June 24 2023 Day Twenty Two

 June 24 – Portland OR – Day 22

 

Made it to my Portland OR stop and made it in record time. According to Dennis, Crater Lake is pretty cold this time of year and the speedway drive thru Northern California is pretty nice that I should be able to drive the speedway and see some pretty nice sites along the way, which I did just that, more on that later. 

 

It started out with the San Francisco June gloom, so I had to leather up with my now second long sleeve shirt and hit the road fairly early, about 9, but I was ready for the ride. I wanted to get gas for my start and eventually found a gas station to fill up and hit the road around the bay East toward Oakland. While riding the road there was water on both sides that had me wondering how bad it might be running off the road on a bike into the water and whether I’d be able to get out either before passing out from the cold or how hard I might hit the water. Yeah, I don’t know why I was thinking like that, but the thought did cross my mind incase a tire blows. It was just a 2-lane road, so I guess anything could happen and I’m wondering how it did turn out for anyone who did run off the road.

 

Well, at least I’m heading East away from the ocean that by the time I did make it to the speedway, I5 heading North the sun was out and there were stretches where the weather was warming up. Not enough to get rid of the jacket completely, because there were some passes that I was going thru which were cold, but not as cold as some of the other riding thru California that I’ve been doing. The other thing I noticed is there aren’t really consistent gas stops along the freeway that I might be used to in other states, sometimes I have to drive a little further for gas than a quick off and back on. There was one place where I did get off, drove a couple miles for a gas station filled up and needed to use the bathroom with not luck because the restrooms were out of order. Great, so I put on my helmet to ride across the street to use their gas station and the same thing, Rest room out of order. I asked the attendant, and he said either the gas station across the road or Carl jr’s next door, well now, I know which one I have to use. 

 

At this gas stop I thought it’d be a good idea to try to ride without the jacket so packed my long sleeve shirt and leather jacket away, but up the road aways before getting back on the I5, I figure it a bit chilly that what’day know, a great time for the lighter jacket that I have packed for a bit more of the trip. It is finally going to get used and we’ll see how many other times on this trip that will happen. 

 

Back to the ride and Dennis was right, after I got past Redding and skipped the road to Crater Lake it was a great ride thru the passes. Much like my riding thru the smokies, but definitely different with higher elevations, I notice a number of then around 3000 and windy curvy roads that it had me depending on the edge of my tires quite a bit. No slipping or sliding needed when hitting the curves hard but going up and coming down. The scenery was really ice including when I enter Oregon and the ride was great. I did eventually need gas and the heat was now on me that it was time to get rid of the jacket and see how good of time I could make that I stopped at a familiar town for gas and rid of the jacket Medford. No not the Medford Wisconsin that Dennis happens to be from, but Medford OR, I figured it only fitting. I will need at least one more gas stop before making it to Portland so according to mileage and how far after, I figured Eugene OR would be my next stop.

 

Ok, the heat is back on, and it wasn’t long that I seemed to be in the plains again and none of the passes that I’ve already gone thru. I did hit it hard and even though there were times I thought about white lining it, new Oregon doesn’t condone such riding that I just had to use more lanes than most to get around people. I took full advantage of the bike getting around traffic and arrived to my next stop, Stephanie ad Danny’s around 7, just in time to shower and get something to eat. Steph and Danny are gone for tonight, but I knew just where to go and got to enjoy the neighborhood beer joints and eventually Detroit style pizza. It was a great night of some brews, a couple of slices, more brews and topped off with an ice cream cone for the walk home, what a night.

 

I would like to thank Dennis, Amy and their kids for letting me stay with them for a couple of nights. I was a great comfortable stay and I really enjoyed visiting with them. I’m hoping I get to see them back in Wisconsin sometime this summer. It’s always great seeing them. 

 

And another thing I remembered about yesterday’s ride; how many signs I saw about taking the next exit for Crater Lake. Someone might have been telling me something, but I’m sure I’ll be back when I don’t have to do a quick trip like this one is turning out.