Pennsylvania Pipe-Opener…

I am delighted to advise that my kit still fits me, and for the record, it actually felt a little baggy !! So  to Robert and Vince I say “Eat my shorts, Brothers !!”

Long before Doug and Theresa had stirred, I had crept downstairs into the basement, and sat quietly astride the Big Fella. As strange as it may sound, I wanted some “alone time” with the bike.

The day before, I had hardly had a chance to get a proper feel of what it was like to sit the bike for more than the few minutes it took to “meet and greet” him again. I find it difficult to explain the strong and almost physical attachment I have to this machine, that has carried me safely around the world, and with whom I have shared so many long and rather enlightening conversations with…

During those lonely weeks and months on the road, the bike was my only constant companion, one that I relied on completely. We “spoke” at length about what I was feeling on any given day; the thoughts that were running through my head and the decisions I was making; and the things I was trying to let go of.

Monument to Mothers everywhere. Thinking of you, Mom !!

This morning I felt compelled to have a short conversation with the Big Fella before we set out for our ride through Pennsylvania…

Perched in the saddle, with the bike up on its centre stand, I felt that I was transmitting the information about the new few weeks directly to him, just by picturing the route in my mind, and the places I intended to visit. In order for me to get into the groove of riding again, I felt that the bike had to get into the self-same groove with me.

I had a good feeling about the ride we were about to make; I was not at all as nervous as I thought I would be; just excited about being back on the road so soon after arriving in the USA…

By 9.00 am, Kevin had arrived on his Honda “Magna”, and Doug had got his Moto Guzzi “Norge” ready to roll. We left Port Carbon and Kevin led us to the nearby town of Ashland. I had no idea where exactly we were going for the day, except that we would be looping around north central Pennsylvania, and making a stop at Kevin’s cabin near Pine Creek.

In Ashland, we stopped to walk around the Mother’s Memorial; a bronze reproduction of Whistlers famous painting, and dedicated to “All Mother’s Past and Present”… I was very appreciative that my friends had brought me here first. I spent a few minutes thinking of my mother back home, and the last, tearful few minutes, we spent together. I mumbled the promise that I had made to her before I left,’ that I would look after myself; ride safely and carefully; and last but by no means least,’ bring her daughter-in-law back to her as quickly as possible…

“Duckie” and I at the Mother’s Memorial in Ashland, Pennsylvania.

We were quickly onto our bikes after a short photo session, and headed out towards what I could only assume was the “wild, blue yonder”… I was riding a much lighter Big Fella than I was used to, and with the fully extended rear spring free of any load, my feet barely touched the ground whenever we came to a stop. And with my left ankle still hurting (not only from my fall in Alaska almost a year ago, but another fall into a 20 foot storm water drain just a few months previously, in which I tore ligaments on the self-same foot !!)

I had to be extra careful whenever we came to a halt and I put all my weight on my left ankle. Once I had that well-balanced feeling on the bike, I began looking around me to enjoy the scenery, and search for omens… Yes, omens…!!

I have over the years had so many little things happen so often on a ride, that I have come to see them as omens of either good luck, or bad luck. Mostly good luck, I am happy to add…!! The first omen appeared in the shape of a dead deer and a large red Harley-Davidson lying on it’s side in the long grass next to the roadside…

After hitting a deer and skidding for over 30 metres, all the guy in the blue t-shirt had to show for his indiscretion, was a scratch on his thumb !!

The rider had collided with the deer as it came bustling out of the thick bush next to the road. The bike had gone down on its right side and skidded for over 30 metres before ending up in a shallow ditch. The accident had happened barely a minute before we got there, and we stopped to render assistance. We hoisted the bike upright again and surveyed the damage… Apart from a few deep scratches on the fairings and bodywork, it seemed to be in good shape.

A patrol car, lights flashing, arrived on the scene just as we were preparing to leave. I indicated to Doug and Kevin that we should get going as soon as possible, not because I was in any great hurry, but because the sight of the officer reminded me that I had no insurance and did not want to be chit-chatting with someone who could make life a little difficult for me…!! Some officers can be quite inquisitive, I have found…

I took a few positive “omens” from the above incident:

1) If we had not stopped at the Mother’s Memorial, one of us might have collided with the deer, so my guardian angel was still hard at work !!

2) The sight of the traffic officer made me make a mental note to get my insurance in order as soon as possible, which I did the very next day !!

3) I was reminded of the brotherhood of bikers by the fact that neither of us had hesitated to stop and assist the fallen rider, and even though his appreciation of this was very evident, I felt that I done so just as much for myself, as I had for him…

This all got me even deeper into the riding mode I was quickly settling into…

Pennsylvania back of beyond… Kevin leads us up into the mountains of north central part of the state.

We rode down narrow country roads, through small towns, and deeper into the mountains, crossing fast flowing rivers and always surrounded by lush green forests. We passed many road-kills along the way, proof that the forests in these parts contained any number of critters, all dying to get run over by a vehicle of any description…

Doug’s t-shirt brings many a smile… We visited the Ugly Oyster in Reading the following day, where I bought a variation of the same theme, and will feature it here soon.

We saw as many porcupines as we did , possums, raccoons and a few more deer to go along with the first one.

We also narrowly missed a large rattlesnake, which lay coiled in the middle of the road. As Doug passed it, the snake made as if to strike out at him !!

Both Kevin and Dave experienced “bird strikes” along the way. A large dove crashed into Kevin’s arm, in an exploding ball of feathers, and another bird came to grief when it met with Doug’s leg.

The fact that I did not collect a feathered friend along the way I also later took to be a good omen…

The lush countryside we rode through was a huge change from the drab winter landscapes we had come from back in South Africa.

Spring had long ago sprung in these parts and Summer was well on its way…

After stopping for lunch on the banks of Pine Creek, we rode on to where Kevin’s cabin lay nestled on the banks of a small river, among a grove of large trees. This is where Kevin and his mates come to get away from it all. Sometimes to hunt and fish, and other times just to sit and watch bears and deer wander around in the back garden. I could see why they had chosen this spot. It was a place I could easily spend a few weeks at a time in…

Kevin’s cabin on Pine Creek…  

I think I found the bike Patricia really wants…

Our Pennsylvania warm-up ride. The lower arrow indicates Doug’s home in Port Carbon, and the upper arrow, Kevin’s cabin up in the mountains of central Pennsylvania.

After a quick refueling stop, we made the ride back home in one single stint, covering almost 200 km and completing a 460 km round trip that had gone a long way to getting me into a good riding rhythm again.

Later that evening, Doug swapped his Norge for his other Moto Guzzi, a Le Mans, and Kevin changed his Honda for his trusty KLR 650, and together with Kevin’s wife Sandy, and Theresa on her BMW 800 ST, we rode over the hills behind Port Carbon to have an ice cream at a nearby dairy that served the best ice cream in the district.

We sat watching the sun go down and relating aspects of our ride to the ladies, before heading home so that I could start preparing for my ride down to Georgia.

Before going to bed, Theresa looked at all my gear scattered around the room, and wondered how I was going to fit it all on the bike !! We even started making suggestions about leaving some of it behind for me to collect later, or even calling in UPS to haul the things I would not need, to New Jersey…

I decided to let the packing of it all wait until the following morning, but before I fell asleep, I managed to fill the dustbin in my room with all sorts of junk, including about 20 pens that I had been carrying around since riding through South East Asia almost two years ago !!

Once I got rid of that, a host of other smaller items followed the pens into the bin. I fell asleep satisfied that I had made a good start to getting all my gear onto the bike.

©GBWT 2013