I have been somewhat amazed at the hits on the Utah blog at 650. I note that there have been a number of hits from Russia. Whoever you are, please introduce yourself. If you look at my Profile, you can find two ways to e-mail me.
Regards,
Howi
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Home
Saturday September 24
Great Falls, Montana to Edmonton, 810 km
The Hilton in Great Falls is a very nice hotel. There is a restaurant of sorts in the lobby; it is an unusual set up in that it is not a full restaurant but it is more than available at most hotels that offer ``free continental breakfast``, which is typically a choice of serve-yourself cold cereals, fruit and yogurt, and bread and a toaster. There is all of that but there is a counter behind which is a kitchen and there is actually somebody back there taking orders and cooking stuff. It would be a little more elaborate than an omelette chef at a breakfast buffet but not quite a full service restaurant. Our waitress, 22 years old, is the step-daughter of the owner. We call her over because we want to ask her if the cook came to work straight from the party, as that is how he appears. She tells us that her step mom is not too keen on that cook but that good help is hard to find.
She asks us if we need anything else and I tell her I need a bottle of champagne to take home. She explains that Dom Perignon is her favourite and her father has been putting one bottle away for her every year on her birthday since she was born. She also tells us that nothing could get her to work in the hospitality industry as a career, she is taking Physical Therapy at university, she is going open her own clinic, hire physical therapists to work there and spend eight months a year travelling.
I ask her to call her dad to find out where I can get champagne. She doesn`t seem that interested and claims he only buys wine when he is travelling. I figure it is going to be cheaper at a place that sells wine (like a drugstore) than at the duty free so the other waitress gives us complicated directions to get all over Great Falls to the place that might have champagne. I am thankful but it is impractical for us to be hauling the bike trailer all over the place on the off chance that a store would have what I am looking for. I end up buying it at duty free; initially, I see the price and think it is cheaper than at Superstore, which generally has the best pricing in the city. After I think about it, I figure it is probably about the same price. ``Duty free`` doesn`t mean cheaper, necessarily. Hard liquor is cheaper though, but we don`t really drink it.
At the border, it is quiet. We have to exit through a U.S. security check, and there is about five of them there and a black lab. They ask us the usual questions about where we have been, what we have been doing and do we have more than $10,000 in cash on us. We are chatting about the trip and Tom asks if they want to see inside the trailer; they are indifferent but I think they say ``o.k.`just to give them something to do. One guard is looking inside the cabinets in the trailer and she says, ``I got nuthin` ``. I tell her, `try not to sound so disappointed`. I ask for a dog fix. The handler says no.
At the Canadian entry, we get asked the same questions; where have we been, what have we been doing, do we have more than $10,000 in cash and how much are we bringing back. I am not sure the border guard was awake at the time; he may have been talking in his sleep.
We stop at Timmy Ho`s for a coffee. There are more people working there (ten) than there are in the restaurant but it takes fifteen minutes to get a coffee, muffin and bagel.
We decide (sort of) to go through Vulcan and get our Star Trek fix. It is hokey, but quaint. The display is actually looking a little tired and could use some paint as the Enterprise is rusting a little and the display of characters is getting a little on the dilapidated side.
We stop in Nisku and wash the truck and trailer and then go straight to Les`s place to drop off his bike. Tom and I are surprised because Les looks pretty good. We had expected to see him in a sling, maybe little bandaid crosses on him somewhere but no, he is pretty mobile, no sling and has prepared a little snack for us. He talks about riding together again sometime and I suggest Thanksgiving weekend.
At home, it is 10 o`clock and NoNo has waited for me to have dinner. She has beef tenderloins and we drink the duty free champagne. Then fall asleep on the couch. We wake up at 2:30 and go to bed. In my absence, the dogs have grown accustomed to my place on the bed and it is crowded however, I am thankful to be under the covers.
Here are a few more pictures of the trip. I tried not to duplicate others that I may have posted but no promises.
https://picasaweb.google.com/gator.legg27/MoreUtahOnMotorcycles?authkey=Gv1sRgCNTI6bDa0pbMqwE#
Thanks fror reading.
Howi
Great Falls, Montana to Edmonton, 810 km
The Hilton in Great Falls is a very nice hotel. There is a restaurant of sorts in the lobby; it is an unusual set up in that it is not a full restaurant but it is more than available at most hotels that offer ``free continental breakfast``, which is typically a choice of serve-yourself cold cereals, fruit and yogurt, and bread and a toaster. There is all of that but there is a counter behind which is a kitchen and there is actually somebody back there taking orders and cooking stuff. It would be a little more elaborate than an omelette chef at a breakfast buffet but not quite a full service restaurant. Our waitress, 22 years old, is the step-daughter of the owner. We call her over because we want to ask her if the cook came to work straight from the party, as that is how he appears. She tells us that her step mom is not too keen on that cook but that good help is hard to find.
She asks us if we need anything else and I tell her I need a bottle of champagne to take home. She explains that Dom Perignon is her favourite and her father has been putting one bottle away for her every year on her birthday since she was born. She also tells us that nothing could get her to work in the hospitality industry as a career, she is taking Physical Therapy at university, she is going open her own clinic, hire physical therapists to work there and spend eight months a year travelling.
I ask her to call her dad to find out where I can get champagne. She doesn`t seem that interested and claims he only buys wine when he is travelling. I figure it is going to be cheaper at a place that sells wine (like a drugstore) than at the duty free so the other waitress gives us complicated directions to get all over Great Falls to the place that might have champagne. I am thankful but it is impractical for us to be hauling the bike trailer all over the place on the off chance that a store would have what I am looking for. I end up buying it at duty free; initially, I see the price and think it is cheaper than at Superstore, which generally has the best pricing in the city. After I think about it, I figure it is probably about the same price. ``Duty free`` doesn`t mean cheaper, necessarily. Hard liquor is cheaper though, but we don`t really drink it.
At the border, it is quiet. We have to exit through a U.S. security check, and there is about five of them there and a black lab. They ask us the usual questions about where we have been, what we have been doing and do we have more than $10,000 in cash on us. We are chatting about the trip and Tom asks if they want to see inside the trailer; they are indifferent but I think they say ``o.k.`just to give them something to do. One guard is looking inside the cabinets in the trailer and she says, ``I got nuthin` ``. I tell her, `try not to sound so disappointed`. I ask for a dog fix. The handler says no.
At the Canadian entry, we get asked the same questions; where have we been, what have we been doing, do we have more than $10,000 in cash and how much are we bringing back. I am not sure the border guard was awake at the time; he may have been talking in his sleep.
We stop at Timmy Ho`s for a coffee. There are more people working there (ten) than there are in the restaurant but it takes fifteen minutes to get a coffee, muffin and bagel.
We decide (sort of) to go through Vulcan and get our Star Trek fix. It is hokey, but quaint. The display is actually looking a little tired and could use some paint as the Enterprise is rusting a little and the display of characters is getting a little on the dilapidated side.
We stop in Nisku and wash the truck and trailer and then go straight to Les`s place to drop off his bike. Tom and I are surprised because Les looks pretty good. We had expected to see him in a sling, maybe little bandaid crosses on him somewhere but no, he is pretty mobile, no sling and has prepared a little snack for us. He talks about riding together again sometime and I suggest Thanksgiving weekend.
At home, it is 10 o`clock and NoNo has waited for me to have dinner. She has beef tenderloins and we drink the duty free champagne. Then fall asleep on the couch. We wake up at 2:30 and go to bed. In my absence, the dogs have grown accustomed to my place on the bed and it is crowded however, I am thankful to be under the covers.
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| I think this is supposed to be the Enterprise, but it should probably be called the ``Boobyprise`` |
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| You have to give Vulcan credit for creating their own cottage industry out of their name. |
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| Recognize Captain Kirk here |
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| Les, a true survivor, still smiling. |
Here are a few more pictures of the trip. I tried not to duplicate others that I may have posted but no promises.
https://picasaweb.google.com/gator.legg27/MoreUtahOnMotorcycles?authkey=Gv1sRgCNTI6bDa0pbMqwE#
Thanks fror reading.
Howi
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Last Day on the Bikes
Friday September 23
Distance travelled: 124.9 km
Maximum speed: 144 kph
Total distance travelled: 4,536 km.
Once again, my Verizon $5 phone fails to wake us on the alarm setting, so we sleep till 9. Tom says he can't understand why anybody would want to get up early while on holidays. Despite that, it is his idea to set the alarm for this morning so we can get a good, early start. I think he is anxious to be home. Despite the fun holiday, it has been two weeks for him away from everybody important in his life; unlike everybody else on the trip, we have all had some connection for at least part of the time.
We go to the hotel restaurant for breakfast and I order fruit, oatmeal and toast. They charge $3 for the oatmeal and there is enough to feed a small African nation and $2 for toast and there is one piece. But it is cut into two, so it is like there is two pieces.
We are only an hour and a quarter to Idaho Falls. We go straight to the storage compound and Les's bike is beside the truck on its centre stand. We load all three bikes, get Les's bags from the office and make a souvenir stop at Wal-Mart. I bought a beard trimmer.
We drive to Grand Falls, Montana, about 500 km. Our first choice is the Hampton Inn and they only have smoking rooms. They didn't indicate if a smoking jacket came with the room. We go to the Best Western and it is a total party place. There is a casino and the place is jammed with partiers. Either way, the hotel is full, too. We decide to try the Hilton and on the way there, we see the Crystal Inn and it looks o.k. so we go in and they have room, so we check in.
We are chilling in the room, drinking "pops" and we realize we have uninvited guests as a largish bedbug is crawling on Tom's bed and scoots under the covers. Then he spots a cute little baby bedbug. I happened to have some electrical tape in the room so I stick it to the bedbugs and we march them down to the front desk, where the front desk clerk says "OMG". She obviously recognizes exactly what they are and offers to move us to a different part of the hotel or refund us. We don't really have a plan; we are not freaked out because we know that they are common however, it is hard to get rid of them if they get into your house so we opt to leave the hotel rather than change rooms. If they are in one room, they will be in all of them; the likelihood is that they have been in rooms where we have stayed already but we haven't seen them so "out of sight, out of mind". If we know with certainty that they are there, we figure we are better off in a place where there is a chance that they have not been imbeded. No pun intended.
At 11:45 p.m., we check into the Hilton, which had been our destination. It is $6 cheaper, nicer rooms and nicer hotel in general. The beds are very nice, with adjusting pressure settings and lambskin mattress covers. We know this because we rip the beds apart before we sit on them or get too settled. Generally, it looks good.
We go back to drinking the beer we had started and continue on with the movie, not quite where we left off.
Distance travelled: 124.9 km
Maximum speed: 144 kph
Total distance travelled: 4,536 km.
Once again, my Verizon $5 phone fails to wake us on the alarm setting, so we sleep till 9. Tom says he can't understand why anybody would want to get up early while on holidays. Despite that, it is his idea to set the alarm for this morning so we can get a good, early start. I think he is anxious to be home. Despite the fun holiday, it has been two weeks for him away from everybody important in his life; unlike everybody else on the trip, we have all had some connection for at least part of the time.
We go to the hotel restaurant for breakfast and I order fruit, oatmeal and toast. They charge $3 for the oatmeal and there is enough to feed a small African nation and $2 for toast and there is one piece. But it is cut into two, so it is like there is two pieces.
We are only an hour and a quarter to Idaho Falls. We go straight to the storage compound and Les's bike is beside the truck on its centre stand. We load all three bikes, get Les's bags from the office and make a souvenir stop at Wal-Mart. I bought a beard trimmer.
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| Bikes loaded for home. |
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| The "falls" of Idaho Falls. |
We are chilling in the room, drinking "pops" and we realize we have uninvited guests as a largish bedbug is crawling on Tom's bed and scoots under the covers. Then he spots a cute little baby bedbug. I happened to have some electrical tape in the room so I stick it to the bedbugs and we march them down to the front desk, where the front desk clerk says "OMG". She obviously recognizes exactly what they are and offers to move us to a different part of the hotel or refund us. We don't really have a plan; we are not freaked out because we know that they are common however, it is hard to get rid of them if they get into your house so we opt to leave the hotel rather than change rooms. If they are in one room, they will be in all of them; the likelihood is that they have been in rooms where we have stayed already but we haven't seen them so "out of sight, out of mind". If we know with certainty that they are there, we figure we are better off in a place where there is a chance that they have not been imbeded. No pun intended.
At 11:45 p.m., we check into the Hilton, which had been our destination. It is $6 cheaper, nicer rooms and nicer hotel in general. The beds are very nice, with adjusting pressure settings and lambskin mattress covers. We know this because we rip the beds apart before we sit on them or get too settled. Generally, it looks good.
We go back to drinking the beer we had started and continue on with the movie, not quite where we left off.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Jellystone
Thursday Septmber 22
Distance traveled: 382 km
Maximum speed 135 kph.
Since we had the kitchen cabin, we had a home cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, green onions, fried potatoes, fresh fruit, yogurt and "wheat" toast (what we call "whole wheat". One of the hardest things about the trip has been the constant eating of restaurant food, especially as a lot of restaurant food is fried. I had to suffer the indignity of ordering a "Girlie Chicken". It was explained to me, basically, that real men eat fried food, coated with batter or crumbs and that only "girls" east broiled or grilled chicken. At least I didn't have to ask for my salad dressing to come on the side since pretty much every place we ate served the dressing on the side.
In typical fashion, we slept past when we expected so left later than we expected. Even though it was a beautiful day, the temperatures in the low to mid 20s, there has definintely been a change in the air. It is the crispness that we associate with autumn air: that certain freshness that lets you know the end of the summer is as hand, that leaves are turning and are soon to fall. I can't help but be a little sad about it but I have been lucky in the my summer season has stretched to September 23 based on our being down here. I think it is an awesome time to visit the States and I would definitely choose this time of year again to come down here.
The road out of Pinedale is pretty straightforward and there is not a whole bunch to see before Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson, of course, is famous as a winter destination because of the amount of snow they get (for skiing) and it has the look and feel of a tourist town, not unlike Banff. It is busy, the streets crowded with people walking around and a lot of shops including the true, tourist-trap kinds of places, like "Ripley's Believe It or Not" something. Probably not the destination I would choose but it is o.k. to pass through and it is in a pretty setting.
The route from Jackson takes us through a lot of road construction and we are stopping and starting but finally make Grand Tetons National Park. By Les falling on his sword (or his duff) I have not had to pay park entry fees since he flew home so I am practicallly making money by being on this trip. Les bought a one year
pass, which is good for two motorcycles. The Grand Tetons Park is foothillls- type mountains and the trees are mostly conifers. There are many streams and rivers that we cross and we see lots of people stopped, though the traffic is not obnoxious or excessive. It is very beautiful and a nice diversion from what we have been seeing the last two days.
Tetons butts up against Yellowstone and even though we have gone through a gate to get into Tetons, we go through another gate to get into Yellowstone. Thanks Les, I just made $15. Yellowstone has to be one of the most famous national parks in the world. This would be in part because it is one of the oldest, if not the oldest but also, it is the home of Old Faithful and Yogi Bear. Now, if you are an American reading this, skip the remainder of this paragraph an go straight to the following paragraph as you may find the next sentences offensive. As beautiful as Yellowstone is to see, and it is beautiful, it doesn't hold a candle to the National Parks in Alberta. It has lovely rivers, some deep canyons, lakes but they are not as breathtaking as what we have seen in our own back yard. I try to keep in mind that I haven't really given it a fair shake because I am only on the road through the park and not getting into the back country but comparing it to the Jasper-Banff Parkway, 93 has it beat hands down.
Welcome back, Americans! Yellowstone's most famous feature is Old Faithful and it represents a huge attraction. The geyser builds up pressure for about an hour and a half before letting it all off in one fell swoop. Little spurts start about 10 minutes before the Big Blow Out and when it goes, it lasts anywhere from one minute to five. Water shoots up about 130 feet and the billowing steam clouds out rise even higher. It is all quite dramatic and fun and the anticipation is fun to experience as hundreds and hundreds of people are waiting for it to go. Except for the couple from New York sitting behind us, who left part way through the Big Blow Out.
In the Old Faithful area, there are lots of little geysers, steam vents and water vents. The area is formerly a volcano and has had three known eruptions, the last one being 640 million years ago when it blew out an estimated 240 cubic miles of debris. Take that, Mount St. Helens. There are many trails in the area and maybe people find their own mud baths, but we didn't see it. We did see lots of people fly fishing though, and there was an elk on the side of the road on the way out of the park and therer were about a hundred cars parked along the side of the road. I have never seen so many 2000 mm camera lenses in one place.
We go through West Yellowstone, which is a little town just outside the park. I have checked hotel prices in the morning and I know that the prices are about double to trip what we have been paying, so we have no intent to stop there. We travel about 60 km and stop at the Park Lodge, which is in Island Park, one third of the way to Idaho Falls. The sign says it has just been renovated and though we are out in the middle of nowhere, there is a restaurant, a bar and a pizzeria so we decide to check it out. It is $125, which puts in at the top of the range of prices paid for the trip. However, the room is in a cabin and it is HUGE. It gives us the distinct impression of a place that has been built on spec to sell to snow mobilers but hasn't sold, so they are renting it out. We don't know if that is the case or not so I am just making that up. It has shag carpet, which I find a bit odd, but a beautiful kitchen, nice tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, huge overstuffed leather furniture and big huge beds. On the other hand, the landscaping leaves a lot to be desired. They have planted trees but everything else is just clay or gravel. Very industrial.
Distance traveled: 382 km
Maximum speed 135 kph.
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| Tetons, just outside of Jackson, Wyoming. |
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| Jackson Lake inside Grand Teton National Park. |
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| Waterfalls on Lewis River in Yellowstone National Park. |
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| Buffalo walking between us and Old Faithful. |
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| The crowd gathering in anticipation of Old Faithful's next eruption. |
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| Everybody cheered when Old Faithful blew because of course, it was a big surprise. |
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| Close up of the sulfur cone. |
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| Old Faithful is not the only vent in the area; there are quite a few square kilometres of geysers, mud pools and vents. |
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| Fishing is very popular in and around the park. Fishing is limited to fly fishing. |
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| Vents draining into the Yellowstone River, being fished by a fly fisherman. |
In typical fashion, we slept past when we expected so left later than we expected. Even though it was a beautiful day, the temperatures in the low to mid 20s, there has definintely been a change in the air. It is the crispness that we associate with autumn air: that certain freshness that lets you know the end of the summer is as hand, that leaves are turning and are soon to fall. I can't help but be a little sad about it but I have been lucky in the my summer season has stretched to September 23 based on our being down here. I think it is an awesome time to visit the States and I would definitely choose this time of year again to come down here.
The road out of Pinedale is pretty straightforward and there is not a whole bunch to see before Jackson, Wyoming. Jackson, of course, is famous as a winter destination because of the amount of snow they get (for skiing) and it has the look and feel of a tourist town, not unlike Banff. It is busy, the streets crowded with people walking around and a lot of shops including the true, tourist-trap kinds of places, like "Ripley's Believe It or Not" something. Probably not the destination I would choose but it is o.k. to pass through and it is in a pretty setting.
The route from Jackson takes us through a lot of road construction and we are stopping and starting but finally make Grand Tetons National Park. By Les falling on his sword (or his duff) I have not had to pay park entry fees since he flew home so I am practicallly making money by being on this trip. Les bought a one year
pass, which is good for two motorcycles. The Grand Tetons Park is foothillls- type mountains and the trees are mostly conifers. There are many streams and rivers that we cross and we see lots of people stopped, though the traffic is not obnoxious or excessive. It is very beautiful and a nice diversion from what we have been seeing the last two days.
Tetons butts up against Yellowstone and even though we have gone through a gate to get into Tetons, we go through another gate to get into Yellowstone. Thanks Les, I just made $15. Yellowstone has to be one of the most famous national parks in the world. This would be in part because it is one of the oldest, if not the oldest but also, it is the home of Old Faithful and Yogi Bear. Now, if you are an American reading this, skip the remainder of this paragraph an go straight to the following paragraph as you may find the next sentences offensive. As beautiful as Yellowstone is to see, and it is beautiful, it doesn't hold a candle to the National Parks in Alberta. It has lovely rivers, some deep canyons, lakes but they are not as breathtaking as what we have seen in our own back yard. I try to keep in mind that I haven't really given it a fair shake because I am only on the road through the park and not getting into the back country but comparing it to the Jasper-Banff Parkway, 93 has it beat hands down.
Welcome back, Americans! Yellowstone's most famous feature is Old Faithful and it represents a huge attraction. The geyser builds up pressure for about an hour and a half before letting it all off in one fell swoop. Little spurts start about 10 minutes before the Big Blow Out and when it goes, it lasts anywhere from one minute to five. Water shoots up about 130 feet and the billowing steam clouds out rise even higher. It is all quite dramatic and fun and the anticipation is fun to experience as hundreds and hundreds of people are waiting for it to go. Except for the couple from New York sitting behind us, who left part way through the Big Blow Out.
In the Old Faithful area, there are lots of little geysers, steam vents and water vents. The area is formerly a volcano and has had three known eruptions, the last one being 640 million years ago when it blew out an estimated 240 cubic miles of debris. Take that, Mount St. Helens. There are many trails in the area and maybe people find their own mud baths, but we didn't see it. We did see lots of people fly fishing though, and there was an elk on the side of the road on the way out of the park and therer were about a hundred cars parked along the side of the road. I have never seen so many 2000 mm camera lenses in one place.
We go through West Yellowstone, which is a little town just outside the park. I have checked hotel prices in the morning and I know that the prices are about double to trip what we have been paying, so we have no intent to stop there. We travel about 60 km and stop at the Park Lodge, which is in Island Park, one third of the way to Idaho Falls. The sign says it has just been renovated and though we are out in the middle of nowhere, there is a restaurant, a bar and a pizzeria so we decide to check it out. It is $125, which puts in at the top of the range of prices paid for the trip. However, the room is in a cabin and it is HUGE. It gives us the distinct impression of a place that has been built on spec to sell to snow mobilers but hasn't sold, so they are renting it out. We don't know if that is the case or not so I am just making that up. It has shag carpet, which I find a bit odd, but a beautiful kitchen, nice tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, huge overstuffed leather furniture and big huge beds. On the other hand, the landscaping leaves a lot to be desired. They have planted trees but everything else is just clay or gravel. Very industrial.
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| The cabin at the Park Lodge, Island Park, Idaho. |
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| Kitchen at the Park Lodge. Not too much cooking done here. |
Long travel day.Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
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| Flaming Gorge Reservoir |
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| The Pinedale Cabin. |
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| Tom waiting on dinner. |
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| The Good Ol' Boys were staying at the Pinedale Cabins same time as us. Those are real guns. |
Distance travelled: 459.4 km
Maximum speed: 142 kph
It was a long day, a lot of which was just getting from A to B. But we did find the Pinedale Cabins, in Pinedale. They are old, built in 1929 but fortunately, renovated since then. The cabins are quaint and have big, comfortable beds with lots of quilts. There is a little kitchenette and barbeques with briquettes so we decide we are going to cook dinner rather than go out. We go off to the grocery store and pick up a couple of big rib eyes, vegetables and a bottle of wine and a couple of (somewhat large) cans of beer. I omitted the sauce but stuffed the steaks with shallots. It was amost healthy. Except for the steaks.
Living life large in Moab, Utah
Tuesday September 20
Distance travelled: 328 km
Max speed: 148 kph
For those of us that work in the Salt Mines, a vacation is what keeps us mentally fit so that we can stay productive. It doesn't matter if you love or hate your job but getting away allows you to recharge, connect with your spouse or partner and have a diversion that will exercise other parts of your brain. We all have the mountain parks in Alberta to experience our version of Moab close to home.
Moab is all of that for Utah.
When I get up in the morning, I go out to get a latte for Tom and an espresso for me. I see my bike and my rear tire is in SERIOUS need of retirement. The front tire can hang on for a little longer - enough to get me home but I will change it as soon as practical. We have been riding pretty hard on hot pavement and me riding two up has made the tire work extra hard. It is thread bare.
I immediately call Fred at Arrowhead Motorsports and ask him if he has street tires. He does and he has something in his inventory that will fit my bike. Our holiday is now depending on Fred to keep us going so Tom and I head straight over to his shop. Fred is not the parts manager, he is the owner of a small parts and accessories shop and servicing bikes, especially dual sports. As we pull into his yard, at the same time, four guys on serious dual sports pull into the yard, too. They are riding from different parts of California and have been riding dirt roads all the way across Utah. One fellow in their group needs a new battery for his bike.
Fred recognizes the gravity of the situation and juggling the two groups, immediately gets to work on my bike. He has the wheel off in a matter of minutes and the whole change process takes 30, maybe 40 minutes tops. He is a good guy and I feel good about him working on my bike. We are all looking at the wear on my tire and it is severely worn on one side. The pressure is six pounds light from spec but that should not be enough to cause that much wear on one side. One of the dual sport guys, Tyler, who owns his own motorcycle repair shop, Hayasa Motorbikes, in Oakland is looking at the tire and is speculating what would cause the rubber to wear so much (on one side). He wondered if I hit something that caused the rubber to come off (no) or if it was "catastrophic failure" on the part of the tire. Tyler is a wealth of knowledge - and reminds me to read the manual.
We're done and Fred judiciously reminds to be to be careful as the sticker adhesive is going to pick up some dirt on the driveway and that with a new tire, it will need to be scuffed somewhat before riding hard, so I should give it about 161.28 km before I do any hard cornering.
Our next order of business is to get checked out of the motel and get something to eat. We have missed the "free breakfast", which was about the weakest included breakfast we have seen the whole trip, so we really haven't missed too much. I also want to hook up with Tina Snyder from the Moab Tourist Office; Tom suggests we take her for lunch, which is a great idea and as it is 11:30 a.m., fortuitous timing to hook up with her. We give her a call and she suggests her favourite micro brew/restaurant and we meet shortly after noon.
Tina is watching the parking lot for us and when we ride up, she immediately comes over. I go to shake her hand and she gives me a big hug! She has her daughter Tiffany in tow; she asked her husband and riding inspiration to come along as he had surgery on his arm last week and she thought he might like to get out but as it happened, he wasn't up for it.
Tina is the ideal person for her job. I found her on the interweb by reading her articles on motorcyle touring Utah and e-mailed her to ask her suggestions on touring the Utah area. She was more than forthcoming and helpful and had many suggestions for the trip as well as vetting my proposed itinerary. She is friendly and chatty and has lots of stories about her motorcycling escapades; I think she is a little reluctant to have Tiffany listening in on some of them. Tiffany likes riding, too, though she does not have a license. She gets married this Saturday so I think her mom is trying to not encourage her to ride. That is a tough one though because Tina clearly loves to ride and she is lamenting not getting out too much.
Anyway, Tina is working so she has to get going. We bid our adieus and Tom and I are now on our way out of town. We have two quick stops: one to drop the key of for Les's bike at Jim's and Tom has his eye on a particular shirt. After that, we are on our way. It is 2:30 so not the start we anticipated but when it comes to bike repairs, there really isn't an option.
We are looking for gas on the way out of town and we stop in at the Shell but all of the pumps are all occupied. We decide to get gas at the NEXT gas station and save two minutes!
Our route out of Moab takes us up the east side of Arches, route 128, a twisty road that goes along the Colorado River, a great way to finish Moab. The road tracks up a narrow canyon along the river and it seems that we could touch both sides of the canyon walls at one time, if we could only take our hands off the handlebars. We had spent an extra night to make three in Kanab and Moab warranted an extra night or ten but there simply is not time for it.
Gas is available in Cisco, according to Garmin, so we are taking the side road to get there. Well, this is the World According to Garmin Part II. We get to Cisco and it looks a little like the gas station has closed. In 1956. It is a ghost town and has not been occupied in a long, long time. The gas station is a mass of crumbling cinder blocks and I would not know it had been the gas station if the pump wasn't still sitting outside. There is no gas in Cisco.
We need to find gas so despite Garmin's last error, we really don't have much choice but to continue to use it. Gas is 30 km away in Thompson but it is in the wrong direction. Nonetheless, since we are not sure of the range of Tom's bike, Thompson it is. BUT GET THIS: we get a dog fix at the Thompson gas station, especially Tom. There is a couple there that is giving their Great Dane a break from the car. It is amazing to me that the dog somehow fits in their car because the dog is bigger than then the car. Tom is getting some Great Dane love and I think the dog thinks he is going home with Tom.
To make up some time, we take the Interstate about 75 km into Colorado and go north from there. Even though it is fast, riding the Interstate is exceedingly boring. Travel speed is typically about 140 kph so there is not too much opportunity to gawk at the country side plus, there is lots of traffic, especially truck traffic.
We make Rangely, Colorado. It is getting past dusk and Tom makes an executive decision and we pull into a flea bag. It's ok and we ask where the best food is in town. We are told without hesitation "Giovani's" and I break down and have pizza with Tom. I have been on the wagon pretty much the whole trip so I let loose and eat something bad.
I don't get out much.
Distance travelled: 328 km
Max speed: 148 kph
For those of us that work in the Salt Mines, a vacation is what keeps us mentally fit so that we can stay productive. It doesn't matter if you love or hate your job but getting away allows you to recharge, connect with your spouse or partner and have a diversion that will exercise other parts of your brain. We all have the mountain parks in Alberta to experience our version of Moab close to home.
Moab is all of that for Utah.
When I get up in the morning, I go out to get a latte for Tom and an espresso for me. I see my bike and my rear tire is in SERIOUS need of retirement. The front tire can hang on for a little longer - enough to get me home but I will change it as soon as practical. We have been riding pretty hard on hot pavement and me riding two up has made the tire work extra hard. It is thread bare.
I immediately call Fred at Arrowhead Motorsports and ask him if he has street tires. He does and he has something in his inventory that will fit my bike. Our holiday is now depending on Fred to keep us going so Tom and I head straight over to his shop. Fred is not the parts manager, he is the owner of a small parts and accessories shop and servicing bikes, especially dual sports. As we pull into his yard, at the same time, four guys on serious dual sports pull into the yard, too. They are riding from different parts of California and have been riding dirt roads all the way across Utah. One fellow in their group needs a new battery for his bike.
Fred recognizes the gravity of the situation and juggling the two groups, immediately gets to work on my bike. He has the wheel off in a matter of minutes and the whole change process takes 30, maybe 40 minutes tops. He is a good guy and I feel good about him working on my bike. We are all looking at the wear on my tire and it is severely worn on one side. The pressure is six pounds light from spec but that should not be enough to cause that much wear on one side. One of the dual sport guys, Tyler, who owns his own motorcycle repair shop, Hayasa Motorbikes, in Oakland is looking at the tire and is speculating what would cause the rubber to wear so much (on one side). He wondered if I hit something that caused the rubber to come off (no) or if it was "catastrophic failure" on the part of the tire. Tyler is a wealth of knowledge - and reminds me to read the manual.
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| That tire looks nasty. |
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| Fred getting ready to take the wheel off. |
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| Fred works hard to get the wheel off. |
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| That's Tyler kneeling, holding the front wheel of the bike. |
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| Tina with Tom and me. |
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| Self portrait. |
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| Route 128 outside of Moab. That's the Colorado River. |
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| Along the 128. |
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| Cisco. Watch out for the children at play. |
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| That's the gas station in the backgound. |
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| Tom getting some dog lovin'. |
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| The route up the pass over to Pinedale. |
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| The pass is over 2500 metres in elevation. |
Our next order of business is to get checked out of the motel and get something to eat. We have missed the "free breakfast", which was about the weakest included breakfast we have seen the whole trip, so we really haven't missed too much. I also want to hook up with Tina Snyder from the Moab Tourist Office; Tom suggests we take her for lunch, which is a great idea and as it is 11:30 a.m., fortuitous timing to hook up with her. We give her a call and she suggests her favourite micro brew/restaurant and we meet shortly after noon.
Tina is watching the parking lot for us and when we ride up, she immediately comes over. I go to shake her hand and she gives me a big hug! She has her daughter Tiffany in tow; she asked her husband and riding inspiration to come along as he had surgery on his arm last week and she thought he might like to get out but as it happened, he wasn't up for it.
Tina is the ideal person for her job. I found her on the interweb by reading her articles on motorcyle touring Utah and e-mailed her to ask her suggestions on touring the Utah area. She was more than forthcoming and helpful and had many suggestions for the trip as well as vetting my proposed itinerary. She is friendly and chatty and has lots of stories about her motorcycling escapades; I think she is a little reluctant to have Tiffany listening in on some of them. Tiffany likes riding, too, though she does not have a license. She gets married this Saturday so I think her mom is trying to not encourage her to ride. That is a tough one though because Tina clearly loves to ride and she is lamenting not getting out too much.
Anyway, Tina is working so she has to get going. We bid our adieus and Tom and I are now on our way out of town. We have two quick stops: one to drop the key of for Les's bike at Jim's and Tom has his eye on a particular shirt. After that, we are on our way. It is 2:30 so not the start we anticipated but when it comes to bike repairs, there really isn't an option.
We are looking for gas on the way out of town and we stop in at the Shell but all of the pumps are all occupied. We decide to get gas at the NEXT gas station and save two minutes!
Our route out of Moab takes us up the east side of Arches, route 128, a twisty road that goes along the Colorado River, a great way to finish Moab. The road tracks up a narrow canyon along the river and it seems that we could touch both sides of the canyon walls at one time, if we could only take our hands off the handlebars. We had spent an extra night to make three in Kanab and Moab warranted an extra night or ten but there simply is not time for it.
Gas is available in Cisco, according to Garmin, so we are taking the side road to get there. Well, this is the World According to Garmin Part II. We get to Cisco and it looks a little like the gas station has closed. In 1956. It is a ghost town and has not been occupied in a long, long time. The gas station is a mass of crumbling cinder blocks and I would not know it had been the gas station if the pump wasn't still sitting outside. There is no gas in Cisco.
We need to find gas so despite Garmin's last error, we really don't have much choice but to continue to use it. Gas is 30 km away in Thompson but it is in the wrong direction. Nonetheless, since we are not sure of the range of Tom's bike, Thompson it is. BUT GET THIS: we get a dog fix at the Thompson gas station, especially Tom. There is a couple there that is giving their Great Dane a break from the car. It is amazing to me that the dog somehow fits in their car because the dog is bigger than then the car. Tom is getting some Great Dane love and I think the dog thinks he is going home with Tom.
To make up some time, we take the Interstate about 75 km into Colorado and go north from there. Even though it is fast, riding the Interstate is exceedingly boring. Travel speed is typically about 140 kph so there is not too much opportunity to gawk at the country side plus, there is lots of traffic, especially truck traffic.
We make Rangely, Colorado. It is getting past dusk and Tom makes an executive decision and we pull into a flea bag. It's ok and we ask where the best food is in town. We are told without hesitation "Giovani's" and I break down and have pizza with Tom. I have been on the wagon pretty much the whole trip so I let loose and eat something bad.
I don't get out much.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Bittersweet, or just bitter.
Sunday September 19
Total distance: 243 km
Maximum speed: 151 kph
We are tired from the long day of riding yesterday and even though the Eastern Contingent made a plan to get up early and go to Arches to see the sunrise, none of the Western Continent are commital. I want to go and wake up early in the morning, notice the clock reads 5:00 a.m. and think that all I have to do is wake up at 6:00 a.m. and I am gone. However, I go right back to sleep and wake up about 8:00 a.m. The Eastern Contingent have gone, seen the sunrise and returned before any of us even gets up. It is too bad because we don't actually get to spend too much time in Arches and it is a disappointment.
We are still working on getting Les's bike home and learn this morning that the insurance company is not going to cover the expense of shipping the bike. Cathy has been trying to find a trucking company and has been calling one big outfit with a local number but they REFUSE to answer every time she calls. Not sure what they have against any of us. I decide a different tact and look up local motorcycle shops and find Arrowhead Motorsports
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/
I pick this place because they specialize in KLRs, which is my other bike and anybody that likes KiLleRs must have something going for him. And the parts guy's name, Fred, appears on the webpage. I call Fred and explain the situation to him. He says of course it's possible but it will be expensive and gives me the name of a friend of his that can transport the bike, Jim. I call Jim and we have a discussion about the price. Fred is right, it is a lot of money however, Jim can get the bike to Idaho Falls before us as he is going to tow it on one of his trailers directly there, so we don't have to worry about it being crated, somebody having to sign for something somewhere and picking it up after we have left the U.S. it is 444 miles so it will be a long day for him. I call the storage place in Idaho Falls and let them know to keep an eye out for Jim. Jim comes by the motel to lead us to his shop and Bob and I follow him there, drop the bike, make an inventory of the stuff Jim is going to take and shake hands, still not quite knowing how I am going to get the money to him.
The day is half done and NoNo has to be at the airport by 2:15 p.m. as she is flying home. We decide we are going to get Subway, go up to Arches as a group to have a picnic and then Tom and I will take NoNo to the airport. Bob and Cathy elect the Balancing Rock as our destination - not too arch-like - but a great spot for lunch. There are over 2,500 known arches in the park though most of them require a hike and that is not a luxury we can afford this day.
NoNo says her goodbyes and we take her to the airport.
Amazingly, the runway is paved. Security is the ticket agent/gate attendant/baggage handler. I think he wanted to frisk NoNo but Tom and I both gave him the Evil Eye, indicating that we were Nan's security detail. We hang with NoNo for about a half hour and then she lovingly shooes us on our way. It is a very bittersweet moment: Nan has had fun but is ready to be off the bike and on her way home to her house and her animals. For me, it's just bitter because riding two up with her has made the trip for me. It has been great travelling with old friends and new but having her there right with me, sharing each moment, talking about what we see and like, don't like, where we want to go or where we want to avoid, all real time, has made this trip so much more that I could have imagined. I understand that motorcycle riding is not for everybody. The reality is that there are risks and we have seen it this trip first hand; people have to make their own decision about whether or not to get on a bike but it is clear for those who do that the attraction might be in motorcycling. Sharing it is tremendously special.
Tom and I head off to Dead Horse Point State Park. It is a sad story how it got its name, a legend really as nobody knows for certain that it is true but it seems some wild horses were corraled up there in the 1800s and died of thirst, though they could see the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. It is a beautiful spot and the view is vast, stretching for many miles in three directions and like we have seen in several spots, it is a plateau with a severe cliff dropping a long way to a very old river or valley.
From there, we to to Canyonlands National Park, which is on the same bluff but further out than Dead Horse. There are some very twisty roads and I video Tom from behind as he rides the curves. It is a hot day and though the sun is going down, it is a great time to be riding curves.
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| Gondola to nowhere. Your choice: walk ten minutes or ride three. |
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| In Arches National Park. |
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| Balancing Rock in Arches. |
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| NoNo's farewell luncheon at Balancing Rock. From left, Tom, NoNo, Howi, Cathy, Bob, John, Sheila. |
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| Dead Horse Point State Park. |
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| Colorado River from Canyonlands National Park. |
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| Shaeffer Trail, an alternate route back to Moab from Canyonlands. We didn't take it. |
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