Chris' 2005 Iron Butt Rally

Chapter 6 

Gentlemen, Start You Engines 

            The parking lot was bustling with activity in the morning.  Riders, onlookers, family, friends.  Everywhere you looked there was activity and everyone had a camera.  I tried to concentrate on the bike and getting ready, but it was hard.  I had decided to go very light on the first leg.  I would be returning in four days so I stored a lot of gear, including my laptop, at the hotel.  Other than the clothes I was wearing, tools and parts, I took very little with me. 

            I saw Paul in the parking lot.  We were both in pretty high spirits.  He asked me if I was going to go to Chicago after Key West.   I replied, “Absolutely, I didn’t come here to watch someone else win this thing”.  I found that John Ryan, Shane Smith and I had picked nearly identical routes.  Paul ran into Jeff Earls in the parking lot.  Jeff said he had a route going west that was over 30,000 points.  I think Paul and I were a little stunned by this.  After Jeff walked off I asked Paul whether Jeff was a rider to be worried about.  Paul assured me the Jeff was one heckuva rider, but he was skeptical about the point total.  The Key West route would only bring around 27,000 points. 

            Paul’s next question to me should have been a huge red flag.  “Did you look at any of the routes out west?”  I said that I had, but I did not think there were enough points to overcome the huge Key West/Fontana bonuses.  He agreed.  We also thought that any rider going west would burn themselves out by going for so many smaller bonuses.  I continued packing the bike and did not think anymore of it.        

A short time later, Bob Higdon, the official scribe for the Rally, wandered over to our area.  Bob has been covering the rally for years.  His articles on the Iron Butt Association’s website provide a window for the world to watch the Rally and to feel a part of the activities.  All of my friends and family members would hang on every word Bob wrote.  After the Rally was over, I would find out what happened during the Rally by reading what Bob wrote.  He is one of the most talented members of the IBA family.  Bob claims to be retiring from his official reporting duties after this Rally.  I can only say that I hope he will reconsider.  I am sure there are others that can take over his duties, but there is no one that can truly replace him.   

            We talked about riders going north to the bonus in New Brunswick.  They would pick up about 700 points more than the Key West riders, but we all agreed the extra miles were not worth 700 points.  Bob’s prophetic comment was “When was the last time the Iron Butt was won on the first leg?  Oh, that’s right…NEVER!”  We all laughed and commented on the insanity of going to New Brunswick and riding all those extra miles.  Fools! 

            All the riders made their way to their bikes as the magic starting hour approached. I wished all the riders I knew good luck and hoped they arrived back in Denver safely.  Everyone knew that not all of the riders would arrive back in Denver.  It was a numbers game.  Some riders were going to DNF on the first leg.  We all just hoped it would not be us or one of our friends.

            Vickie and Bob had decided against the Yukon Territory and were also going to Key West.  I told Vickie to give some serious consideration to Chicago after Key West.  I needn’t had bothered.  She already had it plotted. 

            I phoned Nancy one final time and told her I would call her once I was on the road.  Dale Wilson was appointed official starter and began waving us out of the parking lot.  The local police Department had blocked traffic for us all the way to I-70.  Riding into a sea of cameras was downright fun.  And then, everyone was gone.  I turned onto I-70 east and began the ride across the country for the second time.

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