NEW YORK

                                                   Lake Placid,New York

Camping in the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York.I hung the Hennessey Hammock on this night.

Tennessee TAT

   In the spring of 2010,a couple weeks before Easter,a couple friends and I rode down to Jellico,Tennessee to ride a portion of the Trans America Trail.(TAT)
   When I left the house in the morning it was around 32* and about 7 hours later it was 90* in Tennessee !!!

                          Here we are stealth camping down a powerline.

                                     Somewhere along the Tennessee TAT.

                   Scott is ready for a coffee break,so out come the Jetboils.

                                 This was an interesting section of road.

               You can see the dead cow down at the bottom of this drop off.

                                         Rock Island State Park waterfall

                          WHOOPS !!! Kenny lost it in this slick water crossing.

                  Here you can see the black moss on the concrete,it is like ice.

                             Pouring rain along the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Manistee National Forest,Michigan MCCCT on KLR 650

   In the spring of 2008 I rode a 2003 Klr650 from Detroit to Manistee National Forest on the west side of the state and rode the portion of the Michigan Cross Country Cycle Trail (MCCCT) from White Cloud up past the Big O trail system and then rode back to Detroit in the same day.It was a long day for sure with about 18 hours in the saddle.

                       Because of spring there was a lot of water in areas.

                   This was a remote logging area I came across near the trail.

     In some areas the deep sugar sand was really tough to ride the big bike in !!!


 

                                        The pine forests were amazing !!

 

 

 

 

 

Some parts of the trail were used so little that it was hard to make out where the trail was.The MCCCT markers on the trees occasionally helped.

                                             Lots of top notch single track.

 

 

 

 

 

 
It was a long day but well worth it.I have since ridden trails all over the state and I have not found trails quite this good.

Smoky Mountains Tenessee and North Carolina

   A bear cub in the tree in CADES COVE in Smoky Mountain National Park.

Riding the TATHAM GAP gravel road over the Snowbird Mountains in North Carolina.

Riding the Parsons Branch Primitive road in the Smokys with the Motorcycle Tourers Forum Rough Road Riders.

Mackinac Bridge and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

    This is at the waters edge of the Straits of Makinac on the southern side in 2011.You can see the Mackinac bridge in the background.

                              Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore-2011

                             Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore-2011

Hilleberg Keron 3 GT setup @ D.H.Day Campground in Sleeping Bear Dunes- 2011  

2008 KLR 705 DUAL SPORT and 2001GAS GAS 321 TRIALS BIKE.

                  Heavily modified 2008 KLR 705 with a 10 gallon fuel tank.

                                       2001 GAS GAS 321 TRIALS BIKE

A Short Introduction

                                                  Glen Arbor,Michigan


    This is my first time at Blogging so I will do my best to make it interesting.
Mostly I hang out at ADVRIDER.com and The Motorcycle Tourers Forum so this is something new.
    I will start with a little bit of background info.As long as I can remember I have always had a strong desire for adventure and exploration.Growing up in Ohio in the country helped fuel that and I was always in the woods or fishing or playing with the dogs and animals so I also developed a strong understanding and feeling for nature.
    At about 13 years old I quit school in 9th grade after my Mom and Dad got a divorce and became more or less a Vagabond and Nomad living with my Dad here and there from Ohio to California in motels,cars,parks, you name it.Those were some crazy and tough days but also interesting and full of cool places and alot of characters,and it really instilled the travel bug in my blood !!!
   At 17 years old my mother signed the papers for me to join the Army Infantry and off I went to Fort Benning,GA and then a couple of tours on the DMZ in Korea and a short stint at Fort Riley,KS and Fort Chaffee,Arkansas.
   At 20 I was out of the service and floating around in the Detroit suburbs back in Vagabond mode with my Dad and for years just screwing around drinking  and working odd jobs.
   Then I got serious about life and became a Mechanic and settled down with my wife and had 2 daughters and that is my current situation.Now I go to work everyday and take care of my wife and kids and dogs and when I get a chance I blast out on an adventure on a motorcycle,so I think I have a pretty good balance in life going, but of course it is always a challenge.
    I have had alot of different motorcycles over the past 12 years and may post up some pics of them but my current 2 wheeled exploration vehicle of choice is a 2008 KLR 705 single cylinder thumper.
    Also,in addition to that I ride Observed Trials with a 2001 Gas Gas 321 and am currently in the Intermediate class.
  More to come !!