Day 2 Dec19

"YOU BOUGHT THE TICKET TAKE THE RIDE"
We had a great time last night visiting with freinds and extended family. Because I was going to be on the road this was my Christmas. Terry was spending hers with her daughters family, we would be together in spirit.
I started stirring early and was donning riding gear about 6am. I planned not to ride in the dark but this is my back yard and I know these roads well. We got a traffic report that I5 was having problems so I opted for surface streets for the first 50 miles.
Terry John Deby and Rod gave me a nice send off, There is an inkling about leaving a safe harbor that haunts you at times like this. Its not a fear, its more like an awareness that this is your decision.
Hugs kisses well wishing all around and I was outbound to the freeway to make connetions. At the turn on to the ramp my low beams failed and I thought OK switch to high and fix it in the day light. On the ramp the high beam failed. I took mthe first off and then lefts to the oppisite direction and back to Johns. The household had started settling in after my departure and could not believe I was back.
A flurry of activity ensued and the bike was dismantled. Fuses were checked circuits checked. We finally found a broken ground spade on the headlight bulb. Inside the plug. John had a DRZ400 in the garage and we canabalized the bulb from it. I had planned on uing a 80-100 bulb and johns was the stock amp 50-80 but it would get me started.
Its now 9.15am and i'm repacked and on my way, the KLR has a range thats more than the 200 miles I had on the tank so I thought I would make Salem and fill the tank there. I went on reserve a little before I thought I should and filled at 240 miles with 4.2 gallons. that means I have a very substantial reserve.I was riding along pondering the advantages of shortening the pick up tube, thus extending the main tank miles and shortening the reserve tank miles and decided the prsent status was adequate. After all the main tank would last longer than my bladder.
200 hundred miles, no stops, then water in, water out,gas and go. I-5 soputh bound ,do that 3 times a day and you eat up maps. I was actually hoping for 400 mile days not 600.
It is cold and I have so many clothes on that John and Rod had been teasing my about a new handle, RIP VON ZIPPER. Actually a character from Annette and Franky beach movies. I carry the ashes of my departed son around my neck in a vial. Matt was getting warm and warmer and then hot. I had packed disposable pocket warmers in strategic pockets to help minimize heat loss. I thought maby that was contributing to this discomfort. A hundred miles into this and I had to stop again to investigate this source of heat, it was getting uncomfortable.
Six zippers and I was at the vial, there was a red mark on my chest as if the heat was slight irritant. No biggy.I moved the vial and thought I would try the road again. I was at a quicky mart and took the opportunity to use the head.
No urgency here just precautionary urination. while i was releaving myself I squeeked out a little fart.SHIT MY PANTS! Well i proved the adage about over sixty not trusting dry dreams and wet farts.
Seventeen zippers in so many seconds later I was on the throne experiencing evacuation cataclismic. I personaly know government employees that would have gone on disability from such an event. Yes it would have crippled a lesser man.
Now i'm sitting, pants around knees, gaze fixed on an unholy sight. What was to be done? Out came my leatherman and I cut the underwear off, threw them in the garbage and started wiping. The mess had been contained in the underwear. Nice start 150 miles and only 5000 to go.
This section of I-5 is boring. Seventy indicated is sixty five true speed and holds the tach at just shy of five grand. Its 40 degrees f and at this speede the wind chill is a factor. I've got t-shirt long johns sweater rain liner and riding gear on the top. Long johns denim trousers rain liner and riding gear in bottoms, the underwear wasn't a factor here. The top zips to the bottoms of the riding gear and has the pads that have almost become standard, elboes hips knees shoulders and spine pads.
The pocket warmers work well but I found out that after an hour they would start to starve for O2. They would cake up and get hard then stop producing heat until I massaged them into granuals again. there normal life was over 8 hours, I was so air tight. I had put plastic bags over my shoes and electicians tape was securing them on.The foot protection served me well and I did hit some real rain.
I have been mulling a decision that is coming up for months. At Cottage Grove I can turn west and follow the coast down or stay on I-5 and try for southern latitudes faster.
W. F. Buckly said "Where there are no options there are no problems". The coast was going to be a longer route with a greater possibility of wet 45 degree weather with some winds off the beam. Winds can be a hassle with a bike with this high a center of gravity and this weight{relatively light for this application}.
Straight south would be less miles but greater chance of bad passes this time of year. ODOT did not predict bad weather on the passes and temperatures were supposed to be in the high 30's.
I opted for I-5 at the last second, I could make ashland before dark and that would be close to 400 miles. After the other delays I thought it was closer to my goal.
With about 100 miles to go, just before Wolf Creek there is a pass elevation about 2000 feet. As I approached this pass it started to snow. It was sticking on the sides of the lanes but the tire tracks were wet pavement. At the exact summit the wet pavement disapeared and turned to solid snow, the traffic stopped, a parking lot and the snow was building. I'm looking at all these people sitting in there cars with there heaters running and snow is building. I started splitting lanes imediately. idling along at 10 15 mph,left side, right side, beteen lanes, whatever it took to drop elevation. I made it to clear traffic in about 45 minutes. I made it into ashland just before dark. The hotel had a parking lot pub with a good restuarant and a open mike night with pretty good talent. I was in bed early relaxed rested fed.