We’re on vacation this week and took a short three day trip around Central Oregon to begin the week. If I had to summarize our trip in three words, they would be: chilly, beautiful, and traffic-free.
Chilly
The weather this month has been schizophrenic, so much so that the local rag has taken to calling it “Augtober.” We made a miscalculation in the vain hope that the usual pattern of it being hotter on the eastern side of the Cascades would hold. Our mesh jackets made the trip up the pass via Highway 22 a brisk one. We took a gas and leg-stretching stop at Detroit Lake and I put on as many layers as I could: wicking t-shirt, fleece, jacket liner, and jacket. I felt like the kid in “A Christmas Story” dressed in his snowsuit and barely able to put his arms down. I earned smart points for bringing both pairs of gloves, summer and winter, but the Fahrenheit H20s didn’t do that great of a job in the cold and my fingers still ended up numb. I don’t think my skinny fingers generate enough heat to take advantage of the fancy-pansy lining technology. Sounds like it may be time for heated grips and handguards this winter!
Beautiful
I never take as many pictures as I should. 
But here’s a pic of the bikes during a viewpoint stop at Crater Lake. Note that I managed to fit all my gear for a three day camping trip into a single drybag and tank bag. I’m a lady who can pack light when necessary! 
The lake that needs no introduction:
Traffic-free
We learned that it’s so totally worth traveling during the off-days in the middle of the week. Almost all of our trips so far have been weekenders, and what a difference a few days makes! The Rim Drive at Crater Lake was nearly deserted: no RVs to get stuck behind, or tourists deciding to drive 5 mph as they view the sights. The Rim Village parking lot was full as always, but the rest of the park was blissfully empty.
We ran into several motorcyclists at the lake. One gentleman was on a side trip from his primary ride: a group riding the Trans-American trail from Pueblo, CO to the Oregon coast. His Honda 650 dual-sport (not sure which specific model) looked pretty bulletproof, and proved it when it emerged unscathed through a section of trail that punctured the crankcase of one of this buddies’ BMWs. (A little JB Weld got him back on the road.) Two Harley guys on a ride from Michigan to “wherever we end up in California.” Two women in full leathers on Ducatis, both bikes loaded down with more gear than a Ducati would probably prefer to have. A Roadcrafter-wearing gentleman riding an older BMW (R 100?) with two weeks to burn and a bunch of questions about good destinations in Oregon. Chatting with other riders was one of my favorite parts of this trip.
All in all, we put over 500 miles on the clock and I averaged around 53 miles per gallon (sweet!) This was our longest motorcycle trip so far, and we’re definitely hoping for more trips than we’ve managed to get this summer. Darn those day jobs! And home ownership! And… and…
Maybe we just need to get on the bikes and ride: damn the responsibilities and full throttles ahead!
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With regards to “Chilly” stuff, have you considered an electric vest yet? When I moved out to the Pac Northwest 20 years ago from New York, one of my first investments that I made to compensate for the drastic temperatures out here was an electric vest. I’ve never looked back. They don’t add nearly as much bulk as multiple layers and it’s less to stow as well. Usually I just put it on whenever I suit up, and if the weather demands it, I turn it on.
I’ve certainly thought about it, though in this case the simpler solution of bringing my other (spring/fall) jacket would probably have sufficed.
The SV doesn’t have the greatest alternator output: 375W @ 5000 rpm is what I’ve found most often when searching for that spec. I’ll have to be selective when deciding among the many farkles on my wishlist (GPS, GMRS radio, heated grips, plug for heated vest or gloves, etc).