Tues morning I headed out. I went to Salmo, BC and then on south through the border into Washington at Selway. I saw a couple of deer along the route and as I crossed into Washington I saw a mother moose and her calf on the far side of a small lake. It was incredibly beautiful the whole way.
Along the Pend Orielle river I stopped to take this picture and then I also stopped at Albeni Falls dam. I fueled up in Couer d'Alene and got onto I 90 and traveled pretty steady to Missoula. At Missoula I fueled up and then oiled my chain and for some reason decided to check the play. It was so loose and sloppy that I called Big Sky BMW and although it was late they said come on over and they would adjust it..Welll when I got there, there was actually a keeper on one of the main links missing and the chain was no good at all. But they had a new one in stock and had me back on the road in 30 minutes. Because I wanted to get as far as I could each day I carried on to Rocker (Butte) and checked into the Motel 6. As I stopped to rest my butt before Butte...I took these photos.
These wild sunflowers were prolific in the ditches but it seemed like everytime I stopped to take a picture there were none there. However I did get some great pictures of them in Fort Apache which you will see in later posts. The next day I traveled steady only stopping for fuel and food. The problem is this bike gets 240 miles before needing fuel and I only have a conditioned 120 mile butt.
Actually it is very comfortable. I stopped in Hardin Montana for breakfast/lunch and parked next to these bikes. Pretty nice. It was a father and sons who were taking their dad on a road trip for his birthday.
It seems like I rode and rode and rode but I did not even make Cheyenne, Wyoming and it was starting to get dark so I pulled into Wheatland, Wyoming a Motel 6. It was at a convenient exit with an Arby's next door. The next morning I got going fairly early but thinking there was no way I was going to reach Sipapu by evening. As I entered Colorado I stopped at this lovely tourist information place.I bought one of the few souvenirs of the trip here...a gorgeous Colorado T shirt...
I got through Denver very quickly and then stopped at a pullout in Colorado Springs and took the following group of pictures. One of them is of a plane pulling a glider.
It reminded me of my father. He used to do this in Olds. Towing the glider up to a good altitude and then there was a release on the tow rope and they glided freely catching the updrafts before landing.
Once south of Colorado Springs I saw a sign which said Walsenburg 43 miles. At that point because it was still early I knew I was going to make it to Sipapu. And make it I did. Stopping and taking this last group of pictures just north of Taos and south of Fort Garland.
Okay I will finish this episode here and continue with the rally at Sipapu and my ride around the surrounding area.
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