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December LSR - KVH to McMinnville This Sunday was different. No music blasting next to my head to wake me. I was already up. 7:00 am. Okay, today will be the coldest ride so far this year. It was clear last night and the water on my pickup was already frozen before I finished prepping Ajax. So, what should I wear? Lets see, long socks, long sleeve, thermal shirt, long pants and my gear, which now includes a homemade electric vest, two layers of mountain fleece with heating element sandwiched between. 8:00am. Showered, paper read, last check of email on the bikers list for news or changes, I begin to gear up and head for the garage. As the garage door comes up I discover that it is cold, gray, and wet, did I say cold? Water on the pickup is still frozen. 8:30am. Ajax and I head for the Chevron and a quick fill of the back tank. 8:40am. Gassed up I head out of Stayton on West Stayton Rd. headed for Marion, Jefferson, and I5 south. The county was out last night laying gravel in the potential frozen spots. I ride gingerly testing the pavement for ice. Doesn't seem to be any ice but the smaller than pea size gravel everywhere makes the wet road dicey anyway. It is definitely cold, too. The shield on my helmet is shedding water inside and out. The application of RainX and FogX the night before helps but I still keep the shield cracked to be able to see clearly. On to Marion, left to Jefferson. The chance of ice, the pea gravel, and wet roads make progress slower than usual. One little 'oops' crossing the railroad bridge before Jefferson; the bridge is still frozen. Through Jefferson to I5. Hey, I5 is dry. Blasting down to OR34 to Corvallis and Philomath takes but a few minutes. The cold air points out the need for additional hand warmth. Electric gloves or grip heaters are in my future as my fingertips are so cold they hurt as I warm them intermittently in my lap. My homemade vest is working just right, not to warm and certainly enough warmth as my hands are the only cold appendage. 9:25am. I guess I won't be late after all. As I pull into Philomath there are quite a few bikes already at the McDonalds. One more gas up of the rear tank at the adjacent Chevron and over to the group for intros and sniffing. Jim Hiler is there and some new (to me) faces. I introduce myself to Mike Carr (sp) and Roger Van Santen of IBA and IBR repute. Roger has a unique Yamaha and it is equipped with extra gas, V1, gps, and other LD amenities. Dave Orth is there and I finally get to meet the man behind the posts. Steve Jackson and Lyle Robertson are there as well. A total of nine bikes and ten riders. I didn't catch the names of the couple on the Moto-Guzzi that was dripping spooge on the parking lot. There was also a Bandit rider that was on the McKenzie Pass ride, can't for the life of me remember his name. Approximately 10:00am - 12:00 pm. We get it together and Jim leads us out of town down Highway 20 to the right turn north on OR223 the Kings Valley Highway. Temperatures have warmed slightly and my hands are no longer a problem. It seems like no time at all before we are cruising into Dallas. Out to Highway 22, west for a mile, and then right, north again to Perrydale. In Perrydale we 'alter' the intended route a bit and make a right on Bethel instead of left. We hit 99W and head north to Amity. As we enter Amity the group slows abrubtly and my Cobra radar detector begins emitting the 'targeted' tone continuously. Someone ahead must also have a radar detector. Sure enough as we round a slight curve and descend a very slight rise into town there is Miss Officer smiling and waving as she continues to hold down the trigger on the radar gun. A few more miles of 99W and a couple miscues and we arrive at the Evergreen Aviation Museum. The building houses the Spruce Goose and quite a few other aircraft exhibits. After getting over the price of admission and shedding some gear we spend some time perusing the displays of flying machinery. My freaking camera chooses this particular time to go on the fritz. My fresh battery is being picked up as almost dead. The autofocus refuses to work and it keeps shutting down just as I click the shutter. I continually "reboot" to no avail. Only after shooting a full disk do I realize that most of the pictures are out of focus. The light and glare in the building make it difficult to pick up on the little LCD screen. The Spruce Goose is impressive. It fills the building and looms large over ever other airplane and helicopter on display. The rest seem rooted to the floor as the monstrous amphibian soars overhead. The tail section actually fits between spans of the purpose built museum. Everywhere you go inside the museum it is an omnipresent presence. Like a mother goose holding her goslings close underwing. Several in the group have left already not valuing the exhibits as highly as the price of admission. After a cup of coffee we decide to hit the McMenamin's in McMinnville for lunch. Approximately 12:30 - 2:00pm. The McMenamin's is actually the Hotel McMinnville downtown. When we arrive the main dining area is quite full and we are offered a table as a group leaves. This table requires clean up and rather than wait we head to the roof where, we are informed, there is plenty of space. Four flights of stairs later we arrive. The couple already there smiles and points out the directions to the elevator. Roger, Steve, Jim, Dave, and I fill one table while our gear fills another. Turns out many drink choices are not available up here. We peruse the menu, submit our orders, and shoot the breeze as we await our lunch. After 2:00pm. After lunch everyone heads in their own direction. Roger veers off on east on 18, toward Dayton and Salem via Wallace Rd.? Steve heads the other direction for the coast. Jim, Dave, and I head south down 99W. After crossing Hwy. 22 I head west toward Monmouth and Independence as Jim and Dave continue toward Corvallis. I ride across the Willamette on the Independence bridge and up over the ridge to Kuebler and take a round about route home via Turner and Aumsville. I was looking for Hylo Rd to Delaney but missed it somewhere. Relatively short ride, but great to be out. It was very cold to begin but it wore off as the day warmed and there was no rain. Again, great to be out. Anyone for a January FSR on the sixth?
Trip Stats:
I've posted the few pictures I took here:
FSR December LSR
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