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Originally Posted by Trent
Hmmm... Must be a water bottle from Costco!!!Maybe he is zoned out from having to stop and pee every 10 minutes after emptying out that sucker!!! Better start a new thread on the best place to mount a 3 gallon water jug. !!
Day 27 continued
What an amazing day riding. Our last day in Canada, and the sights and roads were what riding is all about!
The ride from Vernon to Grand Forks was constant elevation changes and constant sweepers, tighter turns and even a few twistys!
Did not take long to get to BeaverDell.
Back to curve....
...after curve, after curve...
...all right thru some of the most scenic land in NA.
That is a LOT of Lumber!
The 3 comes really close to the US/Canada border right here...but this is not where we are crossing.
More in next post.
- - - Updated - - -
Day 27 continued-
Canadians, most of the time, stay pretty close to the Speed limit, especially in town.
But sometimes, on some roads, they haul ass. I was riding with a crotch rocket and 2 cars for about 75 miles thru sweeper after sweeper.
They would speed up to about 140 km in the straights...I would hang back a little in the straights and then when we hit a sweeper I would catch up to them. If it was marked 70 km, I would slow down to about 100 km, and be hitting 115 midway thru the curve. It was a blast!
This is a shadow pic Mary took while I was podunking along waiting for them to get further ahead of us.
The light was hitting this just right...was even more vivid in person.
Unspoiled beauty around every curve...
...and there are a lot of curves!
My apologies to those that don't share my enthusiasm for the turns and twistys...
...I cut out 100+ fun sweeper pics, just from today's ride.
Here we are getting to the outskirts of Grand Forks.
There are still some good sweepers as we head down into the basin where the "city" of Grand Forks is.
There it is, almost there. We took the super long way around to get here...added about 120 miles to the ride than if we had taken the main road...but it was well worth it!
Gassing up, Mary took a pic of the Ramada we're staying in across the street. This is the same place we stayed in when we first crossed into Canada on our Arctic Circle trip in 2013.
A little side note of synchronicity...
When we stayed here in 2013, we met a group of Canadian businessmen that were also staying here.
They were just returning from Byhalia, MS (about 10 miles from the DK shop) where their company was opening a manufacturing plant.
Pretty big coincidence in this little town.
Bigger coincidence...when we got home from that trip we found out that we had a new neighbor...& that she had just been hired by this same Canadian company, and had actually met with 2 of the guys that we met at this Ramada in Grand Forks!
Tomorrow we cross back into the States and we'll see our son and grand daughter!
Kevin
Day 28-
What an amazing day! Today we were in:
Two Countries
One Province
3 States
While we are looking forward to seeing Craig and Lydia, we will be there for a few days....so we decided to take all secondary roads back to Missoula, a lot of time on the 2 and then the 200. Very nice ride. Saw a lot of deer on the 200...both alive and hit in the road.
Last time we rode between Grand Forks and Missoula it was mostly intersate...much nicer, & cooler, on the secondary roads.
Not only very scenic, but some of the best roads I've ridden!
We took a little ride around Grand Forks before leaving for Missoula.
If you zoom way in on google maps, you will see that Carson road runs right along the border for a few hundred feet.
This pic was taken from the road, the fence (4 strands of barbwire, you can see a bit of it in the bottom left corner of the pic) is about 10 feet off the road.
Grand Forks is a beautiful town.
We left out of GF and 18 miles later we are almost at the border.
The US Customs Border agent was nice enough, but he was very thorough in making sure we were US Citizens before letting us in.
Back in the USA. It seems like much more, but we have only been out of the States for 12 days.
Right off the bat...
...we are on another road made for me & the TG.
Does that say 30 or 50 mph...I think it says 55.
The last time we rode this road was at the end of a day, going the opposite direction. I forgot how much fun it is...and I think it is even more fun going this direction!
Kicking back and relaxing in the straights.
More in next post.
Day 28 continued-
I am not sure what it is....
...it has been this way since before I was 10 years old (57 now)...
...when I see a curve coming up...
...my level of alertness quadruples, my adrenaline pumps, and I instinctively want to accelerate thru the corner as fast as is safely possible...
...and the tighter it is, the more fun it is!
I am most fortunate that Mary likes it too. There are only two things that seem to bother her...scraping hard parts, which doesn't happen on the TG, and breaking the rear end loose, which I don't do often.
Here's her perspective leaning out over the side.
Crossing into Idaho.
Just a few minute later we stopped at Albeni Falls. They had some picnic tables and we ate some lunch.
Back on the road, we passed thru Kootenai & then followed the shoreline of Lake Pend Oreille for quite a while. It is quite a large lake!
Rolling thru Northern Idaho.
Day 28 will be continued soon.
Kevin
Kevin, excellent ride report. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I hope to get back out that way, beautiful country!
Dave
2015 Tri Glide - Hot Pearl White/Blue
82 FXR
Couldn't agree more, thanks for the ride.
Awesome!! Just Absolutely AWESOME!!!!!
WHAT A RIDE!!!
Phenomenal posting and the PICTURES! WOW!
It is like we are there with you.
Thank you.
Thank you, glad you're enjoying it. Still have a lot more good riding before getting home!
Kevin
Day 28 continued-
Someone has been collecting cars for awhile!
Making our way southeast to see Craig & Lydia!
Stunning emerald green water in Noxon Reservoir.
The riding today has been phenomenal, nice road surface, little traffic, great views and winding roads!
"Life behind bars @ 70 mph". Enjoying my newly found leg rest position. You can see Mary holding the camera over my head in the reflection of the gas cap lid.
Postcard memories almost everywhere we look.
We followed this river....
...Thru Lolo National Forest, for quite a while the river was on the right and mountains on the left...
...then it switched up.
More in next post.
Day 28 continued-
Fun winding road, TG is running great, weather is great, and views are amazing. *Much to be thankful for!
The road is a bit narrower here, but still luxuriously wider than the gravel road 3 days ago. lol
More amazing views!
The road straightens out for the day...we are getting close.
Last little hill to climb before dropping into the basin where Missoula is located.
Almost this entire tank of gas I've been riding at 70-80 mph, with a fair amount of hard accelerating thru the curves. Still getting better than 36 mpg, but at 194 miles since the last fill-up, not much gas left...
...At 203 miles we're still running fine, and theoretically I could go another 15 miles or so...but that won't get us to where we're going, so I pull over at a wide spot in the road and dump the 2 gallons from the can on the rack into the tank.
Mary calls Craig and makes arrangements to meet at Red Robin for dinner in 20 minutes.
In Missoula....
...taking the off-ramp to the restaurant. Looked like rain, but passed by without dropping any on us or the bike while we were eating.
In the restaurant, Lydia wearing grandma Mary's riding jacket.
Fantastic day!
Will be continuing south in a few days!
Kevin
Small update in Missoula-
Making memories in Missoula with our son Craig and granddaughter Lydia.
Grandma, grandpa and Lydia playing some game...dunno what it was, I could not see. lol
Lydia wearing grandma's favorite hoodie
This was Lydia (and Craig) on our 2013 Alaska trip...
Bit more comfortable on it now....
Gassing it, ready to roll. lol
Grandma and Lydia ready for a little ride around the parking lot.
We'll be saying our goodbyes soon, and then heading out to Utah.
Kevin
Had not checked this thread in a couple of weeks, so it took an hour and a half to catch up... and worth every minute! Kevin and Mary, thank you for the great pics and narrative of your trip. It is a great incentive to those of us who have never set out on a trip like this, and a chance for those who for whatever reason can't make a trip of this magnitude feel like they are actually there riding with you!
Had not checked this thread in a couple of weeks, so it took an hour and a half to catch up... and worth every minute! Kevin and Mary, thank you for the great pics and narrative of your trip. It is a great incentive to those of us who have never set out on a trip like this, and a chance for those who for whatever reason can't make a trip of this magnitude feel like they are actually there riding with you!
Very cool that you are enjoying it! More to come!
Kevin
Day 29-
Besides playing with Lydia, visiting with Craig, and spending a lot of time on the phone with the shop, I got the following done:
Changed oil and cleaned oil filter
Sprayed some of the road grime off
Checked all fasteners
Found a broken heat shield clamp and replaced it
Rode solo (in shorts, t-shirt & flip flops) up into the mountains a bit. Perfect weather, in the high 70's. Nothing like riding that way!
Packing up -
It was bittersweet saying our goodbyes this morning. Finally left out around 11am.
15 minutes out of Missoula and we are in some really nice countryside.
We have traveled east many times out of Missoula, normally we continue east at this point, but today we are cutting down south.
Today was a great day for cloud pics, and Mary took a bunch...
...too bad there is so much traffic.
Seriously, Montana never fails to give us great roads and great sights!
Before we knew it we had to stop for gas in Melrose. They had one gas station, but I have been running 80-90 mph for the last 160 miles, so 87 octane it was. They had no octane booster...good thing the ECM has auto-knock retard, it did its job today.
Back on the road, and enjoying it!
Great pic Mary got of the clouds, mountains, hills and stream, all at 70 mph. Don't know how she does it. Most of my pics are blurry, even when standing still. lol
More in next post.
Day 29 continued.
Every now and then there are some curves....
...but mostly it is straight road ahead....
...and behind us.
Entering Idaho, just a beautiful as Montana!
While in Montana I was running 80-90 mph (speed limit is 80). In Idaho I am a bit less aware of how lenient LEO's are, so am running 80-85 mph (speed limit is 80). This car passed us at a pretty good clip, going at least 100 mph.
A bit down the road, this is what we see. ooops!
Shadow pic-
Mary in the mirror!
Crossing into Utah...you can see the haze ahead...smog is my guess...
The day started out quite pleasant- in the mid 70's and no traffic, great views. It is now in the mid 90's, I think our run of mostly nice weather is over...gonna be pretty hot the rest of the way.
We decided to stop in Midvale, just a ways from Park City.
Today was one of our higher mileage days at 562 miles. It was definitely our fastest. We covered those miles in 7.5 hours, we were going faster than I realized. Averaged 75 mph, and that includes the gas stops, and eating lunch at one of them.
Next stop-Colorado!
Kevin
The smog you saw might of been smoke from the Cali fires ... we/ve had it here a lot.
Day 30-
And what a day it was!
We stayed in a Super 8, Mary's preferred chain, & leaving out of Midvale the temp was pleasant, in the 80's.
There was traffic, a lot for what we are used to...
...but thru most of the congestion on the freeway we were able to travel in the HOV lane.
We finally got back out onto the open road...
...and there was some really nice sweepers and sights.
For awhile we traveled behind this couple on a Softail...
...but it was not long before we tired of them slowing in even the most gentle sweepers, we blasted past them with a friendly wave, then had the road pretty much to ourselves for quite a few miles.
Price Canyon is a fun ride...
...and quite spectacular, looking back...
...or ahead!
More in next post.
Day 30 continued-
When we first left Midvale it was nice, in the 80's. We both switched out our leather jackets for our mesh jackets while we were in Missoula. Mary also has mesh pants.
By the time we hit this gas station it was around 100*.
We got gas, and a lot of water.
I also ate a bit and took care of some business, on the phone, with the shop.
We weren't in any big hurry to get back out in the sun, but after about 30 minutes we were on our way.
As we headed southeast on the 6/191...
...we got teased a few times by seeing rain in the distance....
...but not a drop fell on us.
It is a funny thing about heat- yeah, I know a lot of folks live & ride in this all the time, but it is new to us.
The funny think we noticed is that going from 90* - 98*, there does not seem to be that much difference. It is warm, but not terribly uncomfortable. With the mesh jackets, and Mary's mesh pants, she just keeps them wet and, for me it's not bad at all, for Mary, she does not like it so much, but she manages it by keeping her mesh wet and using her water spray bottle.
But, BUT, going from 98* - 106*, this is a HUGE change, a whole other world! It did not bother me terribly, but I could definitely feel the 8* increase from 98 to 106 was drastically different than the 8* increase from 90 to 98.
Mary, did NOT LIKE IT AT ALL!
Even the camera took some weird pics, and it was mile....
...after mile with no shade, no cloud cover.
Mary asked me to pull over, she was feeling sick...there was nowhere, I had been looking for an off-ramp, or some shade, then a minute or so later...an off-ramp!
It didn't go to anywhere close by, but we were able to park under the overpass to get some shade.
We stayed under here for around 30 minutes, just wetting down, drinking and when Mary felt better, we got back on the road.
It wasn't another 30 miles and we are in Colorado!
And another 25 miles and we see the Colorado river....it is now down to about 102* and we have some cloud cover.
Rolling into Grand Junction! It is still over 100*, but with the cloud cover, and the Super 8 nearby, I am feeling quite a bit better about being able to get Mary out of the heat!
Tomorrow we Ride with Fuzzy, aka FuzzyWuzHe, to see the sights GJ has to offer.
Kevin
as i was told when we went out there 3 years ago. get out early and try and be at your next stop by 1pm at the latest.
Stallion #406 // 2013 Tri-Glide
Good advice .... or stay in the high country ... we are in the 100's pretty much every day from mid June to Early August ... but it's a dry heat ...... we are technically classified as "High Desert" ... 5200 feet and humidity in the teens most of the time ... the good news ... soaking your clothes will cool you down and it won't take long to dry. Save lots of the water for yourself to drink ...
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