Seattle Times

I know I've mentioned it already, but it's funny how normal and natural it feels to be here. I've spent the last few days talking to people, passing out some resumes and even the sparse interview. I'm really still just trying to decide what it is that I want to do.. I'm in the unique position to do whatever I want and I jsut can't decide what to do!
Regardless, besides the job search, my days have been filled with returning myself to a level of comfort that comes with not traveling 300+ miles a day. I've forced myself to ride around the city for hours at a time only looking occasionally at a map so I have no choice but to learn my way around. Yesterday I rode from 10am to 5pm, with a few breaks of course, but I never got more than about 15 miles from home!
So here's the updated map.. I just reused the old one and added the green line for the route that I actually took.. sorry, you're going to have to use your imaginations to see the green line go all the way to Seattle.



I havn't taken any photos since landing in Seattle, so I have nothing to show you, but they will soon be taken.. stay tuned for that.

Sorry for the lack of blog postings.. I'm going to try to scratch together something for everyday.. maybe a photo of the day, at least..

The final recap, with more to come.

It's Thursday, May 17th and at about 5 o'clock this evening, I arrived in Seattle, Washington; The stopping point.
While I'm sure I will philosophize in retrospect much further in the near future, for now
I thought it would be interesting to compile a few facts about the trip, so here we go.. the top ten:

1. 45 days
2. 8,012 miles
3. two motorcycles
4. 15 states
5. four rear tires
6. two chains
7. roughly $4,000 spent (not including the GS, of course)
8. two oil changes (GS is every 6,000)
9. two "arrivals"
10. and of course, one, massive change of plans.


Although I have now arrived at a place where I will live, there is a completely new journey that is about to begin and I assure you motopsychosis is not over. I will continue to post updates, so please stay tuned for further developments along the way.

'Til next time

Northward from The City. Mile 7,665

I don't have a whole lot to say at the moment, and I think it's simply because I'm just not sure what to say..
Currently in Newport, OR., with a mere 300 miles to Seattle. About 150 more coastline miles, a jaunt inland and a ferry ride.

With the absence of anything profound to say, I'll leave the rest as a photographic journal of pieces of my recent days..

A tribute to the Rogue in all of us.

This is a way cool brewery. Thanks for the tip, Ev.

The selection on tap...

And this one is just for you, Ev..

This was a welcome sign, no pun intended.

It sort of looks like I'm peeing in the ocean, but I really wasn't.

Welcome back to the Pacific Northwest..

The GS enjoyed it, too.

They seem to fit together, don't they?

The Golden Gate.. this was a few days ago,, on the way out of SF.

Saturday from Half Moon Bay

It's been quite a few days since I've posted anything, and I've just now sort of stepped back to realize it. I've been staying at Ev's Aunt Ellen's place in Half Moon Bay, Ca., doing some work on the house to make a little more traveling cash. The timing in my circumstance and arrival here has been a little uncanny; without going into detail, it's been a perfect time for Ellen and I to share a little slice of our lives.
I've been talking to an old acquaintance from Cleveland who now works at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about the possibility of a job, and it looks like I'll be high-tailing it north in a couple of days to get a bit rooted and figure out if it's a position that I'm interested in.
As much as I love the Bay area and would love to stay here, I fear that it would take just a little too much to keep me here (in terms of money.. this is a very expensive place to live, which means I'd have to either land a "real" job, or work my ass off). Seattle feels right to me. Having spent a fair amount of time there, and knowing that I have an immediate place to crash on arrival is comforting. It's a big enough city to afford plentiful opportunity, and reasonable enough to enjoy life, albeit a humble one.
I've been exploring the idea of attempting, for the first time ever, to write professionally; on a freelance level.. And Everest has hooked me up with a contact in Seattle with whom I may be able to land some freelance photography work shooting musicians.

So several days after the crisis of Sopiago Springs, I feel comfortable, content, and at peace with my decisions. Thanks to every one of you that has offered their support in the last few days as this has certainly been one of the more trying times in my recent years. Even describing the situation to complete strangers has incited a reaction of approval and understanding.. it seems as if the outcome of this situation is as clear to everyone else as it was to me, and that, is a good feeling. As I've said many times before; things in life come and go, and the only thing we can count on for sure is change. I have even had the thought that maybe this situation is just all a part of the experiential junkie in me longing for the unknown, the uncertain, and the unpredictable.. and I have now created my own unpredictable.. completely through intuition.

I have taken very few photographs since my last post, and I think that this avoidance was somewhat intentional. There have been several times in my life during which I've felt the need to not record anything.. thoughts or images, as the act of recording them seems to over-intellectualize the entire thing. At certain times in life it's nice to step back and let everything soak in mentally, logically, and emotionally; without the organization of written words or images. This has been one of those times. But at this point I'm content again; I know not exactly what to do, but I know where I'm headed and that is certainly half the battle.

I'm looking forward to the trip north. I think I'll leave from San Francisco and head directly north on Hwy 1, riding the coast all the way to Seattle. I may try to detour and ride through the legendary "Lost Coast", and maybe even take a spin through the formerly transcendental Olympic Peninsula. Once in Seattle, I will have traveled the west coast from as far south as Ventura, Ca. to Seattle, Wa..

Two more days of work here in Half Moon Bay, and I'll depart on Tuesday to head north.


I've come too far to give up on reckless abandon at this point and I feel that even when stationary, I will continue to move. I've already given thought to the Alaska Hwy, and traversing South America with my cousin Alisa to Tierra Del Fuego.. It's time to go big.

I encourage and welcome any of you loyal readers that have longed for a west coast adventure to come and experience it with me. You let me know when you're coming, and I'll see to it that we can take off on yet another wild adventure.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time...

Treasure island.. Former home..

As I sit on the back balcony at Tim's place at Sopiago Springs, I'm realizing that it's my last night here. I know I won't be able to post this until the moment passes, but recording it as it happens currently seems important..
I've gathered my fire wood for the night, watched the last of the dirt bike riders roll away in their toy haulers, and filled myself with an "88 Burger" (so called the "only" place to eat in town (which is about 15 miles away)).
The silence is broken only by the few chirping birds, the crackle of the evening's fire echoing through the chimney, the muted rush of the creek down below, and the occasional buzzing of a mosquito in my ear. The temperature has dropped considerably since the sun set a half hour ago, and it will continue to get colder as the night sets in. I'm surrounded by the El Dorado National Forest, and the evergreens are all that I can see. It's really a beautiful place.
I haven't taken a single photograph since I've been at the camp; I'm not sure why. Maybe the overwhelming nature of this place is assuring me that I would never capture it anyway.
I've encountered many obstacles since I've been here; most of them involving the plumbing of the irrigation system. The camp is entirely supplied with water by the Sopiago Springs (bottled under the Black Mountain Spring Water name), which makes for an extremely complex system of pipes and valves throughout the property. It's rather humorous, though, to remember while on the can that you're crapping in $5/gallon spring water.

For the first time in my life, I'm drinking a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in the Sierra Nevada Mountains; something I've secretly been looking forward to for years.

For the first time in my life I've been challenged with the prospect that the dwelling in which I would live is heated only by a wood burning stove or the optional propane burner. The intermittent electricity is sourced from a combination of solar panels and a gasoline generator. The hot water tank is also heated by the 500 gallon propane tank sitting outside (which is currently empty). I haven't had regular cell phone reception since I got here, and it works only marginally in town. The internet is another scarce commodity, the only source of which I've found is a little coffee shop called "Bubs" in Pine Grove. --

(-- side note-- As I finished that sentence, I instinctually paused for the rustling in the woods in front of me. Not that I could see it in the fading ambient light, but I've also managed to lose my glasses in the last couple of days making it impossible to decipher shapes in the shadows of the pines. It's a rather sizable animal, and I'm glad that I'm elevated from the forest floor by several feet and within 2 seconds of the house door.)

I mention all of this not because I'm whining or feeling defeated by the difficulty of life here; I've lead a pretty comfortable and convenient life, but I'd like to think that I'm certainly no stranger to hardship.

It seems as though it's a recurring theme in recent years of my life, and the thing that troubles me most is the absence of those who I love. I'm constantly reminded of a question posed by Neil Young; "..So you say you're leavin' home, 'cause you want to be alone..ain't it funny how it feels when you're findin' out it's real?..".
The realization that I've come to is that this lifestyle is not one which is conducive to social interaction. There is a small family of people who visit the camp regularly, and even two other residents within a 5 minute walk, but an environment like this which breeds these kinds of 'necessary' friendships, is not exactly the one that I'm looking for.
Although not officially licensed and open for business, Sopiago even welcomes groups of people a couple of times a month; with the most recent being 150 dirt bike riders who held a Ronald McDonald House fundraiser this weekend. There were swarms of people, and almost every one of them was an avid motorcyclist.. or at least a motorsports enthusiast of some kind. So why such the long face when surrounded by all of these like-minded people? These interactions are either of the necessary type, or the temporary.

___

So I've made my decision. It was an instinct that caught me more off-guard that any of my lifetime. I had planned everything around this, and had drastically changed my life in the pursuit of arriving at the place in which I sit right now; and I'm leaving in the morning.

However spontaneous, though, this instinct must be recognized, and I can't quite decide whether I'm impressed at my own intuition, or dumbfounded that I've been wearing rose-colored glasses for so many months.

I've always professed that there is no such thing as regret- only things we do, and things we do not do.. And this situation, while on a much larger scale, is certainly no exception. The last month since leaving Cleveland has been nothing short of transcendental. It feels like a lifetime ago that I lived daily life on E. 30th st..
If nothing else, this endeavor has afforded me the opportunity to travel; to embark on the transcontinental motorcycle ride that I've dreamt about for at least ten years.. And it's been so much more than that.. The experiences along the way have instilled every emotion imaginable; excitement, fear, rage, despair, love, loneliness, gratitude, awe, inspiration... the list goes on-

It's all been a beautiful experience. The sounds of the ocean roaring hundreds of feet beneath me on the California coast, the smell of the Eucalyptus trees towering overhead as I ride, the beauty and grandeur of the Smokies, the Santa Catalina's, Big Bend, Joshua Tree, the Sierra's, & the coast.. The feeling of elation when I twisted on the throttle of my GS for the first time, the laugher that continued for days thereafter, and the peace that comes with freedom like this.

The only problem with all of this, and the part that dulls the experience and makes the freedom just a little bit bitter-sweet, is not having actually shared it. Thank all of you loyal readers for coming along on this journey with me. All of your support has proven to be much more meaningful and significant than you can imagine.

At this point, I am, for potentially the first time ever, completely un-tethered, uninhibited, open minded, and even a little lost. But I suppose it's time that I consider my own philosophy that sometimes you have to get a little lost in order to find your way.
I'm not sure what's next- for tomorrow, for the next day, for next week, or next month; the only thing I can say for sure is that as the sun rises over the ridge and floods the valley with warmth, I'll be portable again and riding.. and when the sun sets tomorrow and it's time again to lay and rest, it won't be here.
________________
-k




__________________________________

It's now Monday morning, and in the words of Mr. Miyagi:
"Sun shining, grass green; everything be ok"

let's ride.

MF'er and a Message From The Dude

I'm posting on the behalf of the Dude.
His stay at Sopiago will be a temporary one so anyone mailing anything should hold up a minute.
Don't go freaking out or anything, a post is sure to follow from the dude himself in the next week or so.
MF'er "over and out!"

inspiration, instincts, and realization

Grettings from the Sierra Nevada's.. I have no regular internet acces so excuse my absence from the blog..

At a time of the proverbial 'arrival', I've found myself amidst great confusion but ultimate clarity and realization..

I have removed the mailing addresses from the previous post as I have realized that my stay here will be temporary. If you were planning on it, please hold off on mailing anything..I can't say exactly what's next, or when exactly, I'll be departing, but regardless of everything I knew for certain in my heart in what I wanted, and in coming out here, I've painstakingly realized that this is not the place for me. Suffice it to say that this much time invested in nomadic wanderings and new experiences has taught me much. If there's one thing I live by, it's following my instincts.. they're not always right, but I always learn something in the end..

Thanks for following along on this journey,, and apparently, there's more to come.. I'm not quite done wandering yet.....


The WINNER of the contest is.......

MY MOM!!
after all, Momma always knows best.

The final count is 6616.6 miles.

However,, can we really call it quits on this journey? I'm not so sure.

much love.

Mmmmm!

addresses

Well, I've taken a day to recover from the tour.. after 25 days and over 5,000 miles on the road, I didn't think the tour would phase me in the least, but truth be told.. it was tiring. About 1,000 more miles in 3 days and plenty of socializing to go along with it.. maybe that was the tiring part..
I've come to learn that the reality of working as a motorcycle tour guide isn't quite as glamorous as it sounds.. don't get me wrong, at the end of the day, all you really did is hang out and ride amazing roads..

Anyway, back in Sunnyvale at the moment starting to organize the plan of attack for opening Sopiago Springs Motorcycle Resort. While I work on the logistics of Special Use Permits, Forest Service regulations, County planners, and DOT regulations, I've got some preparations to do for the next two weekends.. a little over 100 people showing up on friday for the weekend, then another 100ish people for the Pashnit gathering the following weekend.. Think I'll head up there tues. or wed. to get started..


There is no cell reception at the camp, but if I ride a couple of miles to the top of the ridge, I can pick up a signal (supposedly).. and there is a land line (you'll have to call me for the number). I think I'll have internet access, so email might be the best method of contact..


While there are plenty of philosophical and emotional neurons firing in my brain, oddly, I don't have much to philosophize about.. And while there are certainly times during which I am completely and utterly content, this has certainly been a tougher transition than anticipated.
People have marveled at the fact that my worldly possessions are contained within my panniers, and the 'gypsy' has almost become a nickname.

Until next time..

There's Tim assessing the damage and rescue plan for Justin's Triumph..

So he came in to the corner a little hot.. lost it in the gravel at the edge of the road.. He slid to a stop, but the bike flew over the edge of this little cliff.. the background in the photo above this one would be off to the right..

yeah., it was pretty freaky.. But he was ok, fixed up his bike and rode it home!

The view from Forest Road 1. My personal favorite so far.. Unfortunately we couldn't go all the way over the ridge because of fallen trees from a storm last week..

but it's a beautiful, beautiful view.

even a little snow right before we had to turn around..

plenty of debris in the road.. big trees.

Check out this Harley floor board! these dudes can RIDE! I've never seen a Harley ridden like this in my life.. You'd think they were on sportbikes! There were equal size chunks taken out of their exhaust as well..

Mr. Pashnit himself aboard his demo Harley.. REALLY weird to see him on a Harley.

There's the line up.. about 18 people on this tour..

Fairfax-Bolinas Rd. Gorgeous.


This was rolling out of Tim's place in Sunnyvale Friday morning at 5:30 am...
I wasn't happy about it at the time, but little did I know what would be waiting for me on the road...


All in all the tour has been fun.. One more day of riding.. Back down the 1 to San Francisco. Then I'll head back over to Tim's place in Sunnyvale to finish up some work on his FJR and maybe get a new rear tire on the GS..
Tuesday I'm headed to Sopiago to start preparing for the 150-person group that will show up on Friday for the weekend..

I'll try to post more photos of the coast tomorrow, and will certainly get some of the camp up here.. but keep in mind.. I'm not sure if I'll have internet access and I know I won't have cell reception.. bear with me, I'll post as available!

I'll report the final mileage and the winner sometime after Tuesday.. here's a hint: I rolled over 6,000 miles today.

tour tech

oops,, sorry about posting the same picture twice.. had a low battery at the time and not much time get the message to blogger!
Anyway, currently in Fortuna, CA. Riding up the coast from SF to here was gorgeous but not quite as twisty as the southern portion (IMHO).

today we'll just play around for about 300 miles and return to Fortuna for the night..

I had been riding on a nail in my tire for at least a couple hundred miles, but finally plugged it last night which should last quite a long time..

all for now!, gotta get ready!

Tour 1

Up the coast from sf to fortuna.. Beautiful day and beautiful riding. Except i have a nail in my brand new tire.. Doh!

Bike night

Bike night is wed in sunnyvale..

Blue Skies and pipe dreams

It's Wednesday April 25th, and today, while I will continue to ride and blog daily, the major traveling has come to an end. I've got maybe 50 miles to ride today, then the 1,000 over the weekend on the tour. It's hard to believe it's been 23 days since leaving Cleveland, and even harder to believe that I've actually made it. Not that I had any doubts, but it did get a little scary a couple of times.



So whatever happens from this point forward, there's one thing for sure; it's nice, when dreaming up this blue sky stuff, to look up and actually see a big blue sky.


The cutoff for mileage guesses will be Sunday April 29th at Noon (PST)


As far as names for the GS, I've got one vote for "F*** Yeah", and one for "Das Tank"..

Love them both, but we need some more to choose from.. common all you creative people, gimme somethin to sink my teeth into!

hardly

Here's a few from the PCH:

Avacados are 7 for a

Avacados are 7 for a dollar! Holy guacamole!

In santa cruz tonight.. Sunnyvale

In santa cruz tonight.. Sunnyvale tomorrow.. Then leaving fri. For a 1000 mile tour! The mileage game ends sunday! Around 5250 right now!

I had forgotten how delicious

I had forgotten how delicious the air is here'.. I think its the eucalyptus trees.. It brings it all back... And it feels perfect.

Hwy 1

A world class road, on a world class motorcycle.. Life doesnt get much sweeter!

San simeon

Morro bay

Alright, Alright,,,

Everybody just settle down.. the mileage on El Bandito was noted, and the trip reset on the GS.. the game is STILL ON!

I'll give you a hint though.. I've ridden over 850 miles in the first two days of owning the GS. Do you remember what the last mileage announcement was?

That is the last mention of miles I will make! Get your guesses in!


Oh, and, the prize was never the sprockets anyway.. so tough Sh**.

____________________________

On to the experience of Joshua Tree... It was a very very long day coming from Tucson.. didn't leave town until after 12pm.. still working out details on the GS like,, how do I look at a map? (my old tank bag doesnt fit)..
So it was well after dark by the time I got to the National Park, but I kept telling myself, This is called an ADVENTURE, not a HOTEL-ER. Plus I thought it would be cool to ride in at night and wake up to discover where I was..
The air was still, the sky clear and full of stars.. Much like the trips to the planetarium in 5th grade. The moon was so bright I could see my shadow on the ground beneath me, and the silence was deafening.
It was a very cold night during which I didn't sleep much.. a major surprise to me after having ridden 45o miles..
The experience of riding through Joshua Tree in the morning was almost magical. Gorgeous park. I even took the GS off road for the first time for about 10 or 15 miles.. it just goes.. it doesn't care what surface you're riding on.. it just goes. Purely amazing, and unlike anything I've ever felt. I have a short video clip of the off road adventure which I will attempt (with MF'er's help) to post in the near future..
For now, enjoy these...


The big one is the Joshua Tree.. This one's for you, Joshua ;)

A close up of the cool part

Looks like the GS is growing something!

phew,, ok, that was just a Joshua Tree!

Check out those Mammo-Jammo rocks!

yup, they're big

Beauty and the beast.. but which is which?
can you tell I have an ear-to-ear sh** eating grin in there?
(those are some weird kind of poisonous cacti.. chohalla or something like that...



Ok, now that the photo session is over with.. someone questioned whether there's a name for the GS yet.. as a matter of fact there isn't.. El Bandito seemed to fit pretty damn well, but nothing's jumping out at me for the GS except the following options.. Please vote for your favorite or contribute your own!
1. Kick A**!
2. Holy Sh**!
3. F*** Yeah!
4. Dude, Sweet!
5. Bad A**!
6. The Beast
7. GuS (haha)
8. G (ood) S (hit)


I dunno, I just came up with those on the spot..

Tonight I'm in Ventura, Ca. I saw the Pacific for the first time this trip a couple of hours ago.. I think tomorrow morning I'll walk out and put my feet in.. gotta FEEL it to make it official.

Not sure where I'm stopping tomorrow,, but tune in and find out!

till then,

Ventura

Bike night has officially begun! Im there in spirit but it'd be better if u guys were here! Ventura, ca.