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.