Forth and Back, TOR 2024(not)

[RBMann]

This year's trip report will be a little different than previous reports. There will be more personal info because it affected the ride this year.

But to start, here is the token 'S' content. After 24 years and 108,000 miles I sold my 'S' in June 2024. Loved the bike but I just didn't use it anymore. Almost cried when the new owner rode away from my shop. There it is, all the 'S' info in this report so you can stop here if you are only looking for 'S' content.

This was going to be the 10th trip riding with Ralf(Beekeeper). I usually start thinking of next year's route before the current trip is done. The plan was to meet Ralf at Convict Lake in California, ride to the TOR(Top of the Rockies Rallye), drop south into New Mexico and circle back north to my house.

The planned route-



In January I secured the necessary camping reservations. By march I had the Africa Twin ready and packed.

I was scheduled for a trial implant of a nerve stimulator to see if it would help with my long term back pain. The trial was successful so on the last day of April a permanent device was placed in my lower back. Totally unrelated to the implant, four days later I found myself in an ER and diagnosed with Stage IV kidney cancer. I spent 2.5 weeks laying around the house feeling like a kicked dog while waiting for the surgery to remove my kidney. The kidney came out okay but there were complications that meant I couldn't sit up or get out of my hospital bed. A week later I developed a clot in my right leg. After 17 days I went home with a feeding tube, 25 lbs. lighter and totally out of shape. I started the process of rebuilding myself and hoping we could still do the trip.

It soon became apparent the July trip was off and it really pained me to cancel all our reservations. Ralf and I started thinking a September trip would work. I made some more reservations but I started feeling really apprehensive about going to Colorado. With only three weeks between my cancer treatments starting in Aug. Allowing some time to recover from treatment and be back for blood work a few days before my next treatment meant we had around 14 days to travel. At this point I didn't know what the side effect of treatment would for me. Turns out several days of fatigue and trouble staying warm were in my future.

Over dinner one night my wife asked if there was some reason we had to go to Colorado and the answer was no. I checked with Ralf and started laying out a route along the north edge of WA, the west edge of ID and then into OR and back home. Suddenly the apprehension was gone and I was looking forward to the trip. The route would allow me to get back home in a day if things were not working out.

This was the planned 11 day route-



My second treatment was Sept. 4th, Ralf arrived 6th and we took off on the 8th.

Day 1-Seattle to Conconully State Park, WA-246 miles

Packed and ready to go-



At our first gas stop at Skykomish, WA. Some Model A Fords were travelling too. Ralf being x-military was allowed to sign the green one-





A small forest road I love near Stevens Pass-



I told Ralf there was no reason to water the tree, it was already dead-

[RBMann]

Day 1-continued

Since Ralf is German, we had to stop in Leavenworth, WA for snacks. Turns out the owner has an old red/white BMW R100 PD-





Lunch stop at Waterville City Park-





I have checked out Conconully State Park a couple times but it was always full. When we got there the wildlife outnumbered the campers. Nice hot shower at the end of the day-

[RBMann]

Day 2-Conconully to Republic, WA-198 miles





In the morning the campground was still virtually empty. It was nice and warm but we would encounter smoking skies from wildfires. Each year we seem to have this problem somewhere on the trip.



I have camped near Grand Coulee Dam many times in the 70s and 80s. Tried most of the roads in that area but I just found the Columbia River Rd. heading south from Okanogan past Omak Lake then along the river. Research shows it was first paved in 2017. Beautiful 40 mile drive and only saw three cars. I want to go back when it isn't smoky-





Crop circles and fresh water fish farms are the only thing going on along the road-





Lunch time in Grand Coulee and I remembered a restaurant as you are leaving town headed east. Of course I had to explain to Ralf it was 40 years ago when I ate there with my wife. Turns out there is still a restaurant at the location but the style of food has changed. Price seemed a little high until we saw the size of the meals. We had enough for lunch and then dinner that night-





Of course the mandatory carved wood resin tables-

[RBMann]

Day 2-continued

The whole reason we looped south through Grand Coulee was to ride the road down to the Keller Ferry then across Lake Roosevelt-







Heading back west on Manilla Creek Rd. the scorched forest started a few miles after our turn off of Hwy 21-



Buffalo Lake Rd. goes north from Manilla Creek Rd. to Nespelem then Cache Creek Rd. east back over to Hwy 21 and north along Sanpoil River to Republic. Poor us, another deserted campground-



After a hot shower it was time to do some laundry and watch the sunset-

[Droptarotter]

Nice Rick! Glad you are ok!!

Cheers

[wswartzwel]

What a pleasant suprise

[RBMann]

Day 3-Republic to Boundary Dam, WA-210 miles



Morning cloudy skies-



While stuff was drying out I went for a short walk. I tried to imagine what the fair grounds are like when the rodeo is in town-





We started the morning going west on Hwy 20 almost back to where day two began. I real like the Havillah Road from Tonasket to Chesaw past Sitzmark Ski Hill. Just outside Tonasket is the Enlightment Stupa which reminded me of 'The Garden of a 1,000 Buddas' we saw on the 2022 trip-

[RBMann]

Day 3-continued

East of Chesaw the Oroville-Toroda Rd. passes a chain of lakes on Beaver Creek. Just a lovely ride on a road where you see more motorcycles then cars-





A flower I found at Beth Lake picnic area and planted on the Norden-



Near Toroda I forgot to show Ralf the Ranald MacDonald grave. The smallest State Park in WA. He was a sailor from WA that spent time in Japan. I don't fully understand but Japanese tourists visit the site and leave trinkets. Maybe next year. We kept heading east until we hit Hwy 395 then south. Before Kettle Falls we took Northport Flat Creek Rd. up the west side of the Columbia River-



Going NE from Northport almost to Canada then over the mountains to Boundary Dam. The road has been okay in the past but it got a little dusty and rough around the top where an active logging operation had chewed it up, this was the good part-



At last Boundary Dam Campground. A very nice quiet place in September-





Across the the dam from the campground is the viewing platform which is really cool in the spring when they spill water to be ready for the snow runoff. Unfortunately it is a 45 minute ride to get there so not worth it except in spring-

[RBMann]

Before I go further I realized I forgot this year's theme song. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVpR3Pk-r8

It speaks to my relationship with motorcycles, Tainted Love.

Day 4-Boundry to Hells Gate State Park, Lewiston, ID-248 miles



Crossed the Pend Orville River at the Ione bridge then rode along the river on the east side using the LeClerc Rd. down to Newport. Nothing of real interest the rest of the cool and rainy day.



Arriving at the nights campground we were greeted by the locals-



My wife called that night to ask how I was doing with the temperature regulation side effect of my cancer treatment. Well, in my 20º F. rated sleeping bag wearing my clothes, sweatshirt and down jacket I felt cold. After all it was 60º F. outside the tent.

[jdazey]

Nice report. Thanks for posting.

[RBMann]

Day 5-Hells Gate to Copperfield CG, OR-248 miles



The famous Anatone, WA sign as we headed south on Hwy 129/3. The numbers on that sign have not changed in a long time. I have a photo from 2010 and they were the same then-



Riding down Rattlesnake Grade is one of my favorites-



Because the temperature was kind of cool we stopped for lunch at Boggan's Oasis on the Grande Ronde River. The climb up from the river is also fun-



The weather was looking the same as yesterday as we left Enterprise, OR. Cloudy with rain but never hard enough to make us stop and put on rainsuits. Bad choice as my jacket was kind of wet but not soaked and I was cold when we came down out of the mountains-

[RBMann]

Day 5-continued

As we turned east on Hwy 86 the sky cleared, the sun hit us and it warmed up. That only lasted about five mile as we caught up with the storm we had been riding through in the mountains-



We covered the bikes and waited out the rain-



We were rewarded with a rainbow and then the sun hit us a short time later-

[wswartzwel]

Green Giants

[ckcarr]

My favorite type of day. Misty and a little drizzle...

[RBMann]

Yes, the type of day so common in Moab.

[Droptarotter]

Damn RB, you were only about a 1/2 hour away from my new place when you guys went through Nelway.......forshame you didn't call!

Cheers

[tomvv11]

I can feel the heat and the cool of the rain in your pictures. Another epic trip.
Really glad you're here to tell the tale.

[RBMann]

Originally Posted by Droptarotter

Damn RB, you were only about a 1/2 hour away from my new place when you guys went through Nelway.......forshame you didn't call!

Cheers

Sorry we missed you Drop. We were never in Nelway. Boundary Dam Campground is on the west side of the dam and it would be 45 minutes to Nelway. Then Google says 60 minutes to Creston. So did you move again or are you having trouble reading my maps?

[RBMann]

Day 6-Copperfield

The only miles today were walking. This was the half way point of the trip so I had booked us in for three nights. When I was here in 2023 with my wife we found some cool rock formations so a walk was on today's schedule. Only used the bikes to go get food.

Crossing the bridge east into another state. Oddly the time zone changes a few miles west of the Snake River but my phone would keep changing time based on where it was getting its cell signal-



Very relaxed rules on the bridge. People will have lawn chairs, coolers and bait buckets blocking one lane of traffic-





Going west-



Basalt columns, I think about getting some for the yard but too much work moving them from the truck to a good location-





Oxbow Dam, the water is piped through the hill to the generators-



A small Omamori(amulet) charm for safe travels my brother-in-law bought for me at a temple in Japan-

[Droptarotter]

Originally Posted by RBMann

Sorry we missed you Drop. We were never in Nelway. Boundary Dam Campground is on the west side of the dam and it would be 45 minutes to Nelway. Then Google says 60 minutes to Creston. So did you move again or are you having trouble reading my maps?

Guess I'm having trouble reading the map?

Cheers