Wagons Ho

[yamafitter]

SPOT is saying I'm still in Helena. I think I crossed the border and am in Cranbrook BC. I didn't see the duty free however so maybe I'm wrong and am still in bed and dreaming all this.

Let's check the Garmin...

Well, the old MapGPS 276c says I'm in Cranbrook. That makes two votes to one. Now I thought I turned on the SPOT. I must have because there is a start in Helena. Now I am confused as if this is anything abnormal for me. I'll have to see if the SPOT server went down.

Anyways, if you are very observent you will see I did not reach the originally planned end to Day 5. This was due to some weather and really slow traffic on the "To the Sun" road in Glacier National Park. I was also stopping to take photos since I wasn't getting anywhere anytime soon. The photo ops near the top of Logan's Pass were spectacular and were well worth the stop...

Some other bike folks were also stopping for photos...

As you can see the road was a pretty tight fit betwwen the side of the mountain and the air...

There was also some road construction to deal with at the tunnel on the north side of the pass. Some his & her Harleys were cooling off with a shower...

There was some great views of the valley while waiting on the traffic also...

Towards the bottom of the pass there was a nice lake that needed some photos...

It was then time to pack the camera and get moving. It was fairly windy around Pincher Creek AB. Well there is a reason they put a million windmills there :blinksmiley:

We also started to get a line of rain moving in and by the time I got to Cranbrook I needed a drink of something other than rainwater. More like firewater. We did get close to the planned destination and I have a buffer to play with as far as the plan goes so all is looking good.

Later...

 

[yamafitter]

I just test fired the SPOT and now it says I'm in Cranbrook. I may have to chalk this one up to a Polish moment.

I will have to keep an eye on it tomorrow when we loop around Kootenay Lake and head back into the States.

 

[yamafitter]

We woke up in Cranbrook BC to rain and 8C temperature (46F). This was not a promising start but I've had worse days so it was time to get going. It was not long to get away from the rain and just 20 minutes into the rain we caught up to one of the trains hauling wheat out to the West Coast...

I was a little chilled when I reached Creston so a stop at Timmy's was in order for a nice hot coffee. I took the opportunity to call FastJoyRide just to touch base and give them some info about accomidations at the WCR. I then turned up 3a for a fun run up the east side of Kootenay Lake to the ferry. Just south of the ferry other folks were having some fun out on the water as there was a regatta going on...

As luck would have it I just made the ferry and was the last vehicle to make it on and barely shut off the bike as the crew was lifting the ramp. The timing could not have been better!!

On the trip across the lake I had a nice chat with a fellow that was in the process of buying a bike after getting away from road racing for a number of years. Another rider came along and noticed my Iceland decal on my top box. It turns out that he was in Iceland this summer and had rented a bike and had done the "ring road". Being a Harley rider he did not have the jam to ride the interior. What a poser!!

Most of the ferry traffic turned south but I had other plans and turned north on 31 and went up to Kalso...

I then turned onto 31a for the run over to New Denver. What a blast. Fun was had by all. I then turned west on 6 and turned in at Castlegar for fuel for both the bike and I. There was a nice coffee shop just off the highway that featured preferred motorcycle parking. I had an excellent cappacino and a nice warm muffin. Sorry, no food porn. It seemed everyone in Castlegar was out for a ride on this day...

It was a quick crossing back into the states just south of Rossland and a nice run along Roosevelt Lake. There was a nice photo op once I reached the south end of the lake...

I then came to a section in the northeast portion of Washington that I never knew existed. When I think of Washington state I think of mountains. I do not think of this...

Well, we made it to Yakima WA which puts us back onto the original schedule.

Here was the tracks we made today...

This was the last big day on the bike before reaching WCR. Here are the stats...

Don't ask where the max speed took place, I'm not telling since I will not incrimidate myself.

Tomorrow is a nice short 400 km ride to Oregon City and then visit GP Suspensions on Tuesday.

Later...

 

[FastJoyRide]

I do luvtoride Bill, but the handle is FastJoyRide! Ride safe and say hi to the guys at GP fpr me.

 

[yamafitter]

I do luvtoride Bill, but the handle is FastJoyRide! Ride safe and say hi to the guys at GP fpr me.

Fixed it. Sorry, I must be more tired than I thought. I'm going to bed :lazy3:

 

[yamafitter]

Today was a nice short day so I decided to take a little side trip over to Spirit Lake and see what was left of Mount St Helens.

The morning was a short ride out from Yakima over to National Forest Road #25 where things started getting interesting. The pavement is a little rough in spots but the twisties were worth the odd bump.

The first sign of the aftermath of the 1980 eruption was were they were getting around to fixing one of the bridges with a more solid solution...

I then turned up NF Road #99 and as you got closer to Spirit Lake the destruction that took place became pretty evident...

The National Forest Service is leaving this section of blowdown as part of a study being done on natural rehabilitation.

There were still logs piled up in the one end of Spirit Lake...

The next shots are what is left of the north side of Mount St Helens. These shots are the debris field of the lateral "displacement" when the north slope slid and the mountain exploded...

The larger mounds just past the water in the next shot are larger parts of the mountain that used to be near the peak...

The blast and resulting mud flows pushed out to the north as far as Keslo...

The ride along NF #99 is not for the faint hearted. Very tight hairpins, almost no straight sections and very few guardrails to stop you going into some very deep ravines. It certainly had me paying attention and not gawking around since there would be no mulligans allowed.

After some sightseeing I made it down to Oregon City and went over to GP Suspensions just to be I could find it easily tomorrow. The shop was closed today due to Labour Day. SPOT did not track the entire trip today because the stupid thing forgot to turn itself on. I can't be expected to do everything now. It seems SPOT thinks it's along for a free ride.

Here is what the lazy thing did send back to the server...

It is now time for some supper and then a soak in the hot tub.

Later...

 

[beemerdons]

Great Ride Report Bill, Old Papa Chuy is really enjoying this; Thank You!

 

[Tyler]

Wonderful pics and stories, Bill! :clapping: I so wish I could make the trip to WCR via some sort of wheels but winging it will have to do this time. I am SO looking forward to this trip... the sights, the smells (mostly), and best of all, the people. I leave tomorrow a.m. to jet to Victoria and meet my sister-from-another-mother in person finally... the world may never be the same!

See y'all soon... safe travels to all!! B)

 

[escapefjrtist]

You're certainly hitting all the highlights Bill. Ride safe and we'll see / meet ya on Thursday.

--G

 

[user 6393]

Wonderful pics and stories, Bill! :clapping: I so wish I could make the trip to WCR via some sort of wheels but winging it will have to do this time. I am SO looking forward to this trip... the sights, the smells (mostly), and best of all, the people. I leave tomorrow a.m. to jet to Victoria and meet my sister-from-another-mother in person finally... the world may never be the same!
See y'all soon... safe travels to all!! B)

I am quite sure this Island will never be quite the same........LOL

 

[yamafitter]

Today was spa day for the FJR. I was over to GP Suspensions for the 9 o'clock school bell but Ben was running a little late getting his first grader to school. The FJR first had its front forks massaged with new valving, bushings, seals and springs along with a bunch of other odds & ends. It was then time for Wilber to get a good going over. This is where things went slighty amok as this was the first go around for GP Suspensions with the good Wilber with Hydralic preload mounted on an AE. Problem one was the remote resevoir is mounted by the right footpeg. The hole between the shifting solenoid and the frame is only large enough for the hose. The mounting bracket bolts for the solenoid are apparently originally installed by a 3 ft Japanese person with the hands of a smurf. There is no way a puggy fingered North American is ever going to get at those bolts. Fortunately we are on the mellow west coast and Ben just calmly worked through the problem and we finally got the bolts out. The solenoid still wouldn't move enough to give us clearance to get the resevoir out so we to work on removing the swingarm. Part way through that process Ben noticed a hose bracket that was keeping hose in the way of the solenoid not allowing it to move out of the way. With the hose bracket removed and some threading of the needle we were able to get the resevoir out of its spot and completely remove the shock. The Wilber was then disassembled, cleaned up and had a new bushing installed. It was then time to add the new oil and recharge the resevoir and then start on the re-assembly. In the end it took the entire day.

We also rebalanced the tires. This is a story I will regale you with over a beer or three at WCR...

Later

 

[BikerGeek99]

Ah, good stuff as always, Bill!

Looks like you went through the Going To The Sun Road west-to-east. When we were there a coupla months ago (good gawd - has it been that long already??) we went east-to-west. Damn construction sucked donkey ballz but the scenery...

Yakima... Mt. St. Helens.... Portland...

Safe travels, bud. We'll see ya soon!

 

[Auburn]

Today was a nice short day so I decided to take a little side trip over to Spirit Lake and see what was left of Mount St Helens.The morning was a short ride out from Yakima over to National Forest Road #25 where things started getting interesting. The pavement is a little rough in spots but the twisties were worth the odd bump.

The first sign of the aftermath of the 1980 eruption was were they were getting around to fixing one of the bridges with a more solid solution...

This is actually from a massive landslide last winter that shut down the road until June of last year.

 

[yamafitter]

Today was a nice short day so I decided to take a little side trip over to Spirit Lake and see what was left of Mount St Helens.The morning was a short ride out from Yakima over to National Forest Road #25 where things started getting interesting. The pavement is a little rough in spots but the twisties were worth the odd bump.

The first sign of the aftermath of the 1980 eruption was were they were getting around to fixing one of the bridges with a more solid solution...

This is actually from a massive landslide last winter that shut down the road until June of last year.

I'm busted taking poetic license. I knew the slide looked way too fresh to be from 1980. Serves me right to try to pull a fast one.

It still was an impressive view of what can happen when the ground starts to move.

I'll be posting some photos later from the trip yesterday since I'm at Spanky's in Parksville right now and am posting this from my iPhone.

Later...

 

[MCML]

Those photos are great.....damn it! Wish I was headed there with all of you but cannot make it up there this time. Have a great WFR!