Kickstand up for Tillamook Day 6

Day 6 September 13, 2007

The day dawns and I decide to do a little motorcycle maintenance before hitting the road. I had noticed that my chain seemed a little loose so I got out my tool kit and adjusted it in the parking lot of the motel. I lubed my chain and in general gave the bike's running gear a quick inspection. I check the tire pressures and then pack up the bike and head out east on 58 towards Willamette Pass. It was a beautiful morning and the road was in great shape with lots of nice curves. It must be a main route between Klamath Falls and Eugene because there is a lot of truck traffic on the road. There are lots of nice places to take pictures of the scenery along the way. After I make it over the top of the pass the road intersects highway 97 and I head south on 97 towards Klamath Falls. I stop there at the Black Bear Dinner and have a nice big lunch and then I head for Lava Beds National Monument. This area was the location of a war between the Modoc Indians and the US government in 1872 to 1873. The Modocs eventually lost and went to the reservation like all of the rest of the tribes eventually would. To bad they hadn't invented Indian Casinos yet, if so the whole war may have been averted. I took this picture at the monument.The road south from the monument was the most "interesting" road encountered on the trip. The Federal Governments idea of repairing pot holes is to simply fill them up with loose gravel. It maded for 15 miles or so of dodging and careful maneuvering to avoid slipping and sliding. Eventually I make it to a county highway and then back to highway 139 south towards Canby. I take the Lookout Road as a shortcut to 299. Just after turn off on this road I think to myself "I better watch out for animals on the road." Right after this thought I come around a corner and up ahead is a small herd of cows on the road! I slow way down and pass by them without any problem. A little while later I see two young deer right next to the road up ahead. I do my best high performance slow down so if they head across the road or if mom is nearby I can stop in time. I get past them with no problems. A little later I see a buck well off of the road and pass by him too. Wow in this one stretch of road I have encountered more wildlife than the whole trip up to this point. I make it to highway 299 and head west through Macarther and Fall River. I make a stop at the Pit One powerhouse.




















This powerhouse is one of eight built in this area by the company I work for, Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Pit One was a headquarters with housing for workers, a cookhouse and even a swimming pool! I was built in a time when even a powerhouse was designed to be an interesting building to look at. I always liked the way it resembled a castle. Oh well those times are gone and today if PG&E was building a powerhouse they would not spend a dime on non-functional elements like how pleasing it would look in 50 years from now. I think we have lost something in the modern corporate goals of maximizing profits to the exclusion of all else. I continue on west 299 through Burney then over Hatchet Pass and down to Redding for a nights stay a motel 6. Tomorrow will be my last day on the road.

318 miles.