VFRLarry and 970Mike looking for the interstate part two.

[970mike]

Well we just got back from an eight day trip back to Idaho looking for the interstate!! Right!! We had a blast looking for two lane fun in northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington. We had planned to go back through Idaho after leaving NatSToc but both Larry and myself ran out of front tires. So we returned back home and I installed a new front tire and Larry changed bikes. You will see that we stealth camped our way around this trip as well as our NatSToc trip. Larry also wore out another front tire on the Blackbird.

It was a great run over Lolo pass over to Washington down Hwy 129 which is a don't miss road. Over to Crater Lake and Mount Shasta back down over some of California's best.

Enjoy!!

Here is our route http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=34c04e346c534ae7f

Here are my pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/104154675716744093416/SecondSummerTrip2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCL2areOgiJKv4wE

Here is our NatSToc route http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=34c14e3471eb06d96

Here are my NatSToc pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/104154675716744093416/NatSToc2011

 

[KarmaDog]

Sounds like a great trip....been following your SPOT. Very jealous of your work schedule (why do we work again?...oh yeah, so we can buy an ST!). Glad to hear your trip was fun and safe.

Cheers, to both of you....How many miles did you get in on this leg...I seem to remember 6,000 for NatSTOC. Your bike will be one of those "high mileage beasts" very soon.

HOW ABOUT SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION....BEARS, BIKER BANDITS, POLICE, RACCOONS...WHATEVER!

 

[970mike]

Sounds like a great trip....been following your SPOT. Very jealous of your work schedule (why do we work again?...oh yeah, so we can buy an ST!). Glad to hear your trip was fun and safe.

Cheers, to both of you....How many miles did you get in on this leg...I seem to remember 6,000 for NatSTOC. Your bike will be one of those "high mileage beasts" very soon.

HOW ABOUT SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION....BEARS, BIKER BANDITS, POLICE, RACCOONS...WHATEVER!

Brad,

It was a great trip and has been a great summer, I put on 3900 miles on this trip. My bike is one of those "high mileage beasts" at over 85,000 now!

Larry said he wanted to do a ride report and I will let him fill in all of the great details!!

 

[Bug Dr.]

Great trip. I wish I could have explored more of Washington and Idaho.
Mike

 

[KarmaDog]

brad,

it was a great trip and has been a great summer, i put on 3900 miles on this trip. My bike is one of those "high mileage beasts" at over 85,000 now!

Larry said he wanted to do a ride report and i will let him fill in all of the great details!!

ok larry, get on it! Inquiring minds want to know....

 

[VFR]

What, did we go on a trip??? Oh Yeah, Did we go on a trip!!!!! This one pretty much had it all--it was a real adventure. Good roads, great roads, not so hot roads & a few really bad roads. Animals--yep, we saw 'em. Lots of suicidal squirrels, almost as many Bambis, elk, antelope, fox & even a BEAR!!!!

So there we were, riding into south Lake Tahoe right after breakfast--in traffic--in town, when this bear runs out from between two houses on the right of us, across the road about two cars up & across the road up the hill between two houses on the left. Small bear but it pretty much caused a scene. Naturally, we were slow on the uptake & didn't get a picture, so it may not have actually happened.....

Deer, we saw those--small ones, big ones, some far away, some close & some really close, but managed to avoid them all. I was riding along this mountain road when a very young Bambi pops out of the brush on my left, runs alongside the bike for a bit then across the road & up the hill on my right. We had several that were really close to the road & thankfully just looked at us as we rode by.

We had some great stealth camping spots--stealth camped every night in fact. Oops, strike that--we spent one night on top of Lolo Pass at an NFS campground. That one was worth the $5 it cost Mike as it was getting late & looked like there wouldn't be much else, plus we had seen a few too many Bambis. Somehow it seemed like a spot appeared just when we needed one, although a couple of times I was thinking we had finally run out of luck when Mike pulled one out of the hat....

Strange Encounters, yep we had those too.....Second night out, we were in southern Oregon looking for a spot. Mike finds this old road down off the road next to a river, really out of the way & not in the view of anything up top. Set up camp & were sound asleep when about 0030 it's pitch dark & I see a light searching around all over the place. I thought it was Mike, so I called out "Who Dat?"--voice comes back--NOT MIKE'S--saying "Is there a hot spring around here???" Mike pops up about then & the three of us had a short conversation about hot springs...... The voice apologizes about waking us up & disappears....

That one will be hard to top but I think we may have later on. Stay tuned.....

 

[dmcleane]

Great pictures, I recognize a lot of those roads in Oregon and Northern California. Makes me want to get back out there real soon. The next trip still won't be soon enough. Thanks for posting.

 

[Motorcycle Dave]

Hey Mike
Next time you are up this way ( Linden ) south east of Sacramento give a call so we can meet & greet..
Looks like my kind of trip you made... I love back roads
Dave

 

[Motorcycle Dave]

Hey Dave
Is Muir Beach up by Muir Woods north of Santa Rosa ?
Dave

 

[MeanST]

John Diego and I just got back from Idaho as well. Great Riding!



Should have replaced my rear and chain before I left .... I did not!

 

[STranger]

Well well well!!!!! That's a pair to be out cruising the country side!!!!! Glad uncle larry didn't attract raccoons again!!!! I think it might be if I'm in the area people start falling off their bikes.......don't know....still trying to figure that one out......

Looks like you boys had heck of a time.......as always wish I was there with ya!!!!!

Jay

 

[VFR]

Well, there were a couple of raccoon incidents, but......since there were no incriminating pictures, they didn't really happen......

Todd, we saw that sign & were going to get a picture but Mike knew of another one that said Winding Road next 140 Miles. When we got there, they were doing road construction & had the sign blocked. Anyway we went on WAAAAAY more than 99 or even 140 miles of winding roads. It's even possible we missed a couple & will have to do it again.

 

[MeanST]

Well, there were a couple of raccoon incidents, but......since there were no incriminating pictures, they didn't really happen......

Todd, we saw that sign & were going to get a picture but Mike knew of another one that said Winding Road next 140 Miles. When we got there, they were doing road construction & had the sign blocked. Anyway we went on WAAAAAY more than 99 or even 140 miles of winding roads. It's even possible we missed a couple & will have to do it again.

Yea I think it you go from Lolo where it starts turning almost right away you can add another 30 miles to the 99 anyway. Regardless our rides in Idaho were max corners....maybe more than any other tour for me...........but I forget alot these days!

140 mile sign - Is that RT36 in California? Great road if that is the one you are talking about. I missed my shot at that sign years ago.

So what bike to like to tour on more? The Big Black Bird or the old man's crotch rocket VFR? I just put Hard Bags on the old VFR!

 

[HondaDave]

Life is GOOD!! So glad you guys had such a good time. Looks like you had good weather as well.

What is the story with changing the front tire in the Super Blackbird Larry?

David

 

[VFR]

The 140 mile sign was at the East end of 36. That road pretty much had it all. We came off the ocean & headed uphill into a full-on tunnel of redwoods. That was spectacular!!! It went through every type of terrain imaginable, redwoods, scrub, oak, grass. The road was about the same, too--easy turns, tight turns, good road, bad road, worse road.

Ahh, yes, the tire incident. After using up the front on the VFR, I didn't have time to change it so I changed bikes. The front on the 'Bird had enough for a normal trip, but this wasn't one.... The front went away after a particularly brutal stretch in Oregon & wouldn't have made it back. We detoured out of Weaverville to Redding. We stopped at a sandwich shop where Mike had stayed on a cold, rainy night on a previous trip. He got a phone book & I was calling around looking for a tire. One of the few times I had cell service BTW..... This kid comes out of a dog grooming place next door & asks if we have trouble. He says there is a Cycle Gear in town & while I am trying to find the number in the book, he whips out his cell, dials the number & hands it to me. Turns out he is a gixxer rider & knows the place well. They have a front--the same Pilot Road I'm running & at a good price to boot. The kid gives us directions & off we go. I parked at the edge of the lot beside a dumpster in the shade & put the bike on the center stand. We do the George routine where I find a piece of concrete & some rocks to prop the front up, break out the tool kit & remove the front wheel. Oscar changes out the tire & I'm putting the wheel back on when he comes out to check on us. After chatting a bit about what we're riding, where we're going, etc., he says that he looked the tire up & because of the date it turns out to be $49!!!! They like to keep fresh tires on hand, so they discount them when they get to a certain point. This tire wasn't that old & it wouldn't have mattered anyway. MAJOR props to Cycle Gear in Redding & even more to Oscar. He didn't have to come out & tell us about the discount.

 

[zooker13]

You guys sure are spending a lot of time together. How many tents?

 

[970mike]

$49! Dang, you must have a racoon looking over your shoulder. What a treat to find such a good deal in the middle of a trip. Well done.

Racoons???? Did someone say Racoons were at it again?? :22yikes:

 

[970mike]

You guys sure are spending a lot of time together. How many tents?

Now that is funny!!!

 

[George]

I wanna hear the new Raccoon story!

 

[STranger]

That's nothing new........those are the same raccoon scratches...RIGHT LARRY....lol.........