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Lost and know it

redclfco

New member
Ever been lost on your bike?

Ever feel the sting of humility, then the secret delight you feel when you somehow find out where you are?

My friend recently told me about his experience getting lost on his bike, going along a shoreline in Mexico, and forgetting where they turned onto the beach all the while the tide slowly drowning the beach with waves.

I got lost on my 125 Honda when I was a wee kid camping outside of Gould, CO with my family. I took off racing down the blacktop on my bike, an unusual privilege, because back then, North Park outside of Gould had no cops and no cars. Just a beautiful black top road. Off I went into the distance. After racing all out for 20 miles or so, I went down a logging road into the horizon to the west, an orange ball of sun setting in the silhouette of trees that surrounded me.

My new bike was soo speedy versus my old trail 90 I was so elated! Deeper into the forest I went till the logging track I had been following sort of disappeared! Imagine that! I stopped and killed the engine and the sudden change in light as the bike's magneto quit spinning volts reminded me it was just about dark; all the way dark. I knew in an instant I was lost!

I can see the headlines now;

" Brain deranged boy lost in forest; parents have no clue as to where he went"

I disappeared also into the dark, and for about 2 hours, I was hopelessly lost 20 miles from campsite, no one knew where this idiot 13 yr old kid was, in fact the 13year old sh-- for brains could not tell east from west, was crying and racing around looking for any sign, a mark a clue as to how to get out of there. My bike was two days new, still figuring it out, and I am flailing around looking for home, headlight going round and round over a mile of so... for a breif instant I thought I was going to die !

As the tall dark lodge pole pine trees and giant bushes of mountain mahogany looming grey in the shadows of the headlight Everywhere I went, I ran into down timber, so I somehow knew to go to my right every time I hit a timber fall, and I eventually would find my route out (or so I thought) The worst part was I had very little gas in the tank; not quite reserve, but close.

Cry like a baby; big motorcycle man (boy) really did it this time. Finally I saw what I was looking for; a single knobby tire track on a loose spot on the forest floor. I got back and never told mom and dad my ordeal, just told them I was out enjoying the local amenities at the general store in Gould.
 
Just yesterday, in fact.

It was a beautiful day, and I was at loose ends, so I persuaded myself to hop on the bike and go. It actually takes a little persuading these days: I don't have much income at the moment and the tread on my tires is thinner than I'd like, so I find myself asking "Is this trip necessary?" a little more than usual. Anyway, I figured it was my last shot at a dry ride this year, so I picked out a Forest Service road in my topo map book and headed toward it.

I don't know about where you are, but in Oregon probably 25% of the Forest Service road signs stick out of the ground at an odd angle and are riddled with bullet holes, and the remaining 75% have been reduced to little green shards of plastic on the ground. So while I was able to get my bearings at one pointÔÇöabout three miles after my chosen road turned to gravelly mud and dove down a hillÔÇöI had to guess at the next few intersections, opting for the widest, best-maintained stretch of gravel each time. Sometimes, however, that just turns out to be the most recent logging track. I followed it steadily downhill for about three and a half miles, at which point it dead-ended at something a little more gradual than a cliff. And there I am on a 450-lb bike pointing downhill toward basically nothing, wondering exactly how many wrong turns I'd made to reach this point and wishing I had a reverse gear.

It honestly wasn't that bad. I wrestled the bike around, earning absolutely no style points but not actually dropping it, and headed back up the hill to the last junction. Pause. No markers, but a possible map location. So I forged ahead in a black cloud of self-doubt, not much mitigated by the setting afternoon sun in my eyes. I wasn't supposed to be heading South, and I sure as hell wasn't supposed to be heading West. Why do I keep coming back into the sun? "If the sun isn't on your back in fifteen minutes, you're turning around," I told myself. Ten minutes. Five minutes. Two minutes. One minute before my turn-back time, I struck pavement again. Good old slick, mossy, slid-out, leaf-encrusted Forest Service pavement. Wahoo! But was this the road? Operating under the assumption that they don't just pave random stretches of road in the middle of the forest, I wound it up to thirty and forged ahead. Within two miles I saw the signs of civilization: teenagers with jacked-up trucks putting some lead to another Forest Service road sign at 4 pm on a school day. Hey! Awesome! Mushroom pickers! Great! Down one last stretch of steep, wet, leafy road and I was back on 224 and headed for home.
 
Getting "lost" is fun stuff, if you have a GPS. Technology makes all roads an adventure without the fear of the motorcycle guy having to stop and ask directions.
 
On the contrary......I am "found" on my bike. I do take roads frequently which I have never taken, and which end I know not where. Thank goodness for the "Home" function of the GPS.
 
Even without a GPS, I often take roads I haven't ridden, and don't know where they end. When I travel, I get lost too, signage is frequently confusing, and the maps never show everything. But I've ridden some great roads that way, I just adjust my schedule accordingly.
 
I frequently don't know where I am but I'm never lost. You're not be lost if you don't care where you are. I take off to parts unknown on obscure roads. Sooner or later, I come across a familiar road and I find my way home. Keep in mind that I am a country only rider.

Ken
 
I sometimes find that I'm not where I wanted to be, but have never felt that I was really lost. I have pretty good navigating skill and can figure out my location and how to get back to where I want to be. GPS makes this easier, but even in the days pre-GPS I had no trouble reading and following maps. I do always try to make sure I have maps for the locale I'm in though. With no guidance tools it is harder to navigate accurately, but usually just requires stopping and reading the lay of the land and roads to figure things out.
 
On Monday, I intentionally got lost. No GPS, no map, nothing. About 80 miles around some backroads I'd never heard of or been on. Then, I popped out on a random road intersecting a major road I recognized. Not too shabby.
 
What if I am lost and I don't know it? I guess one is not lost til' realization rears it's head.
 
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Hey all; Nope, never been lost, been turned around, confused, disoriented, maybe even baffled, but as long as I have a local map, (No stinking GPS for THIS hombre!!) and a road sign, I can find my way back to where I came from. I do love to explore roads I've never been on before though. I love going to see the grand sons in southern Ohio, as there are tons of great roads I haven't been on yet. Think spring everyone!!! Vaya con Dios, Dutch
 
Being "lost" opens up new worlds for me. It lets me get out of my own way. Having the big fuel capacity ensures a happy ending.
 
Getting "lost" is fun stuff, if you have a GPS. Technology makes all roads an adventure without the fear of the motorcycle guy having to stop and ask directions.

I sometimes turn off the GPS and ride until I'm well and truly lost, then turn it back on to take me back to civilization. Having the backup is tremendously liberating.

Pete
 
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