Monthly Archives: November, 2009

Well the last few days on the road have been long and hard.  Amid dodging traffic through LA and Southern California, enduring the dry hot and cold spikes in temperature in the desert, and continuing to learn my ny new way of life.  Day 6 began with being locked outside of my hotel room after going out to the bike to get shaving cream.  Needless to say this would be a fortunate turn of events for me.  On my way to the hotel office I spotted a fellow motorcyclist on a loaded down BMW 650.  We got to chatting and it ended up that we would be travelling some of the same roads that day.  This gentleman, Stu, a grizzled and well travelled fellow, was more than happy to have some company.  In fact, he even treated me to breakfast later that morning.  Thank you sir!
Stu has travelled extensively throughout Asia and North America on a motorcycle.  Infact he lives on the road for almost half the year.  He was able to offer me some very sound advice.  Anyways, after breakfast we hit the road and boy was I glad that I had Stu to follow thorugh the maddness that was greater LA.  I have never seen traffic like that in my life.  Four, five, sometimes even six lanes of traffic one way and everyone in a hurry.  My poor bike was being pushed to the limit just to keep up with the day to day pace on these roads.  After an exciting morning and afternoon, Stu and I parted ways in San Bernadino.  I kept up a good pace and made it to Blythe California which is right on the border of Arizona.  Once again, motel 6 proved to be the chepest hotel.  My room was actually almost identical to the one I had last night which was kind of comforting.
Over the next few days I would be riding mostly through the desert.  One night in a truck stop and another motel 6.  Another night in Phoenix where I was able to do some shopping and I got a really cool GPS locator and emergency device called SPOT.  This has given me some extra peace of mind because it will literally work anywhere in the world and if I find myself in trouble, all I have to do is press the 911 button and the approprate authorities will be notified no matter where I am.  It also lets me send my exact location to a number of contacts to let them know I am ok.  Because I am not travelling with a phone or really any other way to contact somebody, this seemed like a good decision.
From Phoenix I rode to Nagales which is right on the US/Mexico border.  I hope to make it to a town called San Carlos tommorow which is right on the gulf of California.  Finnaly, good bye to the US.  Its been fun, but really not what I call an epicenter of culture unless truck stops and endless fast food joints count.  I’ll be dreaming of all the Spanish I know tongiht in the hopes that I won’t be completely lost.  Five minutes later, that dream will be over. Hopefully to extend each night, however.

I havn’t taken many pictures of the desert, its just not that inspiring along the freeways.  Anyways, heres the view from my hotel in Nagales.

Day 3

After a breakfast of oatmeal and trail mix i got back on the road around 8 am and headed south on the 101.  The scenery in Oregon is amazing.  Stunning views of oceans coupled with quint little towns made for a pleasurable ride.  I stopped for lunch at a great little cafe in the town of yacht.  Once back on the road i drove for another 3 or 4 hours until i was starting to feel tired.  I stopped at a KOA campground, but decided against staying there because it was deserted and the guy was asking 20 bucks a night.  I’m really glad I did because the next place to stay was the cape blanco state park campground.  It is 5 miles off the 101 and features some of the most spectacular views around.  It is very warm here, about 15 degrees or so.  I may even get my first night without rain which should give my tent a chance to dry out a bit.  Anyways I’m not much in the mood for writing, but everything is going splendidly.
G’night

WOW it poured last night, I practically slept on a bed of water.  Won’t make the same mistake again by jinxing myself.

Day 1 and 2, November 8 and 9, 2009

My first two days on the road were exciting to say the least.  Among lengthy waits at the border to the USA, battling sickness, torrential down pours, night riding, near catastrophic engine failure, and trying to adjust to this new lifestyle, I’ve come away unscathed.
I left from Maple Ridge around 10 am thinking i would beat some of the traffic at the US border.  However, when I arrived the sign fortold waits of around 50 minutes.  Needless to say I got to the line up, turned off my bike, and slowly pushed it to the customs area which took around an hour and twenty minutes.

After clearing customs I hit the road hard. Seattle and Tacoma cruised by and I then turned off at the number 12 which would take me to the coast and Highway 101.  However it was already 5 o’clock at this point and getting dark fast.  I promised myself i would not do any riding at night, but i had been to caught up thinking about getting to the coast to notice the time.  I figured there ought to be a campground on the number 12 before, but no such luck. I reached Aberdeen around 6:30 pm and still couldn’t find a campground so i stopped at a gas station to ask around.  I met a nice state trooper there who explained to me that about four miles up on the 101 there would be a tavern, called the Artic tavern which would have a place for me to camp for the night.  Amid the rain which only was getting worse by the minute, I hit the road again.  Around six miles up the road and no sign of a tavern i started to get worried and stopped at the first place on the side of the road which was a little take out restaurant in the woods.  Anyhow a gentleman there said the tavern up the road didn’t have camping anymore and told me to head back to the last junction and look for this other little town which had a state park.  At this point my instincts were telling me to try the tavern anyways, but i went towards the little town anyways. Around 5 miles later i stopped at the gas station and was told to take a left, then another, turn right at the little grocery store, go up a big hill, then down a big hill, drive along a gravel road for a bit which was really narrow, then look for a lake and a state park.  Well then, ok sure.  I took one more look at this town headed straight back to the 101 to find that Tavern, which i eventually found.

The lady at the bar said 20 bucks for the night, whatever.  I was tired, cold, and wet, and it was a place to stay. I set my tent up in the rain and hunkered in for the night.  Just as i was starting to get comfortable and deciding what the best way to cook a little food would be I heard my neighbors, a couple of guys in a tent and a camper, calling at me and asking about  my bike and where i was off to.  Well we got to talking and the rain let up enough that I could come out to chat.

Angus and Jay.  Two fine gents out hunting elk and also fellow motorcyclists.  I couldn’t have asked for better company on my fist night in a foreign place.  They fed me bratwurst and beer, and most importantly, kept my spirits up.
As good as my company was my campsite was likely one of the worst I’ve ever had.  It was about 50 feet from the highway and the road noise kept me up all night.  After a fitful sleep I decided to get outta there around 8 am.  It took me around an hour to pack everything up again and get the bike all ready to go but i was on the road again.
The ride in the morning was great although wet.  After an hour on the road i was feelin awsome.  Riding the 101.
I pulled out to pass a truck that was toodling along and hit the gas to whip by.  As soon as I pulled the throttle the engine coughed and sputtered and made a horrible noise, oh shit.  I immediately pulled off the road and knew what had happened.

Being the sneaky type, I decided to hide a extra set of keys in my air box thinking that nobody would look there.  Bad idea.  The tin box that i had my keys on had a lid with a bit of plastic on it.  When i hit the has the lid got sucked of and that piece of plastic came off.  This was sucked through my air box and carborator and into my engine.  I stuck my hand  in the airbox and came out with the tin lid with no plastic.  It was pouring rain so there was no way i could do the repairs here.  I looked up the road and saw a farm on the hill.  I started up the bike and slowly made my way to the farm.  The farmer was outside and I asked him if i could park my bike in his barn for a bit while I worked out what was wrong.  Thankfully he agreed and I got right down to work.  There was a moment though where i thought it was all over.  A little tin box with a bit of plastic just ruined my bike.  I’d have to call a truck and take it to a shop where they would say, “sorry son, theres nothing we can to for her, best just let it go.”  I was crushed.

But, I wheeled my bike into the barn and feed lot where a whole herd of cattle were munching away on some hay.  The moment they saw me however, they scattered.  This gave me great satisfaction for some reason.  I was some fearsome beast dressed in red and black riding a screaming metal machine.  No piece of tin that I foolishly put in the airbox could stop me.
I got my seat and tank off and started digging.  I came out with a big piece of plastic lodged in my carb.  This likely cause the sputtering as it was cutting off air flow.  But, this was only about the half the original plastic bit. I dug another couple of bits out of the valves. All in all i got about 80% of the plastic.  So either some fell out that i didn’t see or they were in the engine somewhere, not to be found.  Well i did the best i could with the tools i had so i put everything back together and decided i would try my luck.
When i kicked the bike over it roared to life and and cautiously got up up highway speed again.  No issues that i could feel.  I patted my bike, quietly saying I was sorry and would be more mindful in the future.
By the time i got back on the road it was well after 1 pm.  I would say goodbye to Washington afterall.  Once I got to Oregan I was blown away.  The scenery is amazing. Riding right alongside the water, cliff sides, tunnels built through mountains, and huge surf coming in the whole time.  When i stopped for lunch in Manzanita and sat down, I realized i was gassed.  I would  stop at the next campground and settle in.  So here i am, in my tent, writing about two days of high adventure and enjoying the moment thoroughly.  The guy at the local grocery store said tomorrow will be nice, and I’m sure he’ll be right one way or another.

G’night folks.

will add the pictures 1st chance i get