Chilcotin Country

June 21, 2016 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

For the long weekend I decided to check out the Chilcotin area and Cariboo region that I have heard so much about. With no real plan other than to see the Gang Ranch and end up in Bella Coola, BC I headed north.

Day 1

Seattle to Hurley Pass BC

Pulled out of Seattle around 3pm and headed North on I5 to Sumas to drop off a jacket that I sold. After the exchange and stop at Tim Horton’s I headed north on 99 with a burger in Pemberton in my sights. Stopped at the favorite eatery in Pemberton, The Wood, for a delicious burger before grabbing some beverages for the evening. I Headed out Pemberton Meadows to attack the Hurley before it got too dark, with the long days there was plenty of time to get over the pass. After summiting and starting the descent I pulled off and camped just over the summit along the river. Great remote spot with amazing views. After a few BC brews to dull the thought of becoming a bear snack, I passed out to the sound of the glacier fed river near the tent.

Day 2

Hurley Pass to Gang Ranch

Got up at a decent hour, made some coffee and Spam breakfast burritos before heading out of camp on the first real morning. The road down to Gold Bridge is pretty tame, allowing you to take in the ample views on the way down. After crossing the river in Gold Bridge there is a section of surprisingly good pavement almost all the way to the dam at Carpenter Lake. I watched the crew at the dam picking up driftwood for a while then headed in to Lillooet to refuel and grab some snacks for lunch. Headed north out of town to W Pavilion Rd and set the GPS to the Big Bar Ferry. By this time it was 1pm and the last ferry run was at 6PM if I recall, so I had plenty of time. As the canyon started to open up to some amazing views so did the sky making for some baby shit like conditions on the road. The baby shit definitely slowed progress on the 1200 but nonetheless made it to the ferry in plenty of time. The canyon heading in is quite the sight to see, so much wildlife and many views along that stretch. Boarded the cable ferry and spoke with the captain during the crossing, what a guy. He has seen some shit. Took the road out of the canyon, once across the ferry and headed toward the ranch. The road traverses some farm land and huge grazing ranches across an abundance of cattle guards. The slick conditions continued, dry and fast in some and slick as hell in others. After almost going down while hauling ass around a super slick corner I decided to take it slow since I hadn’t seen anyone pass in a while. Might be sitting in agony for a while if I kept up my shenanigans. Crossed the Gang Ranch bridge and setup camp on one the bluffs looking over the river. It was an epic place to camp. While it’s not an “Approved” campsite I was way out of sight and took care to leave it untouched when I left. Didn’t see anyone the whole night other than cattle which made sleeping a bit easier. The mindset was that cows would be an easier and tastier target for the bears than a stinky dude on a bike.

Day 3

Gang Ranch to Bella Coola

Waking up on the ranch was epic! After coffee and breakfast I headed out of the ranch and set the sights on Farewell Canyon. The rain held off for most of the morning so it was a quick trip out. Sent the drone up and got some epic aerials of the canyon surround area. This area is worth the trip alone! Took in all the cool scenery I could as it rained and headed north to find some fuel. Fuel is a little short in these parts but the little reservations usually have it if you have CAD cash. After fueling up I headed west to Bella Coola. The highway there is pretty uneventful till you get to Tweedsmuir park which is gorgeous and fairly untouched. After leaving the park you start to head over “The Hill” which is the pass that leads down to town. Bella Coola being much smaller than I expected the food selection was not great but I found a spot to grab a burger and a shower was in order so got a hotel for the night. Headed down to the marina after dinner and grabbed some shots around dusk of the old cannery. BC has a ton of interesting maritime history. Got some Kokanee’s from the hotel, showered and hit the sack.

Day 4

Bella Coola to Watch Lake

Packed up and headed out after a quick continental breakfast at the hotel. Today was mostly back tracking the previous day so not much to report other than a bear sighting in the park. Stopped in Williams Lake to get some provisions for the night and enjoyed the great sunset with a campfire at Watch Lake.

Day 5

Watch Lake to Home
Loaded up the bike one last time and headed south with home in sight. The weather was great and the roads were nice. Boston Bar, Hell’s gate and riding along the river were fantastic. Sent the drone up one last time at one of the overlooks and got some good river footage. From Hope BC to home is pretty uneventful but provides a good transition back to the day to day routine.

All in all was a great trip that is worth going back to see. I would cut out the long trip out to the coast since other than the park it is pretty uneventful. The ranch and canyon is amazing and I will be back to explore further. END OF REPORT

A Short Trip North

October 23, 2015October 26, 2015 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Day 1 Everett, WA to Williams Lake, BC

When some plans fell though on another trip the gang and I settled on plans to head north and see as much as we could in 9-10 days, and boy did we. We headed out from western Washington mid-day on a Friday, blasted the interstate to the US-Canada border after a quick lunch stop in Bellingham for cash and Port of Subs. Soon after crossing the boarder the weather turned to stifling as we sweated our way through the city core of Vancouver before heading up the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. After the fast S turns of the Sea to Sky we stopped for a quick water break in Whistler before setting out sights on Lillooet for the next fuel stop. Since this was all familiar territory we wanted to make it as far north as possible to keep the future days more manageable. Continue reading →

Memorial Day 2015 BC Trip

June 1, 2015June 1, 2015 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

We headed out Friday afternoon with a destination of Harrison Hot Springs to camp where ever we could find. We stopped at Bob Burgers and grabbed a burger before hitting short line at the border. Right after crossing the boarder we hit a fresh market that had a great selection of snacks for the night. After loading it all in the Zega’s we pressed on to Harrison to look for a camp spot. Sasquatch was the intended target but luck was not playing in our favor and it was packed. We did find a provincial campground on the way up the forest service roads before the last gas stop. While it was a decent camp spot they have a screwy way of charging. We had 1 spot with 2 tent and 4 bikes, which all fit inside the same site… They charged us for 4 cars so lucky for us we just set up in a $70 campsite. Naturally the host was a rule czar so we payed and bitched and moaned while we cooked dinner.

We left camp mid morning and headed up the West side of Harrison Lake, destination was Pemberton for dinner and camp just north of town.

We made it up the lake and river without any issue except for a flat on the Sertao about 15km from Hwy 99.

About 15-20 min and a gallon of sweat later we were on the way with a cold beer in Pemberton waiting. We fueled up, filled the water bags and headed toward The Wood for a great meal. The food never disappoints and is a must stop when we are in Pembe. After dinner we headed up Portage Rd looking for a camp spot near Gates Lake. About 10 min outside of Birkin lake I lost Morgan in the mirror and pulled over to wait, thinking god he is slow today I turned around. Turns out he blew the front shock on his water boxer and it was making some cool noises on the rebound. We limped it to a great spot Whispering Falls Resort good views and hot shower that we were not expecting. After a late night with Lagavulin we got around made Bacon and left over french fry breakfast burritos and headed toward D’Arcy for the Highline Rd to Lillooet.

We assessed the shock situation in D’Arcy and decided to split up and meet in Lillooet we take the dirt and Morgan and Tamara will take the scenic section of 99 and we will take the dirt. The dirt was good and the scenery was amazing, the views are stunning. The road winds up and gives some great overlooks and then drops down into Seton Portage.

From there it winds up and over the mountain and comes down on to Carpenter lake. By this time the storm was almost in full effect and we were pretty deep in the woods.

We crossed the dam, took some pictures and saw a bear. After a few distant pictures of the bear we pressed on though the rain.

The road from here is pretty much a gravel road that over looks the river on the east side. All was good and Lillooet was in sight on the GPS and out of nowhere there was a hooded figure on the side of the road. We slowed to get a better look since it was quite a way from town, glad we did. When I lifted my helmet she happened to look up and was all bloody, her truck went over a pretty steep ledge about 500m down. She was ejected from the truck and somehow climbed back up. We rendered first aid and debated how we were going to get her into town. She was in what appeared to be shock and was bleeding from a few spots on her head. Considering the conditions and remoteness we thought about moving bags and letting her hitch a ride on the back. After more thought we decided not since she could pass out and fall off, making things worse. Luckily a interior road crew truck was coming up the road to clear a mudslide and he happened to have a radio to call and aid car. We left her in his hands to wait for the aid car and we continued into town. We made it to town and stopped for some hot coffee and to dry off a bit. About 20min later we saw the RCMP and an ambulance head up the road, hopefully she recovered well. We waited for the rain to let up a bit before heading to Kamloops for the last evening. Given the relentless rain we decided to grab a hotel in town and have a warm shower. They let us park under the front overhang which was nice and even better when we saw a few Hardly Ablesons roll in and have to park outside, the poor chrome.

Next morning after some Tim Hortons we headed back down 5 toward the border. We made it back without issue and headed to Aslan Brewing in Bellingham for some fish tacos and beer before riding Chucukanut home. It was a fun trip and can’t wait to do more BC riding.

Weekend Update

March 9, 2015 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

While the northeast has been getting slammed we have had an extremely warm and dry winter, I guess you could say its payback for the Super Bowl. Saturday I headed out early to catch the 8am ferry out of Edmonds to do some riding on the Olympic Peninsula. Trails were fast and empty for the most part, despite the nice day, most people hiking/biking close to town. It was a short day due to some time constraints but it was fun. Sunday Ashley and I slept in way to late with Ham, he is quite the Sunday snoozer. Coffee and Breakfast were made and the afternoon was spent scrubbing the mud from previous weeks off the noble steeds. Next weekend looks wet for now but, Ham is crossing his toes for sun since we are headed to his Frenchie Frolic with his smush face crew at Magnuson Park.

36 Hours on the Oregon Coast

November 15, 2014December 2, 2014 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

36 Hrs. on the Oregon Coast from Adam Barhan on Vimeo.

As the dreary forecast continued to improve Ashley and I decided to head down to Newport Oregon to try Rogue Brutal IPA from the source. We headed out of Everett, WA around 8 and blasted down I-5 to Longview, WA.

After escaping the windy slab (I-5) we traveled through Longview, WA, crossed the Columbia River and scooted down Apiary Rd. which was surprisingly well traveled. Be cautious of logging trucks crossing lanes, but enjoy the twists and turns on this damp scenic drive. Hungry and ready for some sun we then took Hwy 6 SW through the Tillamook State Forest, which was a scenic 2 lane highway leading into the farmlands of Tillamook.

Lunch at Tillamook Cheese factory, was not quite what we expected. Tillamook is the Disneyland of cheese places apparently…I guess we were expecting something less commercial and more crafty. Oh well, scratch that one off the list! If you do stumble into the factory, do not order the mac’n cheese, YUK! It was very reminiscent of elementary school cafeteria tasteless goop, oh well.

We had a beer after lunch at Pelican brewing in Tillamook before we headed out to the cape. We later found the Pacific City location, and in retrospect would recommend skipping the Tillamook taproom and enjoying a brew on the beach in Pacific City.

Cape Meares beach; a very cool small town out on the cape with gorgeous sandy shores. We intended to do the 3 cape tour but the road from Meares south was closed at the time. We did find a Tsunami emergency route that looked quite fun, and as expected Ashley tried her best to convince me we could bypass the gate. Ultimately we refrained since the lock and key usually indicates a potential trespassing charge.

Cape Lookout; you can see the gorgeous spit that went on for miles, just beautiful!

Another small beach town, Neskowin. Looked like a great place to stay on another trip!

We continued south on 101 arrived in Newport around 6pm, and checked into the hotel at Nye Beach. We decided to head to Rogue for dinner and drinks, hoping to meet some locals and swap stories. Rogue definitely surpassed our expectations, with a very eclectic little bar reminding you how small a large craft brewery can feel.

The view of Nye Beach from the hotel. The shore looks close but 5,300 stairs later your feet finally hit the sand, it was a gorgeous morning and we enjoyed coffee listening to the waves. We would definitely recommend staying near this beach, not too crowded (especially in November) with lots of room for activities.

Along Newport Bay it’s impossible to miss the loud bark of Sea Lions soaking up the sun on the rocks. They are relentless in their cries, whether they cry for food or just for fun no one knows but you definitely can’t miss it!

Refueled with a quick breakfast at The Cofee House along the bay. Fresh pour over coffee and omelets before the quest back north.

As one of the winter weather systems was moving in, coastal winds picked up speed making a beautiful sight from this lookout. Ashley almost got blown off of her bike departing the parking lot here, but amidst the harsh winds we proceeded north on 101.

After a few hours of battling the gale force winds we arrived in Astoria, making a quick stop at Fort George Brewery for lunch and a chance to warm up before blasting home.

After crossing the bridge in Astoria we continued north on 101 to South Bend and onto Olympia where we jumped on I-5 for the last leg home. All in all, we had a great trip but faced some challenges on the way back towards Seattle. As we mentioned above, the winds were a bit daunting…and by a bit daunting we mean 70mph gusts along with near freezing temperatures. After this trip, we both agreed some Gerbing heated gear moves up on our priority list if we want to continue riding during these cooler months. We will definitely be visiting the OR coast again soon, it was more beautiful than we even imagined! Lots of exploring left to do there, and hopefully some dirt tracks next trip. Until next time, ride on bitches!

WABDR section from Ellensburg to Cashmere WA

November 3, 2014 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Paved roads head north from Ellensburg toward Table Mountain and Lion Rock Lookout in Wenatchee National Forest. High elevation and twisty dirt roads with views of the Central Cascade Mountains make this a very enjoyable section. From Lion Rock to Beehive Reservoir the route is stunning, rugged and remote. The path at 6,000 feet along Table Mountain provides views to the west. From there the road traverses a ridgeline with spectacular views of Devil’s Gulch and the Columbia River to the North. The route passes nearby Beehive Reservoir before descending the Mission Creek Valley to the town of Cashmere. Tracks and more information can be found at the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route website at http://www.wabdr.com

Olympic Peninsula Backcountry Discovery Route

September 23, 2014September 23, 2014 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Weekend Update

November 24, 2013 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Quick update on this past weekend.

Shot out the window at work, its going to shape up to be a great weekend weather wise.

Saturday night Ashley and I went to see the Band of Heathens at the Crocodile in Bell Town but not before hitting up the Capitol Hill land mark Dick’s Drive-In for cheap dinner.

On to the show, we had nosebleed seats.

Sunday morning uncle Bob and I rode to Hurricane ridge, note that it is the last weekend in November in the northwest is still ridable. Thats it for this weekend, looking forward to a long weekend full of eating next weekend.

Weekend ride to Port Townsend and Deception Pass

November 12, 2013November 12, 2013 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

The weekend started with a short ride to Mukilteo after work on Friday to catch this cool sunset.

Saturday Morning we started with doughnuts at a local favorite Karls Bakery here in Everett before we headed north through the Tulalip reservation. We stopped for lunch in LaConnor and ate at the brewery, would pass it up in the future and hit up Calico Cupboard Cafe, it smelled great. We left out of there and continued north to Deception Pass State Park.

After the quick photo op on the bridge we pressed south down Whidby Island. Almost timing it perfectly we hit some light ran about 2mi from the ferry. Another successful 185mi on BigBoi.

Sunday Morning we got up and headed to Ballard for breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe. AMAZING. I would pass on the smoked salmon hash do to the abundance of carrots, weird to me for breakfast, and get the baked French Toast.

After we ate we strolled over to the locks where they were cleaning, pretty cool sight.

Short clip on the ride into Port Townsend from the Kingston Ferry. Riding past Port Gamble, Port Ludlow and ending in Port Townsend. On the way back we stopped and toured and tasted fresh farm cider at Finn River Farm. Great Veterans day ride. Still working on a good video set up for a long trip down the coast this summer, any tips for bike mounts/techniques are appreciated. Thanks

Ride around the North Cascade Loop

October 20, 2013October 24, 2013 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Gassing up Big Boi before the 400mi trip around the loop. Breakfast at Sultan Bakery was great, too much food but good. After stuffing ourselves and gassing up we pressed though the fog over Stevens Pass and over to Leavenworth where it was apparently Oktoberfest.