New Year’s Day - 2019

It was a dark and chilled morning when I woke up on New Year’s Day, 2019. The muted rumble of Ollie’s breathing and the soft contended respiration of my wife begged me to stay tucked away in bed. It wasn’t until the icy waters of the shower streamed down my back that I allowed my excitement for the day ahead rise to the surface. It was a ride day! I’d be seeing friends, making friends, and rolling over unfamiliar roads. What better way to start a new year?

It was near freezing at my hillside home though there was no rime on the birdbath this year. I quietly geared up in my little office/closet, no mean feat since I was putting on stuff I’ve never ridden in before, namely the chaps I received the day before. A scene ran through my mind. In many stories, movies, and the like, there is a scene where the heroes prepare themselves for conflict and/or adventure. The scene for me was from Cat Ballou where Lee Marvin’s character, Kid Shelleen, is getting ready to face his nemeses, a twin brother. He sobers up, bathes, shaves, and Jackson Two assists him in dressing for the fight. For your viewing pleasure, the scene:

I could have used a Jackson Two to help with those chaps the first time I put them on. While I’ve made lite of the ritual here, make no mistake, it’s a critical part of every ride for each of us. We need to consider the weather and dress right, check out our bike for the ride ahead, and have our route firmly in mind, at least to the point we join up with the day’s leader. Our routine is how we show respect for the ride and those we ride with and it’s a part of our vigilance. It sets our minds properly.

I waddled out to the garage, put my new thermal glove liners on, and backed down the driveway to head out to the first meet point of three. We added Mauricio, a friend of Shawn’s, to the group for the first time. It was less than a mile down the 210 freeway and I knew he was a good fit, like your hands into a favorite set of gloves. The other new-to-me riders would prove the same. It is one of the special things I’ve found in riding with friends who ‘get it’. It’s more about the ride than the bike though the bike can certainly affect the ride. It’s more about the people than posing and there were no posers on this ride. With nineteen riders and nearly a third of them new to me, I scarcely had time to really talk to them all. However, thank you, each of you, for being riders.

There was a bit of strangeness to the day for me and I hope it’s rectified sometime this summer. We pulled into the De Luz School and Ecology Center, our nineteen bikes clogging up the circle driveway. I looked in my mirror and saw a car pulling and thought, ‘how’s this going to work, getting those poor folks through the drive?’ It was Tim in his car with Jeanie and it was strange not seeing him dismount from the Enterprise. We spent a little time looking at the 1927 one room schoolhouse and Tim got out his newest passion and took a couple of drone shots of the group.

Photo courtesy of Tim Robertson and his drone at De Luz School

The ride through De Luz Canyon (and maybe Rice Canyon?) was special. We wended our way through twisties to our hearts delight, rounding corners to breathtaking vistas, and down steep grades into vales of Black-oak shrouded canopies. I could ride it again and just thinking about it as I write puts a smile on my face.

Brief helmet cam video of De Luz Canyon:  

From the canyon we worked our way through Fallbrook down to the coast and our destination at the Coyote Bar and Grill in Carlsbad. Our thought was to ride along the strip by the beach and stop for a group photo, but it being a gorgeous day and Carlsbad doesn’t take reservations for such things, we got separated into several groups. It’s no easy task keeping twenty vehicles in caravan. The great thing is we all ended up at the eatery for good food and drink (Doctor Pepper for me, thank you Brad) and an excellent time of rider’s fellowship.

At the end of these rides a sense of melancholy sets in as riders bid friends goodbye and safe travels, to head off in different direction. It was no different New Year’s Day 2019.

My 2019 wish for my friends here is that we all find twisties that challenge us and we rise to the challenge. That you all find yourself in places that warm your hearts and light your fires. Here’s to a prosperous and healthy 2019.

 Y’all keep the iron side up and ride baby ride.

Jerry ‘Shakespeare’ White

Ride Roster, mostly in order of appearance:

Mauricio Ahued

Todd

Shawn Frausto

Jed and Sue

Jerry

Aaron Falls and Lupe Delgado Falls

Steve Mclean

Keith and Karen – ride hosts

Jess

Steve Thrasher

Kevin and Jeanie

Tim and Bev

And others to be named soon: