Members and guests met up at the appointed place and approximate time for the OGRES Motorcycle Club 2023 "Joseph" Fall Run. OMC members present: Rowdy, RipCity, Slick, G-Man, Smooth, Grim, Bomber and Gundy. Guest: JoyJoy. Members absent: Duke and Krome.
As soon as all riders were present, a short safety briefing was held. Topics included:
After meal breaks or rest stops, all riders will leave together. No "catching up" or late starts.
Stops will be kept shorter in time to allow for more time at lunch and in the evening. Rest stops have gotten too long. When the ride leader starts putting on gloves and helmet, that is an excellent clue that others should be doing the same.
If there is an incident on the road, the rider in the number 2 position will lead past the ride leader to a safe turnout. The ride leader will take whatever measures to resolve the given problem.
After the briefing, all riders mounted up and we headed down the road. It was a nice, cool temperature that was much better than the heat we had been enduring on other rides. We cruised through Parma, Nyssa and negotiated some road construction at the intersection where we turned to go to Vale. We lucked out and hit the intersection just right so we did not have to stop.
We made a rest stop in Vale where we grabbed snacks, breakfast sandwiches and water. It turned out, the place we stopped was busier than anticipated but we escaped unscathed.
We headed out of Vale and rode on up the road through small towns and swooping highway turns and summits. Eventually we rolled into Unity for another break and some fuel.
Unity was the usual bustling metropolis but the folks there are always friendly and helpful. Folks took care of business and we headed back down the road taking the road through Hereford and up over the twisting roads towards Baker City. The curvy roads through these mountains are always fun and it wasn't long before we traveled over and past "Krome Krash Korner". Soon after, we pulled into Baker City and stopped for fuel.
The intrepid OMC Pack shortly was headed through town and we stopped in Haines for lunch at the Frontier Cafe. The server was super nice and we all had a decent meal and break.
We saddled back up and headed on down the highway as fast as the law would allow. We rolled through Powder River, Union and Cove through the cool temperature still enjoying cool temperatures.
However, after exiting Cove, Grim (ride leader), made a wrong turn down a road that looked paved and benign but turned out to be gravel dressed in paved road clothing. It was the "exciting ride of Mr. Toad" until we could get stopped and turned around. G-Man showed us the proper turn for Lower Cove Road and Grim will not miss it again.
We rolled through the countryside taking the short cut over to the main highway to Joseph. We turned onto the main road and rolled into Imbler, Oregon. Grim had always wanted to stop in the picturesque town especially to check out the little quaint market that had banners promising ice cream heaven.
As usual, expectations exceeded reality. Grim was expecting some special ice cream a la Baskin and Robbins. Turns out, the usual little freezer containing Blue Bunny confections was all we found. It was still a nice stop but the temperature was rising.
We were on our way and had fairly smooth sailing through more small towns until we stopped for gas in Enterprise so we would be ready for the following day of riding.
It was a short hop over to Joseph where we checked into the Motel sans Slick who had a room in Enterprise. We stowed our gear, gathered together and rolled to do the "walk about" in downtown Joseph. It was fun to check out the stores and RipCity and Bomber both found treasures to take back home. RipCity finally procured the elusive Joseph cowboy hat and Bomber found a really cool light to put with other things to make other things.
Later, we reconvened at the Stubborn Mule for dinner and drinks. Our server was very efficient and friendly making sure everyone was taken care of. Grim's steak was tough as shoe leather but most everyone seemed to have a good meal. We then retired for the evening.
Morning dawned earlier than expected due to texts being sent a 3:48 a.m. preceding the alarm that was set for 5:30 a.m. Our departure was moved up after several different weather services issued a thunderstorm warning at the time period we had intended to begin our riding day. All participants were notified and we gathered an hour earlier skipping breakfast at the usual cafe. It started to rain big drops of rain as we were completing our safety briefing. In fact, ominous thunder punctuated RipCity's ride leader remarks. RipCity, in fact, was the ride leader for the day.
We rolled out of town and headed for the mountain after finding out that some Harley-Davidson models will only start if the kickstand is up. It was crisp, cool and especially beautiful as we rolled out of town over the farm land. The rain had slowed to a few drops. We encountered no wildlife but did have to ride carefully around some bovine creatures. One three thousand pound bull was taking up an entire lane of traffic and was unfazed and unbothered by any and all motorized traffic.
Just as we stopped at the Hells Canyon Overlook, the rain started back up to a medium steady patter. The canyon was fog filled and you could not see the other side. Only one stubborn rider left the safety of the motorcycles to venture out. We did meet some travelers from Switzerland who had been journeying through the Americas.
We motored on out of the Overlook and down the mountain through winding roads and twisty turns. Always a fun route. We rolled past down the highway and turned right on the road to the dam. The temperature was starting to rise but still wasn't too bad. There was no traffic and the roads were clear.
We stopped at the Gateway Store to get some treats to hold us over until lunch in Midvale. It was also a good place to shed some gear as the temperature was rising. We soon departed and rolled into Cambridge for some gasoline. Grim had enough fuel to get to Boise but never passes up the opportunity for ethanol free premium gas.
Eight more miles found the group rolling in to our usual cafe in MidVale. It is always a pleasant place to stop and eat some salad bar, burgers and the like. The servers were very attentive and pleasant bringing us food and directing our buffet experience. Rowdy showed us how to properly empty ketchup out of a bottle but I think part of it is magic and sleight of hand.
It had gotten hotter but we were cooled by the breeze as we rolled out on our motorcycles. JoyJoy had a saddle bag snafu that was finally figured out but eventually we rode through Weiser and into Payette where we turned onto old Highway 30 headed towards Sand Hollow Road. Again traffic was light or non-existent as it had been for most of the Run. No doubt avoiding Saturdays on our rides is helpful in this regard.
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| Gundy and JoyJoy |
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The Fall Run ended at the same place it started. Everyone actually stayed and chatted a while after the obligatory phots were taken. It was not quite as hot as previous rides and it was a great two days of riding.
RipCity did a very good job of leading the ride for the second day. Grim rode at the back for the first time with only Smooth trailing. Truth be told, Grim had a great time but maybe will try being mid pack next time just for the heck of it.
See you at the barbecue with the spouses. More info about that to follow. Great job by everyone.
