I heard from friends in Indy that there were Tornado's sighted somewhere, and they'd had a really bad hail storm just before I arrived. On I-65, just before the I-465 cutoff traffic was stopped. I got off on a frontage road and saw the problem a few miles down - a tractor/trailer in the median, 4 or 5 wreckers picking up various cars, and numerous Indiana State Police.
In Indy, Bob and Dorcey greeted me. Bob & I went out for a little 'boys' time - Mexican food and a beer (or was it two *grin*). Saturday, Bob, John and I had a nice sunny round of golf. The day started foggy and misty. Our 10:15 tee time turned out perfect. The sun was just starting to burn everything off. It must have reached 80, and I got to start my vacation with a 'red neck' :-), and an Elk burger (first time - don't remember where this was, but nice outside place).
Saturday night, Don from the BMWLT forums suggested an alternate route into the camp that saved me a few hours, and a good thing too. I wouldn't have been able to handle Hwy 129 all loaded down and tired (heck - I couldn't have handled it at first unloaded and rested either!). Thanks, Don!
Sunday morning, after the easter egg hunt, I left Indy around 7:30. It had rained in the morning. The road to Cincinnati was wet, and there were gusty cross-winds. I was determined to pass Cincinnati before rain that was forcast to hit there around 10 AM.
I pulled into Iron Horse Lodge around 5 PM. Britton got here about an hour later. Nice of him to bring his trailer and cooler, but my gosh - what DID he do to the tires on that trailer? They're almost bald!
I used to really like Britton's trailer (and still do), but after seeing a couple of Unigo's on LT's this week, I'm giving a careful look at those. Unfortunately, the manufacturing has transferred to an American company, and they are starting 2006 with supplier problems. I'll want to see if the quality of these new trailers is up to snuff (people reported problems with the old, early Unigo's - took a while to get the manufacturing idiom worked out of kinks).
The proprieters of this place are really wonderful people (John & Charlene). Sunday nite, we had dinner at Iron Horse with everyone here, and sat around a campfire swapping stories. Couldn't imagine a nicer place. On the way down, the trees were green and some blooming. Ah, vacation at last.
Monday, Britton had planned out a nice ride for us. Sunday nite, I'd heard a story (1st hand) of a BMW LT that was totaled going into a 10MPH corner on the "Tail of the Dragon" too fast - a touch of (umm... front) brake, and it slid out into a truck pulling a boat. Fortunately the rider was ok, but it unnerved me.
On our ride Monday, I was tired from 10 hours of Riding Sunday, and a bit unnerved by the wrecked LT incident. I realized I'd never had MY LT on any truly twisty roads. The first few miles out, around one outside curve, I met a Mack gravel truck sliding on the inside, opposite direction - scared me, and threw gravel in my face shield. The rest of the ride I was stiff, and a little scared to lean the LT too much - especially where there might be gravel on a curve... and of course there were cliffs. Fortunately that stiffness, fear passed with the days, and without incident (much thanks to Britton's comments, and to Susan Galpin's methods).
After lunch, and LOTS of iced tea I thought I must have been dehydrated from Sunday's ride (it started around 50 degrees in Indy, ended w/ 90 in NC). I had a pitcher of iced tea, and we headed back the same road we came out - so I relaxed a little.
I can tell this is going to indeed be a training camp for me - learning how to handle my LT in a new (non-urban) environment.
Will post pictures later. Today, we're heading out the Dragon, and out some scenic (easy) roads.
The weather has been beautiful.
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