Itinerary Changes - An Untimely Death In Our Extended Family

It is with great sadness that we learned Thursday (September 24) that Neal's best friend since 2nd grade -- a guy who felt like another son to Deb and me -- died following facial reconstructive surgery required by Iraq war injuries that had left him blind 3 years ago. More details than I have time to write are in this news story . What can't be overstated is his incredibly inspiring resolve in dealing with his blindness -- dealing with his new challenges with an amazing upbeat/positive attitude as exemplified by his climbing Mt. Rainier. After returning from Iraq, he quickly adjusted to blindness, went on to marry his girlfriend and settle into a meaningfully productive life in Phoenix, AZ. They just announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago. The surgery was another in a series he has needed to deal with the complications of the injury in his facial and sinus areas. We only have incomplete information about what went wrong.

So, this blog will be interrupted for a week as Debbie, Neal, Anna and I have made plans to travel to Phoenix for the services. Further consideration of this motorcycle trip will be delayed for the week -- and I'll be assessing both the weather and personal needs/desires as to whether to continue the trip after the week delay and consider one of the many other options (leaving bike here, shipping it home, continuing as previously planned, etc.). For right now -- whether or not to continue the trip seems like the most unimportant thing -- as it should. I'll update the blog when I know more -- probably not until Saturday, October 3.

Day 19 (Sept 22) - East Bound Trip Completed

My only goal for the day was to end the east bound portion of trip across the USA in Williamsburg, VA -- and I accomplished that along with a lunch in Virginia Beach, Virginia with friend and priest that married Deb and I. It took a bunch of freeway travel to accomplish it -- as Virginia Beach is about 55 miles beyond Williamsburg on my route from the Richmond, VA area -- but by early afternoon I arrived in Williamsburg. Here are a few stats of my entire trip:

Total Distance Travelled: 4145 miles

Total Moving Time (in saddle): 80 hours, 49 minutes.

Number of States on Route: 12 (WA, OR, ID, UT, WY, CO, KS, MO, IL, KY, WV, VA)

I haven't figured the gas bill up yet but the bike averages 40 mpg -- and assuming a $2.50 per gallon average - the total for gas should be around $260.

Following is the actual GPS track of the entire route along with an altitude profile of the trip -- with links to larger images of each:

Click here for a larger image of this map.

This following chart shows the actual elevations of the route. Reading left to right, it shows that the trip started out at about sea level -- and as I traveled, I continued to climb -- reaching the highest elevation above 12000 feet at Independence Pass, Colorado. Thereafter, I was back pretty much at sea level until reaching the hills of West Virginia and Virginia.

Click here for a larger image of this chart.

I'll be staying here in Williamsburg with Neal/Anna for a few days. I haven't yet decided when I'll begin the return trip, but I have a service scheduled for the bike at a nearby Honda dealer. It should be mentioned that the bike had no problems or issues -- the service is just for routine maintenance. The only equipment failures during the trip were:

1. In my search for what felt like a bug in my helmet, I pulled a speaker wire in my helmet loose (fixed as noted in the blog for around $14)

2. The lock on the cable lock used to secure my helmet to the bike failed. A better replacement cost $10.

3. The handheld air compressor I brought on the trip failed (after 9 years of use). I found a similarly sized replacement on special for $7.

4. A piece of tape came loose from inside my helmet (where it secured a microphone wire) and attached itself to my forehead (as blogged about!)

Day 18 (Sept 21) - Almost Heaven West Virginia and Virginia

After a couple days off the road enjoying family in WV, today I got to a few of the many wild, wonderful motorcycle roads that WV and VA have to offer. I got a little wet early in the ride, but before long I was enjoying great rides -- wonderful curves in tunnels of beautiful fall colors with almost no traffic. The route I took doesn't look efficient for getting from A to B -- but it wasn't intended to -- it was just fun and beautiful. I even added in a section of the well-known Skyline Parkway in the Shenandoah National Park. After most of the day on curves, I jumped on an interstate for the final 60 or so miles to stay at Deb's sister/brother-in-law's place in the rural suburbs of Richmond, VA.

The most humorous moment of the day was my lunch stop in a small Virginia town called Monterey where I found a great little cafe. When I walked in, a few folks looked at me a little oddly -- and I just dismissed the glances as disapproval of either the big yellow "School Bus" that I just parked -- or my obvious motorcycle apparel. When I sat down, I rubbed my forehead and off came a piece of black tape that had previously been holding wire INSIDE my helmet. Instantly I knew the reason for the odd looks. It had to be the motorcycling equivalent of leaving the restroom with toilet paper stuck and trailing from your shoe. It did give me a good laugh wondering what the restaurant folks must have been thinking. After all, it's not everyday that one sees black electrical tape used for a forehead injury!

An Op-Ed On Group Riding

This morning I learned about an motorcycle accident in the Oregon that wiped out around 26 motorcycles on Friday. Maybe some of you have heard about it as well. A link to a news story is here. I have a couple opinions/thoughts/reactions I'd like to share: (1) Although I participated in some large group rides when I first got back into biking and enjoyed the social part of the outings, I never enjoyed the riding part because I consider them unsafe unless the riders were adequately and properly separated in a staggered formation -- something that seldom happened in practice. In fact, many groups ride side by side rather than staggered -- which in my opinion is a recipe for the kind of disaster that happened in Oregon. (2) In my experience, motorcycle riders tend to not "ride their own ride" when riding in large groups -- and let group dynamics (peer pressure) dominate decision making in all ride issues (speed, spacing, alcohol use). Of course I don't know the exact circumstances of this 26 bike accident -- but I can make some reasonable guesses, given the time of day and other judgment failures in spacing and speed. Reading this article reinforces my view that group riding is not for me and reminds me of a posting I made last year about some of the many differences among motorcyclists. The news article seems to indicate that these were "chopper" riders -- not sport or touring riders.

Days 15, 16, 17 - Kentucky Rain and Family Time In West Virginia

Day 15 (Friday, Sept 18) brought the first serious rain of the trip, and as expected, the rain put a definite damper on the fun for for a while. Although the cover that I carry/use kept the bike pretty dry overnight -- I still had to load up and depart the hotel in the rain. It did cross my mind to just wait out the rain -- but I was committed to arriving at Deb's Dad's house in West Virginia in time for a family reunion of her relatives. So, I put on all my rain gear and headed out into the dreary morning with plenty of ground level fog.

I stayed on my planned backroad route for quite a while -- and learned quickly that neither my gloves nor my overpants (complete with the rain liner but previously untested) were adequate for the drenching. The going was slow and challenging. In addition, the backroad routing kept speeds down (as cars around me slowed) and that added to to the discomfort as sometimes there wasn't sufficient speed to keep my helmet visor clear. So, it didn't take long before I routed myself onto an interstate where I could gobble up miles safer and faster.

I ended up doing about 100 miles on the interstate as the weather finally started to clear and when it did I decided to go back to my original plans when I crossed into West Virginia. I quickly found alternate backroads and enjoyed the last 70 miles on some fantastically fun, curvy WV backroads.

It was great fun to arrive in WV and be with Deb again after 15 days apart -- and that evening Neal and Anna arrived for the family reunion on Saturday. Saturday and Sunday were full of lots of fun family time and good food.

Current plans call for me to continue on toward Williamsburg, VA in the next day or two -- but it looks like I'll be riding in more rain -- which means more freeway time. The adventure continues.

Day 14 - Skirting the Rain in Kentucky

The little Wickliffe Motel was a perfect place for this weary traveler and it's $35 rate (tax included), free wireless, comfortable recliner and parking within an arm's reach of the door -- well, it was my kind of place when traveling by motorcycle. So, with a great night's rest, I was ready for today -- the first day of the trip that weather dictated a major change in plans.

My first stop though was to get a picture of city hall of the Kentucky city with the same name as my Washington hometown - La Center. Both cities share this history -- incorporated in early 1900's when founders believed they would continue as centers of commerce in the area. Neither one did. I happened to arrive at the city hall and was taking a picture when the Asst. Clerk of the City arrived at work -- and she graciously agreed to take my picture.

I had originally planned to visit the nearby scenic Land Between The Lakes and then proceed across the top of Tennessee however rain forecasts for southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee prompted me to have backup plans for more northernly routing after taking the scenic "Trace." And that's just what I did but not before running into a road/bridge closure that would require my second use of an interstate during this trip. I even stopped and tried to figure out an alternate routing -- but there was none and so I ended up taking another 4 miles of interstate.

I did ride though some light rain today in a couple different sections -- but nothing uncomfortable or serious (didn't even need to use my rain gear). The only other challenge I faced was in routing as there seemed to be no end to wonderful motorcycling backroads in every direction. This was also the first day of the trip that I had not pre-arranged where I would rest my head -- and that led to the condition that I've experience before --not knowing where to stop because I don't want to stop the fun of the roads. The GPS track of my routing certainly doesn't look like I took the most efficient path to my stopping point - Springfield, KY - but I sure enjoyed many wonderful roads as I put 311 miles on the bike today.

Tomorrow I set out for another stopping point - Deb's childhood home in West Virginia where her Dad, three of her sisters and a brother live. Plans are set for Deb to be there tomorrow as well -- she flew to Richmond, VA yesterday and is driving in with one of her sisters. Neal/Anna are arriving also as Deb's family has a reunion scheduled for Saturday.

Unfortunately, the forecast for tomorrow is for significant rain from where I am in Kentucky -- on in to West Virginia. I'm already making plans that may require me to jump on the straighter interstates in order to make the motorcycle travel easier in the rain. We'll see.

Days 12 &13 - Loved Missouri and Crossed The Mighty Mississippi

My second day in Osage Beach, MO (Tues., Sept 15) was spent just loafing and studying maps.

Then today (Wed. Sept 16) I put on another 293 miles on some wonderfully fun backroads across the rest of Missouri. Roads were curvy and in excellent condition and the day stayed sunny and warm (70's and low 80's). I was surprised at the cheap gas prices in Missouri -- as low as I have seen them at about $2.30 -- some 60 cents less a gallon than at home. I'd love to know why the huge price differences in gas -- it can't all be tax differences -- though it did cross my mind that gas companies just know they can get more in Oregon/Washington than in Missouri.

I have still been able to avoid Interstate freeways for all but the short ride crossing the Columbia River my first day -- and today I was particularly pleased to have routed myself over a Mississippi River crossing that was not an Interstate. The bridge connected Missouri to Southern Illinois where I jumped on the Great River Road scenic route and rode parallel to the Mississippi

to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and into Wickliffe, Kentucky. Interestingly, I am about 10 miles from the Kentucky town of "La Center" which I will pass through tomorrow.

Just before leaving Illinois, I went through a very depressing slum-like town called Cairo, IL that made me wonder what had caused the city and it's many business buildings to appear abandoned. In my internet search tonight I ran across another person's impressions that seemed to fit my feelings exactly when he/she wrote:

"Cairo Illinois is the strangest city on the river. It feels like you're visiting a motion picture set from the 1950s and all the actors, save a few strays, have cleared the streets to hide from some impending doom. You glance back over your shoulder expecting to see the alien spaceships begin their attack or a six story high praying mantis chewing on the power lines.

Cairo is a sad place. It really feels abandoned. The population is roughly 3000 which on face value seems like a healthy number, but the city was built to sustain a population five times larger. The buildings are still there, large stone banks, churches, and government buildings; grand in design, but with their promise unfulfilled. They look sad standing their abandoned."

More explanation and pictures are at the web site: -- it turns out that this once important city of 20,000 is now just a depressed slum in part because it is a "victim of the racial hatred its citizens could not overcome." The web site and wikipedia entry are interesting and sad. A sobering reminder that not all of the USA is scenic backroads and thriving communities with multiple Starbucks. Of course I knew that -- but this town is an "in-your-face" reminder.

All in all, another interesting day.

Day 11 - Making Kansas Fun and Back in the Curves in Missouri

It is said that Albert Einstein gave the definition of insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." And to keep myself from going insane, I decided to figure out some other way to proceed across the final stretch of flat, straight Kansas other than doing what I had been doing. My different plan was to plot a hand-picked route along backroads that proceed through small towns. The current state of GPS devices and mapping software presumes that we want to travel "fastest" or "shortest" -- and I wanted neither -- I just wanted a meandering route that would be interesting and "scenic" over the remaining 120 miles of Kansas into Missouri.

It was labor intensive to plot but the reward was definitely worth it. I not only enjoyed the interesting towns and the pace of the trip, but I was also treated to unexpected curves even if they were primarily just 90 degree turns as one east/west road would connect to a north/south and then again to an east/west. All in all, a very satisfying way to finish off Kansas on another perfect motorcycling day (mid 70's all day and overcast). I also got lucky again on my breakfast stop in one of the tiny hamlets and enjoyed 60 cent coffee and $2.60 for a pile of hashbrowns and eggs. Gotta love small town prices!

I was excited to see the Missouri state line where I was soon back to the fun roads. At first, most of the "curves" were just where the road went up and down like a rollercoaster. But even those were more interesting than flat/straight. The roads soon returned to curvy and fun the closer I got to my destination, a condo on the shore of the massive and beautiful Lake of the Ozarks.

Once again I had arranged to stay off the road a day here in Osage Beach, MO -- and when I saw the view from the condo, I wished I was staying a week or a month!

Day 10 - More Kansas: Not My Kind Of Ride

A summary: I'm having fun, seeing interesting people and places, and had another day of pretty wonderful weather BUT Kansas is no place for the kind of motorcycle riding that I like to do. For me, the fun, indeed the thrill, of riding a motorcycle is only in the curves. Sure I can and have written about the view and the smells but my own reality is that without the fun of the curves, I would not be riding a motorcycle. And, since the parts of Kansas that I'm traveling through do not seem to have ANY curves (or at least none that I can find), today was another day of garnering the fun from things OTHER than riding.

I did choose to ride one of the two "Most Scenic" Roads in Kansas (according to Reader's Digest) along the old Santa Fe Trail and greatly enjoyed a stop at Ford Larned National Historic Site, a preserved and reconstructed site of one of the original military posts to protect the commerce and travelers on the heavily used Trail.

I also passed through Kinsley, KS which claims to be the midpoint between San Francisco and New York:

This stop prompted me to do a little checking on how I'm doing on my trip between my home and my destination, Williamsburg, VA. As of tonight, in Emporia, KS (southwest of Kansas City) I am 1443 miles from home with 1066 miles to go (as a crow flies). The actual number of miles I've ridden so far is 2,386; Total Moving Time (time in seat): 45 hours, 18 minutes.

I've also uploaded a map that includes that exact GPS track I've taken so far. You can see it by clicking here.

Day 8 and 9 - The Best and the Worst

September 11, 2009

Dear Ms. Colorado:

Thank you for the many pleasures of caressing the lovely curves of your beauty. Every moment I got to spend with you was exciting as you took me to new heights of pleasure. Thanks too for wearing such stunning colors that accentuated your beauty. I'll look forward to the very next opportunity that our paths may cross.

Lovingly,

The School Bus

September 12, 2009

Dear Ms. Colorado:

Yesterday is only a faint memory. Today I learned that you can be just as gloomy as my usual girlfriend, Ms. Washington. And no, I don't think I needed to take a shower last night. The most positive thing I could say about our very hum-drum time together is that at least you smelled lots better than Ms. Kansas whom I visited this afternoon.

Moving On,

The School Bus

And least that's what I think School Bus would write. For my part, I now know first hand how different western and eastern Colorado are -- much like eastern/western Washington! There are so many fantastic motorcycle roads in western Colorado (west of Denver) that it was difficult to decide how to route myself through the state. I finally settled on a north/south route called "Top of The Rockies" and was treated to fantastic roads on a fantastically beautiful day. I even added an extra 60 miles to my route to take a well-worth-it round trip to the top of Independence Pass (especially appropriate considering the 9/11 day, I think) and the Continental Divide.

I awoke on Sept 12 to find my bike wet from an overnight shower and with forecasts of adverse weather for the now very straight ride through eastern Colorado and into Kansas. There seems to be no avoiding the boringly straight roads to get through Kansas and though I have continued to successfully avoid interstates, today it was the riding equivalent to interstates except for the tremendous air pressure visited on the bike by every semi passing in the opposite direction. Although the ride was straight and boring, I found much to be entertained by in the towns that I passed through and stops that I made. My favorite was watching a woman at a rest stop set her burning cigarette on the walkway into the restroom and picking it up again when she exited, continuing to smoke it. I also got a good laugh out of the only "Overlook" in Kansas that I've come across -- and the pull off was so one could "overlook" a stock yard. And there is no need for an overlook for just one -- there are MANY on the route -- the smells of which were with me most of the day.

My second equipment malfunction started the day when my handheld air compressor decided that it had reached the end of its life (not bad for a $15 purchase 9 years ago when I got back into biking). And if the cold, gloomy weather wasn't enough punishment, I also happened to pick a Mexican place for lunch that turned out to be a bad choice. But hey, I knew every day wouldn't be like the day in the Colorado Rockies or the Idaho Sawtooth. And, thankfully, I only got a light dusting of rain early in the ride even though it looked threatening all day.

Tonight I am in the famed Dodge, Kansas -- but just as I had read -- the days of Matt Dillion and Kitty have given way to an ugly strip of fast food and motels. One day of crummy for all the beauty that has gone before is acceptable. But wait -- I still have another day in Kansas tomorrow. Where is that Yellow Brick Road?

Day 7 - A Day Off The Road - Well Mostly

As previously noted, I purposely scheduled today as a day of relaxation. But what started as a 1/2 mile ride to the grocery store turned into a 70 mile round-trip ride to the Steamboat Lake "just for fun." It was a beautiful day and, as those readers who are motorcyclists will tell you, short errand trips often take much longer on a motorcycle. The road to the Lake and back was fun and interesting (lots of lovely cedar and log homes along the way) -- with plenty of surrounding beauty. I did take a swim and make myself a pretty delicious dinner later -- but the ride was definitely the highlight.

Random Thoughts/Encounters: The Awareness Test

If you haven't seen the "Awareness Test" on youtube.com - I recommend that you follow this link and take the test now BEFORE reading the rest of this blog. Some of what I have to say will make more sense AFTER you've taken the test.

Yesterday during the ride into Steamboat Springs, CO, I happened to take a break to get some gas and replenish my water supply at a "general store" and gas station in Maybell, CO (click here to see a Google Street View - but give your computer a little time to bring in the actual photo). When I pulled into the pumps, I noticed three Harley Davidson touring bikes (Ultra Glides) sitting in various shady spots around the store and a group of riders sitting at a nearby picnic table. After taking care of the gas/water, I engaged one of the riders with the usual "where you headed?" When he answered with a proper British accent that the group was headed to Steamboat Springs, I followed up with the usual "where you from?" He initially said "a long way away" to which I guessed "Canada?" based on the accent. He answer was -- "no, the UK."

Over the next 15 or so minutes and as the other 5 (3 couples) gathered around, I learned that they flew into Denver from the UK and rented the bikes. They were nearing the end of a nearly two week circle tour that had taken them through lots of Colorado and Wyoming (Yellowstone). It was the second time they had made such a trip, the last one being down the California coast -- and while they were riding Harley's here -- one rode a Honda in the UK and another owned a couple of bikes including a Norton. When I expressed amazement at their undertaking and told them that I had just assumed they were local Harley riders, one of the women pointed out that each of their Harley's displayed a St. George's Cross flag upon which "England" had been printed. I had not even noticed the flags when I pulled in. It's so true that one doesn't see what he/she isn't looking for.

It was a brief but fun encounter as I learned about their trips, and I encouraged them to make their next trip to the northwest -- and gave them one of my cards, encouraging them to call or email. It'd be fun to cross paths with them again either in the northwest or the UK. Unless rushed for time, I always try to take time to engage other riders I meet along the way -- and have only occasionally felt like the effort was wasted. More often it leads to interesting encounters that are part of the fun of riding a motorcycle -- another part of the special comaradarie that I've written about before.

And while I'm on the topic of awareness, it's worth mentioning again that I enjoy the fact that I chose a bright yellow bike to ride. Some studies have reported that failure by other drivers to see motorcycles in heavy traffic contribute to 70% of the motorcycle accidents. The bike's color gets lots of fun comments: "I guess you really want to be noticed." "If you paid a little more, they might have been able to make that yellow brighter." ... and the like. My co-workers used to call it the "school bus" -- and I often incorporate that moniker in my response. Sometimes I tell the true story that my co-workers put a ticket on my bike stating that the parking spot was only for motorcycles not school busses. Similarly, I usually respond to comments about the bikes large size with the comment that "some people think it's half of a Honda Civic." In that regard, I couldn't help but snap this photo of where I parked at the condo here in Steamboat Springs.

Day 6 - Suicide Varmits and Violating My Own Goal

I got underway by about 7:15am from Bear Lake and was treated to a spectacular sunrise over the lake as I sped along the empty roadways in the cold. And cold it was. The bike's air temp guage hovered between 32 and 35 for the first couple hours as the road straightened beyond the lake. I've made a mental note to consider heated gloves (or perhaps just better gloves) for any such future trips as the heated grips only served to keep my palms warm at these temperatures.

As I rode, I repeatedly noticed vultures feasting on the remains of varmits without being able to discern what the roadkill might have been. The feasts seemed to be going on everywhere -- two or three in every mile -- and I was amused by how the guests would know to take flight just moments before I interrupted their breakfast. As I cruised along, the straightness of the road allowed me to hold the handlebar with just one hand while putting the back of my other hand's fingers against the heated grip. This helped ward off the chill but turned out to by a bad idea when I had the opportunity to witness first hand how the many feasting tables had been set. In the blink of a moment, a furry varmit decided that our paths should intersect and darted directly into my front wheel. I had no time to react -- and the bike shuttered with a thump. In the moment it looked like a rabbit and in my rearview mirror I could see that another table had been set for my feasting, feathered friends. Later I was told it might have been a prairie dog. Whatever it was, I was glad it wasn't a deer or an elk -- and I was better about keeping both hands on the handlebars while the memory of the encounter was current.

As the droning on straight roads continued for longer than I like, I wondered why such varmits choose to run across the road at precisely inopportune moments. I had witnessed the behavior before with what I termed "suicide squirrels" in the Parkfield area of California on a motorcycle trip with my older brother. Is it possible that they gather in groups on the side of the road urging "your turn, your turn" to play the adolescent game of "chicken?" Probably not. But whatever instinct drives it, I'm certain of one thing -- the vultures must be pleased.

The roadside was not without plenty of interesting sites -- if not the typical fare of travel guides. I was fascinated with wonder at who would have decided to make Carter, Wyoming their home when all I saw was delapidated buildings, abandoned cars and a couple of trailers. I would love to explore the history of the little bump in the road -- but my quick internet search at the end of the day only confirmed that programmers forgot to exclude tiny towns with a population of 8 when they dissect the demographics. See wikipedia's entry here -- the section on demographics should be a case study of worst practices for statistics majors. And for those with plenty of time on your hands, did you know that you can travel through Carter, Wyoming yourself and make your own assessment using Google's Street View. Check it out here.

The straight roads finally descended into one of the areas that all guides consider to be one of the most beautiful drives: the Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area.

I was not disappointed. I even took a 10 mile side-loop road that National Geographic advised was "not to be missed."

All beautiful even if the roadway on the side road left lots to be desired for a big touring motorcycle (several areas were only gravel).

After that I was treated to more wonderful roads: what's not to like about a road that advises "8% grade - 10 switchbacks in the next 10 miles" when you're on a motorcycle? But the roads finally brought me to Vernal, Utah and the dreaded State Route 40, a flat, straight pavement for too many miles to get me to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where I had a condo waiting for me -- complete with washer/dryer and where I had arranged to spend two nights so I could have some downtime off the road and get some laundry done. But even the long, straight ride turned out to be fun by some people I met. I'll post about that next time as I have an extra night off the road.

If you remember I set my goal of about 250 miles a day -- but today I knew would violate that goal because I knew there would be plenty of straight roads -- and I wanted to get to my Steamboat Springs destination and take a day off the road. So, I put 382 miles on the bike today -- just under 7 hours in the saddle/moving time.

Day 5 - So Long Idaho - Hello Utah

First an update from yesterday. Although I THOUGHT my broken wire was going to be fixed with the $4.99 soldering iron...I was wrong. As soon as I plugged it in, the cheap iron sparked and died. Oh well, a reminder that every now and again I get the quality I've paid for! So, enroute today I found a Radio Shack and "invested" another $8 for a new iron. I'm pleased to report that the helmet speaker is now fixed (total cost $14 for the two irons!) -- and I put the iron to double duty by having it remelt some plastic connections on the cable lock I use to secure my helmet to the bike.

Also, I must also admit that I learned today that my love affair with "Idaho roads" cooled considerably as I traveled away from the Sawtooth Mountains. As I dropped south though the state of Idaho, I was on plenty of straight/flat roads. Thankfully I found an excellent backroad just south of Pocatello that was very fun and entertaining. When I rounded one corner, I was met by a herd of sheep crossing the road. I stopped long enough to get this photo

and then proceeded very slowly allowing them time to move without panic. I didn't see a sheep herder but I did witness a supervising sheepdog.

A little farther south I proceeded on the "Pioneer Historic Byway" that took me into Utah and another wonderful 40 miles of beauty and fun on the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway that led directly to my accomodations near Bear Lake, a 20 mile long lake formed some 8,000 years ago when earthquakes isolated it and created an unusual water chemistry that causes its beautiful blue-green color and nutures four unique fish species.

In my posting in a prior trip blog, I mused about the good and bad of motorcycling (click here to see the posting) -- and one of the "bad" is that it is challenging to set and keep to a schedule. For this reason, I have not contacted some people along the way that I might TRY to visit. Today I struck out on two such visits when I confirmed (at the last minute) that I would be routing myself in the vicinity of each. In the first case I missed meeting a cousin in Pocatello (though I did meet his wife) when I stopped there without prior contact -- and I missed a visit with a former boss in Utah because I couldn't reach him by phone shortly before I had to make a decision as to whether to take a 60 mile detour to this house. It's my own fault for not making the contacts and commitments ahead of time -- but I've learned on prior trips that trying to get together with friends and families is better suited to car travel than motorcycling -- so I don't make the advance plans and I accept the results of one of the downsides of motorcycle travel.

Nonetheless, it was another beautiful day of motorcycling (clear skys -- perfect weather -- lots of wonderful smells and few bugs!!) I have now completed 1081 miles of my journey and head into Colorado tomorrow.

Day 4 - I Love Idaho Roads and It's A Bug's Life

I had set the alarm for 7 but by 6 I was awake with my mind full of things I needed to do -- so I began my morning routine. Traveling by motorcycle is MUCH more challenging both because there are extra things to do and because space is at a premium. In addition, there is an additional set of outer wear (boots, overpants, jackets, gloves, helmet). It's a time consuming routine -- but I was able get my shower and be on the road again within about 45 minutes. First stops included a grocery store (for some food for the day) and a gas station but I purposely didn't want to eat breakfast at any of the nearby, standard-fare restaurants.

I often lament over how our towns and cities have become so homogenous that there is often no culinary or lodging distinctions between them. I think I understand how it happens -- most people like to do what's familiar and reduce the risk that a particular accommodation or meal might not be pleasing. But when I travel by motorcycle (and often other times) I purposely resist the urge to eat at recognized, branded restaurants because I like taking the risk that the meal might be BETTER even if sometimes it turns out worse. So this morning I followed that routine and proceeded on my route until seeing the first coffee shop that was clearly local. Even so, there wasn't much of a risk as I immediately noticed the parking lot populated only by pickup trucks -- a clear signal that this Idaho coffee shop was likely a local favorite. I was not disappointed either in the food or the conversation as several wanted to engage me about what I was up to on the now out-of-place yellow motorcycle sitting amongst their white and gray pickups. It was a fun and filling breakfast.

Part of the reason I was anxious to get the day started when I awoke is because I knew that part of my routing today would take me over some spectacularly beautiful and challenging roads that I had the pleasure of enjoying last year when I did a 3800 mile motorcycle trip in the Northwest USA. The routing took me over these Idaho Scenic Byways: Payette, Wildlife Canyon, Ponderosa Pine and the Salmon River -- in the Sawtooth Mountain Range. There are not enough superlatives to describe these roads, many of which are framed by the Salmon River and towering mountains. Idaho is truly a sport touring motorcyclist's fantasy land of scenery and curves. Traffic again this year was almost non-existent which was especially surprising given that it was Labor Day. Vista after vista, often with fly fisherman in the river and smoke coming from the cabin chimneys made me feel like I was in the heartland of the artist Thomas Kinkade's "Great Outdoors" series. It was cold, though, until mid-day and I had to bundle on everything I had for warmth as I started the initial ascent (up to more than 7000 feet) in the mid-40's. Thank goodness my bike has heated grips!

Now for the bug's part: At a rest stop to take in an area museum, I noticed an unusual bug sitting on my maps. I took a picture so that I might someday identify it.As I got underway on the next part of the journey, I immediately sensed that there might be a bug crawling around my helmet near my ear. It's happened before when bees slip between the helmet liner and my head and it is always distracting. This time -- even more so because I wondered if it might be a bug similar to the one I had photographed and thought particularly menacing. When I stopped to check it out I learned that it was only a speaker wire in the helmet but in my rush to figure it out, I had broken one of the speaker solder connections. That ended my usual enjoyment of listening to music while I ride and presented me with the first equipment malfunction to address. I considered myself lucky that it wasn't THE bug -- and took off again -- with only my sunglasses as my eye protection since I usually like to ride with my helmet visor raised.

I wasn't on the road again a few minutes on a long straight section with cruise control set at 72 (speed limit was 65) when a bee smashed into the bottom edge of my sunglasses spreading its innards up into my eye. I was able to grasp what was left of the bee with my gloves and wiped my eye the best I could. I concluded that it was just an unlucky moment for that bee and me until another bug hit me hard on the tip of my nose. As you might imagine, I continued the rest of the 20 or so miles to my accommodations for the night with the helmet shield closed. To paraphrase George W. Bush -- one bug shame on me, two bugs --- or whatever it is, you get the point. Later I had to pick a few remaining body parts from underneath my eye. Some motorcyclists call people who drive cars "cagers" because they don't have the unobstructed view that a motorcycle allows. The bug experience made me remember that there is sometimes a price to pay for the unobstructed view!

And as for the speaker wire problem, a local mechanic near my motel sold me a new soldering iron for $4.99. Problem solved. I just need to get the picture of that bug out of my mind next time my scalp tickles.

The First 3 Days - Sept 4 to 6

I pulled the fully loaded bike away from the house at about 9:15am on Friday, September 4 to get this trip underway. I had already plotted a route that was entirely backroads with the exception of a few miles on I-205 to get over the Columbia River from Washington to Oregon (the only other nearby option was I-5 -- so this was one of the expected cases when I couldn't avoid an interstate without a long detour). The route (along the Clackamas River in Oregon on State Routes 224 and 46) took me over an incredibly beautiful road with almost no other traffic. It was exhilarating to get the trip underway after years of dreaming and months of anticipation. And to get it started on a great road that I had never been on was an added bonus. Almost immediately I was treated to some of the fun and funny road signs that seem to populate our roadways. My favorites on this day included "No Services Ahead." I'm used to signs that say "no services for x miles" but "No Services Ahead" certainly made it sound like it was a dead-end road -- which it wasn't. There were/are "services ahead" so why did some sign official deem this sign appropriate when it might have said "no services for 50 miles." Oh well, it made me chuckle but I was less amused by the sign that said "Caution - No Target Shooting." I'm guessing the specificity was meant to allow hunting but not shooting at targets. It wasn't a happy thought to know that hunters might be shooting along this heavily treed route.

As I previously mentioned, Deb/Ben/Debi and the grandkids drove over -- leaving later in the day so I was able to arrive in Bend, Oregon in time to make two brief stops to meet some long-time friends of my parents and to say hello to friends of ours. With a little cell-phone coordination, I was able to time my arrival at the Sunriver destination within a few minutes of the other family arrivals.

We stayed in Sunriver for two nights enjoying some wonderful family time and superb food prepared by Ben's grandfather as well as touring the area and getting in 9 holes of golf with Ben, his grandmother and his uncle. Thankfully, my motorcycling is more satisfying than my golf -- a past time that I have only taken up within the past several months.

The cross-country trip got restarted around 9 am Sunday, September 6 from Sunriver. Thanks to some last minute recommendations from Ben, I changed my planned route across eastern Oregon to the more scenic State Route 26 that traverses several scenic mountain passes along the John Day River, home to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument areas. As one of the overlook signs related about the area: "John Day country is an elaborate mosaic of geologic action... Only our limited sense of time maintains the illusion of life on a stable platform. Yet, occasionally a volcanic explosion, or the earth trembling beneath our feet, will remind us of the colossal powers at work shaping the land."

The day started with a few sprinkles as I was leaving -- but stayed dry the rest of the day. Early on I changed to heavier gloves as the temperatures stayed in the 50's until mid-day -- and clearing and warming thoughout the afternoon eventually reached a toasty 77. Except for the last 50 miles of straight, this route into Ontario, Oregon, another first for me, was spectacularly beautiful and fun for motorcycle touring. The signs today weren't so humorous but rather a sobering reminder of one of the ever-present risks. Many miles after I spotted 3 rather-fresh dear carcasses alongside the road, there were both regular signs and especially placed electronic signs warning of "Wildlife Crossing Next 30 miles." It was obvious that the deer don't read the signs -- and the signs probably should just read: Remember Wildlife Cross Everywhere.
　

Ready to Roll

The bike is packed, the GPS is loaded with my routes, and my paper maps are highlighted. I think I'm ready to begin this adventure tomorrow. As with all trips, I'm sure I've forgotten or purposely left out something I will need -- but that too is part of the adventure: making do with what I did remember/select or picking up the things I need along the way. As with most of my trips, I think I have more electronics than I have clothes -- as clothes are easily replaced during the trip, but electronics (GPS, cell phone, notebook) would be harder and more expensive to replace quickly.

The weather is what it often is in the Northwest USA -- rather unpredictable. I've always thought that "scattered showers" or "a chance of showers" is just another way for the weather folks to confirm, that with all the modern technology, they are generally only about as reliable as the the age old "Red sky at night, sailor's delight..." For my part, I'll just maintain the mantra that has been a catch-phrase for much of our travel experiences -- "it is what it is." In prior trips I've sometimes moved the start date up or back to try to accommodate the weather predictions -- but because this trip is starting with a planned two night stop at Ben's grandparents' home in Sunriver, Oregon where Deb is also headed by car with Ben/Debi and the grandkids -- I'm headed out regardless of weather. Starting from my departure Sunday from Sunriver, I'll begin daily adjustments to try to deal with the adventurous opportunities gifted by mother-nature. Hopefully some of the gifts will be "predicted" by the weather folks.

The bike is posed for the adventure complete with my waiting "camel back" water supply (the backpack hanging from the right handlebar). A good friend and fellow rider on previous trips, Vince, introduced me to the benefits of a "camel back" that allows me to have a ready supply of water (fed by a tube with a special valve for a mouthpiece) while I ride. Being able to stay hydrated by sipping water conveniently while I ride makes a noticeable difference in the comfort of the ride. No longer am I tied to keeping hydrated just at rest stops that are usually timed for unloading water!

You might also note my special paper map holder between the handlebars. Although my GPS is great for keeping me on route with all kinds of detailed information (number of miles to next turn, number of miles to destination, amount of time at current average speed to get to destination, etc), the small screen is not good for a quick perspective of my location. Yes, the GPS can zoom in and out -- but there is nothing like a paper map for getting a quick perspective.

Next posting from the road! This "bucket list" trip is ready for departure.