Camping Trip
Confessions of a Back Warmer
“CAMPING TRIP”
Jo Nicoletti
12/28/2005
Gone is the holiday euphoria and I am reminded once more, it is here again. That disheartening time of year when most bikers remove their warm weather loves from the road and park them in the garage, on the porch and for the even more devoted, in the kitchen.
The Valkyrie was winterized and raised on the lift when winter beat back the rider and brought forth the “season of our discontent.” Plans for the upcoming riding season were the first order of business, Laconia being our first choice. Scott being an avid camper, we decided to stay at Gunstock where several events would be close.
To prepare for a 10-day camping trip with only a motorcycle seemed an unachievable task when it suddenly became the cure for Scott’s winter blues. Sleeping, cooking, eating and transporting the requirements for the trip became our sole focus as the weather played with our heads. Warm sunny days, post Thanksgiving, told Scott that the bike was stowed much too soon.
We ordered trunk and saddlebag racks, made reservations and brainstormed about preserving space our focus to making this trip a reality and combat against the dreaded winter blues. This was no throw the bedroll on the back of the bike and sleep in the open-air kind of trip. This was the deluxe tour package. From the ground cover and air mattress to the cooler to keep food, we had all the necessities for outdoor living.
One quick weekend camping trip in early spring told us that we had fine-tuned the formula and were ready to go. The excitement welled in us as the day drew near. Arriving at Laconia Bike Week early gave no indication of the total insanity that was about to happen. We arrived at Gunstock and having rehearsed set-up went right to work as a seasoned team. Within a very short time our home away from home, for 10 days at least, was complete. This is coming from a girl who always thought that staying at the Hilton was camping.
Having never attended a motorcycle event, Laconia gave me an instant education. Just making our way to the lake area, so many things that I had never before seen filled my eyes. I delighted in the visuals of multitudes of every kind of two and sometimes three wheeled vehicles, throngs of people and incredible countryside. Wheelies! Stoppies! Burnouts! Entertainment was at every turn of the head. It was nearly overload.
The campsite contained all the comforts of home (within reason). One morning while hanging our towels to dry and cooking breakfast a fellow camper happened by. We exchanged greetings and he moved on only to stop in his tracks, turn, and ask the question we felt summed it all up for beating the winter doldrums that year…”Um, where’s your chase vehicle?” “You didn’t bring all that stuff on a motorcycle.” We looked at each other and smiled, knowing it was all in the preparation.
posted by Jo at 5:38 PM
