A Moose, Kitty Hawk, and Friends Along the Way

There are moments between scorching heat, the battering of tropical storms, and the glichy nail biting tension of fussy routing software that are just, well, nice.  On Leg 2, riding in the full moon light in the Vermont mountains, a young moose wandered onto the road.  Kirsten stopped.  The moose stopped.  She put her foot down.  The moose looked at her.  “Holy crap!” she said into her helmet and started laughing because the moose looked so confused.  He was huge and gangley, probably a teenager wandering away at midnight for a snack.  After nosing grass along the side of the road for a few minutes, he finally went back into the woods and she was on her way.

Her route took her past home at the end of the leg, just in time for the rest bonus.  As the rally pups and I have decamped to spend some time with family elsewhere, I texted friends close to home to see if they could come up with a surprise.  Being skilled at marathon race sign making, a friend whipped up this fantastic sign, with lights!, and had it waiting at the door when she rolled in.  She had a quick bite and a restful rest bonus and was her way before anyone else knew she had been through town.  Inspired, my mom and nieces sketched additional signs which we sent via text to her at Checkpoint 2… and the signs might just may make an appearance in Provo. 

Sunday morning found a gaggle of DMV locals (from DC, MD, VA) gathered at Kitty Hawk for the opening of the bonus.  What do IBR riders who find themselves in the company of others do while awaiting a bonus window to open?  Tell stories and fuss with their routes.  Later, Kirsten told me that somehow in the conversation a state bonus came up and she saw Bob Lilley busily rerouting on the way out of Kitty Hawk.  “Lilley owes me a beer for that state!” she said.  {Me thinks this is why Jim Owen just smiles and nods if anyone ever sees him at a bonus for more than 2 minutes.}

Along the way, Kirsten’s R1200RT decided to give up its headlight to the cause, having her rolling with aux lights only.  She sent me a text for help.  With a few additional cross-state texts to confirm the type of bulb needed, IBR veterans Cletha and Eric Vaillancourt were on the mission to bring the necessary bulb to the Huntsville checkpoint.  Kirsten rolled into AL with minutes to spare, and within minutes I got a photo of her arrival (thank you Lynne Carey!) and soon, of the offending bulb being replaced.  It takes a village.  And rally spouses appreciate this community of friends and riders as much as the riders.

Leg 3, as promised, has been challenging.  There were several bikes still in the lot hours after one would normally expect to see them depart.  Rally gremlins have been gnawing on the ankles of several of the big dogs.  Bike issues, computer issues, and then Tropical Storm Danny decided to sit over the Southeast.  If you’ve been reading daily reports this week, you’ll see that some riders have paid the toll and are out of the rally for one reason or another.

Tomorrow morning will find me and several other spouses and families flying over riders across the country on our way to Rally-HQ Provo.  Tonight is the Leg 3 rest bonus, and for many, it will be an all-out haul to the finish Friday morning.  Penalty points begin at 8:00 a.m.  It’s hard to describe being at the IBR finish on Thursday night – it is quiet, full of anticipation as riders come in all night long.  There are people to greet them at all hours.  This is our 10^th anniversary of the IBR with Kirsten riding in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2021.  After 11 days of hard miles and hard SPOT watching, the final night as Day 10 turns into Day 11 is one of the things I love the most about the rally.  This year, with all of the separations caused by COVID challenges, it feels extra special.  Ride hard my friends.  See you at the finish.

What's in a Mile

Riding around sitting on a bag of ice when it is 109 degrees apparently brings some relief.  As does ice dropped down the jacket with a wet LD shirt, a few ice cubes to chew on, and the rest of the bag across your lap.  “Best $5 I ever spent!” said Kirsten.  Leg 1 brought an awesome sunset on the Pacific coast, and texts coming to me that said, “palm trees,” and later “ocotillo.” In addition to her hydration system, she was choking down V8 with an applesauce chaser to boost the liquids.  Friends who are following along have been chatting me this week as the miles went on.  When asked if she had a cooling vest, and I described the motorcyclist A/C – ice solution, the reply was, “Nah, nope.  I need a cooled vehicle and an Arnold palmer in the cup holder.”  Amen brother.  There’s a favorite saying of runners as they head into the heat – “It’s not sweat, it’s liquid awesome.”  This group is drenched in awesome.  

On Tuesday, I got the story of what we call a “rally pause.”  Kirsten was riding along when all of I-10 came to a complete stop.  She saw a police vehicle coming back down the wrong way and she thought, “Well something is definitely up.”  After a bit, she rode up the shoulder to the front, where a border patrol vehicle had the road blocked.  Behind him all across the road – wildfire.  The smoke was billowing and everyone was just waiting.  She spoke to the officer who agreed that it was going to take a while, and suggested she ride down (the wrong way) on the off ramp to re-route on secondary roads.  About that time, two other (non-Iron Butt) riders came up and the three of them headed off the highway.  After a few miles on the detour, they came to a railroad crossing…complete with a very long train.  Cars to the horizon in both directions.  So, another pause, which led to a conversation with the other riders.  They had thought her bike was a police bike on the highway, so rode up and followed along.   Then they realized it wasn’t a police bike, but still “really cool.”  Some pictures were taken.  One of the riders had done a Saddle Sore and said he’d look up the IBR.   Once the train cleared, they rode about 20 more miles in a detour, ending up back on I-10.  Which they, literally, had to themselves as everyone else was still back behind the fire.  A nod and a wave and off they went on their separate ways.

By Thursday afternoon, I was watching the SPOTs on the public site line up for the parade southbound along I-69 from Ft. Wayne to Checkpoint 1 in Carmel, IN.  There was another group lined up coming in from Dayton, while a cluster was wrestling their way through the maddening traffic around Chicago. On my view of Kirsten’s SPOT, she had just crossed her outbound track from home, made a loop de loop and landed at the Checkpoint for some much needed rest…and air conditioning.

You can see the standings from Checkpoint 1 on the IBR site.  Kirsten didn’t leave any points at the scoring table – always an awesome thing when you work so hard to get ‘em.  And they were up at 4 a.m. Friday for the Leg 2 bonus pack with a side of breakfast.  The target for most riders has been a Pac-man sweep through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic gobbling up states and boni on their way to Checkpoint 2. 

Later today, we’ll see the riders converge again in formation to land in Huntsville, AL.  Penalty points begin at 8:00 p.m.  Several riders already appear to be circling the location in the South, where days of rain in the Northeast have turned back to sun and heat.  Leg 2 this weekend was short – but I expect the miles to be impressive.  Kirsten rode through Friday night and maxed out her rest bonus last night.  With the mental clock ticking down in her head, every mile brings her closer to a bonus and eventually the checkpoint.  This is the point that riders have to put away the miles gone and focus forward.  Leg 3 traditionally brings new choices and challenges that can lead to make-or-break routing.  There are miles to go before they rest their wheels back at Rally-HQ Provo.  As they turn bloodshot eyes westward, we’ll see the field start out in the morning with visions of bonuses dancing in their heads.  Heads up everyone.  

  

Day 1: Innovations and Inventions

If you are new to rally watching – strap in.  The launch of the 2021 Iron Butt Rally was yesterday (June 21) at noon Eastern, 10 a.m. local in Provo, UT.  IBR veteran Hammy Tan streamed it on FaceBook live for those of us in remote viewing locations– thanks again Hammy!  And within an hour the public SPOT on the IBR page showed the starburst of riders heading out to ride the rides they planned Sunday night for this first leg. 

The heat spreading across the country is certainly influencing some riders’ choices, but the Tetris game of routing and riding makes for complex planning with the hope it all falls into place.  Riders are mentally moving the blocks of bonus locations, daylight only bonuses, planned stops and rest bonuses, while the clock ticks away the hours until they must arrive at Checkpoint 1 on Thursday evening in Carmel, Indiana.

This year’s theme Miles of Progress – will take riders to “bonuses with historical significance in innovation and progress for the human condition.”  I anticipate lots of “oh! I didn’t know that!” moments, which is part of the fun.  The official Iron Butt Rally site is your home source for all things IBR including the official blog and photos taken from the checkpoints.  

Day 1 is always a push-pull situation.  Riders are READY to go, then they question their route, then there's the wait to launch, then remembering to turn right or left out of the parking lot….  For those family and friends watching, it’s a mix of happiness, excitement and emotion.  It’s a big ride.  The biggest.  The excitement about what the riders will experience is there, as well as a prayer for smart safe rides.  Mostly, I watched this launch and thought of all the friends out on the road for the next 11 days.  And one friend who isn’t, but his bike is.  Tom Loftus, 10 time IBR veteran (with 7 finishes), great guy and friend, is in the hearts of many today.  Tom’s ST1100 was ridden first out of the lot this morning by Danny Dossman to much cheering and a few tears.  I’m so happy Tom’s bike is in this rally, and I’m glad Danny is riding it. 

Kirsten is Rider #8 in this, her 4^th Iron Butt Rally.  The full list of riders and their trusty steads can be found on the IBR page.  Going down this list just makes me smile.  The SKILL of these riders is fantastic.  The IBR is not something to approach lightly and these folks, and the rookies too, come to the gate with their full selves ready for action. 

Behind the scenes, riders have shared their route plans and SPOT tracker links with family (aka rally home crew).  For the safety of the riders, we can not share specific locations, plans, direction, or any other routing information publicly while they are riding.  But I can say that Kirsten is riding her plan and managing the heat.  Hydration system!  Electrolytes!  Wetting the LD gear down 3 times for motorcycle air conditioning!  (wet wicking shirt + open vents in jacket + ride = evaporative cooling)  And she’s picking up bonuses along the path of innovators that have come before, already making miles of progress. 

It’s a Plane, It’s a Train – Can You Feel the Buzz?

This week saw Kirsten and all the Iron Butt riders making their way to Rally HQ- Provo, Utah through temps across the country in the high 90s and 100s.  It was definitely a shakedown ride for many as riders reported some bike issues on the way (better now than later).  Kirsten had a comms breakdown on the first day between the In Reach and the Spot, now sorted out.  And then I started to get the texts.  “Saw my first antelope.”  “Mountains ahead with snow.”  The road was opening up and it was starting to feel like rally time. 

When I called her later in the week, Lisa Landry answered the phone.  What can I say – it’s so good to hear her voice...before the rally knowing that she and Kirsten were standing right next to each other.  Later, another text, “Wendy is here.”  Then a photo with Kirsten and Jon Good came through and I felt it, the pieces starting to fall into place.  Riders were gathering, friends we haven’t seen in a couple of years.  But outside our wonderful friends and family COVID pod, this is the first time in a long time to gather with our larger circle and the time apart FEELS so much longer.    

Kirsten was up and at ‘em to beat the heat for tech inspection and odometer check early yesterday morning.  By the time she was back from the odo ride, it was already in the 80s.  Dale Wilson himself completed her tech inspection, giving the aux fuel tank a good shake as per norm.  All secure, she presented herself to Jeff Earls and Mike Kneebone, who welcomed her as the first rider to complete check-in for 2021.

And the poster was revealed!  This is always a much anticipated reveal as riders search the nooks and crannies for clues as to the rally theme.  Planes, trains, rockets, George Washington Carver, Genesis… oh the places they may go!

Today will find riders re-packing, setting aside “extras” to store in Provo until the finish, and making those final, final bike checks.  For rookie riders, they will get the full download on what they are in for at the rookie rider meeting.  Then there is a mandatory rider meeting for all 2021 Iron Butt Rally riders – no phones or media allowed.  The start banquet is this evening and riders will get their rally packs.  And the rest of the evening will be full of thinking, routing, and planning.  Rally start is, gulp, tomorrow morning.  The buzz of excitement is building.

Shaking Out the Cobwebs

HoooooWee Y’all!  I think that the effects of spending 14 months in a COVID quarantine loop have taken a toll in more ways than one.  There are cobwebs in many places – including my blog materials.  I had to find my notebook, the files, how to connect to digital images, the log-in information…. After the 2017 IBR I went into a bit of a post-rally, blog silence.  We did the MD 2020 and the Minnesota 1000 in 2018 – which were awesome!  2018 rolled into 2019 and then last year…. Well THAT was a crazy year.  You all know what happened – first the Mason Dixon 2020 in its 20^th year, had to postpone its much anticipated final Memorial Day weekend rally, then the final Butt Lite took the next hit from COVID travel restrictions.  By the fall, Rallymasters Scott La Shier and Rick Miller decided to team up and offer the Co-Void – a fantastic solution to combine the MD 2020 and the Void into an anywhere-start rally that went all virtual.  The “Finisher’s Banquet” found all of us sitting in our own living rooms celebrating the riders via ZOOM.  It was a strange new world. 

 

And now it’s – can this be right ?!– 2021.  We have been debating all year whether or not we could do the Iron Butt Rally – what will travel look like?  How will the vaccine situation shape up?  What about the continuing weird world of work, remote work, and other commitments as things start to come back online?  Well, we are both vaccinated and marinated.  And we are looking forward to finally seeing some friends and family, and as they say, getting back on the horse.  This year, Kirsten is riding a dark grey 2015 R1200RT, with the aux tank and some farkles from the warhorse 2009 R1200RT that gave everything she had during the 2017 IBR.  Despite having gotten the BMW GSA in November 2020 and sending all the information to the remote DMV, after 4 months they mailed it back without completing the title transfer.  For goodness sake.  So –turns out the GSA was not to be the rally bike as planned for 2021.  But maybe that’s for the best, as one social media friend said upon hearing the news of the GSA, “but Kirsten rides an RT!”  In this time of uncertainty, we need to keep our touchstones solid.

This year Kirsten is running with a Nav5 and a backup Nav5 (#oneisnone) and an old trusty Montana with a delaminated screen (for your not so easy viewing pleasure).  Like most pre-rally prep, she got a new cell phone a couple weeks ago… actually two.  The first one worked fine and then happily froze half the screen every so often, so it went back and the new new Samsung Galaxy 9 phone arrived for action.  In another stroke of awesome COVID shipping timing, new the QuadLock phone mount, with charging puck, is going to arrive on Wednesday….3 days after she leaves home and the day that she should be arriving to Rally HQ-Provo.  But - Good news!  She just found her rally cameras (I mean literally, JUST now, as I’m typing this at 7:30 pm the night before she leaves).  “Shockingly, it’s dead,” she said.  “Let’s just plug this in.”  Seems like only a week ago another IBR veteran (and I’m not naming names here Eric Bray) texted to say he pulled out his cameras and none of them were holding a charge.  Meanwhile two-time IBR winner Jim Owens has been on the road for a couple of days and has racked up a pre-rally win at the Minnesota 1000.  Calm and cool as usual.  Greg Blewett helpfully advised everyone on social media this week that it was time to stuff it all in a sock.  Tic tock.  And brush off those cobwebs.  It’s time to go.