First Ride of Spring!

Kristi and I hit some highlights of the coast yesterday.

She had had her shoulder bunged up a bit playing hockey with some rough girls over the weekend, so I was not certain she would make it. 'The Hockey shoulder might need another day of rest'; she told me on the phone Wed night.
Determined that it would be a good day weatherwise, alone or with a buddy, I slurpped down some coffee. I had just hit the bottom of the stairs when her nimble Yami FZ1 pulled up in my drive. What a nice surprise.

Being Hillsboro Women on Wheels the coast is always within easy reach.
We headed west on 26 just a ways then angled down the ever famous Hwy 6 to Tillamook.

Our few days of clearing weather with less rain had left the sceenery green and water in the streams and rivers high but clear. Moss, ferns and small wildflowers dotted the sides of the roads. The roads were clear, dry and void of many cars...one advantage of taking a weekday ride. Those that were on the road, we quickly dispenced of as we nimbly passed them. Liek they were standing still.

Tillamook, sweet Tillamook. To some the smell is overwhelming....oddly, I rather like it. It symbolizes a simple life to me...however, dairy farmers would argue it is far from simple.
Not much happening in town but the change in weather seemed to bring some folks out.
A few Motorhomes and some pickup trucks loaded with quads were seen headed north on 101.
One nasty Ryder truck gave us concern as he pulled to the centerlane without signal and looked to be coming further over. I pointed at him as if to say; "watch it buddy, there are some bikes here!' He stayed in his center lane till we had passed.
There is a nasty spot of pavement North on 101 near Nehalem. There is a sign warning you that there is a DIP. Believe it. Trust not the first little DIP you feel, for there is a massive chunck of pavement ripped and torn away in two or three lengthwise shreds aprox 12-20 feet long just past that 'little dip' that you think you feel. We surefootedly wrangled our way through this obstacle by clearing it all together far to the right hand side, very near the white line.

We arrived at Astoria around 2 for lunch. The 'homies' were hanging around on the docks and said hello to us. Some blue billed sea ducks paddled along under the pier and the trolley eased up and down the boardwalk. It was close to 75* and sunny. It felt so good to be out, doing what we love to do on a day we love to do it in.
After a terrific lunch of soup and salad and our experimental 'blueberry lemonade' at the Wet Dog we mounted the bikes again.
I love the bridge over the Columbia at Astoria. It is just so long and impressive. I always think about the history of this area and how Capt Grey and his group explored the area and lost like 20 men trying to get from the ship to the shores of Astoria in a dinghy. All of this long before the Dams on the Columbia of course. I can only imagine what the Coumbia was like, for it is so impressive the way we have always known it.

Touching down on the Washington side is some of the best riding real estate I know of. We headed west. Wide sweepers with nice smooth road, great vistas with water on one side, mountains on the other. The smell of salt and sea and that marshy, muddy smell that is distinct to the area. Kristi and I had become good partners with riding styles in sync with each other. Not too fast....but not slow at all. We both had the get up and go when the situation dictated and we exercised that quite nicely a few times. Damned motorhomes!

We dropped into the fishing harbor at Cathlamet. My thermometer on my bike read 77*. time to shed some liners. There were a zillion campers, motorhomes and trailers in at Cathlamet. This area is usually quiet in the summer. The sturgeon must be running we decided.

Out of Cathlamet it is just a half hour ride into Longview. We cruised on to and stopped at ProCaliber Motorsports where Kristi seems to know everyone. "Hey look what the sun brought out" I heard one fellow say from clear accross the showroom floor. It was like traveling with a celebrity! We poked around and looked at dirt bikes, Goldwings and quads.

It was rush hour by the time we wrapped it up and said goodbye to all of Kristi's pals. Crossed the bridge and tooted down Hwy 30 toward home.
I left Kristi and her trusty YZ1 on Evergreen Road near our homes.

Great day, great ride, great company.


Carol