The Alaskan Assault Begins...

[tdrcomm]

Got a late start this morning but was worth it. Got a nice sendoff from Lisa, Raquel and a jealous BF. Was hoping to avoid the heat for on this trip but Summer decided to finally kick in in Cali and it's been hot. The only saving grace is knowing it's going to end when I get to central Oregon.

First truck stop of the trip was in Santa Nella, about 130 miles from SF. TA's are pretty nice but the more desolate the highway the better the truck stop. This one was just OK. Just serving a lot of Cali haulers. The cool ones with the theaters, barbershops, and massage centers should pop up somewhere in central Oregon.

Currently 97º. Can't wait to get to SF then Eureka for some cooler weather. Would have been here sooner if not for CalTrans taking the 5 down to one lane in CenCal. Thank God I was on the bike. Splitting lanes for 10 miles of stopped traffic in 95 degree heat is bad but not nearly as bad as the poor folks in the cars.

I'll post more stories and pics from the road when I stop later on tonight.
Tendon a little tender, will be icing it down nicely tonight.

Next stop - a nice Starbucks way north of 'Frisco.
(Yeah, I said it. I refuse to say "The City".)

[diavolo]

Sounds like the start of an awesome trip, Tom! Stay safe, have fun, and please do keep us posted!

[HemiKat]

[Nero]

Got a nice sendoff from Lisa, Raquel and a jealous BF. Was hoping to

Is your boyfriend jealous because he couldn't go?

[Wild-Bill]

That is how it reads...

[HemiKat]

I wasnt going to ask...

[Sasquatch]

Hope you have a great Trip Tom. I can't wait to read along as you go.

[ne-oublie]

I'm really jealous Tom, have a safe trip.

[tdrcomm]

Is your boyfriend jealous because he couldn't go?

BF, aka: Black Falcon, aka: My son Aaron

Will start posting up pics later. Backpack is the perfect size. Packed lean and thoughtful. Need to get a phone charger attachment for the bike. Listening to music while riding is a godsend but really drains the battery.

So far only three major errors:

1) The 5 Northbound was positively evil. I thought it would be faster than going through the furnace known as Bakersfield/Fresno but turned out to be just as hot and they're doing major construction so the freeway was down to one lane in spots. Lost a lot of time there. Which lead to Error #2...

2) I was so beat-up by the heat that I deviated from the planned route and decided to head to 69º San Francisco instead of 102º Sacramento. Traffic was horrendous. Kinda weird because nothing special was going on. I started to head back to catch the 5 but thought Eureka to Grants Pass would be cooler. It was but I hadn't counted on how much further and longer it would be. Factor in not knowing that part of the 101 at all lead to some "interesting" moments (think doing the Dragon your very first time, in the dark, twice - but with dueling banjo stretches of roads and people). But both of the above were made more "challenging" than they should have been by Error #3...

3) I think I should have posponed this trip until AFTER I got full treatment on my tendon. I really didn't think it was that bad because daily I'm only riding a maximum of an hour. Maybe a couple of hours stretch on the weekend with a lunch mixed in. Sure, it was sore but nothing big. I did the ice thing and it worked wonders, so I figured, "No worries".

I did a two & two and a half hour stretch back to back, and I was in trouble before I hit Oakland. OMG! I got off the bike and my whole foot was trembling from the pain. I'm riding an hour, then an hour of pain, then I stop and get some ice then wait 20 min before starting again. I HAVE NEVER BEEN THIS SLOW BEFORE! It's freaking' embarrassing. There is a 50 mile stretch of I-5 that must have been designed by a Busa or 14 owner one 90 mph sweeper after another with Police impound straights mixed in. I only got as far as Oakland, OR and shut it down even though there were miles and miles more to be run. I got a room in Oakland for today and tonight. I'm going to try and stay off of it all day today and see if that helps in the morning.

[curseboy]

why oh why did you take the 5....the 101/1 would have been much more scenic (and it smells much better)

[tdrcomm]

... (and it smells much better)

No freakin' joke!!!
I hadn't been north of 138 on the 5 in years. It was horrible. Combine that with 100º heat...

It would have been faster than the 101 - 1 because it would have been faster (shorter distance) and I know what to expect from that road. Plus I was sort of biased. The last time I took the 101 it was a parking lot. Go figure.

Never again will I take the 5 for anything. Down to one lane due to construction.

[tdrcomm]

"Dorothy, we're not in Cali anymore.".



Spent the night with a hottie in Oregon last night.
Don't tell the wife.

[Jeff_92_600]

thats one way to make sure she there in the morning lol

[HemiKat]

Is that sticker on the Motel room? I dont know the laws in Oregon, but in Ohio you are allowed to have a loaded fire arm in your residence, including hotels and motels even without a permit.

[mammut89]

nice , take care of that foot ! if its not fun theres no point