DC Denizen

Sunday was a nice day for a ride... stopped at the Black Rock Mill on Seneca Creek.





Cheers,

That's a great building! I've passed by it a couple of times but never stopped to explore.

I cannot wait till the weather warms up more, it feels like I haven't ridden in ages.

Great thread and pics! I live in Alexandria, am new to the region (1.5 years), and new to the adv riding world, so this is great. I have been exploring the area on my VROD for the past year and a half and just added a GS to the mix last September. A friend of mine (also an inmate) and I try to go riding/camping at least a couple weekends a month throughout the spring/summer/fall, so let us know if you want to get a group ride together. We also try to hit most of the BMW and adv rallies in the area so we may run into you guys there too. I definitely want to start getting more off-road experience so any advice on how/where to get started around here would be much appreciated! I've heard that Morton's puts on a brief dirt course? Look forward to reading more, thanks!

I'm with you, shouldn't be long...

Welcome to the greater DC area, and welcome to ADV! It is great to learn of other riders in the area.

We should all plan to meet when we can reasonably count on the weather for a ride, lunch, or whatever excuse it takes for a bunch of riders to get together.



PS Cheers to macorell24 for starting this great thread!

Welcome aboard TNL!

I'm free this Sunday if anyone else is game and the weather should be great.

Edit: Forget this Sunday! I just remembered it's Easter Weekend. Maybe the following...

Thanks, guys! I will be around the next couple weekends, so let me know if you change your mind about this Sunday. If the weather is nice, you bet I'll be out on the road. Hopefully there isn't too much salt/sand left over from this storm. 211 was still covered with it up through SNP this past weekend.

What's the approx. mix of paved/unpaved riding you do?

I may change my mind about riding this sunday but I don't have any Easter plans just more worried about heavy traffic and not being able to ride like I want to ride

I was riding 211 this weekend as well. I went to the RTE in Woodstock, VA.

I'm also a new guy in NE DC with a new to me 88 Honda NX 650. Thanks for the great ride ideas and please post if you guys are rolling somewhere where new guys would be welcome.

Ride safe,
DS

Welcome aboard Delta Sierra!

Wish I could go riding tomorrow but some work stuff came up....although I might be able to break away for a few hours if anyone is up for an adventure.

Welcome Delta!

I was only able to get out for a short ride to get brunch yesterday. I have had some difficulties installing a set of SW Motech crash bars on the GS (for the record, I do not recommend the Motechs with TT cylinder head guards), so I was working on that and a few other small projects most of the afternoon. After much effort, I was FINALLY able to get them installed with some help from a good friend.

I DO plan on riding down to Morton's next Saturday for their open house. I will try to get there early (around 9 or 10am). If anybody else plans to attend, we can meet up and head out from there. Just let me know! Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Well it's been awhile since I've last posted here. Here's something that everyone should find interesting.

Last year my GF, who lives in Seattle, WA (don't ask it's complicated), got a rental for a 1200GS from Eagle Riders of Seattle. This past weekend I cashed that gift in.



Little did I know that this trip was to be the maiden voyage of the GS:

I decided the night before I wanted to see Mt. Saint Helen's and then go to Portland,OR to visit my godsons and their parents. So I packed up the cases and headed south.

Macorell24,

Sounds like an awesome trip! Have any pics to post? I had a great experience renting a GS through Eagle Rider in San Diego last October. It was an '11 model, though, and I didn't get to put that first mile on her.

Is anybody planning on heading down to Natural Bridge next weekend for the Morton's Spring Fling rally? I plan to arrive at Morton's on Friday morning at 9am, although, I may have to stop somewhere along the way to get some work done (shitty deadlines coming up). It'd be good to meet some of you guys if you will be at the rally, so let me know!

Also, I am planning a trip out west in early June. My plan is to get out of the DMV Friday, May 31, after work and hit Santa Fe, NM by Sunday night. My parents live in Santa Fe, so I plan on spending a few days there before heading out to the Grand Canyon and up through Utah. Let me know if anybody is interested in tagging along, at least for the long ride out to Santa Fe. I plan on camping and/or utilizing ADVrider tent space. I will probably just take US40 most of the way out there since I have to make good time.

It's about 2.5 hours from Seattle to Mt. Saint Helen's traveling down I-5. The sun was out and there was little cloud cover. As a result I could see my destination pretty much the whole way down.

I was super impressed with the GS. Loads of power even in 6 gear and the handling was fantastic! My two complaints are the seat and the location of the handle bars. After about an hour my butt started to fall asleep and I would have liked to have some risers on the bars. The angle was a little awkward but not bad.




This bridge was at the end of the blast radius. Some 14.8 miles from the center of the crater! :eek1

There were tons of great view points along the way and it was hard not to stop at them all...but hell I had all day.

Part of the river of lava/mud/ash.





It's hard to grasp the scale, in fact I'm not sure how wide this is, but it's huge.

All long the road, RT 504, there are signs stating what trees were planted and when. I saw signs as early as 1982 and as late as 1996. Sorry, no pics of those...

Looking like a great trip so far!

Getting closer

You have to ride through several valleys before you get to the end of the road, but always in the back of you mind you feel as if something momentous is going to happen....



It's amazing how close you can get to the volcano and I've heard that it still smokes from time to time.

I'm maybe a 1-1.5 miles to the center...




Truly an amazing place and one I'd like to see and explore more. Hope everyone enjoyed this!

Thanks Bruce! The scenery on the west coast is fantastic! I'm thinking about renting another bike in a couple of months and going around the north part of the cascades....

If your plans are flexible here is a good way to see the scenery on some one else's bike, they have these all the time since they need to get bikes moved.
http://www.motoquest.com/motorcycle-rental/transporter-specials-9