1998 Sturgis-Banff-Jasper

DAY                                                                                                      MILES

1- SUN. AUG 02- KY. ILL., MO., MISSISSIPPI RIVER, STAYED IOWA 801

2- MON. AUG 03- IOWA, MINN. S. DAKOTA, STAY CHAMBERLAND 502

3- TUE. AUG 04- BADLANDS, STURGIS, LOST GREG, STAYED CABIN 250

4- WED. AUG 05- HIKE, DEADWOOD, NEEDLES HWY. CUSTER 301

5- THR. AUG 06- SPEARFISH CANYON, STURGIS, FLYING V RANCH 208

6- FRI. AUG 07- WYOMING, MONTANA, STAYED TOWNSEND 553

7- SAT. AUG 08- GLACIER PARK, CANADA, STAYED RADIUM 565

8- SUN. AUG 09- KOOTENAY, LAKE LOUISE, ICEFIELDS PKW. 483

9- MON. AUG 10- YOHO PARK, BANFF, MORAINE LAKE, CAMPED 305

10- TUE. AUG 11- PETER LOUGHEED PARK, WATERTON LAKES, MT. 460

11- WED. AUG 12- MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA, STAY JAMESTOWN 725

12- THR. AUG 13- OIL CHANGE, MINNESOTA, WATERLOO, IOWA 575

13- FRI. AUG 14- ILLINOIS, KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, HOME DARK 836

THIRTEEN DAYS                                                     TOTAL MILES    6,564

DAY 1 SUNDAY                                             801 Miles

Rode on out I-24 and got on I-57 north riding through corn country. Was one of the poorest corn crops I’ve seen in years. Hadn’t had much rain in these parts. Had to keep pushing Greg. Got to Mount Vernon around 1:00 PM. CT. and ate lunch at Steak and Shake. Greg worried about running his bike all day at 3200 rpm. He also lost his kickstand spring. Took I-64 west after lunch and stopped just before St. Louis and got gas and put our helmets on. I told Greg, since he had been lagging back a mile or more, to stay tight going through St. Louis or he would get lost. Showed him what road to meet me at if we got separated. He told me he was right on me and I couldn’t loose him. We started through the busy town and as I got on the expressway I saw him going on the other ramp towards downtown. I stopped and he just kept on driving looking at me. I rode on through St. Louis and waited for him at highway 79. He showed up over thirty minutes later thought I was lost.

Headed north on highway 79, a scenic road that ran through Missouri following the Mississippi River. Went through a couple of old little towns that looked like they were in 1950. Very scenic road good to travel too, lots of farmland. Stopped at a little town called Clarksville, had a nice little park there right by the Mississippi River also a port for the barges. Stayed there a bit and watched the boats going up and down the wide Mississippi, they were docking the barges too. Rode on north on highway 79, the two-lane road passing cars as we came to them. Started climbing a small mountain and stopped at a look off up on top. Could look down on the Mississippi River and the valleys way off in either direction. The river twisted and branched off everywhere. Had lots of low laying fields with black fertile soil. Could see how the land would flood easily. Rode on out the scenic highway to highway 61 and headed north. Rode past Hannibal. Got lost for about fifteen miles trying to find 61 but took road "E" and went through some rural farm country and made it to highway 61. This was a better faster road, but really enjoyed the scenery through the "Great River Road". We had made good time through there too, not too much traffic.

About fifty miles up the road we stopped at a big deserted rest area and sat on a picnic table and figured out where we would go for the rest of the evening. Rode on north to Keokuk, Iowa and pulled in the same motel that Sherrill, Vicki and I stayed in the time we came up the other side of the Mississippi River. Was about an hour before dark. Started to get a room there but Greg said he was ready to ride now, (after complaining all day) that he liked to ride as the sun was setting. We rode on to highway 218 and headed north into Iowa with our helmets off. Rode through Mt. Pleasant as the sun was setting. Continued north on 218 running fast. Almost ran out of gas but got some before Iowa City. Greg was tired then and said grab the first motel we saw. I rode him on up north on I-380 into Cedar Rapids and got a room at the Days Inn there, was kind of hoping we couldn’t get one and would have to sleep in a cornfield. Greg stayed in the room and called home and I went to the pool and sauna for a while. Got McDonalds and ate in the room.

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DAY 2 MONDAY                                     502 MILES

AUGUST 03, 1998:

I got up a little after daylight and got all my stuff together. Greg was still sleeping, tried to wake him up and he wouldn’t budge. Went and ate cereal up front in the lobby. Came back to room and could hardly get him out of bed, said he always slept till ten o’clock. I told him I was leaving and he got up then and took an hour to get ready to go. Finely got on the road at after 8:30 CT. It was a pretty cloudy and cool day outside as we headed north on I-380. Rode past Waterloo and got on highway 218 north through Waverly. Stopped at the rest area past Nashua with the water pump. They had the roof torn off the pavilion. Started to get pretty windy there. Rode on to Charles City and turned East on highway 18. Started hitting light rain. Turned north on I-35 and hit big rain then, had to put all our rain gear on.

It was still raining hard as we crossed into Minnesota and turned west on I-90. Started seeing lots of bikes, mostly trailers hauling to Sturgis. Came up on one dark cloud and out in the field a funnel cloud was starting to form. There were pieces of debris and a part of a barn roof flying around in a circle. Cars were stopping but we rode on hard. The wind pulled back at my bike for a second and I had to give it all the gas to get out of the wind of it. Got out of that area fast, Greg was freaking out. Stopped at a rest area and called and got a room lined up in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Rode in rain off and on all afternoon, some of it pretty hard. Each rest area had more and more bikes in them. Making fairly good time despite the rain. Greg is still complaining.

Slowed down some late in the evening since we knew we had a room waiting for us. Ate sandwiches at the gas stop along the way. Still cloudy and rainy out as we got to the Missouri River rest area so we went across the river and checked in our motel. It was the Days Inn ($100.00) for two. It was across from All’s Oasis. We had a room up stairs; I went to the world pool and sauna. Greg called home. Raining hard outside nice to have a good room, lots of biker’s at the motel.

DAY 3 TUESDAY                                     250 MILES

AUGUST 04, 1998:

Slept till about 7:30mt. Ate cereal and toast up front in the lobby. Filled my thermouth with orange juice. Greg is moving slow again. Got on the road around 9:00ct. Was windy and cool as we headed west on I-90, the skies would get dark then gray. Hit one little shower not enough to put our rain gear on. We weren’t going into the Badlands because of the weather but it looked half way clear down in there as we got there so went on in. Took some pictures at the first scenic lookoff. Went to the visitor’s center for a few minutes. Rode on around the loop taking pictures at the pretty places. Lost of Harley’s riding through the loop. Stopped near the west end at a lookoff with picnic tables and ate Slim Jims and toast for breakfast. It was pretty windy and cloudy there but no rain.

We rode on out the park to Wall, South Dakota and turned west on I-90 towards Rapid City. Motorcycles were everywhere now, still cloudy out too and almost cold in places. Looked like all the campgrounds were full off the interstate. We got into Sturgis at 3:30mt. fifteen hundred miles from Chattanooga. Had some traffic jams off the ramp, we went around them and took the side street down to the Am Vets Club and parked out front. Saw Gary ( Big Arms ) there with his girlfriend. Went in the club and got patches and a t-shirt, had my vest pockets repaired. Had a bloody mary while we waited. Walked up to the Harley shop and got sweatshirts and sent them home. Walked up to the rally headquarters and looked around, the town was so full you could hardly get up the first block. Came back to the Am Vets club and Sherrill T and Vicki were there, Butch and Steve from Florida too. Stayed there a while and talked with them.

Left there around 6:00mt and went up the street and got steaks and corn to cook out. Rode out of town, the traffic was bumper to bumper, moved just a little at a time. Got gas and rode over to Deadwood and up to Lead. Got to Cheyenne Crossings and stopped to put some more clothes on, it was getting quite cool. Took 85 towards Newcastle, Wyoming and had gone about five miles when a food sack fell off Sherrill's bike. I stopped to pick it up and Greg almost hit me. Picked it up and took off up the road and past Greg there, caught Sherrill about ten miles later. We waited thirty minutes and he never came. Went and caught Vicki at the end of the road. Waited there another thirty minutes till after dark, he never came. Turned west on highway 16 and out it for about five miles and turned on fire road 117. It was a dirt and gravel road but in very good shape, it ran fifteen miles through some very nice terrain. Got to Summit Ridge and turned left for four miles on FR.#265 to the cabin.

The cabin was real nice for us, had a fire tower there that we climbed up on and could see all around. Had a garage, bed, cot, out-house and a nice kitchen area. There was no electricity or water, but it was real private. I only saw one car go by the whole time we were there. It had a cow fence around it and a fire pit outside in the yard. We cooked dinner over the fire out front in the dark. Climbed up the fire tower and looked at the lights. Put my cot in the kitchen and slept good that night. A cool clear evening almost a full moon.

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DAY 4 WEDNESDAY                             301 MILES

AUGUST 05, 1998:

Got up right after daylight and had oatmeal cooked over Sherrill’s little stove. Sat around the fire some out front, climbed up the fire tower (65 ft. tall) and spotted a ridge across the way. Vicki and I decided to hike over to it. Went down the trail by the cabin for about a half-mile and hit a barbed wire fence that was the line for South Dakota and Wyoming, took our picture there. Saw a real pretty bush more unusual than all the others in the area down the trail. Wild flowers of all kinds scattered through the woods and meadows. Saw lots of animal tracks, one young mule deer crossed the road in front of us. He bounced real high. In places you could see off the mountain and into the plains of Wyoming to the west. Came to a big clearing and dropped down into the valley. Saw a cow pond and some duck or geese there. Walked on down the trail to the split then cut up the ridge and came out close to the cabin. About a four-mile walk I quess. Relaxed there a little more.

At 5:00ct we headed west on highway 16 towards Newcastle turned on our road, FR#117 and rode up to the cabin. Vicki made a good dinner over the open fire, steak, corn, potatoes mixed with onion and mushrooms, was delicious. Sat around the fire and took it easy. After dark Vicki and I walked down the trail to the big meadow. Saw flashing eyes in the woods as you would shin your light in there, could see them moving. I hollered and a big mule deer got up and tiptoed through the woods. Could see the lights from Newcastle way below. Came back to camp and climbed the tower and looked around. Sat around the fire and watched the stars the rest of the evening. Went to bed looking out the window at almost a full moon, lots of stars out that night.

DAY 5 THURSDAY                                 208 MILES

AUGUST 06, 1998:

Got up early and had cows in front of the cabin, they took off when they saw us. Had hot chocolate and cereal in the kitchen for breakfast. Sat around the fire and talked a while. Around 10:00mt we all took off, Vicki went on a mountain bike trail towards Mystic and Sherrill and I took off riding the Blackhills. We stopped in Newcastle and called on Greg again, he was supposed to be in a campground near where we lost him but didn’t know the name of it. Oh well. We rode out hwy. 85 looking in all the campgrounds in the area for him. Rode on into Cheyenne Crossings and took road 196 to a nice little campsite by a stream, wasn’t too crowded and was pretty nice. Would be a good place to camp for a couple of days. Came back out and Rode out Spearfish Canyon. Stopped at a nice trout pool there that was dammed up. You could see the trout floating in the current, lots of them and big ones too. Would be a nice place to fish. Rode out to I-90 a hot day out now, riding in T-shirts. Lots of bikes coming through the canyon, we passed most of them as usual.

Rode into Sturgis the town wasn’t as crowded as yesterday yet. We parked at the Pine Hill Gypsies headquarters. Stayed there some then walked all up and back through town taking pictures. Got a paper and sent it home. Bought the kids a shirt and mailed them home from the Harley shop, got oil and filter there too. Rode on out of town and over to Deadwood and walked around there some. A guy hit Sherrill on his bike as we were parking by the fire hall; he about had to kick his ass. Lost ten dollars on the slots, then we got ice cream and sat on the bench looking like two old men. We rode out of Deadwood and up to Lead and got some gas. We took our time riding back on highway 85 towards Newcastle. Stopped at a little store along the way and sat out front and killed some time.

At five thirty we met Vicki at the Flying V Ranch for dinner. This is a registered historical building; German castle style built in 1923. It has a large stone exterior and three stories tall. Looks real neat, big beer garden and pond behind it, also a nice out building. It is a bed and breakfast now. One girl who was staying there had just been killed in a bike accident. We had a real good steak dinner there, got full. Looked around their some after dinner then slowly rode back to the cabin. Skidded in the thick gravel once on the way up the road. Built a big fire as we got there, and changed my oil. Took a bath out of a bucket. Started getting my gear ready to leave in the morning. Sat around the fire looking at the full moon and stars. The cabin here was a real nice place to stay, would like to come back to the same place again.

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DAY 6 FRIDAY                                     553 MILES

AUGUST 07, 1998:

Got up at daybreak and had cereal for breakfast. Sat around the fire and packed up our bikes. Said our goodbye and got out of there at 8:00mt. Hated to leave such a nice place but was very anxious to get to new territory. Sherrill T and Vicki turned east at highway 16 and I turned west to parts unknown. Rode west on highway 16 till I hit interstate 90 at Moorcroft, Wyoming. Riding away from the mountains and into the plain's country. Just a little cool outside riding. Seeing lots of Harley's heading for Sturgis. Came by Buffalo, Wyoming and stopped at a grown up rest area. Could see snow on top of the Big Horn Mountains. Had a sign there saying to stay on the path because rattlesnakes have been spotted all through the area, I got on out of there.

DAY 7 SATURDAY                                     565 MILES

AUGUST 08, 1998:

Got up a little after sun up had to straighten out the phone bill. Got packed up and headed north on highway 287, it was cool out had to have leather jacket on. Got to Helena and got on interstate 15 heading north. Was going to get on hwy 287 past Wolf Point but missed it so just stayed on I-15 heading towards Great Falls. Nice scenic drive through there, cut through some nice canyons and streams. Came right on through Great Falls and on up I-15 running pretty fast. Had turned out to be a real nice sunny day now, not too many clouds around. Got to highway 44 and turned west to Valier. Stopped at Valier and got gas and some snacks to eat, just a small spot in the road. Got to highway 89 and turned north towards Browning, Montana. Pulled over at a high spot and looked at the mountains way off in the distance with huge wheat fields all in between. Nice to see some high jagged mountains, just a little hazy out but not bad. Rode on into Browning and got gas, lots of Indians there. Rode on out 89 towards the mountains and stopped just before St. Mary at mile marker 30 to a little dirt road. Hid some of my extra gear there.

Checked into Glacier National Park and got on the " going to the sun road "around 2:30mt. Was a beautiful day to ride through the park, sun was out good now. All the wild flowers were in full bloom. Stopped at Goose Island and took some pictures. Lots of tourists and bikes on the road. Rode to other side of St. Mary Lake and got some pictures of the boats on the water. Had lots of water coming off the mountain in places. Rode up to Logans Pass taking pictures while I was riding. Lots of people at Jackson Glacier. Pulled over at my favorite stop on the other side of the pass and looked at the mountains and valley below. What a great viewpoint, tried to count how many times I had been there. Rode slowly off the mountain and through the tunnels to Lake McDonalds and took my last long break in the USA looking at the lake. People were out their swimming in it. Rode on out of the park turned at Columbia Falls to Whitefish and took highway 93 north towards the Canadian boarder. Got gas at Eureka right before I got there.

Checked through the boarder at six o’clock. One lady was there just looked at my license and insurance card. Ask me if I had any guns or drugs or a record. She just looked me over then let me go through. Rode on north through British Columbia on highway 93 towards Cranbrook. Went through Cranbrook and stayed on hwy 93 towards Kootenay National Park. Nice scenery through here, lots of grain elevators, reminds me of when I went To Alaska. Had high rocky topped mountains with nice streams and valleys all around them. Seemed like they went on forever. I have been in nice terrain all day and am now in virgin territory and it just keeps getting prettier. Past through two or three little resort towns, lots of tourists around. Got to Radium Hot Springs a little before dark and decided to get a room there. Got nice little motel looking out at the mountains to the west. Got fifty dollars Canadian put on my visa card with the room. A nice little resort town people out walking everywhere. Had some hot springs there. Went to the local bar and got a bloody mary and a hamburger there, was pretty good. Had a one man band there singing everything. Came back to the room and got bike and rode around the town till past dark exploring the streets. Sat in the room and watched the mountains with the moon behind them.

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DAY 8 SUNDAY                                     483 MILES

AUGUST 09, 1998:

Woke up as the sun was just starting to come up, took a hot shower. The mountains looked good from my window. Looks like another great day in the making. Started off with all my leather on. Rode up highway 93 for two miles and checked in Kootenay National Park, $ 15.00 covered all the parks in the area for three days. Cut through some high rocks at the entrance, had some Hot Springs you could swim in there. Rode on up through the park, huge thick evergreen forests with vast mountain ranges. Rivers twisted all through the valleys, with water so clear you could see straight to the bottom of them. The road was good and cut all through the mountains. Was sunny out but had to have leather on, hardly any traffic on the road this early in the morning. Got to highway 1 and turned north to Lake Louise and went straight to the campground there. Had a line but got site for three nights, loop I-22 $37.00 including firewood. Built a little fire to warm up and set up camp and got firewood for the night. Got there at 9:30mt and ninety miles from Radium. It was a pretty big campground.

Stopped at Bow valley, it was real pretty there. My bike fell to the side when I pulled up and a Japanese tourist helped me lift it up. Had lots of tourists and tour busses full of Japanese, lots of Canadians too. Traffic on the road wasn’t bad though; I passed most of it trying to make good time. Past by Mount Forbes one of the higher mountains in the area. Came through the Columbia Icefields, a big area that fills with ice in the winter, feeds six major glaciers, was unusual in there. Crossed over Sunwapta Pass, got cool and the bike slowed down there due to elevation. Fantastic views on about every turn. Great day out too, sun shinning and was riding in a T-shirt after the mountain pass. Got gas at a lodge by a big glacier. Rode on into Jasper and through the town. A big tourist town full of people and tourists shops lots of Elk walking around the town. Rode on out to the east entrance of Jasper National Park and turned around and came back. Followed a nice lake there with mountains there, lots of people boating and swimming. Saw a real big Elk and Sheep in there. Rode back to Jasper at 3:00mt. got a little gas and rode out of town.

DAY 9 MONDAY                                     305 MILES

AUGUST 10, 1998:

Got up right after daylight and built the fire up. Sat around it for a while warming up and planning my day, the weather looked great again. A Grizzly Bear had come in the camp last night at loop C, the rangers shot him with rubber bullets and pepper spray and ran him off. Left the camp and rode up the hill and rode over to Yoho National Park. Saw a train tunnel go way deep under a mountain as I was going in there. Got into the park and rode up to Takakkaw Falls, a gigantic waterfall coming down from way high up in the mountain. Tons of water coming off it every second made a tremendous roar through the valley below. Lots of hiking trails in the area and a big river the falls ran into. Took some good pictures there and came back out the mountain road. Rode out to highway one and past Field to the end of the park. Turned around and came back and rode up to Emerald Lake. Real nice serene Mountain Lake with mountains surrounding it, they reflected off the blue green water. Had a little wooden bridge leading to a cottage and restaurant. Lots of tourists there. Came back out and stopped at the natural bridge, big rushing water running under large rocks that crossed the river. You could walk across them; the water went under them to a big hole then rushed down the valley. Rode out of Yoho Park in the sunshine and back to camp. It was a one hundred-mile trip, nice scenery all through there.

Stayed at camp for a little bit then rode over to Bow Valley Drive and took it towards Banff. It was another twenty-mile drive of beautiful mountains, streams and meadows. Took some pictures off the bike through there. Everybody you talk to is just amassed at this countryside. Got to Banff and got off at the first exit and went into town. Big tourist and resort area, hotels and cottages everywhere, tourists too. Rode around the streets some and out the golf course drive, lots of Moose and Elk through there, saw a coyote too. Saw the famous old hotel made of rock there was nice. Went back into town and ate a steak and spaghetti dinner, it was good.

After lunch I rode out to Tunnel Mountain Loop drive, it was a nice view road that circled back around to Banff. Had some great views of the mountain, town and valley below. Had some good campsites in there too. A nice view of the hotel from way across the valley. Rode back through town and out to the Minnewanka Lake loop road, another beautiful drive through some real nice mountain lakes with boating and swimming. Saw some herds of Ram’s in there by Jacks Lake. Took some side roads and found a nice camping and swimming area. Got back out on highway 1 and headed back to the Bow Valley. Got on hwy 1-A and went back through the valley stopping at all the pretty places. Had a big meadow with a glacier across from it and a phone the in the middle of the woods. Called Sherrill T from there and talked for a bit, he and Vicki had made it home ok.

Left there and rode through the valley to Lake Louise Village and rode out to Moraine Lake. About an eight-mile ride out from my campsite. It is another nice Mountain Lake with a lodge and restaurant there. Could rent a canoe there and go out on the lake, hiking trails all around the area. There are some big rocks and a stream at the end of it, mountains and a glacier at the other end. Walked down the stream some and laid in the sun on a big flat rock looking at the sky and mountains. Played around the creek area some. Rode back out to the campground area and rode around the whole area and got familiar with it. Went to the camp store and got sandwiches and milk. Rode back up the Icefields Parkway about thirty miles to the Hector Lake area, Real pretty look off there, ate my sandwiches there. Talked to some people from Upper Canada admiring my bike, they took pictures of my bike and me. Sat there looking at the glacier and scenery writing this journal. Came back down the Icefields parkway and went south to the Bow Valley Parkway again. Went to a nice look off looking way down a river in either direction. Had a railroad track running through the valley too. Had high rough topped mountains that made unusual outlines against the sky. Snow, ice and glaciers all on the tops of the mountains. Had thick evergreen forests mixed with large meadows leading up to them. The sun was setting right behind the mountains, seemed to be a perfect setting. One old man was taking pictures of it all. Stayed there for an hour taking it all in. Rode back north on hwy. 1-A and took a side road down to a dirt turn around and then came back out to Lake Louise to watch the sun set.

Parked up top and started to lock my bike and realized I had lost my keys, the hook had broke on my chain and they were gone. I panicked looking everywhere for them, had my tour pak locked and was almost out of gas and couldn’t open the tank. Was starting to get dark too. Rushed back to where I had been, looking for them on the road all the way. I was thinking of how I could break in the tour pak and gas tank and ride without a key the rest of the trip and how I should have brought an extra one. Went down the side road to the dirt turn around straining my eyes on the road hoping to see them. Couldn’t find then and rode back to the pretty look off where I had stayed for an hour, looked all around where I had parked my bike but nothing. Was about to give up then walked up to where I had been sitting for a while and there they were sitting on the ground. Boy was I relieved, stuck them deep in my pocket. A guy on a 1976 BMW from Minnesota came by and stopped to see if I needed help, we talked for a while about how fantastic the land was here. Rode back to Lake Louise and watched dusk turn into dark there. Rode back to camp and built a big fire. Talked to the group next door, three girls and one guy from Colorado. Started packing for leaving in the morning. Had been beautiful weather the last three days even warm at night until morning. Slept well that night listened to the train go by in the distance.

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DAY 10 TUESDAY                                 460 MILES

AUGUST 11, 1998:

Got up to another beautiful day. Built a fire with all the wood I had left. Packed up camp slowly. Rode out of camp and got gas and on highway 1 south at 10:00mt. Rode into Banff saw more beautiful mountains and lakes. Rode on by Banff and down to an information center and got info for riding to Glacier National Park. Turned off hwy.1 onto highway 40 south through the Rocky Mountain Forrest Reserve and the Peter Lougheed Prov. Park. A nice curvy mountain road twisting all through the mountains and forests. The mountains were not as high and rocky or snowy as Jasper but it was a nice wooded terrain. Lots of rivers and valleys with large green meadows. The road cut through all the peaks and topped one at over 8,500 ft. The peaks were all around me. Turned east at highway 541 towards hwy. 22.

Got out of the mountain country and into ranch land, pasted some big nice ones. Rode on out the highway to highway 22 and turned south. Passed giant fields of cattle and hay bails, there were thousands of hay bails rolled up in the fields. Could see the glacier mountains way off in the distance. Made pretty good time rolling through the wide-open country, still a great day outside sunny but not too hot. Had a big hill with over a dozen large windmills as an experimental project, looked like they were over one hundred feet tall. Running 90 MPH most of this road. Turned west at highway 3 towards Crowsnest Pass and went to the Harley shop there. Had a gas pump out front, got gas, oil and a T-shirt there. Just a small little shop one woman there. Rode out the little town and headed east on highway 3. Rode to a rest area up the road and got in a big ditch away from the wind. Rode to Pincher Creek and turned south on highway 6 and rode to Waterton Lakes National Park. Had a nice look off looking at the flat land leading up to the pass in the mountains.

Checked into the park around 3:00mt. Took highway 5 into the townsite and rode around the roads there, stopped at the lake before town and looked at the big old hotel there. The town was full of tourists, had some nice lake pull offs all through the town. Got lost for a second then rode back out to highway 17. Saw a big black bear feeding in the meadow along the way. Rode through the forested mountain to the Chief Mountain entrance to the USA. They just ask what my citizenship was and looked at my tag and let me go through. Took my helmet off and rode on down the mountain to highway 89 and headed south. Still a beautiful sunny day outside, the weather has been perfect for four days now. Past St. Mary and went to mile marker 30 and picked up my gear. Looked at the mountains there for a while then headed towards Browning, Montana on highway 89, the same way I had come in.

DAY 11 WEDNESDAY                         725 MILES

AUGUST 12, 1998:

Got up at the crack of dawn and got on highway 2 heading east out of town. Pulled over in about five miles and put my chaps and gloves on, it was cool riding 42 deg. An old Indian was there hitchhiking tried to borrow money from me. Continued out highway 2 riding fast. Thought I would be sad about leaving the mountain country but I forgot how pretty northern Montana could be. Nice rolling hills full of wheat blowing in the wind, meadows, and large ranches with lots of livestock. Small old cowboy bars with gambling in them. The nice country towns you go through. The old train yards and grain elevators. Lots of sun flowers too. All of this in wide-open places. Went through some Indian reservations. Stopped at a spray wash and washed my bike off. Got hot as noon approached. Rode through Harve and on towards Glasgow stopping for gas and at a nice view here and there. Hit some road construction for a few short delays, had twenty miles of gravel and dirt.

I turned south at Wolf Point on highway 13 towards Circle, Montana. A little construction at the start of it. Temp getting close to 95 deg. now. Got on 200s towards Glendive, Montana. Started seeing some gray clouds building up ahead. Got on interstate 94 and headed east through Glendive. Hit a small shower and got a little wet, it felt good after the hot temperatures. Started raining real hard then could hardly see the road, pulled under an overpass real quick. One dark cloud overhead, it was windy, even the cars were stopping. The temperature dropped twenty degrees real fast. Sat under the bridge for about forty-five minutes till it passed over. Rode on out the interstate for five miles of wet road then got out of the storm back into the sun.

Rode on into North Dakota on I-94. Went through the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a nice hilly area with red topped hills, kind of like the Badlands. Stopped there and looked at the scenic view. Rode on east making good time on the interstate stopping just for gas. Ran some hundred mile plus stretches at a time. Was trying to make the Harley shop at Mandan to change my oils but the rain and crossed into Central Time zone made me late. Rode on through Bismarck around 5:30 CT. Rode on to Jamestown, North Dakota. Stopped at a nice rest area before there for a good break. Got to Jamestown a little before dark. The motels at the interstate were all full so I rode towards the town and got one there. It filled up right after I checked in. Went next door to Dairy Queen and ate supper. Came back to the room and went through some of my gear. Got directions to the Harley shop there. Watched TV and went to bed. Rained some that night.

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DAY 12 THURSDAY                             575 MILES

AUGUST 13, 1998:

Got up and watched TV till 8:00ct then packed up my bike. The Harley shop didn’t open till 9:00ct. Rode over to it at 9:00ct was right down the road. Bought engine oil, transmission and primary oil and filter. Ask the owner if I could change it there. He started giving me a hard time said they would charge me to change it. I told him I would do it myself and he said what drain bucket I would use and where would I dump the oil, they charged him to pick up the oil. I told him that was the first time any shop has told me that. Said he would charge me $2.00 to dump my oil. He was giving the mechanic there a hard time; I ask the owner if anybody has ever smacked him. The mechanic gave me a pipe to hit him with they said he was a jerk, mostly was a snowmobile shop. I bought a shirt there, then he then told the mechanic not to charge me since I bought a shirt. I changed all my oils out front of the shop. The punk called his police buddy over to watch, thought I was going to smack him. Got out of there and on the road again at 10:00 CT.

Was already hot as I header east on interstate 94. Rode the hundred miles into Fargo, North Dakota and crossed into Minnesota. Stayed on I-94 and just started knocking the miles off. Running hundred miles stretches again, just stopping for gas. Eating at the gas stops too. They were having some major construction delays in Minneapolis so I took highway 25 south at Monticello and came down to highway 12 and headed east. Thought I was lost for a while but came out right where I wanted to be on 494 south. Got into some busy traffic and a few short delays and then got on interstate 35 heading south. Glad to get out of the busy city. Past by the Cabalas Store, a big one. Continued south on I-35 to Albert Lee where we had turned over a week ago. Came on into Iowa around 6:00ct. could see gray clouds ahead.

Got gas at Clear Lake, Iowa and ate hot dog there. Talked to a biker from Minneapolis traveling from Texas, said there were some small rain up the interstate. I turned on 18 east to Mason City and then 218 to Charles City. Came right around the rain cloud. Rode to the water pump rest area and took a break there. (How many times had I been there?) The sun was starting to go down as I left there. Came on south on highway 218 at dusk. Couldn’t find the right room in Waverly so went to Waterloo and got a room at the Days Inn there, had first room right by the front desk. Ate snacks and watched TV in the room.

DAY 13 FRIDAY                                     836 MILES

AUGUST 14, 1998:

Got up and ate cereal up front and got on the road at 7:00ct. Was a little cool and had to have chaps on. Was a little foggy as I came south on I-380 and through Cedar Rapids. Turned east on interstate 80 and past Iowa City. Got gas and rode on into Illinois past Davenport and Rock Island. Some traffic out but not too bad, warming up fast. Was down to a T-shirt as I got on interstate 74 and headed south through Galesburg. Came right through the middle of Peoria and took I-155 south towards Springfield, Illinois. Stopped and got gas and a short break. My bike got a little oil leak around the oil light sending unit, I tightened it up and it was ok. My bike was really dirty, bugs and road grime. Rode past the signs for Decatur and through Springfield on I-55. Pretty hot outside now, drinking a lot of Gatorade. Turned east on highway 127 and then to highway 185, past by a bunch of scenic farms way out in the country. Lots of fields and flat land. Seems a lot greener in here.

Got on highway 51 at Vandalia and headed south. Stopped at an old abandoned oilrig and took a break. Walked through the tall corn field, like a different world in there, quiet and cool. Came on down to Sandoval, past the rest area I was looking for just before there, and took highway 50 east to interstate 57 and headed south. Rode right on by Mt.Vernon at 85 mph. Still making real good time. Got on I-24 in the late evening and rode towards the Kentucky line. Passed the rest area at the Ohio River, first time I’ve ever passed it but didn’t have to stop since Kentucky was no helmet law now. Stopped once in Kentucky for gas and then came on through it with no trouble.