Scooter in the Sticks

Boalsburg Moto Hang — Today!

June 15, 2016 by Scooter in the Sticks 10 Comments

It’s Time for Another Moto Hang — June 15, 2016 at 5:30pm

Today is Moto Hang day and will be held at a member’s place. Jason and Lori Letterie will open their property near Tusseyville to host this evening’s get together.

If you’re new or not sure you want to attend I’ve finally gotten around to processing some of the images from the first three events this year. At the bottom on the page you’ll find links to more complete collections of images on my Flickr site.

Tradition

There’s a lot of tradition around the Moto Hang already. This photo hangs in founder Ken Hull’s Moto Shack in Boalsburg as a reminder of where the group comes from — now in the third year of gathering.

Ken Hull, Moto Hang Founder

The Moto Hang, previously known as Pistons and Pints, is the brainchild of Ken Hull and a way for riders interested in getting together to talk and swap riding stories. It’s really caught on beyond what I think Ken expected. That’s why this year every second Moto Hang of the month is at a different location.

First Moto Hang of 2016

Even though it was kind of cold and raining when the Moto Hang started there were still a number of riders who braved the weather. That’s what Aerostich and Klim is for right?

Boalsburg Moto Hang Travels to Kissell Motorsports

The second Moto Hang was hosted by Craig Kissell, owner of Kissell Motorsports. It was the first event to not take place at the Moto Shack in Boalsburg and was a great success.

A Vespa at the Moto Hang

Everyone is welcome regardless of whether you ride a Vespa or a Harley. We’ve seen mini-bikes, side car rigs, and everything in between. It’s fascinating to see what shows up.

More and More Machines

I don’t know what the exact count is on motorcycles and scooters now but they’ve spread far beyond the space behind the shack. It’s a moto-happening now.

Dogs Welcome Too

Always seems to be a dog or two passing through.

Harleys on the Sidewalk

Plenty of opportunities to be rebels. But you have to show up. Take a moment to peruse some of the images from past Moto Hangs and Piston and Pints events on my Flickr site.

Just click on the images below to go to the Flickr albums.

Searching for Treasure

June 14, 2016 by Scooter in the Sticks 15 Comments

View From Above

You never know what you might find — evidence of something.

Or more.

Searching for answers to simple questions haunts my imagination. Looking out over the valley I call home I wonder how I’ve come to this moment in my life where I’ve stood on this overlook countless times and never really asked, “Why am I still here?”.

In a world in perpetual transition, with people moving rapidly from place to place, changing jobs, friends and families. I’ve worked for the same employer for 42 years.

I feel as if I’ve become an anachronism living here for so long. Sitting in a cafe during the middle of the afternoon, alone with these thoughts as I write, it comes to me. I’m searching for treasure. Not gold or silver, but rather moments in time where I recognize something that makes me smile, or wonder at the beauty, or just suddenly feel the flame of life leap up from my chest and utter to myself, “Holy shit!”.

I’m sure that’s how it was as I stood looking out over the valley on that cool, beautiful morning.

Rambling on a Vespa

Winding through the mountains and forests of central Pennsylvania has moved from coincidence to obsession. A thrill persists in the aloneness found in these places with space to think and dream about nothing and everything. Riding the Vespa has opened the doors to a search I was struggling toward for a long time before I started riding.

The scooter has a simple elegance in it’s design and utility as a vehicle to transport a rider physically, and more remarkably, spiritually.

This little machine is a fine companion.

Look Up Once in Awhile

Not everything important is on the road ahead. Or even to the left or right. I try and take time to look up from time to time. On clear days the blue sky is dazzling; so different from the night sky dripping with stars. As a kid I would strain at night to see to the edge of the universe. Now I understand the meaning of eternity.

And then off I go ducking the scooter left and right through tight curves and imagine a barn swallow gliding over fields and pastures.

Amiable Vagabond

Kim compared me to one of our dogs this evening — Iggy Pup. He was an American Foxhound who was always searching for treasure — rabbits, deer, food, and myriad attractions only a dog can appreciate. He had little interest in people save for those who fed him and kept his nose to the ground.

I’m like Iggy when I ride. People don’t account for much of my interest. Stopped at the summit of Jacks Mountain I forced myself to walk across the road to say hello to three riders. Two were on large scooters, a Yamaha Majesty and a Suzuki Burgman. The third was riding a Harley Davidson of some kind. Big one. After some brief discussion of the fine weather, where we were riding to and from, and some general chatter about being safe I was drained. Like Iggy I was more interested in the rabbit I hadn’t found yet.

They were all surprised to learn how fast the Vespa scooter could move.

Everyone always is.

Through the Mountains

Pennsylvania has mountains. Not by Colorado or Alaska standards. But for someone from Illinois or Nebraska, we have mountains. The roads are good and the views open to a wider world. And trees everywhere provide a sense of wilderness that you don’t get motoring along through the agricultural valleys.

In the Scooter’s Dreams the Road Goes on Forever

The road will end. And I believe there is more afterwards. The night sky tells me that as does the immeasurable complexity I see all around me. I’ve ridden by this sign before but this was the first time I stopped to make a photograph. Not so much to share here but as an acknowledgement of faith — fealty to an intuitive understanding I’ve long avoided.

Searching for treasure perhaps.

On the Road to Shade Gap, Pennsylvania

Riding south along US522 pushed me into a more rustic area of Pennsylvania, one full of legend and mystery for me. In 1966 America was held spellbound by the kidnapping of 17-year-old Peggy Ann Bradnick which led to the largest manhunt in U.S history at the time. “The mountain man got Peggy Ann!”, the cry of her younger brother as William Hollenbaugh dragged her off into the dense woods as she and her siblings were walking home from the school bus stop. Walter Cronkite provided nightly updates on the search which lasted a week.

I sense bad energy here. I’ve heard stories of serpent handling churches and the Klan. None of it may be true, but it’s in my head.

History.

Covered Bridges

For as many of these sorts of bridges that are indicated on maps I’ve encountered very few. I’m not doing something right. Don’t want to turn into a bridge chaser but may make some more deliberate efforts to explore these throwbacks to a simpler time.

Visual Monotony

The trek from Shade Gap to Mifflintown was nearly 40 miles of nothing — farm after farm after farm. The boredom felt during this stretch of the ride could have been the result of an aching shoulder or a growling stomach. The road just stretched on and on…

Lunch and Homeward Bound

Stopped to pick up a sandwich for lunch to eat along the road in the shade. Poison ivy kept me dining upright but it was still a fine way to take a meal on the road. Two vehicles passed by during the 45 minutes I was here, a road wandering along the Juniata River headed toward Lewistown, Pennsylvania.

With a couple hours of riding ahead before arriving home I was happy to have the chance to explore a bit more along the road.

And continue searching for treasure.

Encountering Harley Davidson Motorcycles

June 12, 2016 by Scooter in the Sticks 24 Comments

Baby Boomers

I read a story recently about the problems facing Harley Davidson — an aging customer base with dim prospects for replacements. Same for all the big manufacturers. While we aging riders with money (or credit worthiness) continue to support our brands, there are fewer young people interested in riding or have the disposable income to spend on a motorcycle.

All this came back to me on Friday night when I ran down to Duffy’s Tavern in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania to pick up dinner and found a queue of Harleys lined up out front.

Looking at the assembled machinery I could only tell one thing for sure — there were a bunch of old folks around.

Managed to grab dinner and scoot away before detection.

An Experience of the Senses

June 11, 2016 by Scooter in the Sticks 21 Comments

Why do I ride? To feel alive.

An Experience of the Senses

Reading reviews of new motorcycles and scooters I often feel the writers are missing the point as they focus on machinery, specifications and performance metrics, reducing riding to a quantitative assessment of engineering. Perhaps marketing research and reader testing has revealed that’s what most people want.

Or need.

Making a decision on what two-wheeled machine to purchase is serious and personal. We may end up looking alike on the road in the way we dress and act, but for a moment, we are unique.

Riding through Bald Eagle State Forest last week I was reminded that the machine often fades away as I’m overtaken by human biology and an experience of the senses.

Weather Drama

There’s almost always a thrill at the beginning of a ride. In part the anticipation of unexpected experience is at work, but a larger measure the thrill of the senses being engaged in ways largely overlooked during everyday life. At least by me.

It starts early when I walk outside to feel the air on my skin as I decide exactly what I’m going to wear. Or the the cold chrome seat rail against my hand as I push the Vespa into the driveway. Feet buzzing in heavy leather boots and the warmth of the sun on my face as I adjust my helmet.

As the ride approaches the senses spin up in a celebration of being alive.

The Scent of Hay and Road Apples

Riding through Amish country provided an array of warm weather fragrances — the scent of fresh cut Timothy hay and the aroma of horse manure from the horse drawn buggies and carriages seen in this part of the county.

As always, I’m struck by how much I miss hurtling down the road in the van with windows closed and the air conditioner removing most references to the outside world.

Sensory Challenges

Riding presents an ongoing challenge to mind as the brain works to process sensory input from the body. Decisions are made at an ongoing and withering pace in hopes of remaining smiling and safe on the road.

The two signs, placed at the apex of a hairpin turn presented a visual question mark, my brain seeking to process the sensory data from my eyes. It only took an instant but in that moment I made a decision to stop, look and make a photograph.

Riding as Spiritual Experience

Moving slowly through Bald Eagle State Forest was like meditation.

The visual changes in light, the vibrations of the road felt in the hands, a passing scent of wildflower or damp leaves in a cool glen, all of these things are part of an ongoing, sustainable orgasm of sensory experience that makes riding more than recreation, expand beyond transportation to something akin to a vital spiritual experience.

A pilot described the first time he could sense the curvature of the earth as a spiritual experience.

So it can be with riding.

Water of Life

It’s hard not to notice the blessing of fresh water in central Pennsylvania. Almost everywhere I ride there are streams, creeks and rivers — slivers of sparkling silver reminding of their value in supporting life. As a rider I appreciate the sudden cool air on a hot day when the Vespa passes under the canopy of trees along the water.

All Terrain Vespa

Even on a clear day the forest can be dark. Riding along the smaller trails in the forest can make a rider think the sun has abandoned the day. I think of the first European settlers moving through these vast forests going days and weeks with barely a glimpse of the sky. The lack of light plays with the mind and for me can create ideas and images of the fantastic. The Vespa scooter continues on in the dark.

There are elves in this wood.

On Into Civilization

Eventually I emerged from the forest for food and fuel and wandered awhile along the Susquehanna River between Williamsport and Lock Haven. Riding in more developed areas provides a different experience of sight, sound and smell. Power lines were everywhere as were fumes from the exhaust of trucks or the strong smell of creosote from freshly laid railroad ties.

Chasing Railroads

Railroads are fascinating creatures whose tentacles stretch across the nation. In another life I might have made a choice to work for one. Or become a railfan chasing trains across the country with camera in hand. Whenever I can during a ride I stop to admire the view and dream of times gone by.

Still an hour from home on a direct route and my phone indicating rain on the way I shifted from wanderer to express rider in hopes of avoiding some of the rain. Ended up riding through two short downpours that were heavy enough to cause me to consider putting on the rain suit.

As the ride drew to a close I saw the world change from bright to dark, the wind and rain transform cozy to cool and the new smells of of wet pavement and moist air join me until I got home — another experience of the senses.

Vespa on the Road to Memory

June 4, 2016 by Scooter in the Sticks 28 Comments

For anyone who rides a scooter or motorcycle there’s probably nothing here you don’t already know. So turn off the computer, get up, and go for a ride. But if you’re new to the riding life, or in that luscious world of dreams and fantasy filled with two-wheeled lies and adventure, then maybe you might want to read on.

Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world

Tucked and harnessed safely in an automobile, or warm and cozy at home on the couch with the television on, the world is absolutely under control, predictable and at my back and call. I am master of my universe.

And it’s all a lie. Slowly the rules creep in, those quiet expectations of shiny floors, freshly painted walls, lush green lawns and polite behavior. And one morning, quiet without a care in the world, you’ll realize you’re enslaved to things you never agreed to.

There are no absolutes in life save death. And this scene may blessedly never visit upon you. For me, as I learned to wake up and pay attention, things didn’t always make sense. The pressure to stay asleep is strong and I need help. A spouse light years ahead of me on this path is a gift. The camera helps me pay attention. A pen and journal demands thought. Writing on Scooter in the Sticks allows me to abandon silence and to give testimony that there are other paths.

Options. Choices.

What does this have to do with riding a Vespa?

Last weekend I was on the road to nowhere, standing along Interstate 99 wondering where I was going and feeling a bit anxious at the uncertainty. And then, alone for a moment with no rules or expectations I realized what a servant I am to the machinations of the world. What does this have to do with riding a Vespa? It provides a platform to escape, if only for a moment, and question everything you believe to be true.

At least for me. It’s the gift that matters when I think about riding — scooter or motorcycle. Fun, recreation, relaxation, friendship, adventure — they’re just minor side effects of a bigger experience.

I won’t forget this day.

How fast does that Vespa scooter go?

Seventy-five miles per hour. All day long if necessary. Fast enough for anywhere in America.

South on Interstate 99. I knew that much. My brain was scrambling for order. Go home. Ride to Virginia. Visit the in-laws in Altoona. The cacophony of ideas in my head was breathtaking. I stopped so I wouldn’t hurt myself from inattention to the road and not any desire to photograph the scooter along the freeway. It took five minutes of cerebral discord before I felt comfortable riding on.

This never happens in the car. I’m certain the military-industrial complex under direction of the Trilateral Commission has probably impregnated the cabins with chemicals to suppress thought and ensure a compliant world.

There is no such effect riding a scooter or motorcycle.

Memorial Day in Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Hunger brought me to Tyrone as I left home without breakfast. The local fire company was raising the red, white and blue in preparation of a parade. After a momentary pause I left town and the gathering crowd for something more quiet.

Unless you’re a daily commuter or use your scooter or motorcycle for chores, when you get on you will only take with you the demands you place on yourself. Riding offers choices.Spo

Spot of Shade

By 10am it was already hot and found me searching for shade more than destination. Any earlier anxiety regarding the ride was gone now as I fell in step with the rhythm of exploration, choosing the roads and paths that remain invisible from the task oriented automobile.

“I wonder where that goes?” my motto for the day, I believe I could ride forever.

Little Juniata River

I’ve always wanted to walk across this bridge and think about it every time I ride by. That thought never happened once in the car. All I think about passing through here is getting home. Point A to point B.

Maybe if I had a Ferrari it would be different. My friend Paul has a Ferrari. He seldom takes it out on the road so my guess is it would make no difference.

Main Line

Parked at a private crossing of the main railroad line between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and points west. It’s down to two tracks now, a sad testament to short-sighted vision of leaders in this country. I waited for awhile in hopes that a train would pass, thought of putting a penny on the track one last time, but after fifteen minutes the heat pushed me on my way.

Riding a Vespa has revealed an endless opportunity for experience — ones more in line with magical discoveries from childhood than those available to “adults”.

Have you ever put a penny on a railroad track?

Country roads take me home

There’s a spider network of country roads in central Pennsylvania that meander under the trees and along creeks that makes riding almost a guilty pleasure. It surprises me though how few motorcycles I ever see on these secondary to secondary roads. Could it be that riders prefer traveling at 55mph and above over the arcadian pleasures on these little roads?

While writing this post (at the Pump Station) a large cadre of motorcycles roared by. They had either been on PA 45 or US322, both a bore in my opinion for riding a motorcycle. But you can go fast. I suppose that counts for something.

The road goes on forever

I know it doesn’t go forever but what a fantasy. I have my fingers crossed for a lot more time wandering the world on two-wheels. The accumulated memories will fuel the days when the scooter no longer leaves the garage. Riding a Vespa scooter has taught me a lot about myself and life. But perhaps the most important lesson it it’s ability to generate meaningful memories. And with no need to engage a transcontinental trip to do it.

I’ll admit to a level of advantage due to location…

What’s a ride without a little gravel

Seems I’m never far from the unpaved road. I remember the first time I rode my Vespa LX150 in gravel — not the most comforting feeling, especially in the loose stuff. Over time, with experience, both comfort level and velocity increased. With so many unpaved roads in Pennsylvania it just seems a shame not to take advantage of their secrets.

Brunch with a Vespa scooter

Hunger finally got the best of me and I stopped to eat the sandwich I’d picked up earlier in the day. Nothing like eating in the shade of hemlocks to the rippling sounds of a creek. As I write this I continue to wonder at the hundreds of thousands of miles I’ve clocked in an automobile and have no memory of ever doing this.

Have I wasted my life in the cage?

Experienced riders know the answer. If you’re new or dreaming, you’ll have to work out the answer yourself. No one can answer for you.

It’s all part of the ride — questioning, experience, memories and more.

Don’t wait.

« Previous Page

It’s Time for Another Moto Hang — June 15, 2016 at 5:30pm

Tradition

Ken Hull, Moto Hang Founder

First Moto Hang of 2016

Boalsburg Moto Hang Travels to Kissell Motorsports

A Vespa at the Moto Hang

More and More Machines

Dogs Welcome Too

Harleys on the Sidewalk

Just click on the images below to go to the Flickr albums.

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View From Above

Rambling on a Vespa

Look Up Once in Awhile

Amiable Vagabond

Through the Mountains

In the Scooter’s Dreams the Road Goes on Forever

On the Road to Shade Gap, Pennsylvania

Covered Bridges

Visual Monotony

Lunch and Homeward Bound

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Baby Boomers

Share this:

Why do I ride? To feel alive.

An Experience of the Senses

Weather Drama

The Scent of Hay and Road Apples

Sensory Challenges

Riding as Spiritual Experience

Water of Life

All Terrain Vespa

On Into Civilization

Chasing Railroads

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Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world

How fast does that Vespa scooter go?

Memorial Day in Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Spot of Shade

Little Juniata River

Main Line

Country roads take me home

The road goes on forever

What’s a ride without a little gravel

Brunch with a Vespa scooter

Share this:

Scooter in the Sticks