Sunday, November 8, 2009
Plug N Play
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Ride South Central B.C. Canada
September is my favorite month for riding. There are few motor-homes still out clogging the highways.
Family Station Wagons are mostly parked in driveways back home as the kids head to school.
Weather is usually warm and dry.
There is still enough daylight at this time of year in southern Canada to offer a long day of riding, and still have enough time after the bike is parked to enjoy a leisurely dinner, a few beer, and some good fellowship.
The height of this adventure begins at a small resort nestled on the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies just west of the town of Rocky Mountain House Alberta.
We stayed overnight at the David Thompson Resort an isolated but a favorite summer spot providing full facilities for campers and RVs. They also have modest but good motel rooms, a pretty decent restaurant, a gas bar, convenience store and a gift shop.
We arrived Friday 9/11. This is very late in their season, they board this resort up for the winter by the 15th of September every year.
Saturday morning we started with a hearty breakfast before making our individual decisions to wear or not to wear long underwear and or to put on an extra sweater before heading out.
When you first swing your leg over your bike up here in the mountains the air is so crisp and clean it fills your lungs with the promise that this will be one the best riding day of your life.
In this regard the massive natural monoliths of the Canadian Rockies never disappoint.
The smooth pavement winds it's way around the Goliath mountains and in the morning you are constantly passing through a transition from sunlight to shade and back into the warmth of the sun. It took about 90 minutes before the sun was high enough to consistently shine on us as we rode through the valley.
We swung south at the Saskatchewan River Crossing and traversed the southern part of Canada's world famous Icefield Parkway. The view along this historic route is breath taking and we pulled over to take our first full rest stop at a beautiful mountain lodge.
We sat at the picnic bench and sipped a cold drink as we sat taking in the warmth of the morning sun. The place was so beautiful the guys took a stroll down to the waters edge and took a few pictures of the lake and the lacier which feeds it.
From here we continued south on the parkway to where it joins the Trans Canada Highway. We turned right heading for Revelstoke B.C. Highway #1 is like an interstate hwy, busy with fast paced traffic and lots of trucks.
Although I avoid this route as much as possible in this case it is the only realistic way to get to where we needed to be.
Revelstoke is a modern active railroad mountain community. Stylish in it's architecture, offering full services, along with many interesting historic sites and museums. It has some excellent accommodations and tastefully decorated places to dine. This place offers a great night life for the younger crowd of summer hikers and winter skiers. It is a great place to spend a few days but on this occasion we were just passing through.
Revelstoke is also the starting point for one of the most sensational bike runs in the mid west section of North America. Hwy 23 runs south of Revelstoke along the west side of Arrow Lake 50 km to Shelter Bay. The road is like a smooth roller coaster as it winds and undulates gently through towering pine groves. An occasional peek through the trees gives you a sneak preview of the beautiful scenery which awaits.
At Shelter Bay you catch the Ferry across the lake to Galena Bay for another 50km run into Nakusp. This is a spectacular ride with windy roads, and vista views of clear deep blue waters of Upper Arrow Lake.
No trip is perfect and there is always a little unexpected excitement to be had, ours came as we rode down into the town of Nakusp. Just as we descended into the community the first motel came into view and I noticed the No Vacancy sign was on.
I thought that was rather strange. Sure I would expect a no vacancy sign in the height of the summer, but this was September, the off season. Ahh... they probably just forgot to turn it off. We worked our way towards the downtown and the hotel I always stay at. As we passed the second motel I saw another no vacancy sign, and I felt a cold draft on the nap of my neck.
We parked at the Leeland Hotel on the water front . My back was pretty sore form the ride so I stayed on my bike while my buddies went inside to check on availiability of rooms. The guys spent more than an hour on the phone searching for a room. Nothing, I mean nothing, not in Nakusp nor any other town within 150 km. The closest they found was 2 rooms in Castlegar. The truth is I wasn't up to making another 150 km and I was also very worried about any of us being on the road after dark. Nakusp and roads south are notoriously stupid for deer.
I wish to say the manager/owner of the Leeland Hotel was such a great help in trying to find a room for us. She called everyone in town she could think of to help us out, but to no avail.
My Buddies came out to the parking lot to give me the bad news. Just then a young woman approached us as we were preparing to pull out.
At the bequest of the manager of the hotel she informed us that she and her husband were building an apartment in their basement. It wasn't quite finished, but perhaps we could get by for the one night.
We followed her up the mountain to her home and couldn't believe our luck. Rebeca & William Jewell (250 265-8043) are building a small resort especially suited for bikers. Will is a carpenter and the place was beautiful. They hope to rent the apartment out by the week for those of us who wish to stay and explore the area for a few days, which I promise you is a great idea.
They have worked really hard on the place which will be ready for the 2010 season. They have prepared a lovely manicured area for tents and small trailers. Will took an old school bus and converted it into a posh motorhome. Three of us took the motorhome and let Daryl and his daughter have the apartment.
For me this was the best night of the trip, sitting around the fire pit, having some dinner and a few drinks. This place backs onto the golf course, and there is a horse riding stable is just down the road. Definitely the place I will stay on my next trip to Nakusp, though I will book ahead no matter what time of year it is.
The next day we rode to New Denver where we stopped for a hearty breakfast at an outdoor cafe. The ride form there over to Kaslo is is 47 km of sensational switchbacks, not a straight stretch of road to be seen.
I am sure the scenery is great but you really have to keep focused on the road so although it is a great ride the best views come later.
The drive to Balfour is a little more relaxing and you are rewarded with breath taking views of Kootney Lake
The ferry ride over to Kootney Bay gives you a nice hour rest, an opportunity to stretch your legs, take some photos or just relax.
After you get off the ferry it is a short ride up the hill and over to Crawford Bay. This is a small community with one gas station and one motel.
Despite it's diminutive size this is a great place if you like arts and crafts. I always take time to explore the several shops and pick up a few quality gifts for those I had too leave behind.
I found a hand woven make up bag for my daughter and a pair of glass blown, hand made ear-rings for my wife. The rest of the guys also dropped some good coin before we left.
I always enjoy staying in Creston but on this trip our respective work schedules really insisted we push on to Cranbrook. We turned left onto Hwy #3, one of my favorite roads.
Traffic on this highway is a little heavier then the previous days route down along the lakes, but even so it is an easy going and a pleasant ride. This is a historic route with lore about gold panning and lost gold mines. The valley is for the most part wide, offering panoramic views of the mountains all the way to the Alberta border.
Just into Alberta is the Crowsnest Pass and the famous town of Frank where an avalanche buried the entire town under huge boulders. All died save one small baby which was found miraculously perched atop a huge boulder in the centre of the slide.
When you pass out of the mountains onto the foothills you will be greeted by large windmills and the pleasant community of Pincher Creek. I recommend you allow yourself three to five days to make this journey, anything less and you are selling yourself short. Of all the routes you can take in this part of the world, the Revelstoke to Creston run is made for those of us who love
Riding Iron.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Thieves Love Tourists
Cons, flim flam artists, pick pockets, slash and grab thieves, the world is full of them. Most of the time they hang out at the local tourists hot spots and wait for you to show up.
So when you go on holidays the question is not are you a target, of course you're a target the question is how do you make the bulls eye on your back so small small they can't hit it?
Travel Documents
Before you head out on the trip of a life time, there are a few things you should do. Photocopy all your credit cards and travel documents including information about health & travel insurance. Leave these copies with a trusted friend who can be easily reached by phone in an emergency. If you are robbed at gun point and left striped naked in the Arizona dessert it will be a big help.
Insurance
If you are purchasing health & travel insurance ask the agent what it doesn't cover. Some health insurance coverage plans have a small clause that says "you are not covered if you have been drinking or are intoxicated".
Come on now you're going on vacation, most people like to cut loose a little, this is an unreasonable limitation on the policy, pass it by and purchase from a different carrier.
Credit Cards
"All you need to travel the world is a credit card and a drip dry shirt."Visa among other credit card companies offer a special traveler's card. Pre-paid so that your limit is under your control. You can take a couple of them each with a different pin number.
When one is used up switch to the other. If the card is stolen you still have the other one. Even if you are forced at knife point to give them a pin number your loss is limited.
If someone decides to rob me I want them to go away, and no one likes to go away empty handed. If they get too mad they just might like to extract a little retribution from me the hard way. For this reason I always have a little cash on me in local currency, I make sure the bills are in small denomination so the stack looks like it a lot.
I keep the cash and a low limit card along with, a couple of phony business cards (with false address) and pictures of someone else's kids in what I call my throw away wallet. This wallet I carry in my front pants pocket. I pull it out to buy coffee, a bite of lunch small stuff while I am on the move. If someone is watching me they will identify this wallet as where I keep my money. Never carry your wallet in a back pocket.
If I get robbed I give the throw away wallet to them without a problem, and the looking scared part comes naturally.
My real wallet with my real money, credit cards and valuable personal items is a hideaway travelers wallet, except my passport. The kind of hideaway wallet I prefer passes through my belt then is tucked down my trousers.
You can buy one that has it's own waist belt which goes under your pants, they also have a wallet that straps to your leg. There are many too chose form. I like mine because if you slip in a wash room it is easy to get at. In the privacy of a stall I can quickly take out what I need and transfer it to my pocket wallet, besides at my age I usually need to use the washroom anyway.
Weapons
A few extra precautions when traveling.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Crossing Borders
I wanted to write an easy to read article on what you could expect and do in preparation for crossing the Canada - USA border. I spent a good deal of time on line confident I should be able to quickly get the information I needed for this article, and to provide a couple of links to government websites providing you with a easy and authoritative source of information to refer too.
You will find an assortment of private websites offering advice and tips but they seem more interested in attracting you as a tourist then really providing clear easy information on crossing the border. I found one exception, www.necromantic.net/deadparrot/border01.html
If you are driving another persons bike make sure you have a written document signed by the owner stating that you have permission to drive the bike, permission to take it across the border and approval has been granted by the insurance company for you operation of the bike.
Check for exact details but as a general guideline this should work.
Liquor.
I make it a point not to transport liquor across the border, although generally you are allowed a litre of the stuff for your personal pleasure.
Goods in General
Other goods vary in both type and quantity depending upon the direction you are headed and your citizenship. Here is a good general guideline.
If you are out of the country under 48 hours don't bring anything back. If you are across the border for more than 2 days but less than a week (seven days), don't bring back more than $200 worth of goods. If you are away more than seven days restrict your purchases to less than $400.
If you shopped while you were across the border keep your recites organized and purchases so you can produce them easily upon request.
Wham Bham that would have been the ruin of that trip.
Medicine and Drugs.
Despite what you may have heard about Canada, it is illegal to enter with marijuana or any other illicit drug. If you have prescription medicines you must have the original bottle in which the pharmacy dispensed the meds. If you keep one of those weekly pill reminder containers that's fine so long as you have the original container and a couple of pills in the container to prove which pills belong to that container.
Monday, August 3, 2009
WHy RIde When You're Old
I have heard them all and many more. Somehow people think riding a motorcycle is for the young but not the young at heart.
"We have to get these old farts off their motorcycles. I am tired of jumping out at traffic lights to help them pick up their bikes."
Bikes are more fuel efficient and leave a smaller carbon footprint on the enviorment.
- Bikes lessen the congestion of traffic and help reduce pollution.
- Bikes are fun and invigorating.
I love to laugh death in the face.
The choice to ride is yours to make. You should consider the feelings and opinions of those close to you but ultimately it is your choice to ride or not to ride. If you ride then you better have an answer to the question; Why on earth do you ride a motorcycle at your age:
I offer no suggestion but I will tell you the way I handle the question.First I always acknowledge to my inquisitor it is a fair question and I will try to explain as best I can. Deep down inside I know my answer is about as helpful as trying to explain to a six year old what it feels like to really fall in love. None the less I try my best to explain that for me riding is a spiritual experience.
When I ride, I get to play one of God's Greatest games it's called "That's Life".
For me the choice is easy: I would rather live life and die, then die with never having lived my life.
That's the biggest reason why I love Riding Iron.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
You Don't Have To Ride Alone
When the bikes are parked for the night with keys pocketed, we usually put up our boots and relax over a few beer. Even the local bikers tend to haunt the same coffee shops and bars, hanging out together dreaming about hitting the open road. Biking is definitely a social sport.
The Red Knights are a fraternity of people who work or have worked in the area of fire fighting or fire prevention. The club is international in size with members everywhere. They have their own news letter and offer many charity rides and other social events. http://www.redknightsalberta.com/
Are you a lonely female looking for other women to ride with? No problem there are several all women MC's. Check out Free Wheeling (Canada) http://www.freewheeling.ca/ or try Women on Wheels in the USA http://www.womenonwheels.org/
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Judge A Man Not By His Leather
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Progress Report
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Riding Iron
This is a test Blog, being worked on in the fall of 2009. Hopefully up and running in the new year of 2010
The Riding Iron blog is being developed for anyone and everyone interested in riding motorcycles. All visitors are welcomed but some are more welcomed than others.
During the past decade there has been a tremendous surge in the number of riders over the age of 50. There are many fine motorcycle web sites but I have found non truly dedicated to the grey haired geriatric riders of today.
Our desire to ride is founded on our common love of motorcycles but our riding problems and challenges are unique.
This site is being developed as a not for profit public forum focused towards meeting the needs of the seasoned rider. I suspect most of the regulars to this blog will be men and women who have been riding motorcycles the best, if not the better part of their lives.
People who find the status quo recipe for life lacking. Men and Women who are still looking for a shot of adrenalin when they get up in the morning. Older people who know they suffer from an chronic iron deficiency.
These are the people who Ride Iron not just because they want to, but because they need to.