Fontanaman
Robin Trower
Two weeks prior my buddy Brian called and said lets go over Highway 2 on Sunday October 16th to see the fall colors. Now all we needed was some decent weather.
A few days prior to the ride Brian called and said he was obligated to another ride to tie up a few loose ends and invited me to join him. My heart was still set on Stevens Pass and Chumstick highway so I decided to put a post on the FJR forum and contact Fran an old friend who I had not road with in a long time.
After posting the ride agenda on the forum, Brian called saying he was in again so I modified the forum post to meet in Monroe at 7:30. The day before the ride weather telemetry at Stevens Pass suggested freezing temps and a damp road surface so once again I changed the forum post to push back the meeting time to 8:30am at the Monroe McDonald's. With all the change I forget to inform Fran but to be fair he had not committed to the ride.
Finally the plan was set and I left Renton at 7:30. It was foggy and 46 degrees all the way to Monroe. When I pulled up at McDonald’s I found Brian had just arrived and was talking with forum member Escapefjrtist. I ordered a large coffee along with a little needed breakfast burrito and we started a bike stuff takathon - great fun! It turns out Brian knows Escapefjrist through Dave Preston who used to organize ride through Cycle Barn.
Next thing we know forum member Speedygg shows up meaning more BS and more coffee - excellent! The day before Speedygg picked a very nice used yellow Aerostich for a $100 at the Ride West swap meet. We were all going ga ga over the ridiculous deal. We talked about gear and this and that and soon my second 16 oz of coffee is nearly gone prompting a comment I would not get past Gold Bar before needing to stop. Ha I responded I can easily make it to the rest stop on Hwy 2 near Lake Wenatchee but first we needed to get going as it was approaching 10:00am.
Escapefjrist was just visiting feeling the need to kill blackberry bushes in his yard. I admire him for no amount of teasing, cajoling or arm twisting was going to keep him from this task. Speedygg on the other hand had a limited amount of time and decide he could go to Plain and return via Hwy 2.
Off we went in to the fog and 46 degree temps. Leavenworth was enduring another Oktoberfest yet traffic on Hwy 2 was surprisingly light. We got through the towns of Sultan, Slow Down and Get the Heck Out of My Way on the way to sunny skies near Skykomish. After Skykomish some young kid in a Jeep Cherokee was driving erratically and I stopped at the summit to let him go on down the road, taking the opportunity to put on my sun glasses.
There was a bit of color on the hills north of the highway near the summit but nothing really spectacular so on we went to the rest stop near Lake Wenatchee for a short break. Hey I was good on my word!
Just after leaving Plain, good fortune was with us as a slow car ahead of us pulled over allowing some spirited riding over and ridge on the Chumstick Highway. Soon after Speedygg turned around and headed home to attend to other commitments.
Since we did not find the fall colors this year here are a couple of photos I shot along the Chumstick Hwy in October 2006.
Brian and I forged on passing a gaggle of cars before the twisties on the north side of Blewett Pass, meaning there was no way we were going to stop for photos even if there was lots of color in the trees and it turned out there wasn't. Not one photo taken yet so onward we went to the the Red Horse Diner. While eating our lunch I was shocked to see Fran pull up. His was quite a story. Not knowing about the delayed start time, he drove through Monroe at 8:30, did not stop at the McDonalds, following the exact same route, stopped to visit a friend near Leavenworth and road on to the Red Horse diner.
After lunch we gassed up and headed to Naches and Chinook Pass via I-82 and Hwy 12 to 410. For the first time today we were not riding into the sun and some autumn color was in the trees from Nile to Chinook Pass.
Fontanaman dropped off to take the first photos of the day and here they are.
Naches River near Nile Washington
Golden tree along Hwy 410
American River along Hwy 410
We regrouped at Tipsoo Lake near Chinook Pass. We said our good byes and hit the road each finding our own way home. It had been a great day of yapping about bikes and riding under blue skies with temp in the high 50’s and low ’60 nearly all day. I rolled back into the fog near Greenwater where temp was 46 degrees and remained so and foggy all the way to Renton.
A few days prior to the ride Brian called and said he was obligated to another ride to tie up a few loose ends and invited me to join him. My heart was still set on Stevens Pass and Chumstick highway so I decided to put a post on the FJR forum and contact Fran an old friend who I had not road with in a long time.
After posting the ride agenda on the forum, Brian called saying he was in again so I modified the forum post to meet in Monroe at 7:30. The day before the ride weather telemetry at Stevens Pass suggested freezing temps and a damp road surface so once again I changed the forum post to push back the meeting time to 8:30am at the Monroe McDonald's. With all the change I forget to inform Fran but to be fair he had not committed to the ride.
Finally the plan was set and I left Renton at 7:30. It was foggy and 46 degrees all the way to Monroe. When I pulled up at McDonald’s I found Brian had just arrived and was talking with forum member Escapefjrtist. I ordered a large coffee along with a little needed breakfast burrito and we started a bike stuff takathon - great fun! It turns out Brian knows Escapefjrist through Dave Preston who used to organize ride through Cycle Barn.
Next thing we know forum member Speedygg shows up meaning more BS and more coffee - excellent! The day before Speedygg picked a very nice used yellow Aerostich for a $100 at the Ride West swap meet. We were all going ga ga over the ridiculous deal. We talked about gear and this and that and soon my second 16 oz of coffee is nearly gone prompting a comment I would not get past Gold Bar before needing to stop. Ha I responded I can easily make it to the rest stop on Hwy 2 near Lake Wenatchee but first we needed to get going as it was approaching 10:00am.
Escapefjrist was just visiting feeling the need to kill blackberry bushes in his yard. I admire him for no amount of teasing, cajoling or arm twisting was going to keep him from this task. Speedygg on the other hand had a limited amount of time and decide he could go to Plain and return via Hwy 2.
Off we went in to the fog and 46 degree temps. Leavenworth was enduring another Oktoberfest yet traffic on Hwy 2 was surprisingly light. We got through the towns of Sultan, Slow Down and Get the Heck Out of My Way on the way to sunny skies near Skykomish. After Skykomish some young kid in a Jeep Cherokee was driving erratically and I stopped at the summit to let him go on down the road, taking the opportunity to put on my sun glasses.
There was a bit of color on the hills north of the highway near the summit but nothing really spectacular so on we went to the rest stop near Lake Wenatchee for a short break. Hey I was good on my word!
Just after leaving Plain, good fortune was with us as a slow car ahead of us pulled over allowing some spirited riding over and ridge on the Chumstick Highway. Soon after Speedygg turned around and headed home to attend to other commitments.
Since we did not find the fall colors this year here are a couple of photos I shot along the Chumstick Hwy in October 2006.
Brian and I forged on passing a gaggle of cars before the twisties on the north side of Blewett Pass, meaning there was no way we were going to stop for photos even if there was lots of color in the trees and it turned out there wasn't. Not one photo taken yet so onward we went to the the Red Horse Diner. While eating our lunch I was shocked to see Fran pull up. His was quite a story. Not knowing about the delayed start time, he drove through Monroe at 8:30, did not stop at the McDonalds, following the exact same route, stopped to visit a friend near Leavenworth and road on to the Red Horse diner.
After lunch we gassed up and headed to Naches and Chinook Pass via I-82 and Hwy 12 to 410. For the first time today we were not riding into the sun and some autumn color was in the trees from Nile to Chinook Pass.
Fontanaman dropped off to take the first photos of the day and here they are.
Naches River near Nile Washington
Golden tree along Hwy 410
American River along Hwy 410
We regrouped at Tipsoo Lake near Chinook Pass. We said our good byes and hit the road each finding our own way home. It had been a great day of yapping about bikes and riding under blue skies with temp in the high 50’s and low ’60 nearly all day. I rolled back into the fog near Greenwater where temp was 46 degrees and remained so and foggy all the way to Renton.
Should have joined the group after all.
