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The GS Giant vs. Bigfoot... who's bigger?

Where do I offically sign up to get the scorebook?

The scorebook comes fairly late in the game, about a week ahead of the rally. Stay tuned here, or on Facebook, for info to follow.

A lot of what people talk about in this thread will show up in the Scorebook, along with info provided by locals.

Here's an example/teaser Adventure Detour... The Top of Steen's Mountain.

<iframe src="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2167284/embed" height="500px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>

This would be a particularly nice one for folks coming up from Salt Lake City.

See that red area at the bottom of the map? Put your cursor there and move it back and forth. Watch the blue ball move along the route as you move the crosshairs with your cursor. Nice little 5,000 foot climb there, eh? :nod

steensmountain.jpg


What you don't see in this route is what you will see in the scorebook. It involves legendary milkshakes, hamburgers, remote camping and more. :thumb

Ian
 
Ian, rode that route Sept 2011 during the Thunder Mountain Rally.

Well, then... we'll just have to find you another one, then.

Maybe you'd like The Wedge Way.

<iframe src="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1096967/embed" height="500px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>

Ian
 
FREE Camping:)

My Place lies between 2, only 2 National parks! Less than and hour from SequoiaNP and an hour+ to YosemiteNP South entrance. As you GSGiant tour the West en route to Salem this year, I offer a free campsite at my home, small HORSE ranch property.( My other family,love, big critters we ride) Located 12 miles East of ClovisCA, off Hwy168 and country setting OFF the main road, quiet for California:). A BMW Dealer is 15 miles away, if needed. I also have bike shop at home, for just basic service and beyond. Bring your own talent and supplies. I'm an older GS guy, since 1982 on GSs, so its a big part of my life, I love sharing the time just jawing about it all...share experiences and tales. Clovis itself offers a great selection of Motels, eateries and is a quaint very Western small city of 100000 folks. Very nice downtown, antiques(shops) galore and nice walkabout. A Rodeo town of 90+ years now too, every April. The best PRO cowboys stop here. Our city logo, "Gateway to the Sierras" is very fitting, at the base of the largest mountains of the Far West USA! Your time only limits your sightseeing here, because the backcountry is missed by so many, traveling North/South thru here. The parks alone ARE the biggest attrractions of course and some of us are lucky enough to live at the doorstep of'em:). Google Central CAL, ClovisCA, my town and stop by. I welcome all fellow 'MOAers. GSA1200, my latest for past 5 years now, so I still go dirt:). My last hoorah, at RedmondOR., as GS Chairperson for the rally there. IAN S. carries the torch nowadays(GSGiant), also an avid enthusiast, pure through! I am in the AnnomBook, 6780 last 4 digits, or find me here frequently enough. Happy Trails all, Randy"Polarbear" ...PS;Riding North, soon enough now:) Sweet Salem!
 
Salem rally 'Pre-Rally GS ride', brought to you by the BMWRO....

Hi 'Giants', It looks like I've been tapped to assist with a BMW RO (Riders of Oregon) 'Pre-Rall GS' ride. Ian Schmeisser, has submitted it for the ONews, so this will be published in May(?).

The Pre-Rally GS was laid out to be a two-day, self-guided out-and-back from the Salem fairgrounds, (Tues-Weds), tho a rider could pick up a section of this ride at any point in order to ride it on in, too. Say, a rider coming north on Hwy 97 could take Hwy 58 to Crescent Lake, then follow the southern 1/2 over Windigo Pass and into Oakridge, or north on the Cascade Lakes Hwy to Todd Lake and then Rd 370 backwards on this route to Santiam Junction. LOTS of options!

Questions? Contact me here or direct at shuntermiller at gmail dot com. - Steve

<iframe src="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1421886/embed" height="500px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>
 
Linear GS, east-west across Oregon.....

Hi Giants.

I also put together this route together, which crosses the state east-west. It is not ALL GS, but the eastern end is on narrow, paved, FS/Mtn Road 16, and it is pretty twisty!

Some of the central portion of FS 2630 gets down to 'Jeep road' classification. (My definition: DIRT-based, as opposed to gravel-based.) There are numerous 'outs' through the middle of this route, so a rider could bail out it time runs out. (This center section is probably best run in pairs for safety, but as I say; 'Take my advise, I'm not using it.')

Steve

<iframe src="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2070002/embed" height="500px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>
 
Exploratory drive through South-Central Oregon and Northern Nevada......

Last weekend I took a 3-day exploratory drive in the sparse regions of S, SE, Oregon and N. Nevada. I covered some great regions and learned some new back roads, but did come away with a singular conclusion: 'It is still winter out there!'

Roads were soft and often snow covered. This late in the year that snow was soft and melting during the days, so melt-water and MUD was the norm. I was blocked by snow on the Sheldon NWR / Wild Horse Range 100 miles in, which reads also as; this is the place were getting stuck can kill you!

I'll see if I can post a couple pictures..........

DSCN2418.jpgDSCN2427.jpgDSCN2435.jpg
 
One last picture; 100 miles in on the Sheldon, in Nevada....

Rimmed out 100 miles in on the Sheldon, in Nevada.... And the last people we had seen were some Coyote hunters 60 miles back....

This is a 'stud-pile' from a stallion of the wild horse bands, but we didn't see them. Later, did split a herd of 130 Antelope!
DSCN2437.jpg
 
Riding from Seattle- Count me IN !

Good to see the GS activities coming to the National rally in Salem. I'll ride my Dakar this time Ian, so you may not need to help me pick up my BIG GS again. :laugh
-Sirby
 
What you don't see in this route is what you will see in the scorebook. It involves legendary milkshakes, hamburgers, remote camping and more. :thumb

Ian[/QUOTE]

fields OR.jpg

Here is a look at the Hamberger & Milkshake Heaven which is not too many miles from the Alvord Hot Springs where we camped in 2011.
Amazing place.
-Sirby
 
Great to see you here, Steve

Mr. Miller is helping The GS Giant find the good stuff in Oregon. This feller's been around! :thumb
 
This happens too:)

We are riding the high desert Oregon, near Ft.Rock, where volcanic pumice byways make for interesting wiggles, even on an experts F800GS:). Joe Hutt, my pal seemed to lose it here but had help from a 4X4 going the opposite direction not giving way. Joe got in the loose, real loose stuff. All was well, just a moment of pause and reflection:). Me and my GSA1200 following had better results, managing to stay afoot, barely! Its sure fun riding Oregon where the folks are less seen and adventure prevails:). Randy"Polarbear"
 

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Another;

Riding N.Nevada, where the expanses are so wide, you can get the feeling of being far from reality. Thank goodness for GS/GSAs to be able to find these less than 1 person in hundreds/thousands of square miles locales:). We are on GSA'071200 and F800GS unknown year. Near Oregon,CA., Nevada corner. "Burning Man" in Gerlach,NV is just South of us here. Randy
 

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Btw;

These part 2 shots were en route to the Redmond Rally a few years ago. Joe rides that F800 like the wind, fast. I barely keep up, but he waits graciously, as my fully loaded GSA1200 is a pig compared to the F800GS loaded also. The last photo is a typical 75-80mph dirt byway and hoping a LOT you don't come upon loose gravel or sand at that speed. I got into one near tank slapper on this road at 65mph and nearly ate it in the loose, not seen. Oooops. Thanks Joe Hutt, if you're looking here. I enjoyed the company of a great rider:). Randy
 
News about the GS Giant's Gypsy Tour

Several things will be different this year, compares to years past.

First, this will be do it yourself GS Gypsy Tours. That is, bring your own food and drink and show up at one of several meet-up points on your way to the rally.

Second is that there is more than one tour.... in fact you have 5 options!

Here's the basic plan:

1) If you are riding in from outside Oregon and want to meetup with people along the way, look at the first map below. You can meet up at any of these locations and ride to the rally with some new friends.

2) If you can get to Oregon early, the BMW Riders of Oregon are planning a two-day ride, July 16 & 17.


More details will be coming shortly, but for now:

Option 1: Four different ride starting points:

  • The Trinity Alps area in Northern California
  • Northwestern Idaho at the west end of Lolo Pass
  • A handy spot in northern Nevada
  • Another handy spot in Washington

Please note the different starting dates! This is due to the lengths of the rides.

GSGiantGypsyTour.jpg

Option 2: An overnighter from Salem

Now, if you can get to the Salem area by July 16, another option is a 2-day ride through the Cascades, let by very talented people in the BMW Riders of Oregon club.

This ride starts and ends at the Rally site, with an overnight at The Elk Lake Resort.

<iframe src="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1421886/embed" height="500px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>


Stay tuned for more details on the where's, when's, how's and routes!

.
 
Hey Ian

Deb and I are going to the rally and would love to help with GS giant. We had a blast in Utah last year, and I'm handling the big pig a little better. Off pavement all winter.

PM at HD Steve on AdvRider. If any of the giants are coming through Eastern Washington we have room and tools.
 
Steens Mountain Adventure Detour

If you scroll up a few posts, take a look at that orange line, one of the 4 GS Gypsy Tour route options.

Steens Mountain is in the southeast corner of Oregon, and it's the better part of a day's ride from the orange dot at the beginning of a ride, which happens to be a very nice camping spot in a wilderness area in Nevada.

A great day's ride would start from the dot, ride north, getcha a world-famous hamburger and milkshake for lunch at a to-be-named GS BS location, then ride up Steens Mountain and findya a good camping spot for the night.

Be sure to take some pictures and post them on The GS Giant's Facebook page.... :wave

<iframe src="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2167284/embed" height="500px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>
 
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I'll also be attending the rally, getting there early to help "Coach" where I can. Won't be able to do the meet-up's as I plan to be in Salem on Saturday.

But several of those routes look like fun either during or more likely after the rally . . . :)
 
Count us in on that ride. ken and tammny decroo

:thumb

Hey, be sure to share the www.GSGiant.com link with your local club. If you're into Facebook, be sure to Like the GS Giant. And The GS Giants club would also be honored to have you two within our ranks.

Here's a proposed ride from the Trinity Alps area up into Oregon...

<iframe src="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2167220/embed" height="800px" width="100%" frameborder="0"></iframe>
 
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