Mile 6191

This morning I wake up to a crisp 42F, not unusual for the place I spent the night.  The hot coffee tastes really good, and after I have put on three (3)! layers and my Klim jacket I'm ready to go.  I trace back to Hwy-97 and go South over the Blewett Pass in the Wenatchee Mountains.  Climbing up to 4124 ft at 7 o'clock in the morning at those temperatures is not ideal, and even with the sun above the horizon, but too low to shine into the valley, I'm glad for my seat and grip heating.  But it is a fun ride anyway, and I will do some more climbing of passes along US-97, not that heigh anymore, and later this morning with temps more agreeable.  After Ellensburg, WA I pass the US Military Res. Yakima Training Center and make a quick stop in Yakima, WA for a late breakfast.  From here I enter the valley with once again plenty of apple, plum, and peach orchards, and the air is full of the smell of the different fruits which are currently harvested.  I cross the Columbia River at Maryhill, WA and continue to Biggs. OR from where I climb and descend into the big plaines of Oregon.  There is not very much to see in this part of the state, and the view left, right, back or ahead is pretty much the same.  Grain harvest is already done, and the land looks pretty barren.  After having seen my camp site destination in Redmond, OR I decide to go on to make it all the way to Klamath Falls, OR.  I pass through the Mt. Jefferson and Three Sisters Wilderness Area, with the Great Sandy Dessert to my left, and running through the Fremont Mountains down to the Upper Klamath Lake.  As I still try to decide on my place to stay for the night, the dark clouds following me since Bend, OR on my way South decide for me as they empty their content on me.  Since it is no fun to set up camp in the rain, a motel room has to do.

It was once again an interesting day, especially entering the Columbia River heights and all those hundreds of wind turbines standing still up there.  If this is the substitute for the energy production we try the cease, then what is the substitute to those when there is no wind.  I wonder how this can be an economical beneficial business since in my three weeks till now, I have seen many wind parks, but none of them had their turbines turning.  Anyway, someone is making money.

My plans for tomorrow are still in the air.  Traveling further South i.e. Hwy-97 will give me rain all day, but perhaps not at the evening, turning further East lets me miss some parts in Northern California or even Nevada.  Somehow I'd like to get to Reno, NV or South Lake Tahoe, CA, if I just could convince the weatherman.

Below some impressions of the day:

                Crossing the Columbia River at Maryhill, WA to Biggs, OR

       If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes, but even then, ....

                                Crooked River High Bridge, OR (new / old) 

Upper Klamath Lake, OR

"When I left the West Coast I was a Liberal.  When I landed in New York I was a Revolutionary."  - Jane Fonda - American actress and activist

Mile 5721

This morning it was good-bye to my brother in law and my two friends.  As they were readying to go to the airport, I packed the bike and turned it Southeast.  I left Vancouver, BC via Hwy-99 and made my way to Peace Arch to cross the border into the US.  Crossing the border was not as quick as two weeks ago, it took me about one hour in the line of cars to get through.  Once clear, I went onto I-5 South and about 30 miles later turned onto WA-20 to enter the Northern Cascades.  Finally, I was planning of doing this road since eight years, and today it presented itself in the best possible way.  Warm temperatures, no wind, good road conditions, and a clear sky, I could not have asked for a better day.  Up to Hamilton, WA it was the usual Sunday traffic, but then it all cleared and I had WA-20 for myself for many, many miles, until I ran onto some RV's or cars enjoying the scenery as well.  I stop, soak in the landscape, the mountains, the lakes and dams, the rivers, and continue, having another stretch on my own again.  I climb up to 5477 ft at Washington Pass, with some fantastic views.  Dropping down from the Cascades I come into the Okanogan Range and being greeted by wineries and apple, plums, and peach orchards.  After Winthrop, WA, a little town which tries to keep the Wild West alive, I pick up WA-153 to Hwy-97 to bring me South along the Columbia River, before I turn onto Hwy-2 to Leavensworth, WA, the final destination for today.

This was an exiting day.  I travelled through many Indian Reservations. like those of the Lummi, Samish, the Sauk Suiattle tribe, the Skagit, and some others, explored the Cascade Dam system of Gorge Lake, Diablo Lake, and Ross Lake, admired the peaks of Crater Mountain, McKay Ridge, Majestic Mountain, Mt. Ballard, Azurite Peak, Whistler Mountain, Cutthroat peak, and so many others which I most probably mix up altogether.  WA-20 has escaped me for so many years, but today it certainly manifested its place for me to one of the top ten roads here in the US.

Impressions of the day:

                                                                

                        Winthrop, WA

"I was born to ride, born to survive; I do whatever it takes to get by.  Yeah, I love to live, I'm not afraid to die. 'Cause I was born, born, born to ride."  - William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody - 1846 - 1917

Mile 5390

Today is the last segment of our trip, returning back to Vancouver, BC.  We are getting treated with a cool, but sunny morning in Harrison, BC, and can take it easy as we have just a short stint back.  So we follow Hwy-9 back to Agassiz, BC and cross the Fraser River to follow Tans Can Hwy-1 to Chilliwack, BC and on to Vancouver, BC.  Here Ludwig, Michael, and Matthias return their bikes and we spend the afternoon exploring a little more of the city.  Ludwig and I take the Hop-on, Hop-off bus and let us drive around town.  We find our spot in Gastown and treat ourselves to a beer and some food, soaking in the atmosphere of a hip-hop part of the city.  The evening we spend at Coal Harbor to a delicious meal and some drinks, and reflect on our trip.

Impressions from one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, Vancouver, BC, Gastown District:

   

And so comes to an end a very enjoyable 1831 mile trip through the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, over some of the most beautiful passes and roads in the country, and through an amazing scenery. Even though some wild fires changed our plans, what would be a road trip without changes?  The beauty is in the discovery of the unexpected, and what better way to experience that than with some good friends. Till the next time, keep the shiny side up and Bon Voyage back home.

"The sea has now changed from it's natural, to river colored water, the probable consequence of some streams falling into the bay, or into the ocean to the North of it, through low land."  -  George Vancouver (name giver to the city of Vancouver, BC) - British Royal Navy Officer charting 1791 to 1795 the North American Pacific Coast Region

Mile 5288

After a recreational day in Kelowna, BC, and a leisurely cruise around the northern section of lake Okanagan, some wine tasting and a lot of doing nothing yesterday, we are back on the bikes this morning to make our way to Hope, BC.  After some rain through the night we hope to escape the same on our way and with some clouds above our heads we cross to the west side of lake Okanagan and follow Hwy-97 south to Penticton, BC.  The drive brings us through many wine yards, and coming to Skaha Lake we take Hwy-3A west to bring us to Keremeos, BC to join Hwy-3.  This way brings us through many of the apple, cherrie, and peach orchards for which this area is known.  After Princeton, BC we climb the last passes for our tour, and our hopes on the way to Hope, BC of not encountering any rain is washed away when we get a good shower in Manning Provincial Park and Pass.  But this is short lived, even though hefty, and we descend to Hope, BC and further to Harrison Hot Spring, BC at Harrison Lake.

Hotel Resort Kelowna, BC

On the Beach, sculptures

Kelowna, old railway station, now a brew pub

another sculpture downtown Kelowna, BC

Wood carvings in Hope, BC

.... and Hope, BC is not only known for its wood carving sculptures or for its Philosopher Cafe "Blue Moose", but also for .....

..... correct, the place for the making of the 1982 movie, Rambo, "First Blood"

Impressions from Lake Harrison

Ludwig having his first ever Poutine

All in all this day had everything of what a good motorcycle trip has to offer, some rain, some sunshine, winds, mountain passes of up to 4200 ft, nice winding roads, great scenery and good road conditions.  A perfect day in my book.

"I could have killed 'em all, I could've killed you.  In town you're the law, out here it's mine.  Don't push it! Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe."  -  Rambo