Mauna Kea Ride - Oct 2008
I got a call out of the blue on Wednesday, an old buddy of mine I had met when I first moved to Hawaii - way back in 1984 - Carl Dees. Carl took me in (the motorcycle community) as soon as we met, and we have many great stories to share, maybe we can post a few. But here is how the call went. Hey Lance - what are you doing this weekend. Who's this? Who do you think it is? Carl? Sure is dummy - so I asked you a question? Why? Well because I am flying over to the big island and doing a motorcycle ride, I shipped my bike today - it should be in on Friday, and Saturday we are riding up Mauna Kea, Sunday we are riding the park in Hilo! Count me in on Saturday! I haven't ridden with the boys in YEARS (and It showed) Anyways - I had a great time! Here is a description of the ride from a website The riding area consists of two jeep roads, R-10 (Skyline road) and R-1 (the Na Ala Hele Mauna Kea access road). Total length one way is 40.4 miles and users can ride in both directions. These roads offer varying terrain and some of the most spectacular views in the state. The trail will circumnavigate Mauna Kea mountain following elevations ranging from 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet. Riders will be able to view the landscape to the northwest (South Kohala coast), north Hamakua coast, and northeast Hilo coast. The terrain is rough and rocky for the whole length, with steep uphills and downhills to flat sections. Riders will travel through sparse mamane forest cover to non-vegetated alpine zones. Anyways - back to my ride We took off at about 9:30am and my outside temperature on my truck, read 56 degrees, BRRrrrrrrrr. So I piled on the gear (10 minutes into the ride your sweating so much - your peeling everything back off). Once you hit the trail - you are near the vegetation line - look down - trees, look up - moonscape. The ride started out pretty nice, some rolling hills, a few sharp turns, and a nice long straight away along the cinder cones. The terrain changes so much, you headed up to the 10,000 foot mark - no trees - just rocks, then you drop back down to 7-8,000 foot level, Koa trees, eucalyptus trees, then your back up in the clouds - surrounded by wet - but not raining. That's when I got spanked going up the big hill - got tossed of 3 times - but you know what - even that was fun! Have you ever thrown a golf ball into a pile of rocks - it can bounce back and forth forever it seems - and go nowhere - that's what I felt like. Unfortunately we were at about the 10,000 foot elevation level, sitting in the middle of a cloud, so that photo didn't come out, but here are some that did Thought I did pretty good on the rest of the ride. Too bad I couldn't make the Sunday ride - next time boys. Thanks Carl Thanks Tony Thanks Ian Thanks Anthony Thanks Shane Thanks Jack Thanks Kiaka Thanks Ben (for pulling up the rear and keeping us on track)
I got a call out of the blue on Wednesday, an old buddy of mine I had met when I first moved to Hawaii - way back in 1984 - Carl Dees. Carl took me in (the motorcycle community) as soon as we met, and we have many great stories to share, maybe we can post a few. But here is how the call went. Hey Lance - what are you doing this weekend. Who's this? Who do you think it is? Carl? Sure is dummy - so I asked you a question? Why? Well because I am flying over to the big island and doing a motorcycle ride, I shipped my bike today - it should be in on Friday, and Saturday we are riding up Mauna Kea, Sunday we are riding the park in Hilo! Count me in on Saturday! I haven't ridden with the boys in YEARS (and It showed) Anyways - I had a great time! Here is a description of the ride from a website The riding area consists of two jeep roads, R-10 (Skyline road) and R-1 (the Na Ala Hele Mauna Kea access road). Total length one way is 40.4 miles and users can ride in both directions. These roads offer varying terrain and some of the most spectacular views in the state. The trail will circumnavigate Mauna Kea mountain following elevations ranging from 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet. Riders will be able to view the landscape to the northwest (South Kohala coast), north Hamakua coast, and northeast Hilo coast. The terrain is rough and rocky for the whole length, with steep uphills and downhills to flat sections. Riders will travel through sparse mamane forest cover to non-vegetated alpine zones. Anyways - back to my ride We took off at about 9:30am and my outside temperature on my truck, read 56 degrees, BRRrrrrrrrr. So I piled on the gear (10 minutes into the ride your sweating so much - your peeling everything back off). Once you hit the trail - you are near the vegetation line - look down - trees, look up - moonscape. The ride started out pretty nice, some rolling hills, a few sharp turns, and a nice long straight away along the cinder cones. The terrain changes so much, you headed up to the 10,000 foot mark - no trees - just rocks, then you drop back down to 7-8,000 foot level, Koa trees, eucalyptus trees, then your back up in the clouds - surrounded by wet - but not raining. That's when I got spanked going up the big hill - got tossed of 3 times - but you know what - even that was fun! Have you ever thrown a golf ball into a pile of rocks - it can bounce back and forth forever it seems - and go nowhere - that's what I felt like. Unfortunately we were at about the 10,000 foot elevation level, sitting in the middle of a cloud, so that photo didn't come out, but here are some that did Thought I did pretty good on the rest of the ride. Too bad I couldn't make the Sunday ride - next time boys. Thanks Carl Thanks Tony Thanks Ian Thanks Anthony Thanks Shane Thanks Jack Thanks Kiaka Thanks Ben (for pulling up the rear and keeping us on track)
