Victoria Lake shakedown run (literally! 16 Nov 08-just found the flash card)

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

Here's the 3 Amigos, Crazy Uncle Larry on the XT500, #2 Son on the TT600, and Nephew JW from KCMO on the 4wheeler unloading the rides at the Victoria Lake turnout off of Sheridan Lake Road. Who knows what lies in wait for our intrepid riders?!! We only got photos at the start cause I had to use my big Sony digital as the wife had packed off to a quilt retreat in Custer with the small pocket Sony.



JW wants to know how long #2 Son/Aaron is going to have to kick his bike before it starts! Still needed some carb cleaning at this point!



Allright!!!! Got it started!!!



Everyone is ready to go! One last photo before we go!



So, nothing like going for a short ride on the Victoria Lake road in the middle of hunting season!!! But hey!!! We were riding and a guy gotta do what a guy's gotta do!!! We're trail riders and we didn't make a nuisance of ourselves so we did okay. Earlier I said this was to be a "shakedown" ride and I didn't know how truthful this would be. Those of you who run the old iron just automatically know that something may drop off, quit working, or come loose when you are trying to get these dinosaurs back road-worthy. It's a given and we live with it!!! Our ride took us over the top of what is left of Victoria Lake, headed eventually to Hi-way 385, just north of the Black Forest Inn/Pactola area. We had just come off of the high ridge and rode slowly and carefully through a mudhole/drainage spot where the road was low. As we came up the other side, #2 Son/Aaron had stopped his bike and I assumed it was carb problems again. Wrong!!! His shifter was hanging loose; the bolt had come out of it!!!We stood there scratching our heads for a bit wishing we had brought a set of vicegrips with us when Nephew JW told us there was a tool box on his 4wheeler!!! #2 Son unbolted one of his gas tank bolts and put it in the slot on the shifter. We were back in business!!! He wanted to go on but wiser heads prevailed and we headed back to the truck-n-trailer to call it a day. Something about not spitting in the wind or tugging on superman's cape. Here we are safe and sound back at the truck. It was shortly after this photo that we saw Yeti go by.



All in all, it was a great day. We learned some more about the bikes, Nephew JW had a great time, we didn't let adversity get the best of us, and we rode !!!