Three Sisters mountains, central Oregon

Sweetly aromatic perfume from tiny wildflowers stirred me from my slumber. The mountain morning sun glowed through the filmy tent, inhaling and exhaling as it rose. I rubbed sleep from gritty morning eyes and rolled out of my comfortable cocoon into the open expanse, and gazed at the bright, new day. After a few quiet minutes the water for the day's caffeine was soon on the boil. These fragile and fleeting moments rolled into an honest day's ride are some of the reasons I prefer to tour on two wheels.

I'd planned for four days' riding over a long weekend, pouring over dog-eared maps, and this was the third morning of an excellent ride. In organising my ride I'd vowed to not roll my tires down the interstate highway system; all secondary and back roads for me on this one! In that time I'd covered easy three or four hundred mile days over high and low mountain passes, down through winding valleys, along meandering rivers, trolling through small towns, past verdant farmland and hillside vineyards, past lazily grazing cattle and toiling field hands on their knees in rows running away to the horizon.

I've traveled a few roads in a few different places since taking up motorcycling in the mid-70's and I truly believe the roads of Oregon and Washington have some of the finest roads in all of motorcyclingdom. I was thoroughly enjoying finding them again after fifteen years of tearing up the tarmac on motorbikes around here.

The air was mostly hot and dry over that weekend so my armored and ventilated gear was confirmed as a good choice. My comfortable Rev'It gloves, BMW All'round boots, Summer pants with their zip-off lower legs, and Comfort Shell riding jacket with vents zipped open, made the experience all the better. So, when blasting down a two-lane strip of unfamiliar, bumpy bitumen, leaned over to the edge of your tires, corners coming in fast and hard, car drivers blindly hurtling at you in the middle of your lane, cell phone to their ear, it pays to be wearing the right gear. We like to think that we're indestructible, but in reality we are soft forms, and not meant to be tumbling from the height of a motorbike's seat at high rates of speed.

Safely back home with a few happy snaps of sights I'll keep in my mind's eye, sipping a cold beverage of suitable vintage, reflecting on the roads covered, the scenery viewed, and intimacy renewed with our two-wheeled equid. It truly is a good life on two wheels.

We sincerely hope you are enjoying your own version of a Pacific Northwest Summer riding season, and beyond.