Three thousand miles of thoughts

Storms of Dillon
Rolling along the Beaverhead
Long straight ride to Dillon
Black storm cloud ahead
Lightning to the left
Lightning to the right
Forty-one leads us on

Wisdom and Bliss
Miles and miles to find them
We gained Wisdom in Montana,
Discovered Bliss in Idaho
It's easier on two wheels

Passed Over
Logan
Marais
Lolo
Lost Trail
Colter
Beartooth
Targhee
Raynolds

Middle of nowhere

Going to the Sun Road - Glacier National Park

Pictures

Dave has the maps and general description of the day to day rides. You can find that information at weenerbagotails.blogspot.com or by clicking on "Dave and Paige's blog" at the bottom right of my home page.

I'll just throw some pictures at you.

What I learned in 3,682 miles

I learned I have some gr8 friends. I hope they didn't tire of me, I didn't get tired of being around them.

Pat and I learned to buy new tires before a 3,000 mile ride, rather than planning to buy tires after the ride.

I learned again that I am not as good of a motorcycle rider as I think I used to be.

I learned again how lucky I am to be in the position to be able to take a two week ride with my friends and not have to go back to work.

I learned that not everyone appreciates a Corbin seat. Steve rode about 40 miles on mine and called it a wooden bench. As for me, I made the full ride sans monkey butt - and that's a good thing.

I learned that it is always good to be home - even if that home is on wheels.

Bison, elk and bear - oh my.

Our ride today from Bozeman to Cody took us through Yellowstone, entering at the north entrance near Gardiner and exiting at the northeast entrance, ending at bottom of Beartooth Pass in Red Lodge.
What a ride.
Again, Dave will post pics I'm sure. He is still smiling. Steve, Rob and Pat enjoyed it so much they rode it twice.
We saw elk at the north entrance, a bear somewhere along the road and a bison walked down the road toward me just before we left the park.

Visit weenerbagotales for pics

I did not bring my computer, so cannot upload pics to my blog, so am waiting until I return to Thorp to do so.
Dave, however, did bring his computer and has uploaded images to it.

Visit weenerbago tales today - you'll be glad you did! Look for "Dave and Paige's blog" in the lower right corner of this page.

Secured - I hope

In an effort to not repeat the past, I have reconfigured the tie down system for the bike inside the trailer. I found a way to attach to the frame at the rear of the bike and not interfere with the saddlebags (when I get them).

Now I'm off to the local waste water treatment plant to dump my tanks. Oh joy!

Spud Run '09

Dave and I will depart from Thorp on Sunday the 19th and head for Couer d'Alene, ID.
On Monday all five of us (in usual riding order: Steve, Rob, Pat, me and Dave) will make the 321 mile ride to Kalispell, MT via Hiways 2, 508, 37 and back on to 2 in to town..
Our Tuesday ride will again cover 321 miles running from Kalispell to Missoula. The first half of the ride will be a loop in to Glacier National Park and "Going to the Sun Road" over Logan Pass. The second half of the ride will take us along the west side of Flathead Lake on Hiway 93 to Missoula.
Wednesday will be Missoula to Missoula. That's not a typo. The day's ride will be over Lolo Pass - twice on Hiway 12. An easy day of 224 miles or so.
Thursday is Missoula to Bozeman - 274 miles on Hiways 200, 279, 12, 89 and 86 through the Helena National Forest.
Bozeman to Cody, WY on Friday, dipping in to Yellowstone National Park just enough to ride over Beartooth Pass on Hiway 212 to Red Lodge, MT and in to Cody on Hiway 72. A ride of 260 miles according to Steve's calculations.
Saturday's ride from Cody to Dillon, MT through Yellowstone National Park , a 289 mile day on Hiways 20, 87 and 287.
Day 7 runs us from Dillon to Ketchum, ID. Following a short run north on I-15, we'll turn west on 43, then south on 93 and 75 through the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. A long day of 340 miles.
From Ketchum to Boise via Twin Falls completing the run south on 75/93, west on 30, then 78 in to the Boise area through the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. 295 miles.
We'll head out of Boise on our 262 mile ride to Riggins on Hiway 21 going through Boise National Forest as far as Lowman, then turning west to catch 55and 95 north through Nez Pierce National Forest.
Our last day as a group is a 269 mile ride from Riggins returning to Couer d'Alene on 95 with a side trip to the Spiral Highway in Lewiston.
Here's hoping for fair weather and smooth roads.

Trailer progress

Ross and I have been busy straightening the ribs and bolting down the E-trac. The 1/8" mahogany sheathing will arrive Monday night or Tuesday morning and I'll be ready for it.

We also bolted in a small cabinet that he had been saving for a special purpose and a spare air compressor that he had sitting around. Lucky me!

Meeting of the minds

The boys rode over the hill today and I fed them lunch. It wasn't quite the crab stuffed mushrooms, artichoke dip, salad with some special dressing, steak, corn on the cob and dessert that Steve wanted, but they seemed satisfied with chips and Rob - er, I mean dip for an appetizer, ice cold Sam Adams Summer Ale and Negro Modelo, medium rare steak, and corn on the cob. Not too bad.

We talked about our upcoming ride - The Spud Run - that begins on the 19th and covers some 2,700 miles through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and maybe a bit of Oregon. If there is a high mountain pass or canyon road along the route that Steve planned, we'll be on it. Highlights of the trip include the Going to the Sun Road, Beartooth Pass, Lolo Pass and the Spiral Highway.

Rob made reservations at convenient Best Westerns along the way - three kings and two queens. Dave and I are retired, on a fixed income, we share a room.

Pictured, left to right: Steve, Pat, Rob and Dave.

Latest progress

Here are photos of the bike - almost done and trailer - just getting started. Forrest is making good progress on painting the saddlebags and I am waiting on a few parts (like locks for the saddlebags) from Owens Cycles, but it is on the road again. I've missed riding.

The new white two-by running down the middle of the trailer will help support the weight of the rear of the bike. The piece of 3/4" plywood that used to cover that portion of the floor got busted up pretty bad. I think I can straighten the two damaged steel ribs in the sides of the trailer and the sheet metal will get patched. I also bought a floor anchor system (the stuff on the right in the trailer) to help ensure that this doesn't happen again.

I am enjoying my stay in Thorp. My brother has a few projects planned for me to work on in my spare time.

Dave, Pat, Rob, and Steve are riding over to visit on Saturday. I'll throw some steaks on the barby and beer in the ice chest. We'll talk about our upcoming ride around Idaho - the Spud Run.

The floor is bolted down and the first coat of paint is on.

Second coat of paint is applied.

E-track is in place, chock is repaired and remounted, pushing on the bent ribs.

Don't go there

When a person or couple become full-timers (living full time in your RV), it is almost inevitable that some stuff will get put in to storage.
It is also inevitable that visits will be made to the storage unit.
Don't do it.
I walked through my past for a few minutes this morning. I was sure that there was stuff that I just had to have with me in my motorhome. There were a few things - silverware (now that I have drawers in my kitchen), my battery powered skill saw, some wood hangers and my back scratcher.
There were lots of things that I would love to have around me - my leather couch, big flat screen tv, my bed, tools, art, clothes that I used to wear.
I left the storage unit a little depressed. I wish my kids would use this stuff. Erica's little apartment is already overflowing and Thom is searching for a place of his own. There is still hope that he will take most of it.
A lot more stuff will be going to the Goodwill store before I leave for Arizona.

Some help for my friends that have not yet retired

Where to Live After Retirement:

You can live in Phoenix , Arizona where.....
1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
6.. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!


You can Live in California where...
1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought.


You can Live in New York City where...
1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan ..
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual..
5. You've worn out a car horn... that is, if you even have a car.
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.


You can Live in Maine where...
1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup , and Tabasco ..
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. You have more than one recipe for moose.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction.


You can Live in the Deep South where...
1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin'" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Sue, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc.
5. Everything is either "in yonder," "over yonder" or "out yonder." It's important to know the difference, too.


You can live in Colorado where...
1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and so he stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.


You can live in the Midwest where...
1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?"
5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, "It was different!"


AND You can live in Florida where..
1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.

Work in progress

New handlebars and gripsWorking on the lightbar.

Progress

I found some saddlebags and delivered them to Tonkin's Custom Paint for finishing. Since Dave is staying there, he can oversee that portion of the project.
I heard from my insurance adjuster - the check is in the mail. Upon hearing that, I made a run to Owens Cycles in Yakima and spent $1,000 on bits and pieces. The handlebars should be back on soon.
Found a couple small dents in the rear fender and the estimate was amended to reflect that. Forrest can fix the fender after the Spud Run.

New handlebars, chrome levers and Kuryakin grips are installed. Everything works! Started the bike. Bought a new windshield and ordered some other parts.