Council Bluffs to Home

I met KC at 7:00 AM in the lobby and, from the look on his face, I knew something was wrong.

"We've got a problem",  he said.  "All of the luggage in the bed of the truck is gone".

Aw crap....

Last night we'd parked the truck and trailer as close as we could to the hotel lobby, but the parking lot was full and we'd had to settle for a spot between a couple of large trucks a good 100 yards from the hotel front door.  We were both dead tired and never gave our choice a second thought.

We went through a couple scenarios of what could have happened but eventually concluded that some asshole(s) had jimmied the bed cover and helped themselves to the bags that Sherry and Karen had asked us to hold (clothes and some jewelry...but not the best stuff, thank you Jesus), my motorcycle duffel bag (just clothes) and KC's Hartman bag with mostly clothes.  Total value was not insignificant, but there was nothing of an irreplaceable nature. 

We quickly mulled over our options and decided that the odds of getting the stuff returned was 1% or less, that an insurance claim would have been eaten up by the deductibles or policy coverage exclusions and limits and that reporting it and waiting for the cops to investigate and write a report would take hours.  In minutes we decided to chalk it up to "life's lesson's" (though I really don't know what we could have done differently) and headed south at ten over the speed limit.

We pulled into KC's driveway at midnight, having skimmed through St. Louis and Nashville traffic, over Mont Eagle's treacherous pass in light rain, fog and murderous truck traffic and through the rain pelting much of north Georgia.  As I pulled out of KC's driveway in my SUV, the low tire pressure light was on.  I made the mental calculations of changing a tire by myself in the dark at 12:45AM and decided that I would drive my SUV home on its chrome rims if I had to.

Before I hit the sack I had to say hello to Bella and was touched by how excited she seemed to be to see and smell me again.  Missed my girl a lot.

I hit my pillows around 1:00AM and slept the sleep of the dead, uninterrupted until 9:00AM.

Billings to Council Bluffs

Today was all highway, all F-150, all clawing our way towards home.  This part of the trip is always the toughest...we're tired from three weeks on the road and missing the comforts and familiarity of our homes.  Oh yeah, tired of 8 MPG and $3.75/gallon too.

But we had light traffic, decent highways, few construction delays and good weather.  In spite of KC not sleeping well, we took a man-sized bite out of our 2,300 mile drive from Bigfork to Homer and pulled into a Hampton Inn in Council Bluffs around 10:00PM.  It turned out to be a very bad choice.

We also took a couple of detours today....one that was a predictable waste of time (See Wall Drug....NOT) and a drive through Badlands National Park, my first visit.  Badlands is an ethereal place belonging more on planet Mars than alongside I-90.  The landscape is like nothing else I've ever seen.  I'll let my, mostly iPhone, pictures describe it because words just fail me.

Once we finished Badlands we focused our attention on DRIVING, finishing off South Dakota (bad highways, monotone scenery and wind), turned right on I-29 at Sioux Falls and pushed southward through Omaha (Hey, Warren!!) to Council Bluffs and a Hampton Inn for an immediate turn in and a 6:00AM wake up call.

Disaster awaited us.

Missoula to Bigfork to Billings

Today was our tenth and final day of motorcycle touring and it was an abbreviated ride...just 100 miles from Missoula to Ernie's home in Bigfork where KC's truck and trailer have been parked for the last ten days.  Because our ride was finished by 10:00AM we were able to get started on our 2,400 mile drive back to Georgia and today we knocked out 400 miles, ending the day by 6:00PM in a Hampton Inn (a nice one!!) in Billings, MT.

We got an early start from our hotel in Missoula under clear skies and 36 degrees.  Heated jackets, handlebar muffs, layers and layers...we were prepared for a cold start and both of us were comfortable.  The temps rose quickly and within thirty minutes the temp had risen to 50+ and we settled into a nice ride on Hwy 93 North.  The route took us through the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area with numerous potholes holding tons of ducks, past the National Bison Range and through the Flathead Indian Reservation.

At Polson (on the south end of Flathead Lake) we turned east/north on Hwy 35 and ran along the eastern side of Flathead Lake (for the third time on this trip) enjoying the fabulous views of the lake and the Cherry orchards on the hillsides.

With the last of the sand finally running through our hourglass, we turned into Ernie's driveway and into his eight acre Shangri-La that faces the Flathead Range.  Reece, the wonder dog, bounded out to greet us and Ernie was right behind him.  We caught up (it snowed here two days ago and Going-To-The-Sun road opened the day after we left), had some laughs, packed the trailer and within 60 minutes turned left and headed down Hwy 83 through the Swan Valley.

A right turn on Hwy 200 and a right on Hwy 141 took us to Avon and through some gorgeous ranch country.

In a few miles Hwy 12 dumped us onto I-90 East where we spent the rest of our day heading east through Butte, Bozeman, Livingston and finally Billings, again tracing the Yellowstone River which looked fantastic.

At our last gas stop a guy on a Harley pulled into the same gas station we were.  KC pointed out that he had a Louisiana plate.  He was wearing no helmet, but did have on a hat like this....

I yelled to him, "What part of Louisiana you from?".

In the thickest Coonass accent I've ever hear, he answered, "Nawlins".

"Where you headed?"

"I'm lookin' for the four corners".

Which he explained meant the four corners of the US...Key West, Maine, San Diego and Seattle.  We warned him that the mountain peaks all had fresh snow, but when he left he was still headed west.

By 6:00PM we'd arrived in Billings and our latest Hampton Inn.

Tomorrow we'll really log some miles and plan to get an early jump...maybe Kansas City??

Lewiston to Missoula

Day nine is in the books.  And like every day preceding this one, the ride today was as completely different as any we've done.  The weather was mostly overcast, though the sun poked through occasionally.  Temps were cool (OK, at times, cold) but with the right combination of layers, including heated jackets, we were both well protected.

Our route was roughly 220 miles and it was basically Hwy 12 all the way from Lewiston to Missoula.  The route was highly graded by Butler maps, but I think we both grew a bit tired of it.  I'm struggling a bit to characterize the scenery...but here's my best effort.  It was four things.   River, trees, mountains and curvy.  If that sounds like a dream motorcycle route I suppose it was.  But damn it, it got tedious.

River, trees, turn right, turn left.
River, trees, turn right, turn left.
River, trees, turn right, turn left.

Repeat for five hours.

The best rides we've done had all those things, but there was diversity in the terrain that was missing today.  Today's ride was flawed by sameness. 

Oh yeah, there was a ton of construction.  Three times, at least, we were stopped with engines off, staring at the rear end of the car in front of me.  All these stops caused traffic, especially vehicles that were slow moving to bunch up with pretty limited places to pass two, three, four cars at a time.

So because of the sameness of the route and the bunched up traffic, I was not inclined to take many pictures.  In fact, I took exactly one shot with my Fuji, no drone shots and a handful of iPhone pics.

The route followed the Clearwater river,  a well known destination for Steelhead and Trout, for about 80 miles along its entire course from its beginning at the confluence of the Selway and Lochsa Rivers to the point at which the Clearwater empties into the Snake River.  The river was clear and low and we saw numerous people fishing along its length.

At Lowell we clearly saw the confluence of the Selway and Lochsa Rivers and Hwy 12 entered the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness as it traced the Lochsa River all the way to Lolo Pass at around 5,200'.

Before we reached Lolo Pass we'd gotten a tip about a place to grab a quick bite, called Jack's Saloon.The signs for Jack's took us off Hwy 12 and down a dirt road for several miles. 

And sure enough, like a desert mirage, Jack's Saloon materialized. 

Built from huge cedar logs the place was a true one of a kind. 

Entering the building it took several minutes for our eyes to adjust to the dark interior and to begin to drink in the details.  Old lumberjack equipment, stapled and signed dollar bills and bar "stools" carved out of cedar logs highlighted the "decor".  Service was deadly slow (it appeared the place was run by a single employee), food was OK.

Leaving Jacks we were both chilled and layered up with out heated jackets for the final 30 miles to our hotel, over Lolo Summit at 5,233' to Hwy 93, into Missoula and our hotel ...the worst Hampton Inn I've ever been in. 

Time for a total remodel guys.

And that, dear readers is about all I have to offer today.  I'm tired, cold and ready for a hot shower and an early to bed.

Baker City to Lewiston

The ride today totally exceeded my expectations.  Perfect weather and some of the most scenic roads I've ever ridden on.  I've learned that its all about the expectations you have...set too high and NOTHING will satisfy you.  Set lower and even a modest outcome can floor you.  So maybe this was a case of having very modest expectations.  Whatever the deal...I was blown away with what I saw today.

We began the day in Oregon, looked across a canyon at Idaho, passed through a corner of Washington and then settled into another fine Hampton Inn in the bustling community of Lewiston, ID.  Day eight is complete.

My day started with complete disappointment with the hotel we stayed in...dark hallways, a dingy room, bad pillows, carpet that had two inch high ridge in it, an inedible breakfast and a guest in the room above me that pounded the creaking floors for hours.  I couldn't wait to get moving.

Our route for the day was Baker City, OR to Halfway, OR on Hwy 86, north on FS39, west on Hwy 82 and north on Hwy 3/129.

We ran up I-84 for one exit and headed due east on Hwy 86.  The country became very isolated very quickly and the road, in excellent shape, rolled over the foothills through open range.

Halfway to Richland the road began cutting through a canyon and the BMW GS's ran through it effortlessly.  We rode through the ranching town of Halfway and remarked at how unaffected it was by tourists (like us).  It was all about supporting the local ranchers.



A few miles past Halfway we turned north on Hwy 39, the Wallowa Mountain Loop, and buckled up for the twisties and incredible scenery that Butler Maps demands before it will classify a road as its best, a "yellow road".  Forest Road 39, a seasonal road which will only remain open for a few more weeks when it will close for the winter, was amazing.  And the primary sight to behold is Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and the Snake River that runs through it.

Hells Canyon boasts the deepest canyon in the US, including the Grand Canyon.  At its deepest Hells Canyon is 7,993' deep.  We followed the sign for the Overlook and in a few miles we caught our first glimpse of the canyon.  At the overlook, which we shared with maybe a dozen other folks, we looked out at one of the most incredible sights I've ever seen.

We chatted with a father/daughter team who were scouting for their annual elk hunt.  The dad pointed to a road/trail on the Idaho side of the canyon and told us about being with a group on horseback that were packing in.  They encountered a group on their way up the trail and as he described it, "All hell broke loose.  One of the other party's mules, with a full pack, lost its footing and began tumbling down the mountain.  The owner scrambled down after it, expecting it to be dead.  When he got to the mule it was upside down, but alive.  He cut the packs off and the mule scrambled back to the pack."

We also met a nice couple from Montana who were touring on a GS.  We got some tips from them on great roads and will be on one of them tomorrow.

From Hwy 39 we turned west and followed another road through spectacular valleys and gorgeous ranch country landing in Joseph, OR for lunch at the R&R Diner.  Good burger, service at the speed of glaciers.  Not a bad thing though as we needed a break after three hours of twisties.  Up the road a bit we hung a right on Hwy 3 and pointed the pigs due north.

Hwy 3 was a scenic route through high desert, wheat ranches, foothills with views of the Rockies to the east.  About 30 miles north of Enterprise, OR we arrived at a fabulous overlook called Joseph Canyon Overlook.  It was stunning.  KC chatted up a local rancher and they talked about growing hay (NOTHING grows here without irrigation).  The rancher told KC that his hay gets shipped to Kentucky and Florida and is very high quality alfalfa hay.

North of here we entered an incredible canyon that dropped us down to the Grande Rondo River and then lifted us back up an amazing set of switchbacks and in another 15 miles the highway descended to the Snake River and Lewiston, ID.

Whew...what a day.

Bend to Baker City

Its day seven and we are safely in Baker City, OR...our last stop in the great state of Oregon.  Our route today followed a lot of the same roads that I cycled across Oregon on in 2007.  While much of the scenery was only vaguely familiar, there were spots I remembered like it was yesterday...the awful, cigarette smoke filled room in John Day, the long climbs leading to Ochoco Summit and Keyes Summit and the sleepy downtown of Mitchell, OR where we stopped for lunch one day.

I must admit that I am wearing down some.  I was alert and felt great while riding.  I enjoyed the ride and the scenery a lot today, but I'm pretty drained right now.  Gonna bang out this blog, eat some Mexican and crash early.  We still have close to six hundred miles to ride over the next two and a half days and we need to stay sharp. 

The 231mile route today was nice, but compared to what we've seen recently, not particularly dramatic. I guess that's my excuse for taking very few pictures today.  That and the rain we rode in for the second hour.

Temps were cool (50's) and skies were completely overcast leaving Bend this morning,  nice motorcycle touring weather.  But if I'm being honest, I was focused on finishing the ride today and getting off my bike.

Within minutes of leaving our Hampton Inn we were on Hwy 97 North to Redmond, then Hwy 126 East to Prineville.  It was here that we picked up Hwy 26 and rode that almost all the way to Baker City.  Out of Prineville we passed Ochoco Lake (almost totally dry) and then we began ascending through the Ochoco Mountains, as I did in 2007 on my Giant road bike.  Somewhere in this area it began to rain lightly and this stayed with us for an hour or two.

As we passed the tiny town of Mitchell, I had a flashback of the group I was cycling with stopping here for a break and some food and sitting on the bench in front of the town's General Store, watching the local ranchers come and go.  So, of course, I peeled off and made a loop through Mitchell.  Took roughly 22 seconds.

We stopped for lunch in John Day at a Dairy Queen. It was everything I've come to expect from Dairy Queen. 

The final push into Baker City along Hwy7 was scenic, but after the sights we've seen in the last two weeks...it was not memorable.

Had this been a local ride, I'd probably be gushing.

The hotel pickings were pretty slim in Baker City and I'm grateful that we'll only be at the Sunridge Inn for a night.  I am comforted by the fact that it was less than half what the Hampton Inn cost in Bend.

Crater Lake

Today,  our sixth day on the bikes, was a ride with a single focus...see and ride through Crater Lake National Park.  The park is roughly 100 miles from Bend.  And its a hundred miles of flat, straight, boring, mostly two lane road heavily used by semi's, RV's, bikes and everything else you can think of.  It did not bring tears of joy.

From Bend, we took Hwy 97 South to Hwy 138 west and then left at the Park Entrance, roughly 100 miles to the park entrance.

The temps for the ride down to the park were cool and windy.  The ride back was slower, much busier and the temp topped out at nearly 83 degrees.  I was ready to dismount when we pulled into the Hampton Inn.

Its hard not to recognize the impact that volcanoes have had in forming this region.  There are huge, ancient lava fields all over and you see further evidence in how the highways are constructed.  Just south of Bend on Hwy 97 we passed through Newberry National Volcanic Monument with dark lava fields lining both sides of the highway.

The 33 mile tour around Crater Lake on the Rim Road was beautiful.  The deep (1900' deep at its deepest) blue lake sits about 1,000'  below the rim.  The walls of the crater are rock, some of which are absolutely vertical drops.  The crowds were light, the road had pullouts everywhere, the park was easy to navigate and the roads were in excellent shape.  We lapped the rim once and headed north, back to Bend.  The roads were straight.  And when I say straight, I mean you could see the end of the road 15 miles away.

Views from the Rim Road looking away from the lake were also spectacular.  We took turns seeing Mt. Scott and Mt. Thielsen.  At one vista we thought we could see mountain ranges a hundred miles away.

On our way back we passed a slow moving vehicle.  When we cleared the vehicle I noticed a red sports car of some sort behind KC and closing fast.  And in a flash he passed KC, then me and the truck in front of me.  The car was low slung with a very unique shape...clearly a supercar.

As it drove out of sight KC said, "McLaren", a VERY high end, limited production supercar made in Great Britain.

We have enjoyed spending two nights in the same hotel.  It takes a significant effort to unpack, pack, and lug our stuff around...I appreciate a day of not doing that.  Having said that, it's 6:00PM and I need to pack for tomorrow.

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I want to say how appreciative I am of the motorcycle coaching that I get from KC.  His riding skills are deep and he helps me identify improvements I can and should make.  I feel that its important to continuously improve and the only way I know to do this is to seek out feedback and coaching.  KC does this for me...thank you KC.