Monday 10 November 2014

Time......

...... for a Long Winters Night.

I had one last short and sunny ride on Saturday. The insurance expired that night and I was going to put my Buell away on Sunday, but decided to watch Football instead. This was taken about 7:00 pm. I knocked off the snow today, and put her into the garage. I will pull the battery, wipe it down and put the  cover on tomorrow. See you in the Spring.


Wednesday 1 October 2014

My Go-To Sunny Sunday loop...

I have posted about this loop before, here are some pictures from last Sundays ride.

Suited up and ready to go. I really like the new riding gear I got this year. I cannot say enough about how good the Klim jacket and pants are, and the Shoie Helmet fits perfectly, and has all day comfort. The gear is warm on cool days, and cool on warm days.


For Steele Store, gas station and RV. A good place for a quick break. It also is very nice campground. 


Take5 Ranch. It is private property, but very nice to go up to the gate and have a look. It is just behind Pekams lake at Norbury park.


Bull mountain from the Kootenay lake bridge. You can just make out the road across the flats that leads back up towards Ft Steele. There is a fish hatchery on the road that is pretty cool to take a tour in.


Ha Ha Creek rd. The distant mountain is Baker Mt. There is a fire road that goes between it and the hill just before it. I was aiming for the top of Baker.


I had just turned of of the Baker FSR and was heading up to the top of Baker, note the street tires on my Harley Davidson Buell.
 

This is far as I got, about 1/4 of the way up. The road was good, but there where too many tire shredding rocks and I was uncertain if I was the only person on the mountain or not. It is a long walk back to town from here, so I turned around.




At the junction of Gold Creek rd and Baker FSR. The Switchbacks are on the back side of the mountain to the right, and the top of Baker is the white dot on the third peak. There are lots of towers up there, including a Fire Watch lookout. If they are up there in the summer due to a high fire season, they might let you go up to the top to get a nice view. Even if it is not open, the view from the top is 360 degrees and worth the drive up.


 Bull Mountain wearing a shroud






Tuesday 9 September 2014

Bull River dead end....

Don and I jumped on our bikes and set off up the Bull River to do a big loop up to White Swan Lake, then up Settlers Road and back through Radium Hot Springs. He had his BMW GS1100 and I had my Buell XT. We started about 9:00 am after having breakfast at the Dairy Queen in Cranbrook. We went over to Fort Steele and then head down towards the Bull River Road. Once we got on the Bull River Road we pointed North to our first real stop which was going to be Monroe lake, a few hours away. The road was good on the way up, with a bit of construction in a few places. There where three graders working the road. More than likely it is winter prep for the logging trucks that use this road in the winter.

We saw several campers and hunters along the way, but it was pretty quiet for a sunny Sunday. Once we got to Monroe Lake we found out from some bridge builders that the bridge up the valley (about 16 kilometers) was probably impassable. They where right. There was a construction crew working there and there was no way we where getting through. With no possible river crossing available to us, we turned back. We where going to take the Sulphur Creek Rd over to Fernie but missed the turn off and ended up about 15 kilometers south of the junction before we sorted that out. At that point I was beginning to run low on fuel so we kept heading south to the closest gas station which was in Jaffrey. Once we where there, we stopped for a burger and a beer. It was a nice end to a great day of Adventure Motorcycle Touring.

Some Pictures on the way up.

Goat Haven Peak on the left


Bull River on the right



Heading up to the Pass, and the elevation when we got there

  

An obstacle course we had to get through to get into Monroe Lake



 What stopped our Northern journey


On the way Back 

"PhotoShop Glacier" on Mount Peck


 A well earned burger and beer.

 

 The route, and some suggestions on where to eat and stay


View On the Bull River Road in a larger map

Saturday 6 September 2014

More Adventure, Less Tour

Don and I did a quick trip up to the Microwave tower above Cranbrook. It is a pretty twisty and rugged road, with lots of switchbacks, loose gravel and ruts in the road carved out of spring runoff. The two pics are from the top, and the third one was on the way down. I just chose the wrong line. No damage to the Uly. I had a sore right wrist, right knee and right ankle. And my pride took the biggest hit. It was the first time I can remember putting a motorcycle down in 46 years. I got to put to practice my lifting of the Uly post.




Wednesday 3 September 2014

Into the Back Country

My buddy and I went for a long, one day tour down to Gilnokie Provincial Park, over to Yahk and then up to Grey Creek and home via Grey Creek pass. I had my Harley Davidson Buell and he had his BMW GS 1150. While his bike would be considered an Adventure Tour motorcycle, I would think of mine as more of a Tour Adventure bike. His is made for this kind of riding, where as mine is much more of a highway motorcycle. Both motorcycles operated very well and mine got a bit better fuel economy.

The route goes straight south out of Cranbrook via Gold Creek and then onto Caven Creek Rd for a short bit, then south on Plumbob rd. You have to watch for the correct roads when they connect, but it is pretty easy to find. Eventually, you go up and over a pass that caps out at about 5,200 ft and down into a valley that takes you to the Park.

At the park you will find a couple of campsites. There is an outhouse and some tables, so it is a good quiet place to camp. There is a creek just a bit north of the campsites so there is lots of fresh water. I would still suggest you boil any water you find in the back country.

This was taken at the bridge which is just west of the campsite.


This is taken just west of the park and you can see the pass we are about to ride over on the middle right side of the image just behind the tree.



A panoramic shot from the top of the pass followed by the elevation taken from my iPhone. There are some serious switchbacks up there that required first gear and the judicious use of the clutch to get us around. There was only a few spots where it got a bit testy. There is active logging at the very top, so the roads are loose with the type of rocks that can cause flat tires.









Heading over the west side of the pass, you will get to Yahk. We kept on heading West and had lunch and fueled up in Creston. Then we headed up the lake to Grey Creek and came home over The Grey Creek Pass.

This up at almost the top of the Grey Creek Pass at Olive Lake. There are some nice campsites up there, but take cold weather sleeping gear as the elevation is over 6,500 ft.





As you an see, I lost a lid off of the left pannier, but it is easily replaceable and truly a "First World Problem". It was a great day and we where out about 10 hours, with a total of about 350 kilometers of both gravel and paved roads. Here is the route we took for the entire ride.



View Gilnockie Provincial Park/Grey Creek Loop in a larger map








Sunday 10 August 2014

Routes & Roads

Below is a list of Routes and Roads I have traveled on, or wish to travel on based on information from people I know who have ridden them.

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These are five Maps I did for a fellow traveler who is coming to my part of the world on a Round The World adventure

It starts in Montana at Little Big Horn, which is commonly know as Custers Last Stand, heads up to Alaska and finishes at the North end of the Astoria Bridge which is the beginning of the Oregon Coast Highway.

Map One is from Little Big Horn to the BC/Montana border, through Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.


View A Nice Ride ( Map 1) in a larger map

Map Two is from the BC/Montana border to the Alaska/Yukon border

View A Nice Ride ( Map 2) in a larger map


Map Three is from the Alaska/Yukon border, via the Casiar highway and Jasper/Banff to Revelstoke BC.

View A Nice Ride ( Map 3) in a larger map


Map Four is from Revelstoke BC to the BC/Washington State border via the West Kootenays and some of the finest Motorcycle roads anywhere.

View A Nice Ride ( Map 4) in a larger map


Map Five is from the BC/Washington State border to the North end of the Astoria bridge.

View A Nice Ride ( Map 5 ) in a larger map


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Friday 1 August 2014

Really good food,

Is very much a part of both Motorcycling and Travelling. I will be posting reports on restaurants that I have gone to and enjoyed.

This about Smokey Bro's, which in Cranbrook BC, on the East Side of town right on the main highway. It is in front of the Harley shop and just down the road from all of the "Fast Food" places. It puts all of them to shame.

For $12.50 you can have a hamburger will all the fixings, fresh cut french fries and a pop. The size of the portions are huge, and the quality of the fool is excellent. The fast food places down the road from it, and all of them are there, are worth driving past to get to the place.

The service is excellent and if you want a diversion after you eat, the Harley Davidson dealer is right behind him. There is lots of room to park even the largest of RV's right beside it. There are two picnic tables to sit at, or you can take the food to go.

What I have eaten is the 6 oz burger with the French Fry's as a topping, not the full size. But be careful, the french fries will be placed on top of the burger. If you want them as a side dish, just ask Jeremy or Ali to put them on the side. I find that is all the food I need.

I have included one picture of the menu, but they have a lot more choices. There is also Ice Cream available for desert.



I use the Urban Spoon a lot for finding new places, and Smokey Bro's has a  95% like rating. Check them out for more reviews.

Monday 21 July 2014

Grey Creek Pass

I live just east of Grey Creek Pass. It is a great trip in the summer for a Motorcycle, a vehicle that has high clearance and even bicycles. The road is pretty steep on both sides and there are certain parts that are around a 14% grade. There are also many very sharp switchbacks, and although towing trailers over it is not recommended I have seen several make the trip. Just be very cautious with your braking going downhill as it will not take long to get brake fade if you use them too much. The pass caps out at about 6,800 ft and there is a nice picnic table and lake at the top.

This is a screen shot of my iPhone at the top of the pass. Note the "No Service".


I went up over the pass today with a couple of my Motorcycle buddy's. As far as the road conditions I would rate it as decent. I spent as much time sitting on my motorcycle as I did standing. The road does get rough in a few spots and my Harley Davidson Buell was in first gear while I was standing on the foot pegs for better control. One thing nice about the Buell is that it fits me well. When standing I have a bit of a forward lean and my thighs can grab the tank, which gives me a nice way to control the bike. 

I stopped part way up to check the bike out to make sure everything was still attached. I wanted to make sure that the Custom mounts I made for the side cases where ok. It is a good thing I checked as one of the nuts had come off. I stopped several times over the rest of the day to make sure they where good. 


I was even able to ride one handed while standing as long as the road was decent. There where many very sharp rocks which could have played havoc with the tires, so a very cautious eye was needed. This requires you to ride "every inch" of the road and will take both mental and physical ability.


This is Jim and Don and our motorcycles at the very top. Notice the14% grade warning.


We saw about have a dozen KTM's coming up the west side, and there where also two trucks up there, one hauling a Recreation Vehicle and the other a boat. Both pulled over and allowed us to pass. That showed good courtesy from both the Ford and Chevrolet truck drivers.

Once we got into Grey Creek, we headed up to the Kootenay Bay Ferry and crossed over to Balfour for lunch. We stopped for a burger at the first place on the right hand side, right off the ferry. The foot was good, the service terible. Make sure they have the order written down correctly. We took a short ride up the lake to Toad Rock campground to visit Mary.

Then Back on the road to the Ferry, crossed over and road down the Kootenay Lake road to Creston. The it was on home. 


A motorcylists dream ride is The Kootenay Lake Road. One end is in Creston and the other is at Kootenay Bay Landing, which is just a bit north of Crawford Bay. There is much to do for everyone on the Lake road. Creston has many orchards and there are lots of Artisans in Crawford Bay. Plus resturants, beaches and places to laze the day away.

Tuesday 8 July 2014

Photography and Computer gear

In the previous post I said that I was going to use the Buell Top Box for my camera and laptop. The aluminum box I got did not fit the way I wanted it to because of the rack on the back of the motorcycle and I will have to modify it to make it work the way I wish. The stock top box is a bit smaller but it will still work.

My camera/laptop gear consists of the following:

  • Sony NEX 6 camera.....I chose this over the NEX 7 as the 6 will transfer to my iPhone via a Wi-fi connection, so in case I do not have my laptop available for Blog updates, I can use the app in my phone to do it. I wont have the same ability with my Apple phone as I will with my MacBook Air but it will work in a pinch. The NEX 6 also has the capability to save RAW and Jpeg at the same time with the same shot. This gives me much greater capability for when I use PhotoShop in my Mac laptop. I have used Sony for several years and like the cameras. For the techno types, the NEX 6 has a 16 Mega Pixel Sensor, a 3 inch screen and a Viewfinder. The screen tilts up which is a great feature for shooting with a tripod. 
  • Sony 18-200 zoom lens.....This lens will be the main one I use for all of my shots. It is not teribly fast, but it will do.  
  • Sony 2.8 16 MM lens....This is my faster Wide Angle lens. I will be using this mostly for scenic shots. 
  • Manfrotto Tripod....A tripod is a necessary tool for serious scenic photography. When combining the tripod and the tilting lens on the camera it will make a great tool for landscapes that you need to wait for the correct light. The Tripod will be tied down to the top of one of my Aluminum panniers. 
  • The computer is a MacBook Air. It is a very powerful,  light and small laptop. I have Adobe Photoshop CS6 installed in it. I have been using Macs and Photoshop since the mid 90's and like them both. At home I use a large monitor, but for obvious reasons will be using the Macintosh screen when on the road. I will alsol be carrying a portable Hard Drive for all of my images. When you start to save in RAW and JPEG at the same time, the bigger the drive the better. I will be using a Mac hard drive that is self powered by the Laptop that will need no wall power.

I have a 12 to 120 volt inverter so that I can charge all of the above from the Motorcycle if I am not near a wall outlet for a while. It plugs right into the Buell which has two 12 volt outlets for accessories. Also, very importanly, I have a waterproof cover for the Top Box. "Clamshell" type contairs are netorious for leaking, and water anywhere near this gear will soon render it usless.

In the following pictures you will see how the gear is placed in the top luggage box. First I installed a piece of foam that covers the bottom of the box. I then cut a piece of foam that surrounds the laptop. I also use a laptop cover that the Mac sits in. On top of that level sits the camera compartment.

All of this foam will help to keep the vibration away from the gear.

I have a camera bag that I will be using for hiking. You can see the camera and the lens on the right side. This will give me quick access to the cameras when needed. On the top of the box I am going to get some straps that will hold up my daypack. In the daypack will be a jacket for hiking plus other day hike items. I will also have my hiking boots with me, as well as pants, shirts and a sweater for day hikes, but these will be in the side box's to keep the weight down.



Thursday 3 July 2014

Getting the Buell ready to ride....

I have been doing some modifications to the Buell. I did a complete service, including all of the oils, spark plugs and I got a K&N air filter. I have used these before on other bikes and I find them to be very reliable and help the engine breath better. On the top of the tank (on a Buell, it is not a gas tank, as the gas is stored in the top part of the frame) I installed a Nelson Rigg tank bag. In it will be my gloves, maps and iPhone plus small items such as a jackknife and small flashlight.

I replaced the windshield that came with the bike for a tinted Zero Gravity product. It also has an adjustable mount so I can set it to where I want it.

I put a RotoPax mount onto the tail section of the Buell which is in the down position. On the bottom I have a 2 US gallon RotoPax gas tank. That will extend my riding distance by 50%. If I put two of those tanks on, it will give twice the range of the stock tank for a total of just over 8 gallons. With just one tank, I should have a range of about 300 miles, or about 500 kilometers. The top grey box is also a RotoPax unit. It is a container in which I will put my tools, such as flat tire repair kit (including an electric air pump), hand tools, duct tape, larger flashlight, and first aid kit.

I replaced the stock Buell side cases with aluminum ones. I got them from DirtBaggs out of Red Deer Alberta. They are an excellent box and made very well. I also got an aluminum top box, but I will have to modify the rear rack to make them work the way I want. That might be a project for this winter. The Buell Top Box is where I will keep all of my photography and computer gear. The side cases are non-removable so I got some 25 liter First Gear Dry Pac bags that fit in nicely. That way I will be able to remove them for security reasons at night. The Top Box comes off with just a key, so I can take it off the bike for security reasons also.

I also have a 70 liter First Gear Dry Pac that will hold all of my camping gear. It will sit on top of my RotoPax units. I will do a post later on my camping gear. I will also do a post on my riding gear.

In all of my years of riding, I have come to understand that the four cornerstones of succesful motorcycle touring can be divided up into the following;

1. The Motorcycle
2. The gear you attach to the Motorcycle and how you attach it
3. The clothes you wear when you ride
4. The camping gear you take

Add to that desire, fitness, patience and many more things that seem to become larger the further you get away from home.

I think that the beauty of Adventure touring, will be that I will never be very far away from home, as I will be sitting on it for a significant portion of my travels. I have always felt that motorcycles are a part of me. The older I get the better I understand that I am also a part of them.

It is a merging of a man, a machine, the road and the travels and the adventures they all undertake together.

All of the parts combined become a singular event.




Monday 19 May 2014

Learning to Ride, all over again...

One of the things you need to be capable of doing, is to be able to pick up the motorcycle you are riding. It has been a long time since I have had to do that, as I made sure I could always ride well enough on the current motorcycle I had, so that I could stay UP on the bike.

But, with Adventure Touring, you have to assume that you will be offroad much more and that will put you into more precarious situations.

So, I went online, and watched some videos of some very small people, picking up some very large motorcycles. I took their lead and learned how.

First, I took the saddle bags and trunk off, just in case this went very bad, and I dropped the bike. I did not want to damage them. But also, the bags would keep the back of the bike at less of an angle so it would be an unfair advantage. I also did this on the grass. Again, so it would have a softer landing if needed. The grass also had the advantage of being more slippy than either gravel or pavment. I wore my street shoes so that I would not have any advantage of my Sidi motorcycle boots.

So, here goes.



Sunday 4 May 2014

A New Motorcycle Direction


Last summer I went on trip and it became apparent to me that I had the wrong type of motorcycle. I was heading South out of Salmon Idaho, and riding towards Sun Valley via Hwy 75. It is a nice twisty piece of road, and although my cruiser was nice on a highway, I would have been more fun on a sport-type bike. At the top of the Galena Summit, close to 9,000 ft in elevation, I pulled into a view area, and when I got close to the edge to take a photo, I saw what appeared to be the old wagon road winding up the mountian pass from the valley bottom.

That was one more indication that I had the wrong bike. If I had an Adventure Tour bike, I would have driven back down the mountain to the valley bottom and came back up on the wagon road.

So I put my Road Star up for sale this spring and bought the bike below. It is a Buell Ulysses XB12XT. I will be making some modifications to it where it will fit my requirements much better, which will be a 90% highway tour bike and 10% off pavement.  I won't be doing any serious off road riding with it, as it is too heavy for that kind of work, but it will work on fire, logging and some dual track roads

I am going to ride it pretty much as you see it here this year, and then spend the winter converting it to what I need.