, riding through Moorhead, Mt Sterling, Winchester, and Lexington. Interstate 75 led me north from Lexington to Florence, where I again turned west on I-71, arriving in Louisville just in time for the 5 pm rush hour traffic.

As I passed the traffic jammed on-ramps leading to Louisville's Gene Snyder Freeway (265) and The Henry Watterson Expressway (264), I made the decision to follow I-71 downtown to I-65 South. (My timing could have been a tad better.) I finally concluded there was no easy way around Louisville's stop and go traffic zoo. Eventually I cleared the gridlock, taking I-65 southwest to Elizabethtown.  The Western KY Parkway took me west to Beaver Dam, where I turned north on The William Natcher Parkway to Owensboro.

The only real incident happened soon after leaving Owensboro, westbound, on The Audubon Parkway. A large Red Tailed Hawk flew up from the center median grass, low, directly into my path. At Interstate speeds, all I could do was duck my head, hang on, and ride though an explosion of hawk feathers. A quick glance in my mirror revealed the hawk, tumbling down the parkway behind me. After it was over, I was grateful the hawk hit the front of the bike and not me. Arriving in Henderson at dusk, I found no damage to my Wing. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the unlucky hawk.

From Henderson I turned south on The Pennyrile Parkway, riding through Sebree, Madisonville and Mortons Gap. Turning west again on The Western KY Parkway, I rode through Dawson Springs and Princeton. After a thirty-five mile, westbound ride on I-24, I officially finished the ride at 8:58 pm, CDT in Paducah.

I normally evaluate any ride after it is over with the goal of identifying mistakes or planning errors. After a few days to reflect, I view the hawk incident as something I had no control over, although the outcome was about as good as it could be. However, I do have regrets for the ill-fated hawk.

More planning needs to be devoted to arrival times when passing through major cities at peak traffic periods. Although time was not a critical factor in this ride, an hour adjustment at the start, either way, would have easily eliminated the Louisville rush hour slow down.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable ride. All that remains is completing and submitting the Iron Butt paper work. I am already looking forward to the next ride.

Living and dying is not the big issue. The big issue is what you're going to do with your time while you are here. ~Bill T. Jones~

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.   ~Robert Louis Stevenson~

Iron Butt - Bun Burner Gold (1500 Miles in 24 hrs)

Starting Date: Sunday 11/01/09
Starting Time: 6:06 am (CT)
Starting Location: Paducah, KY
Ending Date: Monday 11/02/09
Ending Location: Paducah, KY
Ending Time: 4:01 am (CT)
Total Elapsed Time - 21 Hours 55 Minutes
Total Mileage - 1558 (Garmin/MapSource)
Total Stops - 11

Click here to view the Spot Map

  Iron Butt - Bun Burner Gold Route     (Click Map)
(ride 1,500 documented miles in 24 hrs or less)

After completing an Iron Butt Saddle Sore 2000 ride in late August, I came away with a much better understanding of my riding/endurance capabilities. Back-to-back 1,000 plus mile days left me reasonably sure I could have ridden much farther each day. With that in mind, I began planning the next step, the Iron Butt Bun Burner Gold.  I promised myself I would closely evaluate the BBG throughout the ride for fatigue. If, at anytime, I felt rest was needed, I was fully prepared to stretch the ride to 36 hours (Bun Burner1500). 

Sunday, November 1st, 2009 proved to be a perfect day. The temps started out cool (mid 40’s) but warmed quickly under a bright, clear sky. I left Paducah, KY at 6:06 am CT, headed north to Marion, IL via 1-24 and I-57. After a quick turn around gas stop (7:53 am CT), I turned south on I-57, crossing the Mississippi River at Cairo, IL and continuing on to the next turn at Matthews, MO on I-55. (8:59 am CT)

The temps had warmed enough to switch to a lighter jacket and gloves. I gassed up to mark the corner and then turned south on I-55, skirting around West Memphis, AR and Memphis, TN. Two planned gas stops and a few hundred miles later, I made the next turn east on I-12, complete with a gas stop, near Hammond, LA. (02:56 pm CT). By then the temps were in the low 70’s (f) with little wind. It was a beautiful day for a ride!

 Interstate 12 quickly turned into I-10 and I crossed the LA/MS state line, passing near Biloxi, MS and on to Mobile, AL. I turned north on I-65 at Mobile and marked the turn with another gas stop (4:49 pm CT). Daylight was fading fast, along with the warmer temps. I changed back to my heavier First Gear Kilimanjaro Jacket and Gloves before continuing north to Montgomery and on to Birmingham, AL. (6:56 pm CT)

Following the by-pass around the east side of Birmingham, I eventually turned northeast on I-59, passing near Gadsden and Fort Payne, AL and continuing on to I-24 at Chattanooga, TN. After losing an hour to the Eastern Time Zone, and yet another corner gas stop (11:47 pm ET), I continued north on I-75 to the junction of I-40 where, after marking the corner with a gas receipt (01:01 am ET), I turned west, toward Nashville, TN. Not far west on I-40 I returned to the Central Time Zone and regained the hour lost.

By now it was late and my concerns for forest rats (deer) were foremost in my mind. I could not decide if the bright, full, harvest moon and clear skies were, overall, a plus or a minus. I could see much better with the additional moon light, but I also thought the deer might be on the move as well. After all, this late night ride was in the middle of the deer rut (mating season), through prime deer country, in the mountains of northeast AL and eastern TN. Luckily, I never saw the first deer.

I stopped again on the north side of Nashville, at a seemingly deserted gas station, to mark the I-24 corner (2:09 am CT). I continued northwest about 45 miles to the rest stop at the KY/TN state line, where I made a quick pull-over (5 min) to evaluate how tired I was, and to find a stick of gum. I have found chewing gun helps me stay alert. The rest stop was chocked full of people sleeping in their cars with their motors running. In tough economic times many find motels an all too expensive luxury.

Throughout the night the temps had averaged in the mid to high 30's (f) but now dropped to a chilly 32 (f) degrees, insuring a brisk ride at Interstate speeds. Fortunately, I was wearing a warm electric jacket liner and was tucked in behind a fully faired Gold Wing.

About eighty-five miles later, I arrived back in Paducah, KY at the gas station where I started. After collecting an ending gas receipt (4:01 am CT) and completing the ending witness form, I rode the last four miles home, somewhat tired but, strangely, wired and wide awake.

I made a total of eleven stops on this ride, not counting the starting and ending receipts. Without the use of an auxilary fuel system, my gas stops came at the required corner marks or between 180 and 200 miles. All but one was a planned gas stop, saved as "Waypoints" in my GPS. None of the stops were longer than eight minutes, with most in the six to seven and a half minute ranges. I encountered two gas stations with pay-at-the-pump receipt problems. I was fortunate neither caused a delay. Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of my receipts.

Borrowing a good idea from LD Riders Steve Short and Greg Rice, I used Aerostitch Pannier Bags, which enabled me to eat (sparingly) entirely on my Wing while riding. I normally avoid caffine a few days before and during long rides, limiting my liquid intake to nothing but water. I have yet to find a suitable hydration system I find practical. Until I do, I continue to use a Butler Cup and bottled water during LD rides.

After a few days of reflection, I would make one major change to this ride. Considering the inherent danger of riding at night during the deer rut, it would have been more prudent to reverse the route. Riding the dangerous mountain, deer infested portions during the daylight hours and deferring the flat, open ground of Mississippi and Arkansas for the night riding. I will certainly incorporate this lesson into any future Iron Butt ride I plan.

Although the ride was tough, I thoroughly enjoyed it. For me, the real fatigue showed up after the ride, over the next couple of days, as the adrenalin rush wore off.  

Once again, I gained valuable insight into my long distance endurance capabilities. I eagerly look forward to the KY In-State SS1000 and the  Ironbutt 50cc, planned for the spring of 2010.

"Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying"- Andy Dufresne, "The Shawshank Redemption"

It reminds me to value life and to embrace it whenever I can. Embracing life does not mean being stupid or reckless, but it does mean experiencing it as fully as we can. ~Bruno Valeri~ (L D List)

Maine/Canada Leaf Peeping - Fall 09

Our friends in Maine have invited us to come up for the Fall Foliage Peak. We will be leaving Friday morning, again in the Camry. Unlike usual, I will blog this trip, with pictures, on our return at Old Enough to Retire, Young Enough to Enjoy It!

We will use the Spot Tracker throughout the trip. If interested Click Here or click the Spot Logo on the right sidebar.

Right is still right even if nobody's doing it. And wrong is still wrong even if everybody is doing it..... ~Unknown~

Iron Butt Saddle Sore 2K (2,000 Miles in 48 hrs)

Day One

Starting Date: Saturday 8/29/09

Starting Time: 7:35 AM (CDT)

Starting Location: Charleston, MO

Ending Location: Santa Rosa, NM
Ending Time: 9:29 PM Mountain Daylight Time (10:29 CDT)
Day One Riding Time - 14 Hours 54 Minutes
Day One Mileage - 1069

Rest Break - The Days Inn, Santa Rosa, NM (7hrs 24 mins)

Day Two

Starting Date: Sunday 8/30/09
Starting Time: 4:53 AM Mountain Daylight Time (5:53 am CDT)
Starting Location: Santa Rosa, NM
Ending Location: Charleston, MO

Ending Time: 9:21 PM (CDT)

Day Two Riding Time: 15 hours 28 Mins
Day Two Mileage - 1069

Two Day Recap:
Total 2 Day Riding Time: 30 hrs 18 mins.

Combined Riding and Rest Time: 37 hrs 42 mins

Total 2 Day Mileage: 2138

Mileage Calculation Methods:
Honda Gold Wing Odometer-2138
Garmin-Model 2730-2055

(Online) Google Maps-2060

(Online) MapQuest-2062

(Online) Bing Maps-2106

Click here to view the Spot Map

Iron Butt SaddleSore 2K     (Click Map)

(ride documented 2,000 miles in 48 hours or less)

This ride was a straight forward one thousand miles out and back.

My route took me south from Charleston, MO via 1-57 to I-55 and on to West Memphis, where I turned west on I-40, through Little Rock and Ft Smith, Arkansas. I continued across Oklahoma, through Oklahoma City and across the Texas Panhandle to Amarillo. The first leg ended 95 miles west of the Texas-New Mexico border at Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

I was blessed with beautiful weather for most of the ride with two exceptions. I ran into moderate rain Saturday night near Santa Rosa, NM and again, about daylight, Sunday morning returning. Other than that, blue skies with mid 70's to low 80's temps.

The visual highlight of the ride came at daybreak Sunday morning as I re-crossed the New Mexico/Texas border (near Shamrock, NM) on the return (east) leg. The sun slowly rose behind high, thin, rain-streaked clouds.  It was siimply beautiful over the arid Texas Panhandle.

After a smooth, uneventful return, I arrived home from Charleston, MO around 10:30 pm (CDT), tired but very satisfied with the ride. It should also be noted, my Wing purred like a contented kitten the entire trip.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." ~Helen Keller~

My life goes in only one direction ..... forward! ~HBO's Madmen~

Tennessee Courthouse Tour

It is only a matter of time before I continue my Courthouse Tour, this time in the beautiful state of Tennessee.

Tennessee has 95 counties which I have divided into four trips. Leg 1 & 2 should be overnight trips (2 days) while Leg 3 & 4 will be two nights (3 days). I will probably do these four trips sometime during the fall of 09 and spring of 10.

As yet, I have no date in mind for any of the rides.

If you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. ~Wayne Dyer~

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.
~Michael Altshuler~

Old Enough to Retire, Young Enough to Enjoy It!

Carolyn and I will leave on our Northwest vacation July 7th.

As promised, we will blog as much as possible along the way. If you are interested you can join us with the link below.

Comments are always much appreciated and always welcome!

Old Enough to Retire, Young Enough to Enjoy It!

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with" ~Mark Twain~