Roadtrips 2000
South of the Border
~ Canadian Style!
Part
1 - SPLASH (Sport Lap Around St. Helens)
From
our meeting place in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada our destination is Woodland,
Washington, USA and the start of the 4th Annual SPLASH; with a sweet stretch of winding
roads to keep Buells and riders challenged on this two day ride.
A
group of six Buells and a Buelled-out sportster met at Stuart Well's house on a promising Friday morning. We ventured over
the border at the Douglas Crossing, fueled up ourselves and the bikes in Blaine, WA.
Shortly before heading onto Interstate 5, John MacRitchie's SuperTrapp muffler lost a bolt
and was about to drop off his 1999 X1. Proving to be a competent group, we had tools
available for a quick fix and were soon on our way again.
Throughout
our trip we met many Buell enthusiasts. Along the scenic  Chuckanut Drive we crossed
the bridge to Whidbey Island and ran into Nathan Grau from the US Military stationed in
Oak Harbor, WA. Riding a Buell S1, he noticed the group of Buells and we stopped to chat
for a few minutes. After a short ferry ride and disembarking in Port
Townsend, we worked our way south through the Olympic Peninsula. The weather turned to
rain which we rode through for about 30 minutes. Thankfully that was all the rain we saw
the entire weekend. We arrived at Woodland, WA that evening and met up with the rest of
the Buellers, anticipating the exhilirating ride the next day.
Saturday
morning brought blue skies and sunshine, a perfect way to start an  adventurous Buelling day! We
met at Horseshoe Lake in Woodland, then the group of 14 bikes roared away. Everyone
managed to stay together as we refamiliarized ourselves among winding roads. It was
effortless passing the slower moving four wheel traffic. Clinging onto the back of our
1999 S3, I was thankful to be on two wheels. These roads are made for motorcycles!!
Unfortunately
problems plagued this 4th annual SPLASH, but thankfully  no injuries were
sustained. Neil, riding a Buell S1, was the first to encounter problems when
a rock hit the belt and severed it. Coasting as far downhill as possible, the bike was
stashed while a rescue was planned. The rest of us enjoy the twisty road up to Windy Ridge
in the monument of Mount St. Helens. The road meanders through a green picturesque forest
then leads directly into the Blast Zone and you can  see first-hand the amazing destruction of
the 1980 eruption. The road continues to get tighter and more precarious as the view opens
up to the awe-inspiring eradication that still exists 20 years after. In the distance,
Spirit Lake shines with life and yet still shows scars with the many fallen trees lining
the lake shore.
Meanwhile,
fate has a way of working out. Duane and Lisa weren't able to make the ride
and as it happens they became the rescuers, driving from Tacoma with a new replacement
belt. The crippled Buell was picked up and delivered to the hotel in Packwood, WA. I will
always be amazed at how a group of people can work together to solve a problem. There were
enough savvy minds with tools to help swap out that belt, on the road!
(Can you do that by yourself? No Way!)
Naturally
we celebrated well into the night, looking forward to the next day's ride. It was another
sunny day and inspired us to take a run around Mount  Rainier. For the ride Matt
Wood swapped his Ducati 750 Monster with Debbie Gussenhoven's Buell X1. That ill-fated
plan should have been tabled. Hwy 52 to Mount Rainier was tight and twisty and also unfamiliar, the
washboard bumps wreaked havoc on the tighter turns. That combined with the bright sun and
tree-shadowed road caused Matt to  dump Deb's X1! Thankfully
he was not injured (how's the neck Matt?). Even though the Buell looked a bit beat up she
still started and was rideable after cleaning out the air box and taking off all the
broken pieces. The salvageable parts were strapped onto the bikes to be packed out. Thank
goodness for small miracles!
We
never did make it to Johnston Ridge on the north west side of St. Helens this year, but
Mount Rainier's breathtaking view was a welcomed new experience as we continued our ride
through the National Park. Riding a loop back to Packwood for fuel, riders were anxious to
get their tired Buells home and we said an early goodbye to the weekend warriors.
The
group split up at Morton, WA with some going North and the rest of us heading South. Of
the group going North, Jim Trembley lost the air cleaner from his S1, but was retrieved
and added to the pile of Buell parts. Also heading North, Debbie's distressed X1 had
another encounter, this time with a deer! A small fawn darted out as she was passing a
vehicle and she hit the rear of it, merely spinning it around, dazed but alive. As for the
Buell... the spirits are with her and due to Debbie's experience and good riding
instincts, she walked away shaken but unscathed.
With
a group of five Buells heading South, we stopped to rehydrate in
Longview at the border of Washington and
Portland. It's always nice to have riders that know the area and can point out the best
roads. Thanks to  Michael George and Jeremy
we enjoyed the route to the Coast, too bad little problems plagued their plans to join us.
(If it isn't muffler mounts, it's a worn belt!) Escorted by Frank and Jill Crane we rode
through low traffic, twisty roads and along the quick turning Hwy 53, most of it newly
paved too! We arrived at the coast, had some Mexican food in a town called Wheeler shortly
before saying goodbye to Frank & Jill.
Just
three Canadians (John, Don and I) on two Buells were left and we stayed the night at
Rockaway Bay, Oregon. We had a whirlpool and swim at our ocean front hotel, savoring the
cool salt air in contrast to the inland heat from our earlier journey. Although wistful
for our group of fellow Buellers I was excitedly anticipating the coastal ride to San
Francisco!
Lorraine
Scott
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