Progressions: 14th-16th Oct-2005
Odo: 5997
Distance: 588.5
Another road trip with Ms Z.
 Loaded DL |
 Laura ready to roll after waiting on me. |
 North Bonneville, WA |
 Steads of two road warriors |
 Deschutes River @ Warm Springs, OR |
 Laura contemplating… Our machines waiting in the distance. |
 Deschutes River @ Warm Springs, OR |
 Deschutes River @ Warm Springs, OR |
 Three Sisters near Sisters, OR |
 Near Sisters, OR |
 Mt Washington, OR |
 Mt Washington, OR |
 The risk taker… |
 Crimson visions at the Mt Washington overlook |
 At the Mt Washington overlook |
 Ever wonder where your Christmas tree came from? |
 Hide 'n Seek? |
20:30ish Fri 14-Oct
“… Well. Let it go and move on…”
Ring.
“Hold on. I’ve got another call”
Ring.
Click “Hello?”
“Hey! Wanna go to Kah-nee-ta and stay in a tee-pee?!?” Laura’s excited sing-song blasts into my headset.
“What?”
“Do you wanna go to Kah-nee-ta in the morning?”
“Hold on. Let me end my other call.”
Click
“Tony?”
“Yeah.”
“I’s Laura. She wants to go camping tomorrow. Let me see what’s up with her and I’ll call you back.”
“OK. Bye”
“Bye.”
Click
“Now, what do you want to do?”
“I want to go camping in a tee-pee.”
“Yeah. I know. You’ve been talking about that for a couple of weeks now.”
“There are tee-pees in Kah-nee-ta near the hot springs. We can camp in one tomorrow night.”
“Where?”
“Kah-nee-ta!”
“Email it to me.”
“OK. Wanna go?!?”
“Yeah. Sure. I’ll go. I got paid today, so I am fluid.”
A surprised “You will?” followed.
“Yeah. I’ll go.”
“Great! How did you date go?”
“Don’t ask. I’m almost home. What does that tell you?”
…
It took me a few minutes to catch up to Laura’s thought process, which is nothing new. I started to see the possibilities. A chance to burn some fuel, to get away, to think, to talk with a friend who regularly kicks my ass. My week had been very up and down. Friday had been an especially odd. I needed space, time, and council. I could see another run with Laura might help on many levels.
It took me several hours to prep my DL and load my gear. It was after 01 before I turned in.
07:58 Sat 15th-Oct-05
Ring
Ring
“Fuck.”
Ring
Click. “Yeah?”
Laura’s voice sings through the headset. “Wake up! Let’s get going!!!”
“Yeah. OK. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
East we travel. SR 14. A stop at Fossil Motorcycles near Camas, WA for a little oil. They topped off Laura’s KLR at no charge.
Crossed the bridge at Hood River. I-84 East to Mossier. Historic Highway 30 to The Dalles. Very nice. South on 197. Lunch in Maupin. Into the desert scrub lands to Kah-nee-ta.
Rain dots my visor. Daylight is failing as we descend into the valley. The casino complex looms above. Welcome to Kah-nee-ta.
A very embarrassed woman on two wheels informs me the season for camping in the tee-pees is over.
So now what? Neither of us brought tents. We brought everything else, but not tents… So…? Punt! We stop, huddle, look at my AAA guides and discuss our options. Neither of us is interested in $159 a night at the casino. There are motels in Madras. As darkness falls, we head out of the valley to Madras. After a few tries, we score a place and crash. But not before we take in dinner and movie in Redmond.
Over dinner and margaritas, my tongue loosened and armour dropped. Laura has a way of stripping away the confines of my normally guarded persona. I suppose all of my friends do, but everyone sees a slightly different me. Topics I discuss with Laura, I usually don’t discuss with Tony or Adam and visa-versa. The exact words and thoughts are private but my goal for the trip was coming to fruition: time, space, reflections, and feedback. “Flight plan” was the film entertainment for the evening.
One interesting event was the ride to and fro Redmond. We went two-up on my DL. Laura wrapped in my heated vest and hidden behind me in the slip stream. The last time I had ridden that far with a passenger was when I was still in my teens with my first wife on the back of my Kawi 750 LTD. I had taken Jen for a short ride last year, but that only lasted a few miles. My YZF is really not built for two-up riding. The experience was very uncomfortable for me. I was worried about her falling off the back. My other two ride with Laura when we went to pick up her KLR. It feels nice, different, but nice, having two hands holding on to me as I cruise through the midnight air. Alone in my thoughts, but not alone in the physical space. Different.
08:15 Sun 16th-Oct-05
Dawn comes way too early…
Light fills me closed eyes. Even as I sleep farthest from the door, on my stomach, head turned away from the entrance, the light fills my eyes. Why does she do that?” My silent scream. The door silently swing shut as Laura tries to sneek out of our room. Alone again, I try to go back to sleep. Without success. My traveling companion returns a few minutes later. The second blinding light fills my open eyes. And my day begins…
Warm Springs for breakfast and a care package for Christine, fried bread. Back on our bikes, we head back to the hotel to gather up our gear and do our basic bike maintenance. Chains checked and lubed, bikes reloaded, visors cleaned, leathered up… we ride.
South to Redmond.
West to Sisters. Miles flowed as we crossed through the scrub brush and basalt fields. Blue sky. Warm sun. A magical ride.
Rolling through the tourist zone of Sisters, we continued west. Over the Santium Pass, the temperature drops as we cross out of the high desert plain and enter the Willamette Valley. Gold, Crimson, Green. Fallen leaves cover the roadway and each strong gust brings more. The calm warmth of the morning has been replaced with wet road, falling leaves, lower temps, and distracted drivers. It was a gorgeous site, but still, drive or pull off. Hot Chocolate and Mexican Coffee at Detroit Lake, then a wandering ride through the country side in an effort to avoid the freeways. Back in Portland, Italian for dinner and we parted. I dropped off Christine’s goodies and returned home after midnight, some 580+ miles later.
