12 weeks before launch

Wally sent me a packing list the other day, and it looks a lot like my packing list for the AIDS/Lifecycle ride I've done for the past 10 years. Various camping supplies, warm-weather clothes, cold-weather clothes, tires, tools, sunblock etc. I have about 12 weeks to pull this shopping list together, so I'm building a spreadsheet for this list to show how much I should expect to pay for the gear, and where to get it. Maybe then I can schedule the acquisition of it over the next three months and have it all by the time we're ready to leave.
First on the list: a good full-face helmet, a good riding jacket, and some decent boots,

Inspiration, just in time.


I've been watching episodes of "Long Way Round", a documentary of the trip Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boreman took around the world on BMW 1150's in 2004. the started in Scotland, crossed through Russia, flew to Anchorage, then through Canada, the U.S. and landed in New York.
In one early episode,before they launched for the trip, Charllie and Ewan visit a BMW proving ground to get some training time in on riding their bikes on rough road and in dirt. Seems Ewan had very little experience in that kind of riding, and kept dumping his bike. He was very concerned that he might become a burden to his buddy on the trip because he couldn't seem to figure it out. He eventually did, and his confidence returned, but this put a big line on my list of things to worry about. I don't have any off-road, dirt-bike experience, and I think maybe I should.
Talking with my cousin David Gaebel the other day, I learned he is a Motorcycle collector, with several of-road bikes in his stable. I've asked him if we could schedule some time to get together to practice some off-roading, as well as basic bike maintenance training, so I can feel a little less inept on the road with Wally.
Though it is nice knowing if anything goes wrong, Wally would know what to do, I would prefer the idea of working on my bike myself.


The original plan was for Wally and I to met in Redmond Oregon for the 2010 BMW motorcycle Rally, but since his is my first big ride, and Wally is coming in from Massachusetts, he's deciding it best to drive through the southwest and come directly to L.A. so we can leave for the Rally together. This way I don't spend a single mile on the road without my buddy. That's nice, I think.


The trip total time on the road is estimated at 66 hours. If we ride 8 hours a day (2 shifts of 4) that's about 8 1/2 days to get there. If we ride 5 hours a day it's 2 weeks to get there. Crazy- huh? A simple slow riding day can have us gone for over a month.
This packing list suddenly became very important. I don't just need to get stuff that is good for a weekend, I need to make sure that the gear, and camping supplies I purchase can last a while, if I wear a hole in a cheap pair of socks, there might not be a place to find another sock for a while.

I looked at the google map and there is so much NOTHING for so many miles. zooming in on Google maps I found one tiny reference to the Lac la Hache Motel. Apparently we'll be driving right by it, so I did some research to see where it is and what it looks like. The internet is a wonderful and magical tool.
I know once we get out of Los Angeles area the scenery is going to be beautiful, and outside the U.S., Hell, outside California in General it's going to get Damn gorgeous.