Shakedown 2012: Planning for another arctic adventure!

A few years have passed since we completed our first trip north. Some motorcycles have come and gone, and we have managed to do a smaller-scale trip every summer since our big 2009 trip. In 2010, we joined our friends Grant, Cynthia and Adam to do a 9 day trip around the Frank Church Wilderness--it was spectacular, and all on dirt. Last year, Mark and I did a little tour of British Columbia, up to Bella Coola, BC, on the coast, and then we hopped a ferry down to Vancouver Island and looped back to Idaho. Last weekend, we rode around eastern Oregon to make sure we have everything dialed for our next big trip, which will happen in July.

We started out on a rainy Saturday and headed to Rome, Oregon, where we stopped to warm up and dry off, after getting hit by a torrential downpour. From there, on the recommendation of a guy in the little roadside cafe in Rome, we cut west to Crane, Oregon, home of Crystal Crane Hot Springs, a classic diamond in the rough camping location. There, we enjoyed an evening soak in their hotsprings.

In the morning, we headed south to Fields, Oregon, along the east side of Steens Mountain. It was windy. And beautiful.

In Fields, I had the best milkshake of my life. Everyone should go to Fields Station to have a milkshake.

We camped just north of Burns, Oregon, at the Idlewild campground. The next day was spent heading north to the Wallowas. Our last day, we completed the loop, up one our favorite roads, FR39, on the way back home. Stay tuned for more posts on our preparation, our bikes, and our traveling companion!