I awaken at the usual time, the CoB, but as I am waiting for a call at 1000 from a guy in the Pacific time zone I putz about a bit, and catch up on the Blog. Call takes 30 minutes, then I leisurely pack the bike and we depart at 1100ish. The first thing we notice is that it is very smoky, and perhaps a bit overcast and that is really keeping the temperature down to reasonable levels. Bill says this (ominous foreshadowing) "Boy, I sure like how overcast it is!" I...

Due to our extremely grown-up behaviour last night I was up at 0730 and started packing the bike at 0755. Only takes about 10 minutes, but I was still a little late for our 0800 departure. I promised to do better in the future. Bill, as always, was magnanimous and never said a word! Main Streent Shelby was partially blocked off due to a classic car Show N Shine but our path to the East was open. I was only halfway through my ramge, and Bill, having had been up s...

Left a little early this morning, about 1000, as I have a little further to ride today than normal and I know it is going to start to be almost continuous mountainous passes by mid day. The buck forty speeds on straight desert road days are almost over. About 30 seconds after leaving the ho'tel parking lot we cross the state border into Idaho. I remember once being here in the 90's with my brutha Rob Pakai and I went to get medicinal beverages at the end of the...

Based on the quantity of Kracken consumed the night before I set my alarm for every 2 hours and got up to drink a litre of water and have a pee. When the alarm went off for real at 0845 I was 95% successful in washing out all of the toxins applied the night before. I was a little bit slower packing up the bike as I was still sorting things out a bit, but we were off by 10 after 0900. Bill had his helmet on for about 20 minutes before I was ready but I resisted s...

Enjoyed a sleep in until about 1030 then up and packed by 1045. I had that sleep in because I am meeting my Brother in Law Bill today in Shelby, Montana and we are going to ride together for several days. He rides in a crew called 'Coots on Scoots' to which I am a recently adopted member having turned 50 years old last week, the entry level age. They like to depart at 0600 and finish riding early afternoon before it gets too hot. I like to leave at 1100 and stop ...