The Adventures of BeaterGT-Weekend Share (Lots of photos)

"BeaterGT" (beatergt) 08/01/2020 at 10:17 • Filed to: Cruis'n USA, Subaru, Fuck Cancer, Road Trip

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Hey Oppo! This post is a bit overdue but it is fair to say there have been some speed bumps along the way. Some of you may know that I took some time off last year to travel (link !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) Little did I know how much I would end up treasuring this experience.

Obviously, this is partly due to travel plans being curtailed by the pandemic but I was also recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The good news is it was caught early enough, it’s highly curable, and surgery went well. But it was still weird hearing, “If you’re going to get cancer, this is the one to get” ... thanks Doc? At least I get a gnarly-looking scar out of it.

Anywho since I can’t do much of anything while I recover, I figure this is a good time to share some pieces of the journey. As fate would have it, the trip starts and ends in NJ. The first leg was up through the northeast before it got too cold/snowy and I could still pick up a new bike before shops switched up their inventory. Then it was the yearly Grand Prix trip with my best friend, this time to Circuit of the Americas in Austin. After flying back to NJ from Texas, I headed south til I hit Key West and then west to California. The original “plan” was to continue up through the PNW, stay with some friends, and then into Canada but decided the best course of action would be to return to NJ as the states were beginning to react to Covid.

The vehicles...

2005 Subaru Legacy GT

2015 Ghost Kato 5 Hardtail

2019 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp - Got lucky finding this demo bike in Waterbury, VT. Half off MSRP and a full service before being subject to further abuse.

Some numbers...

~20,000 miles by car, ~800 miles by bike

71 fuel ups with a best of 27.7 MPG and worst of 19.6 MPG

28 states with 7 National Parks, 15 State Parks

Highlights...

Meeting some Oppofolk and seeing friends from high school, college, and previous trips.

All the different type of driving from mountain, canyon and coastal drives to off roading through mud, sand, and forest trails.

Camping on/near Air Force Ranges and waking up to sonic booms.

All the different reactions from people! Some thought the trip was an awesome idea while others (former coworkers especially) thought I was crazy ¯\_()_/¯. Was called everything from a bum/vagabond to an heir/millionaire. I like to think I fall somewhere in the middle.

And some lowlights...

Seized brake caliper ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! )

Broken starter in the middle of nowhere, turns out tapping the starter with a ratchet actually works!

Accidentally punching a cholla cactus while biking in Tucson. Left hand was shedding barbs for a few months.

Crashing my mountain bike and having to take two weeks off of riding while my knee healed up.

I took hundreds of photos, but here are some of my favorites. All shot with a Pixel 3.

Kancamagus Highway

Trails by the quarry

Sunset at CoTA

Roanoke, VA

Sunset, SC

One stop shop

Sleeping in the sun

Charleston, SC Sunset

Nightfall from campsite in GA

Warrior rat raiding and pillaging my campsite in FL

Impromptu trip to Hogwarts. Hmm butterbeer.

Everglades NP

Mantis shrimp

Hell yea, Brother

Amazing FL MTB trails

Talladega National Forest

Big Bend NP

Night Sight working wonders in Carlsbad Caverns NP

South Mountain Park - Phoenix, AZ

Superstition Mountains, AZ

Senna mural in downtown Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Jalpa! Barrett Jackson with Vajazzle McDildertits

Seen at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Lakeside Camping in AZ

Made it to the west coast

Ridge riding

Watching rock climbers at Joshua Tree NP

Tiny horned lizard

Mountain biking near Lake Elsinore, CA

Marconi Museum, such a treat.

THICC

Sleeping otters in Morro Bay, CA

Morro Bay State Park

Glamour shots

Desert Oasis in CA

Laguna Beach, CA

Oppo Drive - Malibu, CA

Back near Morro Bay - Cerro Alto, CA

Worst photo of Bixby Creek Bridge

CA Coastline (edited)

Camping among giants

Still can’t believe I hiked to the top of that waterfall - Yosemite NP

Yosemite Valley

Fog rolling into Sequoia NP

Sequoia NP

Exchequer Mountain Bike Park - La Grange, CA

Got sent through some mud. Hurricane, UT

Hurricane, UT

Had some visitors

Moon rising over Zion NP

Gooseberry Mesa, UT

Somewhere in TX

If you made it this far, thank you! Hope you enjoyed. It’s been a hell of a ride.

Dusty Ventures > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 19:43

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Awesome pics and looks like an amazing trip

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 19:47

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Woah, that did absolutely nothing to cure my wanderlust. Absolutely stunning photos.

Who on earth calls someone a bum for taking a dream road trip? Probably the same kind of person who goes to the beach once every 5 years so that they can argue with their family and stress over work somewhere besides their own house. They’re just jealous they aren’t the ones taking the trip.

Sigh, this was supposed to be me, albeit only over a week, before COVID demolished every ounce o f hope I had.

Nauraushaun > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 19:48

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Awesome pics. Really makes me yearn for the great outdoors which are currently illegal.

Do you know where the character stripe on the Lib/Leg came from?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 20:04

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Looks like an amazing trip. I’d like to do something similar when I can. I like the bike. Looks very familiar... this is the same bike but the pro model .

CompactLuxuryFan > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 20:13

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How could a trip like that have detractors? Looks like a dream! Where did you sleep?

BeaterGT > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/27/2020 at 20:16

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Thanks!

I have a feeling your description of those people is pretty spot on. Or they heard “ camping” and weren’t about it.

BeaterGT > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/27/2020 at 20:17

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Highly suggest it when things return to normal. They’re great bikes! Really like that color and reminds me I should get a front fender.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 20:21

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Something with this much travel shouldn’t go up hill so well and  I jut love riding it on the most messed up trails I can find. 

BeaterGT > Nauraushaun 07/27/2020 at 20:22

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Thank ya! It was on the car when I bought it 7 years ago. I’ve wanted to remove it but was worried about a fade line . Now, I kinda like it. Probably because it draws my eyes from all the paint defects.

BeaterGT > Dusty Ventures 07/27/2020 at 20:22

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Thanks! Glad the ol’ Soob held up.

BeaterGT > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/27/2020 at 20:26

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Same! Might have to post up  riding footage at some point.

onlytwowheels > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 20:32

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Thanks for sharing some great photos.

BeaterGT > CompactLuxuryFan 07/27/2020 at 20:32

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Did a lot of tent camping while out and about. Otherwise, stayed with some friends and in hotels/airbnbs . Zero nights sleeping in the Subaru!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 20:46

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We all know people like that but most of us choose not be listen when they brag about it. 

arl > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 20:54

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Man, you got some killer pics in there. The bee and snake were great.

That looks like heaven to go bike, camp, and drive all those cool places.

Thanks for sharing!

Edit - you beat cancer- fuck yea!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 20:57

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Oh yeah and let's not forget casually beating cancer as a side hustle. That is something to celebrate. 

BeaterGT > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/27/2020 at 21:04

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Definitely traded one journey for another. The transition has been interesting to say the least.

BeaterGT > arl 07/27/2020 at 21:06

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Appreciate the kind words.  N ature pics are definitely the ones I enjoy taking most.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 21:09

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I can imagine. At least you were already living life to the fullest before you had to take a break for some real serious thinking. 

Nauraushaun > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 21:21

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I’m with you. It’s sort of cool. Unusual, but not garish. Strange that somebody thought it was a good idea, but it seems like a rare instance of a tasteful mod.

I had a Z31 once that also had some stripes that I don’t think were factory. They were worn in places, looked like they’d been added years or decades ago. They were cool.

BeaterGT > Nauraushaun 07/27/2020 at 21:30

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These are getting pretty worn too.  Also considering taking them off and getting the car wrapped a different color.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 23:08

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That’s amazing! The trip, the photos and beating cancer!!

We are planning to drive from Indiana to Yellowstone in September...if the tires have enough tread left on the Vette!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > BeaterGT 07/27/2020 at 23:19

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How long did the trip end up being end to end? And holy shit did you call it on the corona virus. We were all like “this asshole who wont shut up about a damn virus” during the oppo meet back in march. It was the joke of the times and honestly none of us believed it would become a big thing. But conversation with you on that topic is my number one “TOLD YOU SO” moment ive seen recently haha.

Great driving with you, will have to meet up again some day for some mountain biking next time! Hopefully after some recovery time you can get back out there and enjoy some riding at Allaire, Allamuchy, and Ringwood (the places I remember from Jersey fondly at least)

BeaterGT > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability 07/28/2020 at 00:03

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Thanks man! That sounds like an awesome cruise , hope it works out for you. I was lucky enough to chase a C6 through some mountain passes in northern AZ. Made me miss the Vette life a bit.

BeaterGT > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/28/2020 at 00:20

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Trip was six months long! Doesn’t feel that long when I look back though .

And yeah, I don’t want to rub anyone’s face in it or get personal but come on... I just didn’t want to shake hands.   Unfortunately, it took some longer to come around than others which is pretty much the story of the pandemic in the United States. People don’t want to disrupt their bubble unless someone tells them they have to. Funny how different things were only a short time after that meetup .

I actually was able to hit Allaire before surgery thankfully. Still have to hit some of the northern NJ spots though. Soon!

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > BeaterGT 07/28/2020 at 01:32

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Awesome pictures/trip  and hell to the yeah for beating cancer!

Glad we caught you when you were passing through. Always nice to meet oppos in the wild. 

BeaterGT > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor 07/28/2020 at 02:11

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Thanks man! 

Rufant > BeaterGT 07/28/2020 at 06:27

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Bloody awesome. if you ever want t o write it up in more detail, I for one, would read it.

Well played anyway.

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > BeaterGT 07/28/2020 at 07:13

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You are invited to drive the car anytime you want :)

BeaterGT > Rufant 07/28/2020 at 08:07

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Hey, t hanks! I did keep a trip journal while I was on the road but figured the pictures would tell a better story.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > BeaterGT 07/28/2020 at 09:31

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This is what life looks like when you choose to live. Well done.

BeaterGT > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 07/28/2020 at 09:46

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Well put, thanks!

Taylor Martin > BeaterGT 07/28/2020 at 17:34

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That Pixel takes some absolutely astounding photographs. My gosh, it’s like looking into the real world. What an amazing trip and an amazing way to capture it.

Also sorry to here you were diagnosed with any sort of cancer, but I’m happy to hear you’re in recovery. You’ve got a grand community that has your back, excited to see what adventures you go on next.

BeaterGT > Taylor Martin 07/28/2020 at 22:21

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Cheers man! And yeah, t he Pixel works some magic . Carlsbad Caverns is extremely dark and the photo makes it look like the flash is on or there are lights everywhere.  

S omething with a better mileage range like your wagon and sips regular would be nice for any future excursions.

Taylor Martin > BeaterGT 07/28/2020 at 22:54

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My car doesn’t sip regular, so it’s a tradeoff for decent mileage. Still, southern gas prices are much cheaper so it’s always easier to pay premium.