Fall Equinox SaddleSore 1,000

The fall equinox is Sep 22 9:29 PM CDT.  I am riding my second leg of the Iron Butt Four Seasons challenge: complete at least 1,000 miles in under 24 hour on each of the four celestial events.

Full SpotWalla Maps:  SPOT Gen3   BubblerGPS Pro (pictured below)


Monday, 9/22:  Departed the motel at around 5:25 for the Exxon station.  Topped off the tank and headed to the Sabine River turnaround at Exit 880 on I-10 west bound.  It's the first exit after crossing over from Louisiana.  Marked a SPOT and headed out. 

Traffic through Houston was not as bad as I expected it to be at 7am.  First fuel stop was on the west side of San Antonio.  It was the same place I stopped during the Summer Solstice ride back in June.  After Fort Stockton the weather turned wet and it rained of and on all the way to near El Paso.  Traffic through El Paso flowed real well at 5pm and it was a breeze to Anthony.  Got gas and a quick coffee with banana nut muffin before departing east.

I wanted to be riding at the official time of the fall equinox event at 9:29 PM CDT.  So, instead of stopping in Van Horn at just over 1,017 miles I rode to Fort Stockton for 1,133 miles.  I arrive just before 10pm, well after the official equinox time. 

Sunday, 9/21:  Left home for Orange.  I stay at the Days Inn for about $60.  It is right around the corner of an Exxon station with good receipts at the pumps.  I checked in and got Veronica, the desk clerk, to witness my IBA form.  Things went very smooth.  I turned in for the night.

I will be riding the same route and time table of the Texas I-10 Solstice 'Day Ride' I did back in June.  Starting in Orange at 6:00, riding I-10 to Anthony, turn around and finishing in Van Horn. 

Since the 22nd falls on a Monday I expect some traffic delays through Houston.  Also, the equinox for the CDT zone occurs at 9:29 PM I will make sure I am still riding at that time to remain true to the spirit of the Four Seasons event, even though it is not necessary by IBA rules.

The Grand Tour - West

This Hard Riding Adventure is all about The George A. Wyman Memorial Grand Tour ride.  I've been working on the Grand Tour Rider's Guide and have a section for each of the GAW waypoints from San Francisco to Cheyenne.  Starting on Wednesday afternoon I'll be visiting all the points along the way to verify the particulars.

Follow along via the BubblerGPS Pro track below or the full SpotWalla Map.  Watch for the pix at points along the way.

After reaching Cheyenne I'll be turning south to Denver to attend the Iron Butt Association International Meeting.  I'm scheduled to give a "dinner talk" about George and his long distance riding accomplishment.  Should be fun!

Tue 8/19:  Fort Steele was the first point along the way today.  Not too far from Rawlins it's right off of I-80.  The park hours are 9am to 5pm during the summer and I got the just as the caretaker was opening up....at 8:20am.  I was able to take a couple of pictures of the bridge foreman's building and the point were GAW may have crossed the river via the old immigrant trail.  From there it was onto Walcott where GAW remained overnight.  I couldn't find the hotel but there were lots of other buildings in the vicinity of the RR. I rode up to Medicine Bow passing several of the other points not accessible by road.  Medicine had a nice depot turned into the local museum.  Headed south to Laramie to the Lovejoy Bicycle Shop location.  Then over the ridge to Summit then down towards Cheyenne.  I was looking for the place where GAW got stuck and helped by SC Schrader (Shaver).  No luck, the whole ranch are had been subdivided into ranchettes.  I got to the Cheyenne UPRR Depot where GAW checked his motorcycle then I headed to the central library to look up where GD Pratt's bicycle shop was located.  Got a 1902 city directory and found it no problem.  The name of his establishment was the Grainger Cycle Company at 1711 Capital Avenue....no the parking lot of the Wells Fargo Bank.  Dang.....

I left Cheyenne for Denver and the Iron Butt Association International Meeting.

Mon 8/18: Across Wyoming for the next two days.  The riding out of the Salt Lake valley was great.  First of the points along the way was Weber Canyon.  The narrow gap that pilgrims traveled to the Salt Lake basin.  I was following George's tracks going the other way....east!  Got to Echo and checked out the Pilgrim Rock, what's left of it and the Weber pony express location.  Rode past the Devil's Slide rock structure that GAW mentioned....still there.  By the time I got to Evanston it was time for another cup of coffee.  But first, a visit to where GAW slept on a chair for the night.  The Evanston RR Depot, built in 1900, is still standing and completely restored.  I met with Key Rossiter of the Uinta County Museum and she gave me a tour of the Depot as it was closed to the public.  I told her the GAW story and she was very interested in all the details.  Seems her Facebook fans love all this history stuff.  But, anyway, the Depot is divided into two sections, men to the left, woman to the rights. That narrows down where George slept on the chair in the depot.  How about that, I got a picture of the actual room George did an "Iron Butt Motel" stay.

In Granger, where GAW stayed for the night, I was able to locate the building that was the Hotel.  It was donated to the school district in the 1920's but the basic hotel building is still there and intact.  I visited all the points along the way except Spring Valley and Altamont tunnel.  There was no access to either of these except on foot.  At Point of Rocks I spoke with Paul Varley, who's family have been in the area for a hundred years.  The Varley's had a thriving business in Bitter Creek.  I asked him about it and if the road was good.  It was and I went.  Not much circa 1903 structures remain.  Just the water tower and an old section house near the tracks.  But I got the location marked and I was on my way.  Wamsutter was another of those places that have seen better days.  But I did go to the old part of the town and took pictures of the road that GAW rode through on Monday June 1, 1903.

I wanted to find the Continental Divide monument that GAW visited but it had since been replaced and moved closer to I-80.  But, it was fun searching for it.  I stopped in Rawlins for the night.

Fri 8/15:  Over the top of the Great Salt Lake and on to Ogden.  Just five stops today.  Two of these, Tacoma and Terrace, will take me off the paved road.   Both Tacoma and Terrace have BLM information signs on UT 30 where any motorcycle can get to without issues.  But, I'm riding a Dual Sport motorcycle designed for off road riding.  Tacoma was easy being just about a mile off the paved road.  The gravel road out to the Tacoma station sight was hard packed and well graded.  The only indication at the site is a BLM sign with the word "Tecoma" on it and the remains of the Tecoma station foundation  Still is was great to get to the spot GAW rode through.

Terrace was a bit more of a challenge but the pay off was splendid.  A couple miles off UT30 and I intersected the actual RR bed that GAW rode over. It is straight as an arrow right into Terrace.  It was an incredible experience to be in such an isolated place riding in GAW's tracks.  When I got to the Terrace site it was struned with the remains of the once thriving station complex.  There lots of broken bricks where the RR roundhouse stood and I could see lots of other structural remains.  BLM has two "Terrace" information signs and I took close ups of each.  BLM also produces a map of the Trancontental Railroad National Back Country Byway which traces the old RR around the top of the Great Salt Lake.  I was very early in the day and I decided to follow it around just like GAW.  I got about 8 miles and the road was washed out.  So I turned back to the cutoff to UT 30 and took that route. 

Update:  I learned the Zenda siding location is not were I thought.  So, I'm adjusting the location back to my original conclusion at the RR siding near Pioneer Park in Brigham, UT. 

The last two stops on this leg were the UPRR Express Office where GAW picked up his two tires and a gallon of oil.  And, the LH Becraft Bicycle Shop location just a couple of blocks from the Union Station.  Then I headed to Salt Lake City to stay the weekend.

Thur 8/14:  East over the Sierras and on to Nevada.  What a great ride today.  I managed to get to all the GAW points along the way.  I stopped for the night in Wells, same as GAW, and will do all the Utah waypoints tomorrow.  Check out the pictures at the waypoints on the map above.  I also took lots of other pictures with my camera.  At Donner Summit and Palisade I took pictures of the tunnel GAW had to ride through as he followed the tracks.  All pretty interesting.  The Upsal location is not accessible by road so I put an offset waypoint on the highway.  When I got there, there was no place to run off safely.  So, I'll probably change the task to for information only.

Wed 8/13:  Chilling out at the Beemer Shop. The shock install went great and I was back on the road about three.  I headed up the ferry terminal at Vallejo, where GAW spent his first night on the road.  Check the map for the stops I made along the way. I stopped in Colfax for the night, just like George.

Tuesday:  Since I have all day to scout out GAW points I'm riding to Oakland to visit the final resting place of GAW.  Then cross the bay to SF to visit the SF Ferry Terminal east, Lotta's Fountain and the 1903 location of the California Motorcycle Company to take a picture of what's there now.  At Lotta's Fountain I'm going to identify the possible buildings to mount a GAW Memorial plaque if the political track, to get it mounted on or near Lotta's, doesn't work out. 

The Mountain View Cemetery is beautiful!  Very well run and maintained memorial park in Oakland.  I had an excellent conversation with my point of contact at MVC regarding GAW.  They are in the midst of reprinting all their tour documents, brochures and portfolios.  The committee that makes the decisions about who gets into the Famous People locations meets in September.  They are very keen to include GAW and a memorial plaque somewhere appropriate on the grounds. 

After leaving the paying my respects to GAW I headed over the bridge to San Francisco.  Check out the pictures in the map above.  After I finished in SF I dashed down to Scotts Valley to check into a hotel for the might.  Tomorrow, I'm having my ESA shock redone.  On the way down from SF I got to practice my California "lane splitting" techniques.....so exciting!

Sun & Mon:  Left the Wimberley suburbs at noon.  The plan was to ride to Van Horn and stop for the night. But, by the time I got there the sun was still high in the sky so I rode to Anthony at the border.  The temperatures and winds were good on Sunday all across west Texas.  Got an early start on Monday.  The plan is to get to I-5 in California around sundown.  Riding was good with no traffic or construction issues.  But the temperatures started to hit triple digits around Tucson and stayed hot all the way to Banning CA just past Palm Springs.  Got up to 112f for most of the desert starting at Phoenix through Palm Springs.  I styed hydrated with chilled drink in the Under Armor insulated drink bottle and cool water from my insulated CamelBak Antidote system.  With the quick release bladder/hose connection it makes carrying the bladder into a store easy.  Because the 100oz bladder is flexible it fits under a soda fountain ice dispenser with ease. 

I got to Wheeler Ridge, on I-5 around 2000 local time.  Had a veggie Cantina Bowl and bean burrito from Taco Bell.  Checked into a brand new Microtel for the night and all is well. 

This is going to be a leisurely paced trip but I do have sort of a plan.  I'll be posting the blog along the way, using my usual format, of the most recent posting on top. 

• Sun 8/10 - Tue 8/12:   Make my way to Scotts Valley, CA
• Wed 8/13:  Wilber shocks installed on the GSA at the Beemer Shop.
• Thu 8/14 - Sat 8/17:  San Francisco to Ogden UT  Grand Tour scouting
• Sat 8/17 - Sun 8/18:  Salt Lake City family visit
• Mon 8/19 - Tue 8/20:  SLC - Cheyenne Grand Tour scouting
• Wed 8/21 - Sun 8/24:  IBA International Meeting in Denver
• Mon 8/25 - Tue 8/26:  Ride home to near Wimberley, TX

The George A. Wyman Memorial Project

Memorial plaque, metal, 11 by 8 Inches, raised letters, picture is a zinc etching



Please see:  The George A. Memorial Project

All the content of the Project has been moved to the link above.  Listed below are the major content of the Project web site.

• What's New -- Latest developments (Blog)
• The Project -- List of Project Mission and Goals
• Publication Archive  -- Links to all known Wyman articles and news publications
• The Grand Tour -- The chronological listing of all Wyman "Points Along the Way"
• Friends of George -- Supports of The George A. Wyman Memorial Project

The George A. Wyman Memorial Project, established August 2014,  is a historical preservation and educational tax exempt non-profit organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (ID 47-3332474)  Snail mail:  The George A. Wyman Memorial Project,  P.O. Box 1728, Wimberley, TX 78676-1728

2015 IBR Goals and Objectives

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." -- Antoine de Saint Exupéry

My goal is to complete the 2015 Iron Butt Rally as a Gold Medal Finisher.  I will strive for a personal best by scoring better than my IBR 2013 16th place position.  

In my opinion, successful Iron Butt Rally riders are those who safely reach the final check point on time and with enough points to achieve their goals.  A rider applies his or her knowledge, skills, and abilities using the tools of the sport, in a balanced way among several interacting performance elements to achieve success. See "LD Riding on the Clock -- An Organizing Framework"

Goal-setting involves establishing specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bounded (S.M.A.R.T.) objectives. Once these objectives have been set they become the gauge by which goal success can be measured. To achieve my goal I have identified specific objectives for each leg of the Rally.  These objectives are based on my analysis of the Ride Pace of previous IBR finishers.  This analysis reveals two significant metrics which help me identify the specific objectives to reach my goals:

1. Point Spread:  Gold Medal finishers achieve total points above 145% of the minimum to attain Finisher status.
2. Ride Pace:  Gold Medal finishers have an overall average around 45.0 MPH

Point Spread:  There is no way of knowing the minimum points to be considered a finisher until it is announced just prior or at the start of the leg.  This typically occurs at the opening banquet the night before the start of leg 1.  And, at the 6:00 AM  rider meetings for legs 2 & 3.  When the minimum is announced I can determine the point target (objective).

Specifically, I want to know how many bonus location points I must plan for to reach the 145% target over minimum.  Not all of the points will be bonus location points, or points I earn by successfully reaching a location and document the stop as called for by the bonus listing.  About 20% to 30% of the minimum bonus points can be derived from admin bonuses; tracking, rest, call-in and others.  By subtracting the points of the admin bonus from the 145% over minimum value I can then determine the target amount of location bonus points necessary to achieve the leg goal.  This becomes my bonus point target for the route selection task.  I will select bonus locations with the highest value for the calculated achievable miles and the available time.

Ride Pace:   Normally, I can maintain a 45-48 MPH overall average (Ovg) while riding on the clock.  My moving average (Mvg) varies depending on the geographical area but are generally 65-70 MPH in the western US and 60-65 MPH in the eastern US.  Apply these metrics with the announced leg hours and the rest is basic math.  Reference:  Rally Leg Plan Tool -- Profile

Listed below are the planning standards/assumptions  I use to calculate the number of possible bonus locations and bonus location total time for each leg.  Combine the number of bonus locations with the target points for the leg can lead to selecting a route that meets objectives:  145% of leg minimum at a sustainable Ovg around 46 MPH

• Planning on the Clock:  Zero for Leg 1, 2:00 hours for Legs 2 & 3
• Fuel Endurance Distance (FED) -- 350 miles of usable fuel range with small reserve
• Average time per Pit Stop -- 0:10 minutes each
• Rest hours per 24 hour period -- 8 Hours to earn full value of the Rest Bonus with 6 hours for each remaining 24hr period.
• Average time per Bonus Stop -- 0:10 minutes each or multiples of 10 min for bonus stops that require a specific amount of time greater than 10 minutes.

2015 Iron Butt Rally Leg Start/End Date/Time -- Starting and Ending in Albuquerque (ABQ) NM

Leg 1:  10:00 MDT 29 Jun, ABQ NM 82 hours to end 20:00 MDT 2 Jul, ABQ NM

• Route Selection:  0:00 planning on the clock
• Planning Miles:  3,772 miles = 82:00 Lhrs X 46 MPH Ovg 
• Moving Time:  55:28 = 3,772 miles / 68 MPH Mvg
• Pit Stop Number:  10 = 3,772 / 350 FED (rounded up)
• Pit Stop Time: 1:40 = 10 Pit stops X 0:10 per stop
• Rest Stop Number:  3 = 82:00 / 24 hours
• Rest Stop Time:  18:00 = 6:00 standard (day 1), 8:00 Rest Bonus (day2), 4:00 day3
• Bonus Stop Time:  6:51 = 82:00 Lhrs - 55:28 Mvt - 1:40 PSt - 18:00 RSt
• Bonus Stop Number:  41 = 6:51 / 0:10 per standard bonus stop
• Slack Time:  To be calculated after route/bonus number is determined

Leg 2:  06:00 MDT 3 Jul, ABQ NM 60 hours to end in 20:00 EDT 5 Jul, Kingsport TN (EDT)

• Route Selection:  2:00 planning on the clock
• Planning Miles: 2,760  (at 46 Ovg)
• Moving Time: 40:35 (at 68 Mvg)
• Pit Stop Number:  7
• Pit Stop Time:  1:10
• Rest Stop Number:  2
• Rest Stop Time:  12:00 (4:00 day 1, 8:00 RB 2 day, maybe)
• Bonus Stop Time: 4:14
• Bonus Locations:  25 (at 0:10 standard each)
• Slack Time:  To be calculated after route/bonus number is determined

Leg 3:  06:00 AM 6 July, East US 100 hours to end 08:00 MDT 10 July, ABQ NM

• Route Selection:  2:00 planning on the clock
• Planning Miles:  4,500 (at 45.0 Ovg)
• Moving Time:  69:13 (at 65.0 Mvg)
• Pit Stop Number:12
• Pit Stop Time:  2:00
• Rest Stop Number:  4
• Rest Stop Time:  22:00 (split among 4 days maxing the RB)
• Bonus Stop Time:  4:46
• Bonus Locations:  29 (at 0:10 standard each)
• Slack Time:  To be calculated after route/bonus number is determined

After the route is selected I will use the computed route miles, computed Mvg, pit stops, planned rest time and number of selected bonus locations to determine the slack time to the checkpoint. 

I fully expect the plan and objectives to be challenged by the operational environment as I ride the leg.  But, these organizing measurements will help me to make better decisions about changes to the plan.  Understanding how the allocation of total leg hours among the various uses aides me in maintaining a consistent ride pace and manage resources.  Once the slack time is determined I will spend it dearly.  I will seek efficiencies doing bonus. pit and rest stops.   I am committed not to purchase bonus stop time with the currency of excessive moving average MPH (speed).  Also, I am determined to get the quality rest I need during each leg, as it will pay dividends when making decisions as problems and/or stress occurs. 

During training rides and rally practice I will seek to validate the performance objectives I have set for the IBR.  Chief among them are the overall average and moving average MPH.  By training to and being able to maintain these ride pace objectives I achieve the best guard against falling behind plan.  I expect to ride in extreme heat during all the IBR legs.  I will practice riding in the heat, adjusting my riding gear and establishing a hydration regimen that sustains the ride pace. Ultimately, maintaining a balance among the performance elements while riding on the clock will guide the training and preparation activities. 

Earth to Moon BunBurner Gold

"The Eagle Has Landed"

July 16, 2014 is the 45th anniversary of the launching of the Apollo 11 mission to land on the Moon.  In the spirit of "Every ride an adventure!" and to honor that date in history, I will ride from Earth, TX to Moon, PA, a distance of over 1,500 miles, in less than 24 hours.  (Hat tip to Rich Rulau for the idea.) 

Pre-launch staging will be conducted in Muleshoe, TX the day prior to scheduled July 16th departure from Earth.  The route after launch from Earth will pass through Amarillo, TX.  Then through Springfield IL, continuing on to the final destination of Moon, PA.  A distance of 1,511 miles according to the rocket scientists at Bing Cartography.  By doing a IBA Challenge Ride from Earth, TX to Moon, PA one earns "IBAnaut" bragging rights. (see disclaimer below)

BubblerGPS Pro map via SpotWalla Tracking Central.  This map link will show my ride up to Muleshoe, Earth to Moon, and the ride back home.  The map below shows my Spot Gen3 map of the Earth to Moon ride only.

Launch Pad

Wednesday, 7/16:  Launch pad was at the Alon station in Earth.  I had previously verified the accuracy of the all important IBA starting dated business receipt, of DBR.  I arrive at 0230 for a cup of coffee to go with my breakfast bar.  Got a backup DBR in the store just in case.  The morning air was very comfortable, in the low 60s.  I put on my electric gear before departing the Muleshoe hotel.

Segment 1 - Earth to PS1:  I launched out of Earth right on schedule at 0300.  DBR was 0257 and I pressed the starting SPOT button right at 0300.  Pit stop 1 was just west of Oklahoma City.  I would ride north through Amarillo then I-40 east.  I had my FLIR system activated to help me detect warm blooded critters along the path of travel.  Good thing too for just prior to Amarillo there was a deer on the I-27.  I was alerted to it well outside the range of my head lights or about 1/4 mile.  By the time it was in light range it had noticed me and was moving erratically.  I scrubbed off speed and waited for it to decide where to go.  The rest of the ride was good with just a couple of rain sprinkles along the way.  Arrived at Pit Stop 1 a few minutes early at 0725, but who's counting?

Segment 2 - PS1 to PS2:  Departing the Oklahoma City area I took a northeasterly route to the towards Tulsa and beyond to Springfield MO and PS2.  By this time the weather had cleared but the temperatures were still on the chilly side.  A cold front had moved through the area the night before and pushed all the hot air to the south.  Segment 2 was uneventful, just good riding.  There were some tolls along this route and I was delayed some at the three pay points.  But, traffic was good and no issues.

Segment 3 - PS2 to PS3:   Ride pace has been good with no traffic delays.  Hit the Springfield MO metro area and arrived at the preplanned station about 10 minutes early.  My goal for having planned stops was not to be a slave to the schedule but to provide me information about the ride pace.  Weather still pleasant with temperatures in the mid 60's.  During planning I picked stations with easy off easy on  locations and did google earth recons for each station.

Segment 4 - PS3 to PS4:  By the time I arrived at PS4 I had been on the move 18 hours having stopped three times for pit stops.  Still, I felt good and no issues with comfort stress.  I arrived at pit stop 4 with a few minutes to linger while off the bike.  I took this opportunity to get shed of the accumulated TexMex and other meals that had been processed.  It is amazing how much better riding is after a healthy purge, LOL.

Segment 5 - PS4 to Moon:  The accumulated miles were starting to wear on me.  My knees in particular were creating comfort stress.  Standing up a few times takes care of this as well as extending my legs out on my highway pegs.  Still, 20 hours in the saddle is a long time.  So, I pulled off at a nice Love's travel center, had a cup of coffee and stretched my legs a bit.  It felt good and the coffee perked me right up for the final trek into Moon.  I turned north near Wheeling WV and did the river road.  Was a great ride even in the dark.  I had my FLIR system on since dusk and it was working wonderfully.  Didn't seen any critters but was amazed at how the large cooling towers and smoke stacks appear in thermal imagery.  I looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

Lunar Landscape

The "HardTxRider" has landed:  Arrive at Moon right at 0130.  Got the clock stopping DBR at the Sheetz station, went in to by some food and rode across the street to the Super8.  Saw Rich's bike parked right out front so I pulled in right beside him.  Got the clerk and her assistant to witness my IBA BBG form.  Another Iron Butt ride in the baggie.  I got up the next morning around 0800 and had breakfast with Rich in the lobby.  Then I headed to the township to find a couple of photo ops.  What an adventure!




Ride Statistics:  GSA Odo 72,572 to 74,089 = 1,516 Miles, GPS 1,517.4 Miles

• Total Time:  22:33 DBR to DBR
• Moving Time:  21:30
• Stopped Time:  1:03
• Moving Avg MPH:  1,517.4 / 21:30 = 70.6 MPH
• Overall Avg MPH:  1,517.4 / 22:33 = 67.4 MPH

ATGATT

"IBAnauts"

Tuesday, 7/15:  Pre-launch staging took place in Muleshoe, TX.  About 20 miles west of the Earth launch pad.   I met up with fellow IBAnauts Rich Rulau and Perry Linn.  Rich was doing a BBG with a 2AM scheduled launch.  Perry's intention was a SaddleSore 3,000 Earth to Moon to Earth.  Rich, Perry and I went to a local TexMex eatery for the traditional IBAnaut dinner.  We got our IBA witness forms documented, with the help of "BikerBill" Bill Norris who rode in from Lubbuck. I entered pre-launch sleep period at 2000 with a 0200 wakeup.



Earth to Moon planning with proposed route and mission profile.  The mission profile contains the time, speed and distance calculations as well as the planned enroute fuel stops.  The mission profile contains the Garmin BaseCamp generated route and anticipated travel times for each route segment beginning at the Earth launch location through to the Moon landing location.  This raw data is then fed into the Rally Leg Plan Tool to time out the entire mission giving estimated times of arrival at all route segments and to the final landing location in Moon.  It can be used to compare planned and actual riding times.

I am planning to complete an IBA BunBurner Gold challenge ride during this event.  It requires me to ride, and document to IBA standards, over 1,500 miles in less than 24 hours.  By choosing to ride a BBG on a specific date, from and to specific locations, means I don't get to pick the weather or avoiding congested areas.  About the only flexibility I get is the departure time and expected waypoint times along the route.  So, this type of BBG is more challenging that the optimally chosen route and day to ride.  If for some reason I don't finish the ride in less than 24 hours I will apply for a regular BunBurner 1,500 which can be accomplished in less than 36 hours.  Either way it's going to be a nice motorcycling adventure.


The return flight from Moon is still in the planning stages.  Of course, I hope to make it an adventure out of that ride.  So, I'll be scouring the space between Moon and my home base for fun opportunities.  Stay tuned.....

OK, here's a fun idea.  Do any IBA SaddleSore or BunBurnner ride between Earth, TX and Moon, PA and lay claim to a "IBAnaut" designation.  Ideally, starting on an anniversary date of any Apollo Mission.  All rides should start from Earth, TX of course, unless you are an eastern extraterrestrial.  Just think of the fun combinations:

• BunBurner 1,500 -- One way from Earth to Moon in less than 36 hours
• SaddleSore 3,000 -- Round trip from Earth to Moon back to Earth in less than 72 hours
• BunBurner Gold --  1,500 Miles one way from Earth to Moon in less than 24 hours
• BB Gold 3,000 --  Round trip from Earth to Moon back to Earth in less than 48 hours
• Other interesting combinations....

NASA Apollo Missions

Apollo 11 -- 16 July 69 Launch date
Apollo 12 -- 14 November 69 Launch date
Apollo 13 -- 11 April 70 Launch date, DNF
Apollo 14 -- 31 January 71 Launch date
Apollo 15 -- 26 July 71 Launch date
Apollo 16 -- 16 April 72 Launch date
Apollo 17 -- 7 December 72 Launch date
No other manned Earth to Moon missions

Disclaimer:  The designation "IBAnaut" is not an official Iron Butt Association label for any ride.  Just my attempt to add a little fun to the event.