Just getting used to motorcycling again after 25 years. I was taking it slow and easy - no hard cornering or high speeds. This was a ride that would test all my skills - cornering (slow speed & high speed), shifting, braking, gravel, and freeways.
It was a beautiful day. The ride started out nice - easy cruising up Waddell Creek Road and down to Gate. Then a stretch down Hwy 12 to Oakville where I turned left on to Center Street. After I crossed the Chehalis River I turned left down Gerrard Creek Road which wound through forests and farms. I then saw the sign for Brooklyn and turned right. The speed dropped to 25 MPH when the road entered Grays Harbor County which was fine for me. The pavement ended and almost immediately into a steep, washboard grade. I climbed up through clearcuts and recent timber harvests to what I determined must of been the "pass" from the Chehalis to the North River. I stopped to take a break - so far, so good, about 4 miles on gravel roads. As I stopped I was reminded to turn the ABS off. ABS should not be used on gravel roads.
It was a successful day - country roads, lots of turns, some gravel roads, and some freeway. I then decided that I was embarking on a great adventure.
Google Maps: Ride Around Capitol Forest
