LazCrzDaz

I LEFT PAGE THIS MORNING AT 6 AM AND HAD A VERY PLEASANT AND COOL RIDE UNTIL ABOUT 40 MILES FROM HOME. THEN MY FIRST REAL EXPERIENCE OF PHOENIX SUMMER FOR THIS YEAR OCCURRED.

WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT. IT WAS PRETTY WARM BUT IT FELT GOOD TO BE HOME.

I HAVE HAD A WONDERFUL AND FUN TRIP AND IT IS NICE TO BE HOME, EVEN IF IT IS JUST TO BATHE AND PREPARE FOR ANOTHER .

THE SCORE

  1         AROUND 12,300 MILES OF TRAVEL. ABOUT 2000 OF THAT GRAVEL.

  2        NO FLATS NO FALLS

  3        1, 6 INCH EASTERN BROOK AND 1, 11 INCH ARCTIC GRAYLING

  4       12 BLACK BEARS INCLUDING 2 CUBS NOT BUT WEEKS OLD.

  5        6 ELK, ALL STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.

  6        10, CARIBOU, ALSO ON THE ROAD.

  7        1,  PRONGHORN [ ANTELOPE ]  IDAHO.

  8        TOO MANY MOUNTAIN SHEEP TO COUNT

  9         1, COYOTE

  10       TOO MANY BISON TO COUNT

  11        2 SETS OF TIRES

  12       4 OIL CHANGES

PLUSES

1. 1.LOTS OF SUNSHINE AND A BIT OF RAIN.

2. 2.JUST ENOUGH MUD

3. 3.DISCOVERING CANOL ROAD

4. 4.VISITING FRIENDS AND FAMILY

5. 5. MEETING GREAT PEOPLE ON THE ROAD

6. 6. MEETING THE CANADIAN RIDERS, THEY SURE DRINK LOTS.

BUMMERS

1    BILL BREAKING HIS RIBS.

2    HAVING TO CHANGE THOSE TIRES MYSELF.

3    NOT DISCONNECTING THAT SIDE STAND SWITCH.

4    SEEING THAT BATMAN MOVIE.

5    NOT GETTING BY TO SEE THE OATES.

6    NOT GETTING BY TO SEE TANYA AND FAMILY.

7    HAVING MY CHAIN BREAK ONLY 300 MILES FROM HOME.

8.   NOT CATCHING ANY FISH.

TROPIC TO PAGE IS ONLY ABOUT 100 MILES.

I WAITED FOR SUNRISE ON THE BLUFFS OF BRYCE CANYON. YOU CAN SEE THE REASON, IN THE PHOTOS AND MOVIE.

MY CHAIN SUDDENLY BROKE AS I WAS PASSING THROUGH PAGE. I FIELD CHANGED THE REAR SPROCKET AND CHAIN IN 100 PLUS TEMPERATURES, HOW FUN. I WILL CHANGE THE FRONT SPROCKET WHEN I GET HOME. I DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER SOCKET TO CHANGE THE FRONT SPROCKET BUT WILL NEXT TIME.

TOO HOT TO CONTINUE TO PHOENIX SO TOOK A ROOM HERE AND WILL LEAVE IN THE AM. HOME TOMORROW.

MY, WHAT A LONG DAY.

I LEFT BURLEY IDAHO AT 730 AM AND ARRIVED TROPIC UTAH AT 530 PM. , 455 MILES THAT SEEMED MUCH LONGER. I HATE RIDING THE INTERSTATES, BUT DID SO TODAY. I RODE DOWN I15 TO NEPHI, THEN TURNED SOUTHWEST ON UTAH 28 TO  RICHFIELD THEN HWY 24 TO TEASDALE WHERE I TURNED WEST ON HWY 12 TO ESCALANTE. UTAH IS THE MOST DIVERSE OF OUR STATES AND PERHAPS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL. THE PARKS ALONG THE WAY ARE SOME OF OUR MOST  BEAUTIFUL. BRYCE CANYON IS INCREDIBLE. I BELIEVE THAT UTAH HWYS 12, 24 AND 95 ARE CLOSE TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DRIVES IN THE WORLD.

I SHALL PAUSE AT BRYCE CANYON THEN MAKE PHOENIX TOMORROW NIGHT.

I STOPPED BY THE BEMMER SHOP IN MISSOULA, BIG SKY, FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND NEW REAR BRAKE PADS.

THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME DO THE WORK IN THE ALLEY. I MANAGED, IN 95 DEGREE HEAT TO GET THE JOB DONE AND BE ON MY WAY IN 2 HOURS OR SO. I GOT ABOUT 1 MILE AND ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE.

THE ENGINE WAS MISSING HORRIBLE THEN FINALLY QUIT. I HAD HER TOWED BACK TO THE SHOP, $ 40.

IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SIDE STAND SWITCH HAD FAILED. I KNEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND SHOULD HAVE BY-PASSED IT, BUT NO. THEY GOT ME BACK ON THE ROAD AND FOR ONLY $ 35. I WAS SURE CURSING BMW FOR A WHILE.

I STAYED IN MISSOULA 2 NIGHTS, THEN HIT THE ROAD THIS MORNING AT 730 AND RODE THE 400 MILES TO BURLEY. IT WAS JUST ABOUT PERFECT WEATHER AND TEMPERATURE, UNTIL I GOT CLOSE TO TWIN FALLS, THEN IT GOT A BIT WARM, BUT NOT HOT.

THE RIDE DOWN THROUGH THE BITTER-ROOT VALLEY WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NORTHERN IDAHO WAS ALSO VERY PRETTY,  IF THE ROADS HAD BEEN GRAVEL, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WAS IN PATAGONIA ARGENTINA. I FOLLOWED THE SALMON RIVER FOR ABOUT 150 MILES, HOWEVER THERE WAS A BIG FIRE, CAUSING LOTS OF SMOKE FOR 200 MILE OR SO. NOT A GOOD DAY FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

TOMORROW SOUTH.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID.

TODAY I TRAVELED A WHOPPING 66 MILES AND WILL SPEND 4 DAYS HERE IN KALISPELL.

MY WHAT A PRETTY TOWN THIS IS, PERHAPS THE NICEST LITTLE TOWN IN AMERICA, DELIGHTFUL.

FISHING TOMORROW.

I DID HEAR BACK FROM THE DATA RECOVERY PEOPLE ABOUT MY HARD-DRIVE AND THEY HAVE DECLARED IT, NOT RETRIEVABLE, BUMMER. I HAD SOME WONDERFUL MOVIES FROM SOUTH AMERICA AND MANY PHOTOS NOT POSTED ON MY BLOG, ALAS, ALL ARE LOST, FROM THAT SILLY LITTLE FALL IN PATAGONIA.

QUE TRISTE.

I REALLY ENJOYED MY RIDING TIME IN ALASKA AND MAY HAVE TAKEN MY LAST TRIP THERE. I HAVE SEEN ABOUT ALL THERE IS TO SEE AND RIDDEN NEARLY ALL THE ROADS SHOWN ON MY AAA MAPS. THE SCENERY IS RUGGED,  BEAUTIFUL AND THE PEOPLE OPEN AND FRIENDLY.

IT , TRULLY IS THE LAST FRONTIER OF AMERICA.

CANADA IS ALSO A VERY NICE COUNTRY TO TRAVEL, THE PEOPLE ARE OPEN WARM, AND FUN.

YESTERDAY I REENTERED THE US AND IT IS A TREAT TO BE BACK.

I REALLY LOVE RIDING IN AND BEING IN THE RURAL USA, IT IS A JOY.

AS COMFORTABLE AS I FEEL IN CANADA AND ALASKA, BEING DOWN SOUTH REALLY FEELS LIKE HOME.

I HAD A GOOD CAMPING LAST NIGHT AND WAS ON THE ROAD BY 7 AM.

IT WAS AGAIN VERY COLD FOR THE FIRST HOUR OR SO.

JASPER AND BANFF NATIONAL PARKS ARE VERY LARGE AND RIVAL OUR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK IN BEAUTY.

I DON’T KNOW HOW YOUR SUMMER WEATHER HAS BEEN BUT MINE HAS BEEN COOL AND AT TIMES COLD. AS I DESCENDED FROM THE MOUNTAINS TODAY INTO THE VALLEY, IT FINALLY WARMED UP AND EVEN GOT HOT. I EVEN TOOK OFF, ALL MY SWEATERS AND JACKETS, I FINISHED THE DAY WITH ONLY MY AIR JACKET ON. TOMORROW I WILL GO TO KALISPELL AND BEGIN MY FISHING.

I UNDERSTAND THE FISHING HAS BEEN GOOD AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.

SURE ENOUGH I DID LEAVE MY CORD BAG IN THAT SMALL LODGE IN WATSON LAKE. THE LADY HAS RECOVERED IT, AND WILL SEND IT TO ME.

A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF MT. ROBSON, JASPER PARK.

I GOT A LATE START AGAIN, 1030 AM FROM SLEEPING TILL 9 THEN WATCHING THE SUNDAY MORNING NEWS SHOWS.

I RODE ALL THE WAY TO JASPER, A LONG DAY FOR ME, ABOUT 400 MILES, I AM NO RON WEINERT.

MANY MAY THINK CARRYING THOSE TIRES IS TOUGH BUT I HARDLY NOTICE THEM ESPECIALLY NOW THAT I HAVE ONLY ONE. IT DOES ALSO MAKE A NICE BACK REST.

CAMPING TONIGHT NEAR JASPER.

I GOT A LATE START AFTER SLEEPING IN. THE WEATHER BEGAN OFF WARM FOR A CHANGE BUT SOON CLOUDED OVER AND BEGAN A LIGHT RAIN AND COOLER TEMPERATURES. I WAS HOPING FOR A GOOD CLEANSING RAIN TO GIVE MY RIDING CLOTHS A GOOD BATH BUT IT ONLY GOT ME A LITTLE DIRTIER.

I STAYED IN A HOTEL WITH A BUNCH OF OIL FIELD WORKERS AND I WAS PROBABLY THE CLEANEST MAN THERE. I FELT PRETTY SMUG ABOUT THAT, GOD, DON’T THEY BATHE.

THE BLACK BEAR WAS FEEDING ALONG THE ROAD WHEN I STOPPED ABOUT 20 FT AWAY AND TOOK THE PICS.

I TURNED SOUTHWEST ON THE SCENIC ROUTE 29 ALONG THE PEACE RIVER VALLEY, VERY PRETTY COUNTRY.

I LEFT MY HOTEL AT 8 AM TO GET THOSE TIRES CHANGED, WELL IT APPEARS NOBODY WOULD CHANGE THEM FOR ME, INCLUDING MY FRIEND WHOM I HAD ALMOST GIVEN MY KLR.

THEREFORE I FIELD CHANGED THEM IN THE DIRT BY MYSELF, MY IS THAT AN ARDUOUS TASK, AND I GOT VERY DIRTY DOING IT. I AM SURE I WOULD BE REJECTED AT A HOMELESS SHELTER. I DID GET THEM CHANGED SUCCESSFULLY, 2 HOURS, AND LEFT ON MY WAY SOUTH. I REWARDED MYSELF WITH A STOP AT LAIRD RIVER HOT-SPRINGS FOR A REFRESHING BATH. NOW I SMELL LIKE SULFUR ROTTEN EGGS, AN IMPROVEMENT TO MY NORMAL SMELL AFTER A WEEKS CAMPING. I SHALL BE CARRYING THE FRONT KNOBBY HOME WITH ME, AS IT STILL HAS ANOTHER BAJA TRIP LEFT ON IT.

THE ALASKA HWY IS VERY PRETTY AND THERE CERTAINLY ARE LOTS OF ANIMALS.

THE ALASKA HWY IS ALSO VERY LONG AND A LITTLE BORING, THIS IS MY FORTH TIME TO RIDE IT,

RIDING ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA IS A LITTLE LIKE GETTING ACROSS TEXAS, YOU THINK IT WILL NEVER END.

I SEEMED TO HAVE LEFT THE BAG CONTAINING ALL MY CORDS SO WILL NOT BE BLOGGING FOR A FEW DAYS. I DID CHECK THE ROOM, EVER SO CAREFULLY. I THINK.

I AM SPENDING THE NIGHT IN FORT NELSON.