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3rd August:
Came back down to Ontario, OR, for supplies, fuel, and laundry as the next sections seem quite remote. Then on to John Day, OR. Now this is the Oregon I remember! Once the TAT rose up and into the treeline, the scenery went from endless brown dusty hills into shaded forest land. Enjoyable climb up on decent trails, with just enough rough parts to keep you on your toes. And then the trail emerged onto the forest road. Loved that. Miles of smooth tarmac twisting through the trees. Like Blue Ridge Parkway again, but with zero traffic. Just keep a look out for the cattle, and what they leave on the road... A welcome relief, as I'd managed to step on a metal tent peg last night while wrestling with my accommodation in the wind, putting a hole in the bottom of my left foot, making gear changes while standing up painful. Arrived at John Day to find two other TAT'ers heading out. One from Germany and one from New Jersey. |
4th August:
John Day to Prineville to La Pine, OR. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1888/3...bd2c0237_b.jpg A strange weather day. Started out very cold, so cold I had to stop and warm up on the TAT. But by the time I reached Prineville, it was baking hot. Then up to the calderas (East and Paulina Lakes) where it was cold again and raining. Down to La Pine, hot again! https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1820/2...a7fdda1a_b.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1817/2...310953e1_b.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1897/2...43f5430b_b.jpg Still, a lot of good trails. The rocks and ruts sections on the way to Prineville, then the Crooked River Highway being the best. Looked at camping up at the lakes, but way too busy. And cold and wet. So down here in the lowland looking for a site instead. After I just pulled a decking screw out of the rear tyre, and plugged it. Again... After plugging the rear tyre, I looked for a hotel in La Pine. No luck, all booked. So looked for a USFS campsite. First one was closed, second one was open. But, had a very weird vibe. Could have been because I got stuck, down to the rear axle, getting in. Could have been the homeless guy, sleeping in his car across the way. Could have been the procession of dodgy looking people driving up down the dirt road. Could have been that the very large ants figured out how to get into my tent within 3 minutes of putting it up. So, I bailed. And got stuck again, trying to get out. Repacked and looked for somewhere else. On the way south I looked back at the calderas where the nice campsites are. Clouded in a thick storm, with lightning. Glad I didn't stay there! https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1868/2...91ae11d9_b.jpg Finally arriving at an out of season Sno Park. In the dark. Found a spot and pitched up. |
5th August:
Woke up this morning, freezing cold. Got dressed and looked around in daylight. There was an unlocked warming hut 20' from my tent. Could have stayed in there and been warm! So, coffee and fuel down the road and back on the TAT. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/940/42...026b80e2_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/857/43...23b3e5c0_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/856/30...71be8636_b.jpg Jumped off at Crater Lake and did the tour. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1836/4...b0ced4e5_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/935/43...9c75bfdc_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/858/43...09d5b399_b.jpg Then headed to Tiller, OR, through thick smoke, fire camps and helicopter landing pads. Tiller was a ghost town. Didn't see a soul and the fuel station is closed. So shot down the hill to Canyonville, much needed fuel, and a hotel. |
6th August:
And so, here I am. The Pacific Coast. Port Orford. The end of the TAT. Five weeks, 9700 miles, 21 states. Feeling just a little bit stunned. Trip of a lifetime. And now it's done. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1798/4...a0a0600a_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/941/30...d7238cc3_b.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1795/4...5af2cd19_b.jpg Almost anyway. Still 5 days before we (the bike and I) fly home. So, let's see what's between here and Vancouver! |
Awesome. Glad to see you made it safe and got to complete the trip as planned.
The TAT is on my bucket list. So care to field a few questions? Favorite leg of the trip? If you had to do it again would you wish for more time or was the 5 weeks enough? Happy with the choice of bike? Looks like you went with the tubeless option for the RR wheels. Like them? |
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East, and West both have their plus points, and sections that are just amazing to ride. Oklahoma you can just skip. Enter via Arkansas, and go straight through to Colorado. Idaho surprised me, in just how nice it was. The Eastern part was flatter and more farmland, then up into mountains and long views followed by scenic canyon runs. Next time, I'll go so much slower. I felt I rushed through, at least the first half, and missed a lot. I'll also do what I eventually did on the second half, which is NOT do all TAT, all the time. The TAT is a great trail, and probably one of the most interesting alternatives for going coast to coast. BUT, I did find that you don't get to see much of 'America' as you'd think. It does become endless days of trees 'n gravel and not much else. Which, for some, is fine. However if you want to explore America, the small towns, the people, the history, it's not the best way to do it. Use the TAT as a fun way to travel between places, but then get off and so SEE those places. In addition, getting on and off the TAT allows you to scoot ahead, creating more time to go explore, rather than plod along. The 6 weeks I took, (minus 1 week in L.A) is plenty of time. Again, if you find yourself short on time, jump ahead ('slab it'). You can ride the distance on tarmac in a couple of hours what it might take you a day on the TAT. Was I happy with the CB. Oh, absolutely. Slightly too heavy on places like Ophir Pass, but otherwise a good balance between tarmac muncher and dirt eater. Would slab all day at 80, or stroll through the woods at 30. And then just get up and go the next day. The engine guard took a beating, but did it's job of protecting the engine. RR said they've not seen one quite that.. used, and want to me to go up to see them for a 'post mortem', so they can see if changes are needed in future guards. Tubeless tyres were a good choice. Had to plug 3 holes while out there. Two at the same time (large staple). Much easier than pulling tubes out. Just plug, inflate, and go. |
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All good to hear and makes perfect sense. I've followed Jenny's TAT threads over on ADVr and she had said the same thing about the TAT. It's more of a rough guideline to go from one end to the other, but it pays to get off the trail and wander out in other directions. Glad you're happy with the CB. If you had the L2 kit, do you think that the bashplate would have fared better? Or you didn't really need the ground clearance in that respect? |
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Thanks for the feedback. |
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Still had 5 days before we (the bike and I) fly home. So, let’s see what happened between here and Vancouver! After crossing the ‘finish line’ at Port Orford, riding the bike down to the beach, spending 20 minutes digging the & #*£ing out and wrestling it back up the slope to safety, I looked for a place to eat. Found “TJ’s pub” just down the road. My initials are TJ! Karma? Then back on the road. Heading north, slowly, via the coastal loops. Stopping to take pics and explore. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...9/p1030117.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...9/p1030122.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...9/p1030121.jpg Eventually the increasing marine layer, and decreasing cold, pushed me inland. So I dived off and took the 38, Umpqua River Road. Good choice. Very scenic canyon run with the river alongside. Bonus was the herds of Elk in the fields beside the road. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...9/p1030127.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...9/p1030126.jpg Was pushing for Eugene, but the hour was getting late, so pulled in at The Lucky Duck RV and campsite. Loads of RV’s, but the tent area is empty, clean, grassy and very close to a cell tower! (it’s also next to the 5 freeway, but hey ho). And while the camp warden/host trailer was right next to where I’d pitched up, he didn’t come over to collect the fee’s! |
8th August
Took more back roads up to Eugene, just a short distance from where I’d camped. I’d arranged to meet a friend that evening, so i explored downtown Eugene and wandered round the Natural History Museum, before finding a hotel to dump all my stuff for the night. Was a good evening out, at the Oakshire pub. 9th August Wandered up towards Portland, OR, via route 99w, and McMinville Museum. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_102114.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_102808.jpg I’m sticking to tarmac, despite many “hey ride these trails” suggestions. Mainly as I figured I’d ridden so far, successfully, over mountains and through deserts, far from help, without anything bad happening, I’d just be pushing my luck to try anything now, on the ‘final stretch’. I stayed in Portland for a couple days with more friends, who were nice enough to take me round and show me the highlights of the city and surroundings. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...809_110135.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...9/p1030130.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...809_105934.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...809_140316.jpg |
10th August
Left Portland this morning, heading for the coast at Tillamook. From there, took the 101 north through miles of grey, damp, even cold weather. Marine layer in full effect. Finally turned inland around Aberdeen (no I wasn’t that lost, there’s an Aberdeen in Washington state too!) and headed to Seattle to meet a friend of mine I haven’t seen in 19 years. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...810_103929.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...810_111320.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...810_123126.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...810_125211.jpg Was great to catch up and have some dinner. Then I had to find a ‘wild’ camp for the night. Not an easy task as I had to get way east of Seattle, Snoqualmie, and trawl along a long gravel road filled with ‘weekend adventurers’ in the woods. Back into Seattle tomorrow for sightseeing. |
11th August
A fun day, exploring Seattle. Pikes Place Market, the original Starbucks, gum wall, Beacon Hill, Pioneer Square, downtown, and the Museum of Flight, before catching the ferry across Puget Sound to the peninsula and up to Port Angeles, WA. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_081827.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_070509.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_072211.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_081616.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...9/p1030148.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_123049.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_125146.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_122534.jpg Benefit of being a motorcycle on the Edmunds - Kingston Ferry, you jump to the front of the two hour queue! https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_155057.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_155713.jpg From the ferry terminal at Kingston, I rode up the 104 / 101 to Port Angeles. Followed by an eventful evening, tying to find SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE to pitch the tent for the night, a Lady at one of the full campsites (Lyre River Campground) saw me riding up and down and offered me the pitch on her plot, as she was sleeping in her car that night. Very grateful to my stranger with a heart of gold, I set up next to the river for my last night in the USA. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...811_204050.jpg |
12 August
Today, I caught the ferry to Canada. Vancouver Island, then another ferry to Vancouver city. Where me and the bike will fly home from on Monday. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...812_074237.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...812_074158.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...812_094038.jpg From Victoria port, I headed north, along the Trans Canada Highway, taking great views across the Trincomali Channel and the islands, to Nanaimo and the 2nd ferry of the day, to Vancouver City. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...812_105306.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...812_123019.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...812_134843.jpg https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...812_150338.jpg I wish i’d had more time, to explore Victoria and Vancouver Island. But, isn’t that always the way? Just not enough time at the end, and so much still to see. Or maybe I just didn’t want it to be over. Hard to believe that the trip is almost over. Happy to be going home, and sad that the adventure is almost done. Its been an incredible 6 weeks. Tiring, exciting, frustrating and successful. And worth every moment. Even when I arrived in downtown Vancouver, and spent hours trying to find an affordable hotel, one that didn’t involve riding for yet more miles, I still considered it part of the ‘adventure’. Ok, maybe not at the time. At the time it involved a lot of swearing, frustration and finding a working free WiFi as my phone was rejecting Canadian cell phone signals again! However, my persistence paid off, as I stumbled across a YWCA hostel right in the heart of downtown, for a bargain price! Check in, dumped my stuff, and still had enough energy to take a walk around ‘Gastown’, a touristy/hipster part of the city, before getting my last nights sleep in North America. |
13th August.
Another walk around, then ride around downtown, before heading south towards the airport and Air Canada Cargo. One of the requirements for shipping is to have only a 1/4 tank of fuel. I had a 1/2 tank. This, unfortunately, is one of the ‘problems’ with the CB500X. It’s too damn economical! I had to ride, for miles, and miles, around Vancouver, before getting down to 1/4 tank (it was actually still 1/3rd of tank, but the gauge looked like a 1/4 tank, so good enough I hoped!) And then, there I was. Outside the Air Canada Cargo building, about to drop off my bike. And that’s it. Its over. And I realised: https://media.giphy.com/media/ezDAzKCksdZzW/giphy.gif But, go I did. Booked the bike in. Painless as before, as far as paperwork goes. So, thank you Air Canada. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...813_121735.jpg Conveniently enough, the cargo building is across from the passenger terminal. An easy walk. Checked myself in, boarded the flight, and saw my bike on the tarmac waiting to be loaded. All good. https://ukjeeperhome.files.wordpress...813_172337.jpg Yeah, notsomuch. Suddenly the plane was being pushed back, and I watched my bike, bag, and all my gear being left behind! Had a minor meltdown and the cabin crew said they would find out what happened. Turns out there wasn’t room on the plane, and it would be on the next flight. In 3 hours. Didn’t get much sleep on the flight ( I rarely do) and was in a foul mood when arriving at Heathrow, worried about my bike and gear. No one was being helpful in the terminal, which didn’t help my mood. My Lady took me out for lunch while we waited. Sorry Christine, for being a grump! Then back to Air Canada Cargo, who, to be fair, moved heaven and earth (and my bike) to get me and the CB reunited as soon as it landed. About 45 mins! A record? Turns out it was booked on the later flight anyway (read the small print!), but they had tried to put it on my flight. From there, the M25 (always a joy… ) and home. |
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