Oregon

May 29th I was up for my included breakfast and on the road early in the morning. It was nice to not have a tent and gear to pack up. I hit the Oregon boarder pretty quickly where I stopped to take my usual Instagram photo.

In southern Oregon I rode past some really cool sand dunes, the kind I remember hiking in France. I was intrigued by Dune City and rode in to check it out. I didn't really find anything, so I set up shop on a picknic table next to the boatlaunch adjacent to the Westlake Resort. I had Annies. It was nothing special.

I continued up the road to Seal Rock where I pulled in for a pit stop and a wander out to see the ocean.  Up the road in Lincoln City where I jacked a MacDonald's wifi in an attempt to make contact with friends who knew the area in search of a place to stay. Without much luck, I followed my usual hair-brained plan and kept going. I turned off highway 101 towards Pacific City where I pulled into the Inn at Cape Kawanda (and the Campground behind it). Unfortunately they were all booked up, but the woman manning the campground mentioned that there were at least 3 more campgrounds to the north, so I decided to venture on. I bought myself dinner and a tall can of Budlight Lime fromt he market place for when I did find a place to settle.

Fifteen miles further along the 3 Capes Highway, I pulled into a Cape Lookout State Park despite their "Campground Full" sign. The sun was going down, I was tired from a long day riding, and I was getting worried. The ranger at the booth was extrememly helpful, he mentioned a group of campers that were supposed to change sites that day; he just had to check to see if their site was available and told me to return in 15 minutes. He implied that he'd sort me out regardless, so I pulled to the side and waited. I got the LAST SPOT in my friend's favourite camp ground ON MEMORIAL DAY LONG WEEKEND! If felt like a miracle. I pitched my tent made dinner and enjoyed that beer on the beach in front of a wonderful sunset.

The Road to Crescent City

I left Cassandra's early in the morning to visit the nearest gas station for a quick breakfast and to search for oil. No luck on the latter. I had to ride up the road about 30km to Fort Bragg where I nipped into O'Reilly's Auto Parts and purchased 2 quarts of oil. My bike drank the first quart and I kept the second for top ups.

I then hit the road north cutting out towards Drive-Thru Tree Park!  The section from Rockport to Legget was amazing! I love the coast with the beauty expanse of ocean on one side and rolling hills on the other, but riding the winding paths through the woods puts me at peace. I have the best thoughts while riding, none of which I remember when I come to rest. Maybe I don't need to, the sense of calm reflection I think held a lasting effect on me that has since worn off (6 months later I write this as Christmas approaches).








After Drive-Thru Tree Park, I hit the avenue of Giants where I shared a lunch with a fellow Alberta Motorcyclist in Miranda. He had ridden all the way from Calgary down to Arizona for a motorcycle festival and was making his way home.  After lunch I road onto the trail head for an easy walk though the woods:

Per usual, it was getting late in the day before I left the trail head to look for a place to lay my head. I got into Crescent City rather late - about 5 or 6pm. On the first Friday of Memorial Day long weekend. Rookie move! I did manage to get a room at the Ocean View Inn - the RV park would have been cheaper but oh the wind!  I negotiated with the woman at the desk and got my rate down over 40$!  I had fish and chips for dinner at a restaurant about a 25 min walk away. It was quite underwhelming. I took the evening off by watching TV and trying out the face mask I'd purchased at Sephora in San Francisco. It felt very luxurious!

Inverness & Caspar

People are awesome. After leaving SF, I made the decision to stop in the Muir Woods for a hike (more of a nature walk; score another point for my US Parks Pass! I kept passing the sweet sappy smell that I want to bottle and wear everywhere I go. The hike took a couple hours and because I was late getting there in the first place, the sun was already starting to wane by the time I got back to my bike to further hit the road. I stopped in Point Reyes with the plan of finding dinner. I found friends!

These two guys were up from SF doing some photography for the weekend. We ate diner together and they offered me a bed at the Motel Inverness - he'd accidentally booked a suite with 2 rooms, but had already booked another hotel anyway, so one room was going to remain empty. Dibs!

I was up and on the road early the next day. I stopped in Bodega Bay at a cute little coffee shop called Roadhouse Cafe where I ate breakfast and coffee. Back on the road, I wasn't feeling like ridding for a long day. I stopped in Point Arena, an adorable coastal town riding, for my usual coffee and baked goods. The old building shown on the right was across the street from the Arena Market where I bought amazing wool socks!  While getting ready to set off again, I was accused by another biker of ruining his trip: his wife had begged to bring along flip flops, but he claimed there was no room. My Birkenstocks were clearly displayed clipped to my saddlebags.  His wife used this as justification for sneaking hers into their luggage!

I continued north and pulled into the Caspar Beach and RV park - fully booked. Did I mention it was memorial day long weekend? Definitely didn't think this on through. I got the wifi passcode from the woman at the desk in hopes of searching for a place with vacancy. As I was doing this a woman walked by offering a camping spot on her lawn in exchange for a surf lesson! Done!

I didn't need the lesson; however, I rented a surfboard and a wetsuit for a few afternoon hours. The water was COLD! Much colder than I anticipated. Once sick of surfing, I followed Cassandra back to her place where I crashed on her floor. She lives in a mobile home in the woods on an older couple's property where she takes care of some animals and some other chores. We had the most amazing applewood smoked burgers and FRESH CRAB. Her surf-boss came up to share food and beers with us. The property had all sorts of old farming equipment and a barn of old working tools. It was an engineer's dream!

What isn't an engineers dream is discovering your motorbike has no oil. None. I couldn't see any on the dipstick even after adding the quart I had with me. Shit.

Castro

May 26th I got up early to drop my motorbike at Dani's while I attended her Castro Tour and then wandered around Castro and Mission districts. On my way from her place to the tour start in Castro, I stopped off at a random cafe where I discovered PHIL&SEBASTIAN COFFEE! It was a taste from home. Wild Craft Coffee also serves goats milk instead of soy, and I regret not giving it a shot (no pun intended).  The woman who runs this business was also a joy to talk to! 

We convened for the tour under the giant rainbow flag at the corner of Castro and Market. The group was about 15 people, and we walked around the district with Dani as our guide. I seriously believe that it is important to expose yourself to people and places that are new to you. This is how we learn and gain empathy and understanding of those that don't look, speak or act like us. Hearing about the struggles and victories of the people from this community over the last 60 years was an informative experience for me. I like to think that I'm open minded, and I question myself in situations that make me feel uncomfortable. I hope experiences such as this increase the realm of my comfort and how to speak to and treat people that aren't like me. 

After the tour we grabbed Hot Cookies and headed for lunch at Indian Eatery. Then a group of us wandered off towards the Misson District. This is when I get antsy. I'm used to being in control, alone, stopping and going as and where I feel; I'm not good at just going along for the ride in a group (at least when I'm travelling). I stuck with the group for awhile, but knowing that I had to ride out across the Golden Gate Bridge and find a place to sleep that afternoon, while still having places to explore in SF, made me anxious and I split from the group (though we ended up walking the same street - awkward!). I hit up the Mission District (read: shopped) and Good Vibrations before heading back to Dani's to pick up my bike.

After a short trip back to the Adelaide Hostel to pick up my sarong, I hit the road north across the Golden Gate Bridge! (Imagine lane-splitting on that!)

San Francisco

I got into town around 4pm on Tuesday May 24th. I didn't really know what to do with myself because that was the earliest I'd arrived in a place. There was some confusion parking my motorbike; all the patrolled garages are super expensive! And the alley outside my hostel is a no parking zone. Fortunately after 6 it's free to park on the street, and the motorbike spot I found is 0.75$/hr instead of 3+$/hr,  so I opted for this route.

I was told on check in that there was a free meal that night but in fact the guy had his days mixed up. I would have wandered for longer had I known; all I got was some trial facial scrub & a hydrating face mask from Sephora (great for travelling! and totally necessary given the exposure my skin had been suffering from). I ended up at Chipotle for dinner (great Mexican place not in Canada - cept one in Van which isn't really as good). Then headed on the historic bar crawl which included some fun facts about San Francisco and ended at a drag show! I was essentially the only person on the tour, a relief from last week apparently when there were 20! Dani, my tour guide, was awesome - she preforms in drag shoes herself, which I think is pretty cool. I've been to drag shows before, but this was different. The crowd was really into it, and it was far more "grassroots" than the organized shows I'd been to in the past. More like Broken City's Comedy Monday night - an open forum for people of all kinds to come and try on their drag personas. 

This hostel, like the Venice Beach one, had free breakfast - a small fruit bowl, a bagel, peanut butter and coffee. decent enough to get by for the morning. I walked down to SFMOMA, grabbing a coffee on the way, and spent the morning wandering around the recently reopened museum. I loved their photography exhibits (surprise!) and the architecture of the building.

I then walked to check out the shopping on Filmore street. I ended up settling on a new pair of black jeans from Rag & Bone to replace the red ones I'd brought with me. The zipper on them had been broken since I left Canada (totally unbeknownst to me, oops).  I finished my day wandering over the hill towards this beauty:

I Ubered back to my hostel to get ready to head out and meet Sara and her friends for a drink. I'm pretty happy with my sense of direction as I got to and from the bar with minimal map-checking.  This is one thing about myself that I'm really proud of; my ability to explore and learn new urban spaces. I love the feeling of generating a map in my head and the freedom I feel when I can navigate an area without aide. 

Free lunch

They say there's no free lunch. 

I have a lot to pay up for then; throughout this trip I had lunch paid for, my back tire paid for, a free night in a hotel room (floor camping!), a free campsite, a guy randomly gave me 60$, another free hotel room, dinner paid for.... 

Not sure what's next (in life, now that I'm home) but I've accumulated massive karma points (or spent them?) and I shall have to pay it forward!

PCH camping

I took a good long morning walk before checking out of my Venice Beach Hostel and heading to Deus Ex Machina for one final coffee and hitting the PCH north. 

I rode through Malibu, Santa Barbra, Lompoc, and San Luis Obispo without much fanfare. I stuck as close to the ocean as possible on the 101 (or 1, depending on where). I did have trouble paying for gas using a 50$ bill I had hidden in one of my "secret travel spots." I had no troubles using it down the road, despite the disgruntled and rather rude cashier who rejected my perfectly legal tender. 

Other than that one hiccup, I was starting to wonder why, exactly, all these people had told me this ride was beautiful. Sure there were hills, some ocean, beachy towns, but nothing particularly spectacular. Had I become numb to beauty? I'd seen so many things up to this point, both on this trip, and in previous ones. Maybe I should have taken highway 33 through the Lost Padres National Forest as recommended to me by another rider from DEM. 

I'm not sure exactly when the landscape changed. At some point I released a long-held breath; I'd hit curves again!  The ride up to Plaskett Creek (where I spent the night) was amazing! The sun was setting off the coast, and the road was a squiggly line set out before me. I pulled into a motel lot just off the highway to inquire about accommodation. 200$/night was the cheapest she could offer me! Thank-goddess I had my tent, as just up the road was a campground. It was full.

I pulled into the campground anyway. Denis, whom I initially mistook for the campground host, indicated that it was just him on his site, and that my bike would easily fit in next to his. I pitched my tent on the grassy area behind his campervan. 

The slightly slanted ground, coupled with my nylon sleeping bag and my slipperyish mat, meant I woke up the next morning culled in a ball by the tent door. Not the most comfortable wake up I've had.

Oh, and while I was packing up, I got harassed by this bluejay!

I packed up quickly ready to hit the road ASAP. One of the women at a nearby campsite was cleaning out her sleeping bag and getting her dog into the car to go to town for some medicine. Apparently her pooch was sick. Unfortunately, she didn't follow the "left loop only" road-sign arrows, and attempted a right turn out of her site, promptly hitting a massive boulder which clearly did not improve her morning. I helped her maneuver the car around the boulder which had relocated itself partially under her car and closer to the middle of the road. 

Denis woke up and made me coffee as he'd promised the night prior. We had a good chat before I hit to road on my way to SF!

Rode out through this in the morning!

Los Angeles

I reached the city at a decent hour (from Vegas) and checked in at my hostel in Venice Beach. My buddy from NZ, Andrew, came to pick me up and we headed to his friend's then Ubered to a German sausage house. The beer was great and the food good. I ubered home pretty early because I was exhausted.

Early to bed, early to rise! I got up as headed out to ride around the city. My first stop: Hollywood! It wasn't far from  my hostel by motorbike.

I rode my own motorbike though Hollywood. That was freaking cool.  Basically, when I get to a new city, my MO is to walk out the door of my hostel in the morning and keep walking until the sun goes down (usually stopping for food only after I've been hangry for over an hour) In LA, I got to do the same thing, but my ability to explore was expanded by being on my motorbike!

MY OWN BIKE ON HOLLYWOOD BLVD!!!

I did the drive, then quickly checked out the walk of fame (while parked in a loading zone). Then parked at the Hollywood bowl to get a picture of the sign and eat a snack. Then somehow managed to find the Conservatory via some back roads while I got to know my clutch really well at some hilly stop signs. I am good with directions but I doubt I'd ever be able to retrace that route!  Being on a motorbike certainly has it's perks because I got to cut the cue of cars and park right by the entrance to the upper park.

I met a fellow biker (on a sparkly yellow Harley) taking pictures of the sign from the conservatory; he's a photographer for Nco. We chatted for a few minutes, and he gave me a card and offered to ride with me going forth for a day or so as he has some time to kill. Unfortunately I never got in touch with him after this.

I headed into the conservatory to wander around (giant tesla coil! - Kent, I think you'd like this destination) a bit and grab some food (was definitely getting hangry at this point). I sat outside in view of the Hollywood sign while I ate my sandwich, and talked to my tablemate - a woman from Oklahoma who'd been in Europe working for the UN and was trying to decide on her next move.  I took a nap on the front lawn after lunch.

I headed back to the hostel after a long day of riding around. I hit rush-hour, but fortunately, California's riding the line rules meant that I could cut through all that traffic! I would go crazy in a car, but on my bike I could keep moving even when all the cars were stopped. I did have to pull into a lane to let some other bikers pass - clearly I wasn't going fast enough over the white lines for them!

Dinner back at the hostel consisted of one of my "free-bin" concoctions - I attempted curry, but couldn't find curry powder in the local grocer near-by. I bought coconut milk and veggies, and managed to find cumin powder in the free bin!  Dinner wasn't great.

Deus Ex Machina

The next morning I went to check out Deus Ex Machina as recommended to me by the Tamales. The place looked closed from the front, but they have a lovely patio in the back, great coffee and good snacks. I met a German couple who's first stop this was (at the guy's insistence!).

After coffee, I rode up to the Getty Museum. Once again, being on a motorbike kicks a$$. The guard instructed me to ride around the gate arm and park right by the entrance! I decided to do the "hike" on the way up and take the tram back down. Silly Laura. 'Twas not a hike, twas a walk up next to the road. oh well. It made for good exercise that morning - my calves were killing me by the top. I thought I made it just in time for the Architecture tour; however, the guide didn't show up, so we waited ages for them to find a replacement. This set me back a bunch of time, so I didn't make it back  to see Henrik off. I also didn't budget for the amount of time it took for me to wander through the photography exhibits and then through the beautiful gardens.

Requisite Architectural photo illustrating the facade.

The whole museum is covered in and Italian white stone that adapts to different structures depending on their use. Each building is uniquely designed for its purpose (gallery, research, cafeteria etc.) and yet they are all tied together by their stone facades. I can only imagine how hot the walkways would be in the dead of summer - sunburn from underneath anyone?

I got back to the hostel in time to meet up with Yannick for dinner. We walked down Venice Beach till we hit a Swis/German restaurant. After good food and better beer, we continued down to the Santa Monica Pier. It was like a mini-stampede midway, with a beautiful view of the beach in the setting sun. We walked into Santa Monica to get hot chocolate (it was chilly!) and catch the bus back to our hostel.

I still love to climb things! There's all sorts of cool gym equipment on the beach.

I missed Yannick in the morning by just a hair, grabbed my free breakfast and headed to Deus Ex Machina for coffee again (and to browse the store that had been closed the previous day) before hitting the PCH north!

Beginning of my PCH journey!

Home

Yup, I'm home now.  As usual, I've overrun my blog (like over running your headlights). I get distracted by the beauty of where I am or, as was the main case here, I  crash after a day of exploring or riding. I will fill in the blanks of how I got home, but it's going to take a little time. The big perk though is I will hopefully now be able to add photos!

-LJ

Road to Zion

We were up early tearing down the tents and the guys made pancakes for breaky. I stopped in tropic for gas and coffee as usual while the guys booked it for Zion to meet a friend at 10. I took my time, probably a little too much, before continuing on after them.

I reached the park gates at 9h57. Then there's a 12 mile drive to the visitors centre, beautiful drive! But I was focused on the time. Worried I'd be holding them up. I messaged Albraa as I arrived the panned meeting place only to find out they couldn't get parking, so they'd gone into Springdale (nearest town) to park and shuttle from there. I got priority motorcycle parking! No shuttle for me. I snacked, checked out the gift shops and refilled my water while I waited.

With the guys and their friend we grabbed a shuttle to the Grotto to begin out chosen hike up to Angel's landing. All the while wary of the dark cloud that had been following us since Bryce.

The hike is 5 miles (8 km) and 1488ft (454m) elevation gain. The last third of the trail is along a ridge with full drops on either side and chains so one has something to hold onto. Twas challenging! And we were being chased by that cloud, but it was still sunny, though quite windy, when we finally made it to the top.  Going down was more fun as I treated the chains like a repelling line,; holding on and bouncing my way down.

As we made our way down, I joked that someone in our group has a horseshoe up their bum given the luck we'd had with the weather (sunny for rafting despite snow the previous day, no rain on us in Bryce). We did a second hike up to Emerald lakes, before heading back to our respective vehicles and going in search of dinner.

We stopped at a very random roadside stop with a petting zoo and some sort of exhibit. There was a gift shop that reminded me of the scene from Zombieland where they destroy one. Our meals were massive and the bread addictive! I had ribs. Much needed protein after that hike!

The trick with Utah is that this restaurant only served food, no alcohol. The Tamales had complained about this, but I hadn't encountered it. The guys wanted to grab a final beer with their buddy, so off to find a bar we went. Thanks Google for directing us towards whatever the palace we eneded up at could be. It was an Eagles club; kinda the place you night expect to be a motorcycle gang's clubhouse. They welcomed us in, signed us each up with a membership so we could stay and buy beer. They had pool and, much to Henriks excitement, shuffleboard! One of the older fellows had to explain him the rules.

Our hotel down the road in Saint George was...  Well Albraa put a hole in the wall with the door. Enough said.

Las Vegas

It's been over a week since the guys flew home /away, and I'm still updating you guys on what happened in Vegas! Nothing we had to leave there, except some cash!

The ride from St George to Las Vegas was brutal. The wind though the desert was awful. Have I mentioned recently how much I hate wind? Alot. I dislike it very much. Sometimes I wonder why I chose a sport that exposed me to wind. Constantly. The interstate highways always exacerbate this.

I broke off the interstate west of Vegas to ride though the Valley of Fire state Park. I would have like to try some hiking there to break up the ride but the guys were already waiting for me. I got into Vegas after them, and planned to stop by the motorcycle shop that had my new rear tire (the Tamales had convinced me I needed one, as if Mike's advice wasn't enough). The thing about being on a bike though is that directions are hard. I'm good with directions and I can usually memorise my route well enough but in the heat and with my data failed, i panicked and headed towards where the guys where at (an outlet mall!). In the end I was only about a block from the shop when I turned around. Patience is a virtue I'm still learning.

In the end, I wound up costing the guys about an 1.5 hours while I dropped my bike off for service. For this I felt guilty, so I bought a round of drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe on the strip.

We spent our first night at the Tropicana and wandered the south strip after attending a comedy club, and our second night at Bally's where we wandered the northern end. Both nights I gambled about 10$. Didn't win anything. Didn't break even. Oh well, there's my contribution to the Vegas economy. Like it needs it.

Our first day, the one at the Tropicana, we spent time at the pool chilling (aka burning) in the morning then drove to check out the Hoover dam.

The next morning the guys left early for LA. I took an uber to the shop to pick up my bike with its NEW TIRE!!!! That took absolutely no getting used to. I understand now what the guys at cycle city meant when they said my old one was planed and would ride funny. So much better! This is was corners are supposed to feel like!

I hit Macdonald's on my way out of town. The interstate between Vegas and LA was as bad as into las vegas, I had to pull over to recover from the wind. I stopped at a gas station where they were calling  numbers for shower slots. I ate something from the hot foods kiosk; not sure what but it was yummy!   I reached LA at rush hour, but the traffic, surprisingly, didn't phase me. (see next post....)

Bryce

My first Bryce post was epic; too bad you'll never read it. My tablet shut itself off before I could save. Oh well, you get this version!

I left the fancy Bryce hotel and headed vw k the way I'd come in search of breakfast and coffee. In Tropic, there was a great place at the bryce canyon Inn. From there I headed back down the highway and randomly turned towards Kodachrome Basin State Park. I started the day with  short hike off a gravel road (I'm getting better at these!) then headed dealer into the park fora longer one. This was a mistake.

The loop hike I did through the Basin was probably one of the most boring hikes of my life. At one point, I dropped all my gear so I could jog to check out the final cave to try to make the hike end quicker. I don't know if it was the heat, the scenery or my mood, but it was a slog the whole way through. Getting back to the parking lot was a huge relief.

Back in Tropic I grabbed lunch (an epic steak taco salad!) then drove back towards the Bryce, stopping for a hike at Mossy Cave. I made a bit of my own  trail here,qnd enjoyed dunking my feet in the cool water of the falls. By the end of the hike I'd finally heard from Albraa.  They were at the KOA and headed for Bryce. I agreed to meet them there, but as I was getting back on my bike, they drove by! So we played follow the leader into the park, and walked from sunset point to bryce point.

The next morning we grabbed breakfast in town so we could do a quick 4 hour hike before the rain that was predicted to start at noon. There was a big black ominous cloud, but the rain  never hit us. It did hit our campsite, but everything stayed dry in our tents. We just chilled out around the campground for the afternoon while the guys did laundry.

The next morning we packed up quickly and headed out to Zion!

Lane splitting

Sorry mom.

It comes rather naturally. When one is stuck in traffic on a motorbike, and one can clearly see the line between cars extend out to the horizon, it's only a matter of time before one starts to ride that line. It's a little nerve wracking at first, but the vehicles here are used to it. They give you space and if not, you just pick the fastest Lane until you pass them. It's fun actually, mentally taxing and engaging. Plus, I got through traffic way faster than a car would have! No clutch stop and go constantly. Just a pretty solid pace.

Once again, sorry mom. It kinda just happened... You can feel better knowing I am now in a state where Lane splitting is not permitted.

Free falling!

Nope, not  a skydiving post....

I woke up far later than Mike, he was all packed up and ready to go. He kindly made me coffee as he'd promised the night before and we agreed to meet up later that day in Hankville. Then I was alone once again. Packing up with the beautiful view made me smile.  I got everything hooked to my bike. Ready to go. Oh yeah, but I'm not strong enough to get her off the centre stand. Damn. I had to unpack, get her down to the kickstand and repack. The on my way! That delayed me at least a half hour. The ride down from my campsite and through through Hite to Hanksville was good, baeutifylbuy somewhat stressful. I like travelling alone so I dont feel the need to cater to anyone else; like ime holding them up.

About 10k before Hanskville, I came upon a rollover. A completely straight road, but the driver of  truck pulling A camper made N error in judgement thinking the cattle truck in front we slowing for her when he was free Ally making a left turn. The older couple was alright, and the  were plenty to of people there to help out. I continued on with the intent to send help but passed an ambulance on my way. I guess someone finally got cell service.

I had lunch at Blondies with Mike,as planned. He hadn't been waiting long as he'd had a flat tire. That changed his plans somewhat. Instead of  coming to Capitol reef with me he headed off to get a  new tire. He was the  first to suggest I get a new rear tire.  I'd been too cheap to do it in  yyc before I left. Oops.

I headed off to capitol reef national park. As I hit the road I instantly be a e grumpy. I was riding through the hottest time of day, it was super windy, I was uncomfortable and frustrated. I was itching to get to the Visitor centre in capitol reef. It had water and air conditioning. Id parked my bike among some other motorbikes, even  asking if I was in their way. I came back outside to see one of them placing my helmet on my seat. My first thought as that had fun but as  get closer, one guy, Mark, noted he'd bumped it as he drove by. My first thought: f*** not again! My clutch handle was severely bent by left blinker now matched my right one (from the drop in Lethbridge) there was some plastic on the ground, but my bags appeared to have somewhat protected the back.

The group of 4, the Tamale Motorcycle Club, offered to ride with me for the day, they were headed to Bryce, my destination for the following day. I agreed, at least for the time being. We rode highway 12, one of the designated "all American" roads. The ride was amazing! Up onto a Ridge above one of the phenomenal canyons which fell down on either side of the road.

That morning Mike had recommended a BLM (aka free) camping spot on hole in the wall Road. We paused near there briefly to let Adam catch up. I considered going off that way, but they'd offered to put me up for the night, and a shower and hot meal sounded great at that point as I think all I had in my bag was beef jerky. I'd have planned better and my bike not fallen over.

We booked it through the remaining distance to Bryce to make it for the sunset. The sunset over the Hoodoos in Bryce was epic! Then headed to the guys hotel, the Ruby right outside the park, for dinner and bed. Dinner was great, I ordered first. We all had steak! Along with some much needed beer. The guys Mark, Adam, Eduardo, and Gonzalo were from Denver or Mexico respectively. And all from the art industry. This made for some different conversation from what I had with the group of mostly engineers I've been travelling with! The Tamale Motorcycle Club left early to make a daybreak ride through Zion.  I took my time then headed off to look for somewhere to hike /kill time till the guys arrived from The Grand Canyon.

Adventure!

990 Soon after leaving Moab Friday morning, it became apparent to me that the decision to split from the government has for a few days was a good one for me. I didn't feel pressure to keep up with them on the big highways, and I was free to take the back roads that have proven to be more scenic and bike friendly. I felt free again!

I stopped for coffee in Monticello and met Dylan, a guy waiting for his car to be fixed so he'd make and interview. I got lube for my chain! Apparently I should have been doing this every day, not just after riding though rain and snow.

I cut West towards central Utah just after Blanding where I didn't get gas like I normally do in every town I go to. At Bridges National Monument I checked in at the visitors centre and discovered this was a bad thing. I had about 50-60 km left in my tank (without tapping the reserve) and about 50 miles to the nearest town. Oops. The road looped through the monument for 9 miles, I decided on a hike with views out to 2 of the bridges.  Starting from a point on the drive loop downstream of where I planned to come out of the canyon meant I cut about a mile off my loop hike by hitchhiking back to my bike. This was a great idea as I met a group of guys from a local university and didn't have to hike though the unshaded top portion of the canyon. The hike itself was a steep decline to the canyon floor then about 2 hours walk through the canyon before a steep climb back to the road.  The scenery was lovely and the hike was a good way to clear my head.

I got back to the visitor's centre in time to do some errands. I talked to a couple getting water about my gas situation and they offered to tip me up if needed; however, the ranger's station had an emergency supply they could give me. Nevertheless, the couple, Susan and Mike, were lovely to talk to. They had quit their jobs and we're living in their motor home for the foreseeable future with lots of destinations in mind. I think they were spending about a month in the area I was just passing through. Before we parted ways, Mike handed me a beer which I enjoyed later that night, as he suggested, after setup up my campsite. It was warm, but supremely satisfying!

One of the rangers had suggested a BLM (aka free!) camping area just outside of the park. I made my way up the dirt Road (I am slowly getting more comfortable on these, though I nearly dumped my bike ridding into the KOA here in Bryce tonight) until I got fed up with myself and just picked a spot. It was beautiful, exposed but with a great view of the valley and the national monument I'd been in earlier that day. It was quite windy when I arrived, but that died down over night.

As I was making dinner, a man from the campsite below mine began a walk and came over to talk to me about my bike. Mike rode when he was younger, and now has just a 200cc dual purpose for putzing around. I made dinner while Mike was on his walk.  Annie's with some buffalo sausage I'd picked up at Chile's in Moab. I then followed Mike's footsteps, and headed up the hill behind my site to get an overlook of the valley and drink the beer Susan and Mike (other mike) had given me. At the top I was halfway thought my beer when I noticed the Surveyor General's monument in front of me! Something I may have noticed but not really cared about before Kent started geomatics.

When I got back from my walk (and nearly being lost in  the woods and seeing many different animal prints) Mike had gathered wood and we were ready for a fire! (once the sun set)

Moab, Arches & Mountain Biking

On Wednesday we continued West from Montrose towards Moab. The guys were moving quicker than me, I had to stop for gas and coffee in Naturita to warm up. I've been kicking myself since the day before for not biting the bullet and getting myself some heated hand grips. They would make my ride much more pleasant. I arrived in Moab just before noon. I stopped T the visitors centre to wait for the guys.  I found out that I'd passed them while they played Frisbee to pass the time while waiting for me. We checked out the centre for some info on canyoning and hiking then headed for our campsite at Slickrock campground just north of town. We set up camp, had lunch at a piled in the Van to head for Arches national park. We did a lovely long afternoon hike around the park then drove to another lookout on our way out. By this time we were all hankering for food, we bought sausages in town and made spaghetti again. It was dark by the time we sat down to eat, and we had some beers and headed straight to bed.

Thursday I did laundry in the morning (I'd bumped a beer into my lap the night before, and I only have a set of clothes) making us all a little late getting out to go rent mountain bikes. We headed to Chile Peppers for bike rentals. I had to put a 15000$ hold on my credit card for the bikes (joke is on them, my limit is lower!) and we  bought Snacks there. Henrick and Yannik got into heir bikes and started the 8 mile ride to the Brands where we'd spend the day biking while Albraa Francisco and I hoped into the car with our bikes.  We dripped them and Francisco off at the Brands and I rode back with Albraa to pick the guys up. They'd already made it as far as Arches! The 4 of us grabbed sandwiches at  gas station and booked it to the trail head.

We did a couple green loops as  warm up, then I followed the group into a "physically easy but technically challenging" loop. Oops. I took my time thought and the guys waited for me without  complaint. We lunched under a giant bush, huddled in for shade (there wasn't much to be found). By the end of the day I was feeling more confident but the dehydration made the route seem that much harder. Going uphill was pretty OK, but downhill I would often stall and have to walk it. The bikes were sweet though as the seat is adjustable with the touch if a button so you can raise /lower it depending on if you're travelling up hill or need to move it out of the way to lean back as you go down hill.

We had originally planned on returning the bikes late, around 7pm; however, because of the heat and the difficulty of the trail, we were all exhausted and finished around 330. We returned the bikes to Chile's the same way we got them to Brands; Henrick and Yannick on their bikes and Albraa, Francisco and I in the car.  Only this time, Henrick and Yannick beat Albraa back to the shop, so Albraa drove around looking for them for awhile. We had some much needed Macdonald's ice cream for a snack before returning to the campground and hopping into the pool. As the guys started to plan the next leg of their trip,  down to the grand canyon, I slowly realized that I wouldn't be  joining them. A saw the Grand Canyon as a kid (I think) and the roads that way looked long and not fun to ride. I opted for a more northern route...

Rafting

Monday (almost a week ago now) the weather broke just in time for out day-long rafting trip in Browns Canyon just south of Buena Vista. The rapids were OK, nothing compared to Akurery in Iceland, but we did see a golden Eagle overhead! After rafting, we headed into town for some groceries and stopped at a brewery for some beers and bocce (petang?). Dinner at the campsite was quick and we had a campfire with a beautiful sunset into the distance.

Tuesday morning we had pancakes in the cook shelter at the KOA.  I had to push start my bike because of the elevation. Thanks to Henrick for getting me started down the hill! We shot South then West towards Montrose, stopping in Gunnison for lunch. I had baked enchiladas, so yum! We also hit Black Canon along the way where we did a short circle trek. We couldn't drive to the base of the river cause the guys needed gas! (I'll later get my cumuppins for making fun of them for that...) We stopped at the first gas station we saw and booked a motel in town for the night. Yay showers! We ate out at a sweet pub that night with an interesting crowd and Monopoly cards lacquered into the table!

Enroute to Colorado

I've learnt a lot about what I'm capable of riding through I  the last few days. Mainly snow. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I saw my first wildlife before even leaving the yyc city limits. A hawk flew over the calf rope bridge carrying a medium sized fish in its talons.  I had my first hiccup in lefthbridge. I stopped at the Shell for gas, and decided to park and eat my lunch break there. While getting my bike off its centre stand, I promptly dropped it on its right side.  Oops. 2 guys rushed to help me pick it up, so I don't even know if I could do it on my own. Minimal damage and not running issues yet (5 days and 1500km later). My campsite in Lewis and Clark national forest in Montana that first night was great. Right next to a buntings access road, but with little traffic, and it had running water. (aka a river)  I had Kraft dinner, chocolate pudding and a campfire. Then tied all my food and smellies in a tree and hoped the bears wouldn't come nom them. It was  pretty rough sleep that night!

Day 2 I made it to Cody WY. I stared off going to a a all cafe in White Sulfur Springs where I  checked the weather and made the final decision not to go via Yellowstone because of the high pass (~8700ft,this is now a joke, you'll see why soon...) I decided to stay in a hotel because of the tumultuous weather.

Day 3 I headed for Saratoga to stay with an old friend from my NZ exchange days. The ride out of Cody through Windy River Canyon (aptly if not inventively named) was really quite beautiful. After that the ride got arduous. There was a very desolate stretch to Riverton by the end of which I was wet, cold and miserable. I got gas there and hit the interstate only to have the weather get worse. I hung behind a semi going 100km/hr, and very nearly cried tears of joy when it came my turn to exit South towards Saratoga. The ride was pretty though icy hills. I hit town around 7 and had to charge my phone a  little to get Griffins address. Him and his girlfriend Megan made a delicious pizza dinner. we hung out till after dark then headed to the hot springs located right in town they were sweet and nearly boiling. We jumped in the icy river before going home to bed.

Day 4 (arrival in Colorado) entry to come!

Arrival in Colorado

Day 4 started slowly as I put off leaving into the cold rain for as long as possible. Griffin made eggs while I dried all my clothes by their beautiful fire place (and my shoes in their dryer, mucho thanks for that!). I got ziplock bags for my hands and feet which I'm convinced saved me. I continued South towards Muddy Pass, dreading it all along because of the cold rain a d the elevation of that pass. In Walden I filled up tank as a stranger on a BMW rode by. He waved. I had planned to grab a coffee there but when  the best recommendation I could get was for the bowling alley, I decided to pass. I chased the other motorcyclist for a bit until I lost sight of him in a full on sleet storm. I wouldn't see him again for a few miles after the sleet let up and I hit some wonderful curves. At the junction just before the pass he pulled over and I pulled in behind him. Him name is Bill, he picked up his brand new BMW RS1200 I  Seattle, rode to his mom's in Wisconsin and was now heading back to Alaska. He'd already put 4000+ miles on his bike. With  few extra days to kill, he offered to accompany me to Silverthorn, the next town where I'd agreed to meet up with Albraa and crew. I agreed and just as the snow started we turned onto the highway heading towards Muddy Pass; me in the lead. Having Bill behind me (and chasing him earlier) gave me the courage I needed to keep riding though snow and a second sleet storm. We emerged to sunshine (and roadwork) on the far side of the pass. In Silverthorn, Bill bought me lunch hour at Wendy's while we waited for Albraa.

I had originally thought I would leave my bike in Silverthorn and hitch a ride with the guys to buena Vista; however, after experiencing sleet and snow on the bike, I felt ready to handle anything.  As soon as we hit the interstate, a full on snowstorm forced us into a roadside rest area where we were graciously invited onto the #scootinAmerica chase school bus. Adam Sandorval has been on the road for 18 months, the first 16 were just him, his Harley and his dog, Scooter. Now he aims to break the world record for longest charity ride. The storm passed within a half hour and we were on our way again.  Between us and Buena Vista was an 11000 ft pass and Leadville, the highest town in the US. The drive was beautiful; crisp, but not wet or cold, and in Leadville we stopped for beers at a very eclectic random Irish pub. We made it to our KOA camp-site by 7pm.

Departure

I'm leaving today!  I have no idea how I would have gotten to this point without the time I've had to focus on preparations (aka, if I had a job, and if you're from EI, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING). Hopefully I'm all set. I will have textual access (read: SMS) and you can call me, but I only have 50 minutes, so I might not answer. I definitely have more food than I need, so that's a plus!

Additionally, to keep my mom's blood pressure down I am borrowing my dad's SPOT. It will track my movements (assuming I remember to turn it on), and I can send I'M OK or SOS messages. Hopefully no one out there is planning to stalk me. At least my roommate will still be kicking around, so my shit is not free to steal, people!

SPOT GPS Location

Lastly, here's the (anticipated) route again (it should update if I make changes through the app on my phone):

MotoTrip 2016 on Roadtrippers

See you on the other side!
-LJ

PS. Look, Rosie, I used IFRAMES for the first time since high school!!!

Nerves

The premise behind this trip is that I invited myself along with a friend, Albraa, and his buddies who were already planning the leg between Denver and LA. Basically, I have the time because I was laid off in March of this year. Another victim of Calgary's current economic climate in the Oil and Gas industry. So far my job search has not been fruitful, and it feels like a perfect opportunity to take on a trip like this. (Read: Albraa mentioned it, I laughingly said "Hey, I'll join!" and now I'm committed.)

I am so excited to see Albraa! We went to UBC together, and I haven't seen him since before I left for New Zealand in 2012. (Long before then because I was working in Calgary before I left for that trip).

Now, the title of this post refers to my current feelings regarding this trip. I'm nervous. I've spent the last few hours plotting the first 4 days of travel (this is where I've focused so much... How am I getting home? A road I guess?).  I don't yet know what I'm capable of. I have a tent and plans to camp along the way, but I don't really know where my kilometer wall will be. How far will I be able to ride each day? I think it will take until at least the third day to know how far/fast I'll be able to travel.

And then there's my budget, which, as an unemployed person, is rather tight. I've got a spreadsheet (yay, enGineer!) going with the amounts I'm expecting to spend on gas, food, lodging and the fun stuff (skydiving & rafting and museums) and frankly, it's probably too much. Is this where I put the donate here button? Kidding, I'll make it work! But I wanted to get this off my chest because I feel really guilty spending money right now; to the point where I second guess myself and don't enjoy the purchases. I'm hoping this confession to the void will help alleviate that.

Off to do laundry! (gonna be stinky soon)
-LJ

Planning

The inspiration for this trip came from a good friend of mine from University who's planning the middle leg of this trip with his buddies. I got laid off, so I'm tagging along. I've got a lot farther to go than them though. I'll be driving down to Buena Vista, Co from Calgary to meet up with them, and then home from LA after they fly back to Perdue. It will be the longest (by far) time I've spent on my bike!

Planning this trip has taken up a good chunk of my time over the last 3 weeks (and depleted quite a bit from my pocket book). I have just decided to camp along the way, hoping to save some $. I'll take a stove and tent so I can look for places where I can pull over and set up camp.

I'm not sure what goal to set for this Blog. When in Iceland, I promised to post a photo per day (fail!), and before that it was just a casual thing (mostly to keep my mom from over-worrying herself, love you mom!). I'm sending a call out for suggestions (and can hear my voice echoing back at me, but maybe someone's out there reading this?)

-Laura