The Superstition Legend H.O.G. September E-Newsletter

Upcoming Rides & Events!

More detail is available on Superstition H.O.G. events in the Monthly Meeting handouts or at the Information Desk at the dealership

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Sep 28th - Sep 30th
Overnight (2 night) ride to Laughlin, Nevada
Aquarius Hotel
1-888-662-5825
1-702-298-5111
Meet at Superstition HD @ 7:00am Friday the 28th

We are going to ride up to Las Vegas Bike Fest 2007 on Saturday from the Laughlin Hotel!

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Sep 27th - Sep 30th
Las Vegas Bike Fest 2007
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Oct 5th - Oct 7th
19th Annual HOGtoberfest
Sponsered by Tucson H.O.G.
Tucson Arizona

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Oct 21st
Arizona Rip's BAD Ride
Bikers Against Diabetes
Meet at Superstion HD at 8:00am

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Oct 26th - 28th
27th Annual Cycle World International Motorcycle Show
UOP Stadium

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Oct 27th

Superstition H.O.G. Chapter Chili and Salsa Cook-Off
Superstition Harley Davidson
11:00am to 3:00pm

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Saturday, November 10
Lunch at Greg & Marlene Coates
2 PART RIDE!
Meet at Superstition HD at 9:00am
Paradise Bakery & Robson Ranch Grill

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Dec 15th
Keep this date open on your calendar for the Superstition H.O.G. Annual Holiday Party! A little bird told me we're partying at the Arizona Golf Resort this year. Should be a blast!

2007 H.O.G. OFFICERS
Please click on name below to email officers (if email is available)

Tom Foster
Director

Bob Block
Assistant Director

Stacey Cochrane
Secretary/Membership

John Hasper
Treasurer

Kirk Kasten
Activities

Dave Harris
Safety Officer

George Pederson
Historian

David Staley
Photographer

Ranger Ed Fain
Road Captain

Mike Kyzer
Editor

Feedback Wanted!

If you have questions or comments about this month's e-newsletter please e-mail me:

Mike Kyzer
Superstition HOG Editor

SEPTEMBER SUPERSTITION H.O.G. NEWSLETTER

WILD (Domestic) HOGS

After seeing the above mentioned movie, a group of fellow riders and I decided this was the thing to do. Our only plan was to meet in Wickenburg at 5:00am Saturday morning. With no planned schedule, we headed down the road. First stop, Las Vegas.

Just outside Wickenburg we were almost accosted by a herd of havelina�s (the smell really woke us up). A quick fuel stop in Wickenburg and we were off again. We stopped at the overlook to Hoover Dam. As we dismounted our steel horses, a bus pulled in with a group of Japanese visitors. The minute they saw the Harleys, they all wanted pictures. We put them in helmets, sat them on the bikes and snapped away. I can just imagine what tales will be told upon their return. From there it was on to Boulder City for some grub at a great restaurant called the Coffee Shop, then it was on to Vegas. Of course �what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas�. However, I did get adventurous and had to try out the oxygen bar. It was really cool.

Next morning we were off to St. George and points north. We wound up in Zion, got a nice hotel and had a cook out (really roughing it, huh?). A little sidebar to Zion, across the street was a fenced in pasture full of elk. As we were watching the elk, out of nowhere came a huge Texas Longhorn bull. I turned to Glen and said it�s your turn to �slap the bull� (if you saw the movie, you know what I�m talking about). Needless to say, he politely declined.

The next morning the weather was not cooperative. It rained buckets. After waiting it out, we hit the road around 10:30am. While riding out of Zion we stopped at an overlook and low & behold there was a tour bus that was broken down. Roy gave the driver a ride to the ranger station so she could get help. Meanwhile, as we waited for his return, one of the tourists from the bus brought out a trumpet and started to play. We couldn�t figure out if we were back in the 60�s or if we passed into a time warp.

Upon Roy�s return we continued on. Next stop, Bryce Canyon. We got our rooms just in time, as the sky�s opened up again. When the rain subsided, we gathered around for another cook-out. Hot Dogs, potato chips and sliced cheese (diet of champions). My new Harley knife really came in handy for slicing all that cheese.

Got up bright and early the next day and headed into Bryce Canyon (shuttle bus). What beautiful vistas! After the ride into Bryce we headed out on Highway 12, as recommended by John C. He really steered us in the right direction. It�s called the Grand Staircase and it is out of this world. Great riding!!!!!!!!!. We wound up in Blanding, Utah for the night. Brought chairs out to the parking lot, told tales of the trip and enjoyed pizza and brews.

Next morning we hit the road to Mexican Hat, with a quick detour to National Bridges National Monument. Taking a loop through the park, we viewed beautiful natural arches. (For us old farts the National Park pass really came in handy.) We got to Mexican Hat and really enjoyed the river setting. We had a nice area for sitting and sharing our tales and tribulations of our adventures thus far. There is much more to come, so stay tuned for more exciting details of the �Wild (Domestic) Hogs� adventure ride.

Don�t miss out; continuation of the trip will be in next month�s newsletter.

Tom Foster Director, Superstition Hog

STORY TIME

I can�t believe its September already. Where has '07 gone? I haven�t ridden my bike physically, since mid December and that�s a long time ago. However mentally I have re-lived a lot of the rides I�ve been on in the past few years. It seems like on every long ride, (for me that means a ride that lasts at least a week) you meet someone that stands out. I would like to share one of those people with you.

It was while I was on the H.O.G. Posse ride 2005 Eastern Campaign. It was during a two-day layover in Portland Main. I had gone out to find a laundromat to catch up on some needed clothes rejuvenating. On my way back to the hotel, I stopped at a BK for a quick lunch. When I came out there was an older gentleman standing and looking at my bike. When I walked up he asked, �is this your Harley�? I replied �yes sir it is.� �You�re a long way from home, how long have you been out." I explained to him that I was riding with the Harley Owners Group, that about eight hundred of us were riding through every state East of the Mississippi, and I expect this trip will take me a total of three to four weeks. He then proceeded to tell me his story.

He said, �I drove a Harley once. It was 1944 in Germany. The Sarge came up to a bunch of us and asked if anyone knew how to ride a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle. Well I was real tired of walking and thought, how hard can it be to learn. So I answered up and said I could ride a Harley. He took me over to where a couple of Harley�s were sitting and then he left. While I was looking it over the other driver came over and I asked if he could show me how to start the thing up. He showed me how to start it up and how to shift it and explained a couple of other safety items like how to stop it and so on. So away I went on my first Harley ride. I was out a couple of hours when I came to the top of a pretty good hill. Now remember it was winter and the roads were dirt and covered in mud mostly. Down the hill I went, and learned real soon that I didn�t know how to stop this thing. Well I stopped at the bottom of the hill when I crashed into a stone wall that went around this farmhouse. Every time I tried to get up someone in the house started shooting at me. This kept up for what seemed like a couple of hours. I couldn�t move. Finally, our guys came to the top of the hill, and once they saw what was going on they called a tank over and blew up the house. I was told it was a good thing I did that or a lot of our guys might have been killed by the snipers in the house we thought was cleared. I spent the rest of the war walking.�

I said that was quite a story and thanked him for sharing it. Then I thanked him for his time in the Great War. I then held out my keys and asked if he would like to try riding a Harley again. He looked around and said, �you know I don�t know this neighborhood that well either, I think I�d feel better in the car, but thanks anyway.� He turned and walked away.

I think of this brave man every now and then.

Ride Safe

Bob Block, Assistant Director, Superstition H.O.G.

Itchin' to ride!

CHILI AND SALSA CHALLENGE

On September 15th the Chapter held a Chili and Salsa Cook-off to determine the best of class to enter in the October 27th Chili and Salsa Challenge.

The following are the Chili and Salsa Winners:
Chili
1st Place � Rob Weisenbaugh
2nd Place � Jeannie Kyzer
3rd Place � Laura Harris
4th Place � Jack Hanko

Salsa
1st Place � Stacey Cochrane
2nd Place � Beth Foster
3rd Place � Rob Weisenbaugh
4th Place � Dave Harris

Congratulations to the pre-challenge winners and good luck to all of you in the main event on October 27th!

CHILI AND SALSA CHALLENGE ORGANIZATIONS

Participants and guests at the October 27th Chili and Salsa Challenge Fest are encouraged to bring an item to donate to the 3 organizations we are supporting with this event this year. Here is info on each:

Community Alliance Against Family Abuse (CAAFA)
Current needs - Sundries and personal hygiene items for women and children.

Project HELP
Current needs - food, money, clothing, and household goods .

A Blanket of Hope
Current needs - Toiletries and personal hygiene items.

DIARY OF A MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE
Start date August 21, 2007
Finish date Sept 15,

Part 1 Day 1 to 7

Day 1
Mesa to Las Vegas�350 miles� Start out at 85 degrees 6:30am� arrive 1:30pm - 109 degrees� too damn hot!!! I must be out of my mind!!! Stopped everyplace I could find to cool down along the route�and there�s not many� And kept praying for a cloud to show up�maybe even one with some rain�cruise control all day� Hoover Dam bridge construction, wow!! Spent the evening at my father�s home in Las Vegas�dinner and dessert were great!!

Day 2
Las Vegas to Mammoth Lakes, CA...350 miles�another day of cruise control...Nevada riding�straight long roads with very little scenery other than the wide open desert� We rode thru the town of Beatty, NV�where last year while having coffee 2 women came out of the store and told us that the people of Beatty glow in the dark due to pre-WWII atomic-bomb testing that was done just down the road from there� This year the woman working there had long green hair�more of an eye opener than the coffee was!!! Stopped at the Benton Caf� and Gas Stop at Rte 120 and Rte 6 in California�it�s always good to talk to someone local �she gave me a great east-west cross road that was lined for 35 miles with wild flowers�

Day 3
Now we are getting to some awesome riding�Mammoth Lakes, CA to Monterey, CA�300 miles�across Tioga pass�some 9,000 ft plus elevation�then thru Yosemite National Park� then thru scenic Route 140 to Merced� Along the Merced River were lots of awesome rock formations� Awesome seafood dinner in Monterey at the Fish Hopper on Cannery Row�yum yum�oh yeah! They were giving out sample cups of clam chowder while we waited to be seated�yum yum again!!!

Day 4
Today was a late start�we rode down to Carmel by the Sea�looked in the windows of the stores and galleries�saw a lot of things we really have no need for� But we did feel the need for cheese Danishes for breakfast� We rode down Rte 1 south for another 40 miles and thru Big Sur�beautiful scenery�awesome road�today only 110 miles�definitely curves�oh yeah!!! We had some extra time today so we read about a road called �The 17 Mile Drive�...it�s supposed to have wildlife, cypress trees, mansions and views of Pebble Beach golf course�we went there and there was a ticket booth to get in�it cost $9 to drive thru the private community of Pebble Beach�but�no motorcycles allowed�what�s that about?? So we took our $9 and went to Fisherman�s Wharf in Monterey and ate some great clam chowder in a bread bowl...Later that night we had another great seafood dinner..!!

Day 5
To start the day I needed a battery�.luckily there was a shop � mile from our hotel�they put it in and away we went�to San Francisco�via the Santa Cruz mountains�redwood trees�very tall�plenty of curves� Thru a lot of the ride the trees formed a canopy over us and the sky was barely visible�.lots of sport bikes passing everyone everywhere� the need for safety is here� After a brief stop at Alice�s Restaurant�for you old hippies who remember Arlo Guthrie�lots of bikes�then on to San Francisco�we stayed outside the city in Millbrae and took mass transit into the city�went to Fisherman�s Wharf ,went to Pier 39�guess what we ate?? More seafood� this time in an Italian Seafood Restaurant�

Day 6
Took a short ride to Half Moon Bay on the coast�a quaint historic city�after the ride back to the hotel we went to S.F. again�that�s right seafood sandwiches for lunch...a ride on the cable cars...then a ride on the only moving national monuments�the trolley cars �you know the rice-a-roni mobiles�ding ding ding!! Up some hills and down the other side�cool ride�walked a lot today also�then for a dinner�it was Chinatown...Chinese food - not fish!! I bet you thought it was going to be fish!!

Day 7
This is getting difficult so here are todays highlights�Golden Gate Bridge�Napa Valley�the world�s most famous winery area�a taste of Sutter Home white zin reserve, which is only available for sale at the winery to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation�also a taste of white merlot�which I liked better!! They also had some great tasting peach salsa and chips�California Route 29� Clear Lake - California�s largest lake�

Stay tuned to next month's newsletter for the second in this three part installment from John and Jan C!

DURANGO-SILVERTON RAILROAD

�Tall� John McCullough and I (Lynard Skynard) set out August 26th to visit southwestern Colorado. The high mountain passes were calling us. After reading of the adventures of John C. and others we wanted to see them ourselves.

Heading up thru the Four Corners area we encountered numerous cattle, dogs and horses sharing the highway with us. I�m glad for all the safety training we have received. We did a lot of maneuvering to stay out of their way.

We were told that the best place to stay was at the Holiday Inn Express on the east side of Cortez, CO. They were right. The owner, Bruce, is a Harley guy. Harley�s are allowed to park on the sidewalk next to the entrance all others are crushed. Everyday on our return, he had a hose, buckets of soapy water and plenty of towels to clean our bikes.

Cortez is located 44 miles west of Durango. We saved $60.00 a night staying in Cortez and the drive between Cortez and Durango is great! Cortez is also a good starting point to ride to most all of the mountain passes in southwest Colorado. You have all heard of Wolf Creek Pass, Lizard Head Pass, and the Million Dollar Highway. All these and Telluride are all near enough to Cortez to make the stay there worth while.

On to the train ride. The Durango-Silverton Railroad runs between Durango and Silverton. I guess that�s why they named it the Durango Silverton Railroad???? This is the only steam engine railroad still active in the US. The tracks were laid a hundred years ago or so to haul silver from the mines. They were carved out of the side of a mountain. They are also biker friendly and had a nice spot for motorcycles to park.

The train runs twice a day. You can ride the train up and back or you can ride the train up and a bus back or a bus up and the train back. We chose to train up and bus back. This saves about 2 hours. The cost was $69.00 for the open car seating. The train stops at Silverton and either training or bussing back you get 2 hours to sight see and have lunch. The views from the train were awesome. I have included one of the pictures I took.

John and I were glad to see they are as safety conscious as our H.O.G. chapter is. We had a special safety briefing from their Brakeman/Road Captain. We tried to trade her for John C. but they would have no part in it.

Lynard Skynard - Road Captain

2008 SUPERSTITION H.O.G. BOARD OFFICER ELECTIONS

Elections are right around the bend folks. Here are the important dates to keep in mind:

September 15 - Begin Nominations for 2008 Board Officers
*September 29 - Nomination Deadline
October 20 - Announce 2008 Candidates - Voting Begins
November 4 - Ballot Deadline
November 17 - Announce New Officers at the General Meeting,

*You still have until Saturday September 29th to get your nomination forms (sent with the last H.O.G. Happenings) in to the Information Desk at the dealership. Drop them off in person or email to receptionist@superstitionhd.com
If you know someone (even yourself) who would like to join the board in any of the positions listed below just get the info to the receptionist by next Saturday.

Assistant Director: Assists the Director in carrying out the Director�s duties. Responsible for promoting membership, membership orientation, membership retention and keeping the chapter members informed of H.O.G. programs. Acts as the liaison between the chapter and the State Rally Committee
Treasurer: Responsible for the collection and disbursement of chapter funds, reporting the financial transactions to the membership monthly, submitting an annual financial report to H.O.G., complying with all revenue recording and reporting requirements. Maintains a running comparison of current year chapter finances with prior year chapter finances for presentation at the Annual Meeting.
Secretary: Responsible for the administrative needs of the chapter, keeping the minutes of chapter annual business meetings and general meetings, oversees the position of membership officer, ensuring that all chapter members are current H.O.G. members, having on file a signed copy of the Annual Chapter Membership Enrollment Form and Release of each member as signed on an annual basis, and submitting to H.O.G. the H.O.G. Chapter Charter Application and any reports required by H.O.G. Ensures that all insurance requirements are met; participant release forms, injury report forms and reporting to insurance company. The position is responsible for maintenance and storage of these forms.
Activities Officer: Responsible for the administration of chapter events. Recruits and instructs volunteers for chapter activities. Ensures that all insurance concerns and requirements are met for chapter events. Ensures injury reports are completed and faxed to Harley-Davidson Insurance when accidents occur. Oversees the collection of appropriate release forms for chapter events.
Ladies of Harley Officer: Responsible for encouraging women members to take an active part of chapter activities and informs members of LOH benefits and activities. Answers questions about the LOH program. Coordinates LOH chapter activities.
Lead Road Captain: Responsible for assisting in the planning of routes for chapter rides and keeping the chapter informed of all H.O.G. programs. Educates chapter members about group riding techniques. Informs chapter members on any hand signals used by the chapter on group rides.
Editor: Responsible for assembling and organizing written, oral (broadcast) and electronic material for chapter publications such as newsletters and press releases. All chapter publications shall be subject to approval by the sponsoring dealership prior to publication. Sends a copy of all publications to the H.O.G. office.
Safety Officer: Responsible for providing chapter members with information relating to the availability of rider training. Assists the Lead Road Captain on rides, programs and safety training.
Photographer: Responsible for obtaining and organizing chapter photographs for use in chapter publications and chapter history albums. Submits photos to HOG Tales when requested.
Historian: Responsible for the preparation and maintenance of written account of the history of the chapter, to include officer positions, chapter activities, and membership levels.
Membership Officer: Responsible for ensuring that all chapter members are current H.O.G. members, having on file a signed copy of the Annual Chapter Membership Enrollment Form & Release of each member as signed on an annual basis; maintains chapter membership report and maintains report on the Chapter Officer section of members.hog.com. Works closely with chapter Secretary on enrollment and maintains chapter membership.
Webmaster: Responsible for assembling and organizing material for the chapter web site and seeking approval from the sponsoring dealer prior to publication. Works closely with the chapter editor to ensure the same information is being communicated to all chapter members. Submits chapter suggestions to H.O.G. publications, such as Chapter Officer News.

It's YOUR Birthday!
Happy Birthday to the Superstition H.O.G. Chapter members born in the month of September: Cheryl Cardwell, Sunny Baby Christopher, Ron Colvin, David D. Croom, Ranger Ed Fain, Dwight Fowler, Cindi Gregory, Laura Harris, Kat Hodson, Gary Klingaman, Bruce MacQuarrie, Robert Merlene, John Moore, Monserrate Nazario, Bob Nycum, Terry Ostrom, Margo M. Panke, Jerry Prokopec, Jerry Robinson, Steven Ruppert, �Lynard Skynard� Sackson, David Shepard, Cal Slager, Gene Thurow, Debora Tyson, Vern Wells, and Bob Yoder. Your not getting older, your just getting more time off to go riding!

WELCOME NEW HOG MEMBERS

The membership is up to 342 members. Some of the new members joining the Chapter in September are:

Greg Harada, Al Kerestes, Randy Stoll, Mark Vasold, and Otto Weispfenning.

15 MPH SCHOOL ZONE TIPS

Here are some things you might not have known about the 15 mph school zones:

�If any person is in a school zone crosswalk, they must be completely out of the crosswalk before any vehicle can proceed in either direction.

�Passing is not permitted in a 15 mph zone, no matter how slow another vehicle may be traveling.

�Passing doesn't mean getting around the vehicle. No passing means that your bumper can't pass any other car's bumper going in your same direction.

�There is zero tolerance in a 15 mph zone. It is never reasonable or prudent to go faster in a school zone. You can be cited for going 16 mph in a 15 mph zone.

�Once you have driven entirely past the crosswalk, you may resume the normal speed for that street.

Thanks and a tip of the the hat to John C for this Safety Tip ! Click on the link to www.about.com for more School Zone safety information.

Be sure to check out our web site.
www.superstitionhd.com
Click here for store hours and map.

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