Author Topic: 2007 PNW Banditfest or rides? (Read 30397 times)

Bobcat · « **Reply #45 on:** May 02, 2007, 02:09:54 AM »

I gotta be honest: I'd much rather ride the Eastern Washington/Eastern BC roads than the ones on the west side. The weather is usually nicer, fewer people, and fewer LEOs. I'm game for anything, but I think we should consider riding *east* from Okanagan.

Hwy 20 is still on my list of must rides though, even though we'd be headed in the wrong direction.

pmackie · « **Reply #46 on:** May 02, 2007, 03:15:28 AM »

I'm good with riding either side. Cargo7 is planning to join us as well, just not sure where yet. Do we have any others or are we the 4 Bandito's?

I've done a bunch of the roads east of the Cascades and none of them west, but we can also just play it by ear and turn on the intersection that looks like the best weather. Hotels should be a non issue this time of year...

Bobcat · « **Reply #47 on:** May 02, 2007, 11:24:37 AM »

One other benefit is that hotels on the east side are usually 50% cheaper. I'd also like to ride somewhere new each day, vs. backtracking to a "base of operations" each evening (no offense Paul).

Where has Cargo been? I haven't seen him post up for awhile. Is Okanagan workable for him?

The weather is looking better and better for this weekend...

Red01 · « **Reply #48 on:** May 02, 2007, 01:12:25 PM »

No offense taken... all good points.

pmackie · « **Reply #49 on:** May 02, 2007, 03:13:57 PM »

Ron (Cargo7) should get back to me later today, or early tomorrow...(I know his was off to Calgary early this am).

He has two possible options. He has a construction site in Kelowna that may need an inspection Friday am. If he can arrange it, he would be travelling down from Kelowna and can meet us in Okanagon. If not, he would likely want to travel Hwy 20 east from Vancouver, B.C. assuming he would meet us on route.

If we stay east, he will just have to get an early start and meet us in Okanagan anyway, or we can look at travelling North and meet him at the border near Keromeos. We could then do some of the B.C. Okanagon to complete Friday and spend Sat/Sun back in Washington. How's that for a plan B? I'll be talking to him and confirm.

We do have the option of making a circle through Hwy 20 and maybe back Hwy 2 to Leavenworth or something? So a 1/2 and 1/2 trip.

Bobcat · « **Reply #50 on:** May 03, 2007, 10:48:42 AM »

Both sound like good options to me. Regardless, we'll see you tomorrow around 2 pm in Oky-ville.

pmackie · « **Reply #51 on:** May 03, 2007, 12:52:25 PM »

You got it. When I see you guys we can finalize the plan. I'm totally flexible (as long as I get to ride!!)

Bobcat · « **Reply #52 on:** May 03, 2007, 01:12:04 PM »

Map for the U&I Motel. Address is 838 2nd Ave N. Phone number is 509-422-2920. Look for Harley St. <gag>

Red01 · « **Reply #53 on:** May 03, 2007, 03:28:07 PM »

Weather for the west side is currently showing partly cloudy for Friday and Sunday and they're calling for a few showers on Saturday. Yesterday, they had Fri & Sat's weather just the opposite... and today they're calling for thunderstorms and the sky is blue with big white puffy clouds.
Freakin' morons.

Bobcat · « **Reply #54 on:** May 07, 2007, 11:48:22 AM »

Rolled in last night around 7:30. Had a nice tailwind coming into Ellensburg. Fun time. I'll post pics sometime today.

pmackie · « **Reply #55 on:** May 08, 2007, 01:08:38 PM »

Home safe @ 7:00 MDT (6:00 Pacific) Monday. Great ride on Monday. I'll post some thoughts tonight.

Great ride overall guys...I love to turn around an do it again.

Red01 · « **Reply #56 on:** May 08, 2007, 03:48:56 PM »

Even the snow part?

pmackie · « **Reply #57 on:** May 08, 2007, 04:04:47 PM »

Quote

Even the snow part?

No...your right...I NEVER want to do that part again. Not even the little 2nd bit over the Sherman Pass.

Bobcat · « **Reply #58 on:** May 08, 2007, 08:37:31 PM »

A few pics from the ride:

Red sunning himself on the way to meet Paul:

We met up with Paul in Okanogan. We had a little bit of rain to contend with (notice the pavement just starting to dry) while Paul rode his bike through a blizzard. The joys of riding in late spring in the PacNW:

We made it as far north as Laurier, which is basically a post office and duty free shop.

You can kinda tell who's from where:

We spent both nights at the Klondike Motel in Republic, WA. Great motorcycle motel for $33/night.

Darlene, the owner, even gave us a bucket of rags to wipe the bugs off the bikes.

Saturday we rode through the Colville Indian Reservation. Great roads, minus the occasional pothole. This led to the only pucker moment of the trip for me, which involved gravel and potholes at the apex of a blind corner. Luckily, I sailed through.

Paul doing a little jig.

Motley looking group. Red01, Bobcat, and pmackie:

We met up in Winthrop with this BMW rally. They had a few more bikes than we did.

And my ol' Bandit hit a milestone coming back over the N. Cascades:

All in all it was a great little weekend run. Looking forward to the next one.

pmackie · « **Reply #59 on:** May 11, 2007, 01:04:51 AM »

Here are my ride stats, for those interested.

4 days, Friday 9:00 am MDT to Monday 7:00 pm MDT.
approx 2900 kms (1800 miles+/-).
An absolutely great ride. We met in Okanagon city, and basically rode circles through the US Okanagon and Cascades, only doing a couple of roads in the same direction. For those with the Destination Highways book, I did all the following (All WA unless indicated BC):

BCDH52 - Hwy 3, Salmo Creston-4+" of snow, YIKES
DH63 - Hwy25, Waneta to Kettle Falls
DH13 - Hwy 20, Kettle Falls to Republic
DH62 - Hwy 20, Republic to Tonasket (both ways)
DH24 - Tonasket to Nighthawk to Oroville
DH11 - Oroville to Curlew
DH50 - Curlew to Orient
DH65 - Laurier to Kettle Falls
DH30 - Inchellium South dead end (both ways)
DH23 - Inchellium to Hwy 21 (both ways)
DH26 - Hwy 21 to Nespelem
DH69 - Nespelem to Omak
DH29 - Omak to Twisp
DH1 - Winthrop to Marblemount (both ways)
DH39 - Twisp to Paterous
DH66 - Orondo to Ephrata
DH42 - Soap Lake to Coulee City
DH14 - Colville to Tiger

Plus a bunch of interesting twisted edges.

Whew...weather was good or better most of the time, until we got through the Cascades to the west side.

Some really memorial parts for me...I got caught in a blizzard on the Salmo/Creston and had to bulldog the bike for 5km (3 miles) through 4-6" of snow, after putting it down at 20kmph (13mph). No significant damage other than a turn signal and brake lever. It put me a full hour behind schedule and I would have turned around if I could have.

The ride home on Sunday night up the Grand Coulee was memorable. A warm sun getting low in the sky casting a yellow then orange then gold hue on the East side of the coulee as I road north. Very serene.

Of course some absolutely fantastic twisties during these 4 days.