Anyone going to the BMW riders of Oregon - Chief Joseph Rally in June 14 - 17th? Hwy 396 and 26 Grant County Fairgrounds
http://bmwro.org/

I'll be near Mono Lake just prior to the mid June dates and might ride up Hwy 395 to have a look-see.

Cheers, M

Hmmmm Looks interesting tiz a shame that bricks don't float.

In 2007 I was working for a BMW dealer in Tigard, Oregon. I had to work later than I wanted to and so I put my Atlantic Blue K1200S into hyperdrive for the four or five hour ride from Portland to the John Day fairgrounds, where the Chief Joseph rally was being held. The sun was dropping slowly behind me in the lazy Summertime evening, providing a beautiful red glow against the sandstone cliffs and high desert canyon walls along the riverbed by the roadside. I was primed for deer movements but didn't notice the distinct, hard row of blueberries and cherries atop the patrol car ahead of me about a half a mile, hidden behind some scrub pine. I thought I'd been focused and purposeful, head down and eyes alert.



Just before one enters the twisty bit of state highway 26 near the canyons, just past Dayville, on the way to John Day, Oregon, I got done by the local sheriff's deputy for going 90+ mph (145+ kmh) in a 55 mph (88 kmh) zone. The fine was $420. The sheriff was polite, matter of fact, and suggested all he was doing was saving us bikers from ourselves as he has to "scrape up the remains of a biker every weekend" at the start of the best bit of road. I accepted my fate.



A month later the fine was nearly overdue and so I rang the local number provided and spoke to a sweet, older lady at the county courthouse, who told me in no uncertain terms that if I paid the fine at the new rate of $300 and didn't get a speeding ticket within the state of Oregon for the period of one year, that it would not go on my driving record. No worries, I paid the fine and left the States for home a coupla months later. I guess by now there'd be no record.


Thanks for the memories.

Your photos look great - if I was just thinking about going before - now I'm certain.
I'll look out for the mobile fruit stands, plying their wares.

Cheers, M

The roads pictured are just to the north and east of John Day, within an hour or so of the rally site. Oregon's high desert is some kinda wonderful for canyon carving. Enjoy yourself.