Forth and Back-TOR '18
 

Welcome to my annual pilgrimage to the Top of the Rockies Rally(TOR).

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**If you are looking for BMW S content stop now.**

I still have the S but I would be riding a Honda Africa Twin.

It's time for a little R & R but this R first had to get to San Diego to meet up with the other R, Ralf that is AKA Beekeeper. This year I would venture south, Ralf and I would ride to TOR and then up to Seattle.

Day 1-Seattle to Cottonwood CG Hwy 410 on the east side of the Cascade Mts. 126 miles

Following my usual pattern I left home late. 4:00 PM at the beginning of rush hour. Kind of cool and looking like rain as I headed south toward Mt. Rainier.

Stopped for a snack at Greenwater, WA-

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Sprinkling rain on Cayuse Pass-

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At the top of Chinook Pass, still snow in July-

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I see clear sky to the east, just what I was hoping for-

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What's that doodad on your left case? Is the left case a gas can?

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That is a SPOT GPS tracking device. It sends messages and location to family and friends. It can also initiate a rescue.

RB, can you add maps so my lazy ass does not have to dig out my map book to see the route??
I've been all over that area and don't know some of the routes/names without looking them up.

Cheers

Gee Mr. Rotter, I spend all this time driving around the country taking pictures for you and now you want a map too.;)

It took me a few minutes to figure out an easy way for me to do that. Will this work for you Drop?

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Day 2-Cottonwood CG to Clyde Holiday SP Mt. Vernon,OR 369 miles

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Great way to start my first full day on the road, sunny and warm-

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Crossing the mighty Columbia R. at Biggs, OR-

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Leaving Condon, OR I took the wrong road. By the time I got back to Condon the Harley riders I had passed just before town were half way through lunch. Had a nice chat with them and saw some Jeeps north of town-

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Hwy19 near Fossil, OR-

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Scouting future camp sites near Painted Hills, OR-

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That works!
Thanks

We found a great campsite halfway between Mitchell and Pavilion.....a natural spring that fills a lake....think it was called Dogwood Campsite.

Cheers

Day 2 Cont.-

I have seen pictures of the Painted Hills in the John Day Fossil Beds Nat. Monument, OR and have wanted to go there for a long time. It just never seemed to be on my route to anywhere.

Finally made it, check another place off the list-

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I love the way the highway comes out of the mountain west of Dayville, OR-

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Passed a Datsun Roadster similar to my wife's on Hwy26 and u-turned to catch them. Tapped 130 in the chase. Love the motor in the Honda. Nice OR couple that I would see again in Aug. at a Roadster Rally-

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Got to Clyde Holliday SP and it was full. Camp host said I could use the bicycle/hiker area. Same grass and showers as a regular site but $8 instead of $26, score-

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Map?SmileWavy

Cheeky bugger.........Bwaaaahaaahaaa........I'm afraid I'm not as talented at this internet thing as you are!

I was at the Holliday SP in July on my bicycle trip.......Rangers took pity on us and let us camp in the shade as it was over 100 degrees when we got in.
Did you find the swimming hole near the end of the park??
Great Root Beer floats at the cafe in Mt Vernon also!

Cheers

Cheers

Yeah, I followed your bicycle ride on Strava. Can't find a Pavilion, OR.

Day 3-Mt. Vernon, OR to Goose Lake SP OR/CA border 363 miles

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Wanted to revisit Steens Mt., OR. Somehow it wasn't as impressive as it was in the 80s on my R90/6. Hate to say it but I might be getting jaded.

Started the morning with some road shots of fellow camper who is riding across the country with his 60lb. dog in a trailer. He looked pretty fit-

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Saw a nice gathering of really old cars in John Day, OR-

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This is the place where I realized my Camelback pack was missing. Took me half an hour to get back to the gas station in Burns. In that time someone had run over it and popped the bladder-

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Started up the mt. loop at Frenchglen, OR.-

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First up was Kiger Gorge Overlook-

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Next was the East Rim overlooking the Alvord Desert-

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Day 3 Cont.-

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From Frenchglen it was 60+ miles to Hart Mt. National Antelope Refuge, OR with 45 miles of washboard. I only saw pelicans-

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Warner Valley, OR actually had water in the lakes this year-

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I always take picture of horses and send them to my daughter since she didn't get to have one when she was growing up-

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Probably because I did not do it on my bicycle trip. I was on my KTM 640 doing our September dual sport trip!

More weirdness..........I went back to the Steens this August. Have not been there since 2001.
At least you had some visibility, I could barely see the Alvord Desert due to smoke.

Cheers

Day 4-Goose Lake to Bridgeport, CA 380 miles

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Another sunny day and across from the park entrance was my kind of store, STUFF-

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Church in Alturas, CA and Mt. Shasta-

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The zipper on my only jacket had failed this morning and after a nice deli sandwich in Adin I headed for Susanville. I found a uniform store that replaced the zipper while I waited and only charged $15 extra for a rush job. $50 total is so much cheaper than looking for a new jacket on the road.

I had planned to camp at Grover Hot Spring near Markleeville, CA but the pool was closed so I only bought gas, Ouch!-

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The oil seep that I saw during the post-breaking 500 mile oil change was getting worse-

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It was getting late and looking like rain so I decided to motel it and spend some time looking for the oil leak-

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The leak at the oil pressure sensor main gallery cap was not getting fixed at the motel so I went for walk around town and enjoyed a sunset at city hall-

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Mt. Shasta yesterday:
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Day 5-Bridgeport to San Diego 464 miles

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The day started cool with a hint of rain. I stopped at Mono Lake to see the tufa formations-

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Around Independence, CA the skies began to clear and it got warmer. The Sierras are truly beautiful-

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Day 5 cont.-

The high and simultaneous low point of the day was my visit to Manzanar War Relocation Camp.

https://www.nps.gov/manz/index.htm

At the time, the family separation practice was still in the news and it feels like as a country we have not learned anything in 70+ years-

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The drive from Manzanar to Ralf's was hot and annoying as I was running late, passing through Southern California traffic at rush hour on a Friday. Nice to see Ralf again, have dinner and start the R & R part of the trip.

Great ride report RB!

Cheers