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 Last
year I had the opportunity to take a solo ride for a week, was my first long ride
alone. I truly enjoyed the full six days.
This year I signed up for the SCMA - FOUR CORNERS TOUR. Wasn’t sure if I would
tire or get bored or quit. The tour is in the USA it has four points. Madawaska
Maine; Florida Keys; San Ysidro, California; and Blaine, Washington.
You can start at any point, go to any other and make all four points. You mail a
letter at each point to track your time, you have 21 days to complete the tour.
I started in Maine took four days to get there from Slave Lake lots of construction.
I left Maine on June 27 in the rain, made good time thru the small States till the
heavy traffic in MA, NY, NC. I won’t complain about the Yellowhead no more,
North Carolina saw 5 lanes each direction bumper to bumper I came over a rise and
could see about a mile all the traffic going my way was stopped. Move a little,
stop a while, getting hot, shut down, move a little shut down then move again. First
thing we are doing 75 mph. again.
Made Miami about 2:00 pm on the third day, figured hit the Keys and be back in mid
Florida by night fall. Seven hours later I was still south of Miami looking for
a hotel. Funny it’s only a inch or so on the map!! Got rained out about 4:00
pm. in northern Florida.
An early start the next morning put me thru AL, TN, LA. into TX. One of the first
exit signs in Texas read 675 wow! That’s over a thousand km’s across,
made it thru Houston before rush hour, stopped for the night before San Antonio
hit it early was in the high desert little traffic good roads, traffic sign caught
my attention, speed limit 80 mph. Well now I don’t even have to look over
my shoulder, thru NM. Into AZ. I was lucky the temp. only hit 106F/41C holed up
before Tucson early start again was 90F by 7:00 am. Got to 106F again for the rest
of the day before I got to the Mountains near San Diego.
Made my third stop at San Ysidro, CA. Got a gas receipt, ph number etc., mailed
my letter and pushed on asked a couple people which way was the best route, they
all said I -5, heavy traffic thru LA. They split lanes in CA. I did not feel to
comfortable with that but after my legs were burning from the engine heat a gal
on a Harley with ape hangers passed me with a wave and she was gone, I was a little
humbled so I tried it for a while, a little unnerving especially when the traffic
starts moving again.
Made good time thru OR, WA. Got to Blaine WA on the ninth day. Once I got going
I just couldn’t stop to smell the flowers, I would do it again, got a nice
scrapbook with my letters and pictures I took at each stop (part of the rules) name
in the four corners tour web site, next time I may do across, WA to Keys CA ME.
And take a look around the country.
The full trip 16456 Km’s took me 14 days. The four corners took 9 days, 10,500
km. I mailed my letter the night before I left Madawaska it got stamped the same
day so I lost a day, they have me completing in ten. Not for everyone but I just
wanted to ride. You have heard.. "Young bikers pick a ”destination “and
ride"... "old bikers pick a “direction” and ride".
Ride safe.
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