Day 37

Today would be another day of mileage crunching. We were headed back to the good old USA. When we crossed the border there were two lines and of course I chose the line that moved at about half the speed of the other one. The questions they ask you are always the same. Why did you go to Canada? Do you have any booze? Did you buy anything you are bringing back? Why don’t they ask if I am a card carrying member of Al Kaida or have any miniaturized nuclear weapons? It seems like that would be important stuff to know as well.

We were riding with the Mountains on the horizon but the ride was still very visually appealing. Much of it was farming country and it seems hay is the major crop of the region. The farms in this part of the country would appear to be much larger than those in Indiana. While the summers here at quite pleasant, I would imagine the winter could be brutal. At a gas stop I spoke to a lady who was also a motorcycle rider and she was explaining to me that on weekends she sells crafts that she makes during the winter because that is pretty much all she can do between November and March.

Day 36

We awoke to temperatures in the mid 40s this morning. This is the coolest morning so far. We layered up as we prepared for today’s ride. Another day in Canada and another day of incredible scenery. We did pass several spots where there have been somewhat recent forest fires. The regeneration has already begun, but it is still a little difficult to see the dead trees so stark and barren.

I have found the Canadians in this part of the country to be very friendly and helpful. They always seem curious about the trip and have advice on local places to see and things to do. They do get a slightly strange look on their face when they see me with Tigger, but I just smile and say “grandchildren”. That’s easier than going into an extended explanation.

Day 35

Over the years I have had many great rides, but I have never had a day where the scenery was as spectacular from beginning to end as today. I don’t believe there was a time during the entire ride that we were not at a spot that was photo worthy. I have come to the conclusion that we should trade California for British Columbia. I was originally thinking about trading California for the entire country of Canada, but that would not be fair to the Canadians, and the French Canadians don’t even want to be part of Canada so I’m sure they would not want to be Part of the United States. The British Columbians would no longer need to post everything in English and French, but could keep the metric system at least for driving. As a matter of fact I thing we should convert the entire US to KPH rather than MPH. There is something really cool about looking at you speedometer and having it read 125. They would have to change the name of their two dollar coin though. Coins should have noble names, not be called loonies. Lastly, the Canadians could have the wisdom and experience of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

We did encounter a few of those mountain showers, but overall the weather was very comfortable. I would much rather ride in cooler rather than hotter conditions. After all, you can always add another layer, but you can only remove so many layers legally. And even if it were legal to remove all layers, I’m not sure the sight of me on a motorcycle in the buff would not create the same reaction that Godzilla used to create.

We did manage to visit four Canadian National Parks including Revelstoke which is the coolest name ever for a park. Tigger is thinking of naming the hundred acre wood after this park.

Day 34

Today we entered Canada. The lady at the border crossing asked me a number of questions about where I was from, why I was entering Canada etc. But she asked no questions of Tigger. He is, of course, a famous personality, and since he is “the only one” I guess she figured he had no ill intent.

As we proceeded toward Kamloops the road we were riding went directly through the mountains. This was a real treat since the traffic was light and the scenery was, once again, spectacular. We should be in this country for a few days. The batteries were dead in my camera so no photos today. I have posted a couple from previous days.

Day 33

Finally, no smoke. We stopped in Portland last night because I was tired and not in a decision making mode. After checking the ferry schedule from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island we made reservations for the 3:45 crossing and planned our route. I have been on the Olympic Peninsula before but always on the northern or eastern side. This time we would visit the western side along the coast. The temperatures were in the mid fifties when we left so I layered up to keep warm. Tigger does this thing with his fur to accomplish the same result. As we proceeded north and west it became cloudy which was expected. This ride was through very sparsely populated territory. The main industry here is logging and related enterprises. We passed at least three places where they made cedar shingles. When not in national forests the mountains are checker boarded with different timber growth cycles. These mountains are logged and replanted. It is sometimes difficult to look at a beautiful mountain that has one side stripped of its trees, but out timber has to come from some where. It is nice to have the national parks where these types of areas are preserved. We did manage to see the Pacific several times, but none of the views were exceptional.

As we made the turn from the coast to the northern side of the peninsula the clouds parted, the temperatures warmed to the low 70s and the sky was a deep blue. The first photo is a place we stopped along the road.

We had stopped in Olympic National Park on the western edge and stamped my passport but I really wanted to ride up to Hurricane Ridge because of the spectacular views. The attendant at the park entrance told me there was construction ongoing and they were recommending motorcycles not go through. I decided to take her advice and proceed on to the ferry. I did manage to get one picture form the approach road. The water you see is the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the hills in the background are Vancouver Island.

The ferry ride was fun. All of the motorcyclists were put in the same waiting line so Tigger and I were able to talk to other folks. The couple in front of Tigger was on their honeymoon.

Day 32

When we awoke today I feared I might have cursed the entire state of Oregon by being so critical of California. The smoke actually followed us during the night. I asked a local law enforcement officer if there were fires in Oregon and he indicated there were no significant fires in the state and all of the smoke was from their southern neighbor.

We headed for Crater Lake National Park on a road that paralleled the Rogue River. This made for a scenic ride up this green and fertile valley. The Rouge River actually has its origins at Crater Lake. As we were driving up I saw a turnoff for a short scenic hike to view a small gorge created by the river. What a unique place.

Crater Lake itself was, once again, shrouded in smoke. I took a few pictures but I got the same results as in Yosemite. I did get a few nice pictures of closer objects. Tigger has seen some snow in the hundred acre wood, but not as much as here and certainly not in July.

While driving through central Oregon I called Dick Kerkering, one of my firms founding partners, who lives near Bend. Unfortunately he was driving back form Portland so we could not get together for lunch. As I left Bend Mt. Hood became the dominant feature on the horizon. The photo was taken form the bike while in motion.

As I look back on the trip so far, one of my shortcomings has once again reared its ugly head. I am a loser. I know what you’re thinking – tell us something we didn’t already know. But what I mean is I loose things. More accurately, I forget things. I have already left one pair of good sunglasses someplace, one pair of pants in a hotel room drawer, one CD with photos of Yosemite in a bathroom at Yosemite and countless small items here and there. I constantly check my billfold and BlackBerry as well as all of my appendages to make sure I haven’t left them lay somewhere.

I passed 11,000 miles today on the odometer and it was over a month ago that I left home. It seems like my visit to Everglades National Park was in the distant past. I am looking forward to the rest of the trip, but I am also looking forward to getting back home.

Day 31

Tigger and I woke up to the smell of smoke in our room. I looked outside and the wind had died down and since the fire was so close the smoke had gotten much worse. We packed and got on the bike hoping to get some clear air as soon as possible. We were headed west toward the coast on the alternate route we had chosen. Along with the smoke, we were riding roads so curvy that the images on the GPS looked like an X-ray of my intestine. About 25 miles into the ride we came upon 150 fire fighters, give or take a few, and 40 or 50 pieces of fire fighting equipment. I stopped to ask if the road was open all the way through and they indicated it was but they had just extinguished a fire that started last night from some idiot who was too lazy to put their cigarette in the ashtray. The ground was still smoldering in spots.

As we approached the coast the weather turned significantly cooler. So much so that I had to stop twice to put on clothing. In addition we traded smoke for fog, but that is to be expected in the mornings along the coast. I was cold and needed a pick me up so I turned off of the main highway in Eureka to see if I could find a cup of coffee. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of something I thought at first was a mirage, but no – there it was – STARBUCKS! We went in and repeated our pleasure of several days ago.

First it was smoke and curves, then fog and cold then we entered the enchanted forest know as Redwood National Park. The ride through these giant trees felt like we were in a fairy tale. The ferns grew profusely to compliment the stature of these tallest of trees. The Indians believe each tree has a spirit and you could almost feel a gentle being watching over you as you passed under their boughs.

As we left the coast and headed inland we crossed into Oregon and almost immediately the smoke cleared and we saw blue sky for the first time in four days.

Speaking of curvy roads, since I have been riding my current bike I have been introduced to a new term – chicken strips. Motorcycle tires are rounded since the rider leans in the curves. The further you lean, the more of the tire you use. The chicken strip is the portion of the tire at the very edge of the tread that does not get used. Some people have very large chicken strips and some have none at all. Of course those individuals who have eliminated their chicken strips entirely have decreed that the size of your chicken strips is inversely proportional to the size ...... oh well you get the picture. I bought some sand paper the other day and got rid of my chicken strips just in case anyone looked.

I took some decent photos today but I can't seem to get them uploaded. I will try again tonight.