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| Reverend Bill misunderstood when someone said "Bring Pot!" |
Friday morning six hardy souls met in West Seattle at Easy Street Cafe for a quick bite, a cup of Joe and off to the 0845 Fauntleroy ferry direct to Southworth. Quiet cool back-roads led us south through Ollala, Purdy and Allyn as we wound our way to Belfair State Park.
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| Beach Loop, Belfair State Park |
We snagged two prime campsites right on the beach, stocked up on firewood, and made camp. Tarpzilla was strung from trees over the tables and we were good to go riding. While Greg, wife Judy and daughter Jesse hung in camp, Dionne, Brian and Reverend Bill headed innocently up into Tahuya State Forest to find some trails to ride.
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| Dionne F650GS |
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| Brian Lee, F800GS skirting puddles |
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| Vogue |
We spent a couple hours on single track trails in the Mission Creek area. These trails were challenging. Bikes were dropped, sweat perspired, and skills enhanced, as we made our way around some great riding. While wet feet were expected, sweaty helmets were more the case. Dionne kicked ass on her F650GS! Brian Lee worked his F800GS on some twisty paths. Reverend Bill, well, it is the Mighty T-Dub. Close to the ground, it's a different game when things go sideways.
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| Determination | | | | |
After an enjoyable day, we returned to camp to find Shane and Terry had joined the group. Dionne soon left for Whidbey Island for a date with friends, leaving us seven for the night. In camp we assessed and determined we lacked critical mass for a seafood feast, so that plan was shelved for the next night. After a quick provision run into town we were set for an enjoyable evening around the fire. The moon rose full and bright right before bedtime, and clear skies saw us off to our tents.
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| Neighbor Karen brought coffee and danish to the fire |
The forecast low that night was 38F, but the weather gods had something else in store. A thick coating of frost and 28F greeted our turnout in the morning. A morning fire is always welcome on a chilly morn. As the sun and temperatures rose, coffee and conversation filled the camp.
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| 28F & Frosty |
Phil and Brian Johnson showed up for the day, soon followed by Jason Stiffey, daughter Brianne and son Jason Jr.. Jason had offered to provide coaching and instruction in riding off-road, and a few days prior he’d pre-run some of the routes.
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| Jason Stiffey Holding Court |
Let me say emphatically, Mr. Stiffey
MADE this outing. He's an MSF Instructor, rides his R1200GS like a rock star, and has mad teaching skills. His humor and enthusiasm is infective. We were blessed to have him join our group, as every one of us learned from Jason. Thank you Brother!!
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| Jason Stiffey: Coach, Instructor, All-Around Good Guy |
His local knowledge was key in making the plan he rolled out to the group. We would head up to an easy area called “The Track” where eight-year-old Jesse could ride with her Dad, and the other riders could work on some basic skills.
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| Jesse on The Track |
A nearby gravel road allowed some fundamental riding techniques to be explained and practiced. Jesse was the star, piloting her Honda CR50 for miles with Dad on “a real road.”
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| A Real Road!! |
Brianne was not riding her bike or horse this day, rather choosing to drive the jeep on some challenging terrain. She also did some photography for the group. Jason Jr. proved to be a mature and thoughtful guide when Phil and Reverend Bill were separated from Jason and Brian. Nice reflection on your Dad, guys.
By early afternoon we were done, and headed back to camp in small groups. Jason and his crew headed for home, as did Phil and Brian Johnson. We picked up Marcel who found us on the trails, but preferred to ride with his friend. He chose to camp with us for the night as well.
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| "That's what I'm talk'n about!" |
With brew kettle mounted on the T-Dub, one last phone call to the oyster farm revealed that the sunny weather had enticed them to take the day off, and our seafood feed was not to be. Instead we rode into town for provisions.
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| Birthday dinner is shaping up. |
A nice rib-eye was on the menu for dinner, along with a birthday cake for Reverend Bill.
Jesse was kind enough to decorate the cake with a motorcycle climbing a hill.
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| Nice cake Jesse |
Cocktail hour, a fire, and a pleasant evening ensued. A neighbor Karen brought us a plate of cheese and crackers and shared in our birthday cake. We slept under much warmer temps than the previous night.
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| Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW, Suzuki, & Honda represent in this camp |
Sunday dawned warm and bright, again a morning fire bringing life to the day. Overnight the Easter Bunny paid a call.
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| A rubber snake in every Easter basket |
After a relaxed morning, camp was struck and we headed out. Greg, Jesse and Judy headed back up the hill for a little more dirt practice, while Brian Lee, Marcel and Reverend Bill headed to Southworth on back roads.
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| Marcel & Brian on the boat |
Thoughts on Tahuya:
1.The remarkable soil, of glacial origin, tolerates water well. The puddles were numerous and are some cases epic, but rarely was there even a spot of mud. The long puddles rarely held any surprises and were quite uneventful to ride through- usually. One sub-marine tree root sent me sideways across the trail, as I buried my front tire into the bank, the bike almost fell over into the water. Stuck sideways in the trail, soon I was underway with only my pride wrinkled.
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| Tahuya ground after a record wet March |
2. The courteous nature of others at Tahuya was a pleasant surprise. Everyone was respectful, helpful, and friendly. At one point when Jesse dropped her bike, a passing ATV rider had her picked up before Greg could dis-mount to grab his daughter. Folks were great.
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| Belfair State Park |
3. Belfair State Park: A beautiful spot on the water, with large campsites and ready access to the beach. Our camp hosts were the nicest folks you can imagine. They brought firewood around to the camp, were informative and extremely welcoming.
Stay tuned for the next ride in early May…
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| Reverend Bill's not saying what's in the pot |
Good on ya, brother. Once again, an awesome ride. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnd special thanks to Jason! Yer a champ.