Cascades 2019
I rode South through the mountains, then North along the coast.
2019-05-21 Flights to Seattle and nearly everywhere else were delayed. I did not get to Seattle until after 1700, picking up the ride would have to wait until the next day. This actually worked out nicely; I had a bad migraine coming into Seattle and was not in any condition to ride anyhow. Guest house in Hillman City; just below Columbia City. Lovely Ethiopian place around the corner, Amys Merkato kept me fed for my short stay in Seattle.
2019-05-22 OMG, the avocado toast is so good here! This is a 2018 Tiger XRx with only 2600 miles. Controls are much tighter than the 2015, I do not have to stretch my thumb for signaling a left turn, exhaust is more throaty. Console is 100% electronic, no analog tachometer. The heated grips are perfect for the mountain weather when the temperature drops.
The path to Mount Rainier... lots of highway but some great shots just outside Elbe. The color difference between what the OnePlus shoots versus the Sena 10c Pro helmet cam is substantial.
It was mostly overcast with little visibility of Mount Rainier.
A great way to end the day staying for the evening at Whittaker's Bunkhouse as the rain settled in.
2019-05-23 A rough start to the day pulling away about a mile away from the lodge, headed towards Mount St. Helens. A loose strap on the bag was caught by the chain, pulling the bag down into the rear wheel. When this happened, I thought someone had hit me from the back; the rear wheel locked up and the bike started to skid. I looked back, the bag was gone. I pulled the clutch in and applied the front brake to control the stop. Once the bike stopped, it was not going anywhere, I managed to muscle the bike to the shoulder whilst a car coming from behind. I managed to get most of the bike off the road, the rest I had to pick up from the rear and pivot. I definitely panicked for a minute; I thought the bike was going to be messed up somehow. Once I started reasoning with myself, I put the bike in neutral and rolled the bike backwards until the bag loosened up. From there, I cut the strap trapped in the rear sprocket and pulled the bag loose. Victory! The bag was shredded to hell and some of my clothes have vinyl adhered to them. The Thinkpad survived with only a few cracks, screen intact!
Mount St. Helens! There are amazing long curved roads leading to Mount St. Helens. You can take these curves aggressively and confidently while noone else is around and feel the G forces at work. Thrilling! More Sena 10c woes unfortunately; while the camera said it was recording, it never actually did record any video. NEvertheless some decent photos from the OnePlus.
From here, I headed to Portland, Oregon for the night. I took local highways, crossing the Columbia River via the 433.
2019-05-24 Leaving Portland early, I caught some light rain headed towards the Columbia River Gorge. Along the way, I stopped to check out the Bonneville Lock and Dam. I always wondered how they allowed the fish back upstream when dams were built, fish ladders!
Lovely views all over the Columbia River Gorge, also one of motorcycling perfection. I rode Highway 30 until Hood River, making my way South to Mount Hood.
The microclimates were starting to become apparent on the other side of Mount Hood. The temperature dropped into the low 40s with rain. The heated grips made the conditions more tolerable. Making my way further South through the Warm Springs Reservation, the weather and the landscape changed. Temperatures rose to upper 60s to lower 70s with clear skies.
I had aspirations of camping in this weather. I grabbed a footlong Subway sandwich and rode over to The Cove Palisades State Park. Riding, I often miss signs as there is so much to pay attention to. The campground is immediately on the left once entering the park; I took a right onto SW Jordan road and made it across both bridges before realizing something was wrong. Turning around, I made it back to the campground, but no sites could accommodate a hammock. A Budget Inn would suffice for the night.
2019-05-25 Out of Madras, taking 97 / The Dalles-California Highway South towards Sacramento. The remaining views of Oregon were great, with South Siter off in the distance out of Madras, eventually riding by the Upper Klamath Lake.
Welcome to California...
Mount Shasta was the best viewing in California this day. Following Mount Shasta it was I5 South all the way to Sacramento to see friends.
2019-05-26 The Holiday Inn Express was a comfortable retreat to the evening prior after visiting with friends; it was the best bed of the entire trip and I definitely paid for it. Breakfast was a nice addition to the cost. Another nice perk of being in a city was the coffee available. I grabbed some good espresso before hitting I-5 North. Since freeways are the most boring roads to ride, it was recommended to take highway 20 West to line myself up with the Redwoods and eventually highway 101 going up the coast. Crossing over highway 20 West, I was blown away by the how the landscape was changing. Small farmlands in between the rolling hills, the colors reminding me of Tuscany. I caught a rain shower before leaving the rolling hills.
The Redwoods were just beyond Garbersville, continuing on I would hit the Redwoods during dusk. I was intrigued to see them in the finishing light but, I stayed in Garbersville for the evening saving Avenue of the Giants for early morning.
2019-05-27 Entering the Redwoods was my favorite part of California, it felt cavernous riding through the trees. A benefit of riding is you get an unobstructed view of the road and everything around you with complete peripheral vision. Hiking through was tempting, who makes the motorcycle hiking hybrid boots? I stopped briefly to listen to the environment and hug some trees.
From the Redwoods, I made my way up the California coast and cut back in to checkout Crater Lake. The Sena 10C was out of battery by the time I arrived to Crater Lake Highway / 62, I was able to snap one more photo of the snowpack on the ascent. The weather changed drastically leading up Crater Lake. Once on Crater Lake Highway, the temperature started to drop ominously, the rain started in about half way up. By the time I reached the Annie Spring Entrance Station, the temperature was 38F with a steady drizzle. The electronic dash on the Tiger started to warn me about potential ice on the road, nice feature. Crater Lake is unreal.
Crater Lake is surrounded by several campgrounds. It turns out that the evening after Memorial Day is a great day to go camping, Abbott Creek was completely empty. Hammock camping complete with a bug net, rain fly, and an underquilt. Camping outside of Crater Lake was exactly the experience I was looking for. The JetBoil came with a press to make coffee in the morning; it also served well cooking ramen the night before.
2018-05-28 Waking up, I had a chipmunk trying to join me in the hammock, jumping into my backside, it scared the shit out of me. Living in NYC, I do not camp that often, suffice it to say I have some layers to thicken. Leaving the Abbott Creek Campground on 230 Northeast, Mount Thielsen presents its jagged self.
Passing Mount Thielsen, I took 138 West. I was feeling great coming off the sleep I had in Abbott Creek. There is something to be said about breathing fresh air all night, riding on a light stomach with only coffee for breakfast and a full tank of 93 octane. I felt more agile and comfortable on the Tiger. I had also been living on the Tiger for six days, were the machine and I becoming one? It felt like it.
When riding up the California coast, it was overcast and rainy which sounds common for this time of year. I only stopped for food and fuel. The weather in Oregon was much better with clear views of the Pacific. The traffic was not bad, but much slower, great for scenery.
I stopped in Seaside, Oregon for the layover.
2018-05-29 The overcast mornings in the West made for perfect riding weather. The temperature was perfect for all the accompanying gear, and the muted light was easy on my eyes. Throughout the west there are all these drive-thru coffee stops. A common one I stopped at was Dutch Bros. Others were throughout including this one in South Bend, Washington. I kind of miss the drive-thru culture, despite not being able to drink coffee and ride at the same time. A lot of coffee shops did not know what the cortado / gibraltar was. When riding, it was the perfect sized drink to consume, it did not take much time. Anything larger, and I started feeling like I was missing out on riding.
From South Bend, I road 101 north until the 107 which led to the Olympic Hwy. Throughout this area the roads were in really great condition and the traffic was little to none. I was pushing the speed a bit on these roads until I thought I may have spotted some trouble. It was not until about 40 to 50 over I was approaching a police cruiser and thought my fun was all over. The cruiser, moving towards me, could definitely tell I was moving way quicker than I should have been. I was lucky enough to get a visual light warning with no pursuit. Thanks Washington State Police. It probably does not matter, but an adventure ride seems to make you look much less like an asshole than a sport bike.
By the time I hit Olympic National Forest, the weather was getting a bit warmer. I made my way into the forest via 119. There happened to be construction going on and the road turned to gravel, not the experience I was looking for. I turned around and worked the curves, more aggressively than on the way in and scraped the right pannier, plus some of the peg. I did not think the Tiger could get that low. There is still much to learn about riding, what the machine can do as well as myself. I learn the most on multiple day trips. Coming back out of the forest, I was feeling exhausted. I decided to head to Seattle, the city was all I wanted to explore from here. Riding into the city on I5 was the expected freeway jam every city has, including the aggressive drivers. I had hopes that it would be much different than New York, but timing is everything. Finally, arriving into Downtown Seattle, I was then tasked to find a place to sleep for the evening. I decided on the Kings Inn; a fine establishment for a solo traveler and within budget.
2018-05-30 Today would be my last day in Seattle and my last day with the Tiger. I made my way out from the excellent Kings Inn to go experience the NOAA Sound Garden. I was also looking forward to riding through Seattle and its neighborhoods. The video shows the 35 minute ride through some of Seattle to the NOAA site and then to the adjacent park. Turns out, the sound garden was not accessible from the park, (I could have just asked the guard to see it on site) but just close enough to see it and hear it. That day was also calm with no wind, the sound garden has no auditory effect.
Another piece of art that inspired Soundgarden was up next, Black Sun by Isamu Noguchi, located in Volunteer Park.
I stopped into the conservatory on site to see what they were growing; was worth the donation and visit. From here, it was straight to Eagle Rider to drop off the Tiger.
Upon dropping the Tiger off at Eagle Rider, I started having separation anxiety; I did not want to relinquish the keys! I had a hard time telling myself that the trip was over. I sucked it up, booked an Uber back to the hotel. I walked around the city, Pikes Market, and had my own sleepless Seattle night. Summing it all up, the riding and sights from the trip were unbelievable, the people I met top it all off. Riding the West Coast delivered an amazing experience. Never stop riding.
- nullanvoid