FJRiders.com

Afternoon ride in the Mitten today.

Corn fields.


Windmills.


Where did that come from?


U-Turn to stay ahead of the rain...

What (or where?) is "the Mitten"?

Hppants wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:57 pm What (or where?) is "the Mitten"?

Michigan is known as the mitten state

Now that makes sense. We do have maps down here is Louisiana.

Michigan, Wisconsin, and some more Ohio are on my ride planning radar now. I got a taste in route to EOM, and I want more.

Pants,

I struck out again on the Indiana Map. 3rd different welcome center I went to and there is not a map to be had. There was one in the case on display. I checked for cameras and then looked to see if the display was "open-able" It was not. I seriously considered taking it. I will keep trying.

El Toro Joe wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:02 pm

Hppants wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:57 pm What (or where?) is "the Mitten"?

Michigan is known as the mitten state

I see Michigan as the right hand mitten and WI as the left hand mitten.

Cav47 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:49 pmI struck out again on the Indiana Map. 3rd different welcome center I went to and there is not a map to be had. I will keep trying.

Cav47,

Google for

Indiana roadmaps

Print/copy shops can print large paper copies if needed, in various sizes. Bring yer flash drives . . .
The .PDF maps can be zoomed in on most devices.
Internet mapping sources may help, for GPS route planning.

Cav47 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:49 pm I struck out again on the Indiana Map. 3rd different welcome center I went to and there is not a map to be had. There was one in the case on display. I checked for cameras and then looked to see if the display was "open-able" It was not. I seriously considered taking it. I will keep trying.

All maps are stuck on ships waiting to unload at the Port of Los Angeles.

N4HHE wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:30 pm

Cav47 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:49 pm I struck out again on the Indiana Map. 3rd different welcome center I went to and there is not a map to be had. There was one in the case on display. I checked for cameras and then looked to see if the display was "open-able" It was not. I seriously considered taking it. I will keep trying.

All maps are stuck on ships waiting to unload at the Port of Los Angeles.

Same with the 2022 FJR -Gen 5s!

Paper maps? I get them free from CAA (AAA) as part of my membership.

Also, on topic. Pulled the battery and topped up the tank with splash of seafoam.

Butler maps!

danh600 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:49 pmButler maps!

Butler Maps for Kansas are a waste of money.

Today I rode the FJR about 270 miles in 6.5 hours. I choose a route south of Spokane through the Palouse wheat fields then on to some of the channeled scablands scoured out from the Ice Age Floods 15-20000 years ago.

It was about 45 degrees when I left at 10:00am and I was happy to have my old Gerbing heated jacket. I zipped down Hwy 195 south of Spokane noticing the recently planted wheat is coming in. Hopefully enough rain will fall to end the drought to get the winter wheat the start it needs to survive winter. This year wheat production was down about 50% from 2020.

One of the highlights of this ride is State Hwy 194 to Almota along the Snake River. Here are a few photos.



A hairpin turn with a few trees aka fall foliage.



For once I stopped at the Lower Granite Dam visitor center to see a few fish in the fish ladder view window. I also got to me the guy who counts fish. JSNS.

On the south side of the Snake River (aka Snake Lake) there are some nice county roads. They look like this:







Much to Hppant's glee I took a detour from my 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓉𝑒 into the town of Pomeroy Washington in search of lunch. Not much was found as Pomeroy is a dying town with the majority of stores in the downtown core shuttered. Sad indeed.

Back on route my next destination was Hwy 261 a favorite as it features 15 miles of twisty pavement with a a decent elevation increase and it crosses a coulee.

This is what Miss April 2021 looks like in October 2021.



This joke makes sense if you bought the 2021 FJR Rider's Calendar. This is a plug to buy a calendar to help keep the lights on here.

Here are a few photos of scablands in Eastern Washington.



A coulee.



I like the lack of traffic out here.



A roller coaster. It is blurry because it is extremely cropped.



To finish up this post here is some fall colors.



It was a great day to be on the FJR.

gixxerjasen wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:47 pm

danh600 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:49 pmButler maps!

Butler Maps for Kansas are a waste of money.

They will make one for Kansas right after the Florida on comes out.

Dang Fontanaman, that's some tasty asphalt there, so smooth.

Other's have explained, but I thought this would be more helpful...

Hppants wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:57 pm What (or where?) is "the Mitten"?

gixxerjasen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:21 am Dang Fontanaman, that's some tasty asphalt there, so smooth.

Thanks Jasen. There are a few good bits of pavement but I alas some of it is rubbish. Blue sky day with a bit an ozone layer kept it from being perfect but the vistas were stunning all the same.

Winters coming so get it now! I give up riding after the first snowfall. Even if the snow melts sand and sticky gooey calcium chloride remains and I won't ride in that junk.

extrememarine wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:36 am Other's have explained, but I thought this would be more helpful...

Hppants wrote: ↑Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:57 pm What (or where?) is "the Mitten"?

So you rode the “Thumb”?

Also…looks like you ceded the Yoopers to the Cheeseheads!

fontanaman wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 12:29 pm

gixxerjasen wrote: ↑Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:21 am Dang Fontanaman, that's some tasty asphalt there, so smooth.

Thanks Jasen. There are a few good bit of pavement but I alas some of it is rubbish. Blue sky day with a bit an ozone layer kept from being perfect but the vista were stunning all the same.

Winters coming so get it now! I give up riding after the first snowfall. Even if the snow melts sand and sticky gooey calcium chloride remains and I won't ride in that junk.

Awesome photos and text...thanks for sharing. That's a nice area, only rode it in 2009 on the way up the CFR...but I do remember it well. My brother lives out that way and loves the terrain.

Jim - what an wonderful ride report. I really enjoy looking at photos from that area, perhaps largely because I've never been there. I hope to remedy that particular issue sooner rather than later.