What Happens In The Corners Stays In The Corners

I’m talking about the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally in Baker City, Oregon.

The king of the curve!  And it all happens on July 12-15th.

The U.S. Government named Hells Canyon a national wilderness area which protects the canyon into the future, but the real essence of the area is in its native American past.  It’s home to the Nez Perce and for hundreds of years the area belong to a proud people.  Today their spirit lives on as you ride in the area.

I’ve been to the Hells Canyon a number of times and it seems like I uncover more motorcycle riding treasures on each trip.  There is fantastic scenery, friendly people and wonderful roads.  I have not, but many riders have ridden all of the motorcycle rally routes and yet they still return looking for more.

The Little Dragon (188 corners in 14 miles) demands it, but all the roads require that you bring your “A” game, because the challenging twisty roads offer up a great experience to those who conquer them.

The best news is that the rally was pushed out a month or so last year after having a couple years of questionable weather.  Hey, I like rain as much as the next guy, but standing around the tent heaters was the last straw for me and I for one am thankful they moved the date to a timeframe when you can count on the weather being awesome.

It will be nice to walk around in shorts in downtown Baker City and check out main street, the Corner Brick, The Geiser Saloon and old town cafes.  I hope to see you there.

I’ve previously blogged about the “June-uary” rally HERE and a list of HCMR posts HERE.

Photo courtesy of HCMR

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Cue The Hells Canyon Rally

The Devil's Tail

It’s about 90 days out until HCMR, but if you wait much longer to ride the dream in historic Baker City be prepared to camp out on the High School football field.  Not that there is anything wrong with that as the posse tried this a couple years back.

There’s truly something about Baker City, Oregon.

It’s a city that rolls out the red carpet for bikers and welcomes them like they are veterans returning home from a war.  Local residents volunteer their homes and when ask provide updates on what’s new in their fine city.  It’s a friendly atmosphere, warm outgoing residents, great food with refreshments, and this year a Main Street that will be closed to traffic where the vendors will hawk their wares in the street along with the motorcycle show.

And that’s just Baker City. Add to this the awesome motorcycle roads that intersect at Baker, I-84, Hwy 30, Hwy 7, Hwy 203, Hwy 245 and Hwy 86. Also nearby are Hwy 244, Hwy 237, Hwy 26 Hwy 82 and the Hells Canyon, Blue Mountain and Elkhorn Scenic Byways. And don’t forget the more important road — The Devil’s Tail — a 22 mile road from Oxbow to Hells Canyon Dam is the signature ride of the rally. It could be the most inspiring 44 miles you’ve ridden on a motorcycle!

There’s a lot more and if you’re looking for a narrative taste I’ve blogged about previous trips HERE, 2010 HERE and 2009 HERE.

You wake up in the morning and the beauty surrounds bikers on all sides. The Blue Mountains, the Elkhorn Ridge, the Seven Devils, the Wallowa Mountains and the Strawberry Mountains. More natural landscape in your first breath than many people get to experience in a lifetime.

I’ll see you there.

Photo taken by author.

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Eastern Oregon From A Harley

“I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name; it felt good to be out of the rain.”  –America (1972)

Next week I’m planning to get out of town for a few days and attend the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally (HCMR) in historic Baker City, OR.   I’m not sure about that “get out of the rain” statement though.  In May we’ve received 2.5 inches of rain, witnessed the Columbia River hit flood stage and most distressing is that 23 of the last 31 days were below normal average temperatures.  Somewhere in the 20 degree cooler range.  It’s made Portland colder than Fairbanks Alaska.  Yes, I said Alaska!  That one to the north.  Sad but true.  Of course we’ve had nothing like the tornado’s that the poor folks in Missouri have had to endure.

Back to HCMR.

Along with several buddies, I plan to take the northwest weather in stride and join hundreds of other riders at the annual rally in Eastern Oregon.  Along the way we’ll transition from blogger, salesman, Dentist or other career-minded individuals, into an increasingly tight group of riders hurtling down – hopefully – sun-drenched desert roads. My buddies come from all walks of life.  We all share a common bond of depressed housing prices, kids, ex-wives, friendship and a passion for motorcycles, in particular, Harley Davidson.  Some in the posse fall into that middle-aged guy demographic that the motor company likes to reference.  We’ll hit the road where the weather can be frigid or burning, the wind sideways or in your face; it is a constant and exhausting companion, but rally’s like this have the power to replenish you.

HCMR is open to all riders.  Despite the differences between riders–weekend warriors and the motorcycle clubs, BMW off-roaders and the youth group on sport bikes – the common experience of riding a motorcycle carries an irrepressible sense of kinship.  To experience HCMR is a paradox of discomfort and adrenalin rush, desolation and breathtaking scenery mixed in with the freedom of the road.

I’ve blogged about HCMR previously in 2009 HERE and 2010 HERE.  The payoff is huge, especially amid the stunning visual of canyons and jagged mountains that make up the landscape of eastern Oregon.  Add some of the best motorcycling roads and refreshments at the Geiser Grand Hotel and you’ve got a winner –duh!

See you there.

Photo courtesy of visit Oregon web site.

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HCMR – An Inspiring 44 Miles

The Devil's Tail

I’m talking about the 22-mile road from Oxbow to Hells Canyon Dam called The Devil’s Tail and the 11th annual Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally (HCMR).

The rally starts in three days.  My one wish is for the weather to improve and provide us rain-beaten riders some sunny blue skies to enjoy this awesome motorcycle rally!

Last year I participated in the enjoyment of pulling off the tarmac to overnight under the stars and camped at the high school.  I learned a lot about storage because you need a good tent, a better sleeping bag, an air-mat and a “butt buddy” i.e. chair!  Most importantly I learned to make a motel reservation early and avoid the entire space is a premium issue.

The Hells Canyon Wilderness is an area located on the Idaho/Oregon border. It has some of the most spectacular views of the Snake River as it winds its way through Hells Canyon, one of the deepest gorges on the planet. The gateway is Baker City which is uniquely located as the connecting point of more great motorcycle roads than just about anywhere. I-84, Hwy 30, Hwy 7, Hwy 203, Hwy 245 and Hwy 86. Also close by are the Hells Canyon, Blue Mountain and Elkhorn Scenic Byways to discover.

I hope to see you there.

Last year’s blog posts for Day 1 HERE, Day 2 HERE, Day 3 HERE and a tent camping postscript HERE.

Photo courtesy of Steve & Eric Folkestad (Event Organizers).

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Hells Canyon Rally Wrap Up – Day 1

The Hells Canyon Wilderness is an area located on the Idaho/Oregon border. Created in 1975, the Wilderness is managed by both the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.  It has some of the most spectacular views of the Snake River as it winds its way through Hells Canyon, one of the deepest gorges on the planet.

The gateway is Baker City which is also home of the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally (HCMR).  In its 10th year our posse decided to take in the rally, but more importantly try out motorcycle camping.  Not because the economy is in the tank and we’re saving $$, but more from an increasing desire to try sleeping under the stars and having fond memories from younger years of multi-night backpacking trips.   A lot has been written on motorcycle camping from wiser men and outdoor enthusiasts who can provide all the secrets of camping so I won’t even try.  For me it all boils down to a good tent, air mat and sleeping bag.  More coverage on this in Day 2 wrap up.

It was a cool morning departure and after we concluded an obligatory breakfast at Elmer’s (Delta Park) we set out leaving the city encampment and natives of Portland for the Lewis and Clark highway.  We joined Washington State Hwy14 (SR14), which has sweeping views across the Columbia River.  The highway runs approximately 180 miles from the I-5 junction in Vancouver, to a junction with Interstate 82 and U.S. Route 395 in the east and just across the state line from Umatilla, Or.  After Camus, Wa. SR 14 is a two-lane highway which runs along steep bluffs nearly a thousand feet high through the Columbia Gorge.  The frequent high winds were absent this day providing us a nice ride.

We pulled over at Cape Horn then again at Beacon Rock to take in the scenic view.  In the town of Lyle the dreary weather and forest scenery gave way to sunshine and arid grasslands in a fairly rapid transition.  We stopped at the Maryhill, Wa., Stonehenge, a monument to the World War I dead of Klickitat County.  There were 4 dams on the Columbia River along our journey east. Bonneville Dam which is closest to Portland.  The Dalles Dam, the John Day Dam and furthest up the river which we saw signs, but not the dam was McNary Dam near the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick.

We stopped at Plymouth Tavern mid-day in Plymouth, Wa., unfortunately it was jammin’ with a 40 minute wait for burgers so, we rode on and grabbed some “Great American Food” at A&W near the Umatilla Army Chemical Depot.  The Depot began storing chemical weapons between 1962 and 1969, ending up with about 12% of the Nation’s chemical weapons. You can see the earth-covered bunkers… “gofer mounds” for miles.  From 1990 to 1994 the facility reorganized in prep for closure and shipped all conventional ammunition and supplies to other installations leaving only the chemical weapons.  Disposal facilities were built for destroying the VX, Mustard and Sarin laced weapons via incineration technology.  Destruction of the chemicals has been in progress and is expected to be completed this year.

We skirted thunder showers all afternoon, but about the time we arrived in Pendleton, Or., the blue-black rain clouds intermixed with lightning meant the slight chance of getting wet was now turning into a done deal.  One of the cool things about riding a motorcycle is that you can smell everything around you and as storms approach you get a strong whiff when things are about to change as the sky starts to spit and then open’s up like a fire hose reminding you that going to “hell” is part of the journey.  The rain was spotty with the occasional “gully washer” through the Wallowa-Whitman Mountains and stopped completely by the time we passed through North Powder.

We arrived at the Baker City high school and started unloading the tent-city base camp.  Fortunately we were able to get everything set up before another thunder shower bombarded and drenched the football field.  It ended within a half-hour, but managed to test the waterproof-ness of all the tents and made for some interesting mud-dawg motorcycle entry/exits!  Santiago’s canopy saved the day!! We headed to the El Erradero Mexican restaurant where the food was authentic, margarita’s were tasty and the service was fabulous.  We walked down to Main Street and took in some of the vendor booths then made our way over to the Geiser Grand Hotel for some additional entertainment.  We ended the downtown revelry in a karaoke place which I don’t recall the name, but it was across from the Geiser Grand and the building was called Main Event.  A quirky place with the typical oddity of locals mixed with visitors.  Eventually we stretch our legs and meandered back to the base camp to enjoy our nylon equipment and cold weather camping techniques…

Hells Canyon Rally Wrap Up – Day 2 HERE.

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