I haven't added anything to my blog in a while.  I feel this is a good event to add and share.  This past February I had the opportunity to travel to New Hampshire with 12 other guys for a snowmobile trip.  It was a great opportunity to get some miles in on our sleds since our trails around home were experiencing a very mild winter.   I had never ridden in the NH area and was excited to experience the different views and trails they had to offer. They would not disappoint!

Leaving on a Sunday and returning the following Saturday would give us five full days and a half of riding.  I had never ridden for more than three days in a row.  This was a bit of a concern for me.  I'd be leaving following a transfusion week. So, I should be good to go with fresh blood hopefully loaded with young cells able to deliver oxygen quickly and outlast the week of riding. 

Snowmobiling burns an average of 238 calories an hour depending on how hard you ride.  And exercise can rupture red blood cells as they pass through capillaries in contracting muscles.  Reducing my already short supply of RBCs.  It's a legitimate concern rather I'll be able to last the entire week.  I'll be riding with a group of guys of which are mostly 10-15 years younger than me. And the older ones who are my age are mostly healthy.   I figured if I did get too tired to push on, my sled is equipped with the latest in map and GPS technology so I could leave the group and head back to the cabin at any time and or leave later and meet up on the trail. 

Preparing for the week.  

First and foremost, fill up on three units of RBCs and hope they are all newly dated meaning fresh on the shelf with expiration dates far into the month. I'll receive the blood the Thursday prior to leaving.  Scheduling for Thursday gives me a one-day cushion in case something goes wrong at the lab or for any reason they can't have all three units ready on Thursday I can receive them Friday. 

Second, I worked on getting enough sleep prior to leaving and throughout the week of riding.  This would mean not staying up and partying with the young guys.  As much as I wanted to hang with them, I knew I could not if I wanted to last the week.  

Third, I've noticed I require good protein when I am planning on physically pushing myself.  Every morning I started out with and egg, cheese, and meat on a biscuit or bagel for some carbs.  Followed by good hydration throughout the day. 

I'm happy to say.  It all worked out.  I kept up. Not always in the front and occasionally at the rear but I made it through each day feeling good and always ready for the next day.  And I think that is key.  If I had come out of each day exhausted, feeling beat, and sick, I would not have enjoyed the week. Not by any means am I saying I could do this every week or even every month, but I successfully planned and figured out a way to be "normal" for a week. 

All who ride with thal have additional obstacles, but we should never let thal hold us back.  Plan it out and try it.  You can never say you didn't try.  I'm here to say it's worth it.  And to show you, take a look at some pics I've attached from our trip.  

Just board?  Thumb through my YouTube channel. 

Babesiosis: time for change

As of November 14th it's been four weeks since I was diagnosed with babesiosis.  (http://ridewiththal.blogspot.com/2019/10/babesiosis-tick-ing-time-bomb.html) Following my week long stay in the hospital I hit the ground running trying to encourage New York State to mandate the testing for babesiosis on all blood dispensed with in New York State.

It's been slow going and I now realize it will take time to make the change if it happens at all.  This is unfortunate since a bout with babesiosis for anyone with a compromised immune system is life threatening.

This is the progress I've made to date.

NY Senator Joseph Griffo:
I e-mailed his staff all information pertaining to my bout with babesiosis.  I then happened to see him in person in my home town.  I confronted him and he graciously sat and talked to me.  He was already aware of the email I had sent him. I think it was good he could put a face with the cause.  He advised he planned on perusing this issue with our county health director.  The very next day Phyllis Ellis Director of Health for the Oneida County Health Department contacted me for details. She assured me she would work with Senator Griffo to research the issue.

US Congressman Anthony Brindisi:
I e-mailed his staff all information pertaining to my bout with babesiosis. His staff returned a call to me to advise they have asked the Wadsworth Center to open an investigation into the issue. On November 12 I had a conference call with two individuals from the center assigned to this case. Sr. Investigator Marylou Schiro (Laboratory Investigations Unit) and Dr Danuta Olkowska (Director of Blood Resources Program).

Sandy Gilbert PHD with the Cooley's Anemia Foundation:
Sandy sent the following FDA recommendations for reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis. Unfortunately these are not currently mandated.

I will update this blog as I receive new information.  Please follow and feel free to post your thoughts and any comments.

Babesiosis: A tick-ing time bomb

The following is taken from the Department of Health for the state of Rhode Island.

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a potentially severe, and sometimes fatal tick-borne disease caused by an infection with a red blood cell parasite. A more severe and prolonged illness is more likely to be found in persons older than 60, those who have had their spleen removed, and those who are immunocompromised (e.g. persons with HIV infection or AIDS).

At-Risk Populations

Babesiosis is sometimes fatal, especially in the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, and those who have had their spleens removed.

Symptoms

Most people in the US who become infected with Babesiosis will experience no symptoms, but others could have fatigue, fever, malaise, jaundice, and anemia. Symptoms can last from several days to several months, and usually appear 1-4 weeks after infection. In asymptomatic individuals, the disease typically goes away on its own.

Tadoussac & Back

Liz and I just returned from a six day trip North to Tadoussac Quebec.  Our first big bike trip of 2019.  We put it in the books and memory banks.  Now here to share.

Saddle Up

Meeting two other couples riding two-up (Ken & Jennifer and Kevin & Kathy). Kickstands up and leaving at 9am Thursday morning from our driveway.  We immediately headed north to meet anther friend in Pottersville, NY including a stop for breakfast. We'd tally seven riders on five bikes.  All dualsports.

With clear skies and comfortable temps we made our way through the back roads of the Adirondack mountains for a two hour ride to Pottersville to meet Lili (fifth bike) at the Black Bear restaurant for breakfast.  Pulling in just after 11am we had just missed last orders for breakfast.  We were all a little disappointed but made do.  Lunch items were all good. Nice place to stop for food with an attached bar.

Following our light lunch, we saddled up and continued north for the Canadian border, and on to our planned first stop in Drummondville, Quebec. Tadoussac is about a ten hour ride from home so we decided to break it up into a two day trip to get there.  We'd mostly highway slab it there (and our return) to save time and fatigue, and allow for more time at our destination.

Approaching the US CA Border 

X marks the spot we parked

Once again I was lead in our border crossing which was mostly uneventful except I had a low-talker border agent.  I needed to have him repeat every question he asked.  Following the normal questions and showing my enhanced licenses I asked if there was a place I could park to wait for the others to get through the checkpoint.  Again, I could not hear what he said but he pointed to what I thought was the area to park as there were other vehicles.  One by one we all cleared the checkpoint and and pulled in to a parking area to regroup.  I snapped a quick picture of our group.  As we started to gather ourselves two Canadian agents approached us and sternly advised us we were in a restricted area and we'd need to erase any pictures we'd just taken.  I literally only took pictures of us on the bikes with the check-booths in the background but I didn't feel comfortable lying to these guys so I obliged and erased the pics as they did look at my phone to confirm.  I didn't persist but I did want to advise them that their entire area is on Google Earth as I had viewed it while mapping our trip.
(Liz's note: We have decided Sam is no longer allowed to lead border crossings.🤣)





With my GPS mapping options  mistakenly set to avoid highways we made our way to Drummondville via the back roads of Southern Quebec.

Really? 

The great thing of back road travels are the great food stops we always come across.  We pulled into this parking lot for a quick rest and hydration.  Come to find out, what looked like maybe a restaurant was actually a catering company which sold their own foods individually wrapped.  Les Festins Gitans. I purchased a couple slices of their fresh banana type bread with nuts and chocolate.  Since everything is in French I'm not quite sure what I ate but it was very good and fresh.  Oh, I did share.

Arrived at our first and what would be our last nights stay (we would also stay here on our return) in Drummondville Quebec. Stayed at the Comfort Inn.  Very nice, clean, and priced right for the area.  Conveniently located and within walking distance to many restaurants and stores. They do have a breakfast, but we chose to hit the road and find a dinner when we'd stop for fuel.

Arret - 4 way

The next leg of our journey found us in the mist of a heatwave and high heat index warnings.  Made for a hot, uncomfortable ride.  Stopping often to hydrate and cool off as we all wear protective gear which retains much of our own body heat and absorbing some sun's heat.  Venting is not enough on hot days like this.  One of our stops we found a great restaurant which served the best pecan pie I've ever had.

PIE!!!

As we continued Northeast up route 138 traffic reduced, temps dropped (a little), and more wilderness popped up in between the remote towns and villages.  We noticed some very interesting large fencing with what appeared to be gates.  Liz and I via our helmet to helmet communicators discussed what these gates between miles of tall fencing could be for.  They're probably was signage explaining but remember, EVERYTHING is in French! We concluded they are to keep the moose off the roads.  We thought maybe they are an entry and exit points for the moose.  I didn't find anything specific for the area we were but did find info pertaining to what looks like the gates we saw.  Take a look (Moose Gates).

Much of this road is not passable, making it a very long ride if you are behind someone not able or willing to at least do the posted speed limit. This happened to us on a stretch of 138.  Liz & Lili were in front of me and I had an idea.  I have the capability of hitting a switch to turn my headlight into a modulating headlight.  Meaning, it strobes, quickly turning on and off.  The intent is to help other drivers notice you, however most don't know what it means and just get confused so I leave it off.  When I have used it, I've had oncoming traffic flash me, cars pull up next to me to advise me my light is flashing, and on the rare occasion I've even had cars in front of me pull over.  So, I had this idea and communicated to Liz I'm riding up past her to take lead. I positioned myself to the side of the cars left rear bumper and turned on the modulator.  Sure enough, he pulled over and our group and about ten other cars backed up behind all passed.

Route 138 would take us to Tadoussac via a ferry over the Saguenay River free of tolls.  The ferry is considered part of the 138 roadway.  There are two ferries running simultaneously across the Saguenay River.  Very little wait time.  Makes a nice break to get off the bikes and enjoy the scenery as we crossed the river and into Tadoussac.  Past our destination of Tadoussac, the 138 continues another 524 miles to the Newfoundland and Labrador border where it ends. 

A long days journey

Ferry Riding

New Friends

While in Tadoussac we stayed at the Les Suites De L'Anse.  It had the main ingredients to make it a nice place to stay.  Reasonably priced for the area, clean, and comfortable.  We also liked being able to park the bikes out our doors.  Unfortunately, no breakfast or even morning coffee was provided.  Air conditioning would have been nice but to be fair, they probably don't often need air conditioning.  We happen to be there during a heat wave.  It did cool down quickly as soon as the sun went down.

This whole trip revolved around seeing the whales of Tadoussac.  Up to 13 species of whales travel to this area of the St Lawrence to feed.  In some places you can even watch them from the shore.  We elected to see them from boat.  A zodiac to be specific (Croisieres AML). Large enough to hold up to 60 souls.  We felt the zodiac would be a unique way to an up and close look at the whales.  Although while on land they were experiencing a heat wave the water in that area is only about 60 degrees.  Add in the speed of the boat and a light ocean spray, it gets quite chilly out there.  It was a great and fun ride. We did see multiple whales and a few seals. We had a guide which did a great job explaining what we were seeing. We saw mink, humpback, and only a few glimpse of Belugas since it is illegal to approach them in the boats. We would also see a pod of belugas again on our ferry ride departing from Tadoussac on Monday.  They'd actually be much closer too.

Haut-found Prince Lighthouse

This was an interesting find while we were out on the whale watch.  Jennifer got the best picture of it as it appeared out of the morning fog.  It wasn't mentioned by our bilingual guide unless he skipped the English version.  But we all felt it was interesting enough to later Google it.  Here is the link for info on the Haut-fond Prince (Prince Shoal) Lighthouse.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the tourist filled town of  Tadoussac. Sampling it's foods and local micro brews.  All good! 

Historically known as the oldest standing church in Tadoussac 😆😉

If you are looking for a place to eat or sample a great micro-brew, I highly recommend taking the short and lovely 691 mile ride up to Tadoussac.



We spent a day riding North up to Trou De La Fee Protected Bat Cave.  Just a few miles out of Tadoussac we turned off 138 on to 172 and the into some really beautiful road riding.  It reminded me of some areas we've ridden through out west through the Rockies.  Unfortunately it was wet and rainy so no pics.

About halfway we stopped for gas.  Kevin discovered his battery had died.  Almost two hours, a few snacks, and a new battery later, and we were back on the road.

Checking things out.

Notice I helped by taste testing local chocolate cake.

Liz volunteered Moose to test Kevin's battery. 

As we arrived to the area of the bat caves we left the main route and hit some rough roads which fizzled out to dirt which was smoother than the paved.  We took some pictures of the area and with the sun out and roads dry for our return, Jennifer got some nice pics of our return while on the road.

DENIED!!!

Although it was a beautiful ride out, albeit a little wet in some areas, we were all disappointed to be denied access to the caves. Non of us had much Canadian currency on us since we figured we'd use plastic and not worry about the exchange rates.  Always worked in the past and had worked for all of this trip. UNTIL NOW!  This place did not take any credit or any ATM affiliated with a major credit card company and no ATM machine within miles. There wasn't any debate since the Canadian French young dude manning the register didn't speak much English.  Which still baffles me as to how you can be in North America and not teach the most common language in your schools.  Seems like you are really limiting your selves.

We left the Tadoussac area Monday morning for our two day journey back the the USA and home. It will be nice to return to an area with signage I can read and understand and a comprehensible language.  Although most locals try their best to communicate it gets tiresome not knowing.

Here are a few pictures from on the road.

Lili and Ana

Thanks to our new French Canadian friend Ana for our guided tour through Qubec City and back to Drummondsville Monday.  You made our day!

Even with a few bumps in the the road (that's what makes it an "adventure") we all had a great time.  The bikes successfully ate up 1,382 miles this trip.

Travelling by Motorcycle - Part 1: Planning

I get a lot of questions about how I plan and pack for trips, so I thought I’d talk about how I am prepping for an upcoming 12 day solo trip.

Lay out the framework

If I’m only travelling a few days, I generally don’t plan stops unless the area will be busy (lesson learned: never try to freestyle in VT during leaf peeper season!).

If I’m travelling by myself or for longer than a week outside of the Northeast, I make a rough itinerary (see below). The plan is always subject to change, but it gives me a starting point to find interesting things to do and see.

I also try to get an idea of the weather. That helps me decide what to pack (should I bring 3 pairs of waterproof gloves?), when to plan hotel stays (personal rule: I'll either ride in the rain or camp in the rain - I won't do both the same day), and when I need to really watch the weather patterns. 

See my note for Kansas below? The forecast is likely to change, but right now it is calling for unsettled weather that week. I'd rather not add a tornado to my life experiences, so I'll watch the weather closely.

If I am travelling through sparsely populated areas, I will make sure there is an affordable hotel or campground at my endpoint – I will also check the area out on Google Street view. 

I’ve been told that I’m overthinking it, that part of travelling on a motorcycle is winging it.

That’s well and good when in areas that have lots of towns...but everything changes when you are travelling in sparsely populated areas like the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, etc.

You DO NOT want to be in the middle of nowhere at 6pm and discover that the town you chose to stay in is super sketchy (or the motel is closed) and you need to ride another 2 hours at dusk to find a safe place to stay. (Been there – done that, didn’t end well!)

I'm often asked if I'm scared...

PLEASE NOTE: Fear is NOT the same thing as caution.  I am not fearful, but I am cautious.

The most common questions from women: Aren't you scared to travel by yourself?  Do you carry a weapon?  What happens if you break down?

1. No, I'm not scared to travel by myself.
2. Yes, I do carry a weapon - my instincts.
3. I am the Wrench Wench, so nothing changes if I break down when by myself. I have tools - if I can fix it, I ride on. If I can't, I call for a tow!

I have only felt the need for protection once - that situation was due to my making poor choices. I was tired, ready for the trip to be over...and I got complacent.

I'll have Part 2: Packing up soon.

It's A Wrap 2018-19 Snow Season

Lets RIDE

It's been a wild and crazy snowmobiling season in Northern New York.  One we took ample advantage of.  Snow pack was plentiful for most of the season.  I tallied a staggering 1,835 snowy miles on my tracked Cat.

Our first ride of the season was a day trip to the Adirondacks to meet up with a couple of riding buddies. Not enough snow home yet required us to trailer the sleds 60 miles North and 1259 feet closer to the clouds to Inlet, NY.

Early morning commute to the trail head in Inlet, NY. 

Moose River Plains

 We rode out from Inlet into the Moose River Plains (MRP) primitive wilderness area.

Moose River Plains

Moose River Plains

Kevin watching over the Cat

Rob and Liz

40 plus mile to the Cedar River Flow ranger station with Liz.

It's about 40 miles from the ranger's station in Inlet to the seasonal ranger's station at the Cedar River Flow outlet.  During the summer through late fall, this area is used for primitive hiking, camping, hunting with dirt road access to areas throughout. When the snow flies, the local snowmobile clubs maintain groomed trails spanning the area and providing access to the rest of the Adirondacks.

40 plus miles to the Cedar River Flow ranger station.

Just a few days later we drove back up to
Old Forge for their tree lighting. 

Spent the rest of our season exploring New York's trail system.  So fortunate to live where we live! Enjoy the slide show below with a few of the views along our trails we got to enjoy this past season.

One of the coolest events we road to this winter was the Model T snowmobile event. 

You may think it's all about getting out and enjoying our beautiful piece of the world.  Not quite.  I've said before, it's not the ride but the food we find at the end. 

The  Norridgewock Lodge is a unique place. Not only do they have great food and rooms but the only way to get there in the winter is by snowmobile.  There is not a single road to the lodge.  During the summer they rely on rail and boat for deliveries and patrons. We road in with our newest friend from down state Greg and his buddies.

Adirondack Hotel in Long Lake

Cedar Pine in Redfield has some of the best wings I've had.

French Dip?

Pin Tree Inn, Brantingham

This was supposed to be a French dip sandwich.  Take a look at that bun and at the container I was expected to dip it into! As a kid I was pretty good at putting the blocks in the correct slots so I can tell you that bun will not fit.  

Back 9 in Lee

Tug Hill Hideaway, West Leyden

Montague Inn, Harrisburg

Slicker, Old Forge
Now that's a French dip!

Don't forget the dessert!