WeSTOC 24 - Calgary, AB Canada - June 24 - 27, 2019

[AdamK]

Announcing WeSTOC 24!

Boldly going where no WeSTOC has gone before – Alberta, Canada.

It is with great pleasure that the WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Committee announces the opening of registration for WeSTOC 24 to be held from June 24 – 27, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

This may come as a shock to those of you who were in attendance at WeSTOC 23 in Baker City where it was announced that 24 would be held in Cochrane, AB, but there are good reasons for the change in location. The WeSTOC 24 Disorganization Team would like to thank Tim Graham for his effort in locating our host hotel, The Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Suites Calgary West, on the outskirts of Calgary when it became apparent we would not be able to get enough affordable rooms in Cochrane. The new location is just 25 minutes from Cochrane so the riding won’t change much.

The theme of WeSTOC 24 – “Boldly going where no WeSTOC has gone before” – was chosen as a wink and a nod to history and science fiction. The historical aspect comes from Alberta being one of only three eligible Western States/Provinces that have never hosted a WeSTOC, with Wyoming and Arizona being the other two. The science fiction nod comes from the Southern Alberta town of Vulcan which has embraced Space Tourism and their titular connection with the Star Trek TV shows and movies. Vulcan, which hosts the annual Spock Days and has a model of the USS Enterprise alongside the highway, is one of the great Alberta destinations to be found on WeSTOC 24 rides.

Speaking of rides, which will be online shortly, there will be no shortage of interesting destinations and scenic wonders to fill your days.

Probably tops on many lists will be the Icefields Parkway that runs between Lake Louise and Jasper and is generally considered to be one of the top scenic drives in the world. This route, also known as Hwy 93, takes you through Banff and Jasper National Parks which are part of the Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. With over 100 glaciers and numerous scenic lakes (Moraine, Louise, Bow, Peyto plus nearby Maligne) and numerous spectacular waterfalls (Johnson Canyon, Sunwapta, Athabasca) the Icefields Parkway is a route that must be experienced.

At 2,206 m (7,328 ft) elevation Highwood Pass is not very high by Colorado standards but can be found along Highway 40 and is Canada’s highest paved road. The trip through Kananaskis Country features amazing Rocky Mountain Scenery.

A day trip to Drumheller takes you to the Alberta Badlands and the Royal Tyrell Museum and its collection of ancient dinosaur skeletons. The Red Deer and Rosebud River Valleys also offer up some terrific riding opportunities in the Drumheller area.

There will be unpaved roads for the dual-sport or adventurous riders and there are a number of options for those who want to camp. Just make your reservations early (some take reservations in Nov; some start in Jan) as Alberta campgrounds fill up fast.

In addition to the aforementioned Banff and Jasper National Parks there are interesting roads and destinations in Yoho and Kootenay National Parks as well.

On your way to or from WeSTOC 24 check out the Spiral Train Tunnels near Field, BC, exhilirating Hwy 93 to Radium, BC, the Frank Slide near Crowsnest Pass, or Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site near Fort Macleod. Waterton Lakes National Park in Southern Alberta offers stunning scenery and pairs up nicely with a trip over Montana’s Going-to-the-Sun Road in America’s Glacier National Park.

No matter what type of riding or scenery or destinations that you like we are sure you will find something to satisfy your desires in Alberta.

The date for WeSTOC 24 is earlier than recent WeSTOC’s have been so register early at https://WeSTOC.org and book your hotel room. 2019 has all the hallmarks of a fantastic event and your presence will ensure that is true. Keep checking for the latest updates and ride files at https://WeSTOC.org.

Your WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Team of Bruce Thomas, Adam Koczarski, Dan Mulkiewicz, and John Warga, thanks you and looks forward to seeing you in Calgary, AB from June 24-27, 2019.

 

[RossKean]

I will have to give this some thought, especially if my very tentative plans to do Alaska become a reality rather than fantasy!

Might consider camping rather than hotelling, especially if it is a stopover on a long trip. Schedules can be hard to keep sometimes...

I will be following this.

Edit: From the history, it appears that this is primarily a Honda ST1300 event although clearly other brands are welcome. Unless Honda returns to the table, the "ST" in the title will soon stand just for Sport Touring.

 

[AdamK]

I will be following this.
Edit: From the history, it appears that this is primarily a Honda ST1300 event although clearly other brands are welcome. Unless Honda returns to the table, the "ST" in the title will soon stand just for Sport Touring.

That's correct Ross. All sport touring riders are welcome regardless of the bike. This will be my 19th WeSTOC. My 1st was in 2001 when it was in Kimberley, BC and I was riding an ST1100. I've been every year since. I moved on to a ST1300 in 2004 and then a 2016 FJR. Many of the core attendees have moved on to other rides. About 60 to 70% were Honda STs last year but that number has been dropping over the years. It's about the people, the location and the riding now. Hope you can make it!

 

[Panman]

Looks doable depending on where I am??

 

[AdamK]

Posted here on behalf of Bruce Thomas, the head of the WeSTOC 24 disorganization committee.....

It's time for the next update on WeSTOC 24.

Exhilarating Routes

If you've been checking WeSTOC.org you may already know that we have 10 route maps online. All the route maps are accompanied by descriptive text and links to Google Maps. There will be GPS format files available soon for download. We will also add some more dirt routes to the mix.
If you haven't visited WeSTOC.org lately head on over.

Either way you will find that Southern Alberta has plenty of absolutely spectacular scenery and that makes for outstanding riding.


Stimulating Reading

Keep scrolling to the bottom of the Rides page at WeSTOC.org and you'll find some good reading material.

New and specific to Alberta is a piece I penned called "Spoiled and Loving it!" which details a lot of my favorite Alberta roads - many of which feature prominently in published rides for WeSTOC 24. This article was written specifically as the feature travel article in the Show Guide at the Calgary and Edmonton Motorcycle Shows in January 2018.

Another of my articles linked from WeSTOC.org is Crash 101 which had been published in Inside Motorcycles magazine and on their web site in 2012. This piece details a lot of the things I learned about recovering after getting rear-ended and t-boned in a period of four years. Lots of readers have appreciated the many pointers included in the piece. Hopefully you'll never need to use these tips.

It has been customary for a number of years for WeSTOC attendees to have access to The Pace and Pace Yourself by Motorcyclist's Nick Ianetsch. Both of these are excellent reads. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's very informative Guide to Group Riding plus the 8 Rules for Group Motorcycle Riding from esurance are must reads before attending any event where riding with others, especially riders you aren't familiar with, could be part of the fun.

I am also thrilled that this year we have added a pointer to the Motorcyclist web site and a terrific article that was published in the magazine in 2011. Geoff Drake does an amazing job of describing a ride with his wife and a chance encounter they had which reinforced that we should all "Just Go Ride!" "There are times and places for rational thought, such as in the choice of a new dishwasher or in observing the sell-by date on a carton of milk. But motorcycle trips are not in this category."

If you are sitting on the fence about attending WeSTOC 24 reading this final piece may just tip the balance in favor of saddling up and riding to Alberta, Canada.

Thanks and enjoy the reading and ride planning. The WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Committee looks forward to seeing you in Calgary in June.

Bruce

https://WeSTOC.org

 

[Bugnatr]

Adam, do you write for travel guide books? Who could pass up a stop in Vulcan? You sparked some interest...I'll have to give this some thought.

 

[AdamK]

Adam, do you write for travel guide books? Who could pass up a stop in Vulcan? You sparked some interest...I'll have to give this some thought.

Hell no! Bruce Thomas, a local to Calgary and the head of this years disorganization committee, wrote the text above. He also wrote some of the articles posted at the bottom of the https://WeSTOC.org/rides page. He's written some MC stories which were published before. He's an avid LD rider. He missed this year's WeSTOC as he had already ridden over 32k miles in the US and Canada earlier in the year.

Hope you can make it!

 

[AdamK]

Posted here on behalf of Bruce Thomas, the head of the WeSTOC 24 disorganization committee.....

In case you haven't wandered over to WeSTOC.org and checked out what's in store for WeSTOC 24 in Calgary, AB, Canada yet you may not realize that there is a big bonus for registering early.

As in recent years the registration fee is $110 CDN per person (~ $85 USD) which covers the usual expenses of putting on the event.

The WeSTOC 24 Disorganization Committee has a contractual obligation to let the hotel know by March 1, 2019 if we need the entire banquet room or only half. In order to entice people to sign up before this date, after which we might be limited in the number of people we could host and go into the red if we don't get enough people, the registration price goes up to $125 CDN per person (~$96 USD) at 12:01 AM MT on Feb 27, 2019.

We'd rather that nobody has to pay the higher fee.

So, get over to WeSTOC.org right away and save your money, register for WeSTOC 24, and reserve your hotel room.

The riding and scenery is unlike anywhere WeSTOC has been before.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you in Calgary in June.

 

[AdamK]

Posted here on behalf of Bruce Thomas, the head of the WeSTOC 24 disorganization committee.....

We've previously discussed some of the riding available at WeSTOC 24 so this time we'll have a quick look at some of the great dining options available. But first, call your significant other over and share these delights. They may just decide to join you at WeSTOC 24 as some of these places are truly spectacular.

Settled in?

OK. Show of hands. Who hasn't heard of Guy Fieri and his show Diners, Drive-ins & Dives? Good.

Next. Raise your hand if you have heard of John Catucci and his Canadian Food Network show You Gotta Eat Here! When it comes to dining options in the Calgary area there isn't any overlap between these two shows but here's a link to some restaurants that You Gotta Eat Here focused on in Alberta with a number being in the Calgary area.

https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/you-gotta-eat-here/locations/?page=1&location=Alberta

Another web site lists even more Calgary area restaurants from BBQ and Hot Dog places to Pizza, Donuts and check that Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf at the Fine Diner.

https://www.tvfoodmaps.com/s3/CANADA/Calgary

Turner Valley has the popular Chuckwagon Grill (https://www.tvfoodmaps.com/restaurant/Canada/Turner-Valley/Chuckwagon-Grill) which is a great place to stop on some of our rides such as Vulcan or Highwood Pass. I recall a good meal at Bragg Creek's Bavarian Inn and also recently enjoyed the food at the Water Valley Saloon.

Canmore and Banff also have some wonderful dining establishments but they seem to change a bit more often. My wife and I had a great lunch at a Thai place in Canmore a few short years ago and it doesn't seem to be there any longer. Google/TripAdvisor can be your friend.

If you (and you really should) do the day trip up to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway you may want to consider lunch at The Summit Restaurant at the top of the Jasper SkyTram - https://www.jasperskytram.com/ While the food is satisfying the views are amazing.

And finally we come to what has been named as one of the 15 best Steakhouses in the world. With a population of around 300 people it is perhaps surprising that a restaurant in Longview, AB ranks alongside dining fare found in London, Tokyo, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Paris and New York but the Longview Steakhouse was ranked among the 15 Top Steakhouses in the World by Conde Naste Traveller - https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-steak-restaurants-in-the-world Even better, since the ranking was made, the restaurant has moved from the original location on the highway in town to a gorgeous facility on the hillside that provides a terrific view of the Rocky Mountains while you dine. They even now have a number of rooms (7 IIRC) that allow you to stay onsite. NOTE: if you hope to dine here you need to make a reservation about three to four months in advance but it is sooooo worth it.

All of these places and more are along routes at WeSTOC 24 and will make your visit to Alberta even more memorable.

Come to WeSTOC 24 for all the right reasons: riding, camaraderie, scenery and food!

 

[AdamK]

More from Bruce:

Movie Tourism is a huge thing around the world. Lots of people like to visit places where their favorite shows were taped in order to feel closer to the stars or to get a glance behind the curtain that movie magic creates. If you're coming to WeSTOC 24 (you are, right?) and you have a desire to do a little movie tourism yourself there are plenty of places to see.

From Brad Pitt in The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Legends of the Fall to Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Gene Hackman in Unforgiven, Hackman again in Superman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain, Kevin Costner in Open Range, Robin Williams in RV, Vin Diesel and John Malkovich in Knockaround Guys, an all-star cast in X2 are just some of the stars and films showcasing parts of Alberta.

Interstellar, Inception and Game of Thrones have also filmed here.

Alberta has also doubled for Alaska (Mystery, Alaska and The Bourne Legacy), Turkey (Ararat), and Belgium (Passchendaele), and Smallville (Superman movies and TV series).

From A to Y there have been all kinds of films and shows made in Alberta. A Google Search may help but here is a list that isn't too much out of date.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_shot_in_Alberta

Also, specifically relating to Southern Alberta where most WeSTOC attendees will be riding are three Movie Maps to help with your Reel Adventures. Check -
https://www.albertasouthwest.com/resources/regional-maps/alberta-movie-maps

WesTOC.org

 

[AdamK]

WeSTOC 24 - Early Bird cut-off fast approaching!

Happy New Year everyone!

It's hard to believe we're almost halfway through January 2019.

Time sure flies, doesn't it?

The speed at which time goes by just proves that old adage:

Objects on the calendar are closer than they may appear.

Which means June will be here before we know it.

Please remember, WeSTOC (westoc.org) is in June this year, two months before you have gotten used to for the past few years.

All of that preamble gets us to one thing. The Early-Bird Registration cut-off for WeSTOC 24 in Calgary, AB is fast approaching.

If you can, register for WeSTOC 24 BEFORE Feb 27, 2019 as that is when the event fee goes up from $110 to $125 (all fees in CDN$).

I had previously mentioned that we are obligated to inform the hotel if we need the full banquet room or only half by the end of February. If we only take half we are limited in the number of attendees we can host at the Monday rider meeting and the Thursday Banquet to 104.

Then there is a dead zone where we go in the hole unless we have over 130 people. Since none of us can afford for WeSTOC to go in the hole we would have to take a waiting list of people, intent on coming but not paying the reg fee, until we had enough and then we would have to hope the hotel hadn't booked the other half of the banquet room.

Hopefully we can hit the magic number of 130 or more before Feb 27 and then just book the entire room and not worry about running out of space for people.

If you've forgotten all the great reasons to attend WeSTOC 24 you can check the Events tab at westoc.org to read the previous announcements that detail some of what you can expect to experience. Read the articles at the bottom of the Rides tab as well.

While you're at the WeSTOC web site check the Gear tab as the logo is now up. We're working hard to get t-shirt ordering ready to go soon too.

And if you are planning to camp (check under the WeSTOC24 Hotel tab), the provincial site is now taking reservations and there were a record number of requests on the first day. Don't wait too much longer to book your campsite.

More great resources for planning your time in Alberta are the 2018/2019 Travel Guides at experiencetravelguides.com/library/ with issues on The Mountain Parks, The Dinosaur Trail, The Cowboy Trails plus Calgary & Kananaskis containing a lot of terrific info on what you can see and do in Alberta. https://www.experiencetravelguides.com/library/

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you in Calgary in June.

Bruce and your WeSTOC 24 team

https://westoc.org

 

[SquadFiftyOne]

This is going to be a great event. I'm really looking forward to it. I've ridden with a number of people who have attended regularly over the years. They are great people and riders. I've had to miss this in year's past; but, I have a ridden a fair bit with Adam and he is a great route planner and patient leader who enjoys people almost as much as he does motorcycles. If you're thinking of showing up, stopy thinking and start packing - I highly recommend it. Is it June yet?

 

[AdamK]

We're up to 44 players! https://westoc.org/players 35 bikes of which 11 are Yamahas, 8 FJRs and 3 Super Ts. All are welcome!

A group of us will be leaving a week early and taking the long way round. The Box, up through Stanley, ID, Beartooth, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, Burgess junction via Shell Canyon, Ten Sleep, Lake Koocanusa.... Should be epic!

 

[Jer]

I am signed up to go and my passport is good for three more years. See you all there.

 

[AdamK]

Making progress on the shirt design. Hope to have the gear ordering page up soon!

https://westoc.org/gear

 

[AdamK]

We are down to Four Weeks until the Early-Bird registration deal expires at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, Feb 26. Beginning on Feb 27 the Registration Fee will increase from $110 to $125 (prices in Canadian dollars). Save your money and join the 55 people who've already registered early.

The WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Committee is also pleased to announce that T-Shirts for the event are now finalized and the ordering process is live on the web. Head over to westoc.org/gear to check out the wonderful design created by Annette Wichmann & John Warga. Scroll further down the page to the order form. These shirts will not be available to purchase at WeSTOC. YOU HAVE TO PRE-ORDER your shirts.

Thanks, and your WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Team, Bruce Thomas, Adam Koczarski, Dan Mulkiewicz, and John Warga, look forward to seeing you in Calgary, AB from June 24-27, 2019.

 

[AdamK]

We are down to just Three Weeks until the Early-Bird registration deal expires at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, Feb 26.





Beginning on Feb 27 the Registration Fee will increase from $110 to $125 (prices in Canadian dollars).





Save your money and join the 59 people who've already registered early.








The WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Committee is also pleased to announce that we've got some Gravel/Dirt Routes on the web. Head over to westoc.org/rides to check out routes that we received from Honorary Disorganizer DrRod.








Thanks, and your WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Team, Bruce Thomas, Adam Koczarski, Dan Mulkiewicz, and John Warga, look forward to seeing you in Calgary, AB from June 24-27, 2019.

 

[AdamK]

We are down to just Two Weeks until the Early-Bird registration deal expires at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, Feb 26.

Beginning on Feb 27 the Registration Fee will increase from $110 to $125 (prices in Canadian dollars).

Save your money and join the 65 people who've already registered early.

Head over to the WeSTOC 24 web site and get registered. https://WeSTOC.org

The WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Committee is also pleased to announce that we're making progress on sponsors for the event. Head over to the WeSTOC 24 Sponsor Page to check out some of the organizations who are supporting WeSTOC 24.

I'd like to bring your attention to Blue Circle Insurance as one sponsor who seems highly-tuned in to our riding community. For the seventh year in a row Blue Circle has created themed maps for rides in Alberta. The theme of the 2019 edition is pie Joints. Come to WeSTOC and Ride For pie in Alberta! Blue Circle Rides

Thanks, and your WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Team, Bruce Thomas, Adam Koczarski, Dan Mulkiewicz, and John Warga, look forward to seeing you in Calgary, AB from June 24-27, 2019.

 

[AdamK]

It's true. Objects on the calendar are closer than they may appear and, with WeSTOC being held in June this year rather than September, it is even closer still.

We are down to the final week until the Early-Bird registration deal expires at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, Feb 26.

Beginning on Feb 27 the Registration Fee will increase from $110 to $125 (prices in Canadian dollars).

Save your money and join the 90 people who've already registered early.

https://westoc.org

And don't forget to order your official WeSTOC T-Shirt if you haven't already.

Thanks, and your WeSTOC 24 Disorganizing Team, Bruce Thomas, Adam Koczarski, Dan Mulkiewicz, and John Warga, look forward to seeing you in Calgary, AB from June 24-27, 2019.