8/11/08
As we wrap up this adventure, which is just shy of 9000 miles in 5 weeks, I want to recognize those who made it possible and to note some observations. First, I want to thank our spouses, Jackie, Gail, and Mary, whose support made this trip a success (even though they benefited too!). Obviously, one cannot just walk away from a business without great people to run it, so in that respect I want to thank Erin, Troy, Ryan and Laura for managing our rental businesses, and also my crew at Roberts Automotive, Ken, Christine, Kevin, Jim, and Dustin for their dedication to excellence and ability to carry on without me. Also, our thanks go out to Doug Saldivar, who was on the scene right after I launched off the bike at the gas station, and to Fred Mcdowell for yanking us off the freeway, getting us to the dealership, and entertaining us for the day. Personally, I want to thank Gene and Harold for their encouragement when I thought my trip was over.
If you are planning a trip like this someday, you may benefit from our experiences. The following is offered in no particular order of importance:
1.Be flexible and plan loosely. We had some general ideas about what we wanted to see and do, but did a lot of ad libing. For instance we found out about the ghost town, Bannack, from Fred.
2.Stay off the super slab as much as possible and engage the locals. People are more than willing to help and will steer you to some interesting sites, museums, etc.
3.Take a tent, but let the cooking stuff at home unless you like making campground grub. Remember, cooking and cleaning up take time. We stayed at KOA Kamping Kabins whenever possible, but mixed in some motels and tenting. If you don't know exact dates about when you will be doing something, you won't find lodging around places like Yellowstone, except for camp sites.
4.Forget individual maps. Take a road atlas and don't put all your faith in a GPS. Take a KOA campground directory.
5.Buy a 12 volt battery charger for AA batteries, and a good stock of batteries. This proved invaluable for power hungry devices like communications systems and cameras.The bike charges the batteries while you are touring around.
6.If you don't yet have a bike, consider one that will allow you to stand while riding. Your posterior will thank you profusely when you hit those torn up roads and it is a luxury to stretch your legs while riding. Besides, its fun to startle somebody in the car next to you when you stand up at 65 mph.
7.It is okay to split up, but ride with a wing man. If you don't, at least file a flight plan with the rest of your com padres and stick to it.
8.Adversity will find you in the form of wind, rain, heat, mechanical breakdowns, physical breakdowns, and ways you could never predict. Expect it and bring along a sense of humor and flexibility.
9.The bike with the least range will have determine how many breaks you get.
10.Have a communication system besides yelling and wild gesturing. We used FRS radios with headsets in the helmets. Just don't expect to be able to understand anything at 80 mph.
11.Designate someone as historian. Take lots of pictures and keep a record of your daily activities.
12.Technology may be better than ever, but don't expect to be able to communicate with the internet everywhere or get a phone connection anywhere. Campgrounds are lousy places to get a reliable connection (they seem to shut down after the office closes) and if you are tenting there is no electricity to charge the laptop. Also, you will be surprised at how little time you have to blog.
13.Get a good full coverage helmet and wear it. I like the full face variety with D ring closures, but that is just my perference. I wore them all the time when racing cars. Gene likes his flip up helmet with snap closure. Not only do they offer the best protection, they will keep your skin from looking like an alligator after thousands of miles of hard riding.
14.Finally, don't ask a homeless person for a good place to eat.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
8/9/08
Awakening to dreary and rainy skies, we had a typical breakfast for a Super 8, packed up and left. The temperature was cool, so we kept the vents shut and were fortunate that the skies stayed cloudy for much of the trip. In the afternoon the sun came out and got things heated up reducing the patience factor so we called it a day around 4. Traffic around St Paul, MN was pretty heavy and the numskull factor relative to cage drivers has increased as we go east. Other than St Paul it was a pretty uneventful 530 miles of super slab.
8/10/08
Today we awoke to cloudless skies with temps in the 60s, and indeed it stayed that way the rest of the day. This kind of weather makes it easy to pile up a lot of miles, but our progress was impeded by numerous road construction projects. We did manage another 540 miles finally quitting at Kendallville, IN making this our last night on the road. We found a Best Western offering complimentary cookies, always a draw for Stinger. Having enough of the super slab's construction projects and various tolls, we broke off there and onto US 6 just after the border of Illinois and Indiana. Unlike the West where roads are just torn up and you can drive on them anyway, the roads around here are shut down and you are detoured. US 6 had a couple of these, but at a gas stop some locals told us how to get around the last one. That's how we ended up in Kendallville. Tomorrow may be our longest day yet as we have to get through Ohio and Pennsylvania, but we are looking forward to family and some good home cooking. We heard from reliable sources that Uncle Eddie made it home by Saturday morning after riding all night. That means we should be pulling into home by the time he wakes up. Tune in tomorrow for some more final thoughts and observations.
Awakening to dreary and rainy skies, we had a typical breakfast for a Super 8, packed up and left. The temperature was cool, so we kept the vents shut and were fortunate that the skies stayed cloudy for much of the trip. In the afternoon the sun came out and got things heated up reducing the patience factor so we called it a day around 4. Traffic around St Paul, MN was pretty heavy and the numskull factor relative to cage drivers has increased as we go east. Other than St Paul it was a pretty uneventful 530 miles of super slab.
8/10/08
Today we awoke to cloudless skies with temps in the 60s, and indeed it stayed that way the rest of the day. This kind of weather makes it easy to pile up a lot of miles, but our progress was impeded by numerous road construction projects. We did manage another 540 miles finally quitting at Kendallville, IN making this our last night on the road. We found a Best Western offering complimentary cookies, always a draw for Stinger. Having enough of the super slab's construction projects and various tolls, we broke off there and onto US 6 just after the border of Illinois and Indiana. Unlike the West where roads are just torn up and you can drive on them anyway, the roads around here are shut down and you are detoured. US 6 had a couple of these, but at a gas stop some locals told us how to get around the last one. That's how we ended up in Kendallville. Tomorrow may be our longest day yet as we have to get through Ohio and Pennsylvania, but we are looking forward to family and some good home cooking. We heard from reliable sources that Uncle Eddie made it home by Saturday morning after riding all night. That means we should be pulling into home by the time he wakes up. Tune in tomorrow for some more final thoughts and observations.
Friday, August 8, 2008
8/8/08
Today we got up early and hopped on the interstate and headed to our objective, Bismarck, SD. Interstates are pretty uneventful, and in the case of Montana, traffic free. In a hundred miles we saw only about 10 cars on our side of the road. Once we got into North Dakota, traffic picked up and so did the heat, but not as bad as yesterday. Mercifully, there was a lot of cloud cover today and we even hit a little rain outside of Bismarck. After entering North Dakota, we decided to stop at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Visitor Center, which was right off I94. This was part of the Badlands that extends to South Dakota. The terrain is characterized by dry grasses and bluffs. Lightning ignites lignite that burns underground and the intense heat turns the dirt to red clinkers. During a rainstorm three to four inches of dirt along the bluffs will be eroded. Eventually the land will look like eastern Montana with rolling hills rather than the severe, but striking, appearance of the Badlands. While walking around the grounds we saw a woman who was glassing for buffalo. Bear asked if she had seen any, but the reply was negative. However, it turns out that she is from the same town, Jerome, as Jackie and her dad was a barber who cut Jackie's dad's hair. She now lives in North Carolina. It is amazing how connected all of us are. Once we got to Bismarck we found a Super 8 and then went out to a Chinese buffet. Great meal. We'll be up early again tomorrow to pile up some more miles. One thing that is interesting about the plains is that the wind can blow in any direction within a couple of miles, and there seems to no correlation to geographical features. As we rode along, we would encounter strong winds coming from the left, which would last a few miles. Then the buffeting would stop, and in another few miles the wind would be strong from the right. However, the most challenging winds we have encountered so far were on the Mackinac Bridge.
Today we got up early and hopped on the interstate and headed to our objective, Bismarck, SD. Interstates are pretty uneventful, and in the case of Montana, traffic free. In a hundred miles we saw only about 10 cars on our side of the road. Once we got into North Dakota, traffic picked up and so did the heat, but not as bad as yesterday. Mercifully, there was a lot of cloud cover today and we even hit a little rain outside of Bismarck. After entering North Dakota, we decided to stop at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Visitor Center, which was right off I94. This was part of the Badlands that extends to South Dakota. The terrain is characterized by dry grasses and bluffs. Lightning ignites lignite that burns underground and the intense heat turns the dirt to red clinkers. During a rainstorm three to four inches of dirt along the bluffs will be eroded. Eventually the land will look like eastern Montana with rolling hills rather than the severe, but striking, appearance of the Badlands. While walking around the grounds we saw a woman who was glassing for buffalo. Bear asked if she had seen any, but the reply was negative. However, it turns out that she is from the same town, Jerome, as Jackie and her dad was a barber who cut Jackie's dad's hair. She now lives in North Carolina. It is amazing how connected all of us are. Once we got to Bismarck we found a Super 8 and then went out to a Chinese buffet. Great meal. We'll be up early again tomorrow to pile up some more miles. One thing that is interesting about the plains is that the wind can blow in any direction within a couple of miles, and there seems to no correlation to geographical features. As we rode along, we would encounter strong winds coming from the left, which would last a few miles. Then the buffeting would stop, and in another few miles the wind would be strong from the right. However, the most challenging winds we have encountered so far were on the Mackinac Bridge.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
8/7/08
Because of the rain the night before and some cloud cover it wasn't so cold this morning. However, it did look like it would rain some more, so we broke camp quickly and headed through the park to Bear Tooth Pass intending to eat breakfast after riding for a couple of hours. Well, that turned into lunch because of our progress through the park to the northeast gate. Fortunately for us we were able to view the bull elk we had been seeking, two of them in fact. They were foraging in a huge meadow and we were able to find a parking place and look at them for awhile because we had got into the park so early. As we rode through the northern end we saw more volcanic rock and hot springs. It is interesting that the buffalo will walk right up to these hot springs as evidenced by their footprints in the soil. There are signs everywhere telling you to stay on the boardwalk because the soil is fragile and you could fall into a boiling mudpot underneath it making me wonder whether a buffalo ever fell in. Standing there viewing the scene, one could imagine how the early explorers felt when they came upon such an bizarre sight. The terrain changed significantly as we neared the northeast entrance and Bear Tooth Highway. Upon exiting the park we were challenged again by road construction and out here that means tearing the highway down to dirt, gravel, or whatever is handy at the moment. At the end of this mess was Cooke City and lunch/breakfast. Our waitress, a Russian exchange student, told us that when she got to Cooke City in June, there was still two feet of snow on the ground and it will start snowing again in a few weeks. Bear Tooth highway should be experienced by everyone at some time or another. We thought we had seen the ultimate in splendor in the Cascades, but nothing else compares to this route. As we ascended the mountain winding our way up to the 11,000 foot summit along tight switchbacks,we stopped numerous times to take pictures and just take in the view. It was breathtaking being on top of the world and looking down on green alpine meadows containing snowfields well above tree line. The air was cool and refreshing and the bikes had no problem with the altitude. Reluctantly, we headed down the mountain and into some of the hottest temperatures we have seen in weeks, 110 degrees approaching Billings. The air is so dry that dehydration becomes an issue when exposing skin to the wind, so the best approach is to cover up. After three nights on the ground we are now at a Days Inn with air conditioning. We decided to quit early today and get an early start tomorrow before the day gets too hot.
Because of the rain the night before and some cloud cover it wasn't so cold this morning. However, it did look like it would rain some more, so we broke camp quickly and headed through the park to Bear Tooth Pass intending to eat breakfast after riding for a couple of hours. Well, that turned into lunch because of our progress through the park to the northeast gate. Fortunately for us we were able to view the bull elk we had been seeking, two of them in fact. They were foraging in a huge meadow and we were able to find a parking place and look at them for awhile because we had got into the park so early. As we rode through the northern end we saw more volcanic rock and hot springs. It is interesting that the buffalo will walk right up to these hot springs as evidenced by their footprints in the soil. There are signs everywhere telling you to stay on the boardwalk because the soil is fragile and you could fall into a boiling mudpot underneath it making me wonder whether a buffalo ever fell in. Standing there viewing the scene, one could imagine how the early explorers felt when they came upon such an bizarre sight. The terrain changed significantly as we neared the northeast entrance and Bear Tooth Highway. Upon exiting the park we were challenged again by road construction and out here that means tearing the highway down to dirt, gravel, or whatever is handy at the moment. At the end of this mess was Cooke City and lunch/breakfast. Our waitress, a Russian exchange student, told us that when she got to Cooke City in June, there was still two feet of snow on the ground and it will start snowing again in a few weeks. Bear Tooth highway should be experienced by everyone at some time or another. We thought we had seen the ultimate in splendor in the Cascades, but nothing else compares to this route. As we ascended the mountain winding our way up to the 11,000 foot summit along tight switchbacks,we stopped numerous times to take pictures and just take in the view. It was breathtaking being on top of the world and looking down on green alpine meadows containing snowfields well above tree line. The air was cool and refreshing and the bikes had no problem with the altitude. Reluctantly, we headed down the mountain and into some of the hottest temperatures we have seen in weeks, 110 degrees approaching Billings. The air is so dry that dehydration becomes an issue when exposing skin to the wind, so the best approach is to cover up. After three nights on the ground we are now at a Days Inn with air conditioning. We decided to quit early today and get an early start tomorrow before the day gets too hot.
8/6/08
Arising to some cold temperatures (in the 40's) we headed for breakfast at the KOA where Uncle Eddie informed us that he would be leaving after we road to the Canyons in Yellowstone Park. So, we let the sun warm things up a bit and then headed out to tour the park. For some of the trip we had to retrace our route from the day before, but you never know what kind of wildlife will crop up. We had seen some cow elk the night before, but of course they had left the area by the time we came back through. Yellowstone has a certain appeal to it, but is almost other worldly with its mud pots, fumeroles, and boiling springs and some of the most varied terrain we have seen on this trip. There was also a forrest fire raging that had already consumed 8000 acres and the smoke partly obscured the mountains in certain areas of the park. The park has numerous waterfalls, rushing streams and lush meadows along with the moon-like terrain. Wildlife was not as numerous as the last time I visited, but we did see significant numbers of buffalo, and elk. Some other tourists that Bear talked with saw bighorn sheep crossing the road in front of them. We are still looking for a bull elk. Arriving at the Canyons, we headed for the cafeteria and a cup of coffee to send off Uncle Eddie. After watching him ride off into the smoke, we headed for the Canyons where we were treated to large crowds all vying for a parking spot to view the waterfalls. The scene at the lower falls was rather ugly so we passed them up and found a spot to park at the upper falls. Yellowstone sits at a fairly high altitude and is basically a volcano with a crater that is 30 miles by 45 miles wide. Since the last eruption was 640,000 years ago, the rim of the crater is not well defined. As we continued our loop without Uncle Eddie, we found some herds of buffalo and then found Yellowstone Lake, a huge lake that is home to shore birds like pelicans, canada geese, sandhill cranes, and other waterfowl that nest on its isolated islands. There we sat on a bench for awhile and watched some kids play in the mud thankful that we didn't have to clean them up. Continuing on we found a bald eagle sitting in a tree and stopped to take his picture. It is not hard to know when wildlife is around as cars just stop in the middle of the road so the occupants can gawk at the scene. The day was rather gloomy with some sprinkles so we headed out of the park and stopped at Bullwinkle's for dinner. It got the name because its owner is a hunter who pursued a moose his entire life and finally got one. Baked beans came with everything on the menu, but that was not a problem since we had our own tents. I attempted to write this blog last night, but the mosquitos were maddening, worse than Glacier, and then it started to rain. So, we headed off to the tents and to bed, or whatever you call a sleeping bag and ground pad.
Arising to some cold temperatures (in the 40's) we headed for breakfast at the KOA where Uncle Eddie informed us that he would be leaving after we road to the Canyons in Yellowstone Park. So, we let the sun warm things up a bit and then headed out to tour the park. For some of the trip we had to retrace our route from the day before, but you never know what kind of wildlife will crop up. We had seen some cow elk the night before, but of course they had left the area by the time we came back through. Yellowstone has a certain appeal to it, but is almost other worldly with its mud pots, fumeroles, and boiling springs and some of the most varied terrain we have seen on this trip. There was also a forrest fire raging that had already consumed 8000 acres and the smoke partly obscured the mountains in certain areas of the park. The park has numerous waterfalls, rushing streams and lush meadows along with the moon-like terrain. Wildlife was not as numerous as the last time I visited, but we did see significant numbers of buffalo, and elk. Some other tourists that Bear talked with saw bighorn sheep crossing the road in front of them. We are still looking for a bull elk. Arriving at the Canyons, we headed for the cafeteria and a cup of coffee to send off Uncle Eddie. After watching him ride off into the smoke, we headed for the Canyons where we were treated to large crowds all vying for a parking spot to view the waterfalls. The scene at the lower falls was rather ugly so we passed them up and found a spot to park at the upper falls. Yellowstone sits at a fairly high altitude and is basically a volcano with a crater that is 30 miles by 45 miles wide. Since the last eruption was 640,000 years ago, the rim of the crater is not well defined. As we continued our loop without Uncle Eddie, we found some herds of buffalo and then found Yellowstone Lake, a huge lake that is home to shore birds like pelicans, canada geese, sandhill cranes, and other waterfowl that nest on its isolated islands. There we sat on a bench for awhile and watched some kids play in the mud thankful that we didn't have to clean them up. Continuing on we found a bald eagle sitting in a tree and stopped to take his picture. It is not hard to know when wildlife is around as cars just stop in the middle of the road so the occupants can gawk at the scene. The day was rather gloomy with some sprinkles so we headed out of the park and stopped at Bullwinkle's for dinner. It got the name because its owner is a hunter who pursued a moose his entire life and finally got one. Baked beans came with everything on the menu, but that was not a problem since we had our own tents. I attempted to write this blog last night, but the mosquitos were maddening, worse than Glacier, and then it started to rain. So, we headed off to the tents and to bed, or whatever you call a sleeping bag and ground pad.
8/2/08
Leaving Winthrop behind we headed to the Grand Coulee Dam. The weather has been great for riding, which is unusual for the high plains. It is usually stinking hot, but with low humidity. In fact the campground manager last night told us that it is only 7%. The Grand Coulee Dam, the biggest generator of electricity in the U.S., is 1 mile across the breast and is as high as the Space Needle in Seattle. On this leg of the trip we found gas availability to be a problem. Uncle Eddie had filled up in Winthrop the night before, but the Beemers had to stretch the tanks to 240 miles. Actually, it turned out to be not that much of a stretch as we had a gallon and a half left when we found fuel. The rest of the day was uneventful, but we are tenting again tonight. We are getting good at setting up and breaking camp. See you tomorrow.
8/03/08 – 8/4/08
After a cold night we broke camp and decided to stay on the interstate to make some miles. Our neighbor was an interesting guy named Eugene, an engineer. He was from Washington and was riding an 80s vintage BMW K750. Our objective was to get within 3 hours of Yellowstone. After two nights in a tent and no prospect of Kamping Kabins due to the weekend and the Canadian holiday, we decided on a hotel for the night. Amazingly, rooms were available, but the campgrounds were full. we decided on the Super 8 at Whitehall, MT giving us about a 400 mile day. Alas, this hotel accommodation was not to be. About 30 miles outside of Missoula the differential failed on Bear's bike. The radio was a real asset in this case as I heard him call for help. Uncle Eddie and I pulled to the shoulder and waited for him to come up behind. Looking at the oil dripping from the differential, we decided that this is not good, and the thing needed towed. Breaking out the BMW MOA book Bear got on the phone to the first guy on the list, who luckily answered his phone. Fred agreed to bring out his truck and get the wounded duck back to Missoula to Big Sky Motorsports, a BMW dealer. It was a welcome sight when he and Ann, his wife, arrived. Since it was Sunday he took the bike to his house and dropped us off at the Quality Inn, which was near the dealership. The next day we met him there, Bear riding my bike and me with Uncle Eddie again. Uncle Eddie decided that two big guys were too big for his bike. At least this time nobody yelled, "hey! who's the bitch on the back?", Chad, the only technician on duty that day, took the bike in and determined the problem, which was a failed hub bearing; he also agreed to change the differential oil in my bike and put a tire on the front. Expecting to be sitting a couple of days, we were amazed at the level of service this dealership provided to some stranded travelers, and strangers at that. Chad said that he could get us back on the road that day. While Uncle Eddie headed to a Harley dealership to get his oil changed, Fred offered to drive us around. We had a great time meeting some of his friends for lunch at the airport, Art a pilot like him, and Terry in charge of equipment maintenance. After lunch he took us over to one of the hangers to have a look at his airplane. Arriving at the dealership mid afternoon we found Chad had Bear's bike almost back together and Stinger's bike was done, there being no trash found in the differential oil. We bid goodbye to Fred and waited around a little while while the paperwork was done, and we were back on the road by 4:30. Adversity is not necessarily a bad thing and gives one the chance to meet some really awesome people. We are truly grateful for Fred's generosity, hospitality, and willingness to help, and want to express our thanks to all of the people at Big Sky Motorsports in Missoula. They have a friendly staff, a great stock of parts, a top technician in Chad, and conduct business professionally in all respects.
Leaving Missoula we headed for some great roads recommended by Fred. Our objective was Dillon, MT for no particular reason other than the fact we thought we could make it. The route was free of traffic and took us over some high passes. We could stop at different places and look 360 degrees and see no buildings. This part of Montana was really desolate. Fred recommended we stop at Bannack, a ghost town and the first capital of MT. It was a thriving town during the gold rush days, but once that activity dried up, the place declined until the last resident left town in the 1950's. Once we dissected Bannack, we headed to Dillon and some more tenting. The days are warm, in the 80s in MT, and the nights are cold. We woke up to low 40's temps, which really gets you moving. Once the sun comes up, it warms up in a hurry. One of the drawbacks with tenting is trying to find a place to write this blog and keeping the computer charged long enough to do it. The biggest challenge is dealing with the obnoxious mosquitos.
8/5/08
After breaking camp, we went back to eat breakfast at the Longhorn Saloon (we had been there the night before) and met Grace and her friends who get together every morning for breakfast. Grace owns Grace's New and Used, a variety shop. They straggled in one at a time over about 45 minutes. The owners of the place were handling the morning shift, so the service was more like help yourself, so much so that Bear ended up pouring coffee for everyone in the restaurant. He looked like a natural. We had a great conversation with them, and they gave us some tips on what to see when heading to Yellowstone, one of which was stopping at Quake Lake. This lake was formed in 1959 by the most powerful earthquake to ever hit the region when the side of a mountain fell into the river. Twenty nine people lost their lives, mostly vacationers. The quake caused 100 mile per hour winds and caused water to slosh over the Hebgen Dam, about five miles upstream. The Army Corp of Engineers had to work round the clock to build a spillway for the new lake to keep Hebgen Dam from failing due to the enormous amount of water that was backing up. Visting disasters such as Mt St Helens and Quake Lake, and the area around Yellowstone makes one realize that man has little effect on the environment. One can look at all of the films one wants, but until you stand on the edge of the blast zone at St Helens, or view the carnage caused by the earthquake at Quake Lake, there can be no appreciation of the power of nature. Continuing on we found a KOA at West Yellowstone, tents of course, set up camp, and headed to the park. I have discovered one of the paradoxes of life or maybe just a glimpse into the bureaucratic mind. When I showed my National Park Pass at the gate, I was asked for a photo ID, a not unreasonable request, but kind of dumb in light of the fact that I was wearing a helmet and sunglasses. I was not asked to remove the helmet, but was just waved through. This day we made it as far as Old Faithfull where we had dinner and where Uncle Eddie informed us he was leaving us on Friday and heading home. After Old Faithful, we headed back to camp and to bed diving into the tents before the mosquitos could get us.
Leaving Winthrop behind we headed to the Grand Coulee Dam. The weather has been great for riding, which is unusual for the high plains. It is usually stinking hot, but with low humidity. In fact the campground manager last night told us that it is only 7%. The Grand Coulee Dam, the biggest generator of electricity in the U.S., is 1 mile across the breast and is as high as the Space Needle in Seattle. On this leg of the trip we found gas availability to be a problem. Uncle Eddie had filled up in Winthrop the night before, but the Beemers had to stretch the tanks to 240 miles. Actually, it turned out to be not that much of a stretch as we had a gallon and a half left when we found fuel. The rest of the day was uneventful, but we are tenting again tonight. We are getting good at setting up and breaking camp. See you tomorrow.
8/03/08 – 8/4/08
After a cold night we broke camp and decided to stay on the interstate to make some miles. Our neighbor was an interesting guy named Eugene, an engineer. He was from Washington and was riding an 80s vintage BMW K750. Our objective was to get within 3 hours of Yellowstone. After two nights in a tent and no prospect of Kamping Kabins due to the weekend and the Canadian holiday, we decided on a hotel for the night. Amazingly, rooms were available, but the campgrounds were full. we decided on the Super 8 at Whitehall, MT giving us about a 400 mile day. Alas, this hotel accommodation was not to be. About 30 miles outside of Missoula the differential failed on Bear's bike. The radio was a real asset in this case as I heard him call for help. Uncle Eddie and I pulled to the shoulder and waited for him to come up behind. Looking at the oil dripping from the differential, we decided that this is not good, and the thing needed towed. Breaking out the BMW MOA book Bear got on the phone to the first guy on the list, who luckily answered his phone. Fred agreed to bring out his truck and get the wounded duck back to Missoula to Big Sky Motorsports, a BMW dealer. It was a welcome sight when he and Ann, his wife, arrived. Since it was Sunday he took the bike to his house and dropped us off at the Quality Inn, which was near the dealership. The next day we met him there, Bear riding my bike and me with Uncle Eddie again. Uncle Eddie decided that two big guys were too big for his bike. At least this time nobody yelled, "hey! who's the bitch on the back?", Chad, the only technician on duty that day, took the bike in and determined the problem, which was a failed hub bearing; he also agreed to change the differential oil in my bike and put a tire on the front. Expecting to be sitting a couple of days, we were amazed at the level of service this dealership provided to some stranded travelers, and strangers at that. Chad said that he could get us back on the road that day. While Uncle Eddie headed to a Harley dealership to get his oil changed, Fred offered to drive us around. We had a great time meeting some of his friends for lunch at the airport, Art a pilot like him, and Terry in charge of equipment maintenance. After lunch he took us over to one of the hangers to have a look at his airplane. Arriving at the dealership mid afternoon we found Chad had Bear's bike almost back together and Stinger's bike was done, there being no trash found in the differential oil. We bid goodbye to Fred and waited around a little while while the paperwork was done, and we were back on the road by 4:30. Adversity is not necessarily a bad thing and gives one the chance to meet some really awesome people. We are truly grateful for Fred's generosity, hospitality, and willingness to help, and want to express our thanks to all of the people at Big Sky Motorsports in Missoula. They have a friendly staff, a great stock of parts, a top technician in Chad, and conduct business professionally in all respects.
Leaving Missoula we headed for some great roads recommended by Fred. Our objective was Dillon, MT for no particular reason other than the fact we thought we could make it. The route was free of traffic and took us over some high passes. We could stop at different places and look 360 degrees and see no buildings. This part of Montana was really desolate. Fred recommended we stop at Bannack, a ghost town and the first capital of MT. It was a thriving town during the gold rush days, but once that activity dried up, the place declined until the last resident left town in the 1950's. Once we dissected Bannack, we headed to Dillon and some more tenting. The days are warm, in the 80s in MT, and the nights are cold. We woke up to low 40's temps, which really gets you moving. Once the sun comes up, it warms up in a hurry. One of the drawbacks with tenting is trying to find a place to write this blog and keeping the computer charged long enough to do it. The biggest challenge is dealing with the obnoxious mosquitos.
8/5/08
After breaking camp, we went back to eat breakfast at the Longhorn Saloon (we had been there the night before) and met Grace and her friends who get together every morning for breakfast. Grace owns Grace's New and Used, a variety shop. They straggled in one at a time over about 45 minutes. The owners of the place were handling the morning shift, so the service was more like help yourself, so much so that Bear ended up pouring coffee for everyone in the restaurant. He looked like a natural. We had a great conversation with them, and they gave us some tips on what to see when heading to Yellowstone, one of which was stopping at Quake Lake. This lake was formed in 1959 by the most powerful earthquake to ever hit the region when the side of a mountain fell into the river. Twenty nine people lost their lives, mostly vacationers. The quake caused 100 mile per hour winds and caused water to slosh over the Hebgen Dam, about five miles upstream. The Army Corp of Engineers had to work round the clock to build a spillway for the new lake to keep Hebgen Dam from failing due to the enormous amount of water that was backing up. Visting disasters such as Mt St Helens and Quake Lake, and the area around Yellowstone makes one realize that man has little effect on the environment. One can look at all of the films one wants, but until you stand on the edge of the blast zone at St Helens, or view the carnage caused by the earthquake at Quake Lake, there can be no appreciation of the power of nature. Continuing on we found a KOA at West Yellowstone, tents of course, set up camp, and headed to the park. I have discovered one of the paradoxes of life or maybe just a glimpse into the bureaucratic mind. When I showed my National Park Pass at the gate, I was asked for a photo ID, a not unreasonable request, but kind of dumb in light of the fact that I was wearing a helmet and sunglasses. I was not asked to remove the helmet, but was just waved through. This day we made it as far as Old Faithfull where we had dinner and where Uncle Eddie informed us he was leaving us on Friday and heading home. After Old Faithful, we headed back to camp and to bed diving into the tents before the mosquitos could get us.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
8/1/08
Spectacular. Stunning. There is no other way to describe the Northern Cascades. Since this was the last day the wives would be with us, we accompanied them to Anacortes and a craft fair. To a Toad attending a craft fair is the equivalent of watching grass grow. However, I did pick up a picture of our mascot, which I will frame and hang in my office when I get home. Taking a cue from the Toads Gailbird asked a local for a good place to eat. The somewhat surprising reply was a bowling alley. This was a new experience, a restaurant in a bowling alley. The food turned out to be really good although we believe they had to go out and slaughter a pig to get some ham for Stinger's sandwhich. After having said goodbye to the wives, the Toads headed off across WA 20 through the Cascade Range. We thought we had seen the mother of all scenery in Glacier National Park, but the best was yet to come with miles and miles of deep canyons, waterfalls, craggy snow covered peaks and rushing mountain streams. The weather was cool, cold actually, like 48 degrees through Rainy Pass. The grip heaters were a much appreciated feature on two of the Toad bikes, but the other less fortunate Toad could not enjoy that luxury. At one point we stopped and doubled back about ten miles just to get a good picture of some waterfalls. Because of its magnitude it is hard to capture the scene in pictures. Our campsite was a KOA in Winthrop, and this would be our third night of tenting since no camping cabins were available. Accommodations are tight right now due to Sturgis and a Canadian holiday. After setting up camp, we headed into Winthrop for some grubb (that is western lingo for food). We ended up at the Duck, which had outdoor seating, but it was a late supper. Heading back to the campground Uncle Eddie stopped at the post office to mail his application for a doe permit in PA this fall. We have to admit that the guy is prepared. It was a cold night, but the Toads were prepared.
8/2/08
Leaving Winthrop behind we headed to the Grand Coulee Dam. The weather has been great for riding, which is unusual for the high plains. It is usually stinking hot, but with low humidity. In fact the campground manager last night told us that it is only 7%. The Grand Coulee Dam, the biggest generator of electicity in the U.S., is 1 mile across the breast and is as high as the Space Needle in Seattle. On this leg of the trip we found gas availability to be a problem. Uncle Eddie had filled up in Winthrop the night before, but the Beemers had to stretch the tanks to 240 miles. Actually, it turned out to be not that much of a stretch as we had a gallon and a half left when we found fuel. The rest of the day was uneventful, but we are tenting again tonight. We are getting good at setting up and breaking camp. See you tomorrow.
Spectacular. Stunning. There is no other way to describe the Northern Cascades. Since this was the last day the wives would be with us, we accompanied them to Anacortes and a craft fair. To a Toad attending a craft fair is the equivalent of watching grass grow. However, I did pick up a picture of our mascot, which I will frame and hang in my office when I get home. Taking a cue from the Toads Gailbird asked a local for a good place to eat. The somewhat surprising reply was a bowling alley. This was a new experience, a restaurant in a bowling alley. The food turned out to be really good although we believe they had to go out and slaughter a pig to get some ham for Stinger's sandwhich. After having said goodbye to the wives, the Toads headed off across WA 20 through the Cascade Range. We thought we had seen the mother of all scenery in Glacier National Park, but the best was yet to come with miles and miles of deep canyons, waterfalls, craggy snow covered peaks and rushing mountain streams. The weather was cool, cold actually, like 48 degrees through Rainy Pass. The grip heaters were a much appreciated feature on two of the Toad bikes, but the other less fortunate Toad could not enjoy that luxury. At one point we stopped and doubled back about ten miles just to get a good picture of some waterfalls. Because of its magnitude it is hard to capture the scene in pictures. Our campsite was a KOA in Winthrop, and this would be our third night of tenting since no camping cabins were available. Accommodations are tight right now due to Sturgis and a Canadian holiday. After setting up camp, we headed into Winthrop for some grubb (that is western lingo for food). We ended up at the Duck, which had outdoor seating, but it was a late supper. Heading back to the campground Uncle Eddie stopped at the post office to mail his application for a doe permit in PA this fall. We have to admit that the guy is prepared. It was a cold night, but the Toads were prepared.
8/2/08
Leaving Winthrop behind we headed to the Grand Coulee Dam. The weather has been great for riding, which is unusual for the high plains. It is usually stinking hot, but with low humidity. In fact the campground manager last night told us that it is only 7%. The Grand Coulee Dam, the biggest generator of electicity in the U.S., is 1 mile across the breast and is as high as the Space Needle in Seattle. On this leg of the trip we found gas availability to be a problem. Uncle Eddie had filled up in Winthrop the night before, but the Beemers had to stretch the tanks to 240 miles. Actually, it turned out to be not that much of a stretch as we had a gallon and a half left when we found fuel. The rest of the day was uneventful, but we are tenting again tonight. We are getting good at setting up and breaking camp. See you tomorrow.
Friday, August 1, 2008
7/30/08
Our exit from the Super 8 Motel started ominously when Queen Bee dropped her suitcase down the stairs and bent the telescoping handle, which no longer functions that way. No pun intended, but she was as mad as a hornet. Finesse not being a word in his vocabulary, Bear jammed the handle back down as far as it would go, which was not all of the way. So, we may need to visit the Harley shop to get the thing fixed. The weather was looking like rain, so whoever needed it, donned rain gear and we headed out. It turns out that the rain held off for most of the day although we did run into a sprinkle before the next hotel. A casino stop was in order this day to satisfy the fix needed by Mary P. Uncle Eddie sat on a bench drinking coffee while Stinger read a magazine. Since we didn't make reservations for the ferry to Whidbey Island out of Port Townsend, we had to drive down to the ferry that left Kingston for Edmonds, WA. Kingston was farther south and little did we know that it would put us in heavy traffic. Trying to avoid the congestion on I5 we decided to go north on WA9. Bad idea. Gailbird's GPS took us through neighborhoods that haven't seen any tourists, ever, but not to 9. After driving around in what was in fact circles, Bear took over with his GPS. Well, we found 9, but also a lot of congestion. Losing patience with that we headed for the freeway and more congestion. Finally arriving at the hotel I looked at the odometer, which read 140 miles, our shortest leg of this trip so far. However, it felt more like 500 miles. After unpacking, Jackie and I met our good friends, Penne and Steve Sakuma for supper at Bob's Burgers next door to the hotel, and everyone else headed for a casino. This was a great place to eat, and afterwards we went back to their house for strawberry/blueberry/raspberry short cake, fruit straight from the farm, and their unmatched hospitality. It was like home away from home. I met Penne and Steve when we were in the Army 34 years ago. Penne used to feel sorry for a starving 2nd Lt and would invite me for dinner quite often. She is the quintessential chef and hostess. Steve has been the CEO of Sakuma Bros Farms, specializing in blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, since retiring from the service in 1996.
7/31/08
This was our first day off the bikes in a while. After breakfast Steve picked us up at the hotel and gave us a tour of the farm. Uncle Eddie and Mary P hadn't seen the farm before, but for the rest of us, it was our second tour. We always look forward to these tours because we get to eat blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries straight off the vine. For lunch we went to the farm store and Steve treated us to whatever ice cream we wanted. In the afternoon we came back and rested for a while trying to build an appetite because we were invited to Penne and Steve's house for dinner along with their children, grandchildren and Steve's mom. It was a great time had by all, and as usual, Penne cooked up a meal that was out of this world. We topped that off with more shortcake, so the Toads have built up a store of fat for the ride home. Thank you Penne and Steve. All of us appreciated the great hospitality, and the chance to get together, which doesn't happen often enough.
8/1/08
Another day off the bikes saw us take the train to Seattle for a quick tour of the city and a couple of activities we always wanted to do like riding in the Duck Boats and touring the underground. In its early history Seattle has had issues with plumbing because it sits close to sea level. We learned that the city was founded by a doctor who modeled its development after Cleveland, OH, his previous home, and that 33 blocks of it burned down in 1889. The city was rebuilt, but the requirement was that the buildings be made of brick and mortar instead of wood. The city wanted to raise the level of the streets from 10 to 30 feet to solve the drainage problem, but the merchants didn't want to wait the eleven years it would take to do it. So the city gave them the ok to go ahead and rebuild observing the brick and mortar requirement, and then told them they would be building the streets up to the level previously mentioned. That is what they did so the second floor of the merchant establishments were now at street level, but the sidewalks were at the original level. Because they ran out of money, the city provided ladders to get up and down to the sidewalks to cross the street for two years. Finally, they filled in the gaps next to the buildings covering the sidewalks and building new ones right up to the second floor. The duck boat tour was really good too. We got a tour of the city on land and water by a US Coast Guard Captain. These duck boats are converted amphibious landing craft used by the military. The water version was the highlight of the tour when we went out on Lake Union in the middle of the city. Lake Union is the busiest lake in the U.S. Float planes are constantly flying in and out while the lake is being used by kayakers, skullers, house boats, police boats, duck boats, and private boats and commercial shipping. This is not a big lake. There was a bit of tension when the wipers failed on the boat (it started to rain) and the tour guide/driver tried to fix it, but to no avail. The issue was making the last train back to Burlington. However, the rain let up and he got us back to the monorail so we could made the connection.
Our exit from the Super 8 Motel started ominously when Queen Bee dropped her suitcase down the stairs and bent the telescoping handle, which no longer functions that way. No pun intended, but she was as mad as a hornet. Finesse not being a word in his vocabulary, Bear jammed the handle back down as far as it would go, which was not all of the way. So, we may need to visit the Harley shop to get the thing fixed. The weather was looking like rain, so whoever needed it, donned rain gear and we headed out. It turns out that the rain held off for most of the day although we did run into a sprinkle before the next hotel. A casino stop was in order this day to satisfy the fix needed by Mary P. Uncle Eddie sat on a bench drinking coffee while Stinger read a magazine. Since we didn't make reservations for the ferry to Whidbey Island out of Port Townsend, we had to drive down to the ferry that left Kingston for Edmonds, WA. Kingston was farther south and little did we know that it would put us in heavy traffic. Trying to avoid the congestion on I5 we decided to go north on WA9. Bad idea. Gailbird's GPS took us through neighborhoods that haven't seen any tourists, ever, but not to 9. After driving around in what was in fact circles, Bear took over with his GPS. Well, we found 9, but also a lot of congestion. Losing patience with that we headed for the freeway and more congestion. Finally arriving at the hotel I looked at the odometer, which read 140 miles, our shortest leg of this trip so far. However, it felt more like 500 miles. After unpacking, Jackie and I met our good friends, Penne and Steve Sakuma for supper at Bob's Burgers next door to the hotel, and everyone else headed for a casino. This was a great place to eat, and afterwards we went back to their house for strawberry/blueberry/raspberry short cake, fruit straight from the farm, and their unmatched hospitality. It was like home away from home. I met Penne and Steve when we were in the Army 34 years ago. Penne used to feel sorry for a starving 2nd Lt and would invite me for dinner quite often. She is the quintessential chef and hostess. Steve has been the CEO of Sakuma Bros Farms, specializing in blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, since retiring from the service in 1996.
7/31/08
This was our first day off the bikes in a while. After breakfast Steve picked us up at the hotel and gave us a tour of the farm. Uncle Eddie and Mary P hadn't seen the farm before, but for the rest of us, it was our second tour. We always look forward to these tours because we get to eat blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries straight off the vine. For lunch we went to the farm store and Steve treated us to whatever ice cream we wanted. In the afternoon we came back and rested for a while trying to build an appetite because we were invited to Penne and Steve's house for dinner along with their children, grandchildren and Steve's mom. It was a great time had by all, and as usual, Penne cooked up a meal that was out of this world. We topped that off with more shortcake, so the Toads have built up a store of fat for the ride home. Thank you Penne and Steve. All of us appreciated the great hospitality, and the chance to get together, which doesn't happen often enough.
8/1/08
Another day off the bikes saw us take the train to Seattle for a quick tour of the city and a couple of activities we always wanted to do like riding in the Duck Boats and touring the underground. In its early history Seattle has had issues with plumbing because it sits close to sea level. We learned that the city was founded by a doctor who modeled its development after Cleveland, OH, his previous home, and that 33 blocks of it burned down in 1889. The city was rebuilt, but the requirement was that the buildings be made of brick and mortar instead of wood. The city wanted to raise the level of the streets from 10 to 30 feet to solve the drainage problem, but the merchants didn't want to wait the eleven years it would take to do it. So the city gave them the ok to go ahead and rebuild observing the brick and mortar requirement, and then told them they would be building the streets up to the level previously mentioned. That is what they did so the second floor of the merchant establishments were now at street level, but the sidewalks were at the original level. Because they ran out of money, the city provided ladders to get up and down to the sidewalks to cross the street for two years. Finally, they filled in the gaps next to the buildings covering the sidewalks and building new ones right up to the second floor. The duck boat tour was really good too. We got a tour of the city on land and water by a US Coast Guard Captain. These duck boats are converted amphibious landing craft used by the military. The water version was the highlight of the tour when we went out on Lake Union in the middle of the city. Lake Union is the busiest lake in the U.S. Float planes are constantly flying in and out while the lake is being used by kayakers, skullers, house boats, police boats, duck boats, and private boats and commercial shipping. This is not a big lake. There was a bit of tension when the wipers failed on the boat (it started to rain) and the tour guide/driver tried to fix it, but to no avail. The issue was making the last train back to Burlington. However, the rain let up and he got us back to the monorail so we could made the connection.
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