We Are Barely Dirt Riders: 2 buddies make a run for the border

D-Stylz · 12-11-2012, 06:19 PM

WABDR=We Are Barely Dirt Riders!

Post 1: Intro and Prep

Yes, this is yet again another report on an adventure through the Washington Backcountry (which by the way is not one word!) Discovery Route. http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/WABDR
This will most likely not provide any new insights into the route nor vary distinctly from any of the other reports on ADV Rider. However, we thought it was time to try our hands at this whole RR thing…

As this is our first ever Ride Report it seems some housekeeping is in order. These reports seem to require some setup and introduction, so we’ll start there.

Riders and bikes:

Dansrc51 - ’09 BMW F800GS

D-Stylz – ’08 Kawasaki KLR 650

Dates of trip: August 4-11, 2012

This is our third back country trip together as we completed ORBDR #3 in 2010 and #5 in 2011. We’re already planning our trip for ’13 that will connect three sections of the ORBDR: 3 to 4 to 5. http://www.dualsportmaps.com/?link=100053 (thanks craftycoder). We’ve also learned a bit about what to bring, or rather what not to bring, from our previous adventures. We try to follow the KISS principle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle. We always camp on the trail and only bring the essentials: tent, sleeping bag, and air mattress. For meals we plan on hitting a diner for a greasy spoon breakfast every morning, munch during the day (trail mix, energy bars, jerky, etc.), and eat a light supper that only requires heating water (e.g. Trader Joe’s Ramen). The rest of our gear is basic bike stuff (tools, flat repair, rain gear, etc.) and some clothes to both layer and wear when not riding.

Loaded and ready to rock!

Dansrc51 · 12-11-2012, 06:20 PM

Fuzzy images notwithstanding, the only thing fuzzy was us after a few good IPA's at the end of the trail

and yes, we have matching jerseys. Curse you Cycle gear sales!

lotus · 12-11-2012, 08:30 PM

Woot! Looking forward to hearing about your ride and seeing pictures.
Off to a good start - Keep up the good work!

subscribed

Dansrc51 · 12-12-2012, 07:07 PM

So, all that having been said…let’s get this going already!

After staying the night in the Portland area, we headed up the Columbia River Gorge.

First stop: Multnomah Falls. I mean, come on, you gotta take the obligatory waterfall picture with your riding buddy, right

Then, onto the Bridge of the Gods…is that symbolic, or what?

D-Stylz · 02-05-2013, 07:58 PM

The Bridge of the Gods

This was honestly the only “Oh Shit!” moment on the trip. I strongly dislike riding over those bridges with metal grate surfaces.

We slabbed it up to Stevenson where we had to “fuel” up at Robbie’s.

Now that we were fully prepared, it was time to find some dirt.

D-Stylz · 02-05-2013, 08:18 PM

This first section of the WABDR from Stevenson to Packwood is fairly straight-forward. It’s a nice intro and warm-up for the next couple of days. There were plenty of viewpoints too.

We would recommend stopping at the Guler Ice Caves.

The natural bridges nearby were cool too.

We moved along towards Trout Creek with many a view.

And Dansrc51 found a patch of wild strawberries right under our bikes when we stopped!

We stopped for gas at Andy’s Valley Service Chevron in Trout Lake which it turns out is not just a gas station. It is also has the Heavenly Grounds coffee shop on one end and The Station Cafe on the other. After fueling we enjoyed a fresh huckleberry shake from the café that was delicious and refreshing!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/andys-valley-service-trout-lake

As we headed out of Trout Lake we saw this!

Dansrc51 · 02-06-2013, 08:08 AM

I can see the TKC already wearing in that last pic. I still can't believe how badly those have held up. Must be a KLR thing....

Bob · 02-06-2013, 09:29 AM

Yum huckleberry shake.

D-Stylz · 02-06-2013, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dansrc51

I can see the TKC already wearing in that last pic. I still can't believe how badly those have held up. Must be a KLR thing....

I will NEVER buy another Conti TKC-80!!

D-Stylz · 02-06-2013, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob

Yum huckleberry shake.

It was unbelievable Bob! Fresh picked berries and great ice cream!

SchizzMan · 02-06-2013, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dansrc51

I can see the TKC already wearing in that last pic. I still can't believe how badly those have held up. Must be a KLR thing....

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Stylz

I will NEVER buy another Conti TKC-80!!

Great tire on the front. Doesn't hang around long on the rear. A good DS tread tire on the rear (Anakee II or Tourance) and TKC80 front works well for me.

Great RR so far, guys. Beautiful country up there.

D-Stylz · 02-06-2013, 09:00 PM

We found a nice place to stretch our legs at Walupt Lake. Too bad the mountain was hiding!

We're going that way!

The campground was quite and quite a few folks were out floating around. We had a snack before heading out to find our night one camp site.

Dansrc51 found what looks to have been a hunters camp just off the road with a fire ring and nice spot for the tent. Also, there was a nice creek across the road that provided soothing sounds!

Got a fire going, ate our supper, and hit the rack!

Already we are anticipating a hot breakfast in Packwood!

D-Stylz · 02-06-2013, 09:32 PM

We hit the dirt early and head into Packwood. Somehow we end up at Cruiser's Pizza for breakfast...

Though I wouldn't recommend Cruiser's, they did have the necessities: coffee and bacon!

Packwood itself looks like a sleepy town...

...but we happened to arrive during a classic car rally weekend. Some sweet cars cruising up and down the strip.

We fueled up and headed out. Hwy 12 took us past Rimrock Lake with some stunning views. We stopped at Clear Creek Falls Overlook.

We found dirt again just after the lake and started to climb back into the hills.

The WABDR is full of great viewpoints:

Before we got to Bethel Ridge Dansrc51's F800GS decides to take a "break"...

It didn't take him long to get the chain back on and we were off again up the ridge.

Dansrc51 · 02-07-2013, 10:32 AM

ugh, that chain repair was brutal. I was right in the middle of an allergy attack. I was kicking myself for not adjusting my chain before I left

LittleWan · 02-07-2013, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Stylz

Dates of trip: August 4-11, 2012

hey, how did we not run into you guys on the trail??

We did the WABDR August 3-6 and we were going North to South...

August 5 was frickin' hot, wasn't it?

It's always fun to see a familiar trail from someone else's perspective, so I'm glad you decided to do a RR.
Nice job so far!

12-11-2012, 06:19 PM	#1
D-Stylz ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2009 Location: Eugene, OR Oddometer: 120	WABDR: 2 buddies make a run for the Canadian border WABDR=We Are Barely Dirt Riders! Post 1: Intro and Prep Yes, this is yet again another report on an adventure through the Washington Backcountry (which by the way is not one word!) Discovery Route. http://www.backcountrydiscoveryroutes.com/WABDR This will most likely not provide any new insights into the route nor vary distinctly from any of the other reports on ADV Rider. However, we thought it was time to try our hands at this whole RR thing… As this is our first ever Ride Report it seems some housekeeping is in order. These reports seem to require some setup and introduction, so we’ll start there. Riders and bikes: Dansrc51 - ’09 BMW F800GS D-Stylz – ’08 Kawasaki KLR 650 Dates of trip: August 4-11, 2012 This is our third back country trip together as we completed ORBDR #3 in 2010 and #5 in 2011. We’re already planning our trip for ’13 that will connect three sections of the ORBDR: 3 to 4 to 5. http://www.dualsportmaps.com/?link=100053 (thanks craftycoder). We’ve also learned a bit about what to bring, or rather what not to bring, from our previous adventures. We try to follow the KISS principle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle. We always camp on the trail and only bring the essentials: tent, sleeping bag, and air mattress. For meals we plan on hitting a diner for a greasy spoon breakfast every morning, munch during the day (trail mix, energy bars, jerky, etc.), and eat a light supper that only requires heating water (e.g. Trader Joe’s Ramen). The rest of our gear is basic bike stuff (tools, flat repair, rain gear, etc.) and some clothes to both layer and wear when not riding. Loaded and ready to rock! __________________ '08 KLR 650 "Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle." - Anonymous D-Stylz screwed with this post 02-05-2013 at 08:00 PM Reason: Update

12-11-2012, 06:20 PM	#2
Dansrc51 I need a cape.... Joined: May 2008 Location: Eugene, Oregon Oddometer: 998	Fuzzy images notwithstanding, the only thing fuzzy was us after a few good IPA's at the end of the trail and yes, we have matching jerseys. Curse you Cycle gear sales! __________________ motorcycles are a disease and riding is the only cure.

12-12-2012, 07:07 PM	#4
Dansrc51 I need a cape.... Joined: May 2008 Location: Eugene, Oregon Oddometer: 998	Post 2: Day 1 – Stevenson to just South of Packwood So, all that having been said…let’s get this going already! After staying the night in the Portland area, we headed up the Columbia River Gorge. First stop: Multnomah Falls. I mean, come on, you gotta take the obligatory waterfall picture with your riding buddy, right Then, onto the Bridge of the Gods…is that symbolic, or what? __________________ motorcycles are a disease and riding is the only cure.

02-05-2013, 08:18 PM	#6
D-Stylz ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2009 Location: Eugene, OR Oddometer: 120	Day 1 Continues... This first section of the WABDR from Stevenson to Packwood is fairly straight-forward. It’s a nice intro and warm-up for the next couple of days. There were plenty of viewpoints too. We would recommend stopping at the Guler Ice Caves. The natural bridges nearby were cool too. We moved along towards Trout Creek with many a view. And Dansrc51 found a patch of wild strawberries right under our bikes when we stopped! We stopped for gas at Andy’s Valley Service Chevron in Trout Lake which it turns out is not just a gas station. It is also has the Heavenly Grounds coffee shop on one end and The Station Cafe on the other. After fueling we enjoyed a fresh huckleberry shake from the café that was delicious and refreshing! http://www.yelp.com/biz/andys-valley-service-trout-lake As we headed out of Trout Lake we saw this! __________________ '08 KLR 650 "Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle." - Anonymous

02-06-2013, 08:08 AM	#7
Dansrc51 I need a cape.... Joined: May 2008 Location: Eugene, Oregon Oddometer: 998	I can see the TKC already wearing in that last pic. I still can't believe how badly those have held up. Must be a KLR thing.... __________________ motorcycles are a disease and riding is the only cure.

12-11-2012, 08:30 PM	#3
lotus Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Oregon Oddometer: 109	Woot! Looking forward to hearing about your ride and seeing pictures. Off to a good start - Keep up the good work! subscribed __________________ 1999 Yamaha XT225 2009 F650 GS - Sold 1984 BMW R80ST

02-05-2013, 07:58 PM	#5
D-Stylz ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2009 Location: Eugene, OR Oddometer: 120	Day 1 Continues... The Bridge of the Gods This was honestly the only “Oh Shit!” moment on the trip. I strongly dislike riding over those bridges with metal grate surfaces. We slabbed it up to Stevenson where we had to “fuel” up at Robbie’s. Now that we were fully prepared, it was time to find some dirt. __________________ '08 KLR 650 "Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle." - Anonymous D-Stylz screwed with this post 02-05-2013 at 08:06 PM

02-06-2013, 09:29 AM	#8
Bob Formerly H20Pumper Joined: Sep 2002 Location: Corral de Tierra Oddometer: 2,036	Yum huckleberry shake.

02-06-2013, 09:00 PM	#12
D-Stylz ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2009 Location: Eugene, OR Oddometer: 120	Day 1 Concludes...finally! We found a nice place to stretch our legs at Walupt Lake. Too bad the mountain was hiding! We're going that way! The campground was quite and quite a few folks were out floating around. We had a snack before heading out to find our night one camp site. Dansrc51 found what looks to have been a hunters camp just off the road with a fire ring and nice spot for the tent. Also, there was a nice creek across the road that provided soothing sounds! Got a fire going, ate our supper, and hit the rack! Already we are anticipating a hot breakfast in Packwood! __________________ '08 KLR 650 "Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle." - Anonymous

02-06-2013, 09:32 PM	#13
D-Stylz ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2009 Location: Eugene, OR Oddometer: 120	Day 2: Packwood and beyond! We hit the dirt early and head into Packwood. Somehow we end up at Cruiser's Pizza for breakfast... Though I wouldn't recommend Cruiser's, they did have the necessities: coffee and bacon! Packwood itself looks like a sleepy town... ...but we happened to arrive during a classic car rally weekend. Some sweet cars cruising up and down the strip. We fueled up and headed out. Hwy 12 took us past Rimrock Lake with some stunning views. We stopped at Clear Creek Falls Overlook. We found dirt again just after the lake and started to climb back into the hills. The WABDR is full of great viewpoints: Before we got to Bethel Ridge Dansrc51's F800GS decides to take a "break"... It didn't take him long to get the chain back on and we were off again up the ridge. __________________ '08 KLR 650 "Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle." - Anonymous

02-07-2013, 10:32 AM	#14
Dansrc51 I need a cape.... Joined: May 2008 Location: Eugene, Oregon Oddometer: 998	ugh, that chain repair was brutal. I was right in the middle of an allergy attack. I was kicking myself for not adjusting my chain before I left __________________ motorcycles are a disease and riding is the only cure.

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