Did Grand Forks to Midway via Paris rd. yesterday riding in 32deg heat was a chore ! Nice area that needs to be done again. Maybe not after riding 2000k in 2 days though!
Looks like it is going to be time to go south to avoid the fires! Lets hope anybody up there in fire country is ok. RPM
Heading south tomorrow, too bad you have to work this week 3 of us on this ride 4 would of made accommodations easier. I find it frustrating trying to get in on group rides as the job always seems to get in the way of the rides I want to go on most times I end up solo. May not be any fires down that way at this time but its going to be a blast furnace down there.
Have a great ride! My bike is parked right now due to my "Yosh pipe blew up" and I am currently waiting for it to be fixed. Doing some other things to it that I was trying to get to as well. Stay hydrated! I got heat stressed last week as it is easy to do in 35deg heat, muscling a 500lb beast and not moving fast enough to move much air through the gear. RPM
Drink, drink then drink some more ! Two weeks ago I was on a group ride through Washington, Idaho, Montana then back across Washington home to Vancouver the temp gauge on the dash hit 40 C a few times not very comfortable even at speed. I was using a hydration pack filled with ice and water every morning it was a life saver in those temps.
I pack a hydration bladder with ice in the morning and stuff it away till about noon when I,m real hot and I slip the now half frozen bladder into the pocket on the back of my armor vest it rests right on my spine half hour later I,m chilled. Worked well in NorCal last August. One day we rode up to the Lassen Volcanic Park making tracks in the snow during the morning and then hit close to 40° in Red Bluff early afternoon must admit it was a bit of a shocker and sent one guy on a bee line for the resort we were staying at but I toughed it out and managed to climatize the trick is to keep your gear on ended up rippin hwy 36 that afternoon a 560 km day.[/IMG]
The ride turned out great, first day was a long one 1009 kms all the way to Baker City on mostly backroads. 2nd day was the Hells Canyon Loop over 500kms of twisties. 3rd day was heading west on the John Day Hwy 600 kms of twisties. 4th day homebound the road to the Windy Ridge Lookout was closed but a nice ride north in the forest anyways then the I5 back to Vancouver. Other than the I5 there was very little traffic mid week and next to no traffic once in Oregon. It was warm but not as hot as the previous week luckily. North Eastern Oregon has world class motorcycle roads with next to no traffic on them its a gem of a spot.
Oh Yea, I have spent lots of time down there. A group of us did 6 days just in Oregon once on backroads and off road. The Ducati sport bikes and such were not great in the mud but we made it. RPM
North central Oregon is among the best places to ride street bikes.We've used John Day as a base for clover leaf rides 4 times in the last 12 years. The whole thing is so good, so very close to Northern California riding with 25% the traffic. I've ridden Europe 4 times, New Zealand, all of California several times, Mexico on and off-road. Oregon is a gift for the motorcyclist IMO.
So when is the next one? I am back in Tbay on the long weekend and in Vancouver ready to go on the next. Anybody in? Van Island? Hurley? Winthrop? RPM
Looking at going to Winthrop WA then up to Osoyoos then back to Richmond this weekend. Just chucking the idea around. RPM
I,m just getting back from an extended long weekend of riding out of Port Hardy so will have to hang out with the wife this weekend.
Yup, that is what I do every 2 weeks. I work in Vancouver and live in Thunder Bay, Ontario so every 2nd weekend so I am here in Vancouver to ride. I barely got out to ride when home with three little monsters to look after. Managed to go Winthrop WA via Watcom Lake, to Sedro Wooley. From Winthrop, I took NF-37, (it was smokey like hell but worth it) to Conconully and then the WABDR North to Nighthawk. I missed the border by about 10 min so I took the Loomis-Oroville Rd. up to Osoyoos over night. Easy #3 back with a dive onto the Old Headly Rd. If you have never ridden this road you are missing out, one of my favorites. Got rained on! Just outside of Hope and then it was done, good to see though not to ride in. RPM
I am here this weekend. I may have to work though, I will know in a couple days. Pretty smokey out there! RPM
Contemplating a week long ride to NorCal Sept 28/29th, with a focus on paved mountain trails mabey 10% gravel. Any interest?
I would be checking the fire situation first. The whole western side of NA from California to B.C. is in flames and or smoke.
Good point could still be smoked out by Oct if conditions worsen. Right now there is a large fire near Happy Camp with delays on hwy 96 other than that all other paved roads in NorCal are unaffected by fires.
