A day of departures…
Life is funny. Sometimes, the smallest things change the outcome of life. As you might recall from yesterday, Ed missed a turn and Carey gave chase. Well, during this high-speed pursuit, the bolt holding the front shifter peg on Carey’s bike apparently vibrated loose, and the peg was lost. As luck would have it though, we were already planning on going to/through Missoula, and there happens to be a Harley-Davidson store in Missoula. Missoula was also where we were to part ways with Raymond and he was to travel the remaining 300 miles to Moses Lake solo. The trail bosses, Mark and Tom, normally ride first and second and alternate occasionally; however, they couldn’t bring themselves to lead our way to a Harley-Davidson store on their fancy, foreign-made bikes, so Carey took point. The trip was to be about 125 miles, so a stop was made after about 65 miles to take a break, where Ed could get some hot coffee and thaw out as it was another very cool morning. (We had been normally riding at least 75 miles before taking a break, so this stop was a little unusual, but as noted, Carey was leading this leg and unusual is one of his things.) We stopped at a Conoco store in the town of Drummond. At that store, another biker had stopped and we all talked for a bit. Next thing you know, Raymond is telling the rest of us that he’s heading off with his new “friend” Chuck. (Chuck’s last name is being withheld to avoid potential embarrassment to his family and friends.) We don’t know whether it was Chuck’s road-weary brown eyes, his rugged exterior, his significant beard, the fact he also rode a Yamaha, or simply that he was headed in the same direction, but Raymond dropped us like a hot potato. He dumped us harder and faster than some of our early-in-life girlfriends. Good for him. You go, Raymond!
The rest of us traveled on to the Harley dealership and while there, Mark and Tom struck up a conversation with a couple who had just the day before ridden the route (coming south instead of north though) that we were planning to take. Per these folks, there was a lot of construction on Highway 93 and a road referred to as the “Going to the Sun” highway. They described parts of the road(s) as a spongy, dirt and gravel mess. After some consultation, we decided to abandon that route and take another. We backtracked a few miles on I-90, turned and headed east for about 20 miles, and then turned onto Highway 83 and resumed our northwesterly travel. Highway 83 turned out to be an excellent road, with great scenery and more importantly, no construction. The views of Salmon Lake and Swan Lake were especially nice.
So, to tie it all up, if not for Ed missing the turn, life (well, at least life today) would have been in much worse shape. Raymond would have had to travel the last leg of his journey alone and we would have been on a couple of nasty highways and missed the great scenery we saw along Highway 83.
Here’s another example how life just works out for the best. It’s not as good as the last example and resorts to talking about farts, but it’s a story that must be told to avoid possible misinterpretation of how things in life (well, our lives) are. Knowing some (or all) of our group, you probably think that the conversations we are having while on this trip, whether while eating a meal or taking a break from riding to get gas or just visit, are all high-brow, intellectual discussions regarding topics like the geopolitical situations around the globe, the socio-economic changes coming to our own country due to the current political power structure in Washington, and the meaning of life (who am I, and why am I here sort of stuff). Well, it’s not like that all the time. Take yesterday for example. We were in Yellowstone, it was cold, and we were taking a break for lunch. As it turns out, and it must have been the cold temperatures, that three of the five of us had a bowl of chili. It was pretty good chili, but… Judging by comments made later in the day, members of our party were experiencing gaseous conditions, and it wasn’t from the sulfur coming out of the geysers. And you ask, how does this story exemplify how life works out for the best. Well, we could have all been stuck in a car together making this trip and not all on motorcycles.
Just for the fun of it, we’re setting up an email account where you can reach us. You can comment on the website, just say hello, or tell us what you’d like to see or hear less or more of. (As an example: “Please, no more fart stories!” Or, Carey, come get your dog. He is driving me crazy following me around constantly.) The address is north2alaskatrip@gmail.com.
All kidding aside about Raymond, it was a pleasure to ride with you. We’re glad you joined us for the first leg of our adventure, we hope you enjoy your visit with your brother, and most importantly, hope you have a safe journey back home.
Oh yea. We also made it to Canada today. We’ve stopped in a city called Cranbrook, and they talk a little funny here. About 430 miles today, and they were all good, dry miles.