Last leg home

We made the final run home today, riding up 97 in to Washington and over Chinook Pass on 410. Three hundred and thirty-five miles.  Our grand total was just over Three thousand miles in our nine days riding.

 Rob on his Beemer.

 Steve on his Road King.

Plans are underway for next years ride. A rerun or do over if you will - some of our favorite rides from the past five years - all east of the Cascades and out of the rain!! Beartooth Pass, Spiral Hiway, Hell's Canyon, Canadian Rockies, Road to the Sun.... so many good roads.
Thanks again to my travelling partners Steve and Rob. Good guys, good friends. Sorry Dave and Pat couldn't make the trip this year. We'll try to make it happen next year.

Two-lane blacktop

Three hundred and seventy nine miles of mostly flat, straight, two-lane blacktop on Highways 395, 31 and 97 between Susanville, CA, and Madras, OR. Really a pleasant ride, just totally different from the last few days. Had a great dinner at Geno's. We'll be home tomorrow.

As usual, just click on the picture to see it full size.

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The sign leading to Ebbett's Pass on Highway 4 out of Angels Camp reds:

It's a beautiful drive. Steve and I stopped at the aptly named Mosquito Lake to take pictures - but not for long.

From there it was on to South Lake Tahoe, then 395 to Susanville. Only 279 miles today.

Only 380 miles tomorrow as we hurry home. We'll spend tomorrow night in Madras, OR.

Off to Chico and Angels Camp

Poor internet service in Chico prevented me from posting last night. The days and roads and curves all blur together. We average over 300 miles each day, with hundreds of curves.

The road to Chico took us past Mt. Shasta and through Mt. Lassen National Volcanic Park. Visit Lassen if you haven't - it's an amazing drive, beautiful scenery.

The ride from Chico to Angels Camp in Calaveras County, California (made famous by Mark Twain) was mostly along Highway 49, with a stop in the quaint little town of Nevada City for lunch at Lefty's Grill. Well worth a visit for the brisket sandwich with jalapeno and cilantro cole slaw. We all loved that meal. Here is the one picture I took today that impressed me.

It was Scott Day!!

It was a Scott day. We rode in Scott Valley, along the Scott River, over Scott Pass, looked at Scott Mountain, saw Scott Lake and rode on Scott Road! 320 miles in beautiful sunshine. What a nice change from the last few days. Another night in Yreka tonight then off to Chico tomorrow.

The All Star ride to Northern California

Since the three bikes that made the trip are red, white and blue, Steve chose the name.

Our first day was spent almost totally in the rain. Purdy to Redmond, OR, 380 miles. Sorry no pictures in the rain.

Today Rob led Steve and I over McKenzie Pass just west of Sisters, OR. We were lucky, the pass just opened yesterday. It's a beautiful ride that climaxes at the observatory in the lava field at 5,300 and some feet. Coming down the west side, the temperatures dropped with the elevation. It was a great road for a motorcycle ride.

We continued through Eugene to Reedsport - at times in a downpour. Rob enjoyed testing himself and his new tires on the wet pavement from Reedsport to Sutherlin. After a beautiful detour from I-5 on the Cow Creek Road between Riddle and Glendale, we continued on to Grants Pass for the night, which included snacks and drinks on the patio.

Tomorrow we will ride to Yreka, CA, via Eureka. 199 to 101, then 299 and 96 back to I-5. A 120 mile trip that will encompass about 350 miles.

Let go of the past

Maybe, just maybe, I really have. I gave myself an $840 per year raise yesterday. I emptied the storage unit. Goodwill got five pick up loads of good usable stuff. The waste transfer station got 30 years of my life.
All of those pay stubs dating from 1976 to 2006 are history. All of those training certificates and awards, even those fancy plaques they gave me and were never hung on a wall. The divorce papers, too.
Thom kept all of my tools and garage stuff - that was another truck full of stuff. He had to reorganize his garage to make room for everything. He hasn't even opened the boxes yet. Each one will be a little treasure chest.
Four small boxes of pictures and memories will accompany me back to Arizona. I'll have my own jewels to examine.
The road trip to NorCal starts on Saturday. Rain and clouds are in the forecast for the Portland area. Good thing the rain gear got packed.