Eagle Encounter on Wyoming's High Plains

Ron 0:05

I saw him up ahead . I prepared to pass him slowly , not to draw his attention , not to disturb him . I rode by and I could see him very clearly watching me . Yeah , he saw me . Then , just as I passed him , he started to follow me . Most definitely he was following me , so I just kept riding at a slow pace . No need to worry , I don't think I just told myself that , he's just curious . He continued to follow me for the next 10 minutes or so as I rode east . I glanced back and didn't see him one time . Then , a moment later , he swooped down right in front of me . He was beautiful and maybe he had something to teach me . And he did Curious , stay tuned .

Ron 1:20

Recorded in beautiful Loveland , colorado . Welcome to Peace , love Moto , the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful , easy feeling as we cruise through this life together . Are you ready ?

The Shared Freedom of Flight

Ron 1:34

Let's go ? Well , maybe you picked up on it , but that was the Steve Miller Band playing their iconic song Fly Like an Eagle , like an eagle . Yeah , the lyrics of that song are so evocative , I think , and they really resonate too , I think , with the motorcycling experience , at least the experiences that I've had . So yeah , it was an eagle . So let me fill in a few blanks .

Ron 2:28

So I was out on my bike , as I normally am as often as I can , riding the high plains of southern Wyoming , a place where the sky just feels bigger and the world feels more empty , but in the best possible way . But in the best possible way . I was on a slow , deliberate ride on the many dirt roads that follow the Colorado-Wyoming border . If you find Vita Woo on the Wyoming map , you look straight south of that and this massive expanse of open space . That's where I was essentially . So I'd been out there for about 10 miles originally , turning off of highway 287 , getting on the dirt roads , deflating my tires a little bit , and I hadn't seen another vehicle in at least 10 miles . Not a single vehicle . It was just me and this vast open land , open land , and that was awesome .

Ron 3:31

And then I saw it this amazing huge bald eagle that was on top of a pine tree and honestly that's a bit of a rare sight in this area , because usually you find bald eagles around here near to large bodies of waters or lakes and rivers . Sometimes they love the fish , right . But no , he was out there hanging out on the high plains and I slowed down as I approached him so I just didn't want to scare him , but he just took flight anyway and I swear , as I rode by , that eagle started following me . He climbed and then he started following me . It was so cool . He was just curious .

Ron 4:13

I guess I was only going about 30 miles an hour . Yeah , this is dirt roads and loose gravel out there , so you go kind of slow , standing in the pegs most of the time , and for the next five miles or so that eagle just stayed right with me . I can picture it now . He was flying over my right shoulder , maybe a hundred feet up , just silent , this majestic shadow against this endless blue sky . It was completely amazing . I felt like it was a shared moment , as if we were both just out there , a rider on his steel horse and the king of the skies enjoying the same freedom in this beautiful , beautiful landscape . Then , as I mentioned , he swooped down to get a better look at me . It kind of scared me at first . It was like wow , really he was just curious , I know it just felt like though he was trying to tell me something , sharing a secret . Am I reading too much into this ? I don't think so , because that's how I felt at the time . Maybe it was about the pure , uninhibited freedom it feels to soar over that great big expanse out there . And maybe , just maybe , he was telling me I'm glad you joined me out here today For taking to the open road and experiencing the same spirit of flight that I feel about 100 feet above you . It was a moment for me . I felt like I was in sync with this eagle . It was like this connection I felt between me , my machine and God's wonderful nature . It was a peace , love , moto time where I found peace of mind right

Fly Like an Eagle: Personal Revolution

Ron 6:21

then and I still feel it now . My wife and I saw Steve Miller in concert some years ago I think we were in Michigan at the time and he played Fly Like an Eagle .

Ron 6:39

As you might expect , the lyrics of that song are like a calling , maybe , to be something greater , a calling to feel freedom while also having compassion for this very hurting and confused world . The lyrics say , for example I want to fly like an eagle until I'm free . Oh Lord , through the revolution . Fly like an eagle , let my spirit carry me . Then part of the lyrics talk about through the revolution . Right , that phrase kind of sticks with me too . It's not just about a political upheaval , which we seem to be surrounded with these days , but it's about this personal revolution that he's talking about .

Ron 7:27

Experiencing the transformation may be that we undergo when we shed our anxieties as best we can , and many of us do that by just hopping on our motorcycle and going for a ride . For many of us , motorcycling is that revolution . It's this radical act of self-care that's the way it is for me A declaration of independence . We're out on our own , we're dependent upon ourselves and we're just out there . We're breaking free from the mundane , from the expectations of others sometimes , and nothing's going to hold us back when we're out on our ride . Of course , we have to watch out for ourselves , because we have loved ones who depend on us and who love us , but there are times we just have to break free for just a little while and just be free . Well , we have another weekend ahead and I know I'll be heading out to that same area soon enough and I'll most certainly be looking for my new friend , that beautiful bald eagle

Finding Solitude on Remote Roads

Ron 8:43

, out there . Well , I'll just begin to wrap up with this .

Ron 8:48

While I love riding my motorcycle most anywhere riding in remote places yeah , maybe you've picked up on this that's my favorite Riding through Monument Valley , for example . Fantastic roads and views where you can really feel some solitude out there , lonely roads where , frankly , I don't feel alone at all . It's where I'll ride fast if I want to go fast , and I'll ride slow and stand on the pegs when I just want to take it all in See , riding on a dirt road , it requires us generally to ride a little bit slower , depending on the bike that you're on . You may be able to ride fast on the dirt , which is most certainly true and fun , but there is a time for going slow , no-transcript Everything around me , taking it in , opening my eyes to see the next eagle .

Ron 10:05

I'm convinced that had I not been going slow , without distractions , I surely would have not seen it following me , seen it up ahead . I would have never heard what I think the

The Eagle's Message of Freedom

Ron 10:18

eagle was trying to tell me , because this is what I think he said . I think he was trying to tell me that out there , away from the busyness of the world , away from the traffic , away from apartment houses , just space , the world is really , really good . He was saying maybe welcome to my world , where I don't think about yesterday or I don't think about tomorrow . I just live for the day and I fly .

Ron 10:59

So next time , when you're out on your bike , even if you're just dreaming about your next ride , maybe let the words to fly like an eagle by Steve Miller . Maybe listen to that . Listen to the words , let your spirit soar , embrace the freedom , the journey and the incredible perspective that is so unique to us on Two Wheels , as always . Thank you so much for joining me . If you like the podcast and would care to leave a review , especially on Apple Podcasts , a review would be awesome . Thank you very much in advance for doing that . Until we meet again , I wish you peace and I wish you love . Let my spirit carry me on , carry me on From three Right through the revolution .