A PNW Playdate

[WoodsChick]

Eric and I usually ride Idaho in the summers, but this year was a little different. Eric didn't want to take any time off, and my usual vacation/ride partner friends had decided to stay closer to home in WA so I decided on a moment's notice to fly up (they had a KTM200 for me to ride) and ride with them. It was all last minute and my plans were in shambles from day one. An extra added bonus was the presence of Rick and Ben, both of which I'd ridden with before in ID and WA. An extra extra added bonus was the prospect of meeting Kelly and Jake (jmetteer) too! I had originally planned on going only for a few days, maybe Mon-Thurs, then almost bought a plane ticket for Sun-Fri, then I just decided to drive up by myself. It just doesn't feel like summer vacation without a road trip.

Leaving the bank at 8am Sunday...

It was a long drive, and after 9 hours on the road, I spied a rest stop up ahead right along the Wilamette River south of Salem. It was 95 degrees and that water was looking mighty nice so I pulled in to the rest stop and called Eric while I walked over to the river to test the water. A swim would get me in the mood for a few more hours of driving. Ooh, I can't wait to jump in!

Heading back to the van I see this...

Crap! 56000+ miles on the van and I have to get the first flat on it when I'm 600 miles from home...by myself...without the toolbox. If Eric had been there it would have been a 30 minute affair from start to finish. As it was, I had to drop the bike just to get to the spare tire. Did you know that Pleasure-Way spare tire covers have locks on them? I didn't... 30 sweaty minutes later I have the cover off and can now access the spare tire...

Hmm...it'll be a tight fit getting to the tools in the back...

I got to the van tools OK, but it included a box wrench to get the lug nuts off the spare. With the weird angle (the wrench wouldn't sit flat on the lug nut) and my pathetic hand strength due to 2 broken wrists and 2 torn thumb ligaments (I really need to get those fixed someday...) it just wasn't going to happen. I swallowed my pride (for the first time, but certainly not the last, on this trip) and called AAA. Kind of embarrassing, but they were fast and efficient and I had a big sweaty guy there in no time to handle the grunt work. He ended up having to do some very fancy maneuvering with 2 hydraulic jacks to get the wheel off, then we both had to bust our butts to get the flat tire back on the rear. At this point I was really glad I didn't continue to do it myself...and I felt a little less embarrassed about having someone do it for me

Anyway, I had dinner after the ordeal and it was cooling off and getting dark. I didn't want to drive all night without a spare so I settled in for the night and made plans to be at Les Schwab in Salem at 7:30 the next morning. They fixed my tire right away, switched it with the spare, buttoned everything up nice and neat, and they even put the bike back where it belonged! Took them about 30 minutes and they charged me a whopping $12.50. Not bad for having bought my tires at Sears

Headed north and had a lovely drive up into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. I used to live in Toledo for a brief time in high school so it was kind of fun seeing things from my youth along the way.

Pulled in to our super-killer remote campsite that Kelly had suggested
and was met by the Harrells (Tim, Theresa, Scott, Lorena and Sandy the wonderdog) and Rick. It was great seeing everyone, and it was nice to be done with the driving for awhile. 820 miles is a long drive when solo. Is this a nice campspot or what??

The view out my door...

Everyone went for a ride, but I was beat from the trip and set about setting up camp. Theresa and I took her truck out exploring later in the day and we had a great time checking out primitive roads and such.

The riders returned and it turns out Tim's GasGas EC300 was puking oil. He guessed he needed a new gasket, and I just happened to have the GasGas box in the van. We whipped it out and there, right on top, was the very gasket he needed. I knew there was a reason he wanted me to come to WA!

Yeah, I'd say that gasket was toast, wouldn't you?

All's right with the world...

Ben showed up later that night and we all had a great time telling lies around the campfire.

The next day's ride would be me on a loaner KTM200, Rick, Ben, Tim and Scott. Here we are at a gas stop about 20 miles (?) into the ride. And no, that isn't me in the pink riding gear, that's Scott, a very fast up-and-coming A Enduro rider that won't see 17 til next month...

(note to self: do not tuck jersey in from now on...)

My steed for the week...

Sandy guarding the gas cans...

This kind of stuff is everywhere...

Some trail photos...

Lots of this action on the trail...

To be continued...



WoodsChick

 

[Troy F Collins]

wow wee...thats quite an adventure

I like the angle of the those trees relative to the ground...pretty steep




cant beat a road trip in the summer ..I'm sure you could have done without the flat tire.....

 

[WoodsChick]

This trail switchbacked up the hill, and they weren't particularly nasty, but I wasn't getting along well with the 200 for some reason. I was trying to ride it like my 125, even though Tim repeatedly told me I could lug it way more than I thought, so I was pretty much riding like a spode. I've ridden this very bike before, and I've ridden a few other 200's without any undue drama, but for some reason I was not riding up to my potential. It could have had something to do with not riding a real dirtbike since May (and a 280 2-stroke at that...waaay different machine) and/or spending way too much time on my 610...or it could have been a simple case of LOT Syndrome rearing its ugly head At any rate, I'm glad I was riding with people that have ridden with me before in much gnarlier terrain...that was my only saving grace

Tim heading for the switchback...

My turn...

The trail got a little dusty and this caused a bit of a problem a little further down the trail. Ben came around a turn and found one of those cinderblock thingys standing on end in the middle of the trail. I think he hit it and it totally blew his momentum. He ended up turning around and going back down, and I happened to encounter him right above this spot. The offending cinderblock can be seen on the left side of the trail, and Tim's front tire is buried in the silt...

Anyway, I came around the bend and was greeted by a huge wall of silt-colored nothingness kicked up by Ben. I blew the entrance and I went down. Yeah, that's it...I'll stick with "Yeah, it was all Ben's fault!"
I slid back down the hill and managed to pin my torso between a tree and the handlebars. Tim bailed me out post haste and there was no damage done. We were in kind of a funky spot and were in the process of moving the bike around, with me standing on a silty sloped rock facing down the hill, when my feet went out from under me and I landed hard on my butt. I was not happy about it, and Tim and Ben thought I'd busted my tailbone. Nope, nothing of the sort...I had torn up my right knee instead. Great...it hurt like hell but I was more scared than anything. I'd had the ACL reconstructed with my own patellar tendon back in 1998, and since I had the left one done in 2005, I knew I didn't have any spare parts left to fix it again. Crap...

The knee-killing rock can be seen in this photo right above the embedded cinderblock...

This was the last photo I took while in WA...

We continued up the hill. Oddly enough, I was just starting to come to terms with the little 200 and was actually enjoying the ride, except for the searing pain in my knee, of course I knew I had to get off the bike soon and get some ice on the knee. I couldn't start it comfortably (even though I did get the job done several more times) and began using my left leg to start it. Tim and I took off for camp at the Juniper Ridge trail (the only one I can remember the name of) and took the roads back to camp. They were scenic and beautiful, and it was an enjoyable ride, but I had a hard time coming to grips with the unfolding situation.

So there you have it, folks...my riding vacation to WA summed up in one far-too-short ride. I sat around camp for a few days, slamming 800mg prescription Ibuprofen, icing the knee, enjoying everyone's company, and dreading the long drive back home. My knees get stiff when driving even when they're feeling good; I was wondering if I'd even be able to walk once I got home! I was due to meet up with some friends for a very important birthday ride in the Sierra over the weekend and seriously doubted it was going to happen, even if it was only a dualsport ride on my 450 with the Happy Button.

Anyway, I ended up leaving camp on Thursday afternoon, thoroughly bummed about not getting to ride, and even more bummed I wouldn't be meeting Kelly and Jake...at least not this time around. I am sure Eric and I will be back up there for a ride one of these days in the not-too-distant future. We rode the area in `98 by ourselves, and we always wanted to go back and ride some more of the stunningly beautiful trails.

All in all I had a great time visiting friends and enjoying the scenery and the road trip. It satisfied my ever-present wanderlust (for now...) and it got me away from work for awhile so I'm branding the trip an almost total success. Missing Kelly and Jake was a drag...



WoodsChick

 

[HuskyDude]

Some times Sh!t happens.
While reading about your misfortune I can relate to all the times I've bent and broken myself. I feel for ya girl. Riders reading this can only relate if they have been there done that...think of all the people that would not even try advanced S/T stuff like that. More power to ya.

But I would not give up one second of all the good times I've had with fellow riders and even riding with my wife Cathy.(although that hasn't happened for a while.)
I hope you mend quickly and Thx for sharing you vacation with us.

 

[Troy F Collins]

Wow woodsie...you werent kidding about the "to be continued" part...


is that knee going to be ok ????

 

[WoodsChick]

Wow woodsie...you werent kidding about the "to be continued" part...


is that knee going to be ok ????

I don't know...I saw my knee guy (did both ACL's) on Thursday and had an MRI Friday night. I go see him some time next week. It's feeling a lot better, but it still isn't right. I drove for about 11 hours straight on the way home, stopping only for gas and food before spending the night on a forest road in NorCal somewhere and I actually think it helped my knee! Not what I would have expected at all. Anyway, I'm anxious to see what I did to it.


WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

Some times Sh!t happens.
While reading about your misfortune I can relate to all the times I've bent and broken myself. I feel for ya girl. Riders reading this can only relate if they have been there done that...think of all the people that would not even try advanced S/T stuff like that. More power to ya.

But I would not give up one second of all the good times I've had with fellow riders and even riding with my wife Cathy.(although that hasn't happened for a while.)
I hope you mend quickly and Thx for sharing you vacation with us.

The pleasure was all mine, HuskyDude

Yeah, I've had my fair share of disappointments on rides before, but usually the injury happens while I'm on the bike Hard to believe I hurt myself by falling off my own 2 feet

I must be getting old...



WoodsChick

 

[Coffee]

Which knee? Does the van have cruise control?

Nice report, sorry about your getting hurt.

 

[WoodsChick]

Which knee? Does the van have cruise control?

Nice report, sorry about your getting hurt.

It was my right knee, and yeah the Pleasure Palace has cruise control. Traffic was kinda weird heading south, though. Tons of traffic and it just never seemed to...flow well enough to use it, you know? I did use it a few times, though. Long enough to move my leg up and down a bit.



WoodsChick

 

[Coffee]

It was my right knee, and yeah the Pleasure Palace has cruise control. Traffic was kinda weird heading south, though. Tons of traffic and it just never seemed to...flow well enough to use it, you know? I did use it a few times, though. Long enough to move my leg up and down a bit.



WoodsChick

I do know what you mean. You are one ToughChick.

 

[Dirtdame]

That's a rather unexpected ride report! Too bad about the knee. Hope you make a quick recovery. You can't get all banged up yet....I haven't even gotten a chance to ride with you yet.

I know what you mean about the 200. I took my 220 and my green slug KLX300 to Troy Meadows and only rode the 220 about 20 miles. The whole rest of the time I spent on the 300 and actually liked it better on the singletrack, even in the deep silt with it's worn out DOT tires.

As for your flat tire on the van; do like I do. I carry a compressor and a plug kit. I just pull the offending sharp thingie out of the tire, plug it and fill it, then get rolling. Changing tires is too darn much work.

 

[Motosportz]

Welcome to my world. We missed each other by about 45 minutes. I took your camp spot for the next 4 days

 

[XLEnduroMan]

Best of luck for a positive diagnosis on your knee!

 

[Tim H]

Nice report, Tami.
First of all, I have to repeat that I'm very, very sorry that we took you that direction on your first ride up here. In retrospect, I'm sure that we'd have had a much nicer ride (that you would have had more time to adjust to the 200 on) if we'd ridden the loop in the other, more "normal" direction. That's what I get for taking suggestions from a 16 year old hotshot...but I shoulda known. BTW, the trail that beat you down was the Tongue Mountain Trail, an intriguing name to say the least. You'll just have to come back, with Eric and your Pampera, so we can ride the rest of the finest mountain trails in the Northwest.
Thanks again to Eric, for being prepared to an amazing degree (as usual), and to you for transporting the GasGas box up here for me to mooch gaskets from. I'm also completely sure that the only reason my chain guide didn't die on me was the presence of your pristine identical spare unit.
Thanks for all of the cool pictures of me riding and wrenching and stuff. Hey everybody, check out the condition of that clutch basket...that's a 5 year old stock basket on a VERY well used GasGas EC300, un-notched and working fine, thank you very much. Still has the stock plates in it, too. I love European motorcycles.
Anyway, I just wanted to apologize again, and also to the rest of the Cafe Husky inmates for injuring your moderator; I hope this one gets better on it's own and soon, since Woodschick might get just a little testy if she's put down for another long recovery period. They seem to follow her rides with me, but I swear it's not all my fault! (In all fairness, she has a pretty extensive history of injuries from rides that I was nowhere near, too, but for the last 5 or 6 years I seem to be some sort of catalyst.)
Heal quick and well Tami, and we're looking forward to seeing you next time, whenever that may be (not soon enough, though).

Tim H

 

[Dirtdame]

Nice report, Tami.
BTW, the trail that beat you down was the Tongue Mountain Trail, an intriguing name to say the least.
Tim H

You mean cuz Woodsie took a licking by it?

 

[jmetteer]

Well that didn't work out so well, we'll have to make it better next time.

Later,

 

[Tim H]

Well that didn't work out so well, we'll have to make it better next time.

Later,

Hey Jake, sorry we missed you, too. If you plan on going back up there any time, drop me a line (Ben has our e-mail). We'd love to hook up, especially since I have my bike back on the trail (finally), and Scott and I are always up for a G-P ride schedule permitting. We're even closer than you, so day rides are good too.
You going to be doing any of the fall NMA Offroad series races? If so, we'll see you there if nothing else.

Tim H

 

[jmetteer]

Hey Jake, sorry we missed you, too. If you plan on going back up there any time, drop me a line (Ben has our e-mail). We'd love to hook up, especially since I have my bike back on the trail (finally), and Scott and I are always up for a G-P ride schedule permitting. We're even closer than you, so day rides are good too.
You going to be doing any of the fall NMA Offroad series races? If so, we'll see you there if nothing else.

Tim H

Hey Tim,

Yeah things were a bit chaotic that week, next time.

I don't think you can be much closer than the GP than me... 65 miles to the closest trail head and 6 within 80 miles.. Let me know if you head up there.

I want to do both ISDE's and the Rimrock gp, see ya there.

Later,

 

[XLEnduroMan]

I know the soles on most mc boots are slick to keep from catching on the pegs. Mine are slick bottomed but I still manage to get them caught sometimes when I need my feet. Some tread sure could help for the times off the bike. I have thought of getting some atv boots or some like these. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/6/3/23198/ITEM/AXO-Boxer-Enduro-Boots.aspx Becky has these in tan and loves them. She says they are the most comfortable boot she has worn on a bike, and the have the lugged sole. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/6/3/16977/ITEM/AXO-Slammer-Constructor-Shorty-Boots.aspx

 

[XLEnduroMan]

before spending the night on a forest road in NorCal somewhere and I actually think it helped my knee!


WoodsChick

Did you by chance drink from a spring up this way? Maybe you found what Ponce de León was looking for!