Day 15: Winter Sun

Morning Meeting

The crisp air of winter gave way to the blinding rays of sun today. The clouds parted late morning and the roads quickly dried. It was time for a long overdue ride. I had a morning meeting in Gladstone, OR today so, I loaded up the SUV and headed south. By the time I drove across the Glen Jackson Bridge into Oregon, the sky was mostly blue and the sun was glaring through my grim streaked windows. About the time I starting thinking I should have rode my bike, I could hear the echoing pipes of two Harleys. As they came up from behind and passed, I could see the riders were flying their Free Souls colors. I told my meeting partners that I couldn't stick around long because my Harley was calling my name. I did take time, though for a quick stop at Latus Motors to make a 1,000 mile break-in service appointment. They will pick up my bike on Wednesday and I'm planning, no matter the weather, to get the bike next weekend and take it for a ride.


Winter Sun

I started the day by giving my 7 year old granddaughter a 10 mile ride on the slow back roads around home. Then I was off to the Columbia River Gorge. I noticed that the cloud cover was lower and thicker north, so I headed south and east. Traffic was fairly light for a Saturday, but I probably saw over 50 motorcycles on my 3 hour ride.

The air was warm to my face and even though I wore my heated gear, I didn't have to turn it on. In fact, I changed to lighter gloves part way through the ride. The further east in the Gorge, the cooler it became. Eventually, the bare shoulders of scenic Hwy. 14 gave way to deep slow left over from the plows the week before. By the time I reached the Bridge of the Gods, my portion of daylight was waining. After a tricky ride across the steel grate surface of the bridge I rewarded the bridge tender with 50 cents for the privilege. I soon found an recently plowed parking lot for the photo above.


Before I left for the day, I couldn't resist taking a photo of Liz and Jeremiah with my bike. Liz was ready for her 10 mile ride and Jer had just brought us each a fruit snack for the long arduous ride. We look like we are ready for snowboarding but the 56F temperature gave us a very pleasant ride. Of course, you can't take a 7 year old on a winter ride without stopping for a cup of hot cocoa at a nearby Safeway store.


End of Day

I arrived home just after dusk. It was hard to end the day with the warm winter air a balmy 51 degrees now. If I had more daylight I probably would have rode to The Dalles and back. It was very satisfying seeing so many other motorcycle riders out today. Everything from Harleys to Ninja bikes were on the road. I even saw a Vespa when I stopped to buy fuel in Gresham.


Ambient Temp: 56F
Ending odometer: 001118
Trip Miles: 142
Fuel: $3.19 in Gresham, OR

Ride Safe.

Day 14: Hard and Fast

Ride Hard and Fast

With the sun shining, I just HAD to ride today. It was a hard and fast 42 miles just before dark. The roads were dry with a little bit of loose gravel from the sand trucks during the last snow. But that did not stop me from leaning hard on the serpentine roads of North Clark County. I probably rode a little too fast and leaned a little too far, but it was intensely satisfying. I have not been able to ride since January 7th and I was surprised at how nimble the bike felt as I pulled out of the garage. The temperature during the ride was 34F, but with wind chill, my Harley's air temp gage read 30F.

We buried my dad on Saturday and he is now resting securely in his final resting place. For some of us it is time to go back to work. For all of us, it is time to deal with his passing and move on with our lives somehow. My friends who have lost a parent tell me that each day it gets just a tiny bit better than the day before, but you never forget. Rest in peace, dad.

Places to See

On my quick trip I thought I would stop for a brief photo shoot in front of a historic building. I found this one in Amboy, WA. This is the North Clark Historical Museum. There is a large open park next door. This is a great place to stop for a while and learn about the history of this rural area. Their web site announces: "Local citizens, artisans, businesses and organizations of the North Clark County area are developing a museum located in Amboy adjoining the Territorial Community Park. The former church building, dedicated in 1910, is in the process of renovation to house Native American, Pioneer and Logging Exhibits."

End of Day

It was a much needed ride today. It was very cold but sunny. The road hazards were minimal and traffic was fairly light. The forecast is for snow and rain in two days. Too bad I can't take a few more days off work and get some more miles on my bike.

Ambient Temp: 34F
Ending odometer: 000976
Trip Miles: 42
Fuel: none needed

Ride Safe.