There is a cool, sweetness in the air in the mornings and evenings.  The sun feels as if it struggles in the twighlight sky, reaching out to warm us and yet unable to muster the strength to roust the world from its slumber so readily.  Yes, it is beginning to feel like the end of summer and around the corner is the notice of fall.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, I get a notice of fall every year with the annual arrival of the Anacortes Oyster Run.  While there are normally plenty of riding days remaining and the daytime hours can be filled with warmth and late summer activity, the twighlight hours are cooling off and I’m already carrying my jacket liner for the evening rides.

The air is fresh and the sunsets are beautiful.  The Fraser Valley sports hundreds of inviting roads with a view of the setting sun.  Out in the valley, the stars shine just a little brighter and the twinkle of the city lights is warm and just distant enough to keep you on the road for another half hour with the promise of a warm cup of tea and a place to hang your helmet for the night. 

The weather in this part of the country can change quickly and it’s a good idea to have some spare gloves, jacket liner and even some rain gear in the saddlebags.  Why let a quick shower show up and spoil a good evening ride?  The air is fragrant and the rolling rural roads beg to be ridden before the leaves start to turn and the rains come more often.  It’s a great time to dust off the local map, check out new routes to your favorite restaurant or coffee house.  Take a little longer to arrive and spend the time enjoying some local scenery.  The long tours of the summer are done, the gear needs sorting, cleaning, and packaging for storage until next year.  There are hundreds of photos to sort through, ideas to work on for next year and scrapbooks (or websites) to update with the news of the season.

Welcome to the final leg of the 2010 season!  Remember to get out and enjoy the crisp air and the changing of the surroundings.  If home is where the heart is, then take the time to put your heart in gear and take in the local rides before the season changes completely.

A bitter-sweet reminder of both the worst and the best of humanity is approaching as we once again approach September.  There are countless 9-11 Memorial events across both Canada and the USA each fall since the events which captured our attention and changed the world as we knew it.  Countless lives were defined that day by what we saw, experienced and heard.  There is a new “before” and “after” which, I am sure, will scar our behaviour for more than a generation and while debates will be held for decades on who and what and where and how, this came to pass there is another side to the events which took place as well.

Each anniversary people gather to remember those who rose to the occasion and provided a view into the better part of the human spirit.  The Emergency Services personnell, the public and just ‘regular’ individuals both in the immediate area and around the globe who provided services, aid, support and even gave their lives in an effort to help others caught in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy.  Those who lost their lives, whether directly during the tragedy or while attending to their duties as emergency responders will be remembered for their honour, valour and integrity.  In Vancouver this occurs at the Peace Arch Border Crossing each year on September 11th.

You are invited to join, and remember those who have shown us the best of humanity, and to hope for a better future for all of us.

Vancouver 9-11 Memorial Ride

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Never have I found a road more scenic, more beautiful or more accessible than the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper Alberta.  Directly along the backbone of the Rocky Mountains, the Icefields Parkway travels between the towering peaks of the surrounding mountains, winding its way from valley to valley in a slow and steady route.  The road is neither in perfect condition nor does the path make your blood race and your heart pound.  Indeed the road itself is quite tame.  This is perhaps one of its better virtues since you are constantly surrounded by the awesome majesty (yes I just said that) of the surrounding mountain peaks, glacier-fed lakes and rivers and stunning scenes.  A more demanding road would simple take away from this natural wonder which is so abundant that even a casual glance in your rear-view mirror can take your breath away as you see the local peaks reflected behind you in a new viewpoint which you missed as you travel forward.

The road truely does take on a new perspective depending on the direction you travel.  Banff to Jasper is not the same as riding from Jasper to Banff.  It is almost as if the road belongs somewhere in the twilight zone.  The same mile markers, the same two lane highway; only each direction provides a totally new perspective on the surrounding scenery.  Indeed it is worth driving in both directions when you have the opportunity, you certainly would not be disappointed.

Your neck muscles will get quite a workout just trying to take in all of the views as you drive down the road and a motorcycle is, in my opinion, the perfect platform to veiw the drive.  I haven’t yet seen a car, truck or van that can offer the unimpeded view of the area.  Even the sky has a part to play in the ever changing surroundings.  For all the joy of riding this road I find that I just cannot enjoy the lakeshores or mountain views without frequent stops along the roadside.  When I round a corner and am flanked by a great, green-grey glacial lake with such mountains as are seldom even written in poetry or grand storybooks, I just have to stop and sit to take in the full beauty of the vast landscape.

Expect to spend twice as much time as you think you will on this road.  The everchanging views will tempt you to stop more than you expect.  To take the side roads up to the hidden valleys which fissure off from the main road in every direction, to just sit and watch the clouds roll over the tops of the peaks and to watch the ever changing reflections on the surface of a lake.  Stop; smell the green, the flowers the dry grass, the breeze as it sweeps over the snowbound peaks or down a glacier face.  Listen to the rushing streams of melting ice and snow.  Embrace the slow pace of time as it wears away at the root of the mountians,  listen to winter cling on the sides of the mountains and in the shadowed crevices as spring grasps at the fleeting warmth in the high passes and valleys.

Words can begin to prepare you for such sights however fall far short of the real experience.   I have yet to see such a natural wonder anywhere in my travels.  The rest of the world seems to grow pale and plain for a few days after riding this road as my mind races to remember all of the splendid views which all but overwhelm you as you ride the Icefields Parkway.

The road Less Travelled

Do you remember that road…

The road you used to ride, it unwound before you; the countryside sliding along beside you, the trees, the smell of the fresh air?  Little traffic, nice pavement, not new; well travelled yet smooth and winding?  The smell of fresh air, trees, water and the peace you felt as you drove down the countryside.  Then it changed; the road was re-paved, construction took over and the route straightened for hungry commuters.  All intent on getting to their destination.  The speed limits raised as the road was constantly straightened to accomodate more traffic, bigger cars and trucks until finally the road you remember didn’t exist any longer?

Welcome back to the road less travelled.  Highway 6 in British Columbia remains that unspoiled road.  That gem in the country which winds without hurry and hastle between nowhere and somewhere, between the start and end of a day of travel.  The air is clear, the scenery wild and yet welcoming.  Inviting you to travel at an unhurried pace and enjoy your day with easy rest-stops and inviting curves.  Whether you are seeking solice or the meditation of the winding corners, the peace of the forest or the gentle travel through the rolling country, the local small towns or the travel down a friendly path.  Highway 6 in B.C. between Vernon and Kaslo provides all the above.

Now remember;  don’t tell anyone.  You don’t want the grader, paver and construction crews to find out about this wonderful journey.  Please not the hungry, hurried, harried populace to follow you down this joyous journey.  Not to rush headlong towards the end of the road, but to enjoy the ride.  Enjoy the day.  Simply to enjoy the journey, not the destination.

Whether you ride from Vernon or Kaslo the road welcomes you with lakes, waterfalls, winding corners, green trees and little towns.  Inland ferries await you at Farqueir/Needles or Balfour, small towns dot the route and the road does not crash through the scenery but exhalts in following the river valley winding its way around the landscape and not through it.  There is no hurry, no bustle of great semi-trailers rushing along to nowhere.  Indeed the traffic is light, the local stops interesting and the route well maintained.

So don’t hurry past; don’t be in too much of a rush to get to some destination.  Enjoy the road and it will reward you with such wonders as you can only imagine in the great bustle of the city.  Don’t push the throttle open until the scenery races by at a work-day pace.  Enjoy the simple pleasure of the road and you will be rewarded.

The 2010 Toad Rock Rally was a great event. Not even the occasional rain shower could dampen the spirits of the riders who attended this year. Cooler temperatures were no match for the lively bands, entertainment and general merriment which was enjoyed by all.

The event was well organized, wonderfully managed and a great time for all the folks who showed up to enjoy themselves. And if you enjoy meeting new folks, having a great time and sharing some space with motorcycle enthusiasts from all over, then this is one event to put on your calendar !

Thanks to the wonderful folks who took care of us, fed us and helped us to have a great time!

Just for posterity, the Yellowstone trip is over; I’m back to work and the weather still seems unable to get out of the dour pre-summer dulldroms.

The trip was way too fun in spite of the un-spring-like weather.  Camping on the bike is still the best way I can think of to enjoy the country.  The trip total was 5495km in lenght, 1 province, 5 States, more parks than I can count and more wild deer, elk, buffalo, moose, ducks, geese, pellicans and other wild beasts than I care to think and more than 700 photos to sort through.

Now I need to prepare for a real trial-by-fire…. the Toad Rock Rally !

See you soon !

Here is a view of the Dry Falls in Washington state:

Dry Falls, Wa

June 3, 2010 - GM Place, Vancouver

Unfortunately Breaking Benjamin did not make the concert.  Small signs announced their absence at the entrance doors and a refund was available if you just turned in your tickets without entering the venue.  A disappointment to be sure, but I don’t know how many people bought tickets just to see the band.

Nickleback: An iconic Vancouver band with a ‘bad boy’ reputation and bar-band rock roots.  I like the band, I’m more of a fan of the older material.  The classic 3 guitar/1 drummer configuration places them strongly in the ‘power-guitar’ league and they certainly can live up to that genre.   I’m a big fan of their tight harmony, crisp guitar work and straight forward urban flavour.

Much to my disappointment, all of this tight structure and great tuneful guitar work was lost last night in the deafening roar of a sound system which I’m sure you could have heard equally well if it had been placed on the moon.  Fighter jets would have been lost in the wall; no, avalanche of sound emanating from the stage.  You could have used this sound system to test for seismic faults.

The band was certainly in fine form and happy to be on the last gig for the ’round the world tour.  Lead singer, Chad Kroeger seemed to feel the simple word “Van-cou-ver” would somehow turn the crowd into screaming throngs of buxom ladies to welcome them home.  And the crowd ‘cam’ operators certainly had their pick of lovely ladies to post onto the giant screens attached to the stage.  I suppose I’m getting older, but there seemed to be a lot of fine Vancouver women at the concerts … along with their various significant others.  Too bad Chad, but I’m sure there were plenty of single young gals there too willing to welcome the band home.

As for the on-stage bouts of doing shots after every song, I’m not impressed.  I can see a drinking contest any day of the week.  Guys.. time to mellow out a bit.  Even the mocked Stephen Tyler has realized that performance and stage presence trump the ability to play while wasted on stage.  Good to hear Chad humorously noted that he “was going to get drunk”  and “no, I won’t be driving” but hey, I just came for the music.

Speaking of listen to the music, besides the overwhelming sound system which beat your ears to submission until you couldn’t hear even the most gross chords, the audience themselves seemed focused on smoking up in order to get the “full effect” of the concert.  I’ve not been surrounded by so many pot smoking fans in my life.   Despite the hundreds of eager young faces dressed in security outfits, I don’t think they managed to notice the blatant use of ‘prohibited substances’ all night long.  Unfortunately, they were all too willing to let you know you couldn’t smoke a cigarette anywhere on the premises.

To wrap-up…  I may buy some more albums, listen to the band and enjoy, but I won’t be back for a concert unless they play a much smaller venue where the band might be tempted to rely upon their unique sound and musical ability rather than the sheer weight of noise to impress the audience.

May 30, 2010: Vancouver Motorcycle Ride to Live

Sunday, May 30th dawned a little grey and cool for the end of May, but the rains of Saturday had ended and the air was clean and roads were clear.  The great folks at the Ride to Live organized a wonderful event starting with the closure of Boundary Road outisde the Trev Deeley dealership to start the ride.

09:30 kicked off the ride from Boundary Road to Port Moody escorted by the Vancouver Police motorcycle squad.  600 riders enjoyed a great day of riding, a wonderful bbq at Sasquatch Park and a round trip to Cloverdale Racetrack.  The afternoon stayed cloudy and cool, but dry for the most part until around 3:30pm.  While the rain put a damper on some of the festivities at Richmond Honda, the crowd remained enthusiastic and I think everyone enjoyed the day completely.

The ride was attended by 600 riders, passengers and others (dogs, and even a rabbit!) and raised $160,000.00 for the BC Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Congratulations to all of the participants and THANK YOU to the organizers, volunteers and Ride to Live executive team who worked so hard to put on this event.

See you next year!

I have always loved this little poem.  And so, with the great invention of the internet I am glad to be able to post it for others to enjoy.  I was able to find a little link, by another admirer which provides some information.  I recall that this was published in Analog (which I was fond of reading).  Unfortunately, this is all the information I have been able to find.  If you have a copy of the magazine or more accurate information, please send it along.

	Once upon a planet dreary
	Came a rocket engine cheery
	On a flight to test a theory
	On Mars's frigid desert floor!

	Did life arise spontaneous
	Or some alien's trash extraneous
	Seed the globe that now contains us?
	Quoth the Lander, "Either-or."

I hope you enjoy it as much as I.