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.