The Blog of Blues

[blues2cruise]

So many new bloggers, I had to search for my blog. It was at the bottom of the page. Does anybody ever wonder about the people who started to tell their stories and never came back?
I wonder.

[blues2cruise]

BC Day Long Weekend August 5, 6 and 7.

My friend dr_bar and I rode through the Cascade Mountains and to the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State.
We left after I got off work on Friday with a plan to ride only as far as comfortable. The wait at the border was surprisingly short given that it was a long weekend. It only took about 20 minutes.
Once we were through the border, we headed to I-5 since it would be the quickest way to get the farthest for the first night. We stopped in Bellingham for fuel for the bikes and fuel for us. While we were at dinner, we made the decision to go as far as Everett. By the time we got into Everett it was getting dark, so the first order of business was to find a hotel or motel. After riding around for awhile and not spotting even one place to stay, we pulled into a café thinking a local would know.
We got directed to a Travelodge a few blocks away. At first there was only one room so I told dr_bar he could have it, and I would go find something else. Then the front desk guy told us that if we could wait 30 minutes he would have 2 non-smoking rooms available. Apparently some people that had checked in were loud and obnoxious so they got kicked out.

We left around 8:30 in the morning and headed to Highway #2. This road took us through a lot of small towns until we got to the Steven’s Pass.

What a great ride through the mountains. We finally stopped for breakfast close to 11am at a place called the Squirrel Inn. It’s a popular place because of the gas station and the store and restaurant right where you need it. In the middle of what seems to be nowhere. While I was finishing up fuelling my bike, another rider pulled in. We spoke briefly and then he said, “You must be from Canada!”
I said I was and asked him how he knew.
“It’s your accent”, he said.
He and his son were on their way to Sturgis.

While we were having our meal, dr_bar pointed discreetly to a man sitting behind me. He said “Seeing that makes me very uncomfortable.”
At first I just saw two old bikers sitting having breakfast, but then dr_bar leaned in close to tell me what he saw.
One of the men was wearing a handgun on his hip. I was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt and said, “Maybe he’s a policeman.”
“No, I don’t think so”, said dr_bar.
Then a group of 10 bikers strolled in and got a big table next to us. They were a very interesting eclectic group of Harley Davidson riders who would not even acknowledge our presence on the planet. At least not in front of the others.

I went outside to get something from my bike, and one of them was out there doing something with his bike. I went over and asked him if his bike was a Vintage Harley.
He was man of few words.
He…. “Yes.”
Me….It’s beautiful.”
He….”Thank you”
Me….”What year is it”?
He….”1951”
Me….”Wow! It’s in immaculate condition”.
He….”Thank you.”



I left him at that point when I realized he was not interested in talking to me. I was back outside at my bike after breakfast, and when the group came out they did not acknowledge me even though I was in their line of travel back to their bikes. Funny, though, that a few of the men smiled and waved at me as they passed me to go back inside……away from the group.

The left just a few minutes ahead of us heading the same direction we were. We continued our journey along #2 towards Leavenworth and Wenatchee. We would have stopped in Leavenworth for a look around, but there were so many tourists, there was no place to park. It was too hot to be going so slow, so we got back onto the road and headed to Wenatchee.
Along the way, we saw Harley group was just ahead of us. We changed lanes to get up behind them and ride along with them for a bit. I managed to get me digital camera out if its pouch and just as I was about to take a picture, mayhem happened in front of me. One of their riders suddenly accelerated out of formation and they all changed positions. The next thing that happened was a big cloud of smoke and their group breaking apart and suddenly slowing down. The rider on the vintage Harley had a mechanical problem of some kind. That cloud of smoke coming out of his bike did not look good.

I thank my lucky stars I don’t tailgate. My camera in my hand made it a bit dicey, but I managed to slow down and stay out of their way as they were pulling over. Dr_bar was right behind me and luckily he stayed out of trouble also. We kept going until we got to Wenatchee, where we stopped to consult our map and go and have a cup of tea.

I didn’t like Wenatchee. It seemed like a haphazard town in the middle of a desert. I’m sure Wenatchee has something good, but as I was only passing through, I didn’t see it. After Wenatchee, we headed to 97 to get us to 2 again.
We passed through a little town called Waterville. This was a nice little town. I got the impression that this was a town that time forgot. From Waterville we went through Douglas to Dry Falls. This stretch of highway is the longest, straightest stretch of road I have ever seen. I think I now have an idea of what it would be like to drive through the prairies. Miles and miles of straight roads with golden fields on either side.

At Dry Falls, we pulled into the one and only gas station/store that was the first we had seen for what seemed like forever. I knew we would have to fuel up soon, because dr_bar’s Virago has a small gas tank.
We gassed up and got some cold drinks and while we were there, the Harley group pulled in. Just as I was walking out of the store, the tall rider of the vintage Harley came in. I hadn’t even seen him yet, but he recognized me. He smiled and said, “Hello again,”
We talked briefly and he said they had managed to fix his bike and get it running again. After he fuelled his bike, he even pulled up next to mine and parked it there.

Maybe I had credibility as a rider now since I had come so far. Or maybe it was the Canadian license plate.
One of the women, who wouldn’t have given me the time of day before, suddenly became very friendly. She even provided some advice as to where to stay and what restaurants were good in Grand Coulee. As I was backing my bike out, another couple of the men smiled and waggled their fingers at me. What a change of attitude from a few hours previous. I smiled and waved back before I put my bike into motion to head to Grand Coulee……

Next stop…the dam…..

[blues2cruise]

I saw this bike on the weekend.


I stopped to talk to the owner. It's a rare bike here. It was popular in Japan, but never gained much poularity in North America.
For a 1986 machine it sure looked good.

[NorthernPete]

what is it? just outta curiousity? Nice pics, and looks like a nice trip!

[jstark47]

what is it? just outta curiousity?

Yamaha SRX-6 http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/yamaha_srx_6_1987.php

[Nalian]

I think the only purpose Wenatchee serves is being in the semi-middle of the state for soccer tournaments. The sign you're near in that photo says it all!

I was there I don't know how many times as a tween/teenager for soccer tournaments and pretty much nothing else.

[blues2cruise]

Does this mean you're in Washington now? I think there is another ride being planned to do the Cascade Loop again.

[blues2cruise]

Part 2 of My Grand Coulee Dam Ride

After waving good bye to the Harley Riders, we rode through Coulee City, Electric City, and then Grand Coulee. Upon arrival at Grand Coulee, we were unable to secure a place to sleep. The info guy, phoned around but there was only one B & B with one bed. So-o-o-o, suffice it to say, we had to keep moving.
We stopped at the dam long enough to admire the immense proportions and lamented that it was too bad we would have to miss the laser light show later. We took a couple of pictures and gabbed with some locals before heading out.





We rode to Bridgeport thinking that maybe we’d find a place there. Yikes! What a sorry looking place that was. It is right beside the Chief Joseph Dam and my guess is that it employs the people of Bridgeport. We stopped long enough to fuel the bikes and then headed for Brewster. No luck there either. After Brewster we rode into Pateros. I had high hopes because it had a nice setting right beside the lake. Unfortunately, there were no rooms to be had here either. Fortunately, though, there was a public bathroom.
Dr-bar got a couple of phone numbers of a couple of hotels in Okanogan. The Okanogan Inn had 2 rooms available so dr_bar gave them his credit card number to hold the rooms for us. We were about 40 minutes away. We doubled back through Brewster, and passed through Monse and Mallot on the way to Okanogan.
The sun was setting as we rode parallel to the river. The views were stunning, but unfortunately due to time restraints now, I could not stop for any photography.

It was unfortunate that circumstances became what they were. One of the purposes of this trip was for a “relaxing photographic” journey. I saw so many great scenes and compositions, but we had to keep moving.
It was dark as we pulled into Okanogan. We were fortunate to have the rooms….even if it meant I had to sleep in a smoking room.
Dr_bar asked me,” So, are we going to fight over who gets the king sized bed?”
I told him, “No fight. I get whatever one smells better.”
As we were checking in, more people arrived looking for rooms. Angelina at the front desk was very helpful. She made a couple of phone calls and found a few rooms in a small place a few minutes away. I think it’s something only the locals know about.

I was getting tired, but I was also very hungry. We stepped next door for some supper and then headed out for a short walk before heading to our separate rooms
.
I love my earplugs! Once I put them in my ears, I couldn’t hear the traffic on the highway. I slept ok, considering the smoke residue in the room. However, in the morning, I felt a little unwell. (I am seriously allergic to smoke). There had also been smoke in the air from the nearby forest fires, so I got a double whammy. I was coughing a bit, but more than that was the fact that I was feeling a bit woozy. I was having trouble focusing. Although we would have preferred to get moving and find breakfast and coffee along the way somewhere, we didn’t think it would be a good idea for me to ride just yet. We went into the restaurant and had coffee and breakfast there to give my head a chance to clear up. After we ate, I felt well enough to get geared up to go. We figured once we got out of the forest fire area, that I would feel more “with it”.

We left the hotel and turned onto Highway #20 to head to Winthrop. The smoke along the way continued to be a problem, but we kept going because we knew that once we got out of that area we would be away from the smoke. We rode to the Loup Loup Summit which was 4,020 ft above sea level. We passed through Twisp which is so small that if you blinked you would miss it. Kind of like Spuzzum, here in BC. After Twisp we arrived in Winthrop. Now this is a quaint, historic western town, complete with boardwalks. We decided to park and have a look around. It’s worth a stop if you’re ever through this way.

Shortly after leaving Winthrop, we were finally out of the fire area. It was a relief to breath fresh air again. It would probably take about three days for me to stop coughing after ingesting all the smoke.

Riding along Highway #20 is both exhilarating and frustrating. There are lots of twisty bits and hills, but unfortunately there are also lots of motor homes. At some points it required the patience of Job because the boneheads driving those behemoths would not pull over to let others pass.
There is a law in Washington State that requires slower moving vehicles to pull over if there is a line of 5 or more behind them. However, they either did not read English or chose to ignore the law.
The scenery was spectacular and the roads were in good shape. We stopped a few times for some scenic shots…and once to ask an old Harley rider if he needed assistance. He was sitting on his bike along the side of the highway with nobody else around. He had some kind of “colors” on his vest, but I stopped and asked him anyway. It turned out he was waiting for a few of his group to come back from a little detour.

We made it to Washington pass Summit at 5,477 ft.



We stopped for a look back to where we had been.



dr_bar is in fine form as he comes around the bend.


And an artsy shot....

Then we stopped again at Ross Lake. Wow, oh, wow, oh wow! It was a gorgeous view.


Next stop was Diablo. The glacial waters are an amazing turquoise blue.

Finally we stopped in Marblemount for gas…and some cold drinks and ice cream. It had been a particularly hot day and it was a relief to stop and get in the shade for a while.
There were a few other bikers there trying to figure out how to get a can of gas back to their friend several miles back on the highway. Dr-bar pulled out a couple of bungee cords and gave them to them. They wanted to pay for them but dr_bar said “No thanks.”
He then added, “Call it paying it forward. Someday you’ll run into someone who needs help and you’ll do the same thing.”

Dr_bar informed me that he was feeling really bagged. He didn’t think he would be able to make it home that night. He thought it might partly have been from the heat and partly from the smoke. I asked him if he thought he could make it to Burlington. I pointed to the mileage sign which showed that Burlington was only 46 miles away. He said he would try. I told him to let me know if he was having problems and we would find a place sooner.
The last stretch from Marblemount to Burlington felt like the longest portion of the ride yet. Arrrgghhh!!!! Slow moving motor homes!!! There were no places to pass so we were stuck behind for such a long time. I was beginning to see why someone could ride off the road. It was a struggle to keep alert and focused. Without being able to see anything ahead of me, it was a difficult ride into Burlington. Once into Burlington I suggested we go find a hotel, but dr_bar thought we should eat first. So, I led us to a big mall where there is an Olive Garden. We turned the corner and as we sat waiting for the light to change, dr_bar finally woke to the fact that we weren’t that far from home.
He saw the I-5 North sign and asked me, “Is that I-5 right there?”
I replied, “Yes.”
He said, quite enthusiastically, I might add, “Aw, "fudge" it, let’s just go home!”
“OK”.

dr_bar heading home.

So we changed lanes and headed for the freeway. It was only 70 miles to Vancouver. I pulled off at a rest stop though. I had planned on having a break in Burlington, and all the fluids I had been drinking were catching up to me. I didn’t think my bladder would make it 70 more miles.
We made great time to the truck crossing and it was only about 20 minutes in the line up before we were back home in Canada. We stopped for fuel in Surrey and the headed into Coquitlam for my overdue dinner. After supper, we went our separate ways home......but not before talking about what ride we should do next.

I was now extremely tired but also very satisfied with the big ride I had just done. We covered almost 700 miles in 2 days. We saw lots of great scenery and got to talk to lots of interesting people. I felt very good about how I handled all the challenges of the mountain roads. I was almost disappointed that I didn’t get to sleep under the stars…..but maybe next time…..

[Nalian]

Does this mean you're in Washington now? I think there is another ride being planned to do the Cascade Loop again.

Oh how I wish. No I'm in MA right now - but I feel like WA is my home. I hope to get back to the west coast eventually.

[blues2cruise]

Thursday, August 17, 2006

I had a lovely ride home this evening. The weather was mild and the air was fresh. The sun had just gone down…..and I got to practice my evasive maneuvers and emergency braking.

I was riding along Kingsway in the 4th lane from the curb. The left turn bay was on my left. As I approached the red light, a car shot from the curb across 4 lanes to get to the left turn lane. I am very pleased that my scanning habits and riding responsibly (read not speeding here), enabled me to hit the brakes and gear down to avoid what could have been a terrible collision.
My back tire skid a little bit, but I maintained control to come to a stop in time.

Shortly after that, I changed lanes to the middle lane, because 99% of the time, someone turns left just up ahead. I would rather not be stopped without someone behind me at night time, so I picked a lane that would enable me to keep moving. Just as I approached the line of cars that were stopped by the aforementioned inevitable left turner, a white 4x4, put on his blinker and started to pull out.
I quickly checked the curb lane and seeing it empty I swerved over to it. I didn’t have time to signal, but I was able to get out of the way and keep going.

It just goes to show, we can never afford to get complacent about our skills. It is important to keep them honed.

Some time ago, I posted a thread about my difficulties with left turns. From the feedback I got, I was able to determine what my problem was. I have made a point of working on my turning skills. My left turns are almost a thing of beauty now. I believe I am managing to keep my tires rounded because of the lean angle I get going around the corners.
In fact, dr_bar even got me a set of knee pucks. He figures it won’t be long before I get to track days.

All kidding aside, I heard dr_bar talking to 2 Valkeyrie owners. He told them that although he had been riding for over 30 years, he considered me to be a better rider than he. He told them that I out corner him on the twisty roads.

Gosh! He thinks it’s because he has so many bad habits whereas I ride more technically. I guess all my hard work and attention to honing my skills is paying off.

I still have more work to do, however, I feel more confident about the challenging rides and roads ahead.

I think one thing that has really helped me to come this far in 1-1/2 years is that I stuck to my guns and didn’t let people push me beyond my ability and skill level. Greatness does not happen overnight.
Living by the philosophy of “RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE”, has helped me have fun and stay safe.