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.