The road to Windy Ridge was closed again! I don't know if it has been open since last year's slide wiped out the road...

So I rode as far in as I could, hoping to find a way to the forest service road that winds through the destruction area north of St Helens. No luck - the road was closed long before the turnoff, and they blocked it off so even motorcycles couldn't go around. There is a mountain bike trail, though, that eventually meets up with the road I was looking for, so I took that. About half a mile in, the trail was blocked by a big fallen tree, which I did get around, only to find a valley full of snow. I wussed out and turned around, because I was riding alone and I was certain to get stuck at least once on that crazy trail.

Oh well, it was still a fun ride. I'll hit up the forest service road once Windy Ridge opens again, and eat lunch at Ryan Lake - some day.

 The Route

You can see snow to the left. About 300 feet up the trail, was a huge drop-off and way too much snow for me.

Love this picture. It represents why I love Oregon's forests.. so very green :)

I found it!

3,875 feet (1,181 m)

45°08′00″N 122°17′22″W / 45.133333°N 122.28944°W / 45.133333; -122.28944 (Clear Lake (Clackamas County, Oregon))

This isn't easy to get to, if you don't know where you are going. The road NF45, then a branch of NF4510, requires high-clearance vehicles. Lots of big holes and rocks, but a beautiful area.

 Sorry, forgot the camera (as usual) - these were taken with my iPhone.

The TW200 taking in the lake view after making the journey easy. What you can't see in any of these images, is that this lake is surrounded on three sides by mountains (very close).

These flowering bushes were everywhere...

It has been a while since an update to this site!

I'm currently changing jobs, and finishing up my MBA... so needless to say I have not taken a trip to AK this June. I guess it will wait until next year :(

But I did just acquire a 1989 Yamaha TW200. This isn't the ideal bike for long distance riding, but people have taken them to AK before (and even the north pole). Ideally I'll have a BMW GS or similar next year, but regardless I'm going to completely tear down this bike over the winter. It needs paint, front and rear racks, panniers, and a larger fuel tank. It will be ready for Alaska - just in case I decide not to get a larger bike.

The TW200 is great, by they way. You'd think that a 200cc single cylinder 4-stroke bike would be weak, but it really isn't. Cruising at 65MPH produces quite a bit of vibration, but 55 is pretty smooth. With a softer seat, it'd be fine on a long distance trip. Oh, and it's very off-road capable.

This site has undergone quite a change recently. I realized that I had minimal content, and that redesigning would be better done now rather than later.

So here it is. I plan to store "blog" (I hate that word) posts about motorcycle trips. This summer I hope to sell my R6 and acquire a KLR650 to start my "ride everywhere" plan. I'll start by taking it on trips around home, much like I currently do with the sportbike - but with more off-road. This will give me a chance to figure out how I want to set everything up, what accessories I really need, and what tires are best. Then, it's off to Alaska for my first long trip.

Next, I'll do the Panama Canal round trip from home, then maybe a cross-country US trip as well. That's the end of 2-4 week trips I can take without shipping the bike across an ocean. The idea is to use vacation time while working, as opposed to those people who quit their job and spend years riding around the world. I just can't do that :)

Next I'll ship the bike to Brazil, ride south to the southern tip of S. America, then ride north all the way home. After that, who knows. Perhaps South Africa to Europe? Then Europe (London, for example) to India or Thailand? Of course, I also want to take the northern route across Asia and see Russia...