The .416, the Franciscans, Baja II, the fog, and more….

Ah, the best laid plans and all that…

First, the day’s ride….I started out this morning intending to ride Angeles Crest Highway, but those plans just didn’t work out.   I was up super early, the RX3 fired right up (just like always), and I rolled the 50 freeway miles to get to the foot of California Highway 2.

All was well until I started up the Crest.   The fog was so thick I couldn’t see 50 feet in front of me.   Not good.   When my faceshield and then my glasses fogged over, I’d had enough.   I won’t ride in the fog – it’s just too dangerous.  Even just finding a spot to turn around was dicey, but I did and I gently rolled back down to the 210 Freeway.

So, I rode back toward home for another 30 freeway miles and I stopped at Le Roy’s for a chili cheese omelet.  Le Roy’s was packed (the best places always are), but there was a seat at the bar, someone left a copy of today’s Sunday LA Times, and I was in business.   Life is good.

I parked just outside the restaurant, and a family asked me all about the bike and then, when they saw the CSC Baja Inaugural Run sticker on the fuel tank, all about Baja.   They thought the RX3 was a BMW.   We hear that a lot.  I think I mentioned that quite a few folks who buy RX3s also own BMWs.   Interesting.

Here’s another cool shot…it’s a Ford that was parked in front of Le Roy’s when I stopped in for breakfast…

I decided to head up to Glendora Ridge Road through Mt. Baldy, and I had a great ride.   By the time I got to road that leads to Mt. Baldy, the fog had lifted, and I even found a little dirt to play around in…

Good times, and a few more photo ops….

I spotted this older Yamaha 175 Enduro parked by the side of the road.   I looked around to see if the owner was near, but I didn’t see anyone.

I hope that bike is still there when he returns…

These are panorama photos…I was playing around a bit with PhotoShop’s photomerge feature…

If you click on the panorama shots, they’ll open in a new window, and you’ll see larger versions.  Click on those and they get even larger.  Cool stuff.

The only downside to this morning’s ride was that I got whacked in the eye by a bug.   That’s the second time ever that this happened to me, and it’s not fun.  I’m just hanging around the house today waiting for my eye to get back to normal.  My eye looks like a peeled peach with a pupil.

Ah, let’s see, that takes care of the fog part of today’s title.

Next up, the Franciscans.   Actually, they’re one of three groups of interest.   First the Jesuits came to Baja, then the Franciscans (I listed them first to satisfy my allegiance to alliteration), and then the Dominicans.   The topics of interest in this part of our discussion center around the Baja missions.

You may recall that I told you about a couple of books I purchased recently – one on the Baja missions and one Baja’s cave paintings.  I just finished reading the one on the missions, and folks, if you have any interest at all in this topic in particular or Baja in general, you owe it to yourself to buy a copy of Burckhalter’s book.  The photography and the riding are top notch…so much so I feel kind of dorky for not buying it sooner.   All those trips I’ve made into Baja and I really haven’t known anything at all about the missions.   It seems the missions were the Europeans’ entry ticket into Baja, and all concerned paid an extremely high price…and none more so than the native inhabitants.   There were several indigenous tribes “missionized” by the Europeans with devastating effects.   Smallpox, in particular, came with the Europeans and took out close to 95% of Baja’s original population.

The above notwithstanding, the missions really are majestic.  I’ve seen three so far of the original eight that are still standing….San Ignacio, Mulege, and Loreto.   You saw our photo of the San Ignacio Mission on the recent CSC Baja Run…

The Baja missions all go back to the 1700s.   The story is a fascinating one, and Burckhalter tells it well.  It’s the kind of book I know I’m going to read a few more times to get the full story.  And the photos…well, let’s just say I wish I could take pictures like that.

As you may know, we’re in the planning stages for another CSC-sponsored Baja Run.  You can call it Baja II if you like.  If you’ve figured out that we’re not just selling motorcycles, you’ve done well.   We’re not just selling motorcycles, we’re selling the adventure.   That’s our business.  So, if you want to see Baja on a new RX3 and you want to embark on a real adventure, give us a call to reserve your spot on our next Baja expedition.  It will be sometime this summer.   We’ll be on the road for a three or four day adventure ride in Baja’s northern half, with an emphasis on photo ops, riding, and Baja cuisine.  We’ll do it over a weekend to minimize your time away from work.  We had 15 riders on the last trip, and we’re going to cap participation at around that same number.   The only things you’ll need are an RX3 motorcycle, a sense of adventure, and a positive attitude.  I think it’s fair to say that the folks who rode with us on the last CSC expedition had a great time, and we aim to do even better on this one!

Okay, the fog, the Franciscans, Baja II, and…oh yeah, the .416.

That story goes like this…I stopped at a local gun shop the other day and they had just taken in on consignment a Ruger rifle chambered in .416 Rigby.    I always wanted one.   The .416 Rigby cartridge goes back to 1911, and it was originally designed for…you guessed…elephants.   Rigby is a famous old British custom rifle maker, and the cartridge was the ultimate boomer back in the day.    The price was right, so I offered even less, and to my surprise, the owner said okay.   I’m still a few days away from being able to pick it up (you know, we’ve got a 10-day waiting period here in the People’s Republik of Kalifornia), but when I get it I’ll post a photo or two.

In the meantime, folks, if you don’t already have an RX3, think about our (and your) upcoming Baja run.    When your buddies are talking about riding their uberbikes to Starbucks or the latest chrome doodad on their “ride-to-live” noisemakers or some carbon fiber bit, you’ll be able to smile smugly.   Come on this Baja ride with us.   We’ll show you what adventure riding is really all about.