Picto Diary - 8,9,10,11,12 August 2015 - Big Dog 2015
Above: The Bishop (Banker Dog). Convenience/fuel store. Dinasaur, CO 08 August 2015.
Back on the road. BMW F800 GS motorcycle. Going to Big Dog. Golden, CO, tonight. 450 miles.
Guessing, I've been to 9 of the last 15 'Dogs. My first 'Dog was circa 98... the one based in Red Lodge, MT.
Fun to meet up with the 'Dogs... people form all walks of life where the common denominator is an adventure motorcycle.
Above: Location map for Carrabbas Italian Grill restaurant, Lakewood, CO.
Dinner with Reno Dog, Salida Dog, and Oil Pan Dog.
Note: As a lowly C rider... I'm not empowered to name the 'Dogs. Don't know all the 'Dog prefixes, so I made some up myself. Happy to be corrected, punished, or mutilated..... meanwhile.....
Above: Supreme Dog (Dr. G) puts on the Dog. Opens 2015 Big Dog ride. Parking Lot. La Quinta Hotel, Golden, CO. 09 August 2015.
Seated, Art Dog, Richardson, TX. Three years ago riding the Dog near Lander, WY. From behind I watched Art Dog do a double somersault, 9 feet in the air, when his Kawasaki KLR dove into a ditch after taking a turn "too hot."
Today our Big Dog C group accomplished the OMG highway between Idaho Springs and Central City, Guanella Pass, and Boreas Pass, before checking into Big Dog Central, La Quinta Inn, Silverthorne, CO. We did about 140 miles... half on dirt.
The C group is defined as: "those Big Dog riders in search of the best cheeseburger."
I've ridden the crazy A's and crashing B's in prior years. Time to tone it down a bit today.
Above: Renny Dog, Chocolate Dog and Reno Dog check out Reno Dog's BMW F800 GS motorcycle at Al's Pits Barbecue... south entrance to Guanella Pass on US 285. 09 August 2015
Last year, Reno Dog rode this same bike from Vladivostok to Latvia, 8000 miles.
Renny Dog will return to Panama City, where he left his KLR after, lat year, completing the first leg of his planned trip to Uchuaya, Argentina. He will return to Panama City this fall where he will undertake the second leg of his Latin American ride... leg ending in Lima, Peru.
There being no Houstons in the immediate area, we had to settle for Al's Pits at the north base of Guanella Pass. And, not a cheeseburger, but a bratwurst.
Above: Art Dog ascends to the summit of Boreas Pass, direction Breckenridge, CO. 09 August 2015.
Above: The Bishop (Banker Dog). In the background, Breckenridge, CO. 09 August 2015.
Image captured from Boreas Pass road look-out.
The Bishop is riding his 2012 BMW F800 GS, dual sport motorcycle.
Above: The Bishop (Banker Dog) and Truck Dog. La Quinta Hotel parking lot, Silverthorne, CO 10 August 2015.
The Bishop first met Truck Dog ten years ago at Big Dog. Based in Munster, TX, Truck Dog owned one of the largest specialized hauling companies in America. If you saw a truck carrying a wind turbine fan blade, it was probably Truck Dog's truck hauling it.
One of Big Dog's best riders, Truck Dog is also known as the best 'Dog to make a post crash fix or resolve any mechanical issue. A few years ago on Tin Cup Pass, I hit a large rock and bent the shift lever on my 1998 BMW R1100 GS motorcycle. Truck Dog hammered the lever back to usefulness.
Another year, Truck Dog fixed a flat tire for me... also on the 1998 BMW R1100 GS motorcycle, near Monarch Pass, while riding out of Buena Vista, CO.
Truck Dog sold his trucking company a couple of years ago and he now spends much of his time motorcycle adventure riding.
Above: Big Dog C riders take a break at Cataract Creek near Green Mountain Reservoir. 10 August 2015.
Front from Left: Cat Dog, Art Dog, Reno Dog. From left standing: Chocolate Dog, Preacher Dog, Milk Chocolate Dog, Supreme Dog (Dr. G).
Supreme Dog, attempting to diminish his own importance in carrying out the ride, says he's just the spark plug of the ride... and that we riders are the engine. Cytowski Dog, BMW Denver long time employee, is clearly one of the key ride "spark plugs" as well. Cytowski Dog, long time C Group leader, is not riding this year, but will attend the ride's closing steak dinner event.
Above: Target at Colorado River Overlook, near State Bridge, CO. 10 August 2015.
Many outsiders or tourists mistakenly believe these targets are informational story boards.
Above: World first. Four adventure bikes with tag sequence never before seen at Turntable Restaurant in Minturn, CO. 10 August 2015.
New York, Montana, Utah, and Texas.
Bikes of Chocolate Dog, Supreme Dog, Banker Dog, and Art Dog, respectively.
Above: Cat Dog, riding a vintage 1991 BMW R100 on Shrine Pass road. 10 August 2015.
Vail ski resort can be seen in the distance.
Above: File shot of Begalis Restaurant, Frisco, CO.
Kastle Dog, Pikes Dog, Preacher Dog, and Mwah (sic) Banker Dog, dined here on 10 August 2015.
Kastle Dog, national sales rep for Kastle, Eagle, CO, told Mwah (sic) to be careful what you wish for. Having Vail as a major, corporate player in Park City could have unintended consequences. Vail is a tough, successful operator, but, also, its corporate nature risks stripping out of Park City some of the local flavor to which Parkites have become accustomed.
Pikes Dog, an Atlanta litigation attorney, recounted his recent Pikes Peak motorcycle race 2nd place finish when he wasn't bantering with the attractive and highly personable and competent waitress.
Preacher Dog, a regional Christian Motorcycle Association pooh bah, recounted the story of his conversion. He had come from a bad place to one giving joy and meaning to his life. Before coming to 'Dog, he had ridden his Victory cruiser from his home in Arkansas to Sturgis, and then down to Colorado.
Preacher Dog would provide inspirational remarks and a prayer at each AM riders meeting.
Both Kastle Dog and Pikes Dog are A plus riders... way out of my league. Preacher Dog rides his Victory as though it were a "dual sport." He's also a great rider.
Above: Bishop. Weston Pass summit, CO. Big Dog ride, day 3. 11 August 2015.
I rode with the B group today. Weston Pass, pretty benign, but with a couple of tricky patches, was a new pass for me.
On Weston Pass, a "tricky patch" meant a very steep downhill section, over loose rocks where 1st gear "engine braking" did not slow the bike to a safe speed descent. Braking on such steep rocky sections is a dicey operation. Applying the rear brake, the first line of defense, too hard, can cause the bike to skid to one side or the other, pointing the rider in a direction he doesn't want to go (over a cliff?). A gentle application of the front brake, with light rear brake, can stabilize the bike, but, too much front brake will cause a front wheel skid and a possible low side fall.
One way or the other, I stayed upright.
Weston. Between US 285 and Leadville.
Also today, did a repeat ride of Boreas pass between Breckinridge and Como, on US 285.
Above: Two inch thick steaks. Big Dog staple at final dinner. 11 August 2015.
Above: Two post dinner presentations. 11 August 2015. Reno Dog's 8000 mile motorcycle ride (BMW F800 GS) from Vladivostok to Latvia. Minnesota Dog's ride around Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia.
There are some real hyper adventure tourers amongst the 'Dogs.
Both presentations excellent.
I didn't do 8000 miles in Russia, but 18 months ago I rode through Dagestan, Chechnya, North Ossetia, and Ingushetia... both highway and dirt... guessing 400 or so Russia miles.
Above: Bavarian Dog can't leave for his Pueblo, CO home and cyber security business until he plugs a punctured rear tire of his GS. 12 August 2015. Supreme Dog (Dr. G) observes.
Mwah (sic) to head back to Park City, UT... about 430 miles. Maybe, on the return, I'll look for some never before ridden roads.
There are construction delays on CO SR 09 north to Steamboat Springs, and on I-70, single lane for 20 miles near Glenwood Springs - before Rifle, CO, where I would ordinarily turn north if going that route.
Above: Cat Dog preps his vintage 1991 BMW R100. 12 August 2015.
He's headed back to the 'dozers in Hayden, CO.
Above: 20 Mile Mine between Oak Creek and Hayden. 20 Mile Road...a Routt county road. A new short cut road for me. 12 August 2015.
Coal. Cheapest source of energy... yet US Government wants to shut it down.
Above: Rendu. BMW R 800 GS home safely in TIMDT's garage, Park City, UT. 430 miles on my 70th birthday.
TIMDT and Mwah (sic) attended grand birthday celebration dinner for two at Ruths Cris Steak House in Park City, UT.
Good as a day as can be...400 miles plus on a bike and dinner with my wife.
Above: Stickers. Isle of Man, Caucasus, Alaska, and Cuba. 12 August 2015.
This bike didn't go to those places, but, I did on comparable, rented beemer dual sports.
Big Dog 2015. End of another adventure.