yellowjeeproad.com

The yellow jeep started out as a surrogate motorcycle, and became a form of ‘cycle’ in its own right.

Back in New Mexico, I get on the real bike again….back in the saddle. Leave the Jeep for the first time in weeks.

I live part time in a section of desert that – from the interstate – looks as desolate as the moon.

But within 15 minutes I can be in magnificent parts of the planet that most people have never seen.

Out here, the ecosystems change with altitude, not just season.

I left – dry – 102 degree heat at lakeside, and was soon in – dry – 80 degree mountain air that feels like 70 on the East Coast.

Miles of uninterrupted roads. No traffic. Amazing vistas and changing vegetation. No RV’s. Everyone waves. If you stop, everyone stops to help.

Folks have been living and ranching here long before the US was formed. Long before the first Anglos arrived (although some genetic research suggests there were Caucasians here 10,000 years ago, after our current glaciers and icebergs had finished their first 8,000 years of ‘global warming’ and the oceans here had dried – except around Utah).

I had been worried about my return to the Third World of the American East Coast.

In the saddle, this all goes away…..

Around the first few bends, free range cattle stand to attention – literally – as my bike approaches. I stop. Lift my visor. Talk to them (cut me some slack…you try it some time).

They all keep pointing in my direction. Staring.

Smile on a cow (like smile on a dog).

I start up and move….

…they line up to follow…

…I move…

…some scatter…others stay with me….like weather vanes, they all keep moving to point toward me….

If I was not restricted to the road…I’ll bet some of them would have followed me off into the range.

OK….this is good. Like the bears in Arctic, although probably safer.

Ride on.

Stop at the ranch store….also near a local mine.

This is the real deal. No 7-Eleven. Been here long time. Wonderful owners.

Then 85 miles of superb dirt road. Bike in the zone. Views that simply cannot be captured without a stadium size vidi-wall.

Being there.

Cross Plains of San Agustin. Amazing. Scary to ‘tree people’ but relaxing to ‘vista people’.

Arrive at Very Large Array. Collection of radio telescopes on rail tracks using an entire valley as a ‘lens’.

http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

This desert state has some of the highest concentrations of PhD’s in the country/world. One of the major sources of technology.

And, out here, free range cattle and government scientists co-habitate.

(Zero-risk advocates and treble-damage attorneys…please don’t mess with this balance. Cows and humans are smarter than you think and we don’t need to pay you millions to save us.)

Ride into high desert town of Magdalena. Music and happy people everywhere. Old Timers rodeo going on….like football at Bi-Coastal high schools. Big wedding with live Cowboy music. anglos in minority.

Dying to take pictures, but this is a clearly bonded community with all eyes on the new into-town riders. Respectful documentation would require taking the kevlar armor off, walking around a while, getting accepted by locals….in essence earning the right to capture some of their community fun …. without being the drive-by ‘oh mildred look at the cute indians’ tourista.

How does one know this?

One learns it from the body language of the locals after years of riding into their towns.

Get rid of the armor. Let them see the person. Buy a drink. Talk to people. Wander. Sit. After awhile you will notice that they have ‘grokked’ you. The postures of people across the street will relax, and they will continue what they are doing.

Then – as long as you convey in your body language that you are enjoying what they enjoy – you can start carefully documenting some of the surroundings.

That is respect for the community.

Today, I respect but do not have the time to prove it.

Maybe later when I can spend the afternoon at the rodeo….

Back 100 miles on dirt toward home…

Now THIS is land for sale. Not some 500 square foot condo for $400,000…

Keep riding. Mind wide open.

This is not the arctic, but it has some pieces that are darn close….I get the same reverence for things larger and more lasting than we humans.

I arrive back home. 40 mile long lake. Village of camping trailers builds every Thursday and goes away on Monday. Strict environmental controls. Extremely clean. Everyone knows their footprint and packs it out. Mostly families.

A very open community. Everyone cares. Norms self-regulated.

This is the “Hamptons” for people who live in the land… not in the city.

This is not the end of the yellow jeep road.

It is the second bookend in a very, very long ‘read’ of the earth and its people.

Thank you, whomever, for letting me do this…

Here are some of the more distant overhead fireworks shots, about a mile or so away.

You can really buy these rockets. Expensive but you can buy them.

Lest my notes sound too negative on the nation of my origin…..

In the land where time is measured, I just realized it is the “4th of July”.

When driving for hours I had been trying to see if I could remember any of the following document. It has all kinds of flaws and biases, but it still makes pretty good reading. While kvetching about “bulgaria” – I still realize that on the scoresheet below, we, and most other nations including the real Bulgaria, are doing pretty well in 2009.

For all those who have taken the ultimate risk that allow us to blog….

…this by the way is not copyrighted….I’m pretty sure you are allowed to quote any and all of it in any form whatsoever without being sued or having to pay someone for ‘intellectual property’….

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Bear.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Caribou.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Bear.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Grande Cache, BC
Great people.
Bear.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
RV’s.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Motorcycles.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Aggressive people in gas station.
Lake Louise, BC
Aggressive people in RV’s from South.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Border.
Great guard.
Beautiful mountain.
Gorgeous lake.
Trees.
Dairy Queen Blizzard.
2 of 5 vacation homes for sale “price reduced”
Echo Boomers of Cowboy Hippies
Whitefish, MT
No motels but available Condo – BAM – re-entry – no soft landing.

Still doing only quick entries. Covering almost 600 miles per day. Storing notes for later…

Today…..

In an earlier post I said the ‘lower’ ALCAN had been domesticated. Turns out that is only the section nearest Whitehorse, YT – that is, nearest the ferries at Skagway and Haines. I was wondering how so many people could afford the $2000 or so for gas to drive those RV’s all the way from the States. Turns out they probably don’t drive them. They take the ferry or rent them.

Found that the stretch of the Alaska Highway from Watson Lake to Fort Nelson is spectacular.

This one is a definite motorcycle road.

Some sample shots from moving Jeep.

Instructions for covering 300 miles of Arctic dirt road in one morning. Get Jeep with great radio. Add iPod. Do this:

(click to play video):

Several folks asked for shots of Jeep with dirt. This is with top and windows rolled on for the night. Daytime, they are rolled away, and dirt gets everywhere. I think that is how you are supposed to do it….dirt inside and out….which is why they put holes in the floor so you can wash the inside with a hose.

By the way, the Michelin tires are insanely good.

Don’t have time to edit pics and transfer notes.

But wanted to say that the Cassiar Highway was a real sleeper – wonderful gem.  Spoiled only by those “RV Caravans” who for some reason think they can line up 25 long, slow down and block all passing.  I had visions of Conestoga Wagon Trains riding through indigenous territory.  My vision was not from the perspective of those in the wagons.

Lower ALCAN was really disappointing.  I remember when the tourist attractions first invaded the farms of northern New Jersey.  My vision was not from the perspective of the attractors.

Pics and notes on the wonderful people in the stores to follow.

….Oh, and don’t speed….really….

I’m pushing now to get to Arctic. Still almost 2,000 miles away from Canadian Border. Weather is wet and cold. Ride, eat, sleep, ride…. Entries will be brief until I get time to digest notes.

Mountains are beautiful but that means I must zig and zag hundreds of kilometers sideways to get get north. I’m burning miles with no forward progress.

Found a great lodge in small lake town. Also awoke the next morning to this – great – grocery across the street.

It is literally called “Over weighty” foods. Not full of trans fat. Instead almost like Whole Foods. Got great supplies in bulk,

ATT phone, of course, not working and even if it did, would be charging about 3 times market price for messaging. Tried to buy SIM card for phone. Canada Post could sell me time, but not the physical card.

Drove to Revelstoke. Found TELUS dealer in clothing shop. Amazingly helpful. Here’s how you can tell the US still has monopoly phone companies and rip us off… For $106 US I got a new side-slider phone, with QWERTY keyboard plus regular phone layout PLUS a month of unlimited web surifing, a month of unlimited texting, and 250 minutes of talk time. ATT charges $60 per month for 50 megs of web, $19 per month for basic web connection, $5 per month plus $.50 per message for text, and $40 per month for minutes. Love Canadian market.

BC is like Switzerland with great lakes in middle of mountains. Got to take a cool ferry across one lake. Ferries in BC are all free, except long haul routes.

Ferry arrival was pleasant view.

On the ferry this bird………

…had built a nest under the railing at the very front of the boat…..right in the middle of where passengers stand…

See…..Canadians are as friendly as they say….(Smile)

Later….much later….I’m still trying to ride the jeep with canvas off, emulating the motorcycle experience……but serious thunderstorms really prevent driving open. Click on video below for glimpse of rain coming in from the rear. I played with the canvas enough so that I can get a balance of open plus not hypothermic. Even in this shot, the front seat is getting wet. Who knows why I am doing this, but it seems to keep me occupied and off the streets….so to speak..

Click to play video:

Rain back jeep 0609

I’m really tired. Too many miles. Sleep.

Awoke in Twin Falls, ID to cold….really cold. Walked past wet motorcycle parked outside motel at 6:00AM. Been thinking about the difference between taking a motorcycle and a Jeep on my ‘expeditions’.

Bike:

• Much more fun to ride 80% of the time. (Jeep with top and doors off almost as much fun, but less visceral.)
• At my age, bike really tiring and dehydrating. Need to rest every 1.5 hours on 400-500 mile days. But the exhilaration of the ride can keep me going for days between those rests. (Mileage secret: Dairy Queen Blizzards…..they are worth 150 miles a pop at the end of a long day of riding.)
• Quieter. Much quieter. With helmet and earplugs, the bike is nearly silent, compared to Jeep with soft top up. (With soft top down, Jeep is actually quieter than with top up…..not so many things to flap and slap.
• Safer in many ways. Much more glued to the ground. If you are watching, much easier to avoid traffic. If you get squeezed in traffic, flick of wrist moves you 25 meters with no effort.
• Climate control – surprisingly equal to Jeep, if you have good gear, heated vest and heated grips. I ride long hours in rain and don’t mind.
• Not great in snow – but would like to try Finnish studded tires are some point.
• Less social when riding – can’t chat.
• Still invisible to many drivers in ‘cages’.
• 50-60 mpg
• Weighs less than an attacking bear. (You have your fears, I have mine.)

My GS is on right in pic

Jeep:

• Can cover more miles in a day without same fatigue as bike.
• That means no excuse for Dairy Queen Blizzard
• With top and doors off, really connected to the outside environment – in some ways moreso than on bike because one is not wearing kevlar armor.
• I’m getting about 21 mpg no matter what I do. This is surprising and close to real-world numbers on other smaller cars.
• Not as worried about tipping – but high speed corners are like racing John Deere – smooth and steady – or you are a pogo stick.
• More places to store gear. But I am surprised how close the amount is to my larger bikes
• Really simple to work on – except the CANBUS computer that controls everything.
• Weighs more than an attacking bear.

Jeep running Idaho today is in pic

So far, equal trade. Different purposes.

Today – the run through Idaho was spectacular. Perfect weather. Roads were made for the bike, but I am settled into this quite different experience.

Keep getting surprises, like flat fields suddenly open to river gorges like below. The land on either side looks like plain farmland for miles.

Definitely want to run some of the gorges.

Canada tomorrow.