2025 PNW Trip 1 - Day 2

May 21, 2025

I had a few passing rain clouds during the night but they only brought a light sprinkle which sounded soothing on the tent.  

I slept pretty well and didn’t think it was time to get up until 4:30am, which is my regular get up time back home in a different time zone.  I heard a piece recently that indicated that one of the keys to getting a good sleep habit is not what time to go to bed but to get up at the same time every day.  That makes sense to me and I’ve been getting up at 5:30 for decades, every day, never do I “sleep in.”

I started with the usual morning duties, washing up and getting some hot water started.  Today I would have my special oatmeal mix and a cup of cinnamon apple herbal tea.

I noticed that the site next to me, barely visible through the trees, is now occupied.  They must have come in pretty late as I didn’t hear them.  That reminds me to say a few words about the availability of sites at this campground.  When I went to recreation.gov and looked at the site information, it indicated that it only opened for the season yesterday and for this week all the sites were first come, first served.  However, the information board here at the campground showed that the campground had opened earlier and was already accepting reservations.  When I rode through last night I noticed “Reserved” signs on most of the sites.  Many of the sites were already occupied.  While I was able to find one, after walking around I noticed that most of those occupied sites had an RV but no vehicle.  It was the same this morning so I took a closer look and saw that they had reserved the site for the allowed 14 days and dropped off their rigs.  They probably just come on the weekends, notably Memorial Day.  IMO, if you aren’t going to physically be there, you shouldn’t be taking the space.  OK, off my soapbox.

I did the usual packing routine and had the bike loaded and was on the road about 9am.  It was 44 degrees and felt pretty good as I took it easy on the damp roads and let my tires warm up.  It wasn’t long before I was in the groove and thoroughly enjoying the great sweeping curves on a road that was relatively free of other vehicles.  It’s a great way to start the day.

I tried to keep my eye out for a side road that I’d seen on the map but it wasn’t marked and so I probably went right past it.  It’s the location of a WWII Japanese Internment Camp.  I saw it on the Google maps and read a bit about it but there really isn’t anything left.

I had a great time cruising along and eventually came to Kooskia and the Nez Perce reservation.  Time to stop for a photo.

In Kamiah I stopped for gas at the same station I’d stopped at last September when I was riding in the pouring rain.  After gassing up I sat at a nearby table and uploaded yesterday’s blog entry.  It was the first cell service I’d had since Missoula.  I also took advantage of the stop to shed my sweatshirt as it was starting to warm up.

I continued on and stopped at the Slaterville rest area to use the facilities and change from my cold weather gloves to my lighter ones.

I was using the Google maps thing to guide me through Lewiston because the last time I tried going solo I ended up sort of lost.  Along the way I stopped to look at this bridge.

I got away from trees and the rivers and worked my way through the rolling wheat fields of Eastern Washington.  When I arrived in Pomeroy, I decided to find their city park  and have my lunch.  I had the other half of yesterday’s apple and the remaining pieces of banana bread.  When I passed through this town last year I stopped for a photo of my bike in front of their courthouse, something I do when I come across courthouses, but figured I’d skip that this year.  I have to say that Pomeroy is a very attractive little town. The Main Street is quite neat and would be fun to stroll on.  I looked up information of the town and noted that the former president of Montana State University, Bozeman, the late Michael Malone, was born and raised here.  When I first moved to Billings I asked a librarian for a book on the history of Montana and she gave me his.

I continued on and came to the town of Dayton and had to stop for a photo in front of their very attractive courthouse.  

Courthouses like this show the pride they have in their community.  I regret to say that among my courthouse photo collection, the dullest is in Yellowstone County.

On I went through miles and miles of those rolling hills.  I stopped for a photo of the surroundings.

I stopped for gas along the way and continued on one of the longest stretches of road with the most barren landscape that I’d ridden on since I rode from Forsyth, Montana to Roundup.  Not all roads on this trip are twisties.

Due to my own navigational error, I ended up routed through the Tri-Cities.  The distance and time were the same as the alternate route but I’d rather have missed the traffic.  The people in Pascoe drive 15 over the limit and seem to be a constant race from light to light.  Things changed when I got to Kennewick.  That navigation tool routed me along the Columbia Parkway past miles and miles of city park along the river.  There were playgrounds, picnic areas, gardens, and bike paths all along the way.  I’m glad to have seen this.  I passed through Richland and survived as I made my way to Yakima.

Yakima is all about hops and fruit.  Hop farms and fruit orchards are everywhere and that’s what I saw for many miles as I approached the city.  Once there, packing houses were in abundance.  The route I took through town showed me that there is a very strong Hispanic presence in the city which is great because it means that my favorite cuisine is readily available should I decide to eat here.  

I stopped and picked up a beer to go with my dinner before proceeding on to Yakima Canyon and the campgrounds along the Yakima River.  I checked out the first one but continued on to Big Pines and selected a site from one of those available.  It appears that many/most are reserved for the upcoming holiday weekend but there are plenty available today.  I’m not picky as most of the sites are in the open which means that there are no trees blocking the view.

And such a deal.  With my Military Lifetime American the Beautiful card I got half price so only paid $7.50.  

I got camp set up and then wrote this blog which I’ll have to post tomorrow and there is no cell access here.  Dinner tonight is the “Forever Young Mac and Cheese.”    That fits with my goal to be “forever young.”  ;-)

After I ate I walked down to the river.

It was a 360 mile day.

2025 PNW Trip 1 - Day 1

May 20, 2025

Leading up to this excursion I did quite a bit of prep work on the motorcycle.  I replaced the tires with another set of Michelin Road 6 GT along with new metal, right-angle valve stems.  Metal is better than the original rubber ones and the angle makes checking the tire pressure easier as well easier to fill. 

I flushed both the clutch and brake hydraulics and installed new brake pads front and rear.  I did a coolant change, which was a big job because of how much of the plastic fairing pieces had to be removed.  All went well. I also change both the engine and differential oils.

Aside from the bike maintenance, I replaced one of the poles for my tent.  I had one break last year and had used a pipe nipple splice which worked but was a pain.  Replacement poles come in pairs so now I have an extra.  I also picked up a couple extra tent stakes.

I originally thought I might try to make the trip earlier in the month but the weather was uncooperative and most of the campsites are still closed.  I had to work around May 17th as I was teaching a sectional at the Yellowstone Art Museum’s Sketcher Symposium.  Going after that date is a squeeze because I need to be back in Billings to leave on another trip on May 30th.  So, leaving today, Tuesday May 20th is the day.

At first it looked like weather would be an issue again but the storm coming over the Rockies on Sunday and Monday didn’t drop as much snow as predicted and the highway cameras indicated safe traveling conditions.

I packed a bunch last night and finished up this morning, getting the bike loaded and ready to go before 8am.  Once breakfast was done, I added a few pieces of banana bread and an apple to my bag for lunch and I was out and on the road at 8:50.

The destination today is Wilderness Gateway Campground on Hwy 12 in Idaho along the Lochsa River.  I thought about riding the slab all the way to Missoula but the 2-lane to Garrison only added less than an hour.

One change I made to my usual methods is that I did not take many photos.  I’ve shot so many on this same route that I really wasn’t motivated to do so plus, the conditions said to “just ride.”  So I did.  I stopped in Broadview for a quick one. 

I made it to Lavina and turned west on Hwy 12 against a strong headwind.  That wind haunted me most of the way to Missoula.

In the past I’d stop in Townsend for gas but my fuel economy was so poor that I had to stop in White Sulfur Springs.  By the way, that road from there to Townsend is a great.  Lots of hills and curves.

The bike is running great and, other than the wind, the conditions are pretty good.  The air temperature is mostly in the 50s.  I was right on the line with being comfortable.  I am wearing my colder weather jacket and have both the rain and thermal liner zipped in.  If I’d worn the thermal liner in my riding pants I would not have been too warm but Levis under them made things comfortable enough.

I did get a few spits of rain along the way but nothing worth stopping and donning my rain pants for.  At most the rain would last for 5 minutes, what there was of it.  Some of the roads were wet so it looks like it had rained earlier.

In Garrison, Hwy 12 becomes I-90 and I road that to Missoula.  Along the way I stopped at a rest area and had my lunch: banana bread that I baked last night and half an apple.  I’ll finish them for lunch tomorrow.  At that rest area there was a couple towing a trailer with vehicle that was very clearly not up to the task but, heck, what do I know.  

Riding the freeway is not my favorite exercise.  One has to realize that it’s a constant game of one upmanship of who is going to pass whom.  I am not in a hurry and 75 MPH feels just fine considering the impact of the head and cross winds.  Some people zoom right past me and I have to pass others.  I really have to be on my game.  The 2-lane experience is completely different both on speed and traffic.  I much prefer it but riding the freeway is a skill that I don’t want to loose so every once in a while I just do it.  After all, I commuted on the freeways of Los Angeles every day for more than a decade, on many days, by motorcycle.

I stopped for gas in Missoula at a Town Pump on Brooks.  While there I picked up the traditional tall IPA to go with my dinner.  I get why some people want to live in MIssoula due to the “vibe” but the traffic is terrible.  I was going through town at 3:45 or so and it was not uncommon to have to sit through several cycles of a traffic light to move forward.  Billings is nothing like that.

I rode the 8 miles a from Missoula to Lolo and turned west, staying on Hwy 12, and riding into Idaho.  Near Lolo Pass I saw some snow on the side of the road but other than some dampness from an earlier rain, the roads were great. 

I descended from the pass to one of the best motorcycle rides in the country, 90+ miles of sweeping curves along a river in a densely forested area.  When I rode this last year, I was in a downpour so it was quite a treat to ride it uninhibited.  I, of course, switched the bike into “Sport” mode and made use of that feature.

When I went past the Jerry Johnson Campground I was surprised to see that it was open.  I rode a loop through and saw only one other camper.  Hmmm, maybe things won’t be busy up ahead. 

When I arrived at the Wilderness Gateway Campground I was surprised how many people were there.  Most sites were taken and most of them also had kayaks.  The river is running high and fast with lots of rapids so I guess it’s a good time of year to take advantage of it.  I looped through once and saw a few sites that looked to be reserved for the next couple days but found one that was open for tonight which is all that I needed to.

It’s relatively quiet.  The sounds of the nearby river creates a nice background and I only hear the occasional vehicle go by on the highway.  I got my tent set up and then sat down to write this.  There is no cell service so I am writing offline and will post this tomorrow somewhere along the way when I have cell service again.

It’s time to get dinner going.  Tonight it’s Lasagne. 

After that, I took a walk and saw the Boulder Creek flowing down to the Lochsa.

It was a 441 mile day.  The bike turned 42,000 miles today.  I’d have stopped at that mark for a photo was having too much fun in the twisties to be bothered with that.

Cooney Reservoir

May 11, 2025

We have some weather headed our way this afternoon so after an outing with the dog and a few other things I figured I had enough time to get a short ride in.  I’d looked at a map and noticed COoney Reservoir.  I’d been there once, a short visit probably 25 years ago and at 50 miles from home looked about perfect.

I snaked my way to Laurel on the back roads, stopped at Riverside Park for the facilities, and then rode son to Boyd and the turn off for COoney.  It’s about 9-10 miles and very curved.  A nice ride.  As I neared the lake, up a ahead I could see that the rode made a hard turn to the left and coming the other way was a kid in a pickup who didn’t slow down and came over on my side of the road as he tried to correct himself.  20 second later that could have been dangerous for me.

The pavement ends at the bridge where the water flows out of the lake so I took a couple pictures, turned around, and headed back.

A mile or two on the way back I found another spot for a photo.

When I got back to Hwy 212 the pavement was wet.  I guess I’d just missed the rain.  I found it a bit out of Rockvale but it wasn’t much.  The rest of the ride back to Billings was just about getting back before the rain showed up there.

A 98 mile day.

A Red Lodge shake down ride

May 4, 2025

With all the maintenance caught up and great weather today, it was time for a ride to Red Lodge and back.  Nothing special, just cruised there with little traffic.  I did stop at Fox, Montana on the way.  It was a railroad stop for the grain elevator.  The rails are long gone and there isn’t much left.

In Red Lodge I stopped for a drink of water and a photo.

It was an uneventful ride back for about 120 miles.

Catching up on stuff

May 4, 2025

It’s a been a few weeks of catching up on some maintenance, getting ready for this riding season.  The first job was to get new tires mounted.  I went with the Michelin Road 6 GT again.  I had around 11,000 miles on the previous set and there were lots of riding left but I like new tires for the start of the season rather than dealing with getting them changed when riding is more important.  I’m not a tire snob nor expert but these tires really did handle well, particularly in the rain and I had lots of that last season.  I also bought steel valve stems with a right-angle fill, to replace the straight rubber ones.

While the wheels were off I replaced the brake pads.  The rears were down to the wear marks and I went ahead and order pads from the front all well.  Dummy me, I thought since there were 2 for the back and the front has 2 calipers, I’d need 4 for the front but it takes 4 on each side so I was short 4 when I did the job.  That’s OK, I just ordered another set and put them on later.

Above, the rear pads, the new ones on the left and the old ones on the right.

The old front pads with plenty of life left but I’m replacing them anyway.

A few days later, with the wheels back on, It was time for a hydraulic fuel flush.  I have a vacuum pump but chose to do it the old-fashioned way since both the bleed screw and the brake and clutch levers are within reach.  The clutch was pretty straight forward.  The fluid didn’t look too bad after 4 years and 40,000 miles.  The brake fluid didn’t look too bad either as shown below.

The trick with this bike is that it has ABS so just flushing the fluid the standard way doesn’t get all the old stuff out.  It’s necessary do the initial flush activate the ABS pump, and then flush the system again.  Yamaha used to sell a special tool that will put the bike in a test mode but it is no longer available.  That’s OK be those helpful people online show had to do the same thing with a single alligator clip.

The first step is is to make sure that the side stand safety switch is working.  This is the switch that prevents the bike from starting or running when the bike is in gear and the side stand is down.  Done.  

Next, I removed the battery cover.  Under there is a connector that has a dummy plug in it.  I pulled the plug and used the alligator clip to jumper two pins.

Now I turn on the ignition, wait until the instrument panel is booted up, and then hold down the start button for 4 seconds.  Now the bike is in test mode.  Next, I pull the front brake lever and push on the rear brake pedal, both at the same time.  I get a pulsing in the front lever, followed by one on the rear pedal, and then the front again.  The ABS pump has now brought in new fluid and pushed out the old.  Now I flush the front and read as I did before.

The next job, done some days later, is a coolant flush.  This is done by the book rather than what some YouTubers suggest like flushing with distilled water and then compressed air.  I suppose if the bike had 100K miles on it and had never been flushed, maybe, but that’s not the situation here.  Yes, I am over due but the bike was new and I haven’t been riding it hard.

The challenge is that to get to the radiator cap, I have to remove most of the front plastic pieces.  I followed an excellent guide online and it went well, although it took about 90 minutes.  Once all the plastic was about of the way, I loosened that radiator cap, pulled up a bucket, and removed the coolant drain bolt.

The coolant came out looking blue and crystal clear.  I removed the expansion tank, emptied it, and then pulled the lower radiator hoses annd drained them.  I reattached the hoses and the drain bolt and added the new coolant.  I poured VERY slowly to make sure I didn’t bring much air into the system.  After replacing the cap, I ran the engine up to operating temperature followed by long break where I left it cool down.  I removed the radiator cap and topped up the coolant.  In all I used about 2-1/2 quarts of Yamaha coolant.

Putting all the plastic pieces back on waited until the next day and took about 90 minutes.  The next day I fiddled around with a few more items on my check list.  I removed the side heat deflector panel to double-check that I’d tightened up the bolt underneath, which I hadn’t.  I also lubed what I could of the latches on the side cases and while they were opened, check that locks were tight.  I also checked the tire pressures.

Later that day, Friday, May 2, I took it out for a test ride.  I rode out to Shepard, cruised some back roads, and road back.

It ran great and I believe it’s ready for another long season of riding.