Hoka Hey Report Part 2 It is fair to say, in my opinion, the absence of a timed start combined with the first come-first serve alignment helped to create an unnecessary atmosphere of urgency for many riders. These are contributing factors to many of these collisions and crashes. And, I will refrain from giving details of the poor turn-by-turn directions and the absence of maps.
Sometime during the third day and night, my Passport went missing. It may have fell from my tank bag during one of many fuel stops but, at this point, I may never know. I discovered it was gone during a, “Dinner Stop,” with Don in Joplin. Needless to say, I was physically sick upon discovering this loss. Don and I reviewed my gas receipts and he quickly called the various gas stations to inquire if anybody had turned in a lost Passport wallet? No luck.
Note: As I am typing this report, a text message came to my phone from an Alaska rider indicating one of his buddies Passport is now missing. Interesting! He had pressed hard and indicated he was in the Top 30. (No matter how mine was lost, I have nobody to blame but myself. I should have kept it around my neck, where it was safely residing during the first two days of the Challenge)
Don graciously offered his home as a place to rest and form a re-entry plan. I accepted his offer and, following a few altercations with some, “hobos and babes,” we got busy planning.
A huge, “Thank you,” to TLR!
I managed to schedule an appointment with the Western Passport Center in Tucson for Thursday morning at 9:30AM. They indicated I could receive a replacement Passport in approximately three hours.
I steered the SERK westward and, much to my surprise, received a call from my friend Cobb. He was waiting along I-40 to accompany me for a portion of the ride. A very nice surprise, indeed. Cobb, “Thank you!”
It appeared all was on track to make the appointment when a severe storm, just east of Tucumcari, caused a three hour delay. An overpass offered minimal shelter during the first hour. Don and my bride offered weather updates and I also checked my Smartphone for current weather radar, between squalls. A break in the wind and a slowing of the downpour allowed me to think it was time to move on. Big mistake! Less than three miles of progress and the wind and rain returned with a fury, accompanied with pea-sized hail. I could barely manage to keep the SERK in the right-hand lane. A passing semi, God bless him, seen my dilemma. When I flashed my light, letting him know he was clear to move right, he eased into the lane in front of me. He then turned on his emergency flashers and cruised at a mild twenty-five miles-per-hour, leading me westward approximately five miles to a weigh station. I followed him into the weigh station and found shelter under a large canopy designed to provide shade during truck inspections. I hit the kill switch and was immediately greeted by a New Mexico State Trooper. He said, “My God son! What are you doing out in this mess?” I told him about the Challenge and the urgency to arrive in Tucson. He was so captivated by the story, he asked me to wait a minute while he retrieved a buddy from the office overlooking the scales. Following a brief introduction I repeated the details while the wind continued to howl, blowing a horizontal rain just outside the canopy. The Troopers were intrigued, to say the least.
The net delay was a bit more than three hours, making it very difficult to keep on schedule for the Tucson appointment. I rode into the wee hours of the morning, nearly making it to Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico. Unable to maintain a straight line, it was time to stop and sleep. Less than three hours later I awoke and hopped into the saddle, knowing I would need to call the Passport Center to reschedule my appointment. The time arrived, the office was open and, I placed the call with fingers crossed. The gentleman indicated he had no openings until Monday. The writing on the wall was clearly visible: “It is time to call the dogs. The hunt is over.”
The total distance traveled from Key West to home via various county roads, state highways and interstates: 3,647 miles. The SERK performed flawlessly, using less than four ounces of oil and never missing a beat! Although, I did hear an annoying squeal prior to arriving in Joplin. Fearing it may be a wheel bearing Don offered to give a listen while I performed some fly-by’s. He correctly diagnosed the squeal as coming from the rear exhaust mounts. Thank you, Don!
The total distance from home to Key West: 2,598 miles.
Grand Total: 6,245 miles.
A nice little cruise!
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Topic: AZ SERK -- Track the Man on an Epic Transcontinental Trip (Read 11218 times)