A Sunday Ride

[ShinyPartsUp]

Saturday I installed some crash protection on the KLR. Sunday morning was a lazy time with the kids. Sunday afternoon was for me and a 170 mile ride...

This is an alternative to the straight boredom of Roseburg to Glide on the Diamond Lake Blvd.: Lesson learned was grab the brake lever when mounting this beast on a downhill slope.

Old Michael, not all roads are straight in Oregon, LOL; Buckhorn Road runs up to Little River Road, hang a left and a couple miles brings you to Colliding Rivers and Glide:

You may be a Redneck if...

Further up the road and past Glide heading for Steamboat...

Many fine reports of the North Umpqua River are here, including reports this year by Dudewado and Old Michael. Here's an obligatory shot:

The first bridge that crossed the North Umpqua pointed towards my first offroad "adventure"; Deep breath Michael...

I ended up going through some potholes and actually looking for them. 6 inches to a foot deep, standing on the pegs and gliding over them got to be fun.

But after 10 round-trip miles it was time to call it a successful off road beginning. Getting thirsty; I'll head a few more miles up the road and have an iced tea at the Steamboat Inn and sit in the gardens.... that's the ticket! Grrrr...

I backtrack down the road and head to Rock Creek running off 138. The fish hatchery has a free water bubbler hydration system:

Little buggers...

bigger buggers...

See the house in the background of the holding tanks?...

I see the woman who wants me. Badly!... maybe I'm a little dehydrated ....

Time to move on up the road over the mountains to Cottaqe Grove near Eugene. Rough tarmac and paved "chips" with lots of lichen/moss on the sides of the roads, sharp drop-offs and, well... I'll just show you, though many of the twistiest 10 miles or so has no place to pull over for a picture. Watch out for hunters in pickups and logging trucks (no logging on Sundays though). Rock Creek Road follows (you guessed it) Rock Creek...

Yes I have done this road on the FJR, and a V-Twin... the KLR did the best job. But very doable in good weather on the FJR; give yourself 2 hours for this stretch.

Several of these. Almost got run off the road by two cars -- might as well grab a pic while I'm here...

on I ride...

Some of the road sloughs off in places:

Watch out for the drops on the side too... but the views are better than my camera can capture...

The road drops down into long avenues made by God...

I stopped here and shut the thumper off. total silence except for the creek running beside the road. A few bird calls. Clean air tastes good... beside the road was a lush natural garden:

Time to saddle up, and soon the landscape turns to farms...

and to the left of that shot:

Starting to get a little late and my butt is getting numb from the big single. I find another watering hole. I'll pass on the $5 minimum gas purchase. And no coke products, ma'am? "They say we are too remote and too small, but Pepsi will come out..." Water it is!

Down the road is Cottage Grove Lake with the sun getting lower...

Time to head home. Doing I-5 while not going over 4000 rpm while breaking in the engine was a lesson in patience and frustration! I ended in Sutherlin, where I took Garden Valley that runs along the Umpqua to Roseburg. Frustrating too was the incessent buzz from a screw in the upper left fairing that wasn't seated right. Roadside repair didn't cut it. But all in all a bucolic ride...,

 

[RenoJohn]

Wow, very jealous me is.

You live in a wonderful spot to instantly be in some really groovy areas. Many of your shots bring back memories, been all around that area ....and much of it on a KLR as well.

Steamboat to Oakhridge --loitering about on many of the abundant dirt roads is pretty spectacular and fun on a dual-sport. I'd often do that heading north and then stay and remodel Oakridge for the night. You should check it out .....the views from the top of the ridge are really something!

....and I had totally forgot about London road along that little lake, ...a nice little pocket of planet earth there.

Jeezers you have great access to good stuff ....I really hope I can get some time to loiter in your crib this season, I really miss it!!

 

[beemerdons]

Very nice ride report and pictures Shiney. One of the joys of thumper riding is taking time to stop and smell the MariaJuana!

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Wow, very jealous me is.
You live in a wonderful spot to instantly be in some really groovy areas. Many of your shots bring back memories, been all around that area ....and much of it on a KLR as well.

Steamboat to Oakhridge --loitering about on many of the abundant dirt roads is pretty spectacular and fun on a dual-sport. I'd often do that heading north and then stay and remodel Oakridge for the night. You should check it out .....the views from the top of the ridge are really something!

....and I had totally forgot about London road along that little lake, ...a nice little pocket of planet earth there.

Jeezers you have great access to good stuff ....I really hope I can get some time to loiter in your crib this season, I really miss it!!

John, it is all photoshop'd. Nothing is real. I am a bad person for telling people it is nice here.... lol

I'll have to put Oakridge on my short list to check out after WFO.

Remember the mention of cages rushing me off to the side at the single lane bridge? I dropped off the KLR today at the dealer for the doohickey to be done (A little out of my league at this point and I want it done right). The mechanic says, I saw you on Rock Creek Road... turns out it was him in the white pickup that barreled down the bridge with another car in tow barreling down the bridge He said he had started the bridge before I came around the corner.. we traded good spots to stop for a swim. Small world.

I'm looking forward to checking out a road on a scenic byway by Glendale I couldn't do on the FJR because of gravel and nasty loose stuff -- and a section of forest roads from Tiller Road to Reedsport without going on much of 138...

Then there is Smith River Road Old Mike mentioned from Reedsport to Eugene. I want to see if it is OK for the FJR, and I'll let folks know.

Lots I haven't even heard of. The Umpqua National Forest is (I am told) the size of Conn. I have to get some BLM, NFS and other maps.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Very nice ride report and pictures Shiney. One of the joys of thumper riding is taking time to stop and smell the MariaJuana!

Around these parts you hope you don't come across a grow... most are booby-trapped or you get shot. But if there is a burn by the cops after they find one, it is fun being downwind. By accident of course. :drag:

 

[user 6393]

awe, looks like fun!

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

awe, looks like fun!

best fun you can have without a duracell Barb! You really should try it! Now I'm going to adjust the suspension a bit and see if I can get the offroad capabilities a little better -- but it is still better than my skills at this point.

Bottom line, I think you need a dual sport in your garage. It was more fun than I thought and less drama than an FJR on muddy trails....

 

[user 6393]

awe, looks like fun!

best fun you can have without a duracell Barb! You really should try it! Now I'm going to adjust the suspension a bit and see if I can get the offroad capabilities a little better -- but it is still better than my skills at this point.

Bottom line, I think you need a dual sport in your garage. It was more fun than I thought and less drama than an FJR on muddy trails....

I know, I know....local stealer has a couple TW200's left over NIB from 2007. 1st I have to get the porn garage finished tho, and a couple other life issues sorted.

Gawd, I hate being responsible!

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

awe, looks like fun!

best fun you can have without a duracell Barb! You really should try it! Now I'm going to adjust the suspension a bit and see if I can get the offroad capabilities a little better -- but it is still better than my skills at this point.

Bottom line, I think you need a dual sport in your garage. It was more fun than I thought and less drama than an FJR on muddy trails....

I know, I know....local stealer has a couple TW200's left over NIB from 2007. 1st I have to get the porn garage finished tho, and a couple other life issues sorted.

Gawd, I hate being responsible!

what is it with women having to nest and being responsible? Learn from us gonad hanging types, Barb! Buy the toy then nest around it! But you do need a flatscreen, DVD player and comfy chair -- and a fridge with a beer tap in the door; 1/4 keg in the box.... then buy a copy of ON ANY SUNDAY and watch Malcolm Smith in the garage. don't forget AC too. I'm just sayin'....

 

[user 6393]

what is it with women having to nest and being responsible?

someone has to be!

 

[FJRONAMISSION]

awe, looks like fun!

best fun you can have without a duracell Barb! You really should try it! Now I'm going to adjust the suspension a bit and see if I can get the offroad capabilities a little better -- but it is still better than my skills at this point.

Bottom line, I think you need a dual sport in your garage. It was more fun than I thought and less drama than an FJR on muddy trails....

I know, I know....local stealer has a couple TW200's left over NIB from 2007. 1st I have to get the porn garage finished tho, and a couple other life issues sorted.

Gawd, I hate being responsible!

AGREED!!

Where the hell are my lottery tickets??!!.......

B