There's something great about opening your door and looking out on a sunny landscape that is surrounded by mountains. There's not a cloud in the sky and you know that while the morning may be cool, the chances of getting wet and cold on the day's ride are non-existent. That's the way every day of motorcycle riding should begin. Today in Kalispell we had a day like that.
The mood was broken however when I saw a girl who was about ten years old with her brother who looked to be about eight taking their dog for a walk and returning to their motel room. Shortly afterwards the boy ran down the alley behind the motel, presumably heading for school. The children's mother was outside last night but it didn't appear that a father was present. This is the second time we have seen families living in cheap motel rooms. I can imagine how difficult it is for children to grow up in a situation like this. The deck is already stacked against these children and I suspect that they are, for the most part, destined to be the next generation of the poor. It is one step away from being homeless, as I have noted in an earlier blog entry.
In Montana, as you ride the state highways you will inevitably notice small white crosses perched on red metal poles. These crosses indicate the places where people have been killed in traffic crashes. This morning as we rode from Kalispell to Libby, Montana, a distance of eighty-seven miles (about 150 km) I counted 63 crosses along Highway 2. Between Libby and the Idaho border, a distance of thirty-eight miles (about 60 km) there were forty more. In a distance of just over 125 miles (200 km) I counted 103 crosses. The American Legion has been placing these crosses along Montana highways for more than forty years. Seeing the evidence of the number of people who have been killed on the highways can induce sobering thoughts about driving safely.
The ride today was perfection. The temperature was perfect, traffic was light, and the road snaked its way along lakes and through hills with a great combination of elevation change and curves.
Our first stop was at Loon Lake, a beautiful body of water framed by tree covered hills and mountains in the distance.
Loon Lake
Loon Lake
Loon Lake
After taking a short break we continued to ride to Libby, MT where we stopped to check out the iron eagle at the entrance to town. I saw this sculpture two years ago when I was through here with Jim Urquhart, but it was worth seeing again.
Iron Eagle at Libby, MT
After we made our lunch stop at MacDonald's in Libby, MT we were in the parking lot when Jim pulled up his shirt for some reason, revealing the tops of his Under Armour. We were ragging on him about wearing panty hose when a vintage gentleman who had been making balloon animals in MacD's made the comment, "He's been wearing them ever since his wife found them in the back seat of his car." It was the funniest thing we had heard all day.
A truck parked at MacDonald's had the best bumper sticker I've seen for a while, even though it was stuck to the vehicle's window. I agree with the sentiments expressed by the sticker's creator. It also proves that in ultra conservative Idaho some people still have a sense of humour about religion. It was good to see. That was a good parking lot!
A truck parked at MacDonald's had the best bumper sticker I've seen for a while, even though it was stuck to the vehicle's window. I agree with the sentiments expressed by the sticker's creator. It also proves that in ultra conservative Idaho some people still have a sense of humour about religion. It was good to see. That was a good parking lot!
For many who profess to worship him, I believe this is true.
Idaho is quite narrow at this point so it wasn't far to Bonner's Ferry which lies about 30 miles from the Montana border. We stopped across the street from the Kootenay Brewing Company where bartender gave me two samples of their IPAs but before I decided to buy any we had to decide where and when we were going to return to Canada. The decision was to cross the border at Creston so I passed on the beer in favour of picking up some duty free scotch later on.
The distance to the border from Bonner's Ferry is about 30 miles (50 km) and the ride was again a series of twists and turns; just perfect for motorcycling. At the Duty Free a young woman was working and apparently she hadn't had much business because she was glad to see us because we gave her something to do for a while. She also told us that they accepted Canadian cash at par so we spent all of our Canadian money instead of using out credit card where the exchange is calculated, and it is not in our favour.
We made our purchases then crossed the border without incident, although I was somewhat surprised by the customs officer's question. It is the second time I have been asked when returning from the US, if I have had any work done on my motorcycle. None of the other guys were asked the question so I suspect it must be a random one they throw in occasionally.
For the past eight days we have ridden across Washington State, done a U-shaped route through Idaho, crossed Montana, and ridden back in to Idaho. There is not a Tim Horton's anywhere in those states. Jim is a Tim Horton's addict. He makes do with Starbucks, but his first love is Tim's so he announced earlier today that the first thing we would do when we arrived in Creston would be to find a Tim Horton's shop. The young lady at the Duty Free told him there was a Tim's in Creston and was even so kind as to give him a map showing him how to find the place.
Without too much difficulty Jim led us to Canada's iconic coffee place. The look of pleasure on his face as he headed to the door was a sight to behold. And I can imagine how he felt after going without this staple of his life for eight days. He had gone 'cold turkey' on Tim's but was now having a relapse. An intervention wouldn't have made a difference so we let it be. and he got to enjoy his first cup of Canadian coffee in eight days after subsisting on Starbucks' Blonde Roast and bad restaurant coffee for that time.
One happy guy!
The plan was now to ride to Crawford bay to catch the Kootenay Lake ferry, advertised as the longest free ferry ride in the world. For those of us who live on Vancouver Island and who have no other choice but to pay a ransom to BC Ferries get off the Island, a free ferry ride in the interior of the province where people do have the option of taking the highway, although it is a longer drive, this is a sore point. A twelve minute return ride from Campbell River to Quadra Island can cost about thirty-four dollars for a car and driver and yet a thirty-five minute ride across Kootenay Lake is free. I suppose there is a price to be paid for Vancouver Islanders electing an overwhelming number of NDP MLAs on a consistent basis. Rising ferry fares are one of those costs, it appears.
Highway 3A from Creston to Crawford Bay is a terrific motorcycle road. For the first few kilometres it is a regular interior highway following the terrain with gentle curves and some elevation change. As one rides farther north the curves become more frequent and sharp and the elevation change almost constant. As it follows the edge of Kootenay Lake the terrain has determined the highway's course and mother nature is a stern mistress along much of this road. It makes for delightful riding though.
A view from Highway 3A to Crawford Bay, BC
The view to the south from the edge of Kootenay Lake.
Still some snow on the mountains.
Early on in the ride Kerry and Garry were separated from Jim, Tom and me and they continued independently to the ferry. The three of us however, were able to ride together and I was able to enjoy the sight of the two riders in front of me do a sinuous dance through the curves around Kootenay Lake. It was pleasure to push our heavy touring bikes through turns that had us coming close on many occasions to scraping our floorboard on the pavement. As 'vintage gentlemen' we tried to avoid that but there were time when those big machines were laid over much farther than usual.
A 'sinuous dance'.
Kerry and Garry had been the first to arrive for the 5:20 sailing and the three of us pulled in behind two Albertans on BMWs. As we were waiting for the ferry to arrive a guy on a yellow Norton roared down the parking lane, crossed in front of the parked traffic and roared away back from whence he had come. Jim and I were rightly irritated, not because the guy had ridden through the parking are, but because he didn't come back. We wanted to see his Norton and find out more about it and instead of being a thoughtful rider, he had just buzzed us then took off. Most thoughtless of him, I say.
The Osprey 2000 approaches Crawford Bay, BC
Looking south on Kootenay Lake
View to the east on Kootenay Lake
View to the southeast on Kootenay Lake
Detail on the ferry
Bridge of the Osprey 2000
The thirty kilometer run to Nelson was again a tasty ride. Kerry had received a tip about a good motel to stay at in Nelson but when we checked it out we found that it was rather pricey, considering what we have been paying for motel rooms for the past week. However, the woman at the desk gave a twenty percent discount because we were motorcyclists and three in ten dollar breakfast vouchers as well so the price wasn't that unreasonable when one considers the exchange rate on the US as compared to the Canadian dollar.
We had dinner at the West Coast Grill, although what business a restaurant that is about eight hundred kilometres from the coast has using that name is beyond me. The setting, on a patio overlooking Columbia River and the bridge that crosses it into Nelson is spectacular. The food was very good as well.
Tomorrow the plan is to ride to Kaslo and carry on to New Denver where we will head north to Nakusp, then to the Needles ferry. After crossing Lower Arrow Lake, we will make our way to Lumby and end our day in Vernon. This has been the best day of the trip with perfect weather and excellent roads. The riding has been terrific, we haven't lost anyone, and we are still getting along. It doesn't get much better than that.
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