Well, it has been a very fun trip. I cant say that i got as far as i wanted, because it was VERY cold in arizona. I yet again had to scrape ice off of my seat, and the drive through nevada had been insane near salt lake city. Try as i might, you cant compete with being so cold that your hands wont work the throttle and clutch. So in flagstaff arizona, afterseeing the giant redwoods, the oregon coast, most of california, the boneville saltflats, the northern side of the grand canyon, and most of the deserts in utah, arizona, and californina, i decided to turn around. It was a hard decision, but i think the right one.
I spent a day or so contemplating the turn around, but after driving 5 days through the desert from the top of cali, to utah, and down through arizona, i decided that i could not handle driving across texas. It was becomming more of a marithon than a sight seeing tour, and i was paying for the visual experience, not the preteige of a sore rear and an empty bank account. So, the decision was made to return via the highway south of vegas and through cali.
THe trip back was jsut as much fun, as i made sure to pick a route that i had not traveled before. Sticking mostly to the highway, i can say that the sacramento valley reminds me alot of home or of kelowna valley as there are lots of orchards and vinyards.
Eventually after a number of days of hard riding i worked my way up to chehalis washington, right below seattle. THe past few days of weather had been pounding rain and scary mountain passes that reminded me alot of the coquahala, and almost cold enough to snow.
At that point, I could not go any further. The weather had been the worst i had seen, and in a car i would have been fine to take it slow, but on a motorcycle, it was time to pull over. I checked the weather when i dried off in a hotel room, and decided that since there were storm warnings for the next few days, i would call the brother and cash in my return ticket home via the truck.
After chatting with the bro, i fell asleep, and the next morning, after his arrival, we loaded the bike up onto the truck, and headed home.
I thought the adventure would be over there, but we decided to take the ferry from Port Angeles in washington (near olympic national park) over to victoria, then the ferry from sidney to white rock, and then we drove home. Inbetween we visited both washington, and BC's capital cities, and were impressed by the architecture.
We drove all night through the rain over the coquahala, and only the next day did i hear that there was a weather warning for BCs coast.
All in all, it was a good trip. A little shorter than i had originally planned, but I think it was just right. I have some $$$ left over in the bank account, and i think that maybe saving it for a trip across canada this summer like i had originally planned is in order.
Well, thanks for checking up on me. Sorry i couldnt post more pix. But i will get to those later, after I am all rested up.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
There and Back Again
Well, it has been a very fun trip. I cant say that i got as far as i wanted, because it was VERY cold in arizona. I yet again had to scrape ice off of my seat, and the drive through nevada had been insane near salt lake city. Try as i might, you cant compete with being so cold that your hands wont work the throttle and clutch. So in flagstaff arizona, afterseeing the giant redwoods, the oregon coast, most of california, the boneville saltflats, the northern side of the grand canyon, and most of the deserts in utah, arizona, and californina, i decided to turn around. It was a hard decision, but i think the right one.
I spent a day or so contemplating the turn around, but after driving 5 days through the desert from the top of cali, to utah, and down through arizona, i decided that i could not handle driving across texas. It was becomming more of a marithon than a sight seeing tour, and i was paying for the visual experience, not the preteige of a sore rear and an empty bank account. So, the decision was made to return via the highway south of vegas and through cali.
THe trip back was jsut as much fun, as i made sure to pick a route that i had not traveled before. Sticking mostly to the highway, i can say that the sacramento valley reminds me alot of home or of kelowna valley as there are lots of orchards and vinyards.
Eventually after a number of days of hard riding i worked my way up to chehalis washington, right below seattle. THe past few days of weather had been pounding rain and scary mountain passes that reminded me alot of the coquahala, and almost cold enough to snow.
At that point, I could not go any further. The weather had been the worst i had seen, and in a car i would have been fine to take it slow, but on a motorcycle, it was time to pull over. I checked the weather when i dried off in a hotel room, and decided that since there were storm warnings for the next few days, i would call the brother and cash in my return ticket home via the truck.
After chatting with the bro, i fell asleep, and the next morning, after his arrival, we loaded the bike up onto the truck, and headed home.
I thought the adventure would be over there, but we decided to take the ferry from Port Angeles in washington (near olympic national park) over to victoria, then the ferry from sidney to white rock, and then we drove home. Inbetween we visited both washington, and BC's capital cities, and were impressed by the architecture.
We drove all night through the rain over the coquahala, and only the next day did i hear that there was a weather warning for BCs coast.
All in all, it was a good trip. A little shorter than i had originally planned, but I think it was just right. I have some $$$ left over in the bank account, and i think that maybe saving it for a trip across canada this summer like i had originally planned is in order.
Well, thanks for checking up on me. Sorry i couldnt post more pix. But i will get to those later, after I am all rested up.
I spent a day or so contemplating the turn around, but after driving 5 days through the desert from the top of cali, to utah, and down through arizona, i decided that i could not handle driving across texas. It was becomming more of a marithon than a sight seeing tour, and i was paying for the visual experience, not the preteige of a sore rear and an empty bank account. So, the decision was made to return via the highway south of vegas and through cali.
THe trip back was jsut as much fun, as i made sure to pick a route that i had not traveled before. Sticking mostly to the highway, i can say that the sacramento valley reminds me alot of home or of kelowna valley as there are lots of orchards and vinyards.
Eventually after a number of days of hard riding i worked my way up to chehalis washington, right below seattle. THe past few days of weather had been pounding rain and scary mountain passes that reminded me alot of the coquahala, and almost cold enough to snow.
At that point, I could not go any further. The weather had been the worst i had seen, and in a car i would have been fine to take it slow, but on a motorcycle, it was time to pull over. I checked the weather when i dried off in a hotel room, and decided that since there were storm warnings for the next few days, i would call the brother and cash in my return ticket home via the truck.
After chatting with the bro, i fell asleep, and the next morning, after his arrival, we loaded the bike up onto the truck, and headed home.
I thought the adventure would be over there, but we decided to take the ferry from Port Angeles in washington (near olympic national park) over to victoria, then the ferry from sidney to white rock, and then we drove home. Inbetween we visited both washington, and BC's capital cities, and were impressed by the architecture.
We drove all night through the rain over the coquahala, and only the next day did i hear that there was a weather warning for BCs coast.
All in all, it was a good trip. A little shorter than i had originally planned, but I think it was just right. I have some $$$ left over in the bank account, and i think that maybe saving it for a trip across canada this summer like i had originally planned is in order.
Well, thanks for checking up on me. Sorry i couldnt post more pix. But i will get to those later, after I am all rested up.
There and Back Again
Well, it has been a very fun trip. I cant say that i got as far as i wanted, because it was VERY cold in arizona. I yet again had to scrape ice off of my seat, and the drive through nevada had been insane near salt lake city. Try as i might, you cant compete with being so cold that your hands wont work the throttle and clutch. So in flagstaff arizona, afterseeing the giant redwoods, the oregon coast, most of california, the boneville saltflats, the northern side of the grand canyon, and most of the deserts in utah, arizona, and californina, i decided to turn around. It was a hard decision, but i think the right one.
I spent a day or so contemplating the turn around, but after driving 5 days through the desert from the top of cali, to utah, and down through arizona, i decided that i could not handle driving across texas. It was becomming more of a marithon than a sight seeing tour, and i was paying for the visual experience, not the preteige of a sore rear and an empty bank account. So, the decision was made to return via the highway south of vegas and through cali.
THe trip back was jsut as much fun, as i made sure to pick a route that i had not traveled before. Sticking mostly to the highway, i can say that the sacramento valley reminds me alot of home or of kelowna valley as there are lots of orchards and vinyards.
Eventually after a number of days of hard riding i worked my way up to chehalis washington, right below seattle. THe past few days of weather had been pounding rain and scary mountain passes that reminded me alot of the coquahala, and almost cold enough to snow.
At that point, I could not go any further. The weather had been the worst i had seen, and in a car i would have been fine to take it slow, but on a motorcycle, it was time to pull over. I checked the weather when i dried off in a hotel room, and decided that since there were storm warnings for the next few days, i would call the brother and cash in my return ticket home via the truck.
After chatting with the bro, i fell asleep, and the next morning, after his arrival, we loaded the bike up onto the truck, and headed home.
I thought the adventure would be over there, but we decided to take the ferry from Port Angeles in washington (near olympic national park) over to victoria, then the ferry from sidney to white rock, and then we drove home. Inbetween we visited both washington, and BC's capital cities, and were impressed by the architecture.
We drove all night through the rain over the coquahala, and only the next day did i hear that there was a weather warning for BCs coast.
All in all, it was a good trip. A little shorter than i had originally planned, but I think it was just right. I have some $$$ left over in the bank account, and i think that maybe saving it for a trip across canada this summer like i had originally planned is in order.
Well, thanks for checking up on me. Sorry i couldnt post more pix. But i will get to those later, after I am all rested up.
I spent a day or so contemplating the turn around, but after driving 5 days through the desert from the top of cali, to utah, and down through arizona, i decided that i could not handle driving across texas. It was becomming more of a marithon than a sight seeing tour, and i was paying for the visual experience, not the preteige of a sore rear and an empty bank account. So, the decision was made to return via the highway south of vegas and through cali.
THe trip back was jsut as much fun, as i made sure to pick a route that i had not traveled before. Sticking mostly to the highway, i can say that the sacramento valley reminds me alot of home or of kelowna valley as there are lots of orchards and vinyards.
Eventually after a number of days of hard riding i worked my way up to chehalis washington, right below seattle. THe past few days of weather had been pounding rain and scary mountain passes that reminded me alot of the coquahala, and almost cold enough to snow.
At that point, I could not go any further. The weather had been the worst i had seen, and in a car i would have been fine to take it slow, but on a motorcycle, it was time to pull over. I checked the weather when i dried off in a hotel room, and decided that since there were storm warnings for the next few days, i would call the brother and cash in my return ticket home via the truck.
After chatting with the bro, i fell asleep, and the next morning, after his arrival, we loaded the bike up onto the truck, and headed home.
I thought the adventure would be over there, but we decided to take the ferry from Port Angeles in washington (near olympic national park) over to victoria, then the ferry from sidney to white rock, and then we drove home. Inbetween we visited both washington, and BC's capital cities, and were impressed by the architecture.
We drove all night through the rain over the coquahala, and only the next day did i hear that there was a weather warning for BCs coast.
All in all, it was a good trip. A little shorter than i had originally planned, but I think it was just right. I have some $$$ left over in the bank account, and i think that maybe saving it for a trip across canada this summer like i had originally planned is in order.
Well, thanks for checking up on me. Sorry i couldnt post more pix. But i will get to those later, after I am all rested up.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Crazy roads, ice on the bike again and super hot reddings
It has been a long days ride. To make up for the slow few days traveling i have b-lined it from arcata to redding. Redding is pretty big in comparison to every place i have been through. The oregon coast is pretty sparse, and this certainly has a city feel to it.I am staying in a holiday inn tonight and will be calling the parents. No internet access unless you have a laptop, so i using the internet at a cafe down the street at 25c a minute.
The road to redding was the most winding and spiraling and close turning road i have been on... Second only to the road to hana, but it is a close call. I spent all day manhandling the bike through the corners. And the tire was getting eatenup by the sand.
I also have been keeping up on the bike maintenance, as the bike is currently in the shop down here at Lees Honda. Thanks to steve and the crew there i am getting a new back tire, chain and an oil change. Hopefully things will be solid once i leave. I beat the crap out of the chain in the sand in oregon more than once, and it was making a wonderful noise even at highway speeds, dispite my consitant attention to relubing.
Also, i am using the hotel here as a stay over, since by the time the bike will be out of the shop it will be 6pm, and i dont want to try and find a place to camp outside of a city in the dark. Bad idea.... That and i need to wash my clothes. I am starting to notice my own stink. I am sure everyone i meet will be appreciating the hygine check up.
Anyhow, moving on to salt lake city over the next few days. Gonna come back via plane to see sanfran and area. Not worth getting stuck in with the bike. And i want to ride across the continent first before it dies, and if it dies on me when i am in sanfran i would have been pretty unhappy.
Well, thats all for now. I'll post more from somewhere in salt lake. BTW. no pics yet again because my crappy camera is kodak. Dont buy one, they need proprietary software.
Best Regards
Richard W.
Professional Adventurer in the USA
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