PNW End of Winter Ride - Ducati.ms

Bill_Anderson · Mar 21st, 2011, 7:27 am

Sunday (3/20) was our annual End of Winter Ride, where riders from Oregon and Washington gather at Castle Rock, WA. to kick off the start of riding season by riding Hwy. 504 to Mt. St. Helens. We never know what to expect in the way of weather or road conditions from year to year .

#1-2: Our traditional meeting point at the Shell station at Castle Rock. Most numerous are cruisers but a wide variety of motorcycles are represented. One group had three or four Can-Am Spyders. My 06-ST3s was one of only three Ducatis, the others being a Supersport and a Monster.

#3: On the way up our group stopped for photos to let the cruisers get ahead. We were not riding through walls of snow like in 2009.

#4: Mt. St. Helens was hidden behind clouds.

#5-7: I stopped at Coldwater Lake for some photos and to use the nice restrooms. I knew the others would be hiking into the woods from where the ride ended, a short ways away in the parking lot by where the road to the Johnston Ridge Observatory is closed for the winter.

#8: My buddy Randy (left) and me. Randy initiated the first EoW ride and sets the date each year. Everything else takes on a life of its own.

#9: There were a few flakes of snow on the ride up and the sky looked threatening, so folks cleared out of the parking lot fairly quickly for the ride back home. The lot had been full of bikes a few minutes earlier.

Bill_Anderson · Mar 21st, 2011, 7:32 am

#10: On the way back we caught up to a group of slower cruises, so we pulled into the overlook of Hoffstadt Creek Bridge for some photos.

#11-12: The bridge.

#12: Info on the bridge.

#13: We were on the edge of the blast zone.

This was my first ride since my trip to the Santa Cruz area last October, and I returned home very sore and tired. I cannot remember being this sore and tired after the first ride of any season, not even when I laid off for a year after my accident in Weaverville in May, 2009. Welcome to life over 60?

va duc · Mar 21st, 2011, 8:21 am

Bill, as always your ride tales along with your camera is something the rest of us look forward too each year. Thanks for kicking the season off . I'm sure you will adapt back to the rigors of riding in no time, just takes a bit more time as we get older! Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing.

RobertVP · Mar 21st, 2011, 8:28 am

Thanks for posting Bill.

Here's to a safe and fun riding season

**Chuckracer** · Mar 21st, 2011, 10:20 am

Very nice! I remember the "Wall Of Snow" pics from last year...some difference this year.
Beautiful country you got there...I need to get out there some day...

Bill_Anderson · Mar 21st, 2011, 12:25 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckracer

Very nice! I remember the "Wall Of Snow" pics from last year...some difference this year.
Beautiful country you got there...I need to get out there some day...

You were out here once. You should never have left.

sfarson · Mar 21st, 2011, 12:31 pm

Bill... Always good to come across your ride tale/pics. Looks like a hardy group of enthusiasts!

apptwins · Mar 21st, 2011, 10:49 pm

Wow, such a large group of dedicated souls, nice to see the report. Looks a tad chilly!

Did about 150 miles Sunday with a buddy in the local canyons and Peak-to-Peak highway above Golden, CO. A kind of season kick off for us as well in the Rocky Mountains.

Good to see a group of like minded spirits. Thanks!

Don't feel too bad. My mileage total for the weekend was a little under 300. Back hurt, hands were throbbing, neck is killin' me, bike was filthy ... it was GREAT!

More power to you, brother Bill.