Each year Touratech hosts a late June rally for ADV riders in Plain, Washington. Just outside of Leavenworth, Plain is a nice launching point for a few days of riding around on the dry side of the Cascades.

This year I decided to attend again, since I had not been since 2015. The ride from Pullman to Plain crosses most of Washington's version of the Empty Quarter. Not straight-up desert like Saudi Arabia, but several hours of space to cross that can either be awful or sort of refreshing. It all depends on which way the wind is blowing.

Thankfully, on the route West, there was very little wind, and on the return trip, a fairly nice tailwind. And temperatures well below 100, which is always nice when crossing the state.

Since I would be camping two nights, I decided bring the full kit - including the big Redverz Solo tent, chair, table, and cooking gear. If it was moto-camping gear and I owned it, I loaded it up for this trip.

A word about Redverz tents. These things are awesome! The solo model is a bit shorter than the flagship Expedition model, and a bit lighter to carry. Mine fits nicely in a Wolfman Dry Bag that straps on top of a 38 liter pannier. Once set up and staked in, the tent handles the wind of an open field very nicely. The best feature of this tent is the enormous vestibule. Large enough to park a big ADV bike inside, but also very nice for things that are just not possible in a pup tent - such as standing up to put on your motocycle gear or setting up a table and chair for breakfast. The location was quite warm in the afternoon sun, so the vestibule also provided a shady spot to rest after the riding was done.

In addition to the greating riding and friendly folks, the weather cooperated and was not nearly as scorching hot as a few ears ago. Any excuse to ride in the Cascades is a welcome reason to make a journey across the state. I'm already looking forward to next year. With a little advanced planning, I think I can combine a few nights in Winthrop to make this an even better trip.