My buddies have more free time than I and so I have missed out on a few rides. But not this weekend coming up.! I got a call Monday asking if I wanted to ride June 14 -16.
The call couldn't have come at a worse time! My water heater had just split and I was missing work and we were short-handed. (Stress
and guilt!) My head was not in the right space at the time. I'd been stressing out on work, missed gardening opportunities (due our rotten weather) and my "better-half" being gone away on business. And how was I going to arrange time off on such short notice?? But I eventually got my priorites aligned and my laundry room dried out
At first we intended to loop the Olympic Peninsula clockwise, using the Forest Service roads rather than Hwy 101. This would mean more food to be carried and a slow, dusty, challenging, but extremely fun adventure far from the maddening crowd. We got together Tuesday night to map out the route. The route planning helped reset my switches and I was now focusing on the adventure.
So this morning I get another call. Would I be okay with a route change to Winthrop, WA and ride around the Methow Valley? Complete venue change. Lush and cool to warm and dry... (hopefully)
I had spent Tuesday writing out a pack list...I think I'll need to tow a trailer... hmmm.
It's amazing given the HP and size of a motorcycle, that carrying stuff can be more of a hassle than backpacking .
I regrouped and gave thought to my X-country ride in 1981. I had a Kelty Summit pack, a small pup tent, sleeping bag, pad, a few clothes and a stove. All was slung in a tidy parcel across the back of a barebones R75/5 Beemer. I took a month to go from Port Angeles, WA to Boston, MA. (Of course, I was a lot younger then...
)
So I threw out the trailer option and began paring down tonight. Haven't got much time to pack and prep. Friday (day off) will be a hi-speed bike prep day. Cross my fingers!!!
Four of us will leave PA Sat. AM (Kim's Honda TransAlp, Kim's son Mike on a new Kaw KR250?, Bill's Kaw. KLR650, and me Bullet) and meet up with a "Long Way Round" 1200 BMW around Mt. Vernon. There are some nice two lanes up that way along the Skagit. I haven't been to the Methow Valley in a long time.
There hopefully will be plenty of photo ops, so I won't forget my camera this time!!
I have been sweating the tent situation. We own a huge, three-person dome that hasn't been used in years. And we have a newer leaner two-person that we use on canoe camping to Ross Lake, WA. Both are too bulky for a one person M/C outing.
As if in answer to my dilemma, a lady friend of ours was in my store today, heard of my upcoming trip and offered up an unused, one person pop-up tent suitable for bike camping. The Gods are listening...
Omigosh! I remember I just installed my spare clutch cable after a roadside breakdown last weekend. I have no spare and Vince is out of Premiums... !! What to do? I planned to call Vince this AM.
But wait, what's this? My cell phone is ringing at work! It's Vince! He just got in the premium clutch cables and it dropping one in the mail to me. I look skyward with great reverence. Thank you Gods of Olympus!! And thank you, Vince!
BTW, my new water heater, with stainless steel lines and brass ballcock valves, it looks
way better than anything professionally installed.
-Jesse, gearing up.