SCOTT   & DAN  DO MONUMENT VALLEY - PART A

 THE "CHECKERBOARD" TOUR - Part A  [and Epilogue]   NOW WITH  VIDEOS

 Last Update: 30 October 2009  The below as written by Dan:

 Scott & Dan are neighbors in Longmont, CO.  The June 2003 Monument Valley tour
 trip was 1,500 miles and took four days.  We stayed in motels and ate steak at night
 - life is good!  The bikes (both Honda ST1100s) performed outstandingly,
 delivering an average of 48 mpg at, um, rather high overall speeds.

 Like checkers, the bikes are the same except for their colors.  Even with
 their 7.5 gallon fuel tanks, the vast spaces out there were still sometimes
 a challenge between fuel stops.  I can't imagine taking a bike with
 only, say, a 4 gallon tank (are you Harley-riders listening?) to do battle
 with those endless miles across that timeless landscape.

 Scott had mounted a Garmin GPS on his bike, and for the entire trip it quietly
 gathered statistics.   Several of these were rather interesting: Average speed
 while moving: 56.2 mph.  Overall Moving Time: 26 hours 41 minutes.   We drove
 the bikes hard and fast most of the time but still felt very stealty since we
 were both running Valentine One radar detectors.

 A truly incredible thing: Notice how few - none, mostly - cars, busses, trucks,
 motorhomes, etc were on the road with us. That was a blessing I never
 imagined could still be found in America 2003.

 These were classic "Road Runner" type roads  (Beep Beep) and, as the pictures show,
 I fell hopelessly in love with the long straightaways that seemed to disappear into
 infinity.  If my bike and I ever go missing, you'll know that we have surely
 merged into one of these vast panoramas as lost-forever  Ghost Riders...
     
 All of North America is our checkerboard.   Empty roads - fast bikes - let's roll !!

 01          
 02          
 03           Ffwd to 2008: , and back to 2003:
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 10        5th:   6th:     :>)
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 15              Amen


   VIDEOS (Windows Media Player):
  The first two pix in Row 02 further above show Scott rigging his video cam for these clips he took.
   Monument Valley (4Mb .wmv)      Truckin' On (3Mb .wmv)      Colorado in 2 Min. (4Mb .wmv)

A music friend of mine, Ron Westt of the band Missouri, recently released a new You Tube music video,
"Movin' On".  In it Ron incorporated some of the video footage that Scott took in 2003 as we rode through Colorado on the way to Monument Valley.  What ironic sorrow that Scott would be movin' on so soon...

Epilogue

In a horrible twist of fate, Scott became the Ghost Rider when he passed away unexpectedly in May of 2007.  The picture at left is from the "Left Coast" Tour that we rode together in the spring of 2004.  Who could have known that particular photo would be used three years later as the background of a eulogy for Scott, written by one of Scott's younger relatives, Amber.  She read it at his memorial service which was attended by dozens of family members and several hundreds of friends and co-workers from all over the nation.  Thank you Amber for sharing your feelings, straight from the heart.

Since Scott's death I have carried his memory in my heart.  I also carried a small, but precious, container of his earthly remains aboard my motorcycle from that day on.  In a way, Scott has ridden with me the 50,000 miles I have rolled since then.  At the end of September 2008 I made a return trip to Monument Valley on my motorcycle, along with another good friend, David.  My purpose was to complete a commitment I had made to myself the day of Scott's funeral.   

               

Beneath the eternal, sacred Navajo sands carpeting the floor of Monument Valley, I buried     Scott's ashes.  Above them I placed a small cairn of stones for protection.   Hallowed ground upon hallowed ground.  There, Scott's dust will be watched over by the silent red monoliths until The End Of Days.  You can see this place included within the 2nd and 3rd images in Row 8 further above.  The picture at right is how I last saw Monument Valley, shrinking in my mirrors, probably for the last time in this life.  Left behind but never forgotten - never.

Rest in love and peace, my friend, until we meet again.  Until that blessed day,
I dedicate this song, One Sweet Day, to our enduring friendship - Dan


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Part B is here

Ride the GHOST TOUR with Elena

Visit the Left Coast Tour

Visit The Ones I Rode Page

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