I'll be on the road in North America for most of the remainder of 2010. Currently I'm on the east coast - North Carolina/Tennessee/Virginia border area. I'll be heading to the west coast in a month or two.

Just wondering: anyone looking to meet up, share a camp or few?

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I'm a long way from anywhere in particular at the moment, but I'd be happy to try and catch up at some point. Are you going back to Seattle, in which case I'll be in the neighborhood by August or September, or are you keeping on the move?

Mark

(your ex-neighbor, now in Brasilia, tomorrow elsewhere)

Well, as everyone from the PacNW knows, the best time to be there is after July 4, through September. I should be out there at that time, but since I'm homeless, yes, I'll be 'on the move'. Except its really great country to be motorcycling through - and camping - and I'm looking forward to it. Idaho, Montana, Oregon...

I'm enjoying the riding and country down here in the southern Appalachians. Great motor biking facilities - campgrounds and such. And good twisty mtn. roads, lots of off-roading in the national forests, and plenty of places for free camping. Weather has been wet and cool since I've been here.

I may head to the southwest in May - New Mexico, Arizona, so. California., then on up through no. California and Oregon in June.

And I'm thinking of going south again by bike (Central America) for the winter. Or maybe Thailand, or Argentina, or Colombia.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I'll be arriving in the US next week (volcanic ash erruptions permitting!) and then have a few errands to run/people to see around the New York area, before heading West. Had thought about following Route 66 from Chicago down to Amarillo, then heading down to Mexico for a few days, but no firm plans.
Do have to be in Colorado Springs at the beginning of June for 4 days - that's the only fixed point.
I then want to meet a friend in LA before heading north - maybe even all the way up the Dalton Highway, and back to NY across Canada. All a bit vague - but I don't like planning too much detail. I have 4 months before I need to be back in the UK.

I ride a KTM 990 Adventure - and will be camping as much as possible.
Let's keep in touch - and maybe even meet up at some point?

Cheers,

Eryl

I could be in the Ozarks (Arkansas) mid to late May (you'll pass the closest to the Ozarks (mtns.) on Route 66 in Joplin Missouri).

A possibility here as well; my residence for 10 years - the ex still lives here - and I'll pass through and say hi to a few friends late May/early June as well.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Hi there quastdog, I am planning a trip up the 101 from Redding Ca around early July. Then take the backroads to the coast and up 101 trough Oregon and see my Father in Bremerton, Wa for a day.. I'll head over the cascades on State hwy 20 then cross the border in Danville Wa.. STop at Radium Hot Spr. for a soak then Up to Jasper park and down to Whistler for some downhill MTB.. after that Ill head down to Ranier Park..then do the spine and east side of the Cades back to Redding should take two weeks. I am then stayin till fall then heading down to Mexico to explore it... Hope to see you on the road,

Keep your tires rollin,

Robert..

I probably won't make it over the border into the States until July, but I'll be out there somewhere, at some point, somehow. If I arrive home too early (my house is rented out until September) I'll probably head north, subject to all the usual parameters, excuses and evasions.

Hope to see you along the way!

Mark

Mark:
Let's try to meet up in California/Oregon somewhere. I'll probably do the Sierras north instead of the coast (it's the tourists! - as well as the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Yosemite...) I'm planning on doing the BMW MOA rally in Redmond, OR in mid-July (cheap camping/hanging out with humans)...but now I'm doing too much planning and that's not a good thing.

Have a good ride north through CA.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Bonedust:
Sort of like trying to hit a moving target - or in your case, trying to hit me as you're riding past. I'll be moving with a bit less ambition than your travel plans - but if your nearby, shoot! lets mingle!

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

BTW: current location, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina. Yesterday was rain, but today is sunny, and tourists are light in number. I'm heading up to Shenandoah N.P. - ride the Blue Ridge Pkwy south back to where I was last week (storms drove me out of the mountains, same ones that flooded Nashville) - then I'll head towards Arkansas.

I really am enjoying seeing America by motorcycle!

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I am in Redding CA. I will be doing a short ride to the TYNDA Rally near Oakridge Oregon on June 25-27. There will be many speakers that have traveled the world or are traveling the world. Free camping a shower etc. The host is Eric and Gail Hawes. They are world travelers as well. If you want more info just let me know.

Mike

Hey Quastdog.

I'm living from Miami to Tampa today.
Tomorrow to New Orleans and then New Mexico, Colorado, Utah.
After that work my way up to Washington. I wan to see Yellowstone but the west coast too, so I' not sure what directions would I take.
Any way, let me now if we cross roads so we can ride for a while together.
If not maybe you can give me some tips of roads, camping, and must see places.

Well, this goes for anyone else that is out there.


Keep enjoining!!
Good ride.

Aldo


2005 f650 GS DAKAR.

I previously mentioned a bear encounter happened to me down in Yosemite. I had another encounter 2 weeks later.

A couple weeks ago I rode west through Chico, Calif., on my way from Sierraville to the coast. I spent the night in the Mendocino National Forest, up in the Mendocino Mountains (coastal range), in Mendocino county (northern cal.) just above 6000 feet. I found an unused horse camp - picnic table, artesian well water, fire ring, flat spot for the tent. I crawled into the bag early, before sunset, for lack a fire as the temps rapidly dropped.

I became awake with a tapping sound on my tent, near my head on the tent fabric. Something - an animal of some type - had to be trying to get in. I shouted loudly, but the tapping continued. I clapped hands - no halt. What the ???! At least no claw ripping through the fabric. And no stink, so far. WTF? Its freezing ass cold out, some damn animal is outside my tent.

I crawled out of the bag - right then I should have asked myself what was I doing?

I felt around for my headlamp - still something tapping. I unzipped the screen door, and began unzipping the 2nd fabric door, zipped partially closed for ventilation while providing a bit of extra warmth. I get the doors unzipped, hit my headlamp switch and stick my head out the door with light blazing. The snake, sitting on my duffle bag, (or the snake-like alien bio-life/mind probe thingy is another theory), instantly blinded, backed out and disappeared in a flash. Me - I cooly recoiled into the back corner of my tent and, unnerved a teeny bit, rapidly regained my composure and scrambled to zip the freaking hole in the tent closed and keep out the freaking serpent from hell.

Bloody bastard was looking to snuggle up to a warm body - or maybe an orifice in the case of that alien probe. I didn't like where that was going at the time, so I triple checked zip closures. Glad I had that pee bottle with me inside the tent; probing outside for it in the dark, where the snakes were, was a bit terrifying.

I had a bit of trouble sleeping, but in the end managed to get a full night's sleep. It was freezing cold in the a.m. - coldest night of the trip. In California, no less.

So travelers, along with the bears, think snake!

Sleep well.

Oh, and one other thing. Check out the slugs in Oregon. Huge suckers, covered in slime. What are those things?

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Jeebus,McKenzie Pass is STILL closed?.I guess it`s still only July 1.
So I
didn`t know about that ADVrider thing at Salmon.I wanted to try to make one of those without going too far east,that looks like it could be doable.Looks like it`s only about 550mls east of Redmond.I too wamt to go south after Redmond,waaay south.
Anyways,you sound all nice `n comfy up there with yer `n Hi-Fidelity tunes `n sheet !!
I`m pullin outa here(Ft.Lauderdale) Sat morn @ 5am headed for Albuequerque by Sun night.Thats the plan anyway,we`ll see.
If I don`t hear from ya Chuck i`ll see ya at Redmond.

Murf

I did contact Eric/Gail and said I'd be attending their gathering. I'm in the same neighborhood.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand