Princeton, BC to Leavenworth, WA

All pics can be enlarged by clicking on them and I always add more pics at the end that aren’t always in my posts.  Little raw videos at the end. Just FYI.

Starting out temperature was -18C for everyone else .4F and let me tell you this…IT WAS COLD!

The best part of my morning was Co Co’s being open at 0430 for some freshly brewed coffee.

Spoke with the owner for a bit who is a talented artist along with his wife.  They have been at this location, right near the turn off for Osoyoos for 5 years.  Nice ambiance and nice people.  Coll decor too.

I wore my base layer, then my riding jeans minus the knee armour and my KLIM pants.  Good thing I have lost a little more weight to be able to wear all that I had and still be able to move and get my leg over the seat. 😉 I always carry a back up heated liner.  Gerbings WON today over my Powerlet.  Was way warmer in the frigid cold with Gerbings than Powerlet.  I constantly moved my toes in my boots and that saved me from having another frozen foot.  So, I learned from yesterday’s arctic blast and things went better today.  Once the temps got to reasonable ones I was free!

When I left Maple Ridge yesterday, Nov. 14th my plan initially was to take Route 3 to Osoyoos, BC.  Last minute change as I always do I decided to take the Coquihalla Pass and then an off shoot of Route 5 to 5A.

Coquihalla Summit (el. 1,244 m or 4,081 ft) is a highway summit along the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia, Canada.^[1] It is the highest point on the highway between the cities of Hope and Merritt. It is located just south of the former toll booth plaza on the Coquihalla Highway, about 50 km (31 mi) north of Hope, and 65 km (40 mi) south of Merritt and is the divide between the Coquihalla River and the Coldwater River.

The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. The ascent is particularly steep after passing northbound through the Great Bear snow shed. The pass is named after the Coquihalla River, after which the highway also derived its name. The Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area is located at the top of the pass on the Coquihalla Highway approximately 45 km north of Hope.

Route 3 would have been way South and most likely way warmer but I am me so why make things easy right?  However I had no idea heading to Princeton the temperature would drop so much from when I began this trip.  Normally I would never ride in these temperatures for any extended period of time but I was committed and East I went.  As soon as I descended towards the Osoyoos area the temperatures rebounded from minus 18 to a balmy minus 8.  HUGE difference and my feet thanked that change.

When I got to Keremeos, BC I noticed my left pant leg was covered with “something”.  I tasted just a very very small sample of what appeared to be wet stuff on my left crash bar and engine.  Tasted like coolant.  I called my dealer, Rusty one of the service managers was walking me through checking everything but I could not find the source.  The cap was on the reservoir for both the coolant and radiator.   It wasn’t oil.  Fan was working.  So, perhaps just over flow coolant?  Seemed to clear itself up by itself.  Now I just have a really really dirty looking left pant leg.  Very nice of Rusty to do roadside assistance. I bet he and George were laughing at me at Pacific Motosports in Richmond, BC.

Crossed over to the USA at the Nighthawk crossing thanks to ummmm…someone on one of these social medias sites told me to. I will figure out who let me in on this little of a gem crossing.  They even have a garage with heat ;-).  So, after being stared at by about 5 custom officers and a cop I passed inspection, there was a newbie in training and I took off South.

Kept hearing all day when I would stop, good thing this cold is a dry cold.  Tell that to my feet…COLD IS COLD!  I also kept hearing “are you crazy”?  I guess I am but I am so glad I challenged myself and was able to stay safe.  Would do it again because I always learn better techniques.

I have to give such KUDOS to this insert I bought so long ago.  I posted this yesterday but it needs to be addressed again.  This insert is the BEST anti-fog and sun shield EVER.

It does everything this description says it does…I bought mine from Motorcycle Innovations

InVision^® Hyper Shield™ Anti-fog Visor Inserts offers the very best in vision enhancement, comfort and safety. The unique technology found in HyperShield™ provides for absolute fog free riding, even in the worst driving weather, enhancing vision for a safe enjoyable ride – in any weather or riding condition!

Plus, in the above picture it was minus 18C.  No frost build up.  The tint is so awesome and does make riding so much more enjoyable as it adjusts itself to the light.  I LOVE this and it’s cheap!  So, it truly saves you from fogging up.  You can breathe heavily, you can sneeze do anything and it never fogs and the fact I had no ice on my shield is amazing as I rode through freezing fog too.  OK, enough free advertising for this product but it’s been tested and approved. 😉

Hard to tell but this was the coldest part of my ride today.

The river to my left is almost frozen

There was some black ice right outside of Princeton and a ton of deer even at 0900.  My second toe on my right foot has a bit of frost bite.  Will probably shed some skin soon but no other evidence of frost bite anywhere else. Today when I felt my feet going I constantly moved my toes and my fingers at times.  But the feet?  If you were riding behind me you may have thought I was seizing at certain times. It worked though, used the space in my boots and wiggled away.

Scenery was beautiful but not a whole lot of snow on the mountain peaks.  I have never been on some of the roads I took today so this was all new to me.  I loved it!  I also am so glad I decided to take the chance to head out this way this time of year.

Again just too cold even at this point of my ride to get off the bike and unhook to take better pics.

This area in the summer gets desert HOT.  Such a contrast riding through this time of year.

My sugars were dropping so what better way not far from Leavenworth to help raise them than stopping for a coffee, apple and blueberry pie.  Did the trick, although I don’t recommend this technique for all diabetics.  I tend to make my own rules but it woke me up.

Even the straights didn’t bore me today.  Good music, hardly any cars, no other bikes…just me.  I am getting used to this.

I usually ride in rain…that big yellow thing has been a welcome sight this trip.  Can you imagine if there was precip?  I would be stuck on the east side of the cascades forever lol

When I arrived in Leavenworth I took a quick tour around town and it became very obvious is was a Saturday and there were so many people around.

I started to think crap.  Tourist trap.  Cute town but now I have to make a decision.  Leave early before the mad rush on Highway 2 or take a chance and explore?  I might do both.  Get up early, walk or ride to town, about 1/2 mile away and then make a dash for the coast before the cagers do.  I wanted to ride the Chumstick loop but I think for my own sanity I need to beat the cars.  Tomorrow we all will find out.  So far I have gone about 700 KM’s.  Not sure what route I am taking home but this trip should end up being about 1000 KM’s.

OK…very wordy post.  Must be that coffee I just had.  Thanks again for following along. Leslie