Jared & Ross & Randy & Doug's Excellent Adventure

    Quote from KayTwo

    That doesn't count, she was in the truck... :P

    I want to thank Diana for diving truck and trailer 1800 one - way and then back other wise I wouldn't been able to go. I want to thank Phil for installing my hood buttons. Diana was able to stop on the way to Sundre.
    Would like to thank Doug + Sarah , Randy , Jared , Ross and Bryan. I think we represented USA very well in the slingshot community Canadians + Americans we all got along like brothers. Had one HELL OF A TIME.
    Also would like to Thank Shawna + Mark + Izak and all the volunteers for one Hell of a party and for wecloming all of us with open arms. THANK YOU.
    See you all next year hope to have more from USA.


    BU11SH1T This is more then I have written in two years all together.

    Day 3 homebound. No tourist pictures, because we did nothing but drive, stop for gas, and eat one meal. Nothing but brutal, fast miles.


    @Ross and I are in WI safely, and @exharleyrider made it home a few hours ago. His roundtrip total was 4100 miles. @Ross and I did 900 miles today, 14.5 hours. His roundtrip was 4418 according to his odometer.


    Ross, Randy, and Jared before our last leg in which Randy split off.



    In case you wondered what 2000+ miles of bugs looks like.



    Tomorrow while these guys are crushing and snorting there Advil, and moaning about what a jerk I am, I am headed down to the Indianapolis area to meet up with @Painter for a bit, and have dinner with a few locals, before crashing with @Goats_Hogs. Hopefully a lighter day tomorrow, although there is apparently a chance of rain in the forecast. We will see.

    Quote from Bu11sh1t

    I want to thank Diana for diving truck and trailer 1800 one - way and then back other wise I wouldn't been able to go. I want to thank Phil for installing my hood buttons. Diana was able to stop on the way to Sundre.Would like to thank Doug + Sarah , Randy , Jared , Ross and Bryan. I think we represented USA very well in the slingshot community Canadians + Americans we all got along like brothers. Had one HELL OF A TIME.
    Also would like to Thank Shawna + Mark + Izak and all the volunteers for one Hell of a party and for wecloming all of us with open arms. THANK YOU.
    See you all next year hope to have more from USA.

    Harvey, your bride is a road warrior in her own right, and it was awesome to have the both of you there with us. Thanks for the memories and the entire weekend, look forward to seeing you both again soon.



    It really is just a formality isn't it , I can remember not too long ago when there were dirt lanes around some of those gates at the rural crossings for after hours crossings ! it really is just one big country , other than the formalities , Oh and I used to think all the good money was on the South side and the good people on the North side but it's threads like this one that blur the lines for me at times too .

    Quote from kev

    It really is just a formality isn't it , I can remember not too long ago when there were dirt lanes around some of those gates at the rural crossings for after hours crossings ! it really is just one big country , other than the formalities , Oh and I used to think all the good money was on the South side and the good people on the North side but it's threads like this one that blur the lines for me at times too .

    Oh no, that gate was locked with a chain. If I had been in my truck, I probably could have driven through it, but for the Slingshot, we were definitely barred from passage.

    I'm going to add a couple of sub threads inside this thread about the epic adventure. @Ross and I are going to sort of tag team the section about gear and lessons learned on the road.


    However, I wanted to take a second to give a shout out to my two primary travel companions, @Ross and @exharleyrider, and share a couple of things I learned from them.


    First, when I travel alone, I tend to go where I want, stop when I feel like it, not really so much of a planned evolution. You have to understand, everything I do in my work life is 100% planned, or as close as I can. I don't necessarily want to be that way on vacation. So if it had not been for Ross, I would have just meandered my way across the country, with a couple of highlights of things that I wanted to see each day. Don't know what app(s) he was using, but it even included a way to track the best gas stations, most of which had non-ethanol gas. Pretty awesome.


    He also took the lead for the entire 4400 Mi round trip that I was with him (minus the day rides at Slingfest), and kept me and Randy on a strict thou-shalt-not-exceed-5-mpg-over-the-limit regimen. And let's face it, sometimes that's really hard to do in a slingshot, especially at the end of the day or on a neat road. So, he probably saved me saved me several hundred dollars, and maybe my ride getting towed.


    Then there's @exharleyrider, Randy. First time we all met was this trip. Let me tell you, the man is a workhorse behind the wheel, even more so when you consider the fact that he doesn't have a top. Randy traveled the Badlands, The Plains of Wyoming, the mountains of Wyoming and Montana, and the high plains all the way across into Canada and up, with the sun beating down on him, and nothing to protect him but the clothes he had on him. He showed us exactly what is possible when you have the right protective gear, and about 5 gallons of water to dump on your head as you drive. I'm not saying that he wasn't cussing us out at the end of the longest days, or that he's not right this second curled up in a regenerative bubble in the hospital, but I'll tell you what, put the man in the seat and he can go. Any of you who are lucky enough to take a trip that he is on, watch and learn. (If he ever gets back into a Slingshot again, that is.) He is absolutely a testament to how tough those old motorcycle riders are.


    I also wanted to give a quick honorable mention to Doug, @SlingLow. It's pretty tough to come into a pack in the middle or towards the end of a ride, and fit in. He did so very well, with good humor and quick wit, and he fit in before we were done with dinner the first night he met us and Montana. He is another one that I can recommend to do a ride with in a heartbeat.

    This is the first of what may be a couple of notes about gear carried and lessons learned for the long trips in a Slingshot. Some of you probably know most of all of these, but some of us don't have the experience. Hopefully one or two of these tips and tricks will help someone.


    1. The slingshot is an open Roadster. Yeah, no shit. But for those of us with no experience in the west, it is amazing how quickly the fine dust and silt gets all over everything. Or, the bugs. So, a couple things that I picked up on this topic. First, I was driving with an insulated mug, RTIC. This would also apply to some of the other manufacturers. I had the small open sippy top. And it was not long before there were bugs and dirt encrusted on it. I will be getting a new top with one of those slide devices that covers up the sippy hole. Second, if you are a writer who looks through your windshield, and do not minimize the importance of a cleaning agent every so often. I personally didn't care, because I look over the windscreen, but I also didn't bring any cleaning fluids with me, and I realize about halfway across the country that that was a mistake. Not that I had the room, but it would have been nice if I wasn't stealing all of Ross's gear.


    2. We are all familiar with the dreaded slingshot leg tan. I haven't taken any long trips with the sun beating down on me relentlessly, but I quickly learned that even with sunscreen on so you are not getting actively burned, the sun can still be painfully hot. Randy had a pair of lightweight black running pants, which he used to keep the sun off him, and he actually remained cooler than I thought he would have. I had a pair of heavier pants for the cooler mornings, but I ended up using them during the day for the same reason. If I was going to do it again, I would bring a lightweight pair of wind pants or something like that to protect my legs from the pain of the sun.


    3. Neck gaiters. I use them when I drive on a daily basis, to keep warm on the cooler days. However, on the longer trips, I also realize how handy they are to keep the dust out of your face, the bugs and rocks from stinging quite so much when they hit you, and the rain from doing the same when you are getting wet. I also carry two, because sometimes I wear one underneath my ball cap to keep my ears protected. I cannot recommend highly enough that you carry one or two of these with you. I think Ross and Randy would definitely agree. There are about a million ways to use it, so it's worth the small expenditure and minuscule space they take up. I use the SA Co. product, but there are others out there.


    4. Speaking of keeping the dust out of your face, for those of us from east of the Mississippi, we might not be experienced in driving in very dry air. Those neck gaiters also help keep your skin from drying out and getting windburned, but if you don't carry one of those, definitely carry some sort of lotion to replenish moisture at the end of the day. Thanks, Ross.


    5. Tools. I tend to try to be very self-sufficient, but on a trip like this with the limited space you have, it is pretty much impossible to carry it all. Obviously, everybody should have their own basic set of tools, such as a socket set and Torx wrenches. However, when it comes to do the larger things, like maybe an onboard air compressor, or a foldable tire iron, it's good to coordinate those among the members of your group so that you don't have to carry a bunch of extra weight. We did this amongst the three of us, kind of by accident, but it was a good thing we did.


    It's late, and I know I am forgetting some stuff that I previously had on my mind, so if I remember, I'll add them, or I'll let @Ross add the things he has on his mind,

    I can add rain gear to your list. When I left Washington it was 95 degrees and had been over 90 for a few days. I checked the weather for the trip and saw no possibility of rain. Then a thunderstorm from Hell showed up just as we entered Calgary, a city of 3 million I was told, during rush hour, and we instantly had 2 or 3 inches of water on the road and got pelted with rain and hail in bumper to bumper traffic. @KayTwo had got an early warning from @SundreSlingQueen that it was coming and we pulled over about an hour before it hit to gear up. Luckily for me, @Ross brought extra gear and loaned me a suit because I wasn't smart enough to throw in even one of the 7 or 8 sets of rain gear I own. I felt like an idiot and not just because the legs of my rain pants blew up with the wind and made me look like a miniature Michelin Man.



    We got another decent shower coming out of the mountains at Banff and I still didn't have any rain gear! I had a good set of tools. Sara and I both had one of those neck things because Jared gave us each one within minutes of meeting (thanks brother). I had sunblock. I had a AAA card. But no freaking rain gear!


    As an aside, when we did get to the airport about an hour and a half after Sara got in and she ran out to the Slings, I had a poncho for her from @Ross, @exharleyrider put his jacket around her shoulders, @KayTwo gave her a neck gaiter and tucked her into the passenger seat with his cockpit cover - and I had nothin'. In 31 seconds y'all outdid my 31 years of - whatever it was I'd been doing for 31 years. You made her feel special and I appreciate it! So don't leave home on any major trip without the ability to (attempt to) stay dry in an unexpected squall.

    Remember folks - this isn't a rehearsal, this is The Show!8)

    Slinglow Thank you for everything you have written and said SIR You're A True GENTLEMAN !!!

    Reading these last few posts actually made me tear-up... ;(


    The bonds you all formed on this trip is THE EXACT REASON I look to all of you as my family. THIS is so heartwarming (informative yes, but ever so heartwarming)!! <3


    *sorry for getting emotional... I truly live for this kinda stuff and can’t think of a finer bunch of folks to spend my time with! I love you all!!

    If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you...
    Signature.png

    After reading these last few posts you guys left out from what I can see as the most important thing of all to take on a trip.......YOUR FRIENDS!


    What made this trip truly successful was all of you. You all together came together to make a road trip and in the end ...made the road trip into an epic journey many of us will never accomplish. Simply awesome.


    @KayTwo @Ross @exharleyrider @SundreSlingQueen @Bu11sh1t @SlingLow and the others in the group...I want to say thank you for letting the rest of us enjoy your journey and see some of the beautiful sights you did here on the forum! I am glad everybody had a safe trip! Congratulations!


    SSREAPER

    :BLACKSS: 2016 SL LE BLACK PEARL :HEADERSS::COLDAIRSS::COILOVERSS::MOTOROILSS::OILFILTERSS:

    Quote from SlingLow

    I can add rain gear to your list.

    Well, Doug, I didn't put it on there, because everyone knows you need raingear in an open vehicle on a long trip. :00008172:


    I jest, I jest. Everyone forgets something from time to time. Could have happened to anyone. I mean, it didn't happen to the other three of us, but I guess it could happen to anyone else. :00008172:


    All in good fun, brother.



    Quote from SlingLow

    In 31 seconds y'all outdid my 31 years of - whatever it was I'd been doing for 31 years. You made her feel special and I appreciate it!


    Well, we wanted her to like us, enjoy the adventure, and maybe be willing to come out again, or at least let you come out....

    I squeezed a few more photos out of my phone this morning.



    Day 2. I had a short day at 283 miles to Great Falls, MT so I took a 120 mile detour around Flathead Lake just south of Glacier National Park where we would ride the next day. I ran into a gentleman at a pullout who was selling cherries with his 4 sons who used to live in my neighborhood in Brush Prairie, WA.


    Day 3 at sunup, cruising through the plains of Montana.


    Day 3 in Glacier National Park. This is the cloud we went through as seen from the sunny side of the mountain.


    One of the short tunnels we went through.

    Remember folks - this isn't a rehearsal, this is The Show!8)

    Quote from KayTwo

    Well, Doug, I didn't put it on there, because everyone knows you need raingear in an open vehicle on a long trip.

    Quote from KayTwo

    I jest, I jest. Everyone forgets something from time to time. Could have happened to anyone. I mean, it didn't happen to the other three of us, but I guess it could happen to anyone else.


    All in good fun, brother.


    Touche! At least I had clean underwear.

    Remember folks - this isn't a rehearsal, this is The Show!8)

    I would like to chime in a bit, I read a lot but don't post much, the friends I rode with are much more eloquent. I would like to comment on @Ruptured Duck Gen 2 bags. I rode through some hellish rain and a little hail and when I got to my destination every bit of my gear from near the zipper to the bottom was bone dry. I highly recommend these bags to anyone who travels. Thank you sir for making an easy to use product that does keep everything bone dry in the worst of weather. There were times when I wished I had your top (especially when the sun was beating down and the temp reached a high on 99F) but that will have to wait. A huge thanks to @KayTwo for the neck gaiter which was a godsend in the sun. Could not have made it without it. Wet it down and keep a bottle of water handy to rewet it and ride. Do not try to pour water on your head at 80 MPH. Never touches your head but coats the inside of the windshield nicely. Need to keep the neck of the container in contact with what you want wet, lesson learned. Feel so fortunate to have been able to ride with the friends I met on the way and am ready to pack up and go again. @Ross, @KayTwo, @SlingLow it was a privilege and an honor to ride with you and would do it again at the drop of a hat.

    Quote from Ruptured Duck

    @exharleyrider thanks for the plug... Glad they worked well for you. @KayTwo had them as well but can't remember if he had the first generation or the second.


    Great timing as I just received stock and am officially not backorder.

    Both @KayTwo and I have the 1st generation. After seeing the added flap I wish I would have waited for Gen2 but they worked quite well for me. While we weren't in an extended rainstorm, we did hit a thunderstorm and my gear stayed mostly dry. @KayTwo took the simple precaution of lining his bags with a garbage bag that contained his clothes. Of course, he brought rain gear too and I didn't so there's that. I didn't think about either and when I pulled my clothes out that night they were slightly damp around the zipper only. I will do the garbage bag insert in the future. Also, if a guy had a roll of duct tape (who doesn't?), he could throw a strip across the zipper in an unexpected squall and get the same results. So I ran for a week in a single bag (not surprising) and my wife ran for 3 days in hers (simply amazing) and used it as her carry on for the flight up and back to and from Calgary. Both @exharleyrider and @BryanL were sporting these bags as well so you were well represented by the Posse.

    Remember folks - this isn't a rehearsal, this is The Show!8)

    Quote from SlingLow

    Both @KayTwo and I have the 1st generation. After seeing the added flap I wish I would have waited for Gen2 but they worked quite well for me. While we weren't in an extended rainstorm, we did hit a thunderstorm and my gear stayed mostly dry. @KayTwo took the simple precaution of lining his bags with a garbage bag that contained his clothes. Of course, he brought rain gear too and I didn't so there's that. I didn't think about either and when I pulled my clothes out that night they were slightly damp around the zipper only. I will do the garbage bag insert in the future. Also, if a guy had a roll of duct tape (who doesn't?), he could throw a strip across the zipper in an unexpected squall and get the same results. So I ran for a week in a single bag (not surprising) and my wife ran for 3 days in hers (simply amazing) and used it as her carry on for the flight up and back to and from Calgary. Both @exharleyrider and @BryanL were sporting these bags as well so you were well represented by the Posse.


    So, you're telling me that you PLANNED to keep your clothes dry in a MeanSling bag AND that you had duct tape in case you needed to secure or seal something BUT no rain gear for you ...... or POOR LOVELY Sara? It's a minor miracle she didn't turn around and walk back into the airport when we rolled up (and Security sure didn't know what to think of us)


    Drummers, I tell ya.


    Can't wait to ride with you and Sara again