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2011 Summer Wander

Voni

sMiling
Staff member
In 2005 we planned to spend a night in Baker, Montana. We didn't. It was the location of the start of our 49 State ride to Hyder, Alaska. A problem with Voni's bike back then delayed our arrival at Baker by one day. Since weather was threatening from the west and our route was east, we didn't delay our start and spent just two hours in Baker.



We spent last night in Baker, Montana. We are going to spend tonight in Baker, Montana too. We left Melanie's house in Ankeny, Iowa after watching it rain and thunderstorm there several days in a row. Since Ankeny we have not encountered any rain. That appears to be because it has been too windy to rain. First it was so windy in Iowa that we almost turned around and went back. But we turned north instead of west instead. This gave us a tail wind. Voni's motorcycle computer said she was getting 109 miles per gallon for a while. We BOTH wound up about 80 mpg for that tank. We stopped when it was time to turn west again and the south winds hadn't dropped. Crosswinds of 35 or 40, gusting to 55 is not particularly fun on a light-weight motorcycle.



So far we have gone north when I planned to go west, and west when I planned to go north, and for a while south when I was trying to go west due to dire warnings about "avoid this road" and "seek alternate route" on large flashing DOT message signs. The last two times we ignored such warnings we regretted it so didn't ignore the signs this time.



So we are in Baker, Montana.



And the forecast for tomorrow is clear, sunny, warm, and winds about 10 mpg compared to today which is cool and winds 30 to 40, gusting maybe to 50 in eastern Montana. So we are staying in Baker, Montana tonight too. Besides, U.S. 12 which we had planned to take west from Forsyth is under water from flooding at two locations. Montana DOT says the road is open but has water flowing over the road. It might be open for trucks and cars but we are not sure about the wisdom of calling it open for motorcycles. But that is tomorrow. Today we explore the sights and sounds of metropolitan Baker, Montana.



Since leaving home on May 9 we have spent some time at Mike's in Lawrence and at Melanie's in Ankeny. We attended track and field day at Noah's and Brody's school, and picked them up with the motorcycles their last day of school. We rode half-way to Gina's BMW in Iowa City for their open house but bailed on the trip when Voni's electric jacket stopped heating in the 40 degree rain. But we did go to Gina's mid-week to say hello and buy some stuff. Then we headed south to Kansas City for the Engle Motors spring open house where Paul received his 700,000 mile award from BMW. Some workshop time at Mike's in Lawrence solved a minor oil seepage/gasket problem on Voni's bike and we are spending two nights in Baker, Montana.



We're headed to Canada and maybe Hyder, Alaska. Then, Seattle, suburban Los Angeles, Bloomsburg Pennsylvania, British Columbia again, and New Mexico form the backbone of the plan. There are a few firm dates on the schedule but most of the plan is loose. Which is why we are not in Wyoming and are spending two nights in Baker, Montana.



Because we can.



Pictures here:

http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/nn335/Glaves/2011 Project/2011 Summer 1 - Tx to MT/?start=all



Slideshow:

http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/...2011 Summer 1 - Tx to MT/?albumview=slideshow



45 years ago, we promised each other to love honor and cherish.

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Congratulations on your anniversary! Paul was obviously a cradle robber. What better way can there be to spend an anniversary than in Baker, MT. (Your enthusiasm for your time in Baker just jumped off the screen.)

Ride safe, stay warm and dry.
 
LOL!

Update 2 MT to BC

When last we greeted you we were wind blown and holed up in Baker, Montana. We promised to explore Baker, and explore Baker we did. There is a great classic car store - real cars, real classics, for sale. And the County Museum is among the best small museums we have ever seen. The lady at the museum showed us around all six buildings, and said she stay for two hours past closing if we wanted her to. But we were already in building six and that wasn't necessary. We saw Steer Montana, the world's largest cow (stuffed of course) and also saw his actual skeleton set up as a separate display. Cars, trucks, threshing machines, and a lot more too.

Finally, we left Baker and headed north and west. We stopped at Havre, MT overnight and headed on west. About midway between Browning and East Glacier Paul's F650 spit the drive chain onto the roadway. But thanks to Voni's suggestion two days earlier in Custer, SD, Paul had the spare chain he bought in Custer. Premonition wethinks! And thanks to good luck, the bike spit the chain right where the road had widened to four lanes and had a wide shoulder. While working beside the road one Honda rider stopped, one rancher stopped, on State Trooper stopped, all to see if we needed help. The three pairs of riders on American built V Twins all bleated on past however, without so much as a sideways glance.

We had two great clear, sunny, windless days riding to Libby, MT and then Oroville, WA poised to head into Canada the next morning. But we discovered a puncture in the rear tire on Voni's bike. This started our three-day tire story. Paul plugged the tire but since it already had 9,000 miles on it decided it needed to be replaced. We back tracked to Omak and Okanagon, WA where we visited all three motorcycle shops to find a tire which fit the bike. We met the local police too, at one of the shops because the officer wondered if we needed help. All great helpful folks. Success! We turned back north and into Canada at Osoyoos, BC. Two motorcyclists we met at the visitor center said it had been cloudy and looked stormy but it had been dry as they rode south. That lasted until we turned west and headed toward Merritt in 97C through the high country, where we encountered the rain, 39 degree temperatures, and some snow and slush beside the road. We spent a night in Merritt, BC and last night camping just south of Prince George. After we set up the tent and unloaded the bikes we rode into town for dinner. And Voni discovered that the new tire thumped a little at highway speed with the bike unloaded. We deduced that it was poorly balanced. After visiting two motorcycle shops and an alignment shop in Prince George we managed to deal with the balance issue. All is now good.

It sprinkled on and off most of the day today, and actually rained as we were passing through Smithers. But Paul's chain and Voni's tire performed flawlessly and we have bailed into a nice warm motel room in New Hazelton, 160 miles from Hyder, Alaska. Once we get to Hyder Paul plans to use the electric drill he bought to fix the break in his luggage rack he discovered a few days ago. It has a temporary fix with a little steel bar and small C clamp.

Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here!

More after we know more.

Pictures here:
http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/... Tx to MT/2011 Summer 2 - MT to BC/?start=all



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Why we Ride!

Voni and
Paul
 
Great pictures as always, hope to meet you guys in Bloomsburg, Ill be on a Captian America Dakar with Mr. Ayres signature on the front beak

Be safe :thumb
 


Greetings from Hyder, Alaska and Beyond

We left you at New Hazelton, BC, headed north to Hyder, Alaska. The ride from New Hazelton to Hyder was beautiful. Cool, but not cold, and we encountered no rain. We did a ceremonial stop about 10 miles south of Mezedian Lake where Voni hit her 900,000 th mile in 2008. She is now has just over 11,000 miles to reach a million. Arriving at Hyder our first stop was to see Caroline at the Boundary Gallery in its new location. She is no longer a tenant and has bought a building just up the street on the other side, near the corner by the Sealaska Inn. Paul bought some of her fresh rocky road fudge, a couple of Hyerseek stickers for the bikes, two post cards for our grandboys, and RED jewelry for Voni. The building was originally a house and the ground floor front has been totally redone for the shop while the upstairs will be Caroline's new home.

Our second stop was to check in with great friend Dee at the Grandview Inn where we usually stay when we go to Hyder. We checked in to spend a couple of days. Our third stop was a walk to the Sealaska to see who had arrived by motorcycle or otherwise. We ran into Alice and Denny who were with us for our two month tour in Southern Africa in 2005.

We did what we usually do in Hyder: stroll on the pier, visit with Gary at the Sealaska, eat fresh gourmet seafood at the bus, and just hang around with riders, some of whom had just finished riding in all 49 continental states in 10 or fewer days. These folks know how to have fun for sure. Voni has been carrying some of Eddie James cremains to leave at the spot where she reaches her one-million miles and other places. She left a bit of Eddie on the pier at Hyder. Gorgeous place.

After a couple of days we left Hyder and stopped to camp at Vanderhoof. This community has a great park with a very nice campground. Free wi-fi too. Voni can find wi-fi almost anywhere. Today it was dry part way to Prince George but then began to sprinkle, or drizzle, or rain, for most of the 200 or so miles to Williams Lake. Then it dried up and the ride south to Cache Creek was again delightful, if somewhat breezy.

Our bear sighting count so far is five. The moose count is one, or maybe half since it was so young. We got some pictures of bears. We didn't stop to photograph the moose because it was unclear where its mama was and we don't mess with baby moose when mama could be around. That is probably a good general rule for all species, but especially those that are way bigger than you are.

Since leaving New Hazelton nothing has broken. Paul did take the opportunity to drill a few holes and reinforce the broken luggage rack mount on his bike a bit more permanently than the steel bar and C clamp he used as a temporary measure. He has another steel bar for the other side which is doomed to failure sometime. The way they built it is ridiculous.

Tomorrow we will head down 99 through Whistler to Vancouver and then will wander around or settle in somewhere not too far from Seattle. We will be there Sunday and then Monday morning for the start of the 2011 Iron Butt Rally.

The pictures will convince you that you too need to go to Hyder!
http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/...to MT/2011 Summer 3 - Hyder Alaska/?start=all

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Paul and Voni

 
Good times for sure; thanks for bringing us along. And thanks for introducing us, in a way, to Caroline and Dee. We enjoyed meeting them both.
 
great segment, hope it is a lot cooler there than it is here over in Wichita Falls they just said was 107?? :lurk
 
Cool here! Not missing the heat at all!

...
Update 4 Hyder, AK to Seattle, WA

Today Seattle lived up to its reputation. Soggy and a bit congested. We left Hyder, Alaska and headed generally south and east and south and west to Seatac, Washington (by the airport of the same designation) for the start of the 2011 Iron Butt Rally. We have now ridden 7,427 miles since leaving home on May 9. We have avoided the Interstates almost entirely. Our trip from Hyder was leisurely. We stopped in Vanderhoof, Cache Creek, and Hope, British Columbia before arriving at Burlington, Washington where we camped for two nights. We visited the waterfront in Bellingham and then rode up to Mount Baker. The next two days we spent riding out US 20 through the northern Cascades, down US 197, and back to the Seattle metro area via US 2.

Most of the trip was dry and not cold, if not exactly hot. There is plenty of snow at Mt. Baker and at Washington Pass on US 20, the Cascades highway. Today we rode from Chelen, WA to Seatac almost the entire way in unrelenting soggy rain. But the crowd of veteran riders and soon to be Iron Butt Rally riders at the hotel tonight almost made the rain riding worthwhile. The room was filled with an interesting mix of feigned nonchalance and pre-rally jitters. We know because we've done/had both.

We will be in the Seattle, Olympia area for 3 more days and will then head south through Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and California to Ontario, California for the finish of the rally when the riders return from their 11 day ride throughout the US including mandatory stops in Maine and Florida. We on the other hand are going straight to California after visiting Voni's Aunt Gen in Lacey for a couple of days. By the time we leave Lacey, 80 miles from here some of the riders will be approaching Maine. Not us. Not this year at least.

We have had no mechanical issues of any note. We did stop at Skagit Motorsports in Burlington, WA where we bought a new rear tire for Paul's bike. He is hauling it around but will install it one day soon. We also stopped at the the Walmart store in Chelan and changed oil in both bikes. We bought the oil, they loaned us a drain pan, and when we were done they took the old oil and empty bottles and disposed of them for us.

Our wildlife count was increased by four deer on two occasions. We no longer remember the totals.

After making a couple of U turns trying to find a poorly signed minor highway approaching Seattle, we stopped at a McDonalds to regroup, dry off a bit, and get a bite to eat. We left a significant trail of puddles on the floor which prompted the manager to run right out with a "Caution Wet Floor" sign. Most motorists just don't know how to have fun like this!

We will report again after the rally riders depart and we settle in Lacey for a couple of days.

Until later.

More pictures here:

http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/...T/2011 Summer 4 - Hyder to Seattle/?start=all




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Thanks, Karen. i have to laugh when I realize that i haven't gained weight. I just have four jackets and four layers of pants on to stay warm!!

Voni
sMiling
 


Update 5 Lacey, WA



It is 70 plus degrees and sunny in Lacey, Washington. Mount Rainier has even come out to play. Yesterday we rode a grueling 93 miles in an arc east of Seatac down to Lacey - 40 or so miles away as the crow flies - to escape the rigors of I-5 traffic. We are spending Monday and Tuesday nights with Voni's Aunt Genevieve here in Lacey before we begin our travels south to greater metropolitan Los Angeles. Our route will swing us east through Nevada and into Ontario California mostly by U.S. 395 once we traverse Oregon.

By the time we reach Oregon sometime tomorrow or the next day our comrades riding in the Iron Butt Rally will for the most part be well east of the Dakotas headed to the vicinity of Buffalo, New York for their first checkpoint, having passed through at least 12 states. We'll be in state two, with pictures of Olympia, our first capitol, headed to California the short way.

The gathering of friends at the rally start was fun. Some of these folks we only see every two years if then. At the finish Paul will be sequestered in a little room with a computer doing electronic paperwork to score riders for the final leg of the rally. Voni will be in the driveway doing far more important work, welcoming the riders back and providing each of them her famous trademarked hug. And, of course she will run the battery in her camera completely down taking pictures and need to come borrow Paul's, who will by then have forgotten to give it to her in advance. We know this because it has happened twice before.

We plan a leisurely ride down through the mountains and woods in Oregon, only picking up the pace once we hit the hot flat part of the ride through Nevada and southwest California.

We'll report more of our 'doing's' as they happen and we remember them. Paul still hasn't changed his rear tire, the tread of which has lasted longer than expected. Besides, he likes all the adoring glances from the bystanders who see the Beverly Hillbillies load on his bike and ask about the trip. When we say "Alaska" they almost always ask, "On a motorcycle?" to which we answer yes.

Voni


and her mechanic and writer Paul
 
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Yep the folks are on their way all over. :bow

when y'all head back here you will wish you could bottle that cool air up and bring it with you :D
 


Update 6 Lacey, WA to Redmond, OR

Sometimes plain blind dumb luck is priceless. Hold that thought, more on that later. We departed Lacey, Washington headed generally and indirectly to Ontario, California, just east of Los Angeles. Our day was a short one. We rode out to Randle, Washington and south on Forest Service Road 25 toward the east side of Mount St. Helens. We stopped for the night at one of our favorite campgrounds - Iron Creek Campground in the National Forest. Voni calls it like sleeping in a cathedral amidst the old growth forest with 500 and 600 year old trees. Paul mounted the new tire he had been hauling around and finally installed a rivet style master link on his chain.

The next morning we rode south on FR 25 even though the signs said the road was blocked by snow. We were just joyriding. After crossing a temporary wood deck bridge over a creek with a large log slide/jam we stopped and took some pictures. And it drizzled. Like a cloud on the ground. Then we headed back north to US12, east to Yakima and south to Hermiston, Oregon.

Here is where the story about blind dumb luck comes into play. Our original route had us heading south to The Dalles, Oregon. But there were high wind warnings for the Columbia Gorge - 40, gusting to 55 - and there is no way we wanted to ride across a gorge bridge in winds like that. So Paul planned to stop short of the gorge at Goldendale, WA. Voni suggested we go further east. So we headed east to cross into Oregon at Umatilla. We filled with gas and headed the few miles south to Hermiston, OR.

Now back to that luck story. Back, at the Canadian border leaving Hyder, after talking to the border guard Voni punched her starter button and it just groaned. She punched it a second time, after the border guard said, "Oh no, not here" and it started right up. It did it again a couple of times over the next day or two which Paul diagnosed as a dirty starter button. He cleaned the switch. It did it a couple of times after that so he removed more parts and cleaned the switch better.

So we stop at the motel in Hermiston. Voni goes in and gets us a room. She rides over and parks at the room. A bit later Paul goes to start her bike and click-click-click. Starter relay chatter. He checks with a voltmeter. The battery seems OK. He does some other checking while Voni is troubleshooting on the Internet. Some wisdom indicates it is a bad starter. Paul removes the starter and finds no sign of starter problems. After considerable messing around the battery is now low for sure. He mentions he needs to get a battery charger and Voni advises there is a Walmart a mile back on the right. Paul bought a charger and we charged the battery all night. While there he finds that from the four battery types used in BMW motorcycles Walmart stocks only one, the one for Voni's bike. None of the others. When the fully charged battery seemed flaky in the morning Paul goes back and buys a new battery. After following the directions and charging the new battery for two hours everything is fine.

It could have died at Hyder. It could have died in the middle of the National Forest in the middle of nowhere south of Randle. Or any of the other out-of-the-way places along the road south through Canada. But no, it craps out in front of a motel room one mile from a store with a charger and a battery. Blind dumb luck but mighty fine nonetheless.

Voni attributes it to her bikes having good manners. They never break unless Paul is along. And they break where resources are readily available. MAGIC figures in there too in her reasoning. That and blind, dumb luck.

Today we rode south on Oregon 207 and east on U.S. 26. Not a straight road anywhere. The white fluffy clouds occasionally tempered the clear blue sky. Voni was looking at campgrounds listed on her GPS when Paul advised her it was supposed to get down to 35 degrees or so tonight. So out came the motel discount coupon book and here we are, warm, and indoors, in Redmond, Oregon.

We have 6 days to go the remaining 850 miles to Ontario, CA. We think we can do that. More as it happens.

Pictures here:
http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/...11 Summer 5 Lacey WA to Redmond OR/?start=all

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Voni and Paul
 
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Especially gorgeous GREEN to us desert dwellers!

Greetings from Redmond, OR to Victorville, CA

We are now in Victorville, California roughing it at the Red Roof Inn. We are thus carefully poised for the final 46 mile assault into greater metropolitan Los Angeles. In fact we only need to get as close to Los Angeles as Ontario, which is thankfully near the eastern edge of the metro area. Which is why we took the inland route to sneak in to Ontario from the east. That carefully choreographed event will happen on Thursday. Today is Wednesday, a long planned, but somewhat delayed rest day.

After we left Redmond, Oregon with Voni's new battery still doing what good batteries are trained to do we stopped at Lakeview, Oregon. When we both rebelled at the notion of paying an exorbitant price for a room in a crummy old motel in Lakeview we detoured ten miles west to the Junipers RV Resort and Campground, just a mile off the highway on a good dirt road. It was delightful although it could have been a bit chilly when it got down to 40 degrees F overnight. But we were warm in the tent and the morning Sun warmed things quickly. It was a sufficiently nice place that we planned to spend a second day in the same spot until Paul carefully looked at the weather forecast. An upper level low and cold front descending on the California coast led to a forecast of very high winds along our planned route down U.S. 395 for Tuesday. So we decided to ride Sunday and Monday and sit out Tuesday. We next stopped in Fernley, Nevada. Then, as it happened, the cold front was late, making Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday the windy periods so we rode from Bishop down to Victorville. Arriving at the hotel at 11:00 a.m., we sat in the lobby reading the free newspaper and drinking the free coffee until our room was ready.

Paul has always thought California to be a bit strange. So far this trip has both reinforced and shattered some of his preconceived but deeply held biases. Soon after we reached the California state line Paul thought we had taken a wrong turn to Mexico, as we came upon the border guards at the official "Inspection Station". The big metal roof, kiosks, and orange cones in the road looked just like the ones we see at or near the Mexican border back home in the Big Bend. Just exactly what the inspections were for we are not sure - probably fruits and vegetables, or nuts - because they just waved us through without requiring that we stop. Whatever they are checking for must be too big to smuggle on a motorcycle.

Anybody who thinks that the Big Bend area where we live is remote and desolate hasn't driven down U.S. 395 in eastern California. Some of the ramshackle settlements along this stretch of road make the Terlingua Ghost Town look both modern and urban. The tourist towns with the word Pine in the name are all pleasant looking small towns though. After we descended the long hill down into Bishop we sought refuge from the heat and to use the Internet at 1:00 p.m. at a McDonalds. When Paul saw the line for the drive-through wrapped around the building and backed up into the street he knew he had finally found the congestion he expected all along. The fruit and yogurt parfaits really hit the spot. "When in Rome ..." you know.

Right now the winds are gusting up into the upper 40s. They are supposed to die down sometime in the next 36 hours. Once they do Paul can safely put his bike on the centerstand and check the adjustment of the chain. Until then we will just have to hunker down here, watching TV and using the Internet to check on our friends riding in the Iron Butt Rally. It's a tough life but somebody has to do it.

More when it happens!

Pictures here:
http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/...mer 6 Redmond OR to Victorville CA/?start=all

Voni and Paul

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