Day 23 - Yelloswtone to Cody

We left West Yellowstone after breakfast at about 8:15am and headed back into the park. Since I was on the bike and Suzanne was in the car, and I had the "Senior Citizen Lifetime Parks Pass," Suzanne had to pay the $25 weekly pass rate. Oh well, the alternative was a 150 to 200 mile detour around the park.

Se saw more wildlife, bull Elk (for the first time - pic) and more buffalo (pic). The park is truly beautiful with massive stands of Lodgepole Pine so thick it makes walking difficult. Lodgepole are interesting in that they reseed themselves with an incredibly thick cover of new trees after the forest is destroyed by fire. Forest fires are the regenerating force of the forest.

We crossed over the "Fishing Bridge," from which there is no longer any fishing permitted (since 1973) due to the near decimation of the Cutthroat Trout population by fishermen. As we reached the summit of Sylvan Pass (8530 feet), we ran across the "Road Work" sign (pic). The East Entrance to the park has been under repair for over two years now due to a massive slide. Supposedly, it will be completed this year, but in the meantime, travelers are required to follow a lead vehicle down the very steep descent over a largely gravel road into the Shoshone River valley on the way to Cody. The speed rarely exceeded 15 mph and the dust was abundant! Needless to say, the car and Goldie both got baths when we arrived in Cody.

Once out the East Gate, we traveled through some beautiful landscape with very interesting features (pic). Once in Cody, we checked into the Best Western, washed the vehicles, had lunch at the historic Irma Hotel (Buffalo Bills hotel), visited the Beartooth Harley Davidson shop for the mandatory T-shirt, and then took in the marvelous Buffalo Bill Cody Museum (pic). There are five museums in the center, covering all aspects of life in the West from arms, to wildlife, to Buffalo Bill's life, to western art and history. A truly remarkable museum.

We are now about to meet Mick Barrus, a very old friend with whom I went to undergraduate school and lived with in Elwood Manor, our cooperative living group. Mick lives in Cody and I haven't seen him in 43 or so years, so the visit is long overdue.

Tomorrow it's on to Sturgis!

Day 22 - Yellowstone (South Loop)

We headed back into the park around 10:00am, this time to see the much more popular South Loop. We saw more Elk early on, then stopped at Fountain Paint Pot (pic). Lots of colorful geysers. Next was the Firehole Lake Drive and more active and colorful geysers (pic). Finally, we stopped at the grandaddy of them all - Old Faithful - and after a quick lunch, the geyser erupted right on schedule at 12:44pm (pic).

We then drove over Craig Pass (8262 ft.), crossing the Continental Divide twice, and stopped at the West Thumb geyser basin for a quick look. We drove along Yellowstone Lake and stopped at the beautiful Lake Yellowstone Hotel for a look. The lake is beautiful and someone was actually swimming (it's COLD). Then we headed down the Yellowston River and stopped at the Upper Falls for a (pic). Heading to Canyon Village, we ran across a couple of herd of Buffalo (pic).

The rest of the journey was effectively retracing the last part of yesterday's route, however, we did spot a Coyote alongside the road. Suzanne was happy with all the animal siteings!

Tomorrow we head back through the park for the third time on the way to Cody. A short day of about 131 miles. More later.

Day 21 - Butte to Yellowstone

We left Butte on I-90 at 8:15am. After a few miles we reached the continental divide at 6,900 plus feet. From here on, all the water flowe=s to the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty odd miles later, we switched onto US 287 and headed up the Madison River Valley. What a beautiful ride. It goes through cattle country and the fields are mainly devoted to growing hay. As one acquaintance in a bar told me: "Montana and the other western states have banned the use of square hay bales in favor of round ones." I naively asked why, he said because the square ones constipate the cattle. One on me!

We passed through Ennis, a great little town completely restored to the 1800s. Further on, we stopped at Cameron, where we me four fellow bikers from Kansas City, Missouri (pic). Monte, Shannon, George and Sharron were riding softails (Loaded with chrome) and were a delight to talk to. Monte informed me that if you bought your bike in Montana, and you owned a piece of property in Montana, there was no sales tax and you could license the bike for about $125 for the life of the bike! Montana loves bikers!

Further up the Madison River Valley we saw many fly fishermen in the river and in boats with guides, fishing for trout. The river is absolutely beautiful and I was full of envy.

We arrived in West Yellowstone at 11:30 and checked into the Holiday Inn. We had lunch ane headed into the park (I have a seniors lifetime pass!). Our route was the North circuit to see some geysers and the Mammoth Hot Springs. If we had it to do over again, we would skip the North circuit. The roads are narrow and there are many places where the speed is less than 20 mph. We did see a few herds of elk, but no other wildlife. Some of the scenic sites were quite nice (pics).

We arrived back in West Yellowstone at 5:30pm and had a walk up Yellowstone Ave. Several nice shops, including a biker shop! We then returned to the Best Western and had a beer or two and dinner. Any typos are the fault of the bar in the hotel.

Talk to you tomorrow after we see Old Faithful and the other sites on the South Loop.

Cheers

Day 20 - Lewiston to Butte

We left Lewiston at 8:15am and headed East on US 12 up the Clearwater River Valley. What a wonderful ride. The first half took us up to Lolo Pass, following the river all the way with twists and turns all the way. The second half took us down to Missoula, Montana, again with twists and turns all the way. In total, the ride from Lewiston, Idaho to Missoula covered nearly 200 miles of wonderful riding road!

The scenery was great, with the crystal clear river and the Pine, Cedar and Douglas Fir forests on the West side and Pine and prairie grasses on the East side. We stopped for gas at Cougar Canonyon on the way up - a one pump station that loves bikers. We stopped for lunch on the way down at Lolo Hot Springs, where there really are hot springs that keep a spa at 103 degrees.

The whole route followed that taken by the Lewis and Clark expedition as it made its way over the Rockies down the Clearwater River to the Snake, and then to the Columbia and the Pacific.

Leaving Missoula, we headed down I-90 to Butte, one of the great mining towns in the U.S. and, coincidentally, the birthplace of my Mom! We checked into the Best Western at 5:00pm (mountain time) and headed up the hill to Walkerville to see what was left of Mom's old neighborhood. Unfortunately, not much is left, and what is, is in serious disrepair. But this is not hard to understand. My great grandfather bought the house (two or three rooms) my mother was born in from the Indians in the 1880's!

We also witnessed the beginning of Evel Knievel Days in Butte. This is an annual affair that honors Evel Knievel, who was born in Butte - and who is here for the event and staying in our very hotel! The entire "uptown" area is closed to traffic for the weekend. There are hundreds of bikes, some of which are headed to Sturgis after the event, and much music, drinking and frivolity! A good time by any standard.

Tomorrow we head for West Yellowstone and two day of touring the park. Talk to you later!

Day 19 - Wenatchee to Lewiston

We left Wenatchee at 8:15am and headed North to see Dry Falls and the Grand Coulee Dam. We stopped in Coulee City for a coffee and bought some wonderful snacks called "Wheat Dudes." They are only made in Coulee City and are simply whole wheat kernels treated with something, and they taste great. Bringing some home, and have the address to have more shipped.

From Coulee City it is about 3 miles to Dry Falls. This is a most interesting spot. The falls were created about 15,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. The glaciers had moved down from Canada and blocked both the Columbia River and the John Clark River in Idaho. The latter, backed up into Montana and created Lake Missoula, which at its peak covered over 500 square miles and was up to 2,000 feet deep - larger than any lake in North America.

Finally, the pressure of the water broke through the ice dam and Lake Missoula drained rapidly through eastern Washington and Oregon to the Pacific. At its peak, the flow was over 500 feet deep and rushed along at over 65 miles per hour creating the largest flood the world has ever experienced. It scoured the area and was hundreds of miles wide. It carried with it pieces of the shattered glacier and deposited boulders, some weighing up to 200 toms, across thousands of square miles of Eastern Washington and Oregon. The main flow created Dry Falls, which is over 400 feet high and 3 miles wide, dwarfing Niagra, and once the largest waterfall in the world. I saw it when I was very young and was awed, I am still awed.

We then went to the Grand Coulee Dam, once the largest Dam in the world. There is enough concrete in the dam to pave a highway across America, and it generates an enormous amount of hydro electricity. While there we met a few other bikers from Utah and shared tales. We also ran across a number of antique racing cars, all of which ran and sounded like they were brand new. Amazing to see and hear.

We then turned East and headed for Spokane and then South to Lewiston. This area is the "Breadbasket of America." It is mile after mile of wheat and other grain fields. It is like a sea of grain for hundreds and hundreds of square miles.

We arrived in Lewiston at 4:30pm after the two Garmins took us on a merry chase over some side roads - can't figure out why. Ultimately, and with the help of a road worker, we found our Comfort Inn, checked in and went for drinks and dinner.

Lewiston is a nice town of 31,000 people, but it is really hot in the summer! As I dropped down from the high plateau to the Lewiston, which is located at the confluence of the Clearwater and Snake Rivers, the temperature was around 100 degrees. I was glad I had my Cool Vest on.

All is good and tomorrow we head for Butte, Montana - where my Mom was born. More from there.

Day 18 - Seattle to Wenatchee

We arrived in Seattle in the rain and, fortunately, left Seattle in brilliant sunshine. The sun came out, for the first time, on Tuesday and continued today. Of course, as we leave, the sun is expected to continue for the next week or so! I knew the sun God would get me for leaving the Northwest!

We said goodbye to Mom this morning, picked up "Goldie" at HD of Seattle, and headed over Stevens Pass to Wenatchee. The rivers flowing both West and East are beautiful - emerald green and crystal clear (photo). Exactly as I left them and fished them as a youth.

We had an easy day, not meant to cover lots of miles. We got into Wenatchee at 2:30pm and took "Goldie" to the car wash for a much needed bath. By 4:30 we were at Applewood Bar and Grill (photo). Then to the Buzz Inn for dinner and to watch the Seattle Mariners game on TV.

Wenatchee is an interesting town, with lots of folks from Seattle moving in when they retire. While Seattle gets around 40 inches of rain a year - in excruciatingly continuous doses, Wenatchee, Ellensburg and the rest of Eastern Washington get around 8 inches of rain a year. The result is semi-desert (photo), all 100 to 150 miles from Seattle.

If you don't like the rain - drive 100 miles East and bask in the sun - in the summer that is. Of course it is HOT in the Summer, and in the Winter it is COLD. Well, you can't have everything - unless you live in Florida that is!

Cheer

John and Suz

The Interlude

We did go fishing in Sekiu. I caught a small sole (which I released), but no salmon. It was good to be back on the water again after so many years, but the on-and-off rain made the experience a bit less enjoyable than it could have been!

On Friday, we headed back to Seattle in the rain, and it has been raining off and on since. We stopped at the Harley shop on the way to Mom's and said hello to "goldie." They had put on the new Metzler tires, but had not yet done the oil change. The dealership doesn't carry Mobil 1 for V-Twins, so I drove to another cycle shop and bought some and had it put in. HD of Seattle has been most helpful and accommodating in all respects.

We had dinner with my daughter, her husband and my two grandsons last night. What a great time. I will miss them when we leave. The rest of the time here is going to be busy visiting relatives and catching up with old college buddies that I haven't seen in 40 or so years.

Talk to you again from the road.

Day 12 - Sekiu and the Pacific

This morning was partially sunny and warm. I went out and talked to the morning fishermen who were cleaning a good catch of Coho (Silvers) and a few Chinook. We then drove to Neah Bay and Cape Flattery - the western most tip of the lower 48 states. Along the way, we stopped at a smoke house and bought some wonderful tasting Alder smoked salmon. Suzanne and I are supposed to go out later this afternoon for a little fishing - if it doesn't rain, which it is doing at the moment.

Tomorrow we head back to Seattle, and will be there for five days, so this is the last Blog entry for a while. We will be back online when we begin the journey back East.

Talk to you next week!

Day 11 - Yakim a to Seattle and then Sekiu

We left Yakima at 7:15am and headed West on Hwy 12. We reached White Pass (4,500 ft.) and began the descent toward HWY 123 around the East side of Mt. Ranier. Unfortunately, 123 was closed due to a mudslide, so we had to continue on Hwy 12 to Packwood, Randle and Morton. The diversion cost us 2 hours. Not only that, but as soon as we started down the mountain, it started to rain, which it did the rest of the day! The rain gear works reasonable well - something I could have gone without knowing.

We finally arrived at Mom's apartment in Seattle around 12:30pm, had lunch and departed (in the rain) to drop off the bike at the Harley dealership for an oil change and a set of new tires. In the rain, we (Suzanne) decided we would take to car to Sekiu - a wise choice as it runs out.

We caught the 3:00pm ferry from Edmonds to Kingston (a 25 minute ride) then headed West on WA 104 to Port Angeles and Sekiu. We stopped between Sequim and Port Angeles for dinner at a wonderful seafood and steak restaurant called Dupuis, which my family had stopped at for cracked Dungeness crab since the late 40's. The food was great. We had a single cracked crab and spaghetti dinner for two, and it was all we could eat. We finally arrived at Sekiu, still in the rain, at 6:30pm. the rain subsided so we walked the "street" and went out on the floats to look at boats.

Cheers. John and Suz

Day 10 - Pendelton to Yakima - Part 1

We left Pendelton at 7:15am and headed Northwest on I-84 to I-82 North and crossed the Columbia River into Washington state. We turned onto WA 14, which runs down the North shore of the Columbia for nearly 90 miles through the famous Columbia Gorge. The Columbia is one of the largest rivers in the world and drains a basin that begins just South of the Yukon in Canada. Along the way we saw an old stern wheeler heading down the river (pics).

We turned North on US 97 toward Goldendale, where we stopped in the old town for a coffee (cappuccino and a latte) at Coyote Coffee, a coffee shop run by a fellow and his wife transplanted from Tucson, Arizona. The coffee was great, and the conversation about Goldendale and things in general most interesting.

From there we were back onto 97 climbing into the Pine and Douglas Fir forests lining Satus Pass (3,146 ft.) On the descent, Suzanne was stopped by a Wapto police officer - not for speeding, but because he didn't see a front license plate, and couldn't read "Florida" on the rear plate due to the license plate bracket. Front plates are mandatory in Washington. He apologized for his error and we had a great conversation about the trip and the area.

Day 10 - Pendelton to Yakima - Part 2

Further down the pass we moved back into the prairie grass and sage brush landscape except for the Cottonwoods and Willows lining the stream that ran alongside the road. The distinctive smell of the Cottonwoods brought back vivid memories of fishing for trout in just such streams during my youth. Wonderful (and not so wonderful) smells are one thing you can enjoy when riding a bike and miss when riding in a car!

We arrived in Yakima at 12:15pm, checked in to the Best Western and headed North (by car) to Ellensburg (35 miles), home of my undergraduate Alma mater, Central Washington University. When I started there in 1960, there were 900 students. When I left in 1964 there were less than 2,000. Now there are more than 8,000 and the campus is quadruple the size or more. The old buildings are all still there, but there are many new ones. I could still find my way around - even after 43 years.

We stopped in and met the director of alumni, Jim Armstrong and he filled me in on what had happened over the past 43 years - and got my address, which the University did not have. He also gave me information on the former members of my long-since defunct fraternity - it is now a law office, how ironic (or not) given what went on there when it was a fraternity!

On the way back to Yakima we followed the old road down the Yakima River - a beautiful trout river. And wouldn't you know it, after decades without a citation - I got pulled over by an Ellensburg sheriff for going 60 in a 50. He saw that we were from out of state, and we shared information about our trip. Turns out he was a fellow Central Washington U grad - need I go on? He gave me a warning and we sat there for five or so minutes sharing memories of the area. Two pull-overs in one day!!

Back in Yakima, we visited the local Harley dealership, which by the way, is the only one I have ever seen that shares its premises with Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and others. Really unusual! We are now headed out for a drink and dinner. Tomorrow Seattle and Mom!

Day 9 - Twin Falls to Pendelton

Day 9 already! We left Twin Falls at 7:15am and headed up I-84 toward Boise and ultimately, Pendelton, OR. Not initially a very stimulating drive - flat, high speed interstate. Then after Boise, "Road Work" and a long stretch of single lane.

Things got more interesting when we crossed into Oregon near Payette, ID. We stopped for lunch at Durkee, OR at an interesting little restaurant called "The Hungry Redneck Cafe." The restaurant is small and isolated. It was started a few years back by an immigrant from Croatia. A chef by training, Bozcho "Bo" Luttunich speaks 4 languages and has made it his life to serve good food, and lots of it, to Redneck truck drivers, to whom he confers a 10% discount if they have a Redneck Cafe Card - which is free to truckers. After our lunch, we agreed that "Bo" has succeeded completely.

From there to Baker City, climbing into the rolling hills of Eastern Oregon (pictures). Then into the Wallowa - Whitman National Forrest before La Grande. Until now, mostly sage brush and dry prairie grasses, but after La Grande, we climbed into the Blue Mountain Forest Scenic Corridor and to the summit at 4,193 feet. Here the hills became increasingly, for the first time, covered with a variety of conifers - mostly Pine, Douglas Fir and Hemlock (picture). The drop down to Pendelton was full of high speed sweeping curves as we dropped down 3,00 or so feet in only a few miles - a 6% grade with truck runoff lanes. Pendelton is in the Columbia River basin and is a major wheat producing area (picture).

The high temperature for the day was 96 under a hazy sky. We checked into the Best Western at 2:30pm, ready for a clean up and later for a beer or two! We are now into an area I knew as a child and young adult, and the territory will become increasingly familiar - we are looking forward to it.