OK, so its not a GS500, but  I had to give the new GS a workout!


Day 1 (July 26):

Bitterroot Valley, MT to Walla Walla, WA


I woke up rearing and ready to go.  I had hoped to get an early start to avoid the stifling heat as long as possible.  It has been at or near the triple digits for a month or so now in western MT.  I had loaded the pig the night before.  After a breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, two eggs, and orange juice, and a few interruptions here and there, I was out of there at 9:00.  (Note to self: take the pig off the center stand before you load the luggage, etc.)


My route would take me up US-93 to Lolo and then onto US-12 for the journey to Walla Walla.  I stopped for fuel at Lolo Conoco.  I pulled up to one of the north pumps, removed the tank bag, opened the tank, and inserted credit card only to see a flashing "CARD NOT READ" on the screen.  I tried two other cards to no avail.  Ok, let us switch to a different pump.  Unfortunately, I had a repeat at the second pump.  I frustratedly dismounted and went inside  to complain to the cashier.  I finally got fueled and was on my way.


The ritual fuel stop at Lolo Conoco



Some ominous looking clouds coming off Lolo Pass in ID



I ran into some heavy smoke coming from the Bridge Fire in places along US-12 after the Lochsa Lodge.  There was a massive plume from this fire that could be seen from the Bitterroot the day before.


A pit stop along US-12 in ID



I stopped for fuel and lunch in Kooskia, ID around 14:00 (MDT)  Lunch was at Rivers Cafe.  I talked with a couple locals that were sitting on a bench outside the Cafe afterwards.  The one gentleman was fascinated by the 40-day temp sticker I had on the bike.  Kooskia reminded me of Darby, MT- the town and the people.  There had been cool temps and cloud cover the whole time, however the temps were finally starting to heat up.


I continued west on US-12 from Kooskia.  Between the heat coming off the pavement and the boxers it was just plain hot!  I had gone through two to three quarts of water already to try to stay hydrated.  After about an hour or so of riding, heat exhaustion was starting to set in.  I decided to take another pit stop at a rest area along the Clearwater River for some more water and a 15 minute siesta under a tree.




Some chap lost his tube on the opposite bank.  I was wishing it was on my side so I could put it to use!



I continued on, refreshed, into Lewiston and made a quick stop at the Harley shop on the way in.  It was not a very large shop.  There were several Harleys and one new Buell sportbike on the showroom floor, and a lone F650GS (used) in blue out front for sale.


A welcome stop for an afternoon pick-me-up in Clarkston, WA



I was looking (to no avail) for a time and temperature sign in the Lewiston/Clarkston area to snap a pic of.  I finally located one at a shopping center on the way out and stopped to take a photo.  My old camera was not cooperative.  There is a delay of a couple seconds between the time you pull the trigger and when it actually captures the photo.  By the time it captured, the sign had already moved on to some sale announcement for one of the stores.  I gave up after the third try.  It was 103 by the way.


I picked up an older Gold Wing on the way out of Clarkston and tracked him until he turned off for fuel somewhere near Pomeroy.


The last (and most expensive per gal.) fuel stop of the day in Dayton, WA



The final stretch into Walla Walla



Thanks for reading!  More as I have the time...

stunning scenery. makes me want to do an epic ride on teh vmax soon 

Life is good!

Right ON!!!!! Great write-up and pics, ops! Looking forward to more!!! 

How many miles did you cover and how long did it take? 

Thanks for asking, Jake.

I hope you can read the labels.  Let me know if not.




And I omitted the pic of the day 1 evening entertainment:

Day 2 (July 27):

I had stayed the night at the Travelodge in Walla Walla.  It was a decent motel and there was free wireless Internet also!  The managers/owners ? were a couple of Middle Eastern descent and were very kind and helpful. I had a bad case of red eye from the day before.  I am not sure if it was from the heat or the wind blowing up into my helmet or both.  Eye drops helped some, but not much.  I decided to try to fashion a makeshift chin curtain out of duct tape.  The looks of it left something to be desired, but it did the trick!  I had breakfast, loaded the bike, and was out of there.


My aftermarket chin curtain



The mandarin pig waiting to be loaded



Today it was not the heat, but the WIND.  I got hit with a headwind right out of the chute and it was there almost the whole time.  I got back on US-12 to US-730, and then up to I-82.  The scenery was not much to look at along this route.  It was mostly desert and grassland with patches of burned grass from wildfire here and there along the way.  The road was packed with tractor trailers in both directions.


A turnout along US-12 at the Columbia River for a morning pit stop



A large pumping station on the Columbia.  Also, apparently a spot for beer & campfires on Friday and Saturday nights.  Not my idea of a good time!



The Columbia. What a huge body of water!



I continued on I-82 to I-84.  The next pit stop was at a rest area near Boardman, OR.  I had a pleasant conversation with an older gentleman and his wife that were there for a rest stop.  He was admiring the GS and remarking that the BMW bikes that he remembered from years back used much of the same designs and equipment as the current ones.  "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," he said.  I continued on westbound.  The wind was absolutely atrocious!


Uhhh, yeah, I noticed...



I switched over to WA-14 at near the Maryhill Museum.  A lowered S-10 with Alberta plates passed me right out of the chute and subsequently slowed to gently take the sharp corners at 30-35 mph.  I drifted back into Oregon at the Dalles for fuel and lunch.


Peacocks at the Maryhill Museum



The Dalles Dam from inside the Portage Grill.  These old outbuildings have seen better days.



After lunch I switched back over to WA-14 and was on my way.  There were many small towns, businesses, and recreational turnouts along this route.  The scenery was great and the twisties and tunnels made for a lively ride.  I did get behind traffic quite often, but that's OK.


A turnout along WA-14



Some wild berries at a turnout along WA-14.  I did not eat them as I was not sure if they were edible or poisonous.  They sure looked tasty though!



It was getting to be very close to 17:00 on a Friday evening as I was approaching Vancouver.  I was mentally preparing myself to be in GRIDLOCK while trying to get back into Oregon.  Lucky for me, it never did happen.  I got back onto I-84 eastbound and made my way to the exit.  My GPS then guided me in to the motel in Gresham.  I would've been calling for directions if I had not brought it.  I never have been able to orient myself to the streets and directions in that town!

By the way:


Day 2 GPS report:

Day 3 (July 28):

After breakfast and a morning Internet session, I went out to do a once-over of the bike.  Everything looked good, except that it was a few ounces low on oil.  I waited for my friend to show up and followed him over to Portland BMW.

Wow, what a great store!  There is a large showroom that is full of motorcycles; much larger than any you would find in MT.  There were a couple R1200R's for sale- one in gray and another in black.  I had not seen one up close before.  They look much better that way.

I inquired to see if they had real chin curtains in stock that would fit my helmet.  No.  I bought the quart of BMW synthetic oil and was on my way.


The obligatory visit to the BMW shop



This unfortunate boxer was relegated to live out its remaining days as an ashtray



I dropped the GS off at the motel and joined the others in the cage.  We headed down I-84 E to Hood River for a tour and drinks at Full Sail Brewing.  The young lady that did the tour did a fantastic job.  However, they were not in production, as apparently the brewery only operates Monday through Thursday.  The beer was quite nice also!  Then we were off for a drive around the Mt. Hood scenic route.

Inside a tunnel on I-84 E



Inside the tasting room at Full Sail



The Columbia from inside Full Sail, WA-14 in the background



A gravel mine at the base with Mt. Hood in the background



A Pontiac GTO fun run, taking a break in Government Camp


After we arrived back in Gresham we had dinner at Bumpers Grill & Bar.  The food and service was excellent.  The prices were very reasonable for as nice of a restaurant as it is.

Day 4 (July 29):

Although my stay had not been long, it was time to start heading back to MT today.  I planned on leaving around 17:00 to get a head start on the 580 or so mile route.  I would be taking I-84, 82, and 90 instead of US-12 this time.  It was a cool, cloudy morning.  I had breakfast, packed up my gear, checked out of the motel, fueled up, and dropped the bike off at my friend's (read as friend's father in law's) house.  Parenthetically, the motel was roomy and clean (except for the used toothpaste tube lying under the bed) but has some serious problems with employee and management incompetence and apathy that apparently go all the way to the top.  I will withhold the name.

This is the kind of weather I expect in Oregon – clouds and mist



I jumped in the cage with my bud and did some sightseeing around Gresham, including a stop at Harbor Freight Tools.  Some other friends joined us for lunch at Don Pedro's and for coffee at Starbucks afterwards.  I then made my way back to the bike to air the tires up and get on the road.

The weather and scenery for the ride was absolutely beautiful.  The wind was fairly calm and it was cool enough to put on a vest under my jacket.  I did not take many photos, as I spent more time riding and enjoying the weather.  I made a couple pit stops at rest areas and talked to a nice gentleman at a rest stop near Boardman, OR.  He and his family were traveling back to the Billings (MT) area and were hoping to make it to Spokane that evening.  I continued on and rolled into the Tri-cities area around 21:30 Pacific and decided to call it a night.

A rest stop between Hood River and The Dalles

Great ride and wonderful pics.Those wild berries you have in a pic,we call them black berries here in upstate SC.I have them growing in my back yard.We pick a bucket full and either eat them or make jam,jelly,or preserves out of them.  I really dig that front suspension BMW uses. 

Great read!!! I spent some time about 3 years ago in Hamilton MT, I got friends up there and worked on their ranch. Stunning scenery brings back some good memories. I totally recommend a trip like yours to any MC enthusiast.  The Pacific Norhtwest is like no other place with a feel all its own, just watch for those  logging trucks.

Quote from: Dan02GS on August 03, 2007, 07:49:54 AM
Great read!!! I spent some time about 3 years ago in Hamilton MT, I got friends up there and worked on their ranch. Stunning scenery brings back some good memories. I totally recommend a trip like yours to any MC enthusiast.  The Pacific Norhtwest is like no other place with a feel all its own, just watch for those  logging trucks.

I would like to make a trip up there myself.I know what you mean by logging trucks.They just pull right out in front of ya and then start dropping wood bits and chunks all over the road.Here it is log the wood,grade the land and throw up a new housing development.150 completed developments with in 5 miles of my town,and more being built everyday.We had scenery,but now it's $200,000 to $300,000 houses.Not my idea of scenery.

Ah, Oregon.  Enjoy your visit (then get yourself back to wherever you came from ).   Yep, that was the Governor's unofficial motto from back in the days when the PacNW was pleasantly insulated from Old America.  May be Montana's state motto now. 

But, hmmm, you crossed the arid western landscape and didn't make it out to the coast?  Didn't do Mt St Helens?  Bypassed the best motorcycle routes the state has to offer?  Well, there-in lies the problem in sport-touring.  Reminds me of several yrs ago when I took the GStwin down to BA California...

~  ~  ~   
~  ~  ~ 
~  ~  ~ 

BMW rider (after eyeing my out-of-state plates in the restaurant parking lot):  You ride that thing all the way here?

Gisser: Sir, if I'd ridden down here by the time I arrived I'd be all done riding--for the week. I wouldn't be able to so much as sit on the thing.  No, you want to go riding in some far away fun locale?  Load the bike into the back of the truck, drive down, then do all the riding you want and that's what I'm doing.  Great set of twisties you got here.  Among the best I've ridden.  Done my share of sport-touring; don't like anything about it. 

/

What?  No pic of Stonehenge?

!!! Colombia river has some great windsurfing...
i do not think there is a day when it is not windy there

I think that is the motto from Montana now.  I'm not sure if our illustrious Governor uses it or not, but you hear it often from the olde timers (read as people who moved to MT from the southwest or other areas 25 or 30 years ago). 

Unfortunately, this was a quick trip and there was no time to explore any of the local riding routes.  I would have liked to if I had the time.  I'm sure I will be back sometime next spring or summer- perhaps I can tag along with you Gisser for a ride or two (I'm assuming that you live there?).

Day 5 (July 30):

The End.

I had stayed the night at the Best Western in Kennewick.  The Tri-cities area is one of my least favorite places, however the motel was excellent and had a great breakfast.  I headed out to US-395 and made my way up to the Ritzville junction.  There were quite a few LE folks along the route.  The grooved pavement and drop-offs at the exits were a little interesting at times.  I fueled at Ritzville and continued on to Spokane Valley.

Sprague Lake rest area near Spokane on I-90 E



I stopped for lunch in Spokane Valley.  Since we no longer have a Krispy Kreme store in Missoula, I thought I would take a chance...


There they are, on top of the Nike bag!



A fuel stop in Wallace, ID



I think I can handle that...



Anyone know how old this bus is?



ID from Lookout Pass



MT from Lookout Pass



As if I had not had enough grooved pavement already, I enjoyed a few more miles of it between Wallace, ID and Lookout Pass.  There were a few construction zones on the Montana side also- installation of new bridge decks and resurfacing some of the pavement.  I stopped for the last pit stop at a rest area around the 58 mile marker.  Another rider that I had been with on and off since Spokane pulled in also.  He was on a Yamaha Stratoliner, and a very nice looking bike it was.  He was enroute to Missoula from Seattle.  We talked bikes for a while and then got back on the road.  I finished of the 80 or 90 miles to my house.

The moment of truth: not arranged as nice as when I got them, but none the worse for wear!  What a nutritious dinner.




Total miles: 1,301

Thanks all for reading!

That looked like a damned fine "quick trip!" And topped off with Krispy Kreme....yum!!! Thanks for sharing your trip so that we could all live vicariously!!!! 

Great to see the pics of Wallace, God's forgotton town , and one of my favorites

I also couldn't believe there were no wind surfers on the river.  You can see the wind whipping up white caps. 

Quote from: Jake D on August 08, 2007, 11:13:25 AM
I also couldn't believe there were no wind surfers on the river.  You can see the wind whipping up white caps. 

They're there if you look close.  That section of the Columbia was packed with wind surfers the whole time I was there.