TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD......AKA
THE RAYBOB CHRONICLES!!
(OR..I GET RAYBOB OFF THE PRAIRIES AND SPOIL HIM FOREVER )
LAST WEEK OF AUG, 2006
WILL IT WORK ? CHECK US OUT!
THIS IS OUR DESTINATION
THIS YEAR! RAYBOB HAS WATCHED ME TAKE MY OLD BOMBS ALL OVER THE WESTERN
STATES , SO THIS YEAR HE FIGURED WHY NOT HIS! GOOD PLAN AS IT'S AS GOOD
A BIKE AS MINE FOR THE JOB!
I WILL LEAVE KAMLOOPS BC, HEAD SOUTH AND EAST, MEET RAY
WHO IS LEAVING CARMAN, MANITOBA, AT THE BEARTOOTH PASS! YAHOOO!.
IS HE GONNA GET A JOLT OR WHAT?? :)
VFR AS I DONT HAVE MY 900F LICENSED AND ALTHOUGH ITS BEEN ON MOST OF MY TRIPS, WILL TRY THIS ONE THIS TIME.
I PACK THE SADDLEBAGS AND THE REAR BAG AND IM READY TO GO..THEN I DECIDE TO DUMP THE SADDLEBAGS AND JUST TAKE THE ESSENTIALS IN 1 BAG...EVERY TRIP I SEEM TO GO LIGHTER..JUST 1 CHANGE OF CLOTHES, MY LEATHER CHAPS,
2 JACKETS, MY MESH AND MY BALLISTIC HEAVIER JACKET, AND I TAKE 3 LIGHT WINDBREAKERS AND A PAIR OF WINDPANTS..JUST LIKE SLEDDING ON THE FRIGID PRAIRIES, LAYERS ARE THE KEY..JUST SHED EM AS IT WARMS UP. WHY HAUL AROUND A BUNCH OF JUNK. I LOVE MY MESH JACKET AND WEAR THESE UNDER IT WHEN COOL, HATE A STIFF BULKY JACKET AND THIS WORKS GREAT. I HAVE RIDDEN MANY MILES BELOW FREEZING IN THIS STUFF AND NO PROBS! I JUST WASH MY STUFF IN THE SHOWER AT NIGHT, STOMP ON EM WHILE IN THERE..HANG EM ON THE REAR RACK IN THE MORNING AND THEY ARE DRY IN 5 MILES! SOMETIMES GET GOOD COMMENTS ABOUT THE SHORTS AND SOCKS BLOWIN IN THE WIND! MY SMALL SHAVING KIT AND I AM READY TO GO! AND OF COURSE SOMETHING I WILL NEVER RIDE WITHOUT, MY BAG OF EARPLUGS! ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY AS MY HEARING IS OFF, BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! AND A BIG BOTTLE OF AC&C PAINKILLER AND SOME BABY POWDER..MMMM..ANOTHER TIP I PICKED UP FROM A RATHER EVIL LADY IN A TRUCK STOP..I WENT TO PAY FOR MY GAS AND SHE ASKED ME IF I HAD SOME BP?? WHAT? THEN SHE TOLD ME TO GET SOME AND I WOULD THANK HER..SO I DID, AND SHE WAS RIGHT..:) ALTHOUGH ON THIS BIKE IT AINT MUCH A PROBLEM. !
BUT WE STILL HAVE A HONDA F ON THE TRIP!
RAYBOB BRINGS HIS MINT 1100F FROM CARMAN MB!
THIS WILL DO THE JOB JUST FINE, HAS THE SAME HP AS ME SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT UP THE MTN! NO MORE HEADING TO THE MOUNTAINS FOR ME, AS I NOW LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM! I LEAVE KAMLOOPS SAT MORNING AND HEAD SOUTHEAST OVER THE MONASHEE MTNS AND DOWN THRU NELSON AND ACROSS THE BORDER AT MIDWAY. THIS ROUTE FROM VERNON ACROSS THE MTNS AND A FEW FERRIES IS PROBABLY THE NICEST RIDING IN BC! MIDWAY IS A SMALL BORDER POINT AND I FIND A VERY NICE BACKROAD ACROSS THE TOP OF WASHINGTON ON MY WAY TO SPOKANE FOR THE NIGHT.
I TAKE A NICE TRAIL CALLED KETTLE RIVER ROAD AND HOOK UP WITH HIWAY 20 AND ACROSS SHERMAN PASS SCENIC BYWAY. THIS IS A NICE RIDE BETWEEN TONASKET AND COLVILLE AND ITS TOTALLY DESERTED!!..THEN I HEAD DOWN MORE TRAILS AND END UP IN SPOKANE..YUK! I HATE CITIES, BUT SCREWED UP THIS TIME..OH WELL , ITS ON MY ROUTE!
SHERMAN PASS WA. NICE RIDE!
SAME! BUT WITH THE REMAINS OF A MASSIVE FOREST FIRE!
AUG 20
DAY 2
AND I'M UP EARLY AND HEAD SOUTH TO LEWISTON ID
(OR WA..I DUNNOO..I TRAVEL VERY
LIGHT AND ONLY HAVE A VAGUE MAP..ITS MORE FUN THIS WAY..BASICALLY I JUST
GO BY DIRECTION..SO FAR ITS FOUND ME SOME FANTASTIC ROADS I NEVER WOULD
HAVE GONE DONE OTHERWISE!)
THERE IS A COOL ROAD HERE, THE OLD LEWSITON GRADE THATS
BEEN REPLACED BY A NEW ROAD..BUT THIS ONE HAS BEEN REPAVED AND ITS A BLAST.LONG
WAY DOWN THERE!! I DO IT BOTH WAYS AND THEN CONTINUE ON DOWN THE NEW ROAD!
GOOD PRACTICE THIS ONE!
MORE
THIS WAS GOOD! NOW I HEAD EAST UP THE LOCHSA
RIVER (I THINK) , FOLLOWS HIGHWAY 12 ALL THE WAY TO MISSOULA.EITHER
WAY IT IS A GREAT RIVER RUN ALL THE WAY FROM LEWISTON TO LOLO PASS! JUST
LIKE THE SALMON RIVER NEAR STANLEY, JUST A GREAT COUPLE HOURS OF ENDLESS
CURVES! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! NOT A THRILLER LIKE THE BIG PASS', BUT A GREAT
RELAXING RIDE!
BUT!! I ANTICIPATE LOLO PASS UP AHEAD!! ?
I'VE HEARD LOTS ABOUT THIS ONE!
WHAT THE???
OK THEY MOVED IT, REBUILT IT OR KNOCKED DOWN THE
MOUNTAIN! THIS ONE IS A TOTAL DUD! NOTHING HERE! A BIT OF A CLIMB, HIT
THE SUMMIT AND ITS A MODERN STRAIGHT DULL HIGHWAY DOWN THE EAST SIDE! I'M
DISSAPOINTED...I FIGURE OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE MUST MEAN THE WHOLE ROUTE
ALONG THE RIVER WHEN THEY RAVE ABOUT THIS ONE! IF SO, THEN ITS WORTH
THE TRIP!! I AM OBVIOUSLY EXPECTING THAT WHICH I HAVE AHEAD OF ME FOR PASS'
...THEY ARE COMIN!! :)
I STOP FOR BREAKFAST ON MY WAY UP TO LOLO..I JUST
PICK THE SPECIAL..WOW!! NO $%%^& WONDER PEOPLE ARE GETTIN
FAT! LOOKIT THIS GLOP I GET! WOULD CHOKE A COW! FAT ON FAT! I EAT A BIT
AND ITS TIME TO MOVE ON. EVERYONE AROUND ME IS SHOVING IT DOWN THO! :)
SO I HIT THE INTERSTATE AND BLAST DOWN TO BUTTE FOR THE
NIGHT. I TAKE A SMALL DETOUR SOUTH TO ANACONDA, BUT QUIT AT
BUTTE. TOMMOROW I WANT TO HOOK UP N OF RED LODGE WITH RAY WHO HAS LEFT
MANITOBA THIS AFT.
SO FAR SO GOOD..
I HIT 2000KM EARLY ON TODAY! THE BIKE HAS BEEN VERY HAPPY.
I FIND IT TOTALLY COMFY, THE BEST BIKE YET OTHER THAN MY 900F FOR LONG
DISTANCE. NO MORE BUFFETING FROM THE WIND WITH LOUSY WINDSCREENS ANYMORE
,NONE! , I'VE GOT MY HEAD OUT IN CLEAN AIR AND IT FEELS GREAT! NOTHING
STICKING UP IN FRONT OF ME AND NOW I GET THE FELL I WANT FROM A BIKE!
NO REAR END ACHE DUE TO SITTIN STRAIGHT UP, NO PROBLEM WITH THE ARM PRESSURE
ONCE I PUT THE SMALL WINDOW BACK ON AS I GET A NICE LIFT AT MY CRUISING
SPEED! I REALLY ENJOY THIS IN THE CORNERS, THATS WHAT ITS MADE FOR AND
THATS WHERE I IS!! :) POWER IS GOOD, MORE WOULD BE NICE, AND
THE MILEAGE STINKS AS I AM GETTING 50MPG CND AT BEST, 40 WHEN I'M
WORKING IT..AND MY OLD BOMB DOES BETTER THAN THAT! WOULDA THOUGHT 25 YRS
ADVANCEMENTS AND IT WOULD BE BETTER! MY CAMEL BIKE (DL650) WAS WAY
BETTER HERE! WILL SEE HOW IT GOES....
DAY 3
OK..MONDAY AM AND I HEAD EAST ON I90 TO COLUMBUS AND ACROSS
A BACKROAD TO JOLLIET. WE PLANNED ON DOWNTOWN RED LODGE, BUT I FIGURE I
SHOULD BE AHEAD OF HIM AND I STOP IN JOLLIET FOR A COFFEE. GET MY COFFEE,
PARK THE BIKE ON THE STREET, SIT ME DOWN UNDER A TREE, AND 2 MINUTES LATER
RAYBOB PULLS UP! GOOD TIMING!
HERES A PIC I CAUGHT OF RAYBOB AND THE MIGHTY 1100F JUST
COMIN UP THE STREET TO MEET UP!
AND IGNORE THE CHAPS! HES OK :), JUST CHEAP LIKE ME AND CANT AFFORD REAL PANTS!
ITS NOON ON MONDAY AND TIME TO HEAD UP THE PASS!
(NO ZILLION PICS THIS TIME AS HAVE TONS ON THE OTHER TRIPS)
RAYBOB HASNT BEEN UP ANYTHING BIGGER THAN A MOLEHILL BEFORE ON THE BIKE..THIS WILL BE A VERY ACCELLERATED LEARNING EXPERIENCE..HE'S READY!!!
YOU CAN SEE PARTS OF THE ROAD DOWN BEHIND RAY! WE ARE MAYBE 1/4 OF THE WAY TO THE TOP HERE!
BACK AND FORTH!
WE IS ON THE MOON!!
YEP!
OK..LOOKY WAY OFF AFAR AND HARD LEFT IN THIS PIC. ALONG
THE TOP RIGHT OF THE RANGE..THAT SMALL NEEDLE..THAT IS THE BEARTOOTH
THAT GIVE IT THIS NAME! IT GETS A LOT BIGGER UP CLOSE..WE ARE MILES
AWAY!
LIKE THE BEARTOOTH? CHECK MY OTHER YRS FOR TONS OF PICS..LINKS
AT END..
NOW ITS NOON..WE DESCEND THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PASS AND
HEAD EAST ON THE CHEIF JOSEPH HIWAY..ANOTHER NICE RUN WHICH WILL GET US
TO CODY WY IN A HR OR SO.
HAHAAA RAYBOB LIKES BOMBING THE FISH!!
AND ANOTHER MATCHING SCENE TO A PIC I HAVE ON MY OTHER YEARS SITE..JUST DIFF BIKES!
HEADING UP THE PASS AT THE WEST END SUNLIGHT BASIN, CJ HIWAY! LOTSA FUN HERE..SOUNDS GREAT KEEPING IT AT 10 GRAND!
TESTING THE TIMER ON THE CAMERA!
THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW TIMES I'M NOT TAKING PICS
ON THE MOVE. I USUALLY JUST HAVE A CORD TIED TO IT AND HANG IT ON MY NECK.WORKS
GREAT! WHEN I HAVE TO, AS IN A SHARP CORNER, I JUST DROP IT! THAT IS APPARENT
MORE IN THE VIDS! :)
HE'S CATCHING ME!!
SOOO THATS THE END OF THE CHIEF JOSEPH!.. WE MISSED THE
RAIN!
WE GAS UP IN CODY AND WE PLAN ON SPENDING THE NIGHT IN
THERMOPOLIS WY, SO WE CAN HEAD SOUTH INTO UTAH IN THE MORNING....BUTTT...SINCE
WE MET IN RED LODGE, RAY HAS MISSED THE BIGHORNS, AND THEY AIN'T MISSABLE..SO
WE HEAD EAST ON 14a AND UP TO THE TOP AT BURGESS JUNCTION.WE DONT DO THE
EAST ASCENT AS ITS THE WRONG WAY! NEXT TIME!!
A NICE PITSTOP AT A PUB IN LOVELL WY AND WE ARE
ON OUR WAY AGAIN!
THEN WE WILL HEAD BACK SOUTHWEST ON 14 AND DESCENT DOWN SHELL CANYON AND ON TO THERMOPOLIS!
GOOD PLAN, BUT IT GETS DARK AS WE HIT THE DESERT, RAYBOB GETS WACKED IN THE EYE WITH A MONSTER BUG, HE CANT SEE, SO WE STOP AND BUY SOME EYE JUICE AND THAT KINDA CLEARS HIM UP A BIT. AT LEAST ITS WARM..STILL 90F AND WE PULL INTO THERMOPOLIS AT 9 PM! TOO LKATE AS WE LIKE TO STOP BY SUPPERTIME AS EASY TO GET A ROOM THEN, AND WE LEAVE AT DWAN SO ITS LONG ENOUGH!
THATS THEM WAY AHEAD!
UP WE GO! UP TO 10000' + !!
LOOKING BACK WEST AS WE CLIMB THE 14A BIGHORNS.
YAHOOO..THIS IS GOOD STUFF!
ENOUGH FOR TODAY! WE PUT ON A LOT OF MILES.
TOMMOROW WE HEAD SOUTH TO UTAH!
CONTINUED....
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