Big Rocky Mountain Ride. Part One: Denver to Glacier

Last year my friend Drew decided that he would take a long ride through the Rocky Mountains.  
He really wanted to have someone ride with him so I decided to tag along.  I didn't have a suitable bike so I committed to rent a BMW F650GS, the model year with the 800cc twin cylinder engine.  

He drove out in his pickup truck with his BMW F800GS.  He offloaded at the rental shop and off we went.

For a practice run the first day we rode up Mount Evans, then back into Denver for dinner.

The next day we embarked on quite a ride.  It started by heading north to Loveland, then west through Rocky Mountain National Park.  After riding through that, Drew had found a 25 mile dirt road that was a short cut to our destination for the day, Rock Springs, Wyoming.  It was interesting, me, new to off road riding, lugging this heavily loaded large motorcycle through the rough stuff, but I made it easily.  We then headed north, lunch in Walden, then to I-80 where it was 95 degrees with a 40 mph sidewind.  We traveled at 80 to 85 mph.  Passing trucks in the wind involves getting sucked into the back, then riding alongside, then getting blown away as you pass the front.  We did this about 100 times in the 140 miles of this ride.  It was not pleasant but we were pleased to make it.

The next morning we headed north to Grand Teton National Park.  At the start, Drew stopped to check his tire pressures as his bike felt strange.  Pressures were down significantly so we aired up and it turned out to be fine.  Probably related to the long hot day before.  We arrived in Grand Teton and got our room at the Jackson Lake Lodge.  I noticed that we were near Idaho and wanted to add that to my states visited, so I embarked on a 140 mile round trip to Idaho.  Drew wanted to ride trails so he did that.  When crossing into Idaho, I wanted to do something, saw a sign for the Grand Teton Brewing Company and stopped for a small beer and tee shirt.  Then rode back to the lodge.  That lodge is very cool with a great view.  Fantastic day.

The next day was another big ride through Yellowstone National Park, to Bozeman, Montana.  Yellowstone was fine.  We did the tourist thing and went to Old Faithful.  It was not what I expected as we viewed it with around 2000 others.  We sped through the rest, so we really didn't give the park the attention it deserved, but every parking lot was full and all the areas were busy.  Not really what I like to see.

Bozeman was a nice town.  We ate at the Montana Ale Works where our server suggested we ride to Livingston after we left.  We did and enjoyed the scenery and the little town.

We rode to Kalispell the next day for our adventure through Glacier National Park.  

Tomorrow's blog

Bikers, picking up my rental.

At the top of Mount Evans

Rocky Mountain National Park

We ran into some real dirt riders on our dirt shortcut

Rest stop on I-80.  95 degrees, 40 mph wind.

Jackson, Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park

The view from the Jackson Lake Lodge Bar

Montana Ale Works

Livingston, Montana

Mother's Day

Today was Mother's Day.  I am very fortunate to have both of my parents, both healthy and active. Today, the four brothers took Mom to a big lunch at FishCo at Atlantic Beach. Dad too.  Mom had Dungeness Crab, and ate the entire thing. 

All mothers are special, but mine is the best. 

Cars and Coffee

This morning I rode the Honda over to Cars and Coffee, a once-a-month gathering at the parking lot at the Florida Times-Union building.  Usually the local SCCA has a tent set up with autocross cars included but they were missing today.  Still a lot of fine cars and people.

Lotus Elan, the inspiration for my Mazda Miata

Old Austin Healeys and middle aged Ferraris

The Players Championship

Jacksonville and the surrounding area has several large events each year.  There is the Florida Georgia football game, Jaguar football games including the Superbowl in 2005.  There is also the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and now a crowd funding event called One Spark.  They are all good, but the Players Championship is among them.

I have been to most since the first one at the Sawgrass Country Club.  It moved to its own course, TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in 1983 and except for the years in Bermuda and missing it last year due to the 7bsc ride to North Carolina, I have been at least one day to every one.

I went yesterday and spent the entire day.  It was an invitation by a contractor friend Matt Carlton and his son Matthew.  Tickets included entry into the private tent for Ring Power with open bar and nice food.  Small covered and cooled viewing as well.

But we walked around and saw most of the best golfers several times as we would move ahead and see the best groups go through.

The famous 17th island hole with Zach Johnson, Graeme McDowell and

Jordan Spieth (in second place now)

New Keys

I have been down to my master key and the original blue key for years now.  The blue key lost its blue cover several years ago and I have been wanting to add to the collection so I would be certain of having a key even if one gets lost.

I ordered one a couple of years ago, went through the programming routine spelled out in the manual and it didn't work.

So with the Scooter Cannonball rapidly approaching, and me really wanting to be certain of having my keys along the way, I contacted Jim Hamilton at Absolute Lock and Key in Camden, Maine.

I sent off the master key, the brown one in the photo, via US Post last Friday.  After receiving a notification that he received the key on Monday, he also contacted me to say the key was mailed yesterday, Wednesday, and I now have it on Thursday.  I tested them and both work like the original.  I actually think that they are a clone of the master key so I essentially have three master keys now.

What a spectacular service.

Now, upon arrival in Prince George, British Columbia, if the timing is bad, Will, Doug and George can just leave my scooter at the airport.  I will have a key and can start it and head to a hotel or Smithers.  What a relief.

New, New, Master and Old Keys

Apartment Living

My wife, Sarah, had decided that the incursion of much new traffic caused by the new restaurants in the block next to our house has become so much of a problem that we are moving.

In preparation for the move, she is getting the wear fixed in the house.  One of those items is the wood floors in the kichen, dining, breakfast and foyer of the house.  This makes it not possible to get into the house as we would have to cross wet floors to get from any of the three doors to the remainder of the house.

Luckily, we have a 330 s.f. apartment in the back of the house.  It consists of two rooms about 11' x 11' plus a tiny bathroom that has a shower that is maybe 28" square.

We moved into it on Tuesday night, a night that coincided with our daughter Kylie coming home for a stay from school in Gainesville.  Her plus our two Golden Retrievers makes for a full house.  

In the mornings, in order to not disturb them at my very early rising time, I just get up, take a shower, get dressed and off to the office.  I got there before 6:00 today.

To top it off, the water is draining very slowly at the moment.  It might not work for them this morning.  I am calling the plumber at 7:00 to get it cleared.

Edit:  Met the plumbers there at 10:00.  It took them ten minutes to get it cleared.  It should be good for a while now.

41

I have never had any favorite number or such until I chose 41 as my number for running SCCA Autocross events seven years ago.  I had 14 once but 41 fit better.  So, for the Scooter Cannonball, even though it doesn't appear that numbers are required, or even wanted, I had my local graphic store make these for me.  They are small, only 4" in diameter, but they will work fine.

They are magnets.  Let's hope they stay on at 80+ mph.