Official "Know Your Norcal Mild Hog" Contest Results

Outlaw, Snake, Repo Man

Well, we had quite a few entries, but alas, only one winner... It was interesting to see who you matched up with each quote. I was somewhat taken back by the number of entries linking my good name to the references related to "the ladies". I need to be aware of the impression I may be giving off...

Anyway, here are the correct answers...

What was your favorite part of the trip?
• Riding to Spearfish along the valley floor Outlaw
• See all of the countryside and wildlife Repo Man who announced each and every time he spotted an antelope of which there were thousands...
• The early morning ride into Sturgis on the 2nd day Snake

What was the worst part of the trip?
• My sore rear Repo Man
• Running late when meeting up with the M’hogs Snake
• Lack of painted shirts on the ladies Outlaw!!!!! Not me!

What scared you the most?
• Eating at Granny’s Kitchen Snake...this was a freebie if you read previous blogs
• Riding behind the less experienced riders Outlaw
• Getting passed by the Banditos on the shoulder of the road Repo Man...It was a good thing Outlaw was having some trouble with his bike or we would have gone after them!

What was the strangest/funniest thing you saw?
• Motorcycle with various skins and antlers on it Repo Man...refer to previous wildlife fetish...
• The amount of old guys with young chicks Outlaw!!! not me again!!!
• The families that chose this week to visit SD on vacation Snake

If you could take somebody famous with you on the next trip, who would it be?
• Halle Berry Outlaw
• Angeline Jolie Snake, because Halle Barry was already taken...
• John Wayne Repo Man... Okay, this was so funny...We asked Repo Man this question first. He blurts out John Freakin Wayne! Then Outlaw says Halle Berry and RM all of sudden wants to change his answer when the two of us have babes on the back of our bikes and he is stuck with a 6'5" cowboy! It was hilarious and of course we would not let him change his answer!

Who would you least like to take? Okay, everyone got this one right. For those of you who credited me with all three of these answers, I gave you full credit since you know me well....
• Barack Obama
• Barack Obama
• Barack Obama

What was your favorite meal on the trip?
• Fillet Mignon in Custer Repo Man
• Subway tuna sandwich…all 6 times Outlaw...This was hilarious because on our previous trip that was all we ate coming and going... I think we only ate at Subway once on the trip, but I liked this answer!
• Pecan crusted chicken salad (TGI Fridays) Snake!

AND THE WINNER IS... PATTY!!!

She really knows her NorCal Mild Hogs, one in particular! Patty is the winner of an official 2010 Sturgis Rally T-shirt. We will ask Patty to model the shirt for us in a future blog so you can see the t-shirt and the winner. For those of you who did not win, that is really too bad, some folks are winners and the rest are losers... If you were looking for some "feel good" message, you must be a product of the California school system where everyone is a winner... Well, not here baby, welcome to the real world!

"Competition makes the world go round..." Tony Forte (1969)
See you on the road...

Know Your NorCal Mild Hog - Sturgis Addition

Repo Man, Outlaw, Snake

KNOW YOUR NORCAL MILD HOG CONTEST
Yes, an active mind is a shame to waste, that is why we decided to have contest for our followers and anyone else who might stumble upon our site. We posed several questions to the NorCal M’hogs on the 2010 trip to Sturgis. You will have the opportunity to connect the response with one of the M’hogs, Outlaw, Repo Man or Snake. The person with the most correct responses wins a 2010 Sturgis T-shirt, size x-large. If you need one bigger than that, go on a diet! In the even of a tie, we will draw the winning name from the folks with the most correct answers.

This is open to anyone, but you must provide a picture of yourself in the t-shirt for our blog. Obviously the boys on the trip cannot participate even though it is unlikely they would do that well…. Please send your response to Davemildhogs@yahoo.com no later than August 31, 2010. Just copy the list of questions into the email and put a (O = Outlaw, R= Repo Man, S=Snake). For California High School graduates, just do your best…

What was your favorite part of the trip?
• Riding to Spearfish along the valley floor
• See all of the countryside and wildlife
• The early morning ride into Sturgis on the 2nd day
What was the worst part of the trip?
• My sore rear
• Running late when meeting up with the M’hogs
• Lack of painted shirts on the ladies
What scared you the most?
• Eating at Granny’s Kitchen
• Riding behind the less experienced riders
• Getting passed by the Banditos on the shoulder of the road
What was the strangest/funniest thing you saw?
• Motorcycle with various skins and antlers on it
• The amount of old guys with young chicks
• The families that chose this week to visit SD on vacation
If you could take somebody famous with you on the next trip, who would it be?
• Hally Berry
• Angeline Jolie
• John Wayne
Who would you least like to take?
• Barack Obama
• Barack Obama
• Barack Obama
What was your favorite meal on the trip?
• Fillet Mignon in Custer
• Subway tuna sandwich…all 6 times
• Pecan crusted chicken salad (TGI Fridays)

Sturgis Trip - Day 4

The title of today’s entry should be “Ride baby ride”, cause that is what we did! The rally is really about the riding. Once you get past the t-shirts, bike accessories, crowds and scantily clad girls, it is, and always has been about the riding. The Black Hills is one of the most beautiful parts of the country and the best way to take it all in is on a motorcycle. This year’s rally seems less crowded than previous years. There is available parking and short lines to eat. While this certainly makes for a great trip, it sadly reflects the state of our current economy and the fact that unemployment is still so high, even after all the money our congress has urinated away. I could go on, but it only makes me angry.

Okay, I’m back to the trip. We decided we would start by riding the Badlands. We had never ridden it before. Repo Man took the lead and directed us towards Rapid City and the Badlands. At first the ride was along the flattest, straightest road I have ever ridden. Prairie grass lined both sides of the road for as far as the eye could see. The only interruptions were the occasional trucks hauling ass and something that must have been the devils creation. Each time they would blast by there would be a crazy buffeting effect followed by a blast of gravel, grain or something nasty that would pelt the bikes and sting the face. I watched each rider’s technique for protecting themselves from this onslaught. RM ducked behind his windshield for cover each time it occurred. Outlaw would move to the edge of the road for protection. Snake did a little of both, learning from the others. Eventually and thankfully the trucks stopped coming. At one point there was a sign that read “Badlands loop”. RM pulled over and contemplated the gravel road leading into the horizon. I had several thoughts about the Badlands Loop…bad idea, bad for the bikes, bad for the riders, bad all around. We did not take the loop, and it did not matter. We stayed on the asphalt and it did lead to the Badlands Park, thankfully. If you have never had the experience, I highly recommend visiting the Badlands at least once. It is very unique in the rugged terrain with sharp peaks and serrated edges. The pictures do not do it justice, but may help you get an idea of the rugged beauty. Outlaw aptly described it as the lunar surface. We had an interesting experience driving through the park. We came upon a bike with passenger who had no shirt. Yes, she had no shirt on. With great care we were able to get some evidence… I just wonder how she managed to survive those gravel trucks with only pasties for protection…

After exiting the park we shortly entered Wall, SD. The entire town is built around the Wall Drug Store, I’m sure you have seen the big bumper stickers. We had to stop; there was no way I was going to pass up a 5 cent cup of coffee no matter how hot it is outside! Yes, a nickel! Not bad at all! Being the cheapest guy in the world I balked at the nickel refill, after all, refills should be cheaper than the first cup! Wall Drug takes up an entire block and appears to be many connected shops and services all under the same name. Perhaps it is the original mall… Regardless, we did not shop, just looked. Speaking of looking, our nude friend came riding up right as we were leaving. There is something unusual about a woman walking around in public with only pasties for a shirt. She appeared to be very comfortable with the entire experience which included families all around trying to enjoy their vacation without soft porn on the siedewalk. I’m not certain I understand a guy who likes his girl running around like that. I guess it takes all kinds…

We left Wall and headed to the hotel for water and the opportunity to rest and plan the remainder of our day. Refreshed, we left for Mount Rushmore. MR is a fantastic experience. It is an exceptionally beautiful setting, both the natural background and the park facility itself. They have really done a nice job. It is also amazing to think that a man had a vision to carve faces in a mountain and was able to carry it off. I’m certain the permitting and environmental impact report would make it prohibitive today, although there is a similar carving of Crazy Horse going on nearby. Having been there before, we took the obligatory MR pictures and soon left.

We rode to Deadwood, Lead and Spearfish. The Spearfish Valley is unbelievable, beautiful even in an area known for its beauty. The ride was a winding ribbon of black asphalt with sheer vertical cliffs on each side, complete with a pristine creek running along the valley floor. While there were not many homes along the valley, the ones that we saw were sprawling estates with large garages. They must have been in the multiple millions of dollars… Once in Spearfish, RM parted ways to drop his bike off for shipment home. Outlaw and I proceeded back to the hotel. On the ride back we followed a bike that was creeping along. With no where to pass we patiently waited for the first opportunity. Why are you snickering? We waited… When the lane became two and we started to pass, this guy found his throttle. I know Outlaw well and thought, “it is on” and it was. Needless to say, we lost the guy in the curves like two fighters in formation, Outlaw leading and Snake as the wingman. We made it to the hotel, picked up the truck and went to meet RM in Rapid City.

It was a long day of riding, between 325 and 360 miles depending on who you believe. It really does not matter. It was a great day of riding and that is why we came. With some sadness we depart the beauty of the Black Hills and head to the beauty of Northern California, home to the NorCal Mild Hogs and one of the most beautiful places to ride anywhere.

Thanks for following our trip. I hope you enjoyed it.

See you on the road!

Day 4 - Sturgis

Lake Pactola

Main Street Sturgis

Today we went into downtown Sturgis. For those of you who have never been, there is not much of a town, except during Rally Week each year. Much of the town is shut down the majority of the year, coming alive for one week every August. If you want to have a peek, use the following web site...please note, for the Chevron viewers, do not use the company computers to look at night.... http://rapidcityjournal.com/app/pages/sturgisrallydaily/sturgis_webcam/



I honestly can't explain this...

We got up early and rode the 50 miles from Hill City to Sturgis. I had forgotten how beautiful the ride is. You pass the Pactola Reservoir along the way as well as the city of Deadwood. It was a cool morning and not too much traffic. We cut the dogs loose which really felt good after the wildlife tour yesterday which is much slower. Once in Sturgis, we parked the bikes on the main drag which was fairly open at that time which is unusual. It may be the economy, or perhaps global warming which I previously warned you about. Either way, I'm blaming Obama. He has ample time to straighten this sh-- out!

The only thing I can say about Sturgis is, seen it once, seen it enough... The vendors are the same, t-shirts, bike stuff and t-shirts.... It was hotter than hell! The temperature was 98 degrees. I was hoping it may cause less clothing on the women, but today was actually pretty calm. I'm not saying we didn't see some dainties, just not as much as previous years.

Sturgis Air Conditioning!

There was a great bike show. Some of the bikes looked like you may be able to ride them. Others, not so sure. One of the bikes had a radial engine similar to an older aircraft, while another had steering in the rear. All well done, few were practical. Snake's next bike....

We eventually could not stand the heat and elected to head back. Along the way, we stopped in Deadwood, an old mining town famous for being the location where Wild Bill Hickok was killed. The town does a pretty nice job of welcoming bikers. All the same t-shirts, less crowds and more parking.

After a quick tour of the main street, we headed home to Hill City where we stopped to take a few photos at the Pactola Reservoir. We also purchased water for $1 from the park service. Best deal in South Dakota. Dinner was in Custer City. Fillet mignon for $14 and it was wrapped in bacon. It does not get any better than that. Tomorrow we are off to the Bad Lands for our last ride in South Dakota this year.

See you on the road!

Sturgis - Day 3 The arrival

Gillette, WY ! I wanted to dedicate the entire post to GW, but today we met up with the International Mild Hogs so much of my rant on GW was lucky to make the editor's cut. Well, I checked out the town… no razor manufacturing here, however there were several points of interest. Did you know that GW is home to the Rock Pile Museum? And, believe it or not, it is FREE to the public! No Repo Man, we cannot stop this time. There is also a campground in the middle of town called “Green Trees Crazy Lady Campground”. Now if that thought doesn’t make you want to pitch a tent, I don’t know what will… GW is also a college town! The Gillette College of Diesel Mechanics was not far from our hotel, and it is home to the Fighting Piston Rings. GW has made great use of its former gas stations by converting them to laundromats, tanning salons, real estate offices and one church. On my early morning run, I ran into the town’s one tri-athlete. He was riding a bike, smoking, and drinking a beer all at the same time! That is "tri" right? We ate at a fine eating establishment known as Granny’s Kitchen. The dining room was spacious and had a lattice partition to separate the smoking and nonsmoking sections. How accommodating. I will add the word “Granny” to the words in a restaurant name that I will never go to again. It joins the list of “Copper”, “Skillet”,”Mom’s” and “Down Home”… I’ve often thought about moving back to the United States after leaving the Peoples Republic of California. GW is seriously making me re-think that plan.

Our early morning drive lead us to Rapid City where Repo Man picked up his bike that was previously shipped. The driver tried to convince Outlaw and myself to ship rather than trailer..."you know those trailers can tip". No Sh--, I said! I then described the tractor trailer I saw halfway down the mountain. Let's face it, it is always a miracle when the bike makes it. We headed to Hill City where the front desk ladies went out of their way to find us a room that we could check into immediately. Repo Man has a way with "the ladies". We quickly unpacked and of course washed the bikes before heading out.

Soon we were on the road to meet the other Mild Hogs (M'hogs). It was good to be back on the bikes in the lovely South Dakota country side. We soon met up with the M'hogs at the predetermined spot. It was great to get to meet all the others. There were folks from North Carolina, Oklahoma, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Australia and of course, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

After grabbing lunch and some group photos, we were off to ride the wildlife road taking us through Custer Park. Throughout the ride we spotted elk, antelope (ahhh!), deer, wild ass, and buffalo. With a herd of buffalo on the side of the road, Outlaw got off his bike to take a picture of the group with the buffalo in the background, you know, one of those "this is what they looked like before the buffalo attack" pictures. As Outlaw stood with his back to the herd, a large cow worked her way up behind him. She was as big as a truck with nostrils the size of dinner plates. When he realised she was nearby, Outlaw leaped behind Snake and his bike. He surprised us all with his cat like reflections.

The band of M'hogs eventually found their way out of the park and into Rapid City where we planned to meet to eat. Unfortunately, one of the other riders had bike trouble and caused us to miss the BBQ. You know, no M'hog left behind. We said our goodbyes, promised to write and went our separate ways. It was good to meet the other and know there are M'hogs across the globe sharing our love of riding.

Tonight dinner was in Hill City so that we could call it an early night. Tomorrow we are planning to go into Sturgis during the day and night. There should be some good stories and pictures. I will look forward to sharing them with you.

See you on the road.

Sturgis Trip - Day 2

Okay, I am able to put the pictures on my computer, but I'm not able to load them on the blog. I suspect it is a Blogspot problem... Sorry!

I’m very tempted to make this a green blog… yet uncertain how to make that happen. I guess if you say it is green, that is all that matters. I could try powering the computer with an “alternative” source of energy, like the type that was prevalent in the hotel room last night… Perhaps not, too explosive. Anyway, as we traveled through Wyoming today I can now see how important the environment is. It has been an overcast day which is fine by me, with a few showers on and off throughout the day. As long as the bikes are already dirty, a little more rain won’t hurt. Once again, I am happy to be trailering our bikes. We have seen a number of bikers headed to Sturgis, many of whom waved, unlike yesterday’s one jerk.

Repo Man is keeping a watchful eye for wildlife. We were barely on the road when he spotted the first antelope, so he says. You have to be a little skeptical when he describes is as being “640 yards away on the edge of that field, looks like it may have a bad leg and a tick on its left ear…no, make that a zit”. It is not that I’m calling RM a liar, but come on! He is pretty good at spotting the wildlife while Outlaw and I are good at spotting "the wildlife”. It is a subtle nuance, but to each his own… Fortunately for us, the antelope seem to be in rather short supply, otherwise we would get regular updates. It is not apparent why there are less than years past, but I am going to chalk it up to “Global Warming”! After all, isn’t it the cause of everything bad?

I solved (with a little bit of help) the picture download problem. I now have them on the computer, but unfortunately I cannot get them in the blog... With any luck I will get it resolved soon.

We stopped at RadioShack in Rock Springs. The helpful employee told me she could solve all my problems. Unfortunately, she was only able to solve the computer download issue…Perhaps she can tackle the rest on the return trip. I can download pictures from all the cameras, the internet and the Hubble telescope…. I was beside myself at the thought of Sturgis blog with no pictures. After all, that is half the fun. Please note, I do all of this for our devoted followers!

Besides the occasional antelope, we did see a wind farm. I was impressed with the sheer size of the windmills and turbines. It looks like the turbine housing is as big as a box car. The blades were hundreds of feet long. As you can imagine, these behemoths are quite a spectacular sight and the future of cleaner energy for our country. When do they actually rotate? All but a handful were sitting perfectly still, technological wonders, but not producing enough energy to power this lap top… At the same time, we did see gas and crude pipelines delivering real energy to power our cities, cars, trucks and planes.

Wyoming is a geologist paradise. There are alluvial plains heaving upward into perfect riding areas for dirt bikes. You could ride forever out here and not see a single sole, antelope, but no people. Wyoming also has snow fences. These are quite tall wooden structures to prevent drifting snow from blocking the highways. They are everywhere. Note to file…never live where they have to install “snow fences”.

We are stopping in Gillette, Wyoming for our assault on Sturgis first thing in the morning. No, I don’t know if they make razors here. I’ll get back to you on that.

See you on the road….

Sturgis Trip - Day 1

With great excitement, we all gathered at Outlaw’s house this morning before the sun came up. It was day 1 of our trip to Sturgis. The bikes were already loaded; that is something you want to do in daylight. Repo Man’s bike was already in Sturgis as he shipped it a couple of weeks ago. With the obligatory last minute group photo…in case you never come back, we were on our way. Traffic at that time was light and after a short time we stopped for coffee and to make certain the bikes were properly secured. With Starbucks in each holder, we were off again. The ride was fairly uneventful, thank goodness. We did come across a number of rescue vehicles on the shoulder of the roads as we were coming down the mountain from Tahoe City, you know, the area where it is a sheer drop off the side just a few feet from your right tires… Well, off the road and DOWN the hill was an 18 wheeler! It was a couple of hundred yards down the steep hillside facing nose down and still on its wheels! The wrecker that was on the scene had to be thinking..”how am I going to pull that thing up the hill?”. I would have liked to get pictures, but there was no where to pull off. Hopefully my description was dramatic enough.

We are in Outlaw's new truck so we are trying to be careful about our snacks. We did pull out the beef jerky…okay, no smart remarks! We are serious about our jerky and I have to say, this was the best jerky I never made… As you can imagine, we are not a tofu crowd. You can’t jerk that stuff anyway, can you? We made it past Winnemmucca (if there are too many letters, too bad) this year! I wanted to stop and visit the Buckaroo Hall of Fame, but we had daylight to burn. I’m not kidding about the BHF, but I was kidding about my desire to stop…We eventually stopped in Battle Mountain for lunch. I can honestly say we were the three best looking guys in that town. Inbreeding has not gone well in BM, appropriately named. The lady that waited on us at McDonalds, their finest eating establishment, had no teeth! I got the salad, hoping it was pre-made somewhere else…perhaps in China by little kids.

Fortunately we have satellite radio, unfortunately it picks up a signal called “NASCAR radio”. Yes, they broadcast car races on the radio! If you think watching Nascar is stimulating, you have to try listening to it on the radio. I kept trying to find the Dog Show station, or perhaps the Quilters Guild radio hour… Those were the only things I could come up with that might be worse…

For those of you non-believers, I have compelling proof of God. While crossing the Bonneville Salt Flats, a motorcycle with a rather nasty looking character driving and an even nastier looking partner went by us. As they passed, the guy looks at us in our cushy truck with trailered bikes and sneers, at least I think he sneered as he shook his head. You see, his filthy goatee was blowing in the breeze and it completely covered his mouth. He may have even uttered the word ”pussy”, still not sure. You see, there is this supposed badge of courage for riding your bike to Sturgis, doesn’t matter if you live 10 miles away or 10 thousand. Okay, back to Mr. Bad Ass and the existence of God. About 2 miles down the road, Mr. BA was on the shoulder looking at his smoking engine. Good luck pushing that to Sturgis, how about that trailer now, jackass...? I wanted to get a picture, from the safety of the truck….

We made it to Park City today, 700 miles. I brought an air mattress, fortunately for Repo Man, none of us has to spoon. I’m excited to show the guys my Harley sheets and pillow case…They were purchased for my grandson, eventually… There is some apprehension about 3' of us in a room. It was suggested that perhaps we use the lobby bathroom for those special occasions” that should not be shared with roommates. After facing resistance to this suggestion, I suggested the use of the “courtesy flush”…think about that one…

That’s all for now! See you on the road!

Ode to my fellow Mild Hogs

Okay, I'm not planning to get sentimental, but as I was riding today with Outlaw and Repo Man, I was thinking how nice it is to have them to ride with. The weather today was pretty darn nice. Because of the inland temperatures (around 100!) we elected to head to the coast where it is cooler. That is one of the wonders of Northern California. If you don't like the weather, drive 20 miles and you can be in something totally different. We met Jersey for coffee. It was great to see him. I honestly miss riding with him. Now that he is retired he does not have much time to ride.... I did not realize that's how it worked... He had to "pull" an engine or something... It is in the back of a pick up, so that is more like lifting than pulling, but perhaps it is just semantics.... Any way, he was too "busy" to ride. We headed west and snaked our way to Marin and ended up on Lucas Valley Road.... This a beautiful road that winds through the hills of Marin County and eventually dumps you in the little town of Nicasio. As described in Wilkipedia...

Nicasio

The town center has a post office (zip code 94946), a general store, a tiny real estate office, St. Mary’s Church (established in 1867), a baseball field located in the town square, Rancho Nicasio, which is a bar/restaurant/live music establishment, a Druid's Hall, as well as a number of private homes. The town was founded in the early 19th century to support local agricultural, timber, and fishing activities. The town once boasted the twenty-two room Hotel Nicasio, which opened in 1867 but burned down in December 1940. Just north of town on Nicasio Valley Road is a beautiful red-painted one-room schoolhouse that opened in 1871. The building is currently a listed historical landmark.


Did you catch that, a Druid's hall. You just have to love Marin. We also ended up driving past the Luke Skywalker Ranch, estate of George Lucas. While I could not see the estate, I can tell you that the fence surrounding it is pretty darn nice...


The Dog Days of Tomales.....


From Nicasio we continued west Past Point Reyes and along the Tomales Bay eventually stopping in the tiny town of Tomales where we enjoyed a coffee at the local cafe. No Starbucks in Tomales, or any brand name for that matter. It was obviously dog day in Tomales as everyone had their pooches in tow. After coffee'ing up, we headed east towards Bodega where it gradually became hotter and hotter. For those unfamiliar with Bodega, that is where the "school" scene from The Birds was filmed. The school still stands and is a popular stopping place for visitors. We did not stop as it appeared crowded and we have been there many times. Really, once is quite enough... From there we headed over the hills into Napa Valley and eventually Lake Berryessa and then home as it progressively got hotter.


Outlaw and Repo Man


Okay, back to the title of this Blog...Ode to my fellow Mild Hogs.... I want to recognize the great guys I get to ride with regularly. Outlaw is always the leader, whether he wants to or not. He sets the course, the speed and the stops. He is conscious of all the riders in the group from the first to last and seldom strands anyone at a light. He is also unbelievable at spotting cops. He can see them a mile away, in the bushes or sitting on ramps. It's not that we are doing anything illegal, but sometimes we may exceed the speed limit ever so slightly. I often wonder if outlaw is smuggling automatic weapons in his bags, the way he is on the lookout. He is also on the lookout for all kinds of hazards that may effect the other riders in the group. He lets us know if there is traffic backing up that may require a stop, or debris in the road. He is the perfect leader of the pack. Thanks for taking the lead!

Repo Man regularly brings up the rear...okay, no snickering... He willingly rides last in the pack. This is by far the toughest spot because you are always catching the last of a changing light, or perhaps not. You get to change lanes or pass when the gap is quickly closing or already gone. This role has few benefits, one of them being able to witness the bone head moves of your fellow riders... For the record I was looking at that electric motorcycle and did not see the raised manhole. Besides, I only grazed it! I did see you shaking your head Mister Judgemental.... Thanks Repo Man for patiently fulfilling this tough and thankless position in the pack.

There, I better quit before I start getting all sentimental and mushy over my friends, after all we will be sharing a room in Sturgis....right Jer?

See you on the road!

Sturgis Preview...For the ladies...

Well, I understand that many blogs attract controversy, but never did I imagine my Strugis Preview would elicit such strong emotions among...the ladies (said with a bit of a sleezy tone if you know what I mean...) I guess I can understand their beef as I am a sensitive male myself. For example, sometimes I can't decide what to wear...black t-shirt, or gray t-shirt. I even cry at movies...when the popcorn runs out. Like many of ...the ladies, I also worry if my butt looks big in my jeans, but I know better than to ask! Okay, you get the point...

So in deference to...the ladies, I give you THE MEN OF STURGIS!

Easy girls, I'm just getting warmed up!

Those Walmart jeans seem to be the Apache brand. When you least expect it, they creep up on you and wipe you out.... No disrespect to our native American brothers...

This is Repo Man trying to make himself look bigger....Don't ask me... It looks like it worked!

I know what you are thinking...yes, we made a lot of stops...but check out those guns!

Jersey gets 'his' twisted in a pain threshold contest with a local....He took it like a man, not... Screamed "mommy" like a little girl....

A self portrait by Outlaw....He can't smile because of all the bugs in his teeth....

The one tat I can show you ladies....


Jersey relaxing after enjoying too much of the nightlife in Sturgis....

The quintessential male in Sturgis! (California High School graduates, please refer to your dictionary...book with definitions...oh never mind!

I hope...the ladies enjoyed 'their preview' and the chance to laugh along with us, at us. We really aren't as bad as you might imagine or the pictures might depict us. We are always perfect gentlemen when we ride...

Well, most of the time.....

See you on the road....

Sturgis Preview 2010

Fellow bike enthusiasts.

Well, it has been a couple of years since the Mild Hogs have been in Sturgis and we are long overdue. I can already feel the call of the open road, the camaraderie of other riders, the freedom that only two wheels can offer. Outlaw, Repo Man (RM) and Snake are hitching up the chaps and heading cross country. There is nothing like the open road in Outlaw's new pick up with the bikes in tow! In Sturgis they sell patches that say "I rode mine". I keep looking for the "I towed mine" patch. No luck so far... RM is shipping his bike since we only have a 2 bike trailer. It is actually a pretty good deal. They pick up your bike at your house and drop it at the HD shop in Sturgis. No fuss, no muss...

Hey Jersey! You were supposed to watch my bike.

This year we are meeting up with our Mild Hog brothers for a ride and then barbecue. There will be members from Michigan, Wisconsin, Australia and of course Northern California. There may be others, but not certain at this time. It will be great to finally meet Paul and the guys from Michigan. We have been in touch via email since forming our club and it will be nice to put faces with the email addresses. Who knows, maybe we will make plans with the Aussie's to join them for a ride in their country one day. If you are a product of the California school system, Australia is the only country that covers an entire continent...Australia! Because of Australia's isolation it has many animals that are not native any where else such as kangaroos and koalas.

Beer anyone?

The sites are some of the most spectacular in U.S.. Mt. Rushmore, Custer National Park, Badlands, and Crazy Horse. Wild buffalo, deer and antelope are everywhere. If you are very careful, you may even see some wild ass. I can remember the day Repo Man actually pet a little wild ass....I believe I have that picture somewhere....

Repo Man handling some wild ass in S.D.

Other shots of S.D.

Well, that's is for now.
See you on the road...to Sturgis. I'll be the one sipping a coke and eating beef jerky. Wave as you go by....

Santa Cruz Run

Okay, I have no idea how my grandson's picture got in here... He is sure cute, isn't he?

As I sit here sipping an adult beverage, I do not even know where to begin... It is the Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend. Important to set the scene for the events yet to unfold... Today's run was not well attended. Boots, Outlaw and Snake were the only ones interested in a run today. We met at Starbucks as usual. The weather was warm, but not too warm. It was the perfect day for a coastal run. I can still remember the last time we went, probably the coldest I've been in a long time. Today was promising. Boots brought a new (to him) bike. 2000 BMW Roadster. A real beauty... We decided it was okay for him to retire his Sporster in favor of this road weapon. We even helped with some wording for his ad... "I'm sorry I have to sell this Sporster, it is too f'ing fast to even be considered street legal...." or, "must sell before I kill myself"...or my favorite...."this bike is a babe magnet, wife says it has to go". We figure with any of those lines, someone is certain to buy it...

Anyway, back to the ride... We took 680 to 580 and the San Mateo Bridge (92) eventually leading to Skyline Drive. What a gorgeous day. The Crystal reservoir was full, the sky was clear and the roads were open... We took the Skyline Drive to Alice's Restaurant. This is a local biker (cruiser, sport and even bicycle) hangout. Alice’s Restaurant (where, apparently, you really can get just about anything you want) was purchased in 2002 by locals James and Andy Kerr. Alice’s was built around 1900 as a general store and was converted to a restaurant in the 1940s. It became Alice’s Restaurant in 1961, named for owner Alice Taylor. It has open family seating, so you never know who you might get to know over coffee and eggs, or a burger if you like. We chowed down there, admired all the bikes, mostly our own and then fully stuffed headed off to Santa Cruz.

The ride to Santa Cruz was curvy, and uneventful. We passed through Santa Cruz without stopping, if you don't count having to wait for Boots when he missed a light. We of course stripped our leathers before Santa Cruz as it was hot as blazes. Once through SC, we were on the coast highway. It became very cold. As my T-shirt ruffled in the wind against my frigid chest, I longed for my leather jacket... You must understand, no Mild Hog will ever be the first to reach for a jacket even if it results in serious nipple chaff.... Eventually we decided to pull off "for a picture". oh well, what the heck, might as well throw on the jacket...

We eventually found our way to Half Moon Bay. As we sat at light, a Honda and Yamaha pulled up directly next to Outlaw and Snake. These are the kind of bikes that look like HD's sort of, but aren't... Well, the light changed, Outlaw and the lead faux HD jump on it! I prefer to keep a cooler head in these types of situations, particularly considering my last ticket... Well, my guy jumped on it as well, so I had to respond. I am happy to report that it is HD 2, Faux bikes 0. We kicked their butts. The brand is saved!

We eventually found ourselves in San Francisco... What a mistake that was. Holiday traffic everywhere. Even with the shortcuts that Outlaw had, we found ourselves in Golden Gate Park in horrendous bumper to bumper traffic. It was time to split lanes. You cannot imagine how narrow the lanes are without cramming 700 pounds of motorcycle in between. I may have aged 10 years in the hour we dogged cars, buses, trucks and trailers. After a rather narrow escape I asked Boots how close it was. He said I had at least a quarter inch to spare on each handle bar grip...I thought it might be closer, but I shut my eyes at the last minute.

We made it through without a scratch if Outlaw clicking mirrors with one car does not count... We did lose Boots, so if you read this note, please phone home...I know you are not in prison as stated on your text...at least I think so...

The ride was a little over 250 miles and is certainly one to remember. Happy Memorial Day!

See you on the road.

Mt. Hamilton - Rewind

Saturday, May 15th started as an overcast day in our part of the Bay Area. Instead of heading to the coast for fish & chips as previously planned, we switched gears and decided to make the Mt. Hamilton run in reverse. This decision was to seek the sun, but also to get some pictures since we failed our followers on the last run. On this run we had the Repo Team, Outlaws and Snake. Boots could not make the ride, something about spending the weekend in "Paradise". Well, I know "Paradise", and I doubt Boots could be there for more than a few minutes, let alone the weekend... I'm assuming he was talking about "Business Time", but perhaps he meant something else....

On the way we stopped at the Livermore HD shop to shop and take a break. Out of Livermore we took Mines Rd. The road all the way up to Mt. Hamilton is strewn with bicyclists enjoying the scenery of the road right in front of the tire (picture heads hanging and tongues hanging out as they make the ascent). The road up to and down from Mt. Hamilton is full of tight turns that require your full attention. I did manage to miss a snake in the road, this time... I could not help but notice a couple of things as we rode. 1.) We always managed to meet up with other cars, motorcycles or bikes in sharp turns, never straight parts of the road. A couple of times I thought Outlaw might bump helmets of other cyclists. 2.) Rock slides, gravel, pine cones only occur in turns. I'm not sure why this is the case, but it is...

At the top of Mt. Hamilton we stopped at the James Lick Observatory, named for the inventor of the Popsicle...

From the official web site.... The observatory was constructed between 1876 and 1887, from a bequest from James Lick. In 1887 Lick's body was buried under the future site of the telescope, with a brass tablet bearing the inscription, "Here lies the body of James Lick".
Before construction could begin, a road to the site had to be built. All of the construction materials had to be brought to the site by horse and mule-drawn wagons, which could not negotiate a steep grade. To keep the grade below 6.5%, the road had to take a very winding and sinuous path, which the modern-day road (SR 130) still follows. Tradition maintains that this road has exactly 365 turns. (This is approximately correct, although uncertainty as to what should count as a turn makes precise verification impossible). Even those who do not normally suffer from motion-sickness find the road challenging.

While we were at the observatory, we were joined by an antique Porche club on an outing. I felt a bit sorry for them as they were not on motorcycles and I know why they had to buy a Porche to make up for certain inadequacies....

We rode down into San Jose and enjoyed lunch at the Fire Eaters. Both Outlaw and Repo man enjoyed the wings with the Inferno sauce. I had the Nuclear sauce, a step up from my previous choice, sauce for little girls.... Afterwards we scooted home on the freeways having had enough turns for one day....

See you on the road.

Yosemite Weekend Adventure

A number of the NorCal MildHogs and their lady companions spent the weekend in Yosemite Valley enjoying riding and all the scenery this lush valley has to offer. The valley was formed millions of years ago when massive glaciers flowed carving the sheer cliffs that can be seen today. It is actually a bit more complicated than that, but this is not a geology lesson and you may be a product of the California School System in which case it is more important to know how to put a condom on a banana… I do have to mention that the first visitors to the valley were Native Americans of various tribes, the most recent being the Miwok that called the Yosemite Valley, Ahwahnee which means “place of gaping mouth” which is exactly what you do when you first see the valley. That is also the name of the Lodge where we had  Sunday brunch and also describes the look on our faces when we first saw the beautiful buffet, but more on that later.

The ride up was relatively uneventful. The Snakes, Outlaws, and Repo Team were accompanied by non-members Hollywood and Hello Kitty…don’t ask…. One of the wives took the SUV so “the others did not have to carry their gear all that way on the bikes.” It worked out well as she was able to look out for us on the road. We had a Civic with one of those big exhaust pipes come flying up on our rear end and then jerked around the rear bike only to cram the next bike in line. Unbeknown to us, our support crew got pissed and called 911 with the license number. Next thing we know, a CHP comes blasting up on us with his lights flashing and siren blaring. We were going 70 in 55 mph zone and assumed we were nailed, and me already on the most wanted list. Most of us pulled over to let the cruiser by, but one of our group did not budge and even appeared to speed up. We all assumed it was due to Hollywood’s rather questionable immigration status. Eventually even he let the cop go by. Later up the road the CHP had the Civic driver pulled over and was issuing a citation. Makes me smile just thinking of it.
We arrived at the hotel, the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. The lodge is right along the Merced River which this time of year is churning and flowing due to all the snow melt. Each room has a balcony with a view of the river. The lodge is only a few miles from the entrance to the park. We stowed our gear and rode through the park. The nice thing about visiting the park several times during different hours is that the scenery changes with the changes in lighting. There were not a lot of flowers in bloom due to the late winter snow which occurred as late as that week at higher elevations. We did see California Poppies and purple spider lupine. All of the waterfalls were gushing from the late melt. In addition to the normal waterfalls you see every year; I believe there were others that are not typical. We also saw 15 deer, not 14…and one bear. You can spot the bears easily in Yosemite as they are accompanied by several rangers to keep idiot tourists from becoming part of the ecosystem. That night some of us ate at the lodge restaurant, which was quite nice and reasonably priced. I do not recommend their pizza restaurant from a previous visit…

The next morning we ate a wonderful breakfast buffet at the Ahwahnee Lodge. The lodge opened in 1927 and is considered one of America’s most distinctive hotels with its huge cathedral ceilings, enormous stone hearths and richly colored American Indian rugs. If you are attending breakfast at the lodge, I do recommend reservations as it is one of the more popular places to eat in the area. In addition to an extensive breakfast fare, they had White Gulf shrimp (pre-BP), salmon, pasta, salads of every type and even cheese blintz with berry topping. It is somewhat expensive, but worth the experience and view. After we ate we walked around the hotel and enjoyed the views and took many pictures.

The ride home was fantastic. If you have not been to the Yosemite Valley, you need to add it to your bucket list and be sure to do it on a Harley.
See you on the road….