NE Oregon

During the last weekend of June I road from Seattle to Enterprise Oregon.  NE Oregon has the highest concentration of great motorcycle roads on the west coast, save Northern California and perhaps the California Sierras.  It is an un-discovered treasure of great roads.

I call it riding in the box and inside the route below is the box.  Any two lane road inside the box is likely a terrific motorcycle road.


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The Oregon Motorcyclist is a great site to find motorcycle roads in Oregon.

My route to the box was pretty typical stuff.  To Enumclaw, Hwy 410 (Chinook Pass) to Yakima and down Hwy 97 to The Dalles, Oregon.  I left Friday night to spend the evening with in-laws in Yakima.

Here is a photo of the White River near Greenwater, Washington. Chinook Pass, about 20 miles up the road from here, is very scenic however this post is all about riding in the box.

My step father and I enjoyed the Mariners baseball game.   I was on the the road by 7:30am on Saturday - a late start - rats.  Here is my route to the Dalles.


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Mt Adams made an appearance along Hwy 97 just after Union Gap.  There was a bright sunny rectangle along the center of the mountain while the rest was shrouded by clouds.

At Maryhill just before crossing into Oregon I paid homage to Sam Hill who was the first to put paved roads in rural Washington.  We should bow down to Sam.

Route from The Dalles, Oregon to Enterprise, Oregon


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Point B on the map above is were the fun starts.  Following Hwy 216 you go by White River State Park and Sherar's Bridge where wooden platforms are used by local Native Americans to dip-net for salmon and steelhead as they try to go up the falls to their spawning beds.


Here is a photo of White River Fall near Point C on the map.  This is great place for a stop with running water and picnic tables

I stopped for another photo at Sherars' Bridge.  You can see the wood platform used for fishing on the left.

Hwy 216 plunges down to Sherar's Bridge then follows the Dechutes River for a short distance before winding it's way up to the plateau. 


Here are a few photos of this wonderful road.

Hwy 216 rejoins Hwy 97 and we are off to Hwy 218 near Antelope Oregon, best known being occupied in the early 1980's  by the followers of Bhawan Shree Rajneesh.  



For motorcyclist Hwy 218 is one of the best motorcycle roads in Oregon.  Dig this crazy road!

Unlike many roads in the box Hwy 218 runs up and down two ridges.  It also include a rest stop at the Clarno Unit of the Fossil Beds National Monument.


Just after the rest area is this old barn.

The eastern end of Hwy 218 ends in Fossil, Oregon which features a rest home.  Old Fossils in Fossil.

After Fossil my route took me north to Condon then east to Heppner, Pilot Rock, Pendleton, Elgin and Enterprise Oregon.  All great roads.


On Sunday my return route is below.

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Along the way home I shot a photo of this structure.

These are but just a few roads in the box.  Go ride them!

The End.

Finishing Dam Tour

Note my FJR Forum name is Fontanaman.

During the wonderful NAFO banquet dinner on Saturday night Fontanaman was lucky enough to win two prizes, a tee-shirt size M and a LED flashlight. The tee shirt became a present to his wife for he will never fit in a size M. Fontanaman was large even back in the day and those days are long gone and he is still a large today – yeah!

The return to Seattle ride was set up as a two day affair to snag all the remaining Dam Tour targets. 

The first day plan was an ambitious ride on back roads to Hood River Oregon. Fontanaman routed it out on the GPS and found it was 593 miles and 13 hours plus in riding time. This does not include any stops. Going against better judgment he was going to try riding this route in one day and arrive in time for dinner at Hood River and decided on leaving Castlegar at 5:00am.

Fontanaman’s room was next to MEM’s and when he walked outside he found this:



Fontanaman was off at 5:05am with threatening skies. Screw the rain. His Rev-it Jacket and Pants may look like hell but they keep Fontanaman warm and dry.
The plan was to cross the border at Rossland and road down Hwy 25 then following the Onion Creek Road south to Colville then 395 south to Long Lake Dam. 

It is hard to nail Fontanaman down to anything, he changes his mind often, much to the dismay of fellow riders. So be it and with this in mind and not looking to riding in the rain unless he has to Fontanaman noticed brighter skies at Northport skies in the slot looking south along Lake Roosevelt than to the east along the Onion road. Further US 395 out of Colville is a complete dud.

Despite Hwy 25 being a deer infested road, especially at such an early hour, Fontanaman who already had his near run in with a Forest Rat earlier in the morning, decided to take the drier, scenic and Forest Rat infested Hwy 25 down to Fruitland then to Wellpinit and Long Lake Dam. Sometimes Fontanaman dreams of a bike with a left hand throttle and a Glock…… especially when a Forest Rat appears.

Here of the photos of this leg:










A bit or rain near Long Lake Dam


Long Lake Dam


After stopping at Long Lake Dam Fontanamnan changed the route again to follow the roads less travelled, to roads never traveled and take the scenic option. This dropped him into Spokane for a fuel stop and the realization Hood River was unobtanium-able. So he whipped out his backup plan and called his sister-in-law in Pasco. Sure you can spend the night and we will feed you a BBQ dinner too. Perfect!

This was the last route revision and this become my route.

Here are the final photos from Sunday:

Notice the skies are now crystal clear blue. This series of photos are where shot long Hwy 27. Look where we have been Ma! 







Curl Lake Dam



A barn with a wood roof near Dayton



Zintel Canyon Dam at Kennewick



Monday 
Prosser Dam in Prosser (who’d a thunk)


Badger Gulch along the Bickleton Hwy



Mill Pond Dam near Glenwood Wa.



Crossing the Columbia River at Hood River



A bit of construction delay on the Hood River Bridge provides an opportunity to take a unique photo of the Columbia River



Upper Green Point Dam in Oregon where I enjoy a cigar to celebrate completing all 20 Dam Tour target for 2012. Yeah!



A road near Upper Green Point Dam. Nice views of Mt. Adam and Mt. Hood on a clear day. This was not a clear day.



It was a great ride to Seattle from NAFO. In his next ride report Fontanaman will write about riding in the box.

The End 

Day Riding NAFO

While at NAFO I went on two rides with Pablo, Eddie and his wife Becky.

Friday we went to Halcyon Hot Springs a 200 mile up and back from Castlegar.

Having road the BC Hotsprings route a few years prior I became the default tour guide. Halcyon is my favorite Hotsprings because you can float around in circle on two noodles.

Here is a photo of the facility.



In the far pool there is an small island and the water is circulates counter clockwise. By laying on a noodle wrapped under the legs and shoulder you can float around in circles. Pure bliss.

Here is a photo of moi floating around......



While take a photo of me Pablo took a self portrait.



We nearly had the whole place to ourselves. No other NAFO riders where there.

On Sunday the weather forecast was not so good but that did not deter us from getting out again. We headed to Hwy 31A and to Ainsworth Hotspring. On Sunday the default tour guide stopped a bit more and we got some photos.

The Dam right outside Castlegar.



A group shot. Yellow, red, black and orange gear.......



Scenic photos along Hwy 6 and 31A.



The contrast between the grey sky and green hillsides gave the lakes a lead color quality.









In the next NAFO ride report MEM has a pyramid of cups at her door and Fontanaman rides off to finish off Dam Tour.

The End. 

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Seattle to Castlegar BC

I road part of the way from Seattle to NAFO with the Seattle FJR gang. I choose to complete some Dam Tour targets in NE Washington thus dropped off the group in Winthrop.

My route was something like this. Plenty of twisty roads on this route featuring the North Cascades Hwy.

We met at a McDonald's in Arlington, Washington and left on time at 7:30.

Departing photo.



I decided to ride shot gun and take photos along the way. I first stopped to take a photo of Whitehorse Mountain near Darington. My photo stunk so I grabbed this one off the web instead.



The group stopped in Marblemount while I road on to get some photos. Before I could get set up the group road on by all of them following semi on a warm up section of the North Cascades Hwy. I say warm up for it is just outside Marblemount along the North Cascades Hwy where the good twisties begin.

I managed to get this shot of the group riding away behind a large truck moving slowly - oh the agony......



The next stop was at the Diablo Overlook where I caught up and once again continue on to get photos of the group.













We planned on stopping at the Washington Pass Overlook but it was closed. Here are a few images I have shot of the North Cascades Hwy over the years.

A wide angle lens shot before Rainy Pass.



Rainy Pass looking westbound:



Rainy Pass looking eastbound.

Liberty Bell Mt. at the Washington Pass Overlook.



In Winthrop I waved so long and head for Paterson Lake Dam near Sun Mountain Lodge. Here is my Dam Tour photo.



Onward I went to Omak and Nespelem, Okanogan, WA where I shot this photo for Dam Tour.



Just out of Nespelem, Cache Creek Road has a nice turn nearly right out of the gate....



I went to Owhi Lake to get this Dam Tour photo.



Next was the Bridge Creek road a very twisty road with all sort of interesting conditions.....



And on to Castlegar I went.

The End 

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