2017 CTFW West, and North, and South, and back East.. A short video blog series.

[cowpuc]

Expending all that energy figuring out that the gate that kept me from playing with the Minute Man Nuclear Missile was locked and wouldnt magically open for another hour I heard my tummy growl and KNEW it was time for = ROAD GRUB!!!

[cowpuc]

and then after breakfast a ride back to get the full scoop on the Missile Silo!!

[cowpuc]

One of the really great things about CTFW across this giant country of ours is getting to meet real deal touring motorcyclist in real deal touring settings!! HI STEVE FROM OREGON!! Nice meeting you my friend!!

After sharing one of my favorite rides (Skagg Creek Rd from Stewards Point on "1" over to Calistoga California - Steve told Tip and I about a ride that we simply MUST make someday - YA GOTTA RIDE 36 FROM RED BLUFF TO 101 Steve says!! Count on it brother,, someday it WILL happen!!

[cowpuc]

When we made our yearly CTFW to the Sturgis Rally in '15 we made a video of the bikes all backed up and waiting to get into Keystone SD.. In this lil vid we revisit the same G

Side note,, the sounds and smells of this area are INTOXICATING!!

 

[cowpuc]

After God made the Black Hills, He looked down and said - now that I have made the PERFECT place to place my most beautiful piece of terrain I will place it herein, He then placed the Needles Hwy within His treasure chest for all to behold!!

 

[cowpuc]

Treasure hunting in the great State of Wyoming!! You see that Tip??? It was Orange n Black I tell ya!!! WAYYYY WORTH THE TURN AROUND!!!

 

[cowpuc]

Nothing is more fun than looking for a lost hat in the middle of the night in the middle of Wyoming!!

YES - WE FOUND IT!!

[Condor]

What a great way to wake up in the morning.... Looking for a lost.... lost Hat.. :-) I love these videos...

[bongobobny]

Pucster, you never cease to amaze (and amuse) me!!

 

I wonder how many people picked up on the fact you parked your Venture next to a Venture on Pt 7...

[cowpuc]

What a great way to wake up in the morning.... Looking for a lost.... lost Hat.. :-) I love these videos...

 

Awe,,thanks Jack!!! You sound like my Grandson out in California.. I dont get to see him very much but this trip he and I were sitting in Leatherby's eating ice cream after playing around looking at the new Aprilla's and Guzzis at the shop in Elk Grove and he was telling how much my youtube videos meant to him.. I promised him I would keep em going just for him.. Now I find out that my buddy Condor is right there too!! Been CTFW around upper Michigan the last couple days here, finishing off that #3 tire I spooned on out there in Wilton California just before we left so I fell behind on getting the vids up,, hope you enjoy this next batch brother!!

By the way,, there are some coming that I KNOW you will LOVE!! Involving sleeping in gun ranges, shopping at place called "Scheels" (WOW!!!!) and all that... Keep a weathered eye out brother!!

 

Pucster, you never cease to amaze (and amuse) me!!

 

I wonder how many people picked up on the fact you parked your Venture next to a Venture on Pt 7...

 

THANKS BOB = RIGHT BACK AT CHA MY BROTHER!!

BUSTED!!!!!!!!!!! I gotta hunch that only YOU noticed that - YOU got an attention to detail like no other!! ROCK N ROLL BONGO!!:dancefool:

[cowpuc]

Searching for that lost hat in the middle of the night in the middle of the State of Wyoming was exhausting!! After relocating the lost treasure, I told Tip that I thought it was time to toss the tent down and look for that perfect spot to camp.. I no sooner got the words out of my mouth than there,, off in the distance I spotted the soothing, gentle flashing lights of yet another Cowboy Campground:

[cowpuc]

The hows n whys.... Want to learn how to be an effective motorcycle tent camper? Its easy,, just do the complete opposite of what I do

 

[cowpuc]

The sunshine is so intense out west that you can get sunburned even in the shade of the Independence Rock... Can you imagine what it was like for those early settlers who set out to set up new lives in these areas? WOW = JUST AMAZING!!:usa:

 

 

[cowpuc]

No problem to big, no problem to small to overcome!! The modern way of maintaining your water supply when out CTFW in the hot, dry, arrid regions of our great west!!

[cowpuc]

Making new friends is ALWAYS the greatest treasure of all when it comes to CTFW!! We met Glen at the Independence Rock and really enjoyed our instant comaradity.. After this recording, Glen told us about a ride that he knew of down in the south west corner of Wyoming that would lead us into Colorado and Utah before returning us back into Wyoming - known as the Flaming Gorge area. A ride suggestion that we would follow up on = resulting in us making another friendship with another person we would meet after we slept in a lean-to on a gun range who would tell us of another ride that we ended up taking advantage of.. Sorry,, getting ahead of myself,,,, WOW,, what an AMAZING trip = hard not to!!!

 

[cowpuc]

Bonding with new friends the age old biker way!!! Out here in the real touring world - it doesnt matter what kind of scoot you ride,, we all wave at each other enthusiastically = its the Code!!

[cowpuc]

Back in '14 Tip went on and on and on about Tweeks and I finding her some Elk... We search all over the country - from Michigan to the west coast.. Then, suddenly, out of no where out on the Loneliest Hi Way In America (50) up on a place called Connors Pass a group of Cow Elks brought Tweeks to a near halt as they crossed in front of her - then a great big Bull Elk CHARGED us and came so close Tip could have reached out and touched his horns..

Because of that experience, when Tip started with the "I HAVE to see Antelope on this ride" I told her to never mind with the hoping to see animals routine = to late,, like her sister, Tweeksis picked right up on Tips wishes and POOF!! These strange animal encounters have GOT to cease!!!

[cowpuc]

WOWZY WOW WOW WOW was our new friend Glen Miller's advice on CTFW thru the Flaming Gorge SPOT ON!!

[cowpuc]

Mean while,, back in the Wyoming part of the Flaming Gorge,,,, you better run and hide ya lop eared varmint = here comes the mountain rain!! WHERE YA GONNA CAMP NOW MR. SMARTY PANTS?

 

[cowpuc]

Having gotten caught in the mountains during a healthy rain in the past,, we pretty much knew it wasnt something we were looking forward to.. That said, the search for somewhere or something to hide our little blue motel under for the night was on!! There are no abandoned gas station overhangs, no bridges or barns up here - only miles and miles of twisty, slippery roads to contend with.. Then,, all of sudden,, out of nowhere appears the PERFECT mountain camping spot!!

 

[cowpuc]

While the area where our tent would soon reside and sleepy eyes would soon meet with the sweet dreams that only a long hard day in the saddle can produce did not produce and cowpuc for me to step it, it did produce a lop eared varmint for me to yak with just before bedtime..

[cowpuc]

Treasures abound on the floor of a really good Wyoming Gun Range and this one clearly proved this to be so!! A few days later and my Grandsons and Son In Law would be sitting around at a table in California taking their best shot (pun intended) at guessing the Caliber of each of these treasures as they dismantled them.. Even later than that, after we returned to Michigan the only child that I have that has real interest in the art of shooting, my youngest daughter, would give me a "high five" and a huge AWESOME DAD as it became clear to her just exactly what my twisted creative mind had come home with this time = SHE LOVED THIS TREASURE!!

See if you recognize the caliber any of these empties!!!!

 

[cowpuc]

Our new friend Troy, who we met back at the gun range near Mountain View Wyoming, told us about a very little known motorcycle tour thru the Uintah Mountain Range. In this short video we prepare to go and explore that amazing region! Unknown to us - this mountain range is the only mountain range in America that runs East and West. This range is very similar to touring Yellow Stone - even has lots of Moose and Bear - minus the endless hours of waiting on Motor Homes and tripping over endless tourist - a huge plus IMHO. This is a MUST DO if you are motorcycle touring varmint seeking adventure in a more primitive setting!! THANK YOU TROY for tipping us off to this - you were correct my friend = absolutely AMAZING!!

 

[cowpuc]

And then,, when we got wayyyyyyyy up there in those mountains,, far from any form of civilization, we discovered that our camera was wayyyyyyy low on memory:doh:.. I did have enough left in there somewhere though to snap some pretty neat still shots of the ride! WOW was it GORGEOUS up there!!

[cowpuc]

After spending the day up playing in the cold wet rain and snow of the Unitah Mountains we thought it best to head for the heat of the low desert for magic hour.. While neither Tip, Tweeks or I really minded the coolness of the mountains, dropping the tent with the potential of waking up to a snow covered camp didnt sound that inviting..

It wasnt long after we settled into the peacefulness and warmth of Utah's wonderful desert region than the small amount of Native American blood that flows thru my veins sensed smoke signals wayyy off in the distance... As the three of us drew closer to those signals,, it became apparent that I was not exactly correct in my assumption that what we were seeing was actually smoke signals!