Little 400 mile solo jaunt yesterday, Seattle to Winthrop and back over Highway 20, one of my favourite bike roads here in Washington. Beautiful day, left overcast Seattle about 0730 or so. Followed the I-5 interstate to Arlington, then turned right and started winding my way up the flanks of the Cascades.

Minimal traffic, the bike purring beneath me, not a single police car in sight, my radar detector glowing it's reassuring green led at me. Reached the small town of Darrington, the clouds broke up and the sun started streaming down.

Flowed through the roads leading up toward the pass, following jagged riverbanks. The rivers now mere trickles, the logs and debris piles from the massive spring glacier runoff towering over the gravel beds. Green. Everything so green and lush, the sun filtering through the leaves.

No pics from the trip to Winthrop, too busy enjoying the road, no traffic to speak of, and the few vehicles I did come up on pulled over to let me through. Lots of riders even this early, but mostly cruisers just putting along. Everyone smiling and waving.

Got to Winthrop just as my low fuel light came on, gassed up, and decided to hit a local brew pub for some lunch. Grrr. Not open until 11:30 . I pulled a granola bar and a bottle of water from my tankbag, deciding to do the return trip.

Reset my tripmeter, and pulled out. Cruised the straights along the long flat valleys of desertlike Eastern Washington, mindful of the huge deer population. Great herds, a roadside sign has a tally of collisions, it's over 800 this year alone. I didn't see a single one, though.

Gradually winding upward, leaving scrubland for forest, the road starts to sweep back and forth as it climbs. I pass a few RV's, come around a curve, and....

Yep, Cobra. Met the guy at a fuel stop on the other side, he's only had it about a month, it's got a 351 with 450 hp under the hood. We talked for 20 minutes or so about cars and bikes, nice to see another motorhead out enjoying his toys.

Nearing the top of the pass, jagged peaks all around, sunny and beautiful, warm even up here.

The reassuring little green light...

Buggy self portrait... the road ahead....

Lots of elements, Me, my bike, my detector, scenery. Happiness.

Still life...

Looking east...

Almost at the top...

Over the shoulder...

No pics of the run down the mountain. Upon cresting the peak, the road opens up, big straights, lots of shoulder, long sweeping turns, desolate. 100-130 is comfortable, but it keeps your attention focused.

As the road sinks into the side of a rivercut ravine, it tightens up slightly, there's 10-15 miles of 90-100mph sweepers, linking left, right, left... The pavement is smooth, the radii are constant, you can really feel the tires set and the suspension work. Legs get a little tired here, as you're constantly hanging off alternate sides, bracing against the acceleration/braking forces as you pull from one apex to the next, never coasting, either on the gas or the brakes. That magical flow so few rides end up having.

After the sweeper section, the highway tightens up as it's choked up by the terrain, having to bend disjointedly around rock outcrops as it clings to the exposed mountainside. Hard to flow here, the speeds are anywhere from 20 to 120, with a few decreasing radius curves to keep you on your toes. Also, there's nothing but thin air to your right, a mistake here will ruin your whole day. This dischordant ( but challenging and fun because of it) section lasts for 20 miles or so until you're spit out in the small speed trap town of Newhalem, where the road takes a 90 degree right and leaves the company of the river it was following for so long. The speed limit also hauls down to 30mph, and the town cop loves to sit around the bend just past the sign and ticket riders as they're slowing. No one there today, though, as I cruised at the limit through the quarter-mile of "town".

Newhalen to Marblemount, this 20 mile section of road follows another stream, winding through a lush tunnel of green....

Smooth arcs....

They're finishing up some paving here, the few ripples from repairs in years past ( the steep mountainsides often deliver rockslides as meltwater-engorged creeks tumble down) smoothed flat again. I love new pavement, seems like you could stick until your shoulder touches down.

There's a small pull-off area on this road, the entrance is blocked with rocks placed close together. My Valkyrie, with it's fat flat-six motor, didn't have a chance, but I squeezed through today. It was simply a paved parking area along a river, slowly being engulfed by the forest again. I went as far as I could, then walked to the river. Beautiful. Sad that the whole place has been condemned to death, but there must have been issues with it, as it's in a desolate area. Too bad.

Well, that's all. Stopped and got some powerful organic crystallized ginger from the Cascadia farms hippie store, then rolled back to Seattle uneventfully, as I spent most of the ride following a sheriff's SUV that was in turn following some bikers. Home in time to change and hit a friend's BBQ. A good day.