GT Checkpoints

[ErnieA]

Ken and Ernie,
Give me a holler if you guys are planning on doing some GT points this weekend. I am feeling under achieved since I only have 2 so far!

Hi Guys,

So we don't continue to hijack the other thread I thought we could start another one.

I'm in Midland Texas tonight visiting family of two of my riding buddies. We are not doing the GT on this trip because I'm the only one of this group participating and Pauline is home alone on this outing (yes, I'm going to pay big time for this week away:rolleyes: ). Our iitinerary is taking us from Midland to Flagstaff, AZ tomorrow (Tuesday) and from Flagstaff to Reno on Wednesday. From Reno we are taking 89 to Quincy and across 36 to 101 then North to home (weather is supposed to be crappy in Northern Cal and Oregon:( ).

Now the GT checkpoints for the weekend... Pauline and I are heading south on I5 to the Wolf Creek Inn on Saturday night (I told you I was payin' up ;) ) and going to get the Talent checkpoint on Sunday morning (I don't have my book and I'm hoping they're open). There is another checkpoint west of Roseburg in Camas Valley that we will come back and get on the way to spending Sunday night in Yachats on 101 (I'm hoping they are open on Memorial Day weekend). We are then planning to get Garibaldi and Clatskanie on the way home on Monday. This will mark 785 miles in 3 days after a 4.8k ride to Texas and back, but a small price to pay for the fun I've had.

If anyone wants to meet up with us on part of this ride, post or PM, and we'll make a plan to meet up. The ride from Garabaldi to Clatskanie up the Miami River road and Mist is not to be left out of your plans regardless when you decide to ride.

BTW, the Carlsbad Caverns are the best caverns I've seen so far (Shasta and Oregon being the other two). I wish we could've hooked up with some of the Red River group but we went through the vicinity a little too late (Sunday afternoon we were in Taos, NM) We saw a bunch of riders coming out through Taos and heading North and South. We met a bunch more north of Taos earlier in the day and had a good run with some later on the south side. Everyone was riding their best and obviously having a good time. That's what this is all about.:D

[Tallyho]

Ernie,

If you are coming back through Arizona, I would recommend stopping at Kartchner Caverns. Discovered in 1978 and kept secret for 10 years, it's a 99% living wet cave, and virtually unspoiled.(Unlike Carlsbad) It's also open to the public in controlled conditions.(Unlike Lechuguilla)

I also thought Tombstone was a hoot especially if you liked the Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer movie version.

http://www.azstateparks.com/Parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html

Looking forward to see you in Sequoia!

[sanjaun2]

Ernie,
I am glad you are enjoying yourself, Carlsbad caverns are pretty neat.Its a great place to spend a summer afternoon. Nice and cool when its 100 degrees above ground! I am thinking about heading down your way for the weekend. I was thinking about getting a few check points and testing out my new camping gear. All depends on weather I guess. Hopefully we can meet up for some of the riding. It would be nice to have some of your local expertise on the routes. Maybe we can get John, Ken, and some of the boys out for a ride. It has been awhile, and I would like to catch up with you guys and hear about your travels. Ride safe, and enjoy the rest of your trip.
P.S. I'm finally riding with a little guardian angel I'll call V1.

[ErnieA]

Ernie,

If you are coming back through Arizona, I would recommend stopping at Kartchner Caverns. Discovered in 1978 and kept secret for 10 years, it's a 99% living wet cave, and virtually unspoiled.(Unlike Carlsbad) It's also open to the public in controlled conditions.(Unlike Lechuguilla)

I also thought Tombstone was a hoot especially if you liked the Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer movie version.

http://www.azstateparks.com/Parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html

Looking forward to see you in Sequoia!

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll check with our group and see if we can put that in, I know Pauline and I will fit it in on our long trip to Sequoia. See you soon!

[ErnieA]

Ernie,
I am glad you are enjoying yourself, Carlsbad caverns are pretty neat.Its a great place to spend a summer afternoon. Nice and cool when its 100 degrees above ground! I am thinking about heading down your way for the weekend. I was thinking about getting a few check points and testing out my new camping gear. All depends on weather I guess. Hopefully we can meet up for some of the riding. It would be nice to have some of your local expertise on the routes. Maybe we can get John, Ken, and some of the boys out for a ride. It has been awhile, and I would like to catch up with you guys and hear about your travels. Ride safe, and enjoy the rest of your trip.
P.S. I'm finally riding with a little guardian angel I'll call V1.

The weather might be wet for camping but get on down there and get some GT checkpoints for sure. Call me on Friday and let's plan something.

[Mitch_Rider]

Hey Guys,
In addition to some of the closer spots, I made it a point to catch as many checkpoints as I could while riding Judy's RT back from Phoenix. Here are a few tips/comments to make your visits more enjoyable.

-Bryce Canyon-Not your typical Best Western but a well done log cabin motif. Dress warm as it is up at about 7000 feet!

-Hamilton-major munition storage facility. Probably going to be windy.

-Orovada- 2 gas stations and a conveneince store. Checkpoint does not open till 2:00pm (if at all) so bring a camera.

-Diamond (Population 6) Don't expect to refuel here DAMHIK- My favorite spot so far. Really a B&B type set up in old farmhouse. Nice people and great home-cooked food. I hope to bring Judy back for an overnight.

-Hampton-No question about which building it is...there is only one.

-Trout Lake-Great ride from PDX up 14 and then 20ish miles up a beautiful valley. Plan on lunch at the checkpoint by the stream.

-Clatskanie-A nice ride up 30. We were there two days before they dropped Trojan. You could see the lines of all the explosives in place.

-Prairie City- This checkpoint has to be the smallest possible diner!

-Wallowa-Pretty country and a great ride "down the grade". Road over the top to Joseph wasn't open yet to shortcut to New Meadows.

Enjoy,
Jeff

[clayton]

Ernie,

Great to hear your out riding and having a great time. I had the prevlidge of riding though last September and wow what great roads in Nm.

Ride safe and look forward to riding with ya this summer.

Clayton.

[Mitch_Rider]

Quote:
If anyone wants to meet up with us on part of this ride, post or PM, and we'll make a plan to meet up. The ride from Garabaldi to Clatskanie up the Miami River road and Mist is not to be left out of your plans regardless when you decide to ride.

Ernie,
Let me know your itinerary. I am hoping that I can join you for some or all of your Checkpoint ride.
Jeff

[meese]

I'm heading north myself beginning Wednesday after lunch and plan to catch a few on the way up. I'll probably cut through NV, and get a few of the OR checkpoints as well. I should get in to Hillsboro on Friday, but will then have to work most of the weekend. :( But I'll be up for probably two months this time, so there will be other chances to ride with y'all. :)

Thanks for the info, Jeff. It's helpful to know what to look forward to.

[meese]

I manged to get Hawthorne, Orovada, and Diamond today. I also managed to run out of gas 5 miles from Burns, due to excessive headwinds (some natural and some self-induced :)). Fortunately, AAA solved that little problem and I made it into John Day tonight. I'll catch Prarie City, Hampton, and Warm Springs on my way in tomorrow. Then it's work all weekend. :(

Add to that Camas Valley and Talent which I managed to pick up on my last ride south, and we're in good shape so far. There are several "local" checkpoints remaining which should make good day rides, preferably with some agreeable company. And a few outlying ones as well that will require some additional planning, and maybe a 3-day weekend or two. :)

I still say it beats flights and rental cars. :D

[sanjaun2]

What direction are we heading to? It sounds like we are talking the rainy side of Oregon.(west or coastal) It should be drier to the east but I am game for anything. I really should have fixed that leak in my riding pants..... I may head out this morning around 7 or 8am heading where ever I go. Ernie, give me a call when you wake up so i have an idea which way to start heading.

[Mitch_Rider]

"Meese: I manged to get Hawthorne, Orovada, and Diamond today. I also managed to run out of gas 5 miles from Burns, due to excessive headwinds (some natural and some self-induced :))."

Ken,
Almost did the same thing, but managed to talk the nice folks at "Hotel Diamond" out of three gallons. It is a long (and windy) run from Orovada to Diamond. I passed on the opportunity to get gas in Fields (they had regular only) thinking that I would get it in French Glen, but discovered that the station there (previous GT checkpoint) had closed. I knew that I would probably not make it to Burns and thought that there would be a town/gas station at Diamond (Ha!).
Hope that you didn't have to wait to long for AAA to come to your rescue. Did you get much rain on your route?
Jeff

[meese]

I could've made it had I been a little more sedate with the throttle coming across 140. I didn't see the Fields station, and was also hoping for something at French Glen. I found a BLM flyer at the hotel that said there was fuel at The Narrows, between the Diamond cutoff and Burns, but there was nothing there.

I still averaged 40 mpg, which wasn't quite enough for that 251 mile run. It wasn't raining and so I just parked in a driveway, called AAA, and pulled out the iPod. I lost maybe an hour total, and so the last 15 miles into John Day was in the dark and wet. No big deal, as I already had a hotel waiting.

It's all part of the adventure. :)

[ErnieA]

Ernie,

Great to hear your out riding and having a great time. I had the prevlidge of riding though last September and wow what great roads in Nm.

Ride safe and look forward to riding with ya this summer.

Clayton.

Hi Clayton,

I got home last night around 10:30. We had a great time covering 9 states and 54,355 miles. I'll put together a ride report this weekend and cover some of the high points. BTW, I haven't been on the northern Cascades highway (wierd huh?), so perhaps you can show us the way when we are going up that way in July or August?

Ernie

[Mitch_Rider]

QUOTE=ErnieA
"I got home last night around 10:30. We had a great time covering 9 states and 54,355 miles."

Wow, Ernie...you are going to be hard to beat in this years mileage contest with 54,355 miles in the first thirty days! (BSEG)
Jeff

[ErnieA]

Let me know your itinerary. I am hoping that I can join you for some or all of your Checkpoint ride.
Jeff

Jeff,

We are leaving Saturday morning (Time TBA after Pauline gets home from work tonight) for Camas Valley (CP #4) via I5 and Hwy 42, then on to Wolf Creek via "Cow Creek Rd" weather permitting (If it is too wet to cross we will back-track to I5) to check in at the Wolf Creek Inn B&B for the night (we've made reservations weeks ago).

We will be leaving after breakfast Sunday morning (time TBA) and going to Yachats where we will be staying at the Fireside Inn. Our route is to take Cow Creek back to BLM 4608 (the maps say it is all paved but I will call to make sure) then up through Powers to Coquille on up 101.

Monday morning we leave to get the Garibaldi (CP #3) checkpoint for lunch at Pirate's Cove Restaurant leave and take the ever-fun trip up the Miami River to Necanicum Junction to Jewell and onto Clatskanie (CP #2) for Humps Diner). Home will be either a cross-over to I5 or a slower moving Hwy 30.

Total miles for us will be around 710 for 3 days and 3 checkpoints (one or more you have already picked off). We are open for anything and can change the route to be whatever it needs to be. Sound fun for you or anyone else?

[ErnieA]

There are several "local" checkpoints remaining which should make good day rides, preferably with some agreeable company. And a few outlying ones as well that will require some additional planning, and maybe a 3-day weekend or two. :)

I still say it beats flights and rental cars. :D

Sounds like we will be able to hook up for a ride or two. Perhaps you can meet us for lunch in Garibaldi and a ride to Clatskanie on Monday? The Master will surely take the chains of work long enough for you to enjoy the Memorial Day Holiday?;)

Rental cars are highly over-rated. Don't you agree? :D

[ErnieA]

What direction are we heading to? It sounds like we are talking the rainy side of Oregon.(west or coastal) It should be drier to the east but I am game for anything. I really should have fixed that leak in my riding pants..... I may head out this morning around 7 or 8am heading where ever I go. Ernie, give me a call when you wake up so i have an idea which way to start heading.

I didn't get your note until after you left. Give me a call if you check this site on your trip and we'll hook up.

Ride safe, as usual...:)

[ErnieA]

QUOTE=ErnieA
"I got home last night around 10:30. We had a great time covering 9 states and 54,355 miles."

Wow, Ernie...you are going to be hard to beat in this years mileage contest with 54,355 miles in the first thirty days! (BSEG)
Jeff

That's really funny! I should proof read a little closer. :p
Correction:
Total miles for 7.5 days of riding (only 3.5 hours in wet weather BTW :D ) equaled: 4,355. The old girl has 88,831 on her now and running most wonderfully I may add. :D

[clayton]

Ernie,

I would be glad to give ya the grand tour. I will be gone in August 12, to 20th
but perhaps in June, July . Sound like you had a wonderful time , glad to here the bike is running so great.

I can't say the same , my bike had a trans seal leak onto my clutch. I took the bike to Ride West and they repaired couple weeks ago. This is the third leak I have had that damaged the clutch. I sure am glad I purchused the extended warranty .

Let me know and what dates work and will make the loops.
have a great weekend,

Clayton.

[ErnieA]

We'll be having lunch at the Camas Valley Check-point at 1pm for anyone interested. Chalet Restaurant, 18377 Hwy 42 (West of Roseburg). A fun country road afterward.

[meese]

Lunch in Garibaldi sounds good. I'll try and meet y'all there.

And Brian will be looping south then west, and then up along the coast. He'll probably meet you along the way somewhere. The look on his face in Warm Springs was great. :)

[ErnieA]

Lunch in Garibaldi sounds good. I'll try and meet y'all there.

And Brian will be looping south then west, and then up along the coast. He'll probably meet you along the way somewhere. The look on his face in Warm Springs was great. :)

We'll plan to post an arrival time for Monday lunch tonight if I have internet, otherwise I'll get on the phone. Small town America isn't always connected.:(

We are about to leave and experience the beautiful Oregon (liquid) sunshine. ;)

I bet he was very surprised. That must'a been pretty cool to surprise him like that. How was the ride over the mountian?

[meese]

The ride was fine. A bit wet, a bit foggy, but most of the traffic was heading east, away from Portland.

Looks like lots of rain, lots of traffic, and lots of LEOs this weekend. Be careful out there.

[ErnieA]

We arrived at the Challet Restaurant for lunch in Camas Valley at 12:45. The server greeted us and asked if our friends were ok. We met her with blank stares and she said that someone called ahead and said that they would be late due to a breakdown on I-5. We have not confirmed that this was anyone we know, but regardless, we hope everyone is doing ok and traveling well.

We did not meet anyone at this checkpoint. Brian was heading to sunny weather in eastern Oregon on Friday. He would eventually meet up with Ken heading east on Hwy 26. It was a surprise meeting because both called me to check the passes online. Ken said he would wait for Brian in Warm Springs and greet him. I still hadn't heard from Jeff on his new GT, but supposed he would meet us in Garibaldi on Monday for lunch at the Priate's Cove.

We left Camas Valley with a back road in mind. We talked to a local and he said it was paved all the way. NOT! We had to return to the main highway, but we saw several deer and a bear! The detour was not a waste. We arrived at the Wolf Creek Inn around 3:30. This is a great place to stay and eat. The memu and wine list were very agreeable. Pictures to follow in another posting.

We left the WCInn around 10:30 after a leasurly breakfast and tour of the garden. We discouvered a nearby campground and park. The town is a bit depressed like so many of Oregon's small towns, but it looks like they still have a fighting spirit. This is a very cool place to stay the night. We found the back road we were looking for heading north along Cow Creek. The road meanders along the creek and an old railroad line. For about 20 miles we continued to Riddle and caught I-5 to Dillard and onto Hwy 42. We were just leaving Florence up 101 when we spotted an LT ahead. It was Brian and he had secured a room in Yachats for the night and we would be riding to Garibaldi in the morning. We were checking into our room and Jeff called and he was in Newport heading toward us. We got him a room here and we set out to make a plan for dinner and some story telling tonight.

I'm hoping some interest will develop for Garibaldi tomorrow. We are setting a planned time ETA at Pirate's Cove for 12:30. We will then be making a trip up the Miami River road to Nakanicum Junction on Hwy 26 to Jewell on Hwy 202 onto Clatskanie on Hwy 47. We'll decide then what route we will return home on. The weather on the coast is just cloudy this evening and the outlook it better than what has been going on to two weeks. Come on out and lets ride.:D

[meese]

Come on out and lets ride.:DI really should work tomorrow, but I gotta eat. :) Besides, my license playe says "RIDE 1ST", so I guess I have no choice. See y'all there. :D

[sanjaun2]

A very interesting ride this weekend. I rode thru Sunshine,(Yeah!) Lots of rain,(NW liquid sunshine) Snow 3 times,(okay now that I'm out of it) and hailed on about a dozen times! To summize the trip, I must say that Washington and Oregon are the most incredible places to ride a motorcycle and view scenery. Ernie and Pauline, A huge thank you for being such great tour guides.(That man knows some fantastic roads!) Ernie's route back from Garibaldi was one twisty sob.And for Ken, riding all the way out in the middle of nowhere to have lunch with me. And of course Jeff for his company and a spin on that incredible GT! Thanks a bunch and I'll see you out there on the "Grand Tour"

[sanjaun2]

Oh Yeah, I almost forgot. You know how my stereo would mute everytime I hit a bump in the road? After I left you guys I stopped for gas and noticed that I had a bulge sticking out of that bag I had tied down to the passenger seat. That bulge(my camp stove) would hit the rear passengers mute button. ILMAO!

[Mitch_Rider]

Ernie,
Thanks again for leading a great tour of some of the really fun 2 lanes from the coast! Perfect weather for the fun roads and enjoying good friends and spirited riding.
Looking forward to more!
Jeff

[ErnieA]

That bulge(my camp stove) would hit the rear passengers mute button. ILMAO!

Funny you mention this. On my recent ride to Texas I was getting an infrequent interrupt in my com/stereo system. I was baffled and started to think that I was starting to have internal problems. I was listening to the Sirius and leaned back onto the bag that I had strapped top the passenger seat and the station changed. It was then I discovered I was moving the bag and it was touching the passenger controls. Doh! All's well that ends well. :D

[ErnieA]

Ernie,

I would be glad to give ya the grand tour. I will be gone in August 12, to 20th
but perhaps in June, July . Sound like you had a wonderful time , glad to here the bike is running so great.

I can't say the same , my bike had a trans seal leak onto my clutch. I took the bike to Ride West and they repaired couple weeks ago. This is the third leak I have had that damaged the clutch. I sure am glad I purchused the extended warranty .

Let me know and what dates work and will make the loops.
have a great weekend,

Clayton.

Clayton,

I hope Ride West gets it right for you. The extended warranty was a life (and budget) saver for us too.

We have some time in July and August. We haven't decided on which date yet, but we will let you know and hopefully you will be free for a ride.

[artk50]

Sounds like everyone has been doing well and getting some riding in. We've been on the road and haven't had a chance to get out to the LT site to see all the progress.

John/Marilyn, Marcia and I have completed all of out check points and had a blast doing so. Now we just have to figure out what else to do this summer.

How many people are going to WCR and what are the riding plans?

[artk50]

Sounds like everyone has been doing well and getting some riding in. We've been on the road and haven't had a chance to get out to the LT site to see all the progress.

John/Marilyn, Marcia and I have completed all of out check points and had a blast doing so. Now we just have to figure out what else to do this summer.

How many people are going to WCR and what are the riding plans?

Did I say completed:confused: ? I meant got started:) I was just wondering how many people were saying "BS". Sorry I just can't help myself.

[ErnieA]

Ernie,
Thanks again for leading a great tour of some of the really fun 2 lanes from the coast! Perfect weather for the fun roads and enjoying good friends and spirited riding.
Looking forward to more!
Jeff

It was great you, Brian and Ken made it over to the coast. The weather was sketchy on Sunday, but what a day on Monday! :D

Thanks again for the test ride on your new GT. What a machine. Pauline said she would ride on it anytime! ;) I might be getting a green light here. :D

We are looking forward to some more fun rides this summer.

[meese]

You had me worried for a minute there, Art. I was feeling left behind. :)

[ErnieA]

Ernie and Pauline, A huge thank you for being such great tour guides.(That man knows some fantastic roads!) Ernie's route back from Garibaldi was one twisty sob.And for Ken, riding all the way out in the middle of nowhere to have lunch with me. And of course Jeff for his company and a spin on that incredible GT! Thanks a bunch and I'll see you out there on the "Grand Tour"

Thanks for making the trip. It is very cool that we were able to get together and enjoy the coast and some twisties. The GT was a real treat, wasn't it? The road quality on the Three Capes loop was not all that good, but the Miami River Road and Hwy 53 was a hoot. :yeah:

After you left we took another twisty road from Rainer south and Ken took a shot at the GT. After a few minutes getting used to it he was smoke! I was dragging the pegs and center stand to just keep him in sight. ;)

See you soon and let's plan a trip up around the northern Cascades with Clayton and anyone else wanting to join a scenic tour. Perhaps we will stop and take a picture once in a while. ;)

[meese]

I was riding at a fun, but comfortable pace. Then I noticed that was easily 10-15 mph faster than I was doing on the LT over similar roads. I can imagine what might happen if I decided to push it, but that wasn't an option on someone else's bike.

And yes, Jeff, I really do need to get these Ohlins rebuilt and installed. :)

[AlaskaFish]

I was riding at a fun, but comfortable pace. Then I noticed that was easily 10-15 mph faster than I was doing on the LT over similar roads. I can imagine what might happen if I decided to push it, but that wasn't an option on someone else's bike.

And yes, Jeff, I really do need to get these Ohlins rebuilt and installed. :)
So Ken, what do we have in the box sitting at my house? I thought they were Ohlins, but your post above has me wondering. May not be able to get as good a price for them if they're not Ohlins buddy!

Heading for Bend on the Bike tomorrow. Work beckons!

John

[meese]

Oh they're Ohlins, but I have to figure out where to get them rebuilt and re-sprung before I can fit them.

Enjoy Bend. Just watch out for snow and hail crossing the mountains. :)

[Mitch_Rider]

Oh they're Ohlins, but I have to figure out where to get them rebuilt and re-sprung before I can fit them.

Enjoy Bend. Just watch out for snow and hail crossing the mountains. :)

Ken,
There is a local guy right here on the east side of town that I used to rebuild the Ohlin that I got used from Ed. I can look up his number if you are interested. My Ohlins are ready for a rebuild/recharge after 70K but felt like new ones compared to yours. Your bike should feel "better than new" after you get them done!
Jeff

[ErnieA]

Ken, My Ohlins are ready for a rebuild/recharge after 70K but felt like new ones compared to yours. Your bike should feel "better than new" after you get them done!
Jeff

Not pullin' any punches Jeff. Good!:eek: My only worry is what will happen when he gets his machine handlin' good. There will be a blur of Mauve and it'll be Ken Gone. :rolleyes: Like it isn't that way now. ;)

We're leaving in the AM for Warm Springs, Hampton and Diamond. See you guys at WCR! Except Jeff and Judy who are going to the Chief Joseph Rally in John Day.

[sanjaun2]

Ernie,
Have a good safe trip and see you at 3 rivers. I will be leaving tues/wed but not sure where I am going yet!

[meese]

Thanks, Jeff, let me know when you find his number. After 1,200 miles of mostly twisty roads during the Cal24 this weekend, I really could've used them. :)

[sanjaun2]

Hello all,
I was going to leave wed after work. I woke up sunday morning and was not looking foward to going to work mon-wed. SO, I packed my stuff and headed out on a road trip about noon. Did about 500 miles and a few checkpoints. Well, Today was a good one. 904 miles later I am at Ruby's lodge at Bryce canyon. My longest day previous was about 750. 904 miles on a stock seat!!! how about that. I had on full gear (My winter stuff) Because two weeks ago I got snowed on 3 times and hailed on at least another dozen. This time it was between 90-99 degrees. Does our computer show over 99? I was making good time except being stuck in rush hour with a blocking accident I might ad in salt lake city. Stopped in bumper to bumper at 99 degrees. And I thought anything over 70 is getting warm with all the gear on!!!
I am in room 7506 if anyone is here and wants to go for a ride tomorrow. And no, the 3 Harleys parked in front of my door are not with me, The little boogers stole my spot. I should be arriving 3 rivers on thursday afternoon/evening.

[Mitch_Rider]

Thanks, Jeff, let me know when you find his number. After 1,200 miles of mostly twisty roads during the Cal24 this weekend, I really could've used them. :)

Ken,
Just caught up with Don Weber to get you the name of the Ohlins guy.
It is Dave Hodges at GP Suspensions on Beaver Creek Blvd in Oregon City. I believe that his number is 503-723-7793. Tell him that you got his name from Don Weber.
Jeff

[meese]

Thanks, Jeff. I did manage to find GP Suspensions in Oregon City, but having a contact name and phone helps.

After watching Ernie scrape through several corners in Sequoia Park, maybe we can get a group deal on Ohlins rebuilds. :)

[sanjaun2]

Ernie,
We ought to have a side by side shock session. I just ordered olins front and rear for 1432 bucks. OUCH!!!!