Last year I wrote of riding over Chinook Pass to Yakima to purchase some plump juicy cherries. The cherries were from a roadside stand and not plump or juicy. A bust.
My buddy Brian has a list of dams as targets for the Washington State BMW club this year. Chinook Pass is among his favorite pass in Washington and Wenas dam is about one hour east of the pass. So the inspiration for the walk in the park is set.
We meet at a McDonalds near my house and enjoy a cup of good but inexpense coffee or two. The location selected for our meet up allowed a quick escape from strip mall hell. Here is The Route.
We go out by Hobart where I stop to take this photo. The Yellow Submarine has been here since the 1970s. In the past it actually had "The Beattles" with the appropriate font painted on it.
We pick up Hwy 410 and after Greenwater find ourselves in a string of 5 cars following a Hondapotumus. The Honda is doing 1 to 2 mph less than the speed limit or at times the speed limit. Passing opportunities are limited and usually I pass with spirited flair, enjoying the FJR's kick after 6k rpm. Today I showed restraint not passing for 15 miles or so. Finally the cars dropped off and I was behind the slow going Hippo and I dropped him quickly. By this time we were near Chinook Pass.
Hwy 410 with Mt. Rainier.
I like the clouds in this photo.
We meet at a McDonalds near my house and enjoy a cup of good but inexpense coffee or two. The location selected for our meet up allowed a quick escape from strip mall hell. Here is The Route.
We go out by Hobart where I stop to take this photo. The Yellow Submarine has been here since the 1970s. In the past it actually had "The Beattles" with the appropriate font painted on it.
We pick up Hwy 410 and after Greenwater find ourselves in a string of 5 cars following a Hondapotumus. The Honda is doing 1 to 2 mph less than the speed limit or at times the speed limit. Passing opportunities are limited and usually I pass with spirited flair, enjoying the FJR's kick after 6k rpm. Today I showed restraint not passing for 15 miles or so. Finally the cars dropped off and I was behind the slow going Hippo and I dropped him quickly. By this time we were near Chinook Pass.
Hwy 410 with Mt. Rainier.
I like the clouds in this photo.
Brian riding shotgun.
Chinook Pass aka Hwy 410 and Mt. Rainier. The cut in the rock is where the road is.
Not long after passing the Honda I had to stop at the Tipsoo Lake Parking look. Darn coffee, but this meant a photo op stop.
The Tipsoo Lake outhouse is still buried in snow. Behind the snow bank the parking lot continues for about 100 yard, in season. The snow bank is 10' high.
We resume our ride, not quite near summit of Chinook Pass.
Dig those groovy clouds.
We ride over the summit and eastward to our destination.
Our destination.
Brian shot this photo of me with his ST1300. The raised hands means here was are and this is it?
We decide to have lunch at the Drift Inn in Naches Washington. Good lunch and we will stop there again. They have gas there too so we fill up.
On the return ride, this is a down and back, I turn up the pace a bit so I can get back home in time to make a evening engagement. We stop at Chinook Pass for some photos.
Brian takes a photo of Mt. Rainier.
Here what he was shooting.
After a 3 week hiatus it was very nice to be back out on the FJR again. In two weeks I leave for SW-Fog. Yea!
The End
We decide to have lunch at the Drift Inn in Naches Washington. Good lunch and we will stop there again. They have gas there too so we fill up.
On the return ride, this is a down and back, I turn up the pace a bit so I can get back home in time to make a evening engagement. We stop at Chinook Pass for some photos.
Brian takes a photo of Mt. Rainier.
Here what he was shooting.
After a 3 week hiatus it was very nice to be back out on the FJR again. In two weeks I leave for SW-Fog. Yea!
The End
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