The Dark Side on Christmas Eve...

Why do snowmobile helmets have better features, venting, are more comfortable, yet get the same DOT rating as motorcycle helmets?

I am going to find out...

I ordered a GMAX GM54S and will see what comes of the utter coolness sled riders get over the rest of us.

54S Features:

NEW INNER FLIP TINT SUN LENS, with the best anti-fogging coating available today. Inner flip shield is easily raised or lowered with a lever located on the exterior of the helmet. STATE OF THE ART ANTI-FOG, MAXIMUM SEAL DOULBLE LENS SHIELD COMES WITH ANTI-SCRATCH HARD COATED OUTER LENS FOR A LONGER LASTING CLEAR VIEW. New integrated multi-function red LED rear light. One hand easy to use chin bar push to open mechanism. Lightweight DOT approved Thermo-Plastic Alloy shell.  Excellent shield sealing reduces cold air and noise. SPC TOP FRONT VENTS/INTERIOR AND STYRO DESIGNED FOR CONTROLLED AIR FLOW. GMAX “D.E.V.S.” adjustable “Dual Exhaust Venting System” Top, side and rear venting reduces fogging and sweating by allowing hot air to escape from the mouth area and top of head. Large Eye port for improved range of vision.

Adjustable chin vent directs air upward across the inside of the shield to help reduce fogging. DuPont Coolmax comfort liner and cheek pads move the moisture away from your body and the fabric dries quickly. The added performance keeps you dry and comfortable. Removable/washable interior and adjustable cheek pads allow for more comfortable sizing. Deluxe ear pockets for better fit and comfort. Built in speaker pockets for communication systems. Snap-in snowmobile chin curtain for added warmth and quietness. Snap-in maximum seal breath guard reduces fogging. Soft padded chin strap. Painted shell with high-tech water decals and high quality clear coat finish. Protective aesthetic lower rubber molding. Helmet bag included. NEW “Throttle” Graphics.

More winter, more rewards.

So the snow has come in earnest, and the roads are wet and icy to ride so the remodel/updating on the downstairs is not as bad as if the weather was cooperating a little.  The small bedroom is done and the hallway is 80% complete minus the molding and door trim.

A small sample of the work done...

















And now for the rewards.

Cardo Scala Rider G4 PowerSet

I have been looking at upgrading the bike communications between Mrs. RedTigre and I for a year. We have a StarCom 1 unit that has held up over 6 years and 40,000 beemer miles, but the quality is beginning to show in the background noise and the volume is only one setting between rider and pillion.

I wanted something without wires as well, and found this:


Bluetooth, 10 hour talk time, water resistant, pairs with the iPhone, independent controls, detaches for security, will pair with other sets, yaddada, yadada, yadada...  ordered today.  Merry Christmas to the Mrs and I for the hard word we've done on the house.

As if remodeling the downstairs isn't bad enough to delay riding...

... now this.

Bloody Hell... it'll be a fortnight before I even get to Mistress, by then the ice will take hold.

I am not happy...

The New BMW K1600GTL

No competition yet for Mistress, but oh baby...

The new K1600GTL in Jay Leno's Garage

View from the cockpit

That's a 6 Cylinder in there...

A New Era in Sport Touring Redefined

A well designed chassis...

Beemer Cam -Teil Zwei (Part Two)

So We took a run up the Tumwater Canyon late this afternoon and I tested the modified mount for the Beemer Cam... "great shot of the road" was the feedback I got from Mrs. Redtigre.

It was better than that I think, but I adjusted the mount and we continued up the canyon for more feedback... "what, more road?  Don't quit your day job..."

Oy!

I have it now rendering and stabilizing in iMovie, which takes time.

I am hoping to cut some great stills out of it, but if this doesn't work out hardware-wise I think it is time to try a FlipCam on the mount instead.

...or not.  I think I need a better windscreen, this thing has contours that make it look like you are breaking the grid on the Matrix.

I still think this has such potential...

The Aunt, the 75th birthday, and the Beemer

Joan and I in Ephrata

Mrs. Redtigre and I went on a ride to Ephrata for my Aunt's 75th birthday surprise today, about 110 miles roundtrip in some "is it or isn't it going to rain" weather.  I think the end of riding season coming to a quick close had the Mrs. anxious for a last ride (for her) and a "I've only a few more weeks left myself" for me with a basement remodel destined to take up the next 10 weeks of foul weather (it had better be foul weather or I will be foul if the riding is still able to happen on weekends).

My Aunt Murriel and her children (my cousins)

So the trip was nice and I saw cousins that work and incidentals and riding have made my social life a complete "blah" in regards to seeing family that are getting old like I am (ha!), but the focus was seeing my Aunt Murriel and wishing her a happy birthday.  Murriel, Dad, and I went to Arkansas about 3 summers ago to visit the "home country" and see much of where they grew up as children.  It was a cherished trip, and I saw many of the same woods what my father and aunt did as they grew up in Arkansas as young children.

Murriel and I leaving...

As we were getting ready to leave, there was some chatter of getting a photo of Aunt Murriel on "Mistress", and talk became action as Murriel donned Joan's jacket, helmet, and gloves  and climbed aboard behind me. This was her first time on the back of motorcycle and off we went.

I think she liked it...  ;)

Murriel and I returning...

I hooked up the com between us and we talked as we shot out to highway 282 to give her a taste of the road at 65mph, curved around to the airport, and then looped back to the house where everyone was there to take pictures as we arrived back, surprised that "we thought you were only going up the street and back".

Please... since when is anything a "short" trip on a BMW?

Yep, I think she liked it!

It was an honor to have given her her first ride on a motorcycle EVER!


And it was a BMW... boy will she be disappointed on her second.  :D

Love you Murriel!!!

Beemer Cam

So Mrs. RedTigre and I were running through the Tumwater canyon again today enjoying the changing of the season, and I was thinking "Wow, these colors would be great captured on a cam as we are riding". Looking at all the geography I have on the shelf, I dug out an old Canon ZR-700 handheld camera (I'm in technology, anything 3 years old is "old") and found a way to mount it to my shelf.  The battery was shot so I have another on order but am anxious to see just how well this is going to work through the windscreen.

The Mrs. said I was nuts, but this could be so cool...

Last Run Through Northern Cascadia

Winthrop

Went on a ride today that was probably the last North Cascade run of the season with a friend from work. Bob is a Director in the district with me and rides a Triumph Rocket… 2.3l triple of sheer muscle, almost twice the cc of Mistress but not near as good looking (sorry Bob!).

We started off heading  up the 97 from East Wenatchee to Pateros, then a cool Northern jaunt up the 153 to the 20 West and on to breakfast in Winthrop.  The morning sunrise to our East was incredible, and the sun illuminated the western side mountain in such a manner that it was like a 3d enhanced image, great for clearing out the weeks mental clutter.

Washington Pass Summit

Washington Pass Summit with Bob

Diablo Lake

From Winthrop on up into Washington Pass and stopped at the summit for a photo op (I don't remember the glaciers remaining so large so late into the summer, more proof of a cooler summer than most)... and down the Western slope to Diablo Lake and into a layer of clouds that surprised me because the satellite imagery at 0700hrs sure didn't show it. We continued on the 20 West through Marblemount and Rockport, where we cut down onto the 530 South through Darrington and sun breaks through heavy clouds (although warm at 65°f).

Jordan Park Suspension Bridge

Just outside or Arlington (Arlington Heights) I showed Bob one on my favourite shortcuts, Jordan Road to Granite Falls,  where I showed him a cool cable suspension bridge at Jordan Park. From there we detoured through Granite falls on some side streets as they were having some festivities in the city center, and then  around the Lake Rossinger cut-off that brings you down the backside of Monroe. 

59'r Diner Parking Lot

From Monroe was familiar territory of Highway 2 East over Stevens Pass, stopping for a break at the Lake Wenatchee intersection and the 59-er Diner to ditch some liners at the now 70°f temps.  

Bierfrau... often mistaken for
the K1200LT in human form

On down the Tumwater (GORGEOUS this time of year) to Leavenworth where we ran into the lederhosen men and scantly-clad short skirt  college bierfrau attired Western Washington'ers there for Oktoberfest… (I'll complain for the record since my wife will probably read this at some stage)  boy do I miss Deutschland and the bierfraus with the big mugs! Er, big mugs of bier!  Really!  If you had been there you would know what I mean! Really!  I'd better stop before I dig myself in too deep...

Mistress is at home in Bavaria-ville, her Bayerische nature comes to life in such surroundings.

Got through the crowds finally and on through Cashmere, Monitor and into the driveway for 9.5 hours and 380 miles of pure joy, great to have shared it with you Bob!

Work takes over...

I am really delinquent in my posting here now that the school years has started up. It hasn't so much slowed down my riding as I get it in on the weekends now, but on the sharing part.  I'll throw in some chronological recap of the major runs over the last 6 weeks.

September 4th, 2010 Desert Mix

Ellensberg city center local and me

Went out with my friend Karen Allen (2008 FLHX Street Glide) on a very blustery morning ride around to the other side of Quincy (28), some back roads back (where I got a bee up my helmet and blew through a stop sign in a panic to remove it or at least keep it from stinging me) to (281) George, shortcut on the Beverly Burke Road to the 26, down to the Vantage Bridge and across to the Vantage Highway into Ellensberg (Wenatchee should send their city council to Ellensberg if they want to see a city center done right. Very social, traffic managed, the right kind of shop mix… get a clue guys.) , back behind to Thorpe (10) and on to the 970 to 97, over Blewett Pass and home.

September 5th, 2010 Birthday Run

At the desert side of things.

Joan and I went out after a major mail server failure brought me in to work over Labor Day Weekend, and on my birthday much less, on one of the varied runs you get here living in Central Washington.  Out the door and down to the 2 where it crosses into Douglas county and then north up the 2/97 along the Columbia to Pateros for breakfast.  A short bust up the 97 to Brewster where you hop onto the old 97 Highway and ride it along the foothills to Highway 20 just south of Omak. West on 20 over Loup-Loup (there was a motorcycle fatality  a week earlier and we slowed down where those ugly investigative paint marks were and looked at the path of the accident, speed and unfamiliarity is an unforgiving combo on a bike), then down to the 153 where it takes you back to the 97 at Pateros.  Backtrack a short stretch south to Apple Acres Road to the 97a and into Chelan, around the lake on South Lakeshore Road and up the Navarre Coulee Road (971) and over the hump into the Navarre Coulee down again to the 97a through Entiat, and back into Wenatchee.  A nice figure-8 route that takes you through many different terrains.

September 9th-10th, 2010

Getting through the border without a cavity search, all
they wanted to know outside of my life history was
"where did you get your shemagh"?

Decided  to comp my lost time over Labor Day and make a run into Canada with some friends (Terry Hammond and Don Edwards) that I hadn't been able to connect with for several years.  Went on the 28 to Soap Lake and then up the 17 to Coulee City, then the 2 to Wilber for breakfast at a place that a Mother/Daughter team who came down from Alaska started (lots of sled/sled dog information on the walls).  East off the 2 we hopped onto the Telford/Miles-Creston Road cutoff past 7 Bays to the 25 and then the Rice-Orin Road to Colville, Hwy 20 to Tiger, and then north on the 31 where we cut off again (Hammond was feeling quite adventuresome) on the Sullivan Lake Road.  THAT was a fantastic back road run! Crossed the border at Nelway where I was grilled about my employment and the scarf around my neck (Shemagh).

Our destination was Nelson, so we entered B.C. on the 6 and headed to Salmo (3/6) and then continued up the 6 to Nelson.  There is a hotel there called the New Grand that is only a block from where the car show we were going to watch was, and while a bit run down, was clean, priced right for the night, and had a pub below.  Don and Terry were off to bed way too early for me, so I lounged the pub with a couple pints and chatted with the patrons there a bit as I poured over my maps before off to bed myself.

Don and Terry, these guys are great to ride with.

Next morning was up to the Balfour Ferry to the 3a and down to Creston for breakfast, then across the border into Idaho where I was once again grilled (is it a BMW thing?).  I left Don and Terry at I90, where Terry and Don went further south and I hopped into the Luftwaffe lane and made it home in under 3 hours. It was a great 2 day run, the miles were cool but only spat on the whole 2 days.

September 18th, 2010

Ride West BMW, Seattle
Look at those BLUE skies!

Needed a new back tyre and some basic maintenance parts, so off to Ride West BMW in Seattle we go.  Joan hummed and hawed until finally realizing that if she didn't, she but cutting her riding season even shorter so off we went, fully expecting to be rained on the entire run.  58°f most of the way, then up and over the pass broke to full sunshine!  77-80°f average until we were back to the Stevens pass summit returning and the temp dropped to 60°f and rained on us a little but what a great trip to a great shop.

Summer Runs

The last two weeks have been spent riding... 4200 miles in 9 days worth of riding to be exact. Our first run was an Oregon blitz, Joan somehow got 3 days off in a row and we took advantage of it.

But warm... oh my.  It was HOT!

And then... marble sized hail around Crater Lake to 52°F, then back to the heat with 104°F at Grants Pass, then 56°F at Crecent City, CA and all on the same day!  Up the coast, overcast but no rain and stayed in the 50's until after Forks, WA.  Traffic slowed us down around Crecent Lake and we missed the 6:15 Port Townsand Ferry and waited for the 8:30 PM run to find out at 8:45 PM that fog had cancelled any further runs! Since Joan and I both had to work the next day we decided a night run at Warp 8 would get us home by 2:00 AM, in time for Joan to get up at 4:30 for work and me at 6:30!  We made it home at 1:45 AM.

Our next run was a 6 day shot into Canada the first week of August, and it was an adventure as well!  I love B.C., good people, fun pubs, and lots of great roads if you can avoid fire season!

Getting to the 3 (Crowsnest Highway) and heading East was the plan, but hit the hardest rain I have ever ridden through in Cranbrook, dried out in a Walmart (they are not like the ones in the States, believe me), and then went into Alberta and geographical culture shock.  Flat, so flat, once you get out of the hills. We thought we'd head down into a town called Cardston for the night and ran into the biggest temple I have seen outside of Salt Lake City, the Mormons definitely run the valley because not a pub to be found.  Headed North to Lethbridge (a University town, plenty of places to get a pint there), and decided the first thing in the morning we were heading back into B.C.  Drove up the 3a to Crawford Bay and then New Denver for the best run in the Province. Looped around and got traffic crazy around Vernon-Kelowna although I did find another BMW shop in Kelowna (lose a final drive once and you want to know where ALL the BMW shops are). Another loop and down through Idaho into Montana, back through Idaho and a run home.  I'll throw some pictures up later.

Beemerhood of the Traveling Pants

I use mail order a lot, have had great success, and returned very little. Mrs. RedTigre, on the other hand, has little luck without trying on stuff and sometimes get's caught up in my success and takes the chance on mail order only to be disappointed yet again.

I just ordered myself some new gear, a jacket and pants, that layer well, have incredible ventilation, and are waterproof yet will allow me to add to keep comfortable in temperatures from 35°f to 95°f. Anything below 35° and you will not often safely ride because of freezing liquid on the road and anything above 95°f and you are not going to stay very cool regardless.

So the gear is great and fits the way I want it to and Joan is motivated (as I am!) to get some pants that fit well and behave like her Cortech jacket does with the 3 layers (Mesh shell, waterproof liner, and quilted liner) that can be added in any combination for comfort.  We find the pants, size them as best we can, and order. Disappointment... it doesn't fit as she wants and a return is imminent. So we decide, "Hey, it's Saturday and Seattle is only a couple of hours away, let's take the bike and look at pants"!  Google best selection of woman's motorcycle gear, find the stores nearest and off we go!

I hate driving in Seattle traffic, I hate driving in Seattle more when it's 90°f, and I really hate it when you add that to the traffic gridlock, rude drivers, and limited access often to the places you want to get to that do not show such limited access on a GPS.  Maybe it was the heat that gives such disregard to driving courtesy (but I doubt it), but it was an urban rendition of The Road Warrior at times... any minute Hugo Humongous was going to come ripping around a corner in a H2 Hummer and grind my beemer butt under his chassis.  On top of it, we realized that largest selection of the same thing means every size of 2 items in the realm of pants.  many jackets of one or two sizes, but pants were limited to the current Seattle fashion it seems.  So we hit the 2 best shops and have had enough of metro Hwy 99 (Aurora Blvd) and find Interstate 5 north to get as far away as quickly as possible.  I-5 south was jammed, I-5 north was open! I resisted the urge to pull over and sacrifice a scooter to the gods of highway access and zoom north in the HOV lane (alternating into the far left non-HOV lane also known as the "Luftwaffe lane when the HOV sightseers do 5 mph under the limit) and head north to the WA 530 for the Arlington/Darrington route to the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20).

Hopped off I-5 (not a bad interstate road comfort-wise at all really) and breathed a sigh of relief as we entered that euphoric state of Mad Max behind us and secondary roads to the front. There is a place in Marblemount called "Clark's Cabins" and a sit-in/walk-up restaurant called "The Eatery" that had a burger called a Skagit Burger that is wonderful.  Hand pressed patties, bacon and blue cheese, all the fixin's and real fruit shakes. This is a favorite place to grab lunch or whatever the time of day it is that rolls us in to this area.  Small, rustic, our kind of place.






The shakes were great!

Mistress at rest near the picnic area.


We ran into another couple there who was on their way to the BMWOA (BMW Owners of America) national rally in Tennessee, on their 2005 K1200LT.  I think they got a chuckle out of my tennis racquet tape grips (don't knock it until you try it, highly recommended by many on the K1200LT forums) but were nice to visit with and hope them a safe ride on their trip to the East Coast.

So over Washington Pass we went and it was very nice the way the waning sun was hitting the mountain rock faces of the North Cascades, down through Winthrop, and then to Pateros on the Columbia River.

Coming down the Douglas County side we saw a wall of smoke in the valley to the south and it looked that the fire they were containing (Mission Creek) wasn't going to be corralled and came over the ridge to the river. Winds kept it away it seemed but it was literally  on the back side of Burch Mountain from us. Finished our ride hoping the winds would not blow the fire too much more out of control, off to bed and now time to wash and prepare for the next adventure!

Rainier Loop

Took a vacation day to do a dayride with Joan (Mrs. RedTigre) up around Mt Rainier via 3 mountain passes (Blewett /97, Chinook/410, and White/12).  Had a great breakfast at the Liberty Cafe on Blewett Pass and then wound down into Ellensberg with the winds, wound down the Yakima Canyon road to Selah, a shortcut between Selah and Naches, and then up the 410 to Chinook pass.

They are still doing the road repair on the 410 from the big mudslide there, so the detour was interesting, and the pass beautiful! There are quite a few campgrounds spread throughout, but my favorite one to take a break in is called Lodgepole.  The air is so fresh and the water so clear...

Further up the 410 you get to the summit of Chinook Pass.  I have been by there many times this time of year but have never seen so much snow still sitting around, tomorrow is the last day of June!  

So, as I started the bike we heard a rumble and the mighty roar of precision engineering brought down tonnes of snow and caught Mistress in an avalanche!

If not for the sheer awesomeness of Teutonic technology, this could have turned out much worse...

Here we are after overcoming the challenge all safe and ready to continue our ride!

So off we wound down the West side of Chinook to the Rainier State Park Highway 123 that links State highways 410 and 12.  It was BEAUTIFUL!  Waterfalls galore, and sunny yet still a cool 65°. Speed limit is way too fast to enjoy the beauty, slow down and savor it. 

30 minutes later we connected to the 12 and headed east over White Pass where we stopped at Clear Falls, another place we have driven by dozens of times but never stopped.  On up over the pass, down to Naches and then a backtrack of the route we came down. We hit the Ellensberg winds again and I have yet another reminder why I dislike that area so, but we took the cold harsh winds at 50 mph until Blewett and then back over a most favourite run.

A great day trip, 370 miles,  Joan with me.

Life is good.

Ride West

So I planned a day (Friday) to shoot over to Seattle and put new shoes on Mistress (she always dances better with new shoes) and the morning looking west to the Cascades make me think the heavy skins are best suited for the ride today.  Having coffee and standing on my lawn at a comfortable 62°f  where the pool used to be while looking at the clouds form had me thinking it was going to be clear once I get near the summit.

Heh...

It is June, right?  Not just June, but June 25th... Summer, right?

How about 50°f and raining???





So the water is streaming off the windscreen, and the fog (at 4000 ft is it still fog or really high clouds?) slows me down to 40 mph and I decide to pull over and change my glasses to my night ones (it is Summer, Summer at 9:00 AM to boot!) and I realize that it isn't raining, it's just what happens when you are in the middle of a really wet cloud.

Ok, off I go, and pretty wet (now REALLY glad I wore my heavy waterproof skins) where it does turn into light rain and continues as such until the Monroe turn off.

I am the kind of rider that unless my wife is taking my attention to the right, I will wave at any rider I pass oncoming on the left, I must have passed 20 bikes coming over the pass before and after the pass and of the group, were roughly 2/3rds HD and the rest a couple of beemers and rice bikes.

Those HD purists were the high count today, and judging from the look on their half-helmet faces I know thay were looking forward to getting into Eastern Washington and the warmth.

Road maintenance in Bothell slowed things down (like traffic isn't bad enough, you have to do your arrow painting at 10:00 AM?) but I made it with 10 minutes to spare.  Dropping my bike off at the Ride West BMW service area, I wen't down to visit with my daughter Jacqueline who lives a couple blocks from the dealership (here is a photo on the left of her and her bike, a Suzuki Boulevard S40) and as we are talking I get a call from the shop that the bike is done!  Under 40 minutes to mount new rubber and valve stem, check the brake pads front and rear, quick safety inspection, and come get the bike!

WOW!

I had this shop rebuild a final drive for me last year that is currently on Mistress... I like their work, and never feel gouged when they recommend any work done.  I do all my routine maintenance and services except valves and clutch's, they can have that side of the German engineering until I retire and start my new life as a BMW mechanic (they have all the factory tools).

So I pick up the bike and Jacqueline and I head off to see her new place she is moving to and then down to the U-district for a bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup.

Wenatchee needs more restaurants...

Good time together, run her back up to her place and then head back before the traffic get's thick.  New tire gets worked a bit before hitting the pass and then as I am leaving Startup heading East I hit it... the caravans.  45mph a good bit, pass when it's safe biding my time until the passing lanes come and when the passing lanes open what do they do?  Every time a lane opened up the caravan (travel trailer) doing 45 mph was passed by the caravan doing 47 mph.  What is wrong with these people, it like a retired Death Race 2010!!!  Why they can't just stay in their convoy lane is beyond me, must be a guy thing. At the climb to the summit where it is a constant 2 lane climbing all the full size SUVs now want to race to see who can empty their tank first, and I let them plow the road until I get my shot to wind up the pass at 65 mph and pass them again, low banking now that the tires are broken in and roads are dry, nothing like sparking off the pegs to keep the kids in the car's you're passing entertained! Coming down the Tumwater Canyon and Wenatchee River is gorgeous, one of my favorite places to ride year round. Still in my heavy skins, 58° at the summit eastbound, 86° in Leavenworth at the lights.  Sheesh... NOW it decides to be summer!

Home as quickly as I can and it's Miller time after I doff the gear and give Mistress a loving caress.

She is such a good bike, I guess good looks and sex-appeal can get you far in life after all... and she's all mine.

Liberty and Coffee

What is it about a mountain pass that calls... no, begs, for Bavarian complicity.  We often use passes close to us for traveling to get to places we need to get to in a hurry, not often savoring the scenery because we have passed through them hundreds of times and count the familiar features as stages to be checked off in the goal of a destination.

Today, I changed that.

Mrs. RedTigre was working all day and others were off doing their thing and not returning my texts so I went off on a morning to not just ride Blewett Pass, but to know Blewett Pass.  Between Wenatchee and the "Big Y" (intersection of Hwy 97 and 2) is the time to listen to the bike, feel for irregularities, and watch in amazement the level of the Wenatchee River as the runoff kicks into overdrive this time of year.  Top off fuel and hop onto the 97 South at the speed limit until the DOT shed is behind us and the mouth of the pass in front.

Wow...

The windshield has to stay down and the helmet faceplate up... the smell of fresh pine, assorted deciduous trees, fresh mountain streams and mountain air is seductive. With nary a soul behind me, this has to be taken slowly as I come down to 45 mph and take the first set of corners.  I've hit these many times at speeds that force you to pay attention to every track way too often, no need to be a curve cowboy today so the payoff was incredible... and Mistress loved it.

Blewett came to be from the prospect of gold, and from gold came the horse trails, then wagon, then upgraded well enough for the first automobile to cross in 1923.  They actually turned the wagon trail into a state highway but went to a lower, less treacherous run in 1957.  On the North side of the pass you can see the old highway as it originally rode above the new and remains in whatever state nature has left it while unused over the years. The pass was to have been renamed Swauk Pass, for the creek and former lodge that used to cater to travelers 75 years ago, but people never used that name and Blewett stuck.

In a few weeks, I believe the Old Blewett Highway will be accessible (snow melted) and if you want an exciting ride to see what the old section of road was like, I encourage you to take it one time on any bike.  I doubt any bike would have problems, but it is a low maintenance paved road with debris on it at any given time, so relax and enjoy.

At the summit (4102 ft.) is when you first realize how quickly you have climbed, and then the drop down the South side begins. Through Mineral Springs (the original Swauk Lodge) and down to the historic mining town of Liberty. People still live up here year round and even take gold from the hills from time to time.  Mining was an incredibly hard life and success was the only way you stayed.

Down to the Liberty Cafe for a cup of coffee, and then the same relaxed trip return.  I would often see a string us cars coming up behind me in a hurry, so I'd grab the next pullout, let them hurry past me, reluctant to share, and then have the next 5-10 miles to myself as I made my way again up and over.  I took one turnout and as I was waiting for traffic to pass looked to my right to see a WSP trooper tucked back 20 feet shooting radar.  We smiled to another as I took off and within the next few seconds the next stream of cars I encountered coming my way had a car ripping in the outside lane that gave the trooper a purpose in life and off he went with lights flashing.

As my friend Ferris said, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Bloody right.