Oregon...east

[Cooldrum305]

Have fun! It will be an Epic adventure!

[Cooldrum305]

pdedse If you recall I found my CB in Scottsdale and took 4 days to cruise back to Portland. I did the 300 mile days give or take and stayed hydrated which is key. I stayed with family and comfy motels along the way. Super fun and no wind screen. It wasn't an issue for me. Be safe out there

[pdedse]

Hammock camping went pretty well, slept about 5 hours.  Woke at 430, it was already getting light out.  

Always takes me awhile to get into mc camping with the luggage, but the packing is getting there.  I was ready by 6, and was on the road by 730 after sit down breakfast.

Just finished the Lolo Pass ride on hiway 12… wonderful river road for 4 hours in the forest.  Just a cojple mire hours for today and tgen find another campsite near Butte.

[Cormanus]

Lucky guy, pdedse. Nothing like a good long-distance ride.

 

How's the back?

[tdbru]

Glad you did the Lolo Pass. epic. Travel safely pdedse. enjoy the ride.
-tdbru

[Gone in 60]

You’re off and running! The Lolo Pass seems very cool.

[pdedse]

Lucky guy, pdedse. Nothing like a good long-distance ride.

 

How's the back?

Welp, the back is…. not back.?

The last hour of Lolo Pass it started bothering me noticeably more.  Took an hour break for lunch and the next hour it got worse as I left Missoula heading for Butte.

Well shoot.  MC riding for 1-2 hours hasn’t bothered me even when other activities like hiking, walking up stairs, holding weed-eater, heck even getting out of bed all have been a pain. Steroid injection helped a lot… for the first month.  It’s been 2 months and now I feel like I did prior.

I turned back to Missoula and opted for a hotel for the night.  I lay down and I’m good, but I get up, move around and it’s stiff and sore.  Meds help to a point, but they wear off…and the underlying question I haven’t wanted to face is: does mc riding make my back worse, and is it one of the causes of stenosis—will it make the narrowing iof the spinal column more narrow…and worse?  Doc said “maybe” but age and hereditary bone structure are the main reasons.

So sadly, I’m turning back home.  I needed to have 3 good days to Billings to convince me it was going to be ok to do this trip.  I got 1.5.  

I feel like riding tail between my legs fashion all the way home today, but that’s nearly 540 miles on the big hiways and my wife encouraged me to take my time and find some interesting routes home.

Anyway, thanks for the well wishes for a great trip. I love mc trips, so it’s deflating to make this decision. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak, as it is said.

[the Ferret]

Sorry to hear the back is causing you to cancel the trip pdedse. Backs are tricky things. I missed 2 days of riding this month because my back went out. Couldn't sit, couldn't stand, couldnt bend over. It was miserable. Considered going to the ER. Instead I took an old script of prednisone I had left over from a few years ago for gout and that helped me get back on two wheels. Always one bad body move away from back issues.

[Cooldrum305]

pdedse, A wise choice if your body is giving you signals. Please take frequent breaks and stretch and hydrate. Your back will thank you. Be safe on the road

[Gone in 60]

Bummer! Sorry to hear that you need to scrub the trip, but yeah, can't press on if you're hurting, that would not be enjoyable at all. Get back home safe, enjoy the journey best you can, and let us know you're home safe!