And Then There Were Two

Our morning started out in Kalispell, Montana with breakfast at Perkins' reataurant, which is not a bad place if you have to find something.

Our plan for the day was to finish off our week of riding together with a ride on one of the most well-known (among bikers anyway) and spectacular roads anywhere -- The Road to the Sun in Glacier National Park in Montana. It was originally built when cars were first invented. It is hard to imagine how they built it with mules and carts as it clings tentatively to the side of the mountain.

I first drove this road on a family holiday 20 years ago. Again, I had thought it would be a wonderful motorcycle road, never thinking I would ever one day actually drive it.

This year's ride provided a different experience than previously and from what I had expected. Spring thaw had been harsh to the road. Much of it had been washed away and so construction challenges were prevalent. There was so much more traffic than I expected, no doubt due, in part to being the US July 4th weekend. Finally, fog, rain, sleet/snow provided the final challenge. The rain gear came out at the beginning of the road, and didn't come off till the end. At least we were colorful --Ben in his "Harley orange" Bob in his red and white, and me in my yellow pvc.

The run was ended at Johnson's restaurant and campground where the potato soup warmed the innards and provided us with one last meal together. From there George and Bob headed back to Kalispell to continue their ride together for another week, while Ben and I rode the 20 miles to the Canadian border.

Ben and I rode to Medicine Hat where we end our vacation week and begin a week of radio station and donor meetings throughout Alberta.

It has been a wonderful experience in many ways. Great men to travel with, good roads to ride, wonderful memories to cherish, and the catharsis of having had nothing to worry about except keeping the shiny side up and my knees in the breeze.

(PS --Thanks to Bob for the pictures!)

Beautiful Places, Empty Spaces

We were in Dillon MT. last night. If you've ever seen the movie "Hot Fuzz" it was kind of like that. Cars in the streets, but no one around. Actually, I've noticed that about quite a number of the small towns we've been in. I wonder, "Where are the people? Are they in their houses watching The Price is Right?"

One of our group, Jim, left us this morning and headed home to Calgary. Admittedly, it was hard to say good-bye. He is such a unique character and brings down-home wit and wisdom to our riding and conversations. Speaking of someone that he had frustrating business dealings with he said in typical fashion, "I'd like to grab him by the lips, pull him through a knothole and give him a good talking to."

Perhaps the sadness at Jim's departure foreshadows the beginning of the end of our adventure and a return to the more mundane. It is hard to describe the feeling of getting up each day and hardly knowing what day it is, where you are going, or when you will get wherever you eventually decide to go. It has been a refreshing and stark contrast to my normal life of clock-dominated routine.

It was cool when we started out -- about 10 degrees C. So we stopped for coffee in, of all places, Wisdom. Are you searching for wisdom? Well, we found it. And we had coffee at Fetty's. No muffins. Or jam for the toast we eventually ordered. And the danish were soggy. The pickup parked out front with the two rifles in the gun-rack took me back to my days of growing up on the Canadian prairies.

We had lunch in Missoula, and although it rained a little on the way to Kalispell, this time we had our rain-gear on and didn't get wet.

In total we traveled about 500km today so it was a shorter day. Our estimated total distance travelled so far since leaving last Friday is about 4400 km.

We arrived in Kalispell mid-afternoon before heading to Capers for supper -- rated #2 of 68 restaurants in town. There, I was a little more adventurous and had Rattlesnake sausage pizza for supper. If you ever get a chance to try it -- do! It doesn't taste like chicken!