Bun Burner Gold and Saddle Sore 2000 Gold Ride Report
Why?? Thats the question I get asked most when I talk about my Iron Butt endurance rides. In May I did a Saddle Sore 1000 ride that frankly, I never thought I would be able to complete. It sounded daunting; 1000 miles in under 24 hours. I remember one trip my wife and I took to Colorado, and we rode 860 miles in one day, I wanted to die at the end of that trip; I was tired, sore, and wanted off the bike. How would I survive a 1000 mile ride?
As you all know, I completed my SS1000 and not only enjoyed it, but was so happy about my accomplishment. I decided to try a Iron Butt extreme ride, the Bun Burner Gold 1500; 1500 miles in under 24 hours.
Its funny, the games a mind plays on a person; up until the moment I fell asleep, I tried to justify reasons not to do the ride. I’m going to miss my kids…what if my bike breaks down….it sure is a long way to go! When the alarm went off at 1:45, I shrugged all of that aside and got dressed for my ride. My bike was loaded and ready, and my beautiful wife even got up with me to see me off.
These rides have a unique way of challenging a person; the gas pump that worked so well for me for my SS1000 refused to print a receipt at 2am for my Bun Burner. I went to a different pump…same result. FACK!!!! Ok, lets try the Chevron down the road. One squirt of gas to register, and whamm-O, there is a good receipt. Ok, time to get on this pony and ride! Interstate 5 North is not nearly as lonely as Interstate 5 South at 2am for some reason, so I cranked up the tunes and made great time to Sacramento. Very quickly, I was on I-80 and climbing the Sierras. I’m not a big fan of the Sierras during the day, but with the nervousness of my 1500 mile adventure along with the dark, I really didn’t like it.
I had all my stops planned to a T; including a first stop in Verdi. however, Rocket Queen had different ideas and we needed gas in Truckee. Begrudgingly, I stopped and filled up, knowing this would screw up my whole fueling schedule. I debated stopping in Verdi anyways, but decided against it. As I rolled into Reno, the sun was rising and I got a burst of energy. I made quick work of Fernley, and soon found myself in the 40 mile desert between Fernley and Lovelock.
It was there that disaster almost struck……
I was hungry and decided to grab a Cliff bar that I had in my dash bag. When I reached for my Cliff bar, I felt something fall out of my bag and hit my leg on the way down. JESUS!!! I think I just lost my hearing aids!! I freaked the “F” out!!! I pulled over, did a U-Turn on I-80, and started driving back up the shoulder. I could not do this trip without my hearing aids. I am a deaf SOB without those, and I needed them now. I drove back, looking…people were honking at me, thinking who is this crazy bastard driving the wrong way?? I didn’t care….finally, I saw something on the shoulder. I stopped….and it was something alright…my clear glasses. I got off the bike and then remembered my hearing aids were in my tour pack. I took a couple deep breaths…waited for a break in traffic, and then it was onward to Wendover.
The ride through Nevada was fast; I moved along around 85mph and enjoyed the solitude. Its a ride I have done many times before. You all know I love the desert, so I kicked back and rode hard. My gas stops were thrown off so I just winged it; when I got to 50 miles left, I found a stop. They all had good reciepts.
Before I knew it, I was crossing my favorite place in the world, the Utah Salt Desert. It is so serene and beautiful there, I just love it. It was getting hot though, so I jammed through and made Salt Lake City before rush hour. I made the climb out of SLC which is also beautiful with minimal traffic, and before I knew it I was in Coaldale getting fuel.
I knew the longest part of my trip was ahead of me; Wyoming. However, God must have listened to all your prayers, as he gave me a great tail wind and I made great time through this great state. I avoided performance awards, and kept a good pace despite all the construction. I stopped in Wamsutter for fuel, and then again in Pine Bluffs. Pine Bluffs was serene; its a beautiful place, just before Wyoming gives way to the Great Plains of Nebraska. I changed my helmet shield, got fuel, and headed off into Nebraska. A gorgeous full moon was rising. When people ask me why I did this, here is my answer. Driving through the prairies of Nebraska, with the sun setting, and a full moon rising, was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. The sites, smells, and thoughts of all the people that made this journey before me without the benefit of a combustion engine intrigued me. I met many friendly people on the road; and despite my tiredness, I truly enjoyed the ride through Nebraska. It was the highlight of my trip.
By this time I had been on the road a long time. It was 350 miles from Pine Bluffs to Grand Island, and I earned every one of those miles. I kept pushing on; I was tired, but not to the point to be unsafe. I actually ran over a deer carcass in the road, but didn’t panic and it was fine. I arrived in Grand Island and had some trouble finding a room, but, God, people in the Midwest are so friendly and helpful; the hotel I stopped at told me to go next door where they knew one room was available. Luke Bryan is right; if we all get out of our bubble, with its predjudices and misconceptions, we will find most Americans ARE good. Helpful, caring people. Especially in the Midwest.
I checked into my room but the adrenaline was still flowing….I finally drifted asleep for a few hours, but was up by 6am knowing I had 650 miles to get back to my childhood home in New Berlin, WI.
I took off from Grand Island to get my first Tour of Honor Huey of the trip in Seward, NE. Then it was on to Omaha to meet some friends for breakfast. When I pulled in I could tell there was a huge storm off to the North. My weather radar confirmed this. Everything happens for a reason, and I think stopping for breakfast gave me enough time to let the weather system pass.
I want to pause right here and say, the drivers in Nebraska are some of the most courteous I have ever encountered. I wish I could say the same about Iowa drivers! I took off through Iowa with impending bad weather and notices of road closures. By the grace of God, I avoided the bad weather, but I had Iowa drivers try to run me off the road, honk at me, and other rude stuff! I couldn’t believe it! As I would say…”whats wrong with you people!!”
I missed a doozy of a storm; there were semi trucks blown over in the median, big lightening, and skittish drivers. I worked through all that, and heavy traffic, and soon found myself crossing the Mighty Mississippi!! Before that though, I wanted to do my second Tour of Honor Huey stop in Davenport. I pulled up to the National Guard station, kept the bike running, pulled out my flag, and took the picture. At that time, a security guard came walking towards me! I played like I couldn’t hear, got my pic, and GTFO! Never a dull moment!
Illinois was uneventful except for the unexpected toll roads; however, the roads were smooth and the pace was good. It was there I realized I might be eligible for a Saddle Sore 2000 Gold; I stopped, got gas and a good receipt, and pushed on.
Finally, I was in the motherland….Wisconsin. I do love my birthplace. Everything is so green, beautiful, and the roads are smooth. 10 miles from my exit some blonde tried to kill me in my lane, but a quick brake and dodge kept me alive. I pulled in to New Berlin, got a final gas just in case, and made it home for my favorite Italian dish and my awesome parents.
This was a life changing experience for me. Will I be signing up for another Bun Burner Gold…..maybe not this year but who knows. The challenge was awesome, I am so glad I did it, and I am looking forward to a leisurely ride home with my wifey. I cannot thank all of you enough for your encouragement, kind words, and posts. I truly could not do it without you all. There were sometimes I was ready to give up, and read a post from someone encouraging me, and kept on going. I have the greatest friends and family a man could ask for.
Why?? Thats the question I get asked most when I talk about my Iron Butt endurance rides. In May I did a Saddle Sore 1000 ride that frankly, I never thought I would be able to complete. It sounded daunting; 1000 miles in under 24 hours. I remember one trip my wife and I took to Colorado, and we rode 860 miles in one day, I wanted to die at the end of that trip; I was tired, sore, and wanted off the bike. How would I survive a 1000 mile ride?
As you all know, I completed my SS1000 and not only enjoyed it, but was so happy about my accomplishment. I decided to try a Iron Butt extreme ride, the Bun Burner Gold 1500; 1500 miles in under 24 hours.
Its funny, the games a mind plays on a person; up until the moment I fell asleep, I tried to justify reasons not to do the ride. I’m going to miss my kids…what if my bike breaks down….it sure is a long way to go! When the alarm went off at 1:45, I shrugged all of that aside and got dressed for my ride. My bike was loaded and ready, and my beautiful wife even got up with me to see me off.
These rides have a unique way of challenging a person; the gas pump that worked so well for me for my SS1000 refused to print a receipt at 2am for my Bun Burner. I went to a different pump…same result. FACK!!!! Ok, lets try the Chevron down the road. One squirt of gas to register, and whamm-O, there is a good receipt. Ok, time to get on this pony and ride! Interstate 5 North is not nearly as lonely as Interstate 5 South at 2am for some reason, so I cranked up the tunes and made great time to Sacramento. Very quickly, I was on I-80 and climbing the Sierras. I’m not a big fan of the Sierras during the day, but with the nervousness of my 1500 mile adventure along with the dark, I really didn’t like it.
I had all my stops planned to a T; including a first stop in Verdi. however, Rocket Queen had different ideas and we needed gas in Truckee. Begrudgingly, I stopped and filled up, knowing this would screw up my whole fueling schedule. I debated stopping in Verdi anyways, but decided against it. As I rolled into Reno, the sun was rising and I got a burst of energy. I made quick work of Fernley, and soon found myself in the 40 mile desert between Fernley and Lovelock.
It was there that disaster almost struck……
I was hungry and decided to grab a Cliff bar that I had in my dash bag. When I reached for my Cliff bar, I felt something fall out of my bag and hit my leg on the way down. JESUS!!! I think I just lost my hearing aids!! I freaked the “F” out!!! I pulled over, did a U-Turn on I-80, and started driving back up the shoulder. I could not do this trip without my hearing aids. I am a deaf SOB without those, and I needed them now. I drove back, looking…people were honking at me, thinking who is this crazy bastard driving the wrong way?? I didn’t care….finally, I saw something on the shoulder. I stopped….and it was something alright…my clear glasses. I got off the bike and then remembered my hearing aids were in my tour pack. I took a couple deep breaths…waited for a break in traffic, and then it was onward to Wendover.
The ride through Nevada was fast; I moved along around 85mph and enjoyed the solitude. Its a ride I have done many times before. You all know I love the desert, so I kicked back and rode hard. My gas stops were thrown off so I just winged it; when I got to 50 miles left, I found a stop. They all had good reciepts.
Before I knew it, I was crossing my favorite place in the world, the Utah Salt Desert. It is so serene and beautiful there, I just love it. It was getting hot though, so I jammed through and made Salt Lake City before rush hour. I made the climb out of SLC which is also beautiful with minimal traffic, and before I knew it I was in Coaldale getting fuel.
I knew the longest part of my trip was ahead of me; Wyoming. However, God must have listened to all your prayers, as he gave me a great tail wind and I made great time through this great state. I avoided performance awards, and kept a good pace despite all the construction. I stopped in Wamsutter for fuel, and then again in Pine Bluffs. Pine Bluffs was serene; its a beautiful place, just before Wyoming gives way to the Great Plains of Nebraska. I changed my helmet shield, got fuel, and headed off into Nebraska. A gorgeous full moon was rising. When people ask me why I did this, here is my answer. Driving through the prairies of Nebraska, with the sun setting, and a full moon rising, was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. The sites, smells, and thoughts of all the people that made this journey before me without the benefit of a combustion engine intrigued me. I met many friendly people on the road; and despite my tiredness, I truly enjoyed the ride through Nebraska. It was the highlight of my trip.
By this time I had been on the road a long time. It was 350 miles from Pine Bluffs to Grand Island, and I earned every one of those miles. I kept pushing on; I was tired, but not to the point to be unsafe. I actually ran over a deer carcass in the road, but didn’t panic and it was fine. I arrived in Grand Island and had some trouble finding a room, but, God, people in the Midwest are so friendly and helpful; the hotel I stopped at told me to go next door where they knew one room was available. Luke Bryan is right; if we all get out of our bubble, with its predjudices and misconceptions, we will find most Americans ARE good. Helpful, caring people. Especially in the Midwest.
I checked into my room but the adrenaline was still flowing….I finally drifted asleep for a few hours, but was up by 6am knowing I had 650 miles to get back to my childhood home in New Berlin, WI.
I took off from Grand Island to get my first Tour of Honor Huey of the trip in Seward, NE. Then it was on to Omaha to meet some friends for breakfast. When I pulled in I could tell there was a huge storm off to the North. My weather radar confirmed this. Everything happens for a reason, and I think stopping for breakfast gave me enough time to let the weather system pass.
I want to pause right here and say, the drivers in Nebraska are some of the most courteous I have ever encountered. I wish I could say the same about Iowa drivers! I took off through Iowa with impending bad weather and notices of road closures. By the grace of God, I avoided the bad weather, but I had Iowa drivers try to run me off the road, honk at me, and other rude stuff! I couldn’t believe it! As I would say…”whats wrong with you people!!”
I missed a doozy of a storm; there were semi trucks blown over in the median, big lightening, and skittish drivers. I worked through all that, and heavy traffic, and soon found myself crossing the Mighty Mississippi!! Before that though, I wanted to do my second Tour of Honor Huey stop in Davenport. I pulled up to the National Guard station, kept the bike running, pulled out my flag, and took the picture. At that time, a security guard came walking towards me! I played like I couldn’t hear, got my pic, and GTFO! Never a dull moment!
Illinois was uneventful except for the unexpected toll roads; however, the roads were smooth and the pace was good. It was there I realized I might be eligible for a Saddle Sore 2000 Gold; I stopped, got gas and a good receipt, and pushed on.
Finally, I was in the motherland….Wisconsin. I do love my birthplace. Everything is so green, beautiful, and the roads are smooth. 10 miles from my exit some blonde tried to kill me in my lane, but a quick brake and dodge kept me alive. I pulled in to New Berlin, got a final gas just in case, and made it home for my favorite Italian dish and my awesome parents.
This was a life changing experience for me. Will I be signing up for another Bun Burner Gold…..maybe not this year but who knows. The challenge was awesome, I am so glad I did it, and I am looking forward to a leisurely ride home with my wifey. I cannot thank all of you enough for your encouragement, kind words, and posts. I truly could not do it without you all. There were sometimes I was ready to give up, and read a post from someone encouraging me, and kept on going. I have the greatest friends and family a man could ask for.
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