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blues2cruise wrote:I think the intersting tree you saw is a Garry Oak.

If you ever head down that was again, when you get to Hope, you don't need to go #1 to get into town.
You could go Hwy# 7. You will find it a bit slower (mostly posted at 80kmh) but oh so much nicer.
Cross over at the Albion Ferry (a free 5 minute river crossing) to Langley. You can then continue on your way to the ferries from there.

Nice pics and blog so far.

Thanks Blues. I'll keep that in mind for next time I get out there....and I will arrange a ride with the Dr. and you.
Cheers,
High_Side

Then next morning I awake to sunshine and warm temps. I head downtown to get pictures of what the digital wouldn't take the night before. All of the pics you see are by the Legislature Buildings downtown Victoria taken within one block:
The British Columbia Legislature Building....

A shot of the harbor

The historic Empress Hotel....

Yet another shot across the harbour....
I then proceed to blast outta town bound for Tofino. This road was also a damned good bike road but covered with too much construction and traffic. At one point I pass a Pontiac GTP (or some other dodo GM car... ) who seemed to take offence to the fact that he had been passed. He then used a couple of the straights to catch up to me and ride right up my azz. He was nearly drifiting the thing to stay on me through a couple of corners all while a was riding at a moderately fast pace. THese kind of boneheads don't need to be egged on so I took the opportunity to use a pull out and let him pass. As I pull back out right on his azz I can see his wife giving him an earfull right in front of me! Priceless. I then repass as he is back at the speedlimit and he sheepissly stay well clear of me even at construction stops form there onward
As I role in to Tofino the cloud and fog roles in and threatens rain. It is cool once again but it doesn't deter then hundreds of tourist who are waling around and hanging out on Longbeach. I had hoped to kickback on the beach for an hour or two but instead just stop for a couple of pictures before heading down to Ucelet. I narrowly missed getting an awesome pic of a floatplane flying at the same altitude as my bike as I set it up for a shot on the peer.....DAMN!




I then work my way back to the east coast where I take the old costal hwy #19A. It's a nice ride along the old motels before I come across this old abandoned "boat-restaurant". Hey this would look cool behind the bike.....


I get back to Campbell River in early evening just in time to hang out with the boys for an hour before they head to bed. The next day will be the long haul across the ferry and on to Kelowna. I opt to take the Hope-Princeton-5A route on the way which is a great ride. I've been through Princeton before but the 5A is a low traffic great ride. They were just finishing laying down a fresh coat of pavement so NEXT year it should be truely great. I haul Azz down the 97C before getting back to Kelowna. I'm getting damed tired and as I role in to town I stop for gas to be ready for an early morning get-away. I role up the hill toward the relatives when reached down to re-set my trip meter. As look backed up there was a crew-cab Chevy turning left right in front of me catching me completely off gaurd. The truck then stops half way in to my lane as I slide right through in front of where it was just going to be. I then catch a glimpse of a truck load of teenage girls laughing and not realizing how close they had just come to taking away the dad of a couple of small kids. I had ridden all this way and then nearly get taken out a few blocks from my destination. It was a rooky-style msitake that should never have come to pass that I can only blame my own fatigue on. Even though I didn't feel uncomfortable on the Duck I had let my mental state lapse to where I was missing the obvious ones. Later that night as we sit around having drinks with the relatives I look at my boys and realize how close I had actually came....
The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful which was a good thing considering the day before. Eight hours after I leave Kelowna I land back in Calgary with the Duck slightly overdue for a valve adjustment....
Cheers,
High_Side

nice blog, great pictures too.

I love that bike. soooo sexy.

glad you made it through safe .

Thanks guys!

Really Diggin the Pics!

I'll throw in a pic or two of a recent ride with TotalMike and Jen....

Back in 2004, my longest-standing-buddy Cal and I took off for Wyoming for five days on the bikes. We have done countless tours together and we always have a great time. We've missed the last two seasons due to work schedules but these pics bring back some great memories:
Heading south of Helena Montana:



Once we hit Yellowstone we to head east towards the Beartooth pass. The road there runs along the Wyoming / Montana border until you begin to climb the pass. The Buffalo still roam free here and we stop to take a pic.
Tatonka of Yellowstone...

We run in to deep snow in the later part of June.
The pics are poor but you get the idea...



When we get to 9000' we stop for some pics by the snowmobiles....

By the time we reach the summit at nearly 11,000' the 48mm carbs of the VTR are struggling as the bike won't idle and continuously backfires. Cals SV doesn't miss a beat....
The north side of the pass is switchback city all the way down. We stop and visit with a couple of riders on the Three-Flags run and take some pics.
The north Side of the Beartooth....


We head towards Red-Lodge Montana to find a place to stay for the night. We head out to find a pub to watch game 7 of the Flames / Tampa- Bay Stanley Cup series. This turns out to be one of the best places to party that we've ever come across on a bike trip......
To be continued.....
High_Side

Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing! I love the Ducati as well, very sexy.

The pub we ended up at in Red-Lodge had a few T.V.s and the bar-maid managed to find the hockey game even though she assured us that no hockey had ever been watched in the place. There were a few locals at the bar who we were chatting with who knew nothing about the game but started to get in to it and ended up cheering for the Flames right along with us. As the place filled up more and more people were getting in to it being and the place was more in to the game than most bars would have been back home. When the Flames narrowly lost the drinks started being rounded up and we partied with the friendliest group of locals we have ever come across on a bike trip. The house band then fired up and it wasn't long before Cal and I were jamming with them (we were in a band together for many years... ) The windows were open to the street and the place filled to the rafters with people who were all out for a great time. A young kid asked if he could "get his Strat from the car and jam with us", then proceded to blow us away by being one of the best players we had ever jammed with. We closed the place down, nearly too drunk to make it to the hotel. The locals at this place know how to party, and I'll go outta my way to go back there next time I am in the area.
The next day we looped around the east side of Yellowstone and then west up over the Chief Joseph pass. My head was a little hazy from the night before and it was threatening rain for most of the day. As we went up the mountain the cloud rode up in to the clouds without ever getting anything more on us than a little mist. The red rock in this area makes for some spectacular scenery.




As we head east out of Yellowstone we blast towards north-east Montana to catch Glacier parks' Going to the Sun road on the way back to Calgary
Jackson River Gorge - Montana

A couple of Logans pass