USA
April
26, 2012 - We left Vancouver in the drizzle and spent the better part
of the eight hour initial ride in the rain. It stopped on the east
side of Snoqualmie pass and slowly the weather got better. Our
goal for the day was White Salmon, where we will stay for a few
days in the house of a friend and help bottle wine at
Major Creek Cellars.
On the way there, we took the canyon road between Ellensburg and
Yakima.
My friend Jim's house is located near the top of a mountain and set in spectacular scenery. Mount Adams is in the background.
Below is a shot from the top of Catherine Creek, overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, a short hike away.
The weather is such that we'll press on southwards to John Day, Oregon, as it's too early in the season to go east and visit Yellowstone, something Jan had his sights set on.
I've ridden the Maupin, Shaniko, Antelope, Fossil etc. area quite extensively and we had a lot of fun on the twisties.
The beautiful ride to John Day contrasts the drabness of the town. At least the local eatery had a good sense of humor.
Hwy 395 snakes through endless high desert areas, some of which are quite remote. There were lots of opportunities to take pictures but we pressed on, wanting to get off the higher elevations. Although it was dry, the temperature was close to freezing.
On the second day after leaving White Salmon, we ended up in Susanville, California. From here, we'll go to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park, then head east to Utah.