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Finally did it: Quit our jobs, sold our home, gone Riding!
I've been a member of HU for years now, reading and dreaming, being inspired by all of you who take the plunge and go all in on that RTW trip, leaving behind everything you've built up to chase the four winds.
So here's our story, at last: Neda and I got our motorcycle licenses together in spring of 2004, as an engagement present to ourselves. We thought it would be a neat thing to do. We took day trips, hung out at motorcycle meets, rode on group rides, did track days, took longer motorcycle trips, rode dirt bikes, became motorcycle instructors, took even longer trips, and then dealt with the aftermath, the ensuing ennui of "real life" - the anchor of a home, the jobs and the bills; the maintenance of everything we've accumulated in our collective seven decades on earth. So the solution seemed logical to us: quit the jobs, sell our home and everything in it, and set out on THE motorcycle journey with no route planned, no end in sight and no return date in mind. Here are some pics from our blog: Jun 14 2012: Escape Velocity http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...-IMG0187-L.jpg It all starts with a bike... Actually, this was one of the last things we did to prepare for our trip! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0040-L.jpg This is what's left of our earthly possessions after a few rounds of Keep, Sell, Throw Away, Give Away. Now to get it all on our bikes...! The preparations were long and tedious, possibly the content of another blog entry, and we did manage to finally leave Toronto two days later than we had planned - See! We're already sticking to our "No Plan" resolution. Our early Sunday morning ride out of Ontario was a breath of fresh air, after the stifling, hectic bustle of the previous few weeks. No responsibility but to ride and ride and ride. A few things still lingered on my mind, one motorcycle, one SUV still left to sell, and the turnover of keys for the condo when we returned in 2 1/2 weeks. And the weather was beautiful! So unlike all of our other motorcycle trips. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...enesetup-L.jpg I've left just enough space for myself between the tank bag and the stuff piled on the rear seat. Hopefully I don't gain any weight on this trip... 'm taking my trusty R1200GS. It does handle like a pig now with all the weight in the back, the front end feels so light and I have to push the bars a lot harder so I don't run wide in turns. Ack! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../0/O/map-1.jpg First day's ride http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...berries1-L.jpg Picked up some yummy strawberries at Flynn's Corners before hitting the 507 We rode all our favorite back roads out of Ontario and knocked on the door of our very good friends in Ottawa, Kevin and Manon, who generously fed us with ice cream in the garage and let us set up our tent in their back yard. Just in case you are thinking they aren't very good friends at all, I am deathly allergic to their two cats who glared at me with knowing malintent through the screen door of the back porch. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ainlube-XL.jpg Coming off the R1200ST's shaft drive, Neda has to get used to lubing her chain drive every evening now. Haha! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...L/garage-L.jpg Cooling off with a little ice cream in the garage http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0232-L.jpg Easing me into camping, backyard-style. Just like a kid. I'm not a camping-kinda guy. My idea of roughing it means no fluffy white robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door and no mints on the pillow. Neda, on the other hand, is NatureGirl, so she was really looking forward to getting a lot of outdoor-time. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0233-XL.jpg Neda and Manon prepare breakfast, while I watch from the back porch. Leaving Kevin and Manon's place, I accidentally left my GPS case lying on the top of one of my saddlebags. The rear is so crowded with all the dry bags, extra fuel tank, toolkit and backpack that it's easy to misplace something back there. By the time I had realized it was missing, it had already been sacrificed to the highway gods. :( http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...kevings-XL.jpg Kevin: "The only thing this driveway needs is more GSes...!" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/gses-L.jpg GS convention in Kevin and Manon's driveway |
No RSS feed on the site?? Would help a lot to follow...
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welcome!
_/\_ namaste :) |
Nice pictures on your website. I hope to see a lot more of them ;-)
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Great Blog indeed....I'm thoroughly enjoying reading about your adventures, and congratulations on the great pictures and writing. It's really keeping me busy on a hot lazy day. Thanks!
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Repost from Jun 16 2012: Off to Quebec City!
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map1-L.jpg Not too much to say about the ride to Quebec, we've done these roads tons of times, and we've decided to superslab it to see some new sights. We stopped off in Montreal to get a new rear tire fitted on my GS, something I could have done at home, but just didn't have enough time with all the preparations, had a quick grocery store lunch and then off to Quebec City, our first campsite (KOA!) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...dquebec1-L.jpg Streets were deserted during the morning ride through old Quebec City http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...dquebec2-L.jpg More old city scenes from the back of a motorcycle. I've always wanted to ride through the narrow streets of the old city, soaking up the European atmosphere. We passed through the city walls, remnants of the military presence in the 1600s and found the streets were soaked from the rains the night before. After a quick spin, the bikes were parked and we toured the rest of the town on foot, taking lots of pictures. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/09owl-L.jpg Owl watches over the Saint Lawrence River at Quebec City http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...fiddler-XL.jpg This fiddler was very photogenic! Playing old Quebecois tunes. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ldquebec-L.jpg Getting busier in the old city. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...eshadow-XL.jpg These cut-outs were hung above the old city streets. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...epensive-L.jpg Taking a break from walking around. The Tour de Beauce runs in Quebec City today. We waited about 20 minutes for the bicycles to come running by in the old city. They were preceded by a police escort on motorcycles. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ceescort-L.jpg These guys were dragging their floorboards around the corners! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...irltree-XL.jpg Waiting for the bicycles to run by http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...quebec1-XL.jpg There they go! there must have been over 100 bicycles, this was their first lap so they were bunched up coming up the hill http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...equebec2-L.jpg They would go on to do thirteen laps around the old city We did a bit of vagabonding today by hiding out in the lobby of a swanky Quebec hotel, stealing their wi-fi, electric outlets and air-conditioning! We had to share it with a bachelorette party though, and at the end, we got to sign the bride's T-shirt. Sorry, no pix! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...19nedags-L.jpg Posefest in Quebec City |
Congratulations and well done on seeing the light and having the balls to go out in search of your dreams!!
Look forward to reading lots more and seeing your photos. |
Repost from: Jun 17 2012: Gaspe Peninsula
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map2-L.jpg The Gaspe peninsula lies on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River. It's kind of a pain to get to for most Torontonians because of the sheer distance to get to the start of the peninsula - about 1,000 kms by slab - definitely more than a long weekend trip. But since we didn't have anything to do for the next two and half weeks... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9379-L.jpg Riding around the Gaspe Peninsula There are a lot of Can-Am Spyders riding around the area. I counted, and every third motorcycle we passed was a Spyder. Maybe Bombardier was having a sale for the locals? It got so ridiculous, that when Neda passed a Spyder, instead of waving, she would do the Incey Wincey Spider motion with her hand. Got some puzzled looks from that one! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9278-L.jpg Souvenir shop on the shores of Gaspe We stopped in Rimouski to eat our lunch in a parking lot of a grocery store and we saw what looked to be a motorcycle school. We thought it was just a basic licensing course until they started doing stunts! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9256-L.jpg I like their stunting gear... Highway 132 winds its way on the south shore, passing through many picturesque seaside towns. The weather here is cool, low 20s, and my Weather app on my iPhone is still defaulting to Toronto's heat wave. I've got a sliding window of three cities on my app now - where we are, where we're going to be tomorrow, and some mid-way destination. Nomad 21st-century style... :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0015-L.jpg Someone painted the rock in the waters outside Saint-Flavie like an Egyptian Pharoah Aptly named, "Pharoah Rock" As we reached closer to the tip of the peninsula, the roads got tighter and tighter and we had a bit of fun twisting the throttle as we rolled into Forillon National Park. We arrived too late to go hiking and had to pitch our tent in the dark. Thank god it wasn't raining, as it usually does on our trips! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/perce-L.jpg Big rock at Perce. We would ride around the coast and walk around the strait in about 20 minutes. The next morning we set off south towards New Brunswick, still hugging the coastline past Perce to Chaleur Bay where we caught the highway south. We did stop to visit the big rock at Perce, as it's one of the famous landmarks in the Gaspe region. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...divebomb-L.jpg Cormorants dive-bombing the water for fish http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...L/perce3-L.jpg It was close to low tide, as the waters were low enough for you to walk to the rock. If you waited there till high tide, you'd be stranded! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...L/perce2-L.jpg Walking around Perce http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0110-L.jpg Neda and Kim Jong-Il posing in front of the big rock at Perce http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/gaspe-L.jpg Coastline at the Gaspe peninsula. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../stretch-L.jpg Big stretch break for the GS and Neda |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/4.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map3-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0247-L.jpg Neda's take on a PB&J sandwich in Forrilon National Park, in Gaspe http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../stlouis-L.jpg Found a great campsite in St-Louis-de-Kent, NB! These two pictures above typify our experience so far - camping and eating groceries. We're trying to stretch our travel dollar, since technically we're both unemployed and homeless! :) We dawdled quite a bit on the Gaspe peninsula, so trying to budget time as well, we decided to boot it across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia - all the while feeling continually rushed to see as much of the Maritimes as possible before we had to make it back to Toronto by the end of the month to close our condo and sell the remaining vehicles before our next leg. Having to shop for groceries everyday and find a campsite before nightfall didn't help matters any! So.. not a lot of pictures from this segment... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...robster-XL.jpg Our first taste of seafood in the Maritimes! As we passed Antigonish, NS, we saw a sign for McLobster. It was more like McRobster - didn't taste very good and robbed us of $6.89! We met Sean at the McDonald's, who happened to be the city planner for Antigonish, and he urged us to ride around town, so we did. Nice town, shame about their McDonald's... We did keep in contact with Sean a few times over e-mail as he had invited us to his cottage in Halifax, but the timing was off and we never did meet up. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ykindle-XL.jpg Neda catches up on some light reading while waiting for the ferry The ferry to Newfoundland departs from North Sydney, which is on the eastern coast of Nova Scotia. We arrived early and took our place in line with a lot of other Newfoundlanders waiting to go home. I had a long discussion with Robert, a francophone from St-Pierre-et-Miqeulon, a little island off the south coast of Newfoundland that is actually a part of France! He had a Goldwing and we were both talking in broken Franglais about motorcycles and riding. How I wished I learned more French in high school, he was a really great guy! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9432-XL.jpg Waiting to board the ferry for Newfoundland http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9433-L.jpg Our bikes get to travel across the Gulf of St Lawrence in the underbelly of the ferry, comforted by the weight of dozens of 18-wheelers above our heads. While we were waiting in line, some locals told us that the winds on the coast of Newfoundland got so high, they blew 18-wheelers off the road. We tied our bikes down real good after hearing that, but it was pretty smooth sailing all the way to The Rock. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9436-L.jpg In the hold of the ferry It's a 6.5 hour overnight trip from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to the west coast of Newfoundland at Port-Aux-Basques. There were a lot of people on the ferry on their way to St John's on the east coast, but because it's so costly to ferry all the way there, most people choose just to drive across the island instead. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...yasleep-XL.jpg Trying to get comfortable on the ferry Being unemployed and homeless, we opted for the cheap seats on the ferry instead of a cabin. We weren't allowed to lie down on the floor or across several seats and if the crew found you, they would kick at you until you woke up... :( |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/5.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map4-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0254-L.jpg Pulling into Port-Aux-Basques The ferry pulled into Port-Aux-Basques, on the west coast of Newfoundland at 6 in the morning. We stopped into the visitor centre outside of town and waited a little while so we wouldn't have to share road with the hundred other vehicles also exiting the ferry. Also had to change the time on the clocks on the bike. Did you know NL has its own time zone and just to be different, it's a half hour ahead of Atlantic Time! Despite our little stopover and losing 30 minutes, the seaside community was still fast asleep as we left in the rain and fog, to ride north up the main highway. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0144-L.jpg Riding the west coast of Newfoundland They call these the Table Top Mountains, a leveling off of the terrain that gives rise to a natural wind-tunnel effect, the same winds that blow 18-wheelers and trains off their tracks. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9443-L.jpg Bearded dragon stops to say hi to us in Corner Brook Corner Brook is the first large town about 2.5 hours north of Port-Aux-Basque, and are they ever friendly! Seems like our stop for lunch brought half the population of the town out. As we hung out in the Timmies parking lot eating our sandwiches, we had a parade of people asking where we were from and giving us advice on where to go on the island and everyone warned us to be careful of the killer moose on the roads - they like to jump out in front of vehicles. Normally our conversations went like this, "How's it going der, eh? Watch out for dem der moose!". Lots of stories of moose strikes on The Rock, especially during the early morning and evening hours. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9444-L.jpg Gros Morne Park - wiped from the ferry ride We got to Gros Morne Park in the early afternoon and set up camp. Because I opted to take pictures on the ferry ride instead of sleep, I passed out immediately while Neda took the opportunity to hike around see the park. Later on, we met up with Ben at the visitor centre, who happened to be a fellow ADV rider on an XT600 from New York who told us that a GS rider had died on the Trans-Labrador trail that he rode on the week before. Sad news. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0164-L.jpg Neda's hike through Gros Morne Park http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0189-L.jpg Gros Morne Park The next morning, we made a decision to hot-foot it across the island. We're remorseful because we would have liked to spend more time here but we had to meet friends in Halifax in a few days time, and it turns out the ferry from NL's east coast only runs three times a week! Neda really likes it here and it is high on her list of places to move to whenever we decide to settle down again. We both really wanted to ride to St Anthony's to see the icebergs glide down between Labrador and Newfoundland, but Ben assured us that there weren't a lot of them. Next time! The scenery off the main highway was pretty uniform as it cut its way through the boreal forest of the island. I had the depressing feeling that we were missing so much of Newfoundland and I vowed that after we wrapped things up at home, I mean Toronto... :), we would go about the rest of our journey very differently. After trekking 700 kms eastwards and a whole day later, we pulled into St John's, the capital city of NL. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0195-L.jpg Neda hams it up at Cape Speer. Took forever to dry her off... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...pespeer2-L.jpg Looking pensive at Cape Speer The fog was pretty thick in the early evening as we rode the steep and windy road out to Cape Speer, the eastern-most point in Canada. It's just outside St John's, and Neda remarks how understated our tourist attractions are compared to the US. No wall-to-wall T-shirt/hot-dog stand/souvenir stalls here, just the beauty of the eastern Newfoundland coast. We stared out at the Atlantic ocean together and wondered what we'd see and where we'd end up next. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...pespeer1-L.jpg This is where our journey really starts... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...pespeer3-L.jpg Following the yellow brick road to the lighthouse at Cape Speer Starving, we rode back down to St John's for dinner. We were parked somewhere in downtown St John's looking for a place to eat, with no success when we walked back to our bikes and there was a guy on a huge red Kawi waiting for us! Roy is a paramedic in St John's, and he was just riding around when he saw two unfamiliar bikes (everyone knows everyone in St John's) and he wanted to give us a tour of his city. So we hopped on and followed him around town as he showed us the sights. He was a great ambassador for the town and we felt like we had the red carpet treatment! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0260-L.jpg Roy, our tour guide around St John's Our final stop on Roy's tour was the restaurant we were looking for, the Bacalao, billed as "nouveau Newfoundland cuisine". After a long day of touring, the food was excellent: Labrador caribou and traditional salted cod. Amazing food, all washed down by some dark ale from a local brewery called Quidi Vidi. |
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Cheers, Susan |
Fantastic pictures, hope you have a wonderful and safe adventure and one day I can make the break just like you have done:thumbup1:
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Updated from Jun 23 2012: Around St John's
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0260-L.jpg Start the day right! The next morning, we rode around St John's to get some supplies and walked the downtown area. Ended up at Ches's fish and chips, which was a Newfoundland institution, and came highly recommended by Roy the night before. One of our resolutions on this trip is to try everything the locals recommend. I suspect the food tasted extra good because of all the hills we had to walk up and down to get to Ches's. Did I mention the roads in St John's are crazy steep?! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0275-L.jpg Lake Quidi Vidi After lunch, we hopped on our bikes and rode out to a very pretty area just outside St John's, recommended by the waitress at Bacalao last night. It's called Quidi Vidi, and it's where the beer we drank is made. The brewery is housed in an old fish processing plant on the lake, the white houses above are fishing stages. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0279-L.jpg GS at Lake Quidi Vidi. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0288-L.jpg Hanging out at the Quidi Vidi brewery We took a tour of the brewery and received some beers to take home with us. These are not the beers, we only got one each. Unfortunately, mine leaked in my top case on the way back. It's very hard to wash out the smell of beer. So right now I'm carrying a little bit of Quidi Vidi 1892 dark ale with me everywhere I go. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0296-XL.jpg 99 bottles of beer on the wall... The fishery was bought by the brewery after it was shut down when Newfoundlanders faced tough restrictions on fishing in the 90s. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9473-XL.jpg Signpost at Signal Hill. Foreshadowing, maybe? Around the same area is Signal Hill, which was the site of the first transatlantic wireless signal by Marconi. Later used by the military as a communications centre, it provided us with great views of St. John's from above as well as the waters of the Atlantic ocean. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0299-L.jpg Cabot Tower at the top of Signal Hill http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0317-XL.jpg Neda gets shot out of a canon at the top of Signal Hill http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0319-L.jpg The view of St. John's from the top of Signal Hill. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0336-L.jpg Whale-watching from Signal Hill These tourists must have gotten their money's worth. There were a lot of whales jumping in and out of the waters below Signal Hill, and all you had to do was look for the whale-watching boats as they followed whales swimming in the bay. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0263-L.jpg Colored row houses are a famous sight in St John's The legend is that the fog was so thick in St John's that when the fisherman came home, they couldn't distinguish which house was theirs, so they painted them all different colours so they wouldn't walk into the wrong home. Dunno if it's true, but it's pretty. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9479-L.jpg Still empty on George St, the hub of nightlife in St. John's In the evening, we took a bus into St. John's looking to taste a bit of nightlife. However, we were reminded how old we were when at 10PM on a Saturday night, we were ready for bed and the party hadn't yet started yet... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../screech-L.jpg Not "screeched in" officially... Newfoundland screech is a foul-tasting paint-thinner that the locals used to brew cheaply. There is a whole tradition of being "screeched-in" involving drinking this slop, kissing a cod and reciting a dirty limerick about jibs and penises... The only place that we could get screeched in was Trapper John's, which was dead, so we instead went to a crowded bar and ordered some screech there instead. Turned out we walked into a cougar bar... Next day was a travel day - ride down to Argentia, at the southern tip of Newfoundland to catch the ferry back to Sydney. We were recommended to ride some of the more interested roads around the coastline instead of taking the main highway straight there. So we did! Scenic routes like the Irish Loop which winds its way around the Avalon peninsula and ends up near the ferry dock. Apparently, the Irish Loop gets its name from the fact that most of the initial settlers of the coastal towns hail directly from Ireland. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9491-L.jpg A wedding and a funeral on the road The pictures above depict a wedding roadside toll: two women raising money for a stag and doe for a local couple getting married that weekend. Neda donated $5 to pass. :) The bottom picture was actually a funeral procession, which we initially thought was traffic due to construction! We saw cars lined up behind heavy machinery, but then the construction vehicles did a 180 and all the cars followed as well! Turns out everyone in that town, including the construction workers rode in and out of town to pay their respects to the dearly departed. We joined the procession at the end of the line and followed them back into town and passed them as they turned into the cemetery. A wedding and a funeral on the same road within the same hour! Bizarre! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0268-L.jpg The ferry ride back to Nova Scotia from Newfoundland Since we were leaving from the east coast of NL, instead of the west, where we arrived, the ferry ride back was 15-hours long. So, to avoid getting kicked in our sleep by the ferry crew, we dished out a small fortune for a cabin during the overnight ride back to Nova Scotia. This was our first time during this trip that we're sleeping in a bed and the cramped accommodations felt so luxurious! |
LOL! I love the automatic beer replacement icon!
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Taken from Jun 24 2012: Hangin' in Halifax
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map5-L.jpg We rode out from the ferry into early morning rain coming down on Sydney, Nova Scotia. We've had such perfect weather for our ride so far, very un-RideDOT.com-like, so we were due for some precipitation! Not a lot of pictures from our ride, since we had to meet friends in Halifax, about 400 kms away. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0375-XL.jpg Neda tries to make the guard smile at the Citadel. Unsuccessfully... The weather clears up as we enter Halifax and we ride up Citadel Hill to check out Fort George, the latest and largest of many fortifications built to repel attacks from the Indians first and then the Americans later on during their Civil war and the War of 1812. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0384-XL.jpg Tall Ship Silva is a permanent fixture touring around Halifax Harbour, a popular spot for weddings and events We met our friends Khanh, Ed and Dirk in Halifax harbour, they had just completed a harrowing Iron Butt SaddleSore 1000 from Toronto through torrential rain and pea-soup fog in New Brunswick! It was nice hanging out with folks from home and we took the Alexander Keith brewery tour for some free beers at the end. Oh, and the show was nice as well, if not a bit cheesy... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0394-L.jpg Alexander Keith brewery. Our second beer tour this week! The rest of the Toronto riding gang, Will, Mel and Irene pulled in later and we had a great dinner in the harbour, and then checked into a motel (BEDS! LUXURY!) for the evening. While it's great to be on the road and seeing new places and meeting new people all the time, it's nice to hang out with familiar faces again. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0407-L.jpg Fog creeps over the harbour at Peggy's Cove The next morning, we all rode out to Peggy's Cove, a very picturesque community on the south shore of Nova Scotia, less than an hour outside of Halifax. It was very foggy, which added to the Maritimes atmosphere, but thankfully the thick blanket burned off while we were walking around the lighthouse and granite rocks at Peggy's Cove. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0422-XL.jpg Arguably the most photographed lighthouse in the world http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0046-L.jpg I'm trying to bump up the stats for "Most photographed lighthouse..." http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0452-L.jpg Irene and Khanh taking in the atmosphere at Peggy's cove http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ggywill-XL.jpg Hangin' out with the hooligans - Dirk and Ed at Peggy's cove http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...illpeggy-L.jpg Will looks out into the bay at Peggy's Cove. We doubled back towards the northern tip of Nova Scotia in the afternoon. This would be our third time doing this route on the trip and co-incidentally we stopped in Antigonish for a third time to gas up. No McLobster this time though. Speaking of, we've been eating a lot of seafood this trip, I'm not normally a big lobster fan, but it tastes so fresh out here! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0477-L.jpg Sun sets on our bikes at our campsite outside Port Hawkesbury We rode out to a campsite for the evening just outside Port Hawkesbury, yakking and laughing over dinner, while poking good-natured fun at each other until the sun set on our tents. We're rolling with our own motorcycle gang now! |
Taken from Jun 26 2012: Cabot Trail
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map6-L.jpg The Cabot Trail is the jewel of Atlantic Canada's tourism industry, especially if you're a motorcycle rider. It is considered by many to be a destination highway, like the Tail Of The Dragon in NC, Sea-to-Sky highway in BC, and the Stelvio Pass in Italy. We were camped the night before just outside of Cape Breton island and only had a couple of hundred kms to reach the beginning of the Cabot Trail in St Anns, after circumnavigating the south-east section of the island. The decision was to ride the coastal road of the Trail counter-clockwise so we would experience the scenery of the coast to our right. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9532-L.jpg Back to group riding! We left most of the planning and ride leading to Khanh, on his custom-painted VFR800, as he led us into the heart of Cape Breton. It was a really big change in rhythm as we rode with 6 other riders and at times we split up into two groups of four to keep things manageable, but the light traffic on the island meant stayed together as a group for the most part. The dynamics of group riding also changed with this many riders, as we had to make changes for different paces, following styles, endurance and also personalities. Fortunately, we had all ridden with each other before and it was a quick adjustment to find a group order and pace that we were all familiar with. Neda and I met these guys at a group ride last year and we found it very enjoyable and comfortable to hang out and ride with them, and we were really looking forward to spending 10 days in the Maritimes with them. Like dating, finding good riding partners is sometimes hard to do, but over the years we've managed to find some really cool people that we love touring and doing day rides with. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9542-L.jpg Damn you, Toronto riders. Brought the rain with you... As predicted by the weather apps (who watches the Weather Network on TV anymore?), the rain started coming down in the afternoon after our lobster lunch in (where else?) Lobster Kettle restaurant in Louisbourg. We head directly to the Cabot Trail and it's too rainy and foggy to see any of the promised sights. Annoyingly, the Pinlock insert on the inside of my visor broke it's seal and water slowly filled up between the fog-resistant plastic and the visor like an aquarium. All I needed was a couple of goldfish swimming around in there to complete the effect! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0486-XL.jpg Rain falls overnight on the Cabot Trail We booked into a 4-bedroom cabin that we found in South Harbour, right in the middle of the Cabot Trail. It's nice to share a whole place like with a bunch of people, besides the social aspect, it's cheaper than what we've been paying for campsites the rest of the trip! With wet riding gear and rainsuits strewn all over the place, we waited out the rain for the night and prayed for better weather tomorrow. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0551CROP-L.jpg Meat Cove - off the Cabot Trail Our prayers were answered with a beautiful day on the western leg of the Cabot Trail. We were recommended to take a side-trip up to Meat Cove, with magnificent views off the cliff of the north coast. Meat Cove road is gravel for about the last 10 kms, but our street bike brethren did well! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0562-L.jpg View of Meat Cove http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...edacabot-L.jpg It's not a race, Neda... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0573-L.jpg Meat Cove http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9559-L.jpg Posing on the Cabot Trail http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9562-L.jpg Our motorcycle gang! The twists and turns were a welcome change from the slabbing we had been doing the last few days. And set against the backdrop of the blue waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence and the clear skies above just made the riding day perfect! Scenic pullouts regularly line the Cabot Trail every few kms, offering picture-taking opportunities of the coastline, but we pass those up, gobbling up the curves with unbroken rhythm! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0586-XL.jpg Irene takes the curves on the Cabot Trail We ended the day at the Caribou and Munroe's Island Provincial Park, just outside the ferry that would carry us to Prince Edward Island tomorrow morning. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/9.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map8-L.jpg We woke up early to catch the early ferry across the Northumberland Strait from Caribou, NS to Woods Islands, PEI, about 75 minutes from dock to dock. The only thing I knew about PEI was that we grew a lot of potatoes because of the fertile red earth. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9571-L.jpg Early morning ferry trip to PEI We spent most of the day riding around the coast of PEI. Unfortunately, the "scenic" route was a bit inland from the coast so the scenery consisted mainly of road and tree. We broke a bit from the scenery a bit to visit a lighthouse on the north-east corner of the island and to have a quick lunch. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0598-XL.jpg East Point Lighthouse, PEI During a gas stop, an attendant asked us if we were all here for Atlanticade. We had no idea what that was. Apparently this weekend, over ten thousand bikers would flock to PEI to cross the Confederation Bridge to raise money for MADD. The rally centre was Summerside, just a half hour away from our campsite that we were staying that night on the north shore. Again, our hectic East Coast schedule prevented us from staying the weekend. This pace was not what we wanted for our real trip and Neda and I agreed that we would take every opportunity to dawdle and lag to our heart's content when we wrapped things up in Toronto. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OrbnRkyqZoY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> After lunch, we rode down to Basin Head, just outside Souris, PEI where we heard the sands sing when you walked along the beach! And they did! A loud squeaking noise as we shuffled our boots up and down the sandy shore. The sound occurs when the quartz sand is very rounded and spherical. As it rubs against each other, it makes a distinctive squeaking noise like you're rubbing two pieces of wet rubber together. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...anddance-L.jpg Irene and Mel singin' in the sand - Photo by Ed C. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0279-L.jpg All this squeaking is making Neda tired Neda has bad allergies to the mosquito bites at all our campsites, so she's taking Reactin to counter the swelling. Unfortunately, the non-drowsy medication is making her drowsy (happens in a small percentage of people). Not good when you're on a motorcycle! We set up camp on the north shore just outside Cavendish, as dark rainclouds rolled in. We've never put up our tent in the rain yet, and we were hoping to get the fly up before the waterworks started. As it turned out, we watched the rain fall from the comfort of an all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant, our tents already battened down. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9572-L.jpg The view from our tentsite: morning sun on the north shores of PEI. Glorious! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9583-L.jpg On the way out of PEI, I finally see red earth! And mutant giant broccoli on the left! :) The next morning, we rode out of PEI via Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick. The 13 kms bridge's claim to fame is that it's the longest bridge in the world to cover ice-covered waters, not that there were any on this warm late July day. The Atlanticade motorcycle rally was set to ride this bridge a couple of days from now, and I could just picture 12,000 motorcycles riding back and forth. A lot of tired left arms waving to that many motorcycles! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9610-L.jpg Our motorcycle gang approaches the curve on Confederation Bridge We're spending a bit more time in New Brunswick on our way back to Ontario. This is truly the only bilingual province in Canada, almost everyone we meet along the way here speaks both languages fluently. Like PEI, I didn't know much about NB before coming out here, but what we really wanted to see were the Hopewell Rocks located in the Bay of Fundy, the inlet of water that's shared by New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0622-L.jpg The Bay of Fundy is home to a unique phenomenon - the largest tides in the world. Over 100 billion tonnes of water flow in and out of the bay during each tide. And the tides happen twice a day, high and low tides occuring every 6 hours and 13 minutes on average! The tide differential may be anywhere between 10 to 14 meters! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0604-L.jpg Flowerpot rocks at Hopewell These bizarre rock formations called flowerpot rocks, are created by the erosion of the twice-daily tides. The larger heads of the rocks are the parts untouched by the high tide. During low tide, it is possible to walk on the sea-floor and between the flowerpot rocks. When low tide is not low enough to walk the floor, visitors often rent kayaks and canoes and paddle around the rocks. Very beautiful to see! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0630-L.jpg A precarious situation at Hopewell Rocks There are signs posted all over to be back on shore before high tide hits Hopewell. If you find yourself out on the rocks during high tide, the only options are to wait the 6 hours until the tide washes out, or swim back to shore! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0673-L.jpg Walking along the sea floor http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0628-XL.jpg Posing at Hopewell Rocks |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/10.htm
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...tariomap-L.jpg The ride back to Ontario from New Brunswick was a quick affair on the highway and was quite eventful, thanks to a broken master link on Khanh's VFR's chain. We put together two CAA calls to tow us from Perth, and then from Trenton back to Toronto, arriving at an ungodly 2AM. Alas, our test trip to the East Coast was over, now to prepare for the real thing! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../r1200gs-L.jpg 123,456 kms on the old girl. Not a bad way to start a trip... After a hectic couple of days doing a last minute cleanup of our condo, we handed over the keys to the new owner. This was the last major tie to our old life and it felt like such a burden off of our shoulders, even if it meant we were now technically homeless. Thankfully, my parents put us up at their place while we sorted out the last of our affairs. We moved all our mail, bills, and registered our drivers licenses and insurance to their address. Two decades later, and I was back living in my parents basement! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9636-L.jpg Giant Loonie in Sudbury We left Toronto on July 15th, 2012 after saying sad goodbyes to our good friends and family, and happily severing our relationship with Rogers, Bell, Toronto Hydro and the Municipal Property Tax Collection Agency. This was it, for real now! As we headed north on the overly familiar Highway 400, it still didn't feel real. Still felt like we were on a day ride... We stopped in Sudbury to take our obligatory picture in front of the giant Loonie outside of the Science North building. We must have 3 different shots of this from 3 different road trips. It was only once we traveled north of Sudbury that we felt like a dog that's broken it's leash, riding into new territory! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0702-L.jpg Neda gazes at a lily pond on 108, just outside of Elliott Lake, north of Hwy 17 Part of our resolution for this trip is to take all the backroads that we never had time to explore because we had to make a destination for the night. We did learn some lessons from our trip out east though, which was that although we had the luxury of time, we traded for that at the expense of budget. So all the grocery shopping, preparing food, washing dishes and cutlery, setting up/tearing down of tents, etc. actually cost us a bit more time than if we had just checked into a motel at the end of the riding day and ordered a pizza or ate at a restaurant. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0719-XL.jpg Giant Muskoka chair outside the Pinecrest campsite in Thessalon. My theory is that little towns have to compensate by putting up oversize roadside attractions... We stayed at a great campsite along the northern shores of Lake Huron, the beach was a few feet away from our tent and we relaxed on the shores for the evening and fell asleep to the sound of waves gently lapping the sandy beach. This camping thing is pretty new to me and I'm amazed that folks will park a camper for the summer at a campsite and make it their seasonal cottage! Lots of campers with patio stones, lawn gnomes and furniture outside! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9671-L.jpg Our campsite at Thessalon http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0726-L.jpg Contemplating the nomadic existence http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0771-XL.jpg I relax, Neda hikes. This is a common theme in our trips together. :) The next morning, we venture out onto new roads. We're bypassing the very scenic Hwy 17 from Sault-Ste Marie to Wawa, since we've done it already, but I'd recommend it to anyone who's riding in the area - the sweeping turns and numerous elevation changes are made all the more spectacular by the sight of Lake Superior off the west side of the road. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9679-L.jpg Hwy 129 Ontario Instead, we're now riding Hwy 129 north from Thessalon. It's often called Ontario's Tail of the Dragon, because Tennessee 129 shares the same number. It's nowhere as tight and twisty, but the first 60 kms have amazing fast sweepers, great pavement and lots of 270 degree turns that have you leant over for what feels like an eternity! What a riot! The rest of the road is your normal Northern Ontario scenic route. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9656-L.jpg Northern section of Hwy 129 As we reach Wawa in the afternoon, a light drizzle begins and darker clouds are approaching us. This is the first rainfall we've had on this trip. And it looks like we might have to put up a tent in the coming downpour... |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/11.html
We reached Wawa just as the worst of the downpour started, and we ducked into the local Subway for a late lunch and to see if the deluge would let up before figuring out what to do for the evening. We really didn't want to be putting up a tent in the rain and the thought was, do we really want to be ducking into motels everytime it rains? That's the quickest way to burn through the travel dollars... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map8-L.jpg As we mulled over our predicament, in strode a rainsuit-clad motorcycle warrior. He cased the joint and made a bee-line towards us. "Who's the ADV Rider?" Ah, my sticker on the back of my sidecase... Jamie Z, fellow ADV Rider from Memphis, TN, chatted with us for a while. He was doing a road trip around the Great Lakes, headed to MN to visit some family. We told him of the great camp sites we had visited in the past few weeks and how cheap they were (compared to the hotels we had been staying with on our other trips). Little did I know we were talking to the author of Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way"! We got a crash course in how to sleep for free, eat on the cheap and different ways to stretch those travel $$$. Jamie told us how he stayed in a luxury cabin the night before and then got a seaplane ride around the lake this morning. ALL FOR FREE! Our meeting could not have come at a better time, at the beginning of this trip. So, in the spirit of budget travel, and because Jamie seemed like a stand-up guy who wasn't going to make off with our iPhones, GPSs and my favorite pair of Crocs in the middle of the night, we offered to split the cost of a motel with him, seeing as how the rain just wouldn't let up. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9699-L.jpg Big Goose statue in Wawa. Remember my theory about small towns? As you can tell from this picture taken the morning after, we were still friends (after I confirmed that my crocs were still in my tankbag). We've taken a few pictures of the goose over the years and just recently, rust spots have appeared on the wings and body. The town is trying to raise funds to repair the statue. Poor goose! Jamie rode with us for a little ways and dropped back to do some sightseeing on his own, we would meet up with him again later on in the day. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9700-L.jpg Chain maintenance. For once, it's nice to be shafted! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9703-L.jpg Somewhere along the way we joined a motorcycle gang. And we all rode across bridges together.It was totally badass... We took our time riding across the top of Lake Superior on Hwy 17, it was a clear, cool day, great for riding and we stopped to camp at a few provincial parks along the way. It was a leisurely way to say goodbye to our home province. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9707-L.jpg At a gas stop, Neda makes a friend This is Cabo, the Mini Parrot. We met a couple (from Montana I think) traveling across Canada by bike as well, and this was their traveling companion! Cabo just started speaking. His first word was, "Noodle!" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9706-L.jpg On the right hand side panel you'll see Cabo's pillion seat, a tiny box where he can chillax. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9708-L.jpg Bikes wait impatiently while we take a nap in Nipigon At Sleeping Giant provincial park, we played beach volleyball with Savannah and the staff of the park. Savannah and her mother Jill were from Winnipeg, and Jill told us to visit Rushing River Provincial Park. So we did! Did I mention we are doing everything the locals recommend? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0849-XL.jpg Chillin in the waters at Rushing River Provincial Park http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0840-L.jpg Our campsite at Rushing River We got off the main Hwy 17 and took a scenic bypass called Mom's Highway. Neda has this theory that if you name a road, motorcycle and car enthusiasts will come, ie. Tail of the Dragon, Cabot Trail, Sea-to-Sky Highway, etc. Mom's Highway was okay, bit more scenic than Hwy 17, but I'm sure if they called it Jo Momma's Highway, it would have kicked more ass... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0801-XL.jpg Terry Fox Memorial Statue in Thunder Bay overlooking the shores of Lake Superior. As we approached Thunder Bay, we rode up to the Terry Fox Memorial. One of my first memories of Canada was watching Terry Fox run across the country on TV. I was only 9 years old at the time, and it was only later that I fully understood the magnitude of running a marathon everyday for 143 days straight after losing a leg to cancer. I don't get overly emotional, but my memories of his run, coupled with both of our families history with cancer made this a very special side-trip. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0818-L.jpg Kakabeka Falls just outside of Kenora http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0828-L.jpg Kenora is one of the last towns on the TransCanada Highway before we leave Ontario. I have to admit, part of the reason why we visited Kakabeka Falls was because of the name. Our new euphemism on this trip for taking a dump is now "I have to visit Kakabeka Falls". I can tell by the look on Neda's face that she's visited Kakabeka Falls. I mean, it's right there in the background, is how I know... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0836-L.jpg You know those stickers with the stick figure family that you see on the back of minivan windows? Neda got a couple of bike stickers for us. It's bad enough the Harley guys don't wave at me, now they openly mock us... :( I've lived in Ontario for the last 31 years of my life, and it only took 5 days for us to make it out of the province. I'll miss the place, but most of all the family and friends that we're leaving behind. |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/12.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/L/map9-L.jpg Crossing over from Ontario into Manitoba on the TransCanada Highway we experienced a drastic change in geography. Gone were the irregular shorelines of Lake of the Woods, which in itself is quite spectacular when seen from an airplane. You can get a sense of this from the map above: the lake covers over 950,000 acres and has over 14,000 islands with over 30,000 kms of forested shoreline! When we crossed the provincial border, it was like emerging from a forest into a wide open field. A field about 1,500 kms long... We had wandered out into the Canadian Prairies! We call it The Gap, that space between Ontario and the Rockies. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0866-XL.jpg The Market at the Forks Just the other day, at the Terry Fox memorial in Thunder Bay, we were talking to a guy from Winnipeg and we asked where to go in the city. He replied, "The Forks". Having no idea what that was, we punched it in the GPS and were pleasantly surprised to find a nice little touristy area located in downtown Winnipeg, at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red River - hence "The Forks". http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0941-XL.jpg Closeup of one of the structures surrounding Oodena Circle. At one of the stores in the market, we overheard from the shopkeeper that there was a pow wow happening in the afternoon at the Oodena Celebration Circle, which was an open-air arena just outside the market. It was built by the city to host aboriginal and other cultural celebrations. "Oodena" is Cree for "centre of the city". http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0882-L.jpg Participants in brightly coloured traditional attire! We stayed for quite a while at the pow wow listening to the drumming and chanting and watching the many different tribes come together and dance around the circle. It was a feast of colours, and Neda remarked that we had lived in Canada for so long, but here in Winnipeg was the first time she's seen First Nations people so interwoven into the city and culture. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0890-L.jpg I found out later that we had actually visited The Forks on National Aboriginal Day, which was a pretty big event for Winnipeg. Some other shots of the Pow Wow: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0918-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0955-XL.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0959-XL.jpg The Forks was built on a site that was originally (and still is) a meeting place for the last 6,000 years. It was a popular spot for trading between early aboriginals, European fur traders, Metis buffalo hunters, etc. all the way to current day stores selling curios to nomadic motorcycle riders. :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0984-XL.jpg Human Rights Museum under construction at The Forks http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0973-XL.jpg Walking the Espalanade Riel, a bridge just outside The Forks named after the city's founder, Louis Riel http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0985-XL.jpg Thumpin' the doghouse! I think what I'll miss most while being on the road is playing music. As far as entertainment goes, we don't watch any TV at all, but we did treat ourselves to an IMAX showing of The Dark Knight Rises. It was ok... I was very sad to hear about the tragedy in Colorado at the movie opening. These days, I get most of the news via social media, as I'm updating our pictures and blog online. Although we're seeing the world one small piece at a time, I'll have to be more diligent on keeping up with what's happening on a broader scale. |
So briliant to see your thread. no end to the trail is a wondrful way to do it. I wish you all the very best a happy ride and hte expeirence of a life time, it will be, you have a great attitude. I hope good stuff washes up ony your beach!!!!
If you are in the UK and near Shropshire (the best bit), drop me a line, I can provide somewhere to pitch and a dog to wake you up! Go easy and enjoy it! cheers Dave |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/13.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map10-L.jpg Our route through the interior provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. We tried to stray off the main TransCanada Highway often, or we would have died of boredom! The fierce headwinds of the prairies really affected our fuel economy. With our large panniers and my huge Aeroflow windshield, our frontal surface area resembled the shape of a brick, and our range plummeted from about 350 kms/tank to 250 kms! Speed limits on the prairies are 110 km/h, which also contributed to our poor fuel mileage... :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9747-L.jpg Saskatchewan's license plate reads, "Land of living skies" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC1003ld-L.jpg We took a break off the boring flatlands of the Prairies and headed south towards the US border to an area called the Big Muddy Badlands. The town of Coronach runs a van tour that hits most of the touristy areas, but since we were mobile, we just visited them on our own. Most of the places on their web site are not that interesting anyway, and we saved ourselves $75! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1007-L.jpg Taking a break on the gravel roads of the Big Muddy Badlands The Big Muddy Badlands are these outcroppings of rock that look like they belong in a cowboy movie. You know the ones where the outlaw is running away from the US Marshalls, takes refuge in a cave in the hills and is in turn ambushed by Indians, and then all of them are chased by alien bounty hunters that look like Olivia Wilde... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1020-L.jpg Castle Butte in the background We spent most of the afternoon walking around Castle Butte, a large outcropping of sandstone and clay in the Big Muddy Badlands. It's the largest structure in the valley and was used by early settlers as a navigation landmark. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1026-XL.jpg Bikes in front of Castle Butte http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1035-XL.jpg Exploring the spooky caves at Castle Butte. This one reminded me of the movie The Descent. Scary! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1044-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1050-L.jpg The badlands extend south into Montana, which boasts more desert landscapes, and is more typical of Western movies. Saskatchewan only has a tiny area of badlands north of the Canada/US border. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1059-L.jpg Neda's butt walking around Castle Butte http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1077-L.jpg Neda surveying the view on top of Castle Butte http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0073-L.jpg Walking along the spine of Castle Butte http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1082-L.jpg Bikes in the background below http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0079-L.jpg GQ, here I come! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1099-L.jpg Leaving Castle Butte |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/14.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9756-L.jpg This is how it all starts In Michael Crichton's book "Airframe", about an airplane crash, he documents that a disaster like that is never dependent on one single cause or event. Rather, a sequence of events have to occur to contribute to a crash. Here's my sequence of events: Somewhere in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, my air compressor stopped working. It was one of those large 12-volt jobbies with the light, the attachments for volleyballs, air mattresses, inflatable dolls, etc., but the part that screwed into the valve stem started leaking so I junked it. I decided we needed something a bit smaller and less dependent on electricity, in case something went wrong with the electricals. So at a Walmart, $9.99 later, I picked up a foot operated pump. Which promptly FAILED the first time I stepped on it... So we were now without an air compressor. Event #1. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1104-L.jpg Just taking a nap... after having the wind knocked out of me...after a huge speed wobble and lowside in deep gravel After visiting Castle Butte, we headed out to find the Sand Hill of Saskatchewan. We had been doing fine on street pressures in the lightly graveled road of the Bug Muddy Badlands, so we were feeling over-confident that we didn't have to let out the pressures since we were without our own air compressor and gas stations were few and far between. Event #2. I check the Google, online maps and my GPS and can't figure out a way to get to the Sand Hills. so I opt for the most direct route and force the GPS through several unpaved roads. Normally this yields good results. Not this time, though. The road turns from unpaved to deeper and deeper gravel. I'm sure the Sand Hills are just a few kms away. We don't turn back. Event #3. We're traveling at 70km/h, much too fast for the road conditions, and waaay to fast considering we didn't let the air pressure out of our tires since our stupid Walmart foot pump broke. In my rear mirror, I see Neda slow down by a lot, and then the speed wobble hit my bike. The handlebars violently shake left and right, wrenching my arms in both directions. The motorcycle starts to weave left and right, as the front wheel moves side-to-side, each oscillation getting worse in amplitude. Logically, I know what needs to be done: I need to relax my grip on the handlebars, grip the bike with my knees, and roll off the throttle slowly. But my natural instincts kick in and I do none of that. In fact, I do the exact opposite, and that is the final event that led to this: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0317-XL.jpg Aeroflow windscreen is not flowing air too well anymore The motorcycle slides into the left ditch, resting on it's right side at a 45 degree angle, and I get bucked off into the middle of the road, I put my arms out to brace myself on impact and feel a searing pain in my right shoulder and my left ankle. It takes me a second, but I get up and signal to Neda that I'm relatively ok, I don't want her to worry too much, but she comes on over the intercom, and her voice is shaking with concern and fear anyway. Although the bike is not laying entirely on it's side, the ditch is about 4 feet lower than the road, so we have to get it upright and ride it back up. That's when I notice I can't raise my right arm more than a few inches. This is not good. Neda struggles with the bike while I can only stand by helpless. Somehow, she manages to get the 600lb bike upright, almost all by herself and I can get on the bike in the ditch. Using my left hand, I grab my right hand and place it on the throttle and start the bike up. It fires up without a problem and I ride it up and out of the ditch. There is considerable pain in my right shoulder but I still am able to handle the controls properly. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0316-L.jpg Maybe I should get engine guards... On a ride, Gadgetboy from ADV once looked at my guardless jugs and asked me, "What are you, some kind of tough guy?". I don't feel like one anymore... We rest at the side of the road and I lie down, exhausted by the effort and adrenalin is starting to leave my body, leaving me lightheaded. My pain in my ankle is actually a bruise right on a spider bite I got the night before, lot of pain but nothing serious. I still can't raise my right arm though which is worrisome. Neda does a survey of the bike, the Aeroflow windscreen is toast, the handguard's mount is broken, so is the right front turn signal but other than that, the bike is still rideable. A few trucks (carrying fresh gravel!!!) stop to make sure we're okay, and when we tell them where we were headed, they all look at us puzzled, "We've never heard of no Sand Hills around here...", and "We're bringing fresh gravel to the end of this road, it goes nowhere right now...". Crap! All this for nothing... We let the air of our tires for the ride back, it felt much more stable. As it turns out, the riding position (after I manually put my right hand on the throttle) is the most comfortable one for my shoulder, as we ride away from our aborted mission to find the Sand Hills of Saskatchewan. I know the first thing I want to do right now is buy a large electrical air compressor, you know: one of the 12-volt jobbies with the light, the attachments for volleyballs, air mattresses and inflatable dolls... I'm guessing I'll need a few days to fix the bike and figure out what's wrong with my shoulder, so we stop at Cypress Hills provincial park for the night. Two extra strength Advil dulls the pain as I feel sorry for myself in the tent for messing up our trip, and right at the beginning as well! |
Shoulder pain
You should get the shoulder checked out ASAP. I have dislocated a shoulder before and you really don't want to mess with it. Mine ended up shattering when the doctor forced it back into the socket and 15 years later I'm still struggling to keep that arm useful. Fortunately, motorcycle vibration is good therapy and I can keep putting off the replacement surgery. The longer you wait to have it checked, the more likely you'll be sedated to get it put back if it needs it.
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I agree with Roger,better to get it checked
But aside from that ,i must say ive very much enjoyed reading your posts ,the photos are also of high quality.I lived in Canada for a year ,many years ago now but i recall the feeling of the terry fox memorial ,my family has also had its losses to the dreaded cancer.Any hoo if you make Aussie (Queensland) look us up.Noel:D
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bummer about your off but as noal says its a great trip log and the pics are stunning,get well soon,i hope the shoulder is nothing to serious.
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Within a few days you'll be back in the saddle, and this will be a notch on the mudguard. A story to laugh at. This trip is too good to let anything get you down. Keep it up, and keep posting!
Merv. |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/15.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map11-L.jpg We had planned to visit our good friends, Paul and Karen for the weekend in Calgary, but after my unfortunate accident, I called Paul at work and asked if we could come a couple of days early. Did I mentioned they were really good friends? :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9753-L.jpg Saamis teepee in Medicine Hat, AB The next morning, my shoulder still felt the same. Pain when I moved it, and no mobility save for a few inches to my side. Neda poured me onto the bike and I manually, but gingerly, placed my right hand on the throttle and we were off to Calgary. We passed through Medicine Hat and took a break at the Saamis teepee just off the TransCanada Highway. It's a monument built for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Saamis is the Blackfoot word for eagle tail feather headress (or the hat worn by the Medicine Man) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1113-L.jpg Close up of Saamis teepee There are informational plaques all over the teepee, and I read up on the history of the First Nations tribes in Canada. All of their stories and traditions centre strongly around dreams, and I found it interesting how devoid it was of the overt moralism and story-telling structure of the fables and folklore of Western culture. In other words, it made absolutely no sense to me... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1133-L.jpg Paul and Karen and their boys, Kai and Ewan. Yes, Ewan. And a GS... We approached Calgary in a thunderstorm. Through the pain of putting on my rainsuit over a bum shoulder, I thought how unfortunate it would be to also get struck by lightning now -- seeing how my 1.5m GS was the tallest thing on the open Prairie highway by about... 1.5m... Paul and Karen moved to Calgary from Toronto over a year ago and it was good to see them again, even though we just saw them in Toronto a few weeks earlier when they came to visit. That afternoon, we rode my GS into Blackfoot Motorsports to see what they could do for me. 2.5 hours and one used GS windscreen later, I rode out with my bike all patched up! Unfortunately they were out of stock of spare rotator cuffs... Although I loved my big-ass, ugly old Aeroflow windscreen, it was always doomed to shatter in any tipover or crash because of how far it sticks out at the sides. The stock GS windshield is terrible but at least it's out of the way in any fall unless the bike lands upside-down. *knock on wood* http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1122-L.jpg Horse sculptures in the Courthouse Park in downtown Calgary We spent a lot of time catching up with P&K and playing with their kids. While they were at work during the day, Neda and I rode over to downtown Calgary to walk around the Eau Claire market and do some shopping. We wandered around aimlessly around the Eaton Centre (not sure if it's called that anymore) for a while before we realized that we needed and wanted nothing that the stores had to offer. We weren't interested in any clothing, furniture, household items, or electrical gadgets. They didn't really fit on the motorcycle and besides we didn't have a home to store them in anyhow... We spent more time in the Mountain Equipment Co-Op perusing camping equipment, and even then noticed that we had everything we needed already! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1169-L.jpg Hiking in Kananaskis Park Karen took an afternoon off to take Neda and the kids hiking in Kananaskis Park, just west of the city. I heard the word "hike" and suddenly the pain in my shoulder flared up again and I begged off to stay at home to work on the blog... :) I did end up seeing a walk-in clinic, they confirmed my Googled self-diagnosis, I had severely strained the soft tissue in my rotator cuff and it would take a few weeks to heal. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1157-L.jpg Neda is skilled in all manner of two-wheeled vehicles http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0039-L.jpg Paul makes sure the car is locked before we head into the rodeo On the weekend, we all visited a rodeo in nearby Rockyford, about an hour east of Calgary. We had missed Stampede (Calgary's largest rodeo party) by about a couple of weeks, but Rockyford's rodeo billed itself as the "biggest little show in Alberta". http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1250-XL.jpg Buckin' bronco! 8 seconds never seemed longer! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1258-XL.jpg Rodeo clown tells bad jokes between events http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1425-XL.jpg Not sure who let these hockey players into the rodeo... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0322-L.jpg Calgary Ground Pilots and fellow adventurers, Jill and Curtis I've visited Calgary a couple of times before on a motorcycle over the years, and I've kept in touch with the local motorcycle scene via CGP forum. Curtis and I have exchanged messages on there a few times and we finally get to meet in person! We had a late dinner at Wurst, and had a great time chatting away about bikes and travel. They are also two adventurous spirits and we hope to see them again on our travels. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0320-L.jpg At Wurst, these guys come out to play Happy Birthday to the customers. Seems there was a birthday party at every single table that evening! We spent almost a week in Calgary and we have to thank Paul and Karen for having us over, they were such gracious hosts! The shoulder seems to be getting a bit better, but for now Neda is still hiking up my R1200GS onto the center-stand at every gas stop, bless her soul! |
Good news regarding the shoulder, bike and enjoying Calgary! Glad to hear you're on the mend and enjoying the trip still. Ride safe!
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Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/16.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map12-L.jpg After our much-needed break in Calgary, it was good to be on the road again. We're headed west towards Banff National Park where we'll spend a couple of nights in the National Park to do some sightseeing and ride the amazing roads in the area. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9784-L.jpg Neda spots wildlife again on the Bow Valley Trail From Calgary, we bypassed the main TransCanada Highway and took the smaller, more scenic Bow Valley Trail, which follows the Bow River all the way to Canmore. We saw tons of motorcyclists, mainly sportbikes, zoom by on the twisty road, taking advantage of the beautiful, sunny Albertan weekend-weather. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9807-L.jpg Rocky Mountains loom ahead on Bow Valley Trail http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1455-L.jpg Posing on the main strip, Banff Ave http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9868-L.jpg In Banff, we parked next to two Ontario GSes! One with an RTI sticker (where we used to teach)! We've visited Banff many times over the years, mainly to go snowboarding in the amazing resorts in the area. It's a classic alpine tourist trap, very pretty, overpriced storefronts selling the latest Arcteryx fashions to Starbucks-sipping vacationers with permanent Oakley tan-lines on their face. We know, because we used to be one of them back when we had jobs. And snowboards. And a home to store all that stuff in... :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1464-XL.jpg Posing on the main strip http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9831-XL.jpg Ride back to our campsite on Bow Valley Parkway http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9834-L.jpg Once again, Neda's keen eye spots more wildlife http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1496-L.jpg Waitin' on a train. Please use your imagination. Or Google Image "Morant's Curve"... Paul told me that there was a famous spot in Banff National Park called Morant's Curve where people camp out for hours in front of the S-shaped turn waiting for the eastbound Canadian Pacific trains to pass by with the picturesque Bow River and (usually) snow-capped Rocky Mountains in the background. Sure enough when we arrived, a dozen photographers had set up tripods to capture the event. So we broke out our groceries and proceeded to make lunch while waiting for the train. The CP rail schedule is about as reliable as a chocolate camshaft, and over the NEXT TWO HOURS, one-by-one the photographers got fed up and left, as new ones arrived to take their place. We couldn't wait any longer - we wanted to ride. So, empty-handed (empty SD-card?), we rode towards Lake Louise. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0057-L.jpg While I waited for the train, Neda went hiking and took some pictures http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1532-XL.jpg Rental canoes on Lake Louise Next stop, Lake Louise, the site of the most photographed lake in the world. We arrived in the pouring rain, so we hid out in the very posh Chateau Lake Louise, waiting for a chance to dash out to hike around the area. Once again, we were inundated by tourists of all nationalities. Tour buses swarm the Banff/Lake Louise area like GS-owners to the latest Touratech catalog. We really needed to "Get to da choppa!" and just ride where other people weren't... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1602-XL.jpg Riding through the rocks at Radium, BC So we did my favorite loop (er triangle?) in the Calgary-area: Banff->Golden->Radium->Banff. Kilometers of twisty roads, most of it with very little traffic south of Golden, and all of it with the majestic Rocky Mountains surrounding us! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9843-XL.jpg Relaxing in the hot springs at Radium The loop takes us into Eastern BC for a while, and we stopped at the hot springs at Radium to dip into the naturally heated wading pools to relax our riding muscles (posteriors) before the trip back to our campsite in Banff. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9844-L.jpg Kootenay Highway at dusk The Kootenay Highway runs from Radium, BC through the Kootenay National Park, all the way back into Banff National Park. Although not as famous as Deals Gap, Sea-To-Sky or Cabot Trail, it's a destination highway for many motorists as well, and we hit it at just the right time, as the sun was low in the horizon. The colours took on a beautiful, lazy hue lit by the setting sun and for the first time on this trip, I felt that zen-like feeling, when all the turns in the road come to you telepathically and everything is right in the world. It was such a magical ride on that road that I didn't want it to end. Neda chimed in over the intercom telling me she was feeling exactly the same way and it was wonderful sharing the ride with her that way. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9853-L.jpg Zen. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9862-XL.jpg Riding into the setting Alberta sun This was such a great riding day, and I felt I really needed it after the eventful week I've been having. |
Great Blog and amazing pictures! Sara
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Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/17.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map13-L.jpg Banff to Jasper. With terrain like this, how can a motorcyclist not drool? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1624-XL.jpg Pretty stream in Banff National Park Neda took advantage of the beautiful hiking weather to snap some pictures of Banff National Park in the morning. I took advantage of the beautiful hiking weather to work on the blog... The trails in Banff are marked for different-sized groups depending on the bear activity in the area. There are trails suitable for solo hiking, and others that require a group of 3 people or more to hike together. The thinking is that if you hike solo in bear country, you are bear-food for sure. But if you are hiking with at least two other people, you just have to be faster than one of them, so the odds are in your favour. Good thing Neda bought a bear bell while we were in Calgary. Not sure why all the other hikers laughed at her bear-bell, I'm sure I heard one of them call it a "dinner bell"... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1665-L.jpg Neda's bear bell comes with a built-in silencer so you can turn it off and on. Handy, because I'm sure all the movie theaters in Banff require you to silence your cellphones, pagers and bear bells before the movie begins. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1670-L.jpg Ink pots at Johnston Canyon Johnston Canyon was just across the way from our campsite, so Neda took a 3.5 hour hike to visit the famous Ink Pots, which are 6 blue-green pools fed by underground springs. The colour is from glacial sediments suspended in the water. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1715-L.jpg ATGATT *especially* when hiking in bear country In the afternoon, we rode the famous Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper to take in the view of the Canadian Rocky Mountains all around us. We pass by a couple of beautiful-looking glaciers along the way. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1731-L.jpg Cold! Gerbings to the rescue! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1735-L.jpg R12GS needs some love too I've noticed Neda's F650GS gets the lions share of attention on this blog. I know it's a newer bike, but now that my 12GS has shed it's ugly Aeroflow windscreen, I think it deserves a bit more screen time as well. I'm proud to say that the only Touratech item I've installed are the handguard spoilers... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9892-L.jpg Checking out the Athabaska Glacier at Columbia Icefields http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1746-L.jpg Touratech commercial. When do you get the cheque, Neda? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9898-L.jpg Skies are roiling on the way to Jasper As we venture into Jasper National Park, the skies darken, so the first thing we do is immediately set up our tent before the rain begins, which is imminent. The park has provided bear lockers where campers can store their food away from their tents. So we raid the other lockers for some free food before we head out to hike around the area. Just kidding. Maybe... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1749-L.jpg Shoutout to Neda's old hometown Jasper Tramways operates a cable car that takes you up to the top of Whistlers Mountain just outside the town of Jasper. At the bottom, is a pinboard atlas where tourists can pinpoint where they came from. Tons of pins around Toronto, so I don't even try, but Neda notices not a lot of folks from the town where she was born. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1771-L.jpg That triangle down there is the town of Jasper We continued to climb at the top of the tram to the summit of Whistler's Mountain. The views of Jasper and the surrounding rivers below were amazing, and even the light drizzle didn't dampen my enthusiasm to climb higher. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1779-XL.jpg Some hike all the way up here to contemplate the meaning of life. Others just hog all the good seats... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1785-XL.jpg Up at the top, we find snow! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0071-L.jpg Me and my new buddy Inukshuk check out the view together In the evening, we ride into Jasper to get some Interwebbing and blogging done in a coffee shop. I don't know how these places make money when you can hog a table for hours and only pay a couple of dollars for coffee. We're kicked out at closing into the pouring rain, but when we ride back to the park, we're greeted with a warm and dry tent. Well, a dry tent, at least... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0329-XL.jpg Singin' in the rain - Gene Kelly-stylez in Jasper |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/18.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map14-L.jpg From Jasper, we rode Hwy 5 through Kamloops with a quick detour through 5A, the Princeton-Kamloops Highway, a very scenic twisty ride past a series of pretty lakes in the valley, to end up in Merritt. We met Veronica, another ADVer outside the Starbucks at Merritt. She was covered head to toe in dust, and with her dirtbike gear and astride her Suzuki DR, she looked completely hardcore. We talked for a while and on her map, she showed us some great dual-sport roads in the area. We hope to visit them in the next few days. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9969-L.jpg Princeton-Kamloops Highway We had made arrangements to meet Kevin and Manon in Vancouver for the long weekend. Yes, Kevin and Manon from Ottawa (from our very first blog entry are now Kevin and Manon from Vancouver! They've moved clear across the country just to provide us with a place to stay for the weekend! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0387-L.jpg Beating the heatwave in Vancouver with Kevin and Manon It was so nice having a real bed to sleep in, and a couch, and a wide-screen TV, and a fridge, etc. We caught up with all the MotoGP races we had missed and ate pizza and drank Cherry Pepsi and it was all so decadent! K&M spoiled us to bits and we let them! Vancouver was having a heatwave, so we spent some time in the park next to their new condo to cool down. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ayground-L.jpg Thanks Manon for the picture! We spent an (extra) long weekend with them, parking the bikes for a few days and doing nothing but watching the Olympics on TV, eating and sleeping. It was amazing to spend time relaxing with good friends after being on the road for only just a few weeks. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1823-XL.jpg Sasha Koop from Funhouse Tattoo So, to commemorate traveling all the way from the east coast to the west coast of Canada, Neda decides to get inked! Actually, she had been planning this for quite some time, having had to change tattoo artists from Toronto because of timing, and arranging an appointment with a Vancouver artist while we were on the road. Sasha Koop from Funhouse Tattoo came highly recommended and we all came to watch the action and provide support. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC1839-L.jpg A future tattoo artist looks on while Neda gets inked http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1849-XL.jpg "Take the road less travelled" Neda explains the meaning behind the tatto: "The blue heron feathers are a style mash-up. The inside of the feathers is done in Haida First Nations-style, and the outside is a more realistic feather to soften the design. The beads represent Gene and I. Blue is Gene, red is me, and yellow represents my bike and the sun." Personally, I'm not into tattoos for myself (more a fan of making new holes in my body), but I think the design is cool and the tattoo turned out awesome. Neda was ecstatic! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0605-L.jpg Suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon Because everyone knows how much I *love* hiking (not), Kevin, Manon and Neda drag me out to Lynn Canyon. Since K&M are still new to Vancouver, they had to TripAdvisor where to take us. Right now, they're still "Kevin-and-Manon-*IN*-Vancouver", and they've got a long way to go before they become "Kevin-and-Manon-*FROM*-Vancouver"... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1851-XL.jpg Lynn Canyon http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1856-XL.jpg Hikers in Lynn Canyon So, seeing how I've probably visited Vancouver more often than K&M, I lead "Kevin-in-Vancouver" to the Gastown district downtown to take some touristy shots of the area. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9980-L.jpg A gaggle of GSes stop traffic in Gastown... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9982-XL.jpg Gastown Steamclock I was dismayed to find out recently that the Gastown Steamclock does not run entirely on steam! It is actually electrically powered and the only time steam is utilized is every 15 minutes when the clock gives a little show and plays a tune. Felt *so* totally ripped off... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0043-L.jpg Walking around Gastown http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0057-L.jpg And of course, rain in Vancouver |
updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/19.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map15-L.jpg We left Kevin & Manon's place with a bit of reluctance, not just a warm bed and comfy couch and TV and stocked fridge, etc. but the fun and laughter of good friends, and familiar company. We rode to Tsawwassen just south of Vancouver to take a 90 minute ferry to the island. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9994-L.jpg Riding around downtown Victoria http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9996-L.jpg Uh oh, Neda spots a market and immediately, I know where I'm going to be for the next few hours... We came back from walking around downtown and noticed that we got stupid parking tickets after paying for parking on the street. The cause was parking too close to the parking lines. There were no bloody parking lines! We took pictures of our parking spots, but it's going to cost us time and more parking money just to fight this thing. We feel so ripped off, and it took us a while to get out of this foul mood. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC1927-XL.jpg Seaplanes taking off and landing in Victoria Harbour http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0004-L.jpg This is the first thing visitors see when they step off the seaplane. How inviting! Victoria harbour is such a pretty place to spend the evening, you can watch the sun set on the waters and the city has done a really nice job with maintaining all the flowers and gardens in the area. Neda's favorite TV station is The Food Network, and one of the shows she watches is called Eat Street. She saw an episode called "Red Fish, Blue Fish", and she told me, "If we're ever in Victoria, we *HAVE* to go there!". So here we are: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9999-L.jpg Red Fish, Blue Fish, Orange Sunset Red Fish, Blue Fish is a food truck right on the harbour by the seaplane terminals. We lined up for over an hour (!) and just squeaked in before they closed for the evening. The food was delicious, as promised and we had a spectacular view of the setting sun over the waters of the bay while we noshed away on great seafood. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0006-L.jpg Sleepy yachts in Victoria harbour Neda found some great riding roads just north of Victoria on the east coast of the island. From Campbell River, we rode west on Hwy 28 as it cuts through Strathcona Provincial Park, staying the evening in Buttle Lake. As we pitched our tent, we heard scores of sportbikes ripping it up on 28, so we knew we had a great day of riding ahead of us. In the late morning, we completed Hwy 28 out to Gold River and then back again, eyes glued to the inside line of all the tight curves, trying to ignore the distracting scenery lest we end up as another roadside attraction on this awesome twisty road! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9198-L.jpg Hwy 28 from Campbell River to Gold River We headed north through Nanaimo, debated about whether to be cheesy and buy Nanaimo bars for lunch, decided against it, and then took the very scenic and twisty Hwy 4 west through Port Alberni. As most of you know, when the riding is good, the pictures get scarce, so you'll have to trust us when we say, if you're in the area, Vancouver island has amazing riding! We reached the west coast and stayed in a very expensive and uninspiring camp site in Ucluelet, just south of Tofino. So Neda went off in search of a new campsite while I pretended to blog. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2023-L.jpg Hero shot on the way to Mussel Beach Mussel beach is at the end of an 8km gravel road in the wilderness, nothing but trees and a bear that lives about 1 km in. We know this because we've seen him everytime we go to and from our new campsite on the beach! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9219-XL.jpg This is shot 5 of a 10-shot sequence... :) During one of our trips on the bumpy gravel road, Neda's sidecase vibrates off the bike and she has to stop and walk back to pick it up. I guess I could have helped her but I was too busy documenting the Walk of Shame. I had to turn the intercom off because the obscenities were getting too vulgar for my delicate eardrums... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2008-L.jpg "Do you mind giving me a hand?"... so I clap... It's a tough job being the staff photographer... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2063-XL.jpg The rocky beach at our campsite Mussel beach is one of our favorite campsites so far. The owner has built funky sculptures and treeforts out of the driftwood lying on the shore. The treefort sites are bit too pricey for us, they fit 2 or 3 tents, so we just get a spot by the beach and the scenery is beautiful. The owner, Curtis, is super-friendly as well and we talked bikes with him and our tent-neightbour throughout our 2-night stay. Everyone loves talking motorcycles! They either have one, want one, is curious about ours or knows someone that has one. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2121-L.jpg Goin' fishing! Not really, I'm not a fan of fishing, but I'll happily eat the end-product... I helped Luke push Curtis' fishing boat out into the waters. By "help", I mean watched a bit, then pestered him with questions, and then hopped in the boat for a paparazzi shot. He showed me some of his catches on his digital camera, one 50-lb fish half his height! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2169-L.jpg We asked a guy in Tofino to take a picture of us, his three-legged dog decided to hop over and pose with us. So cute! We rode out to Tofino for the day to walk around the town and get some wi-fi. Now BC is a pretty bohemian province, but Tofino is the hippy-central capital with a surfer-twist. This picture is kind of special for us, since we've got a shot of us in Cape Speer out on the east coast of Newfoundland, and now we're in Tofino, out in the west coast of Vancouver Island. We've crossed Canada coast-to-coast and seen a lot of the country along the way, and I feel this was a proper way to say goodbye to the place that we've lived in for so long. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2260-XL.jpg Waves and wavy lines in Chesterman Beach http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2271-L.jpg Chesterman Beach http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...slandbmw-L.jpg Sarah from Island BMW put us on their Facebook page! Cool! We both got new shoes in the back at Island BMW. Taylor, the service advisor recommended Hidenau K76s in the rear for better wear than the Tourances. They seem very noisy, but we'll give them a chance once they break in to see how well they handle and then decide if we want to stick a K76 in the front as well next time or go back to Tourances. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/20.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map16-L.jpg After having spent almost a whole week on Vancouver Island, we took the ferry back to the mainland and decided to ride north into the mountains. Vancouver to Whistler is a route we have driven many, many times on our snowboard trips. We haven't been back since the 2010 Winter Olympics and it was very interesting to see the changes the province made to accommodate such a world-class event. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9250-L.jpg Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler Highway 99, or at least the part between Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton, is also known as the Sea-To-Sky Highway and is *the* motorcycle destination highway on the Canadian West Coast. Fast sweepers hugging the coastline overlooking Howe Sound used to be a two-lane undivided highway, and I remember there used to be lots of accidents from motorists either not paying attention or trying to pass on blind corners. We were very surprised when we found that most of the Sea-To-Sky was now a divided four-lane highway! Sweet! Trying to keep up with Neda was a full-time left-lane affair as I watched the bottom of her Touratech panniers scoop lower and lower to the pavement on each turn. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2386-L.jpg Olympic rings at Whistler Village The scenery is astounding in the summertime, it was hard keeping an eye on the turns in the road when just to our left, the sheer drop to the waters below and the mountains on the other side of the sound provided constant distraction. Further up the highway, we started to notice other tiny Olympic changes: all the signs announcing the small towns along the Sea-To-Sky were now on smart, shiny, engraved rocks. Very snazzy! When we arrived at Whistler Village, we noticed a hubbub of activity. Lots of young people milling about, which was strange since it was the off-season. We quickly discovered that we were in the middle of Crankworx 2012, the "Colosseum of freeride mountain biking"". So many events were going on, downhill racing, dirt tracking, trials, etc. But the event that caught the most attention were the tricks and jumps. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0409-L.jpg Crankworx 2012 We must have spent half the day watching the mountain bikers launch themselves off a platform 50-feet from the ground, perform physics-defying feats of acrobatics and then land on a huge downhill dirt ramp, all against the backdrop of the magnificent Rocky Mountains. I don't know much about mountain biking, so I'll do my best to provide commentary from my point-of-view: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2465-L.jpg I'm sure this wouldn't be too much harder to pull off on a fully-laden R1200GS... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2389-XL.jpg 25,000 people in attendance for Crankworx 2012 http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2497-L.jpg This was a popular trick. It must be easy or something... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2535-XL.jpg At the bottom of the landing ramp, the large crowd screams their appreciation for each trick http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2489-L.jpg Most of these athletes were performing while not feeling very well. Many young people commented that they were sick. I felt sorry for them... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2458-XL.jpg This event was like synchronized swimming, but with bikes. And without the water. And not at all very synchronized... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2493-L.jpg I was told this one is called a Superman, not sure why. Crankworx is a 10-day long event at Whistler mountain, and we stayed to watch the events for two days, commuting back and forth from our campsite less than 30 kms north in Pemberton. Although motorcycle parking was free in Whistler, the food was far from free... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2539-L.jpg Sea-to-Sky Highway north of Whistler to Pemberton on the way back to our campsite On a sad note, the province's Olympic committee must have ran out of funds for the smart, snazzy stones announcing the towns north of Whistler, where tourists rarely ventured. Our arrival in poor ole Pemberton is heralded by the same old metal sign that's been there since before 2010... |
You guys are so brave. Selling up and hitting the open road. I wish I had the guts to do that although I dont have much to sell so my trip would be a short one.
Thanks for taking us along with you on your fabulous journey. I am looking forward to see more of your adventures and dreaming of one day getting to ride some of these places as well. Stay safe and have fun. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/21.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map17-L.jpg When we met Veronica in Merritt, BC last week, she pointed us to a spot on her map called the Highline Trail and told us that it was a great dual-sport road with amazing views. So we took her advice and rode up there. The Highline Trail starts at a town called D'Arcy, at the end of Portage Road which runs off the Sea-To-Sky at Mount Currie. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2551-L.jpg Anderson Lake, D'Arcy, BC While we were adjusting our tire pressures for the gravel road in D'Arcy, a few residents drove up to us in their trucks and ATVs and recommended that we just ride around the corner to the lake and hang out at the docks. We were glad to take their advice because the lake was beautiful, clear and blue and the waters were just as refreshing as they looked. We ended up putting our swimsuits on and stayed for a couple of hours, sunbathing and swimming. If this was one of our normal "Cant Stop! We're on a Schedule!" trips, we would have totally missed out on the lake and a great rest stop. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2596-L.jpg Bonsai! (tree?) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2633-L.jpg This was the neighbourhood dog, Scout, who trained me very well to play fetch with him The Highline Trail climbs rapidly from D'Arcy, and you soon can see Anderson Lake from a high vantage point. Open only in the summertime, it is only recommended for 4WD vehicles. Or 1wd... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC0040-XL.jpg Beautiful, but distracting view of Anderson Lake from Highline Trail http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0047-L.jpg Parking in the Lillooet Fire Zone. Wonder if we'll get tickets here as well... :( http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0053-L.jpg If you look closely, you can see Neda riding the trail on the left side of the picture The trail was a great dual-sport road as promised by Veronica. And the views were amazing! Hard-packed gravel and lots of elevation changes had us moving our body weight back and forth on the bike. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2673-L.jpg Rounding the bend on the Highline Trail http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0061-L.jpg Rounding the bend part II - don't look down, steep drop on the right! 30 kms later, we stopped for a late afternoon lunch at the Highline Pub in Seton. It seemed like the only business in town and we stayed for a couple of hours because they had wi-fi. When I asked the owner what the roads were like back to Lillooet, she replied that it was another 70 kms of the same gravel but worse (worse? cool!), so we decided to head out before the sun robbed us of visibility. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9315-L.jpg Sun is setting on the Highline Trail The road to Lillooet had steep switchback climbs where had amazing views of the man-made Carpenter Lake. We saw some great wildlife, I should say Neda saw some great wildlife, since she was in the lead. I just got to hear about it on the intercom, "Oh my god, a bear!"... "Where? Where?"... "Oh, it ran off, I scared it away"... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9314-XL.jpg Neda returns to the BatCave after a long day fighting grime. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9322-L.jpg The trail follows Bridge River for quite awhile before ending up in Lillooet We reached Lillooet as the sun disappeared behind the hills and we set up our tent in the dark. What a great day of dual-sport riding! |
Update from Aug 18 2012: Riding through the BC Drylands
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map19-L.jpg From Lillooet, we rode to Cache Creek in the searing heat of the BC drylands. Temperatures soared to 37C and we took shelter in any available shade we could find. Although not technically a desert in terms of rainfall, the BC interior is semi-arid with its terrain of sagebrush, grasslands and rolling hills. It reminded me a lot of the climate and terrain of the south-west US. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9337-L.jpg Obligatory riding shot through the BC drylands http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0077-L.jpg View of Highway 99 and Fraser River on the way to Cache Creek http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2698-XL.jpg Deserted antique farming equipment arranged as artwork on the plains of drylands http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0070-L.jpg More views of 99 winding its way next to the Fraser http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2701-L.jpg Laundry day. Neda forbid me to show any of my underwear on religious grounds. They're a bit holey... At Cache Creek we camped next to a guy who was coming down from Alaska. His name was Gene too! What a co-incidence! And he provided us with maps and advice on traveling north. This must be a sign that we are headed in the right direction. Prior to coming out west, we had no idea where we were going, Taylor from Island BMW told us there were two ways north, the Cassiar Highway and the Alcan (or Alaska Highway). I was just going to follow the GPS, Highway 37, which was the Cassiar, and Taylor told us it was the more direct, but the more scenic route, despite the pavement being not as smooth, when there was pavement (!)... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9339-L.jpg Who is this handsome chap peering out from the back of the RV in front of me...? The weather was getting oppressively hot and we stopped at a lake on the way to Prince George to go swimming. We met a few motorcyclists who also had the same idea, many were dipping their T-shirts into the waters to get the evaporative-cooling effect while riding in the heat. At Prince George, we took TransCanada 16 west to try to make it to the beginning of the Cassiar Highway before nightfall. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0089-L.jpg Came across an interesting site on the way to the Cassiar Some of the Wet'suwet'em First Nations tribe set up a fishery in Moricetown Canyon, just north of Smithers, BC. It's the tail-end (pun intended) of salmon spawning season, and the fish were jumping upstream into the waiting nets of the fisherman to be tagged and then released, presumably to help planning the numbers for the season's crop of fish. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2702-L.jpg Waiting for the fish to jump into the nets. If only fishing were this easy... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2707-L.jpg HEY! It is *this* easy! Trying to figure out which fish they tagged and which they just released without tagging, the fish that were the most interesting to them were the ones that jumped straight into the net. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0111-L.jpg Made it to the bottom of the Cassiar Highway! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2745-L.jpg We made a friend at the Cassiar campgrounds At the campgrounds in Kitwanga, at the beginning of the Cassiar Highway, the owner asked us where we were going and we replied, "North!". He scared us a bit when he said we were heading up kind of late in the season and were going to run into cold weather. Hmmm... Oh well. The next morning, his dog Dahlia greeted us at the tent door. Her cuteness factor was high and she delayed us for over an hour the next morning as she taught me how to play fetch with her cloth frisbee. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...L/dahlia-L.jpg I taught Dahlia a few tricks as well... We're steeling ourselves for colder weather ahead! |
Great posts and I am enjoying following along in your adventure. I love the shot of the fish jumping towards the net. In case your wondering it is a Steelhead which is a searun Rainbow Trout. They are the reason you saw the banks of the Bulkley River packed with anglers from all over the world. I know your posts are some what delayed but if you read this in time I have 2 recomendations for the Cassiar Hwy.
1. The Glacier Hwy to Hyder AK. Get Hyderized, but don't ride after. There is a Grizzly look out a little past Hyder but I did that in a truck.:eek3: 2. Telegraph ck. rd. to Telegraph and the Stikine River. Near Dease Lake.:mchappy: |
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/23.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map20-L.jpg The Stewart Highway (aka Highway 37A) runs east/west off the Cassiar Highway. The scenery along the way is a mix of dense alpine forest and mountainous terrain. It's only a 65 km detour to visit the town of Stewart, BC, at the end of the 37A, and we are rewarded with amazing views of glaciers, terminating just a few hundred meters from the highway. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2770-L.jpg Bear Glacier, on the way to Stewart, BC http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2763-L.jpg A snow cave on the side of the mountain http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2822-L.jpg Bridge crossing on Stewart Highway http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9366-L.jpg Gorgeous motorcycle scenery on the way to Stewart http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0125-L.jpg Weather is cold and wet, rainsuits on for most of the day Stewart, BC is a working town, home for plenty of miners and the BC Hydro workers who are working on the nearby dam. The US border is just 2 kms away and when we told the owner of the Cassiar Campsite last night that we were going to visit Hyder, Alaska, just across the border, he questioned our sanity, "Why on earth would you want to do that? It's a dump! Nothing there but a bunch of draft-dodgers!" Well, he was right. The town was a dump. I don't know why anyone would want to visit Hyder, yet it's one of the most popular motorcycle destinations amongst the Iron Butt Association and long-distance riding clubs. But looking at a map, it's obvious why. Hyder is the southern-most city in Alaska accessible by road. There's way more bragging rights in saying, "I rode all the way to Alaska!" than, "I rode all the way to the middle of British Columbia!" But now you know: Hyder, Alaska = Fake Alaska... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9359-XL.jpg What the..? We're in Alaska? When did that happen?! The town is such a dump that even the US government has forgotten about its existence. Our ride over the "US/Canada border" was heralded by nothing but a sign proclaiming, "Entering Alaska". No passport control, no customs, no immigration. Just a sign. Oh, but there was a Canadian border patrol on the way back to Stewart, BC. No doubt to stop those draft dodgers from sneaking into Canada. We talked to a guy whose sister forgot her Canadian passport when entering Hyder. Canadian customs wouldn't let her back into the country and she had to have her passport couriered to Hyder to get back in! One of the more prominent buildings in Hyder is the US Postal Office, and there is a large sign on the side of the building, "Apply for your US Passport here". Presumably if the draft dodgers ever wanted to rejoin mainstream America, they could do so with an explanation at the US Postal Office. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2782-L.jpg Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum at the Hyder General Store We heard a funny anecdote about the stateless nature of Hyder. Supposedly, once a month, a state trooper from Ketchikan, AK flies into Hyder, and during the week that he's there, nobody drives their car - all their licenses and registrations have long since expired! Dodging the draft, dodging the DMV, same thing, I guess! With nothing much to see in Hyder, we tried to find the bear viewing area at Fish Creek. The Hyder General Store is run by a huge mountain man, 8 feet tall, 360lbs, with a grizzled, grey Alaskan beard straight out of Grizzly Adams. We were scared to ask for directions, for fear that he would pop us in his mouth and swallow us whole, but he turned out to be really nice and pointed us a few miles down the (very gravelly) road. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2784-L.jpg Getting educated on the difference between black bears and grizzly bears. Did you know you're not supposed to run from bears? Given my natural flight-or-flight instinct, I'm really screwed... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2798-XL.jpg You can see down the length of Fish Creek from the bear viewing area. Lots of naturists set up telephoto cameras and video equipment at the far end The US Forestry Service built this special viewing area to keep tourists safe from the bears that wander the shallow stream at feeding time. From this sheltered vantage point, we were supposed to see them swatting at salmon as they swam tiredly upstream to spawn and die. All we saw was a bunch of dead salmon, seagulls picking at their corpses; no bears, though. I think we came too early in the afternoon. We must have stayed for over 3 hours just sitting, staring at dead salmon and gluttonous seagulls. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2788-L.jpg Pretty much all we saw the whole day http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2800-L.jpg Of course, the minute Neda leaves to go to the washroom, a baby black bear saunters into the parking lot, sniffs around and leaves! Not wanting to ride back in the dark, we left for Canada empty-handed just as the sun was setting, and at our campsite in Stewart, our next-door neighbour who was also at the viewing area told us that a couple of bears came out to dine after sunset. Grrrr!!!! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9376-L.jpg Log teepees on the Cassiar http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9381-XL.jpg A warning sign of some sorts...? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9385-L.jpg Gravel section of the Cassiar You can see in the picture above newer trees growing in the sections where previous forest fires have cleared the area. This is part of the natural cycle for forests, and small signs are erected on the side of the highway displaying the year of the forest fire in that section. We traveled north on the rest of the Cassiar Highway in cold, foggy and overcast conditions - very different from the desert-like interior of BC that we left just a couple of days ago. Most of the length of the 874 km highway was paved, with the exception of a couple of long stretches of gravel. We shared the road with logging trucks and the odd RV and it really felt like we were riding in the deep forest of the province as the Yukon Territory loomed ahead of us. |
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Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/24.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map21-L.jpg We're now at the north end of the Cassiar Highway, as it terminates at the Alaska Highway. The full name is the Alaska-Canada highway, or Alcan Highway for short, but most people refer to it as the Alaska Highway. The road was originally built by the US Army to provide a way to get troops and munitions to defend Alaska against the Japanese immediately after Pearl Harbor. More importantly, we're in the Yukon Territory! I've never been here before, and I had to look up what differentiates a Canadian Territory from a Province. From Wikipedia: Quote:
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...C2832new-L.jpg Signpost Forest in Watson Lake, YT At Watson Lake's visitor centre, we found out that this all started with an American GI stationed at the Alaska Highway during WWII who got homesick, so he nailed up a sign from his hometown. Others started doing the same, and now tourists from all over the world bring signs from their home to nail them up at the Signpost Forest. There are over 75,000 signs today. Seems there are more thieves in this forest than Sherwood... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2833-L.jpg Saw a few Ontario signs here. Good to know kleptomaniacs from our province are well-represented... While at the visitor centre, we overheard one of the staff talk to a guest in fluent German! It turns out that Whitehorse, which is the capital of Yukon and only 4 hours drive away from Watson Lake, is quite the hub for trans-continental flights. This is due to a shorter distance for northern hemisphere countries to fly over the Arctic, than it is to fly latitudinally over the fat part of the globe. In fact, there is a direct flight from Frankfurt to Whitehorse. This would explain all the German tourists in rented RVs that we ran into wandering around the Yukon Territory. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2834-L.jpg Neda gives up counting the signs at the Signpost Forest We camped for the evening at Watson Lake, and again, talking to the owner of this RV Park, he told us we were traveling very late in the season and made up some fancy, scary stories about snow and frost if we were to journey northwards. So the next morning, we journeyed northwards. :) On the way to Whitehorse, we stopped in Teslin, a small town right on the Alcan, for a break. There we met Young, a Californian who rode his Trumph Speed Triple up here. He had just gotten his rear tire replaced, and he was in Teslin trying to find the local who helped him when he was stranded on the side of the road earlier. Young just left us a note on our guestbook! Cool! From Whitehorse, we rode the Klondike Highway north to Dawson city, the same route that over 100,000 prospectors took to travel to the Yukon after gold was discovered in 1896. The journey for them was long and arduous and they had to carry everything they needed on their backs. For us, the 500km ride was scenic and our trusty motorcycles carried everything for us! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2874-L.jpg Pretty sure none of these buildings actually existed at the time of the Gold Rush, they were built for the Tourist Rush. Dawson City is one wild-looking town straight out of all the Wild West movies. There are still some original buildings from the turn of the century, but most of the stores and businesses are built and decorated to reflect the town's rich history. By the time most of the prospectors arrived in the Yukon, most of the gold claims had already been staked so the majority came all the way for nothing. Still, some worked in the mines for companies and started businesses catering to the continuing influx of new prospectors, and this was where Dawson City was born. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2840-L.jpg But do they sell an oil filter for a 450 EXC? Didn't think so... We treated ourselves to a couple of nights in a local bed and breakfast, it was pricey, but it was soooo luxurious sleeping in a real bed again! During the day, we strolled the wooden boardwalks around town. It was the end of the tourist season so some of the stores were closing soon and the town was not as busy as it was just a few weeks ago. During its heydey in 1898, Dawson City housed so many prospectors and businesses that it was the largest city in Western North America north of Seattle. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2842-L.jpg Row of pretty coloured buildings http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2843-L.jpg These guys look like they just came from Crankworx 2012! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2878-XL.jpg Neda is busy making new friends to replace all the human friends we left behind http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2884-XL.jpg I've been meaning to grow a dodgy-looking 'stache my whole life. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2887-XL.jpg Fiddlin' away the time in Dawson City After the glitter of the Gold Rush faded and news spread that most of the claims in the Klondike had already been staked, prospectors left Dawson City in droves, some looking for gold in Alaska, others returning home with their pockets empty. Still, the infrastructure for a large city had been built and over time, Dawson City escaped the fate of several Gold Rush ghost towns. Just a couple of decades later, it re-emerged as a new mecca for entertainment, drawing in the wealthy and affluent on large steamships to spend their time and money here. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC2895-XL.jpg Original buildings kept untouched as a historical display The original buildings were built right on the permafrost land during the summer of the gold rush. However, once the winters came, the warmth of the floor melted the waters of the ground underneath and caused the first structures to cave in on themselves. Later buildings were built on raised supports. The fake front facades that look like they came straight from a Hollywood set were propped up to mask the cheaply-built buildings behind, as they were hastily erected to service the rush of gold prospectors. The facades were ornately painted to give a sense of permanence to prospective customers. All the modern tourist stores are built in the same tradition on raised supports and fake facades, as you can see in the pictures above. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0/O/dawson.jpg I can just imagine two gunslingers facing each other at opposite ends of this street at high noon. DRAW! We learned so much about the Klondike and the history of Dawson in the couple of days that we spent there. I'm really enjoying this meandering by motorcycle, it's a lot more enriching than just spending the entire time on the road and seeing towns from behind a visor, while missing out on all the culture and history. But tomorrow, we ride! |
Moterbike campground in Tok
Id recommend the Eagle claw moto campground in Tok and if you stay there have a steam bath for sure.
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/25.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map22-L.jpg It's a grey, overcast morning as we leave Dawson City to head west. Just outside of the city, a tiny ferry called the George Black waits to take us over the Yukon River. It only fits about 4 RVs at a time, but it runs quickly - taking just 5 minutes to cross the river. And the price is right - it's free! During the winter, the ferry stops running and residents just drive or snowmobile across the ice to get to the other side. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9390-L.jpg Boarding the ferry from Dawson City to the Top of the World Highway Across the Yukon River, the patchy pavement quickly turns to gravel and starts to climb up above the timberline. We're on the Top of The World Highway, one of the most northern highways in North America. It probably got its name because most of the road rests on the spine of the mountains that overlooks the Yukon to the north and colourful valleys on both sides of the ridge. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2927-L.jpg The view is duplicated on the other side of the road! It's hard to choose which side of the road to look, all the different coloured trees in the valley look like they've been painted by Seurat. The gravel is fairly hard packed, but is only open in the summer. There is very little traffic on this fine Sunday morning, but half-way through the ride, a red R1200GS Adventure blasts by us like we were standing still. I manage to glance at his plates as he passed us and was surprised to see another Ontarioan! What are the chances? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3020-L.jpg Trying to see the pointillism of it all http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2969-L.jpg Top o' the World to ya! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2973-L.jpg Looking down into wonderfully coloured valleys About 100 kms in, we reach the Canada/US border where I experienced the absolute most friendliest border crossing! The border guards were all, "Sure take a picture", and "Yeah, you can rest right over there"... It didn't seem like they saw a lot of traffic, but when they did, they told us there were a lot of BMW motorcycles in the mix. As if to prove his point, the red 1200ADV from Ontario was parked right up behind the building. We chatted with Brian, from Huntsville, ON, he was on an 18-day round-trip from Ontario to Alaska and back! Wow, that's a lot of riding! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9401-L.jpg Brian is waiting for his two other riding buddies that he left behind in the gravel dust, he told us to watch out for them This border crossing is interesting, it's one of the few customs buildings jointly run by both the US and Canadian governments. The RV on the left is coming into the US and the minivan on the right is crossing into Canada. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2977-L.jpg More BMW motorcycles at the border Neda went over to chat with the new GS riders, two 1200s and an older F650GS. Turns out they were from Florida, flew into Anchorage, rented BMW motorcycles and were on their way to Dawson City. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2989-L.jpg Neda chatting with the Floridians http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9404-L.jpg It's official! This trip is now INTERNATIONAL!!! From the US border, or Boundary, Alaska, as it's named, the road turns into the Taylor Highway. Same gravel, same twisty, mountainous cuves, same amazing scenery, and once again, another BMW motorcycle from Ontario blows by us! This time, an R1200RT! Oh, the humiliation! I intercom Neda, "Seriously!?!" :) This was presumably one of Brian's riding buddies, he was a big man and he made the gigantic RT look like a small bicycle underneath him! 50 kms later, we see the sign for Chicken, Alaska. I'm not really sure you could call it a town, just a collection of buildings in a big gravel lot. We pulled in and saw Brian and his riding crew as well as a couple of Harleys. Motorcyclists seem to make up the majority of the tourists at this stop. We had lunch (fish and chips, not chicken) with Brian, Heinz and another 1200ADV rider, all from Huntsville, ON, as well as Baltimore Jim and his partner Phylis from Aspen, CO, who have both put on a gajillion miles on their Harleys. Had a great time exchanging travel stories! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC2997-L.jpg Heinz pulls out of Chicken on his miniaturized RT Did you know the residents of Chicken originally wanted to name their town, Ptarmigan, but they didn't know how to spell Ptarmigan! Chicken Ptarmesan? After another 100 kms, the Taylor Highway reaches the Alaska Highway at Tetlin Junction. We don't get passed by any more BMW motorcycles from Ontario, although at this rate, I fully expected a C1 to come zipping in between us. We keep on riding north until we hit the North Pole. North Pole, Alaska, that is! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9405-L.jpg Not sure why Giganta-Santa is wearing pasties... North Pole, Alaska is nowhere near the magnetic north pole, but they play up the whole Christmas theme with roads like Kris Kringle Drive, and all the poles that their road signs are mounted on are striped white and red like candy canes. Jeez... We do fall into tourist mode though and stop into the Santa Claus house to see their real-live reindeers and pose with several dozen SoDS (Santas of Differing Sizes). http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3008-XL.jpg And not one of them with a red nose http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3013-L.jpg Given how cold it's getting, this seemed entirely normal As we ride north of the North Pole (is that even geographically possible?), we enter Fairbanks as the gloomy weather has now turned to rain. Wonder where we can go from here...? |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/26.html
Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay. The name is whispered in revered tones as one of the Holy Grails of adventure motorcycling - the most northern point in North America that you can travel by overland vehicle. The treacherous road leading up there has been featured in Ice Road Truckers and World's Most Dangerous Roads. So, since we were in the neighbourhood, we decided to see what all the fuss was about... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...Image-1-11.gif In 1968, North America's largest oil field was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Then the oil crisis hit, so the US Government thought what a great idea it would be to build America's most dangerous road in the northern tundra of Alaska, and then stealth-market it on ADVRider to attract motorcyclists from all over the world to brave 414 miles of dirt, mud, potholes, washboard, gravel and pay over $5 a gallon along the way for the privilege! And the motorcyclists came, and together they all subsidized the construction of the Alaska Pipeline! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9452-L.jpg South section of the Dalton Highway, the Alaska Pipeline a constant fixture We left Fairbanks the morning after arriving. So many people along the way had warned us of the impending cold weather that we were feeling a little rushed. The rains in the area had not let up for the last couple of days and the forecast didn't leave us with any window for dry weather for another week. So we decided if we were going to do this, it would be now. I think we suffered a bit for our lack of preparation. More on that a bit later... The Dalton Highway begins about 70 miles north of Fairbanks. Almost immediately we are confronted by construction, and we are told to wait for a pilot vehicle to escort us through a single lane of freshly-laid dirt. The pilot vehicle eventually showed up after 15 minutes, but it led us all the way through while tailing a watering truck! The construction crews water the dirt to keep down the dust, so we were basically riding fresh mud created just a hundred feet ahead of us. Great. We slowly slipped and slid over the muck, a lineup of impatient truckers behind us shaking their heads at these two bikes from Ontario with street tires barely keeping their rides upright. If we dropped the bikes at this point, they probably would have just run us over to keep their delivery schedules! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9464-L.jpg Our first break at Yukon Crossing Two muddy construction zones later, we had our first break at Yukon Crossing. We gassed up our tanks for the next leg, ate a brief lunch and then talked to two bikers coming from the north. We were curious about the road ahead and since the weather and construction changes daily, the only fresh information are from travelers that have just come off the road. They told us we had endured the most toughest section and that it was just hard-packed gravel ahead of us. Neda and I breathed a collective sigh of relief until we found out that they had only gone to the Arctic Circle marker and back, not all the way to the end of the Dalton. They had turned back at mile 115 of 414 and had no information on what was ahead further north - what many have said was the most treacherous part of the Dalton Highway. :( http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9482-L.jpg Nice pavement on the Dalton is the exception, not the rule. Beautiful scenery on the Dalton is the rule, not the exception. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9490-L.jpg We've officially crossed the Arctic Circle! Anything north of the Arctic Circle gets to experience the midnight sun in the summertime, but is also plunged into 24 hours of darkness in the winter. Most tourists and motorcycle travelers end their Dalton Highway trek at the Arctic Circle marker, taking a picture of the sign for posterity and then turning back south to Fairbanks, but we're after much larger game! There are only three towns on the Dalton Highway. No other services exist on the road, no McDonalds, no gas stations, no convenience stores, nothing but cold Alaska wilderness, 18-wheelers and the constant companionship of the Alaska Pipeline running parallel to the highway. I'm told that the Automobile Associations refuse to service the Dalton, not considering it a proper road. Any catastrophic breakdowns/crashes along the way will involve you hiring a private towing company to come out and fetch you at $5/mile back to Fairbanks. My mental calculator was working out how high the financial stakes were the further north we headed. The "town" of Coldfoot came upon us at mile marker 175. "Town" in quotes because it looked to be a collection of trailers strewn across a muddy, gravelly lot just behind the trees off the highway. This was the last place we could get gas before Deadhorse, and a large sign reminded us, "Last gas for 240 miles". 240 miles was stretching the limits of our tanks, so we both made sure to fill up our 4L jerry cans just in case. I thought how ironic it would be to run out of gas on the Dalton, while not a hundred feet away, the Alaska Pipeline pumped 2.1 million barrels of oil a day past us... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9513-L.jpg Boreal Lodge in Wiseman The second town is Wiseman, only 14 miles north of Coldfoot. It is an original gold mining community, but now houses historical log cabins and a few lodges and BnBs for travelers on the Dalton. Most of the population of 20 people practice a subsistence lifestyle, only hunting and gathering what they need to survive, nothing more. We stayed at the Boreal Lodge, which was quite a step up from the trailer/hotel in Coldfoot. That night, I pondered over all the travel advisories I'd read about the road to Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay. I felt like I had read just enough to scare me, but not enough to prepare me, given that our route to this point was already difficult and yet, from what I read, the worse was yet to come. Neda didn't seem to be worried at all. Either we weren't surfing the same websites, or she's got balls of steel. Well, tomorrow we find out. |
Awesome guys, photos, maps, commentary just awesome.
I’m convinced. I must now convince a special someone to join me, showing her your blog might just do the trick, fingers crossed. The house and everything else is up for sale ! More hills, corners and views to you, Cheers Dave |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/27.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../O/dalton2.gif Neda's guilty pleasure is a TV program called, "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge" (MXC). On the show, contestants are run through a crazy obstacle course where more and more outlandish situations are thrown at them in an effort to knock them off their motorcycles. No wait, that's the Dalton Highway... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9526-L.jpg "The insides of my shorts are now the same colour as the road but I'm OK!" When we wake up in Wiseman, we discover it's been raining all night and still coming down in the morning. This means that we'll be facing our first extreme elimination challenge - slippery, greasy mud underneath our smooth, street tires. Like they say in MXC, "DON'T GET ELIMINATED!"... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9515-L.jpg 2 wheels vs 18. GAME ON! Sukakpak Mountain in the background The Dalton Highway was built especially for truckers hauling material all the way up to Prudhoe Bay to build the Alaska Pipeline. It's also called the Haul Road, and today is used to carry supplies to Deadhorse, where all the work is done extracting the crude out of the oil fields. Trucks are the undisputed King of the Road and riding amongst them requires special attention. The biggest danger is getting hit by rocks and stones kicked up by any one of the 18 wheels passing you by at close proximity. The speed limit on the Dalton is 50mph and it is not uuncommon to see rocks hitting your windshield and visor at closing speeds of a plastic-shattering 100mph. The common wisdom is to always pull over when you see a truck approaching, turn your helmet to the side of the road and duck behind your windscreen. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9529-L.jpg Neda wipes her muddy visor after being blinded by a passing truck We're told that in the dry summer months, you can see a truck approaching for hundreds of metres away due to the dust cloud in the distance. Today, the dust clouds are replaced with a head-to-toe mud bath, sometimes temporarily obscuring your visor if you don't get your head turned away in time. Don't even think about smearing the mud with your already dirty gloves, so you're riding blind until you can get stopped to pull out a clean-ish rag.... "DON'T GET ELIMINATED!" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9536-L.jpg Rain and thick fog still fail to mask the brilliant autumn colours in the flatlands. The trees become more sparse the further north we travel, as the environment is getting more inhospitable to anything shorter than ground vegetation. Stretches of construction still present challenges to our 2-wheeled vehicles, as they are not laying down asphalt, just more dirt and gravel for the trucks. The Dalton Highway was never intended for non-commercial passenger vehicles, and the condition of the road reflects this. In fact, the US government only opened the road to public access as late as 1994. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9542-L.jpg Whiteout conditions on the Atigun Pass The Brooks Range covers most of Northern Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Most of the land north of this mountain range is called the North Slope, as the mountains face north and drain precipitation into the Arctic ocean. In fact, the original name of the Dalton Highway was called the North Slope Road. This is where we are introduced to our next Extreme Elimination Challenge: snow and ice on the Atigun Pass. The Atigun Pass climbs 4739 feet above sea level, and as we make the ascent up the wet, gravelly road, we encounter white-out conditions, the shoulders and mountain-sides slowly accumulating with snow. Our speed drops, not only because of the road conditions, but because we are also busy marveling at the amazing views unfolding before us. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...9554orig-L.jpg Riding through the snow-covered mountain ranges, the views are amazing! Too bad the road conditions have us scared sleetless. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9557-L.jpg To me, riding the Atigun Pass in a snowstorm has to be the highlight of our trip so far. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9560-L.jpg Starting our descent down the other side of the Atigun Pass http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9586-L.jpg Atigun Gorge, just north of the pass http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3021-L.jpg Made it through the Atigun Pass! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9592-XL.jpg Taking a break in the Atigun Gorge with our buddy the Alaska Pipeline http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3058-L.jpg Neda is admiring the scenery http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3056-L.jpg Off we go again! Our preparations for the Dalton Highway were non-existent. We just showed up. While most motorcyclists donned knobbies or more aggressive tires, we were using Tourances, half-bald from long riding days on the abrasive pavement of the BC and Yukon highways. All the weight on my bike was piled up on my passenger seat and topcase, making my centre of gravity precipitously high and back. While riding the greasy muddy sections, I felt like a tight-rope walker balancing a bowling ball at the top of a long broomstick! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9599-L.jpg Lunchtime at Galbraith Camp At Galbraith Lake, we came up with solution to my high centre-of-gravity problem. We took all the food out of my topcase. And ate it. Next Extreme Elimination Challenge - "Postprandial somnolence" - rider drowsiness induced by overeating. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3077-L.jpg Galbraith Lake http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3065-L.jpg So muddy We found out that construction crews spray Calcium Chloride on the roads. CaCl2 is a thickening agent which thickens the mud and hardens it in the summertime. However, when it gets wet, it produces a slippery clay that when splashed onto hot pipes and radiators, bakes into a ceramic that is impossible to get rid off without a chisel. We are recommended to immediately wash this crap off our bikes before this happens, since CaCl2 is mildly corrosive as well. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3079-L.jpg Somewhere underneath all that mud is a motorcycle and a rider http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9612-L.jpg We made friends with a lot of flaggers at construction sites Often there is a 15-30 minute wait at each construction site. Motorcycles are typically waved to the front, so we got to chat with a lot of the flaggers while waiting for the pilot vehicle. We found out from this flag-person that a stretch of the Dalton was closed a couple of days ago due to snow, so it was fortunate we were arriving today. She told us that while her station was closed, she built a snowman to hold the stop sign, and as it melted, all the construction drivers mocked her snow-flagger for falling asleep on the job! LOL! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9613-L.jpg Following a pilot vehicle through a construction site I leave a healthy distance behind Neda. We've found that our dirt bike skills come in handy on this road, and when the road becomes too gnarly and the bikes go sideways, a little throttle helps to keep everything upright and pointed straight. "When in doubt, throttle it out!". Oh and, "DON'T GET ELIMINATED!" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...617orig-XL.jpg Final stretch (literally and figuratively) before we reach Prudhoe Bay. Next challenge: deep washboard ruts in the background Happy Valley is at mile marker 334 and the rain starts to let up and we see sun peeking out from the clouds. The mud turns to hard-packed gravel and our speeds pick up a bit. We are sobered up by the sight of a car and a truck overturned in the ditch and we slow down again. Obviously, they too fell victim to complacency on the Haul Road and paid the price. Speaking of which, at a tow-charge of $5/mile, 400 miles north of Fairbanks, I assume it was cheaper leaving the rotting carcasses of their vehicles up here than pay for a tow back to civilization. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9633-L.jpg The obligatory picture at the Deadhorse General Store - one of the only Welcome signs in this oil camp http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3086-L.jpg We like our sign better! :) The drilling community of Deadhorse slowly appears on the horizon. It appears slowly because all of the buildings are no more than one-story tall, having been hauled up on the back of an 18-wheeler. Our relief at reaching the end of the treacherous Dalton Highway is tempered by the fact that we are really only half-way through it. We've got to do it all again to get back to Fairbanks! The weather forecast shows non-stop rain for the next 5 days. Do we wait and risk snow or ride back in even deeper mud? "DON'T GET ELIMINATED!" |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/28.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map23-L.jpg So cool seeing how far we've traveled on a map of North America! Some interesting statistics: Toronto to Vancouver = 4206 kms Vancouver to Deadhorse = 4117 kms Our cross-country trip to Vancouver is almost exactly half-way to Deadhorse! This really puts the vast distances of Arctic Canada and the US into perspective! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9620-L.jpg Deadhorse gas station - feels like we're filling up directly from the ground! Our first task was to fill up our empty tanks. After our last gas stop in Coldfoot, we were almost completely dry. However, we were shocked to find out gas is $5.33/gallon in Deadhorse. Almost directly underneath our tires lies the largest oil fields in North America, but due to state taxation issues, there are no refineries in Prudhoe Bay. All the gasoline up here has been shipped up via the 18-wheelers that tried to kill us the day before. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9626-L.jpg Downtown Deadhorse. Almost all the buildings here are single-story trailer units that look as if they are fitted together like Lego. This is less a town than it is a community of oil drilling companies that ship workers here for months at a time, begrudgingly tolerating the harsh and spartan conditions, counting the days and paycheques before they return home to family and civilization. No one is here for leisure except the few adventure motorcyclists and the odd traveler looking to reach the Arctic Ocean. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9630-L.jpg Our oasis! Accommodations here are as exorbitantly expensive as the gas. The cost to ship supplies and materials for the workers up the Haul Road are reflected in the prices that the tourists pay, while everyone who actually works here is completely comped by the companies they work for. Neda did some research and found that the Prudhoe Bay Hotel was the best deal in town - all buffet style meals and a 24-hour kitchen. We booked in for two days and paid a handsome price for the respite from the non-stop rain and mud outside. The hotel was full-service, so we were welcome to help ourselves to all the supplies they stocked. And for the price we paid, we went ape-sheet on laundry soap, fabric softener, soap, condiments, wet naps, as well as raided the kitchen for a weeks worth of sandwiches, cookies, potato chips. As we watched the rain continue to fall non-stop outside, we were comforted in the knowledge that our bikes would be nice and top-heavy-tipsy for the ride back in the mud that was building up! So not looking forward to that... :( http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9632-L.jpg Deadhorse indoor fashion accessories Every "building" (converted trailer) in Deadhorse has a policy - either take your outdoor footwear off, or put these fetching blue booties on while you walk around. Otherwise the inside of the buildings would be coated in the same mud that our bikes were outside. All the washrooms and dining areas had large signs reminding everyone to wash their hands and to use the hand sanitizers. The temporary population of 3000 workers in Deadhorse are 80% male, and like most guys, health and cleanliness rank low in their list of priorities. As well, Deadhorse is a dry town, as you can imagine the troubles that alcohol would cause in a place composed entirely of testosterone. Neda remarked that everyone was so friendly towards her. I told her she should try visiting a prison sometime too... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3092-L.jpg Portable drilling equipment, the weight and pressure on those tires are so immense, it can only travel a few mph without them overheating and exploding The Dalton Highway ends a few miles short of the Arctic Ocean, so to reach it, we had to book a tour from one of the local operators. There was a 24-hour waiting period for them to clear our passports with the US government. Security is a major concern, which is why there is no public access to the water without an identity check and an escort. Luckily my unpaid speeding tickets in two states did not count as a National Security violation, and we hopped in a van the next morning to see Deadhorse and the Arctic Ocean. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3093-L.jpg Typical Lego trailer buildings in Deadhorse We did see some construction of permanent buildings in Deadhorse amongst all the trailer structures. They learned the lessons of Dawson City and were using raised floor construction so as not to overheat the permafrost underneath. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3096-L.jpg A little Deadhorse humour - we are north of the timberline so these are the only trees we'll find up here. I like the nod to the gold and the Inukshok as well The funky goggles that we are sporting are for our protection should a passing 18-wheeler spray us with bullet-shaped rocks. A lot of injuries on the slope are from exactly this and there are strict speed limits on passing other vehicles. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3122-XL.jpg Coldfoot, er feet in the Arctic Ocean! The air temperature was about 4-5C (40F), but the water felt much colder! We're told that some people actually go all the way in and swim in the dead of winter! Crazy! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3140-L.jpg Rusted metal oil barrel on the shores of Deadhorse beach http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3147-XL.jpg Driftwood on the beach This driftwood is exactly like us! No, I don't mean that we are drifting around Alaska aimlessly, the wood is from Canada. Since there are no trees up here on the North Slope of the Brooks Range, the Arctic currents carry timber from the Yukon and the Northwest Territories and deposit it on the shores of Prudhoe Bay. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3157-L.jpg Deadhorse art - This was the site of the original discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay. This statue is supposed to resemble the pilot flame burning on top of oil rigs Immediately after the tour, we steeled ourselves for the long ride back down the Dalton Highway. It's been raining for the last two days straight without a break and I'm dreading the mud bog that we're going to have to ride through. Neda compounds my fears by reminding me that the road we will be riding will be very different now from the one we came up, so we really have no idea what to expect. As if to drive the point home, the potholed stretch of road just south of Deadhorse is now besieged by hurricane-like winds. Our bikes are leaned sideways into the cross-winds as we try to find a dry line through the mud and washboard. Almost like it was a sentient (and malevolent) creature, the Dalton keeps throwing things at us, and I sense that it's somehow angry at us. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3161-L.jpg Very different scenery on the Atigun Pass As we reach the Atigun Pass, most of the snow has melted, and the view of the gorge is tinged with low-lying reddish-brown vegetation. It is a much different road as all the pitfalls and dangers have moved on us. Even the construction areas are different, as crews finish one section and move on to another. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3165-L.jpg Atigun Gorge-ous http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9674-L.jpg Approaching a deserted construction site Almost all the construction sites are deserted as we are riding back south on the US Labor Day Monday. Although there are no watering trucks today, the rain has made the roads even slicker than on our run up. So many times I feel the bike sliding out from underneath me and I have to consciously suppress the survival instinct to roll off or brake, and goose the throttle instead. Neda's hand is hurting from the deathgrip on the handlebars. My sphincter has a deathgrip on the motorcycle seat. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9679-L.jpg The only tires worse than these would have been racing slicks http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9681-L.jpg Mud at the Yukon Crossing During our tour of the Arctic Ocean, our escort told us that August is the rainiest season in Northern Alaska. Something that we should have researched *BEFORE* coming up here!!! We are soooo unprepared. Just like the time we tried to ride up the Indian Himalayan mountains during monsoon season. We really don't make things easy on ourselves... One thing that worked out for us was that we dodged mosquito season by a couple of weeks. During the summer, all the stagnant pools of water in the area provide a perfect breeding ground for billions of mosquitos who go on a rampage, swarming caribou and motorcyclists up and down the Dalton. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9682-L.jpg Neda likes construction sites because of the readily available port-a-potties... During our research, we had read about the "700 yards of terror" on the Dalton. This can occur anywhere on the road and will absolutely frighten the shale out of a motorcycle rider. Our "700 yards" happened to lie right at the end. As the GPS counted down a few kms till we would hit the Elliot Highway, the mud on the road quickly multiplied. This was the Dalton's final assualt on us. My speed dropped to a crawl as the motorcycle wobbled in every direction but straight. Traction was non-existant. The high and heavy weight of all the laundry detergent and potato chips from the Prudhoe Bay Hotel threatened to topple my GS at every inch. I have never wanted to stop and give up on a motorcycle road, but those last few kms of thick and greasy, heavy mud on the Dalton had me seriously considering calling a tow-truck to come pick me up. As we reached the safety of the pavement and broken asphalt, I heard Neda whoop over the intercom. There was much rejoicing as we celebrated having gone up *AND* down the Haul Road and arriving back in one piece! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9687-L.jpg Clean again!!!! Took us forever to power wash the CaCl2 and mud off in Fairbanks |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/29.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map24-L.jpg After all the excitement of the last week, we are looking to relax for a little bit and take some time to get some chores done. Ever since we've crossed over into Alaska, I've had Sean Bean's voice from "Game of Thrones" in my head, ominously warning me, "Winter is coming!" We've got to start heading south soon. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...nedachat-L.jpg Chatting during laundry day. Our riding suits are clean again!!! A couple of weeks ago, we tried booking our regular service at Trail's End BMW in Fairbanks, but we quickly found out that that was like booking an annual medical check-up at the emergency ward. Trail's End seems to be a triage for the moto-carnage towed back from the Dalton, those bikes too wrecked to run get preferential treatment, so we instead turned to The Motorcycle Shop in Anchorage, about 360 miles south of Fairbanks. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3283-L.jpg Husky sled fog in Denali National Park Denali National Park is about halfway between Fairbanks and Anchorage, so we decided to stop by on the way south. We encountered high winds on the way there and we were often leaned sideways into the crosswinds. There were a few pucker moments when passing oncoming trucks - suddenly the crosswind would die and the bike would wobble into the lean... :( We were to learn later that this was an early warning of things to come. While we were at Denali, we attended a Husky sled dog demonstration. These dogs are so energetic, all they wanted to do was run. Definitely not condominium pets! They play an important part in providing clean and silent transportation for people and equipment throughout the national park for researchers and rangers. And they are so beautiful as well! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3299-L.jpg Neda is laughing because this husky just wanted his butt scratched and kept angling his body just right http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3311-L.jpg I'm totally being used and I don't care. Maybe it was a hunch, but when we arrived in Anchorage, we made the decision to book a room instead of tenting it. During the night, a storm whipped through the city toppling down trees and power lines. Weather equipment recorded 210 km/h winds before their data feed got cut. At the time, we were just finishing watching a DVD (we miss that talking picture box and how it can magically make time disappear) and I got up to switch the TV off. Just then, I saw a bright flash outside the window and then all the lights went out. The tree right outside was on fire until the rain quickly put it out! I thought it was a lightning strike until this morning, when we walked outside we noticed the falling tree had severed a power line and the arcing had set the leaves on fire briefly. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0481-L.jpg Next-door neighbour's house. If his roof hadn't had broken the tree's fall, it would have been tall enough to land on us. See the window on the far right? That's our room... If we had tented, we would have woken up in a tree somewhere in Oz. Thankfully, Neda's bike was in service at the dealership and the host let me store my bike in the garage. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0484-L.jpg The wind was so strong it uprooted this huge tree Our hosts told us it normally doesn't get this windy this early. A month later, these trees would have shed all its leaves already and have been better able to withstand the high winds. We learned from the news that 25,000-30,000 homes in Anchorage were without power due to downed trees and the local electric companies were working around the clock trying to restore service around the city. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0487-new-L.jpg We walked around Anchorage and surveyed all the downed trees in the city http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0446-L.jpg Romantic breakfast. The candle serves as both light and heat! So our BnB was unable to serve us a hot breakfast because of the power outage. Neda feels they more than compensated by offering us chocolate peanut butter sandwiches with bananas by candlelight... Neda's kryptnonite is Nutella, but now she's found something else that will rob her of her willpower - Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0460-XL.jpg Pet chickens While our hosts were out trying to find out more about the outage, we played with their pet chickens (I know, right? How awesome is that?) in the backyard. They are soooo cute! They love eating berries: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0464-L.jpg As soon as Neda starts picking berries, the chickens are on the move! Our hosts were very gracious and accommodating, moving us to another condo with heat and power but also offering us another nights stay on them. After living in a tent for over two months, we weren't going to turn down a roof over our heads, especially in the cold, wet Alaskan autumn! They also took us out for dinner, asking us where we'd like to go. I made a bit of a faux-pas asking them for typical Anchorage fare - they ended up taking us to a pizza joint - and I suddenly realized that we were in a major US city, not a Native American community - we weren't going to get any Inupiaq dishes here! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0490-L.jpg Our wonderful hosts, Stephen and Jana We really enjoyed our stay with Jana and Stephen, they're a really wonderful couple and they treated us like old friends instead of boarders. We asked them where Anchorageans go for a vacation - secretly hoping they wouldn't say Hawaii... They gave us some great ideas for local destinations to head out to. |
just cannot wait
What a trip,on bikes.Only done europe on the bike. Shipping our vehicle over from uk next year,old LC, to go where you have been, and then south america, glad we have retired.You write a good blog.Take care.
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Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/30.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map25-L.jpg The Kenai Peninsula is about a 5 hour ride south of Anchorage, and is a popular weekend destination for the locals. It's a great spot for fishing in the numerous rivers that run through the area, and it's home to a few picturesque towns set against the backdrop of glaciers and mountains. We're going to do like the locals and spend a weekend here. Seward Highway AKA Highway 1 is a twisty paved road that follows the shoreline of the Turnagain Arm, an inlet on the west-coast of the peninsula. It winds around the mouth, allowing a view across the bay of where you're going to be 45 minutes later. The peaks of Chugarch State Park lie inland and we're treated to our favorite motorcycle scenery - waters on one side, mountains on the other. Stephen told us that the gray silt that stretches for a few hundred meters away from the road during the low-tide were the remains of the mountains, carved away by the receding glaciers. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9723-L.jpg Riding down Homer Spit We reach Homer in the late afternoon and try to find a place to sleep. The majority of campsites are situated along the main attraction in Homer - a 5-mile-long, thin spit of land that thrusts out into Kachemak Bay. As we ride down to the end of the spit, we are treated to a 270-degree panorama of snow-capped mountains that line the shores of the bay. It is truly a wondrous site! Unfortunately most of the places are closing down for the season. With temperatures reaching the freezing mark overnight, it's easy to see why there weren't a lot of campers! Jana introduced us to an Alaskan term, "Termination Dust". No, it's not a military bio-chemical weapon, it's the first trace of snow that appears on the mountains around southern Alaska, which signals the start of winter. As the last days of autumn start counting down, the termination dust starts creeping lower and lower until it reaches the ground. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0493-L.jpg Dan McElrath Quartet playing the Bunnell St Art Centre We treated ourselves to a nice seafood dinner at the highly-regarded Mermaid Cafe in Homer. The food tasted so delicious, but I think that might have had something to do with us having eaten nothing but sandwiches and soup for the last couple of months! After dinner, we strolled through old historic Homer and heard the sound of live music from around the corner. After standing at the door of the Bunnell St Art Centre for a couple of seconds, the audience beckoned us in and we stayed a while to listen to local Anchorage artist Dan McElrath and his quartet play some cool jazz. The live music was such a nice change to my 3,000 mp3 playlist, which I've already listened to 6 or 7 times over... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3347-L.jpg Waves crashing on the beach at sunset on Homer Spit http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3376-L.jpg Beautiful views of the mountains, but jam packed with condos, shops, RV parks, parking lots, docks, etc. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3384-L.jpg Waiting for tourists dollars - too late in the season, maybe next year http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3391-L.jpg Marina at Homer Spit There are several marinas that house a few hundred boats docked at Homer Spit. The natural beauty of the area has attracted all sorts of commerce that caters to the seasonal tourist traffic. Not a value judgment, as we're tourists as well. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3392-XL.jpg Marina at Homer Spit http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0168-L.jpg Evening colours on the beach on Homer Spit http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0178orig-L.jpg We picked a rainy weekend to visit, but it did make for some nice colours when the sky finally cleared http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0497-XL.jpg After sub-zero slumber, we wake up to clear skies and blue waters! When we woke up, our tents were stiff like plastic from the frozen dew. We're starting to feel very rushed to escape the impending winter. From Homer, it's a short ride to the west side of the peninsula. On our way to Seward, we pass Exit Glacier, only one of the glaciers accessible by road, so we stopped to hike up to the edge and take some pictures. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3399-L.jpg Exit Glacier The Exit Glacier is quickly receding due to the Ice Age cycles. Ever since the last mini Ice Age ended in the early 1800s, the glacier has retreated several thousand feet. All along the path on the hike up to the terminus, there are signposts with the dates marking the position of the edge of the glacier over the last hundred years. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3416-L.jpg hiking around Exit Glacier http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3431-XL.jpg Neda shields her eyes from the glare of the ice http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3434-L.jpg Exit Glacier http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3438-L.jpg Close-up of the peak of Exit Glacier http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3485-L.jpg The town of Seward has amazing views of the mountains surrounding the Kenai Peninsula http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9745-L.jpg Finally some sunshine! Returning from a weekend on the Kenai Peninsula The cold weather has strengthened our resolve to get out of Alaska as soon as we can. Businesses have closed for the end of the season which should be a sure sign that we shouldn't be riding around on motorcycles up here. |
Great blog! Keep it up!
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Update from Sep 09 2012: Chased out of Alaska
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map26-L.jpg We arrive in Anchorage very late, but fortunately we heard that the local Harley Davidson dealership offers free camping for motorcycle travelers. How nice of them! No one is at the dealership on the Sunday night, but fortunately the MotoQuest rental guys (who share the same parking lot as HD Anchorage) gives us access to the washroom and showers. A hot shower feels so amazing after a cold day of riding! If only we could find some way to heat the tent! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0509-L.jpg Lonely tent in the HD Anchorage backyard, our GSes parked upstairs Another night of sub-zero temperatures. It is friggin' freezing and there are no other campers here. Because they have common sense. HD Anchorage is closed on Mondays, I wish they were open so I could thank them for the free accommodations! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0513-XL.jpg Ice on our tent and the bike covers http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3493-L.jpg Slightly east of Anchorage on the AK-1N, we pass several magnificent glaciers in Chugach State Park. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3496-L.jpg So hard to keep your eyes on the road with this just off the highway The ride north-east from Anchorage to Tok was a surprise. Nobody told us this road would be so entertaining and scenic. The highway winds through a wide variety of sub-arctic forests, glaciers, streams and mountains. Perhaps its overshadowed by the Dalton Highway, but the road to Tok should be a Must-Do on anyone's list if they are riding Alaska! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9763-L.jpg Along the way we pass Bob from Switzerland on an old Suzuki At one of our scenic stops, I asked Neda if she noticed the guy from Switzerland on the motorcycle we passed. She said, "Oh, you mean Bob? How do you know he was from Switzerland?" I replied, "There was a huge CH on the back of one of his panniers. How do you know his name was Bob?"... "His panniers also had his name, Bob". Funny, most people advertise their website, others just want everyone to know their name, I guess... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9767-L.jpg Threatening sky, Wrangell Mountains in the distance At Wrangell State Park, AK-1 merges with the Richardson Highway (AK-4) and we head north towards Tok. The Wrangell Mountains dominate the scenery for a good hour before we reach the park, and is still visible as we skirt the western edge on our way to the Alaska Highway. The mountains are all volcanic, and make up two of the top three highest volcanoes in the US. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9783-L.jpg Awesome late autumn colours on the way to Tok http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3507-L.jpg Fall colours glamour shot http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9791-L.jpg Different view of the Wrangell Mountains We arrived at Tok in the late afternoon, at the intersection of the Richardson and Alaska Highway. So we settled in at the Tok Visitor Centre for a homemade sandwich. In the parking lot, we see Bob from Switzerland's bike. Except it wasn't Bob from Switzerland. All the panniers were fashioned out of pieces of electoral signs. One read Bob, and another was a fragment reading "CH" on the back! Inside, we met Austen, a 22-year old adventurer from Anchorage on Day 1 of his own Round-The-World motorcycle trip. I remember when we first set out way back in the middle of June, and how we told everyone we were on the Never-Ending-Motorcycle-Trip. Funny, that doesn't seem that long ago at all! Austen just graduated and was planning on riding down to California, where he would sell the motorcycle and then catch a boat to Vietnam and then buy another motorbike there to ride around. Very cool and gutsy! Hopefully we'll meet up with him again on our travels. Neda and I talked a bit about the timing of our trips, and the pros and cons of doing it before the start of a career, right in the middle, or at retirement. Austen's going to have such a different experience than us old farts! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9793-L.jpg Bob from Switzerland? No, Austen from Anchorage! Austen left Tok before us, since his pace was a bit slower. We told him we might see him again on the road when we crossed the border. The sun was setting very fast, and since we spent more time in Tok than we wanted to, we arrived at the Alaska/Yukon border in the freezing darkness, all our electrics cranked to the highest setting. Immediately upon crossing the border, the pavement became more broken, and we crossed several gravel patches in the dark at highway speeds, causing some pucker-moments. I guess that's what happens when you ride from one of the richest states in the US to the poorest provinces/territories in Canada. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9800-L.jpg Sun setting on the golden trees on the way back to Canada The actual Canadian border patrol was about 20 kms past the geographic border. Not too worried about national security up here... The guard at the customs building looked at us with pity and told us there were hot showers at a campsite in Beaver Creek, about 10 kms away. As we arrive at the campsite, a couple of Eastern Europeans hop out of a rental car at the gas station and ask what kind of tires we were running. Strange question. They told us that it was snowing heavily just an hour east at Destruction Bay, and that they were slipping around on their four-wheels, they seemed genuinely concerned about our safety. We assured them we were staying put for the night. The tent went up slowly, with all our cold-weather gear on, gloves and everything. We knew it was below 0C because there were icy patches everywhere. We could see our breath inside the tent! And it got even colder overnight, as we shivered in our sleeping bag with all our winter clothes on underneath. During the middle of the night, I checked the weather app on my iPhone: -9C (15F). To whomever is chasing us out of the Arctic: We get the message loud and clear. We're going, we're going! Please let it be warmer tomorrow... |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/32.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map27-L.jpg We've just stepped over an imaginary line on a map, so the scenery in the Yukon Territory is pretty much the same as in Alaska, seeing how its basically the same range of mountains. Although the views all around us are fantastic, it's taking us forever to escape the cold weather. The roads are lined with snow from the night before, but thankfully it hasn't stuck to the pavement. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9809-L.jpg Riding in Arctic temperatures? 'snow problem! Instead of doubling back on the Cassiar Highway south, we've opted to take the Alaska Highway all the way through the Yukon and into British Columbia. It's bit of a longer route, but the pavement is much better and there are more services available than the Cassiar. Or so we thought... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9813-L.jpg Kluane Lake We stopped for lunch at Destruction Bay and talked to the locals about the snowfall they received the night before. Everyone remarked how late we were out in the season, and we nodded, pretending it was the first time we've heard that: "Oh really? You don't say!". We're eating out (or inside) a lot in the Arctic because it is just too damn cold to stay outside, and the expenses are mounting because of it. It is not cheap up here, everything is about 1.5 times what it would cost in the south. The motto up here is, "Less for more!" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9821-L.jpg Beautiful mountains in the Kluane National Park Our destination for the evening is Whitehorse, which takes us past the snow-crusted mountains of the Kluane National Park to our south. I didn't know much about Alaska and the Yukon before coming out here, and the one thing I'm taking back with me is how mountainous the region is. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9822-L.jpg Mountain riding in the Yukon Territory It was a cold ride to Whitehorse and we set up camp in the outskirts of the city. We're staying here for a couple of days to recharge our batteries. Literally: I mean laptop, camera, iPhone batteries, etc. We spent the whole day in the public library catching up on blog entries and e-mails to friends and family back home. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0282-XL.jpg Kilroy was here Whitehorse has some of the same touristy Gold-Rush-style buildings as Dawson City and it was nice to get off the bikes and walk around the downtown core. Again, we treated ourselves to a hot meal at the Klondike Rib and Salmon Bake, promising that we'd tighten up our belts when the weather got warmer. In the restaurant, we read an ominous sign: "7 days till the end of the season!". We are pushing it right till the very end of tourist season, after which time most services and facilities geared to travelers would be shutting down for the cold winter ahead. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0287-XL.jpg The hot food was soooo good. Neda had elk stew with bannock and I had pasta with bison sausages The next day, we continued along the Alaska Highway, past the familiar junction of the Cassiar Highway and the town of Watson Lake, towards BC. The Alaska Highway was originally built by the US government as a direct response to the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor. They felt the proximity of Alaska to Japan left the undefended north too vulnerable, and two years and 1500 miles later, a road was built to supply troops, equipment and weapons to Fairbanks. Canada agreed to let the highway be built through BC and Yukon provided that the highway be turned over to the Canadian Army and Highway System after the war. What we ended up getting was a rough gravel road in such disrepair that the federal government had to spend millions more over several decades to pave the Alaska "Highway". http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9830-XL.jpg Jordi is one huge dude. Neda is 5'8", and she's wearing tall boots and her helmet in this shot! Staying up here so late in the season, one of our worst fears is realized: running out of gas. Although there are petrol stations situated every 75kms or so, all it takes is one or two of them to be closed to put us in dire straits. We pass two gas stations that were shut down for the season with our tanks well below the empty mark. Thankfully we have spare gas, unused from our trip up the Dalton Highway, so we pulled over to fill our tanks. There we met Jordi, a fellow GS rider who shipped his bike from Spain to ride all across the Americas. He too, was tapping into his spare jerry can, so we chatted for a while. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9829-L.jpg Our Spanish is not so good, and Jordi's English is not much better, but we spoke the international language of Maps http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9831-L.jpg Jordi is telling us how he bench-presses R1200GS Adventures in his spare time http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9833-L.jpg Rotopax to the rescue! I've got 3.78L in my Rotopax, but Neda's Touratech spare gas can only holds a paltry 3L. When you're empty, this doesn't really give you a lot of range, as the gauges on our bikes have barely budged at all after refueling! Then again, GS fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate. Mine came with a sticker below the gauge reading, "For Entertainment Purposes Only"... Aside from the freezing weather, now we have to contend with the dwindling services on the road back south. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/33.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map33-L.jpg We're due for a little break in our northern travels, so we've stopped for a couple of days at the Liard Hot Springs, just south of the Yukon/BC border. The rains briefly stop one evening, as we try to time our escape to the pools. The springs are surrounded by warm water swamps and heavy forests, lending a very remote feel, despite being less than a km away from the Alaska Highway. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9870-L.jpg So relaxing! The Liard Hot Springs is the second-largest hot springs in Canada. We've already visited the first on this trip, Radium Hot Springs, also in BC. It's still pretty cold out, about 10C, but the waters are 42C in the "cold" pool, and the 52C in the hot one, the constant steam rising providing an eerie backdrop against the bathers in the springs. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9884-XL.jpg Lounging around in the hot pool http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9858-L.jpg The hot pool is too hot, can't stay in too long http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9917-L.jpg Namaste. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9920-XL.jpg Neda's tattoo turned out amazing http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9925-L.jpg The rains start up again, Neda laughingly emulates the sound: *plok* *plok *plok* The rain continues to hammer on our tent overnight, but in the morning, it is overcast and we're ready to continue our journey southwards. We are warned that a herd of buffalo are on the move along the highway, and it's not 5 kms from Liard that we stumble upon the first group grazing and lazing about. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9936-L.jpg Where the buffalo roam... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9934-L.jpg These guys were huuuge! There's a lot of wildlife in northern BC, and we have a couple of close calls as we round the bend and encounter animals (and overturned vehicles) on the road! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9942-L.jpg More wildlife on the road http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9954-L.jpg Different kind of wildlife on the side of the road The weather is getting warmer as we stop for the night in Fort Saint James. It feels like we are slowly escaping the cold clutches of the north. At least while the sun is up... |
My wife and I are really enjoying following your trip, we're sitting here in the UK and planning a trip over to Canada in the next couple of years - not on the bike this time as we're bringing our son too, so it'll be a camper van. Your photo's are just brilliant and your words are inspirational.
Keep safe. We're thinking of you!! Graham, Marion & Ben. Sussex, England PS - If you get over here, there's always somewhere for you to stay here at our house. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/34.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map34-L.jpg It's been a long slog down from the cold north. We've pounded out two thousand kms of pavement since crossing the border - the forests of northern BC all blurring into a hypnotic mess of trees and deer, strings of closed gas stations and ceaseless sandwiches by the roadside. As we hit the southern interior of the province, we're welcomed by the warmth of the drylands. At a campsite in Cache Creek, we break out the maps in search of some off-road fun. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3531-L.jpg Basking in the heat of the sun, Fraser River in the background There's a great-looking dual sport road that runs from Ashcroft, on the other side of the Fraser River from the main TransCanada Highway heading south. This is the first day we've ridden without layering up like Michelin Men. The temperature soars to 31C and we're thankfully for our mesh riding gear. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN9956-XL.jpg Looking for adventure! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3563-L.jpg Headless horseman on the hills of the Fraser http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3570-L.jpg The Fraser Canyon slowly becomes the Fraser Valley around here http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9987-L.jpg Beautiful day, beautiful roads and awesome scenery! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3583-L.jpg Bikes and gravel roads reflected off Neda's visor http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3626-L.jpg It hasn't rained for days and there's a fairly deep water crossing. Wonder what it looks like after a rainfall? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3634-L.jpg Curious mountain sheep wondering why we are taking heavy street machinery onto a dirtbike road... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0018-L.jpg Out of nowhere, an old dilapidated church! How random! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN0021-XL.jpg Uphill climb through some rubble. I can do it.... I can do it... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3641-L.jpg ... I can't do it.... I get done in by a conspiracy of really large rocks, ambushing me near the top. Bad line selection and the big GS suddenly becomes sleepy and decides to take a nap right then and there. Neda comes in over the intercom, "What's taking you so long...?", "I'm... uh, just enjoying the scenery..." There was no way I was going to lift this bad boy by myself, so I sheepishly radio her for help. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3660-L.jpg Standing up on pegs on the way down - same rocky mess as uphill http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3716-L.jpg Across the Fraser we see TransCanada 1 and a colourful CP Rail train underneath it, snaking in and out of tunnels. It looks like a toy! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0031-L.jpg The gravel road hugs the hills as it the Fraser River twists and turns below us http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0035-L.jpg Wake up! It's time to go! Over the intercom, I hear a series of F-bombs and around the bend, I see Neda standing over her sleeping GS. The road switches back on itself as it steeply ascends one of the mountains and the inside line that Neda's taken is full of sand. Her slumbering motorcycle becomes a cautionary tale and I take the outside line, past the clutches of the Sandman, ride past her up the mountain, park and the walk down to help her right her bike... Still pissed off when I got back... :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0046-L.jpg Okay, we're happy again! Right at the end of the trail, a closed gate stops us from reaching the highway. I spy a padlock on the chain and now it's my turn to be pissed. It was late in the afternoon and there was no way we were going to turn around and do this trail again, cross the Fraser and then ride the TransCanada just to get back to this very spot! I was seriously thinking about how to break the lock, but when I walk up to the gate, I see that the padlock was just holding the loop of the chain around the top of the fencepost. An easy matter to slip the loop off and open the gate. *phew* Just kidding about smashing the lock. Maybe... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...O/opengate.gif This is the PG-rated version http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3759-L.jpg We notice a sign as we are leaving. Um... at least we didn't do any hunting...? Starving, and a bit tired from all the playing in the dirt, we go in search of food. There's a nice Chinese restaurant just down the road, and we splurge a bit, ordering the chicken chow mein and beef fried rice. Almost as soon as the dishes hit the table, it was all gone, the final victim of a fun-filled day on the Cache Creek back roads. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0308-L.jpg Neda's fortune cookie - how true! |
Updated from Sep 21 2012: Cupcakes and shoes in Vancouver
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../0/O/map35.jpg From our Cache Creek ride, we booted to our RideDOT.com Vancouver HQ, or as our friends Kevin and Manon like to call it, "home". Yes, every 6-7 weeks or so, we scurry back to K&M's couch to catch up on MotoGP, drink lots of Cherry Pepsi and eat cupcakes and sour-cream-and-onions Pringles for breakfast! It was good to park the bikes for a few days and just hang with friends. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0530-L.jpg Helga eyes the red garage with suspicion... We did take the bikes out for a spin in the city to get new shoes. Back to Tourances, since the Heidenau K76s vibrated too much and were too noisy. Riding shots below courtesy of Kevin's GoPro! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ncouver1-L.jpg Chatting at a stop sign - Pic by Kevin V. Kevin sat me down and caught me up with what's been happening in the world while we were trekking in the Arctic. He showed me Gangnam Style on YouTube and told me this was probably the most important thing that's happened in the last couple of months. What... The...? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0335-L.jpg Rabbits and Goats at the BMW dealership http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...ncouver2-L.jpg Crossing one of the many bridges in the Vancouver area - Pic by Kevin V. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0344-L.jpg Manon and I must shop at the same store - matching REV'IT! jackets, Schuberth C3s and Sena coms http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0350-L.jpg Judy, our ex-pat friend from Toronto, showed us a good sushi restaurant then we ate decadent donuts at 49th Parallel Cafe! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0339-L.jpg Friends! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0320-L.jpg The last root beer cupcake! It was a very relaxing break, great company, lots of decadent foods, warm Vancouver weather, and we could have easily stayed till April, but we've got to get a move on before the cold weather catches up to us! |
Hi guys, just read through all your RR, brilliant, really enjoy it. It was great to meet you in person, wish we had more time in HU meetings, three days seemed too short.
We are still in Fresno try to get Andi's third gear fixed. Good news they did find something wrong with it, bad news we don't know how long it will take to fix it. We might have to extend our visa in US, bother! It will cost more money! One question if you have time to answer: how do you put a small photo in a big photo? Happy travel, hope to catch up agagin. Ellen |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/36.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map36-L.jpg After spending over a week and Kevin and Manons', we got on our bikes with great reluctance. We're leaving our home country of Canuckistan today, not sure when we'll be back next. Our friends accompany us to White Rock, a coastal town just north of the US border. They treat us to our final breakfast (cupcakes, of course) in Canada, then we hang out at the pier for a little while before waving goodbye! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3766-L.jpg The pier at White Rock, BC http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0843-L.jpg Frolickin' amongst the flowers - pic by Kevin V http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3786-XL.jpg Kevin is a BMW Motorrad Apparel model http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3796-L.jpg Boats docked at White Rock pier http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0869-L.jpg Final group shot! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0876-L.jpg And then it's goodbye! We were a bit worried about the US border patrol, since we were wondering what to say if they asked us, "When are you returning to Canada?" or "What do you do for a living?"... If we told the truth, I was expecting: "So let me get this straight: you don't have a place of residence in Canada, no jobs and you want to come into the United States *and* you can't tell me when you're going to return?!?!" Surprisingly, those questions never came up! So all our elaborate stories that we agreed on and practiced beforehand went unused! We'll have to save them for the next border crossing! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9945-L.jpg Neda has a (very) unfounded belief that she is invisible to radar From the border, we quickly got off the Interstate at Bellingham and rode one of my favorite roads in the area, the scenic and twisty Chucakanut Drive. The heavily forested two-laner winds its way along the Samish Bay coast, all the way to the Anacortes. From there, we took State Road 20 to Fidalgo Island and then to Whidbey Island and stopped at Oak Harbor to pick up a US SIM chip for our iPhone. After some fiddling around, we got our phone interwebs working and we were off to our campsite at Fort Ebey State Park. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3815-L.jpg It's warm again! Hiking around the shores of Fort Ebey State Park Fort Ebey was built during WWII after the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor. The remains of a bunker look out towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and I poked around the dark and empty deserted underground bunkers while Neda basked in the sunshine outside. We've spent so long in the Arctic that we're really starved for any kind of warm weather. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3829-XL.jpg Descending the deserted bunker http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3833-L.jpg Through the artillery view port I spot a Neda http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3838-L.jpg Hiking around Fort Ebey State Park http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3862-L.jpg Everything's just Dandy! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3891-L.jpg Sun setting on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, mountains of Olympic National Park in the distance http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3929-L.jpg Sunset! Unfortunately, after the sun set, the temperature dropped very quickly. We were back to wearing winter clothing and shivering in our sleeping bags. It's very clear to us we need to head further south! |
"We were in the same boat as you two, I had a final drive problem on my R12GS found at the BMW shop in San Jose, so we've been holed up here for the last 3 days waiting for them to finish up. Not cheap! "
Thanks for your reply. We are in Lodi now, and Adver invited us here, we can give our friends in Fresno for a nice break. We were told Andi's bike will be ready next Thursday. Then our visa expired on Friday. We don't want to pay $290 for a couple of days of extension, but we have no choice. Anyway, we just going to take what we have and enjoy it. Hope you get your bike back soon and carry on enjoy the journey. Cheers Ellen and Andi |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/37.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map37-L.jpg Seattle! Our first major US city in the Lower 48! First things first, we make a beeline to Touratech USA, birthplace of Neda's Touratech F650GS... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0537-L.jpg TouratechGirl right at home! I hid the credit card before she walked in the store... The folks at TT were awesome, there were a couple of issues with some of their parts that we encountered on the road - a windshield spoiler that popped off on the highway and got run over by an 18-wheeler, as well as a locking GPS mount that wouldn't lock. They solved both problems and let us advertise their store for free by giving us these TT Seattle stickers that you can only get by visiting their store! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0539-L.jpg More advertising for Touraratech. Seriously, when does that cheque arrive again? I put one on my Givi topcase... heheh Yaw contacted me on our website a couple of years ago and we've traded vacation pictures back and forth. Him and his girlfriend, Hélène, are avid sportbike riders and love traveling, so I knew we had a lot in common. Last summer, I told him we were going to hit the west coast on our RTW trip and he offered to show us Seattle and put us up for the night. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3979-L.jpg Yaw and Hélène, our hosts in Seattle - Super awesome biking couple! Yaw and Hélène took us to the Pike Place Market downtown and we had a great time talking bikes and travel over our seafood brunch. They recently got engaged! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN9985-L.jpg Yaw's Monster takes centre stage, Hélène's Ninja is hidden behind our ginormous GSes and Neda is txting all her girlfriends back home... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3947-L.jpg They clean all carbs for free? Will they do fuel-injected bikes too? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3951-L.jpg We heard they throw fish at the Pike Place Market, but it was a slow day - no fish throwing... Here's a picture of us instead... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3957-L.jpg Hélène is quite the geek - she pointed out the fractal cauliflower. I wanted to follow up with a Mandelbrot joke but decided to reveal my inner geekiness a bit later http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3969-XL.jpg Colourful peppers at the Pike Place Market http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC3984-XL.jpg Local Seattle artist Whitney Monge performing outside the first Starbucks. Killer voice! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3997-L.jpg We're rolling with different motorcycle gangs all over the continent! Seattle chapter of the RideDOT.com Riders http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4041-L.jpg Lookout over Seattle from Gas Works Park http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4050-L.jpg Pretty colours on Lake Union, Space Needle in the distance http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4058-L.jpg Hanging out with the remains of the old coal gasification plant in the background. Very Steampunk! It was a pretty action-packed day, Yaw and Hélène were perfect ambassadors for their city, taking us riding around all of their favorite spots, and we ended up eating dripping Cuban sandwiches from Paseo's on the shores of the Golden Gardens beach, watching the sun set over the waters of Puget Sound. Super awesome! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4059-L.jpg Kite fliers on Golden Gardens beach We thought the day was over, but Y&H invited us to a party they were attending that night. It was packed with really bright UW grad students all working on technologies to make the world a better place. There was a lot of passion and excitement about what they were doing which was very contagious as we talked shop throughout the night. We are experiencing such different slices of life as we travel from place to place, and I can't help feeling so enriched by everyone we've met. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0369-L.jpg Seattle triptych from Y&H's apartment The next morning was spent trading geekisms with Y&H over a comfortable breakfast at home. The chatter was so easy that I felt like we've known them for a long time. There's so much warmth and brilliance in this fun couple, Neda and I are so glad to have them as friends and wish them much joy in their life together! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC3978-L.jpg "There's absolutely nothing wrong with iOS6 Maps! Sometimes those reddit guys just make me so... argh!" "I know, Yaw. I know..." |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/38.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map38-L.jpg We bid our goodbyes to Yaw and Hélène as they set off on their motorcycles to Whidbey Island for the day - which is where we just came from! We're taking the ferry over to Olympic National Park, at the north-western tip of Washington State. It boasts amazing scenery and riding roads: SOLD! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG03701-L.jpg Saying goodbye to Seattle from the ferry. The ferris wheel is a mini "London Eye", just opened this summer. The world-famous Highway 101 starts in Washington and we catch the road at it's most northern point, as it skirts the shores of Olympic National Park. The weather is a bit chilly and the scenery is not as good as advertised, but we see many bikers returning from their weekend rides, so it's still promising. The 101 is set inland a bit so we take Highway 113 (Strait of Juan de Fuca Highway) to the very tip of the peninsula, to a small fishing town called Neah Bay. Now *this* road is entertaining, were it not for the fog and rain haunting the coastline. Great views of the beaches and shores and some very tight turns. Yay! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0059-L.jpg Playing on the 113 to Neah Bay http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4102-XL.jpg Marina at Neah Bay Neah Bay is set within the Makah Indian reservation, and fishing is the primary industry here - the docks at the marina are the most prominent feature of this community. We don't stay too long because the wet and gloomy weather seems to have taken permanent residence here, with the rest of the Pacific Northwest receiving an uncharacteristic long spell of sunshine. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0083-L.jpg Sunlight streaming through the trees on the 101 Doubling back on Highway 101, we travel southbound on the peninsula, visiting the many picturesque beaches that line the western shoreline. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4116-L.jpg Cue the chorus of angels http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4132-L.jpg NatureGirl in her element http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4147-L.jpg South Beach at Kalaloch http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4153-L.jpg Waves crash on the hazy shoreline http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4169-L.jpg Looking for interesting shells on the beach. Lots of crab shells! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0408-L.jpg Huge waves crashing on the shore, some almost as tall as I am http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0410-L.jpg Playing tag with the waves of the Pacific Ocean http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4211-L.jpg Fade to white After spending some time hiking around the forests and beaches of Olympic National Park, we hop on our bikes again and keep riding south. Along the way, we pass through Forks, WA. If this town sounds familiar, it's because: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0072-L.jpg Lip-gloss-wearing vampires live in this town The "Twilight museum" seems to have made its quick buck while the fad came and went. The place looks like it's been closed for quite some time! We spend the night at a campsite just outside of Forks, and I keep a tent-stake under my sleeping bag in case one of those sun-sparkly vampires mistakes me for a whiny 17-year-old girl named Bella... |
Awesome ride report. Sara
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Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/39.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map39-L.jpg The Pacific Northwest is normally a rainy, gloomy place, especially at this time of year. But much to the chagrin of local farmers, we've lucked out as Washington's Indian Summer has gone over 80 days without rain and the temperatures have been hovering around 20C during the daytime. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4313-XL.jpg Our campsite at Brooks Memorial State Park http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4261-L.jpg Come on, I promise not to Instagram you...! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0576-L.jpg "Which way to Watership Down?" Unfortunately, this has also caused a lot of forest fires in the area, and one of the dual-sport roads we were looking forward to riding - the Washington Backcountry Discovery Roads - is closed. Despite the long break in Vancouver, we're still suffering a bit of fatigue from our hectic race away from the Arctic winter, so we've really slowed our pace in the last few days, just catching up on our reading and doing a bit of hiking in the area, relishing the warm and dry weather. This is the kind of leisurely pace we were missing on all of our shorter trips - the ability to wander wherever with no set schedule, not knowing where you'll end up for the night or how long you'll stay - and we are loving the freedom! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0552-XL.jpg All Star Wars, All the Time at the Star Wars Store in Aberdeen, WA. With a little bit of "Live Long and Prosper" thrown in... We follow Highway 101 hugging the western Washington coastline until we hit Aberdeen, then turn inland towards Mount Rainier National Park where we camp out for a couple of days. One evening, before we head for dinner, we run into a trio of riders just outside the park: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../advguys-L.jpg Ran into Tamas, Dmitri and Rey at Mount Rainier National Park, 3 local riders from ADV as well http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...L/tamas-XL.jpg A few days later Tamas sends us this pic and says hi to us on our thread on ADV! Mount Rainier is Washington's highest mountain and can be seen from all around the area. Neda found us a great road that cuts further inland, State Road 410 AKA the Chinook Pass, which gives us great views of Rainier in the distance. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0123-L.jpg Riding up the Chinook Pass http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4243-L.jpg Doing some hiking just off the Chinook Pass http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0132-L.jpg Views of the valley of the Cascade Mountain Range http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4319-L.jpg From Yakima, WA, we turned south on Highway 97 and visited Stonehenge! Situated just north of the WA/OR border, this Stonehenge is a full-size replica of the one in the UK. It was built in 1918 to commemorate the American soldiers that came from the immediate area who lost their lives in WWI. The surrounding hills are covered in wind turbines, lending a surreal anachronistic quality around it. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...0457mod-XL.jpg Tilting at windmills http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0459-L.jpg Can't imagine a structure this big built 3000 years ago without the help of aliens! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4325-L.jpg "These aren't the druids you're looking for" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4358-XL.jpg Proud to be inside Stonehenge with the bikes On a side note, it's Canadian Thanksgiving and to commemorate our ex-pat holiday (the Americans have their Thanksgiving over a month later), we eat a turkey sandwich at Stonehenge! We've been keeping in touch with family and friends over the Internet and social media but it's just not the same as being there with them in person, especially during the holidays! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0165-L.jpg Racing down the Columbia River The Columbia River starts out in BC, but we now follow it as it snakes westwards back towards the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia River Gorge acts as a natural border between Washington and Oregon, and it's hard to keep your eyes on the road when you're riding beside something that spectacular! |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/40.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map40-L.jpg The Oregon shoreline reminds me a lot of California. It's just as pretty, with large rocks rising out of the coastal waters and miles and miles of sandy dunes tempting us to get off our bikes, which is just what we did: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4380-L.jpg Hopping off the bikes for a scenic hike The coast of Oregon is well-known for its sand dunes, there are tons of dune-buggy rental places as we ride south along the 101. I've always wanted to get paddle tires for our dirt bikes and go blasting up and down the dunes, it looks like a riot! That, and getting/making some studded tires and riding out onto a frozen lake are two motorcycle items on our bucket list. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4383-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4421-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4437-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4393-L.jpg A dog runs out to greet us http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4395-XL.jpg And then his owner chats with us for a while We love dogs, we've met so many on this trip. On the beaches of Port Orford, Bernie introduced us to his owners, Jean and Don, and we spent some time talking about our trip and where they are from. They own a cottage about a mile away from the beach and after finding out that we were just wandering around with no place to stay for the night yet, they insisted that we sleep in a proper bed for the evening! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4397-L.jpg Bernie enjoys long walks on the beach during sunset and being scratched under the chin Even though we've been offered accommodations and meals and plenty more while we're on the road, I always marvel at how generous people are to virtual strangers. We made sure we didn't remains strangers, sharing our travel stories with Jean and Don, and learning a bit about their lives and family. They own an almond (pronounced "Ammin" - like "Jammin'") farm in northern California and they had plenty of stories about their kids riding motorcycles (pronounced Motor-Sickels). Which brought up a good question - why do you pronounce bicycle "bi-sickel" and motorcycle is pronounced differently? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0609-L.jpg Mickey Mouse painting dreams over Neda's sleeping bag Unfortunately, I am allergic to pet dander as it collects on carpeting, furniture or anything indoors - which is ironic because I'm always the first to pet and play with dogs on our travels. This means that I can't sleep inside the cottage, but Jean and Don put us up in the cabins that their grandkids sleep in when they visit. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../IMG0614-L.jpg In the morning, we had home-made apricots and Ammins, and fresh scones! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4439-L.jpg Don and Jean and Bernie! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4440-XL.jpg Jean tries out the motor-sickel! We thanked Jean and Don for their generosity and left Oregon in the late morning, our bellies full of homemade food and our hearts filled with the kindness of two "Ammin" farmers from Northern California! |
Update from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/41.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map41-L.jpg Hustlers grab your guns, Your shadow weighs a ton, Driving down the 101. California here we come... While growing up in the East, we've been inundated with TV shows, movies and songs about California, and many a long, cold winter was spent dreaming of escaping to the land of Ponch and Jon, Baywatch and The O.C. One of our earliest motorcycle road trips was an 18-day trek from Toronto to San Francisco and back, and we stayed glued to the seat for the entire duration, stopping only to eat, gas or sleep. Well, this time around we're taking the scenic route, it's taken us about 4 months to get here! We've discovered that when we're not trying to outrun Old Man Winter or a vacation-deadline, we travel quite slowly. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0188-L.jpg Avenue of the Giants, CA Just south of the OR/CA border, the 101 crosses into Redwood National Park, and further south we get off 101 to properly ride through the giant trees on the Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile detour that follows old Highway 101. Don told us that before the current 101 was built, the wider trucks would graze the edges of the Redwood trees on the Avenue of the Giants, because the road was built so close to the trees. It was easier to build the road around some of the largest trees than cut them down! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN0201-XL.jpg Riding past some of the world's tallest trees! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SCN0225-XL.jpg Neda rides off into the forest http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4468-XL.jpg So cheesy, but we had to do it. This tree wasn't even standing on its own... Towards the end of the Avenue of the Giants, we see a sign advertising a drive-thru a living tree! Cool! However, we're not sure it would have survived without all the baling wire to keep it from toppling over. While we were there taking our tourist shots, we notice that another motorcycle couple had the same idea, and they were ADVers as well! Jon and Natalie were on a 2-week whirlwind trip riding their SV650 and Bonneville border-to-border from Vancouver to Tijuana and back, very cool! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4476-L.jpg Jon and Natalie from Seattle - she made those panniers herself from ammo cases! Don recommended that we take Hwy 20 to get inland, as we were heading towards Yosemite Park. What a great scenic, twisty road! However, we hit Sacremento rush hour and we debated whether to take our wide-load motorcycles filtering through stopped traffic. It seemed a bit tight, so we stewed in jam for awhile... At least it was warm! From there, we took I5 to Stockton, and then the 4 to Copperopolis to Angels Camp, however by then, we were driving in pitch dark. It gets dark at 6:30PM! We rode the very twisty Hwy 120 and we knew we were missing out on amazing scenery as the road switched back on itself as we climbed higher and higher in the cool, inky darkness of the late autumn evening. Just outside of Yosemite, we stopped for the night at a neat campsite just outside of Groveland. It still dips below freezing overnight... we just can't escape the cold... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4477-XL.jpg Lots of riders taking a weekend ride through Yosemite This is our 2nd time through Yosemite, as mentioned earlier, we did our own whirlwind trip through the National Parks of SW US a few years ago. This time, we actually got off our bikes and hiked around a bit. It's interesting reading through our ride report from the first time around, and contrast that to what interests us now that we have more time on our hands. Can't believe we stayed at such expensive places as well! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0275-L.jpg Riding through the quaint town of Groveland in the morning http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0276-L.jpg In Yosemite, we ride Highway 120 right through the Tioga Pass, the highest mountain pass in California. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4484-L.jpg Hiking around Olmstead Point on the Tioga Pass http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4500-L.jpg Seeking shade at Olmstead Point - not sure why, it's pretty cold up here! Olmstead Point is a popular visitor's stop on the Tioga Pass. It offers great views of Tenyana Canyon below as well as Half-Dome, a very famous Yosemite rock formation, in the distance. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4507-XL.jpg Tenyana Canyon and Half-Dome http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4537-L.jpg Half-Dome http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0278-L.jpg Back on the road! Everything we've been told about hot and sunny California has turned out to be a lie. It's cold here too. We've got to find someplace warmer! |
Your trip is awsome!!!
Thanks for Sharing :thumbup1::clap: |
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/42.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map42-L.jpg We're sick of the cold. So we're headed to the hottest place on Earth, which is conveniently located around the corner from where we are. Our ride to Death Valley ironically passes through a couple of ski resort towns, notably Mammoth. We notice a lot of dirt bikes gathering around the town of Bishop, perhaps there's an enduro happening in the area? I envied all those light bikes with their knobby tires... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0332-L.jpg Endless desert road in Death Valley As we descend into the valley, the temperature soars to a blistering 38°C! This is *exactly* what we were looking for and we set up camp at Stovepipe Wells for a couple of evenings, basking in the heat like lizards. Overnights only dipped to a sweltering 28°C, and it felt good not to be swaddled in winter gear and wrapped in mummy bags! Just down the road, we hiked around the Mesquite sand dunes, they are marvelous: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4592-XL.jpg Mesquite Sand Dunes http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC4596-XL.jpg Popular spot for visitors - had to hike a distance from the road to find untouched sand! Footprints stay in the sand for quite some time until the next rainfall. I've heard that in some deserts that receive no precipitation, marks in the dunes stay etched in the sand forever. They say that you can still see the treads in the sands of the Sahara desert from when Rommel's Panzers roamed the dunes during WWII. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4598-L.jpg Lots of sand in Death Valley, but the dunes are areas between the mountains that trap the sand http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0184-L.jpg Begrudgingly hiking the dunes - it was worth it! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC0215-L.jpg Yoga half-moon pose - almost... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4554-L.jpg Riding around Death Valley We rode over to Furnace Creek and spent a couple of days there - about 200 feet below sea level. Death Valley is so hot because of the natural basin created by the high valley walls that trap the heated desert air, allowing no outside circulation. You know it's pretty desolate when they charge you $6 a gallon for gas - that's more expensive than Prudhoe Bay in Alaska!!! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4642-L.jpg Scotty's Castle - fabulous building in the north end of the park built by a multi-millionaire in the 1930s http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4663-L.jpg Ubehebe Crater - an inactive volcano http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG0555-XL.jpg Cracked floor deep within the Ubehebe volcano http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../DSC4677-L.jpg Our neighbours at Furnace Creek campsite - Simon is not a morning person We met Christina and Simon from Bern, Switzerland at Furnace Creek. Although not on motorcycles, we found them to be kindred traveling spirits, they took a year off, selling all their possessions to travel around the world. Unfortunately for them, their trip is over in November, but we spent a night at the Furnace Creek bar, getting to know them and exchanging travel stories over beer. Awesome couple! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0363-L.jpg Aborted off-road mission, Neda is coming to help pick my bike up in deep gravel. Slightly sprained ankle for me :( We left Death Valley feeling recharged, we wished we could have stayed longer in the desert, but we had an appointment to keep. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/43.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map43-L.jpg I really hate schedules. We're heading to Cambria, CA for the Horizon's Unlimited meeting, a chance to get together with like-minded travelers, exchange stories and tips. However, we've had to cut our desert-time short and head to the coast for the weekend. After 4 months of unscheduled wandering, having to make a date is kind of stressing me out, even if it's for something that we're looking forward to. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_4702-XL.jpg Show and tell at the HU meeting parking lot The meeting was excellent, we really felt an affinity with so many folks that didn't bat an eye when we told them we quit our jobs, sold our home and just went riding. Back home, a few of our friends and a lot of our family thought we were a bit crazy to do this, but at the HU meeting, we met so many people that had either had done the same, were doing it right now (lots of e-mail addresses exchanged), or were planning on doing it that it felt like we were in a herd of black sheep. Lots of head nodding and Amens! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0628-L.jpg A little cankle-action, courtesy of my Death Valley off. Not as bad as it looks, just a slight limp for a few days http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_4698-XL.jpg Reunited! Neda met Carolyn at the <a href=http://www.RideDOT.com/dozen>Adventures for the Cure dirtbike charity ride</a> in Colorado a few years ago. They've kept in touch over the years and the girls were excited to see each other again! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...MG_0638-XL.jpg The best part of attending the "Cooking on the Road" session http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4693-L.jpg Spent most of the weekend in seminars like this, getting travel tips http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0641-L.jpg Tents galore at the HU meeting On Sunday night, we had a bit of excitement when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit King City, just 60 miles away from Cambria. We were in our tent shortly after midnight when the quake hit. We thought it was someone shaking our tent as a practical joke! The funny thing was the animals knew long before it actually happened, all the birds were going crazy about an hour earlier and 10 minutes before, the sea lions on the coast were making a huge racket. So bizarre! I just recently read about the Italian scientists who got sued for not predicting an earthquake. They should have used animals! The next morning, all the California locals shrugged their shoulders - happens all the time they say. "If it ain't the Big One, nothing to worry about..." Geez! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4792-L.jpg Buddies at Big Sur After the conference, we rode to San Jose with Carolyn, to get some service done to our bikes. Stopped at Big Sur to see the elephant seal colony. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4791-L.jpg Elephant Seal colony just south of Big Sur on Hwy 1 At this time of year, most of the seals are pups and teenagers, spending their time on the beach to develop bone mass on shore, before returning back to the weightless environment of the sea to hunt. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4761-L.jpg Graceful in the sea, but very awkward-looking once they climb onto land http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../sanjose-L.jpg Fastest hands in service bay! New chain and sprockets! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0657-L.jpg R12GS undergoing major surgery - final drive crown wheel bearing... :( http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0650-L.jpg Captain America waiting for the bikes in San Jose http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0654-L.jpg Rolling around San Jose on loaner bikes Today marks a bit of an anniversary of sorts. One year ago, we officially told my parents that we were quitting our jobs, selling our home and riding around the world. That dinner was kind of an uncomfortable event... But tonight we're celebrating with order-in Chinese food and beer! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0661-L.jpg Treating ourselves in San Jose http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0662-L.jpg A bit late, but accurate, nonetheless! After spending a few days in San Jose, we've come to the realization that we're not big city people anymore. It's crowded, expensive and looks the same as any other big city. So we're off again...! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/44.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map44-L.jpg Our trip so far has been interrupted by the Horizons Unlimited meeting and the need for some MotoTLC. So we're resuming our trip where we (almost) left off by heading back to the desert. Hoping there'll be more warm weather there. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0397-L.jpg No warm weather here, but good snow-cones... Donner Pass over the Sierra Nevada. Since we're no longer Big City People, we decide to head to Reno, the "Biggest Little City in the World". We've ridden to Las Vegas before on our previous trip of the SW US, so we're spending an evening walking around the Bright Lights, Little City. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4806-L.jpg Drawn like moths to the neon lights of the Biggest Little City... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0224-L.jpg Slow night, off-season in Reno http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0226-L.jpg New tattoo for Neda? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0231-L.jpg Mesmerized http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_4809-XL.jpg We stayed at a state campsite just outside Reno instead - freezing overnight! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_4810-XL.jpg A lot of Vegas casinos also have a branch in Reno Reno really reminded us of Old Vegas the way it was before the gigantic theme parks sprung up on the new strip. More about the neon and cheap food ($5.99 for a prime rib dinner!) than about the roller-coasters and Celine Dion. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0272-L.jpg From Reno, we headed south to the Highway 50. We're beginning a two-day ride through the desolation of the Nevada desert, trying to discover what led Life Magazine to dub this the "Loneliest Road in America". US 50 follows the Nevada section of the old Pony Express route back when the US Postal Service used to deliver mail via horse, riding day and night from the west coast all the way to Missouri! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4842-L.jpg Might look lonely up the sand dune, but there were dozens of vehicles behind this one and all over the hill The Loneliest Road became a lot less lonely when we stopped in to visit Sand Mountain, just past Fallon. Tons of RVs were in the parking lot, belching out all kinds of dune buggies, ATVs, three-wheelers and dirtbikes onto the huge sand dunes just off the highway. Dozens of them climbing up and down the dunes like ants. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4924-L.jpg Soooo jealous! Paddle tires FTW! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_4987-L.jpg When we set up our cameras at the base of the sand dunes, *everybody* started wheelying in front of us! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5020-L.jpg Even the little kids were getting into it! We stopped for the evening at Lahontan State Recreation area right on the Loneliest Road in America, can't wait to soak up more of the desert lifestyle! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/45.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map45-L.jpg The Pony Express only ran for one year from 1860-1861. But during that time, riders delivered mail from the west coast all the way to Missouri, facing dangers like weather, buffalo stampedes and bandits. The advent of the railroad put an end to the Pony Express and US 50 now follows the rough route that the riders took across Nevada. Today, most of the cross-Nevada traffic takes Interstate 80, rendering US 50 obsolete, much like the Pony Express. Life Magazine called US 50 the Loneliest Road in America in the 80s, stating: "It's totally empty. There are no points of interest. We don't recommend it. We warn all motorists not to drive there unless they're confident of their survival skills." http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0429-L.jpg Nevada desert is anything but flat The handful of towns on US 50 turned this negative proclamation into a major marketing campaign, boasting ghost towns, mountain passes, motorsports, camping and wildlife watching along this forgotten highway. So we're riding the Loneliest Road in America to see if it's all that it's cracked up to be! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0450-L.jpg We stop in the town of Austin for lunch http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0293-L.jpg Pizza at the International Cafe http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5030-L.jpg Bar in Austin is closed I love riding in the desert, especially when there's nobody else around for miles and miles. Just you and your thoughts swirling around in your helmet. We ride like this for over 400 miles across Nevada to the end of US 50, passing by the towns of Fallon, Austin and Eureka, not seeing a lot of ghost towns until we close in on Ely at the end of US 50. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5040-L.jpg We stop in at the ghost town of Cherry Creek Cherry Creek used to be a bustling mining town of 6,000 people before the turn of the last century. Now, only a few people live here amongst the ruins of abandoned buildings that draw tourists looking to see a piece of history. It was very neat to walk around the old buildings. Not as spooky as the name "Ghost Town" seems to imply! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0308-L.jpg The old school building has been turned into a museum detailing life before the town was abandoned http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5047-XL.jpg No tumbleweeds though! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5050-XL.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5068-XL.jpg Ghost towns of Nevada - a photographer's feast! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0315-L.jpg The few residents that live here still need to get their mail. Not delivered by Pony, though... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0327-L.jpg Peering through the boarded-up window of an abandoned house. There was a make-shift tent inside! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0466-L.jpg Riding away from Nevada in the light of the setting sun |
I've just started reading your journey 2 hrs ago.
Loving it. Stay safe. |
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map46-L.jpg
We are moving very slowly, spending at least a couple of days at each stop to recharge. The nomadic task of setting up and tearing down camp is less tedious when we can stay awhile and enjoy a day's rest, especially since we've seemed to stay ahead of the impending North American snowfall. By contrast to our sedate pace, the land speed record set by a vehicle with wheels is 1,228 km/h (faster than the speed of sound). This record was set just around the corner at the Bonneville Salt Flats (how's that for a segue?), just across the Nevada/Utah border. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5114-L.jpg Testing the surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats As we approached the salt flats, we were amazed at how expansive the surrounding area is, all covered in greyish/white layer, most of it is a thin crust above thick mud. We saw the tracks of off-road vehicles that have done donuts, ripping up the surface and leaving mud trail scars. The actual Bonneville Salt Flats has a much thicker crust of salt and is more suitable for attempting landspeed records. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5251-L.jpg Neda pulls a Charley Boorman on the Salt Flats The Bonneville Salt Flats look like a sheet of ice at certain angles. We tentatively walked out onto the surface before taking the motorcycles out, as there were still some wet patches from a prior rainfall. We were surprised at how much grip there was, the salt wasn't loose at all. The surface of the flats felt like sandpaper. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5308-L.jpg Remarkably good grip on the salt flats http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5306-XL.jpg Long shadows cast on the salts The Bonneville Salt Flats are a remnant of a huge prehistoric salt lake that dried up 150,000 years ago. It's one of several dried salt lakes in the area, but it's the largest, measuring over 100 square kilometers, giving landspeed racers enough running room to get up to maximum velocity. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5316-L.jpg Watching the sun set on the Salt Flats http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5338-L.jpg Posing with the bikes http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5345-L.jpg Backlit sunset shot http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5351-L.jpg Midgets in the mirror http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5357-L.jpg Watching the moon rise over the Salt Flats http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0501-L.jpg Tooling around on the Salt Flats Although it would have been fun to visit during a race to see all the exotic vehicles, we did have the Bonneville Salt Flats all to ourselves, and we felt like kids walking and riding around, and taking photos all around the area. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5359-L.jpg Relaxing at a fast food restaurant at the end of the day. We brought our own salt for the fries... |
A note of appreciation
Hi, Just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed reading your trip reports. Your photographs are excellent and it's a pleasure to read such well written prose describing your adventures. Thanks for sharing them.
Keep enjoying yourselves.:clap: |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/47.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map47-L.jpg We have unfinished business in Utah. As mentioned before, one of our earliest motorcycle trips was a whirlwind 18-day from Toronto to San Franciso and back. During that trip, we visiting most of the National Parks in the SW US, but only having a limited amount of time, we spent most of it on the back of the motorcycle, not seeing anything but the park from the side of the road. Arches National Park was a bookmark that we just had to revisit, and this time around, we promised that we wouldn't leave until we'd seen everything. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0551-L.jpg Arches National Park, Three Sisters rock formation up ahead We made good on that promise, lazing around the park for four days, spending the days hiking the trails around the area, and the nights freezing our butts off inside the tent. The landscape is straight out of a Road Runner cartoon! Other-worldly-shaped orange rocks thrust up out of the ground, some of them precariously balancing larger rocks on small skinny stems - the result of erosion eating away at the softer layers of the sand and rock that history has laid down. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0373-L.jpg Weather was beautiful during the day, freezing at night, but the night sky was so clear! One of the things that was very important to us was hiking up to the Delicate Arch, as we didn't have the opportunity the last time we were here. It's about an hour uphill hike to a remote spot where the arch can be viewed. There are over 2,000 arches in the park, spanning from a few feet to over a hundred feet in height! The views are breathtaking! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0389-L.jpg Hiking the Delicate Arch Trail http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5418-L.jpg Window to the Delicate Arch We arrived in the early afternoon and settled down to wait for the best time to view the Arch - sunset. We were told that that was the magical time that elves and unicorns would emerge from the portal created by the sun's rays hitting the Delicate Arch. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0412-L.jpg We take our seats like everyone else and wait for the show to begin http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5473-XL.jpg This guy must have shelled out primo for balcony seats http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5526-L.jpg Things to do when you're waiting for the elves and unicorns http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...O/IMG_0676.jpg This lady brought her Staff of Infinite Mysteries to help open the portal http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5519-XL.jpg "... and then the Earth cooled..." http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0426-L.jpg No elves. No unicorns. But pretty, anyway... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0432-L.jpg Neda takes her photography very seriously, risking life and limb for that perfect shot Ok, enough hiking and picture-taking, time to do some riding! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/48.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map48-L.jpg We descended from Arches National Park and landed in the McDonald's at Moab. We were regular fixtures for a few days there, the TV ceaselessly covering the US election, with us catching up on e-mail, and me stretching that $1 bottomless soda. We saw regulars come and go, and greeted the familiar faces as if we lived there. One morning, after Neda's Skype session with her niece in Italy, we found ourselves chatting with a couple of other Canadians, Jacques from St-Jovite (outside of Montreal) who was in the area on a photo-vacation for a couple of months, and Mark from Winnipeg, who towed his KLR to ride the roads around the area with his dirtbike buddies. This was the perfect company to share a McMorning with, as we got great tips on riding roads *and* photo-spots. We really have no plan whatsoever, so it's chance encounters like these that dictate which way we go and what we do and see! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0575-L.jpg Potash Road is like riding on the surface of Mars! Both of them suggested we ride the Shafer Trail, which starts out as Potash Road just north of Moab and ends up meeting the famous White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. We were told to be prepared for great roads and amazing scenery! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5570-L.jpg Trail turns gravelly and runs through some great canyons http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0583-L.jpg Stream crossing! Ok, the stream was mostly dry. You could see salt or mineral stains left from the water http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0597-L.jpg Marvelous scenery unfolding before us. Shared with NOBODY! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0447-L.jpg F650GS owners have always been trying to fit a 21" wheel up front. Neda gets a 25" front wheel courtesy of our wide angle lens The trail is very wide and well maintained. We tried to take a detour off the Shafer Trail towards the Colorado River overlook, but encountered deep sand - our nemesis! So instead of paddling 3 miles through sand with our crappy, gripless Tourances, we decided to turn back to the main trail. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0601-L.jpg Bye bye, sand. Back to the gravel. Hello, scenery! As it turns out, we didn't really have to detour from the main trail for a look at the Colorado River, as the Shafer Trail runs alongside it for quite a while. It's at this very spot that they filmed Thelma and Louise driving their car off the cliff after being chased by cops. Hmmm... I hope I didn't ruin the movie for anyone. They also filmed Star Wars here as well, the part where Darth Vader told Luke Skywalker that he was his father... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5606-L.jpg This entire trip I'm either on a bike or taking pictures. Sometimes both... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5614-L.jpg Gingerly stepping out onto the edge, trying to get a shot of the Colorado River http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5605-XL.jpg Colorado River http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0448-L.jpg I think this is where Thelma and Louise drove off the cliff http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5630-L.jpg Neda was having a great time! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0460-L.jpg A bit of perspective - Neda is in the top-left hand corner taking a picture with our bikes next to her http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_5691-XL.jpg Trying not to look down I am not scared of heights at all. But whenever I'm looking over a high cliff, or over the top-floor balcony of a high rise, I get this tingling sensation in my toes and I have this small urge to just jump. Not sure why... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5700-L.jpg Getting ready for the leap... only 2,000 feet to the canyon floor http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0467-L.jpg This picture taken by Gary from Colorado. He pulled up on his R1200GS ADV and told us this was his favorite road! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5719-L.jpg A friend calls this the National Geographic shot http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0611-L.jpg http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0616-L.jpg Trail gets quite close to the edge in some sections, giving us some great views. Hard to keep your eyes on the trail! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0623-L.jpg Here you can see the rim of the cliff http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0471-L.jpg From the edge of the rim, you can see a 270 degree bend in the Colorado River, very cool! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0479-L.jpg "Do you need a hand?" "Naw, I'm Superman bitch!" The Shafer Trail is great for big bikes. A little bit of sand in some areas (as above), lots of gravel, some rocky areas, a couple of steep uphill climbs on loose surfaces,and a ton of fun! Neda and I agree this and the Dalton Highway were our top two favorite rides so far on this trip! What cemented this was the 1,000 foot climb up the Shafer Switchbacks on a section of the White Rim Trail: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0491-L.jpg Here's Neda motoring up one of the switchbacks http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5729-L.jpg Half-way up we peer over the lip of the basin. Awesome! Toes tingling again, BTW... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0495-L.jpg Looking back on the way we came http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0505-L.jpg Shafer Basin below us, a spectacular sight! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0521-L.jpg As we reach the top, Neda hugs the cliff wall on the switchback trail. It's Shafer that way... We've spent over a week in Utah now. Not sure if or when we're ever going to leave this state! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/49.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map49-L.jpg A few days ago, while talking to our fellow Canadians at the McDonald's in Moab, Jacques mentioned The Wave, a very cool-looking geologic formation, which really intrigued us. However, we found out that to visit it, we needed to obtain a permit. Unfortunately, only 20 permits are given out per day - all chosen by a lottery system. Uh oh. Apparently 10 of the 20 permits are issued 4 months in advance over the Internet, so too late for half the permits. The other 10 are picked via a manual lottery at the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) office, so we decide to take our chances there. We rode all the way to south Utah, past the phenomenally large and imposing red rock mountain/sculpures of Monument Valley, but didn't stop since we had already visited it on our last trip. Our home base was set up at the town of Kanab, where the BLM office was located and we showed up bright and early the next morning for the lottery. Apparently in the summer, the number of visitors swell to over 200 people, all crammed in the tiny lottery room every morning. The largest number was 260 one day in the summer, all vying for 10 permits! Today, the BLM officer told me we had a record low of applicants - 17! 10 permits. 17 people. Our chances look pretty good! We were assigned a number and one by one, balls were drawn out of an ancient hand-cranked bingo machine, the kind that spins the balls first and spits one out of a small hole in the bottom. We didn't win. Such good odds and we were so unlucky! :( One of the permit winners, a European couple exclaimed in joy when their number was drawn. Apparently they had come every morning for the last 5 days, and finally today they won a permit! Good for them, I guess we'd come back tomorrow and try again. But we decided if we didn't win tomorrow, we'd move on. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0633-L.jpg Beautifully coloured rocks line the Wire Pass as we hike towards the slot canyon There were still a lot of other sights to see in the Grand Staircase-Escalante area. Coyote Buttes is home to a bunch of slot canyons - canyons that are far deeper than they are wide. So we rode down a 13 km dirt road to visit some of them. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0620-L.jpg Slot canyons are formed by rushing water through very soft rock. The walls of this canyon are sandstone Slot canyons are very dangerous to hike in if there is any precipitation in the forecast, since the walls are 30-50 feet high and some of the longer canyons have very little open space or footholds to climb up to escape flash floods. We are hiking part of Buckskin Gulch, which is 21 kms long. We can't hike the entire distance because previous rainfalls have left pools of water hip deep and it's too cold to wade through them. In warmer weather, hikers bring a tent and break up the Buckskin Gulch hike over a few days, wading through the much smaller pools in the heat of the Utah summer. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0600-L.jpg Sunlight plays against the walls of the slot canyon http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_0760-XL.jpg Obstacle course Falling rocks and logs from above sometimes block the slot canyon and it's necessary to climb over or under obstacles. The walls close in very tightly in some places - we had to take our backpacks off and slide sideways to get through. So glad we skipped the cheeseburgers the day before... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0665-L.jpg Amazing formations on the slot canyon walls caused by different densities of rock carved away by the water http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0651-L.jpg No hip-waders so end of the line for us We encounter our first pool of water at Buckskin Gulch. The BLM office warned us there would be much deeper ahead, so we decide to turn back here. In the summer, the reflections of the sun streaming down the top of the canyon and hitting the pools cause amazing reflections against the canyon walls, but this late in the year, the sun barely makes it overhead, leaving the canyon in shadows for most of the day. Would be fun to come back here and wade through some of the pools in July! The next morning, we show up at the BLM office again but we're disheartened when we see many more lottery hopefuls also attending - 27 in total. Our odds are much slimmer today. Our lottery number is 13. I'm not superstitious, but Neda considers this a lucky sign. When she was born, the hospital gave her a bracelet with a number matching mother to baby - her number was 13. Sure enough, the first ball that dropped out of the lotto machine - number 13! We felt 25 pairs of envious eyes stinging us from all sides. :) The permits were written up for the next day and we were given instructions on how to get to The Wave as well as what to bring. It's a 10 km round-trip (I HATE HIKING!) to The Wave and there isn't a marked trail, so the BLM handed us a Treasure Island-style map (""50 paces to the Orange Rock, turn left at the Sandy Hill...") and told us to bring lots of water, and a flashlight in case we stayed out past dark. They recommended not to hike in the darkness for fear of falling into a slot canyon. Great. Now I was starting to worry... Would we get lost? Fall into a slot canyon in the dark? I saw 127 Hours and I didn't want to have to cut my arm off with a Swiss Army Knife... :( http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0771-L.jpg No trail. We're just wandering around, kinda like our motorcycle trip Early the next morning, we rode out to Wire Pass again where we hike much further past the slot canyons to get to The Wave. The mornings are getting very cold: -9C (-15F) and we were frozen like popsicles when we arrived. Thankfully, the temperatures would climb to a balmy 16C during the day. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0781-L.jpg Along the way, we met up with a couple of other lottery winners - Sherry and Dugan from Alaksa! They seemed to know where they were going, so we just followed them... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0742-L.jpg It took us a couple of hours, and as we got closer to The Wave, the rocks start exhibiting some psychedelic properties http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0821-L.jpg Dugan's a geologist, so this is a bit of professional curiousity http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0865-L.jpg This is it! The Wave! So surreal, the pictures don't do it justice! The Wave was formed when 190-million year old sand dunes were packed down with other layers of rock and sandstone over time, then this whole mass was slowly carved away by wind and water, leaving behind one really cool acid-trip of a sculpture! We spent 3 hours walking around the area mesmerized by the undulating layers of red rock that to me, resembled the musculature of an anatomy doll with it's skin peeled back. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0956-L.jpg If Salvador Dali ever made sculptures out of stained wood, it would look like The Wave http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_5943-L.jpg Even with 20 people visiting The Wave, we couldn't help but get in the way of each other's pictures The Wave does not cover a large area, so I could imagine if the BLM opened it up for public access you would not be able to enjoy the beauty of it without having other people crammed in that small space. The 20 permit holders had to take turns getting shots of The Wave, while we each hid behind the hills or hiked elsewhere. I think there are actually 5 people hidden in the picture above. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0972-L.jpg Hardwood floors at The Wave. Helps to increase the property value... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0746-L.jpg Surfs Up, Dude! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6108-L.jpg We ? The Wave! We've been in Utah for nearly two weeks, there's so much to see and do here, but I fear that if we don't leave soon, we'll have to convert to Mormonism and stay here permanently! |
Great photos!
What Camera do you use? :thumbup1: |
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/50.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map50-L.jpg We've been holed up in Vegas, fugitive-style, for the past few days, peering out at the world through our hotel window. With rooms only a few dollars more than campsites (subsidized by the casinos), we've Pricelined our way through a 4 different places all over the strip and old Vegas, moving each day as if we were evading the law. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6183-L.jpg Vegas sunrise against the mountains http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0033-L.jpg Before leaving, we did venture out one evening to take in the colourful lights of Sin City. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6214-L.jpg Neon landscape http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_1002-L.jpg Canopy of lights over Fremont Street We strolled through the 1/2 km stretch of Fremont St while 12 million LEDs flashed hypnotic commercials overhead. The street used to be a popular place for pickpockets targeting tourists distracted by the light show above them, before the city boosted the police presence. Cops on bikes blend in with the street performers and costumed human statues, and we're barraged by a constant cacophony of music from two stages, street musicians and aerial commercials. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6199-L.jpg We weren't tempted by the casinos at all, but the Deep-Fried Twinkies caught my attention. Wonder what they'll replace them with now that Hostess is out of business? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0025-L.jpg Every hour on the hour, the casino and store lights dim. A 10-15 minute video is played overhead, set to music. This is the Fremont St Experience! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6166-L.jpg Watching the lights of the strip from the top of the city |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/51.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map51-L.jpg A few weeks ago, Mark from ADV sent us an invite, opening up his guest house to Neda and I. So we spent nearly a week with him and his family, during which time they basically adopted us! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6230-L.jpg Mark and I installing engine bars on my bike After getting the bikes powerwashed and cleaned, we got to work installing the SW-Motech crash bars that I had ordered and sent to Mark's place. My big GS has eaten more gravel in the last 5 months than in the last 6 years I've owned her. Since we're showing no aversion to dirty, gravelly, sandy roads, I thought I'd quit being such a tough guy and give her a little more protection. Mark told me he builds and fixes airplanes for a living, so I guess he's qualified to help me out. Actually, not being very mechanically-minded, I was quite nervous having an airplane mechanic look over my shoulder while installing something as simple as crash bars: "Um Mark, could you hand me one of those thingies with the C-thingie on the end?" "You mean a wrench, Gene?" "If that's what you Americans call it...!" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6289-L.jpg California oranges growing in Mark's back yard Mark lives in a small community just north of San Diego, and the weather there is perfect! We've spent so long outrunning the freezing cold, riding further and further south, and outside of Death Valley, this is perhaps the first time we've reached such an ideal climate for riding. And we've got a bed and roof to sleep under as well! We spent a lot of time with Mark and his family; they had us over for dinner, we had them over for dinner (in their own guest house) - they are a really close-knit family with a love for travel and motorsports. Exactly our kind of folks! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6261-L.jpg Giving Susie some tips on riding. Here I'm showing her how short fingernails facilitate in the braking process Susie, Mark's wife, mentioned that she was looking to do more street riding but needed to brush up on her skills. Since Neda and I were motorcycle instructors in our past life, we totally jumped on the opportunity to help her out. We borrowed a TW200 from one of Mark's friends and rode it out to the airport where Mark works for some parking lot practice. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6281-L.jpg After a quick lesson on push-steering, Susie slaloms like a pro! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0480-L.jpg I try out the TW and AHHH!!! No unbalanced panniers, bike turns too quickly!!! Mark invited us to stay till after Thanksgiving, telling us that the traffic would be too bad to travel over the holidays. This was our first ever American Thanksgiving, in America, with Americans, and it was such a heart (and belly) warming experience. Mark and Susie don't have a lot of family in the area, so every year they have an "Orphans' Thanksgiving", inviting all of their friends who also don't have family nearby to spend the holidays with. We definitely fell into that category! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...MG_0695-XL.jpg Neda helped cook, I just stayed out of the way. But I did put the marshmallows on the yams! Mark is an excellent cook, timing all the dishes to be ready at the same time with military precision. Neda picked up some great recipes from him, and I was astounded that you could put marshmallows over potatoes and have them turn out so delicious! Copious amounts of brown sugar and pecans also help! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6310-L.jpg Thanksgiving with our adopted family. Neda and I had such huge grins over the whole week! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6312-L.jpg Susie made pumpkin pie. Sean, their youngest son in the background http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0512-L.jpg Mike, their oldest son was celebrating his birthday as well! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0655-L.jpg Mark and Mike and a few of their friends took us to some of their favorite twisty roads in the area. We rode Hwy 76 around Escondido and then up the road to the Palomar observatory After spending a week with Mark and his family, we're leaving in much better shape (round is a shape, right?) physically and mentally for the journey ahead. The time was well spent gathering new maps, new insurance and new currency. We rode away from our temporary sanctuary waving ecstatic goodbyes. I hope we'll see Mark and Susie and their family again soon in our travels! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/52.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map52-L.jpg Mexico beckons us southwards, promising warmth and a change-up in culture that we've been inching towards our entire trip. We've done more preparation in the last week, than we have in the last 5 months on the road, researching border crossings and paperwork. All the reading we've done says to avoid Tijuana, the congestion at the border is horrendous. Do we cross at Tecate? Go as far west as Mexicali and then cut back into the coast? As usual, we ask the locals. Mark said we shouldn't have any traffic if we just headed directly south since we were crossing over during Thanksgiving weekend. So we threw out all of our plans and crossed at Tijuana anyway. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0658-L.jpg A quick wave of a guard's hand and suddenly we are in Mexico! As promised, there was very little wait-time at the border, and the passport control to enter the Baja Peninsula was non-existent! We found out that we did need a visitor's permit if we wanted to enter mainland Mexico, but this could be done in many places on the Baja. We got our permits and passport stamped at the Banjercito (bank run by the Mexican Army) in Tijuana anyways, but our Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (TVIP) would have to be obtained further south if and when we decided to cross into the mainland. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0664-L.jpg Mex-1 hugs the western coastline of the Baja Peninsula south leaving Tijuana Piercing the veil between San Diego and Tijuana, we were assaulted by the acrid smell of pollution and the haphazard sprawl of shanties lining the hills. My immediately thought was, "It's India all over again!". We weren't frat boys looking for some illicit weekend excitement, so we didn't linger in Tijuana very long. Instead we immediately got on the toll road southbound and I was relieved that the stench of Tijuana evaporated away, replaced by the beauty of the Baja coastline. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6317-XL.jpg Big Mexican flag in Ensenada Mexicans love huge flags! You can see Tijuana's Mexican flag almost from San Diego, and as we approached Ensenada (about 90 minutes south of TJ), we saw yet another over-sized flag on the beach. We rode past the large cruise ships that dock here and vomit gringo tourists out into the streets of this port town. That should have been our first clue that this really wasn't the Mexico we were looking for. On a side-note, I was trying to figure out if "gringo" was a derogatory term or not. And was I a "gringo"? Or maybe a "chingo"? :) Then I Googled the term "Chingo"... and found out it was a swear word in Spanish! It means "a shitload" (a whole lot of). I've really got to learn some Spanish before I offend any of the locals with my ill-translated gringo puns! As we were trying to find affordable accommodations, we found out everything is expensive here because all the tourists are willing to pay US prices on their Mexican vacation. Chingo de Gringos! Not good. We paid dearly for a run-down room on the outskirts of the downtown. It was the most we've paid since leaving Canada! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0063-L.jpg First Mexican meal in Mexico! Paying gringo prices for not very chingo tacos... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0066-L.jpg Serenaded in Ensenada. Hey where's his Mariachi outfit...?!? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6325-L.jpg Blurry photo because we were ready to bolt from the surly-looking mariachi who obviously didn't want his picture taken... The next morning after breakfast, we met another rider, Johnny, who I'm guessing owns a Ducati dealership in Chicago. He visits Baja California quite often and he told us that Ensenada was a dump and to get the hell out as soon as we could. We were originally planning to take some Spanish classes here in town, but this conversation convinced us to go elsewhere. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0668-L.jpg Hitting the road again! Mex-1 southbound out of Ensenada El Rosario is about a 3.5 hour ride south of Ensenada. Neda read about a great place to stay the night, very cheap and nice, called the Baja Cactus Motel. We scooped up the last room, a luxury suite above the lobby! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6332-XL.jpg Neda is 3Ging on our balcony So we got Neda a SIM chip in Ensenada for her iPhone and now she's addicted to the 3G down here. We're very surprised at the telecommunications infrastructure in Baja. Seems like they've got more coverage than some parts of the US! And cheaper as well! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6334-XL.jpg Framed pictures of all the Baja racers line the walls of Mama Espinosa's, many of them personally signed. And Neda is still 3Ging... For the next couple of days, we frequented Mama Espinosa's, a well-known seafood restaurant beside the motel. El Rosario is one of the first check-points in the famous Baja 1000, which runs the 1000 off-road miles from Ensenada to La Paz at the southern tip of the peninsula. While motorcycle racers complete the course in a little over 12 hours in riding time, we're taking a much more sedate, and less sandy route towards La Paz. We stayed for a couple of nights in El Rosario, taking advantage of the motel's internet to Skype into Sidestand Up, an Internet radio talk show that we had been invited to participate in. It was a really fun experience! Before our segment we got to hang out in the chat-room and talk to some of the followers of our blog. It got a bit stressful when our Skype session dropped us from the call though, as I frantically tried to get us reconnected and Neda gave a play-by-play in the chat room. :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6389-L.jpg Posing with the cactus trees The next morning, we continued our own Baja 1000 southwards. Mex-1 is very nicely maintained, great pavement and the sections that weave through the mountains of the peninsula are very twisty, which gives us a bit of entertainment. Unfortunately, we can't apex properly through the left-handers because the road is so narrow and has no shoulders. This means that on-coming trucks and 18-wheelers consistently run over the yellow line into our lane for fear of running off the narrow road. And the faster they drive, the more they encroach on our side of the road! We run a pretty tight curb line through all the blind curves up and down the mountainside. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6379-L.jpg Hiking around the crazy cacti There are tons of cacti here. And all sorts. Tall, skinny ones, short and fat ones. All different shapes and sizes. Thousands of them line the landscape on either side of the road and I imagine they are spectators on race day, watching Neda and I zoom through the curves of our Baja 10000. Speaking of which, we found out that we just missed the real race by a couple of weeks, that would have been amazing to watch! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6374-L.jpg Not sure what would have happened if she actually caught hold of it. 'Cause my topcase is already fulll... |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/53.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map53-L.jpg While we were in San Diego Mark put us in touch with his friend in Mexico to help us out while we were traveling in the Baja Peninsula. Dan lives in Bahia de Los Angeles (LA Bay), which is on the east coast of the Baja, and he invited us to crash for the night in his cabin by the beachfront on our way south. We've been e-mailing Dan for the last few days as well, and he told us that the Spanish school in La Paz was pretty good, so we're kind of of glad that we're out of Ensenada. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...O/la_bay_2.jpg Dan's place by the beach We left El Rosario pretty late in the day, so the sun was setting fairly fast as we rode Mex-1 southbound and then took a detour eastwards on Mex-12 towards the Gulf of California. The road winds up and over the Sierra de San Borja mountains, and we're barraged by the high winds that the area is known for. It's pitch dark (and only around 5PM) when we arrive at LA Bay, and Dan's place is nothing but a GPS latitude and longitude co-ordinate outside of the town, down an unmarked sandy road that runs parallel to the beach. We had a rule before entering Mexico that we wouldn't ride in the dark - didn't take long to break that rule. We may have to get up a bit earlier now that the sun sets so soon... :( http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0095-L.jpg The full moon is as high and bright over the Sea of Cortez - view from Dan's cabin Dan and Nancy greeted us with lots of alcohol and fresh fish and we spent the evening getting very lubricated with them. Dan served us some yellowtail sashimi from a catch earlier on in the day, and we were in heaven! We don't eat sushi very much any more these days and it was such a treat. We got a great sense of what brings ex-pats down to LA Bay, living a cost-effective lifestyle and enjoying the simpler things in life - in Dan's case, it's sport fishing and there's no better place in the Baja for it than LA Bay! Later that night, a well liquored-up Neda passes out in the cabin. Meanwhile, I am enthralled by the view and walk around the area taking lots of pictures. I don't sleep too much as I want to get a picture of the rising sun over the bay. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0100-L.jpg Pastel colours in paradise http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6392-L.jpg Dan's cabin, rising sun behind me reflected in the window. And the moon is still visible! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6393-L.jpg Sunrise over the Sea of Cortez The reason why LA Bay is such a great place for fishing is that it's one of the few safe harbours in the Sea of Cortez that is protected from the high winds and waves by the number of large islands in the bay. Which also makes it a popular place to dock boats in the marina. Dan told us that not all is paradise, as there's a large drug problem in town and a result, rampant property theft from tweakers looking to support their crystal meth habit. This is something that I've been wary about, as Mexico does have a very bad reputation in the North American media for the drug-related crime and violence. Neda and I have done a lot of research, trying to balance the Canadian and US state-issued travel advisories, the news articles and what other overland travelers have written about their journey through Mexico. We suspect that there's a truth that lies somewhere between sensationalism and Pollyannaism. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6416-L.jpg GS slowly warming up http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0184-L.jpg Ex-Pat dreams by the beachside. I've been wandering around taking pictures for over an hour and Neda is still asleep http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6420-L.jpg Cacti against the rising sun over the Sea of Cortez http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6425-L.jpg Dan and Nancy hooking us up with restaurants and things to see and do in the Baja Peninsula http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6428-L.jpg We got treated to a great Mexican breakfast by Dan and Nancy http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6430-L.jpg Nancy at the restaurant http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6431-XL.jpg Our very kind and generous host, Dan We've run into so many awesome people on our trip, and meeting Dan and Nancy really gave us some insight into life as ex-pats in Baja! |
Thanks
Enjoying your posts and amazing pictures --- keep them coming
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/54.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map54-L.jpg Southwards we go, armed with a list of places and things to see courtesy of Dan and Nancy! Our trip is like a scavenger hunt! Today we've been recommended to try to make it to Santa Rosalita for the night, only 400 kms away, but since we we're leaving LA Bay after a late breakfast (again, courtesy of Dan), we would probably arrive just before the sun sets. The ride down Mex-1 was more of the same scenery - beautiful blacktop, twists and turns around the mountains and the ever present cacti along the side of the road cheering us on. Our journey was punctuated by the odd military checkpoint. Soldiers with machine guns stop us and ask about our destination. They're courteous to us despite our lack of Espagnol, and they are all so very young, and very curious about our motorcycles and our trip. These stops are meant to catch drug traffickers, and quite interestingly, we have heard that this effort is partly subsidized by the US government! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0687-L.jpg Riding into the port town of Santa Rosalia Santa Rosalia is just south of the Baja Sur (Baja South) border. We lose an hour because of a peculiar time change because this timezone crossing is latitudinal, not longitudinal, placing Baja Sur into MST. This means the sun is still up at 5PM when we arrive at this port city on the shores of the Gulf of California. The outskirts of town are a mixture of industrial buildings and shacks along the roadside. We are tired and hungry and the sun is setting fast, so we book into the first nice (but relatively pricey) hotel and walk into town to find some food. We really do have to make an effort in finding some cheaper accommodations. Baja is a lot more expensive than I thought Mexico would be... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6436-L.jpg Something smells good in Santa Rosalia! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6442-L.jpg Neda y nada de gringos We bypass a few restaurants because there were too many gringos in there. We're really looking for a "local" experience, and we find one with a Mexican family eating inside. When we're seated, the waiter hands us a gringo menu in English. *sigh* BYW, in the picture above, Neda is sipping on a "Michelada". It's a delicious beer/lime/salt concoction and was recommended to us by Yaw, who was our host in Seattle a couple of months ago. Wow, I can't believe we spent two months roaming around the western United States! The rest of the evening we spent walking around the very small centros area, and we found ourselves hanging out with all the local families and teenagers in the town square watching some people set up a stage presumably for a concert this weekend. Too bad we wouldn't be sticking around, as Neda has just arranged for us to start Spanish classes in La Paz for next Monday morning. The curse of "a schedule" strikes again! Everytime we have to be somewhere at a certain date or time, my chest starts to constrict a little and my heart rate goes up. Or maybe it's just that spicy enchilada we had for dinner... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6444-L.jpg Retail therapy in Mulege Our next destination on the way to La Paz is Mulege (pronounced Moolah-Hey), also recommended by Dan and Nancy. This is a quaint town full of neat places to window shop for local arts and crafts and boutique-y restaurants and hotels. As we approached Mulege, the desert flora transformed from cacti to lush, tropical palm trees, courtesy of the Rio de Santa Rosalia. The whole town is in the river valley and was subject to bad flooding in recent years due to the hurricanes in the area. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6451-XL.jpg Flowers in Mulege http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0195-L.jpg Lunch in Mulege We stopped for lunch in a great hotel/restaurant where we met a whole bunch of gringos from Canada! Penticton, BC specifically. One couple was here on a scouting vacation, looking to move to the area. Apparently, there is a lot of ex-pat interest in Baja Sur. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0703-L.jpg Ater lunch, we hit the road and ride past some great looking beaches http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0712-L.jpg WTF?!! I wish somebody had told us there was sand in the Baja!!! Loreto is only 200 kms away from Santa Rosalia, so we arrived early enough to find a great (and by great I mean cheap) motel right near the centre of town. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6454-XL.jpg These cute dogs live on the roof of our hotel http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0205-L.jpg We walked around Loreto the whole evening, wonderful looking town! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0216-L.jpg Some other gringo bikers parked outside the more expensive hotel in the centre of town http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0220-L.jpg The Mission in Loreto http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0232-L.jpg Mission of Our Lady of Loreto is considered a historical monument We heard some music coming from inside the Mission, so we sat in on some musicians and singers at the front of the church. We stayed for quite some time, enjoying the sounds of Spanish hymns sung softly in reverence. We are having such a wonderful experience wandering through Baja Sur. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6480-L.jpg Shops at nighttime near the town square http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6489-XL.jpg Christmas soon! But first, the Mayan Apocalypse... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6499-L.jpg The town squares are always the centre of activity. Here we watch a dance class underway lit by streetlights http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0237-L.jpg And then off to finish the night with my favorite beer, Negra Modelo! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0243-L.jpg Getting ready for bedtime in Loreto We are all set to push onwards to La Paz in the morning. On our farewell ride through the town square, we notice quite a lot of people gathered in the courtyard. And horses! Just like bikers meeting up at parking lot to go riding, these horse riders were getting together to ride to the next town. They gathered quite some attention! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6509-XL.jpg One horsepower. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6536-L.jpg In the motorcycle world, this would be called "posing" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6530-L.jpg All little girls want ponies... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6560-L.jpg But glad to be back on her own pony |
Ride far
Really great ride report , plenty of good picures and your maps will help other riders coming to the US , keep it coming and have fun .:thumbup1:
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/55.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map55-L.jpg La Paz is the jewel of Baja California Sur. Located at the mouth of the Gulf of California, it enjoys beautiful weather year-round, a high standard of living and low crime rates. We fell in love with the city almost immediately. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6683-L.jpg The Malecon, a 5km long boardwalk along the La Paz's beachfront, is the city's focal point for tourists and residents alike http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6688-L.jpg Family-time on the Malecon http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0269-L.jpg We grab lunch at La Aura, the 4th story restaurant with a great view of the boardwalk and beach http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_0276-XL.jpg Lots of local catch in that seafood soup! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6713-L.jpg Pelicans are common here, also attracted to the seafood in the waters closeby http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0282-L.jpg Not seafood ice cream http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6722-L.jpg Plenty of places to hang out on the beach, watch the fishing boats go out to sea http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6727-L.jpg One of many aquatic themed statues on the Malecon http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6741-XL.jpg Neda is trying to look for what PaperBoatMan is staring at http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6765-L.jpg The Malecon is chocked full of restaurants, diners and bars - all pricey! We're staying in La Paz for the next two weeks, taking Spanish lessons at a language school called, "Se Habla... La Paz". We've also chosen the homestay option, where we live with a local family for the duration of our stay, so Alicia and Vicente are the first ones to welcome us to La Paz and into their home. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6576-L.jpg The very first night, Vicente pulls out his arsenal of guitars and we both play and sing while everyone dances around us. Is it going to be like this every day?!? COOL! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0266-L.jpg Alicia is a first-rate cook, serving us local dishes for breakfast and lunch. This is Joe (Jose) from California, he's our homestay housemate also taking Spanish lessons, but he's much more fluent than we are! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6681-L.jpg On the weekends, Vicente opens his backyard studio to the local kids and teaches them how to paint http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6675-L.jpg Another one of Vicente's proteges We are astounded at how talented and cultured our homestay family is. Alicia is master of the culinary arts, while Vicente explains all the imagery of the many paintings that decorate his house. All in Spanish, by the way. My 9th grade French education is only of little help but I get the jist. Neda does much better because she speaks Italian and is so much better in learning new languages than I am. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6794-L.jpg Lalo, Alicia and Vicente's grandson teaches and choreographs a Hip Hop class. Because I'm so slow with the Espagnol, Lalo gets in trouble often for speaking English to me. I've hung out a lot with this talented young man, jamming on the guitar and sharing mp3s, movies, and YouTube clips. Every once in a while, Alicia yells at him, "EN ESPAGNOL!" :) She takes her job very seriously and I'm very glad that she pretends not to understand English. I can only nod, "Si" and "Gracias" and my goal by the end of two weeks is to actually utter a complete and intelligible sentence for her approval! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0252-L.jpg Mariana, our Spanish teacher gives a presentation on Pinatas. "Se Habla" is one street away from the Malecon, and every morning we ride our motorcycles down the strip to school, past the salty sea breeze coming off the shores. It's been forever since I've sat in any kind of classroom and I'm a bit cowed by how fast Neda is picking up Spanish. I'm used to learning things very fast, but new languages have always been a weak point for me. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0265-L.jpg Felipe, another one of our instructors waits for me to finish my homework. "Gene, the point of homework is that you should be doing it at home..." |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/56.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map56-L.jpg Our first week in La Paz has been very taxing. Every day, we're up early to have breakfast and engage Alicia in some morning Espanol, then off to escuela for cuatro horas of intensive vocubulary enhancement and verb conjugation. When we get back in the early afternoon, we have a little break then another session of homestay language practice over lunch. Our evenings are spent in the room doing a bit of homework and massaging our aching heads, random Spanish words leaking out of our ears. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0326-L.jpg Practicing "las compras" (shopping) en Espanol in Todos Santos So when the "fin de semana" (weekend) finally arrives, we feel rested enough to take a day-trip south to Todos Santos, a beach-side town recommended to us by Felipe, our Spanish instructor. It's about an hour's ride away from La Paz, and the road winds up and down the Sierra de la Laguna mountains. Lots of fun! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6867-XL.jpg Bringing forth the Mayan Apocalypse... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0344-L.jpg Misione de Nuestra Senora de Pilar in Todos Santos http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_6888-XL.jpg Musta forgot the rosary beads in the car... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0345-L.jpg Lobby of the Hotel California, Todos Santos Yes, this is *THE* Hotel California, made famous by The Eagles song. I was a bit disappointed. I think I was expecting a real dive of an establishment, the kind of place a washed up, disillusioned Don Henley would check into and muse poetic about the twisted lives of the hotel's mysterious occupants. We walked through the lobby and halls, but no Mirrors on the Ceiling, no Pink Champagne on Ice. Just a very trendy, expensive hotel that steers visitors to the very large gift shop selling "Hotel California" souvenirs. We didn't spend too much time there... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6909-L.jpg Getting ready to hit the beach What we're really here to see are the pretty beaches just outside of town. It's about a 10 minute ride through some gravelly and sandy roads, and I'm glad that we unloaded most of the heavy gear off the bikes. Even so, we wobble our way through heavy sand to reach the beach's parking lot. Stupid, crappy Tourance tires. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0376-L.jpg How to take pictures of the waves coming ashore http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7055-L.jpg Picture of waves coming ashore http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6950-L.jpg How not to take pictures of the waves coming ashore Felipe told us that a popular attraction in Todos Santos is the Turtle Release. The beaches here are an important nesting site for sea turtles, especially the endangered Pacific Leatherback. Unfortunately, the beaches have become home to all sorts of human activity - dune buggies and other powersports, and people taking their (hungry) dogs out for a walk. All of which destroy turtle nests buried in the sands. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0363-L.jpg Checking out the incubation greenhouse Between the nesting months of October to April, volunteers comb the beaches at night and relocate the sea turtle eggs to a protected incubation greenhouse, providing a better environment for hatching success. The sites with the round fences around them are nests that are ready to hatch soon. The fence stops the turtles from trying to instinctually head for the waters, and allows the volunteers to gather them up in the late afternoon. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6939-L.jpg This baby is seconds old! It just crawled out of the sand having broken out of its egg! The project is aimed not only at replenishing the sea turtle population, but also to educate visitors, who are encouraged to "assist" the baby turtles to make it to the waters without being trampled on by dune buggies or joggers, or eaten by dogs or birds. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7085-L.jpg We each "adopted" one baby turtle and walked them to the edge of the shore http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7082-L.jpg My baby! Feeling a bit paternal here... Sea turtles live to about 100 years. I got a bit choked up when I realized that we were here on their Day 1, helping them increase their odds to make it to Year 100. The odds are still stacked against them, even when they make it to the waters unmolested, they'll have to face aquatic predators, but at least we're evening the imbalance that we caused in the first place. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7128-L.jpg Day 1 of 100 years http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7089-L.jpg SO CUTE! These little guys know exactly which way the waters are http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0382-L.jpg And they're off...! A line was drawn in the sand so that we didn't leave deep footprints on the shore that would impede the baby turtles' progress to the waters. And also to stop us from accidentally trampling on them, as the incoming waves occasionally pushed the turtles back on shore. I wanted to walk my baby turtle all the way into the water, but we are told that it's good for them to struggle on land as it prepares them to swim in the waters. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7140-L.jpg Off into the sunset, goodbye baby turtle! |
Updated from Dec 12 2012: La Paz Nights
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map55-L.jpg Our trip is in danger of ending very soon. After a week of intensive Spanish and evenings spent digesting all this information, our second week of classes is going much more smoothly and we're venturing out into La Paz often to take in the nightlife. In addition, we're making lots of friends in school and our homestay family has been taking us out often. As a result, our social life in La Paz has blossomed. So much so, that we actually took a look at some of the housing prices at a local real estate agency... Our wanderlust is still unsatiated though, and we've merely bookmarked this wonderful city as maybe somewhere we'd like to settle down in the future. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0292-L.jpg Just off the Malecon, we wander around the market with the locals. No gringos here! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6826-L.jpg Ramping up for a Feliz Navidad http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0304-L.jpg Outside this hotel, a horse made of dried palm leaves http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0318-L.jpg Back on the Malecon, a concert put together by the Municipal Youth Centre: Who can TISS be? http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_6839-L.jpg It's HispaniKISS! :) http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0442-L.jpg Kids breakdancing on the Malecon We love meeting other travellers while on the road! They're already predisposed to experiencing new cultures and there's always an excitement when sharing these experiences with each other over a beer and whatever the local food is. We met Karay at Spanish school, a super-cool gal from Ohio who is here picking up credits for her Spanish degree back home. We've spent a few evenings with her strolling the Malecon, gabbing over arroz y frijoles, and exploring La Paz. She's also an avid photographer and very interested in motorcycles so we have lots to talk about! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7243-L.jpg We pick up Karay on our way to church In school, we learned about the Virgen de Guadalupe, an important figure in Mexican religious and cultural folklore. December 12th, marks the anniversary of the appearance of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Millions of people make the pilgrimage to the Basilica in Mexico City on this day for the celebrations. Thankfully, we are far away from Mexico City and don't have to contend with such a large crowd here in La Paz, but we're amazed at how many people gather at the local church in town. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7261-L.jpg Religion and commerce meet at the Santuario Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7292-L.jpg La Paz is Spanish for "Peace" http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0389-L.jpg Standing room only at the Santuario Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe - all the way outside! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_7301-XL.jpg Getting a lift to view the service http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0412-L.jpg Outside, Neda contemplates buying super-yummy churros that this little guy is churning out http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7308-L.jpg "Un churro mas restante! La quieres La quieres?" ("One more churro left! Do you want it?") http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0406-L.jpg Paintings for sale outside the church http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0420-L.jpg A parade of indigenous dancers walk the streets celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe Our homestay family has taken us out every Friday night to Stella on the Malecon. We (try to) dance to salsa music, drink lots of Negra Modelo and enjoy the company that has temporarily adopted us for our time in La Paz. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7343-L.jpg Lalo and his girlfriend Shasta go out with us for pizza http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7355-L.jpg Whirl of Christmas lights and motion http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7380-L.jpg Put on your dancing shoes! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7384-L.jpg After a night of salsa dancing... and again with the ex-pat daydreams... |
Great photos - makes me want to ride!!!
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/58.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle.../L/map58-L.jpg Seems like every weekend, we're hitting the beach! Cabo Pulmo National Park is at the eastern tip of the Baja Peninsula and is recommended to us by our homestay family for its excellent snorkeling. There are only three coral reefs in North America, and the one located at Cabo Pulmo is the oldest at 20,000 years, and provides shelter to a whole host of marine wildlife. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7450-L.jpg Excellent ride from La Paz to Cabo Pulmo, last 15 kms are down a gravel and sandy road There are many dive shops in Cabo Pulmo, which really isn't a town more than a few buildings scattered over a wide area. Unfortunately, the dive shops have suspended tourboat operations for today, because of the very strong winds. They tell us that visibility is not very good at the coral reef because the waters may be murky from the sand kicked up from the sea floor. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_0447-L.jpg Beautiful beaches at Cabo Pulmo http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_7411-XL.jpg Definitely off-season, but a few families were here swimming in the waters We debated on whether to rent some equipment and to head down to the beach ourselves, but I chickened out (It was cold, man!) and stayed on the beach taking pictures. Neda being the braver of the two of us, rented a mask and dove into the waters from the shores. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7421-L.jpg Divemaster Neda preparing to go in Although it's advertised as being totally waterproof, this is the first time we've taken our Nikon AW100 completely underwater. I half-expected it to return ashore as an expensive brick. We were pleasantly surprised: http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0745-L.jpg Neda says this school of fish were very curious about her and followed her everywhere http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0756-L.jpg Water was a bit murky, but the pictures turned out surprisingly good http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0762-L.jpg Although it looks small, this fish was almost a foot long! The Mexican government has done an excellent job preserving the reef against commercial interests that seek to develop condos, marinas and resorts in this very popular tourist area. It's now designated a protected park and the aquatic wildlife has bounced back and flourished from the over-fishing in the 1980s. The park maintains a very wilderness-like feel to it, and the rough road in and out of the park reflects this. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7440-L.jpg Only old people abstain from swimming. So I grabbed my metal detector and walked the beach with this guy http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7466-L.jpg So long, Cabo Pulmo, and thanks for all the fish! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/59.html
http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...g/0/L/58-L.jpg School's out for... er, Winter! After two weeks of Spanish classes, we've graduated, and the school has thrown a party for all the students that are leaving this week! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7316-L.jpg Mariana and Felipe and the rest of the Se Habla teachers look on proudly as we are given our certificates http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7327-L.jpg Our graduating class. We celebrate with chocolate cake! We've spent 16 wonderful days in La Paz, making lots of new friends and pulling out the first tendrils of roots that we were starting to put down was difficult. We packed our once-light motorcycles with all of our traveling kit, ready to continue our wanderings. It was a sad goodbye to our homestay family but at the same time, it felt really good to hit the road again. Neda and I both agreed that we are nowhere close to settling down yet! There is a ferry just outside of La Paz that is able to take us to the mainland. Unfortunately, our laissez-faire attitude to planning bites us in the ass, and the ferry to Mazatlan, which is just across the Gulf of California, is all booked up till January 4th, 2013! Seems a lot of Baja Californians travel to the mainland during Christmastime to see family and reservations are made weeks in advance around this time. Uh oh... Fortunately, there is another ferry that travels to Topolabampo, about 4 hours north of Mazatlan. After having a good laugh over the funny name, we decide a 4 hour motorcycle ride from Topolabampo to Mazatlan is perferable to waiting another 3 weeks, as nice as La Paz is. Plus the Topolabampo ferry was much cheaper! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0799-L.jpg The ferry departs from Pichilingue, a great windy 10 km ride from La Paz http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0801-L.jpg Along the way we pass some really nice beaches We met some other motorcycle travelers at the ferry terminal - Jayne and Phil are a brother/sister team from Calgary (more Canadians!) - they were getting their vehicle importation papers done early for their trip to the mainland. I think they were staying in La Paz for a couple more weeks, so we suggested the Spanish school to them. We exchanged travel stories and they gave us some good roads to ride in the mainland, can't wait! http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSCN0805-L.jpg Into the belly of the California Star, capable of holding 100 cars and 900 passengers! We were directed to park our bikes in a corner of the ferry's hold, and we searched for vain for tie-down hooks and straps. There weren't any around, so we assumed that the ferry was large and stable enough to keep our bikes upright even in the most violent of storms. We could not have been more wrong. There was one other motorcyclist on the ferry: Rick was riding from Ensenada back to his home in Mexico City, and this was his very first motorcycle trip after getting his license late last year. Like all those that have been bitten by the touring bug, we would spend much of the 6 hour trip to the mainland talking about motorcycles, with him practicing his excellent English with us, Neda practicing her excellent Spanish with him, and me practicing talking Spanish like a 2-year old. A couple of hours into the trip, we hear an announcement over the radio. All motorcyclists were being summoned to the cargo hold of the ferry. I looked at Neda and Rick and immediately I said, "I think the bikes have fallen over"... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0738-L.jpg A flurry of activity getting the bikes secured Fortunately, the bikes were still upright. The staff had summoned us so that we could move our bikes to a spot where they could tie the motorcycles to the railing. The crash bars I put on at Mark's place in San Diego were to come in handy. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...IMG_0739-L.jpg Excellent tie-down job by the ferry staff The winds and waves were picking up very strongly, and I'm glad that our motorcycles were secured properly now. However, the contents of my stomach were less secure, and as the ferry undulated up and down and back and forth, my face got greener and greener until I had to rush to the closest bano. Neda alarmingly yelled after me, "Mujeres!" That mean's "Women's washroom" in Spanish... Thankfully, even 2-year olds understand that and I stumbled out and then back into the "Bano de los hombres". Just. In. The. Nick. Of Time... http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...DSC_7496-L.jpg Well-rested in the morning in Los Mochis We arrived in Topolabampo after sunset. Much like Pichilingue, it's not a very big town, just the ferry terminal and some buildings, so we rode with Rick about about 30 minutes away in darkness to Los Mochis. Rick is a biologist and used his corporate rate at a nice hotel in town and we had a really good night's rest on our first night on the mainland. http://mym0ry.smugmug.com/Motorcycle...SC_7502-XL.jpg Rick is off to service his motorcycle in Los Michos. |
here in Pana
Glad to see you made it to the Mainland! We are in Panajachel until jan 17. Then we head to Antigua for a few days before we go south. If you are around by then love to meet up.
Sara |
Hey Sara! Yes, we definitely should meet up somewhere along the way. We are moving in slow motion right now, so pretty sure we're not going to be in Panajachel in the next couple of weeks.
But if you guys slow down long enough for us to catch up...! beer |
Great! We will keep an eye on your location. Safe travels. You photos are amazing. Sara
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