Well, I'm back on the road again taking the now familiar NF52 back down to Packwood (Skate Creek Road, take three) where I stop to fill up my tank for the ride home tomorrow and also pick up some food for dinner tonight. It would be beef, noodles, and french-cut green beans for dinner. Arriving back in camp around 4:30pm, this time I changed into my swim trunks right away and headed over to the pool where I found a bunch of the other CMA folks relaxing. We chatted about our rides for a bit, then I headed back to camp to get dinner started.
Eventually Grant, Greg, Roger, and Peggy got back to camp and was regaling me with what a wonderful ride they had. It really sounds like they had a good day - better than the day before by a long shot. So I cooked my dinner with them and chatted the evening away until I was too tired to talk (hard to believe if you know me).
So I hit the sack tired, but satisfied with another day's ride.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Well, today I head back to Spokane and I can't say I was looking forward to it. The prediction for temperature was around 100F and I'm riding through the southern part of Washington State, which in places is pretty much a desert. There's nothing to be done about it, so I slowly get packed up to go. This morning I decided I would make the Sunday morning devotional which was pretty good. I got ready before Greg/Grant and the Zarings, but not by much, so I told them I'd see them at Cruiser's for breakfast.
I got there a little before 9am and got a big enough table for all of us. I ordered right away though because I didn't want to be delayed leaving for home. They got there about 30 minutes later while I was finishing up breakfast. I stayed to chat for a bit, but then a little before 10am I got on the bike and headed for home.
The ride down to Yakima on US12 is a really pretty highway. You ride over White Pass and there are lakes and rivers you pass by. There must have been a car club drive today because saw a dozen or more really cherry classics from the forties and fifties driving past. I got into Yakima, promptly missed my turn onto SR24, but eventually got straightened out and heading east. It's a hot day and there's just no getting around it. I should have taken my hydration pack and filled it with ice and water at Cruiser's but didn't.
There's not much to tell about my ride home. I followed SR24 across the Columbia River and headed east on an absolutely arrow-straight road toward Othello, but turned off to pass through Connell and Kahlotus instead. I got gas at Connell and looked for a place to take a break but there's nothing for miles. Finally not finding anything I pulled over at a little wide spot to drink half my gatorade, then stopped at Kahlotus to finish it. Man was it hot! By now I'm on SR260 passing through Washtucna, then on SR26 toward LaCrosse and Endicott. I was going to bypass Endicott originally and come out on to US195 via St. John and Thornton, but I was so tired I decided to let the Garmin figure out the fastest route and get me the heck home. That took me through Endicott into Colfax where I hopped on 195 and just rode on home, arriving at about 4:30pm.
Tom Clark
I'm a Senior Software Engineer at Intellitect, living in Spokane, Washington. I also do a little development work on the side. And I love riding motorcycles all over the country with my friends.
