Yep, an excellent addendum. That is so cool. I need to sell some bikes and get something I can go on adventures on. Damn, that seems like more fun than riding my RZV500 or RZ350 up Mines Road or to Alices. I must grow up.
-
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Sometimes Trips Don't Turn Out Like We Plan - And That's Okay
- Thread starter flying_hun
- Start date
flying_hun
Adverse Selection
- Joined
- May 4, 2005
- Location
- Orinda, CA
- Moto(s)
- A funky red & white Italian named Gianni Cervo! Versys - two of 'em! And an Enfield for laughs.
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 281672
Yep, an excellent addendum. That is so cool. I need to sell some bikes and get something I can go on adventures on. Damn, that seems like more fun than riding my RZV500 or RZ350 up Mines Road or to Alices. I must grow up.
I don't know that I'd be willing to part with either one of those. Riding Mines and to Alice's are pretty worthy rides. Just the other day I saw a DL650 for sale in the BARF classifieds that would be a great bike for a trip like this, and not too expensive.
flying_hun
Adverse Selection
- Joined
- May 4, 2005
- Location
- Orinda, CA
- Moto(s)
- A funky red & white Italian named Gianni Cervo! Versys - two of 'em! And an Enfield for laughs.
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 281672
Could be. Even coming from Coos Bay to that point would have been a bit of a haul before 11 AM.
flying_hun
Adverse Selection
- Joined
- May 4, 2005
- Location
- Orinda, CA
- Moto(s)
- A funky red & white Italian named Gianni Cervo! Versys - two of 'em! And an Enfield for laughs.
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 281672
Day 6
In some ways both the best day and the worst day.
One thing I failed to mention was that when I checked into that little motel in Heppner were the maps. Maps, you ask? Yeah, the office at the motel had several maps from these guys! They're definitely cruiser oriented, but the maps are good and surprisingly complete. If you're going to ride in the northwet, these guys are a great resource.
Breakfast was simple. Coffee, fig newtons, and some left over bing cherries that I'd purchased the night before. Let's get this over with. I love me some bing cherries, and have a history of gorging myself on them, with predictably bad results. My grandmother used to say, "Experience is a dear school, but a fool will learn at no other." Well, this fool apparently needs remedial experience. Good thing there are lots of campgrounds and picnic areas in this part of Oregon, as I needed to avail myself of their comforts. Repeatedly.
This day started with anticipation as I planned to bag both Anthony Lakes and the legendary OR 245 on this day. The Blue Mountain Scenic Route carried me east-southeast out of Heppner in the direction of Ukiah. When I got there I didn't see any gas stations (I didn't fill up in Heppner - slow learner), until I wandered about and found a couple of unmanned, card operated pumps (diesel or 87), and hoped my debit card would work. It did!
arty
The route turned south out of Ukiah before continuing on an easterly heading. Ultimately, I left the Blue Mountain Scenic Route to join the Elkhorn Scenic Route (Oregon has done a great job of identifying wonderful roads) to head towards Anthony Lakes. This was a great and very alpine-feeling road, and it included the highest pass I remember going over, Elkhorn Summit at over 7300 feet. Anthony Lakes was a place some ski buddies told me about many years ago. It's very small, but noted for its great powder. No powder in July, but a beautiful spot. From here I backtracked to get back on the Blue Mountain route to go to Sumpter, OR.
A few notes on the region and photography. I don't know about you, but when I think of "The American West" the terrain I imagine is exactly like this part of eastern Oregon. It's stunning and vast and empty. In fact, more than once I had to remind myself to cool it because if I screwed up, it could be hours or even days before anyone found me. I mean, really empty. Hardly any vehicles at all. As for photography, once again, my photos don't really capture it.
Sumpter is a really cool old gold rush town. Lots to see here, but that wasn't my agenda. Lunch and gas were my priorities, so that's where I focused. When I stopped for gas, I asked for a lunch recommendation, and the guy at the gas station said The Sumpter Nugget Cafe was the hot tip. He was right.
I was the only customer when I walked in. The young man behind the counter suggested the bacon cheeseburger they had on special, and I took his advice. When he delivered it his face just lit up when I told him how great it looked. It tasted just as good as it looked.
There's a historic steam railway in Sumpter as well as an old dredge used for gold mining, both of which can be visited, but I had places to go and roads to ride. Rolling out of Sumpter in search of OR 245, to my right I could see plenty of evidence of the work of the dredge as there were endless large piles of rock lining the river. Loads of damage done in search of Au.
Since OR 245 is the holy grail, I had to document my approach. The road itself is called Oregon's Little Dragon, and it quite reminded me of the California version on Hwy 49. The whole area had been burned over a few years back. I would have loved to have ridden it when it was still forested, but visibility is better this way. BTW, I only overtook one car the whole way, bringing me to the recurring theme of this trip: nobody out there.
At Unity Lake I joined US 26 heading west towards John Day. Before dropping down to Prairie City, there was a scenic overlook I checked out. Here we see some of the frequent vandalism of NFS and BLM signs.
The rest of this day had no photos, as I put my head down focused on putting some miles under my wheels. At John Day I turned south on 395, heading towards Lakeville. My plan was to stay at the same motel as I had on the way up. I knew there was gas at Riley, so after that stop, it was just hammer until Lakeville.
When I got to the motel there were three KTM's with California plates being unloaded right by the front door. I checked in and got a room, and when I went out to unload I struck up a conversation with their riders. All from Santa Barbara. They'd just ridden the Idaho BDR, and were on their way home. They'd ridden from Sandpoint, Idaho that day.
Man, I thought I could put in the miles. Their destination for the next night would be Mammoth!
We started talking about roads around Santa Barbara, talking about 33, Camino Cielo, and Gibraltar. This led to more stories. Then I asked them if they had known Carlin Dunne. One of the guys told a story of crashing his bike on Camino Cielo, and being trapped beneath. He struggled for about half an hour, but one boot was still stuck. Just then, as though he had been dropped from heaven (storyteller's detail), Carlin's face appeared smiling down at him and asking if he needed any help. Carlin freed him up, got him up and checked to make sure that both he and the bike were okay, then Carlin wheelied away, and it was as though he'd never been there.
I countered with the story of a few years back when our tour was saved by Carlin and his dad repairing Bud's Multi with parts from a bike on the showroom floor.
And so Day 6 came to its conclusion.
In some ways both the best day and the worst day.
One thing I failed to mention was that when I checked into that little motel in Heppner were the maps. Maps, you ask? Yeah, the office at the motel had several maps from these guys! They're definitely cruiser oriented, but the maps are good and surprisingly complete. If you're going to ride in the northwet, these guys are a great resource.
Breakfast was simple. Coffee, fig newtons, and some left over bing cherries that I'd purchased the night before. Let's get this over with. I love me some bing cherries, and have a history of gorging myself on them, with predictably bad results. My grandmother used to say, "Experience is a dear school, but a fool will learn at no other." Well, this fool apparently needs remedial experience. Good thing there are lots of campgrounds and picnic areas in this part of Oregon, as I needed to avail myself of their comforts. Repeatedly.
This day started with anticipation as I planned to bag both Anthony Lakes and the legendary OR 245 on this day. The Blue Mountain Scenic Route carried me east-southeast out of Heppner in the direction of Ukiah. When I got there I didn't see any gas stations (I didn't fill up in Heppner - slow learner), until I wandered about and found a couple of unmanned, card operated pumps (diesel or 87), and hoped my debit card would work. It did!
artyThe route turned south out of Ukiah before continuing on an easterly heading. Ultimately, I left the Blue Mountain Scenic Route to join the Elkhorn Scenic Route (Oregon has done a great job of identifying wonderful roads) to head towards Anthony Lakes. This was a great and very alpine-feeling road, and it included the highest pass I remember going over, Elkhorn Summit at over 7300 feet. Anthony Lakes was a place some ski buddies told me about many years ago. It's very small, but noted for its great powder. No powder in July, but a beautiful spot. From here I backtracked to get back on the Blue Mountain route to go to Sumpter, OR.
A few notes on the region and photography. I don't know about you, but when I think of "The American West" the terrain I imagine is exactly like this part of eastern Oregon. It's stunning and vast and empty. In fact, more than once I had to remind myself to cool it because if I screwed up, it could be hours or even days before anyone found me. I mean, really empty. Hardly any vehicles at all. As for photography, once again, my photos don't really capture it.
Sumpter is a really cool old gold rush town. Lots to see here, but that wasn't my agenda. Lunch and gas were my priorities, so that's where I focused. When I stopped for gas, I asked for a lunch recommendation, and the guy at the gas station said The Sumpter Nugget Cafe was the hot tip. He was right.
I was the only customer when I walked in. The young man behind the counter suggested the bacon cheeseburger they had on special, and I took his advice. When he delivered it his face just lit up when I told him how great it looked. It tasted just as good as it looked.
There's a historic steam railway in Sumpter as well as an old dredge used for gold mining, both of which can be visited, but I had places to go and roads to ride. Rolling out of Sumpter in search of OR 245, to my right I could see plenty of evidence of the work of the dredge as there were endless large piles of rock lining the river. Loads of damage done in search of Au.
Since OR 245 is the holy grail, I had to document my approach. The road itself is called Oregon's Little Dragon, and it quite reminded me of the California version on Hwy 49. The whole area had been burned over a few years back. I would have loved to have ridden it when it was still forested, but visibility is better this way. BTW, I only overtook one car the whole way, bringing me to the recurring theme of this trip: nobody out there.
At Unity Lake I joined US 26 heading west towards John Day. Before dropping down to Prairie City, there was a scenic overlook I checked out. Here we see some of the frequent vandalism of NFS and BLM signs.
The rest of this day had no photos, as I put my head down focused on putting some miles under my wheels. At John Day I turned south on 395, heading towards Lakeville. My plan was to stay at the same motel as I had on the way up. I knew there was gas at Riley, so after that stop, it was just hammer until Lakeville.
When I got to the motel there were three KTM's with California plates being unloaded right by the front door. I checked in and got a room, and when I went out to unload I struck up a conversation with their riders. All from Santa Barbara. They'd just ridden the Idaho BDR, and were on their way home. They'd ridden from Sandpoint, Idaho that day.
Man, I thought I could put in the miles. Their destination for the next night would be Mammoth! We started talking about roads around Santa Barbara, talking about 33, Camino Cielo, and Gibraltar. This led to more stories. Then I asked them if they had known Carlin Dunne. One of the guys told a story of crashing his bike on Camino Cielo, and being trapped beneath. He struggled for about half an hour, but one boot was still stuck. Just then, as though he had been dropped from heaven (storyteller's detail), Carlin's face appeared smiling down at him and asking if he needed any help. Carlin freed him up, got him up and checked to make sure that both he and the bike were okay, then Carlin wheelied away, and it was as though he'd never been there.
I countered with the story of a few years back when our tour was saved by Carlin and his dad repairing Bud's Multi with parts from a bike on the showroom floor.
And so Day 6 came to its conclusion.
Attachments
CDONA
Home of Vortex tuning
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2010
- Moto(s)
- Triumph scrambler, TW200, Monkey
- Name
- # 44659
So many loops coming back around, full circle.
consecutive numbers, , ,
consecutive numbers, , ,
N4teTheGreat
FknN8
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2009
- Location
- San Francisco
- Moto(s)
- 2012 DRZ 400s, 2018 Ducati Hypermotard SP, 2008 KTM 950 SM
- Name
- Nathan
Talking to strangers is definitely a highlight for me any time I'm out riding. Sometimes to my riding buddies chagrin if we are trying to make time.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2002
- Location
- Menlo Park, Ca.
- Moto(s)
- Keep me rocking life
- Name
- Budman
- BARF perks
- AMA Life Member #203453
Super cool. Must do inland Oregon one day.
Cool link on the maps!
Really enjoying your writing style. You tell a good road tail hun!
And a stranger with a Carlin Dunne story. Awesome.
Not many dealers will strip a showroom bike for a part.
Solid moto man
Cool link on the maps!
Really enjoying your writing style. You tell a good road tail hun!
And a stranger with a Carlin Dunne story. Awesome.
Not many dealers will strip a showroom bike for a part.
Solid moto man
stratslingr77
Well-known member
OMG, I love this thread! So many great memories of Sumpter, Anthony Lake, and the scenic byways up there. We found a dirt road that took us to the top of the ski resort. It's so awesome out there!
flying_hun
Adverse Selection
- Joined
- May 4, 2005
- Location
- Orinda, CA
- Moto(s)
- A funky red & white Italian named Gianni Cervo! Versys - two of 'em! And an Enfield for laughs.
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 281672
What a great shot! Thanks for the kind words. It's very awesome out there, and I plan to go back. Soon!
flying_hun
Adverse Selection
- Joined
- May 4, 2005
- Location
- Orinda, CA
- Moto(s)
- A funky red & white Italian named Gianni Cervo! Versys - two of 'em! And an Enfield for laughs.
- BARF perks
- AMA #: 281672
Day 7 - Getting Home
My objectives for this day in priority order:
The Santa Barbara KTM contingent was already loading their bikes as I was having breakfast, and by the time I started loading my bike, they were long gone. As it turns out, my day was somewhat longer than theirs, and much more interesting that just grinding down 395. Of course, they would be going right past the Whoa Nellie Deli, so they had that much going for them.
When considering the route, my first thought was that I had ridden 395 between Alturas and Susanville the week before, so there was no need to do that again. That meant going west on 299 until Adin, then turning south towards Susanville.
I encountered my first road construction flagger not far out of Alturas. He asked me why only one of my headlights was on (because the other one only comes on when I turn on the high beam). He asked me if I was aware of just how much construction was ahead of me on 299 (that's why I was planning to turn south at Adin - he approved of this choice). I told him I was planning to ride through Chester, past Lake Almanor to get to Hwy 89 going through Greenfield, as I had not been there since before the Dixie fire leveled it. This led into a discussion of failure to prepare. Interesting perspective.
Not many pictures today. When I stopped to top up in Adin, I took a picture of the old mill across the street since these old incinerators are getting kind of rare to see.
Lots of unimpeded riding between Adin and Susanville, and even coming west out of Susanville was pretty good. My timing with one-way traffic for road construction was pretty fortunate. Riding south past Lake Almanor, I was struck by just how beautiful alpine lakes are in mid-summer. The mixture of dark green conifers, brilliant blue sky, and the deep blue of the water is so appealing, but not appealing enough to stop for a photo.
89 south from here was a complete clusterfuck. Loads, and loads, and loads of construction, each one using a pilot car, each one very slow. Did I mention it was hot? This was made worse by the vehicles who could not/would not even keep up with the pilot cars, prompting the CalTrans guys to come out to wave them to go faster, but to no avail. Did I mention it was hot? I'm not sure how many times I had to stop for construction. At least six times, and I'm guessing I lost well over an hour just stopped schvetzing in the sun. At this point, no time to stop for lunch.
Greenville was grim. What was once a pretty little town, now looks like rapid, chaotic reconstruction in a blast zone. It was sad.
Gas in Quincy, then down to Graeagle (through yet another construction zone), then over Gold Lakes Highway to Bassetts. Then it was down 49 all the way to Auburn. As much as I loved riding in eastern Oregon, that section of 49 from Bassetts to Nevada City was the most fun road of the trip. Canyon roads in California are tough to beat. I have an unfortunate habit of roadside conversations with LEO's on this road, but was in the range of plausible deniability when I encountered one on this day.
Even the section of road from Grass Valley to Auburn flowed well. There was only one more mess to contend with. Caltrans was resurfacing the right lane on the Yolo Causeway, and it was early in evening rush when I got there. The backup went for miles. Thankfully, unlike in Washington, we can split here.
Once home, I was too late to make it my board meeting in person, but I was able to join over Zoom. After the meeting, I unloaded the bike, took a picture of bug splatter and checked the average mileage for the trip. One of the virtues of the Versys is that you can run just about any old swill in it, and it sips fuel with its pinky up. 50+ ain't too bad.
Eastern Oregon was a great time, and I look forward to going back for more exploration. The roads are empty, the scenery is great, enforcement was scarce, and food and lodging were cheap-ish. Give it a try.
Oh, one more thing. I posted about the connection of the two Black Diamonds, so I went to visit the local one the other day, just to close the loop.
My objectives for this day in priority order:
- Get home
- Stay out of the heat as long as possible
- Ride interesting roads
The Santa Barbara KTM contingent was already loading their bikes as I was having breakfast, and by the time I started loading my bike, they were long gone. As it turns out, my day was somewhat longer than theirs, and much more interesting that just grinding down 395. Of course, they would be going right past the Whoa Nellie Deli, so they had that much going for them.
When considering the route, my first thought was that I had ridden 395 between Alturas and Susanville the week before, so there was no need to do that again. That meant going west on 299 until Adin, then turning south towards Susanville.
I encountered my first road construction flagger not far out of Alturas. He asked me why only one of my headlights was on (because the other one only comes on when I turn on the high beam). He asked me if I was aware of just how much construction was ahead of me on 299 (that's why I was planning to turn south at Adin - he approved of this choice). I told him I was planning to ride through Chester, past Lake Almanor to get to Hwy 89 going through Greenfield, as I had not been there since before the Dixie fire leveled it. This led into a discussion of failure to prepare. Interesting perspective.
Not many pictures today. When I stopped to top up in Adin, I took a picture of the old mill across the street since these old incinerators are getting kind of rare to see.
Lots of unimpeded riding between Adin and Susanville, and even coming west out of Susanville was pretty good. My timing with one-way traffic for road construction was pretty fortunate. Riding south past Lake Almanor, I was struck by just how beautiful alpine lakes are in mid-summer. The mixture of dark green conifers, brilliant blue sky, and the deep blue of the water is so appealing, but not appealing enough to stop for a photo.
89 south from here was a complete clusterfuck. Loads, and loads, and loads of construction, each one using a pilot car, each one very slow. Did I mention it was hot? This was made worse by the vehicles who could not/would not even keep up with the pilot cars, prompting the CalTrans guys to come out to wave them to go faster, but to no avail. Did I mention it was hot? I'm not sure how many times I had to stop for construction. At least six times, and I'm guessing I lost well over an hour just stopped schvetzing in the sun. At this point, no time to stop for lunch.
Greenville was grim. What was once a pretty little town, now looks like rapid, chaotic reconstruction in a blast zone. It was sad.
Gas in Quincy, then down to Graeagle (through yet another construction zone), then over Gold Lakes Highway to Bassetts. Then it was down 49 all the way to Auburn. As much as I loved riding in eastern Oregon, that section of 49 from Bassetts to Nevada City was the most fun road of the trip. Canyon roads in California are tough to beat. I have an unfortunate habit of roadside conversations with LEO's on this road, but was in the range of plausible deniability when I encountered one on this day.
Even the section of road from Grass Valley to Auburn flowed well. There was only one more mess to contend with. Caltrans was resurfacing the right lane on the Yolo Causeway, and it was early in evening rush when I got there. The backup went for miles. Thankfully, unlike in Washington, we can split here.
Once home, I was too late to make it my board meeting in person, but I was able to join over Zoom. After the meeting, I unloaded the bike, took a picture of bug splatter and checked the average mileage for the trip. One of the virtues of the Versys is that you can run just about any old swill in it, and it sips fuel with its pinky up. 50+ ain't too bad.
Eastern Oregon was a great time, and I look forward to going back for more exploration. The roads are empty, the scenery is great, enforcement was scarce, and food and lodging were cheap-ish. Give it a try.
Oh, one more thing. I posted about the connection of the two Black Diamonds, so I went to visit the local one the other day, just to close the loop.
Attachments
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2003
- Location
- West Sacramento, CA
- Moto(s)
- 2012 Street Triple r,
DRZ400SM, KTM 450SMR, YZ250F (still parting out),
- Name
- Steve
Excellent report. Thanks for including all the conversations and details on the roads. Hope everything is OK at your sister's place.