InCahoots Moto Community Presents; The SouthWest Quest ; girl bikes, motorcycle trips, moto camping and more!
"the best stories start with strangers ending up in an unfamiliar place.. for it doesn't start as an adventure, it begins with a risk" (Kate O'Connor Morris -21 days under the sky)
Adventures, trips, quests, rides, motorcycle journeys... call them what you will, but they do something to your soul. They restart your inner smile. The sheer determination and strength you can conjure in a long bike trip reconfirms your strength and confidence in every single day. When I have taken the three specific long, solo, motorcycle trips: 2800-5800 miles, I have never been happier- Even with drama, and breakdowns, heat, cold, exhaustion... The miles I have had the privilege to share with strong, powerful, beautiful women have been even more enlightening, freeing, and completely a blast. The bond you can share with certain people is amazing, and finding your tribe is absolutely empowering!
On my personal bikes alone, I have racked up over 70K miles in the last 4 years traveling from Illinois, to Montana, back to California, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Colorado, mixing in camping as an added bonus is my forte. I FUCKING LOVE NATURE. I would gladly give up my everyday encounters with the humans in this world to find a place in nature with wildlife friends... and someone to kill or relocate spiders.. Especially the big nasty kind they grow in Oklahoma. NOPE. just too much for me to handle..
This trip was my shortest extended day trip, and my FIRST non solo adventure. My ex was lucky enough to be invited to an ALL FEMALE moto ride and camp weekend with me in the Tijeras Mountain range, specifically Cedros Peak, in central New Mexico, as the EXCLUSIVE photographer. To say the very least, he.. captured the 40+ women riding, camping, dancing, loving life in New Mexico for 3 days- and riding with me for a total of seven. (My next Blog will be ALL ABOUT that.)
This annual event stems from a love of riding, and the lack of camaraderie in the female side of the sport. A few years ago, The founder of In Cahoots Moto, Brydie Clark, and her sister Jenn, and I met up and went to an all female camp out in southern California. It was a huge disappointment to say the least.
The ride TO the event, however, was an eye opening and truly divine experience. The six women in our group bonded. Hard. We clicked and became friends as our riding styles were put to the test and made to mesh as one group all the way into the desert. The experience has cemented our friendships for life- and no other experience has ever brought me closer to a group of women.
After experiencing such an overwhelmingly positive experience with women who RIDE their bikes, getting to the event was a let down. We felt the amount of girls who traveled to the state by plane, rented a motorcycle from the dealership and rode 150 miles in was the norm, and they could all afford the $800+ prices on the merch and had TONS of energy to dance and rock out all night, since they didn't ride over 2500 miles in a little under 4 days to get there.
There was no sharing ride stories around the campfire, no comparing battle scars or lifting each other up with advice, or tips for the sport we love... it felt empty, contrived, hollow and all about turning a profit for the creators. The food and drinks offered were expensive and mostly GONE by the time we got back from our rides every day, because NONE OF THE GIRLS LEFT THE CAMP. How in the WORLD do you go to Southern California, and NOT ride.. to somewhere!? Big Bear Lake, Salvation Mountain, Pioneer Town.. I mean.. COME ON.
Instagram photo ops were more important, and lets face it... riding really fucks up your hair and makeup..
Anyway, I digress.. From these ashes of our torched dreams of finding OUR tribe.. Brydie Clark in collaboration with her sister, Jenn, mother Piper, myself and other inspirational women who were with us that weekend: InCahoots Moto Community was born. In~Cahoots is ABOUT the ride.. Its about getting TOGETHER and doing what we love. It's not ALL about the party- even though this summer at our VERY FIRST campout and meetup: the SOUTHWEST QUEST, we DID party.. like it was 1999.. quite literally- DJ with flashing lights, loud music, in the middle of the desert and all.
The vibes from the women at camp were overwhelmingly skeptical at first. We heard murmurs of NO POWER.. NO SHOWER.. WTF??!! Most women confessing later on that they were pretty sure they would HATE everyone there, because "I DON'T GET ALONG WITH WOMEN " This statement rings in my heart, because it is true, and it is sad. Women generally compare, compete, and judge... but let me tell YOU something sister...when you are all alone in the middle of nowhere, with other women who have just gone through a hot sweaty dirty day- just like you- exhausted, weary, hungry- and without all of the pretentious crap society puts on us.. under it all and stripped down to your basic needs and instincts.. we can get along- and none of them, trust me- NO ONE cared about their eye makeup- OR how their hair looked compared to yours. It was pretty fantastic how the main purpose of the event was brought to light without force, it happened naturally and organically- and all of a sudden, we all had new friends.
THIS is what we have been searching for!!
Bonding through the ride and making conversation about the luxuries we didn't have- eventually I realized, not only am I learning new hacks, but I'm not the only one who does this!!
The group had a diverse mixture of sport bikes, touring riders, and leisure riders.. And these women pounded MILES to get to New Mexico.. Pennsylvania, New York, South Texas, California, Indiana... we all represented hard. We shared stories about why we rode, who we rode with or who we cant ride with anymore..they shared how they get by- wear a hat, dry shampoo, dirt.. for greasy unwashed hair.. Baby wipes were the crowd favorite in lieu of a shower, and a USB battery tender lead for your phone helped with the power issue. I can't stress enough how many bonds were made by learning we all weren't that different from each other, and great minds really think alike!
We were even witness to an incredibly MOVING speech and accounts from Momma D Jones.. the guest speaker. D is a world renowned moto traveler, with hundreds of thousands of miles under her belt, and motorcycles featured in museums for being in every state TWICE!! This woman had me rolling laughing, in tears, and smiling and loving that I was a strong empowered female too. Her book was for sale, and I think we bought them all!! Her stories about her travels across our country as a strong black woman will move you. I swear it. It is for sale on Amazon, HERE.
When Saturday came around, the majority of us rode up to Sandia Crest as a group, and it was beautiful. A respectful and melodic snake.. rumbling its way up the mountain... 10,000 feet of orchestrated harmony- poking in and out of the twisted vine of riders sprawling up the road, snagging a photo, popping out and slowing back, or speeding up to capture every angle, every moment, flawlessly. It was the embodiment of our purpose. The visual of the cause... BRING WOMEN TOGETHER. And this niche isn't that big.. so it's more important we come together to keep it going! Where are my ladies at!?
One attendee even brought her 13 yr old daughter- at first we were like... uuhhhh... but then.. we were like.. uh yeah!
It's little girls like her that will help bring in the new generation of riders, and it's girls like me, that WERE that girl when I was young at my parents motorcycle events and rallies.. I mean, I watched my mom win HATCHET throwing contests in the 80's.. it was a good childhood. So we decided on the spot, since it wasn't a drinking event (we didn't sell alcohol) It was a women's riding empowerment event... and that if she was having fun, WHAT IS MORE EMPOWERING TO A GIRL than seeing kick ass Women BOND and share and RIDE together?! And I think she had a blast.. plus EVERYONE was jealous of her rad ass sleeping bag hammock!!
The night photos, the personal sets, the rides, and some behind the scenes camping photos... just perfect.
If you missed this year, you FUCKED UP. Haha just kidding.. but no, you did though... The swag bag had patches, stickers, hair ties, hand cream, baby wipes, free drink tickets for a local bar, a survival lanyard, kleenex, hand sanitizer, key chains and a tape measure, as well as a tire gauge and aspirin!!! THESE LADIES KNOW THEIR STUFF!!
The location was completely rented out to US and US alone..an entire 8 acres all to us, in fact, the only men that DID show up, that WEREN'T part of the support team working the event, were in a truck, TRAILERING THEIR BIKES to California!
The rest of the men we saw were riding bikes, but they were BICYCLES, to a camp ground up the road! This event was SO MUCH FUN and SUCH A SUCCESS because of all of the ladies that attended, so- GUESS WHAT??!! We are doing it AGAIN!
Next year we are securing a Colorado destination, and in the future, we are even planning a MIDWEST Quest!!!! That means, women from ALL over the country will have the opportunity to come out, meet up, and RIDE!!!
Tickets will be up for sale on the website or on the InCahoots Moto Community Facebook page, as well as AWESOME tips, tricks, community chats and everything else women who ride talk about!
The attendees this year are also on an EXCLUSIVE email list, so they get updates, we bounce ideas for next year's event, and they received a FREE Hi Res Photo!
DONT MISS THIS EVENT AGAIN.. in the up-and-coming, this is one to put on your calendar- so follow, like, repost, and tweet... InCahoots Motorcycle Community is here!!!
 |
Adventures, trips, quests, rides, motorcycle journeys... call them what you will, but they do something to your soul. They restart your inner smile. The sheer determination and strength you can conjure in a long bike trip reconfirms your strength and confidence in every single day. When I have taken the three specific long, solo, motorcycle trips: 2800-5800 miles, I have never been happier- Even with drama, and breakdowns, heat, cold, exhaustion... The miles I have had the privilege to share with strong, powerful, beautiful women have been even more enlightening, freeing, and completely a blast. The bond you can share with certain people is amazing, and finding your tribe is absolutely empowering!
On my personal bikes alone, I have racked up over 70K miles in the last 4 years traveling from Illinois, to Montana, back to California, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Colorado, mixing in camping as an added bonus is my forte. I FUCKING LOVE NATURE. I would gladly give up my everyday encounters with the humans in this world to find a place in nature with wildlife friends... and someone to kill or relocate spiders.. Especially the big nasty kind they grow in Oklahoma. NOPE. just too much for me to handle..
This trip was my shortest extended day trip, and my FIRST non solo adventure. My ex was lucky enough to be invited to an ALL FEMALE moto ride and camp weekend with me in the Tijeras Mountain range, specifically Cedros Peak, in central New Mexico, as the EXCLUSIVE photographer. To say the very least, he.. captured the 40+ women riding, camping, dancing, loving life in New Mexico for 3 days- and riding with me for a total of seven. (My next Blog will be ALL ABOUT that.)
This annual event stems from a love of riding, and the lack of camaraderie in the female side of the sport. A few years ago, The founder of In Cahoots Moto, Brydie Clark, and her sister Jenn, and I met up and went to an all female camp out in southern California. It was a huge disappointment to say the least.
The ride TO the event, however, was an eye opening and truly divine experience. The six women in our group bonded. Hard. We clicked and became friends as our riding styles were put to the test and made to mesh as one group all the way into the desert. The experience has cemented our friendships for life- and no other experience has ever brought me closer to a group of women.
 |
| Brydie, Piper and Jenn, the faces of InCahoots! |
There was no sharing ride stories around the campfire, no comparing battle scars or lifting each other up with advice, or tips for the sport we love... it felt empty, contrived, hollow and all about turning a profit for the creators. The food and drinks offered were expensive and mostly GONE by the time we got back from our rides every day, because NONE OF THE GIRLS LEFT THE CAMP. How in the WORLD do you go to Southern California, and NOT ride.. to somewhere!? Big Bear Lake, Salvation Mountain, Pioneer Town.. I mean.. COME ON.
Instagram photo ops were more important, and lets face it... riding really fucks up your hair and makeup..
The vibes from the women at camp were overwhelmingly skeptical at first. We heard murmurs of NO POWER.. NO SHOWER.. WTF??!! Most women confessing later on that they were pretty sure they would HATE everyone there, because "I DON'T GET ALONG WITH WOMEN " This statement rings in my heart, because it is true, and it is sad. Women generally compare, compete, and judge... but let me tell YOU something sister...when you are all alone in the middle of nowhere, with other women who have just gone through a hot sweaty dirty day- just like you- exhausted, weary, hungry- and without all of the pretentious crap society puts on us.. under it all and stripped down to your basic needs and instincts.. we can get along- and none of them, trust me- NO ONE cared about their eye makeup- OR how their hair looked compared to yours. It was pretty fantastic how the main purpose of the event was brought to light without force, it happened naturally and organically- and all of a sudden, we all had new friends.
THIS is what we have been searching for!!
Bonding through the ride and making conversation about the luxuries we didn't have- eventually I realized, not only am I learning new hacks, but I'm not the only one who does this!!
The group had a diverse mixture of sport bikes, touring riders, and leisure riders.. And these women pounded MILES to get to New Mexico.. Pennsylvania, New York, South Texas, California, Indiana... we all represented hard. We shared stories about why we rode, who we rode with or who we cant ride with anymore..they shared how they get by- wear a hat, dry shampoo, dirt.. for greasy unwashed hair.. Baby wipes were the crowd favorite in lieu of a shower, and a USB battery tender lead for your phone helped with the power issue. I can't stress enough how many bonds were made by learning we all weren't that different from each other, and great minds really think alike!
We were even witness to an incredibly MOVING speech and accounts from Momma D Jones.. the guest speaker. D is a world renowned moto traveler, with hundreds of thousands of miles under her belt, and motorcycles featured in museums for being in every state TWICE!! This woman had me rolling laughing, in tears, and smiling and loving that I was a strong empowered female too. Her book was for sale, and I think we bought them all!! Her stories about her travels across our country as a strong black woman will move you. I swear it. It is for sale on Amazon, HERE.
One attendee even brought her 13 yr old daughter- at first we were like... uuhhhh... but then.. we were like.. uh yeah!
It's little girls like her that will help bring in the new generation of riders, and it's girls like me, that WERE that girl when I was young at my parents motorcycle events and rallies.. I mean, I watched my mom win HATCHET throwing contests in the 80's.. it was a good childhood. So we decided on the spot, since it wasn't a drinking event (we didn't sell alcohol) It was a women's riding empowerment event... and that if she was having fun, WHAT IS MORE EMPOWERING TO A GIRL than seeing kick ass Women BOND and share and RIDE together?! And I think she had a blast.. plus EVERYONE was jealous of her rad ass sleeping bag hammock!!
 |
| Our SWAG Bag from the event! |
The location was completely rented out to US and US alone..an entire 8 acres all to us, in fact, the only men that DID show up, that WEREN'T part of the support team working the event, were in a truck, TRAILERING THEIR BIKES to California!
 |
| I was given permission to make fun of them... LOL |
Next year we are securing a Colorado destination, and in the future, we are even planning a MIDWEST Quest!!!! That means, women from ALL over the country will have the opportunity to come out, meet up, and RIDE!!!
Tickets will be up for sale on the website or on the InCahoots Moto Community Facebook page, as well as AWESOME tips, tricks, community chats and everything else women who ride talk about!
The attendees this year are also on an EXCLUSIVE email list, so they get updates, we bounce ideas for next year's event, and they received a FREE Hi Res Photo!
DONT MISS THIS EVENT AGAIN.. in the up-and-coming, this is one to put on your calendar- so follow, like, repost, and tweet... InCahoots Motorcycle Community is here!!!
Comments
We all had a great time, if you missed it make plans to join us next year.