I didn’t post our happenings yesterday as we didn’t get into our hotel room till about 11:00 PM. It was a long day. Our planned distance was 511 miles, and we met it, but not without some speed bumps.
At our first gas stop, just a hundred or so miles into the journey, Dad’s bike wouldn’t start after he filled it. This is exactly the symptom he had corrected, not once, but twice already on this trip so this was immediately troubling. Before we left home, we hooked up a lead line to the battery to which I could connect a portable power device capable of jumping the bike several times before requiring a recharge. So, we got everything ready to jump the bike and get on down the road, but couldn’t find the line. Dad removed the side cover to expose the battery, found the cable properly mounted to the negative and positive posts, but couldn’t find the end of it to jump the bike. So, off came all the luggage, both seats and there it was. The mechanic who did the last repair, had moved it so it was exposed on the opposite side of the bike. Had we noticed, we’d have saved ourselves at least 30 min of effort. Dad put his bike and luggage back together and we jumped the bike. Off we went, happy that it was working, worried it wouldn’t last. And wouldn’t last, it did.
We’d hardly gone a quarter of a mile and the whole bike just shut down. A call to Roadside assistance, an hour or so wait, a 70 mile tow, and we found ourselves in a small town motorcycle shop. Horizon Motorsports in Sterling, CO. Shawn, put the bike up on the lift, and started diagnosing the bike. Within about 20 minutes he found a wire leading from the part replaced in Virginia, some 1200 or so miles prior had come loose. He put everything back together and charged the battery while we sought out lunch. Whoop! It was Cherry Limeade time. As luck would have it, there was a Sonic, just kitty corner across the street. By the time we completed our late lunch, the battery was charged and everything tested out ok. Sterling and businesses there, like Horizon Motorsports, are in need. The city’s sidewalks and streets were in disrepair. It felt as if the economy was running on fumes. Being there was a blessing, not a curse. It’s for towns like this we set out on our mission. The goal wasn’t just to complete the Run For The Wall and “Ride for those who can’t”. It was to pray for the healing of our great nation in every town we found ourselves in all across the land. Healing starts with good people like Shawn of Horizon Motor Sports, and Steve the tow truck driver, in small struggling towns like Sterling, CO. Being there, gave us the chance to pray over the town and sew a seed for God to water.
By the time we arrived in Denver, it was too late to follow through with plans to link up with my long-time friend Rod, so we geared for the rain we saw on the horizon and assaulted the Rockies. By the time we reached the midway point, at just under 12,000 feet, we were freezing. Snow was all around and night was setting in. Another gear switch to heated jacket and pant liners and we were off for the final 90 miles, all downhill, in the dark, with flashing road signs warning us to watch for moose, coyotes, cougars, and herds of deer. Yeah, it was not a ride for the faint of heart. At one point, I saw a massive buck standing on the side of the freeway looking for an opening to cross. Nearby, there were 20-30 other deer grazing on the grass along the road’s edge. It was at this point I sought out a semi-truck to tuck in behind for the journey down the mountain. I followed him close enough that he’d encounter the wildlife first, but not so close that should he do so, I’d be caught up in the mele. With that, we arrived safely in Glenwood Springs, tired but well, and bike repaired, hopefully for the last time.
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