O.k. so I should have written this post two weeks ago but oh well, here I am now. I put my bike away for the season on October 6th. (The day before the insurance ran out) It is now safely put away for the winter. I do still need to get up to my mom's and winterize it. I should really do that soon before it gets too cold.
I had a really great season on the bike this year. It was my first season back riding in a few years and I think probably my most active. I went on three trips, the biggest being to Yellowknife, which I had never been before. I put on 10,621 km which is pretty darn good in my opinion. I was away from Hubby a lot, which is sad, but I had a lot of fun anyway.
I had no major mechanical problems which is great. (Although I probably should have changed my oil more than I did.) So in the spring I need to get a new back tire and change my oil. I also need to look at my back brake because it has started to stick. It has almost cost me a couple of times so I should get it looked at before it is the cause of anything major occurring.
So that was my season. I hope next season is just as much fun. :D
Odometer Reading for the Season:
Start: 31,538 km - End: 42,159 km - Total Distance: 10,621 km
Monday, September 15, 2008
So today Reg, my mom and I went out to my dad's accident site.
It is between Houston and Smithers. We try and get out there about once a year. And we like to go in the summer so that we can go on our bikes.
It was a gorgeous ride. Especially for being so late in the year. The above picture doesn't really show it, it was kinda cloudy at the site itself. But it was really hot and sunny most of the day.
We did a few things while we were out there. Reg cleaned up the site quite a bit. He brought out some clippers and cleared away all the weeds around the cross. Mom and I replaced the wind chimes that were out there and I brought out the tribute that I had made for my dad. We also took some pictures.
There is actually a huge ditch between the road and the site, so I had to set up the camera on my bike, hit the timer and RUN through the ditch and get into position for this picture to work. It took two tries, but it turned out pretty well. All in all a really great day with family.
Start: 41,474 km - End: 42,148 km - Total Distance: 674 km
It is between Houston and Smithers. We try and get out there about once a year. And we like to go in the summer so that we can go on our bikes.
It was a gorgeous ride. Especially for being so late in the year. The above picture doesn't really show it, it was kinda cloudy at the site itself. But it was really hot and sunny most of the day.
We did a few things while we were out there. Reg cleaned up the site quite a bit. He brought out some clippers and cleared away all the weeds around the cross. Mom and I replaced the wind chimes that were out there and I brought out the tribute that I had made for my dad. We also took some pictures.
There is actually a huge ditch between the road and the site, so I had to set up the camera on my bike, hit the timer and RUN through the ditch and get into position for this picture to work. It took two tries, but it turned out pretty well. All in all a really great day with family.
Start: 41,474 km - End: 42,148 km - Total Distance: 674 km
Okanagan Stats
So we'll start with the stats for this trip:
Total Days Traveled: 4 days
Total Distance Traveled: 1643 km
Average Fuel Consumption Rate: 20.27 km/L or 47.37 miles/gallon
Average Price for Gas: $1.44/L
Total Distance Traveled: 1643 km
Average Fuel Consumption Rate: 20.27 km/L or 47.37 miles/gallon
Average Price for Gas: $1.44/L
So I've pretty much said everything I want to say about this trip. My mom and I had a blast. I always have a great time with my mom. I find it interesting that I got almost 10 miles/gallon better gas mileage on this trip than when I was by myself or with Dan. (Think maybe I ride more aggressively by myself? The weather was a big factor in that too).
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Today was our last day on the road and it was a long one. It wasn't really that long distance wise, or even time wise, but I think both my mom and I were ready to come home. We did stop for a few pictures though.
It didn't help that we had scattered showers from Kamloops all the way until 100 mile house. It was also pretty cold all day. It did warm up quite a bit at 100 mile, so that was nice.
It didn't help that we had scattered showers from Kamloops all the way until 100 mile house. It was also pretty cold all day. It did warm up quite a bit at 100 mile, so that was nice.
It did try and rain on us again just outside of Prince George, but it wasn't too bad. I'm now home and unloaded. All my stuff is all over the floor again
I'll get to it tomorrow, maybe.
I'll get to it tomorrow, maybe.
Friday, September 5, 2008
We started our day at about 8:30 am. Well, that's when we woke up. By the time we backed up, checked out and had breakfast, it was about 10:30 am. WE got stuck in a bit of construction between Summerland and Peachland.
We stopped in Kelowna to do a little shopping. We stopped at a golf store and found Ryan a jacket and a couple of shirts. And of course we had to stop at the harley shop. Mom was looking for a new helmet (like she needs another one) and a new vest. She didn't find either but we did run into a friend of my mom's (Bruce).
After Kelowna we headed to Vernon and O'keef Ranch.
(This is a picture of Vernon from a pull out before we entered it from Penticton.) The Ranch was a neat little place to visit. We got to see a victorian home (mansion) that is basically the same as it was 100 years ago.
There was also a few buildings that were musium type buildings giving some information and showing some displays of the era. We really liked this display.
Can you imagine seeing a biker riding down the road in those. :D
We then headed to Kamloops. The weather wasn't nearly as nice as it was yesturday, but it wasn't too bad. It did spit on us a couple of times and we though for sure were were driving into a down pour just outside of Kamloops but we got lucky.
We then checked into another hotel and casino. We went for dinner and then on a hunt for a highlighter and munchies for later. We ended up going across the street to London Durgs, then to Cooper Foods, and then back to London Drugs.
After that little adventure, we headed to the casino. We didn't do nearly as well tonight as we did last night. I dumped $50.00 into the slos and walked away. I plyaed my Keno ticket again and didn't win anything AGAIN.
And now we are back in the hotel room ready for bed.
Start: 40,689 km - End: 40,934 km - Total Distance: 245 km
We stopped in Kelowna to do a little shopping. We stopped at a golf store and found Ryan a jacket and a couple of shirts. And of course we had to stop at the harley shop. Mom was looking for a new helmet (like she needs another one) and a new vest. She didn't find either but we did run into a friend of my mom's (Bruce).
After Kelowna we headed to Vernon and O'keef Ranch.
(This is a picture of Vernon from a pull out before we entered it from Penticton.) The Ranch was a neat little place to visit. We got to see a victorian home (mansion) that is basically the same as it was 100 years ago.
There was also a few buildings that were musium type buildings giving some information and showing some displays of the era. We really liked this display.
Can you imagine seeing a biker riding down the road in those. :D
We then headed to Kamloops. The weather wasn't nearly as nice as it was yesturday, but it wasn't too bad. It did spit on us a couple of times and we though for sure were were driving into a down pour just outside of Kamloops but we got lucky.
We then checked into another hotel and casino. We went for dinner and then on a hunt for a highlighter and munchies for later. We ended up going across the street to London Durgs, then to Cooper Foods, and then back to London Drugs.
After that little adventure, we headed to the casino. We didn't do nearly as well tonight as we did last night. I dumped $50.00 into the slos and walked away. I plyaed my Keno ticket again and didn't win anything AGAIN.
And now we are back in the hotel room ready for bed.
Start: 40,689 km - End: 40,934 km - Total Distance: 245 km
Thrusday, September 4, 2008
We had a blast today. We got up at about 8:00 am and visited with Auntie Shirley and Uncle Bill until about ten.
Then we headed for Vernon. We had lunch in Vernon and made some plans for the rest of our trip. After a quick stop at Vernon Motor Sports (to buy a tinted visor for my helmet) we were off to Kelowna. We've decided that Kelowna is a pain. There is too much traffic and everyone's in a hurry to go no where.
The temperature today was beautiful. I was in full leathers until after kelowna, but when we filled up in West Bank, I took off both my chaps and jacket. I'm glad I did too because just after that we were stopped by construction.
Driving around Okanagan Lake is always a beautiful trip. On the bikes it is even better. We got to Penticton at about 4:00 pm.
Mom decided that we should stay at one of the nicest hotels in Pecticton: "The Pentiction Lakeside Resort" (with a lake side room).
My favourite part of the hotel was that the entire parking lot was pay parking ($5 a day) except of motorbikes. They had their own parking and it was free. Woot for being on the bikes.
We bet up with Mat at Boston Pizza at 5:00 pm. We had a really grood dinner and visit with Matt. After dinner Mom and I went for a swim at the hotel. There was no one in the pool so we had it all to ourselves. It was great.
After our swim we went for a walk along the beach. I did try and take a few pictures, but it was too dark and they came out too blurry. We decided to come back and try our luck at the cassino. (BTW: I only won $6.00 on yesturday's ticket.) We did pretty well actually. I wone enough to play my Keno ticket again (again, we havve to check tomorrow to see if we won anything) and mom walked away about $150.00 ahead.
We're now in our room nearing the end of our night. We ordered pizza and are watching T.V. Well I am, mom is putting silly things on her head. Lack of sleep can do that to a person.
Start: 40,481 km - End: 40,689 km - Total Distance: 208 km
Then we headed for Vernon. We had lunch in Vernon and made some plans for the rest of our trip. After a quick stop at Vernon Motor Sports (to buy a tinted visor for my helmet) we were off to Kelowna. We've decided that Kelowna is a pain. There is too much traffic and everyone's in a hurry to go no where.
The temperature today was beautiful. I was in full leathers until after kelowna, but when we filled up in West Bank, I took off both my chaps and jacket. I'm glad I did too because just after that we were stopped by construction.
Driving around Okanagan Lake is always a beautiful trip. On the bikes it is even better. We got to Penticton at about 4:00 pm.
Mom decided that we should stay at one of the nicest hotels in Pecticton: "The Pentiction Lakeside Resort" (with a lake side room).
My favourite part of the hotel was that the entire parking lot was pay parking ($5 a day) except of motorbikes. They had their own parking and it was free. Woot for being on the bikes.
We bet up with Mat at Boston Pizza at 5:00 pm. We had a really grood dinner and visit with Matt. After dinner Mom and I went for a swim at the hotel. There was no one in the pool so we had it all to ourselves. It was great.
After our swim we went for a walk along the beach. I did try and take a few pictures, but it was too dark and they came out too blurry. We decided to come back and try our luck at the cassino. (BTW: I only won $6.00 on yesturday's ticket.) We did pretty well actually. I wone enough to play my Keno ticket again (again, we havve to check tomorrow to see if we won anything) and mom walked away about $150.00 ahead.
We're now in our room nearing the end of our night. We ordered pizza and are watching T.V. Well I am, mom is putting silly things on her head. Lack of sleep can do that to a person.
Start: 40,481 km - End: 40,689 km - Total Distance: 208 km
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Today started out very very cold. We did wait until 9:00 am to leave but even then it was only 2^C. It seemed to be getting colder in Quesnel instead of warmer. (That was due to the fact that Quesnel was fogged in.) We stopped in Quesnel for some breakfast and to warm up a bit. By the time we left it was noticeably warmer. And by the time we got to Cache Creek we could take off a few layers of clothes. We stopped in Cach Creek for pie and to play some Keno. We didn't win anything while we were sitting there, but we haven't checked out tickets since. Maybe we'll get lucky.
We stopped at the Harley shop in Kamloops to do some shopping. We stopped there specifically because we knew they carried "purple slice", a new bike cleaner my mom discovered this season. My mom also bough me a seat pad. its called an Airhawk. I think I'll like it a lot once I get the air level right. We'll see what happens throughout the rest of the trip.
We are now at uncle Bill and aunt Shirley's hous in Salmon Arm. We got in at about 6:15 pm (late for dinner but they forgave us). We enjoyed a nece evening with them and now we are off to bed.
Start: 39,831 km - End: 40,481 km - Total Distance: 650 km
We stopped at the Harley shop in Kamloops to do some shopping. We stopped there specifically because we knew they carried "purple slice", a new bike cleaner my mom discovered this season. My mom also bough me a seat pad. its called an Airhawk. I think I'll like it a lot once I get the air level right. We'll see what happens throughout the rest of the trip.
We are now at uncle Bill and aunt Shirley's hous in Salmon Arm. We got in at about 6:15 pm (late for dinner but they forgave us). We enjoyed a nece evening with them and now we are off to bed.
Start: 39,831 km - End: 40,481 km - Total Distance: 650 km
Mold - YUCK
So I was packing up all my stuff for my trip tomorrow, and I thought I'd make sure I've got everything I want in my saddle bags before I go. Its a good thing I did. I did not realized when I put every thing in my bag that my gloves were wet. Or if they weren't when they went in, they got wet while they were in there. To make a long story short, my electric gloves and vest were covered in mold. YUCK. I HATE MOLD. So to say "yuck" is being polite when it comes to mold. I did spray them down really well with lycol cleaning solution and washed them really well. They are now hanging to dry. I hope the electrical componants didn't get damaged. I'll be very upset if they are recked. Hopefully they will be dry for me to pack them for the trip tomorrow, but I highly doubt it. I think I'll be going without my heated gear this trip.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
So my mom and I are getting ready to head south tomorrow. One last road trip before we have to put the bikes away. :( So we had to do some shopping. My rain pants needed to be replaced desperately and I needed a decent pair of rain gloves as well. So that was pretty much my day. My mom was supposed to take her road test today, but that didn't happen. (and that's another story in and of itself). So she wanted to go for a ride. Its been raining all day, but my mom convinced me that I needed to try out my new gear. We didn't go very far, just around the outskirts of town. (long enough to get everything wet) But every thing seems to work well. My pants and hands stayed dry and warm enough anyway. So we're off tomorrow. I'll keep journalling on paper and post it when I get back.
Start: 39,801 km - End: 39,831 km - Total Distance: 30 km
Start: 39,801 km - End: 39,831 km - Total Distance: 30 km
Monday, August 25, 2008
Wow, so its been awhile since I've written here. That's because its been awhile since I've been on my bike. That's what happens when my riding partner leave town for almost a month. ;) Anyway, I didn't really get a ride in today either. The bike was more of a mode of transportation more than anything. My mom needed a ride home because she was dropping her bike off at Reg's for a service. Ryan had the car so I decided to take the bike. That's about all we did. It was threatening to rain so I just rode her home and came back into town right away. I did notice however (AFTER I got home) that I should really put gas in my bike. I'm glad I didn't run out on the road.
Start: 39,780 km - End: 39,801 km - Total Distance: 21 km
Start: 39,780 km - End: 39,801 km - Total Distance: 21 km
Monday, August 4, 2008
So Phil and I had plans to go for a ride today. We met up at Timmy's at about two and decided to pick up Nadine and take her with us.
By the time we finished that we didn't get out of town until about 3:00 pm. We headed to Quesnel for dinner. It was an awesome ride. The weather was very nice, and it was hard to decide whether or not to wear our jacket. (In actual fact, we either put them on or took them off at nearly every stop). We had a really nice ride out there and back.
There always seems to be one idiot though. So we're in a passing lane and we pass this one car, and a second car comes up behind us so I pulled back into the right lane and he passed me, but he ran out of passing lane (and I left too much space between Phil and I) and he got between us. So as I'm looking for another place to pass this car and get up with Phil, this car is riding Phil's butt BIG time. And the more I watch him, the closer he is getting. All of a sudden I realize that he's trying to pass Phil on the RIGHT. Phil realized what was going on and pulled over and let him go, but we were all pretty upset.
Once we got back into P.G. we decided we weren't quite done riding and decided to take the Old Cariboo Highway to Giscome Rd as a little detour. I think we all had a really great time. I know I did. I've been gone pretty much all day. I left the house at a little before 2:00 pm and didn't get back until almost 9:30 pm.
Start: 39,451 km - End: 39,780 km - Total Distance: 329 km
By the time we finished that we didn't get out of town until about 3:00 pm. We headed to Quesnel for dinner. It was an awesome ride. The weather was very nice, and it was hard to decide whether or not to wear our jacket. (In actual fact, we either put them on or took them off at nearly every stop). We had a really nice ride out there and back.
There always seems to be one idiot though. So we're in a passing lane and we pass this one car, and a second car comes up behind us so I pulled back into the right lane and he passed me, but he ran out of passing lane (and I left too much space between Phil and I) and he got between us. So as I'm looking for another place to pass this car and get up with Phil, this car is riding Phil's butt BIG time. And the more I watch him, the closer he is getting. All of a sudden I realize that he's trying to pass Phil on the RIGHT. Phil realized what was going on and pulled over and let him go, but we were all pretty upset.
Once we got back into P.G. we decided we weren't quite done riding and decided to take the Old Cariboo Highway to Giscome Rd as a little detour. I think we all had a really great time. I know I did. I've been gone pretty much all day. I left the house at a little before 2:00 pm and didn't get back until almost 9:30 pm.
Start: 39,451 km - End: 39,780 km - Total Distance: 329 km
Cleaning :P
So I cleaned my bike yet again today. I'm still trying to get all the dirt from my last trip off of it. I have again failed at my task. My response yet again was "Well, its better". My dad always raved about S100 for easy cleaning. Its a spray on, spray off type of cleaner so I thought it would work great in all the little hard to reach areas. Unfortunately I was wrong. I was actually not very impressed with it at all. It seems that every time I clean the silly thing, more dirt leached out of places I have overlooked before. I was however really impressed with a cleaner that my mom brought over called Purple Slice. I had tried to clean my wheels a couple times already and could NOT get all the grime and bugs off of them. This stuff however did an awesome job. I guess there's nothing for it. I am just going to have to spend a good few hours going over every inch of the silly bike to get it really clean.
P.S. Does anyone know of a good paint cleaner/polish that will fix a hazy finish?
P.S. Does anyone know of a good paint cleaner/polish that will fix a hazy finish?
California 1999
So I kept a journal of my trip down to California in 1999. I had only been riding since the fall of the previous year, and I had only had my class 6 for about a month. I've decided to create a seperate blog and post my journal there. If you are at all interested in this blog, you might find my california trip an interesting read. Check it out at http://1000virago.blogspot.com/
Thursday, July 24, 2008
So today was test day. I went and picked up Phil at 12:30 and we headed down to ICBC. It was very hot and I was melting by the time he finished. He did awesome, he only put his foot down once in the u-turn, but he nailed it the second time round. So he can ride on his own now, and I don't have to feel guilty if I can't go for a ride with him. I'm sure he's very happy about that.
So because he can legally go about 60 km/h, we decided to go for a little ride. We headed out to Vanderhoof for a celebratory piece of pie.
Homemade rubarb pie and homemade strawberry pie = YUMMMMMM!!!!!! It was very good, but kind of expensive: 16 bucks for 2 pieces of pie and 2 cans of pop. Its o.k. it was a special occasion. I couldn't finish all of mine so Phil had to help.
So because he can legally go about 60 km/h, we decided to go for a little ride. We headed out to Vanderhoof for a celebratory piece of pie.
Homemade rubarb pie and homemade strawberry pie = YUMMMMMM!!!!!! It was very good, but kind of expensive: 16 bucks for 2 pieces of pie and 2 cans of pop. Its o.k. it was a special occasion. I couldn't finish all of mine so Phil had to help.
I'm sure he was completely heart broken that he had to eat more pie. ;) I think he'll get over it.
So again I didn't wear my jacket, and again I got burnt. At least its in different spots, cause I was in different shirts. I'm going to have all sorts of funky tan lines by the end of the summer.
Start: 39,229 km - End: 39,451 km - Total Distance: 222 km
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
So today I took Phil out to practice for hopefully the last time. His test is tomorrow and I'm sure he will do just fine. I did wash my bike again, this time by hand, but I had limited time to do it so its still not very clean. It is better though. We'll see how many more times I have to wash it before I get all the Yellowknife dirt off of it.
Phil and I went for a little bit of a ride after we were done practicing. We went up and around the airport and then across town to university way. It was a nice little ride. I paid for not wearing my jacket today though. My shoulders are pretty burnt again. You'd think I'd learn. I should at least use sun screen when I don't wear my jacket. Also, you'd think I'd remember that its bloody cold down foothills and up university way without a jacket, but I always forget that too. It was refreshing though, so I won't complain too much. ;)
Start: 39,156 km - End: 39,229 km - Total Distance: 73 km
Phil and I went for a little bit of a ride after we were done practicing. We went up and around the airport and then across town to university way. It was a nice little ride. I paid for not wearing my jacket today though. My shoulders are pretty burnt again. You'd think I'd learn. I should at least use sun screen when I don't wear my jacket. Also, you'd think I'd remember that its bloody cold down foothills and up university way without a jacket, but I always forget that too. It was refreshing though, so I won't complain too much. ;)
Start: 39,156 km - End: 39,229 km - Total Distance: 73 km
Monday, July 21, 2008
So nothing too exciting for today. After picking up my bike from my mom's, I took Phil out again for a little practice. Once I dropped him off I did attempt to wash my bike. That was a waste of time and money. I took it to a car wash and sprayed it off. It did get SOME dirt off, but it's going to take some major TLC to get it clean.
Start: 39,124 km - End: 39,156 km - Total Distance: 32 km
Start: 39,124 km - End: 39,156 km - Total Distance: 32 km
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Now that I'm back at home, things are back to some sort of normalcy. Phil's MST is on Thursday, so I'll be doing a lot of "teaching" in the next couple of days. I was supposed to clean my bike today to get all the road grime off, but it didn't happen. I did notice when I was getting ready to go and pick Phil up though that there was some cosmetic damage from my trip. I must have gotten a big rock in one of my lower windshield pieces, cause there's a big crack in it. :P
What is kind of hard to see in this picture is that there is a HUGE chip at the bottom edge of the crack as well.
When I was bringing Phil home we got caught in a rain storm so I rode to my mom's and she brought me home. So the bike is up at my mom's and I'll have to go and get it tomorrow.
Start: 39,092 km - End: 39,124 km - Total Distance: 32 km
What is kind of hard to see in this picture is that there is a HUGE chip at the bottom edge of the crack as well.
When I was bringing Phil home we got caught in a rain storm so I rode to my mom's and she brought me home. So the bike is up at my mom's and I'll have to go and get it tomorrow.
Start: 39,092 km - End: 39,124 km - Total Distance: 32 km
Trip Statistics and Final Comments
So I really liked looking at some details of my trip last time, so I thought I would do it again for this trip. So here they are:
Length of Trip: 8 Days
Distance Travelled: 3502 km
Average Distance Travelled per Riding Day: 568 km
Average Fuel Consumption: 16.05 km/L or 37.74 miles/gallon
Average Price for Fuel: $1.46/L
Distance Travelled: 3502 km
Average Distance Travelled per Riding Day: 568 km
Average Fuel Consumption: 16.05 km/L or 37.74 miles/gallon
Average Price for Fuel: $1.46/L
I thought I would add some final thoughts about the trip before I put it to rest. I had a really great time seeing places I'd never been before. Yellowknife is DEFIANTLY the farthest north I have ever been. Dan and I seemed to travel pretty well together, although we NEVER seemed to be able to leave on time. Both bikes made the trip mostly intact. Dan does need a new chain, but I think that was coming regardless of this trip. My back brake seems to be sticking, but that might be dirt, its not consistent enough to tell at this point. The weather was pretty average. I've had better, but I've also had MUCH worse. All-in-all it was a great adventure and I hope Dan and I will be able to do it again soon. (A bike trip that is, not necessarily back to Yellowknife)
Friday, July 18, 2008 - Day 8
Today was our last day on the road. Because we went so far yesterday, we only had like 3 hours of riding, which I have to admit was kinda nice. (Thanks Dan for pushing us so far.) We met Ryan at Bejoux Falls and stopped to take some pictures.
Then we headed home. The bike is now parked, although extremely dirty.
Everything is unloaded and its all sitting in the middle of our living room waiting to be cleaned and put away, but that will have to wait for now.
For this evening I am going to enjoy my husband's company and visit with Dan one last night before he heads home.
Start: 38,781 km - End: 39,092 km - Total Distance: 311 km
Thursday, July 17, 2008 - Day 7
Today was a very long day. We rode for 12 hours and made it to Chetwynd. We got very wet between High Level and Manning, before we put on our rain gear. And of course, it didn't rain again after we put our gear on. (That's not completely true, but almost)
In Fairview, Dan and I had a difference of opinions on when and where to stop for the night. Lets just say tired and cranky Michelle and tired and cranky Dan mix about as well as oil and water. In the end we sort of compromised. We went farther than I would have liked but we're not on the side of the road somewhere as Dan would have liked. And Dan and I talked over the events of the day and things are good again.
Start: 37,868 km - End: 38,781 km - Total Distance: 913 km
In Fairview, Dan and I had a difference of opinions on when and where to stop for the night. Lets just say tired and cranky Michelle and tired and cranky Dan mix about as well as oil and water. In the end we sort of compromised. We went farther than I would have liked but we're not on the side of the road somewhere as Dan would have liked. And Dan and I talked over the events of the day and things are good again.
Start: 37,868 km - End: 38,781 km - Total Distance: 913 km
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - Day 6
We had a fairly slow morning today. We got up around nine, and it took us until 12 to eat breakfast and pack up camp.
We then headed into town to do a little more exploring. We checked out the musium and drove through old town. Yellowkinfe is a pretty little town.
We then headed into town to do a little more exploring. We checked out the musium and drove through old town. Yellowkinfe is a pretty little town.
We got on the road at about 3:30 pm. It was actually surprisingly hot for being so far north. I actually tink I got a little over heated that morning because I didn't feel very good all day. For the most part the ride was pretty uneventful. However, like most days, there is once experience worth noting.
While we were on the ferry, a bug must have crawled into my helmet. About 5 minutes after getting off the ferry, the bug started crawling on my ear. I VERY quickly pulled over and took off my helmet. That is one sensation I can do without repeating.
Other than that, it was a great day of riding. We go in fairly late so we made some dinner and are now headed to bed.
Start: 37,342 km - End: 37,868 km - Total Distance: 526 km
Sunset/Sunrise
So its only 9:30 in the morning but I have to comment on last night. We had been noticing that the farther north we got, the longer the days got, but last night was something else. We decided at about 11:30 pm that we should go down to the lake and check out the sunset. We were down there until almost 1:00 am and the sun still hadn't completely went down.
I realized later that it never really got dark. There was dusk for a couple of hours but never complete darkness.
I realized later that it never really got dark. There was dusk for a couple of hours but never complete darkness.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - Day 5
So today we headed to Yellowknife. The weather started out nice and we got a fairly decent start. It did try and rain on us a few times but it was never enough for us to pull over and gear up. The ferry ride was kind of fun. It seems to me that every ferry is different and therefore a completely new experience.
After the ferry is where we started seeing bison. Neither Dan nor I expected to see bison on this trip. At first we just saw one or two on the side of the road at a time. That was fine and kinda interesting. I didn't realize just how big they were in the wild. Then we had to ride through an entire herd. That was a little terrifying and spectacular all at the same time. There were a couple on the road that wouldn't move. A truck come the other way and cleared one of them for us. But there was another one on the shoulder that decided to run along side Dan. There were many others farther off being fairly aggressive with each other as well. It all turned out fine and we got through them without a problem. Dan then pulled over not very far past them to take pictures. I was a little uncomfortable with that but my desire for pictures outweighed my fear. Unfortunately, the pictures that I took didn't really turn out.
We had to drive in to Rae for gas. (We sort of missed Edzo) and then it was the final stretch to Yellowknife. We found the campsite with out a problem. After unloading we headed into town for dinner and a little exploring. The rest of the night was spent at the campsite: chatting, playing cards and exploring the lake.
Start: 36,816 km - End: 37,342 km - Total Distance: 526 km
Monday, July 14, 2008 - Day 4
Today was an awesome day even if we didn't do any riding. We got up around 7:30 am and Naomi made us omelets (which were great). Then we jumped in the Yukon and Naomi showed us around Hay River. This is a picture of Great Slave lake.
Even the pictures don't really capture the experience of being there. We stopped to meet friends of Naomi's. They showed us around the bible camp that they were building. That was an interesting project to see.
Then it was back to the house for lunch (lasagna). After lunch we headed to the museum in town. That was fantastic. They provided tea and we could touch and feel almost anything we wanted, including all the old books and journals.
I really enjoyed the old maps of the north. I can't even imagine pioneering areas like that.
After the museum we got a quick tour of the new youth church being built and then it was off to the waterfalls. The waterfalls were breath taking. There were two of them and we could walk (climb/scale/shimmy) right up to the edge of both of them.
The view that we saw is beyond words. (Waterfalls always do that for me) I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
Even the pictures don't really capture the experience of being there. We stopped to meet friends of Naomi's. They showed us around the bible camp that they were building. That was an interesting project to see.And that was pretty much our day. We did a little grocery shopping for tomorrow and cam home for dinner. (burgers this time). Now we're all packed and ready for tomorrow. It's off to Yellowknife for another adventure.
Sunday, July 13, 2008 - Day 3
We got a super late start today. It was partly to do with the fact that we were up so late last night, but that's o.k. We finally got out of Fairview at about 11:30 am. The weather was windy but nice. However that didn't last very long. Just outside of Grimshaw it started to rain. So we pulled over and geared up. Half an out later ... Yes, it took us that long to get all our rain gear on. Well, to be fair, it took ME that long. Dan was done and ready to go far before I was. Actually, it had almost stopped raining by the time I was ready to go. The rain gear was worth it though because it rained on and off on us several times between there and High Level.
We stopped in Manning for lunch. It was actually pretty decent food. When we left Manning I got totally twisted around and thought Dan was heading in the completely wrong direction. I quickly figured out that he was right and I was wrong. (That happens a lot when it comes to directions. That's why I make him lead.) Between Manning and High Level was pretty uneventful. It was cold and a little windy and wet. (I had my electric gloves on) but that's about it. We stopped 3 more times before we got to Hay River: Indian Cabins, the Border Sign, & Enterprise. We quickly realized that the bugs were getting bigger and more abundant the farther north we got.
I had to look through that for over 60 km until we stopped again for gas. (YUCK) We stopped at the border sign to get some pictures. It was actually really great because we could drive our bikes right up in front of it and get some really great shots.
Just one more thing to note about the trip. The road, for the most part was in decent condition. There were, however, at least 3 very large holes. Its a very good thing that they were very well marked. I think that if we would have hit them, they would have swallowed up our bikes and we would have never been seen again. They were that big.
But we are at Naomi's now and we are safe and warm and dry. And we'll see what tomorrow bring us.
Start: 36,158 km - End: 36,816 km - Total Distance: 658 km
Saturday, July 12, 2008 - Day 2
Today was Irene and Michael's wedding.
Irene was beautiful and the cerimony was awesome. We all had a really great time at the reception as well. These are just a few pictures I took. I did take several more but decided it would take up too much room to post them all here.
So Ryan and Kim are headed home tomorrow and Dan and I are headed north.
Friday, July 11, 2008 - Day 1
Today has been a VERY interesting day. We were supposed to get up at 7:00 am to be out the door by 7:30 am. I however woke up at 4:00 am and couldn't get back to sleep. We were out the door by 7:30 but after getting organized and gas, we weren't out of town until 8:00 am. I had all my luggage packed in the car and Kimmy was riding on the back with me. The weather was nice and sunny if not a bit cold in the morning.
Trouble started at summit lake (less than an hour out of town). We had half an hour of construction which included at least 10 km of gravel. Gravel is bad enough by yourself, but with a passenger going 30 km/h (or slower) it is even worse.
First gas stop was windy point. (It was supposed to be McLeod Lack but they didn't have gas & windy point was only another 15 km down the road.) So I get off my bike and take off my helmet and it falls apart. One of the plastic bolts holding the jaw piece of my helmet had come loose.
So I sent Ryan searching for a screwdriver in the trunk of the car. Once I had the tools I needed, I realized it was worse than just a loose bolt. It was stripped and would only barely grab. I attached it the best I could and got ready to go. In the meantime Ryan cleaned up the trunk and closed the keys inside with the doors locked. We were lucky and I was able to fish them out through the seam of the trunk. So on we went again.
The road from Windy Point to Chetwynd was really really great. Tight and twisty makes for a bad car road but a really great motorcycle road. In
In Chetwynd I realized the bolt of my helmet was completely gone and I would have to buy a new helmet all together. Unfortunately there aren't any motorcycle shops in Chetwynd or Dawson Creek. There was one in Fairview however. There was an issue about timing, but I managed to get there on time. Ryan and Kim and Dan went to the rehearsal while I brought all our stuff up to the hotel room.
When I got up to the room, I realized that it was not what we had reserved. I went downstairs to see what I could do. It ended up a VERY bad situation and nothing was resolved. So we are in a more expensive, less ideal room, but such is life. I decided not to let it ruin my night.
Ryan picked me up after the rehearsal and we went out to the Bosma farm for the rehearsal dinner. We had a really great time there. So we came home and now I'm sitting writing this journal entry. I thought that this is where I was going to end it, but one more event just occurred that I think is worth mentioning.
I'm not exactly sure what happened, because I was writing, but somehow Naomi locked us out of the bedroom. She dealt with it though and things are all good again. Kind of a fitting end to a crazy day.
Start: 35,590 km - End: 36,158 km - Total Distance: 568 km
Trouble started at summit lake (less than an hour out of town). We had half an hour of construction which included at least 10 km of gravel. Gravel is bad enough by yourself, but with a passenger going 30 km/h (or slower) it is even worse.
First gas stop was windy point. (It was supposed to be McLeod Lack but they didn't have gas & windy point was only another 15 km down the road.) So I get off my bike and take off my helmet and it falls apart. One of the plastic bolts holding the jaw piece of my helmet had come loose.
So I sent Ryan searching for a screwdriver in the trunk of the car. Once I had the tools I needed, I realized it was worse than just a loose bolt. It was stripped and would only barely grab. I attached it the best I could and got ready to go. In the meantime Ryan cleaned up the trunk and closed the keys inside with the doors locked. We were lucky and I was able to fish them out through the seam of the trunk. So on we went again.The road from Windy Point to Chetwynd was really really great. Tight and twisty makes for a bad car road but a really great motorcycle road. In
In Chetwynd I realized the bolt of my helmet was completely gone and I would have to buy a new helmet all together. Unfortunately there aren't any motorcycle shops in Chetwynd or Dawson Creek. There was one in Fairview however. There was an issue about timing, but I managed to get there on time. Ryan and Kim and Dan went to the rehearsal while I brought all our stuff up to the hotel room.
When I got up to the room, I realized that it was not what we had reserved. I went downstairs to see what I could do. It ended up a VERY bad situation and nothing was resolved. So we are in a more expensive, less ideal room, but such is life. I decided not to let it ruin my night.
Ryan picked me up after the rehearsal and we went out to the Bosma farm for the rehearsal dinner. We had a really great time there. So we came home and now I'm sitting writing this journal entry. I thought that this is where I was going to end it, but one more event just occurred that I think is worth mentioning.
I'm not exactly sure what happened, because I was writing, but somehow Naomi locked us out of the bedroom. She dealt with it though and things are all good again. Kind of a fitting end to a crazy day.
Start: 35,590 km - End: 36,158 km - Total Distance: 568 km
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Today was a "Take Kimmy for a ride" day. Mom met us at our house and we went for a little ride. We had a couple of errands to do, so we finished those and then we were off like a herd to turtles. ;) We didn't really go very far because it kept threatening to rain on us. We did do the airport loop though. So Kimmy got a bit of a ride in, and she had a good time. That's really the important thing.
Start: 35,550 km - End: 35,590 km - Total Distance: 40 km
Start: 35,550 km - End: 35,590 km - Total Distance: 40 km
Saturday, July 4 - Monday, July 7, 2008
So I have both an electric vest and electric gloves that I used with my old Virago. I love them because my hands always get so darn cold. I didn't have them on my last trip though because I didn't have my new bike set up for them yet. I decided that I wasn't going north without being able to use them. (I'm a wimp and hate being cold) So I asked Reg to set my bike up so that I could use them. I dropped my bike off on Saturday afternoon and picked it up on Monday. (It was done Sunday afternoon, but I didn't get around to picking it up that day)
It sounded like it was a pain in the butt job. He had to build a bracket for the thermostat, but its all done and I am VERY appreciative. Thanks so much again Reg.
Start: 35,547 km - End: 35,550 km - Total Distance: 3 km
It sounded like it was a pain in the butt job. He had to build a bracket for the thermostat, but its all done and I am VERY appreciative. Thanks so much again Reg.
Start: 35,547 km - End: 35,550 km - Total Distance: 3 km
Sewing with leather is an interesting task
So I've been trying to get ready for my next bike trip. I had a bag that attached to my windshield that I had taken off when I first bought my bike, but it was a little hookie so I took it off. However, after my last trip, I realized that a bag there would be really handy. (ie: for my camera, sunglasses, etc.) So I decided to put it back on. After closer inspection I realized that someone had made it, and didn't really do a very great job. Being somewhat handy with a sewing machine I decided I could better. After collecting all the materials I needed, I started to work. It was a bigger job than I had anticipated and at 2:30 in the morning I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to finish the next day. I was really close though, and within 24 hours from start to finish, I have my new windshield bag.
There are one or two things that I'm not too crazy about with the final product, but I think for a first attempt at sewing with leather, I did not bad.
There are one or two things that I'm not too crazy about with the final product, but I think for a first attempt at sewing with leather, I did not bad.
Canada Day Fireworks
So I didn't get out on my bike at all today, and this post has nothing to do with motorbikes, but its Canada Day and therefore I decided it was worth a note. We didn't really do anything to celebrate today, but we did decide to go to the fireworks. Prince George fireworks are never very spectacular, but it was cooler outside than in the house and it was something to do.
Little did we know when we set out, what we were to see. Fireworks in general are usually a good time, even in PG. This year was actually impressive. We're pretty sure that the city must have gotten a new sponsor.
Watching a lighting storm is always great. Human ingenuity can never out match the beauty of nature. However, put the two together and it is a site to see. We sat on the bank, next to the CN centre parking lot and watched human creativity set against God's creativity. It was absolutely breath taking.
Little did we know when we set out, what we were to see. Fireworks in general are usually a good time, even in PG. This year was actually impressive. We're pretty sure that the city must have gotten a new sponsor.
Watching a lighting storm is always great. Human ingenuity can never out match the beauty of nature. However, put the two together and it is a site to see. We sat on the bank, next to the CN centre parking lot and watched human creativity set against God's creativity. It was absolutely breath taking.
Monday, June 30, 2008
O.k. so I'll start with the basics of the day and then I'll go into the stories (I've got a couple). So I met up with Phil at a little after 11:00 am and went for lunch. On our way to lunch we found construction on central. We didn't really get into the construction zone, but there was tar all over the road. We decided to avoid central for the rest of the day. And that's how our whole day went. It seemed like a day for avoiding construction. After lunch we decided to go for a little boot before we went to work in the parking lot. We headed out highway 16 east to do the airport loop. That was all good until we started coming into town on highway 97 south, where we found more construction. So we took a quick right on airport road and ended up coming back into town the same way we had come. We spent about 2 hours at CN centre so Phil could get some practice in.
When Phil got tired of that, we took a VERY long route home. We went out on Foothills to Chief Lake Road. We then headed farther out of town and came back into town on Old Summit Lake road. Once we were back into town, we had to head over to Ospika because we were still avoiding central. From Ospika we headed home.
O.k. now for the stories. While we were going down Old Caribou Highway, Phil randomly pulls over. He was worried about a high pitched squeal he kept hearing. I asked him a few questions about it and didn't really have any suggestions on what it might be. My only suggestion is to try and consistently duplicate the sound, so that we could narrow down the problem. So the next time we stop, Phil is kind of sheepish, and tells me he figured out what the sound was. It was the wind whistling through his helmet.
My other story is more of a piece of advice. Always make sure to cover ALL exposed body parts with sunscreen. It was again VERY hot (about 30^C) and the only protective gear I was wearing were my boots, helmet, and gloves (fingerless gloves at that). This equates to a lot of exposed skin. I thought I had done a pretty good job with the sunscreen this time, but alas, I still got burnt. My shoulders, arms and neck are all fine, however, I did not use sunscreen on my chest (I don't know why I always forget there). I do have another funny tan line though. You can see exactly where my necklace was sitting all day. Also, as I discovered this evening, my shirt was riding up a little. The small of my back is burnt as well. I guess I'll have to make sure fix that next time.
Start: 35,402 km - End: 35,547 km - Total Distance: 145 km
When Phil got tired of that, we took a VERY long route home. We went out on Foothills to Chief Lake Road. We then headed farther out of town and came back into town on Old Summit Lake road. Once we were back into town, we had to head over to Ospika because we were still avoiding central. From Ospika we headed home.
O.k. now for the stories. While we were going down Old Caribou Highway, Phil randomly pulls over. He was worried about a high pitched squeal he kept hearing. I asked him a few questions about it and didn't really have any suggestions on what it might be. My only suggestion is to try and consistently duplicate the sound, so that we could narrow down the problem. So the next time we stop, Phil is kind of sheepish, and tells me he figured out what the sound was. It was the wind whistling through his helmet.
My other story is more of a piece of advice. Always make sure to cover ALL exposed body parts with sunscreen. It was again VERY hot (about 30^C) and the only protective gear I was wearing were my boots, helmet, and gloves (fingerless gloves at that). This equates to a lot of exposed skin. I thought I had done a pretty good job with the sunscreen this time, but alas, I still got burnt. My shoulders, arms and neck are all fine, however, I did not use sunscreen on my chest (I don't know why I always forget there). I do have another funny tan line though. You can see exactly where my necklace was sitting all day. Also, as I discovered this evening, my shirt was riding up a little. The small of my back is burnt as well. I guess I'll have to make sure fix that next time.
Start: 35,402 km - End: 35,547 km - Total Distance: 145 km
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Can you guess what Phil and I did today?
That's right, more practice for Phil. I met up with him at about 4:00 pm and he came over to our house for dinner. Then it was off to the ICBC building for some practice. It was closed for the weekend, and we figured since that was where he was going to take his test anyway, it would be a good spot to practice. It was really nice actually, because it had all sorts of marks all over the ground for different parts of the test.
We were there until about 8:30 pm. When Phil had finally had enough we met up with Ryan for a well deserved ice cream break. It was super warm today so neither Phil or I were wearing our jackets. But that last ride was a little chilly. We decided to take the "direct" route back to his house. (ie: via airport road) By the time we got to his house the sun was almost set, so coming back to my house was really chilly. I'm sure I've mentioned before, it doesn't matter the time of year, that last ride home is always a little chilly. ;)
Start: 35,320 km - End: 35,402 km - Total Distance: 82 km
That's right, more practice for Phil. I met up with him at about 4:00 pm and he came over to our house for dinner. Then it was off to the ICBC building for some practice. It was closed for the weekend, and we figured since that was where he was going to take his test anyway, it would be a good spot to practice. It was really nice actually, because it had all sorts of marks all over the ground for different parts of the test.
We were there until about 8:30 pm. When Phil had finally had enough we met up with Ryan for a well deserved ice cream break. It was super warm today so neither Phil or I were wearing our jackets. But that last ride was a little chilly. We decided to take the "direct" route back to his house. (ie: via airport road) By the time we got to his house the sun was almost set, so coming back to my house was really chilly. I'm sure I've mentioned before, it doesn't matter the time of year, that last ride home is always a little chilly. ;)
Start: 35,320 km - End: 35,402 km - Total Distance: 82 km
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Well, I met up with Phil this morning to get some parking lot practice in before his test.
We weren't really in a parking lot, because they've got a vehicle mega sale going on in the CN centre parking lot. :P So we ended up at the end of this dead end road. It worked o.k. but there really wasn't enough room. He's doing really well though, he had the slalom down within a few tries.
We did go for a bit of a ride along old summit road. Its a nice and twisty road, which is always a lot of fun.
Start: 35,223 km - End: 35,320 km - Total Distance: 97 km
Trip Statistics
So now that I'm home from my trip to Edmonton, I thought I would calculate a few statistics about the trip. So here they are.
Length of trip: 7 days
Distance traveled: 2186 km
Gas Consumed: 133 L
Average Fuel Consumption: 16.4km/L or 38.6 miles/gallon
Average Price for Fuel: $1.41/L
Length of trip: 7 days
Distance traveled: 2186 km
Gas Consumed: 133 L
Average Fuel Consumption: 16.4km/L or 38.6 miles/gallon
Average Price for Fuel: $1.41/L
Monday, June 23, 2008
I am so very glad that I spent the night in Hinton. I woke up this morning at about 8:00 am to dry roads and sunshine. The weather was still a little cold and windy, but not being wet makes a BIG difference. I even stopped a few times to take some pictures.
These were taken at mount Robson. As you can see, it wasn't a perfectly clear day, but none of the clouds were rain clouds. I was very appreciative of that. So now I'm home and unpacked (mostly) and spending some much needed time with my hubby. I do need to pick up some of my riding gear, since its all sitting in a pile near the door.
I think my kitty missed me too. He also does this with luggage. He thinks that if he lays on our stuff we can't leave him again. Oh well, I'll leave him be for now.
I also should mention my animal count for today. I saw 3 (1+2) bears, 3 (2+1) deer, a herd of elk and one eagle. I like to think my daddy sent him to check up on me ;)
Start: 34,764 km - End: 35,223 - Total Distance: 459 km
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