Picto Diary - 16, 17 May 2018 - Desert Ride

Above: Sign of Winnemucca Inn. Winnemucca, NV 16 May 2018.

2015 Ducati Multistrada motorcycle. First touring ride of the year. 375 miles from Park City to Winnemucca. Didn't start out until 3:00 PM Pacific Time. Arrived Winnemucca, 9:30 PM Pacific Time. Fuel stops in West Wendover and Carlin.

On I-80, "15 miles east of Winnemucca to this (pictured) sign, "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride." It was dark, rain was "sheeting" in twenty to thirty mile an hour gusts.

Lost the cruise control.... ahh these Ducatis and their sensitive brains! Seat cover riding up... staples came out. Gives new meaning to the expression, "cheap seats."

In a perverted way, this ("Mr. Toad's Wild Ride") is why I ride. Motorcycle riding is seeking freedom from the ordered life. Its the draw of the desert. I love it. Basin and range... basin and range. 80 mph. I've got each Nevada I-80 curve and each dip memorized and I love forecasting beyond what I can't see. It makes the ride go fast. Add the rain and the wind and, at least for this old geezer, the experience borders on true adventure. As I said, "freedom from the ordered life." I didn't arrive so late that I couldn't do my normal routine at the Winnemucca Inn: Lose max $20.00 on a Deuces Wild poker machine (Bill Bennett wannabe). Rib Eye, baked potato (works), and cab in the restaurant. Great day!

Above: Sign (J)erry'(s) Restaurant. Lake View, OR. 17 May 2018.

375 miles from Winnemucca, NV to Ashland, OR.

Rain in the elevated 40 mile section between Denio Junction, NV and Adel, OR. Fog (!) for two miles at Doherty Rim.

At Denio Junction, old coot riding a near vintage Harley warned me about the big black cloud to the west, so I donned rain gear...appropriately so, as it turned out.

Old guy...might have been 80...was riding from his home on Vancouver Island to Santa Fe, NM.

45 degrees at 6200 feet. Last year at this time, it was 33 degrees and snowing for the ten miles pre Doherty Rim descent.

Jerry's a must stop for excellent deplorable food.

Gassed up at Denio Junction, NV ($4.20 a gallon for 87 octane... pretty hard to come by gas) and Lake View, OR.
— eating lunch at Jerry's Restaurant.

Above: Deplorable meal at Jerry's Restaurant, Lake View, Oregon. 17 May 2018.

Mashed out of a box.

Canned corn.

Hamburger steak with onions and mushrooms (no gravy)

Wonder bread cheese toast.

I'm no longer a dessert eater, so I eschewed the banana cream pie.

Best damn deplorable food since Hotel Nevada, Ely, NV (If you stay there, make sure to ask for the Ingrid Bergman room).

One of the benefits of the solitary ride... I couldn't get TIMDT to eat at this fantastic place were she along. I miss her..., but the occasional break is good and affords rare culinary opportunities.

Above: Bishop and Aunt Joyce. Peerless Restaurant. Ashland, OR 17 May 2018.

Halibut on greens and fettucini. Not deplorable food, but edible..

Aunt Joyce at 89. Sharp as a tack.

Rain on 20 miles of OR SR 66.

Here (Ashland) at 1900 feet of elevation, 78 degrees. — at The Peerless Hotel & Restaurant.

Addendum:

I adore that painting. So good!

Zibby, New York City, NY

Here’s to Andrew Hunter Scott!!!!

Magnolia, Miami, FL

Could this be a Lynx? Rare but here in Utah.

The Monk, Salina, UT

You would know better than I. Bobcat was the first thing that came to my mind. This animal was at least 3x a house cat. I was on the tarmac path above the field and creek. I looked left, and there the animal was... just staring at me. I stopped for at least three minutes and stared back. Finally after three minutes the cat turned its head and looked left... then right... than directly back at me. It wasn't going to move before I left so after three minutes I just walked on. I took the image first thing. 20 or so seconds after sighting the animal.

The tacos have my mouth watering. Time for a dinner ride. In the 1800's, we had family that lived along the river. The length of the river certainly seems up for discussion. State of Utah claims it to be 491 miles, or "almost 500 miles", in another citation. Wikipedia, great source for fake news, has it at 350 miles, and your info has it at 650 miles. I guess that anything we can do to get more water, is a good thing.

Guzzi, Park City, UT

Look. I just threw a "directionally correct," notional number out there to see if anybody bit. You did. And thanks. I need all the proof readers I can get!

Terrific poem. Could be converted to lyrics and put to music. You really have a talent here. Poetry is a difficult art.

Nathans, Massapeaqua, NY

Good thing to see them [bobcats] like this, and it always makes me want to get closer.

Survival, Hatch, UT

You probably see them all the time hanging out around your house. I hope to get down your way in the next few weeks.