TX Big bend trip in March, 10th-12th, who is in?

[FearedGS500]

yup well thats also right around tax return time to !!! just make sure you have it ready for the first day you can send it in and do a direct deposet !! thats how i got to go last time !! hehe and thats what i will do this time more then likley to

[FearedGS500]

ok ok .. so have we desided on a date yet ?  and we need a head count on who wants to camp and who wants a hotel ....

*edit* ohhh yea .. we need a date ASAP becuase there gonna be full soon i know we tryed this last time . we need a head cout on whos gonna stay in and who wants to camp . if we all get the cabin it will run us like 29 with taxs but just to be safe for now think of it as 35 per person .  if you guys click on the link to the cabin look at where its at . it took us 9 hours just to get to our hotel last year and its right off the highway . i'm only pushing for the early leave out because big bend can get pretty curvy ask CSS he knows . i wont fill comfy with trying to lead everyone in and not know the road. (not saying i'm gonna be the one leading its just i normaly do when i ride with ppl cause i know where i'm going . we normaly rotate leaders so everyone kinda gets a brake ) this cabin is deep in to big bend . we need to find out if you guys want to just stay in big bend or stay in the same hotel we did last time and ride the same route as last time  *edit**

[plusultra]

The deeper into big bend the better!  I've always been very big into camping and roaming around nature, so I'm biased toward that kinda scenery, but also I've always had either wranglers or 4x4's.  Will we be able to get to the cabin on the bikes?  If so, I don't see why anyone would ever rather stay by the busy highway than on the beautiful place we're traveling so long to visit!   I bet the cabin has an awesome view!

[FearedGS500]

 http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/bigbend_chisos.htm  <----theres the site to the cabing where trying to get if you guys want to go there   check it out . i might invite my causin along (hes on a GSXR600 but dont ride it like a 600     )

[FearedGS500]

date guys !!! we need to get it in by october to see if we get it in time .. we will be lucky if there not booked already :|

[Alphamazing]

Soooo...... might not be going... Might be going to Kansas to hang out with Turd Ferguson instead, depending on what he's up to. But yeah.

[FearedGS500]

ok so we have 5 that are pretty sure going  then ?  i'll ask my cusin if he wants to join us . that way we have six (keeps the cost on the place we stay down . )  so .. we going to do the 10th-13th then ?

[FearedGS500]

are you guys not checking on this ? .. well .. css if you see these see if we can get a room at that cabin for 6 ppl . my cusin said he would go .. ( or try )

[Jarrett]

10-13 sounds good to me.  Just let me know when to show up.   How detailed are you getting with the logistical planning?  I'm just currious if we've got break down immediate action covered.  Are we going to buy some extra gear and spread load it amongst ourselves ie chains, tire plug kits, CO2 inflate cartrages, head light bulbs, clutch plates, shift levers, 100mph tape, handles, levers, spacers, C-clamps, nuts and bolts?  Do we know where the dealerships are along the route that we can get a busted bike to to do some parking lot wrenching at if we need parts?  just currious because we'll all be a long way from our respective homes.  Buddy of mine went to New Hampshire to pick a bike a up a month ago to ride back to Texas.   Made it to Deals gap and front forks gave out.  I was in the military and have alot of experiece planning logistics so I can help out.  Might be nice to have a couple of bigger bikes on the ride with us if someone's bike takes a shaZam! on them and we can't get it fixed on the road. I'd hate for someone to ride 500 miles with my 210lbs ass on the back of thier GS. Everyone got tank and saddle bags, and camelbacks?  Do we want to do a group buy for those of us who don't?  OK, that's enough questions for now.  We need to get maps to all the hospitals along the route.  I can start a folder with all this info in it if somebody tells me what route we're taking.  I'm alittle anal when it comes to stuff like this.  Do we have any expereiced wrenchers going along?  I can fix just about anything, but I don't have much experience working on the GS.

[plusultra]

I think i might just pick a camelbakc for the trip! good call!   seriously, on the other very important stuff I think the rule of thumb is to just wing it and pray for the best, but we should have protection against the most common stuff, like  flat tires and the such.

[Alphamazing]

I might be in, I might not. Unsure at this point.

I'm an experienced wrencher on the GS. And to be honest, I'm not sure I want to kill my Pilot Powers on the way out there by riding nothing but high speed interstate. If we do, I'm at minimum going to have to go back to stock gearing.

[FearedGS500]

well .. where riding over 9 hours from austin (cuz where going in to big bend it self . we where off the highway last year and it took us 9 hours ) the only thing we took last year was . stuff to shower with . extra close and rain gear !!! PACK SOME RAIN GEAR  we ran in to it twice last year so just be ready . if you want to plan it out that would be nice man . heres the route .. 35 to austin then from austin to big bend . if you go to yahoo maps and put austin -bigbend,tx you will have our route . it would be nice to take a diffrent route but at nine hours ... we would have to leave early ( like i said about 8-9am . i'm cool with that .. but you guys from dallas houston would have to get closer to austin in order to get up and ride out that early . big bend is pertty much in the middle of no where so theres not much around but sand,dirt,big big hills and trees ........ so be ready . if you have your tool kit that came with the bike you should be alirght cuz i think thats what stray used when he went down .... another thing is .. where going to have a pretty big group with us this time .. we might think about spliting up in to two or so groups .. say ones that are there to just see what its like and then ppl like me that like to look but like to move to ! ask CSS and Stray .. i mean i stop every so often to make sure everyone is ok . .. oh ... and about pit stops on the way .. we stop about every 100 miles for the guys with the older gs's that dont have that big tank i know i can get 150 easy out of my bike but you know .. besides .. its gives everyone a chance to get off there back and wake up a little !

[css4608]

I cannot get a cabin for the 11th they currently have one for the 10th. We could stay at one place for the first night and a second place for the second night or Stay at one place for both nights.

I looked into camping, it is first come first serve for the campsites and I am concerened about them filling up since it is spring break. Also I would hate to leave all my stuff at a camp site and have someone take it while I was out riding.

The closest place I could find with a room for both nights was the Ramada in Alpine, TX, I booked two rooms since there is no cancellation fee with at least 48 hours notice. The cost would be $83.64 per room per night including tax etc. We can fit up to 4 in each room.
2800 W Hwy 90
Alpine, TX 79830 
Phone: 432 837-1100
Fax: (432) 837-7032

How is this plan?
Meet in Austin the morning of March 10th
  we can ride there the night before or that morning but we can figure that out later
Ride on a TBD route to Alpine TX, 
  Jarrett  if you are good with the maping software, or anyone else knows a fun route post it up otherwise we
  can take I10
On march 11th we ride to Big Bend
   Feared, you had a map last year did you save it?
We end back at the hotel spend the night
On the 12th we can head home, I am going to look up a fun route along the boarder, mabey 90 will be interesting.

[FearedGS500]

might have not sure .. i think theres a picture of the river ride on the old big bend post ....do you still have that old map i left at the hotel ? if  so use that one it was outstanding

edit* heres a link on the board to some of the ride in big bend http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=23554.30
this is the road me and CSS took last year   http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=terlinguapresidio4ih.jpg

hey CSS could you not get the swiss inn at fort stockon again ?

[css4608]

The Swiss inn screwed me last year so I would rather not go there again.

Last year we left Austin around 3:00PM as we were waiting for Alpha and still got there before 10:00PM, driving in the rain.

Austin to Fort Stockton is 5 ½ hours, 340 miles to Alpine is only another 1 hour 10 minuets or 60 miles. Making a 400 mile day. I would rather have the extra 2 hours 20 minutes on the second day by staying that much closer.   If someone has time it would be good to map a way with less I10.

http://maps.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTExNmIycG51BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLWJ1dHRvbgRzbGsDbGluaw--#mvt=m&maxp=location&q2=30.358656,-103.661774&q1=30.274546,-97.735817&trf=0&lon=-102.31842&lat=30.066717&mag=10

Below is a map of a possible second day; I think 170 is river road, I tried to avoided all dirt and 4x4 roads by referencing a map that delineated them and stuck to paved roads.
I think it is close to what we did last year, works out to 400 miles. Last time we rushed a lot to avoid riding in the dark and we still ended up riding through part of big bend in the dark. I was hopeing that by staying in Alpine we could avoid this, cut 2+ hours of the days travle.
 
http://maps.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTExNmIycG51BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLWJ1dHRvbgRzbGsDbGluaw--#mvt=m&maxp=location&q11=30.369913,-103.625141&q10=29.473087,-103.08215&q9=29.36198,-103.045415&q8=29.189941,-103.015374&q7=29.044919,-103.105406&q6=29.086934,-103.208837&q5=29.269344,-103.301027&q4=29.165653,-103.434923&q3=29.199826,-103.604381&q2=29.542551,-104.321026&q1=30.362271,-103.649208&trf=0&lon=-103.503571&lat=29.696404&mag=9

Third day I was thinking of doing something like this but I have to give it more thought.

http://maps.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTExNmIycG51BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLWJ1dHRvbgRzbGsDbGluaw--#maxp=location&q3=29.547625,-95.100583&q2=29.363027,-100.904068&q1=30.358656,-103.661774&mvt=m&trf=0&lon=-95.136108&lat=29.554345&mag=11
The Dallas and Austin People could hop on 77 in San Antonio or something.

[FearedGS500]

ohh ok i did not know they did you like that .. well remeber we where not that far up the road from the way to the other route .. do you not plan on going to the mcdonalds obser? i mean i think we still missed alot of big bend .. some of it we took wrong turns rember  but eather way .. yea ...

**edit** i dont think we road river road last year i think we just road 170 and i think thats why we missed out on alot of good. stuff .. i think we sould just ride right down to it and find river road and ride it .. that was the piont of going last year .. if you find big bend go to the lowest point in the green area .. clck it once .. then go to lvl 3 and king of move around to your right and up a little .. until you findriver road ...... i'm pretty sure we missed it 

[common sense]

any updates? I'm currently doing the whole job search thing, but I should be in Houston by then. Sounds like a nice trip, list me as questionable

[FearedGS500]

cool cool

[css4608]

I don't want to go to mcdonalds obser, unless you really want to.
I would rather dedicate the time to Big Bend,
what do you think is Ramada good or should we find a place in Fort Stockton?

[FearedGS500]

yea thats fine .. riding river road this year will take alot of time so thats what we should to .. you already have the place set .. alpine is fine we can take 90 or 118 right to the start of it and keep on going