Out in the sticks

This summer I am traveling south to north along the west coast, splitting time between the scenic Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) on 4 wheels, the rugged California Backcountry Discovery Route (CBDR) on 2 wheels (enduro dirt bike) and the even more scenic but waaaay slower Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on foot. I have a running bet with my college classmate on how far north I'll have travelled before I encounter a fellow black person on the CBDR or the PCT. I said within 1000 miles and he said 2000 miles. I have to say, as I now conclude the southern CBDR and engage the northern portion,I'm beginning to think I'll loose that bet. Granted, I'm kind of an outlier given how much time I spend out in the sticks far from civilization, but damn, I would have thought that in multi-cultural California there would be some black folks venturing into the outdoors. Perhaps being on a dirt bike on rugged terrain with no cell reception is too high on the sketchiness index for sensible folks? I think that theory has legs. In the 15 years of riding on dirt, I have yet to encounter an asian or black person on backcountry trails, yet I know in cities like Baltimore and a bunch others, there's lots of black kids riding dirt bikes and atvs. Perhaps there was a memo sent out about avoiding the sticks that I didn't receive, lol.

 

ur summer is gonna be super fun! what kind of bike do you have? when I graduate pt school an adventure bike is going to be one of the first things I buy. I used to ride an drz125 and it was the best thing ever. I can't wait to get back into it. I also did part of the Appalachian trail last summer with classmates and it was so much fun. I'm not the type to be "in the sticks" without company but I definitely enjoy it when I have people to go with!

 

I love the Everglades and the Caribbean countryside, but I'm not crazy about being in the backwoods in the US, admittedly due to the type of people of attitudes that are typical of the region.

 

It's been a riot so far, and no forest fires so far which was a major concern. Had to change plans and spend less time on the PCT because of a Norovirus outbreak. A dose of that = out of commission for a week. I'm currently riding a KTM 950 super enduro, with a safari tank for extra range. My first bike was a Kawasaki 250klx which I still ride on single track but its 70 mile range won't cut it on the CBDR. I'm glad I cut my teeth on the smaller 250 though, and did most of my falling on it. A 400lb 950 is a totally different experience when it goes sideways. I've been watching Ewan McGregors Long Way Around series when satellite cooperates. Good motivation when the going gets rough.

Do you know what kind of adventure bike you're gonna get? There's a website called twisted road which is kinda like airbnb for motorcycles. You can try out different types and see which suites you best before you buy. Either way, it'll be great once you get back to wind therapy. IYKYN.

 

I have heard that sentiment expressed, but honestly, having lived in the south, mid west and west, I've have never had any issues interacting with outdoor people. I think part of the misconception comes from conflating rural with wilderness. In my experience, when you've been hiking or riding for miles without seeing anyone and then you bump into someone, it's mostly kinship that comes though, and there's a sense of being cut from the same cloth. If you spend enough time outdoors, sooner or later you're gonna find yourself in a pickle, so most people out there know it pays to cultivate good karma, because you never know when you're going to need a helping hand. On the other hand, if you find yourself in the Afghan wilderness, all bets are off, lol.

 

omg hahaha wind therapy is so valid. that ktm sounds like an absolute unit. I think I'd like to keep my relationship with gravity on good terms for a little while longer before hopping on a 400 lbs bike. or hit the gym more before then haha. when I was on that drz125 I thought I was the fastest person on earth. I was probably doing like 25, but it *felt* like I was in the dakar rally. thank u for the twisted road recommendation, that's genius! I will do that before I buy anything. rn I'm just in the youtube reviews phase. something reliable would be nice, I don't know how to fix things beyond the little stuff I used to "help" with on my drz125. but twisted road sounds like a good way to get out and try a few different bikes, maybe travel to new places when plane tickets are cheap and ride around a bit. soooo gear first then bike later it is. what do you like for gear? bonus points for avoiding both forest fires *and* norovirus. dodging nature this summer so have you won your bet yet, or are you still waiting for your mythical black rider to appear? be safe and don't be selfish, save some wind for me

 

Great perspective. I always think of the US wilderness as being caught in a scene from 'Deliverance' meets 'Mississippi Burning'. Most of my bad experiences in the US have been in small towns, rather than isolated in the wilderness. That being said, I love the ocean, water, rivers and the jungle. El Yunque in Puerto Rico is breathtaking, and one of my bucket list items is to go to the Amazon and the Central African rainforest. I could be on a boat or in a tent for days on end.

 

Umm...25mph is pretty respectable. Was that on single track? Downhill on loose gravel/rocks at 25 is flying . Besides, when the scenery is good, I try not to ride like I have someplace better to be. Been through some desert country though, which calls for 5th gear speed most of the time because there ain't much to see, and speed is really the only way to keep engine temps manageable. It's mostly been maiden rides for the trails I have done so far, so I leave a 10% margin compared to the pace I would usually do on home turf.

I did finally meet a black person . French guy visiting the states for the world cup. I took 3 days detour to hike Mt. Shasta and met him at the summit. Neither of us had acclimatized above 12k altitude this season, so got to know him pretty well on a 6 hour descent. It was pretty tempting to glissade down on the snow fields, but altitude sickness is a b!tch, so slow chit-chat pace back to base. Anyway, the bet is won at 948 miles.

For gear, I alternate between BMW Rallye gear for high altitude/cold areas and Sedici for desert riding. Boots, helmet and gloves are the same regardless of terrain. That's a good idea to get the gear first before the bike. Quality gear will serve you well regardless of the bike you ride. Was most of your riding on the drz125 done on dirt? If you move up a notch to a street legal dual sport, most of the gear should still be the same if the helmet is DOT approved. And not to worry, there's still tens of thousands of miles of track waiting for you to ride. You'd need to do it full time, to get it all done in a lifetime.

 

Yeah, Deliverance did for wilderness what Jaws did for ocean swimming. They way I think of it, there is about 280 million acres in the US national park system, most of which goes unseen by most people. Which is fine. Different strokes for different folks. Some people's version of a dream vacation is to visit Vegas, and for others, it's to post up on a mountain and chill with the gophers. Amazon boat trip would be pretty cool too.