NW meets SW

[k7baixo]

Hiya gang - don't think I've posted much here although I registered some time back.

I had the opportunity to meet and paddle with one of your regulars, Gregn, today. He and his wife spend the winters just outside of Phoenix and since I missed him last year, we agreed to get together this year. In fact, we've got a trip (Willow Beach) already on the books for next year.

We met at a small restauarant near their RV park and made our way to Canyon Lake. The forecast had been for rain but the day broke clean with only scattered clouds. We had only paddled about 1/2 mile when I decided to strip down to a t-shirt. Must of pissed off the rain gods - within 10-minutes, the rain and wind rolled in and for a few minutes, we had a pretty good blow. As we rounded a corner, I decided to put one layer back on. As I pulled on the paddling top, the hail started. :?

Other than that, it was a pretty good paddle - about 8 miles total in weather ranging from a tiny bit of sun to thunder to rain to hail.

Gregn - a great guy who I enjoyed meeting and paddling with!

Cheers,
Gerry
Phoenix AZ

 

[waverider]

Yes Greg is a great guy, I laugh at the thought of what is going through his mind in the photo.

 

[k7baixo]

no complaints at all.

Yes Greg is a great guy, I laugh at the thought of what is going through his mind in the photo.

At that point in time, it was about 37 degrees according to my watch but both of us were like kids playing in the rain - we really enjoyed it. It did warm up as the rain passed to 50 or so but not much above that.

The best part of the day from Greg came on the drive up to the lake. We came across a guy on a Ural motorcycle/sidecar pulling a trailer - all made as if straight out of WWII - complete with a (non-working) machine gun and other implements. The rider was wearing replica German gear including a helmet, rain jacket, goggles, etc. Greg really got a kick out of that and took quite a few pictures.

 

[oldsailor]

Re: no complaints at all.

The best part of the day from Greg came on the drive up to the lake. We came across a guy on a Ural motorcycle/sidecar pulling a trailer - all made as if straight out of WWII - complete with a (non-working) machine gun and other implements. The rider was wearing replica German gear including a helmet, rain jacket, goggles, etc. Greg really got a kick out of that and took quite a few pictures.

Oh my god... I think I knew that guy. I met him when he and his wife lived in Walla Walla and then they split up and he moved to Ellensburg and went back to school. The Ural is a Russian copy of a BMW and he was the only person I ever met who had a side-hack on it. He quit corresponding with me when I expressed some skepticism that aircraft contrails were actually mind-control-gasses. Although now, after 8 years of Bush/Cheney, maybe he was right all along.

Craig

 

[k7baixo]

got to upgrade the company I keep

I used to hang out on adventure rider (www.advrider.com) and know several folks with Ural/hacks. In fact, the guy that we met yesterday knows a common friend who has appeared in several Ural print ads. I think you have to be a little off to ride something like that - IMHO, they're not the most dependable motorcycles.

 

[oldsailor]

Re: got to upgrade the company I keep

I used to hang out on adventure rider (www.advrider.com) and know several folks with Ural/hacks. In fact, the guy that we met yesterday knows a common friend who has appeared in several Ural print ads. I think you have to be a little off to ride something like that - IMHO, they're not the most dependable motorcycles.

It seemed to me that his Ural was in pieces a lot of the time... in fact, every time I saw it. But he swore that he rode it regularly. Interesting that there are more like him out there... I thought he was pretty much one-of-a-kind.

Craig