Cache Gathering 2021 - part 1

The annual Cache Rally/Gathering is here.

On my trip to Colorado a couple weeks ago, somehow my rear wheel suffered a break at a spoke attachment point. I kept forgetting to get a good pic, but if you look at the rear wheel in this pic you can see the broken spot at about the 6:00 position.

So I ordered a new outer rim and Steadman's in Tooele was able to finish lacing it in time so I could go on this ride.

The Cache rally will be held at Kamiah, Idaho this year. Kamiah (Camy-eye) is 577 miles from my home. I'll be on the freeway for 346 miles to Boise, then the roads will vastly improve!

So it was finally time to leave...And I did make it to Boise...almost. I stopped at the rest stop about 17 miles before town. The reason I stopped was to decide if I wanted to get a room in Boise or continue on. But as I searched for a room I was shocked to see they were going from $200 to 450 a pop!!

 What?!?! 

It turns out several events were going on in Boise that week and the town was packed! 

Town Packed = Prices Jacked!

But I wasn't going to spend that kind of money for a room. Even at the jacked up prices most of them were sold out anyway.

Sooooo..... I considered my options and decided I would just stay overnight at the rest stop. When it is time to sleep I'll don my rain gear to keep warm, and try to get some sleep. 

But then..... An hour or so later my phone went off with some weather alerts. 

Ohhh goodie...

One was a wind advisery (gusts to 60mph) the other was about a dust storm advisery.

And the wind DID BLOW!!

And the dust DID...ummm....DUST!

The traffic on the freeway was going somewhat slower due to the dust, and the trees were groaning because of the horrendous winds!

It was an interesting night.

My sleeping accommodations (the red bag was my pillow, the green duffle bag was my bed) and what I had for dinner (bagel and boiled egg). It's all good at least it was a cheap night.

These two guys along with their buddy not in the pic watched out for me while I stayed at the rest stop.

Gene, Steven and Jacob are homeless and are regulars at this rest stop. They went out of their way to make certain I was aware of the weather advisories, shared their beer and even offered me a tarp to sleep under, which I declined, but in hindsight I wish I had taken them up on that offer.

I enjoyed their company and more importantly, their Christian fellowship!

Sleep was scarce so early in the morning I left the rest stop and picked up another US Best Road on my way to Kamiah.

Horseshoe Bend to Cascade, Idaho

When I reverse the screen on my phone I get this muddy picture.... my phone needs a new screen cover...

After some very scenic riding, I make it to Kamiah and ride to the KOA to meet with Don aka nvr2old (the organizer) and Len and his wife.

Don and I decide to ride to Elk City. 

What a beautiful ride! Where the road ends at Elk City there was this nice place to eat so we took advantage of that and got fish and chips.

Don underneath Headache rock.

If you're driving a box truck or an RV you'll want to be careful here.

When we got back in Kamiah the group chose a Mexican eatery to have dinner - we had good conversation and ...dinner.

I didn't get a group picture and as far as I know no one else did either.

Then on Friday everyone but me departed for their next destinations

I stayed another day and went on a solo ride.

Somewhere near Pierce I ran into this guy, he was very friendly and offered to have me go on his ride with him...  He insisted the road, while dirt, was very well maintained, I thanked him for the offer but   declined.

More in Part 2

Cache Gathering 2021 part 2

Nooooo...... I didn't sell the Tenere. 

I met this guy the day before I left Kamiah. Jonny Lewis is a Screenwriter/Director currently working on an independent film titled "Waking up in Idaho"

www.WakingupinIdaho.film

Jonny has another film in the works called "Biker Babes" 

https://bikerbabes.film/ 

which is a comedy about moving on after a tragic loss.

For that reason he took an interest in what I was doing... making some adjustments on the bike.  We took a load off in the shade behind the Tenere and talked bikes for a good long while.

It was a pleasure meeting Jonny, and very interesting to get a tiny insight into the art of movie making.

Somewhere along the way I lost a cap that protects the backside of  one of my headlights. I was concerned about road grime and even worse, water getting into the headlight housing so I took some Gorilla tape and a baggy and made a temporary 'cap'... or as I called it my headlight condom.  

It apparently worked as it was still intact and there was no nasty stuff in the housing when I got home. 

I have two new caps ordered.

On Saturday I departed for Washington to pick up another of the US 15 Best

To get to Omak I go via the "Old Spiral Highway" north of Lewiston, Idaho.

Charlie Ryan wrote the song "Hot Rod Lincoln" after he and a friend raced up the Old Spiral Hwy, when they recorded the song they changed the name of the road to Grapevine hill.

Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen covered the song in 1972

After an overnight stay in Omak, I ride the Northern Cascades Scenic Byway...one of the US 15 Best.

Omak to Concrete Wa.

Look close across the bridge and you can see the Tenere by the hwy sign.

Yes, I know...  my selfie skills are a work in progress.

And the other end of another super road.

Then I was on my way to Redmond, Oregon for a couple nights stay.

As I passed Maryhill, Washington I recognized that name (more than just the song) and knew there was something I wanted to see in Maryhill.

I pulled over and pondered it for a moment and then remembered that there is a Stonehenge replica in Maryhill!

So I broke out my smart phone and woke up Ms.Google and it turns out I was very close, only 4 miles away. I was even closer than that to the Maryhill Museum so I pulled in there and took a short gander at some of their interesting outdoor exhibits then it was off the see the Henge.

Looking down on the Columbia River and the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge from the Maryhill Museum

The Henge is a memorial to US Service members.

Then I rode to Eagle Crest near Redmond, Oregon to find my lodging. 

When I checked into the condo at Eagle Crest, I had to use the bathroom. I went in and opened the door to the bathroom and proceeded to go about my business by standing at the porcelain with my back to the door I had just opened. Since I was alone in the condo I had simply left the bathroom door wide open.

But as I was whizzing merrily away I hear the door CLICK SHUT behind me.....  Do you know how hard it is to concentrate on your aim when that happens???

After I had looked over my shoulder to make certain I was at least ALONE in the bathroom, I finished and went through the rest of the condo to make certain I was ALONE there as well. And I was.

The bathroom door? Well, if left open, it closes itself...every time.

I BLOCKED it open with a garbage can for the rest of my stay.

Since I was staying in Eagle Crest I was 678 miles from home. I didn't intend to ride all those miles in one day, but when I get homebound I have a hard time stopping - so it was about 9:00 pm when I rolled into our circle, tired but happy to be home!

The total distance of the trip was 2591 miles.

This was a nice ride, however it was not the best I've ever been on. My timing was perfect or maybe 'imperfect' for weather as there was a record breaking heat wave that I rode in for most of the trip.

In Seattle I was stuck in a stop and go traffic jam for close to 45 minutes in about 110 degree temps.

In Tacoma the temp was 113....and on and on.

Ohhh well, you take the good with the bad, the sweet with the sour and the hot with the cold and while it was not a perfect ride it was still a motorcycle ride!

...and that means;

Life is GOOD!

To the wet coast

Going to California to get the 15 best, here are some experiences that I left off the 4 part15 best posts. The 15 roads took two trips to bag them all.

This is the first trip;

At Olancha, Ca....I don't know the story behind this sentiment.

Near Roy's on Rt 66

Riding Ca 1 I see a dust-up at Elephant Seal Rock.

Same road...the Ca 1 is spectacular!

"Oops"...I rode the wrong road. I turned right at the General's highway and Ca 180/198 intersection (I should have gone straight) and spent 2 hours navigating rain, hail, snow and thick fog on the beautiful and mega curvy General's hwy. I didn't realize I had made this mistake until I got home.....  

Ohhhh Darn! I'll have to go back and do the right road!

I was able to pick up 10 of 15 during the first trip. On the second trip I was able to get the last 5

And on the way home from the first trip I pass through Fallon, Nevada and get this pic.

Then the second trip...

On the way there, and on the way home I stayed both times in Eureka, Nevada at the Sundown Lodge

On my first visit my timing was perfect as the Lodge just happened to be hosting a BBQ that night so I got in on free food and the good times.

Chris and Gina run the place and are Good People! I stayed up till late chatting with Chris and very much enjoyed the meal and conversation.

A bit later I was offered a tour of the Eureka tunnels that the emigrants used many many years ago to make their way around the town. Apparently they were not welcome to be in public in the town proper.

This is underneath one of the buildings on Main Street.

The stairs are STEEP!

Safety first....

At one point in the life of this building business transactions were held in this and several other similar rooms.....

The hallway that held the 'business rooms'

Back in the sunshine....my well traveled hula girl is starting to be a little immodest...   When she gets to-rockin and rollin sometimes I can see the curls of her spring.

So I mooched an elastic band and easily solved the problem....for now.

While enroute to Sequoia National Forest on Ca99 at about 70 mph, I was passed by a truck with a utility bed, and the tail-gate was down. 

This air tank was near the end of the tail-gate. I quickly slowed to get some space between him and me - and sure enough about 1/2 mile later the tank bounced out of the truck and onto the road.

Because I had slowed to make space between us it was not a danger to me, but it stopped spinning and bouncing in the middle of the outside lane.

Knowing that was likely to cause an accident, I pulled over and moved the tank off to the other side of the guard-rail. The truck, apparently oblivious, kept going.

I had a couple of Sasquatch sightings on Ca 96 enroute to Willow Creek

Enjoying a snack near Kanawyers in Sequoia NF I just couldn't resist snapping this pic of my baby...

I stayed two nights in lodging a few miles outside of Angels Camp.

Sitting on my deck at night I would see these deer as they would visit looking for handouts.

And on my way home as I neared Ely, Nevada this locomotive passed in the other direction, I quickly pulled a U-ey and got ahead of him at the next photo op....as they passed the Engineer gave me a wave and a couple blasts of the horn!

Nice!!

And that's that.

This last trip was a bit under 3000 miles. 

On the last three trips I've made the bike has averaged for the trip 55 mpg twice and 57 once. I'm VERY happy with the Tenere....I been lucky enough to have ridden 95,000 miles on her since May of 18

Life is sooooooooooo good!