The Last Ride

As Todd said, "The last Ride". No more posts. Going to finish it off with a Tiger game tomorrow. Spent way too much money (for a professional ticket dude), but just want to sit in decent seats with my buddy and watch baseball.

Bye. If Neil is going down, so am I. Don't think of this as a total farewell, already planing the next trip :0

Lincoln / Omaha, NE to Milwaukee, WI to Muskegon, to Grand Rapids, MI

Ok, now trying to get back home and finish the trip. Really wanted to keep going but evidently there is a relative squatting in my house. Things are broken, (lots of) things are missing, frat-party damage, antique automobiles driven without permission / insurance, attempt (s) to illegally enter my home, missing keys to my dwelling as well as other people's homes , etc. In my life - the usual because this person is a looser.

One of the main destinations I had planned to stop at was a place in Bonners Ferry, ID. However,  I couldn't stop there because what could I report on that was positive?? Pending assault charges? Lawyers calling me while I was on my trip to demand payment for fraud (non-payment of rent for over a year), calls from my partner informing me of damage to my house? Neighbors complaining about broken glass, bleeding people, fires in my back yard, etc?????

What a way to end a beautiful trip - coming home, yet again,  to clean up and deal with the mess / carnage of a dick-head.

Last ashes of mom, dropped into Lake Michigan departing from  Milwaukee.

A ghost of Uncle David on the left - what is he doing on the ferry to Muskegon?? 

I have many more picts and stories but unfortunately back to reality,  so no motivation to continue posting. 

Best Food on the Trip

This is pretty easy to compose (not in order of being the best,  just the memories):

• Prime Rib in Yellowstone - either Buckaroo or BearTooth restaurant, cant remember the actual name. But bartenderess has life figured out. Five months in West Yellowstone,  rest of the year in Key West. 

• Salmon Burger in Port (Mark, Renne) Renfrew, Vancouver Island, B.C.  - totally unreasonable wait for food. But if you are located at the end of the world, you can dictate the waiting time. Wanted to stay at Handsome's Dan's cottages but they were booked. 

• Fillet Minion (wrapped in Bacon with football sized potato) - Cody, WY - this place has terrible reviews, because of the wait and slow service. I didn't experience these difficulties because I told the bartender that I was with Bert, not a Harley

• Sonic - North Platte, NE - the bomb, chillies in the burger, flies circling Bert and 1, 700 degrees in the shade. They do not take cash, only credit cards

• Coeur d'Alene - Doritos and a Sprite after a long ride, late at night, no hotels and time to sleep

Ft. Collins to Lincoln / Omaha, NE area

Time to start the journey home. Lots of places I still want to visit, but it is time to point Bert towards the big lake. My original plan (per conversations with Road Hog and others) was to return via the northern route (either hwy 2 or 200) but that would require a significant drive north before turning right and heading home. As much as I try to avoid interstate highways, the best route was 34 out of Loveland / Greeley to 76 to 80 east. 

No pictures on this post - this was a ride through nothing. The main sensory function used was not my eyes, but my nose. This is cattle country. Huge cattle ranches and "processing facilities".  Miles of veal-farms (small enclosures where the cute little cattle can hardly move so that their meat remains tender). And the stink - flashback to reading Upton Sinclair novels. Herding pens, large manure mountains, and did I mention the stink??  

Then corn country starts. I think Michigan has lots of corn, but in the real mid-west there are hundreds of miles of either grazing land or corn. And did I mention hotness? Flashback to the summer of 1974 when my friend Pat C. and I drove my van from A2 to Denver. When we were in Nebraska, it was so hot that my battery exploded and the acid coated most of the front of the van. This was MF hot, you-can-die-in-this-hot type of environment. Then I started thinking about how our trip ended - going to see Eric Clapton (and surprise guest George Harrison) play at some cow palace in Denver. When the concert was over, we went back to my van. Everything stolen / stripped from the van. I had no money except for a Standard Oil credit card. We had to drive back to Michigan and only stop at Standard gas stations to get gas and food (back then, there was NO "full service" gas stations, best we could hope for was a soda and a slim jim).

Ok, back to the trip. Did I tell you about the stink?? Sorry. When you ride with full gear on, and you are melting down in the 95-degree heat your head gets funny.

Once I crossed the state line into Iowa, the topography changed. Many people dis Iowa, but to me the terrain is somewhat similar to Michigan except that there is no UP, the Great Lakes, and the people have much more realistic expectations about their sports teams (RIP Johnny Orr). 

Ended up somewhere between Lincoln and Omaha, almost out of gas. Out of energy, just wanting to sleep.  One of my last hotel stays and certainly the worst of all. Motel 6 - "we leave the light on, the blaring TV in the next room on, and whatever critters have gathered in your room - no charge". And as a bonus, we have hired a dysfunctional (toothless) crack addict to greet you upon arrival. Welcome! 

Another Road Hog Story

When I was ascending / descending the various passes in the Rocky Mountains, I recalled a story that Road Hog told me about going over the BearTooth outside of Yellowstone. He and his wife were ascending the pass when it began to snow. He said they were going barely 5-10 MPH, in second gear, up the road. The sleet had covered his face and he asked his wife to wipe the sleet off. She said "F-no, this was your stupid idea, my hands are too cold and they are staying in my pockets".

Once they made it to the top, it was warm on the other side and the ride continued without further conflict.

Winter Park to Idaho Springs to Estes Park to Granby to Ft. Collins

A very long day, but over-the-top views. Rode through the heart of Rocky Mountains National Park. Ride included a 12, 000 foot ascent / decent / ascent / decent via the highest continuous paved road in the US. I rode up, over and down, then turned abound and did the route in reverse. Only negative of the day was stopping in Estes Park. Nothing against the town, but it was an overload of people, cars, tourist shops, etc. Like Mackinaw Island on steroids. Probably a great place to spend a few days with a family, but just "too much" for me.

On the way to Estes Park, I went through a town called Central City / Black Hawk (population around 600 people). Clearly this was a mining town in the past and there are still many visible mining buildings in the area. Part of the 1860's gold rush, the Gregory Lode in Gregory Gulch (cool names) was the main gold bearing vein. What is interesting is that these two small towns are out in the middle of nowhere, but host a least 30 casinos in an area the size of Dexter, MI. Very strange.

Similar to my other rides over high mountain passes, the photo opts were numerous:

The route out of Estes Park towards Loveland / Ft. Collins is hwy 34. It follows the Big Thompson Canyon / River. Beautiful potential pictures, but no place to stop. As I rode down the canyon, it was clear that there had been significant flooding recently (demolished houses, bad erosion). Also, I passed through a town which name sounded familiar. Turns out that in 1976 there was a terrible flash flood which killed 144 people and then another flood last September. The picture below is an example of the devastation which occurred. The road in the picture is the route I road on today :().

Ft. Collins to Winter Park via Roosevelt and Arapahoe National Parks

A very pretty, twisting ride today. Took 14 west out of Ft. Collins to 125 South through Granby and stopped in Winter Park for the night. Didn't take a lot of pictures, but not because of bad scenery, just a great day to ride along twisty roads. I love roads where they have a gate and flashing lights and a sign which says "if the lights are flashing turn around and go home". Learned that there are no Grizzly Bears in Colorado so decided to stop along the way and took a nap next to a stream.  A few picts to illustrate the ride:

Checking into the hotel I asked the lady where she was from. She said Holland. She and her husband came out to Winter Park for a vacation and never left. She said "we get along fine, he is a downhill skier and I like cross country skiing. I do the front desk work and he does the maintenance, we never see each other :)".

Winter Park is a big ski area. However, I cant imagine driving up from Denver, during a snow storm, on a Friday night, via the twisty roads.

Things to take, not take next time

Things I would not take next time:

• Half my clothes. I way over packed on clothing. I did not need 3 pairs of shorts, 5 nice short sleeved shirts, 3 pairs of jeans, etc.
• Half my toiletries. There are places called stores where you can buy anything you need, no reason to fill up your luggage with this stuff
• My camera case. My camera spent the entire trip in my tank bag. My camera case just took up space in one of my luggage bags. Only used it to keep a bottle of Gatorade cool during the day
• Wax and chrome polish - total waste of space
• Duplicate tools. I'm riding a BMW, not a Harley so nothing is going to break anyway. I don't need 2 sets of identical hex tools, 5 screwdrivers, my oil change kit, etc.
• Spare raincoat. My rain gear is better and more functional than my north face rain jacket
• Battery charger - I'm riding 4-8 hours per day, if that doesn't charge the battery, I have a battery issue not a charger issue

Things I would take next time:

• Duct Tape
• Extension cord - hotel outlets (especially in budget hotels) are not always located in a practical place
• Music back up. The loss of the first mini was felt every time I wanted to listen to music during a long ride
• Running stuff. It was on the packing list but didn't make the cut due to me thinking I needed a bunch of extra clothes I ended up never wearing. I think my running shoes would have added an extra dimension to the trip and helped me ride less per day
• GoPro Camera!
• Very compact sleeping bag and micro tent. There were hundreds of places in B.C., Washington, Colorado where I could have pulled over and camped. Beautiful places on the beach, next to rivers, etc.
• Michelin - type maps for selected areas. Sometimes google maps didn't work in remote places. Also, needed more detail on rural roads 
• Neosporin and anti-itch cream (saddle sores)

Sheridan to Casper to Cheyenne, WY to Ft. Collins, CO

Nice ride through a lot of space. Everything here is big: the clouds, the contrasts, the vistas, the colors.  Good cruising day, mostly highway, steady 80MPH. Very hot, mid-90s again. Goal was to get to Ft. Collins, CO which is the gateway to Estes Park, Rocky Mountains National Park, etc.

While the ride was long, the scenery was beautiful. I could see the ridge of the Continental Divide mountains to my right. They blocked most of the moisture, so the ride was through very dry landscape. However, it was clear that at some point in time there was lots of water in this area.

Ended up at a hotel near the first legal recreational marijuana dispensary in Colorado. The traffic going in and out if the office complex where the dispensary is located is amazing. Stopped at the gas station near the entrance to fill up on gas. Saw an ATM in the store.  Said to the attendant "this is probably a very popular ATM". He smiled and said "oh yes, sometimes they have to fill it three times in a single day".

Thanks Bert

As the trip begins to wind down, I realize how much Bert has played a significant part of the ride. We are now at 10,150 miles and he has never let me down. All he asks for is food, good shoes, and an occassional bath. We have been through bad rain storms, 12,000 foot accents,  65 miles of bad gravel roads, a flat tire, three lay downs, weeks of 90 plus degree rides, and five near misses.  What a loyal friend.  I may not take Bert to Alaska next year, but he will be in my garage forever.

• Bert has few complaints as long as the octane is the right grade and the oil level is correct
• Bert is designed to Tour. He doesn't need to go to the beauty parlor every evening. In fact, he likes to be dirty and bug covered because he knows he has put in an honest ride and it's the ride /experience that is more important than what others may think

What I began to notice, at about 5000 miles, was that people seemed to immediately notice Bert amongst the other pretty-boy bikes and they came over and wanted to talk. Kind of like the Red Sox with their disgusting, dirty, bashed up batting helmets. This bike is cool, you can tell he is here to ride, whatever the situation, and somehow he will purservere. 

A few more days of Picts and stories and then the ride will be done for awhile until the Alaska journey.

Déjà vu - duplicate keys and similar steaks

Dr. Crosby said "And I feel. Like I've been here before". Well if you have been sitting on a motorcycle for 10,000 miles, things start to blend together. Two stories illustrate this.

A number of the chain hotels have evidently negotiated a deal with Dominos to have the local pizza franchise featured on the hotel room key. I check into some hotel, get my key, drop off my stuff, and go to dinner. I come back and my key won't work. I'm tired, grumpy and my butt hurts. I go to the lobby and start complaining. The desk clerk says "that is the wrong key". I say "no, it is the key you gave me". He says " you are mistaken sir, you are in room 142 and the key / key cover is for room 320". I say " this is the key you gave me". He says "sir, this is Sheridan, WY, and the key/key cover you have is from Cody, WY, look at the phone number". F-me, he is correct and I subsequently go to my room and purge the 29 Dominos keys which I have been jamming into my riding pants.

I go into a steak joint, go to the bar (which if you are a single diner is the most efficient way to get a meal, plus I have garnered so many travel tips from people I have met at the bar). Hardly glance at the menu, order and my wine arrives. Funny, I think. How many places in the middle of nowhere have this Merlot from Chateau st. Michelle? Then the salad comes, things are really getting creepy. Steak arrives and now I'm in the twilight zone. Finally figure out that I'm in a local steak joint chain and just ordered the same meal, in a different city, three days ago. Time to start heading home.

Jackson to Moran Jct., to Riverton to Sheridan, WY via Big Horn park and pass

This is what bad golfers call a round where you "grip it and rip it". In my situation, a perfect day. Bert and I needed to just ride in good surroundings, no tourists, no tricky curves, just good open road. The route I picked was perfect, though much longer than anticipated (on a map, the routes are only 2-3 inches, but F-me, this is out west). Open it up to 85mph, but ended up being a plodder compared to the locals whom blew by me at 95+ MPH.

As with every day on the trip, beautiful and stunning and humbling. What a fricking country we are in. Again, how did people walk across our country before there were McDonald's or Starbucks??

Bert and I just rode, looked at the scenery and grinned.

We were going to stop in Thermopolis for a hot bath, but Bert forgot his swim suit. Took a pict on the way past the spa

Second part of Jackson to Jackson loop

Sitting in a hotel lobby listening to some woman jabber into her cell phone. Or should I say yelling into her phone so that everyone within a 50 mile radius can hear everything about her red couch, terrible boyfriend, the bills she owes, etc. I'm hoping they finally allow cell phone conversations on flights, I will never fly again.

The last time I was in Jackson (many years ago), we took the boat across Jenny Lake towards the mountains. We ran in to a neighbor from A2 who was a professor at UM. He was there with his family and proceeded to brag about how he was getting the U to pay for his vacation. Every time my annual alumni solicitation arrives in the mail (ironically about the same time my summer taxes arrive) I smile as I calmly deposit the solicitation in the recycle bin . 

Beautiful scenery on the ride, but arriving in Idaho a stark reminder of water issues in the west. The level of the Palisades Reservoir, on the Idaho side of the Tetons, has to be down 30-50ft. You can see where the water line was. Unbelievable. Alpine, the town at the end of Reservoir, is probably 100-200feet from the shoreline.  Beautiful houses, on the side of the mountains look over barren sand instead of water. So sad.

A couple of Picts before the next installment. 

Boy Scout Antlers. The Jackson to Jenny Lake to Wilson to Victor to Alpine to Jackson loop

The Boy Scouts of Jackson, WY have a great deal going on. The Scouts control rights to collect and sell elk antlers that are shed in the National Elk Refuge, which is HUGE. Last year, the Scouts gathered 6,514 pounds of antlers and sold them for $61,761. Rumor is that they have  collected millions via antler sales over the years.

I read that on a hockey card, so I cannot verify the data.

The route today was north from Jackson towards Yellowstone, wait 30 minutes for "road construction"  (5 guys doing nothing on side of the road), then take side road back towards Jenny Lake.  Stop and take pictures, rest and then continue the loop. Take twisty road  to Wilson, turn right towards Idaho and either put on snow chains or knobbies. Keep climbing hills until you can't breathe or your pants are soiled from decent into awesome gorges. Then head for Victor, ID, Alpine, back over the mountains to Jackson.

A few Picts and then the story continues.

Oh, no not a good time to ride.

867-5309, Jenny (lake)

.

Always hard to post from Nowhere - Cody, WY to Jackson via lots of roads and tourists and Elk antlers and greased pigs - part 2

When the family did the "out west trip", we went to a Dude Ranch located right outside the entrance   to Yellowstone. One of the side trips from the ranch was a trip into Cody to see a rodeo. Once we got to the rodeo, there was an opportunity to sign up for the greased pig contest. Patrick decided to participate. A bunch of small kids got out into the middle of the stadium and try to tackle a greased pig - so funny. I do not remember taking a camera, but certainly remember the kids chasing the pig.

I bypassed the usual tourist stuff and headed towards Jackson. The Tetons are amazing.  I decided to mimic the Harley guys and ride sans helmet (you go so slow in the park with all the traffic). I now understand two things; it is awesome (but still stupid) to ride without a helmet and I know now why they wear bandanas. Actually I learned it the following day when my dome was on fire from the sunburn.

I took about 200 Picts of the Tetons,  including these:

Elk horn story tomorrow

Always hard to post from Nowhere - Cody, WY to Jackson via lots of roads and tourists and Elk antlers and greased pigs - part 1

Neil said "everyone knows this is nowhere". And when its nowhere, there is no internet and stuff.

This is a proven fact. So I will now try and catch up.

The ride from Cody, via Yellowstone, to Jackson (Hole) is as unique as the ride across Beartooth. Totally different scenery, I forgot how much of a contrast there is. The Cody route is mostly barren (of vegetation) until you reach the park. But the scenery is still spectacular. When I got through the park, I wanted to find a hotel and watch Westerns for 24 hours straight. In spite of the traffic and tourists, the ride from Cody was impressive:

Notice the Big Boy , where did he come from???

Random observations and other stuff

• It seems like 50% of the service workers in West Yellowstone are from Russia or Bulgaria 
• In Wyoming, they have drive-through beer / liquor stores. I was getting gas at the adjacent store and observed a fellow buying a 24-pack of PBR and a half gallon of vodka, via the drive through window, at 7:45 am
• Watched a Japanese guy try to dispose of trash in a bear-proof receptacle. This could have been an awesome candid camera scene. You can't just lift up the lid, you need to reach under a welded handle and push a large button to open. Guy tried everything, walked around the back, etc. I went over and helped him. Then we had to do the bow and exchange business cards. Being unemployed, I think I gave him an expired AAA card
• Next time, I will take 50% less clothes. Talking to a guy at dinner, I said "I won't ever see you again, so I'm wearing this same outfit tomorrow"
• In Wyoming, high-speed internet, means you can connect to the wireless network - but that is it, no actual access to the internet
• I'm waiting for my steak in Cody,WY and the waitress walks by and what I think she says is: "Sir (are you) Paul?". Can't resist, so I say "no I'm the walrus". She doesn't even break stride and says "well here is another clue for you"
• I meet this guy from Indiana who moved out west and is training to be a lineman. He and I talk about the Wild West and people literally walking across the continent in hope of their ancestors becoming software engineers at Cisco. He tells me about replacing poles which were set in the 1800's. Cut somewhere else, floated down rivers, pulled by horses, and set by hand. He says " when I am tired at the end of the day and feeling down, I think about these people and how hard they must have worked"
• A tour bus in Yellowstone tried to run me down because I evidently was going to park in "it's space". Missed my left handlebar by no more than 6 inches. After I reported the asswipe to the ranger (there were several witnesses), I waited a few minutes, pulled out my leatherman, and proceeded to carve asswipe onto the entry door of the bus while mr asswipe was being detained by the rangers 
• In Great Falls, I went to the store to get a sandwich for dinner. After leaving the hotel, I did not secure one of my saddle bags. Pulling out of the Subway, the bag fell off in the turn lane. I immediately turned around at the next intersection and started back to retrieve the bag. A van stopped, some 400 pound woman got out, grabbed my bag and high-fived the driver and started to drive off. I rode through the red light and pulled in front of them as they tried to make a left turn. "You have my bag". "What bag?" "Do not fuck with me, you have part of Bert and you will die painfully within 30 seconds" "oh this bag, we were going to bring it to you.." 

Always check the obvious

I'm in Ft. Collins, CO. I will provide recap of previous rides shortly. Preview of the scenery:

This was taken on the way up to the summit of a ride through Bighorn National Forest (Granite Pass). As I was climbing, Bert was rattling like he had a can of rocks in his stomach. Once I arrived in Sheridan, Wy, he was making rattling noises when at a stop sign or in first gear. Not overheating, no oil temp light on, etc. I was worried because these were new sounds and I didn't like them.

Arrive at the hotel, check in is a total cluster, I'm starting to melt down, have to go back to front desk three times before my keys will open the door. Throw all my stuff in room and walk to a place for dinner. Thinking this will be the last supper, I order a filet and another softball sized baked potato. 

Return it my room and spend the next 2 hours on the internet researching "BMW 1150 rattle". There are dozens of pages and forums related to this symptom. 

• It is chain tensioner 
• Remove your starter and check ...
• Bad gas causing the ping
• You are in too high a gear, downshift and it will go away
• My bike has sounded like this for 50,000 miles
• Buy a Harley and the exhaust noise will drown out everything else
• Don't ride it another mile; you can safely ride it home (1500 miles)
• Starter is defective
• Clutch is defective
• And 50 more causes 

I'm now really worried, leave messages at three dealers (two in Denver area, one in SD). Don't sleep well.

Get up in the morning and remember that the dealer in Seattle said my oil level was low. I assumed they had toped it off... Poured 1/2 a quart of oil into the crankcase. Fired Bert up, rattle is gone. We cruise from Sheridan, WY to Ft. Collins, CO at a steady 85mph. Life is good.

West Yellowstone to Red Lodge to Cody, WY via Beartooth Highway Pass -part 2

Ok, I admit, this route gave me the heart punch. In a car, maybe not so impressive, but on a bike, stunning. People who have not seen this stuff can't understand the beauty, the majestic views, the OMG how to describe it. Can't show this in a picture, need to see it, go slow, and ignore the people who are riding your ass to get to the next landmark.

Oh no, have to ride down this road ;()

West Yellowstone to Red Lodge to Cody, WY via Beartooth Highway / Pass

Last night I arrived in West Yellowstone, found my hotel, and then walked around for awhile. Asked a couple of locals where to eat and I ended up at this place that served me the biggest Prime Rib dinner of my life. The side was a baked potato the size of a slow-pitch softball.  Waddled out of the place and went to the post office to pay a few bills which I don't have set up on-line.

Met a Harley rider who had plates from Florida. Asked him what part of Florida he was from. He frowned and said he was from Spain. Ended up that he rented the bike in San Francisco. Speaking of Harley's, there are thousands of them - evidently the HOG rally in Sturgis, SD is going on and many riders are heading west towards Yellowstone, Tetons, etc. Will be hard to get a hotel room for a few days.

Again, rose very early to get on the road before traffic. Went to the park entrance, paid fee and headed for the northern route through the park. The family did Yellowstone many years ago, but focused on the tourist stuff like old faithful, waterfall, hot springs, etc. I was not that impressed with the park, plus there had been recent fires, so many of the mountains were bald. However, the north route completely changed my thinking about the park.

The Beartooth highway has been called the most beautiful drive in America. The highway climbs up to the Beartooth pass which is close to 11,000 feet. No trailers, trucks, motor homes allowed :) :)! Just amazing scenery. The route starts out in the valley and goes through varied topography. As I started out I kept smelling something. It smelled like Tommy Boy after he has eaten 4 burritos. Fowl is the only way to describe the oder. I kept seeing steam escaping from the ground. I was sure that Tommy Boy was laying on his stomach, letting out the fowl gas and then running through the woods to the next corner I would arrive at.

Then Gord said "I saw Buffalo"

 Climbing higher, thinking of Jackie Wilson.

 Then  Bert needed as selfie ( which is hard for him to do by himself :)

Then it was head-snap every 10 seconds, and I wasn't in Miami beach . Stay tuned to part 2.

Great Falls to Bozeman to Big Sky to West Yellowstone

I know I'm behind on posts, lots of riding, lots of back roads, lots of saddle sores.

Nice, peaceful ride today south to West Yellowstone. Route went through a number of National Parks; Lewis & Brad Clark, Helena, and Gallatin (where Blue Sky is located). Some badlands, but a lot of tree covered mountains. When I think of Montana and Wyoming, a single word comes to mind: space. Everything is big; mountains, valleys, canyons, the sky, the endless flatlands, etc. I keep thinking about people crossing these lands on horseback, covered wagon or walking. Amazing. Also realize what volcanos, ice, mega rivers and no water can do to the earth.

Today was also a riding day, many easy roads, lots of straights to crank it up. Unfortunately, it was in the mid 90s so very hot with my gear on. Kept having to stop to put contact solution in my eyes.

Stopped for late breakfast in the middle of nowhere. Four Harley's parked in lot. Walk in towards only open table. Say to the nearest guy, "I believe I tipped over your bike by mistake". His friend says " don't worry, your bike will be disassembled by the time you finish breakfast". I say "no way, you will need German tools". Guy says "oh don't worry, I have a mini sawzall in my saddle bag".

A few Picts of the ride:

Kalispell to Great Falls via the Going to the Sun road, with a stop to see a Grizzly Bear - Part 2

The traffic was heavy, but we never came to a standstill. One reason is that the road is limited to cars, no motor homes or large trailers allowed.

I rode the route west to east. I think next time I will start at eastern entrance. Took Hwy 89 (which is a scenic byway road) towards Great Falls, MT.  The scenery was totally different. Mostly barren of trees, but rolling country with buttes, hidden canyons, and just a lot of space. I forgot how big Montana was.

Not many people on the road, mostly local ranchers. I'm cruising along at at steady 70 mph, when I notice a strange car in my mirror. I can't figure out what it is. It appeared to have a Cadillac grill, but the car was too high off the ground. I slowed down to let it pass. F-me, it was indeed a Cadillac body welded on to a large heavy duty Dually truck frame ( 4 wheels on the rear). To top it off, the bubba had bull horns mounted on his hood. I figured this would be the most bizarre thing I would see. Little did I know what was about to happen. I came to a fork in the road. The road was not shown on my paper map so I opened google maps and saw that it was a twisty road following a river. I turned right and was on my way. It was indeed a twisty road going through pine forest. I come around a blind curve and OMG there is a grizzly bear on the road. Looked like a young adult. He was just finishing up a dump and was crossing the road.  I slowed down as I got near him and he calmly wandered into the woods. I decided not to follow him and try to take his picture :)