Not Sturgis (2007)

The trip to our original destination, Sturgis, began by meeting John and Sheena. John and Sheena would be riding together on John's FatBoy, Gladys on her Sporty and me on my old Road Glide.

We headed south, towards the U.S. border, the 6:00 AM morning air invigorating to all of us; except maybe Sheena (dressed a bit too lightly).

Stopping briefly, we had a chance to adjust gear and have a coffee. The weather's warming up now.

Nearing the U.S. border now!

Still at the U.S. border...

6 hours later... Still at the border and still on the Canadian side. Unfortunately, John and Sheena have had a problem at Customs, so we decide to stop for the night and figure out what our next move should be. Bummer!

The next morning we have resigned ourselves to the fact we must now head separate ways - John and Sheena staying north of the border, Gladys and myself continuing on south, through Coutts/Shelby.

One other change: We decide to tour Montana and head west through the States, instead of heading into the congestion at Sturgis.


Smoke from wildfires in Montana

Taking Hwy 2, we went through Browning and West Glacier, then through Columbia Falls via Hwy 93 and north to Whitefish, eventually staying in Eureka for the second night of our trip.

Forest fires are raging in Montana at the time - to such a degree that some roads were getting closed, depending on wind direction. You can see the haze in the pictures above.

A nice overlook so, let's take some pictures. Looks like Gladys is on top of her game.

Now that we're in a State that permits it, Gladys decided to try a bit of riding without her helmet. She soon had it back on though (myself, I leave mine off).

Around Eureka the landscape is quite rocky and varied. Above is a back road we explored for awhile.

Gladys on the downstream side.

Yours truly, on the high-water side.

The trip to our original destination, Sturgis, began by meeting John and Sheena. John and Sheena would be riding together on John's FatBoy, Gladys on her Sporty and me on my old Road Glide.

We headed south, towards the U.S. border, the 6:00 AM morning air invigorating to all of us; except maybe Sheena (dressed a bit too lightly).

Stopping briefly, we had a chance to adjust gear and have a coffee. The weather's warming up now.

Nearing the U.S. border now!

Still at the U.S. border...


Smoke from wildfires in Montana

A nice overlook so, let's take some pictures. Looks like Gladys is on top of her game.

Now that we're in a State that permits it, Gladys decided to try a bit of riding without her helmet. She soon had it back on though (myself, I leave mine off).

Around Eureka the landscape is quite rocky and varied. Above is a back road we explored for awhile.

Gladys on the downstream side.

Yours truly, on the high-water side.

Leaving Eureka on Hwy 37, we decided to check out the Libby Dam. Impressive! The entire region seemed interesting, so we decided we should spend an extra day there.

The following day we decided to ride a less-traveled road, Hwy 92, coursing around the north side of the Libby Dam reservoir. That turned out to be an excellent idea.

The road was scenic, isolated and twisty - everything you could want on a motorcycle. Maybe the most-fun road I've ever ridden on. Shown above is the bridge that spans the reservoir.



Yaak, Montana

We followed Hwy 92 through some remote regions until we eventually encountered the tiny community of Yaak, Montana. The existence of 2 saloons and a cozy, little cabin for rent convinced us this would be a good place to spend the night.

Sure, the cabin didn't have electricity (just gas-powered lights), but it was only $35.00/night (provided we made our own beds).

On the road again the next day... lots of casual riding, taking time to stop and see the views that present themselves.

We travelled on Hwy 68 back towards Libby and Troy. Then up to Bonners Ferry, south on Hwy 95 to sandpoint, west to Newport and then followed Hwy 20 to Colville. Once in Colville, we were ready for a good rest.

We spent the next day riding the area around Colville - heading west through Kettle Falls and south on Hwy 25 to Davenport. The riding was nice on this leg.

On the way to Davenport we stopped at a nice, well-maintained campground. Firing up the small gas stove, we made some coffee. Man, that hits the spot on a morning ride.

Once in Davenport, Gladys dropped her bike attempting a tight U-Turn (don't tell her I put this on the website). Of course, I had to snap a picture of her facial expression, right after we righted the bike (no damage, thanks to those engine guards).

Heading back to Colville for the night, we passed through Chewelah on Hwy 395. After a beer in the Pow-Wow Tavern, we checked out what they call "The World's Smallest Museum." Nice to see Gladys is cheery again, after the Davenport incident (maybe the beer helped?).

In the rustic town of Winthrop

Our second morning in Colville, we saddled up early and headed west on Hwy 20 towards the west coast - passing through Republic, then south on Hwy 97 to Omak and then west again on 20 to Twisp and a western-style tourist trap called Winthrop. Winthrop was pleasant and ridiculously contrived at the same time.

Leaving Eureka on Hwy 37, we decided to check out the Libby Dam. Impressive! The entire region seemed interesting, so we decided we should spend an extra day there.

The following day we decided to ride a less-traveled road, Hwy 92, coursing around the north side of the Libby Dam reservoir. That turned out to be an excellent idea.

The road was scenic, isolated and twisty - everything you could want on a motorcycle. Maybe the most-fun road I've ever ridden on. Shown above is the bridge that spans the reservoir.



Yaak, Montana

We spent the next day riding the area around Colville - heading west through Kettle Falls and south on Hwy 25 to Davenport. The riding was nice on this leg.

On the way to Davenport we stopped at a nice, well-maintained campground. Firing up the small gas stove, we made some coffee. Man, that hits the spot on a morning ride.

In the rustic town of Winthrop

The rest of the day's ride, we passed through a lot of beautiful, wild country. We made the occasional stop, but not for long, as we had a long way to go that day. By evening we arrived in Burlington, Washington and got ourselves a nice motel room.

That evening in the room, while checking the HOG Road Manual I had in my saddlebag, I discovered the local Harley dealership was just across the street from where we were staying. So, next day, we walked over and took a look at what the dealership had. Wound up nearly having to cut Gladys out of a tight-fitting jean top she tried on and then couldn't get off (stuck zipper).

We now head north on Hwy 9 to Sumas, to Canada for the next phase of our trip. We pass through Abbotsford on Hwy 7 to Hope and then take Hwy 1 to Litton.

The stretch from Litton to Lilloet proves the most interesting riding of the day - maybe of the whole trip. We stop once in awhile to keep hydrated.


On the road to Lilloet

Speaking of hydrated, half the beer cans I was carrying in my saddlebag sprung leaks and soaked everything else inside - requiring us to empty the remaining ones. That shot on the left looks like it could have come from a beer commercial, huh?

The road to Lilloet was rugged, preciptous and filled with surprises - chief among them the landslide with no warning signs covering half the road as we rounded a blind curve. Good thing we were managing our speed to react to such things.

Once in Lilloet, we found an excellent Hotel to stay at. They invited us to park our bikes inside a locked garage in the back for security. Later, we drank beer with the manager until the wee hours. He came from the reserve just outside the town and filled us in on the area.

Terrific little town. As I strolled around the next day, I was impressed by the number of facilities the community had built for keeping young people employed and giving them things to do in the evening hours. No sign of beggers and addicts, conveying an atmosphere of depression so many isolated communities are plagued with. Maybe these folks in Lilloet are onto something.

It's Pow-wow time!

The next day we're on Hwy 99, heading to Cache Creek, when we pass what appears to be some kind of Indian Pow-wow. So we pull in and take a look. Turns out to be quite the event and we stay there for over an hour, listening to the speeches and prayers, watching the dances in authentic costumes and checking out the crafts the vendors are selling. Those bannock hotdogs were something special.

We now head north on Hwy 9 to Sumas, to Canada for the next phase of our trip. We pass through Abbotsford on Hwy 7 to Hope and then take Hwy 1 to Litton.

The stretch from Litton to Lilloet proves the most interesting riding of the day - maybe of the whole trip. We stop once in awhile to keep hydrated.


On the road to Lilloet

It's Pow-wow time!

Video of pow-wow taken on route to Cache Creek.

One thing that struck me was how frequently the leader of the Pow-wow referred to the Native Peoples' pride in being Canadian citizens and how proud they were to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces and help preserve our freedoms. I liked that. For awhile there, I forgot we were in the heartland of dope-smoking, new-age religion and socialism in Canada. It was like being back in Alberta!

The video above, by the way, is well worth viewing. It contains some interesting aspects of Native culture, including traditional dress, drum music and dance.

Getting onto Hwy 1 after the Pow-wow, we rode through Kamloops, Salmon Arm and eventually arrived at our intended destination - a small trailer lot with a shed on Mara Lake. We will stay there for a couple of days, using it as a starting point for forays into the surrounding region.

When we were ready to leave Mara Lake, we got onto Hwy 97 to Enderby, Armstrong, Vernon and Kelowna. From there we got on Hwy 33 and then Hwy 3 to head south to Grand Forks.

Hornet sting

Riding lead on the way to Grand Forks, I noticed that Gladys had suddenly disappeared from my rear view mirrors (I always strive to keep her in them). First I pulled over and waited a minute, thinking maybe she was riding slow. When she still didn't come, I turned around to look for her. No sooner had I done that and, there she was, heading toward me.

We then both stopped to see what the situation was. Turns out that a hornet flew right inside one of the finger holes in her fingerless gloves and had stung the heck out of her hand. That's what the picture above is about. My poor baby!

The next day we decided to tour the area a bit, riding a dead-end road through Granby to a place called Christina Lake. Nice scenery, fairly good roads (except for the sand in the curves) and remote.

Later, on Hwy 3 again, we passed by Nancy Greene Lake and onto Hwy 3B, where we crossed Warfield, Rossland, Trail, Montrose and then Salmo, where we stopped to escape the heat and have a beer.


A night out in Nelson, B.C.

From Salmo, we rode up to Nelson on Hwy 6 and, after some searching, managed to get a hotel room. The room was pricey and had no air conditioning, but we had fun there anyway. We went out that night and had a great meal and took in some of the sights and sounds. Lots of interesting people living in Nelson. I remember thinking it would be fun to live there.

Wes (back facing) and Angela

Taking the Balfour Ferry

The next morning we loaded up the bikes again and started heading north on Hwy 3A, up to the ferry crossing located at Balfour. Once there, we met quite a few other riders - all waiting for the boat to arrive. In particular, we got to know Wes and Angela, a husband-wife couple (top picture), as the trip over water took at least half an hour.

This was the first time Angela was riding her own motorcycle for a long trip. It was also the her first year riding. This gave her and Gladys lots to talk about, as Gladys has been there herself.

Angela down, recieving help

The time comes for us to disembark the ferry and Wes and Angela are in line ahead of us. As soon as the gate comes down... off goes Wes - leaving Angela to carefully putter along. In under a minute, he disappears over the next horizon, not to be seen again.

Angela's going a bit slow, but we decide to stay behind her and keep an eye on how she's doing; her being a bit new to this. Gladys doesn't mind a leisurely pace anyway.

What happens next is totally unexpected. Travelling down a straight stretch between Crawford Bay and Gray Creek, Angela's bike suddenly goes down right in front of me! As she was doing about 30 mph when and went flying over the handlebars, it wasn't a pretty sight to see. Ouch.

Just prior to the crash, a car had been stopped on a side road to the left, looking like it might cross the road. I remember seeing Angela drop her left arm to give the 'slow down' signal to riders behind her.

She shouldn't have tried that signal because, as soon as her arm dropped, the brake lights on the car ahead of her came on and she was following too closely. Startled and a probably a little panicked because she needed to get her left hand back on the bars quickly, she might have grabbed a handful of front brake too abruptly. Or maybe she tried to brake with only one hand on the bars. At any rate, it resulted in her front tire skidding and sliding out from under her - throwing her forward over the bars and onto the pavement. She didn't hit the car.

Ambulance has arrived

The central cause behind this accident was one I tend to harp at with new riders; she was following way too close behind the vehicle ahead of her. I see many riders do that and there's just no need for it. Not only does it cause things like this to happen but, in addition, you won't have time to avoid objects on the road the car ahead has straddled, you can't evade a car following you that is unable to stop if the traffic ahead halts suddenly... and the list goes on. Just a bad practice.

So anyway, we came to a stop to help Angela and were immediately joined by the other bikers who had been on the ferry with us. Someone called for an ambulance and the rest of us took a look at her bike.

Oh yeah. We checked to see if she was okay too. She was bleeding fairly profusely from a gash in her forearm and was shaken up, but nothing that wouldn't heal, from the looks of it.

Her bike (a Honda Shadow, I think) was also a bit banged up. One of the footpegs was broken off, so we scavenged a rear peg and put that on in its place. The handlebars were pointing off to the right, so we held the front wheel and twisted to line things up again. Good as new! Well, aside from the scratches...

I think we must have waited an hour for the ambulance and police to arrive. I kept on expecting Wes, her husband, to appear; heading back to us after noticing his wife was not behind him anymore. No such luck. He was gone! Later, after we left the scene, we did eventually pass Wes, stopped on the side of the road. Angela had managed to contact him by cell phone, so he waved us by, indicating he was now on top of the situation.

I'll bet there were a few words exchanged between the two of them, later that night!

For myself, this incident helped underline the importance of keeping Gladys in my rear-view mirrors while we travel.

Post script: We ran into Wes and Angela again, 2 or 3 years later. They are both fine (and still together after that incident!). Angela's injuries were a little longer-lasting than what appeared they would be at the time. It was only recently that her injured knee had fully mended. She now rides a Softail. Good for you, Angela!

On the road again.

Found O.J.'s glove!

From the accident scene we continued on, through very hot weather. Stopped on the side of the road for a break, we made an amazing discovery: O.J. Simpson's glove!

Passing through Creston, we arrived in Cranbrook and stopped by the local Harley dealer for advice on where the good motels and night spots were. That led to a nice evening of shrimp and beer at an Irish Pub.


Riding through smoke haze in southern Alberta

Riding through Kimberly, Ta-Ta Creek and Wasa the next day, we finally hit the Alberta/B.C. border. From Hwy 3 we got onto Hwy 22 and headed north to Black Diamond. From the pictures above, you can see there is a lot of haze. That's from the forest fires, still burning in Montana.

When we were ready to leave Mara Lake, we got onto Hwy 97 to Enderby, Armstrong, Vernon and Kelowna. From there we got on Hwy 33 and then Hwy 3 to head south to Grand Forks.

Hornet sting

The next day we decided to tour the area a bit, riding a dead-end road through Granby to a place called Christina Lake. Nice scenery, fairly good roads (except for the sand in the curves) and remote.

Later, on Hwy 3 again, we passed by Nancy Greene Lake and onto Hwy 3B, where we crossed Warfield, Rossland, Trail, Montrose and then Salmo, where we stopped to escape the heat and have a beer.


A night out in Nelson, B.C.

Wes (back facing) and Angela

Taking the Balfour Ferry

Angela down, recieving help

Ambulance has arrived

On the road again.

Found O.J.'s glove!


Riding through smoke haze in southern Alberta

A stay at the campground in Black Diamond.

Once in Black Diamond we discovered that, due to a convention of Oilmen, all the hotels and motels in the area were booked. It was a good thing we had camping gear, as the only choice left was a campground. That kicked off a fun evening - making us wonder why we hadn't tented more often on this trip. There's something special about having a campfire and, of course, tenting is much cheaper as well.

Breaking camp the next morning was the start of our last day on the road. Heading to Bragg Creek, we encountered some major road construction that required several miles of riding through gravel. From there we went up to Cochrane on Hwy 22, then Easton and Carstairs, before getting onto Hwy 2A at Olds.

By the time we got to Ponoka the weather had turned quite cold, so we stopped and geared up to stay warm. By the time we stop at Hobbema for tax-free cigarettes, the mist is turning into a steady rain. The rain lasts until we get home, in Edmonton.

Often during the past 2 weeks we had noted that we never hit a drop of rain - the bikes still being just as clean as the day we left Edmonton. This rain, on the very last stretch of the very last day, broke that perfect streak. Still, just having one day of rain out of 16 isn't bad.

Once home, our children decide to stop by, along with the grandkids. Sure is good to see the little tykes after 2 weeks away. Winding down after they left, we retreated to the garage, opened a few beers, looked at the photos we had taken and reminiced about the time we had on the road. Ups and downs all into consideration, it had been a fantastic trip.

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