Screwed
Screwed
Started on this:
Ended up on this:
WTF?????? 2017 was supposed to be my return to an "active" life after the hip replacement last November. Now it is 6 weeks in a cast, followed by rehab. As they say, "coulda been worse."
Mexican Hat
Headed out on a cool, clear Thursday to Mexican Hat, Utah via multiple backroads and through Monument Valley. If you don't know, Mexican Hat gets its name from the rock formation above, a large flat rock 60 feet in diameter, balanced precariously. It is a small village on the San Juan River, with a couple of hotels, and spectacular scenery all around.
The stop for breakfast was at the Copper Hen in Globe, a cute locally run little cafe in the old, historic part of this mining town. Highly recommended.
Next up was Holbrook, to bag some Route 66 photo ops.
The Wigwam Motel, still operational.
Holbrook also has a mural depicting the entire original Route 66. A bit hard to photograph because it covers 2 walls, and the colors have faded under the Arizona sun.
Some big rocks on the way, and we haven't even hit Monument Valley yet.
Behind...
In front...
Entering Monument Valley
The San Juan Inn is directly on the San Juan River in Mexican Hat, just over the bridge and down. The "down" part would become important...later...
The view...
Day 2...when things go sideways...
First a ride by The Hat, then on to The Gooseneck
The Moki Dugway
A hot air balloon floating over the valley; that must provide an interesting perspective.
Natural Bridges National Monument...
What happened? A moment's inattention while looking at the landscape, a brain fart, latent stupidity finding its voice. You see, the Monument has a loop road, and it is strewn with gravel. Not just any gravel, but "pea" gravel, the kind that's round, small and exhibits all the attributes of riding on marbles. It is in every corner of this one lane, single direction road, usually in the middle of the road, with a clear track to the inside, and one on the outside.
Now, I see this, I know this, I'm paying attention. Plus, the speed limit is low, something like 25 mph. I'm cruising along, enjoying the view, generally picking my lines around the gravel.
Generally. I enter an uphill left on the inside line, but there's much more gravel this time. Front end goes numb and washes away, I start to go down to my left. Instinctively, my left foot goes out, the front tire is now sliding across the gravel and just slightly starts to grab. My left foot is being dragged back, and I can feel it hit something hard, but I'm not really paying attention to that.
I'm trying to keep from crashing. I can feel the front starting to bite, I add throttle and the bike starts to stand up...amazingly, and I mean amazingly, I've got it, caught it, I'm still on the road and upright.
Sheeeeeeee......iiiiiiiiittttttt
In retrospect, I should have anticipated that the inside line on an uphill left hander on a one way road would have had more gravel from cars/trucks cutting the corner. Just like you do on a right hand corner on a two way road. Oooooops.
Despite my poor attention skills, I've survived. But wait, my left foot hurts. Really hurts.
Pull over, getting off, on the left is, well, pretty damn painful. I can put some weight on it, the boots seem to have done their job. It looks like the inside impacted either the kickstand foot or the edge of the Micatech saddlebag, I'm betting on the bag. There's not a scratch on the bike, nothing hit the ground, and none of me did either. Except that damn foot.
Ok, so I'm about 90 miles away from the hotel. I saddle up and ride back, avoiding the Dugway, which would have been shorter but more challenging. Shifting is painful, up thru the gears particularly so. The foot does not really want to bend that way...plus I can feel it "clicking" every time I do that. Not good.
But I'm riding. Get back to the hotel and my instinct is to load everything up and start riding home. My brain intervenes and says, "that would be stupid, you should seek medical attention." That logic wins out and I take off the boot.
Big mistake. Pulling it off is painful; after it's off, the foot doesn't look too bad. I spend the next hour trying to figure out how to get medical care. Nearest anything is 45 miles away. There are no taxis, no car rentals, no transportation available. I can call 911 and an ambulance will take me...but at the hospital, same story...no taxis, no car rentals, no transportation. So I'd be stuck there, and the bike would be at the hotel. Doesn't seem optimum.
While I'm doing all this, the foot is starting to swell because, remember, the boot is now off. So riding anywhere is rapidly loosing viability.
Wife To The Rescue
Call Krisanne, she'll drive up early the next morning to rescue me. Spend the balance of Friday afternoon arranging to have the GS hauled back to Tucson. That proves a bit difficult because the San Juan Inn, where I'm staying, does not have an open, flat area where the tractor trailer can pick up the bike. The other hotel in town, the Hat Rock Inn, does, and they graciously allow me to park the bike there for about a week and be the contact for the pick up. How to get the bike there? The guy I rode up with rides it over Friday night (we went different directions during the day) and walks back, saving me from doing this with the broken ankle.
Uneventful drive back, but windy with some snow!! as we go thru Flagstaff. Stop by the emergency room...yup, it's broken. They splint and wrap it.
A call to the ortho doctor gets me in Monday afternoon, surgery Tuesday morning. 9 screws and a plate later, I'm home Tuesday afternoon ordering my new scooter.
Not so patiently waiting now for the cast to come off....
Started on this:
Ended up on this:
WTF?????? 2017 was supposed to be my return to an "active" life after the hip replacement last November. Now it is 6 weeks in a cast, followed by rehab. As they say, "coulda been worse."
Mexican Hat
Headed out on a cool, clear Thursday to Mexican Hat, Utah via multiple backroads and through Monument Valley. If you don't know, Mexican Hat gets its name from the rock formation above, a large flat rock 60 feet in diameter, balanced precariously. It is a small village on the San Juan River, with a couple of hotels, and spectacular scenery all around.
The stop for breakfast was at the Copper Hen in Globe, a cute locally run little cafe in the old, historic part of this mining town. Highly recommended.
Next up was Holbrook, to bag some Route 66 photo ops.
The Wigwam Motel, still operational.
Holbrook also has a mural depicting the entire original Route 66. A bit hard to photograph because it covers 2 walls, and the colors have faded under the Arizona sun.
Some big rocks on the way, and we haven't even hit Monument Valley yet.
Behind...
In front...
Entering Monument Valley
The San Juan Inn is directly on the San Juan River in Mexican Hat, just over the bridge and down. The "down" part would become important...later...
The view...
Day 2...when things go sideways...
First a ride by The Hat, then on to The Gooseneck
The Moki Dugway
A hot air balloon floating over the valley; that must provide an interesting perspective.
Natural Bridges National Monument...
What happened? A moment's inattention while looking at the landscape, a brain fart, latent stupidity finding its voice. You see, the Monument has a loop road, and it is strewn with gravel. Not just any gravel, but "pea" gravel, the kind that's round, small and exhibits all the attributes of riding on marbles. It is in every corner of this one lane, single direction road, usually in the middle of the road, with a clear track to the inside, and one on the outside.
Now, I see this, I know this, I'm paying attention. Plus, the speed limit is low, something like 25 mph. I'm cruising along, enjoying the view, generally picking my lines around the gravel.
Generally. I enter an uphill left on the inside line, but there's much more gravel this time. Front end goes numb and washes away, I start to go down to my left. Instinctively, my left foot goes out, the front tire is now sliding across the gravel and just slightly starts to grab. My left foot is being dragged back, and I can feel it hit something hard, but I'm not really paying attention to that.
I'm trying to keep from crashing. I can feel the front starting to bite, I add throttle and the bike starts to stand up...amazingly, and I mean amazingly, I've got it, caught it, I'm still on the road and upright.
Sheeeeeeee......iiiiiiiiittttttt
In retrospect, I should have anticipated that the inside line on an uphill left hander on a one way road would have had more gravel from cars/trucks cutting the corner. Just like you do on a right hand corner on a two way road. Oooooops.
Despite my poor attention skills, I've survived. But wait, my left foot hurts. Really hurts.
Pull over, getting off, on the left is, well, pretty damn painful. I can put some weight on it, the boots seem to have done their job. It looks like the inside impacted either the kickstand foot or the edge of the Micatech saddlebag, I'm betting on the bag. There's not a scratch on the bike, nothing hit the ground, and none of me did either. Except that damn foot.
Ok, so I'm about 90 miles away from the hotel. I saddle up and ride back, avoiding the Dugway, which would have been shorter but more challenging. Shifting is painful, up thru the gears particularly so. The foot does not really want to bend that way...plus I can feel it "clicking" every time I do that. Not good.
But I'm riding. Get back to the hotel and my instinct is to load everything up and start riding home. My brain intervenes and says, "that would be stupid, you should seek medical attention." That logic wins out and I take off the boot.
Big mistake. Pulling it off is painful; after it's off, the foot doesn't look too bad. I spend the next hour trying to figure out how to get medical care. Nearest anything is 45 miles away. There are no taxis, no car rentals, no transportation available. I can call 911 and an ambulance will take me...but at the hospital, same story...no taxis, no car rentals, no transportation. So I'd be stuck there, and the bike would be at the hotel. Doesn't seem optimum.
While I'm doing all this, the foot is starting to swell because, remember, the boot is now off. So riding anywhere is rapidly loosing viability.
Wife To The Rescue
Call Krisanne, she'll drive up early the next morning to rescue me. Spend the balance of Friday afternoon arranging to have the GS hauled back to Tucson. That proves a bit difficult because the San Juan Inn, where I'm staying, does not have an open, flat area where the tractor trailer can pick up the bike. The other hotel in town, the Hat Rock Inn, does, and they graciously allow me to park the bike there for about a week and be the contact for the pick up. How to get the bike there? The guy I rode up with rides it over Friday night (we went different directions during the day) and walks back, saving me from doing this with the broken ankle.
Uneventful drive back, but windy with some snow!! as we go thru Flagstaff. Stop by the emergency room...yup, it's broken. They splint and wrap it.
A call to the ortho doctor gets me in Monday afternoon, surgery Tuesday morning. 9 screws and a plate later, I'm home Tuesday afternoon ordering my new scooter.
Not so patiently waiting now for the cast to come off....
