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Beverly's Iron Butt Rally Updates-2005
My priorities are: safety, fun, success — in that order! A Ride Report by Beverly Ruffin Many thanks to Annie Lamar for forwarding Beverly's daily updates to us.—Web Editor Friday, 09.02.05, 10:03 I am here. Got to Denver last night, was so happy and first thing I ran into the guy who has been coaching me through this rally - in the bar. We started drinking and it went downhill from there. I did the check-in this morning. Scoring is not official until the committee does the final review. Unofficially I have 77,677 points for a Silver Medal. Not at all what I was going for but I got it. A number of the top dogs dropped out during this last leg—some mechanical, some physical. I just want to sit back and enjoy the day.—BR Click here for the Final Rider Scorecards. www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2005.cfm Note: At some point in time this external link may no longer be available. Tuesday, 08.30.05, 11:39 pm I'm on my way to Denver. I'm so excited. I got everything done that I planned as well as the bonus points I was going for. Worked like clockwork much to my surprise. Caught the stupid Ferry over to the island and got my picture and then was able to pick up two lighthouse points on the mainland. Watching the remnants of the storm come up this way and so far have been able to avoid it. It is kind of funny but my mind is playing tricks on me. I think because I am going so long without sleep. Yesterday I was getting hungry and wanting to get something to eat and a rest stop but no motels were available. But I was thinking that I could not stop unless my female riding partner would agree on the stop. I think the female voice on the GPS and I have been talking for too many days and I thought she was my riding partner. I did get a rest stop and even checked into a motel about 3:30 in the afternoon and have now been back on the road for a couple of hours. Before that, I had been up for 36 hours. If all goes well, I should be back in Denver early and assuming nothing goes wrong with scoring, I'll be a finisher. I'm very excited. I'm still in Virginia but back on the Interstate and I am so glad. I have another rest stop Thursday for points nearer Denver and that will be well out any threat of weather. I hope the storm did not affect anyone in this area.—BR Monday, 08.29.05, 11:59 This update is earlier than I planned. All my points counted. When they gave out packages for this last leg, there was only one route that provided huge points, a ride to Washington State and back to Denver. It was very attractive, but I felt that put all your eggs in one basket and if anything happened you would be out. Although I have regretted it several times, I took a bonus package to Ocracoke Island, I think on the Virginia coast. I am questioning my thinking since I don't know much about the East Coast. It is a shorter route but riddled with things I am not use to. Again I am on two lane roads at 45 MPH without pull over rest spots. My plan was to utilize the pull over rest stops during this last leg. I'm second guessing my decision. Not the typical wide span of cement, 18 wheelers and rest stops. My bet is that everyone went to Washington, or somewhere else and did not come this way. I have not seen another rider. This route can provide three bonus points right in a row on these little islands here. I will need to take a ferry across to the island and take a picture. This could be either really good or who knows. Ferry schedule is frequent, every hour. I don't think I can make the 5 o'clock but think I can make the 6 o'clock ferry over. Before the last check point, I had left the satellite radio on all night and when I got to the bike to head for checkin, I had no battery. I called AAA and got a jump to get me on the road. Also, after my last fuel stop, I noticed fuel cell stopped working so while at Reynolds I asked them to check both out. No problems, said the battery probably needed replacing but would recharge itself up and there was no fuel in the fuel cell. Guess I just didn't put gas in it. Anyway while messing with the bike earlier, I did not drop it but layed it over, scrapped the side of the bike and skin off my toe that I shift with. That's uncomfortable. When I call tomorrow night, I will know if I'm doing Ok and if this was a good decision. If so, then I will just head for Denver with efforts to avoid the hurricane. I hope everyone is OK and thanks for all the calls but remember that I will not be returning calls, I have to stay on the bike. 
Mike Murphy spotted these photos of Beverly at the IBR check point in Maine. She is on the red R1150RT below. Thank you, Mike. 
Sunday, 08.28.05, 9:03 I wanted to leave a longer update tonight but I got stuck in New York so I got here later than I had hoped and I need to go to bed now. I am in Portland, Maine and everything is going fine. I picked up three more bonuses on this leg and will find out tomorrow if they will let all of them count. I think I will get another bonus list tomorrow at 11 am and then I will decide where I am going and will let you know.—BR Saturday, 08.27.05, 7:22 pm It is a better day today. In fact it is a good day. I have better control of my emotions. I left this morning, Saturday, at 1:00 am and I am on the East side of Indiana now. Just to recap, I left last Monday at 10 am mountain time and have since logged 5,716 miles. Today I have 1,106 miles. I'm accumulating miles but we will have to see about bonus points. I visited an old bridge between Illinois and Missouri for 1,200 points. It had a Route 66 sign in the middle of it. I plan to visit another bridge, the Rockville in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, but my goal is to make the next checkpoint in Portland. I do not know how I'm doing except that if I make this checkpoint, I will at least be a finisher. Will report in again tomorrow.—BR Note: As of the Denver check-in on Friday, Morris was #28, and Beverly was #58 in a field of 85 remaining riders. Go Riders! We think you're doing great. Rider Scorecards are now posted on the IBR web site. Click here to visit www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2005.cfm Note: At some point in time this external link may no longer be available. Friday, 08.26.05, 9:39 pm I am in Denver waiting for the bonus point package for the next leg. The list should be out in about 30 minutes. I'm packing the bike so it will be ready. I'm leaving some things behind so that the bike will be lighter. My spirits are not as good as yesterday and I can't figure out why. I'm OK once I am on the road. When I'm tired it seems to work best for me to just pull over and sleep for a while and then move on. I got 24,000 points on the first leg and needed 19,000. But there are lots of people who are racking up lots more points than me. I know of 2 people who are out, one hit a deer, he is OK but his bike is totaled and one had an engine blow up or something. I'm just ready for this to be over and go home. It would not take much for me to throw up my hands and say enough, this is not as much fun as I thought. But…I need to be at Reynolds in Buxton, Maine Monday morning. That will be a challenge in itself without getting anything else. I'm ready to be on the road and once there I will be better.—BR Friday, 08.26.05, 2:40 am I was hoping to call when I got back to Denver and really should be there now but where I am is a place called Hayes, Kansas. I was really feeling good and thought I had aced this leg of the ride when I ran into thunderstorms with wind gusts of 50 MPH. My knees have just now stopped shaking. I had stopped under a bridge waiting for the weather to clear up when another rider who had done the Key West ride went blowing by. I thought if he can ride in this, so can I. We made it through one front but we ran into another piece of the front here in Hayes about 330 miles out of Denver. I have managed to skirt the weather including the hurricane out of Florida, through storms in Saint Louis, but then ran into another piece of the storm in the middle of Kansas. I was hoping to get into Denver by sun up for this update and some sleep but looks like I am not going to make that. With this weather, I will probably get into Denver too late to call in an update and will just get into bed. Anyway, I'm fine and I guess I finally ran out of luck. I feel very successful if I can just get back to Denver. If you don't hear from me, you can assume I have made it back to Denver. If I have to scrap it and don't make Denver, I'll stop and get drunk and then call in. Ha.—BR Thursday, 08.25.05, 2:46 am I am in Georgia, thank God. I drove all night and made it to Key West, took the picture and headed back. I took my 6 hour bonus break about 70 miles south of Orlando. This is the big rest period for this leg of the ride. Shower was great but just lay in bed with eyes wide open — could not sleep a wink. I would bet that I have not had but 5 hours sleep during this trip. Weather is supposed to be a problem so I am trying to stay ahead of any storms. I am so tired so I have been driving an hour and sleeping an hour. With the weather, I don't need to stop now. Sometime tonight, when I can be sure that I can sleep, I plan to get one more motel before I get back to Denver. Otherwise doing fine and everything is holding up good.—BR Tuesday, 08.23.05, 11:47 pm It has been a long hard day. I did not know that to get to the Fontana Dam bonus point I would have to go through the Dragon's Tail and Deal's Gap. The Dragon's Tail is a big motorcycle road with 300 curves in 11 miles. Very stressful route for me by myself and not knowing the road. I did get the point but also killed lots of time and miles. I'm on the Florida Turnpike now and I had hoped to make Key West today but will not make that. I plan to find a picnic table for a couple hours rest, then on to Key West. My plan is to make Key West, turn around, and get back to the middle part of Florida later Wednesday. There is another 3000 bonus points if I take a 6 hour rest stop and I am going to do that mid-Florida. Right now I just need to take a short rest and unwind a little. I think I am wasting too much time with all the stuff on my motorcycle and some of that is going away today, or at least stored. I am having audio problems so I am turning off my phone and will not be answering incoming calls. If you want to call and leave a message, I will pick those up but probably will not answer messages until I get back to Denver. I hope everyone understands.—BR Tuesday, 08.23.05, 2:08 am Doing fine, on schedule and everything is working great so decided to get a few hours sleep in Metropolis. I am planning to pick up a bonus Dam on the North Carolina coast and then head down to Key West. More tomorrow.—BR Monday, 08.22.05 The riders will leave Denver today at 10 am, return to it as the first checkpoint on Friday evening, depart for the second checkpoint outside Portland, Maine, and return to Denver for the finish by the end of the eleventh day. 
Robert Stallones spotted this photo of Beverly checking in at the rally on the IBR web site. Thank you, Robert. Sunday, 08.21.05, 10:13 p.m. Received list of bonus points today and have decided best option is the Denver-Key West-Denver route. It's ambitious but considering all the West Coast options, felt best route for me. Will be leaving at 10 am tomorrow.—BR Click Here to view the photos from the "Welcome Home from the Iron Butt" party. |
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