Dam Tour W. Oregon

My wife, Linda, and I spent the Memorial Day weekend bagging Western Oregon dams, less Upper Green Point Dam.  We agreed to 300 mile days.  Including Upper Green point was a little more distance than we wanted to tackle.

Upper Green Point is near Hood River I can easily pick it up later and enjoy parts of the Historic Columbia River Highway and spend some time at the Rowena Curves.

Rowena Curves, Historic Columbia River Highway, near Mosier Oregon.  

The forecast for the weekend was blue skies and 70 degrees on Saturday and upper 50's in gray skies on Sunday and Monday.

Saturday morning dawns clear and we missed it by sleeping in.  We depart at 9:30 or so and stop at South South BMW looking for summer gloves for Linda.  This is a very nice dealership.  The show room is decorated with old BMW iron which makes me drool.  While Linda is checking out the gloves I am talking bikes and checking out the Schubert C3's.   

Underway again we stop for coffee about 25 miles later.  The place is crowded, causing more delay.  At 12:30 we are 55 miles or so from home with a full tank of fuel and a crowded freeway. 

The freeway congestion breaks up south of Olympia and finally we are on the road and making good time. We make a beeline down I-5, I-205 and on to Mompano Dam in Oregon.  Cruisin' down the freeway is a heck of a way to break in a new tire.

Here is the first dam photo.....

Feejer is now sporting a Givi V46 Topcase

We take a scenic route to Lebanon Dam which is quite nice in the farm land south of Oregon City.

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Arriving at Lebanon Dam and meet two fellow motorcyclist also on Damtour.  Dave and John are brothers from Tri Cities area.  John is riding a Vstrom with 77,000 mile and it is so clean it sparkles.  Looks like it has 5k on it.   A lot of bs'ing delayed their first meal of the day and our arrival time in Springfield Oregon.

Lebanon Dam

We stay at the Hilton in Springfield because we wanted something a little nicer than a Motel 6.  Our  room had a Jacuzzi tub - very nice to soak my tired old bones.

Saturday dawns as promised low 50 and cloudy.  Our route is along the Smith River road to Reedsport then on to Coos Bay.

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The roads starts out very nice then get goes to one lane but paved.

The road was like this for 40 miles or so.  Slow going but no potholes.  Scenery was a canopy of trees with precious few twisties taken with abundant caution.

There was this water falls along the way providing some visual relief from the hall of trees for 40 miles.  I guess it is stuff like this is the reason I am looking to sell my Vstrom.  Adventure riding is simply not so appealing anymore for the visual stimulation is not as appealing as those views from better roadways.  Sure there is visual appeal on back ways but often it is monotonous to get there.

A little camera fun with the water fall.

Having left the heated gear at home and with temps in the low 50's Linda was freezing.  Arriving in Reedsport she was ready to take a bus or train to Longview.  Note to self: she needs heat when riding in sub '60 temps.  With no bus or train service the next best option was to leave Linda at a cafe for a couple of hours while I went south to bag dam points.  So I did.

I continue on my route and found some nice twisty road and along the way took the needed photos.

Tarheel Dam Photo - It is a good thing it is about the ride and not the dam.

Bonus Destination

Coquille River Lighthouse - A bonus destination.

Returning to Reedsport I rescued Linda from the dumpy little cafe.  Hey would have dropped her off at a better one if there was a better one but alas there was not.

By now it was 5 degrees warmer we head up Hwy 101 with a slight breeze at our back.  Arriving at Waldport we take the best road of the day Hwy 34 to Corvallis.  Highway 34 is a road riders delight with lots of visual appeal, lots of twisties and a smooth pavement.  Oh la la.

Courtesy of the Oregon Motorcyclist

We spent Sunday night in Corvallis.  The hotel had a hot tub and we wasted no time unpacking and enjoying a warm hot tub.

Monday we blew up I-5 for a stop in Longview for an appointment for Linda then continue on backroads home.  It was a great weekend other than Linda freezing.

I now have eight dams to go and hope to finish them off very soon.

Dam Tour Day 11

The song is over except in one note, pure and easy
Playing so free like a breath rippling by......
The Who

Today my route was from Madison Campground to Placid Lake State Park north of Missoula, Mt.  Here is the route.


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Montana has few scenic routes for such a large state. The Pioneer scenic byway was in the neighborhood so to speak. I was trying to keep it scenic so this was my inspiration. As you can see from the route above this is an out of the way Byway on remote road Google Maps has a hard time finding.

Unfortunately early season mountain road conditions made travel hazardous along this Byway. I was tooling along and suddenly the painted stripes on the road ended and the road narrowed. The road surface looked strange - is this gravel on the road I wondered? Finally I stopped to take a good look at the road surface. It was firm but with some gravel but I was unable to distinguish gravel from firm pavement.

I was becoming satiated with scenery and this scenery while nice was not as spectacular as Yellowstone. Long story short, I was tired and when I arrived at I-90 I headed home. After riding difficult roads for 3 hours or so I found the freeway oddly relaxing. I was in the go home zone.

Man the FJR eat miles at 80mph and it has an even greater appetite for fuel, especially in a head wind. This was a great trip.

Summary thoughts.

• I want to return to Colorado. 
• The Durango area is great as is the town. 
• I want to ride in South Dakota. Using roll sack on the FJR is a pain. 
• I am going to get a truck and hotel it in the future. Taking camping gear did not work out this time and I can afford a hotel.

Thanks for following my blog and I hope you enjoyed the ride.

Here is the only photo I shot all day.

Dam Tour SW Day 10

Day 10 on the road and I set my sights for Yellowstone National Park.  I figured this early in the season it will not be crowded and I was right.  Unfortunately Bear Tooth Pass aka Hwy 212 was not open yet.  The pros and cons of early season riding.

Here is the route:


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This was a very scenic ride once I got beyond Cody, Wyoming.  Before then it was more ranch land where the deer and antelope play - and make me nervous.

After setting up for the night at Madison Campground. I went out sight seeing to take some photos

This is the first first night in the tent so far.  I have lugged this gear around for no good reason over 9 states and that is a lesson learned.  I am seriously considering adding a top case to the Feejer and forsake camping  in the future.  I have concerns about aero dymamics but carrying my gear in roll sacks a pain.

Here are the photos.

Nice road in Yellowstone NP

Yellowstone Lake at 7700' elevation is still iced over.

Yellowstone Lake at 7700' elevation is still iced over

The road along Yellowstone Lake

Reflection in Yellowstone Lake

Smoldering landscape.

Two Bison, one rolling in the sand, a form of insect repellent.

I like this photo.

Lower Yellowstone Falls.

Lower Yellowstone Falls.

Lower Yellowstone Falls.

Lower Yellowstone Falls.

Steamboat Geyser in Norris Basin.

Day 10 is over. 

The End

Dam Tour SW Day 9

Here is the route for the day.  It includes two dams and was nearly 600 miles.  Lots of flat ground today.


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It was about 28 degrees when I left at 6:45.  My heated jacket came in handy today.  By then end of the day in Hardin Mt. it was 82 degrees.

The name of a convenience  store chain in Colorado..........

Boysen Dam in Wyoming

After travelling half the distance of Wyoming without nary a turn I finally find some turns after Boysen dam.  Hwy 20 was rather scenic even after the turns subsides after this 10 mile section of canyon.

 

High mountain meadow near Granite Pass on Hwy 14 in Wyoming.

Granite Pass along Wyoming US 14.  Very nice road.  The south side of the mountain has tar snake.  The north side has great pavement.  I was in go mode today after so many miles in the flats of southern Wyoming. 

Yelllowtail Dam

My rear tire is holding up well.  On the way to Yellowstone NP.

The End

Dam Tour SW Day 8

Here is today's route:


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I thought about staying in Durango for two days but decided against it because the weather was deteriorating with thunderstorms and snow in Siliverton, while the weather in northern Colorado more favorable.

Alignment is a word I often hear as part of the corporate lexicon theses days.  Alignment sounds good so we must have it, no questions asked.

Today's ride was all about alignment.  Yesterday as I entered Durango, Colorado the first hotels I found were  islands to themselves, not a restaurant to be found within walking distance.  I don't like to gear up after stopping for the day.  When I am done riding I am done riding.  So I rode in to Durango's old historical district and found an old but very nice hotel in the center of town.  Low and behold across the street was a smoke shop where I was able to buy a couple of cigars in hope of enjoying a smoke at a scenic place the next day.

So I left Durango as 7:30 before the tourist and headed up the Million Dollar Hwy to Silverton and Hwy 65, the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway.

At 10,000 feet elevation the Aspen trees are still missing leaves and campgrounds are closed.  Nuts.....

However a while later on the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway I found high mountain lakes still cover with a bit of ice along with a nice visitor center still closed.  I pulled over grabbed my camera, both lenses and a cigar. What a nice diversion for a hour or so.  None of this would have happened if the hotels in Durango were void of walk to restaurants.  Relaxing with a good smoke on a bench at the Grand Mesa Visitor Center would have never happened in season.  Today previous events aligned in my favor and I had a great day.

Enough of the dam bs and here are the photos......

Feejer along the Million Dollar Hwy.  I was as cool as 36 this morning.  

Million Dollar Hwy.  The road is cut into west side of a canyon and heads in a northeast direction and  view are to the east., so photographs in the morning are shot in to the sun and the mountains are in shadows.  Photographic tip - riding up from Durango  in the evening on a weekday to take photos.

Molas Pass

The speed limits are reasonable (how about that) and the vistas spectacular.

Historic Silverton Colorado

Feejer at  a scenic pullout.

Same pull at as in the photo above.

Same pull at as in the photo above.

Grand Mesa National Forest near the Visitor Center
The lake n the background had a thin layer of ice while the clouds refection is on the lake water.

Grand Mesa National Forest near the Visitor Center

The End

Dam Tour SW Day 7

After yesterday's short hike of two mile my hip hurt a bit - sending a message so to speak.  So it is back to the bike and I am happy to say after a full day of riding today the hip is feeling ok thank to some Ibuprofen.

Today was the first riding day where the landing zone for the night was unknown and it was a perfect plan.

On the road about 6:30 or so I got a good start, stopping when ever I wanted.  First stop was some breakfast, then a bit of gas as I wasn't sure when I would be around a gas pump again, then to remove inner liners as the temps in the afternoon were in the '80's.  I also stopped at to take photos of Utah Hwy 261 aka the Moki Dugway, as well as Utah's Goosenecks State Park, Four Corner, Navajo Dam and on to Durango.  It was a great day and I covered quite a variety of landscapes.

Here is the route:


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Here are the photos.....

I stop at this rest area to remove inner liners and prepare for warmer weather.

A zoom of the photo above.

The road along side the Hog Springs Rest Area

Feejer on the road.

The entrance to the gravel section of the Moki Dugway aka Utah Hwy 261. 

In less than three mile I will be on the road below.

Down down down Feejer goes.

The Feejer did ok even though this is not it's element.  There are 3 rules to riding down a gravel road with the Feej.  1) Leave it in first gear.  2) Avoid using the rear brake cause it is integrated with the front. 3) Almost never use the front brake.

Dig this crazy road!  I love stuff like this.  After riding for a several dual sport routes I often think the best vista are served by blacktop or road like this.

Along the Moki Dugway

I turned around to take a photo of  the Moki Dugway   The road begins in at the top of the middle of the photo.

Goosenecks State Park.  There are four turns like this side by side.  I would have hiked down if not for he healing hip.

Goosenecks Point State Park parking lot.  Not a tree or any shade in site and no running water.  Primitive.

Four Corners

Today I also bagged Navajo Dam

After leaving Navajo dam  Ignacio from the FJR forum and I passed each other going the opposite directions.  We turned around said a few quick word and took a photo. It was about 4:30pm and he had 1000 miles to ride by noon the next day to attend the Big Money Rally Banquet in Minden, Nevada near lake Tahoe.  Here sure has his Feejer farkled to the gills.

The End