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I took Thursday & Friday off for a long weekend ride, and was rewarded quite nicely by the weather except for a brief period Friday night/Saturday morning.
Thursday wasn't much at all, a quick jaunt down 70 miles to a Casino @ Grand Ronde, OR., about 25 miles from the coast. Stayed the night after seeing Blue Oyster Cult in concert for about the 100th time in the last 6-7 years (only others like me truly understand--believe me I'm not the "worst" but I digress).
The next day I tried a new stretch of OR22 I hadn't been on that was pretty nice, but not quite as twisty as I'd been led to believe...isn't that almost always the case?
My master plan was to take that short road to 101, & take that all the way around the top of the Washington Pennisula....I definitely bit off more than I could chew on that idea, figuring out early on the shorter days now +Deer coming out to browse aren't a good combination, along with the cold dampness of the 61-62F air on a mesh jacket...So I cut across at Aberdeen & rode NE to Bremerton, & took the ferry to downtown Seattle. The skyline looked fantastic, with a full moon. I wish I could've got a picture of it. I rode the last 16 miles up to a friend's house in the suburb of Lynnwood & called it a day, being 9:00pm by then. Only 310 miles, but it felt like 450...my stamina really sucks in the colder areas.
It rained that night & next morning, so I waited it out on whether to decide to give up on the idea of doing the "Cascade Loop" which I had been rained out of last year. I waited it out & rode to another freind's house to see the trick vintage Yamaha RD350 he's building. Mmmm..34mm flatslides, Spec II expansion chambers, all the goodies. Sweeeet. Finally left there @ 1:30pm. The sky still didn't look good, but I said F that & started toward Monroe & U.S. 2 eastbound. It was a cold and partly drizzly ride through the mountains, but when I got to Leavenworth the sun finally appeared. I stopped at a candy shop on the river just short of there that I'd been to since little, for homemade fudge (which sustains me best, it seems, on solo rides like this). What is special about this ride is how many ghosts and memories are invoked. Before Interstate 90 became the main E/W route through Washington, U.S. 2 was IT, and we traveled it more times than I can count as a kid, sightseeing, fishing & hiking & stuff.
I couldn't linger too long anywhere, though...my destination for the night was Twisp, WA on SR20, the North Cascades Highway. I knew I had to get there well before dusk. The Methow River Valley is known to be home to one of the largest Mule Deer Herd & migration route in the NW. In fact, when I went to the grocery store after getting settled in my motel, the clerk warned me about riding in the dark. I told her I was here in town, only 6 blocks away. She told me, "That doesn't matter. There's only two kinds of people around here: those that have hit a deer, and those who will." Wow. I was ALERT on the way back!
The next day I knew I wouldn't make it home. However, after nearly 23 years on the job, with a boss who treats me almost like family, I knew it wasn't a problem...just have to buckle down the rest of the week!
I rode across west on SR20 but didn't go for I-5 (ugh...freeways....barf!)
Since I grew up in the Seattle suburbs I know the state pretty well, so I cut down to Darrington, another familiar place and down the backroads east of the Puget Sound area down to Enumclaw, about 30 miles NW of Mt. Rainier.
I knew it would be foolish to go further & try for Packwood. Riding around the biggest Mountain in the state in the dusk and dark just didn't sound appealing.
I took off on Monday, 9/11......kind of fitting it seemed to be defiantly declaring my ultimate freedom and celebrating life for those who couldn't..this includes my Ex, who was set free from the machines on this same day two years ago. It was by far the best weather and riding of the trip.
I took a couple of pictures with my crappy cheap cell phone, one on Sunday in the North Cascades, and one at the top of Windy Ridge road (Mt. St. Helens). The mountain was steaming pretty good yesterday. The picture is deceiving, though....the mountain is a LOT closer than it looks in it!
What was especially nice, is when I was about 50-60 miles from home, in some of the nice twisties east of Cougar, WA., I saw a hot guy in black & red leathers, on a hot little bike slow as I approached...well, duh....it was my BF Kevin LOL....we rarely get to ride together really far, since he takes care of his severely disabled Father 365/yr. He's had 5, count 'em 5, days off in eleven YEARS.
So it was great he caught up with me that far up. Total mileage was only 1092, but 1022 the last 4 days.
The 34 mile R/T up Windy Ridge, and the 62 miles back to Cougar, along with another 21 miles or so more of great twisties between there & Fargher Lake, about 14 miles from home, so far is the best riding I've found in any state I've been. I'm so lucky to have roads like this so close.......man, I'd be HATING life in the midwest.
Last edited by Quicklimegirl : 09-13-2006 at 12:28 AM.
That sounds like a awsome ride! I wish I was brave enough to go that far by myself, maybe with another year of experience. I know what you mean about the deer. Since dusk hits here about 7:30, it doesn't leave much time to enjoy an evening ride along the outskirts of town, I'm always looking out for the buggers.
What an awesome report. Thank you so much!
Yeah, in comparison the midwest does suck. But we do have a few jewels that are nice to run down. But in reality what really gets in your way here is road debris. I went to Deals Gap earlier this year and the roads were pristine. Around here there is alway gravel or something on the other side of every turn. People around here don't know how to stay on the road. So the only place to really enjoy riding fast is the track. Heck, last year I was on a road that COULD be so much fun. Fortunately I was going really slow because a farmer dumped corn kernals all over the tight left hander I needed to go through. It was worse than gravel. It was like riding over marbles.
The mountains seem to have it all...twists, turns, elevation changes and most importantly clean roads....at least in comparison to what I am used to.
If any of you ever come to the Portland area (even w/o your bike), PM me first....I usually have at least 4-5 bikes running, so there's enough for everyone to go around! Besides, you haven't lived until you've had the visceral experience of riding a quick & light little 2-stroke vintage bike....a bit primitive but oh so fun.....
If any of you ever come to the Portland area (even w/o your bike), PM me first....I usually have at least 4-5 bikes running, so there's enough for everyone to go around! Besides, you haven't lived until you've had the visceral experience of riding a quick & light little 2-stroke vintage bike....a bit primitive but oh so fun.....
I would LOVE to take you up on that offer! I just have to convince the hubby...
That sounds like a awsome ride! I wish I was brave enough to go that far by myself, maybe with another year of experience. I know what you mean about the deer. Since dusk hits here about 7:30, it doesn't leave much time to enjoy an evening ride along the outskirts of town, I'm always looking out for the buggers.
we got the same problems with the deer. My daughters godfather told us about his friend riding with her bf on his Harley and a deer jumped in front of them (at night), he slammed the brake I guess, the girl got thrown over the bike and landed on the back of her head - leaving her dead on the spot. Needless I say that she was wearing those unreliable harley little helmets. Sad.
Quicklimegirl - that was awsome, I am so jelaous that we dont have the same kind of roads here
Last 4 day weekend ride...
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