Astoria to Ashland 

The hot long way around over and down.

July 27th

I thought it would be great to travel inland and avoid Highway 101 which runs down the Oregon coast wandering the coastline,following the ocean. I envisioned RV hell so there was no way I was going that way. Why not the lesser traveled inland route with it’s myriad of backroad junctions and route numbers, picking from the map an endless supply of destinations? Remote pockets of lakes, meandering rivers and rolling farmland ... and did I mention 105 degree temperatures. Great idea Dave, good thinking.

Portland is a stunning example of green urban living. Green, as in every where you look, you’re surrounded by greenspace. Green, as in Portland is considered progressive in it’s energy initiatives, including Peak Oil protocols drafted by it’s legislature. Green, as in it apparently has a comprehensive transit system. Even I would consider this as a place to live an urban life. Outside of the core and surrounding hillsides, it was a different story. Industry all along the Mighty Columbia.

I was headed North to a junction to catch the 205 when I found myself back in Washington, Vancouver WA. Great, not only am I traveling the wrong way, I’m traveling the I-5 back to where I came from. I made a quick exit east, found another bridge south and was back on track. The route I chose was given to me by a motorcycle rider at the local camera shop. He was as enthusiastic as he was helpful and he had me convinced this was the route to take even though he mentioned being absolutely pelted by  some swarming swamp bug somewhere north of Ashland on Highway 97 a few years back. I could handle it.

The ride started off well, but It just kept getting hotterand hotter. When I re-examined my route map and calculated the total distance I was to cover inland of the I-5 was actually triple the distance I could be traveling if I would have went to the coast, I decided to let go of my inland rolling hill romance, opting for the more clichéd coastal route of convertibles and RV’s. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the route from Corvallis to Newport crossed the mountains to the coast and when I arrived the temperature dropped 20 degrees and it was time for my long underwear and hoodie under the leather.

The following 4 hours of riding were …….. well they were DIFFICULT because I had a hard time seeing out of my helmet due to an excess amount of fogging because ….. I COULDN’T STOP SCREAMING AND HOOTING AND HOLLARING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS. What an amazing coastline. My cheeks hurt from smiling and my voice was hoarse from …. well, you know. The motorcycle was christened Jose Alberto Amore Blackberry, and he is a good man. The name came from a Corb Lund song about a soldier in the Spanish Civil War who fell in love with village girl, had a two week romance and left,  never to be seen again. Jose Alberto and I were now travelling companions.

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The cool dense coastal air became the perfect carburetion platform for power distribution on that little bike, and combined with corners you really can’t ride to fast, or fast enough around …. I was rollin'. Myself, my bike, the late evening light and a destination of Coos Bay, a place where my mother and her girlfriend at 19 years of age broke down for three days in a VW bug on their way to Mexico. The mechanic fixed the car just enough to limp it back to Canada …. yet it ran for another two years!!! She was so close yet somehow so far. I may have been Mexican. (sorry mom .... and dad)

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Coos Bay was dark by the time I arrived and I chose a pint of beer and a few pieces of halibut before I was to bed down on an abandoned backroad above the highway. My first  campsite and what a spot it was, overlooking the highway and the pub I just came from but it was home. After a decent sleep, I awoke with the dawn to find myself pleasantly surrounded by blackberry bushes in full fruit. Breakfast of berries, homemade goats cheese compliments of my hosts the day before Christopher and Caren, some crackers, half a muffin and I was set. Check out the " Motorcycle Gourmet" (book release date pending).

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Breakfast

 Off to Ashland and what was to be the overland ride of a lifetime.

 Dave