DAY 7 NOT IN CANADA YET!

ROUTE FRIDAY

I-82 out of Yakima, 97 N from Ellensburg, 2 to Davenport, 25 along Columbia to Kettle Falls, south 395 to Colville.

Dinner last night talk turned to how grateful we are to be retired, how thankful that we made it to this point and are still enjoying ourselves. We were all thinking of Officer Glasser and the recent tragic events back in Phoenix. An unrequested but unanimous moment of silent reflection followed. This made me think of the Zac Brown song reference returning soldiers.

What can you see from your window?
I can't see anything from mine
Flags on the side of the highway
And scripture on grocery store signs
Maybe eighteen was too early
Maybe thirty or forty is too
Did you get your chance to make peace with the man
Before he sent down his angels for you?

This morning we headed out down another beautiful two lane road beside a river with white water rafting, fisherman, and a few guys in row boats just another beautiful morning. After lunch the road turned straight and fast with spring wheat crops for miles on both sides of the road. Canada tomorrow then working west toward Whistler BC. 

DAY 6 RAIN, SNOW, SUN

….climbing rapidly on wet roads soon entered the clouds themselves the dense foliage and road covered in wisps of fog when suddenly the light rain turned to snow. Before long the snow was turning to ice obscuring the bikes windshields with the geometric shapes of ice crystals.

What a great ride!

 The original route was going to take us on a much steeper road over a higher pass but it’s still closed from the winter storms. The Cascades are still some of the most heavily forested beautiful mountains I have ridden.

Coming down the eastern slope is a completely different experience with the trees giving way to wide open vistas and thankfully today drier roads. Eventually made it to The Dalles a great little city on the Columbia River. There is a bridge over the river with a great view of the dam and the large locks to move ships around the dam.

Ended the day in Yakima WA, Canada tomorrow?

Route 126 east to Redmond, 97 north to 197, 197 to The Dalles, 14 east to 97 north.

DAY 4 AND 5 EASY FIXES, CRATERS, UNPLANNED JOURNEYS

DAY 4

Road on some great roads with thick forests of evergreens, pines, and redwoods for mile after mile. Stopped for a pic of Mt Shasta and discovered a problem with Bruce’s bike. A check on the phone revealed a Harley dealer in Medford Oregon. They fixed the bike in Phoenix while I grabbed a cup of coffee in Medford. The dealership is split down the middle by the city line between Phoenix and Medford. The majority of the day was small lakes, two lane lightly traveled roads, under incredible blue skies.

I've been climbing my way through the sky
Searching for answers that I'll never find
Losing my breath as I fall
Learning to fly, letting go of it all
Learning to fly, letting go of it all

I'm gonna live like tomorrow never comes
There's no end in sight, tonight we black out the sun
Better hold on tight, before you know it's gone
And live like tomorrow never comes

I've been trying to open my eyes
Take it all in as the world passes by
Getting lost in the twists and the turns
Finding these questions inside me still burn
Finding these questions inside me still burn 

I'm gonna live like tomorrow never comes
There's no end in sight, tonight we black out the sun
Better hold on tight, before you know it's gone
And live like tomorrow never comes

ZAC BROWN

That just about sums it up for the way I feel today, good song Zac.

DAY 5

Started the day with a 70 mile ride to Crater Lake, climbing to the lake the are turned crisp but never too cold. Love being able to ride with a jacket whille the bike turns cool air and precious resources into pure power. We had to ride out the way we came in as the north lake entrance/exit is still closed for snow. Made an unscheduled turn and found ourselves on Oregon 138 from north of the lake towards Roseburg. We had no plans of riding this road today so decided to give it 150 miles or so to see what it was like.

New pavement smooth and clean with great sweeping turns where the warning signs advised 45 but could easily be taken at 65 and almost devoid of traffic. I only saw four motorcycles on that road all day, two in front of me and two behind. Finished the day in Eugene with a short walk next door to a sports bar everyone smiling about the good roads, good weather, and good company.

MT SHASTA

Day 2 and 3 Pahrump-Minden-Susanville

DAY 2

Pahrump to Minden NV via California and Death Valley. Day 2 settling into the bike and starting to forget about politics, age, aches and pains. Two lane roads on American steel with the tunes blasting will do that for me.

Riding across Death Valley with temps hitting 90 you are impressed with the sheer beauty of such desolation. Then quickly climbing into cool crisp air riding the eastern border of the Sierra's for mile after mile. Stopping for the night in Minden realized we were only a dozen or so miles and a high mountain pass from Lake Tahoe sounds like a good start for day three. Heading north out of Big Pine we had thought about crossing the mountains, heading west on the north end of Yosemite only to find all those passes still closed by winter snow.

At dinner the talk turned to prior rides since other than Jake all have been on at least eight with me. Yes Bruce I realize you have been on nine and have by way of seniority appointed yourself assistant Road Captain.

Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight 
and I'm going to drink till I get my fill 
And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it 
but I probably will 
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture 
a little of the glory of, well time slips away 
and leaves you with nothing mister but 
boring stories of glory days 
Bruce Sprinsteen

The stories may be boring, not to us, but at least we are still making new stories to carry us into those times of going down to the well.

Day 3

Didn't go to far today but great scenery. Took 207 over the pass into South Lake Tahoe, what a great start to the day. The western edge of Tahoe with great weather is unbeatable even with stop and go traffic. Stayed on 89 to the 49 then the 49 to the northern terminus and onto 395 for the remainder of the day. Tahoe was busy with workers but in between visitors. The skiers are gone and the buoys are still devoid of boats but us casual tourists still keep the place hopping.  

DAY 1 Phoenix to Pahrump

Well it's finally started day one of the tenth long spring ride. As usual a little apprehensive until we actually get on the road then just a few miles later it all starts to feel right.

Checked this morning to make sure we all remembered passports since we are headed up the country.

Riding north on I-17 for the 1,000,000 time to Prescott for breakfast and everything looked a little different today. When you know it will be three weeks and thousands of miles before you get back everything is suddenly better looking and fresh.

I'm going up the country
Babe, don't you wanna go?
Babe, don't you wanna go?
I'm going to some place
Where I've never been before

I'm going, I'm going
Where the water tastes like wine
I'm going
I'm going up the country
Where the water tastes like wine
We can jump in the water
Stay drunk all the time

I'm gonna leave this city
Got to get away
I'm gonna leave this city
Got to get away
All this fussing and fighting
Man, you know I sure can't stay

CANNED HEAT

Heading north into Cali tomorrow via Death Valley then turning north towards our northern goal of western Canada.

DAY 20 AND END OF THE ROAD DAY21

DAY 20

We had decided to ride Colorado’s famous Million Dollar Highway today and a quick look at the weather  said it would be a good day to try it. Left Montrose with temps in the 40’s heading for Ouray and our climb into the mountains. We have done this ride on prior occasions but always from south to north and I can tell you it is a completely different ride the opposite direction.

The road is very lightly travelled during this time between skiers and summer visitors and we had it pretty much to ourselves. Short straight stretches with a 35 mph speed limit quickly change to 10 MPH corners with shear drop offs. When the road was built there wasn't room for two lanes and a guard rail so the pavement edge is a several hundred foot drop-off that begs to be looked at as you near the edge on the corners. We all know you will go where you look so there is a constant struggle to keep your speed adjusted and eyes looking ahead as the tires move ever closer to the edge. You do all this bundled up like a cocoon against the 31 degree temperature at the top. Dropping down into Silverton and the lower altitude (9300 feet) the weather warms and we sat outside a coffee shop for a cup of coffee before tackling the next two passes between Silverton and Durango.

Lunch in Durango and the map came out, we had three options, southwest to four corners towards Flagstaff and home, Straight south towards Shiprock and over to Show Low for the last night, or….route 550 (green scenic dots) southeast to Albuquerque. The rain we encountered later in the day let us know that we did not choose wisely but we made it cross it of the list. After 19 days of avoiding the weather with creative route planning we were due a day like this.

DAY 21

Pretty simple, everyone ready to head home about 500 miles to ride so for the first time long day of Interstate which put us home around 4 ish where a wife and grandkids gave me an enthusiastic welcome.

As usual have to thank my family for their support, the guys I ride with for keeping it fun and of course the great roads all over this country.

Every day's a revolution
Pull it together and it comes undone
Just one more candle and a trip around the sun.

I'm just hanging on while this old world keeps spinning
And it's good to know it's out of my control.
If there's one thing that I've learned from all this living
Is that it wouldn't change a thing if I let go.

No you never see it coming,
Always wind up wondering where it went.

Only time will tell
If it was time well spent.
It's another revelation,

Celebrating what I should have done
With these souvenirs of my trip around the sun.

Jimmy Buffett

I know we can't all ride around the country on motorcycles but get out and do something. See something, learn something, spend time with loved ones, just do something. Don’t look back and say “I could have”.Don't waste another Trip Around The Sun.

DAYS 17, 18, 19

Started day 17 still in Oklahoma finished day 19 in Montrose Colorado, there's more but that just about covers it. The roads have been exceptional with wide open spaces interspersed with cattle and farms. Driving across the panhandle of Oklahoma is long straight roads lightly travelled and very green. You see beautiful farmhouses setting well back from the road and large turn of the century homes in complete disrepair abandoned with twenty to thirty year old cars rusting in the yards.

As we entered New Mexico we all started to realize that this years spring trip is winding down, but not wanting it to end early we turned north into Colorado before stopping for the end of day 18. Awoke for day 19 and headed north a few miles before turning west with a vague plan to cross the rockies. At one point we topped a little pass and there before us were the rockies, rising thousands of feet in the air, covered with snow against a blue and white skie. After some map checking found a new route, new to us anyway, over the mountains at only 10,200 feet! The pass came with a few minutes of hail, rain and wind, not enough to slow us down but the kind that makes you sit up and pay attention.

We're just wastin' gas, woah
Blurring them dotted lines
Killing all kinds of time
Baby, like we ain't coming back, woah
Steal a kiss, maybe two
Pull it off for a few
Gonna hang as long as I can
You know I don't give it a damn
If we're just wastin' gas

Every once in a while
It'll backfire like a gun
I see that needle creeping down
Like a setting sun
Making every little memory one of a kind
You and I riding high all night
Dallas Smith

Using up all three weeks, one day at a time. Looking forward to being home still enjoying the journey.

On a different not when we crossed I-40 in the morning on day 18 Bruce let us know that he needed to get home, Jake went with, don't want him riding alone, and Jake's bike was starting to sound worse than before the repair in Florida.