Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Slimey Crud Weekend - October 2018

Wet and cool, great riding but it was hard on attendance all the way around.  As 'Crud's go, it wasn't the wettest or the coolest that I've participated in but our consensus was that it was the least attended, at least in Leland.  I decided this year that I wouldn't try and make it to Pine Bluff Sunday morning, instead take a more leisurely effort and be early to Leland.

Scott wasn't feeling well, Steve decided that there was just a bit too much wet and cool.  One or the other would have been OK but the prognosticators were favoring an abundance of both.  Eric and I arrived Friday morning, meeting really only by chance in Westby, the 'intersection' of both our paths to Richland Center.  I saw Eric's rig parked across from Borden's and pulled in right behind him.

His breakfast a reasonable omelette, mine a reasonable slice of Raspberry/Rhubarb.


Colleen greeted us at Alana Springs only minutes after we'd arrived, bikes unloaded and off we went.  I drove down in light rain and heavy drizzle and our Friday morning ride began in those conditions.

We two did the Red Route on Friday...



All of our fun isn't free, but the little ones are quite miserly.


Roads were wet, potentially slippery from all sorts of things....sand, flood mud, harvest mud, horse exhaust mud, etc.


That yellow tractor in center is the model that was my 2nd favorite of all I ever ran; an M670 Minneapolis Moline.  The very most favorite was also yellow, a G900 Minneapolis Moline.  Always fun to see these late '60's units still running and doing work.




Here stopped next to the Kickapoo River, one of the rivers and areas hardest hit with the late September flooding.  The river is quite a distance off to the right, this area normally a cattle pasture.  In that small tree, grass debris even with my 6' height.



We swapped machines, Eric gave the Hyosung a spin and I got a turn on Kawasexy which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I should buy one.


Eric stayed in front since that was the machine with the Purple Line to follow.  We stopped, as we often seem to, at the Hogback.





Back and forth out to the Mississippi a couple of times, we settled down in Prairie Du Chien for lunch at the Winnesheik.  I was surprised and delighted to be served our lunch (some zingers too!) by the famous Jackie Jones, once proprietor of Jackie's place in Boscobel.


A few weeks ago I described some planting patterns in a field of soybeans....I have no idea what was going on here.


Every once in awhile we ride past someone's beautiful long grass plantings...


We see many of these signs.....we ride these/their roads.


IIRC, we saw twosies a total of three times on Friday plus another single or two.


Biedermann Hill, a far cry from the first time I rode it and when it was on Chad's Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail.


Dutch Ridge School up at the top.


No place to park a Cadillac.....


Eric said, "...one of the best roads in Wisconsin..."  This happens to be Kickapoo Valley Road.  I'd originally planned (and worked hard to make it so) only pavement for our group all 3 days.  Since Friday was an Eric and I day, I jumped off of 131 on this decadent gravel and the GPS is complaining, wondering if I want to "RECALCULATE".

No I did not, my squeegee index fingered glove ready to respond as such.


We've been by together and solo past this place.  This time Eric wanted to stop and get some images of the cool old barn so we did.






It IS a really nice road....

 


No place to start a tractor on fire....


Back to camp and a text from Pat that he'd arrived in Richland Center.  Plans were made for dinner at the Dragon Buffet....


Out to Covered Bridge Road, a campfire was started, the heavy canopy of leaves above us kept us dry until the rain got serious and it was bedtime.  Brother Kevin rolled into camp about 9.....we heard him but didn't climb out of our cozy slumber places to greet him.  A text message was the best he got.

I was up a bit before the others and got a few steps in out on the road next to camp....






 
Saturday breakfast in Richland Center and off we 4 went, this time instead of a SW direction, we went NE.

The Blue Route.....



Not mud or the horses at all, rather walnut stains.  I often aim for the nuts but someone else must have already got them all.


We saw a lot of this; damaged roadway, washouts, mud/gravel covered.

 
A stop in Cazenovia for a break...




We stopped in Hustler for lunch but the place was packed and the bartender overwhelmed....

So, it was on to Oakdale and Laughing Larry's for a dining experience.







Every fence post with flood debris....on and on.  This near Wildcat Mountain State Park.




We rode past (all I've ever done, know very little about it) The Blue Highway Motorcycle Lodge.




Saturday evening we were still satisfied with Laughing Larry's substantial late lunch, so we enjoyed some of Eric's cheese curds, Pork Jerky from Eric's stop at the City Meat Market and so on.  A just about perfect campfire and no rain.  The end of a very, very fine day of riding and time together.

Sunday morning, my brother Kevin left for home, a gas stop and breakfast on his own before leaving the area.  Eric and I met Pat in Richland Center, ate some breakfast and then used the Yellow Route as our trip to Slimey Crud destination, Leland.


There were only a handful of bikes there when we arrived, Rick showed up on his Husky only minutes after we did.







 



 

 
 


John was there and a very good thing, hadn't seen him since early summer.



Bert was there, introduced me to Vince.  Rick and I met Don from Madison.



Arriving back in Richland Center, we gave Pat a hand getting his nice Motosport back on the trailer, then Eric and I hustled our bikes on our own trailers and off we went, homeward bound.

Almost home.... some washing required.


In my mind, we got off pretty easy weather-wise.  Yes, it was cool and the sun never really spent much time with us but it never really rained either.  Mist, light drops was all we really had.  Mike, Jeff and I had a lot worse the year we motelled it in Reedsburg.

Come the first Sunday in May, I plan to return.

11 comments:

  1. Attended one year if you recall with horizonal rain... was surprised my British lump stay'd a runner... but the crowd was larger then this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was wet and cold....YOU were wet and cold. I think we were all surprised though delighted that the Triton ran like it did. Shame on us for doubting it; Steve would have been proud.

      Delete
  2. Thanks for blogging Doug! Attending any part of the SCR is always fun and interesting! I sure didn't get much riding in, but it was still well worth the drive to enjoy the truly one of a kind experience!!! It was very nice to meet up and hangout with You, Pat, and Eric too!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rick, we were glad you were there and had a chance to meet everyone. Hopefully next time you'll be able to meet Mini Coop.

      I didn't give you any notice that we were going but it seems none was needed; you knew where we'd be.

      Delete
  3. Least attended CRUD eh? No Peter Egan? Those roads do look nice to ride on....or in my case....meander on. Could be the overcast lighting you had, but Fall Colors, not really at peak yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dom, no Peter at least at Leland but he may have attended at Pine Bluff, on average the higher attendance location. I did see some of his friends though. The roads ridden and featured were equivalent to those you and I explored; their reach is broad.


      https://www.travelwisconsin.com/fall-color-report?utm_source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=FCR_week6

      Delete
  4. Picture 25, looking at the 2 bikes and then down the road in the background is AN EXCELLENT picture!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. There were so many opportunities for good shots, my eyes were composing constantly but we just can't stop that often. I'm getting lazy, relying on my 5 second helmet cam shots. I'm honestly surprised that we could share ...

      the Cadillac
      the deer
      the burned tractor

      It would seem that every 5 seconds would capture most everything but at our average back road speed, there are 220 feet from one photo to the next and a lot can happen in that span.

      There was something my camera missed that Eric did not. He turned around and went back to get a better look. The resulting loop as that was resolved is represented in the Yellow Route

      Delete
  5. My VFR has been sold. I am seriously stumped for my next bike. My heart says some El Stupido Mongo bike. But you said think and ride small. I am looking at Honda 500 CBX's. Although I did not fit on Sheri's FZ6. If I am honest. My riding style is big bore road bikes with a whiff of gravel. Eastern Iowa and my locale doesn't have much fun times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Scott, I've not ridden and of the Honda 500's or even sat on them but am guessing that they'll 'sit' bigger than an FZ6. I realize that you're moving a different direction.

      How much time will you spend riding in the next couple of years? Going solo or with Sheri on the back? How fast will you reasonably want or need to go? L.A. for a weekend or a 300 mile day here and there when you get a chance?

      We got used to big road bikes but if you aren't doing cross country trips in a hurry, staying closer to home or the biggie, not really putting that many miles on each season anyway, go for some test rides. The smaller ones take some adjusting but by now you should be able to find used 500 and 700 Honda's around. Smaller, lighter, better mileage and they run like watches. Lots of my older friends are going smaller, even just moving them in the garage, putting a toe down, etc.

      Just thinking that where and how you think you'll be riding might not be future reality. I've been smaller and slower now for years and have lots of practice.....it isn't so bad :)

      Delete
    2. You hit the nail. I don't see that I will be taking any big trips at all. Having a kid in junior high kinda puts a damper on daddy fun time and well I'm working 60 hour weeks too.

      That said my ambitions as far as riding are just as you said. Most rides would just be me mostly getting out for a once in awhile all dayer or a few hours.

      That's why I've been looking hard at smaller bikes.

      I'll keep you informed my friend.

      Delete