Day 1 - The Little Ninja That Could

All's well in the land of motorcycle road trips at the end of the first day. I'm in Hagerstown, MD, at the home of Greg and Sharon who have been wonderful hosts and I'm filling this in before hitting the hay.

The alarm went off this morning at some unearthly hour (6 a.m.) and I wasn't terribly pleased, since I'd had the late night before. However, I knew I had to start somewhere, so I finally rolled out of bed about 6:20 and started the last minute rituals. Had my list and was checking everything off...unplug space heaters, pack up the computer and charger, turn off water at the dripping kitchen sink faucet, check tire pressure. Started to layer up for the ride...biker shorts, long underwear, quilted liner, riding pants, undershirt, long sleeved shirt, quilted liner and jacket. Going back and forth from the bike to the house got me a little overheated with the layers I had, so I initially packed my electric vest on the back under the bungee net (wonderful invention...give the guy a raise!) I had to get gas before heading out, and once I took care of that, it was just after 8 a.m. when I was going north on I-85 out of Greenville.

I noticed that, while I didn't need the vest on while packing the bike, I was going to need it for riding, and made it about 30 miles before I pulled off at a rest area to put that next layer on. While there, I did an inter-trip inspection for load securement (per FMCSA rules, of course) and it all looked good. One guy walking by asked where I was heading and he did a double take when I told him my eventual destination was Maine. Another guy (truck driver) came over and talked for a minute. Said he had a BMW that had larger fairings that made for nice touring. When he found out my northern destination, he said it looked like I had good gear...said it would be nice if I had some heated stuff I could plug in to the bike, and I picked up the ends that connected for my vest, and said, "Like these?" He seemed surprised, that I'd have those. I was thinking later that a sport bike with heated handgrips does seem somewhat of an anomaly. Sport-touring...yeah. But Mr. Crunchy is rather jack legged in the touring department.

Once I got on the road with the vest on, I made it up through Charlotte (where I did see some sunshine and a bit of blue sky, albeit briefly), and didn't stop until I got to Jonesville, NC. There, I stopped for fuel, and for a stretch/bathroom/water break. While I was walking up to the store, a guy was walking over to intercept me and asked (paraphrased) what was a woman like me doing riding out there all alone? He was the chatty type, and asked where I was coming from, where I was going, if that was my only bike, and how long I'd been riding...all before I got to the entrance to the store. When I came out of the restroom and bought a water, he was at the cash register in front of me, and pretty much just wished me a good trip. I walked back out to the bike, and stood there, drinking the water. He walked back over, with an intro something like, "You're going to get tired of me bugging you, but..." and proceeded to ask more about the bike, and tell me about his bikes (FZ1, R6 and a Sportster) and even had a picture on his cell phone of him on a track day, where he definitely got a knee down. Said he'd run a ZX-14 into a tree and broke 10 bones and ended up with a blood clot in his lung. His brother had (or still has?) a Connie, and his old girlfriend started with a GS500 he bought her ("that thing wouldn't pull a greased string") and moved up to a 2000 SV650. Had an interesting take on why some guys didn't like to have their wives ride along with them. He drives truck and was hauling some wood for Weyerhauser. He gave me his card and said if I ever wanted to meet up to ride, he'd be glad to, although he doubted I would call. I gave him my card with the blog address, so if you're reading this, Al, hope you enjoy :)

Once I got back on the road, I realized I hadn't had a snack that I'd intended to while at the gas station, and I could tell. Hadn't had breakfast either (not the best plan). I did, however, have the real, live Starbucks doubleshot that I like, so there was at least some sugar and caffeine floating around in me. Once I crossed into Virginia, I headed up a mountain pretty much into a cloud. Many times there were pictures I wish I could have taken from the bike, but it wasn't possible. One of those would have been the sign that said "Dense Fog Area" with the background of a swirling gray mass that had cars disappearing into it.

Rain-wise, I only had a very few incidents where my shield would get fuzzy with the micro specks of rain, but would clear when I turned my head left and right. The trees in NC were starting to turn, and in Virginia there was everything from green leaves, to fluorescent oranges, to nekkid branches. I got some pictures, but will have to upload them later, since I'm not on my own computer tonight.

I stopped in Roanoke at a Cracker Barrel for lunch, and it was a good break to sit and get warm and get fed, both of which I needed. Once I got back on the road (around 2), I realized my schedule was getting really tight. I'd told Sharon I would be in Inwood at 5 p.m., and after my fuel stop past Roanoke, I was down to the last 145 miles. I decided to push through without any more stops so I could hone my time. I don't have a clock on the bike and couldn't see my watch, and I knew I was running later than I wanted. When I finally got to the branch, I had to call in so the gate could be opened, and I looked at the time on my phone. I made it there at 5:03. Yee haw!

After a quick break at the branch, I followed Sharon home to Hagerstown, MD, and got to meet her husband Greg and their rather hyper Westie named Daisy. Dinner was at Barefoot Bernie's, and was quite yummy with Maryland crab specialties. Both Sharon and Greg are early to bed types, so by 9 p.m., they were heading downstairs to their room and I was going to do battle with the tangles in my hair. I got a good, hot bath in tonight, which makes me feel almost human again.

I have to say, heated gear rocks my world. There is no way this trip could happen without the vest and grips on the bike. I wouldn't mind having the pants, either, but I doubt my alternator could handle the load. Tomorrow will be a run up to New Hyde Park, New York, and the rain that didn't show up today might make an appearance then. I'm taking it one day at a time, and right now, this day is done.