"The Iron Butt is an endurance rally, and it's about getting on the machine and staying on for eleven days. The riders see a good portion of the contiguous U.S. They see it in the ever-brightening dawn of day, the blazing afternoon sunshine, the golden haze of sunset, and the cold darkness of night. They experience the Rocky Mountains, and turn up their electric gear as temperatures drop. They experience the reds and browns of the southwestern desert and survive 115-degree temperatures as blasts of hot air envelopes their leather or gore-Tex-clad bodies. They sip fluids from tubes from packs on their backs in an attempt to stay hydrated and to keep their attention on their ever-changing environment. They wipe face shields clear of driving rain and brace themselves against persistent winds as they ride the fringes of hurricanes threatening to alter their course to the next checkpoint. What is the mystique that surrounds the Iron Butt Rally??" Ron reprinted this from an article I wrote for the BMW Owners' News about the 1995 Iron Butt Rally. All the same could be said about the 2007 Rally, except this time I shared the experience with Tony!
The 2007 Iron Butt Rally is history, but the experience will live long in my memory as a difficult experience shared with an offspring! There were many times I wondered in my helmet why I was doing this again....mostly when it wouldn't stop raining, or the lightning was bouncing around in the sky, and the winds were making the riding treacherous. When I saw cars hydroplaning into ditches, I reminded myself we only had two wheels, and they had four and couldn't control it. When we left the rain and headed south to 105 degrees and high humidity, we now had the pleasure of getting wet from the "inside out". Rain again at o'dark thirty riding down the mountain highway with another thunderstorm, rain, semis, etc, into Vegas for a polariod of the statue of liberty.....I was beginning to think God was trying to expunge all of Vegas! On to Death Valley and more heat!!! (but it's a dry heat....the sign said so). 115 degrees, and spots with mud, and water crossing from the last storm. Tony picked that time to desert me (in Death VAlley), actually, I encouraged it so he could ride to Bristlecone for 18,000 points. I'd heard too much about the road, and neither the K nor I were up to it. I headed off to Yosemite and a hail storm. 10,000 points for a photo of the half dome with several other riders.
Reconnected with Tony at the Hotel in Yosemite for 4000+ more points. After the big bonus at Lick Observatory....(Tony thought the road was cool.....we disagreed once again) 17 miles up a mountain with 10 mph switchbacks, and I was sweating again) One of the riders told me she was crying when she reached the top(until she reminded herself there'd be no crying on the Iron Butt Rally)
On to the Livermore Fire Station, where we had to wait for the department to return from a call and let us in (about an hour and a half layover) We boogied and scrambled up points in San Francisco. (telegraph hill and Lombard street are not places to practice starting on a HILL!!!. After the cold ride across the Golden Gate bridge and on to Sutra Baths on the coast, I discovered a missing bonus sheet. When you lose a sheet you can't claim any of the bonuses. How many were on the sheet???? 4 totaling over 10,000 points! Talk about frustrating. I didn't know if the sheet was floating around San Fran or I left it at the Fire station. No luck calling them. The recording said....if this is an emergency....please dial 911.....Of course it's an emergency, but we decided to ride back instead. Fortunately it was only about 50 miles back, and there were no immediate bonuses. It was there!!! Yeah! Onward.Grass Valley, the covered bridge and Kneebone Cemetary were neat shots, and we were trying to garner enough points to make sure we were ok if we lost any at the table....Now it's time to head back with only 2 opportunities on the way back for points.
Thursday morning we were again on the road at 4:30 AM (2:30 Pacific time) with 1300 miles to cover. After another bout of heat!!!, Tony helping a rider who went ditch riding, our encounter with the nice police officer in the midst of an awful dust storm, we got our bonus in Laramie, and the final stop in Columbia, MO to arrive in St Louis at 3:30 AM. Could we have gotten more bonuses? Maybe....but we could also have joined the 20+ other riders who had mechanical or other issues preventing them from finishing! What a great experience to be the first Mother /Son team to join the "World's Toughest Riders". Brian and Mark.....don't care if you want to do it....you'll have to do it without me.Thanks for riding along with us, and for your words of encouragement and support. Thanks also to Lisa, Amy and Jerry who were always
there when 
we needed them!
