A Two-fer...North Cascades Hwy,WA to Lost Coast,CA

Crescent City was just a gas, eat, sleep and go town. The morning is crisp. The humidity makes me bundle up and put on my hippo hands.



Can anyone pass this photo op? Come on.






This tree stood out from the rest, at a roadside stop.

A rogue sequoia



Smith River







Gasquet, CA Gasket? Gas..K









Oh no! I was trying to keep a low profile.

I'm still wondering where I lost my papers? Back in Baker City I unloaded my tail box at the motel. I've gone over many possibilities. I don't remember shaking out the bed cover, and may have thrown the cover over my dayminder. I've decided to return to that motel.






I finally break out into some sunshine. The woods have been shadowy and cool.

I shortcut past Grants Pass. Do a couple miles of freeway then a left at Gold Hill onto hwy 234. Gas and go.



I went up this road a ways, but it turned to gravel and my tire is getting really thin...no cords showing,yet.




Interesting bush/tree.





Someone, I met along the way, suggested hwy 199 and it has turned out to be a wonderful ride. Almost no traffic, scenic, meandering, but always bearing NE.


Prospect, OR












Looking straight down 30-40 ft. Don't loose your hat! Or camera.



Lots of statistics. Water acres, cubic feet of flow, yada yada. A lot of water compressed into this narrow gorge.



This stump was cool. It's alive. Some roots grafted together to feed the stump and it barked over and repaired itself.





It's late and cold. I want a motel.




At the Crater Lake Nat. Park entrance.




That's what happens when traveling off season.

Too late to see the park so back out to the main road and head south.


Those clouds look cold.



Refuge in Fort Klamath.

The motel has no TV, it does have a small kitchen with organic quich and pita pockets, etc. Closed of course and the only thing left to eat was twigs and berries.

They have lots of videos. For food they direct me to the general store, a mile away, who 'might' still be open.

It was and I had a good burger. A rustic store with a griddle and deep fat fryer. Hunter, gun magazines, a few heads on the walls.

Back at the motel I fall asleep to a Shrek movie.


I'm now down near the point on the left.

While eating a homemade sausage/egg sandwich at the General Store some buses pass by. 3-4 inches of snow on the roofs. Plans change, again.

I need to get to the dryer and hopefully warmer interior. My map shows no nearby paved roads to the east. I'll have to go south to go north. The irony does not escape me.

I interupt the cook to nab a couple of freshly fried donuts.



Good bye Fort Klamath.




Chiloquin PO...gas and go.



North on hwy 97. Cold and grey.


Crater Lake Park is out there somewhere.

Occasional snow flurries keep me focused on the task at hand. Get Home.


Chemult.

One more behind me.

A hard right at Redmond and I'm finally heading east. I need to check that motel in Baker.


Donut time. Cinnimon and sugar. mmmmm.


Ochoco Pass is 4700 ft and warmer than hwy 97.




I have to see this.



The Post Office was OK but the rest of the town was kind of run down.










This motel on the edge of town was in nice shape.


















This cool canyon bursts onto an irrigated valley of grass and hay.



Blue sky is good.


I detour up onto a hill for this pic of the skinny canyon.



Dayville, OR.



Here is a fixer-upper in the middle of nowhere. A nice location, though.

I continue from John Day to Baker City. Same route I went south on, so will skip the pics.

I get the same room at the same motel. No dayminder. The staff didn't find a thing.

It was a long cold day and I'm asleep early.

thanks for the ride along.......

Good RR. I like all your Post office photos. In looking back over your photos you have the names of towns State and zip codes you visited.

The morning dawns crisp and cold, but no snow. I wolf down a few oatmeal cookies, from my stash, and hit the road.






I run some side roads, heading west, that parallel I-84.

I'm thinking of retracing my route north thru Enterprise, but those clouds look cold.



Haines, OR





North Powder, OR

I cross to the north side of the freeway.
There are lots of small towns along I-84. Founded by drop outs following the Oregon Trail. "You know Ma. I'm gettin' tired. This looks like a nice place. Whad ya think?"











I seem to have missed the PO in Union. This is one of the larger small towns.






Check the size of this hotel. Cafe and RV hookups. Gotta come back here.



Those clouds look like snow.
Nearing LaGrande I encounter a road crew. They confirm there has been snow to the north.

Time to skirt the Wallowa. I jump onto I-84 and wheel for Pendleton and up the valley to Lewiston.



Just before Pendleton. This is a nice "shortcut".



Blue sky, from the top of the hill.




I watched this rather large dust devil for near 15 min.






I'm bookin' down the hill and get stopped in my tracks.

African cattle?





This one says "Move along".
so I did.


Down the road a ways I again hit the binders.





Are these Yaks? Or a cross with Yaks?





I make my way thru the maze of Walla Walla without making a wrong turn. A first for me. Hwy 12 is dry and not very scenic today. I bear down and make some miles. No more PO pics. Things stay dry, even over Pomeroy hill.

Inland seaport, Clarkston, WA.





My turn to bypass Clarkston. Redwolf Bridge.



The Old Lewiston Grade.



It is good to be home and the last 20 mi pass quickly.

Turn on the heat and stand in a hot shower. Ahhh.

I stuff myself with eggos and scrambled eggs. Finish with a cup of Earl Grey, add a tot of cheap rum, and retire to the Easy-Boy for some mind numbing tv.

Nice ride & pix...Thanks for sharing with us.

Mick

I see the thread count got over 1000, so a few folks were following along.

This just sort of turned into a small town ride. I tagged over 50 new Post Office bldgs. I hope you all enjoyed it. I sure did. A very nice mostly relaxing ride.

A couple days after getting home, I collected the mail. I recieved a notice from my insurance agent. I had left my dayminder in their office.

Just as I was leaving I stopped by and got a new proof of insurance. I must have put the dayminder down when I put on my helmet. Doh!

Happy Trails.

Thanx for taking us with you.


The tours at Geiser Grand are Sat. only 3:30-4:30 so plan accordingly. I would verify on website prior to to visit.

Love the shots of yr riding between 5 and 101! I went up to the Reno air races w/ a buddy of mine in a truck a few years ago. Afterwards we hit Lassen and, after I dropped him off to hang w/ some crazy chick in Shasta, I started heading home. I hit Redding and saw a sign for 299 to 101 and figured what the hell. Ended up driving through some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen...and the whole time I was thinking "I gotta come back here on a bike!". I ended up hitting 101 about 5 hours later and had made it 6 miles to Oakland...WELL worth it though. Thanks for the reminder!

GREAT REPORT! LOVE THAT COUNTRY UP THERE AND HOPE TO GET BACK SOME DAY. YOUR PICS BROUGHT BACK MANY FOND MEMORIES.

Thanks for the great pics and story. They are much appreciated.

I remember that Red Wolf bridge being called "The Someday Bridge".

I saw that road under that bridge when I crossed it in Aug. I'd have liked to check it out too but one of our group was on a street bike. Maybe someone on here has ridden it.

Hey, that's the Union Hotel. I've stayed there twice with my girlfriend on the way to her parents. The first time we couldn't make it over the pass in a snowstorm so turned around. The 2nd time we planned to stay. A great place that many famous people like Clark Gable & John Wayne have stayed at. They do a good dinner on Fri or Sat.
Check it out next time you're through there. Only about $60/night.

Cool rides Dick! Thanks for sharing.

I will have to stop and inspect it more closely. Such a big Hotel in a small town surprised me.



I read some history on this town, along the Oregon Trail. Apparently this area was rejected by the pioneers, early on. The Willamette Valley was the big draw in the Oregon Territory, but eventually settlements started in the Grande Ronde, Powder and Wallowa valleys in the 1860's.

Union became a transfer spot for wagon freighters. Supplies were changed from wagon to pack trains. Also, Union and La Grande traded the county seat several times, so it was a seat of government.

Thanks Jeff. It wasn't terribly exciting, but was very enjoyable from the seat.

Great pictures and only makes my feet itchier!

Great report! I'll be riding some of your route this summer ,Bellevue, Wa. to West Fest. Looks like it's going to be beautifil and hard to hurry through.
And the second half of your ride looks great too. On the list.
I hope my cousin doesn't move house any time soon, I have my left coast roamer parked in her garage. It's the only way I can have a look,as I'm 2500+ miles away. Fly in ,ride a bit ,then back to the farm.

Yeah, the first set look like Watusi. There is a ranch near Antelope, OR where you can shoot them for meat and horns. I have eaten some, tastes like beef. Not sure about the second set but the long hair and horns do resemble Yaks.