as lucky as i am

[duckboy]

i am lucky to be alive
to listen to music that i find pleasing

to work a job

to be physically able

and mentally capable of most decisions i have to make

i am lucky to have a good wife
good food to eat today

a dog that will come when i call

and a few friends i can depend on to top it all


i am lucky to get to go
where i wish
when i want
how i want

with the folks i choose to go with
or those that decide to go with me
or alone

and i am free to ride
for no reason at all
all of the above
or for everything
in entirety.



……………………………………………

spoke with brother doug on friday night
we decided to make a run on one of his routes

a trip over lolo pass

it’d be new territory for me
i was eager and ready to go

early saturday morning

i remember arriving and was greeted by doug
smiling and in good cheer
as he is
it is in his nature

his hounds greeted me with much fanfare
smiling and wagging





“buddy, i need something hot and black”
i said


doug hooked me right up



i remember standing on his back deck
sleepy and swaying and spilling coffee on myself

it was grey and cool out
i even brought rain pants

all of the ridges were obscured by thick fog and mist

i said, “you lead today brother doug”
“aye” he said

we suited up and rolled out
.
in new canyons
along unknown spaces
through misted ridges and along roadways lost

i was totally spun around

i am so used to riding my route
used to the creases in the road
the camber of each curve

it felt very strange to be out of my neck of the woods

i realized how it must have been for brother doug
up where we ride in wa state

we stopped at a few places
and had some signs to remind us about how freedom can be lost




we rode for nearly an hour and i still didn’t know where we were
all of the hills shrouded in mist

i followed brother doug
he knew the way

up over farms and through canyons
no east
or south
or anything

just endless twisting roads
it was good






we’d been out a while and only shared the road with two other bikers
we pulled off for a moment

saw mt hood and i knew where i was
at last



a bunch of barns out there





the breeze picked up
we could hear it moan through spokes on the parked bikes

it almost sounded like it was from the barns
i figured it was my ears playing tricks on me


or an hallucination
from the voltage flowing through the high tension wires
just above our heads

crackling and sparking
electrons firing
hissing

figured we were too close to them when my headlight stayed lit up
after i’d shut off the headlight


electrical interference
might change one’s perception





the road petered out




i rode point and it was ok on my bike
doug kept his bigger bike upright

in some bad washouts
with road tires to boot

i watched for him in my rearview mirror
wondering if he’d make it
he did

would be a real chore to pick up that bike of his
if he laid it down on the rocks and washouts

we found a rickety old bridge and posed for a shot
to prove we’d been there



i messed around with my camera
took an overexposed shot of the creek




we had some lunch and i ditched the leather coat
the sun was finally out

doug took a shot of me ripping up the road

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekZoDAE8uoE


we rode up to a lake
there were all kinds of folks up there

it was clear and blue and clean

the guy at the gatehouse said he’d give us a half an hour to drop in
take a few shots and a break in the shade


we thanked him and took in the view



kids played in the creek
dogs ran and got sticks thrown for them

pretty girls floated and laughed on rafts
boys jumped off of bridges and docks to impress them

it was good

we’d used our half hour
so we motored down switchbacks and back home through a terrible wind

doug mentioned that after being “on point”
for so long through the gravel and rough road

it was taxing to have to buck a 40 knot wind through the gorge
he was right

but i’d do it again
in a heartbeat

as lucky as i am

[Fishalot]

Amen and amen

[KD Fisherman]

Most enjoyable read...thanks for sharing the experience.

[wootersen]

Nice write up !

What lake is that ? Looks like a solid ride.


I did something similar the other day. SE portland to Ripplebrook Ranger station, Hwy 58 to high rock (see photo), back down 58 to hwy 26 through sandy and into Damascus and foster rd, where my aching behind got to sit on the couch.




I'm pretty worthless on the gravel, I think my next bike will do both.

[duckboy]

I'm pretty worthless on the gravel, I think my next bike will do both.[/QUOTE]

Good lord,
To ride at all is good,
but,
to be able to climb hills and washouts and all of it on your bike means you are worthy.....


I believe that the most important part is just to keep going.
where or when
do not matter much

just keep going...

[jlajoie]

Duckboy, once again, you manage to make me miss my homeland.

Originally Posted by duckboy

I'm pretty worthless on the gravel, I think my next bike will do both.

Good lord,
To ride at all is good,
but,
to be able to climb hills and washouts and all of it on your bike means you are worthy.....


I believe that the most important part is just to keep going.
where or when
do not matter much

just keep going...[/QUOTE]

More importantly, you did it on a CX 500! Nice to see another one of those rolling around.

[Couch angler]

That was nice, thanks.
M.C.

[DAB]

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Owner/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]Those old barns I do believe are on the old Cook Ranch just East of Marmot .

Been by them a million times well maybe not that many times

Great read and great Pic's.

DAB

[feisty's wife]

Great post, DB...and the cup sum's up most of my life

[ampersat]

Always good to ride with you, Brother Todd. I'm looking forward to our further adventures in the dirt.