Riding Under a Clear Winter Sky

One of the treats of riding in the winter is the air is so sharp, crisp and clear that you can almost feel your spirit soar.  At least that's how I experience it.  Today, from the right vantage point,  you can see for forty miles.  With the sun shining and the air still the cold felt far away.

A stop (again for the thousandth time) at Mount Nittany to make a photograph.  The image is burned in my brain but I still make pictures.  Not sure why...

The roads were mostly dry but you can't ride in the sticks without paying close attention to possible ice.  It seems to grow unexpectedly -- snow from a branch or a car roof, a splash of water or coffee from an unthinking motorist.  As the sun pushed towards the horizon I made my way towards home from a few afternoon errands.

There is a weird, strange thrill in riding in the cold that's hard to describe.  Part visual, part physical, part spiritual.  The ride is important, an anthem to living, a meditation on feeling blood and breath course through the body.  The cold sharpens the experience.

Or so it seems.

Time passes quickly on the road.  The destination approaches rapidly regardless of how many times I stop or detours I take.  The ride, as is life, seems to short, too fast, too soon over.

Under a clear winter sky each breath feels special.  Each moment sparkling with life.

No wonder the Vespa finds its way out onto the road...

My Snow Riding Checklist

Riding in winter, especially in the snow, generates the most interest and traffic on Scooter in the Sticks.  I'm uncertain if that's true because it's like watching an accident, or people are searching for reasons to try it themselves, or something more or less profound.  Regardless, this activity that I find so satisfying resonates.  With that resonation in mind I thought I would share the mental checklist I go through before venturing out into the snow.  I made all these pictures this morning and started gathering my checklist thoughts on the road.

There was snow on the ground when I got up this morning with more on the way until changing to sleet and freezing rain.  That transition was many hours away.  When I made the above photo I had already made the decision to ride.  Shoveling snow and cleaning the cars could wait until later.  A rider has to have their priorities straight.

Winter riding, for me, is considered on three distinct levels: mental, physical, and technical.  The mental aspects of winter riding, and especially riding if there's snow, are focused on risk, acceptance, and patience.

The risk of an accident and bodily harm are greater in the winter.  People aren't looking for motorcycles and scooters.  Traction is reduced.  Snow, ice, sleet, cold temperatures all conspire to turn a miscalculation into a disaster. Anyone who asks me about riding in winter will be my elevator speech about risk.  I simply suggest they think about a crash, an injury, or death as a possible outcome.  This same thing applies in warm weather but a lot of riders sort of gloss over the risk.  In winter the risk is greater (I don't know how much) and I ask myself how important is riding.  For me, riding is a quality of life issue.  It's not recreation or play that could easily be replaced by racketball or golf.  It is important enough to me that I accept the risk.  If you plan to head out in the snow you need to carefully consider how important it is to you.

Acceptance means letting go of your riding habits.  In snow you simply have to ride differently.  Snow means a rider must constantly scan the road surface and travel at a speed that will allow a stop in a very short distance.  This means riding slow.  A curve managed normally at 35mph may have to be negotiated at 15mph.  Or slower.  Some riders just can't do this.  If you can't ride slow for many miles then leave the bike or scooter at home.

Acceptance also means having to yield to traffic.  Constantly.  When the road surface is snow covered and you're moving along at a very slow speed it can mean moving to the side of the road for each and every vehicle approaching from the rear, waiting at intersections and traffic lights until there is a stretch of empty road to gain another 200 yards of distance before pulling over again.  A 20 minute journey on dry roads can turn into a 2 hour adventure in snow because of the defensive posture you may have to apply.  If you don't have that kind of acceptance in you, leave the bike at home.

The physical part of the ride relates to the body and the environment.  There are few things for me more miserable than being cold.  With this knowledge I sometimes wonder why I spend more time on the road in cold weather than warm.  Having the right gear to stay warm and dry is imperative.  Don't have that covered -- then leave the motorcycle or scooter at home.

Environmentally checking the temperature and weather forecast comes first.  Threats of heavy snow, sleet or freezing rain inform a go/kill decision.  This morning indicated 29F, snow showers turning to sleet and freezing rain in the afternoon.  For me that gave a green light to move to the next step.

I spend considerable time evaluating the environment before making a decision to ride.  I'll walk the road in front of the house testing my boots on the pavement to gauge slickness.  After a lot of experience I can tell from that first test if I can manage on two wheels.  This morning I determined the road surface in front of the house was easily managed and not much worse than wet roads.  Slush with a few snowy patches.  But conditions can quickly change down the road.

Two miles from the house the road was completely snow covered and almost packed.  Because the temperature was close to the freezing mark the snow left enough give so that the Heidenau SnowTex tires had some bite.  Some.  On this stretch of road I would travel at 15mph.  Slower on turns.  Bicycle speeds.

Another physical aspect to address is the scooter or motorcycle.  Each rider has to make an honest appraisal of their ability to manage weight and mass.  I am comfortable with the 320 pound Vespa but would not want to deal with anything much bigger.  Or taller.  And don't forget the pounding a scooter or motorcycle will take from salt and grime.

Being able to flatfoot easily when necessary or push the scooter through snow when it gets stuck is important.  I read about riders moving through snow on Harleys and Goldwings but that's not for me.  Too often I have managed slides on the scooter that would be impossible on anything bigger.

And each rider will have to assess traffic.  In the sticks I have the luxury of reasonably light traffic in most cases.  For some suburban and urban riders the reality of traffic may absolutely preclude riding in snow.  I still am amazed at how some riders negotiate big city traffic in winter.  Gary Charpentier, author of Rush Hour Rambling, being one of many notable winter riders.

The last thing I consider is my riding skill and experience.  The only times I've ever been tested on skills was on dry pavement in warm weather.  Most of those skills have little bearing on snow and ice.  The skills I deem important in winter are a sharp eye for road surface hazards, an ability to manage speed for conditions constantly and quickly, and being able to develop risk management solutions to navigate the journey.

In the MSF course they taught me to look far ahead on the road and evaluate hazards -- mainly the course of the road and other vehicles.  In snow it doesn't work that way.  You manage the road in front of you and adjust speed accordingly to deal with what you see.  I can recall more than one instance of moving along a dry road and suddenly come upon a completely ice covered roadway. If I had not been managing for that I would have surely gone down.

Developing plans on how to get from point A to point B is an art.  Part of it is knowing all the various routes available and what the traffic patterns and density might be.  More than once I have had to put together some circuitous routes to get home from work.  Or look for creative solutions to navigate a particularly steep and dangerous snow covered road.  That kind of action has little resemblance to what most consider riding.

Another skill that comes in hand is sensitive braking.  While riding up this snowy road I took the opportunity to play around with the front and rear brakes.  The verdict remains the same.  Don't touch the front.  Learn to modulate the rear.  Learn to slide.  Learn the limits for brake, traction and speed.  I'm certain there must be an equation.

Well, those are the thoughts I had today, and this evening while looking at the pictures, related to riding in the snow.  I don't recommend this to anyone and there is ample argument in the motorcycle riding literature to avoid snow and for good reason.  All I can say is be honest about your reasons, your abilities, temperament and limits.  As I started up this hill which is much steeper than it looks I stopped to consider what I was getting into.  I figured I might be able to get to the top but since it was a snow covered dirt path I didn't really know what the surface would be like.  And I could already feel the drive wheel break free on a minor incline.  Coming down could be problematic and I didn't want to drop the scooter on who knows what.

So I figured this was my limit.  Besides, a warm house was waiting.

My final advice?  Stay home when it snows.  Why do I do this?  I'm not sure but it is important for some reason.  If I figure out an answer I'll let you know...

Tomorrow is the Very First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Stumbled across the opening scene from Then Came Bronson again and struck how it still resonates 44 years after seeing the pilot.  Can't help but think the writer mapped out a series of archetypal characteristics the would capture the imagination regardless of whether a person rides a motorcycle or not.

I want to say it has a universal appeal but it definitely was created with men in mind — a Mad Men styled world where the guy always gets the girl during or at the end of almost every adventure.  Can't remember ever having a conversation with a woman who pointed to Then Came Bronson as an important cultural event in their lives.

Listening to Bronson's brief exchange with the man in the hat at the intersection and riding off on a motorcycle to see the world was a powerful idea for me at 15.  It remains that way today.  And even though I ride a Vespa I can easily imagine myself on a Sportster.

Wonder what a 2013 version of this would be?  Ewan McGregor and Charley Booman's Long Way adventures have some things in common save for the absolute aloneness that Bronson can conjure.

Maybe it's time for another pilot.  I have some ideas...

Doubt, Foreboding and the Solitary Adventurer

Yesterday evening I took a little ride around the valley inspecting the landscape after a thunderstorm had rolled through.  Hardly an adventure compared to those souls who venture forth on long journeys lasting days and weeks through unknown places.

A recent post on Shreve Stockton's (author of The Daily Coyote and Honeyrock Dawn) Vespa Vagabond blog discussed the challenges for riders who announce plans for adventures to friends and family and the ensuing resistance, doubt and anxiety it can arouse.  Her post titled An Interview of Sorts answers questions from a woman planning a trip across the United States on her Vespa.  It's worth reading, especially for riders who've not ridden alone or gone on longer trips.

Stockton writes of her own solo cross country journey on her Vespa ET4, details, route planning, Vespa performance and such.  The most interesting part for me was when she described how those plans were received by the people you hope will support you in life.  She touches on fear of the unknown and the perceived danger that lies over the next hill.  Stockton responds to real concerns about personal safety and disaster in the following manner: "As for the true, valid, compassionate concern ~ my answer to this (to others and to myself) is that "the bad things" could happen anywhere."

I think there is some freedom in those words for everyone worried about what might happen if they venture beyond their own backyard.

It's an I wish I could speak from a place of vast experience crisscrossing the country on my Vespa about how I put aside misgivings and apprehensions about venturing forth alone on the road.  Unfortunately such is not the case.  My solitary adventuring has all taken place within a 200 mile radius of home and within a 24 hour period.

Perhaps someday time and circumstance will allow me my own big adventure.

Riding to Alaska

PICTURE COURTESY MOTOQUEST

Admit it -- you dream of riding to Alaska. The isolation, solitude and wilderness haunt your dreams. One hundred miles of gravel after lunch just means dinner will taste all the better. Even if it comes from a can cooked over a small fire along the road.

You can sample a taste of this life on Wednesday evening, April 6, at 7pm in the Outreach Building at Penn State. Kissell Motorsports in conjunction with coolBLUE has brought Brenden Anders from MotoQuest to town to give a presentation on the riding opportunities they offer around the world and answer any questions you might have.

REGISTER FOR THIS FREE EVENT.

PICTURE COURTESY MOTOQUEST

This is Brenden Anders and he's doing what I wish I had the good sense to do when I was 23. Looking at that pretty Kawasaki KLR650 reminds me that Kissell Motorsports has a similar one in their showroom. Actually it belonged to a friend of mine, a fellow photographer at Penn State. But I digress...

I'm anxious to listen to the experiences Brenden has had on the road and how a MotoQuest tour might fit into my future. A look at their website reveals a wide range of opportunities for just about any riding taste. I'm still trying to picture a Vespa in Alaska.

Even if you can't make it to the event visit the MotoQuest site and register in their drawing for an Alaska trip.

A guy can dream right??

Riding with Enzo

Sica not Ferrari.

Enzo called last week and asked if I wanted to go for a ride. He would be in town a couple days. A last minute change in my schedule at work meant I could take a day off and head out for adventure.

Enzo is my youngest daughter Aleta’s boyfriend. They live in New York City where he has chosen not to ride. His recently acquired 2002 Suzuki SV650s lives at his parent’s house in State College is only on the road when he’s in town. The stars and planets aligned and at 6:50am on a chilly morning he was in the driveway.

Enzo is a photographer and I saw him kneeling out in the driveway with his camera. My mess of a garage never looked so good.

The ambient temperature indicator on the Vespa read 58F. Chilly, but nothing a windproof jacket under a vented riding jacket couldn’t handle. Cool air leaking though to skin had me wishing my First Gear Kilimanjaro IV winter riding jacket wasn’t having the main zipper replaced. I was still warmer than Enzo, who had a T-shirt under his mesh Revit jacket. We stopped at Café Lemont for breakfast and to allow the temperature to rise to a comfortable 64F before riding on towards Sproul State Forest.

Most of the activity in this area, at least until deer season starts, is focused on natural gas exploration of the Marcellus shale. I pulled off the road to stretch my legs and Enzo started investigating the line of brand new pumps used in the fracking process – injecting chemical solutions under high pressure to break up the shale deep in the ground to allow retrieval of natural gas.

I’m really not that much bigger than the Vespa GTS250ie.

Hundreds of gas wells are being drilled and roads which used to be practically devoid of cars now sees a steady stream of big rigs moving equipment, water, brine, and fracking solution throughout the area. Just like loud motorcycles don’t project their sound forward neither do these behemoths. If you aren’t paying attention they are bearing down on you before you know it. So now I watch for deer and big trucks.

The region is part of the Pennsylvania Wilds Program. Huge stretches of forest with amazing views. Two Rocks Lookout offered a chance to stretch our legs and warm up a bit. There were no signs of use at the picnic area and I wondered how long we might have to wait before someone came along if our machines quit working. No cell coverage for at least twenty miles. As close to wilderness as you get in Pennsylvania.

Much of PA Route 144 has been repaved making it a wonderfully smooth road through an enchanted forest with just enough turns and curves to keep it interesting.

In the distance we could see fog in the valley where the West Branch of the Susquehanna River flows. Enzo is probably the only person I have ridden with who seemed to inspect the landscape with the camera as much as I do. More probably. I still didn’t stop as often as I would otherwise and passed many scenes begging to be photographed.

Most times I just shoot pictures wherever I park. But at times I see something better is possible with some adjustments. One of the rare times you will see me without helmet or gloves as I move the scooter 30 yards down the road. I didn’t even bother putting my feet up.

So here it is, the setup, and I am reaching inside my jacket pocket for my camera. Another big truck cracking the silence.

And here is the picture. My impression of the place. A move of the scooter, a change in the focal length of the lens and you’ve created riding propaganda. I love photography.

Soon we would ride on to what I think is the highest elevation along this road and begin our descent into the valley and the city of Renovo and the rare opportunity to find fuel is this area.

A stop to make a photograph on a particularly twisting stretch of road. I told Enzo I have ridden through here many times but never stopped to make this picture.

Scoot’s Service Center is new to me. The last time I came through Renovo in search of fuel for a nearly empty tank I found the gas station had burned down. Today there was fuel and a few packs of crackers and cookies to tide us over until lunch.

We left Renovo for Hyner View State Park. With clear skies and the thermometer hovering around 70F the views promised to be exceptional. One of the nicest parts of the ride is the meandering road up the mountain to the Hyner View overlook.

In places the road moves through a tunnel of light and leaves. While making pictures at this location a man stopped to see if we were having problems and needed assistance. He had a hang glider rig attached to the roof of his car and said he hoped to fly today. Hyner View State Park is known as one of the premier locations in Pennsylvania to fly.

At the top of the mountain we’re greeted with a spectacular view. Enzo made this photograph of a young couple sitting on the edge of the stonework at Hyner View. The woman was talking on her cell phone. My iPhone had no service. Score one for Verizon.

The pilot sits on the overlook gazing out over the valley. The view is stunning and I hope to see him fly. Though I’ve been here a number of times over the years I have not seen a hang glider take off since the 1970s.

There’s a lot of air between the overlook and the valley floor where he would land. We talk about flying and he tells me he has been flying here since 1975. His record at this location for time in the air is just over seven hours and he has reached an altitude of 7500 feet. I thought it would be a straight glide to the landing area. Things have changed since I first say gliders here 35 years ago.

As he watches the wind and air flow it’s obvious how methodically he considers the risks of making a flight. I’m reminded of Dan Bateman at Musings of an Intrepid Commuter. He communicates the same informed, methodical approach to evaluating and managing risk on the road.

I’m not reminded of Jack Riepe at Twisted Roads. Well, I sort of thought of him. I figured Jack would have made a beeline towards the woman on the cell phone. He is Jack Riepe after all.

But I digress.

Groups of motorcycles (almost all Harley-Davidson with a stray BMW thrown in) came and went while we waited for the hang glider and admired the view. When it seemed as if he was in no hurry to fly Enzo and I made a decision to head towards a mid-day meal.

A road sign indicated it was only five miles to PA Route 44, a fine road winding along Pine Creek. I knew a way to loop around home from there and was certain we would find a place to eat. What I didn’t know is the condition of the 5 miles of forest road. The addition of heavy trucks and equipment related to drilling and building pipelines makes it hard to predict. The road where this picture was taken was thick with fine dirt and rock dust. I was glad it was only five miles. Actually, it turned out to be closer to nine.

Route 44 was freshly paved and smooth and we may good time south towards Waterville and a place to have lunch. I can’t remember the name of the place but they had a good cheesburger.

After lunch we still had 60 miles or so before home but all on familiar back roads. At least to me. I think this was a new world for Enzo.

A last stop for fuel in Millheim and some ice cream. While we were getting ready to leave an Amish buggy pulled up to the gas pumps. Looked odd and then the two women driving proceeded to fill a half dozen gas cans. Hard to tell what they use the fuel for and I didn’t feel like prying. I was on an adventure after all.

Arrived home with another 177 miles on the Vespa and a relaxed smile on my face. Poor Enzo had to drive back to New York City.

But he’s young.

Riding Through Sherwood Forest

I took the day off work. Too bad I couldn't ride all day but I had to be home to meet a contractor to talk about replacement windows. Could be worse I suppose. I did have an hour to ride before that meeting so I just ventured off down one of the roads I ride regularly. And wouldn't you know it I find a little track moving off into a wooded area between two farms. Like magic the little kid in me lights up, I look to see if anyone sees me, and off I go into the unknown.

This is the kind of place that as a kid we would have had forts and battles, hikes and camps. No evidence of kid activity here today -- not sure parents let their kids out for stuff like that anymore. But damn, I felt like a kid exploring the wilderness. Here I am, 54 years old, riding a Vespa and having more fun that a person is entitled to.

The woods were dense and secretive, just as I imagined Sherwood Forest as a kid. The track ran for less than half a mile but that's plenty for an imagination to soar. These little rides recharge my spirit by reconnecting me with that wonderment I had as a child. Seeing a grove of bamboo growing along the road, stopping to climb to the top of a big dirt pile, things like that.

Definitely not the kind of riding experience most riders are after but I won't pass it up.

One New Adventure: Theoretical Agriculture

In response to questions about what direction my new adventures have taken I wanted to share a link to one of them – Theoretical Agriculture. It’s similar to Scooter in the Sticks in that I post pictures and text related the things I see and experience. The content grows from the landscape I work in as a photographer. I’m interested in developing my photographic skills and ability to bring a variety of approaches and styles to the assignments I shoot. The ritual of posting on a blog helpful in keeping me engaged in creating new work – a blog is a hungry animal.  I've talked with my boss about it and developed some guidelines and I'm ready to roll.

 Just as I did with Scooter in the Sticks and riding I plan to continue to create new content on a regular basis.  It's pretty simple to do since I am working so much with a camera anyways.  If you would like to follow along you might find some things of interest. And you know I’ll find some way to work the scooter into a picture.

I still have some riding dreams. If they should take shape or I find myself in a unique riding situation I will post it on Scooter in the Sticks. It’s not dead. I prefer to think of it as in hibernation or semi-retirement.

And there is a personal writing project I am finally going to sit down and work on. I have lots of notes and ideas. Now is the time to sit down at the computer and write. The riding experience plays a central role in the story but that’s all I’ll say.

Again, thanks to all of you who have read and posted here. It’s been great and there will still be something new from time to time.