Black Sheep State Rally in Oakhurst, Ca

Wow!  I am so glad that I attended the event.  There were chapter members from all over.  Even though I am not a member of the Black Sheep motorcycle ministry, I was still welcome to join in the festivities.

The ride out was a long one, about 325 miles.  It was Friday and some traffic was present.  Cars moved in and out like insects buzzing about, threatening harm with every mile of travel.

One good thing about the trip out was the gas mileage the Road King was attaining.  It was getting on average 50 mpg.  That's pretty dang good for a big heavy bike.

California has some great areas to ride. I didn't realize how great this state was until I traveled out of my local areas of riding. I know that there is great riding in other states, but it's wonderful to find other cool motorcycle-worthy roads exist not horribly far from me.

12 of us headed out, Pastor Denver, his wife Tracey, Arnold, his squeeze Carolynn, Owen, his gal Kathy, Mark, his fancy riding wife JoAnn, Christian music artist Brian Duncan, James, another Black Sheep member that I cannot remember his name (I think it was Stanley), and yours truly.  We stopped here and there along the way, gassing up often and finding non-chain food establishments.

Once at Oakhurst, we made our way to our camping area - a KOA site.  We setup our tents and unloaded gear, preparing for a stay lasting a few days.

The campground was great, with one complaint - we were placed too near the frequently traveled roadway.  Traffic would wake us up daily around 5 a.m.  After a few days of this, I was looking forward to sleeping in till 7.

Wildlife was also present. Woodpeckers, nearby roosters, and even donkeys would be making themselves heard.

We enjoyed services at the church that would be hosting the weekend's events.  This would include a couple of performances by Bryan Duncan.  Also included was a Black Jack run, raffle, and meals.

The scenery was something to be seen by everyone during their lifetime.  We traveled around Bass Lake, Yosemite, Tahoe, and down the 395 through many lake areas.  Winding roads and some of the coolest quaint towns were found along the way.  A couple of us even spotted a pair of bears.

It was a great weekend.  I'm truly glad I was able to getaway and bond with my Christian brothers and sisters in what would be one of the coolest weekend motorcycle trips I could have imagined.

Here are a few pics from the trip.  I hope you enjoy.

The Gang

Arnold the Prez and First Lady Carolynn

Arnold, Owen, and Pastor Denver

Bear cub peeking over a stump.

The group during a pause of the black jack run.

A great view.

JoAnn prepared for some cold weather.

Mark cruising on his cool Springer.

Mark and JoAnn.

Me and the Prez.

The Group taking a much needed break.

Owen fixin' his boot.

Tracey and Pastor Denver.

Pastor Denver and Tracey cruisin' through one cool town.

Another shot of the group.

Run For the Grizzlies 2011

I had the pleasure of, once again, joining the group for the annual Run For the Grizzlies in Big Bear, Ca today. The event is a poker run that leads the participants around the lake, stopping at various establishments.

The run is a charity ride, as most poker runs tend to be. This one benefits the Moonridge Animal Zoo located in Big Bear. This would also be the second stop, allowing poker run attendees to visit the zoo and peer into the cages of the many animals on display.

The ride starts out at Chad's Place, a tavern of sorts in the area of Big Bear known as the Village. On the premises, one would find many vendors hawking their wares, music, and food.

The first few stops had me thinking I might win something. I had a couple of cards printed with the sign of clubs, a ten and a queen. The second stop, Big Bear Choppers, dealt me the queen. The third stop would deal me a 9 of a suit other than clubs. Still, I'm looking at a straight. I continued getting decent cards, short only a king for a straight.

The final stop, a return to Chad's Place, doused my hopes of winning. It was a best of seven run, my favorite. I had a 9, 10, J, two queens, and an ace. All I needed was an 8 or a king - an open-ended straight, sort of. I felt lucky and reached for the card that caught my attention. This would be it. Nope. It was another jack. If I hadn't already heard that someone already had a jack-high straight, I would have turned in my card for a possible reward.

Although I did not win the poker run, I did have a good time. I enjoyed the company of others, a very good Mexican meal that a friend paid for (thanks, Jose!), and a nice ride.

Along the route, I had come upon a rare site - a group of VW trikes. Among them was also a couple of V8 trikes. Enjoy the pics.

The group

VW Trike

V8 Trike