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Poots Journey- Part 3: The final stretch

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    Poots Journey- Part 3: The final stretch

    ===================PART 3=====================

    This next one may seem slightly ludicrous, but I'll be posting some reciept pics that will help prove it. Enjoy!

    Day 14 : Saturday

    Start : Rock Springs , Wyoming 51 , 001 km on odometer

    I wake up, and head down to the oil-change shop, since I don?t have a drain-pan, or a place to dispose of dirty oil. I take all the gear off my bike (ugh, I hate doing this) , and have to borrow a ratchet from them as well, as my china-ratchet breaks?. I add my mix of oils, and clean and re-oil my air-filter. Its been 6000km since my last oil change.

    Once this is all said and done, I head to the gas station, where I meet an older man, who is the rider of a Yamaha FJ1300. We strike up a conversation, and he?s also headed east towards Minnesota. He asks me how fast I usually go, and I tell him 75mph, and he promises to see me ahead, leading on that he travels much faster (on an FJ1300, with full touring fairings, I would hope so).

    Before I set off, I notice that I?m at 51km on the odometer, so I know when to change my oil next more easily, and for travel distances. I also check the time, and it?s 10:30 am Back on to the Interstate #80.

    It takes about 45 minutes for him to catch up to me, and he ends up holding position behind me, as I travel at 80mph. The headwind grows extremely strong, and it feels like I?m at the helm of a sailboat since I?m so heavily loaded.

    Where as I usually have about 90 km (average) before my needle drops below the full line on my fuel gauge, I crossed it at 55 km!!!! This was ridiculous!

    I keep going along Interstate #80 , and we pass many trucks and cars as they are being blown back by wind. There is a sign on the side of the road that says:

    STRONG WINDS ? NEXT 100 miles

    noooo! This just means the day got more expensive. We continue on, towards the Continental Divide, and the winds blow really hard the whole way. I run out of gas, but it?s a quick fix from my jerry can, and we stop at the next gas station. I feel bad, because he gets better mileage, and has a tank that?s twice as large as mine. He keeps with me though, and we cross the Continental Divide , and continue traveling through extremely strong headwinds.

    Slowly, the elevation begins to drop, and as we close in on Nebraska, it finally becomes warm enough for me to move my fingers with ease. We cross the border, and I notice my fuel is getting low. I run out of gas, ? mile away from the station!!! What luck I have? I fill up from the jerry can, and then fuel up. A conversation starts about how far we?re to go this day.

    He(I forgot his name) tells me that hes going to go as far as North Platte (Nebraska) today, and will head north from there tomorrow. I tell him that I want to continue along #80, to keep warm. He?s got a GPS on his FJ1300, and he shows me some of its features, including the route I?d have to take.

    ?Continue along the 80? he says, and I look and say ?then I can take the #75 up to the border?

    He shows another feature, that calculates the distance, and travel time.

    ?If you left now, you would arrive in Toronto by 3pm tomorrow afternoon.?

    Strangely, it puts the idea in my head. However, we keep going, and while its dark, stop for dinner at Perkins, in North Platte. We have an interesting chat about government, motorcycles, and a bunch of things. He used to be an electrical engineer working for Lockheed Martin. After paying the bill, he heads to his motel room, as I tell him I?m going to go a little further.

    Well, I think??we?ve done 750 km today, and that?s a pretty decent result. But that thought of arriving in Toronto at 3pm the next afternoon??

    I do my own calculations, involving fuel stops, food stops, etc.

    ?I think I could get there by 10pm tomorrow?.?

    I decide to go for it. I set off, from North Platte, at roughly 11:30 pm. The temperature now, is still warmer than the previous day temperatures, so it?s not a bother. I?m just worrying about fatigue. I?ve got earplugs, and determination?..Besides, I really want to surprise family and friends, since they knew when I was in North Platte, and would have no reason for expecting me so soon.

    I head on #80 East , and head towards Omaha, making a stop or 2 for coffee and snacks.
    Along the way, I?m still being passed by truckers, as I want to keep some fuel efficiency, and stick to going at or slightly below 75mph.

    The driving becomes tedious, and I know that this is what brings fatigue on, so I begin to slalom between the shiny markers dividing the lanes. When cars/trucks are coming within any proximity behind me, I pull to the right lane to let them pass. Usually I?m in the right lane for a few minutes before they pass me.

    I continue doing this as I get closer to Omaha, and notice another car coming up behind me. I stick to the right, noticing that they are getting pretty close. The next time I look at my rear view mirror, lights are flashing!!! OH NO!!!

    I pull over immediately, not wanting any problems, and proceed to turn off my bike, take my helmet and earplugs out.

    ?Can I see your license please? say?s the state trooper (there were 2, and a dog in the car!)

    Handing over my things, I say to him ?I realize that I was driving a bit oddly, but I was just trying to keep the ride more interesting? and also tell him about where I started, etc. etc. He comes back out after checking my paperwork, and asked whether I was tired. Telling him that I was alright, and was looking for cheaper accommodations in Omaha?

    We finish up the conversation, and I head off again, after watching them turn off the highway. Can you say ?.. PARANOIA???!!! Riding right through to the east limits of Omaha, I stop there for gas and coffe at about 5:45 am. The air had suddenly gotten very cool, and was draining my energy too fast. I end up staying in the gas station for about a ? hour to 45 minutes, and then depart from there with good wishes from the attendants.

    Again traveling eastwards on the Interstate #80, my next major point is Des Moines. The driving is uneventful, and still chilly, but watching the sunrise that morning was beautiful! The sky was filled with a mist-like cloud, clear enough to see the trails of airplanes lit up in the sky , but thick enough to make everything glow that orange-pink colour.

    I look down at my odometer, and I?ve now down about 1300 km. wow! Maybe I can do the 1600 km in 24 hours, I think to myself, the Ironbutt.

    As more time passes, fatigue races and catches up with me. My eyes start to close of their own accord, and this makes me really scared. When you blink , and a second or 2 has elapsed, you know its bad. I pull off at the next turn, and find a little grassy spot . Before stepping off, I look at my odometer, and it says 52 440. I only have another 2 hours to make the 1600km in 24 hours, as its now about 9 am. Forget it!

    I set my cell-phone alarm for 9:45 am, with the faint hope of making it. That time comes, and I hit the off key, and reset the alarm for 10:30 am. SLEEP!!!

    After I wake up, the goal of getting to Toronto is still in my head, and I head back onto the #80 by 10:45 am, feeling very refreshed. Talk about power-napping?.

    Again, the road is pretty lame, but the countryside is scenic, with lots of farms, fields, and rolling hills. I go through many towns and cities , without anything really eye-catching. The ride is relaxing, because the weather is nice and warm. Stopping for lunch at ?The world?s BIGGEST truck-stop? (wasn?t that much bigger than most others?.) I look to my next major point, which is the Chicago area.

    As I continue down into Illinois, the fall colours are past they?re prime, but still so nice! It?s been awhile since I?ve seen these kinds of forests, and the views are really great, with farmland and small towns in between rivers and small forests. People are burning leaves , and the smell is continuous for many miles.

    When I stop for gas, I notice that if I want to make it to Toronto, I?m going to have to start pushing it. I also notice that they sell 93 octane everywhere!! Why not? Still less than regular gas in California and Oregon?.. So I fill up with 93 octane, and head into the outer limits of Chicago area on #80. Going at about 140kmph (80-5 mph or so?)

    Traffic really starts to build up, but some people are still passing me. As I continue along, the volume makes it slow going, and once I get to the toll point, things are in gridlock, as there?s construction along the way. What perfect timing!!! Right on time for rush hour!!! Yay!!! This is my first real experience of gridlock on a bike, and it?s not pleasant. I finally am past all the traffic, as the sun is beginning to go down.

    DAMNIT!! That screwed my time up real good. I keep fueling 93 octane, and keep the speed pinned at 135-40kmph. As it gets dark, I continue on, into Indiana. Things get pretty foggy, but traffic keeps going at a pretty good pace, and I don?t drop speed at all. Again, there must have been some sort of mass leaf burning, that reminds me of the smell of roasted red peppers??mmmmmmmmm??.. this makes me hungry, so I stop around La Porte for dinner, and coffee. After sitting for a ? hour, I know that it won?t be long before the fatigue hits?..but this time I know it will hit hard. 7:30pm now?. What can I do? I want to make it Toronto?..I?ve come this far, so why not keep going? But I don?t want to end up dead??.

    Coffee, I know, is a very short fix, and makes things work in the end?..so I did something I usually avoid. I bought one of those potent energy drinks, knowing that the active ingredient, guarana, is many times more potent than caffeine . Not only is it more potent , but they put 50 mg of the stuff in the drink!!!! Within minutes, I feel the effects taking place, and begin riding soon after 7:30pm. My ass and thighs never felt so sore.....

    Continuing along #80, I get to the toll station at the Indiana border, only to find I have no money. Oops! The attendant writes me up an envelope that I have to mail to them within 5 days, for 4.50 American dollars?.. The same thing happens, when at the exit to Interstate #75, and they aren?t to pleased. This *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$es me off, and I tell them that I didn?t know, and there had been no spot to get money in between. They give me attitude, and I checked myself before saying anything too rash?

    Heading north along #75 from Toledo, towards Detroit. I still feel no fatigue, and I notice a distinct change in the driving styles on the highway. Much more fast paced, and aggressive. After nearly getting wiped out by a tour-bus, I keep my speed up to 140kmph, and as I am just coming out from passing I see a blacked out cruiser on the side, jamming on the brakes, but then speeding up, realizing that he could not have possibly gotten a reading, as I was blocked from view by the trucks. Regardless, paranoia fills my mind, and I?m constantly checking for signs of cruisers.

    As I?m heading to pass a van, I notice them tap they?re brakes, and somehow take it as a signal to slow. Boy am I glad that I did!!! Right in front of him, is another blacked out state trooper!!!!

    As I close in on Detroit, I miss the turn off for the Bridge , and instead head to the tunnel border crossing, where I am turned away. NO MOTORCYCLES ALLOWED! Heading back to the bridge, I cross the border at approximately 12:30 am.

    Back in Ontario. I?ve been away for 6 months, and its very odd being on the familiar 401. I am getting low on gas, and rather than run out, slow down to 100kmph, reaching the gas station safely (with .2 gallons left ) From there , I make a call to my friend and brother, telling them to be waiting at his (my friend?s) house in 2.5 hours, expecting a very important fed-ex package?.. I somehow convince my friend of this, and tell him to notify my brother. Right before I take off, he phones me , and asks me if its really necessary for him to be there, since he has work at 6 am. I tell him yes?. :-o


    Knowing that I?ll have to speed to make it there by that time, I just happen to notice what looked like a police car passing the station on the highway, right before I leave it. Not again??

    I get back on the #401 north-east, and am still going at 120-30kmph. Along the way, I have many moments of paranoia attacks, thinking I?m seeing the rear-lights of the Chevy Impala (which is the car they use). When I see this, I speed up, knowing that I would have to keep ahead of it. The whole time, my eyes are peeled for cruisers on the side road. Logic would say that at the wee hours of Monday morning, there would be no cars, but paranoia supercedes logic by a long-shot.

    I finally catch up to the group that I had thought the cruiser was with, and find out it was a civilian impala!!! DAMN?.fooled! I speed up to about 140kmph, and continue on.
    Making my next gas stop, dangerously low as my fuel efficiency is shot at this speed, I notice that I wont make it there on time?..and I really don?t want to make them wait.

    I get back on the 401, and keep the speed at 140kmph. A light drizzle starts, and it gradually gets me very damp. I?ve never ridden with my hiking-pack on while in the rain, and it presses my wet ski-jacket against my leather one, and makes me very cold and miserable. The energy drink still seems to be working, because there is little fatigue, but my body is generally worn out, and I?m shivering.

    Making My final gas stop around Campbridge, I know I have to push it, and when I get back on the 401, push the speed up to 150kmph. There is very little traffic on the road, other than trucks, but the drizzle continues, so I have to keep on my toes. After a short time, I reach the junction between the 401 and the 407 express toll route, and know that will take me very close to my destination (Woodbridge, On). As I?m on the 407, I only pass 1 car, as I?m going at 150kmph?. It doesn?t take long to get from the junction, to Weston Road, and there I exit. Making phone calls, I find out that my brother?s still on his way, so I have made it!

    I meet with my friend and brother, who really weren?t that surprised, at approx 4:30 am.

    My odometer reads at 53 964 km. that?s 2964 km in ??42 hours. I am now not tired, but completely and utterly drained.

    I pass out at 6 am.



    THE END or is it? Until next time at least.

    I will be posting some of the gas receipts I kept, just to see exactly what time I was where for the last stretch. I don?t know if I kept them all, but we?ll see. Thanks for reading.

    #2
    Matt, good story, good ride! Man, you had some neat experiences. Hope this is just the first of many Long Runs you make!

    Comment


      #3
      Poot,

      I can relate to that fantastic feeling of accomplishment! I know that you were drained but also completely satisfied! I felt the same when I finally reached Nova Scotia after travelling 4 states and 4 provinces in 8 days!!

      Great story! I loved reading it!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        Ugh...I hate finishing a trip on that stretch of the 401.
        Great stories though man, I enjoyed every one. That is an *ssload of riding in 42 hours...I'm pretty jealous!

        Comment


          #5
          I just finished reading all three submissions - wow! Quite a trip on your trusty old steed! I'm not nearly as adventurous, it must feel great to have completed this journey.

          Are you using a stock seat?

          Dan.

          Comment


            #6
            What an adventure/marathon Even when I was young and crazy I don't think I could have made it from North Platte to Toronto on 1 hour and 45 minutes of sleep 8O

            Comment


              #7
              Yes I'm using a stock seat. It didn't really bother me till I got off at the end of really long days, and not very noticeably until the last stretch, which made them so very sore!

              The 1hr45min worth of sleep....I dont know how either. strange , eh?

              Comment


                #8
                Sounds like a pretty good trip.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Thanks for taking the time to post all that - enjoyed reading it, and brings back some memories of my own marathon rides!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    What a great trip. Glad you made it back safe.

                    I must say that I've always dreamed of doing something like that, but my GS is just too darn uncomfortable after about 350 miles.

                    Thanks for taking the time to share.

                    Dave

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Matt,

                      Wonderful story!!!!! Very well written, I felt like I was along for the ride!!!!
                      I think most people only dream of adventures such as yours!!!! Most of us just play it safe, I admire your free spirit!!!!

                      Comment

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