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[Gone Fishin']

Seems he is allready well into Georgia. First day did not go too well for some of the guys:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jun/21/Hoka-Hey-key-west-alaska-harley-davidson/



Ride safely,
Louis

[Twolanerider]

Just looked at the event website and found nothing that showed or suggested progress of the participants.  Would've been nice to place our brother in the larger crowd or see some in route interviews from riders who have stopped along the way.

Not that I expect this to happen.  At all.  But it'd suck if they got to Homer, AK and no one was home....

[Twolanerider]

Just spoke with himself once again.  Has been given all the routing docs for a current stretch that is about 2000 miles between checkpoints.  Man oh man they don't believe in going anywhere straight.

Charlie has a lot of travel on some beautiful but curvy stretches of northern Arkansas ahead of him.  The current "leg" will take him across AR and Oklahoma, through New Mexico and on through his own stopping grounds in Arizona.  Then north across Utah (sounded like it would miss the worst of the Basin but will still be damn hot) before ending up at Flaming River Harley in Wyoming.  Unless it's moved that's that the only Harley shop I've ever seen that's in an old Wal Mart sized store in an otherwise mostly abandoned shopping center.

Charlie has been doing great.  The ride managers have told him at check ins that he's well within the top 100.  Perhaps as well as 70-ish.  There have been accidents in the run though it sounds like most have been guys riding together that have gotten tangled up trying to make time on marginal roads or after getting lost.  Charlie is well served here with his feet back on the pegs enjoying the scenery and riding alone.

Ride on my friend.  Can't wait for future updates .

[iski]

Best wishes to Charlie on this run of a lifetime! 

I have a friend - local fellow named Greg - who is also competing.  Word is the maps are confusing, the route is not well defined, and it appears the orgnizers used Mapquest to route the riders.  A road in Jasper, AL was one spot where the locals even had no clue.  According to the organizers no one found it.

Wish my riding buddy Greg well too please.  He loves to ride & distance for him is no problem. 


Here is a link to another rider - Mark - that seems to be taking a different route:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Vo1DZnVigobDKUtHgt6z9m3FKD96Mly9

[Twolanerider]

Good news!  Charlie won!  He's already in Alaska (I think he cheated a tiny bit!)!


Ok, not really.  But in true I-don't-give-a-chit-about-your-"rules"-I'm-a-rider-and-I'll-do-as-I-damn-well-please-thank-you-very-much-you-officious-bastard fashion Charlie ditched the "suggested" route for awhile and (intentionally!) detoured up toward St. Louis to see an old mate of his father's.  Good for him and good for me too.  Because to intersect his route and get back on track he'll be coming right through here at just about the right time for an early dinner. 

[Twolanerider]

Got an email a moment ago wondering why Charlie was still in Joplin.  It's a long and sordid story.  There were babes and hobos and squeaky muffler mounting rubbers and, of course, dinner.  But there's nothing wrong with the bike or Charlie.  He's having some issues with travel docs and is bagging it here for the night to start dealing with it.  Will tend to it a bit more in the morning before heading out again. 

Now I'm off to help him fight off the hobos and the babes.  They're attacking at the ramparts and it's only me, him and the dog Dizzy to protect all the bikes!  They're might even be a zombie too.  But the Missouri zombies are small and not much to worry about.

[johna]

AZ Serks spot dosent seem to have moved for several hours

It seems the professional rider Chris Carr riding the Hoka Hey bike is in front  (wonder who his sponsor is??)
About 11.15 pm he was on Hway 64 turn off to the 505 to Stubblefeild Reservoir
If i could find a bookmaker to take a bet i would probably bet big on him.
Some of the other riders have been complaining about missing and cut down direction signs.
Maybe the organisers have a little insurance that the 500k is not going to be paid out.

[Gone Fishin']

AZ Serks spot dosent seem to have moved for several hours

It seems the professional rider Chris Carr riding the Hoka Hey bike is in front  (wonder who his sponsor is??)
About 11.15 pm he was on Hway 64 turn off to the 505 to Stubblefeild Reservoir
If i could find a bookmaker to take a bet i would probably bet big on him.
Some of the other riders have been complaining about missing and cut down direction signs.
Maybe the organisers have a little insurance that the 500k is not going to be paid out.

I think it is a little early to be certain who is really in the lead, as people may choose different down times. Also on a trip like this anything is up until even the last ten miles.

Separately, how in the world could it be that the organizer has a sponsored bike in the race, which would be entitled to the grand prize? Can't believe that to be true, or that whole thing is even fishier than I thought to begin with.

Cheers,
Louis

[johna]

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=00X726PWZ1GOBvgG5VXqX4RfZeco2Lotk
Chris Carrs spot

Some reports from another site

Jeri Fyi, I just happened to see a posting that says that Chris Carr, professional motorcycle racer is in the lead....oh and by the way...he is riding the Hoka Hey motorcycle that was sitting in front of the lobby at the Marriott in the Keys. Ha...wonder who sponsored him? lol

Jeri You know what....my husband is riding hard and loving it! I have been able to convince him to slow up and smell the roses! He is frustrated about the directions and missing signs, but, is riding in a group of good guys. He is just so disappointed in the integrity of the organizers. I don't blame him.....and we are Christians. We don't "collect souls of dead warriors". He had no right to lie for his own agenda.
Alex, I have been praying for the safety of all the challenger. Blessings,


Ryan My dad just checked in. He just reached New Mexico and said that a bunch of riders caught up from a different way, and he asked them if they went on 64 through Oklahoma (the designated route), and they said no.
By the way, he came across another road sign that was cut down.


Money or not i think its a great adventure.

[iski]

According to GPS phone search, my friend Greg is about an hour ahead of Chris Carr now. 

Appears they will head up Hwy. 191 towards Rock Springs, WY for the next check point.

[Twolanerider]

Spoke with Charlie again a couple hours ago.  When he stopped here for dinner last night he discovered that somewhere previous on the route his passport and some other needed travel items had gone missing. 

Was of course initially very disappointed this might mean an end to the journey.  As of this morning it appears the adventure might just continue on though.

He managed to arrange both domestic and international proofs of insurance to be delivered where he can collect along the way and has an appointment at a walk through passport center that isn't significantly off the route.  With just a little luck and making some good time on the road he'll be able to get it all in hand and still meet the Wyoming checkpoint before it closes.  If that happens he'll be able to complete the trek and call it a victory. 

The hassles and detours will make the adventure even more of an adventure than he'd planned for when he set out.  Completion is victory in and of itself for a trip like this though.  And Charlie is still enjoying the ride.  So no matter how it finishes he'll have conquered a hell of a ride.

[Gone Fishin']

To finish first you have to finish first. Seldom more true than for longhaul rallies.

[fresh oil and pipes]

Hooked up with Charlie near Oklahoma City on I-40 rode a while with him when we parted company he still had a little over 900 miles to cover before he felt he could shut down when he gets to that point he will have covered a little over 1200 miles today. I have always thought I was a distance rider and a good one at that but having talked with and ridden with and tracked his ride for the last week or so I am not qualified to carry his helmet he is in great spirits and was talking about changing his plans and riding back from Alaska after he finishes this challenge. My claim to fame will be on this trip I operated the fuel nozzle to fill his bike while he rehydrated himself so that makes me part of his crew for this adventure and I consider that an honor. He is riding hard but safe and wanted me to say thanks to all the well wishers that are tracking him and supporting him.

[naitram]

looks like he is already on the move this morning near elephant butte NM

[naitram]

i created a web page here that will generate a larger version of the map interface if you are tracking charlie

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/charlie.html