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Lets get a couple things squared away right off the start. Tim and I had no intention of riding this rally together. We just ended up with very similar routes and ran together. Never once was it asked, “Wanna do this together?” We just kind of collaborated on it. Think about it: Would either one of us choose to spend 24 hours straight with the other one? Tim and I received our first packet at approximately 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning. We both poured over it. Both saw that Lusk WY. was the corner stone to our ride. Then we started to discuss some possibilities. We both quickly realized it would be in our best interest to listen to Arlene’s speech to start off. Now what to do for the next nine hours? We tried to sleep. I pretty much rolled around on the grass getting hot under my ’Stich. Finally 6:15 p.m. rolls around, we check in and get the rest of our route sheets. We start to pour over these. Then the little light goes off, “Hey! There’s a bunch of stuff on our original route! Right on the freakin’ roads that we planned on using.” We settle in for a little meal at the Two Rivers and to hear a wonderful speech. At 7:18 I have Eddie sign my sheet to start my rally. 1900+ points are bagged. We listen to the incredible tails of Arlene and Danny Liska. Just imagine what those two did. No GPS, no radar detectors, no nothing. Walking 4 days in the mud, escaping from jail, running from a rhino. Well an hour into the speech Tim and I turn to each other and say “Laramie WY. is out.” We have yet to turn a wheel and we are already taking points off the route, not a good sign. Eddie presents Arlene with a FOR award. This is well deserved and I was very happy to see it presented. Adam finally explains that people are on the rally and allows us to leave. I felt like I was being rude and walking out on my Grandmother’s birthday meal or something, but dang it. …There’s a rally to be run here and I can’t sit much longer. So off to the bikes. First stop on HWY 12, the town that has 2 people in it. More points bagged (can’t remember how many). Next stop Valentine NE. to get fuel. Then we run down to Carhenge (sp?). Yes, cars are big, but when it’s dark it’s tough to count them all. I counted 36. Adam said the “official” total is 38. Whew, within 2, points bagged. Next stop Scottsbluff. We roll into town and promptly head to the far side. I always like to get gas on my way out of town if at all possible. The gas station we choose was not open, but pay at the pump works wonders. Got a receipt and off we go to Lusk. I blow by the turn off for Mother Whatever Her Name Is., turn around and start down the road (and I use that word generously) from hell. Hairpins, rocks, cows and some deer that Tim just “had to play with”. I swear his parents never gave him a cowboy outfit growing up, he just had to “herd the deer”. Tim some how managed to get a deer that I startled to straddle his front wheel. This is the road that I turned around on in the 2000 rally. No way in hell was I going down this on a 748. All I could see in 2000 were dollar signs flashing by me. At about the 5-mile marker on this road I see a couple of bikes on the way out. All I can think is, “Damn it, they’re on our route and beating us!” Well we finally get out of there and head back into Lusk for fuel and the opportunity to meet some of Lusk’s finest people. We stop at the Outpost Truckstop for gas and meet Goober. Poor old Goober. That fancy-dancy receipt machine seems to have gotten the better of him this evening. All that adding and stuff doesn’t sit to well with him. We grab a couple of Red Bulls and a snack and head to the bikes to take a quick break. It’s very late at night and kind of cold. In comes a convertible with the top down, four people “in” it (the back seat was used as a foot stool) all wearing sunglasses. Think it’s time to wait till they have a real good head start on us. Checking our clocks we’ve made good time and had good fuel stops till this point. We are ahead of schedule and a sleep bonus looks very likely. We head north on HWY 85 to Devil’s Tower N.M. Tim calls the perfect gas stop, since it was the last station before Devil’s Tower. I called it’s time for sleep since we stopped. Once again the station was not open (love that pump and pay until you fail to get a receipt). We start our sleep bonus and roll around to the rear of the building. Once the station is open for business we can use the facilities. Tim sets the Meanee for two and a half hours. We do our best to get a couple winks. I get up in an hour or so, I just can’t sleep. I go in and buy a box of donuts (food of the Gods) and a coffee. We dine like kings (ok not really, we’re kinda stinky and dirty by this time). Off to Devil’s Tower! We roll in, Tim covers the charges. Approximately ten miles to the visitor’s center. Turns out we’re like the 6th set of bikes to go thru here. This has me worried. I know it’s a good route, I just didn’t think it was THAT good. We see Fergus coming out. All I can think is “Damn! He has a cell too.” We get stamped and get out. Off to Alladin General store on Hwy 111. WRONG!!!!!! First I think we have come across an accident. I saw dust over the hill and as I crested it I saw a bike with a rider next to it, a car stopped in the middle of the road and a body on the ground. Quick, remember all of the 2 days of first aid training you’ve had in the last ten years. Oh wait, the guy on the ground, that’s just the flagman after a hard night of partying. Wow, did he look rough. He let’s us up to the front were we meet up with Fergus again and then Mark Koch come to join the party. We wait for the pace car to come and lead us along. Sev passes going the other way and says all is good ahead of us. We get to the intersection with Hwy 111 and Tim and I take off down it. Remembering that the sheet said “In the middle of….well nothing.”. Turns out the store is really on 24 (I think) and not 111. We realize this after about 3 miles. We have to turn around and go thru part of the construction again. DUH! We get up to where the cars are stopped. Tim checks his mirrors; no one is coming, so he pulls up. At this point the flag “lady” goes ballistic screaming at Tim “Stop!!! I have a STOP Sign!!!” Banging the orange flag against the sign all the time. I wasn’t sure if she was mad or practicing herding cattle. I can also hear (with helmet on and ear plugs) Tim saying “Lady is…” Louder “Lady is……” Very Loud “STFU I just want to ask you a question!” *puzzled look from flag lady* “Is the General Store to our left or is down hwy 111?” Flag Lady “Umm just down there. You can’t pass here, there’s equipment.” Tim: “I know there’s equipment and I’m not going anywhere till clear.” Flag Lady “Sorry for blowing up” Makes me wonder how tough do flag people really have it? Maybe the first guy hadn’t partied all night. Maybe he was just burnt out on this high stress, air traffic controller type job. I guess we’ll never know. Back on track again. At least we think we are. We are on our way to Deadwood. We fall in behind Mark and Fergus on I-90. Fergus decides its time to pull off. I think to myself “Ya screwed up the Hwy 111 thing. This guy knows where he’s going. Follow him.”. Well I followed Fergus to a gas stop. DUH!!! Back to the freeway and on to Deadwood again. Grab our coin. Now take 385 to Keystone. Damn the traffic!!! Damn more flag people. Wait, these flag people are doing nothing. Kinda looks like just practice. This bites. Finally make it into Keystone and can’t find the post office. Had to turn around and try again. By this time I’m getting crabby. I screwed up Hwy 111, followed Fergus to a gas stop and now can’t find a freakin’ post office. Turns out to be the smallest building on the street. Time for fuel. Heading towards Rapid City for fuel, then off to Interior. At this point someone turns on the heat. I still have the liners in my ‘Stich and I am starting to get warm. We get off the freeway at Interior and head toward the Badlands. I pay (Tim got the last one). Note to Self; “Tim owes me $2, mine was more expensive. Damn him.” We pull into the visitor’s center and start shedding the gear. We get stamped and a few strange looks. A gentleman approached us cautiously and asked what we were doing? I kindly explained. I think he was impressed. At this point we, Tim and I, look at each other and figure Pierre S.D. is not worth the risk. Better to finish with what points we have then get time barred. Pierre is 32 miles off of I-90 and the checkpoint is in the middle of town. That means traffic and we are getting kinda close on time. Off to Chamberlain. Quick off and on the Mitchell for one last fuel stop. After about 40 miles of heading towards the finish I start to think to myself “What if that new bridge is closed?” I swear, I had myself in a full fledge panic attack about a bridge that common sense would tell you were open. Well we finished with about 45 minutes to spare. Tim got scored first. He told me we were currently in the lead. It was only around 7 p.m. Lots of time for the Bob Johnson’s of the world to come rolling in with bigger numbers. I go and get scored. I walk out and see Steve Hardy. Now I am positive he will have a bigger score. Wow, he just came to get his Collins and only 460 miles Whew!!! Well it’s off to find a hotel room in Yankton (easier said than done). Get up the next morning. Head to The Two Rivers. Holy Cow the score held!!!!!! Uhhhh Ohhhhhh!!!! Them Iron Butt boys are gonna kill me. Well I am looking forward to running with the big dogs next Aug. I hope I can do Team Strange proud with a good showing. Thanks again to Adam, Eddie and all the Team Strange Volunteers. Without you guys I wouldn’t have the chance or reason to ride my bike for 24 hours straight. I have so much fun running these things it’s scary. I do truly appreciate all the long hours and hard work each one of you dedicates to this rally. THANK YOU!!! Marty #93 |
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