b THE DEAD END KIDS MOTORCYCLE CLUB 'BLOG BOG': December 2005

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DEAD END KIDS MOTORCYCLE CLUB

Morristown, New Jersey




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Thursday, December 29, 2005

The Ride

In memory of the ride voted- BEST RIDE OF THE YEAR for 2005 July 17, 2005
Take the ride again and re-live the feeling of the day. The police escort mentioned in the directions was arranged for us by “Lt. Willy” and went beyond our wildest dreams. We were police escorted all the way to the center of Jockey Hollow, step #10.


Welcome to “The Ride and Roast for Bones”…
a joint effort of DRAGON EXHAUST and the DEAD END KIDS MOTORCYCLE CLUB. We thank you for coming today.

John Mc Nellis (“Bones”) is a valuable friend of DRAGON EXHAUST. Bones was also one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Dead End Kids Motorcycle Club this past spring. We therefore find it our duty to help him and his wife Mary through this difficult time in their lives as a result of his motorcycle accident here in Morristown back in June. We are honored that you have joined us and we thank you for your contribution to our fund for Bones and Mary and your presence at our event. We hope that you enjoy the ride and have some roast pig with us afterwards.

The ride you are about to embark upon is about 100 miles in length and should take between 3 and 4 hours to complete. It will start and end at DRAGON EXHAUST. The roads are, for the most part, in good to very good condition. Some have been paved very recently (enjoy!!). Along several segments of the route, the roads are a bit narrow but throughout the course, the visibility is very good. It will be an unescorted ride (with possible exception around The Green in Morristown). We will do what we can at intersections to hopefully prevent any possible problems. Left turns are few and there are traffic lights at busy intersections.

It will be your responsibility to take all necessary safety precautions while riding. Maintain a safe distance between your bike and those around you. Please ride in a stagger pair formation and make adjustments where narrower roads dictate. Try to keep gaps in our line from opening up which could allow cars to become trapped in our formation causing a potential hazard to visibility and to a safe travel distance between vehicles. This isn’t a race. There will be plenty for everyone to eat at the end of the ride. Besides, undercooked pork is unhealthy for you so you’ll have to wait for it anyway.

In the event you can’t hold out until the end of the run to eat and drink something, we will be stopping at an Exxon station with an “On The Run” store for your convenience at roughly the 2/3 point or about 65 miles. Figure 15 to 20 minutes unless it is obvious that more time should be allowed. Although the ride should easily be completed on one tank of gas for pretty much any size bike (and hopefully you filled up before coming this morning), feel free to gas up during the break as quickly as you can. We gather there will be facilities there for your use if you need them.

We hope you enjoy the ride. Plotting out the route and riding it a couple times during the past week has been fun and very enjoyable for us. We hope you agree. See you back at the ‘Dead End’.

Route Directions

Leaving DRAGON EXHAUST parking lot

  1. RIGHT on John Street

  2. Traffic light at Ridgedale Ave. Turn Left.

  3. Traffic light at Lafayette Ave. Turn Right

  4. Under Railroad bridge, bare Right at light on Morris Ave.

  5. Bear left at light and up hill to The Green

  6. One and ½ revolutions around The Green (we may have a police escort here)

  7. Traffic light turn Right on Washington Ave

  8. Turn Left at Western Ave

  9. Western Ave through entrance to Jockey Hollow

  10. Jog left by ‘No Entrance’ sign.

  11. Left at Stop sign

  12. Left to exit park at Tempe Wick exit

  13. Right onto Tempe Wick

  14. Left onto Cory Lane (house with railroad tie retainer wall at corner)

  15. At triangle, bear Left onto Hilltop Road CAUTION

  16. At triangle, bear left onto Bernardsville Road CAUTION

  17. Note: Bernardsville Road changes name to Mendham Road

  18. Note: Mendham Road changes name to Anderson Hill Road

  19. Come to light at Route 202 (large park like triangle)

  20. Make Right onto Route 202 (south bound)

  21. Caution at Rail Road crossing

  22. DO NOT MAKE TURN WHERE ROUTE 202 sharply turns left. Continue straight to light at Route 206.

  23. Cross Route 206 onto Lamington Road (Route 523)

  24. After several miles make Right onto Black River Road

  25. Bear left at intersection in town staying on Black River Road

  26. At intersection of Pottersville Road bear Left

  27. Cross river via grated bridge onto Route 512 (pass Pottersville General Store on your left)

  28. Follow Route 512 (Fairmount Rd) up hill to stop sign at Route 517. See signs for Tewksbury

  29. Make Left onto Route 517

  30. Continue traveling due south on Route 517. You will pass the end of Lamington Road on your left. Route 517 ends here. Changes to Route 523 (continuation of Lamington Road).

  31. Turn Right onto Rockaway Road and enter the Wildlife Reserve. If you reach Route 78 interchange, turn around and make left into reserve.

  32. This road winds around quite a bit so be prepared.

  33. Continue along Rockaway Road careful at jog crossing river, narrow bridge.

  34. Cross Pottersville Road

  35. At fork, bear Left onto Bissell Road. Narrow road take care

  36. Travel on Bissell Road to its end and turn Left onto Cokesbury Road

  37. CATCH THE VIEW as you are coming out of the woodlands!!!!!

  38. Cross over Route 78

  39. Come down hill to traffic light at Route 22

  40. Turn Right onto Route 22

  41. Travel west on Route 22 to the jug handle for ROUND VALLEY ACCESS ROAD

  42. Cross Route 22 onto Round Valley Access Rd. Pass by Round Valley Recreation Area (traveling on Route 629)

  43. Travel Route 629 Enjoy the scenery!!!

  44. At the stop sign make a Right onto Route 523

  45. Within first mile of Route 523 look to your right. See the BUFFALO in the pasture

  46. Continue on Route 523. (Building on left with large blue letters “DEK” is not the clubhouse of Dead End Kids MC)

  47. Come up to light on Route 31

  48. Make Right onto Route 31. Light road construction here, take care.

  49. Travel north on Route 31. Cross over Route 22, cross under Route 78.

  50. Watch for EXXON gas station on right with the On The Run Store BREAK TIME 15-20 minutes

  51. Shortly after getting back on Route 31 we will exit to the Right onto Route 513 towards High Bridge. At end of ramp off Route 31 turn Right

  52. Follow Route 513 through High Bridge

  53. CAREFULL several tight turns both before and after center of town.

  54. Pass NJ Transit High Bridge station to your left and make sharp Right turn up hill.

  55. CAUTION: YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY HERE, blind road on your right as you prepare to make Left turn.

  56. Make Left turn and climb up the hill

  57. Once you climb the hill and see Voorhees State Park on your left, easy riding for quite awhile. DEER COMMON THROUGH HERE.

  58. Continue on Route 513 into Chester

  59. Cross Route 206

  60. Continue through town of Chester

  61. You are also on Route 24 that will turn sharply to the right at a light.

  62. GO STRAIGHT continuing on Route 513

  63. Continue on Route 513 and watch for double green road name sign PLEASANT HILL ROAD and CALAIS ROAD

  64. Turn Right onto Calais Road

  65. Take Calais Road to stop sign at its end

  66. Turn Right onto Sussex Pike

  67. Remain on Sussex Pike into Morris Township

  68. See community pool on your Left coming up to light at Mill Street

  69. Right onto Mill Street

  70. Bones’ house on your left #

  71. Come to traffic light at Washington Ave

  72. Make Left onto Washington Ave

  73. REMEMBER JOHN at the A&P, point of his accident

  74. Continue up Washington Ave

  75. Pass Western Ave, the rest should be familiar

  76. Halfway around the Green and down Morris Ave

  77. Pass under Railroad bridge

  78. At light at Ridgedale Ave make a Left

  79. Continue down Ridgedale Ave to John Street

  80. Right onto John Street

  81. Park in parking area near first entrance after passing Double D’s
Congratulations, you’ve made it back to the “DEAD END”

posted by Scott at 1:09 PM

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

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