Lollygagging...

 

verb

 informal•North American

gerund or present participle: lollygagging

1. spend time aimlessly; idle.

   "he sends her to Arizona every January to lollygag in the sun"

   • dawdle.

     "we're lollygagging along"

Origin

mid 19th century: of unknown origin.

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 I got out early this morning.  The forecast for the next 10 days is: Hot.  Early is better if you want to ride.  Joan wanted to get to the grocery store before it got crowded, so this worked for both of us.  I decided today would be a "lollygagging" day... no destination, not riding fast or slow, just rolling along.  My definition of "lollygagging" is a bit different from the above; I'm OK with riding slow... as long as it isn't "forced" because some flatlander is driving 18mph on a great curvy road where the speed limit is 35mph.  And, if I am holding anyone up, I will pull over and get out their way.

After breakfast at Mickey D's, I rolled south on Hwy 16; stopped for fuel at the usual place (72 mpg) and continued on 16.  When I got to the Y in the road (literally - it is called "the Y"), I had to decide if I wanted to go to Hill City or maybe ride by Rushmore.  I decided to do the "passing by Rushmore thing" and stopped for a couple touristy photos...

Not kidding: a car stopped on the road (not in the pullout where I took these photos), a young guy got out, took a photo, then got back in his car and looked at it on his phone.  In the right lane on a 4 lane road, on the way to a major tourist attraction.  That is not lollygagging - that is stoopid.

I started up and rode around him.  He was still parked in the right lane when I last saw him in my rear view mirror.

Nice thing about lollygagging - you can stop whenever you want.  There is a decent National Park bathroom at the picnic area a couple miles past Rushmore.  I continued on Hwy 44, just enjoying the curves - no traffic in front of or behind me.  When I got to Hwy 385, another decision: go right into Hill City or go left towards Custer State Park... the park it is.

No traffic when I turned onto Hwy 87, until I got close to Sylvan Lake Lodge... behind two cars that turned into the park entrance road.  Fortunately, they pulled in to get a park pass; I have a season pass, so I politely rode around them.  Yes, this is Needles Highway.  And surprisingly no traffic - when I got to the Needles Eye Tunnel, there wasn't a vehicle in front of me, but I had to wait while a pickup driving approximately 2 mph came through the tunnel.

That provided the time for a group of about a dozen riders on obnoxiously loud bikes (exhausts and stereos) to get behind me.  I turned off at the first available pullout to let them pass.  And as long as I'm here, another photo op...

Proof that I was there, not just the bike...

Most of the rest of the way into the park, was blissfully quiet and traffic-free.  Until a couple miles before Hwy 36, where I was behind 3 bikes and two cars.  At the turn onto Hwy 36, the cars went right, the bikes went straight ahead to a bathroom, and I went right.  No traffic again on that delightful road through the park.

The number of bikes on the roads has picked up significantly.  And the first sign of Rally-riders: a group that was stopped at the State Game Lodge, and one of the ladies was wearing white cheeky shorts under black leather chaps.  It's a look; no, I won't be wearing that.  You're welcome.

Then, the next decision: take Highway 36 out of the park or turn onto Iron Mountain Road... no traffic ahead of me, so Iron Mountain Road it is.  Again, it may be the last time I'll see this until well after the Rally, there was no traffic ahead of or behind me.  Lollygagging... at a smile-inducing pace.

With Siri's help, I sent Joan a text to let her know that I would be home in time to feed Rufus for lunch... easy, with no traffic ahead of me.

That ended abruptly, when I came around a corner and saw the backend of a slow moving Slingshot; ahead of him was a VW based trike and a motorcycle.  I assumed they were all traveling together, since they were all doing... yes, 18 mph or this 35 mph stretch of road.  All double yellow line along the way.  I hoped they would pull off at the General Store... nope.  Maybe into the Iron Mountain Road Store... nope.  I continued at this 18 mph pace (they were consistent), with one more "escape opportunity" ahead: the turn off Iron Mountain Road to Playhouse Road.  They went straight on IMR, I turned onto Playhouse, with no traffic ahead... losing that time on Iron Mountain Road meant I'd have to pick up the pace on Playhouse, South Rockerville, Neck Yoke, and Spring Creek roads in order to be on time for Rufus's internal lunch clock.  Lollygagging at a faster pace.  ;-)

I pulled up to our site at 11:50.  Enough time to put the bike and my gear away before getting Rufus's lunch ready.  When it's lunch time, the furry boy is not about lollygagging.

Some nice riding today.

Car Show...

 

There was a car show at the Hart Ranch Rodeo Grounds this morning; I rode my bicycle there to have a look around...

 

You can probably tell my tastes run towards the 60s Pontiacs.

Live music...

Fun to look around.  The car owners seemed to be enjoying things - showing off their shiny cars and answering questions.  I heard more than a few: "Back when I was young, I had one of these..."  No doubt they hear that a lot.

One Week Before The Rally...

 

I was feeling like steak tips today, and not on our griddle.  The Loud American Roadhouse in Sturgis has the steak tips my taste buds were calling for.  Theirs are deep fat fried.  I texted Joan my basket of nearly gone steak tips.

She texted back: "There is something to be said for deep fat fried."

I texted: "That something to be said is: yummy!"

Since I was in Sturgis, I put a camera on the bike and made a run down Main Street, turned on Junction, and up Lazelle, for a look at what this town of 7,000 looks like one week before the Rally kicks off.  The population will swell to somewhere on the far side of a half million during the Rally.

The video...

 

Some bonus footage on that video: a ride through Vanocker Canyon, south on Nemo Road, then onto Norris Peak Road.  Yeah, it's on the video.  

 Some great riding on these roads - a higher speed limit compared to the riding on Iron Mountain Road and in Custer State Park.  The curves here are more "sweepers," allowing you to take them with a bit more speed on.  And what a delight today: almost no traffic!  There was never a car in front of me to slow me down.  That won't be the case over the next 3 weeks or so.

Vanocker Canyon Road got the chip-seal and oil treatment (yes, like the roads we enjoy to the south), but the Meade County Road Crew did a better job of it than what we've seen in Pennington County.

Into the mid-80s today, with even hotter temperatures forecast for the next 10 days.

The Eyes Have it...

 

I went for an eye exam first thing this morning.  I am not a fan of early appointments for anything... I don't own an alarm clock, so I find myself checking my Apple Watch (in Nightstand Mode) every half hour or so, so I don't oversleep.

I was on time (for when they told me to be there: 7:45), and they hadn't opened, yet.  The young lady receptionist was right there after I pulled on the door.  She had me fill out 3 pages of paperwork, and I sat to wait for the eye doctor, who showed up right at 8:00.

She took me into an exam room and we did all the usual tests.  "I see it has been quite a while since your last eye exam - any problems?"

"No, not really - I have to squint if I read a menu in low light or if the instructions to some device are written in light gray ink on white paper."

"That's typical for most of us."

The eyes are fine.  I have much better than typical vision in one eye, and better than most people my age in the other.  Then she said something about me being "remarkable"... and something about my animal magnetism... well, she didn't pronounce "magnetism" properly, but she said it wasn't a problem.  I know, I've had to deal with it all my life.  Then she said, "With your vision, glasses would be more of a nuisance than they'd help.  If you need to read a menu, maybe just get some over-the-counter reading glasses with the least power they have."

Better than buying $300 glasses.  I can spend that money on important stuff, like music gear or motorcycle stuff.

Then, she asked if I had someone who could drive me home... "Yes, my wife is in the car.  But, if I'm not driving, she won't have anyone to tell they're doing it wrong."  She had a sense of humor, then dilated my eyes.

Last time I had my eyes dilated, I remember things being overly bright for a couple hours; this was more of that and blurry, too.  Yep, good thing I wasn't driving.  We needed to get things at PetSmart and Walmart - I was able to follow Joan, thanks to her white pants.  While wearing my sunglasses and the chintzy roll up darkener they gave me to put inside my glasses.  Indoors.

Now back at the motorhome, with the shades down I can see enough to type this.  That's my excuse for any typos.  ;-)

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Well, that was embarrassing...

I got out on the bike this afternoon.  On one of the fun twisty roads, I was passed by a Prius.  He went around me like I was standing still.

For full disclosure: I was almost standing still.  In the middle of my lane.  A young deer walked out onto the road - I saw it coming, and I slowed down.  Way down.  It made no attempt to get out of the way.  On the side of the road, I saw the Momma deer with another fawn.  It was looking right at me.  I honked my horn... the deer in the road froze.  Yep, that kind of behavior is going to get it killed.  I honked again and that seemed to bring the fawn around and it started heading back to the side of the road.  It was about that moment that the Prius went around me.  Didn't slow down much, and I have no idea if the driver saw the deer.

With the deer mostly off the road, I went on my way.  My eyes were focusing fine, but I rode a bit slower the rest of the time out.  Nice ride; the fun roads to Keystone, Old Hill City Road, through Hill City, then the highway back to the turn for Hart Ranch.  I stopped to fuel up: not as good as yesterday's 77.5 mpg, but 74 mpg still makes me happy.  And the price went down again.  A little.

Wildlife Loop...

 

South to Custer State Park today, with a plan to ride the Wildlife Loop.  A beautiful day, not too hot, not chilly.  Joan packed us a picnic lunch.

I brought both 360 cameras.  I put one on the back of Joan's bike and just let it run while we were on the Wildlife Loop... just in case we saw something interesting.  The most interesting thing about that loop today was a freshly redone road: it was a delight to ride!  When we rode it last year, it was in dire need of getting a fresh surface.

 

More than half way through the loop, we stopped where the "begging burros" are a sure thing... they weren't there.  Not a buffalo to be seen.  No deer, antelope, or elk.  Plenty of cars and motorhomes.  Except for 3 extremely tight curves, this is an easy road for an RV, where many of the Custer State Park roads are not.

About 2/3 of the way through the loop, there were some stopped vehicles on the road ahead - a sure sign of some "wildlife."

Yep - begging burros.  At this point, we were happy to see them!

 

On with the rest of the loop, and eventually to Highway 87.  A right turn there, and one mile up the road, we stopped for a picnic at the Blue Bell Lodge area...

Lunch was good.  I didn't bother to turn on either camera when we rolled away from the picnic.  Of course, it was the only buffalo we saw, and no place to stop and turn on a camera.  We rode through the park and stopped at the Visitors Center - as many times as we've been here, this is the first that we went into the Visitors Center.  It is nicely done... and good bathrooms.  ;-)

From there, it was on to Iron Mountain Road.  The riding was good, but about half way through the road, we got behind a couple cars who were obviously not going to give us the opportunity to get around.  We turned off on Playhouse Road - equally good riding, less traffic.  From there, it was a right on Highway 40 - nice sweeping curves, one 15% grade, good road surface.  We took that to Hwy 79, then back to Hart Ranch.

A fine day of riding.

There will be a video coming at some point that I will put here and edit this post.

A 60¢ Spring...

 

The latch that makes the screen door work with the outside door of the coach has a handle that operates with a spring inside the handle.  Without the spring, the handle just flops, meaning the screen door won't stay shut when its supposed to.  And, it doesn't want to clear the striker on the door frame without that spring that holds the handle up.

That spring seems to give out about every 18 months or so.  I'm not going to say "planned obsolescence," but I'm thinking it.  The first couple times it gave out, I couldn't find just the spring... so, an RV parts place can get about $25 to $30 for the whole handle.  The handle is fine; the mounting for it is fine... it is that "specifically formed" spring that is the weak point.  I get it: metal fatigue, every time you open or close the main door or the screen door, it puts wear on that spring.

Turn to Amazon - yes, they have (almost) everything.  They have this spring in right or left hand configuration... a package of 10 for $6.00; obviously, we are not the only ones who have this issue. 

Joan got a notice that the package with the springs had been delivered to the Mail Room as we were on our way out with the bikes.  We'll get it when we get back.

It was a rainy morning, but the radar forecast looked promising for an afternoon outing on the bikes.  No plan or destination, we looked at the sky to decide which direction to go; today, it was north and west.  Rimrock Highway to Highway 385 to Nemo Road to Norris Peak Road, and then complete the loop on Rimrock again.

It was chilly compared to the last month of riding, mid-60s to around 70º for most of it.  I was comfortable in a mesh riding jacket, Joan would have been more comfortable if she had put a liner in her jacket.  But, the riding was good; not much traffic, decent roads.  The short stretch on Norris Peak Road is the curviest and most fun to ride.

Not much stupid out there today... one couple on a loud Harley that we could see passing traffic behind us; we moved to the right and let them blast around.  And one dumbass on Rimrock Highway on the way back in who passed coming at us in a No Passing Zone.  We slowed and moved to the right edge of the road, he cut back in hard between the two cars he was illegally passing.  It wasn't a particularly "close call," but definitely stupid behavior that could have been ugly.  I don't understand why people will intentionally risk their life and the lives of others to "save" a few seconds. 

Back at the ranch (;-)), Joan stopped at the Mail Room in the Lodge to get the springs while I went to our site and got the cargo trailer opened so I could put bikes away.  It only took a few minutes to disassemble the latch and install the new spring.  When we got the coach back from the repairs last winter, I had to fuss with the screen door to get it to close properly.  With all the mounted parts aligned so the fit is good with the latch open and closed, it was easy to put it back in the same place.

I am amazed that Amazon can ship a $6 package with two-day delivery and still give "free" shipping.  Yes, I know it is getting paid for somewhere along the way, but I have to pay a lot more than $6 to get something shipped for two-day delivery.  It's an old joke: we lose money on every sale, but we make it up in the volume.  ;-)

Regardless, it is nice to have the screen door opening, closing, and latching like it should.  And statistically, those other nine springs should be a "lifetime supply" for me.  Big plus: it didn't interfere with our ride.

Getting close to that time...

 

Out for a ride on the CTX this morning.  We had a good soaking rain last night, so I made it a point to stay off the roads that are heavily wooded (shade) and the chip-seal or oiled.  Cool enough that I could comfortably wear one of my mesh jackets.  Nice riding.

"That time" is the Rally.  Less than two weeks before the Hills will be inundated with motorcycles.  This morning, there were more bikes than I've seen on any ride so far... I'm guessing 30 to 40 bikes that I passed going the other way.  An informal poll: I've mentioned this before, but the waving to other motorcyclists stops as it gets closer to the Rally.  Today, less than half the people on bikes waved back.  Yep, it's that time.  More about that attitude in a bit.

Photos, videos, and almost daily ride reports can get old if all you read is: "The riding was great today."  It was, but now it's about the other stuff.  Riding the length of Iron Mountain Road, I got behind two Suburbans with Minnesota plates about 1/3 of the way in.  The speed limit drops to 25 mph in this area... they were doing about 15 and coming to a near stop on anything that resembled a curve.  Honestly, it is hard to ride behind someone driving like that.  As usual, with plenty of turn-outs to allow traffic to get around, they didn't.  I had to take my opportunity on one short straightaway, where they got up to maybe 18 mph.

With the Suburbans in the rear view mirror, the only life-threatening stupid people were the ones coming at me, driving over the center line.  And then, the worst: a Jeep with Iowa plates was backing up in a blind curve!  The ABS brakes work good on the CTX.  Yes, I hollered at them as I went by... they were backing up to get a photo of the view in that blind curve.  All kinds of stupid.

That one elevated my heart rate for a bit.  They definitely take the prize for "Dumbest Driver on Iron Mountain Road."  Not just for the day or the week.

The rest of the ride was just fine.  My low fuel light came on as I got on Hwy 16 to head back to Hart Ranch.  I pulled into my usual fuel stop, where I know I can get non-ethanol gas.  There were about 12 to 15 bikes in the gas station; about half of them had obviously fueled up and were pulled off to the side; the rest were jockeying for position at any open pump.  I waited well outside the fray until there was a pump available with only one bike there.  I pulled around to that pump, about 8 to 10 feet from the bike getting fuel.  I raised my helmet and said, "How's your day going?"

The guy (riding an Indian dresser with a "bedazzled fairing" grunted at me.  A guy who was just finishing fueling his Harley trike on the other side of the pump said to me, "We don't associate with people that aren't on Harleys."

I said, "Well, you're kind of a fuckin' snob, aren't ya?"

The woman on the back of the trike motioned at the rider and said, "He's just an asshole when he's on this thing."

Before I go too much further, I have to say that it was obvious that this group of well-heeled old guys were "playing biker"... all the bikes looked new and shiney.  The few that were wearing any leather had new-looking leather.  The guy on the trike (all 125 pounds of him) had a nice crease in his jeans.

I chuckled and asked: "What about your friend here with the Indian?"

The wimpy looking guy on the HD trike said, "Well, that's about the same as a Harley."  I'm guessing there will be a few thousand guys on Indians here soon that will take offense at that statement.

With our bikes facing each other, I said to the guy on the Indian, "I guess you haven't heard that you meet the nicest people on a Honda?"  Neither of them had any idea what I was talking about.

The guy with the Indian made a show of backing his bike up about 3 inches "so he could get around me"... there was room to drive a pickup between us.  This was the worst case of playing "biker dress-up" that I've seen in a long time.  The Indian rider pulled on a 3/4 helmet that was obviously too big for him, but the color matched his bike.

I topped off my bike (70 mpg) and headed back to Hart Ranch.  Really, it was a delightful ride, except the guy from Iowa with the Jeep backing up on that blind curve.  And a high today in the upper 70s.  Nice change of pace.

 

Moving Day...

 

Again??  Do you people get kicked out of neighborhoods on a regular basis?

Thanks for asking.  No, we get along OK with our neighbors, even though I put the "Go Away" sign out on the new site.  Today was our time out in Purgatory Flats.  I drove by the site we'll be in for the next 21 days, and the people that were on it had vacated.  We started our move about 9:30.

I suggested we hook the cargo trailer to the car, pull it out, and back around to load our patio stuff into it; fewer steps.  With the bikes out, we loaded the trailer and pulled it to the new site.  Joan rode her Xmax while I pulled the trailer; once we had the trailer emptied and rotated on the new site, we put her bike in and went back to get my bike.  I was able to load right into the trailer - it saves a few steps.  Then back to the old site to retrieve the motorhome...

 As soon as I started the motorhome, Ruf hopped up on his tower, ready to roll...

Settling in on the new site...

Getting the patio set up...

Joan was reading my mind as I came around the coach after setting up our utilities: "Marcos Pizza for lunch?"

"Oh, yeah."

It is good to be back "up top," on a nice double width cement pad.  None of us are a fan of the gravel.

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I thought I might get out on the bike this afternoon.  Mother Nature had other plans - thunderstorms in the area from late afternoon through tomorrow mid-afternoon.  

The answer, my friend...

 

... is blowing in the wind.  If you said, "Bob Dylan, 1963," you get 12 bonus points.  If you said, "Is it blowing like stink again there?" you are absolutely correct, but no bonus points.  Gusts to 50 mph overnight and this morning, sustained winds at 26 mph.

What does a guy do when you don't want to ride a bicycle or motorcycle in this gusty wind?  When the going gets tough, the tough go to Hardee's and have biscuits and gravy.  Not sure why, but I've been craving that the last couple days.  Desire fulfilled.

Out on the patio, the chairs have blown around and my bicycle has blown over repeatedly.  I'm just leaving it on the ground for now.

The new wooden bear is standing tall in the wind (it has some heft to it)...

The "Go Away" is meant for the wind, currently.

I see a bar...

 

Whar?

Over thar.

It's an old game we played when I was in Boy Scouts.  "You were a Boy Scout, Jim?" you ask.  Thanks for asking; yes, I was.  Before I discovered girls, guitars, and motorcycles.  May or may not have been in that order.

Another blisteringly hot day today; may hit that century mark.  Even if you leave early in the day for a motorcycle ride, it is going to be hot before you get back.  By the time I got to the east entrance of Custer State Park, it was already warming up.  Riding solo, I made two decisions: take Iron Mountain Road, and see what it is like to ride the length of it at the speed limit.  Why? I dunno.

Didn't matter... I couldn't hold the speed limit.  I admit it: I am weak when the twisty road beckons.  Oh, I started at the speed limit.  That lasted for almost a half mile.  Then, I looked down and... oops.

And, another unicorn of a day - not a single vehicle in front of me the entire length of Iron Mountain Road!  No, I didn't shoot any photos or video... but, I have it in my head.  Coming around one of those pigtail bridges, I could see a pickup ahead of me, and he pulled to the side before I ever got close to him.  No traffic at any of the tunnels.  After today, if I stopped riding that great road, it would be enough for me.  Yeah, I'm lying.  I guess I am getting out earlier than usual because of the heat, and riding more solo trips.  I prefer to ride with my Honey, but she'd rather not ride in the heat... or too early in the day... and she encourages me to go have fun.  I did.

"What about the bear, I mean bar?" you ask.  I couldn't do this blog stuff without your participation, and thanks again for asking.  Yes, I was talking about a bear.  "Are there bears in the Black Hills?" you ask.  Well, there is Bear Country, USA, which provides habitat for bears and other wildlife.  It is a drive-through wildlife park.  There have been rare bear sightings reported over the years (bears used to be native here), mostly unsubstantiated.

One place we always see bears when riding by: Keystone.  There is a family of chainsaw artists that create and sell their wares in Keystone, and Joan always comments about the bears hanging from a rope as we go by.  I decided to stop there today, and bring her home a bear.  Yes, I am on a motorcycle, so it isn't going to be a life-size wood statue (they have those).  And, we have no good place to hang one by a rope.  But, I did find a cute one holding a "Welcome" sign... or, if you reverse the sign, it says "Go Away!"

I strapped it to the rear seat of the CTX (or, as I now refer to it: my bear hauler)...

It wouldn't fit in my top case, but I always have that bungee net with me.  It rode fine there back to Hart Ranch, and I surprised Joan with it when I came in.  Here's how it looks holding the sign...

For some perspective, it looks to be about the same size as Rufus sitting up.  It won't eat as much, and in spite of what you might have heard, it won't crap in the woods.  A fun reminder of our time here in the Black Hills.

A Saab Story...

 

No, I didn't misspell that.  While out for a morning ride, I came across a bunch of Saab cars coming the other direction on Iron Mountain Road.  I have a soft spot in my heart for Saab; we had two of 'em over the years.

I shot some video while out and about, logging the ride for those days when I can't be riding...

Back at the coach, the three of us sat out on the patio.  Here's Rufus, because he's a good boy...

 And, a late breakfast...

Yes, I am still using the griddle.  Besides making good food, it keeps the cooking heat out of the motorhome on these hot days.

 

It's beginning to look a lot like...

 

Stupid.  So much stupid.

I was getting ready to go for a ride, when some dumbass on a ratty red scooter rode off the path that runs behind our site and through our site.  I didn't expect to see that, and he obviously wasn't expecting to come almost face to face with someone.  I barely got out "What the hell?" and he was riding away.

I don't know if he was ignorant or stupid.  There is a difference: you can fix ignorant if the person is willing to learn... you can't fix stupid.  There are rules here that you should not walk through any site that isn't yours.  Pretty sure that covers riding ratty old scooters, as well.  On my way out of the resort, I did stop at the Security shack to let them know to keep an eye out for a twenty-something (so, not technically a kid) on a ratty red scooter (maybe a Honda Spree) with no license plate.  "It would probably be better if you talk to him before I run into him again."  The security lady agreed.

It's another hot day today - I got out before 10:00, and it was already 81º.  I got out on the highway and passed three over-length semis pulling double trailers loaded with gravel.  I got a bad feeling in my stomach when I saw them turn onto Hwy 36, the same road I was taking.  I said to myself, "Self, I sure hope they aren't heading for Iron Mountain Road."  I put that terrible thought out of my head and started carving some corners.  All too soon, I came up behind a Slingshot (3-wheeler); I said to myself, "Self, this shouldn't be bad - these Slingshot drivers are usually enthusiasts."  Not this time.  There are a couple places here in the Hills that rent these things, and this one was being driven by an elderly (kettle?)  guy who seemed to be fearful of pushing down on the gas pedal.  Maybe it had a speed governor on it that was set for 18 mph, as that seemed to be the fastest speed he could achieve on the straight sections... and definitely slower on the curvy parts.  I was patient (to a point), hoping he would pull off on one of the turnouts.  When he passed by two of those at his blazing 18 mph (the speed limit is 35 in this section), it was clear that he had no regard for anyone else on the road, so I down-shifted and blew by him in what isn't technically a Passing Zone, but I figured no jury would convict me, given the circumstances.

I was now able to go fast enough to stir a bit of breeze and the temperature continued to climb.  I came around another curve, and... "Oh, shit - another one!"  Yep, another Slingshot being driven by another old guy - no doubt they are traveling together.  The reason this guy was in front of the other one was because his Slingshot was apparently governed at 19 mph, allowing him to leave the other guy in his dust.  I didn't wait for a turnout to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, and quickly had him disappearing in my rear-view mirror.  Bliss.

As I came around another curve right before the Iron Mountain Road Store, there was an orange sign (Flagman Ahead)... "Oh, please don't screw up this lovely road," said a voice in my helmet.  Even though his sign was turned to "Slow" instead of "Stop," I stopped to visit with the flagman.  "What's going on?" I asked.

He said, "We have three double trailer trucks coming this way with loads of gravel, and they sometimes have to use the whole road around some of these tight curves.  I'm just warning people to slow down, but they are behind you, so no problem for you."

I had to ask: "Are you going to chip-seal this road?"

"No, this is for Playhouse Road, so it won't affect Iron Mountain Road other than when we're bring trucks in."  Big sigh from inside my helmet.  If you've been keeping track, Joan and I are frequently on Playhouse Road to get to Iron Mountain Road - this is for the portion of Playhouse that is within Custer State Park; that road was in awful shape last year and has been closed since we've been here.  It is in dire need of repair.

Relieved that they weren't going to screw up one of my favorite roads, I moved on.  Lots of open road in front of me until a mile or so before the View Turnout Parking Lot... two vehicles were obviously having a slow race, the one in front coming to a stop as it approached the hairpin curves.  Since we were close to the parking area, I figured I'd pull in there and get some cold water out of my top case.  Both of those cars turned into the View Area, so I went around the rear of the one that was taking forever to actually turn off the road.

Not another vehicle in front of me the rest of Iron Mountain Road - a real delight.  I did stop in a shady spot in a pullout right before one of those fun pig-tail bridge/curves.  Five minutes to take a few drinks of cold water and get this photo...

Then, clear riding ahead.  With the heat, I decided to take the highway back after going through Keystone (about half the parking spaces there on the main drag were empty).  I stopped for gas on the way back: 74 mpg.  No one at the gas pumps at the station where I usually stop.  With 3 empty pumps, a family in a pickup pulling a travel trailer pulled up behind me.  I was enjoying the shade while I pumped, but being a considerate guy, I pulled forward (into the sun) to reset my trip odometer and figure my gas mileage.

Back at Hart Ranch, I stopped at the Lodge to check mail - I'm expecting the license plate back plate from ADV for my bike (it's been over 3 weeks and they said it would take two).  When I asked for my mail at the Mail Room, the nice lady there said, "Someone else picked that up a little while ago."

"A pretty blonde?" I asked.

"Yes, she was very pretty."

"I guess she was being nice in picking it up for me."

Joan had gone to the grocery store while I went out for a ride.  I'll get that back plate on my bike when she gets back (and brings us pizza).

-------

The Blonde is home, the pizza was tasty, and I have the new license plate backing plate on.  97º and the sun is blazing.  The top case on my bike was exposed to the sun during the few minutes I was messing with the backing plate, and it was too hot to touch.  I call it candy-ass.

Joan asked, "Are we less tolerant these days?"

I said, "Absolutely - not about race or sexual preference or any of that stuff, but I can't hardly take all the stupid out there.  Oh, you meant about the heat, huh?"

We have joked about her "comfort range," which goes from 72º to 78º.  ;-)  That gives her a limited time to be out.  Also a joke.  We used to say that we can tolerate the heat better than we can the cold.  That was when we lived in the frozen northland.  Visiting with our kid the other day, the thought of having to be where it is 110º or hotter for days in a row would make me reconsider living where it is cold again.  Nah... we just have to find that place where it never gets above 78 or below 72... in my dreams.

After a day off...

 

Yesterday was hot!  Hot enough that I didn't care to get out on the bikes.  That said, I had a wonderful birthday, even if it didn't include a ride.  I have to admit that I had a lot of fun with our scooters over the years, but this CTX seems to have renewed my passion for riding.

Today was cooler (high predicted to be 88º), but windy.  The weasels were calling for gusts to 40 mph.  And that isn't much fun on the bikes.  We decided to get out, but stayed in the south/central Hills, where we could be in wooded areas that would afford us some wind protection.  We didn't have to cut back on the fun of riding - it was all the fun twisty roads we enjoy.  This felt good after "a day off."  A couple hours of riding is good for the soul.

I didn't take a camera along, so no video to wade through.  We stopped at Keystone for a potty break for me.  I took a photo of Joan with the bikes, then a guy passing by asked if I wanted a photo with the two of us in it... "Sure!"

We evaded most of the gusty wind and enjoyed the cooler temps... and, of course, the riding!

:-)

Remember, you heard it here...

 

When gas prices started this latest unprecedented rise over the last six+ months, I called big oil "dirty thieving bastards."  I heard the "supply and demand" and "blame it on Biden" rhetoric, but I said prices will continue to rise until the American public gets good and mad about it.  Hitting that US average of $5.50 per gallon was that point.  And producers/importers of all kinds of goods took significant price hikes, because they knew it was going to cost more to make or get their products due to the higher gas prices.  It is a historical fact that the last several downturns in the economy came about shortly after rapidly rising gas prices.

We all know how the current price inflation of everything has hit most of us right in the wallet.  It isn't just "supply and demand," it is more a matter of "the public will "buy it" (not talking about purchasing) because we are all slapped in the face each time we go to the gas pump.

I also said that prices would go up until the American public gets upset, then they will come down a little (much less than they went up) and we'll all be happy with that.  The big news outlets are headlining "The price of gas has come down 10% in the last several weeks"... BFD - it still leaves them (big oil) with well over a 40% increase in net profit... but, people won't bitch about that because they are relieved that the price came down 10%.  This, too, is predictable, based on the past.

Yes, the price goes up and the price comes down.  UP a bunch, down a little. 

I also understand that big oil has no responsibility to the American public to keep fuel prices affordable - their responsibility is to their share holders, to make their business as profitable as possible.  It's a tough pill to swallow when our economy is driven by the price at the pump.  It's a domino effect: other businesses who depend on having their product or raw material shipped to them are hit with (estimating here) a 50% increase in shipping costs.  They justify 50% increases in the price of their retail goods, while their actual costs of goods sold may have increased less than 10% overall due to the increased shipping costs.  That is why we have the inflation we are dealing with currently.

I'll take an example that is close to my passion: a motorcycle dealer gets hit with a shipping charge that went from $300 to $500 to get a motorcycle delivered.  They, in turn, mark up that "shipping charge" to $800, then add on even more bullshit fees that drive up the price of that $10,000 motorcycle to over $12,000.  Because they can.

Go to the grocery store.  Let's say that case of beans used to cost $10 for 144 cans to get delivered to the store.  The shipping cost per can is about 7¢.  That shipping price doubles, making it 14¢ per can to be delivered, but the price of the can of beans goes up from $1 to $1.40.  Because the American public will say, "It costs them more to get that can of beans to the store."  Compound that with all the other goods on the shelf, and your bill at the cash register has gone up way more than the cost of getting those goods to the store.

The price of gas paves the way, inflation increases, your dollar buys less.  The price of gas at the pump may have come down 10% in the past month... did you notice the cost of what you buy at the store has come down?  It didn't.

A lot of people want to blame the current administration... and, certainly, they gave the gas companies a green light to rapid price increases by a few stupid decisions (like stopping the development of a major pipeline on day one).  It doesn't take an economics degree to figure out that the pipeline that wasn't completed didn't drive up gas prices by over 50%.  But, it opened the flood gates to those higher prices.  And the "talk" of a federal gas tax "holiday" at 18¢ per gallon was insignificant.  Again, that was the appearance of politicians looking like they were doing something about the situation.  Nothing ever came of that.  In the end, everyone got a bigger piece of the pie except the American public.

Gas prices are down about 10% and no one is complaining like they were a month ago.  And the beat goes on.

 

On this day, many many years ago...

 

A child was born.  Well, statistically, a lot of children were born.  I planned this whole being born thing for mid-July... both of my sisters had December birthdays.

Joan and Steph planned ahead, making sure cards and presents found us here in the motorhome.  I had a couple nice visits with my kid on the phone this morning - once was good, twice was better.  A relaxing day around the motorhome today because it is hotter than the Gates of Hell... the weasels are predicting a high of 104º to 106º, depending on which channel you watch.  Either way - uncomfortably hot.

Joan is taking me out for an early supper, because... that is when people of my age eat.  ;-)  Especially if they want to avoid crowds.

The important stuff: yes, I took Rufus for a walk this morning around 7:00... it was already hot enough that I knew I wouldn't be taking the motorcycle out.  It's OK - I never expected to live this long; I'm having a good day.

 

Some hot riding in the Black Hills...

 

Another hot day here.  It was in the 60s when I got up - I got a bicycle ride in first thing, then came back and geared up for a motorcycle ride.  Anticipating crowded roads with all that is going on in the Black Hills, and "Sunday drivers," I stayed to the back roads as much as possible.  A nice 3 hour ride, with the highlight being Hwy 89 and Hwy 87, just west of Custer State Park.  When the well-known roads are busy with traffic, these are a fun go-to.

A short (less than 2 minutes) video from today's ride...

 

Another first...

 

I was out on my motorcycle this morning.  No, that wasn't a first.  A "recon" mission before we head out again together.  Spring Creek Road is in good shape, no lines painted.  Neck Yoke Road has been oiled, chipped, and oiled again; it is in reasonable shape, but there were a couple places with less than great traction.  South Rockerville Road is mostly done on the west lane, still just gravel on part of the east lane.  Playhouse Road from Hwy 40 to Iron Mountain Road has been oiled, chipped, and oiled in the Pennington County portion, and not great traction in some of the tight corners.  None of these roads have any lines painted, yet.

It was a delight to get to Iron Mountain Road, where the road surface hasn't been messed with.  For the first half of it, from Playhoue Road heading towards Keystone, there was no traffic.  This was about 10:30 on a Saturday in July - I was expecting it to be busy.  That is also not "a first."

After clearing the first tunnel, I came up fast on a (here's the "first) a Cruise America rental Class C motorhome.  This is definitely not a good place for an RV, as there are 3 one-lane tunnels with restricted height and width.  And some very tight switchback curves.  Considering where I came upon this, they had to have cleared one tunnel.  I was behind them on the first split, and they were filling (sometimes off the edge of the road) that single narrow lane.  I waited to see what was going to happen at the next tunnel.

Yes, they stopped.  In the middle of the road.  No, not the middle of the lane.  The passenger waved me around on the passenger side of the motorhome.  Nope.  I was kinda interested in what they were going to do.  It might fit through the tunnel.  After a while, I pulled up alongside the driver's door.  I raised my face shield and asked, "What's your plan?"

The driver (about 30 years old, I'd guess) said, "Well, we made it through the first tunnel, but this sign says this one is shorter."

I said, "At some point, you're going to have to find out.  This isn't a good road for a motorhome.  Do you know how tall this thing is?"

He said, "Well, the thing I can see in my mirror says it is 12 and a half feet tall."  (It was written backwards on the portion of the cab he could see in his mirror.

I looked up at it and said, "I'm guessing they are telling you that to make sure you don't try to push it through a tunnel that says it has 12 feet, 0 inches of height.  And they probably fudged on that height, as well.  I think you may have to have your wife get out and look as you inch your way through it.  But, you will be holding up traffic if you don't do something."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

I said, "This is a great road.  You might consider putting that in an RV park and renting a car so you could enjoy this road without the stress."

He said, "We're on a schedule and weren't planning to say here."

"The Black Hills is a beautiful area - maybe next time.  We've been RVing for over 30 years and riding this road for even long than that - I have never seen anyone bring a motorhome on this road." 

He then asked, "Have you ever brought your motorhome on it?"

"Oh, hell no!"

Now, you may be thinking: "Why didn't you park your bike and help them yourself, Jim?"  Thanks for asking.  If they were dumb enough to ignore signs at the beginning of the road that say "Low Narrow Tunnels Ahead" with maximum height and width, I don't want to get involved.  If they crunch something, I don't want it coming back on me.

I wished them "Good luck," then went around.  Inside the tunnel as I rode through, it looks like they would have room.  And they'll still have another tunnel down the road.  All three tunnels have different height and width restrictions.

I have ridden this road many, many times.  I have never seen someone try it with an RV of that size.  When I went by the parking lot for the View Area, there was another Class C motorhome (looked to be about the same size) and a pickup pulling what I guestimate to be a 28' travel trailer.

Where do these people come from??

 All these years of riding this road and never seeing a significant-size RV on it... and today, there were three of them.

--------

Last year, we saw a Class C on the road leading to Needles Highway.  There is one low, narrow tunnel on that road before you get to Custer State Park.  And, it was obvious that it was NOT going to fit through there.  They had traffic held up for a long time while they tried to "inch it" back and forth to get it turned around.  We got around them before they completely blocked both lanes of traffic.  Again: signs that warn you about these tunnels.

Another clear sign that people leave their brains at home when they go on vacation.

Moving Day...

 

It doesn't matter much if you are moving a half mile or 300 miles, you still have to unhook utilities and get all your stuff ready to move.  The big difference is: when traveling, you stop for the day and just get out what you'll need for the night.  If our fresh water tank is full and the holding tanks are empty, the only thing we need for utilities is electric.  When you're parked for a while, you use all your utilities and have all your patio stuff out and set up.  It is more work to move from the far side of the resort to Purgatory Flats than to just unplug and get down the road.

In order to get all our stuff to this different site, it is a process: we roll the bikes out of the trailer and put all our patio stuff into the trailer.  If we were to haul the bikes in the trailer, we'd have to go through the work of strapping them down, as opposed to when we're parked for a while, the bikes are just on their side stands in the cargo trailer.

Then, we hook the Equinox to the cargo trailer and move it first.  Joan rides her bike to the new site.  With the trailer on the new site, we block the trailer and unload all the patio stuff.  Move her bike into the trailer.  Unhook the trailer from the car, and take the car back to get my bike.  Put my bike in the trailer and lock it.  Back to the old site, unplug the motorhome (it's hot, we want a/c until we're ready to move) and take it and the car to the new site.  Back the motorhome in and start the set up process, much like if we had just arrived here.  Put down the leveling jacks (these sites aren't as level as the sites in the main part of the resort) and put the slides out.  Put out everything we had to put down or away for the 6 block trip.  Set up the patio.  Hang the patio sun shield.  Give Rufus a treat.  Sit down and catch your breath.

The whole process takes about an hour and a half to two hours.  We were moved in and ready for me to start some breakfast on the griddle around 10:30.  We have the whole day ahead of us.

Rufus has been in the coach the whole time and is, as you'd expect, a good boy.  I took him for a walk this morning and he munched grass like the thought he was never going to have it again.  Yes, there is grass in this new site, but it isn't watered and groomed like the sites "up top" (we learned that's what the staff calls it).  He will find new things to sniff around here... and we are closer to unmowed areas that I can't let him in because of the possibility of ticks.

The sites are not standardized like all those "up top" - some are longer than others, some are more level, the space between the sites varies.  We are on a pie-shaped site, so the front of our site is close to the neighbors on either side.  Plenty of width in the back on this site, and that is were we are situated, except for the cargo trailer.

It's funny how your perspective changes.  When we're on the road, if we're down more than one night, we make sure the coach is perfectly level.  Here, if it isn't perfect: "Hey, it's only for 9 days."  ;-) 

The patio set up...

The site...

Our view out back...

Lots of room for Rufus to walk.

The coach could really use a bath, but I will put that off until we get back on a paved site - the gravel here in Purgatory Flats leaves a coat of dust on everything.

Time for me to go make pancakes.