I Finally Got In a Ride!! - Ducati.ms

Bill_Anderson · Dec 30th, 2006, 9:43 pm

I got on my bike today for the first time since the ride to Mt. St. Helens in October. The day started out sunny, but by the time I got back from my son's bowling and dug out the winter gear, it had already clouded over. That and gasoline leaking from the bike as it was warming up made me opt for a local ride. I rode an urban route around Edmonds, Woodway, Shoreline, and Lynnwood that I used to do when I first took up riding. I have not done it in quite some time and it was interesting to see changes such as new construction and old trees toppled from the recent wind storm.

First stop was the city Christmas tree. I had to take the photo quickly as the tree sits across the street from the police station and I had to park on some No Parking stripes to get the shot I wanted.

Next stop was Sunset Ave. on the bluff above Puget Sound and the railroad tracks to check for leaking gas and trains. Negative on both counts, so I rode nice back streets through Woodway and Shoreline before returning to Edmonds.

When I got back to Edmonds, I parked at the Dive Park below Sunset Ave. next to the ferry dock and chatted with two young women who had just finished scuba diving. They told me about getting attacked by a fiesty Ling Cod and nearly head butted by a Kalzoda while they were under water. They gave me a gingerbread cookie and let me take their photo if I promised not to post it in the "Hott Ducati Women" thread. Sorry for the lack of bikinis, but the water temperature of Puget Sound varies from 41-51F year around and good diving suits are required. I have heard you can only survive in the water for about 20 minutes without one.

I took some photos of scuba divers, the Edmonds-Kingston ferry, the Olympic Mountains, and a piece of driftwood painted to look like one of the local orcas with Mt. Baker in the background. The area is unique, for where else in the US can you scuba dive in salt water with a background of snow capped mountains ? The overcast killed the chance of a beautiful sunset shot, so I took off for home.

The ride was my first in two months. Besides providing much needed R&R, it also made me realize that I don't need to purchase my brother-in-law's HD Road Glide for local cruising after I retire. The 15/42T sprocket combo allows my 04-ST4s to behave just fine in town at city limit speeds.

BlueST2 · Dec 30th, 2006, 11:53 pm

Glad to see you finally made it out-and-about after a lengthy hiatus Bill. Thank for the post, I am envious! It's snowing today after a very mild late autumn/early winter here in the north-east.

Cheers,

Thomas

jbcaddy · Dec 31st, 2006, 12:28 pm

Hi Bill, I was able to go for a short local ride Christmas eve during the afternoon. sure does help the spirit to get out and about once in a while. Glad to hear the weather let you out. Also glad to hear about your decision on the Harley. Some how I just couldn't see you being happy on one. Happy new year, Jan

Bill_Anderson · Dec 31st, 2006, 9:42 pm

Weather forecasts to the contrary, the last day of the year dawned sunny in much of the Seattle area. Based on my No-ride November, I was determined to get in one last ride for 2006. I waited until noon before starting out, as I did not want to deal with black ice.

There is a wide spot on Hwy. 9 north of Sedro Woolley between Wickersham and Acme where if one pulls over and looks east, the Valley of the South Fork of the Noosack River is in the foreground and Twin Sisters Mountain is in the background. For quite some time I have had my eye on this location for a photo shoot with my Duc after the peaks get snow. I took the quick route via I-5 to Burlington as I wanted to get there before the low lying winter sun hid behind the ridge on the west side of the road.

The clouds timed their arrival to coincide with mine, so I did not get a blue sky behind the mountain that would make the snowcapped, jagged peaks really stand out. In my previous ridebys, I failed to notice the telephone line which was impossible to avoid in the photo. I took several shots and posted what I think is the best of the lot. I will have to return in sunnier weather but before the snow melts from the peaks.

I continued north on Hwy. 9 to the Sunset Hwy, then headed west to join southbound I-5 at Bellingham. At the last Bellingham exit I got off I-5 and took Hwy. 11 over Chuckanut Drive on my way to La Conner for a late lunch. I passed through the picturesque little town of Edison, which I will have to check out another time.

The sun broke out in La Conner long enough for me to take a photo before lunch of my ST4s parked beside two Harleys. After lunch I had hoped to photograph flocks of Snow Geese and Trumpeter Swans which arrive from Alaska and Siberia to winter in the fields of the Lower Skagit Valley, but it was already getting dark by the time I approached Conway. I saw one field of white birds with hundreds of their brethren flying in circles above them like a living blizzard.

It was a good 185 mile winter ride with the temps in the low to mid 40's. My gas consumption averaged 47.69 mpg, which was not bad considering my engine temp seldom got above 158F the entire day.

Mike · Jan 5th, 2007, 5:28 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill_Anderson

There is a wide spot on Hwy. 9 north of Sedro Woolley between Wickersham and Acme where if one pulls over and looks east, the Valley of the South Fork of the Noosack River is in the foreground and Twin Sisters Mountain is in the background. For quite some time I have had my eye on this location for a photo shoot with my Duc after the peaks get snow.

Here's a photo from the same spot in the spring, when it's clear you can get both of the Sisters as well as the sleeping giant Mt. Baker (in the background):

Quote:

I continued north on Hwy. 9 to the Sunset Hwy, then headed west to join southbound I-5 at Bellingham. At the last Bellingham exit I got off I-5 and took Hwy. 11 over Chuckanut Drive on my way to La Conner for a late lunch. I passed through the picturesque little town of Edison, which I will have to check out another time.

Edison has a small art gallery (The Edison Eye) which is the least pretentious art gallery you will probably every encounter and the owner is as passionate about N.W. art as many of us are about our bikes. It also has two quaint taverns (The Edison known for it's fresh oysters) and a bakery that creates the most incredible bread you are likely to have ever tasted. They treat bread making as a serious endeavor. You don't know how good bread can be until you sample this stuff, make sure to leave some room in your panniers for their creations and don't forget the butter before you arrive home. m-m-m-mmmm

Bill_Anderson · Jan 5th, 2007, 11:41 pm

Thanks Mike. That trained chipmunk of yours continues to take the great ground level shots. It looks like you went down that little side road below the wide spot to get an angle which would include Mt. Baker. I definitely have to get in some more rides to Edison and the Lower Skagit Valley.

Remember this shot your chipmunk took of us four years ago outside La Conner? Time and mileage fly.

Mike · Jan 6th, 2007, 12:05 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill_Anderson

It looks like you went down that little side road below the wide spot to get an angle which would include Mt. Baker. I definitely have to get in some more rides to Edison and the Lower Skagit Valley.

Remember this shot your chipmunk took of us four years ago outside La Conner? Time and mileage fly.

I think that's the same spot you were at (within a few feet). I was just off the shoulder of Hwy 9. Mt. Baker is in your field of view excepting for the winter clouds. I have sad news. Chippy (my trained chipmunk) was run over recently. It was fatal. I knew I shouldn't have insisted he take another photo from near the middle of the road! I yelled out but it was too late. One of those new electric cars caught him off guard. Unbelievably quiet little buggers. Memorials in his name can be donated to the fine folks at Ducati.ms.

Bill_Anderson · Jan 6th, 2007, 12:19 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

I think that's the same spot you were at (within a few feet). I was just off the shoulder of Hwy 9. Mt. Baker is in your field of view excepting for the winter clouds. I have sad news. Chippy (my trained chipmunk) was run over recently. It was fatal. I knew I shouldn't have insisted he take another photo from near the middle of the road! I yelled out but it was too late. One of those new electric cars caught him off guard. Unbelievably quiet little buggers. Memorials in his name can be donated to the fine folks at Ducati.ms.

Here is another shot looking north. Too many clouds to see Mt. Baker. You can see that road I mentioned going down from the wide spot to the level of the fields below the highway.

I am sorry to hear about Chippy. I guess it proves the old adage that loud pipes save chipmunk lives. I have enclosed two of Chippy's best shots. The guys in the middle photo were making enough noise to give all of us a heads up.

Duc06 · Feb 23rd, 2007, 1:29 pm

Nice....you guys on the westside have had a few nice days, even surpassing Spokane thus far BUT I am hoping for a turn around here soon so I can go out for more than one day as well!!

Bill_Anderson · Mar 5th, 2007, 10:08 pm

The forecasts of rain proved wrong, which allowed my son and me to take a quick local ride after our afternoon workout at the gym. This was my first time on the Duc since I retired last Wednesday.

We stopped at Sunset Ave. in Edmonds just in time for the Garbage Train to arrive. It is so-named because it carries garbage to a large landfill in Roosevelt, WA. The mid 70's era GM diesels throbbed much like large V twins as they sat idling while the train waited "in the hole" for the first northbound Sounder commuter train of the evening to pass through Edmonds on its way from Seattle to Everett.

We stayed to watch Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder Pass through, then we did a short ride through Woodway and the Richmond Beach area of Shoreline before returning home.