Riding the RAT a “Tropical Adventure”

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South Coast

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2016
Messages
13
Reaction score
22
Location
Rosenberg, TX
Ride Around Texas - 3100 + miles, under 70 hours.

April, 30, 2017 10:00

The bike is loaded except for my 1 gallon water jug, which is iced down and spent the night in the fridge. Now it’s installed and that leaves a last minute tire pressure check, on the new skins, before we roll towards South Padre Island. It’s a leisurely trip south along the coast, about 350 miles, with a mandatory riders meeting at 16:00 hrs. So I’ve got time for a lunch stop on the way down. One couldn’t ask for better weather, warm and sunny, with a slight breeze out of the south. My trip to the start location is a short ride, but there are riders coming from all over the US and a 3 rider contingent from Mexico. A truly international event.

When you cross over the bridge from the mainland to the island you are instantly thrust into “tourist land”. Not bad right now, at least it’s after spring break, and honestly it is a beautiful place to visit.

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I shut the bike off and gather my paperwork for the ride when I see Tim Masterson, the ride master for this event. Tim is a squared away guy and knows how to run a successful ride. He was the ridemaster for the RAT 3 years ago for the MTF, and he is a 3 time finisher of the Iron Butt Rally. I turn in my waiver, hand him my completed witness form just needing my mileage noted and his signature. With that completed I’m ready for an early morning start.

Tim billed this ride as a warmup for the upcoming Iron Butt Rally and a number of the participants are here for that reason, as they are already signed up and accepted for the Big Show in July. Apparently making this ride in 70 hours or less with a total of 18 stops to verify the route is good practice for rally work. I wouldn’t know, I’m not a rally rider. I’m what is called a cert (certificate) rider I guess. I’m not young enough nor smart enough to be competitive in a rally like the IBR, but I sure do like to ride.

The rules: Pretty simple really, pick your direction CW, or CCW, start between 5 and 6 am, be back before 70 hours expires, and make all 18 checkpoints proving you were there with a DBR or a picture as required. Most folks run a spot tracker so that helps verify the ride. You can choose any route you desire but you must make the checkpoints in the order listed.

I chose CCW because I had planned to hit Big Bend NP at sunrise on the 3rd day. Going clockwise would put me there in the afternoon of day one, not my favorite time in the park. As it turns out the long range weather forecast is much more favorable to my direction. I think a few guys may have changed their initial plans, but most didn’t. Some would pay later.

May 1, 2017

Day one would be my longest and slowest day of the 3 if my plans panned out.

I’ve got my gas receipt at 05:00 and I’m headed for Victoria, my first checkpoint of the ride. By 08:25, 240 miles in I’m getting 4 gals. of fuel in the aux tank in Victoria. That’s more than enough to get me to Galveston, where I plan on adding a quick 1 gallon to generate a receipt so I can get on the ferry quickly if it’s there. As I round the last curve toward the ferry my gas stop is on the right but I’m looking for the ferry. Lucky, it’s at the dock and just starting to unload. Better yet, there are only a couple of cars in line to board. This will go smoothly. Well sort of. I was boarded on the starboard side of the boat outboard. That is the last row to exit the ferry. It’s not a big deal but,,,,

The required pic of the bike on the boat.

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A couple of days before the event, the road east of Rollover Pass had been closed because of high water and sand on the road. We had been experiencing some very strong southerly winds and with high tide the road was inundated. Happily TxDot had done their job and the roadway was open on schedule, a few hours before we arrived. As I turned north toward Winnie on my way to Port Arthur, another mandatory stop, I see a GS pulling out on the road. He gets to the right side of the lane, so I pass, and notice a couple of more BMW’s in the station. It’s the Mexicans! Cool, I get to see somebody doing the ride. Then my mind wonders,,,how did they get here in front of me? Nobody has passed me today. Why are they getting gas here, when they had to get a receipt in Galveston, only a few miles back? Maybe they thought this was Port Arthur, hell I don’t know. They jar me back to reality as the 3 of them in formation go around me like I’m stopped. The sound of 3 BMW’s with Akrapovic cans, at full tilt boogie, sure sounds good! I pick up the pace about a half mile back and follow them to Winnie. That was fun. They miss a merge right onto SH 73, and get stuck at the intersection by a red light. I make the merge, blow the horn and motion for them to follow me. It takes them awhile but I can see their headlights in my mirrors. In Port Arthur I fill both tanks because the next mandatory is in Texarkana, almost 300 miles away. As I’m fueling, the Mexicans arrive. These guys are having a ball. Smiles, thumbs up, high fives, it’s great. I ask where they are stopping for the night and I get the “don’t know, where are you stopping”. I tell them Childress, and they nod like they agree. I’m just short of 500 miles in and it’s 12:30, so the slow part of the ride is behind me and I’m totally pleased with the time. At this rate I should be in Childress before midnight, that’s a good thing.

Turns out the Mexicans had made the same ferry I was on. They were at the back on the Port side inboard row, so they were the last ones on and first ones off the boat, and I didn’t see them leave. Mystery solved.

I leave the station and head for the Rainbow/Veterans Memorial Bridges over the Neches river ship channel. Finally we get above sea level for the first time today it seems. It was neat to stand on the pegs and take a look around. You can see Louisiana from up there.

We’ve spent the morning along the Gulf Coast, now we head north along the border with Louisiana, and our second region, the Piney Woods of east Texas. Small towns and lumber mills dot the countryside and fill your nose with the smell of fresh cut pine trees. Buna, Kirbyville, Jasper, Brookeland, then we split the middle between Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend lakes to San Augustine, on to Center, Carthage, Marshall, Atlanta, and then into Texarkana for our fuel stop. 758 miles down, at 16:45. A quick few gallons in the aux tank to keep the stop as fast as possible and I’m on the road to Paris, our next mandatory only 90 miles to the west. I fill both tanks in Paris so I’ve got plenty of fuel to make the final destination for day 1, Childress, Tx. It’s 18:30 and we are about 4 hours, and 300 miles out. I like riding US 287 at night. It’s a pretty safe road, divided 4 lane, not many animals, and well marked, and to be honest there’s not a heck of a lot to see along the way. At least at night you get the lights of the upcoming towns, that dot the road to Amarillo.

I arrive at the hotel about 22:30 and the first priority is get out my heated gear, I’ll need it in the morning. Next up, a light dinner, then shower, and I’m ready for sleep. I feel really good, no major pains, and pretty rested, but it doesn’t take me long to drift off…23:00 I’m gone…

Totals for day 1 - 1139.2 miles - 18 hrs.

I decided to treat myself to some nice accommodations, on this ride. Secure parking, comfy beds, clean rooms,,,less stress. The La Copa Inn in SPI is nice, and I booked Hampton Inns in both Childress, and Van Horn, my 2 planned stops on the ride if all went well. Usually I just ride til I get tired and find a (cheap) place to sleep. The older I get the more I appreciate quality rest. I can vouch for the beds in Hampton Inns, I slept great!!!

Day 2

May 2, 2017

04:30, the alarm on my phone alerts me, but I’m already awake, not up, but awake. My normal sleep cycle is about 4 to 6 hours, so I’m starting a normal day. By 05:00 I’m getting a gas receipt to start riding day 2. I’ve got my gauntlet style leather gloves on but not plugged in. The grip heaters are on. I’m also wearing my heated jacket liner and it is plugged in! It’s chilly this morning, no it’s down right cold this morning. 38 degrees, and the sun won’t start warming the day for a few hours. My FJR provides excellent wind protection with the windshield all the way up so it’s not long and I’m dialing the jacket back to a 2 setting, and I’m very comfortable. In less than an hour I’m rolling into Shamrock, Tx. Shamrock is on the original Route 66 and now is bypassed by I-40. There is an art deco Conoco station/Cafe there (built in the 30’s) that I have visited for pictures a couple of times. I have stayed in Shamrock to get pictures of the structure at night when it was lit up, but the lights never came on when I was there. This morning the neon is blazing so we’ve got a slight delay while I take a few pictures with both my camera, and my phone. The building is totally restored and used as a visitor center and I think it is the Chamber of Commerce headquarters also. Leading the way as it did in the 30’s, around the far side of the station is a Tesla Supercharger station.

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On to Follett, Tx. in the far northeast corner of the panhandle. Follett, a farming/ranching/oil producing community is here because of the railroad. Six miles to the north was a town called Ivanhoe, Ok. Seems when the rail lines went south of them they picked up the town, buildings and all, and moved it to Follett, Tx.

The sun is up but it isn’t any warmer yet, seems like a real midwestern winter day, blustery wind and all. What a change from the tropical weather of just 24 hours earlier, but nothing like the changes to come. With a fuel receipt in hand I point the bike due west to the other end of the panhandle and Texline, Tx. on the border with NM.

Just 2 days earlier winter storm Ursa came blowing through the panhandle with high winds and over

1 ft. of wet snow, knocking out power to much of the area and the results could still be seen in the snow drifts, and dead cattle on the sides of the road. A number of these roads that I’m on this day were closed 2 days earlier, glad I missed that experience.

It’s 09:50 and we pull into the Texline Allsup’s station. I’m pretty familiar with this place, I’ve been buying fuel here at least a couple of times a year, for longer than I can remember, 40 years or so. I’ve fueled everything from dirt bikes to motorhomes and plenty of street bikes, cars and trucks here. This is my normal route to the mountains, so I pass this way a lot. I don’t recall the temperature but it must have been mid 40’s or so by now. I know the low I saw coming west across the panhandle was 33, before it began to warm. With the bike full of fuel I’m headed south 365 miles, to the town of Kermit, Tx.

Between Texline and Kermit most of the CW riders will be passing the CCW riders, and I expected to see maybe 15 or so. I think I spotted 3 or 4. There are a number of north - south routes along the western border and I picked a pretty remote road so I’m sure I missed the majority of the riders in that area.

What I love about this ride is the diversity of terrain, weather, and people you see in such a short period of time. In less than 70 hours we pass thru gulf coast plains, piney woods, high plains and grass land, the Permian Basin, mountains, desert and the Rio Grande valley. Here’s a good example in 2 pictures.

This is east of Dalhart, Tx. at 09:00. Temp low 30”s

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This is north of Kermit, Tx. at 15:30 on the same day. Temp nearing 100. That's sand, not snow.

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Getting into Kermit for fuel was a bit tricky. It looked like a mini rush hour, lots of oil field vehicles going everywhere. The whole area is busier than it was 3 years ago, when I rode the RAT, and it was damn busy then. I screwed up getting out of Kermit. My intent was to take a slight detour to the southwest and go to Wink, Tx. the hometown of Roy Orbison. I don’t know why, just one of those oddities I suppose. There’s a little museum as I understand run by his brother. Anyway I ended up going about 5 miles due east before I figured out my error, so I spun around and got back on my original route forgetting about Wink. There will be another time for that visit.

Next checkpoint was the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, where a picture of the entrance sign was required.

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With that done I’m off to mile marker zero on I 10, Anthony, Tx. This is the far western tip of Texas. If you leave here and head for the Louisiana border you will drive for 880 miles before you leave the state. Even with the higher Texas speed limits it’s still a 10 to 12 hour drive. Welcome to Texas!

I get a receipt that reads 18:37 mountain time, but I record it as 19:37 CST to keep the complete ride on Central time. I’ll be at my final destination for day 2 by 10:00. A good days ride with no stress, 17 hours, 1093 miles.

I’m really excited about day 3. I like the ride from here to Presidio, and I’m looking forward to riding the River Road before dawn. But the big deal for me, is riding through the park with the sun just coming up, it is stunning, believe me.

Goodnight from Van Horn.

Rich


 
May 3, 2017

Day 3

On the road south by 03:00 and I get a little surprise. US 90 is under construction almost all the way from Van Horn to Marfa. About 75 miles worth. We are riding on one lane of the original road and the other lane that I’m in going south is actually the shoulder of the highway. I turn on all the lights I’ve got which out here in the middle of nowhere are pretty impressive. I don’t see any big game but the jackrabbits are everywhere, hundreds of them lining the side of the road. There were a few little bunnies hopping around on the road but the big jacks seemed to be staying put, but I was only a couple of feet away from them because of the reduced shoulder area. It had to happen, my right foot makes contact with something and is pushed off the footpeg. Surprisingly I don’t panic. I mean I know what it is, even though I never saw him. There was a little pain in my foot, but it seemed to work as I felt for the brake pedal and gently applied it to make sure I still had brakes. All good so I continue to slow until I can get off the road and check things out. I find a flat spot in the dirt where I can get the sidestand down and get the bike stable, then out of habit, I reach up and shut the bike off. Let me tell you how dark it is in West Texas when you put out the big lights. It’s damn dark! I immediately fire the bike back up and decide it will be just fine idling until I decide to get out of here. Swing my leg over the bike to dismount and when it hits the ground I get a little shooter of pain around the ankle. As it turns out the pain went away pretty quickly and by the end of the day I had forgotten about it completely.

Even with the lights on I couldn’t see the brake pedal area so I had to dig into my side pannier for more light to check things out. Bent brake pedal, but usable, seems to be the only bike damage. The jack didn’t fair so well by looking at the fur on the pedal, and blood all over the right side of the bike.

On to Presidio for a gas receipt, and then we get to the River Road! I’m undecided on how much fuel to take on here. I’d like to make the 335 mile run to Del Rio without stopping again for fuel, but I’d like to have the bike as light as possible for a little fun in the next 50 miles. In the end I top off the bike. It’s already laden with all my gear for a planned month on the road, so it’s no sport bike anyway. 04:50 is the time on the receipt so I’m about perfect for sunrise viewing in the park. First there’s a meeting with the River Road. I’ve ridden this piece of asphalt many times, day and night. Years ago it was pretty rough and not much in the way of markings. It has gotten much, much better, but it’s reputation in motorcycle circles is still one of danger and voodoo. SH 170 (the river road) is no better or worse than most of the popular m/c roads across the country, period. Ride it with the same respect you would any other twisty mountain road and you will be fine. I like it at night, the road edges and centerlines are well marked, and easy to follow. The posted speed limit is 50 mph, which tells me the road is fairly docile for the most part. You miss the scenery at night but I’ve seen it many times. I enjoy carving lines down the road through the dark. Only once did I get a little too exuberant and have the rearend step out ever so slightly. A gentle reminder to cool it, as I’m about to pull into Lajitas for a checkpoint pic of the general store. And while I’m talking about Lajitas here’s my favorite pet peeve about this ride. Since it’s inception Lajitas has been one of the checkpoints, originally to see the Mayor, a beer drinking goat named Clay Henry, who is long since dead. My thinking is this stop should be eliminated, it is redundant with Presidio and Panther Junction (the Park) as mandatory stops. If you make Presidio, and the Park but not Lajitas it is a 183 mile trip around the top of Brewster county and back down to the park. Straight through is 92 miles. Any questions?

Remember the Mexicans? They passed me in the night as I slept in Van Horn, and now 2 of the 3 were here sleeping at the store. I later found out they could not find accommodations, so they spent the night on the porch of the store, under a couple of ceiling fans that had been left on. The third rider? He was pretty hard core, I had him figured for riding through the night back to South Padre Island. Apparently he stopped for a brief nap but he was solidly the first one to finish, just before 15:00, not that it makes any difference, but it was cool to see him back at the hotel. 3 really nice guys, adventuresome, fun loving, and good riders.

Into the Big Bend National Park, I’ve got to get a picture of the Panther Junction Visitor Center, and I arrive right at 06:30, perfect timing. In the picture you can see the sky beginning to lighten. At this junction we turn north so you get about a 70 mile stretch of road thru the park with the sun coming up on your right side. My pictures pretty much suck but you get the idea I hope.

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Leaving the park I hit US 90 at Marathon and take a right for Del Rio. Does anybody else think of Wolfman Jack when you see Del Rio, or is it just me? I get fuel at the first available in Del Rio, so I can stay on the loop and bypass downtown. Del Rio isn’t that big, but it always seems to take forever to get through all the stop lights. I’m not sure the long loop around is any faster but I feel better moving, instead of sitting. It’s about 10:00, so officially I have 17 hours to ride the last 400 miles. That schedule does not align with my idea of when to finish however. I hug the border down to Zapata which is a via point on the route. You don’t have to go this way but I think all of the riders did, in the spirit of the ride, staying close to the borders. I pass a gas station and decide to add a couple of gallons, not that I need fuel, but it’s convenient and the receipt will keep me within the rules of the IBA. From this point of the ride to the end, I can honestly say was my least favorite route. The valley is teeming with people, cars, buses, small towns, Border Patrol agents, and DPS troopers. It didn’t help any that I got caught in a pretty big traffic jam before we could get to the free sailing I 2. I spent so much time sitting in front of the Henandez Funeral Home in LaJoya, Tx., I thought about going in and introducing myself just in case I needed their services before I got out of there.

Finally I’m around the broke down school bus, which none of the assorted LEO’s had any interest in clearing from the roadway or directing traffic around, and I’m off. I get my final receipt at the Stripes station on the island next to the host hotel and head for the hotel to secure my room and turn in my paperwork. With that done it’s off for a shower and some street clothes, then down to the bar for a celebratory beer! I walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner and before I ordered I was joined by another rider. After we ate it was back to the parking lot to BS with a few other riders and have another beer. I’m not sure how long the party continued I went up to my room to check in with the wife, and do some laundry. I needed to be packed tonight and ready to hit the road by 07:00 in the morning if I was going to meet a friend from Denver in Terlingua for dinner tomorrow evening. Terlingua, wasn't I just there this morning?

Day 3 - Final 13 ½ hours - 734.5 miles

Spotwalla map of the completed ride. 3101.4 miles - 59 hrs. 27 mins.

A whopping 32 minutes quicker than 3 years ago. My moving average was actually slower, but I'm stopping faster these days I guess.
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Rich

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Nice write up!

Might contemplate doing this in a couple of years, after retirement. Seems like a great way to see a LOT of the great state of Texas!!
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Nice write up Rich. Now I'm kinda sorry I did my BMR run up the north east coast instead of doing this. Althought I did see a bunch of cool stadiums, lotsa traffic jams and toll booths and got caught in a nasty rain and lightening show on Staten Island
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Very nice write up! I considered doing this last RAT, but work got in the way. Maybe next time.

 
Great write up, thanks for the share and time you put into it . Very nice

 
Enjoyed reading about your suicidal jack rabbit. How fast were you going when you hit him? Could you imagine what might have happened had he chosen "under the front wheel" suicide instead? Hmmm...

I spent a few hours in Texas in the summer of 2014 on this ride: CLICKY What an experience. I entered Texas on post #119, page 6 of the blog. Perhaps you thought your ride report was a little long? Don't even try to read that one in one sitting: it can't be done.

Gary

darksider #44

 
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Thanks all for the kind words. I really enjoy this ride, I hope the report conveys that.

Griff, I followed your scoring progress on the BMR leader board. All I can say is there isn't any "give up" in your makeup. Nice riding! I'm sure MoBob would have liked to take a few days off before it was all over.
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If you ever get a wild hair to do the RAT keep me in mind.

Gary the speed limit on US 90 is 75 mph. I can't imagine I was doing less when the jackrabbit hit me. The question is, how fast was he going?
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I've run over jacks in the past. They are long legged, and can reach over 2 ft. in length, but they don't have much body mass. Most in South Texas only weigh a couple of pounds at best. Now the Javelina, is a different story. That little bowling ball will ruin your day.

I did read your ride report along with many others before I did my 100CCC. An heroic ride on your part. Congratulations.

Rich

 
Griff, I followed your scoring progress on the BMR leader board. All I can say is there isn't any "give up" in your makeup. Nice riding! I'm sure MoBob would have liked to take a few days off before it was all over.
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If you ever get a wild hair to do the RAT keep me in mind.
Thanks Rich. BMR was a blast and I really had no intention of catching MoBob, but I kept going and he had to keep going otherwise I would catch him. He finished up getting a bunch of points in my own back yard - GA, NC, TN SC. haha

 
Not sure how I missed this until today, but thanks for the report. I was in Buna, TX about fifteen years ago, watching my brother-in-law get married. Not much more than a crossroads with fifty houses, a gas station, and steel plant.

 
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