A Journey of a Thousand Miles - The Open Road

"Because it is there".  Probably the most often repeated phrase people use to explain why they do what they do when they can't articulate the reason they do what they do.  I know a lot of reasons why I like to ride my motorcycle yet there are still some elusive reasons I haven't fully pinned down yet.  Somehow to me there is the lure of the open road and more than other types of vehicles, the Harley Davidson helps me access that.

Especially after a long hiatus from riding there is a kind of excitement and joy that goes long with rumbling down the road on a big machine, wind in the hair (so to speak) and the adventures to be had doing it.  The joke is that motorcycle riders need ride with their mouths closed to avoid getting bugs stuck between their teeth.  The reason riders get bugs in their teeth is because they are smiling, sometimes laughing as they power on.  It is stress relief therapy for people who ride.  If we didn't wear full-face helmets you might see more of this.  

I have lived on the Kenai Peninsula for 27 years.  There is essentially three roads, the Seward, Sterling and Spurr highways.  I have traveled over these same roads with their spectacular views so many times I couldn't even estimate the number of trips taken on these roads.  Not to sound jaded to the sights that people come the world over to see, I have seen those mountains and that water more than a few times, from a car.  Get on a bike and it's like starting all over again.  It's a new road, new sights and new adventures nestled in the trappings of old ones.  The motorcycle kind of puts you in touch with all of that in a new way.

So it is with this journey of a thousand miles.  I have been on these roads lots of times.  Some I haven't been on for a long time, like 30 years or so.  But I have never been down some of them on a motorcycle.  It is like seeing those sights for the first time and getting all of the "wows!" and wonder all over again.  It's thrilling.

As we near departure time, we double check our bikes to expend nervous energy and then put on our riding gear.  It's late morning yet there is still a little bit of cool to the air.  The car is loaded and we start our bikes.  It's road time.  I am chosen to lead because I have cruise control on my bike.  It keeps the group together when the leader rides at a constant speed.  We work our way through town and to the next place and then we feel like we are on the road for real.  We open things up a bit and set the cruise.  The bike sounds great thrumming consistently and strong underneath me.  The sun is out in full force.  I begin to sweat.  I open up my "vents" on my riding jacket.  These are nothing but illusions as no air gets through those things.  Pretty soon I am unzipping and thinking I've got to shed some layers.

We get on the north side of Cooper Landing when we have to pull off on the side of the road beside Kenai Lake.  We dump our heavy coats in the car and don just our leather vests with long sleeve shirts.  It's still the month of May and it's the warmest riding I have ever had.  Things are much better now and we up our speed a little.  There is virtually no traffic in our lane.  Everyone seems to be heading in the direction we are coming from and few seem to be going where we are headed.  Perfect.  

We make it to Anchorage after a stop in Girdwood for someone to fill up their tiny gas tank.  Then we power on.  The girls go ahead to take the car into the dealer for some work.  We will meet up with them then.  The road to Anchorage is great and we arrive in a short time.  The temps are still rising and in the city traffic the heat from our engines are poaching the backside of our legs.  I hate riding in traffic waiting for lights.  This is everything riding is NOT about.  I can't wait to get on the road again.

Our goal for the day is a modest one.  We just have to get to Eagle River to stay at the house of some friends who are loaning their house to us for the night while they are away.  After dinner on the far side Anchorage, it is only a few minutes later we arrive at the home of our friends and get ready for the evening.  Greg and I take a short ride about town before we call it quits for the night.  

The next morning the trip for me begins in earnest.  We get to Wasilla to meet friends for breakfast, join up with another rider and his wife and son and get on the road for real.  I love it.  We pull out heading north on the Parks highway with the goal of Cantwell for the night.  The morning air is cool and the dark foreboding clouds up ahead promise rain.  Whatever, I am ready to ride.  

We power up and flow with the Memorial Day traffic until Trapper Creek.  For some reason past this point the traffic always seems to disappear.  The road is open, the pavement is dry and the sun comes out again.  The rain never makes an appearance.  We shed heavy layers once again and are riding in vest and long sleeves.  The curves and hills stretch out before us and the miles go underneath our bikes easily.  It is good to be riding again, this is the real deal and it is great.