Columbus Day Weekend Ride

October 2002

Started bright and early, headed up Grand Avenue to Wickenburg. Up Yarnell Hill and a breakfast stop in Yarnell. Through Peeple's Valley, headed up into Prescot. On the way up the hill we encountered a motorhome, followed by a cement truck on their way down the hill. Most of us avoided the line crossing BASTARDS. But Greg swung a little too wide, got both wheels off the road and low-sided off into the gravel. Since we weren't going all that fast (lucky for Greg) except for a bloody knee, he was OK. The bike was another story. Busted up the clutch lever housing, bent his handlebars, and broke off the shift lever. After catching his breath, cleaning the sand and gravel out of his clutch lever housing, and clamping a pair of visegrips in place of his shift lever....we headed for the Harley dealer in Prescot Valley. They had the parts and we were on our way, right into a trafficjam caused by a wreck. We finally got back on 89a and headed over Mingus Mountain to Cottonwood, then to Camp Verde. After stopping for a bite to eat, some of us decided to head back into town. The rest decided to press on to Payson if the road was OK (reported that 260 was under construction). On the way down the hill Paul, George Hemming, and I pulled off for a quick leg stretch at Sunset Point and in a few minutes the rest of the group came flying by waving and honking. Tried to catch up with them, and a few miles down the road while passing a truck doing 90+...I was in the wrong lane when I saw them all parked on the side of the road. By the time I got back into the right lane and got to a stop I was almost a mile past them. Paul and George stopped, talked to them a bit and then came on...waving at me that everything was OK (I guess).....

Copyright - Steve Irving - 2002

Last Updated - 10/13/2002