All Women Adventure Camp

[Ladybug]

In Feb. we had a motorcycle show here in Spokane and a rep from the Puguet Sound (Seattle area) Safety School was giving a presentation on a rope recover system. It's climbing rope with pullies you can use to "easily" bring a bike out from out to the canyon you just dumped it in. Becky, Suzanne and I cornered the poor guy after the demo and had a million and a half questions for him. Anyone that knows me knows I can come with all sorts of questions out of no where.

During this question session we learned that about once or twice a year the school does an Adventure Camp, two days of dirt training for big bikes (Adventure bikes) on dirt. Welllllllllllll, the three of us gals thought it would be fun to have an all women's weekend. No pressure from the males - We love the guys but sometimes just being silly girls is fun.

The guy from the school said they didn't have the interest from women for this type of riding. They get one or two a year and that's it. Hee, hee, hee, never under estimate the power of a woman. Without think I said "how many does it take to do a camp and if I get the women together will you do it for us?". He was skeptical and gave me a few details, his card and said to call him. He said he could do a motified weekend with as little as 6 women. That's a piece of cake, we had three standing right there. .

Two days later I had 6 women committed to doing the motified weekend and I called the guy. He asked if I wanted to continue to recruit women and if I did he would set it up for the full camp and we could back down to modified if we didn't get enough interest. Cool, lets go for it - - -

The camp was posted on the ADV forum and I started sending out PMs to all the women riders I knew. By the end of the week we had close to a filled Adventure Camp - 16 women. Three weeks later the camp was filled and registration was closed. After the maximum of 16 was reached they started to take name of gals just in case someone dropped out. They acquired 6 more. Now mind you this weekend is expensive. $395 Big time ouch. I had to cancel a couple other things I wanted to do to take this thing. That's a huge committment for all the gals.

Camp includes 3 nights of camping, three meals, dirt riding seminars on big bikes, we have four instructors (2 men and 2 women), entertainment, plus Ride West BMW is bring their demo bikes down for us to demo ride. We provide our own bikes but the school also has bikes we can play with and if someone wanted to rent they could rent one for the weekend for $50. There are a few gals doing that. The rentals are XT250.

Tonight we are kicking it off with a meet and greet dinner where the local riders are also invited to come join us. Dinner is at a local small town cowboy bar and grill. Those cowboys aren't going to know what hit them when their watering hole is taken over by a herd of dirty textile wearing biker chicks. It should be fun.

I'm super excited about this. I know most of the women and they are terrific gals and the ones I don't know I do know of from their posts on ADV. To give you an idea of how excited some of these gals are we have one gal flying in from Alaska, another from California, one from British Columbia (they are all renting bikes). We have a good sized group from Oregon, a few of us from Washington and Becky from Idaho. The camp is held over near Olympia, WA south of Seattle. And the instructor was correct they don't have interest from women in the Seattle are, there were only two from there and its right in their back yard.

Becky and I are heading out at 8:00 this moring and it should be a blast. I will take pictures and let you all know how it goes.

[Ladybug]

Last weekend Becky and I went out and rode a little dirt to get a little more used to riding dirt on bigger bikes to get prepared for this weekend. I have a 650 and she has an 800 which in most people's worlds are not big bikes but when they get in the dirt they feel migty big.

My bike ready to go for a ride.


Headed out


A balmy 44 degrees for the ride

We found dirt


We found a kelly hump to play on. This is Sabrina, she just learned to ride last fall in a MSF class and she's riding a new (about 300 miles now) KLX250. She's doing good.



We found mud slime


Poser picture.


We got in about 60 miles of dirt, the bikes got dirty but didn't fall over and we had a good time.

What we did last weekend isn't anything compared to what's coming up this weekend though. I'm looking forward to it yet I'm about scared to death. Doing dirt skills with my 650 is going to be a handle full.

I'll let you know how it goes when I return next week. In the meantime you all get out there for a nice ride and tell us all about it.

[Ken]

Last weekend Becky and I went out and rode a little dirt to get a little more used to riding dirt on bigger bikes to get prepared for this weekend. I have a 650 and she has an 800 which in most people's worlds are not big bikes but when they get in the dirt they feel mighty big.

We got in about 60 miles of dirt, the bikes got dirty but didn't fall over and we had a good time.

What we did last weekend isn't anything compared to what's coming up this weekend though. I'm looking forward to it yet I'm about scared to death. Doing dirt skills with my 650 is going to be a handle full.

I'll let you know how it goes when I return next week. In the meantime you all get out there for a nice ride and tell us all about it.

Magic stuff, Sherry and pics well up to your usual standard. Can't wait to read all about your weekend.

Priority list.

1. Get home from weekend.
2. Fire up the PC.
3. Write up your weekend and post it - suggest 'Sherry's dirty weekend',
that should get the lurkers attention. Many pictures of course.
4. Go and have a nice relaxing time cleaning and polishing your bike.
5. Sort out all the washing and ironing.
6. Check to make sure you didn't miss any bits on the bike.
7. Have a nice cup of coffee.
8. Sleep - if necessary.

Ken.

[CharlieCLU]

OK, Sherry, You've had enough time to rest. Let's hear the scoop. What happened?

[Frosts08ultra]

OK, Sherry, You've had enough time to rest. Let's hear the scoop. What happened?

Hay Charlie, What's with the US map on your sig line?

[Ken]

Hay Charlie, What's with the US map on your sig line?

Could that be all the states you've visited, Charlie?

Ken.

[grouch]

Go for it Sherri! I recently taught my youngest niece to drive. I was rough and very intense on her training. Even to the point of firing a pistol (with blanks) out the window during a stopping drill.

When she hit a pot hole and the tire and wheel was destroyed, she managed to keep the car under control and get it stopped safely with no flinching. Then she cried. Well, she is only 16 after all. Hopefully after the Adventure weekend, if things drop in the pot you can handle it with aplomb. You never know when that tip you got will come in handy.

[CharlieCLU]

Could that be all the states you've visited, Charlie?

Ken.

Yep, map came out a little larger than I wanted so I've got to play a little. As you can see, we're a little light in the New England States. But, we're going to change that next summer.

[Ladybug]

Hi,

I'm back, it was one heck of a weekend. Dang I was tired when I was done. There were 18 incredible women there for the weekend and I was amazed at all they could do. I'll get some pictures posted soon. I took a ton of them.

Charlie, I like your map.

[Ken]

Hi,

I'm back, it was one heck of a weekend. Dang I was tired when I was done. There were 18 incredible women there for the weekend and I was amazed at all they could do. I'll get some pictures posted soon. I took a ton of them.

Charlie, I like your map.

Sherry, Sherry - are you sure you read my post (#3)? Looks like you got the priorities wrong way round and slept first. Now we're all going to have to hang around a'waitin and a'waitin to see all them wimmin on bikes.

Ken.

[Frosts08ultra]

Yep, map came out a little larger than I wanted so I've got to play a little. As you can see, we're a little light in the New England States. But, we're going to change that next summer.

Let me know when you are comeing up here Charlie. You got a place to stay here.....

[CharlieCLU]

I'll keep that in mind, maybe a ribeye steak ride? Right now we're leaning toward a Fly & Ride into Maine and going from there. We've pretty much done the East Coast, and I don't want to waste the time riding up. Plus, I hate I-95 especially north of DC and that's the only efficent way to get up that way. I've been to your neck of the woods, just not on two wheels. As a younger and dumber dude, I did underwater construction for an outfit out of Westport, CT.

[CharlieCLU]

Hi,

I'm back, it was one heck of a weekend. Dang I was tired when I was done. There were 18 incredible women there for the weekend and I was amazed at all they could do. I'll get some pictures posted soon. I took a ton of them.

Charlie, I like your map.

Why thank you dear. I also found all your photo's over on the advrider.com board. Looks like you gals had quite a good time. What's the deal with you and the pit? I can't believe you chickened out! You know it's always better to screw up in a controled environment.

[Ladybug]

The pit - - - - ?

They didn't let anyone do the pit until they rode it at least once on a smaller school bike then you could take your own bike through. Problem was the smaller bikes were still too tall for me and even though there are tons of short people out there riding tall bikes by slide off to one side, etc. when stopping. I have never been able to master than and not touching doesn't work for me. I even had to have the seat cut down on the Superbug so I could touch tip toe on it. If they agree to do another All Women's Adventure camp next year I will take my truck over and haul both the F650GS and the DR200 so I have them both there and can use the Superbug on the real intimidating things at least once before I take the F650GS over it.

[Ladybug]

I had planned to do a report here about the weekend but decided to have you all go to the report on ADV instead. There are a lot of pictures and pictures from the other gals and I think you will enjoy seeing it all rather than just my portion.

Here's the link: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...551769&page=30

There are other links in that ride report that will take you to other pictures if you want to check them out.

The link above will take you to the page the babble starts on I think it's the third post down that's the best picture of the weekend. The bright yellow BMW F800 - That's Becky. Some of you have met her others know of her from the old aol board, she was FLHTlady there and Rainbow007 on ADV.

When you get into it you will see where Becky and I are riding to camp. There is a section where we ride Skate Creek Rd. and it's raining. That day I was riding that road as a mini-memorial to Bear. He introduced me to the road 4 or 5 years ago and it was one of his favorite roads to ride. That was the only rain we had so was it Bear crying that he didn't get to ride it with us or Bear giving us a wetside welcome? I think it was his way of getting me back for some of the grief I gave hime over the years, he and I didn't always see eye to eye on thing but I learned to enjoy his different personality. - Bear, that section was for you.

And after the camp I and we were headed home - - - I found the perfect gal for Adam out on the interstate so I took a picture of her from behind. She's wearing a hot pink jacket, riding a cruiser and has the spread eagle riding position Adam always rides in.

Where the heck is Adam anyway? There's the word women in this title you'd think he'd be all over this.

[Elmo]

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...551769&page=30

Good Pictures Sherry, Looks like y'all had a Great Time

[Ken]

I had planned to do a report here about the weekend but decided to have you all go to the report on ADV instead. There are a lot of pictures and pictures from the other gals and I think you will enjoy seeing it all rather than just my portion.

Here's the link: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...551769&page=30

There are other links in that ride report that will take you to other pictures if you want to check them out.

The link above will take you to the page the babble starts on I think it's the third post down that's the best picture of the weekend. The bright yellow BMW F800 - That's Becky. Some of you have met her others know of her from the old aol board, she was FLHTlady there and Rainbow007 on ADV.

When you get into it you will see where Becky and I are riding to camp. There is a section where we ride Skate Creek Rd. and it's raining. That day I was riding that road as a mini-memorial to Bear. He introduced me to the road 4 or 5 years ago and it was one of his favorite roads to ride. That was the only rain we had so was it Bear crying that he didn't get to ride it with us or Bear giving us a wetside welcome? I think it was his way of getting me back for some of the grief I gave hime over the years, he and I didn't always see eye to eye on thing but I learned to enjoy his different personality. - Bear, that section was for you.

And after the camp I and we were headed home - - - I found the perfect gal for Adam out on the interstate so I took a picture of her from behind. She's wearing a hot pink jacket, riding a cruiser and has the spread eagle riding position Adam always rides in.

Where the heck is Adam anyway? There's the word women in this title you'd think he'd be all over this.

Last things first, yes! where is Adam, we haven't heard from him for a while.

Good pictures to back up your story, Sherry, howsumever, as moderator of this here board I'm a tad disappointed that we didn't get first shout. Next time, you just get the other girls to post their stories and pictures right here, then get their readers to look in on us, d'y'hear.

Looks like you had a good, if somewhat exhausting and daunting weekend. Glad you made it back to us in one piece, looking at some of those 'tasks' all I can say is 'Respect, Sherry.' heck, even the ride there was longer than some of our club rides.

Ken.

[Ladybug]

Hi Elmo - Thanks for checking it out.

Hi Ken - You're correct, it would be nice to get people to look in here and have more people join in on the fun. I'll keep that in mind for the future.

[CharlieCLU]

The pit - - - - ?

They didn't let anyone do the pit until they rode it at least once on a smaller school bike then you could take your own bike through. Problem was the smaller bikes were still too tall for me and even though there are tons of short people out there riding tall bikes by slide off to one side, etc. when stopping. I have never been able to master than and not touching doesn't work for me. I even had to have the seat cut down on the Superbug so I could touch tip toe on it. If they agree to do another All Women's Adventure camp next year I will take my truck over and haul both the F650GS and the DR200 so I have them both there and can use the Superbug on the real intimidating things at least once before I take the F650GS over it.

I knew there was a good reason.... I didn't think you'd duck the challange