What Have You Being Doing With Your Non-triumph Today?

Yesterday I went for a 60 mile spin on my Speed Triple mid-day but was still antsy when I got back home so took my non-Triumph Mustang Bullitt for a drive later in the afternoon. Though it seemed like I might get wet, the sky looked threatening without managing to squeeze out a drop. I drove up and over Gates Pass, about 10-12 miles from home, and one of my favorite riding and driving roads.

Here's my car looking east towards Tucson from the Gates Pass Overlook parking lot . Gates Pass is in the Tucson Mountains which are just a stones throw to the west of Tucson.


This photo is taken from the Gates Pass visitor viewpoint area looking to the west. Gates is one of my favorite places in the Sonoran Desert.


It's difficult to share the scale of this area in photographs. I took this shot when I noticed some tiny dots to the southwest of the visitor center when I realized the dots were hikers.


I found this video on YouTube which is beautiful plus give you a sense of the "big picture" along with my "little" pictures from my drive yesterday.



Gates Pass is located within Tucson Mountain Park which adjoins Saguaro National Park. The west side of town is gorgeous, wild, and open. I love it--for riding, cycling, and driving. And for just hanging out. There's something magical and almost spiritual about this part of the Sonoran Desert.


Snapped this pic of a fellow rider coming down the back side of Gates.


On the way up the front side of Gates there's a little pull-out with a welcome sign and some information about Tucson Mountain Park. I've actually never stopped here before even though I've been up this road hundreds, maybe even thousands, of times in the nearly 30 years I've lived in Tucson.




I did a bit of Googling today to learn more about Tucson Mountain Park. Its "big brother", Saguaro National Park, gets all the glory but both are neighbors in the 100,000 square mile Sonoran Desert.

From www.desertmuseum.org via Google


All in all, I had a very refreshing drive out in my non-Triumph. The vastness and beauty of this quick little escape help put things in perspective...which is sorely needed these days!

 

Very observant, Dilli! And you’re absolutely correct that I took up two parking spaces. Which I absolutely loathe when others do! But there was method to my madness. There was a huge overflowing trash barrel right on the line with no other spaces available for a nice photo. So yes, guilty as charged, I took up two spaces so that my car could block the view of the trash bin! Of course I have an excuse, right?

 

Very nice, Sandi! Makes me even more excited for our trip to Lost Dutchman in October! I love the SW.

 

Thanks, JtC! I hope you have a great time on your Lost Dutchman trip. The weather should hopefully be quite cooperative in October. I'll look forward to photos and a bit of "trip story".

 

Great pictures Sandi - especially those of the lowering clouds. Makes me realise what a tiny piece of real estate we live on, here in the UK. Any news on Yellowstone blowing?

 

Thanks, Thripster! I hadn't heard about Yellowstone. I'l have to do a bit of research and check it out.

 

The Doomsters over here keep blithering about Yellowstone and that it is due to erupt imminently..........................

 

If/when it does, nobody on this side of the pond will have to hear about it in the news, that's for sure. When Mt St Helens blew we eventually got ash fall in Texas -took about a week for it to get there, as I recall. But if Yellowstone blows, it won't be just ashfall, we'll feel it, I'm certain.

 

It wasn't today, it was Saturday, but we drove the Bear (Wrangler) to the top of the mountain near Monjeau Peak outside Capitan, NM. I think it's about 8500 ft. It was fun to drive and beautiful scenery. According to the signage, there was a fire there a while back, so some trees are missing. Nature renewing itself.

 

Well yester day Ms S and I visited glorious Skegness for the first time on the GS (she refuses to ride on the back on the Daytona - sensible woman!).

Two sets of major roadworks and diversions delayed our arrival and took me off the scenic route I'd planned - would've been hell in a car.

Skegness itself is certainly not Monaco, or even Ibiza! It has a wonderful air of the 1970s that for someone my age is quite appealing

Food was mediocre - although Ms S' haddock was 'OK'. Natives friendly.

Starting pissing down as soon as set off home and continued until we arrived!

Nonetheless, in a perverse way we enjoyed and certainly won't forget our trip to Skeggy - even if we never plan on repeating it

DS

And here's a pic of some wind turbines :

 

Can you still get huge knickerbocker glories on the prom?

 

Didn't notice them specifically, but sure you can - all the traditional favourites were available: candy floss, banana splits, 99s, buckets & spades, kiss me quick hats!

But if the last time you had one was when you were a kid - they might not appear so 'huge' now

DS

 

Sadly everything’s shrunk these days

We used to holiday in Skeggy many times when I was a kid used to love the place
But probably best left as a joyous memory rather than an underwhelming present

 

Apart from our ageing waist lines

 

Recently fitted a new Akra Carbon end can and carbon hanger bracket to my bike:

 

I did another "drive out" yesterday to get out of the house for a bit. Even people who love one another dearly are NOT designed to spend 24/7 together!

Yes, this is another non-motorcycle non-Triumph post. Hopefully my next post on this thread will be reporting on a rideout on my new Street Glide.

So...my Mustang and I headed east late yesterday afternoon and found ourselves on Mt. Lemmon. Since it was a bit late in the day and a Friday afternoon, I elected to only go up about three miles from the base to the first lookout which is named Babad Do'ag. The altitude of the lookout point is 3550 feet and the base of the mountain is about 2500 feet. Mt. Lemmon's summit is 9200 feet.

I haven't been on Mt. Lemmon since prior to the huge Bighorn Fire (120,000 acres burned) happened earlier this summer. Honestly, I've been reticent to go up Lemmon because I don't really want to see all of the fire damage close up. However, I didn't see any signs of the fire in the short drive that I did yesterday because it didn't burn that low on this part of the range. But the mountain is super dry and really brown because we're well behind on our typical monsoon rainfall. Brown or now, it's always good to be on the mountain--it makes me feel small but in a good way.




The Babad Do'ag Lookout is just shy of three miles from the base on the mountain. On this day I had the parking lot to myself until about the last five minutes when an SUV pulled in. From this lookout you can see the other three mountain ranges that surround Tucson--the Tucson Mountains to the west, the Santa Ritas to the south, and the Rincon just to the east. Babad Do'ag means "Frog Mountain" in the Tohono O'odham language and is the tribe's traditional name for the Catalina Mountains. The Catalina Mountain range--of which Mt. Lemmon is a part--is also known as Sky Islands.




Though I'm eager to ride my non-Triumph H-D Street Glide Specia--especially up Mt. Lemmon--I was grateful to be in an air-conditioned car on this day. We had the two hottest months on record in Tucson in July and August and are currently getting more heat records now into September. Today my car read the outside temp at a whopping 115ºF! Not the most optimal motorcycling temperature.

It was good to get out of the house for a bit, feel small on a big mountain, and make myself a nice icy Negroni when I got home.

 

Heading up to the Ace Cafe Reunion today to see if we can get some new blood bike recruits, drivers, controllers etc also needed, might see some of you there?
Unfortunately the traditional ride out has been cancelled but there’ll be plenty going on

• In the car park DJ Bill from 1.00 pm
• 1.45 pm the Mayor of Brent will attend the Ace and we will be celebrating together the importance of motorcyclists in society especially during these unprecedented times
• Father Sergiy Diduk, Chair of the 59 Club, will also join our celebration at the Ace Cafe and give thanks and a blessings at 2 pm.
• From 2.30pm there will be judging of “Best Bikes” with a number of awards.
• Lots of great BBQ choices
• Open for breakfast from 8.00am Close 10.00pm

 

That sounds awesome, @crispey! I've always wanted to see the Ace Café in person. I did some research and learned about the Ace and the 59 Club and such when I bought my first Triumph, a 2012 Thruxton. It would be great if you could snap and post some pictures please. Have a terrific time!