Riding Mount Rainier
Primo parking for motorcycles at Mount Rainier.
Yes, Judy and I were up on Mount Rainier just a couple weeks ago; no, we weren’t on a bike. Not that it wasn’t very much in my thoughts. And there were plenty of people who were there on their bikes. Astride a motorcycle has got to be the best way to see this mountain. But of course, that’s true of just about any mountain, isn’t it?
Whatever. I just wanted to pass along some of what I observed regarding bikes and the mountain.
The roads up and around Mount Rainier are just what you would suppose: rising and falling, twisting and turning, with a lot of great views. This is one way a bike would be best. Some of the best views are from places where there is nowhere for a car to stop. But a motorcycle can slip into tiny spaces and be perfectly safe and out of traffic.
And when you get up to the best places, with a car you run into what has become the norm at many of the nicest parks: crowding and nowhere to park. Not a problem with a motorcycle. The entire lot may be full but they have motorcycle parking in the choicest spots and it is never so full you can’t get one more bike in there.
The photo above was taken at the Paradise area, which is the number one spot on the hill. We were creeping along into the parking area with people going all the way down one lane, back another, and then down a third trying to find a place for a car. While we waited our turn for this a guy came in on a bike, drove right past us all, and parked without any problem at all. Envious? You bet.
Everywhere we went on this trip there were lots of bikes. The mountains, the seashores, the cities. And that’s another advantage the bikes have. We took the ferry from Port Angeles, Washington, over to Victoria, British Columbia, and as we waited to board, the arriving ferry poured out its contents. And who came racing out first? The motorcycles, of course. Those guys go right to the head of the line, get on the ferry first, and then are first off.
And we ran into a rally on the Olympic peninsula. We spent three nights at Pacific Beach and there were a surprising number of bikes there. One of those days we drove down to Ocean Shores and holy smokes, there were bikes everywhere. Sure enough, a rally. Our whole time in the Pacific Northwest we saw almost entirely bikers who were fully geared up, which makes sense. You should always be ready for rain. But these rally goers were the exception. They were dressed just like your usual Harley folks anywhere else in the country. And hey, there wasn’t any rain, so they were cool.
I’ve been all over the west on a motorcycle with the exception of Oregon and Washington. Some day I’m going to rectify that omission.
Biker Quote for Today
Ride without a destination and you’ll finally see what freedom can be.
