The GS Giant vs. Bigfoot... who's bigger?

[WARTHOG]

Randy, I'm planning on departing the Friday before the rally from Colo Springs. Will probably head due West retracing my return route from Redmond along US 50 (Loneliest Highway) to Reno / Tahoe area. Stayed at the A frames at the Lake Tahoe Coast Guard station last time and might see if I can get in there again. Maybe if the stars align we can hook up and ride up to Salem.

Don

[Visian]

Hey Don - glad to hear you're coming... it will be great to see you again.

As you cruise US 50, you might consider this Adventure Detour... The Grand Mesa Byway. This route was pointed out to me by Steve Farson, author of The Complete Guide to Motorcycling in Colorado.



If this is out of your way, I assume you know about CO92, the road that goes along the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

[Polarbear]

YES, that Gunnison Black Canyon is a favorite of dozens of beemerphiles and I rode it just last year going into PaoniaCO. Its a real twisty climber into the higher elevations around there. Imagine, you start at Gunnison at 7500'. Typical Colorado. Most of its playgrounds are above a mile high and even two miles high+. THOSE offroading parks in Oregon near the coast are mostly very sandy, deep sandy in many cases, so be in shape, wear knobbies and work a lot. For the less timid GSer , this is heaven. MY HALIBUT SPOT? Coast HWY101, more S.Oregon! I'll have to look it up again, get the data for ya. "The Mad Scandinavian", a huge tip! YES DON, look for ya, we will be in touch. Randy

[WARTHOG]

Ian, rode that route Sept 2011 during the Thunder Mountain Rally.

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[mvscorpio]

Hi Ian - sorry to hear about sponsorship drought, but great news that you plan to put together info for MOA participants. Where do I offically sign up to get the scorebook?

I am renting a bike in Bend OR Saturday prior to the rally and am putting together my plan leading up to the MOA. Look forward to hearing what others have in mind as well!

Thanks for all your efforts!

[Visian]

Where do I offically sign up to get the scorebook?

The scorebook comes fairly late in the game, about a week ahead of the rally. Stay tuned here, or on Facebook, for info to follow.

A lot of what people talk about in this thread will show up in the Scorebook, along with info provided by locals.

Here's an example/teaser Adventure Detour... The Top of Steen's Mountain.



This would be a particularly nice one for folks coming up from Salt Lake City.

See that red area at the bottom of the map? Put your cursor there and move it back and forth. Watch the blue ball move along the route as you move the crosshairs with your cursor. Nice little 5,000 foot climb there, eh?



What you don't see in this route is what you will see in the scorebook. It involves legendary milkshakes, hamburgers, remote camping and more.

Ian

[Visian]

Ian, rode that route Sept 2011 during the Thunder Mountain Rally.

Well, then... we'll just have to find you another one, then.

Maybe you'd like The Wedge Way.



Ian

[Polarbear]

My Place lies between 2, only 2 National parks! Less than and hour from SequoiaNP and an hour+ to YosemiteNP South entrance. As you GSGiant tour the West en route to Salem this year, I offer a free campsite at my home, small HORSE ranch property.( My other family,love, big critters we ride) Located 12 miles East of ClovisCA, off Hwy168 and country setting OFF the main road, quiet for California. A BMW Dealer is 15 miles away, if needed. I also have bike shop at home, for just basic service and beyond. Bring your own talent and supplies. I'm an older GS guy, since 1982 on GSs, so its a big part of my life, I love sharing the time just jawing about it all...share experiences and tales. Clovis itself offers a great selection of Motels, eateries and is a quaint very Western small city of 100000 folks. Very nice downtown, antiques(shops) galore and nice walkabout. A Rodeo town of 90+ years now too, every April. The best PRO cowboys stop here. Our city logo, "Gateway to the Sierras" is very fitting, at the base of the largest mountains of the Far West USA! Your time only limits your sightseeing here, because the backcountry is missed by so many, traveling North/South thru here. The parks alone ARE the biggest attrractions of course and some of us are lucky enough to live at the doorstep of'em. Google Central CAL, ClovisCA, my town and stop by. I welcome all fellow 'MOAers. GSA1200, my latest for past 5 years now, so I still go dirt. My last hoorah, at RedmondOR., as GS Chairperson for the rally there. IAN S. carries the torch nowadays(GSGiant), also an avid enthusiast, pure through! I am in the AnnomBook, 6780 last 4 digits, or find me here frequently enough. Happy Trails all, Randy"Polarbear" ...PS;Riding North, soon enough now Sweet Salem!

[ericthebald]

Ian, rode that route Sept 2011 during the Thunder Mountain Rally.

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Great switchbacks up and sweepers down!
The pie stop was awesome too!

[stevenmi]

Hi 'Giants', It looks like I've been tapped to assist with a BMW RO (Riders of Oregon) 'Pre-Rall GS' ride. Ian Schmeisser, has submitted it for the ONews, so this will be published in May(?).

The Pre-Rally GS was laid out to be a two-day, self-guided out-and-back from the Salem fairgrounds, (Tues-Weds), tho a rider could pick up a section of this ride at any point in order to ride it on in, too. Say, a rider coming north on Hwy 97 could take Hwy 58 to Crescent Lake, then follow the southern 1/2 over Windigo Pass and into Oakridge, or north on the Cascade Lakes Hwy to Todd Lake and then Rd 370 backwards on this route to Santiam Junction. LOTS of options!

Questions? Contact me here or direct at shuntermiller at gmail dot com. - Steve

[stevenmi]

Hi Giants.

I also put together this route together, which crosses the state east-west. It is not ALL GS, but the eastern end is on narrow, paved, FS/Mtn Road 16, and it is pretty twisty!

Some of the central portion of FS 2630 gets down to 'Jeep road' classification. (My definition: DIRT-based, as opposed to gravel-based.) There are numerous 'outs' through the middle of this route, so a rider could bail out it time runs out. (This center section is probably best run in pairs for safety, but as I say; 'Take my advise, I'm not using it.')

Steve

[stevenmi]

Last weekend I took a 3-day exploratory drive in the sparse regions of S, SE, Oregon and N. Nevada. I covered some great regions and learned some new back roads, but did come away with a singular conclusion: 'It is still winter out there!'

Roads were soft and often snow covered. This late in the year that snow was soft and melting during the days, so melt-water and MUD was the norm. I was blocked by snow on the Sheldon NWR / Wild Horse Range 100 miles in, which reads also as; this is the place were getting stuck can kill you!

I'll see if I can post a couple pictures..........

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[stevenmi]

Rimmed out 100 miles in on the Sheldon, in Nevada.... And the last people we had seen were some Coyote hunters 60 miles back....

This is a 'stud-pile' from a stallion of the wild horse bands, but we didn't see them. Later, did split a herd of 130 Antelope!
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[sirby]

Good to see the GS activities coming to the National rally in Salem. I'll ride my Dakar this time Ian, so you may not need to help me pick up my BIG GS again.
-Sirby

[sirby]

What you don't see in this route is what you will see in the scorebook. It involves legendary milkshakes, hamburgers, remote camping and more.

Ian[/QUOTE]

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Here is a look at the Hamberger & Milkshake Heaven which is not too many miles from the Alvord Hot Springs where we camped in 2011.
Amazing place.
-Sirby