Odometer Check

I just remembered I decided to check my odometer against one of those 5 mile odometer check runs on the highway.  That was Thursday in Oregon, now it's Tuesday in Seattle. I think it's a bit late.

This is LIVING

Here's a video I made last Thursday, so I guess we were somewhere in Washington.  I hope it uploads with some decent quality.  The thumbnail looks kinda grainy.

Back in The Other World

Well, I'm back in what some folks would call the Real World, but I'm still feeling a little bit out of place and frazzled.  Got me a haircut & my business casual clothes, I'm a working stiff again.  If I'm going to have a J.O.B. this is the best one I could imagine, in fact it's the J.O.B. that I've been trying to get for the last 15-20 years.  I spell out J.O.B because I have trouble saying the word, I frequently spell it out in conversation, but this is a conversational medium so there.  At any rate, all I had to do to get here was retire and it found me.  Not bad, really.  Maybe I'll expound on that at some later date but for now . . .

Friday, before I crossed the Cascade Mountains, I felt like I could easily turn around and head east, keep going until I hit water, then turn back & do it again.  Then Saturday, I actually felt myself transition back to the life that pays for these little excursions; back to my family & friends, back to familiar.  By the time I arrived home at 6 PM that day, I was done, beaten & sore, tired & run down, ready for my own bed.  Monday the transition continued although I was pretty much worthless at work (a cultural norm) but I got a few things done, and through the day on several occasions I could feel myself drop into various lifeslots with a CLUNK!  No more gentle transition, just bits of me dropping into the slots I've made for myself over the many decades I've been living this life.  Today, Tuesday, I'm back to the transition, much more gently and almost fully back in it. 

I feel like I've put another me to sleep or in hibernation, a very natural me who doesn't fully belong in this life, or can't quite make it here.  As I was gassing up Saturday I had my back to the street where a couple young ladies were walking, I'm guessing they were with a small group of riders with push-button (new) bikes.  I was all leathered up, my sheath knife sticking out.  One said "...blah blah blah look at his HAIR blah blah blah . . ." and the other replied "...blah blah blah HARD CORE blah blah blah ...".  I guess it was good news bad news, we all want to be badass, but my own thought was "Oh sister, if only you knew.  In two days I'll be a weenieboy engineer again." 

It's not over, not by a long shot.  I have a bit more to add to the blog and I'm already starting to plan next year's excursion.  If we're not in the middle of a big, hot program here at work I think I'd like to do a major run, maybe to the east coast, maybe back.  My original plan to do the whole US is still in place but with this professional change I can't do it all in one summer until after I leave here.  So I'm hoping to do it in pieces for now.  Do many little runs = ONE BIG RUN?  I guess we'll see.  I'll just have to monitor my level of peace and personal satisfaction. 

I discovered I may be able to upload videos from a computer, I was unable to do it from my phone, so maybe I'll have some entertainment for y'all in the near future.  I'll also add some more pics.  I took a bunch of black & white photos with old cameras, like 1950 or so.  Hope they turn out. 

The Name Should Match the Role

I've had one brilliant idea over the time of this whole experience. Here it is.

Home!

Home, yippee!  Mote later after Angel & I get reacquainted.  Damn, what an adventure, and ol' Flattie done good.

ALMOST HOME

This close to hone there are still some incredible sights

Almost Done

Well, I'll be home soon, this adventure is almost done. I'll have some mire notes later. So far I can't imagine this hoo.g any better.

The Rhythm of The Road

Today I felt it fully; The Rhythm of The Road. When you get to that point you can go on, and on, and.....

The bad news is, it's back to the world tomorrow, the good news is, I know The Rhythm is still with me, unbroken and unbowed.   Today I feel right, I feel whole and fulfilled.  I really can't say the select few have this inside but I can say without hesitation that some folks' eyes light up when this is mentioned to them.

I called a good friend today & mentioned The Rhythm and he was ON.  He told me a story about returning home with his wife and they kept circling, unable to make that last turn. He knows it, he understands.

It takes about a week to get There, but when it comes you know it in every cell and the happy just won't go away. Damn, I love The Rhythm of The Road.

Ho Continue

Nuts, hit send by accident.  So -  running east & west along the banks of the Columbia are a major railroad line and Interstate 84. North & south is US highway 97, which is a major trade route that runs from Canada to Mexico.  For miles & miles along the river are hundreds of BIG wind turbines, maybe 200 feet diameter blade sweeps.  I was just outside & noticed maybe 1/2 of them have flashing ref lights and they all flash on & off in unison, for miles. Pretty spectacular.  

Now, somewhere in the middle of all those flashing lights is a Stonehenge replica.  I don't assign anything meaningful to it all, it just seems odd, it really is a confluence of many things.  

Oh, I'm very tired. Nite everyone.

Biggs OR

We arrived in Biggs OR around 5 PM after running a solid 7.5 hours, 270 miles. That's not much by car standards, but on these old rigid frame Flatheads it's quite enough. AND we plan to do it again tomorrow, stopping in Omak WA then ring the bell at the Canadian border Friday, only about 40 miles further.  

The bikes are doing great, more purring than running.  These old Flatheads only have about 5.5/1 compression so they're pretty quiet.  If you can filter out the threshing machine rattle of the timing gears and valves, the exhaust sounds like 100 people having a pillow fight.  We've had some maintenance to do almost every day, so if you want to do something like this you must have at least a nodding acquaintance with your tool bag.

The Biggs area is an interesting place, it seems to be a major confluence of many things.  The Columbia River has been flowing for a million years, and it now carries barge traffic.

Pretty Gal

This young lady liked my mirrored shades so I let her try them on & she let me take her picture.  She's a stained glass artist, gets some good gigs but must work at a gas stop because she's - can you guess?  Yep, a starving artist

Ron Chatting Up a Guy at the Nu Vue Motel in Biggs OR

Ron gets to be the tour guide while I get some quiet time.

I Love These Mirrored Julbo Shades!

Thanks Gregg, these goggles are now Greggles!

Ron Chatting Up A Fellow Traveler

Almost Chemult OR

Kids Still Love Motorcycles

Ron Chatting Up a Guest at the Cimarron

Mike Borfitz
www.The-Big-Run.com
www.Borfitz.aero
www.AvQuality.com

Sent from my cell

Two Adventure Riders

Stopped for gas today & met two really great guys, Rudy & Don (hope I got them both right), both riding BMW GS 800 parallel twin cylinder dual purpose bikes.  The bikes can do highway & offroad pretty easily.   These  bikes were VERY dirty and the guys look like they know what they're up to.  They told us about crossing the desert, not really knowing if they had enough gas.  They go where most of us can't, see things we miss, and just roll. Look at their smiles - these guys are in it, they got that rhythm of the road thing going on.

I asked them where they're going, they smiled & answered almost in unison "We don't know". They decide day by day, hour by hour, which direction to take. What a fine way to explore our world.  Like most of the rest of us they have to be back at work some time, but today they were in The Zone. What a wonderful thing to witness.

The cool thing was, they were looking at our bikes saying they'd like to do that & we were grilling THEM about their bikes, equipment, riding styles, etc.  These guys made my day.  They're obviously close, brothers or friends, don't matter. I was just very impressed with their genuine & open manner. I liked them instantly. God speed, guys.  

Some more Beemer pics

Ron Chatting Up Guests at The Cimarron Motel in Klamath Falls OR

Hwy 139 Between Canby & Tulelake CA

About halfway, the highway stretches FOREVER!  

Eagle Lake Campground - Lassen National Forest, CA

I'm about 20 miles from Susanville CA at a campground that's virtually deserted. I had just finished setting up the tent & the coyotes started to sing.  Kinda spooky.

I'm surprised the campsite is so empty but it's also at Eagle Lake, where the water is so low that all the floating docks, including the gas dock, are sitting on the bottom. The launch ramp is useless as well. I'll try to get some pics tomorrow.

We had a good day today, a bit of a relaxed start then 223 miles. The Flattie is running smooth smooth. I got schooled by The Wizard on how to get.the carve mixture right, so I dimmed with it as I was rolling down the road.  My confidence slowly grows....

Some Kids Never Grow Up. Very Cool.

Ron Chatting Up Travelers at Susanville CA Super 8

Ron Chatting Up The Harley Parts Guy

Carson City NV. I needed oil. They actually HAVE straight 60 wt. Yippee!

Carson City Harley

Wow, amazing. Carson City NV Harley-Davidson dealer. I hadda add the men's room mirrors. Yikes

Ron Chatting Up A Local

Ron is the tour guide.

Kids Love Our Bikes

Mike Borfitz
www.The-Big-Run.com
www.Borfitz.aero
www.AvQuality.com

Sent from my cell

El Mono Motel in Lee Vining CA

Ron & I figured this place has been around for awhile, based on the accommodations. Had a light breakfast & saw an old B&W pic, flu.d out this place was built in the mid-twenties.  Very cool.

We chatted with a nice couple who work in the virtual world, real estate & stock trading. They'll camp for 2 weeks & move on, using wi-fi & laptops as their office.  Not bad, they seem very happy and settled.  

Time to go, I'm in the bathroom & Ron started his bike, I can hear the valves rattling!


Mike Borfitz
www.The-Big-Run.com
www.Borfitz.aero
www.AvQuality.com

Sent from my cell

Some Pics From Yosemite

Here are a few cell phone pics from the last 24 hours, mostly today from the Yosemite area. I'm kinda partial to B&W photos, there's just something about that. I also have 3 film cameras with me, a Nikon F2 and two 1950-ish Leica folding cameras; a 35mm folder and a 120 bellows camera.  Sometimes I get some great shots, sometimes, well, not so great. I'll know within a few weeks of my return, when I manage to get the film to Omega Photo in Bellevue, the only place in the Livers Sound area who can do B&W.

One of these pics is of my running partner, Ron, at the entrance to Yosemite. On the gatehouse you can see 9945 ft elevation. Those old bikes struggled & I fiddled with my mixture controls to the point that the poor Flathead couldn't idle. Got it going but it was a bit of a struggle. Kick-starting a Harley at 10,000 feet ain't no easy task, lemme tell ya.  Talked to Bob "The Wizard" tonite, he schooled me up a bit on how to do it right. Tomorrow I'll give it a shot, hope I don't blow the motor.

Oh it's late. Time to roll over. Nite nite.

Tour Pack Clarification

Originally they put "BIKE" but changed it to "BUTT"

DOES THIS YOUR PACK MAKE MY BUTT LOOK BIG?

In Yuma I bought a '60s tour pack, don't know if it was Harley made or after market but it's very wide as you can see in one of the pics. My good buddies lured me away from the garage for a few minutes, when I returned I found something was added to it. Can you make that out?  Hope so.

I have to admit that thing does look, um, a bit different, but boy is it nice to have!

Recommend: Elms Hotel, Bishop CA

Stayed here last nite, special rate $69 for 2 beds. Clean & well kept. I asked the manager if it was like this when he got here 9 years ago, he said "Oh NO!".   They did a great job. This ain't the Hilton, paper thin soap bars & towels but it's quiet, clean, relaxing & inexpensive. I recommend it.

Morning Check-in

Not much time to philosophize but I can report that yesterday was a mofo. Worth the pain, however, we're set up to relax & be tourists.

The RR initials are Roy Rogers!  We stopped to ask directions & were invited in to see the renovations at the Wild Hog Saloon in Oro Grande CA on Rt 66.  The place was a way station for the Butterfield Stage Line a few years back.  It's gonna be a topless waitress/dancer biker bar now. If I were still in the party life I'd go back in a hot minit.  We had some water & moved on.

Bishop CA

Got to Bishop CA about 10,30 after a very long day. Lost almost half a day with the repair to the Flattie, then we had to do 300 miles to get caught up.  That's a Lo.g long run.for these old bikes. It's late, I'm wiped out, so I think I'll sleep.

Sent from my cell

Silver Julbo Shades & Cruising.

I love these shades!  Check out the reflection.  Shades care of a good friend, kind of a long term loan.

North of Yucca Valley CA

Miles & miles of nothin.g but miles & miles.  Rt 247 15 miles north of Yucca Valley CA