We left Missoula early this morning with a realization that our trip is almost over. Frank and I are anxious to get home and see our families. Allen is anxious to get home to get away from Frank and I. (Not really, we've had great fun with him as well as at his expense.) Carol is mixed about it gradually ending. Carol and Allen have already been on the road for over four weeks while Frank and I will have been on the road almost four weeks when we get back. Anyway, more on this later, we're tired but excited to get home. Also, I failed to mention that on the run around Glacier National Park yesterday Allen really got on his mojo and took off. I don't know how he does it with a WFI (Wife Fault Indicator) on the back. It's hard enough to work your mojo in a serious way when you're alone and your wife's voice is whispering to you to slow down. It must be really hard when she's screaming in you ear and digging her fingernails into your neck. Carol you're a trooper.
We left Missoula on Hwy 93 through the Bitter Root Valley. (There are more direct routes home on the interstate but none of us like the interstate much so we stick to the back roads) It's a pretty valley that winds along a river and was a great ride. Very large forest fire scars part of the valley as is shown in the first picture featuring furiously fast, fast as the very wind itself, Frank.
We left Missoula on Hwy 93 through the Bitter Root Valley. (There are more direct routes home on the interstate but none of us like the interstate much so we stick to the back roads) It's a pretty valley that winds along a river and was a great ride. Very large forest fire scars part of the valley as is shown in the first picture featuring furiously fast, fast as the very wind itself, Frank.
Up over the Continental Divide and down into the Salmon River valley. This area has lots of history as Lewis and Clark went through this part of Idaho. It's also where the Nez Perce indians went. I stopped and read some of the roadside markers (to which my children would say: "Who are you and what have you done with our father?" OK in the past I was a little focused on the destination rather than the trip.) Fascinating stuff that I hope to come back and see after doing some research.
Down through Salmon (the Salmon River is the picture on the left) on 93 to Challis where we turn southeast on 93 and go over the Willow Creek Summit, elevation 7165 ft. The summit is where I took the last picture of Borah Peak, the highest point in Idaho at 12,655 ft (glad I don't have to do those metric conversions anymore) This also where a trooper suggested that Furiously Fast Frank slow down. You'll notice that the landscape is pretty dry, nothing but grass and sagebrush. This is a very arid part of Idaho and not one of the prettier parts of the state. (That's why so few pictures) Boring ride the last 100 miles into Pocatello for the night. The wind was beating us up pretty bad for this part of the day too.
We had not heard from John and Hayne all day until this evening and it turns out that they were just one step ahead of us all day. They had gotten further south last night than we did so decided to press on to Salt Lake 150 miles down the road today. Frank and I thought about it but in that we would hit Salt Lake during Friday evening traffic on the freeways, decided to just wait until tomorrow, Saturday, to get through Salt Lake.
Had a rather funny incident in Mackay Idaho, a little tiny town on Hwy 93 where we stopped for gas and lunch. When we got there we got gas first and, in that it was noon and getting warm, I took off my coat in the gas station to shed some of the layers underneath. When I laid my coat down my camera must have fallen out of the unzipped pocket onto the floor. I didn't notice it and, after stuffing my sweatshirt into my Jesse bag, got on the bike and road down the street to a small cafe. As we were standing at the counter to order a man walked in and handed me my camera. He said it was on the floor of the gas station and he recognized my "butt". As he handed me the camera I noticed it was turned on and one of the pictures of me walking into the ocean for my polar "bare" plunge was on the screen. He had apparently gone through some of the pictures to try and figure out who the camera belonged to, found a picture of my bike and then me entering the ocean 'au natural', then went out and saw the bike on the street and me in the restaurant. When he said he recognized my butt I'm sure he was joking, I think. Moral of the story, keep your coat zipper zipped so your bare facts are not revealed. Need to remember to delete those pictures.
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