The trip is over......

We were able to make some good time in Colorado stopping at Aspen and the wonders of the Colorado River which was raging with snow melt from the mountains. Leading over the Rockies at 12,000 feet there was still four feet of snow on the summit. Just to make sure we were able to enjoy the freezing cold temps of the mountains, Jim took an exit that led us right back over the summit from which we just came and again froze our clutches off.

Finding a little mom and pop motel that was a little iffy but still $55 30 miles east of Denver we were able to make great time Saturday coming back home. Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas is no place to be on a motorcycle when the temps are in the 90's and there is NOTHING to look at. Your mind wonders a lot.

We are glad to be back home. 3,220 miles, the butt still feels good and we are all still friends. Plans for the 2012 One Man Wolf Pack Tour are in the making......OMWPT 2012, The Quest for Elvis! We may be headed for Memphis, Tennessee! If you want to go let me know and I will sew on your Wolf Pack Patch before we leave!

Still snow

There is still a lot of snow (some fresh at the higher elevations of Colorado. The rivers are raging because of all the snow this winter. Angry Rivers, as the locals say

Vail in The Summertime

Its cold in the mountains!

In a motel in Richfield Utah, $42 with tax, no roll a way bed so they gave Ric his own free room! This has to be the friendliest town in the USA.

Grabbing the wood in Utah

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View from the road

Welcome to Utah

Time for Pie in Utah

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Mt. Zion Park

Ok this is America!

Traded it in

Jim traded his HD for an authentic Vegas Police Motorcycle. Unfortunately it was stolen property and he is now the proud owner of a authentic Vegas Jail Orange Jump suit.

More art

Seen one permanent frozen art sculpture you have seen them all

City Center

Part of the art in City Center, all tornado art.....been there lived that, have the Red Cross care package for a souvenir
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The new friend

The girls in one of the finer dining establishments in Seligman, Nevada along 66

Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Hoover Dam

Having battled rain in Kansas, tornado damage in Oklahoma, high temperatures in Texas and strong winds in New Mexico,and really cold temperatures going into Flagstaff Arizona, we finally had a perfect day of riding into Las Vegas.

No trip going into Vegas would be complete without the Hoover Dam stop. This picture was taken from the new bridge that bypasses the dam. Over 350 feet over the river, it gives spectacular views of Hoover Dam. Started in 2002 and finished last year at a cost of 240 million dollars, the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is almost as impressive as the dam itself.

Finally!

The beginning of the Apex of our journey.

People along the way

It has been strange how many foreigners we have met on our way to Las Vegas, mainly Germans. Many of whom are traveling along Route 66 or show up at the Grand Canyon. This group rented Harleys in Florida and were traveling across the United States. Rental for a Harley Davidson for this long of trip is close to $6,000 each!

Road kill Cafe Segiman, Az

Seligman, Arizona

Entering the last phase of route 66, Seligman, Arizona is a German town that has truly embraced the commercialism of Rte 66 which you will see in the next few photos.
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Grand Canyon

We made it to the Grand Canyon! Its a lot colder here than in the Episode of the Brady Bunch where they get lost in the Grand Canyon.
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Our room in Flafstaff smelled of cigarette burns and urine. And they got $200 a night two nights ago?

I really do not think America is ready for 75 MPH speed limits. If your on a motorcycle and see what I've seen. People have not respect for speed.

Up way too early due to another time change. We are in Flagstaff, its 46 degrees, the girls land in 3 hours and we ride all day. This could be cold again today.

Things on the road

From fine sports bar dining to standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona. Jim, Ric and I are seeing America at its purest.

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Day Three

Riding from Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Flagstaff can be summed up in one word, wind! A beautiful ride today. We were able to get off the Mother Road and I 40 and cruise through the hills of New Mexico. It was a combination of scenes from Wild Hogs and Easy Rider. Long hilly roads combined with some nice twisties made it a lot of fun.

All this fun came with cross winds of 65 to 70mph winds. We rode through dust so thick you couldn't see 5 feet past the handle bars.

Route 66 is incomplete for most of Arizona. I 40 chopped up the road leaving only a few miles at a time. This did not stop most towns from touting their history as you can see from Winslow, Az. The same can be said for Gallup, NM which is one of the friendliest towns we have been to yet.

Flagstaff is our last city on this leg of the 66 tour. Checking into the Howard Johnsons for $79, the front desk clerk bragged on how she got $200 for the same room last night due to the holiday weekend. Ouch.

We pick up the girls tomorrow and cruise the Grand Canyon. I have never been to the canyon but I heard it was one Big Ass Hole.

Snakes?

Tough bikers are not afraid of snakes......OH Shit, scorpion!

Winds are brutal in Arizona, fighting 60 mile an hour cross winds.....

Hit the sports bar local hangout Jackpot in Gallop New Mexico. Downtown at Sammy C's. Talk about friendly. We promised not to burn the bar down.

New Mexico

The long highway!

Break Time

This is ric holding up the restroom key which is attached to a giant automotive A/C bottle. Don't the trust anyone on 66?

I gained an hour of sleep by riding into New Mexico, Yeah! I woke up an hour early, Crap! Oh Well let's ride before hell burns up here...

Gotta have Pie

As I get older I find that no rode trip would be complete without pie. Sitting in Josephs' in Santa Rosa, New Mexico enjoying this fine piece. Joseph's has been around since the 50's. Santa Rosa is hot, dry and dusty.

Not too thriving

Not everything thrives on Rte 66 as this sign attests. All along 66 are skeletons of ideas long past and ideas that just were not that good.

The Big Texan

I did not try the 72oz. But the 24oz steak was deeeeelish......

There are 2000 less bugs in Texas thanks to my winshield, helmet and face, welcome to Groom TX, home of the leaning water tower.

Dirty Rain

Bikes are taking a mud beating.....
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What's with the pants? Its 100 degrees. Ric Anderson sporting the latest Crotch Rocket fashion.
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After getting into Oklahoma City and strolling down Bricktown, rooms were $189 a night. We kept rolling 10 more miles to a HOJO for $65. 1230 rolled to bed.

Old Route 66

Route 66 has been re aligned many times since the 20's. This is part of the "original" 66 outside of Miami, Oklahoma. We did not mean to take the original and found ourselves backtracking 10 miles to hwy 69. We road 450 miles and are camped out at a Howard Johnsons outside of Oklahoma City.
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Made it to the Route!

Fist stop Kansas!
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Rain will not stop, tired of water getting into every pore of my body. in Ft Scott well behind schedule. Ric is meeting us in Tulsa

Ok the rain can Stop!

Shawn Leisinger decided to join us for a couple of days. He may be second guessing this. Here is Jim and Shawn in the rain at Eisenhower State Park. We were trying to get to Reading to visit the Red Cross office when the sky opened up. Ric Anderson is playing catch up to us after getting delayed the night before in Salt Lake City.
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Rain delaying our departure. Actually Jim is still blowdrying his hair and is not at the meeting point yet. But yes it is raining and sugar melts. We wait.

Tool Kit

Packing a proper tool kit is essential to not being stranded after a break down. Here you will see some of my most important tools. Please pay particular attention to the AAA Card with extra towing. Actually that is about the only thing I need!
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Changing of route

Our original first destination was to be Joplin, Missouri. Unfortunately they were hit hard by the tornado this week. We will not be entering Joplin. It is now Tuesday and we are looking at tornadoes in Oklahoma following the Route 66/Interstate 40 route....Great.

Welcome the the One Man Wolf Pack Tour Plus 2 Blog

I have set up this blog for those who wish to follow three guys riding 3,400 miles on motorcycles that have never done this before. This will be an adventure on historic Route 66 to Las Vegas, then through the mountains of Utah and Colorado followed by the long flat trip of Western Kansas.

Traveling with me are Ric Anderson, Editorial Writer of the Topeka Capital Journal riding a Yamaha 800 and Jim Allen, GM of the local radio station in Topeka riding a Harley Davidson Road Glide (like a couch on two wheels)

None of us have traveled this far on motorcycles nor have we traveled together for any distance. This should be exciting and full of small diners, bad photo ops, break downs, and lost soul stories of the road. The ride starts this Friday at 8am......follow us as we change our lives and bond with America!