Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Howdy, holy moly it's hard to blog and ride......but I am trying. Little bit late but better than never I feel.
Well, what a day this was......got up, had some breaky.....tried to figure out where to go....the strategy was one of lets see where the sun it....well after much looking at weather forecasts for cities around us....South East was the direction to go. Venice happens to be that way....so I go to planning a route. Takes a bit...using map gps....etc etc.....but after lil bit of swearing....silently, got a route with what looks like a few twisties in it.....
Pack up and off we go......
Well the day was fresh...we are getting use to gassing up now. I must say am starting to think the theme for Visa is not "Don't leave home without it" to "Leave it at home its kinda useless at times as you will always live in fear of the bank cutting it off when you least expect it and it may not work!!!!! but it might.....ya never know"
Well the day's ride started off with an amazing climb out of Trento.....into a mountain range that followed a river. Stunning views.....me gps gal is babbling at me in an Aussie accent she gets a bit annoying at times but I can live with it. We go along these towns that are built in the valley all is well right up to the point where the construction closed the one road needed to be on.
Well........that totally stunned my up to that point Aussie gal. So we had to get creative, go tno map with any detail that shows our predicament.....I figured I would get directions from one of the construction workers...LMAO. Why do I do this to myself.....all I got out of it was blahhhh blahhhhh blahhhhhh a lot of hand pointing.......and all of it in a very thick Italian accent....no english here. I must have some translation abilities however as he kept saying Bomb.....I think....and making a biggggggg circle with his hands.....I figured I'm going over the top around this mess. How can you have one road....and close it right in the middle of town sheesh.
Off we went...I can laugh now but OMG......we I seriously need to invest in mountain climbing gear....the RT is a great bike but for this stuff a little yammy 125 dirt bike would be awesome. So i saw a big hill figured the guy meant for us to go over it....so turned onto a road that looked like it would and off we went up up and up....the road getting narrower and narrower......the grade about 20%25 it seemed. I finally told Mike to hang on I will reccy ahead and off I went...into a tree cutting operation...time to regroup...turned a round.....and commenced down....I am sure I can still smell the brake pads.....funny how seeing their version of a semi coming at you on what is no bigger than a golf cart path causes you to wake up suddenly. I wobbled out of the way.....barely. Then more brake action.....and found Mike.....time to back track.
Must say....its a challenge for Mike with the tll bike lil leg combo but he is managing......backing up a 20%25 slope.....not an easy task. Off we went. I saw a turn and took it. Okay.....this one made a golf path look like the 401.....it was a ledge.....with a fence at least. What a view....we are seeing the grape vinyards close up that is for sure. The I am thinking we are gunna need a chopper to get us off this mountain soon.....but persistance paid off......I took off ahead again...I could see thee hiway we needed to be on below....paralleling me......went around yet another blind ledge bend....and to my amazement VOILA!!!! The ledge dropped like a rock and merged.....Mike does not know that my lip prints are on the pavement by the intersection there......got off my knees and went back to spread the word that prayers of mine were answered. Off we went....
About here me Aussie gal...who I know call the Bi@#h decides heyyyyy I wanna show you the center of every town on this little ledge...and commences to route us off on the most funny roads at one point we ended up in some little old ladies front stoop......gave a nod....she stared.....another nod...she stared....I was wondering if the pitch fork was going to come out....but know we got turned around before it could and off we went.....some where on that lil diversion I think I strained my knee....in a panic omg leg down cause I gotta turn into a Sherpa moment. Something did not feel right...but onward hooooooo.
So we finally got on semi normal roads.....and with minimal nav oopsies.....we were making progress. No matter what the roads are really cool.....so many curves......I lead calling out stuff for Mike....makes passing easy to...he is converted to in helmet ability to communicate no doubt. Then we cross the river.....and start to climb.....and climb....and climb..........into this most amazing park with the most amazing golf cart path that carves through the forest....curves all over the place. The pavement is in great shape.....I am sure a golf cart would struggle to make some of the corners....but it gets a lil funny as this is a hiway....and other cars and trucks are on it......sooooo as I meander forward I am always one pucker from a panic stop as I can see myself 4 wheeling over the top of one of these little fiat pandas they actually call a car out here...there is only at best 5/8th's of a lane LOL. I figure I am better off trying to go over the car than around it. Only got surprised one....and managed.....barely.......and off we wet. Up and up and up.....I need to look up the name of the pass.....but its getting colder.....and about here I figure......I need a break....as this path wound up and up and up...I lost count of curves and switchbacks...ohhh and its wet by the way....so have to be careful. We start getting into the snow belt, and I tell mike lets stop and we do. Hop off and stretch a bit...look to the left up around the next bend I see parked bikes....wahoooooo a garden of eden. Tell Mike and next thing you know we are in this little rustic moutain lodge sipping cappachino with a few other bikers who appear to be sipping meatball soup.
Awesome place.....feeling good. Time to go.....and the skies open up to a massive sleet / Ice pellets down pour. Did I mention we had been climbing like sherpas.....we is around 4000 meters if I recall right, and in the clouds and its pouring white stuff on us and all we can see ahead is a swithback that climbs out of site in about 20 feet into another switchback......hmmmm that was good cappachino......180 turn...ahhhhhhhhh and voila...they got Apple Strudel....OMG was it good. Stared ot the window....and it started to let up and we departed. Had about an inch of pellets on the bike in places. We had no idea what we going into but it was this or we are looking for a room in the little lodge.....I really was also driven by the bathroom options there...the ole foot pads and hole in the ground....not appealing....LOL
So the road err cart path was not bad......in terms of slickness and we climbed another half dozen switchbacks....and finally hit the peak of the pass. i think the temp settled around 2 deg. and what a view of nothing but descending switchbacks below. Oh and its raining lol. I put me wet gear on just in time. Off we went just carving up this wet cart path.......and the temp started to rise.....crazy cool riding......and finally we popped out in the valley below.......a balmy 21 deg...time to strip yet again.
I seem to have managed to pick a stellar route thus far. So off we go.....cross the river in this valley and start climbing again......pop out in a cool little town.....and do the picture thing....and manage to nav out on our way. Again...a lot of climbing...lot of carving...really am wearing me boots out on the corners....keep sliding the edges. I only had a few surprises of the back end sliding out on me and the front end also......but great riding. So we got to the top of the pass.......then I looked at me GPS.....the trace route I follow is pink.....all I can see is a pink blob on the screen.....never quite seen that before.....
We ended up descending now......on the craziest road I've been on to date. This road makes Stelvio pass look like the transcanada hiway through Manitoba.....Crazy insane descending swtichbacks.....one after another on road. Was absolutely insane rip down into the valley. I was giggling the whole way down. And pooooof....we were at the bottom.....and off to Venice. We only hit one major down pour....we took retreat under a canopy at a gas station .......it poured.....
The rest of the ride was on flatland with a lot of traffic circles....my gal told me we could ride right to the hotel. No problem. So its all good all normal kinda roads then all of a sudden we are on a long bridge and there in the distance is Venice. Looks neat and it is surrounded by a lot of water. Hit the first corner I need to take and its blocked....buses and taxis only....that Bi$#H lied to me. Soooooo lil regroup had to park the bikes in a parkade.....unload in a way that can carry it all.....and get on a water taxi. If you google "dumbasses who thought could ride to hotel in venice" you will see me in me undies.changing in the parkade......no care in the world.......just wanted to get to hotel at this point. So wee left all our riding gear packed up dragged our kit to the water taxi....its pretty easy....as long as someone tells you what the heck to do.
We found the hotel.....and hit a restaurant. This is where I got to see Super Mike. Man of steel. We are sitting out side having some food and drink. Out of the corner of my eye I see a guy running like a mad man almost straight at me......and he is going down almost tripping. People are chasing him....he had wild eyes......he recovered got his legs back and bolted....almost through the table he turned to go around....somehow in the blink of an eye Mike managed to pop up......grab this guy by the neck and stop him cold in his tracks......dude was shell shocked. So was I for that matter. The guy seemed to know that struggling was useless.......so he gave it up. A bunch of under cover cops showed up panting as they were chasing this guy.....they whisked him off....everybody thanked Mike.....they lead this guy down an alley towards the Grand canal which wasn't far away....thought I heard a pop pop then a splash....nahhhhhhh. The waiter joked this guy hadn't paid the city hotel room tax. Mike .....reflexes of a mongoose.....as long as he uses his talents for good......
So an interesting day......and heck ..... in Venice how cool is that!
- comments