Semi-Long term travel- Canada to Alaska Pt. 1

In July of 2018 I left on an extended motorcycle trip from Idaho to Alaska. This was my first real taste of what it was like to live on the bike for more that a week. This sort of experience really changes your outlook on life and how you want to see the world. I always viewed travel as a luxurious venture where spending money was the goal and having a fun destination was something you could brag to your friends about. Going to Alaska was truly about the journey there and getting to experience more remote areas of the planet. It was not fancy, luxurious, and the destination was not a resort or a beach front air b and b. The destination changed daily and there were plenty of struggles on where to go, what to see, and which places were more important.

We (my buddy Scott and his son) left in the middle of July, right as the temperature was starting to get hot in Idaho and began our journey north. Luckily, we are only a few hours from the border with Canada, so our first night was just on the other side at a wonderful provincial park. Being a rookie at traveling in foreign countries I had zero Canadian dollars on me and was not at all prepared for the lack of cell service the next 10 days had in store for us. We made a pit stop at 2 scoop Steve’s ice cream shop just on the other side of the border for a tasty treat. Luckily they accepted credit cards, otherwise I would have gone with out! We set up camp, had a nice dinner and hit the sack, not entirely sure what a month on the road was going to be like.

Our goals for Canada were to go through Banff and Jasper National Parks and do the “Top of the World Highway.” All of which were achieved and epic in their own right. The experience of riding a motorcycle through these national parks was truly incredible. It is a hands-on, raw endeavor that gives you a panoramic perspective. The mountains were massive and the lakes were an aqua color that can’t be described, it has to be experienced.

The town of Banff is nestled in the Canadian Rockies among trees, with mountains jettisoning up on every side. Like most resort towns, it is bustling with people, bicycles, and shops ranging from restaurants to name brand. One of the main attractions is Lake Louise. This wonderful alpine reservoir is shockingly deceiving. All of the pictures I have seen were of a pristine lake and a glacier in the back ground. Down side is, you don’t get to see the massive hotel and lines of tour buses behind all of those beautiful pictures. It ruins the vibe a bit. None the less, it is still a beautiful place to go!

What amazes me the most about Canada is that most of the areas I went through in BC and the Yukon could be a national park. Our next excursion was towards the the Top of the World Highway that runs from Dawson City to Chicken, AK. To get started on the road is a short ferry crossing from Dawson City. Before departing we spent a couple hours in the town (city is a bit of a stretch) wandering about, having lunch, and getting a feel for the town. There was a music festival being held the weekend we were there which attracts thousands of people. It was a unique time to be in a town that had mostly gravel roads and an “old time” feel with wooden sidewalks. The road itself is a combination of gravel and pavement but more dirt than tarmac and it snakes its way up and over ridges, giving excellent views of the mountains and the desolate wilderness that surrounds the road. We stopped several times for pictures and snack breaks, trying to soak up just how amazing this little road was. There was very little traffic so our experience was one of solitude and isolation, feelings that you won’t be shy of the further north you go. We dropped in to Chicken, Alaska after crossing the border through a one-man check station, clearly showing the road doesn’t get much use. Chicken was a fun town with a gift shop and service station where we picked up some ice cream and fuel. The attendant at the fuel pumps was sunning herself on top of the fuel container when we arrived, giving yet another indication of a slower pace of life in more desolate areas.

It was great to be back on US soil and typical me, expected to have cell service in the middle of nowhere. Clearly I was not prepared for where I was and the lack of service in general because that was something I wouldn’t find much of until the more populated areas like Fairbanks.

Stay tuned for part two as we explore more of Alaska! Thanks for reading!

-Rhino

How time flies

I thought that blogging my travels would be an excellent way of capturing my experiences and would give me a place to dump my thoughts and pictures. The thing is, you actually have to DO it. I realized that I wasn’t seeking to become a travel blogger so I essentially gave up on blogging with out thinking the entire reason I started in the first place was to create a memory bank for myself. In the roughly two years that I haven’t been blogging I have traveled to Alaska and back, and from Idaho to the east Coast of Maine and back to the west coast of Oregon. Man, it would have been great to write that all down! I have also played around with the idea of having a second blog about personal finance and money management as a young adult (26). I didn’t ever commit to that for a variety of reasons that are all essentially laziness and lack of motivation but recently I thought, why not just add a finance tab to my current site? Who cares if it isn’t “travel” related? It is life related, and that’s what this site really is. A place for me to put my thoughts, opinions, and experiences on what ever topic down for the world to read.

With that, I would like to thank you for visiting, and reading. Feel free to drop a comment, or send an email to get in touch. Cheers!

-Rhino

Life Paces

Yet another long hiatus from blogging and maintaining this website. Well at least this time I have something to show for it! As of December 2017 I achieved a bachelors degree! Woo-Hoo! But the sad part is, I spent the winter moping around, hoping I would find something to do, all the while this was here collecting dust on a shelf, so to speak. Now though, I'm back! Again! And this time the adventure is even more ludicrous...  

A hand full of years ago, a buddy and I joked about riding to our motorcycles to Alaska. At the time, the joke seemed too ambitious, too far, and far too expensive to even be considered. But as travelers evolve, so does their traveling style, budgets shift, and goals become increasingly more lofty. Back then, we traveled all over the western United States for a few hundred dollars at a time. Each year the trips got longer, the destinations became more interesting, and the lure of a massive adventure crept in. 

Well four years and 30,000 miles after purchasing a motorcycle, that adventure is goin' down! ALASKA 2018 IS HERE!! But the scary/real side of the trip is not only the extensive amount of time required to complete it, but the insecurity of coming back. At this point, I have already given my notice at work and my apartment. No staying here now! 

I have said this more than once on this website, but have really never followed through with documenting my adventures properly. This time, I really don't have an excuse! My general plan is to treat this blog and website as my pseudo "day job" since I will no longer have one. I genuinely hope to stay true to that! 

Stay tuned for updates and as always feel free to follow on instagram @adventurerhino or send an email at adventurerhino1@gmail.com! Thanks for reading!

Rhino   

Grand Canyon, North Rim

Have you ever seen something so vast you realize humans are tiny creatures in the grand scope of Earth? That something is the Grand Canyon. This is my second time being at the Grand Canyon and while we didn't stay long, it is always great to see it again. This time though, it was the North Rim I visited; the side which is less traveled, a bit more secluded, and was conveniently on right on the way I was already headed. The South Rim was just too far to justify going to since there were other stops to make. 

Sadly, our stay at the Grand Canyon was very short. We didn't get to do any exciting hikes, or get off the beaten path to a remote viewing point  like we normally do. This stop was purely a convenience. Despite the minimal amount of time spent in the park it leaves a lasting impression with the vastness and the severity of vertical drops. It is quite exhilarating to stand atop a rock and look several thousand feet to the canyon floor below. What a rush!    

Even being a quick stop, the Grand Canyon leaves a lasting impression. It offers everything from five star accommodations to rafting and hiking some of the gnarliest terrain the Earth has to offer. Be sure to add this park as your next travel destination. It will blow your mind. 

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

One thing I truly love is our national parks. I have said that before and I will most defiantly say it again. They provide us with endless entertainment, glorious stories, and spectacular views that people travel across the world to see. Not to mention we are already paying for them with our tax dollars so we might as well get the most out of them!

Great Basin National Park is a little known gem in the middle of the Nevada desert. Honestly, when we were on our way to the park I was thinking "there is no way anything great is actually out here." Yeah, chock that one up in the "face palm" category. This park is magnificent! The benefits of going to a park that is less known is there will be fewer people, less traffic, and more opportunities to see the park with out waiting. 

We rolled in to the very small town of Baker, Nevada just outside of the park and headed up towards the visitor center. An excellent place to pick up trinkets, shirts, or in my case, patches. The center pointed us in towards a winding road leading up to Wheeler Peak; a point just shy of 10,000 ft elevation. Stunning views surrounded us. The mountain peaks rose thousands of feet above our heads, capped with snow and casting a chilly shadow over the valley below.  

Being in the middle of nowhere, Great Basin is an ideal spot for taking pictures of the Milky Way galaxy during the night. Now, it was a matter of finding a suitable camp ground. The Rangers said every camp ground was full but there was a chance some spots might be open down a dirt road at Garrison. We took a cut off road, hitting the dirt with our fully loaded KLR's, but they didn't mind. Gravel roads were what the Kawasaki engineered them for. We stopped at every site, checking for open spots but to no avail. The sites were all full. At this time, the sun was setting and the shadows were getting longer. We were stopped at the end of the road; a parking lot leading to backpacking trails. "Well, looks like we are camping in a parking lot!" I said.   

The site turned out to be a stellar location for night photography; something I hadn't done until this evening. For all of you who use long shutters, I applaud you. It is a tough technique to learn, requiring patience, knowledge, and an extreme level of dedication. The low light pollution of G.B. means that the Milky Way is in full view of the naked eye; providing breath taking views and stunning photography opportunities. 

It was more than worth getting up at one a.m. to see such a spectacular thing. I am hoping to improve my photography skills in order to incorporate more pictures like this. Every day is a learning experience and every time I pick up the camera is another opportunity to develop a new skill. Thanks for reading!

-Rhino

The Ups and Downs, Bring Us Back Around

I always find reflection to be the greatest tool in getting through the work week. Reminiscing about the great adventures you have been on is a great way to keep your mind off the less exciting aspects of life. This summer has been amazing and the last six months have literally flown by; but they do say time flies when you are having fun! 

Damage doesn't look bad, but it was totaled!

Never the less, the good times come with some less than ideal situations and the learning experiences that accompany them. While I may have had lots of fun, I also went through a roller coaster of achievement and dissatisfaction along the way. It's the trials and tribulations of day to day life that really shape our character and who we want to be. I took the challenges that were thrown at me as a way to become a better person and to put myself into uncomfortable situations. 

I spent eight weeks with out a car, relying only on my two wheeled companions (motorcycles and bicycles) as modes of transportation. Everything from grocery shopping to commuting to work to doing laundry was done via two wheels. It is amazing the freedom you feel when things are simplified. Eventually I acquired another vehicle (yet another Subaru), despite how much I enjoyed being on the bikes. The seasons have begun to change and I would prefer not to ride to work in the snow. 

During this time I was also able to get out on another long distance tour spanning eight states and 3,000 plus miles (more on this adventure to come). These tours are getting me one step closer to my goal of seeing every U.S. national park; this trip knocked out several more and gave me the opportunity to visit states which I haven't had the pleasure of being in for quite some time. 

Great Basin National Park

Traveling also gives me a unique opportunity to participate in things I don't do on a daily basis such as photography, reading novels, and general relaxing. Taking the time to do the things you really love gives you a greater appreciation for day to day life. 

I hope you all have enjoyed your summers!

-Rhino

Spring is in the air, even with snow still on the ground

I recently took a little adventure to Field Springs State Park just outside of Anatone, Washington. It was just me and four of my good friends needing to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There is nothing I find more enjoyable than spending time with mother nature and that is exactly what we did. Five cabin-fever-filled humans and a rambunctious pit bull took to the trail for a couple hours worth of hiking.   

Kaiser, the pit bull, experiencing his first real off leash hiking experience. 

@z.r.photography snapping a few shots as the ladies make their way up the trail.

The air was cool and crisp, but between rain showers the sunshine was a nice treat. It is amazing was a little vitamin D can do for the soul. The forecast for the day called for rain and just before we left little droplets started to fall on the windshield of my Subaru. Once we got up out of Asotin, Washington the skies started to clear and by the time we arrived at Field Springs, the sun was out in full force. 

Just a short jaunt in the snow takes you to a stunning plateau with views of Washington and Oregon.

The hiking was mostly up hill and through a combination of both hard and soft packed snow; making it difficult to pick a line. A couple downed trees in the mix made for some slippery obstacles but none the less we made it to the top just in time to see a pair of elk grazing on the next ridge over. 

A warm-up cabin was nestled back in the trees, looking out over the mountains and valleys. The wood burning stove and well stocked supply of timber would be an excellent way of warming those brave enough to venture out during winter or on some chilly nights. Bunks, tables, and maps were the only amenities this rustic cabin featured. 

A big shout out to our tour guide Sam! Thanks for taking us out for a bit of adventuring! 

After just a few hours I felt my batteries being recharged and motivation returning. There really is no better way to spend a few hours than with nature. The fresh air fills your lungs and the cool temperatures stir the primitive human instincts. What a wonderful feeling! Thanks for reading, and as always feel free to send an me an email with any questions comments or concerns!

-AdventureRhino

Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons

What's the best way to start a motorcycle tour? Dumping your bike five minutes into the trip; it really gets the blood pumping! Last Sunday marked the start of another week on the bike headed from my home in Lewiston, Id to Helena, Mt and then south into Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. I was at a stop light, messing with my phone, trying to get my head phones to play when the light turned green. As I let the lever out the clutch grabbed first gear and I felt my phone start to slip out of the front pocket of my tank bag. I hastily pulled the clutch back in and somehow forgot the road I was on was banked and it was a long way down for my foot back to the pavement. Unloaded the bike weighs over 400 pounds, add on all the gear and accessories and it would likely be closer to 500! At this point I felt the bike start to lean and my foot still had not touched solid ground. I decided to just let it go, falling rather ungraciously. My phone fell out of the front pocket and the bike landed on top of it. Luckily though it only suffered a bit of cracked gorilla glass. The other bummer part of this trip was that my camera (Cannon Rebel xt) decided to delete 3GB worth of pictures the second to last day on the road, eliminating all the epic photographs from both national parks. I still have some great pictures on my phone though, so onward with the adventure!

We started off hitting this great little bakery in Missoula called Bernice's Bakery. They have a great hot ham and cheese sandwich and the in house barista made a great London fog (earl grey tea, vanilla, and milk) steeped with local tea bags. It was just a couple more hours past the to our first stop for the night in Helena, Mt with my grandparents for the fourth of July and a little family gathering. 

Day two started bright and early with the jaunt to Yellowstone and a minor three hour delay at the Lewis-Clark caverns which boasts some really interesting stalagmites and stalactites. The tour was two hours and has some tight squeezes, steep descents, and some really good history. After this is was a straight shot to West Yellowstone with a dinner stop in Ennis, Mt. Apparently, the camp grounds in Yellowstone fill up quite rapidly so finding a site in the park was a no go, but there were a few spots just out of town that had places for us. We ventured into the park for some sunset hiking around the geothermal features and ended with some great sunset pictures (most of which are lost). The views in Yellowstone are a wonderful example of what you can expect from the 8th largest national park in the U.S. 

Our second day in Yellowstone was much the same as the first, packed with visiting lots of geothermal sites and taking in the local wildlife and scenery. We started the day with breakfast at Running Bear Pancaked House in West Yellowstone. This place has one of the best eggs Benedict breakfasts I have ever experience; at this level of cuisine its no longer just a meal. We sat across from a couple of gentlemen who were on their way back to the east coast after dropping off a truck in Montana. The people you meet on a vacation are always fascinating!  We were delighted to see a few buffalo hanging out off the side of the road, but the the pull off was so crowded there was almost no room for our two motorcycles. We snapped a few shots and continued on down the road. They are the little brown dots in the background.

Venturing on, we were pulled over at yet another geothermal point that was on the edge of a lake when we were joined by a large cow and a small bull elk. It is really quite phenomenal to be with in a few feet of an animal that is literally several times your body weight. They are not ignorant to the people that are surrounding them but rather embrace our presence, not running off in fright. Theses animals are spectacular!

After hanging with the elk for a few minutes we meandered on to the classic Old Faithful geyser. If you have not seen this wonderful thing it is totally worth it! Standing with several hundred people on a boardwalk to witness the magnificence is truly a sight to remember. This geyser shoots scalding hot water quite far into the air and does so every half an hour or so. Sadly, all the pictures of Old Faithful are gone and I didn't capture any on my phone.

Later that day we found a camp site to set up for the evening, giving me an opportunity to test out my new hammock made by grand trunk. Along with the hammock I purchased a set of the tree savers and can I just say these things work great! I utilized my hammock time to scout possible routes and sites to stop by the next day in the Grand Tetons. 

We rolled out of bed the following day to find that it had rained the night before and was still sprinkling. Rain while camping is really no issue but motorcycle camping means that the only place for getting out of the rain is under a tree or in your tent. When you are packing up your camp that leaves only the trees; it makes for an interesting camping experience when no matter what you do you are being rained on. We hit the road and rolled into Grand Teton National Park. 

The road through the southern entrance of Yellowstone is the northern entrance to the Grand Tetons and oh boy is it spectacular! Yellowstone is an amazing park with stunning views but rolling in to the Tetons is a whole different experience. These mountains are giant pillars rising thousands of feet out of the flat plains the road is laid on.  

We had a plan to do a hike on the other side of Jenny Lake. To get to the trail head its either a 2.5 mile hike around each side of the lake or a $15 dollar boat ride gets you to the same place. We opted for the boat ride which only took a few minutes. The hike runs up the face of a mountain with wonderful views of the lake and an even closer glimpse of the Teton peaks surrounding the area. The trail winds through the woods for a few miles before opening up into a vast valley with snow capped peaks on both sides. Further on, the trail splits and allows access to back country hiking and packing opportunities. There are several lakes that can be accessed from this point. We didn't make it that far into the hike but went most of the way to where the trial Y's. 

We were also pleased to see a mother black bear and her two cubs along the hiking trail. Most people carry bear spray with them while hiking but we opted not to. The bear we came across was perfectly content eating the local vegetation and watching her cubs run around. It also makes one think about carrying the bear spray; coming between a mother bear and her cubs can be tragically dangerous even if you mean no harm. 

We headed on down the road and found that most of the camp sites were full, but we lucked out; grabbing one in a "dry" campsite just outside of the park. After setting up the tents we went a few more miles down the road to Jackson, Wyoming. This little town has a ton of character and was bustling like a city. Every restaurant looked packed so we stopped in and asked a friendly sales lady where the best burger in town was. She recommended the Liberty burger and man was she spot on! Hands down the best burger I have consumed. The place was packed like sardines but if you put your name down they send a text message when your table is ready; allowing you to wander the streets and bop into cool shops that line main street. 

Bellies full and bikes fueled back up we cruised back to camp only to find that a bull moose had been visiting our camp ground and was bedded down just a few yards away! Trying not to spook the massive animal we crept up and snapped a few photos, this guy was huge! It was after this while taking some shots of the stars that my camera decided to glitch out while saving a picture and erase the last few days worth of pictures. I was pretty upset for a while but didn't want to ruin the rest of the tour. The French have a saying for situations like this: cest la vie, or such is life. Truer words could not have spelled out this situation. 

The following morning was the beginning of our longest day on the bikes; Grand Teton National Park to Boise, ID. But we had to stop for breakfast at The Bunnery; a quaint little shop in downtown Jackson that had excellent food. A perfect start to the day. From Jackson we headed south, in the wrong direction, thanks mostly to my apparent lack of map reading skills. It actually worked out really well though; we skirted the Palisades lake which had some beautiful scenery and a fun beach trail that we took the bikes on. I really can't reiterate enough how terrible it is to ride fully loaded in the sand but once we were on the hard pack it was a really good time. 

After a quick stop in Idaho Falls for some Red Robin we jammed out to Craters of the Moon, about a 130 miles West. This is a really cool national monument established by president Coolidge in 1924. The "craters" were created from the volcanic activity in the Great Rift, which runs through the Snake River Plain. It is really something to see all the evidence of volcanic activity, though nothing has erupted in the last 2000 years. 

The second half of our day was from Craters of the Moon to Boise, a grueling stretch of tarmac with lots of highway speeds. For those of you who don't know the KLR650 has one large single piston, so riding it at highway speeds is similar to riding an electric razor; lots of vibration. Then the wind factors in and it is actually quite a lot of work to keep the bike on the road. None the less we made it to the great city of Boise, Idaho. A metropolis teaming with action, full of life, and a wonderful city to experience. I particularly enjoy the cleanliness of the streets. For a city of that size, roughly 214,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area, it stays clean and has a low amount of crime. We grabbed a motel for the night and were up bright and early to hit Blue Sky Bagels for some breakfast. This place has bagels of epic quality; made fresh, in house every day. They have a variety of great choices along with sandwiches, cream cheese, and the like of favorite toppings. Pair a breakfast bagel with a great cup of coffee and you are set for a fantastic day. Our second stop was at a motorcycle shop; we were on the hunt for some additional baggage made by Wolfman. Wolfman motorcycle luggage has been a tremendous asset to our touring abilities; producing bags that are build specifically for long distance touring in all sorts of weather conditions. Our quest was unfruitful, but we did discover a shop that had this years coveted adventure bike; the Honda Africa Twin. For all you motorcycle enthusiasts, its a great bike! It looks good, the seating position and the handlebar placement are proper, it feels lighter than it is, and not to mention it is much cheaper than its comparative brothers from BMW, KTM, and Yamaha. For everyone else; its a really cool motorcycle! 

After seeing the motorcycles we ventured on up to McCall, Id, a town similar to Jackson for its resort and mountain roots. McCall is at the base of Brundage mountain which offers skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer but is also on the shore lines of Payette lake which hosts great boat tours and fun summer activities. Our stop for lunch was at Lardo's, one of McCalls local restaurants that has been around ever since I can remember.

With a good helping of red meat stuffed into our stomachs we started the last leg of our trip home. Leaving McCall it was nice and sunny but further on we encountered a heavy bank of clouds rolling in our direction. We pulled off to put the liners in our jackets not a minute too soon; the rain started as we merged back on to the highway. It didn't stop until we were home in Lewiston; leaving us at our door step with damp luggage and soaked boots. 

What an amazing trip! We had some ups and downs but through it all we made an adventure out of it and that is what this is all about. Much love, and thanks for reading. Have a great day!

-Rhino

Two Topics Today: Insight and New Stuff!

For starters, I must apologize readers for a lack of content lately. Attending school and working full time tends to tax the amount of free time one has to dedicate to extra curricular activities, regardless of how much they would rather be doing them. Secondly, my goal of one post per week has been an utter failure (obviously) and mostly because only a few people would like to know about my studies into business law and statistics. This lack of content and lack of motivation for that matter has brought an interesting topic to my mind; since I haven't really been traveling lately and thus have no destinations to write about I thought I would start documenting my daily activities and see if I could spice up my local life just a bit. This should be interesting, right? Prep yourself for some weird posts.  

Second topic, New stuff! Over the last few months I haven't really done much but at the end of January I did make the trip up to Sandpoint, Idaho for the viewing of the Banff film festival. If you have never been to one of these showings, I highly recommend going! Banff is a little town of 7,000 or so people in Alberta, Canada. They are surrounded by Mt. Cascade and Mt. Rundle in the Rockies and have a deep heritage of mountain activities such as the Lake Louise ski resort. Well every year they host a film and book festival based out of the Banff Centre, or the Banff school of fine arts. This festival then goes on a world tour where the films are played for people all over the world! In Sandpoint it is a three day event with films ranging from mountaineering to canoeing to cycling hosted at the historic Panida Theater. These films document the adventures and travels of famous athletes and their film crews and sometimes just random people who have a camera and a desire for worldly experience. The Banff world tour is definitely something every one should see at least once!

Sandpoint is another great little town. Close to the Canadian border and nestled between the foot of Schweitzer mountain resort and beautiful Lake Pend Oreille, it's a quaint little town with tons of activities to offer. I have recently been introduced to cross country skiing which is a great winter hobby that is a little more efficient than snow shoeing but still has the same "trekking" feel to it. Schweitzer has miles of beautiful cross country ski, snowshoe, and fat bike trails that can be accessed for $15 or so. It's a great way to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise as well. My confidence with down hill skiing is basically nonexistent; I'd rather have my feet strapped together! But cross country skiing is a great introduction to having separated feet and a good way to build confidence on the snow. 

Beautiful views from Schweitzer's cross country trails!

Thanks for reading, I hope you are having a great day! Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

-Rhino

It might be winter but we're back, in action!

Well hey there, again! Yeah, I know its been a while but this show boat is about to get back out to sea for the 2016 year and this ride might be a bit like class five rapids in July, in an inflatable kayak.

Since it is technically still winter time, there really isn't much motorcycling to be done in the northwest; seeing as most of it is covered in snow and riding below 30 degrees isn't exactly my idea of a good time. There are however lots of thing to be done during the "down time" that our favorite mother nature provides us during these cold days. I will be starting this year with a refresh of my engine on the KLR; raising the displacement from 650cc to 685cc. Where is this little event to be held you ask? How about my living room! #clearlyabachelor

Have you ever seen a dog outside a window in the cold, wanting to come inside? Well that's how my motorcycle looked out front of my apartment a few months ago. So I did the only logical thing a man should do and brought it inside. 

When I took all the plastics, the seat, and the gas tank off I discovered there was a ton of spiders living in the my bike! They were in the batter box, under the tank, in the frame, and had even managed to burrow their way into the rubber boots around the electrical connections. To be honest I was quite mortified and proceeded to kill all of them that I could find, which was a lot, with everything from shoes to wrenches and finally resorted to using my vacuum to pick them up. After that little fiasco the bike had to have the fluids drained, preferably outside. Do you know how much easier it is to get a bike through a door way with out any plastics on it?! Its great! Note for the future. Oh, and incase you were wondering; yes my wall paper is floral print, quite vintage if I do say so myself!

The next step was the disassemble process of the engine to get to the piston which would be replaced by a fancy new one ordered from eagle mike at Eagle mfg. I have purchased quite a few products from Mike including the famous "doohickey." His products are top notch and the service and shipping is always prompt. I love good service, way to go Mike!

There we go! A Piston! After a little wrestling around with the head and all that jazz the engine is finally coming apart. As you can see there is quite a bit of carbon build up on the top of the piston, but it seems to be in fairly good shape overall. Next we will be removing the jug to access the piston itself. 

Most of the time I think I Know what I am doing, but there is a huge benefit to having directions. I might not be a professional but I know that step three comes after step two; yep, following directions to the T. 

Bingo! The jug, what the piston is in, is off! That provides access to the piston, which is being changed out, and a vast opening in the crank case to drop stuff into! And when I say drop stuff into you can probably imagine that I did exactly that, hence why I am not a professional and why this is being done in my living room versus a shop. It's a classic rookie mistake!

Once everything is taken apart it is critical that things are kept organized and together. Having left over bolts isn't necessarily a good thing, though it seems to happen to me quite a lot...  who would have guessed?

Now comes the hard part; putting everything back together. The rings have to be soaked in oil, and the the new piston and jug must be installed with new gaskets, engine assembly lube and locktite. 

While reinstalling the jug onto the piston I accidentally dropped a bolt into the crank case. It was a bolt for a little rubber chain guide for the timing chain that goes inside the jug. Well me and my overly-caffeinated, shaking hands basically threw it down the hole where I spent a good half hour fishing about with a magnet to find it; but it took the crank case cover coming off for me to actually find it. Best part, it was the wrong bolt! 

So, once that minor disaster was fixed, it was on to putting the head back on with the cams, timing chain, and yet another chain guide that had problems... The threads in the jug for the top chain guide were all buggered up so using a thread chaser, or a bolt with a couple notches cut into it, we got got the bolts to sit properly! This is a really handy tool if you need to clean some threads with out using a tap. Nice part is, the bolt cost just over a dollar at Home Depot.

Now it's time to put the finishing touches on the engine and button everything back up to their proper torque specs. It took three separate torque wrenches and the mad power of google's conversion calculators to tighten everything back to the proper specs. Newton Meters to foot pounds to inch pounds is quite a lot of math...

Two days, three meals out, and probably ten trips to the hardware store and the engine is finally put back together! What should have been a simple switch turned out to be quite a bit more but it was a great learning experience; and knowledge of your equipment is never a bad thing. This bike has just under 20 thousand miles on it and now I know it is set up for several more years of touring! This summer should be filled with some great weekend trips, a few national parks, and most likely some shenanigans!  

I have to throw a huge shout out to my buddy and traveling partner, Scott, for all his help on this project! Having help when trying to tackle big jobs is never a bad thing. I couldn't think of a better way to bring in the new year! Happy 2016 everyone! Stay tuned for some great action this year! 

-Rhino, feeling refreshed to be back in the saddle, almost. In two months. 

Leavenworth, Wa

Leavenworth, Washington is a super rad little town about an hour west of Wenatchee, smack dab in the middle of the North Cascade mountain range. The town is modeled after a Bavarian village from the middle ages, a virtual re-creation of  Rothenburg. The roughly 2000 inhabitants have mountains that are Alps-ish in a way, with steep faces and jagged edges. Winding canyon roads take visitors to a variety of amazing locations, prime for rock climbing and mountain biking. 

The town is chock full of great shops selling trinkets, nut crackers, and if you are really in the spirit they do sell legit Lederhosen, the traditional Bavarian attire for men. The food in Leavenworth is quite phenomenal to be honest; a real taste of Germany. There are a number of authentic restaurants and even an outdoor cook house that sells sausage. Yum! 

I am bummed to admit that I missed this year's Oktoberfest in Leavenworth; seeing as the whole town is based off German heritage why wouldn't they celebrate such a great holiday? The festivities include everything from live music and dancing to keg tapping and German cuisine. Now that sounds like a good time! I am planning to attend next years Oktoberfest and may make it over there for a weekend of camping a exciting adventures, so stay tuned for more updates and great destinations!

Albinorhino- enjoying some beer. 

Seasons bringing out beautiful fall colors

In yet another attempt to confuse us, mother nature has decided that mid 70 degree temperatures in north Idaho is acceptable for October, at least in the lower elevations. I won't complain though, it just means more time on the motorcycle and this time of year the scenery is quite stunning. Even though we missed out on doing some epic riding like the Magruder corridor from Elk City, Idaho to Darby, Montana all in wilderness territory, there is always next season and we are going to fully enjoy this warm weather until the cold hits. Though the temps have been up lately, being on the bike at highway speeds can get pretty chilly. It is always a good idea to wear thermal layers, wool socks, and winter gloves. Those layers can be removed but if you forget them at home the ride can be miserable. Hope fall is great for the rest of you!

Albinorhino, stayin' warm.

The Weekend Getaway

Well, it's Monday again and that means the productivity level will be surprisingly low and morale will be about the same. But ah, we have a secret weapon; memories from the awesome weekend! We can sit back and reminisce about where we went, who we talked to, and all the bad jokes that will inevitably get told while we are putting back those tall cool ones. It all comes down to being able to get away mentally or physically for the weekend and decompress from the stresses of day to day life. Personally, I take the motorcycle out and let the two-lane black top soothe those stresses and ease my thoughts. Some times I have the best (and worse) ideas while on the bike.  It is a way for me to disregard all the things that I deal with on the daily like answering my phone, planning and scheduling, getting ready to go back to school, etc... all that stuff is irrelevant once that engine thumps to life. It's pretty hard to answer the phone when you are taking back roads to get to a destination.  

If a full blown camping trip is out of the picture, my closest getaway is Spokane, Washington or Coeur 'd Alene, Idaho. They are two cities that might as well be attached and both offer similar amenities such as good food, some great stores,  and best of all, an excuse to get out of dodge. C'DA has an amazing lake that is basically in down town so water recreation is at your fingertips, not to mention the roads around the lake are ripe for motorcyclists and sports car drivers alike. Yesterday the sun was out and the temps were in the 80's which made perfect riding conditions despite the smoke from all the fires burning in the area. 

Starting the day was just a quick trip up to Spokane for lunch, a pair of shoes, and stopping in to see some friends. We, my riding buddy Scott and I, switched bikes on the way up to compare and contrast our different farkles and bike set ups. Since we are riding nearly identical bikes it can be deceiving how different they really are. There is three model years difference between our bikes, mine is an '09 and his is the '12, but they are totally different machines regardless of Kawasaki claiming there isn't. It was fun to try out Scott's bike and find things that I liked and disliked about it. Some of the parts he has I have been planning to purchase so getting some first hand knowledge was great. 

After some running around we headed back to Idaho via some streets lined with used car dealer ships. Another thing I like to do is look at used cars, its kind of weird, I know.  By this point we had stopped at C'DA power sports who was closed but had some very convenient benches in the shade that gave us some time to relax and talk more about the bikes. 

Heading home is always bitter sweet, but a friend and fellow motorcycle enthusiast of ours, who recently had a hip replaced, invited us over  for a bar-b-q. So homeward we went. All in all it was a great day full of laughs, motorcycles, and some pretty good food. I couldn't ask for more. I hope you had a great weekend as well! Thanks for reading!

View fullsize

Us and the bikes parked outside C'DA power sports. 

Albinorhino, keepin' the rubber side down. 

First Entry

Hello everyone! Ill start by introducing my self. My name is Ryan, other wise know as Rhino or albinorhino, I am a sort of adventure connoisseur who loves to travel and see what the world has to offer. Currently I am traveling via a 2009 Kawasaki KLR 650 that has been my trusty steed for the last 15 thousand miles or so. It has been quite the learning experience coming from lots of car camping and traveling through air ports to only being able to carry so much. Discovering that the bike can only carry certain things and what gets packed is basically the essentials.

I have decided to start a blog to document and share my adventures on these little adventures that I partake in during my off days and weekends. This is also the tool that I will use to hold myself accountable for reaching my goal of 50,000 miles on my KLR before I purchase a new bike. This is a huge goal for me because the availability of great bikes for a decent price is relatively abundant, but I already own the KLR and have invested quite a lot of saddle time with it so hence the high mileage goal. I will keep track of mileage, maintenance, and upgrades hopefully making videos about those and I will also provide reviews on the products that I purchase and how they benefit my motorcycling excursions. I am excited for all of you to join my adventures and look forward to hearing your comments! Please, if you have any questions drop me an email, which can be found under the contact tab, and I will get back to you as soon as possible! Enjoy!