Yosemite Valley

28 August 2011

This morning it is time to bid farewell to Adam. It has been great for me to have a riding buddy the past few days and I think Adam has enjoyed it as well. As he headed for Sacramento, Don, Sarah and I headed back to Groveland via the south entrance to Yosemite National Park and a side trip into Yosemite Valley.

On the way out of the motel we found the most jacked up pickup I have ever seen and had a good laugh (see the photos).

On the way up through Central Valley we drove through mile after mile of grapevines (the “raisin capital of the world” then mile after mile of almond trees (the “almond capitol of the world”) then miles and miles of citrus trees of various flavors. All of this would have been desert if not for the extensive water management and irrigation in place.

Finally we climbed out of the valley and into Yosemite Park and Yosemite Valley. In my experience, Yosemite Valley is the most awe inspiring place on this planet. Google “yosemite valley images”. The place is majestic and enchanting and hard to leave.

Once we got back to Don and Sarah's place I packed up and rode eight miles to Dick and Cris Todd's beautiful place, where I will spend a few days before going to the Strawberry Music Festival. http://www.strawberrymusic.com

I had originally planned to be in Dallas over Labor Day weekend for the Mid-Americas Hobie regatta but the extreme heat in north Texas has put me off that idea and I decided to stay here in the cool mountains for Strawberry, which besides will give me more time to spend with my good friends Dick and Cris.

Americana for the day: cruising in Adam's rag top Mustang with the top down in the California sunshine

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Let's Swing, Let's Swing, Let's Swing Swing Swing

27 August 2011

Adam and I had originally planned to ride highway 4 today but Don and Sarah were going to Visalia to hear Rich O'Brian, whom Don calls “the beat guitar player in the world”. I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that so the plans changed. I rode with Don and Sarah in their truck and Adam rode his bike as he wanted to be in Sacramento the next morning.

On the way Sarah wanted to stop at the Underground Gardens in Fresno, which nicely provided a break in the three hour journey. This is another amazing place created by an even more amazing man, Baldassare Forestiere. It is now a modest family run tourist attraction managed and run by the descendents of Baldassare's brother (he had no children). It was well worth the $14 dollar fee and we were nice and cool while underground. You can read more about it here: http://www.undergroundgardens.com/summary.html. Once the tour was over we were back to baking in the Fresno inferno.

We got checked into our motels, had a feed, and made it to the coffee house just in time for the 7PM start of the Rich O'Brian concert. I don't know about best guitar player in the world but certainly in Don's world, which is Western Swing, Rich is the man. It was a nice concert in an intimate venue. Over the course of the evening, Rich generously invited several of his old friends up to perform with him, including Don. It was well worth the three hour trip and a motel bill. Good music with good company is hard to beat.

Americana for the day: an abundance of country music radio stations

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

A Lot of Living in 299 Miles

26 August 2011

We departed South Lake Tahoe City on another brisk clear sky morning. Our destination is Don Burnham and Sarah Duckworth's place in Groveland California. We headed east on 89 and hit roadworks as we ascended the first ridge in Stanislaus National Forest. Our reward for waiting through the roadworks was the view into a beautiful alpine meadow. After crossing the pass and descending into a mountain valley we had brunch in Markleeville.

Then we climbed even higher to the next pass and had fantastic views on the way down the east side. Riding through the valley we were getting desperate for fuel and were glad to find some in Walker. Upon leaving the petrol station Adam noticed that he had a very flat rear tire. Fortunately I carry a tire puncture repair kit and we had him rolling again without too much delay.

About forty miles further south we headed west on 120 towards Yosemite National Park. The mountains kept getting more and more rugged and majestic. This is fantastic country and we are not even today going through the famous Yosemite Valley. I couldn't help taking heaps of photos.

As we started descending down the west side of the park we got some views of the smoke from a wild forest fire burning southwest of Yosemite Park. 4700 acres have been burnt. Once we got under the smoke cloud the sky was overcast and breathing was a bit smokey but not too bad.

By the time we got down to 3000 feet in Groveland, the temperatures were in the upper 90's and we were glad to get off the bikes and into the shade and Don and Sarah's place. We rode 299 miles and in that distance traveled through several climates and an amazing variety of landscapes. Don and Sarah were gracious and welcoming hosts and we settled in for the night.

Americana for the day: having to sign for credit card transactions – come on America, get with the PIN pad

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Lake Tahoe

25 August 2011

Adam and I sent Miriam off to work, saddled up the mounts, set Susan to “shortest route” mode to get some back road riding, and headed in the general direction of Lake Tahoe.

We did get some interesting back road experiences and eventually ended up in the quaint little mining town Downieville for lunch. Heading east out of Downieville on 49 we crested the pass to a panoramic view of the valley.This has been another great twisty road, perfect for motorbike riding.

We picked up 89 south to Nevada and the north shore of Lake Tahoe, and joined the queue of traffic heading down the east shore of the lake. The shore of the lake seems to be completely developed with expensive private homes and gated communities, lots of stoplights and lots of traffic. Although the lake and surrounds are beautiful, the excess of upscale humanity was a bit much.

At the south end of the lake we passed the strip of casinos on the Nevada side and got a cheap motel just across the border back in California. We found a great beach bar type pub on the main drag and had a good meal followed by some good live acoustic music.

Americana for the day: free wifi almost everywhere – restaurants, motels, bike dealers, fast food joints, malls, libraries

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Motorbike Heaven

22-24 August 2011

Adam has recently acquired a BMW K1200RS motorcycle and on Monday we decided to ride a loop through Lassen Volcanic National Park to help him get familiar with the bike. We took highway 32 out of Chico to the park. This was another excellent motorbike road with plenty of challenging curves and spectacular scenery. There was bit of traffic but adequate passing opportunities.

The park was beautiful, the temperatures pleasantly brisk after the hot valley, and more great roads and scenery.

Heading east on 44 we had mostly straight roads to 36 then more straight roads until we picked up 70 south. This road turned out to be another gem. It has more sweeping curves, a bit more traffic and absolutely gorgeous scenery as it follows the Feather River back down to the valley.

It was only a 300 mile day but we had an outstanding 8 hours of motorbike riding. The last two days of riding have been the best as far as "riding to the road" goes.

Tuesday and Wednesday I had off from riding and relaxed and took care of some business.

Americana for the day: non-dairy creamer in your coffee – what is that stuff anyway?

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Cold Coast to Hot Central Valley

21 August 2011

Up with the sun to break camp and head south along the California coast on highway 101 for about an hour to Arcata. It was a cold and foggy ride, temps stayed close to 50F and the moisture in the air gave it quite a bite. Then east on 299 to Weaverville. This was a very nice ride through Trinity National Forest with lots of wide sweeping turns, a very nice road surface, and not too much traffic. The climate started to get a bit warmer and much dryer.

At Weaverville I took highway 3 south towards Hayfork. This is one of the best motorbike roads I have yet encountered. An hour of tight non stop curves, perfect road surface, no traffic and great scenery. Both these roads wind up to mile high passes and back down the other side.

Just before Hayfork, Susan had me turn south onto Wildwood road, which turned out to be a glorified logging road. The surface conditions were not the best, most of it was 1.5 lanes wide, lots of sharp blind curves with no center stripe. It was slow going but I enjoyed it immensely for its remoteness and wildness.

Then I headed east on 36 to Red Bluff. Along the way 36 climbs into high chaparral country, an arid climate with brown grass and stubby trees and lots of ranches. As we came down into the valley the road became like a roller coaster as the road builders didn't bother to cut and fill even the slightest irregularities in the road surface. Kinda fun and kinda scary.

By the time I got to Red Bluff it was flat straight roads, and temps in the upper 90's.

Another hour and a half south from Red Bluff on straight and flat 99 and I was at Adam and Miriam's place in Chico. Adam is a Kiwi that I have known for years from the New Zealand music scene and Miriam is the mother of Chris Mullins whom I visited out in east Kentucky (see blog entries for July 11 & 12). I'll be here for a few days before moving on to Groveland.

Americana for the day: right turn on red – you can turn right at a red light if no one is coming across from the left. This vastly improves traffic flow – come on New Zealand, implement left turn on red.

Valley of Giants

20 August 2011

Woke up with the intention of heading to Chico, but feeling that I hadn't really gotten to experience the redwood forests. I decided that if I could find a campsite I would stay another night and use the day to explore. I was lucky to find a fabulous site in the Mill Creek State Park and had camp all set up by 10:30AM.

Rode back through cold and foggy Crescent City to Jedidiah State Park (five miles inland and sunny and warm) and ran into another traveler riding the exact model bike as mine. We chatted for a while about how much we liked the bikes.

I stopped at the visitor center and asked about the best things to do with one afternoon. Kareen was very helpful and set the agenda for the rest of the day. First up is the Howland Hill Road through Stout Grove – eight miles of hard packed dirt road through the Stout Grove stand of old growth Coast Redwoods. I was awestruck as I rode through this forest of living giants, one of the most impressive experiences of this trip. The photos fail miserably to capture how it feels to be amongst these grand trees. The photo with the people in it gives a sense of scale that is missing from the others. This was the first time on this trip that I deeply wished for company to share the moment with. I always have that feeling but it cut way deep in this place.

Once out of the forest it was a thirty minute ride south to the Yurok Indian Reservation town of Klamath, where the Yurok tribe was having it's annual Salmon Festival. The sporting and dance events were finished by the time I got there but I had a great Indian style BBQ salmon meal and got to hang out amongst these beautiful American Indians.

Finally it was back to the redwood campsite at Mill Creek for a hike around the campground before turning in for the night.

Americana for the day: The tranquil majesty of a forest of giant redwoods

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Once Again, From the Mountains to the Sea

19 August 2011

Got an early and brisk start heading for Crater Lake National Park. I had to stop a couple of times to put on more layers.

I saw a wolf along the way to Crater Lake. At first glance I thought it was a deer but as I got closer I could see that the gait and the head were not deer like and I realized it was a big wolf. I was so “in the moment” that it never occurred to me to try and get a photo. It did add some goosebumps to my already chilled body.

Crater Lake is stunningly beautiful and I had yet another day to match. I rode around the crater and took photos of the lake from many angles. I couldn't bear to delete them so there are plenty to look at.

From Crater Lake it was a long descent to the Pacific Ocean at Crescent City, California, via Redwood National Forest. While doing my trip planning I had looked at the weather in Crescent City and noticed that the high temperatures were about 60F. This seemed odd as every where around there was in the 80's. Well I can tell you it is true. There is a cloud over the place and the cold Pacific wind blasts in there, making it cold and dreary. Five miles out of town and it's back to sunny an warm.

I got a nice camp site nestled amongst the redwoods and will be exploring the redwood parks in the morning then heading to Chico, California, to visit my kiwi mate Adam Walter.

Americana for the day: being handed the petrol nozzle. In Oregon, you are not allowed to pump your own petrol, it must be done by a certified professional (no, I am not kidding). However, motorcyclists are allowed to dispense their own petrol as long as the nozzle is handed to them by the attendant.

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

A Fortuitous Change of Plan

18 August 2011

Had a leisurely morning with Cy and Judith then started for Crater Lake National Park. The brilliant blue cloudless sky reminded me that I also meant to visit McKenzie pass which was highly recommended for it's spectacular views. I had a chat with Susan, she plotted the change of course, and away we went.

The ride through the Willamette National Forest on the way to the pass was one of the highlights of the trip from a motorcycle perspective. It is a narrow twisting road through close forest that is in excellent condition with tight well cambered curves and it was perfect for breaking in the new Michelin Road Pilot 3 tires that the bike got yesterday. Lots of second gear curves and even a few first gear ones as we climbed nearly a vertical mile up to the pass. The bike LOVES these tires.

There is an observation tower at McKenzie pass that was constructed in the 1800's out of the surrounding lava rock. There is a huge bronze casting there pointing to the various mountains that are visible. I was amazed to be able to see the tip of Mt Hood, which is 79 miles away (see photos). If you happen to be in the area on a clear day, this is one of those not to be missed places.

Due to the late start and the change of plans, I didn't have enough daylight left to make it to Crater Lake. I was still keen to camp somewhere, the weather is perfect for it but the logistics didn't work out so I ended up in a motel in Bend. At least it gave me time to get nearly caught up on this blog.

Americana for the day: Oregon bumper sticker: “Hug a Logger”

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

New Shoes, Old Friends

17 August 2011

Left Fort Stevens and headed to Portland to get some new shoes (tires) for the bike. The original tires have 9,954 miles on them and they are way beyond their service life. Fortunately it has been bone dry for days and I haven't missed the tread.

I very nearly ran out of petrol today – my trip computer said I had one mile left and I put 6.1 gallons in my 6 gallon tank.

I was stuck in Portland all afternoon while the tires were replaced by the good guys at Fast Bike Inc. Then I fought rush hour traffic and headed south to Springfield to stay with my old friend Cy Foughty and his lovely wife Judith. We spent the evening chatting about the old days and telling our life's stories.

Americana for the day: ketchup and mustard bottles at the restaurant table

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

From the Mountains, to the Valleys, to the Ocean white with foam...

16 August 2011

I started the day riding along the Hood River valley which is much more beautiful than I had imagined it would be. The Northwest continues to amaze me with the scale of it's beauty.

From Hood River I rode up to Mt Hood. If you enlarge the Mt Hood photo the dots that look like specs of dirt turn out to be skiers coming down the slope.

From Mt Hood I rode west through Portland to the Pacific Ocean and north along Highway 101 to Fort Stevens Park and the northwest corner of Oregon. I was lucky to get the last available campsite.

Americana for the day: four way stop sign intersections - come on America, embrace the roundabout

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Mt St Helens

15 August 2011

Said goodbye to Lach and Becky as they each headed off to work. Packed up and headed south towards the Hood River. The route took me back through Mt Ranier National Park and then south through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The Forest Service roads were in deplorable condition and progress was rough and slow. It was worth it though for the spectacular views of Mt St Helens.

I was lucky to find the Timberlake Campground, owned and operated by LeRoy, who does a great job of making his guests feel welcome and provides above average facilities.

Americana for the day: free wifi in the forest

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Mt Ranier

14 August 2011

Becky and I got an early start and rode up to Mt Ranier National Park. It was yet another beautiful day, 80's in the valley and 50's in the mountains. We got some nice photos of the area.

We got back in the late afternoon and I spent the rest of the day and evening giving Becky a crash course in recording engineering. Can't wait to hear your fully engineered album, Becky!

Was up late doing trip planning for tomorrow and found it hard to get to sleep.

Americana for the day: Finding what you need at the Wal-Mart Super Center

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Ellensburg

13 August 2011

Lach and Becky acted as tour guides and drove me all over Ellensburg and the surrounding mountains (see photos). They had an afternoon and evening dinner engagement which left me time to get my new netbook configured and to strart getting caught up on this blog.

Americana for the day: flat rate all you can use broadband bandwidth

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Leaving Seattle

12 August 2011

Crawled out of the tent to a 51 degree morning. Rode west across the top of the Olympic Peninsula through the Olympic Mountains and the northern most section of the famous Highway 101. Then continued down the west coast along the Pacific Ocean. Didn't get a lot of photos today because it was too cold and I had to keep gloves on.

My destination is Lach and Becky's place in Ellensburg, about two hours east of Seattle. In order to get there I have to go through south Seattle and once again I got caught up in horrible traffic. I've had a magic time in the Seattle area but am glad to be leaving that traffic behind.

I arrived at Becky's place just as she was leaving to perform some folk music, along with several others, in a local pub. I hopped off the bike and into her car and we had an enjoyable night of live music.

Americana for the day: pay at the pump petrol, no need to go inside

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

82 Over 80

11 August 2011

What is this 82 over 80? Some kind of bizarre blood pressure reading? No, it is, with condolences to my friends in the mid-west and Texas, the number of minutes (82) so far this year that the temperature in Seattle has been over 80F. It has been such a cold summer for Seattle that they are actually counting the minutes.

My good friend Larry Stewart, who is originally from Seattle but now lives in New Zealand, has been keen for me to meet his good friend Mark Julian who lives on Bainbridge Island. I said my goodbyes to Tombi and caught the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island and rode out to Mark's workshop. We had a good chat, found we had a lot in common, he showed me his toys and we had a nice lunch at a local cafe.

From Mark's I rode west across the Hood Canal and north up the Olympic Peninsula to Port Townsend. This a quaint little town with a rich nautical history. I camped at a beautiful state park just out of town.

Americana for the day: a tall glass of iced tea with lunch

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Recovery Day

10 August 2011

Spent the day at Nick and Tombi's place trying to find a replacement for my stolen netbook. After hours of frustration I decided to try and find the next best thing. Tombi had to do some shopping at the local Costco (in Kirkland, the original Costco). I tagged along just to be spending time with them and found the best deal on a netbook there. It is in may ways better than the one that was stolen and costs less. Many thanks to Tombi, Judy and Karen for all their help with getting a replacement netbook in my hands.

In the evening, my old friend Dean stopped by and we had a long evening of stories and laughs around the dinner table from the days of Tombi growing up. She was an amazing child and has grown into a wonderful mother of two beautiful daughters and a great wife to husband Nick.

Americana for the day: shopping at the original Costco

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Robbed of Stuff But Not of Friendship

9 August 2011

Up bright and early, said goodbye to Norris and Karen and drove across San Juan Island to catch the ferry from Friday Harbor back to the mainland at Anacortes. I got some lovely photos of Friday Harbor.

Judy and I made a short side trip to visit Deception Point, a narrow straight between the Pacific Ocean and Puget Sound. The tide rips through here and looks like a swift flowing river. Check out the photos.

Upon arriving back at Judy's place in West Seattle we found that the house had been broken into while we were away. The only thing of value we could find missing was my netbook, which is why there has been a several day lapse in getting this blog up to date. It was an ignominious way to end the wonderful time I had spent with Judy. It was great to renew our friendship and we didn't let this little incident spoil it.

I packed up and rode over to Tombi's (Judy's daughter) place in East Seattle. Back in our Dallas days I was like a proud uncle to Tombi, we spent a lot of time together as she grew up, and it will be great to see her again after twenty odd years.

Americana for the day: robbed

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Crabless in Snug Harbor

8 August 2011

Today we all went sailing on Norris and Karen's Fisher 34. Along the way we set some crab pots hoping for a crabilicious dinner. I felt great to be on the water again, especially in such a beautiful place and once again the weather was fabulous. Our only disappointment were the empty crab pots, which was offset by being given a fresh fillet of salmon for dinner. The photos tell a much better story than these words can, so have a look.

Americana for the day: setting and checking crab pots

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Everything is Beautiful

7 August 2011

Paul and Judy and I had a great breakfast at Circa in Seattle. Judy and I dropped Paul off at the airport on his way to a convention in Las Vegas, then drove north to Anacortes and caught the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Our mission is to visit Norris and Karen Palmer, good friends of ours from the old days in Dallas.

It was great to see them again after nearly twenty years. They are going beautifully in a beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood, in the beautiful bay of Snug Harbor on the beautiful San Juan Island. We spent what was left of the light getting the tour of the estate and the neighborhood.

Americana for the day: jammin' and wailin' with Norris Palmer

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Sleepy in Seattle

5-6 August 2011

After an exhausting week of traveling I took a day off to relax. Friday evening Paul and Judy hosted a lovely dinner party where I enjoyed meeting lots of interesting folks.

On Saturday, Paul and Judy acted as tour guides and drove me around the varied neighborhoods of Seattle. The Fremont Troll was cool in funky Fremont. Other highlights were the locks where fresh and salt water meet, Gasworks Park, the Sculpture Park, awesome roast pork sandwiches at (???) and Shilshole Marina where Paul and Judy keep their beautiful yacht “Annie”.

We got home happy and tired, tried to watch a movie but couldn't stay awake.

Americana for the day: Hanging out with the Fremont Troll

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

A Goldilocks Kind of Day

4 August 2011

Got a good early start heading west on highway 20. It wasn't long before I hit the first major road works. Since they are featuring so prominently in my days lately I decided to include some photos in today's collection.

Riding through the beautiful Cascade mountains was a pleasure on this not too cold, not too hot but just right sunny day.

Got to the west coast about sixty miles north of Seattle and headed south on I-5 to Paul and Judy's lovely home overlooking Puget Sound.

Americana for the day: stuck in the infamous Seattle afternoon commuter traffic

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Routine Maintenance

3 August 2011

Was at the Spokane, Washington, BMW dealership bright and early this morning to get the bike serviced at it's normal service interval. I ended up being there for six hours. Fortunately, they had a good wifi connection and I used the time to get my blog up to date (scroll down to catch up).

I (and my budget) was keen to camp somewhere tonight on the way to Seattle but got caught in another major road works. I must be jinxed. I was twenty miles down a back road when it was announced that the next thirty six miles was fresh oil and loose gravel. Anyway, by the time I got past it, it was too late to look for campsites so i'm back in a motel in Colville.

Tomorrow, all going well, I will end up at my good friend Judy Nasmith's place in Seattle.

Americana for the day: not knowing how much I am going to pay for something until I actually pay for it (because the applicable taxes are not included in the marked price)

I just realized that I haven't taken a single photo today, the first time that's happened since I got here.

Rode to The Road

2 August 2011

Was on the road before 7AM, anticipating a 12 hour riding day. First off is the Road To The Sun that passes through Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. This is awesomely spectacular scenery, neither words nor photos can evoke the grandeur of it. The only imperfection for me was the numerous road works that delayed me be at least an hour, but at least it was cool and dry and the view was stunning. This normally wouldn't be that big a deal but today I still have a long way to go.

Once out of Glacier Park I headed south down the west coast of Flat Head Lake. It's yet another incredibly beautiful place here in Montana. I reckon a whole summer at this lake is in the cards.

Continued south to Missoula then picked up highway 12 and headed west out of Montana and across all of Idaho. Highway 12 is another of those “must do” roads for the motorcycle enthusiast. Most importantly, I got the photo of my bike at “the sign”. It is only slightly spoiled by the fact that on the Idaho portion of the road (most of it) the speed limit is 50MPH. It follows the Clearwater River for over one hundred miles as it winds downhill from Montana. At the end of highway 12 I was down in the lowlands after over a week in the highlands. The temperature was up to 99F and I was longing for the highlands.

Got stuck in road works in Orofino, Idaho, for another hour. This time it was hot and ugly and dirty and I was really glad to get past that. Crossed the border into Washington at Lewiston Idaho and headed north to Spokane, where the bike goes into the dealer first thing tomorrow morning for scheduled service. It ended up being a fourteen hours on the road kind of day.

Americana for the day: riding through the stench of skunk roadkill

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Big Sky Country

1 August 2011

After days of riding 45MPH or slower I was ready to move on. Packed up a wet tent again, and rode out the north entrance of Yellowstone in Gardiner Montana. On the way I saw bison, lots of elk and my first wild bald eagle.

At the entrance to Gardiner there is a big stone arch and a huge wild bull bison was strolling out of town through it as I rode through.

The default speed limit in Montana is 70MPH, even on the two lane back roads. I had some very enjoyable riding as the roads are in good shape and are designed for those speeds. It was especially nice through the Lewis & Clark National Forest.

I spent the night in a motel in Shelby, Montana, and, after two days of wet camping, gave both the bike and myself a much needed bath.

I met some local motorcycle enthusiasts and we chatted for some hours about bikes. It was nice to socialize again.

Americana for the day: being eye to eye with a wild magnificent bald eagle

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Yellowstone For a Day

31 July 2011

Packed up a wet tent and explored Yellowstone. I had set aside this day to ride every road in the park and that is what I did. Lots of great scenery, not that much wildlife. A bit too much tame life (people). The park in general is a bit more commercial than I anticipated. I was glad to find that food was just slightly more expensive than outside the park. The speed limit inside the park is a maximum of 45MPH and is often less. Anytime anyone thinks they have seen some kind of wild animal, they stop in the road to look then traffic queues up in both directions since nobody wants to miss anything. Most of the time there is nothing there.

I camped in a Xantera managed area this time. It's not nearly as nice a setting as the park managed sites but you can reserve ahead of time and so relax about having a spot for the night. And it rained most of the afternoon and evening. I was hoping to have a more social time in the campgrounds but the rain put a damper on that.

Americana for the day: cheeky chipmunks stealing my snack AllVIIIIINNN!

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102

Better in Jackson Hole

30 July 2011

On the road at 7AM riding from Cody, Wyoming, into Yellowstone National Park. The ride into the park was spectacular. The temperature kept dropping and bottomed out in the low 50'sF.

The official forecast for the next two days is “sunny and delightful” so I decide to try camping for the first time. Up until now, I have been in places where it was too hot to camp, I wouldn't have been able to sleep. It is hard to find lodging in the park or in Jackson for under $200 a night (my tent site cost me $6), plus I wanted to be in the park in the morning to get a jump on exploring the park. There are two options for campers in Yellowstone: reserved spots through Xantera or first come first served in the Park Service sites. My first night was in a Park Service site on the way to Jackson Hole. I got the tent set up then rode through more spectacular scenery in Grand Teton National Park and into Jackson. Spent an hour or two wandering around the cool art filled town of Jackson, had a good lunch and rode back through the Tetons to Yellowstone and my tent.

Of interest in the campsite is the bear temptation management. You can be fined for leaving any food unattended at any time and for having food in your tent overnight. There are latch-able steel boxes in each area for us to put food items in over night.

Of course the “delightful” weather turned into showers. There is no covered space in this campground so I was stuck in my little tent that is not quite big enough to sit up in. It was almost time for sleep anyway so I got some extra rest and got some reading done.

My favorite music album of 2009 was “Rattlin Bones” by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, one of the songs has a line that says “life's gonna be better in Jackson Hole”. It was stuck in my head all day.

Americana for the day: beware of bears

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/T.Micheal.Young/USA201102