Coop's Corner: Slimey Crud Weekend

Monday, May 2, 2016

Slimey Crud Weekend - May 2016

Looking forward to it all week...well, maybe most of the winter, Thursday immediately upon arriving home, put the bike on the trailer (in the rain) and was headed SE by 5 PM. First Sunday in May is my first "event" of the season and I was ready.

The big rush was to be on the road, arriving at the Richland Center campground could happen when it happened. Lovely countryside to drive through, even in the rain, the trip was an easy one. Even avoiding the Amish travelers along Highway 61 in the dreary and late dusk was easy this time. A couple of years ago, it was all I could do to see them traveling on the wide shoulders. This time, bright LED head and tail lights. Six carriages in as many miles and one lone horseman to cap it off.

In the campground just before 9PM, I opened a cold beverage and sat in the dark under the pavilion, watching the valley's lights and listened to the evening sounds. Dressed well and staying dry, 48 degrees didn't feel bad at all. By 11:00, the Exped was pumped up and I was stretched out in my warmest bag, the drops on the van's roof fine by me.

Eric mentioned that he'd arrive Friday morning by 8 and that means no later than, most likely a fair bit earlier. Sure enough, I'd fallen back asleep and his text from Viroqua meant that I better get outside before he caught me in my jammies. Neither one of us are strangers to 4:30-5:00 AM.

I have no idea if we were in Richland Center for breakfast by 8 or not, wasn't watching. Rain had quit, the wind was steady as was the cloud cover. Northeast was our primary direction and this was our first rest stop. Brighter skies teased us during the day but the bright sun that was shining back at home never made it our far south.

Our first coffee stop, Hillsboro, the ice only a slight bit cooler than we were.....

This was a surprise.......

Eric decided to not let a little branch stop our forward progress so he took to the woods, got us some free exercise and internal warming.

Still out of breath, we managed to sneak mine under the top log and over the bottom log. Out the other side.....

We stopped at 5 corners, not only fun because of the number of intersecting roads but the riding on each of the 'spokes' is really nice.

Eric's cam caught me again....

Pekala Road, the first time I was here only abandoned homes......the road is 'better' as are the homes. Still fun though.

Buds.....big buds (I was sure that I'd allowed the focus to settle but obviously not).

Back to Richland Center for Friday Fish and then time around ye ol' campfire.....a long day of cool riding and we both slept very well.

Saturday morning, the forecast not exactly what we'd been hoping for. Steve arrived at his scheduled time and off we went, this time headed SW, opposite Friday's vector.

We hadn't gone far enough when the first sprinkles came. Onward we went, south at that point for the most part, stopping for cocoa and coffee at Port Andrew right on Highway 60 and the Wisconsin River. Byrd's Creek Valley and Goplin Hill, the rain getting slightly stronger and the skies told me that the better part of valor would be to head back to the campground. It was early afternoon and we had a backup plan since it looked like the weather would most likely be less than ideal.

Out of our rain/riding duds (Eric needed pants) we were off to the local Sport Center to kill some time and do some dream shopping. I bought nothing but did snap this photo.....

2:00 closing time was approaching and the outside machines were starting to get herded back inside.

We still had time to kill before our evening plans and it's at this point that I'm going to repeat what I said to the boys Saturday afternoon.

"You guys need any shoes?"

Make a note of this because there's zero probability that I will ever utter those words again. Having been to a local landmark once before with riding friends Becky, Steve, Scott and Chris, I knew a place that would dazzle even the most hardened non-shoe buyers around.

The Shoe Box in Black Earth, Wisconsin.

In memory of our friend ScooterBob and his love for Crocs.

My photos were patiently taken when I could get a shot without the throngs of shoppers and do not do justice to the number of people hunting for their own special footwear.

Yes there were jokes about our significant others and the ever growing collections we've personally come to know and love.....at home.

This was outside and begged an aiming from my camera.....

We drove east, Madison our goal having left without a purchase at this merchant as well. There was a backup plan that would be put into action if the weather made it easy and our weather did. There was a stop at REI, Eric made a purchase. Time for dinner, Eric made a great suggestion of the Avenue Bar since our final destination was going to be "near the capitol." That put us minutes away (a good thing because that's all we had) from the Barrymore Theatre, our final destination. The event, the SCMG Film Festival, 7th Annual to be exact.

Britten's story an inspirational one, the film was fun and inside was a perfect place to be for the evening. Back to the campground around 11PM, the drizzle and our long day had us in our beds in no time. I noticed a very starry sky but that was only to tease...morning broke windy, very grey and 39 degrees.

As is our custom, we motored down to the Lone Rock Airport for a once again breakfast at the Piccadilly Lilly Diner.

A few fly-ins.....

A few ride-ins.....

Mike didn't join us for the riding this weekend but he did meet us in Leland. He and Speedy had been to IL on a mission, not necessarily a mission from god, but Mike could sure use her help on this one....or is it two??

Staying loyal to a theme, these machines have pasts with local constabulary. Lights, sirens, wires, switches, etc.

Some sort of salute??

Mike and Speedy arrived early and we weren't all that much later. The crowd grew.

Our contingent......

With Mike's early arrival, he and Speedy spent some time exploring around town (needed a place to turn around) and found this interesting item. Thanks for mentioning it Mike!

Leland known for something besides motorcycles it would seem!

We three left on our bikes, working our way on the little roads to Richland Center where we stopped for something to eat. Steve and Eric packed up and headed for home but I decided to squeeze in a bit more riding time before leaving Colleen and Bill's warm hospitality and flexibility at Alana Springs Campground.

Ten minutes into my ride, the first rain (of Sunday) appeared and only intensified. Still, I wasn't ready to give in.

A few weeks ago I had an Odometer Moment and this weekend I had another, more minor one.

Driving home, coming into Winona. The first real sunshine I'd seen all weekend and the first foray into the 50's. We never saw 50 degrees while our hands were near the handlebars.

Winona's Sugar Loaf limestone outcropping......

The tally on my TW200.

Many thanks to both Mike and Eric for their graphical contributions.

17 comments:

FJRickMay 2, 2016 at 11:02 PM
Looks Like you had another great Slimey Riding adventure! While I was busy packing for a move south... We sold our home in North Iowa on 4/30 and hopefully close on our new home by 5/13. So we're living in a hotel for a few weeks.
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Scott SeidlMay 3, 2016 at 5:47 AM
Nice write up. Sounds like you had a good weekend. I saw your bike there and was gonna introduce myself but never saw anyone near it. You probably wouldn't remember but I rolled up early and parked my Ultra next to the blue Ultra at the end of the row of bikes in your first pic in front of the bar. Pretty good turn out for a cold day.
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motormikeMay 3, 2016 at 5:56 AM
.. good news is you now have a photo of Mr. Cooper.. also available at the local post office. :)
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redlegsridesMay 3, 2016 at 9:51 AM
looks like you had an outstanding time riding/socializing and shopping? That's an unusual activity while in ATGATT....
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TrobairitzMay 3, 2016 at 1:44 PM
A fun first event of the year. Well, fun except for the weather.

I too took out my TW200, but our weather was completely the opposite. We were too darn hot. Such a fun little do it all machine.
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AnonymousMay 3, 2016 at 4:49 PM
The weather here was great, thought that you finally had good weather for the slimmey crud, how good do those tires on the WR work off road?
rmo
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markdotnetMay 4, 2016 at 7:54 AM
Wow! What a great trip! I love your descriptions of things and the photos that go along with them. I wasn't able to make the Slimey Crud this year as my 17 year old was passing his MSF class. A good trade off.
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JasonMay 5, 2016 at 9:04 AM
A swing and a miss. Looks like our paths crossed more than once, I even put some gravel miles on the Trumpet. I was wondering how much "van time" you guys were getting while I was digging into my prime at the Ishnala supper club. (sometimes you gotta treat yourself) I'm hopping to tag along on a VJMC ride or two, I'll see you out there.
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KimMay 5, 2016 at 4:40 PM
Looks like a great trip, thanks for the post!
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Others say....

"it was auspicious to approach any situation from a deferential, inquisitive place. Conceding that there is much to learn is the best blueprint for discovering something new." ----B. Fuller

The Man straightened stiffly above the block of salt fixed to the stake and looked at the young cattle ringed about him. The pasture was holding out well and the stock was looking good. This bunch would be ready to sell in another month, maybe sooner if the market was right.

A stir among the cattle down near the river brought him round to face the swinging bridge he'd built years before. Someone was coming toward him from the bridge. Someone in breeches, but it didn't look like a man, somehow. What was a woman doing in his pasture this time of night?

He bent over the salt again; maybe if he paid her no heed she'd go on past and let him mind his own business. He heard her footsteps come nearer and stop. "Good evening," she said.

Her voice was smooth with book learning but friendlier than most, and somehow almost shy. When he made no answer she went on, "I've been sitting on your swinging bridge....I thought I'd like to say thank-you...." Her voice stumbled a little, then she tried once more.

"You are Mr. ____". His name sounded strange in her voice, but she went on to tell her own.

"That's what they've called me the last sixty-eight years," he said, looking past her face to the hills fast darkening under a single star. "I reckon the woods are free for those that like to walk there."

The unfamiliar voice laughed a little. "That's what Emerson said: the grove belongs to the man who walks in it with an open heart....On that basis I guess I've owned part of your woods for a good many years.....". She made a final effort. "I've always wanted to thank you....."

Something deeply hidden stirred in him. "There's a stump up there, in the notch of the woods", he said slowly, "that before the timber grew so tall you could stand on it and see all over this country."

He kept still a minute, remembering, then, "I used to stand up there an' look at things, an' wonder how they come to be like they was, an' how the hills was created, an' all the things in Nature.... I told my wife I guessed all the religion I ever had I got standin' on that old stump, a-wonderin'..." He turned his face away from her.

She helped him out. "I know about that, a little. This afternoon I saw......." Her account of a thing she had really taken time to look at eased him, and he answered with telling of the badger den at the foot of the swinging bridge.

When she had gone, he turned to watch her. After a moment she stood clear and unmoving against the sky. You could hear the sounds of the river where she stood. She was one that could stand still long enough, he thought, really to hear what a body was saying, or a river.

Then she walked down the farther side of the slope and was gone. ------Margaret Snyder from A Chosen Valley

Fall was the end of harvest, end of the growing season, a burst of color and sun-warmth before killing frost turned the land gray and cold. Fall was a moody time, full of both life and death, a time when we were reminded of the power outside of us, reminded that the seasons happen to us. We do not invite the change to come.-------Ben Logan, from The Land Remembers

When you get those rare moments of clarity, those flashes when the universe makes sense, you try desperately to hold onto them. They are the lifeboats for the darker times, when the vastness of it all, the incomprehensible nature of life is completely elusive. So the question becomes or should have been all along, what would you do if you knew you only had one day, or one week, or one month to live. What lifeboat would you grab onto? What secret would you tell? What band would you see? What person would you declare your love to? What wish would you fulfill? What exotic locale would you fly to for coffee? What book would you write? ------- Ben Tyler

We were also cautioned about journeying far from home. As an example of the dangers, the town had a badly crippled lady named Lucy, who as a girl had traveled to New York City. As she traveled along a sidewalk, sightseeing, she was struck by the outstretched hand of a suicide who had leapt from high above. Her spine had been shattered and for the rest of her life, she was to walk bent forward at the waist, tapping the sidewalk with two black canes. Whenever the subject of travel to a big city was raised, someone would say, "Just remember what happened to Miss Tripp." ---- Ted Kooser, from Local Wonders

"Steamboats are like wedding cakes without the complications...." ----Mark Twain

"It's not about having lots of money, it's about having lots of options......." -----Chris Rock

As the very proud father of three former ponytail wearers, hopefully I can get away with this....."For the past few years it's been fashionable for young women to wear ball caps and to snap the strap on the back under their ponytails. I like the looks of that, their shiny ponytails jauntily swinging, but it's hard not to think of the rear ends of horses. There's a piece of harness called the crupper that goes just under a horse's tail to keep its nose down. If the horse lifts its head to look for a way out of whatever predicament it's in, the crupper tightens and hurts the horse. But it's foolish for parents to think that a ball cap might keep a young woman from running away. Anybody can see they're made for running." ------Ted Kooser, Local Wonders

"I tell the guy's girlfriend that the only difference between the book's main character Phaedrus and myself is that I am neither brilliant, tortured or insane, she looks at my bike and there is an uncomfortable silence." --------ahendepe (a.k.a. Vermin)