So sorry for the break in action on here. Hit the ground runnin with several life items when I got back.
TBT- No altitude issues to speak of. She only got weak when I was on I-70 climbing out of Vale, CO. The pass summit was 10K and change. Otherwise all the 4-7K stuff it ran great. Cold first start of the day was a little odd till it warmed up abit. Out west many of the states still have real 100% gas when you buy premium and I got great mileage and power with it.

Couple shots from Badlands. My first stop for sight seeing.

 

Well, I gotta give you credit, you managed to get two good pictures off before you ran out of film.

 

I have resorted to my watercolor set just for you TBT...I did actually have my camera decide it wanted to rest on my way to the NE entrance to Yellowstone. I may have a few on phone and IPAD that I need to get in this set.
Next stop after Badlands was Mt. Rushmore and the area around it. Good mix of terrain in that neck of the woods.

 

Some Yellowstone watersports. Many hot springs in the park. Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minuets.

 

Well c'mon - more pictures

Great so far, but I am sooooooooo looking forward to the 'planes now.

Keep up the good work!

Cheers, SB

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...
Made it out to the Oregon coast from Eugene to Florance, then ran south to Coos Bay and north to sea lions cave on 101.

 

Crossing Oregon on 26, can't say enough good things about that route, I went thru some sweeping canyons and range climbs. Picked up 126 in Sisters and then took 242, McKenzie Pass. Wild place. The top is a black volcanic rock field that looks like someone with giant dump trucks just wanted to cover the earth and dumped countless loads all over. Some crooked old man made a crooked path through and later someone paved it. Once you get through the black rock you start descending down the west face of the range in a thick forest. The road snakes down through 3000 feet in a tunnel of trees. The road doesn't see much daylight and was still damp and covered with pine needles in many places.
Disclaimer: I didn't stop for pictures here as I had passed a truck towing a trailer and didn't want to get stuck behind him again on this mountain road so these are some stock photos. They represent what I saw on that run pretty close.

 

After the coast run on 101 I went back to Eugene and spent the evening with my old pal Tom and his two boys. I've known him since 2nd grade. Two years ago he became an instant dad when his sister died and he adopted her two grade school age boys. He never had kids of his own.I know I wouldn't have the strength of character to take that on at our age now. What a Man.
Leaving Eugene I went south on I-5 and east on 138 to Crater Lake. 138 was good fun again on curvy canyon road for much of it. Crater Lake in a word, stunning! A volcanic basin at 6-7000 feet filled with a cobalt blue water that reflects the sky. I camped there for the night and shared a few local beers with a rider from Chicago. Was a chilly night but so worth the views.

 

The small volcanic mound in the above pics has a flat top. For scale, the flat area is 300 feet across. The water is really that blue. The only water craft allowed on the lake are the electric tour boats. Here are a few more, and yes I really liked this place.

 

Sorry SB, haven't made it to the races just yet but you may enjoy these some too.
Lake Tahoe is another high altitude beauty. The area is so target rich with just awesome roads and scenery. I stayed in Truckee, CA with little sister Rita and her family. It's just 20 minuets from the lake. From her place, I went north on 89 to 49, a super road that's 47 miles of part dragon, part Cherohala Skyway. Returning to Truckee via 20, another scenic byway.
The loop around the lake is a must do but the best view is above on 431.