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Northern eXposure
note. this is a copy of the blog I wrote (almost in real time) over this past summer [2017], during my trip from the west coast of the USA, up into western Canada, east through the bordering US states to Toronto - then back to the west coast again through the middle of the US including Colorado and the western desert States...
It forms the basis of my new AV presentation that I had scheduled to debut at the Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meeting in California in September - although unfortunately I have had to postpone this series of presentations until the new year. I hope you enjoy reading about it in the meantime, and hope to see some of you out and about starting next spring! Jenny x https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FSSDnMZ-XL.png Introduction (May 2017) It's been two years since my Trans-AM 500 cross-country trip on the first production Rally Raid CB500X Adventure in the USA (and those of you who followed that exploit at the time may recall that at this time 730 days ago I was still recovering from camping at below freezing during the 2015 snOverland Expo!), and a lot has happened since then... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-wP82nf9-L.jpg Not least, having been so impressed with the way that bike ate up the road miles and devoured the trails (including the complete Trans-Am Trail on my way back west), that I've now bought my own CB500X and kitted it out in a similar fashion, and already racked up nearly 12,000 miles all over the western USA - highlights from last year include the inaugural CBXpo [group] ride, and of course that little foray Juan Browne and I enjoyed* on the Rubicon Trail last September... *I say 'enjoyed', I mean endured of course - to see what I mean, his video is here: CB500X on the Rubicon Trail (YouTube) In all of those instances, I'd been fortunate to have either already ridden the roads/trails in question, or at least been familiar with the region and terrain I'd be passing though - although that's not to say you can't still get caught out by the unexpected of course! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ckKjh4r-XL.jpg However, this year, I feel it's time to spread my wings a little further afield, and explore some states and indeed a whole new country, that I've never visited before... Oh Canada! Yes, I think it's finally time to embark on a little moose-dodging, and see what the northern territories have to offer! Fortunately this desire has also coincided with a couple of invitations to ride with some long-term friends and associates north of the boarder - in the western provinces I'll be visiting an old rally-racing pal who lives in the Jasper National Park, en route to spending the weekend of the 23-25th June with Alan and Lisa from the Rocky Mountain Adventure Bike Touring Company (www.RMABTC.com) to take part in their 'Canadian CB500X Rendevouz' - an informal gathering of CB owners in conjunction with the Alberta Dual-Sport event held at Macklin Lake, Saskatchewan. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-z728RfM-L.png photo. RMABTC rental fleet includes 2016 model Honda CB500Xs with the Rally Raid LEVEL 1 and 2 kits fitted. In the east, and indeed the ultimate destination this particular trip is going to be Toronto (although I'm actually planning on dipping back into the USA for a time during my journey east - see details below), where I've been invited to attend the Overland Adventure Rally - hosted each year by the esteemed Canadian Dakar racer and all-round moto guru Lawrence Hacking - and I'm scheduled to present a couple of AV seminars during the weekend of July 7-th-9th. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6Xq4zCG-XL.png So, using those more formal commitments as a structure - in between time, piglet and I will endeavour to take you on another cross-country adventure using words and pictures - that I'm confident will include some new [to me anyway] and exciting wilderness routes on road and off, that in turn will hopefully inspire you to get on your bike and explore further afield too! As with the original 2015 Trans-Am 500 trip - this isn't intended to be a catalogue hard-core off-road challenges... indeed, the reason I built my own adventure bike around the Honda CB500X is precisely because of it's all-road / all-terrain capabilities - and certainly my proposed route is going to include just as many epic paved highways* as unsurfaced roads and trails. *In that regard, my initial route planning has included the Butler Motorcycle Maps for various states I'll be passing through - and where they have highlighted their recommended 'gold roads' in each region. In addition, I also intend to visit a number of 'tourist' spots on my way both east and back west - not least as I'm always impressed with how the US tends to make the most of their landmarks and historic points of interest. Some of these will be instantly familiar (I've never seen Old Faithful or Mt Rushmore for example - hence me dipping back into the US during the east-bound leg), others perhaps less so - but all ought to offer some interesting punctuation along the way... So, enough waffle* - what can we expect in the coming weeks? *You can never have enough waffle of course, or syrup, or bacon... Route outline First of all, I've split this trip into four distinct parts - not least as it makes route planning far more manageable, and hopefully easier to follow too! The first leg will be to travel north through the pacific coast states, and cross into Canada. LEG 1: San Jose CA (USA) - Macklin Lake SK (CAN) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nCVrdzv-XL.png photo. Note this is google maps, which tends to snap to paved roads - the actual route is likely to deviate slightly from this overview. Day -21: My plan is to leave the Bay Area exactly three weeks from today (on Tuesday 13th June), and head north on some familiar and favourite paved roads - although I also intend to incorporate a few new trails in Northern California en route to visit Harold and the team at Giant Loop in Bend Oregon. From there I'll take a scenic [primarily] paved route via Portland, before picking up the southern section of the Washington BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route, again published on paper by Butler Maps for those unfamiliar) en route for Seattle, and ultimately the boarder crossing into Canada. I will then loop initially north west of Vancouver on a series of backcountry highways and dirt-roads (passing though the Whistler Ski/Mountain-bike resort) in British Colombia, before crossing the Rocky Mountains into Alberta through the Jasper National Park. RMABTC are based about an hour or so south of Edmonton AB, and we'll be riding together to the Alberta Dual Sport weekend (23-25th June) just over the province boarder in Saskatchewan. LEG 2: Macklin Lake SK (CAN) - Toronto ON (CAN) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Qk8F8qS-XL.png This is the sector I'm particularly looking forward to! Initially I will actually head back south and west a little, to cross into Montana at the north end of the Glacier National Park, and pick up the legendary "Going-to-the-sun Road" which is one of Butler's Gold Standards in not only Montana, but the whole of the United States! I will then work my way diagonally south on a mix of dirt roads and scenic highways, and cross into Wyoming on the western side of Yellowstone National Park. Now I'm conscious that at this time of year, Yellowstone is likely to be particularly busy with tourist traffic (of which I am part of course!), so I'll make a break back into southern Montana for a moment at least, via the epic Beartooth Scenic Byway (Hwy 212) - topping out at an elevation of almost 11,000ft - and another one of those Gold Standard roads in the region. Conscious that I will need to keep moving east if I'm to meet my deadline in Toronto, I've plotted a route through northern Wyoming that mixes scenic paved roads and what look to me some pretty decent wilderness dirt trails, before inevitably snatching a few interstate miles towards Sundance, where I'll endeavour to get of the blacktop as soon as possible, en-route for Deadwood* South Dakota... (*one of my favourite TV shows from a few years ago - not least because of the copious profanity, for which I myself am known of course ;o) Of course South Dakota also plays host to a good number of other iconic landmarks and attractions - including Mt. Rushmore, the ongoing Crazy Horse monument and Badlands National Park, all of which I intend to drop by and see what all the fuss is about! From there though, it's likely to require another stint on the interstate, where I plan to pass through Minneapolis and pay homage to Prince at First Avenue, then head north for Duluth (Love it or loathe it, you can never leave it or lose it), before ultimately crossing back into Canada and riding right around the top of Lake Superior en route for Toronto, and the Overland Adventure Rally weekend. LEG 3: Toronto ON (CAN) - Salida CO (USA) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cDL2rQb-XL.png The return journey is effectively one of two distinct halves - a needs-must, followed by more of an indulgence. That is not to say there are not some excellent deviations and distractions to an otherwise monotonous initial journey though the mid-west - I can think of Chicago (1060 West Addison, Blues Brothers fans ;o) and Indianapolis (Indy 500 circuit) to name but two places that I'd like to visit one day - but fundamentally, I will have been on the road for almost a month already, and more importantly, am really looking forward to riding a few more western trails - especially some of the high passes in Colorado - a couple of which I'd had to forfeit during my TAT ride in June 2015, as they were still covered with snow... Of course this harsh winter (and ongoing spring storms in the higher country) may mean that once I am once again thwarted, even if I am passing through a few weeks later than before - but that's the gamble I'm going to have to take... So my plan is to leave Canada via Niagara Falls, and I've calculated it is 1566 miles from Buffalo NY to Colorado Springs CO - so if I can knock that out in less than 36 hours, then I've earned myself an Iron Butt 'Bun Burner' certificate* and broken the back [distance wise] of half the return journey in less than two days. *after completing a 'Saddle Sore' (that is 1000 miles in 24 hours or less) during the Trans-Am 500 I did say I had no intention of ever doing an Iron-Butt ride again - but hell, I've got a whole bunch of new tunes in my iPod this year, so who knows - just as long as it's not raining... ;o) Either way, my plan at this stage is to get some fresh tyres fitted in Colorado Springs, ride those roads up and down from Cripple Creek that were closed due to flooding and landslides back in 2015, and meet up with Juan Browne in Salida where we will hatch a plan to take in as many high passes as we can on our way back west. LEG 4: Salida CO to San Jose CA. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rdG5XKV-XL.png The final leg is more of a personal indulgence - taking in a few favourites together some trails I might have missed previously, and hopefully a few new [technical] challenges too! Certainly I'd like to ride California and Corkscrew (part of the official TAT route) that were snowbound in June 2015, plus I'd like to prove to myself and anyone else that the CB500X is just as bit a capable as my XT660Z was on the original TAT route that used Hancock and Tomichi passes... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rjRNVTr-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...B9f7d77-XL.jpg If Old Monarch Pass is clear, then that would be fun - as would Black Bear down into Telluride of course - but all these are going to be subject to the weather I know... However, I'm confident that once we reach the Utah boarder, things are going to be warm and dry - possibly to excess - so that will also dictate our final route home, which is currently very much weather dependent and therefore fluid at the moment. I've certainly spent a lot of time in Moab in recent years, so this time I will most likely forfeit the La Sal mountains and the northern route (via Green River and the new TAT, fun though that is), and instead stay south through Monticello and the Abajo Mountains, before heading west though southern Utah via Hite/Bullfrog and the Burr Trail to Escalante. From there we have plenty of dirt-road options - and at this stage I envisage going via Zion, St. George, Hurricane and the Arizona high desert north of the Grand Canyon towards Vegas - which sounds like the perfect nostalgia trip, a route I've not ridden for nearly ten years now! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RB4bbjs-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qd3g4pz-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LSJfBbk-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7Swp6vk-X2.jpg It's all good stuff! Well, apart from this part: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vvDdDPf-XL.jpg Oh, and this guy: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3jtp98t-XL.jpg From Vegas, Juan and I plan to ride some alternative trails though the Mojave Desert - if only in part as a reccy for our proposed [not the]CBXpo Ride V2. planned for the end of September this year... So that is probably enough to be going on with for now - one thing is for sure, it's going to be quite the trip: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...f3nLR6Z-XL.png 18 US States, 4 Canadian Provinces and getting on for another 10,000 miles once I'm done! Between now and then, I'll also be sharing my latest packing hints and tips for this particular trip - plus I'll also have a whole new look for my CB500X to introduce you to too in the coming days and weeks (in fact a package from the UK has just arrived, so watch this space as they say!) In the meantime, I'll leave you with this - a new paint job in honour of this year's destination's flag! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DVxVm3b-XL.jpg More soon! Toot toot! Jenny xx |
In the meantime, I've also revamped my 'Packing Light' seminar that I've presented over the past year at various overland events (both in the UK and US), and updated the original slide-show to reflect some of my latest revisions:
Packing Light for life on and off the road (YouTube) note. this is simply the slide-show that I use to illustrate my presentation, so you may want to pause the video from time to time to study a particular photo/list in more detail. Now I'm not suggesting this is a definitive guide of course (erm, actually I am, you overloaded heffers ;o) - but fundamentally it's what works for me, and I hope it shows that with a little forethought and some clever doubling up - just how little you can get away with, and still be comfortable for an indefinite period on [and off] the road... Certainly for this particular trip I'm conscious I'll more than likely need to combat the cold and wetter weather than I might should I be travelling though the desert states over the summer - so my ultimate packing (and access) will reflect that... however, other than adding/deleting a swim-suit and shorts perhaps (depending on your destination and/or priorities - I've been known to swim in some suitably modest underwear and a sports bra), the above really ought to cover all eventualities... Jx |
Right, I think it's about time we got this party started Piglet!
Day 1: Tuesday 13th June - San Jose CA to Weed CA (365 miles). "On the road again..." A bit of a cliche title I know, but apt after a hectic few days fettling the bike... First of all, I've been spending the last few days/weeks playing around with some prototype ideas on my bike; and in typical fashion, everything ended up being a bit last-minute - and ultimately I took the decision to put the stock headlight and high screen back on, as its a tried and trusted set-up, and I have many thousands of miles ahead of me over the coming weeks - almost certainly in inclement weather too! So to recap, after my inital shake down ride to Oregon a couple of weekends ago, I was happy enough with the new LED headlights (more than happy actually, they are awesome!), but I was getting quite a lot of wind roar at 60+mph from the screen, which I felt would be tiresome during the ride to Toronto and back - especially as there are likely to be quite a few long high-speed road sections (not least another potential Iron-Butt during my return leg)... The bike actually works better/really well with the 'short' OEM 2013-15 screen fitted: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vTsCCnQ-XL.jpg ...but of course it doesn't offer the same wind/weather protection - feeling very much like a big naked enduro bike instead. As part of the ongoing development, I also wanted/needed to check the high fender conversion worked with the OEM headlight (and particularly the beak), so rather than spend the weekend packing which would have been far too sensible, instead I spent far too long in the garage refitting the stock front end, and hey presto - it all works together too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Qv3hbp6-XL.jpg Pretty cool eh? However, while the high fender adaptor is a complete success (rock solid, even at freeway speeds) - the CRF vs. XR colour mismatch really irks me, so I decided that for this adventure, I'd revert to the standard 19" low fender that comes with the Rally Raid LEVEL 3 wheel kit: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MnMZR9b-XL.jpg Ah, that's better... ;o) So with that, it was time to stuff all my belongings into a succession of zip-loc and dry bags - cram everything into my Giant Loop Coyote, and hit the road - finally, just before 11am this morning... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...VwmcGJd-XL.jpg photo. Riding around the west side of Lake Berryessa, north east of Napa - beautiful and remote. Leaving before lunch meant at least the Bay Area freeway network was bareable, and before long both the bike and I were suitably refuelled at Cordilia, and buzzing the minor roads that skirt the Napa Valley northwards. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MpV3hj9-X2.jpg photo. The Berryessa-Knoxville road is a corker! - north of Lake Berryessa it turns into single lane, bumpy and pot-holled, and with a good number of creek crossings - some of which were now dry, while others still wet and slimy. My plan was to try and cut east from here on what looked to be an unpaved road on the map... unfortunately, when I arrived at the intersection, I was ultimately denied! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QXqNn5k-XL.jpg photo. I've learnt that when they say "no outlet" in the US, they usually mean it... "locked gate" confirmed it would almost certainly be a folly to even try... This meant I did have to divert via Clearlake, before picking up the wonderfully swoopy hwy 20 (so at least some conpensation) before joining I5 for the long shlep north... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LSCCcp4-XL.jpg photo. Another detour, but this one far more welcome - an independent drive-through espresso bar in Red Bluff CA. Recommended! Suitably invigorated by three shots of Java, it was time to press on into the late afternoon sunshine... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZRHFmHt-XL.jpg photo. Mount Shasta in the early evening sun... and still covered in snow! Having pencilled-in a [hopefully] through-route on dirt, essentailly between Weed CA and Fort Jones on hwy 3, as part of my journey north; as the evening drew in I elected to play it safe and stop overnight [in a familiar motel] in Weed - rather than risk riding an unknown trail at dusk, with no guarantee of anywhere to stay or a safe pace to camp... After all, there would be plenty of that to come in the coming days and weeks I was sure, and this way an early night with the intention of being up and away first thing, ought to give me the best possible chance of making the most of the minor roads and trails between here and my destination of Bend OR tomorrow night... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4J439ww-XL.jpg photo. A quite spot, a warm bed and wifi... I'm so totally hardcore ;o) Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
Ok then, the Motel 6 Media Centre is briefly open for business this wet Sunday morning... so let's crack-on while we can eh piglet?
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8LPz7b6-XL.jpg Day 2: Tuesday 14th June - Weed CA to Bend OR (368 miles*) "Deja Vu" *yes, we went a rather long way round ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GNtdkDN-XL.jpg photo. Mt Shasta in the early morning... just up the road from here is an excellent drive-in espresso hut - result! The idea of course was to leave Weed early, and try and get to Bend in good time to see the guys at Giant Loop HQ before they finished work, and then grab some dinner with Harold - but of course there were plenty of trails between here and there, and the CB was aching to get some dirt under its tyres already! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sxvkbmX-XL.jpg photo. "Scarface Road" - sounded promising... and didn't disappoint! - an excellent way to cut back west from I5 to the northern route I had planned for the day... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3CDLvr5-XL.jpg photo. This through-route (its actually on the Butler map as a highlighted unpaved road) gave great views of Mt Shasta as it crosses through the mountains to the north, towards the Oregon boarder. I then picked up my first 'Gold road' on the Butler maps - Scott River Road is beautiful, twisty and remote - perfect northern California riding! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5mpTRtK-XL.jpg ...before turning off on what looked like another perfect dirt route to cut a corner (well, it says it's a through route on the map, and in the GPS!) I spent a good hour or more twisting up some easy gravel forestry trail - again, with another awesome view of Mt Shasta for good measure, albeit in the far distance now (damn that is a big hill!), reaching the pass at just under 5500ft... Unfortunately, just a few miles down the far side, I was faced with this: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M5qD7ZV-XL.jpg photo. The boulders are there for good reason - this is no longer a through route (and seemingly not so for some time) - the whole trail beyond has sucumbed to the ravages of a waterfall/creek at the apex. Fortunately my GPS maps showed a whole network of alternative trails, although only one other through route to where I wanted to go... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...VGvTDPL-XL.jpg photo. Backtracking a few miles, initally the new route looked promising... until barely 5 miles from where I might rejoin the highway, I was confronted with this... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dn6gNHW-XL.jpg photo. A far more recent wash-out. With no choice but to retrace my steps all the way back to Scott River Road, the silver lining was at least I got to ride the full length in its entirity, although it now meant I'd be far later than planned to Bend - with what would now be a 75 mile detour back towards civilisation. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tJpFnBJ-XL.jpg photo. Still, the highway detour had its compensations (despite the odd set of roadworks), there really are no bad roads in this part of California! But of course this was the problem - it was now after 1pm and I was still in California!!! Ultimately, I headed up I5 for a short stretch (although it's an interstate, at least it passes through some stunning scenery in this area), and finally crossed into Oregon, before taking the scenic hwy 62 towards Crater Lake though the serene Umpqua National Forest. There was neither time nor any physical chance of riding past Crater Lake itself, the elevation and extended winter weather this year meaning the rim road is unlikely to be open before the end of June. Once I hit hwy 97 (over the past couple of years a road with which I am increasingly familiar) bizzarely, a freak occurance happened once again - my GPS froze and utterly crapped out on me, just as it did at almost exactly the same time a year before on my way up to the start of the CBXpo ride, at exactly the same spot on the highway too - La Pine is the bloody Oregon Twilight Zone I tell you! Fortunately I knew how to reset things now, although fate still had one last trick for me today - my sunglassing dropping out of my pocket at 70mph (fortunately they landed on the shoulder, good job I was keeping right eh?), and at least it happened between two close junctions so I was able to backtrack down the freeway and retrieve them - mercifully intact. So all this drama meant I arrived at Bend more than two hours later than originally planned, but nonetheless was still able to enjoy the company and warm hospitality of a few leftover beers from their Hot Springs weekend, with Harold at the Giant Loop shop. Phew! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 3: Thursday 15th June - Bend OR to Portland OR (198 miles)
"Pacific North Wets"* *unfortunately that is not a spelling mistake... So today was going to be a relatively short and scenic ride from Bend through the Cascades on more minor highways (includng the utterly beautiful 224 alongside the Clakamas River that winds through the Mount Hood National Forest), before visiting the design team HQ for Icon/Raiden clothing, who have been very supportive to me over the past few years riding and racing. Leaving Bend a little later than planned (this was already becoming a theme of this trip you can tell), I passed through the town of Sisters, which I have only ever breezed through in the dark before now) and was taken by the funky ambiance of the place - quite touristy, but in a nice way, with posters for arts and music events seemingly held every weekend through the summer... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n5vdvQ6-XL.jpg photo. I guess this is one way to sell a house that 'needs a little work' perhaps... Tapping my 'find coffee' button on the GPS (if only I could find a way to make this a one-touch facility ;o), guided me to the Sisters Coffee roasters, the second largest in the PNW I was subsequently informed (Starbucks presumably the first? - although I presume she meant independent roasters...), and took a few minutes to reevaluate my pace so far... Now admittedly I had arranged to meet a number of friends and aquantances during this initial leg north for the Canadian boarder - not least as it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with existing friends, and put a few faces to otherwise online names en route - and I am immensely greatful for everyone's hospitalty and in taking time out to spend some time riding and socialising together - it really does put a very different and enjoyable dynamic on otherwise solo travelling to which I am accustomed... But it does mean I currently felt a little under pressure to stay 'on target', rather than let the trip unfold which is my usual method... Indeed, for example I very rarely book accommodation in advance - I might have a target destination in mind for that evening of course - but this is usually decided on a day by day basis, depending on the route (and particularly how much dirt/trail riding that might involve - and the almost inevitable changes, diversions and potential problems that could occur) and not least what interesting sights might also divert my attention for a moment or more along the way. But I was confident today was only going to be a relatively short stint on scenic paved roads, capped off by a little socialising in the weird city of Portland - although already the weather looked ominous, and I was in danger of hitting the rush-hour traffic to make matters worse. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4r2vxc7-XL.jpg photo. Sure enough, by mid afternoon the rain came down with a vengance - I stopped for coffee at a little store on the corner of hwy 22 and 224 (their neon 'espresso' sign drew me like a bedraggled moth to a flame)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jCKhbLX-XL.jpg photo. Nice of them to signpost some key points of interest along the way... (and I was particularly pleased these guys had lined up in the correct size order too ;o) Ultimately I hit the outskirts of Portland in a torrential downpour and rush-hour frenzy... well, it would have been, were anything actually moving throughout the suburban freeway sprawl. I don't mind admitting I did my bit to introduce lane-splitting to California's nearest north cousin, and suggest they bloody well make it legal before I have to come back here again! To be fair, the crappy weather was the primarly cause of my frustration (coupled with time ticking away and conscious that those that worked at Icon would all be going home in about 10 minutes), and actually it turns out that Portland (on the west side of the river at least) has a lot of charming older architecture and a backstreet urban vibe that reminded me of parts of New York for example - upcycled wearhousing and alfresco basketball courts under freeway flyovers, that kind of thing... I also found that juxtaposed to this shabby chic neighbourhood (where the Icon HQ is located) is a very fancy collection of luxury [and I mean multi-million dollar] secluded executive homes built high on the hillside overlooking the city - all they need is their own Hollywood sign! Despite drip-drying all over the Icon offices, I was given the full tour of their design studios, introduced to some in-development new product (I particularly like their new dual-sport jacket, in which I like to think I had a little inspiration), and was amazed to find that alongside the Elvis rug (hanging on a bathroom wall), cartoon art and retro Nintendo gameboy (presumably for anyone contemplating an extended session on the kazi), they also had a full motorcycle workshop in an adjacent building - where they build all their crazy show bikes for advertising and public events! I trust you appreciate it's not really appropriate for me to post (or even take) any photos from inside their studios, so you'll just have to take my word for it that its a cool creative space ;o) It was then but a short ride up over the hill (past all those fancy houses) and along Portland's very own Skyline Drive, to rendevous with Wind_Rider who had very graciously invited me to spend the night at his family home. I'm not sure what they were expecting, but once my bike was ensconced in their immaculate garage, my luggage seemingly exploded everywhere in an effort to dry everything out before morning! We then enjoyed a lovely social evening with the family, followed by a reasonably early night - particularly as we had a big [group] ride planned for the following day, with some fellow ADVrider inmates... But you're going to have wait a little longer for tht particular story I'm afraid - my midday check-out time is looming and I have an international boarder to cross this afternoon. I just hope it stops raining soon... Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
"Ookey then" (said with a Canadian accent ;o) - looks like we have a little time to update everyone Piglet, as I've elected to take the day off having arrived safe and bedraggled in Jasper AB yesterday afternoon - and only now have actually dried myself and everything else out - yes, the rain yesterday was the worst yet, and we'll get to that in due course - but lets start where we left off, in another soaking wet town, Portland OR...
Day 4: Friday 16th June - Portland OR to Yakima WA (292 miles) “Cafe intenso” Due to a poor weather forecast (potentially clearing later in the day), Neil had taken the executive decision to push back our planned 7am rendezvous to 9.30am - far more civil regardless of the circumstances ;o) - at a cool coffeeshop on the way out of the city - See See Coffee (the owner also has a KTM dealership just down the road): https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RcZK4PQ-XL.jpg photo. L-R ADVrider inmates Boardforever, Heidiho and Wind_Rider - all four of us still added up less cc's than a Honda Goldwing! Here Neil and I met up with fellow ADVrider inmates Boardforever (on another Level 3 CB500X) and Heidiho on his new CRF250 Rally, drank coffee, swapped stories and ogled the crazy custom helmets on display: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FG9M3DH-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2KHNHRk-XL.jpg photo. The DOT would love this one... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5B2p7QL-XL.jpg The shop was so hip it hurt (Portland has this reputaton in general of course), including an XT500 that had been attacked by an angle grinder complete with a skateboard rack, and a shop selling retro helmets and memorabilia, although I think even that doyen of the cotton all-in-one Austin Vince would draw a line as this ensemble! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4n5bxdk-XL.jpg ...so long Portland, stay weird! The orignal plan for today was to try and ride as much of the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR) - which for those of you unfamiliar, is a series interconnecting backcountry roads and unpaved trails that navigate though each particular State, much like a 'local' version of the Trans-America Trail is you like - this particular route heading north from the Columbia river that uses nature to mark the Oregon/Washington border. Having put it off as long as we could, despite no real let up in the rain (I was reliably informed by my associates that this wasn’t actually rain, just mist) it was time to head out of the city and pick up the first section of the Washington BDR route that starts about an hour east... Of course, by the time we got there it turned out to be the perfect time for lunch first ;o) Finally we hit the first trail early afternoon, and fortunately the surface was well drained gravel, albeit with a loose covering of pine needles and other debris to make sure you were paying attention, particularly on the corners. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5ckwtn8-XL.jpg Of course coming from the UK, and trail riding regularly in Wales, I’m used to rainforest conditions on forestry tracks, and certainly the good company made an otherwise dreary journey north and east far more entertaining than it might otherwise have been. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Wd8bH27-XL.jpg Ultimately however, once we’d climbed above 4200ft, the snowpack meant the trail at this point was still impassable (by bike at least), we’d been prepared for this of course, but still it was a little disappointing to have got within half a mile of our descent, only to have to ultimately retrace our tracks - and despite my best efforts to utilise Garmin’s mapping to the full in an fruitless effort to find an alternative route down off the mountain. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GFKKJ9Z-XL.jpg It was now after 6pm by the time we finally refuelled in the tiny outpost of Trout Lake, and elected to part ways - Wind’ and Heidi’ heading west back to Portland, while Board’ offered to show me one of his favourite roads on his way back south, while I would continue east and north, and try and find somewhere warm and dry to spend the night that would keep me on track for my ‘pilgramige’ scheduled for tomorrow… https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2pwNV6Q-XL.jpg photo. The twisty Glenwood Highway passes through this stunning gorge either side of the Klickitat River. Another 120 miles later (got to love the long evenings further north) and I rocked up at what I thought would be a Motel 6 (according to my GPS) in Yakima, only to find it had been taken over as an independent ‘Budget Inn’ - albeit lock, stock and barrel including all the original linen, and immediately familiar facilities - and even better, the new owners had elected to include free wifi (I can’t believe Motel 6 still tend to charge an extra three bucks for this, really? Its 2017!) and offered a modest continental breakfast (I’m from the continent you know, And I can assure you we have nothing like this there ;o), but at least it filled a gap before I could find a proper coffee shop later that morning…) cont. |
Day 5: Saturday 17th June - Yakima WA to Bellingham WA (281 miles)
“My pig has a message for you…” Although I was now free of [social] commitments for the next few days, it was still my intention to reach the Canadian boarder by the end of today (Saturday), so as to leave plenty of time to explore some trails (or at least dirt roads) north of Vancouver, on my way to stop over with some friends who live in the Jasper National Park; before ultimately meeting up with Alan & Lisa from the Rocky Mountain Adventure Bike Touring Company (please, can I just use the acronym RMABTC from now on, I’m typing this on an iPad!) and our 'CB500X Rendezvous' scheduled for next weekend on the Alberta/Saskatchewan provincial border. But first, I had a plan - a pilgrimage if you like - to visit some of the key locations from the TV series Twin Peaks, which was actually filmed just east of the huge Seattle sprawl (rather than closer to the Canadian border which the script implies) - up in the hills near Snoqualmie and North Bend. The most direct route for me from Yakima would have been to blast up I90 for an hour and a half, but where’s the fun in that? Actually the interstate here passes though some pretty dramatic scenery should you have no other choice - but fortunately electing to stop over in Yakima meant I did have an alternative, one that promised to be even more dramatic and with any luck, might also include a trail or two en route… https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7hWG5DM-XL.jpg photo. Heading out of town on hwy 12 (after a fruitless search for a car/jet wash), I happened on one of those independent drive-through coffee huts next to a gas station, that also had four jet-wash bays - so a result all round! I then took hwy 410 north towards the Mt Rainier National Park (410 actually passes through the park, but unlike 120 through Yosemite, you don’t have to pay if you’re just passing though), and tippy tapping on my GPS, realised there was a network of forestry trails that effectively paralleled this section of highway I was on. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gms5bb3-XL.jpg photo. this was the first snow I found, at a smidge under 6000ft. With that it was up into the hills (initially I took Bald Mountain Road, which is actually part of the continuing WABDR route), before heading north on what turned out to be an epic series of trails, offering a fantastic view of Mt Rainier in the distance on the way up to just below 6000ft; before descending on a pukka OHV ‘blue’ route, with all the hazards that entails - mud holes (from snow melt), rocks and fallen trees - quite the workout on a bike with luggage I can tell you! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bPJxdN3-XL.jpg photo. you’ll have to see the video of this log crossing as part of my AV presentation later this Summer... ;o) edit. frame grab below: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mZnbvxF-XL.png Back on the highway, and it was a chilly blast up to the Chinook Pass - very reminiscent of the Alps I thought, especially with the still sizeable snowbanks from this late winter on either side of the road. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hLQJWLq-XL.jpg What had started as an optimistic and indeed sunny morning, had reverted to type once I descended towards the greater Seattle basin. Avoiding the worst of the interstate network and its associated Saturday shoppers, I headed due north now for my date with destiny… https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...L6rrXQm-XL.jpg photo. 'Dum, dum dum, dum dum, dum dum, daaaa, da da daaaa..." Arriving at the Snoqulmie Falls much later in the day actually paid dividends, as it was far less busy than it might have been early afternoon, and having initially ridden past the main viewing area, I happened on the alternative at the base of the falls - which really shows the size and power of the river at this point. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2FprddB-XL.jpg I’d also thought to pre-google a couple of other filming locations between here and my ultimate (now dinner) destination of Twede's diner in North Bend, which doubles as the Double R in the show. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...T69k4B3-XL.jpg photo. The Twin Peaks from Ronette's Bridge (which is now a paved municiple path, rather than an old railway). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jn3SRCC-XL.jpg photo. Since filming the current 'Return' series (set 25 years later), they have actually erected an official Welcome sign in the original location. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZRLnPzr-XL.jpg photo. Although is called the Double R diner in the show, Twede's has hung to its original name despite the obvious marketing opportunites... Since I’d ingested nothing but energy bars and roadside espresso all day, I celebrated with a bacon avocado cheeseburger, but forwent the ‘bottomless’ fries for a side salad, to ensure I had room for a slice of Cherry Pie and a Damn Fine cup of Coffee! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BHw57V9-XL.jpg photo. Inside is still pretty authentic to the film set, and actually the staff do wear Twin Peaks t-shirts to go with a modest range of memorobillia on sale. It has been quite the day - arguably the best yet, since the rain had actually stayed away for the most part, I’d found a killer trail, ridden an epic mountain highway and now seen some key locations from one of my favourite shows (well, the first two seasons, the new version is just plain odd). Oh, and I’d just eaten cheese and meat and pie - what’s not to love?! So with that, I felt suitably invigorated to crack out another 100+ miles in an effort to bed-down within a stones throw of the Canadian border, in an effort to cross early and get on with the second part of this epic northern adventure! ps. Of course the moment I got on the bike, it absolutely chucked it down with rain, and I, and all my gear got utterly soaked again for the third time in as many days. I think I need a new Coyote! More soon! Jenny x |
Day 6: Sunday 18th June - Bellingham WA to Whistler BC (217kms = 135 miles)
“Oh Canada! - Please stop raining!” The sound of rain outside my bedroom window was a pattern I had quickly grown tired of the past few days… I don’t mind so much getting caught in the rain (or drinking pinacoladas for that matter),but starting out the day in full rain gear is just miserable, especially when you have potentially hundreds of miles to ride... Fortunately this particular Motel 6 had a midday check-out time, so I made the most of my three dollar wifi connection, and uploaded a few photos and updated you all (see a few posts above) - and wistfully reminisced about sunny northern California while I brewed some decent coffee in my Jet-boil in the room. I’d not planned to ride a huge distance today anyway - there would be the Canadian border to cross of course, and in my naivety thought his would be as straight forward as crossing into Mexico - ie. a cheery wave if there was even anyone in the booth at all!, rather its the return crossing in to the US that tends to be far slower and fastidious… I’d also made a tentative plan to meet up with a long-term internet friend for a quick coffee on my way through Vancouver, before ultimately looking for a place to stay at the Ski and Mountain bike resort of Whistler - yes, I now realise how expensive that was going to be! - a further 125kms (yep, we’d be going metric in a minute) north of the city... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3bQRH7c-XL.jpg photo. The border line at the I5 crossing... about a 45 minute wait. In the rain. At least I'd had the forethought to pick up a sandwich the junction before, although actually eating it meant removing my helmet and getting a wet head of course! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pJv79RF-XL.jpg photo. Canada Dry? Nope, Canada wet… On the far side of the I5 border crossing in the British Columbia visitor centre (the main reason I chose to cross at this - the busiest - point) and I stopped here to pick up one of their National Parks passes, which fortunately this year [2017] to celebrate their 150 year anniversary, are free - gotta love Canada! - before grabbing a quick coffee with my actor friend, where after all these years we finally were able to introduce Piglet to his little penpal buddy Indie in person! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CFDS69s-XL.jpg Back on the road - and while the spitting rain while I was waiting in the border traffic line was bearable, once on the Canadian side, together with the crawling traffic being hampered by some absurdly low speed limits, the rain returned with a vengeance - damn I could have stayed in the UK if I’d wanted all of this... although ironically they are currently having a heatwave over there, much to my chagrin every time I log into Facebook! But hey, I’m in Canada now! - and as I left the sprawl of Vancouver behind, the rain finally eased once I started to head north on 99 otherwise known as the Sea to Sky Highway - beautiful! Although I was confident there would be plenty of rooms available in Whistler (there are dozens of hotels, not least as many would have originally been accommodation for the Winter Olympic athletes in 2010), I imagined the prices were likely to vary widely, and none likely to be particularly cheap - this being a premier mountain bike resort during the summer months, and ski city during the winter of course. I used a craving for coffee as an excuse to dive into a Starbucks en route, and take advantage of their free wifi - although not to quite the same advantage as this guy who started to set up a bloody desktop computer on the next table - I don’t think he’d even ordered a coffee! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BbsfCd9-XL.png photo. I snapped this surreptitious shot with my GoPro as I was leaving and frame-grabbed it later ;o) Thanks to Expedia, I managed to score a room in a nice hotel right on ‘main street’, just a hundred yards or so from the Village Amble (a paved precinct through the heart of town, lined with restaurants, shops and bars) for less than $100 - believe me, that is cheap in this town! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...V4zkKGP-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rdh2SFf-XL.jpg photo. Complete with secure underground parking... for another ten bucks of course. My room was small, but had one of the most comfortable hotel beds I have ever slept in, a massive TV (never even switched it on), super fast wifi and even a Keurig machine - spot on! That evening I spent a good hour strolling around the town, checking out the rental mountain bikes, souvenir shops and indulging in a huge ice-cream. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NFQ2vRB-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JP5G5BP-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7VZ7qdB-XL.jpg …after four days of riding in the rain, I think Piglet and I both needed a bit of a treat! cont. |
Day 7: Monday 19th June - Whistler BC to Bridge Lake BC (364kms = 227 miles)
“West side story” Tip tip tip tip tip… what is that noise? Oh for f**k’s sake, it’s rain dripping off my balcony roof isn’t it! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CjVjbKD-XL.jpg I’d set my alarm for 7.30, but switched it off as this bed was the most comfortable I think I have ever slept in, and didn’t wake up again until after 9am! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GLrmr8x-XL.jpg photo. Piglet saying: "Can we just stay here in bed forever please..." I made a coffee with the fancy machine, and sat down with my [digital] maps to plan today's route. The forecast said it was due to clear up by mid-morning (actually the night before it had said it wasn’t going to rain at all, bloody liars!), and sure enough, by the time I absolutely had to check out (11am), it had diminished to barely a drizzle. Rather than take the highway the whole way north east (which would be a rather convoluted zig-zag, albeit a scenic one of course), there seemed to be a network of unpaved/dirt roads that would essentially parallel highway 99, but get me deeper into the wilderness, and in turn offer a different perspective away from the regular tourist traffic. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8HqPPkT-XL.jpg photo. Damn-it Piglet, what are we going to do with all those seeds now then? Sure enough, the first of my three proposed ‘dirt road diagonal detours’ today offered some promise! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2Gpxc4V-XL.jpg And I was quietly reassured by the open gate that my plan would work out: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZG5XVMd-XL.jpg The Pemberton - Seton Portage Road is a mix of pavement, broken tar, gravel and in places, some rougher dirt (especially on the climbs) - not overly technical at all to be honest, but offers some stunningly scenic views as it winds its way high above the Anderson Lake valley below, and essentially joins a series of Indian reservations - although presumably was initially built to service the erection of hundreds of power pylons that span the valley, taking power from the hydro-electric facilities the punctuate the route. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3Lr5xW3-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LD7b2vR-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PcQwRdW-XL.jpg photo. "This is my land you have seen it, The most beautiful land I know. From the tall rugged mountains that screen it, To the beautiful lake below." https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wtcj4KP-XL.jpg photo. Once I arrived in the village of Seton, I realised that despite the Portage Road winding high into the hills, there is actually a railway line that skirts the edge of Anderson Lake the whole way... presumbly to more easily supply the inhabitants of the town and one hotel. From Seton, the Mission Mountain Road is essentially a continuation of this through route, and although I was tempted to explore an alternative ‘unpaved road’ across the top of the mountain, ultimately when I passed the other end of it many miles on, there was sign saying it was private logging property… https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DSPWPmw-XL.jpg photo. Quintessentially Canada (or at least British Columbia) I thought? - and a lovely spot for a crunch-bar lunch. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mtRZcQP-XL.jpg photo. If I'd taken the alternative route, I’d have missed this comedy sign too! Dropping into Lillooet (where I would rejoin hwy 99 briefly) way past my traditional lunchtime, I spied a line of cruisers parked next to a suitably independent cafe - time for more coffee and a sarnie I think! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RK6nFLb-XL.jpg photo. Recommended! And got chatting with a couple from Birmingham (UK, not Alabama) who were on an RV holiday! The next dirt section was the Pavillion - Clinton Road, again, a well groomed and well-drained gravel/dirt road that winds its way over the mountains, through forests and up into the high pasture country - food for the soul indeed! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xnn9p8F-XL.jpg photo. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Pavillion on highway 99 is where you turn back onto the dirt... More coffee in Clinton (of course!) at a cute indie shop, that advertised wifi (gotta grab it where you can out here you know!), and I elected to press on further east in the early evening - to stay ahead of any following rain, and to ultimately give me a shorter day tomorrow into Jasper. My final dirt section (and to be honest this really is little more than an unsurfaced road, just waiting for tarmac to be applied!) was the N Boneparte Road from 70 Mile House (surely 112km house these days? - ed.) to Bridge Lake on hwy 24, where, in a fit of rashness brought on by that large espresso earlier in Clinton, I’d employed Expedia once again to find somewhere suitable to spend the night - and score two! - the Lac Des Roches lakeside camping and cabin resort is where you’ll currently find me, eating breakfast in their Italian restaurant/cafe. I really like Canada now! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PHp4M6H-XL.jpg photo. A simple cabin, but quiet and comfortable (once I found out how to turn the heating on!), and right next to a lakeside Italian restaurant - result! Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
Ok, one more should bring everything right up to date!
Day 8: Tuesday 20th June - Bridge Lake BC to Jasper AB (396kms = 247.5 miles - that half mile is important!) "Thunderstruck" I'd had a really nice day yesterday - the weather had been kind, and the mix of minor highways and unsurfaced roads has seen me weave almost endlessly though some beautiful and remote countryside. The route has also confirmed to me that British Columbia has some world-class independent coffee shops! - yep, Canada had at last redeemed itself! Having woken early - very early, initially just before 5am - ultimately I felt I'd been gifted some precious few hours with which to get this ride report up to date (hence the proliferation of posts and photos above, written offline originally due to weak wifi at the lodge), before indulging in a coffee and cake breakfast in the restaurant by the lake. Although the forecast was for more rain today, so far it has stayed away - and indeed this morning was what you might even call sunny if still a little chilly - so I hit the road in good time in an effort to stay ahead of the weather coming in from the west. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mLF7QBT-XL.jpg photo. Originally I'd planned to just ride the 400-ish kms to day on a series of scenic highways, but on arrival in Little Fort, saw an unpaved alternative on the far side of the river... I was expecting a bridge, but it turned out to be a ferry! Once on the far side, it was an easy gravel road for the most part, although some repair work was going on where presumably the weather at washed some weaker parts away. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Kmj64Mn-XL.jpg photo. Little Fort and the ferry in the background. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...P4qNQjV-XL.jpg photo. Scenery like this is even better when viewed away from the pavement! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6cQSbLv-XL.jpg photo. Windpass Road leading into Dunn Lake Road had been a lovely distraction, but I was conscious the sky was starting to cloud over, so after rejoining Highway 5 at Clearwater, wasted no time pressing on... I made it just as far as a refuel spot at Blue River before the heavens opened. It was still 220kms to Jasper this afternoon, and I had no choice but to grit my teeth and suck it up: Torrential rain in BC/AB (YouTube) Seriously, this was probably the worst weather I have ever ridden in, particularly for so long - there was no let up for over 130 miles and two and a half hours or more: sleet, wind, rain, lightening, spray - even a falling tree at one point right at the side of the road! - all the way into Jasper National Park. I counted down each 10 kms on the GPS screen with a curse, overtook any vehicle in front of me kicking up spray while disregarding any speed limits or double yellow lines (where safe to do so of course ;o), and ultimately would have stopped for nothing and no one, had they even dared to try me! All I can say is thank goodness I was scheduled to spend a couple of nights with some dear friends at their house in Jasper - and subsequently spent a soild fifteen minutes in the shower thawing out when I arrived, before making full use of their utility and laundry room, drying everything I owned out... again!!! So while today (Wednesday 21st June) is now technically Day 9 - I feel no shame in having written today off riding-wise; rather used my time productively to catch up on some admin, sort though my photos and videos, and update you all here in detail... Tomorrow it all starts again however (minus the rain, please!) as I'm due to meet up with Alan from RMABTC in the morning and head east (hopefully via a few trails), in preparation for their 'CB500X Rendezvous' event this coming weekend - and I'm looking forward to meeting some of you there! Aye? Jenny x |
OK, I'm back in the US now (crossed the border early this morning) and safely ensconsed in a budget motel in Choteau MT - that seems to have suprisingly good wifi, so here goes...
Day 9: Wednesday 21st June - Jasper AB to the kitchen and back... (0 miles) "Catching up" The 21st of June might technically be the longest day, but after shelpping through the northwest deluge for hundreds of miles these past few days, for once the CB didn't even turn a wheel today! It was really good to have a constant supply of Keurig coffee and stable wifi, and plenty of time to catch up with all my photos/videos and updates here (above) from the first week on the road. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sSvBLPq-XL.jpg photo. A bit of bed-time reading - Bob had left this book in the guest room, and yes, there was a chapter on extreme weather! After far too late a night eating and drinking and catching up with our respective news once more, I didn't actually get to bed until after 1am (the light late nights this far north don't help either), and had to be up in good time the following morning to load up my bike with my freshly laundered luggage and head off again on a little sorjorn to Saskatchewan... cont. |
Day 10: Thursday 22nd June - Jasper AB to Leduc AB (424kms = 265 miles)
"Flat out in First" I arrived in good time in Hinton (on hwy 16), having arranged to meet Alan Buck from RMABTC at a civilised 10am and ride together back to their base in Leduc, approximately half way across the province, and just south of the capital Edmonton. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mfWWN9L-XL.jpg photo. Arriving with a good few minutes to spare, and yes, having got rained on again on my way east, I ducked into a Tim Horton's bakery (I'd been in Canada five days already and had yet to sample their delights), only to find Alan had had exactly the same idea, so we officially met over coffee and a bun! Alan had plotted a fast gravel road route east, staying off pavement for a couple of hundred kms, before hitting some still minor roads for the final leg. However, barely half an hour after we first hit the dirt, the first mishap of the day occurred: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cJ7vGRx-XL.jpg photo. Yes, I know what you're thinking - why is the Africa Twin lying on its side, especially when it clearly has a centre stand fitted? Riding side by side, I noticed at the same time as Alan did that he'd got a puncture in the front tyre - damn it. Hoisting the beast onto its centre stand, we pulled the front wheel off only to find that dispite the modest luggage load bias on the rear, the AT is still not actually all that well balanced, and it tilted forward onto its fork legs... no problem we thought - until the stand sprung up and meant it was now resting on just the rear wheel and the fork bottoms in the dirt. note. A trick we really ought to have employed at the outset was to hold the centre stand in the down position using a strap* forward to the engine guard for example, so that it cannot spring back up... *Giant Loop Pronghorn straps work very well in the regard as we were able to confirm once reassembling the bike. Anyway, it seemed stable enough, so Alan got on with fixing the flat - interestingly nothing had actually penetrated the tyre, rather a small rectangular shard of metal seemed to be embeded in the inside of the tyre, and had rubbed a tiny hole in the tube - and we ended up patching it. Then the wind blew the bike over. And then it started to rain, again. We deployed the centre stand (compete with bungee strap) and together we heaved the beast upright - then I supported the rear of the bike while Alan hastily refitted the front wheel so we could get going again and try and outride this rain... As soon as he set off, it was clear something was amiss... the DCT gearbox was now stuck in first gear, and nothing he could do would shift it. Initially we wondered if the clutches had been flooded or something since the bike had been lying on its side for a good half hour, but no manner of idling or even lying the bike down on the other side had any effect. He rode on for a few minutes (fortunately the Africa Twin will do around 50mph in 1st gear, so 35 mph was bearable for a short stint at least, particularly as we still had a very long way to go!), then over the intercom we considered if perhaps pulling a few fuses might reset something, so it was off with the seat to see if that did any good. It didn't. Another few miles and another stop to let the bike cool down. Once on the move again and Alan noticed the ABS light was also illuminated, together with the Traction Control... I wondered if the ABS ring had been damaged/bent during the refitting, when almost immediately it finally dawned on Alan that what if he had fitted the front wheel in the wrong way around...? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hgfwRKd-XL.png photo. that 'Doh' moment, and a huge sigh of relief! Sure enough, once we stopped and inspected the front end, the mistake was clear - while the AT has twin front discs, it only has a single ABS sensor ring, and while the wheel will fit in the forks either way round, in this instance there was now no pulse for the sensor, so the bike was running in a limp-home mode* *I have to say, I find it odd that Honda will let you switch off the ABS and the TC from the dash and still ride with a full box of gears, but if there is a wheel sensor issue, then it locks you into first - presumably they don't trust you cope with no ABS or TC other than if you've consciously made the decision to switch them off. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...64vXkdP-XL.png Once we'd finally sorted the wheel, it was full speed ahead back to the RMABTC HQ (away from the mountains, the middle of Alberta reminded me very much of rural northern France) and the evening spent with well earned pizza and beer or two with the family - a great way to round off the dramas of the day! cont. |
Day 11: Friday 23rd June - Leduc AB to Macklin Lake SK (340kms = 212 miles)
"Rendezvous" Alan and Lisa had offered to support the weekend's dual-sport riding event with a Hog-Roast scheduled for the Saturday night. Lisa had already collected the pig itself while we'd been riding over the day before, and it was currently being kept cool in their garage, in a kids paddling pool filled with ice - looking like some bizzare macabre drowning incident! Alan was scheduled to collect the rotisserie this morning, before hooking up their huge (38ft) 5th-wheel camper, which rather fortunately had more than enough accommodation for me to not have to set up my tent at all this coming weekend - result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dRhNSn4-XL.jpg photo. I took the opportunity during the morning errand run to stock up on a few replenishments for my depleting stash - coffee, crunch-bars, camping gas and chain lube, plus a replacement Camelbak valve and a new Buff - both of which I seem to have misplaced during the previous few days... It was then time to collect the trailer: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SDH9dcg-XL.jpg photo. The 5th- wheel is demountable, allowing Alan and Lisa to carry up to two spare/stricken bikes in the back of their huge double-cab pick-up as might be required during a Tour. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KXBG7Mx-XL.jpg photo. The camper tends not to be used on the Tours themselves (Lisa drives the pick-up as a sweep/support car, typically for when they are wild camping for example), but can carry all four of their Level 2 Rally Raided CB500Xs in the rear garage section of this 'toy-hauler' design. With that, I jumped back on my own bike and rode the short distance into Edmonton to meet with a handful of members of the Alberta Dual-Sport Club who were co-hosting the weekend with their compatriots across the border in Saskatchewan. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bDXj3VL-XL.jpg photo. Local ADVrider inmate Patobez also joined the group for the 340km ride to the Macklin campground that afternoon... On arrival we found the main dinning tent was already set-up, and it wasn't long until the barbecue and general bonhomme flowed in copious amounts for all concerned. This was going to be a fun weekend! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 12: Saturday 24th June - Macklin Lake to Macklin Lake (loop) SK (180kms = 112.5 miles)
"Jungle Love" The format of the event day was to 'treasure hunt' a series of waypoints (using your GPS) that were typically landmarks, and take a photo of one or more of your team members to prove you'd been there... Simple enough, and to be honest, the whole competitive element was distinctly loose - as it ought to be when the primary purpose is to have fun of course - with bonus points awarded arbitrarily depending on how silly your photos were (see some of Scratches' examples above). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PR9xPbB-XL.jpg photo. Macklin (Lake) played host to this foolish endeavour, being an ideal location for the neighbouring clubs in Alberta and Saskatchewan to 'rendezvous' - hence the title of the event. But more importantly perhaps, what is a Bunnock you might ask? And is it at all relevant? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WQwHP4k-XL.jpg The answer in reverse order is no, and actually the bone from a horses foot - that are used as a kind of skittle game, (devised by Russians originally), and seemingly abandoned to this little corner of Canada. Personally I couldn't help but think it was all an excuse to have a massive naked lady as their town mascot! Anyway, back to the job in hand... with all the other teams raring to go, conversely I admit it was a leisurely start for team CBeebies (that would be Patrick and myself on the CB500Xs), who were then joined by 'Dual-sport Dave' (Scratch, above) who was the organiser of the event, who also fancied a bit of a run before getting back to camp in good time to great the other competitors on their return, which suited us all just fine. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Q5Z6m72-XL.jpg photo. One of our early checkpoints was this old church, seemingly still in use at least occasionally... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qH6bWmh-XL.jpg photo. We signed the visitor book - the most recent previous entry was from 2016! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...crsQfpB-XL.jpg photo. More messing about at a checkpoint, oh how we laughed! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mqqF33S-XL.jpg photo. These old buildings looked like they were part of some kind of commune (there was a series of other 'accommodation' buildings in a line nearby) - not a checkpoint as such, but a suitable rest-stop so that we might adjust Patobez's bars after his inaugural drop. Most of the trails were fast gravel roads between the huge fields that make up this rolling border country - however, there was one particular section - on my GPS as the shortest route between two particular waypoints - that progressively deteriorated from two-track, to grassy two-track, to faint indentation, to overgrown trail - excellent! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XnC8QTD-XL.jpg photo. Patobez weaving the CB500X through the undergrown to circumnavigate a fallen tree. The trail was still as clear as day on the screen in my GPS, but on the ground, any track was rapidly returning to nature under the long grass, and increasingly punctuated by some quite substantial saplings... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zv9m2R9-XL.jpg photo. I nicknamed the GSA 'Thunderbird 2' after we'd had to bend a series of saplings sideways to squeeze the beast and its boxes though... again to navigate another fallen tree on the 'main' trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...F5WMmqZ-XL.jpg photo. Pausing for a breather and a crunch-bar lunch... "Trust me fellas, we are still on the trail!" https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hPjVcW3-XL.png photo. Sandy single-track trail had it's moments, but we all got through eventually... After what seemed like forever, the official trail in the GPS was bysected by a barbed-wire fence, but fortunately there was an established single track trail alongside on our side, that led us the final two kilometres out into an open field, and ultimately the main track and our destination waypoint beyond - boy we'd earned that one! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kPMcVjp-XL.jpg photo. Re-inflating the GSA's rear tyre as we'd let it down from around 40psi to 25psi in an effort to gain as much traction as we dared in the sand. With that, we elected to call it day and head straight back to camp now as it was after 4pm already, and the hungry riders would be returning shortly... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Cdg4cSC-XL.jpg photo. Forunately Alan (& Lisa) had chosen to stay behind at camp and keep an eye on the pig, who was doing very nicely by now! Food, beer and copious chitter-chatter followed, winners were announced, and the campfire lit... the perfect end to a full-on day on the trails! I retired to my comfortable letter-box bed in the camper a touch before midnight - sated and tired... It would be a long day [all] on the road tomorrow, as I'd decided to head all the way back west across Alberta to Jasper, spend one more night with my friends Bob & Janet and enjoy some more of their wonderful hospitality, which in turn would allow me to ride the length of the Icefields Parkway (hwy 93) through the National Park the following day, which I'd been assured was "not to be missed!" cont. |
Day 13: Sunday 25th June - Macklin SK to Jasper AB (690 kms = 429 miles!)
"Liaison" Like a page right out of the Dakar Rally, today was effectively a 'transit' - a needs-must to set me up nicely for the following day... After some fond fairwells and promises to meet again, Pat and I rode together as far as Edmonton, where I continued west, punctuated only by fuel stops and Tim Horton's comestible ingestions... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kmVNXsz-XL.jpg photo. As the afternoon wore on, I'd almost forgotten about all the rain I'd endured the previous week... it was actually warm too! I rolled into town a little after 8pm, to find Bob in the garage, finishing off some work on his Polaris race buggy: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7TfBDVS-XL.jpg photo. I first met Bob in 2010 when we competed in the Tunisian round of the FIM cross-country rally world championship (both on bikes that time)... he's now given up two wheels for four, and does very nicely thank you! It was a joy to spend one last evening with the Joneses, and I retired (much too late again) having sorted all my laundry, maps, and fully charged all my electrical gadgets. Things were unlikely to be quite this comfortable for a while now... and yet at the same time, I was now relishing 'moving on' again at last - and into the second chapter of this latest cross-country odyssey. Jx |
Chapter 2 Day 14: Monday 26th June - Jasper AB to Pincher Creek AB (599kms = 375 miles) "Due South" Another 'Dakar' day, and I'm still not out of Canada just yet! I left Jasper in good time, stopping only to find a local shop that sold GoPro spares (I'd cracked the lens of my Session - presumably having it mounted low by the front wheel while riding the fast gravel roads with Alan on the Friday), one place who fortunately had just the parts I required - result! There is a reason why they say the Icefields Parkway is one of those 'must-ride' destinations in Canada (if not the whole world) - the views from the highway are breathtaking, and photos really can't do some of the vistas justice, although I'll include a few here to try and illustrate what I mean: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...f6jcrHz-XL.jpg photo. Early on, a view from hwy 93A, that loops around to rejoin the main road (full of motorhomes) near the Athabasca Falls (car park full)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Pmk9BkH-X2.jpg photo. After a few miles, the traffic thins out to a natural level, and there are plenty of opportunities to stop at the roadside for photographs. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...v7sBzhP-XL.jpg photo. This rather caught me by suprise - Jasper NP has its own glass skywalk too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RZz4thc-X2.jpg photo. That is a frikkin' long way down! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tf3wCwV-X2.jpg photo. I glimpsed this view initially as I rode past, so turned around and scrambled down a bank to get this particular shot! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...KJt5m2X-XL.jpg photo. The same snow-layered peak from a little further south - the glacial lakes here are turquoise blue. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Rbhhrr3-XL.jpg photo. Leaving the park en route for Banff. Today would turn out to be very much a day of two halves... I'd already ridden nearly 300kms by the time I rolled into Banff mid-afternoon, and have to say, felt a little flustered, crabby and tired, so wolfed down a restorative sandwich and a coffee in a cafe on main street while I plotted the second part of my marathon day... A quick tap on the GPS showed a dirt-road alternative to my proposed route south, and sure enough, on the outskirts of Canmore I was able to pick up the delightful Smith Dorrien Trail - a fast and sweeping gravel road that skirts the Spray Lakes Reservoir, to ultimately join up with Alberta Route 40, which is made up of a series of gravel roads and sections of backcountry paved highways, that run the entire length of the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9nzrf7T-XL.jpg photo. I feared I might get soaked again towards the southern end of Spray Lakes, but fortunately the road turned away from the weather front and joined a paved section of Route 40... marvellous! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...G4k33K8-XL.jpg photo. Highwood Pass would be the highest elevation I would reach today. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...VJbxtdp-XL.jpg photo. The sheep though, they don't care... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GvTH6Vm-XL.jpg photo. It wasn't long before I was back on the gravel, heading south on 'highway' 940 - a delightful dirt road (also part of Route 40) which sweeps though forests and mountains for the best part of 120 kilometres... I eventually hit a main highway (hwy 3, at Coleman/Crowsnest Pass) for the final leg into Pincher Creek which offered a number of motels, one of which I most certainly needed - and elected to bed down in the affordable Parkway Motel which included a free breakfast. I was so tired I don't think I even made use of their free wifi that evening! More soon... I'm going to be back in the US(S)A tomorrow! Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
Day 15: Tuesday 27th June - Pincher Creek AB to Choteau MT (215 miles)
"Home on the ranges" There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but the free breakfast at the Parkway Motel in Pincher Creek was more than acceptable - decent dispenser coffee, orange juice that wasn't watered-down, and two toasted bagels with marmalade - nice! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mN3sCWP-XL.jpg photo. hitting the road early, to cross the US boarder in good time... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...THCPGVL-XL.jpg photo. I can recommend this crossing - there were only two cars ahead of me, and cheery customs staff too! Within 20 miles of crossing into Montana, I was on my first trail of the day: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jGBPpZR-XL.jpg photo. looking towards Glacier National Park from St. Mary Ridge Road - a faint grassy two-track that runs parallel with hwy 89 below... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DsrWF4t-XL.jpg photo. These guys came wandering over as I undid another wire gate (there would be a lot of these gates in Montana I would soon come to realise). My plan was to ride the 'gold' road "Going-to-the-Sun" through the Glacier National Park, then head back east again on scenic hwy 2 a little further south... however, on arriving at the park entrance station, I was fortunately informed (before I'd paid my $80 to purchase an annual Parks pass) that the road was only open for about 13 miles - there was still 10 miles of snow to clear in the middle. I really didn't fancy riding up to a turn-around point behind a parade of RVs, so scrubbed that one from the list, sought solace in an ice-cream parlour in St. Mary, and plotted a new plan of attack... I had the Butler Motorcycle Map of Montana with me, and while they have yet to produce a dedicated 'BDR' route for this particular State, at least some main dirt roads are highlighted, and which fundamentally are through-routes too of course. Heading south (and slightly east) down 89 would see me on another section of their recommended 'gold' roads south of Kiowa, and a quick zoom in on the GPS showed a network of unsurfaced roads that cut diagonally south and east - exactly in the direction I wanted to be going! Initially I picked what looked like a through-route (in the GPS) off hwy 89, although after a succession of wire gates, the 'road' such as it was ended with no warning in a bush-lined river, and with no sign of a bridge (the remains of or otherwise), I had no choice but to retrace my tracks and rejoin the highway to Kiowa. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Vbs39Q7-XL.jpg photo. Turning around in the long grass, my wheel hit a rock, and over I went! This ultimately meant I got to ride the first part of hwy 49 out of Kiowa of course, and although short, it is exceptionally sweet - and definitely worthy of it's 'gold' status... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vhdggNZ-XL.jpg photo. Soon up in the hills again on an old mining trail... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PkGt5rX-XL.jpg photo. View from the top (back towards Glacier National Park) - this would make a cool camping spot too! The trail then continued east on as series of ATV sized two-track - wonderful! - and all the while still being routed by my GPS. At one point, the trail I was on crossed another (in the GPS), but honestly, it was barely on the ground at all - still, I picked my way across the pasture with the GPS zoomed right in, and sure enough, it led to a more major gravel road that would cross hwy 2, before disappearing again into the long grass pasture as I headed towards Heart Butte. It was an excellent example of how using a GPS (with the right maps of course) can pay dividends! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xtS8WMt-XL.jpg photo. So maybe this is where Manson's old bus ended up - abandoned at a ranch in the middle of Montana... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wfWm52q-XL.jpg photo. Seriously, that's an 'unsurfaced road' in Garmin's City Navigator maps! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BcbWG7D-XL.jpg photo. Just west of Heart Butte is a delightful trail that winds though rolling hills, past lakes and meadows... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RcBXjV3-XL.jpg photo. stopping for an early dinner at Buffalo Joe's in Dupuyer. Already Montana was throwing up far more gems that I'd perhaps expected! Initially I'd planned to simply ride south through the State in just a couple of days, heading towards Yellowstone National Park, and then take the Beartooth Highway that crosses between Wyoming and Montana as part of my onward journey east... but if today had proved anything already, it was that all this wilderness trailage was way too good to pass up! Over dinner I hatched a new plan - I decided I'd forfeit the undoubtedly tourist hell that is Yellowstone (if I'm honest, while it might have been nice to see what the fuss is about, at the same time, there are a bazillion photos of Old Faithful, and I fear I'd just be part of a procession of tourists lumbering though the park and crowding every view point - and for me, it's always been about finding a view less seen, less visited...) and instead plotted a far more elaborate dirt route - taking in as many of the unsurfaced roads and trails on my map in an effort to create a sort of 'Trans-Montana Trail' or BDR through route as it were... especially since my only real commitment was not for another week (in Minnesota) for the 4th of July. This was going to be far more fun! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GKTr9jx-XL.jpg photo. I presume this is a translation of an Indigenous Indian name, but at the same time it also appeals to my inherently smutty British sense of humour ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GpZQB8S-XL.jpg photo. beautiful scenery east of the Sawtooth Range mountains - made moreso in the early evening light. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pHvvcRP-XL.jpg photo. Obvious caption #2: 'A dirt monster... and a T-Rex' cont. |
Day 16: Wednesday 28th June - Choteau MT to White Sulphur Springs MT (193 miles)
"Trans-Montana Trail" I'd decided to find a hotel since the campground on the edge of town was a windswept RV park, and the Gunther Motel was actually pretty nice (on the inside at least), and it was a relief to be back in a part of the US where you can still get a room for $50 or less, especially after the Canadian hotel prices! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qJvvhZW-XL.jpg photo. Time to oil that chain... fortunately a random off-cut of drainpipe worked perfectly as a prop-stand. I decided against breakfasting at the store which billed 'Espresso and Ammo' on the same sign (a volatile combination if ever there was one!), and opted for the far more salubrious 'Bridges' cafe further down the road on Main St. for a suitable coffee and smoothie influx. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nTbZTQZ-XL.jpg photo. All the gear I'd need for mapping and recording my project for this week - a Trans-Montana BDR route! A quick jaunt down hwy 89 (everywhere you go in Montana you seem to cross/join the 'Geysers to Glaciers Highway' at some point!) before initially picking up a fast gravel road between Fairfield and Simms, then more gravel/dirt to Cascade (on I15), before embarking on more than 75 miles more dirt on what would turn out to be a highlight of the day... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LrvCCZb-XL.jpg photo. crossing over Sun River on the initial dirt road - even if there were no bridge, the river would have been wade-able as it was very shallow at this point. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dqqVPN8-XL.jpg photo. Crown Butte was visible for miles along the Simms-Cascade road. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pTvgN6d-XL.jpg photo. strange natural terracing on Crown Butte. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TjrrdmB-XL.jpg photo. OK, that's enough photos of Crown Butte - Ed. Millegan Road is an epic 75 mile route due south towards Canyon Ferry Lake - initially starting out as a series of fast gravel roads (across the prairie giving access to various ranches), before winding its way up to higher elevation where the road surface deteriorates into more traditional dirt - the kind that gets very slippery when wet, so it was a good job that at this time of year Montana is dry! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vMZBRqW-XL.jpg photo. Millegan Road is a fantastic back-country crossing, with, as it would turn out, a little bit of everything if you elect to explore some of the side trails once you get closer to Canyon Ferry Lake. As the trail climbed higher into the Helena National Forest, so too did the 'Beautiful People'* start to appear... *Those of you who followed my Trans-Am 500 report may recall I used this particular analogy when referring to all the side trails off the main [TAT] through route - that it was like walking into a bar full of beautiful people, and forgetting about the honey on your arm! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TcVdRMR-XL.jpg photo. This alternative to the main route would turn out to be an absolute corker. note. if this was Austin Vince's orienteering event, this sign would be a checkpoint ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6mPsWgp-XL.jpg photo. After a few false starts (down dead-end trails to mining claims and/or private land), this trail [4161] turned out to be awesome! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3CKLhGs-XL.jpg photo. Mining claims are still being lodged in this area... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...59DRW2C-XL.jpg photo. ...and worked, at least occasionally. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tCXxD9g-XL.jpg photo. Fortunately the forestry have designated a through route across any private land. Even though I spent over two hours exploring these hills (initially thwarted by a locked gate, then a dead end, and then by mis-reading a sign on the particular route above - the land on either side was private, but the road through a right of way), I was ultimately rewarded with an epic trail though the forest - just technical enough to keep you on your toes, but totally big-bike-able and/or with luggage. Perfect! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6ndSSsj-XL.jpg photo. on reaching Canyon Ferry Lake, it was then time to head east on another well-marked dirt road - initially groomed gravel, before it started to climb over the Big Belt Mountains (via Duck Creek Pass at over 7500ft) where the weather inevitably would cause washouts and rougher terrain. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tvMH4Qq-XL.jpg photo. More great scenic views - Montana is full of them! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jgZ6J3v-XL.jpg photo. rolling into White Sulphur Springs from the west, you'll see this rather impressive brick house. White Sulphur Springs is a funny place... with a distinct lack of women to be seen anywhere. It was all windowless bars and rather grubby looking motels - not really what you'd call a 'resort' in the traditional sense - hot springs or not! I stumped up an extra eleven bucks for a smarter establishment on the edge of town (as far away from the somewhat scary Main St. thoroughfare as possible ;o), which included breakfast and wifi, and bedded down content with what I'd achieved so far... While it's true I'd not covered as much ground as I would have liked today (having started late in the morning, and diverted around and around in the forest later that afternoon), what I'd found so far had been very much worthy of inclusion in my personal 'definitive Montana' route! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tdsZ2jh-XL.jpg photo. This made me smile, and the fajita special made my belly full! More soon... I have an oil change to perform! Toot toot for now! Jenny x |
Day 17: Thursday 29th June - White Sulphur Springs MT to Livingston MT (266 miles* - on one tank of fuel! )
"Montana Mountain Madness!" *Yes I know Livingston is technically just down the road (yep, hwy 89 again!) from White Sulphur Springs, but not the way I was planning on going! I don't mind paying top-dollar if the hotel is nice, and certainly the All Seasons Inn was the best of the bunch - an ex Super 8 (in a smart building) now independently run by very fastidious staff it seems - only their coffee was a little lacklustre... I'd woken early, caught up with some wifi based writing, phoned home, and was now ready to hit the trails again... Right out of town was a delightful 'warm-up' around Newland Creek Reservoir - plenty of free camping here, I'll remember that for next time ;o) - before rejoining hwy 89 for a Butler Maps 'red' road ride over Kings Hill Pass (not quite a 'gold', but close!) There seemed to be a huge network of forestry trails (according to my GPS) to the east - but this morning would be all about the pavement first. On reaching Monarch (a tiny town with one restaurant/bar, that may or may not have fuel, I didn't ask if the pumps actually worked), I then headed east on the unpaved Hughesville Road, which starts off following a creek (again with plenty of camping along it's length) before heading into more open country once you pick up Divide Road - but not before my GPS 'shortest route' function took me on the utterly epic 'Butcher Knife DV' trail - a rocky ATV route, and an appreciable climb in this direction* - which required all my concentration on the CB loaded with luggage, which simply tractored up it in fine style in first gear. *note. being conscientious in my pursuit of a BDR style route, I noted there is also more easy bypass to this trail - Spring Coulee Rd. It was bang on lunch-time when I finally arrived in Utica, after another one of those prairie trails that fades into grass... and took the only option in town: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nFNm9Hm-XL.jpg photo. The Oxen Yoke Inn serves burgers in multiples of one size only - their 3/4lb patty! After lunch, Pig Eye Road lead right out of town, and swept through rolling pasture (again, more ranch access), before climbing through the Little Belt Mountains via the delightful Spring Creek Road: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qQQRwwQ-XL.jpg photo. Rock formations, and a network of side trails to explore here too! I really was in my element now - the bike was singing along, the scenery sweeping by, the weather bright, cheerful and warm - and I was looking forward to joining the dots all the way to the southern border... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wXK8VT4-XL.jpg photo. An interesting alternative ATV & Motorcycle trail though the forest (which ultimately would rejoin the main road) - only if you look at the Season Closure date, I was one day out - denied! (I could have camped for 12 hours I guess ;o) Despite a sprinkling of rain towards the end of the trail (enough that I eventually put on my rain-pants), I was confident the rest of my proposed afternoon route would link up, and be uneventful... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tPDqg92-XL.jpg photo. Certainly this particular trail was an absolute joy - climbing high into the Lewis & Clark National Forest just east of White Sulphur Springs - and affording a great view of the surrounding countryside. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BKM4xbd-XL.jpg photo. another fancy ranch sign. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vdx23cP-XL.jpg photo. A well cared-for rural wooden church at Lennep. Needs a clock on that tower though! However, I could see in the distance to the south, the way I was heading now - that there were heavy rain clouds, currently dumping their load all over the Crazy Mountains - having already done their worst over exactly where I intended to try and cross through the mountains to their north, on what appeared to be a six mile gap on my map* between Forest Lake and Shields River Road. *To clarify, the Butler map does NOT show this as a through route - however, a quick google the night before showed a potential 'trail' joining the two - so I figured it would be worth a punt! To compound matters, I was now approaching the 200 mile mark and had seen no sign of fuel all day (to be fair I could have diverted east along hwy 12 to Harlowton earlier, but I was on a mission to stay on route ;o), but figured that if the [dirt] road to Forest Lake dead-ended, then I'd have to return to the highway so could always gas-up at White Sulphur Springs again anyway... Forest Lake road was a lot longer than I'd thought, and sure enough - right at the top, there was a gate: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cnQg9tB-XL.jpg photo. Closer inspection revealed this route was seasonally open for bikes and ATVs between 15th June and 15th September - result! I started up the trail (it was still climbing at this point), and immediately became concerned - the wet muddy surface was like ice, the bike sliding this way and that on the slick slimy crust. Dropping a [good] few PSI on the rear tyre helped, and ultimately I ended up riding on the grass next to the muddy two-track, just to keep the tread clean and gain some kind of traction - it was pretty precarious! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gPhfkGn-XL.jpg photo. I tapped a mark on my GPS screen, and counted down the miles. The gap was only around six miles in total, three up [to the summit] and then three back down again to this 'road'... Once I'd crested the summit (at just over 7300ft), I imagined the worst would be over now - well if nothing else, at least I would have gravity on my side - although if anything, the wet grassy and muddy trail was actually worse going down - one touch of the brakes would almost certainly see you on your side. I cursed the recent weather through gritted teeth - this trail would have been an absolute joy in the dry! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WqQb7gC-XL.jpg photo. Looks nice and flat here doesn't it? It was damn near treacherous on a laden bike if you wanted to avoid falling over! Eventually, after a particularly sharp decent, the trail started to flatten out... the GPS said I was now on 'Shields River Road' and yet I was still riding wet grassy two-track, with no end it sight... A couple of gates were cause for alarm - ominous looking padlocked chains from a distance, although on inspection fortunately one side had been left unlocked (this was technically a seasonal through-route after all), and certainly there would be no way back up that wet grassy meadow if I'd had to retreat. Then my [2nd] worst fear was realised - the 'River' from which the road presumably took it's name, would need to be forded - only now it was in full flood, after the torrential rain that afternoon. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5tLbRDm-XL.jpg photo. It doesn't look too bad in the photo, but it was fast-flowing, rocky, and about knee-deep in places... certainly not ideal to try and cross when you're on your own. I spent a good few minutes looking for an alternative route - the creek had now burst it's banks and split into three channels around trees and spits, effectively creating a series of islands - my only real chance of crossing would be to attempt each in turn, and hope I didn't mis-foot and drop the bike. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nMcgX9r-XL.png https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hd9vkPL-XL.png You'll have to wait until I get home again and edit the video, but lets just say it felt like an epic achievement once I'd finally made it across that last channel - my feet soaking, and the evening drawing in... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MHsPfwj-XL.jpg photo. And still there was no sign of a proper road! Ultimately, I followed my GPS road across another pasture (the long grass hiding what I feared could be a multitude of riverlettes and sink-holes), until I eventually spied a house in the distance. It was a big fancy house - a hunting lodge style log building - two stories high with a manicured driveway out front. I factored that at least there now ought to be a proper road connecting this property to the outside world (just as long as it didn't have fancy electronic gates or something!) and as I approached the boundary, the 'road' (such as it was) I was following had been fenced across with no way through - instead a pair of gates linked my trail to their driveway via a paddock. I may very well have to turn on the charm here I thought. Again, I was relieved to find both these gates were unlocked, and although there was no sign of life in or around the house itself, I offered a tentative wave of gratitude as I beat a hasty path towards freedom. No electronic gates, just a gravel road and then finally, pavement. What a resounding result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5Nc224p-XL.jpg photo. I can't recall the last time I was so relieved to find a paved highway! - and if you notice, a rainbow appeared as if to celebrate too! I rejoined hwy 89, and tapped the 'find fuel' button on my GPS. Amazingly, my reserve fuel light had not actually started flashing yet (at 239 miles), although it soon did - and it was a lot further to Livingston than I imagined (and I foolishly rode past a small unmanned fuel station at Clyde Park a few miles to the north). Creeping into town on fumes again (actually, I think the reserve on the CB is far larger than the gauge suggests - I've subsequently seen 0.6 flashing, and there was apparently still 2 litres in the tank, but that's another story you'll have to wait a little longer for...), I topped off the tank and set about googling for a reasonably priced motel - although being cold and wet and tired, I was not going to be that choosy... and it's a good job, as everywhere in town was well over $100, with a lot charging $200 or more - this being the 'Gateway to Yosemite' as the local Chamber of Commerce would have you believe... Shit. I eventually found a Budget Host at the far end of town that was $89 - more than I wanted to spend, but it was warm and dry, and the lady on reception exceptionally cheery and informative about not only what Montana had to offer the travelling tourist, but seeming half the United States too! I'd rolled into town just as the sun was setting, and figured that since my feet were already soaked it wouldn't hurt to take advantage of the evening light, and head back out on the bike (helmet-less this time, it is Montana after all!) for a quick spin and photograph a few of the old buildings and neon signs that pepper this particular outpost of the Old West: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fzRk2Ns-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4BQmFhS-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FhxWwZg-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Mvtf6rn-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...nvwBNQ8-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...H4sPfMc-XL.jpg And with that I retired to my room, stuffed my boots full of newspaper and took full advantage of the hotel hot water system! It had been a long and eventful day, but I really felt I'd sucked the marrow out of Montana - all I needed to do now was finally join the dots to Red Lodge (the northern/Montana end of the Beartooth Highway), then I could bank all these GPS tracks get on with my journey east once more... More soon! Jenny x |
Right, shall we crack on then?
Day 18: Friday 30th June - Livingston MT to Sheridan WY (375 miles) "Golden haul" So to recap - I'd crossed into Montana on Tuesday morning, and after an epic day on the trails in the north western corner (having had to forfeit the Going-to-the-Sun highway through Glacier National park being closed due to snow), decided to forfeit visiting Yellowstone and instead plot a far more elaborate off-road (or at least dirt-road) route diagonally south through the state, to ultimately join up with another 'Gold' road - the Beartooth Highway, that crosses the Montana/Wyoming border at around 11,000ft - before continuing my journey east through northern Wyoming... I liked Livingston - yes it was expensive accommodation wise, but the brick buildings and neon signs appealed to my aesthetic sense, while "Chadz" coffee house appealed equally to my tastebuds - great coffee and an excellent smoothie, served by a comic if somewhat curt pair of young guys behind the counter, one of which I presume was Chad himself? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xrRRRBt-XL.jpg photo. what do you do with your old towels if you run a budget hotel in Livingston? Make them into curtains of course... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...z2CkmgR-XL.jpg photo. the old 'newspaper overnight to dry your boots out' trick will be familiar to anyone who trail-rides in the UK... they are dry enough not to be uncomfortable the next day. There is an excellent dirt road [Swingley Rd] right out of Livingston - an excellent way to warm up for the day ahead as it wound up into the foothills, passing some fancy ranch properties where presumably rich Montanans go to live a little way off the grid: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Skbxf7H-XL.jpg Similarly Big Timber (on I90) is another smarter residential area, and I stayed off the interstate on the old hwy 10 route to Quebec (riding between the railroad and the interstate for a few miles, I felt was the perfect metaphor for how cross country travel has changed over the last century), before picking up dirt once again - heading for Red Lodge and the Montana end of the Beartooth Highway. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vrF3WWK-XL.jpg photo. the Bozeman Trail is another long-distance gold pioneer route that joined the gold fields of Montana through Wyoming from what was the original east-west Oregon Trail. Staying off the paved hwy 78 as much as I could, it was an enjoyable morning zig-zagging between working ranches and holiday properties in the shadow of Bare Mountain and the imposing Wyoming border beyond, all the way into Red Lodge. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tTkb38G-XL.jpg photo. 'Merica! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...t4SGFSV-XL.jpg photo. I initially marked this coffee stand as my 'official' end/start point of my Trans-Montana route... although once I rode south down main street, I found there were any number of cafes, bars and restaurants that would make an equally suitable and more salubrious rendezvous point. Suitably refreshed with another smoothie and coffee'd up with a large espresso, it was time to make tracks east, by initially going west... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3GX8m82-XL.jpg photo. Heading up Beartooth Highway - hwy 212 - south west towards Wyoming... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QGNwnpH-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...htLNCmv-XL.jpg photo. Snow banks remained towards the summit pass (10,947ft), although the road itself is ploughed and well-maintained. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WG46Ptn-XL.jpg photo. Starting down the Wyoming side... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2KXSX6W-XL.jpg photo. The Beartooth Highway is not just a Gold road on the Butler maps, but is world-class by any motorcycle standard - a top-ten if not top-five in the world! Once you drop below the snow line, if you continue west on hwy 212 you ultimately enter Yellowstone National Park from the east side; but if riding some awesome remote twisty highway is your end game, then a far better alternative is to turn hard left onto highway 296, and head back east on the Cheif Joseph Scenic Byway that passes through the Shoshone National Forest, topping out at 8,060ft over Dead Indian Pass - another Gold road on the Butler maps. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rZVC2CF-XL.jpg photo. looking back west from the top of Dead Indian Pass - I had ridden the whole of this Red and Gold road from the junction of hwy 212 with no other traffic in front of me, except for two pick-ups in last few hundred yards to the summit. Wonderful! Dropping down the far side, I spied a suitable looking dirt-road in my GPS that cut across the desert, which would spit me out in Powell, just in time for afternoon tea (well, coffee and a sandwich to be precise)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JKrQzt8-XL.jpg photo. my first dirt in Wyoming - Sand Coulee Rd - this trail reminded me a lot of Nevada or Utah. After an excellent sandwich at 'Uncommon Grounds' - an independent coffee shop in Powell (so good I marked it in my GPS as a waypoint for future reference!) I fell more than ready to continue east into this warm summer evening, and rattled off another two Gold roads in the process - crossing the Big Horn Mountains on the Medicine Wheel Passage Scenic Byway (hwy alt14): https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...f4NPKfg-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rNdxMr7-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vS5kvKS-XL.jpg ...before cutting another corner on a delightful dirt road all the way into Sheridan, to find a hotel. It really had been a perfect 'adventure riding' day - a mix of easy dirt roads, more technical sandy trails, and punctuated in large parts by some truly epic paved mountain highways - indeed the Brits had collected 4 Golds in a single day today! Throughout there had been stunning vistas, very little traffic, some good coffee and excellent smoothies - in fact the only dampener to the whole day was finding out that Sheridan is another of those towns where you can't get a cheap hotel - or at least not one you'd want to stay in. I settled for a Super-8 on the outskirts of town, negotiated the rack-rate down to what Expedia had promised, and settled in for the night. I'd not really planned much for Wyoming (my goal for the weekend was to visit Deadwood and the Black Hills in south Dakota), and the prospect of a long interstate shlep did not really appeal, but at least it would get me to South Dakota by tomorrow afternoon... I then got a text from Lisa: "Are you going to visit the Devil's Tower?" - of course, that's in bloody Wyoming isn't it - and I'd almost be going past the door... time to formulate a [slightly] alternative route that would give me a closer encounter! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 19: Saturday 1st of July - Sheridan WY to Deadwood SD (272 miles)
"Cowboys and Aliens... and Pirates" Sketchy wifi, no guest laundry and being woken at 5.45am by another f**king train (a word of warning - the Super-8 in Sheridan backs onto a freight railway line - avoid!) meant there was little that had endeared me to this particular establishment, in fact the only saving grace was the prospect of a breakfast waffle machine... indeed had it been out of commission I am confident the Super-8 in Sheridan would have been burnt to the ground for the good of all travellers coming behind me. As I chewed over my second* crispy syrupy delectation (*well, there was a long day ahead and it wasn't even 7am yet), I considered how people who live this far north and central - so far away from Washington, New York or Hollywood - can so easily consider those places [and people] as alien - the current political climate and ecological issues (never mind any superficial celebrity 'news') seemingly having little if any bearing on their day to day life here in rural America... there sure are a lot of churches here though! Having been gifted this early morning thanks to the BNSF railway company (bastards!), I'd already plotted a route east on dirt roads across the desert to Gillette, followed by a short interstate section before heading north on the scenic hwy 14 towards the Devil's Tower... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Brt28JD-XL.jpg photo. Fortunately, the weather was... The route due east out of town (past the Motel 6 if you're planning on staying there - it's not cheap either, but at least it's away from the damn railway line!) started out on fast gravel, before deteriorating into softer sandy two-track after I crossed over hwy 14 and headed south east for Gillette. It was a close shave, but I think I avoided any obvious puns as I picked up I90 for thirty odd miles, before turning north on hwy 14 towards the Devil's Tower - which is the USA's first designated National Monument, trivia fans... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vcsmd4N-XL.jpg photos. I was able to take a good number of photos of the Tower from a distance, but elected to skip the actual visitor centre and associated hike as it was already busy on this holiday weekend Saturday morning, with lines of traffic queuing to enter the park. Rather than retrace a few steps south, my Butler map revealed another dirt road a little further north that would connect the cowboy/rodeo town of Hulett to Sundance - and Hulett was certainly worth the visit, if only for the old west ambiance and particularly good sandwiches at this particular joint - heartily recommended! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...L57qcrQ-XL.jpg Over lunch I considered that not only had I been spending a lot more money than I'd intended on hotels these past couple of weeks (and cursing lugging my camping gear with me while not actually using it, especially every time it had got soaked and needed drying out and repacking); but coupled with the fact I was now heading to a major tourist destination, over one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year (July 4th), felt I'd have no option but to start camping, starting tonight... Fortunately there were a number of commercial campgrounds listed in my GPS around Deadwood and the Black Hills, so the risk of being eaten by a bear would be greatly diminished I felt. With that decided, it was time to hit the trails, and head towards the location of another of my favourite TV shows: Deadwood* *Note. I realise that [unlike Twin Peaks] the TV show Deadwood was not actually filmed there on location in South Dakota, and that indeed the current town was vastly different to the original wooden mining camp of 1876 where the show was set. But my main reason for visiting was actually to pay respects at the real-life graves of wild west legends Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock, among others of course. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tn9fZhT-XL.jpg photo. The trail south [through the Black Hills National Forest] towards Sundance went this way according to the 'shortest route' in my GPS (always worth a punt in my experience)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cLPzzWW-XL.jpg photo. ...despite being denied, the alternative loop back to the main road was no less fun than that initial decent too! I picked a through-route on dirt roads and trails from Sundance across the State-line towards Roughlock Falls (a popular area for OHVs, and rental SSVs particularly), and rather than ride straight into Deadwood on the highway via Cheyenne Crossing - a scenic and popular route in itself, especially with the Pirate brigade it would seem - the Garmin revealed what turned out to be an absolutely corking OHV route up and over the mountain in between, past the Terry Peak ski resort: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PdPMgBq-XL.jpg photo. Yes, Deadwood actually has a ski resort - who would have guessed?! The whole afternoon had been one surprise after another... I hadn't really considered that a lot of this part of the country is also at high elevation, which in turn is riddled with old mining dirt roads and trails, and some stunning scenic highways to ride too. Of course I now realise why Sturgis [bike week] is held where it is - not only is the [road] riding and scenery exceptional around the Black Hills, but you also have any number of premier visitor attractions such as Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood, Custer State Park [Needles Highway] and the legendary Iron Mountain Road*; while for the off-road fanatic [be that on two or four wheels] - as I was increasingly finding out, there is a huge network of OHV trails though the forests too! *note. There isn't currently a Butler map for South Dakota, but if there was, Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway would be Gold standard motorcycle routes for sure, and were certainly on my list to ride this trip... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...CRNk9tn-XL.jpg photo. Despite the whole town being rebuilt in brick [and therefore bearing little resemblance to the original wooden camp], key locations are suitably marked to help us hapless tourists navigate between the copious casinos and tacky souvenir shops... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2HCnbjb-XL.jpg photo. Seth Bullock was one of the original pioneers (and ultimately the first Sheriff) of Deadwood, and his name became synonymous with the city as it grew over the years. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fkD22W8-XL.jpg photo. this was originally a little wooden shack back in 1876. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...s7VzCMS-XL.jpg photo. Fancy designer hat shop - a refreshing if expensive alternative to the tacky t-shirts and caps for sale up and down main street. I'd enjoyed visiting the miniature model railway in the basement of one of the tourist shops (pay a dollar, watch it run for ten minutes - who'd not love that?!), felt slightly peeved at paying five bucks for half a glass of rootbeer and a scoop of cheap vanilla ice-cream in the Wild Bill Bar, and ultimately couldn't stand the crowds and noise that filled the town - not least the steady procession of Harley hogs with open pipes flatulating their way up and down Main St. - no one is ****ing impressed by your exhaust you douches! I sought a little solitude a short way up what turned out to be a surprisingly steep hill - where Mount Moriah Cemetery is situated, overlooking the town. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...w7Czm5g-XL.jpg photo. the graves* of Calamity Jane and her unrequited love, Wild Bill Hickok. Through the trees you can just see some of the roof-tops of the town - it was a damn long way up here! *note for history buffs - the original Ingleside Cemetery (and Hickok's original grave) was further down the hill nearer the town, but was moved to this new and much larger location in 1878 - presumably as it was getting too full with all the lawlessness at the time! Interestingly, houses have long since been built on the original cemetery site, and as recently as 2012 remains of an original gold-rush pioneer were dug up in someone's backyard! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wTqz5Mk-XL.jpg photo. And blow me if Seth Bullock (and his wife Martha) are not buried even higher up the hill - another 778ft up the hill! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DJzhTqg-XL.jpg photo. Still, it is a beautiful spot to be laid to rest. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hBrXW4X-XL.jpg photo. Just in case you have any trouble finding it... it's even in the Garmin Topo maps! As the sun began to slip down behind the tree-line, I felt Deadwood had finally begun to redeem itself. I'm not a religious person, nor do I care much for mawkish reverence of graves in general; but the tranquility of this place, high above the Sin City below, was refreshing... and I left Deadwood behind with a sense of calm, ready to set up camp a few miles down the road, and consider my next move. Stay tuned! Jx |
Day 20: Sunday 2nd July - Deadwood SD to Sioux Falls SD (505 miles)
"Black Hills gold - the motherlode" I freely admit I'd forgotten how much of a faff it is breaking-camp compared to leaving a motel - especially when you've been camping on grass at altitude and everything is damp. I'd been awake since 6am and now it was after eight! Airing my tent while I snaffled down a Clif bar and coffee for breakfast, I'd got chatting to a couple of Goldwing riders who had camped in the spot opposite. They'd ridden over from the east side of the State (one of them tugging a trailer!) and regularly ride the Black Hills, so were a great source of information regarding those 'must ride' routes... thank you! Of course I already had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see - the only proviso was that I'd accepted a generous invitation to spend Tuesday (the 4th of July) with a friend and his family on the North Shore of Lake Superior, which was still a good two-days' ride away (850 miles direct, or thereabouts). But at the same time, I wasn't going to forfeit all this excellent riding just to shelp along an interstate... I rolled out of camp around 8.30am, and fuelled up on premium (no ethanol!) at a gas-stop a couple of miles down the road - jostling for position at the pumps with dozens of side-by-sides and ATVs, many of them rentals by the look of it - although interestingly it seems that Polaris (and their ilk) are quickly becoming the OHV of choice compared to the otherwise ubiquitous Jeep of one size and shape or another... with any number of privately owned examples, hugely modified and being trailered in to what I was soon to realise was a honey-pot of OHV trails! Once again I trusted my Garmin's 'shortest route' function to plot an alternative to the paved highway, right through the middle of a huge OHV trail network - heading generally south past Custer Peak via Mystic and ultimately Hill City on hwy 395. From here, I planned to continue south on pavement and visit the Crazy Horse Memorial (still under construction of course), then double back through Custer State park on the Needles Highway, before passing by Mt. Rushmore, and finally leaving the Black Hills behind via the epic Iron Mountain Road (hwy 16a)... But first, it was time to hit the trails - and boy, what trails they turned out to be! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rZQFp3C-XL.jpg photo. I hoped this was not the lasting memory I'd take away... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2TZhw4r-XL.jpg photo. This was starting to get interesting... The network started out on easy wide gravel trails - ideal access for any rigs and campers trailering in OHV vehicles I'm sure. Soon enough I was faced with a choice - continue on the wide gravel [Rochford] road, or take a minor trail ominously named "Bloody Gulch" - well, which would you choose? - exactly! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DkbJZqW-XL.jpg As the network continued to take me deeper into the forest, so too the trails started to get more narrow and less maintained - although I figured that since they all had [OHV] route numbers, it was likely that someone had already been down here before me this season, and most likely on an ATV or in an SSV, so would have cleared any fallen trees and other debris that might otherwise mess up my morning... Sure enough, while one NF trail was particularly overgrown and washed out, there was always enough room to get a bike through - priceless! While I can always trust my Garmin to hunt out the best trails, I still tend to utilise my 'coffee nose' when searching for a decent espresso - and sure enough, back on the highway south of Hill City (I mention it particularly for the following reason), the Pine Rest Cabins [hotel] also has a fantastic espresso bar behind their check-in counter - what a result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sNnxNJp-XL.jpg photo. The Crazy Horse Memorial is only partially finished - although the face itself is already 50% taller than those on nearby Mt. Rushmore. Ultimately the intention is to carve the whole mountain into a huge rider and horse's head that will stand 563ft tall! Although the entry lines were not excessive, I decided that since I was already on a roll this morning, to continue onwards and make the most of the rest of the day, all the while continuing my long journey east... A few miles further south of Crazy Horse is Custer, and highway 16A east of here passes though part of the State Park, which requires a fee - however, I was pleased to learn (and pass this information on for anyone else planning on visiting the area) that as long as you promise not to stop and use any of the park facilities you can continue east without paying the $10 entry fee. However, as I was soon to find out, if you then want to head north again on Needles Highway (hwy 87), they'll get you at a second entry booth. Ah well... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vqb4Qsk-XL.png photo. The Needle's Eye tunnel on hwy 87 (Needles Highway) in Custer State Park. Needles Highway is an excellent twisty and mostly narrow (and even single lane in places) scenic highway, that winds though canyons and along terraces surrounded by huge monolithic rocks - reminiscent of southern Utah. I'd suggest it's certainly worthy of a Gold status once Butler finally get around to it, however - and I had been warned by my new friends on the Goldwings earlier that morning - it's best to ride it very early in the morning, since by Sunday lunchtime, especially on a major holiday weekend, it was crawling with slow cars and campers. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3z8LZ7D-XL.png photo. Chaos at almost every lay-by and parking lot... (who thought it would be a good idea to try and bring an RV through this tunnel?!) I wouldn't say don't ride it - especially if like me, it was your first time here - but I'm confident you'll have equally as much fun if you stick to hwy 89 [north] out of Custer, and you'll avoid the fee and the traffic - especially if it's after 9am. Once again I trusted my Garmin to cut a corner on dirt, and swooped down hwy 224 heading east - towards the entrance to Mt. Rushmore. My. God. The traffic here was horrendous! Fortunately for me, it was all heading uphill in the other direction - both lanes locked solid for over three miles, going nowhere. Being a National Monument, they do not charge for entry; however, they do charge $10 (per vehicle) for parking, and by early afternoon it was now one-in one-out, and suck-it-up buttercup. I parked the CB on a grass verge, and grabbed a quick photo with the camera in my pocket - pleasantly surprised that you could actually see the facade in full view of the entrance station, rather that have it tucked around a corner forcing you to queue and pay. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gxjPKs7-XL.jpg photo. We all know what it looks like, but still it is equally impressive in person. There wasn't a chance in hell I was going to wait to enter the facility itself (even though they were letting traffic turn left across the highway from the direction I was heading in), so hopped back on and sped off downhill, for my date with the legendary Iron Mountain Road. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...k8HhJNV-XL.jpg photo. Riding though this tunnel in the opposite direction, I saw a photographer standing at the far end, and sure enough, recalling what the Goldwing riders had told me that morning, stopped at the exit and turned around - wow! (I'm sure this tunnel was carved at the precise angle to give you this reaction!) Iron Mountain road is certainly worthy of it's reputation - twisty enough to be entertaining, but not so much that the Sturgis/Harley crowd can't make the corners - well, most of them at least... Initially there was far less traffic to contend with, and I carved the pig-tail bridges with utter glee (why did they build them? - presumably just because they can!) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SbhMkBp-XL.png photo. There are a series of these 'pig-tail' bridges on the northern section of Iron Mountain Road (winding 360° or more) - huge fun! However, almost inevitably I ended up as part of either a Harley parade, or else a line of frustrated four-wheelers stuck behind an RV or tourist SUV... Now I'm aware of the irony here of course - after all I am a tourist too and "Don't blame the traffic, you are the traffic" as the bumper-sticker says, regardless of the vehicle you choose... But hell, when you're on a motorcycle, sitting behind a huge SUV with blacked-out windows crawling along erratically at 25 mph is like sitting behind a fat guy in a hat in the cinema... note. While you can usually zip past slower traffic on a motorcycle, the problem with Iron Mountain Road is it is so twisty, that it is not really prudent to take such risks - not least as you'd have to be quite aggressive, and that is inevitably going to piss other road-users off... Ultimately, I ended up conceding, pulling over to the side of the road for a few minutes and just waiting - typically until another vehicle appeared in my mirror (to give me the maximum gap between the vehicles ahead) - and then riding the twisty sections with a relatively clear view. Again, this is road for early mornings, or late afternoons - and ideally a little out of season. If you were hoping to find a decent meal in Hermosa SD, think again. On either side of the dusty road there were basically two halves of ****-all, and I ended up with a lame gas-station sandwich at the Flying J on the main highway. It was already mid-afternoon, and from here I would have to head resolutely east now if there was any chance of making it to the State line (with Minnesota) by nightfall... While I could have headed a few miles north for Rapid City and the Interstate, there was a pretty clear diagonal [on dirt for a good distance] that would also take me though the Badlands National Park... that was decided then - and the CB absolutely nailed the next 40 miles in as many minutes on sweeping gravel farm roads - perfect! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZsnNR64-XL.png photo. although hwy 337 does cut through the eastern end of Badlands National Park, being after 4.30pm the entrance station waved me though with no fee - result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NvFBSkQ-XL.png photo. My route gave me a taste of the Badlands - you really need to ride hwy 240 though the middle of the park to get the full effect. Ultimately I joined I90 east of Badlands, and there was still 275 miles to go to my intended destination - Sioux Falls. The interior of South Dakota was now particularly hot and oppressive - proper roasty! I stopped for a Subway and to top up my Camelbak with ice from their soda machine, laying to rest the ghost of the nasty Flying J sandwich and weak warm tea from earlier... setting off again with jacket flapping open and gloves stashed in my pocket, iPod dialled up to the max. I rolled into a Motel-6 car-park a little after 10pm that evening, having covered over half an Iron-Butt since breakfast. Today, perhaps more than any other day since I've owned it, exemplified just how good an all-round, all-terrain travel bike the Rally Raid CB500X is... I'd started out that morning with over 50 miles of pukka ATV trails, in the Black Hills OHV network between Deadwood and Hill City - then carved the mountain twisties on Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road (and stopped briefly to take some tourist photos too of course!). After lunch, I then hammered out 40 miles of gravel roads at 60mph or more like I was on some open-class rally bike, followed by another 365 miles of highway and Interstate, almost all of which was covered at a steady 75mph (the legal limit of South Dakota of course ;o) Not once had the bike complained, nor even hinted it might let me down - and not once did I ever wish I was on anything other the CB... It was better at everything than you might expect - felt like a big dirt bike on the dirt, and a street bike on the highway. In fact I'd go as far as to say it was actually better at both sides of the coin than you'd ever think possible - not just a genuine 50/50 bike, but it's actually a 60/60 bike if you see what I mean? Honestly, I consider this an exceptional travel machine - and without a doubt the best ALL-terrain adventure bike I've ever ridden! Anyway, with that conclusion, it was time to get some sleep - it would be another long [highway] day tomorrow if I was to reach the North Shore of Lake Superior as planned; and being Minnesota, there were a couple of pop-culture sights I also intended to visit along the way... More soon! Jenny x |
Day 21: Monday 3rd July - Sioux Falls SD to Tofte MN (487 miles)
"Dearly Beloved..." We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life... But first, we've got a huge chunk of highway to cover before we reach Minneapolis - the best part of 250 miles... Today was all about getting north as quickly as possible. That is not to dismiss southern Minnesota out of hand - it was a pleasant trip, in warm sunny weather - farmers fields flashing by on either side and Prince's Greatest Hits on permanent rotation in my helmet speakers (yes, I'd 'upgraded' to a Sena intercom for this trip, although if I'm honest at higher speeds, I still prefer traditional ear-buds to help cancel the wind noise more effectively...), but I was on a mission to honour my commitment this evening, and arrive at what was effectively the Canadian border before sundown. There really was only one place I wanted to visit in the city, and as it turns out, it's just off the main I94 ring-road too - but my route in from the west could easily take me past Lake Minnetonka too, another location (or not as it turns out) from the movie Purple Rain. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QF2QNwf-XL.jpg photo. Piglet doing his best Apollonia impression - in this case, yes, that actually is Lake Minnetonka... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...z2HVZ93-XL.jpg photo. Minneapolis was mercifully free of traffic mid-afternoon. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DBbFPzC-XL.jpg photo. The surface streets were almost deserted too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kFwCD4P-X2.jpg photo. So much so I was even able to pose my bike directly opposite First Ave. (and the 'famous' 7th St. entrance). As I snapped away, I noticed through the viewfinder that a butterfly had landed on the corner of my wind screen, and was fluttering in the warm breeze - a perfectly poetic and allegoric moment I thought - Prince being the ultimate 'Pop butterfly' of course... The analogy even more appropriate when on approaching, it turns out this particular butterfly was very much dead. I'd enjoyed taking a moment at this iconic 80's music mecca, but the afternoon heat in the city was stifling, and I was also aware that actually I was still only about half way to my final destination that evening - and it would be rude to arrive late when I was being so graciously hosted at a friend's family reunion. I utilised Minnesota's Interstate network once more for another one hundred and fifty miles (Sorry Wisconsin, we're gonna have to leave it for another time), with the aim of dropping by another pop culture location en route - immortalised by Gore Vidal in his eponymous novel Duluth. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...T7xcnR5-XL.jpg photo. Love it or loathe it, you can never leave it or lose it... (I don't mean the bike you fools!) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3Jf67M6-XL.jpg photo. If you've read the book, you'll see the relevance - I actually happened on this building quite by chance, as I stopped to reprogram my GPS! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WRtJTgj-XL.jpg photo. Although I was conscious of time now, I did spend a short while poking around the waterfront. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pqQTzb5-XL.jpg photo. Maybe I need an Instagram account? And with that, it was back on the highway, heading north along the lake for the tiny town of Tofte. Noah had given me the address of his parent's house, and on tapping it into my GPS, the screen suggested it was actually on the lake side of the highway... Waterfront property on Lake Superior? - Wow, just what had I let myself in for? - I couldn't wait to see it! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 22: Tuesday 4th July - Tofte MN to the shore and back again... (0 miles)
"Happy holiday - quitters!" I'd been made so welcome by everyone who had gathered at the Horak homestead - and boy there were a lot of people! - siblings, parents, cousins, second cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, together with an even further extended family that may or may not have been blood related, it really didn't matter! Having arrived in good time the evening before - I was immediately introduced to any number of cheery faces in far too rapid succession for my little brain to cope with, plied with food, and ended up drinking whiskey until the small hours with Noah and a couple of cousins down on the rocky shoreline that was part of his parents' property. This really was a little piece of heaven, and was going to be the perfect way to celebrate what is arguably Americas most favourite holiday - July 4th* *I will say it this way only once... otherwise it's the 4th of July, you quitters! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gqJZRvJ-XL.jpg photo. an utterly stunning location, a series of holiday cabins on the shore of Lake Superior. There was a packed programme (again, note the spelling - you ungrateful bunch!) of activity scheduled for the whole day today... First of all, coffee of course - brewed in fine style in a vintage glass flask, and sipped at a leisurely pace while watching the sun rise though picture windows, that offered a panoramic view across the lake. Then we all crammed into a succession of vehicles for a short ride into town... The Tofte Trek is an institution - a 10k (yes, that's in kilometres - you philistines!) fund-raising 'fun run' that some people actually take surprisingly seriously. It was actually Noah's father who started the event 30 years ago, and now every year on the morning of July 4th (dang, I did it again...) over 200 people turn out in this tiny town to cross-country run through the local wilderness, often getting filthy in the process! Lunch back at the house was a huge family affair - with even more people having arrived throughout the morning it appeared - the centre piece being a huge brisket that Noah had smoked since the early hours. With most of us having drunk far too much in the heat of the day, those of us not already snoozing it off elected to ride bicycles back into town to watch the afternoon parade - fire engines, farm machinery, vintage cars and majorettes - as a Brit I particularly revelled in the damn wholesomeness of it all! Weaving our way back to the cabins later that afternoon, we embarked on another huge barbecue for dinner, before returning to town once more for the grand finale - a huge firework display, held over the rocky shore of the lake. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QzhvBkj-X2.jpg photo. It was an impressive display, made more magical by the fact the whole town were perched on the rocks, wrapped in blankets, looking like a collection of sea-lions! Ultimately it was another late night chatting and drinking with the handful of us who'd found some semblance of stamina to stay awake... and the perfect way to wrap up a wonderful day! cont. |
Day 23: Wednesday 5th July - Tofte MN to Wawa ON (652km = 408 miles)
"Beach bummer..." I'd had an absolutely fabulous time with Noah and his family, and after three weeks on the road, had really enjoyed not having to get on my bike for a whole day... However, I was also aware that taking a break so close to my next commitment - the Overland Adventure Rally which is held each year just outside Toronto, in Campbellville Ontario - meant the rest of this week would require a couple of long days if I were to arrive before the official start on Friday... with the venue still almost* a thousand miles away if I were to take my intended route around the top of Lake Superior. (*979 miles according to Google) As usual it took far too long for me to say goodbye - waylaid by pancakes and coffee and the sweetest send-off from the family - and I rolled back onto the highway intending to get the hammer down... Fuelling up in Grand Marais (conscious that fuel was going to be cheaper here in the US than once I'd crossed into Canada again), the road ran right alongside the shore at this point, and I was momentarily distracted by what I felt would be a great photo opportunity, and a fond farewell to Minnesota: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4LtLP4Q-XL.jpg photo. It seemed like a good idea at the time... However, having ridden down the shale bank and posed the bike on the pebbles, I soon found myself in a bit of a predicament: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TnsLkRD-XL.jpg photo. I'd already removed my luggage, but the full tank of fuel was not helping matters either! I've been in similar situations before with a big bike (I'm thinking back to my Tenere in the Mauritanian desert), but typically this is almost always on sand, and this was a LOT worse... No matter what I tried, the bike would simply dig-down with the merest touch of the throttle - and this burrowing was compounded the moment I tried to point the beast up hill... Backfilling the hole as best I could and using all my strength to almost drag the bike round parallel with the water, I set it on the side stand and walked back along the beach to see if there was a slightly more gentle slope I might attempt - clearly the only really chance was to try and get enough of a run-up on the more level beach, and use momentum to carry me up any incline. Ultimately I must have tried three or four times - both running alongside the bike (in an effort to have it effectively float on top of the stones), and also seated to try and gain a little more speed - and each time the bike either bogged before the climb, or else dug-in on the diagonal the moment the front wheel started to climb - despite having aired the rear tyre right down. After what must have been half an hour or more, I admit I was pretty much exhausted by now, and there came a point that I even contemplated phoning Noah to come and give me a hand... but knew that to a fellow solo adventure rider, that was a lame option - and one that I'd never hear the end of ;o) Of course I eventually escaped the clutches of the shale - stripped down to just my boots, a t-shirt and jeans - I extended my run-up, jumped back on the bike, slipped the clutch like a drag racer and managed to snick second before it dug-in again, and held on for dear life as I fishtailed up the slope in a shallow diagonal direction - not letting up until the front wheel crested the bank, stones spitting like gatling gun from the rear, and the tarmac was in sight at last! Whether the original photo was worth all the massive effort was something I would contemplate for much of the rest of the day... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Dn88pjm-XL.png photo. Canadian border crossing - a very different and far more congenial experience to the last time I was heading north near Vancouver, in the traffic and the rain... Despite getting delayed on the beach earlier, I was confident I'd be able to make it approximately half way today, find somewhere to stay, and press on early the next morning to arrive in good time by the following evening... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...f9bdqDs-XL.jpg photo. Canadian hwy 17 is particularly scenic - skirting the Lake Superior shoreline from Thunder Bay to Heron Bay, before it starts to head inland... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NGHQw3d-XL.jpg photo. It's not real... if it was, at this size it would be terrifying! I rolled into Wawa on the west side of the Lake just as the sun was setting, shamed myself in Tim Horton's with a sticky bun, and made use of their free wifi* to try and find a hotel... *My UK cell-phone provider allows me to use my bundled minutes and data when I'm in the USA, but not in Canada - so I had to remember to switch off my data roaming once north of the border... It's ironic really (what with the Commonwealth and all that ;o), and especially since cell phone coverage in Canada seems to be much better than the US in general! ...unfortunately it appeared every hotel in town was fully booked - what? on this, a Wednesday night? A quick ride up the main drag confirmed this with a succession of No Vacancy neon, and I had no choice be to continue south until I found a motel that appeared to have rooms available. The lobby smelt of weed and $110 CAN smarted, but what other option did I have? It turns out there was massive road construction going on all along the highway south of here, and the road crews had booked pretty much every room in town. cont. |
Day 24: Thursday 6th July - Wawa ON to Campbellville ON (946km = 591 miles)
"The final push..." I'd set my alarm for 6.30am - there was no chance of breakfast at this joint, so made do with a Jet-boil coffee and crunch bar in the room. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...L5VRx8W-XL.jpg photo. This made me laugh... it was about as far away from the Marriot Plaza as you could get - both literally and metaphorically... Hitting the road just after 7am, my GPS was optimistically suggesting I'd arrive at the Overland Adventure Rally venue by about 5pm (using the fastest not the shortest route - which would actually take longer), with the best part of a thousand kilometres still to go - yes, I'd not made it quite as far as halfway yesterday as I'd originally hoped... Initially I was riding in thick fog (Wawa is actually pretty close to the edge of the lake again), and coupled with the broken roadway, cones and construction traffic, this made for an interesting introduction to the day. The miles simply flew by, punctuated by coffee and fuel stops, and the odd contra-flow and road-works pilot-car parade. In fact the only really memorable moment from today was once I'd started heading due south towards Toronto (still around 300kms out), having not bothered to top off my fuel previously as I'd factored there would be plenty of fuel stations on this main route... I was wrong. The trip meter clicked over into the reserve zone, and still there was nothing... another 20 miles went by and I tapped 'find fuel' into the GPS, and it said there was a fuel station 35 miles ahead - that's OK I thought. The reserve count-down continued - 0.3, 0.4 - I'd never gone further than 0.4 in what I'd always thought was a half gallon reserve. 0.5 yikes... then, 0.6 - I rolled to a stop opposite where the fuel station was meant to be. A general store all boarded up and abandoned. The next fuel (in my GPS at least) was another 40 miles further south. Shit. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...k2sXXjP-XL.jpg photo. CB500X owners will be familiar with the reserve count-down trip meter. But I trust most of you have not had the misfortune to see this number! I dismounted, crossed the highway, and looked across the empty forecourt. To my utter relief there was a 'We've moved!' sign attached to the chain link fence, and their new location was a campground a couple of kilometres up the side road - I just hoped they'd moved the fuel tanks too... Sure enough, it was a shiny new facility - I topped off the bike, and topped off myself with an ice cream and sugary soft-drink to celebrate this close call*! *I say close call, but in actual fact I still only managed to get 16 litres into the purportedly 17.5l tank... The rest of the ride was uneventful, and I rolled into the Mowhawk Inn & Conference Centre in plenty of time to meet the organisation team, get a bite to eat, and enjoy a few beers with those who'd arrived early as presenters and traders. I'd been scheduled to present my slideshow from the Trans-Am 500 trip on the Saturday evening, so Friday would be about having some fun - and the offer of a Montesa Trials bike (to ride on the permanent trails course the venue has hidden in their woods) was all the incentive I'd need to get up early again tomorrow morning! As I retired to my room, I considered that the 'Northern Exposure' element of this trip was now technically over - from here on, I'd basically be heading south and west to get back home again. Since leaving San Jose I'd already ridden nearly 7000 miles (in the last four days alone just shy of 2000 miles) - and experienced a whole new side to North America. Throughout this journey I'd taken the opportunity to renew old acquaintances and make new friends - visited locations I'd only ever seen in photographs, or as the backdrop to some of my favourite TV shows and Movies - and in between ridden some world-class highways and explored some epic trails... all the while revelling in the magnificence of the scenery, embracing the wilderness, and the sense of freedom that a life lived away from the big cities, crowds and traffic allows. Of course there was still going to be a little more riding in Canada before I resolutely had to head back home - I was especially looking forward to the main Saturday trail-rideout, where I'd get the chance to ride the CB off-road without luggage for a change. There would also be a whole host of faces which I could finally put to names, and online friendships to be strengthened out here in the real world. This is exactly what I'd hoped to achieve from this trip, and so far, everything had exceeded my expectations... More soon! Jenny xx |
Day 25: Friday 7th July - Campbellville ON (0 miles on the CB, maybe 2 miles on a Montesa 4RT...)
"Lay-low Sanz" Turns out I'm not as good on a Trials bike as I thought I might be... To be fair, it's the first time I'd ever ridden a pukka Trials bike (with it's gear lever somewhere near the front tyre - what's that about?!), and I was riding it over some pretty technical obstacles too - the kind of stuff you usually ride around on an ADV or dual-sport bike. But this is something I'm going to need to practice a little more I think... I do love Trials bikes though! Otherwise, the first day of the 2017 Overland Adventure Rally (hosted by Lawrence Hacking - legendary Canadian Dakar Rally racer) was a surprisingly low-key affair - primarily focussed on the vendors and bike importers/dealers setting up their booths, and the early birds getting a few hour's rider training in - hence the opportunity for me to borrow one of their Trials bikes and have a play in the woods ;o) However, as the afternoon arrived, so too did an increasing number of attendees - and by the time the evening presentations began, the hotel car-park was full of all manner of motorcycles - including (in no particular order), a CB500X with a huge guitar amp attached, a KLR with a pair of canoe floats attached, and a KTM 690 with a dog attached (well, technically just laying along the tank - that's how he travels!), interspersed amongst the largest number of [new] Africa Twins I have ever seen assembled in one place... move over BMW, your rein (in Canada at least) is over! Certainly I think Lawrence needs to change the design on his event T-shirt for next year! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...37dRLzG-XL.jpg photo. Canadian singer-songwriter Cassie Tyers (www.cassietyers.com) was the dinner entertainment each evening - she arrived on her CB500X with all her sound gear strapped to the bike! (I think we need to come up with a bespoke luggage set-up for you ;o) From a personal perspective, I finally got to meet a long-time email and internet buddy Patrick Trahan - another [French] Canadian Dakar rider, who more recently has been championing the Honda CRF250L as a viable budget rally bike (see CRF250L Rally) - initially with his own conversion, and earlier this year successfully campaigned the Hellas Rally in Greece on the new official CRF250L 'Rally' model with only minimal additional preparation. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...W4mhPzb-XL.jpg photo. working closely with Honda Canada, Patrick Trahan was onboard a new Africa Twin as his 'company wheels' this weekend... Patrick was the headline presenter on the Friday night, and despite some tech issues with his slide-show, in true rally-rider style this didn't phase him at all, and instead he kept us all captivated with a charismatic tale of his first rally experience back in 1998. cont. |
Day 26: Saturday 8th July - Campbellville ON loop (177 miles)
"Red rockets" The format of the Saturday ride-out was simple enough - there was a choice of route (with optional more technical off-road sections) to a lunch stop and back again, available as a GPS track download. Easy! Some participants chose to ride their route in groups, others alone or in pairs... there were no hard and fast rules. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6PwhgX9-XL.jpg photo. Lawrence hosted the ride-out briefing after breakfast... yes, that's Oliver 'Brokentooth's KLR canoe in the foreground (with a CCM GP450 on it for the show). Patrick and I had chosen to ride the 'hard' route together - primarily as I think we both fancied having a go on each other's bike... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vQchFQk-XL.jpg photo. Patrick is a huge fan of a smaller bike in general, and it was the first time he'd ridden a LEVEL 3 converted CB500X... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NZLq2R3-XL.png photo. That's a frame-grab of me on the Africa Twin - I didn't realise Patrick had pressed record on my GoPro during the ride! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Kb7X8vh-XL.png photo. The Saturday ride route took in a mix of minor paved roads, gravel tracks and some fun two-track and more rocky trails... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8RM9P4T-XL.jpg photo. Throughout the weekend my CB was often referred to as the 'little brother' to the Africa Twin... can't think why... ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5NJn9nM-XL.png photo. A guest of honour this year was Alfonso 'Poncho' Alonzo from Baja California - who has been instrumental in getting the annual Baja Rally up and running in recent years, and someone I'm proud to call a personal friend. We'd had a real laugh all day - ragging our own bikes and each others (where appropriate of course), and at one point I even hit a personal best of 135kph (85 miles an hour) on dirt... The lunch stop was a relaxed affair, with a couple of 'riding challenges' laid on to amuse the assembled throng, and an opportunity to earn extra raffle tickets which would be part of this evening's entertainment... I would also play a small part in the Saturday schedule - being on at 8pm I was effectively the 'warm up' act for Lawrence to host the prize giving, before our headline guest for this year - the charismatic Spanish round-the-world adventurer and Youtube blogger Charly Sinewan (who'd been frantically putting together a summary video [in English] throughout the weekend!) - took to the stage to entertain us all to the end... A bunch of us then retired to the bar, and quite honestly, I don't know exactly what time it was I eventually headed to bed... all I know is it had been a fabulous weekend! But of course in just a few hours, it would now be time to head home again... More soon! Jenny x |
Day 27: Sunday 9th July - Campbellville ON to Youngstown OH (329 miles)
"A [Lake] Erie goodbye..." The journey towards Niagara Falls was tedious. Three lanes of traffic crawling around the bay, and coming to a standstill at every intersection. Charly (Sinewan) and Poncho had planned to spend the Sunday sightseeing, and as I was heading south in the same direction, elected to join them - riding along behind their car through the Sunday lunchtime traffic - as I quite fancied seeing what all this waterfall fuss was about too. However, after an hour or more of stop-start riding in the midday sun, I pulled alongside, waved an apologetic goodbye through the window, and made a bee-line inland for the hills, following my GPS for an alternative route away from all this chaos. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...s46mVgb-XL.jpg photo. hwy 20 turned out to be a far more appealing route towards Niagara Falls, rather than sitting in the traffic on the Queen Elizabeth Way around the edge of Lake Ontario. I have to admit, I fear in the past I must have always confused Niagara Falls with Victoria Falls... (doh, wrong continent - ed). I had imagined this huge waterfall in a remote location, surrounded by forest, with few tourists and plenty of opportunity to take all the time you like in contemplation of the power of nature and our comparative insignificance in the world... but it turns out Niagara Falls is like a shabby Las Vegas with a huge hole in the ground. Of course I'd subsequently googled Niagara Falls prior to starting this trip - and when I realised how close it was the Overland Adventure Rally venue (and the US border) quickly incorporated into my ongoing itinerary - so I was aware that there were effectively two huge cities on either side of the river... but still I wasn't prepared for just how 'touristy' it turned out to be. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9wLDpXz-XL.jpg photo. I'm not sure how many people bother to photograph this side of Niagara Falls! Yes, I realise that once again I was visiting a major International tourist attraction on a Sunday afternoon at the hight of summer - but this was ghastly. Countless coaches jostled for position on the parkway, and there was certainly no stopping anywhere other than the official car-park, which would then relieve you of twenty-two Canadian dollars for that dubious pleasure. Being on a bike I did mount the verge briefly (to snatch that photo above), but actually facing the falls there was no photo opportunity whatsoever, unless you were prepared to make a day of it, park and then walk of course... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gW9v69M-XL.png photo. The falls themselves are certainly impressive... the overall ambiance slightly less so though. I resorted to a couple of ride-bys with my helmet cam in an effort to snap some pictures, but if I'm honest, I'd pretty much lost enthusiasm for the whole endeavour by now, and just wanted to get the hell out of there... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...63TqL6R-XL.png photo. This was a fun surprise (in a touristy kind of way) - an old London Routemaster bus, a long way from Oxford Street! Since the traffic was gridlocked heading north (towards Rainbow Bridge and the closest US border), I ended up abusing my position as a motorcycle rider by bumping over the concrete central reservation and speeding off in the opposite direction... I really didn't want my last afternoon in Canada to be like this - hectic, frantic and frustrated. Fortunately redemption was found a little further down the Niagara Parkway, away from the madding crowds: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RcPb347-XL.jpg photo. There are some very nice houses along this stretch of the river, and fortunately they are all situated on the opposite side of the road - leaving the bank itself and the associated view clear for everyone to enjoy. I took a deep breath, prepared for the worst at the Fort Erie border crossing, and was pleasantly surprised how efficient and hassle-free it turned out to be! Chapter 3 Over the weekend I'd had a quick noodle at both Google and my paper maps - plotting an outline return-route back across the country. I didn't have a fixed schedule now, other than I wanted to be back in San Jose by the end of the following week, and felt the time in between would be the perfect opportunity to ride some new trails, mixed in with some old favourites - particularly once I'd got a little further west... It was certainly my intention to take in a few more of the high passes in Colorado (which I figured ought to be clear of snow by this time of year) - and particularly those which I'd had to forfeit during the Trans-Am 500 ride a couple of years before. I also wanted to embark on a more southernly route though Utah - again, to complete a couple of long-distance trails [at elevation] that had also been out of bounds during previous trips. Staying high up in the mountains once I'd got to Utah would be a sensible decision anyway, with temperatures in the desert around 100°F or more at this time of year. In addition, Google had revealed that the distance between Buffalo NY and Colorado Springs CO was 1566 miles. Having effectively warmed up towards an Iron-Butt ride with a series of high-mileage back-to-back days during the previous week, I briefly considered knocking off a 'Bun Burner' (which is 1500 miles in a maximum 36 hours), which in turn would get me that much closer that much sooner, and therefore maximise the time available in Colorado and beyond. But it was such a lovely afternoon I could help but continue riding, and effectively forfeit that particular window of opportunity. Instead I elected to abandon the Interstate as soon as possible, and head south and west on a far more scenic route through the New York and Pensilvania countryside, allowing the road to simply unfold before me... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7Htz83C-XL.jpg Highway 62 was absolutely food for the soul. Traffic free and swooping though small towns and villages, winding alongside rivers and rural farmland. It reminded me of riding though south western France, and believe me, that is no bad thing! A particularly memorable moment was seeing a group of small Amish children playing together by the roadside; and not long after, I overtook a horse and carriage with a family on board, their children in bonnets. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...J4BPtKC-XL.jpg photo. I considered it was probably time to lube my chain again (having forgotten to do it before I'd leave the hotel this morning), and this roadside stick was the perfect prop! It was almost dark by the time I hit I80, and I admit it was a relief to be once again back in the land of the sub $50 motel. cont. |
Day 28: Monday 10th July - Youngstown OH to Sweet Springs MO (768 miles)
"Indy 500, and Illinois and Missouri..." OK, so I might have hustled you a bit yesterday ;o) It honestly wasn't my intention to ride the 'Bun Burner', but having woken in good time that morning, I realised that if I were pick up I70 at Columbus and take it all the way to Denver before heading south for Colorado Springs, I'd actually still cover 1516 miles - and that ought to be more than enough margin to allow for any odometer inaccuracies. Some essential online admin meant I was not ready to leave until after 10am, but I figured it would still be worth a shot - particularly as I'd have to stop and try and get some sleep at some point in the next 36 hours; and let's face it - there would be little else to motivate me to ride across the great plains in these next two days. Because this was an impromptu attempt, I didn't have any paperwork with me - so simply collected a series fuel receipts as I went along - for mile after mile after mile... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...v9PpjRQ-XL.jpg photo. There comes a point when you think you'd probably better stop... in this instance, after dark, and 768 miles. cont. |
Day 29: Tuesday 11th July - Sweet Springs MO to Colorado Springs CO (754 miles)
"Fan-assisted oven" I had rolled into the Super-8 parking lot just after 10pm the evening before, factoring in that they ought to have laundry (which they did) and would almost certainly have a waffle machine for breakfast too - so that would save time and provide some reasonable sustenance in the morning. Best of all, this turned out to be another $50 joint too! I set my alarm for 5.45am, was eating waffles by 6.15, and on the road again by 6.45am - fuel tank brimmed at an exceptional $1.88 a gallon!!! I did need to negotiate the morning rush-hour around Kansas City which was a little tedious (but hey, the diversion all added miles to the total), and as I recall I clicked over the thousand mile mark once back on I70, just short of Salina KS. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NWP58tF-XL.jpg As the odometer continued to increase, so did the ambient temperature - by the time I reached Colby in western Kanas mid-afternoon, it was 97°F and getting hotter! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vw8kFwZ-XL.png I'd calculated that by staying on the I70 until the outskirts of Denver, then taking the ring-road south to avoid the worst of any evening rush-hour traffic, I should roll into Colorado Springs just after the 1500 mile mark... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WFcXs2q-XL.jpg My final fuel receipt was a stones-throw from the Moto Minded HQ - 1516 miles, in just under 34 hours (which included stopping for 8 hours overnight)... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FHFh7N4-XL.jpg photo. Honestly, I really don't need to do that again now - although breaking the journey in half meant I was not actually as tired as after riding 1000 miles straight in 2015. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...grZXwzt-XL.jpg photo. I thought I could do with a new rear tyre once I'd arrived at the Overland Adventure Rally, but it turns out it wasn't quite dead after all... It certainly is now though - 8960 miles on a rear TKC80, that is definitely a record for me! Ultimately I had no choice but to book into the cheapest hotel I could find (and that wasn't cheap, nowhere is in this town) a few further miles up the road, and finally decompress after the past couple of days... I'd already lined up a fresh set of tyres to be fitted at a local dealer in the morning, plus the bike really was over-due for an oil change now - so the plan was to catch up with Chris at Moto Minded to discuss, amongst other things, an high-power headlight upgrade for the CB500X; and avail myself of his workshop facilities to ensure the CB was back up to full strength again, in preparation for the homeward stretch. More soon... Jenny x |
Day 30: Wednesday 12th July - Colorado Springs CO (7 miles)
"Fresh meat" It wasn't cheap getting a pair of TKC80s fitted at a dealer, but if I'm honest I didn't much relish the prospect of changing them myself, and it was the perfect excuse to grab some breakfast at a nearby diner with Chris Vestal from Moto Minded. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gq4dnGT-XL.jpg photo. the Kings Chef Diner is a bit of an institution in Colorado City - this is actually the smaller of their two venues, although [having eaten the following morning at their larger more traditional establishment in town], I actually preferred the quaintness of this tiny kitsch castle! Chris not only runs the LED headlight company Moto Minded, but he is also the founder of the Pikes Peak Makerspace - a community resource for independent engineers and designers to prototype and small-run produce high tech products, with [machine] training available as required. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cmKCPqk-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FnLZvFT-XL.jpg He also has his own personal studio and workshop in the building, which meant I had plenty of space to service the CB, and also the opportunity to use a proper computer keyboard and finally catch up on this ride report... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Gb4BrPb-XL.jpg photo. This is where it all happens! As I was writing about my experience in Montana (and how I'd effectively ended up piecing together a 'Trans-Montana Trail' on the fly), it got me thinking about what I might do for the remainder of this trip... For the last nine days (and over 3000 miles) now, I'd been riding almost exclusively on tarmac - save for a hundred miles of trail-riding during the Overland Adventure Rally, plus that ill-conceived excursion onto the beach back in Minnesota ;o) - and I was itching to get back on the dirt. The fact I'd been able to string together a significant number of dirt-roads and trails in Montana as a continuous journey prompted me to dig out my GTR maps* of Colorado and Utah which I'd had the forethought to stow away in the bottom of my luggage. *I mention and highlight these specifically, since I personally feel they are an excellent resource for route planning on unpaved roads and trails in their respective States - pretty much anything on that map is a guaranteed public/through route, and navigable by a bike like my CB500X at least... I still had more than a week left before I wanted/needed to be back in California, so with a few strokes of a highlighter pen, I sketched out what I was confident would be a cross-country route almost entirely on dirt roads and trails - from effectively the highest 'motorable' road in the USA (Pikes Peak) to the lowest (West Side Road - Badwater Basin, Death Valley). It was a rather grand notion perhaps, but I considered this "High to Low" ride would effectively be a more southerly alternative to the Trans-America Trail west of here... I would use my previous experience and knowledge of the regions I would be pass through to incorporate what I felt were some 'must ride' and 'must see' highlights, and over the next few days would to try and thread a 'definitive' route together with the minimum of wrong turns, dead ends and potentially wasted time*... So it looks like I had a new challenge after all! *Key to the success of this route would be an entertaining and challenging series of trails, but nothing that couldn't be ridden carefully on a loaded Adventure bike... well, as long as it was no bigger or heavier than the CB500X with a Giant Loop Coyote of course ;o) More soon... I bet you can't wait eh? - I know I couldn't! Jx |
Day 31: Thursday 13th July - Colorado Springs to Poncha Creek CO (174 miles)
"Trail Bonanza!" Before leaving town, I indulged in another helping of French toast and proper chunky bacon (not this silly streaky stuff you usually get in the USA) at the larger of the Kings Chef Diners, finally paid in my left-over Canadian dollars into my US account, and bought a new pair of jeans to replace my current ones that had got covered in oil when servicing the bike yesterday (yes, I actually only had one pair of pants with me this trip, plus the lightweight waterproof over pants stowed in my jacket rear pocket). I wasn't in any particular hurry today - I'd arranged to stay over with some friends in Salida (less than two hours away directly by road) the following evening, and see them play at a local music venue in town - so the next 36 hours would be about riding and reccying a few trails between here (effectively the bottom of Pikes Peak Highway) and Salida itself - which is a hub for any number of the high mountain passes nearby, and of course also directly on the Trans-America Trail route too. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZmdHcbx-XL.jpg photo. So far this trip, this had proved to be the case - and I hoped it would remain so for the rest of the journey... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...2m54WTx-XL.jpg photo. Colorado Springs in the distance, from the start of Old Stage Road to Cripple Creek. In 2015 when I detoured from the TAT to Colorado Springs to ride Pikes Peak, I'd wanted to continue my journey west via the Old Stage/Gold Camp roads up to Victor and Cripple Creek (if you followed that journey you may recall that on my way east the roads from the other side were closed too due to bad weather), so it was a delight to finally get to ride them in dry and warm weather... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XBLHSWx-XL.jpg photo. Gold Camp Road is an easy graded dirt road (you could drive a car along it if you wanted), but nonetheless a both scenic and spectacular route through the mountains, climbing to around 10,000ft. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qXfKK5R-XL.jpg photo. Grassy Valley Gold Mine is vast - the operation so impressive that they even built a public viewing platform! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DDkRcF7-XL.jpg photo. Just on the other side of the hill, how it used to be done... I stopped off at the tourist town of Cripple Creek for a coffee and bun, then headed south for Canon City down the CR-88/CR-9 dirt road - the one that I'd had to turn round on in 2015 due to a torrential flood across the concrete ford. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Bk4Lsbf-XL.jpg photo. The dedication of some people - building a three story house literally on the side of a cliff! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PC5Grg9-XL.jpg photo. You can see why though - Shelf Road (CR-88 & 9) is another stunning route through the mountains... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...x9HbCw5-XL.jpg photo. The flooded ford from 2015 - dry as a bone now! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fSsR6Kg-XL.jpg photo. Similarly this gate was locked last time - Country Road F25 through the Red Rock Park is excellent, with a few technical spots making it a proper 'trail' in places! I hit highway 50 just west of Canon City, and elected to take a minor paved road to join the official TAT route a few miles south west, where it crosses hwy 69 just south of Cotopaxi (a traditional food and fuel stop on the TAT). Gulch Road is a delight - remote, twisty and almost traffic free, and passes close to the Royal Gorge Suspension Bridge and Park - should you wish to be relieved of quite a few dollars to cross one of the highest suspension bridges in the world! Of course it turns out I'd also chosen to dovetail with one of the few sections of the TAT in Colorado that is actually paved, and rolled into Cotopaxi hungry for a bite to eat - fortunately their deli didn't disappoint! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kTG8ZCb-XL.jpg photo. As I sat outside in the sun, eating my sandwich, I noticed dozens of eyes staring at me... bug eyes! From Cotopaxi, the TAT actually continues north, but I had spied an alternative route south of highway 50 that looked promising... and like the sandwich earlier, ultimately it didn't disappoint either! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FW8Ptj4-XL.jpg photo. Hayden Pass that crosses the Sangre De Christo Ridge is often overlooked, but a great alternative [to the TAT] if you don't plan to stop over in Salida... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mxVbV6s-XL.jpg photo. Just be aware that compared to the reasonably gentle climb up from the east, the west side is a lot steeper, rocky and straight down for a good distance - a little nerve-wracking on a loaded ADV bike for sure! Having hit the highway (285) at Villa Grove late in the afternoon, I could now either head north on pavement and find a hotel in Salida (expensive), or else continue my exploration and elect to camp at some point along the trail instead - especially as I intended to ride some of the high passes to the west of Salida tomorrow anyway, before my rendezvous with Duke & Tami. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dspffB9-XL.jpg photo. Continuing on a minor paved road that soon turned to gravel at Bonanza, the wiggly trail ahead on my GPS screen looked very promising indeed - despite the odd hazard to be negotiated. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NbJ3jhF-XL.jpg photo. Just over 11,000 ft here on the Toll Road Gulch trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vTVPSV8-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...m9xBdFT-XL.jpg photo. This is one of the best trails in the area; and even with the odd patch of mud, creek-crossings, rocks and roots, it's still perfect as a big[ger] bike route. The trail once again dove-tailed with the [new/current] TAT route at Poncha Creek, and as it was getting dark now, again I considered heading for Salida and a warm bed somewhere. But hell, I'd had such a good day today, I really wanted to crown it off with a proper wild-camp somewhere - and knew there would be plenty of opportunity for dispersed camping along the creek... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Fv6QCff-XL.jpg photo. Crossing over Poncha Creek on the TAT route - it was nice to see my marker from 2015 was still here ;o) However, I soon realised that at this time of year a lot of other people had had exactly the same idea, and nearly every established spot was full of a camper, or SUV and tent/s... I continued along the creek (the TAT route actually follows the water course for a short distance here) and eventually found a quiet and remote spot up a short side trail, complete with a babbling brook nearby (for washing in), a fire-ring of stones, and a suitably level spot for my small tent. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zZWwtLG-XL.jpg photo. With the tent erected (got to get your priorities right), as the daylight started to fade I returned to the main trail and gathered some firewood. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8MPvJJB-XL.jpg photo. I also sacrificed a strip of my old oily jeans (yes, I couldn't bare to throw them away earlier that morning) as kindling for the campfire. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XfXrRFm-XL.jpg photo. My first wild-camp of this trip, and at over 9000ft no less! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fFNcbGW-XL.jpg photo. I brewed a cup of coffee, ate half another Clif bar, and finally fell into a deep and peaceful sleep. More soon! Jenny x |
Day 32: Friday 14th July - Poncha Creek to Salida CO (104 miles)
"Old Friends" If you are paying any attention to the headers of each diary post, then you'll probably think 104 miles today sounds a bit lame? - however, this is because I had previously arranged to stay overnight with friends in Salida this evening, so today was going to be all about having some fun in the mountains! I'd slept surprisingly well (probably the thin air ;o), and perhaps most surprising of all was how warm it had been last night, out here in the forest at over 9000ft elevation -perhaps I could get into this summer camping lark after all?! Typically I'd woken at sunrise (around 5.45am here at this time of year) - pottered about a bit, made coffee using the last of my Camelbak water, and eaten the other half of my last remaining Clif bar - planning on a proper breakfast once I'd cross over Marshall Pass and down into Sargents (again, another TAT stop on hwy 50) at the Tomichi Creek Trading Post. Despite this relatively leisurely start and the increasingly warm sunshine, my tent fly was still damp as I broke camp, so elected to strap it to the top of my luggage bag - hopefully to dry it out a little more as I rode along. The run up to Marshall Pass was uneventful, and much as I remembered from my TAT ride two years previously. However, in not paying proper attention where a number of trails diverge at the summit, I started off in another direction before realising I wasn't actually on the TAT route anymore: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gQmcL4P-XL.jpg photo. Turns out my wrong turn was part of the Continental Divide trail, which is open to hikers, horses, bicycles and most importantly motorcycles too (just not those pesky ATVs and larger 4x4s)... Now I was aware that my primary intention this week was to thread together a continuous trail from Colorado to California, but at the same time, this would be a great opportunity to poke around and see if there was a more 'technical' alternative to the main TAT route... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...PRRQVBW-XL.jpg photo. Sure enough, the trail started to show signs of less regular use [by powered vehicles at least] although fortunately someone had cut suitable bike-sized slots in a series of fallen trees that otherwise blocked one particular section. Despite my GPS hinting there might be an alternative trail that would rejoin the main TAT route further down the mountain, the reality was that after a few miles, it was clear that the only obvious trail [that was open] now led almost due south, in essentially the opposite direction to that which I really wanted to be heading - ie. breakfast. The trail opened up across a huge alpine pasture, and climbed steeply to over 11,500ft, before dropping back into more forest: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...X2LRVp5-XL.jpg photo. It was here that I finally elected to turn around and retrace my steps... ahead of me was a hundred yards or more of wet, muddy, rooty single-track - that led who knows where... I don't like to give up, but a little voice was saying pancakes "Know when to quit...", and I have to say at this elevation, on a bike with almost a full tank of fuel and loaded with luggage, I didn't much fancy getting properly stuck I can tell you - especially when it was clear by now that this trail would not join up with the actual direction I wanted to be heading... Back on the TAT, I remembered that the sign for Marshall Pass is actually a little further on from the summit coming up from Poncha Creek (it's actually where the easier Marshall Pass Road converges), and once again Piglet emerged from his papoose for a photograph: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5V9Mc3H-XL.jpg photo. We've been here before Mama! The downhill from the Pass is smooth and wide gravel and dirt, and you can bop along at a fair old lick here, so we did! Rolling into Sargents (more food and fuel is available here), I was keen to indulge in what would now be effectively Brunch - although ultimately I had to make do with vending machine hot chocolate and a restock of energy bars, as it turned out the restaurant chef had not turned up for work today... Denied! The current TAT route crosses over the main highway here, and starts up the wide valley either side of Tomichi Creek, before crossing west over Black Sage Pass. However, I had other plans - not only did I want to add Old Monarch Pass to my tick-list, but I also wanted to revisit Tomichi Pass and Hancock Pass, which I first rode back in 2008 on my Yamaha XT660Z Tenere, when they were still part of the original TAT route. note. In recent years, Sam Correro has essentially abandoned Hancock and Tomichi - they were usually ridden in that order, heading west from Salida - since they are not county maintained roads [and therefore not ploughed]; and coupled with the fact that there has also been a huge increase in 4x4 and SSV traffic, parts of both these trails are really quite chewed up and technical now - especially for TAT bikes with luggage. I factored that if my CB500X (with luggage) could be ridden over Tomichi and Hancock without too much trouble, then it would categorically prove [to me at least] that what John and I had developed with the LEVEL 3 kit, effectively matched or even surpassed the off-road ability of the Tenere... well that was my motivation anyway! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qs9mGCh-XL.jpg photo. They are not kidding - Tomichi Pass has a number of sections that are strewn with baby-head rocks, a number of creek crossings and loose rocky sections that can easily catch out the unwary two-wheeler - especially heading in this direction [north/uphill]. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZNg958N-XL.jpg photo. This gravestone at the tiny Tomichi Cemetery was particularly poignant - cause of death: killed by explosion. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...F36Vfbt-XL.jpg photo. My first snow - just before the summit of Tomichi Pass (11,985ft). https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...vHbpVK7-XL.jpg photo. The view from the top, north east across the valley towards Hancock Pass. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bSrwS5f-XL.png photo. The scree slope on the north side of Tomichi Pass... not a lot of room for a Jeep these days... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...f9Nd4tJ-XL.jpg photo. It had actually started to rain here (in fact it rained the last time I was here too as I recall), and I did pause to consider the initial climb up to Hancock... it is pretty steep, with more wet, loose, rocks. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ms5r5RV-XL.jpg photo. But I aired down, bit my lip, and the CB made it up of course! The Far side of Hancock Pass was actually a LOT more chewed up than I recall from 2008 - a couple of sections actually reminded me of such hard-core trails in Moab like Pritchett Canyon and Top of the World. I was certainly glad to be heading downhill now, especially in all this rain. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NMnB5pv-XL.jpg photo. Heading out from Hancock to St. Elmo - I'm pretty sure everyone takes a photo of this old collapsing building! It was a little after lunchtime and the rain was really coming down now - so much that I had no choice but to stop and put my waterproof over-trousers on again, even though my jeans and gloves were already soaking... I paused briefly outside St. Elmo to mark a GPS waypoint at the turn for Tincup Pass (I'd be coming back this way tomorrow to continue my 'High to Low' route track-logging), and fortunately it was only about 30 or so miles into Salida from here. I arrived to a warm welcome at chez Sheppard, showered, laundered, and later that evening followed them downtown to the Boathouse Bar & restaurant - a regular venue for the Country-Americana duo: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...MrmSKh6-XL.jpg photo. It was fantastic to finally see these guys playing live - especially after regularly listening to their latest album on my iPod this trip. Pint & a Half are Duke & Tami Sheppard... (their names listed in size order ;o) Long-standing ADVrider inmates will be aware that Duke is actually the forum moderator Hayduke on there, and that his company Fat-Tees have supported a number of privateer Dakar racers over the years, most usually with the moto: Safety Third! Rock and roll! Jenny x |
Day 33: Saturday 15th July - Salida CO to Lake City CO (184 miles)
"Divide - conquered" Having only ever been through this part of Colorado slightly out of season, I was keen to ride as many [more] of the high passes as I could this time - especially as despite the harsh and prolonged winter, the past couple of weeks had seen a huge thaw in this region, and I was confident that even the highest crossing would now be free of snow... I returned to my GPS mark from yesterday, so that I might thread a few more of these passes together as part of my ongoing route west. It's a steady climb from St. Elmo towards the historic goldmine town of Tincup, although the trail does deteriorate into rocky sections either side of the pass itself. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...h424JkF-XL.jpg photo. It's easier on this east side, rougher on the far side - but at least I was heading downhill then... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bDbNLm6-XL.jpg photo. Aha - you see what I did there? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...SCwPnGp-XL.jpg photo. Mirror Lake (on the way down towards Tincup) is at 11,000ft still... a popular fishing spot, with a campground nearby too. Although the trail was rough in spots, on the whole going via Tincup is a far more pleasant option for ADV size motorcycles (compared to the Hancock/Tomichi pairing) if you're heading west - if anything the scenery is even more spectacular, while the town itself seems to have found a new lease of life these days as a rental ATV/SSV destination, with a number of bars and restaurants serving a good selection to hungry off-roaders... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QDD7gzq-XL.jpg photo. It's worth remembering that people actually live in Tincup too... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rDSKb6F-XL.jpg photo. Frenchy's looked like the best of the bunch... and I'm a sucker for a wooden bridge. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kKZVjDZ-XL.jpg Photo. I ordered an al fresco lunch and watched the world go by - my 'Packmule' Sandwich a mountain of different meats and cheese in fried bread. I wrapped the other half of my huge sandwich in some tin-foil and stuffed it into my backpack - as there would be little opportunity for food or fuel now until I reached Lake City - still a good distance away... Tip-tapping on the GPS screen, it appeared I had two* options directly south of Tincup. According to my Garmin maps, Napoleon Pass was a through-route, and being appreciably higher that neighbouring (and far more popular being well-maintained) Cumberland Pass, I factored it was also likely to be the more challenging option - so started up there, perhaps a tad optimistically... *actually three as it turned out! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LJTW23W-XL.jpg photo. Initially the trail passes the old Tincup cemetery, then wiggles around an abandoned mine... The trail started out easily enough - there had been a couple of entertaining creek crossings already, but as the trail started to climb into the forest, sections were now a little deeper underwater, and in general the surface became a lot more rocky... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6LsK22c-XL.jpgphoto. Most of the time there was a suitable 'bike line', but it soon became tedious... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bxnRd3b-XL.jpg photo. To be honest the trail would not be especially difficult on four-wheels, but on a bike it was tricky to maintain momentum in places. After a couple more miles of this [apparently] not getting any better, I elected to call it quits... Not only was I way too full of fatty meat and melted cheese to want to battle the baby-heads; but the altitude (again over 11,000ft at this point) was compounding the amount of exertion required, and doubly so should I have the misfortune to actually have to pick my pick up. Fundamentally though, since my goal was to plot an entertaining through-route all the way to Death Valley, I had to concede that this particular pass in this direction was not something most* people on an ADV size bike (especially one loaded with luggage) would actually enjoy... *from a personal perspective, it is my intention to come back this way and try it in the other direction instead ;o) Return to zero (the trip meter)... Bumping back down the trail towards Tincup, Cumberland Pass was now the obvious route south towards Pitkin (and subsequently Waunita Hot Springs, where I planned to rejoin the TAT route again) - something I didn't particularly relish as the dirt road is like a highway here, with a lot of four-wheeled traffic that consequently kicks up a fair amount of dust. Fortunately, Garmin came up with the goods again - initially directing me up what appeared to be minor side trail, but which turned out to be an excellent OHV route all the way up 'Tincup Gulch' that climbed sharply but steadily through the forest, and ultimately joined Cumberland Pass Road just before the summit. Definitely one to add to my list! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TzF6WH9-XL.jpg photo. The general store at Pitkin (for food and fuel) - complete with a trio of genuine good ol' boys! Compared to the majestic passes I'd been riding these past couple of days, Waunita Pass (10,266ft) is blink and you'll miss it - I blinked and I did. The trail here is a well-graded gravel/dirt road through the forest, and I was breezing along and not paying all that much attention - so I can only imagine if there was a sign, it was masked by a parked vehicle at the side of the trail. A few miles further south I dove-tailed with the current TAT route (coming down from Black Sage Pass), and before long I was crossing over hwy 50 at Doyleville and making good time on the wide open gravel road. Not far ahead was an entertaining alternative trail that I'd found during the Trans-Am 500 ride, and wanted to incorporate into this current itinerary, so selected my previous track-log in the GPS to use as a guide.... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ctDkCxD-XL.jpg photo. The official TAT route just west of here is a wide gravel road - however, this side trail is an excellent alternative... If you're ever planning on passing by, don't pass - take it! I'd forgotten just how good the Razor Dome route [CR 3120] is - a twisty winding two-track that follows a creek, climbs through woodland and then descends back towards the TAT across open meadows, and offers plenty of places to wild-camp should you wish. This detour had buoyed my sense of adventure, and as I crossed over hwy 114, zoomed into the GPS screen to see what other treasures might also lie in store nearby... again, I was amazed how much dirt-road detail is included in the Garmin City Navigator maps in this area (and all over the US to be honest), and I was soon diverting once again up into the hills away from the main gravel through-route... However, what I was confident ought to have been another simple detour loop off the main TAT route actually turned into a proper mini adventure... 'Poison Gulch' sounded promising, and climbed steadily into a dense forest. However once amongst the trees, the obvious/shortest route in the GPS back to the TAT was fenced over - and clearly had been for some time... The alternative (still in the Garmin I'd add) ended up being a convoluted and seemingly never-ending two-track through the forest, and at one point there was no option but to cross a huge peat-bog, that fortunately [having got off in good time and walked it first] was dry enough to support the weight of the CB - although it was still touch and go in places! The weather was also looking pretty ominous - the wind had picked up now, there were dark clouds directly ahead, and it then began to drizzle once I'd emerged from the trees. Fortunately my GPS route eventually coincided with a wide forestry road, which doubled back and down towards the main TAT route, away from the worst of the storm ahead. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wgf6qQr-XL.jpg photo. Back on the TAT - I thought I was going to get properly wet at some point this afternoon, but fortunately the wind kept the storm moving away from my chosen route. It had been a fun hour and a half or so, but also the perfect illustration of why Sam [Correro] chooses the trails that he does to make up the official TAT route. Ultimately there has to be a balance to keep you moving forward, while also trying to incorporate as much entertaining [trail] riding as you can, and on the whole I think the Trans-America Trail does a pretty good job of that. Certainly there are any number of alternative [and potentially more challenging] trails that could be incorporated all along the official route, but conversely that would mean you end up spending forever trying to cross the country, and most people simply don't have the time of course. Indeed, while some people feel they ought to stick resolutely to the official route instructions, even Sam himself suggests that the purpose of the TAT is more as a guide, and that there is nothing to stop you adding to or taking away certain sections to create your own personal adventure. Certainly that is what I was doing on this particular section, and even though I've ridden across Los Pinos Pass a number of times now (in both directions), I never remember it being quite so scenic and dramatic as it was this early evening - the sun starting to slip down behind the San Juan Mountains ahead of me, the long shadows and recent rain bringing all the colours vividly to life. I rolled into Lake City really rather later than ideal to find a hotel - and ultimately (this being a Saturday night) everywhere that wasn't already full was terribly expensive for what little it looked like you were getting... At least Lake City seemed to be a lot more busy than the last time I was here - admittedly in mid-October, 2008 - when everything had effectively shut down for the winter. Nowadays, Lake City is another bustling hub of tourist activity - with many more bars and restaurants (and hotels!) than I recall; and at this time of year the streets are overflowing with bikes, 4x4s, side-by-sides and other OHV vehicles. I fuelled up, and decided to forfeit the opportunity of a warm bed, and instead continue a little further on my chosen route: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Q3S6DHK-XL.jpg photo. Engineer Pass is part of the 'Alpine Loop' that links Lake City to Animas Forks/Silverton further west - Cinnamon Pass being the southern return. There is a huge network of trails in the San Juan Mountains between Lake City in the east, Ouray and Telluride to the west, together with Silverton a little further south down the Million Dollar Highway (hwy 550) - another of those 'Gold roads' on the Butler maps of course, although riding those had not been on my mind particularly during these past fews days almost exclusively on dirt. The official Trans-America Trail heads west on Cinnamon Pass, via Animas Forks and then over California Pass, Hurricane Pass and CorkScrew Pass all of which are in the region of 13,000ft. Those of you who followed my Trans-Am 500 ride may recall that while Cinnamon was open (the Alpine Loop tends to be ploughed early in the season, as it is so popular with tourists), I couldn't get through California (or subsequently Hurricane and Corkscrew) due to snow: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FQqmZfL-XL.jpg photo. mid-June 2015. California Pass (12,960ft) was still blocked... and I had to route north down Engineer Mountain Rd to Ouray as an alternative. Being here almost a month later, I was confident I'd finally be able to ride that particular trio, along with Engineer Pass - another that had so far eluded me. But first, I had to find somewhere to sleep tonight. The road to Engineer Pass leads due west straight out of Lake City, and all along it's length in any suitable camping spot were parked vehicles. I continued a good way up the valley, and eventually found a side trail that led to a clearing in the forest, complete with a series of make-shift fire-rings and some suitably level ground. This would do - far enough away from the road, but close enough to those others camping that hopefully any bears would be discouraged from visiting in the night. I had no food anyway to be honest - that mouldy left-over sandwich from lunchtime having long been devoured earlier in the afternoon. More soon! Jenny x |
Day 34: Sunday 16th July - Lake City CO to 3-Step Hideaway UT (181 miles)
"Saving the best 'til last..." https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XqJxw5Q-XL.jpg photo. Another coffee and crunch-bar campsite breakfast. I'd slept well and was packed and ready to leave by 7.45am, with the intention of making it as far as the Utah border this evening all being well... this early in the morning I pretty much had the trail to myself, and bopped along, taking in the scenery as the road deteriorated into trail, and wound higher and higher up the valley... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TmMm2v8-XL.jpg photo. What a stunning location for a holiday house! Engineer Pass is not especially technical, not on this east side anyway - just a few sharp switchbacks with some loose rock a mile or so before the summit to contend with... however, this guys was not having so much luck: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7H7gdB5-XL.jpg photo. It might be 4wd, but 'high clearance' is actually more important on this particular trail... As I came over a crest just before the summit, I could see a the rear end of a car - seemingly stuck, engine revving, going nowhere. An old gent was behind the wheel, while his two younger companions offered a series of increasingly desperate instructions, before doing their best to manhandle the vehicle backwards (and even forwards at one point I recall) in an effort to free it from the mire. Of course it didn't work. Not only was the engine and transmission comprehensively bellied out, but the tyres had no purchase whatsoever, spinning all available power away (not sure if these have an axle diff-lock, if so, it was not engaged or they didn't know where it was. Clearly there was nothing I could really do with a bike, other than to ride back down the mountain to that cabin I'd seen, and see if the owners would come up in their Jeep with a tow-rope... so off I went on my mission of mercy! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...LnbCsQp-XL.jpg photo. The gate to the house was locked, but fortunately the occupants were on the terrace drinking coffee... I have to say, it actually took quite a bit of convincing - this was a rental property (it's on AirB&B apparently!) and the occupants had also rented the Jeep, and clearly they were not particular experienced in either four-wheeling, or even towing a stricken vehicle. I assured them that all that was required would be a tug with a rope/strap on their respective tow-hitches to free the Subaru, and eventually the husband got behind the wheel and followed me back up the trail... As it turned out, by the time we both arrived back at the scene, a Suzuki 4x4 had eventually come over the Pass in the opposite direction, and was in the process of effecting a recovery just as I had envisaged above. Before we all departed our separate ways, the owner of the Suzuki gave me a wink, and explained he'd recommended the Subaru crew not try and drive that particular vehicle any further west - as the Pass on the far side was more rough and rocky, with some tight switchbacks and serious drop offs. Of course from my perspective, I couldn't wait! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Lrzhh5r-XL.jpg photo. apparently the highest point on the trail is actually 100' higher than the Engineer Pass sign itself, but the photo opportunity is better here ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fz653wg-XL.jpg photo. This was the highest I'd been all week... and so far this trip! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JRgbKvQ-XL.jpg The west side of Engineer Pass is barren and windswept - very dramatic, with panoramic views across the surround ranges and into the valley below... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...w29SpwR-XL.jpg photo. California Pass in the summer - hardly any snow at all by this time of year! I breezed through Animas Forks and up California Pass in no time, pausing for the obligatory photo with Piglet of course: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...9CcKncG-XL.jpg photo. Just shy of 13,000ft, and the perfect weather to ride these high passes... It was now mid-morning, and there was a steady stream of OHV traffic heading in the opposite direction - Jeeps and other 4x4s, ATVs and dozens of side-by-sides, plus a few dirt bikes... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Zb88xvG-XL.jpg photo. Halfway down the far side of Hurricane Pass - the uphill [four-wheeled] traffic was pretty busy here, although being on a bike there tended to be enough room to pass. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5NMV3m2-XL.jpg photo. This made me laugh - a crapper in the middle of nowhere... but what a location eh? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RZLv6x8-XL.jpg photo. Ha ha - sure enough they'd put a window in the far side so you could look at the view while you're doing the do! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qMnhXXc-XL.jpg photo. Corkscrew Pass didn't appear to have a sign, and again was busy with uphill traffic... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M8DmTB2-XL.jpg photo. ...including this little kid following a grown-up group up the trail - in fine style on a tiny smoker... ring a ding ding! Corkscrew Pass spits you out at a huge OHV staging area on hwy 550, just a few miles south of Ouray. The TAT route heads uphill here, over Red Mountain Pass via a particularly epic section of the twisty Million Dollar Highway, where you continue west of Ophir Pass. An alternative is to take the infamous Black Bear Pass (and it's numerous switchbacks) downhill into Telluride, and pick up the TAT again west of Ophir. First thing this morning I was all set to include Black Bear in today's itinerary - it's the most obvious route west from here (via Telluride) towards Utah, without heading unnecessarily south on the TAT first, but something was nagging me... Subconsciously I must have been aware that on this sunny Sunday lunchtime, it was likely to be choc-full of 4x4s by now - and any resultant traffic jam would be compounded by the fact the trail was steep and narrow, and that 'lane-splitting' would probably be frowned upon by the frustrated four-wheelers. The fact it is also one-way (downhill towards Telluride) was also likely to limit any chance of passing slower traffic, and I didn't come all this way just to stare and the blacked-out arse-end of a frikkin' four-by - no offence fellas ;o) If my subconscious would ultimately be doing my nerves a favour, then equally, my conscious was doing it's best to placate my grumbling stomach... It had been hours since that meagre breakfast-bar, and I knew of a great cafe in Ouray ('Roast & Toast' - which had just opened during my Trans-Am trip) that did a mean scrambled-egg and avocado sandwich - decision made! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pJPz8Qx-XL.jpg photo. heading north down hwy 550 into Ouray - plenty of twisty turns in this direction too, and the promise of a decent meal! Having succumb to the sense of foreboding about Black Bear Pass, I felt the alternative route into Telluride from Ouray would be equally impressive, if not actually moreso - since the mild weather in recent weeks meant that Imogene Pass - the highest in the region at 13,114ft - was also now open for the season. This had to be done! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...dDznW5m-XL.jpg photo. Starting from the Ouray end, Imogene Pass Rd (CR-26A) is a proper trail - with rocks, roots and a number of creek and river crossings... nice! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...5GS8L9k-XL.png photo. As the trail started to climb more steeply, on the north side of the Pass there was still snow at the side of the trail... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...r2Q64Fp-XL.png https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...P832Gpz-XL.jpg photo. the view back down is magnificent! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...X5QZ6PP-XL.jpg photo. Finally over 13,000ft! You do start to get a little short of breath up here! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...46prQwj-XL.jpg photo. The red scree slopes in the background are the other side of those facing Corkscrew Pass. note. I cannot confirm or deny that I may have had a Brian Griffin wee up here, but I'm sure I could hear CB500X owners from all four corners howl in deference ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xR7Pck2-XL.jpg photo. At the official sign... Imogene had already exceeded my expectations - it was epic in every respect! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...X8J4cF7-XL.jpg photo. If you're ever up here yourself, you might spot a Trans-Am 500 sticker... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TC6pbVp-XL.jpg photo. Sometimes you just have to play with the camera settings... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...Q4pLdfG-X2.jpg photo. Imogene offers an impressive view of the ski-town of Telluride in the valley below. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...fgpkWXw-XL.jpg photo. There were still snow banks either side of the summit. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...NB3WGtg-X2.jpg photo. As you descend the western side of Imogene Pass, you can see the switchbacks of Black Bear Pass across the valley.. sure enough, zooming in I could see a procession of 4x4s nose-to-tail along the terraces... Imogene good call Piglet. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bZ5Bv5n-X2.jpg photo. If you had the time, then coming down Black Bear (it's one-way downhill towards Telluride) and going back over the mountains via Imogene would be an exceptional day out! To be honest, I didn't even stop for breath in Telluride - it was a busy tourist town on a Sunday afternoon... I did top off my fuel on the outskirts however, and took that opportunity to inhale an ice-cream as I plotted a series of intermediate waypoints that would take me back onto the dirt while heading pretty much due west for Utah. Without a doubt, that had to have been the best $4 I've ever spent on fuel - Engineer, California, Hurricane, Corkscrew and now Imogene Pass, all in one day! cont. |
cont.
Heading west for a short distance on hwy 145, initially I feared my luck had run out - as I turned south along Fall Creek towards the Lizard Head Wilderness, the rain came down with a vengeance - goodness it hadn't been this bad since Canada! - it was like hail in it's ferocity, and I was soon drenched, although I had managed to stop and don my waterproof over-pants at least. Fortunately it was reasonably warm rain - my main concern was more that the forest trails I was planning on riding would be soaked and undoubtably slimy by now... However, by what can only be described as miraculous good fortune, as I climbed higher into the forest it appeared that the thunder storm had concentrated solely on the valley itself, and up here on Little Cone Rd everything was almost dry still - result! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...hPzLp9j-XL.jpg photo. The La Sal mountains (UT) in the distance. The transition from ten-thousand feet to desert was as seamless as I remembered from the TAT route someway further south, and I made good time once back on fast gravel roads towards hwy 141 which leads to Slick Rock, and just beyond, my destination for this evening - the 3-Step Hideaway, which is in the middle of nowhere, just over the State line in Utah. In an effort to remain off paved roads as I had managed to do pretty much all day so far, I pressed 'shortest route' and picked up an interesting sandy two-track that according to my GPS offered a back-way into Utah across the Delores River, all the while heading in the general direction of the 3-Step Hideaway... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FfgLJ7F-XL.jpg photo. 'Bald Eagle Rd' [CR-22] in the GPS also has a county road sign, but on the ground it appeared little used to be honest... This was essentially my first time in the desert this trip, and it felt like the Honda was home again! Unfortunately, the joy was somewhat short-lived as after only a couple of miles, the trail faded to almost nothing before entering posted Private Property on the far side of a wire-gate fence. I'd come this far so took the gamble, particularly since I could see a similar exit gate only a couple of hundred yards away - and sure enough on the other side of the boundary was another county road sign, so considered I probably had a right of way here after all. This two-track eventually T-boned with Gypsum Valley Rd (which also leads off hwy 141), and sure enough, the Garmin was encouraging me to stay on the dirt and follow my original plan to cross the Delores River a few miles further north... I just hoped there would actually be a bridge! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4xhjhNb-XL.jpg photo. And thank goodness there was! Had I not already had an exceptional day trail riding, what followed was in my mind one of the best dirt road/trails in Utah (and I trust you appreciate I've already ridden a few ;o) - Island Mesa Rd could easily be considered as a pukka Rally Stage - fast and open (complete with African style scrubby bushes on either side of the trail), then sandy washes, rocky climbs and descents, all the while twisting and turning, complete with an appreciable elevation gain and associated stunning views back across the desert floor. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...s9JLDTB-XL.jpg I took a moment to soak it all in, and honestly felt there would be no need to visit Moab this trip after-all - I had well and truly had my fill today! More soon! Jenny xx |
Day 35: Monday 17th July - 3-Step Hideaway UT to Boulder UT (268 miles)
"Manic Monday" I think I must have been the only person to ride the TAT in recent years that hasn't stopped off at the 3-Step Hideaway en route for Moab - and this was something I finally readdressed the previous evening: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ST49Mkg-XL.jpg photo. I have to admit, somewhat sheepishly that I have blasted past this sign at least once, and never realised it was here! The 3-Step Hideaway's reputation as a 'must stop' on the TAT is well deserved - a renovated rancher's homestead that now features a series of cabins, tee-pees and camping facilities just a short way off the main TAT route south of the La Sal mountains, which is run by husband and wife team Julie & Scott who are both keen outdoor and trail-riding enthusiasts. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...FFC3wbF-XL.jpg photo. The bathhouse building is beautifully appointed, with wonderfully warm showers, and features a wood-fired hot-tub! The facilities are first-rate albeit simple - which I'm sure is the key attraction of the place. The whole homestead is completely self-sufficent - utilising solar power and their own water well (backed up by propane for the furnaces), and, well that is pretty much it! No phone signal, and only very modest internet (note. I didn't even ask at the time and it didn't seem appropriate somehow... but for info. I notice it is mentioned on their website). After such an intense day of riding, I was utterly content to just sit on a log stool outside my little cabin, airing out my tent and riding gear, marking up my maps by battery lantern and finally watching the sunset throw long shadows across the desert floor. The next morning, mug of coffee in hand, Julie offered me an extended tour of the facilities - explaining how they are able to manage their limited [electrical power] resources successfully, including their refrigerated store room/s, laundry and even a full workshop - and how the homestead had evolved over the years. I have to say, such was the simplicity and serenity of the place it would have been so very easy to have just kicked back for another day or two... and I certainly intend to return next year for an extended stay! But Piglet and I had a job in hand now - not least as we really wanted to be back on the California coast by Friday evening at the latest - and ahead of us lay many hundreds of miles of prime desert riding! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gp43Tn7-XL.jpg photo. this is the TAT route (in reverse) heading towards Monticello - that's the Abajo mountains on the left, and the La Sal mountains to the right. I knew Monticello has a Subway and fuel (and a Wells Fargo bank/ATM if you're making notes) so was able to properly restock my supplies for the day ahead... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WGn4pJs-XL.jpg photo. Heading up into the Abajo mountains from Monticello - it's an easy graded dirt route right around the south side of the range... I have ridden in this region on a couple of occasions before, but never been all the way through the mountains - since typically as with my forays into neighbouring Colorado I've always been a little out of season - and here too the roads and trails are typically blocked with snow, or at least way too wet and muddy to be any kind of fun on a motorcycle. This time of year was perfect though - the elevation (up to 10,000ft again) meant it was cool[er] compared to the surrounding desert, and the views across southern Utah as impressive as ever: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...bdTprmh-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kKz6BMs-XL.jpg photo. Initially I thought this girl loves her chubby guy... but then it could also be Melania finally throttling the Donald! ;o) https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZwH3RmD-XL.jpg photo. I have a very similar photo from 2009 when I rode my Tenere along this same trail... edit. found it! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...M65P8gd-XL.jpg I'd already ridden 120 miles of dirt by the time I rolled into the marina (gas station and store) at Hite at the head of Lake Powell. In the past fuel availability in this area has always been a bit sketchy, but now the pumps here are 24h, which is good news for anyone not wanting to divert too far off the main through route... Mind you, despite ragging the CB along on the fast dirt trails all morning, I only managed to squeeze a miserly 1.3 gallons into the tank before I set off again! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...g9wph9g-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...ZjMkbGK-XL.jpg photo. Lake Powell is finally filling up again after many years of low water... I don't have a copy of the G1 Butler Map for Utah (only their BDR map - hint hint ;o), but I imagine the section of highway 95 just north of Lake Powell is another of those Gold sections - twisty and remote, with minimal traffic and stunning views both up and back down the Devil River canyon. My plan for the rest of the afternoon was to ride an alternative dirt/trail route to that which I've taken when heading west before in this area, and once again I found myself climbing to much higher elevation over Bear Creek Pass (10,500ft) in the Henry Mountains... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...jmBq7HQ-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QHhqsSn-XL.jpg photo. Wickiup Pass (9200ft) is at the intersection of another trail running north - a great option if you wanted to loop back north past Goblin Valley State Park and Temple Mountain, and pick up the official TAT route west of Green River for example? Either way, the level ground around this pass would make a lovely camping spot too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WSKBFjj-XL.jpg photo. The view back north and east from Bear Creek Pass (10,500ft) - I was lucky to dodge that rainstorm! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...cckMMPH-XL.jpg photo. Still at high elevation, at one point a herd of buffalo thundered across the trail ahead of me... I hope I caught it on my GoPro! While the ride up to the summit was not especially taxing and you could even begin to admire the view, once I descended the west side of the range, it was back into the desert and some very deep sandy sections that immediately re-concentrated the mind - and required full-commitment if you weren't to end up unceremoniously dumped into the soft powdered fesh fesh. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qsndwm4-XL.jpg photo. Another strange Utah rock formation - this looked like a sleeping lion to me? https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...8qngfKz-XL.jpg photo. I love riding in the desert in early evening... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GtGFHLn-XL.jpg photo. My route rejoined the Burr Trail at the base of the switchbacks... note. that's the Henry Mountains (that I'd crossed earlier) in the distance. The race was now on to reach Boulder (the nearest town with the possibility of any accommodation) before nightfall, and fortunately the Burr Trail turns to single-lane pavement a few miles further west of here... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DVG3tfb-XL.jpg photo. I've also got a photo of my Tenere at pretty much this exact spot too! Ultimately, I decided to forfeit the last few miles into town and the risk of hunting for an [potentially overpriced] motel in the dark, and dipped into a BLM campground at the side of the road instead. It was small, but an excellent facility - a vault toilet and just seven small secluded sites, each complete with a bench, a fire-pit, and raised sand bed on which to pitch your tent. Perfect! More soon... Jx |
Day 36: Tuesday 18th July - Boulder UT to Mesquite NV (279 miles)
"Casino Royale" I fumbled around camp feeling particularly pleased with myself this morning... not just the fact that I'd probably saved myself at least $80 be electing to camp last night (vitally important by this stage of the trip, as I'd been hemorraging money on hotels all the way along this time - sadly prices ain't what they used to be... even as recently as 2015), but that it was a really nice location, shady and peaceful and right on the trail too. I also considered that this was probably going to the be the last time I camped during this trip, so wanted to make the most of it! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...rh8BCS3-XL.jpg photo. These sand-boxes are a great idea - it's like sleeping on a beach! Having finally packed my [dry!] things away, I then utilised the rockery to clean and oil my chain again: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gHVhfC8-XL.jpg photo. Fred Flintstone centre-stand... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...JtjGMFd-XL.jpg photo. Look after your chain and it will look after you! Despite this somewhat leisurely morning, I was back on the road in plenty of time to find somewhere for breakfast - dipped into Boulder (6 miles up the road) to check out the facilities (food, fuel and a couple of motels after all), but ultimately elected to continue further west on a particularly scenic section of hwy 12 that traverses the Grand Staircase National Monument, en route for a coffee shop in Escalante with which I'd been previously acquainted... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...4LFFFtf-XL.png photo. This particular section of Utah's 'All American Road' (hwy 12) is fantastic at any time of day... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...W4p2NmD-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BPctrXv-XL.png photo. Undoubtably another Butler 'Gold road' for sure! I was all set to stop at my previous coffee spot, when I spied a colourful chalk-board sign outside 'The Merc' organic grocery store, advertising smoothies and coffee... well that was all the incentive I needed to try somewhere new! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...htzQFkp-XL.jpg photo. Front of house it was all hand-made soaps and other smelly stuff; and out back, a well-stocked store full of yummy treats and wholesome produce! I presumed I must have arrived just moments after opening, as I was told somewhat curtly to make myself at home before the owner promptly disappeared, with no hint of when they might actually return. Initially I wandered through the store, ogled longingly at the cabinet full of fresh pastries, then sat at the table twiddling my thumbs for what ended up being about ten minutes with no hint of activity anywhere! Eventually, when I'd all but decided to gather up my things and quietly leave, she finally burst back in with my coffee, swiftly followed by an assistant carrying a huge berry smoothie... this was more like it! She then proceeded to fuss all around the store with her brow-beaten assistant in tow, and I couldn't help but smirk to myself when some minutes later, a young couple walked in the door - having been similarly swayed by the chalk-board outside - and asked the see the smoothie menu: "Watch my mouth very closely" the owner replied rather sternly - before proceeding to list the various ingredients they had on offer today... I'm still not sure they actually appreciated this bizarre brand of sarcasm! Escalante is the jumping off point for a number of fantastic long-distance dirt roads and trails in the area. To the south east there is the famous Hole-in-the-Rock Road that stretches for fifty-five miles to the top of Lake Powell, and is where there used to be a wagon train crossing of the Colorado River, before Glen Canyon was flooded to form part of Lake Powell. To the north is the Hell's Backbone Road (those of you who followed the CBXpo ride report last year may recall Harold, Juan and myself rode this, before almost freezing to death camping in Brice Canyon!) - on the whole an easy going gravel road through the forest that runs a ring around the "Box Death Hollow Wilderness" (that name conjures up all manner of images doesn't it?!), the highlight of which is a narrow bridge crossing over 'Hell's Backbone' itself - a knife edge ridge with fifteen hundred feet straight down the cliffs on either side! Meanwhile, due south of Escalante is one of my favourite roads/trails in the whole of Utah (again, Harold, Juan and I rode this last year heading north towards Escalante - see the link above) Smoky Mountain Road - and as such would be more that worthy of inclusion in my 'High to Low' through-route this year, were it not for the fact that it would take around half a day to ride the 80 miles of dirt south towards Page AZ before having to work my way back north again over a similar distance on Cottonwood Canyon Rd, before I could pick up my intended [more direct] south-westerly route today... So I continued west for a few more miles on scenic hwy 12 (still a beautiful ride in itself of course) to Cannonville, and picked up the dirt again there... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...qHV8G8p-X2.jpg photo. The trail actually crosses Bull Valley Gorge on a narrow [unfenced] dirt 'bridge'... it doesn't look so deep here does it? - look again at the photo and see the size of the people in the background! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...c9wjZkH-X2.jpg photo. Lunchtime, so it must be pie time! Mt Carmel Junction is the intersection for Zion National Park - and hwy 9 here (and other 'Gold road' for sure) is a fantastic paved route west - although being a National Park of course there is an entry fee, even if passing straight through. Since I intended to stay on dirt as much as possible now, I elected to head south for the Arizona border, and then pick up the network of dirt roads and trails that criss-cross the desert north of the Grand Canyon. It is a region I've passed through before, so kind of knew what to expect - but none the less, it would still be a remote and potentially challenging series of sandy desert dirt roads, particularly if the surface was at all wet. Mind you, right about now some rain would actually have been a welcome relief... It was in the high 90°s here in south west Utah, and I'd spotted a sandy two-track just south of Mt. Carmel Junction that looked enticing to say the least - especially as it appeared to link to my intended route across the State-line a few miles further south... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kVxvDFq-XL.jpg photo. Initially a fun series of creek crossings and soft sandy two-track, following the course of the East Fork Virgin River... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...QfRhfG3-XL.png photo. This is where it started to get a lot less fun - just through the trees here was a steep 100yd climb of soft sand, already chewed up by ATVs and SSVs - impossible. I looked at the sand bank ahead of me - a hundred yards of soft loose sand, at a good 20% grade... I don't know why I even bothered to be honest, I was already sweating profusely after manhandling the bike up a previous shorter sandy climb where the rear wheel had started to dig in. I unclipped my Coyote bag, and also discarded my jacket nearby. Aired down my rear tyre, wheeled the bike back to the edge of the river crossing, then jumped back on and attacked the slope at full throttle in 2nd gear... nope, still not a chance. Less than half the way up the initial climb bike started to dig down, and before long I was paddling along in a vain attempt to try and maintain some sort of grip and momentum, and perhaps pop back out of this trench I was digging... As the trail got steeper, inevitably I ground to a halt - although at least I'd had the sense to let off the throttle before the bike totally buried itself. Since I'd managed to make it this far, I figured I might as well walk up the hill a little further just to see if trying again would be worth the associated effort, and to my dismay realised that this was just the first ascent - there was actually a 90° corner followed by an even steeper section of sand to navigate. It wasn't even worth having another attempt. I dragged the bike around on the soft sandy slope, and picked a haphazard line back down the hill to where I'd left my gear. Somewhat dejected, I marked this waypoint with the skull & crossbones symbol in my GPS, and the name "Know when to quit #2" - although similar to my abandonment of Napoleon Pass in Colorado a few days earlier, I would like to come back this way one day and perhaps try it in the other direction - ie. downhill! So it was back to my original plan after all. I returned to Mt. Carmel Junction, reset my trip meter, topped off my fuel and drinking water, and embarked on a necessary sugar influx before setting off again for Arizona, and would see how far I could get now - having wasted what had been a good hour & a half messing around in that damn sandy canyon! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...GLfvFnP-XL.jpg photo. Having crossed over hwy 389 near Colorado City AZ, I'd plotted a route in my GPS using a series of intermediate waypoints on the network of country roads that cross the desert. This mile-marker was a good indication of just how far I'd have to ride before seeing tarmac and civilisation again! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pNXPHsN-XL.jpg photo. I love these smooth winding desert dirt roads... I was making good time - despite heading due west now in the late afternoon, the sun was still high enough in the sky not to be too dazzling, and the GPS guided me through each trail intersection just as if these were paved roads. After a while I passed through a burn area that I recalled from almost ten years ago, although at least there were hints of new growth in this harsh and barren landscape. Certainly the trails here seemed little used - barely any trace of vehicles at all to be honest, although as the trail got more sandy, I noticed what looked like a recent pair of four-wheeled tyre tracks in the softer surface. This was encouraging, as it suggested this was currently a through-route at least... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...zs5bGTT-XL.jpg photo. Although this is desert, rainstorms and flash-floods can happen at any time, and certainly this section had seen some recent bad weather... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...v7XvCpq-XL.png https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...DT6x6LT-XL.png photo. The single set of tyre tracks gave me confidence that this particular vehicle had not needed to turn around at least... I continued to pick my way gingerly around the worst of the wash-outs and avoid the darker softer quick-sand sections, only to find that the vehicle (and trailer) that had been making these tracks all along, was now parked at the side of the road just before a huge flooded section that spanned the entire width of the trail... There seemed to be no sign of life, and as I approached, noticed a second set of tyre tracks, more narrow than the first - and sure enough, it appeared the truck owner had abandoned his pick-up and continued on an ATV - at this particular point picking a line through the scrub alongside the main trail... so I too hopped up the bank and followed his lead around the flooded trail. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...3sG3M6M-XL.jpg photo. Back on the main road, the ATV tracks continued to give me hope of a successful passage! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...sZjRR3f-XL.jpg photo. Joshua trees - how I've missed you this trip! Although the ATV tracks eventually disappeared (I can only presume they turned off on a side trail for hunting or camping), the trail itself continued to improve, and as the sun began to drop behind the mountains ahead, my route turned more northwards and headed for Mesquite - a shabby casino town on I15, just over the State-line in Nevada. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...xtDLr4d-XL.jpg photo. As I crossed over the final pass, the trail improved into a graded gravel road... just what I needed at this late hour. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...TzcBn7W-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gXhRxgx-XL.jpg photo. As I got closer and closer to Mesquite, so the sunset became more and more magnificent... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...n7j9bNn-XL.jpg Having stopped time and again to capture this series of images, it was now pitch black when I finally rolled into the outskirts of town - but grateful that what I'd originally dismissed as having wasted time earlier in the afternoon meant I was now able to witness one of the most spectacular sunsets I think I have ever seen! This elation was even enough to carry me through a tedious wait amongst the hordes in McDonalds (I know, but needs must - 3G was sketchy here so I wanted their wifi) - and in what would turn out to be the perfect end to the day, I managed to land a luxury room in a brand new resort hotel situated on the other side of town, for just $40!!! One thing is for sure, I was going to sleep well tonight! More soon... Jenny x |
Day 37: Wednesday 19th July - Mesquite NV to Las Vegas NV (157 miles)
"Mormon on and on..." Today would be a short day in comparison to the past week - I'd arranged to stop over in Las Vegas and see some friends this evening, so this morning all I really had to do was pick a slightly more interesting route than simply shlepping down the I15 for an hour or so to make my way south. I had two options, and with hindsight, I probably chose the wrong one... The first was to head down the highway and turn off through the Valley of Fire State Park, then take the Bitter Springs Backcountry Byway - which I'd only ever ridden once before, back in 2007 (in fact if you skip back to the beginning of this thread, you'll see a photo of the Tarantula I spied on the trail there), but recall was a lot of fun. The only downside was the need to pay to enter the Valley of Fire, and most likely again to exit the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on my way into Vegas; and cheapskate that I am, so far I'd managed to avoid all areas with park fees while compiling this 'High to Low' route... So the alternative, and arguably more appropriate route to take if heading [directly] west towards Death Valley, was the Mormon Well Rd - which cuts through the mountains directly north of Las Vegas and spits you out almost opposite the road to Wheeler Pass, which in turn leads on to Pahrump NV. Either way I was going to have to endure a few miles of the Interstate first, and ultimately elected to keep my money from The Man, and to maximise the amount of dirt riding instead... Mormon Well Rd is a very remote rocky road that links hwy 93 to hwy 95 - neatly avoiding the bun-fight that is every major route in and out of the Las Vegas basin. Once you're on it, you pretty much follow your nose for sixty miles or so - there are a few camping spots along the way, and the odd fun technical section where you cross through a dry wash or two; but on the whole, it is just a long and rough rocky road. I have to admit, for the first time since leaving Colorado Springs, I actually began to feel I was riding [this particular section of] dirt just for the sake of it... it was definitely time to take a break. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...tj7Sn8M-XL.jpg photo. The end of the road (or the beginning of course) - Mormon Wells Road is a great way to continue west over Wheeler Pass to Pahrump (and Death Valley) while avoiding Las Vegas completely, should you wish... I rolled into north Las Vegas on autopilot, and dropped by a familiar dealer to pick up some fresh rear brake pads: https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...mqJTQXh-XL.jpg photo. I'm pretty sure they would have got me home, but it made sense to change them now since I had the opportunity. The rest of the afternoon and most of the night was spent catching up with some good friends at their new home south of the city, where once again I was able to recharge my batteries both literally and metaphorically. As my head hit the pillow, I realised that this trip was all but over now - after all, technically it was only a day's ride [on the highway] to San Jose from here - although personally I needed to complete my dirt route to Death Valley first of course, and had also penciled-in a new to me alternative route for my ongoing journey across the southern Sierras. Jx |
Day 38: Thursday 20th July - Las Vegas NV to Ridgecrest CA (225 miles)
"Into the valley of Death!" There would be little chance of making it the whole way home this evening, especially if I stuck to my tentative plan to actually continue my ride through Butte Valley and Mengal Pass once I'd arrived in Death Valley, rather than stick to the paved [and much longer] road option. So this was all the excuse I needed to have a leisurely breakfast, sort the brakes on my bike, and pack my gear that save my toothbrush and a fresh set of underwear, would be for the final time this trip. I rolled out of town along Blue Diamond Rd (a huge multi-lane highway these days) - which leads over the Spring Mountains to Pahrump, although I of course had a slightly different route in mind - soon picking up a familiar rocky trail south towards Goodsprings, then west on faster gravel to Sandy Valley, before ultimately embarking on a faint sandy two-track across the desert towards Tecopa Hot Springs. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...WqPLrVF-XL.jpg photo. Heading north from Tecopa towards Shoshone, in search of a late lunch... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...gJcT78x-XL.jpg photo. ...and I found it right here, at the Crowbar Saloon - a tasty burger and a huge iced Coke. It was mid-afternoon now, and the heat was intense - it was 110° in Shoshone. I'd long since removed and strapped my jacket to the top of my luggage, so the air-conditioning inside the restaurant an utter relief to my now sun-baked skin. I stretched out my second glass of cola for as long as I could, really not wanting to go back outside into the searing heat of the afternoon... Eventually I had no choice, climbed back on board in my short-sleeves, and finally dipped below sea-level at bang-on 4pm. It was still hellishly hot, perhaps even moreso here - certainly as I descended into Badwater Basin from the relative cool of Jubilee Pass, you could feel the temperature climb right back up again with every few feet drop in elevation... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6xNcRCC-XL.jpg photo. My elected 'finish' point would be the southern end of West Side Rd that runs up the middle of Badwater Basin, and where you can ride/drive at around 250ft below sea-level. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...BwXxVsk-XL.jpg photo. I considered this junction the official 'Highest* to Lowest' finish point: -224ft below sea level... Rather handily it is also the start of Warm Springs [Canyon] Rd that leads to Mengal Pass. *This is probably as good a point as any to reveal my geographical ignorance - it turns out that Pikes Peak is NOT the highest 'motorable' road in the USA after all - that honour actually goes to the Mt Evans Rd (Scenic Byway) just west of Denver Colorado... and therefore technically this whole undertaking has now been utterly in vain... ;o) So with this particular challenge completed, what was I going to do now? Ripping up West Side Rd is always fun, and the paved-road ride from Furnace Creek past Stovepipe Wells and over the pass into Panamint Valley is wonderfully scenic. However, this was also an awfully long way round, especially when my goal was to reach Trona and hopefully continue on to Ridgecrest before dark. Of course, I was going to carry on due west on the dirt wasn't I... ;o) Fortunately I have become pretty familiar with this trail over the years, so factored there would be no nasty surprises, and the only potentially challenging section would be navigating my loaded bike up the rocky side of Mengal Pass itself... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wLRnNqV-XL.jpg photo. Striped Butte in the afternoon sun... You may recall from the CBXpo ride report that Harold, Juan and I spent a night in the Geologist's Cabin just up the trail from here - a stunning location! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...RKpjjMm-XL.png photo. Heading up the east (nasty) side of Mengal Pass... https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...wcSwM4r-XL.png photo. It's easier than herding cats... and I was especially pleased they eventually lined up in the correct size order too! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...pt3xpJG-XL.jpg photo. The exit of Golar Wash into Panamint Valley beyond. Although I'd made great time though the pass itself, there was still sixty or so miles to go until Ridgecrest, and if I'm honest I thought my luck might start to run out if I attempted to continue on the Fish Canyon/Escape Trail directly across the valley from here. Certainly it's worth noting that while the Escape Trail is not especially difficult, there is one steep and very loose and rocky section of about 100 yards that I would need to climb when heading in this direction - and that a failed attempt would at the very least require a lot of physical exertion to recover from. I'll admit I didn't much fancy that after everything else I'd endured today. Instead I headed north on the wide and dusty Wingate Rd to the ghost-town of Ballerat (pop. 3) - there was no sign of anyone, despite the store door being wide open (no air-conditioning here!), and while I would have left at least a couple of bucks on the counter for a cold can of pop, the ancient refrigerator was also propped open and the meagre contents room-temperature at best, so I left empty-handed... denied! Back on the highway, it was a lovely run down the valley to Trona - the sun slipping away over my right shoulder, and the Honda just humming along. A quick stop for fuel and ice cream, then on again into the night. We're nearly home Piglet. More soon... Jenny x |
Day 39: Friday 21st July - Ridgecrest CA to San Jose CA (382 miles)
"Home fried" By hook or by crook, I was going to make it home this evening - but I was also going to do my best to have one last hurrah on both the dirt and some minor paved roads in between! Despite a penchant for waffles (particularly ones I've poured myself into a flip-flop machine) it is actually French Toast that has been my cooked breakfast of choice this trip. Fortunately there is a reasonable restaurant just across the road from the Motel-6 in Ridgecrest, so other than a couple more gas-stops today, I'd figured I use up the last of my budget and go out in fine fluffy sugar-coated style! My plan was to pick up the dirt again a few miles south west of town, using the network of dirt-roads and trails that pass through the huge Jawbone OHV area just off hwy 14 (which cuts across the Mojave desert north of the Edwards Airforce Base) and eventually connects to hwy 178 around Lake Isabella. Jawbone Canyon Rd is fast and wide, and sometimes sandy - with plenty of OHV options to each side should you feel so inclined. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...N6S3k3V-X2.jpg photo. Warning, nerdy photographer alert: The windmills were actually rotating, and I was particularly pleased that I eventually managed to catch them all in the same position! Once past Kelso Valley (note. there is an alternative dirt road north from here to Weldon at the east end of Lake Issabella), the road becomes much more narrow and trail-like as it climbs quickly via a series of tight sandy switchbacks to over 8000ft at the summit, before morphing in to Saddle Springs Rd for the final decent towards the western end of the lake - a smooth, easy, twisty and scenic way to end on a high! https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...W7Xtc29-XL.jpg photo. Lake Isabella in the distance - the fug in the air is actually smoke from a series of forest fires to the north, in the Sequoia National Forest. While the dirt may have been over, there was still another treat or two in store - just a few miles north of Lake Isabella is a whole host of red and gold routes on the Butler map for Southern California (yep, I'd remembered to bring that one with me, just in case!). I elected to play it safe and head west away from the burn-zone, and happened on the utterly epic hwy 155 (Butler mark it Red, personally speaking I think they sell it short!), which reminded me very much of the Tail of the Dragon (hwy 129) between North Carolina and Tennessee. Even the minor roads they don't highlight in this area are fantastic - I let the GPS direct me diagonally on some twisty rural back-roads to Porterville, where I eventually picked up a series of increasingly major highways, before the inevitable shlep with the herd up hwy 99 - an interstate in all but name. https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...7BbLZXc-XL.png photo. Cutting across the Central Valley on hwy 152. Rolling into the south Bay Area at going home time, I was eternally grateful to be heading in the opposite direction to the sea of commuter traffic on the other side of the road - the perfect metaphor for anyone who likes to take the road less travelled perhaps... As I unlocked the garage door and rolled my bike inside, I noticed the odometer was now just shy of 11,000 miles since it was last parked here. Five and a half weeks doesn't sound all that long in the grand scheme of things, but just looking back at all the photos in my camera (and that I'd already started to post here on this thread of course) it was almost like a whole other time now - riding the BDR with the guys in Washington felt like a lifetime ago... visiting Twin Peaks, followed by that incessant rain in Canada... embarking on my 'Trans-Montana Trail' project, then riding the best of the Black Hills... Spending July the 4th on the shore of Lake Superior... Meeting all those fantasic people at the Overland Adventure Rally... Nailing another Iron-Butt (and more) just because the Honda meant I could... Then perhaps the most ambitious and rewarding element of all - riding more than dozen high passes in Colorado as part of my ongoing dual-sport journey west all the way to Death Valley. It had been so intense, I'd seen so much, and so much had happened day after day in between - this trip had invigorated me once again. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did riding it! Toot toot for now... Jenny xx |
Jenny, great trip report, a noce pictorial way to spend a couple of lunch breaks adventuring from the desk.
The route looks amazing and it seems the bike is fully sorted for this kind of travel. I will be intersted to see what you think of the GS310 and how it compares, I loved my tenere but always found it a bit wide and top heavy as I am of short leg. Good to see you are traveling light just goes to show how much extra unescesarry kit people haul around hampering theor off road excursions |
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She mentions the CB a bit in her RR of the TAT she just completed this week over on ADVr. Seems the CB is just as capable on that same trip and and would have been much more comfortable. |
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In that context, the CB500X is more comfortable as a long-distance multi-day cross-country machine (as you might expect, having a more powerful twin-cylinder engine), but I've yet to really put the GS through it's paces in more serious and technical off-road terrain to be able to make a full comparison. In that regard I'll be heading back east again next week, via Death Valley en route to Overland Expo West in Arizona, then the following week heading to Moab UT to ride some more demanding off-road terrain there. You'd all be welcome to follow my progress via the running ride-report "Beemer Beemer chicken deener" over on ADVrider of course ;o) Jenny x |
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Suuuuubscribed! |
I ended up over there reading the trip report yesterday, the little GS looks ace and you seem to like it a lot.
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I think where the 310 is going to appeal more (in comparison to the CB) is that it is a good 50lbs lighter in weight, which for some people is going to be important - particularly in more technical terrain off-road. Otherwise, physically there are actually a very similar size - wheelbase, ground clearance, suspension travel and wheel size (with the LEVEL 2 Rally Raid kit fitted to the CB that is, as per my bike above) are all pretty much like for like, which is why I specified the standard travel length (170mm each end) LEVEL 1 suspension on the GS to make more a direct comparison with the LEVEL 2 CB. I've always said that John (at Rally Raid) and I designed the CB500X Adventure kit to make it a genuine 50/50 machine, ie. something that is equally capable (and indeed has proven more than capable) both on road and off. In comparison, we see the upgraded 310GS more of a 60/40 bike, with the bias towards off-road handling at the expense of some [ultimate] on-road performance; and certainly my experience so far would seem to conform that. Glad you enjoyed the latest ride report - there will be plenty more to come over the summer too of course! Jenny x |
Outstanding! Thank you. :thumbup1:
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Just a quick head-up for anyone within striking distance of Mariposa California this weekend - I'll be presenting two seminars at the Horizons Unlimited Travellers meeting - the first is my latest Packing Light show-and-tell/Q&A session, scheduled for Friday morning at 11am. I'll be sharing my experience and suggestions for packing light for a typical extended adventure ride with an off-road and trail bias, with my trusty CB500X as the backdrop of course.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-Sp6ptkZ-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-kp2p7CX-L.jpg The second is a science fiction double feature - Part 1 and [the debut of] Part 2 of my huge trip last summer on the G310GS, featuring highlights of some of the best dual-sport and adventure riding in North America - including sections of the Trans-America Trail, the Moab trail network, some of the best Colorado high passes, and sections of the various BDR routes all over the west and north west. A particular highlight is also my cross country blast to Toronto and back for some off-road riding in Ontario, plus my own exploration route/s through Wyoming and Montana. This audio-visual double bill is scheduled to start at 10am on Saturday 28th September. As another treat, Juan Browne (Blancolirio on Youtube) will also be attending, and we're planning a couple of afternoon trail rides in the local area. So if you're already planning on attending, or simply fancy a last minute weekend away in some awesome scenery together with some equally awesome people, do check out the California meeting page/thread for details (note that online registration is now closed), but if you contact the organisers via email I'm sure you'll be able to sign up on the day. Hope to see you there! Jenny x |
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