10 days 12 States Monumental Tour [Archive]

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 11:13 AM

Vancouver, BC to Kooskia, ID.

6AM Departure down I5 to HWY 2 and stop in Leavenworth for gas. 344 kms nonstop on 20 litres, not bad.

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From Leavenworth it was HWY 97 to Ellensburg where I jumped on I90 to SR 26 cutting my way down to SR 261 to Starbuck WA. SR 261 was not a bad twisty road. Good pavement and little traffic. A bit hairy if you don't know the road, a couple of corners were tighter than I though - 25 mph really means 25 mph even on a bike. It's nice, but I would go out of my way to do it again cuz you gotta ride lots of straight stuff to get there.

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From Starbuck I continued East on HWY 12 to Clarkston and Lewiston, still smells like a pulp mill. While buying gas in Lewiston, I noticed a shooting range right next door. Turns out they rent guns in the states!!!! I had shot rifles before, but never a hand gun - the guy at the range seem to have a hard time explaining to me how to use a Glock 9mm. When he found out I was from Canada - Ooooooh, no wonder. $35 for gun, box of bullets, target, and lane time - as you can see it was harder than they make it look in the movies. The first shot of my 9 freaked me out until another fellow entered to the range with a 45mm hand canon - jesus. Pretty fun, but $35 is about 600kms on my bike as opposed to 10 minutes of getting my gun off.

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There was still daylight, so off I went eastbound on Hwy 12 till Kooskia. Dinner in town and camping at a trailer park on the Lochsa River. $15 got me a grassy site next to a retired prison guard from Missoula on a BMW R1100. As I set up my tent - I realized how sometimes I really hate camping - mosquitoes. Mental note to self - campsites near water = mosquitoes.

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Triplepete

07-25-2008, 11:20 AM

I had a pretty decent sleep despite the sound of of the Lochsa. The overnight temperature was about 15c and all I had on were shorts and tshirt under a thin sleeping bag. My self inflating air mattress really saved my back amd let me have a goon night rest.

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I was on the road by 6 AM riding the famous Lolo highway up to Lolo Pass towards Missoula. I stopped for a really good breakfast at the Lochsa Lodge just West of the Lolo Pass itself. Bison sausage, eggs, and pancakes - delicious.

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After fueling in the town of Lolo, I headed south hoping to ride SR 38 from Gransdale to Anaconda. On my map it shows it as a paved hwy pass, but when I arrived, signs said it was 40 miles of gravel. Crap. I continued south on 93 to SR 43 which actually turned out to be a pretty decent climb over a pass to Wisdom MT.

Wisdom MT
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From Wisdom it was SR 278 to Dillon and SR 41 to Twin Bridges - All pretty boring farmland roads with lots of bugs to kill. Leaving Twin Bridge towards Virginia City and Ennis was interesting - Virgina city and Nevada City were the real western towns. You thought Wintrop was cool, forget about it - out here in Montana and Wyoming is where the real cowboys hang out. Neveda City (part of Virgina City) is a collection of old buildings and rail cars - a bit touristy but still very cool place to stop.
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SR 287 east towards Yellowstone drops into the Madison Range to West Yellowstone - tourist city!!! It was about 5pm and I was making my way thru Yellowstone trying to find camping but all the sites were full. The sun was setting and I wanted to get off the road before sun down. I had already been to Yellowstone a couple years ago so I made haste around all the rubber neck cagers and Bison to try and get a room in Cooke City MT - the gateway to Beartooth Pass.
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As my luck would have it, rolling in town at about 7pm all I saw were NO Vancancy signs. There was one at hotel that looked like it had a room, but as I walked to the desk, two bikers came down and said "we'll take it!" - the last room. The fellow at the desk said all the rooms in town were booked and suggested I get a camp site just a couple of miles up the road or ride to Cody 2 hours away over Dead Indian Pass... forget it. (There is another part to this story on Day 4) It was already dark and I headed out of town till I noticed some guest houses and cabins - why not. The Grizzly Pad was a guest house with shared kitchen and bath - $80 per night per room.
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If you ever do a group ride to Cooke City, this would be a nice place to hang your gear. Theres about 5 rooms in the house and the location is central to some really great roads. Beartooth Pass, Chief Joseph Hwy (Dead Indian Pass), Yellowstone, Big Horns, and Ten Sleep are all a day ride from Cooke City.

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 11:27 AM

Cooke City to Belle Forche SD.

It was a beautiful morning in Cooke City and an awesome day to experience Beartooth Pass. US 212 to Red Lodge. I was wondering why all the accomodations were full in the area - BMW rally this week - all I seen on the roads were BMWs and HDs. The BMW rally was in Gellette WY, but all the riders were coming from all over. Those BMW must be the next biggest group next to Harley's and Sturgis. Beartooth Pass is amazing, another incredible mountain pass with breath taking scenery and pristine wilderness.
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Dropping into Red Lodge is just a beautiful as heading up from Cooke City. After breakfast in Red Lodge, the roads to Lovell were pretty straight and a real bore compared to where I was of course. The reason for Lovell was 14A, another mountain pass over the Big Horn mountains to Burgess Junction - once again, this area is blessed with great roads to spectacular scenery.

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Leaving Burgess Junction, I wanted to get as close to the Black Hill as possible so I could have a full day around Rushmore and Custer. I took I90 all the way to Moorcroft turning north to the Devil's Tower. There was a KOA at Devil's Tower but it was still light and I had enuff energy to keep going.

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After 90 minutes at Devil's Tower, I headed east on SR 24 thru Hulett, WY to Belle Forche, SD where I would find camping at a RV park.

Hulett to Belle Foruche
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Belle Forche, SD I found out, was designated the geographical center of the USA after Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union. That's what I love about US towns, they all have some history to tell.

J_Scott

07-25-2008, 11:31 AM

Keep em coming! :D

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 11:36 AM

Belle Fourche, SD to Fort Collins, CO

Expecting a good sleep, I was awoke at midnight from a thunder storm that kept me up all night. Lightning, thunder, wind blowing my tent everywhere - crap. It stopped raining by 4 am, but the wind was still strong, of course it didn't stop blowing till after I packed up my tent. Mud everywhere in the camp site and subsequently on my boots and pegs.
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The Black Hills of South Dakota is a aweome place to visit... on a weekday. Huge tourism in this area includes trendy western theme towns such as Spearfish, Lead, and Deadwood (like the HBO series).

Deadwood
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At this point, cruising thru the Black Hills of SD - a Canadian born Chinese guy riding a British sportbike, it was obvious I wasn't in Vancouver anymore. With Sturgis close by, this was HD country - the funny thing was, every HD rider would give or return a wave. Makes some Vancouver riders a cliquey looking bunch eh?

Mount Rushmore, amazing what people were able to do back in the day. There was something inspiring about my visit, so much history honoring these 4 presidents. To look at the monument is very cool, but following the ranger tours and learning the story behind Rushmore and US history really made the visit awesome.
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After leaving Rushmore I made my way south on the Peter Norbeck scenic roads. Amazing engineering, impossible roads thru beautiful hills. It was hard to get decent pictures of the roads. but you really need to visit this place. I can see why Sturgis is where the HD riders meet - so much to ride and see.

In the Black Hills I noticed these cruiser guys staring at me in the parking lot of a vista point on the Peter Norbeck scenic drive. They came up and said "you were the guy in Cooke City.... did you end up camping?" I told them I found a room at the Grizzly pad... They said "we thought you might have been mauled by a bear!!! - there was a bear attack that night at a camp site up the road..." Shit. Lucky I got a room - but it was weird seeing those guys again - I guess it's easy to remember the only sportbiker in full gear in a town of cruisers.

I made my way down to Custer State Park to cut thru to the Crazy Horse monument just North of Custer. Crazy Horse is a privately funded monument that is still under construction. A massive project, bigger than Mt Rushmore, operated and carried by one family Polish family to honor the native americans. Completion time is unknown.
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Leaving Custer and the Black Hills meant more straight and lonely roads towards Colorado. As there wasn't much to see in the area, I flew down Hwy 85 till Cheyenne, WY where I jumped on the I25 to Fort Collins ending the day at a Super 8 as the sun set behind the Rockies.

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clickarmy

07-25-2008, 11:39 AM

nice pictures. Looks like an awesome trip

Maverik

07-25-2008, 11:42 AM

From Leavenworth it was HWY 97 to Ellensburg where I jumped on I90 to SR 26 cutting my way down to SR 261 to Starbuck WA. SR 261 was not a bad twisty road. Good pavement and little traffic. A bit hairy if you don't know the road, a couple of corners were tighter than I though - 25 mph really means 25 mph even on a bike. It's nice, but I would go out of my way to do it again cuz you gotta ride lots of straight stuff to get there.

We should have a mileage contest or some sort! What year is your Triumph and how much in odo?

What kind of bike is that?

I get that questions all the time, although it's clearly written Kawasaki on my bike...are they illiterate or what :laughing

I love SR261, although it was ironically raining almost every day when I was in that area. I don't know if US border guards still have sense of humor, but I want to tell them that I'm going to Starbuck....WA. There's unfortunately no Starbucks there, not to mention any gas station or any service.

To get to SR261, you have to go thru boring long straight roads thru farming lands, but once you get there, there are a dozen of twisty roads there within 200km radius.

J_Scott

07-25-2008, 11:51 AM

I'm 100% down with a mileage contest... next year of course. :laughing.

Let's do it with Bill's rules like last time. :)

Maverik

07-25-2008, 11:57 AM

I'm 100% down with a mileage contest... next year of course. :laughing.

Let's do it with Bill's rules like last time. :)

Why not this year?

I'm not aware of Bill's rules??

I've put 18,000km since Nov.

flippy

07-25-2008, 12:04 PM

Hey Triplepete.

It was nice talking to you in Randle, WA. My friend and I were coming up from Laguna Seca (motogp race) and stop at that restaurant (I forgot the name...I should know, I've been there before). We only put on about 4500km...good review of your trip.

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 12:14 PM

Fort Collins, CO to Silverton, CO

My first time in Colorado and I love this state. Gorgeous scenerey and awesome roads, just imagine Whislter, only the entire state. From Fort Collins I headed to Loveland to take SR 34 west towards Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Small park with nice scenerey and abundant wildlife - like this.
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From the park I made my way south on Hwy 40 towards I70. I know, with all the good roads in CO, why the slab? I'll tell you - even the slabs are good thru CO. It was only a short run to get to Hwy 24 south. My goal was to spend the night near Durango, CO but also to ride the San Juan Skyway. From Poncha Springs I headed west on Hwy 50 to Montrose.

Tunnel on I70
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Hwy 50
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From Montrose and south it's Hwy 550, the San Juan Skyway. Spectacular scenerey along what was known as the Million Dollar Highway (part of it anyway). Unfortuantely for me, the weather in the high Rockies is unpredictable even in the midst of summer. It started to drizzle as soon as I left Ouray over Red Mountain Pass.

Ouray
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I forged on to Silverton and the weather was a real downer. At this point I was pretty tired and hungry and of course, the town was fully booked due to some music festival. I really didn't feel like camping in the rain and cold but I didn't feel like riding any further. There was another RV park with tent sites right in town. I had dinner at Romero's and prepared for a cold night of camping.

Evening in Silverton
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Mole chicken - not as good as Oaxaca.
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Silverton RV park
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Triplepete

07-25-2008, 12:17 PM

We should have a mileage contest or some sort! What year is your Triumph and how much in odo?

I have now 18,000 kms and it's an 2006. I bought it used with 3000kms on it last Christmas.

Maverik

07-25-2008, 12:43 PM

I have now 18,000 kms and it's an 2006. I bought it used with 3000kms on it last Christmas.

Nice roads in CO, I wish it was much closer from here....

How did your bike behave in such high elevation more than 3,000m?

Yea, we're almost in a tie. I got it new last Nov.

How many times you changed your tires? Brand and model?

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 12:59 PM

Silverton CO to Zion NP UT.

This morning was a jewel, weather cleared, the sun and moon greeted my early wake up. It was cold but I got enuff rest - did I say the self inflating matress pad was a life saver? I spend a few minutes riding around Silverton along its dirt roads. The morning sun provided some decent lighting for a few snap shots.

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I was on my way to Durango to finish the Million Dollar Highway - beautiful morning, and beautiful scenery.

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After a Starbucks fix in Durango CO I had a mission. I wanted to get to Zion NP before the day was over. I wanted to do a hike and laundry before I started my trip home. On the way, the Four Corners Monument was on the way

I am in 4 states at once!!!
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As well as some interesting scenery
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Triplepete

07-25-2008, 01:04 PM

Nice roads in CO, I wish it was much closer from here....

How did your bike behave in such high elevation more than 3,000m?

Yea, we're almost in a tie. I got it new last Nov.

How many times you changed your tires? Brand and model?

The bike came with stock BT020s but I didn't seem to get much life out of them - 8000kms and they were down to the wear indicators. The same tires on my old FZ1 lasted about 10K

I fitted on a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2s and I love them - dual compound. Got those earlier this month. At higher elevation, the power is noticably weaker, but so are all the other vehicles so it didn't really matter.

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 01:05 PM

I made it to Zion NP by 4pm and checked into the Quality Inn in Springfield right at the park gates. I wanted to hike Angels Landing, but to get there I needed to take a shuttle since no private vehicles were allowed to drive up the Canyon. After checking in and changing to runners and shorts, I rode super squid to grab lunch at a small cafe nearby. When I said squid, I meant no helmet either - no helmet law in Utah. I was only going about 2 kms to the park and ride and I didn't want to leave gear on my bike as I hiked.... luckily I didn't - you'll know why later.

From the visitor center I took the shuttle up the the Grotto stop - Trailhead for Angel's Landing. Why this hike? During our honeymoon, my wife and I tried this hike and she got too scared to continue. So, we didn't go any further. So now over a year later, I vowed to finish it (since I was already down this way) I started the hike at 5:30pm, typically perfect to catch sunset light, but also not too hot under the sun - well there was none - it was cloudy. Angels Landing is a 2.5 mile hike each way up a steep grade. The last half mile is the challenging part - sheer drops on either side of a chain assisted cliff. I don't blame anyone for not making it - if you are scared of heights - forget about this hike. As I went up, I passed many people unprepare for the hike physically and mentally. And it being late, no one else made it up but me. Proabaly also because a storm was moving in.

The easy parts
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The hard parts
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Storm coming
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And my wife made it this time!
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As my luck would have it. When I started back down, the rain came with some serious anger. Basically I was hiking and climbing down this terrain holding on to slippery chains. And if that wasn't bad both my calves were cramping up proabably due to prolong riding position... I had to be real careful coming down. As you can see here, the trail was now a series of waterfalls
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I made down in one piece hiking back to the bus stop and rejoyced on what an incredible day I had. Camping in Silverton in the morning and hiking inthe pouring rain at the end of the day... Proabably the best day on this trip. And I even got my laundry done! Here I am waiting for the dryer - my runners were soaked.
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Triplepete

07-25-2008, 01:42 PM

A beautiful morning in Zion, perhaps I should have waited to do the hike today. I knew that getting to Zion would pose a logistical dilemma for a road motorcyclist wanting to get to California. Riding across the Nevada desert would be as boring as hell But it wasn't too bad. I started the day heading north to check out the Kolob Canyons also part of Zion NP,

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I headed west from Cedar City for the long road ahead trying to take the shortest and distance across the desert. SR 56 to Panaca NV then Hwy 93 to Crystal Springs. Luckily I found a gas station there cuz it was 160 miles to Tonopah on SR 375. The map shows towns on these routes but I guess they haven't been updated as ghost towns.

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On Hwy 6 between Warm Springs and Tonopah I reached the 5000 km mark

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After fuelling up in Tonopah NV, I continued west on Hwy 6 to Benton, CA where I found SR 120 to Hwy 395 and Lee Vining.

Hwy 120 next to Mono Lake
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Welcome to California, bend over and take deep breaths.
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From Lee Vining I was off into Yosemite NP. Again, a nice park but I got the feeling most cars in there just used it as a commuter road cuz everyone was speeding thru there.
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Leaving Yosemite on the busy west side I found a sweet road to El Portal and Mariposa. It was really really hot coming down from Yosemite into Hwy 140. 140 followed a river all the way to El Porto - very scenic, but due to construction, traffic was thick. As soon as passed all the traffic, a sweet road came climbing over some hills to Mariposa. A trendy town with over priced rooms - again all rooms were booked and I ended up at the Super 8 paying too much for a crappy room. I would have kept going but I was really tired - proabaly from the hike the day before. However, I did have the best Pot Roast and salad bar in Mariposa or prehaps I was just really hungry.

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Maverik

07-25-2008, 01:58 PM

Welcome to California, bend over and take deep breaths.
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It looks shocking because it's in US$/gal, but when you convert to C$/L, it's same price here these days :laughing

However, the price here lately came down a bit, so you were still paying cheaper that time in Cali.

J_Scott

07-25-2008, 02:16 PM

Absolutely phenomenal trip. Nice boots too, are they the BMW allround boots?

We have to have a coffee and chat about the trip. I'm planning a trip like that with Savannah next year on the GS. :)

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 02:19 PM

Absolutely phenomenal trip. Nice boots too, are they the BMW allround boots?

We have to have a coffee and chat about the trip. I'm planning a trip like that with Savannah next year on the GS. :)

Sounds good - You got a GS already??? 800 or 1200?

The boots are waterproof Alpine Stars
http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338602297_7C6tv-M.jpg

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 02:20 PM

Mariposa CA to Old Station CA

A beautiful California morning leaving Mariposa north bound on hwy 49 to Jamestown.. According to Destination Hwy guys, this hwy from Bear Valley to Moccasin is DH 25 - It is one of the sweetest motorcycle roads in California - It was alot of fun even with my overweight sport tourer. It is so tight it would be best on a supermoto.

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Came across this historical tid bit in Chinese Camp
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Jamestown. CA
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After breakfast in Jamestown listen to some local guys crack joke all morning, I was on my way over Sonora Pass. DH8 according to Bosworth and Sanders. Sonora Pass imo is better than Yosemite. Less traffic, no RVs or big campers - the road is really really tight up top - beautiful scenery.

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Coming down from Sonora Pass brings you past a Marines training base and on to HWY 395. 395 is a very nice scenic hwy thats pretty quick. It was only a short scoot to Topaz since I was looking for DH1 to Markleeville. This road takes you over Monitor Pass - it's nice, but I would not have labled this road as Norcal DH1. Impressive climb over a pass, but tar snakes galore didn't make it fun. It was also quite bumpy.

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I continued on 89 all the way to Lassen Volcano, luckily I did happen to buy Volcano insurance! The sad part of 89 is that it took me thru Lake Tahoe - full of cagers, RVs, and boaters so I was stuck doing about 50kph till Truckee. To top it all off, road construction had traffic backed up for miles in 3 directions. One lane to serve 3 directions of travel a to T intersection at Hwy 50 and 89. Lake Tahoe is gorgeous, but it really sucked on a bike.

As I got closer to Lassen, nearby forest fire in Chico was blowing smoke this way.
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When I finally got to Lassen, I was disappointed to find that they were doing road work on top. 8 miles of compact gravel. Combine that with smoke filled air and Lassen wasn't much to see. A pilot car lead us thru so we couldn't stop for pics, though I managed a couple.

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I made it thru in one piece and started down Lassen to Old Station where I was just in time to get a burger before setting up camp at the resort.

J_Scott

07-25-2008, 02:25 PM

Sounds good - You got a GS already??? 800 or 1200?

Nope, but I will for next season. Bike goes up for sale this weekend, and the car goes up for sale in August. Downgrading the car and upgrading the bike. :) It'll be a 1200GS most likely, or maybe a 990. But I'm leaning toward the BMW.

BTW: Linked Savannah to this thread and she's geeked up now. :laughing

flippy

07-25-2008, 02:40 PM

we went through Lassen as well and did not know that the road construction meant gravel. Shit! Riding our sportbikes down the mountain on gravel road, fun!

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 03:25 PM

Old Station CA to The Dalles OR.

It was another decent night of camping. I managed to get an empty RV site with power. I was able to charge my phones and camera. Take note, if you have room on your bike to carry a portable heater while camping - do it. I did it last time on my FZ1 and was able to sleep in underwear in -5c nights. I didn't bring one on this trip cuz I thought these summer nights would be warmer. Leaving the site - I saw these 2 Canucks - anyone from here? They got rooms at the resort so I never met them.

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So from Old Station it was a pretty cool ride thru some pretty straight forest roads along Hwy 89 to Shasta. Hit I5 for about 10 minute before turning off in Weed for breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage over pancakes... MMMM.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338605739_M5JqE-M.jpg

After breakfast and fuel, I went north on Hwy 97 towards Crater Lake. Very straight and boring, lots of truck traffic so I upped the pace. 80mph in with a hwy limit of 60. I recall a minivan was doing the same as me but I eventually passed him on a hill. I seen a CHP car coming the other way hiding behind a truck. I though for sure he had me but I never seen him turn around. About 15 minute up the road, traffic slowed and I was looking at my map cruising at 60 when I saw a Sherrif in a suv coming my way. I watched him in the mirror as he did a U turn and pulled me over. He told me I matched the description of a bike who didn't bother stopping for a cop... shit. He wanted me to wait for the other cop to reach us to verify - 5 minutes. We chatted about bikes and law enforcement. Finally the CHP showed up "why didn't you stop for me?" I told him I never even saw him try to pull me over. Apparently he pulled over the minivan and gave him a ticket which was why it took him a while to get there. The sheriff was really cool, he vouched for me and said I was very cooperative and stopped right away. The CHP took my info and asked me to just slow down. They were very nice cops, if your nice to them they will be nice to you. I asked them to cuff me for a picture but they declined and had a good laugh.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338606356_jjKMU-M.jpg

After leaving the cops, I was in Oregon and on my way to Crater Lake. At the park booth, I swear the NPS hire the cutest girls to work there. I should have asked for her picture but all I can say is that she looked like Kristen Kruek from Smallville with a ranger hat.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338608241_RK8vo-M.jpg

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338609416_2BaGE-M.jpg

After leaving Crater Lake I continued north to Mt Hood. I knew of some really good motorbike roads in the area, but I never been to Hood before so why not.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338609732_jtSnR-M.jpg

Coming down from Mt Hood is very scenic into Hood River from SR 35. Not very twisty but not too boring. I looked for a place to stay in Hood river but of course - all booked. Hood River is the wind surfing capital of NA... and it was really windy that day, in fact it's always windy there... go figure. Screw it, I decided to head east to The Dalles on I84. It was about 19 miles from Hood River to the Dalles. About 3 miles from Hood River I saw a scenic sign for old hwy 30. Mosier Dalles hwy. I exited and what a treat!! about 8 miles of real tight twistness, a very nice find.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338610060_qJbhQ-M.jpg

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338610360_8CuuU-M.jpg

Arriving in the Dalles rooms were also scarce. The Inn wanted $160 for one of there last rooms - I wasn't that desperate. I got back on the hwy and found signs downtown to the Dalles Inn. Gold - This is the place to stay in the Dalles imo. $90 per night, pool, internet, and movies to rent and includes waffle breakfast. Recently renovated and clean with quality toiletries. Once again, a US town with very much history.
http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338611149_SvpD5-M.jpg

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338611208_thjdH-M.jpg

djbrickhouse

07-25-2008, 03:28 PM

Nice report! Inspiring!

SpideRider

07-25-2008, 03:54 PM

Very cool stuff.
I enjoy reading reports from people who can actually string a full sentence together without any spelling or grammar errors! :laughing

Triplepete

07-25-2008, 04:02 PM

The Dalles OR to Burnaby BC

Man I had the best sleep at the Dalles Inn. There are train tracks nearby but the room is well insulated and I slept well. I knew today would be an easy and slow day home. I dunno, it's a weird feeling having to come back to reality. At least the weather and riding was good for them most part.

I crossed over to Washington and headed to Carson along SR 14. Gorgeous ride thru the gorge with the rising sun at my back. I made my way to Randal from Carson and was expecting some seet curves to dance on. I was mistaken. The first time I rode those Helen's roads, I was in love. I considered them to be my favorite "local" roads... Its been 2 years since I was on them last and now they have gone to shit. (for sportbikes anyway). The tree canopies have grown quite thick and the heaving pavement has become dangerous. The combination of heaves, potholes, and spotty shade makes slow the pace. I was sacked more than a few times with my own gas tank after hitting some ruts and bumps.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338617317_suWaU-M.jpg

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338616240_QawhE-M.jpg

Signs along the way warned that Windy Ridge was closed, I though all the way. When I got the Windy Ridge juction, the first 3 miles to Bear Meadows was still nice an smooth. I carved a few aggressive turns before having to stop at the first vew point.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338617657_q3MJJ-M.jpg

View of Raineer coming down to Randal.
http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338618302_LgfgM-M.jpg

At Randal I bumped into a couple of members here, Flippy and guy with long name. They mentioned Raineers had lots of construction so I passed. Had lunch at the bar and chatted with some cougars who were playing pull tabs the whole afternoon. I headed to Morton and took 7 up to Eatonville where I stopped for pee. The road from Elbe to Eastonville was a surprizingly fun road. Short, but pretty good find.

Met a guy from Elbe riding a old Virago and we chatted about old bikes and wrenching. Before parting he gave me a homemade cross made from horseshoe nails. He had a few of them on his jacket and he said he gives these to everyone he meets. He also made 500 of them to give to a group of soldiers heading to the middle east. I thank him and looped the cross to my jacket. Very interesting experience to finish my last day on this trip.

http://fury.smugmug.com/photos/338765179_H8ges-M.jpg

On the way home I did a bit of shopping looking for a throttle lock at Skagit Powersports - no luck. I crossed the border at 6pm or so and was kinda hungry. Rode a little past home to Hastings to grab some ethnic food. Turkish Donair at Hastings and Madison... really good Donair.

LegalAlien

07-25-2008, 06:29 PM

Good read, great pics! Thanks for sharing. :thumbup
I haven't made long trips/ vacations like this on a bike in 15 years. I used to live in Holland and rode my bike from there to Germany (including the Autobahn), England (on the ferry), Belgium, France, Spain (no helmet needed in Spain but, boy, did that ever feel naked).

GSP

07-25-2008, 08:24 PM

J_Scott

07-25-2008, 08:40 PM

Thanks for sharing this. Some of these roads are familiar--I have pictures at some of the same locations. I haven't had the chance to do Beartooth, Zion, or anything in Colorado. How was the heat in Zion at this time of year?

I look forward to the day I can do a long tour again. I'm only on my second tank of gas this season.:laughing Until then, I'll live vicariously through you and JScott.

BTW, if you're ever in Lee Vining again, the Mobil gas station has a great cafe.

Pete has always put me to shame... He's the guy that influenced me to do long rides through his pictures. :)

I barely rode 8000km this season. Mind you that was over 15 days, but still it's disappointing. :laughing

Pete, I'm serious about that coffee. Bring the lady out too, Savannah would love to meet another girl that can handle riding 2-up and isn't wearing high heels and short shorts as a passenger. ;)

staopaopa

07-25-2008, 11:57 PM

Commuter Boy

07-26-2008, 07:12 AM

Nice ride! Most of my riding this year was for work-related stuff, but at least they paid for me to go up the Cassiar and back for a client.

SuperSlab

07-26-2008, 07:27 AM

This is awesome: the ride, the write-up and the pics. When I read this our planned 3,000-ish km trip down to Ashland in August all of a sudden pales to the significance of a local Starbucks ride.

This is so far beyond what I do that I would not aspire to it!

fliprocket

07-26-2008, 07:46 AM

Wicked pictures buddy!! I bet riding around here gets pretty boring compared to the places you've been...

Triplepete

07-26-2008, 08:42 AM

Thanks for sharing this. Some of these roads are familiar--I have pictures at some of the same locations. I haven't had the chance to do Beartooth, Zion, or anything in Colorado. How was the heat in Zion at this time of year?

I look forward to the day I can do a long tour again. I'm only on my second tank of gas this season.:laughing Until then, I'll live vicariously through you and JScott.

BTW, if you're ever in Lee Vining again, the Mobil gas station has a great cafe.

I was expecting more heat in the desert this time of year but the weather was actually quite cool when I went thru. It was hot standing in sun, but once you got moving it was cool. It was cloudy and rainy when I was in Zion the first day.

Triplepete

07-26-2008, 09:03 AM

Pete, I'm serious about that coffee. Bring the lady out too, Savannah would love to meet another girl that can handle riding 2-up and isn't wearing high heels and short shorts as a passenger. ;)

Don't be fooled, my wife was pretty high maintenence. Since we been married I have dragged her down a few classes :laughing

I'd like to to hook up too, PM me.

KatRider

07-26-2008, 11:12 AM

Thanks for sharing. Looks like it was a great trip. I'm jealous.

Triplepete

07-26-2008, 11:25 AM

As my luck would have it, rolling in town at about 7pm all I saw were NO Vancancy signs. There was one at hotel that looked like it had a room, but as I walked to the desk, two bikers came down and said "we'll take it!" - the last room. The fellow at the desk said all the rooms in town were booked and suggested I get a camp site just a couple of miles up the road or ride to Cody 2 hours away over Dead Indian Pass... forget it. (There is another part to this story on Day 4) It was already dark and I headed out of town till I noticed some guest houses and cabins - why not. The Grizzly Pad was a guest house with shared kitchen and bath - $80 per night per room.

So I forgot to add part 2 of this story.
On day 4 when I was in the Black Hills I noticed these cruiser guys staring at me in the parking lot of a vista point. They came up and said "you were the guy in Cooke City.... did you end up camping?" I told them I found a room at the Grizzly pad... They said "we thought you might have been mauled by a bear!!! - there was a bear attack that night at a camp site up the road..." Shit. Lucky I got a room - but it was weird seeing those guys again - I guess it's easy to remember the only sportbiker in full gear in a town of cruisers.

smokinjoe

07-27-2008, 03:56 PM

Very nice pics and report, thanks for sharing!

jafkaf81

07-27-2008, 09:01 PM

Wow , best report so far , good story and great photos , you should post a map link for others to follow :thumbup , only thing missing was a picture of these famous Donairs :laughing , thanks for sharing with the class .

elevation

07-27-2008, 09:45 PM

Wow, impressive trip and a impressive ride report. Kudos to you for doing it on your own. Something I couldn't do.

Isn't crazy how many different and random things happen in a day?

T-Ray

07-29-2008, 01:14 PM

Was wondering how you were faring on the trip. Sounds like it was a fantastic journey.

A tip I picked up two years ago and have used on all my long trips on the Sprint ST since:

Go to your local Finning Caterpillar dealer and pick up a bright yellow (what else?!) o-ring and it fits neatly between the bar-end and the twist grip. Triumph even provides a handy indent in the barend to roll the o-ring into when not in use. I'll send you the part number - Finning on River Road in Richmond didn't bother to charge me, but it probably costs $2, and works great.

I love your posts because you take the time, and have the skill, to take great photographs of some of the beautiful places that I too have visited on my Sprint.

Like J Scott said, we should do coffee. And I'll have to try the donairs (my favourite is still Abdul's at Willingdon and Kingsway!)

Tim.

Triplepete

07-29-2008, 04:19 PM

J_Scott

07-29-2008, 04:41 PM

I'm on Vacation as of today and heading out of town on Friday, if you guys are down for something thursday let me know. :)

scotthiebert ( at ) gmail (dot) com

CounterSteer

07-29-2008, 06:30 PM

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Really enjoyed your pics and well written story.

GSP

07-29-2008, 08:03 PM

Go to your local Finning Caterpillar dealer and pick up a bright yellow (what else?!) o-ring and it fits neatly between the bar-end and the twist grip. Triumph even provides a handy indent in the barend to roll the o-ring into when not in use. I'll send you the part number - Finning on River Road in Richmond didn't bother to charge me, but it probably costs $2, and works great.

Please post the part #. I used to have it somewhere, but have misplaced it.

T-Ray

07-29-2008, 09:56 PM

For Triplepete and GSP: The O-Ring is Caterpillar Part Number = 8M4991 . Note that this works fine with the Sprint ST, I don't know about other makes and models. It provides enough tension to hold the throttle open, but is super easy to over-ride with a twist of the wrist. Allows you to rest your right hand on those long trips. Best $2 modification out there.

Fjr eh

07-29-2008, 10:45 PM

Great trip and report.

It brings back memories of my trips....have been to those places.

Mark

Triplepete

07-29-2008, 10:50 PM

Stiffler's Mom

07-29-2008, 11:18 PM

Great posts. Thanks for taking the time.

Slug87

07-30-2008, 02:48 PM

I knew you were edgy to go but like that ...
What was the trigger for this ride?

Awesome report.
I enjoyed the scenery of the million dollar highway, but found the road quite boring. Durango, Silverton and Ouray were good for pictures.

Looks like those black hills are going to come higher on the to do list when I return.

Re-Lassen: I hit gravel last year on the way down to laguna seca on the south side.
This year the road was perfect (second week of June) Looks like they are doing sections after sections each year. So anyone should hit that road early in the season for some really good fun.

Looks like that Triumph fits you like a glove. No regrets on the Strom eh ?

tazmania

07-30-2008, 03:49 PM

Thanks for the great ride report! Great photos and comments, now I just have to get out the maps to find out where these places are :laughing.

Triplepete

07-30-2008, 04:42 PM

I knew you were edgy to go but like that ...
What was the trigger for this ride?

Looks like that Triumph fits you like a glove. No regrets on the Strom eh ?

Trigger was lack of work to keep me busy. I asked my boss if I would get 80 hours at least for the next 2 weeks . he wasn't sure so I told him I wanted to go. I was gone the next day.:flip Wife was ok with it too.

Don't miss the Strom at all, but I do miss trail riding. I am window shopping dual sports now. So many more places to see and do with a dual sport.

Triplepete

07-30-2008, 05:11 PM

10 Day Maps

Day 1 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Burnaby,+BC,+Canada&daddr=US-2+E%2FUS-97+N+%4047.543330,+-120.568680+to:US-97+%4047.342671,+-120.565805+to:46.638122,-118.800659+to:WA-261+%4046.512634,+-117.977420+to:kooskia+ID&hl=en&geocode=11779004045807270813,47.543330,-120.568680%3B14703257372404024371,47.342671,-120.565805%3B1898422702452947274,46.512634,-117.977420&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=8&via=1,2,3,4&sll=46.991494,-117.778931&sspn=2.285647,4.702148&ie=UTF8&z=8)

Day 2 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=kooskia+ID&daddr=US-93+%4045.706910,+-113.934120+to:MT-278+%4045.230840,+-113.082350+to:45.282617,-111.950684+to:Cooke+city+MT&hl=en&geocode=16698234614120769974,45.706910,-113.934120%3B15888507791690348335,45.230840,-113.082350&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=8&via=1,2,3&sll=46.233053,-112.922974&sspn=2.317873,4.702148&ie=UTF8&ll=45.336702,-112.192383&spn=4.71089,9.404297&z=7)

Day 3 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Cooke+city+MT&daddr=US-310+%4044.929690,+-108.621040+to:US-14+%4044.701470,+-106.850530+to:US-14%2FUS+14-16%2FUS-16+%4044.689446,+-106.083152+to:44.777936,-104.474487+to:Belle+fourche+SD&hl=en&geocode=15501858217180325226,44.929690,-108.621040%3B5440737320396383827,44.701470,-106.850530%3B17096210707520454036,44.689446,-106.083152&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=8&via=1,2,3,4&sll=44.684277,-104.754639&sspn=2.382411,4.702148&ie=UTF8&ll=44.995883,-106.034546&spn=4.739128,9.404297&z=7)

Day 4 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Belle+fourche+SD&daddr=US-14A+%4044.363640,+-103.929600+to:US-85+%4044.351910,+-103.768940+to:US-385+%4044.080830,+-103.490840+to:US-16-ALT+%4043.856380,+-103.428840+to:US-16-ALT+%4043.778600,+-103.344950+to:US-16-ALT+%4043.771020,+-103.503510+to:Mt+Rushmore+Rd%2FUS-16A%2FUS-16-ALT+%4043.766300,+-103.600160+to:US-85+%4042.588960,+-104.401200+to:41.754922,-104.265747+to:fort+collins+co&hl=en&geocode=17037484337522312008,44.363640,-103.929600%3B8447380488703574246,44.351910,-103.768940%3B566231075821241459,44.080830,-103.490840%3B5444977608677051415,43.856380,-103.428840%3B16574961112293589372,43.778600,-103.344950%3B11317557409438926288,43.771020,-103.503510%3B3824681659266231480,43.766300,-103.600160%3B11953954610039959160,42.588960,-104.401200&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=9&sz=9&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9&sll=41.701627,-104.249268&sspn=1.250892,2.351074&ie=UTF8&ll=43.261206,-103.425293&spn=4.880226,9.404297&z=7)

Day 5 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=fort+collins+co&daddr=Trail+Ridge+Rd%2FUS-34+%4040.393140,+-105.707600+to:39.88445,-105.770874+to:Harrison+Ave%2FUS-24+%4039.248840,+-106.291930+to:Silverton+co&hl=en&geocode=3260870428186774242,40.393140,-105.707600%3B5588164857989563638,39.248840,-106.291930&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=8&via=1,2,3&sll=39.753657,-106.062012&sspn=2.576055,4.702148&ie=UTF8&z=8)

Triplepete

07-30-2008, 05:21 PM

Day 6 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Silverton+co&daddr=Springdale+UT&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=39.19365,-106.726575&sspn=5.193579,9.404297&ie=UTF8&ll=37.134045,-110.335693&spn=5.341907,9.404297&z=7)

Day 7 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Springdale+UT&daddr=37.735969,-114.202881+to:NV-375%2FThe+Extraterrestrial+Hwy+%4037.470430,+-115.502490+to:mariposa+ca&hl=en&geocode=8105920448490693953,37.470430,-115.502490&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=7&via=1,2&sll=35.862344,-116.356201&sspn=5.430233,9.404297&ie=UTF8&ll=37.51844,-116.982422&spn=5.314688,9.404297&z=7)

Day 8 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=mariposa+ca&daddr=CA-108%2FSonora+Pass+Hwy+%4038.098620,+-120.125950+to:CA-89%2FUS-50+%4038.874310,+-120.005610+to:CA-89+%4039.258770,+-120.211650+to:CA-89+%4039.775780,+-120.620760+to:40.354917,-121.49231+to:old+station+ca&hl=en&geocode=6148688408449981742,38.098620,-120.125950%3B10790837136351557943,38.874310,-120.005610%3B17977977412075472242,39.258770,-120.211650%3B2592399968105722679,39.775780,-120.620760&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=5&sz=8&via=1,2,3,4,5&sll=40.040232,-121.212158&sspn=2.565309,4.702148&ie=UTF8&ll=39.618384,-121.289062&spn=2.581105,4.702148&z=8)

Day 9 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=old+station+ca&daddr=US-97+N+%4042.206080,+-121.788980+to:42.958433,-122.156982+to:US-26+%4045.209620,+-121.698970+to:US-30+%4045.686750,+-121.335620+to:the+dalles+or&hl=en&geocode=13275632943880132976,42.206080,-121.788980%3B9233546603259881858,45.209620,-121.698970%3B6716059406847443198,45.686750,-121.335620&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=9&via=1,2,3,4&sll=42.954412,-122.4646&sspn=1.226227,2.351074&ie=UTF8&ll=44.37884,-119.575195&spn=4.789824,9.404297&z=7)

Day 10 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=the+dalles+or&daddr=WA-14+%4045.707846,+-121.359098+to:Meadow+Creek+Rd%2FWind+River+Rd+%404 5.970780,+-121.922890+to:46.318481,-122.01416+to:Burnaby,+BC,+Canada&hl=en&geocode=17717429815031135372,45.707846,-121.359098%3B7069992244751964964,45.970780,-121.922890&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=9&via=1,2,3&sll=46.253948,-122.151489&sspn=1.15849,2.351074&ie=UTF8&ll=46.1532,-121.602173&spn=2.321242,4.702148&z=8)

jeckyll

07-30-2008, 07:58 PM

Great trip report!

tazmania

08-01-2008, 12:31 PM

Holy smokes, thanks for the links to the maps!!

mooove_over

08-02-2008, 09:53 AM

Triplepete

08-02-2008, 10:31 AM

that is an incredible trip....i am so jealous and inspired. Thank you for sharing. I was wondering if you had planned that whole route or flew by the seat of your pants. I know for myself there would not be much planning involved other than a general direction and turn around point. That bike looks like a nice piece of equipment for that trip also.....something like that will be my next ride.

The route was semi planned. I had certain places and goals I wanted to reach, everything in between just depended on how I felt and how much time I had during the day. When I started, I didn't plan on coming back thru California, so unfortunately I missed a few good roads cuz I didn't bring my DH NorCal book. The Zion hike wasn't concrete till I got thru Colorado - glad I did it. I think Siverton CO to Zion UT was my best day. Waking up in Historic Silverton and finishing off with a rain soaked hike in Zion - I was laughing and felt wonderful as I rode helmet free in the rain back to my hotel.
:laughing

CounterSteer

08-31-2008, 02:44 PM

Thanks for posting up your great ride report. Your very excellent photos show the cool roads and countryside you experienced. They make one want to head out on the road right now!!

denham

09-01-2008, 09:54 AM

greenboy

09-01-2008, 10:59 AM

Class A trip report, write-up and photos. Thanks for sharing! One of these days I'll come to my senses and take an extended trip south of the border. These kinds of trip reports inspire.

firefox

09-01-2008, 01:19 PM

Fantastic ride report and some jaw dropping photos!! VERY inspirational!

Thanks for posting the map links!! :)

Triplepete

09-01-2008, 01:38 PM

Thanks for the report, looks like a great trip and you got some fantastic pictures along the way.

You mentioned that your BT020s didn't last you too long... how many kms do you have on your Michelins and what kind of life does it look like you'll get out of them? I wonder how the BT021s compare to the 020s with regards to mileage also... They're 'supposed' to be improved over the 020 but that's just Bridgestone's word ;)

The BT020s (rear) that came with the bike OEM lasted about 8000kms. I bought the bike with 3000kms on the odo. Rode it for 5000 kms (most of it hot California pavement and interstate) and was at the wear marker. The BT020s I had on my old FZ1 lasted 11,000 kms.

My current Michelin Pilot Road 2s have over 8000kms on them and are starting to square, but still have some life in them.

Thanks for posting up your great ride report. Your very excellent photos show the cool roads and countryside you experienced. They make one want to head out on the road right now!!

Just do it! throw some clothes in a bag and take off! I have done that sometimes.