Just completed a quick (?) ride from Norwich (East Anglia) to Truro (Cornwall), making some magic 1000 miles trip (moreless).
The weather was good overall, except in Cornwall where we have some periods of light rain. The M25 was absolute nightmare with endless queues, and the filtering between lorries was a bit stressful for my better half. Approaching Southampton two of the three lines on the dual carriageway were closed and same story here- queues for miles with all caravans and holidaymakers. In Southampton we surprisingly found the Southampton Bike Night. No other issues on the road. The bike was great, I have noticed some unpleasant vibrations above 80mph- I am considering antivibrations bar risers, maybe next year. The average fuel consumption was 4.5l/100 (52mpg)- which I think is very decent, with the pillion and 33 kg of cargo onboard, and my riding style quite far from a retiree.
If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap
If you want happiness for a year, find a wife.
If you want happiness forever, ride a bike.
Well done Adam, an epic trip by anyone's standard, glad you enjoyed yourselves, I would have suggested 'Grip Puppies' but you've already got them fitted!
(Is that you're country cottage by the way, how the rich folks of Norwich live eh?)
Tomorrows weather forecast is for wet, so today, being dry, was a day for ride out to Gairloch.
Did the loop in a anti-clockwise direction for a change
A little under 270 miles with just a few rain drops hitting my visor the whole ride = BLISS
Well, my F800R is my daily ride, so dont post often.
However I jave been 'Beekeeping' my suit fits in a pannier and actually handling a hive is amazing, riding in this nice weather is great, so I am absolutely buzzing....
Being the bestest Dad in the world, I bought my sons a days riding at Inch Perfect Trials for their birthdays . . . and a day for meself as well, of course, just to keep an eye on them.
Long shlep down from properly “up-north” saw us cover 360 miles to get within spitting distance of the Inch Perfect site.
This was a “comfort” stop for the old man at Langholm
I’d booked a pod at the Bowland Wild Boar park . . .
Not that impressed at first sight
The real pod
Only photo from the days trial riding as it’s fairly full on once you get going. This was taken after our break for lunch.
Absolutely brilliant days entertainment from the whole group, getting excellent instruction from Sarah and her shadowing trainee for the day, Stuart. Neither myself nor my sons had done this sort of riding before and I’ve got to say if you haven’t tried it, give it a go. You’ll work muscles you never knew you had and develop riding skills you never knew you could, if that makes sense! Oh, and electric trials bikes are great.
After finishing up at Inch Perfect we headed over to join the throng at the UKGSer meet at Dent, meeting up with our new neighbour there after he had been paying old haunts a visit.
Plenty of blethering later and we are into Saturday. After yesterdays impromptu flying and crashing lessons at Inch Perfect, I managed to convince my boys to tackle the local roads and meeting places, like Tan Hill and Hawes, whilst me and my neighbour went and checked out some local trails.
1st up, Stalling Busk
No idea why the wall needed a wash down
Then a scenic piccie on our way too . . .
. . . Cam Road High
Popped into Hawes for tea & nibbles after we came off of the Cam road and managed to get the timing just right . . . before the biking hoards from everywhere descended for a brew.
Then it was off towards Kirkby Stephen to ride part of the monument trail.
An excellent days dirt riding following a very skilled practitioner of the art on his old stomping grounds – cheers Paul
Evenings entertainment at Dent was the raffle – they know how to party these big GS riders .
Me was cream crackered after two days of tackling dirt, plus there was the small matter of the 300 mile ride home the next day . . . mainly in rain, so I took to my bed early.
Sunday and we took the scenic roads northwards before and after both Edinburgh and Perth, getting this, my final piccie, as we entered back onto home turf. . .
Approx. 810 miles for me, with slightly more covered by my sons. Fantastic way to spend time with your lads, doing what you all enjoy – riding bikes
This is a bit more than a one day ride. I left the Seattle area on May 16th and headed down south on I-5 to Palo Alto to help our youngest daughter with some things around the house. On Friday, May 20th, we left and headed to Las Vegas for the day to meet up with the rest of the Family. Youngest daughter and husband flew from Palo Alto, I rode. Oldest daughter, fiancée and my wife of 47 years flew in. The next day, we left and went to St. George, Utah to use as a base camp for exploring Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.
One of the things I love, is the amazing geography in Utah. Here's a picture of one portion.
So while there, we headed over to Zion National Park. I find Yosemite National Park to be similar. Both have these huge cliffs that can only be really appreciated by standing at the foot of them and realizing just how amazing Creation is.
The oldest daughter and fiancée went with me to Bryce Canyon. When I was there for my post-retirement ride, I only had time to walk along the rim. This time, we went all the way to the bottom and across...and then back and up.
This is a picture from the last time I was there from the rim.
This is the way down.
And down some more.
And the bottom.
So the oldest daughter and fiancée who live in France, and my wife flew back home, and now I'm going back to both places with the youngest daughter and husband for a couple days. We're staying in a Bed & Breakfast in a place called Duck Creek Village up in the mountains. We went from triple-digit temps to the 60's F. The altitude is 8500 ft.
This is where I'm spending the night. Nice place.
Plans are to spend a few more days here with the youngest daughter and husband. Then they drive back to Palo Alto and I will head south to the Grand Canyon for a couple days.
Chris
Elnathan - 2014 BMW F800GT
IBA# 49894 True Rounder = 0-20's - Rounder -- to -- 100's+ Red Hot Rounder
That is a beautiful area, Chris. Thanks for sharing your photos.
Richard - Current bikes: 2016 BMW R1200RS, 2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2020 KTM 390 Duke, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 (FZS1000N) and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.
Took off with James (jtvisions) to Mt Baker and Heather Meadows. Artist Point is still closed. I'm not sure if the DOT is really plowing it, or just waiting for the sun to melt the snow off the last portion of the road.
But there are still lots of gorgeous views at Heather Meadows where the ski resort is.
That's Upper Bagley Lake covered in snow still at the bottom of the cirque. The dark spot is some rocks.
Lower Bagley Lake. One of the mountains in the background is in Canada. Verizon sent me a text saying my phone could now be used in Canada. That's just how close we are to the border from here.
Mt. Shuksan in the background.
Chris
Elnathan - 2014 BMW F800GT
IBA# 49894 True Rounder = 0-20's - Rounder -- to -- 100's+ Red Hot Rounder
Beautiful roads, Chris. And not a Harley in sight. Things along your route were looking pretty dry. It looks like you had a really great trip.
Richard - Current bikes: 2016 BMW R1200RS, 2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2020 KTM 390 Duke, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 (FZS1000N) and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.
Beautiful roads, Chris. And not a Harley in sight. Things along your route were looking pretty dry. It looks like you had a really great trip.
Things were not all perfect along the way...I just wanted everyone to think so. Maybe get others to get out for a ride and post some pics.
Crater Lake was Cold. Windy. I think you're up at about 8500-9000 feet at the rim and the sun was going down. The cool thing about that, was the person I met. I wavered many times on going. I've been to Crater Lake in the past and it was getting late. The area is wooded and I didn't want to be out in deer country when they are moving about if I could avoid it. But I finally decided to call the motel and tell them I'd be an hour late and go. I pulled into one of the viewpoints and there was a young (to me, everyone has started appearing young!) woman there. She was taking a selfie and I probably asked her if she'd like me to take a picture of her. We got into a conversation about where she was going, and she said she was taking a few weeks to just travel with no agenda in mind. She'd come back from a three week clinic in Germany where they cured her Lyme Disease. Really?!? So we talked for probably 30-40 minutes out there in the cold and wind about it. Like my youngest daughter, she'd had Lyme Disease, a black mold infection inside her and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She showed me a picture of her before going into the clinic, and she looked like death warmed over. Now she looked like a woman about 35 yrs old who was athletic, and outdoorsy. What a change. So we exchanged info and we're looking into who she saw for treatment. You can call that a coincidence, and that's fine. I just think God was working to get the two of us together. I could've been 15 minutes off on my timing and missed her completely.
Then the morning of heading back north, the coastal fog was in.
And then the coast along central Oregon's beaches was windy. At one gas stop, a HD rider on a Road King asked me if the wind was tossing me around a lot since it was doing that to him pretty badly.
But earlier in the day, I had an old grandfatherly type guy with his family ask me if riding a motorcycle was fun. My reply was that if it wasn't, I wouldn't be out here.
Got a ride planned for Friday.
Chris
Elnathan - 2014 BMW F800GT
IBA# 49894 True Rounder = 0-20's - Rounder -- to -- 100's+ Red Hot Rounder
I went out with James (jtvisions). We headed across some back roads that included a lot of farmland to one of his favorite beaches.
If you look closely, you can see Mt. Baker in the background.
Crossing over Deception Pass bridge.
If you stop at one of the view points, you can see boats waiting for the tide to change.
From Wikipedia:
Deception Pass is a dramatic seascape where the tidal flow and whirlpools beneath the twin bridges connecting Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island move quickly. During ebb and flood tide current speed reaches about 8 knots (9.2 mph), flowing in opposite directions between ebb and flood.[7] This swift current can lead to standing waves, large whirlpools, and roiling eddies. This swift current phenomenon can be viewed from the twin bridges' pedestrian walkways or from the trail leading below the larger south bridge from the parking lot on the Whidbey Island side. Boats can be seen waiting on either side of the pass for the current to stop or change direction before going through. Thrill-seeking kayakers go there during large tide changes to surf the standing waves and brave the class 2 and 3 rapid conditions.
Stopped at the Swinomish Channel at La Conner.
Chris
Elnathan - 2014 BMW F800GT
IBA# 49894 True Rounder = 0-20's - Rounder -- to -- 100's+ Red Hot Rounder
The last time I crossed the Deception Pass bridge it was socked in with 15-20 knot winds. Had to do some leaning to stay on it! Nice to compare pics of the Good and Bad
New neighbour has changed his bike (it appears that he & I suffer the same “changeyerbikealot” condition.
So this afternoon, seeing as the weather was on our side (actually been raining a good bit up here) we just had to head out and roll some miles under his new-to-him steeds wheels
This is us parked up waiting for our valet to pop out with ones tea . . .
The view down the river that slides alongside the castle gatehouse . . .
Final picture of what looks to be a B&W photo of some far off nebular taken from the latest space based 10billion dollar camera . . . but is just some river smeg swirling around below the bridge parapit
Stopped here to listen too . . . . well, nothing really. The occasional peregrine falcon calling up on the cliffs, some ravens croaking off in the distance and a lone osprey silently winging its way over the hills kept me company for a short hour.
Got a little “lost” several times on my way back to so called civilisation . . .
I was jocking, in any case, I'd say we have different perspectives about motorcicling, you know, EU could be big but is divided by lots of different languages, so not many riders travel (not to mention the price of fuel), so many stick to their areas and focus on riding. About this, I suppose that motoGP and other races have their charm and their responsibilities too, also policemen here usually are polite and sometimes they even tend to forgive small offences.
Plus, here we have art and history, in USA you have more nature and sceneries. Maybe, if I lived in USA, I too could ride an HD or a Buell I haven't much of these, when I find roads like this I can't stop and take pics, I can't help nothing
Actually, I was busy. I'm surprised no one else replied before I did.
I spent a couple weeks this summer down in the Southwest. I think if I lived there, I'd get one of the GS models. There are great paved roads, but far more unpaved roads that look like they lead to some nice adventures.
In the meantime, this weekend, I'll be in search of the illusive curvy, twisty road.
Chris
Elnathan - 2014 BMW F800GT
IBA# 49894 True Rounder = 0-20's - Rounder -- to -- 100's+ Red Hot Rounder
A taste of things to come. Mt. Rainer in the background, sitting 14,000 feet above where I was.
The scenery on the way to Mt. St. Helens was wonderful.
I was fascinated by this view. Blow it up to full-size and just take in all the textures from the grass in the bottom center starting to grow, to the cut out river banks, all leading up to the dome in the crater.
FWIW, when I was in the 9th grade, I climbed the earlier version of Mt. St. Helens. As we crossed the crater, I was thinking, "This is an active volcano. What would it be like if it blew up." Obviously, it was years later when that actually happened.
Chris
Elnathan - 2014 BMW F800GT
IBA# 49894 True Rounder = 0-20's - Rounder -- to -- 100's+ Red Hot Rounder
A local road is getting a new bridge and whilst it is being finished off, the road has been closed as a through route . . . which means it's nice & quiet
Yesterday, I headed out to the North Cascades Highway with James (jtvisions). The decision to go there or to the Puget Sound beaches boiled down to how much smoke we thought we'd hit. In the end, we decided to take our chances and brave the smoke from the forest fires.
Our leaves are changing, but we're not as far along as what other parts of the country are seeing.
The smoke really cut down the view of the mountains.
This is what you can't see.
But once we got over the first of the passes, the sky cleared. It's like the smoke was being held in place by the mountains in the east and pushed up there by the onshore breezes coming from the west.
Parked at the Washington Pass Overlook (NF-500).
And then back to the smoke to get home.
Chris
Elnathan - 2014 BMW F800GT
IBA# 49894 True Rounder = 0-20's - Rounder -- to -- 100's+ Red Hot Rounder
Reply With Quote
.
Things along your route were looking pretty dry. It looks like you had a really great trip. 
Originally Posted by Richard230
Maybe get others to get out for a ride and post some pics. 
Your Privacy Choices
Bookmarks