June 26, 2022 – The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge begins in Rapid City, SD and will end in Hot Springs a couple weeks (plus or minus) later. I’ve attempted and finished the challenge twice: 2016 & 2018. They were two very different runs, and 2022 will be even more so.
2016
I thought I was prepared for 2016. I thought I was in excellent health. Neither proved to be true. I’d been living in Colorado for a while and had grown insensitive to a little rain. I had taken some cross-country trips, but they were always the kind where if the weather got too nasty, then you stopped at the hotel, dried out, maybe jumped in a hot tub to warm up, and got a good night’s sleep. That doesn’t happen on the Hoka Hey. You must stick to the route – no riding around the storm. You sleep outside. Granted, you can find a roof like a church overhang, the pavilion at a local park, a car wash, but there won’t be any hot showers and mattresses (other than a Thermarest or camp cot).
I found out in Idaho that I didn’t have suitable rain pants. That huge mistake plagued me the entire trip. The other thing that tried to kill me was a gluten sensitivity that either hadn’t made itself obvious before the ride or simply was not a thing before the challenge. Hives, blotchy rashes, urgent/unexpected/constant bathroom stops, angioedema (swollen face, lips, tongue). Fun times. I was miserable, but I persisted. It took me a long time, but I made it. I stuck to the rules, and while I was afraid I was going to die, I never considered going home. I was given the award for Integrity – a ledger art painting I will cherish forever.
I thought the Hoka Hey was the stupidest thing I’d ever done and had no desire to do it again.
2018
But I did.
I spent 2017 preparing for 2018. My good friend Ken Andrews (GoHomeKen), who I met in 2016, gave me some pointers on riding lots of miles in a short period of time. I also went on an air & water diet (that’s what my husband Willie called it) to figure out what I needed to stay away from. I also picked up some Klim rain pants – worth their weight in gold.
I have about three pictures from 2018 because I didn’t stop. I was the first woman in, and I made it for the party. Yay! The greeting I got at the finish line was incredible – probably the most amazing experience of my life.
2022
So now what? I could do a little better perhaps, but I know I’m not going to do the risk-taking necessary to come in near the front of the pack. I want to challenge myself but not risk life or limb (more than anyone is just by signing up). I consider myself lucky that Willie is so supportive of my long distance riding competitions, and I feel I owe it to him to make it home safely. My challenge? Ride the 2022 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge on my 1955 Panhead.
I took part in the Cross Country Motorcycle Chase in 2021 for two reasons:
- It was a great experience with some amazing people
- To see if I had a prayer of pulling off the 2022 Hoka Hey on this bike
I wasn’t even sure I could start the bike without Willie around to coach me. I did it though, and I had a blast. I’m going to give it my best shot.
Medicine Wheel Ride
Through the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, the Medicine Show LLC endeavors to:
- Enrich – to cultivate a philosophy of respect, honor, integrity and compassion
- Empower – to promote self- determination and strength
- Unite – to join together to incite positive action
I plan on doing this by supporting the Medicine Wheel Ride. The organization’s members are Indigenous Women Motorcyclists who create awareness events and fundraise for issues affecting Native American Women. They support groups and advocates who search for missing persons and provide support services to women and their families. The Medicine Wheel Ride is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and it’s important to note that they ride on their own dime. Money raised will fund searches for missing women and assist families who have lost their mothers, daughters, and sisters. They also fund education to avert tragedies before they happen.
Having been a victim of domestic violence in my distant past, I am extremely grateful for the freedom I have to ride when and where I want with no fear of going home. I want to help women who aren’t as fortunate, and supporting indigenous women is not only vital by itself but aligns with the mission of the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.
Please make a donation to help bring an end to the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women. You can read more at their website.
