2009 Areas of Adventure and Exploration

I thought that I would help publications by keeping an updated list of the areas I will be visiting this upcoming year to assist in future planning. 

Below is a tentative list of what I will be doing in the next 12 months

February:

  Brattleboro, VT for a week to Explore

June: 

  Quebec, Labrador, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick Via Motorbike; 2 weeks+

July:

  Logging roads in Northern Maine via Jeep for a week.

August:

  Cross Country via Amtrak to Sacramento, explore the historic gold country around Sutter's Mill, then 300mi south down to Yellowstone for a week.

Resurrection

   It's been a long time since my last post. To those who have subscribed to my feed, you should see that my blog name has changed from Roadraven to Northraven. This simple change is a transition from merely a motorcycle site to one that is more geared to those who travel for adventure, rather than just the sake of riding.  I have also discontinued my roadraven.com site for this reason as I felt that it was too commercial, and did not parallel with my vision. I have however added my photography portfolio as it will highlight my other passion of photography. I believe that a picture is worth a thousand words. The site will not however provide personal shots, rather professional shots gathered during the adventure. 

 

 This blog will also serve another purpose, to provide writing samples to potential editorial clients. Although I have a history writing for different clients, I have been hesitant to begin again as I tend to write with passion and this causes me writers block far too often. I feel as though this will be a non-issue however as I wish to only write on subjects that I photograph, whether assigned or not. I tend to get intimately accustomed to my subjects I photograph and with that intimacy comes inspiration for writing. 

If anyone has any suggestions regarding my photography, writing, outlook, or just wish to say hi, please by all means drop me a note via this blog, email or guestbook on northraven.com. I need your opinions to improve what I do. 

Snowmobiling, the Winter Pastime of Motorcyclists

Maine winters are long winters, especially when your true enjoyment comes from riding a motorbike. Fortunately, there are other comparable outdoor activities that can supplement this substantial loss. These activities can be sledding, ice sailing, skiing or ice skating. The only winter activity that I have found that fills a little bit of the void of my motorcycling desire is riding a snowmobile.


Snowmobiles are basically two skis and a long track for propulsion. They don’t have gears to shift, or a clutch. They don’t require much balance. Operation is fairly simple, as there is only the brake, throttle and handlebars. Although it does not sound much like a motorbike, it does satisfy, in part, the needs that a motorbike fulfills.

A snowmobile like a motorbike, not only is an economical machine and a way to go from one point to another. It is an escape from all stress. When you are on a bike, you are required to forget all about the stressors of daily life and concentrate solely on the operation of the machine. If you allow yourself the luxury of a wandering mind on the bike, you will soon have plenty of time to ponder while you are paralyzed, sitting in a chair because you did not see the major obstruction in your path in time

A snowmobile allows you to freely traverse the landscape. You are immersed in your environment. If it is snowing, you get covered, if it's very cold, you are cold. You must pay attention to your controls and the trails. Most sleds will easily exceed 100mph and the majority of trails are nothing more than widened deer paths only able to fit one sled at a time. With uneven pitches, large bumps, the occasional tree, and every once in a while a hungry bear or wolf that must be scared off with a few gunshots, snowmobiling, like motorcycling has it's necessary skills and essential abilities that need to be learned.

In Maine the popular sport has a major following with hundreds miles of interconnected regularly maintained trails, as well as many clubs available for group riding. The trail systems are not only limited to Maine however. They stretch across the entire northern half of the continent. If you had the time and desire, you would be able to travel from Nova Scotia, all the way to the west coast, then north into Alaska. You would have to be crazy and have extra fuel, but you may even be able to cross over into Asia via the ice bridge and continue the trek if you so desired.

Owning a snowmobile is a good method of averting the winter non-motorcycle riding blues. It allows for some semblances of riding, while getting you out of the house and enjoying the outdoors.

If you like this article and want to see more, take a look at features.smartremarx.com

Battle of the Snowbelt

Well, I just finished shoveling out from a wet, ice crusted 30" snowstorm. It’s funny the things we take for granted. Growing up just east of Cape Cod I was used to shoveling wet snow. It was a common occurrence that a severe snowstorm would ultimately go too close to the coast and change to rain. Initially both parents would get out the shovels and start digging, then came what was termed the "popcorn machine" or a snowblower that resembled one as it shot rocks at my neighbors house, more than once breaking a window. Eventually, my uncle invested in a plow and digging out was just a call away. Moving away and especially to the northern climes of Maine, my wife and I have had a similar curve of snow removal.

In Maine, it is very common to get well over a foot of snow in every storm. Many people have plows, and just as many rent their services for plowing. However, being up to our eyeballs in debt and still in college we learned to do everything that needed to be done ourselves. This included snow removal. We started off shoveling out after every storm, then we learned that if we shoveled every few inches it would be easier. We eventually got a small snowblower that would only start in the fall equipment check, but not during any snowstorm. Eventually we got a tractor with a plow, but it was so heavy it actually would get stuck on any slippery surface...not good for plowing snow. The next attempt was equipping our lawnmower with a snowblower. This had worked the best so far, but between all the tires going flat, the choke and throttle cables freezing solid, the battery dying amongst other things it too was close to an utter failure. As a last attempt before just returning to the standard shovel method, we decided to buy an ATV.

An ATV or ORV is a piece of equipment that is the size of and operates similar to a motorbike, but has 4 fat tires and is used for recreation and for yard work. They range from very small 2 wheel drive speed machines, to 4wd 700lb truck like beasts. My machine is about in the middle, it's only about 250cc and 2wd. It's not very fast, not very powerful, it's over 25 years old, but it does do what I want it to do and that was to plow.
I bought it on Ebay for $800, jury rigged a small 36" plow to the front, tossed some weights on the back, put some chains on the tires and then went to plowing. The difference was night and day. It had traction we never before experienced, the pushing ability of my slippy tired tractor, and could plow my entire 150' driveway in the same amount of time it used to take me to just shovel a path to my garage.

Up until just recently I had not found a storm that this machine would not plow. With a combination of a half inch of ice, slush base, and several inches, the plow could not clear it as easily as usual. We resorted to just using it to push snow into piles, then hand shoveling it off the drive. Overall though, because it was able to still make the job a bit easier by making piles, it was not entirely defeated.


If you like this article and want to see more, take a look at features.smartremarx.com

The Clueless Rebel

Years ago when living in the more northern part of Maine, I was given a motorcycle by my father. It was all beat up, didn't run right, and resembled something out of the cult classic film Mad Max. I didn't really have an inkling about owning a motorcycle, but it was free and I was up for anything.

Knowing nothing about motorcycles, having no gear, and no license, my first task was to get a learner's permit. The following week, I sat though the 8hr class, talked about motorcycling, took a test and was handed a learner's permit good for 6 months. That day, I went home, registered the bike, spent 10 minutes trying to start it, and finally fired it up. Pulling out of the driveway the first time was a great feeling. Having never been on a motorcycle before it was a fascinating experience. A feeling of freedom and relaxation overtook me. When the bee hit me in the face, I was brought back to reality! I guess I needed some gear.

Gear, like the bike, was out of my scope of understanding. Back then, I thought all I needed to be safe was a good pair of boots, a leather jacket, gloves and a helmet. Sure, many riders use less, but they are usually the ones you read about killing themselves on the highways. Having acquired a pair of construction boots, a snowmobile helmet, garden gloves and some old jeans I was ready to hit the road.

The first thing I noticed when I was on the road was that other riders waved and that cars were out to kill me. It always amazed me that even though I was riding a beastly mess of a bike, I was still able to instantly have the respect of other bikers. I also realized that no matter how fast I was going, it was still not fast enough for the cars. They always passed me.

Some of the funniest experiences I had while being on the bike were the reactions I got from various people. High school girls, for example, were always awestruck. If it was envy, desire, or disgust, I was never able to tell. Had it been desire, it was misplaced as I was usually covered in a combination of bug splat, oil, and sweat, with the occasional bird dropping mixed in. The elderly and the soccer moms usually looked at me is sheer disdain while everyone else just avoided me. It seemed as though the only people who would talk to me were the rough rugged bikers, or the average people who would tell me that I was leaking fuel. I remember one time while waiting to get my battery charged because of a failed alternator/regulator/do-hic-ulator I was approached by at least 15 different people telling me that I had fluid dripping out of my bike. "Yes, I know, it's the oil/fuel/battery acid, bug juice, blinker fluid, etc I got to fix that," I told them. It seemed as though I spent more time sitting on the side of the road than riding that first attempt at motor biking.

It goes without being said that the bike did not last much longer after that. Eventually, the shifter fell off, the charger failed even worse, the clutch let go putting me into the woods and the bike just stopped starting. I let my permit expire, and the bike was parked, still to this day in my garage. I did learn a few valuable lessons. They were to get a reliable bike, some good gear, and learn to ride properly with a Motorcycle Safety Foundation approved basic motorcycling and licensing course. Fortunatly today, I do have a good bike, good gear and proper training. I still miss riding that MadMax rebel bike at times, the reactions alone were worth that endless trouble.

If you like this article and want to see more, take a look at features.smartremarx.com

Traveling Quick, Light and Free

Travel, escape and relaxing is what I will be doing for the next couple of weeks. Packing today, I began to think about what it takes to equip for travel. Not only the typical tourist travel, but for hiking and motorcycling as well. The requirements seem simple: take what you need, and pack it right. Why then do you always see people with two or three suitcases at the airport?

For a five day, six night trip, what is the most you will need? At the maximum you will only need three full changes of clothing including the clothes you wear on the trip. Everything else except for personal medications and perhaps a digital camera can be purchased at your destination or washed. The biggest benefit to this method of packing is that it will fit in a carry-on suitcase. No more lost luggage.

But what if you don't want to lug a small suitcase around with you? Fear not, there are suitcases that double as backpacks and if you only pack what you need it won't be tiring to carry. If you plan to purchase some souvenirs while away you can compact your luggage with compressible bags. These allow you to just roll up your clothing and squeeze the air out without the need of an external vacuum. Once your clothes are compressed, there will be plenty of room for other essentials.

Sounds interesting but how does this transfer to hiking and motorcycling? Simple, have you ever tried to carry a giant 50lb bag a mile while climbing 3000 feet? I have while tackling the White Mountains in New Hampshire and it is not fun. You begin to exhaust yourself a quarter mile past the trailhead It's a painful experience. Immediately after that trip I emptied my bag and asked myself what the hell did I need an ice axe, 4 water bottles, 4 changes of cloths and a spare pair of boots for on a 3 day hike? I also looked at what I was carrying and learned real quick that there were actually lighter and more compact versions of gear (like cookware for example.)

The philosophy easily transferred to motorcycling. On a bike you need to be light, and pack light, if not for the lack of storage but for your own safety. Motorcycles are inherently designed to be packed lightly because of their handling characteristics. The lower the center of gravity, the better the bike handles. Un-sprung weight (luggage) also severely affects motorcycle performance by limiting its acceleration and just as importantly, its braking. In general, the less you pack, the less weight you need to deal with and the safer you are on the road.

Basically, if you are packing for a trip of any kind, whether it is a trip on an airline to some warm local, over the presidential range in New Hampshire, or cross country on a motorbike, it will always be easier to travel as lightly, sparsely, and simply as possible. It will make the trip more enjoyable. Besides, if you absolutely must have that implement of beauty of convenience, you can buy it at your destination...something else that you can actually fit in the extra space left within your luggage.

If you like this article and want to see more, take a look at features.smartremarx.com