Day 5 – June 21

We are getting close to the end of our stay in Oregon. We will be able to carry memories forward since the Snake River will continue into and across most of the ride in Idaho.

There are lots of motorcycle riders in this area. They are not as hip as my riders because they wear leather and helmets with no holes while Matt and Gary have colorful shirts, spandex and holes in their hats. Some of the folks that learn our final destination of Boston seem to think the holes are also in their heads as well. I can assure you that is not true; I believe they are as sane as me.

This country is big and sometimes we can not find a small road. We were forced to get on the interstate today and anticipated a smooth although noisy ride. In short order we found construction that required us to load a rider and bike in the SUV and transport around the blockage and then go back and get the next. This happened two times before we could resume a normal ride. The sky was getting dark and the wind was gusting to 30 mph. Once again we need a better way to transport when needed.

The end of the day gave us views of the Snake River and the American Flag. I took pictures of this to show how strong the wind was. The storm clouds worried us all the way to the hotel. We crossed the Snake River two times which took us into Idaho and back into Oregon. Tomorrow we say goodbye to a beautiful and friendly state. Idaho, you are on deck.

Day 4 – June 20

On day one we left personal bags at Matt’s house and traveled the 100 miles to the start at Astoria. On day two we started from Matt’s house and out to Mt Hood with the same partial load. On day three it was our first full load with three bikes, two riders and the driver all inside the SUV. This is where the term that dealers use like 72.4 cubic feet of volume has meaning. We are using it all. We have all discussed that if we have a problem with storms and such the unpacking and repacking on the open road to get the gear inside will be hard. We are looking for a solution to this problem.

Loaded we travel to the starting point for day 4 and a quick 1500 ft climb. Opps ! Quick only applies to the SUV and me. I am really impressed with Matt and Gary. They use heart rate to accomplish a ride without damaging their bodies. I will start this when I get back to riding instead of driving.

I hope that it is clear from my writing and pictures that I am having a great time. It is a pleasure to be part of this ride. Both Gary and Matt have made me feel a part of it even though I am not a rider. I am grateful that I can have this experience. Although driving and riding cover the same ground I know that they are not the same. Matt and Gary are capturing their side and I will continue to write about driving even though I miss riding.

It is arid and warm. We continue to see ABB (America by Bike) bikers. ABB Does what we are doing on a commercial scale. About 50 riders doing 50 to 80 miles a day with 5 rest days. They stay in hotels at night and eat well. I certainly would consider this as a way to do the ride. We also saw other independent groups along the route. A husband and wife were part of a group of five riders. The interesting thing is they carried all their gear. This adds about 50 to 80 lbs to the bike. They have no other support. You know the rider is accomplished when you say “that must make hills hard” and the response is “not really you just go a little slower”. We talked and gave them information that may have helped them find an improvement in their route.

You may notice that I have found flowers and other plants to add to the picture set. The small things are very interesting. I get to pick the stopping points and select them based on distance and Kodak moments. I stop and take the picture I saw and then wait for Matt and Gary. During the wait I will often notice more than the picture I stopped for. Now when I stop I look all around to make sure I do not miss an opportunity for another picture.

We were approaching a small town and I saw a flag person ahead. The two lane highway was being resurfaced and traffic was down to one lane. I waited about 20 minutes for my turn, looking behind the whole time for Matt and Gary. I was hoping they would be in time for this group. I finally decided to not go unless I saw them and gave up my turn. That was a good thing since I learned that they would not be allowed to ride over the road. They showed up and we packed the two bikes inside. We did not have room for both riders so Gary hitched a ride on a garbage truck. When we got through the construction Gary had a lot of stories from his driver. He was an old timer with an interesting past. Moon shine (liquid) was part of it. What a great country.

Day 3 – June 19

I transported the riders and bikes back to Matt’s from Government Camp on the 18th and back out to the same spot on the 19th. This saved on hotel costs and more importantly let us take advantage of his hospitality another night.

Please take note of the wisdom that Gary has on climbing on the home page. His attitude may be the same, however the reality of feeling the pain gives him the reality about climbing. I am stopping and supporting a little sooner at some points. The climbs seem to make them hungry and slower. This is how I learned that the road looks totally different in opposite directions. I drive out 5 miles, back two and then out and back are like totally different. The light changes, and the mind sees more each time. It makes the country even bigger.

Another interesting item today is how many different eco systems we went through. We started in the mountains, grass lands, red wood forest, high desert with agriculture and grass land with sage. All had their own beauty and made for another wonderful day. I think seeing this country at a slower speed is a totally different view than what you get at 70mph. I recommend biking or driving in 5 mile spurts.

Day 2 – June 18

We start from Matt’s and go to 40 miles east of Government Camp. This does not match the planned routes because we are trying to get a jump on the start so that we have a spare day to spend later. Getting out of Portland took a lot of driving and riding. It is not a small town. It is interesting how quick we are in the mountains though.

The views only get better. Government camp is near Mt Hood. I rediscovered the personality that mountains can have when they sit alone. Long ago I worked in Colorado and had a view of Pikes Peak in my office window. I would look up and there it was filling the window. I would be reading and working and shortly later it was gone as weather moved in and around the area. I did not discover Mt Hood until we had finished the ride and headed back. I am not sure if it was hiding or I was driving with my eyes shut. Mt Hood has attitude.

I did my job of taking pictures and feeding the riders and even found some shops to stop in and look at stuff.

The shopping for food, getting gas (all full service by state law) and the visiting with the shop keepers let me meet the folks in Oregon. They are different. They are friendly and live at a slower pace. Friendly is an understatement; they are enjoyable and add goodness to my day. The slower pace should not be confused with competency. The pace they have fits life. It makes what they have and how they live fit with the environment which they help beautify and do not hurt. It shows up in the towns and cities and in the country and farms. It is great! I love Oregon and the folks I have met.

Day 1 – June 17

We left Matt’s house and drove 100 miles to Astoria. The country is really amazing; it has so much beauty. It rivals the fiber and life of the north east. We arrived and got the two riders on the road for the ride back to Portland. I took pictures (one of my duties) and started to follow the route. My comfort level was not high because I was not sure how to support them, but it was not long before it became better because of their predictable style of riding. They make support an easy job. I would drive for 5 to 10 miles and then wait or drive back and check them. The new job and large amount of new sites kept me busy. A friend of Gary’s got us in touch with an Oregon resident named Bud. He started from Portland at the same time we started from Astoria. I talked to him by phone to make sure we did not miss him. We met him at the half way mark and he began to ride with Gary and Matt.

One of my tasks is to have food and drinks for the riders when they need them. The less they have to worry about this the more they ride and enjoy the trip. This is a ride to Boston for enjoyment. I hope to help the joy part. The menu I serve when they stop is quite simple. They eat turkey sandwiches with mustard, peanut butter with banana slices and bananas. They drink water, Gator Aid and V8 juice. At the end of the day beer is cold and ready. They eat on demand; any amount at any time. I frequent the gas stations and small shops to keep up the inventory. I use the fathers day gift of hand sanitizer before I fix the food. I think it kills germs and adds a little flavor to the food.

Oregon folks are different; more later.

Day 0 - Travel to start

Well we are off to BE the wizard. It will take 2000 miles and two days to get to Astoria Oregon and start this adventure. I am the SAG wagon driver for 2/3 of the trip. SAG stands for support and gear. It is yet to be determined the details of this job. The primary function is to keep the guys able to ride with the proper gear and food.

It started when Gary showed up in the morning on Sunday June 15th. It was good to see that he had his medication from Starbucks for the ride to Oregon. He drove first and soon had us moving at his favorite pace of 85 mph. I think he would bike that fast if he could.

We went north west through the Texas panhandle and cut across the small finger (41 miles wide) that Oklahoma took from us and into eastern flat Colorado. Up east of Denver then west and then north until we passed into Wyoming and arrived in Cheyenne 900 miles from home and tired. We slept before continuing.

The next day was 1100 miles to arrive at Portland Oregon. We hooked up with Matt who will ride with Gary to Boston.

The amazing part of the trip is experiencing how big this country is. It really seems big when you drive this long and hard and only started in the middle.