Day 8 - Going To The Sun Road

I have this place I go when I meditate,  a place I've actually never been.  It's an old 2 room shack / cabin with a covered front porch and 3 steps down to the ground. There is a path that leads to a small stand of beautiful mature oak trees on the left. I imagine myself sitting in a rocking chair on the porch in the perfect quiet looking over my hundred of acres of swaying grains and grasses.  In the distance runs a cold clear river that fronts a tall range of jagged mountains. It's cool outside,  cool enough for a jacket but nothing more.  The smells are familiar and welcoming.  My booted feet are kicked up on the rail and I let my attention wander between the sounds of the wind, the sounds of the birds and insects, and the sound of the train running down by the mill a few miles from here. This is my place,  my home, my escape.
I don't know why but Montana has always been where I imagine this cabin would be.  It's so amazingly beautiful up here that every time I come I can't help but look about to see if I can find it. If my cabin were here it wouldn't get much attention because it would be just one beautiful place among thousands of such places.  Honestly,  this state owns me.
We made it to Glacier National Park and then spent the day exploring the park and studying trail maps.  We found a pay phone and we're able to make a few phone calls home.  After checking into the Swiftcurrent Lodge we jumped back on the motorcycles and drove all the way across the park.  We got some gas and then drove all the way back.  We saw the destruction from the fires I saw here last year.  But this 50 mile run is a run across some of the most beautiful mountains in the park.  And we rode without another car anywhere near us. We had the whole park to ourselves.  It's called "Going to the Sun road"  because the angle of the road is so steep it feels like that's what you are doing.
What a ride....

Day 10 - A lake of icebergs

I've been wanting to go hiking in Glacier National Park since the first time I got here and so today I took up the challenge.  The name of the trail I hiked today was "Lake of Icebergs"  and it did not disappoint.  It was a strenuous 5.2 miles up to the lake and a nice 5.2 miles back down. The BEAUTIFUL wildflowers caught me off guard.  With about 2 miles left on the way back I heard the vicious and unmistakable ROAR of a Grizzly bear followed shortly thereafter by a couple who were running (big mistake) full speed back up the hill towards me! I mean they were freaking out and were panicked!!  I inched forward and eventually saw that a mother and her cub had crossed the hiking path and we're heading down to the lake.  Unfortunately by the time I thought to take a picture they were gone.  Nice roar though!!
I've seen a lot of bears this trip,  close to half a dozen.  I always try to leave them alone because it seems they are always being hounded by the paperazzi of tourists like me.  I do wish I had a picture of one of them though.

Day 9 - Bob goes to the hospital

First of all,  Bob is fine.  He hurt his knee a couple of weeks ago and it was still bothering him enough that he wanted to go get it checked  out. We rode 70 miles over the Rockies to get to the park clinic who scared the snot out of him by telling him he needed to go straight to the hospital.  In his stupor he insisted on using his new GPS to get us to the hospital so he leads us directly to a trailer park full of gravel and a big dead end. He's got it now, he says,  and Bob turns us around,  drives us over someone's gravel front yard and then takes us down a "road" which leads us to the green of the 12th hole of the local golf course.  I start cracking up to which Bob and the foursome trying to putt growl and apparently do not appreciate the humor of the moment.  We finally get to the hospital and in one of the most efficient,  friendly and accurate manners I have ever seen,  Bob is in and out of the hospital in less than an hour with a clean bill of health.  My hats off to Dr.  Mcgill (from Emory), and the entire staff at the North Valley Hospital in Whitefish MT.
We spent the rest of the day just riding through the park.  The water is so blue and  the views in every direction are breathtaking.  We rode up the Going to The Sun Road again and I noticed the stone arches under the road.  They are all original construction from 1932. Amazing they are still holding up so well.
After dinner we walked out of the restaurant just as the sun was setting behind the mountains.  Such a cool sight to see at 10 pm at night.
Bob is good to go and we are in one of the most beautiful place especially on. Earth.  Life is good.

Day 7 - We made it to Big Sky country

A lovely day riding across North Dakota and Montana.  Woke up refreshed and ready for some more adventure (except road construction).  We left Williston North Dakota early in the morning and it was beautiful!  Funny,  I don't think of the Dakotas as beautiful but they are.  You can see forever across the endless acres of golden grain swaying in the breeze.  We watched the sun rise as we were riding our bikes and we're mesmerized at the way this gentle land began to stir.  Certainly these Dakota people are all early risers so by the time the sun began to come up you could see all the farmers already at work.  By 6:30 am these good people were plying their trade.  God bless them one and all. 
As we hit the Montana state border it began to rain and rain it did for 2 1/2 hours.  I like riding in the rain though - the smell,  the cool temperatures,  the way everything looks new and shinny.  Then a full rainbow appeared,  a rainbow that stretched across the entire western horizon.  It was so beautiful we had to pull over and take some pictures.  This is Big Sky country in full display!
Did I tell you I love taking these road trips across America?  It is breathtaking sometimes.  Today was 420 miles of some of God's finest work.

Day 6 - A shortie because we're tired

Sometimes I just get so excited being out here that I forget my body can only take so much.  Today was a day when my body said "enough,  I need to rest".  And so we only rode about 250 miles and then took it easy.  Unfortunately about 15 miles of it was through an area of HEAVY road construction.  All the concrete and asphalt had been removed and we were riding on dirt,  mud and loose gravel.  Huge construction equipment was all around us as our bikes shimmied and turned from left and right without our steering it either way.  It truly is a wonder that neither of as layed our bikes down. Seeing Bob head straight for a huge earth mover and then turn at the last moment was quite the scenes. Doing it myself was even worse!  But we did it and we had great stories to tell at dinner!  The perils of being explorers!
The ride gave us some of the best views of the Missouri River and of the Lewis and Clark Trail.  We ended the day in Williston ND,  a oil and gas town Bob and I had been to before on business.  It looks a lot nicer in the summer than it did in the winter.
Now,  about that rest....

Day 5 - The journey through the Dakotas

Oh the places and people we did see....  Did you know Laurence We'll was born in Strasburg North Dakota?  Well he was and we passed within a mile of his house yesterday.  How about that for a holiday story!
Woke up in South Dakota,  spent some time in Pierre (the Capital), met friends I made on my first cross country ride in 2012 (Good seeing you again Sam and Kristie!), and then ended the day in Bismark,  another state capital.  Another beautiful day here in the Great Plains.  The sky was blue and the temperatures moderate.  Had a chance to stick our fingers in the Missouri River that we have been following.  Just plain beautiful. We hhad lunch at Big Tom's Diner and were served by Leslie and Keith - excellent food and excellent service!  Thank you guys for once again proving how friendly the people in the Midwest are.  I love this country!! 

Day 4 - A perfect day for motorcycling

An amazing day today -  picture perfect weather,  rolling lush green hills and valleys,  clear rivers, friendly Nebraskans, and all day to enjoy it.  We got up early for coffee with Dan and Stephanie (thank you again for your hospitality!) then headed out about 6:30 am thinking we would get a few miles in before it hit 100°F again.  But it never broke 84° and was actually in the mid 70s much of the time.  So we followed the great Missouri River north and just kept going and going and going.  582 miles worth of going!  And the truth is we only stopped because the sun was approaching the horizon - a perfect day of motorcycling.  Kansas City,  Missouri to Chamberlain,  South Dakota -  the long way! And Bob and I loved every moment of it.  And a special shout out to Red and Ben,  an excavator and a farmer we met in Nebraska City.  They saw us studying out maps and struck up friendly conversation with us, asking us about our journey and telling us about their travels and their lives in Nebraska. Very interesting and genuinely good people,  I guess like you'd expect in Nebraska.  Thank you for saying hello! The sun was setting as we pulled in to the hotel. Good night to all - its North Dakota tomorrow and lunch with Sam and Kristie!

Day 3 - Dan and Stephanie

Kansas City is like the last stop before I hit the mountains of the West,  and Dan and Stephanie (good friends who live there and let me stay with them whenever I pass through) are like the key holders. 

Today was the first official day along the Lewis and Clark Trail.  We hit Fort Dubois,  the starting point where they loaded provisions and then pushed off into the Missouri River. It's amazing to think what happened right here 213 years ago.  What a voyage that must have been!  We zip through in days what took them years.  Wow.
We rolled into Kansas City 2 hours late but Dan and Stephanie were gracious and welcomed us with open arms.  A fantastic meal and great conversation and the perfect ending to a good day.  I am so grateful for good friends!!
It's off to Iowa tomorrow!