Yesterday we had our annual Easter Car Show here in Hurricane, UT. It was cloudy, about 60 degrees on the temperature, and the rain held off until late afternoon. We went early at 9 am opening and snapped a few pictures of some favorites. My pilot friend Renan and his grandson came along as well as my neighbor John who is also a car enthusiast. A good time was had by all with about 250 cars on display.
Some notable vehicles were:
1. 1961 Austin Mini Cooper in British Racing Green, totally restored with some wheel upgrades and nice interior…
2. A Rolls Royce Sedan with custom wood and leather interior and a “Jar Of Grey Poupon Mustard”, of course…
3. A 1967 427 Cobra with side pipes and excellent interior…
4. A 1958 Volkswagen Samba Bus with 23 windows, classic…..
5. A late model Maserati Convertible with an outstanding interior…
6. A 1958 Karman Ghia with an immaculate restoration, beautiful…
7. A 1962 Corvette Convertible “Resto Mod” with a modern LS2 engine under the hood, zoomie….
8. 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, Blood Red with a “Big Block 502” under the hood……
9. A 1955 Ford F-100, really tricked out and a “Candy Apple Paint Job” to boot…………
10. A 2019 McLaren 570S with twin turbo v8 and Carbon Fiber body in Classic Red…..
Enjoy…….
John Spencer
March Drifter Dinner – Balcony One
Our March Drifter Dinner was a smashing success! Twenty seven Drifters signed up for the event and all seemed glad they did. A quick poll from members was all very positive and everyone stated they would like to come again. Many of the attendees had not eaten at Balcony One before. This was their first time, but everyone had heard or read reviews about Virgin, Utah’s newest restaurant as it had opened three years before. You can’t miss the joint as its bright pinkish red color and its southwest pueblo design really jumps out at you as you motor down spectacular Utah 9 as it stretches out for Zion National Park. The beauty of the area is stunning.
Balcony One is a classy place fit for special occasions when you want to impress someone or celebrate something special. All approved of the food and the menu. There is a wide selection of dishes and they’re priced from fairly reasonable to “Oh my God!” There was something to fit everyone’s budget. Some Drifters went whole Hog (Get it?) and others were more thrifty. Official Drifter food critic, Bill LaSalata, gave Balcony One a thumbs up!
Teresa Martin had the lucky ticket number and won this month’s dinner $25 door prize. Of course drinks were served first and while glasses still held some jump juice we drank a toast to long time Drifter brother, John Marshall, who passed away in February. John was 89 and was still riding his Honda Goldwing nearly right up until his departure from us. Everyone seemed to like the southwest decor and atmosphere of the place. The only criticism I heard was that more comfortable chairs would be nice but they did match the western theme of Balcony One.
The owner came out and visited each table and asked if we enjoyed dinner. Yes, we smiled! Thanks to Webmistress Dawn and Treasurer Lynne for handling the announcements and the RSVPs. It was nice to see our new (let’s face it, sorta Drifter president) Karl Thompson there with his lovely wife, Marilyn. Karl and Marilyn’s business covers both northern and southern Utah and since Marilyn handles the northern operation she is not always able to attend Drifter events.It was great to have her there! Karl is doing a great job in his new Drifter position and is keeping things humming along.Thanks Karl!!! Also thanks to John & Catherine Coniff for suggesting Balcony One for a Drifter dinner.
EDITOR MIKE
Drifters Annual Membership Meeting – 1/27/2024
Don & Dita brought a fancy Drifter Logo Cake!
DRIFTER NEW YEAR KICK OFF 1/1/2024
For Drifters the old year did not go out with a whimper. Fourteen Drifters met for our now regular Baskin and Robbins ice cream social in Bloomington on December 31st. You see, B and R offers a special price discount of 30% off on every month’s 31st. The price is still outrageous for our older members who remember 10 cents a scoop cones at their local Thrifty Drug Store. Of course that was back in the Nifty Fifties and we were earning only $1.00 an hour minimum wage. Thrifty Drug went out of business years ago so what does that tell you? If you missed this time be sure to catch our next Drifter Ice Cream Social on January 31st at 2:00 PM.
Drifters held their traditional Polar Bear Ride on New Year’s Day, Monday January 1st, 2024. We rode to Los Lupes Mexican Restaurant in bustling Mesquite, Nevada for our celebration. We were blessed with the nicest New Year’s Day weather seen in a long time so most of us rode our sleds. Eleven bikes and three or four cars caravan’d to our delicious lunch.
A total of twenty two Drifters joined in for the ride. The people who drove cages did so they could bring their non riding S.O.s along for the festivities. After lunch most of the revelers mounted up and went for a putt on Bunkerville Loop, through Scenic Arizona, Beaver Dam, and up and over Old 91’s Utah Hill.
Thanks to everyone who came out for the Polar Bear Ride! If you missed it this time we’ll all pray for great weather next year too!
Drifter, John Marshall, who never misses a Polar Bear Ride was home nursing a cold he caught on his Christmas trip to Tulsa to visit his daughter. He thinks he caught it on the plane. We missed you John! Get well soon! John has the distinction of once being the only one brave enough to attend a Polar Bear Ride on his sled when everyone else whimped out and arrived in cages! He’s a real biker!
PRESIDENT/SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
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Drifter Christmas Party 2023
Christmas party at Chef Alfredo’s was great! Lots of food, a fun gift exchange and even a best dressed male and female!
Larry & PamDita & DonDavid and TammyOur Best Dressed winners: Marilyn & Mat! We bikers clean up really well!
Ride to Panguitch
Drifters Ride to Caliente, Nevada June 1, 2023 with lunch at Side Track Restaurant
DRIFTERS ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING AND POTLUCK LUNCH 2023
Twenty three Drifters and guests met at president Steve and first lady Marilyn’s sumptuous high desert home in classy Sun River Estates located in historic St. George, Utah. The event of course was the annual Drifters business meeting and potluck scarf out. Happy Drifter trencher people were thrilled to be presented with so many food choices that were contributed by our members. Fried chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, shrimp trays, macaroni salad, a great homemade bean dip plus at least two others. Potato chips, Pepsi Cola, and a rhubarb/ strawberry Marie Callender pie for desert. After the favorite part of the meeting was brought to a conclusion president Steve blew his coaches whistle and the business part of the meeting was called to order. The first order of business was to welcome our new members that joined this year. Dean and Lisa, Robert and Julia, and John S. Steve proceeded to go through the meeting agenda covering the important issues facing the club in the new year. Treasurer, Lynne, gave a review of our club finances. Because of inflation ( the dues of $30 a year haven’t been raised in at least fifteen years ) and the fact that we have fewer members paying than in the past, it was moved and seconded the dues be raised to $50 effective for this year and it was voted in by the membership. It was also discussed that we need to try to attract more new members this year. Members are encouraged to wear their colors at all drifter activities so prospects will notice us and perhaps be interested in joining. Dawn will work with Chris and check into getting some logo t-shirts for purchase. It was also mentioned that business cards are available that are useful in recruiting new members. Go to the Merchandise section on this site and contact our Webmistress Dawn if you would like to order. It was also suggested we try to at least appear younger and more roadworthy. Try to mount your sled without the groans and try to get your leg over the saddle without pulling it over by grabbing your pants leg. Also, take your meds before you arrive at the meet up location! The officers will meet to plan some recruiting strategies. Drifter prospect guidelines which were developed and accepted in the past will be put in force and a volunteer membership coordinator will guide new prospects through the process to possible membership. Mike volunteered to serve as membership coordinator for this year. Webmistress, Dawn, will email the prospect/membership guidelines to all members for their comments and approval. It was announced that members David and Tammy who have been on a mission for the Church serving in Canada will be returning home in March. Everyone is thrilled they will be back soon. The meeting was adjourned and treasurer Lynne started accepting 2023 dues. A few members headed back to the food court and resumed picking at left overs. Others helped with clean up and putting away tables and chairs. Steve’s man cave was cleared of any nappers and we all headed for the barn. 2023 appears to be off to a good start! Now if we can get some good riding weather!
EDITOR MIKE
PS Below are the officers for 2023
President Steve S USAF Vice President Chris B USMC Treasurer Lynne Homefront Warrior Secretary Mike Drafted 1966 Rejected 1Y (bad knee)
Volunteers
Photographer Lisa G Membership Coordinator Mike Webmistress Dawn
DRIFTERS NEW YEARS DAY POLAR BEAR RIDE – 2023
As weather would have it this year’s Polar Bear ride was too cold and rainy for our brave Drifters. All the bears were caged this year and to prove how bad it was even Drifter Emeritus John Marshall, who always rides to these events, chose to stay home under the covers. It wasn’t as cold as in years past, around 46 when we left, and it wasn’t raining…YET! I almost was sorry I didn’t ride. As we carved the Gorge all Hell broke loose and it really came down and we would have been soaked if we were on sleds. Of course many of our SOs don’t ride any more so we need to cage it so they can come along. Lucky thing! We dined at La Cocina Italiano Ristorante this year instead of Los Lupes Mexican and everyone agreed it was a better choice as the food and ambiance were great. It was agreed that several marriages and relationships might have been saved by the change in venue. Official Drifter restaurant critic, Bill LaSalata, even was pleased with the menu and cuisine although he says our restaurants are never as good as his favorite joints back east. Below are listed the attendees of this year’s event;
President Steve and first lady Marilyn Mark and webmistress Dawn Bill L. and daughter Belva Bill Pryor Mike Dean and Lisa Don and Dita
Cages 7 Sleds 0 Boo Hoo!!!!
Thanks to everyone who joined in for the first Drifter ride of 2023!!!!! Let’s pray for only weekday rain (except Thursdays) only so we can enjoy another terrific Drifter riding season! Thanks to Webmistress Dawn for putting out announcements and RSVP reminders about the ride. Condolences to Drifter John Marshall who finally didn’t have to eat Mexican food but missed his chance!
EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER CHRISTMAS PARTY DEC 10, 2022
A warm Christmas-y venue greeted Drifters and guests as they entered our private room at St. George’s Magelby’s Restaurant. Our room was fully decorated with a Christmas tree, cute wire form deer, and other seasonal decorations. Round covered tables with Christmas centerpieces provided seating for eight Drifter revelers each. The evening started at 5:00 o’clock with a happy hour and socializing. At 6:00 the excellent buffet appeared and Drifter foodies started lining up to fill their plates. The thermadors were overflowing with tender steak, Lemon chicken, and Halibut Oscar with a tasty topping. Small chunks of seasoned potatoes and a tureen of vegetables balanced out the plate. Special warm rolls were available too. They were good as they were seasoned with herbs and cheese. Two salads were offered. One had feta cheese, grapes, and tangerine slices mixed with walnuts and spring mix greens and was really good. The other was iceberg lettuce and romaine with various other goodies tumbled in. What really thrilled Drifter trenchermen was you could help yourself to seconds! Even thirds! After getting more than your fill you could waddle or crawl to the dessert table where carrot cake and miniature pumpkin and apple pies and something else I can’t remember were tempting. There was food left over after everyone had had enough and Magelby’s provided take home cartons. We scooped up the left overs since it was going to be thrown away. No point in letting the help take it home. Entertainment was provided by having raffles for gift prizes provided by our treasurer, Lynne. $25 was won by each of the winners. Mark Derenski, Trish Wild, Don Quayle, and Dave Piper cashed in. Dean and Lisa Green took honors for being the best dressed couple and scored a cute Santa on a Harley Christmas ornament. Dean was “the man in black” with his all black attire set off with a bright red shirt and even a tie. What cinched it was his black Stetson hat and his “man with no name” eyes. Lisa wowed them in a shimmering gold dress with a slit up the side that supposedly ended somewhere! Lisa’s mom also attended and was also dressed up nicely. President Steve and his lovely wife Marilyn came in second in the voting. Drifter photographer, Lisa Green, took photos of all attendees using the Christmas tree and the wire deer for background. We can’t wait to see them on our website! The evening was topped off with the traditional Drifter white elephant gift exchange. No, the anatomically correct inflatable sheep, the naked lady nut cracker, and the Richard Simmons work out tape with personal lube didn’t appear this time. A possible for a future exchange was picked out by Dita Quayle. She unwrapped a Chinese takeout style mug that had “Hot Cock” printed on the side! It will probably show up next Christmas. It may end up on hubby Don’s work bench in his garage along with his other trophies and awards. Alas, it was finally time to head for the barn. Everyone seemed to have a great time and went home smiling. It was a fun night. If you missed it, shame on you, but there is always next year!!!! Thanks to those who made the Drifter Christmas party possible, especially president Steve, treasurer Lynne who managed the RSVPs and arranged the finances for the event. Lynne secured the party room and negotiated the $300 charge and collected payment from members ahead of the party and of course paid our food bill. Webmistress Dawn put out the announcements in the website and the emails to keep people informed. She also assisted Lynne by helping to coordinate things. Our new photographer, Lisa Green, took the party photographs that accompany this missive.
EDITOR MIKE
PS MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!!!
Thursday Dec 1st, Ride to Overton Mesquite for Lunch
Looks like a great ride!
ANNUAL DRIFTER THANKSGIVING DINNER, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH, 2022
Well, it was another boffo Thanksgiving dinner put on by Black Bear Diner at their Washington, Utah location! Seventeen Drifters and guests showed up to put the Pilgrims to shame by scarfing down delicious turkey or ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce and soup or salad. Bread baskets were on the table too. Various kinds with real butter! All this was topped off with ample slices of pumpkin pie. The Black Bear’s manager, Nancy, had our table all set up and we all got to sit together. All this for $20.99 each with a dollar more for all white meat.The bread baskets were extra but your meal came with a dinner roll. This was the same price as last year and with all the inflation and reported turkey shortages I thought it would be much more or portions would be smaller. Maybe it was really tofu?
Here is the honor roll of attendees:
Danny and Teresa Matt and Becca President Steve and Marilyn Dean and Lisa and Lisa’s mom Don and Dita Bill LaSalata, his granddaughter and her husband Robert and Julia and yours truly
Club photographer, Lisa, took pictures of the festivities. Drifters really appreciate Lisa’s contribution to our club!!! Everyone seemed to have a good time and said they were glad they came. Many “doggy bags” went home to anxiously waiting pets! Hope we can have another good turnout next year! So do the pets!
THANKS FOR COMING!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
PS Where were the screaming kids, uncle Fester, and the emotional support animals?
Drifter Ride to Mesquite, Nov 17, 2022
We had a nice ride to Mesquite to Wolf Creek for brunch then explored the back roads around Scenic. Beautiful day and great company. Here’s a few pics taken by Lisa G.
DRIFTER MONTHLY DINNER OCTOBER 22, 2022
Drifter mountain men/women, like the estimable Abdominal Snowman/Snowwoman, roared up rugged Pine Mountain (in our cages) to feast at the rustic Brandin’ Iron Steakhouse In bucolic Pine Valley Village. Fifteen Abdominals sat down to scarf prime rib, rib eyes (sorry Margret and Kate who were served the wrong meal and got prime rib instead of rib eye but in true Big Foot tradition ingested it anyway) baked salmon, burgers, and Brandin’ Iron’s special baked bean soup and salad. Although Drifter president, Steve “cattle guard” Sarchett, and his lovely wife, Marilyn, were out town the gathering featured other Drifter luminaries. Our long time treasurer, Lynne, was present along with husband Dave “John Henry” Piper. Don Quayle brought wife, Dita, who bravely attended in spite of her recent knee replacement surgery. Drifter legend, Margret Ramos, was there with her pal and Drifter honorary member, Kate Brinton. Everyone was thrilled to see Brenda Estrada too. Brenda and her late husband, Art, were Drifters from early on. We hope she can attend future Drifter events as her time allows. Once a Drifter, always a Drifter! Robert and Julie, who have been riding with us lately also attended. They are from Marietta, Georgia and are having a beautiful home built in Sun River so will be neighbors with the Sarchett’s. Marietta is just north of Atlanta. They sold their business there and decided to move to another Dixie. We hope they continue to ride their bikes with us. Robert pilots a 2021 Goldwing and Julie a Yamaha Star twin. New members Dean and Lisa weren’t able to make it. Everyone agreed the food was good and except for a few service glitches things went well. Our waitress was named “Shantilly” with an S. I wanted to ask if her middle name was “Lacy” but thought better of it. To my great annoyance a “prepared food tax” was added to my bill! It was 7.45% of the cost of our meals. This seems to be a new way for restaurants to offset the surge in food prices brought on by “Putin’s” inflation. It allows them to not have to print new menus with higher prices on them just to have to print more as prices continue to rise. Of course the tax is not mentioned until you see it on your tab. There was some concern about the weather up on Pine Mountain. It was in the forties when we left to go home and some light drizzle came down. We were watchful for deer as we drove home. Didn’t see any myself. Maybe they don’t venture out in the rain? This was a really nice evening. Everyone liked it. Most of us hadn’t dined here before. Thanks to treasurer Lynne Piper for making the arrangements and handling the RSVPs.
EDITOR/SECRETARY MIKE
Pics from Fall Colors Ride to Aunt Sue’s Chalet in Duck Creek 10/6/22
Fall Colors pics by Lynne & Dave 10/3 & 10/6 Cedar Mountain & Fish Lake
Drifter Ride September 22, 2022 to Caliente NV
DRIFTER RIDE VIA HWY 7 TO THE SIDECAR CAFE, JULY 28TH2022
DRIFTER MONTHLY DINNER SATURDAY JULY 23rd 2022
Everyone was wanting a break from having our monthly dinner at the Black Bear Diner, so it was decided to hit our fav, Rusty’s Ranch House, in Cedar Canyon. The reason we were meeting at the BBD every month was that the Club was unsuccessful in generating enthusiasm finding different venues, making reservations, getting RSVPs, etc… Even after an RSVP was made, some were not actually showing up. Of course, we all love Rusty’s and thirteen of an expected nineteen showed up. We were down a few because Dave and Lynne got Covid and some others had last minute reasons for canceling. Bill and Judy brought their daughter, Belva, who lives in Dixie, along so that helped boost the count. Remember, if you have family in town visiting, you can always invite them to our dinners. We do limit guests to adults only – no children under eighteen. Children over forty are, of course, okay (otherwise many Drifters would be excluded from all of our rides and activities). The food was great and conversation abounded and a good time was had by all! We will be returning to Rusty’s next month since several of its greatest fans were unable to attend this time. So..August Dinner will be at Rusty’s on Saturday, August 20th, 6:00pm. Get your RSVP in to Lynne no later than August 17th! We’ll see you there!
Secretary/Editor Mike
PS Drifters are encouraged to suggest and plan other dinner venues for our monthly dinners. Let Webmistress Dawn know if you want to set up a dinner!
DRIFTER MONTHLY DINNER JUNE 15, 2022
Sweet sixteen! The magic number of hungry Drifters who met at the world famous Black Bear Diner in historic Washington, Utah on Wednesday Juneteenth, 2022! As usual the grub was great and and the service designed to please our larger group. We missed our favorite waiter/waitress, Ben, but all still went well. If you haven’t been attending you need to try it out. Aside from the food you’ll get to visit with all your Drifter chums and dispel any rumors about whether or not you’re still vertical. COME ON MAN!!!!!!…….Get your sorry self to our next monthly dinner Wednesday July 20th. We regularly gossip about those who don’t attend and therefore can’t defend themselves, SO be there and avoid being a topic of discussion!
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE MAY 26th, 2022
Its a treat for Drifters when a new place to eat is discovered!!!!! Drifter Tom Fabio heard that Panguitch’s Big Fish Bar and Grill is under new management and has reopened with a new name and owners. Its been closed off and on since I moved to Utah and really went broke when Covid hit town. Even when it was open it always looked like a run down joint catering to local fisherman, douche daytime drinkers, and Saturday night carousers. It was the kind of place where I would feel more comfortable if I had Chris Bandley and Dave Piper go in with me. President, Steve Sarchette, announced that he was going to lead us up over Cedar Mountain to Panguitch to try out The Big Fish Bar and Grill for lunch. I felt pretty safe going since we had twelve Drifters in all and they could probably stand off any wild and crazy anglers or Panguitch farm boys while I made my escape. I left my sled’s motor running just outside the door just in case. As an added safety factor we had a new rider along. Her name is Vicki and she rides a Harley Sportster. I figured we guys could get out fast while any local bad guys would be delayed while attempting to ask for her phone number. Thankfully no banjo music was wafting through the air! The weather was perfecto for the ride! Even at 10,000 feet elevation we could ride with just a long sleeve tee and our vests. Bright and sunny, WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!! We dropped down out of the mountains on Hwy.143 and can see The Big Fish up ahead. A couple of cars were in the parking lot but thankfully no pick ‘em up trucks with gun racks in the rear window and snarley attack dogs in the bed. Tom’s Indian was there already since he had gone on ahead to scout things out. We go inside and Tom had gotten a few tables lined up for us to sit together. He had already downed a burger and fries and reported that the food was great. I’d expected a dimly lit smoke filled joint with mounted fish trophies and deer racks displayed with a truck stop Annie type barmaid wearing a food stained apron and a cigarette butt hanging from her lip. Maybe bar stools with the regular’s names on the back too! Instead, it was bright and clean and the staff was friendly and efficient. The other patrons seemed nice enough, regular people. We ordered our grub, mostly burgers and fries, but there is a varied menu and even a nice salad bar is on hand. Even a chicken cordon bleu sandwich was ordered by another new to us rider, John, who rides a Can Am Spyder. Another FNG, Mike, also rode with us on his BMW GS. He liked the place too. Hope these new folks will ride with us again! I talked to the new manager, Tamara, and she told me that The Big Fish has been renamed Cedar Breaks Grill and they have been open for two weeks. They plan to remodel the place and hope it will become popular in Panguitch. They open for lunch at 11:00 AM and close at 4:00 PM. No breakfast or dinner served yet. This was one of the best Drifter Thursday rides of the new riding season so far! Everyone agreed to go back to the CEDAR BREAKS GRILL again. After lunch we went home two different routes. One group headed back over Cedar Mountain and the other went down 89 to Cane Beds Road and home through Colorado City. Drifter Ron Anderson announced that this would be his last ride for awhile. He goes in for surgery on Juneteenth, Oh, I mean June 10th! (thanks webmistress Dawn for correcting me on this) to have the shoulder that was injured when he was hit by a car a year ago while riding his bicycle worked on some more. It hasn’t healed properly. Good luck Ron! Hope you are back on your Beemer soon! Thanks to Tom Fabio for suggesting Cedar Breaks Grill and his fearless scouting expedition and president Steve Sarchette for organizing the ride on such short notice. Over 200 miles today. When we reached home it was 100 degrees plus!!!!!!!! Think summer has arrived?
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
PS Hope to see ya at Zion Harley every Saturday at 10:30-1100 AM for free donuts and coffee and usual BS session. Then a lunch ride after. All bike makes welcome!!!!! If you haven’t attended before, please come! We are sooooo tired of our familiar well worn lies and stories and would love to hear some new ones!
DRIFTER MONTHLY DINNER, MAY 18TH, 2022
Our Drifter Monthly Dinner for May, 2022 was held at the Washington, Utah Black Bear Diner as usual. We had an even dozen Drifters seated together in the special area that is often reserved for larger groups. We didn’t begin to fill the room with our club but the privacy was nice. No squalling brats disturbing the serenity, no emotional support animals coughing up hairballs at our feet, or gargantuan service dogs who when sitting are looking straight into your eyes giving that,” give me a bite, Will ya huh?” Your otherwise competent editor also managed to not knock over his drinks and spill them on other Drifters (usually Don Quayle!). Our waitress tried hard but had a tough time getting the correct orders to the right people. Soon all was well but my lovely wife, Trish, never managed to get her strawberry waffle with scrambled eggs and sausage as she ordered it. The waitress even called over the manager to help figure things out and they even offered to bring a new warm waffle but Trish no longer was in the mood for it so she let it go. In spite of the confusion on whose order was whose we had a great time eating and talking. The Black Bear usually has it together and this was the first time we have had any problems with service. They always treat us right, get seating for us promptly, and let us stay as long as we like. The food is tasty and plentiful. Oink Oink!!!!!!! If you haven’t been coming out to our Drifter Monthly Dinners please consider attending. Then you’ll get to hear all the latest gossip and of any new Drifter happenings. You also might find out what we’ve been saying about you when you weren’t there! The dinners are on the third Wednesday of each month at the Washington Black Bear at 6:00 PM.
SECRETARY/ EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTERS APRIL MONTHLY DINNER AT THE WASHINGTON BLACK BEAR DINER
Another Drifter monthly dinner was enjoyed by club members. This time twelve Drifter trenchermen and trencherettes scarfed down the ample vittles set down by our super efficient waiter, a real sweetheart. The Washington Black Bear Diner always sets up a special table for our club and makes us feel welcome. This time was no exception. If you have been missing out on these monthly dinners you need to attend one to catch up on all the Drifter happenings and allow your deprived stomach to have some real comfort food! You can always restart your diet the next day! We’re checking to see if the WBB can make accommodations for our club members to bring their comfy home recliners so we can eat in the style we are accustomed to dine. I think your fuzzy slippers and jammies are not to be encouraged, however! We’ll let you know. The next Drifter monthly dinner at the WBB Diner is Wednesday, May 18th. The dinners are always the third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR/SECRETARY MIKE
DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDES
Our weekly Thursday rides have been a thing to look forward to for the club. With warmer weather upon us we are now able to vary our ride destinations to the northern climes. We’ve already cruised to Kanab, Carmel Junction, Enterprise, Caliente, Nevada, Cedar City, Kanarraville, through Zion National Park, and more. On their own, Drifters have ridden Rt. 14 over Cedar Mountain this week (A balmy 50 degrees at 10,000 feet) and up to Jacob Lake and to Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon last week. It’s rumored that Bill LaSalata has even stopped using his Corvette’s seat heater on last Thursday’s Drifter ride to The All American Diner in Cedar City. The Thursday rides leave from Coral Canyon Texaco, KSU 10:30 AM. COME ON OUT !!!!!!!
EDITOR /SECRETARY MIKE
DRIFTER VALENTINE DAY RIDE AND LUNCHEON FEBRUARY 13, 2022
Drifter love boats, committed couples, and other general all around horn dogs carved the beautiful Virgin River Gorge to arrive at their own “gorge” at Mesquite, Nevada’s classy Wolf Creek Golf and Country Club. It was our annual Drifters Valentine Day ride to celebrate and reward our S.O.s for putting up with us since the 2021 epic. Not wanting to be left out, Drifter John Marshall, also attended. He came stag. John was able to bring his own true passion however, his perfect in every way, Honda Goldwing! In fact John was the only one to actually ride to the event as all other Drifters came in their cages so as to save their sweeties from helmet hair. Thirteen Drifters attended the luncheon. We ordered off the tasty Wolf Creek menu and everyone selected their favorite item for the repast. The food and service were great and the Wolf Creek staff sat us at our own large table so we could all be together. Every one seemed to have a good time. If you missed the Drifter Valentine Day luncheon, good luck finding all the flowers, candy, and cards you’ll need to present to your snookums to make up for your mistake!
WE STILL LOVE YOU!
EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER MONTHLY DINNER JANUARY 19th, 2022
Usually, having the monthlies, is a bad scene for people and not looked forward to! But not when it’s the Drifter monthly dinner at the Black Bear Diner in pictorial Washington, Utah. Drifters feel strongly that Black Bears Matter! Especially when Drifters are hungry and lonesome for their clubbies! To prove the point, nearly half of our club members attended last Wednesday’s feast! That’s eighteen who sat down to the BBD’s ample portions of grub and scarfed the yummies. The BBD set up a long table for us, as they always do, so we could all be together and the conversation flowed. At least until the vittles arrived. We are meeting every third Wednesday evening of each month at the BBD. No need to RSVP, just show up at 6:00 PM and come hungry!If you have any questions or comments contact our webmistress, Dawn, or me. One of the highlights of the dinner was that Mat and Becca are back in town and were able to join us. Also, Ron and Lisa are back in action since Ron’s arm has healed up from his bicycle accident enough he can ride his Beamer again and wield a knife and fork too! Now if we can get Danny ripping up the asphalt again! His new bike, a Kawasaki Vaquero, is on its way to the dealership at this time. Steve is back full strength again with a beautiful previously loved Yamaharley and the UHP bears haven’t caught up with him yet! A rumor has it they are going to install more cattle guards in hopes of slowing him down! Hope to see you all at the next Drifter munch out February 16th!
SEE YOU OUT THERE!
DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE JANUARY 6TH, 2022
Drifters were thrilled to finally have a riding day that promised okay temps for a ride to the Mesquite, Nevada area! Cold temps and rain have washed (pun intended)out our riding schedule lately giving rise for a desperately needed “therapy” ride. Finally we could put away our trickle chargers and bike covers for a while! We assembled at our usual winter meet up spot at Terrible’s Chevron at exit 2 at 11:30 AM. The group decided to run to Peggy Sue’s Fifties Diner in Mesquite for breakfast via the always gorgeous Virgin River Gorge. President Steve lead the group on this bright sunny morning. It was 45 degrees. As we exited the Gorge onto the flats the temps had risen to 55 degrees. We got off the I 15 at Beaver Dam and rolled the Old 91 frontage road to Mesquite and Peggy Sue’s. When we pull in we see that Tom Fabio and Dick Bluff are out for a ride too.They are just parking their sleds to go into eat. We invite them to sit with us Drifters and they do. Peggy Sue’s had a “masks required” sign on the door but since they could be removed once you were seated most of us didn’t comply. No one asked us to put one on. I think the mask thing is slowly being resisted to the point where businesses are not enforcing it anymore. The science has stated that the cloth masks are really unable to protect you or others. What’s the point of a mask that you can remove while you eat or drink? Breakfast was good but Don was disappointed that eggs benedict was no longer on the menu. It was his fav here at Peggy Sue’s. After chow temps had risen to 60 degrees. We decided to extend the day and ride both the Bunkerville and the Scenic, Arizona loops. We invited Tom and DIck to join us and they did.When we reached the I15 President Steve and Tom and Dick blasted home through the Gorge. Next, the rest of us polished off Utah Hill where it was 55 degrees at the summit. At the Shivwits gas station in Ivins we stopped so those who wanted to get some fuel could pay the cheaper Indian price. Gas was only $3.32.9 for regular! Its nice to gas at the Indian station and NOT be scalped! We said our goodbyes and headed for home, happy we finally had such a nice day to ride. Saturday is going to be even a little warmer so come on up to the Harley shop for free coffee and a donut and a lunch ride after. We usually ride up to Apple Valley to the Deli at Little Creek Station for burgers. COME ON OUT!!!!!
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
PS I’m sure you have noticed my account of the cross country ride I did in 1970 on our Drifter website. Some of you may have read it. Some of you might have even printed it out to use during the recent toilet paper shortage. The original reason for writing the story was to encourage other Drifters to share some of their early motorcycle adventures with their fellow clubbies. So far no one has done so. Please contact our webmistress Dawn if you would like to submit a story that our fellow Drifters might enjoy reading. I’m sure many of you have some great tales to tell!!!!!! Prizes may be awarded to those who tell particularly embarrassing or better forgotten details of their motorcycle exploits!
PPS If you have any questions you can also call me. 669 2063
DRIFTER NEW YEAR’S DAY POLAR BEAR RIDE
Well, even the polar bears stayed home under the covers on one of the coldest New Year’s days remembered (in the thirties). Brave Drifters still ventured out, albeit in their cages, for the annual run to Mesquite, Nevada’s unique Los Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant for our holiday repast. Even with some last minute cancellations, thirteen Drifters settled down to chips and salsa and ordered their favorite Mexican dishes. Even John Marshall, not a big fan of Mex cuisine, found an item to order and joined in the festivities! The only complaint I heard from the group was that we seemed to get the bottom of the chips bag so most of our baskets mostly held small broken pieces. The only problem with this is that its hard to keep your fingers out of the salsa when you dip your “mini” chip! As is becoming more usual with our club, the ladies sat together rather than having to listen to more tired, old, Indian motorcycle jokes and old Drifter war stories. The only exception was Dawn Petersen who chose to sit with the guys with hubby Jack. This resulted in a good spirited, boisterous political debate that drove Steve Sarchett over to the mesa de las chicas. Everyone seemed to enjoy the occasion despite not being able to ride their sleds. A little colder and we might have been able to ride real sleds in the ice and snow. Temps made it into the low forties as we prepared to drive home. Since we left our bikes in the garage we just drove the gorge back home. It was pointed out that it has been forecasted to be sunny and in the mid fifties for next Thursday’s Drifter ride so we rejoiced that we may be riding soon! Thanks to all who came out for our polar bear run! Hopefully next year the weather person will serve up a sunny, balmy, new year’s day! Thanks to our webmistress for putting out the emails announcing the ride information. Finally, thanks to whoever it was who invented long underwear!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
Drifters Annual Christmas Party 12/11/21 – Magelby’s
Twenty three joyous Drifters and guests overflowing with Christmas cheer and holiday spirit attended the annual Christmas party and dinner Saturday, December 11th. This year the festivities were held at classy Magelby’s restaurant in world famous St. George, Utah. We had a private room and a tasty buffet was served. The meal included Medallions of Beef, Chicken Marsala, and really yummy salmon filets. A mixed green salad, mashed potatoes, and a roasted squash medley also graced the buffet table. Of course rolls and butter were there too. A nice dessert table was set up for all who were willing to blow their diet! We sat at large round tables that held eight people so we could chat it up with each other. Magelby’s had the room decorated with a Christmas tree and beautiful wreath and ornament table settings. To allow everyone to interact with the group we played a game where each of us stood and told about our favorite Christmas gift we received when we were a kid. Bicycles seemed the most numerous mentioned with BB guns, cap guns with cowboy holsters, and various other treasures revealed. An interesting thing was how many of the women related how they wanted to get toys that were considered “boys” toys and were disappointed when they were denied them! A couple of the ladies admitted they were “Tom Boys” and didn’t want the usual things that their parent thought they should ask Santa for. Someone asked Santa for a frog dissecting kit but I can’t remember who it was. There was plenty of food and people went back for seconds and even thirds! The wait staff did a great job and were friendly and efficient. We were there two and a half hours and everyone said they were pleased with the venue and the evening. Even Drifter “Official Restaurant and Food Critic”, Bill LaSalata, gave a thumbs up to Magelby’s effort! Drifter president, Steve Sarchett, gave a hearty welcoming speech when we first arrived that was enjoyed by all. Drifter historian and official photographer, John Marshall, spent time taking photos of the attendees. This year, John designed a group compilation “class photo” that showed pictures of all attendees surrounding our beautiful Christmas room decor. Apologies to Ron and Lisa, whose photo was somehow flipped backwards! (Actually the buffet line interfered with a good shot, so next time we’ll all have individual photos taken in front of the tree.) We’d like to thank those Drifters who worked to make this event the success that it was. Drifter president, Steve Sarchett, and his lovely wife, Marilyn, worked with Magelby’s to plan the menu and the cost for each person. Dawn Derenski, our webmistress, worked with Dawn Petersen to design and assemble the table favors that each attendee got to take home. This included a glass coffee mug and decorated bag loaded with various goodies that could be used as an appetizer or to take home later. They also had really cute small Christmas trees, snow people, and toy trucks to give away as door prizes. Drifter treasurer, Lynn Piper, provided club funds to enable five lucky Drifters to win $25.00 each in an exciting drawing. Lynn also worked with Dawn and Dawn to purchase all the door prizes and table favors. And of course thanks to our webmistrees for sending out all the information about the gala!
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
Drifters Christmas Party 2021
DRIFTER THANKSGIVING DINNER 2021
Hungry Drifters and guests gathered at the incredible Black Bear Diner for our annual Thanksgiving dinner. Despite non attendance by Squanto or any pilgrims, fourteen clubbies attended America’s historical feast. This Drifter dinner is always offered to those Drifters who would rather not slave ( can I say that?) over a hot oven or have no particular place they have to go to fulfill family invitations or dinner paybacks. Also, they can avoid weird uncle Al’s unpopular political views at the table as well as grandma Hortense’s constant “The turkey is not as good as when I prepared it back in the old days! “. Not to mention screaming kids and begging dogs. How about the men snoring in their recliners after dinner? This year, diners had a choice of turkey, ham, and for an extra charge, prime rib. Then all the trimmings like mashed potatoes and gravy, green beens, dressing, cranberries, a bread roll, and for an extra charge, sweet potato and marshmallow casserole. A basket of a variety of bread rolls also could be had for a little extra. Of course there was pumpkin pie for desert! There was plenty of food and there were no complaints that I heard about small portions. The majority of us asked for take home boxes for our left overs so that says something! We had our own table so we all got to sit together. The service was good considering the place was jammed. We were seated about an half hour past our reservation time due to all the teeming masses but that gave us that more time to visit. We gathered up to leave around 6:00 PM and waddled out to our cages for the drive home. BUUURRRP!!!!!!!!! If you didn’t attend this year hopefully you can next time.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DRIFTERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE NOVEMBER 18th, 2021
This week’s Thursday ride was a real treat for Drifter riders since it was the first long ride for our president, Steve Sarchett, since his get off up in Summit at the now famous motorcycle killer cattle guard. As you remember, his beautiful Yamaharley Star Raider was declared totaled so Steve has replaced it with, if you can believe it, an even more gorgeous one, two years newer and with less miles on the clock! Steve has healed up enough that he was ready to lead our group to Overton, Nevada’s refurbished “Sugar’s” biker dive for breakfast. The new owners have named the joint the weird moniker “Cablp” which means something but forgot to ask what. The place is totally different. It has been totally gutted inside and even the bar has been removed. All the old sportsbar memorabilia is gone and the place is brighter inside with fresh paint and furniture. I wonder if the biker patrons will take to the place? We’ll see. We met up for the ride at the office building parking lot behind Terrible’s Chevron at Exit 2 off the I15. This will be our meet up place through the colder months of winter since we will mostly be riding south towards Nevada’s Mesquite Riviera. We pulled out for Overton at 9:30 AM. Temperature was 46 degrees. We ran through the Virgin River Gorge and as we exited onto the flats temps reached a more pleasant 57 degrees. As we passed Mesquite and bombed the super slab to the Overton exit the temp held pretty much at 57. By the time we reached Overton it was a pleasant 61. We reached Cablp’s at 10:50 AM and we had to order breakfast since it was too early for lunch to be served. The food was good but chrome colored plastic utensils that were kind of wobbly and hot sauce in hard to rip open packets was a bit of a turn off. And NO sourdough toast! We had a good time talking and taking in the surroundings. A Beaumont, California friend of Steve’s who now lives in Henderson, Nevada joined us for chow. Steve invited Rick to meet us at Cablp’s so he rode his Indian up the Lake Mead road. Rick was alright and hopefully will join us again in the future. After lunch we had to line up with our waitress splitting out what we owed. She had this little computer that told you what to pay and of course had tip amounts spelled out so you could indicate how much you wanted to tip. I really dislike the new trend of putting everyone on one ticket especially if you have a larger group. I especially dislike having to enter your tip amount while they stand there watching you do it. We filed outside and temps have reached 64 degrees. We gas up down the street at the Maverik. Regular was $3.99.9. Higher than at home! We ride back the twelve miles to the I15 and hammer the slab back towards Mesquite. We exit at the Bunkerville turnoff and cruise the two lane blacktop the twelve miles back to Mesquite the back way. Turn on to the gravel pit turnoff that leads to rustic Scenic, Arizona off the beaten track. Its a beautiful sunny day and temps reach 68 degrees. Up and over Utah Hill’s old 91 where at it’s crest its 57 degrees. Stop at the Shivwits Paiute gas station near Kayenta for a last stop break. Say our goodbyes and head for home. A fun day and great to have Steve riding again!
EDITOR MIKE
PS Now that Steve is back in the saddle we need to root for Drifter Danny Martin who was nailed by a car which totaled his Kawasaki and did damage to his person. Danny was hit by the car Wednesday, November 17th on old 91 near where it passes under the I15 at Exit 51. He suffered injuries that will keep him from riding for a while. One of his injuries was broken bones in his clutch hand. He’ll have a cast on the hand for awhile. Hope we have Danny back riding with us soon!
DRIFTERS THURSDAY RIDEOCTOBER 7TH, 2021
Drifters met once again at the Coral Canyon Texaco across the road from the Zion Harley Davidson Shop for their weekly Thursday ride. The 8:30 AM meeting time was the last one for the year as the starting time will be moved to 9:30 AM next week. We always adjust the KSU time when winter brings shorter days and cooler temps. The meet up place will also move to Lin’s market parking lot on Sunset. We probably won’t be using the I15 through the gorge much this year due to construction on the bridge near Beaver Dam. It has the 15 down to one lane each way and back ups can be bad. Old 91 over Utah hill will save us we hope! The frontage road from Beaver Dam to Mesquite will help too as by using that enables you to by-pass most of the problems. On this ride, Drifters rode to Linski’s in Kanarraville for breakfast. We then took the two lane blacktops to the Summit, Utah off ramp where our president, Steve, crashed his YamaHarley on a cattle guard. We wanted to check it out to see what might have caused Steve’s get off. After a thorough investigation we came to the conclusion that the cattle guard definitely appears dangerous for motorcycles. Some of the guard’s grid rail ends are uneven and a chunk of concrete is missing directly in line with the misaligned cross rails. We watched a few cars and big rigs cross the guard and the whole thing seemed to bounce and rattle and made a lot of noise. Some trucks slowed way down before they crossed the cattle guard and we surmised they had been over this guard before and learned to take it slow crossing over it. The worst part of the guard is right in line with the line Steve might be riding as he lead the group over the guard. That would be the left track of the lane as the group rode in staggered formation. He could have caught his front tire edge as he rolled up against the uneven cross rail ends which led directly to the missing concrete pothole. We could see how this could upset his bike. Steve is too good a rider to crash like he did. The cattle guard looked suspect for sure. After our inspection was over we headed down the I15 to Cedar City and caught Hwy. 56 westward to Enterprise. Had refreshments there and after a good bull session and talking to the locals headed for home down the 18. Temps were cooler today. It was 63 degrees when we left the Texaco and reached 79 or so back in St.George. Everyone seemed glad that the 100 plus temps seem over for 2021. We are now in the climate sweet spot that we have twice a year, Fall and Spring. Nice!
EDITOR/SECRETARY
MIKE
PS This one of the best times of the year if you are a motorcyclist! Temps are great, not too hot, not too cold, just right! It’s Goldielocks weather! Get out here!
DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2021
Our Drifter Thursday ride, our first one since our boffo Drifter business meeting and pot luck on the 18th started out as a good one. Lunch at one of our favs, Aunt Sue’s Chalet in Duck Creek, was planned and lead by our newly elected Drifter president, Steve Sarchett. It turned out to be a bad day for Steve and our club as he crashed and totaled his beautiful custom YamaHarley Star on an apparently dangerous cattle crossing just off the northbound I 15 Summit, Utah off ramp. Fortunately, Steve walked away ( limped actually ) with an injured right hand and a sore shoulder plus torn clothes and road rash on both legs and elsewhere. His helmet was pretty carved up, indicating it saved him from possible serious face and head trauma. We called for a wrecker to come transport his battered sled to where his insurance company agent could assess the damage. After Steve was thrown from the bike it careened end over end and ended up in the ditch next to the road quite a way from where Steve landed on the asphalt. The forks were badly damaged and broken and the bike couldn’t be rolled. It had to be dragged onto the wrecker with a winch! The good news was that Steve’s X-rays indicated no broken bones or skull fractures. The question is, what caused Steve to crash? The cattle crossing needs to be inspected to see if it’s safe for motorcycles. Steve is an experienced and capable rider and its hard to explain what caused him to have trouble with the crossing. After the bike was hauled away and Steve was off to the Urgent Care it was decided to change our plans and some of us went to the Calvario Family restaurant in Parowan instead of Aunt Sue’s since we lost so much time attending to Steve. A couple of us did go on to Duck Creek. Don Quayle went with Steve to see he had help if he needed it. I showed up late at the scene of the crash because I had a late start from home. Danny Martin had called me and was waiting for me at the crash scene. He filled me in on what had happened. We went to Hamburger Patty’s in Parowan for chow. Thankfully, Steve appears to be healing up from his injuries and hopefully will soon recover completely. I know he’s broken hearted over the loss of his bike as it was indeed a beauty and he spent a lot of time and energy seeing that it always looked its best and attending to its needs. HANG IN THERE, STEVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
PS I’m glad Drifters always wear their helmets. Its good policy even though Utah gives us the choice of donning our “brain buckets” or not. I’m sure Steve agrees too.
DRIFTER DESTINATION RIDE TO CORTEZ, COLORADO August 22-25, 2021
What a great ride! Kudos to Mark and Dawn for planning, setting up the accommodations, and preparing a comprehensive list of activities complete with detailed maps of the area with the routes marked and lunch stops, gas stops, and pee breaks designated. Even the time between stops were on the sheets they passed out to each rider. I have ridden many miles with different groups and I have to place this ride as one of the best planned and executed I had the pleasure to have been on. Anyone wanting to plan a ride in the future would be wise to take note of the organizational features of Mark and Dawns Cortez ride. Of course we all know that no matter how well organized a ride is you have to always be ready for surprises when things out of your control occur. A road may be closed, a planned restaurant stop does not work out, or someone has a bike breakdown. I think everyone who went on this ride agreed things went well mainly because of good planning. When there was a glitch everyone took it in stride as “That’s motorcycling!” It’s part of what makes riding such an exciting event each time you head out on the highway looking for adventure and whatever comes your way!
Since this was a destination ride everyone took their own routes and time on the road to get to Cortez. Whatever you did you needed to arrive in Cortez and check into our motel, The Retro Inn, Sunday evening August 22nd. We plan to ride two scenic loop rides out of Cortez, one Monday and the other Tuesday and head home on Wednesday. Last week we had rain all over the area we planned to travel but now things have turned into FANTASTIC riding weather. Not to hot and not to cold. We could ride in just our long sleeve tee shirts from morning to evening with no problem and many did. The Retro Inn, turned out to be a pretty cool place to stay! It’s an older motel probably built in the forties or fifties but completely refurbished with a “retro theme” that was really fun. Out front there was a neon motel sign and a neat restored fifties travel trailer to set the tone. Next to the trailer was a bench with a life-size Elvis sitting on it. Also, one of those giant chessboards where you stand and walk around to move the pieces which are as big as a child was available. The rooms were really nice with framed pictures of actors in scenes from classic movies on display. A nice thing was that it was a single story so we could park our sleds outside our door. Trailer parking was also available for those who needed it. Also, gas prices were fifty to sixty cents cheaper per gallon than at home in Utah, the fourth highest gas price state in the nation. After everyone was checked in we decided to go to dinner at the restaurant across the street in the fancy Holiday Inn Express. Prices were a little steep for the grub. Bill Pryor had a steak and couple of glasses of wine and it came to $41.00 bucks. We return to the motel and sit outside our rooms telling lies until 10:00 pm. The group I rode in with today logged around 370 miles.
Retro Inn, Cortez, Co.Elvis with his retro trailer…
MONDAY AUGUST 23RD
We ate in the motel office/dining area which to my delight had some egg, bean, and cheese burritos plus some tamales. all you had to do was zap them in the microwave for ninety seconds and then scarf! There were also lots of other goodies but too many carbs for me to have much however I managed to wolf down a banana, half a bagel and cream cheese, and coffee. KSU was moved from 9:30 AM to 9:00. Fortunately for me I had enough joy juice to make it to the first gas stop so I wasn’t late to the pre-ride meeting. By the time we mounted up it was 9:40 AM anyway. Drifter President, David Long, ran the meeting and volunteered to herd the “cats” for the day. Thanks David! We head for Durango,Colorado and pass through and head north on the “Million Dollar Highway” route 550. It’s a beautiful ride to our first stop, Silverton. As we drop down into Silverton from 10,000 feet we can see a Durango and Silverton tourist train pulling into town. Its 11:30 AM. We have eleven bikes, sixteen people, and a pick up truck with Tammy Long driving in our group today. There are seven Drifter bikes and the rest of our group are Vern’s friend, Clayton and his friends. It was 75 degrees when we left Cortez. We have a bright and sunny day with puffy white clouds. A beautiful day! We had passed over 10,600 foot Molas pass on the way and it was 63 degrees. In Silverton its 66 degrees. We all went our separate ways for lunch and were to meet back at the bikes in a couple of hours. I ended up eating with Danny Martin and Bill Pryor at the “High Noon Cafe” next to the train station. We all had burgers and fries. A double burger was $8.00 but a small drink was $3.50! Needless to say I had water! We next headed for Ouray but Vern’s friends stayed behind because their food order was slow a coming. Now 1 PM and 70 degrees. Just north of Ouray we gas up at a 66 station. We ride over Red Mountain Pass at over 11,000 feet. Reach Ridgeway and Danny Martin suggests refreshments at the “True Grit Saloon and Cafe”. They filmed part of John Wayne’s movie, “True Grit” in the cafe. Its really funky and cool with True Grit movie posters and photos of the stars on the walls. We have some cold drinks and check this……Vern pays!!! Actually, Vern, left his credit card with his better half, Susan Thomas, and she slid it over to our waitress. Ride on to Telluride and pull into town and discover its $1.50 an hour to feed the parking meter. We hang around for forty five minutes but decide not to check things out since we all have been here before. We never do pay to park as most of us just hung around the parked bikes thinking of what to tell the meter maid if she came by. The best line was that we bought our tickets but someone must have stolen them off our bikes since we couldn’t display them like instructed, like with a car. A car could lock them up inside on the dash. From Ridgeway we head south on Hwy. 145 through the historical Rio Grande Southern narrow gauge railroad country. None of the railroad exists today and I didn’t see a trace of it the whole way from Ridgeway through Ophir, up and over Lizard Head Pass, through Rico and Dolores and back to Cortez. The railroad also connected with the Denver and Rio Grande in Durango. If you want to learn about the Rio Grand Southern, google “The Galloping Goose Railcars. We reach Cortez and Drifters decide to eat at a Hunan Chinese joint that Vern’s Susan likes. Vern’s friends go across the street again where we ate last night. After din-din we head back to the Retro for a ride evaluation and bullsh-t session. A favorite story so far is when Danny Martin ordered a root beer float at the True Grit Cafe. Our well worn and crusty waitress informs him they do not serve RBF’s and Danny proceeds to do an imitation of Jack Nicholson from the classic chicken salad sandwich cafe scene from the movie “Five Easy Pieces”. However, he didn’t do the table clearing sweep that you see in the film. In the end we win her over and she’s a sweetheart the rest of the way. 330 miles today.
Million Dollar HighwaySilverton to OurayMillion Dollar HighwaySilvertonColorful Harley Proprietor Beautiful day for a ride to Silverton, COBill & DannyMarkGas stopJack & Bill at True Grit with The DukeTammy with John Wayne at True GritMike resting after harassing the waitress…Bill with Danny and his root beer (sans the float)Vern & Susan at True GritSusan treating the group with Vern’s Credit Card!
TUESDAY AUGUST 24TH
Breakfast in the motel again and I successfully fight off going for my morning’s third burrito. We have a brief riders meeting held by today’s ride leader, Danny Martin. Today we head for Aztec, New Mexico to see the Indian pueblo ruins there. We take Hwy 160 east towards Durango, past Mesa Verde National park as we did yesterday but before Durango we turn south at Hesperus and head down Hwy. 140 to La Plata, New Mexico. There we turn east on Hwy. 574 to Aztec. We arrive at 10:30 AM. and some of us take the Indian ruins tour. We then pull out of Aztec and roll (roughly) over New Mexico’s worn out roads. Reach Navajo dam and lake looking for a place to eat but nothing is open. Victims of Covid shutdowns we guess. As soon as we crossed back over the Colorado state line the road smoothed out like night and day. Hwy.511 takes us into the town of Ignacio, New Mexico. We cruise town looking for a place to eat. We decide on “The Rose” cafe after gassing up for $3.28.9 at a Marathon. Its $3.89 at home! We go into The Rose Cafe and we get our own private room! Now 1:30 PM and 82 degrees outside. We pull out of Ignacio at 3:00 PM. We ride north on Hwy. 151 and reach the 160 back to Cortez at famous landmark Chimney Rock of pioneer wagon train fame.We didn’t tour the Chimney Rock area because there was only a dirt road heading into the state park. We ride back to Cortez and pull into the Retro. Some of us go to dinner at a Mexican place called Tequilas. I go with Vern and Susan in their truck. Not familiar with the place, Susan orders a double Marguerita that when the bill arrives totals $16.50! I expected Vern to blow a gasket but he was calm as a cucumber and took it all in stride. Then to top it off, Vern paid for my dinner too! My dinner was cheaper than the Marguerita! 246 miles today.
In front of the Aztec National Monument Ruins… Dawn P, Mike, David, Susan, Vern, Jack, Danny & MarkBill & DannyAztec NM RunsDawn & Jack entering the ceremonial room at the Atec RuinsAztec Ruins amazing architecture restored..Our Prez David hiking the ruinsTammy at the Aztec RuinsVern, Danny & Susan preparing for the sacrafice!Chimney Rock, NM
RIDE EVALUATION
This was a great Drifter ride! It was exceptionally well planned and executed and the weather was terrific. Everyone seemed to have a great time and we saw some new roads and great country. Thanks again to Mark and Dawn for all the work they did to make the ride a success. Thanks to President David Long and Danny Martin for leading the rides. Thanks to Tammy Long for driving the pick up truck in case we had a problem on the rides and we needed to bring a dead bike or a tired bike passenger back to the barn. She drove alone with no companionship for the first day and with Dawn P’s company on Tuesday. Thanks also to those Drifters who joined in for the rides, Jack and Dawn Petersen on their Can Am trike, Bill Pryor on his Indian Vintage, Vern Gillihan and Susan Thomas on their Indian Chieftain, and of course Dawn and Mark, each on their own Hondas, Mark on his VTX 1800 and Dawn on her VTX 1300. Thanks to Vern’s friends, Clayton and Laura Chaney, and their friends who joined in for the rides. They are from Cedar City and hopefully might join us on other adventures.
SECRETARY/ EDITOR MIKE
Mark at Four Corners National Monument – standing in 4 states at one time.Passing through Page on the way home.
DRIFTER JULY DINNER AT THE RIB AND CHOP HOUSE IN ST. GEORGEJuly 14, 2021
Hungry Drifters gathered at the famous and popular Rib and Chop House in St. George for another club monthly dinner. This was our second monthly dinner scheduled for our club since Covid shut everything down but now things are opening up again. Last month it was Rusty’s Ranch House in Cedar Canyon, one of our favs. At Rusty’s we had over twenty people in attendance and the food and service were great! At the Rib and Chop House only twelve Drifters made it to dinner after twenty or so people RSVPed. Some cancellations were at the last minute and we had to keep updating the manager on how many were not going to make it. The special private room we reserved was down to fifty percent of the original count we had promised. The management asked if they could fill in our unfilled seats with regular patrons. Of course we agreed hoping they would forgive us for our attendance shortfall. As a club we need to keep in mind that we don’t want to appear unreliable or “flaky” to the restaurants where we try to make reservations. Especially the places we want to return to again. I didn’t make the arrangements for this dinner but in the past I’ve been embarrassed by other clubs I belonged to that failed to honor their RSVPs. Sure, we all know that sometimes “sh-t happens and people just can’t make an event. Just try as hard as you can to follow through once you have committed. Once, a lunch I arranged for the Harley Owner’s Group in California for sixty riders ended up with thirteen attending! Talk about having your tail between your legs! Let’s try to do better in the future!
EDITOR / SECRETARY MIKE
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DRIFTER 4TH OF JULY PARTY AT MARGRETE’S
At what might have been the USA’s last legal 4th of July celebration, Drifters gathered as before for another great pool and grub fest at Drifter Margrete’s welcoming home. In addition to the Drifters who attended the fete many of Margrete’s family members were in town for the event. Therefore, there was a full complement of bikers, citizens, young whippersnappers, dogs and cats, and of course Drifter Pal, Kate, who is always welcome at all Drifter events. While the young and energetic frolicked in the pool, Drifters frolicked at the snack table looking forward to the hot dogs and burgers that were to served up later in the afternoon. It was so nice to be able, after covid, to get together as a club again for the 4th. Just like old times! Margrete has been so generous with her home for this occasion and also the Super Bowl parties.The club really appreciates it. As the afternoon ticked by we managed to mow through untold numbers of Frito scoops, potato chips, and various types of dips. The LaSalatas brought some delicious cut up watermelon to cool our palates after the spicy dips. There was also macaroni salad to go with the burgers and dogs and of course yummy deserts with which to totally degrade ourselves. I’m sure I’m leaving out some other goodies that were making the table groan from the abundance. Most of the time was spent around the dining room table with Drifters chatting with their clubbies and catching up on all the latest. It was really a fun afternoon. There was no Hurricane City fireworks this year due to fire concerns and it was also Sunday where they are not allowed. The party broke up around six PM and people started to head for home. Some stayed longer and enjoyed Margrete’s patio as the temps started to drop for the evening. Thanks again Margrete for such a nice 4th celebration!!!!!!
EDITOR / SECRETARY MIKE
DRIFTER DINNER AT CEDAR CITY’S RUSTY’S RANCH HOUSE RESTAURANT JUNE 9th, 2021
Like the immortal New York Yankee Yogi Berra said “ It was like Deja voux all over again!”. Twenty two Drifters sat down to our first club dinner since Covid 19 struck over a year and a half ago. It was sure good to get together again and chew the rag (and some great food) with our riding buddies! It was just like old times and we hadn’t skipped a beat! It felt like Covid never even happened. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and our club is definitely back in business. A few developments worth mentioning. Our President, David Long, arrived without his well known beard and a shortish haircut and we at first wondered if he was a new member we hadn’t met. Then we panicked at the thought he didn’t want to be recognized so we would have to find another club president! We were relieved when he informed us that he had tailored his new look so as to get passport photos taken. Whew…what a relief! Also, long time Drifter, Brenda Estrada, joined the occasion. As you know her husband, Art, passed away awhile back and we haven’t seen her as much. We hope she knows to us she will always be a Drifter and will hopefully come to as many Drifter events as she can. We sure miss Art! Most, if not all, Drifters drive their cages to our club dinners. It was fun to see Don and Dita and Dave and Lynne in their hot rod Mustangs and your secretary/editor and his lovely wife, Trish, cruised up in their recently acquired Corvette roadster. Vice president, Steve Sarchett and wife Marilyn, rolled in in their neat Mazda coupe and of course Tom and Pam piloting their “G Spot” Infinity. Our club would like to thank those members who kept the faith during our long bout with Covid and kept our club breathing through this difficult crisis. Our president, David Long, vice president, Steve Sarchett, treasurer, Lynne Piper, and our webmaster Dawn Derenski did a great job of holding us all together. I hope your editor’s scribbles about our rides and activities helped you keep the faith that you would still have a riding club when Covid subsided. Special thanks to all those Drifters who came out for our weekly club rides and kept the flame alive. If you haven’t guessed it……WEEEE’RE BAA ACK!
SEE YOU OUT THERE!
EDITOR MIKE
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DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE JUNE 10th, 2021
Another warm and sunny day greeted our Drifter riders for their Thursday weekly putt. This was the first ride of our now pre announced scheduled rides after years of having our weekly ride destinations decided on the day of the ride by the riders who showed up at the meeting place. It was felt that it would be better for Drifters to know ahead of time what ride was scheduled, know the distance, lunch stop venue, etc., so riders could decide ahead of time if it was a ride in which they would like to participate. A ride committee has formed which includes President Dave, V.P. Steve and Secretary/Editor Mike. Other members who would like to serve on the ride committee are welcome. A list of possible rides was drawn up and Drifters can suggest other rides as well.The first ride was to Panquitch for lunch at the Cowboy Steakhouse Cafe. We mounted up at 9:30 AM and pass by Quail Lake and followed Old 91 through Leeds to the Toquerville I15 on ramp. We jumped on I15 and honked to Exit 42 and picked up Old 91 through Kanarraville and Cedar City. We stopped to pick up our northern riders at Canyon Park on Hwy. 14. Soon we were rolling over Cedar Breaks and it was pretty cool (COLD!) for anyone who didn’t bring proper gear to wear. Your editor’s teeth were chattering before we started dropping down to the lower elevations where it was really nice to be a motorcyclist again. We pull into Panquitch and head for hot coffee. We park our sleds and go into the Cowboy Steakhouse and have our lunch, and boy, that hot coffee was welcome!!!! Service was really slow but we didn’t mind as we had more time to spin yarns and tell lies about past riding experiences. Many restaurants are short handed and are having trouble hiring help so prompt service suffers. Soon lunch was over and we headed out. Temps were great now! We run down 89 and stop at the White Mountain Trading post at Carmel Junction. After a drink of cold water or a pop and watching the tourists we ride home through Zion National Park which surprisingly was not very crowded. After our usual final rest stop at the La Verkin Maverik we all head for the barn. A fun first scheduled Drifter weekly ride! The next two Thursday rides will be announced soon and we hope for a good turnout.
SEE YOU OUT THERE!
EDITOR MIKE
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DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE MAY 13TH 2021
A 9:30AM meet up time is planned for our Drifter Thursday rides until further notice. This week, riders met at the Coral Canyon Texaco per usual and decided to head for Cedar Mountain. It was our first foray to high elevations this year. The day was predicted to top out at 94 degrees in St George so Drifters felt a ride to Duck Creek’s Aunt Sue’s Chalet for chow was a great idea. We headed up I15 and the temp at Black Ridge was 71 degrees! We pulled off at exit 42 so we could continue on old 91 through Kanarraville and on up to Cedar City where it was 65 degrees. Our leader, president David Long, had us stop at Canyon Park on Hwy. 14 so we could adjust our riding attire and use the facilities. It also gave us a chance to look over Don Quayle’s 2015 Harley trike he just purchased at Zion Harley. He’s been a long time Harley guy and seemed thrilled to be back on the brand after sledding on a Can Am Spyder for the last few years. We continued up Hwy. 14 passing Rusty’s Ranch House restaurant where we are having our first post Covid monthly Drifter dinner in June. Sure feels good that Drifters will be getting back on all cylinders now that the coast is clear to resume our lifestyle of choice. RIDING and EATING!!!!! We reach Aunt Sue’s and go in for our lunch. Don celebrates his return to Harleys with a huge, manly, ham sandwich and says goodbye to any more quiche burgers. Your editor manages to get through the entire meal without spilling his coffee or water or both to the amazement of his fellow Drifters. By the time we finish our lunch it’s a balmy 70 degrees plus in Duck Creek. We discuss our route home and half our group decides to do a loop on the mountain and then return home via Cedar City and the I15 and the other half decides to drop down the backside of the mountain to Tod’s Junction and run south on Hwy. 89 to Carmel Junction for a rest stop. Then return home through Zion National Park. Traffic was light in Zion as it usually is when you travel from east to west although there have been some real busy days lately. People are busting out of Covid isolation and are traveling in earnest. We wonder if the tour busses full of Chinese tourists will reappear at some point. We reach Springdale and it is 91 degrees. Really warm when you are only rolling 30 MPH or less due to traffic! One last stop at the LaVerkin Maverik station for a cold drink, a ride recap, and of course to gawk at the folks here making “Adventure’s First Stop”.
The other half of the riders rode up the Mammoth road from Duck Creek to SR143 and west to SR148. We rode past Cedar Breaks and back to SR14, reaching an elevation of 10,500 ft. The leaves aren’t out yet up on the mountain and there’s still plenty of snow. But the roads were good and the temperature perfect. Until getting back to St. George, that is.
A fun ride and great to be able to travel on the mountain again! Drifters…..get your butt out here…..AND JOIN US!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
PS Seems like many businesses are dropping or giving up on enforcing mask requirements. Uncle Joe and the CDC have announced that vaccinated people don’t need them, as the science already knew. So, if you have had your shots or have recovered from Covid, or are 12 or younger come on out and ride, eat, and BREATH FREE! Hope we can have a mask burning soon!
PPS If you prefer to continue masking, of course you are free to do so.
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DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE APRIL 8, 2021
In keeping with the wonderful spring weather we are having, our Thursday riders voted to head north for the first time for 2021. We fired up and rode north, destination, the quaint and funky Parawan Cafe of course located in Parowan Utah on Main Street. Avoiding as much interstate as we could we exited I15 at exit 42 and proceeded north through sleepy Kanarraville on old highway 91. We cruise the two lane blacktop up through west Cedar City and cross over highway 56 and roll north on Lund Highway. We hang a right on Mid Valley Road and soon reach Milford Rd. There, a left and 60 to 65 MPH to Parowan Gap turnoff. Through the gap and the petroglyphs and past the dinosaur tracks area. We continue on the unmarked lumpy blacktop towards Parowan and pass over the I15 and arrive in Parowan only to find the Parowan Cafe closed for remodeling! What to do? Well, a hungry Drifter is not to be denied so we decide to try Calvario Family Restaurant across the street where most of us are already parked along the curb. Calvario’s specializes in Mexican food but also serves American. Turns out the food is good and the help very friendly. Service was a little slow but that just gave us more time to chat and catch up on the haps.I feel like a kid again! Not because of the therapeutic effects of riding our scoots on a gorgeous day but because I managed to knock over, first, my water glass and then, later, my coffee! The good news is that I only wetted down myself and the others were spared. This time! After our meal some of us went straight home but the rest of us rode always pleasant highway 56 to Enterprise, Utah about forty miles away. Weather continued to get better and better with temps in the 70’s. At Enterprise we get cool drinks and sit outside at the tables and enjoy the warm sun on our faces. A lot of bikes are out today and we rap with several riders. Everyone is digging on the weather! After a nice break we mount up and head for the barn down the 18 towards St. George. A great day!!!! You really need to drag out your sled and join your fellow Drifters on a putt!!!
EDITOR MIKE
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DRIFTER SATURDAY APRIL 3rd – ZION HARLEY BURGER BBQ AND RIDE AFTER
Normally I write blurbs about our weekly Drifter Thursday rides but this time a word has to be said about the return of the Zion Harley Saturday burger and hotdog BBQ that was cancelled because of Covid but is now started up again. Our meet-ups at Harley just haven’t been the same since the BBQs were suspended and now that they are back we are thrilled! Beautiful weather greeted the bikers who ponied up the $5.00 for a deluxe paper plate loaded with your burger or dog or both topped off with onions, tomatoes, beans, lettuce, mustard, and catsup. On the side you got coleslaw, macaroni salad, and a bag of chips. You could pick from Doritos, Fritos, or regular potato chips. Also included was a cold soft drink! This is biker Heaven! Actually, no. Free beer and a ladies wet tee shirt contest would be biker Heaven! Plus winning a 50-50 too! We all sat in the shade at tables and chairs and enjoyed good conversation. Ten Drifters showed up for the event. Also, Blaine Daley, who found the Drifters through our website was there to meet all of us. Blaine rides an Indian. After the BBQ we took advantage of the FANTASTIC weather to take a putt. We cruised up to Enterprise and some of us gassed up and got a drink from the convenience mart. This was the first time no heavy winter clothing or plug in electric gear was needed up this way since last fall. It was commented on about how much freer you felt riding in just jeans, long sleeve tees and a vest. We ran Hwy. 56 towards Cedar City through the mountains. Temps were in the 70’s. We reached 5700 west which skirts Cedar proper and soon pass-under I15 and roll-through Kanarraville. We pull into the rip off Shell station at exit 42 for more refreshments and hobnobbing. We say our goodbyes and hammer down the slab and some of us split off at exit 27, some continuing down the 15. When we reach Hurricane it is 86 degrees if you can believe it! This is truly the sweet spot of the riding season! The other is in the fall. You’ve got to get that sled out and running! Soon it will be summer and 100+ in the shade! Hope to see you out on our Thursday rides and of course at Saturday’s BBQs.
EDITOR MIKE
PS Thursday rides now meet at Coral Canyon Texaco at 10:30 AM and Saturday’s BBQ at Zion Harley we meet at 11:00 and eat at 11:30. Ride afterwards.
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DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE FEBRUARY 25th, 2021
Nine hardy Drifters and guests met at our winter meet up spot at the big new office building behind Exit 2 Terrible’s Chevron rip off gas station. We decided to run to the Muddy River Bar and Grill in Moapa, Nevada for lunch. The weather was nicer than predicted, around 52 degrees when we pulled out. We pass through the Virgin River Gorge to the Beaver Dam Exit and run the I15 frontage road to Mesquite. We pass through Mesquite and cruise the Bunkerville loop south for the twelve or so miles it runs, passing by the Bundy ranch memorial flagpoles before we have to jump on the I15 south to the Glendale, Nevada off ramp. Someone needs to replace the Bundy flags as they are mostly in shreds now. Especially forlorn is our proud Stars and Stripes which is barely hanging on. We hammer the super slab to Glendale and get off and run the frontage road to Hwy. 168 and turn right there. We reach the Muddy River bridge and the river is bone dry. The cafe is just across the bridge on the south side of Nevada Highway 168. The Drifters have come here often in past years but haven’t since Corona broke out. Its kind of a dump but perfect for biker trash. We order and the food is welcomed. Our waitress does a good job getting our grub out. We have good conversation while dining and then it’s time to mount up and head for the barn. We ride home via the interstate through Mesquite. After Mesquite some of us get off at Beaver Dam and roll over Utah Hill on Old 91. Some run home through the Gorge. Temps are great on the way home and the skies were sunny and bright all day with hardly any clouds. A really great day of riding and it was fun to go to one of our old haunts once again! Aren’t you sorry if you missed it?
EDITOR MIKE
PS Hey, Drifters! Get out that sled and come riding with your M/C pals! You’re gonna wear out that recliner before its time!
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DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE FEBRUARY 11TH, 2021
Drifter riders were presented with a pretty nice day for a putt. It was sunny and bright and fairly warm for a winter run. We decided to cruise to Kanab, Utah for lunch at Escobar’s Mexican Restaurant on Hwy. 89. Its one of our favs and we haven’t been there for quite a while due to Covid. We have nine riders today so we pull out of Exit 2 Terrible’s and follow our leader, president Dave, out the Southern Parkway towards folksy Hurricane where we catch Hwy. 59 to Colorado City. Then continue on AZ 389. Our first rest stop is the Pipe Spring Paiute reservation Chevron where some of us gas up or use the facilities. Reach Fredonia, Arizona and head north on 89A to Kanab. We’re back in Utah again when we pull into Escobar’s for lunch. Food was great as usual and no sack lunches saw the light of day! After lunch we returned home through Carmel Junction and then Hwy. 9 through Zion National Park. Thankfully we all have our senior park passes as entry to the park is now thirty buck per sled! Last stop was the usual one at the LaVerkin Maverik for a last installment of ride evaluation and chatter among our group. From there we all headed home after a nice Mesquiteless day. Our Thursday rides are a hoot and more people are coming out for the fun. Why not dust off that sled and join us? Don’t forget Saturdays at Zion Harley for a free donut and coffee? We meet up there at 11:00 AM or so. Too cold? Drive your cage.
EDITOR MIKE
PS During the ride President Dave entertained suggestions for some summer overnight rides. These are in the planning stage and details will follow. Our activities committee will be considering a return to some of our activities we’ve done in the past as more of us get our vaccines and the coast is clear for getting together. Stay tuned! As soon as prudent, President Dave says he will plan a Drifter annual business meeting so we can get our club rolling again.
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DRIFTERS THURSDAY RIDE JANUARY 21ST 2021
Ten rugged mountain person type Drifters joined up at our usual I 15 Exit 2 Terrible’s Chevron meeting spot to decide on a ride destination for the day. It was The Thunderbird cafe in Mt. Carmel Junction that won the day. We cranked the new Route 7 Southern Parkway to Sand Hollow Dam and then north under the new Route 7 overpass to Hwy. 9. We turn east and run through Historic Hurricane, Utah and then follow Utah 59 up Hurricane Hill towards the infamous Colorado City, Arizona where Utah 59 becomes Arizona 389. We reach scenic Cane Beds Road and run its 30 miles east through beautiful red rock geology. Soon we are passing through Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and finally reach Utah 89 north. Then its a short downhill run to the Junction and The Thunderbird. Only three Drifters declined the ‘Bird and went across the road to the outside tables at the White Mountain Trading Post to eat their sack lunches. After lunch we met up again for the ride through Zion National Park. The beauty of Zion never fails to impress and its a really nice ride through the park now that there are so few tourists to dodge. Temps were nice and it was bright and sunny. We had to be mindful of loose sand and gravely debris in the center of the lanes most of the way through the park. The result of the previous rains we figured. Of course we handled it expertly and got through safely. We make our final rest stop at the La Verkin Maverik and we review the ride and say our goodbyes. A really nice day that didn’t include lovely Mesquite, Nevada. 🙂
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
PS It was nice having, Jerry, who is down from Idaho, joining us on our rides. He rides a super cool BMW six cylinder tourer and plans to be in our area until the end of March. Jerry is an experienced rider and well traveled. He’s really knowledgeable and has had an interesting life. Hope he comes out with us some more.
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DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE JANUARY 14, 2021
Nine Drifters turned out for our weekly ride and we decided to run to Mesquite’s highly regarded Cucina Italiano restaurant. Two Drifters ate sack lunches at the park and one skipped lunch and did some quick errands in town. Temps were decent when we carved down Virgin River Gorge at 51 degrees and by lunch time it was a comfy 61. After lunch our group met up again for the ride home and the bright sunny day maxed at 67 degrees. Those cheaters that wore their electric warmies on the way down packed them away for the return run. We stopped at Beaver Dam Resort so the optimists could purchase their lottery tickets for this weekend’s Power Ball and Mega Millions. Even I, the world’s second cheapest person, laid down $4 bucks for one ticket of each lottery! It always amazes me when you buy one of these tickets you always catch yourself imagining what you might do with the riches you might win. Even though the odds of winning this time are about the same as being struck by lightning. One good thing to remember is that it does you no good to buy multiple tickets. With so many tickets being sold it doesn’t statistically increase your chances of winning. The run up Old 91 over Utah Hill was a hoot as usual and SOME of our riders picked up the pace and we enjoyed a little “hare and Hound” fun. Be sure and come out for our Thursday putts! You’ll be glad you did!
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
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THURSDAY, January 8th, 2021
Seven Drifters showed for our Thursday ride which meets next to Terribles – exit 2 at 11:30am. It was decided to ride Old Hwy. 91 over Utah Hill to Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner in Mesquite. It was 46 degrees as we left and 51 when we pulled into the Diner lot and parked the bikes. After lunch temps had improved to 59 degrees and even reached 61 before we began the return assault on Utah Hill for the ride home. It was a balmy 54 at the summit!!!! A fun day even though we only went to the Capitol of southwest Utah winter riding. Weather for next Thursday’s ride is predicted to be even better, 58 degrees in St George and in the 60’s down under. We are also getting a few Drifters showing up to our Saturday Drifter Zion Harley meets for free donuts and coffee at 11:00 AM. Some go for a ride after. Once we had ten members scarfing jelly filled, apple fritters, chocolate eclairs, and I found my favorite chocolate devil’s food caker. So pull back the covers and come on out !!!!!!!! If it’s too cold, drive your cage!!!!!
Secretary/Editor,
Mike
PS Drifter Vice President, Steve Sarchette, our windshield less, backrest less, he-man has his Yamaharley all road worthy again. He’s ready to ride. Come on out and get an autographed 8 by 10 glossy!
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Drifter Thursday Ride November 5th, 2020
Still meeting at Coral Canyon Texaco at 9:30 AM for this ride however we will meet at Exit 2 Terrible’s at 10:30 starting next week as we always do when the mornings get colder and darker. It was decided by the group to run to Kanab via Colorado City, Pipe Spring for a break, and then Fredonia. The weather is nice, bright and sunny. Perfect day! After a short gas and pee stop at the Piute indian’s Pipe Spring Chevron on the res we roll for Kanab and then on to Carmel Junction’s historical Thunderbird Restaurant known world wide for their “Ho’ made pies” We mask up and are escorted to our table and put on our bibs. Some of us order their delicious chili with cheese and onions and Texas toast. Really Yummy! Pie with rum sauce is also scarfed down after we removed our face diapers. We returned home through the always beautiful Zion National Park. Park attendance has leveled off since the end of the tourist season so no long waits at the mile long Carmel tunnel or dodging people stopping in the middle of the road and getting out of their cages to snap photos of a chipmunk or their kids trying to hug a mountain sheep.Temps were in the 73 degree range most of the day but reached 76 before we dropped down into Hurricane where 88 popped up on my instrument panel. Most of our rides will head south now because of winter weather but we should be able to sneak in a few rides to the east but we’re probably done with Cedar Mountain and it’s 10000 foot summits.
See you out there,
Editor Mike
PS Governor Herbert has just come out (November 9th) with new Corona Virus face diaper (mask) rules (Sieg Heil !) and group meeting size orders etc. Stay tuned for any updates on Drifter ride policies from President David Long and our club officers.
PPS Its been announced on Fox News that Pfiser Pharmaceuticals has developed a Corona vaccine that has tested 90% effective and will be available for the public really soon. Its a two dose series of shots. First responders and medical people will get it first then probably older and infirm folks next. Then the young and healthy . Hopefully socialists, Marxists, and commies last! Oops! I forgot, no politics in Drifter tomes. Forgive?
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Drifter Thursday Ride October 29th 2020
Met at our usual Coral Canyon Texaco at 9:30 AM for another Covid 19 defiance ride. After a brief discussion it’s decided to run to Butch Cassidy’s hometown of Circleville,Utah. Our president, David Long, leads the ride and due to colder temps up on Cedar Mountain we head for Cane Beds Road via Hilsdale and Colorado City. As we pull out of Coral Canyon Texaco temps are in the high 50’s. The Cane Beds Road that winds from just south of Colorado City on Arizona Hwy. 389 over to Hwy 89 goes through some beautiful red rock scenery, past Pink Coral Dunes State Park and the dune buggies crawling all over the sands. Its called a “scenic backway” on the map. Its listed as Arizona 237 to the Utah border and the Utah 43 to Hwy. 89. Its a great time saver if you want to head north on 89 and don’t was to go all the way around Fredonia or over Cedar Mountain. We headed north on 89 to Carmel Junction’s White Mountain Trading Post for a break and to fluff our butts. Then we mount up and pass through Orderville, Glendale, Long Valley Junction (Tod’s), Hatch, and Panquitch. Absolutely gorgeous weather!!!!!!!! We follow the Sevier River which flows alongside Hwy. 89 through Circleville Canyon, past the recently refurbished boyhood log cabin home of Butch Cassidy, and into Circleville. For lunch we stop at one of the Drifter’s favorite eateries, Butch Cassidy’s Hide Out Cafe. The staff was warm and friendly and the food good.The waitresses are polygamists and wore their prairie dresses and seem genuinely interested in ensuring that you enjoy your meal and the cafe. Our waitress impressed us as someone who appears to be a genuinely happy person. Everyone she came in contact with while we were there got the same beaming smile and positive attitude. It was really uplifting. Also uplifting was the temps which are now nearing 70 degrees! We headed south for gas at the Sinclair at the 89 and Hwy. 20 junction . Gas was only 245.9 for regular which surprised us. Some boondocks stations are as high as 269.9. The only downside was the gravel driveway and areas around the paved pump section but no one fell over. We decide to run Hwy. 20 west over to the I15 and head south to old 91 through Paragonah, Parawan, Summit, and Enoch. We stopped in Cedar City at Sportsmen’s Warehouse on south Main to see if they had any ammo we wanted but no luck. Hop on old 91 through Kanarraville and reach the New Harmony exit 42 on I15. Blast home from there on the super slab. Temps rise as we drop off Black Ridge and hit 77 degrees. We wave goodbye at 80 per (the speed limit) and we all go our separate ways back to our barns.
See you out there,
Secretary/Editor Mike
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The October 21st ride was blessed with some terrific weather. A little nippy in the morning but reached the middle 70’s after lunch. We met at our usual Coral Canyon Texaco at 9:30 AM and decided on a run to Penny’s Diner in Milford, Utah. Its about 90 miles north of our meeting spot. As usual we stayed off the I15 as much as possible and stuck to the two lane blacktop. We rode the I15 to Exit 42 and took old 91 through Kanarraville and then reached Westview Road which swerves around eastern Cedar City and ends at Hwy. 56. Lund Hwy. continues north through the rural areas until you come to Midvalley Road. A right there and follow Midvalley a few miles to Milford Highway. We pass through Eunick (Enoch) and pass by the Parowan Gap turn off. We planned to visit the Gap’s petroglyphs on the way home since our president ,Dave, has never stopped to see them. Next is Minersville and we cruise through. The wind is picking up and is in our face. Temps drop down to 59 degrees. Milford is a railroad town and we see the railroad yards and a couple of idle Union Pacific diesel locomotives sitting ready for service. Milford appears to be another worn out,. down and out, American town with many vacant or abandoned store fronts and the seedy looking, once proud Milford Hotel standing forlornly on a once prime corner location. We pass through town and come to the turn off for Ely, Nevada. A mile or so up the road on the left is Penny’s Diner. We park our sleds and go in for our meal. Some of us have breakfast and some lunch. The waitresses treat us right and the grub is good. As we leave Penny’s and mount up the temps have reached the 70’s. The wind will now be at our backs and we have nice conditions for the ride back. Reach the turnoff for Parowan Gap and when we reach the parking area we stop to check out the glyphs. A lot of people are there, hiking around and on bicycles, and of course cars. We see a couple of riders on adventure bikes too. We roll into Parowan and gas at the Maverik on Main. We ride back the way we came to the Exit 42 Shell station on old 91 and have refreshments there. After a bull session and checking out the action we say our goodbyes and head for the barn. As we drop down off Black Ridge temps rise and when we hit the flatlands its 85 degrees. All in all fun day. We will continue with our weekly rides so come on out and join in!
Secretary/Editor Mike
PS …As the winter approaches we will be altering our meeting time and place. We will be riding south most of the time and sometimes east and leaving later. Check our website for updates or call me. 435 669 2063
Drifters Mexican Hat, Torrey ride
Oct. 12-14, 2020
We just completed another successful club ride. And it was excellent. Unless you don’t like perfect weather, incredible scenery, fantastic roads, good food, and good friends.
We met at the Coral Canyon Texaco in Hurricane. After a short ride meeting, we hit the road with 10 bikes and 1 vehicle. 10 minutes later we were down to 8 bikes, as 2 riders dropped out of the group. The weather was perfect. Bright and sunny and just slightly brisk. We rode through the charred forest surrounding Jacob Lake. Riding down off the mesa from Jacob Lake we were presented with a gorgeous view of the Vermillion cliffs. The day trippers dropped out for lunch at the Cliff Dwellers Lodge as the rest of us continued on. We stopped at Navajo Bridge, which spans almost 500 feet above the Colorado River.
After lunch in Page we had a nice, easy ride through the Navajo reservation, and Monument Valley. The rock formations there were stunning with the setting sun behind us lighting up the monuments. Our hotel in Mexican Hat, the San Juan Inn, was “rustic”. It’s old, but the rooms are clean. It’s situated right on the San Juan River.
After dinner we were treated to a fantastic view of the night sky. There was no moon and no light pollution from city lights. Even with the lights from the hotel, we could easily see the Milky Way. And Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.
After a leisurely breakfast at the San Juan Inn, we stop just a few miles down the road for some quick pictures of the Mexican Hat rock formation.
And just a few miles more we stopped at Goosenecks State Park where we were treated to a fantastic overlook of the convoluted San Juan river.
As we headed towards the Moki Dugway, just 10 miles up the road, we can see a shear, 1,100-foot cliff wall running left and right as far as we can see. Our road is taking us straight at the wall, but there is no visible sign of a road going up the cliff and there doesn’t appear to be place you could possibly build a road up this wall. But road does indeed take us to the top, via a 3-mile dirt road cut into the cliff with 10% grades, a series of switchbacks, and not a single guard rail. It’s entirely safe, but perhaps a little unnerving for someone with a fear of heights.
Our next stop is Natural Bridges National Monument. We road the loop which takes you to all 3 natural bridges. The loop road is a great ride all by itself. The scenery is just another plus. We stopped at all the bridges and even hiked down to one of them.
As we continued north on SR 95, we enjoyed the beautiful desert scenery and the perfect weather. I had forgotten how incredible the scenery was as we approached Hite. There are several red rock cliff walls, some near and some far, with the Henry mountains further in the distance above them, all of it under the bright blue sky. We stopped at the Hite overlook where Lake Powell used to start. Drought has lowered the water level leaving the Hite boat ramp 100’s of feet from the Colorado river.
From here we head towards Hanksville through narrow, twisty, red rock canyons. The shear canyon walls seem so close you could reach out and touch them as you ride by. It reminds me of boating through similar canyons in Lake Powell as the speed boat would lean into the turns in the water just as the bike does on the road. After lunch we had a leisurely ride through Capitol Reef National Park. Great views, as you would expect. We arrive at the Broken Spur for dinner and a good night’s rest. Wayne County is in the COVID “green” so there were no requirements for masks. “Wear ‘em if you want.”
It’s in the 40’s this morning. Seems like it’s going to be cold. Especially since the route takes us up Boulder Mountain as soon as we leave the hotel. So, we bundle up, knowing that its going to be cold on the mountain. But it turns out it wasn’t cold at all. We had to take off a layer or two at our first stop. Boulder mountain is always a great ride. There was a little fall foliage, but most of the leaves have fallen and the aspens are bare. Between the Boulder and Escalante we were treated with more amazing scenery and the Hogback. This is where SR-12 sits perched atop a ridge with 500 foot drops on both sides, no shoulders, no guard rails. After lunch in Panguitch we rode to Cedar City on the Mammoth road and SR-14 and then home to St. George.
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DRIFTER TORRY RIDE 5/19-5/20/2020
The Drifter Torrey Ride was one that some felt we would not be able to do because of all the Corona Virus problems but it turned out that we decided to go since the motel was open and most restaurants too. We can thank our president, David Long for not chickening out and calling off the trip. He never gave up on it and successfully pulled it off. On Tuesday May 19th we assembled at the Coral Canyon Texaco at 9:00 AM to head out. We had nine bikes, twelve people, and our club treasurer, Lynne Piper and her hubby Dave, came along for the day in their super cool Mustang convertible. David led us through the new under construction entry kiosks at Zion National Park and then through always beautiful and spectacular Zion. At Carmel Junction where we catch the 89 north we paused for a brief potty break. It was windy but it was a tail wind until we turned east on Hwy. 12 headed towards Bryce Canyon. Now the wind was a crosswind and flags we passed were flying straight out. At Tropic, Utah we pulled into the “Rustler Cafe” for a nice lunch and a break. The main attraction was their “Munch Burger” and a couple of us ordered that. It was nice place but we were the only people in there. As Drifters do, we cleaned our plates and then mounted up for Escalante and beyond. Temps were around 64 degrees and we were dressed warmly enough. Soon it was warming up nicely. When we reached the part of Hwy. 12 where the scenery gets really interesting we stopped at some view pullouts so we could dig on the sights. Everyone was impressed of course and soon we were cruising the most spectacular sections of the 12. Hwy. 12 is always listed as one of the premier rides in America, or the world, for that matter. Bikers come from all over just to put this notch in their visors. Just another great reason to live in southwest Utah were we can ride this gem any day we like. It was decided to ride another great road, the Burr Trail, that heads east out of Boulder, Utah. The plan was to ride out through the shear red cliffs that tower up and over each side of the Burr Trail to where the pavement ends and only a rugged dirt road continues on. Then we would turn around and head back to the 12 where we started. Those who had never taken the Trail were impressed and glad to have a chance to see it. Everyone’s blood was up and there was talk of maybe having a Drifter ride to Mexican Hat and riding the Moqui Dugway! All real bikers need to have done the Dugway. Its steep, mostly dirt, and a challenge. It was only a few miles now to Torrey. By now temps were in the mid 70’s. It hit 79 at one point. We arrive and find that our room keys are in a box outside the office, which is closed. The rooms are really nice as the whole place has been recently remodeled. Its dinner time so Jack and Dawn pull out a camp stove out of their Can Am trailer and set it up in the parking lot. Dawn has brought homemade chili verde and ranch beans for everyone! It was really yummy! Some people decided to hit a Mexican joint a couple of miles away so they could have a drink or a beer. I’d like to report that after dinner, Drifters and guests sat around the campfire and joined in for singing biker ballads, eating schmores and drinking from the keg. Followed of course by telling biker ghost stories. I can’t because it didn’t happen. We’re old so we just hit the sack! Next morning we rose to 42 degree temps. Drifters decided on their own when to head for home. Some left early and braved the cold but some slept in and waited for temps to go up. A different route was taken home. They rode west on Hwy. 24 through Bicknell and Loa. and then down the 62 through Koosharem and on to Otter Creek. At Kingston they jumped on 89 and headed south. Then over the 20 to the I 15 and home. Some Drifters took other routes home. David Long and Don Quayle stopped in Circleville, Butch Cassidy’s home town, and ate at the Butch Cassidy Cafe. They had breakfast and said it was terrific! Thanks to president Dave for setting this all up. Thanks to Jack and Dawn Peterson for preparing and hauling the great chili verde dinner for our parking lot feast. Also Dawn Petersen for taking pics of the ride to go with this write up for the newsletter. Thanks webmaster Dawn for putting out all the announcements and updates for the ride. Sorry that webmaster Dawn’s bike was in for repairs and she and Mark couldn’t go.
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
PS If anyone would like to plan and lead a ride, day, overnight or multi day, contact president David Long or webmaster Dawn
DRIFTER WEEKLY RIDES (as of 3/26/2020)
Usually we don’t put out reviews about our Drifter weekly rides as the rides are impromptu putts with no pre planning or need to give credit or thank yous to those who made the ride possible. Because the Coronavirus concerns and destination closures have made us change our approach to our rides, I felt the need to remind our members that the Drifter weekly rides continue as before but with a few changes. Our club officers felt it was important to continue riding our sleds as before but follow recommended virus guidelines so we could reduce chances of us getting or spreading the cooties. This could all change if the govmint decides to lock us down in our homes and forbids recreational travel. Last Thursday’s Drifter ride was an example of how we ride until the coast is clear. We met at Terrible’s at 11:30 as usual with our brown bag lunches, snacks, and drinks and then President David Long led us down to a nice Mesquite public park near Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner. The weather was nice and the park had picnic tables under a covered pavilion for us to eat our lunches. We sat six feet apart at our tables and talked and noshed like we would if we were in one of our favorite eateries. A highlight of the lunch was President David’s old time classic “Superman” lunch pail. It was just like the kind kids used to bring to school back in the day. The old original ones in good condition and with the thermos bottle can be worth thousands to collectors! Dave’s is a replica however. Seeing how Dave rides an I_ _ _ _n it would have been cool if he had a Tonto, Red Rider and Little Beaver, or Cochise pail. Of course NOT an Iron Eyes Cody since Cody was actually an Italian! Saturdays we STILL meet at Zion Harley at 11:30 but the burger and hotdog lunches have been suspended for now. Bring your tucker bag for lunch and we’ll stop somewhere along the ride like on Thursday’s rides, to chow. Of course if you are feeling sickly stay home and get well. At last Thursday’s ride, President Long, suggested we change the KSU time to 10:30 AM for the Thursday rides since the mornings are getting warmer, but for the time being still meet at Exit 2 Terrible’s. All in attendance agreed to the change. At some point we will change the meeting spot back to the Coral Canyon Texaco next to Zion Harley since we won’t be riding south to warmer weather much until next year. So!!!!!! DRIFTERS RIDE!!!!!!
See you out there,
SECRETARY / EDITOR MIKE
PS It is suggested that you bring latex gloves to put on when you are gassing up at the pump. At least wash your hands afterwards or use hand sanitizer (where did you get that?) Don’t wear your riding gloves while you gas as you can transfer cooties to your hands when you remove them and then to your face later.
Remember, stay six feet apart and no handshaking. Elbow bumps only etc. etc. etc. 🙁
DRIFTER DINNER AT PEPPERS CANTINA MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Many Drifters and guests hadn’t eaten at Peppers Cantina Mexican Restaurant in Bloomington before so of course we finally had to have one of our monthly dinners there. On Saturday, February 22nd, we decided to check it out. Twenty six Drifters signed up to attend and twenty one actually were able to make it. The event was noted for having Cheryl Linnett back in town from Micnnesota, but hubby Russ was still working back home. We were also joined by new members, Fred and June Kix and Larry and Pam Cover. Welcome to the Drifters guys!!!!!! Everyone seemed to enjoy their food and the restaurant did a good job in seeing that we all got our orders out as soon as possible. A fun time was had at the end of dinner when a few of our checks got mixed up by the waitress and some people paid the wrong ticket. Some Drifters paid twice or three times for their dinner. There were rumors that, Vern, of course, managed to pay the smallest tab and someone else got his! Thanks to committee member, Trish Wild, for suggesting and setting up Peppers for our dinner. Thanks to webmaster Dawn for putting out all the announcements and RSVP requests.
See you out there,
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER VALENTINE DAY RIDE 2020
Sixteen love struck Drifters rolled to a romantic Valentine Day luncheon at classy Wolf Creek Country Club’s Terrace restaurant. With our special private table table strewn with multi colored candy kisses Drifters ordered their favorite items off the extensive Wolf Creek menu. We had plenty of time to enjoy good visits and conversation before our meals arrived and enjoy the Terrace Restaurant’s ambiance. Everyone agreed the food was great and all were amazed at the size and altitude of Steve Sarchett’s burger! Some of the highlights of the event was the arrival of Steve and Jo Black in their newly acquired Corvette convertible, Don and Dita Quayle in their cool Sky rag top, webmaster Dawn on her VTX 1300 and Bonnie Clark riding “The Bumble Bee” her yellow Can Am Spyder. After lunch seven bikes rode the Bunkerville Loop, the Scenic, Arizona Loop, and then home on old Hwy. 91 up and over Utah Hill. Thanks to Tom Fabio for leading the putt home. The weather really cooperated with a high of 66 degrees in Mesquite and 57 at Utah Hill summit and bright and sunny all day. Thanks to all Drifters who came out for the ride. Thanks to webmaster Dawn for putting out all the announcements for the ride as well as the RSVP contact information and also for putting out the candy kisses on our table courtesy of the club
SEE YOU OUT THERE !!!!!!!!!
SECRETARY/EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER THURSDAY RIDE JANUARY 30, 2020
Normally we don’t do reviews of our Drifter weekly rides but this one turned out to be special. First, seventeen bikes came out and the destination was the Muddy River Cafe in Moapa, Nevada. Yes, after a steady diet of winter Mesquite rides to the same places we decided to do something a little different. Our just elected for 2020 vice president, Steve Sarchett, planned and led the ride. Our newly elected president, David Long, lead a second group of bikes since there was so many of us. Before KSU, David, reviewed safe group riding techniques and assigned tail gunners to ride drag (not in drag!) and be ready to help anyone who had a problem during the ride. We went over using the proper hand signals, passing slower vehicles, proper bike spacing, and the need for each rider to stay in their track and not be weaving back and forth in the lane. Because of visibility issues due to their width and their better than two wheel stopping distances, trikes were requested to ride behind the two wheelers. Same for sidecars and cages. This is common recommended safety procedure. It is not intended to treat three wheelers as second class riders. The weather cooperated and temps in Moapa reached a sunny and bright 64 degrees. It was 50 degrees at the summit of Utah Hill but warmed again as we descended down into the Shivwits reservation. Our last stop was at the Shivwits gas station where we said our goodbyes and headed for the barn. This was a great January 2020 ride! Looks like Drifters have a fun year to look forward to! Thanks to Steve for setting it up and leading the ride!
SECRETARY/EDITOR
MIKE
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Greg Clark texted photographic proof of the ride (below) along with his comment “Here is the turnout for today. Great ride and cudo’s to the Press and VP for letting us know in advance about the ride and the pre-ride briefing”.
DRIFTERS 2020 ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
The Drifters annual business meeting was held Saturday evening January 25th at Mike’s man cave in Sky Mountain Golf Community in historic Hurricane, Utah. It was also the scene of the pot luck dinner that each year is provided by the members and guests. Usually the food is outstanding with many items to choose from and dessert to finish it all off. This year seemed even more scrumptious than usual with some new dishes that we hadn’t seen before. Normally the favorites would be mentioned here but this year it was too hard to decide. All that needs to be said is that if you missed the potluck this year you really were deprived of a super culinary experience. The international nature of the range of food choices went from south of the border, sunny Italy, and even as far away as the Philippines as represented by Dawn Petersen’s delicious Chicken Adobo entree. Really yummy! American food also was represented with a bucket of fried chicken, pulled pork,and cole slaw. Dessert was two carrot cakes. Important business was discussed and dues were collected. The membership voted to keep the dues at $30.00 per member per year which also includes a spouse or S.O. Treasurer Lynne Piper gave a report on our fiscal status and as usual she has done a great job of keeping our finances healthy. We also had a 50/50 raffle and collected $80.00, half of which went to lucky winners, Ron and Lisa Anderson, and half to the club treasury. Tom Fabio suggested that the membership vote on which day of the week we should hold our weekly rides and Thursday was agreed upon. Everything else in the weekly schedule was approved for 2020 including the Saturday Zion Harley burger and hotdog lunch and ride and the Friday breakfast at the Golden Corral. The surprise came with the election of 2020 officers. After discussion, it was agreed that the club should return to the elected officer format. New member, David Long, volunteered to serve as president if someone would serve as vice president. Steve Sarchett was suggested and he agreed to serve as vice president and safety officer.. Both men are experienced riders and have organizational leadership in their resumes. Lynne was reelected as treasurer and Mike Roe was elected as secretary / editor. All the new officers were voted in by acclamation by the membership present. New president, David Long, made a brief speech and presented a few goals he would like to stress for the club for 2020. He suggested we highlight riding safety, especially safe group riding techniques. He also felt we should consider having road captains serving as ride leaders and tail gunners. New committee members were also accepted. These are volunteer positions. They help plan Drifter activities such as our monthly dinners, chili cook offs, our annual Christmas party, and other non riding activities for 2020. They are Dawn Petersen, Becca Matlock, Dawn Derenski, Patricia Wild, Lynne Piper, and new member Lisa Anderson. 2020 volunteers will be Dawn Derenski continuing as webmaster and John Marshall as Drifter photographer. We had some new members join our club as well. Welcome to David and Tammy Long and also Ron and Lisa Anderson. Chris and Tawny Bandley who joined last September re-upped for 2020 too. Drifters seemed to feel the meeting was a positive step forward for the Drifters. Or maybe it was the FOOD?
SECRETARY MIKE
DRIFTER ANNUAL POLAR BEAR RIDE TO MESQUITE’S FAMOUS “LOS LUPES” MEXICAN RESTAURANT 2020
Fourteen excited Drifters ran the Gorge to arrive at famous “Los Lupes” Mexican Restaurant on New Years Day, 2020! The run marked the beginnings of a new decade for the the club and promises to be another adventurous time in the lives of our members. The day was cloudy at first with wet pavement from early morning showers and and temps in the 30’s. This annual ride is always a rain or shine event and some members drive their cages so they can bring their non riding honeys. This year we had three bold riders who braved the early morning wet and cold. We mention them here so as to give them credit for their true biker spirit and resolve. Yes, JOHN MARSHALL, DAVID LONG, and JIM FRICK all rode their sleds! We sat down at our special Drifter table Los Lupes set up for us and we dived into the chips and salsa. The wait staff could barely keep up with us as we noshed on the yummy stuff. Soon we were ordering our breakfast or lunch entrees. A lot of other patrons kept arriving so it was some time before our meals arrived. This was not a bad thing as it gave us more time to chat up our fellow clubbies and friends. As the food arrived, the talking stopped, and we all got down to true drifter business and cleaned our plates. Soon it was time to go and we said a fond farewell to Los Lupes and headed for the barn. Our riders were thrilled when they mounted up to ride home. The sun came out and temps were now in the upper 40’s. The cagers turned down their heaters to the 80’s! Thanks to all who came out for the Polar Bear Ride! Thanks to webmaster Dawn for putting out all the announcements and reminders for the ride.
EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY 2019
Twenty one Drifters gathered at St George’s popular Rib and Chop House Saturday, December 14th, for an evening of good food, good cheer, and comradeship. We had our own private room complete with holiday decorations to add to the festive mood. After arriving, Drifters placed their donated Toys For Tots children’s Christmas gifts on a corner table so that Mat and Becca could take them to a collection point to be distributed to needy kids, courtesy of the Drifters M/C. Kudos to Mat and Becca Matlock for doing this charitable act for the little crumb catchers out there! Placed on the dinner tables were placed brand new Drifter coffee cups for each member. Each cup had our Drifter emblem emblazoned on two sides and contained a yummy holiday wrapped candy assortment! The cups were ordered for our club by our webmaster, Dawn Derenski. Becca helped Dawn wrap the candy and place it in the cups. Treasurer Lynne Piper distributed the club funds to pay for it all. Any members who didn’t attend the party and get their cup will receive one when they renew their membership at the 2020 business meeting. This will include spouses and S.O.s. Drifters wanting an extra cup will be able to purchase one while they last after all the cups are given out to those 2020 members who didn’t receive one. Thanks to Drifter Photographer John Marshall who took photo portraits of all who attended and various random shots of the party in progress for the website. Thanks to our activities committee, Dawn Derenski, Becca Matlock, Dawn Petersen, and Lynne Piper for all their help this past year with our Drifter events. Also treasurer, Lynne Piper, thanks for another year of handling our Drifter finances. It was nice to meet Mat’s daughter, Kim, who attended the party. Ron Anderson, who has been riding with us lately, impressed us all with his special Christmas dinner jacket! It really lent to the spirit of the season!
Editor Mike
Margrete & BillMargreteSteve and MarilynAnn and Dick Dave and LynneTeresa and Danny Dawn & Jack Mat and BeccaJudy and BillMark and Dawn Mike and Trish Kim (Mat & Becca’s Daughter)Dave and LynneMarilyn and SteveDrifters schmoozingIntense conversation Danny explaining the secret of life to Bill and Judy .
DRIFTER THANKSGIVING DINNER AT THE BLACK BEAR On Thanksgiving Day Drifters met at the Black Bear Restaurant in Washington City for an adult “happy meal” of traditional turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, bread and rolls, and of course pumpkin pie for dessert. Prime rib was also on hand for anyone who preferred it for an extra charge. Twenty three Drifters, friends, and family signed up and nineteen people actually attended. All who failed to show had good excuses and they were missed, at least until the food showed up! This event idea originally started with just four people going but the word spread and gradually swelled to the twenty three. Many who attended seemed thrilled to not have to prepare a huge Thanksgiving meal at home, in some cases for only two people. Attendance would have been even higher but some Drifters had Thanksgiving commitments elsewhere. Some commented that it was more fun to eat with their Drifter pals than just by themselves at home. Fido needn’t feel left out as some Drifters were seen taking home doggie bags full of goodies for their pooch. The Bear was really lively with a sell out crowd of hungry patrons. The wait staff worked their buns off getting out all the orders. The wait for your dinner was long, over an hour, but it just made us appreciate it all the more when it arrived. Amazingly they got all our orders out at about the same time so we could all eat together. We’ll do this again next year if there’s enough interest. Trish and I will be going for sure!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE ————- DRIFTER TURKEY TROT 2019 Thirteen Drifters enjoyed a pleasant Thanksgiving lunch at the Wolf Creek Country Club in beautiful Mesquite Sunday, November 24th. It was a sunny day and was fine for riding but all but JOHN MARSHALL deferred to their cages in order to bring along their honey in comfort. Drifters ordered off the menu so a variety of lunch choices were placed on the long group table Wolf Creek set up for us. Burgers, Sliders, and fish and chips were the most numerous entries consumed but a salad or two appeared and a tuna melt also showed up. After a casual nosh and plenty of conversation the much heralded drawing for the free turkey and other prizes commenced. The winners are posted below……. First Place was won by Pam Fabio! She took home a $20 gift card to buy up to a 20 lb. turkey at Costco, a Mrs. Cubbison box of dressing mix, a can of cranberry sauce plus two fold out table center pieces. Second Place went to Marilyn Sarchette ! She scored a Mrs. Cubbesons Dressing Mix, Cranberry sauce, and a table center piece. Third place went to Tricia Wild ! A can of cranberries and a table centerpiece. This was a great warm up for the Drifter Thanksgiving Dinner to be held at the Washington Parkway Exit 13 Black Bear Restaurant on Thanksgiving Day at 3:00 PM. This Drifter event is full up so you’ll need to secure your own reservation if you can but you probably will have to eat at a different time, maybe like 3:15 and maybe won’t be able to sit with your Drifter pals. EDITOR MIKE
Oct 19th Moapa Valley Car, Motorcycle & Boat Show Ride
Saturday morning was crisp and clear as six Drifters and a friend started out on an adventure to Overton for the Moapa Valley Car Show. As usual it was an eclectic group; Tom on an Indian, Dave, Tom’s friend from the Hog riders on his HD, me on my Yamaharley, Bill in his bat mobile, Mike in his ole’ Chevy, and Don and Dita in their sporty roadster. Tom lead the pack at a steady 80 MPH, so we arrived at Overton in less that one hour. The display of classic and not so classic cars, trucks and motorcycles was interesting. Going to the many shows in our area and Mesquite, you frequently see the same stuff. But in Overton, there were cars we had never seen before…some were fantastic and some were just strange. Speaking of that, there was a strange V8 trike with twin blowers that would probably scare the c… out of you. Then there was a Harley that had an AC/DC (like the band) paint job that undoubtedly cost twice as much as the bike, and a rare 1958 Ariel. As we toured the show some local gals put on a line dancing show to country tunes played by a one man band. Now the important part, time to eat! Some went to Sugar’s, but Tom and I stayed at the show for some good ole’ fair food like corn dogs and sausage covered in grilled onions and peppers. On the ride home we stopped in Beaver Dam for a break, that’s where we met another couple interested in our machines. The gal was so fascinated with Bill’s SlingShot that she jumped in and wanted a ride! The Sling Shot is a girl magnet, I think I need to get one! Oh well, break was over and we were back on the road, over the hill via 91 to home. A great time was had by all, wish y’all were there. Steve S. ———- DRIFTER ANNUAL CHILI COOK OFF 2019
Drifters gathered at John, Barbara, and Dudley’s beautiful home in Green Springs Golf Estates to to feast on Drifter’s special homemade chili recipes and napkins. Drifters of course chowed the chili and Dudley any napkins that were not carefully guarded by their user. Each Chili recipe was sampled by each hungry Drifter and then a decision was made by secret ballot for the favorites. Many Drifters said it was difficult to choose between them since they were all so good. Finally the voting was finished and here are the results. First place went to new members Chris and Tawny Bandley Second place to Patricia Wild Third place to Mark and Dawn Derenski Honorable Mention to Dave and Tammy Long John Templeton also made a terrific chicken tortilla soup to go with the chili meals and some said he should have entered it as a chili and would have had a good chance of winning a prize! Besides the chili, all sorts of nibbles, Susan’s cornbread muffins and of course cheese and onions to top off the chili. Also, some Drifters brought cookies and pumpkin pie for dessert. OINK!!!!!! Entertainment was provided by John and Barbara’s child, Dudley, who cruised the confines snatching any napkins foolishly left unguarded by their users. Dudley would proceeded to shread and chew on the napkins until they were properly mangled. Obviously used napkins with chili or pie on them were preferred but even clean ones were fair game. Even more fun was if Dudley was pursued by the napkin’s former owner, of course in vain! Thanks to all who came and supported the cook off. It was nice to meet new member Chris Bandley’s wife, Tawny, and possible new member Dave Long’s better half, Tammy. Everyone agreed we hope Dave and Tammy will want to become Drifter members soon. Thanks of course to John and Barbara for hosting the cook off. They always have offered to step up and provide a venue for Drifter events. Thanks to webmaster Dawn for helping to organize the event, putting out notices, and taking RSVPs. EDITOR MIKE ——–
DRIFTERS BIG BOY CHASE AND NORTH RIM RIDE WEEKEND 10/5-10/6/19
Drifters packed in two special events in the October 5th and 6th weekend. First, we had already planned for a last of the year run to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim for lunch at the lodge, before the park closes for the winter October 16th. Then we heard that the rebuilding and restoring of Union Pacific’s largest steam locomotive, the Big Boy, was completed and the long retired loco was making a tour of Union Pacific’s main line all around the country. ,The great news for local rail fans was that it was coming through Utah from Cheyenne, Wyoming and we could ride to Modena, UT where it would stop for thirty minutes for photos and viewing. We organized a Drifter ride to Modena for Saturday, the 5th but we had to leave early, 8:00 AM. We wanted to get to Modena an hour or so before Big Boy #4014 arrived so as to beat the crowd and the traffic. After some chilly temps in the low 40’s we arrive at the perfect time to get parking close to the tracks. We got out our cameras and waited alongside the right of way and waited for a sight not seen for over 60 years. While we cooled our heels along the tracks, retired Union Pacific employee and Drifter, Dave Piper, answered our member’s questions about working on the railroad and about steam locomotives in general and 4014 in particular. Soon 4014 was chuffing into Modena among a throng of rail fans and the curious. There were families with their kids and dogs, old timers wearing railroad bib overalls and engineer caps who might have seen 4014 back in its glory days, and young and old alike digging on such a magnificent machine. The railroad police had their hands full keeping the crowd a safe distance back from the train. Behind 4014 was a string of 1940’s era Union Pacific passenger cars ablaze in U.P.’s famous yellow and grey livery. Even had an observation car tagged on the rear of the consist. Some of the cars might have been used on U.P.’s crack, City Of Los Angeles, passenger train that ran from L.A. to Salt Lake City. Then 4014 pulled out for Caliente, Nevada for the night. Soon the crowds were gone and Modena returned to being just Modena again but it at least it enjoyed a brief hour or so of being an important stop on the Union Pacific once more. Drifters then proceeded to do what they do best! GO FOR A MEAL!!!! Most drifters headed for Verla’s in Enterprise for chow. A few rode to Pioche to the Silver Cafe. The Pioche Drifters hoped to maybe catch the Big Boy and follow it on its way to Caliente but it was too fast and we never saw it again, not even a wisp of smoke. Sixteen bikes, Dick and Ann’s Ram pick up, and Dave and Lynne’s hot mustang convertible made up our Drifter “train” with a total of twenty-two Drifters coming out for the ride, for our best ride turnout of the year! The next day Drifters headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for lunch at the impressive lodge right on the edge of the rim. Temps were better as we didn’t KSU until 9:45 AM (thanks to a late Mike!) Even as we topped the Kaibab temps were in the 60’s and even touched 70 after lunch. After lunches of Navajo tacos, the famous elk chili, etc. we headed for the barn to complete a 300 mile day. A highlight of the ride was the gorgeous fall colors of the aspens that displayed golden and reddish hues to the landscape up in the park. Thanks to all members who attended these rides and thanks again to Dave Piper for his professorial expertise on train lore. Even John Marshall, a full tenured college professor himself, was impressed! It was great to see so many lady Drifters out for the ride! Glad to see our treasurer, Lynne, out and about again! See you out there!!! EDITOR MIKE P.S. According to a news release there was a six car auto accident near Beryl that is believed to have involved Big Boy train chasers who were watching 4014 instead of each other. I’ve chased trains myself as a car passenger and as a driver and I can attest to the fact that it can be worse than the last lap of a Nascar Taladega race!!!!!!
4 night Minden/Carson Valley Ride – 9/22-9/26/19 Drifters who attended the Minden ride were treated to great weather and a great BBQ feast put on by Drifters Mat and Becca Matlock at their spacious ranch in Susanville, California. Drifters also cruised to Reno’s Street Vibrations motorcycle rally which is spread between Reno, Virginia City, and Carson City’s Battle Born Harley Davidson dealership. Drifters also rode HWY. 4, Ebbetts pass, over to the gold rush country of California for a nice lunch on the patio of the historic Murphy’s Hotel. A total of 640 miles in all in the three riding days we were there. A few things need to be mentioned. First, if you are ever invited to a BBQ at Mat and Becca’s…… DON”T MISS IT!!!!!!! The burgers and foot long hot dogs were cooked to perfection by Mat’s friend, Mike, and Mat and Becca had all you could ask for spread out for us! There was potato salad, macaroni salad, every condiment you could think of, chips and salsa, Italian sausage, beer, water and cokes, and special chocolate chip cookies for dessert! Also great hospitality to make us all feel welcome. After the BBQ Mat and Mike led us on a beautiful ride through the scenic back country of Susanville. I need to mention that the riding was terrific but challenging in some areas. Especially up over Ebbetts Pass’s slow speed, steep, uphill switchbacks and the long day up to Susanville. The Susanville BBQ ride was 316 miles for the day and we didn’t get home until after dark. Much of the day was slow going through winding forested roads and North Lake Tahoe’s tourist spots. Dawn was our only distaff rider and we were impressed on how well she rode the difficult sections of our rides especially Ebbetts Pass.
DRIFTER ANTIMONY BURGER RIDE REDEAUX August 4, 2019
Drifters cruised to the Antimony Merc for a burger (or whatever) lunch Sunday, August 4th. We pulled out of Coral Canyon Texaco at 9:00 AM and rolled north on the I15 taking side roads whenever possible like Kanarraville and across the west side of Cedar City. We picked up northern riders at Hwy. 56 and Lund Hwy and proceeded north to Midvalley Road and then east through Enoch. Old 91 carried us into Parawan where we gassed and etc. Through Paragonah we went and then I15ed to Hwy 20. The ride over 20 to the 89 is always beautiful and this time was no different. Everything is so green this year after all the rain we’ve had this winter. Reach Butch Cassidy’s boyhood log home which is now open to the public. A treacherous new gravel parking lot didn’t look inviting to us sledders. Better to check it out when we are in our cages or alone on our bike so if we fall over there are no Drifter witnesses. We pass through Cassidy’s hometown of Circleville and soon reach the turnoff for Kingston and Otter Creek State Park. Seventeen more miles to burger nirvana and when we get there we pull in and park only to find that the Merc is closed !!!!!!!!!!! $#%&$# !!!!!!!!!!! I had even checked on the internet before we left ! We decided to take a break so we sat under the rickety old patio cover and kicked back. Soon we decide to ride to Bryce Canyon Pines for a late lunch. Drifters’ never having met a meal they didn’t like, mounted up and headed down scenic and funky Hwy. 22 towards Bryce. We get there and have yummy lunches and soon forget about the Merc. Love the meal you’re with !!!!!!!!!!! We split the Pines and head for the 89. DOWN the 89 we come heading for Tod’s Junction and gas. Then on to Carmel Junction to have a cold drink or snack and watch the nations of the world disgorge their citizens from tour busses into the White Mountain Trading Post. We have a nice chat with Geno, the proprietor of White Mountain. He is friends with us Drifters and is especially tight with ex Drifter Doug Crosby who lives in Kanab and is a retired Kanab Chief of Police. Geno rides with Doug quite a bit. As a tour bus pulls out another pulls in so we mount up and head through Zion National Park, always a gorgeous ride. As we drop down out of Virgin into La Verkin we are greeted with 105 degree temps but we only have a few miles to our homes and a nice shower. If you missed this one all you can do is make up for it by joining us for the ride to Caliente next Thursday.
EDITOR MIKE ———–DRIFTERS 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION 2019
Our Margrete’s lovely home in Hurricane was again the site of our Drifter 4th of July celebration. Drifters enjoyed snacking on chips and various home made dips before the main course of brats and burgers were served. Susan’s, Dawn’s, and Kate’s dips were gobbled up as soon as they were set out and all agreed they were just great. Dawn Petersen brought her now famous corn dish but that was to be served with the brats and burgers. Also,Trish and Ann brought watermelon too. Dessert was cookies from Eric and Sherry and also a pie that Trish brought. Various soft drinks were provided also. Tom and Eric did the cooking and everything was served up just right. After an enjoyable afternoon and evening of swimming, conversation, and eating, Drifters sat comfortably in sofas and chairs inside and out on the patio. A few burps and moans were emitted from those who again overate but all were smiling contentedly. Some swimmers slipped back in the pool because they hoped they would feel as light as they did before eating. Fireworks started up by local citizens as soon as it was dark enough for them to show off their effects. The major city fireworks show didn’t begin until 10:00 PM when it was really dark. Some drifters showed their age by heading home as soon as they awakened from their doze in a comfortable chair and skipped the fireworks. I was told by others that as they drove home, fireworks displays from citizens, cities of Washington, and St. George were visible and even watched them when they got home. I hope Drifters who came to Margrete’s enjoyed the party. It could be one of the last ones held if the socialists get power and ban them. Thanks to Margrete for having us again this year! She supplied the brats and burgers and spent much time preparing for the party.Thanks to Drifters who brought snacks and side dishes, helped set up and or cleaned up afterwards. Thanks to webmaster Dawn for all the announcements and reminders about the party. Apologies to all the animals who attended who had to adjust to the celebrants and fireworks noise. Hope the tidbits and nibbles they were offered by generous Drifters animal lovers compensated for what they had to put up with.
EDITOR MIKEANNUAL DRIFTER BBQ AT DEWAYNE AND KATHY’S BROOKSIDE CABIN – June 1st, 2019
What a beautiful day Drifters had for their annual BBQ at Dewayne and Kathy’s wonderful riverside cabin and grounds! The date was Saturday, June 1st, and it started at 3:00 PM for the social hour and the BBQing commenced at 4:00. After really unstable weather the last few weeks, June 1st dawned with a perfect blue sky and pleasant temps. Drifter treasurer, Lynne Piper, released club funds to provide tri tip steaks to any Drifter who wanted one to BBQ. Potluck dinner supplements were also available for Drifters to complete their meal. Thanks to all who brought dishes for everyone to share. Chef Tim took charge of the grills and with help from Tom and Dewayne cooked the steaks to perfection. There was enough meat so anyone that wanted some steak could have some even if they didn’t sigh up for one. Mike and Trish who brought burgers to BBQ left them in the cooler and had some steak too. Others also helped despatch the extra steaks. A highlight of the event was when long time Drifters Ken and Linda Montgomery showed up. Ken has been recovering from crashing on an escalator when he tried to slide down its bannister and found there was too much traction on the rubber hand rail for the feat to be possible. He really hurt his shoulder and the escalator steps badly carved up his shoulder and back. His now healed scars look like he was mauled by a tiger! Hope you have a satisfactory recovery, Ken! Drifters also planned to celebrate Dewayne’s birthday and had three full size cakes ready and ice-cream too. Dewayne was exhausted after blowing out the candles on all three cakes! After all that totaled 225 flames to blow out! Drifters wrung their hands and anguished over which cake they wanted the most. Some solved the problem by sampling all three in grand Drifter tradition! Too soon the day came to an end and after putting everything away, packing up what they had to take home, and saying their goodbyes, stuffed Drifters waddled to their cages and headed home. Thanks again to Dewayne and Kathy who provided and prepared the venue, Tim, for doing most of the grilling, Lynne for taking RSVPs, webmaster Dawn for buying the steaks and posting all the info and reminders about the event and putting up Drifter directional signs to help Drifters find their way to the cabin. Thanks to all those who brought potluck items to go with the steak, and those who lugged extra tables and chairs to the cabin for extra seating, and those who came early to help set up. Of course thanks to our Margrete who again supplied her wonderful garlic bread that always is one of the highlights of any Drifter feeding frenzy. Dawn Petersen’s corn chowder-like dish was a new treat for hungry Drifters too. Hope she brings it again!EDITOR MIKE
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DRIFTER DINNER AT BENJA’S THAI RESTAURANT
Hungry Drifters scarfed scrumptious Thai food Monday night May 20th, 2019. Drifters appeared fit to be Thai ed as they poured over the, unfamiliar to some, Thai food menu. Newbies were instructed that some Thai dishes are similar to Chinese food but can be spicier because they may have curry in them or a sauce that packs a bit of a punch. Benja’s offers five levels of heat to their dishes so you can tame down the heat or go native and truly experience Thai dining as you would enjoy in country. You have to be careful, however. Mark ordered his dish at only level two and was found eating with a fork in one hand and a handkerchief in the other to stanch the flow from his olfactory area! Mike “John Wayned” it with a level three entry and had to borrow Mark’s kerchief a few times. No Drifter went for a five and that was probably for the best. Some patron at another table spilled a few dribbles of their order on their table and whatever level it was it burned right through the table and even the rug was smoldering before it could be wiped up! There were no reports of gastrointestinal distress while at the restaurant but later, at home, who knows? If you missed this unique dining experience, you should kick yourself. They say, people in China are starving! They wouldn’t be if they had joined the Drifters at Bejla’s!
EDITOR MIKE
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CHEF HOG’S BIKE NIGHT AT THE SUN RIVER OYSTER BAR
Chef Hog invited bikers to his inaugural biker night last Thursday, May 2nd. The bike night was to last from 5PM to 9 and featured the restaurant’s full bar and menu. As an added enticement to attend, a 30% discount on all tabs was offered to all bikers who requested the discount. The 30% discount was a one time only deal but other discounts will also be offered at each bike night in the future. The Patriots M/C was invited and had a large turnout of twenty plus members. Drifters were invited too but on short notice so many weren’t able to attend. Our club was represented by Steve and Marilyn Sarchette and Mike Roe and his wife Trish. The restaurant had seating inside and also out on the patio overlooking the golf course. Special bike parking was available outside at the curb. This event will hopefully become a great success as summer daylight savings makes an early evening bike night possible. You can always come in your cage if you wish to bring a non rider spouse or S.O.. That might work well if you need a designated driver to get you home. Or you can call Mark Derenski’s taxi cab company if you are both over the limit! This is not a Drifter event but be sure to wear your Drifter colors as this will strike fear into any 1% riders who get out of hand and guarantee you qualify for any discounts. Or, just wear a motorcycle teeshirt if you prefer ( Indian shirts acceptable). The nice thing is that Chef Hog’s is a classy place with a good menu so your wife, husband, or S.O. will stop thinking you only go to dives, greasy spoons, and biker BBQs for meals! Hope to see some Drifters there next Thursday! There is no Drifter meet up before the bike night, just show up there when you want. I suggest you come early enough to get a good seat at the bar or a table.
EDITOR MIKE
PS……You can reach the Chef Hog Restaurant and Oyster Bar by taking I 15 south to Exit 2 Sun River Parkway. Go right on Sun River Parkway to Country Club Drive . Then right on Country Club to the golf club. Follow the signs to Chef Hog which is a separate building behind the clubhouse. Bike parking out front of the restaurant at the curb.
LAUGHLINRIVER RUN 2019
Even though the Laughlin River Run is not a Drifter event Drifters usually go on their own. This year was no exception as several Drifters and friends attended. The usual idea is to ride to Laughlin on Wednesday to avoid the crowds and to get a room cheap as compared to the official run nights that have rates jacked up to the max. Then get a room on Thursday at the rip off price. Then thrifty Drifters average the two nights and get a better deal than staying Thursday and Friday. No Drifters stay all three nights as most have been before and don’t see the need to stay longer.After all, if you go to Oatman to feed the burros, eat some good overpriced grub at the casino of your choice, cruise the vendors a bit, and get your run pin you’ve pretty much had the experience others who can’t attend would die for. Usually Drifters ride down on their own or in small groups and then meet up for dinner at one of the restaurants in the casinos. In the past we would all stay in the same hotel and eat at their restaurant. We were staying at the Ramada at first and then the Golden Nugget for awhile and would meet up for dinner at Bubba Gump’s. Then Bubba Gump’s became Joe’s Crab Shack but some people wanted a change. A few tried out the Aquarius Hotel and liked it better. It had The Outback. Some hotels only would sell rooms as a package for all three nights but the Aquarius would let you get a room for only one or two nights. This year saw Drifters at the Aquarius, Edgewater, Colorado Belle, and perhaps others. This year no Drifter dinner was arranged and we fended for ourselves. The big feature this year was the all the dung beetles and grasshoppers running around the Aquarius walkways and parking lot. Not sure if other hotels had them too. They even got into the casino. If you stood still very long they would crawl up your legs and you had to brush them off so you had to keep stomping on them and keep your feet moving. They finally sprayed everywhere and they started doing the death march. They had a real bad, much worse, invasion of grasshoppers back in 1998 when Trish and I went but they got them killed and swept up before the run got started.They were actually using a big city street sweeper to clean up all the dead ones. The amount of vendors was lower this year. Only two hotels had a full compliment of them. Many of the big names like Harley, Honda, and Yamaha weren’t there. Indian had a demo area but that was all. Also many of the better accessory companies were absent. Mostly cheap leathers, teeshirts, patches and pins, and other schlock predominated. It was hot too with temps around 100. Don’t know the attendance count but there seemed to be a lot of bikes. There were some rumors that the run might not be held next year but that has been heard before in past years. There was a feeling that things aren’t the same and the run is slowly dying. This can partly be caused by people getting too greedy and raising the cost of attending. Also, after incidents at the casinos and up in Oatman, much of the fun of open drinking, riding drunk or stoned, wearing your colors, nudity (Signs held by bikers saying “show us your t_ _ s!!!) and complied with by the biker babes during the cruise night Saturday evening, and even public display of sex acts in Oatman while totally snockered. Then there is an increased police presence that us regular citizens appreciate but the 1% don’t. All the Drifters I talked to had a good time and plan to go again next time if the event continues.
EDITOR MIKE
PS Because of recent changes in our social and sexual mores, signs requesting “Show us your t_ts” would have to add “Ladies ” otherwise you would probably see things you’d rather not!!!!
DRIFTER DINNER AT CAPPELETTI’S Wed, April 17th
Over twenty Drifter paisans met for a charming dinner at St. George’s Cappeletti’s Italian Restaurant, located near the old historic part of town on west Tabernacle a stone’s throw away from Main We had two tables to ourselves in the back area of the restaurant so we had a nice quiet area to meet and converse. Food didn’t come promptly so we had plenty of time to catch up on the Drifter haps since our last get together at the Outback last month. Drifters agreed the food was great and of course many of us over ate. Some of the appetizers were as big as the entrees! Mat and Becca generously shared much of their appetizer with fellow Drifters and had plenty left for themselves. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and enjoyed the evening. Sorry if you missed it! There is always next time!
Editor Mike
DRIFTER OUTBACK DINNER WEDNESDAY MARCH 27TH
Hungry Drifter diners jammed into St. George’s Aussie Outback Restaurant for a tasty dinner of broiled joey and fricasseed echidna for some authentic down under tucker. As a mellow didgeridoo played “Waltzing Matilda” in the background, thirteen Drifter clubbies and friends enjoyed comradeship and good conversation while waiting for their meals. Drifters, Mat and Becca, brought their friends, Tom and Sue, who are interested in learning more about the club and are considering riding with us. Tom’s brother is a cop and Mat is retired CHP so we had a fun time telling LAPD and California Highway Patrol stories. The outback food was enjoyed by all and soon we had cleaned our plates, eaten our desserts, and were ready to head for home. A good thing to remember is that, Outback, sponsors Nascar driver Kevin Harvick’s number 4 race car. Whenever Harvick places in the top ten in the Nascar race on Sundays, fans can get a FREE blooming’ onion with their meal, a $9.00 value!. They must mention Harvick and ask for it, however. The offer is only good on the Monday following the race. Harvick is one of the top drivers in Nascar so he usually places in the top ten each week. You can find out if you are eligible for your FREE blooming’ onion by watching the race on TV or by going on the internet and searching for the race results. Liberals and Lefties who fear being found interested in the Deplorable’s sport of auto racing may call me and I will let them know if they can get an onion. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential! No need to change your voter registration to Republican. This is especially helpful to any Illegal aliens who might think they have to apply for a new driver’s license so they can take advantage of “motor voter” policies to change to being Republicans.
PAST EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER ST. PADDY DAY RIDE, SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2019
I was sorry to have missed the Drifter St. Paddy Day ride, especially since I was supposed to be leading it. Trish’s mother passed away and we had to go to her services in Carson City, Nevada. Her mom was 93 and was doing pretty well but all of a sudden in just a few days was down for the count. Thanks to Vern for taking over for me and leading what turned out to a nice ride with the best weather we’ve had in these parts in a long time. At our 10:00 AM meet up at Hurricane McDonald’s it was 50 degrees at KSU. The day continued to warm up to around 70 degrees. The ride went out Utah 59 to the Arizona border and then stopped at Pipe Spring for anyone who needed gas or a restroom break. A drawing was held for a $25 cash prize for riders who wore green and wouldn’t you know it was scooped up by Don Quayle who seems to win an annoying percentage of the time. Congrats anyway Don! Reached Kanab and had lunch at Escobar’s Mexican Restaurant. The restaurant set up a long table for our group so Drifters could all sit together. Before the ride, in the promo, I had encouraged everyone to heap on the green guacamole so their meal had that Irish look but I don’t know how that worked out. The ride home was through the ever spectacular Zion National Park. We are blessed to be so near to this natural wonder that we can ride it whenever we want! One section of the Zion road was partially washed out and down to one lane but was negotiated with no problems. The only complaint raised was the lack of tour busses at the usually jumping White Mountain Trading Post at Carmel Junction. Some Drifters were looking forward to practicing their conversational Mandarin with the tourists. Of course the winter months don’t bring in many busses but just wait until SPLING!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for coming out for the ride! Sorry I had to miss it! Thanks again to Vern for filling in for me at the last minute! Thanks to webmaster Dawn for putting out the announcements and reminders about the ride!
See you out there!
EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTER VALENTINE DAY RIDE 2019
Thirteen love struck Drifters cruised to lunch with their clubbies at the classy and comfy Falcon Ridge Golf Club restaurant located in beautiful Mesquite, Nevada. We had our own private room with personalized service to care for our every need. Thanks to webmaster Dawn for arranging for the venue and leading the ride. Due to cool weather, and so our Cupids could bring their non riding heartthrobs, all drove their cages. All agreed the food was excellent and the views inspiring. A drawing for a special cash prize was held and $25.00 and a giant Hershey’s Kiss was awarded to new member Jack Peterson. His S.O., Dawn, immediately claimed her half due to community property considerations. If you missed this one we are all praying for the health of your love life which would have been greatly enhanced if you could have attended. If counseling can help feel free to call a clubby who will be thrilled to talk to someone who’s life is more unsatisfying than their own.
See you out there…..
EDITOR MIKE
MARGRETE”S SUPER BOWL PARTY
Well, she did it again!!!!!!! Of course I’m referring to Drifter Margrete throwing another fantastic SBP. Over twenty Drifter sports fans and trenchermen and trencher women gathered to watch the Patriots whip the Rams in a low scoring (lowest in history) Super Bowl matchup. Your editor was unable to attend because he dropped his 900 pound Harley on his foot and ankle and couldn’t walk. I don’t know which was the more painful, the injury or that I was missing out on free food! Since I couldn’t attend I watched the game and of course the usually terrific Super Bowl commercials and the usually disappointing half time show at home. The commercials seemed way below par, bland, and with none of the edginess that we’ve come to expect from prior years. There seemed to me to be a heavy dose of political correctness in most. There was even a Budweiser beer one that featured windmill power to make beer for the global warming crowd, another on empowering women and girls. The best explanation for the wimpy commercials I heard was that corporations fear offending anyone that might start boycotts or twitter wars against their products. The halftime show was one of the best displays of how far down our culture has fallen I have seen. Maybe I’m just an old dinosaur and “out of it” but to me it was sad to see. I had to laugh at myself as I remembered the discussions I had with my students back in the day about the downside of getting tattoos, one of which was possible problems with getting employment in some careers or being accepted in some areas of society. Remember when grown men running around tattooed without a shirt was usually a trailer park phenomena? No need to go into “Big Boi” and the example he sets for our young people. Of course it seems that the nation’s youth don’t care so much for cool cars and motorcycles anymore so I guess the world as we have known it is passing away. Next year I hope to be able to attend a Super Bowl party in person. I definitely plan to be at the food table or in the bathroom during commercials and halftime shows……or at my age asleep in my chair until a wild cheer or scream awakens me! Really sorry to have missed it this time.
See you out there………eventually!
EDITOR MIKE
DRIFTERS 2019 ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
Saturday evening, January 26th, Drifters met at Editor Mike’s man cave in Sky Mountain Golf Community for their 2019 once a year business meeting and pot luck dinner. We had a good turnout and plenty of tasty pot luck dinner contributions. At 4:30 PM the meeting and dinner set up commenced and at 5:00 Drifters got in the food line to sample all the yummies set out for them. There were salads, fried chicken, teriyaki meatballs, enchiladas, Lynne’s famous and always terrific chili relleno, chips and dip, hot rolls, bread, and pumpkin pie and cookies for dessert. At 6:00 PM the business meeting was called to order and Editor Mike was designated master of ceremonies by the activities committee since we have no club president at this time. After the introductory remarks the committee members for 2018 were presented. Dawn Derenski, Margret Ramos, Pam Fabio, Barbara Templeton, Bonnie Clarke, and Lynne Piper did a great job planning monthly dinners at various area locations as well as the annual BBQ hosted by Dewayne and Kathy Smith at their Brookside , Utah cabin. They also planned the annual Christmas party held at Chef Alfredo’s Ristorante in St. George. The club owes them big time for all their hard work. Next, the State of the Drifters was reviewed by Mike and the members. The treasurer’s report was next with our treasurer, Lynne Piper, discussing our club finances for the past year and how things look going into 2019. She suggested having our annual dues remain at $30.00 for a single member or couple. Members then voted and $30.00 was approved for 2019. It was also agreed to continue with the $25.00 raffle drawings on some our special rides and the chance of winning $25.00 if you read the newsletter and enter the drawing for that by giving the “code word” occasionally found in the newsletter. It was also approved by the members to have 50/50 raffles at some functions where 50% of the money collected goes to the club treasury and 50% goes to the winner. Participation in all 50/50 raffles are voluntary. Tonight the 50/50 raised $81 and Barbara Templeton won the $41 and the other $40 went in the kitty. After the treasurer’s report the club presented treasurer, Lynne Piper, with a Drifter dedicated service award plaque for her now twenty years of faithful service to the Drifters. Lynne has served since 1998 and was re-elected unanimously for another term. Webmaster Dawn Derenski next reviewed our expenses for our snazzy website and the members voted to continue having the site. Members agreed our site is great for communicating with our clubbies and has served to draw new members into the fold. Dawn reports that club rosters will soon be available for all members. Business cards, name tags, and Drifter logo iron on tee shirt transfers and club patches, are available for purchase. See Dawn to place an order. The club then decided after some discussion to not have club officers again this year as no one wanted to be nominated for president or secretary. We have four club volunteers who have all agreed to serve for 2019. They are Dawn as webmaster and committee member, John Marshall as Drifter photographer, and Mike as editor. Lynne will serve as an elected club officer, treasurer, and also as a committee member. New member, Dawn Peterson, volunteered to serve on the activities committee with Dawn Derenski, and Lynne. Becca Matlock (one of our lucky snowbirds) also volunteered for the committee when she is in town. Since the rest of the 2018 committee members are not continuing for 2019 we could use more volunteers. Contact Dawn Derenski or Lynne if you would like to be committee members for this year. Instead of a ride committee we voted to continue with our standing ride schedule that is posted on our website. Members can suggest and lead a ride if they are willing to plan one. Contact webmaster Dawn to schedule it. Our chili cook off event and a return to Minden, Nevada for dayrides out of the Carson Valley Inn are in the works. Also the Drifter Valentine Day Ride is coming in February. It was great to welcome back Bill and Judy LaSalata to the Drifters. Bill and Judy moved back to Connecticut last year but are planning to return to Dixie. They are here in town visiting with their daughter, Vera, until their home back east sells. Bill’s Slingshot trike is still down east but he’ll have it out here soon. Also nice to meet Jack and Dawn Peterson who joined the Drifters at the meeting. They each ride their own Can Am trikes. Also nice to meet their friend Paul who is thinking of moving to our area from central California. For new business, Margret invited Drifters to her Super Bowl party to be held at her cute Hurricane home. Don’t miss this one! Be there to see Mike’s Rams squashed by grandpa Brady and the Patriots. Details for Margrete’s party will be emailed out by Dawn. It starts at 3:30 PM. on this coming Sunday. Then it was moved we adjourn. Thanks to those who brought tables and chairs for the meeting and all the GREAT food !!!!!!!!!! Thanks webmaster Dawn for preparing the business meeting agenda and past years Drifter rides list. Thanks, Lynne, for keeping our books straight again last year. Thanks to the 2018 committee for all you did. Thanks to you all for not throwing rotten fruit or booing the M.C. too loudly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
Drifter Annual New Years Day Polar Bear Ride 2019
A bright sunny New year’s Day greeted fourteen hungry Drifters as they mounted up for the annual run to Mesquite’s Los Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant. Bright and sunny, but cold with temps in the thirties as we pulled out from Exit 2 Terrible’s Chevron. None the less, our heroes blasted down the Virgin River Gorge and reached the friendly confines of Los Lupe’s with hardly a shiver, especially those who drove their cages. The food was good and plentiful and our special table buzzed with happy conversation. Those on bikes decided to brave what nature had to challenge them and rode home via the Bunkerville Loop and then up and over Utah Hill where temps dropped to 28 degrees at the summit. All was well, however, since our brave heart riders were wearing their electric gear. Thanks for all who came out and hope you enjoyed our first Drifter ride of 2019!
Editor Mike
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Drifter Christmas Dinner 2018
Twenty six Drifters and friends joined for our annual Christmas dinner on Monday night at 6PM at Chef Alfredo’s located in the historic Heritage area in downtown St. George. The location made for a festive atmosphere with the Christmas lights on display in the Town Square park across Tabernacle at Main. Before dinner, club members milled about our private dining area visiting, talking, and catching up with what was happening with any Drifters they hadn’t seen for awhile. Soon it was time to grab a seat at a booth or table and get down to serious Drifter business which of course is ordering dinner. The food was finally delivered around 7:30, just before some chow hounds were going to recreate a scene from the movie ” The Big House” where inmates bang their cups, plates, and spoons ( no forks or knives please ) on the table to voice their complaints. Steve Sarchette called me over to his table and offered me $50.00 for my meal if I got it before his arrived ! Before I could act his meal was served and I lost out on a deal Jon Kromroy would have died for. Attendance was down a little due to Drifters who couldn’t come because of health or injury. Long time Drifter Art Estrada passed away recently and Bruce Hendrickson is in the hospital and it appears he may not survive his illness. Ken Montgomery and his wife, Linda, didn’t make it because Ken fell down an escalator and is pretty chewed up. Just think, all those miles on a motorcycle and he eats it on an escalator! Ken will recover soon we hope. Our Margrete was out of town so we missed her company too. John Templeton was out of town flight instructing a student but wife Barbara came and represented them both. Vern and Susan couldn’t make it because Susan had to work. Thanks to Pam Fabio and Bonnie Clarke and the committee for arranging the dinner. It was really nice. Thanks to John Marshall, our unofficial club photographer, for taking many pics at the dinner some of which will be seen in the newsletter. Thanks to webmaster Dawn Derenski for putting out all the announcements and reminders about the dinner and of course Pam and Tom for handling the RSVPs. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!!!!!!! Hope to see you out for the Drifter New Years Day Polar Bear Ride to lunch at Los Lupe’s. Remember, its a rain or shine event so drive your cage if you must. Details in the newsletter!
Editor Mike
Drifter Non Turkey Non Mesquite Trot – Nov 18, 2018
The ever adventurous Drifter riders decided it was too early in the winter riding season to give up riding to one of their favorite summer destinations. Therefore, eight well layered Drifters met at Exit 2 Terrible’s gas station to brave whatever temps the motorcycle gods threw at them. The day was gloriously sunny and bright and an acceptable 54 degrees at KSU. We rolled Route 7, the Southern Parkway, past the new St. George International Airport and skirted Sand Hollow to reach bucolic Hurricane, Utah where we picked up our northern riders. Next, we grabbed Route 59 up to the mesa, past locomotive mountain, and pass through Hildale and Colorado City. Soon we find Cane Beds Road and head east. Now we are gaining elevation as we cruise through some really beautiful and remote scenery. As we pass by Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park we see no one out on the dunes in their machines. As we ride in 50 to 52 degree temps everyone is glad they bundled up for this run. We hit a low of 48 but then it starts to warm a bit as we crest the summit and start down Hwy. 89 to Carmel Junction and the Thunderbird Restaurant. We pile into the restaurant and are seated at a perfect for us round table where we can talk and visit easily. The grub was really good with orders for chili, cheese, and onions, chicken fried steak with gravy, BLT sandwich with fries, and taco salads. All this washed down with HOT coffee which we needed to thaw out. After lunch we split into two groups to head home. One group rode Zion National Park and the other took the Kanab, Fredonia, Pipe Spring route. Temps back in St. George, around 61 degrees. It was a fun day and hopefully we can get in a few more non Mesquite putts before Mother Nature shuts the door on us.
Thanks to all Drifters who came out for the ride and to webmaster Dawn who put out last minute updates and info about the ride.
Editor Mike
Drifter Monthly Dinner at Cafe Sabor in Historic St. George – November 14, 2018
Twenty-two hungry Drifters descended on the relatively new Cafe Sabor in quaint and charming St. George, Utah. Many of our diners had not eaten here before and were anxious to try out its Mexican cuisine. We had plenty of time to chat and visit with old (and new) friends as dinner didn’t arrive until an hour and a half after we first sat down. We only had a couple of fainters and they were revived without difficulty with a few swallows of chips and salsa which had made it to our tables at the start of the evening. Our bar bill was enhanced with all the extra drinks that were downed hoping that some nourishment might be had from eating the twists of lime in the beers or perhaps an olive or an orange peel could be found at the bottom of your glass. I saw one Drifter who found their salsa serving empty actually licking the bowl. To be fair this was an hour into our waiting with hope for food dwindling. We were thrilled to see Mat and Becca Matlock back in town after summering at their home in Susanville, California. Ken and Linda Montgomery also attended. John and Barbara Templeton made a boffo appearance since John’s Fokker D7 was down for repairs and Babs was run out of Mesquite for winning too much at the tables. Thanks to Bonnie Clarke for setting up the dinner and being the RSVP contact. Thanks to our activities committee for filling up the Drifter calendar with great dinners at neat venues all around the area. Dawn Derenski brought the remaining Drifter tee shirts that hadn’t been picked up yet by their new owners. Everyone agrees the new Drifter tees are really classy and can be worn to the most snooty establishments with pride. Good work Dawn! The food finally arrived and most said theirs was really good. Of course after starving for so long Taco Bell would have received rave reviews. I can’t speak for the others, but I enjoyed the extra time I got to spend with my clubbies. However ,I blew my diet eating at least four times the chips and salsa I normally would consume.
Editor Mike
Drifter Dinner Magelby’s Restaurant, October 20, 2018
13 Drifters enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Magelby’s Restaurant last Saturday. We had a nice evening of conversation and embellishing tall tales! The food was great, and some Drifters even brought their own bottles of wine to assist with the ambience. A couple Drifters took advantage of the free cake coupon offered by the establishment, and what a cake it was! Rich gooey fudge frosting on a five-layer cake that took up an entire serving platter…complete with 3 scoops of ice cream! Needless to say, most everyone got a pretty good taste if they wanted. Dawn passed out Drifter logo t-shirts to those that had ordered them, and 2 lucky Drifter names were drawn to get theirs free. Tom Fabio had the honor of drawing tickets for the contest. Congratulations to Don Quayle and Matt Mattlock who were the lucky winners! Everyone seemed to be pleased with their new Drifter T-shirts! Those Drifters that didn’t attend were sorely missed. Hopefully we will see you next month at our next Drifter dinner Wednesday, November 14th at Cafe Sabor.
Drifter Dinner Rusty’s Ranch House, Cedar City Sep 8, 2018
Hungry Drifters met at one of our favs for dinner Saturday, September 8th. The place was Rusty’s Steakhouse in bucolic Cedar Canyon on state route 14 just up a few miles from Cedar City. A good turn out of Drifters ensured an evening of good conversation and merrymaking. Of course this, combined with our Drifter tradition of loving to eat a great meal, Hell, any kind of meal, ensured a good time was had for all who attended. Our Drifter dinners are also fun since we almost always see some of our Drifter friends that we haven’t seen for a while. Tonight was no different as we were thrilled to have Art and Brenda Estrada joining in with the socializing. Everyone seemed content with their menu choices and of course the chatter tapered off when the food arrived and our diners got down to business. Personally, I could do Rusty’s more than once a year with the Drifters but I guess we have to move around a bit to offer some variety to the membership. Those Drifters who didn’t make it this time will have more chances at Rusty’s in the future. Thanks to our planning committee for providing a fun and tasty evening!
Editor Mike
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Drifter Torrey Ride August 25-26, 2018
Due to ride leader Vern Gillihan’s excellent planning plus his expert leadership the Drifter overnight to Torrey, Utah was a great success! August 25th and 26th weekend was chosen for the event and Vern had a good turnout. Twenty seven Drifters and guests on twelve bikes (and one sled) participated in the ride. Of course we all marveled how wonderful Hwy. 12 is and everyone agreed it has to be one of the best roads in the world to tour on a motorcycle. At least one couple had never been on 12 before and loved it. We had a nice lunch at the Bryce Canyon Pines cafe, one of our favorite places to eat. A rest and gas stop at the Escalante, Utah Sinclair turned into a leisurely gab fest as we sat in the shade and drank cool drinks and nibbled junk snacks from the Sinclair mini market. Soon we on the road again and traversing the most spectacular portions of the 12. Then it was up and over beautiful Boulder Mountain where we stopped at a vista pullout and absorbed the awe inspiring view that was offered. Soon we were dropping down into Torrey and pulling into The Broken Spur Hotel to get our rooms. A couple of Drifters had waited too long to make reservations and had to book at the Days Inn next to the Spur. A pleasant surprise was that Tom and Pam Fabio showed up later on their Indian! Tom has had some issues with his shoulders and wasn’t sure if they should come on the ride but they couldn’t stand to miss out. They had found a room at a place about three miles east out of town. The Spur used to be the Wonderland Motel and Drifters have stayed there several times before. After a relaxing time off the bikes and maybe even a few naps, Drifters and guests walked over to the Spur’s steakhouse for dinner. All twenty seven of us enjoyed a nice dinner of steak or whatever. Some had adult beverages too since they didn’t have to get back on their sleds until morning. Sunday morning found Vern leading the group home. Drifters John Marshall and Danny Martin continued on heading for Bear Tooth Pass and Red Lodge Montana. They made me feel a little wimpy as Trish and I headed for home in our SLED!!!!!!!!! Thanks ,Vern, for a great ride!!!!!!!!!
EDITOR MIKE
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Drifters Annual Picnic August 4, 2018
Monthly Drifter Dinner June 8, 2018
Drifters gathered at Cedar City’s famous pub, Toadz, Friday evening June 8th to dine and enjoy a pop and good
conversation. As an added attraction it was also “Tough Titty” night and the breast cancer awareness crew were there setting up a booth on the dance floor selling various items, including tee shirts emblazoned with, you guessed it, TOUGH TITTY” on the front. They even wandered by our table offering the shirts for sale but got no takers. Their efforts might have faired better if they had brought in some “Hooter” girl types to “push up” (Ha, Ha!) interest in their wares. A band was also setting up on stage but we were long gone before they fired up. Long serving treasurer, Lynne Piper, and her husband, Dave, were presented with a beautiful framed crossstitch depiction of their adored pet “Otis” who passed away recently. Our wonderful, Margrete, spent many long hours creating the Otis likeness and having it beautifully framed for hanging. If the Drifters had a “seamstress” club officer Margrete would run unopposed, she’s that good. Come to think of it, all drifter club officer nominees run unopposed when we can get one! Anyways, it was a fun get together and nice to visit Cedar City for dinner. Sorry if you couldn’t make this time.
Editor Mike
Drifter Page Loop Ride – 5-6-18
On Sunday, May 6th, Drifters set out on the always popular Page Loop Ride. After meeting at Hurricane McDumps seven Drifters blasted up and over Jacob Lake and rumbled past the beautiful and spectacular Vermillion Cliffs. A quick rest and bathroom break was held at Navajo Bridge where Hwy. 89A crosses the Colorado River. The Condors have been moved out so there was no hope of getting to see one fly near the bridges as we used to do. Drifter, Jim Frick, had never been at the bridge before and enjoyed giving it a look see. The old bridge no longer allows vehicles to cross but pedestrians are welcome. We continued on our way and rode up the newly repaired Hwy. 89, past the Colorado River Horseshoe Bend viewing area which was jammed with cars and tourists, and into Page, AZ. We had our lunch at the Dam Bar Bar and Grill and it was damn good! We had a big table that could seat us all and we had a great time since we could all sit together.We gassed up after lunch and headed towards Glen Canyon Dam. Then it was over the dam and we started the long leg of our ride through Big Water to Kanab. Jim Frick had received a call from his wife that she was going to the hospital emergency room with abdominal pain. He broke off from us at Kanab to ride home the shortest and quickest route to be at her side while the rest of us continued on through Zion National Park. Jim’s wife needed her gall bladder removed and thankfully everything turned out okay. This was our longest Drifter day ride so far this year. It was over 300 miles for the day. St. George riders probably did 325 including to and from Hurricane McDonalds. The weather was pleasant, not too hot, and winds were manageable. Thanks to all who came out for the ride. Thanks to webmaster Dawn for putting out the ride announcements. Glad to hear Jim’s wife is OK!!!
Mike
PS If any Drifter wants to suggest, plan, and lead a ride, day or overnight. contact Dawn or a committee member so we can set it up.
Drifter May Dinner – 5-8-18
On Tuesday, May 8th, at 6:00 PM ,Drifters met at ‘Bout Time Pub and Grill in St. George for dins and grins. Twenty Drifters sat in their own section of the pub and pretended to listen to each other as they tried to view the many sports events displayed on the televisions located around the pub. The food at ‘Bout Time is always good and we always enjoy our dinners here. Its a nice casual atmosphere and no need to dress up and have to wear a clean motorcycle shirt. The dinner gave us all a chance to say a temporary farewell to Drifters who are departing the area to escape the hot summer weather that’s coming. Mat and Becca are heading to their digs in Susanville, California and Russ and Cheryl have already returned to Minnesota. We will be glad to see them when they return in the fall.
Editor Mike
Drifter Laughlin River Run April 25th – 27th.
Drifters Met at Bloomington Exit 4 Chevron on Wednesday, April 25th for the ride to the 35th annual Laughlin River Run. KSU was at 9:00 AM. Two routes were planned for the riders. A shorter route down US 95 and a longer one down US 93 to Kingman,AZ and route 66 through historic Oatman, AZ. But before riders had to decide which route to take we all rode together to Overton, NV for a great breakfast at the famous Sugar’s Cafe. After chow we cruised Hwy. 169 down past Lake Mead. A highlight of the ride was the fact that 25% of the group was female riding their own sleds! Upon reaching US 93 the group split up with exactly half of the group opting for the shorter route west through Boulder City and down US 95. The long riders veered east and crossed over the new Hoover Dam bridge and proceeded to hammer down US 93. The long riders stopped for lunch at Rosie’s Den Cafe right on 93. Rosie’s is an icon of biker lore and has been rebuilt since a roach went up in spontaneous combustion and the joint burned down. Veteran roadie, John Marshall, reported that the chili he ordered was as good as rumored but not in the same league as that served at the Inside Scoop in Overton. Reaching Kingman a stop for gas proved anti Kromroyian when gas was $ 3.39 a gallon for regular and at gas stations an eighth of a mile farther was $2.69 per !!!!!!!! EGAD !!!!!! Cheapskate and Kromroy disciple , Mike Roe, who was leading the ride and selected the gas stop was crestfallen the rest of the trip over his blunder. Especially since he knew better from a stop in Kingman years ago when he was screwed by the same station ! Old 66 was as great on a bike as always. John Marshall kept remarking on how much smoother the old road was and how they must have fixed it. Ride leader Mike suggested that it was the new state of the art suspension on his brand new redesigned 2018 Honda Goldwing that made the road seem so much smoother since the old road was still loosening Mike’s teeth as it always had. Oatman wasn’t that busy when our group arrived but we stopped anyway and got some ice-cream in the Oatman Hotel. As we left Oatman and dropped down into the Colorado River Valley temps started to climb reaching into triple digits. We were glad to reach our Aquarius Hotel and check into our rooms. After cooling off, our attitudes improved. No Drifter dinner was planned for Wednesday night but would be held at the Outback in the hotel on Thursday. Some cruised the vendors but most were closing early since the run didn’t officially start until tomorrow. Thursday was even hotter than Wednesday. Some reports said it reached 105 to 108 degrees. Couldn’t believe all the bikers walking around in black clothing. A lot of sunburned tattoos started to be displayed as well and folks were turning pink in their wife beater shirts and skimpy tops. The Drifter dinner at the outback was nice. There was a special on steak and ribs with a side of your choice and most Drifters ordered that. One Drifter who was unhappy with their meal of a filet and lobster tail brought it to the attention of the manager and was refunded their money. This was generous of Outback since most of the sad dinner had been consumed. After dinner some Drifters hit the vendors again. It was now dark and much cooler. You could sit and listen to live music and have an adult beverage. For horn dogs there were even a pair of pole dancers gyrating and shimmying up and down their brass poles ! Friday morning found Drifters packing up and loading up their sleds for the ride home. Drifters were free to ride home on their own without a planned ride so they could leave whenever they wanted. The day was cooler than Thursday and the hottest part of the ride was done in the AM when it was cooler. Some Drifters encountered gusty winds on I 15 going home but made it home safe and sound.
Ride Leader Mike
PS Thanks to Drifters who came with us on the River Run !!!!!!!! When a club ride is planned it is gratifying to have people come out and support the club. It makes the effort to plan and lead the ride worthwhile.
PPS Thanks to Webmaster, Dawn Derenski, for putting out all the ride announcements and for scheduling the Thursday night Outback Drifter dinner.
Nice river view from Mark & Dawn’s room!
Drifter Dinner at Chef Alfredo’s – April 13th, 2018
Drifters met for the first club dinner they have held at the new Chef Alfredo’s Italian Ristorante in historical St. George town center. Twenty four Drifter Paisanos And Paisanas and guests were treated to their own private area in the restaurant to have a little wine, great food, and conversation. Drifters were thrilled to see veteran Drifters, Frank and Sue Davis, who are in town and staying at their beautiful Parawan home and were able to join us for the festivities. Sue is the former Susan Wright, sister of our beloved K Wright who passed away four years ago. Greg and Bonnie invited a friend, Ray, who may be purchasing Bonnie’s excellent Honda trike and hopefully will want to ride with us if he gets it. Mat and Becca, who joined this year also came. Mat re-injured his wrist and hasn’t been able to ride but is healing. Past Drifter, Sherry Meyer, found time from remodeling her home to stop by too. Thanks to Pam Fabio for setting up this fabulous venue. Everyone was looking forward to trying out Chef Alfredo’s new St. George location. There already is one in Cedar City. The food was REALLY good! All who attended agreed we should come again. After our meal, Chef Alfredo himself came out from the kitchen and went table to table and asked if everyone enjoyed their meal. We all assured him we were thrilled with the menu and that the food was wonderful. Even John Templeton, who apparently forgot Barbara wasn’t with him, wasn’t that upset with getting what he surmised was a dinner for two which included two lobster tails and what looked like a double portion of filet. Unfortunately, John’s tab was twice what he expected ( was this a Friday the 13th snafu?). It all tasted great he reports. Wonder if Dudley got any leftovers? This was really a fun night! Hope you didn’t miss it !!!!!!!!!!!
Editor Mike
PS Thanks again to those who were even later to arrive than Trish and me. Thanks also to Tom for calling me as I circled the block for the fifth time and me giving directions. Thanks to Trish for putting up with my Chinese fire drill. Gee, is that racist ? It is in California.
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Drifter Tee Shirt Ride -April 8, 2018
A beautiful, sunny,cloudless day with nice temps greeted Drifters eager for a ride somewhere, ANYWHERE, other than Mesquite, Nevada! They were willing to wear their oldest, most tattered, or raunchy tee shirts just for the chance to join in the ride. Of course the chance to win a replacement shirt for their wardrobe selected from the Deseret Industries Collection endorsed by Jon Kromroy was a huge incentive. Drifters met at Hurricane McDonalds for the ride to the Cedar City area riding the two lane blacktop as much as possible. On the way Drifter Steve Black met us at Exit 42 as we left the super slab for a bucolic tool up Old Hwy. 91 through Kanarraville. After a cruise of west Cedar City we descended into Lupita’s Mexican Restaurant’s parking lot. Tom and Pam were already there and helped secure enough tables for us all to be able to sit together. It was rumored that Tom and Pam had ridden on their own to lunch because they were embarrassed to be seen with us due to our classless apparel. This was dispelled when T and P revealed their own tee shirt entries! Pam wore a cute “green jello” tee and Tom was totally politically incorrect with his LGBT tee which ended up winning first prize in the raunchy, P.I. category. Ken Montgomery also showed up on his cool custom built chopper. it was good to see him! A highlight of the festivities was when Tom mistakenly used the Women’s restroom for a pit stop. Of course a photo of the event was demanded and Drifter Steve Black snapped Tom’s exit with his smart phone. Tom explained all was cool since his LGBT tee might calm anyone shocked or offended by suggesting Tom was possibly “trans” and was entitled to declare he felt like he was female at the time! After a fun lunch we met outside the restaurant in a grassy area to judge the tee entries and award the victors their D.I. “Collection” shirts. Dawn won oldest shirt with her 1981 Stones concert shirt. Don Quayle took the rattiest shirt with a Harley anniversary tee. Tom’s LGBT shirt swept the voting for most politically incorrect shirt. If you seeTom ask him what the LGBT letters stood for on his shirt. I omit them here as we are concerned with what Facebook or Google might do with the information. Each winner had a choice of three D.I. shirts after picking cards to see who chose first. Tom, apparently trying to recover some class after the LGBT shirt, turned down all three of his choices declaring none of the shirts offered were up to his standards. What do you want for a buck apiece? We rode home on Hwy. 56 to Enterprise and took a break for refreshments there. Then it was down Hwy. 18 to St. George and home. Drifter “Man of The Year” award goes to Steve Sarchette for completing the entire ride after telling his lovely wife, Marilyn, that he would only meet us for coffee at McDumps and come right home to help entertain their house guests. Several admiring Drifters offered Steve use of their couches at home if things went badly for Steve. Thanks to all who came out for the ride and to those who participated in the tee shirt contest!!!!!!
Mike
Part of the lunch bunch at Lupita’sSome of our slick ridesKen M arrived on his beautiful red chopper!The tough process of selecting our prize T-shirts!Drifters – what a classy bunch!Drifters – what a classy bunch!Tom making his exit from the “Damas” Ladies room…
Drifter St. Patrick’s Day Dinner
Drifters headed for The Rib and Chop House in booming St. George, Utah for their umpteenth Wearin’ O the Green dinner. Although we dined on Friday the 16th, the evening before the actual official March 17th celebration, a great time was had by all. Drifters were greeted with our own special room with small green Irish style hats for table settings and green and white wintergreen candies strewn the lengths of each table. Our ranks were thinned by Drifters who were out of town on trips and some who caught the bug and stayed home to avoid spreading the crud to others. Still, sixteen Drifters and guests chowed down together. The food was great as usual and restaurant staff made sure we all got our orders in timely fashion. Those who wore green were allowed to enter a drawing to win a free dessert compliments of our club. Treasurer, Lynne Piper, graciously opened the Drifter check book and doled out the funds for the table decorations, candy, and of course the dessert prize. New member, Marilyn Sarchette, won the dessert for wearing her beautiful green necklace. Those who forgot to wear their green had frantically grabbed the green table hats to wear or put a green table candy between their teeth hoping to be worthy for a chance to win. One Drifter who had a piece of lettuce stuck in their teeth from eating their salad was denied entry. Thanks to activities committee member Margrete and webmaster, Dawn Derenski, for setting up the venue and Dawn, again, for getting the table favors. Thanks also to Margrete for planning the dinner and taking the list of RSVPs. It seems that every year at our St. Pat’s dinner we can’t help but think of our club brother K Wright who sadly passed away four years ago the day after our then St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Memories of K were expressed as usual this year. RIP K. We all sure miss you. K and Margrete have done so much for our club over the years. We’ll never tire of expressing our gratitude and appreciation.
Editor Mike
Drifter Valentine Day Lunch Ride 2018
Wednesday, February 14th, marked the Drifter run to Mesquite Nevada’s Conestoga Golf Club’s 1880 Grill for our annual love fest / feast. This was our first Valentine Day lunch at the 1880 Grill. The Grill has a ski lodge atmosphere with open beam ceilings and a nice bar if an adult beverage is desired. The view out the large windows is of the well manicured golf course. Our own table was set and ready when we arrived and was strewn with heart shaped candies wrapped in love pink foil. The white chocolate hearts were filled with peanut butter and were tasty and made for a healthy snack. Lunch was ordered off the menu and everyone agreed the food was good. Service was prompt and the grub was served at about the same time so we could all start eating together. The help was friendly and seemed interested in having us enjoy our experience at the Grill. The only negative for the ride is when our experienced and storied ride leader, Mike “SLO” Roe, missed the off ramp of I 15 onto Mesquite’s Falcon Ridge Drive and had to lead our group to the next off ramp and U turn it back to the proper route. Senior moment? All ended well and minimal ragging and teasing was unleashed on our embarrassed leader. All agreed the ride was inspirational and some couples even renewed their marriage vows in the parking lot before heading home to Utah. Some were so jazzed it was said some Drifters even might consider picking up a few extra brides and moving to “The Crick” when they got home! Love was definitely in the air on the Drifter Love Ride 2018!!!!!!!!!
Editor Mike
Drifter Super Bowl Party 2018 – Margrete’s Hurricane Rancho
Margrete’s Super Bowl Party was held at her impressive Hurricane, Utah rancho on game day Sunday, February 4th, 2018. Twenty one people and almost as many dogs were in attendance to cheer on their team in an exciting close game that could have gone either way but ended in a 41 to 33 Eagles win over the Patriots. The game was great but the food was even better and we all know this is the most important thing for Drifters. Margrete provided the delicious main course of ham and turkey sandwiches and scalloped potatoes along with tasty side snacks too. Attending Drifters brought even more goodies to nibble on during the game. Tom organized the usual football pool and Drifters put in big bucks for a chance to win back some of what they’d lost in other pools over the years. As luck would have it, Tom, wins the first quarter prize and was forced to hide outside among the cars until the threats and grumbling subsided. Susan takes the second quarter winnings and Sherry rakes in the third AND fourth quarter cash ! After the game people hung out and tried to finish off more of the food and Patriot fans were put on a suicide watch. Many tears, knashing of teeth, and rendering of garments by Pat fans was mollified by the scrumptious desserts offered. Sharp objects were denied to those threatening to end it all after their team’s loss which made eating dessert challenging for those afficted. The realization that those who ended it all would never EAT again convinced all watch people to put on a smile and soldier on for next season and hopefully win next year. Brady will only be 60 years old next year so the chances are the Pats will be in the Super Bowl again in 2019 ! Thanks again to Margrete opening up her home for ANOTHER great party. Drifters who missed this one will rue the day !
Editor Mike
Drifter Mesquite Motor Mania Car Show. Saturday, January 13th, 2018
Drifters met at Bloomington Exit 4 Chevron to cruise down to sunny Mesquite, Nevada for the annual Motor Mania car show. Over 700 cars were advertised to be on display and we were blessed with nice weather for the event. Drifter weather luck held again for the second Drifter ride of 2018. We also had a bright sunny day for our new year’s day Polar Bear Ride. Temps were around 55 degrees for the car show and reached 60 degrees for the ride home. After scrambling for parking as near to the action as possible Drifters dispersed amongst the cars on display on their own. As usual we ran into each other as we walked the event. Drifters ate lunch at McDump’s or the Casa Blanca casino when they were hungry since no group lunch was planned. Drifters left for home on their own or in small groups when they had had enough of the car show. Thanks to all club members who turned out for the car show ! Also, kudos to non member guests who came along too. Hopefully we Drifters met inspection and the new folks will want to join us as members for 2018 and beyond.
Editor Mike
Mike and Trish preparing to cruise the strip to “the roar of the crowd”Mike’s 49 Chevy approaching the “burn out” area on Mesquite Blvd.Heading for home…
Drifter New Year’s Day Polar bear ride 2018
The motorcycle gods smiled down on us this new year’s day and blessed us with a beautiful sunny day and reasonable temps for our annual Drifter Polar Bear lunch ride ! Twenty Drifters and guests ripped down the Virgin River Gorge and safely reached Los Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant in warmer Mesquite, Nevada. It was a pleasant 48 degrees when we pulled out of Bloomington, Utah and in the 50’s at lunch time in Mesquite. Drifters commented on how good the food was and we had a back room all to ourselves so we could freely socialize. After lunch some Drifters headed home to watch football or to be near a toilet when Los Lupe’s kicked in. Others went for a nice cruise on the Bunkerville loop and a special tour of the newly completed Scenic, Arizona loop pavement. Temps reached 64 degrees as we rolled through Beaver Dam and dipped to 55 as we crested Utah Hill on old Hwy. 91. Our last rest stop was at the Shivwitz gas stop near Kayenta.
We say our goodbyes and ride from there to our individual ranchos. A great day and I’m sure we’ll all remember the wonderful, balmy, sunny, Polar Bear ride we had “back in ’17” if we get a rainy, windy, and cold New Year’s Day sometimes in the years to come. Its always nice when a ride is planned on a special day like new year’s and we have a good turnout. Especially when the weather is not absolutely perfect ( 75 to 80 degrees anyone? ) Also, some Drifters have family and house guests to consider and of course football bowl games and new year’s 50 % off sales at Dillard’s. As a ride leader I really appreciate all who came out for this ride !!!!!!!!! Happy New Year to you all and looking forward to Drifters M/C 2018 !
Editor Mike
Drifters Annual Christmas Party 2017 – Rib & Chop House
Ho, Ho, Ho, !!!!! Twenty-seven Drifters converged on St. George’s popular Rib and Chop House for this year’s annual Christmas party and holiday dinner. We had our own private dining room so we had a nice venue for our celebrants. This year was different than previous events in that we all ordered from the regular menu as opposed to having a buffet. Drifters seemed to like the idea since they had more choices to pick from and could tailor their order to their individual tastes and budgets. Some folks ordered steaks, ribs, or seafood while others requested simpler fare like soups and salads or even chicken fried steak. Drifter treasurer, Lynne Piper, agreed to have the club pay the tip for the entire gathering. Thanks Lynne ! Another departure from past years was the dropping of the white elephant gift exchange. Interest seemed to have faded over the years for the exchange and instead it was suggested we could bring items for the Dove Center charity or even donate tax deductible cash contributions. Several bags of useful items were donated and placed on the gift table. I sneaked a peek into the bags and was gratified not to see white elephant regulars such as the naked lady nut cracker, blow up sheep, the Richard Simmons work out tape (and personal lube!) or Harbor Freight screw driver or flashlight sets. After dinner Drifters continued the good conversation and many milled around the room to talk and catch up with folks they were not seated next to or hadn’t seen for a while. It was suggested that next year we put up a small real Christmas tree in the party room and have each Drifter bring two ornaments for it. We then would have each Drifter select an ornament off the tree to take home. The tree and the remaining ornaments could be donated to the Dove center or other charity who would come and pick up the tree fully decorated . If you like the idea or have another suggestion contact the activities committee for next year. Thanks to Pam and Bonnie, members of the committee, for making all the arrangements for the party. Appreciation to John Marshall for his camera work capturing Drifters in their holiday resplendency for our club archives. John says the portrait photos will be painstakingly photo shopped and available for viewing soon.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Editor Mike
DeWayne and KathyGreg and BonnieTom and PamSuzanne and Dave
Dick and Ann
Dita and Don Mark and DawnRuss and Cheryl
Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Ride Saturday November 18, 2017
Drifters assembled at Bloomington Chevron for the 100th running of the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Ride. Weather cooperated with bright sunny skies and Drifter prospect, Nanuk Amok, recently of Port Arthur, Aleutian Islands, commented on the perfect temps for the putt. Temps continued to warm as we carved down the Virgin River Gorge and pulled into the resort atmosphere of beautiful Mesquite, Nevada. We wound our way up the challenging ascent, away from flatlander Mesquite, to the beautiful and classy Wolf Creek Country Club for our gourmet lunch prepared to our individual liking by their top notch chefs and served by friendly, efficient staff. After our meal and “after dinner” conservation it was time for what everyone was anticipating…… the drawing for the free turkey and other prizes that were provided by the club. Surprisingly, Jon Kromroy did not ride in from Henderson, Nevada for the chance to enter the drawing. Someone suggested that he perhaps attended the Henderson Senior Center’s free lunch instead. Drifter treasurer, Lynne Piper, released club moneys to fund the prizes and webmaster Dawn Derenski supervised the drawing. Below are the results.
First prize for the turkey……………………………………………….John Marshall
Second prize for the dressing and cranberry sauce………………Mike and Trish Roe
Third prize for cranberry sauce………………………………………Dawn and Mark Derenski
All winners also received a Thanksgiving themed table decoration to delight their family and friends at their own Thanksgiving celebration feast.
After closing the festivities the riders agreed to forgo the Bunkerville Scenic Highway and Cliven Bundy Memorial “We The People” flag display and head for the barn. Up and over Utah Hill on Old 91 was the route selected. A hilarious aspect of the ride home was John Marshall’s turkey, which he bungied on his luggage rack, kept flapping its wings and gobbling all the way home ! After a rest stop at the Shivwits tribal reservation gas station and convenience store on Old 91, near the “round eye’s” Kayenta community, riders dispersed to ride to their individual homes.
Thanks to all who participated in the 100th running. Hope to see Drifters for the 101st next year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Editor Mike
Friday Breakfast, Village Inn November 10, 2017
Drifters changed the venue for their Friday Breakfast to Village Inn on November 10th. It looks like a good change, since 14 Drifters showed up for a delicious breakfast. Village Inn made sure we could all be seated together and had set aside a number of tables that we just kept joining together as more folks arrived. Coffee was good, too!Here’s a couple photos to prove we were there! If you didn’t make it, join us next Friday and we’ll do it all over again. See you there!
John M’s visit to the 2017 Page Balloon Festival November 4, 2017
Hi Drifters, on 11/4/17, I rode to Page, AZ to their annual Balloon Regatta. HERE are a few of the many pictures I took. Yeah, I know, there are too many. Take care, John P.S. “Balloon Glow” where they tether some balloons on the main street in Page and inflate them was not held this year; it was too windy Saturday night.
Magelby’s Friday October 27th, 2017
Fifteen hungry Drifters assembled at the new Magleby’s Restaurant located near St. George Camping World for feasting, conversation, and fellowship, Friday October 27th. I guess it should be called “personship” since about half the group were from the distaff side. We were treated to the personal touch as a friend of Pam Fabio’s son, Eric, works there as a chef. He has worked with Eric at other restaurants and came out from the kitchen to greet us and assure that he would do all he could to make for a terrific dining experience for us. We all sat at a long table on chairs designed for much younger people who’s tolerance for discomfort is greater. Still, we had a fun time and nobody left early. Even after we stood up when dinner was over we milled around chatting up the people who we didn’t sit near and didn’t get to talk with. Thanks to Barbara Templeton for setting up the event and recording the RSVPs. Be sure to check the Drifter website for future dinners, rides, and events at driftersmc.com.
Editor Mike
Drifter Minden Destination Ride – September 24-28, 2017
Sunday, September 24th saw fifteen adventurous Drifter biker mountain men and women swarm into Minden, Nevada’s Carson Valley Inn to prepare for their assault of the High Sierra Mountain’s passes , beautiful Lake Tahoe, and California’s historical and picturesque Gold Rush country. Some drifters trailered their sleds, some drove cages and RVs, but some rode the 500+ miles to Minden. Special kudos to John Marshall, Danny Martin, and Steve Black who rode the distance in one day! Rumor has it that they did it non stop even fueling without shutting off their bikes. Steve Black did it on his Harley trike ! These Drifter iron men deserve acclaim for fulfilling the Drifter image of the “real ” biker traveler.
Sunday night the entire group ate at the CV Steakhouse in the casino of the Carson Valley Inn. Drifter,John Templeton, had secured a classy private room in the steakhouse so we could all eat together at one table. The food was good and adult beverages were flowing. A good time was had by all.
Monday morning we donned our warmies for the first day of riding. We headed out at 10 am to let temps warm a bit. It was around 48 to 50 degrees as we pulled out but sunny and bright. As we headed towards the base of the Sierras temps rose to 61 degrees. The narrow switch back Hwy 4 up towards Ebbetts Pass was a challenging ride. The road is barely wide enough for two cars to squeeze by to pass and no center line is provided. We met few cars so all was good. Steep drop offs with no guard rails up near the summit gave some folks goose bumps but we all mastered the climb with no problems. We reach the 8700 foot crest and the temp was 45 degrees. We descend the Sierras and the road soon reverts to a normal two lane blacktop. Temps rise as we reach the California Gold Rush town of Murphy’s . Its in the low 80’s here and we tear off our warm gear and will ride from here to the colder climes of Sonora Pass before suiting up again. We eat at the original Murphy’s Hotel built in the 1800’s. They have a nice tree shaded patio outside of the hotel and we have great lunch there.
With lunch over we mount up and ride to Angel’s Camp, home of Mark Twain’s “Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” short story. There we “jump” on California Hwy 49. Hwy 49 was designated 49 memorializing the Gold Rush of 1849 and the “Forty Niners”. 49 is called “The Golden Chain” because it links most of the Gold Rush towns together. Avoiding the busy town of Sonora by cutting over to Hwy 108 on Rawhide Road we save some valuable time. We need to since we started late this morning. We gas up at a Texaco and pay the outrageous California price of $3.49.9 a gallon for premium. We were ticked when we saw some cheaper ones later. I should have checked with Jon Kromroy before choosing a station.
Soon it was up and over beautiful Sonora Pass. Sonora is higher (9600 ft.) than Ebetts. Its more rugged and craggy at the summit and there was a lot of snow but the pavement was clear. Even though it was later in the day it was 45 degrees , same as Ebetts was when it was earlier in the day. We started down the other side of the Sierras and it started to warm up but not as warm as on the west side. We picked up the pace a little because we wanted to get back before dark. Bonnie Clark impressed us with her skill on her Honda trike. We were moving right along through the twisties and she was right with us. Soon we reached Hwy 395 and we blasted north to Minden reaching the Inn just before dark. 246 miles today. We have dinner at “Katies” the restaurant in the casino. John Marshall and Danny have pizza and suds in their room and watch MNF.
Tuesday was a free day and no ride was planned. Some people went out to Virginia City or the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Some just hang out at the casino. Wednesday, Vern and Susan, lead a ride to Downieville, CA, another Gold Rush town, for lunch. Another beautiful day and warmer than Monday’s ride. Really nice temps. We ride up over Spooner Pass on Hwy 50 and head north along the east Lake Tahoe shoreline. Absolutely gorgeous today. Reach Downieville, on Hwy 49 again, and decide on a neat joint to eat run by some guys from Colombia, South America. They spoke good English but with an accent. The waiter who brought out the food kept calling hamburgers “hamboogers” We all had a chuckle over this. We gas at a funky old style gas station in Downieville. We are surprised that gas was only $2.78.9 here for regular. Don’t tell Governor Moonbeam! Next we rode to Truckee, CA to visit the Donner Party Memorial Site since most of us haven’t been there for quite a while or at all. Its best to visit here on a full stomach! Its right off I 80. It was amusing (or sick) that when we were viewing the huge statue dedicated to the men, women, and children pioneers who passed through this area, some of whom starved to death here, visible through the trees was a huge Chevron gas station sign that read “Food Mart”. Then it was back to the Inn for dinner. 223 miles today. Thanks, Vern and Susan, for a great ride!
Thursday morning saw everyone having breakfast on their own and loading their bikes on their trailers or preparing to actually ride their sleds home. It seems everyone agreed the destination ride was a success and there is talk of planning one for next year. If any Drifters have suggestions for our next destination ride please pipe up. Thanks to all Drifters who participated this time!!!!!!! Thanks to the Heavens for the wonderful weather!!!!!!!
Editor Mike
Great times at the Minden Destination Ride!
September 20th Drifter Dinner – Verla’s Country Cafe in Enterprise, UT.
A couple handfuls of Drifters appeared in Enterprise for a fantastic dinner at Verla’s. Verla herself put in an appearance, just to make sure everything was delicious.. and it certainly was! Nearly everyone had the “special”…bbq pork ribs, kettle cooked potatoes, bbq beans, cole slaw and garlic bread. I think one lone holdout had the chicken fried steak, which I am told was very yummy as well. We had our own private room in the back and our waitress was a character! We might even make this a regular thing, everything was just that good, and the price was a steal! Thanks to Lynne for making the arrangements for all of us! It was great hanging with Drifter friends. Until next time…
Dawn
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September 16. 2017 Ride to Antimony, UT
Drifter Antimony Lunch Ride
After two wise postponements, hungry Drifters finally outwitted inclement weather and roared to another culinary triumph at the renowned Antimony Merc in Antimony, Utah. Our rescheduling of the ride to Saturday September 16th required us to perhaps share the venue with the Zion Hog Chapter, as they had scheduled their ride on the same day. As we met at the Coral Canyon Texaco at the 8:30 AM departure time, we saw some of the HOG people gassing up their sleds before their meet up at the Zion Harley dealership. We were wanting to beat the HOG group to the Merc so as to get the best seating, as we didn’t know how many of them would be showing up. We blasted off for Cedar City’s Canyon Park to pick up our northern riders. After joining up at the park, we decide to ride north on I 15 to Hwy. 20 and then roll east to Hwy. 89.
Fall is in the air and temps drop into the 40’s. The lowest reading on my bike’s temp gauge dipped to 42 degrees at the summit of the Hwy. 20 stretch over to the 89. As we headed north on 89, temps were 46 to 50 degrees and nippy. Fog like wispy clouds were close to the ground and made it feel damp as well as cold. Reached Hwy 62 and headed east through the small farm town of Kingston and passed Otter Creek lake. We are now on Hwy. 22 that leads into Antimony. No sign of the Hog people and unless they are coming up 22 from Bryce, it appears that we have succeeded in beating them to the Merc. Its cold enough that we decide to eat inside, the first time for some of us. I guess I was colder than I realized on the bike and I couldn’t stop shivering until I had downed a couple cups of hot coffee. I was the wuss of the group as the others seemed fine. They did have on warmer gear, however.
We ordered humongous burgers that came with fries and someone ordered fish and chips. Really yummy ! We had finished our gorge and still no HOGS. We wondered what happened to them. After an hour or so of Drifter comradeship and spinning yarns about some of our most coldest rides, we paid our bills and those who needed to gassed up. We roll south on 22 with temps now hovering between 59 and 63. Much better than on the way in. Reach Hwy. 12 and head west. We stop at a Chevron so the rest of us can gas up and we take a break. Still no HOG people. At the 89 we pound south to Tod’s Junction and then up and over Cedar Mountain to Cedar CIty. Two Drifters peel off at this point and the other six head towards St. George via Kanarraville on old 91. We stop at I 15, exit 42 Texaco (turned Shell) station for ice cream and frozen Snickers bars. Temps are pleasant now and after our dessert we can put away our warmies in anticipation of the drop down off Black Ridge into the Mojave. Temps in the 80’s as we rejoin the scorpions and rattlers in their natural habitat.
What a great day we had ! Those Drifters who missed it are to be pitied ! The good news is that we do this ride every year so you can go next time. Actually,we can do this ride anytime someone says “Let’s GO !”
Also…congrats to Don Q….he won the $25.00 Drifters Bonus Drawing! AGAIN!
Editor Mike
July 28, 2017 Ride to North Rim Grand Canyon
10 Drifters and their bikes rode to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on Friday, July 28, 2017. It was a beautiful day at the start of the ride with perfect weather. Leaving Hurricane McDonalds at 9am, it was about 80 degrees and partly cloudy. We knew the return trip would bring extreme heat just over 100 degrees, but we were surprised with rain and hail as well! It was a fun ride, and everyone enjoyed the ride, the food, the view and most of all the great company! Congrats to Don Quayle who won the $25.00 Drifter Member Bonus drawing! John Marshall was our official photographer, so his photos (the good ones) and a few of mine are shown below.
Your Webmaster – Dawn
North Rim Lodge entranceMike picked up a passenger on the way…
May 12, 2017 Ride to Caliente/Enterprise/Parowan
About 15 drifters and 13 bikes met up in Beryl for a ride to Caliente. The wind was beastly, so the group split up and went in several directions – some went to Enterprise and had had lunch at Verla’s (Running into Drifter Member Beverly), John T went up to Parowan to hang with his airplane buddies, and the rest pushed on to Pioche and ate at the Historic Silver Cafe. It was a beautiful day, but the wind blew 25-30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 in places. Since no one went to Caliente as planned, we will try to reschedule another ride to Caliente for June.
This was our first “Bonus Ride”, so at the Beryl School meet-up location when all riders were present, the drawing was held. 1 ticket for each paid membership in attendance was given, and $25.00 cash was the prize. The winner of this first drawing was Steve Black – Congratulations Steve! Here are a couple of photos for the archives…
Laughlin River Run – April 26-28, 2017
At least a dozen Drifters made it to the annual River Run to Laughlin, NV. Due to predicted high-winds, several Drifters opted to go by car, but most Drifters took their chances and made the trip on their 2-wheeled conveyances. We stayed at the Golden Nugget in Laughlin and met-up for a fantastic dinner at the Saltgrass Steakhouse. Most Drifters attended the vendors booths and gawked at the many customized bikes (and people). Following morning, the gang met for breakfast at Claim Jumper – great breakfast and the waitress (who has served us before) was a hoot. After breakfast, some wandered through the vendor tents and some slept-in.
Everyone met up in the lobby and made the trip to Oatman to play with the donkeys and have a couple scoops of ice-cream. After peeking in souvenir stores and petting the donkeys, the group pulled out and made the very winding drive to Kingman, AZ. The weather was a bit breezy, but not bad. Soon it was time to leave Oatman and head for our digs in Kingman, Arizona. Oatman’s major claim to fame ( other than its local gold mines ) is that it sits astride famous Rt. 66. That and the fact that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent the first night of their honeymoon in the Oatman Hotel. When Rt. 66 was the only road through these parts Oatman was a thankful stop for tourists and dust belt Okies heading for the promised land of California during the Dust Bowl years. 66 from Oatman to Kingman passes over one of the most treacherous sections of the highway on its entire length from Chicago to Santa Monica. On our Super Machines its a piece of cake compared to what early travelers faced in their Tin Lizzies, not to mention early truckers with their drum brakes, often only on their rear axles, trying to keep their rigs from boiling over on the way up (before antifreeze coolant and pressurized radiators) or their vehicles getting away from them on the way down the steep hairpin turns. There were many deaths with cars and trucks barreling over steep precipices when brakes failed. Guard rails were only in a few places and installed only after a enough crashes proved the need at a particular spot. Yes, up and over the feared Sitgreaves Pass was a real accomplishment back in the day! After Sitgreaves we decend the narrow 66 twisties past the newly refurbished Cool Springs gas station and tourist cabins and the ruins of Ed’s Camp. Then its a straight shot towards Kingman. Our room in Kingman was at the Arizona Inn – an old-fashioned court-type hotel where everyone got to park their bikes in front of their own room… After we cleaned up a bit, we had a great dinner and a few drinks across the street at Calico’s. The waitress that served us (in our own private room in the bar area) was indeed feisty! Suffice to say that John, Danny, & Bill P enjoyed the verbal sparring! After dinner, everyone retreated back to the hotel where we dragged some chairs outside into the beautiful warm evening. The jokes ands stories flowed freely, until we finally called it a night.
Friday morning, a few Drifters took advantage of the freebie continental breakfast served at the hotel, while others crossed the street back to Calicos’s for heartier fare. The ride back home was via Lake Mead – what gorgeous views to behold. We stopped for lunch in Overton at the Inside Scoop and everything was delicious as always. Departing Overton, the wind kept increasing as we got closer to home – it was pretty rugged going. We even got a few rain drops as we approached the Virgin River Gorge, but it was very short-lived. All in all a great trip! Let’s do it again next year!
At the Saltgrass Steak HouseDawn’s new friendBikes & DonkeysBikes & more DonkeysBiker bull-dogOatman residentFriendly donkeyRest stop at Lake MeadVern & Susan on new HarleyDanny Martin on his Kawasaki VulcanJohn Marshall on his trusty F6BBill Pryor on his new Indian (Vern’s former)Greg & Donna on their HD UltraHeaded home from Lake Mead
Drifter Monthly Dinner – April 19, 2017
Wednesday April 19th marked the date of the Battles of Concord and Lexington and the beginning of the Revolutionary War and the Drifter dinner at St. George’s Rib and Chop House. Drifter planning committee member, Pam Fabio, secured a private room for the group and eighteen “minute men”(and women) Drifters attended the event. It took more than a few “minutes” to scarf down the delicious fare presented by our hosts and even Drifter official gourmet and cuisine critic, Connecticut’s Bill LaSalata, claimed his meal was “okay” ……. at least by St. George standards. To make sure his evaluation was a fair sampling he also polished off half of Margret’s juicy steak when it was generously offered to him. Unfortunately Bill’s lovely wife, Judy, couldn’t attend and give an opinion on Bill’s food critiques. Great conversation among the group after the dinner made for an enjoyable evening for all. Drifter Webmaster, Dawn Derenski, had Drifter patches available and new members, Don and Dita Quayle, purchased some for their riding gear. Payment for the patches was promptly handed to Drifter treasurer, Lynne Piper, who does such a fine job with our club finances. Some Drifters remarked that it would be great if more of us started wearing our “colors” again on our rides and activities. We should all be DRIFTERS and PROUD ! It also might advertise our group when we are out and about and attract some new prospects like our excellent Drifter website has. Sorry to those who were unable to attend. You missed a great time. The good news is you know we Drifters will soon EAT again !!!!!!!!!!!!! Ciao….or should I say, CHOW !!!!!!!
Editor Mike
Unfortunately no photos were taken at the event to include here. We were treated to more adorable Templeton puppy photos at the gala, however. Yo Dudley !
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Saint Patricks Day Ride – March 17, 2017
Begorrah ! The O’Drifter Paddy’s Day Ride was a smashing success ! Tom and Pam Fabio lead an eager crew of Drifter bikers and guests to The Inside Scoop cafe and ice cream parlor in funky downtown Overton, Nevada. Refusing to settle for an Irish seven course meal of a six pack and a potato, Drifter trenchermen (and trencherwomen) scarfed burgers, fries, sandwiches, and of course the Scoops famous chili. The weather was perfect for the ride with Overton temps in the 80’s. Many topped off their lunch with ice cream cones and cups from an array of sinful choices offered by the Scoop. The ride home continued the good times but due to construction delays over Utah Hill on old 91 we ripped home through the gorge with the tourists . Thanks to all who came out and may the leprechauns go easy on those who failed to give St. Patrick his due. As an added bonus, a REAL Irish Drifter person, formerly known as an O’brien, hosted a fantastic corned beef and cabbage dinner with all the trimmings (and desserts) at her lovely home in scenic Hurricane, Utah. It was well attended and featured the cutest new Drifter, John and Barbara’s new Basset Hound puppy. Drifters we hadn’t seen for weeks showed up for the feast as well as the ones who went on today’s ride to Overton. Margrete has added some new features to her spacious backyard pool and patio and it was wonderful to sit and relax out in the comfortable chairs and see who fell asleep first after stuffing themselves at the dinner table. Over twenty Drifters attended the affair. Thanks Margrete for everything !!!! Editor Mike P.S. It was noted at the party that the next day, March 18th, marked three years since we lost K. We all sure miss him. He and Margrete always made sure Drifters had a St. Patrick Day celebration dinner and invited us all over to their home for an after dinner dessert. More than any other Drifters, K and Margrete opened their home for club activities. Margrete appears to be continuing that tradition and we are appreciative and grateful. P.P.S. Margrete’s Puppy is very cute as well but is not a new Drifter participant.
Webmaster’s note:
Prior to the ride to Overton, Drifters met up at Zion Harley Davidson where the 1/2 scale replica of The Wall That Heals was on display. The last two pictures show the wall –
even at 1/2 scale, it was amazing and thought-provoking sight to behold.
March 12 ride to Pioche, Nevada with John Marshall & Friends
Sunday March 12 was the date for President Emeritus John Marshall’s Pioche, Nevada lunch ride. Seven bikes and eight Drifters made the putt including Jim Frick, new Drifter member, on his BMW 1150 R. Several marques were represented including Harley Davidson, Indian, Victory, Honda, Polaris Slingshot and of course, Jim’s Beemer. The group included three trikes as well. The group met at 10:00 AM at the north Bluff Sinclair and was lead up HWY 18 by John Marshall. We picked up northern rider, Steve Black, at Beryl Junction. The temp was 55 degrees as we thundered off to Panaca on HWY 56. 6700 foot Panaca Pass had a temp of 59 degrees. As we decended to Panaca Junction the temp actually dropped to 56. Reached the Silver Cafe in Pioche and had a nice lunch. The cafe has changed hands and the group agreed the food seemed even better than before. It was 61 degrees as we pulled out of town. This was Jim’s first visit to Pioche and he was impressed. We toured “Boot Hill” and enjoyed reading the interesting epitaphs. Cemeteries have away of making you really glad to be alive even though we all know the end for all of us is inevitable. I’m sure some of us wondered if we will also get to die with our boots on. Dewayne told of us of a neat place nearby called Eagle Mountain up HWY 322. A nice scenic 20 mile loop. He leads us up there and find a funky Resort/RV park and small reservoir to fish in. Also there were covered picnic tables and craggy cliffs to wonder at. Might be a neat place for a future Drifter picnic! As we checked things out we were serenaded by Mexican music put out of some Hispanic fishermen’s radio. We mounted up and continued the loop by passing through the ” Resort ” and rolling along unmarked narrow narrow pavement through interesting canyons. We reach 322 and take it back to the main road and stop at Panaca Junction for some Shell gas. Thanks Dewayne for the tour as except for John Marshall none of us had been there before. John enjoyed the memories of his previous visit and telling us about his wagon train’s encounter with hostile Indians of the area. When we reached Panaca summit it was up to 69 degrees, 13 degrees higher! Reaching St. George the temp was a balmy 79 degrees. After 247 miles RT from the Sinclair on Bluff we each headed for the barn and our naps. Thanks John for a great Impromptu ride! Thanks Dewayne for adding a fun wrinkle to the itiniary!
Editor Mike
January 1, 2017 New Years Day Ride to lunch in Mesquite
After concerns that our traditional New Year’s Day lunch ride could be compromised by sucky weather, Drifters were granted a pretty nice day for our event. Three Drifters actually rode their sleds while others came out in cages for a great Mexican feast at La Fonda in beautiful Mesquite, Nevada. Eleven Drifters plus Norm and Pat Anderson who have ridden with us in the past were in attendance. Norm and Pat live in Mesquite but are said to be moving soon to Hurricane. Pat was known to many Drifters as the former Pat Hawley. Although they don’t have a motorcycle at the present time they said they would enjoy joining us at some non riding events like our monthly dinners. The ride departed Bloomington Chevron at noon. Temps were 52 degrees which was warmer than expected. After passing through the gorge and reaching the flatlands the temps hit 54 degrees. Everyone seemed to like La Fonda’s Mexican fare but some felt that our usual haunt, Los Lupe’s, is better. Los Lupe’s couldn’t accommodate us this year. As we mounted up for the run home temps reached 59! No one wanted to go up over Utah hill on the return ride except those for which it is the shortest way home. What luck we had on the weather because the day before and the day after weren’t as nice. Hope those who missed the ride are miserable about it and will be sure to attend next year! HAPPY NEW YEAR DRIFTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Editor Mike
A new place on New Year’s Day
December 10, 2016 – Drifters Annual Christmas Party – Cliffside Restaurant
Twenty three Drifters attended this year’s festivities. No one would ever suspect they were looking at a room full of bikers, since we clean up pretty well! The food was good, the view was gorgeous, and everyone had a great time. Photos below were taken by our official Drifter photographer – John Marshall. Thanks John!
November 20, 2016 Drifter Dinner Olive Garden
Thirteen Drifters joined together to eat, drink, & be merry at Olive Garden in St. George last Sunday Evening. Mr President & The First lady made an appearance as well as Madam Secretary and her hubby. The photo below of Editor Mike is the only proof that we were there…but I think that smiling and satisfied look on his face says it all! Food was great and the company was even better! Rounding out the bunch was Tom & Pam, Bill & Judy, Greg & Bonnie, & Mrs Editor – Trish. Not a word of the recent elections was spoken….LOL! Thanks to everyone who showed up! We’ll see the rest of you all at our upcoming Christmas Party!
Dawn
November 11, 2016 Veterans Day Turkey Trot Poker Run
Friday November 11 was the date for the Drifter annual Turkey Trot poker run. It was also Veteran’s Day 2016. Nine riders on eight bikes participated in the poker run that awarded a Thanksgiving turkey certificate plus other exciting prizes. After drawing their first card the riders pulled out of the Bloomington Chevron at 10:00 AM and rolled the I 15 to Glendale, Nevada for the first gas and restroom stop. Poker run card #2 was drawn there and put down on each player’s score sheet. Weather was wonderful with the temp at 70 degrees. We continued on the I 15 and exited the super slab at exit 75 at the Moapa gas station, casino, and smoke shop and drew card #3. Temps here was 73 degrees. We followed the two lane blacktop to the entrance of Valley of Fire State Park. We were annoyed when we had to pay the same entry fee as cages, ten bucks per vehicle. We cruised to the visitor center and pulled in to learn about the area. We drew card #4 here. Moaning and groaning now started to reach a crescendo as players realized their chances of winning the turkey and other prizes were starting to dim. A tear or two rolled down a few cheeks. Thankfully, to keep our spirits up, high and low hands could both put you in the running. We exit Valley of Fire with the temp at 77 degrees. Just gorgeous today! We head north on Hwy. 169 and reach Overton, Nevada and the Inside Scoop Cafe. It was 1:50 PM and we were all famished so we jammed into the Scoop to eat. After eating we repaired to the parking lot to draw our final card and award the prizes. Drifter, Steve Black, had high hand and Mark Derenski the low so they drew cards to see which of them won the turkey certificate. Steve won the draw so Mark took runner up and was thrilled to take possession of a splendid turkey table decoration, some holiday napkins, and four drink cups. He also got a box of Mrs. Cubbison’s dressing mix. Dawn Derenski was second place and Judy LaSalata third. Dawn’s friend, Cindy Wolfe, joined us on the ride on her own Harley. She seemed to have a good time and hopefully will come out again with the Drifters. After the end of the festivities we headed for the barn. Some rode straight home through the gorge and some took the Bunkerville Loop into Mesquite and then the frontage road to Beaver Dam, AZ. Then it was up and over Utah Hill and home. This was the last scheduled Drifter ride for 2016 and it was a great one. Thanks to all who came out! Thanks to Secretary and Webmaster, Dawn Derenski , for planning the ride. Thanks to Treasurer, Lynne Piper, who arranged for the prizes.
Editor Mike
October 15, 2016 Ride to Panguitch
It was one of those days. A perfect, cloudless, sunny, mild temperature day. The only negative, a little windy at times as the day wore on. Nine riders on eight bikes made the Drifter putt. Included in the cast of characters was Jonathan Wright who rode his Honda F6B on his first ride with the Drifters. He seemed to enjoy the ride and hopefully will participate again. He found out about our club on our Drifters website and also joined us for breakfast once at the Golden Corral. We hope he will consider becoming a member when we have sign ups at the annual business meeting in January. Long time members Frank Shearer and wife Ruth also attended the ride on their Goldwing. Frank and Ruth haven’t been out with us for a while due to necessary obligations so it was great to see them. The ride was planned by Drifter president, John Templeton, and led by Tom Fabio. John altered the original Page Loop ride due to road construction issues along the route and the forecast of high winds out in the open flatlands. After a 10:00 AM send off from the Coral Canyon Texaco the alternate plan took us north on the I 15 to Cedar City. We stopped at Canyon Park on HWY 14 to pick up Cedar area riders. We proceeded up 14 and used Mammoth Creek Road to to reach the highway that runs to Panquitch Lake. As we passed The Bear Paw restaurant at the lake we noted that it is closed for the season, a reminder that winter is coming soon and the tourist season is ending for this year. The temps at the summit on Cedar Mountain was 52 degrees. As we pulled into Panguitch at the base of the mountain it had reached 62. Lunch was at the Adobe Cafe in Hatch on HWY 89. The Adobe will close for the season the next day, Sunday the 17th. Temps hit 80 as we entered Zion National Park. The Park was fairly crowded today. Why not, the weather was perfect! The back up at the Zion tunnel was longer than usual. We shut off our engines while we waited. When we were cleared to proceed I tried an experiment. How far down the road could I coast my GW trike without turning on my motor? I rolled free through the tunnel and down the switchbacks and made it almost to the turn off at the low road that heads to Zion Lodge before I had to power up. Except for traffic that made me brake and lose momentum and speed I might have made it all the way to Jon Kromroy’s house and real glory.
Thanks to our fearless leader, John Templeton, for planning the ride. Thanks to Tom for leading. Drifter, Steve Black, seems to have really acclimated himself to his new Harley Free Wheeler trike. His bad knee now doesn’t hinder his riding fun. He loves it! Keep on ridin’, Steve!
Mike – Editor
WESTERN DAYS IN KANAB, AUGUST 27TH 2016
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6 Drifters made the trip to Kanab for Western Days on Saturday August 27th. There were exhibitions, old time Western Stars, vendors galore and a great parade down Main Street. A herd of long-horn cattle led the parade with a few cowboys expertly keeping them away from the crowd. Lots of covered wagons, buggies, horses and mules. We all managed to meet up at the Cowboy Butte Grill for lunch after the festivities. (We managed to stay fairly dry, even though it rained off and on most of the day). Here are a few pics…
4th of July Party at Margrete’s
Annual Drifter Picnic – Dewayne & Kathy’s 6-18-16
Saturday June, 18th was the day of the Drifter Annual BBQ at Dewayne and Kathy’s bucolic Brookside, Utah cabin and box elder grove spread that sits on the Santa Clara River. This Drifter event is one of the premier get togethers every year it has been held. It serves as a time when our members who don’t ride as much as they used to but eat as well as those who do can come out and join in the fun. This year was no exception. Close to thirty hungry Drifters showed up with their food contributions to combine it all in a fantastic picnic pot luck style gross out. Drifters who chose to add a juicy ribeye steak grilled to perfection by our culinary staff paid a mere $ 8.00. Thanks to our treasurer, Lynne Piper, for taking steak orders and procuring the meat. Those who wanted burgers or dogs brought their own to cook on the grills. Highlights of the feast included Dave Piper’s outstanding Mexican style corn salad and of course Margrete’s scrumptious toasted garlic bread. Desserts abounded as well with two carrot cakes, one of which was a special recipe low sugar carrot cake invented by Brenda Estrada. Other dessert options were available as well. The temps were in the low 90’s which combined with the pleasant shade of the box elders and the soft grass blanketing the grove made for a nice respite from the 100 plus temps back in St. George. The event began at 3:00 PM and lasted until 6:30 to 7:00 PM. By then most Drifters had crawled on their hands and knees to their cages to drive home to recover from their overeating all afternoon. I wonder how many home recliners collapsed that evening trying to accommodate their stuffed Drifter occupants?
Our club can’t thank Dewayne and Kathy enough for hosting the annual BBQ like they have for so many years. They put in a lot of work preparing for the event that club members never see. The setting the cabin and grounds provide would be hard to beat and have probably convinced many prospective members to join our club and already members to renew their membership just so they can attend the next year’s BBQ!
Drifter President, John Templeton, Treasurer, Lynne Piper, and Secretary and Webmaster, Dawn Derenski, thank all Drifters who attended and contributed to the success of the event.
Editor Mike
PS It was good to see long time Drifter, Al Haberman, up and about and joining in the festivities. GO AL !!!!!
North Rim – Grand Canyon 6-4-16
Saturday, June 4th was the Drifter Grand Canyon north rim ride. This ride is an annual favorite with our club. The scenery can’t be beat and the food at the rim lodge is tasty and not that expensive for an eatery at one of the premier tourist destinations in the world. Twelve riders on eight bikes and two trikes made the putt including Dawn’s new invitees, Joe and Cindy, who each ride their own Harley. Although all Drifter rides to the North Rim are exciting, this one will prove to be one that everyone participating will never forget. More on that later.
Some riders met at Hurricane McDonald’s early for coffee and a breakfast snack before the 8:30 AM departure. Temps were already warm and pleasant as we rolled out of the parking lot. Temps for the day were predicted to be well over 100 for St. George and Hurricane. We would face that on the way home. As we headed for Colorado City. the temps were into the low 70’s. A stop at Pipe Springs for gas and a restroom break was next. It can be reported that no trans restroom patrons were sighted on the Reservation by our riders, at least that we could tell. We stopped again at Jacob Lake with the temps now in the mid 70’s. We headed down the highway towards the Grand Canyon. We pass through the park entrance where Joe and Cindy discover that the doofus park ranger won’t let both of them into the park on only one pass. Cindy left her’s at home, so they had to pay to get both of them in! Can you imagine Jon Kromroy in such a predicament?
As we rolled along the highway we approached a small herd of maybe thirty or forty buffalo that were grazing close to the road. The usual tourist craziness began. Idiots started to slam on their brakes and swerve to park their cages near the herd so they could take photos of our new national mammal. The herd had several calves along too, as an added attraction. Ride leader, Vern Gillihan, and passenger, Susan Thomas, skillfully led our riders into a now jammed viewing area so we too, could ooooh and ahhhh over the legendary animals. An impatient and hostile tourist in a pick up pulled in among us and made rude comments about our parking efforts. Someone in our group responded with an appropriate verbal retort. Little did we know that on the return trip we would encounter the same animals (not the pick up driver!) once again in a potentially dangerous event.
The temp reached 81 on the approach to the rim at one point but was 79 in the parking lot near the lodge. Lunch was great in the lodge where our leader, Vern, arranged for three tables next to each other with glorious views of one of the wonders of the world. It never fails for us to realize that here we are, only 130 miles and a pleasant ride away from a place that travelers from around the world spend large amounts of money and precious vacation days to visit. Some may never get to return but we can come back any free day we have. After lunch, we mount up and head for home. On our way out of the park we approach the buffalo again. As we near, the buffs appear to spook a bit and trot across the road to the opposite side. We slow of course. I’m in the very back of our group so I can’t tell the distance between each rider as we close the distance to the herd. Suddenly the buffs really spook, probably because of the tourists that are stopped on the road taking photos, or maybe because of the noise of our bikes. In a blink of an eye the animals bolt back across the highway at a speed that’s really remarkable. Their legs flashing, their combined backs appearing as a rippling brown flag, they rocketed through our formation at full tilt. Luckily our first two bikes, Vern and Susan on their Indian and Bill and Judy in their Sling Shot, gunned ahead and opened a path for the buffs to pass through. John Marshall, Drifter Past President Emeritus, braked hard to let them through as did those behind him. From the view I had it appeared the buffs might run right over some of our group! Thankfully, partly due to the skill of Drifter sled jockeys, and some good luck, tragedy was avoided. This encounter with the buffs was one of my most exciting experiences on a bike and I wasn’t even that close to the action. Those who were in the midst of it all probably did an underwear check when we reached Jacob Lake again.
As we left the 79 degree temps at Jacob Lake we dropped down out of the mountains. At the bottom of the hill the temp reached 97 and stayed there through Fredonia and the Pipe Springs stop and on through Apple Valley. As we dropped down into the Dante’s Inferno of Hurricane, temps soared to 106. Along with the high temps at the late stages of the ride, this putt will go down as a Drifter legendary classic because of the never to be forgotten Drifter “buffalo hunt”. I’ve already heard recounts of the “hunt’ where the buffalo herd was numbered “at least a hundred!” In a week it will be “thousands!” And of course the mechanical “Indian” on the ride will become Geronimo or Crazy Horse in future tellings around the “campfire” and Vern’s great leadership on the ride will be forgotten. Editor Mike
—————-Actual proof that some Drifters made it to Laughlin River Run Rally this year!
Colorado Belle, Laughlin, NV
John Templeton, John Marshall & Mike Roe’s Ride to Death Valley March 2016
This is the fairly rare “Desert Five Spot” a flower that, so far as I know, occurs only in the deserts of the southwest. Although the blooms are small, circa 1 inch across, to me it is one of the most beautiful of all the desert wild flowers.
if you are not familiar with the area, these last two pictures are from the ghost town of Rhyolite, NV, just a few miles south of Beatty, NV. Rhyolite was once a gold mining center whose population in the early 1900’s reached about 8000.
John Marshall’s ride to Vermillion Cliffs and Navajo Bridge 2-28-16
John Marshall’s ride to Vermillion Cliffs and Navajo Bridge 2-28-16
(Note from the webmaster…the photo below is a prime example why John holds the title of “Official Drifter Photographer and Computer Guru”!)
Folks: Yesterday was such a perfect day I decided that I would ride to Vermillion cliffs, have lunch with Charlie, the famous attack waitress and then check out the condors at Navajo Bridge and finally return through ZNP. I am happy to report that Charlie was her usual ebullient self although she definitely did not get any thinner during the winter and ZNP was virtually empty for some reason or other and beautiful as usual. I was the only vehicle entering the east gate when I was there and there was no wait at the tunnel. The ride was delightful, with a couple of caveats. (1) The winter really did number on the road over The Kaibab, starting when you reach the top of Kaibab and continuing on until well past Jacob Lake there are some serious pot holes. That road is in as poor a condition as I have ever seen it. The other roads used were in great condition. (2) Sadly, there were no condors in residence at Navajo bridge. Perhaps the condor union does not require that they show up on Sunday. So, alas, I took a picture of the river and then I created the attached picture to imagine what could have been; reality is generally over-rated anyway. So, if you are considering a ride over the Kaibab be on the alert for pot holes and if you are looking for condors at Navajo Bridge you may want to take the attached “picture” along. John
Drifters 2015 Christmas Party
What a great time…good food, good friends, great conversation & what a view!
Pam, Lynne & Kathy
Cheryl & Susan
Kathy, Dawn & Brenda
Dave & Dewayne
Tom
Kathy & Dewayne
Tom & Pam
Bill & Judy
Cheryl & Dawn
John & Barbara
Brenda & Mike
Brenda & Art
Lynne & Dave
Dick & Ann
Susan & Vern
Steve & Vicky
Dawn
John Marshall’s ride to the Page Balloon Regatta – Nov 2015
At about 9:45 AM on a beautiful, crisp Saturday morning (11/7/15) I rode to the designated assembly point (The Hurricane McDonalds) to join the expected throng of eager riders who would attend the 15th annual Page Lake Powell Hot Air Balloon Regatta, historically one of the Drifters’ favorite rides. But, alas, I was a throng on one. Yes, a Drifters’ event that at one time did attract a “throng”, one year more than 30 riders, was reduced to a single rider, and that would be me. The ride to page was lovely, albeit a bit cool. I rode by way of Jacob Lake (US-89A) where it was 37 degrees, Vermillion Cliffs (the low-angle fall sun enhances their beauty) where it was 55 degrees, connecting to US-89 at Bitter Springs, AZ and heading north to Page, where it was 50 degrees. In route, I stopped for lunch with Charlie, the famed “attack” waitress at Marble Canyon; she was unexpectedly mellow. The traffic was non-existent. I arrived in Page circa 2:30 PM, checked into my motel and scoped out the street fair in downtown Page, ate WAY TOO MUCH junk food, had a light supper at the Dam Bar, and wandered out onto the Page main street for the “Balloon Glow”. The evening was pleasantly warm with no wind. The event attracted the usual crowds and the balloons, lighted internally by their burners, were beautiful (see pictures!). Sunday morning I left the motel at circa 7:00 AM and headed to the main launch area on the Page Golf Course, just behind the Page Marriott Inn. The morning was cool (35 degrees) with calm winds and fleecy high clouds; a perfect morning for hot air ballooning and photography (see pictures). After the balloon flights were over, I returned to my motel, drank countless cups of surprisingly good coffee, and read the morning paper; no crossword puzzle – bummer. I got on my bike at circa 10:30 AM, went back on the same route I used to get to Page, and the next time I put my feet down I was stopped by the light at the intersection of Main and State in beautiful downtown Hurricane; my kind of ride. It was a perfectly beautiful trip graced by perfect weather (yeah, a bit cool, but that’s what electrically heated clothing is for), no traffic, lots of yummy junk food, and the beauty of the balloons.
John Marshall’s account of the August 2015 Drifter Trip to Deadwood, SD along with some of his beautiful pictures…
Folks:
Please find attached a chronicle of the trip that Danny and I took to Deadwood, SD to join the Drifters’ group and then our return trip through Yellowstone NP.
If you are interested in the details, you will need a map to follow the route. Of course if you are not interested at all, just delete all of this and forget the whole thing.
The Deadwood trip was a great trip blessed by great weather and spectacular scenery!
Take care,
John Marshall
Deadwood, SD and Back – A Motorcycle Trip
The following chronicles the trip that I made, accompanied by Danny Martin, to Deadwood, SD and the return trip from Deadwood through Yellowstone, NP. We left Sunday August 23rd and returned Sunday August 30th. The route, and a fantastic route it was, was planned by Danny and depended heavily on trips he has made through the areas we traversed. We were fortunate to enjoy great weather and, with a few exceptions, light traffic.
Day 1 (8/23/15):
I reluctantly stirred when my alarm erupted at 5:15 AM. I stumbled into the kitchen for coffee, showered, dressed, tossed a few last things in a saddle bag liner, loaded it on my bike which I had mostly packed the night before, and was ready to go.
The kickstand was up and I was rolling at 6:02 AM; it just was starting to get light.
I headed west on SR 9, joined I-15 and went north to exit #40 where I joined Danny and the adventure was afoot. The next stop was at Beaver, UT (exit #109, to top off with gas) and then on to join I-70 east. We exited I-70 on UT 10 and headed north, eventually picking up US 191 at Price. Route 191 from Helper, UT, to Duchesne, UT, is as good as it gets anywhere. At Duchesne US 191 and US 40 merge and remain merged until Vernal, UT. In Vernal we stayed on US 40 heading east into Colorado to Steamboat Springs, CO, where were stopped for the night at shortly after 4:00 PM; lovely day, great ride, expensive motel. Our motel commanded a spectacular view of the ski slopes immediately north of Steamboat Springs, and the restaurant in the adjoining motel was excellent.
Day 2 (8/24/15):
After a decent motel breakfast we headed east out of Steamboat Springs on US 40 through Rabbit Ears Pass (simply spectacular!) joined Colorado 14 and went north and joined Colorado 127 which became Wyoming 230 when we crossed into Wyoming; all of this with spectacular scenery, and really nice, curvy motorcycle roads. Wyoming 230 took us through Laramie, WY, home of the University of Wyoming, where we joined Wyoming 287 north to Wyoming 34 which took us to a brief trek on I-25 going north to US 18/20 which took us east to that jewel of the Wyoming countryside, Lusk, WY, where we stopped for lunch. This area is quite beautiful and there was more to come. After a lunch, which took about 45 minutes (Lusk, WY, seems to enjoy a VERY laid-back life style), we headed north on US 18/85 to Deadwood. A great day and a beautiful ride!!!
Days 3-5 (8/25-27/15):
These three days were spent using the Cedar Wood Inn, an OK place but really screwed up by a massive road construction project right out in front, as a “base camp.” A five star lodging; I think not? The things seen in this period of time included, but were not limited to, Wall Drug (I could have happily lived the rest of my life without seeing that tourist trap again), The Badlands, Custer State Park, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial ($11 to park there really annoyed me), Crazy Horse Memorial (GREAT visitors center), and in Deadwood itself, the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are located in a beautiful hill-top cemetery high above and to the east of the city.
Day 6 (8/28/15):
While the “official” itinerary called for us to stay another day, Danny and I headed west to visit Yellowstone NP on our way home. We headed north out of Deadwood and joined I-90 west and rode to just beyond Sheridan, WY, where we exited to the famous US 14 loop; we took US ALT-40 to Cody, WY. That is the more spectacular part of the loop formed by US 40 and US ALT-40. Unfortunately, the smoke from the fires in Washington and Oregon compromised some of the spectacular long distance vistas. We arrived in Cody, WY at about 3:30 PM and found a delightful little motel (Sunrise Motor Inn) complete with a large open courtyard with a lovely gazebo. We then found a great place for a prime rib dinner just down the street and we settled in for the night; life is good.
Day 7 (8/29/15):
After a pretty minimal motel breakfast, we headed west on US 14, which was right in front of our motel, toward Yellowstone NP. It was a beautiful morning, a beautiful road by the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir, and somehow the smoke, which was troublesome the previous day on the way to Cody, was now all gone.
Pretty much everything has already been said about the wonders of Yellowstone NP, so I will just leave it at that. Suffice it to say that it did not disappoint. We saw buffalo, a moose, which slipped away before I got my camera ready, but no bears. We checked in on old faithful, and it was, and then headed out the south gate of the park toward the Tetons and Jackson Hole, WY, on good old US 89. The scenery on the drive through the Tetons to Jackson Hole was, as expected, beyond spectacular. Unfortunately the traffic was fairly heavy and one of us (that would be me) delayed things considerably by stopping frequently when photo-ops presented themselves.
From Jackson Hole, which was an incredible zoo, we continued south and west finally entering Utah from Idaho just above Bear Lake which straddles the Utah/Idaho border, and then we had the pleasure of riding through the Logan Canyon, one of the best motorcycle rides on the planet, on our way to Logan, UT. We pulled into Logan at circa 6:00 PM, found a motel on the first try, fortified our bodies with pizza (one of the basic food groups) at a typical college pizza “joint” located right next to our motel, and settled in for the night. It was a marvelous ride on a beautiful day.
Day 8 (8/30/15):
After a great motel breakfast offering scrambled eggs, sausage, cold cereal, toast, pastries and even (UGH!) oatmeal, we started south for home.
Leaving Logan, UT, and the Cache Valley in which it is located, going south you get to enjoy the beautiful Sardine Pass, the south end of the Sardine Pass goes by one of the most picturesque little mountain towns I have ever seen, Mantua, UT. It reminds me of the little mountain villages in the Swiss Alps.
After Mantua, the road heads down the mountain to Brigham City, UT, and a junction with I-15 south. Fortunately, it was Sunday so the traffic to and through the ugly urban sprawl of the Ogden-Salt Lake City-Provo area was at least tolerable. The rest of the trip down I-15 to exit #40 for Danny, and the exit #27 (Toquerville exit) for me, was pretty uneventful; the traffic was fairly light and the temperature warm, but not intolerable.
It was a great ride! When I pulled into Hurricane, AKA, Mormon Paradise, AKA, the Mormon Riviera, at 1:30 PM I was sorry to see it end. Let me do my washing and I am ready to go again!
John
P.S. Total Recorded Mileage = 2616
The backside of our motel, with Vern’s rig & bike.Ellsworth Airforce Base Silos near Wall DrugThe Badlands Drifters at the Badlands In front of Red Ass Winery A boy and his dog….Needles Eye TunnelWaiting to ride through Needles Eyes Tunnel Crazy Horse MonumentWild Bill Hickok’s GraveSay Cheese!Old FaithfulDrifters at Mt Rushmore
Day Ride, lunch at the Merc in Antimony August 5th 2015
Notes by Mike R.
On Wednesday, August 5th, Drifters gathered for one of their favorite lunch rides, Antimony Merc! However it goes without saying that whichever Drifter lunch ride is at hand is always their favorite! We are blessed with wonderful weather for the ride. Temps in Hurricane were in the mid 80’s. The top of Cedar Mountain reached 72 and Antimony was 84. The entire day was comfortable in just a long sleeve tee shirt. Only the drop down off Black Ridge at the end of the ride for some reached 100 plus degrees. Southern riders leave from Hurricane McDonalds at 9:15 AM after a slight delay. Mark and Dawn didn’t show so after a fifteen minute courtesy delay we headed out for Canyon Park in Cedar City to link up with the northern riders. Margrete and K’s son in law, Joe, who is in town, came along in Margrete’s cage. The reason for Mark and Dawn’s absence became clear when we got their call at Canyon Park. Mark’s battery took a dump and they had to go to Zion Harley to get a new one. We agreed to wait for them at The Merc in case they can make it after they get Mark a battery. At Canyon Park we meet the northern riders and, Brad, who is a friend of Art and Brenda. Nice to have someone under age 90 along on a Drifter ride. Brad appeared to be in his twenties and apparently didn’t pop a single med the whole ride! We blast up and over Cedar mountain and stop for a break at Tod’s Junction. Then the 89 to the 12. We find county road 16 and head north through John’s Valley. The major potholes that plagued us last time on 16 have been filled so we thrilled to a smooth ride. When we reached the older, twisty, section of 16 there were a few large potholes still unrepaired but we negotiated them without incident. At the Merc we find Drifters Frank and Ruthie already kicking back under the patio cover. They had planned to ride down from their home in Bicknell but their Goldwing battery failed them too. They took their pickup truck instead. After some great burgers and fries we settled down to wait for Mark and Dawn. We checked our phones for messages from them but there is no phone service in the area. We had a message from Dawn but couldn’t retrieve it. After waiting until 2:30 PM we decide to head back the way they would be coming and hopefully link up that way. We take Hwy 22 out of Antimony northbound. Then the 62 West to Kingston. We pass Mark and Dawn on the 62 going towards Antimony. For some reason I didn’t see them. After lunch nap? Everybody waved and for some reason no one, us or them, stopped or hung U turns. Mark and Dawn continued to the Merc and had their lunch! Hard to pass up a lunch at the Merc! Mark and Dawn’s ride home presented more problems for them. Mark’s bike exhibited more electrical problems. When they stopped in Cedar they had to bump start it. They made it home safely which is the important thing. The rest of us motored home via 89,20,I15 to Parowan and El Presidente John T’s famous Hanger 7 where he offered water and cokes for refreshments. Then it was off for home after another great Antimony quest.
A few photos from the Annual Summer Picnic at Dewayne & Kathy’s “Cabin” in Brookside June 2015
It was a beautiful day, great turnout, great food, fun & friends!
Show and Go – Impromptu ride to Kanab for lunch though Zion N.P had a good turnout!
Message from Our Fearless Leader John T:
Hello non believers. Yes, it was almost 70 degrees in February last Thursday. Two billion metric tons of polar ice melted and the temperature on subsequent days spiked even higher. I had installed an LED headlight and spot lights on my bike, which is planned to reduce my power consumption / carbon footprint and reverse this phenomenon. Plan on a return of seasonal conditions. My bad.
Anyway, thirteen (yes almost ⅓ of the club) showed up at my invitation to ride for a lunch in Kanab on Thursday, February 5. The launch was delayed an hour because my newly installed LED lighting system drained my battery while demonstrating how cool it looked.
Mark D ready to go with a full tank.Meetin’ up at the Coral CanyonTexaco.Yes, there is more than 1 John at Zion HD!Next in line at Zion HD.Old joke…How many bikers does it take to push-start a Harley…
Four or five of our huskiest Drifter types push started me so I ws able to motor the two blocks to the HD store and spend four times more than I needed to for a new battery.
Steve and Dewayne checking the weather report.Waiting’ for John T’s new battery..Meetin’ up at Pipe SpringA nice turn-out on a perfect day!
So off we motored on a perfect day (for February as mentioned).
Met up with Mike Roe, Vern Gillihan and Bill Pryor at Pipe Spring. Temperatures were as advertised with little or no wind, making a great day for a 150-mile trip. We dropped into Parry’s Lodge in Kanab at the suggestion of Jon Kromroy. Most of us raided the $6.00 salad and soup bar. Probably the best choice as evidenced by frequent return trips.
What is behind that perpetual smile?Parry’s Lodge.. a great place to stop!Surprised Parry’s Lodge would let us in…
Good, helpful, and plentiful service – some place to keep in mind for future watering/gorging. Plenty of old black and white movie star publicity pictures from the golden age of western filming in this area.
We re-adjusted our riding gear for the slightly higher elevations of Zion motored north and west toward home. Dawn Derenski needed the mandatory group shot as we queued up at the east park entrance. I missed Steve Black’s request for a stop in Springdale for more motion lotion for his Valkyrie. A good portion of the flock pulled off there. Saw some at breakfast Friday, so I guess there were no more dead batteries.
A quick photo stop at Zion N.P.Hey, Vern!!!We wanna hit he road now! Enough picture taking!Dewayne… still the the grin…hmmmThe Wild Bunch!Are we there yet???5 more minutes!
Continuing the list of participants – Tom and Pam Fabio, Steve Empey, John Marshall, Mark Derenski, Dewayne Smith.
Thanks all for braving the weather!
The warm-up continued and five of us made the Beaver Dam / route 91 loop following the Harley feast on Saturday.
The Drifters Friday Breakfast Bunch was well attended on 2-6-15!
Drifters Friday Breakfast Bunch at Golden Corral.The Drifters Friday Breakfast Bunch.
Mesquite Motor Mania 2015
It turned out to be a perfect day for a ride. Weather was in the mid 60’s and was gorgeous and sunny. 8 Bikes and 8 drifters Rode Old Highway 91 to Mesquite for Mesquite Motor Mania 2015. All arrived together and stood still for 2 pictures before everyone wandered off in several directions. There were good reviews about the tacos available from one of the vendors, but others partook of McD’s. Most everyone visited a few of the featured locations and reminisced about the old “Classic Vehicles” they used to own. Here are a few photos of the fun – Don’t forget to click on pictures to enlarge them…
Like herding cats (Dawn was the cat-herder)What a good looking bunch! From left.. Steve, Mike, Tom, Kim, Dewayne, John & Mark.Classic low rider…The motley crew… Mike, Tom, Steve & Mark in the backHere’s one for the girls!Ahhh, Mike used to have one of these babies…Mike was loving the shifter knob…Really Cool car, but everyone REALLY wanted that Drive-in Speaker…Make mine Red N White!There were even a few 2-wheelers to look at.The only way to go…Great flame paint job!Dawn used to have a 1980 Firebird… wow this one’s for sale!This custom Hearse was amazing!Now that’s a nice set-up!
Photos from Summer 2014
Driftes milling about at Jacob Lake 7/13/14Jacob Lake stop on the way to North Rim July 13, 2014North Rim 7/13/14Rest stop on the Burr Trail near Bicknell, Ut..
Left to right – Mark Derenski, Mike Roe, Steve Black
Escalante Grand StaircaseAlong the Burr Trail.
Great Drifter moments in time
Fish LakeDewayne & Kathy SmithBruce Hendrickson, Mike Roe with the legendary K Wright in the backgroundRuth Shearer & Susan ThomasBruce Hendrikson
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