Wandering North

The day got off to a slow start mainly because Garry and I slept in.I was up until 1:30 this morning because I uploaded several videos and the network was slow. Yesterday I saw a large number of butterflies near the highway and I hit several of them. At 60 mph, there are bound to be some causualties, I suppose. One of them was still stuck to my lower when I parked Big Red yesterday. It was unfortunate to inadvertently kills such beautiful little creatures.

One casualty of the road.

Our stop at Starbucks was brief and because Garry wasn't able finish his coffee he put it in his coffee cup holder. Unfortunately on our ride up The Old Spiral Highway, the combination of steep corners and wind left him wearing some of his coffee. But we live and learn so that probably won't happen again.

Garry's Harley coffee cup holder

After yesterday's incredible rides, today was a day to get back to more normal riding. To ease the transition, we chose to once again ride the Old Spiral Highway. Just as yesterday, it was a fantastic ride. When we reached the top, Jim jokingly said that he felt dizzy.

Almost nine minutes of motorcycle bliss on the Old Spiral Highway.

We stopped at the top to take photos of the valley because the sun was out and the air seemed clearer. While we were stopped we met a couple that was touring the area and doing some of the recreational activities like rafting. They were spending as much time as they could enjoying the country. That is a way of doing things that I can understand.

Part of the Spiral Highway with the Snake River separating Lewiston (l.) & Clarston (r.) below

At the top of the hill.

We took an inadvertent detour along Highway 195 then US 27 which is called 'The Palouse Scenic Byway'. The road winds its way through the rolling farmland of eastern Washington, before crossing the border into Idaho and joining US 95 which runs almost all the way to the Canadian border at Creston, BC.

We ran up to Couer d'Alene, ID, where we stopped at Red Lobster for lunch. Once again we had a saucy waitress who targetted Jim. That guy has a way with the ladies! The waitress, Elke, knew that we were riding motorcycles and asked us if we were wearing our 'brain buckets'. We told that we were and Jim said that he wore his because if he didn't, he would need a hairbrush. Elke asked, 'Why?' It was the best line of the day. 

Leaving Couer d'Alene we ran north to Bonner's Ferry where we stopped at the Three Mile Store for a quick break. Then it was on to the Canadian border at Creston, BC. On the way I was fortunate enough, after several years of trying, to meet a BNSF grain train rolling south to Boner's Ferry, ID. It was the first time I have ever been lucky enough to see and record an entire train without obstructions. I would have preferred to see a CP train, but I was still happy to get the video.

BNSF grain train

We stopped at the Duty Free to pick up cigarettes for Jim and some alcoholic beverages for Tom and me. Crossing the border was uneventful as it usually is when returning to Canada.

In Creston, we got rooms at the Magnuson Hotel at, what for this trip, was a reasonable rate. The place is quite good, and it is a real bonus to be able to bring our gear right to our front door. We also will get a good breakfast tomorrow so we can start the day with full tummies. It is good to be back in Canada, and if the weather continues to hold, this week should be really excellent.

The Journey, Not The Destination

Our motorcycle trip this year has gone in a different direction than our previous ones. For the last three years, our trips have been focused on reaching destinations or travelling to various places. This year the focus is more on the experience of riding just for the sake of riding. Our course has been determined by two factors; finding decent weather, and riding roads that are just fun to ride. On this trip we have been successful, and today was part of that general trend.

When we left Missoula this morning the sun was shining but it was abut 10C so we bundled up with sweatshirts, Jim and Garry with heated vests, thermal tights - anything to keep from getting a chill. US Highway 12 splits off from US 93 and heads west at a small town named Lolo. The highway climbs and descends, and twists and turns from just outside of Lolo and for ninety-nine miles according to the road sign that we saw at the beginning of the ride. For ninety-nine miles (155 km) riders experience a series of turns, some sweeping, some sharp, that take them to the Lolo Summit at an elevation of 5 233 feet.

Things to come



And still more

From there the road gradually descends, most of the way along the aptly named Clearwater River for most of its length. There are very few straight stretches on thi road and several publications have named this route one of the best motorcycle routes in western North America. I suppose that many roads get that designation from many different writers, but in our eyes the ranking is well-deserved.

At the beginning to the ride Tom and I said goodbye to Garry and Jim because they wanted to ride faster than Tom and me, and we tend to stop more often to enjoy the scenery. To each his own, though. Our first stop was at Lolo Summit where we read signs that explained to history of the region from the local people's perspective as well as that of Lewis & Clark who came over this pass in September 1805 on their journey to the Pacific.

Our next stop was at Lolo Hot Springs lodge, a place where people can soak in private hot pools while enjoying proximity to the wilderness. While we were stopped an older man ambled across the highway carrying a bucket. In appearance, he was the stereotypical 'Marlboro Man', lean and rangy with cowboy boots, big belt buckle, cowboy boots, a plaid shirt, and cowboy hat. It was a sight that isn't uncommon in this part of the US.

Stopped on the highway

Lolo Hot Springs Lodge

Rock formations near the lodge.

Garry and Jim rode ahead as Tom and I took a more leisurely approach to the ride. We enjoyed riding the curves while enjoying the sight of the river as it raced downhill. In places there were rafters and kayakers, as the river is quite large and while lowing quickly, it does not seem to have the treacherous rapids that others seem to have. There are several suspension bridges that allow hikers and horseback riders to cross the river at various points but motorized vehicles and bicycles are banned from the trails. I don't understand why horses are allowed on the trails while bicycles aren't. it seems to me that a horse can be more dangerous and cause more damage than a bicyclist.

Typical suspension bridge across the Clearwater River

Rapids on the Clearwater River

The Clearwater River flowing fast

The highway is a series of curves that hug the river bank for most of its length. Sometimes it is a challenge to both ride and watch the river as you do so, This is what a rider experiences many times over on this ride.

Part of the ride

More of the ride

As we neared the end of the winding section of road we had not yet caught up to Garry and Jim, so after a refueling stop we carried on through various small towns along the river. At Orofino we passed two motorcycles parked at a restaurant and after second thoughts, we turned around and came back to find that the guys were there, just having finished lunch. We joined them and as I was thinking about what to order the lady, Emma asked if she could help me. I told her that she could, but I didn't know just how, yet. The cook called out, 'We can help you, but we don't do psychiatry.' My reply was that my therapy was sitting out in the parking lot, and that you never see a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist's office.

The hamburger I ordered was the best one I have had in years. Emma says that it was because the meat had never been frozen. She is probably right. If I lived there I know that I would be a regular at that little restaurant. Strangely, for a roadside restaurant, it also had an eight lane bowling alley, so things must be hopping there on bowling nights. As we were leaving a little boy walked into the restaurant and climbed up on a counter stool. He was dressed up as Woody from Toy Story, and a young woman who had come to the counter to pay her bill remarked, 'Oh there's a little Woody.' It was the best line I heard all day.

We left the restaurant for the final thirty miles into Lewiston-Clarkston. The river was larger and slower at this point but the highway still clung to its bank the rest of the way into town. The hills that rose along the banks of the river were devoid of trees with only short grasses on their flanks, Again, the combination of river and steep hills was striking.

After stopping at Starbucks in Lewiston, we found rooms at a motel in Lewiston, WA, and checked in. Since we were here, and the Old Spiral Highway was a short distance away, it seemed a shame not to ride it, so Jim, Tom, and I did from the bottom to the top and back down again. The highway gains or loses two thousand feet of altitude in eight miles with sixty-four curves that in total make more than a dozen complete circles if their angles are summed up. 

The Old Spiral Highway, Lewiston, ID

The viewpoint at the top of the road offers a panoramic vista of the Clearwater and Snake Rivers, as well as the town themselves. The phots below should give an idea of the view from this place. If the Lolo Pass Ride was the main course for today's ride, the Old Spiral Highway was dessert. It wonderfully topped off another excellent day of riding. 

Clearwater River (l.) and the Snake River (r.) at their confluence

Lewiston Hill sign

Clearwater River through Lewiston, ID

Whatever we do for the rest of this year's trip, it will be hard to top today, because today was all about the ride, and it was incredible!

Coincidental

For the last two days, we have been running south into Montana to avoid the rotten weather that seems to be trying to surround us and makr our riding lives miserable. Yesterday we missed the rain forecast for southern Alberta, but we were cold (except for Jim with his heated vest - the young feline!) and rode several hundred kilometres in high winds that made riding in a straight line exceedingly difficult. When we arrived in Kalispell last night, we had a more optimistic view of our chances of having a pleasant ride today after seeing the weather forecasts.

We rode out of Kalispell to 'cloudy with sunny periods' conditions but it was about 60F and at 60 mph the wind chill is considerable. Consequently, I was getting close to being cold. as we arrived at Polson, MT, on Flathead Lake. We pulled in to the Starbucks in Safeway for a coffee and a break. I joined the line behind a tall man who had a little girl with him. His seven or eight year-old joined later. He asked where we were coming from and I told him, 'Kalispell'. He asked where I was from and when I said Canada, he asked where, I told him British Columbia - Vancouver Island.

He said that he knew a guy from Vancouver Island who owned a business for about ten years. I asked him the name of the guy and he said, "Michael Golinski.' When I told him that I knew Michael Golinski as well as his wife and daughter, Grace, he was as amazed as I was to hear Michael's name. He introduced himself as Chance Cook, and said that he lived in Whitefish, MT. He knew Michael from the bicycle industry but got out of it when he had to make a  living. He had his daughter take a photo of the two of us, got my name and said that he was going to send it to Michael. 

When I think of coincidences that have happened in my life, that one must rank near the top. If I hadn't gone to the washroom and joined the line after the other guys, and he hadn't been in Polson, a long way from Whitefish, if we hadn't begun talking in the line, and he hadn't mentioned Michael's name, we would never have made the connection. At the end of it all, he even bought me a coffee. All in all it was quite amazing.

When we left Starbucks rain was spitting dwn but we headed south with the hope that we wouldn't get wet. Several miles south it began to drizzle but we could see heavy clouds and rain in the direction we were heading. It began raining more heavily, and by the time we reached St. Ignace, it was a full-on downpour. At 55 mph with cars passing, it was difficult to see. Several kilometres south of the village I saw an interpretive centre in time to pull off the highway and head for shelter in the washroom. Garry was there with me and Tom and Jim arrived later after having stopped to put on their rain gear.

Apparently this is rattlesnake territory and there was a sign warning about them. Although with the way the rain was pounding down, any rattlesnake with any rattlesnake intelligence whatsoever, would have crawled under a rock and gone to sleep for a few days. A native Indian guy was holed up in the building as well. He told us that there used to be many rattlesnakes on the grounds but since he was hired, he keeps the grass cut so the rattlesnakes don't usually show up in the short grass.

There were none out in the rain today.

The rain eased off a bit so we made a run for it. In the distance we could see more heavy rain falling but had no choice to keep riding. Again, we rode into a downpour which continued for more than thirty miles (fifty kilometres). Riding in rain like that with cars meeting and passing an throwing up road dirt with their spray made visibility very difficult. 

Just north of Missoula the rain stopped and the final 25 kilometres to Grizzly H-D was done in sunny, dry conditions. While we were there we saw a bike rider walking around the dealership with a semi-automatic pistol on his right hip. In Montana the Second Amendment is taken really seriously. Open Carry is legal and many people take advantage of that fact. At Glacier H-D in Kalispell, there was a notice on the front door encouraging anyone who wished to wear a gun in the dealership, to do so. Still, as a Canadian, that is a really alien concept and I believe that we are the better because of it.

We stayed at the dealership long enough to warm up and to get a room for the night. It was only about two miles from there to the hotel and it was easy to find, so our riding day ended rather nicely considering the misery that we had endured earlier.

Later, after grabbing a bit of lunch, Jim and I rode to Missoula Triump to check out their models. They have the largest display of new Hinckley Triumphs that I have seen. 

Now for more coincidences. It seems that the manager of the dealership is an American who married a Canadian woman and was working in Canada. He worked at Savage Cycles, the Triumph dealer in Vicotria, then at SG, where Jim and I bought our Honda CB 1100A motorcycles. He also worked at Blackfoot Cycles in Calgary where Jim had worked in the mid 1970s.

We also met a husband and wife from Chilliwack. The woman was checking out a Triumph Bobber and she had recently bought an Indian Scout 60. The other guy there had just bought a Thunderbird Commander and was taking it back to Taber, AB. It was Canada day at Triumph in Missoula this afternoon.

Tomorrow, the weather is supposed to improve and we plan to ride the Lolo Pass and end up in Liwiston-Clarkston, ID, tomorrow after an approximately 300 km ride. The Lolo Pass has been rated as one of the best rides in the US and the roads snakes and twists for sixty-seven miles. It should be fun.

Run, Forrest, Run!

After last night's wicked thunderstorm with heavy rain, we checked the weather forecast for the province of Alberta. It was not good. To the west rain was coming. Clouds and rain were moving south from the Edmonton area, and to the east, Drumheller was experiencing rain showers. Our only choice was to make a run to the south, back to Pincher Creek and then into the US.

We got a late start to the day for a variety of reasons, but finally left Cochrane, at 10:30 and headed south to Turner Valley and Black Diamond. As we were entering Turner Valley rain began to spit down. Fortunately, that's all the rain we experienced, but it was cold and verging on unpleasant so the combination of heavy clouds, threatening rain, and a cold wind did not bode well for our day. 

By the time we arrived at Longview, the wind was quite strong and our motorcycles were being pushed around not only by the crosswinds, but also by the strong gusts that occasionally hit us. Nevertheless, I was able to shoot video of the hats on fence posts that I mentioned in yesterday's blog. I figured that from the length of the video and the speed at which I was travelling, there was almost three kilometres of hats on posts.

You can see hats on each fence post for the whole video. Three kilometres of hats.

The almost two hundred kilometre ride back to Pincher Creek was done in strong, cold wind. We stopped at Tim Horton's and reviewed our options for the day. Our decision was to make a run to Kalispell, MT, because south seemed to be the only direction that had tolerable weather. That entailed a return run to Waterton National Park on the way to the US border. We passed the entrance and began to climb on the way to the US border crossing at Chief Mountain.

On the way to Waterton National Park

When we arrived at the border, the Customs and Border Protection officer pointed at the ground and ordered us to, "Stop right there." It seemed to be an obvious ploy to establish dominance, but not having any power in this situation we acquiesced. After the usual questions about alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, and medical marijuana, we were allowed to pass into the U.S. of A. I really can't comprehend the attitude of CBP officers. They all seem to talk to people as if they are inferior creatures when it is entirely unnecessary. All it does is engender resentment, and if respect if what they are looking for, they certainly aren't getting any from me. 

Even thought he wind was still strong, the ride on the approach to the border was another good one. In Montana, the highway was in rough condition and the speed limit was 45 mph for quite a distance. At St. Mary's we asked the young man at the Sinclair gas station the best way to get the Whitefish, MT. He gave us directions and we rolled south and west on roads that were under construction in several places. Where they were not torn up, they provided us with some more fun riding even with the cold wind.

At Browning, MT, we turned on to Highway 2 which has a speed limit of 70 mph. We covered the one hundred and twenty miles to Kalispell with no difficulty and arrived there at about 7:30. This was our latest day of the trip so far. When we stopped at Starbucks and began to look for rooms for the night, Garry checked the weather for Alberta. In addition to the wind, threat of rain, and cool temperatures there was also a funnel cloud (read tornado) warning for southern and eastern Alberta. It looks like we made the right decision to run south instead of staying to endure more weather misery.

On a lighter note, I saw a large gentleman arrive at Starbucks with a shirt that had the message 'National Sarcasm Society' on it. I told the guy that I liked the shirt, and he said 'Thanks you'. I told him that I was being sarcastic. His response: "Well played." I did tell him that I was only joking about the shirt. It really is a good one.

Now that we are in Montana, we will have to decide how long to stay in the US in order to avoid the lousy weather in western Canada, and where we can go and what we will do while we are here. We hope to be able to wait out the lousy conditions and make it back to Canada when conditions are more tolerable. It amazes me that in the first half of June the weather conditions have been so bad. Hopefully, things will change, and soon.

Mountains and Hats

Pincher Creek is surrounded by windmills tht generate a great deal of electrical power. Apparently this area has the greatest amount of sustained winds of any place in Canada. From the time we approached Pincher Creek until the time we left it those windmills were turning. It is quite a sight to look west and see dozens of these windmills with the background of the Rocky Mountains. 

Windmills near Pincher Creek, AB.

One of the objects of this trip was to see Waterton National Park and perhaps ever ride the 'Going to the Sun Highway'. Unfortunately slightly more than half of the road has been cleared of snow at this time, so that ride was out of the question. Instead, we rode to the park, enjoying the scenery and the ride. On the approach there are several viewpoints but one gives a panoramic view of the mountains that are the front of the park. Even form a distance, these mountains are impressive. The land in front of the foothills of these mountains is privately owned ranchland, but the Weston Foundation has worked with the local ranch owners to preserve the land as prairie in perpetuity to protect if from the development that would otherwise be inevitable as the population of alberta increases and people want their piece of this paradise.

These photos combined give a panoramic view of the entrance to Waterton National Park

As we approached the entrance to the park, the scenery became more impressive. The mountains towered over the rolling hills. It was difficult to keep from staring at the mountains and the foothills. The video below, despite the splattered bug on the camera lens shows, in part what we were seeing on our approach to the park.

Approaching Waterton National Park

We entered the park free of charge using our Canada 150 National Parks pass that have been given out to any Canadian who wants one. At the visitor centre we were quite close to the mountains and at that range they were overpowering. The rock strata is clear evidence that these mountains were once the bottom of a sea tens of millions ago. At the centre we were treated to the sight of a mountain sheep walking down the road. It was an unexpected bonus.

Bighorn sheep near the Waterton Visitor Centre

Cyclists in Waterton Park

Views from the Visitor Centre

Two views from Waterton Village

Outside the park there are several lakes along the highway, one of which has on its shore the graves of a famous local resident of the area in the late 1800s and early 1900s - Kootenai Brown.

Kootenai Brown's & his wives' graves are on the shore of this lake.

We returned to Pincher Creek, and headed north toward Longview, AB, because we wanted to ride the Kananaskis Trail which is supposed to be one of the best motorcycle roads in Canada and North America.The ride was uneventful except for a section just south of Longview. For three or four kilometres every fence post, each about three metres apart, was literally capped with a baseball cap. 

Fence posts with baseball caps. The fence goes on for at least three or four kilometres.

When we arrived at Longview, we found that the Kananaskis Trail was closed until June 15th. The young lady at the visitor centre explained that animals are migrating to higher ground and the risk of animal-vehicle collisions is too great at this time. I also asked about the hats on the fence posts. Apparently a local farmer collected hats and began to nail them to the tops of the posts. People driving by noticed this and began to donate hats for the posts. I was surprised to hear that this is in the Guinness Book of World Records. As you can see in the photo above, there are still more hats waiting to crown more fence posts.

I've put a lot of kilometres on my Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide Cassic over the past seven plus years. Today Big Red reached a milestone which I was able to capture before it rolled over. Unfortunately, as curious as this is I was unable to wait for one more kilometre. Still, it is quite a unique number.

100 base 10 in binary numbers

Wishing to avoid Calgary, we rode to Cochrane, AB, to spend the night. We were able to get rooms then walked over to a local Ukrainian restaurant. While we were there, a thunderstorm with very heavy rain began and we were forced to make it back to our hotel on foot. Even in early June the rain was cold. As I write this the storm and rain has passed and we are hoping for better weather tomorrow.

As an aside, today we have seen Kerr Road, Griffin Road, and a sign with Knight on it. Poor Tom is feeling left out because his is the only name we haven't seen on a place sign today

So far, this trip has been not about putting on long distances, but enjoying the ride and the country we are passing through. At this point our ride is turning out to be a real success. We hope that it continues this way.

Crowsnest & An Old Friend

With the expectation of accomplishing great things today, we were up bright and early, and were packed and ready to go by 9:00 a.m.  After yesterday's ride, whatever we would do today would be rather mundane and pedestrian in comparison.

We left Creston behind heading to Cranbrook. The country is beautiful wherever we ride and today it was the same. Traffic was sparse and there were long stretches of straight road, something we haven't seen a lot of in the past few days. After we passed the village of Yahk, the road again became twisty in many sections and it seemed that the amount of traffic increased as we approached Cranbrook. 

It was great to be able to find a Starbucks there, the last we are likely to see for a few days, and take a break. The temperature was in the high 20s, and there were very few clouds in the sky so it was almost perfect for riding, at least in my opinion. 

After a short stop at Crowsnest Harley-Davidson we again headed east toward Fernie, BC. Gradually the broad valley east of Cranbrook became more mountainous and the road again curved around the edges of mountains. As we approached Fernie, the land became more rugged until we approached the town where the Elk River ran alongside the highway. 

Riding into Fernie, BC, from the west.

When we stopped for lunch I called an old friend from my Trent University days who lives in Fernie. I was fortunate to be able to connect with William Bell (Bill as I used to know him) and he agreed to meet me where we were having lunch at Boston Pizza. It was great to again be face to face after forty-five years. Our lives have some interesting parallels. We both married women named Darlene. Our children are the same ages although he has two daughters while I have a son and a daughter.

Together after 45 years

Bill along with three other friends has been afflicted with cancer. He has been fighting it for fifteen years and continues to do so. One of our friends passed away several years ago, one is in hospice now, while Bill and Jim are survivors. I wish them the best. One of Bill's daughters is on a heart transplant tean at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria and he sometimes goes there to visit her. We hope to be able to get together with our wives on one of his visits to Victoria.

The city of Fernie is surrounded by beautiful mountains and we passed through them on our way to Sparwood. East of Sparwood Highway 3 passes through some coal mining areas and the mines are visible on the sides of the mountains. It is interesting to think that this coal which lies on the side of a mountain, was once, millions of years ago, in the bottom of a swamp. Changes over geological time can be tremendous.

Mountains surrounding Fernie, BC

As we rode to the Alberta border, the highway passed by some impressive mountains and the road curved around the foot of some of them. It is as close to a mountain as it is possible to get without climbing on it.

Crowsnest Pass

Rocky Mountains near the Alberta/BC boder

Passed through several small towns including Coleman, until we entered Blairmore which lies just to the west of Turtle Mountain. In April of 1903, the face of Trutle Mountain, more that 82 million tonnes of rock slid down into the valley below and part way up the opposing slope. The east end of the town of Frank, AB, was in the path of the slid and between seventy and ninety people were killed in the one hundred seconds it took for the event to happen. The interpretive centre there provides a good view of the whole site and we stopped to view the area. It is amazing how large the area of the slide was and it is a miracle that more people weren't killed.

The Frank Slide. Turtle Mountain in the background.

The slide area

Debris field from the Frank slide

Highway 3 through the Frank slide

Our riding day ended with a final 35 kilometre run into Pincher Creek, AB where we found hotel rooms and parked our bikes for the day. We didn't cover a tremendous distance today, bit it was still a good one. Tomorrow Geoff will leave us as he has to get back to Vancouver so he can return to work on Monday. It has been great to have him on this part of the trip and it seems that he has had a good time. Maybe next year he will choose to join us again. So tomorrow it's just the 'Vintage Gentlemen' again.