Matt Watkins Wandering North America

Paul and I did essentially the same thing for a day or two. His blog is in audio form and you gett the emotion and tone of his voice during the rally. One’s mood really does ebb and flow throughout the 11 days. Plus his method allows him to post to the Internet while’s riding with a cell phone.

Significant parts of his rally (the Death Valley/Bristlecone/Scotty’s Castle) were the same day I ran. In fact, Paul and I rode with each other parts of that day.

Good job Paul. Huge props for sharing the experience to others.

Banquet’s over and some have already seen the official results. I placed 17th…which exceeds my wildest expectations. Huge props to my first leg riding partner, Doug Chapman, for leading this rookie through the first leg and getting started on the second.

I had hoped to just finish this thing….as there was a 25% wash-out rate and even long-time veteran riders agreed ‘07 was the hardest rally ever. So, I’m revelling in a to 20 finish, getting a bit drunk….and will get up to drive back with Dad and the bike in back of the truck. We’ll probably take 2 or 3 days to get back.

I’ll also try and use some of that time to detail the ride more extensively than I could while on the ride. Somehow, I think my literary skills….like remembering certain words….will be much better after having gotten a full night’s sleep.

Signing out from St. Louis

Matt Watkins – 2007 Iron Butt Rally Finisher

I made it back safely and just finished scoring. Don’t know final standings, but think I moved up from #43.

Will write after I drink a beer and take a shower.

The rally rocked!!!!

———————–

3 Hours Later

….well I haven’t showered yet…..I’m sitting here in my own BO yapping with George Zelenz.

However, I feel like I need to say something profound…or at least pithy. Not sure this counts, but here’s a try:

On Day 8 after I had gone to Lick Observatory I was spending the afternoon in San Francisco. I had never driven or ridding in SF before, and as I went over the Bay Bridge I caught my first view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was pretty enough with a bit of low big in the warm, sunny day……..but out of nowhere I started bawling like a baby.

I had just gotten the rally. I had just learned what the Rallymaster intended as a theme. Yes, there was the omni-present Americana kitch, but this other meaning was much deeper and more profound. Mind you, having an epiphany on a major freeway and nominal speeds with tearing up eyes isn’t the best place to do this. So, I moved over to the right several lanes, slowed down a bit, and tried to take it in.

The start of the rally involved 90 or so folks rushing to the St. Louis Arch as a first bonus. Symbolic, absolutely for the beginning, but singular.

Then within several days the majority of riders went to Perce Rock in Canada on the Atlantic. It’s actually an arch rock, but I didn’t get it at that point.

The Golden Gate is full of architectural arches and is the gateway to the West from the Pacific. In the course of 8 days it all struck me in those few seconds. We North Americans have it incredibly well. We have a land mass of incredible geologic and climatologic variety. The heat of Death Valley to near freezing mountains of August in Colorado. The azure quality of the Atlantic and deep green of the Pacific.

We also have people with mixed a wide range of languages and culture. We have French-Canadians deep in New Brunswick that identify more with France than English. We have the Navajo in the Southeast U.S. that really should have a dotted line as a truly sovereign nation within a nation. We have hippies in California ,Volvo yuppies in the mountains of New Hampshire, and Bible thumping midwesterners in Kansas.

We truly are diverse.

And, at the same time one can point a motorcycle in any one of the cardinal compass directions and go that way nearly unfettered. Showing a drivers license still gets you to Canada and back with no cavity search and a friendly smile from both sides of the border.

And after the few days of picking a direction you can pick anothe direction and do it yet again and not see all this continent has to offer.

I’m proud to be a North American.

Just got into a Super 8 in Dillon, CO with WiFi and haven’t eaten other than jerky and granola on the bike all day. Although not the orgy of points the past two days…..I’m still digging. I’m going to scoop up points until there isn’t any more time.

I started the morning by snapping a picture of Bendover Bill (what I’m sure the locals call it even though they have a sign that says Wendover Will).   It’s a 76 foot high neon sign that’s the town’s claim to fame….for Mormons trekking the 120 miles across the Salt Lake to not get reconized and gamble.

Then at dusk I snapped two pictures of mountain passes here in Colorado.  A full day.

I broke my previous 11,300 elevation record again by going to Independence Pass at 12,000 and change. I had no clue there were so many spots so high in this state.

I’m hungry…..so I’m going to eat my Subway sandwich and come back to this blog…..just wanted you all to know I’m alive and well.

Be back in 30 minutes…

…….OK back after my first shower in like 4 days….I think it’s 4 days. I was able to eat half of my sandwich…..my stomach seems to have shrunk and I’ve lot weight for sure.

Last night as I got off the drone of I-80 to about 50 miles of twisty I got worried my rear-end was going out. I had known the rear tire was cupped, but it hadn’t made noise or vibration when I was going straight and upright……now it was. I even called up my buddy Warchild when I was in the Reno area and he thought fatigue was getting to me…which he was right.

After finding a rest stop before Winnemucca and sleeping under a picnic table on the concrete (the table would have been more comfortable, but the light ahead was too bright….and two others occupied by Chris Sakala and Vicki Johnson) for about 3 hours I felt a bit better. Cruising the straights seems to smooth the tire a bit…until I hit a set of twisties again. Weird.

I’m planning my Day 11……I can’t believe this thing is about done!

The most direct route and I’m about 1,000 miles out. I’m planning to get up about 5 a.m. and head back. I can pace myself and figure out which bonii I might be able to sneak in. I’m still digging…….I think I’ve got more than enough points to finish, but I’d like to score a Gold medal and move my standing up from 43.

I’ll find out Friday afternoon….at the finishing banquet of course.

Physcially, I’m pretty good. My right ear hurts pretty badly because of having an earplug in it so long, and my shoulders are sore and muscles need a good massage. I have 11 days of beard growth and look pretty scruffy I’m sure. Also, I had a piece of my ass analyzed by scientific instruments. It’s 98% iron, 1.5% nickel, and the remaining 0.5% are other trace alloys.

My one headlight works…sort of. I have an instrument cluster light out….but that half it lit I haven’t been using much anyway. Also, the GPS audio is intermittent. Electricals suck.

Here’s the plan tomorrow:

Just ran across this picture from Lick Observatory in the San Jose area. Scruffy, but smiling:

Matt called in from Wendover Nevada, he is on his way to Utah and will start first thing in the morning with the mountain passes and then back to Saint Louis. His tire is holding up OK for now.

Matt called in at 2 pm, he is in the San Francisco area and had a good day of points gathering.

He also had the fun of riding a fully loaded FJR on Lombard street!

He is planinng the return ride and is excited to get back to Saint Louis to see how everyone has done.

——-

10 p.m. Matt is just west of Reno and headed toward Salt Lake. He’s just paused for something to eat and to check his rear tire for pressure and clean off Bristlecone mud. He thinks he may be developing tire problems and will monitor closely and replace as necessary in Utah.

His spirits are high but fatigue is becoming a factor.

Sorry I haven’t been updating the past several days. I haven’t stayed in a conventional hotel room for 2 nights now…..having slept at the Iron Butt Hotel. Last night was deluxe accomodation in Death Valley at elevation -203 feet. I found a nice spot that was only 91 degrees as opposed to the 108 at -260 feet….all while this is 3 in the morning.

I found a nice soft dirt bank with a slight incline and had 3 hours to kill until daylight.

Monday was an orgie of points….over 51,000 of them in one day. What started out as a Death Valley 5000 point option at dawn, was then followed just a few hour later by visting the oldest living tree on the planet at 11,300 feet. Then motoring up to Yosemite for 2 meaty bonii. And then a romp to a hot spring that was a surreal experience in riding as well as finding out where all the lost hippies disappeared to.

More on all this after the ride, but suffice it to say that EVERYTHING I saw today was new and different. I’m exhausted, contented, and contemplative at the same time. A route for the past two days since you all can’t track me with Doug any longer. This route was our plan…I’m just running it as hard as I can stand it.

I am in Super 8 right now and the 5 hour “rest bonus” started…so I’m getting points for sleeping.  Long-term fatigue is setting in and I’ll have to watch and manage it.  Future posts probably are going to sound like they were written by somebody who has been on a motorcycle for 7 days straight.  No deep style or intense alliteration….probably just the facts.

Tuesday is going to be all about a giant 24,000 point bonus in the Bay area along with various yellow diamonds around the city. My plan will be to pick them up and escape across the Golden Gate (all a first again)….and then decide if I’m going to go up to Oregon and Washington…or start heading back and pick stuff up in Utah and Colorado.

I’m hoping 5 hours of sleep will make my options clearer.

6pm Pacific time, Matt has traveled from Death Valley to Yosemite (11,300 feet worth). He is next heading for the hot springs bonus and then on to Salinas to prepare for the Bay Area tomorrow.

Is looking forward to accommodation’s other than the Iron Butt hotel.

Matt just called here and reports he is west of Flagstaff and topping off.  Decided to skip the Grand Canyon bonus as he plotted it south when it should have been the north rim, skipping to get in position well rested for the next stage.  He’ll stop tonight in Pahrump, Nevada and be ready to hit it hard tomorrow.  Matt reports he’s scored well so far and will be set to bite into the meat of the route tomorrow.  Once settled in tonight I am sure he will add details if at all possible.

Matt called to let us know he is in Holbrook Arizona on his way to the Grand Canyon. After that its on to Las Vegas and then Death Valley.

No additional mechanical problems and he is doing well also.

Not insurmountable, but at about 3:30 a.m. east of Albuquerque…..Zuzax I think…..my one remaining good HID low beam decided to shit the bed. I only had one anyway because I lost the first one in the first leg.

No major drama as I was on the straight of I-40…had it flicker a couple of times…..and I was the only traffic for several miles. My parking lights illuminated the road enough to aim through the field goals of perspective and got off on the next exit.

(using my best Foghorn Leghorn impression) Fortunately,……I say fortunately….I carry a spare halogen bulb just for this sort of emergency.

About 1 1/2 hours later I had converted the bike back to halogen bulb and patted myself on the back for leaving the original connector. Had to adjust the height and it sure seems dim an yellow….sort of nostalgic I guess. Perhaps tomorrow night I’ll duct tape a coal miner’s hat to the front of the bike.

I’m in Farmington, NM now headed to a trading post and shiprock for about 4K in bonii. I chose these because the time just worked out so I could have breakfast with a college roommate, James Fundarke….who I haven’t seen in about 15 years! He and his wife Twyla…who I also knew at school….should be rolling in shortly.

Gonna get some time and plan the next couple of days. I’m hoping to make Vegas tonight, get a rest bonus (will Lisa be angry if I play the slots all night?) and then attack Death Valley and Yosemite with a vengence. I’d put a map, but Doug and I worked hard on it and don’t want somebody to crib off it. I’ll put a route map up Tuesday or so. Suffice it to say I’m…..goin’ back to Cali, Cali, Cali!

Latest text message from Matt. He is in Shamrock Texas heading for I40. Doing well…

Matt called to give us an update. Doug is dropping out of the rally, no accident or other major problems, I will let Matt give more detail on later posts. Matt will continue on the route they planned.

As a note, with Doug dropping out that means we will not be able to track Matt with the Star-Traxx, he will try and call in more frequently and update this post more often.

Matt was heading to Oklahoma City  and will then head to Holbrook Arizona. He is doing well and is looking forward to the West coast leg of the rally.

We used the Jim Owen method again and a pattern emerged. We’re headed to Death Valley, Yosemite, and San Francisco for some seriously moist and tender white meat. Alaska stuff (not in the picture) don’t seem realistic.  If we can….pick up some nuggets on the return route.
So, Doug and I are riding like the wind and headed for California. We hope to make Western New Mexico or maybe Holbrook, Arizona by morning. His Star-Traxx is working again so you can watch. This route has like 140,000 in points as possibilities…so if…..and I mean BIG IF…..we would likely improve our standings substantially. We’ll probably know in the next couple of days how we’ll do.Props to Owens again for showing me this method.

I’m back safe and sound with 55 minutes to spare.

Doug and I had split up this morning and I snagged some more points while he was getting tires replaced an oil changed. Not much, but it was fun using the ride back into St. Louis to see more countryside including Honda of America and the World’s Largest Basket. The latter was fun because I had seen it before on John Rattzenberger’s Made in America.

Scoring was stressful for me as I had been hosed on the fuel log portion in SPANK on both legs last year….I had something to prove. Worth 10,000 point you have to properly transcribe all the receipts you gathered to a single log including date, time, city, state/province, mileage, and gallons. One receipt I had was fine when I got it, but wet. Since the first day it’s faded so it was VERY hard to read the numbers.

I got 78,844 points total with 4,050 miles. 70,000 is the benchmark for a “finisher” and 80,000 is a “bronze medal” level. We had hoped to be between bronze and silver…..but not bad since I think the leg was hard on most everybody.

Hey, I see they put the Bonus Listing for Leg #1 on the Internet.  See exactly what I had to digest.

The other thing I’m thinking is that I just can’t do justice to what has happened in the last leg. I absolutely am going to have to write a detailed trip report after I get back home. Definitely, come back for that. You’re just getting highlights here folks.

For example, yesterday was the funnest time of the rally for me. Riding with Doug and John Langan around New Hampshire, beating feet to Pennsylvania the same day, and coming up to the Reading Pagoda at late twilight just in time to snap the picture was a great ride that finished a great day. It’s clear in my mind, but I have to somehow put the red neon against the deep green of Pennsylvania in text for you all somehow. This rally has been full of vivid color.
Had another surreal experience today…two of them in fact.

One was in Urbana shortly after I called John and he typed my entry. Dude and his girlfriend or wife drive by me as I’m walking from the CVS for fresh earplugs and Sharpies, “You in the Iron Butt Rally?”

Another stalker? I wasn’t with Doug so he couldn’t have seen the Star-Traxx. He just spotted my bike and knew. Rich (I see he e-mailed nust now)….great to know there are fans out there. It makes me remember how lucky I am to compete in this thing. Truly a life event!

Second one (don’t read thest two paragraphs Mom) was I encounter a storm cell. Headed right at it for 50 miles and put my rain gear on before. As I approached it I realized it was a giant vertical wall of blackness that was only broken visually by these weird leading light gray runner clouds.

When I hit the thing I went from dry to drenched in less than 1/2 mile. I couldn’t see 50 feet in front of me at one point and wasn’t sure if there was a Tornado lifting me off the ground….so I kept the handelbars straight and a few seconds later I saw pavement again and kept going. Surreal…and I know how Dorothy and Toto must have felt. Once through the wall it was just rain riding. 100 miles is far easier than 1100 miles…let me tell you.

You can start reading again Mom. I’m getting up at 3 a.m. for packets being handed out at 4 a.m. This leg will likely be Western in theme. And this one we’ll be on the clock. I used the “Jim Owen” method for inputting the Leg 1 packet and Doug liked it so much we’re tweaking it slightly for our purposes and going to divvy up the packet in the morning.

After that, I’ll blog before I got with a plan. Just be aware that I’m not 100% sure I’m going to ride with Doug on this leg. I’ll announce in the morning.

Physical condition is pretty good. My right ear was raw on the third day from the silicone earphone/plug. I’ve put a regular foam plug coated in Neosporin for the last several days and it’s better. The left is getting a bit tender.

My hands are pretty good. Just a slight tingle in two fingers of the right hand, but my throttle lock his helping. Fingers are overall a bit sore.

Knees and between the shoulders are tight, but livable.

My eyes have been much better than before….I’ve been forcing myself to keep the visor down when it’s hot.

Monkey Butt is almost non-existent. I made a beaded seat at the last minute and that one thing has truly turned my seat into a 4,000 mile seat.

I’m also tired at the end of each day, but I don’t think exhausted. I feel good through the day afterwards…..however, I’m sure that will change in the days to come.

Hoping for Leg 2 to be the West…and maybe even the Pacific Northwest where I have some experience riding.

Matt

00:54 CDT, Friday – Somerset, PA

It’s seems symmetrical that we’ve returned to the Super 8 that we spent the first night. We have the same distance to travel back to the barn as we traveled the first day.

….however this room is conspicuously absent one microwave. It’s going to be harder for me to incinerate my packet….which is generally good.

Lot’s has happened since we holed up in a Hojo in Cambellton, New Brunswick. Thursday morning we made the final push to Perce Rock….and it was stellar. No photos to download yet myself as Doug took them, but below is one I found on the web. That 200 mile ride was like going down a popular beach stretch….very slow. It was also even slower coming back. It seemed like that ride took most of the day.

The whole Canada experience is beyond what I can articulate this evening…more on that in my post-trip write-up.

We did some reevaluation of going to Niagara. The weather around the Great Lakes just looked horrid and we just winced at the thought of repeating what we did leaving the barn…so we pushed on down to the south through Maine and figured we’d go for New Hampshire and Pennsylvania bonii. Lot’s of little stuff that probably isn’t worth as much……but we have yet to get rained on!

About 2 blocks from the first bonus we ran into John Langan and he rode the day with us. Good, good day.

Schooner, Bath, ME – 1888

Coffee Place with a Cow (near Bath) – 456

Cigar Shop, Maine – 878 Failed because we didn’t read that it was Tuesday only. They were slightly confused why we were there “so late”. I bought a cigar anyway.

World’s Largest Rocking Chair, New Hampshire – 465

Covered Bridget, NH – 1201

License Plate Covered House, NH – 1001

Then we blazed through the NYC area skirting as much as we could by going Eastern Jersey. We were under the gun to make it to York to get the Harley Davidson plant…..but by the time we got 40 miles away from Reading……traffic was backed up for miles. I bailed at the nearest exit and found I think my favorite road of the ride yet.

Pagoda, Reading, PA – 920 (came in just before dark)

Todd Witte’s House and a Picture of the Grinch Patrol – 1712

In the surreal department is about 2 miles from Todd’s house I was at a light and an FJR came up along side me and introduced himself as Randy from the FJRForum.com. My eyes must have been as big as dinner plates. He wrote:

I just met up with Matt, Doug and John Langan in York, PA and he asked that I post this. They ate in Reading, PA before heading to York. They got their bonus and were heading back towards St. Louis. We left York around 11 PM and they peeled off to pick up I-76 and were going to try to get 2-3 more hours in before they pull off to rest. They’ll make the call later on to determine if they’ll try to get any additional points before making it back to St. Louis. They might end up in Somerset, PA tonight – the spot of their 1st rest.
They were all in good spirits and no major issues with the bikes.

Seems Randy lives in the area and was watching Doug’s Starr-Trax. He knew we were coming in and stalked waited for us.

This is not without precedence. The same thing happened to Doug in the ‘05 IBR headed for Florida.

We still have 650 miles or so to ride tomorrow…..and the forecast is NOT for rain. Yahoo!!!!

Off to bed.

—–

Day 5

Matt called to let us know that he is in Urbana Ohio. He is doing laundry and getting ready for the final leg back to Saint Louis. Doug Chapman rode ahead to have a tire changed. They are both doing well and are ready to spend some time on the next leg, hopefully with some better weather.

Matt has visited Honda North America and also the worlds largest basket which is the seven-story corporate headquarters of the Longaberger Basket Company.

More later when Matt calls in..

The latest call places Matt and Doug at Hales Crossing New Hampshire. Because of weather conditions they have decided to skip the Niagara Falls bonus and instead go for many smaller bonuses.
They are currently heading to York Pennsylvania and will try and miss the large storms across Ohio as they head back to Saint Louis.

Matt called and said he and Doug were doing well and were leaving Canada and heading to Bath Maine for the night.

Tomorrow they are going to Niagara Falls and from there make the decision on what is next due to the weather conditions in Ohio. I missed a couple of calls from Matt today so I may add a post tomorrow updating anything we may have missed.

We’re in Campbellton and rode well into the night.  We’re getting done with our rest bonus shortly and will then be taking a picture of a salmon and then out to Perce Rock for the mega 30,000 points!!!!!!

Then we’re headed back.  We can’t do Prince Edwards Island with any certainty, but I’m looking at Michigan.  Doug’s a bit skeptical….so I’m watching to see what we get to Montreal compared to Street and Trips.  If ahead of the estimation I’m eager to try, and if behind go to something else closer to home for less points.

Various electronics were seriously waterlogged from the constant rain until just short of Boston.  I have never experienced constant rain for that many miles.  It then cleared up and was nice riding to Buxton.  I laid everything out on the asphalt and used it’s heat to dry some stuff.  That and I hung my gloves out in the airflow to dry them by the Canadian border.   Boots still wet, but much better this morning.

So far, my favorite part was twilight and evening of Maine.  Long shadows and crystal green vistas.  As the sun set traffic disappeared and Doug and I rode abreast with 25,000 lumens shining down  the road.  Incredible…….

Well, off to breakfast, pack the bike, and get my receipt to prove I’ve rested for 6 hours.

Doug and I are in Somerset, PA and it has literally rained all but 12 miles from St. Louis! And most of the time it’s been hard. Faced with rain the rest of the way to Buxton, Maine we dedided to rest a few hours here. We had to search for a dry spot on our bodies when we shucked our clothes. Doug has 10 square inches on a shirt and his feet are dry. My ass is dry and the bottom of my back….and that’s it.

I had pulled a rookie move near Dayton, Ohio.  I tried to ride through the rain hoping for dryness while wearing mesh pants.

I didn’t make it. I poured water out of my boots and have spent the rest of the day and evening with pruned feet.

We’re literally putting our socks and non-metal things in the microwave to dry them out and the floor is covered with fresh steaming things. The heater is cranked with boots stacked on top and window open to try keep us from getting hot and humid….like it was in St. Louis a little less than 15 hours ago.  Duh.

Fittingly about 2 hours before the start of the rally it started to rain….and at 9:45 as Warchild finished our riders’ meeting the sky opened up in earnest.

My GAWD! We’re Iron Butt Ralliers!!!!! One can tell from the friendly grin of a person that is unaware of the pain he’s about to go through the next 11 days (isn’t Doug cute?) and the sad homage to Karate Kid (Hey Ralph Machio wannabee what are you doing wearing a BMW shirt? You take a blow to the head?) The only sane one in this picture is to the far left (Roger VanSanten)….or at least in recovery from riding in ‘05. He’s saying, “Suckers!”

Doug’s alternator appeared to have shit the bed this morning, but seems to be a bit happier now. Where he was getting 12 volts at 4,000 rpm at the start of the rally and was very slow to start with “whir-whir-whir” slowness of a weak battery. …now it eventually gets up to 14.0 volts after 20 minutes of riding.

Nothing really to do at this point unless the bike dies which we’re hoping won’t be at the apogee of our route….whatchmacality rock in upper Quebed. We’re wondering if the Datel voltmeter is wonky at this point. Positive thinking….positive thinking.

The plan is to get up just before daylight and start riding again….however the weather report doesn’t look any better in the morning. It’s like this 1000 mile wide rain cloud is taking the same route as us and at least 30 other riders. I have a feeling there’s a lot of fellow riders thinking about Plan B that chose this route.

We’re happy we have 8500 points bagged and having fun!

Doug and Matt in Bumfuck, PA