December 2009 Home Page Photo

[Admin]

Hi Ron,
My parents were both dead set AGAINST me doing that trip but you know how we were in those youthful days--we thought we were invincible!  I went against their wishes with the agreement that I would call home each night, which I did.  I'm not sure it would be safe to do something like that in 2009.

Another couple of flashbacks I just had--of the 10 days we rode, most of the weather was stormy and rainy.  (Why we didn't we stop and wait for the storm to pass us, I don't know.)  Anyways, it was pouring rain and we were in the mountains somewhere, coming down a huge winding hill and came upon a small village tucked away in the mountainside.  We saw a gas station with a mechanic garage opened up so rode our bikes right into the garage.  The guys were real nice to us and started talking motorcycle talk to us.  We took off our helmets and our long hair fell down to our shoulders--needless to say, the guys were quite surprised we were ladies! [8D]

After another soggy wet day, we stopped at a laundry mat to dry all our clothes.  We were soaking wet, down to the skin, as well as our backpacks on our bike racks.  Well, we took turns with this chore.  One person stripped down to nothing and went and sat in a one stall unisex bathroom while the other dried all the clothes, etc.  I remember sticking my money on the wall in the bathroom to dry out.  Guess that would have been some picture back then.  Too bad we didn't have cell phone cameras back then!

Ah, the crazy days of our youth...

Karen

[firstturn]

Thanks Karen for sharing the stories.  I had dreams of using a bike like the old Cowboys used their horses crossing massive 100 section Ranches.  Back in the 1960's there was so much open private land in Texas that had no fences.  It was a great dream....but you lived it.  Merry CHRISTmas to you and your Family.

Ron Carbaugh

[baxtermcc]

Paul,

Here are the turn-by-turn directions to Bel Mess Raceway.  Dave and I were discussing old MX tracks back in January 2008 and I have aerial photographs of about 1/2 dozen in the area.  The photos were taken in the mid '90s and many still have witness marks of the tracks on the terrain.

With regard to to 'Big Dipper', I recall one race where I stood and watched the starter for each moto before might pull the pin on the rubber band starting 'gate' at exactly five seconds.  In my first moto by the time I made the left down into the abyss I must have had 10 bike lengths on the field. I was so excited I pinned it in third gear all the way down and back up the other side.  Bob

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=40.425519,-80.288773+to:Cranberry+Township,+PA&hl=en&geocode=FTWTagIdvPkx-w%3B%3BFaFIbQIdMnU5-ykPYQQrWn00iDHTHvd9YXlJfg&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&sll=40.511711,-80.362244&sspn=0.359162,0.617294&ie=UTF8&t=k&z=11

[Paul Danik]

Bob,

    I paid good money to attend the John DeSoto MX school the day before we raced in the Inter Am race at Honda Hills in 1970, your watching the starter tip is just as valuable as what John taught and he charged us all $ 7.00 each !!  

   I absolutely loved Bel Mesa, the "Big Dipper" was an E ticket ride as you surely know. There was a small step up with a ledge just after the big dipper, that is where my Bosch flywheel weld came un-welded and my engine pretty much died just as I hit the ledge, instead of powering up, I plowed in and over the bars.  I remember getting up and wondering what in the heck had happened.

   Thanks for the directions, I will have to head down that way just to see where it was.  Maybe a will give you a call and we can make the trip together.

Paul