The Blanchard Run

A Quick trip into Idaho.   Long video, but fun ride.

Shocking!

You know,  I really haven't had a lot to talk about this year.     I'm pretty certain that no one is really reading this blog.   I mostly get bots and other hits from countries that don't really speak English.   Being that the reach is tiny, I have decided to slow down.  After all, this is just a hobby.  I dont make any money doing this.  I reserve the right to resume,  but for now, there just isn't much to talk about.

A Ride to Remember 2018

I am not a morning person. If I could I would sleep until 10 or later every day. It generally takes a couple mugs of steaming hot coffee to get my eyes to open. However, the morning of an epic ride, my eyes are open and i'm ready to go at the crack of dawn. Memorial day weekend was just such an occasion.
The ride plan was quite simple.  Leave Mead Washington, go up Highway 2 all the way to Bonners Ferry Idaho. Turn off on Highway 1 and shoot up to Creston BC. From there, ride up the east side of Kootenai Lake all the way to the ferry and then cross to Balfour. Make a left at balfour to Nelson and set up home base. Then ride around all day Sunday and come home Monday via Metaline Falls. Simple plan that it was, I did not expect the effect it would have on my heart.
The morning of our ride (Saturday) We were to meet at my brother from another mother, Matt's house, and have our kicks up at 9. 
With only a small 20 minute delay, all was according to plan. The ride to the Border was one that I've made many many times over the years. We took a quick detour to avoid Downtown Sandpoint (normally a nice place, but on Memorial day... busy busy busy.) then we headed North to Bonners Ferry, ID. We stopped here for a quick fuel up. Both the bikes and our bellies needed something in the tank. After we filled up the bikes for what we thought was a premium price for premium (we had no idea what was coming), we headed North on Hwy 1.
The road to the border was lined with majestic pine trees, rocky peaks capped with ever so slight whifts of white snow and majestic eagles soaring through the sky.  Before we knew it, we were at the border crossing at Porthill. The customs agent tried to be cold and calculating as I handed her my ID, but she was so kind and was actually excited we had chosen to come to Canada. After the typical slew of questions about firearms and declarable items, she wished us well and waved politely.   We were in Canada and other than the brain breaking change to KPH from our ingrained MPH measurements it was much the same until we hit Creston BC.
Creston, as some may be aware, is the home of the famed Kokanee Brewery (No we didn't stop). It is a quaint town that is surprisingly clean compared to towns of a similar size in the US. The roads were pristine, the walks were swept, and the buildings were all in decent repair. It was very nice, but in truth, we were not there for the town. What we were looking for was our very first Tim Horton's experience of the trip.
For those who are unfamiliar, Timmy's is Canada's Krispie Cream or Dunkins, but way better. We pulled in and each got our favorite doughnut and coffee combo. We savored the sweet delectable treat and the ultra smooth and flavorful coffee. We chatted with a few of the exceedingly polite locals and suited up and hit the 3A for our ride to Kootenay Bay. 80 Kilometers, or, if we do the math, 50 Miles of amazing views and even more amazing roads were to follow. Every corner we made opened up to an epic view of snow capped mountains, every straightaway was festooned with epic evergreen forests and pristine views of Kootenai Lake.  When we were about halfway to the ferry terminal, we happened upon an interesting site. A house made of glass bottles. Lived in until the late 50's, the Glass House in Boswell BC is quite the interesting stop. Built

by the former Coroner for the area, the house is constructed of glass formaldehyde bottles. Not just the house, but most of the outbuildings, garden walls, and covered gazebos are all bottles. The groundskeepers must also really like gnomes, because there were so many garden gnomes that everyone on our tour chuckled about that fact. One thing is for sure, the builder had chosen one of the best views for his home.

Across the lake were enormous mountain peaks topped with snow and cascading waterfalls with water raging toward the lake. Very serene, very beautiful, that is if you can get past the formaldehyde smell.
After about an hour, walking around the Glass house, we hopped back on our bikes and finished our ride north to the Kootenai Ferry Terminal.
We missed the 4:10 ferry and had a little over an hour to wait until the next. We secured our bikes and decided to check out the coffee stand slash cafe that was only a few meters away. As we lock our lids to the bikes, a curly haired gentleman in black slacks and a black MotoGP shirt, comes up to us speaking French as if we would completely understand what he was saying. Fortunately enough, I happen to be learning French and was able to confuse the poor man with my expertly accented three phrases that I know.  All told, and if I understood correctly, he was on a journey across Canada from coast to coast. I did figure out that he, in fact, was French, and not just from Quebec, which is primarily French speaking.  Fortunately he seemed to understand as I muddled through the language, telling him that my wife is from Quebec and that we are now living in Spokane. After a few more attempts at friendly banter we headed over for Crème glacée (Ice Cream) and fortunately, the owner spoke both
languages.
 The Ferry finally arrived. It was actually on time.  We were wanting to get moving as the temperature was making it hard to stand around. There were signs all over saying that Motorcycles did not get Priority boarding. This was ok, since we didn't really care, however as we pulled on the large boat, they moved us up to the front of 2 empty lines. There were a total of 6 motorcycles and we all were parked together. After exchanging pleasantries and the mandatory "where are you from" questions, we explored the ship, and the shop on the ship. There were decks to view the scenery on and little benches to sit on and enjoy the trip. After a while we bored of our self guided tour and we went back

to our bikes and stood on the bow and let the breeze cool us down. With 5 minutes left in the ride, we suited up and put our gear back on. There wasn't priority boarding, but we sure were the first off. Just like that, we were in Balfour. One left turn and we were on our way to Nelson BC. The trip was only supposed to take 30 minutes to get from Balfour to Nelson, however it was not to be because, between the surprise road construction, and the three separate Buicks driven by ancient old men who were not in any kind of a hurry, the trip took about 45 minutes. Nelson was very welcoming though.  It is a beautiful town that is very lush and green.  There were a couple hotels we were planning on trying to stay at, but since we didn't get a reservation we were forced to play rooming roulette.  The first we checked were booked solid, and the second was just too fancy for a couple of guys on bikes.  Fortunately we finally found the Prestige Inn. They had a clean and comfortable room with 2 queen beds. Just right for 2 exhausted, middle aged, motorcycle riders. We unloaded the bikes, took off our panniers and got everything into the room. We decided to go find some dinner. After a quick internet search we ended up getting pizza at Thor's Pizza.  It filled the void and satisfied our hunger.

After that, we decided to go back to the hotel, clean up and rest up for the next day's adventure.
6 A.M. Sunday morning, I woke up naturally, without the need for an alarm. That was two days in a row that my body has decided that it didn’t want to sleep anymore. My bro was still sawing logs, so I took the opportunity to reflect on what we were going to do that morning. In the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:11 says “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has even put eternity in their heart; yet mankind will never find out the work that the true God has made from start to finish.” What I had seen so far of Canada, this is absolutely true!  I was certain that this would hold true for this days ride.
Once Matt got up and around, we readied ourselves and went to get our breakfast that was provided by the Hotel.
The Prestige is actually 2 separate buildings separated by a quarter mile. The Prestige Inn, where we were staying, was 3 floors of pretty standard rooms at a reasonable price. The Prestige Resort, however had all the amenities. Pools, Jacuzzis, fitness centers and restaurants. One would think that if you stayed at the Inn, you got the short end of the stick. Not so with the Prestige. If you stay at the Inn, you can use all the amenities of the Resort without an extra charge. Not only that, but you can have your free breakfast at the fabulous West Coast Grill. (free breakfast is eggs, toast, bacon and hashbrowns). You can also choose to use your free breakfast voucher for $10 dollars off any other menu item, which is an excellent value if you so choose. After breakfast, it was time for our adventure. We hopped on our bikes and left nelson heading west on Highway 6 (3A at this point).
The ride from Nelson to Playmor, where we turned North to head to New Denver was excellent to warm us up. Straits, Twisties and 80-90 KPH speed limits were just what we needed to get us ready for the epic circle we had chosen for our journey this day. From Playmor Junction all the way to Slocan, the roads were smooth as silk with traffic that was so light, that we were free to relax and see some of the gorgeous splendor of the area. We passed small little townships with bustling cafes and shops, campgrounds, golf courses and other various businesses that were doing a fair amount of business. It was a beautiful area and a beautiful ride all the way to Slocan, but the roads were not all that spectacular. That all changed when we came to Slocan Lake. The next 32 Kilometers between Slocan at the South end of the lake and New Denver were absolutely epic. Our altitude varied between just under 600 meters, to just above 800 meters. All along the foothills of the Selkirk mountains. We had amazing views of the lake below, with the turquoise glint that let you know that the water came from ancient glaciers and also hinted that the water was more than likely colder than cold.   There was barely a shoulder on the road and when it started to feel a bit exiting, that is the point the road started to twist like a snake fighting for its life. We rode around with sheer rock walls on our right, drop offs that led to the freezing water below, ever so close to our left and cascading waterfalls that seemed to be within arms reach of the road.  The onslaught continued for a while until we mercifully dropped in to the small town of Silverton. From that point on, the road felt much like the last few yards of a rollercoaster where you may have a few little turns but they are super tame after the wild ride that you were on. We rolled in to New Denver and fueled up or bikes and got our bearings for the next leg of the journey. The time had come, finally, to take one of the best motorcycle roads on the continent. Highway 31A, the road from New Denver to Kaslo BC, has been heralded as a “Destination Highway”,
meaning that people will actually travel from far and wide to drive this route. From the moment we turned on to the highway, it was obvious as to the reason this highway is so popular. The terrain changes are amazing.  I have ridden fast roads, I have ridden slow roads.  I have ridden some with way too many twists for sightseeing, and some that are so straight you that you consider rolling on the throttle, just to get it over with.  Hwy 31A was the best mix of both kinds of road, excellently maintained with ample curves and switchbacks to keep nearly every rider on his or her toes but with enough of a respite between to take in the amazing beauty of the area.  We saw so many waterfalls along this route, that I lost count somewhere after 20, I suspect that there were more like 30-40 of them all sourced from the snow capped mountains that you only had to gaze up to see.

The falls all fed in to a few little creeks that on this day, were more like raging rivers flowing ever so close to the road. Several times, we commented on the possibility of water over the roadway, but fortunately the asphalt was bare and dry the entire way. Roughly an hour after we started, we saw the sign that we dreaded. We were rolling in to Kaslo, and our adventure was nearing its end.
We rolled in to Kaslo at about 1:30 pm and we both decided we needed a break and decided to look around a bit. We parked the bikes and walked through the spartan main street of Kaslo B.C (Front Street). We poked our heads in to a few little boutique shops and purchased some souvenirs for our families. We decided to take a peek at the museum and take in some of the rich local history. The Moyie sternwheeler steamship, aka. The Museum, was a fascinating look at the history of the region.

The Moyie, ferried people between Kaslo and Nelson in opulent luxury. The Osprey ferry that we rode from Kootenai Bay to Balfour was an impressive ship, but i'll tell you, I would have much rather taken the Moyie. Walking the cargo deck, with a Model A Ford nestled inside, to steerage where the massive steam engines propelled the paddle wheel, all the way up to the pilot house, it became obvious that this ship was impressively well maintained. The best part was that ships whistle even worked! If you felt the tug of your inner child and for a small donation to the preservation of the ship, you could give the lever a tug and hear the steam whistle echo through the canyon. (not a long whistle as you wouldn't want to be lynched by the community for disturbing their Sunday afternoon.)  After our time poking around the boat, we finally decided that we were hungry. We meandered back up Front street, and happened upon the Treehouse Inn. The service at this quaint little restaurant was excellent. The waitress was very kind, and knew her stuff about each item on the menu. She suggested a few things for us to try, and we had a fantastic meal in full view of the quaint town and the majestic mountains.

We paid our meager check and decided to head to our last stop of our epic ride. To be honest, it was the one stop that we were both looking forward to after such an amazing ride. A mere ten minutes after we left Kaslo, along a really nice road that had some really good gentle curves, we came upon the Mecca for our trip. We pulled in to Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort at a little after 2:30pm. We gathered our swim trunks from the places we had them stashed and headed up the ramp to the desk to pay our admission. For $10 CAD, you could spend as long as you wanted (at least until closing) soaking in the mineral rich pools heated by the earth itself. It felt so nice to climb in to the water.  You could feel the aches and pains from the days ride just ooze out of your achey muscles.
Directly to the right of the door leading to the pool, you could step in to the cave that housed the inlet for the lovely hot water. The steam in the dark cave was so nice, and the sound of rushing water soothed the road noise from our brains. Stepping out of the darkness after ten minutes or so, we found that to the left of the entrance they had a small round pool, about the size of a hot tub. Stepping in to this pool, we realized quickly that this was a cold pool. By cold, I mean cold.  It was fed by a small creek that had its start in the massive Kootenai Glacier in the mountains above us. We both stepped in to our waists and then figured out that it wasn’t for us. Ultimately, after a few more trips between the main pool and the cave pool, we mustered enough courage to dunk ourselves directly into the cold, cold water, all the way to our heads. This experience changed the game. We took a few more trips between the hot and cold water and we felt absolutely invigorated from the experience. Even though it may seem insignificant, one thing that impressed us was that the changing room had a device that spun all the water out of your swimsuit. I know it’s cheesy but it was really cool and sounded like a Harley Davidson  rumbling down the road when you pushed the door closed.

The fun with the suit spinner over, we left Ainsworth about half past four and headed back to Nelson.
Ten minutes past Ainsworth we saw a familiar site, the Balfour ferry landing.  At this point we picked up another rider in our line and the 3 of us stayed together enjoying the curvy road until he pulled off, just before Nelson. The welcoming facade of the hotel came in to view.  We parked the bikes, took the bags to the room and walked over to the grocery store for something to eat.   We ate our Safeway deli food, and enjoyed a few of the local beers that we purchased for the evening, watched a few movies on the tv and dozed off, ending our absolutely epic ride day.
I woke up again around 6:30 A.M. on the day we headed for home. I quietly started getting my things together so as not to disturb Matt. I got myself ready for the day and about a half hour later Matt started doing the same. We packed all of our stuff in to our panniers, top cases and duffels and got ready to head home. Hopping on the bikes, we headed to the resort. We had our breakfast, drank our coffee and hit the road for home. We took Highway 6 heading south from Nelson. This route was much faster than the roads we had traveled so far. We must have been tired, as we took turns reading road signs and making semi witty quips about them. About the time we reached Salmo, we decided to stop for a bathroom break.  We took the opportunity to wash the various forms of bug guts off our windshields and get a quick snack.  We hopped back on the road and knocked out the last few kilometers to the border.
The US Border crossing experience was quite different from the Canadian border. Yes, they had the same questions about fruits and vegetables, firearms and other declarables, and the officer was decent enough. After all he was just doing his job, but the difference in the rules was completely obvious. Needless to say, the interview stopped short of the body cavity search and the officer let us cross. We continued south toward the last good twisties of our trip, in Metaline Falls, Washington. We pushed through the miles with the mixed feelings of heading home after an amazing trip.
Just north of Cusick Washington, we came upon an accident. A fellow motorcyclist had hit the ground. He had EMS personnel all  around him checking him over. He seemed awake and he was gesturing with his hands, so it seemed he would be ok. We pulled in to Cusick to fuel up and decided waiting for the onslaught of Emergency vehicles that were sure to race by any moment would be best. We waited a for a while, but they never came, so we trudged on. 

We finally met up with US Highway 2, and just like that we were on the home stretch. From the Junction we followed Highway 2 until we figured out that holiday traffic really sucked. We turned off on some of our favorite back roads and slinked around the all to familiar roads to Matt’s house.  We pulled in and said our goodbyes and then I headed home to the loving embrace of my lovely wife (that is after the dog got her two cents in). The ride had ended and it was time to get back to reality.  I really like Canada. No one was being hateful or unkind. Doors were held open, “thank you” was said constantly. It was so refreshing to be able to start a conversation with just about anyone and have them willing, almost eager to converse. This trip really helped me to de-stress and recuperate, after all, that is what vacations are for.    I have a while to plan the next one, who knows where our wanderlust will take us next.

Yes, we ARE on Facebook!

For those who didn't know, Lostornot.com has a Facebook page!   We re-post everything from this site on the page, but we also post other items from our friends in the industry.  The best benefit that comes from following our facebook page is that we interact with our followers!   Have a question, need some advice,  have a complaint, our facebook page is where to go.    So Follow us if you want @arewelostornot.  If your page is awesome, we may just follow you back!   Have a great day and we look forward to seeing you around!

The Lost or Not Crew!

Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show and Sale!

Very often, my schedule clears up and I get to do something quite fun.   Last weekend was the Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show and Sale was in Spokane.   This show is always a treat.  Yes, I know it's all pretty much the same old stuff if, like my lovely wife,  you are not in to motorcycles.  However since you are reading this blog, I have a sneaking suspicion that you happen to enjoy life on 2 wheels.   
The stars of the show are, of course, Harley Davidson and Indian.   Both of these companies brought the latest and greatest models of the current year.   I am partial to the Harley Street Glide, as many who read my blog are aware.  However, the Indian Chieftain blew my mind.  My impressions, without riding this beast, are that this is one beautiful bike.   The only problem is that the price is way out of my range.  I don't make enough in my meager office worker existence to justify a nearly 30 thousand dollar purchase.  If I did purchase the chieftain, it would probably cost me at least 2 thousand more as I would also have to buy a new sofa that I could sleep on due to being kicked out of my bed. 


This year, I took my son with me.  He had a good time looking at the Triumph and Ducati models.  He seems to like the scrambler type bikes.   When he gets a bit older (he's only 14),  I may just buy 2  and we could go riding together.  And I'd also not need to buy as nice of a sofa as if I bought the chieftain. The price of 2 Ducati Scramblers is around half the price of the Indian.


We had the chance to watch the Seattle Cossacks precision riding team.  This was quite entertaining, however we did catch them toward the end of the day and I do think that their enthusiasm had waned a bit.   I still have to tip my hat to these guys.  Flipping, jumping, doing handstands and the like is hard enough, but these guys will do it on the backs of Harleys.  Thats gotta be crazy difficult.

One of the highlights for me personally is getting to meet the SoundRider podcast crew.  I have been listening to them for quite a while now.  They are one of the best Washington state based Podcasts around.   Rather than just focus on the politics of motorcycling, they really touch on the things that matter.   They also have a really nice rally each year that goes through the columbia river gorge, which is some of the absolute best scenery you will find in the entirety of the US.   Yeah, I know, I may be biased since I live here in Washington, but to be fair, im not the only one who says this.  You can Find the podcast and listen to their schpeel on Google Play Music's Podcast directory.

All in all, The Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show and Sale is a good place to see the newest models available to the general spokane community.  You can interact with local vendors, and visit with some of the dealers, be entertained and be fed for less than the price of dinner an a movie.  (unless you succumb to the sales pressures and buy a new bike).    I hope that next year they bring some more entertainment and maybe, a riding seminar or two, or maybe test rides.  That would be awesome!

Below are some more photos for your enjoyment!

 Food or Motorcycle... He made the right choice!

A Victory

STREET GLIDE SPECIAL CVO!!!  

OOO Purty!

Cool lettering on a cool bike!

The Classics!

Oil and Water

 Its wrenching season!    Im working up my checklist and buying all the fluids and parts I need.  I made the horrible mistake of looking at a forum to see what Oil  I should use.   This is a BAD idea!  People are so divided on the subject of which oil to use that it makes democrats and republicans look united.   For each brand, style, or viscosity of oil, there is a sycophantic group of devotees that will shun you if you have the audacity to choose any oil but their favorite.   Heaven forbid that you ride a different style of motorcycle that requires a completely different standard. 

I have found that my only recourse is to do the unthinkable and consult my manual.  For a 2001 Kawasaki Concours, I need 10w-40 JASO rated oil.   That is what is required.    Now, if you ask the Kawasaki dealer,  you absolutely have to buy Kawasaki Brand oil.   This I have found is not true.  Kawasaki oil is made by Motul.  Motul as most may know do make a good enough product, however they charge a premium price.   After all, their oils are run in the MotoGp bikes and at very high RPM.  I do not ride a MotoGP bike!   My lil ole Concours rarely gets above 5k RPM.   So paying the price for a race bred oil makes no sense.   Castrol is what I tend to use.  and I am partial the Actevo X-tra(partial synthetic).  It is JASO rated and it makes my bike purr like a kitten. 
I have tried a few from the forum,  The Shell Rotella T6 Full synth was supposedly a good inexpensive alternative for my bike.  Rotella is made for Diesel Engines and is JASO rated, so I figured if the forum dudes like it, it's worth a try.  After running it,  I found that it really made for hard shifting, and the oil burned rather quickly.  It worked ok, and when I changed the oil there were no shavings and it didn't break down at all, so it protected as it should. 
For this last season's oil change I tried the "Dino" motorcycle oil.  The Castrol GO(4T mineral based oil) and it worked really well.  Shifting was smooth and the engine really loved it.   However, the oil burned super fast and the oil got really dirty really quick.  Im confident that there won't be any shavings.  It was an ok oil, however, I think I'm going back to the semi synthetic.   So far, it has been the best for my bike.   Actevo X-tra is on sale at Amazon as well, so win-win.    If the Castrol Power 1 ever goes on sale, I may just go to the Full synth version, but as of now it makes for one expensive oil change.
So to sum up.   If you want to know what oil to use,  look at the owners manual to your bike.   If you keep it within the specifications then you should be fine.   Read the oil data sheets, read the forum if you dare, but ultimately, find the oil that makes your bike happy and keeps your pocketbook from hemorrhaging cash.   And for goodness sake, do NOT become an oil Nazi.   Let people do what they want.  Let them find whats best.  Now, lets talk tires...... uh.. nevermind. 

Never Enough!

So it ends!  The motorcycle season in the Pacific Northwest has wound down.  There are just a few bold (stupid) riders are still out there braving the icy roads and sub freezing temperatures.   The Big Blue Bird is nestled in her garage and she has had her stabilizer treatment.   The trickle charger is nowhere to be found,  but I surmise it will present itself if I look a bit harder. 
The toughest part about the coming season is the winter blahs.   My tired old brain has a hard time with the change of weather and I tend to get a bit cranky.    Maybe it is a side effect of not getting to ride enough, maybe its just the weight of the world.  Who knows?   I do lament that I only put a couple thousand miles on the bike this year.   

We rode the Rattlesnake Grade, and back through Walla Walla.  I rode several short hops around my home area, and I even rode the Flowery Trail a few times.   I would have loved to ride Glacier National park, or even Washington Hwy 20.  If I can find a way,  I would love to go riding to Alaska and take the ferry back, but that will require a lot of time away from the important parts of my life.
Whatever the next riding season brings, I hope that you come along with me.  Either through my blog posts and my videos, or even in real life I would love sharing my rides with you.

Who knows how things will turn out this next year,  it may be a great year for riding!   I'm shooting for 5000 miles at least.    I don't have a set plan or anything. It is just a wish. 

Motorcycle Fit.......

I am in shape! I mean really in shape.   What shape you ask?  ROUND!   I'm a pudge.  I have a BMI that makes doctors gasp.  Small children cry when they see me walking down the street.   Little old ladies use me as shade in the hot sun.   I'm a big boy!    That being said, I choose to talk about a subject that I am totally qualified to talk about.   Motorcycle Fitness! 

It takes quite a bit of force to push around a motorcycle.  If you are not so fit, a long ride won't be as long as you wanted it to be.  And after one of those "long" motorcycle rides, you will be sore.  Your arms, hips, back, legs, butt (glutes) and even your neck will hurt.   And I hear that the best way to alleviate that ache is to be "Motorcycle Fit".    I'm not sure what that means, but a few of my fellow motorcyclists have done all the work for me.

Sportrider.com has a workout that includes simple exercises like crunches, pushups, and working your arms with simple weights.
Revzilla recommends something called CrossFit.  It sounds like torture if you ask me.
Ride Apart has given a list of 3 essential exercises;  Lunges, Squats and Mason Twists.  It sounds easy enough....

Ultimately, having a semblance of fitness is important for riding a motorcycle.  Case in point:  I may be a big boy, but I am a strong big boy.   One time I had a 700lb bike decide to take a snooze in the soft dirt I put the kick down in.   Reaching down and lifting it up is not a super simple thing do to unless you happen to be Hafthor Bjornsson (strong man and actor).    What I had to do was get myself in a squatting position next to the seat and grip the downside handlebar and the grip handle on the back of the bike and squat press the bike back up to the vertical stance that it was meant to be in.  If I had been in any worse shape than I was,  I could have been facing hernia surgery or traction.   So, however you do it, work out enough to keep you motorcycle fit.   You will last longer in the saddle, be far less sore and in a pinch, be able to lift your bike if necessary.  

Random Rides- Flowery Trail Rd

Time for a ride down the Flowery Trail Rd!

This ride is from Usk, WA to Chewelah, WA.

The ride was fairly uneventful.  I rode from my house, In Mead, WA up US 2 and followed the signs to Usk, WA.  This ride is quite pretty no matter what time of year you ride it.  I will say, however, if you ride this in the heat of summer, you may have to deal with smoke as there is generally wildfires up here.  

While you may notice my mumbling and such, I chose not to focus on my words so much as the ride itself.   I will say, the camera does not do justice to the gorgeous colors up there.  The only downside to this ride is the fact that I sheared off one of my footpegs on the way home.    Oh well, I guess its an excuse to buy parts again!   Now I'll have something to wrench on during the cold and ick of winter.

Feel free to follow the video to Youtube.  You can watch some of my other videos!

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Have a wonderful day!

Scifi Dreams, Motorcycle Reality

For many years, Scifi and Fantasy writers have, at times, written about the ability to be invisible.  The ability to not be seen appeals to some.   You could sneak around with impunity and affect those around you.   The US Military spends billions of dollars trying to make it's war machines invisible to the enemy and for the most part, they have had limited success.   However, I am here to tell you that the easiest way to become invisible is to throw your leg over a motorcycle.     


If you have ever taken the MSC (Motorcycle Safety Course), you learned that you may as well be invisible to the traffic around you.   The trainers tend to emphasize that if you want to live to be a seasoned motorcyclist, you need to ride like the vehicles around you cannot see you at all.   I do not know why, but this lesson has seemed to pass right over the heads of some of the younger riders in my town lately. 

It blows my mind that some people don't get this.   Smaller means harder to see, especially at speed.   We need to take ownership of that fact.  Just because you see the car getting ready to turn in to the road, it does not mean that he/she sees you.   Chances are, unless you prepare for them to turn in front of you, you may end up flying right over them.   

Proverbs 14:16 says "The wise one is cautious and turns away from evil, But the stupid one is reckless and overconfident." Now, I really doubt that King Solomon had motorcyclists in mind when he wrote this, but it sure does apply. If you are wise, you realize that you are vulnerable and will do whatever you need to do to mitigate your risk. However, if you are stupid, you will ride as recklessly as you want to without regard for yours, or anyone else's safety. So I leave it to you dear reader, are you wise, or stupid? Your choice.

Ouch!

 Things have been quiet lately.  I have not posted to the blog, I have not vlogged.  Just a lot of quiet.  The reason behind this is that I've busted my butt.  I have been the unfortunate recipient of a cracked tailbone.  This wasn't due to anything motorcycle related, but it sure does make it hard to actually go and do anything motorcycle related.   This means I am reduced to a hobbling ball of ache until it heals up.   The sad part is that there isn't a darn thing I can do about it.   You can't cast it,  You cant immobilize it without immobilizing your whole self and that is just out of the question.   So, I wait.  Hoping that I will feel good enough to sit in the saddle at least for a few more hours between now and when the snow flies.  If not, well, there are always the videos from my rides this year!   Definitely good for when you can't ride.  I highly recommend watching them.  You can watch, comment and follow my motovlog HERE.    Also, if you recorded your rides, send me a link on my youtube channel. I would be happy to watch your rides as well.  After all, I'm going through withdrawls.

River Run-- Random Rides

Join me for a ride along the Spokane River at Riverside State Park.  Beautiful area and a low battery to boot.  Enjoy the ride!

Check me out on REVER https://a.rever.co/users/241003

Don't forget to subscribe and thumbs up the video!

Comment what else you would like to talk about, or see in the area.

Join or Die... No.... Join or Miss Out!

Because I had nothing better to do on a Friday night,  I decided I would set up a REVER group for any and all who wanted to connect that way.

Join the Lost or Not Rever Group!

I have several little rides posted, and I would be totally geeked out if you posted some of yours.

Maybe we could hook up for a group ride as well.   Never know!

It doesn't cost a thing to join, and if you want to, you can even pay the money to become a premium member.   (not that it would matter if you just were putzing around with the app).     I highly recommend REVER,  it is a pretty nice app. the GPS software seems to be spot on accurate on my S5.   Its also available for Apple products as well, but im not sure who would use anything like that.  Check it out!

Click the photo to the Right to go to the main site.   You can download the app on the Play Store or Itunes as well.  

Once you do,  look me up!
https://a.rever.co/users/241003

Random Rides: Mountain Climbing

Decided to ride up Mt. Spokane while spewing out the angst of the day.

MotoVlogger Mayhem

As you have probably noticed.  I have delved into the Motovlogging world with the Lost or Not Motovlog.   It's quite enjoyable.  I normally talk to myself (It is a sign of genius after all), but motovlogging allows me to actually have an excuse to do so.   I have also noticed that It is enjoyable to watch some of the other motovloggers on Youtube do their thing.
Take Shawn Smoak for instance.  Shawn rides all sorts of motorcycles.   He works at a dealership in Longview, Washington and he gets some pretty nice bikes to ride, and he also owns quite a few.  (His streetglide is amazing by the way.)   Shawn's style adds a very  hometown feel to his videos.  You feel connected to him and almost like a part of his family.   I binge watched a ton of his videos last time I was sick and it helped me through the time when I couldn't be on my own bike.    He also goes on group rides with the likes of XXX Deadhead and Giant Midget Moto, and between the 3 of them you get amazing perspectives of the areas they ride together.  XXX Deadhead has since stopped motovlogging to pursue his main career, but his old vids are still on youtube to enjoy.
Lately, I have been watching the FortNine channel.  Fornine is Canada's largest online powersports dealership so their videos have a fair amount of backing.   Ryan is the face of fortnine and he is quite fun to watch.  Ryan does the gear reviews and durability tests as well as comparisons, but I really like the well produced ride videos as well as the motovlogs.  The ride videos are all in Eastern Canada and they are some of the most beautiful areas I've seen.  Ryan narrates these with interesting facts about the area and tidbits about the ride so you get a good feel of what its like to ride the area.  He tends to ride an ADV bike, a Suzuki V-strom to be exact.  He will take whatever road he wants as his bike can go pretty much anywhere.   He does ride a few other bikes in order to review them, but he tends to lean towards the V-Strom.

There are other vloggers that I enjoy,  Robert Robb,  MotoGeo, and the like,  but there are a few that really annoy me.   I will not link to those certain ones that I don't like, but they are all pretty much the same.   They carpet bomb the F-word like they are in a B52 and not a motorcycle.  They freak out any time a car gets within 20 feet of them, and they will smash mirrors any time a cager pulls in front of them.   They wheelie everywhere they go and they run from the police.  They also will show general disrespect for everyone who isn't in their little crew.  Basically anyone who gives the rest of us riders a bad name.    MotoVlogging should be about whats best about motorcycles and riders, not what is worst about everyone else.   All those stupid people just make us look bad and make it alot harder for the rest of us to enjoy our hobby.

Solo Vs.Group Riding

Riding with friends is fun.  I do believe that the safety that is gained by having several riders with you is well worth it.   A group is easier to see than a solo rider, and if anything happens, then someone will be there to help out.  It's also nice sharing the sites with someone who shares your passion for riding a motorcycle.  However, there are drawbacks.  Riding with the wrong type of person may get you in to trouble.  People who like to go too fast, or ride dangerously, or even riders who don't know how to ride in groups can all cause you to have a really bad ride.  That being said,  riding alone has its benefits too.  You have a bit more freedom to stretch out in your lane and take the extra time to explore places on a whim.  Riding with friends, you almost need a plan in order to make sure everyone knows where they are going and no one gets lost.  Riding alone, if you see a road you want to take, then you just take it.  No discussion, no arguments  just go. This is the best kind of freedom.  You can see more of the area, and have an adventure.  That's what motorcycle riding is all about. The best of both worlds would be to find a buddy that has the same wanderlust that you posses and the same style of riding as you.   I tend to like to ride like a sport tourer.  I don't mind a little speed and twisty road at times, but I really like riding safely and comfortably for hours and hours.  Seeing new sights and meeting new people is important to me.   I have ridden with people who are track day junkies.  I've ridden with the pub to pub types, and I've even ridden with some of the ADV crew.   Truthfully, my favorite riders, are just like me.  

Random Rides

Yet another random ride that I recorded for reasons.  Real reasons.  Really real reasons.  

Trip to Enterprise Oregon Part 9 THE FINAL CHAPTER

Aww, the ride is ending!   We finish it off just before Colfax, WA.   You remember Colfax?

It was the place with the Codger Pole.   What?  You mean you don't remember that one?

You need to watch the first video again...   here,  Click THIS to watch the whole thing again!

and you really should hit the like button, and maybe even subscribe. 

 (don't forget to follow this blog too!)

Trip to Enterprise Oregon Part 8

We ride through South East Washington.    Palouse and a few small towns.  Almost back home!

Trip to Enterprise Oregon Part 7

We leave Pendleton and start heading home!    Great start to the day and we even get buzzed by a hawk carrying his breakfast!