Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

Jul 6, 2005

5th July (1)

I was on the road by eight, and already it was warm, but I didn’t have a problem because I was moving. I made sure I was slathered in suncream and drank water whenever I stopped, which was quite often, because it was scenic and pretty. The road whipped up and down and round and round and the desert got greener as there were rivers and streams which I crossed on a regular basis. Entire convoys of mobile homes on the backs of trucks lumbered up hills and held up strings of traffic. I crossed a pass over the Blue Mt. that I saw from the rest stop yesterday, which was pretty cool.

About ten I was at a tiny middle of nowhere place called Burns Junction because one of the roads it was junctioning to goes to Burns, Oregon. It is a road I would like to take sometime. The gas station was one where the pumps had to be unlocked first, and the lady (Julaine) came out to say howdy and let me fill my own bike up. I came inside for a coffee and breakfast, and ended up chatting and passing the time of day in a lovely old-fashioned little general store and cafe. They also run an RV park and I listened to them talking about the animals they kept and everyone who came in was a guest of honour. The small places are the best.

After this point the road got really wonderfully curvy including steep inclines and rocky ravines. There was a missile silo in the desert just after the Mountain Time zone sign, and the land there felt upset and angry somehow, very offended by its presence. Gave me the jitters, anyway.

Lewis and Clark apparently passed this way because there was a sign leading to Charbonneau’s grave, but it was half a mile of gravel track in a very remote location and I decided to let it be until I have either company, or more experience. I was having a great time, enjoying the mountains (there were even some with snow on in the distance) and the lovely scenery. Saw plenty of stuck tumbleweeds, too. ;-)