Italian tradition - post up your mountain passes

[A2rider]

Stefano, sorry about the lose of your license, but it's kinda neat learning about other countries laws.

[ThumpinKwaka]

Originally Posted by stefano

No s.hit, mate!

For running 2 red lights, I got fined € 300 (that's 477 Australian dollars!!! 400 odd US), they took 12 of 20 points off my license, and suspended it for a month!!!

That is just ridiculous...

Sorry Stefano, just had to have a little dig, all said with a really big grin!

But man that sucks! That's more than the new rear I just put on!!!

Down under we used to have 15 or 18 points good for 12 months, then 12 points good for 12 months, then 12 points for 24 months, now we have 12 points good for 3 years. Lose a point today and you get it back in 3 yrs time.

45kmph over the posted speed limit is 6 points, instant loss of license for 3 months, red lights 6 points no lose of license We have a lovely little thing called Double Demerit Point blitz's, usually long weekends and holidays. Don't run a light at this time. Why? 6 x 2 = 12. Get the idea? Yep, you lose it there and then. How long to get it back is how long to get your points back, ah ha... 3yrs. Now that really sucks!

Over there?

[W-P Bill]

Well, today dawned bright and sunny, so I attacked some more passes.

This is Stevens Pass, northeast of Seattle on Highway 2:


On the other (eastern) side of Stevens Pass is the town of Leavenworth, dolled up to look like a Bavarian mountain village:

Sat next to some Britishers while eating my ice cream, I remarked they had come a long way to see a Bavarian village, and a fake one at that. They could have just flown to Germany and seen the real deal. Luckily, they were just in transit from Seattle to Yellowstone Nat'l Park.

A little bit further east of Leavenworth, I took the right turn (south) onto 97, leading up to the "new" Blewett Pass:


On the downhill side, I passed the entrance to the Old Blewett Pass Road:


Of course I had to check this out!

[W-P Bill]

This is a vista on the way up to "Old" Blewett Pass:


Got to the top, only to find yet another bare pole where the _____Pass XXXXft sign should be. ARRRGH!!!


So I took a pic to show that I was indeeed up where the road crested, while doing so I noticed a small blue sign up in a tree. Hmmm, wonder if that would say anything to prove I was at the top?


Success!!!


A little bit further south of Blewett is this old ranch. Someday, if I have more money than I know what to do with, I'd like to buy this spread:


After daydreaming a bit, I continued down the road, got onto the I-90 freeway and headed west back to Seattle. Of course, to do this meant travelling over Snoqualmie Pass, but that pass is soooo boring.

Got back home, rolled the Honolulu Lulu into the garage when I noticed something shiny embedded in the rear tire. Yup, a nail. Pulled it out with a pair of pliers to see if it went all the way through. The tire deflated almost immediately. Guess both my guardian angels were watching over me today.

[stefano]

Originally Posted by A2rider

Stefano, sorry about the lose of your license, but it's kinda neat learning about other countries laws.

Thanks, though I would have preferred your enlightenment at someone else's expense

[stefano]

Originally Posted by ThumpinKwaka

Sorry Stefano, just had to have a little dig, all said with a really big grin!

But man that sucks! That's more than the new rear I just put on!!!

Down under we used to have 15 or 18 points good for 12 months, then 12 points good for 12 months, then 12 points for 24 months, now we have 12 points good for 3 years. Lose a point today and you get it back in 3 yrs time.

45kmph over the posted speed limit is 6 points, instant loss of license for 3 months, red lights 6 points no lose of license We have a lovely little thing called Double Demerit Point blitz's, usually long weekends and holidays. Don't run a light at this time. Why? 6 x 2 = 12. Get the idea? Yep, you lose it there and then. How long to get it back is how long to get your points back, ah ha... 3yrs. Now that really sucks!

Over there?

All in good fun, mate! BTW, I lived in Sydney for 5 years back in the 80s! Damn I miss it down under...

Anyways, your laws sound about as bad as ours, if not worse!!! That Double Demerit s.hit is unbelievable!

Here the rules go something like:

20 points on the license, and if every 2 years you don't do anything wrong they add 2 points.
10 points for exceeding the speed limit over 40 km/h over the speed limit, and they take away your license for a month
10 points for crossing the double line
6 points for red lights
5 points for not wearing your seatbelt
2 points for breaking the speed limit under 40 km/h

and about a thousand more combinations I can't remember!

Any points you get detracted, you get given back after 2 years. And as I testimony, if you break big rules (5 points or over) twice in 2 years, license suspended for a month.

Life's tough for centuars out here...

[stefano]

Bill, awesome man, you're running off into the distance with this thing! How many passes you got under your belt now? Oh, and - just for you - we'll accept the missing sign as well

Great shots, keep'em coming!!!

[W-P Bill]

Originally Posted by stefano

Bill, awesome man, you're running off into the distance with this thing! How many passes you got under your belt now? Oh, and - just for you - we'll accept the missing sign as well

Great shots, keep'em coming!!!

Thanks about them missing signs!

Oh yeah, Old Blewett at 4071 ft is actually lower than New Blewett. Interesting...

Lets see, not counting Snoqualmie Pass, I'm up to 4.5 passes. Only giving myself half a credit for Old Blewett since it was just a 9 mile round trip out of my way.

Hopefully I'll get North Cascades Pass in this weekend, which leaves only Chinook Pass left over as far as passes within easy reach of Seattle goes. I think Cayuse Pass is going to be unacessible for a while due to a major landslide on the road up there. I'll have to check up on that, though.

I'm kind of saving Chinook Pass for later, hope to actually do it on a Kawasaki instead of the usual Harley. Shop still has my Z, unfortunately.

[bross]

I wish I could contribute to this thread but unfortunately where I live, this is the highest and only "pass" we have and it's definitely not worth mentioning, nor riding to. It's 250km away and barely a hump in the road.

Obed Summit
Highest point on the Yellowhead Route 1152m.

Time to move, so I can contribute....

[Jake '53]

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...dCircle007.jpg


Finally got number 2. There are more pic's on "How's Your Saturday Goin'" thread

[W-P Bill]

Today started out bright and sunny, so I took off towards the North Cascades Highway. Got stuck in a traffic jam going through Seattle on I-5. For those of you unfamiliar with I-5, it is the main north/south transportation corridor in Washington. Seattle is the largest city in Washington. So, some brilliant engineer decided it would be a good idea to neck I-5 to two lanes going through Seattle. Therefore, there is almost always a traffic jam, but today was really bad. It was sunny, so of course in the stop and go traffic I was sweating under my riding suit. Finally got north of Seattle proper, the traffic opened up and the cloud cover jumped in and the temperature dropped a good 15-20 degrees. So, my sweat soaked undershirt became an air conditioner. I was cold! Got off I-5 at Arlington, and headed in to Darrington. This is when the rain started. Even colder! Ended up having to stop in an outfitter shop in Darrington to buy a wool vest to put on underneath the riding suit, and some wool glove liners. Then it was off to the mountains. It was kind of interesting. It was raining in the lower altitudes, not raining in the middle altitudes, and raining again in the upper altitudes. It was really really cold up at Washington Pass. All I did was pull off the road, take the proof shot, then skidaddled out of there. Coming back I knew the first available gas was just about where I would run out of fuel, so I was in max fuel conservation mode. That was kind of stressful. Anyway, enough verbiage, here's the pix:

Washington Pass, highest point on the North Cascades Highway


Rainy Pass (a most appropriate name), which is a few miles west of Washington Pass:


Looking towards Washington Pass from Rainy Pass:


Thought I was going to wind up in this creek's cousin if I ran out of gas:


Pic of Washington Pass taken on previous trip:


Also from that previous trip, sign in the bathroom of the scenic overlook at Washington Pass:

[W-P Bill]

Originally Posted by bross

I wish I could contribute to this thread but unfortunately where I live, this is the highest and only "pass" we have and it's definitely not worth mentioning, nor riding to. It's 250km away and barely a hump in the road.

Aren't there a few good passes on the Icefields Parkway? That's kind of close to Edmonton. I know there are some stunning vistas on that road. I have pics, but they were taken during a car trip so they won't count here.

[ThumpinKwaka]

Originally Posted by stefano

All in good fun, mate! BTW, I lived in Sydney for 5 years back in the 80s! Damn I miss it down under...

Stefano, I gotta tell ya we have a few things in common. I spent '81 to 91' living and working in Sydney, worked all over from Newcastle, the Blue Mts and down to Wollongong. Main area was the 'inner city', no I don't miss it but I do miss Bondi and the water, the bike shops, the bike shows....

Both my parents migrated from Italy in the mid 50's and have lived here ever since, they are from the Brescia area (Valle Camonica - Scianica and Novelle). No, I have never been there or anywhere o/s for that matter but would like to get there someday. Might just have to look you up if we, me and the missus, ever get there!

All the best paisano and good luck with the mtn pass challenge!

[bross]

Originally Posted by W-P Bill

Aren't there a few good passes on the Icefields Parkway? That's kind of close to Edmonton. I know there are some stunning vistas on that road. I have pics, but they were taken during a car trip so they won't count here.

Don't think it's really considered a pass, but here you go, the Columbia Icefield...
Start of the walk to the glacier


almost there


Made it!




On the way down

[stefano]

Originally Posted by W-P Bill

Thought I was going to wind up in this creek's cousin if I ran out of gas:

Also from that previous trip, sign in the bathroom of the scenic overlook at Washington Pass:

LMFAO!!!

Great stuff, Bill, I've got a lot of catching up to do!!!

[stefano]

Originally Posted by ThumpinKwaka

Stefano, I gotta tell ya we have a few things in common. I spent '81 to 91' living and working in Sydney, worked all over from Newcastle, the Blue Mts and down to Wollongong. Main area was the 'inner city', no I don't miss it but I do miss Bondi and the water, the bike shops, the bike shows....

Both my parents migrated from Italy in the mid 50's and have lived here ever since, they are from the Brescia area (Valle Camonica - Scianica and Novelle). No, I have never been there or anywhere o/s for that matter but would like to get there someday. Might just have to look you up if we, me and the missus, ever get there!

All the best paisano and good luck with the mtn pass challenge!

No way mate!!! My father is from Brescia! And now that he's retired, he lives with my mother in Val Camonica Pontedilegno, to be precise! I've gone there since I was born, I know the road that runs through the valley like the back of my hand Actually, here's a little taste of "home" for you:

Passo del Tonale: the highest point of Valcamonica and 10 kms above where my parents live:


This is a view of the valley from where my parents live:


And this is about 2/3rds of the way up the valley - pity it wasn't the clearest of days when I took this shot otherwise it would be breathtaking


You need to get your aaaaahse over here to make the pilgrimage to the motherland... and we'll tear the valley up like there's no tomorrow

[stefano]

Brent, any pictures that have anything to do with passes or mountains are welcome here... whatever the altitude

And man, visiting a glacier must be one of the coolest things on earth! I ski on one (a really small one) but long to visit a big one in the summertime to check out all the crevaces and how the glacier mutates during the summer months... awesome!!!

Great shots from the rest of you as well!!!

[ThumpinKwaka]

Man, isn't life stranger than fiction! The scenery looks awesome just like my folks (both in their 80's) describe. Now don't worry, if I'm heading over your way you'll get a heads up for sure! Thanks for your invite to carve up the valley in the motherland though, that does sound very very appealing and you just never know what the future may hold or have in store for us. Here's hoping!

[W-P Bill]

That castle in the background looks really awesome! I never realized there were so many castles in Italy. Looking out from the train traveling through Tuscany, it seemed like every other hilltop featured a castle surrounded by a town. Beautiful country you got there, Stefano.

One day, hopefully Fall of 2008, I need to go back to Bolzano, take a look at one of the two castles there. One of the reasons I picked the Bolzano/Schlern Plateau area is because one of my favorite novels is set in the area. A castle in Bolzano was supposed to be a WWII POW camp, but the one I visited didn't seem to fit the description. Only at the airport on the way out did I look across the tarmac to find out there is another castle.

Must have missed it in the guidebook.