Sir Charles is back and he is on a mission.

[Papa-Ken]

Sir Charles is back and he is on a mission. He has been gone for about four months and has traveled almost 29 thousand miles,solo pulling his trailer behind his Goldwing motorcycle and camping out most of the trip. He says he is on his third set of tires and has ridden many of the roads he has yearned to explore. Rode Deals Gap both directions pulling his trailer and said it was a blast. Before he left on this epic adventure, he captured a vial of Pacific ocean water to deposit in the Atlantic on the beach in New Foundland. He then refilled this vial with Atlantic ocean water to bring back and pour into the Pacific at Drakes Beach. This is where we rode Sept 13th. to complete his plan. It was a nice ride to escape the warm weather we were then enduring as we found fog as our companion in some locations and cooler weather in the rest until we returned to our valley climate.

















This ride for Charlie took a complete different direction than his prior extended solo ventures of a couple of months and several thousand miles. Those trips covered mainly the western states, western Canada and a short jaunt into Alaska. Next year health permitting he intends on exploring much of Alaska and more states he has neglected.

This trip took him down through southern California, Nevada, Arizona,New Mexico, lots of Texas, down through New Orleans and the extreme southern route through Mississippi, Alabama and Florida where he rode as far south as he could to Key West and then rode north on the coast highway 95 up through Georgia and cut inland at Savannah through Augusta through to many states to mention before leaving the US and going into Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Foundland back through Quebec and Ontario province to drop back down into US across Niagra Falls to Canada, Michigan to Ontario province to re-enter US in Minnesota and eventually follow the most northern route into western Idaho to head south and in a meander direction home.

Charlie hadn't intended touring New Foundland while planning this trip, but while on a ferry to Nova Scotia met a man with a Honda ST 1300 and struck up a conversation about their bikes. Charlie has several bikes and one of them is a Honda ST 1100, so with this in common they bonded rapidly and this fellow (Buzz Berzins) being a resident of New Foundland on his way home took Charlie under his wing for a couple of days. He steered him towards points of interest in Nova Scotia, good places to market and eat. Also told him if he changed his mind and decided to visit New Foundland to stay with him and he would be his tour guide.

Say no more as Charlie is playing with a full deck and jumped at the chance to spend several days exploring New Foundland and said it was one of the highlights of his epic journey.

Not bad for a crippled Oldfart who is getting long in the tooth and short in the memory stage of life. Charlie will have to share some of his pictures and recollections with us before he becomes completely senile.

I noticed almost immediately after his dispensing the Atlantic liquid into the Pacific how the ocean level raised about four feet and the winds came in causing a Delta breeze to blow changing the atmosphere instantly. I have heard it isn't wise to fool mother nature and now I have proof. Next thing I guess we will see is the melting icebergs floating in the bay.

Charlie as some of you may recall is our goat herder ( loves the goat trails) and yesterday was no exception as he led us on several no centerline pieces of asphalt. After leaving Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and going into Pt. Reyes we took the Pt Reyes/Petaluma rd. and rode north on 101 a short distance to the old Redwood hiway through Penngrove to Petaluma Hill Rd./Roberts Rd./Pressley Rd,/Sonoma Mt. Rd./Bennett Valley Rd, /to Warm Springs Rd. down into Glen Ellen where we rode Trinity road /Oakville Grade across to Silverado Trail /to 121/128/ Berryessa/Winters/Davis and home.

We were on some very twisty, scenic, and sometimes challenging roads that require full attention but are still a thrill to negotiate. Last year Charlie, Wes and myself made a ride over pretty much the same road to get to Drakes Beach but took a different way home and I wrote about it on another post. If you are interested in another route home check this path http://www.pashnit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1854 . We traveled about 325 miles today and had a great ride in spite of the drastic change in weather patterns caused by biological changes made from mixing incompatible oceans.

Since I wrote this story Big Mike has had surgery on his right arm and shoulder. He had torn a tendon or ligament and had that tied back into a hole drilled in his shoulder bone and notched like a key slot. The doctor then tied a knot in the tendon or ligament and placed it into this slot. They then roto rootered his rotater cuff and told him to take it easy for about 6 months. I can just envision Mike setting still that long while he has a bike in his garage.

I got the old 74 DT1 Enduro out today and cleaned it up, going to restore it and go out and run Joe Seppes (Com 3) into the ground.


Really though I thought I might take it up to some of the off road places I used to haunt when I drove logging and lumber trucks to take some pictures if any of my memories are still standing on this earth. Hugh from Fortuna tells me all the old mill sites I wrote about up around hiway 36, Hayfork, Hyampom, Burnt Ranch etc. are just a memory. I heard there is still a burner standing in Hyampom but I want to go up to Graniteville on the North Bloomfield/Graniteville rd. and see if the old burnt out hotel still stands. I stayed there in 1950 along with the rest of the logging crew in this old hotel that was built in the mid 1800s during the goldrush. It was almost destroyed completely but the second story floor remained as a roof for us to use for cover. We slept on cots, had a great cook along with a propane shower and this kept us in the woods and out of the bars in town during the week. I am hoping and keeping my fingers crossed.



A picture of the hotel prior to the fire in 1948........Ken

[m0t0-ryder]

Another fine accounting of a days ride.

Congrats to Charles on his successful journey!

Your DT1--->
I love that bike!

Do post up a trip plan when you wanna take it out.
If possible I'd like to join ya on my KTM.


Thanks for another nice report and photo's Ken!

[smitty]

Ken: What can I say about your posts that has not already been said many times. I currently work 2 jobs and retirement is only a distant dream. Reading your posts helps to keep the dream alive. I had an enduro when I was a kid before they called them dual sports. Rode it up to the Mackinac bridge to visit a girl. A good 200 miles one way on the slab with knobbie tires (what a ride). Thanks for another outstanding post and another ride for my post retirement file... Smitty

[SixFiveOh]

And here I am wondering if I'm gonna be comfortable on a 275 mile ride on Tuesday.

What a trip!

[Loki]

that was a great story to read Ken. I enjoyed it. The photos were nice too. And, you're right, it's not nice to fool with mother nature.

[demenshea]

Oh Papa Ken, you did it again!! What a wonderful tale, and one i can only eventually aspire to. I dream of taking a long trip like Charlie. One of the highlights of moto-travel is meeting others on the road with the same passion and getting to sample their road palate.

I also absolutely love the water tale, that it just a wonderful idea!! I can't wait to see the icebergs!

As to taking on Joe, the DT1 looks like the bike to do it. What a beauty!!

cheers and thanks,
donna

[Ally House]

As usual, Ken, a tremedous story. I am envious of Charlie's ride, and have the desire to do something like that myself someday. My only question is, what did the Atlantic do when some Pacific was introduced?

Thanks many times over for the rides you share with us!!

Ally

[kluts]

Thanks for the tale, Ken. Quite a ride with delicious road choices.

Could still bop my brother on the head for having gotten rid of his/my DT. He traded it last year for some repair work. It was fully restored and in great shape. Now I hear it's spent a winter or two outside in Tahoe--- not a good place to park any bike.

[akfxdl]

Ken....
Ice Routing Measures were in place last week for Tanker Traffic here in the Prince William Sound.....now we have the reason for it. I think you need a permit to place water from the Atlantic into the Pacific....you could have been arrested by the Ocean Water Police.
Great write up as always and I too like the old Yamaha.
We are looding about 7 minutes of daylight a day, highs are in the 40's and it is raining.....keep the ride reports coming. I keep searching for a reason to come down and go riding.

[JimmieS]

I actually read this yesterday and was going to respond then - but my laptop encountered an error --- So while my hard drive is still acting up I think I'll add my kudos to your story to the others. I am so jealous of folks that can do what Charles did. I can only aspire to that kind of tenacity and ability. Great story as usual.

Cheers!