empeg9000
05-08-2007, 08:04 AM
This past weekend I head out to the Yankee Beemers Frosty Nutz camp out in Jamaica VT
I got going a little later than I has planned on Friday morning not hitting the road until around 8:15 am. I had to chuckle at all the junk on the bike. It looked like a small child was jammed into my duffel on the back of the bike.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0422.jpg
I stopped on Million Dollar Beach Rd to take some pics and took off again to ride around Lake George on Rt 9N heading towards Hague. I had no traffic here and I was able to fly along Tongue Mountain. I was able to ride pretty quickly despite having so much on the back. I stopped at a view point at the bottom on Tongue Mountain to take some pictures.
In Lake George Village
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0424.sized.jpg
My stop at the lookout after passing over Tongue Mountain
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0425.sized.jpg
Looking back up towards Tongue Mountain
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0428.sized.jpg
Then it was on to Hague and I took Route 8 up towards Brant Lake, again with no traffic. Traveling on a weekday morning in the country is awesome! I rode around Brant Lake and turned onto Water Tub Road. If you ever have a chance to stop at the natural spring there I highly recommend it.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0432.sized.jpg
. Then I went along the East side of Schroon River since I had never done that. It was fun. The road was bumpy but very twisty and lots of ups and downs. I stopped at this swampy area on Alder Meadow Rd. It was a little stinky but very quiet, almost too quiet. Then I hooked up with Route 74 to head down to Ticonderoga to catch the cable ferry across Champlain to VT. So I get to the ferry and it says “Closed for Season”! DOH! Now what.
So off I went to Crown Point going about 20 miles further north than I really wanted. Oh well. I got to Crown Point and thought about stopping in the park but changed my mind because I had been there before, I kind of wish now I had stopped. I did stop on the VT side at Chimney Point. I rode down a small dirt road hill to the shore which I think is a boat launch. The water was really high and had some weird green hue to it. There was all the crappy ice shanties that had washed ashore. I am assuming this is because they left them out on the ice rather than take them in.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0435.sized.jpg
Shanty washed ashore
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0436.sized.jpg
The Bridge at Crown Point
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0441.sized.jpg
From there I took off not sure where to go. I saw RT 125 and decided to take that because I was on a different part once and it was really good. Then I took VT RT 22 into Pultney VT and I decided to stop at Tots Diner for lunch.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0442.sized.jpg
I had a really good burger and the waitresses were pretty funny and sassy. Some customer was harassing one of the girls about wanted banana cream pie because it was his favorite but they only had apple, berry, and chocolate pies. If you asked me judging by the size of him he has had enough banana cream pie!
After lunch I hoped on Rt 30 and made a B-line for Jamaica. Rt 30 was an awesome road with smooth pavement and NO traffic. I went through Manchester then it was a short 20 miles to Jamaica State Park.
I rode in and picked my camping spot. I had camp set up in about 30 minutes and numerous guys stopped by to introduce themselves.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0443.sized.jpg
After setting up camp it was time for one of these made fresh in VT
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0446.sized.jpg
About an hour later Seventies Man came up to meet me on his Guzzi which he has owned for 10 years. We chatted a bit and head out to dinner at the Dam Diner
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0447.sized.jpg
All total I did about 240 miles Friday. Not a ton but this was my first weekend out.
The next day I hooked up with this dude named Catfish from Yankee Beemers and we did a covered bridge tour in northern VT. I don't know northern VT well and he was leading so I am not sure of where we went. I know we took 100 north to Ludlow, then kept on going and took maybe VT Rt 14 and 12? Not sure.
Here's one of the bridges
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0457.sized.jpg
Sample road
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0456.sized.jpg
At this particular covered bridge the road to get down to it was like a 180 degree turn down a hill from the uphill curved road we were traveling on. As I was turning the guy in front of me suddenly stopped and so I stop but when I went to put my foot down I realized I was in a small dip in the road and I couldn't touch the ground so I started to fall over! I managed to catch it by leaning over far but the hill was so steep I couldn't pick the bike up so I had to set it down on its side. So now I have a heavy bike with the seat facing down the hill blocking traffic and I have to pick it up. So I put my back to the bike, grabbed the front bar and the rear passenger peg and pushed my ass against the seat like doing a squat. No damage though it just scuffed the engine guard and the saddle bag a little. Whew! Then we stopped and had some lunch and worked our way back along 30 and 100. I met up with some of the Dead Horse Motorcycle Club after making my dinner and hung out with them for the night. I think I road about 220 or something that day.
The next day I packed up early and took off around 8am to ride down to where I work in East Greenbush NY to ride with some co-workers.
I stopped to take a picture of Albany NY
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0464.sized.jpg
Two ride cruisers and one rides an FZ6 so I new this would be a much slower ride. We took Rt 20 out towards Esperance NY, then north on NY Rt 30 towards the Adirondacks once again for me going past Sacandaga Lake, Speculator, and Indian Lake. Then we took Rt 28 back towards Warrensburg NY and down 9N towards Saratoga Springs.
The Sacandaga Falls in Lake Lazurne
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0465.sized.jpg
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0467.sized.jpg
Our rides parked on the bridge
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0469.sized.jpg
So that was my weekend. I had a good time. The Ohlins were awesome but I think I maybe needed more rebound for the weight I was carrying. Over a bigger bumped the bike would wallow a little but it was always in control and well mannered. Much better than it used to be. The shorter torque arm also provided quick turn-ins and I rode with more confidence than ever. I worn the chicken strips to within about a cm on my new tires even with all my gear on the bike.
It was great meeting up with Seventies Man and getting to meet a fellow Pelicaner.
I did some pretty decent mileage this weekend
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0473.sized.jpg
I got going a little later than I has planned on Friday morning not hitting the road until around 8:15 am. I had to chuckle at all the junk on the bike. It looked like a small child was jammed into my duffel on the back of the bike.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0422.jpg
I stopped on Million Dollar Beach Rd to take some pics and took off again to ride around Lake George on Rt 9N heading towards Hague. I had no traffic here and I was able to fly along Tongue Mountain. I was able to ride pretty quickly despite having so much on the back. I stopped at a view point at the bottom on Tongue Mountain to take some pictures.
In Lake George Village
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0424.sized.jpg
My stop at the lookout after passing over Tongue Mountain
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0425.sized.jpg
Looking back up towards Tongue Mountain
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0428.sized.jpg
Then it was on to Hague and I took Route 8 up towards Brant Lake, again with no traffic. Traveling on a weekday morning in the country is awesome! I rode around Brant Lake and turned onto Water Tub Road. If you ever have a chance to stop at the natural spring there I highly recommend it.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0432.sized.jpg
. Then I went along the East side of Schroon River since I had never done that. It was fun. The road was bumpy but very twisty and lots of ups and downs. I stopped at this swampy area on Alder Meadow Rd. It was a little stinky but very quiet, almost too quiet. Then I hooked up with Route 74 to head down to Ticonderoga to catch the cable ferry across Champlain to VT. So I get to the ferry and it says “Closed for Season”! DOH! Now what.
So off I went to Crown Point going about 20 miles further north than I really wanted. Oh well. I got to Crown Point and thought about stopping in the park but changed my mind because I had been there before, I kind of wish now I had stopped. I did stop on the VT side at Chimney Point. I rode down a small dirt road hill to the shore which I think is a boat launch. The water was really high and had some weird green hue to it. There was all the crappy ice shanties that had washed ashore. I am assuming this is because they left them out on the ice rather than take them in.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0435.sized.jpg
Shanty washed ashore
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0436.sized.jpg
The Bridge at Crown Point
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0441.sized.jpg
From there I took off not sure where to go. I saw RT 125 and decided to take that because I was on a different part once and it was really good. Then I took VT RT 22 into Pultney VT and I decided to stop at Tots Diner for lunch.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0442.sized.jpg
I had a really good burger and the waitresses were pretty funny and sassy. Some customer was harassing one of the girls about wanted banana cream pie because it was his favorite but they only had apple, berry, and chocolate pies. If you asked me judging by the size of him he has had enough banana cream pie!
After lunch I hoped on Rt 30 and made a B-line for Jamaica. Rt 30 was an awesome road with smooth pavement and NO traffic. I went through Manchester then it was a short 20 miles to Jamaica State Park.
I rode in and picked my camping spot. I had camp set up in about 30 minutes and numerous guys stopped by to introduce themselves.
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0443.sized.jpg
After setting up camp it was time for one of these made fresh in VT
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0446.sized.jpg
About an hour later Seventies Man came up to meet me on his Guzzi which he has owned for 10 years. We chatted a bit and head out to dinner at the Dam Diner
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0447.sized.jpg
All total I did about 240 miles Friday. Not a ton but this was my first weekend out.
The next day I hooked up with this dude named Catfish from Yankee Beemers and we did a covered bridge tour in northern VT. I don't know northern VT well and he was leading so I am not sure of where we went. I know we took 100 north to Ludlow, then kept on going and took maybe VT Rt 14 and 12? Not sure.
Here's one of the bridges
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0457.sized.jpg
Sample road
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0456.sized.jpg
At this particular covered bridge the road to get down to it was like a 180 degree turn down a hill from the uphill curved road we were traveling on. As I was turning the guy in front of me suddenly stopped and so I stop but when I went to put my foot down I realized I was in a small dip in the road and I couldn't touch the ground so I started to fall over! I managed to catch it by leaning over far but the hill was so steep I couldn't pick the bike up so I had to set it down on its side. So now I have a heavy bike with the seat facing down the hill blocking traffic and I have to pick it up. So I put my back to the bike, grabbed the front bar and the rear passenger peg and pushed my ass against the seat like doing a squat. No damage though it just scuffed the engine guard and the saddle bag a little. Whew! Then we stopped and had some lunch and worked our way back along 30 and 100. I met up with some of the Dead Horse Motorcycle Club after making my dinner and hung out with them for the night. I think I road about 220 or something that day.
The next day I packed up early and took off around 8am to ride down to where I work in East Greenbush NY to ride with some co-workers.
I stopped to take a picture of Albany NY
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0464.sized.jpg
Two ride cruisers and one rides an FZ6 so I new this would be a much slower ride. We took Rt 20 out towards Esperance NY, then north on NY Rt 30 towards the Adirondacks once again for me going past Sacandaga Lake, Speculator, and Indian Lake. Then we took Rt 28 back towards Warrensburg NY and down 9N towards Saratoga Springs.
The Sacandaga Falls in Lake Lazurne
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0465.sized.jpg
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0467.sized.jpg
Our rides parked on the bridge
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0469.sized.jpg
So that was my weekend. I had a good time. The Ohlins were awesome but I think I maybe needed more rebound for the weight I was carrying. Over a bigger bumped the bike would wallow a little but it was always in control and well mannered. Much better than it used to be. The shorter torque arm also provided quick turn-ins and I rode with more confidence than ever. I worn the chicken strips to within about a cm on my new tires even with all my gear on the bike.
It was great meeting up with Seventies Man and getting to meet a fellow Pelicaner.
I did some pretty decent mileage this weekend
http://www.spmicro.com/albums/album95/DSC_0473.sized.jpg