I recently picked up a GoPro Hero 8 camera and here is my first ride video. Nothing too crazy, just a ride around town to test the camera and see how I like it.
First impression of the Hero 8 was good, but there are a few things that make you wonder, why did GoPro do that to the camera? Other features are pretty great, some things that certainly could be better. I will be posting more on the camera soon. Enjoy watching the first Hero 8 ride.
Idaho Governor Brad Little recently ordered Idahoans to stay home unless they have essential business out of the house. I carefully reviewed the Governor's list of essential reasons and sadly "motorcycle joy riding" is not on there. Perhaps this oversight will be corrected in the near future. So, I am staying home like folks in many other areas of the country.
It is a small sacrifice as I count my many blessings during this troubling time. My family and friends are all healthy and have avoided Covid-19. We are working and have toilet paper, food, and all the necessities to ride this thing out. Our prayers are for the thousands of others who have family and/or friends who are ill or are sick themselves. Not to mention the many who have lost family and friends to this virus. This is a serious and troubling time.
I made this video the night before our governor ordered everyone to stay home. It's a short ride around town and is a bit odd because there are very few cars out. Normally, these streets would be much more crowded.
I don't know when I will be riding again. The stay at home order lasts until April 15 and I am planning for that day. Meanwhile I have plenty to do around the house and will be blogging when I can. Stay safe, wash your hands, and keep your distance from others. We will get through this.
TheRonald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site is a retired Air Force nuclear missile site converted into a State Historic Site. The facility was closed in 1997 and its 10 nuclear missiles removed following a nuclear arms reduction agreement with the Soviet Union. The site is now open for public tours and here is some of what I saw during my visit to Oscar-Zero.
The hour long tour covers the above ground facilities that housed on duty Air Force security forces personnel and the missile alert crews who manned the site. This Launch Control Facility includes a security control center that screened everyone who entered the site, several offices, a recreation room, dining facilities, and sleeping quarters.
The decor is maintained as it was when the site was shut down.
I really wanted to see what was 50 feet underground where missile crews were ready to launch nuclear missiles if ordered by the President of the United States. A large, slow freight elevator takes you down to the Equipment Room and Crew Capsule. These rooms are on "floating" metal platforms attached to the ceiling by several of large green shock absorbers (center of the picture below) designed to dampen the shock from a nearby nuclear explosion.
Equipment Room
The Equipment Room houses air filtration, backup generators, and other critical machinery needed to ensure that Oscar-Zero could survive and operate after a nuclear attack. Most of this vintage equipment no longer works, but the folks who maintain this site are working to bring as much of it as possible back to life.
Other view of Equipment Room
A short passage way connects the Equipment Room to the Crew Capsule. Each of these rooms are sealed by gigantic, steel, blast doors that are several feet thick and designed to survive a nuclear explosion. The ramp in the picture below is for wheel chair access and was not part of the original layout.
View from the Equipment Room to the Crew Capsule
Door to the Crew Capsule with names of the last alert crew and date of closure.
If you have seen the 1983 movie "War Games", you have a good idea of what the Crew Capsule does. In this blast-proof room, two Air Force officers sat at two identical control consoles. If the launch order came, they each would confirm the order was authentic, and then insert a key into their console. Next, they would simultaneously turn their keys to complete the launch sequence.
One of the crew member positions
The actual launch keys are still at Oscar-Zero, attached to their respective consoles. I was disappointed to learn that tour members are not allowed to sit in the seats. The Crew Capsule also contains a lot of communications equipment to ensure military command authorities could maintain contact with the missile alert crew. The Crew Capsule also has Air Force technical manuals, uniforms and other details that give a sense that the site is still operational.
The tour was well worth the time and my guide, Nathan, really knew his stuff. He had never been in the Air Force, but had a real passion for military history and told me that he reads a lot on the subject. The site is a bit off of the beaten path, but worth looking into if you find yourself in the area of Cooperstown, ND. Below is a short video slide show of other pictures from my tour of Oscar-Zero.
Night riding videos are generally not interesting since you cannot see outside of the headlight. But, that can change when riding in a rural area with a lot of deer.
In this short clip I am riding an unfamiliar gravel road on a very dark night. I had seen many white tails along the highway earlier in the afternoon. So, in this video I was going slow while scanning the sides of the road.
Suddenly, a large white tail doe casually walked across the road just ahead of me. She was way closer than it appears on the GoPro. I stop the clip on that frame and highlighted her head. Her rump also flashes past in the headlight.
After this, I watched for other deer out on the right side. I thought I was saw some, but it was really dark and the light could have been playing tricks on me.
Bottom line here is a reminder to adjust your speed and focus to the riding conditions. Think about what could go wrong and postion yourself to avoid trouble.
A new ride video, from September 22, 2012; showing some fall leaves, and a deer that darted across the road. The camera didn't catch the deer, but trust me, it was there and I was glad that he didn't have any friends with him.
This trail winds around a lake before connecting with a gravel road and finally back to the highway. The trail has some tricky spots with ruts and loose gravel, but is a blast. Earlier, I chatted with the people who were fishing and nothing was biting that day. Better to be riding than to be fishing!
This video of me and couple of buddies on their KTMs is from earlier this year, near Moab, Utah. Onion Creek trail is a great ride, with many water crossings and great scenery. In previous posts, I mentioned that during this ride I was feeling a bit over confident and came out of a water crossing too fast. You can see what happened...
Here's a short video of the ride to Mt. Rushmore. The clip starts just outside of Keystone, SD and goes to the monument. This was a perfect day for a ride; the weather and traffic could not have been any better and the scenery through the Black Hills was awesome.
I created this slide show highlighting my recent ride through Arches National Park. I toured the park by car in 1997 and that was good. Seeing Arches again from the seat of my KLR was fantastic! The spectacular scenery was really up-close and much more alive. The rock formations and desert terrain were beautiful.
I missed the Delicate Arch on my last visit, but not this time! My KLR waited in the parking lot as I eagerly joined the pilgrimage on the 1.5 mile hike to Utah's most famous natural landmark. I loved every minute of it. Seeing and touching the arch was a perfect end to the trek. My smile at the Delicate Arch comes from correcting the 15 year old mistake of missing it in 1997.
I left Arches, knowing that I would return very soon for a longer visit. If you have never been to Arches by car, KLR, or any other bike, make plans to visit. Internet slides shows, television, or National Park DVD's do not come close to capturing the park's awe inspiring sights.
This ride is from a couple of weeks ago during the Gas Gas Rally in Moab, UT with my two buddies Gary and Jordan from Calgary AB. I will be posting more of these including the Onion Creek Trail where I went down coming out of a water crossing and cracked up my right side fairing. So, stay tuned!!
