I ride with a group of guys from time to time, a few of them an adventuresome couple times a year… like to car shows in Nelson BC, or an occasional shot across the eastern Oregon residue of waning civilization that only those who refuse to leave the high deserts and forest junctions that mining and farming brought prosperity in a much simpler time.
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| Our "Fearless" Tour Guide |
Terry H. is the organizer for such jaunts touching three states and often 3-5 days of some of the most wonderful roads a rider could ask for. His "Gallop to Glenwood" often leads to stories that only a man who is grizzled in riding with friends, and at times friends of friends, could appreciate. I desperately needed time away with guys who can share a laugh, often at another riders expense in the ways that befall guys who accept another at face value and love them for sometimes the sheer silliness we bring on ourselves in this mortal world we occupy.
I have ridden with Terry H. for the last 15 years, and he has the bold courage to accept me with my "what you see is what you get" attitude and opinions of what I bring from the life I have seen and lived, so when the Gallop II was offered, I was in without reservation.
We linked up Thursday morning at McDonalds-West for the initial group review of everyone's bike who was coming… shook a few hands of those not seen before, or seen so long ago that you wonder if you look as old as they do, and off we go.
(Terry H. used to be the king of how to pack a bike so that many major necessities that were lashed down for the umpteenth time worked loose in the first 5 minutes and we would collect the towels and tent poles, and loose straps, and rain gear that would clutter the highway behind him, but this trip the mantle has been passed to Dave K., who lost more in one trip than I have seen with Terry H. the entire time we have ridden together. After the first day I thought about running a lost item pool in the group with Dave K. getting the winnings to 1) entertain us as we wondered what would be found on the road next and 2) help replace the items that were not recovered. Once during the trip he said to me that he felt he was meant to meet me to learn my packing habits! Of which, I blame the years in the military.) :D
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| At the top of the Klickitat |
The winds were not in our favor that first day as we navigated our way through the Central Washington desert and coming out of Blewett Pass was unreasonably gusty for most of the first day. Winds so bad in fact that one rider (Gary E.) who came late was holed up outside of Ellensberg questioning his sanity of trying to continue against the 90 mph winds (he said 90, but I was sure they were not more than 88 mph, but then he does ride a Honda after all). So we swung down through the Yakima Canyon, Toppenish, over Satis Pass into Goldendale, and then down the Klickitat into Glenwood to the Flying L ranch and lodge.
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| The Flying L "greatroom" |
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| The Flying L Lodge |
Terry H had arranged for the local general store to have the items we needed for burgers and fixings where to my surprise I found a bottle of Chardonnay for $5.99 from some vineyard that catered to my kind of wine on the road… cheap! So with burgers done and dinner settled Terry informed me I would be bunking in a room with a rider that will not be named in public… if you want to know of whom I speak you have to ride with the group and bunk the first night as the initiation into this close club. Needless to say, I was not aware until it was known by all and the jokes of air quality with Jack giving me the direct approach of " you WILL want to open some windows well before you go to bed" led me to wonder if it was as bad as they led on… it was worse. Seems there are certain dietary supplements that the human body sheds in the most obnoxious of fashion, I am sure that there are international bylaws prohibiting human consumption of these supplements, yet I got to experience the after-effect first hand. I was asked the next morning if I drank that bottle of wine myself that night, to be truthful I was looking for a second one!
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| A Flying L morning |
So my wonderful tour guide Terry H. wakes our room at 6:30 with the announcement that everyone is packed up, what am I still doing in bed! So I hustle my stuff together and get the bike loaded in 15 minutes and thinking I am finally in sync with everyone decided to head out to the road to be joined with John B., where we wait.
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| John and his NT700V |
John is a new-back-into-the-sport rider after a 30 year break and rides a new Honda NT700V that is like a baby beemer with the enclosed side-case and tip-wing design. It is a solid mid-sized tourer and fits him well. This was his proving ground ride and he picked it back up well, gaining experience and I think a new respect for the variety of roads that are available to him now. He is a safe and courteous rider that I would ride with any day. So we waited and waited, then rode into town to wait some more… seems Dave K.'s bike wouldn't start for the battery, nor could the guys push to bump-start, so it had to be jumped off a Jeep. Once we collected our group together we headed down to the Columbia Gorge, crossed at the Dalles, and had breakfast there before heading up onto the Central Oregon high desert and all the beauty it brings.
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| Don't cross the streams! |
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| Fossil National Site |
Thanks to Terry H, I saw towns and roads I had never seen and it was breathtaking as we wound down the valleys and canyons of the Deschutes River winding our way into Heppner (one time outside of Antelope to run across Dave K. riding in the ditch on the opposite side of the road looking for his headphones that had blown off!). We were supposed to have camped in Cutsforth County park that night, but several left the group that morning (Don E. and Jack) and so not to forfeit the room charges some of the other guys took one of the rooms and that left Dave K. and I to camp. As we were getting ready to leave, we were joined by "Liberty Bill" (HondaSt1300) and "Cour 'd Alene Kurt" (FJR) who decided to grab a room instead of camp as well. Bill and Kurt are another couple of riders I hope to ride with again, they are good people that leave you inspired by their words and deeds.
So Terry H. seems pretty insistent we should camp up the hill at the Willow Creek Reservoir a mile out of town… I was a bit disappointed but gave in telling Terry H. I wanted a 45 minute heads-up wake up call and commenced to setting up on a nice location and waited for Dave K., who I lost in town somewhere (Hepper is NOT that big!). It was just getting dark when Dave K. showed up and got his tent together to discover he had not brought his sleeping bag! It was lucky Terry H. talked us into staying so close so that Dave K. could run back into town a mile away to beg a sleeping bag off Terry H and not be 22 miles up at the other campground.
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| Camping at Willow Creek Reservoir |
The next morning I hear Dave K. start packing up his stuff around 5:00 AM and am determined to sleep in until Terry H.'s call. about 6:40 I decide that I am going to get up and see what a man can do for an hour and a half with tent gear and not have it packed up when stepping out my tent I see Terry H. pulling up saying everyone else is up and he is here to help us get packed up… so much for my wake up call! But I have practiced packing up my ensemble and have my gear collected and stowed in 20 minutes (Mistress has all the amenities of home and packs all the gear and power for gear that I could want to carry) and off we go into the mountains with Ukiah as our next destination.
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| Ukiah |
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| Ukiah |
Breakfast in Ukiah is a kick, these former logging or mining towns are not often much more than a collection of buildings left over from days gone by with the residents earning a living from small general stores, bars, restaurants , and maybe a gas pump (not pumps, pump as in singular) and we lose Gary E and Terry L as they decide to head back to Wenatchee and forego the long trip coming the next day.
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| East out of Baker City |
Our winding East through the Umatilla National forest and Sumptner toward Baker City on the 86 to the Oxbow Reservoir where we run into a cattle drive that so astounded me that I forgot to take a picture of it as I was surrounded by cattle, cattle dogs and ranchers all working their way around me in the middle of the highway. It was amazing. We lost Dave K. after the Brownlee Dam to catch up with him at McCall, ID where I wanted to camp badly but Terry H. had a WorldMark condo where we all stayed. As the evening progressed, we (Terry H. and I) segued into several conversations about God and man that was incredible in the sense that while there was no possibility of agreement in some areas, respect is the mark of true friendship and with new friends the beginnings of true friendship for those on the path. I had never met Bill and Kurt until the day before, but the willingness of all to listen to honest belief without defensiveness or judgement either way has led us to be better friends. Whatever comes in the end, I will be judged by who I am and I like to live life as an honest reflection… it's just easier that way. :)
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| McCall Condos |
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| Lake Payette |
Woke up day 4 for a run up to Riggins for breakfast (Gouge Eye was the original town name, and Joan and I have stayed there several times), and then Terry H. took us up the old 95 to WhiteBird grade. My goodness, what a view and stopped at the battlefield (who knew?) with what felt like a thousand switchbacks and to an overlook to be awed by. We said our goodbyes there and the others headed north while Dave K. and I headed toward Lewiston together and home. Dave K. swooped North to Pullman (probably to replace his Cougar pillow he lost on the road), while I went through Pomeroy, Starbuck, Washtucna, Othello, Moses Lake, Quincy, and home. From Washtucna on was a desolate run counted by 30 mile increments with lots of time to reminisce the great rides, the comic relief and great laughter or friendships brought by a wonderful group of men that is an honor to ride with.
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| WhiteBird Grade |
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| WhiteBird overlook |
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| A happy Beemer rider |
