Story by Mama S
Hoka Hey Journey
Pictures from Daniel Neathery
When I last spoke with Daniel Neathery, he was
gearing up for the Hoka Hey Challenge. Talking to
him was like talking to a kid waiting on Christmas
morning. He was so full of hope and excitement for
this journey.
Now I’m going to ATTEMPT to keep this short and
sweet, but you know us women…..
Saturday 2am…Left Natchitoches for Las Cruces,
New Mexico, where he was meeting his riding
partner, Gary. He made his way through Texas to
where I-10 and I-20 meet. Pulled over to grab a drink
and check the Tracker. Daniel realized Gary was only
a few minutes behind him, so he decided to wait there
at the gas station for him. “And he flew by me…”
“After several miles of running 110, I caught up and
we trucked on”.
Federico Arbelaez
Hoka Hey byHoka
Hey Winner
Photographs
Paco's Hoka Hey Recap
by John (Paco) Wener
The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is the most difficult
endeavor I have undertaken. Before the run I spent
months on training rides over tens of thousands of miles
to test my motorcycle, gear,and nutrition. Once I was
confident that I had myself all set up I took off a month
before the challenge was to begin so I could be completely
fresh for the big ride.
I made my way from South Florida to San Diego in a
leisurely 3 day run, connecting with friends along the way.
Once I was in San Diego, the bike was serviced and was
ready to go.
I planned that I would carry all the nutritional food that
I would need to use over the next 2 weeks. My main stay
is a mix of ground nuts, dates and Coco powder that
has all the electrolyte that I need in the heat so that the
only other thing I need is large amounts of water. With
that I was able to stay sharp and focused enough to not
only handle the fully loaded bike but to keep my mind
engaged for navigation using the very cryptic turn by
turn directions that are the backbone of the challenge.
Most people who are serious riders would be able to run
the 10,000 mile distance if they were using a preloaded
GPS, and when needed could sleep until fully rested at a
hotel. However that is not the way this works. The biggest
hurdle to overcome is keeping on course using just the
turn by turn instructions, sleeping outside wherever you
can lay down, never for more than 4 hours and dodging
all of the hazards that come your way when you ride 8001000 miles of back roads a day. Each competitor makes
the challenge as hard or as easy as they want. I went
hard deliberately so that I could come to realize what I
am capable of doing. I haven't hit my limit but I know I
got very close. In that effort I was able to place tied for
3rd place at the finish along side a very honorable rider
George Jackman #750. Even though we crossed the line
together it is at it's core an individual effort.
Looking forward I will definitely take up the challenge
again. I now look forward to a road full of out of the way
places and grand adventures.
You never know where I'll be next but if you track me
down I'd love to burn some miles with you.
Cheers,
John (Paco) Wener
With those kinds of speeds (in some places), they
made really good time to Las Cruces and decided to
shoot straight through to Tucson, AZ.
Once they hit Tucson, it was a cheap motel and time
for AC and a halfway decent mattress.
They made it to Pala, CA with a few hours to spare
before the driver’s meeting, which “basically stressed
being prudent; don’t act a fool” essentially. Apparently
“that was not heeded by everyone, I can tell you that”.
Before he knew it, Tuesday morning was
already there. Every rider left Pala at 6am heading
East. “We were escorted just a few miles away from
the Resort and then we were left on our own.”
Throughout this expedition, they encountered
several obstacles; from scorching heat in Death Valley,
to gas stations in the middle of nowhere charging
$5.30/gal for gas, trucks in ditches that hit deer and
no cell service, running out of gas with no station in
sight, 45mph winds…and that was just the first couple
days!
In the spirit of keeping this short, if you’d like
to read Daniel’s first hand account of his Hoka Hey
experience, you can find it on our Facebook page, as
well as on our website, louisianabiker.com
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