2019 Summer Road Trip II (7/31/19)

So here I am in Port Angeles, WA. I was here a few years ago on that trip from Silver City, NM in the Toyota. I had delivered my friend's dog, Snoopers, to his wife in Sequim, WA. And being in Sequim then, Port Angeles is only the next town over, and that's when I spent a week or so here in the Olympic NF. It's beautiful. The ride from the Metolius River campground was sort of mind-blowing. Crossing the Columbia River into Washington, and then riding the north shore of the Columbia River

 Here's a shot of what I believe to be Mt. Hood. This is as I approached the Deschutes River in northern Oregon.

 After crossing the Columbia River at The Dalles, I traveled west on Hwy 14 and came upon a festival of windsurfers and kite-boarders. It was exciting to watch these people catch the strong breezes and actually lift off of the water and into the air. I asked about the conditioning involved in becoming a kite-boarder, and was told that these athletes are in truly exceptional condition. It was a spectacle.

This is a video of the kite-boarders, though the ending is a little sloppy. : (

 This is looking east from Hwy 14 on the Columbia River Gorge.

 Blown down trees from the Mt. St. Helens eruption nearly 40 years ago. I read that the USFS cleared most of the downed trees to help prevent the spread of disease. The onset of recovery from the devastating blow was immediate.

Here's the present view of Mt. St. Helens from the entrance to the national monument.

The video to the right is from Paradise Creek CG. This was a beautiful campground just north of the Columbia River Gorge.

2019 Summer Road Trip II (7/29/19)

 So here's the bike shop that is changing the tire. For $65 they pull the tire off the bike and mount the one I brought from Bisbee. If I'd taken the wheel off of the bike myself, I would have saved $30. To me, with the tools I'm carrying, it's worth the $30 to have them do it. They didn't put a new tube in, which is a little weird I think, but they said the tube didn't look bad so they didn't replace it. All is good with the world!

 As I walked down the path to the, "Head of the Metolius," I just took a couple of snaps. The Metolius, as described here, is the outpouring of a giant spring the feeds the river. The pictures show the water coming straight from a rock outcropping. For me, it seems a lot of water to continuously pour from the ground.

 This is actually the rocky outcropping from which pours the Metolius River.

 This is a peaceful setting at the Riverside campground near the Metolius River.

 Here's the view from the tent as I woke. (Am I getting a little desperate for subject material?)

 Does all of this really fit on the bike? I ask myself that most every morning. But it all fits...every time.

 I'm so grateful for my friend's suggestion that I visit this site. Camping among the Ponderosa pines is spectacular. I love their sweet smell.

 The selfie...a happy camper indeed!

2019 Summer Road Trip II 7/28/19

Okay, so those were boring pics. Let's try that again...

Here's the chipmunk from June Lake...

This is more of an artistic shot of the mountain behind June Lake.

The boulders of Joshua Tree NF Campground.

The AZ Trail crosses near Parker Canyon Lake. It took a bit of off-roading to get here.

Just to give and update to the riding today. I'll say that I went from June Lake yesterday morning and on to a campground south of Anid, CA. It was a short day of 300 miles. I was pestered by a spider that must hitched a ride from June Lake. When I set out, I opened the vents in the riding jacket sleeves and was immediately bitten or stung by this nasty little critter. It was a painful bite, and by the end of the day my elbow was swollen and I was feeling nauseous. After numerous rest stops, and a stop to buy what turned out to be an unnecessary quart of oil, I decided to stop at the first Medoc NF I spotted. The campground was deserted and a welcome change to the crowded June Lake. I packed up this morning and had a wonderful ride through the mountains and down into the pasturelands of northern California. I crossed into Oregon and again experienced the beauty of the tall pines. Traffic on Hwy 97 north to Bend has been relatively heavy, but no construction and no back-ups. It's been a great day.

2019 Summer Roadtrip II - British Columbia 7/27/19

I'm on my way to B.C. The plan is to go to Port Angeles, WA., hop the ferry with the Honda, (Africa Twin), and tour a bit of Vancouver Island, BC, then hop the next ferry out of Port Hardy on up part of the Inside Passage to Bella Coola, BC. From Bella Coola, Hwy 20 goes inland to Canada Hwy 1 and eventually down to Banff and Jasper Provincial Parks. But once I'm in Bella Coola, my plans are all subject to change. I know that there are many provincial parks in BC, and I'll just be chillaxin' as they say. : )

So as I can, I'll through in a few pics along from along the way.

Here's a picture from my first stop. This is in Joshua Tree National Park. These huge boulders were impressive. There's been a good deal of storm damage to the campground from water runoff. Pit toilets and no water. Fire ring and picnic tables. $7.50 with the access pass. (Where'd the pic go?)



Is there a chipmunk in this picture?

Here's a shot of my fancy new Jetboil stove. Nice. Those who know will appreciate how valuable an item this is!

Here's the Twin loaded down outside the pavilion at June Lake Park in the INYO NF in the Sierra Nevadas, just south of Yosemite National Park. It being the weekend, it's very crowded with families and RVs. But with my senior pass, for $15 I got cold running water and a hot shower.

Okay, so more to follow. Especially when I get to BC. Happy Day!

Roadtrip Summer 2019 Last Post

This roadtrip is winding down. I left Mesa Verde in Colorado this morning and arrived in Springerville, AZ this evening. I covered 350 miles including the scenic tour of Mesa Verde, and am now less than 300 miles from home. I'll be there tomorrow. Following are a few pics from the last few days.

Here's a sunset over El Veda Lake in El Veda Lake SP, NM. It was fairly buggy, and I think a spider tagged me a few times as I slept that night. But a nice camping spot overlooking the lake allowed me a great view of the large trout feeding early in the morning. They were making quite a ruckus.

This is the same view as above with yours truly, taken by a fellow camper of similar interests. He spoke of adventure biking with his son out into the mountains in Mexico. I told him about my dream trip of riding to Seattle and taking the ferry to Prince Rupert, BC and then riding back through the Canadian Rockies. He liked the idea.

These are a couple of photos taken at the Cascade Falls in Ouray, CO. There's a constant spray coming from the falls that dampens camera lenses as well as camera operators. It dries so quickly in the dry air though that it's really not an issue. But I do want to tell a quick story about the parking lot adventure while trying to park my adventure bike in the gravelly parking area. A man and woman had just parked there car in a spot that actually blocked traffic in and out of the rest of the parking area. It's a relatively steep grade with plenty of loose gravel. As I maneuvered to park next to them, I found myself unable to position the motorcycle so it would rest safely on the kickstand and still allow me a path to exit when I came to leave. While jockeying for position, the front wheel began slipping downhill and I rolled back a little to get it into a better position. As I swung the handlebars far left, the horn button contacted the tankbag and let off a loud blast right next to this couple who had just parked. They were exiting the vehicle as I tried to explain that the horn went off by accident, but they jumped back into their car and found another space. This offered my a chance to get out of my slippery predicament and into a better spot. Interestingly enough, the gentleman approached me and asked how I liked my LS2 helmet. I said that I was very happy with it and that I would buy another if needed. He said he worked for the LS2 company and asked where I'd purchased it and the like. He asked if I minded his taking a picture of the helmet on the bike and if I had an Instagram account. When each of us were leaving the parking area some 20 minutes later, he came over again as I wrestled with the bike in my "better" parking spot and helped push the bike uphill a bit to get me in a position to get back down the hill. He was very kind, even after my accidental horn blasting. I think he said his name was Adam.

So after leaving Ouray, CO...things changed a little for me. It was as though the momentum of this roadtrip had changed. Ouray was as far north as I ventured. The crossing off-highway road further north, the one I had hoped to cross when planning the trip from Bisbee, was closed due to snow accumulations. I was glad to have checked with the Forrest Service office in Durango. So I was now officially on my way home. And that's where the momentum of a roadtrip always shifts for me. Sure, with some effort I could plan a side trip through the Superstittion Mountains, or plan to camp another night in Alpine, or spend a night in Reserve, NM, but no. It was not to be! Once I had my "headin' home" shoes on, I was off in a flash. On the way, I passed saw the turn-off for Telluride, and I could not resist the diversion. I've heard so much about the city and the yearly music festival that I knew I wanted to visit and at least have lunch. I did that, and the picture above was made there. The cirque, as I believe to be the correct geologic term, occupies the the view from anywhere along the main drag through town. It's a majestic sight. I lunched on a rather pricey burger, fries, and shake, and turned back for my trip south. From what I saw on my brief glimpse of Telluride, I am sure to return.

I continued south to Cortez, CO. The drive is beautiful, as was the ride into and out of Ouray. I passed a small town called...Sawpit It looked like a town that could only have been for the very wealthy. The little home, well fairly little, up against the stream in the valley looked like something from a storybook. The little town had that sort of a feel. So in Cortez, having blown my rigorously thrifty enterprise, I found a moderately priced motel room and indulged in a hot bath and a real bed. My sore back and spider bitten body were wildly appreciative. I relaxed and enjoyed the luxury. In the morning I set my sights on Mesa Verde. I'd been encouraged to visit and had heard much about over the years, so it was worth the diversion to see what it was all about. The next few pictures show excellent vistas over the surrounding valleys and off into the snow-topped Rockies to the north.

So there it is. The last story here is about riding south from Cortez. Riding south on Rte 491 was a ride I remembered taking a couple of years ago. I don't remember anything except the remote and desolate Navajo Indian Reservation and the high winds and high heat. I remembered because I had done it again. I'm sure I swore off this route south the last time I took it, but here I was again. The winds were steady out of the west at 30 mph, gusting to 50. The temperature hovered at 100 degrees, and just below. There is absolutely no shade. I think that this trip was made worse than the last by the high profile of the Honda Africa Twin. Additionally, the big duffel bag on the back caught every bit of the wind and sent me halfway across my lane of traffic. There was not very much other traffic to contend with,, and if I kept my speed somewhat below the speed limit, I was okay. But I must say it was most frustrating. I won't say that I laid on the horn button for minute long stretches when no other cars were around, or that I yelled a few bellowing, "Arggghhhh"'s inside my helmet. Suffice it to say that I'm not saying that I did those things, but surmise what you may. It was a very tough 200 miles. I think the salve for those rough winds, bug bites, and sore back was this second motel room of the trip, and a second meal out, this time at a really scrumptious BBQ joint. All is well.

Lessons learned:
The Africa Twin is a big bike. It's heavy and with a load of luggage and camping gear, it's unwieldy for me. It's not the perfect enduro or dual-sport off-road motorcycle, but with more and more and more off-road experience, I hope to improve my skills enough to handle more of the sandy, gravelly, rocky and wet back roads of the west. Also, the AT (Africa Twin), is not the perfect cross-country street bike. It cruises very well at highway speeds, and passes tractor-trailer trucks with ease, but it has a tall, skinny front wheel and tire, well suited for off-road applications. It's a tall, very tall motorcycle which makes it catch the wind more easily. It's height, which gives it great ground clearance for off-road applications also allows for a shorter wheelbase. A shorter wheelbase allows for quicker, more nimble handling. Also great for off-road applications. But short wheelbase bikes have less straight line stability. A big, long, low Harley-Davidson of Indian, or Moto-Guzzi, or Honda Goldwing, all have excellent straight line tracking. But the Honda Africa Twin? Not so much.
So, as has been said of ADV bikes ad nauseum, Maybe they don't do either off-road OR street riding excellently, but no other bikes do BOTH as well. Again, NO other bikes do 90 mph down an interstate ably, AND crawl uphill in rocky terrain at idle. The AT does both. Period.

Also of note, my gear is woefully lacking. After having used a great Marmot 2-man backpacking tent for years, it's time to replace a recently acquired Army & Navy store special with another quality tent. My sleeping bag is worn out as well. My inadequate closed-cell foam sleeping pad is not up to snuff. Or maybe my tired and sorely arthritic 63 year-old body needs a little more TLC. So, all three need replacement.
Also, less is more. I had several items that never made it out of the duffel. One was the pants to my riding suit. I'll carry those anyway since they act as rain gear. But I can get by with less than 4 T-shirts, less than 4 pair of socks, and less than 4 pair of shorts. If need be, these can be washed streamside, or in a sink. No need for extra duds. And no need for the spare shoes. I didn't wear the extra pair of shoes. And, I think I should upgrade my electronics profile. This will need fine-tuning, but it seems like I could get away with far less. I carried a Chromebook, I Canon digital SLR, chargers for each, a flip-phone and charger, and a card-reader to move images from the camera to the laptop. I also had little need for the binoculars or the swim trunks. And I also need to repair or replace my tank bag. The saddlebags, though too small, are stylish, and probably less clunky than a big pair of ADV bags. And though I'd like to have a good set of off-road tires for when those off-road situations come up, I'm really not off-road more than 20% of the time. Is that it? Physical conditioning and more off-road practice will help. But this is all just, "More Blather." More another time...

Roadtrip Spring 2019 II

Roadtrip: Spring 2019

Leaving "B" mountain...downtown Bisbee, AZ. 6/24/19.

Leaving Sierra Vista, AZ...crossing Middlemarch road with Cochise Stronghold in the background. This was my first taste of the off-road portion of this road trip.

My first night in the little "bivy". Certainly is close quarters. It was a little chilly as temps dipped into the 30s. Elevation is somewhere near 9,000 ft. I saw an elk trotting down the road. No snakes...yet.

Way too quickly I forget the names of the little towns I stop to rest at. This building caught my eye. It's part storefront, and part quonset hut. And odd one for sure. I stopped in the local grocery for snacks. It was one of those little where I had the sense that people grew up and stayed here their whole lives. Back roads rock!

My snack stop. This hand-carved eagle caught my eye. I'm not sure why most of my photos have a motorcycle in them. This particular motorcycle is behaving well. I'm very happy.

On my way to Bluewater State Park, NM., I took a back-country road up Mt. Taylor. This is one of the many vistas along the way.

I thought that this back-country option would be a good choice. Then reality set in. Taking this road would be 50 miles of off-road wrestling with a adept motorcycle, but would add 2 hours to my trip. I had to turn around and let discretion win out over valor. I'm glad too. I got to the turn-off for Chaco Canyon more timely, and plenty grateful.

I arrived at Chaco Canyon NHP early in the day, 6/24/19. It's a tremendous collection of cultural structures from 850-1150, when native americans gathered here from across the Southwest. Many languages were spoken from the many different tribes that came here. It's a huge array of structures of mammoth proportions. I'll include a series of pictures that don't do justice to the scale. Of note, the spiritual significance of the location to the local native americans can be felt. I woke in a remote campground to strong sense of peace and tranquility. There's powerful energy here. And a return trip is certainly on my agenda.

6/25/19 So what's next? I'll likely be off-the-grid again and won't have cell or internet service. The plan is to go to Ouray, CO. Likely camping at a place that my high-school chum David suggested. Mineral Springs Campground. From there I understand that there are many on and off road adventures available. Will I go further North? Depends on time and temperature. I know I'll be back in Bisbee by July 1. And that's another whole week of meandering on the Honda. : )