'Why Not' Rally 2025. Baker City, Oregon.
Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2025 8:40 pm
September. That time of year that means a trip to eastern central Oregon. What started out as FJRay's 'Reuben Run' in La Pine, and now, after his passing, into 'Why Not' hosted by JP and his better half Mel in Baker City. Sadly, I missed most of the early Reuben Runs but for about 8 years now I have been a consistent participant. Always good to have some facetime with some of the degenerates I socialize with here on the internet. Plus, just give me a reason to ride my FJR.....
Just shy of 3,200 miles in 6 days. 7 states: Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Good times!
I got a late start this year. The 'plan' was to take two days to ride up. Well, master procrastinator that I am, that turned into one day. Then, due to some unusual lingering thunderstorm activity delaying my departure yet even more, it turned into 2/3 of a day....
So, at 0330 off I go. 16 hours and 1,042 miles later I arrived in Baker City. Thanks to the rain, it was cooler leaving Phoenix and due to my timing and Nevada elevation it was a pleasant ride temperature-wise. Until Idaho. 94-98 degrees for several hours riding across southern Idaho. WTF? I like to leave Phoenix in the summer to get out of this!
Wide Open Nevada. I love it.
Got in late Thursday. Friday morning folks out and about. Besides FJRs, there were a couple Wings and Super Teneres. One of the Goldwings ridden by a certain ex-FJR owner and his wife who just happened to complete the Iron Butt Rally this summer. Talking with them brought back the nightmares! Their Goldwing can't me missed. I'll call it the Goldwingabego.
On Friday it was a most excellent 200 mile ride organized by Jorge (Escapefjrtist) of tasty, twisty, eastern Oregon asphalt. Bravo Zulu Jorge! Friday night JP and Mel fed us all some excellent BBQ in the hotel parking lot.
Saturday was a bit rainy for the first half of the day. I didn't ride. Got some needed R&R. One who did ride could have had a better day..... I hate forest rats! In all my years and miles I have been fortunate enough to avoid any deer encounters. Poor Bugnatr. This was his 3rd. Yo, Dougie. You are supposed to steer around them, not right at them!
Yikes!!!! Photo credit to Marty (OFace)
The obligatory photo before the tasty Saturday night banquet dinner. Friday night when I woke up at 2 a.m. and took a walk around the parking lot putting boogers on everybody's bikes I counted 37 FJRs.
Sunday morning I was off. After bombing up I decided to take a more scenic 3 day ride home. Some twisty roads leaving Baker City, and then across Idaho I went. A forest fire and road closure nixed my preferred route. I ended up stopping in Idaho Falls for the night. No photos. A paltry (for me) 468 miles for the day. I had wanted to get further but was running out of daylight and thunderstorms were on there way. The deluge started as soon as I checked into my motel.
Monday it was off to Wyoming. A nice ride across Teton Pass to Jackson, Wyoming. Scenic but full of terrible traffic on the pass. I love this area of the country. I wish I could have spent more time around Jackson and Grand Teton N.P. but I had miles to put on and didn't want to take more than 3 days getting home. Southward down the western edge of Wyoming I went. Eventually into Utah where I was able to ride some twisty roads I had never been on. The first was Utah 39. Good stuff!
Later in the day it was Utah 150. One of a couple roads 0Face recommended. Thanks Marty! Ya bastard!
I ended up in Orem, Utah, for the night. 493 miles of great scenic riding for the day. It turned out where I stayed is just over 2 miles from where Charlie Kirk was killed about 24 hours after I left. That has weighed heavy in my thoughts. Our world is filled with such beauty. And too much evil.
Monday morning it was off for my last day. It was going to be another long day to get home taking the scenic route. First up was another of Marty's recommendations, Nebo Loop Road. More good stuff!
A bit later it was another great Utah road I had never been on: Utah 31.
Unfortunately, there was a bit of a bomb across I-70, but that got me to Wonderful Colorado!
First up was Colorado National Monument.
Then it was off to Colorado 141 - one of my most favorite roads. If you haven't been, you gots to go!
One section of CO141 south of Gateway, Colorado, (an interesting place itself) follows along a river inside a canyon and is absolutely sublime!
After 141 it was off to CO145. Another crappy Colorado road that passes by Telluride and over Lizard Head Pass to the south.
Unfortunately, I did the last part of 145 in the dark. At Cortez, Colorado, first up was fuel for the tummy.
Then fuel for the FJR. Got lucky here. No rain when I pulled in. Waited for the thunderstorm to pass and no rain upon departure. This was the second time this day I lucked out. The first time was at a gas stop in Fruita, Colorado, where the exact same thing happened.
Then across northeastern Arizona on 2-lane higways with almost no traffic. My newer Clearwater Sevinas - Photon Blasters as I like to call them, turned night into day allowing the making of good time.......
Got home at 0330. 965 long, but glorious miles for the day. Another excellent moto trip in the history books.
SpotWalla track of the trip:
Just shy of 3,200 miles in 6 days. 7 states: Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Good times!
I got a late start this year. The 'plan' was to take two days to ride up. Well, master procrastinator that I am, that turned into one day. Then, due to some unusual lingering thunderstorm activity delaying my departure yet even more, it turned into 2/3 of a day....
So, at 0330 off I go. 16 hours and 1,042 miles later I arrived in Baker City. Thanks to the rain, it was cooler leaving Phoenix and due to my timing and Nevada elevation it was a pleasant ride temperature-wise. Until Idaho. 94-98 degrees for several hours riding across southern Idaho. WTF? I like to leave Phoenix in the summer to get out of this!
Wide Open Nevada. I love it.
Got in late Thursday. Friday morning folks out and about. Besides FJRs, there were a couple Wings and Super Teneres. One of the Goldwings ridden by a certain ex-FJR owner and his wife who just happened to complete the Iron Butt Rally this summer. Talking with them brought back the nightmares! Their Goldwing can't me missed. I'll call it the Goldwingabego.
On Friday it was a most excellent 200 mile ride organized by Jorge (Escapefjrtist) of tasty, twisty, eastern Oregon asphalt. Bravo Zulu Jorge! Friday night JP and Mel fed us all some excellent BBQ in the hotel parking lot.
Saturday was a bit rainy for the first half of the day. I didn't ride. Got some needed R&R. One who did ride could have had a better day..... I hate forest rats! In all my years and miles I have been fortunate enough to avoid any deer encounters. Poor Bugnatr. This was his 3rd. Yo, Dougie. You are supposed to steer around them, not right at them!
Yikes!!!! Photo credit to Marty (OFace)
The obligatory photo before the tasty Saturday night banquet dinner. Friday night when I woke up at 2 a.m. and took a walk around the parking lot putting boogers on everybody's bikes I counted 37 FJRs.
Sunday morning I was off. After bombing up I decided to take a more scenic 3 day ride home. Some twisty roads leaving Baker City, and then across Idaho I went. A forest fire and road closure nixed my preferred route. I ended up stopping in Idaho Falls for the night. No photos. A paltry (for me) 468 miles for the day. I had wanted to get further but was running out of daylight and thunderstorms were on there way. The deluge started as soon as I checked into my motel.
Monday it was off to Wyoming. A nice ride across Teton Pass to Jackson, Wyoming. Scenic but full of terrible traffic on the pass. I love this area of the country. I wish I could have spent more time around Jackson and Grand Teton N.P. but I had miles to put on and didn't want to take more than 3 days getting home. Southward down the western edge of Wyoming I went. Eventually into Utah where I was able to ride some twisty roads I had never been on. The first was Utah 39. Good stuff!
Later in the day it was Utah 150. One of a couple roads 0Face recommended. Thanks Marty! Ya bastard!
I ended up in Orem, Utah, for the night. 493 miles of great scenic riding for the day. It turned out where I stayed is just over 2 miles from where Charlie Kirk was killed about 24 hours after I left. That has weighed heavy in my thoughts. Our world is filled with such beauty. And too much evil.
Monday morning it was off for my last day. It was going to be another long day to get home taking the scenic route. First up was another of Marty's recommendations, Nebo Loop Road. More good stuff!
A bit later it was another great Utah road I had never been on: Utah 31.
Unfortunately, there was a bit of a bomb across I-70, but that got me to Wonderful Colorado!
First up was Colorado National Monument.
Then it was off to Colorado 141 - one of my most favorite roads. If you haven't been, you gots to go!
One section of CO141 south of Gateway, Colorado, (an interesting place itself) follows along a river inside a canyon and is absolutely sublime!
After 141 it was off to CO145. Another crappy Colorado road that passes by Telluride and over Lizard Head Pass to the south.
Unfortunately, I did the last part of 145 in the dark. At Cortez, Colorado, first up was fuel for the tummy.
Then fuel for the FJR. Got lucky here. No rain when I pulled in. Waited for the thunderstorm to pass and no rain upon departure. This was the second time this day I lucked out. The first time was at a gas stop in Fruita, Colorado, where the exact same thing happened.
Then across northeastern Arizona on 2-lane higways with almost no traffic. My newer Clearwater Sevinas - Photon Blasters as I like to call them, turned night into day allowing the making of good time.......
Got home at 0330. 965 long, but glorious miles for the day. Another excellent moto trip in the history books.
SpotWalla track of the trip:
