June 17, 2010 – Rain and Snow and Thoughts of Moving to Montana Soon (Thanks, Mister Zappa)

The day started wet...just as the previous one had ended. We struck east, continuing back up the Lolo Pass (US-12) toward Missoula and made good time. We saw a light snow (Sno Sno in Lolo) at the Montana/Idaho border...not much, just a couple of inches. This made the ride more exciting. As we descended toward the town of Lolo, MT, the snow disappeared and turned back to rain. The mist and clouds gave the Pass a mysterious look...not gloomy, but as if they had something they were hiding for when the sun would shine.

Because our next Big Stop is at Pompeys Pillar, east of Billings, MT, we took the interstate route and found it very picturesque, especially as the day wore on and the sun began to shine. The Continental Divide was successfully crossed and to test it, we flushed toilets on both sides to observe the Coriolus Effect. No difference because that only works when you compare North America to Australia. With this scientific experiment completed, we ended the day in Billings, MT with a great sunset over some okay Italian food. At least we're eating and didn't have to shoot it ourselves!

No photos today!

Here’s the day’s route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=3rd+St&daddr=billings,+mt&hl=en&geocode=FbBmwQId-KYV-Q%3BFfaYugIdLmmI-SmXnfqIiG9IUzFQtXnx1FY1Nw&mra=ls&sll=46.286224,-113.829346&sspn=4.000872,9.876709&ie=UTF8&ll=45.514046,-110.429077&spn=2.028489,4.938354&z=8

June 16, 2010 – On the Way to Pompeys Pillar

With one last key stop to make at Pompeys Pillar in Montana, we awoke to see the rain had continued through the night. We briefly considered showering outside, thought better of it and prepared to head out.

<<< Lewis and Clark enjoying breakfast in or near the bed

A quick stop for breakfast was followed by a ride in more rain, but which mostly cleared-up after the first 60 miles or so moving east from Cascade Locks along I-84. This side of the Columbia is more picturesque than the westbound ride a few days before along WA-14. Making our way to Pendelton, OR, we wildly weaved our way through Walla Walla, WA (how about that for alliteration?) and leaped over the Snake River and rode up toward the Lolo Pass to go through Idaho. Rain finally bested us and we were hungry, so we stopped in Kamiah, ID for the night. We sent out a hunting party and they returned with pizza and salad on which we dined. We can always resort to the Rush's Thunderbolts if needed which we were prudent in procuring as part of our stores before embarking.

Here’s the day’s route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Wa+Na+Pa+St&daddr=I-84+E+to:I-84+E+to:OR-11+N+to:OR-11+N%2FNew+Oregon-Washington+Hwy+to:WA-125+N+to:US-12+E+to:US-12+E+to:US-12+E+to:US-12+E+to:46.229198,-116.021465&hl=en&geocode=FXDHuAIdMgG8-A%3BFbjwuAIdxoXF-A%3BFacyuQIdeGvN-A%3BFezGuAIdxpbr-A%3BFZL9uAIdBvLr-A%3BFRlSvgIdcIvx-A%3BFZ8kvwIdQtvy-A%3BFYkbwAId3Tv1-A%3BFYq1wgIdPpr3-A%3BFe9mxAIdzrME-Q%3B&mra=mi&mrcr=9&mrsp=10&sz=16&sll=46.228541,-116.026139&sspn=0.007823,0.01929&ie=UTF8&z=16

June 15, 2010 – One Small Step for a Man, Eight Giant Leaps For Two Beagles

Oh, the joy! This was THE day of the entire expedition...hours of hardship...minutes of discomfort...seconds of pain...all coming to a triumphant climax in this arduous, motor-powered, air-conditioned, restaurant-fed journey.

We arose to a heavy rain and spent a few extra minutes suiting-up in raingear. About the time we finished suiting-up, the rain stopped, but no fool I, we set off with me safe in my waterproof nylon jacket, pants and boot covers. Traveling north from Astoria, OR on US-101, we crossed the bridge over the Columbia and into WA. Continuing north in what was quickly becoming unbearable heat, I realized I was now more damp inside my rainsuit than any rain could possibly dampen me without it. Pulling-over, I quickly executed a change back to my usual riding duds (with the exception of removing those boot covers which probably looked like I was doing a folk dance with one foot across my knee while hopping to maintain balance on my other foot) and we continued on to Ilwaco, WA and Cape Disappointment.

We hiked all around the Cape Disappointment park trails...North Head Lighthouse...the Bellview Park observation point...the cove next to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse...the road paralleling the jetty to the beach...splashing into the Pacific with Lewis & Clark planting the flag in the surf...what a day!

We lounged for a while in the afternoon, enjoying a celebratory beer and dried our socks and boots in the light breeze and abundant sunshine. Lewis & Clark had no beer but did have a nap...the former digging a fox-hole and the latter curling-up on my jacket. After drying out and basking in the feeling of successfully reaching our goal, we made a return to Astoria, then continued south to Fort Clatsop National Park. This is the site where the original Lewis & Clark wintered after reaching the Pacific before making their return. The Park features a reproduction wooden fort and gives a good idea of what living conditions were like...except for the fire hydrant now adjacent to the fort. Oh, if only Seaman the dog had a fire hydrant in the winter of 1806 ;-)

We scooted south on US-101 to OR-26 and then east toward Portland through some magnificent green forested hills and river gorges. The gorges were gorgeous. Not wanting to be stuck in Portland morning rush-hour traffic, we opted to bypass that fair city and made it to Cascade Locks in a driving rain. There, a hotel room awaited us with an odor reminiscent of that stuff they use to do a permanent in a beauty parlor hanging heavy in the moist northwest air. We curled up in our wee beds and slept the sleep of The Just and The Soggy.

Here's the day's route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Leif+Erickson+Dr&daddr=Astoria,+OR+to:US-101+N+to:Spruce+St+E+to:N+Head+Lighthouse+Rd+to:Belleview+Park+Rd+to:46.272995,-124.074354+to:Unknown+road+to:2nd+Ave+SW+to:46.103688,-123.858068+to:46.020473,-123.911476+to:Wa+Na+Pa+St&geocode=FZfZwAIdkuKe-A%3BFWzFwAIdK3ye-CmL-5UJRHuTVDG_ihuh8XLd9w%3BFXKywQIdojyd-A%3BFfKdwgId-FCb-A%3BFXR2wgIdvrma-A%3BFW99wgIdUcGa-A%3B%3BFVBIwgIdfr2a-A%3BFbKcwgIdRDqb-A%3B%3B%3BFSTeuAIdmhm8-CnDDiHnE-eVVDEyWHq9gn_F5w&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=42.596043,-100.542511&sspn=48.214837,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=45.895743,-123.576965&spn=1.435535,3.515625&z=9

Here are the day's photos:

June 14, 2010 – Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right, But Three Lefts Do, High Winds on the Highway, Strange Barking in the Distance

The day started in Hermiston, OR, south of Umatilla and took us along WA-14 west toward Portland. We took a few wrong turns in Portland. Lewis & Clark (the originals) didn't have that problem because they could follow the river. We have to content with more bad signage and traffic...and motorcycles don't float as well as canoes, so we have an excuse, at least.

The first hundred miles or so was through some mighty bleak looking country, the foremost feature being towers for power lines and some windmills. We should have taken note of the windmills because in the second hundred miles, the wind picked-up. A man told me a few days before in the Lolo, MT laundromat that the wind along the Columbia River really never stops blowing--and he was right! I spent the next couple of hours leaning into what felt like 50 mph winds to make turns and the wind kept standing me back up. I tried loading rolls of quarters into my pants pockets for ballast, but that still wasn't enough. No, only sheer determination, brute force and finely-honed skills kept me on track in some of the turns...I got off and walked the bike on the others ;-)

We made it to Vancouver, WA, just across the Columbia from Portland by lunchtime where we dined at Gustav's restaurant. Great German food! Leaving Gustav's took us through Portland on US-30 (Lombard Street) which was where we took those wrong turns I mentioned earlier. Usually, "next left" on a sign just before a fork in the road means take the left fork, but in this case they meant for us to take the right fork and then the next left after that. Lesson learned.

The last hundred miles took us up US-30 along the river with some nice vistas to the right and the usual little riverside towns with their attendant shops and service stations to the left. We arrived in Astoria, OR at 6pm and heard seals barking in the harbor next to our hotel as we shut down our engines. Lewis and Clark (the beagles) wanted badly to run them, but we figured they'd completely lose the element of surprise with all their swimming and splashing across 100 yards of water on the way to where the seals had landed on a floating pier that had been condemned. Some barking back and forth (inter-species communication?) and we headed for bed. Long day, but we are poised to make the final run to Fort Canby, WA tomorrow to plant the flag and claim the entirety of the west coast of North America for the United States. You will probably read about it in the papers soon.

Here's today's route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=N+1st+St&daddr=WA-14+W+to:WA-14+W%2FLewis+and+Clark+Hwy+to:WA-14+W%2FLewis+and+Clark+Hwy+to:WA-14+W%2F2nd+St+to:WA-14+W%2FEvergreen+Hwy+to:I-84+W+to:45.717686,-122.884827+to:astoria,+or&hl=en&geocode=FTeVuwId1cbj-A%3BFT-2uQId8nfU-A%3BFc7VuAId5lXL-A%3BFXB-uQIdGmrE-A%3BFdAPuQIdYPC7-A%3BFe4xtwIdwce2-A%3BFSTDtgId3v-w-A%3B%3BFWzFwAIdK3ye-CmL-5UJRHuTVDG_ihuh8XLd9w&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=7&sz=10&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7&sll=45.665886,-122.78183&sspn=0.505764,1.234589&ie=UTF8&ll=45.862281,-123.123779&spn=0.503987,1.234589&z=10

June 13, 2010 –The Clearwater River in Idaho, Father’s Day a Week Early, a Cop Stops Us in Hermiston, OR

Some very beautiful terrain--clear rivers meandering a few yards away from the roadway. Huge mountain peaks with snow and verdant evergreen forests all about us. Stopped to drink from a spring coming right out of the rock.

Crossed all of the Lolo Pass going west through Idaho from Montana (I highly recommend this route!) and worked our way down to Walla Walla (Three Stooges reference--points to anybody who can name the short), on to Umatilla, OR and then to Hermiston, OR. The way through southeastern Washington has slopes with desert like barren surfaces on the north side, but the slopes opposite them on the south are green with grasses and small shrubs. Very hot and dry through this stretch of US-12 and along the Columbia River. Desert is not too far off the mark.

Stopped for a nice dinner for Father's Day and afterward was stopped by a LEO who informed me I'd made a right turn on red at an intersection with two signs saying you can't do such a thing. Two signs? Yes, apparently people didn't see the ONE sign, so the Town put up a second, yet equally invisible sign. I'm sure both of these invisible signs are posted about 20 feet in the air so that pilots can see them with night-vision goggles but for those who are earth-bound or not electronically enhanced, it's hopeless. Lewis and Clark help beat a ticket by looking like, "Hey, Mister Policeman, don't lock-up Pop and Pop-Pop or we won't have anybody to feed us". Just a verbal warning--whew!

Here’s today’s route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=lolo,+mt&daddr=walla+walla,+wa+to:45.914377,-119.352036+to:US-395+S&geocode=FZqUyQId_C8z-SmjIJA_WCtcUzGIKVGcm-Ycnw%3BFcXjvgIdkzry-Ck799CgSxWiVDHUsR3nz6_EEg%3B%3BFch0uwIdUsfj-A&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=1&mrsp=2&sz=11&via=2&sll=45.880927,-119.218826&sspn=0.25191,0.617294&ie=UTF8&z=11

June 12, 2010 – Flag Day in Montana, We Did Our Laundry

Weather was much improved and it seemed a long day in the saddle, but we covered just about all the remainder of Montana, ending the day in Lolo, MT. Saw some of the fringes of the Rocky Mountains and we're looking forward to riding through there tomorrow. As we moved west, the scenery improved markedly. We lunched in Missoula and noticed another curious sign on the side of a building. The “L-E-R” had fallen-off or been removed from the words “MUFFLER REPAIR”. I think. That, or the folks in the building are doing surgery.

Because we stopped around mid-afternoon, we decided to look for a place to do our laundry. I thought briefly about throwing Lewis and Clark into a machine and while the picture of two beagles spinning around rapidly at the end of the cycle seemed funny, I figured they'd take too many quarters to dry. Following the laundry, with the Stars and Stripes flying on my bike in honor of Flag Day, I took a few laps up and down the main drag. Six or seven people actually seemed to recognize the flag and tooted their horns.

Here’s today’s route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=14th+Ave+NW&daddr=lolo,+mt&geocode=FWEU1QIdMnxd-Q%3BFZqUyQId_C8z-SmjIJA_WCtcUzGIKVGcm-Ycnw&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=47.552015,-111.21172&sspn=0.122114,0.308647&ie=UTF8&ll=46.859721,-113.818359&spn=0.247436,0.617294&z=11

June 10 and 11, 2010 – Casinos Everywhere You Look, Always Have a Backup Plan For Your GPS, Brother Can You Spare a Beer

The rain was light as we left the hotel and seeing as how we were on an American Indian Reservation, we had breakfast in a diner that didn’t require reservations. It just seemed right. The diner had on a radio station that alternated between Top 40, country/western and American Indian Chants. Very entertaining.

Riding along US-2 and then US-87, we made our way west and south to Great Falls, MT. We passed many Casinos along the way with my GPS failing in the middle of a county road paved with something resembling stones varying in size from pea-gravel all the way up to rocks the size and shape of caltrop things they used to drop on roads in the Middle Ages to injure the hooves of knight’s horses. With the GPS on the blink, it was incumbent on me to navigate by the sun, moon and stars with my trusty maps from the local realtors that you can find free in the supermarkets and C-Stores (Convenience Stores) along the way. You stop in the store, buy a beef jerky stick and a Red Bull, pick out a map and Go Your Own Way for 40 miles or so, then repeat the process. I was able to successfully chew the jerky sticks into usable bootlaces, inspired by the way Inuit people render seal and walrus hides.

Casinos are everywhere and each has its contingent of folks hanging-out near the entrances. They like to strike-up a conversation and make remarks like, “As soon as my cousin/brother/son/father/friend/plumber/proctologist comes by to pick me up, we’ll be on our way to go fishing”. You spend some time working the saddle-sores out of your posterior and chat and realize it’s been 20 minutes and there’s been no sign of the cousin/brother/son/father/friend/plumber/proctologist whose arrival was imminent, so you ask. One thing leads to another and before you know it, you’re passing the guy a couple of bucks for smokes and a can of beer. It’s a much more civilized method of panhandling than we have back home. You get a reasonable life story with a potential Happy Ending (they’re going fishing, after all!). How can you not help a brother out?

Made it to the Great Falls of the Missouri River. This was probably more spectacular when the original Lewis & Clark visited here, because the hydro-electric dam wasn’t yet in place. Electricity was that thing Ben Franklin found while flying a kite in a storm. Nobody knew you could obtain electricity directly from water like they do these days and so flying kites in storms was very popular for many years. On our way out, Lewis became keenly interested in a passing deer and wanted badly to chase, slay and devour it. It would have been more than he could handle, so I shackled Lewis to the truck and let him run along behind Dad as he drove. That wore him out. Lewis, that is.

Here’s the route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=US-2+W,+Wolf+Point,+MT&daddr=47.36664,-110.08617+to:great+falls,+mt&hl=en&geocode=FUnN3QIdgOCz-SmPamHUskC2UjHAUsLkLfWeog%3BFfDB0gId5jdw-SkZ1nfyDRFBUzFboJaMOua3Qg%3BFcvL1AIdOK9d-Sk7uIxljTdCUzGoRVmOsVbe1g&mra=ls&sll=47.420654,-106.550903&ie=UTF8&ll=46.882723,-109.220581&spn=2.819604,4.938354&z=8&via=1