More Washington

I had to really tear myself away from the mountain lake camp site.  Ooooohhh, I wanted to use some of my rain days and stay there.  But I have used most of the non travel days scheduled, and the remaining are being eaten by short travel days.

I rode to the top of a mountain today. My second time being on top of one, and I must say I like it!

It was a one lane road with turnouts here and there to allow traffic going the other way to pass.  Gravel on dirt where the gravel on asphalt had eroded away.  I preferred the gravel on dirt.  It was steep enough that the gravel on asphalt lead to undesired wheelspin.  I was not racing up by ANY means. But it was loose enough that when I saw a section of the asphalt coming up, I would increase my speed while I was still on the dirt so I could back off the throttle on the loose stuff.  I got to the top and there was a handful of gravel on top of my trailer.  Goldwings don't throw rooster tails, do they?

It was clouded in when I got there but it was clearing.  

I was amazed that I could see the wisps of the cloud moving almost vertically on the front of the mountain.  It felt like I could reach out and touch them.  It continued to clear as I sat and wrote a bit.

The trip back down was a little uneasy.  I used the transmission and brakes.  This is one time I am very glad I have the electric trailer brakes!

Now that I am away from the coast, the temps are higher.  I decided to ger a room rather than camp.  Another factor other than temp is my shaving habits.  I shave in the morning. I hate shaving later in the day, and especially at night.  But KOA campgrounds have many campers and few showers.  As such, I tend to shower at night when I am there.  This means I skip shaving in the morning when I am at a KOA.  Weird, I know, but that is how I am.

P.s. I guess I did make it in to Oregon.  I followed the Columbia River Gorge.