Ride report! Seattle to Whistler, BC to LA

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted

Well technically the ride has not started yet but I dropped the bike off last night to be shipped. Gets picked up Wednesday afternoon and I fly to Seattle June 6th.

From Seattle it will be a 17 day trip ending in LA!

So far I have prepared much less than I should so hopefully next 2 weeks I get some routes planned and figure out packing.

Follow along!!

[Kawi Ken]

Best of luck with a great trip !
Look forward to your riding reports & pics. never having done a west coast trip myself. Someday !

[aldend123]

Do you ride MTB? All I ever hear, see, and read about in the MTB online communities is whistler mtb park. http://bike.whistlerblackcomb.com/
You can rent a bike to ride it. If you're unfamiliar, YouTube has plenty of videos to sell you on it.

Curious what it costs to ship the bike?

[Inferno]

Jealous! I moved out to MA from the greater Seattle area two years ago. The road up to Whistler should be nice since they completely redid it for the olympics

[Manny]

I do quite a bit (although not that well!). I may or may not head out alone....always a bit risky.

Bike shipping is just under 700 each way.

Do you ride MTB? All I ever hear, see, and read about in the MTB online communities is whistler mtb park. http://bike.whistlerblackcomb.com/
You can rent a bike to ride it. If you're unfamiliar, YouTube has plenty of videos to sell you on it.

Curious what it costs to ship the bike?

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted

Progress!! Bike has arrived in Seattle, about a week ahead of schedule.


Started packing! Really have no idea what to take. im sure ill pick stuff up along the way.

Got a nice hard case for my laptop so hopefully it survives without incident.

[Dave603]

Hey Manny I was in Seattle and San Francisco for much of last year and rode much of the Highway 1 up the California coast. Be prepared for some awesome views, I wasn't able to make it north of Seattle while I was there, just the Olympic Peninsula area and even then the views were still incredible. You you look like you are doing it on the right bike though. I rode my 2011 Yamaha R1 cross country end of august last year with a duffle bag bungee corded to my tail! Crossed in 4 1/2 days, wished I took more pictures but time didn't allow me to enjoy it the way you plan to!! Keep us updated on your progress and good luck!!

[nhbubba]

My opinion: pack less cotton and more synthetics..

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted

My opinion: pack less cotton and more synthetics..

I have 4 sets of underarmour gear which I will do my riding in.

But I have 3 full weekends and all the nights in between that I will be hanging out/going out. Most of the clothes is for that.

[Puppet]

Is your number the same? I'll give you a ring later. I've ridden most of that area and can give you some of thevtravel tips that have worked well for me. Sorry, don't feel like typing it all out on my phone.

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted

Is your number the same? I'll give you a ring later. I've ridden most of that area and can give you some of thevtravel tips that have worked well for me. Sorry, don't feel like typing it all out on my phone.

That would be awesome. Anytime next week is good. I head out Thursday. Number should be the same!

[breakdirt916]

Free apt to crash, shower to use, internet and food in long beach from fellow/former nesrian!

I know that most solo ride reports end up with pics of the bike stationary or you standing next to it, so if ya need it I'd be happy to meet up with ya and follow you on gopro or be on the side of a canyon road for action pics when you're closer to LA

[DucDave]

Hey Manny...you gonna stop in Portland and say hi to Miles?

[Manny]

Hey Manny...you gonna stop in Portland and say hi to Miles?

Got any contact info for him?

[Manny]

Soooo.......

Ended up landing in Seattl every late Thursday night. Around 12 or so local time. Got a hotel about 2 miles form the shop where my bike was shipped to. Picked the bike up around 10am, loaded up - my stuff more or less fit. I had NOT done test fit which would have been smart, but I never had time.

The ride to Whistler was pretty nice. Seattle to the boarder has some very nice scenery and then trafic through vancouver before the Sea to Sky highway starts, 99, to Whistler. This road was redone in prep for the olympics so the pavement is really nice.

Lunch spot about 50 miles before Whistler

[Manny]

Spent the weekend in Whistler. What an awesome place. The scenery is the best I have ever seen - mountains, lakes, great houses, beaches, parks everything. Saturday and Sunday I met up with an old good friend I had not seen in 16 years since he moved there. Rented a mountain bike sunday and he showed me the local hot spots of which there are about a million.

The mountain bike scene there is insane. The place is filled like a ski resort on a powder day with bikers. The bike park at whistler an amazing place to watch some crazy riders do crazy crazy things.

Sunday i also went to the top of the peaks and crossed the peak-peak gondola which is an incredible thing. It was freezing up top.

[Manny]

Today was a great day of riding. I am in Sun Peaks BC. I have no idea why I chose this place but it seemed like a good destination. Im not a big picture taker I stopped twice to trya nd get a couple of shots but honestly the roads are narrow and super curvy and its not the safest thing to do.

I also saw a huge bear on the side of the road leaving whistler which was cool since it was across traffic from me!

[Degsy]

Wirelessly posted

Awesome! Looking forward to more reports!

[Paul_E_D]

Wirelessly posted

Awesome! Looking forward to more reports!

me too!!! Whistler is the best mountain resort in America IMO

[Manny]

Ok, time for a little update.

I left sun peaks for 2 days of BC riding towards Vancouver. BC riding was great. Good weather, great roads, scenery was beautiful. Got to Vancouver and chilled for a day which worked out great as it was very rainy anyhow.

[Manny]

In Vancouver the only real tourist thing I did was visit the Capilano suspension bridge park which was cool[URL=http://s18.photobucket.com/user/Menachem/media/MotoTrip/IMG_0055_zps3f9b42aa.jpg.html]
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[Manny]

From Vancouver I continued south for 2 days of riding in Washington state. Hit some great views and roads - a few sprinkles but no real rain other than a crazy 10 minute downpour that I couldn't see shit during and couldn't get off the road as it came on so fast.

[Manny]

Form there I went to Mt St Helens - it was cool but foggy so I couldn't see the crater - some of the roads are still closed there due to snow actually.[URL=http://s18.photobucket.com/user/Menachem/media/MotoTrip/IMG_0086_zps826f0e38.jpg.html][/URL

[Manny]

Spent the weekend in Portland and today blew through Oregon on the backroads stopping at crater lake and into Weed California and Mt Shasta where I am spending the night. Tomorrow I will hit what destination highways labels the 1st, 4th and 6th best roads in CA. We shall see.

Crater Lake is nuts. They get up to 44 feet of snow there. Most of the roads around the crater are still piled high with snow. And it starts snowing again in September!

[Manny]

So far I have done about 2K miles. May not be a lot to some, but its almost more street riding than I have done the last 2 years combined!

I head to Napa from here where I will likely veg out on tuesday and not ride at all - and then on wed to LA where my wife will meet up on wednesday night. Bike ships home on Thursday.....