note. this is a copy of the blog I wrote (almost in real time) over this past summer [2017], during my trip from the west coast of the USA, up into western Canada, east through the bordering US states to Toronto - then back to the west coast again through the middle of the US including Colorado and the western desert States...

It forms the basis of my new AV presentation that I had scheduled to debut at the Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meeting in California in September - although unfortunately I have had to postpone this series of presentations until the new year. I hope you enjoy reading about it in the meantime, and hope to see some of you out and about starting next spring! Jenny x





Introduction (May 2017)

It's been two years since my Trans-AM 500 cross-country trip on the first production Rally Raid CB500X Adventure in the USA (and those of you who followed that exploit at the time may recall that at this time 730 days ago I was still recovering from camping at below freezing during the 2015 snOverland Expo!), and a lot has happened since then...



Not least, having been so impressed with the way that bike ate up the road miles and devoured the trails (including the complete Trans-Am Trail on my way back west), that I've now bought my own CB500X and kitted it out in a similar fashion, and already racked up nearly 12,000 miles all over the western USA - highlights from last year include the inaugural CBXpo [group] ride, and of course that little foray Juan Browne and I enjoyed* on the Rubicon Trail last September...

*I say 'enjoyed', I mean endured of course - to see what I mean, his video is here:

​CB500X on the Rubicon Trail (YouTube)


In all of those instances, I'd been fortunate to have either already ridden the roads/trails in question, or at least been familiar with the region and terrain I'd be passing though - although that's not to say you can't still get caught out by the unexpected of course!



However, this year, I feel it's time to spread my wings a little further afield, and explore some states and indeed a whole new country, that I've never visited before...




Yes, I think it's finally time to embark on a little moose-dodging, and see what the northern territories have to offer!

Fortunately this desire has also coincided with a couple of invitations to ride with some long-term friends and associates north of the boarder - in the western provinces I'll be visiting an old rally-racing pal who lives in the Jasper National Park, en route to spending the weekend of the 23-25th June with Alan and Lisa from the Rocky Mountain Adventure Bike Touring Company (www.RMABTC.com) to take part in their 'Canadian CB500X Rendevouz' - an informal gathering of CB owners in conjunction with the Alberta Dual-Sport event held at Macklin Lake, Saskatchewan.


photo. RMABTC rental fleet includes 2016 model Honda CB500Xs with the Rally Raid LEVEL 1 and 2 kits fitted.


In the east, and indeed the ultimate destination this particular trip is going to be Toronto (although I'm actually planning on dipping back into the USA for a time during my journey east - see details below), where I've been invited to attend the Overland Adventure Rally - hosted each year by the esteemed Canadian Dakar racer and all-round moto guru Lawrence Hacking - and I'm scheduled to present a couple of AV seminars during the weekend of July 7-th-9th.




So, using those more formal commitments as a structure - in between time, piglet and I will endeavour to take you on another cross-country adventure using words and pictures - that I'm confident will include some new [to me anyway] and exciting wilderness routes on road and off, that in turn will hopefully inspire you to get on your bike and explore further afield too!

As with the original 2015 Trans-Am 500 trip - this isn't intended to be a catalogue hard-core off-road challenges... indeed, the reason I built my own adventure bike around the Honda CB500X is precisely because of it's all-road / all-terrain capabilities - and certainly my proposed route is going to include just as many epic paved highways* as unsurfaced roads and trails.

*In that regard, my initial route planning has included the Butler Motorcycle Maps for various states I'll be passing through - and where they have highlighted their recommended 'gold roads' in each region.

In addition, I also intend to visit a number of 'tourist' spots on my way both east and back west - not least as I'm always impressed with how the US tends to make the most of their landmarks and historic points of interest. Some of these will be instantly familiar (I've never seen Old Faithful or Mt Rushmore for example - hence me dipping back into the US during the east-bound leg), others perhaps less so - but all ought to offer some interesting punctuation along the way...

So, enough waffle* - what can we expect in the coming weeks?

*You can never have enough waffle of course, or syrup, or bacon...



Route outline

First of all, I've split this trip into four distinct parts - not least as it makes route planning far more manageable, and hopefully easier to follow too!

The first leg will be to travel north through the pacific coast states, and cross into Canada.

LEG 1: San Jose CA (USA) - Macklin Lake SK (CAN)


photo. Note this is google maps, which tends to snap to paved roads - the actual route is likely to deviate slightly from this overview.

Day -21: My plan is to leave the Bay Area exactly three weeks from today (on Tuesday 13th June), and head north on some familiar and favourite paved roads - although I also intend to incorporate a few new trails in Northern California en route to visit Harold and the team at Giant Loop in Bend Oregon.

From there I'll take a scenic [primarily] paved route via Portland, before picking up the southern section of the Washington BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route, again published on paper by Butler Maps for those unfamiliar) en route for Seattle, and ultimately the boarder crossing into Canada.

I will then loop initially north west of Vancouver on a series of backcountry highways and dirt-roads (passing though the Whistler Ski/Mountain-bike resort) in British Colombia, before crossing the Rocky Mountains into Alberta through the Jasper National Park. RMABTC are based about an hour or so south of Edmonton AB, and we'll be riding together to the Alberta Dual Sport weekend (23-25th June) just over the province boarder in Saskatchewan.


LEG 2: Macklin Lake SK (CAN) - Toronto ON (CAN)



This is the sector I'm particularly looking forward to!

Initially I will actually head back south and west a little, to cross into Montana at the north end of the Glacier National Park, and pick up the legendary "Going-to-the-sun Road" which is one of Butler's Gold Standards in not only Montana, but the whole of the United States!

I will then work my way diagonally south on a mix of dirt roads and scenic highways, and cross into Wyoming on the western side of Yellowstone National Park. Now I'm conscious that at this time of year, Yellowstone is likely to be particularly busy with tourist traffic (of which I am part of course!), so I'll make a break back into southern Montana for a moment at least, via the epic Beartooth Scenic Byway (Hwy 212) - topping out at an elevation of almost 11,000ft - and another one of those Gold Standard roads in the region.

Conscious that I will need to keep moving east if I'm to meet my deadline in Toronto, I've plotted a route through northern Wyoming that mixes scenic paved roads and what look to me some pretty decent wilderness dirt trails, before inevitably snatching a few interstate miles towards Sundance, where I'll endeavour to get of the blacktop as soon as possible, en-route for Deadwood* South Dakota...

(*one of my favourite TV shows from a few years ago - not least because of the copious profanity, for which I myself am known of course ;o)

Of course South Dakota also plays host to a good number of other iconic landmarks and attractions - including Mt. Rushmore, the ongoing Crazy Horse monument and Badlands National Park, all of which I intend to drop by and see what all the fuss is about!

From there though, it's likely to require another stint on the interstate, where I plan to pass through Minneapolis and pay homage to Prince at First Avenue, then head north for Duluth (Love it or loathe it, you can never leave it or lose it), before ultimately crossing back into Canada and riding right around the top of Lake Superior en route for Toronto, and the Overland Adventure Rally weekend.


LEG 3: Toronto ON (CAN) - Salida CO (USA)



The return journey is effectively one of two distinct halves - a needs-must, followed by more of an indulgence.

That is not to say there are not some excellent deviations and distractions to an otherwise monotonous initial journey though the mid-west - I can think of Chicago (1060 West Addison, Blues Brothers fans ;o) and Indianapolis (Indy 500 circuit) to name but two places that I'd like to visit one day - but fundamentally, I will have been on the road for almost a month already, and more importantly, am really looking forward to riding a few more western trails - especially some of the high passes in Colorado - a couple of which I'd had to forfeit during my TAT ride in June 2015, as they were still covered with snow...

Of course this harsh winter (and ongoing spring storms in the higher country) may mean that once I am once again thwarted, even if I am passing through a few weeks later than before - but that's the gamble I'm going to have to take...

So my plan is to leave Canada via Niagara Falls, and I've calculated it is 1566 miles from Buffalo NY to Colorado Springs CO - so if I can knock that out in less than 36 hours, then I've earned myself an Iron Butt 'Bun Burner' certificate* and broken the back [distance wise] of half the return journey in less than two days.

*after completing a 'Saddle Sore' (that is 1000 miles in 24 hours or less) during the Trans-Am 500 I did say I had no intention of ever doing an Iron-Butt ride again - but hell, I've got a whole bunch of new tunes in my iPod this year, so who knows - just as long as it's not raining... ;o)

Either way, my plan at this stage is to get some fresh tyres fitted in Colorado Springs, ride those roads up and down from Cripple Creek that were closed due to flooding and landslides back in 2015, and meet up with Juan Browne in Salida where we will hatch a plan to take in as many high passes as we can on our way back west.


LEG 4: Salida CO to San Jose CA.



The final leg is more of a personal indulgence - taking in a few favourites together some trails I might have missed previously, and hopefully a few new [technical] challenges too!

Certainly I'd like to ride California and Corkscrew (part of the official TAT route) that were snowbound in June 2015, plus I'd like to prove to myself and anyone else that the CB500X is just as bit a capable as my XT660Z was on the original TAT route that used Hancock and Tomichi passes...





If Old Monarch Pass is clear, then that would be fun - as would Black Bear down into Telluride of course - but all these are going to be subject to the weather I know...

However, I'm confident that once we reach the Utah boarder, things are going to be warm and dry - possibly to excess - so that will also dictate our final route home, which is currently very much weather dependent and therefore fluid at the moment.


I've certainly spent a lot of time in Moab in recent years, so this time I will most likely forfeit the La Sal mountains and the northern route (via Green River and the new TAT, fun though that is), and instead stay south through Monticello and the Abajo Mountains, before heading west though southern Utah via Hite/Bullfrog and the Burr Trail to Escalante.

From there we have plenty of dirt-road options - and at this stage I envisage going via Zion, St. George, Hurricane and the Arizona high desert north of the Grand Canyon towards Vegas - which sounds like the perfect nostalgia trip, a route I've not ridden for nearly ten years now!









It's all good stuff!

Well, apart from this part:



Oh, and this guy:



From Vegas, Juan and I plan to ride some alternative trails though the Mojave Desert - if only in part as a reccy for our proposed [not the]CBXpo Ride V2. planned for the end of September this year...

So that is probably enough to be going on with for now - one thing is for sure, it's going to be quite the trip:



18 US States, 4 Canadian Provinces and getting on for another 10,000 miles once I'm done!

Between now and then, I'll also be sharing my latest packing hints and tips for this particular trip - plus I'll also have a whole new look for my CB500X to introduce you to too in the coming days and weeks (in fact a package from the UK has just arrived, so watch this space as they say!)

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this - a new paint job in honour of this year's destination's flag!



More soon!

Toot toot!

Jenny xx

In the meantime, I've also revamped my 'Packing Light' seminar that I've presented over the past year at various overland events (both in the UK and US), and updated the original slide-show to reflect some of my latest revisions:

Packing Light for life on and off the road (YouTube)

note. this is simply the slide-show that I use to illustrate my presentation, so you may want to pause the video from time to time to study a particular photo/list in more detail.

Now I'm not suggesting this is a definitive guide of course (erm, actually I am, you overloaded heffers ;o) - but fundamentally it's what works for me, and I hope it shows that with a little forethought and some clever doubling up - just how little you can get away with, and still be comfortable for an indefinite period on [and off] the road...

Certainly for this particular trip I'm conscious I'll more than likely need to combat the cold and wetter weather than I might should I be travelling though the desert states over the summer - so my ultimate packing (and access) will reflect that... however, other than adding/deleting a swim-suit and shorts perhaps (depending on your destination and/or priorities - I've been known to swim in some suitably modest underwear and a sports bra), the above really ought to cover all eventualities...

Jx

Right, I think it's about time we got this party started Piglet!

Day 1: Tuesday 13th June - San Jose CA to Weed CA (365 miles).

"On the road again..."

A bit of a cliche title I know, but apt after a hectic few days fettling the bike...

First of all, I've been spending the last few days/weeks playing around with some prototype ideas on my bike; and in typical fashion, everything ended up being a bit last-minute - and ultimately I took the decision to put the stock headlight and high screen back on, as its a tried and trusted set-up, and I have many thousands of miles ahead of me over the coming weeks - almost certainly in inclement weather too!

So to recap, after my inital shake down ride to Oregon a couple of weekends ago, I was happy enough with the new LED headlights (more than happy actually, they are awesome!), but I was getting quite a lot of wind roar at 60+mph from the screen, which I felt would be tiresome during the ride to Toronto and back - especially as there are likely to be quite a few long high-speed road sections (not least another potential Iron-Butt during my return leg)...

The bike actually works better/really well with the 'short' OEM 2013-15 screen fitted:



...but of course it doesn't offer the same wind/weather protection - feeling very much like a big naked enduro bike instead.

As part of the ongoing development, I also wanted/needed to check the high fender conversion worked with the OEM headlight (and particularly the beak), so rather than spend the weekend packing which would have been far too sensible, instead I spent far too long in the garage refitting the stock front end, and hey presto - it all works together too!



Pretty cool eh?

However, while the high fender adaptor is a complete success (rock solid, even at freeway speeds) - the CRF vs. XR colour mismatch really irks me, so I decided that for this adventure, I'd revert to the standard 19" low fender that comes with the Rally Raid LEVEL 3 wheel kit:



Ah, that's better... ;o)

So with that, it was time to stuff all my belongings into a succession of zip-loc and dry bags - cram everything into my Giant Loop Coyote, and hit the road - finally, just before 11am this morning...


photo. Riding around the west side of Lake Berryessa, north east of Napa - beautiful and remote.

Leaving before lunch meant at least the Bay Area freeway network was bareable, and before long both the bike and I were suitably refuelled at Cordilia, and buzzing the minor roads that skirt the Napa Valley northwards.


photo. The Berryessa-Knoxville road is a corker! - north of Lake Berryessa it turns into single lane, bumpy and pot-holled, and with a good number of creek crossings - some of which were now dry, while others still wet and slimy.

My plan was to try and cut east from here on what looked to be an unpaved road on the map... unfortunately, when I arrived at the intersection, I was ultimately denied!


photo. I've learnt that when they say "no outlet" in the US, they usually mean it... "locked gate" confirmed it would almost certainly be a folly to even try...

This meant I did have to divert via Clearlake, before picking up the wonderfully swoopy hwy 20 (so at least some conpensation) before joining I5 for the long shlep north...


photo. Another detour, but this one far more welcome - an independent drive-through espresso bar in Red Bluff CA. Recommended!

Suitably invigorated by three shots of Java, it was time to press on into the late afternoon sunshine...


photo. Mount Shasta in the early evening sun... and still covered in snow!

Having pencilled-in a [hopefully] through-route on dirt, essentailly between Weed CA and Fort Jones on hwy 3, as part of my journey north; as the evening drew in I elected to play it safe and stop overnight [in a familiar motel] in Weed - rather than risk riding an unknown trail at dusk, with no guarantee of anywhere to stay or a safe pace to camp... After all, there would be plenty of that to come in the coming days and weeks I was sure, and this way an early night with the intention of being up and away first thing, ought to give me the best possible chance of making the most of the minor roads and trails between here and my destination of Bend OR tomorrow night...


photo. A quite spot, a warm bed and wifi... I'm so totally hardcore ;o)

Toot toot for now!

Jenny x

Ok then, the Motel 6 Media Centre is briefly open for business this wet Sunday morning... so let's crack-on while we can eh piglet?



Day 2: Tuesday 14th June - Weed CA to Bend OR (368 miles*)

"Deja Vu"

*yes, we went a rather long way round ;o)


photo. Mt Shasta in the early morning... just up the road from here is an excellent drive-in espresso hut - result!

The idea of course was to leave Weed early, and try and get to Bend in good time to see the guys at Giant Loop HQ before they finished work, and then grab some dinner with Harold - but of course there were plenty of trails between here and there, and the CB was aching to get some dirt under its tyres already!


photo. "Scarface Road" - sounded promising... and didn't disappoint! - an excellent way to cut back west from I5 to the northern route I had planned for the day...


photo. This through-route (its actually on the Butler map as a highlighted unpaved road) gave great views of Mt Shasta as it crosses through the mountains to the north, towards the Oregon boarder.

I then picked up my first 'Gold road' on the Butler maps - Scott River Road is beautiful, twisty and remote - perfect northern California riding!



...before turning off on what looked like another perfect dirt route to cut a corner (well, it says it's a through route on the map, and in the GPS!)

I spent a good hour or more twisting up some easy gravel forestry trail - again, with another awesome view of Mt Shasta for good measure, albeit in the far distance now (damn that is a big hill!), reaching the pass at just under 5500ft...

Unfortunately, just a few miles down the far side, I was faced with this:


photo. The boulders are there for good reason - this is no longer a through route (and seemingly not so for some time) - the whole trail beyond has sucumbed to the ravages of a waterfall/creek at the apex.

Fortunately my GPS maps showed a whole network of alternative trails, although only one other through route to where I wanted to go...


photo. Backtracking a few miles, initally the new route looked promising... until barely 5 miles from where I might rejoin the highway, I was confronted with this...


photo. A far more recent wash-out.

With no choice but to retrace my steps all the way back to Scott River Road, the silver lining was at least I got to ride the full length in its entirity, although it now meant I'd be far later than planned to Bend - with what would now be a 75 mile detour back towards civilisation.



photo. Still, the highway detour had its compensations (despite the odd set of roadworks), there really are no bad roads in this part of California!

But of course this was the problem - it was now after 1pm and I was still in California!!!

Ultimately, I headed up I5 for a short stretch (although it's an interstate, at least it passes through some stunning scenery in this area), and finally crossed into Oregon, before taking the scenic hwy 62 towards Crater Lake though the serene Umpqua National Forest.

There was neither time nor any physical chance of riding past Crater Lake itself, the elevation and extended winter weather this year meaning the rim road is unlikely to be open before the end of June.

Once I hit hwy 97 (over the past couple of years a road with which I am increasingly familiar) bizzarely, a freak occurance happened once again - my GPS froze and utterly crapped out on me, just as it did at almost exactly the same time a year before on my way up to the start of the CBXpo ride, at exactly the same spot on the highway too - La Pine is the bloody Oregon Twilight Zone I tell you!

Fortunately I knew how to reset things now, although fate still had one last trick for me today - my sunglassing dropping out of my pocket at 70mph (fortunately they landed on the shoulder, good job I was keeping right eh?), and at least it happened between two close junctions so I was able to backtrack down the freeway and retrieve them - mercifully intact.

So all this drama meant I arrived at Bend more than two hours later than originally planned, but nonetheless was still able to enjoy the company and warm hospitality of a few leftover beers from their Hot Springs weekend, with Harold at the Giant Loop shop.

Phew!

More soon...

Jenny x

Day 3: Thursday 15th June - Bend OR to Portland OR (198 miles)

"Pacific North Wets"*

*unfortunately that is not a spelling mistake...

So today was going to be a relatively short and scenic ride from Bend through the Cascades on more minor highways (includng the utterly beautiful 224 alongside the Clakamas River that winds through the Mount Hood National Forest), before visiting the design team HQ for Icon/Raiden clothing, who have been very supportive to me over the past few years riding and racing.

Leaving Bend a little later than planned (this was already becoming a theme of this trip you can tell), I passed through the town of Sisters, which I have only ever breezed through in the dark before now) and was taken by the funky ambiance of the place - quite touristy, but in a nice way, with posters for arts and music events seemingly held every weekend through the summer...


photo. I guess this is one way to sell a house that 'needs a little work' perhaps...

Tapping my 'find coffee' button on the GPS (if only I could find a way to make this a one-touch facility ;o), guided me to the Sisters Coffee roasters, the second largest in the PNW I was subsequently informed (Starbucks presumably the first? - although I presume she meant independent roasters...), and took a few minutes to reevaluate my pace so far...

Now admittedly I had arranged to meet a number of friends and aquantances during this initial leg north for the Canadian boarder - not least as it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with existing friends, and put a few faces to otherwise online names en route - and I am immensely greatful for everyone's hospitalty and in taking time out to spend some time riding and socialising together - it really does put a very different and enjoyable dynamic on otherwise solo travelling to which I am accustomed...

But it does mean I currently felt a little under pressure to stay 'on target', rather than let the trip unfold which is my usual method... Indeed, for example I very rarely book accommodation in advance - I might have a target destination in mind for that evening of course - but this is usually decided on a day by day basis, depending on the route (and particularly how much dirt/trail riding that might involve - and the almost inevitable changes, diversions and potential problems that could occur) and not least what interesting sights might also divert my attention for a moment or more along the way.

But I was confident today was only going to be a relatively short stint on scenic paved roads, capped off by a little socialising in the weird city of Portland - although already the weather looked ominous, and I was in danger of hitting the rush-hour traffic to make matters worse.


photo. Sure enough, by mid afternoon the rain came down with a vengance - I stopped for coffee at a little store on the corner of hwy 22 and 224 (their neon 'espresso' sign drew me like a bedraggled moth to a flame)...


photo. Nice of them to signpost some key points of interest along the way... (and I was particularly pleased these guys had lined up in the correct size order too ;o)

Ultimately I hit the outskirts of Portland in a torrential downpour and rush-hour frenzy... well, it would have been, were anything actually moving throughout the suburban freeway sprawl. I don't mind admitting I did my bit to introduce lane-splitting to California's nearest north cousin, and suggest they bloody well make it legal before I have to come back here again!

To be fair, the crappy weather was the primarly cause of my frustration (coupled with time ticking away and conscious that those that worked at Icon would all be going home in about 10 minutes), and actually it turns out that Portland (on the west side of the river at least) has a lot of charming older architecture and a backstreet urban vibe that reminded me of parts of New York for example - upcycled wearhousing and alfresco basketball courts under freeway flyovers, that kind of thing... I also found that juxtaposed to this shabby chic neighbourhood (where the Icon HQ is located) is a very fancy collection of luxury [and I mean multi-million dollar] secluded executive homes built high on the hillside overlooking the city - all they need is their own Hollywood sign!

Despite drip-drying all over the Icon offices, I was given the full tour of their design studios, introduced to some in-development new product (I particularly like their new dual-sport jacket, in which I like to think I had a little inspiration), and was amazed to find that alongside the Elvis rug (hanging on a bathroom wall), cartoon art and retro Nintendo gameboy (presumably for anyone contemplating an extended session on the kazi), they also had a full motorcycle workshop in an adjacent building - where they build all their crazy show bikes for advertising and public events!

I trust you appreciate it's not really appropriate for me to post (or even take) any photos from inside their studios, so you'll just have to take my word for it that its a cool creative space ;o)


It was then but a short ride up over the hill (past all those fancy houses) and along Portland's very own Skyline Drive, to rendevous with Wind_Rider who had very graciously invited me to spend the night at his family home. I'm not sure what they were expecting, but once my bike was ensconced in their immaculate garage, my luggage seemingly exploded everywhere in an effort to dry everything out before morning!

We then enjoyed a lovely social evening with the family, followed by a reasonably early night - particularly as we had a big [group] ride planned for the following day, with some fellow ADVrider inmates...

But you're going to have wait a little longer for tht particular story I'm afraid - my midday check-out time is looming and I have an international boarder to cross this afternoon.

I just hope it stops raining soon...

Toot toot for now!

Jenny x

"Ookey then" (said with a Canadian accent ;o) - looks like we have a little time to update everyone Piglet, as I've elected to take the day off having arrived safe and bedraggled in Jasper AB yesterday afternoon - and only now have actually dried myself and everything else out - yes, the rain yesterday was the worst yet, and we'll get to that in due course - but lets start where we left off, in another soaking wet town, Portland OR...

Day 4: Friday 16th June - Portland OR to Yakima WA (292 miles)

“Cafe intenso”

Due to a poor weather forecast (potentially clearing later in the day), Neil had taken the executive decision to push back our planned 7am rendezvous to 9.30am - far more civil regardless of the circumstances ;o) - at a cool coffeeshop on the way out of the city - See See Coffee (the owner also has a KTM dealership just down the road):


photo. L-R ADVrider inmates Boardforever, Heidiho and Wind_Rider - all four of us still added up less cc's than a Honda Goldwing!


Here Neil and I met up with fellow ADVrider inmates Boardforever (on another Level 3 CB500X) and Heidiho on his new CRF250 Rally, drank coffee, swapped stories and ogled the crazy custom helmets on display:




photo. The DOT would love this one...



The shop was so hip it hurt (Portland has this reputaton in general of course), including an XT500 that had been attacked by an angle grinder complete with a skateboard rack, and a shop selling retro helmets and memorabilia, although I think even that doyen of the cotton all-in-one Austin Vince would draw a line as this ensemble!



...so long Portland, stay weird!

The orignal plan for today was to try and ride as much of the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route (WABDR) - which for those of you unfamiliar, is a series interconnecting backcountry roads and unpaved trails that navigate though each particular State, much like a 'local' version of the Trans-America Trail is you like - this particular route heading north from the Columbia river that uses nature to mark the Oregon/Washington border.

Having put it off as long as we could, despite no real let up in the rain (I was reliably informed by my associates that this wasn’t actually rain, just mist) it was time to head out of the city and pick up the first section of the Washington BDR route that starts about an hour east... Of course, by the time we got there it turned out to be the perfect time for lunch first ;o)


Finally we hit the first trail early afternoon, and fortunately the surface was well drained gravel, albeit with a loose covering of pine needles and other debris to make sure you were paying attention, particularly on the corners.



Of course coming from the UK, and trail riding regularly in Wales, I’m used to rainforest conditions on forestry tracks, and certainly the good company made an otherwise dreary journey north and east far more entertaining than it might otherwise have been.



Ultimately however, once we’d climbed above 4200ft, the snowpack meant the trail at this point was still impassable (by bike at least), we’d been prepared for this of course, but still it was a little disappointing to have got within half a mile of our descent, only to have to ultimately retrace our tracks - and despite my best efforts to utilise Garmin’s mapping to the full in an fruitless effort to find an alternative route down off the mountain.



It was now after 6pm by the time we finally refuelled in the tiny outpost of Trout Lake, and elected to part ways - Wind’ and Heidi’ heading west back to Portland, while Board’ offered to show me one of his favourite roads on his way back south, while I would continue east and north, and try and find somewhere warm and dry to spend the night that would keep me on track for my ‘pilgramige’ scheduled for tomorrow…


photo. The twisty Glenwood Highway passes through this stunning gorge either side of the Klickitat River.

Another 120 miles later (got to love the long evenings further north) and I rocked up at what I thought would be a Motel 6 (according to my GPS) in Yakima, only to find it had been taken over as an independent ‘Budget Inn’ - albeit lock, stock and barrel including all the original linen, and immediately familiar facilities - and even better, the new owners had elected to include free wifi (I can’t believe Motel 6 still tend to charge an extra three bucks for this, really? Its 2017!) and offered a modest continental breakfast (I’m from the continent you know, And I can assure you we have nothing like this there ;o), but at least it filled a gap before I could find a proper coffee shop later that morning…)

cont.

Day 5: Saturday 17th June - Yakima WA to Bellingham WA (281 miles)


“My pig has a message for you…”

Although I was now free of [social] commitments for the next few days, it was still my intention to reach the Canadian boarder by the end of today (Saturday), so as to leave plenty of time to explore some trails (or at least dirt roads) north of Vancouver, on my way to stop over with some friends who live in the Jasper National Park; before ultimately meeting up with Alan & Lisa from the Rocky Mountain Adventure Bike Touring Company (please, can I just use the acronym RMABTC from now on, I’m typing this on an iPad!) and our 'CB500X Rendezvous' scheduled for next weekend on the Alberta/Saskatchewan provincial border.


But first, I had a plan - a pilgrimage if you like - to visit some of the key locations from the TV series Twin Peaks, which was actually filmed just east of the huge Seattle sprawl (rather than closer to the Canadian border which the script implies) - up in the hills near Snoqualmie and North Bend.


The most direct route for me from Yakima would have been to blast up I90 for an hour and a half, but where’s the fun in that? Actually the interstate here passes though some pretty dramatic scenery should you have no other choice - but fortunately electing to stop over in Yakima meant I did have an alternative, one that promised to be even more dramatic and with any luck, might also include a trail or two en route…


photo. Heading out of town on hwy 12 (after a fruitless search for a car/jet wash), I happened on one of those independent drive-through coffee huts next to a gas station, that also had four jet-wash bays - so a result all round!

I then took hwy 410 north towards the Mt Rainier National Park (410 actually passes through the park, but unlike 120 through Yosemite, you don’t have to pay if you’re just passing though), and tippy tapping on my GPS, realised there was a network of forestry trails that effectively paralleled this section of highway I was on.


photo. this was the first snow I found, at a smidge under 6000ft.

With that it was up into the hills (initially I took Bald Mountain Road, which is actually part of the continuing WABDR route), before heading north on what turned out to be an epic series of trails, offering a fantastic view of Mt Rainier in the distance on the way up to just below 6000ft; before descending on a pukka OHV ‘blue’ route, with all the hazards that entails - mud holes (from snow melt), rocks and fallen trees - quite the workout on a bike with luggage I can tell you!


photo. you’ll have to see the video of this log crossing as part of my AV presentation later this Summer... ;o)

edit. frame grab below:




Back on the highway, and it was a chilly blast up to the Chinook Pass - very reminiscent of the Alps I thought, especially with the still sizeable snowbanks from this late winter on either side of the road.



What had started as an optimistic and indeed sunny morning, had reverted to type once I descended towards the greater Seattle basin. Avoiding the worst of the interstate network and its associated Saturday shoppers, I headed due north now for my date with destiny…


photo. 'Dum, dum dum, dum dum, dum dum, daaaa, da da daaaa..."


Arriving at the Snoqulmie Falls much later in the day actually paid dividends, as it was far less busy than it might have been early afternoon, and having initially ridden past the main viewing area, I happened on the alternative at the base of the falls - which really shows the size and power of the river at this point.




I’d also thought to pre-google a couple of other filming locations between here and my ultimate (now dinner) destination of Twede's diner in North Bend, which doubles as the Double R in the show.


photo. The Twin Peaks from Ronette's Bridge (which is now a paved municiple path, rather than an old railway).


photo. Since filming the current 'Return' series (set 25 years later), they have actually erected an official Welcome sign in the original location.


photo. Although is called the Double R diner in the show, Twede's has hung to its original name despite the obvious marketing opportunites...

Since I’d ingested nothing but energy bars and roadside espresso all day, I celebrated with a bacon avocado cheeseburger, but forwent the ‘bottomless’ fries for a side salad, to ensure I had room for a slice of Cherry Pie and a Damn Fine cup of Coffee!


photo. Inside is still pretty authentic to the film set, and actually the staff do wear Twin Peaks t-shirts to go with a modest range of memorobillia on sale.


It has been quite the day - arguably the best yet, since the rain had actually stayed away for the most part, I’d found a killer trail, ridden an epic mountain highway and now seen some key locations from one of my favourite shows (well, the first two seasons, the new version is just plain odd). Oh, and I’d just eaten cheese and meat and pie - what’s not to love?!

So with that, I felt suitably invigorated to crack out another 100+ miles in an effort to bed-down within a stones throw of the Canadian border, in an effort to cross early and get on with the second part of this epic northern adventure!

ps. Of course the moment I got on the bike, it absolutely chucked it down with rain, and I, and all my gear got utterly soaked again for the third time in as many days. I think I need a new Coyote!

More soon!

Jenny x

Day 6: Sunday 18th June - Bellingham WA to Whistler BC (217kms = 135 miles)


“Oh Canada! - Please stop raining!”

The sound of rain outside my bedroom window was a pattern I had quickly grown tired of the past few days… I don’t mind so much getting caught in the rain (or drinking pinacoladas for that matter),but starting out the day in full rain gear is just miserable, especially when you have potentially hundreds of miles to ride...

Fortunately this particular Motel 6 had a midday check-out time, so I made the most of my three dollar wifi connection, and uploaded a few photos and updated you all (see a few posts above) - and wistfully reminisced about sunny northern California while I brewed some decent coffee in my Jet-boil in the room.

I’d not planned to ride a huge distance today anyway - there would be the Canadian border to cross of course, and in my naivety thought his would be as straight forward as crossing into Mexico - ie. a cheery wave if there was even anyone in the booth at all!, rather its the return crossing in to the US that tends to be far slower and fastidious…

I’d also made a tentative plan to meet up with a long-term internet friend for a quick coffee on my way through Vancouver, before ultimately looking for a place to stay at the Ski and Mountain bike resort of Whistler - yes, I now realise how expensive that was going to be! - a further 125kms (yep, we’d be going metric in a minute) north of the city...


photo. The border line at the I5 crossing... about a 45 minute wait. In the rain. At least I'd had the forethought to pick up a sandwich the junction before, although actually eating it meant removing my helmet and getting a wet head of course!


photo. Canada Dry? Nope, Canada wet…

On the far side of the I5 border crossing in the British Columbia visitor centre (the main reason I chose to cross at this - the busiest - point) and I stopped here to pick up one of their National Parks passes, which fortunately this year [2017] to celebrate their 150 year anniversary, are free - gotta love Canada! - before grabbing a quick coffee with my actor friend, where after all these years we finally were able to introduce Piglet to his little penpal buddy Indie in person!



Back on the road - and while the spitting rain while I was waiting in the border traffic line was bearable, once on the Canadian side, together with the crawling traffic being hampered by some absurdly low speed limits, the rain returned with a vengeance - damn I could have stayed in the UK if I’d wanted all of this... although ironically they are currently having a heatwave over there, much to my chagrin every time I log into Facebook!

But hey, I’m in Canada now! - and as I left the sprawl of Vancouver behind, the rain finally eased once I started to head north on 99 otherwise known as the Sea to Sky Highway - beautiful!


Although I was confident there would be plenty of rooms available in Whistler (there are dozens of hotels, not least as many would have originally been accommodation for the Winter Olympic athletes in 2010), I imagined the prices were likely to vary widely, and none likely to be particularly cheap - this being a premier mountain bike resort during the summer months, and ski city during the winter of course.

I used a craving for coffee as an excuse to dive into a Starbucks en route, and take advantage of their free wifi - although not to quite the same advantage as this guy who started to set up a bloody desktop computer on the next table - I don’t think he’d even ordered a coffee!


photo. I snapped this surreptitious shot with my GoPro as I was leaving and frame-grabbed it later ;o)

Thanks to Expedia, I managed to score a room in a nice hotel right on ‘main street’, just a hundred yards or so from the Village Amble (a paved precinct through the heart of town, lined with restaurants, shops and bars) for less than $100 - believe me, that is cheap in this town!




photo. Complete with secure underground parking... for another ten bucks of course.

My room was small, but had one of the most comfortable hotel beds I have ever slept in, a massive TV (never even switched it on), super fast wifi and even a Keurig machine - spot on! That evening I spent a good hour strolling around the town, checking out the rental mountain bikes, souvenir shops and indulging in a huge ice-cream.







…after four days of riding in the rain, I think Piglet and I both needed a bit of a treat!

cont.

Day 7: Monday 19th June - Whistler BC to Bridge Lake BC (364kms = 227 miles)


“West side story”

Tip tip tip tip tip… what is that noise? Oh for f**k’s sake, it’s rain dripping off my balcony roof isn’t it!



I’d set my alarm for 7.30, but switched it off as this bed was the most comfortable I think I have ever slept in, and didn’t wake up again until after 9am!


photo. Piglet saying: "Can we just stay here in bed forever please..."

I made a coffee with the fancy machine, and sat down with my [digital] maps to plan today's route. The forecast said it was due to clear up by mid-morning (actually the night before it had said it wasn’t going to rain at all, bloody liars!), and sure enough, by the time I absolutely had to check out (11am), it had diminished to barely a drizzle.

Rather than take the highway the whole way north east (which would be a rather convoluted zig-zag, albeit a scenic one of course), there seemed to be a network of unpaved/dirt roads that would essentially parallel highway 99, but get me deeper into the wilderness, and in turn offer a different perspective away from the regular tourist traffic.


photo. Damn-it Piglet, what are we going to do with all those seeds now then?


Sure enough, the first of my three proposed ‘dirt road diagonal detours’ today offered some promise!



And I was quietly reassured by the open gate that my plan would work out:



The Pemberton - Seton Portage Road is a mix of pavement, broken tar, gravel and in places, some rougher dirt (especially on the climbs) - not overly technical at all to be honest, but offers some stunningly scenic views as it winds its way high above the Anderson Lake valley below, and essentially joins a series of Indian reservations - although presumably was initially built to service the erection of hundreds of power pylons that span the valley, taking power from the hydro-electric facilities the punctuate the route.






photo. "This is my land you have seen it, The most beautiful land I know. From the tall rugged mountains that screen it, To the beautiful lake below."


photo. Once I arrived in the village of Seton, I realised that despite the Portage Road winding high into the hills, there is actually a railway line that skirts the edge of Anderson Lake the whole way... presumbly to more easily supply the inhabitants of the town and one hotel.

From Seton, the Mission Mountain Road is essentially a continuation of this through route, and although I was tempted to explore an alternative ‘unpaved road’ across the top of the mountain, ultimately when I passed the other end of it many miles on, there was sign saying it was private logging property…


photo. Quintessentially Canada (or at least British Columbia) I thought? - and a lovely spot for a crunch-bar lunch.


photo. If I'd taken the alternative route, I’d have missed this comedy sign too!

Dropping into Lillooet (where I would rejoin hwy 99 briefly) way past my traditional lunchtime, I spied a line of cruisers parked next to a suitably independent cafe - time for more coffee and a sarnie I think!


photo. Recommended! And got chatting with a couple from Birmingham (UK, not Alabama) who were on an RV holiday!


The next dirt section was the Pavillion - Clinton Road, again, a well groomed and well-drained gravel/dirt road that winds its way over the mountains, through forests and up into the high pasture country - food for the soul indeed!


photo. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Pavillion on highway 99 is where you turn back onto the dirt...

More coffee in Clinton (of course!) at a cute indie shop, that advertised wifi (gotta grab it where you can out here you know!), and I elected to press on further east in the early evening - to stay ahead of any following rain, and to ultimately give me a shorter day tomorrow into Jasper.


My final dirt section (and to be honest this really is little more than an unsurfaced road, just waiting for tarmac to be applied!) was the N Boneparte Road from 70 Mile House (surely 112km house these days? - ed.) to Bridge Lake on hwy 24, where, in a fit of rashness brought on by that large espresso earlier in Clinton, I’d employed Expedia once again to find somewhere suitable to spend the night - and score two! - the Lac Des Roches lakeside camping and cabin resort is where you’ll currently find me, eating breakfast in their Italian restaurant/cafe. I really like Canada now!


photo. A simple cabin, but quiet and comfortable (once I found out how to turn the heating on!), and right next to a lakeside Italian restaurant - result!


Toot toot for now!


Jenny x

Ok, one more should bring everything right up to date!


Day 8: Tuesday 20th June - Bridge Lake BC to Jasper AB (396kms = 247.5 miles - that half mile is important!)

"Thunderstruck"

I'd had a really nice day yesterday - the weather had been kind, and the mix of minor highways and unsurfaced roads has seen me weave almost endlessly though some beautiful and remote countryside. The route has also confirmed to me that British Columbia has some world-class independent coffee shops! - yep, Canada had at last redeemed itself!

Having woken early - very early, initially just before 5am - ultimately I felt I'd been gifted some precious few hours with which to get this ride report up to date (hence the proliferation of posts and photos above, written offline originally due to weak wifi at the lodge), before indulging in a coffee and cake breakfast in the restaurant by the lake.

Although the forecast was for more rain today, so far it has stayed away - and indeed this morning was what you might even call sunny if still a little chilly - so I hit the road in good time in an effort to stay ahead of the weather coming in from the west.


photo. Originally I'd planned to just ride the 400-ish kms to day on a series of scenic highways, but on arrival in Little Fort, saw an unpaved alternative on the far side of the river... I was expecting a bridge, but it turned out to be a ferry!

Once on the far side, it was an easy gravel road for the most part, although some repair work was going on where presumably the weather at washed some weaker parts away.


photo. Little Fort and the ferry in the background.


photo. Scenery like this is even better when viewed away from the pavement!


photo. Windpass Road leading into Dunn Lake Road had been a lovely distraction, but I was conscious the sky was starting to cloud over, so after rejoining Highway 5 at Clearwater, wasted no time pressing on...

I made it just as far as a refuel spot at Blue River before the heavens opened. It was still 220kms to Jasper this afternoon, and I had no choice but to grit my teeth and suck it up:

Torrential rain in BC/AB (YouTube)

Seriously, this was probably the worst weather I have ever ridden in, particularly for so long - there was no let up for over 130 miles and two and a half hours or more: sleet, wind, rain, lightening, spray - even a falling tree at one point right at the side of the road! - all the way into Jasper National Park. I counted down each 10 kms on the GPS screen with a curse, overtook any vehicle in front of me kicking up spray while disregarding any speed limits or double yellow lines (where safe to do so of course ;o), and ultimately would have stopped for nothing and no one, had they even dared to try me!

All I can say is thank goodness I was scheduled to spend a couple of nights with some dear friends at their house in Jasper - and subsequently spent a soild fifteen minutes in the shower thawing out when I arrived, before making full use of their utility and laundry room, drying everything I owned out... again!!!

So while today (Wednesday 21st June) is now technically Day 9 - I feel no shame in having written today off riding-wise; rather used my time productively to catch up on some admin, sort though my photos and videos, and update you all here in detail...

Tomorrow it all starts again however (minus the rain, please!) as I'm due to meet up with Alan from RMABTC in the morning and head east (hopefully via a few trails), in preparation for their 'CB500X Rendezvous' event this coming weekend - and I'm looking forward to meeting some of you there!

Aye?

Jenny x

OK, I'm back in the US now (crossed the border early this morning) and safely ensconsed in a budget motel in Choteau MT - that seems to have suprisingly good wifi, so here goes...

Day 9: Wednesday 21st June - Jasper AB to the kitchen and back... (0 miles)

"Catching up"

The 21st of June might technically be the longest day, but after shelpping through the northwest deluge for hundreds of miles these past few days, for once the CB didn't even turn a wheel today!

It was really good to have a constant supply of Keurig coffee and stable wifi, and plenty of time to catch up with all my photos/videos and updates here (above) from the first week on the road.


photo. A bit of bed-time reading - Bob had left this book in the guest room, and yes, there was a chapter on extreme weather!

After far too late a night eating and drinking and catching up with our respective news once more, I didn't actually get to bed until after 1am (the light late nights this far north don't help either), and had to be up in good time the following morning to load up my bike with my freshly laundered luggage and head off again on a little sorjorn to Saskatchewan...

cont.

Day 10: Thursday 22nd June - Jasper AB to Leduc AB (424kms = 265 miles)

"Flat out in First"

I arrived in good time in Hinton (on hwy 16), having arranged to meet Alan Buck from RMABTC at a civilised 10am and ride together back to their base in Leduc, approximately half way across the province, and just south of the capital Edmonton.


photo. Arriving with a good few minutes to spare, and yes, having got rained on again on my way east, I ducked into a Tim Horton's bakery (I'd been in Canada five days already and had yet to sample their delights), only to find Alan had had exactly the same idea, so we officially met over coffee and a bun!

Alan had plotted a fast gravel road route east, staying off pavement for a couple of hundred kms, before hitting some still minor roads for the final leg. However, barely half an hour after we first hit the dirt, the first mishap of the day occurred:


photo. Yes, I know what you're thinking - why is the Africa Twin lying on its side, especially when it clearly has a centre stand fitted?

Riding side by side, I noticed at the same time as Alan did that he'd got a puncture in the front tyre - damn it.

Hoisting the beast onto its centre stand, we pulled the front wheel off only to find that dispite the modest luggage load bias on the rear, the AT is still not actually all that well balanced, and it tilted forward onto its fork legs... no problem we thought - until the stand sprung up and meant it was now resting on just the rear wheel and the fork bottoms in the dirt.

note. A trick we really ought to have employed at the outset was to hold the centre stand in the down position using a strap* forward to the engine guard for example, so that it cannot spring back up...

*Giant Loop Pronghorn straps work very well in the regard as we were able to confirm once reassembling the bike.

Anyway, it seemed stable enough, so Alan got on with fixing the flat - interestingly nothing had actually penetrated the tyre, rather a small rectangular shard of metal seemed to be embeded in the inside of the tyre, and had rubbed a tiny hole in the tube - and we ended up patching it.

Then the wind blew the bike over.

And then it started to rain, again.

We deployed the centre stand (compete with bungee strap) and together we heaved the beast upright - then I supported the rear of the bike while Alan hastily refitted the front wheel so we could get going again and try and outride this rain...

As soon as he set off, it was clear something was amiss... the DCT gearbox was now stuck in first gear, and nothing he could do would shift it.

Initially we wondered if the clutches had been flooded or something since the bike had been lying on its side for a good half hour, but no manner of idling or even lying the bike down on the other side had any effect.

He rode on for a few minutes (fortunately the Africa Twin will do around 50mph in 1st gear, so 35 mph was bearable for a short stint at least, particularly as we still had a very long way to go!), then over the intercom we considered if perhaps pulling a few fuses might reset something, so it was off with the seat to see if that did any good. It didn't.

Another few miles and another stop to let the bike cool down. Once on the move again and Alan noticed the ABS light was also illuminated, together with the Traction Control... I wondered if the ABS ring had been damaged/bent during the refitting, when almost immediately it finally dawned on Alan that what if he had fitted the front wheel in the wrong way around...?


photo. that 'Doh' moment, and a huge sigh of relief!

Sure enough, once we stopped and inspected the front end, the mistake was clear - while the AT has twin front discs, it only has a single ABS sensor ring, and while the wheel will fit in the forks either way round, in this instance there was now no pulse for the sensor, so the bike was running in a limp-home mode*

*I have to say, I find it odd that Honda will let you switch off the ABS and the TC from the dash and still ride with a full box of gears, but if there is a wheel sensor issue, then it locks you into first - presumably they don't trust you cope with no ABS or TC other than if you've consciously made the decision to switch them off.




Once we'd finally sorted the wheel, it was full speed ahead back to the RMABTC HQ (away from the mountains, the middle of Alberta reminded me very much of rural northern France) and the evening spent with well earned pizza and beer or two with the family - a great way to round off the dramas of the day!

cont.

Day 11: Friday 23rd June - Leduc AB to Macklin Lake SK (340kms = 212 miles)

"Rendezvous"

Alan and Lisa had offered to support the weekend's dual-sport riding event with a Hog-Roast scheduled for the Saturday night. Lisa had already collected the pig itself while we'd been riding over the day before, and it was currently being kept cool in their garage, in a kids paddling pool filled with ice - looking like some bizzare macabre drowning incident!

Alan was scheduled to collect the rotisserie this morning, before hooking up their huge (38ft) 5th-wheel camper, which rather fortunately had more than enough accommodation for me to not have to set up my tent at all this coming weekend - result!


photo. I took the opportunity during the morning errand run to stock up on a few replenishments for my depleting stash - coffee, crunch-bars, camping gas and chain lube, plus a replacement Camelbak valve and a new Buff - both of which I seem to have misplaced during the previous few days...

It was then time to collect the trailer:


photo. The 5th- wheel is demountable, allowing Alan and Lisa to carry up to two spare/stricken bikes in the back of their huge double-cab pick-up as might be required during a Tour.



photo. The camper tends not to be used on the Tours themselves (Lisa drives the pick-up as a sweep/support car, typically for when they are wild camping for example), but can carry all four of their Level 2 Rally Raided CB500Xs in the rear garage section of this 'toy-hauler' design.

With that, I jumped back on my own bike and rode the short distance into Edmonton to meet with a handful of members of the Alberta Dual-Sport Club who were co-hosting the weekend with their compatriots across the border in Saskatchewan.



photo. Local ADVrider inmate Patobez also joined the group for the 340km ride to the Macklin campground that afternoon...

On arrival we found the main dinning tent was already set-up, and it wasn't long until the barbecue and general bonhomme flowed in copious amounts for all concerned. This was going to be a fun weekend!

More soon...

Jenny x

Day 12: Saturday 24th June - Macklin Lake to Macklin Lake (loop) SK (180kms = 112.5 miles)

"Jungle Love"

The format of the event day was to 'treasure hunt' a series of waypoints (using your GPS) that were typically landmarks, and take a photo of one or more of your team members to prove you'd been there... Simple enough, and to be honest, the whole competitive element was distinctly loose - as it ought to be when the primary purpose is to have fun of course - with bonus points awarded arbitrarily depending on how silly your photos were (see some of Scratches' examples above).



photo. Macklin (Lake) played host to this foolish endeavour, being an ideal location for the neighbouring clubs in Alberta and Saskatchewan to 'rendezvous' - hence the title of the event.

But more importantly perhaps, what is a Bunnock you might ask? And is it at all relevant?



The answer in reverse order is no, and actually the bone from a horses foot - that are used as a kind of skittle game, (devised by Russians originally), and seemingly abandoned to this little corner of Canada. Personally I couldn't help but think it was all an excuse to have a massive naked lady as their town mascot!

Anyway, back to the job in hand... with all the other teams raring to go, conversely I admit it was a leisurely start for team CBeebies (that would be Patrick and myself on the CB500Xs), who were then joined by 'Dual-sport Dave' (Scratch, above) who was the organiser of the event, who also fancied a bit of a run before getting back to camp in good time to great the other competitors on their return, which suited us all just fine.


photo. One of our early checkpoints was this old church, seemingly still in use at least occasionally...


photo. We signed the visitor book - the most recent previous entry was from 2016!


photo. More messing about at a checkpoint, oh how we laughed!


photo. These old buildings looked like they were part of some kind of commune (there was a series of other 'accommodation' buildings in a line nearby) - not a checkpoint as such, but a suitable rest-stop so that we might adjust Patobez's bars after his inaugural drop.

Most of the trails were fast gravel roads between the huge fields that make up this rolling border country - however, there was one particular section - on my GPS as the shortest route between two particular waypoints - that progressively deteriorated from two-track, to grassy two-track, to faint indentation, to overgrown trail - excellent!


photo. Patobez weaving the CB500X through the undergrown to circumnavigate a fallen tree.

The trail was still as clear as day on the screen in my GPS, but on the ground, any track was rapidly returning to nature under the long grass, and increasingly punctuated by some quite substantial saplings...


photo. I nicknamed the GSA 'Thunderbird 2' after we'd had to bend a series of saplings sideways to squeeze the beast and its boxes though... again to navigate another fallen tree on the 'main' trail.


photo. Pausing for a breather and a crunch-bar lunch... "Trust me fellas, we are still on the trail!"


photo. Sandy single-track trail had it's moments, but we all got through eventually...

After what seemed like forever, the official trail in the GPS was bysected by a barbed-wire fence, but fortunately there was an established single track trail alongside on our side, that led us the final two kilometres out into an open field, and ultimately the main track and our destination waypoint beyond - boy we'd earned that one!


photo. Re-inflating the GSA's rear tyre as we'd let it down from around 40psi to 25psi in an effort to gain as much traction as we dared in the sand.

With that, we elected to call it day and head straight back to camp now as it was after 4pm already, and the hungry riders would be returning shortly...


photo. Forunately Alan (& Lisa) had chosen to stay behind at camp and keep an eye on the pig, who was doing very nicely by now!

Food, beer and copious chitter-chatter followed, winners were announced, and the campfire lit... the perfect end to a full-on day on the trails!

I retired to my comfortable letter-box bed in the camper a touch before midnight - sated and tired... It would be a long day [all] on the road tomorrow, as I'd decided to head all the way back west across Alberta to Jasper, spend one more night with my friends Bob & Janet and enjoy some more of their wonderful hospitality, which in turn would allow me to ride the length of the Icefields Parkway (hwy 93) through the National Park the following day, which I'd been assured was "not to be missed!"

cont.

Day 13: Sunday 25th June - Macklin SK to Jasper AB (690 kms = 429 miles!)

"Liaison"

Like a page right out of the Dakar Rally, today was effectively a 'transit' - a needs-must to set me up nicely for the following day...

After some fond fairwells and promises to meet again, Pat and I rode together as far as Edmonton, where I continued west, punctuated only by fuel stops and Tim Horton's comestible ingestions...


photo. As the afternoon wore on, I'd almost forgotten about all the rain I'd endured the previous week... it was actually warm too!

I rolled into town a little after 8pm, to find Bob in the garage, finishing off some work on his Polaris race buggy:


photo. I first met Bob in 2010 when we competed in the Tunisian round of the FIM cross-country rally world championship (both on bikes that time)... he's now given up two wheels for four, and does very nicely thank you!

It was a joy to spend one last evening with the Joneses, and I retired (much too late again) having sorted all my laundry, maps, and fully charged all my electrical gadgets. Things were unlikely to be quite this comfortable for a while now... and yet at the same time, I was now relishing 'moving on' again at last - and into the second chapter of this latest cross-country odyssey.

Jx