Mic's Adventure

The Adventures and Projects of Mic

What shapes you?

Oct 12

Posted by Mic in The Breeze | 1 Comment

I typically do not spend time writing about my personal life outside of the articles of where I am, where I am going when I am adventuring out and about.

I think a lot of that just has to do with how I view my own personal life. I don’t really take time to reflect much upon it. I kind of just do things when I can, never really paying any attention to how or why I get there.

The last several months I have had a lot of time to reflect this, not in the sense of time off not doing anything, but more looking forward.

As mentioned in earlier posts this year, I had a large project that tied me up 7 days a week for a few months. This ran into when I was originally planning to take my “summer” vacation up north to the Cassiar and around in Canada.

Read the rest of this entry »

Why are weekends only 2 days?

Aug 16

Posted by Mic in The Breeze | No Comments

I’ve been trying to get out and about as much as possible over the last month that I have finally had my weekends back, and I have succeeded in this for the most part.

Weekends have been spent camping, crabbing, and other various activities.

Oddly enough, the 2 wheeled transportation has not been getting used as much this summer. We have had a very “mild” if you can call it that, summer here in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the Seattle area.

I’m one of those riders who will ride in pretty much any type of weather, hell, I’ve even ridden while it was snowing. So when a nice day comes along that I can wear shorts and a t-shirt, I take the opportunity to spend it outdoors. We’ve had very few really “nice” days so far this year, so I’ve spent most of my weekends that we do have that kind of weather, in shorts and a t-shirt and in my Frontier (or in someone’s rig).

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

Well, Hello

Jul 4

Posted by Mic in The Breeze | No Comments

I’ve kind of disappeared these last few months.  I haven’t been active on this site (or my facebook page and twitter).

So why not?

 

Well, I had planned on taking another trek up North in mid June. Leaving about the same time I did last year, hit the Cassiar, and back around through the Icefields Parkway again. Just to finish up what I missed out on last year due to time and broken bits.

Well, 3 months ago, my team got slapped with a major project at work. This project, which was originally slated to take 9 months, had to be completed in 3.
So that meant many long days. Start with 12 hour days the first month, than on to 16, 20 and eventually at the end of it, working around the clock, taking very little time for sleep and breaks.

The project is now completed, we hit our deadline, and am now able to breathe a little.

I’ve decided to plan something, not sure what yet. I want to head down south later this year and hit Southern Utah, come up through parts of California, cross into Nevada, and up through Central Oregon.
As of yet, nothing is set in stone, and I need to figure out what exactly I want to do.  I’m not entirely sure.

I also have a couple hiking trips planned. I’m going to need it.  This project, the stress and the sitting around weeks on end without getting out and about, has caused me to gain a considerable amount of more weight.  So the plan is to start getting some kind of a routine together. Hopefully with the new changes at work, I can adjust my hours a bit, so I can start later (I start work at 4:30) so that I can get in a morning bicycle ride.

I have a lot on my “to do” list as well. The KLR needs gone through bad. I had to have the rear shock rebuilt, so that is waiting to be put back in (I have the stock in it for now), needs valves done, needs a new chain and sprockets, need to lube the swing arm pivot points as well as the steering head. Need to change out the tires, oil, filter and clean the air filter. Probably toss a new Spark Plug in when doing valves as well.

The XT’s little leaks have decided to grow. So it is definitely time to pull that engine apart and put the gasket kit in, that I have lying around. I should also toss a new chain and sprockets on it as well.

Anyways, the KLR is on my list of “things to get done today” so I should probably get to it.

Until Next Time,

Mic

A new hobby sure to bring on some new adventures

Apr 11

Posted by Mic in Adventure, Crossing County Lines | 1 Comment

Recently I’ve been busy with work, and doing a boat load of research on another project I am working on that I hope to be able to talk about a little in the coming months more openly.  So it is no surprise, that when I get the chance to finally just head somewhere, I take it.

A couple of weeks back, my buddy Jeff started talking about Gold Panning in our Live Chat session on PNW Riders.

I was actually interested in the discussion, as I grew up always wanting to try it, but living in the desert with no abundant water source, nor really in an area that was ever known for gold, it just wasn’t feasible.

So, with that, I started asking Jeff questions about it, and decided to drop some coin on a gold pan and the other needed essentials such as a snuffer bottle and gold vial.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , ,

Spring is just around the corner!

Mar 13

Posted by Mic in Adventure | 1 Comment

I’m looking forward to spring to finally show up.

The last few months have been hectic between work, and moving.  Getting everything in order, being too tired by the end of the day to do anything but sleep, then the same with the weekends.

Spring will breath new life into me though.

I’m looking forward to getting back up into the mountains, doing some hiking and camping out of the way. Not to mention getting back on the road more.

I took the first “decent” jaunt out this weekend. I haven’t put in over 200 miles on the bike at one time in awhile.

It felt really good to get out, stretch the legs, and just ride somewhere.

It was rainy, it was cool, but neither of those bits bothered me.

I took a ride up North to the city of Blaine, which is located at the US/Canadian Border.

I went up to an area called Semiahmoo Bay, and to the park there.

That was really my only intent. Ride up, go to the park, ride back.

I did so, and it was a very very relaxing afternoon.

Overall, I probably put more miles on my bike this weekend, than I have at any other time in the last 6 months, which is pretty sad.  I clocked in just over 350 miles.

I’m looking forward to those 500+ mile weekends.

As far as extended days out, I’m looking at making 2 trips this year.

First off, I’d like to head back up to the Cassiar, as I have mentioned previously, to hit the route that I wanted to before I lost use of my rear brake.

Secondly, I’d like to also head down south to Southern Utah, and make a loop back up through Nevada and Central Oregon.

The Cassiar trip is pretty straight forward, I know where I am going, so not much planning there, besides making a jaunt to Hyder.

I still need to plan my route for the Utah trip though.  I could just wing it. Point the bike in a direction, and just go.  For some reason, that seems perfectly acceptable to me, probably because after all of the planning I did last year, my trip went nothing to plan, and ended up being a snowball of greatness regardless.

I’m finishing up the new layout for Recipes. Once that gets finalized and I like it, I’ll start getting the old ones moved over to the new layout, and post up some more.  I’m also going to start working on some new on the road/trail recipes here pretty shortly. I have some more idea’s I’d like to mess with.

Other than that, everything is pretty slow.

Here’s a Picture from Semiahmoo Park For yah all.

Semiahmoo Park

Cannery Lodge at Semiahmoo Park

Rider Review: Jackets – Tour Master Transition Series 2

Feb 4

Posted by Mic in Rider Review | No Comments

Transition Series 2 Jacket in Brown

Tour Master Transition Series 2 Jacket in Brown

 Manufacture: Tour Master

Product Name: Transition Series 2 Jacket

MSRP: $189.99

In The Wild: $167.19 to $189.99

Product Information:

• The 3/4 Length 600 Denier Carbolex® and 600 Denier Ballistic Polyester shell incorporates reflective Phoslite® material panels for strength and increased nighttime visibility
• A waterproof and breathable Rainguard® barrier allows dryness without perspiration buildup
• Collar anchor snap eliminates flapping while collar is open
• Waterproof zippered 3-position shoulder vents combine with chest vents, sleeve vents, rear exit vents and the Pipeline Ventilation System to provide flow-through ventilation
• Durable 2-way main zipper closure with dual wind flap seals out the elements
• Wide reflective strip across the back and chest, reflective sleeve piping, Phoslite® material panels and Tour Master’s signature reflective rear triangle increase nighttime visibility
• The Microfiber-lined collar and cuffs are soft, yet durable
• Adjustable sleeve take-up straps at the forearm and bicep help to secure elbow armor and material
• Removable, CE Approved armor at the elbow and shoulder with an articulated triple density back protector
• Tour Master’s Z.O.Q. (Zip-Out Quilted) Liner features warming 100 gram Polyfill insulation
• Vertical zippered chest map pockets, zippered hand pockets with flap closure, internal media pocket, dual zippered fanny pack and sleeve key pocket
• Adjustable waist belts with TPR pulls help to fine tune the fit
• Includes a jacket/pant zipper attachment with the pant side included

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,

Rider Review: Gloves – Warm & Safe “The Ultimate Touring Heated Gloves”

Jan 21

Posted by Mic in Rider Review | 2 Comments

Heated Carbon Gloves

Heated Carbon Gloves

 Manufacture: Warm & Safe

Product Name: The Ultimate Touring Heated Gloves

Also Known As: First Gear – Heated Carbon Gloves

MSRP: $169.95

In The Wild: $152.99 – $169.99

Product Information:

•    DC heated, produces 15 watts of heat at 12.8 Volts (each glove) and should be used with a Warm & Safe/Firstgear Heat-Troller™ for optimum safety

•    Grade-A, top-grain, drum-dyed cowhide construction

•    Porelle® breathable, waterproof membrane

•    Carbon fiber protection on molded knuckles

•    Pre-curved fingers and finger-mounted, rubber, faceshield wiper

•    Elastic wrist and adjustable hook-and-loop gauntlet closure

•    Reflective piping on top

•    2-year limited warranty

•    Heat Controllers are sold separately

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , ,

Hoe Hum, A Few Things

Jan 8

Posted by Mic in The Breeze | 2 Comments

I’ve went ahead and removed the “Motorcycle” from my original tag line of “The Motorcycle Adventures and Projects of Mic”.

I came to the conclusion late last year, that there are so many other things to write about that I do, and it all relates.

There are many things I do, and have prepared for, that people use in other hobbies, such as hiking and backpacking. I also like to hike and backpack, so I decided this would all work well together.

Moving forward, I’ve been working on the new “Review” layout.  I’m moving away from my “Need to read all of Mic’s ramblings to get an idea of what he thought of it” to a simple rating system with a quick comment at the very top of the review. This way, those who just like to see what exactly my overall impression of it is, can just figure it out with less than an minutes worth of viewing, instead of trying to read through the entire review.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , ,

Remembering the Year, looking forward

Dec 21

Posted by Mic in Adventure | 1 Comment

It’s been awhile since I have taken the time to sit down to write anything on here, and now I actually have the time to do so.

Looking over this last year, I managed to do a lot more than I was expecting in some instances, but a lot less than I was expecting in others.

For example, while I made my trip up North, I missed out on a few area’s that I really wanted to spend more time with.  Such as the Columbia Ice Fields and more along the Cassiar Highway.

The Ice Fields was cause I was rushed to get back on time with my trip. I needed to either make up a day at the beginning of it, or make it up the day before the Dust to Dawson.

I’m very fortunate that I made the decisions that I did.

If I had waited, I’d never had met Doug in Dawson Creek, which would have played a part in me not meeting Geoff in Whitehorse.

The highlight of my trip, was meeting these two fine people, and I am very fortunate I did.

The second part of my trip that I missed out on, was Inuvik. This would not be terrible, as I instead spent more time with Geoff on our way up to Prudhoe Bay. This would not only be the highlight of my trip, but a part of the adventure that I will look back on for years to come. I don’t think I could have asked for a better outcome of changing plans.

The ride up to Prudhoe, stepping foot in the Arctic Ocean, and the ride back to Fairbanks would be a week that I remember the most about my trip.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Rider Reivew: Pants – BMG Ezeon Overpants

Oct 31

Posted by Mic in Rider Review | No Comments

BMG Ezeon Pants

BMG Ezeon Pants

With the rainy season upon us, and the miles that have passed since I purchased these pants, I am finally ready to do my review on the pants I chose to compliment my BMG Discovery Jacket.

Like the jacket, I had originally planned to write my review much sooner, and even so now, I’m pretty embarrassed that it has taken me this long to get to it. With the busy year finally winding down to an end, I find myself sitting here at my desk on a Sunday morning. Something that has not happened in a very long time.

So with that, Lets move on, take a look at these pants, and see what exactly my thoughts are on them.

As a note, I am still trying to decide on a new format for my reviews. I am not certain why I am not happy with the other format, and maybe most people don’t care.  But while I toy around with a new format, the next few reviews I do may differ from previous reviews.

With this one, I’m going to pretty much follow the old format, minus a bunch of poorly taken photographs by yours truly.

Also, I figure this is a great opportunity not to take photo’s of a product, as well, they are a pair of pants. Not a whole lot to take pictures of!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,