Everglades GS ride

[riderR1150GSAdv]

This past weekend the owner of 441 Cycleshop organized a GS ride through the Everglades. There were 7 BMW GS's and one KTM present but we didn't mind that at all. :D :D
We started from Holiday Everglades Park at 9 AM and proceeded from there northbound on US 27 for about 20 miles of slab.
We encountered a lot of wildlife on the roads and in the canals next to them. There was a small snake trying to bite each of us as we passed by it, but no animals or riders were hurt during this expedition. :D

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Here a shot of the gators

[riderR1150GSAdv]

The bikes..

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Pit stop

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Just don't mind the date on the camera it is not right :stick

[BradfordBenn]

Very cool.

Every one leave with all their fingers and toes?

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Thanks!
Yup, no missing riders, fingers and toes or dropped bikes. :D
A great time was had by all and more rides are forthcoming :wow

[RTRandy]

Just don't mind the date on the camera it is not right :stick

These photos will live in infamy.

Thanks for the report. Very special and unusual place to ride. Would love to see more shots if you have more.

[sfarson]

Excellent! My wife and I found ourselves free for four days two years ago and proceeded to fly to Ft. Lauderdale and rent a bike. A ride through the Everglades was memorable. Wildlife everywhere. Would be great GS country. Thanks for the recollection.

Oh, the snake trying to bite everyone passing by reminds me when I saw the same thing in Arkansas on a ride once. Saw a huge pile in the middle of the road, slowed down, and pulled over... watching this monstrous snake lashing out at every vehicle passing by.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

The views over the glades are endless as there are no mountains or even hills around anywhere. For hills you need to go north of Lake Okeechobee.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

There is plenty of water around everywhere.

[Visian]

This reminds me of my youth so much... I grew up in Hollywood and raced MX out at Andytown, where the track consisted of sand with chunks of dead coral and sandstone dredged out of the 'glades.

Bet those GS are pigs in the sugar sand.... :p if you didn't already know this, it *really* helps to lower the air pressure in your tires. Makes a ton of difference.

Thanks for the pics.

Ian

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Hi Ian :wave
Fortunately the roads we rode on were packed enough not to have to worry too much :laugh . The whole issue of this ride was to get oriented a little and to get of the slab for a change. As you know, down here there is not a whole lot else untill you hit central Florida. I really like offroading so much now, that this summer I will attempt to ride the Continental Divide up to Alaska. It will take 2 months, but my charter business is slow :snore and who in his right mind is down here during huricane season anyway???

[Kev95GS]

I really like offroading so much now, that this summer I will attempt to ride the Continental Divide up to Alaska. It will take 2 months, but my charter business is slow :snore and who in his right mind is down here during huricane season anyway???

Rock on Rider! Practice up & head out. Make sure to write it up.

Kevin

[Visian]

I really like offroading so much now, that this summer I will attempt to ride the Continental Divide up to Alaska.

Well, it's not exactly on the Continental Divide, but if you like off-roading, ride the Cassiar Highway (http://www.stewartcassiar.com/info.html).... the dirt road way to Alaska.

It was one of the best days of riding (http://www.ibmwr.org/pastevnt/stories/AlaskaSojourn/98AlaskaSojournIanDays6to8.htm) in my life!

And once you get there, don't miss the Denali Highway. (http://www.icdc.com/~neubauer/denali.htm)

Ian

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Well, it's not exactly on the Continental Divide, but if you like off-roading, ride the Cassiar Highway (http://www.stewartcassiar.com/info.html).... the dirt road way to Alaska.

It was one of the best days of riding (http://www.ibmwr.org/pastevnt/stories/AlaskaSojourn/98AlaskaSojournIanDays6to8.htm) in my life!

And once you get there, don't miss the Denali Highway. (http://www.icdc.com/~neubauer/denali.htm)

Ian


Thanks for the links!!! :thumb :thumb

[DirtMerchant]

Rider,

Can you give me any details relative to the roads you were on? I am in Naples, me and my riding buddy are always looking for a ride that will end up on dirt....

Have you ridden the loop road south of US-41 from Monroe Station to just west of the reservation? The last time I was through it was really wet, most of the limerock roads were under water.

Rodney

http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/070467.jpg

[riderR1150GSAdv]

HI Mr. Dirt :wave :D Welcome to the Forum!!! :dance

PM'd you!

[DirtMerchant]

Thanks for the welcome, just joined MOA.... I hang out over on the ADV site but look forward to spending time here as well.

Rodney

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Your welcome!! :) I hang out there also! :heh Cool site too! :nod

[Visian]

I am in Naples, me and my riding buddy are always looking for a ride that will end up on dirt....


Rodney - have you ever heard of a place called South Golden Estates?

Here is a story about it (http://www.bmwmoga.info/centerline/newsletter/04_08.pdf) that a friend of mine in the Georgia Club wrote about it a couple years ago. The story starts on page 6.

It was a 1960's era real-estate development gone bust.... and it may not be open (http://www.fl-dof.com/state_forests/picayune_strand.html) to riding any more... but worth checking out.

Also... dunno about your dirt skills, but there's a place not far from you called Croom. (http://www.floridatrailriders.org/articles/croom.htm) Most of the area is probably a bit challenging on the R12GS, but it's a fun place to go and camp and poke around on the dirt roads and some of the trails.

Here's a shot of Jimmy Lewis riding in the Croom sand pit from a BMW Event staged there a few years ago....

http://www.bmwmoa.org/features/assets/jimmymx.jpg

The Ocala National Forest (http://www.floridatrailriders.org/articles/ONF.htm) is another good option for you... not too far away. This photo was shot there:

http://www.bmwmoa.org/features/assets/muddy.jpg

http://www.bmwmoa.org/features/assets/r1150gs.jpg

These pics were part of a volunteer-written article on the "tombstone" site that we used to have. Date: March, 2002.

If you ride these areas, be sure to lower your tire pressure. to 25 front, 30 rear... it will make a big difference in your bike's rideability.

Ian

[DirtMerchant]

Visian,

Yhea, I have heard of the "South Blocks" I live in Golden Gate Estates. They have pretty much closed activities there down. The Croom and Ocala are pretty much two day trips from here. I rode Ocala 6-8 months ago on the way back from Daytona but I have never ridden Croom.

We went out to the reservation yesterday and rode a lot of back roads, unfortunatly a lot of them are roads to nowhere and end up at locked gates. :banghead We hung out at the Motocross track for a bit and learned they have dual sport trails there they will let you ride for $15.00 per bike, the girl at the gate really did not know what they were like so we decided to pass. We did see lots of wildlife including a Florida Panther in the Devil's Garden area, all in all a nice day but was in the 50's and very cold.......

Rodney

[riderR1150GSAdv]

You saw a Panther!! that is cool!! Was it of any size, or did it look like my neighbours housecat.... :laugh

Those locked gates do suck :banghead we were already talking boltcutters but we figured that the lawenforcement guys wouldn't understand. The ride must have been COLD!! Hope you had a good time :clap
Any pic's?????? :lurk

[Bfish]

nice pix oskar. temperature was perfect for an everglades excursion i assume. freezing may arse off up here. :wave

[riderR1150GSAdv]

nice pix oscar. temperature was perfect for an everglades excursion i assume. freezing may arse off up here. :wave

Temps were just right for us a few weeks ago. I am glad I didn't ride this past weekend though. It is really cold and tonight we may get patchy frost. :violin

[DirtMerchant]

You saw a Panther!! that is cool!! Was it of any size, or did it look like my neighbours housecat.... :laugh

Those locked gates do suck :banghead we were already talking boltcutters but we figured that the lawenforcement guys wouldn't understand. The ride must have been COLD!! Hope you had a good time :clap
Any pic's?????? :lurk

I am not a wildlife expert but I would say the panther was pretty healthy, it crossed the road about 250 -300 yards ahead of us and did not hang around for any pictures..... I'm not sure I would want to go through any of the gates, it would be my luck that Johnny Law would be hanging out waiting for me. That would be pretty hard to esplain :dunno

It was fairly cold, we hung out at the new C-store and warmed up before the ride home.

Let me know if you are going to be doing any riding over this way, I would like to hook up somewhere.

Rodney

[riderR1150GSAdv]

Cool!! :thumb I will! :)