Silverton and Ripplebrook

I took the day off Friday. Although we had a stiff east wind, the sun was shining and it was relatively warm for this time of year. I spent the middle part of the day riding 160 miles, first south through Molalla to Silverton, where I had lunch (waffle and bacon and mocha) at the Silver Creek Cafe, then backtracked to Estacada where I headed east up the Clackamas River highway to Ripplebrook Ranger Station. I stopped for a few minutes to let my hands warm up before heading back down the river to home.

There were a few bikes out and a few slow cagers, but overall it was a fantastic ride. I arrived back home tired but with a big grin on my face.

Late January local rides

I've had some time off of work and took the opportunity to get some long day rides under my belt. My first trip was up the Clackamas river road to Ripplebrook ranger station. Not wanting to turn back, I kept going up toward Lake Harriett. My intention was to keep riding toward Timothy Lake until snow or road conditions forced me to turn back. Unfortunately they had the road gated closed about a mile past Harriet and I had to turn around and head back.

[caption id="attachment_712" align="alignright" width="212" caption="Gated road to the back side of Timothy Lake"][/caption]

I veered off onto the gravel road to Lake Harriet and rode past a half dozen die-hard fishermen trying to catch brown trout at Harriet. Several looked at me funny but nodded in approval anyway as I rode past.

Two days later I took a jaunt south toward Stayton. I stopped at the Silver Creek Coffee House in Silverton for a mocha and chatted with Greg, the new owner. He had ridden a lot as a young man but now had too many other hobbies to afford a motorcycle (including working 7 days a week at his coffee shop). Warmed up, I continued south until I got to a crossroad with highway 214. I headed east on 214 and rode the loop past Silver Falls State Park which brought me back into Silverton. There was quite a bit of gravel on the road from recent freezes so I had to take it slow when riding through the park. I fueled up in Molalla on my way back home.

Between the two rides my bike was filthy but happy sitting in my garage. Riding this time of year usually involves cold temperatures and precipitation, so my bike tends to have a dull well-ridden look. I also have my outdoor water faucets turned off to prevent freezing so washing the bike is not an easy option.

In a product related note, I've been wearing a pair of Aerostich triple-digit glove covers during the colder rides lately. They work as advertised, keeping moisture away from my gloves underneath and adding warmth. A more accurate way to describe their function is they enable me to ride longer in the winter before my hands get cold -- which they eventually do no matter what.

Chilly ride through the Willamette Valley

It was dry but cold and windy Saturday morning. Riding opportunities are rare this time of year so I bundled up and rode despite the chilly conditions. I headed south on a very familiar route through Estacada, to Mollala, then to Silverton and Sublimity where I turned around and retraced my steps back home. At one point a woman driving a mini-van with a Christmas tree strapped to the roof pulled out in front of me. Fortunately I was able to go around her via the oncoming lane, otherwise I would have been faced with the choice of slamming into the back of her or running off the road.

She got a decent blast of my horn.

My bike performed great as usual and despite having very cold toes and fingers when I returned, I really enjoyed the ride. 140 miles was far too short of a trip but this time of year I take what I can get.

Routine ride to Silverton

Saturday had great riding weather so I got in some time on two wheels with a there-and-back trip to Silverton. There were quite a few other bikers out and about, so I wasn't the only one. There was nothing noteworthy about the trip other than getting stuck behind a couple of blue-hairs in a Miata going 40 mph with the top down in a 55 mph zone.