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Slick roads and high-elevation colors
Friday afternoon I dashed out of the house to get a ride on Marmot Road before the rains came. The eastern half of the road had dust and gravel across both lanes because the road department had come along and scraped the side of the road (to kill weeds or something) and it pushed all the debris onto the road surface. They swept over the top of it but left a slick layer of dust and gravel. I reached Lolo Pass Road and turned around for the return ride and the rain started. Within minutes it was raining hard and
It was a dark and foggy morning
When I left work this morning it was still dark and I could see the constellation Orion the Hunter hovering above me, standing on his head. The air was chilly, in the mid 30s, but wasn’t cold, at least not to me. I was dressed appropriately as you might have guessed. By the time I passed by the Highway 212 exit I entered fog. It smelled odd, as if it was mixed with wood stove smoke and a faint hint of baked bread. The mist swirled around me and blended with the light from my headlights and those of oncoming
In the zone, and wanting more
Saturday I went on a mid-day practice ride on Marmot Road, but it was far too short. I wanted more. Sunday, mid-afternoon, I tackled the NF46 run to Detroit to make up for it. My bike was running good, the conditions were excellent, and I was in the zone. And I wanted more. It was the fastest, smoothest run I’ve had on that route to date and it felt incredible. I found myself feeling as if I was beyond the capabilities of my bike. The Suzuki V-Strom 650 has been described as “perhaps the most shockingly competent bike” available by
Possible new blog design
I’m toying with a new blog design, so please pardon my dust.
Last time to Detroit for the year?
After being off of two wheels for nearly two weeks, mostly due to being sick, I finally got a chance to ride over this past weekend. Saturday was a gorgeous Fall day, with increasing sunshine to dry off the wet pavement from the previous week of rain. Late morning I headed out, gassed up in Estacada, and made my way up the Clackamas River to Ripplebrook Ranger Station before turning south on NF 46 to Detroit. I stopped at the mini-market in Detroit and grabbed a snack, and while suiting back up a guy on a silver 2009 V-Strom pulled
Muggy
I haven’t ridden much since I got back from my trip, other than some commuting to work. I spent a few hours over this past weekend riding to Detroit and back. I got a late start and it quickly turned warm and muggy. The bike performed great, however, and although I wouldn’t say I was ‘in the zone’, I had a smooth ride with good control, speed, and lines through my corners. There were a lot of people out on bikes, mostly cruisers. I had to pass a string of a 8 or 9 that were riding 10 mph under
The long way north
When I left Mark’s house Thursday morning, my goal was to reach Coos Bay. I could go straight up Highway 101 for about 220 miles or I can take the long way getting there. You’ve got two guesses which way I went, and the first doesn’t count. Once in Arcata, I turned inland on Highway 299 and rode to Willow Creek where I gassed up. I then turned north on Highway 96 through Hoopa. There is a section of 96 that was carved out of the cliffside that is very dangerous. The road is narrow, the turns are tight, sightlines
The Big Loop
Wednesday, Mark rode his Kawasaki ZZR1200 while I rode my V-Strom down to Fortuna, then we headed inland on one of my favorite riding roads: Highway 36. It was overcast but traffic was light and the road seemed to be in relatively good condition. As we rode to the top of the first pass we had to slow down for construction, shrouded in clouds, but once we crested the pass we had sunshine the rest of the way. We stopped in Mad River, hoping to get a snack at the small store/cafe there, but it was closed. We continued onward
Kneeland on a Kawasaki
Breakfast was provided gratis as part of my motel stay. Once I was fed and suited up, I headed south on Highway 101 through Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings before crossing the border into California. Traffic was light for the coast highway — it can be notoriously slow. I fueled up in Crescent City, then continued south until I crossed the Klamath River where I cut off and headed up into the trees and hills overlooking the coast. There were numerous people stopped along the Klamath River, looking down at the water. I didn’t know what was up
On the road again, headed south
— This is day 7 of a multi-day loop trip to British Columbia and northern California. — After staying two nights at home and getting caught up on laundry, rest, and a few other incidentals, I switched to my smaller side cases and took out some of the gear I had been toting around but didn’t need, including my tent. It is now the 7th riding day of my trip and this time I’m heading south. I left the house around 8:20 am and rode through Estacada to Molalla, then south along the eastern Willamette Valley — along very familiar
