Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Odo-Day!

Happy Odo-Day to the KLR!

The lil' guy turned 17K on the way to work this morning. I can still remember when we rolled off the lot with less than 10 miles on the odometer. We've gone a long way in the past four years...

17K miles, I guess I should replace the stock doohickey and check the valves. --That is a good Odo-Day gift, right?

Come to think of it, I should replace the wheel bearings, rebuild the forks (with progressive springs), and get a new rear shock. Maybe that is what it gets when it turns 20K.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Pelican demo

Wilder, here is how you can open the Pelican case without stuff falling out. You can see the two straps on the inside, and a plastic hook that connects them in the middle.

Posted by Picasa

Monday, December 6, 2010

Waiting at the door.

I spent the morning rescheduling jury duty and the rest of a long day at work.

Today was a good day. The package arrived.

I found the refinished cylinder block, new pistons, rings, pins and clips waiting for me on the doorstep when I got home.

The parts look great. A few more pieces of the puzzle are here. I can't wait to start putting the beast back together. I have to get the quote on the valve work and get that started. I know it will take the shop some time to get to the job once I approve a quote and tell them to start the project.

There is still a lot of clean up to do on the engine before I can start bolting parts back together. Like the squirrels, I am hoping to start tightening nuts in January. (I guess squirrels don't really tighten nuts, they just eat them.)

I need to start diving into the rest of the bike. I haven't done much with the rolling frame yet. I know I need a few major parts like the stock oil tank, left side cover, front fender and stays, tachometer, cables, seat, electronic ignition, and a new wiring harness to start the list.

It would be nice to come home every day and find a box of parts waiting for me.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Moto Show

Purchased a Moto Show ticket today.

Block Head and the Piston Rings

I ordered a cylinder block, pistons, rings, pins and clips Monday.

I had been waiting on a quote from a local machine shop to repair a small ding in the old cylinder block. The cost to repair a nick at the top of one of the cylinder sleeves, hone both holes, resurface the top of the block, purchase new pistons, rings, pins and clips was +/- $5 the cost of the pistons/rings/pins/clips and refinished block on eBay.

The new pistons are the same brand (Emgo) that the local shop was sourcing for me. The pistons are 0.040 over.

-As Dietrich says, "There is no replacement for displacement!"

I'm looking forward to the arrival of the new parts. I can try to sell the old cylinder block, or bring it to the office and use it as a pencil holder.

The transmission camplate arrived a couple weeks ago. The transmission is ready to go back in. It seems to shift through the gears with ease. I'm hoping that it still does once i get it back into the engine! The cylinder and pistons should arrive Monday. I'm still having the local shop seat the valves. I'm hoping I will be able to pick the head up by the end of the month.

Next parts to order is a stock oil tank and left side cover. I can sell the aluminum Webco oil tank on CraigsList to ease the blow to the pocket book. Returning this thing to (mostly) stock will be worth it in the end. -at least that is what I keep telling myself.

It is starting to come together, but the list of parts still needed seems to grow every time I look at it.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Alaska Marine Highway Ferry: Columbia

The schedule is showing the Columbia departing Bellingham Washington at 6pm on Friday August 5th.
( http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml )

I think we should be on that ferry.

The Columbia floats into Haines Alaska at 10:15am on Monday the 8th.
It is 440 miles to Tok, or 580 to Glennallen if we push on. Either way, we can be in Anchorage in the evening of the 9th.
We have to make sure the video is working for the ride by Kluane Lake in the Yukon.
That is some amazing country.

Monday, November 22, 2010

6:43PM Motorcycle racing coverage of the San Felipe 250 on channel "5-2" - whatever the fuck "5-2" means.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

A TDC Short

So I broke down and finally bought a copy of iMovie for the iPhone today. It's not bad, given the fact that we're talking about HD video editing on your phone. It's actually kinda of amazing what you can do with tiny little device like an iPhone. Anyway, I tossed this little video together to get a feel for how to use it. I'm thinking this might be handy for TDC road trips ;-)




Here's the higher quality video directly on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-InHY5FBwk
Click '720p' in the video options.

I can't hear you!


I was at a trade show in southern California earlier this week. Nope, not moto-related, but for work. I did see a vendor there that I had seen at a previous show. A vendor that was pushing a product I had wanted to try.

I went for it.

The sound of trade show booths being dismantled faded as I sat in the chair. The subtle popping started as the silicone started to cure. I was on my way to custom earplugs. Yes!

The silicone is offered in several colors. I had originally opted for black, but Michael mentioned that when, (not if) I drop one on the tarmac, black is hard to find. I opted for red, an easy to spot color on pavement and in the dirt.

Yes, they look a bit strange, but feel so much better than the expanding foamies that I have been using. They are supposed to block the wind noise (and loud noises, --have you heard the sounds my muffler makes?) but still allow a conversation and the sounds from intercom systems to make it through.

Comfortable, yes. The fit is amazing. They don't pop out, and don't press into the sides of the ear canal at all. They look weird, but feel great.
Functional, they block the sounds of a trade show take down. I'll let you know how they work while on the bike as soon as I ride! (Give me a break, it is supposed to snow tomorrow!)

I also had molds made for in-ear custom molded audio monitors. (That's fancy talk for custom MP3 earbuds that block outside noise.) I'll be ordering a set of those for the long days on the August 2011 Seattle to Deadhorse and back trip.

Thanks to Michael at Superior Sound Technology ( http://www.superiorsoundtechnology.com) for staying a bit late at the convention to squirt silicone in my ears.

If you're in the southern California area and need earplugs that fit look him up.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

I Like Shaving Cream

I know, I know - you're expecting yet another story of some post-rock-show exploit in a hotel room involving half a dozen groupies and a sample pack of Schick Quattro Titanium Razors. While I'm currently at liberty to neither deny nor confirm such rumors, I will say that I've recently tried la crème à raser for an entirely different purpose: face shield anti-fog.

On our last pilgrimage to the Church of Dirt, Motobum and I were discussing the various re-purposed products we'd heard of being used as anti-fog treatments for face shields and goggles and shaving cream came up. In the past I've tried soap, spit, waxes and sprays. They all work to some degree, but none have proved to be 100% fog-free. Sadly, I can't declare shaving cream to be 100% fog free either, but in my limited trials so far I'm thinking it may very well be the best of the bunch. Its viscosity seems to make it easier to spread around and wipe back off while still leaving a thin coat, and it just seems to be working a bit better than all the rest. It also leaves a fresh, clean scent in your helmet- not unlike that of room 324 in the Edgewater Inn.

I flipped my 1980/82 XT 250 at this year's Desert 100 in Odessa WA but went on to finish -- broken shift lever notwithstanding.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

1000 Wheelies Project: The Intro

I’ve heard that if you want to do something well, do it a thousand times and you’ll be better at it. That’s what I’m doing. I’m learning to wheelie a motorcycle well.

Over the past five years, wheelies have become a focus area for me. I woke-up one day and had a vision — a glimpse, if you will — of life-purpose. Wheelies excite people. So I decided to wheelie well. I got a big tricycle and a couple of trasher bicycles and spent a little time each day learning to balance on the rear wheels. It worked. Now I’m a wheelie master. In fact, I’m one final examination away from earning my Master’s in Wheelies from the University of Greenlake - but that’s another story.

The thing is, what I really want to learn is how to wheelie a motorcycle well, not just a bicycle. The bicycle angle was always a bit of a cheap cross-training exercise. I actually have difficulty believing I’ve gotten as good at it as I have. Uphill, downhill, slanted uneven ground, over bumps, around corners, crosswinds, doing coasters over the balance point... all are no problem... on a bicycle. Now my mission is to translate what I know without thinking into hot moto mono action.

Three times a week I take my Kawasaki KLR 650 to a parking lot for practice. I call this practice a Moto Mono Wheelie Session, or MMWS for short. The goal with each session is simple: get some wheelie time.

In the last month, I’ve done 11 sessions. My theory is to do about ten wheelies a day, sleep on it, and then do some more. That’s how progress is made. And it’s working.

The first 60 wheelies were horrible... absolutely just chasing the balance point. The KLR weighs roughly 20 times as much as my bicycle. That translates to slow-reacting heavy-handed inputs to correct left-right balance (steering) and a sense that I, of course, could easily be crushed upon loop-out. Fortunately, the KLR’s big single cylinder engine has lots of engine braking and a decent rear brake, so looping-out will only occur if, knock on wood, I’m really not paying attention.

Another big difference while wheel-up on the behemoth is that the rear brake is activated with the right foot instead of the right index finger. That means brain rewiring. What was second nature now requires a bit of thought. And instead of reacting (without thought) to unexpected conditions, now a thoughtful response is required just to get the brake dragging. Fortunately, I find learning fun and have not had any close calls with true danger.

By wheelie number 80, I figured out how to get the KLR up to the balance point. It seems way up there. I figured it’d take about 450 wheelies to get to that point in the learning curve. I have a feeling that learning curves are not always linear though. We’ll see where I am by the time I actually have done 450 moto wheelies.

Around wheelie number 110, I started to get more comfortable, a bit more bicycle-like. I just pop-up the front end as close to balance as I dare, at this stage in the game with a big heavy bike, and ride... standing tall high above the parking lot. That’s where I’m at. The next MMWS will be the wheelies numbered in the 120s on my 1000 Wheelies Project counter.

With the first 10% of this project under my pyramid-studded leather belt, I’ve learned a few key points on how I wheelie a motorcycle. In addition to trusting the rear brake, being smooth, and being comfortable (possible subjects to be discussed elsewhere), I offer the main key learning I got out of my first hundred wheelies. Keep in mind that I share this only for your reading pleasure. So, don’t go out an maim yourself with your motorbike after reading about “how MotoBum does it.”

KEY POINT: Do not dump the clutch. It took me a few sessions to realize that the rear tire has an easier time staying hooked-up and that the front wheel gets higher off the ground by not just revving the engine and dropping the clutch. The pros will tell you that is uncontrollable. It’s true. Instead, a more gentle approach is necessary. I just slip the clutch and give the bike a good hard launch. That’s it. (Note: a KLR is a long, heavy, underpowered motorcycle. Bringing up the front on the power alone does not bring the machine up anywhere near the balance point.) Just as on a bicycle, a good wheelie pop will bring the front end high enough to be just under, at, or just over the balance point.

Will I be able to wheelie a motorcycle well after 1000 wheelies? Maybe. Will I be better at it? Definitely. Some people say you can learn to do extraordinary things in a day. Others say it takes years. Who to believe? It depends. But one thing is for sure - if you’re not better at something after doing it 1000 times, do it another 1000 times and then see where you’re at.

Monday, November 8, 2010

While out winning races on the water...


Kotuku took 1st in class and 11th overall (out of 72 boats) in the 2010 Round the County sailboat race last weekend.

While I was out racing the boat, MotoBum and GhostFace hit Tahuya for some off-road dirt biking. Rumor has it, they found some new trails.

Also the postman delivered the new (used) camplate, shift forks and camplate pin for the '74 T100R!

I can now start putting the pieces of the T100R engine back together. I hope I remember where all the pieces go!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Bridgestone Trail Wing 41

After replacing the rear tire there was still a little 'squishy-squishy' going on with the bike. I decided the IRC GP-1, with about a zillion miles on it, needed to be replaced.

What is on sale, what has decent reviews?

Bridgestone TW41. So far things are working great. better traction than the IRC on the wet roads and a bit smoother ride.

I'll keep y'all posted as to how it wears and what happens on the dirt.

Shinko


The 2010 TDC TT Tour was cut just a hair short by my old tires. We had to head back from Potholes WA via I-90 instead of Canyon Road. My bike felt like the tire pressure was low, but when checked it they were a-ok.

We stopped in Cle Elum WA and found the ONLY bike shop open on Sundays.
Big thanks to Motor Toys in Cle Elum for the new rear tire.
With choices limited I decided to go for the Shinko 244 5.10-17.
30 minutes and it was mounted and I was ready to go.

The weather put the tire to the test right away. Cle Elum to Issaquah the rain fell so hard there were grey moments where you couldn't even see the taillights in front of you. Wilder's jacket pockets filled with water. After drilling a hole in his phone a week later water still poured out. Jesse's pants leaked. He got a little "wet in the pants".

I stayed dry, and the tire stuck to the road like it was a new, dry, hot Arizona highway.
The weather has been less than dry lately. This tire has been sticking to the tarmac like stink on poo.

Motor Toys of Cle Elum, and the Shinko 244 saved the 2010 TDC TT Tour for me.
New tires *before* the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route, and the TDC 2011 Top of the World Tour next year.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Mondo Viewing!

It arrived yesterday.

I'm hoping I can watch it before the sailboat race this weekend!
--and I've still got to write up that tire review.

Friday, October 29, 2010

New Shoes!

I've ridden on the new tires for a few weeks now. It has been wet and rainy.
I think it is almost time for a review... almost.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

TDC Dirt Ride - Oct. 3, 2010



The Dirty Crew hit the dirt at Tahuya State Forest and got some atypical shots of riding in a field. See members get inches of air in a decidedly non-Nitro Circus or Crusty Demons of Dirt kind of way.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

What was the name of that Mexican joint?

In front of the Mexican restaurant on the way home from the 2010 Desert 100.
What was the name of that place?
Oh Yeah!! Emperador Azteca!

Time for Crazy Eric's?

Nothin' like a hot tortilla-dog after a day of riding!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Friday, October 8, 2010

TDC's 3rd Annual TT (Tequila Tour)



Here's a "few shots" from The Dirty Crew's 2010 TT; see clips of E-rock, Swamp Monster, Ghostface KLR, Last Minute Ryan, and MotoBum as they ride motorcycles around Washington State for an annual event weekend. Ghostface KLR spots a bug!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

3rd Annual TDC TT (Tequila Tour) Route

Call the press. Alert the authorities. The Dirty Crew is about to embark on the yearly drunken motorcycle madness "around Labor Day" trek. This year's event will be three days and two nights. The action is set to begin Friday, September 17, 2010.

Day 1 & 2; camp at Rimrock and Potholes:

View Seattle to Rimrock to Potholes in a larger map

Day 3; return via Ellensburg Buzz Inn and Mt. Rainier:

View Potholes to Buzz Inn to Yakima to Seattle in a larger map

Monday, September 13, 2010

3rd Annual TDC TT (Tequila Tour) Prep

It really is amazing what a credit card and the internet can do. Here we have a baker's dozen The Dirty Crew tequila shooting, sipping, and sitting shot glasses and fresh t-shirts for every member. Sweet, egh?


































TDC's TT (Tequila Tour) is an annual motorcycle trek taken each September. This year marks the 3rd year of a tradition started by Ghostface KLR and E-rock. Every year, the event gets bigger with more TDC members in attendance. This year's tour will be September 17-19, 2010.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

MotoBum's Lesson Learned

2008: MotoBum buys a Suzuki DL650 V-Strom for $7000.




















"Yeah, I bought that DL650 because I thought the bike I really wanted, a BMW F800GS, was too expensive. In reality, I hated that DL motorcycle so much that I actually lost sleep over it; it was such a chuck of sh*t."

 2009: MotoBum buys a Honda CBR1000RR for $5000















"I really needed to get back to my speedier roots after riding that V-Strom. Fuel costs? Comfort? Carrying capacity? Damn the concerns. Just give me something that can get out of its own way. In reality, I could ride that Honda in enjoyment for about 10 minutes before the riding position gently reminded me that I'm not 20 anymore. If I'd have grabbed something that handled well enough, was comfortable, and that didn't force me to borrow the back seat of Ghostface KLR's BMW R1150GS to carry half of my camping gear, I might have been the butt of fewer jokes. I shoulda bought that F800GS."

2010: MotoBum buys a Kawasaki KLR650 for $5000













"I really just want a motorcycle that is comfortable, runs perfectly on bad 87-octane fuel, and will go anywhere. And I just love the way KLRs ride. In reality, umm... yeah... could I get some more motor please? Why didn't I just get one of those BMW F800GS motorbikes in the first place?!"

MotoBum's Math
$7,000 DL650
$5,000 CBR1000RR
$5,000 KLR650
$17,000 total

"In retrospect, I could have just bought the motorcycle I really wanted in the first place. It would have been easier from a transactional standpoint and cheaper to boot. I suppose some things we learn the hard way. Next time I'll go for what I really want out of life rather than finding economical alternatives."

The 2010 BMW F800GS has a base MSRP of $11,395.00.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

300 KLR Miles (unvideo)



E-rock and MotoBum hit the dusty trail on Saturday, August 21, 2010 for a 12-hour/300-mile ride through the Cascade Mountains on Forest Service Roads. The "video" is documentation of the ride compressed to 5 minutes.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Pre-Dual-Sport Food

B-fast with E-rock & MotoBum at The Cottage Cafe in Cle Elum on 8/21/10; dual-sport unvideo coming soon.

Friday, August 6, 2010

ADVstunt1 is Commuter

ADVstunt1 is performing the commuter role today. Note the nice blue milk crate fastened with zip ties to the rear rack.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The Coffee

After a week of no sleep while caring for a newborn, today's coffee tastes incredible.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Buzz

Ghostface KLR will soon be the Mayor of the Buzz Inn in Snohomish

Friday, July 9, 2010

Hey! I found my new future-ex-girlfriend. Seeing that it's the TDC founding members' credo to only date or marry non-US girls, it's perfect; she's Canadian!

http://vancouverisawesome.com/2009/04/14/vancouvers-most-awesome-carly-pope/

Thursday, July 8, 2010

MotoBum grabs a KLR



It blows me away that this video has had so many views. T-Bird and I shot this video with a couple of cell phones. It doesn't even have real content. It just shows me riding home in the rain. What's next? Wheelies and Camping!

Stats to date:
1,169 views - added 4 months ago

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

new rubber

hey, what a nice looking site we have here. Going to pick up the KLR today. New tires - now what's the most indirect way home from Renton?

My Day With “The Dirty Crew” - by Wendy

(Note: this article was written by Wendy before she became a full-fledged member of The Dirty Crew)

Life doesn't get much better than this...

“What do you mean Jennifer’s not coming?!” There I was, 9 o’clock on a Sunday morning, steaming Espresso in hand and fully equipped with three “big brothers.” All able and willing to guide and protect me through my first official day of dirt biking; while equally able and willing to tease and heckle me throughout the day. And thus, my adventure with The Dirty Crew had begun.

Scott really wasn’t lying when he said the Ferry was just minutes away. The air was chilly, but I didn’t care. I was hangin' with The Dirty Crew. Once we boarded the ferry Scott led me directly to the deli area where I promptly decided my first day with TDC required yet another cup of coffee. Little did I know “Panini Time” would require even further coffee consumption.

Although my Panini was oh so cheesy and delicious, I’ll refrain from going into too much detail, for not all of us had quite the same luxury. Thankfully, Jesse is a trooper and much like with the slippery roots, he powered through what we will compassionately refer to as “the lack-o-cheese Panini incident.”

After entirely too much coffee, I found myself somewhere between nervous, intimidated and simply ecstatic about the adventures to come. On our final leg to the trailhead we paused. If that’s what you call jumping out of Scott’s truck, running down the street to a directional sign and posing for a photo documentary of the day's events. It was so worth it.

In the parking lot at the trailhead I found myself very busy braiding my hair into pigtails (which would have already been done if Jennifer had come along!), trying to cinch Scott's dirt biking pants tight enough and bundling up in too much fleece and my little Georgia work boots.

All the while, TDC was adjusting the idle on “my” bike and apparently they did a fabulous job. You should have seen Wilder and Jesse's eyes when I just about hit them in the face with my front tire. “Jesse told me all I had to do was pop the clutch!” For the record, this does not apply to your casual exit from the parking lot onto the trails of glory themselves.

Holy shnikies!!! The adventures had truly begun. And ever so selflessly, Scott was trailing behind me making sure I didn’t wreck his bike too badly.

Once we hit the narrow trails and Jesse and Wilder were nowhere to be found, I told Scott to go ahead, but he was quite stubborn as usual and stayed right behind me keeping an eye on his bike. After half a dozen failed, but humorous attempts, I finally managed to keep that bike upright through one of the several gigantic mud puddles and even successfully rolled over a few of those slippery tree roots Jesse adores so much.

Feeling relatively comfortable and quite confident in my protective gear, we rounded yet another tight corner and found Jesse and Wilder awaiting our arrival. Well technically, they were flying down the trail in our general direction, riding wheelies through a series of those mud puddles I had just managed to conquer on two wheels! .

Let me take this opportunity to retract my assumption that, although quite able, TDC would actually tease and heckle me at any point throughout my first official day of dirt biking. Even after I told Jesse I cursed his name when I got stuck on one particularly slippery root, I still felt nothing but support and compassion from the gang. They had obviously had way too much caffeine!!

After a few moments rest, several more wheelies (complete with a demo from Mr. Wheelie himself... Wilder!) and an apparently “graceful” digger of my own on the backside of a little hill, we were back on the narrow trails once again. Oh yeah, I may have had to change my water logged gloves and fill up on a slice or two of Beef Jerky as well. It’s what you eat when you’re riding with The Dirty Crew or if you’re just hanging out with Scott.

Fast forward over several more slippery roots and rocks covered by deep puddles and around endless tight and winding corners to what I thought was the parking lot. I was very wrong, but pleasantly surprised. At last, we had come to a wide opening with no risk of falling off the edge of a mossy cliff or right into one. Sweet!

At this point Scott decided it was a great idea for me to ride his bike (the “slow” XR250R) instead of the adorable one I’d been falling off of all day. Um, ok! And sure enough, without any narrow trails or slippery tree roots I cruised over those tiny rollers like nobody’s business. Ultimately I pulled a strong finish on the beloved TTR125.

One and a half pages later and my day with The Dirty Crew is not even close to being over. Thank goodness!
Apparently it was time for some place called “Crazy Eric’s.” All I’m going to say about this fabulous roadside, um, café is that their bucket of garlic French fries is out of this world!

A bit off subject, but did I mention I was a fan of Jesse's iPhone? Oh yeah! He tracked us all the way back to the ferry on time, along with Scott's lead foot, of course. Simply amazing.
What’s the rush? Well, Jennifer may not have gone riding with us, but she had made a sweet apple pie for the gang to enjoy after a full day's adventure. It certainly doesn’t get her out of riding next time, but it won her big kudos from TDC (and me!) at the end of the day!

Although nearly impossible to translate the adventures of a day with The Dirty Crew into words, here you have a quick run down of the days events none the less. Not to mention Scott's pictures and video to bring the whole experience to life. Jealous? Yeah, I thought so.

e-mail test by MotoBum

In addition to publishing messages to our The Dirty Crew blog via SMS and MMS, we can also publish via e-mail. How easy is that? Very.

MMS test by MotoBum

This message sent by MMS.

SMS test by MotoBum

My TDC mobile lifestyle is now SMS enabled. Nice!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Saturday, July 3, 2010

dirty crew news

dropping off the KLR today for some new tires. IRC GP1. Just in time for next weekend's Lake Wenatchee adventure. Also, ghost member Ryan may be joining the Jones crew for the 4th. Still waiting for the arrival of Motobum's offspring...

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Friday part 1


Friday, April 9
We wake up and it's cold. This is a picture of our campsite at Potholes. Groceries in Moses Lake and off to towards Odessa and the site of the Desert 100. We arrive a little after lunch time. Admission for the weekend: $5 per person. Not bad. Scott, Jennifer, and Wendy are just a few hours behind. The first spot we try to claim is “reserved,” but we did not see the invisible markers where BillyBob was going to move his truck and have all of his friends park. We move to a different spot next to some reasonable people. We arrange the trucks and EZ-Up so that there will be room for two more trucks when they arrive. There are already hundreds of RVs, toy haulers, and big 'ol pickup trucks everywhere. The CR-V and Jesse's truck both look like tiny dots in comparison.
The weather is perfect. Tents are going up. The rest of the Dirty Crew arrives, and there is much rejoicing. Motorcycles will be ridden soon.

Thursday

This is how I remember it, a few days after the fact. Thursday, April 8. A full work day for me. Jesse, Wilder, and Ryan leave sometime this morning with Jesse's truck pulling the trailer with three bikes. Somehow they are only in Ellensburg at 5 p.m. as I am getting ready to leave work. I've been checking the weather at Snoqualmie Pass all day. Spring blizzard. But the pass is open. I have to decide whether to sleep in my warm bed and take off at 6 a.m. Friday, or leave around 7 or 8 tonight, drive through a mountain pass in a snowstorm, and sleep in the car in freezing temperatures at Potholes State Park. I say goodbye to Hanna and Ryan and I'm off...
It was snowing hard from about mile marker 38 to 80, so I lost about an hour because everyone had to drive around 20mph. I get through and call the boys, who had purchased some bad “firewood” from Fred Meyer. “Firewood” is in quotes because it failed to burn and produce fire. I pick up some groceries and firewood at Albertson's in Ellensburg.
At 11:30 p.m. I arrive at site 122 at Potholes. The boys greet me with some fine tequila. Mostly they were happy to have a real fire. Ryan didn't pack his tent, so he picked up a very special Fred Meyer Glacier's Edge (glah-see-ay's edge) tent for $25. It is a midget tent.

Monday, April 12, 2010

back

not much internet action in the Desert. We're home. We're sore. Stories and photos coming soon...