If Darwin was right, this may be an example of the Law of Natural Selection.
As reported in the Idaho Statesman:
A 22-year-old Meridian motorcyclist died from blunt force trauma after he collided with a car Thursday night on Star Road near Chinden Boulevard. Cody K. Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, according to Ada County Coroner report issued this morning.
Witnesses told Ada County Sheriff's deputies that Anderson was driving the motorcycle at speeds up to 100 mph southbound on Star Road just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday when he appeared to lose control and drive into a Subaru passenger car.
A woman driving the Subaru was either in a turn lane or about to make a U-turn, when the crash occurred, sheriff’s officials said.
Anderson was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to reports.
The accident is still under investigation, according to sheriff's reports.
What's to investigate? The woman in the other car may be partly responsible, but if you're going 100mph (on a road that's 50mph, tops), you're gunnin' for trouble. I s'pose Cody died doing what he loved, huh? (I'd rather live doing what I love. And what I love isn't hanging out there on the jagged edge.)
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Great Northwest Tour 2007
This is the plan for my big annual trip, for the year 2007... leaving around the end of July.
(Click on the map if you'd like a larger view.)
Day 1 – Boise to Yakima, approx. 350 miles, stay with my friend Ben and his family.
Day 2 – Yakima, Chinook Pass, Mount Rainier flyby, Olympia, Hoquiam, approx. 215 miles, camp in Hoquiam.
Day 3 – Hoquiam, Lake Quinault, Washington Coastline, Hoh Rain Forest, Forks
Side trip to Neah Bay (what looks like the far northwest corner of the continental U.S.), approx. 240 miles, motel in Forks
Day 4 – Forks to Port Angeles, ferry across to Victoria (Vancouver Island), sightseeing in Victoria, north to Nanaimo, approx. 150 miles, camp in Nanaimo (3 nights)
Day 5 – Vancouver Island
Day 6 – Vancouver Island - Out and back - Nanaimo to Tofino (west coast of Island), approx. 107 miles each way, total 214 miles
Day 7 – ferry to Vancouver; sightseeing in Vancouver, north up 99 thru Whistler to Lilloeet, approx. 145 miles, motel
Day 8 – Lillooet to Penticton, approx. 255 miles, camp
Day 9 – Penticton to Rock Creek to Creston, approx. 330 miles, motel(?)
Day 10 – Creston to Metaline to Spokane to Lewiston, approx. 275 miles, camp
Day 11 – Lewiston to Boise (via Council), approx. 300 miles, sleep in my bed
(Click on the map if you'd like a larger view.)
Day 1 – Boise to Yakima, approx. 350 miles, stay with my friend Ben and his family.
Day 2 – Yakima, Chinook Pass, Mount Rainier flyby, Olympia, Hoquiam, approx. 215 miles, camp in Hoquiam.
Day 3 – Hoquiam, Lake Quinault, Washington Coastline, Hoh Rain Forest, Forks
Side trip to Neah Bay (what looks like the far northwest corner of the continental U.S.), approx. 240 miles, motel in Forks
Day 4 – Forks to Port Angeles, ferry across to Victoria (Vancouver Island), sightseeing in Victoria, north to Nanaimo, approx. 150 miles, camp in Nanaimo (3 nights)
Day 5 – Vancouver Island
Day 6 – Vancouver Island - Out and back - Nanaimo to Tofino (west coast of Island), approx. 107 miles each way, total 214 miles
Day 7 – ferry to Vancouver; sightseeing in Vancouver, north up 99 thru Whistler to Lilloeet, approx. 145 miles, motel
Day 8 – Lillooet to Penticton, approx. 255 miles, camp
Day 9 – Penticton to Rock Creek to Creston, approx. 330 miles, motel(?)
Day 10 – Creston to Metaline to Spokane to Lewiston, approx. 275 miles, camp
Day 11 – Lewiston to Boise (via Council), approx. 300 miles, sleep in my bed
Thursday, June 21, 2007
"Harley Lifestyle"
The new Harley shop is open, and it's time to celebrate. 54,000 square feet.
They've come a long way since Bob Blazier had a poorly-lit, greasy little Harley shop down on Chinden. (Not at the most recent location - it used to be a waterbed store.)
The new Harley shop is much more than a place to buy a motorcycle, or a part, or get your hog fixed.
According to the website, the new showroom "is a wonderland of audio/visual Harley-Davidson stimulation. The store is wired with a Boze [sic] sound-system and flat screen televisions abound. The 'Buell Experience Center' plays continuous Buell racing footage and the 'Design Center' features on-screen displays that let you see how accessories will look on your bike before you buy! 'This entire showroom is dedicated to the customer experience,' exclaims owner Dave Thomas, 'It's designed to make owning a Harley easier, more accessible, and more fun.'
"To increase the fun-factor, the new dealership also includes a customer lounge, 'The Kickstand,' that comes complete with an outdoor picnic area, fireplace, big screen TV, pool table, and customer putting green! The lounge, itself is three-times larger than Harley-Davidson recommends for a store this size."
Is that "The Harley Lifestyle" in 2007? Watching videos of people riding motorcycles on HDTV (Harley-Definition)? Billiards on the Harley pool table? Harley golf balls? Hangin' out at the 3-times-as-big-as-recommended Harley Lounge, talking about riding motorcycles?
In an article in the daily newspaper, customer Becky Godfrey says they visited the old store at least once a week. "It's more of a family thing. We'll see who is down there, if anyone wants to go for a ride. If we don't get down there once a week, we feel like we're neglecting the family."
Yep, the times they are a-changin'.
Back in the day, you went to the shop to get your bike fixed, or to get a part, so you could ride. Riding was what defined the "Harley Lifestyle." If you wanted to hang out at the shop for awhile, more likely than not you'd have to move a grease-blackened cardboard box full of pistons and rods, random bolts and washers, and maybe a carburetor or manifold off the stool before sitting down. Just set it on the grease-blackened counter, or on the pile of similar greasy parts boxes already sitting in the corner. If you had clean clothes on, it was best not to touch anything. Now that was a Harley shop!
On the local TV news, they were recently interviewing one of the local owners about their new Harley boutique. He said something like, "Harley-Davidson is the only brand logo that people have tattooed on their skin."
Which begs the question - is there a tattoo chair at the new facility?
Another question. Are you just a "poser" if you don't have the tattoo, or wear Harley bluejeans, or play Harley Pool, eat Harley barbecue, and watch Harley TV? Do you have to do all that stuff to truly embrace the "Harley Lifestyle," or can you just ride?
Links:
Idaho Statesman article
High Desert HD website
They've come a long way since Bob Blazier had a poorly-lit, greasy little Harley shop down on Chinden. (Not at the most recent location - it used to be a waterbed store.)
The new Harley shop is much more than a place to buy a motorcycle, or a part, or get your hog fixed.
According to the website, the new showroom "is a wonderland of audio/visual Harley-Davidson stimulation. The store is wired with a Boze [sic] sound-system and flat screen televisions abound. The 'Buell Experience Center' plays continuous Buell racing footage and the 'Design Center' features on-screen displays that let you see how accessories will look on your bike before you buy! 'This entire showroom is dedicated to the customer experience,' exclaims owner Dave Thomas, 'It's designed to make owning a Harley easier, more accessible, and more fun.'
"To increase the fun-factor, the new dealership also includes a customer lounge, 'The Kickstand,' that comes complete with an outdoor picnic area, fireplace, big screen TV, pool table, and customer putting green! The lounge, itself is three-times larger than Harley-Davidson recommends for a store this size."
Is that "The Harley Lifestyle" in 2007? Watching videos of people riding motorcycles on HDTV (Harley-Definition)? Billiards on the Harley pool table? Harley golf balls? Hangin' out at the 3-times-as-big-as-recommended Harley Lounge, talking about riding motorcycles?
In an article in the daily newspaper, customer Becky Godfrey says they visited the old store at least once a week. "It's more of a family thing. We'll see who is down there, if anyone wants to go for a ride. If we don't get down there once a week, we feel like we're neglecting the family."
Yep, the times they are a-changin'.
Back in the day, you went to the shop to get your bike fixed, or to get a part, so you could ride. Riding was what defined the "Harley Lifestyle." If you wanted to hang out at the shop for awhile, more likely than not you'd have to move a grease-blackened cardboard box full of pistons and rods, random bolts and washers, and maybe a carburetor or manifold off the stool before sitting down. Just set it on the grease-blackened counter, or on the pile of similar greasy parts boxes already sitting in the corner. If you had clean clothes on, it was best not to touch anything. Now that was a Harley shop!
On the local TV news, they were recently interviewing one of the local owners about their new Harley boutique. He said something like, "Harley-Davidson is the only brand logo that people have tattooed on their skin."
Which begs the question - is there a tattoo chair at the new facility?
Another question. Are you just a "poser" if you don't have the tattoo, or wear Harley bluejeans, or play Harley Pool, eat Harley barbecue, and watch Harley TV? Do you have to do all that stuff to truly embrace the "Harley Lifestyle," or can you just ride?
Links:
Idaho Statesman article
High Desert HD website
Monday, June 4, 2007
Safety - Is it on your mind?
Chuc Coulter of Boise wrote a letter to the Idaho Statesman. It appeared in print on June 3, and went like this:
"The month of May was proclaimed by Gov. Butch Otter to be Motorcycle Awareness Month ... You probably saw and heard the media messages ... Look out for motorcycles, avoid collisions, prevent injuries and deaths.
"And what happens during the month of May? We have motorcyclists going out riding and killing themselves and their passengers. What have we learned? Maybe it's not the other motorists who need to be looking out for motorcyclists. Maybe what we learned is that motorcyclists need to learn to ride responsibly and safely."
Well-said, Chuc! I agree 100%.
Chuc is doubtlessly responding to these stories:
- Driver John Patrick Brown, 42, of Boise, and passenger Andrea Louise McGuier, 24, of Nampa, both died from blunt force trauma after the motorcycle they were riding hit some construction equipment on a closed section of Cloverdale Road.
- Investigators say Jeffrey Rand [deceased], 25, was driving a 2004 Kawasaki motorcycle at a high rate of speed at 6:49 p.m. when he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a guardrail just off the eastbound lanes of I-84 near the Broadway Avenue interchange.
- A 26-year-old Nampa man died in a motorcycle accident in rural Canyon County. [He] was riding in a group of four motorcyclists on Map Rock Road about a half mile west of Highway 45 when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed at about 3:30 p.m., according to the Canyon County Sheriff's Office.
If I could talk common-sense to my fellow motorcyclists, here's what I'd say. (Unfortunately, how "common-sense oriented" is a guy who's riding a motorcycle with his do-rag instead of a helmet, or with backwards baseball-cap, shorts, and flip-flops?)
It's convenient to blame the other guy for motorcycle accidents. And indeed, we hope all roadway users are paying attention, and have the skills necessary to avoid accidents. But consider...
- Almost half (46%) of fatal motorcycle crashes are single-vehicle.
- 32% of fatally injured motorcycle operators were legally intoxicated.
Whenever the topic of motorcycle safety comes up in public, the topic of helmets invariably follows.
You might think it's nobody else's business, whether or not you wear a helmet.
WRONG! If you ride on public roads, you subject yourself to the rules and regulations governing that use, including speed limits, seat belts, and helmets.
I'm glad that here in Idaho, we adults are treated as such, and get to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. But please realize that it's not cast in stone. Us old-timers know that helmets have been required in the past... and can again be required in the future. The law can change, and if there's enough public outcry, or pressure from the Feds, the law will change. Don't become a statistic for mandatory helmets! Every unhelmeted motorcycle fatality is ammunition for the nannies.
Of course, if you go out there and mash your unhelmeted head, and it doesn't kill you but rather turns you into a Medicaid-supported, diaper-wearing vegetable, eating dinner through a tube, that's even worse. Because then the nannies can point out how you've become a burden to the state. And taxes are everybody's business.
My advice... exercise your right to choose by being responsible and choosing to wear a helmet. Furthermore, choose to devote 100% of your skilled, trained, un-distracted, un-impaired attention to riding, when engaged in that enjoyable pastime. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.
"The month of May was proclaimed by Gov. Butch Otter to be Motorcycle Awareness Month ... You probably saw and heard the media messages ... Look out for motorcycles, avoid collisions, prevent injuries and deaths.
"And what happens during the month of May? We have motorcyclists going out riding and killing themselves and their passengers. What have we learned? Maybe it's not the other motorists who need to be looking out for motorcyclists. Maybe what we learned is that motorcyclists need to learn to ride responsibly and safely."
Well-said, Chuc! I agree 100%.
Chuc is doubtlessly responding to these stories:
- Driver John Patrick Brown, 42, of Boise, and passenger Andrea Louise McGuier, 24, of Nampa, both died from blunt force trauma after the motorcycle they were riding hit some construction equipment on a closed section of Cloverdale Road.
- Investigators say Jeffrey Rand [deceased], 25, was driving a 2004 Kawasaki motorcycle at a high rate of speed at 6:49 p.m. when he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a guardrail just off the eastbound lanes of I-84 near the Broadway Avenue interchange.
- A 26-year-old Nampa man died in a motorcycle accident in rural Canyon County. [He] was riding in a group of four motorcyclists on Map Rock Road about a half mile west of Highway 45 when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed at about 3:30 p.m., according to the Canyon County Sheriff's Office.
If I could talk common-sense to my fellow motorcyclists, here's what I'd say. (Unfortunately, how "common-sense oriented" is a guy who's riding a motorcycle with his do-rag instead of a helmet, or with backwards baseball-cap, shorts, and flip-flops?)
It's convenient to blame the other guy for motorcycle accidents. And indeed, we hope all roadway users are paying attention, and have the skills necessary to avoid accidents. But consider...
- Almost half (46%) of fatal motorcycle crashes are single-vehicle.
- 32% of fatally injured motorcycle operators were legally intoxicated.
Whenever the topic of motorcycle safety comes up in public, the topic of helmets invariably follows.
You might think it's nobody else's business, whether or not you wear a helmet.
WRONG! If you ride on public roads, you subject yourself to the rules and regulations governing that use, including speed limits, seat belts, and helmets.
I'm glad that here in Idaho, we adults are treated as such, and get to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. But please realize that it's not cast in stone. Us old-timers know that helmets have been required in the past... and can again be required in the future. The law can change, and if there's enough public outcry, or pressure from the Feds, the law will change. Don't become a statistic for mandatory helmets! Every unhelmeted motorcycle fatality is ammunition for the nannies.
Of course, if you go out there and mash your unhelmeted head, and it doesn't kill you but rather turns you into a Medicaid-supported, diaper-wearing vegetable, eating dinner through a tube, that's even worse. Because then the nannies can point out how you've become a burden to the state. And taxes are everybody's business.
My advice... exercise your right to choose by being responsible and choosing to wear a helmet. Furthermore, choose to devote 100% of your skilled, trained, un-distracted, un-impaired attention to riding, when engaged in that enjoyable pastime. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.
Monday, May 28, 2007
2007 Memorial Day Cemetery Tour
It's become somewhat of a tradition with me... if the weather is at all tolerable - and it usually is on Memorial Day - I like to hop on my motorsickle and go see a few cemeteries.
It may sound macabre on the surface... but why? Memorial Day is a time to celebrate and reverence those who have gone before us. And the cemeteries never look finer than on Memorial Day, what with all the flags and flowers.
Past tours have taken me from Ola to Emmett to Weiser to Ontario to Owyhee City to Marsing to Melba to Kuna. Pretty much any cemetery within a 50 or 60 mile radius is fair game.
This year I went to Morris Hill (it's 1 mile from my front door, so it gets a visit every year):
Dry Creek Cemetery / Idaho State Veterans' Cemetery:
Star Cemetery:
Middleton Cemetery:
Canyon Hill Cemetery (Caldwell):
Pleasant Ridge Cemetery (SE of Greenleaf):
Kohler Lawn Cemetery (Nampa):
Lower Fairview Cemetery (Meridian):
Sunday, May 20, 2007
LaGrande - Joseph - Hells Canyon Loop - NE Oregon
This particular trip provides a variety of nice scenery, from high desert plateaus and expansive vistas, to twisty river-carved canyons. It can be done in a long day; I recommend 2 days to allow time to stop and smell the roses along the way.
I rode it (this time) in early May; in a normal-precipitation year, even that might be too early, as there is some high country along the way. (There were some shady spots in the high country, where the snow was still right up to the edge of the highway.) It was a perfect time of year to go, however, as everything was vibrant green. (Autumn is also a nice time - although the foliage is dry, the fall colors can be spectacular.)
(I actually rode from my "home base" of Boise, but I'm dealing with the "loop" from Ontario, Oregon, on the Idaho/Oregon border.)
(Click HERE for a larger-size view of the map. You may also need to maximize the size of your window.)
Notes and recommendations:
- As you ride northwest on I-84 from Ontario toward Baker, get off the Interstate just past the big cement plant, and take "Old Highway 30" from there on into Baker. The going is a bit slower, but it is ever so much more enjoyable on a motorcycle to enjoy the slower pace, the twists and turns of the old-school 2-lane (which you'll almost certainly have to yourself), and the rural scenery along the way.
- Once you get to Baker, take State Highway 203 east out of town toward Medical Springs, and follow it on through to Union, and then LaGrande. Again, it's not as direct or quick as I-84, but the scenery is so much better and the ride more enjoyable. (A confession: I always avoid the superslab whenever possible.)
- Out of LaGrande, you take State Highway 82 northeast toward Elgin, and then toward Enterprise and Joseph. As you approach Enterprise, on the south you will enjoy views of a spectacular snow-capped mountain range.
- I'd recommend you gas up in Enterprise or Joseph before proceeding; it's a long poke before you'll get to the next gas station.
- I'd also recommend a little side trip out of Joseph down along Wallowa Lake. At the north end of the lake is the grave of Chief Joseph, the famous chief of the mighty Nez Perce Indians. (The Joseph/Enterprise area is where the tribe spent their summers. Chief Joseph's history is interesting; he did everything he could to get along with paleface; the way he was treated in return will make you embarrassed to be caucasian.) The lake is beautiful; interestingly there are some tourist-trap type attractions at the south end, pretty much a long ways from anywhere.
- Depart out of Joseph heading east on the Imnaha Highway. Watch for the "Wallowa Mountain" loop (to Copperfield); it's easy to miss. It is a narrow, twisty mountain road... don't get too distracted by the high-country scenery. From there it's high forest until you start dropping down toward Hells Canyon. (They say it's the deepest gorge in North America, and I s'pose it is when measured with an altimeter... but it's not a precipitous dropoff like Grand Canyon.) You will be amazed how much it warms up as you drop... it's downright toasty down there in the summertime.
- When you get to State Highway 86, turn left toward Copperfield, which is on the banks of the Snake River, deep in the Canyon. (There is a sweet and reasonably-priced RV park / campground down there, owned and maintained by Idaho Power.)
- From Copperfield, you head upstream (south) toward Brownlee Dam; just downstream from the dam you'll cross over into Idaho and start ascending the other side. They call it "Highway 71," but it's a mountain road... not quite as narrow as on the Oregon side. The next stop is Cambridge, a sleepy farming/logging/hunting community. If your tank is dry, you can get gas there... if you can go another 30 miles, gas up in Weiser instead.
- From Cambridge, head southwest on Highway 95 to Weiser. Full services are available in Weiser; also if you happen to pass thru in mid-June, you might find yourself in the midst of one of the most awesome fiddle festivals anywhere... Weiser's claim to fame.
- Take Highway 95 on south to Ontario to complete the loop... or if you're westbound, you can jump back over to I-84 via Highway 201.
(For photo set / slide show, click HERE.)
I rode it (this time) in early May; in a normal-precipitation year, even that might be too early, as there is some high country along the way. (There were some shady spots in the high country, where the snow was still right up to the edge of the highway.) It was a perfect time of year to go, however, as everything was vibrant green. (Autumn is also a nice time - although the foliage is dry, the fall colors can be spectacular.)
(I actually rode from my "home base" of Boise, but I'm dealing with the "loop" from Ontario, Oregon, on the Idaho/Oregon border.)
(Click HERE for a larger-size view of the map. You may also need to maximize the size of your window.)
Notes and recommendations:
- As you ride northwest on I-84 from Ontario toward Baker, get off the Interstate just past the big cement plant, and take "Old Highway 30" from there on into Baker. The going is a bit slower, but it is ever so much more enjoyable on a motorcycle to enjoy the slower pace, the twists and turns of the old-school 2-lane (which you'll almost certainly have to yourself), and the rural scenery along the way.
- Once you get to Baker, take State Highway 203 east out of town toward Medical Springs, and follow it on through to Union, and then LaGrande. Again, it's not as direct or quick as I-84, but the scenery is so much better and the ride more enjoyable. (A confession: I always avoid the superslab whenever possible.)
- Out of LaGrande, you take State Highway 82 northeast toward Elgin, and then toward Enterprise and Joseph. As you approach Enterprise, on the south you will enjoy views of a spectacular snow-capped mountain range.
- I'd recommend you gas up in Enterprise or Joseph before proceeding; it's a long poke before you'll get to the next gas station.
- I'd also recommend a little side trip out of Joseph down along Wallowa Lake. At the north end of the lake is the grave of Chief Joseph, the famous chief of the mighty Nez Perce Indians. (The Joseph/Enterprise area is where the tribe spent their summers. Chief Joseph's history is interesting; he did everything he could to get along with paleface; the way he was treated in return will make you embarrassed to be caucasian.) The lake is beautiful; interestingly there are some tourist-trap type attractions at the south end, pretty much a long ways from anywhere.
- Depart out of Joseph heading east on the Imnaha Highway. Watch for the "Wallowa Mountain" loop (to Copperfield); it's easy to miss. It is a narrow, twisty mountain road... don't get too distracted by the high-country scenery. From there it's high forest until you start dropping down toward Hells Canyon. (They say it's the deepest gorge in North America, and I s'pose it is when measured with an altimeter... but it's not a precipitous dropoff like Grand Canyon.) You will be amazed how much it warms up as you drop... it's downright toasty down there in the summertime.
- When you get to State Highway 86, turn left toward Copperfield, which is on the banks of the Snake River, deep in the Canyon. (There is a sweet and reasonably-priced RV park / campground down there, owned and maintained by Idaho Power.)
- From Copperfield, you head upstream (south) toward Brownlee Dam; just downstream from the dam you'll cross over into Idaho and start ascending the other side. They call it "Highway 71," but it's a mountain road... not quite as narrow as on the Oregon side. The next stop is Cambridge, a sleepy farming/logging/hunting community. If your tank is dry, you can get gas there... if you can go another 30 miles, gas up in Weiser instead.
- From Cambridge, head southwest on Highway 95 to Weiser. Full services are available in Weiser; also if you happen to pass thru in mid-June, you might find yourself in the midst of one of the most awesome fiddle festivals anywhere... Weiser's claim to fame.
- Take Highway 95 on south to Ontario to complete the loop... or if you're westbound, you can jump back over to I-84 via Highway 201.
(For photo set / slide show, click HERE.)
Friday, May 4, 2007
Motorcycle safety PSA
I was watching Leno last night and saw a VERY disturbing public service announcement. It must've just started running... at least in this area.
It's a nice, sunny day. A normal guy in his normal car (Ford Taurus, looked like), approaches an intersection. He stops at the stop sign, looks nonchalantly both ways, and then proceeds.
Suddenly... BAM!! An approaching motorcycle smashes right into the driver's side of the car, as seen from the general area of the front passenger seat.
It is VERY realistic. (Too realistic - I felt it!) I hope it was computer-generated. (What other explanation could there be?!!?) You see the car lurch... glass flying about... crumpling metal.
The message is Be Careful! Look twice! Motorcyclists are everywhere!
I like to think it might save the life of a motorcycle rider.
It's a nice, sunny day. A normal guy in his normal car (Ford Taurus, looked like), approaches an intersection. He stops at the stop sign, looks nonchalantly both ways, and then proceeds.
Suddenly... BAM!! An approaching motorcycle smashes right into the driver's side of the car, as seen from the general area of the front passenger seat.
It is VERY realistic. (Too realistic - I felt it!) I hope it was computer-generated. (What other explanation could there be?!!?) You see the car lurch... glass flying about... crumpling metal.
The message is Be Careful! Look twice! Motorcyclists are everywhere!
I like to think it might save the life of a motorcycle rider.
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