Provo UT (local ODO loop)
Sat Jun 19, 2021
(~40 miles)

I started off registration day wondering how I might go about getting a flight home from Salt Lake City, and where I might possibly store my bike. I had awoken to a worrying text from home, where a few matters had taken a Garmin-esque turn for the worse. Lacking more details, I spent much of the morning registration process under the stress and uncertainty of whether I would have to drop out of the rally altogether. For now I kept plugging along, checking off tasks until it was time to head home, one way or the other.

James (overachiever!) texted me a photo of the rally poster before I’d even left my room, and upon arriving in the lobby I got myself a closer look. The big reveal of the rally theme would come Sunday night at the starting banquet, and the rally poster, revealed on the morning of registration, has traditionally been a great source of fun speculation for the riders (with ensuing  sniggering from the RMs).

My thoughts went immediately to some sort of transportation theme, though it didn’t quite fit with just rockets, planes, and trains being represented. Next, it seemed maybe there was something to do with different ages of innovation: Railroad Age, Age of Flight, Space Age…hmmm.

The breakfast table conversation was rife with obscure facts and rumors as riders from different regions and backgrounds chimed in about parts of the poster they recognized or had already matched online. One of my fellow riders came up with the idea of “things/events that are firsts” and this seemed to fit pretty well.

The registration sign-in line in the lobby opened at 07:45 and as in 2019, I was fine with standing back to observe as breakfast digested. I chatted with James and Steve, watching the fun unfold until the line got shorter and riders dispersed to complete their various registration tasks. The ODO route was taped to the foyer windows and looked like a straightforward out-and-back north on the interstate.

Once the line dried up, I went up and filled out the necessary waivers and received my registration checklist. First, I tackled all the paperwork stations in various rooms off the south hotel lobby:

• License, registration, insurance, MedJet coverage checks
• Camera/SD-card check
• Video of liability release statements
• Pick up swag bag and wristband for the banquets

All that went smoothly and quickly, with the majority of riders having elected to go through tech and odo checks first this morning. The camera station was the only one with a waiting line.

By the time I grabbed my gear and headed out to the garage, there was no line for tech inspection. A cigar-puffing Chuck Hickey was assigned to check out my ST. Aside from having to perform some contortions to clean off and read the bike’s VIN number to him, and a quick grounding check on my aux tank, my inspection was completed quickly and efficiently.

Donning gear and helmet, I mounted up and wound my way down those fun garage ramps and out to the front portico area of the Marriott. There had been some rider talk about how the rally start would go off this year from the garage. Personally, I was intrigued by the challenge and looking forward to scooting our way down through the garage and out into the wide world on Monday morning. Any videos of that would later prove very entertaining.

My ex-roomie Tim Masterson saw me off for the odo check, and I followed the directions on my tank bag carefully to get out to the I-15, almost taking an early wrong turn off the unfamiliar overpass that led to the onramp. Once on the interstate, I set my cruise for a reasonable 5-10 over and settled in. My mind wandered unbidden to the text from this morning and concerns at home, so I worked consciously  to stay focused on the moment at hand, so as not to miss my turnaround exit. I knew I that having concentration issues on the odo check was a bad sign, considering what I’d be dealing with out on the rally, where I’d need every single particle of my wits about me at all times.

The exit overpass back into Provo proved a bit of a mental hurdle again, as you have to cross an intersection at the bottom of the ramp before actually curving back up over the highway. But I managed to stay on course and completed the designated course back at the hotel. I headed back to the south lobby to hand in my odo slip, then completed my final hello and check-in with Jeff Earls and Mike Kneebone, which was friendly and quick. I’d completed registration by around 11:15 AM and my name was officially on the 2021 Iron Butt Rally roster.

I headed up to my room to decompress and get a sitrep from my wife back east. It was a tough conversation. Our dog was having some trouble walking, which was a new symptom, and she’d also had to care for an ill family member. Why does shit always seem to hit the fan when I’m away? Though I was fully prepared to drop out of the rally and head home when/if things reached critical mass, Char was managing the situation, as usual, and we weren’t quite there yet. We agreed on limiting communication of further bad news about the dog to the “come home now” type only. Char has rallied 2-up with me before, and understands the intensity of focus that is needed to maintain some margin of safety out on the roads.

Jeff Earls is spot-on in calling this event one of the most selfish things we riders can ask of our families and loved ones. I guess some years you must feel that more than others, and it was certainly an acute feeling for me at the moment, very different from 2019 when things were basically fine and emotionally stable on the home front. Now I had to compartmentalize all the conflicting feelings and any further speculation on the situation at home. I’m so thankful and proud to have such a strong wife and life partner! She had me covered, and I would allow myself to focus on and enjoy the game from here until my rally was over, one way or the other.

Checking back in with my buddies, it was decided to head over to Sensuous Sandwich for lunch, and we picked up Steve Giffin and Angelo Patacca on the way through the lobby. After another good sub sandwich and catching up on everyone’s registration experiences, a few of us headed down the street for coffee at a small pastry shop called Bianca’s La Petite French Bakery, that had all sorts of delectable-looking baked goods in the display cases, though alas! no pie.

 

Doing laundry was on my chores list for today. I pack two full sets of long LDC’s and a pair of wool socks for each day of the rally, and wanted to start off with everything properly laundered.  I stuffed my soiled clothes into a Marriot laundry bag and set out to find the nearest laundromat. Stopped by the hotel portico on my way out and saw a few cool, collected, and fully registered rally entrants passing the time.

There was a fierce northerly wind blasting through the streets from a nearby storm, and though it was cooling things down a bit, it was kicking up a ton of desert dust. My path led straight into the wind, of course, so I kept my head down and eyes as shut as possible. It was only about five blocks, nothing much to note except the cool-looking concrete skate park across the street from the laundromat at the big Provo Recreation Center community complex.

I completed my laundry chores in the humid and mostly empty little laundromat (aren’t they always a bit depressing?) while reading on my Kindle app for about an hour and a half.

On my way there, I’d noticed a gourmet cookie store named Chip and decided to stop in on the way back to see what’s what.  I feel like I see cookie stores frequently when riding (maybe I’m just more attuned to the word cookie?) and never take the time to stop. I’m on foot and have nowhere to be, so no excuses this time!

Apparently, Chip is a Utah-based chain that ships nationwide. They had today’s cookie creations of the day lined up in the showcase for inspection. All the baking magic is exposed to the customer counter for all to see, as batches of delicious-looking cookies were being baked and prepped by the staff.  Oy, walking in here was a big mistake – impossible to leave there without grabbing some cookie deliciousness! I decided to play cookie-santa and bought enough for my pals back at the hotel, delivering a mid-afternoon snack to each room.

More lobby hangout time ensued with Bob Lilley, Hammy Tan (stopping by from the east coast to see the start), the Cover/Rufos, and several others. It was fun continuing to pull apart the clues on the rally poster, and the weather was also still a favorite topic. Actually, it seemed the heat wave may have broken, as today had been a bit milder in temperature after that windstorm. It was bearable to hang around outside for short periods just for change of pace.

The Last Chance Banquet started at 18:00, with riders lined up down the hallway when the doors opened. Due to the heat, it was held indoors in the same room as the breakfasts, and some of us reminisced about the casual outdoor pool setting at Greenville in ’19. But the food was good – burgers and pulled pork along with salad, chips and other fixins.

Afterwards, many riders headed out front of the hotel to enjoy the now-very-comfortable evening air. I had the pleasure of chatting with reigning IBR champ Wendy Crockett and her husband Mike Loomer for a while, hearing about their interesting life and work escapades during the pandemic. Great peeps, and talk about folks who roll with the punches and anything life throws in their way!

Barricades were being erected in the middle of West 100 North Ave, under the watchful eyes of Lisa Landry and Jeff Earls, who in turn were being watched by all the riders present, wondering what was going on. I commented that they looked quite mysterious to which Lisa exclaimed, “Because we ARE mysterious!” as they went guffawing back into the hotel. It was only later when catching up online that I discovered the new plan for the rally start staging area. I was a bit disappointed that the “IBR Garage Start” scene in my head would never see light of day (so to speak), but understood the concerns about adrenaline-infused riders taking all those steep corner turns right making it past Warchild’s watchful eye. One incident would certainly hold things up for everyone.

After retiring to my room, I did my best to stay up as late as possible to try to shake off the remainder of any time zone lag. I wanted to have flexibility to do a longer first day before sleep, if needed, once the rally began. I only made it to 23:00, oh well.