HighAdventureTour 2012: From Insanity and Beyond....

All things... Father spirit and Mother Earth feel gooood to me today.... embracing me as I journey on.

Here's some mood music for this section, she's a new Friend of mine I met through Dianna MorningStar...Pru Clearwater... an AMAZING Soul who has found the light and shines it brightly everywhere she floats... more on her later in the report.


I take Hwy 299 to Alturas then Hwy 395 to Lake View OR...






I remember passing this Sculpture a few times in my travels with Desiree'...




An overturned Grain Car...




Goose Lake south of Lakeview...


Haha makes sense...


I pass the Rim Rock Motel.. where the somewhat deranged... maybe actually quite arranged? ol' boy walked in on me naked and shaving, during last years HATour... oooh boy!







I'm getting extraordinary vibes as I gaze about...






A DustDevil on the upper end of the lake bed...


Nice Windswept Dunes....




Reptilian like road surface...


Another Cyclist enjoying the day.....












I read this... hmmmm think a bit to myself and ride on....




In John Day as I'm sitting down to eat in a small Cafe... I see a girl pull up on a little Ninja and go inside next door. I curiously go out to introduce myself and hear her story.
She's Nadia Adams...


Beautiful woman in her early ~0's, 3 teenage children, divorced, working for the Forest Service.. not 1 grey hair on her head! Born in Serbia... very young spirited girl who likes exitement, adventure, and play... I ask her if she'd like to have dinner after she runs her groceries home? She says yes and comes back to a wonderful meal and a long talk on life. She takes wonderful pictures and turns them into post cards... I purchase 4 of them, exchange information and after a smile and hug ride on.
Thoughts on relationship, life etc... roll through my mind, like birds floating in the sky.
Nice girl back there... for someone......

South side of the Wallowas... near Baker City, OR.


I sleep in Baker City... where just last weekend they had their Hells Canyon Rally. A late night talk at the Chevron station confirms the weather had kept the attendance down.... and a woman was killed by a truck during the Rally one way or another her time here was done.
After meeting another little Hippie chick at the motel... I lay down Cherishing my own time here in this reality, and again doze off.....

Morning dawns as yesterday repeated and after Breakfast at the Oregon Trail Diner, I ride on...

Not noticing the smudge on the lense at the time, I'll cut short the pics...


Out Hwy 86, up NF-39 to the Upper Imnaha Rd, then over to Enterprise, and Hwy 129 (The Rattle Snake Grade) on into Lewiston... GREAT roads!!!










I RAIL the Snake then pull in at the State Park on the Washington side to take a break (release all the ADRENALINE!!!) and I check out the tires.... I love the 606's when their 2/3rd's worn and really stable.. the knob flex is about gone!


You can see the second angle that all the twisties since NorCal has worn...




Then it's but a short skip up over to Waynes where I'll meet Alex "Parepin" and prepare for the Rally.


This is the sky as I pull into the driveway... WOW what a way to end this section of the ride.... and begin the next!

Not long after I pull in, sooo does "Parepin"... we both have thrashing to do on our bikes. Valve adjustments, air filters, tire swaps etc.. He had alot to do so as he thrashed I kept myself busy too... oh and i actually talked him into ditching the John Deere muffler he has been using since I met him riding to Alaska in 2010 hahaha... I had an extra LeoVince X3 sooo he bolted that on too.


I don't remember what all he had goin' on ALOT!... but that we worked till 3-4a.m. then had to head for Imnaha, then the Rally/Enterprise.


I needed to make a fender brace like I saw on "Collarbones" DR out in Minnesota last month... my DR Fender on the new front fork setup had been hitting the tire everytime I railed on it in the rough stuff, slowly grooving the fender lip to the curve of a knobby.
I used a flat sheet of aluminun Wayne had in the back room, instead of a pair of alum bars like Collarbone had used. Wanting the lower profile to give me lotsa tire clearance, the adhesive and rivets would/should keep it all from sagging down again.

Traced out the shape...


Bedded it with the "Right Stuff Adhesive rubber" clamped it, drilled it, riveted it... and wallaaaaa, a fender brace that won't interfere with my tube/patch kit bag.




Here you can see the new T63 Michelin peeking under the fender...(Trying this tire now since I will be covering ALOT of miles in the next month ~alot of slab too~ and would like to find another option in the knobby category) I had taken off the 606 front with 4,350mi on it, and figure it could have gone another 500mi. This due to my new procedure of swapping the front around at the 1,800-2,500mi mark, much longer wear:) I'm very happy with this mileage, as I could only pull 2,950mi before starting to swap them around.


The front 606 just before pulling it off...


Only the front two rivets will show from under the fender bag... I like the mechanical look anyhow.


Amazingly as Alex pointed out.. it only took me 45min to find the scrap, cut it, pull the fender, install and put it all back togather! WoooHooo

We were coming to realize.. once again... thaaat we ARE ALWAYS late to Rally's.. at least I AM!!! And I seem to be rubbing off on him hahaha.
So after the latye night/early morning thrash we get some shuteye then head for Imnaha... I want to take him up the Snake to Heller Bar then up Joseph Creek to Horse Creek and then Forestry roads into Imnaha. I had been trying to do it all last Spring/Summer buuuut the snow had kept stopping me, this is a chance to finish the journey...

Sooo after the thrash session Al and I roll up the Snake.... I'm excited to show him some new stuff!

Folks out play'n on the water...


The hills always seem to talk to me here...




The Elmer Earl Ranch I wrote about last year... A Captain who used to run the river...

"Captain Elmer Earl, whose grandparents homesteaded Idaho riverfront on the Snake in the late 1800’s, talks about early steamboat traffic on the river and the gradual evolution from sternwheelers to welded steel mail boats that brought supplies to miners and sheep ranchers then took wool and grain back downstream. Elmer even got to drive one of the sternwheelers as a young boy while his father and the captain played cards!"


Aaaah glancing up the steep walls as we slide through...


At Heller Bar we ride along the Grande Ronde before crossing it and heading up Joseph Creek (named after Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce)





And Pass Mark Ramsden's Mountain Beef Cattle spread... at least his part time house and lower grazing yard.




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A super nice family I met last year as I rode through here... Mark offering to let me use his hi-country cabin to sleep in if I ever got held up/stuck up on top!)

Once up Horse Creek aways I pull off to bowl up with Al...




Then it's his turn to lead for a while...




I'll hang back... let the dust settle.. and ennnnjoooooy the magnificent scenery!


As much as I really prefer to ride alone.. (and so does Al actually) I really do enjoy it when teaming up with him! One of the few people I can share space with on the bike, we both like a fast pace, like being out in Mother Nature, like sharing the kind and like to keep an open mind!
Good to be riding some of my favorite country with him.

I pull off for some pics and notice, I've got a new passenger... This will become very much TRUE within the next 24hrs!










I'm deffinately feeling the love as I take a BUNCH of flower pics through here...










We get up on top near Marks Hi-Camp and his upper Corral... Just BEAUTIFUL views.




A mountain backdrop to boot...


Alex has waited up near some info posting...












Then he's off again...


Beautiful day to be alive...


The Wallowas looking at us...


The road has turned back into highspeed gravel...


Almost the exact spot I was turned back last year by the snows...(not the first or last mind you)


And last year...


I keep having to pull over and just..... BREATHE!!!








I notice in this highcountry little lake... a whole world of mystery and wonder... it's a breeding ground for Frogs, with a whole mess of tadpoles swimming about:)






Another nice thing about a throttle lock... self portraits on the move.


Once you get up onto the Buckhorn Rd the Plains become SPECTACULAR... I've been reading Walter Colebatch's Mongolian RR's and I feel that this place looks just as stunning! Of course I do need to ride over there as well.... juuust to compare.


I am so drawn to this Northeastern corner of Oregon... I can feel why the Nez Perce grew to live here, and why it was so sacred to them/me. I feel that my last time around in a human body was as a Nez Perce and can understand my attraction to this wonderous land.


These fences never were and still are not... a natural and respectful way to treat our Mother. But I learn to look past them, and to see the beauty of her lands...












I've been leading again, but soon it will be Al's turn to kick up the dust...






Down at the end of this straight where Alex's dust still floats, is Camp Creek Rd, a lefthand turn off to take us down into Imnaha. I'll have to pull off and wait for Al to figure somethings wrong and turn back to check. Then head us in the right direction...








He comes back and we head down our target....




We stop to open a gate and who pulls up but 4 FF'ers from the Rally... turns out Alex knows one of them from a previous ride/visit... TJ "Pigpen". Hopefull Al will plug in any details... Also "Steve Levine" and "Jungle Man" all from ADV.


We're all happy to meet up and enjoy a moment of comraderie... PPP too! I think they recognize Janice and Desiree' waaay more than Al and I LOL!


All there bikes are set up niiice and they fill us in on the current situation at the Rally. It's Friday already and the shindig has been goin' on since Wed-Thurs... once again we miss most of the fun. Actually we only miss most of the group fun.. since we ALWAYS have fun with or without anyone else!^)-

Everyone starts to suit up... the guys heading back to the campfire... Alex and I heading down to the Imnaha Store for some chow aaand to acclimate to the area before jumping into a whole group of folks.


The Cows look on unamused...


Beautiful hillsides as we drop on down...




Some Ranchers just outta town...


We get to the Store and I introduce Al to Heather, whos parents own the store... we had a couple goood conversations last year!


That's betta...


Her husband Kirk comes in from fishing... nice guy too! And we get to shoot'n the shit about local things... he tells us about a local Rancher down below Imnaha who was so paranoid about the Japanese invading us back in WWII that he hid Dynamite ALL OVER the hills!?! No one knows how much is still left out there... hahahaha oooh boy, better step easy.
Eugene Pallette


Eugene William Pallette (July 8, 1889 &#8211; September 3, 1954) was an American actor. He appeared in over 240 silent era and sound era motion pictures between 1913 and 1946.
An overweight man with large stomach and deep, gravelly voice, Pallette is probably best-remembered for comic character roles such as Alexander Bullock, Carole Lombard's father, in My Man Godfrey (1936), his role as Friar Tuck in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) starring Errol Flynn and his similar role as Fray Felipe in The Mark of Zorro (1940) starring Tyrone Power.

Later life

Eugene Pallette's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


In 1946, convinced that there was going to be a "world blow-up" by atom bombs, Pallette received considerable publicity when he set up a "mountain fortress" on a 3,500-acre (14 km<SUP>2</SUP>) ranch near Imnaha, Oregon, as a hideaway from universal catastrophe. The "fortress" reportedly was stocked with a sizable herd of prize cattle, enormous supplies of food, and had its own canning plant and lumber mill.
When the "blow-up" he anticipated failed to materialize after two years, he began disposing of the Oregon ranch and returned to Los Angeles and his movie colony friends.


Funny what kind of stuff ya learn when ya least expect it....

She shows Al what the RattleSnake count is all about...


Yup fresh Rattler.. ya hungry?


I think he's really interested??? Anyhow she hooks us up with some lovingly made food as her daughter does her best to distract her.


Then as I go outside following Al to suit up... he walks back and says!
"Dude.. my fuck'n tools are ALL GONE!"
I say " WHAT???"
"Yup NO tools and the end cap is gone too!!!"

"SHIT... well no one around here woulda messed with your bike... sooo the cap must fell off and your tools fell out?!?!?"

"Hmmm Shit.. ok let's go back track."

Sooo we go back... and back ... aaaand back... all the waaaaay to Waynes in Lewiston.


Riding mostly side by side to better see into the ditches.... as we get further and further into the night... we realize he's got an electrical PROBLEM! After one extended stop we have to push start the bike... oooh boy nothing like adding our own little TWIST to the Adventure! He txt "PigPen" so they don't worry about us not pulling into the Rally... and to put the word out to be on the lookout for a tool roll.
Sometime late we roll into Waynes and instead of another back to back all nighter we crash.... figuring tomorrow we'll restock on tools, do repairs? Then head back to the Show!


Gooood night!

I'll jump on here real quick and contribute whatever I can. After looking through these last few posts, I realize that I have completely dropped the ball on getting anywhere near the amount of photos that Jim has. To be honest, I don't know how he gets them. I hang out with the guy, and while I see the camera out often, I didn't realize just how often. Well done, good sir.



Anyhow, Jim covered that first day in Lewiston pretty well. We spent the entire evening wrenching. It's funny, it doesn't matter how well either one of our bikes are running or how well any of the parts look, Jim and I always manage to find a way to burn copious amounts of time wrenching. If it's damaged, we replace it. Misaligned, we adjust it. Not the right part, we adapt. Flimsy? Grab that road sign, we'll make a brace. For me, I just need to keep busy. I've got too much going through my head at any one time, so being able to focus on just the ONE thing and improve upon it, it's kinda peaceful. Relaxing, if you will. I suspect Jim's much the same way. I mean, just look at the pics he's posted. I'm sharpening my KLR's accessory hatchet while he's sawing through scrap metal. Neither one "Needed" to get done, but it happened.

His brace did turn out nice, by the way. It picked the front lip of the fender up a couple inches and increased the stability greatly. Stealthy, too. You wouldn't even know it was there. I, however, went a different route several months previous.



Yup, shameless plug.

I feel like we got up early the next day and headed out to Oregon, but I think I'm lying to myself. More likely than not, we made it down to the local pancake shack at a quarter past ten to slap asses and make strawberry nipples for our pancakes before we got on the road. That sounds more accurate.

I will say this, the ride in was great. Every type of trail was covered short of bouldery ledges. We wound through some beautiful farmscape before rising to the crest of the hills and following the ridgeline. We kinda leapfrogged from one toke break to the next, more often then not completely losing sight of each other. This was nice, though, as it provided a nice relaxed pace to take it all in.







I stopped at one point on a portion of the trail when I had been leading and got set up for what promised to be a truly epic shot of Jim barreling through a mud pit. An action shot would be taken. Just set it to a high burst setting and you should be good. I might even make an animated GIF out of it.



Way to drop the ball. You can see a big smirk on his face, he knew what he was doing. "Noooo, not today, brother. I've got a messed up back, 'been bothering me all week. Just gonna take it easy today"

Alright... fair enough....






We made it all the way into town, running into a few guys on the trail that had just come from the rally. One of the riders cruises up to me and gives the bike a quick look over, then back at me. "Parepin?" Heh, yup. It was Pigpen from the forum, or TJ in meatspace. He'd apparently recognized the bikes from a ride report, which I got kind of a kick about. We shot the shit for a bit and kicked eachother's bikes while one fella wandered out back and started plinking prairie dogs off with some sort of pistol. I don't really know guns, but I was jealous.







Anyhow, we headed out of that encounter to grab some grub before heading back to the rally. Jim had mentioned this place a few times. The beer was cold, the food is good, and the waitress has some incredible eyes. Sure enough, she did, and was even nice enough to hold still for a pic or two. Neither of which does the girl justice.

It's here that I noticed the end of my tool tube was missing. We backtracked to where I thought I had dropped it, but to no luck. We reviewed the pictures on the cameras to see if we could pin point when it went AWOL, but nothing. By the time we had backtracked a fair bit, I had begun to have electrical issues and it was decided we're probably better off just returning all the way back to Lewiston to spend the evening getting all this sorted out. We were back on the road early the next day.



How's that work for ya, Jimmy?

good stuff...

I wonder when Jim will have time to finish his report :ddog
He's on his way to Idaho now, so hopefully he'll get to it at Wayne's house.
Thanks for the fill in Alex!

Awesome Alex... tankya maaan!

Hellooooo Gunnerbuck and Esther
Yup in Tennessee head'n to the PNWest for some Skiing, Birdhunting and Snowmobiling...
Uploaded more Vids to Youtube and Smugmug soooo I can keep this thing going along.

Again Thanks Al!!! Love your writing style... makes me laugh everytime.

Yup we probably did saunter down to Waffles & More to flirt a bit before heading back to the Rally on that 1st attempt... Now that we were back in Lewiston we woke up and repeated the routine... Waffles & More then... figure out Alex's electrical problem!

Next thing I know..... he's knee deep in all kinds a $hit!!!


Yo imagine this.... here we are with at least one of our bikes torn apart.... again.


Yup the Stator has taken the proverbial $hit! .... aaand Al's been talking about how noisy Janice has been the last few thousand miles.... especially since the last time he adjusted the Doooooooo!



Yup Broken Torsion spring, first I'd seen... luuuckily I juuust happen to have another in my faithful KLR box.



While he does his thing... I do some work on his shock... trying to make it as easily adjustable as a Cogent Dynamics Moab!!! LOL not ever gonna be a Moab, buuut gonna try to at least hook him up.


I drill the collar holes deeper, take an Allen wrench and bend it... then shape the tip. First one fails and I try to temper another a little softer. It works and were goood to go:)


So as usual... all things really happen for a reason aka if ya pay attention to the signs you see how the universe is communicating with you, teaching you, showing you more and more truths. In this case our searching for the tool bags had shown us this Stator problem and given us a perfect opportunity to take care of it, here in Wayne's kick a$$ shop! Aaand as luck (intent) would have it, I just happen to have a spare Stator too... thanx to Alex hooking me up to his buddy in SoCal earlier in the year.

Al puts a new Cap on his tool tube, makes a safety wire catch, restocks his tool supply get's ol' Janice put back together, then we suit up to ride.....


As we walk past the Jeep ol' Mick is leaning on it as to say... Hey Buddy where we goin'!!! Thinking I was taken the jeep instead of the bike....
He had jumped up on the bike seat in the past too.... Wayne had said hey man if he does it again go ahead and take him.



As we actually get fully geared up and start to walk to the bikes, who is sitting up on my bike seat again but Mick... what!!! Hmmmm I say hey man give me a minute, and I'll buzz around the block with him.. see how he holds on. (As a side note Mick has grown up riding on the back of Waynes 4-Wheeler his whole life soooo is conditioned for this leeetle adventure)
I do a good sized loop around the block and he seems pretty stable. As I pull up in front of the house Lisa a good friend of all of ours says "hey I've got a leash and a bag of dog food here in the Dodge" lov'n the Tie Dye...


Sooo with her help I don't even get off the bike she just hands it all to me and I stuff it into the tank panniers.




Looks like were taking Mick to his first Rally, wonder what Kirby will think?.... !^)-

The dog looks just right hanging behind you there. I have been a long time stalker/follower. Really enjoy you RR's. 2013 is gonna be a good year for me, lots of riding time......since I am on the DL now. Just have to have some gas money that's all. Ride on, keep the sunny side up.

I came accross this video, and from reading your RRs, I thought it fit you. It's called "Until the Sun Comes". Enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VfTAgUXXwM4

It's pretty cool.

Yup he does a hell of a job as you'll see soon! Aaand Brutha thanx mucho for checking out the HAT rides, really appreciate it! Glad to see another Soul get to play more and suffer less...
Cool Beans... it sounds like your gonna have an EXCELLENT summer!!!

DUDE!!! That Video and song ROCKS! I've gotta name that the Official HighAdventureTour VIdeo man.... can I use it I might put it in the opening post of both RR's

I'd use the song until someone tells you otherwise, it's a cool rocking song with a couple of subtle messages in it....ride on bro.

You were in Ventura CA....why no post or pictures ?

Helloooooo.... Nope Haven't been in Ventura for a couple years. My Bro Alex may have ridden thru lately tho?

Busted... Whats that thing wrapped around your wrist... Would thought an ez-ridin dude like you woulda tossed that thing right from the git go!



Enjoying the report though! Keep the rubber side somewhere near the ground.

Haha... ya got me there.
I still have to interact with the rest of society and soooo the time in that respect is relevant .
Thanx and peace,
JJ

PS I'll try

We head on down the hill toward Asotin... I go easy since doin' 50mph with a dog under my arm is kinda new to me!!!
If he panics and bails..... NOT GOOD!
I keep looking down to check on him...


We get to the Asotin store and pull in for supplies and another check out period.

He just sits calmly on the bike until we move out again...


Cool beans let's head 'em south... first twisty test is the little snake outta Asotin.


Then it's off across the Prairie...
We stop at the State Park just this side of the RattleSnake Grade for another check up.


Again he just sits there all chill, then I let him run around to piss, hunt explore etc... and he and Al have some sort of Convo, then we roll into the Rattler.






On the way down I Pass Parepin... he'll tell ya about this Mick and my first pass together... then I pass a sports car as they try'n tear it up a bit. At the bottom and still on the Washington side I pull over again to let Mick piss and adjust (His first time railing hard turns sooo I had to let his adrenaline purge! )
After a bit the sports car and Al come singing bye....


Mick waves (his tail) as Al fades from sight...


Then it's back to business, I'm impressed at his control... I can accelerate, brake and lean as though I'm solo.... he just hangs on tight.


A little buck crosses right in front of us... Mick spots him right away and remains then calm as we pass.


We stop once more up on the Oregon side for one last checkup and readjust before hitting the Rally... the Wallowa's seemm to summon us.


We arrive all safe and sound at the Log Cabin...


Mick IS A HIT... Like a CELEBRITY or someth'n hahahaha!!!

Since it's too late for grub (once again we're LATE for a Rally) we head on over to Joseph and the Stubborn Mule for some dinner, I tell Al he may get to spot a Puuurty Giiirrl or two there, and the food is good so back on the bikes. ~Al maaay or may not have pics of the greeting Mick got??? For some reason I don't:/ ~

Sorry for the blur...


Mick stays out on the bike for 15-20 minutes... then we ask if we can bring him into the enclosed deck area out back.... yup yup sure says our puuurtty barkeep. Sooo in he comes.... exited like a 5yr old on Christmas morning!
As we sit down out there, Mick meets 5 or 6 girls sitting around the fire... cooool beans, he's gonna work out juuuust fine!^)-


They try to get to know us... and when I go inside, then return, I find one has taken up residence next to Alex.....
The girls being a bit too drunk and in a different place/phase in time, life, mind etc... I just hang back.

The Specials were gooood.... then we head back to the Cabin.


Still a few up and about sooo we approach the fire, where I run into Mark with the cooool ol' Yellow Beemer, as we talk and as usual I spend no time opening up... so he says "you guys gotta meet Fey".


Al chat'n with her, Scott_PDX, IDRIDR, Steve Lavigne (who in a loooong tradition at this Rally... has had his name changed to... NUT CLUTCH) and some of the guys we met on Camp Creek yesterday...


I spark up some convo with Mr. Fisherman... LadyBug musta been in the sack already cos I didn't see her. Also met OTheories... a reeeeal cooool guy who I loved sharing thoughts with and was also on a KLR doing the Touring thing.


It's a goood time and now we gottat put up camp somewhere near midnight. Goooodnite!


Just found this... a couple pics from LadyBug from the HCR Picture Thread... Thanx LB!^)-

"Jett&#8217;n Jim came in with his new riding partner.


These two sure seem to like each other. It's too bad the pup doesn't belong to Jim, he belongs to one of Jim's friends. The dog sure liked riding on the bike.

There was way too much excitement for me and off to bed I went just like I&#8217;m going to do now."

What an awesome dog to ride like that!!! That is so cool.

Yes girls he is an EXCEPTIONAL pooch! Been here in Idaho with him Quail Hunting for the last 2 weeks and again he totally impresses me! Just an amazing spirit and of course our connection does help to lead us both as we work together... suuuure gonna miss him when I turn Monique Eastward in a few days.