Attack of the killer bees at Crater Lake

Attack on my camera lens, I should add.

Made it out to Crater Lake today. Absolutely gorgeous. This lake on the top of a mountain (dormant volcano, actually) was created in a crater left after the volcano's last eruption, and consists of rain water and snow only, resulting in this amazing blue lake at several 1000 feet.

Not too much to add. I am staying close to Ashland, OR tonight and it is HOT here -- 41C (106F). The heat hit me like a brick wall coming down from the mountains. On the upside, my camp site is surrounded by blackberry bushes and covered by an apple tree so I'm not worrying about breakfast.

Portland

There is no way this post will do this wonderful city justice, but here goes.

Last Thursday I arrived in Portland - in the rural suburb of Hillsboro to be exact. I was staying at a friend's long-lost relative's farm; camping out in his front yard. He was so generous as to provide me with all the farm-fresh fruits and vegetables I could eat, though he warned me not to approach the barn. He did not need a stampede, he told me. Also he had me on the lookout for an arsonist going around setting fires to bales of hay. From my rural outpost, I rode the commuter train (the "MAX") into the city for a few days.

On Saturday I took a day-trip out West -- after a month in the saddle, I needed to touch and see the Pacific.

And so I did!

One thing that stood out about Western Oregon: there were blackberry bushes everywhere! Every time I pulled over I was able to pluck a handful of fresh berries.

Anyways, enough stalling -- Portland! My observations:

* Portland is all about bicycling, craft beers, coffee shops and food trucks, as well as any combination thereof. Bike stores have craft beer on tap. Craft breweries offer bike tune-ups. Food trucks on bar patios. I heard all sorts of stats, but I understand there are around 60 licensed breweries within city limits and it shows. It seems like there's one on almost every block (and that's ignoring beer bars, pubs and saloons).

Pennyfarthings, craft beer on tap and a Square terminal. Must be a Portland bike shop.

* Cycling in Portland is amazing. I was lucky enough to have access to a bicycle and I put in around 25km during my stay. Cycling infrastructure is amazing. Downtown and the inner suburbs are covered by an extensive and comprehensive net of bike lanes and tracks. The Willamette river bridges offer segregated cycling right of ways. Drivers, too, seem more patient and less likely to blow past within inches, only to race to the next red light. It was sometimes eerie experiencing cars staying back and keeping their distance.

The Triumph enjoys a well-deserved break. This is my ride now.

* Food trucks - craft breweries are one per block, but food trucks are 2-3 per parking lot or alleyway. A great way to grab a bite from every possible cuisine for $4 to $8 a pop.

* People do seem more laid-back and open, even by American standards.

* Portland loves Square! I honestly can't recall a single business that didn't use either Square on a smartphone (mostly food trucks) or the white terminals (small businesses).

* People ride interesting motorcycles! First American city on my trip where Harleys were the minority. I saw Royal Enfields, Triumphs, Ducatis and home-made contraptions instead.

I stayed at a beautiful house in NE Portland the last few days with a very generous hostess, through AirBnB. My hostess made and marketed 'healing wall' videos which allow you to discover which one of your 'Shakras' are off. She also had a very, very affectionate cat.

Finally - I'd like to share a few stats about the first leg of my trip - Toronto to Portland:

* Time: 27 days (including stays in cities, back-tracking and non-riding days).

* Distance: ca. 7,700 km (4,800 miles) (lots of detours and back roads).

* Fuel burned: ca. 362 liter (96 gallons) (4.7l/100km or 50mpg).

* Expenses: somewhat under budget. Variance analysis: saved on lodging (camped out every night except for current AirBnB stay). Overspent on food (despite preparing most meals, stays in cities always end up expensive). Deteriorating USDCAD rate an ongoing risk. No major motorcycle maintenance expenses yet, but are accounted for.

* Trip highlights: Bear Tooth Pass. Wyoming cowboy culture. Portland. Stay in Harley fanatic's front yard. Badlands, Black Hills and Crazy Horse memorial.

* Disappointments: Wisconsin Dells (major tourist trap). Yellowstone park (not properly prepared, way too busy). Portland industry and science museum (too many kids).

Next stop - Crater Lake and Pacific Highway 1!

Idaho and the road to Portland.

Making my way through Montana (which has some surprisingly cool towns - Bozeman and Missoula in particular have very vibrants downtown strips), I did meet some very interesting characters. 

The line between "long-term traveler" and "homeless person" is very, very blurry at times. I met a spirited man traveling from North-Carolina to Alaska by RV, but was living in Lolo, MT working at a Walmart to earn some spending money. I enjoyed a lukewarm beer with him. Another man taught me all about fly-fishing. He was surprised that I had no idea what it was and took the opportunity to teach me.

The Lolo pass, a 150 mile winding road, took me to Idaho. Once in Idaho I found myself between vast and endless wheat fields. Truly impressive. In Nezperce, a small farmer's town I became the talk of the town by being well-mannered. Apparently letting people finish and not walking off as they talk qualifies as being extraordinariy well-mannered.

At night I had a hard time finding a camp ground. I pulled up to a fellow rider's house to inquire. To my surprise, he offered me a tent site in his front yard!

Triumph in a Harley spot. The owner let it slide, but only if I cleaned my bike like him.

We spent the afternoon cleaning our bikes and went out to the bars later that night. He told me about the best way to get to Portland - highway 14. After stopping for laundry and lunch in Pasco, WA, I hit the 'Lewis and Clark' trail as it's called.

Delicious truck tacos.

Highway 14 started in desert (as most of eastern WA and OR), and gradually changed to the beautiful Pacific Northwestern mountainscapes.

Columbia River gorge and Mt. Hood

Along the way I met a holistic healer who has been traveling by van for the last four months, an older California biker couple coming back from a trip to BC and plenty of cyclists. I knew I was headed towards Portland al right.

Marvelous Wyoming

Wow - where to start with this one.

South Dakota has done a great job preserving the Old West, but Wyoming still lives and breathes West. People wear Cowboy hats. There are no bars, just saloons. People ranch for a living. People carry hay in their RVs. People hold real actual Rodeos. Campgrounds have horse hotels.

Last night I stayed in a small town called Ten Sleep. I hit the local saloon and got to talking with the owner of a road construction company, who told me all about the ins and outs of the Wyoming public works bidding process.

Next morning I set course for Cody. Along the way I met a rider who told me I should go up to Beartooth Pass. Checked my schedule - which is empty for the next 3 months - and set course to what would turn out to be the most intense afternoon yet.

Beartooth Pass' elevation is just under 11,000 feet. It's an absolutely nerve-wrecking ride up an enormous mountain and is basically an afternoon of switch-back riding. The road lies above the treeline and was flanked by snowfield, and lies just below the clouds. Coming from the prairie, I was not dressed for the occasion.

It was amazing.

At the fire lookout station. All clear.

Today I finally made it out to Yellowstone. Honestly - it was too crowded, it was impossible to pull over at any of the highlights. I did manage to get a whiff of the sulfur pits.

They smelled bad.

I took the road North to Livingston.

The Black Hills

The last three days were spent in the enormous Black Hills National Forest, a truly breathtaking area. Let me illustrate:

(1) Mount Rushmore and highway 16A

Highway 16A roughly circles the Mt. Rushmore area, and might be the most impressive road I've ever ridden on. The highway counts numerous tunnels, 3 "pig-tail" bridges (540 degree turns!), 2 lane splits, and too many hair pin turns to count.

(2) Crazy Horse memorial

This memorial to Lakota chief Crazy Horse has been under construction for over 60 years, dwarfs Mt. Rushmore and is 100% privately funded. The work was started by a Polish-American sculpture who spent 10 years or so working on the monument - by himself. The memorial is expected to be complete in another 30-40 years and will include a medical centre and university.

(3) Deadwood

This historic cowboy town has been named a national landmark. This means Main Street has been fully conserved since the late 1800's. Probably the closest you can get to the old west -- and this is saying a lot in South Dakota.

(4) BONUS: dispersed camping

National forests allow dispersed camping -- pitching a tent basically anywhere. I decided to set up camp near a mountain peak. Not exactly for the faint of heart or the unprepared, it is a great way to camp near the absolute nicest spots around -- for free.

Dinner with a view

In conclusion, South Dakota has truly surprised me in many, many ways. From prairy towns to the majestic Black Hills, SD is a must see. By motorcycle if you can, by coach bus if you must, but do make your way down for a unforgettable trip.

Minnesota and South Dakota

The road from La Crosse to Minneapolis was a beautiful four lane highway down the Mississippi valley. I pulled over for the night in Lake City at another municipal camp ground. My experience so far has been most positive with both municipal and county camp grounds.

Grocery shopping

Minneapolis.. is very sprawled. I visited the college campus, the riverfront park and St. Paul. I was planning on couch surfing and exploring the night life, but things didn't really work out with my prospective host. I camped just beyond city limits and returned the next day.

International festival in Worthington, MN

The following day I came upon a quant college town called Mankato. The downtown municipal camp ground was host to a music festival - not bad for the $14 camp fee. I met a group of riders who told me all about the best roads in California and Oregon. Looking forward to Crater Lake and the twisty highway between lava fields..

Historic houses in Mankato

After Mankato I began my 422 mile trek across the Great Plains. I called it a night right before the South Dakota state line, and stayed at the Blue Mounds state park - a grassland cliff populated by several herd of bison. Early next morning I spent several hours on the interstate. Very tiring, given the 80mph limit which is hard on bike and rider alike. The bike did run out of gas right by Chamberlain, which turned out very serendipitous.

At this point the landscape had changed from the lush green Great Lakes fields to the immense grasslands of South Dakota (a feast for the eyes, but not so much my throat and nose). There's something magical about riding your bike through a foreign landscape. A winding road took me from Chamberlain to Pierre, the state capital, passing over massive dams, endless yellow hills, and native reservations. Pierre welcomed me with a sign - "free riverside tent camping", the four best words in the English language.

All you'd ever need.

Finally, today marked my first visit to a federal national park - the Badlands. I elected for the "America the beautiful" annual pass, which should grant me access to all national parks and forests. The badlands are a range of eroded layered hills and mountains. I also met a group of riders from Toronto who did my 2 week trek in 3 days (!!) by clocking in 1,000km per day. Guess they were in a rush.

From Milwaukee to the Mississippi.

I made my way to the Dairy State on July 3rd. After stopping at Walmart for groceries (apples, peanut butter, tortillas, dark chocolate and plenty of canned goods for those wondering) I cruised down to Green Bay and then, Milwaukee.

Walmart run!

Great times were had at my buddy Benjamin's. It felt wonderful sleeping in a bed, watching TV, having cats around and having access to a full kitchen.

4th of July BBQ.

Next stop - beautiful Madison, WI. The state capital and an enormous college town, the city is vibrant and beautiful and must be one of North-America's best cycling cities. Car-free streets, dedicated bike/bus lanes and plenty of cycle paths.

Heading West, I decided against the interstates (as usual) and got quite lost on Wisconsin farm back roads. Eventually I did arrive at La Crosse on the Mississippi River. Another hidden gem, this town sports a southern character. 

After running local errands I took the historic bridge across the Mississippi towards Minnesota -- and what would turn out to be the prettiest highway yet.

The German globetrotter

My last night in Canada (ironically, on Canada day) was spent at a marina / trailer park / camp ground called "Almenara en el Rio" (which sounds fancier than it was). My neighbor was a suspiciously European looking fellow. Turns out the German was traveling, by camper, to San Fran. The camper was shipped into Halifax and had been making his way through Canada from there. "Einmal im leben", or so he told me.

Crossing the border didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. The border guard raised at eyebrow at my plan to travel 3 months. At some point there was talks of sending me back to Belgium (?). Luckily things changed once I showed my Canadian residency card.

Michigan.. Is vast and empty. Very empty. I did make it up to Whitefish point (northernmost tip), and stayed at a beautiful campground. The owners had just opened up in May - after quitting their corporate jobs.

Making my way south to Milwaukee through Michigan at this point. Unfortunate I have lost two hours due to forgetting my phone in Gladstone laundromat. Thankfully a lady turned it in and I am once again connected.

Whitefish Point