Bronze, Blues, & Brews Ride Report

[Madness]

Got back from my 6 day ride last night. It was an excellent ride!!

Found out my PC wouldn't boot up because of a huge lightning storm which came into town just as we were leaving last Tuesday morning. I had to reinstall XP to get it to work. Now I have to finish reinstalling my programs.


I will try to post a full report ASAP.

[Geezer]

That storm came through here too. I was working on my bikes and came inside to shut everything down. All my stuff survived but a friend of mine lost a power supply. I think he got off lucky.

Geezer

[Madness]

Day 1

Well, I made it home Sunday evening no worse for wear. 6 days and 5 nights on the road for the trip. Ran into a little rain the first few days then nothing but sun after that. Only one close call with Mom and Bambi the whole trip. Everyone had a great time enjoying the fantastic scenery, awesome roads, and of course the music and micro-brews on Saturday. I will post a link to my photos when I get them set up.

The Group:
Myself (Midnight Special)
My brother Thom (Road King)
Gary (Ultra Classic)
John (Valkarie Interstate)
Jeff & Debbie (Ultra Classic)
Larry & Ann (Fat Boy)

Day 1 Aug. 5 Albany, OR to Ellensburg, WA - 196 miles
Jeff & Debbie were to meet up with us at the end of the day in Ellensburg, WA. The rest of us started out Tuesday morning from the Tom Tom restaurant in Albany, OR. We met up at 5:30am. Usually we will have a quick breakfast and coffee before heading out, but there were some very black clouds just south of town with lightning for added measure. We all decided to skip breakfast and jump on I-5 north to try to out run the storm. Rain started just as we hit the slab but we quickly got out in front of the quickly moving storm.
I found out a couple of days later after calling my daughter that the storm passed right over Albany and lasted from about 6am to 10am. We rarely get a storm here in the Valley. Usually they are off along the foothills. This was a huge thunderstorm with lightning strikes all over town. Power was off and on all morning which also messed up the OS on my PC!!
Our route for the day was to leave Albany and head up the slab into WA. We then took the 503 turn off and rode up the back side of the Mt. St. Helens. Traffic was fairly light once we started up into the mountains. The morning air was crisp with overcast skies, but the roads were still dry. Wonderful road and scenery as we rode through Amboy, and Cougar. Turned onto Lewis River road and continued on past Yale Lake. Then along FR-90 which follows the Swift Reservoir. When you're riding along it seemed like one huge lake that stretches for miles, and miles. Pulled into the Pine Creek Ranger Station around 10:30 for a much needed break. We had managed to beat the rain most of the way so far, but that was short lived. As we headed up FR-25 we hit light rain and wet pavement. The road had some nice twisties, but the wet pavement kept the groups speed under control. I gotta get back up there when the weathers better and ride it again.
Just before we got into Randle the clouds let loose. Huge drops and standing water on the road. It hasn't rained in the PNW for quite some time so there was a lot of dirt and oil coming out of the pavement which made us pretty cautious. We got stuck behind a log truck for a short distance and the water on the road foamed up behind him like there was soap in it. Stopped in Randle to gas up and finally get some much needed lunch. We were right on the edge of the weather with a very warm sun while we were standing in the rain. By the time we finished lunch the roads were dry again.
Our original plan was to head west to Morton, WA to Hwy 7 north, then Hwy 706 east along the south side of Mt. Rainier. After looking the skies over we decided to shorten the route and take Hwy 12 east instead. Traffic was light and we moved along at a very good pace. Stopped along the pass after turning around to view a beautiful waterfall. It was on the other side of the canyon from us. It wasn't so much a waterfall as it ran down a very steeply curved rock face. It was very wide and you could tell the water wasn't very deep. We stretched and enjoyed the view there for awhile before heading out again.
We continued east on Hwy 12 into Yakima and got on Hwy 82 headed north. By now we're getting pretty warm. The temps started to climb quickly as soon as we started down the east side of the mountains. We were now in the dry rolling grasslands of central WA. Nothing but miles and miles of rolling hills and brown grass, but it was an awesome ride. Pulled into our motel in Ellensburg, WA. around 4pm and met up with Jeff & Debbie who had just arrived from Coeur d'Alene a half-hour before we arrived. After checking in and unloading our gear we were ready for some dinner. Found an excellent BBQ restaurant and had a great meal. Headed back to the motel for a much needed soak in the hot tub and dip in the pool. The rain and lightning finally caught up with us again in the evening, but we were done for the day.

[Madness]

Day 2

Day 2 Aug.6 Ellensburg,WA to Grand Coulee Dam - 226 miles
All packed up and ready to hit the road again around 6am. The storm from the night before was long gone by the time we woke up in the morning. Nothing but blue skies and a beautiful sunrise. Our first leg toady was into the Wenatchee Mtns. to Leavenworth, WA for breakfast and sightseeing. Headed up Hwy 97 into the mountains. Wow, what a beautiful ride!! (We found ourselves saying this over and over through this whole trip.) The road was excellent with lots of sweeping turns as we climbed up and back down on our way into Leavenworth.
Headed east on Hwy 2 for a short ride into Leavenworth. What a beautiful town!! Set right at the base of the mountains which seem to jut straight up. All the building in town were built to make the town look like a little German village. What a sight!! Stopped a restaurant called "Kristal's" for an excellent breakfast with the best hash browns I'd ever had. Then we headed down to the main street where they have gift shops lined up for blocks. The building were along a steep bank which drops off to the Wenatchee river, I think. All of them were packed together with small narrow shops and very ornately decorated. Really made you feel like you were in a village somewhere in Germany.
After some shopping and sightseeing we hit the road again around 11am. We headed east on Hwy 2/97 towards Wenatchee, WA and the Columbia river. Just north of Wenatchee we continue on Hwy 97 north on the west side of the Columbia. Fruit orchards all along this area are about the only thing that gives the landscape any color. All along the road, all the way down to the riverbank in places there were orchards of all kinds. As we got into Lake Chelan there was a grass fire just outside of town burning up one of the hills. Must have smoldered overnight and the strong breeze that started in the early afternoon fanned it up. Saw a group of firefighters in their yellow shirts standing outside the fire station in town getting their instructions before heading out. The hills are very steep were the fire was burning so they're gonna have their work cut out for them.
We were still full from breakfast so we continue north and east on 97 until the town of Omak, WA. This is the town that has the world famous horse and rider stampede over the edge of a hill and down into the water. We stopped at the park and rodeo grounds to take a much needed break in the shade of a large tree to stretch, snack, and rest for the next leg of the day.
From Omak we took Hwy 155 through the Colville Indian Reservation SE back down to the Columbia and Grand Coulee Dam. Rode into town around 3:30pm and decided to try to find another motel for the night. First place we stopped didn't have enough rooms and suggested we try the one on the other end of town. As we crossed the bridge over the Columbia just below the dam the street was lined with beautiful older homes with huge trees down the whole length, with some of the greenest grass you ever saw. All this with the largest dam in North America as a backdrop. We got to the other motel to find the only had 3 rooms and someone was on the phone trying to get one. Jeff and Debbie decided to run back across the river and get one at the first place we stopped. John quickly told the gal he wanted one for himself. Larry and Anne took one, and Gary, Thom, and I took the last.
After unpacking we headed just out of town and had dinner a nice Mexican place. After eating way too much we head back to the motels to rest and get cleaned up. I quickly changed and head for a quick dip in the pool and soak in the hot tub. No one else joined me but I didn't care. Sure felt good after another long, hot day on the road.
Hung around the motel relaxing with a cold one for awhile. There was a group of Canadians staying there while they were doing a job working on the generators at the dam. Hung out and BS's with them for awhile. We headed across the street to the dam around 9pm. Every night at 9:30 they show a laser light show on the dam. Grand Coulee is huge!! Just over 500ft high and a mile long. We were trying to figure out where they were going to shine the lasers when they started to open the 11 spillway gates. They only open them a few inches. Just enough to get a white sheet of water roaring down. This gives them their white backdrop for the lasers. The show itself was alright, nothing spectacular. Most of it was narration about the facts of the dam and the history of its origin. It was an awesome evening though with temps in the mid-70's and just a slight breeze. After the show we all headed back for some much needed rest for the next day ahead.

[Madness]

Day 3

Day 3 Aug. 7 Grand Coulee to Coeur d'Alene - 212 miles
Woke up around 5:30 in the morning. Just as we all got up and ready to start loading up the bikes the rain started in. It came down pretty hard for awhile. We really couldn't see the skies in the SE, the direction we were headed, but the skies to the SW were very black. We waited around awhile until the rain let up a bit then headed to a small cafe in town for breakfast and to discuss a different route depending what the weather looked like on the way. Our original plan was to head north back into the Colville Indian Reservation on Hwy 21 to the town of Republic, WA then head east to Kettle Falls and Newport, WA before turning south to Coeur d'Alene. After a few miles down the road we could tell that wasn't the route to take today. That would have to be some other day.
As we headed SE the winds in front of the storm were gusting pretty good and just as we got into the town of Wilbur the skies opened up. We stopped and fueled up in Wilbur and as we waited for the rain to let up, and talked with a rider coming from the east, we decided for the shorter route. We had a couple of alternate routes we could take north along the way if the weather cleared up, but when we got to each one the skies looked like they could open up at any time. So we decided to continue east on Hwy 2 which kept us out of the rain.
Continued through fairly light traffic through Spokane, WA. We crossed into Idaho and stopped at a bike shop called "Easyriders Road House" which builds custom Big Dog choppers. Some very nice looking bikes there though I don't think I would ever want to own one. Then we headed next door to the "Hot Rod Cafe" for an excellent lunch and a brew to wash it down.
Then it was on to Coeur d'Alene to Debbie's brothers house which we would invade for the night. It was around 3pm and no one was home yet, but Debbie knew where the spare key was and we unloaded the bikes and made ourselves at home. It was still early and we all wanted to ride some more so we decided to ride up to Sand Point about 50 miles away. No helmet law in ID so had to try going lidless for awhile. I don't think I could ride like this very often. Way to much wind noise and wind in the eyes even with glasses made it hard to see and enjoy the scenery. Found out Sand Point is where the infamous LA police detective Mark Fuhrman now lives. Walked around town a bit to check out some shops then had some ice cream before heading back.
When we got back Debbie's sister-in-law was home so we all sat out back in the shade and pounded down some cold ones. Shortly after Debbie's brother Spencer arrived home from work and they started up the BBQ. They cooked up a great meal of venison burgers, teriyaki chicken, potato salad, and salad with pie for dessert. After dinner we sat around and drank up all the beer before we all slowly drifted off to bed for the night.

[Madness]

Day 4

Day 4 Aug.8 Coeur d'Alene to Joseph, OR - 210 miles
Joseph, OR was the main goal of the trip to attend the "Bronze, Blues, and Brews Festival" on Saturday. It was also the most anticipated part of the trip for most of us because we were going to ride the "Rattlesnake Grade" south from WA into OR. We definitely weren't disappointed.
Woke up around 5am to beautiful, cloudless sunrise. We packed up our gear and loaded up the bikes for another days ride. We had our bikes parked on the other side of the street the night before. As we were loading the bikes up the automatic sprinklers in the lawn beside us turned on. You never saw a bunch of old bikers move so fast!! That was the closest we'd get to getting wet the rest of the trip. After saying our thanks and goodbye's we were on the road again.
Headed out almost due south on Hwy 95 in Idaho. Just inside the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation we found a little cafe for breakfast. It wasn't one of the better places we'd eaten on the trip, but it was fuel in our bellies nonetheless. Then it was off again for Lewiston, ID. After passing through Moscow and several small towns were pulled off to see the view from Lewiston Hill. It's hard to describe the beauty of the view from there. The elevation was 2756ft on the hill and you overlook the cities of Lewiston, ID and Clarkston, WA with the Columbia and Snake rivers joining below. After all the "oohhing and awweeing" we noticed a very, very, very winding road just below us. Gee, should we get back on the interstate to get down the hill? Or should we maybe take winding one. Duhhh!!!! Ten miles of very tight and highly banked corners sounded pretty good to us. This road named the Old Spiral Hwy, was constructed in 1917 to replace the steep wagon road for autos to use. It is a series of 20-30mph turns which winds ten miles and drops 2000ft to the bottom. What a great ride it was down the hill. The whole side of the hill on the way down was mostly just brown grass with a fantastic view on the way down. It's a fairly short ride but gotta rate that a 9 or 10.
After stopping for some much needed fuel and talk of the ride down the hill we were off again on Hwy 129 south of Clarkston along the Snake river to the town of Asoton, WA where the hwy turned to steeply climb its way out of the river canyon. Not quite as scenic as the Old Spiral Hwy, but just as good in the fun factor. Lots of sharp turns as we made our way up the hill were an absolute blast. All this and we still hadn't got to Rattlesnake Grade yet!! Once we reached to top the road was pretty flat and straight for quite some distance. Then we crossed Rattlesnake Pass and started our way down. Like I said before, it's hard to describe the beauty this area. Very steep canyons, draws, gulleys, whatever you want to call them all around. Sparse trees scattered on the steep sides, and beautiful rock formations everywhere you look. This was definitely a very rugged crossing for any of the earlier travelers. The only bad part of the ride was the loose gravel kick onto the road by cages cutting into the shoulder as they went through.
We wound our way down and came to a small cafe called Boggins Oasis where the road crosses the Grande Ronde river. We took a nice long break there. I had one of the best black raspberry milkshakes I ever had while a couple of other had some lunch, and a couple of other wandered down to the river to soak their feet. Temps were in the mid 90s so after resting up we were off again.
After a few more miles Hwy 129 turned into Hwy 3 when we crossed the border back into Oregon. A few more miles of the twisties before the road started to straighten and level out some. We pulled off at a viewpoint overlooking Chief Joseph Valley. A very deep valley with steep rolling brown grassy slopes. On the road again to blast our way down out of the mountains into Enterprise, OR. After fueling up it was only a 6 miles ride to the town of Joseph and another 6 to Wallowa State Park where we had reservation for the next two nights. Another couple, Bonnie and Terry, from Albany were driving up to camp and ski for a few days and told us before we left they'd have dinner for us the first night. Just as we were checking in around 2pm they rode up on their bicycles to meet us. As we setting up the tents we started to notice the deer all around the campground. One buck, 5-6 points, had his head buried in a bag of dog food outside of a motor home. We all grabbed our cameras and slowly tried to sneak up on it to get some shots. We didn't have to sneak very hard. These deer are pretty used to humans around the lake. He stood there and looked at us for a little bit while we snapped some shots, then he plopped down on the ground in the shade next to the motor home.
Joseph is a very, very small town located at the base of the Wallowa Mtns. Once the logging died off the town remade itself with several bronze foundries and many art shops. The main street was remodeled with a very western look with bronze statues of horses, wolves, elk, and a beautiful statue of a woman in a blue dress holding her hat on in the wind. A very busy little town just north of one of the most beautiful lakes in the state. Wallowa lake was carved out of the mountains by a long gone glacier. It's set right at the base of Mt. Howard surrounded by the moraine left behind.
My brother and I have some relatives in Joseph which we used to visit every summer when we were kids so the two of us took off for their farm just outside of town. We spent about an hour visiting and catching up on what's new with our families before we need to head back into town to pick up some cold ones for dinner and the evening. Got back in time to relax and have a couple of beer before a great dinner of enchiladas, beans, and rice. Then it was time for a lot more beers and storytelling around the campfire. Finally everyone started to drift off to bed after another long day.

[Madness]

Day 5

Day 5 Aug,9 Bronze,Blues,& Brews Festival 12pm-10pm
Very little riding today. A couple of trips to town and back. Rode into town to have breakfast around 7am. After getting back to the lake a Gary and John went out to ski with Bonnie and Terry. My brother and I went down to the park to wait in line to get a good spot in the shade for the show. The rest wandered around town to visit the shops. Once we had our chair and blankets set up my brother and I went into town. We ran into our cousin Rick and he invited us out to his house outside of town. As we were headed up there we ran into Larry and Anne. They waved us over and told us that they had to leave right away. A couple that they were good friends with were killed in a motorcycle accident before we left and they had called home and found out the funeral was the next day. We said our goodbyes and wished them a safe trip home. They had around a 500 mile ride home and they didn't head out until 1:30-2:00 with a very late arrival.
My brother had been up to my cousin Rick's once before and vowed never to ride his bike up there again. Once your out of town most of the road aren't paved. The road to my cousins had about 4" of dust and lots of big rocks the last time my brother went up there. My cousin told him he put new gravel on the road and it was much better so we decided to ride up. After a couple extra miles and wrong turns later we finally found his place. It's located partially up the mountains on the edge of the wilderness area with a beautiful view of the town down below. Rick and his wife LaVaughn have a very rustic old cabin with natural open beams and wood walls. Rick does granite counter top work for a living and showed us his beautifully remodeled kitchen. We sat around and had some iced tea before we had to head back to town for the festival.
We got back to the festival just after the music started. First order of business was to get our tickets at the beer garden and start sampling some of the brews. After getting our mugs we settled in for some great Blues and more fine Brews forgetting all about the Bronze. Our cousin Rick and his wife made it down to the park. Shortly thereafter our other cousin, Rick's brother Allen and his new wife Darla came down. My brothers and I chatted with them the rest of the afternoon and evening reminiscing about all the good times and trouble we used to get into every summer we come visit them. Even though it was a short 6 mile ride back to camp we cut the brews off early. Didn't want to chance riding back around the lake cross-eyed in the dark with all the deer running around!! Some of the group left early to head back to camp, but my brother and I stayed till just before the masses left at 10pm. The temps never dropped below the upper 60's on the ride back under an almost full moon over the lake. Didn't see any deer and had an uneventful ride back to the lake. Finally got to bed around 11pm to rest up for the longest day of the trip in the morning.

[Madness]

Day 6

Day 6 Aug. 10 Joseph, OR to Albany, OR - 524 miles
Well our trip is over and it's time to head for home. We are up at 5am and rolling out of the park before 6. It's gonna be a long day today. We have just over 500 miles to put behind us to get home. The skies were clear and it was going to be a very warm ride. Rode into Enterprise to have our last breakfast together and wait for the fuel stations to open up. After feeding ourselves and the bikes we are off.
We head out on Hwy 82 to La Grande, were we split off from Jeff and Debbie who live in Forest Grove, OR. Just outside of Enterprise the road starts to run along the Wallowa river. John was in the lead on his Valkarie with me next and the others behind us. We were doing about 40-50mph when we rounded a curve and John suddenly found a doe and her bambi standing in the road in front of him. There was a pickup stopped in the oncoming lane so we had no choice but to stay in our lane and clamp on the binders. John being the closest locked up the tires briefly but managed to slow down in time as did the rest of us. Mama was standing broadside to us when we saw her, but she quickly jumped up the road bank to safety. Bambi wasn't quite sure what to do. It bounce around the road like popcorn for a bit before it too decided jumping up the road bank was probably the best way out of it's mess. After riding very slow for a bit John got his adrenaline glands to quit pumping so hard and we were back up to speed with a very wary eye out for any more bambi's. With all the early morning rides and all the deer we saw around the lake we were fortunate to only have the one close call. We saw several recent hits along the highways but we where able to escape without incedent.
We hit La Grande just after 9am. We took a short break and fueled up again. Then we said our goodbye's to Jeff and Debbie. The we head out for I-84. After a few miles we wave to Jeff and Debbie as we turn off onto Hwy 224 for our stretch through central OR. We ride SW through a few farms here and there. Several old homes and barns from long, long ago sit just off the road along the way. Most of them look like they have only one or two more heavy winter snows before they will be all the way on the ground. Just past the small town of Ukiah we turn south onto Hwy 395 to Mt. Vernon. We riding through a small farming town of Long Creek when we all of a sudden are bombarded by a swarm of grasshoppers. I'm the only one wearing a fullface helmet so at least my face is covered. Still I duck down behind the windscreen so I don't get blinded by bug splatter on my visor. Several of the hoppers slammed into my legs causing quite a sting. After about a mile they slowly tappered off. While we were refueling in Mt. Vernon we were talking about the hoppers when a gal there said she lives in Long Creek and for some reason they seem to hang out there all the time.
After fueling we turn off onto Hwy 26 headed west. Soon we are riding through the canyon along the John Day river near the Painted Hills area and John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. We were getting hungry and decided to pull off at the little town of Mitchell for a much needed lunch and water break. Then it was back on the road. Continued on through the Ochoco Mtns. and into Prinville. Gary's parents live just out of town and all but John decided to stop for a short visit. After fueling up we say our goodbye's to John and head off to Gary's parents. We were back on the road about 4:30 after a short visit.
Just out of Prineville we turned off onto Hwy 126 through Redmond and on to Sisters. We stopped for fuel again in Sisters and got right back on the road. Leaving Sisters we get on Hwy 20. It was mostly all down hill now to the Willamette Valley and home. Traffic now was starting to get pretty heavy. Everyone headed for home on a Sunday afternoon and not many place to make a pass. Even if there was the line of cars would usually make it pretty futile. Just west of Suttle Lake we reached the Santiam Pass where there is a passing lane lasting several miles. We poured on the gas and quickly made our way passed the slower moving traffic. By the time we were done we were out in front with clear sailing ahead. Just after clearing the summit we take Hwy 22 which is the longer way home, but the road is in much better shape. A few miles past the town of Detroit we get stuck behind a line of cars with a semi in the lead puttering along at 45mph. We were starting to get pretty worn out from the day and this slow pace wasn't helping. Finally we came to a rest area and pulled in for a much needed break. After downing some water and some snacks we were feeling much better and headed out for our final stretch home. About 10 miles down Hwy 22 at the town of Mill City we get off the main road and head out Hwy 226. Our speeds really picked up here. I ride this route all the time and there was no traffic in front of me. I think I passed only one car on this 30 mile stretch. We ride into Albany just after 7pm. We all say our goodbye's after fueling up and head for home for a long hot shower and our own beds.

I must say this was the most excellent trip I have ever been on. Be it in a cage or on the bike. The weather was a little damp the first few days, but never bad enough to make things miserable. We traveled through all different kinds of country. Everything from rain forests, to high mtns, to rolling wheat field, to high desert, and everything in between. Almost everyday we traveled around that seemed better than the one the day before. We all enjoyed each others company and tall tales around the campfire. The only drawback to riding in the large group was we passed a lot of spots I would liked to have stopped to look and take pictures of. The two in the group with their wives were able to take some pics while we where riding so I hope to get some copies from them. All in all we had a wonderful week of riding and exploring.

Total from my Sigma BC 800:
Trip Distance: 1526 miles
Average Speed: 51 mph
Ride Time: 29h 49m
Top Speed: 100 mph

[Madness]

Photo Link to my ride

Here's the link to my photo album from my ride to Joseph, OR last week. No captions but at least they are in order.


"Bronze, Blues, & Brews" Ride