October 2023 Newsletter
Who We Are!
In case you were wondering, The Border Riders Motorcycle Club “BRMC” is a not-for-profit 501(c)(7), designed for gay men who like to ride motorcycles & who like to go camping on their motorcycles. Our membership spans the Pacific Northwest with the greatest participation in the Portland, Seattle, & Vancouver B.C. areas. We are one of the largest, & longest running gay motorcycle clubs in North America. We welcome like minded guest to come meet us at our Meet & Greets &/or on our Day-Rides.
Three Months to Go
October, the beginning of the last quarter of 2023. The holidays begin and we begin to turn indoors and shelter out the cold and wet. This is also the time for in-home gatherings. We get to share a hot meal with our brothers in their homes and share the remembrances of the passing year. I don't imagine there will be much riding, so come hang out with us!
Table of Contents
All the news you need to know about the BRMC
What a Weekend! : By Todd McN.
Monthly Gallery : Tom C.
Seattle Area Day Ride : Come ride with us!!!
October Meet & Greets : Portland, BC, & Seattle Bremerton, we see you, come see us!
A quick message : By Mike L.
Plus
Member’s Birthdays
The BRMC 2020 Calendar of Events
Non BRMC Motorcycle Events
Request for Pictures & Closing Comments.
BRMC September Group Photo
What a Weekend!
By Todd McN
The last run of the year, the September run to Rasar State Park was the ice cream on the top of a cake twenty layers high. The campgrounds were beautiful, the day ride was curvy, the food was top notch, and the turn out was one of the best of the year!
Friday night kicked off with a chili cookout where participants dined on their choice of two types, one spicy and one mild. Chris L and Dennis H brought cornbread to go with the chili and people ate their fill. That evening we hung around the propane fire and told our stories.
The next morning, people rousted themselves out of bed to smell of coffee and bacon cooking. A hardy breakfast of bacon, eggs, and buttermilk pancakes were enjoyed. After clean up we headed out on a spirited day ride around the North Cascades eventually ending up at Diablo Dam. The views were spectacular if a little bit smokey.
A quick stop in Concrete WA for some gluten free pastries and we headed back to camp to set up for the evening. After we had our BRMC Meeting, Dennis H and Mike L cooked a wonderful diner of hamburgers and fresh corn on the cob. After dinner, we made some popcorn and settled in for a movie. Jeremy W brought in a projector and screen and we watched one of the worst movies ever made (you were all warned), The Pink Angels. Lance D set up a bar and shared with us the recipe for his original cocktail, named Pink Angel, and members an guests ate popcorn, drank cocktails, and laughed at a 52year old representation of ourselves.
The next morning seemed to come way too early. The morning began to slowly gain momentum as people packed their tents and made way for their homes and their loved ones. What in incredible way to end the 2023 camping season.
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).
September 2023 Gallery Photos
Seattle Area Day Ride!
Run to The Fairfax Bridge
When: Saturday October 7th
Meet up: Charlie's Cafe: 1335 Roosevelt Ave E, Enumclaw, WA 98022 at 10AM
Details: We'll have a delicious breakfast, at Charlie's and head on down to the Fairfax bridge where you will marvel that such a structure still stands. From there we will head down Carbon River Road to see where the day takes us. When the road can take us no further, we will turn and head back.
October Meeting
This month we’re heading to the wilds of Burien WA for our Monthly Meeting. There we will partake in the pleasures and culinary wonders crafted in Dennis H’s kitchen where he will be preparing an Octoberfest dinner. Wear your lederhosen, Proust! Register Today!
Meet & Greets
Portland M&G
On Wednesday, October 4th, we will meet for dinner at 5:30 at the Kenton Station (8303 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217). Jeff B will then host a social hour at the Portland Eagle (835 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97217) starting at 7pm. We hope to see you there! It is a great way to learn about the club and meet some of the guys.
BC M&G
We are still looking for a member in BC to take the lead on this. Please let Stan know if you are able do this.
Seattle WAshington M&G
This month the Seattle crew is back in good old Sea-Town at Changes in Wallingford (2103 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103-6901) for an evening of bar food and beer. Come on up (or down, depending on your situation) and hang out with the coolest guys north of I-90. Starts at 6pm on Wednesday the 20th.
A Brothers Birthday
We have 2 members with birthday’s this month. Please take a moment and make them feel special on their special day.
Ron S on October 10th
Randy W on October 24th
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
Keep in mind, you can write about a trip that happened over the summer. It’s doesn’t have to be something you did last month.
A huge thank you to BRMC members for giving me such a warm welcome to camp with you guys on the weekend of September 15. It’s been a long time since I camped in a tent. I lucked out. I haven’t seen a sky so full of stars in a while. An auspicious introduction to the Skagit River valley. Loved the food, the movie (don’t wake me the name), the popcorn and witnessing the camaraderie that is so inherent in your club. It was a great feeling all around. Wish you all the best! Mike L.
Skagit river
Gear Store
The Gear Store was well shopped at the VD Weekend. Sadly, it is now closed until the 2024 Banquet. Feel encouraged to reach out to VP Dennis if there is something you want to make sure will be available at the Banquet so he can order it in for you.
From the Handlebars of the President
As my tenure as President starts to wind down, I remind you all to please consider being on the board for a couple 1-year terms. It gives you wonderful insight as to how the club runs and why we do some of the things we do. It also give you an opportunity to give back to the club by sharing your talent & helping the club continue to be a wonderful place to be..
Stan C.
2023 President
Vice President Chatter
It was great to be on a bike for a run rather than 4 wheels - first time since June of last year. Was just on the Kawasaki 650 vs. the Harley - 600 pounds versus 900 pounds. But after multiple leg problems and a hip replacement still remember how to ride. Had a nice ride to and from Concrete via Woods Creek Road, avoidingI-5 with Darryl and Mike going north and Darryl and Bob coming back.
Dennis H.
2023 Vice President
Road Captain Rumblings
As I am writing this, the rain is coming down so hard that the birds in the yard can't get off the ground to find shelter. The rain is flooding the front yard and the newscaster says tomorrow will be sunny but it won't get out of the 50's. It's that time of the year when we get a ride in when we can and if we can't, we'll eat some breakfast, drink too much coffee, and take up a table in a diner way longer than we should.
This last campout of the year was a kicker! We had 23 people show up, that's 3 less than Victoria Day. Dennis H and Mike L were nice enough to truck in a stove, some utensils, and food. We had home made chili with corn bread for dinner on Friday night, Saturday morning we had buttermilk pancakes, bacon, and eggs, and Saturday night we had hamburgers with fresh corn on the cob. That night we watched a really bad movie on a surprisingly big screen Provided by Jeremy W and got our fill of popcorn made by yours truly and Pink Angels by Lance D.
We had a day ride on some squirrelly little back roads that only the North Cascades can provide. The ride ended up at a gluten free bakery in the little town of Concrete where we ate our fill of wonderful pastries.
To Dennis H, Mike L, Lance D, Jeremy W, Tom C, Darryl H, Mark B, Chris L, Michael C, and all the others I can not thank enough for helping pull this off
But it's not over yet! We're still getting together for our monthly meetings. This month we'll be at Dennis H's home and if you've never had the pleasure, his cooking is not to be missed.
Todd McN
2023 Road Captain
Treasurer’s Ramblings
“Piggy Bank Looks Balanced”.
See everyone at the September Campout.
Sincerely,
Tom C
2023 Treasurer
Secretary Thoughts
The September campout marks the end of the riding season… or does it?
Get some riding in before winter sets in. This time of year can yield some of the best rides with less traffic, changing colors, and potentially ideal weather. Take advantage of it fellas.
Justin W.
2023 Secretary
2023 Calendar of Events
October 21st - Club Meeting - hosted by Dennis H in Burien, WA.
November 18th - Club Meeting - hosted by Chris & Richard in BOW, WA
December 9th - Holiday Party - hosted by Todd M in Bremerton, WA.
2024 Calendar of Events
January 20th - Annual General Meeting - Location YTBD.
February 17th - Annual Banquet - hosted by Doug H in Canada.
March 16th - Club Meeting - hosted by Jeremy W in Kent, WA.
April 20th - Club Meeting - hosted by Kas C & Chris M in Vancouver, WA.
May 17th to the 20th - Victoria Day Campout - Pine Flats near Ardenvior, WA.
June 14th to the 16th - June Campout - location YTBD.
July 19th to the 21st - July Campout - location YTBD.
July 20th - RSP Road Riding Tactics with Team OR - Astoria, OR.
July 21st - Highspeed Emergency Braking with Team Oregon - Astoria, OR.
August 16th to the 18th - August Campout - location YTBD.
September 20th to the 22nd - September Campout - location YTBD
October 19th - Club Meeting - hosted by YTBD
November 9th - Club Meeting - hosted by YTBD
December 14th - Holiday Party - hosted by YTBD
Monthly Meet & Greets
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. Dinner together normally proceeds the actual M&G. Dinner location moves so watch our FB Page for last minute details.
Vancouver BC Meet & Greet (tentative - Watch FB) - 2nd Wednesday of the month. 4 to 6 pm at The Met Hotel, New Westminster. (Canceled until further notice.)
Seattle: Meet & Greet - 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7 pm at someplace new. Watch the newsletter, website or Facebook for exact location.
Member & Guest Non-Sanctioned 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 learn 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.
Contributions of Photos & Stories
Please feel encouraged to send us your photo’s of our activities to News@BorderRiders.com
Also, if you do anything interesting outside the club, we’d love to hear about it. Send us a short story with some photo’s and we will try get it into the next newsletter. It doesn’t have to be motorcycle related to be interesting. We are very diverse.
If you have photos and stories to share, please send to news@borderriders.com