In my youth, I trained horses and riders ... and in what better setting than the Flint Hills of Chase County, Kansas? After college, continued training both ... but getting thrown from a horse took longer to heal as I grew older!
Ever wonder why there are no old cowboys riding in rodeos?
At the age of thirteen, soloed on a Hodaka 90 .... hooked! When I was eighteen, took my Summer earnings and bought a new Yamaha 125 Enduro (AT-1B). 11k miles in less than a year riding highways, stripping it down to motocross, trail ride, hill climb, etc. After that period in time, went to street/road bikes ... owning Hondas, Kawasakis, and Yamahas ... and always big and fast machines.
But something was missing ... and that was the exploration of unknown-to-me backroads, and the ability to slow down and take it all in. Twenty-two years ago, picked up a used last generation 2-stroke Yamaha 175 Enduro and rediscovered my roots. Went up a notch to a new '99 Yamaha XT350, and the momentum kept building. Finally, was ready for some far-flung adventure touring and purchased a new 2001 KLR650, and became a frequent visitor to the USGS office, and purchaser of topo maps. (handheld GPS was in its infancy back then)
Quickly discovered that mine was not an isolated illness, and through the web built a bare-bones online community. The 125 plus rides I've participated in with hundreds of riders since that time are some of my best memories ... ever.
By rough estimate, have ridden 60-75k miles of rural KS, OK, CO, and NE .... and am not even close to seeing/sharing it all.
Two words for members of this community: Evangelism & Participation. When you promote the community, and ride together into the unknown and back ... you have just created a rich history ..... and one that is shared with friends old and new.
Let's Ride! R
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