Sunday, June 11, 2006
Headin' Home
Drayton, ND to Brookfield, WI
I set the Screamin' Meanie for 0430 and went to bed. Got up relatively easily and washed my face, etc. I had done most of my packing the night before and in order to save time, I left the tank bag and GPS on the bike, covered with the Nelson Rigg bike cover. Since this was a very small town in ND, I wasn't too concerned about theft. Heck, you could practiically throw a stone from one end of the town to the other.
Got going right on time and headed toward Karlstad, the next town. I knew I needed gas, but didn't know what would be open at this hour of the morning. It's in exactly these conditions that the big PIAAs are worth their weight in gold -dark two-lane road in deer country - they light up the road for about 1/2 mile. In fact when I have ALL of the lights going - the PIAA 1100s, the big PIAAs and the bike high beams, there is something like 550W coming out the front end - awesome sight! Finally found a 24/7 station and filled up for the longish ride up Rte 11 to Rosseau where I would turn toward the border. I made the turn at Rosseau only to see a sign saying the border crossing was only open from 8AM to midnight and here it is 6:00AM. What to do now - guess I'll have some breakfast... a deluxe omelet and coffee later, it's still only 6:45. I pulled into the Holiday gas station and asked about the border crossing. Seems that the border crossing at Warroad is open 24/7 and Warroad is only 20 miles away, so down the road I go.
The Northwest Angle as it is called is US property, but to get there you have to enter Manitoba,Canada, then recross back into the US. When you return you have to do the same thinkg, so to get to and from the Northwest Angle, I crossed the border 4 times. The US/Canadian customs at Warroad is a formal affair with armed officers, an office, etc. The US/Canadian customs office at the Angle is a shack with a videophone and is actually eight miles into US territory. The one I checked into and out of was called Jim's Corner and is clearly labeled as the customs shack.
So, I checked in at customs in Warroad, told them I was going to the Angle and would be back thru in a few hours and took off. At Moose Lake the pavement abruptly ends and becomes gravel, so it's back to dirt bike time again. The road is really in pretty good shape, but when another vehicle passes you going the other way (usually a pickup hauling a boat), there is this huge cloud of dust that envelopes you for a few seconds. Multiply this scenario by 4-5-6 times, and you, the bike and all of your gear are covered with dust.
I finally got to the Angle Inlet, the small resort town that was my destination and stopped at the T intersection. Looking at the sign with arrows pointing left and right, I saw the smallest Post Office I had even seen - the customs shack at Jim's Corner wasn't too much smaller. I had to have a picture of that!!
I turned left and followed the road a bit to Grumpy's Bar and Restaurant with an "OPEN" sign lit up, so I stopped for coffee and chat with the only people in there, who happened to be the owners. Nice place and very clean. I can imagine this was a busy place in the aftenoon and evenings.
I got my water and pebble samples, took the requisite pictures and headed back down the gravel road, checked back into Canada at Jim's Corner andran the remainng 20 miles of gravel road back to the US. Checked back into customs at Warroad again and was on my way down thru Minnesota. Apparently the gravel road and all of the bouncing fried my one remaining PIAA lamp because it was gone. Now I have only one low beam headlight and the big PIAAs, so it looks like I'll be running at night with the high beams only - still okay for conspicuity, though.
For some unknown reason, the Garmin GPS has difficulties in northern Minnesota. It rerouted me all over the place and even turning it off and on again didn't help too much. Fortunately, I knew that I was going to be on Hwy 11 for some time, so I just ignored the thing.
I took a small shortcut and some backroads to pick up Hwy 53 at Ray, MN and headed for Duluth, a town I have visited many times (home to Aerostitch/Rider Wearhouse) and knew my way from there quite well as it is the route for the Bun Burner 1500 as well as the Great Lakes GOLD rides that I had done last year.
I started getting tired north of Rice Lake and had to stop 2-3 times to clear my head. These weren't long stops, sometimes only 2 or 3 minutes, but it was enough to shake the cobwebs out and keep me going.
At Eau Claire it started raining and would continue for the remainder of the ride. Traffic was moderate going south, a lot heavier going north because this was Friday afternoon/evening and people were headed to their "cabin up north" My highbeams didn't seem to upset too many people, but I was just waiting for someone to piss me off enough to blast them with the big PIAAs. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and the big PIAAs stayed quiet.
I walked into the Red Rooster, my end-of-the-ride watering hole, about 2130 after a 900 mile day and the end of an 11,200 mile journey, glad to be home safe and sound.
I hope you enjoyed reading about this incredible odyssey as much as I enjoyed riding and writing about it. I'll publish a recap and a what worked/what didn't work section sometime in the next several days.
Later,
Mike
I set the Screamin' Meanie for 0430 and went to bed. Got up relatively easily and washed my face, etc. I had done most of my packing the night before and in order to save time, I left the tank bag and GPS on the bike, covered with the Nelson Rigg bike cover. Since this was a very small town in ND, I wasn't too concerned about theft. Heck, you could practiically throw a stone from one end of the town to the other.
Got going right on time and headed toward Karlstad, the next town. I knew I needed gas, but didn't know what would be open at this hour of the morning. It's in exactly these conditions that the big PIAAs are worth their weight in gold -dark two-lane road in deer country - they light up the road for about 1/2 mile. In fact when I have ALL of the lights going - the PIAA 1100s, the big PIAAs and the bike high beams, there is something like 550W coming out the front end - awesome sight! Finally found a 24/7 station and filled up for the longish ride up Rte 11 to Rosseau where I would turn toward the border. I made the turn at Rosseau only to see a sign saying the border crossing was only open from 8AM to midnight and here it is 6:00AM. What to do now - guess I'll have some breakfast... a deluxe omelet and coffee later, it's still only 6:45. I pulled into the Holiday gas station and asked about the border crossing. Seems that the border crossing at Warroad is open 24/7 and Warroad is only 20 miles away, so down the road I go.
The Northwest Angle as it is called is US property, but to get there you have to enter Manitoba,Canada, then recross back into the US. When you return you have to do the same thinkg, so to get to and from the Northwest Angle, I crossed the border 4 times. The US/Canadian customs at Warroad is a formal affair with armed officers, an office, etc. The US/Canadian customs office at the Angle is a shack with a videophone and is actually eight miles into US territory. The one I checked into and out of was called Jim's Corner and is clearly labeled as the customs shack.
So, I checked in at customs in Warroad, told them I was going to the Angle and would be back thru in a few hours and took off. At Moose Lake the pavement abruptly ends and becomes gravel, so it's back to dirt bike time again. The road is really in pretty good shape, but when another vehicle passes you going the other way (usually a pickup hauling a boat), there is this huge cloud of dust that envelopes you for a few seconds. Multiply this scenario by 4-5-6 times, and you, the bike and all of your gear are covered with dust.
I finally got to the Angle Inlet, the small resort town that was my destination and stopped at the T intersection. Looking at the sign with arrows pointing left and right, I saw the smallest Post Office I had even seen - the customs shack at Jim's Corner wasn't too much smaller. I had to have a picture of that!!
I turned left and followed the road a bit to Grumpy's Bar and Restaurant with an "OPEN" sign lit up, so I stopped for coffee and chat with the only people in there, who happened to be the owners. Nice place and very clean. I can imagine this was a busy place in the aftenoon and evenings.
I got my water and pebble samples, took the requisite pictures and headed back down the gravel road, checked back into Canada at Jim's Corner andran the remainng 20 miles of gravel road back to the US. Checked back into customs at Warroad again and was on my way down thru Minnesota. Apparently the gravel road and all of the bouncing fried my one remaining PIAA lamp because it was gone. Now I have only one low beam headlight and the big PIAAs, so it looks like I'll be running at night with the high beams only - still okay for conspicuity, though.
For some unknown reason, the Garmin GPS has difficulties in northern Minnesota. It rerouted me all over the place and even turning it off and on again didn't help too much. Fortunately, I knew that I was going to be on Hwy 11 for some time, so I just ignored the thing.
I took a small shortcut and some backroads to pick up Hwy 53 at Ray, MN and headed for Duluth, a town I have visited many times (home to Aerostitch/Rider Wearhouse) and knew my way from there quite well as it is the route for the Bun Burner 1500 as well as the Great Lakes GOLD rides that I had done last year.
I started getting tired north of Rice Lake and had to stop 2-3 times to clear my head. These weren't long stops, sometimes only 2 or 3 minutes, but it was enough to shake the cobwebs out and keep me going.
At Eau Claire it started raining and would continue for the remainder of the ride. Traffic was moderate going south, a lot heavier going north because this was Friday afternoon/evening and people were headed to their "cabin up north" My highbeams didn't seem to upset too many people, but I was just waiting for someone to piss me off enough to blast them with the big PIAAs. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and the big PIAAs stayed quiet.
I walked into the Red Rooster, my end-of-the-ride watering hole, about 2130 after a 900 mile day and the end of an 11,200 mile journey, glad to be home safe and sound.
I hope you enjoyed reading about this incredible odyssey as much as I enjoyed riding and writing about it. I'll publish a recap and a what worked/what didn't work section sometime in the next several days.
Later,
Mike
Crossing North Dakota
Glasgow, MT to Drayton, ND
After a relaxing evening at La Casa Glasgow, I left fairly early, headed for North Dakota. I went 2 blocks for gas and immediately ran into a BMW rider from Cleveland who was going to Alaska. He said there was some really bad construction zones east and be prepared for some riding in soft sand/gravel.
The first construction zone was okay - a short detour; second one was okay as well. #3 and #4 were much worse - I waited about 15 minutes for the escort car to arrive from the other end and he took me across some soft sand, but not really bad stuff. Same thing with #4 - escort car. Finally got out of the construction at Wolf Point and headed for Culbertson, where I turned south to go to Ft Union NHS, just inside the ND border.
Ft Union was pretty cool. It was a reconstruction of the fort as the NPS thought it would have looked like in 1851. There was a man in costume at the first place I stopped and he gave an interesting spiel about the activities in the merchant shop and showed me some of the things that would have been traded between the merchants and the Indians. Apparently this was a very friendly relationship and intermarriage between the two groups was common. The center of the fort held the "bourgeois" house, the living quarters of the fort commander. Quite unlike the man in costume, there was no one at the visitor center, so I found the stamps and left without seeing another soul.
Got to Williston, ND in time for lunch (Pizza Hut buffet - $4.91) and gas. It had started to rain along with the strong winds again, making riding a bit more challenging, to say the least. I fought this combination to Minot where I stopped for a break. At the truck stop I me another biker on a Harley, headed back home to Nevada. He told me that the rain and wind let up about Rugby, 60 miles down the road. Rugby is well known to LD riders as the geographic center of the North Americal continent, I stopped for gas at Rugby and saw the monument to that factoid across the street.
By Rugby, the wind had died down considerably and it was almost comfortable riding. Temps were still low (54*), but tolerable with electric liner and winter gloves. As I was riding this stretch of road, I wondered what the wind chill factor is at 54* and 100mph (70 mph bike speed + 30 mph wind speed on the nose) Any guesses?? It's not as cold as I would have thought, but certainly cold enough to justify the Kanetsu and the winter gloves (Answer is 43* F, but it felt a hellofa lot colder than that...)
At Devils Lake I decided to disagree with the GPS. GPS wanted to take me to Grand Forks, which took me away from my destination and I wanted to go north from Devils Lake to Rte 17 - shorter. The Captain won and we went my way. I wanted to get as far up the course as possible in as short a time as I could. I know that tomorrow is going to be a long day.
Finally got to I-29, north of Grand Forks, only to be at one of those exits with "No Services", so I proceeded north, certain that there is going to be a motel up here somewhere. Got off at Drayton and found the "Motel 66", a dumpy little place, but a room for the short evening ahead.
I'm planning to leave at 0430 to get up to Angle Inlet ASAP, then hot foot it down Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Later,
Mike
After a relaxing evening at La Casa Glasgow, I left fairly early, headed for North Dakota. I went 2 blocks for gas and immediately ran into a BMW rider from Cleveland who was going to Alaska. He said there was some really bad construction zones east and be prepared for some riding in soft sand/gravel.
The first construction zone was okay - a short detour; second one was okay as well. #3 and #4 were much worse - I waited about 15 minutes for the escort car to arrive from the other end and he took me across some soft sand, but not really bad stuff. Same thing with #4 - escort car. Finally got out of the construction at Wolf Point and headed for Culbertson, where I turned south to go to Ft Union NHS, just inside the ND border.
Ft Union was pretty cool. It was a reconstruction of the fort as the NPS thought it would have looked like in 1851. There was a man in costume at the first place I stopped and he gave an interesting spiel about the activities in the merchant shop and showed me some of the things that would have been traded between the merchants and the Indians. Apparently this was a very friendly relationship and intermarriage between the two groups was common. The center of the fort held the "bourgeois" house, the living quarters of the fort commander. Quite unlike the man in costume, there was no one at the visitor center, so I found the stamps and left without seeing another soul.
Got to Williston, ND in time for lunch (Pizza Hut buffet - $4.91) and gas. It had started to rain along with the strong winds again, making riding a bit more challenging, to say the least. I fought this combination to Minot where I stopped for a break. At the truck stop I me another biker on a Harley, headed back home to Nevada. He told me that the rain and wind let up about Rugby, 60 miles down the road. Rugby is well known to LD riders as the geographic center of the North Americal continent, I stopped for gas at Rugby and saw the monument to that factoid across the street.
By Rugby, the wind had died down considerably and it was almost comfortable riding. Temps were still low (54*), but tolerable with electric liner and winter gloves. As I was riding this stretch of road, I wondered what the wind chill factor is at 54* and 100mph (70 mph bike speed + 30 mph wind speed on the nose) Any guesses?? It's not as cold as I would have thought, but certainly cold enough to justify the Kanetsu and the winter gloves (Answer is 43* F, but it felt a hellofa lot colder than that...)
At Devils Lake I decided to disagree with the GPS. GPS wanted to take me to Grand Forks, which took me away from my destination and I wanted to go north from Devils Lake to Rte 17 - shorter. The Captain won and we went my way. I wanted to get as far up the course as possible in as short a time as I could. I know that tomorrow is going to be a long day.
Finally got to I-29, north of Grand Forks, only to be at one of those exits with "No Services", so I proceeded north, certain that there is going to be a motel up here somewhere. Got off at Drayton and found the "Motel 66", a dumpy little place, but a room for the short evening ahead.
I'm planning to leave at 0430 to get up to Angle Inlet ASAP, then hot foot it down Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Later,
Mike
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Big Sky Country
Libby MT to Glasgow, MT
Got up a little earlier tha usual, knowing that it was going to be 100 miles to Kalispell, then a few more miles to Glacier NP. Motored to Kalispell and stopped at McDs for breakfast. Checked the map and confirmed the route to Glacier and took off. When I got to the West Entrance, I was very dismayed to find that "Going to the Sun" road was CLOSED! Apparently there is some 20-30' of snow (yes, feet) and the road may not open for another month - DAMN!! I was soooo looking forward to riding that road. So, I got the stamp at the visitor's center in Apgar and considered my options. I had not thought of the road being closed, so where do I go now, and how do I get around Glacier NP???
Route 2 does indeed go around Glacier, so it's back on Rte 2 again and truckin toward the eastern side of the state. Once you leave Glacier, it's like you are transported into the grasslands again - flat, boring, hayfields, wheatfields, trains, and this endless ribbon of highway stretching from horizon to horizon - believe me, you can see both ends.
Have I mentioned that I was bucking a tremendous headwind/crosswind all across the state??
My original goal was Malta, MT, some 250 miles away, but with the change of plans, Malta didn't seem far enough, so I stopped at Havre (who thinks up these names, anyway?) and reconnoitered. I still needed to stop at Angle Inlet, but also wanted to be back in Milwaukee by Friday evening if possible. S&T says it's difficult, but possible-1358 miles
So, instead of stopping at Malta, I went on to Glasgow, MT, some 90 miles further down the road. Since Havre, I decided to take advantage of Montana's generous speed limit - essentially none - and wicked it up to 80 indicated, about 75 actual, and kept it there for most of ther rest of the trip. I have been having some ear problems for the past few days (maybe something to do with having earplugs jammed into your ears for 19 straight days...) and decided NOT to use earplugs today, so the roar in my ears was much stronger than usual
Did I mention the headwinds/crosswinds that were throwing me all across the highway?
THe last 15 miles going into Glasgow were simply atrocious - did I mention the crosswinds? - they wer literally throwing me and the bike across my lane and there was no way of telling which way they would come from. One minute it would be from the right, the next minute from the left. Sometimes I would be riding down the road at a 15* angle just to stay on the road and in my lane.
Got a room at a ma and pa place ,walked across the road (five lanes) for cocktails and snack and settled in for the night.
Daily stats:
odo: 50910
GPS: 516.2 miles
Driving avg: 63.3 (Considering that this was 43.3 when I left Glacier, tells you that I was bookin' it across the rest of the state)
Overall avg:46.5
Drive time: 8:09
Stopped time: 2:56
Total time: 11.06
Later,
Mike
Got up a little earlier tha usual, knowing that it was going to be 100 miles to Kalispell, then a few more miles to Glacier NP. Motored to Kalispell and stopped at McDs for breakfast. Checked the map and confirmed the route to Glacier and took off. When I got to the West Entrance, I was very dismayed to find that "Going to the Sun" road was CLOSED! Apparently there is some 20-30' of snow (yes, feet) and the road may not open for another month - DAMN!! I was soooo looking forward to riding that road. So, I got the stamp at the visitor's center in Apgar and considered my options. I had not thought of the road being closed, so where do I go now, and how do I get around Glacier NP???
Route 2 does indeed go around Glacier, so it's back on Rte 2 again and truckin toward the eastern side of the state. Once you leave Glacier, it's like you are transported into the grasslands again - flat, boring, hayfields, wheatfields, trains, and this endless ribbon of highway stretching from horizon to horizon - believe me, you can see both ends.
Have I mentioned that I was bucking a tremendous headwind/crosswind all across the state??
My original goal was Malta, MT, some 250 miles away, but with the change of plans, Malta didn't seem far enough, so I stopped at Havre (who thinks up these names, anyway?) and reconnoitered. I still needed to stop at Angle Inlet, but also wanted to be back in Milwaukee by Friday evening if possible. S&T says it's difficult, but possible-1358 miles
So, instead of stopping at Malta, I went on to Glasgow, MT, some 90 miles further down the road. Since Havre, I decided to take advantage of Montana's generous speed limit - essentially none - and wicked it up to 80 indicated, about 75 actual, and kept it there for most of ther rest of the trip. I have been having some ear problems for the past few days (maybe something to do with having earplugs jammed into your ears for 19 straight days...) and decided NOT to use earplugs today, so the roar in my ears was much stronger than usual
Did I mention the headwinds/crosswinds that were throwing me all across the highway?
THe last 15 miles going into Glasgow were simply atrocious - did I mention the crosswinds? - they wer literally throwing me and the bike across my lane and there was no way of telling which way they would come from. One minute it would be from the right, the next minute from the left. Sometimes I would be riding down the road at a 15* angle just to stay on the road and in my lane.
Got a room at a ma and pa place ,walked across the road (five lanes) for cocktails and snack and settled in for the night.
Daily stats:
odo: 50910
GPS: 516.2 miles
Driving avg: 63.3 (Considering that this was 43.3 when I left Glacier, tells you that I was bookin' it across the rest of the state)
Overall avg:46.5
Drive time: 8:09
Stopped time: 2:56
Total time: 11.06
Later,
Mike
Bellingham to Libby, MT
Bellingham, WA to LIbby, MT
After yesterday, today was a kind of anticlimax. Got up early and took off about 0630 local time. It was a bit chilly, but I thought it would warm up, so all I had on was my poly shirt.
15 minutes later I stopped to put on the fleece; 15 minutes later I stopped to put on the wind jacket...
15 minutes after that I went full bore - like I should have done in the first place - and pulled out the electric liner. First time I've used that since Maine. I reasoned that since I was headed for the mountains, I was gonna need it anyway, soooooo....
Headed easily up the face of the Cascade Mountains. The road is not nearly as challenging as the Rockies, but still fun. By the time I got to Washington Pass (elev 5477') it was COLD - 41* On top of that, there was a bit of fog in the air making it a damp, chilling cold, not the dry cold - oh, never mind!! There was still snow up at these altitudes, a lot of it in a few places and well as on the mountain peaks. One of the informational posters said that these ranges provide up to 1/3 of all the water for Seattle.
Got to Spokane and stopped to recheck my route on the computer - looks like a very pretty city with 3 universities, some extensive renovations going on, etc.
At Coeur d'Alene I turned north and went up to Sandpoint, another very pretty town, but a bit too far north for me. I'm certain they get just buckets of snow in the winter. On the way to Kalispell, I stopped to see the Grand Coulee Dam - very impressive. It's the largest concrete structure in the world.
Got into Montana, lost an hour and stopped at Libby for the evening.
Daily stats:
Odo: 50380
GPS: 529.2
Driving avg: 56.3
Overall avg: 44.5
Driving time: 9:24
Stopped time: 2:30
Total time:11:54
Cumulative miles: 9266
Later,
Mike
After yesterday, today was a kind of anticlimax. Got up early and took off about 0630 local time. It was a bit chilly, but I thought it would warm up, so all I had on was my poly shirt.
15 minutes later I stopped to put on the fleece; 15 minutes later I stopped to put on the wind jacket...
15 minutes after that I went full bore - like I should have done in the first place - and pulled out the electric liner. First time I've used that since Maine. I reasoned that since I was headed for the mountains, I was gonna need it anyway, soooooo....
Headed easily up the face of the Cascade Mountains. The road is not nearly as challenging as the Rockies, but still fun. By the time I got to Washington Pass (elev 5477') it was COLD - 41* On top of that, there was a bit of fog in the air making it a damp, chilling cold, not the dry cold - oh, never mind!! There was still snow up at these altitudes, a lot of it in a few places and well as on the mountain peaks. One of the informational posters said that these ranges provide up to 1/3 of all the water for Seattle.
Got to Spokane and stopped to recheck my route on the computer - looks like a very pretty city with 3 universities, some extensive renovations going on, etc.
At Coeur d'Alene I turned north and went up to Sandpoint, another very pretty town, but a bit too far north for me. I'm certain they get just buckets of snow in the winter. On the way to Kalispell, I stopped to see the Grand Coulee Dam - very impressive. It's the largest concrete structure in the world.
Got into Montana, lost an hour and stopped at Libby for the evening.
Daily stats:
Odo: 50380
GPS: 529.2
Driving avg: 56.3
Overall avg: 44.5
Driving time: 9:24
Stopped time: 2:30
Total time:11:54
Cumulative miles: 9266
Later,
Mike
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Cape Flattery, Washington
What a fantastic day!
I left the motel at Forks, WA (Forks Motel, nice place) about 0800 ready to head for Cape Flattery, apparently the westernmost point in the US. I had about 120 miles of gas in the tank, but looking at the map I wasn't certain that was going to be enough, so I stopped in Clallam Bay and filled up - glad I did, because gas stations here are few and far between.
I'm a little tense at this point, not knowing what is coming and expecting that this is going to be a pretty remote area. Little did I know how remote it was actually going to be.
The road from Clallam Bay to Neah Bay runs along the coastline and was FANTASTIC in both directions - twists, turns, ups, downs - a virtual roller coaster and tremendous on the bike. One sign warned of slides and washouts and the road shows it - cracks where the surface can't support the roadway and cliffs overhanging the roadway which will sometime come down. Occasionally the road dips down to the water level and there are pulloffs where people stop and have lunch, etc. This is actually the Juan de Fuca strait along this stretch of highway and Juan se Fuca Island is clearly visible across ther strait. Reminds me of the Straits of Mackinac.
Before you reach Neah Bay, you enter the Makah Indian Resevation and the signs indicate that you need to purchase an annual recreational usage permit from any of the available places in Neah Bay. I ignored these signs as I was only sightseeing, but did stop on the way out to inquire if I needed a permit.
I followed the road and signs thru town. This peninsula is like a volcano in that it has a high central structure and you go around it rather than over it. From all the maps that I've studied, I would have thought that I was going on the northern route around the peak, but the road led me south and I approached the Cape from that direction. About 5-6 miles out of town, I came across the Makah Tibal Center surrounded by fencing (why??). Soon after that, the pavement abruptly ended with absolutely no warning - one minute it's pavement, the next minute it's hard pack and potholes.
So, my beloved Tigress becomes an 800# dirt bike....
After about 5 miles, the road simply ends. You can't see the ocean bacause you're surrounded by trees - large trees - lots of trees - and an outhouse. One medium sized sign points to a trail and simply says "Cape Flattery". Okay, I thought to myself, here we go...The sign at the trailhead says the new trail is "only" 1/2 mile long and will require "moderate" stress climbing stairs and slopes -bullshit! It was very okay going down, but pretty tough going up.
I gathered up cameras, keys, etc., and headed down the trail in full gear. I didn't want to leave my 'stich on the bike ( I really didn't want to leave my bike there either, but didn't have much choice -a trials bike would have had some problems on this trail). To my good furtune, it was a pretty nice day. It had rained all day the day before, but today was relatively warm and the sun was peeking thru the clouds on occasion. Temps were in the high 50s - great for walking.
I unzipped the 'stitch about 1/2 way down the trail and started thinkng that the trip back was gonna be tough. There were one or two short side trails leading to small decks with great photo ops of the coast or the sea caves next to the Cape. I estimated that it was a 200-300' elevation drop from the trail head to the end - and you're still 100' above the sea.
At the end of the trail is a circular deck with an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean, Tatoosh Island and lighthouse just west of the Cape, the sea caves around, Juan de Fuca Strait and Island - beautiful! On top of that, I'm at the westernmost point in the continental US: 124* 43.601" I stripped off the 'stitch jacket and the fleece shirt because I was "perspiring" and just basked in the glow of the moment. It was wonderful to reach a point that you have been dreaming about for a couple of years and it was worth the time to enjoy it.
Took some more pictures of the vista, some document photos and regrettably got ready to leave. I knew I wasn't going to be able to wear the 'stitch back up the hill (or the fleece for that matter), so I got myself ready for the walk uphill and started putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes I took breaks every 50'; other times I could walk further, but it took me some time to retrace my steps.
It was a real relief to see my bike again as I gratefully threw my gear onto TIgress. After another "rest stop", I got my gear back on, mounted the steed and prepared to take off. Tigress startted as usual with the touch of a button. Third extreme corner covered.
About a mile down the road I looked at the trip logs - they were zeroed out! OMG - I left the PIAA light on the whole time I was walking the trail!!! Then I started shaking - what would I have done if I had been gone longer and the battery was completely dead??? Who knows how many people come up to this remote spot on the planet or how often?? Thank you Lord!!
Got back to Neah Bay and stopped at the c-store for water and an energy bar. I asked about the usage permit and the gal said "Don't worry about it..." so I didn't (It's $10 per vehicle) and headed down the road, very satisifed with myself at having reached one of the very far points of the US.
I spent the next four hours on some of the finest motorcycling roads in the country - Hwy 112/113 from Neah Bay to Port Angeles. I could go on and on about this road - it was that incredible!
The gods must have been with me because I arrived at Pt Townsend just as the ferry was getting ready to leave. Paid $4.70 for the passage and went up to the passengers cabin. Promptly fell asleep; the deckhand woke me up to tell me that we had arrived - I was holding up traffic. Hustled down to Tigress, got on and got out. Pulled off on land and got everything stowed again.
The other end of the ferry ride is Whidbey Island and It's pretty good size - I must have spent an hour getting from the ferry landing to the mainland and I-5 going north. Looking at the map, I can see Blaine, WA on the same page as Whidbey Is. (a good thing...) and guessed that it was only about 40 miles away.
I got off at the wrong exit in Blaine, but zoomed in on the GPS and got myself reoriented. I found the correct exit, got gas and a phone number at the Union76 station and headed for the post office. I needed a picture of Tigress in front of a structure with the name on it. The post office didn't look good, but the City Hall sign was great. As I was lining up the shot (it was my very last Polaroid shot) a gentleman came up and asked if I wanted him to photograph me with my bike. I took the Polaroid and gave him my digital camera. He did a great job and the photo turned out well. I checked, double checked and triple checked the paperwork, sealed the envelope and dropped into the mail slot about 2000 hours. Yippee!! I did it!!!
Went back down to Bellingham and found a Days Inn, recently converted from a Ramada, but it worked for me.
On to the Cascade and Rocky Mountains next!!
Later,
Mike
I left the motel at Forks, WA (Forks Motel, nice place) about 0800 ready to head for Cape Flattery, apparently the westernmost point in the US. I had about 120 miles of gas in the tank, but looking at the map I wasn't certain that was going to be enough, so I stopped in Clallam Bay and filled up - glad I did, because gas stations here are few and far between.
I'm a little tense at this point, not knowing what is coming and expecting that this is going to be a pretty remote area. Little did I know how remote it was actually going to be.
The road from Clallam Bay to Neah Bay runs along the coastline and was FANTASTIC in both directions - twists, turns, ups, downs - a virtual roller coaster and tremendous on the bike. One sign warned of slides and washouts and the road shows it - cracks where the surface can't support the roadway and cliffs overhanging the roadway which will sometime come down. Occasionally the road dips down to the water level and there are pulloffs where people stop and have lunch, etc. This is actually the Juan de Fuca strait along this stretch of highway and Juan se Fuca Island is clearly visible across ther strait. Reminds me of the Straits of Mackinac.
Before you reach Neah Bay, you enter the Makah Indian Resevation and the signs indicate that you need to purchase an annual recreational usage permit from any of the available places in Neah Bay. I ignored these signs as I was only sightseeing, but did stop on the way out to inquire if I needed a permit.
I followed the road and signs thru town. This peninsula is like a volcano in that it has a high central structure and you go around it rather than over it. From all the maps that I've studied, I would have thought that I was going on the northern route around the peak, but the road led me south and I approached the Cape from that direction. About 5-6 miles out of town, I came across the Makah Tibal Center surrounded by fencing (why??). Soon after that, the pavement abruptly ended with absolutely no warning - one minute it's pavement, the next minute it's hard pack and potholes.
So, my beloved Tigress becomes an 800# dirt bike....
After about 5 miles, the road simply ends. You can't see the ocean bacause you're surrounded by trees - large trees - lots of trees - and an outhouse. One medium sized sign points to a trail and simply says "Cape Flattery". Okay, I thought to myself, here we go...The sign at the trailhead says the new trail is "only" 1/2 mile long and will require "moderate" stress climbing stairs and slopes -bullshit! It was very okay going down, but pretty tough going up.
I gathered up cameras, keys, etc., and headed down the trail in full gear. I didn't want to leave my 'stich on the bike ( I really didn't want to leave my bike there either, but didn't have much choice -a trials bike would have had some problems on this trail). To my good furtune, it was a pretty nice day. It had rained all day the day before, but today was relatively warm and the sun was peeking thru the clouds on occasion. Temps were in the high 50s - great for walking.
I unzipped the 'stitch about 1/2 way down the trail and started thinkng that the trip back was gonna be tough. There were one or two short side trails leading to small decks with great photo ops of the coast or the sea caves next to the Cape. I estimated that it was a 200-300' elevation drop from the trail head to the end - and you're still 100' above the sea.
At the end of the trail is a circular deck with an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean, Tatoosh Island and lighthouse just west of the Cape, the sea caves around, Juan de Fuca Strait and Island - beautiful! On top of that, I'm at the westernmost point in the continental US: 124* 43.601" I stripped off the 'stitch jacket and the fleece shirt because I was "perspiring" and just basked in the glow of the moment. It was wonderful to reach a point that you have been dreaming about for a couple of years and it was worth the time to enjoy it.
Took some more pictures of the vista, some document photos and regrettably got ready to leave. I knew I wasn't going to be able to wear the 'stitch back up the hill (or the fleece for that matter), so I got myself ready for the walk uphill and started putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes I took breaks every 50'; other times I could walk further, but it took me some time to retrace my steps.
It was a real relief to see my bike again as I gratefully threw my gear onto TIgress. After another "rest stop", I got my gear back on, mounted the steed and prepared to take off. Tigress startted as usual with the touch of a button. Third extreme corner covered.
About a mile down the road I looked at the trip logs - they were zeroed out! OMG - I left the PIAA light on the whole time I was walking the trail!!! Then I started shaking - what would I have done if I had been gone longer and the battery was completely dead??? Who knows how many people come up to this remote spot on the planet or how often?? Thank you Lord!!
Got back to Neah Bay and stopped at the c-store for water and an energy bar. I asked about the usage permit and the gal said "Don't worry about it..." so I didn't (It's $10 per vehicle) and headed down the road, very satisifed with myself at having reached one of the very far points of the US.
I spent the next four hours on some of the finest motorcycling roads in the country - Hwy 112/113 from Neah Bay to Port Angeles. I could go on and on about this road - it was that incredible!
The gods must have been with me because I arrived at Pt Townsend just as the ferry was getting ready to leave. Paid $4.70 for the passage and went up to the passengers cabin. Promptly fell asleep; the deckhand woke me up to tell me that we had arrived - I was holding up traffic. Hustled down to Tigress, got on and got out. Pulled off on land and got everything stowed again.
The other end of the ferry ride is Whidbey Island and It's pretty good size - I must have spent an hour getting from the ferry landing to the mainland and I-5 going north. Looking at the map, I can see Blaine, WA on the same page as Whidbey Is. (a good thing...) and guessed that it was only about 40 miles away.
I got off at the wrong exit in Blaine, but zoomed in on the GPS and got myself reoriented. I found the correct exit, got gas and a phone number at the Union76 station and headed for the post office. I needed a picture of Tigress in front of a structure with the name on it. The post office didn't look good, but the City Hall sign was great. As I was lining up the shot (it was my very last Polaroid shot) a gentleman came up and asked if I wanted him to photograph me with my bike. I took the Polaroid and gave him my digital camera. He did a great job and the photo turned out well. I checked, double checked and triple checked the paperwork, sealed the envelope and dropped into the mail slot about 2000 hours. Yippee!! I did it!!!
Went back down to Bellingham and found a Days Inn, recently converted from a Ramada, but it worked for me.
On to the Cascade and Rocky Mountains next!!
Later,
Mike
Monday, June 05, 2006
Blaine, WA
Okay, folks,
At about 1800 PDT, I dropped the finak paperwork into the mailbox in Blaine, WA
4 Corners Tour is MINE!!!
More later,
Mike
At about 1800 PDT, I dropped the finak paperwork into the mailbox in Blaine, WA
4 Corners Tour is MINE!!!
More later,
Mike
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Yuma, AZ to Buellton, CA
This report fills in a gap in my reports - the leg from Yuma to Buellton.
I left Yuma early because I had a lunch date with my Customer Service Rep in Brea later that day; I knew she had a tight schedule and limited time for lunch. If I left about 0530, I could get to San Ysidro, get the 4 Corners thing done and still be in LA in time for lunch.
Temps were pleasant in the desert in the early morning - only 75*- and weren't rising too fast until I got near the mountains when they rose to 91*, moderating in the "mountains", but not much. At Jacumba, I took the worst screwing ever on gas - $4.00/gal for mid-grade - ouch! Can't say I'm fond of California's fuel delivery system either - takes both hands to get the gas into the tank: one to hold the "evaporation recovery system" lock in place and the other to pull the trigger - PITA.
Got to San Diego and the San Ysidro in good order without getting too lost. Found the phone number quickly, then found the Post Office. Now, how to get a picture on my bike in front of the PO sign?? Easy - ride on the sidewalk! Got the photos, what else do I need? Checked the rules - I need a gas receipt, not a receipt for the overpriced coffee I just bought,so back down the street, top off the tank, get the receipt and a duplicate for my records, stuff all into envelope, back to PO, and drop it in the slot. Done! On to Brea.
I used to work for a large company called Beckman Coulter, based in Brea, CA. I worked with 3 ladies who took care of my customers, worked up complicated prices quotations and proposals and booked orders when they came in. They were as much responsible for my success as I was and I owed them a lot. Before I was laid off, Nancy, my CSR, knew of my plans for the M/C trip and I had promised to take her to lunch on the way through. I'd been to the Home Office many times before, so I at least knew my way around that part of town.
We met in the lobby and I followed them to a soup and salad place where we had an excellent lunch- not only the food, but also the conversation - good to see all of them again. I miss talking with them regulalrly - they're geat ladies!
Got headed north and west from Brea and again ran into one of the major reasons why I couldn't live in/around/near LA - traffic - there are people EVERYWHERE!!! After 2 hours of high-stress driving in LA traffic, I finally headed north again on US101, a road that was to become my friend for the next several days.
By the time I had passed Santa Barbara, I was pretty well shot and started looking for a place to stop. About that time I came upon the Buellton exit, saw a Days Inn sign and decided that this was as far as I was going today. Fortunately, the Days Inn had a very nice room - park next to the door and walkout to the pool - sweet!
Had an adult beverage or two, ordered pizza delivered, devoured it and hit the sack - long day.
Later,
Mike
I left Yuma early because I had a lunch date with my Customer Service Rep in Brea later that day; I knew she had a tight schedule and limited time for lunch. If I left about 0530, I could get to San Ysidro, get the 4 Corners thing done and still be in LA in time for lunch.
Temps were pleasant in the desert in the early morning - only 75*- and weren't rising too fast until I got near the mountains when they rose to 91*, moderating in the "mountains", but not much. At Jacumba, I took the worst screwing ever on gas - $4.00/gal for mid-grade - ouch! Can't say I'm fond of California's fuel delivery system either - takes both hands to get the gas into the tank: one to hold the "evaporation recovery system" lock in place and the other to pull the trigger - PITA.
Got to San Diego and the San Ysidro in good order without getting too lost. Found the phone number quickly, then found the Post Office. Now, how to get a picture on my bike in front of the PO sign?? Easy - ride on the sidewalk! Got the photos, what else do I need? Checked the rules - I need a gas receipt, not a receipt for the overpriced coffee I just bought,so back down the street, top off the tank, get the receipt and a duplicate for my records, stuff all into envelope, back to PO, and drop it in the slot. Done! On to Brea.
I used to work for a large company called Beckman Coulter, based in Brea, CA. I worked with 3 ladies who took care of my customers, worked up complicated prices quotations and proposals and booked orders when they came in. They were as much responsible for my success as I was and I owed them a lot. Before I was laid off, Nancy, my CSR, knew of my plans for the M/C trip and I had promised to take her to lunch on the way through. I'd been to the Home Office many times before, so I at least knew my way around that part of town.
We met in the lobby and I followed them to a soup and salad place where we had an excellent lunch- not only the food, but also the conversation - good to see all of them again. I miss talking with them regulalrly - they're geat ladies!
Got headed north and west from Brea and again ran into one of the major reasons why I couldn't live in/around/near LA - traffic - there are people EVERYWHERE!!! After 2 hours of high-stress driving in LA traffic, I finally headed north again on US101, a road that was to become my friend for the next several days.
By the time I had passed Santa Barbara, I was pretty well shot and started looking for a place to stop. About that time I came upon the Buellton exit, saw a Days Inn sign and decided that this was as far as I was going today. Fortunately, the Days Inn had a very nice room - park next to the door and walkout to the pool - sweet!
Had an adult beverage or two, ordered pizza delivered, devoured it and hit the sack - long day.
Later,
Mike
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Redwoods Highway
Wow, I didn't think it could get much better than yesterday on the PCH, but traveling the Redwood Highway, really did upstage the PCH. It was fantastic!!!
I started out early from Ukiah and headed north on Hwy 101. At Willets, I entered the Redwood Highway, upon which I would remain for most of the day - what an incredible road! It takes you through redwood forests that look like they've been there for eons, untouched by man -except for the road. Sometimes these monster trees are within a foot of the road as if to say,"I've been here longer than you and I'll be here long after you're gone..." This isn't a road for beginners because if you blow a turn, you buy a tree and the tree is gonna win.
In the forests, I lost GPS reception more than a few times because of the canopy, only to regain it again in the open areas. No matter, there weren't too many options as to where to go...
In a lot of cases, the road follows a river, it being the lowest part of the valley, so you are winding down ther valleys with these huge granite(?) walls and monstrous trees surrounding you. Makes you feel a bit insignificant, to say the least. These forests have been here forever, but you're only a visitor in time.
As you follow the river on the older sections of road, you begin to wonder how in the world someone actually decided to bulid a road, decide on the construction details and then actually build the damn thing. I've thought the same thoughts about railroads and the incredible man-hours that were needed to build these infrastructure pieces that glued this country together. Because of these thoughts, I'm planning to read a little more into the history of railroad building and road building to see how they really did do it. Without a doubt some of the small towns and villages along the way are a result of exhausted road and railroad builders who were simply too tired to continue.
In some areas, you can see where the road has been "improved", upgraded to Interstate quality - I call it being "sanitized" because the really tough corners are gone and a lot of the interesting sections are gone. The Redwood Highway does still incorporate parts of the original road (as far as I can tell, anyway) because the road again follows the curves of the river (often right next to it) and the curves are tighter and more demanding at todays speeds - but man-o-man are they fun!!! This is what motorcycle "sport-touring" is all about!!! I generally ignore the speed limit signs and use them only as a guide as to how fast or slow I should be going into a corner. If the sign says 15mph, it's pretty sharp and I throttle back, looking for a switchback type of turn; if it says 30mph, It's still a slow corner, but I can usually take that one about 40-45mph with a good: set up for the corner,lean angle, countersteer, watch the vanishing point and when it starts opening up, roll on the throttle again - great fun! So far I've not had any oncoming vehicles get into my lane, but I'm always watching for that as well. You simply cannot run out of a corner because if you do, you'll meet a tree up close and personal - not a good thing. Err on the side of conservative.
However much fun riding these roads are, there is no possible way you can "make time" on them. You can spend hours twisting and turning and be only 50 miles closer to your destination. But in all truth, who cares? The journey IS the destination. If you wanna make time, take the Interstate and be bored to tears - your choice.
Got stamps at Redwood NP near Crescent City and at Cave Junction, OR for Oregon Caves.
Entered Oregon at 1407 local time. My first impressions are not kind. The first five people I saw all were overweight, had rough, scraggly beards, multiple shades of plaid overlaid on each other, long unkempt hair -dirty, agin hippies, IMHO. On top of that, I saw a shooting range advertising "Shoot a REAL Thompson submachine gun!!!" Made me feel really creepy...
All in all, though, this day goes into the memory banks forever along with 1.) Ouray to Durango,CO, 2.)Hwy 8 in from Jackson Hole, WY to Salt Lake City, and 3.) Hwy 160 in southern MO as one of the very best motorcycling road in the country.
Called it quits at Springfield, OR, just outside of Eugene
Some thoughts today about what to do next as this trip starts to wind down...
- Alaska and the Canadian Rockies are definitely on the short list
- another NPT visiting parks I've not seen this year is possible
- 48 states/10 days is a maybe
but there's time to dream about those things this winter.
Daily stats:
odo: 49125
GPS miles: 470.1
Driving average: 56.4 mph
Overall Average: 44.0
Driving time: 8:20
Stopped time: 2:20
Total time: 10:40
Cumulative miles: 8043
Later,
Mike
I started out early from Ukiah and headed north on Hwy 101. At Willets, I entered the Redwood Highway, upon which I would remain for most of the day - what an incredible road! It takes you through redwood forests that look like they've been there for eons, untouched by man -except for the road. Sometimes these monster trees are within a foot of the road as if to say,"I've been here longer than you and I'll be here long after you're gone..." This isn't a road for beginners because if you blow a turn, you buy a tree and the tree is gonna win.
In the forests, I lost GPS reception more than a few times because of the canopy, only to regain it again in the open areas. No matter, there weren't too many options as to where to go...
In a lot of cases, the road follows a river, it being the lowest part of the valley, so you are winding down ther valleys with these huge granite(?) walls and monstrous trees surrounding you. Makes you feel a bit insignificant, to say the least. These forests have been here forever, but you're only a visitor in time.
As you follow the river on the older sections of road, you begin to wonder how in the world someone actually decided to bulid a road, decide on the construction details and then actually build the damn thing. I've thought the same thoughts about railroads and the incredible man-hours that were needed to build these infrastructure pieces that glued this country together. Because of these thoughts, I'm planning to read a little more into the history of railroad building and road building to see how they really did do it. Without a doubt some of the small towns and villages along the way are a result of exhausted road and railroad builders who were simply too tired to continue.
In some areas, you can see where the road has been "improved", upgraded to Interstate quality - I call it being "sanitized" because the really tough corners are gone and a lot of the interesting sections are gone. The Redwood Highway does still incorporate parts of the original road (as far as I can tell, anyway) because the road again follows the curves of the river (often right next to it) and the curves are tighter and more demanding at todays speeds - but man-o-man are they fun!!! This is what motorcycle "sport-touring" is all about!!! I generally ignore the speed limit signs and use them only as a guide as to how fast or slow I should be going into a corner. If the sign says 15mph, it's pretty sharp and I throttle back, looking for a switchback type of turn; if it says 30mph, It's still a slow corner, but I can usually take that one about 40-45mph with a good: set up for the corner,lean angle, countersteer, watch the vanishing point and when it starts opening up, roll on the throttle again - great fun! So far I've not had any oncoming vehicles get into my lane, but I'm always watching for that as well. You simply cannot run out of a corner because if you do, you'll meet a tree up close and personal - not a good thing. Err on the side of conservative.
However much fun riding these roads are, there is no possible way you can "make time" on them. You can spend hours twisting and turning and be only 50 miles closer to your destination. But in all truth, who cares? The journey IS the destination. If you wanna make time, take the Interstate and be bored to tears - your choice.
Got stamps at Redwood NP near Crescent City and at Cave Junction, OR for Oregon Caves.
Entered Oregon at 1407 local time. My first impressions are not kind. The first five people I saw all were overweight, had rough, scraggly beards, multiple shades of plaid overlaid on each other, long unkempt hair -dirty, agin hippies, IMHO. On top of that, I saw a shooting range advertising "Shoot a REAL Thompson submachine gun!!!" Made me feel really creepy...
All in all, though, this day goes into the memory banks forever along with 1.) Ouray to Durango,CO, 2.)Hwy 8 in from Jackson Hole, WY to Salt Lake City, and 3.) Hwy 160 in southern MO as one of the very best motorcycling road in the country.
Called it quits at Springfield, OR, just outside of Eugene
Some thoughts today about what to do next as this trip starts to wind down...
- Alaska and the Canadian Rockies are definitely on the short list
- another NPT visiting parks I've not seen this year is possible
- 48 states/10 days is a maybe
but there's time to dream about those things this winter.
Daily stats:
odo: 49125
GPS miles: 470.1
Driving average: 56.4 mph
Overall Average: 44.0
Driving time: 8:20
Stopped time: 2:20
Total time: 10:40
Cumulative miles: 8043
Later,
Mike
Friday, June 02, 2006
Pacific Coast Highway
Buellton to Ukiah, CA
This is a little out of order and I will have to go back and fill in the leg from Yuma to SD to Brea to Buellton later.
At any rate, I ended up stopping Thursday evening at Buellton, a small town a little bit north of Santa Barbara. There was a very nice Days Inn with a downstairs room, outside access and poolside as well. I had intermittant Internet access, but was able to make it work. Slept for 10 hours again as my body must have been worn out from the previous 3 days hard ridng.
Got a little bit of a late start because of maintenance things - top off the oil, fix right Highway Wing (it's loose),check and inflate tires to proper pressures, etc. Oil in Buellton was damn expensive - $7.64/qt for Mobil 1 5W-50. It's frustrating to get ripped off like that, but it's also important that Tigress stay in top form. I also discovered that the low beam on the left side is out, so I'll need to replace that soon, but that's easy - almost any auto parts store has replacement bulbs. The right side PIAA 1100 is also out - it went out in Maine - but those aren't nearly as easily available and I'll have to wait until home for that repair.
Anyway, I got onto California Route 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH and it was a ball!!! Several sections in the Los Padres National Forest reminded me of Colorado - 20mph switchbacks, sharp turns with no room for error, tremendous scenery - incredible!! All along the way, the ocean is on the left and mountains and grasslands are on the right. At some points, the monutains met the road, much like Colorado and you're riding the ribbon of road between the two. There are lots of rock slides in this area and the DOT has a continuing job of keeping the road clear. One thing they are doing is to put wire mesh over the rock face to try to prevent the falling rocks from getting onto the road surface and that seems to be working. They have rockhounds climb the face and place pitons into the rock, then have a helicopter fly in with the net and drape it in place over the pitons. At one point we stopped for a work crew for about 20'. When we were allowed to go thru, the tar hadn't even cooled so there are tar stripes along the fenders and bits of bitumen all over the bike.
Stopped for an early dinner at Tres Amigos in Half Moon Bay, on my daughter's recommendation and it was worth it - excellent food. Unfortunately, the cloud bank that had been on the horizon for some time came onshore and the sun was gone for the time being. At Half Moon Bay I also discovered that Rte 1 was closed going north because of a rock slide some 8 miles up the road and the only option was to take Rte 92 over to the Interstate. It was only 6 miles and easy running going my way, but the folks on the other side were having an ugly Friday afternoon commute - it was backed up the entire 6 miles. I can't imagine tolerating that drive every day just to get to/from work. On top of all that, I'm thinking, here I am, heading into San Francisco on a Frday afternoon at the peak of rush hour. I should severely discipline the navigator for such acts of stupidity...
One thing you notice very quickly is that the temps swing wildly from the coastline to the other side of the mountain range. On the coast, it's cool because of the ocean and 5 miles inland, on the "other" side of the mountains, it's 20* warmer. This is where the 'stich really shines- on the "cold" side, simply zip up the arms and you're good to go; conversely, over the mountain, reverse the procedure and it's comfortable with the wind blowing thru the jacket.
As it turned out, getting thru SF went pretty well and there were very few stops. Got across the Golden Gate Bridge (no tolls going northbound) and started rolling on some speed.
About this time I learned what lane splitting (or lane sharing...) is all about. Cars in all three lanes are slowed or stopped and you just put your bike in between the lanes - usually riding the white lane markers. There is enough room and a lot of drivers have come to expect it and give you even more room. You don't have to go fast, but if you keep moving, you can pass many, many cars and still keep in motion. I saw a guy doing it on a HD Road King and figured that if he can, so can I.
From Santa Rosa and north the scenery is simply beautiful - more hills, covered with trees and grassland or immaculate vinyards. The 4-lane divied highway was well designed for speed with wide sweepers left and right and you could get into a rhythm even at a good rate of speed - great fun! I saw lots of cows grazing and wondered if they were "Happy Cows" as portrayed in the commercial..
No stamps today because I got into SF too late and all the sites were closed. Will get one a Redwoods NP tomorrow for certain.
Daily stats
GPS 431.7 miles
Driving avg: 50.4
Overall avg:40.2
Drive Time: 8:34
Stopped time: 2:10
Total Time:10:44
Cumulative miles: 7589
Hard to believe that I've gone amoust 3/4 of the way around the country!!!
Later,
Mike
This is a little out of order and I will have to go back and fill in the leg from Yuma to SD to Brea to Buellton later.
At any rate, I ended up stopping Thursday evening at Buellton, a small town a little bit north of Santa Barbara. There was a very nice Days Inn with a downstairs room, outside access and poolside as well. I had intermittant Internet access, but was able to make it work. Slept for 10 hours again as my body must have been worn out from the previous 3 days hard ridng.
Got a little bit of a late start because of maintenance things - top off the oil, fix right Highway Wing (it's loose),check and inflate tires to proper pressures, etc. Oil in Buellton was damn expensive - $7.64/qt for Mobil 1 5W-50. It's frustrating to get ripped off like that, but it's also important that Tigress stay in top form. I also discovered that the low beam on the left side is out, so I'll need to replace that soon, but that's easy - almost any auto parts store has replacement bulbs. The right side PIAA 1100 is also out - it went out in Maine - but those aren't nearly as easily available and I'll have to wait until home for that repair.
Anyway, I got onto California Route 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH and it was a ball!!! Several sections in the Los Padres National Forest reminded me of Colorado - 20mph switchbacks, sharp turns with no room for error, tremendous scenery - incredible!! All along the way, the ocean is on the left and mountains and grasslands are on the right. At some points, the monutains met the road, much like Colorado and you're riding the ribbon of road between the two. There are lots of rock slides in this area and the DOT has a continuing job of keeping the road clear. One thing they are doing is to put wire mesh over the rock face to try to prevent the falling rocks from getting onto the road surface and that seems to be working. They have rockhounds climb the face and place pitons into the rock, then have a helicopter fly in with the net and drape it in place over the pitons. At one point we stopped for a work crew for about 20'. When we were allowed to go thru, the tar hadn't even cooled so there are tar stripes along the fenders and bits of bitumen all over the bike.
Stopped for an early dinner at Tres Amigos in Half Moon Bay, on my daughter's recommendation and it was worth it - excellent food. Unfortunately, the cloud bank that had been on the horizon for some time came onshore and the sun was gone for the time being. At Half Moon Bay I also discovered that Rte 1 was closed going north because of a rock slide some 8 miles up the road and the only option was to take Rte 92 over to the Interstate. It was only 6 miles and easy running going my way, but the folks on the other side were having an ugly Friday afternoon commute - it was backed up the entire 6 miles. I can't imagine tolerating that drive every day just to get to/from work. On top of all that, I'm thinking, here I am, heading into San Francisco on a Frday afternoon at the peak of rush hour. I should severely discipline the navigator for such acts of stupidity...
One thing you notice very quickly is that the temps swing wildly from the coastline to the other side of the mountain range. On the coast, it's cool because of the ocean and 5 miles inland, on the "other" side of the mountains, it's 20* warmer. This is where the 'stich really shines- on the "cold" side, simply zip up the arms and you're good to go; conversely, over the mountain, reverse the procedure and it's comfortable with the wind blowing thru the jacket.
As it turned out, getting thru SF went pretty well and there were very few stops. Got across the Golden Gate Bridge (no tolls going northbound) and started rolling on some speed.
About this time I learned what lane splitting (or lane sharing...) is all about. Cars in all three lanes are slowed or stopped and you just put your bike in between the lanes - usually riding the white lane markers. There is enough room and a lot of drivers have come to expect it and give you even more room. You don't have to go fast, but if you keep moving, you can pass many, many cars and still keep in motion. I saw a guy doing it on a HD Road King and figured that if he can, so can I.
From Santa Rosa and north the scenery is simply beautiful - more hills, covered with trees and grassland or immaculate vinyards. The 4-lane divied highway was well designed for speed with wide sweepers left and right and you could get into a rhythm even at a good rate of speed - great fun! I saw lots of cows grazing and wondered if they were "Happy Cows" as portrayed in the commercial..
No stamps today because I got into SF too late and all the sites were closed. Will get one a Redwoods NP tomorrow for certain.
Daily stats
GPS 431.7 miles
Driving avg: 50.4
Overall avg:40.2
Drive Time: 8:34
Stopped time: 2:10
Total Time:10:44
Cumulative miles: 7589
Hard to believe that I've gone amoust 3/4 of the way around the country!!!
Later,
Mike
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Recipe for toasting an LD Rider
From El Paso to Yuma, AZ, I got pretty well toasted - 106* for about 4 hours. To amuse myself in this self imposed turture, for some reason I decided upon a recipe for toasting an LD Rider and spent most of the time going across this blistering hot stretch of land thinking of variations on this theme. See below for recipe.
At one stretch of this road in the middle of nowhere I come across this scene which makes me laugh even now. Here we are in the middle of absolutely nothing, 30 miles west of Gila Bend and 60 miles from anything in front of us. A car is in the right lane doing let's say 75. There are two cars in the left lane passing him; the front car in the left lane is doing all of 76 mph, passing the car on the right, but barely. There is another car behind him, on his bumper, waiting to pass as well. I'm approaching this entourage at 85+ and saying WTF????, thinking "There's not a cop or a town or a city or ANYTHING for 30 miles around - Pass!!!" After a mile of this song and dance, car #1 in the left lane finally makes a "Correct" pass and moves over to the right and shortly thereafter, care #2 in the left lane passes car # 1 and moves into the right lane. I've been cooling my heels for about 3 miles now and blast by both of them, giving them the finger as I pass. Back up to 85+ and finally somewhat cool again, both in body temperature and anger level
Anyway, please read the attachment belowbecause that is what I wrote instead of a ride report last night. I'll follow up with a more complete report later, but right now, I'm toast.
Later,
Mike
Recipe for Toasted LD Rider
Introduction
This is a hopeful submission to the selection committee for the next edition of the famous RallyBastards Cookbook - Recipes from the Road. It was conceived on a recent (like today) ride across one of the more well known convection ovens in the USA - Tucson to Yuma, AZ. There are other well known convection ovens in the Southwest, most notably those used by Chef Steve Chambers in Utah and several specific routes by RallyBastards in Texas.
Please note: this recipe is for use in a "dry heat" convection oven only. NO claims are made for those other convection ovens in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana or any other states in the Deep South who use a "wet heat" method. Personally, we feel that there is little difference between Dry and Wet Heat, but since we have not verified this recipe in the "wet heat " convection ovens, it should not be used.
Toasted LD Rider
Ingredients:
1 average size LD Rider
Marinade:
Rotella T
75W-90, your choice of brands
dollop of brake fluid (DOT only) - optional
Garnish
good, high quality leather cut into strips
sprigs of Gore-Tex
Cooking instructions
There are several variations of this recipe for the enterprising chef and we will attempt to explain some of them as we go along.
First, choice of LD rider. There are two types of LD Rider to choose from. The first is the "Pseudo" LD Rider, usually riding a metric cruiser or the real "Milwaukee Iron" models. They generally appear underdressed in "Do Rags":, sleeveless T-shirts, jeans and geniune HD boots. We have found these specimens unacceptable because they tend to become toast too soon, either from their minimalist outfits or the mistaken belief that beer not only quenches your thirst but also hydrates to body - after all, beer IS 80% water, isn't it?
Second - and preferred - specimen choice is the full dressed LD rider. We prefer the IBA brand because they generally present fully dressed from top to bottom - boots, riding suit, helmet and gloves. If you have a choice of IBA brand riders, choose the one with the higher serial number, because they are younger and will be more tender. As of this writing, we would suggest serial numbers above 20,000.
We tested the convection oven from Dallas-Ft Worth to Yuma, AZ and found "hot spots" in the oven. The section between the junction of I-10 and I-8 to Yuma was definitely that hottest and we based our recipe on that part of the oven. In preparing the specimen, be aware of small detials which make a large difference in the crust: if you like a lighter, crispy crust, have the LD rider wear a light colored jacket and silver or white helmet. If you prefer and darker, even more crispy crust, have the specimen wear a black jacket and black hemet. Even though these seem to be trivial details, there is a difference and it will be seen n the final result
Choose the timing of the toasting for the very hottest time of the year - usually from late May to mid- September for this particular oven.
By the same token, choose the daily time of the toasting carefully as well. You want the rider in the middle of the oven at the hottest part of the day - generally from 3 PM to 7-8PM works well. In a practical sense, the run from El Paso to Yuma works well because you have plenty of time to adjust the variables for a specimen done to your liking, The distance is some 540 miles and at BBG speeds, that's about 9 hours in the oven - almost enough to cook any LD Rider to perfection.
Tip #1: Attach a GPS transmitter to the LD Rider - when he goes down, you need to find him fast, or he get over cooked and be worthless. We found that having a helicopter on hand produced the best results.
Tip #2: Have the LD Rider do some simple exercises in "full kit" (as the Brits say) - 10 jumping jacks at Gila Bend at 1800, for example, produces excellent "self-basting"
If you want a really well done Toasted LD Rider, have him ride around either end of the convection over for about 6-10 hours ,give him some rest to allow the juices to settle and run him thru the convection again the very next day, same conditions. For even crispier resuls, limit water to 2 liters per day.
When your Toasted LD Rider is done to your liking, marinade with a 50-50 mixture of Rotella T and 75W-90. For a bit spicier marinade, add a small amount of brake fliud.
Garnish with strips of leather and sprigs of Gore-Tex.
Enjoy!
At one stretch of this road in the middle of nowhere I come across this scene which makes me laugh even now. Here we are in the middle of absolutely nothing, 30 miles west of Gila Bend and 60 miles from anything in front of us. A car is in the right lane doing let's say 75. There are two cars in the left lane passing him; the front car in the left lane is doing all of 76 mph, passing the car on the right, but barely. There is another car behind him, on his bumper, waiting to pass as well. I'm approaching this entourage at 85+ and saying WTF????, thinking "There's not a cop or a town or a city or ANYTHING for 30 miles around - Pass!!!" After a mile of this song and dance, car #1 in the left lane finally makes a "Correct" pass and moves over to the right and shortly thereafter, care #2 in the left lane passes car # 1 and moves into the right lane. I've been cooling my heels for about 3 miles now and blast by both of them, giving them the finger as I pass. Back up to 85+ and finally somewhat cool again, both in body temperature and anger level
Anyway, please read the attachment belowbecause that is what I wrote instead of a ride report last night. I'll follow up with a more complete report later, but right now, I'm toast.
Later,
Mike
Recipe for Toasted LD Rider
Introduction
This is a hopeful submission to the selection committee for the next edition of the famous RallyBastards Cookbook - Recipes from the Road. It was conceived on a recent (like today) ride across one of the more well known convection ovens in the USA - Tucson to Yuma, AZ. There are other well known convection ovens in the Southwest, most notably those used by Chef Steve Chambers in Utah and several specific routes by RallyBastards in Texas.
Please note: this recipe is for use in a "dry heat" convection oven only. NO claims are made for those other convection ovens in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana or any other states in the Deep South who use a "wet heat" method. Personally, we feel that there is little difference between Dry and Wet Heat, but since we have not verified this recipe in the "wet heat " convection ovens, it should not be used.
Toasted LD Rider
Ingredients:
1 average size LD Rider
Marinade:
Rotella T
75W-90, your choice of brands
dollop of brake fluid (DOT only) - optional
Garnish
good, high quality leather cut into strips
sprigs of Gore-Tex
Cooking instructions
There are several variations of this recipe for the enterprising chef and we will attempt to explain some of them as we go along.
First, choice of LD rider. There are two types of LD Rider to choose from. The first is the "Pseudo" LD Rider, usually riding a metric cruiser or the real "Milwaukee Iron" models. They generally appear underdressed in "Do Rags":, sleeveless T-shirts, jeans and geniune HD boots. We have found these specimens unacceptable because they tend to become toast too soon, either from their minimalist outfits or the mistaken belief that beer not only quenches your thirst but also hydrates to body - after all, beer IS 80% water, isn't it?
Second - and preferred - specimen choice is the full dressed LD rider. We prefer the IBA brand because they generally present fully dressed from top to bottom - boots, riding suit, helmet and gloves. If you have a choice of IBA brand riders, choose the one with the higher serial number, because they are younger and will be more tender. As of this writing, we would suggest serial numbers above 20,000.
We tested the convection oven from Dallas-Ft Worth to Yuma, AZ and found "hot spots" in the oven. The section between the junction of I-10 and I-8 to Yuma was definitely that hottest and we based our recipe on that part of the oven. In preparing the specimen, be aware of small detials which make a large difference in the crust: if you like a lighter, crispy crust, have the LD rider wear a light colored jacket and silver or white helmet. If you prefer and darker, even more crispy crust, have the specimen wear a black jacket and black hemet. Even though these seem to be trivial details, there is a difference and it will be seen n the final result
Choose the timing of the toasting for the very hottest time of the year - usually from late May to mid- September for this particular oven.
By the same token, choose the daily time of the toasting carefully as well. You want the rider in the middle of the oven at the hottest part of the day - generally from 3 PM to 7-8PM works well. In a practical sense, the run from El Paso to Yuma works well because you have plenty of time to adjust the variables for a specimen done to your liking, The distance is some 540 miles and at BBG speeds, that's about 9 hours in the oven - almost enough to cook any LD Rider to perfection.
Tip #1: Attach a GPS transmitter to the LD Rider - when he goes down, you need to find him fast, or he get over cooked and be worthless. We found that having a helicopter on hand produced the best results.
Tip #2: Have the LD Rider do some simple exercises in "full kit" (as the Brits say) - 10 jumping jacks at Gila Bend at 1800, for example, produces excellent "self-basting"
If you want a really well done Toasted LD Rider, have him ride around either end of the convection over for about 6-10 hours ,give him some rest to allow the juices to settle and run him thru the convection again the very next day, same conditions. For even crispier resuls, limit water to 2 liters per day.
When your Toasted LD Rider is done to your liking, marinade with a 50-50 mixture of Rotella T and 75W-90. For a bit spicier marinade, add a small amount of brake fliud.
Garnish with strips of leather and sprigs of Gore-Tex.
Enjoy!
Tyler , Tx to El Paso
No matter how you cut it, Texas is a BIG state...
I had wanted to be west of DFW last night, but just didn't make it and stopped in Tyler, TX, abot 100 miles east of Dallas. I fugured if I could make it to El Paso by Tuesday evening, I could make it to San Diego by Wednesday night - 2-800 mile days back to back is pretty tough riding, though.
I started out from Tyler at 0740, determined to make some time across this monstrous expanse, so I got on the x-way, nailed the speedo at 75 mph and let her rip. If you look at the screen shot, youll see 268 miles in 3:50 and change.with an overall average of almost 70mph - that's cookin' !! The stopped time was for a stoplight and a gas stop (sub 7 minutes) (PS: For some reason I can't find the screen shot I took of the GPS - Imagine it!)
Fortunately, the weather almost cooperated. Weather was overcast and 75* from Tyler to past Ft Worth - very comfortable riding - and then it started to heat up. It was in the mid 80s by Abilene and the clouds had disappeared. I had an excellent Mexican omelet in Abilene and got back n the saddle again. East of Abilene, the terrain is slightly rolling hills and at least some variation from the absolute flatness of the land west of Abilene.
Filled up in Big Spring and started knocking down the various cities in West Texas - Stanton, Midland, Odessa, Monahans, etc. The land here is absolutely flat and featureless, all agricultural and gas field. Stopped in Monahans for a break to ward off the sleepies and got back on again. I could see clouds on the western horizon and hoped I would be able to get to them soom. Temps had risen to 103* and it was like riding in a blast furnace.
Around Pecos, as I was just getting under the clouds, 3 things happened almost simultaneously - the temp dropped 8*, the winds started blowing HARD, gusting and comng from different directions and the speed limit went from 70 to 80mph. I had been flirting with 80mph even at the 70mph limit, but now I could run at 85+ pretty easily. On one wide open section of road, I opened it up and hit the 100 mph mark (Kids, don't try this at home...) It's remarkable that once you've been riding in 103* heat, 95* feels practically balmy. As I was passing a pickup truck loaded with what looked like mattresses in boxes, all of the sudden, the entire load lifted up and came off the truck. Fortunately I was in the left lane about 75' behind him and as the load came off I went even further left to avoid anything that might slide my way. Had I been directly behind him, I most certainly would have hit one of those mattresses. Don't even want to think about the consequences of that...
As I-20 joins with I-10, there are actually beginnings of hills on the horizon. I think those were the Guadalupe Mountains and they stayed with me until I called it a night in El Paso.
All in all, it was a pretty good day. I made some good miles, survived some extreme heat and got somewhat back on track.
Daily stats:
GPS: 715.7 miles
Daily avg: 74.5 mph
Overall avg: 62.7 - this is a pretty good pace for overall average
Drive time: 9:36
Stopped time: 1:49
Total time: 11:25
Cumulative miles: 6048 miles
Later,
Mike
I had wanted to be west of DFW last night, but just didn't make it and stopped in Tyler, TX, abot 100 miles east of Dallas. I fugured if I could make it to El Paso by Tuesday evening, I could make it to San Diego by Wednesday night - 2-800 mile days back to back is pretty tough riding, though.
I started out from Tyler at 0740, determined to make some time across this monstrous expanse, so I got on the x-way, nailed the speedo at 75 mph and let her rip. If you look at the screen shot, youll see 268 miles in 3:50 and change.with an overall average of almost 70mph - that's cookin' !! The stopped time was for a stoplight and a gas stop (sub 7 minutes) (PS: For some reason I can't find the screen shot I took of the GPS - Imagine it!)
Fortunately, the weather almost cooperated. Weather was overcast and 75* from Tyler to past Ft Worth - very comfortable riding - and then it started to heat up. It was in the mid 80s by Abilene and the clouds had disappeared. I had an excellent Mexican omelet in Abilene and got back n the saddle again. East of Abilene, the terrain is slightly rolling hills and at least some variation from the absolute flatness of the land west of Abilene.
Filled up in Big Spring and started knocking down the various cities in West Texas - Stanton, Midland, Odessa, Monahans, etc. The land here is absolutely flat and featureless, all agricultural and gas field. Stopped in Monahans for a break to ward off the sleepies and got back on again. I could see clouds on the western horizon and hoped I would be able to get to them soom. Temps had risen to 103* and it was like riding in a blast furnace.
Around Pecos, as I was just getting under the clouds, 3 things happened almost simultaneously - the temp dropped 8*, the winds started blowing HARD, gusting and comng from different directions and the speed limit went from 70 to 80mph. I had been flirting with 80mph even at the 70mph limit, but now I could run at 85+ pretty easily. On one wide open section of road, I opened it up and hit the 100 mph mark (Kids, don't try this at home...) It's remarkable that once you've been riding in 103* heat, 95* feels practically balmy. As I was passing a pickup truck loaded with what looked like mattresses in boxes, all of the sudden, the entire load lifted up and came off the truck. Fortunately I was in the left lane about 75' behind him and as the load came off I went even further left to avoid anything that might slide my way. Had I been directly behind him, I most certainly would have hit one of those mattresses. Don't even want to think about the consequences of that...
As I-20 joins with I-10, there are actually beginnings of hills on the horizon. I think those were the Guadalupe Mountains and they stayed with me until I called it a night in El Paso.
All in all, it was a pretty good day. I made some good miles, survived some extreme heat and got somewhat back on track.
Daily stats:
GPS: 715.7 miles
Daily avg: 74.5 mph
Overall avg: 62.7 - this is a pretty good pace for overall average
Drive time: 9:36
Stopped time: 1:49
Total time: 11:25
Cumulative miles: 6048 miles
Later,
Mike
