Cross Country Ride

I’ve just returned from a motorcycle trip to North Carolina. It was the Women’s Freedom Ride Fall Getaway at the Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge.

I started out riding to Kansas City on a Friday and would visit my son in St. Louis over the weekend. Overnighting in KC means I can arrive earlier on Saturday and be fresh for a nice. day.

Riding an open road motorcycle is a Zen experience for me. First, since there is no metal around me, I have to have heightened senses to protect me. This makes me a far safer driver than when I’m in a car.

Part 5

The turn off for the Trace Parkway was well marked and I slipped easily onto the road. The first thing I noticed is that there are no intersections for crossing traffic. Bridges take traffic above or below the Parkway. I had just gone from the city to a park in an instant. The absence of trucks was noticeable right away, as was the very light traffic. Suddenly, it’s just me on my bike motoring peacefully along with nature. The speed limit was 50 mph and I’d been advised not to speed, as it was heavily patrolled.  Since I’d be riding 200 miles with no gas stations, I filled with fuel before entering the park.

There were reasonably well developed woods on both sides of the road and I was concerned about hitting a deer and equally fearful of being hit by a deer. I’d been advised by one of my biker friends to put loud music on my bike speakers to scare wildlife and reduce the odds of hitting same. The reasoning was that most music has human voices on it which will alert them to seek shelter while I was still some distance away. Normally, I like to ride with music on headphones inside my helmet. This is a great compromise that allows me to have my music, while still being able to hear traffic around me.

I wear a modular full face helmet. Modular means the front can lift up exposing my face so I can talk or drink water without removing the helmet.  I switched the music over to the rather substantial 4 speaker stereo system on my bike and cranked up “Born to be wild”. I rolled the throttle to 55 mph and set the cruise. Oh yeah, I was moving right along through nature. The air was fresh and clean with a very light breeze. The trees gently filtered the sunlight along my route. I was in my own little world for the moment.

The road had a lot of gentle curves that enhanced being in a natural setting. Some of the bridges overhead appeared to be old and quite picturesque. No vehicles had overtaken or passed me yet. After an hour of riding, I passed a rest area with indoor toilets. Although I did see a number of vehicles stopped there, I still hadn’t seen much traffic on the road. I didn’t need to stop so I motored on.

In the Basic Rider Skills class I’d taken, the instructor drilled into us that we must always be scanning everywhere as we rode. We must be looking for hazards, either on the road surface, traffic coming toward us, or things off the road that might jump in front of us. In addition, we must always be looking for escape routes in the event there was on obstacle in the road. He said over and over that there was no replacement for “seat time” in our development as riders. I’d had all sorts of adventures learning these skills and my training had paid off many times. Today, I’m really studying the foliage on either side of the road, looking for critters of all sorts, particularly deer and turkeys. Yes, a 20 pound turkey to the head can be a wake-up call or the opposite. 🙂

Finally, I saw a deer to my left in the woods. This reassured me that my vision was decent and I could see them. Later, I saw a few more and had to hit the brakes so some could cross the road in front of me. No big deal, I saw this coming a long way off. Next, I saw a flock of about 10 wild turkeys next to the road. They looked exactly like the black and red turkeys we drew in grade school, not the white ones we buy for holidays.

I continued to say the 4 words that I’ve said more than any other while riding a motorcycle, “This is so beautiful!”  I rounded a corner and realized I’d startled a very large dog just to the left of the road. As I approached, I noticed the body was too long for this to be a dog and it was too big. I looked at the head. OMG!  This was a cougar. I had come face to face with an actual, real, wild mountain lion in the wild!  You will have to excuse me for not stopping to take a selfie with her. I was traveling 55 mph and would continue to do so. She was apparently well fed and in no hurry to initiate an intimate relationship, so we parted ways.

Wow. I was slightly shaken at the thought but I was really having fun. Soon, I was wishing I’d stopped at that last rest stop. I didn’t see any more after that. I was almost ready to be a brave biker girl and head into the woods when I saw a sign for a welcome center. I pulled off and into a small town. I was able to get more gas and seek relief.  Now, I was good until Nashville.

I got back onto the Trace Parkway. There still wasn’t much traffic and there were signs of a few animals in the way of road kill. Then I spotted a huge feral hog that had been hit. Holy moly, that had to have made a mess of the car that hit him. So, after seeing the deer, small animals and now this hog, I understand why a cougar would have a fine habitat here, much as they probably all have had for thousands of years.

There were places where signs designated the original foot path of the trail. I love history and I always seem to be able to project myself in my mind back to being one of the people from ancient times. This had been one of the best days I’ve had on a motorcycle. I’d recommend riding the Natchez Trace Parkway to anyone. It’s a nice, slow easy ride and it’s very safe.

I got off the Parkway and made my way to my motel in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for the night.

Part 6

I had a little trouble finding the motel, but I did find a gas station first, which was a plus. I’ll be free to launch without delay in the morning. I got checked in and searched for a place to eat. I found a nice restaurant, but it had some poor reviews. I knew this franchise and it generally had good food.

I gave it a try. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a group of women outside. They were having a fund raiser for a charity and a portion of each diner’s sales went to the charity. I visited with them and gave them an additional little donation to help them.

The restaurant was very nice, the waitress was great and the food delicious. I left a nice tip and headed back to the room. I made sure to give a great review on the place. I own a business and understand the importance of good and bad reviews. I did address the other reviews and said that I found no reason for any unfavorable rating.

I would ride to Knoxville on Interstate 40, then head south. The ride was nice, the sun was out and the winds light. It was an easy ride. I filled with fuel as I left the Interstate and only had 90 miles or so to go.

The ride from Murfreesboro to the Iron Horse Lodge looked like a milk run.  228 miles and 4 hours, taking me right through the Tail of the Dragon, which is nothing more than an 11-mile stretch of Highway 129. How hard could this be?

The weather was a little cool overnight, so I waited until 10am or so to load up. This would also allow the morning rush traffic to clear out. I’d fueled the bike the night before, so I motored away.

I would ride to Knoxville on Interstate 40, then head south. The ride was nice, the sun was out and the winds light. It was an easy ride. I filled with fuel as I left the Interstate and only had 90 miles or so to go.

Next morning, I ate breakfast, loaded the bike and took off. I was extremely excited, as this day would find me arriving at my destination, but, more importantly, I would challenge the Tail of the Dragon. Yes, the Dragon is the stuff of legends and has been rated as one of the most challenging motorcycle rides in the country. I was full of confidence.

I had to take several freeways to get around the city and soon was on the Interstate, flying along with traffic, listening to my tunes. I rode with no issues for several hours. Before long, I had to stop for gas. I pulled into a small town in Tennessee and found a little store that sold gas. I filled up and went inside to pick up some beer for the end of my trip.

I didn’t find any beer. This is unusual, so I asked the guy at the cash register. He smiled and said they didn’t carry it, but if I asked around a little, I’d have an easy time finding a little moonshine.  This totally cracked me up. I’m officially in the backwoods mountains of Tennessee and apparently, the moonshine business is all well and good, thank you.

I laughed and got back on my bike. In short order, I found my turn and was off the freeway. Now, I’m on a winding two lane road through wooded hills. Oh, boy, I leaned forward on the seat and got into this. The scenery was superb. I rode through dinky little towns, past streams, reservoirs and all sorts of lovely scenery.

The road started to get more curved and a little more challenging. In addition, there were more intersections and more things with which to be concerned. I rode past a little wooden Harley Dealership. I’m getting close, now.

As soon as I left the Interstate, the route became quite curvy and dense with trees. I enjoy riding curves, as it offers a challenge and also a reasonable adrenalin rush as the bike leans over. I enjoy looking down at my side pegs as they reach for the pavement in a tight curve. One of the great joys of riding an open road motorcycle is the ability to see nearly everything around you. I can see the pavement below me, right directly in front of me and all the flora right up next to the road around me.

Just 2 years ago, I started riding. I’ve ridden bicycles all my life and also rode motorcycles very early on. But those were little Honda 90s around town and through campgrounds. That’s nothing like straddling a huge Harley Davidson and trying to keep it between the ditches at highway speeds.

I had a terrible time learning to negotiate through curves in the early Harley days. Turning a little Honda at 20 mph involved turning the handlebars just like a bicycle. Easy. Negotiating a 900 pound Harley around a highway curve at 60 mph was much different. First, I had to learn to counter-steer. That’s the craziest thing you can ever imagine.

To negotiate a curve to the left, you push the left handle grip forward. Wait!  That turns the handlebars to the right. That should make the bike go to the right!  Stop!  This is crazy. Well, pushing that left handle grip forward instantly causes the bike to lean left and the bike curves to the left. Dang. Whoda thought?

Similar to backing a trailer, the rider has to learn to do things that seem to be quite unnatural, but are very effective. So, practice makes perfect. The next thing that happens is fear of running off the road in case this doesn’t work. Fear seems to paralyze a rider as this technique takes time to master.

I remember riding my first Harley home 50 miles from Omaha to Lincoln, tensing up and slowing down for every little curve in the road. I hadn’t learned how to counter steer yet and all I could think about was running off the road during the curve. Straight, I was good, curves, not so much. What was happening at that time was seeing the things I’d hit when I did go off the road. The ends of steel guard rails were particularly terrifying. I’d look at those and didn’t seem to be able to avert my gaze back to the road.

This is called “target fixation”.  I remember Driver’s Ed class. Our instructor told us to center the car on the road by looking down the road. He said to never use the leading edges of the fender for a reference point relative to the center stripe or edge of the road. Look down the road and center the car that way. He said that the car will go where you are looking. He also said that if we looked at something off the road as we were driving past it, that the car would start going that direction. Look to the right and the car would follow and go to the right. It works.

Back to steering the beast. This is a whole new experience in learning to look ahead, as the bike will surely go exactly where you are looking. This sounds easy, but exactly how far ahead do you look?  For some reason, this is far more difficult on 2 wheels than 4. It’s critically important to NOT look at that rusty, mangled, threatening piece of guard rail and look back at the road. How far down the road do I look?  That was never made very clear. I’ve figured out that about 2 seconds ahead seems to be about right.

I’ve read stories about the guy who realized his life’s dream of owning a shiny new Harley Davidson. He bought his first Harley and then, by some cruel twist of fate, he crashed on his way home from the dealership. He ran right off the road. I remember reading that “at least he died doing what he’d rather do than anything else”. That’s not true. He died screaming in horror as he crashed into an object upon which he couldn’t stop staring. That is what took his life. Target fixation.

I rode my first 6,000 miles and 9 months trying to learn how to take curves with confidence. I found myself tensing up as I approached a fairly tight curve on old highways at 60 mph. I rode with highly experienced riders on the Women’s Freedom Ride in June of 2017. I was coached on riding skills. I rode in formation for days on end.

I started on that ride as a timid rider. 3,500 miles later, I emerged from as a very confident rider. That experience reinforced what my instructor in the motorcycle skills class said. “There’s no replacement for seat time”. He was so right.

Now, 2 years and 40,000 miles later, I’m ready for this challenge. I’ve ridden some of the most challenging roads in the country. Bring it on, Dragon.

Part 7. Becky meets the Dragon

About 30 miles later, there is was. A large sign proclaiming “The Tail of the Dragon”, 318 turns in 11 miles.   Oh, my. I rode on. Around the next curve was another sign that got my attention:  Extreme Hazardous Conditions for Motorcycles Ahead! Warning! Serious risk of death or injury!

I rode on, in high alert mode. I could see skid marks that came across the center line, into my lane. This wasn’t just a challenging road, it looked like a race track, with evidence of wrecks and damage everywhere. I was right behind another biker and watched them take a 5 mph hairpin turn ahead of me. Suddenly, the still air was pierced by screaming tires behind me. The biker glanced briefly to their right in response to the noise and that was all it took. The bike veered slightly to the right and the tires left the pavement right above a steep embankment. There was about a foot drop off the pavement onto the dirt. The biker gave some throttle to try to get back on the road.

The front tire climbed the edge of the pavement and made it back, but the rear tire broke loose from the acceleration. The rear fish tailed briefly and, as the rear tire also got back on the road, the bike went down on its left side. As that happened, suddenly the rear got traction and this flipped the bike violently back down on its right side. Bam! The rider flipped off and rolled down the road.

I stopped, some guys behind me stopped and a few oncoming cars stopped. The rider was OK. We all lifted the bike back up and the rider got the bike straightened on the road and took off. There didn’t appear to be any serious damage.

Needless to say, this got me a little out of sorts. I’d just watched a bike leave the road, almost go down the side of a mountain and crash.  That biker seemed unaffected, as they rode off ahead of me and disappeared from sight.

All I could do after that was to see all the evidence of previous accidents. Skid marks straight off the road into a tree were followed by more skid marks over a cliff.  There were more sounds, more screaming tires and then bikes overtaking me. Serious bikers, road racers on fast race bikes. I moved over and let them go by. After a few miles, I settled back down and began to “ride my ride”.  I had conquered the Dragon.

Part 7

I enjoyed the rest of the ride and began to be concerned about finding my night’s lodging. I wanted no part of riding this road in the dark. There were all sorts of turns and different roads to find. The scenery was divine. This was the stuff of Davey Crockett. Dense woods, steep mountains and rugged terrain. Directions like North and South don’t mean much, as the roads have to go where the mountains allow them to go. This is the reason for a crazy road like the Tail of the Dragon.

It seemed like forever, but it really wasn’t. Soon, I found the turn for “The Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge”. This was the gathering place for the Women’s Freedom Ride Fall Getaway. I had to ride about 5 miles off the road to get there. The entrance was well designated and I entered with ease.

I checked in at the office. There were little cabins all over the place. The main lodge was great, everything you would expect a mountain lodge to be. They gave me a map to find my own cabin, far up the mountain. Great, just what I need. Riding up a steep rock road to try to find a cabin. I did find it and got my bike parked. My little cabin was a rustic mountain retreat. There was no Internet, but there was a small TV set. The heat had no thermostat, just a dial with numbers. I had a sliding door onto a nice long porch shared with other residents of the building. We looked down a long way to the lodge.

Very soon, I was greeted by Martha, one of my Wind Sisters from previous rides. She is an inspiration to me, as She’s over 80 years old and is a fearless rider. She’s not careless, but she rides a Honda trike with complete confidence. She reminded me that I was her “windshield fairy” on previous rides. I had noticed that many of my wind sisters had very dirty windshields. I was well equipped with “Bug Slide” cleaner and nice soft micro fiber towels. This would transform a filthy plastic windshield to one that was sparkling clean in an instant.

I had secretly cleaned her windshield for many days on previous rides. She said she couldn’t figure out who was doing this. She said she thought there was some magic fairy or something.  She wasn’t the only one. I wanted to do what I could to help, so every stop I made the rounds. I wanted us to be safe and it was well appreciated.

I got settled in and soon walked down the stairs to the main lodge. Yes, there were wooden stairs all the way down a very steep hill. There were several cabins on the way down. At the bottom of the hill was a lovely little mountain stream that flowed over river rock and gurgled around the main lodge. An inviting wooden bridge carried you over the stream and onto a long porch of the lodge.

If ever a person wanted a place to get away from it all and relax, this was it. The inside of the lodge was two stories high, with a huge fireplace.  Large windows looked out over the porch, to an outdoor fire pit and on to the stream. They had a kitchen that served 2 meals a day. When you made your reservations. you selected the meals you wanted. There were several choices for each meal. The servings were generous and the food was good.

I had made my goal and that was to arrive in time for dinner. There was no other food for miles, so this was a big deal for me.  I dined well and sat with a few friends. I had arrived a day early. I enjoyed a nice evening and climbed the stairs back up to my cabin. This was no small undertaking, as I’m no spring chicken and there were a lot of stairs. I had to stop on several occasions to rest. I’ve got to count these stairs. This is an ordeal. I ran out of gas near the top. Well too bad, there’s no escalator and no taxi. Suck it up, cupcake.  I finally made the top steps and was so very happy to be back in my little room.  I slept very well.

The next morning, I was right on time for breakfast. It was great. Eggs and bacon or sausage. Americana at its finest. Did I mention that there was no Internet?  Pretty much no phone signal from my cabin and next to nothing at the lodge. So, it’s a mountain lodge. You’re alone in the woods. You came to hang with friends. Get over it. Shut up about it. There’s no internet.  I’m relieved.

One by one, my beloved Wind Sisters appeared. It was a joyful reunion for us all. It was late October and the weather was cold. Soon, it began to rain. It was so nice to see them again. There seemed to be a nucleus of wind sisters on these rides and I had become one of them.

Mama Bear had taken me aside and asked me to be a Ride Captain for the next ride. I could imagine no greater honor or distinction than to be formally recognized as a Ride Captain for the Women’s Freedom Ride. Yes, those women.  We had become widely recognized as something out of the ordinary. People talked.

She had brought a whole bunch of things for a silent auction. This was a fund raiser for our veterans. We spent much of the day spreading things out and printing a sheet for each item. We had to list what each thing was and put a starting bid on each sheet. I became quite interested in a really nice motorcycle jacket. It even had body armor in it and was abrasion resistant fabric.

Also in attendance was a tee shirt vendor who would make custom riding shirts for each of us with the special logo for this event and our road name on the front.

The day was cold, rainy and overcast. There would be no motorcycle riding today. This was a two day event. Perhaps tomorrow, but the weather forecast said probably not. That was fine, we were together and having a great time. We started bidding on the many items and I mean many.

As the day waned, a large fire was built outside. We gathered around the fire and relished each other’s company. There’s something special about being around a roaring campfire next to a gurgling mountain stream in the company of close friends.

I was so possessive of this motorcycle jacket that I decided to wear it back to my cabin. Purely to evaluate it for warmth and to check the water resistance. Strictly research, of course.

Part 8

It would pass with flying colors. The next morning, Mama Bear was concerned about a missing coat. Oh oh. That was me. Fine, sigh of relief.

Breakfast was wonderful and I was able to sit with different wind sisters. It was so nice to be able to be with different people. There were no cliques in this group. In fact, we were all different ages, backgrounds, married, single, widowed, divorced, colors and any other way that a person might differ from another.  Nothing was ever made of any of those differences. We had a few things in common. We were passionate about riding motorcycles and working to benefit our veterans. I love this group. It is the most unusual and cohesive group of women I’ve ever known.

Today would be the auction. There were things on which no one had bid. So, I bid on those. But my focus was on that coat. I had bid on it, so had someone else. So, I put a bid on it, I mean a serious bid.

We got our shirts made and there was an announcement of a meeting, to be held in a private room upstairs.  It would be held in two parts, with Ride Captains only first. I was in awe.

We went into our Ride Captain meeting. Mama Bear explained the plan for next year’s ride and what part each of us would play.