“…it’s about the journey, not the destination…”
“..a few thoughts…” January 26, 2025…
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| Threatening clouds over the Shannondoah Valley |
I am watching a video series on YouTube published by a guy named Joe Ryan. He publishes a new video every Friday. The topic of his current ( ? ) video is a journey through northern Vietnam and it is wonderful He has a series of videos such as “Roam New Zealand,” “Roam The Himalayas.” The photography is great and he really gives you a feel for the culture in these areas. In the current episode ( #6 ) he runs into some rainy and cloudy weather as he rides through mountainous North Vietnam.
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| On a trip with my college roommates on a damp day on the Blue Ridge Parkway |
As I watched the video I thought about the many times I’ve ridden the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in the rain and fog. I’ve often said riding in the rain or the fog is not a big deal, just ride “gently.” Riding through both at the same time, rain AND fog, is no fun. I was on the Skyline Drive on my 1988 Goldwing in 2022, which had 195,000 miles on it, and had decided to get off on US 33 above Harrisonburg VA rather getting off sooner to get to the lowlands and out of the fog. Instead I pressed on. It became so foggy and wet that I was riding along watching the center line because I couldn’t see 30 feet in front of me. There are no shoulders on Skyline Drive so if the bike stopped I couldn’t get off of the road. I realized how dangerous this was, particularly on a bike with so many miles. It was a really dumb thing to do. I made it, but shortly traded my 1988 Wing for a 2000 model with only 26,000 miles on it.
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| The last trip on my 1988 Goldwing. I should have taken the clouds more seriously. |
When you ride in the high lands it can be much foggier, as you are literally riding in the clouds. Obviously keep your speed down and avoid sudden braking or acceleration. Stay off any painted lines if you can because they are much more slippery than the road. I was on a trip with my daughters to the White Mountains a few years ago and we hit rain everyday day. Not all day but off and on, along with sunny patches. I simply told them to “ride gently” and eventually they came on the radio saying that if you had the proper rain gear, and the rain wasn’t too heavy, riding in the rain is no big deal. I would agree, adding that tires with good tread is also a great help.
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| Our bikes in front of our rental home in the White Mountains. The lower picture is from our front porch. Beautiful! |
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| The Peddler is a restaurant in Boone NC where I’ve stopped for dinner for over 30 years! If you like steak I highly recommend it. |
On of the best aspects of motorcycling is that rather than watching the scenery go by in a car, you are part of it; you get wet if it rains, cold if its cold, and hot if its hot. You experience the place through all of your senses, sight, smell, feeling, hearing. It is one of the things I like most about riding. You have to pay attention to all of what is around you and you are part of it all,
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| My Honda Silverwing scooter on the Blue Ridge Parkway. |
Winter is a tough time for me. I watch PLENTY of YouTube videos and go out when the weather cooperates. This week it is going to be in the mid to upper 40s Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I will be out on the Spyder Monday, the Interceptor on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I will be out on my new toy, a 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411. We are actually getting past the worse time of the year and we will have more and more days to ride. I have several trips planned for this year including North Carolina, Virginia, and Winnipeg Canada. Hope you have several trips planned this summer also. Until then get out on every nice day you can.
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