Day 09 - Red Lodge, MT to Jackson Lake Lodge, Grand Teton NP

Listening to the news we were a little worried as we pulled out in the morning. The forecast was for scattered thunder storms and we were planning to ride over Bear Tooth Highway Pass at 10,947 feet, and I had heard the road was under some heavy construction…Turned out the weather gods were with us and with the construction halted for the holiday weekend we ended up having a fantastic ride over.

The views from the road up were so spectacular you could hardly your eyes on the road to make the next 20 mph turn up the switch backs. About 15 – 20 Miles from Red Lodge there an overlook that affords all the views you were trying to see while craning your neck and trying not to ride off the edge… =P

As we neared the top we found ourselves leaving Montana and venturing into Wyoming. There was
construction at the top but the construction areas, mostly dirt and thin asphalt were hard packed and dry. The view from the top was worth any inconvenience! Glaciated mountain tops, crystal clear pools of glacier water, and miles of spectacular scenery to either side made me wish we had more time to spend maybe exploring a little. But this was just the beginning of our day.

As we descended the switch back mountain road turned into one with comfortable sweeping corners that was actually quite fun to ride. We found a small waterfall at the side if the road and stopped for a quick picture. Just before the road entered Yellowstone we found ourselves winding just slightly back in Montana for a few miles but that would not last long.

We entered Yellowstone at the North East Gate where we had been warned of more construction but they had all but lined the black top in this area so there was nothing of note.

Not long after entering we got our first glimpse of herds of Bison off in the distance. The vast plains by the gate are inviting to many herds but we were a little late in the day to see more then just the Bison and a small group of Pronghorn.

Our first stop in the park would be the northern falls of the park then on to Mammoth Hot Springs .

A few Bison thought we were going to fast so they decided to take traffic matters into their own hands. The first never did get out of the way so much as he moved over slightly and let us pass. 2 more later were spooked by a large delivery truck and went rambling off the road in a panic.

After the Bison we thought the bikes needed a quick cleaning so we found and afternoon storm complete with hail. It was really not that bad since the weather was somewhat warm, I had my rain jacket on, and it only lasted maybe 3 -4 minutes.

Stopping at Mammoth Hot Springs was our first experience with the geothermal aspect of the park. It was really amazing to see how the heated water, bacteria, and minerals interacted to create a weird and wonderful landscape. I thing what struck me most was the way it seemed to be consuming the area around it. A fine twig of plant lands in the water and it is covered in what looks like crystals in no time. Tree tops (dead) of trees once 30 feet high stick out of the area maybe 4 – 6 feet.

We then ventured down to Norris Geyser Basin where we took a short tour of some smaller geysers like Showboat which erupts in rapid succession (though can have a huge eruption every 4 – 6 years). We also saw one that erupts when it feels like it…it was not erupting for us. There was a longer walk there but it was getting late, the skies were looking more ominous, and we wanted to get to the hotel so we headed toward the hotel.

On the way to the hotel below the park we passed Virginia Cascades, Yellowstone Lake, and several features and water falls we would not get back too on this trip, because to the south we found more construction and that would impede or trip some.

Just below the southern gate we found ourselves in a light rain. It appeared from the skies that we had managed to miss a larger rain that had pushed through earlier. Getting dark from the clouds as well as the waning evening sun we found ourselves on 6 miles of dirt, mud, and gravel.

The road construction had been halted for the holiday weekend but the road was not in prime motorcycle riding condition by any stretch of the imagination. What might have been an OK but rough road dry was a slimy mess for our crossing. Nothing like feeling a 900 lb bike fish tailing along in the mud and gravel, its enough to make you chant “OH CRAP, OH CRAP” in a stronger language over and over. To me it was right down scary…even Brad was not feeling great about needing to cross it to get back into the park the next day. Our feeling was if it’s going to rain we would skip the rest of the park completely rather then brave that road wet again.

Arriving at Jackson Lake Lodge we were right down exhausted from our ride out of the park. We found the restaurant(s) had a quick meal, which was the usual expensive crappy park food, and headed to bed.

Day 08 - Great Falls, Montana to Red Lodge, Montana

We left Great Falls, Montana this morning with little thought of seeing much more then the rolling farmland we had seen the previous day. Boy, were we wrong!

We did start the day with the rolling farm land but within only about 20 miles we unexpectedly dropped into what I could only think of as a big crack in the earth. Instead of going up or having the hills rise above us we rode down into a valley with the flat plains above.

We saw a sign

for an overlook at Sluice Boxes State Park which gave a view of a deep an lovely canyon. After getting back on the road the number of conifers increased and we found ourselves not on the straight plains roads but rather winding through beautiful forests and hills beside a tumbling river.

Reaching Interstate 90 which cuts through the southern portion of the state we found ourselves in a mix of plains and mountains. At one point we traveled though a fire along the highway (sorry no pictures).

Turning south on MT 78 toward Red Lodge, Montana and our stop for the night we rode happily on a winding road with a view of the Bear Tooth Mountains over which we plan to travel tomorrow.

The view with the clouds and the sun peaking through was awesome.

Arriving in Red Lodge we met up with a friend we met online a year ago. He had planned on riding out to the Shasta Rally last year but was stopped by snow on the passes near his home. It was great to be able to ride near him and finally meet! We had a good visit and good food then parted for the evening.


 

Tonight I booked the Yodeler Motel with a European style steam bath in the room…I thought it would be interesting? But turned out I couldn’t breath well and had to shut it off…sigh. Oh well…

Day 07 - Waterton National Park, Canada to Great Falls, Montana

Where to start! Is it’s been a busy couple of days with soooo many things to share. I’ve uploaded a load of new pictures to http://picasaweb.google.com/BradnBev/Vacation2009. I had to split this into 2 blogs so be sure to read Day 06 if you missed it!

Starting the day out at the Prince of Wales Hotel we hid in the covers a bit not wanting to get out of bed. The view was great, the bed was comfy and after riding for 6 days straigt we were understandably a bit in need of just vacationing...even for just an hour.

After finally getting going I was standing by the window looking over at the far shore when I saw something out in the water just a bit...I was thinking bear but it was way too big. It moved back up on shore and we were able to determine it was a moose! It decided it wanted to be on our side of the lake so it just swam across and it did it in short order. (Fun Fact: Brad saw a sign that says a moose can swim 6 mph across a body of water) Soon we found it was a female moose and was just below our room. She was scared off by the folks on the lower level but it was our first moose sighting.

Leaving Waterton Lakes National Parks, Canada we headed for the US border and into Montana. Our first destination for the day would be Glacier National Park.

The eastern entrance to the park was chilly, windy, and initially threatened by clouds. But all of that soon cleared as we started moving in to the park. Since we are on bikes we can’t really read the map, so sometimes we would be past a stop before we would see the sign. So though we could see the sight form the road picture some opportunities were definitely missed.

After stopping to see Jackson Glacier we headed to the west side of the park where there was a lot of construction on the 1000 foot down hill decent. We hit every thing from small patches of gravel to large sections of dirt and a bit of mud but, all in all, the ride on “Going to the Sun Road” was both beautiful and memorable.

We thought about re-riding the “Going to the Sun Road” from west to east and stopping at the places we missed but with the construction we thought better of it and headed east via US 2 which follows the bottom of the park, not the same view but scenic.

We entered Browning, Montana in the Blackfeet Nation right as the school buses began running. So we stopped several times for the children to cross the street. Once out of town the road opened up to long stretches of open rolling hills and plains.

I almost scared Brad to death by coming to a quick halt (something I rarely do) so I could stop and view some statues signifying the Blackfeet Nation. I had seen some up by Browning but missed them so I was glad for a second set. Taking a closer look we were amazed to find out the statues were made from old car parts…they were really neat to look at in person.

The road in to Great Falls was long and straight then turned to some nice winding sections and back to long and straight. We got in earlier then expected….


Tomorrow is a “Travel” day. No major stops or sights as we head to Red Lodge, Montana and prepare to head over Beartooth Pass and into Yellowstone.

Days 06 – Nelson, BC, Canada to Waterton National Park, Alberta Canada

We started off the day with a bit of clouds hanging over head. I looked out the window of the hotel at what was the funniest view from a “lake view” room I think I have ever had, and saw clouds looming on the horizon. The Canadian version of The Weather Channel was saying the rain was really going to stay a bit farther west for the most part and we should be heading into clear weather.

When we got on the bikes to ride out to the ferry we got a few drops of rain but it looked like it was clearing as we were waiting for the ferry.

The Ferry ride was really great. The only other ferry I had been on with the bike was a little 3 car ferry in Newport Beach a year or so ago, I remember having to hold up the bike. I was excited to be taking the bike on a bigger ferry. The ride across was beautiful. A kind gentleman explained how to pronounce Kootenay, a little about the ferry, her captain, and the lake. It turns out the Kootenay Ferry is the longest inland water ferry crossing in North America. The ferry is also used twice a week to feed the shrimp, which feed the land locked salmon, which feed the Kokanee (which he described as a very large trout that live very deep in the lake).
Once on the other side we were pleasantly surprised to find a nice winding road that followed the lake down to Creston, BC, Canada. At that time we had to leave the Selkirk International Loop (http://www.selkirkloop.org/) which we had joined in Idaho.

Thinking our day was going to be nothing but good going forward we headed across southern Canada toward Waterton Lakes National Park (the Canadian side of Glacier National Park) in Alberta, Canada. About half way to Cranbrook, BC, Canada I turned 20,000 miles on the bike. 

We stopped in the town of Cranbrook for gas and to visit the Harley Dealer. While getting gas we saw the rain coming in…sure enough we got a quick down pour while in the dealer. We talked to a couple of guys that had come from the direction we were headed and they said it was all good that way. As you can see from the picture that was not exactly true…It rained for about 1 ½ hours…it was decently warm and we were wearing proper clothing so we were undaunted.

As we crossed into Alberta, Canada the scenery on the 3 was spectacular. Then as we neared Waterton Lakes the scenery turned to low rolling farm land with strong winds. The large electric generating windmills makes me think that those winds are very common in that area.

Arriving at Waterton Lakes National Park the Prince of Wales Hotel was everything I had read. Our room was on the 5th floor. The elevator was very small and only went to the 4th floor, when we came in with our bags the gentleman that ran the elevator was off giving a tour so we toted them up ALL 5 floors…boy are we out of shape! The room was roomier then I expected and the bed and linens were awesome since we have been spending the night at not so elegant hotels.

The real reason for all the $$ and hassle of getting this room was right out side the window. The view was awesome. The windows are not huge but there was a door that led to the balcony, also known as the fire escape. We sat there marveling for a bit and taking picture after picture. Then the wind started…it was very strong and even just opening the door to get back in the room could be a challenge!

We decided it was time to eat and tried the main dining room. Nothing like having gourmet food in biker gear! The windows were larger and we were able to watch the sunset wile we dined.

Thought the wind howled all night, I guess we were used to it from home winds, and managed a really good nights sleep.

Day 05 - Ritzville, WA to Nelson, BC, Canada

Today was planned to be a somewhat short day so we slept in and rolled out around 10 am.

First place we rolled through was Spokane, Wa.  We stopped by the local Harley Dealer only to find that thier inventory was frozen and they could not sell or do anything. We encountered thier another dealership in the same state in Kennewick.  Evidaently there is another also owned by the same owner in another city and one of them will be closed.  Guess the big Harley buying boom is over....Dealships seem to be dropping like flies...

We did modify our trip just a bit to roll into Idaho to visit Lone Wolf HD (Figured they would have nice shirts..Then we got back on track by taking ID State Hwy North to WA Hwy 20 and WA Hwy 31to the Canadian Border.

Begining on WA Hwy 20 we were traveling on a Scenic Byway called the International Selkirk Loop.  Scenic is definately the word for it.  It follows a river and meanders ever upward into Canada.  Once there the loop continues by talking a ferry across a lake then downward back into Idaho.  We will be riding only a portion of the downward portion of the loop since we will turn off and travel across more of Canada to get to the Northern portion of Glacier NP (Called Waterton NP in Canada.

We entered Canada just below Nelson, British Columba. Stopping at the Best Western in Nelson (which had the best parking) I was very happy when the lady at the counter said I would get a lake view room!  Then a bit disappointed when it turned out the lake view is a sliver of the lake through houses and cables.

We did find Nelson to be a quaint town.  It seems it is popular to sit outside in what sort of look like sidewalk cafes.  But the sidewalk is between the setting area and the eatery...a little odd but it was a nice place to sit and enjoy some local foods and culture. 

Tomorrow we head to Waterton NP (Glacier NP).  It's about 300 miles...we've decided to get an early start so we can get there at a decently early hour. We will definately not have internet connection tomorrow night.  So I'll get back to blogging in a few days....  Type at you later!!

Note: as with yesterday I have upload some new pictures to http://picasaweb.google.com/BradnBev/Vacation2009

Days 03 and 04 on the road...

Last night I just didn't wan to pay the $$ for the internet while staying in our swank Motel 6 room. So here I sit trying to catch up on the blog before we are out of contact for several days in Canada and National Parks.

The good news is I did get to stop by a Fred Myer (a interesting mix of Grocery, apparel, and home stuff like home electronics) and I found a card reader that would work with the work laptop so I can add pictures now! I’ve also uploaded more pictures to our Picasa albums….just go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/BradnBev/Vacation2009

Day 03 - Crescent City, CA to Portland, OR

I was awakened in at the Best Western in Crescent City, CA by the fog horns droning at a bout 5 am but managed to nod back off until 6:30…it was overcast and a bit drizzly. After a quick breakfast we were on the road. It was still in the lower 50’s and drizzling when we left.

After crossing over the Oregon Border we didn’t see the sun until after 10 AM it was almost getting depressing!

There were times we would look toward the ocean and see nothing but white fog, but at other times we saw just a glimpse of what I have to believe was gorgeous coastline.

Undaunted by the fog we headed ever north.  As the sun started to clear the glimpses of coastline and our souround road was opening up....we were very glad to be on the coast of Oregon.

We left the coast as Lincoln City to cut across to Portland.  We would miss the coast...it was impressive enough for us to long to live there a bit but we had more to see and friends to meet.

Due to some road construction we ended up arriving in Portland a bit later then we expected.

We checked into the Portland Motel 6 and met our friends Jen and Dynabagger (JD) at a local brewery and dinner spot.  We got to try new beers, new types of pizza and had a great time!




Day 04 - Portland, OR to Ritzville, WA

We started the day with a good breakfast and ride with our friends.  Did I mention Jen and JD own a Cafe?  The best one in Portland!  It's called the Morning Star Cafe.  Best gravy I have ever tasted as a cafe.  We stopped there for Breakfast and had some fun...

Don't panic! Brad was takin gthe picture and Jen was keeping a good eye while thier friend Scott just shook thier head and smiled.  It was all in fun.

After breakfast it was time to head to the Columbia River Gorge.  It got a little wet on the way but everyone held in there through it.

I am tell you now, that if you have never been there it is definately a place you need to put on your list!   It was simply an amazing ride with beautiful sights! and some awesome water falls.

We spent some time taking it in but alas we had to part after lunch and head NE toward our end point of Ritzville, Wa.

We crossed the Columbia river finding ourselves on the Lewis and Clark Highway (14).  That too was a beautiful ride.  What I think was so surprising is the abrupt change from lush green forest to High Desert. It was a striking difference.

We were also amazed by the sheer number of wind/kite surfers on the river.  It was like hundreds of little water bugs running around the top of the water.  I had heard it was quite windy but never expected that.

With the scenery change the weather changed to dry and hot.  We stopped for a quick ice cream at a McDonald's in Kennewick, WA then pushed through to our destination....from high desert plateaus and Cliffs to golden rolling hills dotted by hugh farms. 

We stopped in Ritzville, WA smack dab in the middle of those rolling hills not sure what we would find.  The Best Westren here is top notch, the taco place next door not bad, and there is gas on the corner.  And we were able to get our laundry done. BUT the best part was this:

Ok folks  I need to hit the sack!  We head into Canada tomorrow so I am unsure what if any connection I will have through Friday Night...especially in the National Park on Thursday..I'll get back to blogging as soon as I can....See you in a couple of days!

Not the most graceful of beginings-- but we are on our way

Day 01 - Simi Valley to San Francisco Area

We seemed to get started OK. We were up and out right about on time, but 10 miles down the road Bev realized the front tire was just too warn and loaded the bike had a 40 mph front good end wobble. Of course it's Saturday and first dealer did not have time for a tire but Santa Barbara HD was able to squeeze us in so a bit over an hour late we were back on the road.

Figuring we were late we decided to skip the coast road and go straight up the 101. It was a pretty warm ride to begin with and when we stopped in Atascadero, CA the temperature was 108!  50 miles later we were sitting in a Carl's junior trying to cool down...the bike wasn't over heating but I sure was!  I was totally flush so Brad was putting cold clothes on the back of my neck to cool me down...I dug out my cooling vest (a vest you soak in water to help cool you in the heat) and wrapped a cold bandana around my neck.  Off we went again finally arriving at Rubarb's about 5:30 ish.

Spending time with Rhubarb, his lovely wife, and new sweety little angel Sophie was great.  We had a really nice dinner (for some reason the salad was awesome -- we wanted more tonight). We chatted for a long time and then realized it was late and needed to head to bed.

Day 02 - San Francisco Area to Crescent City, CA

Day two started with a great breakfast with the gang from The Ride Central at Peg's in Martinez, CA.  I can attest to the fact that they have a good Spanish Omelet!  After breakfast we were escorted north by the gang for 50 - 70 miles.  As the guys pulled away we continued north heading for Crescent City.

About 50 miles later I had to scratch my eyes...my sunglasses cought the wind and off they went!  They landed right in the center of the road the promptly hit by the cars behind me.  I had gotten these somewhat glasses for free (long story)...after 2 days they are gone...sigh.  Thank god I was carrying extra's.

Once in the Humboldt  Redwoods we headed through the Avenue of  the Giants.  It's always humbling to ride though these majestic trees. 

Making a left through Humboldt Redwoods on Bull Creek Road we wound our way though the great redwoods and up over the coastal mountains to California's "Lost Coast". the ride was teeth rattling in a few places. , so rough that biker teddy jumped right out of his pocket in the rear bag and was just hanging there! He's so brave...! There were 3 short dirt/gravel areas to cross, but all in all I thought the road was in decent condition. We dropped down onto the coastal road to find the marine layer beginning to roll in and chocking off the road ahead of us. The weather went from 80's and 90s in the Humboldt Redwoods to 54 degrees in the foggy, damp, windy, and cool ride back out to the 101. (About this point I stopped taking pictures due to the fog)

On we went to the north on the 101, though the Northern Redwoods. We saw several Bull Elk along the sides of the road with huge full racks of antlers. We also enjoyed a recommended ride on Nelson Drury Scenic Parkway which sported more large groves of the majestic Redwood Trees.

We finally arrived at Crescent City just before dark...a bit cold and hungry but definitely no worse for wear....

Unfortunately it turns out the card reader I brought for the pictures is not working. I promise to update with pictures as soon as I can find a card reader...

That's it for tonight...tomorrow we head to Portland, Oregon.