Headed for the West Coast

[Hipshot]

Tomorrow morning I'll leave for my North Cascades Hwy ride across the top of Washington state. It's a great ride and I did it in 2005 on my FJR. Looking forward to a week or better of riding and camping. I'll come home via Hells Canyon, Salmon ID etc.

 

[tomatocity]

Wish I had the Super Tenere more complete. I would tag along to share some road with you. I am interested in Salmon ID and the area. Hope you have a fun ride.

 

[justbob]

Sounds like a good time, have fun and be safe.
I'm trying to get things lined up so that I can take off next week and go for a long ride, just dont know which direction that I'll go. Probably northwest or northeast, where ever the weather looks the best.

 

[eemsreno]

If you make it this far west Cape Flattery was one of the highlights of or trip out west last year. You do have to hike from the parking lot .

 

[Hipshot]

Got home to Montana this afternoon. I did 2052 miles in 5 days and I am at 4315 on the bike. It's a mile eater and I think I like it for a touring machine even better than the FJR. Mostly because of the versatility afforded between asphalt and dirt. With the FJR I was really nervous on the dirt because it so much more top heavy than the ST. I'm still nervous with slow speed stuff in the gravel but it's a hell of a lot easier with the ST.
I was in 106 degree temps in the Hells Canyon area and I am not really sure why people are complaining about heat on their left leg. I wear full gear and I was hot all over when I slowed down or stopped but I never felt any hotter by the radiator.
And the traffic. My god, they are crazy on I-5, 205 & 405. I felt like I was attached to a rubber band and being punished . For the life of me I couldn't figure out why we stopped and then went again back up to 70 something.
Washington isn't as bad as Oregon with its speed limits and Idaho is a little bit better than both. Colorado falls into the group too. All 4 could learn a lot from Montana. 55 on a primary in Oregon is stupid and if you do it you will get run over. Colorado will slow you down because an unused cattle guard is on the left and maybe someone came through there 2 years ago and complained about the traffic whizzing by. You all should lobby against stupid limits. Montana primaries are 70 and we advise you to slow for curves. Idaho is 65 for the same road but they get a little restrictive when they shouldn't.
Another lobby effort should be against the wide crack seal treatments that Idaho and some others are doing. It is called squeegeeing . They rout a groove and over filled it with crackseal material. Then they run a roller or squeegee over it to make a 2-4" slippery surface. In Montana we rout 1" transverse and 3/4" longitudinal and flush fill (no over fill). So when you are healed over on a corner at 70+ you don't feel the front tire (& your heart) skip a beat.

 

[eemsreno]

I just came through Montana on the way home from Alaska , I love your state. They let you fly on the roads there. Like no speed limit at all.

 

[colorider]

I just came through Montana on the way home from Alaska , I love your state. They let you fly on the roads there. Like no speed limit at all.

It used to be "Reasonable and Prudent", till the feds threatened to take away funding.....


kill-joys!!