If there is more to Billing’s than the hotel we stayed at, a grotty”Casino” next door, a gas station and a sports bar that served burgers, I certainly never saw any of it. As usual, we were pretty tired on arrival at the hotel, too tired to venture out to explore the sights of wherever we happen to be staying- life is full of choices, and whilst perhaps not doing justice to wherever we happen to be, I prefer to spend time riding rather than the alternative.
A few drinks outside in a shady spot was the perfect way to wind down after a full on day, with Doc and Barb providing the snacks. Most were pleased that this morning’s temperature was a much more acceptable 11-12C requiring 2 or 3 layers rather than yesterday’s extreme. Once on the freeway the miles peeled away - 70 to 85 mph (113 - 136 mph) is great for getting from place to place. The road was divided highway, two lanes in each direction, with the engineers rarely deviating more tan a few degrees from dead straight between horizons across undulating plains. Today’s ride was in direct contrast to yesterday’s, with scenery more reflective of Western states as opposed to mountain. There were what appeared to be fairly massive ranches and also areas that reflected a life of struggle, often measured by the number of wrecked vehicles and rusting machinery around a property that I have mentioned previously. Early on we passed what purported to be the biggest RV Centre in 4 states - this is caravans and motor homes to us. I could see many hundreds of mostly new or near new, some small, others absolutely massive. Whatever works for you I suppose. After an hour, those of us who’d visited the Custer Memorial previously peeled off- from what I have read about Custer, he appears to have had few redeeming features. History records that the American Indians involved paid a very high price for sorting George out….As an interested bystander, I recall Sir Apirana Ngata, the famous Māori statesman quoting that the Māori of New Zealand had been treated infinitely better and more fairly than any other indigenous people anywhere, certainly the Indians here. Our first stop for gas and coffee was at one of the iconic, almost “super store” gas stations that have several food franchises within - 2 coffees and a breakfast muffin cost $9.00. I resisted the temptation for a chocolate donut! Gassed up we headed off again, with Gillette Harley Davidson our next scheduled stop - despite the best efforts of all involved, only Bree managed to find something worthwhile. We know from experience of visiting dozens of Harley stores over the years that size isn’t everything, with some smaller stores really punching above their weight. 20 miles further along the highway, and again needs to top up we stopped for another gas station lunch - some had pizza, others sandwiches and salads, no complaints. Another hour of fast freeway riding saw our arrival at Deadwood, our base for the next few days. To our surprise we we able to access our rooms early. The second squad, including the vehicle with our bags was still away and being on the 3rd floor, we hoped beyond all hope that the broken elevator would be fixed by then - phew, it was - heart attacks lugging bach’s upstairs averted. The 4th of July is a big deal in the US, and certainly here in West Yellowstone, a town of about 1200 people, seemingly all of whom were involved in the street parade. As you’d expect, fire engines, police cars, kids on bikes and horses, all throwing (probably Chinese made) confectionery to the crowds long the street. We watched from the air conditioned comfort of a restaurant, very civilised and a nice meal too. Sunset is not until we’ll after 9pm, and the fireworks started at 10. I was surprised that they’d have such a huge deal so close to the park (and animals). The show went on for over half an hour, with many of the bangs almost shaking our hotel. We had 7:15am start and had been warned to dress for the cold (3 -5C), so potentially character building if you got it wrong. Most had 4-5 layers which came off during the course of the day, and I was down to short sleeves when arriving at this afternoon’s hotel at 5pm - the last hour was spent at Bear Tooth Harley Davidson in Billing’s, Montana who did a great trade in T Shirts and miscellaneous essential Harley paraphernalia. Our route took us back through the guts of Yellowstone Park, and we were pleased to be treated to more bison, a fortunate few spotted bears and even a coyote trotting along out of everyone else’s way. The roadworks were extensive and impressive, certainly not the half dozen blokes dicking around that we are used to. Road builders here see obstacles as challenges, not something to be lost in “planning” or with wonks at council or govt - they just go for it. As we rose into the snow line (snow in summer!), we entered what could have been a moonscape, obviously cold and very rugged. There appears to be a distinctly different view to road safety as well (perhaps for the better) with no road cones and fairly limited (and pretty beaten up) Armco barrier - if you are foolish enough to go over the edge (and plummet hundreds of metres to certain death), good luck to you. Our morning tea stop was at a small hamlet comprising of a couple of gas stations serving takeaway coffee (average) and donuts (not bad). Unfortunately the one we stopped at will be remembered for neither. Rather than an inside toilet there was a lineup of 6 portaloos, all of which bar one was locked and that was long overdue for an empty- let’s just say it was full….that said, none of outer stoic Harley ladies complained Bear Tooth Pass is regarded by many as the best ride in the US, certainly amongst the very best. Think the Crown Range near Queenstown then go crazy, much higher, much, much longer, with scenery that really is beyond description - without waxing too lyrical, assuming I get there, I wouldn’t be surprised to find it is close to heaven. The ride up then down again was some of the best we’ve experienced on the trip, and will no doubt be relived over drinks tonight At nearly 11000 feet (3300m) the air is a bit thinner, and certainly chilly, but quite a spectacular place to stop for photos (aforementioned crackers in Linda’s hand). Linda has really been looking forward to feeding the chipmunks in one of the viewing areas we visited in 2014, and prepared herself by buying a packet of peanut butter crackers- the firs little fella grabbed a whole biscuit and was off - unfortunately his apparently too well fed cousins were less interested. A small cocker spaniel belonging to a lady from South Georgia had a ball “flushing them out” - he was on a lead, so no harm done.
The Taupo contingent left our hotel at 6am, determined not to miss a beat - apparently the best things happen early. That said, having been through the park during our last visit in 2017, Linda decided to opt out in favour of checking out the delights of the small tourist town of Yellowstone West so I enjoyed flying solo. Looking at her photo of the treats available in town it was just as well I was not around! Half an hour into the park, this big fella caused a bit of a traffic jam - whilst not unusual, most bison prefer to keep a bit closer to the horizon. There is absolutely no doubt that if he decided to, he could have turned my 4th July upside down very quickly. As the day progressed, the groups of bison got bigger, from tens to hundreds - very cool. Being a very important Public Holiday there were a lot of people about, and as is my way, I tended to ignore anywhere busy, instead keeping on the move Anyone interested in Yellowstone will probably already have a good idea of the vastness, the magnificence and the variety of landscapes not to forget the wildlife. I have plagiarised a few of the photos taken by other more enthusiastic members of the group
Our hotel for the night was quite unusual in that it incorporated what we would normally expect to be outside, inside - complete with 5-6 spa pools and a heated swimming pool - the sun umbrellas may have been a bit optimistic though. The carp were absolutely massive - pretty quick to devour any treats biffed their way.
Most of the crew went to one or other of the 2 steakhouses close by, with morning reviews varying in the extreme from “no good at all” to “really good” which I guess is probably par for the course with close to 25 people, Tina and Wayne having arrived belated via very circuitous flights from Taupo. In deference to what was planned on being a short day, the late risers were treated to a 9:30 departure - those of us waiting in the car park pre departure were by standers to a bit of a “criminal reality show”. For reasons unknown adjacent to our bikes, one car blocked another in (subsequently identified as a detective). A few minutes later a police cruiser arrived and the driver of the blocked in car was soon in handcuffs and being carted off, no doubt with a bit of explaning to do for what ever he’d done. A heck of a way to start the day. Nev led us out of Bozeman, with a quick trip to the authentic western town of Virginia City our first stop, authentic right down to the cowboys and horse poo in the Main Street. You don’t need too much imagination to appreciate just how tough life would have been in those days, especially for the women folk - isolation, extremes of weather, lack of any support or resources. The road from Ennius to Virginia City then back again was a highlight, raising quickly from the flatlands into the mountains, passing a bunch of newly built and rather innocuous “McMansions” along the way. Back to the early part of the day - about 20 minutes I found myself in a very “happy place” of almost Harley Zen. I often think the day is good, very good or even great, but rarely is it perfect, even for just a few minutes. As Chris Rea played loudly over the speakers, from a high point the snow capped mountains were magnificent far in the distance, and in every other direction the undulating pasture went for as far as the eye could see and it was then that the world was at rights, at least for me, and for the few minutes before a too active mind caused reality to seep back in. This is a place of hard men (and women), men who are used to extremes in every thing including luck in what is very unforgiving country, often one harvest away from failure. Whilst scale seems to be very important, we blew past many hard scrabble places that looked like they were at the bad end of a losing streak, old gear, run down properties and little hope of any redemption on the horizon - hence my crashing back to reality. We stopped in Ennis for lunch - just about as far away in every sense as you could get from the bullshit of Los Angeles or New York. Other than sharing the love of the flag, there is nothing in common between these hardworking, God fearing and conservative people and the liberal Lovies found on either coast. That said, I doubt many of the aforementioned lovies have a patriotic streak in them, and I know where I’d sooner be. The last leg through to Yellowstone brought with it some excitement- whilst at the Earthquake Centre, the wind came up and the sky darkened, with heavy rain seemingly imminent- Weatherman Jim suggested a run for it (with the local knowledge of the Parks Service man on hand confirming the forecast), we quickly suited up with wet weather gear and were off at pace, yahoo. Fortunately the weather gods only toyed with us - other than a few bits and pieces, we dodged what our hosts at tonight’s accommodation said could have been a big storm. Our introduction to Montana yesterday was interesting- river rafting is obviously a big thing here, and very inviting too. We were travelling during the heat of the day and to see people enjoying the rivers was almost cruel. If we’d stopped anywhere close I’d have been tempted to head straight in, clothes, boots and all.
The early start this morning was a blessing - initially quite cold so out with winter gloves and more layers - we departed in what appeared to be fog, which soon disappeared as Nev cranked up the speed. The open roads here have speed limits from 55mph to 80mph, which is awesome for covering ground quickly. When travelling at about 75mph at one point we were passed by a gas tanker who was probably doing 90 (145kph). It is not unusual to see a pickup truck towing a massive trailer (caravan) travelling at a speed that would cause real angst in NZ. We ate up over half our required distance very quickly in the cool of the morning before stopping for coffee (and Breakfast for those late starters) which is better that a late start and suffering late in the afternoon - that said, some have other preferences. Our lunch stop at a gas station in Montana City was a treat, with quite an array of fresh salads, sandwiches and the like - even a small area to sit and eat. Unfortunately there was a girl grifting for money both with the store, around the pumps and surrounding area. Young, attractive, slim, heavily tattooed and seemingly in need of funds for an addiction, she was about to have the police called to remove her before moving on herself. Quite tragic. As we left Montana City the group split and did not reconnect again until we hit the hotel - a hour of fast travel along the highway. Despite spending several hours waiting for my bike to be looked at (like being at any hospital A &E), I knew the time spent would pay dividends- there is no point setting off on a journey that is destined to fail. The people at Calgary Harley were friendly and seemed efficient in their own way - frustratingly slowly to me, but the issues appear to be ironed out and the quick trip back to Banff made it worthwhile. MyCalgary based cousins had arranged a dinner - it is many years since I saw most of them and it was humbling that they went to so much trouble. Breakfast in the hotel had proven to be very disappointing on the first morning- a purportedly upmarket hotel serving a buffet including reconstituted eggs really needs to think hard…. Instead we took the bike and rode into town and found a coffee shop. The morning started fairly cool as you’d expect being in the “highest town” in Canada, but an hour into the ride layers were shed and sunblock applied.. We met Koda, a very happy Bernese Mountain dog at one stop - a lovely fella with a head the size of a beer crate. I have been remiss in keeping up with my correspondence- initially because of a lack of motivation due to the heat, then last night due to very poor internet & cell service, so I’m reliant on memory and that is rarely a good thing. We crossed the border from Canada into the US without expecting too much drama and other than being delayed due to a lack of staff and extremely antiquated systems, we’re soon on our way. It is quite remarkable that apparently 10,000 illegals cross the Mexican border into the US without fear or consequence, yet so much effort is placed on dealing (and mucking about) with honest tourists. As with borders everywhere, it is soon apparent that you have crossed from one culture (and inevitably geography) to another. In this instance the landscape quickly reflected a prominent American Indian presence, beat up old houses and cars, trinket and decrepit souvenir shops. There was also an immediate proliferation of billboards, all with a similar message inviting people to sign up to Jesus. Needless to say, being on a mission of our own, we did not have time to heed the call. A few miles down the road (and yes, being in the US we are now in miles), we stopped in a small town for coffee at a local diner. Unfortunately someone told the busy owner that there were going to be 22 of us (which was not the case) and the poor bugger spun out of control. A few ordered coffee but the trend of the day was milkshakes and “malts” that proved very popular. These diners are fabulous places, busy, honest, awesome. The Grand Lodge at East Glacier Park is certainly impressive and very grand, especially from a distance, and even in the enormous lobby. It was built in 1907
and has not made too many concessions to modernity in the subsequent century and a bit. Incredibly wide hallways led to very small rooms, tiny showers, tiny sinks, 1 electrical outlet, no air conditioning and the most uncomfortable (and small) beds I can recall (ever). That said, the most annoying and disappointing feature was the lack of an elevator, so for those of us on the third floor, something of a test of both strength and more telling, character. Obviously there is a market for this for this old world charm although they’d struggle to get a rave review from this weary traveler although the fairly large Mennonite group, complete with beards and bonnets, seemed to be enjoying themselves. The centrepiece in the lobby is a mountain goat who I suppose was too impressive for his own good, ending up in a glass case instead of were he’d prefer to be.. Anyway, once settled in and cleaned of the dust and heat from a long day, we assembled out on the deck for pre meeting drinks - tomorrow we have an early start, bags down at 6:30 (much to the collective dismay of those who are not early risers. Revelstoke is another lovely town in the Rockies, popular with adventurous outdoorsy types in the summer and skiers in the winter, and like Queenstown, too expensive for those who work in the town to actually live there.
A few of our adventurous types popped into the local Cannabis store and ended up with “gummy bears” that would apparently cure all ills, and a few joints.. not for me. In deference to a one hour time change later in the day, and much to the disgust of those who stayed up late the night before, we had an 8am departure - a bit cooler too. Another day with the very best riding and scenery anywhere, with more snow on the mountain tops as we climbed higher into the Rockies. We stopped for coffee (and creamy delights at a very nice bakery) in the town of Golden. Very much a town of two halves, Golden is picturesque and lovely on one side of the railway tracks, and as a fairly significant railway hub, very industrial on the other. Baldric and Yvonne started counting wagons on a passing train -unfortunately it stopped moving at 80 which was probably less than half way. - huge. Banff is a very pretty tourist town, famous for the eye wateringly expensive and impressive Banff Springs Hotel (we are in more humble but still very nice accommodation). We had arranged to meet my cousins from Calgary tomorrow night, but purely by chance bumped into them at our hotel. We enjoyed dinner and were amazed to see a doe and her wee Bambi just a metre or two away, unconcerned about those onlookers. It was a concern to see the doe (and baby) trot across the road into oncoming traffic - fortunately no issues. Despite the repairs in Kamloops and the best efforts of Doc & Nev, problems with my bike have continued, so I was dispatched 140km to Calgary Harley Davidson (I am writing as I wait for a diagnosis and prognosis , 4 hours so far). After settling in to our hotel after a hot day’s ride, several enthusiastic souls set off to the local Harley dealer -unfortunately a combination of distance, road works and being on the cusp of rush hour made this a far more difficult proposition than anticipated.
I had an ongoing issue with the cooling system on my bike and optimistically hoped that a technician would have a look - unfortunately, the message was “Come back in a week”. Fortunately Eagle Rider have more sway than me, so after he and Neville reviewed the situation, Doc had progressed the issue down that avenue the attitude changed markedly. . So, back to the dealership first thing, we watched the bike get wheeled into the workshop and waited. Seems we lucked in - whilst spares were not available they were cannibalised off a brand new bike (wow), and three hours later we were away. I guess there was an upside for all parties - I did buy a pair of boots. Back to Kanloops - a city of about 90,000 people apparently famous as a function and gathering place for all manner of activities, both summer and winter. Some of our group were bailed up by members of the New Zealand Women’s Fly Fishing team, all of whom were from Taupo, who just happened to know Tina, also from Taupo - small world. The city shares a significant drug problem (plenty of evidence at every turn) with most other cities in North America, with opioids being the flavour de jour, with no solutions apparent regardless of the money being thrown at it. I vaguely recall the prospect of brief periods of heavy rain during the afternoon being mentioned at last nights meeting - whilst travelling solo to catch up with the team after repairs (Linda had wisely opted to travel with Doc in one of the vehicles) I was hit by a shower with raindrops like budgies - when the second shower hit I stopped to put on my rain jacket - naturally, the rain stopped shortly afterwards. A slightly different tangent. The biggest selling vehicle in North America is the Ford F150 pickup truck- a fairly big and impressive wagon. I can vouch for this because I experienced one pretty much first hand this afternoon - he was an oncoming vehicle overtaking a line of trucks coming towards me in my lane, and with a combined speed of over 200km/hr things were happening faster than either of us would like and the front of this F150 was getting very big. It was patently obvious to me that unless I took to the shoulder (and quickly), the impact would be monumental. Phew. Whilst the scenery was again varied and spectacular I neglected to take many photos other than the attached. Unfortunately the poor buggers who motivated the shot are barely visible, hanging by ropes half way down a rock cliff working with jack hammers in a cloud of dust - in 35C. Hard yakka. so, showered and ready for our 5:30 meeting- time to find a beer or two. I was reminded that last time we passed through Cache Creek, massive fires were burning throughout British Columbia, with a heavy brown haze being a factor we had to deal with - not today though.
This morning started for most of us with breakfast at the unassuming diner next door - two very efficient ladies (one cooking, the other front of house) served up fairly substantial meals, with quantity certainly making up for any lack of imagination. I love the down to earth honesty of these places. Doc and Nev have spent many hours meticulously our daily routes, effort very much appreciated by the rest of us. Nev led us into more fabulous scenery, more lakes, up mountains and down the other side, riding as good as you’d get anywhere. we stopped at another fairly simple looking diner for lunch - music and a menu from the 50’s and 60’s, with most opting for chicken wraps, burgers and sandwiches- there were some very spectacular pies in the cabinet and I decided to try the Banana Cream - purely for the benefit of review - spectacular, but definitely a “oncer”. I will mention quickly in passing that our arrival saw me rest my Harley in a slightly embarrassing position- fortunately it was a zero speed situation that caused no damage other than to my ego - the owner of a camper van close by was relieved to see that I was between it and his pride and joy. Today I noticed the smells associated with agriculture, hay and silage being cut, manure ponds too close to the road, and the smell of irrigated water on dry pasture. That said, these areas are few and far between with most looking fairly untouched and “natural”. Over the past couple of days it is apparent by the numbers of wrecked cars, pickup trucks and abandoned farm machinery that we have entered a poor area.These vehicles inevitably surround the dwelling, with wrecks seemingly being left to rust and rot into the ground. A few lucky travellers spotted a mother bear with 2 cubs - very special. I saw a fox trot across a fairly busy road, seemingly unconcerned with anything other than his task at hand. The weather has been very kind to us, perhaps too kind - there are a few sunburned faces and people now thinking about what the next couple of weeks will bring as we transition from 32 degrees to an anticipated 40+ as we move southward. As mentioned we collected our bikes yesterday, then had the rest of the day to fill. People headed off far and wide only to find we had to move out of the hotel due to a booking snafu - obviously not convenient and very stressful for some at short notice, but everyone pulled together and we soon happily ensconced at a hotel just around the corner.
Little did we know what lay before us! The rooms were definitely a marked improvement on our first hotel, but the service in the bar and restaurant was beyond embarrassing - young Indian girls with little English and even less experience were tossed headfirst into a situation where they had no chance of pleasing anyone- Fawlty Towers was mentioned more than once. Unfortunately breakfast was a repeat performance. We had our team meeting in a quiet end of the lobby, complete with a forecast from our own travelling weatherman, Mike Chatterley’s alter ego, Jim Hickey I was up early and went for a walk around the neighbourhood. On a grassy empty section I saw a raccoon scurry across then quickly scale a mesh fence - unfortunately I didn’t feature in his plans and he decided to make a quick retreat. Two black bunnies eyed me warily but were not unduly worry’s I passed by. bags packed, Doc’s Chev Suburban and Barb’s Ford were loaded to their respective limits, and we were off. Once through the city the fun began - great roads, great riding conditions and great scenery - anyone who visits New Zealand for scenery obviously hasn’t been to Canada. Lakes and rivers that varied from crystal clear to azure blue, from absolutely ripple free, to powerful and fast flowing torrents. We stopped in Whistler for lunch, a town that has both winter (skiing and snow boarding) and summer(downhill biking, walking trails, you name it.sorted, Rather surprisingly we saw none of the road kill ubiquitous to New Zealand roads and a few of us were fortunate enough to see a bear enjoying lunch a few metres into the shrubbery - not advisable to stop to a selfie… Our destination for the night is Cache Creek, a small and very humble village comprising of a gas station, a couple each of motels and restaurants, and the event present liquor store. Our motel, “The Bear Claw” is a log cabin affair, run by very hard working Asian couple. |
Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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