Southeast MA – Coraopolis PA
Thu June 15, 2023
(~586 miles)

It wasn’t strictly necessary to get a super-early start for the ride to the start hotel for the 2023 Iron Butt Rally. It’s actually in a western suburb of Pittsburgh called Coraopolis, which is only an eight or nine hour ride. However, considering my dislike of heavy traffic, I hoped to beat morning rush hour through the Connecticut cities as well as get through the Pittsburgh choke point before evening rush hour. So up super-early I found myself, around 03:10 for a planned 04:00 departure, with a goodbye kiss to my semi-sleeping wife and creeping out of the driveway before dawn.

I gassed up and was rolling out of the station around 04:10. It was a coolish night in the high 50s, but with a bit of humidity so it seemed warmer. I’d pulled on my quilted pant liner and heated jacket, thinking the ride would be cooler, but it was comfortable for now. My bud Gerry was also entered in the IBR for his second run, and had agreed to ride together out to the start. It was an easy ride on empty interstates over to his place outside Hartford CT, where after years of rumors and secondhand accounts, I finally got to meet his super-groovy wife, Nicole and the famous Charlotte (canine deer whisperer extraordinaire). They had gotten up early to give Gerry a send-off, though Charlotte wasn’t too sure about meeting a stranger so early and seemed rather glad that I wasn’t staying long. 😉

We had it pretty easy traffic-wise through Hartford and Waterbury, only getting some slowdowns around Danbury and the I-684 exit. The clouds began to dissipate and we started to see some blue sky and sunshine around that point. Gerry was amenable to  stopping in for breakfast at Stewie’s Restaurant in Matamoras PA, after my comments about the place from last week’s trip (I hit it twice). We pulled in there around 08:00. He’d been having some difficulty getting his comms paired with his phone. Since he’s using Cardo and I’m on Sena, chatting by phone call was really our only option for riding socially, so we worked a bit on that problem while waiting for our breakfast.

We both opted for omelets (Greek for me), which were yummy and satisfying after putting down 200+ miles already this morning. I also didn’t pass up a chance for another piece of their Dutch apple pie with my coffee!

It had warmed up a bit by the time we left, so I shed a layer, top and bottom. Our ride through the remainder of Pennsylvania was uneventful except for taking note of a SUPER long backup on I-81 northbound (we were southbound) while riding through Scranton. I filed this tidbit away in case this was an ongoing construction delay that could come into play in the coming days during the rally.

We followed the same route I’d taken last week, using interstates 81, 80 and 99 to US 22, due west to I-376 through Pittsburgh. Things bogged down going through the city itself, at the tunnels and right by the downtown exits, costing us probably about 30 minutes. This confirmed the impressions I’d picked up about the area traffic last week, and was important to keep in mind for later routing scenarios on the clock.

We missed the first entrance to the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott parking lot, which is close to a busy intersection with the interstate offramp, and partially obscured by vegetation after crossing a small creek. We were in the wrong lane to make the turn, so yet another logistic to file away – you never know when you’ll be tearing into the finish with your hair on fire and a wrong/missed turn is definitely not what you need in that situation. No problem for now, we found our way to the side entrance. It was around 15:00, so running right on time.

There were already several motorcycles parked in the lot, mostly in the central area. The section had been halfway taped off by the hotel for our event though there were still guests’ automobiles mixed in with the bikes. We found a spot to park close to the central walkway and set down our kickstands. What a great feeling…we’d made it to the start, let the fun begin!

We unpacked and headed into the hotel, passing a couple of familiar bikes parked by the entrance on our way in. I’d taken a tip from someone and checked in online the day before. My check-in process was super quick and I was setting my stuff down in my room within about 10 minutes.

After showering and freshening up, I headed down to socialize, saying hello to the Vooks, who were here with unfinished business to make their third 2-up attempt the charm. Then I spotted the Cover/Rufo clan and went to greet them as well. Marty had had a bad crash a couple month back and sadly had to withdraw from the rally. He was here to cheer on his family and friends and it was wonderful seeing him up and about, sling and all. It was an especially poignant setback considering that his daughter Lisa and her daughter Molly were entered 2-up in the rally, with the original idea of making a three-generation team. Instead, husband Steven would be joining the team.

Gerry and I headed out to kick some tires and say hello to other riders as they arrived. We chatted with veterans, rally staffers and a couple rookies alike. Everyone was excited to be there, and some of the rookies still looked a bit shell-shocked AT being there. 🙂

We joined the Rufos and a few other riders for a couple appetizers in the Marriott members lounge way up on the 15th floor – the “froo froo lounge”. We hung there for a little bit, nibbling some finger food, but a few of us were looking for something a bit more substantial and alcoholic for dinner so we decided to check out a local pub-food restaurant I’d found online. It was just beyond walking range, so we ordered up an Uber.

James, Gerry and I piled in but had no other takers, so it was just our trio for a traditional first dinner out at the rally start. We missed a few of our friends that would not be joining us in the rally this year for various reasons, but toasted each other for getting our shit together sufficiently to make it to the start of the Iron Butt mf’in Rally one more time.

The Yard specializes in gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches of all variations. Off-kilter sandwiches definitely seem to be a thing in the Pittsburgh area, but I’m not complaining. To go with my cold craft beer, I opted for the solidly Pittsburgh-esque “Pierogis N’at”, a grilled cheese sandwich layered with two fried pierogis, onions, kielbasa and sauerkraut, along with a Caesar salad, and house-made chips. Everything was delicious! My companions seemed to enjoy their meals as well.

We caught another Uber back to the hotel and hung out in the lobby for a while, where more riders were arriving and congregating. Folks from the Pacific northwest, Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, and other states were present, accounted for, and well met. I chatted for a while with Chris and Stella Wiltshire, a 2-up couple from New Zealand. They were being hosted for their stateside trip by the very kind and funny Bill Karitis, who was also present for his rookie IBR attempt. It was much fun seeing old friends and getting to know more great people, and this was just the first night! Having the country’s borders open now following COVID allowed us mingle with our international comrades for the first time in a couple years, returning things even further to normalcy.

As the evening wore on, folks eventually drifted away to their rooms. I made my way up there myself close to 22:00 when out of nowhere I received a text from the Stormbringer and professional barfly hisself, Ken Andrews: “Where’d you go? Are you back in your room?”  Oh shit, busted! The only way to answer a text like that is to head back down and buy the sender a drink. I spent another couple great hours hanging out in the hotel bar, telling/hearing stories with Ken, Danny D, Bob Rippy, Mike Riley, Chris Comly and others over a few beers. I was tired, but man was it good to see everybody! Finally made it upstairs for good around midnight. Cheers Ken for getting me to stay up a bit longer! 😉