April 2022 Newsletter
Contents
Welcome
Monthly Recap
Monthly Pictures
The New Members of 2022
Upcoming Events (2 months)
Members Birthday’s
Meet & Greet Update, (Portland, BC, & Seattle)
Club Business
Reader’s Corner
Day Rides
The latest news regarding rider skill enhancement classes
Officer Reports
The BRMC 2020 Calendar of Events
Non BRMC Motorcycle Events
Request for pictures & closing comments.
Welcome
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 for gay clubs in North America. We welcome like-minded guests to come meet us at our monthly Meet & Greets and to join us at one of our club events and our local activities.
Check out our website. We are very proud of it. www.borderriders.com
March Meeting Recap
This was a virtual meeting, so not much to report. After some pre-meeting social time, business of the day was conducted once the meeting was called to order. Several issues were discussed, of which our participation in the Portland Pride ride and V-Day fees were on top of the list. You can read all about it in the minutes.
Dave J
Monthly Gallery
Photos from members and guests from last month’s rides and adventures (or stolen from Facebook pages due to a lack of submissions).
Upcoming Event
Please do not come to any club event if you are not feeling well.
Starting April 1st, we are back to live, in-person live events, yippee.
April 2nd - Portland & Seattle area day-rides.
See our Face-Book page, our website, or read below for more details.
Seattle area ride (5-day forecast looks promising) is kicking around the back country of Skagit and Whatcom Counties. We'll all meet up at Chris and Richard's for breakfast at 10:00 am with KSU at 11:15 sharp. We will need a head count for breakfast so contact the Road Captain (captain@borderriders.com) for directions & to let us know if you'll be there for breakfast. Arrive gassed up & ready to ride.
Portland area ride (5-day forecast looks promising) for a wild ride around a top secret route lead by Mark B. This ride starts at the Cascade Grill at the Jubitz Truck Stop - 10210 N. Vancouver Way in Portland OR. at 9:30. KSU at 11:00.
April 6th - Portland Meet & Greet at the Eagle in Portland from 7:00 to 8:00
Yahoo! We are back to in-person M&G’s
April 16th - The April Meeting, another live event everyone.
This event will be hosted by Kas & Chris in Vancouver, WA.
Details can be found on our website, our Face-Book page, or you keep reading.
April 20th - Seattle Meet & Greet at the Cuff in Seattle from 7:00 to 8:00
For those wanting to meet for dinner prior to the M&G we will meet at Barrio Mexican Kitchen & Bar, 1420 12th Ave at 6PM
Yahoo! We are back to in-person M&G’s.
May 4th - Portland Meet & Greet at the Eagle in Portland from 7:00 to 8:00.
May 7th - Portland & Seattle area day-rides, weather permitting.
Portland & Seattle are meeting in Toledo, WA & riding to the top of Mt Saint Helens in formation. This is PDX & SEA annual hook-up ride so mark your calendars and don’t mis out.
May 18th - Seattle Meet & Greet at The Cuff in Seattle from 7:00 to 8:00.
Yahoo! We are back to in-person M&G’s.
May 20th thru the 22nd - The kickoff to camping season with our annual VD Campout.
Finally, we are back to in-person events & we are heading to Entiat, WA. This is the event we look forward to all year and what a party it is going to be. It’s been so long since all the brothers have been able to see each other and we can’t wait. MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . . . . See details below.
Club Business
April Meeting Hosted by Kas & Chris
We are excited to announce an in-person event for the April meeting happening on Saturday, April 16th at Kas & Chris’s house in Vancouver, Washington. Registration will open on Friday, April 1st & will close on Wednesday, April 13th. The meal fee will be $25 per person. An attending sponsor is required for all non-members.
The menu will be a Meat & a Vegetarian Lasagna, a Salad, Garlic Bread, & some sweet treat YTBD. The registration fee will include the snacks during the social hour, bottled water and a selection of non-alcoholic beverages. If you have something specific you’d like to drink, feel free to bring it.
Please direct all questions to either President Stan C or Road Captain Dennis H.
BRMC Rides in the Portland Parade Once Again.
Stan C & Kas C have been successful at getting us a coveted spot in the Portland Pride Parade 2022. This is happening on the same weekend as the June Campout at Champoeg State Heritage Park just 30 minutes south of Portland. The dates for this campout are June 20th, 21st, & 22nd with the parade being on Sunday the 22nd.
Anyone who wants to ride in the parade will need to register themselves and pay the $25 registration fee. You can go to the following link & get that done today. Portland Parade Registration Please send Stan & Kas a text once you have registered so we will know how many to expect.
Road Captain Dennis is planning a special day-ride for that Saturday & it’ll be something like we’ve never done before, so polish your boots, & clean your cut gents, it’s time to shine.
But Wait, there’s more!
Riding in the Seattle Pride is within our grasp.
Bounce Bounce Bounce
As if riding in the Portland Parade isn’t enough, Jeff C and Jeremy W have been able to get some movement with Seattle Pride & we should have some details shortly. I can’t say much but I can say, ”It’s looking promising.”
What we know so far is that Seattle Pride is scheduled to happen on Sunday, June 26th & Seattle Pride is currently working with Jeff C & Jeremy W to get us in the parade. “YAHOOOO”
We will be sure to keep you up informed as soon as we know something we can hang a helmet on.
By-Laws Update
The bylaws committee posted a draft copy of the By-Laws in the members only section of our website pre-3/1. There was an Q&A opportunity at the March meeting. Please review this document and be ready to vote at the April Meeting.
As you read the draft by-laws, you will notice several colors intended to highlight areas of notable change. The colors are; blue means language add clarification, green means language added, & a yellow highlight with a strike through the word means language deleted.
Upcoming Birthdays
We have 3 member(s) with a birthday in April. Be sure and help us make them feel special.
Dennis H - April 11th
Tom C - April 23rd
Dale C - April 29th
Meet & Greets
Portland M&G - Portland’s March M&G was canceled due to COVID. The Portland April M&G will be in-person. That’s right, we are back to live M&G’s.
Seattle’s M&G - Seattle’s March M&G was canceled due to COVID. The Seattle April M&G will also be in-person. That’s right, we are back to live M&G’s.
Reader’s Corner
A place for you, the reader, member and/or guest, to contribute.
Tell us about your travels, adventures, mishaps, etc.
To contribute, send your story & pictures to News@BorderRiders.com
March Day Rides
BC’s Day Ride
There was no BC day-ride in Mach.
Seattle’s Day Ride
On the fifth of March we went on the Big Cat Mountain Ride. (Some pictures above in the monthly gallery) Started with a boisterous breakfast at 12th Avenue Cafe in Issaquah. it was tasty and we might start some other day ride there again.
12 bikers showed up and 10 of us continued on to the ride after breakfast. We called it the "Big Cat Mountain Ride" because the ride started out passing between Tiger mountain and Couger mountains out toward the East. We found some fun curvy roads working our way to Enumclaw. The intention was to take the Mud Mountain Dam road through the forest, but the road ended up being closed. Maybe next time!
Next, we rode toward Black Diamond to ride another nice curvy road to Auburn where the ride concluded. Some of us hung around and talked, one of my favorite parts about riding with the Border Riders
We will do this ride again but next time hope to be able to ride the Mud mountain dam road. It's a nice glide through the woods.
Dale C
Portland’s Day Ride
It was an amazingly nice day in Portland for our day ride. After living here from a great many years, decided that it was time to see all the buttes that the town has to offer. Thus, launched the butte-2-butte ride. Meeting up at Rocky Butte, three of us made it for the ride. Though not many, as it turned out it was a blessing that more were not part of the pack as we soon discovered that city traffic still sucks... even on a weekend. At least we were able to keep it together as we dodged traffic, lights, and detours (mostly wrong turns). As we walked up to the view point, we were treated to a bit of an air show from the National Guard as they rocketed 3 fighters into the air in a near vertical assent... even pulling a cute barrel roll!
From Rocky Butte, we dropped down to Mt. Tabor. All of Portland was there so didn't bother to stop. Riding through to Powell Butte, again... not a parking spot to find, so just double parked (love motorcycles). After a break from running around in traffic, and a moment to enjoy the view, it was off to Kelly Butte. After a winding around town and up the hill, finally found the narrow road that leads up to the top, but was blocked with a very serious looking gate. So, Kelly was off limits. From there, we decided to skip Mt Scott (not much there) and head up to Council Crest.
Loving my GPS even less, it took us up the back way (yes, apparently, that's a possibility). Via some "street" that looked more like an abandoned alley that was steep and curvy enough to warrant 1st gear for much of way. Much to my surprise, this road actually managed to intersect with a real street that lead up to the top. In retrospect, it was a lovely experience, one not likely to have been taken in the car. Anyhow, managed to find a parking spot for the bikes and hung out for a while enjoying the view and deciding that we've had enough traffic for the day. So, we parted ways to enjoy our rides home... far away from Portland traffic.
In retrospect, as romantic as a butte-2-butte ride sounded, city traffic makes the ride rather unattractive, so I'm not recommending it as a group ride. Heck, I'll likely not do it again, myself. However, if you just happen to be in the area of one of these locations and not been there, I'd recommend checking it out and enjoy the lovely parks and views from the top. They are special to Portland.
Dave J
Gear Store
If there is anything you want from the gear store, contact Chris L via VicePresident@BorderRiders.com and let him know what you want. Rumor has it, Chris is pretty easy to work with.
2022 Victoria Day Campout
The Details
Since COVID has kept us from getting together as much as we normally do, we are expecting a good turnout this year. It’ll be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with everyone and we look forward to seeing each and every one of you at the 2022 VD Campout. The dates are May 20th, 21st, & 22nd.
BRMC has been hosting the kickoff to riding season with The Victoria Day Campout for decades. This year, as we have for many years past, the celebration will be held at the US Forest Service Pine Flats Campground near Ardenvoir, Washington. This is a favorite site of ours & a wonderful base-camp for day rides throughout the central Washington area.
Once again, we will truck in a full kitchen & provide breakfast or dinner on Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night, & Sunday morning & is included in your registration fee. Chris will bring his Corn-Hole game and people normally bring their favorite board game and various cards games to share. Road Captain Dennis is putting together some optional day rides through this area & I heard a rumor that Tom C is putting together a special “Adventure Bike Day Ride” for those who prefer that style of riding. There will also be the annual “New Bike Christening” for those who wish to participate.
This event does allow 4-wheel vehicles “cages” so feel encouraged to invite your non-riding relatives & friends (sponsor required) or bring that posh tent that is too large for your bike. While cages are allowed at this campout (please, no RV’s). While we do allow for cages at this campout, we are a motorcycle club & hope to see bikers on bikes. Before I forget, this is also a no-pets’ event, sorry.
The event officially opens on Friday the 20th. We know many of you like to arrive on Thursday and help set-up, “Thank you in advance“. For those of you who will arrive Thursday and help set-up, we will start unloading the storage locker at 11:00 am. We hope this early start will allow many of you to stop by & support this crew before heading out to the campsite. The address for the storage locker is S&S Mini Storage - 14909 Hwy 97-A - Entiat, WA 98822. If the gate is closed when you arrive, blow your horn & someone will open the gate for you.
For the price conscious attendees, the Early Bird Registration will allow for a $10 discount. The Early Bird Registration will open on Thursday April 28th at 8:00 am & will close at Midnight on Saturday April 30th. The Regular Registration will open on Sunday, May 1st at 8:00 am & will close at midnight on Sunday May 15th. The regular registration fee this year will be $160 for US Members, $128 for Canadian Members, $170 for US Guest (sponsor required), & $136 for Canadian Guests (sponsor required).
The Menu
Friday Night Dinner
Beef & veggie burgers (assorted condiment), bratwurst, assorted chips, coleslaw, cookies, soda, & bottles water.
Saturday Morning Breakfast
Scrambled eggs, Sausage, bacon Country potatoes, fresh fruit salad, granola with milk, OJ, Apple Juice, cranberry juice, coffee, tea, cocoa, & hot cider.
Saturday Night Dinner
NY Steak with sauteed mushrooms, boneless skinless chicken breast, grilled rosemary & garlic roasted red potatoes, grilled mixed fresh vegetables, Caesar salad, dinner rolls & butter, cake, soda, & bottled water.
Sunday Morning Breakfast
Breakfast burrito & a continental breakfast with pastries, muffins, granola with milk, OJ, Apple Juice, cranberry juice, coffee, tea, cocoa, hot cider, & bla-bla-bla.
The Duty Roster
The VD Team has put together the duty roster and have streamlined this to minimize the number of shifts needed. The sign-up sheet will be at the April Meeting. For those who cannot attend the meeting, contact Chris L after the meeting & work with him to get signed up.
See the website for additional information.
2022 Advanced Motorcycle Training
Team Oregon 2002 Schedule
Registration is still currently open on our web-site for the 2022 Motorcycle Training. So far, 4 of the 8 classes are sold out but we still have 4 wonderful classes that are still available. Those classes are the Road Riding Tactics Class on 7/9, the Braking Clinic on 7/10 (a must take class), the Cornering Clinic on 8/15, & the Advanced Riding Techniques also on 8/15.
If you’d like to be placed on a waiting list for one of the “Sold Out” classes, contact Stan at President@BorderRiders.com
Registration Process
For the 2022 Advanced Motorcycle Training, the registration & payment process will be handled through the BRMC Website.
The Schedule
Saturday July 9th & Sunday July 10th is the Road Riding Tactics in Albany, OR. I scheduled 2 of these classes because I expect them to fill up quickly. The RRT will run from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm on both Saturday & Sunday (Sunday is SOLD OUT). The fee for this class will be $100. This is a new class for 2022 & replaces the RSP which many of us have already taken. The RRT is designed to help us work off the cobwebs from a long winter of limited to no riding. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/riderskillspractice/
Alan & I are taking this class on Sunday so the group ride to this class will leave our house at 7:00am on Sunday the 10th.
Saturday July 9th & Sunday July 10th is also the Braking Clinic in Albany, OR. The BC will follow the RRT on both days & will run from 1:30 to 4:00 pm (Saturday is SOLD OUT). The fee for this class will be $80. A group of us did this class in 2021 and agreed it was the single most important class for day-to-day riding that we have taken. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/braking/
Alan & I are taking this class on Saturday the 9th. The group ride to this class has not been figured out as it will likely include a late breakfast and a day ride on the way to the class. If you register for this class, Stan will make sure you are kept informed.
Monday August 15th is the Cornering Clinic at Pat’s Acres in Canby OR. The CC will run from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. The fee for this class is $80. This class enhances our ability to line up multiple corners for smoother transitions and faster cornering. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/cornering/
The group ride to this class will leave Stan & Alan’s house at 8:00 am.
Monday August 15th is also the Advanced Riding Techniques at Pat’s Acres in Canby, OR. The ART will follow the CC & will run from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The fee for this class is $180. You will need to attend a 2-hour online classroom discussion before taking this class. This online class will be made available the week prior to the class as a webinar. The online class includes lessons on risk management, crash causation, judgment and impairments, braking, cornering, swerving, transitions, and traction. This class is a favorite among the guys who have taken these classes. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/art/
Saturday October 1st is the Precision Maneuvering Clinic #1. The PMC-1 will run from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm (This class is Sold Out). The fee for this class is $100. This class is all about slow speed cornering & U-Turns. It’s modeled after the Police Motorcycle Training Team Oregon offers various police agencies. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/maneuvering/
The group ride to this class will leave Stan & Alan’s house at 9:00 am.
Sunday October 2nd is the Precision Maneuvering Clinic #2. The PMC-2 will run from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm (This class is Sold Out). The fee for this class is $100. This class continues to build on the skills you learned in PMC-1. By the end of this class, you should realize a great deal of improvement with your slow speed cornering. Visit the Team Oregon website for more information. http://team-oregon.org/advanced/maneuvering/
The group ride for this class will leave Stan & Alan’s house at 9:00 am.
Refund Process & Schedule
To receive a refund for a Team Oregon class, e-mail me, Stan C at Treasurer@BorderRiders.com & CC the president at President@BorderRiders.com. You will need to state specifically which class (name, date, & time) you are requesting a refund for.
To receive a refund for the classes happening in July, you must notify and receive a confirmation from Stan C before April 15th, 2022.
To receive a refund for the classes happening in August, you must notify and receive a confirmation from Stan C before May 15th, 2022.
To receive a refund for the classes happening in October, you must notify and receive a confirmation from Stan C before July 15th, 2022.
Questions
If you have any questions regarding the 2022 Motorcycle Advanced Training Program, contact Stan via e-mail Treasurer@BorderRiders.com.
From the Handlebars of the President
I am struggling to find the words to adequately convey how excited I am that we can finally get back to some normalcy which means, a VD Campout party to kickoff camping season. “Can you believe this? Yahoo! ” I’m so excited, Bounce Bounce Bounce”.
The VD Team is ahead of schedule & are working hard to put together an event that will rival all previous VD Campouts. I look forward to seeing what they end up with and I hope you all will come & join in on the festivities.
…… “Let’s get this party started."
Vice President Chatter
Gentlemen: I am supper excited about planning the up coming VD day. Things are moving along nicely. The duty roster will be at the April meeting. If you know of a position you would like please send me an email and I will get it added to the roster. Thank-you all and have a great day.
Road Captain Rumblings
It’s a slow time for the Road Captain right now, all of this year’s events are booked and too early to start booking for next year’s events. I’ve been helping with preparations for Victoria Day and pulling up records from prior years and dusting them off since not used for a couple of Covid years.
There won’t be a voting for next year’s rides at VD, instead will be asking everyone to submit a suggestion for future locations at the time they sign in at Victoria Day. Your suggestion could be based on how well you liked a prior campground, a campground you’ve come across, the riding in the area just or the good feelings you had about a previous experience.
Keep in mind, all suggestions MUST be for locations with group sites that can be reserved. This seems to be the hard part to find.
Treasurer’s Ramblings
All bills I am aware of have been paid. All our accounts are balanced, and are where I expect them to be. Briefly stated, “Piggy Bank Be Balanced”.
Please feel encouraged to reach out to me if you have any questions. Otherwise, stay safe, stay healthy and I look forward to seeing everyone soon.
Secretary Thoughts
I appreciate John Dunn every time I have to compile the minutes and the attendance. He did such a great job! I will try to capture what goes on at each meeting, as accurately and completely as I can.
The minutes from the March meeting have been posted in the members only section of our website. Please review them and be ready to approve, or not, at the April meeting.
Tom C
2022 Secretary
2022 Calendar of Events
March 19th - Club Meeting - Virtual
April 16th - Club Meeting - hosted by Kas C in Vancouver, WA
May 20th thru 23rd - Victoria Day Camp-out, Pine Flats Campground, Ardenvoir, WA
June 17th thru 19th - Camp-out, Portland, OR area
July 9th & 10th - Team OR Road Riding Tactics & Braking Clinic.
July 15th thru 17th - Camp-out, BC
August 15th - Team OR Cornering Clinic & Advance Rider Training.
August 19th thru 20th - Camp-out, NW WA
September 16th thru 18th - Camp-out, Maryhill State Park, Goldendale, WA
October 1st & 2nd - Team OR Precision Maneuvering Clinic #1 & #2.
October 15th - Club Meeting - TBD
November 19th - Club Meeting - TBD
December 10th - Club Holiday Party - TBD
Meet & Greets
(M&G’s go live starting with Portland’s April M&G.)
BRMC members will be available for interested individuals to meet and learn more about the club and how to get involved. For locations and times, check out the following list of times & location. Watch our FB for last minutes details pr changes.
Portland: Meet & Greet - 1st Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at The Portland Eagle.
Vancouver BC Meet & Greet (tentative - Watch FB) - 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
Day-Rides
In addition to the club's monthly M&Gs, local rides frequently happen on the 1st Saturday of every month. Additionally, members & guest going on an impromptu day-ride, or to some other activity, will post their plans on our FB page so others can tag along. Again, watch our FB page for last minutes details or changes.
To lean more about local event’s, impromptu events, or to check status on any event, check out our FB page or email the Road Captain at Captain@BorderRiders.com.
Hey, did you notice that trend? Yep, keep an eye on our FB page for last minute changes and details for all events.
Non-BRMC Motorcycle Events
See/See “The One Motorcycle Show”
Finally, things are starting to happen. I have been to this show once and the custom bikes on display are very unique and a the craftmanship is noticeable. This show will run from April 29th through May 1st & is in Portland. Blue has posted about this on our Fb page so if you are interested in going, post a comment there and if there is enough interest maybe we can go as a group.
https://www.seeseemotorcycles.com/pages/the-one-moto-show
Contributions of Photos & Stories
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com