When the Good Roads Aren't So Good

What do I do then?  Woodworking!  That's my winter pastime, and pass time it certainly does.  This is how the backyard looked out the window today.......no riding for sure.

So during the winter I have woodworking projects that keep me busy.  This winter I have been making a jewelry cabinet for Carolyn and after working on it for a couple of months I finally got it done.  This pic was of all the parts laid out for spraying finish.  I used 20 board feet of cherry plus a 4ft X 8ft sheet of half inch cherry plywood and had no scrap of any size left over.  The thing weighs a ton.

And here is the finished product:

I started with a plan I bought online, but added a lot of my own methods of joinery and detailing.  For example, instead of making simple false-front drawers like modern kitchen cabinets use, I like to use a locking side to front dado combination that makes a lighter-looking and stronger drawer:

The drawer front is a single piece of 3/4 cherry.  It takes a lot of machining to get the lock joint made and the rabbit for the drawer overlap with the face of the cabinet.  Then there is another dado cut for the drawer bottom to fit in. 

For the door frames I used a splined miter joint for looks and strength:

The trays in the bottom two drawer are also an idea of Carolyn's that I added, as well as the ring holders.  The maple inlay in the top was my idea. 

There are no nails or screws holding anything together except for the bottom stand which is bolted to the top part. 

There will be hooks for necklaces added to the velvet inside the doors as soon as Carolyn decides how many she needs and were to put them.  Then it's up to her to fill it up, which I think she will be able to do. 

Oh, and by the way, this was a Christmas present........just a little late.  

First Ride of 2012

New Year's day turned out to be dry and sunny and not very cold.  There were a lot of years where New Year's day was spent as a track worker at my old clubs Hangover Scrambles; a traditional race for motorcycles and quads that the club has been putting on for over a decade.  Usually it is a cold, rainy, muddy mess, and occasionally a snowy disaster.  I quit working on this event several years ago and don't miss it a bit, but today I thought I would take the KLX out for a ride over the mountains to the Washugal Motocross track where the event was being held this year.  It is slightly over 50 miles each way to the track and the way I went was about 30 miles of forest road. 

The club uses part of the motocross track, which is the venue for a National Championship race at the end of July each year.  But they add miles to the course by making single track trails in the surrounding property.  This year, due to some dry east winds, the track conditions were about perfect.

Here is a picture of the whoop section of the track.  The national pros skip across the tops of these whoops at wide open throttle. 



The surprise of the day was seeing my old dirt bike that I sold after I bought the KLX.  The guy who bought it was getting it for his 16 year old son, who had raced earlier in the day.  They are happy as clams with the bike, which made me feel good.  Here are some pics of it;  I don't think I ever got it this dirty while I owned it. 

On the way back home I passed Dugan Falls, which in the summer is a big party/swim hangout for Washugal citizens, but today the falls were roaring from winter rain/snow runoff. 

So it was a bonus day and a good start for the new year. 

December Update

The bike has been treated to some maintenance and a lot of clean-up and I have been riding a little.....enough that I have turned 80,000 miles on it.  However, this time of the year means either riding in rain, or riding in dry but cold and frosty conditions with low sun and short days.  So, I've moved the bikes from the shop to the garage and have started some woodworking projects in the shop.  This is the time to start making plans for next year's rides, and plans are going forward. 

A new helmet has solved the problem of water leaking onto the inside of my face shield in the rain, and I ride with rubber muck boots when taking local trips in the rain to keep my feet dry.  I also got a new fairing and replaced the damaged one:

One of the reasons for the timing of my ride was to attend Carolyn's mother's 90th birthday.  All of Carolyn's sisters were there as well as her mother's two sons-in-law:





That's Jim Juneman, Betty Nason, and me.

About a week or two after I got home, Betty fell ill and went to the hospital.  She wasn't expected to live long and Carolyn went back to Tennessee to be with her.  However, after she survived the first few days in the hospital, the sisters took her home, and with help from hospice care, took care of her until she passed on December 6.  Here is a picture of her shortly before she died, with her cat. 

RIP Betty Nason



Post Ride Thoughts

The Past and the Present

Some of the places I rode through I had visited many years ago, like Jackson Wyoming, Leadville, Colorado, Monument Valley, and Zion National Park.  Then there is St. Louis, where I grew up.  All these places have experienced a huge amount of development and population increase.  To me, they don't seem quite as nice as I remembered them.  Would I like to return to this earlier time?  Not without some of the modern technologies that made this trip more enjoyable, and probably even possible.  The Garmin Zumo, netbook computer, cell phone, and of course the internet; all were essential to my success and enjoyment of this ride.  One of the biggest benefits of this technology was to keep me feeling connected with friends and family during the trip.  Rather than spending lonely nights in motels by myself, I would spend hours updating this blog, checking weather along the route, or visiting my favorite motorcycle web sites.  Then there was ordering the new fuel pump and getting it shipped, checking the price of a replacement fairing, and finding a Lowes to get another can of chain lube. 

The motorcycle itself was so much better than what I would have been riding in the old days.  Other than the fuel pump problem the bike ran flawlessly despite having over 70,000 miles when I started.  You can't imagine how comforting it is to be confident that each morning when you suit-up and press the starter button the bike is going to start and run fine all day. 

The Gear

I have been planning this ride since about last February or March, and choosing the gear and accessories I felt I needed to have a successful ride under all the conditions I expected to encounter.  Most of it I already had, and had tested over time on other rides.  Most of it worked well, but some not so much.  In the outstanding category was the Givi hard luggage cases that proved to be rugged, waterproof, and easy to mount and dismount from the bike.  In fact, all my luggage worked well.  The top bag that I mounted on the seat behind me was part of a Cortech sport bag system, and it stayed secure and held my rain gear, Teva sandals, and some tools plus a spare helmet face shield.  The magnetic tank bag is a simple bag with only one compartment, but it is expandable and could be quickly removed when getting gas.  In it I kept cameras (video and still), my cell phone, Ipod, other pair of gloves, damp rag in a baggie to clean bugs off my helmet shield, and sometimes my heated vest and some energy bars or M&Ms.  The Senna SMH10 intercom also worked perfectly.  The batteries lasted all day on even the longest day, the sound quality with the Ipod was great, and the bluetooth connection with the Zumo allowed me to know about upcoming turns without taking my eyes off the road, which was important when riding through towns with traffic.  In theory, I should have been able to make and receive phone calls while riding, but I never quite got that to work.  I really didn't have much reason to do it anyway, though.   The grip heaters and Gerbing electric vest were absolutely essential to making this trip possible.  There is no way to keep warm when riding all day in temps in the 40s without electricity.  You are just not creating enough heat sitting still in the breeze, so that eventually cold will seep in and get you chilled. 

In the category of things that didn't work so well, I would say top of the list was my earplugs.  I had a great pair of earplugs that were washable and easily inserted that I had been using for at least a year, but I lost one of them on a ride last spring.  Despite buying several pairs that looked the same, none of them worked; they were painful and did not block wind noise as well.  So for this trip I used Hearos, which are expandable foam plugs that have to be squeezed and then inserted into the ear.  It takes some time for them to then expand, so I would have to wait before putting my helmet on.  If I didn't wait, or get them just right, I would often bump them out of place when putting my helmet on and then have to stop, take my gloves and helmet off and re-do the whole process.  It was irritating.  The Hearos also cannot be cleaned and have to be replaced after a day or two, so I had to bring a lot of extra pairs.  When the earplugs where properly in place, though, they worked well.   Another maddening problem was rain getting on the inside of my helmet shield.  The rubber gasket at the top of the eye port did not fit flush with the shield when it was closed, and would allow water to get inside the shield.  There is nothing you can do about this while riding except get used to looking through droplets on the inside of the shield, and I hate having my vision obstructed.  I tried fixing the problem by buying some RTV silicone and applying a strip of it to the rubber gasket, and it helped, but was not 100% effective.   I already mentioned in my blog that my boots and gloves leaked in an all-day rain.  My boots are pretty old Joe Rocket boots that are not made anymore, and they were repaired before the trip, so I guess that was partly my problem, but the gloves were fairly new and expensive Cortech

How well did this old man hold up?

I have been asked if I would do it again.  I think what is really meant is; did I enjoy the ride and think the trip was worthwhile?  The answer to this is a definite yes.  However, as to whether or not I would do it again, I'm not so sure I could.  I was really lucky in a lot of ways.  The weather was generally good, and I had no serious problems of any kind.  However, age is definitely creeping into the equation.   I think I will consider this ride to be the climax of my riding career.  I had a good match of declining physical capability compensated by lots of experience, wisdom, planning and luck.  That match may not happen again. 

What's next?

The riding season is winding down for the year.  I still plan to do some day rides on the street and on my dual sport bike when the weather permits.  I also use my bikes to run errands even when it is raining.  My next bucket list ride is the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route, but that will have to wait until next summer.  I may periodically update this blog just for the heck of it, but probably not too often.

Back On The Bike

No, not that one, this one, my huffa puffa bike:

And, yes, I have definitely lost some fitness.  I did one of my shortest and easiest routes but still finished with rubbery legs and short of breath.  The time, though, was not as slow as I thought it would be, so I guess I'll get it back soon enough.

Comments

I'm getting more information from backchannel sources that people have tried to post comments on my blog but can't get it done.  Some are young tech-savy types, and not just old farts who don't know how to use a computer.  I think Google has made it too difficult in an effort to prevent spamming.  So here's my solution; now that I am home, you can email me at my normal email address gjurban@wildblue.net.  If you don't mind the comment being made public, I will cut and paste it here.  If you don't want it to be public, let me know.  Also, if the comment is about a specific post don't forget to say which one.

From Ray Berg:

Glad to see you made it home safe. Man, what a trip, nice blog!

From Joyce Ingersoll:

Carolyn gave me your Blog address in the Birthday Card she sent me.  WOW!!!  What a trip!  I've read every day's blog (sometimes a day or two behind) and really enjoyed reading about your adventure.  Any other plans for the future on your "Bucket List"?

Actually, Joyce, there is another ride on my bucket list.  I want to ride my dual sport bike on the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route.  That's a 600 mile, mostly dirt road route from Oregon to the Canadian border.  Too late to do it this year, though.  Next summer. 

From Lynda Juneman:

I enjoyed your blog as you went along!  I am so glad that you were able and willing to do something that had such great meaning for you.  It will remain a treasured memory I’m sure.  Do you plan another?

Lynda; see response to Joyce above. 

Bucky wrote:

I just discovered your blog by way of RiderForums.

Great ride report. I envy your being able to take the time.

I started riding four years ago at age 57. I have put about 30,000 miles on my '06 Ninja 650R like yours. My riding time is almost exclusively within 100 miles of northwestern South Carolina.

I am no where near as experienced a rider as you, but have enjoyed the bike quite a lot. I write a blog about my experiences called Bucky's Ride http://buckysride.blogspot.com/

I have recently started an exercise program, both aerobics and weight training. See posting Fitness -- Weight for Me

I also once lived in Russellville, KY, around twelve years ago. Unfortunately I did not
recognize those you met on the road.

Keep up the blogging, and riding.

Bucky

Home

Wow, what a ride!  8,267 miles, and a month and a day of being gone from home.  I'm safe, I didn't get sick, the bike ran well with no breakdowns, and I saw some fabulous country and rode some really Good Roads.  I think it was the culmination of my motorcycle riding life. 

Sure enough, there was no WiFi in the motel in Heppner: 

Before I get into the last two days of riding, I want to take some time to acknowledge a good Samaritan who I failed to mention earlier.  On the first day of my trip, when the bike was quitting on me and I thought it had something to do with being low on fuel as well as a hot day, I stopped at the Cant Ranch not too far west of John Day to see if I could bum some gas.  The Cant Ranch is a historic old ranch that has been preserved by the National Park Service as an example of early 20th Century sheep ranching.  There was a man in a Park Service uniform standing by his truck apparently getting ready to go home from work at the ranch site.   I described my problem as asked him if he had any gas that I could buy/bum from him.  He said he had no gas, but there was a mini-mart selling gas just eight miles further down the road if I thought I could make it.  He also said he would follow me there to make sure I was OK.  I asked him if he was going that way anyway and he replied that he actually lived eight miles back in the direction I had come, but he wouldn't abandon me.  So he followed me 16 round-trip miles out of his way to make sure I made it.  The bike quit on me twice on the way, but each time it started back up and after I got gas it ran fine until the next time it got really hot in eastern Colorado.  I don't even remember if I thanked the guy, as I was so caught up in my fear that my trip was looking like it might be over before it even got started. 

It just so happened that I modified my route home two days ago and ended up going by the Cant Ranch exactly one month after I had passed by before.  I thought it would be great if I could stop in and find the guy and properly thank him and maybe even get his picture for the blog.  Unfortunately, he was not at work that day, but I think I now know his name and it's Scott.  I left a card with my blog address on it, so Scott, if you read this, please know that I really appreciate your help and kindness. 

I spent Sunday night in Winnemucca, Nevada and then headed out early Monday morning on some more desolate roads in Southern Oregon.  It started out fairly mild, but soon became colder, windy and cloudy.  It stayed that way until I got near Burns, when the clouds went away, but it was still cold and windy.  I don't think it got above the mid 50s all day, and since it had started out mild, I had put away my balaclava and rain pants, and didn't want to stop to dig them out.  By the time I got to the motel in Heppner I was getting pretty chilled. 

I also had some deer encounters, for the first time on the trip.  The first one was a single deer that I saw as it was getting on the road just in front of me.....a big, healthy critter.  I had to get on the binders hard and I startled her so that she ended up running down the road in front of me.  Pretty scary, but at least I saw it in time to do something about it.  The next one was as I was nearing Heppner and it was late, with lots of shadows.  This single deer was in the shade and I didn't see it until it turned and ran away from the road.  This was more scary, actually, because it was just luck that it ran away from the road and not onto the road, in which case I wouldn't have had time to do anything.  The next encounter was just outside of Heppner where a group of about five deer were standing in the road.  I saw them from quite a distance and it was no problem.  So, all you deer hunters.........get with the program and kill, kill, kill. 

Today was the coldest start on the ride......30 degrees and heavy frost on the bike.  However, I rigged for it and had a relatively short ride home, so it wasn't bad.  At least it wasn't raining, which is very likely at this time of the year.  Also there was no wind in the Columbia Gorge, which can be a real hassle when heading into it.  A hot bath at 2 pm when I got home sure felt good, though. 

Speaking of the gorge, I stopped to take this picture of it. I sure live in a pretty part of the country. 

This is the odometer reading after getting home.  That's a lot of miles for a motorcycle, but it runs great and doesn't use any oil.  I'm going to 100,000. 

Tomorrow I'll get started on a summary of my thoughts about the trip.