Forth and Back, TOR '23

[RBMann]

This year's TOR(Top of the Rockies Rally) plan was to meet Ralf(BeeKeeper) at Capital Reef a couple days before the rally. I secured reservations for the campgrounds I could all the way to the Canadian Border. Ralf's(BeeKeeper) job this year was dealing with the Canadian reservations.

We didn't have a theme for this trip but I do have a theme song-

Jackson Browne's 'Running on Empty"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdHg4QEmBvk

Here is the map of my travels. 28 days and 5492 miles-



Day 1-Seattle to Windy Point CG, WA-154 miles



I had my usual early start at 2:00PM. I don't know how this happens as I was packed and ready to go two weeks before the start day. I hit the freeway and watched my front tire pressure start dropping as soon as the tire warms up. In Bellevue 15 miles into the trip, the reading was 12PSI. I find a place to park, check the valve stem, replace the valve stem, whip out the tire pump, fill up the tire and start back towards home. Halfway home it is still holding pressure so it must have been the stem and I get back on the freeway, now into rush hour. As I near Greenwater, WA the pressure starts dropping again. Time for a snack break. This time I notice the nut that holds the tire sensor in place isn't even finger tight. So that was the problem. I love starting a trip with my eyes glued to the tire monitor. I checked the first valve stem and found a small piece of rubber in the seal so maybe a compound problem. No problem the rest of the trip-



Arrived at Chinook Pass at 5:45PM. Only lost about an hour-



Bought supplies in Naches then had to take a photo near the Hwy 410 & 12 junction-





At my favorite campsite with a full stomach, life was good again but later than planned-



A room with a water view-

[RBMann]

Day 2-Windy Point to Eagle Creek CG, OR-273 miles



This is the second year I have stayed at Eagle Creek so I could do the drive up Larch Mt. Last year I ran out of time and didn't make it but this year three days before leaving I learned Larch Mt. was closed for repaving.

I checked in the morning and the rock columns were still there-



I looped around the top of Naches following a small road along an irrigation canal, east through the valley. Beautiful cherry trees that were loaded with fruit. My cherry at home only produces about two dozen cherries each year-









I came across a small roadside produce stand and scored a bag of the best cherries ever. Fresh picked that morning-



Bought some more valve stems in Yakima for backups. I found the lock nut on the rear wheel sensor was loose also. The tallest building in town, A.E. Larson-



Passed through Mabton on my way to more back roads in the Horse Heaven Hills-



I cut south from Bickleton and came out on the Columbia river near Roovsevelt-

[RBMann]

Day 2-continued-

Dot Road took me back up to the Bickleton Hwy.-









Driven by but never noticed Presby Mansion in Goldendale-



Klickatat Canyon is always fun-



This yard was full of scrape metal a couple years ago. Now all of that as been used to make art sculptures(?).



Caught Mt. Adams near Appleton and then Mt. Hood as I dropped down into the Columbia Gorge-





Arrived at Eagle Creek CG to find someone in my reserved campsite. Talked to the host and ended up in a different but better site. Oddly, someone parked their SUV in the next campsite around dusk. They paid the fee then spent the night sleeping in the driver's seat with the engine and AC on before leaving early in the morning.

[RBMann]

Day 3-Eagle Creek to Clyde Holiday SP, OR-296 miles



I woke up early and decided to walk the Old Columbia River Hwy Trail to Ruckle Creek Waterfall. A spur trail takes you from the campground to the main Trail.





The creek is at the old stone bridge but not impressive and both banks were fenced off. On the walk back to camp there was a side trial that takes you to Ruckle Waterfall which is under the bridge. Nice morning light-











Back at camp it was time to pack up and hit the road-

[Chris216]

RB, thanks for sharing, great pics as usual. Looking forward to the rest of the trip.
Chris

[RBMann]

Day 3-Continued-

I love driving through the Columbia Gorge using the old road to check out the views-



Bridge of the Gods-









I headed SE from the Dalles to explore some roads west of the Deschutes River. More time forgotten buildings-



Center Ridge School House-

[RBMann]

Day 3-Continued again-

Some days just produce more photos than others. Guess I have driven by White River Falls before without knowing they were there. Hard for me to get a good shot without risking injury. Two radar traps along the Deschutes River Road in the ten miles to Maupin-





An odd field full of what looks like plumbing pipe running all over the area with Mt. Hood overseeing the project-



Time for a refueling break at Shaniko, OR for both the bike and myself-





The road from Shaniko to Fossil goes through the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds Nat. Mon. I had been in this area in 70s or 80s but forgot about it. A five years ago a friend reminded me how great it is for riding. Been through area 4-5 times since then and it always reminds me of my friend who passed away three years ago-





For someone looking for affordable housing this is available in Antelope, OR. Nicely located across the street from City Hall-

[Droptarotter]

That's a great route RB! Thanks!

[RBMann]

Maps okay?

[RBMann]

Day 4 - Clyde Holiday to Copperfield CG-227 miles



Nice morning again. I backtracked west halfway to Dayville then turned south on Fields Creek Road FS21. There is a sign on Hwy 26 that says Murderers Creek 17 miles and Geological Marker. I have seen the sign many times but I decided to check it out this time. You only see the sign if you are eastbound on Hwy 26.



From the web-

A site with a leaner but still potential chance to find fossils is near Mt. Vernon. On State Route 26 near milepost 144 is the intersection of Fields Creek Road. A couple hundred yards south on Fields Creek Road is an Oregon Department of Transportation geologic marker identifying a chalky embankment across the road. This formation is diatomaceous rock, consisting of the calcium remains from millions of minuscule aquatic animals called diatoms.

Wow, missed it. In my immeasurable ignorance I drove past the geological site. I just checked on Google Maps Street View and there isn't a sign at the actual site. You would have to be into rocks and fossils to notice this embankment-



Over the mountains then back up Hwy #395 to John Day. Out at Unity Lake I ran into a fowl scene-



Hwy 245 would take me through Hereford and over Dooley Summit to Baker City-







I was really disappointed that Ralf wasn't with me yet as my personal Pepsi Vending machine across the street from the campground was having a two-for-one day-

[signit98]

AH. I have enjoyed that vending machine with you many-a-times.

[RBMann]

Day 5 - Copperfield to Pine Flats CG, ID-203 miles



Morning and it's time to fly-



I bid goodbye to the Snake River-



It seems to happen every year at some point in the trip. It started getting hot around McCall, ID which also had a lot of traffic. Over 100ºF. for the rest of the day. Arrived at Pine Flats in the early afternoon to find my reserved site occupied. The only other site was in the sun so I sat in the shade while the camp host tried to sort it out.

Look what came by while I waited-



The couple had been a problem for several day and the host he was kicking them out. Enforcement truck came by and a Sheriff. Sheriff came back a second time later and still no movement. Finally the sun went behind a mountain and I set up in the other open site. Not bad without the sun-

[RBMann]

Day 6 - Pine Flat to Lake Cleveland CG, ID-285 miles



Packed up early to beat the heat. Looked over and the couple is still in the reserved site. So much for being kicked out-



Hwy 21 east to Stanley, ID was a nice cool morning ride. I always enjoy this section-





Leaving Ketchum(Sun Valley) someone turned up the oven again. I stopped in Shoshone to rehydrate. Talked to a man with cancer. He buys a new motorcycle each month because he still can and there are so many bikes he wants to try. East on Hwy 24 known as Kimama Hwy-





The only things in this area are farms, the Minidoka Japanese Internment Camp and the remarkably tidy Paull Cemetary-





Made it to Lake Cleveland in the late afternoon after a stop in Rupert to call home and pickup supplies for the night. CG elevation of 8,200' meant it was pleasantly cooler. The neighbors were just finishing a family get together and came over to give me cold drinks and snacks from their cooler. The woman's husband was somewhere on the BDR in Utah. Nice location with a short walk to the lake-

[Droptarotter]

Yup, maps are good......thanks, but they bring back memories of the pain they delivered when cycling a lot of those roads!

Cheers

[RBMann]

Day 7 - Lake Cleveland to Jordanelle SP, UT-325 miles



I am going to indulge myself here photographically. Woke up at 5:30AM which is unnatural for me but the pending sunrise couldn't be resisted. Spent the next 30 minutes shooting about 60 pics with my camera and phone then went back to sleep. I can't seems to pick a best one so here are four-











I walked over to the lake before hitting the road-



The flat lands view on the road down-

[RBMann]

Day 7 - Continued

Back down on the flats and this sign always gives me a chuckle-



On a back road near Declo, ID there is a field of pot. First time I have seen such a thing-



Looks like a former gas station and it was on the main highway before I-86 -



Short cut from Register Rock to Hwy 37-



Rush hour on Hwy 37 southbound-



Boot Lane near Malad City, ID-



The Wellsville Tabernacle-



Made a couple of wrong turns today but still arrived at Jordanelle-

[sgoodwin]

Beautiful pics as always. How many miles on that Honda now?

[ckcarr]

You take beautiful and interesting pictures of places no one else will ever see.

[RBMann]

Originally Posted by sgoodwin

Beautiful pics as always. How many miles on that Honda now?

Thanks for the compliment. Honda is at 52,000 miles. Just finishing a valve adjustment. Last time took me ten hours and this time will probably take longer, more cleaning. So much more involved that the S to adjust.







And this reminds me to put some 'S' content in here. You can see the S in the background. Still have it, should sell it.

[RBMann]

Originally Posted by ckcarr

You take beautiful and interesting pictures of places no one else will ever see.

Thanks CK, but being out there is what makes the photos happen. I do see more than Ralf but that is a story for later, in Canada.