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The prospect of being a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) RiderCoach has brought me and the V-Strom to Yakima Washington for a 60-hour course. The city of Yakima and surrounding Yakima Valley is known to be one of the best apple-producing areas in the world. The area also produces three-quarters of all hops grown in the United States. This is also the heart of Washington wine-country.

Bikes parked on the range for the MSF Instructor Preparation course in Yakima, WA

Despite all of the economic strengths of the area it is apparent that the area that struggles. As you pass through the city of Yakima there are pockets of successful businesses with large gaps of empty storefronts. The locals constantly talk about the good and bad parts of town. This is truly an area of opportunity for the few that can find it.

Situated southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and along two valleys, the area is ripe with scenery. The naturally arid area has been largely irrigated. This provides 360-degree unobstructed by trees and other vegetation. On average the area receives just over eight inches of rain per year and temperatures range from just under 40 degrees to the low 90s. The lack of rain with very few frozen days equals a beautiful area with great riding weather most of the year. Of course that is strictly my opinion as a former resident of the brittle cold region of Northern Minnesota. Compared to Bemidji, Minnesota the Yakima region is downright warm and toasty year-round.

After a long, yet enjoyable weekend of taking the MSF Instructor Preparation course it is time to head home to Everett. The scenic route that I ride is approximately 200 miles along river canyons and mountain passes punctuated with apple orchards and a Bavarian-styled village.

I head north out of Yakima along Interstate 84. It is a short four miles on the super slab to the Canyon Road exit. Canyon Road stretches nearly 30 miles from Yakima to Ellensburg. It is one of those few dream motorcycle roads and is a great alternative to I-84. The road cuts through cliffs carved out of basalt by centuries of movement of the Yakima River. The road moves in tandem with the river as if the two were dancing a tango. It is an especially sexy dance when you’re a part of it astride a motorcycle. The constant beat of sweeping corners are accentuated with curvaceous views of tall cliffs.

The Red Horse Diner in Ellensburg makes great burgers. The former Mobil station now makes a perfect roadtrip food stop.

The road is superb and easy to lose track of speed. I was lucky enough to be slowed by traffic as I passed the shiny state patrol squad car. As good motorcycle roads go, this is typical. Pick your lines and watch your speed. The “man” knows the road and will ticket you.

The Red Horse Diner is located just off of I-90 on US 97. I highly recommend it for a pit stop.

With a full belly I mount my motorcycle and point the wheels north to Ellensburg. US 97 makes a couple turns. Make sure to pay attention to the signs. A I climb higher into the hills the views of the valleys below are beautiful. I pass many other riders. Tossing a hand in the air and even standing up on the pegs to provide a salute to their choice of transportation. You’re never alone on the road when you’re on a motorcycle.

"Private Road" at an apple orchard on US 97 near Blewett Pass

As I chase the sun into the night I pass many Fire Service roads and campgrounds that deserve a weekend of exploration. The FS roads call to me on the V-Strom, but it is Sunday night and I have another couple hours of road to reach home. I continue a speedy pace over Blewett Pass toward Leavenworth. On the north side of the pass the road cuts through picturesque apple orchards. I pull over for a water break in hopes to find a short road to explore and only find signs warning of “private road.” Oh well.

I reach the Bavarian-styled town of Leavenworth. This is a fun little tourist town. My wife and I have spent a day browsing the many shops. The town has had two incarnations; first as a railroad town in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The Great Northern Railroad rerouted its tracks up the Chumstick Valley in the 1920s. Then the 1930’s brought the Great Depression mostly shut the town down. The solution was found in a themed rehabilitation project that made Leavenworth the Bavarian village that it is today.

Bavarian facade of Leavenworth

There are a couple gems in town, but for the most part the fake facades fade quickly with the poor customer service. Sorry folks, it is just my honest opinion. There is a fantastic sausage and meat shop in town. Otherwise, we have yet to find good German fare in the fake village. Are any German restaurateurs out there reading this? The town needs a good restaurant.

Now on U.S. Highway 2 I head west over Stevens Pass. The rugged terrain of the northern Cascades make this a much more scenic route than I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass. Around each bend the tall peaks block the sun. Western facing hills are still strongly illuminated, but the heavily tree-lined road is getting dark. I stop for photo opportunities, but they are quick stops with the bike left running to save time.

A good part of US 2 uses the old railroad grade over Stevens Pass. The trains now pass through an 8-mile long tunnel through the highest part of the pass. This is the longest such tunnel in the western Hemisphere according to the book Exploring Washington’s Past, A Road Guide to History by Ruth Kirk and Carmela Alexander. There is a rich history in this area as the lumber and other natural resources brought development to the west. A New York newspaper once called a construction camp in this area the “wickedest place in the world” when the railroad was built in the early part of the 1900s. Today is a popular skiing destination and summer hiking and camping destination.

The setting sun illuminates the rugged mountains on Stevens Pass

There are very few routes connecting the east side of the cascades to the population centers on the west side. Long traffic backups are common as families with their RVs head home from weekend camping trips on Sunday nights. I’m making great time as I starting heading down the west side of the pass. That is until I take a blind right-hand corner and find traffic at a complete standstill. The emergency stop procedure that I had practiced the two previous weekends at the MSF Instructor Preparation course was put to good use. The outside-inside-outside cornering technique provided me enough of a sightline to straighten up the bike and apply full brakes. I completed the stop on the right rear corner of the car ahead of me. The whole time I was watching my mirrors for the next vehicle to be surprised by the sudden blockage of the road. I placed myself to the shoulder side of the car ahead of me in case I needed to make a quick escape from a skidding SUV piloted by a cell-phone toting driver more concerned with Monday’s tasks at work than the pavement they were pounding. That vehicle didn’t come and the drivers that stacked in behind me must have seen my brake lights with enough time to come to a safe stop behind me.

Traffic often backs up Sunday night on westbound US 2 over Stevens Pass

The traffic back up lasts for more than an hour. The V-Strom’s off road abilities came in handy as I was able to pass a few hundred cars using the four-wheeler trail along the side of the road. It brought back memories from my childhood riding these trails for miles and miles to friends’ homes. Quickly goosing the throttle popped the front wheel up on the driveway approaches. This bike can even make traffic backups fun!

Traffic clears up near Monroe and I finally reach the speed limit to finish out the ride down US 2 to Everett. Soon after turning the bike off and putting it to sleep on it’s centerstand, my head hits my pillow and I’m out cold. There’s nothing like a long, yet enjoyable weekend of riding motorcycles through the desert and heavily treed mountains to knock a rider out cold, sawing logs through the night.

Ah yes, the joys of roughing it in a rustic camp ground. Who needs an expensive hotel room. There were three tents each with a happy motorcycle camper in our campsite. It was $15 of bliss split three ways between me and my riding companions, Jeff and Dan.

Mt. Adams as seen from Takhlakh Lake Campground

The Takhlakh Lake Campground in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is an out of the way destination of a campground. I call it a destination, because you have to traverse more than 20 miles of winding loose dirt road to get there. Is it worth it? The view of Mt. Adams across the lake at the campground is worth the trip alone. It is truly amazing.

The price of bliss is paid by not one of us having a good night sleep. We made quick work of tearing down camp and loading up the V-Stroms. Jeff was first up and loaded his DL1000 in no time flat. Dan and I loaded up our DL650s and all of us were out of camp by 7 a.m.

Today, we’re taking a series of fire service roads back to Randle; through Mt. Rainier via  US 12, Washington SR 123, SR 410 and finally SR 164 into Enumclaw. In all a ride of about 115 miles which takes nearly three and half hours with all of the stops along the mountain to take in the views. Here’s a map of the route.

I’m still working on my dirt riding skills. I grew up in an area where half the roads were dirt. Riding dirt bikes and ATVs down those roads was second nature to me. I was determined to make a smooth exit this morning along the fire service roads from the campground to Randle. My ride in to the campground the night before was less than graceful.

Dan and Jeff shared insight into how to make the ride smoother. I did as suggested and stood up almost the entire way back to Randle. Stepping down on the inside peg in the corners to turn. I was surprised at the difference the technique made. It was like I was a kid riding my dirt bike again. Funny how we lose skills if they aren’t used.

The south entrance to Mount Rainier National Park on SR 123

After hitting the pavement my suspension felt really soft in the corners. It was soft enough that I decided to pull over and take a closer look at the bike. My suspicions were confirmed. My rear tire picked up a piece of metal and was flat as a pancake. Luckily, I carry a small air compressor and a tire plug kit for just such an occasion. We didn’t plug the tire just yet. A group decision was made to leave the metal in the tire, fill it with air and ride it back to Randle (15 miles) before making a more permanent fix. I nurse the bike back to town and pull into the Chevron Station. Within a half hour the metal is removed, a plug is installed and the tire is filled.

This is where Dan splits ways with us. Jeff and I head east on US 12 and have Mt. Rainier in our sight. A few miles east of Packwood we turn north on SR 123 over Cayuse Pass. This route weaves along the mountain side and affords great views of Mt. Rainier. A great side route is SR 706, also known as Stevens Canyon Road, up to Paradise. I have yet to ride this route, but I’ve driven it and it is certainly on my to-do list. We continue up SR 123 until it ends and we continue north on SR 410.

SR 410 can be busy during the summer weekends. It is a popular route and only has one lane in each direction. Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful road with great curves. It just stinks to get stuck behind an overloaded RV that can’t get out of it’s own way up the hills. We were lucky that it was early enough that traffic really wasn’t an issue.

V-Strom motorcycles striking a silhouette in the morning sun at Mt. Rainier National Park

There aren’t many fuel or rest stops along the route. The only one on the north side of Mt. Rainier National Park is in Greenwater. It is a super busy station and the bathroom tends to have a long line. I don’t suggest holding the bladder until you get here. Enjoy the privacy of being in the woods and find a covered spot to pull off to the side of the road. Trust me, you’ll be much better off. The only caveat to that is I don’t recommend a high-visibility Aerostich Roadcrafter suit when trying to hide behind a tree. High-vis doesn’t allow privacy if you get my drift.

The closer we get to Enumclaw the more traffic builds. It has been a fantastic weekend of riding through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Mount Saint Helens National Monument and Mount Rainier National Park. All of which are within eyesight of one another. Do you get why I like riding in Washington State? There’s scenic motorcycle rides around every turn.