- Some weeks ago we made a 913 mile trip around Lake Michigan, known as the Circle Tour. These are our trip logs. -
(Catch Up: Part 1 Here.)
Part 2: The Comfort of a Forest
Leg: Manitowoc to the Hiawatha Forest
Route: I-43 > M-35 > US-2 > NF13
Log Entry: Kara P.
The day that I told Dave “I might want my own bike” I had an email full of craigslist finds and
by the next day owned the SR 250. Without really trying to become a motorcycle
person, it just happened to me. Maybe it’s because I had dirty nails for a year
in the garage, or because I poured lots of time and money into her details, but
I really love this machine. As an animal lover I can only compare it to how
people feel about pets. You love them and they love you back in their own
little way, even if you can’t prove it. It brings experiences that you wouldn’t
have otherwise, some you will love and some you won’t, but they will form a
relationship between you and your machine. Riding a motorbike will quietly
change you.
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| Maribel Caves 'Haunted' Hotel |
When this road trip around Lake Michigan kicked off I had
only clocked in a couple hundred miles of riding around Chicago. That quickly
multiplied as we logged over a hundred miles a day for eight days at a max
speed of 54mph. We camped when we could and got lost a lot. The best part of
each day for me was waking up and riding to a diner for breakfast and coffee
and then having absolutely nothing to do or think about beyond hitting some
mile marker. It’s amazing how fast the time goes; the best indicator being how
bad your ass hurts when you stop. Riding through the Hawaithan forest was the
highlight of the trip for me, even though I was soaked to my socks. The long
stretch of beautiful black road tunneled through the dense forest and we had it
all to ourselves. The rain brought out the forest’s poignant pine aroma and I
relaxed into Minnie’s cushion. At one point I was singing MIA ‘Sunshowers’ in
my helmet. Even when things kind of suck on a motorcycle and you’re exposed to
the elements or uncomfortable, it’s still pretty okay. Like Robert Pirsig said,
“I argued that physical discomfort is important only when the mood is wrong.
Then you fasten on to whatever thing is uncomfortable and call that the cause.
But if the mood is right, then physical discomfort doesn't mean much.”
This trip was my ‘last hurrah’ before grad school and I
anticipated the hours on the road would be a nice time for self-reflection. This
didn’t happen… at all. Being on a motorcycle is not, for me anyway, a time to
think. It’s actually a complete absence of thought, like meditation. I can see
why most guys like it and even if only for this reason I recommend it to
females. Let’s be real - we think too much. I found the physical escapism and taste for adventure that I expected from a motorcycle trip, plus a freedom from everyday mental stressors, and in a sense, myself.
Gear:
Kara and the SR250: are shown carrying the One Man Tent by Poler Stuff and the Pickwick Day Pack by Brooks England, supplied by Kaufmann Mercantile.
Dave and the CX500: are shown carrying the Pathfinder Sleeping Pad by Field & Stream, the Boulder Pack 2.0 by Lexdray and the Explorer's Cap supplied by Huckberry.
Both helmets are the Gringo by Biltwell.
