This is my WIFE, here are my BIKES, and these are my STORIES

Part 3 is up. I noticed about halfway down the section after the campgrounds that my battery was done. I switched them out and put them on the charger but I swapped to burst stills and single pic mode until we hit pavement again. The park ranger or w/e in the vid was flipping his ticket book as if to warn off potential violators or else he was just plain bored of talking and wanted to get back on the trail. The people camped next to the spot where the ranger was smelled as if they just finished a "Smoke Break", so either way someones day was about to go south. The yellow gate in the vid is significant in that it gets a little more technical after the gate, not balls to walls wild, just a little funner.

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wT-B094JrXc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Did I mention we were hungry? So after about 25 miles and 1.5 hours or so we have been telling ourselves we would just get to Shelter Cove, Eat, then rework our route so we could make it home in time. We pop out onto pavement with a sign that said Shelter Cove 12 miles north. Highway 101 25 miles north. We looked at each other and then discussed how even if we did make it to Shelter Cove there is no guarantee of food there. We bailed out on what looked like a road heading South east and a sign saying Hwy 101 22 miles. We could find food in Redway, or garberville, hell anywhere was going to work.

It didn't take long to hit Redway on pavement and the road is definately cool. Briceland is the name of it and its just a cool little road. It even has a small stretch of big Redwoods. We found the first place that was selling some type of processed animal and parked. Outdoor seating? Win! I ordered a double bacon burger..Why not. curly fries and a coke. The chick looks at me and says uh our patties are 1/2 pound each sir..do you still want the double? I took all of 5 seconds to assure her I was ok with the double. $17 was steep but I could care less. Cost always goes out the window when your hungry anyway.

I did not bother to take a before and after pic of this because the plate was polished.



Back on the road after a nice break and we find ourselves back at the Drive through tree road...No we didn't don't worry... We didn't have time to take Hwy 1 to fort bragg 45 miles away and ride an unknown dirt section back to the 101. So we stayed headed south on 101 to where the dirt section pops out. It is definitely worth riding as it parallels Hwy 20 and well is..dirt.

I like this pic for some reason it was in the back of the rest.



Continuing on..
We headed from Laytonville to Dos rios, backtracking where we had come in earlier in the day



From Dos Rios to Covelo there is a dirt section called Poonkinney rd. I had told Foot dragger we could come back that way but I changed my mind when we got to that point strickly based on time. He said yep and made a comment about how we should hurry then...Like that he was gone. I mean fast. I kept seeing skid marks on the pavement from a bike and looking over, I didn't want to think like that but it happened. My fuel sensor let me know I was at the halfway mark as I pulled into Covelo and thats when I saw Foot dragger just chillin by the pumps. Hell ya man!

This pic was from the way in but there was no sign on the way out so I am using it here. Pretty sweet as it is pretty far above the creek.



Back on Forest Highway 7, aka Alder springs rd.



Little bit of clouds up near the pass but our $4 thrift shop thermals kept us warm



This is a real nice place to stop and look back over to Covelo. There is a ranch down and to the east (left) just an awesome place to be able to call home.





So many hills, So little time



West side of the valley floor you can see the thunder head out in the distance. It stayed well north of us





We were on the road at 6am and I pulled in at 9pm. 1 hour stop for lunch. 415 miles traveled. Plenty of dirt, a couple good stories, no one got hurt, and my I beat my wife home by about 8 minutes. One hell of a day Foot dragger. Until next time, thanks for hangin out with us today

This and working 80 hours a week, yes. Lets ride soon. Its High Lakes time!

I'd forgotten how amazingly beautiful California was. Thanks for posting, and looking forward to more.

Looks like you took a lot of the same route I did in April. I didn't get to see as much of the Usal rd. as you but still enjoyed the heck out of the trip. I figured you had about a 14 hr day in the seat, That's a long trip for a day trip, kudos to you a footdragger for getting it done.

Yep, High Lakes after the upcoming OBCDR, soon after we get back. Gotta do it!

enjoyed the pictures. So, is your wife Korean?

Thanks for the heads up I'll forward the info to some of my non ADV'r friends. Did you post it in regional as well? I know some of our people up north might be interested. Thanks

I almost forgot the title to my own thread..Not only is this all about bikes and trips and stories but my wife has a large part to do with it all. She is Vietnamese. Came here 7 years ago to make a better life for herself and her family back home. She was a teacher in Vietnam and here she does nails. She learned english here and passed the citizenship test a couple years ago. For anyone who has not seen that test I urge you to look it up. Try and pass it. I would have failed it myself if it wasn't for watching her study everyday for a couple months, and I grew up here! She is my inspiration and my best friend and the only person I know that works more hours than me. You will see more of her I'm sure.

Hey I went to college in Chico, and my wife is Vietnamese. What the hell do you guys do in the summertime? I mean, besides your wife feeling like she is back in Saigon.... you don't put on jackets and RIDE do you?@!



is yours tiny? Mine's tiny



and she sleeps on the back a lot



she could never have her own bike - she'd fall asleep on it leaving the parking lot of PHO 4000.

Foot dragger, I'd love to attend these meetings, how can I find out about them further in advance? Tommorrow, I don't know, I've got so much to do, possibly could have rearrange things if I had known sooner. I may still see if I can make it. Hard for me to bitch about gate closures if I don't attended and fight for them to be open.

Thats Hilarious! how the hell does/can anyone go to sleep on the back of a MC, AT SPEED!?

I'm laughing so hard right now eatpasta. That is epic!

Ya shes tiny. In the summertime I work and ride and she just works. She tells me all the time she will never get on the motorcycle and that she hates them. She also knows that they make me very happy so puts up with them. She grew up on scooters in Vietnam, no one drives a car over there unless its for a business. She doesn't trust the drivers in the states with our oversized vehicles and lattes.

Do you ever come back up here to visit?

she goes into pretty crazy food coma, especially after typical biker breakfasts which generally consist of eggs, pancakes, bacon etc.
Then put her on the back of the GS with a gel seat and Elka suspension..... and she is in literally minutes. It seems like every time we get to the epic part of a ride, she is out light a light. I think this picture was the first time we had come to Big Sur together and I was talking to her, or at least I though I was. I look back and just see the bottom of her helmet. I have so many pics of her sleeping it hilarious.
I had to devise a system for our long rides the consists of both of our sleeping bags on top of the Givi top box so she can put her head back, then duffel bags on top of the Zega's so she has a kind of throne there in which to doze

Glad you enjoyed it! I share that one whenever I can!!



We've come through there many times in the last few years. I took the wife to where I lived on Rio Chico in the summer when it was about 107.... she wasnt too impressed.
I came through there solo a few years ago when they rededicated the recording studio's at the university to a retiring professor and crashed with an ADV guy whose name eludes me at the moment. Super nice guy.
I love Chico. Love visiting Chico - not sure if I could live in Chico..... the summers are no joke dood.

and the wife and I honeymooned in Vietnam for 6 weeks, so I understand the term "warm" just fine......

:huh:huh:huh:huh:huh:huh:huh:huh:huh

you'd fit right in on your trip to Vietnam.... that is as long as you like mosquito bites and cockroaches as well. Oh and bring an umbrella

We were thinking of getting a big fat-man belt and just belting ourselves together



in Chico I miss; Morning Thunder, Burger Slut (Hut), Woodstocks, Sin of Cortez..... and $1 pitchers at La Salles!

My wife used to fall asleep on the back of our Suzuki Calvacade. I'd feel her head "klunk" into mine while we were riding. She loved to ride. She had arm rests that kept her from falling over. She was a big girl and I sure miss her. Had lot's of great times.

Thats great! Clearly you're a good team, a lot of trust & confidence there.
( Redog1 included )

Nice report!! That Foot Dragger guy knows some routes, and he definitely knows how to ride.

My wife used to fall asleep all the time on the back of the old Airhead. The best was coming back from Boise at 100 MPH, her snoozing away and not waking up until we were coming into Winnemucca.

Those huge Redwoods! I just gotta ride up there to take a look myself.....
Thanks for those massive photos. I've gotta go......

Gary "Oldone"

Grampa’s Lake Superior Ride
Grampa’s National Monument Ride