Friday, July 29, 2011

The End is Near

In Washington DC July 28th
It is hard to beleive that 30 days ago I started out on this adventure to see America in a new way.  I rode through 20 states,  eight for the first time, some of them coming and going, camped in three National Parks/Forests and visited two other National Parks.  Visited with family and friends, some I had never met before, talked to many strangers about Not Alone and riding in general. I had not one unpleasant moment on the trip (with the possible exception of a tent full of storm water) and had lots of very unexpected surprises on both the 'Zen and the Art' trip west and the US50 trip back east.

Many of the best lessons learned were from actual physical conditions, but some were gifts from others, like the conversation with a state trooper in Minnesota while the state government was closed due to lack of funds.  And the folks in Oakes, ND who were sharing their fireworks on July 3rd.  Things were going good for them and they were very upbeat.  The State Trooper there was not concerned about his employer at all.

I learned most about myself.  When I left on June 30th I had some doubts about making the trip.  Would the 1981 BMW R100, a last-minute substitute bike, hold up with no preparation?  It had 162K miles on it, now approaching 170K miles.  I heard myself say that I'd be willing to get on any bike I own and ride to California on it.  Well, I have done it, and the bike was no problem. My body held up well as did my mind, though there were several times I gave up in the hottest weather.  A good night's sleep and the world appeared better in the morning.  And some of those times of fatigue and overheating spurred rests that allowed me to meet significant people as in a Vallejo, California parking lot or at Ohio University.
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Having a plan and following it makes a difference.  I am a planner by profession, but have never planned a trip in this much detail. In fact I usually just pick a region to visit and plan one day at a time.  So I learned that I could make such a plan, follow it, and most important, really enjoy my ride.

I have only a couple of hundred miles to go, I have passed the scariest part - the route through Washington DC, and I have rested up at my daughter and son-in-law's home in Baltimore for the final leg of the trip on Saturday.  It is really hot here so I modified that last day to start and end on the eastern shore.  We will be leaving the VFW post in Easton at about noon and traveling the 77 miles to Ocean City, MD.  I count on taking some photos, walking in the ocean, drinking some water and heading back to Easton where the ladies of the VFW post are providing a special dinner for those that come.

After that it is a few hundred miles home to southwest Virginia but I will likely travel home with my wife and pick up the bike in a week or two when we will be visiting the area again.

For those who have supported Not Alone I extend my thanks, you can keep doing that even after the ride either through the link on this blogsite or directly at NotAlone.Com.  The people that I have met as I talked about the work of this group have enriched my life and I hope that we in a small way can make life better for women adn men in the services that have gone to war in our place.  I thank them for their service and pray that their lives are fruitful and whole.

You may notice that I try to end each blog with a 'lessons learned' line or two.  This is the result of being aware that I learn something every day, and find it helpful to remind myself just what that is.  Sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes more down to earth, these lessons learned are real.  I feel that we cannot afford to learn all things by making our own mistakes, but should pick up come lessons from others.  I hope that some of them spoke to you in some way.  Be mindful of the lessons you learn each day.

To each of you that befriended me for a minute, or an hour or an evening in some eatery, park, shelter during a storm, or parking lot - you are the people I ride to meet.  Thanks and I hope that you are able to get some enjoyment from our passing along one-another's route.  For those that hosted me in your homes, again thanks and I hope to see you all again.

Please let me know if I can help you along the way and if you are in the Roanoke area let me know.


Lessons Learned: I can enjoy riding an old bike a long, planned way, meeting people and being alone in the helmet for miles and miles - the yin and the yang of life.

Special thanks to so many people involved in the ride:  Andre's folks, Ben and Cecilia, for the original idea of a cross country ride to see that precious new-born baby; Bob Pirsig for publishing the tale of his 1968 ride; all the Pirsig Pilgrims who made the trip before me and left crumbs of info on the internet along the way and in books that I used for research; the BMW folks - Bob, Dave, Duane and Kent - who supplied me with parts, hope and inspiration along the way; the US-50 researchers who published hints on the towns and the route; Peter for being with me in Colorado to Kayak and keep me in line on the APRS tracker; my employer for letting me take 30 days off to make the trip and, not least, my wife who has run the household in my absence and who I will get to see tomorrow.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Quick note about Saturday and today's ride

For any of you that are planning to be at the wrap party in Easton on Saturday, either to ride to Ocean City or just to enjoy the meal and whatever happens at that time, here are the details.

At 12:00 noon we should be ready to ride to Ocean City.  I am guessing 2 hours with traffic and all, and then about a half hour in Ocean City to go to the water, get hydrated for the return trip which should also take about 2 hours.

4:30 - 5:00pm back at Easton for the party/dinner put on by the ladies of the VFW.

The address is 355 Glebe Road, Easton MD 21601.  I plan to be there at 11am.


This ride has been so good on many levels and one of those levels is the people I met as I traveled and another is the people that joined in the effort virtually by reading the blog and making comments or sending me emails.  Thanks so much to each of you.


Another level is the funding generated for Not Alone.  I am hoping that at least one Not Alone member will be there Saturday - but really we are all members if we are spreading the word about helping our women and men in the services that have been in the war and have now returned to continue their lives in our communities.


I am now in Parkersburg, WV after another hot and humid day of about 300 miles from Seymour, Indiana.  Ohio has the lowest speed limits on US-50 to date, only 35 - 55 mph in most sections and lots of small towns as well.  I understand that the West Virginia section is even slower, so we shall see tomorrow.


I stopped off at Ohio University in Athens to sit under a shade tree during the hottest part of the day and a woman, Jamie, came out of Ellis Hall and asked if the bike out front was mine.  She is a rider and had a more modern BMW until someone rear ended her.  That would take the fire out of anyone!  She reminded me of another BMW legend that has a shop in the area, Ken Holt, so I rode over there and had a good time meeting him for the first time.  I got a new face shield for my helmet and some fuel line that I needed and Ken generously spent time showing me his paint operation for which he is well known in the BMW community and also about how he is using military gear designed for Afghanistan as bike riding and general outdoor use.  He has quite a collection of different pieces and I got some hands on time with it.  Like the others I met on the trip, Bob Clement of Roberts, Montana; Dave Gardner of San Francisco and Duane in the valley, he is a gentleman and a pleasure to be with.  Thanks to each of you for helping me make this ride a success!


And I have to warn you that there is another animal video on my You Tube site.  This one is dangerous - be careful.  DO NOT let your dog see this video. I am not responsible if he sees it and tears up your laptop!

It is of the famous albino squirrels in the park at Olney, Illinois.  Again, taken with a cell phone and shaky, so view at you own peril! albino squirrel of Olney, IL video

This will not become Animal Kingdom.  I promise, no more animal videos this month!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Videos are ready to view

I am in Jefferson City, Missouri and enjoying a cool room after a very hot day.  About 500 miles from Dodge City, Kansas and temps reported on bank signs of over 100 degrees, and yes, I still wear motorcycle gear.  People do look at me in a strange way, but it really is not that much hotter than the sun beating down on bare skin.

Anyway,  let's get to the videos. Keep in mind this is unedited stuff shot on a cell phone.  I think it is pretty good, excuse the shaky action by me. I have been trying on and off to get this content to You Tube and tonight it just worked.  I guess it was the better internet connection at this hotel.  Maybe I'll learn to edit video some day.

These are not about Zen, or Motorcycles or travel or Not Alone.  These videos are about those special things one sees when they move outside their normal surrounding and pay attention.  This man is a motorcycle friend, met on the internet, but as you will see, a special guy.  Not only with the rabbits either.  We found we shared a lot of interests and views about life - but the rabbits are really special.  You will see a Chocolate Lab in the background on one video.  He eats the first and last piece of carrot and does not bother the rabbits.  Incredible!

So go enjoy a few minutes with these videos.  Feel free to send the link to friends who don't read this, I can't help smiling each time I see this stuff!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The US-50 Ride: California, Nevada, Utah

[This is a 'catching up' entry covering July 19 - 21]

When US-50 was designed it started in San Francisco but the modern route now officially starts at West Sacramento, California, 3073 miles from Ocean City, Maryland where I will call the ride complete on July 30th.

I left the Pacific coast after a refreshing visit to John Muir Woods National Park (I suggest a early morning visit if you are in the area) and proceed around the north bay rather than face the traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge again and work my way around to Interstate 80, which follows the original US-50 route as I understand it.  At West Sacramento I encounter the sign above, letting me know that I am almost home.

The ride from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe on US-50 starts out looking like any Interstate highway but becomes a 2 lane climbing the Sierra Nevada mountains.  It gets cooler and traffic is moderate.  Pine forest smells surround and small roadside shops are found from time to time.  South Lake Tahoe is very built up and full of tourist oriented shops, lodging and eating establishments as one might expect.  However on the Nevada border the character changes abruptly to high rise casinos, and views of the lake are evident as I leave the populated area behind.  In 25 miles I see the lonely side of things.  Nevada takes up over 400 miles of that 3073 miles.  On the east edge of Nevada is Great Basin National Park, one of my target overnight stops, but it is getting late in the afternoon and I look for a suitable place to stop for the night. 

Fallon, Nevada has a Naval Air Station (thnk Top Gun) and is thus more developed than the other small towns, offering a good selection of motels and eating places.  The area is agricultural in nature and very green compared to other areas of this state.  The Main street here is spelled Maine Street and tonight, Tuesday, is farmers market night as well as the 2 for 1 burger deal at Jack's Place.  One is more than enough for me.  300 total miles on July 19th.

I plan for a good night's sleep and a visit to what is called "The Best Museum on the Loneliest Road in America," the Churchill County Museum in the morning. Got up, ate breakfast in a little local shop and went to the museum.  Opens at 10AM and it is 8:45.  Darn.  Should I give up over an hour of prime time riding to see the museum?  I decide to push on, riding into the rising sun - eastward. 


Ten miles west a stop at Grimes Point to see petroglyphs - kind of ancient graffitti on what was the shore of a lake.  I ride out into the wide expanses of plateaus and a series of passes for hours.  Next stop, about 100 miles, is Austin which promises some refreshments and a full tank of gas. This tiny town is typical of the remains of mining bust towns of the 1800s.  Nevada is not that attractive to me, but the riding is interesting and the road surfaces in almost new condition, many miles without paint stripes.  After a total of 338 miles I arrive at Great Basin and find a camping spot.  I ride into the nearby, tiny and very cool 'town' of Baker after setting up my tent  to enjoy coffee and pumpkin pie.  The evening was uneventful and I awoke at 5am ready to go - on the road before 7am. I am headed all the way across Utah to Rifle Colorado.



I want to share some of the signs along US-50 and bring your attention to the wonderful quality of the sky in these parts.  Most altitudes were around 7000 feet.  High, low humidity even in the irrigated parts, and perfectly clear sky.

Utah is beautiful.  The road is great, the terrain is distractingly beautiful and the traffic is, well, non-existent. Even when the route merges onto Interstate 70 as it does for most of the state, the traffic is very light until I get near the Colorado line.  It is just one huge vista after another and it is cool until I get to the canyons near Arches National Park when all of a sudden the temperature rises to uncomfortable levels in a short distance.  It is as if someone pointed a blow torch at me.  50 more miles to the border and then 60 miles to Rifle, home of a family member with whom I will spend a comfortable night and visit the Christo Valley Curtain site I worked on some 39 years ago.  It is now officially hot.  Real hot.  But no longer Lonely.


Lessons Learned:  The mental challenge of a ride like this are formidable and real.  Control requires special attention and exercise when the physical gets demanding, like in this heat.  Be in the moment.  It works.

Status: At Rifle, Colorado I was have traveled about 5814 miles.

Next I will travel to Pueblo to meet an old friend, go kayaking and then head out in extreme temperatures to Dodge City Kansas on US-50.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

The US-50 Ride: Loneliest Road in America

I have been traveling and not had much time to blog, but tomorrow night I will be in Kansas and plan to stay for two days, and catch up on my progress.

Young drag racer
Tonight I am in Pueblo, Colorado and my friend Peter came down from Denver.  We went to the drag races where a friend of his, Pam, was running a Toyota truck powered by a 466 ci Chevy truck motor. We had a great time, including meeting this young lady and her car, originally powered by a lawn mower engine.  The powerplant in it now looks like some CNC thing from NASA, but at any rate it is quite special.

We saw her make one run down the drag strip and the thing did go!  It was towed by a dirt bike and the whole rig looked pretty professional.  I don't know how old she was but she was wearing braces and I guess she was pretty young.  Imagine what she'll be doing in ten years.

Valley Curtain location today


In the last two days I have traversed Nevada, Utah and half of Colorado.  I spent Wednesday night in Great Basin National Park and have a little video of that as soon as I figure out how to get it to You Tube.  Any Android experts please offer your help to me!

I spent Thursday night with family in Rifle Colorado, the site of the 1972 Christo Valley Curtain that both Peter and I worked on, and was the thing that got Ann interested in me - so I owe Christo big time.  Here is a picture of the site where it all happened for 28 hours so long ago.  Click on the link above to see the curtain in all it's splendor.

In the morning Peter and I plan to kayak on the Pueblo reservoir, weather conditions permitting.

Please return to see what I post in the next few days.

Lessons Learned: 1- Low humidity is a good thing (dry tent in the morning). 2-  Low humidity is a bad thing (nose is all dried out).  3- Peter and I don't know squat about drag racing.

Colorado Sky at Monarch Pass
Status:  360 miles today from Rifle to Pueblo, Colorado, 455 miles yesterday from Great Basin National Park, Nevada, through Utah to Rifle, Colorado. That is too much territory to cover in those few hours, but it was great.  I leave you with one last photo taken at the top of 11,312 foot high Monarch Pass.  This is what a Colorado sky looks like.  I love it!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

How the tracker works

Some people were interested in the tracker function and yesterday I gave a url to get you started on understanding the way this works.  And here is the actual hardware
I am using on the bike.

The thing on the left is a handheld VHF ham radio that usually has a rubber antenna on it.  It is removed so I can hook up an external antenna to it for better range.  This external antenna is what got lost immediate upon the start of the trip and got replaced in Portland, Oregon.

The next thing to the right, in the middle of the picture is a device called a tracker that receives data from the simple GPS, which is the small, square thing below and to the right of the tracker. The purpose of the tracker is to capture the GPS data, to arrange it into a packet of information that is standard and to convert that digital data into specific audio tones that a two-way radio can transmit and receive.  The output of the tracker goes to the microphone jack on the radio.  The tracker also listens to the radio to see if someone else is transmitting at the moment using the same cable as the microphone.  The blue cable with a ed and black thing on it is for 12 volt power to supply the tracker and GPS.  The radio runs on its own battery and can be charged in place or at night in the room or campsite from either 12 volts or 110volt house power.

Once I transmit a packet of information containing location, temperature, voltage of the bike system it goes out into the air.  If someone running what is called a digipeater (digital repeater) hears the packet, it gets repeated over a large area.  If a special station called an iGate hears it gets sent to various internet databases like the one we are using to track my movements. If no-one hears the packet it is lost forever.  That is why there are some places the map is a straight line for a long distance when no-one hears the signal.

Trakers are invaluable in emergency work as one could be placed on first responder vehicles to keep track of where they are, or on search and rescue dogs, or persons on foot in a high risk area.  From that data a dispatcher can see who is nearest a person in trouble.  These things can and are being used with commercial 2 way radio systems as well.

NEWS FLASH - Read All About It

Today, in a parking lot near Vallejo, California, the kind of thing I live for happened.

I was just getting to the junction of I-80 on CA-37 around the top of the bay, and was getting sleepy on the bike.  So I got off and immediately found a Middle-Eastern donut and espresso shop in a strip store.  Perfect.  I got a medium Latte with an extra shot and a chocolate grazed chocolate donut with chocolate sprinkles.  But this is NOT what I live for.  It was OK.  Sugar and caffeine work at all altitudes.

Front of Tee Shirt
Back of Tee Shirt
It was also warming up so I decided to change the layers I was wearing from the moderate cold stack to the hot and cold stack as I would be crossing hot low-lands and then climbing up to over 7000 feet for Lake Tahoe.  As I took off and put on clothes at the bike in the parking lot, and re-packed them in various hard bags, tank bags and whatever a lady walked up to me and said  "Your shirt made my day."  I was wearing, as usual, a Not Alone Tee Shirt which has the logo on the front and "Find Your Strength" on the back along with NotAlone.com.

She paused while I told her what Not Alone is about, and with near-tears in her eyes just said something to the effect that this is what she needed today.  Wow.  We exchanged names and she went on about her business.  I wanted to give her a tee shirt but both of my others were in my dirty clothes bag, not such a good gift!  If she reads this (I gave her one of my blog slips) I hope she sends an email to zamm2011@gmail.com with her address and size and I'll send her a new one.

I have no idea what her issue was or how these few words informed her direction forward, but it did it.  Thanks to the Not Alone graphics folks for desiging it and allowing me to wear the shirt that helped a complete stranger in a place I have never been before and will likely never go again.

As the invisable rules of life would have it my next feeling was that I should check my tire pressures.  I saw a gas station with a air pump that took credit cards!  Things are different in California.  Anyway, I wheeled over there and checked pressures, they were both perfect.  As I got up, a homeless guy stood with a beer in hand, and a shopping cart half-full of empties.  I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he was collecting cans to recycle,  and that they were not all his dead soldiers. He had a tale of woe and asked for some money as usual, but he too picked up on that small Not Alone logo.  I again talked to him about the work of this organization and he seemed to get it. He was not a veteran, but he did have a large scar on his head from going through a plate glass window someplace and I got to hear that long story.  Anyway, two very different people in the same parking lot seeing this tiny logo and relating to it in some way.

I hope that you have responded to the Not Alone cause as well.  They would love a donation to support the work, but even if you chose to not do that, if you will make it a point to learn about this work and talk it up with those around you it will make the world a better place for returning woman and men that have defended your home place and their families.  You know, 'Homeland Security' is a fairly new term, but it is full of meaning.  Think about that.  You and I can do a lot to be prepared here, but others have to go to do the job over there.  Always has been that way.  Please join me in whatever way you can to be a part of the solution.

Lessons Learned: Don't feel constrained to follow the plan to the letter.  If I had stayed in 'Frisco two more days I wouldn't have met those people.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

This hotel once again has terrible WiFi so I have decided to tour John Muir Woods instead of trying to work here.  I plan to take a few hours during the hot part of the day, if there is one, and work on the blog at a WiFi place along the road.  Today will take me to Lake Tahoe and into Nevada, not exactly sure where.  At 7:30am the sky was very overcast and I hope it opens up when I get to the park.

Many years ago Ann and I spent a few weeks touring the coast here and I am not sure we ever saw further than 100 feet in front of us due to fog and rainy weather.

A few people asked about how this tracker thing works, and I took a photo of the gear this morning as a reprogrammed it a little and will write that up as well.  Ham radio is a terrific hobby and has the potential to be a life saver in disasters when all or part of the public communications infrastructure is out of service.  APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) is what I am using and it is free, as is all ham radio SERVICE after one acquires the gear.  The stuff I am using cost me about $170 total and can be used for voice communications as well.  More later, but read the links if you are interested in how this works.

Here is the map of todays proposed route:


Lessons Learned: Temperature is so personal.  As I added a layer to keep me warmer, i asked a local woman if it was always so cool here in July.  She said it was not usually this hot and fanned her face with some papers she was carrying.  What?

Coming soon - Why I (and Bob Pirsig) think everyone that rides a motorcycle long distances should feel comfortable doing their own maintenance on a routine basis.  I could never have taken this trip if I expected a dealer to be around to take care of stuff that might fail along the way.

Long Live the ZAMM route

Today marks the end of the Zen and the Art of motorcycle Maintenance portion of the ride.  I parked my bike on the corner of Page street and Laguna street, took a photo and walked across to take a closer look. This building is likely a place that Bob and Chris visited in San Francisco, and near the place where, years later when he was studying at the Zen Center, Chris was fatally wounded in a mugging.  It is a quiet place and, there is a bookstore as well as the Zen Center itself.  I rode every mile except the stretch between Ukiah and Novato, about 88 miles. 

I rode instead to Sacramento County to meet a person that shares many of my passions and his wife.  They generously offered to have me stay at their home, and I got the added bonus of a dog, Hershey, to pet.  There was also one of those special surprises that I will save for later - I'll be putting up a short YouTube video of Duane's special animal friends. [as soon as I figure out how to do that!]
Duane has been a great contributor to the knowledge of the BMW bikes known as /2 - those produced from 1955 to 1969 and some models before and after that period.  At the time these machines were  being sold he had a dealership in California and his shop sold and worked on more of these than any other dealer.  So he has truely been there and done that.  He is also a ham radio operator and there are many other things we have in common, including a thing for working with people of other cultures. I am ranking my less than 24 hours with Duane and Linda as one of the real highlights of the trip.  I am so happy that I asked and that they were willing and available on the day I was in the area.  Thanks Duane and Linda!


The US50 Ride Preview

So tonight starts the US-50 portion of the ride - 3073 miles of 2 lane, four lane and some interstate sections.  Originally US-50 went all the way to the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco.  Now it officially starts in West Sacremento.  I'm starting in the original spot as I understand it.  This road will start in Californina and continue to Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland.  I will ride them in that order as that is easiest.  I was hoping to meet another BMW tech guy in Lake Tahoe but he is in Denver this week, so I guess I will just ride past Lake Tahoe and stop when it gets dark.  I hope to meet a friend in Colorado, and same family members in Kansas.  I hear it is going to be hot, and I hope that the cold I have been riding in is not forgotten.

I picked up a spare clutch cable for the bike today.  It was bothering me to be riding without one, and if it was on my mind, I needed to get it taken care of.  Mission accomplished!

Tomorrow I am going to do planning, writing and resting for the final push East! Expect some more ride stories tomorrow!  It is hard to write when tired...

Lessons Learned: I really don't like riding on Interstate Highway type roads (limited access, left exits sometimes, exit only lanes, aggressive drivers) and I spent some time on them today.  Ugly!

We need to hear from people that wish to join us at the Wrap Party/Dinner on July 30th in Easton, MD.  I will be posting some places where those that wish to ride into Ocean City will be able to meet up with us, and an address for the party if you just want to come and enjoy that.  Email me at zamm2011@gmail.com

If you want to ride or just keep up with the progress please click on the link at the left of the screen to follow oldbikerider on twitter.  That is how I will be communicating with folks.  Any phone that does text messages will work.  If you don't have a twitter account, now is as good a time as any to find out what it is all about.  Any kid can help you get started!

We also need some more Not Alone contributions.  If you have been thinking about it, please click on the logo in the upper left side of the blog and say that you are going to be a part of the Not Alone community.  You don't have to give a lot of money - everyone giving some will make a difference.  Really.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Getting back on schedule

I tried to get going on time today to make up a half day of travel time.  I was rolling at 7:30am and looking to eat breakfast down the road about one hour.  And I did stop in Chemult and joined a fellow named Don from Tucson who was on his way back home after a long solo ride.  He had traded for a new bike along the way and was enjoying his new ride.  He gave me reason to think I'd still be at it for some years - he is 76 years old!

He spent some time and care in folding up his rain gear.  Yes, it was raining this morning again.  And when we got done eating it was raining again.  My big red suit is my only gear and it is rainproof.  No changing gear for me but the disadvantage that it is pretty hot.

 
First view of Pacific at Crescent City
Now today that was not a problem.  I remember reading in the book that the author and his son Chris were really cold on the day they rode into northern California. So was I!  I got as far as Eureka, California and called it a day as it started raining again.  Entering California was a surprising boost to energy levels.  You can likely tell from the blog entries that I have gotten really tired and looking at the screen after a day of riding is very hard to do.  I am planning a day off in San Francisco and I should be able to regain some of that vitality before heading east and seeing a new part of America.  Hang in there!

Snow along road at Crater Lake
Today's ride included Crater Lake.  I took some photos but really - there are much better pics online.  It was overcast, rainy, in the low sixty's and, in general, ugly.  I will include one of the bike and the snow on the west road.  The snow in the picture is not the deepest, it is just at a place that was safe to stop and take the photo. The east road is still closed by snow!  I think that this is another place most people would enjoy.  Much smaller than Yellowstone, it still displays and describes a unique geological and environmental place.  Besides, where else in this hemisphere would you see two buses of boy scouts having snowball fights in July?

Lastly, I got a tip from the interesting guy running the laundromat for a restaurant called Marcelli's Ravioli and enjoyed a quick dinner while my stuff was drying.  Roberta greeted me with the news that it was closing time and maybe sensing my disappointment, offered to serve me anyway.  Great menu that allowed one to shose a pasta and a sauce and to have either just a plate of that or a complete dinner, I chose spinach fettuccine and tomato basil sauce with a glass of wine.  Perfect!  Thanks, Roberta for serving me well.

Sunday takes me off the ZAMM route again to visit a long-time internet friend, Duane, below Sacramento.  After a night with him I will be completing the route to San Francisco and be writing some book related stuff.  This end of the book is pretty tough stuff, but the ride completion for me should be great.  I am happy to report that I do not have a previous personality nor a 11 year old kid along on this ride!

Lessons Learned: A good meal at the end of a long, cold day cancels out all the aches and pains.

Stats: 327 miles Saturday, 4268 total for the trip so far, almost half way!

Thanks for riding along!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Back to the ZAMM route

Mountain pass road, Oregon
I mounted the seat of the fully loaded bike this morning at about 10am Pacific time and headed back to Prineville to pick up where I left off a few days ago.  I need to first say that three days off the bike are hard.  I felt just like the first day again - couldn't stay of the road, found all kinds of excuses to stop (coffee, ice cream, batteries, change wires around, look at clouds, take pictures) - and in the end only made it to La Pine, OR, about 250 miles.  This was to end at Grants Pass.  But the revised start point will allow me to see Crater Lake at leisure in the morning, I understand it is a great thing to see.

What stopped me in La Pine was mother nature doing her thing.  Thunderstorm.  High winds. Hail. Not good.  First motel was a winner, and two eating places in walking distance.  I pulled in at the same time as a couple from British Columbia and they said they had gotten wet almost every day of their trip.  It was my second opportunity to get dry.  As expected, an hour after I checked in there were blue sky and sun out, but I was committed to this place.

The ride to the the rain was pretty nice.  But I also am getting overwhelmed by the trees, mountains and smells of this coast.  One can only take in so much.  The food continues to be fun - honest, organic.  Good stuff.

The tracking device is working, but there are not that many ham radio operators relaying the signal in the rural areas so you will note that it appears that I take the bird route form point to point.  One of my friends asked why I seemed to go over that same road twice.  That is because I did go over it twice in order to follow the Pirsig route as closely as possible.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Tracker via ham radio is now active!

New Antenna ready to roll
I have purchased an antenna at Ham Radio Outlet in Portland and I am now trackable online with the link to APRS.FI. 


At the moment it only shows the garage where the bike is parked.

I will be on the road once again in the morning, Pacific time, so try looking at my progress late in the day or Saturday.  I will be traveling through rural areas so the signal will not always make it to the internet, but as I get to California this weekend I should be getting better coverage.

Friday will take me to Grants Pass, Oregon and the next day I should be sleeping in California.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Andre Ride 2011b

Andre and the Oldbikerider
I am making a slight detour in the Zen and the Art ride to do the Andre ride.  This whole cross country ride started out as a way to come visit friends that had moved from my home town to this NorthWet community.  No, that is not a typo, motorcyclists (and others I suppose) call this region the Northwest.

Andre was born June 30th, the day I began this trip and is about as cute as babies get.  And I got to meet the mother's mom, who looks just like her - I was amazed!  I will be staying here for a few days to catch up with their lives and see if I can spoil a kid that young.  I think I'll have to wait a few years though. It is also time for an oil change and to get the rear tire I had sent her installed.

We left off last in the lobby of a motel that advertised WiFi but it didn't work, so I talked my way into 60 seconds of access in the lobby.  That was in Grangeville, Idaho.  I never heard of it either, but it was as far as my weary bones were taking me.  I usually enter a town and ride around checking it out before choosing a place and this motel was at the far west end and had a lot of bikes in the parking lot so I thought it was perfect.  Well, even I make mistakes.  After leaving this place in the morning I saw an ideal looking camping area not a half mile down the road!

So I leave Grangeville and make my way to the most remote area that Mr. Pirsig has taken me so fbar.  Following US-95south to Cambridge and picking up ID-71 northwest towards the border I am delighted to see a "Trucks longer than 55 feet not recommended" sign.  That usually means a narrow, twisty road.  US-95 was a great one as well. Seems they didn't hire the guy from Nebraska (can't say Kansas 'cause my wife is from there and will get upset) who knows how to lay out a straight road.  Didn't see one in my travels anyway.  No wonder I need new tires!

ID-71 is basically an access road for Idaho Power, they have two hyro dams up there, and for the recreational use crowd with boats, camping and I'd guess hunting in season.  There are virtually no services in the area except maybe bait shops and camping areas.  Wonderful roads and views.  I include a picture or two for you but it is hard to get much is such vast panoramas.

My camp dinner, PB and Bacon Burrito
When I got to Baker City, Oregon I had the pleasure of eating with Joe, Dorrell and John at the Coffee Corral.  They are three guys who have been meeting there for some time to solve all the problems of the world,  so I asked them to look at my maps and they gave me great suggestions.  If you guys are reading this I stayed at the Ochoco campground you suggested and I will be doing the Crater Lake circle as part of the ZAMM ride.  Thanks for the routing suggestions, I slept well up there even if it is close to the highway.
Getting warmed up at the campsite

It is these 'chance' encounters with real people living everyplace that makes these trips so much a part of my life.  I often say I am traveling to see friends I haven't met yet.  I didn't make that up, I heard it someplace, but it works for me.

Another example is Alex, who was also spending his first hours in Bozeman, Montana.  I chose a restaurant called the Garage (sound right for me?) and walked the 4 blocks from the motel. On the way I notice a sign out in front of an office building: Central Asia Institute.  Not CIA but CAI.  It is Saturday evening so no-one would be there tomorrow, but I was intrigued as I have visited and done some computer work in Central Asia.

When I arrived at The Garage they decided to close rather than serve me.  Really, it was 9pm and the place was calling it a day.  So I walked a block down the street to the Montana Ale Works, a microbrew kind of yuppie looking place - but wait, this is Montana.  Looks are deceiving!  This place was great, and really busy.  I didn't want to take up a whole table so I wandered up to the bar and asked if I could eat there instead of a table and the only seat was at the cash register.  They cleaned up a space and there I was.  Told the bar-keep what kind of beer I liked and told her to choose one.  I was great.  She told me a lot more about it than I understood, and the name was in German and contained the word 'shwartz' but I didn't get the rest of it.  I had some tuna sushi type tempura thing as I was feeling that real food was in order after living on my own camp fare and fast food for a couple of days.

So this guy, Alex, is on the next stool, and he is talking to the bar-keep like he was a regular.  I heard the words 'fund raising' and started to follow the conversation.  He had just finished dinner and was paying at the register when I arrived.  Anyway, he was finishing a beer and we started talking.  Turns out he had worked for a software firm that serves the non-profit community and had left that profession to follow up on the work that the Central Asia Institute is doing establishing girls schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  So now we have 3 or 4 things in common - fund raising (For Not Alone, remember them?), the war zone, the way to find real solutions for seemingly unsolvable issues - this is getting good.  Then he tells me he has just arrived in town - same as me.  And we agree that we have never been anyplace that had more congenial people.  It was not my sleeplessness - other people felt the same way.  NOTE: DO NOT MOVE TO MONTANA.  They want to keep it a secret.

Anyway I tell Alex that I just looked at the CAI office and he is freaking out.  So to celebrate we eat dessert - good pick again, excellent bread pudding.  So I blow three days food budget on one meal, it was worth it.  After dinner Alex follows me to that office building and is so excited to have found it.  I make a good surrogate for a phone book, eh?  You Bet!

Alex is also doing WWOOF.  You Google it, but I think that would be a cool thing to do one summer in Montana.  If you get something about dogs, it is a typo - try two W's as above.

This morning's breakfast at the Tastee Freeze in Prineville was no less entertaining.  I'll spare you the details, but you can see where I am going here.  Go out and talk to people you don't know, you might find you like them.

A passage from the book about yesterday's ride on US-95 following the Salmon River is about how I found the road:

"Back in the heat again and not far from Grangeville we see that the dry plateau that looked almost like prairie when we were out on it suddenly breaks away into an enormous canyon. I see our road will go down and down through what must be a hundred hairpin turns into a desert of broken land and crags. I tap Chris’s knee and point and as we round a turn where we see it all I hear him holler, "Wow!"

At the brink I shift down to third, then close the throttle. The engine drags, backfiring a little, and down we go.

By the time our cycle has reached the bottom of wherever it is we are, we have dropped thousands of feet. I look back over my shoulder and see antlike cars way back at the top. Now we must head forward across this baking desert to wherever the road leads.
"

A straight road in Oregon
The roads were like that for well over 100 miles in both Idaho and Oregon.  I actually stopped to take a photo of a straight road in Oregon when one finally appeared.

I want to include something from the book  hoping that Bob and son Chris encountered some rain, but they didn't record that. But I remember that I am no longer on the Zen route - I am on the Andre route.  He didn't come to Portland like I did today.  In fact, the rain started just after leaving the book's original route in Prineville, Oregon.

But this is not like rain I am used to in the East.  I actually think I was riding through a rain cloud.  And it did not stop raining, it just got brighter and the water was now coming up from tires of cars ahead of me instead of from above.  Then the road became dry and it was not raining.  But the temp never got above about 68 degrees.  Weird for me.  My hands were too cold to hold the baby when I came in, I had to take a shower to warm them up.

Lets wrap this up with some stats:  3650 miles so far.  In the 13 days of the trip so far (July 13th is when I am completing this) I have camped five nights, motels six times and homes of friends twice.  One of the motels was supposed to be a campground, but it was under water.

Lessons Learned: After all this pretty hot riding, 68 degrees is really cold, especially when raining.  I went to the store with Ben and was freezing in the store with long pants on.  I did see a local guy walking down the street with a down vest on and next to him a guy with shorts and a tee shirt.  Depends what you are used to, as always.

Monday, July 11, 2011

60 second update

I have 60 seconds of wifi and here is the news: I am in Pacific Time Zone!  Slept in Grangeville Idaho and will be in Oregon soon!

All well but about 4 hours behind schedule, no big deal.  Idaho rt 12 is a fine road, the smell of the pine trees is amazing.

More tonight I hope!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Motorcycle Stuff

1981 R100 in Oakes, ND
1968 R60 at Newport, VA
I have been enjoying the riding so much and have not been sharing the bike part of the trip enough, so for all my rider freinds  here are some thoughts about two wheels and one great view of the road.









I have to start by comparing my experience with what it would have been like on the bike I planned so long to ride, the 1968 R60/2.  For day 1-3, the ride to St Paul, Minnesota, the slash 2 would have been not so good.  They were long days at high speed: the technical description is "NFR" for Not Fun Riding, except for West Virginia which is always fun.

The rest of the days would have been really nice on the old bike.  Yellowstone is a perfect setting for the properties of that bike, moderate speeds with sweeping curves.  My right hand would have been tired from the heavier brake application pressure, but I would be OK.  Beartooth highway would have been a tiny bit slower, but also a good ride.  Gas stops would have been more frequent, meaning I'd have spent a lot of time talking to folks at gas stations about riding an old bike.  The R100 looks modern enough that it does not attract many questions or comments.

But those of you that know me realize that these casual encounters of the bike kind are one of the reasons I take these long rides, and with the addition of my Not Alone connection, it would have given me a way to let more people know about the way they can become a part of the solution.  I also lost the chance to get coverage in a high quality paper magazine because the R100 is just another motorcycle - making the trip on the R60 would be interesting to the readers.

The 1981 R100 that I am riding just went over 164,000 miles and will have close to 170K on it in Maryland on July 30th at our warp party.  The last day's ride is scheduled to start in Winchester Virginia and conclude at Ocean City, Maryland followed by a short ride back to Easton, Maryland for what I am calling a wrap party at the VFW hall.  I invite any and all of you to ride the day, or meet me in Ocean City or Easton.  More details are coming, keep an eye on the blog.

The R100 has enough power to be effortless at speed and climbing mountains and has good enough brakes.  Keep in mind that I never have had a bike with great brakes, but compared to the R60, this thing can really stop in short distance, like when the deer and fawn got in front of me yesterday or I thought the coyote was going to cross the road and instead just trotted along the edge of the pavement with me for a while.

It is also longer, making packing it easier.  Weight in the back beyond the rear axle alters the weight distribution in a bad way, so having everything over the axle on the bigger bike is nice.  Riding in dirt is easier on the R60, and I spend a lot of time entering and exiting dirt and gravel turn-outs on the Beartooth highway and in Yellowstone.  There were also many washed out roads along the way patched with loose rock and soil - some were challanging.

I hope to hear some comments from you riders out there.  Ask any questions that come to mind. If you have not traveled this part of the country Montana comes highly recommended.  Great people and wide open spaces.  Yellowstone was also much better than my expectations.  North Dakota not so much.  Let me tell you the Detour Story.  In chapter 6 Pirsig mentions a Detour sign, near the reservoir we both slept at, Shadehill near Lemmon, South Dakota.  This is just below the ND border, appraoching Mobridge (get it: MO Bridge as in bridge over the Missouri River).  Anyway the road is closed for construction or washout or whatever and the sign says take a left.  I expect detours to take me 6-8 miles at most off the planned route.  This detour was 21 miles out, 24 miles south again and 20 something miles back into town.  I almost ran out of gas out there.

Lesson Learned: North Dakota detours may be large - gas up!

I have been getting 45-50 mpg.  My worst mileage was on the really hot days running at 70mph with my jacket vents open creating more drag when I saw it drop to 40mpg.

I did have the fortune to meet a group of CMA members in of all places a McDonalds in eastern Montana and they reminded me of Bob Clement in Roberts, Montana.  They knew his phone number be heart!  And they were riding Harley-Davidsons.  That peaked my interest as I poked the number into my phone. Bob is a well known BMW mechanic and I knew him from small ads in BMW magazines and the great comments he gets on-line for tranny repairs.  I called him because my front tire was wearing a lot faster than I had expected.  I called him from the parking lot and asked if he had a tire, and arranged to stop there the next day.  Meeting him and working alongside him was a high point of the trip.  I got a new tire, a new friend and someone to send a tranny in need of healing and got to witness a business that is serving the customers and his community.  Bob comes highly recommended by the old bike rider.

I ordered a new rear tire to be sent to Portland where I will be spending  couple of days and will get it mounted there as well as change the oil.  One the R60 I'd be changing oil every 1000 miles - 7 oil changes in total done on my hands and knees in parking lots, not much fun.  On the R100 I will do only one in the field. That is a big difference.


So in the end the pluses for the R100 are brakes and power and brakes and gas tank capacity (about 250 miles compared to 125 miles).  But I have been trying to ride the 1968 ride on this portion of the trip which means keeping my speed down to what they might have ridden in 1968 on a Honda 305 two up.  I aim at 3000 to 4000 rpm in 5th gear which is 59 - 65mph.  This works well.  In Yellowstone I never even got to these speeds: 25 - 45mph and less was the rule.  But I didn't want to go any faster, I was there to see everything, not just ride through to say I'd been there.  So at these speeds the brakes on the R60 would have been just fine.

Once I get out in the US-50 portion I am sure I will stretch the legs on this bike as that dessert ride will be a hot one for sure.  Some of US-50 is now interstate so keeping up with the cars will be important.

Lastly, my body is holding up well.  The butt is fine and the knees are fine and the right wrist is only slightly sore.  I forgot my gin-soaked raisins, but I got a box of raisins and eat them as snacks when I stop each day.  I don't know if they do anything without that gin, but they can't hurt.

OK, got to get loaded up and on the road again.  Today I will make Lolo pass where the original riders camped alongside the road.  I don't think I'll be doing that, but it looks like National Forests and there should be some good campgrounds.

Thanks for riding along!  Sorry you have to go back to work tomorrow...

Good News and Bad News

They always ask "Which do you want to hear first?" to which I reply in my head "Who decides what is good and what is bad?"

So the bad news is that a violent storm arose Friday afternoon.  I found refuge with a group of interesting folks including a couple from England who were riding around in a 1931 Phaeton (defined as a four door convertible car) whose roof support structure had suffered a bent part and thus the roof could not be raised.  Additionally there were the standard fare of us motorcycle riders who got off the road rather than get blown around, wet and struck by lightning.

This is Pirsig's bike in his own photo, but my camp site looked the same.
This same storm, 60 miles to the northeast reached my tent standing alone in the Fox Creek camp ground and it became the victim of nature's power, likely about the time I was eating s'mores.  The rain fly was blown off and 2 inches of rain filled the waterproof tent floor.



The good news was that it held the water well.  When I arrived at about 8pm I had about one hour of daylight to make my house in order.  All my clothes and paper stuff was floating as was the new sleeping bag I had used once.  I lit a fire with wet wood I found laying around the campground, which in reality if just a clearing in the forest, and some dry toilet paper.  Amazing, since my wife can tell you I can't light a fire to save my life!  Anyway, my new $27 Coleman sleeping bag did its thing, warm even when soaking wet.  I turned the tent upside down and let the water flow out, wiped it as dry as possible, squeezed as much water as possible out of the sleeping bag and about 11:30pm went to sleep.  I woke up warm in that sleeping bag even though it was 37 degrees in the tent according to my thermometer.  It was a day where you could see your breath.  And the fire was still going enough that adding some more twigs made me warm as I packed up.

Those that are following me on Facebook saw some photos I uploaded when I found cell signal at the old Faithful lodge area.  I won't fill this blog with photos but tomorrow will add a link to see all I uploaded to my Picasa site.

I have to tell those of you that have not been to Yellowstone that is is a unique place.  I should have studied up on it more before coming, but I'd like to return with family to see the rest of it.  As I passed the sign saying "Leaving Yellowstone National Park" I had a lump in my throat - like leaving a good friend.


Bullet list of some things I saw and did:

- Crashed a S'mores party - actually was invited to do so - in Silver Gate, right outside the Northeast entrance to the park.

- Rode alongside a Coyote.  I am told that they run along the should of  the road hoping to get one of the millions of ground hogs that dash out into traffic all along the roads.

Spotting scope, note storm in background tearing up my tent 60 miles away.
- Looked at a grizzly bear through a spotting scope.  There are a lot of guys out there doing this as a hobby and they seem happy to let others peek at their finds.

- Saw Old Faithful not once, but twice from two different points of view.  The Old Faithful Lodge has a barista on the second floor and from that I found a sitting area which is a view 90 degrees from the ground level where I saw it the first time.  The latte was pretty good too.

- Stood and talked to a ranger across from the chapel in Mammoth Hot Springs about the elk littering the church lawn.  Her job was to tell people not to approach them.  They are deer-like in confirmation (spoken by someone who knows not of what he speaks) unlike the larger bodied ones I remember for Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

- Saw a mother duck with three babies floating at high speed down the Lamar River that, like all waterways in the region, is bursting out of its banks and moving fast.  I wondered what those little feet were doing under the water.  They were staying together whatever it took.

- There are a LOT of things to do in the park besides Old Faithful.

- The smells are very interesting.  Mostly Pine Forest smell, and Sage smell, sulfur water smell added to absolutely clean air smell (or lack of smell).

- Very cold: high of 71 today added to having damp clothes, and high winds made for a wind-chill effect.  I  had to pull off the road due to hypothermia and lay on the ground out of the wind and let the sun warm me up.  I did not get arrested nor as far as I know, did any tourist take a picture of me in my motorcycle suit laying on the grass.
Jim and Friends - see license plate
- Met a Hokie (Virginia Tech alum) at the old faithful parking lot having a picnic and they graciously made me lunch and we had a great time getting to know one another.  Those Hokies are everywhere! Thanks Jim and friends.







LESSONS LEARNED:  Put all your stuff in the bear proof food box when leaving for the park.

Stats for the day: 160 miles IN THE PARK and a total of 245 miles to Bozeman.  Lots of tourist today (Saturday) compared to the other days.  Each bear siting tied up traffic for about 10-15 minutes.  People just stop in the middle of the road. I am now in Bozeman, Montana.  Wow, these Montana folks friendly and easy to like!

NOT ALONE stats:  I am pleased to report that I got a report from Not Alone that you all have donated a total of $500 so far this week.  Keep up the good work!

Coming next: A post for the motorcycle people out there.  But all of you will get something from it, stay tuned!

Friday, July 8, 2011

In Yellowstone

Just a quick post to let you know that Beartooth Pass/Highway is great riding and that I am on schedule in Yellowstone.  I arrived at about 4pm yesterday and was unable to get camping in the park, but found a place 6 miles out.  I will stay there the two nights and spend the days in the park.

I picked up a new front tire from Bob Clement, famous BMW tech in Roberts, MT right before I entered the Beartooth.  It was pleasure to meet him and to be able to work alongside of him on the tire mounting and hear him talk to customers on the phone and fix a kid's bike for a neighbor.  This guy reflects the quality story in the book related to the fixing of the chainguard on Pirsig's bike.  Or the quality of the cabins he comments in the reading we are up to know.  It is so rare to see really quality work.  I am not sure if we have passed that yet or not.  BMW riders, if you need tranny or other work, I recommend this guy highly.  The new tire altered the handling for the better and I feel more confident of all the mountain roads to come.

There is no cell service out here, though there are supposed to be a couple of spots in the park where it works.  I am at a coffee shop now using their WiFi. It is a slow satellite connection so I'll skip the photos now, but expect to see them later on.  The name of the place is Loving Cup and I just had a Latte for breakfast.  It really hit the spot.

In reading the book last night I noted that this is the point that the narrator/author is strugging with his own past and as he approaches Bozeman it will get worse. If you are reading along with me feel free to skip his long tirades on education/depression/philosophy. This is about where I stopped reading the book the first two times I read it.

He spends time with old friends soon and, of course, I won't be doing that (yet) so my schedule goes ahead of his. 

An interesting quote is "Phædrus despised this park without knowing exactly why...because he hadn’t discovered it himself, perhaps, but probably not. Something else. The guided-tour attitude of the rangers angered him. The Bronx Zoo attitudes of the tourists disgusted him even more. Such a difference from the high country all around. It seemed an enormous museum with exhibits carefully manicured to give the illusion of reality, but nicely chained off so that children would not injure them. People entered the park and became polite and cozy and fakey to each other because the atmosphere of the park made them that way. In the entire time he had lived within a hundred miles of it he had visited it only once or twice."

I hope to find a better place.  I picked up my "interagency pass" yesterday.  Looking at the map and see Grand Teton is just a few miles to the south of the park, so I'll visit that as well.  What the heck!

I celebrated my birthday with Moosetracks ice cream. If you forgot to get me a birthday gift, it's OK - just make a donation to Not Alone by using the logo link at the top left of the page.

I am going to have a camp fire tonight at the campsite.  There are very few people at this site, and the ones there are in motorhomes.  The site I choose (Fox Creek #11) had a nice pine needle area for the tent.  It is near the Yellowstone River and I fall asleep to the sound of the water.  Gentle rain this morning at about 5 - 5:30, none last night though the clouds looked ominous.

Status:  I don't have my book with me, GPS locked up above 10,000 feet so I lost the track of most of the Beartooth.  I never looked down at it.  I will try and get the pictures posted someplace and give you a link in the next post.

Lesson Learned: Non-DEET mosquito spray doesn't work on these buggers, but the real stuff is effective.  The Aerostich suit in mosquito proof.

OK, I'm going into the park now.  I'll tell you what you are missing next time I get access to the net.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Beartooth Pass Tomorrow

For Lonesome Dove fans ...  
I had a pretty easy day today traveling the short path from Miles City, home of the Olive Hotel, to Laurel, just past Billings.  The thing that made it hard was starting out on an interstate highway.  With a 75mph speed limit and my desire to go 55-65mph the back roads are great because there are few cars and trucks passing you to remind you what the speed limit really is.  But on the interstate there is a lot more traffic and it goes by pretty fast.

Some good news:  I am typing this on my old laptop and it is hooked up to wireless in a 'bunkhouse' motel in Laurel.  My plan was to camp at Riverside Park in this medium size city, but was concerned when no-one answered the phone to ask about space.  The reason they didn't answer the phone is the park is under water! So with a storm building up to the west (sounds like the book), I took a cheap room in a pre-fab bunkhouse  for local workers.  It has anything you'd want but is small and no free breakfast.  No problem for me.



Flooded picnic area at Pompeys Pillar
Today I visited something I'd never heard of, Pompey's Pillar.  Located on the Yellowstone River, it is a significant place for both Native Americans and the transplants, this artifact ties the two populations together in an interesting way.  Lewis and Clark used native American guides as part of their exploration of the West, notably Sacajawea. She was a Shoshone Indian who guided and acted as interpreter and negotiator for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their exploratory expedition. She traveled with them from North Dakota to the Oregon coast and back. Anyway a great story, well displayed in the visitor center and the 'hands on' climb to the top of this large pillar of rock is impressive.  I will let you research how the pillar got its name.


Yellowstone River at Forsyth,  MT
bAll around me things are flooded.  One sees the impressive power of water in excess. At Pompeys Pillar they had sandbags around the visitor center and there were people from BLM surveying the devastation to the picnic area.  Of course the pillar itself is unscathed!


Short post again as I need to get some sleep.  It is my 62nd birthday tomorrow!


LESSON LEARNED:  I still can figure out how to fix computer stuff with motorcycle tools.  I did have to buy one part but it worked.


Stats for the day: about 166 miles including making a wrong turn on an limited access interstate and having to go 12 miles round trip with threatening storm clouds above.  But I made it to the destination before it rained.  Tomorrow should be a like number of miles, but way different terrain.  Beartooth Highway!