2012 West Coast Discovery

Once again,
a 2 week trip that will encompass almost 2,600 miles. Starting on the BC border at Oroville Washington, south through Oregon, into the vast remoteness of northern California and all the way to Reno Nevada where the trip would end.
We present :
<iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="640" height="480" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/2341627709_T8m3cVS?width=640&height=480&albumId=27089661&albumKey=57hbfB"></iframe>

4 of us volunteered for the mission. As always, John (WR250), Bruce (KTM Super Enduro), Mike (GSA) and myself.
From port to starboard: Me, Mike, John & Bruce, 2 time ECEA Grand Champ and USA ISDE rider


We had the bikes trucked from NJ to South Sound BMW in Seattle.

Allied picking the bikes up at my house, 2 weeks before we are due to fly out to Seattle. They would be transfered onto a large tractor trailer at the NJ hub.


The well packed DR 650, my choice this year.


See you girls in Seattle

DockingPilot,

Excellent, I love a good Fly N Ride!

Safe Travels,

Poor lil' Echo ... faithful tho she is, she's left behind again ...

We meet up Friday afternoon on August 31st at Newark Liberty International.
Our annual 2 week mental unwinding therapy session was beginning.


We arrived around 2130 Pacific in Seattle. Grabbed a taxi and headed south for Fife where South Sound was holding the bikes. We checked in to the Motel 6 down the street and grabbed some dinner. We were anxious to start this journey.


Next morning we are up early, bodies still on EST.
We grab breakfast waiting for the shop to open.


South Sound BMW were incredible in the care they provided for our bikes and the welcome we received. They gave us full access to the warehouse and anything we needed. They even brought our tire pressure up to snuff.


Geared up and ready. The DR lights right off, ready........and willing.
She's got 2,600 hard, dusty miles ahead before I snap her picture under the arch in Reno and her job is done.


One last stop at the motel to gather our gear.


We gas


And go..............


North to Oroville up next

subscribed.
May I ask what the bike shipping cost?

The 325 mile leg up to Oroville would be mostly on sealed roads. But it would be a spectacular assualt on the senses and a prelude to what we were in for.


An hour north of Seattle we stop for a cofffee break.


Freindly Pac West girls ask about our trip.








Like it reads, Barlow Pass







It's a big day and it's getting late.
We stop in Winthrop for a delicous dinner.


After dinner we ride on. Continuing due north until we pull into:


We check into our motel for the night



Next up: Nighthawk and we start the WABCDR proper

About $1k round trip each. Dropped in Seattle, and picked in Reno.

Looking fwd to the pics and story. Have fun!

I'm in.

That little coffee stand looks like it is in the lovely town of Granite Falls. Did you ride the Mt. Loop Hwy over to Darrington?

We did.

Looking forward to another awesome ride report Frank. Thanks

Frank I've been waiting for your RR ever since you released the Trailer.

You guys have the entire spectrum of bikes covered this trip

DP ... Did you pack differently for this trip compared to past trips? Load looks tight 'n light for this one.

Ready, set, GO!

About the same T.
Just the essentials.

Next morning we are up and ready to roll.
We snag breakfast, down the coffee and make the short ride north to the border before we begin to turn south.


At the border and the offical start of "Touratechs Washington Backcountry Discovery Route".




Then, after tagging the Nighthawk border crossing, we turn the bikes on a southerly course following the WABCDR already progammed into each GPS.


We were off.......
<iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="640" height="480" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/2344810413_WJHR3KV?width=640&height=480&albumId=27089661&albumKey=57hbfB"></iframe>

Weather to die for! What kind of temps at the outset?

Good question T.
Believe it or not, even though this ride would takes us through what ADV labels "The Pacific Northwet" , we never saw a cloud.
Incredible.
Temps were perfect, cool to cold mornings with warm, but not hot, afternoons.
In fact the only thing we could consider cloudiness would appear in the form of Pacific fog, but not until we got to the Lost Coast of California. Imagine that.....