[darnold87]

2 buddies and I went for an overnight trip a couple weekends ago (two TW200's and DRZ400)... Left Salem at midnight on Saturday (technically Sunday I suppose), and headed east. Split south at Stayton and rode the backroads and hills east towards Lions, Mill City and Gates. Got to the summit of Monument Peak around 2am. It was t-shirt weather.

Lightning was striking around us and it was amazing... and a little spooky, I'll be honest. We hit the sleeping bags around 330am just about the same time something big started tromping around in the brush... always nice to try to go to sleep when that happens. We woke up to sunny blue skies and took old forest service roads down to Detroit, then up French Creek and past Opal Lake (should have taken more pics, I love this area)... Then we cross the mountains northward into the Molalla Corridor. And then bombed down to Silverton and back to Salem. Man it was amazing. 165 miles and my Clarke tank wasn't even worried.

Here are some pics:

 

[DonBenito]

Man, that looks like a pretty precarious camp site! I'd hate to stumble out of the wrong side of the tent camping there!



Thanks for taking us along!

 

[retmotor]

Absolutely beautiful! Very nice.

 

[flingwing1969]

Great trip - Great Pix. What fun!

 

[Wingnut]

That is a campsite with a view!! alittle too sketchy for me on that ridge in a lightning storm however.

 

[losttourist]

Great pics ! Envious , except about the lightning. Which I love to admire from a distance, not under the open sky, below it.

 

[B-dub]

Nice pics, I especially like the lightning shot. Well done! Sounds like a good time was had by all. Thanks for taking us along!

 

[darnold87]

Thanks everyone...

I have to give credit to my cousin / riding partner Greg M. For taking the lightning shot. He has a bunch more pics that I may post later.

 

[slinky]

Looks amazing. My first trip on my T-dub will undoubtedly be an adventure ride once I get my project finished and on the road. Beautiful pics there mate, well done.

 

[lower al]

Thanks for the pictures

 

[admiral]

Looked like a really fun ride. You're showing some really nice photo's. I too like the lighning photo as well as the rider on the ATV looking trail and the one on the side of the moutain. Is your camp spot the same one you've camped at before? Kinda looks the same, and I can see why you would go back to it, or find one like it. Makes for a wonderful view when waking up.



Nice ride report, thanks for sharing! Me likie!

 

[darnold87]

Looked like a really fun ride. You're showing some really nice photo's. I too like the lighning photo as well as the rider on the ATV looking trail and the one on the side of the moutain. Is your camp spot the same one you've camped at before? Kinda looks the same, and I can see why you would go back to it, or find one like it. Makes for a wonderful view when waking up.



Nice ride report, thanks for sharing! Me likie!

You're correct, we have camped here before. The old forest road getting to the top is nasty, but fun. I managed to get my Suzuki Samurai up there years ago but it would be a major task now. There was once a fire lookout on top. We rarely see anyone up there due to the difficulty. Wish I had pics to show how bad it gets...

I need a GoPro to film these rides. Haha

 

[Rhodetrip]

Great photos, beautiful area. That Kelty tent looks like the same model I've been using for about 10 years. Been all over with it, never let me down.

 

[old mad max]

Gee thanks....................... After looking at the campsite I got a nose bleed......... (o; "WOW". Nice area. OMM.

 

[darnold87]

Great photos, beautiful area. That Kelty tent looks like the same model I've been using for about 10 years. Been all over with it, never let me down.

Funny story on the Kelty tent... It is a great backpacking / dualsporting tent... so light weight and easy to set up. I think it's a 'Kelty Gunnison 2'... Anyway, we had a sports store in town closing up shop a couple years ago, and everything was 10% off. Well, the tent's original price was $180. I had decided I wanted it and the cashier girl rang it up as 90% off!! So yeah, that's only $18!! I asked her if she was sure on the price and she said "yep!". So, I paid my $18 and went on my merry way.

Maybe I should have convinced her she had the discount backwards but I decided to take the deal and go with it.