[Digger]

(This could be my last post as I fear I may soon be banned for life from this forum -> I'm in Trouble!)



Help!

SWMBO just booked several school appearances (we work to inspire the young people of America to develop a love of math and science - see) in South Dakota during the week of 18 MAY 08. Two of the schools are on Indian Reservations in the southwest part of the state (not too far from Sturgis).

Here's the problem: We do all of our domestic business travel on motorcycle (all of the two-up travel is done on our Gold Wing - see signature).....it's the only way I can maintain a useful level of energy and enthusiasm (crucial for this type of work). I'm a little leery of the weather in SD during this time of year. I'd like to push everything back a few weeks, but the school year would be over by then for at least two of our customers.

Do we have anything to worry about, or should we just press ahead with our plans? I'd like to hear from some folks that live in this part of the world.

TIA!

 

[greyrider]

Hey Digger -

I don't live around Sturgis. I have ridden there some, but Sturgis is actually about 300 miles north of me. May there is late spring and you can get any kind of weather during that time frame. Some of the bigger blizzards I have seen in Cheyenne have been late April storms. I would call the May weather a crap shoot, but bad weather should clear pretty quickly. Snow removal on the reservations can be pretty marginal which could affect your schedule.

In short, if the weathers good - you will love it. If the weathers bad - you'll wish you had a 4x4 or tracked rig.

Good luck and from reviewing your "trouble" post, I would just tell you that I learned the hard way about p#ssing off the IT guys and would say from experience - let the time stamp thing go!!:lol:

Ride safe and ride often.....

 

[OrangeCrush]

I think it was 3 years ago that I spent a week in mid-May in the Black Hills.
I would do that again in a heartbeat!! No traffic, and spring. Wow! The hotel prices were reasonable, restaurants were uncrowded, and we had the roads to ourselves for a week of riding.
I hit snow leaving Michigan, and a bit in Wisconsin ... and then it was clear sailing. Besides heat, the only weather condition I noticed in South Dakota was WIND.
Of course, with global warming ... the Sturgis area MIGHT be under a glacier this year ... :evil:

 

[unclemick]

There is a chance of snow that time of the year but it doesn't happen very often. For the most part you can expect the 60's and 70's durring the day and it might get close to freezing in the early mornings before sunrise. It's actually one of my favorite times of the year to ride around here.

 

[laen]

Go for it, take a warm coat and rain coat also

 

[Digger]

Hey Digger -

I don't live around Sturgis. I have ridden there some, but Sturgis is actually about 300 miles north of me. May there is late spring and you can get any kind of weather during that time frame. Some of the bigger blizzards I have seen in Cheyenne have been late April storms. I would call the May weather a crap shoot, but bad weather should clear pretty quickly. Snow removal on the reservations can be pretty marginal which could affect your schedule.

In short, if the weathers good - you will love it. If the weathers bad - you'll wish you had a 4x4 or tracked rig.

Good luck and from reviewing your "trouble" post, I would just tell you that I learned the hard way about p#ssing off the IT guys and would say from experience - let the time stamp thing go!!:lol:

Ride safe and ride often.....

(This could be my last post as I fear I may soon be banned for life from this forum -> I'm in Trouble!)


Grey,

I guess I'll pack some snow chains in the trunk.

Regarding the time stamp issue: I'm just trying to facilitate what an astonishing majority of members here want done (by a margin of over 20 to 1(!) among those who have a preference).

Ride safe!

 

[Digger]

(This could be my last post as I fear I may soon be banned for life from this forum -> I'm in Trouble!)



Orange, Uncle & Laen,


Thanks for the data.....I'm hoping for the best!

 

[211Chuck]

When my wife and I rode through there last year in the middle
of May, the locals told us they had just reopened the Interstate
when we got there. They said it had been closed for 3 days due
to a blizzard.

I've been through there many times in May Sept Oct Nov on a
motorcycle and I've never seen the same weather twice. The
SD weather has always throwen me a different curve.

I love riding there no matter what the weather is.

IMO I say go for it, take gear for all weather and enjoy yourself"

Every ride you go on is much better then the one you stay home
and talk about"

 

[mikesbike2003]

I think it was 3 years ago that I spent a week in mid-May in the Black Hills.
I would do that again in a heartbeat!! No traffic, and spring. Wow! The hotel prices were reasonable, restaurants were uncrowded, and we had the roads to ourselves for a week of riding.
I hit snow leaving Michigan, and a bit in Wisconsin ... and then it was clear sailing. Besides heat, the only weather condition I noticed in South Dakota was WIND.
Of course, with global warming ... the Sturgis area MIGHT be under a glacier this year ... :evil:

You aint kidding. we went over in may it was great. Got treated great by all the people. Early enough they were glad to see us. We even asked one lady at a t-shirt shop what was up? She said no one is burnt out yet..........roads were empty rained pretty hard one day for a couple of hours.:thumbup:

 

[jasman]

We were in SD late May early June

We had hail the first day their the size of golf balls for 20 mintues and it laid 2 inchs. The locals told us it hasn't rained in 8 years. But this year 2008 they had 7 or 8 weeks of rain. Figure it would be warm but in real life it got pretty dam cold camping. We had 4 days of no rain in the 3 weeks we were there. Added new meaning to washed out. Shot one day we rode down to Rapid city crossed over one of the via ducts and it started raining so hard we had to sit for 6 hours waitng for the flood waters to reciede just to get back to the other side of the town. One good thing you'll like they were putting down new road as quick as they pulled up the old road.

From the non LURKER

 

[Canyon Dancer in Colorado]

Interesting

Digger, Interesting to read about your career in your bio, Hope to meet you or hear you speak at one of your events. Obviously, it's really interesting that you travel by Goldwing to your events. Thanks for boosting the image of motorcyclists and Goldwinger's in particular.

 

[Digger]

Digger, Interesting to read about your career in your bio, Hope to meet you or hear you speak at one of your events. Obviously, it's really interesting that you travel by Goldwing to your events. Thanks for boosting the image of motorcyclists and Goldwinger's in particular.

(This could be my last post as I fear I may soon be banned for life from this forum -> I'm in Trouble!)


Canyon,

Thanks for the kind words. I must admit that I travel to my gigs on my ST1100 if SWMBO can't go. Our Gold Wing is for our two-up trips (most of our business trips are two-up). Am working on lining up some future work in Africa.....that will have to be on our KLRs.

But, whichever bike I happen to be riding to a event, I make sure the audience knows how I got there and I try to share with them what all of us here already know: That bikers are the best people in the world!

Some of my events are open to the general public. These are generally posted here: http://www.collectspace.com/sightings/

Currently, I have no events scheduled that are open to the general public. I did one last month, however, in Denver.

Ride safe!