July 2016 Pac Northwest Trip: Wheaton with wifey

[AdamK]

Definitely hit some of the national parks... absolutely stunning... and those PNW folk are some of the best around and will take very good care of you both!

Cascade Hwy 2 (I think??)

This is just below Washington Pass on the North Cascades Hwy 20. My wife and I totaled an ST1100 coming out of that 180 turn. You can read about it here:

https://koczarski.com/Motorcycles/Trips/20040619%20Trip%20and%20Crash/trip20040619.htm#Crash

 

[Panman]

This is just below Washington Pass on the North Cascades Hwy 20. My wife and I totaled an ST1100 coming out of that 180 turn.

You can read about it here:https://koczarski.com/Motorcycles/Trips/20040619%20Trip%20and%20Crash/trip20040619.htm#Crash

That sucked!

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks y'all for your tips and suggestions...

 

[Big Sky]

If you can stretch it out a bit, Wheaton, if you are at Ainsworth, drop down to Balfour about 10 miles, take the (free) ferry across Kootenay Lake (45 minutes) to Crawford Bay, then ride 52 miles down to Creston. That stretch - Crawford Bay-Creston - is rated as the best stretch in all of B.C., like 275 curves. Best thing, if you get to the ferry early, you will be at the front of the boat and will get off first and there will be NO traffic ahead of you, maybe just a pack of fellow riders. But DO watch for RCMP along there.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Thanks Sky...I rode that in 2009 at CFR and definitely hope to ride it again.

 

[Big Sky]

That is a hoot, eh?! I've done it 6 or 8 times. I rode it two years ago, pack of bikes first off the boat, wife and I on a fully loaded FJR, 30-years-young buddy on a KTM 1190 Adventure at point. He was quite exasperated that he did not shake us. Topped a hill and at the bottom was an RCMP pointing his radar gun at the hill crest. How in the hell we happened to be at under the speed limit at that particular point is quite beyond me.

 

[AdamK]

That is a hoot, eh?! I've done it 6 or 8 times. I rode it two years ago, pack of bikes first off the boat, wife and I on a fully loaded FJR, 30-years-young buddy on a KTM 1190 Adventure at point. He was quite exasperated that he did not shake us. Topped a hill and at the bottom was an RCMP pointing his radar gun at the hill crest. How in the hell we happened to be at under the speed limit at that particular point is quite beyond me.

We had a STOC event in that area years ago. The guy running the event said it's not <if> there will be an RCMP, but <where> on that stretch of road. I was riding north out of Creston with a few buddies. We came up on a slower moving group of bikes headed by the guy running the event and dispatched them rather quickly. A guy following in a pickup did the same thing and was trying his best to keep up with us. We crested a hill when all of our radar detectors went off at once. Everyone went hard on the binders. The poor guy in the pickup was hung out to dry. The RCMP did a u-turn and pulled him over. Would have liked to hear the story he told the cop! "but the bikes! Didn't you see the bikes!!"

We were VERY lucky. We should have listened.......

 

[wheatonFJR]

Good to know. I believe in 2009 griff and I were behind a few trains of cars which we dispatched...but was difficult at times to do. We happened, by good luck, to be travelling behind one of the trains when the RCMP made their presence known.

As frustrating as it may be at times, I will try to not be a hooligan. I will try to put myself in a different mindset for this trip and just soak in the scenery. Griff and 0Face know how hard that is for me at times. The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.

 

[AdamK]

As frustrating as it may be at times, I will try to not be a hooligan. I will try to put myself in a different mindset for this trip and just soak on the scenery. Griff and 0Face knows how hard that is for me at times. The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.

I always try to avoid being a hooligan, even when the power tries to corrupt me!

 

[Panman]

Well, it looks like, due to the help of some PNW and Canadian friends, this show is getting off the ground. I have a preliminary itinerary for the two weeks traveling in July for wifey and me.
July 8, Friday: Fly into Seattle, pick up bike at George's.

July 9,10 Sat/Sun: visit Mt St Helens and Rainier and return to Monroe, WA (FJR group riding??)

July 11, Monday: ride over the Cascades, then up north to Dave's place in Oyama. 320 miles.

July 12, Tues:short loop out of Oyama, less than 100 miles

July 13, Wed: loop out of Oyama, 250 mile max?

July 14, Thursday: Ride over to Ainsworth Hot Springs, stay near there...Nelson? Nakusp?

July 15, Friday: Nakusp?Nelson? loop

July 16, Saturday: Nelson to Golden 281 miles

July 17, Sunday: Golden loop , less than 100 miles

July 18, Mon: Golden to Valemount, 266 miles

July 19, Tuesday:Valemount loop, less than 100 miles

July 20, Wed:Valemount to Oyama, 263 miles

July 21, Thursday: Oyama to Pemberton, 250 miles

July 22, Friday: Pemberton to Vancouver

July 23, Sat: Vancouver to Monroe...gathering/gathering of FJR riders??

July 24, Sunday: sightseeing Seattle with relatives? Drop off bike at George's.

July 25, Monday: Fly home to SC

Others could easily cover more ground in these weeks...but we are happy with the itinerary and the amount of ground covered. The short loop days have options for hiking or walking or doing nothing...

Really getting psyched for this trip!

Nice route, your July 18th day will be a lot of flower sniffing! So much to see, Lake Louise, Bridal Veil Falls, Tangle Falls, Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca Falls and don't forget the Columbia Icefield. At the Columbia Icefield they have it marked out how far it has receded, I can see where we stood in the mid sixty's when I was on a vacation with my parents.

Damm, whish my wife still could ride! I will take her there next year in the cage.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Sounds like a bucket list trip, wheatonFJR, and I'm jealous as hell.

 

[AdamK]

At the Columbia Icefield they have it marked out how far it has receded, I can see where we stood in the mid sixty's when I was on a vacation with my parents.

I remember going on one of those buses out onto the Columbia Glacier in the mid to late 60's when I was a kid. That was pretty fun!

 

[wheatonFJR]

Yes, this IS most definitely a bucket list trip. Could be epic...

 

[Panman]

You will have to be watching you mirror to see this Wheatie as you will be headed the opposite direction.

 

[LCB]

Yes, this IS most definitely a bucket list trip. Could be epic...

WILL be epic!

 

[wheatonFJR]

Panman, if I miss it in the mirror, I will turn around the next day during a short day trip loop!

 

[Heen]

What a great trip!

When you make the ride from Golden up the Icefields Parkway to Valemount, BC. be sure to take the trip up to the Chateu at Lake Louise. The lake is amazing.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Made a booking with Motorcycle Shippers.

Now it's time to start booking rooms...

 

[Panman]

Panman, if I miss it in the mirror, I will turn around the next day during a short day trip loop!

I was on my own my the first time I spent the night in Valemount after Nakusp an had made good time getting there so I decided to head north for awhile and went up to McBride. That was a nice loop also.

I all most wish I would have stayed there, don't really know why???????????

On the way back down to Valemount I thought this was a nice shot, sort of anyhow.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Getting the bike prepped for being shipped out for the trip...including getting all the Ohio dirt off of it from the Ramble. Fluids changed and new tires being put on...since our Virginia foray likely took care of an over abundance of tread depth. Griff put on a voltmeter and a dual heated pigtail so we can both have heat on this trip. Thanks Griff!

Looking forward to flying out on Friday, July 8th and meeting up with George on that date get the bike ready for the trip down to Mt. St. Helens on Saturday, July 9th.

Dave, that pie better be ready.