Hangin' with my motorcycle

**SmokeHouse** · 07-09-2010, 11:31

That's the best way to tour... very nice

**Bubba** · 07-09-2010, 12:06

Awesome pictures! It nice to see you having a good time. Stay safe and looking forward to more pics.

**millarky** · 07-09-2010, 12:24

I just got back from Colorado and seeing your photos makes my heart yearn for a return. Very fine TR!

**Land** · 07-10-2010, 22:58

Thanks for the comments. The feedback is nice.

After leaving Buena Vista and the yurt, I headed up 24 toward Independence Pass to Aspen.

On the way, I saw this cool CJ5 for sale and stopped for some pics.

(It may actually be an M38A1.)

Sweet, huh?

On to the pass.

At the top, I chatted with a guy from California, and he shot this pic of me. That's his BMW R1200RT to the right in the picture.

I headed down from the pass toward Aspen. It's a great road, and I had fun.

I also stopped to smell the, umm, aspens. Beautiful.

After an (overpriced

) lunch in Aspen, I headed to an auto-parts store to buy a voltage test light to see if I could chase down an issue with my lights (more on that later).
On the way, I stopped to don some rain gear and spied this cool old Ford. A '59?

Last night (Friday), I hung at 8,200 feet above sea level in Difficult Campground in the White River National Forest. Difficult is just outside Aspen, on the road to Independence Pass.

This was definitely my best job of setting up the Blackbird in my short hanging career. I hung the Superfly with a porch roof for the evening.

Later, when I was ready for sleep and the temp was dropping, I dropped the "porch roof" so that the SuperFly was in A-frame configuration. I slept great -- for about eight hours until the need for a restroom break woke me. Then I slept for about three more hours.

Here's an out-of-focus pic from this morning.

One issue that I have had with hammock camping on the bike is what to do with my (heavy) riding gear. In a tent, I would just bring it inside with me or put it under the rainfly, depending on which tent I was using. I also sometimes just put it on the bike seat and put my travel cover over the bike. That works okay. Last night, I decided to put the ENO DN I bought since I've been on this trip to work as a gear hammock. You can see it in the above pic. It worked well because I was able to use a tree beside the one my Blackbird was strapped to to hang one end.

This morning, I tried to track down why the lights on my bike had stopped working. I was unsuccessful.

I had taken down the Blackbird and underquilt and was about to take down the SuperFly and ENO when the rain rolled in. I drove the stakes back in for the tarp and climbed into the ENO, which, fortunately, I had taken a few minutes evaluating earlier.

The Superfly is pretty stealthy, by the way.

I waited out the nearly hour-long storm high and dry. Well, since I was using Slap Straps, dry and sinking.

I swear that I could feel myself easing toward the ground.

Even after reading on here how much the straps stretch, I was amazed at the stretch.

Those are getting changed!

I headed to a dealer this afternoon to see if a tech could figure out the issue with the bike.

I got there about a half hour before closing, and the tech jumped on the job but was not able to find the issue in that short time.

Monday morning, he's going to take another stab at it. Fingers crossed.

I'll be in a motel in Grand Junction, CO, through Monday morning.

Here's the view through the peephole.

Stay tuned ...

Chris

**JayS** · 07-10-2010, 23:12

Fantastic - as-you-go trip reporting! What a fantastic trip. I spend time around Aspen up to Glenwood Springs (the Roaring Fork valley) and know how beautiful it is. Haven't been to Grand Junction in 30 years.

Good luck with the lights. Safe riding.

**Mrprez** · 07-11-2010, 05:49

Nice trip report, bike and gear! Maybe one day we can plan a ride somewhere. I ride a 2005 BMW R1200GS. Fantastic bike and almost as comfortable as the Goldwing.

**thecrumb** · 07-11-2010, 08:13

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Stop teasing me!

I had a run in with a deer this spring on the BRP and broke my collar bone and mangled up my hand a bit. Haven't been riding (or hanging) since!

Itching to get back on the road and looking at these pictures isn't helping

I like your idea of using a second hammock for gear! And it would be nice to have just for a quick side of the road hang/nap instead of setting up the full rig.

Jim

**Land** · 07-11-2010, 13:47

Originally Posted by thecrumb

I had a run in with a deer this spring on the BRP and broke my collar bone and mangled up my hand a bit. Haven't been riding (or hanging) since!

Ouch!

Here's hopin' that the healing is going well.

Chris

**Land** · 07-11-2010, 14:18

Originally Posted by Mrprez

Nice trip report, bike and gear! Maybe one day we can plan a ride somewhere. I ride a 2005 BMW R1200GS. Fantastic bike and almost as comfortable as the Goldwing.

Thanks. And I'm always game for a ride.

I like the R1200, as well.

My "car" is a 2006 R1200GS Adventure.

I have some old Jeeps and trucks, and my wife has a car, but I ride one of my bikes pretty much every day. I think that I drove my CJ3B Jeep to work about 5 days out of 190 days in the past school year.

I do have a really short commute -- about two miles -- but I still do about 20,000-to-25,000 miles a year on my bikes, at least for the past four years.

I need my helmet time.

Chris

**Harpo63** · 07-11-2010, 14:26

Good idea- I should throw the singlenest in the saddlebag for breaks or as a gear hammock if needed- depending on if I take the trailer with me or not. got a Valkyrie tourer and Electra Glide. But now Im thinking one of those adventure tourers would be nice...