Val in Real Life LLC

Tag: review

  • A Motorcyclist Wonders… Can You See Me Now?

    A Motorcyclist Wonders… Can You See Me Now?

    It’s no secret that, in spite of a lot of effort by motorcyclists to remain visible while riding, the all-too-common scenario of “I didn’t see you!” is still the predominant reason riders are involved in crashes.

    In the UK, there’s a motorcycling acronym: SMIDSY. It stands for Sorry-Mate-I-Didn’t-See-You. It has a flippant tone to it, but this is a very real issue for riders. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be riding; it means drivers need to step up and be aware of all road users.

    As you know, in spite of training, awareness, and hi-viz gear, last year I was a victim of SMIDSY. Far more than a SMIDSY “Oops!”, it nearly killed me. I’m a testament to modern medicine to still be here and still have my leg.

    As I returned to riding, I had to start from scratch since my bike, all of my gear, and most of my confidence was destroyed. I’ve already talked a bit about the process it took to get back to riding… everything from choosing a new motorcycle to the reality of getting back in the saddle.

    Since my return Nina and I have put in over 5,000 miles together. However, she’s anything but hi-viz with her sleek, black look. As pretty as she is, I’d rather not die for vanity, so I’ve had to up my visibility game.

    So with that preface, here’s the new gear setup that I hope adds to my motorcycle safety…

    Hi-Viz lid…

    motorcycle safety - val in real life
    My all-black Moto Guzzi V7 Stone needed some brightening up with a Schuberth hi-viz helmet and an Olympia Switchback 2 summer jacket.

    I went with a full yellow hi-viz helmet again. This time though, I opted for a Schuberth modular C3 in hopes of some wind-noise improvement over my previous HJC helmet. While I’m very happy the HJC saved my life, Schuberth has a fantastic reputation, especially for noise control. That comes with some sticker shock but having already been hit, it seemed a worthwhile investment.

    Having said that, to the casual observer the helmets look no different really. I often get the comment by passers-by — “Everyone must see you!” — when I’m wearing it. What can I say? In a few-second interaction with a stranger, it’s usually “You’d think…” or “You’d be surprised…” Richer conversations allow me to help drivers understand what riders really need them to know about motorcycle safety.

    Jackets…

    It was summer when I began riding again. Even though I had a jacket that wasn’t hi-viz, I bought a new one that was. Admittedly, at first I was cynical since hi-viz didn’t save me from being run over. After some time, I realized that when you take precautions, you actually never know what you’ve prevented. So I went in for an updated version of my Olympia Switchback, the hi-viz Switchback 2.

    Eventually I also replaced my hi-viz Olympia Ranger winter jacket with the same version that was destroyed in the crash. As I dove back into researching gear, Olympia was still my muse. When it comes to women’s riding gear, they’ve got it dialed in. I love the cut, adjustability, and design of their jackets.

    For an example of the impact of hi-viz, check out my video from an MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) course I took with my friend, Hassan, last November. From the 1:40 to 1:50 mark, you can see the difference his hi-viz jacket makes. I know I certainly appreciate being able to easily see riders, cyclists, workers, and pedestrians when they’re wearing hi-viz.

    More ways to improve motorcycle safety…

    Historically, I’ve only ridden with my side cases on the bike when I needed the storage space for longer trips. These days though I find myself riding with them most of the time. They add size, creating a bigger profile for drivers to see. And this go-round I added reflective hi-viz tape to the back of my cases for improved visibility from the rear.

    I also don’t always wear a hydration pack while riding but in the brutal months of a Georgia summer, I opt for a Geigerrig 710 in citrus. That allows me to stay hydrated without undermining the hi-viz on my jackets.

    motorcycle safety- val in real life
    My hi-viz strategies… reflective tape, jacket, helmet, and hydration pack.

    Lights!

    The most pronounced improvement in my visibility came from adding Skene lights to Nina. I discovered them thanks to a fellow rider at Horizons Unlimited Virginia last April. Skene brake lights flash in various sequences to draw attention and each light set acts as extra turn signals if you add the “Booster” option. The lights can also be set into different modes to serve as hazard lights if necessary.

    For my setup, I added the Skene “P3” red rear lights (click for video) at the license plate. For the front of the bike, I opted for two amber sets of their “Photon Blasters” (click for video) on the forks — one set facing directly forward and one set to the sides. I mounted  them low on the front forks to create a larger visual triangle with the existing headlight and turn signal lamps.

    Let me tell you, these lights do the trick. I get a lot of comments about how visible I am. If you miss seeing me now, you need to not be driving a car.

    Some important notes about Skene if you’re considering their products:

    1. They offer a Safe Rider Rebate if you show them your certificate of completion in a safe-rider course.
    2. Fork mounting brackets will be up to you to purchase separately for installation due to the variability in motorcycles and your personal choices in how you want to mount them.
    3. As a shout out to Skene customer service, I will note that one of my lights had a few LED segments that failed. They instantly sent me a replacement, no questions asked.
    4. I’ve not been compensated by Skene in any way for this post. I simply think they offer great products and I want my fellow riders to live to ride another day. 🙂
    skene lights - val in real life
    View of Skene lights from the front. With the LED lights down low, they create a larger visual pattern with the bike’s headlight and turn signals.
    skene lights - val in real life
    Close up view of the Skene Photon Blasters in amber on Nina’s forks.
    skene lights - val in real life
    Rear Skene light setup alongside license plate. The flashing pattern of the lights is actually visually uncomfortable and gets driver’s attention.

    And yet still…

    I’m going to get very real here. Non-riders might feel a little uncomfortable. I want you to because I need you to examine your habits as a driver. So here goes…

    The expense and effort many riders go to to be seen is substantial. And beyond gear, I’m constantly training and practicing to improve my defensiveness as a rider. I don’t personally know any drivers who aren’t also riders who truly work on their piloting skills. Maybe that’s the problem. At the very least, please take some time to read through some of the things riders need you to know.

    Remember, I’m doing everything in my power to help you see me and avoid bad situations but that the hard truth is that it’s irrelevant if you are distracted while driving or are unprepared to deal with road users that aren’t automobiles.

    Drivers, you are in control of a deadly weapon. Please act accordingly. I’m doing my part. I need you to do yours.

    And now for your moment of green…

    death valley - val in real life
    Taking a cue from nature on how to stand out!
  • North America’s Best Campgrounds: Cloudland Canyon

    North America’s Best Campgrounds: Cloudland Canyon

    The state of Georgia is an outdoor wonderland. From mountains to beaches to swamps to rivers and everything in between, my home state has a lot to offer the outdoor-minded explorer. So when you’re trying to pick a place to highlight, it can be tough simply to choose what kind of outdoor adventure to focus on, much less which one of those places to single out.

    My draw is always going to be towards the mountains first and foremost though so for this week’s link-up of the best places to camp in North America, I had to show some love for one of my favorite Georgia parks, Cloudland Canyon.

    Hidden in depths of Cloudland Canyon…

    So where is it…?

    Tucked in the extreme northwest corner of Georgia, Cloudland Canyon is actually quite cut off from the rest of the state by Lookout Mountain which stretches from Tennessee almost to Alabama. The park itself sits along a gorge cut by Sitton’s Gulch Creek which has gouged this canyon almost 1,200 feet deep. Despite its seemingly isolated location, the park is actually a great jumping off point for the fun offerings in the Chattanooga area and it’s not far to the town of Trenton to resupply.

    The little campers taking a closer look from the west rim.

    Why Cloudland…?

    Quite simply, the canyon is gorgeous! You can hike rim-to-rim and/or down the trail along the Creek to see various dramatic waterfalls. From the rim you’ll gaze through geologic history dating to the Carboniferous Period (~300 million years ago). Unlike the vast expanses of outcrops in the American southwest that trumpet their magnificence with no encumbrances, Cloudland Canyon is a bit more elusive, her sandstone and shale secrets partially veiled by the lush forests that blanket the southeast. The beauty of that veil is that it changes through the seasons, giving visitors the chance for a different experience throughout the year.

    There are many miles of trails to explore at Cloudland that will take you from rim-to-rim, down into her depths, as well as into the backcountry that surrounds the canyon itself. Beyond those trails, the park also offers fishing, tennis, bike rentals, caving, and geocaching. Programs are also available throughout the year at this popular Georgia park, such as crafts, animal education, and fall hayrides… a favorite of Camp Granola’s Fred and George. And with the proximity to places such as Rock City, Chickamauga National Battlefield, Ruby Falls, and the Tennessee Aquarium, there’s no shortage of activities to be had in and around the park.

    Fishing at Cloudland Canyon

    The Campground…

    The facilities at Georgia State Parks are fairly uniform so if you’ve visited one of our parks before, you’ll know what to expect at Cloudland. Tent/RV sites are equipped with water and electric hookups. Bathhouses at the campgrounds include showers, sinks, and usually laundry facilities. Cloudland offers other options as well, such as cottages, walk-in sites, and backcountry sites. The park service is also adding yurts to many of our parks and Cloudland now has 10 of them for your yurting pleasure. Be sure to check the Cloudland Canyon page for current rates on the various rental options.

    For my personal input on the matter, if you’re going to camp at the tent/RV sites, I highly recommend the west rim campground. The east rim has lots of open spaces for little ones to run & play but the west rim has forest clearings that abut many of the campsites. We’ve always loved these for romping close to camp in between canyon explorations. I’m also a fan of the access to the west rim trail from the campground. It’s just a short walk to the canyon’s edge where there are amazing rock crevices and overlooks to explore. (Here’s an older post on Cloudland over at my personal blog and a link to my Flickr set for the park.)

    Cloudland’s secrets are revealed as you descend into the canyon.

    When…?

    There’s no bad time to be at Cloudland Canyon. Each season has its own beauty and Georgia’s mild weather makes exploring year-round a snap. Having said that though, visitors tend to favor spring and fall just like most places. Cloudland Canyon is certainly an ideal candidate for autumn leaf-peeping! Be sure to plan ahead when making your reservations for this popular park during those times.

    Happy Camping… and let us know how you like your trip to Cloudland Canyon!

    Along the west rim trail a short walk from the campground.
    Cloudland Canyon doesn’t easily reveal her geologic secrets, but they’re worth seeking.
    In between rushing rapids and waterfalls, there are quiet pools reflecting all of the textures and depths of the canyon.

    Be sure to check out the favorites of these great outdoor bloggers as well…

    And now for your moment of green…

    Looking down the canyon on a cloudless day.
  • Cumberland Gap: Wilderness Road Campground

    Cumberland Gap: Wilderness Road Campground

    With the bulk of the things-to-do-and-see items covered in this series of posts on Cumberland Gap NHP, I thought I’d switch gears into review mode. And so my granola-munching peeps, here are my thoughts on the Wilderness Road Campground at Cumberland Gap.

    Campground Geocache
    The obligatory sign photo…that also happened to hold a geocache treasure.

    Overview…

    This is a cozy little campground nestled amongst a wonderful landscape of tall trees and scenic mountains. It’s just off of Highway 58 in the far-west recesses of Virginia. The closest town is the microscopic-but-charming Cumberland Gap, TN. For stocking up on supplies however, you’re best bet is to visit nearby Middleboro, KY on the other side of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel.

    As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the highlights of this campground is the easy access to hiking trails as well as some nature trails that had yours truly all aflutter. One of the other features I loved was the ampitheater where Fred played happily for quite awhile, lost in his imagination. There weren’t any programs happening during our visit but I suspect that this is put to good use during heavier visitation times.

    Wilderness Road Campsite
    The back part of the campsite at Wilderness Road. Somehow I missed taking a shot of the front part with the slope of doom.

    The Sites…

    There are electric and non-electric sites but no water hookups. There are water sources you can use to fill up but be prepared to portage your containers a little ways, depending upon which site you choose.

    Geekhenge
    One of Fred and George’s highlights was making “geek-henge” out of the fire logs. Yeah, my boys let their geek flags fly.

    We opted for a non-electric site because we really don’t need electric to get by with our minimal tent-camping set up. (Except when all six of your camera batteries are dead and your car-adapter fails you. Can you say photographer/blogger minor cardiac event? I knew you could.) The other factor in choosing non-electric is that the electric sites all seemed to have paved parking pads for RVs and pop-ups. Great for them…not so great for us.

    So we pitched on a fairly level site that had a good bit of breathing room for the kids to romp without getting tangled in the abundant poison ivy. I say fairly level because we couldn’t find one perfectly level. Unlike our RV/Popup counterparts, tents aren’t equipped with nifty leveling feet to even things out artificially so we have to work with what we’ve got… and if you’ve ever slept in a tent on a slope, you’ll understand why that’s important. Let’s just say it’s not quite the right kind of cozy to have all five tent occupants piled up in heap at the foot of the tent in the middle of the night for three nights running. Yeah, not the most restful of our camping adventures.

    At any rate, we ended up pitching on the gravel pad meant for vehicles rather than the lumpy, muddy, poorly drained area in the middle of the site. With the amount of rain forecast for our visit, we were placing our bets on the best drainage…and that’s gravel, even if it’s very large, pointy gravel in this case.

    One Fred-A-Leaping
    Fred making use of the empty ampitheater.

    The sites were equipped with newer six-foot plastic (as opposed to concrete or wood) picnic tables which made for easy drying off in the inclement weather we were in initially. Now, I could probably write an entire post on the virtues of varying table construction at campgrounds, but I won’t belabor the issue lest you begin to think of me as a camping princess.

    Anyway…another nice little perk of our particular site was the bear box which is great when you’re camping out of a small car. Not all the sites had them though and it was indeed one of the reasons we picked this site as our home for a few nights.

    The facilities…

    I have to give the restroom facilities very high marks. They looked relatively new and were clean, standard issue campground lavatories. Where they excelled was in the shower arena though. Instead of shower stalls in the restrooms, they built them as individual stalls (actually mini-rooms) separate from the sinks & toilets. Faboo my friends!

    Why is this so revolutionary? Well, typically campgrounds with showers have a couple of stalls in each restroom i.e. the men’s and women’s. But by separating the showers from the potties, they’ve maximized the use those facilities will get since they’ve removed the gender-barrier. Now I don’t know if this is something that’s happening in other parks, but it’s certainly not something I’ve seen before and I hope Georgia State Parks take a few notes before they do any renovations.

    Around Camp
    Fred and George taking advantage of the lapse in rain to play a card game outside the big tent house.

    Plus, these mini-shower-rooms were floored with porous-pebble instead of tile. All sorts of wonderful in terms of drainage and general shower comfort. Throw in the large size (to accommodate the disabled) and it was downright luxurious…for camping that is.

    Other bonuses of this set up include being able to send all three of my boys for a shower at once. Also, without gender segregated showers, I could conceivably nag, nay…encourage, my kids to hurry up with out having to shout through the door of the men’s room. It’s been known to happen, trust me. I’ve ruffled a few male campers feathers in my day. Sorry fellas, it’s no picnic on this end either.

    In a nutshell…

    Overall, there were some highlights at this campground. Loved the shower setup, nature trails, and bear box. And no doubt, it’s a beautiful park.

    His Beagleness Atop his Camping Throne
    Dobby took advantage of the break in rain to enjoy his throne by the campfire.

    On the downside, this campground is definitely not geared towards tent camping. The sites were just horrendous for pitching. I’m guessing the RV/Popup crowd have a better time of it. Secondly, I have to say the road noise from nearby four-lane Highway 58 was surprisingly loud and not exactly the atmosphere we were hoping to find. Road noise at night may not an issue if you’re an RV camper but in a tent it was a serious bummer. Or maybe I’m just a ridiculously light sleeper.

    Ultimately the cons were bigger than the pros and that kept this campground from being a great place for us. And as you know from my report on our adventures at Cumberland Gap NHP, we cut our time short. Now you have a little more insight as to why. Camp Granola just could not get comfortable here and that takes the crunch out of our granola so we kept rolling.

    Why all my thoughts may not amount to a hill of beans…

    Well, the campground is slated to close and undergo renovations next month. Since I have no idea the extent of those plans, I can’t tell you how much of this will still be relevant. Given that it will be closed for more than six months, I’m guessing this could be fairly extensive. Hopefully some future visitor will give me an update but until then you’ll want to contact the park for more info.

    So out of curiosity, what’s the best campground shower you’ve found?

    And now for your moment of green…

    Dogwood Sunset
    While not very comfortable, the Wilderness Road campground definitely had lots of pretty to shoot.