BC and Cascades Pics...text to follow!

Port Angeles to Victoria, Vancouver Island

Leaving Port Angeles, the spirit of adventure has returned. I was getting pretty comfortable and settling into a little routine while I was there. But this trip is about adventure, and I'm rolling again. As I rode through downtown PA, I came upon a line for the ferry to Vancouver Is. I got in line and was just in time for the lunchtime sail. I bought a ticket and parked the motorcycle in the appropriate area. Then I decided I'd run quickly to fuel up. I did, and leaving the gas station, my wallet, passport and cash blew off from the non-secure spot I'd left them. When I got back to the ferry terminal and found my wallet missing, I dashed back to the gas station and started searching the station and the street for my wallet. And there it was, in the middle of the city street. Dodging traffic, I grabbed the wallet and spotted my passport another 30 feet down the road. When I got to it, I could see that my cash had spread down the road as well. I hopped down the road picking each of the missing bills, and then ran back to the motorcycle, hoping to make my ferry. When I returned, the other motorcyclists were lining up to board. On this ferry, bikes board last and exit last. Whew...someone is looking out for me up there!

This is a picture from the ferry ride from Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island to Vancouver, BC. This was about a 90 minute ride. There were several cruise ships I could see in the distance. This one sailboat was closer to the ferry. But there were no whale sightings. I spoke to one of the guides operating a whale watching boat. She was helpful in explaining that there are many species of whale in the area, and sometimes they breach, which means to surface for air, exposing some portion of their body. And also that on more rare occasions, the whales leap out of the water giving great photo opportunities. These leaps don't happen so often.

This old fellow must survive some heavy snows in Squamish, BC. Entering Squamish from the free camping area on a logging trail, this logger seems to stand guard, watching all of the adventurers entering the city.

 Today's trip will be another off-road adventure. I hope to ride highway 99 to Pemberton, turn northwest on a partially paved road for some 50 miles, then enter highway 99 again in Lillooet. It's supposed to be a tremendously scenic motorcycling area. And so long as the off-highway run goes okay, I'll be looking for a campsite in the Marble Canyon Provincial Park.

 The off-road adventure through the British Columbia wildness was majestic. I've run out of words to describe the heavily wooded canyon walls rising 1,000 feet or more. The dirt road was well traveled and fairly well maintained. Some street bikes would have navigated these dirt/gravel roads adequately, but the Africa Twin handled them admirably. The extra 80 pounds of equipment I carried makes a difference in how she handles, but overall, the high ground clearance and tall suspension smoothed out any bumps or potholes well.

2019 Summer Road Trip II (8/2/19)

I'm settled into Port Angeles, WA for a couple of days now. It's a good place. I went for an off-road motorcycle trip down a dirt road that led from the Olympic NF Visitor Center at Hurricane Pass, to a remote spot called Obstruction Point. I met another off-road rider in town who suggested this was a good ride. I took some pictures...

 As we traveled up the mountain, we passed through a drizzly, foggy section. Then we came into a sunlit area above the clouds. This is the view looking down on the cloud bank.

 Here's one of many pictures I made of the peaks to the north. I was concerned that the snow would have disappeared for the summer, but it survives.

 These vast valleys extend for miles. From the dirt road we followed, it was a 3500 foot drop down into the canyon. The wind was blowing out of the canyon and not towards it, which made me feel a bit safer. There were sections of the gravelly road that raised my heart rate considerably.

 Here's the camp in "Heart of the Hills" CG in the Olympic NF.

 Another picture looking down on the cloud bank.

 The dirt road.

 The dirt road and some snow along the trail.

 At the visitor center.

A quick video of Obstruction Point.

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!