Rally in the Gorge 2015

Thanks to Sound Rider! for an awesome rally last weekend!

This was my first Rally at the Gorge event, but definitely not my last.

We left right after work on Friday - putting on my gear in the office before leaving, and causing a few raised eyebrows in the office. My gear is comfy adventure-riding stock so it doesn't match the mental image that a lot of folks have of a lady biker. First off, I don't strip down to a bikini, secondly, real good quality gear is (in my experience) made for men and is cut more for practicality than for fashion. My d30 jacket isn't a looker, but it is way more comfortable / adaptable / long-ride-wearable than my hard shell Joe Rocket Atomic jacket. Even my helmet has a masculine / unisex feel. It has built-in shade visor, modular style, and good venting...but it is still a plain-jane buy.

             

Which one would you rather wear for a long bike trip?

Long story short - My gear is comfy, safe, and flexible to different riding conditions - but it isn't pretty. When I'm all geared up it looks more like I'm heading out to some 1980's ski slopes rather than to a motorcycle.

 

Riding for hours, camping on the dirt...what are you wearing?

Anyways, it was a LONG trip down to Oregon to get to the campground. Thank you D for making it fun and thank you to my gear for making it comfortable!

Once there, we set up camp and relaxed (I admit, I was exhausted) and passed out.

I went in to register the next morning and caught a bit of the Safe Helmet Removal class with Rick Wallace. Then we rode to town and grabbed an amazing breakfast over at Bette's in Hood River. I don't know if it was just that riding make everything taste great or what, but Bette's serves BIG and very tasty breakfasts. Get the cinnamon roll. Warning - everything is covered in butter :-)

After rolling out of breakfast, we strolled Hood River, OR for a bit. I stopped in Hood River Jewelers when D met some other adventure riders and started talking farkles. Hood River has a vacation town feel...and more jewelers per block than Starbucks in Seattle.

We digested for a bit and then got back on the bike for a ride to the Maryhill Loops Road. The ride over was beautiful - rolling hills, sharp drops, wild terrain. The spell broke occasionally with reminders of the wildfires. Large black, burnt areas, a charred up tractor, a burnt down house, dotted the landscape as we rode away from Hood River and got closer to Maryhill.

I went up the hill and then watched and took photos for D as he rode up and down the super-fun twists of Maryhill.

Other places we visited: Stonehenge Memorial, Lewis and Clark Hwy, Portland's Women's Forum, Bridal Veil, Multnomah Falls...

On Sunday it started to rain. We went in for the pancake breakfast hosted by the rally (thanks!) and watched a bit of the Target Zero motorcycle safety presentation done by Mike Turcott. The rain hadn't stopped when we were done with breakfast, it came in spurts, waiting just long enough for us to think it was over and then pouring for 10 minutes straight as we listened in the tent and deflated our sleeping mats. 

Finally, we just gave ourselves over to the idea that we'd be riding in the rain and quickly geared up, strapped the tent and other supplies to the bike, and headed out for the long ride back. Poor D bore the brunt of the wind and rain and I cupped my hands inside my jacket having forgotten to bring my winter pair gloves. 

We stopped for hot cocoa and jerky along NE 23 and enjoyed the view despite the rain as we skirted traffic by going through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. 

It was a wonderful ride - lots of great views and fun turns. The weather meant we rode a bit slower to be safe with the pine needles all over, but I was able to take more of the scenery in. I even saw a few bald eagles!

Things to bring for next year (or any long motorcycle trip)

• comfy earplugs
• chapstick (why did I ever take you out of my pocket?!)
• air activated pocket heaters (or heated gear if you want to get fancy)
• neck turtle
• air cushion (butt comfort is bike comfort)
• hot cocoa packets

What are things that you bring to make your long road trips better?

Summer Round Up!

Has it been two months?! Oh my!

The summer has just flown by. Seattle in summer always has something going on. There are free concerts in the parks, car shows, races, camping, parties, weddings, picnics, hot days for swimming, lakes for kayaking, fireworks, birthdays, holidays, art shows, farmers' markets - so much to see and do!

I've done a few road trips to Vancouver, WA. It takes about 3-4 hours with traffic, but some places along the road are desolate and beautiful.

 (click the image for a full-sized version)

There was 4th of July and night swimming - 

Picnics and watching the sailboats and SeaFair and watching the jets - 

LeRoy's birthday, Ty and I had our first 5K race, stalking deer in the woods, and drinking grasshoppers from the highest Starbucks in Seattle - 

These awesome events ( and many more) happened so far this summer. There is lots left too! The Rally in the Gorge is starting now and I'll be riding out to it this weekend. 

More info about the rally HERE. 

The Tomato Battle is this weekend. 

Bumbershoot starts are the beginning of September.

Not to mention more camping, more picnics and swims, gardening, and other fun adventures to squeeze in before the weather takes a chill!

Also - I'd like to take a serious moment to mention the fires. If you aren't aware, there are huge fires burning in WA, the largest in the state's history. Things have been really dry this year. Dry, hot, and with really strong winds. 

As of today they are just 10% contained and threaten over 5,000 homes. (source)

While I'm not in danger here in Seattle, there are many folks who have lost homes, livelihoods, animals, and even a few have lost their lives to the fires. 

You can check out the UMVIM response HERE. 

If you'd like to help, they need money more than physical things right now. They don't have a capacity to store and transport item donations yet - but they can use the cash to buy what they need when they can use it. 

There are donation options - through UMVIM - HERE.

The NorthWest RedCross - HERE. 

Other assistance and donations information HERE. 

Have fun, stay safe, get outside and enjoy that summer weather! :-)

Recipe Ahoy! Low-Fat Chicken Salad

Summer is upon us here in the Pacific Northwest. Hot afternoon sun leaves me craving something cool to nibble on for lunch. Normally that looks something like: salad, salad with chicken, salad, salad, salad. Sometimes I want a little something different.

Sandwiches have a ton of bread and tend to leave me sleepy but the afternoon.
Mayo salads - like chicken, egg, or potato salad, are well, loaded with mayo! (talk about sleepy afternoon...)
Wraps are sneaky calories and can be more calories and saturated fat than most breads. Plus there is often way too much wrap to filling ratio - so what's left for your intrepid heroine to do?!

Enter the Low-Fat Chicken Salad.

Let the mise en place begin!

To start - chicken. I got a family pack of chicken thighs and had made up some chicken tandoori and peppered chicken the day before for dinner. The next day, we shredded the leftovers and I started with 3/4ths of a cup of that for the base of the dish.

Next - the secret!
(Want to know the secret of recipes that call for mayo? Just don't use it!)
So, if I'm not using mayo, what am I going to use? Well, I need something with tangy flavor, lubricating abilities, something that can mingle flavors, and something thick enough it won't go straight through the bread.
Any ideas yet?                  Low-Fat plain yogurt.

Yes, yogurt.
Its tangy, thick, lubricating, and even though it is low fat - it isn't full of crazy ingredients!
Try it.
No...just try it.
If you are nervous about it - cut it in half - for any salad recipe you are planning to use mayo for swap half of the required amount with low-fat plain yogurt.

Because I'm slowly switching over - I'm using 3/4ths yogurt in any mayo recipe. For this recipe you'll need two big tablespoons yogurt and one regular tablespoon of mayo.

I know, not so pretty at the moment...

Next up - all the tasty bits!

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh carrots -

1/4 cup thinly sliced celery - 

1/2" slice of raw yellow onion, minced into tiny bits -

A spoonful of grated Parmesan. Actual cheese please!

A handful each of orange flavored (or regular) dried cranberries and raw sliced almonds -  

Getting much prettier!

A 1/4 cup of quartered green grapes (yes grapes) and a 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black peppercorns -

Be adventurous! 

Mix thoroughly and let sit for at least an hour (way better overnight) so the flavors can meld a bit. Add in a pinch or two of dill if that suits your taste.

Next - stuff into a low-fat pita pocket with some spinach and mixed greens and enjoy for a flavorful, guilt free and sleepy-feeling free lunch!

Recipe Summary:

Combine in a medium mixing bowl -

3/4ths cup cooked chicken
2 tbsp low-fat plain yogurt
1 tbsp mayo
1/4th cup carrots - thinly sliced
1/4th cup celery - thinly sliced
1/4th cup onion - minced fine
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/4th cup grapes - quartered
Handful each of dried cranberries and raw sliced almonds
10 peppercorns - grated
dill to flavor

Let sit covered overnight in the fridge.
Remove and enjoy!

My City My Loft - Contest continues through June 19th!

Still keeping my fingers crossed on getting a Loft bicycle from Electra! 

I made it to the top 50 - now I could use your help getting into the top 15. The top 15 entries receive a bike and a go-pro camera. Then the winners are asked to shoot video from around their city - showing off the cool spots, the hidden trails, and whatever else makes their city awesome. 

The contest goes through the 19th and you can vote once each day. 

Click HERE to cast your vote!