Turning the gears of emotion

Unfortunately I don't have much to follow those gorgeous photos with. I spent the majority of the day just riding around aimlessly as I've done for so many days since arriving in Seattle. Originally the idea was to learn my way around town by intentionally getting lost, then finding my way to a destination, now it's become more of a means for entertainment.

I do, however, have a couple of exciting prospects in the works, both of which I'm going to intentionally neglect to talk about in any amount of detail. It's my goal this time around to attempt to limit my excitement until I know, with a little more certainty, what will come of them. Suffice it to say for now, that both of these things have the potential to prove to me that landing in this neck of the woods was perfectly appropriate and ultimately satisfying.
And so, as adopted as my mantra of late, I'll leave you with this little piece of advice that I received recently:

"There can be no transformation of darkness into light and of apathy into movement without emotion." Clear thinking and impeccable logic will not be sufficient to guide you to your next great adventure. You need the driving force of succulent emotion rising up in your solar plexus, the lush power of raw sensitivity piercing your heart. Feel as deep as you dare."

I've also recently been challenged to "somehow stir up a visceral sense of moving speedily toward the future", and that is exactly what I intend to do.

Run for the hills..

As I rubbed my eyes and rolled over in bed this morning, an incredible sense of apathy had taken hold of me. Uninspired and completely unmotivated, I layed there, contemplating the ride that I had planned for the day. I never really decided where to go, and I was still questioning whether to head for Mt. Rainier, or catch a ferry to the Olympic Peninsula; it was a completely indecisive conundrum. So I just continued to lay there for a while, finally deciding to get up and just automate the process and go through the steps that I knew were required in order to leave the house; if I strapped on my shin guards and put my riding pants on, I certainly wouldn't just sit around the house all day in them.
And with that, I headed for the hills.

And as soon as I layed on the throttle, felt the warm sun on my back and the cool breeze in my jacket, I remembered why I love this.

From home it takes about an hour before it starts to get remotely interesting, but then again, it's all so new to me that even riding the slab is relatively interesting.

I must have made the right choice in destinations because I ran into Johnny and Omar from Ride West BMW up there.. weird coincidence.. cool guys, and I think Johnny's unknowingly inspiring me to do more off roading- he was out on his new-to-him XR600 (i think) for the first time and already riding over logs n stuff!

I had planned to make one big loop around the mountain, traversing a couple of mountain passes, but once I got up there, realized that the pass I needed in order to head south around the Eastern side of the mountain was closed (it's still winter up there). But, shortly thereafter I understood the gravity of the situation..

At first the snow was just a bit deeper than my bike is tall.

Then it got a bit deeper. And cold.

And the reward for the days excursion was a few beautiful views of Rainier.

Man, that bike just looks good in crazy places like this!

It certainly turned into a very visually stimulating day, but one thing that I have begun to question about Washington is where are all the twisty roads? Sure it got a bit twisty once I got into the mountains today, but not only were they not as fun, there was snow-melt run-off all over the corners up there; making for a little bit more of a timid ride.
I'm sure the twisties exist here, I just need to find them!

Up next, though, will most definitely be a trip to the Olympics. Not only is the ferry ride worth the trip alone, but it's gorgeous over there. Also I think whale migration season is either happening right now, or is about to happen; they head up the Strait of Juan De Fuca around this time heading for Alaska for the summer.

As a little piece of inspiration, I went up to the city just to take this photo of the Olympic range from across the Sound..


Thanks for coming, till next time..

The Folk Life

I went into the city today to experience the Folk Life festival; a street fair of sorts exhibiting all walks of life.. certainly more than the hippie tree huggers that I expected:

The infamous Space Needle towering over Seattle Center. It was originally built for the 1962 World's Fair. It cost just $4.5 million back then, but underwent a 'revitalization' to the tune of $20 million in 2000.

The International Fountain at Seattle Center. Wanna run through an adult-size sprinkler?

No street fair would be complete without some pain-junkie-freak-shows. For a measly $1.00, you could attach your dollar to a human body with a staple gun. Up the ante to $5.00 and you can staple it to his cheek, or go all out and staple it to his tongue for $10.00. As if that wouldn't make you naseaus enough, there were plenty of needle demonstrations and this guy even put a kilt on, tied a rope to an unnamed extremity underneath it and 10lbs worth of weights to the other end of the rope.. then, well, I suppose you can figure the rest out..

..And, of course, who doesn't look forward to the promise of eternal life from Jesus, himself?!


It's nice to be back in the big city. I had forgotten about the amazement that awaits every time you walk out the door; it's not always plesant, but it's always interesting.

That being said, though, barring any obligations to the job search, I think I'm going to head out of the city tomorrow to go remind myself of what surrounds me.. If not tomorrow, surely in the days to come, so watch for the full ride report this week! Maybe The Olympic Peninsula (home of the Olympic Mountains)
Or maybe the other direction to Mt. Rainier.

Stay tuned..

A tour of the GS

I was trying, this morning, to think of something to occupy today's blog post in light of the fact that there isn't all that much that's noteworthy at the moment. So I thought it might be a good opportunity, for those of your unfamiliar with this amazing machine, to show you all around the GS a bit.
Here's all the technical mumbo jumbo:

Engine
Motor Type		Four-stroke, two cylinder, horizontally opposed "Boxer" engine, air cooled
Bore x Stroke		101 x 70.5 mm (3.97 x 2.77 in)
Displacement		1130 cc
Max Power		85 hp (62.5 KW) at 6,750 rpm
Max Torque		98 Nm / 72 ft lb at 5,250 rpm
Compression Ratio		10.3 : 1
Valves Per Cylinder		4
Valve Control		hc, using chain drive, cup tappets, push rod and rocker arm
Mixture Control / Engine Management		Electronic intake pipe injection/digital engine management: Bosch Motronic MA 2.4 with overrun fuel cut off, twin spark ignition (Dec 2002 on)
Emission Control		Closed loop 3 way catalytic converter (sshh, don't tell the state of WA, but I don't have that anymore!)
Engine Lubricating System		Wet sump
Power Transmission
Clutch		Single disc dry clutch, hydraulically operated
Gearbox		Constant mesh 6 speed gearbox (overdrive) (special equipment: short 6th gear)
Gearbox Ratios		2.375 / 1.600 / 1.267 / 1.038 / 0.900 / 0.800
Rear Wheel Ratio		2.82
Bevel / Crownwheel		31 / 11
Drive		Shaft Drive
Electrical System
Ignition System		Electronic ignition, Bosch Motronic MA 2.4. Twin spark (Dec 2002 on)
Alternator		700 W three phase alternator
Battery		12V / 19 Ah
Chassis
Type of Frame		Three section composite frame consisting of front & rear section, load bearing engine
Front wheel suspension		BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 35 mm, central strut, spring pre-load 5 times mechanically adjustable)
Rear wheel suspension		Die cast aluminium single sided swinging arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever; WAD strut (travel related damping), spring pre-load and rebound damping adjustable to continuously variable levels by mean of a hydraulic handwheel
Travel Front/Rear		210 / 220 mm (8.26 / 8.66 in)
Wheels		Cross spoke wheels
Wheel Rims, Front		2.50 x 19
Wheel Rims, Rear		4.00 x 17
Tyres, Front		110 / 80-ZR 19 and 110 / 80 B 19
Tyres, Rear		150 / 70-ZR 17 and 150 / 70 B 17
Brakes, Front		EVO brake system with dual disc, floating brake discs, diameter 305 mm / 12 in, 4 piston fixed caliper
Brakes, Rear		Single disc brake 276 mm 10.86 in diameter, double piston floating caliper
ABS		Special equipment BMW Motorrad Integral ABS (partially integral) (disconnectable)
Dimensions/Weights
Length x Width x Height		2180 x 980 x 1435 mm (85.82 x 38.58 x 56.49 in)
Seat Height		900 mm / 35.43 in (special equipment low seat bench: 860mm / 33.85 in)
Wheel Base		1501 mm / 59.09 in
Castor (in Normal Position)		121 mm / 4.76 in
Steering Head Angle (in Normal Position)		63.8 degrees
Fuel Tank Useable Volume		30 litres (That's 7.9 gallons!!)
Reserve		4.0 litres / 0.87 gal / 1.05 gal US
Unladen Weight with Full Tank		253 Kg / 557 lb (276.5 Kg / 609 lb with full special equipment)
Dry Weight		232 Kg / 511 lb
Max. Permissible Weight		470 Kg / 1035 lb
Payload (with Standard Equipment)		217 Kg / 477 lb
Fuel Consumption over 100 Km @ constant 90 Kph		4.5 litres / 62 mpg / 52 mpg US
Fuel Consumption over 100 Km @ constant 120 Kph		5.7 litres / 49 mpg / 41 mpg US
Fuel Type		Unleaded Premium minimum octane rating 95 (RON)
Top Speed		Approx. 192 Kph / 119 mph

Yes, it's official, folks.. The Gs and I are official Washington residents.

There's the loud A** Two Brothers pipe.. that's what makes this no mild-mannered BMW.


This is the sticker on the hard bag support plates.. you think Ewan payed attention to that on the 'Long Way 'Round'?

Ahh, throttle bodies! So long jets, floats, needles and confusion!

Ohlins, Ohlins, Ohlins.

And more Ohlins! And check out those PIAA aux. lights.. those babies came in handy when I rolled into Joshua Tree well after dark!

Abs disable, factory heated grips, and the start button..

OK, this picture's a bit lame.. it's just the switch for those PIAA lights.. whatever, it's cool.

The sweet, sweet shaft drive. Speaking of which, for all you chain drive dudes back home, I still have a certain Motion Pro tool that one of you may be interested in.. how about the first $50 takes it? Half price! I've got a tank bag to ship to JT, a couple of things for The Don, and maybe some other miscellaneous things to distribute amongst the 'westies'.. so if anyone wants that chain tool, I'll just ship all that crap at the same time.. let me know.

And last but not least, my new favorite tire on the planet.. the Metzler Tourance. Just look at the meat on that sucker!

So there you have it, you're all welcome to take it for a test ride.. I'll pick you up at the airport!


In other news, I suppose I should publicize my official mailing address...
2429 South Eddy St.
Seattle, WA 98108



Whew, that was a mouthful! Happy Memorial Day.. If you weren't already planning on it, fire up those barbies and tip a few chillies!

hometown

It was a relatively lazy and uneventful saturday. Brunch in Columbia City, a little mid-day nap, and a couple hours of riding the GS around town.
Here's the view of the city from down the street..

Sunny Fridays and other people's Beemers

I forgot about my scheduled 24,000 mile service at BMW today, but ran the GS up there when they called to remind me.. Here's the loaner bike I took for the day..


It's an '07 F800ST.. one of the newer models.. new engine configuration, and I think they missed the mark on this one.. it's a pretty bike, plenty nimble and fun, but in my humble opinion, felt underpowered & sluggish.. although I guess anything will feel sort of like a toy after riding a GS Adventure.

This is me, reflected in a minivan when I stopped to pick up beer ;)

And here's the GS safe at home (can't wait to have a garage!)
The service was pretty expensive, but as I understand, it's one of the major ones, and the next few shouldn't be so bad.. and I'll start doing it myself for the next time anyways.

Still no real promising job prospects.. there have been a few that haven't panned out for one reason or another, but now I'm just sort of watching craigslist for the next cool thing to show up..


Speaking of jobs, I recently totally changed my photo website to try to make it a little more appealing and versatile during this job search.. check it out,, I'd appreciate any feedback anyone has! So get your creative A**es over to "CJR" and check it out!


till next time..

Seattle times

I know I've mentioned it already, but it's funny how normal and natural it feels to be here. I've spent the last few days talking to people, passing out some resumes and even the sparse interview. I'm really still just trying to decide what it is that I want to do.. I'm in the unique position to do whatever I want and I jsut can't decide what to do! Without saying too much, the most promising thing right now is with Ride West BMW.
Regardless, besides the job search, my days have been filled with returning myself to a level of comfort that comes with not traveling 300+ miles a day. I've forced myself to ride around the city for hours at a time only looking occasionally at a map so I have no choice but to learn my way around. Yesterday I rode from 10am to 5pm, with a few breaks of course, but I never got more than about 15 miles from home!
So here's the updated map.. I just reused the old one and added the green line for the route that I actually took.. sorry, you're going to have to use your imaginations to see the green line go all the way to Seattle.



I havn't taken any photos since landing in Seattle, so I have nothing to show you, but they will soon be taken.. stay tuned for that.

Sorry for the lack of blog postings.. I'm going to try to scratch together something for everyday.. maybe a photo of the day, at least..

The final recap, with more to come.

It's Thursday, May 17th and at about 5 o'clock this evening, I arrived in Seattle, Washington; The stopping point.
While I'm sure I will philosophize in retrospect much further in the near future, for now
I thought it would be interesting to compile a few facts about the trip, so here we go.. the top ten:

1. 45 days
2. 8,012 miles
3. two motorcycles
4. 15 states
5. four rear tires
6. two chains
7. roughly $4,000 spent (not including the GS, of course)
8. two oil changes (GS is every 6,000)
9. two "arrivals"
10. and of course, one, massive change of plans.


Although I have now arrived at a place where I will live, there is a completely new journey that is about to begin and I assure you motopsychosis is not over. I will continue to post updates, so please stay tuned for further developments along the way.

'Til next time

Northward from The City. Mile 7,665

I don't have a whole lot to say at the moment, and I think it's simply because I'm just not sure what to say..
Currently in Newport, OR., with a mere 300 miles to Seattle. About 150 more coastline miles, a jaunt inland and a ferry ride.

With the absence of anything profound to say, I'll leave the rest as a photographic journal of pieces of my recent days..

A tribute to the Rogue in all of us.

This is a way cool brewery. Thanks for the tip, Ev.

The selection on tap...

And this one is just for you, Ev..

This was a welcome sign, no pun intended.

It sort of looks like I'm peeing in the ocean, but I really wasn't.

Welcome back to the Pacific Northwest..

The GS enjoyed it, too.

They seem to fit together, don't they?

The Golden Gate.. this was a few days ago,, on the way out of SF.

Saturday from Half Moon Bay

It's been quite a few days since I've posted anything, and I've just now sort of stepped back to realize it. I've been staying at Ev's Aunt Ellen's place in Half Moon Bay, Ca., doing some work on the house to make a little more traveling cash. The timing in my circumstance and arrival here has been a little uncanny; without going into detail, it's been a perfect time for Ellen and I to share a little slice of our lives.
I've been talking to an old acquaintance from Cleveland who now works at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about the possibility of a job, and it looks like I'll be high-tailing it north in a couple of days to get a bit rooted and figure out if it's a position that I'm interested in.
As much as I love the Bay area and would love to stay here, I fear that it would take just a little too much to keep me here (in terms of money.. this is a very expensive place to live, which means I'd have to either land a "real" job, or work my ass off). Seattle feels right to me. Having spent a fair amount of time there, and knowing that I have an immediate place to crash on arrival is comforting. It's a big enough city to afford plentiful opportunity, and reasonable enough to enjoy life, albeit a humble one.
I've been exploring the idea of attempting, for the first time ever, to write professionally; on a freelance level.. And Everest has hooked me up with a contact in Seattle with whom I may be able to land some freelance photography work shooting musicians.

So several days after the crisis of Sopiago Springs, I feel comfortable, content, and at peace with my decisions. Thanks to every one of you that has offered their support in the last few days as this has certainly been one of the more trying times in my recent years. Even describing the situation to complete strangers has incited a reaction of approval and understanding.. it seems as if the outcome of this situation is as clear to everyone else as it was to me, and that, is a good feeling. As I've said many times before; things in life come and go, and the only thing we can count on for sure is change. I have even had the thought that maybe this situation is just all a part of the experiential junkie in me longing for the unknown, the uncertain, and the unpredictable.. and I have now created my own unpredictable.. completely through intuition.

I have taken very few photographs since my last post, and I think that this avoidance was somewhat intentional. There have been several times in my life during which I've felt the need to not record anything.. thoughts or images, as the act of recording them seems to over-intellectualize the entire thing. At certain times in life it's nice to step back and let everything soak in mentally, logically, and emotionally; without the organization of written words or images. This has been one of those times. But at this point I'm content again; I know not exactly what to do, but I know where I'm headed and that is certainly half the battle.

I'm looking forward to the trip north. I think I'll leave from San Francisco and head directly north on Hwy 1, riding the coast all the way to Seattle. I may try to detour and ride through the legendary "Lost Coast", and maybe even take a spin through the formerly transcendental Olympic Peninsula. Once in Seattle, I will have traveled the west coast from as far south as Ventura, Ca. to Seattle, Wa..

Two more days of work here in Half Moon Bay, and I'll depart on Tuesday to head north.


I've come too far to give up on reckless abandon at this point and I feel that even when stationary, I will continue to move. I've already given thought to the Alaska Hwy, and traversing South America with my cousin Alisa to Tierra Del Fuego.. It's time to go big.

I encourage and welcome any of you loyal readers that have longed for a west coast adventure to come and experience it with me. You let me know when you're coming, and I'll see to it that we can take off on yet another wild adventure.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time...

Treasure island.. Former home..

As I sit on the back balcony at Tim's place at Sopiago Springs, I'm realizing that it's my last night here. I know I won't be able to post this until the moment passes, but recording it as it happens currently seems important..
I've gathered my fire wood for the night, watched the last of the dirt bike riders roll away in their toy haulers, and filled myself with an "88 Burger" (so called the "only" place to eat in town (which is about 15 miles away)).
The silence is broken only by the few chirping birds, the crackle of the evening's fire echoing through the chimney, the muted rush of the creek down below, and the occasional buzzing of a mosquito in my ear. The temperature has dropped considerably since the sun set a half hour ago, and it will continue to get colder as the night sets in. I'm surrounded by the El Dorado National Forest, and the evergreens are all that I can see. It's really a beautiful place.
I haven't taken a single photograph since I've been at the camp; I'm not sure why. Maybe the overwhelming nature of this place is assuring me that I would never capture it anyway.
I've encountered many obstacles since I've been here; most of them involving the plumbing of the irrigation system. The camp is entirely supplied with water by the Sopiago Springs (bottled under the Black Mountain Spring Water name), which makes for an extremely complex system of pipes and valves throughout the property. It's rather humorous, though, to remember while on the can that you're crapping in $5/gallon spring water.

For the first time in my life, I'm drinking a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in the Sierra Nevada Mountains; something I've secretly been looking forward to for years.

For the first time in my life I've been challenged with the prospect that the dwelling in which I would live is heated only by a wood burning stove or the optional propane burner. The intermittent electricity is sourced from a combination of solar panels and a gasoline generator. The hot water tank is also heated by the 500 gallon propane tank sitting outside (which is currently empty). I haven't had regular cell phone reception since I got here, and it works only marginally in town. The internet is another scarce commodity, the only source of which I've found is a little coffee shop called "Bubs" in Pine Grove. --

(-- side note-- As I finished that sentence, I instinctually paused for the rustling in the woods in front of me. Not that I could see it in the fading ambient light, but I've also managed to lose my glasses in the last couple of days making it impossible to decipher shapes in the shadows of the pines. It's a rather sizable animal, and I'm glad that I'm elevated from the forest floor by several feet and within 2 seconds of the house door.)

I mention all of this not because I'm whining or feeling defeated by the difficulty of life here; I've lead a pretty comfortable and convenient life, but I'd like to think that I'm certainly no stranger to hardship.

It seems as though it's a recurring theme in recent years of my life, and the thing that troubles me most is the absence of those who I love. I'm constantly reminded of a question posed by Neil Young; "..So you say you're leavin' home, 'cause you want to be alone..ain't it funny how it feels when you're findin' out it's real?..".
The realization that I've come to is that this lifestyle is not one which is conducive to social interaction. There is a small family of people who visit the camp regularly, and even two other residents within a 5 minute walk, but an environment like this which breeds these kinds of 'necessary' friendships, is not exactly the one that I'm looking for.
Although not officially licensed and open for business, Sopiago even welcomes groups of people a couple of times a month; with the most recent being 150 dirt bike riders who held a Ronald McDonald House fundraiser this weekend. There were swarms of people, and almost every one of them was an avid motorcyclist.. or at least a motorsports enthusiast of some kind. So why such the long face when surrounded by all of these like-minded people? These interactions are either of the necessary type, or the temporary.

___

So I've made my decision. It was an instinct that caught me more off-guard that any of my lifetime. I had planned everything around this, and had drastically changed my life in the pursuit of arriving at the place in which I sit right now; and I'm leaving in the morning.

However spontaneous, though, this instinct must be recognized, and I can't quite decide whether I'm impressed at my own intuition, or dumbfounded that I've been wearing rose-colored glasses for so many months.

I've always professed that there is no such thing as regret- only things we do, and things we do not do.. And this situation, while on a much larger scale, is certainly no exception. The last month since leaving Cleveland has been nothing short of transcendental. It feels like a lifetime ago that I lived daily life on E. 30th st..
If nothing else, this endeavor has afforded me the opportunity to travel; to embark on the transcontinental motorcycle ride that I've dreamt about for at least ten years.. And it's been so much more than that.. The experiences along the way have instilled every emotion imaginable; excitement, fear, rage, despair, love, loneliness, gratitude, awe, inspiration... the list goes on-

It's all been a beautiful experience. The sounds of the ocean roaring hundreds of feet beneath me on the California coast, the smell of the Eucalyptus trees towering overhead as I ride, the beauty and grandeur of the Smokies, the Santa Catalina's, Big Bend, Joshua Tree, the Sierra's, & the coast.. The feeling of elation when I twisted on the throttle of my GS for the first time, the laugher that continued for days thereafter, and the peace that comes with freedom like this.

The only problem with all of this, and the part that dulls the experience and makes the freedom just a little bit bitter-sweet, is not having actually shared it. Thank all of you loyal readers for coming along on this journey with me. All of your support has proven to be much more meaningful and significant than you can imagine.

At this point, I am, for potentially the first time ever, completely un-tethered, uninhibited, open minded, and even a little lost. But I suppose it's time that I consider my own philosophy that sometimes you have to get a little lost in order to find your way.
I'm not sure what's next- for tomorrow, for the next day, for next week, or next month; the only thing I can say for sure is that as the sun rises over the ridge and floods the valley with warmth, I'll be portable again and riding.. and when the sun sets tomorrow and it's time again to lay and rest, it won't be here.
________________
-k




__________________________________

It's now Monday morning, and in the words of Mr. Miyagi:
"Sun shining, grass green; everything be ok"

let's ride.

MF'er and a Message From The Dude

I'm posting on the behalf of the Dude.
His stay at Sopiago will be a temporary one so anyone mailing anything should hold up a minute.
Don't go freaking out or anything, a post is sure to follow from the dude himself in the next week or so.
MF'er "over and out!"

inspiration, instincts, and realization

Grettings from the Sierra Nevada's.. I have no regular internet acces so excuse my absence from the blog..

At a time of the proverbial 'arrival', I've found myself amidst great confusion but ultimate clarity and realization..

I have removed the mailing addresses from the previous post as I have realized that my stay here will be temporary. If you were planning on it, please hold off on mailing anything..I can't say exactly what's next, or when exactly, I'll be departing, but regardless of everything I knew for certain in my heart in what I wanted, and in coming out here, I've painstakingly realized that this is not the place for me. Suffice it to say that this much time invested in nomadic wanderings and new experiences has taught me much. If there's one thing I live by, it's following my instincts.. they're not always right, but I always learn something in the end..

Thanks for following along on this journey,, and apparently, there's more to come.. I'm not quite done wandering yet.....


The WINNER of the contest is.......

MY MOM!!
after all, Momma always knows best.

The final count is 6616.6 miles.

However,, can we really call it quits on this journey? I'm not so sure.

much love.

Mmmmm!