Pic Heavy Ride Report - MS to Bella Coola & Back 11,000 Miles Heat, Hail & Bears

[consitter]

Kevin and Mary,

As always the pics and stories are much appreciated. These are sights I most likely will never see with my own eyes for various reasons.

Every night I eagerly await you next posting. I'm most likely one of the few that see them fresh after you have put them on the site, because of my work schedule and access to computer while there.

 

[DK Custom Products]

I am a newer member on the board and have not posted on this thread. I must say this has been one of the most entertaining threads I have ever followed. The work you went through with your commentary and the beautiful pictures have been a highlight for me these last 15 days or so since finding it.



I just wanted you to know there is at least one Minnesotan that applauds your efforts.



Thank You Both!



WS

If you really want some entertaining reading ... search for Kevin's 2013 Alaska trip ... about 6-7 hours worth ... but really worth it.

Agree with previous post concerning Alaska trip. Very good read. Makes you feel like you are along for the ride.

Also enjoying this adventure....

Kevin and Mary,

As always the pics and stories are much appreciated. These are sights I most likely will never see with my own eyes for various reasons.

Every night I eagerly await you next posting. I'm most likely one of the few that see them fresh after you have put them on the site, because of my work schedule and access to computer while there.

Thank you, glad you are enjoying the ride!

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 17 continued.

I thought I would get thru all the pics for Day 17 today. But there was so much we saw, even with cutting out big chunks, it is still going to stretch out thru tomorrow before I am done.

(Trent really sent us on a good detour! )


The TG parked at the end of the road. What a view!

Mary in the parking lot at the end of the road...

...I was still eating lunch.

Looking down the road, back the way we came, and re-traced. You can see the dam in the distance.

We are headed back now. This is a pic taken while crossing over the top of the dam.

Pulled over for this pic...just amazing!

I love this snaking road, following the Snake River!

Another breath-taking view, looking back toward where we just had lunch.

Oh yeah, this road is a dream to ride!

I lost count of how many times we crossed back and forth between Idaho and Oregon. lol

Day 17 Continued in next post.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 17 continued.


As we were going about 40 mph in a straight, this deer crossed the road in front of us...no panic, it was far enough in front of us, I didn't even slow down. By the time Mary got the camera on it, it was up the hill beside us.

Back in Idaho again.

Our plan is to stop in New Meadows for the night, and the road and scenery is fantastic all the way there!

Double barrier for the falling rocks. The barriers are there to protect expensive equipment down below. There is nothing to protect the motorist on the road.

The views on this road, and the fun it is to ride...

...make it one of the most enjoyable days we have ever spent on the TG.

And it just keeps getting better & better. Even though we just traveled this road a few hours ago....

...riding it from the opposite direction, it is like an entirely different road.

The views are...

...incredible!

Tomorrow I will get the last of Day 17 posted up.


Kevin

 

[consitter]

Wow....just awesome.

 

[Trent]

The great riding opportunities here in Idaho are still a pretty well hidden secret. We have a lotta roads kinda comparable to that Dragon Tailed thingy that I have read about and seen photos of. The difference is that the Idaho versions are longer, very remote, and if you happen to unfortunately run off the road, you WILL most likely die. :AGGHH: Sensible riding practices are required. There is a Hells Canyon Motorcycle Festival in June with a few thousand participants and a lotta drunken party time. There are many crashes and 1 or 2 deaths every year. Never been,,, and no thanx,,, never will.

The roads end where K & M stopped is where you can catch Jet Boat rides that take you way down into that River Of No Return {if you are in a canoe} and back out. Reservations required and it is an amazing experience. Starting with this section the river then drops, and I do mean drops, into the Columbia River which flows along the Oregon and Washington borders to the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Ocean Salmon spawn up the Columbia, the Snake, the Salmon River, and various tributaries all the way up to Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains above Lowman where K & M's Idaho ride started. They have to get through 11 or 12 dams, hundreds of Sea Lions, and hundreds of fishing nets and thousands of fisherman.

Amazingly a couple of thousand make it back to that very high up Idaho mountain lake, via a large hatchery close by also. 25 years ago only 1 lone Male made it. They named him Lonesome Larry, took his manly seed, fertilized a few million hatchery produced eggs with it, and sent the babies back down river. It is his studly DNA that help his spawn somehow make it back every year.

If any of you make it thru Idaho on your trips, let me know. If I can swing it, will be happy to ride with you on some interesting 1 day rides within an hour or two of the Boise area that you will not regret.

 

[DK Custom Products]

The great riding opportunities here in Idaho are still a pretty well hidden secret. We have a lotta roads kinda comparable to that Dragon Tailed thingy that I have read about and seen photos of. The difference is that the Idaho versions are longer, very remote, and if you happen to unfortunately run off the road, you WILL most likely die. :AGGHH: Sensible riding practices are required. There is a Hells Canyon Motorcycle Festival in June with a few thousand participants and a lotta drunken party time. There are many crashes and 1 or 2 deaths every year. Never been,,, and no thanx,,, never will.

The roads end where K & M stopped is where you can catch Jet Boat rides that take you way down into that River Of No Return {if you are in a canoe} and back out. Reservations required and it is an amazing experience. Starting with this section the river then drops, and I do mean drops, into the Columbia River which flows along the Oregon and Washington borders to the Pacific Ocean. Pacific Ocean Salmon spawn up the Columbia, the Snake, the Salmon River, and various tributaries all the way up to Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains above Lowman where K & M's Idaho ride started. They have to get through 11 or 12 dams, hundreds of Sea Lions, and hundreds of fishing nets and thousands of fisherman.

Amazingly a couple of thousand make it back to that very high up Idaho mountain lake, via a large hatchery close by also. 25 years ago only 1 lone Male made it. They named him Lonesome Larry, took his manly seed, fertilized a few million hatchery produced eggs with it, and sent the babies back down river. It is his studly DNA that help his spawn somehow make it back every year.

If any of you make it thru Idaho on your trips, let me know. If I can swing it, will be happy to ride with you on some interesting 1 day rides within an hour or two of the Boise area that you will not regret.

We sure hope to be back next year, or year after!

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 17 continued.


A different perspective, and....

...around every curve are more curves!

Someone asked...I think it was Fuzzy... does the fringe on the leather grip covers reach far enough back to hit the passenger.

Nope, but sometimes they get a little wild in the air. lol

We are now past Cambridge, headed toward Council. Looks like some rain ahead...

...Mary is in cloud heaven.

Mary in the mirror, taking a pic of the Chevy!

The Chevy only temporarily distracted Mary....

...from the amazing cloud formations.

Day 17 Continued & concluded in next post.

 

[DK Custom Products]

The conclusion of Day 17.


Mary took just under 500 pics today...more than her average. And more than the average % of them turned out great. I have picked out just a fraction of them.


Rolling through Council, ID...

...as we pass the town square, there are some OLD Tractors. We rode a circle around so Mary could get pics of them.

Next stop, and where we're spending the night. New Meadows, ID. Looks like we might get wet.

Back into the woods, hills and curves...

Between all the amazing roads, scenery, and cloud formations, this has been a jam-packed day...

...even though it's only been a bit over 300 miles, we are on a bit of sensory overload after 8 hours. Then we see this right before New Meadows.

After the above pic, Marys' camera battery wore out. We were so close we did not stop to change it out.


We found the Roadhouse Java Motel. They had a room open, and gave us a $5 discount for being on a bike. $59.95 Old school motel, great Java.

In fact, it seemed like half the town stopped there for their caffeine. Owner confirmed that the made FAR more selling Java than off the motel rooms.

The end of Day 17!

Day 18, to Missoula is next.


Kevin

 

[Trent]

Looks like a great day...! We have seen Wolves twice in those meadows between Council and New Meadows. They are huge and black and startle you to see them trotting along and gazing at you. Too bad there were none around. Or maybe they were.... Ya never know. :AGGHH: Saw a Mountain Lion stalking some cows out there once also.

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Days like that make life worthwhile. Hope you have many more just like it.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Looks like a great day...! We have seen Wolves twice in those meadows between Council and New Meadows. They are huge and black and startle you to see them trotting along and gazing at you. Too bad there were none around. Or maybe they were.... Ya never know. :AGGHH: Saw a Mountain Lion stalking some cows out there once also.

:xzqxz: Next time we'll be on the lookout!

Days like that make life worthwhile. Hope you have many more just like it.

Oh yeah! ThumbUp


Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 18


Today was a short one, mileage wise. Around 250 miles, but the road rivaled yesterdays!

I am not going to get all of it in, in two posts, so it will be continued sometime in the next couple of days.


Getting ready to leave the Motel in New Meadows. The porch sure is comfortable.

We leave the sheepskin seat cover on the bike, and at night just put a plastic bag over it, in case it rains. That's what the monstrosity is in the middle of the seat in this pic.

On the road out of New Meadows...

...it is another great day for riding. Temps were a high of 85* today, clear skies, and we had a little bit of mountain road early on.

Soon we are running along the Salmon River. Lot's of folks out fishing!

Unique bridge crossing the Salmon River...we are in the high desert now....

...when we pass this fellow traveler. We have not been seeing many bikes the last few days.

Continuing to climb on a fun road, we are very fortunate....

...last time we were thru here, the temps were up near 100*. Much nicer today.

Dunno how Mary does it, pretty clear pic for 70 mph in a curve.

We're pretty much at the highest elevation for the day...great view, and great picture taking at 80 mph.

We're almost to the great riding roads for the day. After passing thru Grangeville we'll be getting on the 13....

The 13 is a great little road that we discovered a few years ago. It is curve after curve, up and down hills, with steep drop-offs to the valley below.

Continued in next post.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 18 continued.


I have been looking forward to the 13 since we left home. It does not disappoint. It is one S curve after another, with some tight twistys thrown in. Can't see it too well in this pic, but a 90 turn, well banked and downhill is coming up.

Here's a view from the side of the road (no guardrails) of the valley down below...with a river and a road.

The 13 in Idaho, between Grangeville & Kooskia, a blast to ride if you like the curves!

We're in the middle of a Double S, with Mary reaching out for a better view.

Toward the end of the 13 it gets more picturesque...

...and the road a bit more civilized as we approach Kooskia.

The end of the 13, as we get ready to turn toward Missoula MT. on the 12

The 12 is mostly flat, very scenic, and 99 miles of curve after curve. The first few miles are relatively mild curve-wise, and Mary get some great pics.

It is beautiful country!

Day 18 will be continued and concluded in a couple of days.

Kevin

 

[Trikindan]

Where is Kevin and Mary?

Where is Kevin and Mary???? I need my ride fix!!!!:Meds::Meds:

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

I think he said something about being gone the end of the month.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Where is Kevin and Mary???? I need my ride fix!!!!:Meds::Meds:

Sorry, been a bit short on time. Resuming tonight, and should be pretty regular going forward.

Kevin

 

[consitter]

Sorry, been a bit short on time. Resuming tonight, and should be pretty regular going forward.

Kevin

'Bout time...I was gonna ride to Mississippi to look at the pics personally. :wave4:

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 18 Continued-


Just getting started on the 12. Last time I rode this road I was a bit tired, and it was the first time in my life that I got tired of the curves before the curves ran out.

Today I was fresh and really enjoyed them the entire way.

Absolutely beautiful!

Not only is the scenery stunning, my guess is that out of the 99 miles, 25 of them might be straight, the rest are curves...

...the entire route follows right next to the river. Last time we were on this road we stopped for lunch along the river...

...did the same thing this time. Taking a pic of Mary...

...still up the hill next to the TG.

It was a great spot to have lunch!

Taking a pic of Mary...

...while she was taking one of me.

Another shot of the river we had lunch at, before leaving out.

Day 18 continued & concluded in next post.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Day 18 Continued-



Was a whole different way of traveling back then!

This is one of my favorite roads...not only is it headed toward our son and grand-daughter, not only is it amazingly scenic, it has hundreds and hundreds (a thousand?) of curves!

Headed up the hill to Lolo Pass....

....we've left the river behind, but there are still lots of curves!

btw, I am totally in my lane here...at least the TG is, but Mary is stretched way out, methinks into the other lane with the camera. lol

At the top we cross into Montana.

Going down from Lolo pass (on 2 wheels or 3) into Missoula is the only road I have ever traveled where the speed limit is faster in some places than I am comfortable traveling!

I know there are some places in Georgia where some corners are marked with a MPH sign that is pretty much at the max...but this road has a speed limit of 70 mph.

You've probably gathered by now, I like to accelerate hard thru the curves, and take them faster than most (and invariably that is faster than the posted limit)....but there are a good many curves on this road out of Lolo pass that I am not comfortable going even the 70 mph speed limit.

No mistaking, it is a fun road, but I ride within mine and the bikes limits!

Down in the basin now, getting close to Missoula, still snow on some mountains.

In Missoula now. Howard Johnson's is where we stay in Missoula. Lydia likes it there, the pool, and it's sorta become our spot.

She is out of town right now, so we won't be seeing her until we pass back thru in a couple of weeks...

...but we spend some time visiting with Craig, catching up, and doing some website brain-storming.

Day 18 of our travels concluded.

Day 19 coming soon!

Kevin