SoCal to the North Cascades and back, 11 days

[Heen]

Cowbell, Love your ride report. I road the Bickelton Hwy this morning in the rain and recognize where you took the pictures. I bet you had more fun!

 

[wheatonFJR]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Great ride report and trip! Most excellent job of getting the most out of each day!!

Enjoyed it, thanks.

--G

 

[Morecowbell]

In Oregon any road south of I-84, mostly east of Hwy 97, and north of Hwy 26 and to the Idaho border is riding the the box. If you ride in the box all the roads are good!

You got that right...I could spend a few days riding all the roads in that area, but I always seem to hit various sections while passing through on different trips.

I road the Bickelton Hwy this morning in the rain and recognize where you took the pictures. I bet you had more fun!

Yep, we had fun on that road...but instead of the rain, we had to deal with some really howling winds. There are times when I'm not sure which is worse!

 

[BigOgre]

Enjoyed following along - thanks.

But eleven days and neither of you used a top box or tail bag?? <Sigh> I gotta rethink my packing strategy.

 

[Morecowbell]

But eleven days and neither of you used a top box or tail bag?? <Sigh> I gotta rethink my packing strategy.

It's funny that you noticed that. I have a V46 top box, but I generally only have that mounted when the wife is riding with me. Ten years of touring has shown me that in the past, I carried way too much stuff that I didn't need.
I've also discovered the new fabrics that allow washing in the sink/shower at night and they're dry and ready to go in the morning, so I only carry a couple of shirts and undies. I used to carry a weeks worth of shirts and undies, so the new method saves a ton of space. I carry a weeks worth of socks and a spare pair of jeans, so after 7 days, I'll have to do a small load of laundry. I actually have space left over in the left side case with my clothing/shaving kit/battery chargers. The right side case has jumper cables, 1st aid kit, rain gear and jacket liner, and a few other small items.

When the wife tags along, she gets the right side case and we fill the V46 all the other stuff.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I have been very busy and could not make time to read this RR start to finish until just now. It was worth the wait. Damn Well Done.

It was great fun watching someone else with bad luck, the blocked roads and forced turnarounds were a wonderful part of the story.

I am in my mid forties also and while I am not exactly a dirty old man, I also enjoy nice "scenery". I make it a point to tip the waitress or the waiter very well if they do a good job, I like to spread the happiness to everyone when I am on vacation.

Your thoughts about the kids on the school bus were very similar to mine. I get the same feeling when I am pulling a boat while everyone else is going to work.

The part I did not understand was all that white stuff. What is that? We never see it down here and it does not look like much fun to me.

I enjoyed this one very much, I will be looking forward to the RR for the Ozarks.

 

[bruinFJRguy]

Damn,Jim! Great breakdown and awesome pics! The first few thousand miles on the FJ09 were around wine country; 128, 175, 20, 1, Dry Creek, Skaggs Springs, and a slew of other roads. Looks like you guys had an awesome trek all the way around! I'll have to get better equipped for cool and damp weather comfort at some point. Sure looks like it would be worth it. Glad the remnants of your rubber held up.

Did you manage to get a chop when you got home?

 

[gapiob]

yess, Very nice RR.

With this kind of story, I have just one desire, go back on road!.

Thanks

 

[Morecowbell]

I make it a point to tip the waitress or the waiter very well if they do a good job, I like to spread the happiness to everyone when I am on vacation.

I agree with that 100%. I tip a minimum of 20% because I'm lazy and it's easier to do the math that way. Even if the service is sub-par, I'll still tip 15%. But if the staff does a good job and has a great attitude (or she's really cute), I'm quite happy to spend a little extra. It might help create good karma, which I always need when out on a road trip.

The part I did not understand was all that white stuff. What is that? We never see it down here and it does not look like much fun to me.

After this trip, I was quite tired of seeing all the white stuff. It's pretty when you see it on the nearby mountains, but it sucks when it's laying across the road impeding our forward progress. And to think our initial plan was to stay low and avoid the snow...that didn't work out as well as we had hoped. I was surprised at the low snow elevations in a few areas.

I'll have to get better equipped for cool and damp weather comfort at some point. Sure looks like it would be worth it.
Did you manage to get a chop when you got home?

Hey Jordan! Yeah, eventually you'll want to get some waterproof gloves. It only took me 20 years to finally figure that out. All these years I've just used one pair of gloves year 'round, adding glove liners and grip heat when needed. But last fall riding in Montana in 37 degree rain with soaked gloves, and this last trip really pushed me over the edge. I just spent $160 on some Alpinestars WR-3 Gore-Tex gloves. I might only wear them a few times per year, but if they keep my hands dry/warm, it'll be money well spent.

Yeah, I finally got the pork chop a few days after getting home. It was good, but just not the same as after a 500+ mile day while out on tour.