The nearby mountains to the cities of Orem and Provo are very imposing, gorgeous and scenic. I'd forgotten how gorgeous and massive the mountains near these cities and Salt Lake City look....very nice.
It was to be a super-slab riding kind of a day for me. Most of it, once I got on I-84 from I-15 was into very strong quartering and head winds that would kill my mileage and make me once again the slowest thing on the road.
Still, I didn't care because thanks to fellow Uralisti and their instructions, I'd made adjustments to the clutch cable on Valencia and she was doing much better today! There's still just a tiny ghost of a clutch drag sometimes, after a very long ride.....but nothing, I repeat, nothing like the problem it was yesterday!
I'll be tweaking it some more tomorrow, and the Ural dealer in Portland is expecting me on Tuesday to check out my work; but I am very much happy with how Valencia was running today.
I started from Orem, UT and end up in a small motel called the Horseshoe Inn in the small town of Burns, Oregon. About 14 hours on the road, racked up about 560 miles....that's pretty good on a Ural in strong headwinds!
Turns out, there's not much of anything on Oregon State Highway 20 between the small town of Vale on the east and Burns on the west end. I'd only spotted one motel, kind of seedy looking, in Vale....but the name: Bates Motel, didn't do it for me.
There was a singlewide-sized motel in Juntura, OR but the place was deserted. It was past this small town that I topped off my tank (which was on reserve) with the 1 gallon Kolpin gas can.
Needless to say, I didn't stop much for photos....actually the only time I got the camera out was when I had to top off the tank using my 5 gallon spare gas can. You see, as some of you know, in Oregon the gas station attendant has to pump the gas into one's vehicle. Trouble is, the place I'd counted on for gas was working "winter hours" which mean he closed at 5PM. I got there at 7PM.
Fuel Stop and Museum at Buchanan, Oregon
There was, on the other hand, in the roughly 114 miles between Vale and Burns, might pretty hills, small mountains and twisty roads to ride through. There was however, strong gusty easterly winds which translated to head winds as I was heading west! Sigh.
Still, it was a good day of riding. A lot more riding than I'd planned on but it is what it is. Now I am at a good jumping off point for arrival to Albany, OR tomorrow. I hope to meet with fellow moto-blogger BlueKat (Kari) and her husband Ron and riding legend Irondad in that area tomorrow evening.
Here's a link to my SPOT map for the Alaska Trip, starting from this past Friday. Note: only last seven days of data is shown: SPOT
Previously: Uraling to Alaska - Day 2: Bryce Canyon and Escalante Monument
10 comments:
That's a long day in the saddle by anyone's measure. It's hard to believe there are places in the lower 48 where gas can be hard to come by. On the Dempster, sure, but Oregon?
Dom:
You may not be going this way, but South on 395 from Riley takes you past Alkali Lake and the Sand dunes then to Lake Abert. It is just stunningly beautiful down there. Then you get to ride the Outback Scenic Byway Hwy 31. There are some neat rock formations around Christmas Valley.
Hwy 242 from Sisters may not be open yet but takes you through the Lava Fields.
Lucky thing you had extra gas & hope your clutch lasts until your checkup
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
I remember going through Burns and you're right, not much there. In Oregon, they let me fill my bike tank all the time. The attendant was the only one intelligent enough to insert the credit card and select the desired grade though.
You are covering a lot of ground!
Canajun, I guess it was just the day for me to experience their short hrs.....
All those side trips will have to wait till next time I am in Oregon, Bob. Thanks for the info though!
Richard, same thing happened this morning, the attendant swiped the card and pressed the fuel choice I asked for, then he handed me the nozzle..... :)
Sounds like an excellent (and maybe cool) adventure ... I have only run short of fuel in Idaho ... but thought there were many a place that had few stops that were far between in Oregon too. Lucky you had spare gas with you. Looking forward to the rest of your journey.
You have made a lot of progress, although superslab can't be fun, especially with everything around you going faster than yourself. Please say hi to Kari from me.
Beautiful pictures, Dom. Glad you had fun with your friends in Lebanon. My Aunt Ruth lives in Salem but you're probably in Portland by now. Denver's having a blizzard and Martha said they're enjoying the snow day off from school. Happy Trails to Alaska.
Terri
Vstar Lady, thanks for commenting, i will do my best to get more pics and stories....
SonjaM, saw Kari and her Daughter Rachel today, both look well....more on this in today's post, once I create it.
Terry K. thanks for the comments and visit! Am now in WA so Salem is in my wake so to speak.
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