New things

I got two new vehicles, it's all part of a plan.

First was a motorcycle, I still have the Versys, but I bought a Kawasaki Super Sherpa. You can find out more at http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/Product-Specifications.aspx?scid=14&id=371. This is a 250cc dual purpose bike, it weighs well under 300 pounds with a full tank of fuel. I will be able to take it with me on RV trips, and after I retire. It is an all around bike, doing nothing exceptionally well, but getting by quite well enough in city, backroad, highway, and forest roads. I can take it for short distances on the interstate, it will go 70 MPH easily on flat ground, but I don't think I want to do that for a long time. It will also handle some rougher trails than I have skills for.

Next, I traded the beloved Subaru for a 2010 GMC Canyon extended cab work truck, with 4x4. The only option on the truck is a locking rear differential. It is red. Here's more info: http://www.gmc.com/canyon/canyon/index.jsp. This was about the only option that can be towed 4 down without restrictions, will have quite enough capability to carry the motorcycle on a hitch carrier, is under 4000 lbs. so I can have some capacity for storage and still be under the 5000 lbs. towing limit for my motorhome, and has 4 wheel drive and good ground clearance. I have the hitch and a tonneau cover on order to be installed by Cruisers near Xenia, and the hitch carrier should arrive Wednesday. I take the truck to Lewis RV on December 7 to have the RV base plate installed so I can hook it up.

So, my rig will be the 2008 Itasca 26a pulling a 2010 GMC Canyon with a 2009 Kawasaki Super Sherpa hanging off the back. Sounds like fun!

Emo is not too happy with the truck, but he will learn to love it. I'm not so happy with all the dog hair and slobber, so we're even...

Shawnee RV trip

Emo and I did get back to Shawnee in late October, and camped in the RV for two nights. We spent most of our time cruising the forest roads and looking at the trees. As always, click on the pictures for a bigger look.

Some roads are winding -

Some roads are straight.

But the trees were always beautiful.

Motorcycle camping at Shawnee

I loaded a bunch of my backpacking gear into the bags on the Versys and put poor Emo dog in the kennel for the weekend. Took US35 to SR41, a twisty, pretty road, went to West Union and hit SR125, another nice road, and arrived at Shawnee State Park. I couldn't go in the campground because it was filled with children for the pumpkin festival, so I rode around for an hour. Here is the bike all loaded up at Picnic Point. Click on the pictures for a bigger view.

I finally went back to the campground after an hour riding around, and set up camp. This is a nice campsite a short way from the campground road.

Up on Picnic Point, I took a picture of some of the trees in color. That's Kentucky in the background, the river is down there.

I got to ride gravel roads a lot, the weather was perfect for the amount of gear I had on Sunday. With my new tires, this bike eats up gravel roads. Only a newbie, in short order I was comfortably putting around on the gravel, enjoying the trees. On some of the other paved roads around the forest, where there are small communities, I was chased by several dogs. I think the dogs and I both enjoyed it.

There are several overlooks at Shawnee, here I am parked at one of them.

I love this motorcycle, it is like my Subaru, it isn't the very best at anything, but it does everything well, and it does all I want quite well and quite enjoyably. Aside from being very cold in the tent at night because I brought the wrong sleeping bag, it was a great trip.

Ready for October trips to Shawnee

I have two trips to Shawnee State Forest near Portsmouth, OH planned, campground reservations made! The first is on the Columbus Day weekend and will be tent camping, I'm taking the motorcycle there. I got new Avon Distenza tires today, so I can handle the gravel forest roads well, and I mounted all the Cortech soft luggage. Here's a pic of the farkled up Versys:

The second trip will be two weeks later, I will take Friday off and take the RV and Subaru and Emo Dog with me for fall colors.

Look for pics next month!

Motorcycle Ride

I went for a ride a couple days ago, 204 miles in 4 hours. I took the 65MPH 4 lane state route for about an hour, a few country roads for a short while, then ran around Tar Hollow State Forest. I went on both paved and gravel forest roads. I was OK with it on the stock street tires on the Versys, but I think something like a 250cc dual sport may be in my future. I also saw the carrier I am thinking about hanging off the back of a towed vehicle, and getting the 400+ pound Versys up that short ramp and into the cradles would be quite a chore.

I'll enjoy the 650cc bike for a couple more years, but when I hit the road full-time, the RV may be towing a small 4WD pickup with a 250cc bike hanging from it.

I mowed today, next nice day, Emo needs to get me out for a hike.

Settled in

We've been back about 2-1/2 weeks now. I went to the Mac Depot to get a new battery for the PowerBook, and of course took Emo with me. Driving back, I saw a sign outside the shelter that said, "Dog Wash." We got to meet other dogs and we got cleaned up, without having to suffer through the cold hose rinse in the back yard.

There is a lot of work, but some people have none, so I guess I shouldn't complain. The Reds look to be out of the pennant race after the yearly West Coast diasaster, chores are starting to get done, it's good to see my friends. We got to Possum Creek last weekend for a day hike, but it's rainy this weekend. Such is life in Dayton.

Back Home

We are back home safe and sound, the RV is back in the storage lot, and we have chores to take care of. It was a great 2 months. I hope to post more as I get to do more hiking, etc.