Big Bend September 2007

Not to keep posting old shit on here, but this is a trip Gary and I took back in September of 2006



Day 1

It was my first multi-day trip on my new bike a 2006 BMW F650GS. I had just purchased it a little over a month earlier. Gary and I were itching for a trip out to Big Bend, and as we both had new bikes we decided to ride. We each bought some type of luggage for our bikes as neither of us had any. More less just stuff we could strap to the back of the bikes. We bought some spare tubes, parts etc... got our gear packed and headed out on a Sunday morning. I can't remember exactly what time we set out, but I think it was about 08:30 in the morning. Our route out of town was 380 to 35 to 820 to 20 through Ft Worth. We wanted to avoid major highways so we pulled onto hwy 277 in Abilene, heading towards San Angelo.

Gary waving hello Hwy 277 south of Abilene

The ride between McKinney and San Angelo was pretty uneventful. I was not real experienced riding at the time, so departing Interstate 20, and all of the 18 wheel semi's that were creating a big turbulant wind tunnel, was more than welcome to me. The main thing I remember about San Angelo was the huge windmills just southwest of the city. I had seen these things on previous trips to Big Bend, but this time we rode right through them. You know they are big, but don't realize how bit they really are until you are right by them. I mean the blades are the size of a commercial jet liner.

We had taken Hwy 67 west out of San Angelo, other then the windmills there is really not a lot to see. But when riding, the environment around you adds to the experience regardless of whether or not it is some scenic route. For me it was great, cruising along at 70-75, just watching the road, enjoying the solitued of what being on a vehicle by yourself brings, and watching Gary a just little ahead of me.Some times you are enjoying the ride some much, you have to commit it to more than just the memoirs of you mind. You have to capture it in a 70 MPH Self Portrait....I was riding around 75, I think at the time Gary must have been cruising around 70 or so - as I had crept a little less than a half mile ahead of him when I saw the state trooper.... SHIT! the trooper turned around and was right behind me. Then the thing that has made your heart drop into you stomach since the day you first learned to drive..... The Lights Came On... The first thing I thought of was that I had not gotten my MC endorsement yet - oh, that's not good. After the trooper pulled me over, Gary came riding up and stopped not to far from us. As the officer was checking my license, insurance, etc... he gestured for Gary to come over as well. I though what the hell is that, I was like a half mile ahead of him, Gary was not speeding, I was. It all turned out in the end. I was not an ass to the cop, nor was he toward me. The three of us talked for a little while, just about riding and general Big Bend country bullshit. He gave us our licenses back, told us to keep the speed down a little and we all went on our way. He was a fine example of a Texas Law Enforcement Officer. Seriously, I remember thinking he was just a normal guy like the rest of us. He just wanted to watch our speed on the empty stretch of hwy 67 between San Angelo and Ft. Stockton.

Once we got to Ft. Stockton we were getting hungy again, riding quickly wore off the Wataburger lunch we had consumed some hours earlier. The date was September 10, 2006 - a Sunday, and the Cowboys were playing. So we stopped at the Ft Stockton Pizza Inn for dinner and to watch the game, or at least a portion of it.

We were weary...

... and beery.

After pizza, a brewski, and watching the Cowboys, it was time to head south on 385 towards Big Bend National Park. Ft Stockton to Marathon is about an hours ride, just as we were fininshing up our pizza and beer (just one since we were riding), it looked like rain was in our immdiate forcast. So before we left Ft. Stockton, we put on our rain gear. It would rain off an on for the next 3 hours. At one point the rain had stopped long enough to reveal a blast of color from the clouds above.

If you look close, you can see that this is actually a double rainbow.

We rode the next few hours between summer thunderstorms that were building up in the evening. I was a little dissapointed as I knew the road between Marathon and the park starts twisting, turning, rising and falling - and empty. I was really looking forward to riding that part of the road, and luckily for us - when we got to that part, the road was dry, and the riding was excellent.

We normally camp when we go to Big Bend. This trip however we were staying at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. We really did not have our bikes equipped yet for camping. I had not purchased my Jesse Luggage yet, and all we had were tail bags to strap to the back. Plus, after riding all that distance, in addition to the riding we were going to be doing, we decided that the lodge was a better choice for this trip. There was not too much rain as we entered the park and rode from Prisimmon Gap to Panther Junction, however once we turned onto Green Gulch road into the Basin, it started to rain again. Green Gulch is a amazingly scenic road, you can not drive it fast, or really ride some of the hairpin turns to fast. We hit the basin road about 15-20 minutes before 9 PM, so it was dark, and it had started raining again. As far as riding goes, I remember that for me, this was about as scary as it got on a motorcycle. But I just road the wet hairpin turns slowly in the dark and after a while, we pulled into the Basin. We checked in at the office that doubles as the Basin resturant/gift shop, and then parked our bikes. We had rode about 550 miles and had arrived safely at our destination.

As we were unpacking the bikes and getting situated in the room, we ran across a group of Germans who were kind enough to share a few beers with us. We sat up and talked to them for a while and then called it an evening. We were ready to do some more riding in the morning.

Day 2 to come...