Rocky Mountain High

 

 

Being asked to give a presentation 2000 miles away from my home in New Hampshire at the Iron Butt Association’s National Conference was a perfect excuse for a road trip. I took the long way to Denver to attend the biannual meeting of long distance motorcycle enthusiasts from around the globe. I thought it would be a great opportunity to see parts of the country I have not visited in a decade or more. I rode 3300 miles over 4 days on the way out, attempting to ride through every National Park that’s name ended in park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a boring 1000 miles to Chicago the first day, I made it to South Dakota the second and was able to visit the Badlands in Wyoming.  The next day I saw Mount Rushmore at dawn, rode up and over Bear Tooth Pass in Montana, and trudged my way through Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons while dodging all the houses on wheels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I drank a free glass of water at the famous Wall Drug, watched the sun set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and travelled on some of the most amazing scenic roads our country has to offer before heading to Denver.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I rode alone, as I always do, taking time when I wanted and riding hard and pounding down the miles when I needed. Having a personal cooling system; the now in production CTC-100, made all the difference in the western heat. Until I got to Denver and an overly warm conference center, I forgot I had Multiple Sclerosis.

 

 

 

It got so hot one afternoon in the main vendor area, my MS symptoms started to surface and I began tripping and slurring my words. People were concerned, it was that obvious. Thankfully there were other areas of the hotel where the air conditioning was working just fine and I disappeared to recuperate.

 

 

 

 

 

I spent three days at the convention, and although it was great seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and checking out the heavily accessorized bikes and vendors, I itched for the quiet hum of the open road as each day passed. I also missed spending time my wife! This trip confirmed my chosen therapy; the road is indeed my medicine. It was a straight shot home, 2000 miles in 36 hours. A double dose of relief! Only after arriving home did I reflect on the trip, what I discovered, and how it may play into my future.

 

 

 

 

 

When I arrived at the conference, the goodie bag containing my name tag revealed someone thought I qualified as an Iron Butt LEGEND; an expert or mentor for the novice or new long distance motorcycle rider to learn from.  I was also informed that I was actually the surprise keynote speaker at the final banquet of the entire event. Cranking up the pressure, I also learned that this was the last national gathering, as the format was changing to multiple regional events in the future. I spent lots of time in my hotel room working hard on transforming my talk into a punchy yet powerful presentation, and judging by the line of riders who waited almost an hour afterwards to speak to me, I think I pulled it off!

 

 

I never really thought of myself as an inspirational speaker for the general public, just a guy helping other MS patients with my pep talks across the country. Hearing such praise from people who don’t have MS; that mystory touched them, inspired them, and even had some reaching into their wallets to donate to my charities even though I never asked; has made me realize my skills are improving and my target audience may be a lot bigger than I realized! There were outbursts of tears and snorts, knee slapping, clapping and howling from the audience, and no one fell asleep or threw vegetables. I could have heard a pin drop as I explained MS and how it affects people.  The absolute best compliment I received the entire night was from a woman who actually wet her pants, only because she did not want to miss a second of my presentation! I was humbly amazed.

After two years of waiting, I finally received my certificate for the 100 SaddleSsore 1000 world record at the dinner as well.

 

 

 

Is it possible my story about overcoming impossible odds while crisscrossing the country on a crappy motorcycle in 2001 can apply to everyone? Could repeating simple advice, given to me by the head Russian Mechanic, “Just Find Metal, Make Pushrod”, really have meaning to all? Can my humorous self-inflicted torturous struggle around the country really be a metaphoric message to the masses?

My Denver audience thinks so. I was repeatedly told I needed to find a booking agent!

 

 

A 5500 mile trip may only be a tiny footnote in my million mile mission, but this ride may certainly be a turning point in the roadmap which is my journey. Clearly I can make a difference, help others by following my passion and by challenging them to do the same; and it feels so good! I didn’t visit the new marijuana dispensaries while in Denver, but I certainly  got high with a little help from my friends!

 

Longhaulpaul

only 915,000 miles to go….

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