Building up the miles for the trip to Tennessee

[glenfiddich]

With the sidecar rebuild complete and winter finally over, Glenlivet and I have turned our attention to building up our daily mileage. Just like people, dogs need to ease into high mileage days. Those of you bringing someone special to the rally would do well to follow his advice. You might be okay with 600 mile days, but if your pillion isn't - neither one of you will have a good trip!






And don't forget to stop for treats now and then!

Pete

 

[lee]

And don't forget to stop for treats now and then!

Pete

Works for my wife

 

[susan-nc]

Good advice! My longest day ride as pillion was 1,297 miles in one day.

BTW, Debbie looks very happy there, Lee!

 

[glenfiddich]

Eighty miles today, with three breaks for playtime. Even so, Glenlivet was a bit antsy, often spinning around inside the tub. He's a much younger dog than Barley and Tulliver (when they started riding with me), so I have to make some allowances for his youth and energy level. Still, with 18 days left before departure...


A little jowl action as we barrel down Hwy 58 near Irasburg VT




Pitstop 1: On weekends, schools are good places to play. On weekdays churches offer breaks for playtime.






On retrieves, Glenlivet will often stop to roll on the ball for a few minutes before picking it up and delivering it to me. If another dog gets the ball, he'll roll on the other dog.


Since he can't hear me when we're underway, I use touch a lot to communicate and calm him.


Pitstop 2: Back in 1810 there was a pond at this site. It was 1.5 miles long and held one billion gallons of water. In fact, the depth where this picture was taken was seventy feet deep. But a miller needed more water to power his grist mill. Together with some neighbors he dug a shallow trench at the discharge end. Unfortunately under a thin layer of clay it was all sand...and the entire billion gallon pond drained dry. Though there was considerable property damage, thanks to a fast running teenage boy who ran ahead of the torrent and dragged the miller's wife out of their soon to be destroyed home there was no loss of life.


Back on the road with a bit of anxiety


Pitstop 3: Eligo Lake is a favorite of his, but unlike last year when I couldn't get him out of the water, this year he tends to avoid getting wet


Okay, Little Bug. Let's go home

 

[PoorUB]

I get a kick out of how dogs just have to have their head out in the wind! My Papilion was the same way. She would sit on my wife's lap. Well sort of! She was normally hanging off the motorcycle as far as she could, or as far as my wife would let her. She had a lot of trust in my wife hanging on to her!

 

[glenfiddich]

Between the everlasting winter and ironing out the last few bugs from the sidecar rebuild we have not been able to put as many training miles under Glenlivet's collar as I'd hoped. We had a short gap between thunderstorms yesterday so we put in another 50 miles. Given his behavior on our last ride I had given him a few days off...and today tripled the amount of praise and cuddles he received.


The field behind him is normally damp, but not wet. Thanks to a very rainy spring it's downright boggy this year, with standing water that takes a couple weeks to drain out of the clay soil.


The young women behind the counter at Bob's Qwik Stop always put a treat on the counter when they see Glenlivet pull up to the pump.


Glenlivet always appreciates the gesture


Rain's coming, Dad! Let's go home


Rushing home before the thunder. That tiny house on the left is being built from old pallets and scrap. It's been slowly taking shape over the past two years, but I've never actually seen anyone working on it.


In addition to the training rides, thirty days before departure (and for thirty days after our homecoming) Glenlivet starts a course of pre- and pro-biotics to enhance his gut health. A healthy gut is less susceptible to some of the microbes we're likely to encounter on our adventures. He'll also get a fresh dose of topical flea and tick meds, heartworm preventives, and his blanket (as well as my outer clothing) will be drenched in pyrethrin to repel insect vectors like mosquitos.

 

[179212]

Bugs

When you treat your clothes do you use pyrethrin or permethrin to treat the clothes? Also do you spray the stuff on or give it a really good soaking and dunk the clothes ina a bucket of the stuff and than let it dry?
I also do socks and spray shoes to keep chiggers at bay ( yellow powered sulfur dusted on socks also keeps chiggers off )
Last I recently read a article on bug repellents and their effectiveness and the researchers said the permethrin treated clothes were really good tick repellent, near 100% effective.

 

[glenfiddich]

When you treat your clothes do you use pyrethrin or permethrin to treat the clothes? Also do you spray the stuff on or give it a really good soaking and dunk the clothes ina a bucket of the stuff and than let it dry?
I also do socks and spray shoes to keep chiggers at bay ( yellow powered sulfur dusted on socks also keeps chiggers off )
Last I recently read a article on bug repellents and their effectiveness and the researchers said the permethrin treated clothes were really good tick repellent, near 100% effective.

Pyrethrum (derived from natural ingredients) and Permethrin (synthetic version) are so similar the names are often used interchangeably. The synthetic is a tad more stable in sunlight, so given a choice that's what I use. I hang my clothes on the line and spray them till saturated, let them dry, then do it again. When dry, I pack them in one gallon ziplock bags to prolong the effect. I also treat my hats, socks, and a small microfiber ground tarp that Glenlivet lays on while camping. Neither the synthetic or natural damages packs or tents, but both are toxic to amphibians so I keep clear of streams and ponds while using it.

Thanks for the reminder about chiggers. They made life miserable at Camp Lejeune!

Pete

 

[glenfiddich]

Dogs need shade when they travel long distances. So on the road I generally have the ragtop in place, reserving the tonneau cover for short rides and special events where seeing him is a treat for spectators. I snapped it in place this morning and packed the rig with everything we'll need for three weeks and 3500 miles on the road. Tent, sleeping bag and pad, dog bed, food and kibble, travel clothing, hiking boots, medical and veterinary supplies, tools. From this point forward our training rides will be with a full load so I can evaluate - and adjust as needed - the rig's weight distribution. There were a few dirt inclines in Iowa where the front end was so light I had trouble going in a straight line. The cause was I had packed all the gifts for friends we stayed with along the way up in the nose. Once two gallons of maple syrup had been offloaded the weight distribution was uneven and the nose was too light. Lesson learned.









Glenlivet appears to appreciate the sun and wind protection

 

[brownie0486]

Dogs need shade when they travel long distances. So on the road I generally have the ragtop in place, reserving the tonneau cover for short rides and special events where seeing him is a treat for spectators. I snapped it in place this morning and packed the rig with everything we'll need for three weeks and 3500 miles on the road. Tent, sleeping bag and pad, dog bed, food and kibble, travel clothing, hiking boots, medical and veterinary supplies, tools. From this point forward our training rides will be with a full load so I can evaluate - and adjust as needed - the rig's weight distribution. There were a few dirt inclines in Iowa where the front end was so light I had trouble going in a straight line. The cause was I had packed all the gifts for friends we stayed with along the way up in the nose. Once two gallons of maple syrup had been offloaded the weight distribution was uneven and the nose was too light. Lesson learned.

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Glenlivet appears to appreciate the sun and wind protection

That's a nice set up and enjoy the pics of you two on the bike

 

[SilverGirl]

Nice pics! Nice, doggie!

All of your pictures get me excited about the upcoming trip. I had every intention of getting miles stacked on this spring but between our feckless spring weather and now a nasty, nasty cold that WILL NOT LEAVE, stacking up those miles isn't happening. Too much gunk still in my lungs. Fortunately, I have left myself 5 to 6 days to get down there. Looking forward to play time!

Louise

 

[glenfiddich]

All of your pictures get me excited about the upcoming trip. I had every intention of getting miles stacked on this spring but between our feckless spring weather and now a nasty, nasty cold that WILL NOT LEAVE, stacking up those miles isn't happening. Too much gunk still in my lungs. Fortunately, I have left myself 5 to 6 days to get down there. Looking forward to play time!

Louise

That's the right way to do it. Gives you time to answer the question, "I wonder where that road goes..."

Glenlivet and I are leaving Vermont on May 31st, this coming Friday. We'll do a lot of exploring, a lot of playing in streams, and have built in a few days of staying put. Two days at Seneca Rocks WV, a full day at the New River Gorge, a day in a small Virginia town to catch up with a Navy buddy I haven't seen since 1975, two days at one of the motorcycle campgrounds in western NC, and two days at an AirBnB in the heart of the Nantahala Forest. If you see us in your travels be sure to flag us down. We're hard to miss!

Pete and Glenlivet

 

[SilverGirl]

I'm the midget on the midget R 1150 R

That's the right way to do it. Gives you time to answer the question, "I wonder where that road goes..."

Glenlivet and I are leaving Vermont on May 31st, this coming Friday. We'll do a lot of exploring, a lot of playing in streams, and have built in a few days of staying put. Two days at Seneca Rocks WV, a full day at the New River Gorge, a day in a small Virginia town to catch up with a Navy buddy I haven't seen since 1975, two days at one of the motorcycle campgrounds in western NC, and two days at an AirBnB in the heart of the Nantahala Forest. If you see us in your travels be sure to flag us down. We're hard to miss!

Pete and Glenlivet

Yes, you are hard to miss. Wish I could leave as early as this coming Friday but not going to happen. Hoping I am healthy enough to do local riding next weekend. I think you'll recognize me if we get to say "hi!"

Louise

 

[jnrugg]

I love your pictures and postings.
Even more to see you 2 in person.
Hope to see you in 2 weeks.

 

[susan-nc]

That's the right way to do it. Gives you time to answer the question, "I wonder where that road goes..."

Glenlivet and I are leaving Vermont on May 31st, this coming Friday. We'll do a lot of exploring, a lot of playing in streams, and have built in a few days of staying put. Two days at Seneca Rocks WV, a full day at the New River Gorge, a day in a small Virginia town to catch up with a Navy buddy I haven't seen since 1975, two days at one of the motorcycle campgrounds in western NC, and two days at an AirBnB in the heart of the Nantahala Forest. If you see us in your travels be sure to flag us down. We're hard to miss!

Pete and Glenlivet

Which campground in WNC are you two staying?

 

[glenfiddich]

Which campground in WNC are you two staying?

Really not sure at this point. Possibly Iron Horse if I feel like having some real food for a change. Possibly Tsali if we go more primitive. Suggestions?

 

[susan-nc]

Really not sure at this point. Possibly Iron Horse if I feel like having some real food for a change. Possibly Tsali if we go more primitive. Suggestions?

Depends on where you wind up. There's the Blue Ridge Motorcycle Campground in Cruso off of US 276, near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

[Ragman2]

Hey Pete

If you are able, let us know where you are and where you are going next as you travel to the Rally. I for one (I'm sure there are others) would like to run into you on the way. Unfortunately, I can't leave PA until the 10th and still not sure what route I will take. Guess I will just see which way the wind blows me.

Have safe travels!!!

 

[glenfiddich]

If you are able, let us know where you are and where you are going next as you travel to the Rally. I for one (I'm sure there are others) would like to run into you on the way. Unfortunately, I can't leave PA until the 10th and still not sure what route I will take. Guess I will just see which way the wind blows me.

Have safe travels!!!

Leaving on the 31st. Saranac Lake, Tioga PA, Flight 93 Memorial, June 3-4 at Seneca Rocks WV, New River Gorge WV, Fancy Gap VA and follow the BRP to the end, June 7-9 camping in western NC, June 10-11 in an AirBnB near the NC/TN border, then the rally

 

[Rinty]

Pete:

I see you're in the Northeast Kingdom. I just read about this area in National Geo.