August 16 and 17 - Million Dollar Highway and another Mishap with a Happy Ending
Woohoo! Another series of unfortunate events with a happy ending after all. It certainly wasn’t on my bucket list to traverse the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass on a bike with a rear tire that fishtailed around every corner and handlebars that wiggled like a bowl of Jell-O. I was trying to enjoy the view but ended up spending most of my time praying I would keep the shiny side up and make it over the pass in one piece. Adding to my stress was the fact that my phone wouldn’t keep a charge and kept telling me I was running out of power.
When I crossed the dessert in Utah two days ago, the bike was not handling corners as well as usual, but I thought it might be all the tar snakes on the road or the severe heat. However, when I left Leadville, Colorado yesterday morning it was clear that something was wrong with my handlebars. I had significantly less control of my front wheel and struggled to make it around corners. I could also see that my rear tire was wearing unevenly. Since there was no Harley shop nearby, I plotted the most straightforward route to my next destination and tried to do my best to mange the bike by shifting my weight to make it around corners and minimizing the amount I changed lanes.
When I arrived in Durango, the Harley Davidson dealership discovered that a previous dealer had significantly overinflated my rear tire (50 PSI) and explained that this issue as well as the wear pattern made it almost impossible for the tire to have any meaningful traction with the road. Although they replaced the tire, I still felt that I had little control of the bike.
I brought the bike back to the dealership early this morning and after looking at the bike again, they discovered that my steering head bearings were completely shot. As the mechanic put it “you had no control over steering the bike.” I was so grateful that they were able to diagnose and fix the problem and especially that they finished the bike around 1:30 in the afternoon since the Million Dollar Highway was calling my name.
From the dealership I went straight to Silverton, the city where I like to start the Million Dollar Highway, arguably one of the most scenic drives in the country. Last summer when I arrived in Silverton it was at the end of a 1,500 mile IBA certified endurance ride and I had a palpable sense of accomplishment when I got there. This year, after surviving 5 mechanical issues with my bike in the last ten days, I felt a similar sense of elation. I was so happy to be on my bike on one of my most beloved roads that I was giggling and chortling with glee.
The Million Dollar highway is the section of US route 550 from Silverton to Ouray that snakes through the San Juan Mountains in the Rocky Mountain Range. The highway offers absolutely stunning mountain, valley, and gorge views as well as plenty of s-shaped and figure-eight shaped curves. Adding to the excitement is the fact that many of the sheer drop-offs have no guard rails.
During one of my photo stops I was getting hailed on. A nice young man in a jeep pulled over and offered me shelter while the storm passed. I explained that I was so happy to be on my bike I didn’t care what the weather was.
I do believe that everything happens for a reason. In addition to helping me appreciate my bike even more, the troubles of the last two days also played a part in me meeting two wonderful people. Last night at dinner I mentioned my bike issues to two motorcyclists at a nearby table. It turns out that one of them is a Regional HOG manager and the other is a key representative from the Harley Davidson Motor Company. Both men were intrigued by the story in my book and followed up with me today to learn more, one by phone and the other at dinner. They both offered to help me try to get an article in the HOG magazine and to pass my name on to others to explore additional opportunities. I would never have met them if the delays at the dealership hadn’t resulted in me being at the restaurant the same time as them.
I hope I never again have so many mechanical problems with my bike in such a short time. However, I must say that the issues of the last ten days have helped me meet some pretty wonderful people from all walks of life. I am so grateful for the kindness of others.
Restaurant Recommendation: I wanted to add a recommendation for Ken and Sue’s in Durango. I first heard of this place last year from a local but didn’t get to eat there until tonight. What a treat! One of my best meals of summer. The grilled 8 oz. filet mignon with gorgonzola butter and spinach was extremely moist and flavorful. I savored every bite. I also especially liked the “potato lasagna,” Ken and Sue’s take on potato au gratin. I ordered both deserts — the white chocolate cheesecake with Grand Marnier marinated oranges and the creme brulee with fresh sliced strawberries. I will definitely be coming back.
