Kenny Haynes Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 It is getting late in the day and we still have a lot of ground to cover. We opt to alter the route a little to get us in to Lakeview at a decent hour and it turns out to be a good decision. We have crossed in to Oregon a few times today and now we are there to stay. This is the weekend of the county fair and all the lodging in Lakeview is booked up. The previous night we had called Mark to ask him to search for lodging options for Lakeview, but we didn’t book anything. We didn't know about the fair then. The next town with hotels is 70 miles in the wrong direction. Finally, we find a place in town. The proprietor tells me on the phone they only have 1 room left. I tell him we are looking for two beds. He says we can have a room with two beds or one with a king. Huh? We take it and find that the room that is normally about 50 a night will cost us 150. After we unload, we find Tim, Dave and String are checking in to the other room that was the only room left. I believe that was the last room in town. No pics from dinner that night, but we found a decent Mexican place nearby. The food was good, and alcohol may have been involved. Night time temps were definitely getting lower too. The prospect of riding big miles out of the way for lodging while being utterly exhausted appealed to none of us. From that point forward, we searched for motel options and I called and made a reservation for the next night each morning. We shared that information with String and they followed suit. It made for a less stressful day knowing we had place each night. Link to comment
big-t Posted October 3, 2010 Author Share Posted October 3, 2010 Day 7 Lakeview to Gilchrist Oregon Trees,trees and more trees .WOW ! This is so different. Found an old homestead or camp of some kind and looked it over. What big …...Trees Nice riding Funny looking tree We are already bored on the nice roads so lets take a side loop that the gps shows... Kennys off and running Great scenery Road hasn't seen much use lately,but my gps shows it connecting with the trail... Hmmm! Kenny says we are done here,but I insist,my gps shows this road connecting with the trail just ahead.. I rode thru it another hundred yards before hitting a dead end.......Damn gps.. No problem,I'll find something else to do.. ...and there are still gates This is the turn but my snowmobile is at home Beautiful country The roads turn red.. Stopped on this bridge for a break A little ways later we rode this powerline for about 5 miles,a great place to test your suspension. ..and then this abandoned railroad bed for about 20 miles. Squirrely is not a good enough term for riding on those cinders Some nice road for a bit ..and another little detour..lol Oops ! There may be a bit of a problem No big deal.... ... Crossing the big log I positioned myself to Kennys right where I thought I would be able grab his right bark buster in case there was a problem.Once your front wheel climbs the log your feet are a long way from the ground and there is no way to support yourself.The top of that 2nd log was about 2 feet off the ground.The bike lurched left and found myself grabbing thin air instead of Kenny's handlebars......Sorry Kenny .. Into Silver lake for gas,.....duh, they are closed on the weekend.Oh well,Kenny checks out the local motel and decides we need to keep riding. Damn,I thought we left that stupid silt and sand in Nevada.. This is better......less chance of busting my arse here than in the sand. After getting ripped at an El cheapo motel in Lakeview,the fair was in town.We scored some pretty good accommodations in Gilchrist. Sure missed Mark....We has to pay instead of using his free points.... Next morning when we filled up I only had 1/10 of a gallon left in my tank.....Thats too close for comfort Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted October 3, 2010 Share Posted October 3, 2010 Not far in to Oregon the terrain became distinctly different, with more large trees and just more green everywhere. We would be days in the forest. Lot’s of fun places to play here, but the gps gets confused on what goes through and what doesn’t. Another self timer shot. Though still working, I broke the display on my camera back in Utah. Though the pics all look like there are ufo’s in the frame on the display, luckily they turned out ok once uploaded. Gotta get it fixed now. Do these bags make my butt look big? Similar to Nevada here, but more green. The silt is back too. We eventually get in to a little tighter sandy two track with really fun berms and trees right on the side of the trail. Very nice. The shadows are getting long again and the temp starts dropping in the shaded areas. I had fun blasting through here and only later thought about how stupid that was. Late in the day more critters are out, and we were lucky that none chose to intersect our path. Perhaps the animals had heard about Todd the deerslayer. My jacket vents got closed somewhere around here. We were wondering if it would be another after dark arrival. The Gilchrist Inn was our home for the night. It is a fantastic place to stay. If we had time, it would have been nice to spend a few days here. Our unit was about 1400 sq ft and included a fine living room, two separate bedrooms and a full kitchen. In Lakeview we had met two fellow tat travelers from New Mexico who got the tip on lodging, so there were 7 of us at the Inn. It apparently was a logging company crew lodge at some point, now converted as an inn. There is a very cool restaurant/tavern close and the food was awesome there. The proprietor was also a very interesting fellow. It really got cold that night. May be we should stay a little longer… Link to comment
big-t Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 Day 8 Gilchrist to Canyonlands Oregon Awesome accommodations last night I love traveling rural America,the people you meet are great.Our host at the Gilchrist Inn knew we would be in late and called the local restaurant/bar/bowling alley/tourist center(about 100 yards away) and told him we would be late and needing something to eat. The owner and the cook stayed late and prepared an excellent meal for us,followed with some good conversation and spirits and provided us with free Oregon Maps,a tour of his 2 lane bowling alley in the back of the bar and a free shot glass for everyone to remember the place.......just awesome Seven days of desert temps and we wake up to 32 degrees.... I had a pair of longhandle bottoms but the the top had got toasted in the saddle bag,so I put on 2 shirts and picked up a set of leather gloves to replace the vented ones I had been wearing,but knew there would be issues with my hands as they have been giving me troubles in the cold for several years. At least the roads and scenery were nice Stopping again to warm my hands on the exhaust Stopping gave the Kiwis a chance to catch up.They got a late start this morning. Kenny browsing the forest while I'm warming my hands.He is getting used to waiting on me...lol Awesome country Whatta think....is Kenny happy ? At this point he is probably happy the temps have climbed up enough and I don't have to stop and warm my hands every 5 minutes...lol.....or maybe its because we are headed off the trail for a side trip. Since Kenny has never seen it and we are only 20 miles away...We are headed to Crater lake... Climbing to the lake we see snow,still on the ground from last winter and its now September and my hands are getting cold... Last time I was here,we crested the mountain and the view of the lake took your breath away.This year was no different. Looking down into the lake the blue water is beautiful Your two studly adventurers again,both sporting classic Arai XD3 haircuts... Moving along we head south to pick up a road north that will take us back to the trail and pass the Rogue River. OK,enough of the tourist crap,back to the trail Back into the woods... What a beautiful place,the trees are amazing and we are searching for a special one. I think we found it Yep,this is it. I know Kenny has better pic of him by the tree,maybe he will post it? I'm not bashful....Glad the forest warden didn't show up.. Now I'm thinking who went out and measured the other 5 million trees ..I guess that was on my mind as I took off in the lead and went 20 miles in the wrong direction before I noticed something was wrong.I was having fun. Well,at least we got to ride the 20 miles we missed going to Crater Lake.lol At the end of the day after 12 hours in the saddle and 10 miles from the motel,Sam throws a curve.A very nasty,rocky climb up the mountain,that caught us by suprise.Anyway we made it,sorry no pics.We were extremly busy hanging on...lol [ Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Amazing ride you two guys did and beautiful pictures! It should be made int a movie, except you guys did not have two TV trucks behind you like the "Long Way Round" did... Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 A cold but gorgeous start for today as Todd mentioned. He wasn’t the only one benefiting from the stops to warm up, I was cold too. Wish I had brought a fishing rod. We stopped for a break and a look around the forest. Before long, Dave caught up to us soon followed by Tim and String. I think everyone was enjoying the sunshine and the lack of wind for a little while. We were all headed for Crater Lake today, it was just too close to miss. If we stay here and chat for a while it will warm up a little though. A few more miles of this and we are on the tarmac headed for the park. A sign referred to this as a red pumice desert. Part of the desert in the park were covered with up to 200 feet of it by the explosion of Mt Mazama. I’m guessing if you had been there then it would have ruined your day. The views are worth the time to get here, and I am grateful that Todd didn’t mind going again. No pic, but while we were there an old gooney bird (dc3) flew over. Apparently they use one as a tourist bus. Gotta go back and fly in that sometime. It would also be nice to take a boat out on the lake sometime, but we had some miles to cover so we didn’t stay too long. We passed by the Rogue river on our way back in to the forest. The river cut a canyon through the pumice deposited by the explosion of Mt. Mazama about 8000 years ago when Todd and I were kids. Soon we were back on some really nice forest roads. There are tons of motorcycle/atv trails in this area as well. Another amazing day in the making. Miles and miles of this stuff. Another shot or two around the big tree. It too was worth the ride. The big climb Todd mentioned was photo worthy, but I failed to take a picture there as well. The trail was one of those that was fairly level then took a 90 degree turn up a very steep hill covered in loose rock. No way to carry any momentum, so mining what traction was available was key to getting up. The next several miles were in and out of the canopy of the forest and very nice. I started thinking about critters again. At a gas stop earlier in the day the store keeper showed us a picture of a 650lb bear that had recently been killed about 250’ from the store, and he said there were a lot of cougars in the area. Let’s keep moving shall we? Soon we were on I5 heading up to Canyonville to the motel. The 450 is not a very good bike for I5, but we only had a few miles to go. We made it to the hotel in Canyonville in time to see our riding buddies tending to their bikes and getting ready to head to dinner. We unloaded, caught a quick shower and went with them for a bite. Another amazing day in Oregon. We had a great meal together, but all of us were thinking the same thing. One day left and it is done. It is exciting to think about finishing the goal with no bones sticking out anywhere, but sad to be approaching the end. We lingered in the restaurant, reluctant to give in to the clock. Link to comment
roadscholar Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 You two just aren't having any fun are you. Again, epic! Link to comment
Albert Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Just amazing Kenny. Thanks for taking the time to put all this together. Link to comment
big-t Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Day 9 Canyonlands to Port Orford Oregon. Last day on the trail starts good . I'm enjoying it Remember the cowboy's remark in Denio Junction a few says ago about hurrying up as there were storms a brewing...How did he know..? We see it now The loggers are active here One of the things that made Oregon difficult was the maze of roads from logging over the last 100 years' Look closely and you can see Kenny turning around at a deadend. This is better,but it was probably the last 2 track section The roads just get better from here on out. and finally a narrow paved road,that takes us the last few miles. With a few indicators of how life was many years ago. The rain was coming down giving the WR a much needed bath We made it....I had expectations of being able to see the sun shining over the Pacific as we descended out of the hills,but not this day with the overhanging clouds and rain. We rode the pedestrian walkway down onto the beach and posed for the final trip pics in the cold rain.I could hardly see thru my glasses and my hands were cold and wet which caused me to drop my camera in the sand and the whole time wondering if we were going to get busted... It was a bittersweet moment.I was glad to have finished my 3 year,5k mile ride,but also realizing it was over.....all the planning,obstacles and time were finished.Nothing to do but go home. As we pulled off the beach I made a note of the total Gps mileage. 1652 miles of adventure in the dirt..WOW A big thanks to Kenny for sharing this adventure with me.It would have been a damn tough trip without him! This will be a tough one to top......Where to next... Link to comment
Stan Walker Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 WOW!!!!!! Where do I start! Where do I find info on planning this route! Stan Link to comment
roadscholar Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Day 9 Canyonlands to Port Orford Oregon. Last day on the trail starts good . We made it....I had expectations of being able to see the sun shining over the Pacific as we descended out of the hills,but not this day with the overhanging clouds and rain. We rode the pedestrian walkway down onto the beach and posed for the final trip pics in the cold rain.I could hardly see thru my glasses and my hands were cold and wet which caused me to drop my camera in the sand and the whole time wondering if we were going to get busted... It was a bittersweet moment.I was glad to have finished my 3 year,5k mile ride,but also realizing it was over.....all the planning,obstacles and time were finished.Nothing to do but go home. Congratulations big-t, you're the man. What an adventure and accomplishment. And Kenny too for helping you realize it. Most of us know it but you guys have reminded us what a big beautiful country this is, especially when you get off the beaten path. The tale and many of the photos were outstanding, hate to see it end. I know I'll be referring back to it. Link to comment
Kathy R Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 I sure wish there was a Day 10, etc. I've thoroughly enjoyed your entire tale. Epic, is the word for it. No doubt your memories of this accomplishment will warm you for the rest of your days. Where are you going next year? Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 The last day came. I’m not sure exactly why, but I didn’t take too many pictures along the way that morning so I’m glad Todd got a few. He made the mistake of listening to me at an intersection or two and I got us lost pretty good, but the roads we were lost on were a lot of fun. In some areas we were under the canopy and deep enough in the valleys to lose satellite reception, so I guess it is no wonder that the gps got a little confused. We had been very lucky so far suffering from no mechanical issues whatsoever and no flat tires. However, in the last day or so my bike would not start with the magic button intermittently, and I had to kick it a few times. That got progressively worse on this day, but I didn’t take the time to research the problem. The bike came with a lifetime guarantee from the previous owner, so I figured I would drop it off in Nashville on the way home to get it repaired ;-) For short stops, I just left it running. It started looking like we were going to get wet while we were on one of my wild goose chases down a logging road. The temperature started dropping a bit too as we worked our way further west. We kept expecting to see the ocean way off in the distance, but the further west we went the cloudier it got and eventually a light but steady rain began. Finally we could see the ocean on the gps when I zoomed out a bit. We plodded along and before long found ourselves leaving the dirt behind for the last time. As we came in to Port Orford, we noticed those big license plates again on the side of the road. The NZ guys had gotten the obligatory photos and stopped for lunch on their way back from the beach. We stopped and said goodbye as they headed north to Coos Bay for fresh tires. Then it was off to the beach in the rain for our photo session. We had done it, WOOHOO! I thought the beach would be larger here after seeing pictures others had posted. The rain put a little damper on things, but it did feel good to get here. Todd looked cold, and it seemed like the rain was picking up a little. A gust of wind came up and blew my bike over about the time Todd dropped his camera. My helmet landed on it’s top and was now covered with sand. Sadly it was time to get out of there. Too bad the weather wasn’t a little nicer, but we can’t complain. We hit a gas station for fuel and to rinse some of the sand off of ourselves and the bikes. Then we had 60 miles of fairly hard steady rain to Coos Bay to begin the journey home. Thanks to Big T for being such a good travel companion and inviting me along. What a trip it was! A word about ride tales. For years I have read tales on this board and on advrider that have cultivated a desire to get off the couch and get out there. There are many. One that caught my eye early on was David and Bill’s Mexican adventure here. I remember reading that and thinking I would probably never get to experience anything like that. A year or so later David invited me along on a similar trip to Copper Canyon, this time on dual sport bikes. I fear I have since become addicted to these types of rides. One of the highlights of these rides is the documentation of the vacation in this kind of tale, which allows one to relive the ride in a way that for me is better than a photo album mostly because it can be shared with family and friends more easily. Another friend wrote a tale on adv a few years ago about traveling the tat. It really got me interested in doing this trip and others. I read it again several times in preparation for this trip and even while we were on it. It really enhanced the experience and gave me an idea of what to expect in the desert. Thanks again to those of you who have taken the time to read and/or comment on the tale. It is gratifying to know that some have enjoyed our ramblings. Maybe some wanderlust will spread as a result. I know I’m ready to go again. Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Hey Kathy, no solid plan for next year at this point. A number of options are being considered. I'm thinking about another baja adventure this winter, but we shall see. Days 10 and 11 yeilded some photos that might make in in to the tale even though we were done with the trail. Hope you and Ron have a nice visit. Link to comment
steve.foote Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Kenny and Todd, that is one of the most incredible ride tales I've read to date. Truely awesome, guys! Link to comment
azkaisr Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 How did you guys get home? Link to comment
Bruce H Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 That was an absolutely fabulous ride and write-up. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment
Kathy R Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Hey Kathy, no solid plan for next year at this point. A number of options are being considered. I'm thinking about another baja adventure this winter, but we shall see. The only good thing about you sitting still is it will mean you'll have time again for a puppy. I do hope you get to the Baja...I need to read another one of those tales! Hope you and Ron have a nice visit. We are sitting here, at the kitchen table, talking about you and Todd and your trip....the shot of your bikes in the sand...we can only imagine the emotion of that moment for you guys. Get Todd into some Gerbings and you guys ride the snowmobile up here as soon as you have time Link to comment
Joe Frickin' Friday Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Looks like you and Todd were digging some nice trenches there on the beach. One of the highlights of these rides is the documentation of the vacation in this kind of tale, which allows one to relive the ride in a way that for me is better than a photo album mostly because it can be shared with family and friends more easily. Amen. This was an interesting two-fer, with both of you contributing to the same ride tale, with some amazing pics and a great travelogue of where you were at the time. I've gone back and reread my own ride tales several times since writing them; I know I would have forgotten a lot of the interesting details of it if I hadn't written it all down, and all of that detail (along with a selection of the best pics) does indeed result in something that's interesting for other folks, even non-riders, to check out. You've got the same thing going on here; well done! Link to comment
big-t Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 A couple more .. Ya woulda thought he would have waited until I got my pants up before snapping the pic... Tom We finished the day out with a 60 mile ride to Coos Bay to pick up a U-haul truck for the 1100 miles back to my truck. This pic is a fair representation of how I was feeling at this point.. Gotta have a little nap while Kenny drives. KENNY !!!!! Never leave the bike sitting by itself in the sand while taking pics... Crashing on the silt leaves you looking like this.... We leapfrogged this storm all the way back. Dirt bike riding on the tarmac sucks. The last 60 miles from Price UT back to Greenriver. Finally loaded and ready to head east. Link to comment
Knifemaker Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 FANTASTIC...to coin a word... Link to comment
Matts_12GS Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 FANTASTIC...to coin a word... Hey Bill, ready to start planning? Link to comment
ERdok Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 WOW! Definitely ranks as one of the best ride tales ever. I haven't done any serious off-road riding for many years but after reading this... Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 I know a couple of people on this board who will have a hard time looking at this photo since the bikes are not perfectly vertical. Just so you know, we discussed it at the time and left them that way just for you for the whole trip home. You know who you are ;-) Link to comment
roadscholar Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Hadn't thought about the angle but I am a little worried about the ramp sliding out. Hey Kenny, one more time, that was a really, really good ride tale. Link to comment
StretchMark Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Finally cuddled up with a box of tissues and read the whole thing. Fookin' AWESOME!! Carpe'd the livin shiite out of the diem. Thanks so much for sending me the texts and pics along the way. It was really, really tough being on the sidelines for this trip. I'll be up for carrying your bags somewhere next year. Link to comment
big-t Posted October 9, 2010 Author Share Posted October 9, 2010 'bout time you showed up... You were missed........ We had to pay for our accommodations instead of using your points..... Link to comment
Ron_B Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Geeez, this is the first ride tale to leave me feeling physically tired! Wow! just Wow! Link to comment
Kenny Haynes Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Almost forgot. Here is a pic for the little known fact discovered on a vacation category. As we were driving back toward Utah, we came across this sign. The news of the only civilian casualties of WW2 within the continental U.S. was suppressed at the time, and the knowledge still isn't widespread. Link to comment
Tasker Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 One of the very best ride tales I've read...anywhere! But I would not have expected any less from you two! Pure genious! Simply amazing! You done good! Link to comment
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