May long weekend. Campout in Helena

And journey to Mariposa!

This is a rain chain at the Huddy`s house on the May long weekend. It is working well and a good indication of the weather on this trip. It rained and was 3C all the way to the border. The border crossing guard asked me what I was besides wet and I replied Cold. He said Did I think to look at the weather forecast before I left. Heck if we did that we would never ride. Then as I went further south the temperature dropped to 0C and it snowed. I told Annie if she really did not want us to come they just had to say so. They did not have to throw Mother Nature at us. And as usual on Friday there were only Kevin and Annie and us 4 Canadians on motorcycles. Ron, Alistair and Dave from Lethbridge and I from Calgary. The next day several came from Missoula and Helena and Big Fork. Most in automobiles and trucks. I got a lot of rain and cold on the way home also.

In the garage working on a airhead. I got new tires on the weekend.

Annie with her new grandbaby

Off their back deck. 2 sand hill cranes were off in the meadow. Such majestic creatures. This is their new campfire site and so far we have been unable to use it because of weather.

Did not look too bad out the kitchen window looking east but by the time I was loaded up and gone it started to rain and poured all the way home. I had to get there though and repack as my plane left for Palm Springs the next day at 10AM.

Skies were cloudy and overcast when I left the Calgary airport but I arrived to this.

Ken picked me up and I went to there place and got the bike ready to go as the next day I had an appointment at Riverside BMW to get the water pump replaced. I arrived Okay and they took bike in. In the meantime I perused this Magnolia tree.

Okay bike is done

So on to Ridgecrest and Jimmy and DeeDee`s where we will travel together to Topaz Lake and the next day head for the Mariposa BMW rally.

Half Ass Ranch. I love this place.

Decoration outside back door. Than on to Fury`s to tell jokes in the bar.

Front yard out my bedroom window. The next day we headed north and stopped for lunch at the Coppertop BBQ in Big Pine, California but not before going through the Alabama Hills just outside Lone Pine. I did not get a single picture as it was a 1 1/2 lane road winding beside these wonderfully formed rocks. Many movies were filmed in these rocks.

Jimmy, Deedee and I.

There is the coppertop BBQ from whence it gets its name.

The food was excellent.

We stayed at Topaz Lake overnight and the road we wanted to take was cleared of snow so we headed to the rally in Mariposa. Breathtaking views and a road I had never been on before. I especially liked Mosquito Lake with a little island in the lake. Up over Monitor Pass  and Ebbett`s Pass. New roads for me and thanks to Jimmy for taking me. We arrived safe and sound in Mariposa and all kinds of friends were there. Put up my tent and walked down and mingled and said Hi. Then headed back to tent and while I was searching for shower stuff found I was so tired I fell into my tent. No pjamas no covers just fell asleep exhausted. Will continue with Mariposa and journey home in next episode. Trying to catch up as I just returned from Hamburg New York and have so many adventures to report.