Washington / Oregon

On October 4th I sailed aboard the ferry “Coho” from Victoria BC to my point of entry into the United States of America at Port Angeles, Washington. It is always difficult to leave the comforts of family and friends and once again hit the open road. This time I leave with a heavy heart. The upcoming phase of my journey will take me away from my native land and loved ones, there will be no scheduled stops to visit friend or family along the way and I knew not where this path would take me or how long before I would return.
The advantages of traveling on ferry's with a motorcycle is you are usually first on and first off. And soon after we docked in Port Angeles I proceeded to US costume where I was asked that standard series of questions. My passport was stamped and I was quickly allowed to proceed. I stopped at the local tourist information center to pick-up a state map and a few pamphlets. Soon I was on my way to ride highway 101. This route is the most westerly highway which runs along / near the Pacific ocean all the way to Southern California. It was great to be back in the saddle again and soon I am feeling good about heading off into the unknown. Riding a motorcycle has that magical ability to take you off into a different zone. The focus on the road, the cool autumn air blowing through my helmet, the smell of the forest / the sea and the sights and sounds around you will simply take you into that feeling-good zone. And once again all is good in Jimmer's world.

I continued along route 101 through Olympic National Park. A scenic ride along a very well maintained mountain highway passing a number of lake where I had to stop to admire the large trees in this mature forest. In the community of Humptulips I turned off this highway and headed west to ride along the coast to the communities of Taholah and Ocean Shores. This section of coastal highway is a combination of private and Native property thus providing limited public beach access or ocean viewing area's. Had I not rode this section of highway little would have been missed. I terminated this day's ride in the community of Aberdeen where I camped for the night. Although there were a number of large RVs throughout the park there were no other tents to be seen. This tenting season maybe nearing an end.

As I loaded the bike the following morning in preparation for my day's ride the park attendant came-by to chat about my travels. He indicated that rain had been forecasted for the next few days. As I rode off I followed the coast south and soon crossed into the State of Oregon at the city of Astoria where the might Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. In the neighboring community of Seaside I booked into a hostel where I would remain for the next three nights and two days and wait for the forecasted rain to pass. An interesting stay was experienced at this busy hostel. These types of establishments attract all types of individuals and during this Columbus Day Weekend we were provided with a broad selection of different characters. One night as I lay awake in my dorm bed listening to the snoring and other bodily noises going on around me I couldn't help but laugh and think what the hell am I doing here? But it really wasn't that bad and besides this is the stuff that makes the journey all the more interesting. However, given the accommodation options I would chose to stay in a hostel because of the social environment they provide.

I left the town of Seaside on a very overcast Sunday of the Columbus Day / Canada's Thanksgiving Day weekend to return to Washington. My plans were to ride the Columbia River Gorge and visit Mount St. Helen over the next few days. As I headed east I rode into a cold rain. After two hours of riding in these elements I stopped for coffee and a bite to eat. I was soon joined by another group who were also seeking refuge from the cold rain. It turned out that these three riders were from Vancouver Island and were very familiar with the region. They suggested I ride with them for the next couple of hours through a number of secondary roads where they'd drop me off near the Mount St. Helen. The rain subsided as we rode off and it was fun to be sitting at the back of the group and ride along.

As I started the ascent to Mount St. Helen the ceiling soon closed in on me and once again I was riding through clouds and rain. These conditions remained throughout the 1.5 hours to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. This first class facility not only provided warmth and relief from the rain but there were a number of very informative presentations by the park rangers and a film on the May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helen's erupted. Very educational it all was. Although todays rainy conditions provided limited visibility from the Observatory this vantage point brings visitors within five miles of the north side of the volcano and normally offers views of the still-steaming lava dome, crater, pumice plain and landslide deposit.

The following is a synopses of a week of great touring

From Castle Rock I set out under clear skies to ride to the southeast side of Mount St. Helen crater. It would take me 4.5 hours of great riding along twisty narrow mountain roads before I arrived at the site of a once old growth forest but was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits when Mount St. Helen erupted. From this observation point at Windy Ridge I continued south until I reached the Columbia River and crossed into Oregon. I then followed the Columbia River Gorge - a spectacular 80 mile long river canyon with the north canyon walls in Washington State and the south canyon walls in Oregon.

Setting out from City of Portland on a clear autumn morning I headed west to the Oregon coast. I selected a series secondary roads some of which were paved other dirt. The 4 hour ride would take me through rural farmland but soon became a twisty hilly mountainous forest route along huge stands of trees in this mature forest. The road following a scenic river which I crossed a number of times. I love riding in this environment. I arrived at the Pacific Ocean at Cape Lookout – a spectacular ocean setting. I located a grassy patch and sat there in my riding gear admiring the view. Every day of riding is a good day but once in a while I strike a day that is great. This was great day. As I sat there I thought – “throughout one's life we are constantly bombarded with rules and regulations / policies and procedures / demands and expectations – today things are different - Anyone who knows me knows not where I am – Anyone around me knows not who I am - Never before have I known such freedom – Such is the life of a Saddle Tramp – Life is good”.

Over the next 3 day I would ride the spectacular Oregon Coast. It was extremely difficult to accumulate significant mileage in any given ride because one is constantly forced to stop and admire the beauty of this ocean's coast. I've seen whales and large seal lions for the shore on a number of occasions.

I spent 2 days in Oregon State Capital City, Salem - very nice community this is. During this period I left my trusty steed with the BMW dealer to completed the 30,000 KM warranty service and to installed two new tires. The folks at Salem BMW were very accommodating. I pick up the motorcycle mid Friday afternoon and returned to the motel. Within ten minutes I receive a call from the front desk – someone in the lobby would like to see me. It's Mark the bike mechanic with a torque wrench in hand. “I am not sure I properly torque the studs on your rear wheel” he states. To the bike we go – all was well. He stated that when he was installing the rear wheel this AM a local customer stop-by and became extremely frustrated when he seen Mark working on a travelers bike and not his. This interruption caused him grief and loss of focus. When I rode off after my short visit with them he began to question his work. A good man he is..

From Salem I rode southeast to visit Crater Lake National Park. Another good day of riding to a location of great beauty. My first view of this lake was almost breathtaking – This is spectacular - WOW. On this bright sunny afternoon the lake so blue in colour surrounded by sheer cliffs almost 2000 feet high with a circumference around the lake of over 20 miles. An awesome sight it was.

The view from the upper aft deck of the ferry Coho as we sailed out of Victoria harbour.

This project caught my attention as I rode by. I stopped and looked around but there was no one nearby to tell me a story or give me a tour.

The beach at Seaside, Oregon – Although my running to date has been inconsistent - the run on this beach was extremely pleasant.

The City of Astoria, Oregon where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean.

Mount Rainier (14,410 ft) dominates the landscape of a large part of western Washington.

At 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helen's erupted. Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche. Nearly 230 square miles of forest was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits. At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helen's and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments.

The Columbia River Gorge is a spectacular river canyon cutting the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountain Range.

Another isolated dirt road through the forest - Riding doesn't get any better then this..

Cape Lookout...A spectacular view

More of Oregon's spectacular coast...

I wonder if Buddy would mind if I knocked on his door and asked if I could pitch my tent in back yard.

More of Oregon's spectacular coast...

More of Oregon's spectacular coast...

The waters of Crater Lake are a brilliant blue - a place of immeasurable beauty - Note the reflector of the adjacent slopes. Generous amounts of winter snow supply this lake with water which has no inlets or outlets. Evaporation and seepage prevent the lake from becoming any deeper.