Strega 0 Posted December 2, 2008 When Crawdaddy (Chris) posted this event, I was really interested in going, but didn't really have a bike that could do it since he wanted to Pyro the entire trip. Just so happens I was linked to a sweet KTM 640 a couple weeks prior to the event, so I was in and logistical problems were out. This was my first time doing this event, which also happens to be the 25th anniversary of the event, so I was really looking forward to it. Started packing on Wed evening, as I needed to have everything loaded by 10am to drive up to Jenny's place for Thanksgiving, as I would be leaving from there to meet Doug and Chris at the Deer Springs Park n Ride. Luckily, Jenny's place is only a few miles from there so I wouldn't have to cut Thanksgiving short. Thursday: I started getting geared up about 5pm and met Chris and Doug at 6. It wasn't THAT cold so I opted out of putting my jacket on, as I had long sleeves on (dumb). I froze my a$$ off on the ride up, and about Wrightwood put on my Jacket and was doing a little better. We made it to Lancaster, checked in, and hit the hay shortly thereafter. Friday: We woke up about 5:30am, got ourselves ready and headed over to the KTM dealer to get things started. Jim Nicholson stamped us for tech inspections, and we headed inside to get our paperwork. Chris and Doug both pre-registered, and I had yet to sign up so I got that done and we loaded roll charts for the trip and got GPS downloads from Gil. Once loaded, we were off. Started out on the highway and ducked off into some dirt after a short while, and it was quite muddy and soft. The rains earlier in the week made the conditions perfect except in the low spots where the water settled. No dust at all, but lots of mud in those low spots. Doug said on the radio that he went down, but I didn't see it, so I guess it never happened. Doug muscled that big 950 like a champ all weekend through some really ugly soft sand and some rocky up hills, most impressive. We headed towards Jawbone Canyon on some Electrical Line roads, and then up into some canyons and a couple very very steep downhills. The pics never do any justice to how steep it really was. Doug was completed cross controlled, sliding sideways and made it down without issue. Chris did the same on the 620, sliding, bouncing, but never losing control. It was cool to be at the bottom looking up, watching them come down the hill. The radios proved to be a very good investment, I wouldn't ride again at an event without them. After the 2nd steep downhill, we continued to head down hill through some small windy stuff, and headed over towards the Jawbone station. We headed on from there, back into the hills, making our way over towards Johannesburg for lunch. Well, that's where it happened... ...I was cross controlled sliding through a turn, the back end started to get away from me, so I put my left foot down to prevent a fall, and I hit a rock with the ball of my foot. That was one of the single most painful experiences of my adult life. I hit that rock in 3rd gear, and it snapped my foot up and back, luckily not hurting the knee at all, but the foot was in serious pain. Somehow, I didn't crash, I rolled to a stop off the trail in between some bushes, and got on the radio and asked for help as quickly as I could get it. Chris and Doug thought I had just smacked my satchel on the gas tank. It hurt so badly, that I thought I was going to pass out, and I wanted help fast so that I wouldn't fall over. Doug got to me in a big hurry as he was in the middle and I was riding point. Chris was there in moments as he was riding sweep, and I'm still pissed he didn't get a picture of me. What's another 10 seconds??? Here I thought we were friends, hehe. I would have taken a pic of him before I helped him, he should have done the same for me!! LOL So, there I am, laying on the ground, feeling like I can't breathe, foot feels like it was torn off, and here I am looking for that effing rock that just crippled me. I needed something to launch a cursing tirade on, as I thought it might make me feel better. 2 mid sweep event riders showed up and checked on us, and I let them know I thought I could ride out to Johannesburg, and would be ok with Chris and Doug keeping an eye on me. So to keep it short, got on the bike and rode about 10 miles or so to lunch, and just tried to take it easy. Took a couple Advil and hoped the pain would go away. Well, it didn't, it hurt like hell, the Advil did help a little, but not much. I didn't know at the time, but I had fractured the bone behind my 2nd toe where the rock hit. I know now why every time I up shifted, it hurt so bad. Getting into 2nd gear was the worst part, the rest just didn't hurt AS badly. The guys asked me what I wanted to do, I could have jumped on 395 South to 58 East to Barstow, but hell, I was there to ride, not be a little b*tch and cry about a foot. I said, "Lets go", and they both looked at me like I was retarded, and off we went. (Maybe not the best decision I made all weekend, but oh well). We headed out of J-Burg, and had a nice ride into Barstow. Got to Barstow, checked in, and I went over and checked on the 'Photo by Time' people, who were paid to go out on the trail and get pics of all the riders. They got a REALLY sweet pic of me, which I haven't received yet, but hopefully soon. I bought the pic and headed out to tear down the bikes and get some showers n food. Doug had an electrical problem, and got the fuse replaced. We later found out the Speedo cable had rubbed on the brake rotor and cut the wires and was shorting out the fuse. We didn't find this out until Doug got a flat tire, and during that fix, he noticed the wires. At least we knew why it was shorting out now. Doug has tire changing down to a science, and I picked up a few good tips while watching him repair his tire. It really shows that having the right tools for the job, makes things a lot easier. Saturday: We press on and make our way to lunch in Sandy, where we have 'required' to wash our bikes off (fenders and skid plates). I'm assuming this is some bureaucratic BS that's required for the ride, so we just did it and went in for some burgers. Had our lunch, and went to head on our way, and my bike wouldn't start. Dead battery...Well, the KTM is left side kick, and well, yeah, I wasn't even gonna attempt that. I got off and tried to kick it right footed a few times, but the weight I was putting on my left foot was unbearable. Chris came over, kicked it through a few times, and blamo, it started right up. I think I left the key on at lunch, with the GPS running, as I never did have another problem once I got running again. We checked in at Baker and topped off the tanks, and headed towards Red Rock Canyon. Such an amazing sight riding up and over Red Rock. On the way up, Chris got a front flat, and while prying the last bit of tire in, we heard a hiss. Yup, popped tube. I pulled out my spare 21" tube, and Chris went to work again. My tube was a heavy duty tube, so less chance of popping that one too, hehe. We saw Kevin on his BMW, and a few of the other Ghostriders while we were stopped for the tire fix. We had a short chat and were on our way up through a 1/2 mile section of semi technical stuff, and a short 100 yard section of very rocky boulderish area. I was winding through and layed the bike over to the left and landed on the foot, again, not fun. Got back on and made it up without further issue, Chris and Doug followed shortly on the big bikes. Doug tackled it on the 950 no problem, bringing up the sweep. Coming over Red Rock was visually awesome, the pictures do NOT do it any justice, you just have to ride it and see it for yourselves. We got on the highway and rolled into Vegas, and headed to the Orleans. We unpacked, showered, and went down to the banquet where they gave away a ton of stuff, and I actually won a Baja Designs pack of stuff. T-Shirt, LED Tail Light, LED Blinkers, flip up mirror, and a few other smaller items. I gave Chris the LED Tail Light setup as I already have one, and I was happy I got the blinkers as I was about to buy them, so that saved me $50. We headed up to bed after the banquet, and in regular fashion, Chris had us up at the break of dawn to get moving again. Sunday: We met Gil at the bikes and he gave me some ideas for getting home, rather than taking the 15 as traffic would be a nightmare and I didn't want to lane split with the bags on. He also loaned Chris a spare tube for the ride home which was definitely needed. I should have thought about that, as I gave my spare to Chris the day before, but it somehow slipped my mind which would haunt me later in the day. We rode down to Searchlight and had breakfast, and then back on the road for another 15 or so miles before Chris and Doug turned off on Mohave Road, and I headed down further South towards 29 Palms. That KTM 640 is not meant for riding on the road, and shakes like hell. I think the vibration may have helped numb my foot, so that was great. The problem was, it was also numbing my a$$, which wasn't so much fun, hehe. I was a ways out of Amboy before making the Southern turn towards 29 Palms. I noticed I had a track that cut off a good portion of the road into Amboy, so I took it. Well, that was dumb, as 1/2 way down that sandy wash, I got a front flat. Well, I didn't have a tube since I had given it up, and I'm quite a ways off the road, with a broken foot. Well, I decided it would be better to sit down and drink some water, and figure out what to do. I dug through my kit o stuff, and found a couple tire patches, and then inflated the tube by hand to find the leak. I patched the tube with 3 patches, 4 bandaids, and some duct tape, and miraculously it held the entire trip home. I'm glad I pack a lot of stuff when I ride, it all came in handy. Well, I made it to 29 Palms, topped off the gas and had an interesting conversation with a guy getting gas next to me. He looked at me and said, "You Military?" I said, "No, I but I did get a good night's sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night!" He laughed and said, "Well, I ride a bike for the Marine Corps, and we look a lot like you do, except in different colors, depending on where we go. I am part of a division of guys that do long range patrols on bikes, usually at night with NVG's, it's pretty exciting." I gave the guy my card and asked him to send a few pics, so hopefully I get those soon. I had to get moving, as it was getting later in the day and I REALLY wanted to get home... Well, after about 10 hours of riding, I was back at Jenny's place, and getting my shower and ice for my foot. Saw the doc yesterday and have a fracture in my foot behind the 2nd toe (which made shifting hurt like hell) and probably a dislocated the big toe at some point. The Achilles is partially torn, we'll see on Wed what the other doc has to say. All in all, wouldn't change a thing, I had a great time and couldn't ask for better company. I'd do it again tomorrow if I could arrange a new foot. Pics of the ride are here: http://stregalicious.com/moto/lab2v08/ Monday: 6:10am, my phone dings, a text message, it reads, "Hey b!tch, just because you aren't out riding, doesn't mean you get to sleep in!!" Thanks Chris, I'll return the favor soon enough ** DISCLAIMER ** The events that transpired above are how I remember, and may not be exact, so Chris and Doug, feel free to correct me. Couple pics from the gallery... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slosher 0 Posted December 2, 2008 That looked and sounded like so much fun... Thanks for sharing!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blind_in_1_ear 0 Posted December 2, 2008 lesson learned here: if Strega taps out....IT'S FOR REAL. and so others know...i am not THAT much of a man. i'd have called the choppers...much less GO ON FOR DAYS! Blind color me impressed...or BLACK it all out, it's what Strega would want... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHunter 15 Posted December 2, 2008 I'm living vicariously thru u. Nice report! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tlking6 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Nice report Roge,,, sorry about the foot. I enjoyed the pics. This trip is on my to do list for 09. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaynen 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Sounds like an awesome adventure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joliet 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Roger, I am curious about what kind of boots you were wearing. Do you think a different boot could have made the injury less severe? Looks like it was a great time, sorry I wasn't there to make fun of share the experience. Next year I will plan on going, but will probably not Pyro it like you guys did. Heal quick so we can ride. Ken Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strega 0 Posted December 2, 2008 I have O'Neal boots, and they are pretty well worked in. I have some Tech 3's that I chose not to wear because they weren't broken in enough and thought they might hurt my feet after 1000 miles of riding. I think if I'd had the Tech 3's on, I might be in a little better shape due to the stiffness. A harder soled boot would have been nice I'm thinkin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaynen 0 Posted December 2, 2008 I did a similar thing this past weekend and while it hurt nothing was damaged thankfully, I was wearing my Fox F3's tho which I think are pretty decent boots. It was a really bad impact and I am pretty sure if I was wearing anything worse that I would have seriously messed up my foot and ankle How long are you going to have to baby your foot for Roger? How was the bike overall for you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strega 0 Posted December 2, 2008 Bike was good, no issues other than the bent rack. Power is there from low to high RPM, it isn't super snappy but will pull through almost anything. It shakes like hell, and it enjoys the dirt more than the highway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ozzy 0 Posted December 2, 2008 maybe santa will get you new boots for christmas I broke my foot a year ago wearing teck5s junked them for sidi crossfires the best think I could have ever done. I researched boots alot and found them not only to have great protection "one piece foot" but with the hinged ankel they are very confortable. do your self a favor and get good boots. oz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humptythumty 0 Posted December 3, 2008 Great story and awesome pictures. To completed the ride with a broken foot would take a rider with a pretty big Satchel? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spaugh 1 Posted December 3, 2008 Nice write up. Riding the whole time with a busted foot was pretty tough. I like that shot of the wide open with the long roads in it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirt dame 559 Posted December 3, 2008 Glad you still managed to enjoy your ride. Sidi's are good boots. as are Gaerne SG10s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 0 Posted December 3, 2008 Some rare pictures of the Ghost Riderz at Afton Canyon 2008 LA-B-V. Doug-Strega-Crawdadd-Your secret is safe with me!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crawdaddy 96 Posted December 3, 2008 Doug-Strega-Crawdadd-Your secret is safe with me!! That's a two way street Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 0 Posted December 3, 2008 Doug-Strega-Crawdadd-Your secret is safe with me!! That's a two way street What do you mean-the Ghost Riderz were there-Here is the proof. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crawdaddy 96 Posted December 3, 2008 What do you mean-the Ghost Riderz were there-Here is the proof. There's a difference between just "being there" and being "BEYOND there" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amgems 79 Posted December 3, 2008 Hi Folks I looked for you guys, but ... too many bikes, couldn't find ya. My buddy Ralph and I did the ride. AWESOME ! The grand daddy of dual sport rides. We got out of Lancaster about 7. Had a tough time with the big soft rutted hill. Took us about three times, but finally made it. Rest of the ride was flawless. Hit Barstow about 4. Left Barstow 6:45 We did have to bail after the big water crossing. My friend had a tough time in that long sand wash, had to rest a bit, and we were running a little late. Got to Vegas about 3 or 4. I was really impressed with the wide variety of trails. Too much fun! Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerTOWM 0 Posted December 4, 2008 Doug-Strega-Crawdadd-Your secret is safe with me!! That's a two way street What do you mean-the Ghost Riderz were there-Here is the proof. Photo - shop?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 0 Posted December 4, 2008 Doug-Strega-Crawdadd-Your secret is safe with me!! That's a two way street What do you mean-the Ghost Riderz were there-Here is the proof. Photo - shop?? Ghost Riderz cannot be photo shop'd as they are invisible! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
