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Craig McCarter's 2009 Alaskan Journey

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Day 13 (6/21/09, Father's Day & The First Day of Summer Was A "Wash Out")

I was ready to leave the campground in Hell's Canyon by 7:30 and it had just started to sprinkle. Looking to the north (the direction that I'd be headed ) the sky looked like it was only partly cloudy. Based on my experiences of past 12 days, I expected to start the day with a brief shower followed by broken cloudiness. Boy was I wrong!

It started pouring a few miles from the campground and never let up. The temperature quickly fell from 53 to 41 degrees. You could see your breath!! (Some 1st day of summer!!!)

I was riding through what I knew had to be beautiful mountains. The road had many 15 MPH turns and I was going way below the speed limit due to visibility (rain and fog) and I was freezing. I drove about 80 miles where I reached the first populated area of the day, Joseph, Oregon, where I had breakfast.

Breakfast was interesting. It didn't matter what you ordered, they served it on a big plate and managed to fill it. The food was good but I barely ate half of what they served. While waiting for the food to be served I had several people approach me to talk about the Gold Wing or my journey. I really enjoyed the attention and conversation with these friendly folks. Especially once I thawed out!

I only traveled a few more miles up the road to Enterprise where I got a motel room because the rain was not letting up and it was 45 degrees. I spent the afternoon doing laundry, drying out my riding apparel and visiting with the family back home.

Today's 85 miles brought my average daily mileage down to 373 but I am still doing better than the 350 that I'd planned for the trip. I am getting anxious to find a place to spend a day without any forward progress.

Tomorrow I continue my journey northward.

4 comments:

  1. Craig I thought you had gerbings with you. I am following your blog as I find your trip very interesting.I really enjoy all the people that come up to talk when they see you are loaded for touring. By the way we got home this past Saturday. Just missed three tornadoes in York Nebraska. Luckily we were already at the Hampton when they struck down the road. If there is anything we can do for you give us a call.
    Jeff and Mary Ann from Pittsburgh 412-916-9052

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  2. Jeff, yes I have Gerbings. After leaving Hell's Canyon I couldn't find a place to stop to put them on until I was already soaked. I did manage to use the jacket liner so that helped greatly with the temperatures. June 22 was the first day that I used the heated jacket liner, pants and gloves. It was 43 degrees when I started out from Enterprise, OR.

    And did I meet you in my travels. If we did, it is lost in my failing memory bank!

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  3. My wife and I had diner with you in Moab. We are from Pittsburgh. Blackwing and a Bushtec trailer.

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  4. Jeff,

    I feel so stupid but then this incident just goes to show how it all tends to blurr as you travel each day. You and Mary Ann were such a highlight in my journey too!

    Glad that you were inside with the bad weather! I know that I have seen at least three different columns of rain while traveling and just hoped that they didn't turn into something destructive.

    Thanks for the phone number. Perhaps we can have diner again on my way home.

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Woodstock, Virginia, United States