Border to Border to Border Insanity

Border to Border Insanity
Mexico to Canada in Less than 24 Hours

This is to Certify that on September 3, 2009, Tim Masterson rode a 2008 BMW R1200GS Adventure a total of 1,391 grueling miles in less than twenty-four hours starting in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico continuing on to Sacramento, California and  Portland, Oregon before ending in Douglas, British Columbia, Canada while participating in the Border to Border ride.  Mr. Masterson's stellar performance in smashing the twenty-four hour barrier during this difficult ride earned him entry into the Border to Border Insanity record book.

Border to Border Insanity, and extreme ride designed for and extreme rider, was conducted under very strict guidelines set forth by the Iron Butt Association.  Only a handful of riders from around the world have managed to solve the equation of time and distance to complete the Border to Border ride.

Signed
Michael J. Kneebone
President, The Iron Butt Association

Border to Border to Border Insanity
Mexico to Canada to Mexico in less than 3 Days

This is to Certify that in September of 2009, Tim Masterson rode a 2008 BMW R1200GS Adventure a total of 2,782 miles starting in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico continuing on to Sacramento, California, Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington before crossing into Canada at Surrey, British Columbia and turned around and rode back to Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in less than three days!

Border to Border to Border Insanity was conducted under very strict guidelines set forth by the Iron Butt Association.  Only a handful of riders from around the world have managed to solve the equation of time and distance to complete this amazing ride!

Signed
Michael J. Kneebone
President, The Iron Butt Association


The Blog
This adventure started at home in Wimberley.  I grew up in El Cajon, CA and my sister still lives there.  So, it was a perfect place to so the Border to Border to Border Insanity ride.  I took two days to ride out with a stop over in the Picacho Peak state park west of Tucson.  Anyone who has driven/ridden I-10 west of Tucson has seen the striking Picacho Peak sticking out of the dessert.  Anyway, I pulled in about 30 minutes before sundown and set up cam.  No tent, just a hammock strung between the up-rights of the overhead cover for a picnic table.  The hammock was issued to me when I was in the Army about 35 years ago and has become my "Iron Butt Motel".

The next day I arrive at my sister's house in El Cajon, took her and the old man out to dinner then went back to catch up on old times.  The next morning I road to Otay Mesa border crossing.  This crossing is about 10 miles east of the very busy TJ crossing.  It took about an hour to do the quick turnaround on the Mexican side and get in line to cross back into the US.  After finishing at the border crossing, getting my IBA witness form signed off by a Major in the Border and Customs dept I headed to the nearest gas station to top off and get the all important dated business receipt to substantiate my official starting time....6:35 AM PDT.

As timing would have it I hit LA during late rush hour.  Lane splitting is a legal activity for motorcycles in California and the car drivers are used to it.  So, when in Rome.....I got through LA without much delay.  After crossing over the Cajon pass I headed into the "Big Valley" for the long haul through not very scenic parts of California. 

After a quick lunch around 12:30 I noticed the air temp start to rise.  It was early September and I was expecting hot weather.  My BMW has a trip computer that gives me time, average speed, average MPG, fuel range in miles till empty and the outside air temperature.  I have to toggle the computer button through the various settings to get to the temperature, which is last in the group.  Well the temperature had been in the mid to high  90's for the last hundred miles or so.  I did a quick glance a the instrument cluster to check the temp and I noticed it was 100.  I reach for my water bottle and took a big swig.  A few minutes later I noticed it was 103.  Not unusual and it's nothing I haven't ridden in before.  I was riding with a full face helmet, mesh jacket and summer weight gloves.  I could feel the heat but wasn't uncomfortable.  The best way to stay cool while riding in temperatures over 100 degrees is to drink lots of water and cover up to retard evaporation.  I glanced at the temperature again, just a quick glance, and noticed it was 107, then ticked of to 108.  Wow! I thought, but I was in one of the hottest parts of California so you just take it as it comes.  I had my video camera mounted to the side of my helmet so I thought I'd capture the moment.  I pressed the remote record button on my handle bar to start the camera.   There were no vehicles anywhere around me so I dipped my head down to have the lens pointing to the instrument cluster to capture the temperature. HOLLY SHIT!  It was 115.  I started to give some narration into the microphone in the cord and noticed......I had the trip computer set to the TIME!!!!!!!  It was now 1:16 in the afternoon.    I turned off the video cam....and went back to just riding down the Interstate.

The rest of the ride up to Canada was uneventful.  When I arrive at the Canadian border check point is was around 2:45 AM.  I asked the customs agent to witness my arrival and fill out the IBA witness form, which she was more than happy to do.  Crossing back into the U.S.  I stopped in Blaine, WA for a dated business receipt before getting back on to I-5 for the south bound leg.  I pulled over into the first rest area for some sleep.  After about about a 45 minute power nap I felt refreshed enough to tackle the rush hour traffic through Seattle and Tacoma.  It was HOV lanes most of the way so I sailed through without delay. 

By sunset I was in need of a good nights rest.  I stopped in Indio CA, checked into a nice motel, got a good Taco Bell meal, took a shower and hit the sack.  The ride back down to Otay Mesa went smoothly.   After dashing across into Mexico and back through the US check point I was able to have the same Border Agent sign off on my  witness form marking my successful completion of the Border to Border Gold and Border to Border to Border IBA challenge rides.  What a great long distance riding adventure!


Adventure Tips
You haven't lived until you have lane split 20 miles of rush hour traffic through downtown Los Angeles.