Venture West 2016 - looking for feedback

[Lone Eagle]

The time has come to start thinking about planning for this event for 2016. The past couple of years has seen a ton of fun with scenic area rides, rekindling friendships, enjoying great food / pie and ice cream.

 

Location ideas that have been presented thus far are: Oregon - Springfield area, Sisters area. Washington (no specific location). California - the Truckee area.

 

Having looked at other regional / International dates on this forum, other major club activities for next year (i.e. STAR, GWRRA, HOG, etc), we are considering the last weekend in June - 22nd - 26th, similar to the time-frame this gathering has been in past years.

 

Nanci (Luvdaleather) and I are looking forward to hosting this again, if everyone wants to do this. If someone local would like to volunteer to assist with the local ride planning - show off your area of the country - that would be especially appreciated - and make for another tremendous gathering.

 

Please share all comments / ideas over the next couple of weeks. Looking forward to another awesome Wild West Gathering in 2016!!

[SilvrT]

Well, I doubt it will happen but I'd sure like to see this take place somewhere around my area. There are all kinds of locations around here to hold this event and tons of great riding. On top of that, those from south of the border will experience great value with their US currency exchange.

 

I would gladly co-host the event up here and I'm pretty sure there's a few of us around here that would chip in.

[Guest divey]

Victor thank you to you and Nanci for once again stepping up to organize/coordinate this event. The location pick is the tough one for sure. I will simply throw out my personal thoughts for what it's worth. I agree with SilvrT that it would be great to have it in BC but I think it would be dependent on how many are willing to come up from the U.S. for the event. Truckee, CA would be a stretch personally simply due to distance. Northwest Washington is a beautiful area for riding or possibly someplace in Idaho, Montana or Wyoming. Just my thoughts. Doug

[Lone Eagle]

SilvrT, it is interesting you share the BC idea - you and I had talked about that last year - re-enacting that gathering you all did up there for couple of years - and I think that would totally be a blast. Doug, just looking at a map, Coeur D A'Lene / Missoula looked like maybe couple of interesting spots. Also, the dates aren't carved in stone - if enough people were interested, we could possibly push it one week out - getting it closer to the 4th of July weekend. Let's keep the ideas / suggestions coming - and if anyone is in one of these areas we are talking about and would like to assist - that would be awesome.

[Condor]

Travel is a big factor when coming up with a location. VR.org population is the other, and where most of the members reside. A few years ago I put together a 'VR population' map of the US and Canada. Outside of California and I suppose Texas the state count was pretty bleak until getting east of the Mississippi. If memory serves me correctly VR-CA had about 180-200 members OR and WA had about 60 total. Although North of the Boarder might be a great place to ride, the possibility of making it accessable to the major VR population starts to fade the farther north we go.

 

In years past we used to have the Krusin' the Kootneys in the north west which served those up north and members in states on both sides of the US/Canadian boarder. There were lots of great reports for a few years and then the attendance started to fade to where there weren't enough members interested in keeping it going.

 

Originally Venture West was held to allow those members in SoCal and NorCal to rub elbows. The location somewhere in Central CA. Bakersfield, Death Valley, Susanville, San Luis Obispo.... Then we got carried away... I suppose my fault... and went Big Time in Cody Wy. Followed by The Dalles, and then Yreka. Venture West had morphed into something a lot bigger than originally planned. It probably evolved more as a protest in a way because of the international continually being held somewhere east. Except for Ft. Collins in '07, and going back to Cody in '11 for the internationals, the only thing accessible out west has been the Venture West's.

 

Where am I going with all this diatribe?? I guess I'd like to see VW held somewhere in the middle of the Western US. So what's in the Middle?? Nevada...yuck!! However.... in the past there have been a few suggestions that instead of holding it in one location, that it be a tour...??

 

So here's my suggestion. Carson City NV, to Ely NV, to Las Vegas NV, Back to Carson City. Those that came from SoCal can head home from Vegas. Cheap food, Cheap Lodging, 'The loneliest Highway', plenty of entertainment???

 

My 2¢

[Dale124]

While on our way back from VW 2015, Doug and I stayed in Red Lodge, Montana, and we both thought this would be a great location for a Venture West. It is extremely close to Beartooth, which, according to a pamphlet we saw there, was voted the #1 motorcycle road in the USA, and was my personal favorite during the trip.

Accomodations in Red Lodge were reasonable, and the town seemed nice. If are no VR members near there to organize, perhaps it could be less formal, where we just pick a hotel and a date, and just show up and enjoy.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Dale

[Condor]

Hey Dale... Red Lodge MT is a great little town.

We usually sstop there for lunch after riding the 'Tooth' and Chief Joseph out of Cody. My thoughts are, after Bears Tooth, there's not a whole lot of bucket list rides nearby. Cody is much closer to the action...Yellowstone, Bears Tooth etc... But... we've already been to Cody twice and it might be getting a little old....?? My 2¢ for what it's worth...

[Zzyzx]

I know it may be harder for some to get there but how about the Bozeman or Helena MT. areas as a base?

There is great riding access into Yellowstone, the Tetons, Beartooth, Red Lodge, Chief Joseph Hwy, Cody and for anyone wanting to ride into Canada.

It would be a longer ride for those coming in from the So-Cal and Southwest areas (about 1100 miles LA to Bozeman) but much shorter for many of our Canadian friends.

Just a thought.

[friesman]

Rick, (SilvrT) I could help with that, if its decided to do something closer to west Canada.....

 

Carson City is a pretty decent location as youre so close to Truckee and Tahoe just a short ride away, but I seem to remember the rides going any other direction are kind of bland and hot.....

 

Brian

Edited November 14, 2015 by friesman

[Sailor]

In Canada I would vote for Nelson BC again. Popular place so bookings would have to be early. Just a reminder that for us it would be a 30% surcharge to head south while you southern folk would gain 30% coming north. That being said I vote for anyplace interesting and not more than a couple days ride each way. I like the idea of a traveling meet. I know it is too far for most folk but Nanaimo on Vancouver Island offers some nice tours. Mt Washington, Port Alberni, Long Beach, Victoria, Parksville. Port Renfrew. There would also be the ferrys to contend with. I would suggest any southerners come up through Port Angeles.

[SilvrT]

In years past we used to have the Krusin' the Kootneys in the north west which served those up north and members in states on both sides of the US/Canadian boarder. There were lots of great reports for a few years and then the attendance started to fade to where there weren't enough members interested in keeping it going.

 

 

My 2¢

 

Let me correct this if I may....

 

That statement is not true. While the last year's attendance was down somewhat, it had nothing to do with it not happening in years after that. Nina and I did not want to be the host again, Brian was too far away and nobody else stepped up to the plate.

[cowpuc]

Good stuff!!

I think a US 1 Rally would be a blast, could do a smaller Cali town like Guerneville or Geyserville for a base, run connectors over to "1" (like Geyserville to Stewarts Point on Skaggs Creek Rd :scared:and spend time chasing up and down 1:dancefool:), then spending a couple days exploring those classic little "hippy" towns in the area (tie die shirts and all that:Laugh:) - Bodega Bay all the way up to the Oregon line ROCKS:thumbsup2:. Another great one would be Kanaub Utah - surrounded by some mighty awesome National Park rides and views and Kanaub is a really fun town. Another would be a Vegas outing = if the dates line up with a full moon, Death Valley is UNBELIEVABLE at night when its moon lit AND 105 degrees with no sun on ya is SPECTACTULAR, Hoover Dam, Nellis and AWESOME Ham and Egg Breakfasts!! Of course, you KNOW I gotta put a pitch in for Sturgis South Dakota (or any of the small towns near it (like Spearfish, Bell a Forche or even Rapid City) - folks who have not ridden the Black Hills during non HD Rally times would find that place the ULTIMATE in endless touring!! Carson City would be fun - could easily spend a week chasing around the Sierra Nevada's, crisscrossing the passes from Tahoe down to King's Yosemite/Kings Canyon/Seqoia and maybe a trip to Fallon to watch the Military Jets ("50" - the loneliest highway in America aint so lonely there:hurts:).

A couple decades ago my boy and I got caught in a pretty good snow storm in Yellowstone during mid June - couple feet fell on us while tenting on the bike. Because of that, I am personally a little gun shy in my older sissy days about touring those northern sections of the Rockies during the early (probably sounds crazy saying "early" to you far western riders) season. In 2014 when Tip and I made it to the Dalles Rally - we purposely rode down (border with Mexico) on the way out to help avoid that iffy weather.. After the rally we headed up to Glacier on our way home - it was mid/end July and they had just gotten the Road to the Sun opened up the day before.. Probably a non issue but something to think about..

 

Regardless of where/when it is,, I too wanna thank Vic and Nance (and all the others who participating in making this rally happen) a hardy :clap2:, a couple :thumbsup:'s and a giant THANK YOU for all your hard work!! Them's GREAT Rallies my friend's!!

[Sailor]

Great riding around Sedona. A little farther for us northern folk but very interesting area. We have gone to Vegas a few times. We enjoyed good food and the scenery. On our last trip we stayed for a week, could not get a decent meal, prices had gone sky high and service was non existent. We decided we would not return there. I enjoyed Cody and The Dalles. We returned from The Dalles via the coast road ( Hwy 1). Very enjoyable. In Canada I would vote for a return to Nelson.

[Condor]

Let me correct this if I may....

 

That statement is not true. While the last year's attendance was down somewhat, it had nothing to do with it not happening in years after that. Nina and I did not want to be the host again, Brian was too far away and nobody else stepped up to the plate.[/quote/]

 

My apologies... I just assumed since the attendance was down somewhat (sic), and you or anyone else didn't want to host it any longer, and there wasn't a national uprising about it not continuing, that it was due to lack of interest, and no one else having the time or inclination to keep it going. Ergo, if it did continue, it might have continued to decline in attendance. Again... my bad...

[SilvrT]

Rick, (SilvrT) I could help with that, if its decided to do something closer to west Canada.....

 

Carson City is a pretty decent location as youre so close to Truckee and Tahoe just a short ride away, but I seem to remember the rides going any other direction are kind of bland and hot.....

 

Brian

 

Perhaps it's time to see if there's interest in another Kruis'n Kootenays?

 

I think we'll probably stick to things north of the border at least until the exchange rate improves. My trip to Yreka cost 27 cents extra for every dollar I spent and it's at 35 cents now.

[Guest divey]

I am personally a little gun shy in my older sissy days about touring those northern sections of the Rockies during the early (probably sounds crazy saying "early" to you far western riders) season.

 

Well I'm shocked. What's this Puc, a little crack in the armour?? The infamous Pucster no longer throwing caution to the wind and just riding to wherever the road leads??

 

Just kidding of course my friend. Yes the mountains can be unpredictable but North of the 49th, the best riding months are June and July in my view. Doug

[Luvdaleather]

There are LOTS great ideas for the 2016 Venture West Rally! Also thank you for the acknowledgment of the teamwork that went into the 2015 rally. Here is what made the rally so smooth: Vic had a person in the city of choice. It was easy for me to figure out the ride routes and find a place for the group to stay and eat. The difficult part was deciding on the many routes we had to offer! The other part was that I was able to share some of the history of our area and pass on some of the stories. Coordinating the event from my end was easy and took very little time.

 

With that Vic and I had thought that if one of the members wanted to "show off where they live" we would use their knowledge of where to stay, ride and eat. Having a person in the city (or close it) where the rally will be was a huge help to Vic. Being that this was my second rally I am a bit new to locations in the VW area.

 

As for my input on the location, one of the members from the 2015 rally said that he would help us out in the Springfield Oregon area. Are there any other members who may want to help out in their area as well? This way we could possible compile a list and then Vic can draw from a hat or throw at dart at a board with names on it!

[friesman]

SOunds good to me, lets work on that, maybe a change of location too? lets discuss on a new thread or via message.

 

Brian

 

Perhaps it's time to see if there's interest in another Kruis'n Kootenays?

 

I think we'll probably stick to things north of the border at least until the exchange rate improves. My trip to Yreka cost 27 cents extra for every dollar I spent and it's at 35 cents now.

[cowpuc]

Well I'm shocked. What's this Puc, a little crack in the armour?? The infamous Pucster no longer throwing caution to the wind and just riding to wherever the road leads??

 

Just kidding of course my friend. Yes the mountains can be unpredictable but North of the 49th, the best riding months are June and July in my view. Doug

 

Thats not a crack in the armor Son-shine @divey ,, more like a bottomless canyon in your dear ol dads psychology.. Use to love riding in the snow but something snapped inside, nowadays it seems like just the mention of temps below 60 and I am running for my trusty ol Carharts

The "throwing caution to wind and riding where ever" ideology is actually part of my "avoiding the cold philosphy" .. ,, how do I explain this, ,,,,, I will state it just like my oldest daughter did one time when we rode all the way down to the Grand Canyon from North Dakota because it was FREEZING up there,,, picture a 13 year old on the back of an 84 Royale all wrap up in her snowmobile clothing and her dad hears her say thru her Balacalva = "we are just like a couple of Lake Trout trying to find that perfect temperature and not caring how far or how deep we have to go to find it arent we Dad..":thumbsup:

 

Give me miles and mile and miles of endless touring Son but cha gotta keep those temps above 70 (preferably +90) or things on your dear ol Dads body start locking up!!

[SilvrT]

SOunds good to me, lets work on that, maybe a change of location too? lets discuss on a new thread or via message.

 

Brian

 

Well, I do prefer the Nelson location but maybe change the date to later in July?

 

I need to discuss this with Nina as she had mentioned a desire to go to Nova Scotia to visit her brother with stop over in the Toronto area to visit other family members next year.

[beastwood]

I was checking the member map today and looked at Sun Valley, Idaho. It seems to be centrally located on the western U.S. I've been there for skiing and it was beautiful. This may be a choice to consider for Venture West. The lodges and restaurants exist, scenery great, are our Idaho members active? Would this be a good choice?

[Condor]

I was checking the member map today and looked at Sun Valley, Idaho. It seems to be centrally located on the western U.S. I've been there for skiing and it was beautiful. This may be a choice to consider for Venture West. The lodges and restaurants exist, scenery great, are our Idaho members active? Would this be a good choice?

 

Sun Valley would be cool. I just wonder what the costs would be for Lodging and food. Remember it is the playground of the stars... and they have lots of dinero.... My Son-in-Law owns a dry wall company in Shoshone ID, and did a lot of the 'cabins' in the area.

[Lone Eagle]

There has been some interesting suggestions, and discussion, on this thread, thank you to everyone. Seeing that the Kruisin the Kootneys is gaining steam - this is definitely an activity Barb and I am going to attend / support this event next year.

 

If West Coast folks are interested in doing another VentureWest gathering next year, another couple of other ideas could be holding this event the 2nd weekend of Sept (i.e 7 - 10 - prices should be less expensive for lodging) - maybe in the Susanville area; or possibly somewhere around Three Rivers - and ride through Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Parks; or possibly over around Cambria and catch some of the coast. All ideas are open and on the table - don't hesitate to share them.

[Sailor]

Susanville is nice, and not too far away. Great riding weather in September.

[Condor]

Susanville is nice, and not too far away. Great riding weather in September.

 

I'd do Susanville again. The Black Bear diner closed, but I see where the Lumberjacks Restaurant has taken it's place. Hi-lights from the last time.... Got hit in the left eye by a bug. Splat!! Good thing I wore glasses. But I never learn. A bee got between my chin and the helmet and stung the crap out of me. Thought I might die.... Got 50 miles to the gallon for the first time...but not the last... riding the twisties. Early morning groan out of the speedo. Scared the heck out of me. Luckily it went away. Hitting all the cones practicing low speed turns in the parking lot. Green coolant leak from the drain valve in the AM for the first time.... Other than all that, it was a great weekend....