September 2019 Newsletter
Contents
Willow Creek, Lilooet, BC Recap
August Gallery
From the Handle Bars of the President
Seattle Meet and Greet
Oyster Run - September 22
Road Captain Rumblings
September Rally
Day Rides
Treasurer Ramblings
Club Finances
Portland Meet & Greet/Day Ride
More Treasurer Ramblings
50th Anniversary Events
Calendar of Events
Member Birthdays
Meet & Greets
Reader’s Corner
Welcome
The Border Riders Motorcycle Club (BRMC) is an organized group of guys who like to ride and camp. Our membership spans the Pacific Northwest, with the greatest participation in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver B.C. We have one of the largest memberships of gay clubs in North America, and welcome like-minded guests to join us on our monthly club events and local activities during the riding months. Check the main page of the website at www.borderriders.com for additional information.
Willow Creek BC - Recap
For those of us riding to Lillooet from points south it was a long day ride. Some members took advantage of finding a stopover on Thursday night to make the ride on Friday less stressful. The hundred fifty nine mile route from the border to Lillooet that most of the riders followed started on Canadian Highway 1 going east from the border to Hope. We continued one hundred seven miles north on Highway 1 to Highway 12 at Lytton and on to Lillooet. Despite the distances we rode to get to Lillooet, the ride was on beautiful mountain highways through southwestern British Columbia. These mountains felt different from riding through the Cascades of Washington and Oregon. They were close, steep, with cliffs everywhere, along river canyons and had many slide areas. Generally, even though it was a cloudy day, the riders did not experience any severe rain storms. There were a few showers but we didn’t get drenched. For the rest of the weekend the weather was good, even warm at times.
The Willows Campground was only a short ride out of Lillooet, so getting to the gas station, and restaurants was easy. Where we set up camp was above the highway overlooking the Fraser River and the mountains west of the river. It was a beautiful view, and it was quiet and private. We were warned to not leave food items around the camp site because of the proximity of bears. We didn’t see any wild life in the campground, but riders did see bears, deer, elk and mountain sheep while on the road.
One of us had a close encounter with a deer on the road. Damage to the bike wasn’t catastrophic, but the rider got his share of road rash on both arms. That wasn’t the only mishap. At the beginning of Saturday’s day ride, the writer chose the wrong place to park, his foot slipped and he and the bike went rubber-up into the ditch. Despite all the drama, again nothing catastrophic happened to either the bike or the rider.
There was basically one day ride on Saturday that split up at about the half-way mark. Nine riders took off on Highway 99 north of Lillooet to Pavilion where the group left the highway and joined Pavilion-Clinton gravel road. The whole group followed this road for nearly twenty miles. At times it was challenging because of running water damage, washboards and pot holes. The riders had to put all of their riding skills to work to complete this trip. Despite the challenges of this route, it provided a completely different view of the wild landscape than riding down a highway at sixty mph.
Just before reaching the town of Clinton where the group reached the Danielson Road, the group split up. Five riders decided that it was time to find lunch and went on to Clinton and then Cache Creek for lunch. The other group continued on up Danielson Road which was in much better condition than the Pavilion-Clinton road but still gravel. This group of four riders didn’t stop for lunch, but stopped for a snack on the way back to camp. In all, this group completed fifty two miles on gravel roads on their day ride. For both groups on this day ride, it was an adventure that they will not forget.
One thing that many of the riders learned on this trip was to avoid traveling on Canadian Highway 1 between Abbotsford and Hope if at all possible. Both going and coming the ride on Highway 1 was interrupted by traffic jams and speeds of less than twenty mph.
Submitted by John Dunn, Secretary
BRMC Group Photo, Willow Creek, BC
August Gallery
Photos from members and guests from last month’s rides and adventures.
From the Handlebars of the President
Labor Day Weekend? How’d that happen? Where’d the summer go? If you haven’t signed up for the 50th Anniversary Rally there is still time to do so. You don’t have to attend the whole rally.
Our run to Lillooet, BC last month was another good run. We had a smaller group. I left work about 1:30 in the afternoon for the trek north. Traffic was bad getting out of Everett and the farther north I went the more ominous the sky was looking. I realized I didn’t have my rain gear with me and even though I was passing my house decided not to stop and get it. The border crossing was a bit of a wait. When I arrived there were only a few cars in line in front of me. Just north of the crossing is a train track and a train went by. Due to the proximity to the border, they Canadian side stops inspecting cars while the train passes. It seemed like forever before the guard let the next car through after the train had passed.
Downstream view of the Bridge River.
After crossing the border I turned onto the Trans-Canada Highway towards Hope. As I was on the onramp I realized it was the beginning of rush hour and traffic was very slow. Fortunatly the traffic was moving and by the time I got past Chilliwack traffic was good. I stopped in Hope for dinner as I knew I wouldn’t make it to Lillooet in time to meet everyone else for dinner. I headed north on Hwy 1 towards Lytton. The ride was pretty uneventful for the first 40 miles but then it began to rain. I had rain off and on for the next 33 miles to Lytton. Sometimes it was raining pretty hard and other areas had no rain but the roadway was very wet. I stopped in Lytton for gas and about 10 miles outside of town saw a bear. There were several apple trees just off the shoulder of the road and the bear was eating the apples. As he heard me coming he ran off. I arrived into an empty campground at 7:30. Everyone was off to dinner.
I set up my tent and then road into town. On the way into town I met most of the others headed back to camp. The evening was spent enjoying the propane fire as we campground didn’t allow open fires.
Time to turn around and head back to Lillooet.
Saturday morning the gang all went to breakfast and then as John explained in the recap most of the group headed off for a day ride. Two of stayed at the café and chatted for awhile. I then rode through town and turned up the Bridge River Road along the Bridge River. The confluence of the Bridge and Fraser Rivers is a traditional native fishing ground. A few miles outside of town was a sign that read, “Check your gas, Next gas 47 km”. I checked my gas and decided I would be cutting it close but should be fine. Similar to Hwy 12, the road went along the river canyon but most of the time the road was far above the river bottom. I passed an Indian Reserve or two and then came to the end of the pavement at about 12 miles from town. I decided I didn’t want to continue on the gravel road so turned around and headed back to camp for a much needed nap.
An old homestead along the Bridge River.
Sunday morning found the group rising early and with everyone pretty much all leaving together as a group. One guest decided to ride alone and was the last to leave camp but caught up to the group before Lytton. The group was headed to the Chinese restaurant in Lytton for breakfast. I was the last of the group to leave camp and the guest riding ahead of me lost something off his bike so I turned around to pick it up and took some time to catch up to the remainder of the group. I stopped in Lytton to say goodbye and wish everyone a safe ride. I headed on my own down the Trans-Canada Highway and when I reached Hope I turned onto Hwy 7 to head east along the north side of the Fraser River. Hwy 7 is a more scenic alternative to Hwy 1. Once I reached the border crossing I had to wait nearly an hour to cross and I stopped for lunch at Bob’s Burgers in Sumas.
September holds one final club hurrah for the riding season that is the 50th Anniversary Rally. Please consider joining us on all or part of it. Remember to keep the shiny side up!
The Seattle Meet and Greet on August 21st had 8 guys there, 5 members and 3 guests. For Daniel this was his second meet and greet but the first one that was attended by BRMC members. He attended in June but none of the members were there. Another guest decided to try his luck at the pull tabs and won the top prize of $599. Thanks to Chris, Richard, Jeremy, Jason, Jeff, Darryl, Tim and Daniel for turning out. The next meet and greet will be on September 18th at 7:00 pm at the Cuff. Come out and join us.
Oyster Run
The 38th Annual Oyster Run will be in Anacortes on September 22. This is the day after the end of the 50th Anniversary Rally and our club meeting in Burlington. It would be fun to get a group together to go over to Anacortes and check it out. http://www.oysterruninc.org
The Oyster Run is a free one day event and depending on the weather draws between 10,000 and 20,000 motorcycles. Commercial Avenue in Old Downtown Anacortes is blocked off to all traffic except motorcycles. For 8 or 9 blocks motorcycles are parked 4 rows deep, a row on each curb and a row down the middle. In addition, some of the 1% clubs have designated parking on the side streets. The vendors are located on the cross streets and are open from 9:00 to 5:00. The Seattle Cossacks Motorcycle Drill Team performs at 11:00 and 1:00. If you have never seen the Seattle Cossacks perform it is worth the trip just to see them perform on their vintage Harleys from the 1930s and 1940s. More about the Seattle Cossacks can be found on their webpage at http://www.seattlecossacks.com. There is also live music from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
It is fun to walk up and down the street looking at all the different bikes.
Road Captain Rumblings
John did a great recap once again of the trip to Lillooet. The area around Lillooet is dotted with back roads and the map shows many of them with double lines which is supposed to indicate paved roads, but have come to realize that it means they wish they were paved, not necessarily that they are. We took the Pavilion-Clinton “HIGHWAY” as indicated on the sign in Pavilion. (Originally Todd and Dale were just going to scout it out, but everyone followed.) We knew it wasn’t going to be great as the road is not maintained in the winter. From the internet: Why not take the short cut from Clinton to Pavilion, past Kelly Lake and over Pavilion mountain. Great views! Nice gravel road with 12 and 18% grades. Yes, it was a shortcut - 18 miles versus 43, had great views with the grades as advertised, and can say much of the road was nice, but not all.
Parts of the road proved to be a great refresher course in looking through a corner, picking your preferred path while on gravel through a steep switchback. Goal was to make it through and keep the shiny side up (though can’t say there was a much of a shiny side after being on the road for a while) Only one minor mishap and that wasn’t through a turn, but loss of footing while stopping on one of the hills. Real pavement looked pretty good after coming to the end. I don’t know how many would do it again, but it is a great to have the experience when you come to a washout on a highway or a detour that takes you onto gravel and have the confidence that you can handle the situation.
Seattle Area Day Ride
The August 6th day ride meeting for lunch in Raymond had 11 riders combined between Seattle and Portland. There was not a lot of big group riding, but rather a lot of small groups taking different routes. The September Day Ride will be on the 7th. The meeting place and destination will be sent out via email before then.
Treasurer’s Ramblings
Club Finances & Such
Club finances are healthy. Account balances are where I expect them to be. Account Receivables are acceptable and our Liabilities are practically non-existent. I have done a YTD Monthly Cash Flow Statement and I will bring that so the September meeting for anyone who would like to look it over.
As always, contact me at our next event for more details.
Portland’s M&G & Day Ride
Portland’s August M&G was well attended with “guests”. Blue, Rudy, Larry & Andrew stopped by to visit & get to know some BRMC Members of which there was only 1, me.
If you are a Portland Member and you haven’t gone to a M&G yet this summer, shame on you. I was the only member at the August M&G and that’s a very sad representation of local member’s dedication and support, or lack there of, to the club.
Portland’s next M&G will be Wednesday September 4th at the Eagle on Lombard at 7:00. I hope to see you there.
Keep in mind that if you decide to go for a ride you can always reach out to the club by posting something on our FB page. Hopefully, you’ll get a response and have someone to ride with.
The Rally
Well, the Rally has finally arrived and with it is the AMT Class from Team Oregon in Albany. This is a rare opportunity to get this kind of training and I can’t wait. Review the information on our website and the 2 attachments at the bottom of the daily description. If you still need additional information after reading all this, contact me and let’s see if I can help.
I continue to get contacted by people saying, “I want to go but I can’t attend the whole Rally.” Keep in mind, you are not required to attend the whole Rally. You may come and go as you wish. I know people who are only coming in for the 1st weekend because that is all they can attend. I know one member who plans on attending the 1st weekend, ride home Monday, work the rest of the week and meet back up with everyone in Burlington on Saturday for the closing celebration. Again, you are free to come and go as you please but you need to register first.
Also, I know it will be a stretch for some of you more northern riders to get to the AMT course in Albany by noon so I am hoping the Portland people will open their homes on Friday night. This will make it possible for the northerners who want to play on this course but live too far north to get to the course on time.
Registration for the Rally “CLOSED” on July 31st, 2019 as did the hotel pricing. If you wanted to go and missed the opportunity contact Dennis our Road Captain or Stan the Treasurer and let’s see if there is anything we can do to help you register late.
For those who register, you should receive an e-mail from me shortly after registering asking about the dates you plan to join the festivities. Please be ready with that information and get it back to me ASAP.
Don’t forger, even though you are registered for the Rally, you still need to register for the September meeting happening at the end of the Rally. There is a link on the website to sign up for the September meeting.
Upcoming Motorcycle Class Schedule & Other Information
2019
The next & FINAL training opportunity for the 2019 riding season is the Advanced Motors Training “AMT” on September 14th. This is the 1st day of our 50th Anniversary Rally and you can’t register for this class by calling Team Oregon. The only way to get into this class is to register for the Rally.
The Rally Registration is about $35 +/- $10 for guest and Canadians. There is no additional fee for the AMT class making this is an extremely affordable way to get this kind of training. It will only last a couple hours but still, it’s a hell of a good deal and should be a blast
Team Oregon trains the police and they are offering a version of their police training class to us to kick off our 50th Anniversary Rally. This special AMT class is on Saturday the 14th of September at their course in Albany Oregon. I am still working out the time, but it’ll be around noon.
The version Team Oregon is putting together for us is the one we all watch on You Tube and wish we could do. It’s their competition obstacle course on that field of orange cones. Doing those tight maneuvers, a clock ticking, music playing on a loudspeaker and people cheering us onto a finish line. I doubt we will have a loudspeaker and we will probably need to be our own cheering crowd, but the course is real, and it’ll still be fun. As Collin would have said, Bounce, Bounce, Bounce.
To be less intimidating, they are setting up 2 courses. They will start with 2 easy courses and then as we improve, they will make one course more and more difficult. We will get to decide as individuals if we want to move onto the more difficult course or continue to exercise our skills on the original course. Remember, we are just there to play so no pressure, just have fun.
As if it couldn’t get any better, an anonymous donor has donated the entire class for anyone who registers for the 50th Anniversary Rally. Albany is on the way to our 1st 50th Anniversary Rally check-in, which is that Saturday night in Roseburg, OR. I believe it would be a horrible loss if we didn’t take advantage of this opportunity. What a hoot this should be. I can’t wait, and I hope you are excited too.
2020
Motorcycle Classes in 2020, already? Yes, I’m already looking into motorcycle classes for the summer of 2020. Due to the demand from Seattle and BC, I am going to organize some of these classes to happen in the Seattle area.
I predict people from Portland & BC will converge on Seattle and I expect Seattle people to register in mass. The results, I expect these classes in Seattle to fill up very fast. Information about these classes will be discussed in future newsletters so stay tuned.
I will be happy to organize whatever classes there is enough interest in so please talk to me about what classes you want to see offered in 2020. For example;
I found a class for Group Riding. Not only riding in group formation but also how to park smoothly and quickly. How many would be interested in this class in 2020?
I found a class that runs for 8-hours a day for 5 days. The classes runs Monday/Friday and cost $1,200. This class is a police training class open to the public & happens near Seattle. You will be able to use their police bikes for this class. Anybody interested in taking this class in 2020?
BTW, these motorcycle training events I put together are not a BRMC sanctioned event. This is just me organizing these classes because I keep getting request for it, I love them, and I learn something every time I go.
If you have any questions or comments about anything I am dealing with, please feel encouraged to contact me & let us chat.
Sincerely,
Stan C
2019 Treasurer
50th Anniversary Celebration
The 50th Anniversary Celebration Committee is busy planning one heck of a year for us that will not soon be forgotten. Among the events planned are:
50th Anniversary Rally, September 14-21 - come ride with us for an 8 day journey through Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Join for all or part of the journey, ride as far and long as you wish. Guests welcomed.
50th Anniversary Banquet, February 15, 2020 - we will wind down the year with a grand finale event.
2019 Calendar of Events
January 19 Annual General Meeting - Seattle, WA
February 16 Anniversary Banquet - Portland, OR
March 16 Club Meeting - Don W, Lynnwood, WA
April 20 Club Meeting - Dan S, Oakville, WA
May 17-20 Victoria Day Weekend Camp - Pine Flats Campground, Ardenvoir, WA
June 14-16 Bear Springs Group Campground, Maupin, OR
June 16 - BRMC rides in Portland Pride Parade
July19-21 Lewis & Clark Trail State Park, Dayton, WA
August 16-18, Willows Campground, Lillooet, BC
September 14-21 50th Anniversary Ride - OR, WA, BC
September 21 Club Meeting, Bellingham, WA
October 19 Club Meeting - Surrey, BC
November 16 Club Meeting - West Linn, OR
December 14 Holiday Party - Burlington, WA
Birthdays
We have 2 members with birthdays this month. Please take a moment to wish them a great day.
Jeff B - 28th
Kevin S - 5th
Meet & Greets
BRMC members will be available for new and returning guys to connect and learn more about the club and opportunities to participate. If you are interested, check out when and where in the cities listed below. Also, in addition to the club's monthly events, local rides may be organized, weather permitting. To lean more, email the Road Captain for specific details, or to ensure a member to meet you, at captain@borderriders.com.
Portland: Meet & Greet - 1st Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Portland Eagle
Vancouver BC Meet & Greet - 2nd Wednesday of the month. 4 to 6 pm at The Met Hotel, New Westminster
Seattle: Meet & Greet - 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Cuff
Reader’s Corner
A place for you the reader, member or guest, to contribute. Tell us about your travels, adventures, mishaps, etc.
Nothing was shared by our members, guests, or readers this month. Please feel free to contribute for the next issue. The newsletter is published on the 1st of the month.
Contributions of Photos & Stories
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com