Trip theme: "Let's see Glacier National Park--while it still has glaciers" |
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180° view from the porch at Many Glaciers Lodge, Glacier National Park (Photoshop merge of five pictures) |
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4958 late summer miles on a 2004 Aprilia Futura (from Phoenix, Arizona to Glacier National Park, via Zion, Grand Teton and Yellowstone, return via Seattle, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, Humboldt Redwoods, Pacific Coast Highway, Berkeley, Big Sur, Los Angeles and points in between) |
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Special topic folders (click to open new page) |
Riding dates and route descriptions (click on date to open page of pictures) |
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Movie files * Glacier National Park:
Aprilia Futura sightings
(Photoshop merges)
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Note: this trip began on Saturday, August 19 and ended three weeks later on Saturday, September 9. The timing was ideal: after Labor Day, and I hit the national parks on weekdays (except Zion). There were no crowds and no traffic in the parks. For example, only six of more than seventy campsites at the St. Mary's campground in Glacier Park were taken the night I stayed over; the rangers told me that it had been full the previous week.--AzIrish
August 19: The Leaving Day. Phoenix, Arizona thru Zion National Park, Utah. August 20: A late summer Sunday bike ride up US89 through the heart of Utah, from Zion National Park through Cedar City, Cedar Breaks, Circleville, Gunnison, Fairview, Spanish Fork, Provo, Salt Lake City, Ogden and overnight at a Logan, Utah Best Western.
A weekday scoot from northern Utah through the lower right hand corner of Idaho, cruising up US89 along western Wyoming and ending up "tent cabin" camping at Colter Bay in Grand Tetons National Park.
A casual uncrowded Tuesday cruise through Yellowstone National Park, overnight at a B&B in Pray, Montana.
A big, mostly beautiful ride up US89 in Montana through Livingston, Ringling, White Sulphur Springs, Neihart, Great Falls, Choteau, the Blackfeet Nation / Browning and camping overnight at the St. Mary's campground, Glacier National Park. Some substantial non-observance of local speed limits on this day.
Day-long cruising around Glacier Park, including Many Glaciers and the Going To The Sun road. Breathtaking, sensory-overwhelming riding. Overnight in a Whitefish, Montana Best Western.
A Friday meander through northwestern Montana, a quick zip across the Idaho narrow part, overnight camping at Kettle Falls, Washington. From Whitefish to Eureka, south along Lake Koocanusa to Libby, US2 to near Troy, south on SR56 ("Bull Lake Road") to SR200, along Lake Pend Oreille to Sandpoint, ID, over to Priest River and along (WA) SR20 through Colville to Kettle Falls. Awesome day of riding.
Blast through Washington to spend a few days at baby bruddah Michael's spiffy new crib in Seattle. Kettle Falls through Coulee Dam via Republic and Nespelem, along the Grand Coulee to Coulee City, across to the garden spots of Waterville and Wenatchee, across US2 to Seattle via Steven's Pass and Snohomish. August 27 thru 29: Non-riding days; hanging out in Seattle. Replenishment of the previous week's lost fluids via consumption of local elixirs. Much replenishment.
After getting the 4500 mile Aprilia service at Moto International in Seattle, hit the road to Sandy, Oregon via Mercer Island, Renton, Maple Valley, Enumclaw, Mt. Rainier National Park, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Packwood, Randle, Mt. St. Helens, Carson, Bridge of the Gods and Troutdale. Cold, wet, dark, twisty, slow in parts. Beautiful everywhere. Green. Very green.
After being hosted for a couple nights by the famous Flori family of Sandy, a big ride to Ashland to catch a Friday night showing of "Two Gentlemen of Verona" at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Route highlights: skirting south of Mt. Hood, running east of the Cascades, the volcanic monument zone near Bend, a complete circumnavigation of Crater Lake, and actually getting to Ashland in time to clean up and see the show. Another Best Western overnight.
Ashland to Humboldt Redwoods State Park for an overnight, via Weed, Mt. Shasta, Lake Shasta, the Trinity Alps, Redding, then a forest fire-inspired diversion off SR299 to SR3 through Hayfork, picking up SR36 through Mad River and hitting US101 at Alton/Rio Dell. Middle bruddah Johnno drove up to the Albee Creek campground from Berkeley for some mountain biking and to prepare a sumptuous California-inspired meal of artisan breads, cheeses from all of the popular milk-producing quadripeds and specialty sausages cooked over the Whisperlite. And one or more bottles of a fine Cabernet. Oh, yes, there was Cabernet. Well done, Johnno.
A slow-paced coastal cruise down PCH from Leggett to Jenner, over to US101 via Guerneville (Guerneville conversation: ME: Where can I get a drink around here? Her: Gay or straight? Hmmm. Hadn't ever been asked that question before...) and Sebastopol, then down to Berkeley via Vallejo and Richmond. A couple nights with brother Johnno and his much more attractive better half, the luscious Jana.
An espresso-fueled run through nasty big city traffic from Berkeley down the 680 or 880 or some big road ending in -80, through San Jose, down to Gilroy, across to Watsonville, then coastal cruising to Cambria via Monterey, Carmel and the Big Sur coast. Kinda dreamy running.
After slumming it a few nights at Ceanncon (secret location/vineyard/estate off SR46 between Cambria and Templeton) and some great hilly live oak country riding on September 6, made the PCH dash down to LA via Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Guadalupe, Solvang, Gaviota, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Port Hueneme, Malibu, Santa Monica and hitting the I-10 during rush hour. It had been a long day, I wasn't quite in the mood to jerk along the slab in stop-and-start, listening to the fan kick in for the high engine temp, and within minutes broke my decades-long promise never to lane-split in LA again. Arrived 7ish at the hilltop home of childhood friend Andy and his lovely steel magnolia bride, the incomparable Raye Ann. A couple nights and a day of wandering downtown LA, some good eatin' to set up the return to Phoenix.
Return to Phoenix via Claremont (scene of the undergraduate years), diverting off I-10 and out the 60 down the Moreno Valley, over to the very strange Gilman Hot Springs (what IS that place anyway?), San Jacinto, Hemet and up to Idyllwild, down to Cabazon and a lunch at Hadley's, then through Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Indian Wells, back out to the I-10. Nothing left to look forward to until Phoenix, unless Coachella, Desert Center, Blythe and Quarzsite appeals. Home after dark. Milo the wonder Dobiedog appeared well-fed and smelled clean for a change, and three weeks worth of mail and newspapers in neat stacks awaited--both phenomena the handiwork of the most wonderful neighboring family in the history of urban living. Over 700 post-spamblocker emails between home and the office. Uncorked a good Petite Syrah, let the requisite loved ones know that I was indeed home safe and sound.
Excellent machine, this Aprilia.
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