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Motorcycle Stories and Other Assorted Tales
by C. C. Crow
1990 Motorcycle Tour
8-13 MON
I have to start the log a day early being that it was my plan to
leave this day and arrive in Colorado on Thursday, then over the
weekend we were going 4-wheeling in Rooti's truck- to Victor,
Cripple Creek and Florence. BUT ROOTI GOOFED UP, got the dates
screwed up and has to play Rock n' Rooti at a wedding. If he didn't
want to go all he had to do is tell me. Well, plan
A had us going before my sister Jane's wedding (July 5th), then
after, then straddling Labor Day weekend. I thought he knew plan
D, or was it E... (?) So I guess I can forgive him. It was nice to
have an extra day to prepare, tune and lube the bike, etc.
8-14 TUE
I get a good night's sleep, the cat took over my bed, stayed in
the basement, left overs from the wedding invasion. Still, it
takes till 11 a.m. Ruskie jets circle the sky as I'm leaving,
practicing for the air show next weekend. We are at war with Iraq
and the Russian's are now our pals. Anyway, I'm off. Almost forgot
the alarm clock. Zip over to I-90, get off at Cle Elum, photos of
bank, would make a nice little model. Take canyon roads to Yakima,
then I-82 to Pasco. Hey, there's supposed to be a roundhouse
around here somewhere. I go ask the guys at the hump yard. Yeah,
sure, just down there, you can follow the tracks down- it's a
couple of miles, between the main and yard, on a service road.
Bouncy ride. Too late to turn around. The bums are amused (I
think). Finally, there it is, cool. Big old thing. I take 45
photos. Inside and out. B & W and slides. It's the same as I have
modeled, only much expanded, and my floor bricks go the wrong way.
I check out the locos coming in. 4-5 sets. It's 5:30 p.m. Watch
the turntable go to work. Go on to Walla Walla, along the Snake,
then south, then east to TOLLGATE, sunset, check side road to
nowhere, wonder if I'll be riding in the dark? Next curve there's
a * sign, take site 9.
So I'm asleep early but at 10:30 the wind wakes me, then thunder,
so I put the rain fly on and bring my extra stuff in- but no rain.
8-15 WED
I wake very early but force myself back to sleep. Well, rest
anyway. I break camp and I'm on the road at 8 a.m. The road winds
down through the pines to Elgin. I take photos of brick and stone
buildings, remember stone is colored red above first floor. Gas at
La Grande. Oops, my wallet is packing in the tent. Jet the
Interstate, then take rt 86 to Hells Canyon. GREAT BIKE ROAD. Hot
as hell though. Stop for lunch at the Snake River in Idaho Power
Park. Wash hair and talk to Gold Wingers. Then up to Cambridge,
more nice roads but tiring. Go up and around through Mc Call,
Cascade, at Banks I'm stuck until 9:30 for work on the back road
os I hit the BANKS * and have dinner. Move up away from highway,
by other bikers- up hill, too steep and dusty, get stuck, have to
unload and retreat back down- dummy. Talk with Dave and Virginia-
bikers on their way to Sturggs.
8-16 THUR
Set alarm for 5:10, sunrise, have to make 7:30 road opening. It's
cool. I should have stopped and taken pictures- I jet thinking the
road block is where the gravel starts but it is much further. I
make it by 7:15. I liked it the old way, tell the guys to put it
all back. It will be a regular highway in 2-3 years. I stop to see
a little rattlesnake in the road. One of the road workers stops
and whacks it with a shovel. Poor little rattler was just trying
to get across the road. So he could bite some guy blowing up his
home. Sorry Ronnie. I stop in the "fly" restaurant in Lowman for
pancakes and bacon. Then run into Stanley, stop for photo of
roundup with Sawtooth Mountains. in background. Gas up, and move
on. Pass wagon train, rafters, keep going and going, just short
stops, into Arco and take 3/4 hour break, nap. Then into desert
and the Atomic City, past the Electron Dude Ranch, dodge
thunderstorm into Rexburg, look for RR station, just the
foundation is left. Go into St. Anthony and Ashton, photo of grain
silos. Then head out to Lower and Upper Mesa Falls. Okay, but
semi-abandonded, road is beat, campgrpound is small and full, it's cloudy
with a little drizzle. I think about going on but go back to WARM
RIVER CG. Mom and Pop, Well, you can take this site or that, they
have to explain everything, so I pick site #2, nicest one left.
Oh, site 2 is "reserved". So I give them a rough time, tell them
I'm leaving, and I'll sue if no one arrives for camp site 2 (they
do). Second choice is site 4- I ask if they are sure it is open.
She enjoys the abuse. They give me a list of the rules. Great,
I'll check them off as I break them. Two teen boys are there, come
back later to visit, smoke butts, tell girl stories- hey, there's
one, off they go. BQ chicken, starts to rain, so I'm in bed by 9.
8-17 FRI
It rains lightly all night but there is sunshine in the morning. I
pack up and have to decide to Yellowstone or not. I go NOT (crowds
and rain) Take the back side of the Tetons. Nice farm country.
Druggs is poor, but nice view of mtns. Still cloudy. Over Teton
Pass is nice, stop at top and meet Dave, German immigrant, sign
painter, just peddled up in 55 min. Gravel in face, hey, please,
okay. Take back way into Teton, avoid Jackson mess, bumpy for two
miles but nice way. Debate whether to get a year pass. Stop here
and there, okay, everywhere. Lunch on fence by Coulter Bay Rock.,
marina with EPA water test. Up side road by dude ranch and jogging
jugs smile, up to Toewegee Pass, then up dirt road around the
Pinnacles, up to BROOKS LAKE, great place. Have to talk Rooti into
staying here. Then down hill to Dubois (rhymes with cowboy),
chased by rain storm- into another one. Really colorful through
the Wind River. Into LANDER, Safeway, liquor store cutie,
MacSlow's, I say forget it, head up to THE SINKS, CG, site 24.
Talk to kid, get cookies and banana, rum and coke. Roam river.
8-18 SAT
Bust up, wash hair in freezing cold pump water, two girls help,
think its real funny. Break camp, get food from my neighbor,
thanks. Go to Split Rock, take short walk, talk with York, PA,
into Rawlings, eat at McYuk's, do Interstate to Rt 30 cut off.
Nothing but desert and Union Pacific RR line, stop at bridge for
photo of coal train. Then to Medicine Bow, quick loop around town,
on towards Fort Collins, Colorado, see big train wreck aftermath.
Walk around mess and take pictures. Stop at fireworks stand, buy
Rooti Artillery Shells. It takes an hour to get from Fort C to
Longmont so I'm 45 minutes late to CASA ROOTI.
8-19 SUN
Goof off. Rooti mows the lawn, we go shopping and try to visit
Brian but he's not home. It's for sale. BQ ribs. Party.
8-20 MON
Got to Longmont, develop film, take photos, goof off, catch up on
soaps, watch football. Denver looses 27-24 in last minute, he-he.
Rooti tells me his latest story of woe. (I should have written it
down, but didn't, and now forget). Poor Rooti.
8-21 TUE
I get up early and head for mountains. Morning rush hour. Excuse
me for only wanting to go 10 mph over speed limit. This jerk
passes me just before we get out of town so then I have to follow
his slow ass up into the mountains. I finally get by (should have
just stopped for a while). See deer, new pavement near Pinecliff
into Blackhawk/Central City. Take pictures. Over Virginia Canyon
to Idaho Springs, DQ. Then up to Silver Plume, take pictures of
school and talk to lady, tour of inside. Back through afternoon
thunderstorm to Rooti's.
8-22 WED
Visit Jim Haggard of BUILDERS IN SCALE. Nice guy and interesting
operation. P.M. run around parameter, thunderstorm, we go visit
Brian.
8-23 THUR
Go to Longmont, get pictures, check out brakes, a pulse seems to
follow wheel so I reverse discs, side to side, seems better. Get
ready to roll. Brian comes in afternoon.
8-24 FRI
Get up early, finish packing, run up to F. Collins, notice right
cylinder is oozing oil. Rooti has appointment to grease splines.
We discuss options for my problem. Half day job, or wait for it to
tell us, in Salt Lake, or... Meet Buck for lunch, Mex. Ride to
Larime, search for drop cloth, ride to SNOWY PASS (we hope not),
camp at site 3, SILVER LAKE CG, star walk.
8-25 SAT
Wake to clear cold skies, have campfire with breakfast, wear
leathers. Run down hill to Saratoga, to Wilcox Jct., have coffee.
Through Rawlings, gas is up 7 cents to $1.26.9 (war) Windy ride
north to Muddy Gap and NW to Split Rock where we snack and rest
for a while. Then on into Lander and the Safeway to stock up.
Steaks and spaghetti. Very nice day. Popcorn clouds against deep
blue sky, perfect except for wind. Run into Dubois, my gas mileage
is way down (head wind?), 5.9 to fill, less than 200 miles. The
final 30 miles up to BROOKS LAKE is cloudy and cold but it never
really rains. Rooti's brother Courtney is not there yet. We pick
site 13 in the PINNACLES CG. Courtney shows up shortly. Party and
chow down dinner.
8-26 SUN
It's cold- a nice little coating of ice covers my tent fly. First
thing is a campfire. Burrr. The sun is shining and it warms up
nicely. We decide to take a hike up the trailhead about 2 miles
further up. Cheat and take Courtney's car. There are outfitters
tending horses. They go into Yellowstone Park from here. We hike
up to Banniville Pass on the DeNoir Trail. Great trip, climbs up
through the pines with view of mountain sides, opens up into high
grassy meadows, crosses stream and follows it through long meadow
over the pass and beyond. We keep going until the trail begins to
drop down a bank into another vast valley to the east. We stop and
perch of a cliff, eat lunch and enjoy the view of the A Range.
Finally we give in and retreat. Fairly easy two mile hike. Sunny
and warm. Ride into Dubois mainly just for fun. See mountains we
were observing along the way. Spaghetti and nice warm fire.
8-27 MON
More ice this morning. We blaze a big fire and break camp. Stop
along way to view the Tetons. Courtney has never seen them! He
lives about 3 hours south. It's a perfect day, cloudless. We go
into Jackson Hole and eat lunch at the boat ramp. After gassing up
we head south to Courtney's, Shakes and fries, see eagle, middle
of no where on way.
8-28 TUE
Go tour GENERAL CHEMICAL mine that Courtney works in, Trona soda
ash. Drive out, park, check in. Rick gives us safety check and
issues hats, belts, shoes and self-rescuers. We pick up lights and
go down the 1600 ft. deep shaft. Pick up a jeep and travel miles
of tunnels out to the working face to check it out. Huge rock
chompers. It's sure interesting but I wouldn't want to spend half
my life down there. We check out the $$$ boring machine that
doesn't work. Then the blast zone. We go back to C's after
shopping and have a toco chomp down. For entertainment we go out
of town and shoot the artillery shells off.
8-29 WED
We say good-bye to Courtney and head south to Flaming Gorge, take
side road up Sheep Canyon and eat lunch, then over summit where
trees are old and dry, getting chopped down. Down hill by
overturned cement truck by phosphate quarry and into Vernal, Utah.
We have slushes from profit seeking ladies. Across to Duchense and
Indian Canyon. Stop at RR tracks, then up by Scofield Lake into
mountains and camp at FLAT CANYON, site #1, cook country ribs.
8-30 THUR
It rains a little over night. A.M. sky threatens but does nothing
as we head west and down. Stop by brick and stone homes which I
should have taken photos of. We stop in Mante and look at the
temple, gas up, then on to Fremont where we lunch and I photograph
the Territorial State House. Then we move across to Delta where
Rooti dumps his bike and we get food. We head across the desert to
GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK, and camp at BAKER CREEK CG #14. Camp
Kitty, desert cat climbs on bikes at Baker store. Corn and very
good burgers for dinner. Courtney has given us both his cold! My
bike is running poorly, no power, maybe plugs, gas?
8-31 FRI
I wake in night hearing it rain hard, but look out to see stars.
It's the creek. My throat is really bad, sinus clogged, great. By
morning I'm better though. We eat and go into the visitor's
center. Ranger Bob gives us a rough time for not wearing our
helmets. He could have been nicer. We decide he's just a jerk. We
take the Leman Caves tour, lots of fun with Ranger John. We sign
up for spelunking on Saturday. Eat lunch and take afternoon nap.
Then go up to the hilltop and hike mile out to alpine lake. Then
down to Baker before the store closes. Hot dogs and beans.
9-1 SAT
Colds haven't subsided so it looks like we should skip the
spelunking tour. We find we are signed up for Sunday so we put it
on hold. Hang around camp, take nap, and hike Wheeler Peak in the
evening. We don't make it all the way to the top but far enough
for a great view and watch the sunset. It's real windy on top.
Back in the trees its nice and the colors are spectacular. We hike
back down by moon light (full), through deer herd. Big party back
at camp.
9-2 SUN
Still not feeling up to cave tour- it would be fun. We go on
bristle cone pine hike instead. What's the BTU rating on these? We
hide from Ranger tour. Too many people for us. In the heart of the
forest there is a grand view of the trees with the mountain in the
background, and opposite it, just as great a view of the desert
valley below. We hike on to the edge of an ice field, then on
back. Bambi jumps out on the way down. Pop's is elected parking
attendant. Fire and spaghetti for dinner.
9-3 MON
LABOR DAY - We break camp early. A baby rattler tries to hit
Rooti. We try for breakfast at the Outlaw but it is closed. So we
move on. Lot's of RVs- moving in the other direction. Stop at
Major's Place looking for breakfast but it's a bar. I get $2.50 of
gas. Rooti thinks he can make it. We head south through the desert
valley. Rooti doesn't make it, have to transfer gas twice. Good
thing I got more. Into Pioche. It's a zoo for being nothing out in
the middle of nowhere. Gas up and eat lunch at the deli, take
photos of old buildings, Million Dollar Courthouse. Head south,
check out Cathedral Gorge State Park, strange steep wash, then
east to Cedar City before heading for ZION. We ride into Kabob
Canyon, see tarantula on road. A storm is brewing to the south,
put on our rain gear, call Zion Lodge and make a reservation. The
storm is windy but not a downpour. Check into ZION LODGE, cabin
529, out on the end. Shave and shower, then go to dinner. Slick
Rock beers, good, My throat is raw and I'm starting to cough.
9-4 TUE
We leave the lodge. My cold is worse so I decide to go see the
doctor. He says its a cold, gives me pills for sinus infection. We
go do laundry, then have Virgin burger and shake. Set up tents at
WATCHMAN CG, site 26 G. Take afternoon nap, then go to the Bit and
Spur for dinner during rain storm. It quits when we are done. Hang
out at camp watching people deal with wet. We note the area has
built up since out last visit.
9-5 WED
Break camp and decide to go to Capitol Reef. Wait for escorts to
go through tunnel. Take out time. Eat lunch at Bryce, Sunrise
Point. Stop at Escalente River for break, then again in Boulder
Mountains. Looks like rain but we dodge most of it. Shop in
Bicknell Chuck Wagon. Go to CAPITOL REEF CG. Hot dogs and potatoes
for dinner. It's full. We watch a little of the slide show. A
light rain during the night.
9-6 THUR
It rains for half an hour in the morning. We eat and break camp,
cruise to Hanksville, see ATV damage to hillside. Where's my gun!?
Gas and groceries shake and fries at Stan's, then on to Hite for
quick stop, water is down 40 feet! Up White Canyon, Fry is closed,
to NATURAL BRIDGES CG by 2 p.m. Nap, cook dogs and tinfoil
potatoes, very good. We are instructed by the rangerette to attend
the slide show "Everything Under the Sky". Short and sweet, about
the quality of air in the National Parks. Stars are just coming
out when the moon rises and washes everything out.
9-7 FRI
We take a spin around the Bridge Loop, walk short trail to view
Indian Ruins, then stop at visitor's center. Ask Ranger Annie if
she is "The" Ranger Annie, of Capitol Reef fame- yes, she is. We
give her a rough time. We get shakes with all the kids in
Blanding. Stop in Devil's Canyon CG, they've redone the entrance.
Rooti is confused. We run north to ARCHES NP. The campground is
FULL at 2 p.m. We decide to back pack in, one mile from road, half
mile from trail. Okay, no problem. We go to picnic ground and hang
out, start grill, cook steaks, corn on the cob and have another
big chow down, then the adventure begins. We park by the ranger
hut at the CG, move all out stuff around to hide it. Ask Ranger
okay. So off we march into the unknown. Well, we should have known
better, Ranger "bob" would have said, Aren't you guys more
responsible than that? Who us? Well, I didn't look at the map as
good as I should have and Rooti, well, Rooti didn't look at all. I
thought the trail we wanted looped off from Pine Tree Arch. It
didn't, or we missed it, or didn't follow it right. So off we
marched... into the blind wonders, northward into the sand pit.
Looking at the map now I see we wanted to go further out to
Landscape Arch to find the primitive trail. Well, maybe next time.
We found some rocks to climb on top of and walk, and this put us a
mile out, and a half mile off the trail according to the rules.
Rules? What rules? We love to break the rules. We barely found
enough sand to put the tent up on before it was dark. It would
have been nice to have more time to explore for a really good site
but we were too burned. Steaks and beers will do that to you. Oh
well, we had a really good time. The sun went down and the stars
quickly came out. Then the moon came up as we tried to name the
stars. I had a stirring headache that was hard to get to sleep on.
Forgot to bring aspirin, bug spray and a flashlight.
9-8 SAT
We woke before dawn to watch the sun come up, the moon, some stars
and a few planets were still visible. The planets Venus low and
Jupiter high. We packed up as the sun rose. Due to the local and
lack of clouds, no photos. We walked back to Landscape. It was
just too much for me, I walked the loop under it while Rooti
stayed back and rested. We marched back against the tide of day
hikers coming in. We packed up the bikes and wondered about the
blonde Rette Rooti lead out the Park quickly. More cars and RVs
flooded in- the campground would stay full. C&D shop in Moab? City
Market (huge) is new. Flaming bush with big knockers. Wash hair
and water up at pipe spring. Say "so long" and ride along the
river. It's been fun. The last few curves, Rooti goes east and I
turn west. Bye Rooti, Bye Tunis. I stop at first rest area and
call home. Ride by Book Cliffs, up to Price, run through shower,
photos of Union Pacific through canyon, on to the Interstate
through Salt Lake City rat race. North, take road out of Snowville
to CURLEW National Grasslands campground, share with three
retirees. Just soup for dinner. Lightening storm in distance.
9-9 SUN
It never rains. Get up at sunrise with fishermen. Breakfast and
pack up. OJ stop, take old highway and side roads over pass into
Hurley, back on highway, off at Shashonie Falls, stop at Bridges.
Take more old roads, by Thousand Springs, back onto highway, jet
into Oregon, stop at rest area for map out. Look at Catherine
Falls before La Grande but take road on- maybe Motel 6, price only
$22. $24 in Pendleton, pink truck, find Hilgard Junction Oregon
State Park, nearly full, for $8!! Rip off! I hum, Raking in the
doe, raking in the doe, the Rangers come rejoicing, raking in the
doe". Civil protest, make them come an get it. Boy, this is a
great place, complete with the constant noise from the too near
highway. Live and learn. I watch the stars and use my star map to
name most of them.
9-10 MON
Cold morning, should have used the rain fly- its damp. Leathers. I
shiver over the Umatillas, stop at overlook, into Pendleton, stop
at Mills, take Rt 37 south through wheat fields to river, over to
Washington, did I miss the sign? There's one, 14 west, scenic
route through the Columbia Gorge- basalt black rocks and desert.
At a stop I wonder why no one ever talks about the poor sandro-
turf here- its all over the place. I stop here and there, check
out the Indian fishermen (with blonde hair and blue eyes), the
palisades. I stop at MARYHILL Art Museum, Rodin plaster figures,
chess set, ice tea. Then on to White Salmon for food and gas. I
stop in the Forest Service Eng. Dept. for directions: take the 66
north to 60 to Goose Lake... Well, I'll think about it. I go over
to PETERSON PRAIRIE CG, cook chicken thighs and corn. Party all by
myself. 200 sites and one other camper.
9-11 TUE
A nice day. Okay, that was take the 66 to the 60, across to the
51, to the 50, eventually taking you to the 90 road. Got that?
Well, I explored a little, went up and around Indian Heaven!
Decided to stick to Mt. Adams- east, because the west side was
socked in with marine air, a thick white cold mist. I did fine
missing that but did about 100 miles of gravel road before finally
making across to Packwood. Talked to a cute flag girl at a detour,
this time onto 23 via the 8860- as the 88 was being oiled. Eat
with view of Mt. Adams. Find T Lake and take a swim, wash my
hair, it's been a week since Zion! Great place. I've done a loop
around Trout Lake. I've been x-teen miles away all afternoon! I
wonder what's there? Finally to Packwood, I have a Rooti lunch
(shake and fries), then go into MT. RAINIER NP, Ohonepecosh CG,
look around and ask for weather report- it's a day old. Thanks. I
decide to stay rather than attempt to run home through the
traffic. Go to Longmere/Paradise on a food run with the mountain
highway for fun. General Store is nothing but a tourist trap, no
real food, I'll have to complain. Go back with clouds moving in.
Oh no. Set up camp, eat tuna and pasta, fire wood run. Evening
mist under the huge Douglas Fir Trees. Site A-1.
9-12 WED
Overcast but not raining. There is hope. I can even see a little
blue sky. It's not cold, too. A morning campfire, tea and a candy
bar, I pack up. It's been a fun trip- not the best, not the worst.
The ride to and from were the better part. I stop along Cyuse Pass
in the fog and mist. They are getting ready to repave the highway.
I wonder how much it will change the character of this old
roadway. The trees weep over it making a tunnel. I stop at
Sleeping Rock Trout Farm for breakfast and a warm up. Then on
through Enumeclaw, with a stop at Express Station Hobbies,
Buckingham BMW (Bill's always busy), and then on home. Ma and Pa
are out, Tootes the Cat is there to greet me, and the neighbors.
5627 miles - A Month, A Week and a Few Days
Next Log - 1991
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Cycle Tales
MOTORCYCLE TOUR LOG - 1990