BIG BEND 2009
  
 

Day 03

February 27

  
 

When I camp, I made myself a rule that has worked quite well. The first time during the night I have to visit the hydraulic relief station, I go ahead and take my shower, shave and such stuff. Since I'm an old man, I usually have to make at least one such trip and it's at a time when nobody else is using the facilities. That means I get to take a nice quiet shower with lots of hot water with nobody rushing me. Also, I can rest just a little bit longer, waiting for the rest of the crew to start stirring.

  
 
 
 

I've gotten up a 4 AM for so long, it's hard for me to sleep in much, but I do try to be quiet since other folks don't seem to share that early morning thing. Once folks are up working on getting their 'starter fluid' (also known as coffee) going, I get out amongst them. It's a bit chilly, but not too bad if you're dressed for it. Joe, who hosts the ST-Owner.com website and this gathering, is up also.

  
 
 
 

"Hey Joe, what's the plan for today?"

He tells me that we are all headed for the McDonald Observatory where another ST1100 rider works and is going to give us a tour. Since Andy and I blasted through our gas on the way in, my next question is -

"Reckon where the closest gas is?"

"Just about 4 miles into town."

With that bit of information tucked in, I head to Andy's tent to see how he made it on that air mattress that I let him borrow. As it turns out, it and the sleeping bag did a good job and he did manage to get some sleep over the loud sonic boom that was going on in the green tent next to him. We mill around a little bit, then Andy and I suit up to go get some gas as the others head for the observatory. George, who is one of the original 'STocers' (his son Derek, who was killed far too young in a tragic accident, was a cofounder), follows us out.

  
 
 
 
Gas is easy and quick in Fort Davis, so we make a quick ride to catch up with the rest of the group. It's quite a collection of two wheels that have already found a resting spot in the main observatory parking lot.
  
 
 
  We all mill around, since we are not sure just where we are supposed to hook up with Jerry, our host. Shuey, famous for his collision with a bear while riding his ST1300 on the BRP, is busy entertaining us. Someone decides to head for the observatories to see what's up while most of the rest of us wait.  
 
 
  We see someone giving us the high sign way up on the ridge, so we assume that is where we need to be. It's a fun little twisty run up to the main station where the telescope we'll be checking out lives.  
 
 
  Once inside, it's not at all like I imagined. Jerry gets into the interesting nuts and bolts of how it works. Its mirrors are some of the largest in the world, but it is not 'technically' the largest telescope. I get lost somewhere in the explanation of all of that and just appreciate the complexity of the whole thing. He tells us that the mirrors are glass coated with a micron or so thickness of aluminum to provide the mirror surface. It is easy to damage so great care must be taken when cleaning it.  
 
 
  Off to the right sits a 'cherry picker' which kind of catches my interest since we've used them on some roofing jobs. It seems that in order to clean the mirrors, someone has to guide the bucket in between the support bars of the the telescope while they rotate the telescope. I can easily understand the scrapes on the telescope support bars now - not a job for the faint hearted to say the least!  
 
 
 

Finally my feet and knees override my quest for knowledge, so I have to wander back out and find me a seat on the floor. Coop, another STer from the world famous city of Lubbock, Texas, has also positioned himself out here. He looks over at me and says

"You must be Uncle Phil."

"And you must be Coop" I respond.

He keeps me entertained as the rest of the folks with good feet and knees get learn more about the amazing instrument in front of them.

  
 
 
 

When he's done and we congregate back outside, we all thank Jerry for taking the time to have us. Noticing his appropriately red ST1100 parked over there, I tell him -

"Well at least you're riding the correct color of ST!"

We both have a good laugh at that one since George and I are the only other ST1100s around. Andy and I decide that we're going to hit the BBQ place for lunch since breakfast was little thin - as in so thin you couldn't see it! So we head back down the mountain toward Fort Davis. I just can't see to find my 'sea legs' on this Texas pavement - it's shiny and seems to be a little slippery to me. So I pick a speed that is safe for me and we motor right along.

  
 
 
  Andy is having a big time on his new V-Strom and has no trouble staying up with me. It's always a joy to ride with old friends and share more experiences together.  
 
 
  There's quite a few folks that show up at the BBQ, and the grub is fairly good. But their brisket, which is what I order, is just not up to par with the Texas brisket I am used to. It ain't bad, but it ain't stellar. Over lunch, Andy and I decide to do the 166/118 loop, then come back and check out the Fort Davis historical site, just across the street, if we have time.  
 
 
  Highway 166 is pretty quiet and not a bad ride at all. We have most of it to ourselves for quite a while.  
 
 
  Once we get on highway 118, I see a couple of STers closing in behind us. Still uncomfortable with the road surface out here (I've been spoiled too much by the great road surfaces in Tennessee), I slow down and wave them on by. This far from home, I ain't about to go crashing and thrashing and turn a little ride into a big disaster. We complete the loop and head right back to the Fort Davis site. It's had a lot of restoration done and is spread out over a good piece of land.  
 
 
  Knowing I'm going to do Big Bend National Park, I pick up an annual US National Park Pass while I'm at it. It will come in handy when Andy and I do the Wild West Tour in August, with all of the national parks we'll be visiting. For $80, it gets you into all national parks and saves you money if you are going to visit very many in one year's time. With admission taken care of, we stroll through the various exhibits. They have a very nice restored Gatling gun on display which catches my attention. It would certainly could strike horror in the heart of an enemy that was facing it. Seems like out here they could seldom use it though because the ammunition was so expensive and it went through it really quick!  
 
 
  Another of the barracks buildings has been completely restored to the state it would have been in when in use. The long stove pipes garnered every bit of heat there was before giving up the stove smoke to the outside. The ceiling is cover with canvas like you might have found on a cover wagon - easy to repair, hang, and use.  
 
 
  Across the parade grounds are the officer's quarters. This fort is particularly interesting to me for several reasons. First, it is that it was not a 'fort' in my tradition way of thinking. It had no stockade or walls around it, just an open area with various buildings. The main road to California it was built to protect ran right through the middle of it. Also, the 'buffalo' soldiers were the main troops that served here under white officers while the fort was named for Jefferson Davis, who later became the president of the Confederacy. As look down the room of officer houses, I am amazed at how precise they are aligned, just like the soldiers that once performed on the parade ground in front of them.  
 
 
  As we walk back to the bikes, the US Flag stand at direct attention in the evening breeze. I can only imagine the extremes of temperatures, conditions, and attitudes that the good soldiers who served here experienced.  
 
 
  On the way back to the campground, we make a quick stop at the local grocery so we can pick up a few extra things for supper tonight. We'll be cooking since I brought the stuff for it and sure don't want to take it back to Tennessee.  
 
 
  When we get back to camp, there's a foraging party already in operation. Joe is eating some popcorn, sharing with us, and these folks must have got a whiff of it.  
 
 
  It's obviously not their first rodeo, as one of them gladly eats popcorn right out of Miss Carole's hand. Her buddy has walked off see what else might be up for grabs. No use in limiting your options!  
 
 
 

With the popcorn gone, they don't linger around. I tell Mac -

"Yep, and they'll call all of their friends over now. This was just the scouting party."

  
 
 
  Sure enough, a bunch of them show up, but the pickings are slim so they don't hang around long. As the dark settles in, I whip out the old stove and cook up the two cans of soup that I brought for me and Andy. With the bag of wheat rolls that I have, it makes for a nice meal. And there just happens to be a little bit of the pie left, so I figure if it's going to waste, it might as well be my mine! The wind is starting to pick up a bit, but that just makes for good sleeping for me. Since Andy and I plan on getting an early start for Big Bend, we turn in a bit early. With my earplugs in, and my little DC powered fan blowing a gentle breeze, I'm out like a light in short order.