mile 4144

Today there will be no mention of the weather, but there won't be very much pictures either.  Got the point?
We left Spokane, WA and ventured North to visit one of the great American Engineering marvels of the last century, the Grand Coulee Dam.  For all I can say, it is impressive and by no means anyhow challenged by the Hoover Dam.  Its 24 Francis turbines generate in the excess of 6000 MW, and the lake behind the dam is 151 miles long! and reaches into Canada.  Leaving the dam we took the Country Road 155 to connect back to Hwy 2 and move further West along the Banks Lake and along the Columbia River to Wenatchee Pass and the beautiful alpine town of Leavensworth.  This town is a copy of any Austrian, Swiss or Bavarian village, with the typical plaster paintings and wood carvings, and its architecture let you forget that you are in the state of Washington, USA.  This town has it all, German and Swiss bakeries, hotels with names like "Enzian Hotel" or "Edelweis Hotel", (two typical alpine flowers),  restaurants with Bavarian or Austrian specialities like "Kaiserschmarn" or "Haxn and Kraut".  We have to visit this place again!  From there we crossed the Wenatchee NF, the Mount Baker Snoqualmie NF and over the Stevenson Pass (4062 ft) which was also still covered in snow.  This area is just plain beautiful, the forrest and mountain inviting for long hikes along the trails and the waterfalls, the river(s), just perfect for kayaking or rafting.  And to run that with a motorcycle, a dream.  Definitely one of our favorite Highways in the US, and worth coming back.
Then evening traffic caught us going down into Seattle, and my stop and go skills were tested.  We finally reached camp site at about 7:30PM, and not to mention the weather, we got our tent up quickly to find dry storage for our stuff.

 Grand Coulee Dam

Banks Lake, WA

The Plaines of Northern Washington State

"Being soaked alone is cold.  Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure." - Emily Wing Smith

Quote provided by Phil

mile 3779

Hallo people, friends, first let you know there are no pictures today because we were riding all day in steady stream of rain.  But this was not all the excitement we had today.  It was a day with mixed emotions.
The day started pretty well as we had beaten the rain in breaking the tent down and packing the bike.  But upon pressing the starter all I got was a clunk, and nothing more.  I had left the whole night the ignition on with all lights, the radio, and all the electronics plugged in to get recharged.  So this morning the batterie was completely drained, and regardless how much Elke pushed me down the hill and along the straights on the campsite roads, we could not get the bike started.  So no worries, have Roadside Assistance with my HOG membership, call them and they can send someone to give us a jump start.  Wishful thinking, because as I learned they will provide all other services, but no jump starts as they had batteries explode in doing so.  Nevertheless the agent offered me to get towed to the next HD dealership, but I rather decided not so.  In the meantime it started to rain like hell, and a guy from Texas on the camp ground found me a charger, Thank you (and I confirm everything is bigger there!).  So I learned where the batterie is located on my bike, what to take away and apart to get there and got it charged (off course on high Amp charge, because we were burning daylight already, our early start was already gone).  Once this was done, the batterie back installed and the bike packed again, we were wet like dogs and dripping off rain.  With finally two hours delay we were on our way, the rain had stabilized itself and was coming down now in a constant flow, so our original plan was altered in going a more southern route (because I think it is a bit lighter there) instead of the northern route along the Canadian border.  But just some miles down the road I realize the Intercom is not working again (did I forget to connect some wires back), and the iPod was also not playing anymore.  Anyway a couple of miles further was a HD dealership, perhaps they can look at it or give me a dry shelter to do myself.  But the courtesy to travelers of some HD dealerships is how should I say, rather limited, and so I leave with the problems unattended and for me to ponder during the ride through the rain what could have gone wrong.  As it dawned on me some more miles down those foggy, rainy roads (what else could you think off as you couldn't see any of the mountain scenery), it was all a question of menu settings.  So with that solved, we went to Coeur d'Alene, ID to solve some banking issues, as our bank had canceled Elke's and mine Credit and Debit cards because of a possible fraud attack on our accounts.  The new ones issued to our home address are not serving anyone, so we needed a resolution to this problem, and what better than including that into this day (as we haven't had enough excitement already). But thanks to Julia and Teena at the bank, and some cooperation of Tori at House of Harley Davidson in Anchorage we got that solved as well, and the day looked a bit brighter.  Our attempt to get some quarter in Coeur d'Alene was of no success as they have an Ironman race this weekend, and in Spokane, WA we also got the runaround as they have a hoop festival this weekend.  But we got the luck of the Irish and found a dry place to put our heads done, and after a hot shower the day looked already brighter.
So all in all it was not a bad day, we made against all odds still some good distance, and the rain did not  break our spirit (once again).  Just a couple of hundred miles more, and we will be changing direction and crossing in to British Columbia (or as one friend said, "... go west until you hit the ocean, then turn right".

"It's all nonsense.  It's only nonsense.  I'm not afraid of the rain.  I am not afraid of the rain.  Oh, oh, God, I wish I wasn't." - Ernest Hemingway

mile 3476

With the sun shining in our faces we rode today into Glacier National Park.  We entered the park through West Glacier and ride along lake McDonald, getting our first glimpse of the mountain range ahead of us.  Following the lake we reached the creek feeding it, the McDonald Creek, the Avalanche Creek and some other smaller ones, all of them carrying a torrent of water this year.  Our target to ride the "Going to the Sun Road" over the same named mountain is unfortunately not possible, as a rock slide and snow clearing has blocked the road and we are forced to turn around at Avalanche Creek.  Also attempting from the East is of no luck, as the point of turn around is at "Rising Sun".  So we made another turn and rode the west side of the lake heading toward Polebridge to get a closer look at those magnificent mountains with such impressive names like "Gunsight Mtn", "Edwards Mtn", "Little Matterhorn", "Mt Cannon", and many more, all of them looming at around the 9-1/2 thousand and more feet in height.  Even so we couldn't ride the pass we wanted, it was still a great day in the park.  Another piece of wonderful nature and worth to come back (still having some unfinished business here).

"High in the mountains life becomes very clear.  The higher you go, the more you can see." - unknown

mile 3368

We woke up this morning to a crystal clear blue sky and the morning sun was glittering in the snow capped mountain peaks of the Northern Yellowstone Mountain Range.  What better start in a day one could wish for, as we left Livingston, MT to head further westwards along our good companion Interstate I-90.  We reached Missoula, MT around lunch time to head North towards Glacier National Park.  Along our way we passed many mountain ranges with snow caps, sign of the snow falls just some days ago.  As we leave the Pioneer Mountains, Sapphire Mountains and Big Belt Mountains, we enter the Flathead Indian Reservation.  It becomes immediately known, as all names are also expressed in the phonetics of the native language.

Taking a wrong turn brings us around Flathead Lake, along Mission Mountains and several Wilderness Refuge Areas.  It also provided a stunning view of the lake and the islands in it.

Mission Mountain Range, MT

Flathead Lake, MT

We closed the day by making camp in Whitefish, MT at the west side of the park, found ourself a good place to eat and some local live music.

"Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery" - John Ruskin

mile 2971

This morning we woke up to a rather cloudy morning and left Cody with the fear of getting washed again.  Nevertheless with temperatures in the lower 50th we decided to make a run for the Beartooth Mountains and to conquer the pass.  We left Cody on Bypass 14A to reach Rt. 296 to join Rt. 212 or Chief Joseph Hwy as it is called.  The ascend to the first summit of the Dead Indian Hill (8000 ft) led us through some pretty country side with the Absaroka Mountain Range to our west side, gentle curves and some hairpins, but all in a easy way.  But it also gave us a feel of what to come, as even with the sky clearing and the sun coming through, temperatures were already in the upper 30th, lower 40th.  We descended slightly to some 5000 ft or so, to climb up again to the Top of the World Store & Motel and further to the top of the Beartooth mountain pass at 10947 ft and winterly conditions.  Even so it was below freezing up here, but the ride up there with the snow covered mountains, the sun and clouds painting their lights and shadows in the rocks, it is just magnificent to see so much nature at its finest.  It was worth all the freezing, and a tour definitely to recommend for any motorcyclist.  We descended down to Red Lodge and took Rt.78 north toward Columbus to continue to Big Timber and Livingston at the Yellowstone River.

Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody, WY

Dead Indian Hill Summit, WY

Top of the World

Beartooth Pass, 10947 ft

Absaroka Mountain Range, WY

Descending from Beartooth into Montana

"I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it" - William Shakespeare

mile 2712

Wonder why we haven't posted anything yesterday?  We were washed out last night again, so not in the mood laying in the tent and blogging.
We left Kennebec, SD on Saturday morning making a run for the Bad Lands and the Black Hills, but as the weather wasn't very cooperative as a starter, we took the short cut over the Interstate.  As we reached 1880 Town, a replica of an old Western Town, the sun had won the battle against the rainy clouds and we were stripping down.  When we reached Wall Drug, another one of those Western town replicas and tourist traps along the way to the Black Hills, we were riding in T-shirts and enjoying the beautiful countryside.  Of course did we make our way and tribute to Sturgis, SD and continued our way through the Black Hills to Devil's Tower.  The countryside is just magnificent and reminded us pretty much to the Austrian or Swiss Alp regions back in Europe.  We set up tent right in front of the Devil's Tower and enjoyed the colour play nature did with the sky and the rock, combined with the rolling in of a thunderstorm.  Nature at its best, ... and worst.

Devil's Tower, SD

Waking up early this morning showed us again a black and cloudy sky and the signs of more rain to come.  We broke the tent quickly and packed the bike, being ready just in time when the heaven's gates opened.  First we had coffee at the Trading Post, it still rained, then we put the rain gear on and on the road we were again.  Not much sense of taking back roads in this weather, Interstate 90 was our friend again, and as we hit the Powder River the rain had subsided and the sun broke through in places.  We left the Hwy and drove up the Bighorn Mountains and over Granite Pass (9033 ft), still having snow at almost the end of June.  It got pretty "nifty" up there, the wind picking up and moving us from one side to the other, but the scenery up there is worth every effort.  Descending down over Shell Falls we reached Cody, WY with just some more sprinkles.

Bighorn Mountains, Granite Pass, WY

Shell Falls, WY

Highlands to Cody, WY

"The storm starts, when the drops start dropping. When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping." - Dr. Seuss

mile 2094

Today we woke up to a very foggy and misty morning with the promise to become a sunny day.  And this was true, as later the morning the sun burned away all that mist and revealed the devastation the rain had done over the last days.  Roads were washed away or under water, fields for miles under water and crops completely submerged, a disaster for hundreds of miles.  So our day was pretty much dictated by the road closures and detours, and the general idea of going West.

"If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm"

Game of the day, "DETOUR"

Nevertheless, the DETOUR brought us up to Watertown, SD, which is hosting this year's South Dakota HOG State Rally at the Sioux Indian Reservation.  So a little stop over at the HOG family and some chit-chat among friends, and off we were again in our quest to reach the Bad Lands.

Sioux Indian Reservation

Later the afternoon we, or better I had a little conversation with the law as I didn't see the city speed limit in Henry, SD (population 268).  But the law was friendly, it gave me a warning, and some advise about local wild life and its dangers at dawn.  I took the advise, thanked, and off we were, watching more carefully the speed limits at those little towns like Olivia, Stewart, Agar, etc.

So all at all it was a good day, great riding, good distance, and great roads.  And farmlands without end.  We didn't make it to the Bad Lands and pitched the tent in Kennebec as the sun was almost down, but that's alright too.