Westward Ho -- Torrey and Beyond

[MikeRC]

 

First person account verified (at least the events in Torrey).  

 

Lots of helping hands considering the small number of participants.  And Eddd was the "go to" man for fetching oil and JB weld (to act as a counterpoint to the nail joke). 

 

Thanks for reporting (and nice to meet you) Randy. 

 

Mike Cassidy

[eddd]

I bugged out for home from Escalante after lunch on Saturday due to the weather forecast for Sunday.  The gif is from the traffic camera in Hatch, UT on Sunday right about the time I would have been traveling through.  I definitely made the right choice.

[Indy Dave]

Enjoying your trip from the warmth of my home!

[RandyShields]

On 5/18/2019 at 12:35 PM, Whip said:

Great photos, but that facial hair is white just in case you hadn't noticed.

[RandyShields]

Day 12 – Mt. Carmel Junction to Flagstaff, via the Grand Canyon

It just wouldn’t be a motorcycle trip through the west in the spring without more snow.  As the temps started to rise and what I thought were the final portions of the cold front moved out, I waited a few hours to depart.  The route was adjusted to avoid the higher elevations of the North Rim and the route there, but it was still cold.  Thank goodness for heated gear.  I briefly considered heading west to Las Vegas where the temps were in the 70s and there was no threat of snow, but I really wanted to see the Grand Canyon.

A quick side story: the Best Western where I stayed was connected to the Thunderbird restaurant and gift shop. I raised an eyebrow when I saw the sign “Ho-Made Pies.”  All I can think of when I see Ho is Eddie Murphy doing his Velvet Jones comedy skits.  (Indeed, the title of this blog was changed from Western Ho to Westward Ho so there wouldn’t be any unintended allusions to Colorado hookers.)  The history of the place was on a laminated card on the tables of the restaurant.  It is really a heartwarming saga about a couple starting the business in WWII, and only having enough space on the first wooden sign for Ho-Made instead of Home Made.  When chuckles began, likely after Eddie Murphy popularized “Ho” in his skits, the grandchildren who run the place decided to embrace the innocent history.  Good decision.  I did note a couple of typos in the story, so I sent them an email with corrections, along with another couple of helpful edits.  Because that is just who I am.  We’ll see if they respond.

Back to the ride, there was more snow passing over the Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park east of Kanab, but the temps improved at lower elevations, and there were just some sprinkles as I headed into AZ.  Passing through Page, I went over the bridge of the Glen Canyon and saw the dam over the Colorado and the beauty of the canyon below.  It was hopefully a taste of the dramatic sights I would be seeing soon. 

When I entered the Grand Canyon park, I stopped at the furthest east vista, as there was a storm approaching from the west. That turned out to be a sleet/hail storm that dropped the temps from 60 to 38 in a few minutes, and the severity of it had the shorts and tee shirt covered tourists scrambling like ants.  Luckily, I was strolling in with full gear, including my helmet, eating some jerky and drinking a Red Bull, so I was poised for my photo op when the storm quickly disappeared and the sun reemerged.

From there, it was a 25 mile ride further west to Grand Canyon Village.  Needless to say, it started snowing.  Hard.  Thankfully, it was sticking to the grass and trees, but not the road.  It was near whiteout conditions when I got to the visitor center, as the snow was creating a winter wonderland while we were in the cloud.  There would be no canyon viewing here.  With no cell service, a ranger let me see the radar on his phone, and it looked like a break in the storms was almost upon us.  Instead of waiting around to see if visibility would improve between the storm cells, I hustled to the bike to brush off the snow and head south to Flagstaff instead of possibly getting stuck at the park.  At least I got to see some of the canyon from the first vista, but I will have to return some day.

My wife was worried (as was I) and said it was not a race to Flagstaff, but it was!  On the ride south, I could see three more storm cells approaching from the west.  I outran the first two, but the last one got me just 3 miles short of I 40.  (The mountain route into Flagstaff was rejected when I learned it was over 8,000 feet and likely snow and ice covered.)  I then outran storm no. 3 in a few miles heading into Flagstaff at max speed.  I was never cold in these storms, just worried about traction.  But there were no slips on the day and the bike was quite stable, even with the new sport bike tire on the back.  I checked in and just got all the gear into the room when the next snow storm hit.

That is supposed to be it with the cold and snow.  We are expecting warmer temps Tue, climbing into the upper 70s the closer I get to Vegas.

Let me add that I really appreciate all the positive comments and Likes on the ride report.  It has been a very cathartic experience focusing on what to write and capture in photos.  Lessons learned on this trip: (1) depart later in the year next time; (2) build and carry a better tool set; (3) test the air inflator hook up before I leave.

Mileage today: 310. New states: AZ.  Total mileage: 4315.

[Bob Palin]

Although snow and cold is not uncommon at this time of year I really can't remember such a long lived event in the time I've been in Utah (15 years). They got 20" of new snow above Cedar City over the weekend with more to come!

[Chris K]

Great pics Randy, to go with a great story. Please bring some of that cool weather back with you as today is the start of what is supposed to be the strat of at least 10 days in the 90's here. 

[RTinNC]

12 hours ago, RandyShields said:

Day 12 – Mt. Carmel Junction to Flagstaff, via the Grand Canyon

 

........... I did note a couple of typos in the story, so I sent them an email with corrections, along with another couple of helpful edits.  Because that is just who I am.  We’ll see if they respond. HA!  They may hunt you down! 

 

Back to the ride, there was more snow passing over the Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park east of Kanab, but the temps improved at lower elevations, and there were just some sprinkles as I headed into AZ.  Guess now I know why my old riding buddy Ron always said never ride the passes in the West before June or after Oct. and even then it's a crap shoot!  Be SAFE!  

 

 

........ eating sme jerky and drinking a Red Bull Should of had a DONUT! 

 

 

That is supposed to be it with the cold and snow.  We are expecting warmer temps Tue, climbing into the upper 70s the closer I get to Vegas. Hoping you are right! 

 

Let me add that I really appreciate all the positive comments and Likes on the ride report.  It has been a very cathartic experience focusing on what to write and capture in photos.  Lessons learned on this trip: (1) depart later in the year next time; (2) build and carry a better tool set; (3) test the air inflator hook up before I leave.

 

Mileage today: 310. New states: AZ.  Total mileage: 4315.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Do realize all I keep thinking is with all the snow I bet there is salt on the roads!  I'd need a car wash hourly!  HA! 

 

Be safe !!! 

[RandyShields]

Day 13 – Flagstaff, AZ to Las Vegas, NV

 

I got a later start today as the temps dipped below freezing overnight.  I waited for about 40 degrees to clean off the bike.  There was a great twisty road (AZ 89A) down the mountain, but I had to take it easy in case there was ice on the road.  Emerging at the bottom was a lovely winding road through a valley with steep canyon walls on each side and many small resorts.  Halfway to Sedona, and several thousand feet lower than Flagstaff, it had warmed to the mid-50s.

Sedona was a very quaint artsy town with a restaurant/gallery area that attracts a lot of tourism.  It reminded me of La Jolla near San Diego.  Further on the loop was Jerome, a cool old mining town built into the wall of the mountain.  It had tighter and narrower roads than Pittsburgh.  After going over the mountain, I also passed through Prescott before continuing.  It had a nice historical downtown area, but not the character of Sedona or Jerome.

Heading north up to I 40 for the run to CA and north into Las Vegas the predicted high winds began.  As they were from the south, they weren’t too bad, but as soon as I headed west on the interstate, boy things got interesting.  I got off after one exit to get gas and collect myself, as the bike was getting blown to the side hard.  I chatted with six riders from Germany who pulled up all on identical 107 ci HD Ultras.  They had come from the west and just shook their heads when I asked about the wind.  The flag at this station was whipping like it was going to come off the pole.  I knew I was in for a rough three hours in a gale.  The sustained winds and gusts were even more difficult than the ride into Torrey.  The bike was at a constant lean and I had to dodge tumbleweeds blowing across the road and through the air like you see in tornado movies.  Many trucks were pulled over to wait it out, but the forecast advised it was an all-day event, not dissipating until after 10 pm.  I saw one semi in front of me get blown into the berm before he recovered.  I was not dilly dallying when I passed those guys.  It got easier when the road turned south, and then north to Las Vegas, but it was still a struggle.  Temps moved all the way to 85 in the CA desert before moderating into the 70s.

I stopped at a couple of overlooks for a peek at Lake Mead before heading into town.  You can see the approach storm clouds over to the west of the lake.  Staying at the Golden Nugget was bad idea.  While the rate was good and lure of blackjack intriguing, it is downtown; parking was in separate deck with no carts or help with gear; and the walk to the registration desk and then to the tower with my room just not convenient.  After a quick bite of some Asian food, I treated myself to a fantastic massage, with the masseuse even getting up on the table for leverage.  Boy was my neck and back tight.  Too tired for blackjack, but may hit a few slots in the morning. 

Mileage today: 430.  New states: CA, NV.  Total mileage: 4645.

[Endobob]

Randy - other than the cold, wind, snow and other interesting weather changes, it sounds like you are having a great trip!  I look forward to each of your new postings! 

Some of the roads, cities, and weather challenges brings back memories of a few of my rides out west. 

[RTinNC]

Great read Randy!   Glad you enjoyed 89A and Jerome.  Of all the weather issues WIND is what I hate the most and it seems like it is always blowing out west.  Hope you get better weather on your return. 

[RandyShields]

Day 14 – Las Vegas, NV to Twin Falls, ID

Not much to report today.  It was nice to start, although I had my first experience with a vapor recapture gas nozzle.  They just don’t work with motorcycles.  Luckily, it was just this ARCO station and no others had the hose.  Not sure how our members in CA deal with those.

After a few nice hours, the bad weather returned, and I had cold and snow over the Pequop Pass (7,000+ feet) to Idaho, with a lot of cold rain after the elevation decreased.  It is apparently still snowing there now.  The landscape was pretty, but rugged. Lots of mountains and plains.  There were interesting rock formations, with small to large ball-like shapes in unique lines.  As I got closer to ID, I snapped some photos showing the low clouds we were in with a wind farm in the background, as well as the pretty mountains in the north that started to emerge as the low clouds started to move out.. Happy to be out of Vegas, and looking forward to the waterfalls and nicer weather of ID.  Officially into the third and final week of my trip after today.

Mileage today: 540.  New states: ID.  Total mileage: 5185

[RandyShields]

Day 15 – Twin Falls, ID to Clarkston, WA

Got up early today to make it to Boise for my tires/oil change appointment.  But first, since I arrived late the night before, I headed over to Shoshone Falls to see it when the sun came up.  The falls are billed as the “Niagara of the West,” and they are actually over 200 feet taller than the famous falls from New York.

 

When I got to the park at 6:15 am, the sign said the park didn’t open until 7 am.  But, there was nothing blocking the gate, so I exercised my constitutional right to see the natural wonders of this country without paying a fee.  What everyone has said is exactly correct: the falls were stunningly powerful and beautiful.  They dropped their water into a large gorge of the Snake River and I easily could have stayed an admired it a lot longer.  Interestingly, while I was at the overlook, a private security guard drove by, but didn’t say a word.  I also wanted to see the ramp and location where Evel Knievel attempted his failed jump over the gorge in 1974, but it was a bit of a hike, and also didn’t officially open until 7 am.  So, I passed on that to get on the road to the BMW dealership in Boise.  You can check it out with an internet search.  For those of you who watched, his parachute malfunctioned and deployed early, plunging him into the gorge below.  Surprisingly, he suffered only an broken nose.  I remember that the network milked the drama for all it was worth. 

 

That ride took about 2 hours, and they got me right in at 8:30 am.  The floor space at the dealership was very large, but not large enough for all their ATV, watercraft and motorcycle brands.  I noticed a for sale sign out front and new facility drawings inside.  I hope they provide for a customer lounge, because all they had was a couch in a dark corner next to a soda machine.  Luckily, they completed the tire and oil change by 11:30 am and I was ready to go.  For those of you following this blog, you know that I put a new sport tire on the back of the K1600 when I had a puncture at Torrey.  After some research, I discovered that the SportMax tire would last only 3-4 thousand miles, so I had to replace it at 2K since there would not be enough tread to get me home.  I offered it to the service staff, since it had at least a few track days left and they were appreciative.

 

Heading out of town, I rode over the Perrine bridge and looked down in to the dramatic beauty of the Snake River canyon.  I would get to see that again several times as the route north crossed the river numerous times.  As I observed coming into Twin Falls, the landscape north for many miles included large crop or animal farms that could have been plucked from Ohio or Pennsylvania.  All the way north, you could see distant snow-covered mountains in the distance. 

 

The route crossed briefly into Oregon, but then headed up the beautiful western border of Idaho.  The weather was moderate for a change, in the upper 60s and low 70s, with only a few passing showers and approaching 80 as I neared Lewiston.  The indigenous insect population must have liked the reprieve from the weather, as they came out too.  My windshield greeted some of the more juicy ones and the bike was covered more than normal.  Ed Apelian would not have liked all the necessary cleanup.  There were large meandering valleys with farms that ultimately got a bit more rugged.  Then the landscape looked like the Smokey mountains, and then turned into even more dramatic mountains and valleys. Further north, US 95 ran along the Little Salmon River, then the Salmon River, with the water rushing north with a lot of churning white water.  One of the towns billed itself as the whitewater capital of the US.

 

It was just so beautiful.  I stopped several times to take photos of a historical landmark or the river and hills, but I fear that they will just not do justice to how beautiful the scenery was.  In its own way, it was as dramatic as anything in Colorado, Arizona or Utah.  From a review of a Butler map at the dealership, I noticed that one section near the Hells Canyon border was denoted as a scenic ride and I understand why.  When I finally got to the top of the long uphill ride, which was a blast to ride, I stopped to take a snapshot of the valley, and the road looked like one of those winding snakes from the Dolomites.  One of the historical markers referenced hydraulic mining.  All I could think of was how they dealt with that topic in Pale Rider.

 

Over the other side of the pass, one looks down on a large valley that is a patchwork of different crops, including many solid yellow squares.  Descending into the farmland below, I noticed that the farmers had signs identifying the crops.  Nice touch. The yellow was summer Canola, which has become a popular cooking oil in the states since it does not burn as quickly as olive oil or corn oil (that per my wife who reads some of the cooking magazines).

 

Soon, I was passing through the quaint town of Lewiston on my way to check of the state of Washington with a visit to its sibling city, Clarkston.  (Lewiston-Clarkston, get it?  I never knew until planning this ride.)  I noticed that there were a lot of Nez Perce references riding in, from being on the reservation to a number of historical markers.  I hope to explore more of them tomorrow as I ride across the top of the reservation into Montana. Lots of photos from this afternoon.  Enjoy.

 

Mileage today: 435. New states: OR, WA. Total mileage: 5620

[RandyShields]

On 5/20/2019 at 10:49 AM, MikeRC said:

 

First person account verified (at least the events in Torrey).  

 

Lots of helping hands considering the small number of participants.  And Eddd was the "go to" man for fetching oil and JB weld (to act as a counterpoint to the nail joke). 

 

Thanks for reporting (and nice to meet you) Randy. 

 

Mike Cassidy

Yes, a goal was to meet more of the folks that I haven't traditionally ridden with.  Great to meet you and everyone else at Torrey and get you to help me with my tire woes!

[RandyShields]

On 5/21/2019 at 10:12 PM, RTinNC said:

 

You Do realize all I keep thinking is with all the snow I bet there is salt on the roads!  I'd need a car wash hourly!  HA! 

 

Be safe !!! 

The bike is a mess.  I need to bring it over to your garage for a thorough detailing when I get back.

[RandyShields]

On 5/22/2019 at 10:21 PM, Endobobdds said:

Randy - other than the cold, wind, snow and other interesting weather changes, it sounds like you are having a great trip!  I look forward to each of your new postings! 

Some of the roads, cities, and weather challenges brings back memories of a few of my rides out west. 

Thanks Bob.  There have been challenges, but I knew there would be.  The beauty and fantastic roads are making it definitely worth it.

[Rougarou]

6 hours ago, RandyShields said:

Day 15 – Twin Falls, ID to Clarkston, WA

 

  I also wanted to see the ramp and location where Evel Knievel attempted his failed jump over the gorge in 1974, but it was a bit of a hike, and also didn’t officially open until 7 am.  So, I passed on that to get on the road to the BMW dealership in Boise.  You can check it out with an internet search.  For those of you who watched, his parachute malfunctioned and deployed early, plunging him into the gorge below.  Surprisingly, he suffered only an broken nose.  I remember that the network milked the drama for all it was worth.

 

Eventhough I was only six, I remember being glued to the little 13" black and white TV that we had waiting for the jump.  After the failure, I says to myself says I,....."It's a rocket,.....not a motorcycle"......it would have been more impressive to fail on a regular motorcycle rather than a rocket.

 

Keep the stories coming,......one day, I'll make a similar trip.

[RTinNC]

No doubt I would definitely need a car wash after the snow, road grime and squishy bugs!  YIKES! 

 

Glad you enjoyed Twin Falls!  I was shocked that it was so damn impressive and in some ways equal to Niagara Falls.   Also,  you can actually see the Evil Knievel ramp without driving to it.   The drive there is very odd and not easy to find.  But you can see it pretty well from the back of the local shopping mall.  I believe it is the Home Depot parking lot that gives you a real good view of what is left of the dirt ramp.  Enjoy the West it's some of my favorite riding. 

 

[RandyShields]

Day 16 – Clarkston, WA to Bozeman, MT

After hitting my furthest north and west point, I am now officially heading back home after two plus weeks on the road.  Today started rainy and stayed that way all day.  There were steady showers all morning, then on and off in the afternoons.  Temps averaged in the mid-50s, with the mid-40s in some mountain passes.

The rain, however, could not put a damper on a spectacular ride east on US 12, also known as the Lewis and Clark Highway, and the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway.  It runs along the banks of the Clearwater River, and through the Nez Perce reservation after leaving Lewiston.   One of the first historical markers is the Ant and Yellowjacket rock formation, with an ancient message of getting along.  For those who have ridden NC 28 around the Fontana reservoir, this is your ride, only this goes on for 160 miles!  In many spots, there are no guardrails, so a mistake will take you 20-30 feet down into the rushing river, so ride carefully.  The road runs up the south side of the river for 80 miles, then crosses over to the other side. 

From there, you ascend up to Lolo pass.  You always know you are going over a mountain when you see chain up areas as you near the point of increasing elevation.  At the welcome center, there were a dozen or more prairie dogs playing and checking me out as I walked nearer.  Over the pass into Montana, the land is more rugged and the trees change to predominantly pines.  I understand why this is Big Sky Country; the large plateaus are surrounded on all sides by snow covered mountains and they just go on forever.  Just east of Helena, the Missouri river is so large it appears to be a lake. 

The heaviest rain of the day was about an hour out of Bozeman.  I stopped to check the radar, and it looked like it would be clear after about a 10 minute ride.  That was accurate, but the best part of the departing storm was the colorful rainbow it created that arced right over the road so you had to drive through the middle of it.  That should bring good luck for the ride home!

Bozeman was a cool small town with western and modern flair.  Downtown included some art galleries and a number of old and new restaurants, some that were pretty shi-shi for the locals who were in daily cowboy attire in jeans and boots.  The sound of studded car tires was something I hadn’t heard in many years.

Mileage today: 430.  New states: MT.  Total mileage: 6050.

[Whip]

Great Stuff!!!

 

BTW..... this happen on the road I took us on to Torrey

 

https://www.dovecreekpress.com/breaking-news-news/highway-145-closed-indefinitely-mm-21-8-miles-north-dolores-due-rockslide?fbclid=IwAR0ZBO1h6ydWuathl0ZoBAslCFI7AQamn3IQG4m9sPDrkphhtAnAODlt0Jo

 

 

....right before our lunch stop in Delores.

 

[Oldrider51]

Randy, 

Great ride tales, have enjoyed reading and seeing all your travels. Tells me I need to get out and ride more. Safe travels. If you get near Fayetteville, AR on your way home and need a place to stay, let me know. 

[RTinNC]

WOW ... you are making me want to go back out there again!   I loved riding Lolo pass and that area.   We did it the opposite direction from east to west nut still great. 

 

I have only ever stopped for gas in Bozeman but Barb has been there and seeing more of that area is on our short list. 

 

Be safe ... there is some crazy ass weather in the mid-country. 

[RTinNC]

Oh ... and with the MOA National Rally in Great Falls MT next year I DO plan on retracing a lot of these roads I did in 2015 ! 

[LBump]

Posted Thursday at 08:26 PM

Day 14 – Las Vegas, NV to Twin Falls, ID

 

Not much to report today.  It was nice to start, although I had my first experience with a vapor recapture gas nozzle.  They just don’t work with motorcycles.  Luckily, it was just this ARCO station and no others had the hose.  Not sure how our members in CA deal with those.

After a few nice hours, the bad weather returned, and I had cold and snow over the Pequop Pass (7,000+ feet) to Idaho, with a lot of cold rain after the elevation decreased.  It is apparently still snowing there now.  The landscape was pretty, but rugged. Lots of mountains and plains.  There were interesting rock formations, with small to large ball-like shapes in unique lines.  As I got closer to ID, I snapped some photos showing the low clouds we were in with a wind farm in the background, as well as the pretty mountains in the north that started to emerge as the low clouds started to move out.. Happy to be out of Vegas, and looking forward to the waterfalls and nicer weather of ID.  Officially into the third and final week of my trip after today.

Mileage today: 540.  New states: ID.  Total mileage: 5185

 

 

Well Randy, I can't speak for others but I stand beside the bike whilst fueling and pull the tip of the nozzle upwards so it doesn't stop.  PITA

[RandyShields]

15 hours ago, 041100S said:

Randy, 

Great ride tales, have enjoyed reading and seeing all your travels. Tells me I need to get out and ride more. Safe travels. If you get near Fayetteville, AR on your way home and need a place to stay, let me know. 

Thanks for the offer, but heading back via Iowa and Illinois.  

[RandyShields]

21 hours ago, Whip said:

Great Stuff!!!

 

BTW..... this happen on the road I took us on to Torrey

....right before our lunch stop in Delores.

 

Wow!  I bet they have to blast a boulder that large to get smaller pieces to move.  Glad that didn't happen before we got through there.

[RandyShields]

Day 17 – Bozeman, MT to Miles City, MT, via Yellowstone

 

Saturday started sunny and clear, with large puffy white clouds.  It was a beautiful day for a ride south to the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park.  Even though it is Memorial Day weekend, there was not much traffic.  As a 12-year old, our family took a driving trip west and Yellowstone was a key destination.  We did the more popular south side of the park though, with Old Faithful and the hot springs and mud pots.  The north has vast expanses of plateaus, rivers and mountains.  There is also a whole town there, including a justice center, post office and apartments for the staff.  I never knew.  And there were buffalo.  Thousands of them roaming and grazing individually, in pairs and large herds, including one group of mothers with month old calves crossing the road.  Luckily, they gave no nevermind to the stopped traffic.  It’s one thing to have a riled-up buffalo coming at your car or truck.  Absolutely another on a motorcycle;  I felt a little exposed with the proximity of some of these huge beasts so close to the roadway.  But truly magnificent sights. 

 

The information on the internet about Beartooth showed both open and closed.  I asked the ranger when entering the park and she said she thought it had been opened on schedule the day before, but then closed again.  All the park signs said closed, but I thought I would ride there to check it out.  Sure enough, after a sign at the bottom advised the road was barricaded ahead, the snow at the top – and more forceful Road Closed signs said it all.  Back down the mountain.  Mitch had suggested I ride WY 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway into Cody.  The road was named after the famous chief of the Nez Perce tribe who led his followers over this route as they fled the US Cavalry pursuing them to Montana and Canada.  What a spectacular road it was, with great sweepers, a high pass with melting snow, and scenery for miles.  Descending into Cody, it is a real western town.  Everything there is focused on Buffalo Bill.  Glad I had a chance to visit it.  Hopefully, that is the last of the snow.

 

Finally, on to Miles City.  East of Billings, I passed a national monument for Pompey’s Pillar.  After reading about it out later, I wish I would have stopped.  You can see the rock outcropping from the highway.  It is the smallest of the national monuments and contains the 1806 signature of William Clark, one of the last remaining pieces of physical evidence of the expedition he co-led.   Clark wrote that he climbed the sandstone pillar and “had a most extensive view in every direction on the Northerly side of the [Yellowstone] river.”  He named the outcropping after Jean Baptiste Charbonneau – the some of expedition member Sacagawea – whom he nicknamed Pompy.  I added a stock image below.

 

One final memory from the ride into Miles City -- among the many cattle farms along the way, one field had large white plastic wrapped bales of hay that went on for miles.  Very unique sights that looked like thousands of cotton balls in the fields.

 

Mileage today: 470. New states: WY.  Total mileage: 6520.

[RTinNC]

HA!  I had a way to close encounter with Buffalo at Custer Park in SD.   After the herd crossed the road ahead 2 buffalo decided to walk ALONG the road and passed us on our bikes.  They were literally a couple feet from my handlebars.   I know  what you mean when you say you felt exposed!   Thankfully they kept going! 

 

I love Chief Joseph Highway and have ridden it in both car and on a motorcycle.   Very cool and the Prime Cut restaurant in Cody has the best buffalo burger I've ever had. 

 

Safe travels. 

[RecentConvert]

What a great series of posts!!!!  I rode the Lewiston route to Bozeman and then on to Yellowstone last summer.  It is spectacular even when raining and 50 degrees!

 

Wyoming 296 is a great road!  Good condition, well marked and lots of fun!

[RandyShields]

Day 18 – Miles City, MT to Rapid City, SD

 

 

Well, I have an interesting day to tell you about.  Weather was nice and no rain for a change, but had to dodge some storms at the end.  The plan was ND, SD, Devil’s Tower in WY, and the Crazy Horse Monument in SD before landing in Rapid City after a shortish 390 mile day.

Motel 6’s don’t have a breakfast, so I was on the road by 8 and planned to get something later.  Later was Baker, MT, about 90 miles east on US 12.  In Baker, a small farming community, they had gas and, after seeing the distances between towns, thought I better fill up.  Even on US routes out west, there is nothing for 50-80 miles between towns, so a breakdown or running out of gas would be bad.  They had a kitchen and made travel food, but no breakfast sandwiches, so I opted for a Pillsbury egg/sausage wrapped in a waffle.  It was warm and quite good!  All the roads in town had been rained on, so they were quite muddy.  I had wondered about those nice two-tone paint jobs on all the pickups, but they were just mud covering the sides of every vehicle.  Remember Baker.

On the way out of the state, I stopped to snap a goodbye photo showing the rolling hills and topography of that area of the state.  20 miles later I was into North Dakota, and thought I had been quite clever by selecting a route off the beaten path just inside the state line, saving miles from driving further into the state.  Even though it wasn’t a marked state route, it was newly paved and things were looking great.  But wait, after 10 miles, what is that ahead – the pavement ended without warning and I was suddenly onto a muddy gravel path that was not one of those ½ mile things.  I stopped when I realized I had another 40 miles to go!  All the route detours were onto dirt roads, so I finally turned on that avoidance in the Nav V and, surprise, it routed me back to Baker and down through Montana into WY.  Thank you Basecamp for not telling me the road was mud after 10 miles.  After carefully turning around, I backtracked and figured I lost 55 miles.  Not as bad as Indy Dave with the river blockages on his way to START, but an hour is an hour.  I am still trying to find a car wash to lose all the mud.  I had to clean off my front and rear lights because they were totally covered up.

 

 

I had a chance to see the MT welcome sign upon reentry and learned about why there were crosses every mile or so on every MT road.  The state legion has put them up to reflect road fatalities.  What I didn’t understand is why there were so many in areas that didn’t seem to be conducive to a crash.  Maybe folks were running into wild game or just running off the road after too much to drink.  Either way, it was unnerving to see all those crosses for the last several days.  And interestingly, no Stars of David, just white crosses.  Having many Jewish friends, I guess they should be happy to know that they are just safer drivers.

 

 

After getting back on track, I came across a number of interesting rock formations on the great ride down to Devil’s Tower.  It was Medicine Rocks state park.  Doing some research later, I discovered that the park is named for a series of sandstone pillars some 60 to 80 feet high “with eerie undulations, holes, and tunnels in them.”  The rocks contain numerous examples of native American rock art, and are considered a sacred holy place by Plains Indians. Theodore Roosevelt said Medicine Rocks was "as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen," and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.  But for my detour, I would not have seen that or taken a photo.  How many other places like that are there that we don’t know about?

 

 

I could first see the Tower from the north at about 20 miles, and it was impressive even from that far away.  Up close, it just blows you away with how straight up it rises from the earth with near perfectly symmetrical squared off edges to all the rocks.  That had to be something to see formed.  There were a lot of signs about what a hallowed place it was to so many cultures, so it was a very reverent visit.  Definitely worth the side trip to see it.

 

 

The Crazy Horse monument, further east in the Black Hills (which were fun to ride), is crazy big.  There are currently 14 carvers at work, including some family members of the visionary who started it in 1948.  There is no timetable on completion, which tells me they are operating on donations and have no federal money.  Interestingly, there were no photographs of Crazy Horse at the time.  But at the dedication in 1948, there were apparently 4 elderly Sioux who knew and fought with the Chief back in the day, and they sat down with a forensic artist to come up with what they agreed was a good likeness.  I hope we get to see it finished in our lifetime because it is pretty amazing.  Lots of good history here that I want to follow up on.

 

 

There was one scary moment today.  (No, not the mud or all the antelope on the side of the road, who can apparently hear the high pitched K1600 engine coming a long way off because they are just staring at me as I go by.)  It was a hawk encounter.  This one was coming in like a fighter at 10 o’clock being pursued by a pissed off blackbird, when it realized it was going to ram me when it suddenly did a 120 degree turn about 10 feet from my head.  Yes, I was ducking even though it was still 10 feet away, but I’m glad it had good reaction time and was able to miss me.  I have been more worried about the cars, cows and wild game on the roads, but guess I should be watching the raptors too.

 

 

With a long slab ride in the rain to Sioux City next, likely not much to report tomorrow.

 

 

Mileage today: 445 (55 unintended).  New states: ND, SD.  Old states: WY (intended); MT (not intended).  Total mileage:  6965

[RandyShields]

Day 19 – Rapid City, SD to Sioux City, IA

 

 

 

As indicated earlier, this is the start of a tough home stretch – 1800 plus miles in four days with a lot of highway.  But the day started with a flyer.  After our family trip west when I was 12, we saw hundreds of Wall Drug signs and billboards on the road, but we were not that far north and east to check it out, even with a lot of sibling whining, so when I saw that Wall, SD was next to the entrance of the Badlands Loop, I committed to see the place my brother, sister and I always wanted to visit.  What a tourist trap!  It is not a store at all (and I could have used some more ThermaCare neck wraps), but a large arcade of artisan shops and a café.  But what a marketing machine they have!

 

 

Next stop was the entrance to the Badlands loop, which as totally shrouded in a pea soup fog.  The nice ranger advised that the park road dropped down, so I should be out of the cloud to see much of the park.  She was absolutely right.  The ride goes along the top of the park, then down into the bottom, and then up and down a couple of more times before finishing at the visitor center named for Ben Reifel, the first native American to be elected to Congress in 1961.  The place is eerily beautiful, with millions of years of erosion creating dunes, gorges, cliffs and mazes in the landscape.  I can see why the outlaws loved this place.  Great for ambushes and good luck finding anyone in there.  Everything looks like sand, but it is clearly rock, and lots of it.  There are apparently million of years of fossils in the layers as well.  Since it was a short day, I will share a number of photos from this ancient lava bed.  The Badlands was awarded national park status only recently, in 1978.

 

 

I mentioned the fog.  That just seems like the appropriate additional weather element to go along with all the snow, hail and rain from the trip.  I was careful to let the heavy storms move on before departing, but much of the morning was misty and hard to see, then more bike leaning wind until it let up in the early afternoon.  And with all the rain in the region, these heavy storms further inundated the land, that was now rolling prairie.  Many of the farm fields I saw in SD and IA were now underwater – tough when they are now crop farms and not cattle farms.  I hope the water subsides so these dedicated hard workers can plant and tend to their crops.

 

 

One PS from yesterday.  I forgot to mention that the Germans on the identical HD Ultra Classics showed up at the Devil’s Tower.  I caught up with one of them who spoke no English, but was not able to talk with the few that I chatted with earlier.  At least they seem to be finding all the best U.S. landmarks to visit on their riding adventure in the states.

 

 

Tomorrow, a long-awaited visit with the sister of a passed modern adventurer, and a chance to see the Field of Dreams before the final push home.  Only four more states to go in my quest to ride in all the lower 48.

 

 

Mileage today: 480.  New states: MN, NE, IA.  Total mileage:  7445.

[MikeRC]

22 hours ago, RandyShields said:

Day 18 – Miles City, MT to Rapid City, SD

 

I had a chance to see the MT welcome sign upon reentry and learned about why there were crosses every mile or so on every MT road.  The state legion has put them up to reflect road fatalities.  What I didn’t understand is why there were so many in areas that didn’t seem to be conducive to a crash.  Maybe folks were running into wild game or just running off the road after too much to drink.  Either way, it was unnerving to see all those crosses for the last several days.  And interestingly, no Stars of David, just white crosses.  Having many Jewish friends, I guess they should be happy to know that they are just safer drivers.

 

 

Randy, those white crosses have been going up since the 1950s.  I remember seeing them on a family road trip to Great Falls in the mid 1960s.  Officially there are over 2,000 of them and the local Legions get out and clean them all every year.  

 

They are most dense within a few miles of drinking establishments and at T-intersections.  I counted eight at one intersection on US93 north of Missoula where a road is coming out of a casino.  

 

Many of the isolated ones can be attributed to icy winter road conditions and/or falling asleep at the wheel.  Both not uncommon problems in areas where people have to drive a lot even in less-than-ideal conditions.  

 

Thanks again for the pictures and updates!

 

Mike Cassidy

[RandyShields]

3 minutes ago, MikeRC said:

 

Randy, those white crosses have been going up since the 1950s.  I remember seeing them on a family road trip to Great Falls in the mid 1960s.  Officially there are over 2,000 of them and the local Legions get out and clean them all every year.  

 

They are most dense within a few miles of drinking establishments and at T-intersections.  I counted eight at one intersection on US93 north of Missoula where a road is coming out of a casino.  

 

Many of the isolated ones can be attributed to icy winter road conditions and/or falling asleep at the wheel.  Both not uncommon problems in areas where people have to drive a lot even in less-than-ideal conditions.  

 

Thanks again for the pictures and updates!

 

Mike Cassidy

Interesting.  Thanks for the additional color.  I was just wondering if they were placing them willy nilly to make a point.  A good point to be sure, but still unnerving when you see so many on the road.

[Id's_OK]

Best Ride Tale ever...just sayin'!  Thanks Randy!

[RandyShields]

8 hours ago, Id's_OK said:

Best Ride Tale ever...just sayin'!  Thanks Randy!

Wow, thanks for the kind words Chris!

[RandyShields]

 

 

Day 20 – Sioux City, IA to Rockford, IL

 

 

 

I woke up to a large thunderstorm right over top of Sioux City.  The radar showed that it would be moving out soon, although there was another one a few hours behind, both on the same west to east route I planned for today.  So, after a bit of a departure delay to let it move on, the key would be to not run back into it while staying in front of the trailing storm. 

 

 

I passed through the small Iowa town of Correctionville.  Odd name; I wondered if it was home to a prison or detention facility.  No; it turns out that the name came from a surveyor’s correction line when the town was formed in 1862.  All I could think of were those hilarious Justin Timberlake “Ville” skits on SNL, where he has the floppy hands and feet.  In this one, he is using his hawking skills to sell more correction fluid than the frustrated, more conservative correction fluid salesman on the next corner.  That kept me chuckling for miles.

 

 

Next stop was Fonda, Iowa, that I will come back to.

 

Racing to stay ahead of the trailing storm, I got off US 20 in Dyersville, Iowa, near the Wisconsin border, to see the Field of Dreams film location.  As you drive up to it, you see the field, the small bleachers, and the white farm house.  That house was lovely, and must have been redone with the movie funds.  The set looked just like the film, other than no corn.  The shooting had to be in July-August when the corn is at its highest.  Now, there is just a large empty field with corn stalk remnants in left field.  There was a father and his sons playing catch on the diamond.  Nice touch.  While there were many great actors in that movie, my thoughts landed on Burt Lancaster.  Eerie to know that they were all here on this set.  I thought this movie role was his last before he died, but he actually did three more films.  His Dr. Graham role in Field of Dreams was just a fantastic way to phase out a tremendous career. 

 

 

After snapping a few photos, I dashed back to US 20 and got to the motel in Rockford, IL 30 minutes before the trailing storm hit.  Successful ride strategy today.

 

 

Now back to Fonda.  This section is not about riding, but visiting the grave of an old friend, so feel free to skip this and the related photos if you like  One of the reasons for my route and the timing was to meet Carol Stauter in Fonda and visit the memorial for her brother and my friend, Robert.  Carol and I have been communicating by email for the past 20 years, but we had never met.  I was eagerly anticipating our meeting, but also knew it would be emotionally challenging. 

 

 

I met Robert Stauter when we both clerked at a law firm in Ohio during law school.  I knew right away that he was special.   From Fonda, Iowa, a small farm community that Carol describes as a dying agricultural town, Robert was the third child and first son of family farmers.  He was dedicated and confident, but also very humble.  He achieved much with his focus and drive.  Only three years older than me, he was already an MD, was finishing his law degree, had a pilot’s license (with mom shuttling him to his flying lessons at age 14), owned a plane and some hangers to store it, had a soaring license, scuba dived, rode a motorcycle and spoke several languages, all while still traveling the globe to do African safaris or hike in Sweden.  He took me up in a glider for the first time and I marveled at his piloting skills.  Later, we went on a week-long trip to Colorado to ski together.  After I was married, he visited Laura and me in D.C. and we loved to hear about his world travels.  Later he got his commercial pilot's license and glider instructor license.  Oh, and he looked like Sting, so all the girls swooned for him.  Robert was the special light of the family, owing much to his incredibly supportive parents.

 

 

I guess it is these brightest flames that go out so dramatically.  After sending our Christmas greeting at the holidays in 1998, I got a letter back from Carol advising that Robert had been a passenger on Swissair Flight 111, the plane that went down off Nova Scotia when a fire broke out above the cockpit and the pilots lost their instruments and spatial orientation.  Surprisingly, the aviation authorities were able to gather enough remains of the victims to identify them and return them to the families.  Robert’s are now in his family plot at the cemetery in Fonda, a trip that I had long wanted to make.  I didn’t know it would be so hard after 20+ years but it was.  Carol and I were both having a difficult time. Robert was not supposed to be the first to be buried there, but he was.  The remaining four siblings now visit Robert and their now passed parents every Memorial Day.  I was glad the Carol delayed her departure to spend three hours with me, show me the family home and photos, and take me to say a proper goodbye to Robert.

 

 

Mileage today: 430. New states: WI, IL.  Total mileage: 7875.

[RandyShields]

 

Day 21 – Rockford, IL to Fairlawn, OH

 

Well, driving through Chicago rush hour traffic on I 90 was fun.  Actually, it was the tail end of rush hour and only cost me 20 minutes, which was still faster than any of the outer loops.  But, the K1600 does not like stop and go traffic in warm temps.  Even with a fan, the engine heat bar got to red for a few minutes.  I could see the break in the traffic ahead, though, so was able to keep going and it receded as I headed out of town.

 

I saw more state troopers in the first 20 miles of Indiana than I did for the entire trip.  Time to break Waze back out on my phone, which helped.  Surprisingly, I saw none on the Ohio Turnpike.  When it was a two-lane road with a grass median back in the day, the Ohio troopers were noted as a sneaky and prolific ticket writing bunch.  Now that it is three lanes each way with a Jersey barrier, they don’t have the safe opportunities to move about, so they now spend their time on the older interstates.

 

The road trip started with a photo of the Mississippi welcome sign for state number one.  It ended 27 states later with Michigan, to bring my total of states ridden in to all lower 48 (plus DC)!

 

If I hadn’t been in a hurry to get to my brother’s house outside of Akron for a BBQ with him, my sister and their spouses, I would have stopped at a few other places along the way.  Like Milan, OH, birthplace of Thomas Edison; and Wapakoneta, OH, birthplace of astronaut Neil Armstrong, and home to the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum.  Even though I grew up in the area and have many great memories, these are two places I have never visited.  If you are ever in the area, plan to stop by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, not a very well-known park and just recently established as a national park in 2000.  The park runs along the Cuyahoga river valley between Cleveland and Akron.  It has a lot of great trails to hike and roads to ride through, as well as some excellent local history. 

 

Final push home to Charlotte tomorrow.

 

Mileage today: 435.  New states: IN, MI.  Total Mileage:  8310

[twistyguy]

Trip of a lifetime!  Thanks so much for the effort to share it with us.  The pictures and accounts were great!  Appreciate it Randy.

[RandyShields]

Thanks Peter.  Agree, quite an adventure!

[RandyShields]

Day 22 – Fairlawn, OH to Charlotte, NC

 

Home safe and sound.  Left early to beat another incoming storm, but still got some showers in the morning.  A lot of construction and left lane Louie’s on the way home, and had to dodge a few lane shifters and retreads on the way, but made it in safely and the G&T on the porch tasted great!  Wife and pups happy to see me, as I was happy to see them.  Shower felt great. 

 

A few comments on the bike and gear.  The K1600 is an incredible machine.  Smooth and ready to roll on whenever you want extreme passing power.  Incredible suspension and what an engine.  Holds a lot of gear too.  The ride saw the entire trip other than day one and today with the Rukka 3-season Armaxion suit.  As Revzilla describes it, the suit is bullet-proof and it proved that on this trip.  I hauled around the mesh gear for 3 weeks and glad I had it today; put it on at 85 degrees when I got into VA today, but coming down off of Fancy Gap to NC, the temps were in the upper 90s, and at one point reached 100 on the last two hours home.  I don’t care what you are wearing, that is hot, and the AC when I walked in my house felt almost as good as the shower.

 

Thanks again to all the positive feedback on the ride reports.  They meant a lot to me and I’m glad everyone enjoyed the adventure I had been looking forward to for a long, long time.  And a final thank you to the Whip and the Torrey crew who kept me going at a difficult time.  Will always be much appreciated. Until the next rally where I see you guys, signing off.

 

Randy Shields

[RandyShields]

Woops, forgot to include the final tally:

 

Mileage today:  510.  New states: 0, but total states: 27!.  Total Mileage:  8820.

 

[TEWKS]

Great trip Randy!  

 

Now on a few of the bigger trips I've been on, somewhere approaching the end of each of them, I always look forward to plopping my butt on the couch. Then when I finally do, I say, I missed this?  Within ten minutes, the planning starts for the next. Granted, my planning stages have been mighty long lately. 

[RandyShields]

1 hour ago, TEWKS said:

Great trip Randy!  

 

Now on a few of the bigger trips I've been on, somewhere approaching the end of each of them, I always look forward to plopping my butt on the couch. Then when I finally do, I say, I missed this?  Within ten minutes, the planning starts for the next. Granted, my planning stages have been mighty long lately. 

Thanks Tewks.  Still recovering so not thinking of the next trip quite yet.  Enjoying the couch, wine and decompressing.

[Lowndes]

Randy,

 

I think you set the bar for all future ride journals with the pictures and commentary.  We enjoyed every minute of it!!  WELL DONE.

 

The SPOT tracking was really good, too.

 

WELCOME HOME!!

 

 

Lowndes

[Norm 88]

The ride tale and pictures were outstanding. Thanks for taking us along....

[RandyShields]

18 hours ago, Lowndes said:

Randy,

 

I think you set the bar for all future ride journals with the pictures and commentary.  We enjoyed every minute of it!!  WELL DONE.

 

The SPOT tracking was really good, too.

 

WELCOME HOME!!

 

 

Lowndes

Thanks Lowndes.  Glad to be back safely with some good memories!

[RandyShields]

17 hours ago, Norm 83 said:

The ride tale and pictures were outstanding. Thanks for taking us along....

Thank you.  It was fun recounting each day and taking photos made me focus harder on what to share.

[Bill_Walker]

What a great trip!

 

It sounds like your late friend, Robert, made the most of the time he had.

[RTinNC]

Glad you’re home safe Randy!

 

2nd day out for us and perfect so far.

 

see you soon

[RandyShields]

7 hours ago, RTinNC said:

Glad you’re home safe Randy!

 

2nd day out for us and perfect so far.

 

see you soon

Good.  Ride safely.