WHAT A RIDE !!

Below are comments from both GB(Curt) and BB(Ray).  GB starts it off.  We've not been complete in our descriptions of our journey, but believe that we spoke to friends and family along the way...and they were all very supportive.  Thanks!


Well folks, the last chapter of the Bears adventure was semi-uneventful except for the mountain of anticipation about getting home. You know, that place where you can sigh relief, review images of your adventure and begin to enlarge if not exaggerate the things you have seen, felt , endured and enjoyed.
The last 370 miles from Harrisonville, MO to Conway, AR on Sunday, July 11, started out warm and got warmer as we closed in on I-40 and Fort Smith. We encountered a brief shower about 100 miles from our start and stopped to cover up bags and put on our raingear for the last time. The shower was brief and within ten minutes we were dry and HOT, with the raingear on. With impending clouds we rode on until GB began to strip away the layers and stuff them behind the luggage, ( while still riding). We stopped once for water and gas with GB stating that this was his last stop until he got home. (still 260 miles to go).

As we made our turn onto I-40 at Fort Smith, AR. , we got pounded by rain in a hard downpour for about 5 miles. GB never slowed down and didn’t stop to put on his raingear. Wet would be a blessing in the upcoming heat. Within just a few minutes we remembered why we had taken a Northern route to get home. Holy Moses it was getting hot.

Big Bear rode trailer all morning and seemed to disappear in the heavy rain. He never takes his raingear off and never takes his jacket off during the hot spells, preferring to utilize the evaporative cooling principle that if you sweat inside the jacket, the warm air will cool you. The theory does work …with one small side effect. After 39 days of sweat , rain, bugs and road grim, that jacket was ugly in more than one way. Now you know why he rode trailer most of the way. It might explain the death of wildflowers along the highways throughout much of South Dakota on July 9 and 10. To say he got his money’s worth out of that garment is an understatement. However, the manufacturer could have spared humanity with a Scent-lok application. Nuff-said ! (BB here…can’t believe he’s picking on my jacket. Only one hotel desk clerk told me unsolicited where the hotel laundry was located. And, that was when we were nearly home.)

GB wants it recorded that he was in favor of continuing travel on Saturday, July 10 in order to be home with his beloved. I believe the boy was more homesick than he let on. Or…maybe it was the jacket ??
As the old fellow in Wyoming told Big Bear after hearing of the adventure and sensing the determination in his voice to get home, “sounds like you boys are smelling the barn”.
The final stretch into Conway and home for GB was littered with passed vehicles as his focus narrowed on getting home to his sweetheart and overdue hugs and kisses.
But…not so fast. GB almost made it home without stopping for gas…almost. As we made our final approach, his bike hiccupped indicating he was out of gas. He coasted into a Citgo station just ¾ of a mile from his house as he filled up for the last time and BB juiced up with hopes of his last fill-up before home.

Here is where GB owes an apology to the State of Oregon for the outburst about folks who aid you in the distribution of gas to prevent gasoline spills, who needs that. Well it seems BB does since his nozzle did not trip and he ran about ½ gallon of gasoline onto the ground and all over the finish of his Beemer at the last fill-up. OOPs.

GB got a great surprise as he turned into his driveway. His sweetie had told him that she would not be returning from her trip to Monroe until almost 8:00 PM. His eyes sparkled and his smile widened as he saw the garage open and Kathy’s car in the garage. She was out the door and …well that is sort of personal!!(yeah, and I had to watch)

She was reluctant to hug BB…I’m pretty sure it was the jacket(again with the jacket). Not sure if that was why her eyes were watering or not??


WOW ! WHAT A RIDE !!!

GB’s odometer showed 12,370 miles, that’s 15 miles short of 12000 miles for the adventure which began from BB’s house on June 3. ( If you throw in the 200 miles he rode on the other bike to get to BB’s house we clearly exceeded 12,000).

After much insistence from Mrs. GB, Big Bear ate a quick bite before departing for Cross Roads and his sweetie. He couldn’t wait to get that jacket on again. I think he has a thing for the jacket.


GB writes:
Check a big one from the Bucket List for me. The fact that we did it gives me a great deal of satisfaction and accomplishment. The fact that our wives supported us and even encouraged us is even more phenomenal. We LOVE you both.

I couldn’t have asked for a better traveling partner. He didn’t always agree with me on everything, but he never once gripped about it regardless of how much I irritated him. I believe that a journey of this kind changes a person in many ways. I’ve seen a more patient BB and I am inspired by his compassion for others no matter where he was or who he was with. His courtesy and respect toward others is genuine.

I am blessed that he is my friend !!!

Okay this makes up for the Senior trip in “69, you are formally forgiven !!!
ADVICE:  Make plans and pursue your dreams!!!  It is never too late. Call me, I’ll help you plan !!

You know, I’ve always wanted to see Nova Scotia and I hear they have roads there…….


BB here:
GB has again eloquently stated things. I’ve been reflecting on our ride and have been asked by my neighbor if Curt and I were still friends after such a long trip. YEP! I couldn’t have asked for a better traveling companion and I am glad to hear that I didn’t irritated old GB too much. Besides being a great friend and traveling companion, he’s better than any darned GPS on the market. That boy can smell where to turn! I think that the overall sense of adventure and desire to enjoy the opportunity certainly inspired me to want to be a good traveling companion. I hate to admit it, but I may have inadvertently irritated old GB (other than with the jacket) in a few ways. I promise that it was never intentional(well, maybe a little bit a few times).

Good friends travel well together and support each other. I thought we did and I’m glad to hear GB felt that way too. I never felt like GB would not be there if I needed him. He even waited patiently every time I put all that riding gear on. Friends do that, and more! BTW, I abandoned the jacket in Monticello, AR on the way home. I couldn’t stand the heat any more. I finished the trip with SPF 70 sunscreen for protection instead of the riding jacket. Sorry MSF!

As to the part about our brides…ditto…plus, I add my gratitude for their love and support in everything we do. I love you both, especially the one that allowed me to be on the road on both our 33rd wedding anniversary and one of her birthdays.

Time to plan another trip!!!  I'll still post a few more pics and continue to post occasional roadtrips on this link.

In the words of my buddy in Ocshners..."have a good life".  I like taking it beyond the day.
da bears

Below, a picture of unknown origin contributed by one of our brides.  Kind of goes with the post card I sent to the OPSB DP Gang.

Sorry, but we never rode around to the other side of Mount Rushmore.  Another one of those missed photo ops!

Working on it

Well, BB here...here being New Orleans.  I brought a friend down here for a little medical procedure so he can get back on his motor scooter.  GB is going to work on a bit of catchup/finalization comments and I'm going to try to pull together a few pics from the last few days of our trip.  Starting tonight...

GB at Mount Rushmore

Yep!  Made it to Sturgis.

Old Faithful...set your clock!

GB made a buddy along the Oregon coast.  He liked the energy bars almost as much as we did, only he didn't get very much.  He sure waited patiently to see if he would get more though.

Just could not get enough of the coast!

GB out on the edge for that perfect shot.

Getting late.  BB is sleepy and definately needs his beauty rest.  More tomorrow, probably from the hospital.  Goodnight to all.

From Harrisonville, MO July 10th

Well, da bears are dragging.  Last night on the road.  I will write a catch-up piece and some closing thoughts on this journey in a few days.  We rode 675 miles over four states today.  There were plenty of 15-20 mile stretches of construction down to one lane and plenty of warm weather.  Thanks to all for your interest...give me a few days and you will get more pics and words.
da bears

Thursday Night in Cody, Wyoming

610 miles, but the weather was excellent and Yellowstone is much nicer without rain and poor visibility.  You get the short version again tonight unless GB wants to get over here and be verbose.
We ate at Bubba's BBQ right after we snagged the last room at the Best Western here in Cody...just ahead of a sweet little old lady and her frail husband.  We dashed to the door to beat them out of the room.  I had to yell "squirrel" to distract her.  Actually, they were walking in right after we checked in.  More fun to make it sound like we went for the steal though.
GB is now taking over.  My turn at the shower, which I need very much.

Well gang, it was a travel day and we hit the interstate (84) to get some miles as quickly as possible.  It was hard for me to pass up the Dog Exhibit in Pocatello, "Wolf To Woof" and Big Bear pouted for almost an hour when I wouldn't stop at the Potato Museum in Blackfoot.

Yellowstone was spectacular as usual with all kinds of up close wildlife including, buffalo, deer, elk, and eagles.  We watched Old Faithful do its thing, right on time, then scooted through the rest of the park rather quickly as we tried to put some miles behind us.   Big Bear has decided he has seen all he wants to see and it is time to head South toward home.  I can tell he is getting homesick when a moose walked out with an eagle on his antlers and a black bear on his back and Big Bear said, oh it's just another critter, let's ride !!

We passed a motel in Cody, WY, as we came into town, "Big Bear Motel", but he wasn't interested in a photo so you will just have to use your imagination around how cute it was.

I'm tired and homesick to see my sweetie also.  Three more days and we should be home.
Big Bear promises more photos soon, right now he just seems to want to snore.  Oh well, bears are like that.


GB for da Bears

BATs and curves

GB here to fill you in on our latest adventure.

Tuesday morning brought us sunshine to central Oregon and a cool breeze from the Pacific.  We were sleeping late and left even later, trying to get the GPS to update and give us the new maps. ( Left at 9:30AM). 
We headed South on Hwy 101 with a little less traffic than yesterday and a bright day to accompany us along the rugged Oregon coast and into California and the BATs.   The day was filled with stops and photos of the spendid coast.( I can't get enough of the waves and wind).  The twisty Hwy 101 put a smile on both faces as we tried to look over the edge and enjoy the ride at the same time.
Saying goodbye to Oregon for the time being, we entered into California in search of the BATs.  We found plenty despite the fact that GB missed the turn and we had to settle for BATs on the perimeter of the Nationsl Redwood Forest.  We recalculated our direction and thought we might head straight across California on Hwy 299.  The road is a bikers dream !!  Twisty, curvey and high speed, yes even Big Bear got in on the excitement as be blasted 65 miles toward the center of California.  The ride was great, except...the further we went the hotter it got.   We were at 57 when we left the Redwood Forest and 97 just 65 miles later in Willow Creek, CA when we stopped for the night.   The nice waiter at the restaurant, Cinnabar Sam's, told us that we were headed into 110 degree heat for Wednesday and recommended and northern alternative, Hwy 96.   OMG, this one was more twisty and raw than the day before.  Wait i"m getting ahead of myself.   Willow Creek is in the heart of Bigfoot country and Bigfoot images are everywhere.  So we stayed at...Bigfoot Motel.   Not the best but okay for the price. Tomorrow we tackle the Bigfoot Highway ( no joke, that's the name), Hwy 96 through miles and miles of twisty narrow roads with no shoulder and 500 foot dropoffs.  This ride is getting good !!!!!!!!!!

As you can tell I am assigned the task of catching up the blog so I will burst into Wednesday, July 7.  OMG have I told you how much I love these twisty narrow roads !!!!  We did 150 miles plus of this stuff today, crossed into Oregon and did 50 miles on Hwy 66.  This road was crazier than the two days before.   Sheer dropoffs that got bigger and bigger.   500 feet dropoffs gave way to 1000 feet and then 1500 feet, no shoulder, narrow twisty curves.   Don't look Ethyl, it's along way down and no stopping till you get to the bottom.   As you can tell we made it over the mountains and through the woods and to 
West edge of Idaho.   We have stopped in Ontario, Oregon at a Best Western after 620 miles today.

We saw beautiful Mt. Shasta from a desert viewpoint over 100 miles away, it was spectacular.   We also saw deer on the road in front of us ( yes I was in front again) several times today.  We headed East on Hwy 140 and eventually North and East on Hwys 395 and 20.

We had a blast despite the numerous road construction stops ( 5 in all).  
The bad thing about twisty-curvey is that it is slower so it took us longer. 

Hwy 140, 395 and 20 are mostly across a desert basin with alkali lakes and scrub brush and pretty much nothing else.  We hardly passed more than 3 dozen cars/trucks the whole way but we made excellent time.

Tomorrow we tackle Idaho and into Yellowstone for one more try.  Tonight we are in the onion capitol of the Northwest.  Yes folks they grown onions as well as potatoes in this part of the country, miles and miles of onions, carrots, wheat and oats.  It is starting to look like Kansas.

I am ready to be out of Oregon.  My pet peave with this Blue State is this:  You cannot pump your own gas.   A little goober runs out and puts in a code to engage the pump and hands you the nozzle and then instructs you on how not to get a drop on the ground with a tissue after you have filled your tank.  Wipe your nozzle ???  In essence the State of Oregon thinks you are too stupid to fill your tank and not spill the $3.30/gal gasoline on the ground.   Get me away fron these democrats !!!!!

I'm tired and Big B is fading on me so I must get to sleep.   Tomorrow another 500 mile day.

We are headed home, but not before we terrorize Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma.

GB for da Bears

Oregon Pacific Coast, July 5, 2010

Well, it's late and this will be short, but we had another great day.  GB and I covered about 425 miles today.  We left our motel about 5:45 this morning(you guessed it...in the rain) and got through Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia before 8:00am.  We rolled into the Mt St. Helen's Visitor Centor just in time to see the video presentation, the wandered around for about a half hour before hitting the road again.  The clouds were lingering, so we did not ride the additional distance to the volcano.  We were told we would not be able to see it until the weather cleared.  The fun really started after we got over on to Hwy 101.  For any of you that think 4th of July traffic is bad, you should see the Pacific coast traffic in Oregon for GB's birthday.  We spent a rather significant part of the day moving forward a few feet at a time on the bikes.  Not a lot of fun even in 65 degrees.  The ride was beautiful once we cleared the traffic, and we made several stops and took some pics along the way.  We are in Yachats, Oregon at the Fireside Resort Motel tonight.  We had dinner at a restuarant down the beach about a quarter mile and the returned to our motel to grab the cameras for a few pictures of the sunset off of the Oregon coast.  Absolutely spectacular!!!
I'll throw in a few pics, and then it's bedtime and some rest in preparation for some redwood tree hunting tomorrow.
best to all from the dynamic duo...da bears

The throngs heading to see GB arrive at the Pacific Ocean and to celebrate his birthday.

Celebrating our arrival at the Pacific Ocean.

Contemplating the beauty of it all.

Final light...good night to all.

Back in the USA

Howdy neighbors:

G Bear here again.  He chained me to the PC until I get us caught up.

Well, last chapter we were in Williams Lake, BC and anticipating re-entry into the homeland.

We departed Williams Lake, BC, on Thursday morning with no rain and mild temps.  We anticipated an easy day with only 360 miles to land us in Everett, WA.  We were enjoying the beautiful scenery following the Thompson River south toward Abbotsford and a certain Cuban cigar shop.  Life was good.

No so fast pilgrim !   About 125 miles down the road from Williams Lake we encountered all traffic stopped.  We waited a while and then began to see 18 wheelers and other cars turning around in the highway and heading back North from where we had just been.   A little inquiry found that a serious accident involving a log truck and an auto had happened several miles ahead of us resulting in a death and the contents of the truck all over the road.   It was 2PM and the word was that the road would not be open before 8PM.  We turned around and stopped at a cafe for soup and sandwich and time to discuss our options with others stranded in the same situation.  Conclusion was that we needed to back track 45 miles and take another highway that would take us a total of 150 miles out of the way to get to the same place.  That 150 miles took us an extra 3-4 hours to travel and landed us in Abbottsford, BC looking for the elusive Cuban.  The ride was great with tons of curves and twistees, but the extra time allowed the rain clouds to build and you guessed it,  more rain.

Ray's GPS took us down back streets and across highways to deliver us to a specialty tobacco shop run by Pakistanees where we procured the elusive communist tobacco at a premium price.  With great anticipation we left Abbottsford headed for the US border and away from the Canooks, eh !

Crossing the border in either direction is always a challenge, but once again we made it through with little issue.  We both were happy to be back in the US.  There is just an uneasyness when you are in another country.  Something in the back of your mind always makes you wonder if they will let you back in the country.   Ray knew we were in Washington, he said "it smells like cow poop" ( he didn't really say poop)
We made our way the last 70- miles to Everett-Mukilteo area and found a place to stay.
There I contacted my friend Greg Nichols who shared time with me in Corinth, MS on the management team and had transferred to Everett, WA in 2005.  Greg and another former co-worker Nancy Peterson both work at the Kimberly Clark mill in Everett WA., had planned some activities for us for Friday, July 2.
We started the day with breakfast for the four of us and moved to Nancy's house where her Harley had a dead battery.   After her husband Rick and his great troubleshooting skills identified the issue, Nancy procured another battery and off we went on a little excurison to Snoqualmie falls and a spectacular view (despite the mistying rain the last 5 miles).  On our way back to town we saw several spectacular views of Puget Sound and the surrounding area.  After lunch Greg told us he would be picking us up at the hotel and we would be going sailing and crabbing.  With a little apprehension we both said okay.  Neither of us knew what to expect on a crabbing adventure, but we are always up for a new adventure.

The boat (32 ft sailboat) is owned by Wally Sanders an engineer at Kimberly Clark, and quite a nice fellow.   Wally took Ray and I, along with Greg and four engineers from KC and Boeing into Puget Sound and we set out crab pots in the bay.  Once we had the crab pots set we hoisted the sail and out across the sound we went sailing.  Ray and I hoisted bottles as the younger guys set the pots.  Captain Wally turned to me and said , here hold the tiller (steers the boat).  He disappeared below deck.  Now folks, I have never sailed a boat, but there I was at the helm of a 32 ft sailboat being powered by the wind and cruising across the bay headed toward the ocean.   I steered a boat ~!!!!!!!
Captain Wally told be what a good job I was doing and promoted me to Junior Helmsman.  How cool is this !!!!   Ray took a picture with my chest puffed out steering the boat. ( Just like I knew what I was doing)  I asked Captain Wally about the island I saw ahead of me and he said not to worry for the next 1-2 hours.  I calmed down, ( I think the crew was laughing, I fear a mutiny)
After an hour of sailing we (I) headed back to check the crab pots.  It was a good day for crabbing and we had 18 legal size crabs after resetting the pots and cruising for a little longer.
Again Ray and I watched the younger guys haul in the heavy pots, some over 140 feet underwater.
Greg and Matt began cleaning the crab and Captain Wally fired up the cook pot and before you know it we were eating fresh crabs right there on the boat.   Folks, you just can't get it any fresher than that unless you jump in the water and eat them raw.  Wow, what an adventure !!!  It is hard to stop smiling after one like that.   I steered a freeking sailboat !!

GB for da Bears (BB here...I will add more to this same post later...check back for additional comments and a few pics.)

Greetings again all,
I noticed that GB did not even wish you all a happy 4th of July!!!  Consider it done.
Well, before we pass along today's activities, let's go back to the days of yester year...aka yesterday.
GB and I sprang into acton at about 8:00 and wandered across the street to the Mulkilteo Cafe for a late breakfast.  Curt has great friends in Seattle...I have FAMILY.  Randy and Roy picked us up at the cafe at about 10:00 and off we went for an all day tour of the city.  Both could be tour guides.  They were a wealth of information about the city's history, geography, and culture.  We had a late lunch down at Fisherman's Warf and then continued our tour.  We visited the locks and fish ladders and got to see the salmon that were moving through.  We went to Randy and Roy's place and walked through Pike Place Market, had a brew at a local brewery (Pike Brewing Company), and then headed up to their place for a tour of the building and for a home cooked meal that was absolutely fantastic. We kept hearing from Randy all day that you could see Mount Ranier (100 miles away) from their condo...and finally the clould decided to break and give us the proof.  They have a beautiful corner condo with spectacular 180 degree view of the city and Pudget Sound. We took a nightime ride through the downtown area of "
Seattle before they brought us back out to the motel we are staying in at about 11:00pm.  Another fantastic day.

Today (4th) started kind of slow for us.  We took the bikes up the street to a car wash and worked on them for awhile.  With the bikes each much lighter without their coats of mud and grime, we kicked back for a few minutes before heading over to Rick and Nancy's house for their 4th of July celebration, and then later over to Greg and Lynn's place to visit with them.  I'll let GB fill you in on that.  I'll work on putting a few pics out for you.

Best from da bears...and
Congratulations Suzie!

I wish a picture could do justice to what this rainbow really looked like.

View from Jackass Mountian overlooking Thompson River.

Snoqualmie Falls

BB, Nancy, Greg, and GB at one of the over-looks in front of the falls

Mardi Gras has nothing on the annual neighborhood 4th of July celebration parade at Rick and Nancy's house.

Parade Master Rick ready to roll!

I'm sick of this RAIN

Greetings fans and followers, Grumpy Bear here.
Do you know what makes me Grumpy, ??
Rain, rain and more rain.  No wait, add cold rain (39 degrees), add  terrible roads, add mud, add fog, add long waits in construction areas, and slick metal and wood plank bridges.   That's what makes me grumpy today.
Do ya know what almost makes up for all that ??
I saw four Black bears today.
We also saw the most beautiful rainbow today just before we pulled into our resting place for the night.  It was the most defined, bold bright rainbow either of us has ever seen.  It was awesome !!!!
We covered lots of Canadian ground today with 664 miles covered despite the constant rain.
We left Teslin, Yukon this morning at 6:00AM and had great expectations of smooth traveling and dry weather.  That lasted all of 45 miles before we had to stop and pull out all the covers and raingear.  We didn't take it off the rest of the day.   Tomorrow doesn't look very promising either.   So if you need rain, just call da Bears and we will get on the bikes and head your way.  We are confident that the rain will follow us.
We are in New Hazelton, BC tonight and managed to locate a motel.  Everything in town closes at 9:00PM and we arrived in town at 8:45 PM. 
We hustled and talked the local Chinese restaurant into staying open for us.  Nice folks who obviously needed the business.  ( Just doing our part to boost the local economy).
It is easy to start a conversation when we stop.  Folks see the LA and ARK plates on the bikes and start asking questions.
The Bears are dragging and quite tired so it is off to bed and rest for us both.

da Bears

June 28, 2010 Tok to Teslin, AK

500 miles today.  Staying at Dawson Peaks Resort...basically a cabin by a small lake.  Mostly a RV park.  Will hit the road early again tomorrow.  Not sure of destination.  We changed our route early this morning to stay on AK 2 because we found out before we left that our intended northern route was ALL gravel.  We decided on the known horrrible route in the steady rain that was coming down.  We got rain for the first 6 hours/224 miles, and then glorious sunshile and 62 degrees the rest of the day...and finally decent roads.
Time for some rest...best to all,
da bears

June 27, 2010...Back in Tok

We're staying at Young's Motel in Tok tonight.  That's quite a step down from Camai B&B in Anchorage.  If you ever get to Anchorage, the Camai is a must.  We had a blast visiting with Caroline over breakfast each morning.  She was out to take our picture this morning as we blasted off in the rain.  Thanks again to Caroline and Craig Valentine for a great stay.  It's rained most of the day today, so we stopped a bit early to get a room.  They put the "no rooms" sign up shortly after we got our room.  We ate at Fast Eddy's right after we got here.  After a bit of planning for our early start in the morning, it's showers and some rest.  Since we will be in Canada tomorrow, we'll see what we get for internet access.  Could be a mixed bag again.

Today's ride was just over 330 miles.  Tomorrow will be longer as we try to reach Whitehorse,YT, Canada, just over 500 miles.  We are taking a different route this time and will take the Taylor Highway (State Hwy 5) and the Top of the World Highway (YT Hwy 9).  We got a somewhat late start this morning, but no lollygagging in the morning.  I'll throw a couple of pictures of something out here from the past week.  Maybe ya'll can figure out what they are.

da bears

June 26, 2010 from Camai B&B in Anchorage, AK

We're back...in the saddle tomorrow morning.  Kathy and Rubette got on their flight home about an hour ago.  They have a long night ahead of them.  We have had a busy week and will start trying to catch you all up as we can.  I got fussed at from the heart of Tigerland today about the lack of activity on the blog site for the past nine days.  What can I say?  Our wives have been here and we've been running around Alaska.  One picture and then I'm hitting my packing duties for our morning departure.

Greetings from Ruth Glacier, AK!!!  You have got to go land on a glacier!

OK, maybe two pictures.  How about one in the backyard at the Camai B&B last night?

Mom and baby pretty much wiped out one of the most beautiful flower gardens you have ever seen.  GB took this pic when they were further back in the yard.  At one point the cow was standing between 15 and 20 feet from our window.  You can't believe how big the darned things are.

Best to all,

Da Bears

Still in Girdwood, AK

We rode about 130 miles today going back into Anchorage and then south along Cook Inlet to Hope Junction.  Grumpy Bear had the Wing serviced today, and the Beemer gets it in the morning.  Nothing much to report, but wanted to say "howdy" to the best grandkids ever before we shut it down for the evening...
Hey Bailey, Nathan, Alyssa, Natalie, Heather, Jed, Olivia, and Dax!!!
We love you and miss you...even from Alaska,
da bears

Hotel Alyeska, Girdwood, AK

What bums!  We road about 35 miles today to get from the Best Western where we found shelter last night to the first reserved rooms of our trip.  We got an early start this morning and headed this way about 11:30.  We've just hung out at the hotel all afternoon, exploring the grounds and building and visiting with a couple from Houston.  Nice day, except for that long ride in the rain along the coastline of Cook Inlet.  I sure would like to make that ride without the rain and crosswinds.  Tomorrow is Wing to shop for service and Friday is Beemer to shop for service.  We hope to work in a little bit of activity around that.  There are some beautiful trails leading away from the hotel.  Hopefully we will try one of those out.  No pictures today, but we'll try to take a few tomorrow.  This place is in a beautiful setting.
Best to all,
Da Bears

Rain makes you Grumpy

June 15, Tok to Anchorage

We started out cool and prepped for rain but didn't get wet until 50 miles out of Anchorage, but met the hardest rain of our journey coming into own and while we circulated thru the city trying to navigate in the rain looking for a place to stay. Just another part of the adventure!!

The curves up and down as we traversed the mountains toward Anchorage was one heck of a ride (says Curt). The views were awesome as expected, even the low clouds couldn't dampen the scenery.

Even the “chute de peirres” couldn't stop us from enjoying the ride. For those of you who don't speak French, that means falling rocks.

Animal count for the day included three moose, cow with calf on opposite sides of fence along highway coming into Anchorage, one young bull about 100 mile out from Anchorage that was crossing the road and caused GBear to come to an abrupt stop. GBear is quick with his camera and did manage to get a photo of the this big guy.

Da moose!  Hard to tell from a picture, but about as big as a horse.

We saw several glaciers today, one being Matnasuka Glacier, which comes very near the highway and offers some great photos of the glacier and mountains.

Truly amazing beauty.

He's still Grumpy, but views like this help.

Cool and cloudy in the morning and we saw a big rainbow...a premonition of the rain to come. The last hundred miles of the ride were pretty much wet, very windy and high about 52. We spent over an hour riding around in the rain in traffic looking for a motel in Anchorage(our reservations start tomorrow night). We got lucky at a Best Western and caught them right after a cancellation...and got covered parking for the evening(no covers on the bikes). Life is good, except maybe for that road condition thing.

Riding in the rain and cold makes you tired. We are tired !!!

More tomorrow

BB and GB

Missed Turn Leads to New Adventure

Just before the snowball came my way.  This was before we realized we were headed down the wrong road.

It was a beautiful wrong road.

REALLY BEAUTIFUL!

More wrong turn.  We quit taking pictures after we realized how far off course we were.

Our first entry sign into Alaska.  We didn't even bother when we came across at the right location.  This one at the Haines Crossing was probably the last picture of the day.  Our hurry to cover a lot of miles started about here.

Pictures are from different folders, so not in order.  This and Curt throwing snowball from BB's camera.  Others from GB's.

Another stop...at Haines Highway Simmit this time.

June 14, Whitehorse, YT to Tok, AK

We started out in rain and 42 degrees and saw 7 horses,(on the highway) five that looked pretty wild and two that had the humiliation of cow bells around their necks, one deer, one elk cow, and a gazillion prairie dogs. The prairie dogs were stretched out on their bellies on the warm pavement sunning themselves. They scattered in every direction as Curt dodged through the herd. It was quite a site. It has also been determined that the Alaska Highway was built as a toilet for wild animals, so add one more thing to the objects we dodge daily on the road, piles of animal poop.

We had one minor 236 mile detour which turned our day into a roughly 640 mile trip. But, at least we got to practice border crossings. The border guards seemed to derive great pleasure in informing us that we had missed our turn and would need to retrace 118 miles of our travels to get back on course. We got the pleasure of watching them have to stand there in the mosquitoes explaining it all to us. Plus, we got to see and photograph some awesome venues that were as impressive as anything we have seen so far. We stopped and stomped around in the snow (ice snow), and were blessed with some gorgeous weather during the detour.

The day turned into partly cloudy skies and 68 degrees. The folks at Haines Junction were glad to see us both times we stopped there for gas. They had obviously heard we were coming because they had lined the road with purple and gold wildflowers. It screamed welcome Tiger fans.

We found a room at the Snowshoe Fine Arts Motel in Tok, AK and ate dinner at Fast Eddie's Restaurant down at Young's Motel(no room in their inn).

This was our econd longest riding day, about 14 hours of riding time. The road for the last approximately 150 mile in Canada were shall we say challenging. Frost heave, potholes, ruts, mud, gravel and plenty of dust. And we did our part to reduce the insect population of northern Yukon and Alaska.

We are both battered and exhausted from this days travel so this blog will be brief. Snore..........

BB and GB

June 13th, 33rd anniversary, Klondike Inn, Whitehorse to Wal-Mart

Today's ride about two miles for gas and to wash top layer of dirt off of bikes.  Found another pair of "waterproof" gloves at a local sporting goods store that we walked to.  I threw the last pair away.  You can only wring water out of them a few times before they start coming apart.  Cold wet hand are not fun.  Meals are within walking distance, and we both wanted to stretch our legs a bit today.  Headed to Tok, AK tomorrow.  That's about another 400 miles and we are expecting to start in the morning with temp around 39 degrees and probably rain off and on all day.  How could the bikes possible be dirty with all that water to wash them off?
best to all,
bb

June 12, Dease Lake, BC to White Horse, Yukon Territory

Big Bear here tonight.  Grumpy Bear did his part to catch us up.  We rode 400 miles today (that's a bunch of those kilometer thingies). 

We started out at about 44 degrees this morning and didn't see warmer weather until we got to the Alaska Highway, but no worries since we had the occasional drizzle of rain to go with the cold.  Within the first 10-15 miles of leaving Deason Lake, we encountered a flatbed tractor trailer rig with a small dozier on the back turned over in a ravine.  We stopped and I climbed over to look in the cab.  No sign of anyone inside, but there was a strong smell of diesel and it looked as though it had turned over during the night before.  Onward and upward.

Our next surprise on Highway 37n was a rather large moose cow standing in the middle of the road just as we rounded a curve.  Good thing I had Grumpy riding point for me.  I would have probably hit the darned thing.  You absolutely could not take your eyes off of the road.  We went through miles of pothole minefields, patches of gravel, and construction areas.  Oh yeah, and don't foprget to look up and see that RV parked in the road taking pictures of the huge brown bears standing on it's hind legs and taking it all in.  He decided to head for the woods before we could get stopped.

We stopped for breakfast and gas at Sally's at the intersection of Hwy 37 and Hwy 1(Alaska Highway).  We filled up with gas across the street (your choice of regular or diesel) and then headed over for one of the best omelets that I ever ate.  It was one of those little bitty things that covered the better part of half a plate.  Canadian toast is either white or brown...and this was homemade wheat.  It was just plain good after about 4 hours to cover less than 150 miles.  I think we averaged less than 40MPH(again, not sure of those kilometer thingies).  As soon as we hit Hwy 1, we managed to pick our average up a bit.

After we hit the Alaska Highway, we did get better and warmer weather for a bit.  The rain stopped and the temp rose to about 65.  Not to worry though.  Before we got to Teslin, we had to stop and re-cover our stuff for more rain.  We we took off again, the temp dropped from 65 to 45 is less than 5 miles and the rain came down pretty hard and with plenty of wind,  I have to admit that crossing the Nisutlin Bay Bridge in Teslin (longest bridge on the Alaska Highway) it one of the scariest thing I have ever done and definately the scariest of this trip so far.  It's one of those metal surface bridges and we got there in the worst of the rain storm and went over in rough cross winds.  A motorcycle doesn't act like your run of the mill family sedan on metal bridges,  It feels like it's walking all over the place.  This felt like we had absolutely no control.  Big sigh of relief on the other side, where we immediately pulled in for more of that fine regular or diesel(you choice) fuel.  Check out this link for a picture of the bridge on a nice sunny day.
http://www.yukonvisitor.com/teslin.html
We rode maybe another 20 miles before the rain stopped and the temp started back up toward 65, which is about what is was when we pulled into White Horse, Yukon.  We have decided to spend two nights here.  The bikes are tired and want a bath.  We need a day to rest and wash a few clothes.  Besides, the internet service here seems to be pretty good.
Even with the scary bridge, I've loved every minute of this. 
Tomorrow is my anniversary.  We've been happily married for 22 years...married for 33, but happily for 33(she knew I would throw something like this in).  It's been a great 33 years with a wonderful and patient bride.  Happy Anniversay.  I miss all of you, especially Jed, Olivia and Dax.
love to all,
bb

This is not GB and BB, but rather two of the seven bears we saw on the same day.

Not as big as the cow standing in the road this morning, but our first moose of the trip.

Where we just came from.

And where we are headed.  GB indicating that we just passed the 4000 mile mark also.

Curt got a favorite sign, so here's one of mine.  The first couple of times I saw one of these yellow signs, I thought...how cute.  They're warning us of mountains ahead.  That seems a bit obvious.  Nay I say.  These little signs that are about 2ft square(I'm sure it's really metric) warn that you are about to hit dips or rough spots in the road.  Like the smaller warning signs that say "SLOW" they are place about a meter before you actually hit the pothole, gravel patch, or dip in the road.  Clever the way you can send someone out to drive signs in the side of the road instead of having them fill the hole.

The dot in the road is my point man.  Hard to drive the Alaska highway through Yukon territory, still keep up with Grumpy Bear, and take a picture.  Hhhhuuummm.  Probably not considered very safe driving, but look at the mountains.

More tomorrow.  Grumpy is over there snoring.  My turn for retribution!

PS:  We are reading all of your comments and REALLY appreciate them.  Last night we had really crappy internet service along with the two extended power outages.  It kind of makes it tough to blog and download pics under those circumstances.  Hang in there with us.  Hello to every one at Bikes and Trikes and at DJ's Cycle.  What a ride you are missing!

Sharing the Road with Brother Bear

June 11, Friday and our ninth day on the road.

We are headed out of Jasper on Hwy 16 and turning North on Hwy 37 and into the wilderness where you don't see many people nor pass many vehicles. The road is getting narrower and vegetation comes right up to the road. You have to keep your eyes focused and watch for critters stepping into the road.

Yes he has me in the lead again, screening for critters.

It was not long before we saw our first critter as a large Black Bear crossed the road in front of me about 200 feet ahead. He stopped and looked back at us as we passed. Ray churped at me on the CB, “that was a big sucker”. “Amen” Mr. Ray is was.

That was the first of seven Black Bears we saw today. I captured one pair on camera and Ray will publish the photo for you. We also saw moose, fox, wolf and coyote today. I think we saw more critters than people today. There was a considerable distance between gasoline venue and we had to cut our speed to conserve fuel between stops.

It was very windy and cool today and we encountered lots of rough road and many washed out areas and many areas under repairs from an obviously tough winter.

Let's not forget about the mosquitoes !!!! Holy Cow, there is no Louisiana swamp that has anything on British Columbia. Whenever we stopped they swarmed us. It is hard to do anything with these vicious, hungry buggers covering you.

We also answered another age old question today.

Does a bear poop in the woods? Actually from what we saw, they prefer to poop on the road and so do the deer, moose, elk and numerous other creatures. Yes we have photos.

The small communities don't have much to offer so you take what you can get in the way of lodging and dining. We made it to Dease Lake, BC, a community of maybe 100 people, two motels, one gas stop/general store/laundrymat/liquor store/post office/deli/town hangout. We had a nice dinner at Mama Z's and walked over to the general store/etc. for some bottled water for tomorrow. Just as we approached the counter to pay, the power went out for the store and the whole town. As I sit here blogging, we are still without power, three hours now. I may be one long night, as the Big Bear is already snoring. Geez Rubette, you could have warned me !!!! (Editor's note:Grumpy Bear snores also)


Tomorrow, North and West as we head up the Alaska Hwy for new sights and adventures.
We ran out of words to describe what we are seeing but will try to communicate what we can.

After BB reads the snoring thing, this may be my last contribution.



GB and BB, North to Alaska

Greetings followers from Grumpy Bear

It is Thursday, June 10, and were are leaving Jasper with hopes of getting to Smithers, BC, 462 miles away.


Our day started with me once again in the lead.  I've wondered why BB likes me up there breaking the wind, (no pun intended), and today I found out.


No rain today, but it was raining DEER.  In all today I saw more than two dozen deer either on the road or close to it.   One in particular was hit by the car in front of me.   I don't think the deer survived since the car flipped her in the air and she smacked the pavement and rolled down the embankment.
He is having me screen the critters !!!!!

It is cool today, but no rain, in fact it was a great travel day and full of WOW. Every turn had a new awesome sight of a mountain, a lake, a river or a critter.

We shed clothes throughout the day as it warmed up with the bright sunlight. Sometimes I forget to put on the sunscreen, it was one of those days, and my face is red and no I'm not easily embarrassed.

It was a long ride but Smithers a is nice neat town with plenty of places to stay and good dining venues.

We stopped at the Sandman Inn and met Pam and Ed who took very good care of us and gave us several upgrades at no charge. They even had us park in the handicapped spaces in front of the hotel next to the door.  Ed did ask that we limp going in...no problem...long day on the bikes again.  Smithers is surrounded by mountains and the view from the hotel was again, awesome.

Tomorrow we start toward the Alaska Hwy up Hwy 37 and into places that are more remote and even fewer people, and less gas availability. Our destination tomorrow is Dease Lake, BC.


GB and BB

The Rainman cometh

Well the G. Bear is still at the keyboard and chained to the blog for a couple of more days so "BEAR" with me and I'll try to get us up to date.

It is Wednesday, June 9, and we are surrounded by the Chinese at the Red Coat Inn, at Fort MacLeod, Alberta.  It looks like rain outside and it is cold.  We are dressed for both and we are headed up Canadian Hwy 2 toward Calgary, Alberta .

We made it into Banff National Park, and Oh MY God !!!!!  Even with the cold rain and low visability, this place is absolutely gorgeous.  It is only outdone by our next venue, Jasper National Park.  These two places for anyone interested in a vacation experience is fantastic.  Mountains, waterfalls, rushing rivers, waterfalls, snow capped giant cliffs, waterfalls, and even creatures, did I mention waterfalls ?

If we stopped and took a picture of every breath-taking scene we would have never made it past either of these parks, much less to Alaska.

We stopped just outside the Jasper National Park in Jasper, Alberta, at a really nice lodge and restaurant, Becker's Crossing.  Excellent accommodations and dining and the view from the front porch of the cabin was inspiring.  The rain gave us a break toward the end of the day and we settled for 359 miles and an overflow or images and scenic memories to inspire us for quite awhile.  Tomorrow we head due West on Hwy 16.  The people are getting fewer but the scenery just keeps coming.  WOW

GB and BB

PS,  We saw a wolf tonight as we left the restaurant headed back to our cabin.   Cool  !!

From the "Butte" to the "Mac"

Big Bear says I have to start earning my keep and fill in some of the blog, so here goes the G-Bear on the loose.  I'll have to type this fast before he has a chance to edit.
We arrived in Butte, Montana late Monday,June 7.  We spotted our hotel while gassing up.  I made a beeline for the hotel after the fill-up stop.  The bee-line turned out to be the entrance ramp to I-90 rather that the parking lot.  Big Bear followed me like he had good sense .  After a brief detour and an unauthorized cut-thru on the interstate, I managed to get us back to the hotel.   Big Bear nearly laughed his you know what off, and I claimed grace under the three screw-up rule ( my second one).
After a much needed nights rest at the Best Western, we headed out West on I-90 toward Missoula. Before we reached Missoula, MT, I took BB on a little side excursion called the Pinlet Loop, which takes Hwy 1 through the mountains and past some gorgeous lakes and rolling countryside.
After reaching Missoula, we turned North on Hwy 93 toward Kalispell, going through Polson and around Flathead Lake, a truly beautiful place with a Wow factor off the charts.
I say the first bald eagle of the trip while looping Flathead Lake.   Big Bear missed the eagle !  I'm not sure what he was looking at, he missed a spectacular site.
We skipped through Kalispell, focusing on heading into Glacier National Park.  I took Big Bear to a favorite stopping place called "The Huckleberry Patch" in West Glacier.  The homemade huckleberry pie is to die for.  (blew the diet today).
Full of pie we headed into Glacier National Park.  At the park entrance we were told that the pass was closed due to heavy snow.   That added and extra 50 miles to go around the park instead of through it.
It was quite a ride and chock full of mountains, twistes, and awesome scenery.  One of the most beautiful spots we saw was Lake St. Mary's.  I snapped a photo BB will likely load for your viewing.
Following Hwy 89 to the Canadian border was a bikers dream with twist after twist.
Finally we made it to Canada about 5:30 PM local time and sighed with relief after both of us crossed without issue.
We headed North on our first Canadian highway which are well maintained.   It is quite a brain change since everything is measured in metrics and you have to convert the miles to kilometers.  BB said I was speeding and he didn't want to spend the night in a Canadian jail.  I told him the sign said 90 and I was only going 85 so what was the big deal.  He then told me kilometers per hour, not miles per hour.  90 kpm is about 60 mph.   Picky picky picky.
We out ran a huge rain storm making it to Fort MacLeod for the night.   The motel selection did not meet our expectaions but we choose the Red Coat Inn, and despite it's small room size, was quite clean.
We made 456 miles today, we are tired, we are going to sleep. More tomorrow and hopefully more pics.

GB and BB

Checking in from Butte, MT

Ray enjoying Wyoming landscape and downtown Jackson Hole elk antlers.

Curt enjoying an evening cigar at our Jackson Hole digs and earlier in the day in Utah.

Hello Everyone...I will try to fill you in on the last two days. Yesterday(Sunday, June 7), Curt and I rode from Vernal, UT to Jackson Hole WY on Hwy 191. It's a stretch of highway that I hope you all get to experience in your life time. On a motorcycle is even better. We left Vernal at about 6:00am. We were expecting good cool weather, so we were both anxious to start. The weather was beautiful all day through northern Utah and Wyoming. Curt put me in the lead most of the day and we made numberous stops for pics. We saw antelope, deer and elk off and on all day. We had about 12 drops of rain hit us between Vernal and Jackson Hole, but by the time we got to Jackson, there was a low cloud cover and rain on the way. The beautiful snow capped Grand Tetons that we watched grow closer most of the day had suddenly disappeared. Jackson Hole was still an interesting place to spend an evening walking around. There were lots of shops that Kathy (apparently) has been in, and that Rubette never needs to know about. Overall, I rate yesterday as the best day of motorcycle riding I've ever had, and that's a hard statement to make because I've had some REALLY good days riding a bike.

Now for today's saga. Again, we were on Hwy 191 and the views within the constraints of the visibility were stunning. We have been riding beside rushing water in rivers and streams. We've seen amazing canyons, mountains and wildlife. As I've told Curt, the dictionary needs more adjectives. The weather changed and we started the day riding in rain. We did not take the first picture, and that included riding through Yellowstone National Park. The lowest riding temp I noticed today was 42, and that was with snow still on the road beside us, and a little sleet thrown in just to make the rain interesting. Still, I loved every mile of it. At one point we stopped behind a short line of cars that were waiting for a small group of buffalo to wander through an area that the road was the only place to travel. Several of the buffalo walked between the car parked in front of us and our bikes. I could have reached out and touched one. We saw our first moose of the day today shortly after we left the park. It just wandered across the highway. Curt announced that we could go home now...not!

Sorry for the ramble folks, but it's really difficult to describe the natural beauty that we are seeing on this trip. What an adventure! I must come back.

Best to all of you and thanks for the support.

BB and GB

Day 3 of bliss and heat

Me at Molas Pass

Thanks to a couple that wanted to take a picture at the state line. Finally one of Curt and I together.

Curt at Colorado/Utah state line.

Curt at Molas Pass, elevation about 11,000ft.

One of Curt's favorite signs.

Headed to Jackson, WY tomorrow. Time for a little Yellowstone adventure.

WSNNMIB

Finally on the Road

The first two day have been a blur. We rode 662 miles yesterday(using my odometer...the Wing says more and I'll give those figures later) and 501 miles today. Both days were about 12 hour days, but we stopped a few more times today to enjoy some of the scenery.

Day 1 was a lot of Texas. If you've never ridden a motorcycle from Farmerville, LA to Amarillo, TX in mostly 90+ degree temps, you've missed quite a treat. The highest moving temperature I saw on my bike yesterday was 101 and today was at 98. The Goldwing doesn't agree on that either. Maybe it's because I had a heavier jacket on than Curt.

We found our first Good Samaritan of the trip in Fort Worth. We managed a wrong turn because my GPS had locked up. I think I have the correct allen wrench to pull the battery to reset it buried somewhere under my seat. I would have had to unload the bike and pull the seat to get to it. While we were gassing up, a gentleman asked where we were headed. I asked him if he happened to have any allen wrenches in his truck...and hew drug out an emergency tool kit and offered up just what I needed. Then he offered to give me the allen set in case I needed it again. Folks can be great. He even sent us to what he described as the best BBQ joint in Texas...the Railhead. There were a lot of people there and I have to admit that the ribs were pretty darn good. Dinner found us at the Big Texan in Amarillo. If you can eat the 72 oz steak and the trimmings, it's free. I don't think that happens very often.

We traveled I-20 and Highway 287 all of day one. There's just not a lot to see between Amarillo and home, but it was fun. It was just the usual fair of cows, scrubs trees and a herd of camels...I guess you call them herds. We thought the heat was really getting to us at that point. Maybe a wrong turn or something.

Day 2 started with some more of Texas, but definitely some different scenery before the day was out. We saw lots of antelope and Curt even spotted a big coyote. We traveled some absolutely spectacular roads on our way to Durango, Colorado. We rode Hwy 287/87, FM354(I love it when the GPS picks a really great little road), and HWY 385 To Dalhart, TX, then followed HWY 87 and 64 to Clayton, NM and Raton, NM. From there we headed up I-25 to Walsenberg and then took Hwy 160 west all the way to Durango. We came through portions of the Rio Grande National Forest, crossed the Continental Divide, and reached out highest elevation of the day at Wolf Creek Pass (10,850 feet). Curt says the views get better tomorrow. I'm sure he's right, but it's been a long time since I was in this part of the country and snow capped mountains in June are not normal Louisiana viewing.

Well, more later. Curt is already trying to sleep and I'm fading fast. Pics I just threw on here are not in order. I'll figure all that out later and actually set up a Picassa site with more. Good night all. ILMSOYID.