Day off today so time for a road trip on the bike. I have been watching the weather for a whole week in anticipation of this absolutely gorgeous weather and I was not disappointed. The weather forecast actually got better the closer it got and the last few days have been beautiful.

I had a bit of a late start due to an appointment, but I finally got on the road ready to check this place out that has eluded me in the past. I had a large breakfast, so no need for food for a while. I am mainly going to head up and have a look around, but mostly I want to get on two wheels on a day like this. After our extensive four-wheeling adventures the last 16 years far back into the mountains of CO, I have seen many beautiful mountain vistas.

I headed up the road into the park. It was a fantastic day to be on the Magna – blue sky, sunshine, 60 degrees. I was nearing an overlook and the bike started to sputter. What the hell is going on here?!?! I got up the hill and into the overlook. Yeah, it was a nice view and all, but dammit… my bike just died! What am I going to do?

Now, I am no mechanic, let alone a motorcycle mechanic. I can change oil and plugs, but anything else I am not much good at fixing a bike. I walked around a few minutes and thought about it and turned the bike around, hopped on it, and aimed it down the hill. I coasted about 3 1/2 miles or so and the road flattened out so I came to a stop. I got it over on the side of the road and tried to start it but it would not start. Damn. I thought about it for several minutes more and tried to put the puzzle together. “Hmmm… the tripmeter had 109 miles on it, and a tank will go about 250 or so. The fuel light never came on, but it comes on when the key is turned so the lamp is working. Is it out of fuel?”. I jiggled the bike and no sloshing came from the depths of the gas tank. I KNEW I shoulda stopped to get gas… IF that is the problem…

To make the story shorter, I made some calls and ended up calling out a tow company for some gas that ended up costing me about $39 per gallon with the delivery. Well, guess dinner is at home tonight after that. About 90 minutes after this dilemma started the gas shows up. It gets into the bike, and I tried to raise it from the dead. The battery ran out of juice so he jumped it with a battery pack and it roared to life… IT… IS… A-LIVE!!!! I signed over my next born child for this overpriced gas (guess the joke was on them!) and went on my way… back down the hill to Port Angeles to fill the tank, and to get some water and a snack.

I got to town and got the aforementioned items. I came out and headed back to my bike. A lady with her grandson about three years of age were walking back to their car, and the kid’s mom was walking back to her side of the van. I had my helmet on and heard them say something but could not hear it clearly. I said “Pardon me?” and they said the little boy told me “Nice bike!”. That was pretty cool to hear the little guy say so I asked him if he wanted to sit on the bike. Grandma brought him over and I told her to get her camera while I put him on it and she could take a few pics of him on it. I turned the handlebars to the side so he could hold one of the grips easier. He was pretty happy and excited to sit up there.

That little guy was pretty happy, and smiled big while a couple of pictures were taken. I got him back onto the ground so they could leave and they thanked me with a big smile and waved. I moved my bike over to the side to have a snack and the mom smiled at me and the dad of the little boy said “Thanks! You made his day and he will always remember that. Thank you so much.” That was pretty cool and the day turned around then.

I debated on what to do and I said to myself “That damn road is NOT going to defeat me today!” so I went back up. This time, all was good. A beautiful ride continued all the way up to the top.

I walked around the top for a little bit, looking out over the mountains and thinking about how it reminds me of a couple of vistas in Colorado – the mountains as you are looking out from the south side of Mt. Evans, and the view south towards the mountains surrounding Long’s Peak near the summit of Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a nice view no doubt, and probably one of the nicest ones around here for mountains.

I took out for home and really was liking this road and the snow-capped peaks I was in the middle of. A really nice ride and i will go back when I am better prepared for a hike in the warmer weather.

I would definitely recommend a trip to Hurricane Ridge. Plan on spending the day and doing some hiking or a picnic in the warmer months. As you can see by the pictures there is still quite a bit of snow up high so a check of the conditions in advance would be advisable as the road does close due to snow. Also, be aware of the sand on the road, and higher up there are places where gravel comes off the hillsides and onto the highway so look out for those land mines. I would make sure to bring appropriate clothing, food, water… and especially some gas!