High_Sides Trips and Pics

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#31 Unread post by **Wrider** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:36 pm

Hey, if memory serves, you may want to hit up the Sun River area... It's a tourist area, with some pretty sweet bike roads around it, the only problem being the geezers on the VFRs and such...

Anyway, sounds like you're having a blast! Have fun and ride safe!
Wrider

High_Side · Sat Aug 11, 2007 2:28 am

Wrider wrote:Hey, if memory serves, you may want to hit up the Sun River area... It's a tourist area, with some pretty sweet bike roads around it, the only problem being the geezers on the VFRs and such... Anyway, sounds like you're having a blast! Have fun and ride safe!
Wrider

I wish that I would have known that, having ridden so close by. You did mean Sunriver Oregon right (close to Bend)?

#33 Unread post by **Wrider** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:26 am

Yeah, my step-mom's parents live there... Although I don't like them in the least, I do like the area... Sorry about you missing it though, maybe next time, right?
Wrider

High_Side · Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:53 pm

cont....
It's a long road in to Crater Lake but we managed to entertain ourselves on the endless straights by drag racing and comparing roll-ons (Cal also pulled one of the best impromtu wheelies I have ever seen

) Unfortunately the road on the east side was closed due to construction so our plans to circle the entire volcano didn't happen. It's the only place that I have been to where you can ride right up to the rim of the volcano and look in. The scenery was spectacular so we jumped off and hung out for a while....

After leaving Crater Lake we had reached the part of the trip where we realized that we were going to California. We had it as an option when we were planning the trip but we didn't want to have to "push it" to get there. Subconciously I think we were pushing it, riding long days so we could make it happen. We were pretty cooked at the end of the third day but we pushed on to Grants Pass for the evening. I had to grab a picture of this sign though as we passed by (although there were no cougars or even barracudas wearing animal print in sight....

)

Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:53 pm

Hey Bruce! That's a fantastic blog! I love all your photos, but even more so I love reading your notes. But something tells me you're missing something.......like a trip to BC with some of your buddies this summer...

Back to the task at hand - You not only get an A+ but I am also going to give you a gold star!

Andrea

High_Side · Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:00 pm

sunshine229 wrote:Hey Bruce! That's a fantastic blog! I love all your photos, but even more so I love reading your notes. But something tells me you're missing something.......like a trip to BC with some of your buddies this summer...

Back to the task at hand - You not only get an A+ but I am also going to give you a gold star!

Andrea

Thanks Andrea. Remember I'm only at June with this thing so the B.C. trip with buddies is yet to come. I have to make sure I beat you to it though ( I think you've doubled your post count in the past 10 days)!

High_Side · Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:39 pm

The early morning ride out of Grant Pass towards the California border was quite uneventful. We still have a good buzz going from the 3 days that got us this far and are pumped about seeing the Redwoods. As we follow Redwood Lane I expect to start seeing the massive trees that you see so much in pictures. The trees this far seem big but underwhelming and I'm starting to think we are in for another over-blown tourist attraction. It starts to feel like California when we pass a classic V.W. Bug convertible with a surfboard stuffed in the back seat on a winding mountain road. Finally the trees get bigger and when we stop for a construction zone the scenery is astounding.
The California photo quality is a little lacking but you get the picture

We do the tourist thing and drive through a big tree....

After cruising down the California coast about 60 miles the time comes to head up the Coast. It's been years since I've been to this section of the Oregon Coast and it seemed pretty anticlimactic after the roads on the east side of the state. The scenery was nice though, although you spend far less time by the water than you would expect. It seemed a little hazy but the pics tell a different story....

Finally a background for a silver bike that suits...

We shut down the ride for the night in Reedsport Oregon. Cal's tire has gone off badly and with a little help from the front desk clerk at the hotel he manages to find a shop with a tire in stock about 30 miles back South down the Coast. Cal plans to get the tire the next morning while I plan to kick-back and give the bike a rinse....

To be cont...

#38 Unread post by **aw58** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:35 am

Photos are great - landscape is so vast.

oh and thanks for the one of a VN1500.

Ade

High_Side · Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:46 am

aw58 wrote:Photos are great - landscape is so vast.

oh and thanks for the one of a VN1500.

Ade

I'll admit that you made me go back and look, but you're welcome!

Cheers,

High_Side

High_Side · Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:55 pm

cont....
After a late start the next day, we headed north up the coast battling traffic and not really getting to enjoy much of a ride. It surprising how some people get so much out of this stretch of road, but it's really been the biggest let down of the trip, with the traffic, and the lack of excitment. We make the decision to head inland and catch another couple of "Rider's - Washingtons Top Five Roads". The day is pretty much done when we get to Portland but we plan to head to Mount St. Helens the next day.
As we head out to the next morning things start to instantly look up as we leave the city. The roads are great, the scenery is spectacular and even the threatening rain could wreck this ride. The old-growth trees reach right across the road, giving the tunnel effect with just enough light getting through to make the whole thing feel surreal. Cal hands over the camera as we stop to take a break:

The rain starts to come on and off as we approach the volcano. The scene still sets you back over 20 years after the eruption. Thousands of trees still float on Spirit lake slowly rotting in the cold waters. The obvious question is why nobody ever tried to recover all of this lumber before it was left to rot? The trees remaining on the adjacent mountains still lie neatly pushed over in the same direction from the blast so long ago. The disappointing part of our tour to the volcano is not actually being able to see the top of it due to cloud cover. A couple of volcanic rock souvenirs for the kids and we are on our way....

To be cont....