The Day Before

My first ride in 2013 was not on January 1, 2013. Traditionally, I can be found cruising around on the first day of January every year; this year, however, it just did not work out. Many  factors pulled together to work against me. I guess beggars just can't be choosers. 

It was a gorgeous sunny day, and I had the opportunity to meet up with some climbers in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Who could resist to ride on a 39 degree windchill day? Not this rider who was suffering from major withdrawals. I had it timed perfectly. Or, so I thought. But it turns out that my gear/prep checklist took a tad longer than I thought. Mainly due to my brain being on standby. When I remembered I needed keys and went to go get them, I forgot what I wanted by the time I got to where I thought my keys had been. This happened a lot while getting my stuff together.

Checklist:

• backpack
• camera
• cell phone
• wallet
• hot tea
• water
• notebook
• book to read should I get there first
• upper body layer #1
• upper body layer #2
• upper body layer #3
• upper body layer #4
• upper body layer #5
• long underwear
• synthetic wind resistant pants
• jacket
• winter gloves
• 2 pairs of socks
• boots
• keys 
• scarf
• helmet 
• music player
• glasses so I can see stuff

Yes, I make winter riding complicated. But, at least I'm warm and hydrated. I think what I love most about motorcycles is that every ride is an adventure. Cars are my fire breathing dragons.  Undecided squirrels are my strategy changing enemies. Perception really is everything. I love every moment, road, and tree I see while riding. 
So I got off to a later start than I thought. Since it had snowed, the road from Meers into the Refuge was covered in dirt, gravel, and other nasty stuff. Good thing my music was playing. Otherwise the cussing echoing in my helmet may have turned my ears red. I lost a little bit of time making my way down yucky gravely hell since my tires were cold.

I saw a lot of buffalo along the road in the Wichita Mountains. They have a whole 59,000 acre refuge to chill out on, and they pick the area along the road. As I approached the prairie dog town, there was this one buffalo rubbing his neck on an open gate onto the restricted area. He was slightly surprised when Blueberry's exhaust caught up with him. So surprised that he freaked out and stormed off to the other buffalo who then proceeded to freakout. Yes, Blueberry and I actually started a small stampede. I was very tempted to get off my bike and dig out the camera, but I thought stopping in the middle of a buffalo stampede might not be such a good idea. I would like to avoid using the phrase "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

I, therefore, continued on my way. Shortly before the turnoff to the Sunset picnic area, I came across a flock of turkey. I turned around, put Blue in neutral, pulled the gloves off my frozen fingers, shimmied the backpack off my heavily layered upper body and dug for my camera. The Refuge cop probably thought I was having a fit of insanity as I was prancing around trying to get the feeling back in my toes and fingers. 

They were a pretty cool bunch. Didn't have a lot to say, though.

 When I finally made it to the parking lot, the car I was looking for was already there. I hadn't been to this parking lot in years since, next to Mt. Scott, it's a tourist trap. There was still one parking spot left. Now, I had no idea where Echo Dome was (and still do not know) other than it can be found in Charon's Garden. I assumed it was to be reached from the trail going around on the west side of Elk Mountain. I packed my stuff and started on the trail. It wasn't long before I came across a huge longhorn on the trail. Usually, I'm not worried about large animals on trails, but not being properly dressed to run from a longhorn kept me at bay. I decided I'd turn around and get some more miles under my belt. 

When I got back to the parking lot, I pulled out my notebook and wrote a note for the climbers. As I was looking for a place to stash it, I found the note they had left for me. Figures that I'd see it too late.

On my way over to Little Baldy, I saw some buffalo playing or fighting. I was brave enough to pull over and watch them for a bit. They calmed down and then started up again which is when I thought it best to leave. I do believe a buffalo would win in a buffalo vs. bike battle. Especially when the rider still has to put up a camera and pull on gloves.

 As I headed towards Cache, I eventually realized that I was singing off key in my helmet which is also when I realized that my music had disappeared and my mp3 player had turned itself off. By the time I reached Lawton, the resistant part of my pants decided to stop working and it got very cold very fast. So I headed back to Meers. It really was a great day to ride, but the cold kept all but four riders (including myself) from enjoying it. I was surprised that I only saw one cruiser out and about since usually they're always out riding.

Back to Fast Charlie and the Moonbeam Rider

You won't find any pictures of Blueberry on today's post since I'm feeling a tad bit guilty; I dreamt of another bike. A sexy chopper to be exact.

Okay, I really need to watch that movie before I mention it again.Yes, I went back to where the beginning of the movie was filmed, Faxon. I don't always drive to Faxon....But, when I do... Okay enough play on those Most Interesting Man of the World memes. A couple of uncertain left and right turns got me out to the old school. Uncertain, only because I didn't know where I wanted to go. My navigation instinct is still in fine form. Woman's intuition, right? The school was up and running in 1902 and just recently closed. Okay, 1995 may not be as recent as I keep thinking it is. The old school bell can be found in front of the post office in Faxon (so I've heard). I have yet to find the post office. Next time.

On the way back to the highway, we pass this old couple sitting out in their yard enjoying the sunshine of an 80-degree December day. They waved kindly to two unknown bikers passing through their tiny little town on gravely road. Must say it was friendlier than when I cruised through Cooperton.

Growing up out in the country, cars you didn't know just didn't happen to drive by. It was either one of the very few neighbors or someone utterly lost. So, I usually expect a Cooperton welcome when I ride to small towns since I grew up suspicious of unknown vehicles drifting down the road (unless they waved, of course). But all that is changing now that suburbia is taking over my lovely idealistic country picture where you know your neighbors. May not like 'em  an' they may not like you, but toleration is do-able and expected. And, when your house is on fire, they still feel obligated to stop and help.

People want to move to the "country" but still have their neighborhoods (safety in numbers, I guess), yet they don't want to have neighbors. They don't want to wave, they don't want to look you in the eyes, they don't want to acknowledge you. No siree, Bob!  They just want to drive past you (ignoring you while you're waving nicely) and move your mailbox. But, enough about mailboxes. Thank God! You say. Where and what is your point? You wonder. Well, it got lost trying to find my mailbox!

So thank you, Faxon couple, for the nice wave and no dirty look.

From movie-famous Faxon, we rode to Chatty.Not as famous, but just as nice. The town looks to be ready for Christmas. Love small-towns which take pride in their town. Strolled  through the little park before getting back on the bikes to ride to Cache.

So riding back to Cache, I noticed this truck sitting in a field with the driver-side door open and the driver just chilling in his seat. What in the world? I thought. As I zoomed by a little more, I noticed he had his shotgun set up on a table. Does he seriously call that hunting? Sitting in his truck waiting for a deer to come eat corn while playing on his phone? Yes, it's amazing what one sees when one's not paying attention to the road.

Ended a lovely day in Medicine Park. The food and service at the Old Plantation were awful! However, the "river-walk" was lit up really nice, worth the evening drive to stroll along the creek.

Medicine Park, OK

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

WGR Social Networking

Hello, my awesome readers!
Wanderings of a Girl Ryder now has a Facebook page. Please "like" my page (and recommend it to your friends if you enjoy my wanderings and wondering thoughts)! I plan on using it to post more pictures from my various rides as well as posting links to new posts. Since blogger seems to have issues uploading my pictures, I thought this would be the best solution. After some massive house keeping (1/25/2013...ish), all of my pictures from this blog (and then some) can be found there. I will be posting updates on when a new post (or edited post) is available since I'm not really sure how the email follow works. Also, feel free to say hi! I won't knock your hat off...scout's honor.

Happy Riding!

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Honey To-Do List

Minus the Honey. Guess that just makes it my to-do list.

Seems like this time of year always finds me with a long to-do list. So Blueberry maintenance:
1. New tires.
2. Cut and adjust chain.
3. New shocks.
4. New front brake disc.
5. New from brakes.

 And, last, but certainly not least:
6. Get a decent job so 1-5 can be afforded.

There's a reason I haven't been riding or blogging much; I've been finishing up my master's degree and have been somewhat busy. Now I find myself searching for a career. It's exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. So if you know of any motorcycle- or hotel related jobs, be so kind as to let a rider know!

Cookietown, once again.

I think it's safe to say that I am obsessed with this town.  What better way to enjoy a lovely Sunday morning than ride down to Cookietown and have a cookie?

 

I found myself in good riding company. I didn't even get a voiced concern when I pulled out the cookies. Probably thought it was safest not to say anything...

Wandered on over to Chatty and Faxon. Had to stop in front of the old general store/gas station to get a pic. Dig those windows! If my memory serves me right, I don't think I've ever mentioned anything about Faxon, so here goes:
Faxon's population hit its peak of 215 in 1910. The Chicago, Rock Island, Pacific Railway came to "town" in 1903. The town was named after U.S. Senator Chester Long's secretary Ralph Faxon. Senator Long was from Kansas, Senate-wise that is. What is it with Kansas??? Truly, that is the million dollar question. Anywho, the town had two cotton gins, a newspaper (until 1918), an ice yard, a telephone company, a lumber yard, and several grocery stores.

You probably won't believe this, but Faxon is famous. The gas station was featured in..what was that movie? Oh yeah, Fast Charlie the Moonbeam Rider back in 1979 featuring David Carradine. This building had a skating rink upstairs. Not bad for a town so small. Makes me wonder why can't Lawton manage to have anything cool. Not much left of Lawton's old downtown since it was torn down (where was the historic preservation society when ya need it?) to build the mall and whatever else is over there.

More pictures on WGR's Facebook page!
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Biker's Code

A rider posted the Biker's Code on Facebook (thanks Lidz!). I haven't read it in a hot minute, but it's time for a double dose.

Biker's Code


I ride purely, and only, because it is fun. I ride because I enjoy the
freedom I feel from being exposed to the elements, and the vulnerability
to the danger that is intrinsic to riding. I do not ride because it is
fashionable to do so. I ride my machine, not wear it. My machine is not
a symbol of status. It exists simply for me, and me alone. My machine is
not a toy. It is an extension of my being, and I will treat it
accordingly, with the same respect as I have for myself. I strive to
understand the inner-workings of my machine, from the most basic to the
most complex. I will learn everything I can about my machine, so that I
am reliant upon no one but myself for its health and well-being. I
strive to constantly better my skill of control over my machine. I will
learn its limits, and use my skill to become one with my machine so that
we may keep each other alive. I am the master, it is the servant.
Working together in harmony, we will become an invincible team. I do not
fear death. I will, however, do all possible to avoid death prematurely.
Fear is the enemy, not death. Fear on the highway leads to death,
therefore I will not let fear be my master. I will master it. My
machines will outlive me. Therefore, they are my legacy. I will care for
them for future bikers to cherish as I have cherished them, whoever they
may be. I do not ride to gain attention, respect, or fear from those
that do NOT ride, nor do I wish to intimidate or annoy them. For those
that do not know me, all I wish from them is to ignore me. For those
that desire to know me, I will share with them the truth of myself, so
that they might understand me and not fear others like me. I will never
be the aggressor on the highway. However, should others mess with me,
their aggression will be dealt with in as severe a manner as I can cast
upon them. I will show respect to other bikers more experienced or
knowledgeable than I am. I will learn from them all I can. I will not
show disrespect to other bikers less experienced or knowledgeable than I
am. I will teach them what I can. It will be my task to mentor new
riders, that so desire, into the lifestyle of the biker, so that the
breed shall continue. I shall instruct them, as I have been instructed
by those before me. I shall preserve and honor traditions of bikers
before me, and I will pass them on unaltered. I will not judge other
bikers on their choice of machine, their appearance, or their
profession. I will judge them only on their conduct as bikers. I am
proud of my accomplishments as a biker, though I will not flaunt them to
others. If they ask,I will share them. I will stand ready to help any
other biker that truly needs my help. I will never ask another biker to
do for me what I can do for myself. I am not a part-time biker. I am a
biker when, and where ever I go. I am proud to be a biker, and I hide my
chosen lifestyle from no one. I ride because I love freedom,
independence, and the movement of the ground beneath me. But most of
all, I ride to better understand myself, my machine, the lands in which
I ride, and to seek out and know other bikers like myself.

Author
Unknown-

Nothing special

So Riders in Oklahoma is doing another meet and greet this weekend! I cannot tell you how super duper overly excited I am!!!! Says the girl who never rides. Yes, that oughta be my new nickname. Or the girl who stays home. I've kind of traded in my time with Blueberry for time with a John Deere. I think I get that from my Granddaddy. He always did say he'd be happy to die as long as it was on his John Deere. Low and behold, he was found on his JD deader than a doornail. But, I digress.

And even with all my time spent on the mowing grass, I'm still not done. The best part? I can start my rotation over next week since the grass seems to be on steroids. Anyhow... This meet and greet will be up on Route 66. Looking forward to finally being able to post a route and pics.

Got My Sprockets

As soon as they're on, I'll be back in the riding business! I hope to check out some new towns (and actually take some pics this time) soon. It's been a crazy semester! I still need to replace my pulse generator (or reseal the old one). Man, have I been lazy...

Horses vs. Motorcycle

Did I ever mention why I chose 120+ hp over 1 hp?

I'm going to tell you a little bit about myself and how I got into bikes. Bikes have been my obsession since I was 13. My mother will testify that I drove her nuts with my daily bike talk. Persistence wears down anyone. It only took me 365 days of "can I have a motorcycle," Ooh! Look at that bike,""MOTORCyyyyyyycle!!!!!!!" to get her blessing.

I'm a first generation Okie. My Mom's from Germany and has always been fascinated with western books (Karl May) and the idea of living auf einem Bauernhof (on a farm). My Dad was an air force brat and then did his 20 years in the army. The last duty station being Fort Sill, Oklahoma. There's got to be a welcome sign somewhere upon entering Oklahoma that warns travelers about being transported 50 years into the past. For Lawton it appears to be more like 70 years. The internet was a Godsend for those who, like me, kept wondering how a town so big could have so little.

The Compromise.
Dad: No Germany.
Mom: Germany.
Dad: No.
Mom: Yes.
Dad: No.
Mom: Fine, but we're moving to the country.

The city slickers move to the country.
My mom had high hopes of me being a cowgirl. The fact that I never had any luck with horses was a contributing factor to my bikes are awesome thought process. Bikes weren't on my radar while my parents were still together. I don't think a bike would have been an option with my conservative dad. My horse experience was...interesting. In all my years, the closest I ever came to meeting the grim reaper was probably when I was on a horse. It all started when I was 4 and got kicked in the knee by our foal. From there it escalated. I've ridden on the underside of a horse (saddle wasn't all too tight- thanks, Mom). I've been dragged through creeks. I've been dragged through barns. I've been dragged under a clothesline in the horse's attempt to create a head-less rider. I've nearly been trampled by a horse (don't get between a mean horse and her food). Needless to say, I've been through a lot with horses.

What's better than 1 deadly hp? 120+ controllable hp.

Hello 2012!

I can't believe another year is knocking at the door. Well, I guess it's already barged in...In my book, there's no better way to start a new year than with a ride. It's basically a given: if you want a good year, ride on the 1st of January. No ride on the 1st is like asking for bad karma. I have enough bad luck without encouraging bad karma.
I've gotten lazy trying to convince someone to ride with me. I'm not into motivating others to get their lazy rider selves on their bikes. So I'm getting used to riding with me, myself, and I unless someone asks me to ride. Maybe not such a good idea since I tend to be the sensible one when I ride with others. When I'm riding solo, me and myself tend to get I into trouble. Majority vote and all...

Blueberry with part of Team Prospect.

Experience Measuring Stick

When first meeting another rider one of the first small-talk questions I ask is "How long have you been riding?" Sure this kind of helps gauge the experience the rider has, but then again... does it really? I think not. I think a better question would be to ask how many miles he/she has under his/her belt. As I meet more and more riders, a lot of them have 4-5 years of riding behind them; however, it usually turns out that they have only ridden 5,000-10,000 miles.

What's your miles-logged measuring stick?

I've talked to a lot of "real" riders, and they said they stop calling others newbs when they hit the 30,000 mile mark. I think 30,000 miles sounds about right.

In my 4+ years, I've ridden over 43,000 miles, and I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." ~ Socrates

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday! ~ D & Blueberry

Cache

So after all this time, and the countless times I've ridden through Cache, I don't think I've ever posted anything about Cache. So here we are. Cache is located about 12 miles west of Lawton. It's one of my many regular detours. Gotta head home, yet don't really want to? No problem. Swing through Cache and the Refuge on the way home. Not enough? Then there's Mt. Scott and Medicine Park...oh the detouring options!

So there's this place in Cache that's been around forever called the Trading Post. When I stopped the dude (owner) wasn't there, hence it wasn't open. He was off chasing cows (I hope that's not like "chasing the dragon"...), but if there's a small green truck out front, then it's open. Small town hours, eh? I have fond memories of running through the trading post back in the day with my cousins when they visited from Germany. The owner was a big history book. So, if you see that truck, it's worth the stop. He owns the former homes of Quanah Parker and Frank James (Jesse James' brother). One used to be able to arrange for a tour, but I'm not sure if that still goes.

Star House. Pic not mine. Click link below.

Quanah's Star House was moved after Fort Sill almost destroyed it (haha, so I guess it's not a new past time). So, Eagle Park used to be a park, but it closed over 25 years ago. For more info click here.

Pic not mine. Click the link below.

This home is now in Eagle Park also. For more info about Frank James click here.

Also, there's was small Mexican restaurant in Cache on Main St. The building of which has this pretty cool mural on it. I think both mural and restaurant are long gone now (2013).

More pictures are on WGR's Facebook page.
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

It appears that I once knew how to take videos with my camera. Can't ask me to do that again...

What one finds while procrastinating

Another Detour...Altus

Destination: Altus
Miles logged: 196ish
 The ultimate destination was Altus. Took a small detour, however, to check out some uncharted (at least by me) Oklahoma towns.

Found myself on HWY 115, yet again. Okay, so it's no Deal's Gap, but it's Oklahoma. Can't be asking for too much now. Haven't stayed on 115 in forever, but there are two more 25mph curves after you pass the HWY 19 turnoff. HWY 115 then remains straight with good sights until the small town of Mountain View. Well, from Mountain View, the view of the Wichitas is nonexistent. Okay, maybe not nonexistent, but I've seen better. So, no idea what's with the name. Mtn View turns out to be bigger than I remembered. They even have a gas station with 91. Guess there's more to the town other than its auction after all. Apparently Mountain View has a welcome center... Continued north on HWY 115 (passing the original town site of Mtn View- that's right, they moved the town.) until HWY 152.

Mtn. View

 HWY 115 north of Mtn View has some curves, too. Road's kind of bumpy, though. Turned left onto HWY 152 and rode to Cordell. I was actually impressed. They have a town square. Took a break in front of a motorcycle repair shop; The owner of which came over to say hi. The people of Mountain View and Cordell were extremely friendly. Gotta love that small-town charm. Cordell even has a bowling alley that sits on a hill. Color me impressed.

Cordell

Stayed on 152 through the outskirts (or so I hope) of Dill City and took HWY 44 south to Sentinel (they have a gas station with 91), Lone Wolf, Quartz Mtns, Blair, and finally Altus. Headed back to Meers via Lawton.
Coming back to that small town charm, whether you're cruising through a small town or down some back highway, you'll note that there's always someone with a smile and a wave.

OK History:
Nothing too interesting about Cordell. It has a population of about 3,000 and won the Great American Main Street award (given to five American cities every year) in '99. Norman Rockwell missed out. I'd move to Cordell in a heartbeat. They ought to feel special. Anyways...

Mountain View:
 Originally called Oakdale, the town moved its location to be closer to the Rock Island railway in 1903.
Sentinel:
It all started in 1898 with a small general store. There was some confusion about the name of the town due to it having two names. In 1907, the issue was resolved and it was named Sentinel. By 1911, two banks, a newspaper, electricity and telephone service, four grocers, two hotels, four general stores, and more could be found in Sentinel. By 1930, the town had well over 1,200 residents. Not bad for an ag-based community. In 1935, a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) camp came to the area. Population has decreased over the years (population is somewhere around 860). Judging by the many donut-tire marks on the hwy, I think it's safe to say that there's not too much to do in Sentinel.

More pictures on WGR's Facebook page.