HOG INSIDER - Roughing It

In addition to the print version of the HWY 395 story in HOG 031, "Wet & Wicked", HOG INSIDER online has published an extended "back story" about the "Who Needs a Windshield" Project Wide Glide ride.  If you are a HOG member check it out.  It was quite a ride!

be strong, be safe, Carlan

TGIF

Home just a week since finishing the HWY 395 ride.  Needed to catchup.  From wind in my face to staring at a computer screen.  What a change.

Editing, processing, reviewing notes, writing, editing, editing, editing.  We were on a very short turn around time for HOG.  Finished the story, but not without the incredible help from Nancy.  She rocks!  Uploaded the photos.  Sent the word doc.  The creative team at HOG took it from there.   Just received the final layout which will be on the press Monday.  What a Friday.  It is beautiful!

Waiting for my flight at the Spokane airport I called Nancy and asked her what should I call the story.  “Wet and Wicked” she said.  She’s from Boston and when she’s says something is wicked it means awesome, and that’s exactly what the ride was. 

Kickstand down Santa Fe...not for long!

be strong, be safe, Carlan

Headin' for the border

No wi-fi last night.  Catching up this morning.  Left Ritzville  yesterday morning heading toward Spokane.  Ten miles down the road ran into heavy rain.  Stopped at a rest area to suit up.  Hot coffee was being provided by the "Combat Vet Riders".

Met  Lowbow, Precious, and Andy.    Lowbrow is 79 and Andy 75.  Still riding strong for all their brothers.  The Combat Vet Riders Harley motorcycle club holds fund raisers to provide services for Vets.  Services not provided when they should be.  Like providing over 200 pairs of socks for Vets whose feet were cold.  Real honor to meet these guys.  They are the real deal.  Brothers helping brothers and sisters.

North of Spokane HWY 395 opens up reaching into the forests.  It was a day or rain, sun, rain, sun.  Enough rain  to wash all the cobwebs out of my head.  That is what this black ribbon of road can do for you if you let it.

North of Kettle Falls crossed the Kettle River.  The Kettle River is a 175 mile long tributary of the Columbia River.  Stopped along the river to see it, smell it, and feel it.  I don't think we do this enough in our everyday busy lives.  Reconnects us to the important things. 

1528 miles north on HWY 395 from Los Angeles, along a quiet two lane road, I stopped on the line drawn on a map separating the US from Canada.  End of HWY 395...the Forgotten Highway.  How lines drawn on maps can create such boundaries.  Boundaries between individuals, states, countries, nations.  Sometimes breaking us apart when it would be so easy to be one.

Kickstand down in Colville last night.  At McDonads this morning with coffee and wifi.  The American way...?

Ride back down to Spokane today.  Drop off the bike in the morning and fly home to Santa Fe.  Working to sort out all my thoughts from the road.  It was wet, cold, with a life time of experiences all wrapped together along the black ribbon with the white line called freedom of the road.  Rolling on the throttle...wind on my face...

be strong, be safe Carlan

What's buzzing....

Looked out the window of the motel in John Day, OR this morning.  Sun, blue skies (check ?)...twenty miles down the road the temperatures dropped to freezing, clouds on the ground, snow hitting my goggles.  Three hours later broke out of the cold into the sun.  Unbelievable front moving across the landscape.  Never seen one this large.

Across the Columbia River, into eastern Washington.  Sun on my back.  Feeling good.  Noticed a buzzing up my right sleeve.  With all the open space and air how could a bumble bee find his up up my sleeve?  Even worse, my right sleeve.  The right sleeve you say...yes, the throttle hand.  Traffic on both sides of me... hand off the throttle, shaking my arm, slowing down too much, back on the throttle, hand off the throttle, shaking my arm, slowing down too much...cars backing up behind me...you get the picture.  Will leave the rest up to your imagination.  Finally, get pulled over, jump off the bike, peel off my jacket, several stings latter the bee seems to happily fly into the great beyond.  Maybe rainy weather is better...

In Ritzville, WA tonight.  In 1901, Ritzville received the title of the greatest wheat shipping point in the world.  Between August of that year and August 1902, approximately 1,967,725 bushels of wheat were received in Ritzville warehouses for shipment and 1,990 rail cars of wheat and flour were billed out.  Things have changed since 1902.  The "Ritz" has been disconnected from the "Ville".  Changing history in our country.

Thunder and lighting tonight.  Looked out to see the sky opening up with thousands of gallons of water coming down.  Lucky for me I have rain gear with me...oh yea....

Just another day on that black ribbon with a white line called the open road...nothing could be better.

be strong, be safe, Carlan