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Hi and welcome to my motorcycle trip blog. Here you will find motorcycle trip reports primarily based in the State of Washington and Idaho. Born and raised in Washington I have over 50 years of motorcycle experience. Enjoy the ride.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Fall Colors Ride Report

The past week has been foggy in usually soggy Seattle. Fog and moi do not get along well. I prefer rain for at least I can see the sky. Liquid sunshine is better than none at all.

So to get out of the fog I headed east. Fog socks in the Puget Sound lowlands so one only has to get above 1500 feet elevation to get out of the fog. The mountains and eastern Washington are clear. The trick is to leave at the right time so I don’t hit black ice in the mountain passes. Monitoring the WSDOT web site for statewide temps the day before is an excellent method to determine departure times.

So with a plan at hand (get out of the fog) and an 8:00am departure time designed to avoid black ice I  will now shut up get on with the photo essay ride report.

Here is the route. I choose this route because Hwy 410 is the quickest way to get elevation to escape the eternal grey.

Near the Green River Bridge on Hwy 169 near Black Diamond.

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Tractor along a back road near Enumclaw. The photo is a bit crooked will you forgive me?

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The fog starts to lift near Mud Mt Dam as expected. Enjoy the show! I did.

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Now out of the fog the next photo op is the million dollar shot of Mt. Rainier. This is better than summer shots due to the low angle of the sun.

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Near Chinook Pass.

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Tipsoo Lake at Chinook Pass before winter slumber. Chinook Pass is closed from mid November to Memorial Day. (typical)

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Near Ohanapecosh Campground Hwy 123

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Mt. Rainier near White Pass US Hwy 12 - nice eh?

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After White Pass summit the fall colors started to kick in.

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I finally pulled over to take a real photo figuring this colorful tree was worth a good shot. All photos on this trip were taken with a Canon Powershot S100. It is a pocket camera and I am enjoying the space it saves vs. my Canon Rebel.

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Hwy 12 east of White Pass - the hills are on fall fire.

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Dig this crazy scenery.

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Going into the sun along Hwy 12 east of White Pass.

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Near Oak Creek along Hwy 12.

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My backyard!

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After finding a non ethanol fuel dump in Yakima I headed up the Yakima River Canyon Road. I was in tourist mode all day so the stroll along the Yakima River was fitting.

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Fishing in the Yakima River Canyon is a popular activity.

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I pulled over for this shot!

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After the Yakima River Canyon I enjoyed lunch at the Red Horse Diner in Ellensburg, went on to Thorp to see the historical Thorp Mill. 

After visiting Thorp, a 3 minute affair because the Thorp Mill was closed, I set off on a route of seldom traveled county roads and I-90 to return home. At Snoqualmie Pass I stopped at Gold Creek Recreation site. It was 68 degrees at 3000 feet elevation.

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About 3 miles from North Bend along I-90 I ran into fog again and in North Bend the temp was 47 degrees.

EOF

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