31 December 2011 - Medevac helicopter at the Red Rock Canyon overlook

 I had hoped to ride through the scenic loop before going to the overlook on the main road, but when I arrived at the entrance plaza I was informed that the loop was closed due to an accident.  I headed on up to the overlook to wait before seeing if the loop would re-open and found quite the scene.  It turns out that the accident involved a rock climber and all the emergency responders decided to use the overlook as a base of operations.

31 December 2011 - Motorcycles at the Overlook

31 December 2011 - Motorcycles at the Overlook

31 December 2011 - Motorcycles at the Overlook

31 December 2011 - Motorcycles at the Overlook

31 December 2011 - Motorcycles at the Overlook

 I don’t know if everyone wanted to see a helicopter take off, but it seemed like every motorcyclist within a 10+ mile range had converged on the overlook.  Cruisers, touring bikes, sport bikes, standards, dual sports and a bit later even a scooter all showed up

31 December 2011 - Medevac helicopter leaving the area

 The helicopter eventually took off and just about everyone else left as well.  Here’s wishing the injured climber all the best and a speedy recovery!

31 December 2011 - My new watch and just about 7,000 miles since I started riding

 I’m not leaving my new watch on the handlebars – I just wanted to make sure a watch would work there   That watch is one of my Christmas presents   It’s a Casio G-Shock GWM850-1 and it wasn’t cheap   For the money, you do get some really great features.  This watch is solar powered and will charge from even relatively dim light sources like fluorescent lights.  It also sets itself daily using the radio signal from the atomic clocks around the world so you know it will always be accurate

The idea of strapping a watch to the GPS mounting bracket worked perfectly, so I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a very inexpensive Casio that’s not a G-Shock but is still waterproof and has an electroluminescent back light that’s easy to activate even with gloves on.  Finally, I have a clock in easy view on the bike

You might also notice the odometer reading – I’ve now officially traveled 7,000 miles on my V-Star!  The odometer read 8436.5 when I first rode it and it was up to 15461.8 when I took this picture.  Remember that my daily commute to work is only about four miles round trip and you can get an idea of just how much I love to ride this fine machine

31 December 2011 - The last evening of 2011 in Red Rock Canyon

 It’s always a treat to have good lighting like this when you have a camera handy

31 December 2011 - Heading south in Red Rock Canyon

31 December 2011 - Panorama - The sun has set on 2011

I couldn’t believe how gorgeous the sunset turned out tonight   These pictures really don’t do it justice, especially when you’ve seen it from the saddle of a motorcycle.  Still, I don’t think they turned out half bad at all

Actually, after watching a few James Bond movies (especially the ones with Sean Connery), going for a good motorcycle ride that produced some pretty decent photos, and chatting with friends on the phone, I’d say today was pretty darn good

That’s all for this post, but I’ll have another one published soon.  Have a great day everyone

Life’s been a bit busy and tiring as usual, but I wanted to finally get a couple of posts published for a change

The Road Runners Internationale are a special group of people.  They’re the men who built the base at Groom Dry Lake, the reconnaissance aircraft that gave the U.S. the edge in the Cold War, the pilots who flew them, and the families who supported them.  Some of the programs were more tightly held secrets than the atomic bomb was in WWII and have only recently begun to be declassified.

I met T.D. Barnes and first learned about the Road Runners  at Aviation Nation 2004 – my first trip to Nellis Air Force Base for an airshow.  Over time we chatted via email and I was honored to be invited to join as an associate member.  Reunions are held every two years and I sadly missed the last one.  I wasn’t going to miss this one

5 October 2011 - Yours truly at the Black Mailbox

5 October 2011 - Roadrunners and friends at the Black Mailbox

5 October 2011 - About to mail a letter to the aliens

5 October 2011 - Panorama - Mailbox Road

5 October 2011 - Panorama - The Black Mailbox on the Extraterrestrial Highway

 Every reunion, the Road Runners have a field trip somewhere nearby.  This is the first time I’ve managed to clear time to go on one   Past field trips have gone to the Nevada Test Site where T.D. used to help test nuclear weapons and to Creech Air Force Base where the U.S. Air Force bases most of the Predator and Reaper UAVs which have been so effective in the wars overseas.  This year was a bit different.

We all got together in a convoy and headed north from Las Vegas, then onto Highway 93 north, and then west on the Extraterrestrial Highway.  We made a couple of stops along the way including the one in the pictures above at the Black Mailbox.  Long time readers will likely remember seeing pictures of this place before from back when I first got my HHR.  It was along again due to the need to help carry people to our destination for the day.  Yes, even in the cold and rain, I’d rather have been on my bike – just as long as I had the right gear   Still, the trip was well worth it especially with a couple of Canadians and a couple of Russians along as passengers

5 October 2011 - Down at the Little A'Le'Inn

5 October 2011 - A small view inside the Little A'Le'Inn

The 2011 Road Runners field trip was to the closest bit of civilization you can find near Groom Dry Lake.  That place is Rachel, NV and it is very small, indeed.  The largest business in Rachel is the Little A’Le’Inn    OK, I’ve never seen any UFOs out there, but the place is pretty cool

5 October 2011 - Panorama - Looking southeast from the Little A'Le'Inn

5 October 2011 - Panorama - Looking east from the Little A'Le'Inn

 As you can see from these pictures, the Little A’Le’Inn is rather remote and in that sense is similar to Groom Dry Lake.

5 October 2011 - Mining history in the Groom Lake area

 There were prior attempts at making use of the area before the Air Force showed up in the early 1950′s, but they didn’t quite pan out.  I can only imagine the tough life that those early miners lead out in the southern Nevada desert.

5 October 2011 - The Roadrunners Internationale and friends at the Little A'Le'Inn

 Inside the Little A’Le’Inn, people were packed in like sardines in a tin. Everyone enjoyed the great camaraderie, delicious food, and superb hospitality of the owners and staff

It’s amazing to me that this event even happened.  T.D. and several of the Road Runners also commented that even a few years ago, they never could have imagined that they would be at a place like the Little A’Le’Inn which is so close to Groom Dry Lake, packed in with friends, family, and news media, accompanied by the Central Intelligence Agency’s gift shop staff.  The novelty still remains when telling the stories about some of their formerly secret projects.  I still can’t believe I get to be in the middle of it all and I get to talk to the people who developed the planes I never thought I’d be allowed to know much about.  This was a truly great day

5 October 2011 - Joerg Arnu at the podium in the Road Runners' command post!

 Joerg Arnu is the webmaster for Dreamland Resort and the Road Runners’ websites.  Originally from Germany, Joerg knows more about the Nellis Range than I’ve ever thought to ask.  This trip was his doing and I commend him for managing to organize such a great day   He’s also one of those strange people who thinks that the best way to go down a road on a beautiful day involves two cylinders, two wheels, and leaning in corners   Yeah, we’ll probably go for a ride together sometime before too long

5 October 2011 - Panorama - Groom Lake Road in the diffused storm light

I took the photos that became this panorama on the way back to Las Vegas from the Little A’Le’Inn.  That road you see off in the distance is Groom Lake Road.  That is the road that leads to a place I’d love to visit someday, but which I will likely never reach.  It’s the road to Paradaise Ranch, AKA Watertown, AKA Dreamland, AKA Area 51.  It’s the place where the U-2, A-12, SR-71, and many other very special aircraft were developed.  Work still continues to this day on aircraft development and flight test out at Groom Dry Lake.

I don’t know what’s going on at that secret spot in the desert and I know it’s for the best that I don’t as I don’t have the need to know.  In the end, I’m just glad I’ve had the chance to meet the people who made history there in the past and that’s enough for me

Thank you, Road Runners, for all you’ve done for your country in the past and for all you continue to do to educate the rest of us today

5 September 2011 - Ready to hit the road for home

Mom got this picture for me as I was about to take off   She also made sure to get a few pics with her cell phone so she could share them with friends   You might have noticed that I swapped my face shield over from smoke to clear.  I did that because the skies weren’t exactly blue and sunny with warm breezes

5 September 2011 - Panorama - I wonder if I'll get to ride through that...

5 September 2011 - Panorama - Hmm... Looks like the road goes straight into that storm

 I checked the weather radar before I left my family’s place, but I couldn’t tell where these storms would actually be when I got a ways north of Prescott.  Just so you know, these are both different thunderstorms.

I don’t mind rain, even when it’s cold and the raindrops sting like stones being kicked up.  What I’m not all that thrilled about is lightning   Motorcyclists are more exposed to many different dangers compared to travelers in cars.  There’s pavement, other cars, and of course weather.  If it’s hot, we sweat.  If it rains, we get wet.  If it’s windy, you can be sure we notice it   Lightning in close proximity is about the only thing I worry about on the bike when it comes to weather.

5 September 2011 - I think we can agree that it got just a bit humid on my trip home

 In case you’re wondering, yes, I managed to ride through both of these storms and another one on top of them   There was plenty of rain, but thankfully it wasn’t too heavy most of the time.  Yes, the rain can sting a bit when it hits, but that was mostly on my legs where I only had my fatigue pants for protection.  The helmet, jacket, and gloves protected me from everything but getting a bit cold   I am currently looking into getting some better rain gear and I will pack the rain liner for my jacket next time

5 September 2011 - The weather finally broke for me on Route 66 west of Seligman

 I usually don’t mind rain all that much and I’m OK being cold for a while.  Still, that blue sky and the promise of warm sunshine was welcome as I rode west on Route 66 north of Seligman

5 September 2011 - Truxton Station is an old time gas station on Route 66

 Unlike the Hackberry General Store, Truxton Station is still a working gas station   I stopped because I’d been drinking the same amount of fluids as I had on the way down, but the weather wasn’t nearly as warm if you get my drift   It’s nice to see some part of the past that’s still around

5 September 2011 - Bikers from Germany at the Hackberry General Store

5 September 2011 - Shafts of light playing on the mountain near Hoover Dam

5 September 2011 - Panorama - Shafts of light playing on the mountain near Hoover Dam

 Rain clouds appeared in my path once again as I headed north from Kingman towards Las Vegas, but they’d moved on by the time I got to the border.  These pics were taken just south of Hoover Dam and the bypass bridge where I thought the sky was truly beautiful

5 September 2011 - Sun setting during my approach to Las Vegas

 The sun was finally setting as I approached Las Vegas after passing through Boulder City.  The extra red you see in the sky is from a layer of smoke from brush fires in California being carried east on the prevailing winds.  It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that and my thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the fires.

5 September 2011 - Safely back home after a tiring but very rewarding weekend

I finally made it back home after stopping by the gas station sometime around 1830 with the last light of the day fading in the west.  Th bike’s still dirty from riding in the rain and I’ll have to deal with that heat shield on the lower exhaust pipe that came loose, but it was well worth it.  700 or so miles under the wheels later and I can’t wait to do another trip like it again

That’s all for now, but I hope everyone has a great week

September 11, 2001 was a horrible day that I’ll never forget.  I’ve written about it a few times (use the search function on the upper right to find all the posts), but the original one with my best account of my experience that day is here.  I don’t know really what more there is to say about it that I haven’t already said.  Instead, I’m going to focus on today for the most part.  The day started with a shoot out in the desert and due to the dirt road, I was in the car for a change.  I’ve done a bit of dirt road and gravel on the V-Star, but I don’t know that I’ll ever take it to this place.

11 September 2011 - Scattering our friend Christina's ashes the way she wanted

 Before anyone thinks differently, this was not my idea!  Christina was a member of Nevada Shooters, a gunsmith, had worked construction, and loved tinkering with mechanical things like cars.  We were sad to learn that she’d passed away earlier this year due to brain cancer.  I hadn’t been too close to Christina but I remember that she was extremely nice, always helpful, and a great person to have around at our shoots.

The way I understand it, she’d wanted to go out with a bang and to have her ashes scattered over a gun range.  After her sister said a few words, her wish was granted.  Her ashes were placed on a fairly substantial charge of tannerite which was then set off by a .50 caliber rifle bullet   That smoke you see by the mountain is the aftermath of the shot and I think she would have truly loved it

I made sure to stop and chat with Christina’s sister a little while later.  Christina had owned a gun store in El Cajon, CA near San Diego and we’d discussed San Diego quite a bit.  I may not have known her all that well, but I knew her well enough and will miss her.  I explained this and I hope I gave her sister a little more support during a very tough time.

Godspeed, Christina and may you rest in peace.

11 September 2011 - Stopped in Red Rock Canyon

 Some of the people from the shoot went to Dean’s Place (a local Italian restaurant which is very friendly with the gun community) to eat and chat over truly good food.  I considered going, but I was getting rather tired again and still wanted to get in a bit of a ride to settle my mind.  September 11 has always been a day for remembrance and introspection for me, but Christina’s memorial shoot added a bit more than usual.

I got home, checked the weather on the computer, swapped flip flops for boots, and headed out on the bike.  I didn’t have anything in mind except going for a ride through Red Rock and getting a pic of my bike with the September 11 memorial decal on the saddle bag.  I met back up with a guy named Nick I’d met before out there and we talked for quite a while about all sorts of stuff.  He’s just gotten into riding with his first motorcycle as well.  I don’t want to spoil the future fun and tell everything about it right now, but I will say that it’s a Harley

11 September 2011 - Panorama - Storm clouds and rain in Red Rock Canyon

11 September 2011 - Panorama - More storm clouds and rain in Red Rock Canyon

11 September 2011 - Panorama - Half of the clouds in sunset, the others still in sunlight

11 September 2011 - Panorama - Golden light filtering through the broken clouds

11 September 2011 - Panorama - Sunset glowing on a few of the clouds

11 September 2011 - Panorama - Clouds glowing from within as sunset illuminates their tops

11 September 2011 - Panorama - Sunset illuminating a cloud like a smouldering coal in a campfire

11 September 2011 - Panorama - Last light of day on the highest clouds

It’s getting late and not only do I have to work tomorrow, but we’re all working ten hour shifts instead of eight so I’m going to wrap this post up fairly quickly   Our weather her in Fabulous Las Vegas has been a bit mixed this past week.  We’ve had a few thunderstorms lately and the temperatures are coming back down into the reasonable (under 100°) range.  Tonight the atmosphere was rather more unsettled than usual.  We only got a few drops in Red Rock, but I got a decent light show a bit later from a thunderstorm over by Lake Mead on my way home   Oh yeah – We also got some broken clouds that indicated a very cool sunset might present itself

I think the pictures came out fairly well considering I went handheld for all the pics   One of these days I’ll remember that I have tripods in the one of my saddle bags   In any case, I hope you like ‘em

In closing, let’s remember those who’ve sacrificed for us and those who continue to do so today.  I’m going to remember them and my thanks will always go out to them.  Here’s hoping it all gets better from here   Have a great week, everyone

Never forget

 The image above isn’t mine, but it’s the best one I’ve seen yet in its simplicity and message.  I would give credit to its creator, but I found it in too many places on the web to know who that is.  Thank you, sir or ma’am for your efforts.  I will remember.

 There are many great posts out on the Internet today about the anniversary of the terrorist attacks ten years ago.  I will be back later today with a more in-depth post, but I have a few things to do.  I’m going to a shoot in the desert which is being held as a memorial to a friend of ours who was recently lost to brain cancer.

A little bit later, I’ll be out on the bike on a solo ride to let everything sink in, coalesce, and settle back down.  I was thinking about going on one of the organized rides, but decided not to for many reasons.  I’ll never forget where I was that day a decade ago, who I was with, or what I was doing.  I didn’t personally know anyone injured or killed that day, but it still affected me deeply and still does.

God bless those who have died, those who have lost loved ones, those who have been wounded, and those who still serve today.