Thanks for sharing your story Mark, keep exploring!
"My short overnight gear test trip was a success. The route was short but fun. I left Bend late afternoon and headed through the Millican OHV (quad single track) area then connected to the Lower Crooked River Backcountry Byway (beautiful twistys on pavement and then gravel, great scenery). Then followed a gnarly muddy rutted (fender deep in spots, through ponds, around stubborn cows) road for miles to the Lost Forrest. The Lost Forest is a freaky stand of Ponderosa pines poking out of pumice sand (great camping). It is adjacent to the Christmas Valley Dunes. I borrowed a flag from a nice BLM lady on a quad and took a lap fully loaded with gear, to test the 690 in adventure mode. I set up camp next to this cool little flower that was sticking up through the pumice. The next morning I toured the dunes and burned all my safety fuel. Made it to the station on fumes. The station was closed for two more hours but a cool dude sold me a tank of old lawnmower gas for $20. (His frothing dog was barking at me so he came out to see what was up. Which was good because there was no way I was going to knock on his door.) I dodged deer on the Outback Scenic Byway to meet Lisa for breakfast in La Pine. The Giant Loop saddle bags are barley noticeable even when riding on rough terrain. Very impressive. Still behaved like a dirt bike.
I learned a couple things to be sure. Next trip, I'm going to have a bigger tank and a Sat phone."
