Trust me........

Tom (on sidewalk) just bought a shiny new Super Tenere, and he wants to take a nice ride to check it out. 

Tom's son, Jess, friend Brad, and I accept Toms invitation to ride north into Idaho and Montana, going over Lolo Pass and on scenic roads through Idaho.

Tom on his S-10, Jess on his Tiger, Brad on a V-Strom 650, and me on my Ultimalte Adventure Touring Machine......the  Kawasaki Nomad..... waa waa waaaaaaaaaaaa.

I had wanted to take the V-Strom, but the rear tire I ordered from Tire Express hadn't arrived in time (and has STILL not arrived 10 days later...) so I was 'stuck' taking Elsa the Kaw..

Brad is a dirt bike guy, and this is his very first road trip.

Might as well break him in on the most boring road possible; we did the super slab slog to Pocatello.

Stopping in Pocatello we decide to try and find a Subway for lunch, I'm pretty sure I heard someone say, "Trust me, Subway's are everywhere!"

After much wandering through the crazy Pocotello streets, we finally find one and have a great lunch.

Idaho is nicknamed the Gem State and for good reason, it is beautiful! But it could also be called the Totally Effed Up Road System State. Trust me, don't go there without a (working) GPS. Our GPS was not currently working.

 After lunch we take off to the Middle of Nowhere Idaho.There were some roads that none of us had been on, SRs 22,33,28. They look pretty lonely and Tom asks me if I thought we could get gas on those roads, "Of course," I say, "Trust me there will be gas somewhere along the way."

And there was....sort of, our guages are getting pretty low, but  all it took was some smart phone net searching, and a two phone calls, and voila! There was gas on another nearby road... not far away in Mud Lake Idaho.See? I was right!

 Gassed up and faunching at the bit, we are off again. Next stop is Tendoy, Idaho. The very nice lady at  the very small store asked us all to sign her 'visitors registor'. We happily did, and she and her son gave us some good advice as to where we could camp.We asked if the campsite had running water, the lady said "no", and suggested we buy more bottled water, but the son said "Trust me there is a water tap at the campground".

There was not a tap. Lucky for us we had bought a gallon of water at the store.
The campground was 6 miles up a dirt road.

 Setting up and getting comfy, that is until Brad tells us he saw two bears not far from camp.

 It's all good and the next morning is gorgeous! See the moon?

Had we seen these last night we might have put them on the menu and gobbled them up! 

We make it to Lolo Pass and Brad poses by the famous sign. Can you see his grin under the helmet? 

 Brad, Tom, and Jess. More grins!

 I had told the guys that we didn't need to fuel in Lolo City, "Trust me" I said, "There is gas farther up the pass." Once again I was sort of right. We somehow miss the station I was thinking about and arrive at the visitors center at the top of Lolo. Discussing our fuel situation a man overhears us and tells us of a gas pump a short 12 miles farther down the road.

Lochsa Lodge has a couple of pumps. The unusual thing about this place is the sign on the pumps, "Gas first, then pay inside". Wow...don't see that very often!
Once again, I was sort of right....when will these guys learn to trust me?

 R and R stop.

There is this large "Elk".....on the hotel roof where we stay. The elk seems to be holding up the shiny round street light, if you take a look from the rear of the elk you see another shiny round thing on his ....underside.

 Next morning, we get gas and other necessities as we prepare to leave Kooskia.

 A few miles out of town.

 A few more miles down the road.

 Rest stop. All these Rest Stops were actually Catch up stops. Those guys would stop so Elsa and I could catch up.

Don't text and fly, a lesson this bird learned to late!

 On our way to a campsite at Challis we see this wildfire. The firefighters camp is in the foreground.

 Down the road aways.

 Yes another rest errr catch up stop.

TBS - Tired Butt Syndrome.
and
HCS - Happy Camera Syndrome

At the last catch up stop before we ride to Challis we wonder if we have enough gas to make it without fueling. The mileage we needed to go would put me at around 200 miles on this tank, so I say, "I can make it, Trust me" 

The other guys stopped at a station to top off, but I went on, mostly because I knew I had some back up.

And.

I make it to Challis.

See? No problem! Elsa has a 5.2 gallon tank. Pleeeeeenty of gas still in the tank....

While we discuss where we want to camp, one of our party has an issue crop up that is beyond his control. He decides the best solution is to ride for home. We've already done a little over 400 miles this day, and home is a little over 300 miles away. Pfffffft...no problem!

We started out as a group, and we'll end as a group as well. We all grab some snacks and jump back on the bikes to ride home. Alls well that ends well, and this was, well, a GREAT ride. Great roads, great company.

Thanks Tom, Jess, and Brad for a fun ride!

If you get an invitation from Tom to go on a ride, do it! Trust me....

North a

North or South? Vegas buddy Mike, aka Vegashotwheeler is doing one of his burger runs,

(South).
Of course I want to go, but, brother-in-law Bruce aka Bruce, has set up a ride from Idaho Falls to Salmon Idaho (North).
Equally of course I want to see my B-I-L.
Blood wins out and I ride north.

Day one.
Near Logan, home of Utah State University.

No bull about it, I think there are some happy and relaxed bovines up here.

Bear Lake is high this year, almost to the road.

 I ride through Paris....Idaho.

The Paris Tabernacle.

County building.

 On highway 89 near the Wyoming border, some creative person made these. They are about 30' long.

US 89

 Some farm pics

I got a late start, so after the 300 miles to Idaho Falls, I grab a room and crash for the night.

North b

Day two.

My hotel is near the Water Falls of Idaho Falls. Right across the river is the LDS Temple; there was a nice view on this misty morning.

I meet the other riders at Bruce's house and we are on our way.

We stop in Arco for a snack. Each year the graduating high school class paints their year on this mountain.

 Leaving Arco, Bruce is in front, then Allen, and Reed.

 Wildlife.

 Had a super lunch in Salmon at Bertram's brewery! I had the mushroom burger, Bruce had the deep fried pickles done is a beer batter dredge. (not really certain what that is, but...)

 Salmon main street.

The other three ride back to Idaho Falls, I get a hotel in Salmon.
I find out later that those guys hit hard rain, and had gasoline issues on the way home.... They should have stayed with me!

Day Three

 Leaving Salmon I was soon in rain, I had forgotten my rain pants, it's a good thing Reed had told me about some good rain pants to be had at Walmart for cheap!

 Going over Lolo Pass I see a hotsprings and decide I need a hike, so I walk the 1 1/2 miles to the spring and  find out there are several pools to soak in. I observe that some are clothing optional, but as you can see my trunks drying on the bike you know what I chose. I shared a pool and nice conversation with a couple of very well endow.....err, I mean pleasant ladies.

 Back on the road - several miles later I'm alone on the two laner with one other vehicle, a pickup who is in front of me about 200 yards. I see the truck slowing and notice what turns out to be a moose leaving the road and up the tree covered hill. The truck drives on, and I proceed slowly in case the moose steps out on the road again.

I'm fifty feet or so from where the moose went up the hill when suddenly a brown something, maybe a brown lab....plops down from where the moose went up the hill,  directly in my lane in front of me.  The brown something starts to move and I realize it is a moose calf.  Apparently, it had tripped on the very steep hill and tumbled down the mountain making a very hard landing on the road. 

Shortly after the calf appeared, momma moose also showed up, jumping on the road looking tense, angry and staring in my direction. Suddenly the two lane road looked extremely narrow! I did what any brave and intrepid moto-explorer would do. . . . . and immediately flipped a U-ey.  As soon as I got the bike turned around I turned in my seat to snap a picture of the scene, but to my surprise saw both of them running toward me.  I think the calf was simply scared and had had his bell rung by the fall and merely ran in the direction that he stood up in.  Momma was in protective mode and running to protect her calf. The only problem is. . . . I was directly in front of them. 

So. . . . I dropped my camera (lanyard attached) shifted into first gear and took off, re-grabbed my camera still trying to capture the event while monitoring the location of momma moose in my mirror.  When I observed momma gaining on me, I clutchless shifted into second gear and accelerated.  All the while trying to snap pictures. 

I got numerous pictures of the road, the sky, and various motorcycle parts, but only the two below with the calf in them.

Finally, the calf headed off the road and up the hill, and the excitment was over.  After getting a safe distance away, I flipped another U-ey and took the picture of momma moose.  She loitered on the road for a few minutes and then followed the calf up the hill.

I cautiously go on my way to Lewiston, Oregon where I will spend the night.

North c

Day four.

I leave Lewiston and go on beautiful US 12 to Oregon,  then I follow the equally beautiful US 395 and 26

Just before the Washinton state line I see this;

Canoe you guess what it is?

 The Washington state line.

 Draw bridge over the Snake river.

 Garfield County building.

 Columbia County Courthouse

 Stopped and got some oranges and cherries here and snacked on them for the next four days.

 My rear needs a break so I pull into tiny Mitchell for a gas stop, but the only station in town is closed for the day. A local tells me Prineville is about 30 miles away, so no problem, I know I have more than enough gas.

As I prep to leave two more moto-travelers pull in the station, a Buel and a Ninja. I tell them the station is closed and in answer to their question, tell them Prineville is about 30 miles away. They discuss between themselves and agree if they take it easy they might just be able to make it.

I turn again to them and intend to say that I have plenty of gas, and would be happy to give them my cell number in case they run out, I would get a gas can and come back to rescue them.

I say 'intend', because as I start talking the leader of the two turned his back and started talking over me to his riding buddy.

Well... ok then.

I resume my ride, but as I pull back onto the main road I see a sign, "Prineville - 47 miles".

Uhh Ohh.

I stay overnight in Redmond at the Hub Motel. The Hub is not a 5 star facility, but then again it was only $30.00 It was clean, the staff was professional, and best of all, cheap! If I tour on US 26 again I will definitely stay in the Hub.