It was a Goldilocks sort of day today, where riding was concerned. Not too hot, not too cold, not too busy in the direction we headed. More or less perfect.
I didn’t start recording the ride until we were already in Sumas (so the full ride was about 352km total), but I was fascinated by the fact that my average heart rate was only around 105bpm. Proof positive that I am not an adrenaline junkie and that riding the bike (at least in the US) is my Zen place.
It seems weird to tell people that riding the sport bike is meditative….but it is. It is an excellent means to focus…distractions fall away.
Until we returned to Canada and had the usual hair-raising ride back to Vancouver among the local road warriors who think going 30+ over the limit in the HOV lane simply isn’t fast enough and actively try to kill you all the way home! Then my heart rate hovered around 135bpm for that last section until we got home. One lunatic after another. I am not even remotely trying to be humorous when I say that I feel rather certain that Vancouver has THE worst drivers in the world.
Other than that….it was a fabulous day.
We jumped on the freeway this morning for a less-than-fun ride to the Sumas border crossing, where we appreciated our Nexus passes as we whizzed by the long line of vehicles waiting for the regular lanes, and rode ride up to the border guard. A Quick Look at each of us, “Where are you headed?” was the only question either of us received, no need to remove the helmet or gloves, just a smile and wave on through.
Then it was down Mt Baker Highway, a left onto Silver Lake Road for a lovely and scenic ride on an almost deserted backroad. We popped out at Maple Falls and opted against riding up Baker Mountain, turning west instead. Probably a good decision because a few km on two emergency vehicles came wailing towards us and heading in the direction of Baker…hopefully not a rider.
We turned south at Kendall for a few clicks, on past North Forks Brewing (oh but one of their sour beers would have tasted good…) and then hung a left onto Mosquito Lake Road for another pleasant and quiet ride. We popped out on Highway 9 at Acme and did a quick little run south before stopping for lunch at The Blue Mountain Grill for our usual Panang chicken curry. The staff are Thai and the Thai food is, therefore, very good.
From here it was a right at Park Road and around the east end of Whatcom Lake, up to Colony Road…along which we ground to a halt while we waited for a train at a crossing we’d been lucky all of these years to never have been caught behind one, and then up through Chuckanut and into Old Fairhaven (Where we enjoyed a lazy day yesterday, but by truck). We had to wait for the train…again…. and then take couple of detours from our intended route, and pass through Bellingham and on towards Lummi where both of us needed a break.
There was a very funny moment where we rounded a corner just before the above photo and rode past a fellow, dressed in his leather vest with patches, and his little skull cap beanie helmet, standing on the side of the road next to his Harley. The bike was in front of a house, facing the wrong direction to traffic and as we rode closer we both saw him, with slumped shoulders, lightly poke his bike with his foot….not quite a kick, more of a nudge, but definitely dejected. Both of us considered stopping, but he wasn’t stranded in the sense that he was a lone…there were people in the yard in front of him, and he didn’t lift his eyes our way, so we rode past; he was in no danger, his bike was upright. His body language so clearly said something along the lines of “You dumb f*cking machine”.
We pushed on to Birch Bay at a good clip and it was unexpectedly quiet. Not a lot of traffic, not a lot of people, not a lot of boats….but some pretty spectacular classic cars here and there. I have a hunch there was probably a show & shine earlier. We pulled off past town and stretched, chatted with a. few locals as they wandered past, enjoyed the bay.
And then it was to the border….which was unexpectedly busy for even the Nexus lane…before the white knuckled ride from the border to home…during which we watched a car pull out of a side street not he other side of the divided highway, turn up a turning lane into oncoming traffic, pull a u-turn, and get into the traffic behind us!!! Followed by a woman in a car ahead of us on Highway 15 almost fully stopping to let a doorknob-driver who was too crappy of a driver to merge properly….into the traffic. A came to a rapid halt, Kirk flew up next to me and decelerated equally rapidly, and cars behind us shot in both directions to avoid a multiple car pileup. In what universe are drivers taught to stop on the highway to let people merge???
Those were the highlights…there were many other heart stopping mini-incidents from crazy road warriors all the way home.
But we made it, intact and upright.
Which means that the ride was a success and we will ride again 😊
