finally got just a few pics up. just saw how big the pics are. sorry, will replace with smaller. here's the rest of the story, but it won't stay up long. getting to be old news.
Lets see, where did I leave this off? Oh yes, at the rest stop at the top of Chief Joseph Pass.
The next morning was beautiful. Great big blue sky, cool for riding, roads drying fast. It was great. Stopped for just a bit off the highway a bit to enjoy the wild flowers, quiet morning, and take a couple of pictures. Once I got down out of the high area into Wisdom, MT the ride went through a valley, that was pretty, but straight, so it was easy to just look at the mountains passing on both sides and cruise along to Dillon.
When I got to Dillon I took a break at, you guessed it, a little coffee shop in the downtown area. I seem to have developed the ability to find good (or at least decent) coffee in most town. Maybe call it coffee radar, since I often found/find them without having to look very long. Here also was the first of my run ins with the way they seem to like to do road construction in both Montana and Wyoming. This being rip the entire road out and make everyone drive/ride on dirt and gravel for miles and miles. Not the most fun on my bike.
Stopped in West Yellowstone before entering the park. Not the kind of town that I like, especially not on a motorcycle. It is simply one big tourist trap with none of the character of Jackson. Here and Yellowstone were the worst for traffic and people not paying the slightest bit of attention to what other traffic is doing.
Yellowstone park was a bit of a disappointment. It started raining soon after I entered the park, and did not stop till I was almost out the other side, also on the way in I was warned that they had some recent problems with things disappearing from cars and the like, so I did not get to stop and look at much. The only thing I really saw was Old Faithful and the lodge.
First look at the Grand Tetons was breathtaking. The clouds were scuttling in-between peaks, spots of blue, and the sun starting to set. I stopped beside Jackson lake and just watched for a bit. Then, after adding a wool sweater to what I was wearing, I set off to get to Jackson for the night.
Stayed at a hostel in Jackson so I could have a shower. Was very nice to have a hot shower after being on the road for three days and the cold, wet, weather.. First time I have stayed in a hostel so I was not sure exactly what to expect. Not bad, maybe not as clean or well cared for as I would like, but dry, a shower with lots of hot water, warm, and quiet.
I walked around the town some the next morning as I didnt think I had all that far to go that day to get over to the Medicine Bow National Forest on the Wyoming/Colorado boarder near Laramie. (Was a bit mistaken in this, but turned out nice anyway) I had a nice morning stretching the legs, window shopping, and talking with one of the locals over coffee and a bagel.
From here I went back up highway 26 and over to Dubois. Now the map has the entire highway from Jackson Lake to Lamont as scenic, but let me tell you, it isnt. The road is really nice till you get to Dubois, then it is just like taking I-80 across southern wyoming.
Made it to the Medicine Bow range a bit before sunset and went up a secondary road to set a camp for the night. This was the first time in years that I have been able to have a campfire. Next morning I rode on over to Laramie and had some breakfast and find a bike shop to get some oil. Got fuel, added some oil and off I went towards Walden. Im enjoying the ride and the morning when I come out of a corner, accelerate, and feel something strike my left boot. A quick glance down tells me to stop quickly as my oil fill plug had just abandoned ship, or bike as the case was. So I stop quickly, did a short disgusted with myself stomp, and proceed to start combing the side of the highway for a small, black plug. I looked for about 45 minutes before a set of three bikers pulled off to see what was going on. After explaining my plight, and only a couple of guffaws, they suggested that I plug the hole with a rag and ride back into Laramie to the Kawasaki dealer to get a new one. I agreed and started walking back to the bike, and sitting there just waiting to be found was my plug. They couldnt believe that I found it (I couldnt either for that matter). So with that little setback out of the way I headed on to mom and dads.
Stayed there a couple of day. Saw the family, ate huge amounts of sea food at one of their neighbors fourth (on the third) of July extravaganza. I will leave mom or dad to expand on this.
So after a good visit with family I pulled out of Buena Vista on Sunday morning to do the tedious ride back to Tulsa. I dont know how much of the family is or isnt familiar with this part of the country, but from Pueblo to Tulsa all a planner did was put a straight edge on the map and start drawing lines, one big straight line from Pueblo to Lamar, rotate 90 degrees, another straight line to Boise City, OK, rotate back to original position and draw another line to Tulsa.
It was not my intention to do this in one day, but 785 miles later I am pulling into my apartment complex. This is a feat I have no desire to repeat.
So, I made it back in one piece and with one day left before starting classes again. All told I spent 6 days on the road and put down almost 3000 miles.
Lets see, where did I leave this off? Oh yes, at the rest stop at the top of Chief Joseph Pass.
The next morning was beautiful. Great big blue sky, cool for riding, roads drying fast. It was great. Stopped for just a bit off the highway a bit to enjoy the wild flowers, quiet morning, and take a couple of pictures. Once I got down out of the high area into Wisdom, MT the ride went through a valley, that was pretty, but straight, so it was easy to just look at the mountains passing on both sides and cruise along to Dillon.
When I got to Dillon I took a break at, you guessed it, a little coffee shop in the downtown area. I seem to have developed the ability to find good (or at least decent) coffee in most town. Maybe call it coffee radar, since I often found/find them without having to look very long. Here also was the first of my run ins with the way they seem to like to do road construction in both Montana and Wyoming. This being rip the entire road out and make everyone drive/ride on dirt and gravel for miles and miles. Not the most fun on my bike.
Stopped in West Yellowstone before entering the park. Not the kind of town that I like, especially not on a motorcycle. It is simply one big tourist trap with none of the character of Jackson. Here and Yellowstone were the worst for traffic and people not paying the slightest bit of attention to what other traffic is doing.
Yellowstone park was a bit of a disappointment. It started raining soon after I entered the park, and did not stop till I was almost out the other side, also on the way in I was warned that they had some recent problems with things disappearing from cars and the like, so I did not get to stop and look at much. The only thing I really saw was Old Faithful and the lodge.
First look at the Grand Tetons was breathtaking. The clouds were scuttling in-between peaks, spots of blue, and the sun starting to set. I stopped beside Jackson lake and just watched for a bit. Then, after adding a wool sweater to what I was wearing, I set off to get to Jackson for the night.
Stayed at a hostel in Jackson so I could have a shower. Was very nice to have a hot shower after being on the road for three days and the cold, wet, weather.. First time I have stayed in a hostel so I was not sure exactly what to expect. Not bad, maybe not as clean or well cared for as I would like, but dry, a shower with lots of hot water, warm, and quiet.
I walked around the town some the next morning as I didnt think I had all that far to go that day to get over to the Medicine Bow National Forest on the Wyoming/Colorado boarder near Laramie. (Was a bit mistaken in this, but turned out nice anyway) I had a nice morning stretching the legs, window shopping, and talking with one of the locals over coffee and a bagel.
From here I went back up highway 26 and over to Dubois. Now the map has the entire highway from Jackson Lake to Lamont as scenic, but let me tell you, it isnt. The road is really nice till you get to Dubois, then it is just like taking I-80 across southern wyoming.
Made it to the Medicine Bow range a bit before sunset and went up a secondary road to set a camp for the night. This was the first time in years that I have been able to have a campfire. Next morning I rode on over to Laramie and had some breakfast and find a bike shop to get some oil. Got fuel, added some oil and off I went towards Walden. Im enjoying the ride and the morning when I come out of a corner, accelerate, and feel something strike my left boot. A quick glance down tells me to stop quickly as my oil fill plug had just abandoned ship, or bike as the case was. So I stop quickly, did a short disgusted with myself stomp, and proceed to start combing the side of the highway for a small, black plug. I looked for about 45 minutes before a set of three bikers pulled off to see what was going on. After explaining my plight, and only a couple of guffaws, they suggested that I plug the hole with a rag and ride back into Laramie to the Kawasaki dealer to get a new one. I agreed and started walking back to the bike, and sitting there just waiting to be found was my plug. They couldnt believe that I found it (I couldnt either for that matter). So with that little setback out of the way I headed on to mom and dads.
Stayed there a couple of day. Saw the family, ate huge amounts of sea food at one of their neighbors fourth (on the third) of July extravaganza. I will leave mom or dad to expand on this.
So after a good visit with family I pulled out of Buena Vista on Sunday morning to do the tedious ride back to Tulsa. I dont know how much of the family is or isnt familiar with this part of the country, but from Pueblo to Tulsa all a planner did was put a straight edge on the map and start drawing lines, one big straight line from Pueblo to Lamar, rotate 90 degrees, another straight line to Boise City, OK, rotate back to original position and draw another line to Tulsa.
It was not my intention to do this in one day, but 785 miles later I am pulling into my apartment complex. This is a feat I have no desire to repeat.
So, I made it back in one piece and with one day left before starting classes again. All told I spent 6 days on the road and put down almost 3000 miles.
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