Butt Lite VIII (BL8???)

I feel like I'm late to this one..... butt at least George at Beemers Uber Alles and all the folks at Morton's BMW have gotten the bike all ready to go.  Now I just need to get all my junk in a sock!

If the trade winds are fair I'll head out Wednesday for Denver, CO to the starting point of the eighth running of the Butt Lite.  Tech checks begin on Friday and we head out of the barn Sunday morning (July 3rd).  We'll travel who knows where before coming back to the barn a week later on Saturday, July 9th.

Keep your fingers crossed and Jennifer might just pick up the keyboard and add a few notes.  There's also the official Butt Lite VIII blog at: http://buttliteviii.blogspot.com

As for my SPOT tracker, it'll be open to the public as I'm headed out, but will be on lock-down per rally rules (so check in with Jennifer for details) during the rally.

Here's hoping for miracles... no floods, fires, or flat tires!

Is it the End or ???

T Minus 97 Weeks to IBR 2017

The week after the Iron Butt Rally is always a little weird.  In 2011, we sat around the house re-watching “Hard Miles” and “Hard Miles II.”  That done, we watched “Long Way Around,” “Long Way Down,” and finally, “Race to Dakar.”  We called it re-integration.  I think it was withdrawal.    

This year, we went to a mineral springs spa with friends north of Santa Fe and soaked out the stress… and then got on a plane (Riley and I) and back on a bike (Kirsten).  Then, bam, back to work for me.  I was restless.  Feeling like I should post another blog update.  Starting to refresh my notes for a rally spouse article I’ve been mulling around since last summer.  Watching, again, the little green motorcycle move its way back across the country.  By Thursday, I wanted to ask one of my slugs (a.k.a. DC commuters) to drive my car home for me – I was exhausted.  The rally time warp had finally caught up to me. 

Kirsten rode out from ABQ Monday afternoon, stopping to see ranger friends at Ft. Union, and then Iron Butt-ed it through terrible rain (it never ends) the length of TN and into VA.  The total: over 16,000 miles, from the Mexico border to Canada and nearly everywhere in between, in 24 days.  She rolled in after 2 a.m. on Wednesday, then slept for two days.  After getting new brakes (the RT, now with the 2011 and 2015 Iron Butt Rallies under its wheels, is just shy of 150,000 miles), Kirsten wiped off the red grease pencil calendar from inside the windshield and washed the rally grime off the bike.  And tonight, just for fun, she is going to do an evening run in town.  Because, you know, she wants to try and finish the Race Timing “Grand Prix” series of foot races this year.  Also, she needs to jump back into her training for the Marine Corps Marathon this fall – rally miles unfortunately don’t count as foot miles in that training program.

Re-integration also means gathering with those who do understand, or at least who have been SPOT watching for weeks and are also trying to re-integrate with life.  Gaggles (prides…hurricanes….?) of LD riders are eating delicious BBQ all over the country this weekend.  People are already posting about the IBA regional meet in TN this fall.  We looked at our calendars and started thinking about the next trip.  I always take that as a good sign- return from a trip and immediately start planning another. 

In ABQ, some people took off their helmets at the finish and said: done.  Some people took off their helmets and said: maybe.  We are already thinking forward to the next rally, you can’t help it.  But it’s two more years of “what if,” two more years of “where?” and two more years of “what would I do differently?”  I don’t know if we’ve got another IBR in us, but I’ve also learned to never say never.  Plus, just LOOK at where this rally took her!

65 parks – 26 states + the trip out and back

It’s hard not to get excited thinking about the other places you might see, the other stories there might be.  On Thursday night last week, as she was riding in from Duluth, she said sadly, “but when I get there, it will be over.”  I saw many similar sentiments in the IBR reports.  It’s a wide world with so much to see.  And I hear that 2017 is the 150^th anniversary of Canada…think of the rally possibilities. 


People wonder how LD riders can ride these distances.  This is a big part of it – they’re explorers to the hilt.  So much to see.  So many places to BE.  It’s a slow roll back to the work-life/ play-life balance.  I’m travelin’ down a road I’ve been on before… thinkin’ about my home. We’ll get there, but not in a hurry.

Saturday - Ahhhhhh

We slept in today.  But it’s hard to turn off rally mode.  By 8:00 a.m., most riders were finishing up breakfast and making plans for the day.  Some had already left.   Kirsten was hurrying through breakfast and then took a breath and said, “oh yeah, I don’t have to eat in 5 minutes.”  We lingered over breakfast and coffee, talking with friends that we only get to see once a year if we’re lucky.  Out came the stories about the rides within the Ride.  What happened in New Orleans, Minneapolis, New York, Houston, DC, Kansas City, Yellowstone…..  this is Saturday morning after the Iron Butt Rally.

Most of you have probably read last night’s IBR report by now.  While we were taking pictures and shaking hands, Chris Cimino was pushing the button to upload knowing the thousands of people waiting for the news.  Eric Jewell is the 1^st place finisher of the 2015 IBR.  The room erupted in cheers and hollers for this wonderful man who has been SOOO close so many times.  And this one was a close call too – his bike was having electrical troubles and literally stopped just miles from the finish on Friday.  With a little help from his friends, he got it started and rolled in with minutes to spare.  The bike is currently at the Honda shop for a full diagnosis. 

Kirsten is a Gold level finisher in 14^th place.  At the end of the day, she finished with 83,083 points, 11,805 miles, 65 parks and 26 states.  Eric’s finishing stats are 106,653 points, 11,087 miles, 108 parks and 25 states.  It was a hell of a ride all the way around.  There were big pushes in Leg 3 and some saw the routes that brought them premium points both riding out from TN and into ABQ.  Kirsten was one of the few people that collected points Friday morning on the way in. For a few of those that didn't, it cost them a standing or two.  Every rider runs through the “if only I would have….” scenarios, and will for days (weeks).  But the other thing I heard loud and clear last night and this morning is that people loved the ride.  They really enjoyed the beautiful roads to the parks.  They were impressed with the genuine excitement that they found in the park staff they encountered.  It was a good rally - lots of people want to revisit parks, now that they’ve had a taste.  Well done IBR staff – Lisa, Tom and Mike – you’ve earned your Junior Ranger badges.

We’re going to relax and visit with friends in ABQ for the next few days.  Kirsten’s going to take some time off the bike before starting the ride back home.  I’m going to sign off the blog for a bit.  Thanks for following along, it’s been great hearing from you and sharing this experience with you.  And if you’re wondering what you’re going to do with all the free time you’ll have now that you’re not reading and refreshing your SPOT tracker – I suggest a walk in a park. 

Mark Crane and Kirsten at the 2015 IBR finish.
(To add to my collection of Mark and Kirsten rally finish photos.)