Tag: camping

La Paz!

No longer stranded! After several days, the mechanics in San Ignacio (actually, San Lino), Manolo and Joel, managed to find a replacement for the dead fuel pump. According to Joel, it came from a small car (I wish I had remembered to ask him which car).

So, the morning I got the Himi back, I loaded it up and made tracks south, spending the night in a nice little campground in Ciudad Constitucion. Of course, getting there was half the fun (not). By the time I arrived in Cd . Constitucion, it was dark (and had been for over a half-hour). Never a good idea to ride in the dark in Mexico, even if your headlamp is an LED and properly adjusted. It still sucks.

So, there I am, happily tootling along, follow Google Maps. That was mistake number one. GM was in such a rush to get me to the campground that it decided to route me over a dirt road under these huge power transmission lines. Do you have any idea what a hurricane (like Hurricane Polo, which had just passed a couple of days ago) does to dirt roads in Mexico? I do. It turns them into mud (or lodo in Spanish). Now, I’m not talking a thin layer of mud. Oh, no. I’m talking mud over your ankles. The type that tries to suck your motorcycle boots right off your feet. Yep, down went the Himi.

I also discovered that yelling Ayudame doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves, as several cars passed by on the road I should have been on.

Knowing it was going to be a difficult task in the dark and heat, I made the decision to call the campground host. Luckily, she had some people she could send to help out. I had almost all of the gear off the bke (and most of my riding gear off me) and was in the process of dragging the bike to dry ground when they showed up. We got the bike upright, and rather than put all the gear back on it, we threw it in their van, then they showed me an alternative route. It still had some mud, but not as bad, and the bike only fishtailed (which was amazing considering the tire treads were already full of mud, so I had literally zero traction).

The next morning, I spent about an hour clearing mud off the Himi and luggage. Worked first on the chain and sprockets (the important operating parts), then dug mud out of footpegs, gear shift levers, handlebar hand guards, etc. Here’s a tip – wait until the mud dries before trying to remove it – it’s much easier that way (which is why I waited until morning).

The next day I made it to La Paz where everyone who I had made reservations with prior (lodging and SCUBA lessons) worked with me to make it happen. I’m now ensconsed at The Peace Center, a hostel in La Paz, and will be starting the water portions of my PADI Open Water Diver SCUBA lessons with the Dive Gurus starting at 9:00 AM tomorrow morning. The hostel is run by a young couple, Ana and Pavel (who have a young daughter). Very nice couple – very helpful. If you need a place to stay in La Paz, I recommend them (plus the room has AC – muy importante para mi en este calor!)

The part I ordered from the UK while I was stuck in San Lino finally arrived in Mexico. It’s in La Paz. I went down to the DHL center to see about getting the delivery stopped so I could pick it up here. Supposedly, I’ll be able to get it Monday or Tuesday (and pay the 100% tarriff – geez). We’ll see. Keep your fingers crossed.

I’m enjoying staying at the hostel – I get to meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world, a Morrocan drug dealer (he actually used to sell alcohol in Morroco, and since it’s a drug, that’s how he refered to himself self-deprecatingly), a couple from China, and the latest to roll in is a couple from Switzerland with their young daughter. They’re on a three-year trip from Canada to Ushuia! Same destination, only they’re taking a bit more time that I have. You can find them at whynotoverland.com.

Unfortunately, I’m still having issues with the laptop. The audio went out and I tried several times to repair it. I even took it to a recommended computer store in La Paz. No bueno. When I get to Mexico City I’ll take it into a dedicated Asus repair center (of which there are many). Not sure what I’ll do if we can’t get it fixed. I may need to buy another (oh, joy – spend more monety that I don’t want to). Right now I’m uploading all the video footage into a Drobbox so my youngest (Katie Peet – the trained video editor) can download it and hopefully fit my editing into her schedule).

ADVENTURE!

STRANDED!

Well, here I am, 9 days into the Great Pan-American Adventure, and I’m stranded in Escondido, CA.

On the way south, the Himi started making a chunking/clunking sound. Discretion being the better part of valor, I elected to hold off crossing into Mexico until after I had it looked at. I thought it was possibly the chain. WRONG! It turns out it was a little thing in the rear tire called the rubber cush drive (rubber cushion drive). It’s something that absorbs the shock from the engine being transmitted into the drive chain and sockets. If it goes bad, bad things happen. It went bad.

And wouldn’t you know it, there was a single rubber cushion ANYWHERE in the US. Not even at the distributors. So, fortunately, Hitchcock Motorcycles in the UK had some in stock, so the parts guy ordered them yesterday. Today it’s at Heathrow Airport, in London, about to board a flight. It should arrive here by Close of Business on Friday. If that’s the case, then the shop can install them Saturday morning and I’ll be in Mexio by late afternoon.

Of course, this has disrupted my schedule a bit. So far the Baja Ferry people have responded, as has the AirBnB host (both want updates, ASAP, as you can imagine), but nothing from the SCUBA people yet.

To update you on the ride, I made it from Enumclaw to Corvallis in one, long day, crossing the Mighty Columbia River at Astoria (you can barely make out the bridge in the photo below).

Then from Corvallis to Eugene for new tires, and then Elk Praire Campground in northern California’s Redwoods National and State Parks.

Day three got me to Lassen Volcanic National Park – truly beautiful, but cold and damp (I had arrived just after a major hail/thunderstorm).

The next day I intended to ride to Yosemite taking California Highway 89. It was going to be a long drive and I was worried about arriving in the dark, so when Google Maps said “I’ve got a faster route for you,” I said “sure.” Big mistake. Huge. GM put me into the Central Valley (not where I wanted to be) running through the towns of Roseburg and Folsom. I think I hit 100 traffic signals, of which 96 were red. I’m not exaggerating. By the time I got through the towns, my front brake was so hot from constantly stopping it felt like it was going to lock up! No bueno. Plus, it was hot. Nothing like riding in 90+ temps in full motorcycle gear (helmet, armored jacket and pants, and boots). Ugh.

Anyhow, pulled into Yosemite at dusk, and found my tent site was one of the furthest from the parking lot. Oh, joy. Lugging 85 pound of gear in two panniers, a duffle bag, two over-pannier bags, a tank bag, sleeping pad, and chair is not fun. Especially when it’s getting dark (and I still had to set up camp).

Finally, I got set up, ate some dehydrated crap that I’ve had lying around for at least 13 years (How do I know? because it was beef stew – I stopped eating red meat in 2013), then discoverd that a can of chicken had exploded in one of my pannier bags when I dropped the bike on a soft shoulder (had pulled over to do something and the Himi decided it was time for a nap). Spent more time cleaning the waterproof pannier bag and everything in it (all of it covered in canned chicken juice – all this while in bear country).

Anyhow, woke up hoping to get some great photos. Was greeted with smoke from forest fires. No great views. As a matter of fact, hardly any views :-(. So, off to do laundry and get a shower, then I spent the rest of the day riding. Made it to Sequoia National Park, hoping to see the General Sherman tree. Unfortunately, it was a half mile from the parking lot to the tree with 700′ of elevation change. Not something I was about to do in my riding togs, all while the bike and everything on it was unattended. Maybe next year.

Spent a night in a hotel in Visalia, instead of in a campground at Lake Isabella as I had intended. More money gone :-(.

The next day I made it to Greg Sorber’s house. Greg is a Science Fiction writer who is also a member of the Pink Flamingo Universe. He writes mechtech (think transformers in space – his website is www.gregerationx.com, so check it out.

I met his wife, we chatted, had some wine, then went out for Indian food. After dinner we drank more wine and chatted more, and I got to meet their youngest son. Then I slept the sleep of a zombie.

The next morning I got to meet their eldest son, then got on the road to Portrero, my (supposed) final stop in the US before crossing the border. Alas, the chunking sound kicked up again, so instead of crossing into Mexico the following morning, I made my way to Escondido where Quentin (the service manager) informed me that the problem wasn’t just the chain, but the rubber cushions. Thus began a nationwide hunt for the offending parts. It was only after we had exhuasted every avenue that Myles, the parts guy, ordered the parts from Hitchcock Motorcycles in the UK.

So, that’s my story, and I’m sticking with it.

Meanwhile, here I sit in Escondido, typing on my blog, working on Endure, and trying to learn this new video editing software for my Writer on the Road YouTube Channel.

I also had some good coffee while waiting to hear about the Himi.

Adventure (noun): Somebody in deep shit in a faraway land.

First Run on Packing

I started the serious packing for the Great Pan-American Adventure (GPA). Actually, I started the whole about a year ago when I determined I was going to make this trip. As with any trip, I begin with a spreadsheet (yes, I’m a geek in that way – too many years using spreadsheets for financial investigations to give them up).

Looking at my list, I have a LOT of stuff! According to my spreadsheet, it adds up to a total of 330 items (not including the stuff in my trauma kit). A lot of it is really little (or nitnoi as I like to say – the Thai word for little) stuff, like credit cards, motorcycle registration, etc. The amazing thing is, I’m able to fit it all in two panniers (saddlebags), a 40 liter duffle bag, two crash-bar bags, a tank bag, and a small backpack.

As I’ll be moto-camping a lot (my preferred method of lodging while Adventure Riding), I’ve got all the accoutrements for camping, which basically doubles the amount of weight I carry (total equipment weight is around 60 pounds).

One of the hardest things in planning (which also adds to the equipment list, and therefore the additional weight) for this trip is that I have to take into consideration a multitude of climates, from temperate to tropical to alpine. I’ll be camping from sea level (Baja California) up to 12,000 feet (Peru, Chile, and Argentina) and from the Equator (0 degrees latitude) to Ushuaia, Argentina (54 degrees South). That means I need various sleep systems. I’ve got two sleeping bags, one rated for zero degrees Fahrenheit (which I use during the summer here in Washington State), and the other rated for 50 degrees. I also carry two sleeping pads; one inflatable and one a smaller foam accordion style (I discovered on my Great American Adventure (GAA) back in 2022 that inflatable pads have a tendency to deflate at the most inopportune times, like, while sleeping in Montana).

My tent is a nice two-person tent. I used a one-person tent on the GAA, but discovered I couldn’t bring all my gear into the tent for securing it. I wasn’t to happy about that, so I upgraded to a two-person tent for the GPA. My trial run with it to the TouraTech Rally in June proved that it works for me. Added weight, but well worth it.

Clothing is also varied. My motorcycle gear (All The Gear All The Time) comes in at another 20 pounds (helmet, jacket, pants, boots, gloves). My jacket and pants also come with detachable insulated and rain layers.

I’ve got mostly Merino wool uppers (t-shirts, Polo shirt, hoodie) along with a quick-dry jersey and fishing shirt (for wearing under my riding jacket), a couple of pairs of quick-dry pants, a pair of riding shorts, a pair of quick-dry cargo shorts (for walking around in the tropics), and a swimsuit. I debated the swimsuit, but decided to bring it because I’ll be traveling the length of the Baja Peninsula and taking SCUBA lessons in La Paz. I also have a Tilley hat.

Cold weather attire includes a silk base layer, an additional long-sleeve Merino wool upper, wool fingerless gloves, a puffy jacket, and a Merino wool balaclava (helps under the helmet when cold).

Socks and underwear – well, let’s just say I don’t plan on doing laundry every day as I did on the GAA or when I walked the Camino de Santiago.

I’ll save the rest of the equipment list for a later post. I’ll also be posting about this on my forthcoming YouTube channel, Writer on the Road (to be linked soon).

Now, it’s time to walk the puppers (2.5 miles in a forest on our little mountain) then spend some time logging and salmon fishing (in the rain – ah, the joys of living in the PNW).