Last night Garry and I discussed the matter of getting the front tire on my Heritage replaced. The nearest H-D dealer to our planned route is in Missoula MT, but it is 300 miles (500 kilometres) from Creston and they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. I need to have the tire replaced and if I can't get it changed, I will have to ride several hundred kilometres on a tire which is getting close to its useful and safe life. So, the plan changed, and instead of spending the night in Creston, BC, we decided to extend our riding day and push on to Libby, MT putting us an hour closer to Missoula tomorrow.
We were on the road just after 9:00 a.m. with our first stop in Castlegar to refuel and get breakfast. The new plan seemed to be going smoothly as we rode north to New Denver where we had planned on stopping at the Nuru Cafe for a coffee and a visit with the 'Lovely Tamara'. Again the road was a delight to ride with very little traffic so we were able to make good time. However, just south of the village of Winlaw, Garry had the first 'Code Brown' of the ride. Out of nowhere a deer bolted across the highway so quickly that Garry didn't even have time to hit his brakes. He came within feet of centre punching deer with all the serious consequences that follow an event like that. Fortunately, all was well, but it shows that even if one is prepared $41t can happen.
We stopped in Silverton and Garry had a brief visit with on old friend from his time in New Denver. I carried on, heading to New Denver with a roadside stop to view Slocan Lake. An amazingly beautiful scene nestled at the base of the Valhalla Mountains. Some things must be seen to be appreciated so here it is.
Silver Ridge Mining Company, in Silverton, BC
Downtown Silverton
Slocan Lake looking west
Slocan Lake looking south
When I arrived in New Denver, imagine my disappointment when I pulled up to the Nuru Cafe to find that it was closed for renovations and was for sale, with no sign of the 'Lovely Tamara'. I suppose all things must pass but this was a real disappointment. As I stood waiting for Garry to arrive two riders pulled in and parked in front of the cafe. One of them got off his bike, and said, "John?"
I was somewhat surprised because guy was wearing a full face helmet and I didn't recognize him. Then it occurred to me. "Colin?" he took off his helmet and I recognized Colin Kelly who is the Canadian representative for the International Norton Owners Association (INOA). He was stopping to visit as well on his way to Riondel Rally with his friend Pat. They were as disappointed as I was at the developments with the Nuru Cafe.
Colin Kelly and his friend Pat in front of the Nuru Cafe. (Note the Norton shirt)
Colin's Triumph, ODIN
Downtown New Denver
One of the events that were had been looking forward to was the ride from New Denver to Kaslo. The road curves, rises and falls over 46 kilometre and is heaven for motorcyclists. However, the road is beginning to deteriorate and is extremely rough in spots, putting a real damper on the joy of the ride in many places. Still it is a great road to ride and every time we ride it we are left with smiles on our faces.
So, at this point we were going to ride from Kaslo to Balfour to catch the Kootenay Lake ferry to Crawford Bay then ride the 75 kilometres to Creston. However, when we arrived at the terminal, the lot was full and we were told that there would be a three sailing wait. Motorcycles don't get boarding priority on inland ferries so we were told it would be faster for us to ride to Nelson, to Salmo and take the Salmo -Creston Highway, which we did, arriving at about 4:30. After talking things over, we made the decision to push on to the US border and ride to Libby, MT, putting about an hour and a half closer to Missoula, MT,
This ride to Libby went quickly, as did we, and we arrived around 7:00 local time. We are in the Mountain time zone so we lost an hour. From the Montana border along state highways one sees white crossed on metal poles. These crosses are placed where there have been fatalities on the highway. In the 38 miles from the border to Libby, I counted 30 of these crosses. It is a graphic display of the dangers of these highways.
When we arrived ar out hotel we saw a group of ten motorcycles parked in front. These included two beautiful Indian motorcycles several Harleys and a vintage (late 1970s) BMW R75/7. This group of guys which included four gentlemen from England were on a group ride in Montana and perhaps other places. I spoke with two of the riders, Tom and Stan who is a US Air Force veteran. Amazingly several of the guys have more than one bike. One guy had fifteen! while another has five. The details escape me because there was a lot to remember. Anyway, it was a real pleasure to randomly meet such a great group of guys. This sort of thing often happens of bike trips. It is one of the great things about being on the road.
The guys from Montana, Oregon, and England. Tom in the centre with the black shirt and Stan sitting on his Indian motorcycle on the right.
The English guys are into the spirit of the ride.
Tomorrow, the main thing will be to make it to Missoula on time to relace my front tire. Maybe this will go according to plan. Today was a fairly long riding day with about 587 kilometres added to the odometer. And it is still fun!
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