First, let me thank a few companies.
Aerostich, Keprotec, H-D, First Gear and REI---for keeping us warm and dry.
Pirelli and Continental for providing outstanding performance in the rain. MotoLight for providing visibility. Dual Star for warm hands. Garmin and XM for get us there and entertaining us.
Thursday night we checked the weather. No rain until 2pm. Pack up the bikes and turn in. Friday morning 6am wake up shower and prepare to leave. About 7:30 I climb on my bike and wait for Kim to get on hers. It is on the center stand, she pushes it off. I watch as it slowly falls away from her on to me. I catch it before it hit the ground. As I lift it back to her I lost my footing. Something to do with a 175# person trying to hold up over 1000#'s of off balance motorcycles. In slow motion again both bikes fall the opposite way.
Finally we get on the road. We started with enough fuel to go about 120 miles. I figured that would be a good point to stop and check the load and make sure Kim was ok. About 45 min. in to the trip the rain starts. FUG! Now the plan to take nice, scenic back roads has been changed to all slab.
First fuel stop just north of Harrisonburg, all is well. Filled up we shoot south to Roanoke. We stop again in Roanoke to stretch and refuel. heading out 220 we encounter a traffic jam caused by a wreck. While sitting there the rain really kicks up. We clear the wreck and get moving again. Kim calls on the radio and says her hands a soaked and the grips can't keep them warm. We stop again. I take off my gloves and give them to her, they are the smallest pair I brought. Oh, she gave me sh!t packing 3 spare pairs of gloves. I put on my cold weather, Gore-Tex, but knew they would not last because I could not fit them under my coat sleeves and the water would run straight down my sleeve into my glove. Which it did! I made it Ashboro, NC before I could not take it any more. The gloves were full and the water was wicking its way up my liner. This time I opted for the heated glove. I did not think I could get them under my sleeves, but they fit. Now I know! Refueled, warm, next stop Pine Lakes Camp ground. Not so easy. The crotch in the First Gear pants Kim was wearing springs a leak.
We arrive at the camp ground find a 2/3 mile sand road to get in. 3 places in this road are wet, sloppy and deep. Intimidating to a noob. There was plenty room to get around it.
We made it! Only thing left to do was get beer and set up camp in the rain.
to be continued
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