The Odyssey es Finito!

[bigjohnsd]

575 miles yesterday. NO Blowouts - of any kind.

https://www.relive.cc/view/vmqXN3z95LO

[dcarver]

Why Fresno?

[Panman]

Heading for Bremerton John?

[bigjohnsd]

Why Fresno?

'cause it's not Bakersfield.

Heading for Bremerton John?

Yes, arrive next Tuesday.

[bigjohnsd]

Safely at Bugnatr's for the night.

Today's journey - pretty cold, pretty wet https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqok5XJ7Kq

[escapefjrtist]

Colder and wetter the further north you come John! Dress appropriately.

~G

[wheatonFJR]

Safely at Bugnatr's for the night.

Today's journey - pretty cold, pretty wet https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqok5XJ7Kq

Its safe to have a complete blowout there John, let er rip!

[Pterodactyl]

Hope you are carrying a plugging kit of sufficient girth to handle the job.

[Abercrombie FJR]

Hope you are carrying a plugging kit of sufficient girth to handle the job.

Do they even make them with enough girth for an old sailer?

[bigjohnsd]

Tough crowd

[Panman]

John we are having g a shitty April, last year when I got home about this time I hit and 80' day in Forks! That's not typical but neither is this stuff that we are getting now

[Pterodactyl]

John we are having g a shitty April, last year when I got home about this time I hit and 80' day in Forks! That's not typical but neither is this stuff that we are getting now

“Shitty April”…… I see what you did there……

[Bugnatr]

Safely at Bugnatr's for the night.

Today's journey - pretty cold, pretty wet https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqok5XJ7Kq

Its safe to have a complete blowout there John, let er rip!

Hey Wheatie....

Toasty warm wood stove, Gayle's home made vittles and it's been a while since we had a moto friend for a visit. Good stuff.

Headed out with John on the Wing Friday morning for a ride across the central valley on his way to the coast with John Drew.

Unlike the retired guys I get to work Saturday due to rain during the week. Absolutely no complaints here as we desperately needed every drop of rain this week.

[bigjohnsd]

Safely at Bugnatr's for the night.

Today's journey - pretty cold, pretty wet https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqok5XJ7Kq

Its safe to have a complete blowout there John, let er rip!

Here I sit all broken hearted, came to shit but only farted! Time for a celebration

[bigjohnsd]

Long day, not by design!

We had a great plan. Ride up CA -1 / 101 to Eureka, ridei land a ways, take CA 96 to Happy Camp, customer to US 199 and ride down to Crescent City where we had a prepaid Motel. Simple easy flower sniffing day.....



We, both JREW & I had some concerns about the link between 96 and 199 so called Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce and verified that the road FS48 linking the two highways was open. The lady confirmed that it was after asking someone in her office.

It was a beautiful day heading up CA 1



Not a lot of traffic, only a few recalcitrant motorhomes that declined to let faster traffic by.

By the time we got to Eureka it was cold, gray and gloomy along the coast.



But as we moved inland after lunch it was a glorious day.



After turning North of 96 at Happy Camp we rode through some of last fall's devastating fire destruction. Lots of burned out folks scratching their lives back here.





When we reached 3500 feet I began to be concerned as we still had 1000 feet to go to clear the pass on FS 48.



At 4000 feet "Houston, we have a problem!"



I foolishly pressed on and fell down. John helped me right the ship and then we got his FJR turned around by putting it on the center stand and spinning it in place.



We rode back into Happy Camp, fueled, and looked at our options. We could go back the way we came 200 miles through lots of beautiful twisty canyon then up the coast to Crescent City, or ride East to I-5 up to Grant's Pass, and down 199 to Crescent City. Either way, a good portion was going to be after dark.

We opted for the ride East as it got us onto I-5 before dark and gave us the best chance to cover the most miles while still daylight.

We saw sunset as we approached Grants Pass on I-5



After a stop for fuel and food in Grants we navigated the dark stretches of 199 safely and arrived at our Motel tired but safe and sound at 2230.

Route "Actual"

[bigjohnsd]

Relive Video Friday -

https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv21nkBy4q
Relive Video Saturday -

https://www.relive.cc/view/vQvxn5Ae9B6

[Bugnatr]

Ha, you tried to get to O'Brien from Happy Camp. BTDT in the opposite direction.

The backside of the hill holds the snow a long time in the spring and I suspect more fell earlier this week.

[escapefjrtist]

Nice track BigJohn...just a little too early in the year! Another road where I've saved a few PNW rider's lives, but that's another story for another time. LOL

~G

[Cav47]

Your snafu triggered an old, but trepid memory when I almost got stuck crossing the Medicino mountains in the dark on the FJR. Glad you made it through safely. It gets really dark out there, and fast!

[bigjohnsd]

So I had a great reunion with old shipmates from forty years ago in Bremerton. I'm poised for an early launch in the morning to try and get over Snoqualmie Pass and across Washington before the next storm gets here. I'm shooting to get at least as far as Spokane tomorrow and possibly as far as Missoula MT. It just depends upon the road and the weather. Maybe Pterodactyl's on Friday and hopefully home on Saturday but dead may interfere.

Between George and Bryan I've got a new rear tire and an oil change.

This should be interesting! JSNS