Rain, Rubber, and Faded Grey Asphalt

Foggy Freeze

2011-01-26T08:48:00.001-08:00

Not quite freezing, but sure feels like it with the wind chill at freeway speeds. Unlike the rest of the poor saps, I zoomed in from the north end via the Express Lanes and was able to enjoy a zippy commute.

The Lake Union and Fremont areas are rather pretty in the mornings with a little bit of fog.

Weather and Fuel Injection

2011-01-21T05:56:00.000-08:00

My bike has a funny little quirk. When the temperature dives below 50, so does the gas mileage. Thankfully the gas mileage stays above 40 when the temperature continues to drop further, but it's still rather strange.

It's probably not worth the $400 it would likely cost to have it looked into. At the current cost of fuel, that's roughly 35-40 tankfuls of gas.

The marginal difference in fuel consumption is 7,000 miles worth, so it's as if the mileage is cut in half, but it does drop 8-12mpg.

Just an small oddity in the rather wonderful fuel injection system on my bike. And well worth not having to fiddle with a 'choke' lever.

2011-01-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

A fantastic Beemer I saw wandering Pioneer Square awhile back.

Morning Commutes

2011-01-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

It's awfully early for this, but I'm a bit done with winter. That happens here kinda frequently among non-natives. It's that northern solar angle short-day suckage that happens every January.

Yes, it will go away in a month or three. It will happen next year, I know. I just don't have to like it. (The natives, on the other hand, don't like direct sunlight anyway.)

I'm just not all that fond of commuting in the Dark and Drizzly and it's a pain in the tuckus to plug in all that electrically-heated gear for a 20 minute trip to work.

It rather makes one live for the brief window of blissfully warm weather in the 50s right at the beginning of a Pineapple Express before it starts dumping rain.

Winter Commuting on Michelin Pilot Roads

2011-01-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

I know every rider who blathers on about riding eventually covers tires at one point or another. And in one respect there's only so many observations to be made regarding sport tires. But in another respect, how often does the average rider tootle about on the hi-zoot sport tires in rain that really really wants to change over to snow?

As many old timers have heard for years, sport tires have the reputation for being snatchy and less predictable when they're cold. I've been pleasantly surprised by this set of Michelin Pilot Roads as I've periodically riding around on a V-Strom 650 in 40F degree weather for a month or so.

They've done quite well and I've had very little slippage even when whacking the throttle pretty hard in 2nd while leaned partway over. They've got a couple thousand miles on them since, and my partner in crime found them to be quite reasonable in their handling when she borrowed my Strom while I was on vacation.

While you're certainly not going to go creek-jumping on these tires in wet or dry conditions, I've not had them get all snotty on Seattle's grit-covered but paved streets. Don't expect them to be the bee's knees when it comes to leafy or pine-needle-covered gravel driveways though.

Cloudy with Occasional Falling White Stuff

2011-01-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

All things considered, I do have to say that I'm glad it isn't snowing this week.

Lots of rain with day and night being delineated by variations in the grey here in downtown Seattle. It's not exactly great riding weather. I'm out there anyway though because it's better than driving the truck through that stupid white stuff that freaks everybody out.

Hint about the riding thing. I'm from Upstate New York (more or less) and there's a lot of snow there and I'm not terribly frightened by it.

But not even somebody as certifiably stupid as I appear to be should be trying to ride a motorcycle westbound down Columbian Way to Spokane Street when it's been snowing.

This guy(Courtesy: Trujillo/Seattle Times) seems to have the right idea. Knobby tires, low horsepower, light weight, and low center of gravity. All equaling way big hoopty fun, I'd say.

Justice for Craig Lozier

2011-01-13T20:31:00.000-08:00

It appears that this young man has owned up to his crimes and admitted to his faults.

COURT HOUSE - Nicholas Golden, 20, of Philadelphia pleaded guilty Thur., Jan 13., to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the July 21, 2008 DUI death of Middle Township resident Craig Lozier.

Golden was traveling south on Route 47 in Middle Township when he attempted to pass two other cars. He then lost control of his car and swerved into Lozier's motorcycle in the northbound lane.

Here's hoping that one young life can indeed be turned around and rehabilitated, and that Mr. Lozier's family has some closure.

Folks need to understand that the cars and trucks they drive around really are dangerous, and that familiarity can breed far more than contempt. It can bring tragedy into anyone's life and family.

More Driving While Blotto; Rider dragged 450 feet

2010-08-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

Had a really nasty one last night over in the Eastside suburbs of Seattle.

The Washington State Patrol said the crash happened shortly after midnight in Kirkland when the driver of a car rammed a motorcycle from behind.

The impact ejected the motorcyclist as the rear half of the bike became wedged under the car while remaining perfectly upright.

Police told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Rick Price they had never seen anything quite like it.

Troopers said the car dragged the motorcycle nearly a tenth of a mile.

The driver of the car, a 38-year-old Bothell woman, was arrested for investigation of DUI. (Courtesy of KIRO)

A tenth of a mile with a motorcycle wedged under the front of the car. I'm surprised that this woman was even conscious.

Amazing that the rider survived with only road rash though. My accident a few years back was far less traumatic than this and I busted up an arm.

Driving While Blotto

2010-08-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Words fail. Well, not really fail. But numbers sure don't lie.

...mother had a blood alcohol content more than triple the legal limit when she drove her children to Toys R Us and hit a parked car.

Nancy Contois, 40, was cited for a fourth driving under the influence infraction, reckless endangerment, cruelty to a child under 10, domestic assault and resisting arrest...

...was highly intoxicated and fighting with her children, who were refusing to get in the vehicle with her. Her blood alcohol content was .267 percent (Courtesy of Burlington Free Press)

.

And exactly what is any sane person doing driving their children to Toys'R'Us with a .267 BAC?

Wow.

Why, exactly, does this woman still have custody of her children? I've never been a huge fan of intervention by the state in such matters, but this is a bit beyond the pale.

2010-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

And some days the posts just write themselves. Read the first sentence carefully.

A speeding motorcyclist crashed in a Southside K-Mart parking lot, flipping his bike and severely injuring himself early this morning.

According to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police, the victim hit a median in the Madison Avenue store's parking on around 3:30 a.m. Police say the man, whose name has not been released, was speeding.

The man was thrown from his bike and sustained multiple injuries. He was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital in "extreme critical condition," according to police.

The man was not wearing a helmet when he crashed. (Courtesy of the Indy Star)

Obviously the silly season has hit Indianapolis.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. Over.

Speeding. Crashing in a parking lot. No helmet. Organ Donor Card?

Sheesh.

Road Hazard of the Day: August 3rd

2010-08-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, day late and a dollar short. And while it does involve a DUI, it's another case where it's incidental to the problem.

And it involves a kayak on a road.

How cool is that?

Cory Rober of Hill City has been charged with DUI after his kayak slipped off of his car striking a motorcyclist traveling behind him.

Rober was driving his Ford Ranger on Highway 385 on Sunday night, when witnesses say a kayak came loose and struck Billy Napier of Indianapolis, knocking him from his motorcycle. Troopers say Napier suffered life-threatening injuries and is listed in critical condition. (Courtesy of KOTA Radio)

It's always a bad idea to closely follow vehicles that have oddly-shaped or un-secured loads. Here in Washington there's even a law banning uncovered loads which isn't enforced unless you injure somebody. Ironically, the law was passed because that's exactly what happened to someone, but we all know how that selective enforcement thing works nowadays.

Really, it's quite simple to just keep your distance or keep moving. A vehicle that's sitting in the same spot relative to other traffic tends to "disappear" anyway, so it might behoove you to keep moving up or back and keep your distance from vehicles hauling external loads.

Wanted: Personal Responsibilitarians

2010-08-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

I really just don't get the whole kill or maim another driver with your big truck and drive away thing. But there's some other things to be learned from this one

Linda Lanier, 51, of Cleveland, was indicted on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, failure to stop after an accident, and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Prosecutors say on July 5, 2010, at approximately 1:45 am, Linda Lanier was driving south-bound on East 115th Street in Cleveland, and failed to stop for a red light.

The 34-year-old victim was operating a motorcycle east-bound on Superior Avenue and had a green light. As a result of Linda Lanier failing to stop for the red light, the victim’s motorcycle hit the right side of her vehicle.

Linda Lanier then drove away west-bound on Superior. A witness followed her to East 114th Street, where Linda Lanier stopped and was apprehended by police.

Yes, a very bad bit of driving by a drunk. But if you drill down to a satellite view, you'll see that this is one of the most dangerous types of urban riding environments you'll find: A 4-lane, un-divided, unlimited-access, at-grade urban US Highway. LOADS of opportunities for left-turners and blown red-lights.

In short, the real moral of the story on this one is that you need to stay on your toes and not ride faster than your sight distance.

If you're out riding at 2am because it's finally cool enough and you weren't able to sleep anyway, make sure you're watching where you're going. Here in Seattle that 1:45am timeframe is final call and the bars start to empty out onto the streets. Not a great time to be out riding busy urban streets, even on a Sunday night/Monday morning.

Perfect Storm of Dumb

2010-08-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

This one is pretty amazing for the sheer top-full-ness of Fail. Singular displays of lack of impulse control, I might add.

Coeur d’Alene police arrested a 44-year-old man suspected of veering his vehicle toward a motorcycle.

Witnesses say Athol resident Keith Williams got out of his vehicle at a stoplight near U.S. Highway 95 and Neider Ave., approached a motorcycle rider and punched him in the head.

A chase then ensued, according to police, with the motorcycle rider firing a bullet from his small-caliber handgun toward the front tire of Williams’ vehicle. (Courtesy of the Spokesman-Review.)

Too bad we didn't get much on the lead-up to the little event. I'm sure there was more than a little bit of ego involved and significant lack of judgment by both parties.

Honestly folks. What to do if Mr. Bad Dude roars on by you? Don't race him. Don't chase him. Don't give him the finger. Don't get your whitey tighties in a freaking knot. Just let him go on by and be obnoxious somewhere else.

I won't even get into whether a dude in his mid-40s ought to know better by now.

Back-Country Wanderings

2010-08-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun riding around the countryside with friends this weekend. It's always nice riding with someone who really know the local roads.

From Rain, Rubber, and Faded Grey Asphalt

Tolt River Valley. Looks like somebody transplanted a bit of Indiana here. A tractor even rolled by just a few minutes later.

It's Monday. And Drizzling.

2010-08-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

It's a very long year or so for this particular Motorcycle Commuter. New job, new living situation, new place, and (soon) a new marital status.

But all in all, there's not really all that much room to complain.

I'm living up in NORTH Seattle now and a new beneficiary of the North King County transportation system. I get to ride to work down those wonderful express lanes past ALL the backups to 5th & Columbia, bypassing everybody else that's sitting in line. This is VERY nice.

And so you'll be seeing more posting from me. More commuting stories and some pertinent news.

And yes, I'm still absolutely rabid about the drunk driving thing. Anybody driving around with a full snoot in this day and age, two wheels or four notwithstanding, needs a good whack or three to the back of the head.

Wish You Were Here?

2010-01-22T09:08:00.001-08:00

Another view of gorgeous Diablo Lake in the North Washington Cascades, courtesy of Flickr.

Long Road to Justice

2009-09-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

It's done. Finally.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=11027330

TULSA, OK -- On Tuesday, convicted drunk driver Kimberly Graham learned she'll spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Funny how she got more disgustingly self-absorbed as the trial progressed, to the point that the defense lawyer actually tried to claim that the people she killed must have been drunk and therefore absolved Little Miss Graham of any responsibility for killing them.

I just love this:

Graham's attorneys said she didn't see the victims because they were crouched low in the street in the dark and they had also been drinking that night in the bar.

"What am I to take from that argument? That the victims had it coming?" asked Judge Thornbrugh.

Crouched low? Even though everyone there says that she drove around someone who was flagging traffic around the down rider? Suuuure.

Good Riddance to Ms. Graham.

And with this last bit, I'll be "turning off" for awhile. Let's just say that Corporate America isn't too fond of bloggers nowadays.

T - 7 Days until Departure

2009-06-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Time for another road trip.

It's been a very strange June, with radically warm temperatures to contrast with the very cold and overdue spring that didn't happen until Mid-May. But I'm more than ready for riding season to arrive and it looks to be a good one so far.

Most of the stuff is already packed with just a few sundries left to go.

The rear wheel needs to be removed and the new rear tire mounted this weekend. Thankfully I'm getting to be an old pro at pulling and re-mounting the rear wheel on the Strom.

I think I'll be posting status messages on Facebook as connectivity permits and will be posting my daily reports here as time permits.

Won't be any photos from each day, unfortunately. I don't have a netbook to bring along and the 1st Gen. Itouch won't talk to digital cameras.

Only Maybe?

2009-06-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

I love this little bit here North Illinois & Southern Wisconsin's MyStateLine.com news site.

A Decatur man will likely face DUI Charges after he is released from the hospital, for allegedly crashing his motorcycle twice within a matter of minutes early Sunday morning.

The Christian County Sheriff's Department says 22-year-old Cody J. Plopper was found unconscious, trapped under his motorcycle in unincorporated Christian County just after 5 a.m. Sunday.

I encourage you to go read the full article. It gets even better.

Top-full of stupidity and lose, to mis-use the current vernacular. Perhaps they can amputate his brain while he's in at the hospital since he apparently doesn't use it for anything.

His quote upon being awakened by responding emergency services personnel is the absolute BEST.

Drunk Anderson Cop Suspended

2009-06-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Excellent news.

It looks like the Mayor of Anderson(Indiana) finally got the message and told his police chief to get his department straightened out or else. Our drunk police officer appears to be just one of a number of miscreants harbored by the Anderson Police Department if the Muncie Star-Press is at all accurate.

At least something seems to be getting done somewhere. As opposed to rewarding their drunk cops with free transportation via city-owned vehicles even before their court dates.

Remember folks: if the cop pulling you over more closely resembles Santa Claus than a police officer, with his red nose and cheeks, he MIGHT just be a drunk.

Long Time

2009-06-08T11:51:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's been quite awhile since my last update.

We're still waiting on the sentencing phase for Ms. Graham down there in Tulsa. I'm keenly interested in hearing what kind of sentence she gets, though I'm one of the folks who's be happy enough at this point if she serves the 20 years a concurrent sentence would get.

On another story that I covered awhile back, it looks like Custom Bike Builder and murderous drunk driver Billy Lane is getting 9 years as part of a plea deal stemming from his alcohol-induced collision and killing of Gerald Morelock.

A new one from Eastern Central Indiana's Star Press:

MUNCIE — An Anderson police officer who was reportedly riding his motorcycle down south Muncie streets at nearly 100 mph was arrested Saturday night for drunken driving.

Marty D. Dulworth, 32, Middletown was stopped near 29th Street and Macedonia Avenue by David Fidler, an Indiana State Police trooper.

Fidler reported smelling the odor of alcohol, and Dulworth admitted he had been drinking, but refused to take a field sobriety test, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Dulworth’s blood-alcohol content was later measured at 0.19 percent. In Indiana, motorists with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher are considered intoxicated.

Now let's break this down and analyze the various shades of stupidity and negligence.

Police Officer:

Given. Everybody knows this (except perhaps the cops themselves). Person sworn to uphold and enforce the law.

100 mph:

I know of no roads anywhere in the state of Indiana that allow this rate of travel. Can possible be safe on a sufficiently lonely back road, however.

100mph on city streets:

Nope. No way. Not on city streets. Too many things to pull out and toss you off the bike. Not to mention really irritating your neighbors.

100mph on city streets AFTER DARK:

Now he's just being an asshole. Unmitigated.

100mph on city streets after dark and refusing to cooperate:

Here's where words fail me. Trying to game the system and use his good old boy network to avoid consequences for his stupidity.

At least the stater who pulled him exercised some ethical and moral cojones and processed him like any other stupid reckless drunk. Kudos to Officer Fidler.

I see he made it out on bail within 12 hours tough. No surprise. And I'm sure he probably won't even lose his job let alone get a real sentence commensurate with the risks he represented to other motorists.

Criminally Stupid: Stuart Douglas Larson of Minnetonka, MN

2009-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

There's another one from last summer that's finally being prosecuted in Minnesota. We've had a long wait to get here but justice needs to be necessarily thorough.

The raw facts (all courtesy of Twin Cities Fox News):

Stuart Douglas Larson, 46, is charged with three counts of criminal vehicular homicide for rear-ending Shelly MacGillivray on her motorcycle.

Pretty straight-forward.

According to the criminal complaint, MacGillivray was riding her motorcycle home from visiting her sister in Lindstrom one night last June when she was rear-ended by a pickup truck near Highway 7 and Highway 101 in Minnetonka.

Place & Time. Also straight-forward.

The impact sent MacGillivray and her motorcycle 66 feet before separating.

MacGillivray was found in the westbound lane of Highway 7 near Saddlewood Road in Minnetonka. Officers found her heavily damaged motorcycle in the ditch just north of the body.

That's a hell of a hit. That's either one very large truck or it was moving extremely fast.

Police said the pickup driver didn’t stop after the crash, but his engine was leaking antifreeze.

Leaving the Scene == Scumbag. No ifs, ands, or buts. Full stop.

Investigators followed a fluid trail from the scene of the crash several blocks to the 19000 block of Kingswood Terrace in Minnetonka, where a damaged pickup was parked outside, with Larson sleeping in a basement bedroom.

Officers arrested Larson and administered a breathalyzer test, which registered a .139. Blood tests later revealed Larson's blood alcohol level was .15 -- almost twice the legal limit to drive -- and that was hours after the crash.

Nice. Get your booze on, drive around like a crazy Mofo, kill somebody with your huge truck, and then go get a good night's sleep?

Disgusting.

Stuart Larson was convicted of drunk driving ten years ago, and he's been arrested for driving with a suspended license since this latest incident. His first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday. If convicted, Larson could face up to 30 years in prison.

Yup. Another Killer Drunk. Another Repeat Offender. Time to re-institute hangings, folks.

Kim Graham Sentencing Scheduled for April 13th

2009-04-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Looks like we may be just a few weeks away from hearing the last of Ms. Graham for a good long time. I think I'll crack open a nice Chardonnay once that sentencing is finalized.

Unrepentant Scumbag

2009-03-29T14:55:00.001-07:00

This guy takes the cake. 3 priors and goes and kills a motorcyclist while out on bail during processing for #4...

From the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office
March 26, 2009

See exclusive May 11, 2008 video on page 1

CONROE- A Montgomery County Jury sentenced Harold Blain Schmidt to life in prison Thursday after convicting him of felony murder in the May 11, 2008 Driving While Intoxicated Death of Lexie Edward Haynes, IV of Montgomery County, Texas. The felony murder charge was pursued as the result of the three prior Driving While Intoxicated convictions on Mr. Schmidt’s record. Mr. Schmidt’s blood alcohol content was approximately four times the legal limit at the time of the crash.

Trimmed to length.

This guy truly is the definition of a disgusting sociopath waste of oxygen. I'd really like to know why he wasn't locked for good after the 3rd conviction though since I believe Texas has a 3 strikes law.

Mr. Schmidt in all his Technicolor glory, courtesy of Montgomery County News:

Kim Graham Convicted!

2009-03-12T20:46:00.001-07:00

Jury deliberated for 4 hours and convicted Ms. Graham on all counts.

Jury even recommended a VERY stiff sentence of 107 years. 20 years for each manslaughter count and 7 years for hit & run.

We'll see what the judge has to say in the sentencing phase.

Kim Graham Trial

2009-03-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Finally.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=9989059

Perhaps we can get some closure now.

Apparently News 6 had somebody in the courtroom.

TULSA, OK -- In a stunning move Wednesday afternoon, a woman accused killing five people in a hit-and-run took the stand in her defense.

Kimberly Graham admitted to killing the five people, but says the crash wasn't her fault.

The announcement drew audible gasps from the courtroom.

Pretty disgusting, IMHO. Totally refusing to believe that she has any culpability for her own actions.

How bloody hard is it to go out clubbing as a group and designate a sober driver? How damn hard is it to call a bloody taxi if you're in the city anyway?

Stupid kills. And Ms. Graham needs to pay the piper.

All Sorts of Duh

2009-01-27T07:23:00.001-08:00

I mean really. Is it that tough to realize you're too drunk to ride?

If you're breaking windows in your drunken stupor, you're WAY too drunk to ride.

Man pleaded guilty to felony DUI

A man from Summitt was placed on conditional discharged for two years with 120 days in the county jail Thursday, when he appeared in circuit court.

Kevin Burke, 52, pleaded guilty to a felony DUI charge. He was ordered to serve the jail sentence starting Feb. 6, pay $215 costs, $199 restitution, submit a DNA sample and pay the $200 fee.

He was charged with DUI for driving a Harley Davidson motorcycle on Division Street, Aug. 9. The charge was upgraded to a felony because his license was revoked at the time and he had two priors, Dec. 1, 1984 and July 12, 1987.

Charges of criminal damage to property and driving with a revoked license were dismissed. He was charged Aug. 9 with breaking a window at Brandt's Tavern.

For the Love of Christ, folks. It's VERY SIMPLE.

Ride, hang up the key. THEN drink. Go down to the liquor store and get a bottle and drink it AT HOME.

NOT Rocket Science.

Calkins Trial

2009-01-27T07:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday and today are days of reckoning for the alleged DUI Police Chief Calkins.

Chief’s drunken driving trial starts

Pacific Police Chief John Calkins, right, exits Bonney Lake Municipal Court with attorney Kent Fornabai after pleading not guilty during his arraignment on a charge of drinking while intoxicated August 13, 2008. Calkins trial began Monday and he is expected to testify today.

The prosecutor in the drunken-driving case of Pacific Police Chief John Calkins told jurors the heart of the matter is “the principle that no one is above the law.”

Darn tootin', I say. If I was pulled over by Chief Calkins and refused to have a blood draw taken or to take a field sobriety test, I'd be taking a little ride over to Auburn General and having a forcible draw taken and then a ride over to King County Justice Center in Kent.

Yet somehow Chief Calkins thinks flashing his badge makes him exempt from the law.

Nope.

Stoma or no, I say he gets the same treatment that I would. If I refuse the testing, I'd get a mandatory license suspension. He should be subject to the same.

If that impacts his ability to perform as police chief and has to be relieved of duty, that's just too damn bad.

As Chief Calkins said about illegal immigration back in 2007:

Pacific Police Chief John Calkins says he has a duty to enforce the law. Period.

"I'm proud of my officers and the job they're doing," Calkins said. "I told them if there's a violation, whether federal, state, whatever, they're not to just turn their backs on it."

Yet he wants those officers to turn their backs on his erratic and likely drunk driving and his refusal to abide by the state's requirements for determining level of impairment.

Real nice.

(Correction: The "immigration" arrest in question generated a lawsuit against the city because the "illegal" immigrant was indeed here on a valid visitor's visa and was driving legally on his Mexican driver's license per RCW statutes. Pacific PD ignored the law and arrested him anyway.)

North Cascades

2009-01-22T17:26:00.000-08:00

Justice: Haro DUI Manslaughter Conviction!

2009-01-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

Excellent. Looks like the jury got this one right. No surprise though, as the Midwestern juries tend to be tougher than the judges.

Eulalio Haro, 36, was found guilty Thursday of reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence and failure to report a crash resulting in a death in connection with the June 24, 2006 car-vs.-motrorcycle[sic] collision that claimed the life of 71-year-old Dean Knospe.

Courtesy of the Chicago Daily Herald.

Speaking of justice. Only 25 days until Kimberly Elizabeth Graham (hopefully) gets her date in front of a judge. If I read the docket history right, she hasn't had to present herself to the magistrate since her initial bail hearing over 14 months ago.

Thrice-deported man goes on trial in fatal DUI crash

2009-01-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Oh HELL Yes. Take this one and throw away the key. Sad that we're spending our tax dollars incarcerating these wastes of oxygen, but better to have them off the street.

Jury selection began Tuesday in the trial of a man deported to his native Mexico three times only to return and, according to police, cause a crash that killed a Crystal Lake motorcyclist.

Eulalio Haro, 36, of Woodstock, faces charges of reckless homicide, aggravated DUI and failing to report a fatal accident stemming from the June 24 crash that claimed the life of 71-year-old Dean Knospe.

Authorities say Haro was driving with a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit when his car veered into oncoming traffic on Route 14 east of Woodstock and collided with Knospe's motorcycle.

Haro sped away from the scene, police said, but was arrested the next day when an officer spotted his car at a Woodstock apartment complex. The car, police said, had damage consistent with what happened in the crash and Haro still had traces of alcohol in his blood.

Let's break this story down.

One, he gets drunk and drives(probably), but it's tough to tell for sure. I'm inclined to believe that he probably was drunk at the time he killed the motorcyclist, but in most states I've lived in he can't be charged if he doesn't get caught while actually driving.

Two, he hits the motorcyclist and DRIVES OFF. Sounds like negligent homicide to me. Throw him behind bars until he rots.

Three, he's already a repeat offender for DUI, even if he doesn't get convicted on THIS one.

Four, he's been deported three times and thus an illegal immigrant and a scofflaw.

And normally, I don't talk much about the comments that people post in response to the stories, but this one is spot-on:

My fave is where they say he's from Woodstock. No. He's from Mexico. This guy's got serious problems with alcohol as well as sneaking over the border. Killed his own brother.

I say we try him and he serves his full sentence in a Mexican jail.

I like it. From what I hear, Mexican jails are no joke. They make even the crappy Illinois over-crowded rat-hole jails look like Club Med.

Drive First, Park It, Then Drink....Okay?

2009-01-18T06:58:00.000-08:00

Good Lord I get tired of this crap:

LONGMONT- Police say a motorcyclist died in a crash Saturday evening.
Advertisement

Investigators say 49-year-old Gene Howland of Greeley was riding his motorcycle on Hover Road around 6 p.m. Saturday.

Police say Howland hit the median, crossed onto Highway 66 and crashed north of the highway on Hover Road.

Duh. Riding a motorcycle is at least twice as difficult as driving a car. Sometimes I think it's 4-5x more difficult.

Yet these damn people STILL go bar-hopping on their motorcycles...

Idaho. New Whitebridge Grade on US95.

2009-01-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

New Whitebird Grade. From the intersection of the Old and New Whitebird Grades at US95.

Idaho. Lewiston Grade.

2009-01-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

9-Year Sentence for Vineland(NJ) DUI Killer

2009-01-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

I guess I have difficulty understanding how anyone would have such a meager measure of responsibility and integrity. How they could not see the potential consequences of their actions. I see these stories come across daily on my news feed. Stories of casually reckless drivers piloting their vehicles with 3-4x the legal limit of alcohol coursing through their veins.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a wee dram or a cold pint of the good stuff with my evening meal, just like any other red-blooded hard-working American man or woman.

This business though, is getting mighty tiresome for those of us who ride daily and it's a horribly travesty for those whose family members are slain through such negligence.

Courtesy of pressofAtlanticCity.com:

...sentencing of Laura Lippie, the 47-year-old Bridgeton woman who crashed her car into the motorcycle Moren was riding as he traveled along Route 47 in Middle Township on June 21.

Moren, 18, of Vineland, had graduated from Sacred Heart High School just three weeks earlier, and was on his way to meet his family at Morey's Piers in Wildwood for a day of family fun.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Rob Johnson said Route 47 is a difficult road to navigate even when sober. Lippie had spent much of the day drinking vodka, so much that her blood-alcohol content was 0.37, more than four times the legal limit.

Lippie pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and on Thursday received a nine-year prison term, but before she was sentenced, Moren's family and friends tried to explain to her what she had done.

Spent the DAY drinking vodka, then goes and climbs in the car and drives on a twisty road? Words fail me.

Florida DUI?

2009-01-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

Another rather regrettable incident in Florida.

Police ID man killed in motorcycle accident
By SANDRA FREDERICK

HOLLY HILL -- The Holly Hill Police Department this morning identified the motorcyclist killed on Ridgewood Avenue the day before as Christopher Maloney, 44, of Port Orange.

Something we've all seen before, and a risk that we all take when we venture out on the road. The next bit gets my dander up a bit, as the driver definitely doesn't appear to have been in control of the vehicle.

Police Chief Mark Barker said Erika Ivanne Selman, 22, the driver of the Jaguar that rear-ended Maloney’s bike, catapulting him into the car in front of him and then running over him, is being investigated but is not charged with DUI pending toxicology reports.

Maloney pulled out of the Bikers For First Amendment Rights parking lot at 144 Ridgewood Ave. about 5:15 p.m., heading south on Ridgewood, and was struck by Selman’s car as they approached the left turn lane at Mason Avenue, police said.

Definitely not good. At least she didn't flee the scene like Kimberly Elizabeth Graham though.

Barker said Selman became verbally and physically combative with officers after a field-sobriety test at the accident scene and was charged with resisting arrest both with violence and nonviolence against a police officer. After being taken to Halifax Health Medical Center to have blood drawn for the toxicology report, she was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail.

This, of course, is what takes it into Kim Graham territory.

Scuffling with the officers at the scene? Exactly what good did she think THAT was going to do her? Like the cops would simply apologize for inconveniencing her and let her weave along on her merry way?

Morons.

From the Archives: Finney Creek Road

2009-01-08T06:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know the image breaks the blogger theme. I don't care all that much. It's too pretty to scrunch down.

More Stone Drunk Cops

2009-01-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

Looks like the Farmington PD has some issues they need to get resolved.

Two of their officers have received disciplinary action for driving while impaired.

DWI charges also are pending against a second Farmington police officer, Josh Calder, who is accused of drunken driving after crashing a motorcycle on San Juan Boulevard in August.

A termination decision in that case is dependent on the magistrate court's findings of guilt of the DWI charge, the city manager said.

[content trimmed]

"We all know when we decide to be police officers that with more responsibility comes more accountability," Westall said. "At the same time, you have to remember that police officers are people just like anybody else and they're susceptible to the mistakes that everyone else makes."

At least somebody over there gets the crux of the issue. Not sure I could keep a civil tongue in my head if I get pulled over for going 4 miles over the speed limit while the responding officer reeked of alcohol...

Billy Lane Update

2009-01-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

It looks like the prosecutors are upping the ante with the Billy Lane DUI case.

Prosecutors have filed an additional felony charge against famed motorcycle builder Billy Lane, court records show.
Advertisement

Lane, 38, was charged two years ago with one count of DUI manslaughter in connection with a Labor Day 2006 traffic accident in which 56-year-old Sebastian Inlet park ranger Gerald Morelock died.

Police said Lane’s blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he crossed a double yellow line to pass several cars near Melbourne Beach, striking Morelock’s motorcycle head-on.

DUI manslaughter is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Good to see. Hopefully the prosecution will prevail.

I do find it truly amusing how the defense attorneys are trying to cast aspersions on whether Lane was actually under the influence at the time. If you get in an accident and they haul your sorry butt to the hospital for a blood test, and it shows a BAC of .16, I don't see how there's any doubt that you were drunk.

Re-Farkling the Strom

2009-01-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was another bit of downtime induced by the continued crappy weather here in the Seattle area, and it gave me a bit of time to remove and rebuild my Loobman chain oiler.

I'm sure you've seen these things, for about $35 you get a squeeze bottle, a plastic chain-oiler head, some tubing, and some zipties. The whole thing is put together with zip-ties, and I think the inventor has either a zip tie fetish or owns stock in several such manufacturers.

Of course, being a practical commuter-bike, my Strom is never completely clean and the Loobman is a big contributor to the grunginess factor. And like all things, it gets worse closer to the source. Pulling the Loobman oiler head off the bike gets your hands completely covered in grime and results in about a half-hour with the Lava soap dispenser.

But, it's all put back together and I'm getting oil to my long-suffering chain again. Those wax chain treatments don't really stand a chance against the miserable Seattle weather, so the chain oiler are a lifesaver for the Seattle commuter.

Oh Sure. More Snow

2009-01-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

Yeah, sure. Global Warming. Right.

That's why there's an inch of snow on the ground and we've already had more days below freezing this winter than we did in the entire winters of 2001, 2002, and 2003 combined.

Snowing like crazy again. Inch on snow on the grass here. Just starting to stick to the paved surfaces.

Grand Coulee

2009-01-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

Road through Grand Coulee

Roadside Butte

Injustice Files: Shad Nicks Homicide Follow-Up

2009-01-03T06:05:00.000-08:00

Looks like our drunk little perp had an abrupt end to her cake-walk this past winter.

She pled guilty to everything but the (grr) dropped DUI charge, and she got released on bond after killing a cop and running. Not only that, but the judge let her keep her driver's license while she was awaiting her sentencing!

What's she got a drivers license for anyway? Not like she's gonna keep her job for more than a few more weeks when they throw her in jail. She's pretty funny if she thought she was gonna get away with no jail time.

Of course, that wouldn't surprise me either, what with the sweetheart deal she'd had so far.

And to wit:

Woman Gets Up To 5 Years For Deputy's Death
Heather Henning Accepts Plea Deal

PAPILLION, Neb. -- A woman who pleaded guilty to her role in the death of a Douglas County deputy could serve five years in prison.

Heather Henning, 27, was sentenced on Papillion on Friday to three and a half to five years for misdemeanor manslaughter and reckless driving.

Henning caused the death of Deputy Shad Nicks. Nicks was on his motorcycle when the two collided on May 13 (2007).

At least this one will be off the road for a good long while.

Stupid Weatherman

2009-01-02T08:25:00.001-08:00

They've been forecasted lower 40s and rain showers with a few flakes for the past three days after an overnight low of 37F.

Sure.

Snowing like all hell by 7am. Sticking to the ground by 7:45. Inch of snow on the ground by 8:30.

Stupid Weatherman. So much for getting the bike worked on today.

Herdes Garner & LaTanya Birdow Follow-up

2009-01-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

Still unable to find anything newer than this on the status of this case. In any case, I think he's going to be spending time behind bars somewhere.

Police name driver charged in deadly hit and run
KVUE News

A man who police say killed a couple on a motorcycle and then left the scene is now charged with failure to stop and render aid.

Police say Navarro Guillermo, 26, hit the couple and then drove off. Police say Guillermo initially tried to report the vehicle stolen.

They say he also had wiped off fingerprints from the car after the accident.

Cute, eh? Hit & kill somebody, drive off, then try to report your vehicle stolen to escape the rap.

An amazingly distinct lack of responsibility was displayed here. Just amazes me how old-fashioned that particular virtue is becoming.

Another Mostly Verdant Vista

2009-01-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

Yakima Valley.

Wenatchee Valley

2009-01-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

US 2 near Wenatchee. Quite near the "Wall of Heat" in the Summer at the foot of the mountains.

Winter

2009-01-01T11:18:00.001-08:00

Not these interminable Seattle winters are the easiest thing, but there are things I'm supposed to be thankful for.

I recall the 20-odd years "Out East" with a time-weathered sense of fondness. I don't so much recall the horrid winters with inch-per-hour snowfalls nor the horrid heat and humidity in June. I'm intellectually aware of such things of course, but those memories seem to have acquired a form of sepia tone.

And I suppose I'm a bit of an ingrate for not being ecstatically thankful for Seattle's mild seasons. Truly, more snow fell on some weekends in Buffalo than we've received many years. The sense of nearly-endless Autumn/Spring running October to May sounds wonderful, but gets more than a little depressing around March yet still goes well in June.

So, at the valley winds blow the mist window, perhaps it's just time for a change. Our little family been here in this little suburb for 7 years now, and we've lived here in South Seattle suburbs for nearly 12 years. Same 30-mile commute up the valley, just with new longer waits every year. And the sprawl grew outwards and jumped past our little town and then came and back-filled it with new yet-unoccupied homes and empty platted lots.

And perhaps that's the problem as well. Having grown up on the prairie, I miss the small towns and the sense of borders and definition and even that illusion of boring permanance. Far better that than a muddy smeared relativity. One town merges seamlessly into the next, cagers that would rather run you over than make eye contact, and developers vainly hawking cheaply-built over-priced houses that are dated and worn-out before they're even broken-in.

And then, perhaps this will all fade away in a month or two. Summers here, assuming they arrive at all, have a tendency to do that. The really fantastic summers start in early June and hold out until early September. Those are the days that keep people like me here, those summers where I go ride every week and put 12,000 miles on the bike in a mere 3 months.

But they haven't happened that way lately. And so we're left here to pray for a bit of deliverance from the misery of the mildewy misty dampness of the north.

Injustice Files: Follow-up for Anthony Angstadt Killing

2009-01-01T06:31:00.001-08:00

Looks like the Angstadt family got some closure.

Motorist gets 23 years for fatal hit-and-run

by Brent Whiting, The Arizona Republic

An ex-convict is on his way back to prison, this time for killing a 19-year-old Surprise man in a hit-and-run traffic crash.

Jeffrey Todd Jordan, 35, who pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal collision, was sentenced Friday to 23 years behind bars.

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said Monday that the criminal history of Jordan, who was on release from a 2001 conviction for attempted armed robbery, was a factor in the sentencing.

Even better. I caught some flack from some comment posters on the old site about this bit. Calling me racist and everything else in the book for implying that our perp was a dope dealer.

The discovery led police to a Surprise home where they found Jordan, 49 marijuana plants and a half-pound of marijuana, authorities said.

I think 23 years is just about right for this bad mohambie.

Eastern Washington Scablands

2009-01-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

Dry and Dusty.

A Story of Lives Lost

2008-12-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

Bright candles extinguished. Wonderful stories cut short.

A bittersweet, painful story. I'm starting to think that public flogging with a cat of nine tails should be part of the fatal DUI sentencing process.

That way, they can feel their scars every time they sit in the car seat, and parhaps remember that even those are a pale shadow of scars left behind in the others they've killed.

Right before the accident, he mowed the lawn of a nearby empty house so the kids wouldn't have to walk through the grass. Word of his good deeds had reached even Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who was to acknowledge Meadows for his work at the school that Monday, school officials said.

The fatal crash interrupted those plans.

Police arrested 27-year-old Clemente Diaz-DeJesus on Sept. 13 on a host of charges, including DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene of a fatality, no valid driver license, no insurance, two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury.

At the time, Breathalyzer test results put Diaz-DeJesus' blood-alcohol levelat .121 and .125, police said. The legal limit for driving under the influence is .08.

Courtesy of Lakeland Florida's TheLedger.com.

Days Remembered

2008-12-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

A beautiful old bike. One of only a handful left. The photos a bit fuzzy since it was my phone camera, but I think it's a 1953-ish Triumph. Only thing not still OEM is the tires, fluids, and the battery.

This one is not only not a restoration, but was still completely ridable down to our campsite in Maryhill, WA from the Spokane area. And certainly not trailered down.

Rather nice to sit and look at these pictures, after enduring several weeks of up to a foot of snow on the ground and on the roadways.

Bannock/Pocatello Hit & Run Follow-up

2008-12-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

Most pleasing to see, even if my follow-up is a bit belated.

Jason Meyer Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison For Killing L.A. Deputy & Wife

By: Michelle Costa

A Pocatello man who hit and killed a Los Angeles County, California Deputy and his wife in a vehicle accident will spend the next five years in prison.

Judge Ronald Bush sentenced Meyer to five years fixed in prison, nine years indeterminate which time he'll be on parole. He's also fined a total of $4,000.

Very Green

2008-12-29T06:55:00.000-08:00

On the flanks of Mt. Rainier.

Mount Si

From the Archives: More DUI Stupidity

2008-12-29T06:53:00.000-08:00

Note: Originally posted October 19, 2007. The not-so Honorable George Henderson is obviously continuing to be a very bad boy, so it's still pertinent.

Yes, yet more DUI stupidity. Another drunk motorcyclist this time, unfortunately.

A Whatcom County Fire Chief apparently crashed his motorcycle on Bow Hill Road just northwest of Burlington, WA. I was on this road about a month ago and it's a nice curvy bit of pavement.

Courtesy of Bellingham Herald.

he chief of Whatcom County Fire District 18 has been charged with driving under the influence in connection with a Sept. 7 motorcycle accident.

George Henderson was injured and spent several days in the hospital after he wrecked his motorcycle on Bow Hill Road just east of Chuckanut Drive.

A blood test taken at the hospital following the accident revealed a blood alcohol level of .07, just under the .08 legal limit, according to a report filed by a Washington State trooper on the scene.

I'm speechless. yet another display of waton and reckless disregard for himself and others. Sheesh.

And again, I'd like to thank of the staff of the Herald. Of all of the journalists in the Pacific Northwest, they provide very even-handed coverage of motorcycling issues. Indeed, it's all the more noticeable when placed in the stark relief of the Seattle television and print news who've used the 911 system to attempt to create chase scenes that they can tape and/or photograph to liven up a slow news day.

Edit: Apparently this guy had been subsequently charged with harassing his ex over the telephone since the last posting, and previously been fined for un-permitted construction work on the firehouse grounds.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/628433.html

Best part is the comments. Apparently he's been sued, sued someone else, or been charged with a crime 14 times since 2004.
http://www.firedistrict18info.com/blog.html/74

John Day Hill Country

2008-12-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

Stream along US 395

Photo by Allen Thompson

Overlooking Pendleton

2008-12-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

Overlooking Pendleton.

Farkle List

2008-12-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

It seems to be something that V-Strom riders talk about whenever they run into one another, metaphorically speaking.

My Farkle List:
Madstad bracket
SW-Motech ~~engine~~ radiator guard
SW-Motech Center-Stand
Dual-Star Heated Grips
Blue Sea Systems 6-fuse electrical box
5V DC adapter for Garmin Etrex Vista Cx GPS
RAM Mount for Garmin Etrex Vista Cx GPS
EMGO Faux-Carbon-Fiber Handgaurds
Givi Tubular Sidecase racks w/ Tool Tube
Crampbuster throttle paddle
Loobman Chain Oiler
Givi E52 topbox & E41 bags
Sargent DL650 seat

Not Really Farkles:
Warm 'n' Safe Heated Jacket Liner
Adjustable "Old-style" Rok Straps
First Aid Kit

Farkles on the To-Do List:
Corrected DL650 speedometer face
Stebel Nautilus Horn and wiring loom
SW-Motech Handlebar Risers
Bash Plate
Highway Pegs (attached to bash plate)
Tank Bra
LED Battery Gauge
Aerostich Mini-Remote Thermometer

Abandoned Farmstead

2008-12-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

An abandoned farmstead southeast of the The Dalles, Oregon.

This one speaks to me.

This is up on Emerson Loop Road east of US Route 197. High country up there, with bitter cold winters and scorching summer. Quiet people too. Very tied to the land.

If you stop your bike up on those high hills, it feels like the wind blows right through you. And if you turn to the southwest, you can see Mt. Hood looming over the countryside 80 miles away. It's vast snowy ediface drawing the eye like a massive lodestone.

It's almost impossible to imagine what it must have been like for the pioneers arriving here over 150 years ago, stopping here in this desolate grassy plain and making a home for themselves.

Table Mountain, Oregon.

2008-12-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Table Mountain, from WA129/OR3. aka "Rattlesnake Grade Highway".

From the Archives: Control

2008-12-27T07:41:00.000-08:00

Originally dated on 2007-10-09 07:57:19, this one bears repeating on the 'front page':

Today we have a small lesson in personal responsibility. I'm fully aware that for most of my readers this is a bit akin to preaching to the choir.

I frequently peruse the news article for pithy little bits to rant about, and with the mass ~~hysteria~~ media being what it is, I usually have no problems finding it.

I found this little tidbit in the Twin Falls Times "Fifth District News" section covering local district court decisions:

Michael Brookbank vs. James Kinsey and John Does 1-10. Seeking judgment against the defendant for general and special damages for medical expenses and lost wages; amount to be proven at trial; attorney's fees and costs. Plaintiff alleges that while riding his motorcycle on a public road a dog ran out from defendants' driveway causing his motorcycle to crash.

While I'm no expert, I have ridden 75,000 in my relatively short riding 6 years riding career, and I've found that unless it was a Great Dane that came out of this guy's yard after him, the rider should have been able to keep his bike upright and under control.

We're not talking about choatic creatures like deer, we're talking about dogs. Dogs plot an intercept course for their game and track in. It's very easy to avoid the dog if you simply slow down to an appropriate speed and then when the dog gets fairly close: you gas it and accelerate away. There's no dog alive except possibly racing hounds that can out accelerate a motorcycle, and most of those dogs that can do that are not large game dogs anyway.

But back to Mr. Brookbank. Perhaps you should go get some training. I understand that in Idaho motorcycle training is probably a little sparse. Oregon and Washington have very good training programs and perhaps you should go get some. You don't even need a motorcycle endorsement to take the class, if you're still lacking in that department.

Packs of dogs don't band together to go hunt motorcycles, after all.

Rimrock Lake, Rimrock, WA

2008-12-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

Rimrock Lake. Off US12 between White Pass and Yakima.

Blatant And Utter Disregard

2008-12-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a real winner.

Not only did he go get stone-drunk. Not only did he go driving his multi-ton Chevrolet guided missile afterwards. He was driving around on a suspended license while stinking drunk with his kids in the car.

Even better, after he got in this "accident" he called up his buddy and whined about being hit by the motorcycle instead of calling 911.

I do believe the words that come to mind are "Blatant And Utter Disregard".

Bluffton driver sentenced to 35 years in deadly DUI crash
By MICHAEL WELLES SHAPIRO
Published Thursday, December 11, 2008

BEAUFORT -- A Bluffton man who was drunk when he killed a Ridgeland motorcyclist in August was sentenced to 35 years in prison Wednesday afternoon.

A jury found Rodney L. Galimore, 40, guilty of felony DUI causing death, reckless homicide, child endangerment for having his two children in the sport utility vehicle he was driving and driving with a suspended license.

The Aug. 11 crash took the life of Merry C. Deon, 42, a security guard at Long Cove who was driving home from work when the crash occurred.

During the two-day trial, Deputy Solicitor Angela McCall-Tanner portrayed Galimore as remorseless.

McCall-Tanner said Galimore called an acquaintance to complain about being hit instead of 911 in the moments after the collision.

"He had no concern about what happened to the victim. It was all about him," she told 16th Circuit Judge John Hayes before he handed down the sentence.

Injustice Files -- Concord DUI Cop-Killer Sentenced to under 4 years

2008-12-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

More shiftless drunk-drivers on parade:

Sentence handed down in Hopkinton officer's death

By DALE VINCENT
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008

CONCORD – "Sean served more time serving his country than you'll serve in jail,"the grief-stricken father of Hopkinton police Officer Sean Powers told his son's killer, Jeffrey Dennis, at his sentencing in Merrimack County Superior Court yesterday.

Dennis, 22, of Henniker, had been drinking before he hit the off-duty officer's motorcycle in August. He then fled the crash scene, at Routes 202 and 9 in Henniker.

Dennis pleaded guilty yesterday to felony negligent homicide and felony conduct after an accident. He could be free in three years and eight months.

Disgusting. And the comments section is rather interesting too. One comment poster alleges that our little drunk here was released from a treatment facility not even a month before killing a cop while driving around drunk as hell.

The next one is a little better though.

Lazy Touring Bits

2008-12-26T06:27:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit of a history nut. While I love blasting through curves, I enjoy stopping and reading local historical markers almost as much.

Idaho has provided a really neat website showing the various state historic markers as planted along Idaho's state highways.

Perhaps not EXACTLY like Daddy's motorcycle

2008-12-24T22:38:00.000-08:00

No, it's not a Suzuki. Nor is it even red like my V-Strom.

I'm thinking my little 3 year old will be quite delighted to get her first "motorcycle" anyway though.

Thankfully my kids sleep soundly. They're not likely to be up any sooner than 7am.

Flora and fauna of the Public Transit System

2008-12-23T21:06:00.000-08:00

Shazam! Now that's what I call an adventure.

I ducked out of the office a bit early since I knew the roads were for crap and the buses were running on half-impulse due to the tire chains. That's cool, just prepare ahead. Right.

520 Bridge? Not a problem. The traffic was passing us like we were sitting still. No, I forgot about the fauna inhabiting the public transit system.

You see, the buses were only also running half as frequently as normal. So the aggregate wierdo count was about double the usual. Plus anybody in their right mind was at home anyway. Yea, yeah. Don't even start.

So I got my cute little cross-lake express bus into downtown Seattle. It was doing good, only 30 minutes late. Plenty of time to catch the train since I planned for over an hour. Right.

No, this bus caught a particular nasty bit of fauna. Got on the bus just chock full of attitude (and booze). Didn't have a bus pass. Wasn't gonna pay the fare. Told the driver to go ahead and call the cops already. He didn't care. *yawn*

Well, obviously that's not gonna happen as most of SPD was out answering calls on foot cuz the Crown Vics can't get down the flat streets let alone the sloped ones.

So we sat for about 5 minutes before our director of transit entertainment gets bored with his bad self and moseys off the bus. No surprise there.

And since Seattle has taken the global warmening enviro-friendly moral high ground and sworn off salt or chemical de-icers, the streets and roads are seriously for shit. It took nearly an hour just to go from Kirkland to downtown Seattle, and most of it was the 12 blocks of f'd traffic in the Denny Triangle.

And on that note, I wouldn't drive my Subaru through those streets. There's a 5" edge trap in every single transition from snow-packed pavement to damp pavement.

Just plain crazy.

Alright. Enough venting. I'm gonna work from home tomorrow.

Every buddy have a Merry Christmas, y'all. The Good Lord's up there looking out for us fools and drunkards, and we oughta take a few minutes out each day to gave a bit of thanks.

The Long Way In

2008-12-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

Yup. I made it in. Woo hoo. Victory dance in the foyer!

Got a carpool to the train station, then a pair of connecting buses to get up into Kirkland. Took me nearly 3 hours from the time my car-pooler picked me up, but one of it his fault. All of it Metro's fault (or at least Seattle.gov) for slow, early, late, re-routed, or cancelled bus runs.

Perhaps Seattle and the enviro-zombie suburb .govs ought to ditch the stupid rubber-bladed plows and put some SALT on the roads when it gets this bad. The ground is warm enough that it would still do some good.

And my wife wonders why I prefer the motorcycle.

And, insult to injury, I'm the only one here at the office.

More Fracking Snow

2008-12-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

Very annoying.

Definitely not going anywhere on the V-Strom. More likely the wife's Subaru if I get out.

It's 1/3rd of a mile to the nearest plowed street and we've had 10 inches of snow since Saturday morning.

I'd try it, but it's just enough snow that it would probably wedge up under the hood of the Subaru and get it frozen up. If these asshats would at least plow the flat roads as well as they do in Buffalo or Rochester, I'd be able to get to work tomorrow.

But no, we get a fracking sheet of ice instead because these putzes don't plow on the weekends...

At least I still have my high-end steel-shafted snow brush/scraper from the years spent in the wintry purgatory known as the Erie/Ontario Lake Effect Snow Belt.

Wintry Stupdity

2008-12-18T20:46:00.001-08:00

Folks here can't even drive for crap in the rain, let alone crystallized dihydrogen monoxide. No doubt about it.

It's 8:35pm here and rush hour's normally over by 6:30pm, since most everyone works earlier shifts here due to the timezones. Standard issue West Coast work schedules.

Well, the freeway visible from my kitchen has been a total and complete parking lot since roughly 2pm. No real movement that I can discern, just an occasional brakelight blinking as it goes behind a tree branch.

One of my wife's co-workers called her today. While she's driving. On ice. My wife knows full well that her co-worker doesn't bother with one of those hands-free units.

Yep, cruising down ice-covered roads at 35mph with one hand holding her phone to her ear. Yes, she's from California, naturally.

I wish we'd have more of those ice storms. It'd thin out the shallow end of the gene pool in a most impressive manner.

Wintry Shtuff

2008-12-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

A word for the (un)wise.

The snow blanketing the roadway doesn't really give 2 spits about how big and impressive your truck is as you pass everybody doing 70mph. 4 Wheel Drive isn't gonna save your sorry hide when you've over-driven your half-second following distance and need to stop RIGHT NOW.

Conversely, when the temp has come back up to 35F and the road is quite plainly all melted off, there's no compelling reason on continue driving 35mph in the far left passing lane.

Now that I'm home, I think it's time for a couple fingers of Knob Creek.

Official WSP Ijitry

2008-12-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

Seems that the State Police aren't immune to the stupidity afflicting the ijit cagers. And this one was even on one of WSP's K12ST-P Traffic Patrol Bimmers.

Picture this: Particularly nasty downtown Bellevue backup. 4 lanes of backed-up traffic and said Trooper is cutting off the shoulder getting onto the highway (sound familiar?) and slicing across the creeping traffic.

We've all done that before. Well, the HOV lane ISN'T creeping. It's moving along at it's design speed of 45-50mph next to the neighboring mainline traffic lanes. The WSP motor officer cuts into the left mainline lane and pulls directly out into incoming HOV traffic.

I'm not kidding. There was less than 2 car-lengths between him and the minivan when he pulled out from 0mph. I think he came about 3 feet from being punted down the highway on his head.

Funny how they have no problems cutting other people off and running down the shoulder but have no problems writing tickets to other for that which they do so freely.

Very Small Footsteps...

2008-12-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I'm absolute death on drunk driving is that I have a couple little ones at home.

Well, one of the little ones has been quite adamant about her Christmas list this year. Oh yes, and telling everyone from Santa to Mommy to the grocery store cashier.

No ponies. No dolls. No pretty pink dresses. No, this one wants a motorcycle. A motorcycle just like Daddy's.

I think my wife's efforts to dissuade the children from riding on the motorcycle are going to increasingly become a rear-guard action...

Another Delay

2008-12-05T08:05:00.000-08:00

Looks like the Kimberly Graham trial got bumped to mid-February at the last minute.

http://iic.tulsacounty.org/InmateDetails.aspx?Id=1180097

Hopefully we'll soon see justice in that matter.

Seattle Combat Commuting: December 2nd 2008

2008-12-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

It's obviously Christmas Shopping season again. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind.

Aside from the obvious issues where the malls are crowded, you have people running around in rush hour traffic who have no earthly clue what they're doing.

Case in point:

Stopping in the middle of the commuter lane, 3 lanes over from the exit they want. Yes, a complete stop.

The young ladies in question passed by multiple miles of backed-up main-line traffic to come with 50 feet of the gore point for their desired exit and then stopped 3 entire lanes of traffic to enable themselves to turn their vehicle 90 degrees to the traffic flow in order to get into the Exit Only lane that had been signed for the previous mile-plus.

If Darwinism is true, why hasn't some previous display of stupidity carried them off?

Backside of the Mt. Baker Ski Resort

2008-11-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

September 2008. Just before winter closed in.

I'm a Baaad Boy & new Gadgets

2008-11-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know. I've been very bad. No updates in nearly 3 weeks. Was on a week of well-earned vacation on last week and not riding much since it been dipping down to freezing in the morning.

My darling wife is a Mary Kay consultant, so she spends a lot of time driving to social functions and people's houses. Sounds easy enough except that when it's pouring down rain 3 hours after the 4pm Seattle sunset, it's quite difficult to navigate our unlit suburban streets.

Solution? I bought the wife her own GPS. She used to borrow mine occasionally, yes, but my Garmin Etrex Vista is not exactly optimized for cars. More like hiking & biking, but I digress.

Buy.com had a smoking deal on the Garmin nuvi 760 automobile GPS. It's got the FM traffic transponder (it works great!) and a Bluetooth ahnds-free unit that works great with the wife's Samsung mobile phone too.

I'm more than a little jealous. It routes 4x faster than my Etrex and the spoken directions are really great.

My wife attests that the traffic routing worked great for her. It routed her around the nastiest parts of the backup on the way to her appointment last night, and prevented her from being quite late.

Good stuff. Going to buy myself one when I finally get around to buying another car this winter.

Another Case of Chain Reaction

2008-11-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year, folks. People gawking at all the pretty leaves whilst driving too fast or too slow on busy wet roads.

Almost had the opportunity of an end-of-lifetime today. Ijit in a compact car was looking at said pretty leaves while driving 45-50mph in a 35 zone when the addict in front of me made a panic stop to left turn into an espresso stand.

Quite nearly got a Nissan enema, so to speak. Driver was looking at the leaves off to the right and his passenger also looking across the nose of the car to the leaves on the left, which left neither one looking at our brake lights nor sudden deceleration to avoid the coffee ijit right in front of me.

Remember folks: Maintain safe following distance and keep your escape routes planned in a continuing basis.

WSP Harassment

2008-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Keep an eye out there, folks. WSP is up to their usual antics. I had a run-in myself with them on Wednesday where I was passing a street sweeper that was doing 40 in a 60 in the left lane.

Funny thing too. I got pulled over, he sat there for 30 seconds and then drove away. Pulled me a stop right in the middle of the right traffic lane and directly in front of a tractor-trailer that had been doing 60. Quite nearly got ME killed.

Over the years, I've had more close-calls with WSP officers driving with extreme arrogance and negligence than could ever be accounted for based upon their percentage of vehicles on the road.

And since that's the metric the WSP uses to aggressively crack down on motorcycle incidents based upon their percentage of the road, perhaps the WSP needs to police their own.

WSP cracking down on unsafe motorcycle riders
By ELISA HAHN / KING 5 News
SEATTLE – A recent rash of motorcycle accidents and fatalities has the Washington State Patrol cracking down and troopers are aggressively seeking out dangerous riders.

The state patrol will be extra vigilant and unforgiving when it comes to motorcyclists breaking the law, especially if they're speeding, driving aggressively, driving drunk or without a helmet.

"We're killing a lot of people on bikes and we want that to cease right now," said Trooper Keith Leary, WSP.

In 2007, the state patrol saw 66 fatal motorcycle accidents on the highways. This year just through October there have been 68.

I like how he says "We're killing". Yes, in my case, that's true. Perhaps the WSP officers need to go through MSF training to understand how motorcycles really work. I'm rather tired of being tail-gated by WSP cruisers that take 200 feet to stop from 60 when I can do it in 115.

I'm also getting quite tired of WSP officers that don't understand that motorcycles need to lean to turn. They seem to assume that if you're not completely vertical that you're hot-dogging and need to be Rodney-King'd.

And they also seem to assume that every motorcycle should be going below the speed limit even if we're getting passed by traffic doing 75. What the hell's up with that?

Alabama NG & MSF

2008-11-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Some good news out of the SouthEast. Alabama was one of the last states to get on board with the rider training. Good to see they're making up for lost time.

Guard members learn motorcycle safety
The Alabama National Guard has teamed with the Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program to better educate soldiers who ride motorcycles.

Guard members must complete the program if they ride a motorcycle or intend to ride one.

Once the riders have familiarized themselves with the motorcycle they must then perform four skill evaluations. The evaluations consists of emergency braking, limited space maneuvering, and emergency swerving.

30 Days

2008-11-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Kim Graham's trial starts on December 1. A bit too early to await the trial with abated breath, but I'll keep on top of it.

Seattle Combat Commuting: October 27, 2008 or Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

2008-10-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Strangely, Hell froze over today and I hardly noticed it.

I saw a Honda Prius this morning with some very interesting things mounted in its tinted rear windows. It appears that one of the local law enforcement agencies bought up a Prius and rigged it with sirens and lights.

I went by it at a touch under 70 while he was doing 50-55 and I saw the cut-outs in the tinting and the reflection off the plastic strobe lenses. He lane-changed over real fast and accelerated just as the HOV merge zone ended. Thankfully motorcycles slow down quite quickly and smoothly with just engine-braking...

I cruised along about 75 feet in front of him and one lane over for about a half mile. Essentially, I cruised along like a good little sheep until a town car came up and tailgated me, thus blocking said copper's view of me. Once I had camouflage, it was time to roll it back on...

Cut it with a KNIFE

2008-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

That time of year again. I can barely see the end of my driveway, and my driveway's only 50' long. Not exactly a country mile.

I'd provide you a picture, but envisioning the inside of a cotton ball would suffice.

Slip Slidin' Away

2008-10-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last 4 months riding around on a really sweet set of tires, the Continental Road Attacks. A very nice tire with excellent handling properties and very forgiving.

One thing they are not is a good nasty-weather tire. There's very little tread in the tread pattern, with a mere half-dozen or so diagonal U-shaped tread lines that don't even go all the way across the tires. But they stick like glue on dry warm roads, and I could lean the bike over like nobody's business.

I recently put on a more dual-sporting tire, the Metzeler Tourance. There's MUCH more tread on this tire, with progressive larger tread width toward the edge of the tire.

I was going around a left-hander this morning and kinda-sorta forgot I had the new tires as I leaned it over and fed it a fistful of gas. Inevitably, the rear cut loose at about a 30-degree lean angle and swung partway around as the suspension fully extended. Quite the eye-opening experience it was, and I was all the way awake RIGHT NOW.

Nothing that a somewhat smoother application of power and keeping the bike pointed in the right direction wouldn't fix though. The rear came back in rather smoothly instead of trying to snap back in. Surprisingly well-behaved really, especially in light of the abuse I'd just put it to.

CHP screws up "crash" investigation?

2008-10-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

A little bit of critical thinking has led one family to conclude that perhaps CHP did a crappy job of investigating a motorcycle-related fatality recently.

Family suggest Oakland man was hit-run victim, not motorcycle accident
By Sean Maher, Oakland Tribune
OAKLAND — Family members of a man who died last week in what the CHP declared a one-vehicle crash say investigators may have it wrong, that the evidence suggests he may have been the victim of a hit-and-run.
Aaron Fuller, a 35-year-old Oakland man, died Sept. 30 in what CHP investigators found to be an accident with no one else involved. Responding to a call just after 2 a.m. at the connector ramp between westbound Interstate 580 and Highway 24, investigators closed the roadway for a little more than an hour and ultimately determined Fuller lost control of his motorcycle on a curve in the road and struck a concrete barrier wall. He flew from the bike and struck a concrete pillar headfirst, and fell 50 feet to the grass below, the CHP told Fuller's family.

The salient points are a little further down the page:

"Aaron's motorcycle has $300 in damage to the plastics, and that's it. ... If it hit the retaining wall the way (CHP) said, the whole front would be ripped in half."

Pretty much covers it. Scrape your keys across the side panel of a motorcycle and it's a $500 repair. Do that to your gas tank and it's closer to $800. If there really is only $300 in damage, I'd bet the CHP is full of crap on this one.

Bluster

2008-10-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

Not the Testerone-induced variety, but the low-pressure atmospheric variety.

Got seriously blown around on the way home today. BIG rain drops. Serious headwinds. Came out from behind a tractor-trailer just as we cleared a copse of birches and I caught a 40mph shift in the crosswind right in teeth.

No big deal usually, a little something to worry about when the road's greasy for a half-hour's worth of sprinkles yet not enough rain to rinse the road off completely.

Public Activism in Texas

2008-10-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like everybody was getting into the act in Round Rock, Texas.

Hit-and-run suspect arrested, charged in motorcyclist's death

Round Rock police late Tuesday evening charged a man suspected as having caused, then fled from, a collision on the night of September 25 in which motorcyclist Victor Luna was fatally injured.
Lyle Larue Earl, 25, of Round Rock was charged with Accident involving personal injury or death, a third-degree felony. Earl’s bond was set at $50,000.
Police sought the public’s help to locate the car involved in the wreck and identify its driver. Late Tuesday afternoon, detectives received an anonymous tip that a car matching the publicized description was possibly concealed in a garage in a neighborhood about a mile from the wreck scene.

Another punk kid. Another motorcyclist left to die in the street.

Oughta be a straight negligent manslaughter charge. If we get a conviction and a real sentence, I'll be happy.

Seattle Combat Commuting: October 16, 2008 -- Bang, Bang, Bang

2008-10-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

No, this one is not related to firearms (not that I don't love mine, though). Instead, the sickening chain reaction of impacts usually brought about by inattention and inadequate following distance.

Had to go to the doctor's office this morning, so I was tootling up Interstate 5 at a nice sedate pace rolling past the single-occupancy traffic doing 40mph with 40 feet following distances.

They were all stacked up in the left lane (with the other 3 empty, oddly) behind a guy in a large black pickup truck. No big deal, except that everyone in the line assumed Mr. Pickup Truck was actually paying attention.

He wasn't, at least not until he was under 50 feet from hitting the stopped traffic in front of him. He panicked and stood on the brakes leaving a scant 3 feet to spare, but that did little for the traffic behind him. Traffic went scattering every which way and people alternately panic-braked or swerved blindly into neighboring lanes.

Needless to say, I made a bee-line for the shoulder as I rolled by about 50-55mph. I think I saw only two collisions in that stack, but I'm glad nobody got hurt and I was able to roll on by before traffic could snarl up.

Another Hit & Run Victim Passes

2008-10-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Another motorcyclist died from the injuries caused by a hit & run murderer, as reported by Allentown's (NJ) Morning Call:

Motorcyclist struck by hit-run driver dies
A 45-year-old Center Valley woman struck by a vehicle while operating a motorcycle last night -- in what police have called a hit-and-run incident -- has died.

Lori Smeltzer of 4042 Kozy Korner Road in Upper Saucon Township was pronounced dead at 5:54 a.m. today in Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.

Hearing about fewer of these are folks start to park their bikes for the winter season. Unfortunately, there's no off-season for irresponsibility.

Hmm, perhaps these kind of reports had a little bit to do with the first one we covered today? From the West Linn, Oregon Police Blotter.

10/2, 5:09 p.m.; A person reported a reckless driver trying to run them off the street at 19500 Hidden Springs Road. Police reported they were out of position and advised other authorities.

10/4, 12:24 a.m.; Police arrested Kenneth R. Grotjohn III, 20, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on Interstate 205 at Viewpoint and lodged him at Clackamas County Jail.

10/4, 1:55 a.m.; Police arrested Joni L. Clanton, 26, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on I-205 at McLoughlin Boulevard and lodged her at the county jail.

10/5, 2:32 a.m.; Police arrested Sarah Chicharro, 21, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated at Borland and Prosperity Park Way and lodged her at the county jail.

No surprise.

That Time Again

2008-10-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Setting in for the winter, we are. Morning temperatures are barely staying in the lower 40s and the fog approaches a state of 'viscous'. And there's the standard Seattle precip to endure: Misty little droplets that don't quite float.

Time to re-waterproof the gear, eh?

50 days

2008-10-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, indeed. The hour on reckoning approacheth for the murderous drunk driver Kimberly Elizabeth Graham.

50 days until the trial starts. I shall rejoice upon the conclusion of this one, knowing that a small part of the good work has been done.

Twitchy

2008-10-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Some hinky stuff going down on the road lately. I know there's the issue that folks have out here with having to re-learn how to drive in the rain several times each week. This is a little weirder.

Seattle drivers tend to oscillate or weave about within their lane. This is something that one can get used to and you just need to be careful. No big deal.

Lately, they've gotten twitchy and I'm a bit concerned. Instead of just oscillating: they're straying further out towards the edges of the lanes, jerking back and over-correcting and then jerking back slightly less violently towards the center.

It's a little tough to maintain your standard MSF SIPDE escape routes with the Twitchers. Normally you'd want to be on the other side of the lane from whichever side they prefer, but that doesn't really work so well. So you have to keep more following distance.

What happens then? Of course. Everyone thinks you're going too slow because you have more than a 10' following distance and they keep trying to cut you off and get into that gap. Wash, Rinse, & Repeat.

Seattle Combat Commuting: October 8th, 2008

2008-10-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

No surprise here, I suppose. Another run-in with large trucks driven by construction contractors. Thankfully it was one vehicle up from me this time.

Here's the scoop:

A nice steady stream of traffic is merging off a smaller freeway onto I-405 and smart carpool commuters adjust their speed in the on-ramp to match the open pockets in the overtaking traffic to make sure they can do straight to the HOV lane.

But is Mr. White Box Truck capable of this? Oh no.

Mr. White Box Truck waits until the last second to merge into the mainline lanes from the merge area, and then just bulls his way into the HOV lane directly through neighboring trafic.

Lots of brake lights and the car in front of me stands on the brakes and moves back a relative 8 feet to keep said box truck from slamming into the side of his vehicle.

No joke.

Small wonder that the newspapers are filled with stories about people being killed on the road everyday. People driving like morons seems like a pretty good causation factor to me.

Motorcyclist murdered by drunk trucker on North Cascades Highway

2008-10-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yup, another one that needs to spend the rest of his life in jail.

Having just been up on Route 20 this past weekend, I'm not overly surprised. I go up there every autumn and the past couple years have had a lot more traffic running around up there on what used to be extremely empty roads.

It used to be that NorthWestern Washington was a pretty good place to go to ride around in the countryside and not be hassled by tons of traffic. Perhaps it's the same thing that's going on down here with all the sub-divisions going up. Whereas they're mostly concentrated along the freeways down here, they all seem to be going into out of the way little places on country backroads there.

And of course, the ijits going in there still drive around at 20+ like they're in Bellevue.

Motorcyclist killed in Skagit County crash

By KOMO Staff

SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. -- A man was killed and another critically injured in a crash involving two cars and two motorcycles on Wednesday night, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Trooper Keith Leary the accident took place on State Route 20 near milepost 70, three miles east of Sedro-Woolley just before 6 p.m.

Investigators believe the driver of a Toyota pickup truck traveling east crossed over the center line and smashed into an oncoming Buick sedan. The pickup kept going and rammed into two oncoming motorcycles before crashing into a ditch, Leary said.

The driver of the first motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene, and his bike was engulfed in flames, Leary said. His name has not been released.
The driver of a Buick sedan was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

The condition of the second motorcycle driver was not known.

Leary said the pickup driver was treated for minor injuries and booked into the Skagit County Jail under investigation of vehicular homicide. Investigators believe alcohol may have been a factor.

Detectives shut down SR 20 after the crash, and said the roadway could remain closed until midnight.

Mass Media Ijitry

2008-10-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Not about motorcycles this time, but apparently the NY Times doesn't have proof-readers that are any better than the small town papers.

Mr. Fossett held numerous world records and was the first person to circumvent the world in a hot-air balloon as well as the first to fly a plane solo around the globe without refueling.

Yeah, I want to circumvent the world too. Then perhaps the morons driving their little metal cages would stop trying to run into me because they don't recognize motorcycles as vehicles but as empty spaces.

On the way to Lake Cavanaugh

2008-10-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

On the way to Lake Cavanaugh

Cascade Mountains, East of Mt. Baker

2008-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Cascade Mountains, East of Mt. Baker

Mt. Baker Photos

2008-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Near Mt. Baker on the way back down from Artist Point to the Ski Lodge

North Fork of the Nooksack River, East of Bellingham

2008-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

North Fork of the Nooksack River, East of Bellingham

Middle Fork the Nooksack River

2008-09-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Middle Fork of the Nooksack River