Having not rode since the end of October, riding once again is becoming a priority. I used to ride more during the winter but these days freezing fog and rain keeps the bike parked.
Early this morning it was about 40 and foggy in many places in Western Washington. I had a lazy morning then decided to go shopping for household stuff. The run to the store was in glorious sunshine. That was all it took. I was on the bike by 1:00pm riding with no destination in mind.
Course it did not take long before a destination came to mind. Dewatto Bay is a winter time favorite. Here are some photos from 2011.
With high humidity fog is always a threat in winter time when a high pressure system is present. Sure enough it was not long before I noticed fog along my route. So I scanned the horizon and found found clear skies west of Mt. Rainier so I changed my destination to Orting and Eatonville for photo ops of Mt. Rainier.
I decided to stay away from roads that are mostly shaded and this lead to riding roads less traveled. Nice.
Mt. Rainier near Orting Washington
I decide to head to Eatonville and the twisties section of Hwy 7 near La Grange. Along the way I stop for another Mt. Rainier photo op.
And a zoom shot:
On the way to Eatonville the temps drop 5 degrees. With the low angle of the sun the roads often remain wet in winter and makes visibility difficult in some areas. When the road got twisty I could not see the road surface very well so instead of a spirited ride I remained in tourist mode.
It was getting later in the day and the chill remained. I didn’t bring my heated jacket - nuts.
Another photo op of Mt. Rainier near the Alder Cut Off road. This is a great shot in spring when the field is green. By the way the place is for sale. Foreclosure price unknown.
I continued to ride road on ridges instead of valleys to get the most warmth from a rapidly sinking sun. About a half hour from home I remembered I left my heated jacket in the saddle bags so I pulled over. Sure enough there was the jacket and controller. I suited up and turn the heat on high. I was great first ride of the year.
