Day 14: All good things must pass, sometimes in the rain

We awoke in rainy Cheyenne, Wyoming, to news reports describing the horrific flooding in Colorado.  The headlines on the web news sites included "Thousands flee raging Colorado flood" and "Not Over: Flooded Colorado to get heavy rains."

We then packed up bikes for the final time so that we could ride to Colorado.

But first, a free motel breakfast.  Our final morning repast of this pig-laden trip included pancakes, yogurt and, just to keep up appearances, a couple of strips of bacon.

It was then time for the final ride of Idaho 2013, a 130 mile jaunt from Cheyenne to Denver.

We decided not to take I-25, which was a good thing, since it was closed due to flooding.  We veered onto U.S. Highway 85, called locally the "Greeley Highway."

Once outside of Cheyenne we ran into rain, very heavy fog and gusting sidewinds.  We offer no pictures of that scene since we were too busy gripping the life out of our handlebars.  In conditions like that you ride as you normally do, only much slower and with a lot of focus.  I mean a lot of focus.  After about 40 miles the fog lifted, the rain ceased and the winds died down.  While in Evans, Colorado, we rode by rising water that was just beginning to reach the roadbed.  We received an alert from the GPS traffic service 10 minutes later telling us that Highway 85 was now closed in Evans.  

From then on we had an uneventful 90 miles into Denver.

We arrived in Denver (which, to our great surprise, was sunny and warm) and found BMW of Denver.  After unpacking our bikes for shipping back to Nashville, we took a cab to our 14th motel of the trip and, just like that, Idaho 2013 was over.

Tomorrow, we fly back to Nashville.

We were treated to wonderful riding, spectacular scenery and the great joy of being with friends out on the open road having an adventure.

See you next year.

Our bikes with their clothes on.

Jim packs his bike.

Jim and Bo in their rain gear

A view of the ride after conditions improved.  The traffic on the other lane was all diverted from I-25, which was closed by flooding.

Flood waters near U.S. 85.

More flood waters.

BMW of Denver.  They, as well as the folks at Big Twin Motorcycles in Boise, deserve a shout out for their great service.

Day 13: Ride in the Rain

The day 13 report will be brief. 

We left Casper under dark skies and rode 200 miles in the rain down I-25 to Cheyenne.  Riding in the rain is no fun, although we have good rain gear, which kept us dry throughout the ride.  The turbulence and spray kicked up by 18-wheelers makes for a nervous ride.

The camera was in my riding jacket, which was covered by my rain jacket, so there are few photos to show today.

We ride today to BMW of Denver to leave off our bikes for shipping back to Nashville.  It is expected to rain all day but the ride is only about 110 miles.  We are taking a two-lane road that parallels the interstate - slower but easier to pull off of and much safer. 

My, how the mighty have fallen. 

Jim by the side of the road during a respite from the rain.

Dreary day in Wyoming. 

Not a fun thing to see through your visor.

Day 12: Home on the range, a 9,500 foot pass, goodbye twisty roads, hello interstate

Today was the first day of the end of Idaho 2013.  Although we had a good day of riding, it ended with a 120 mile jaunt down Interstate 25 - which will ultimately take us into Denver and back to civilization.

Gone are the dramatic vistas, twisty canyon roads, downhill sprints following 9,000 foot mountain crossings as well as the other numerous uniquely western motorcycle thrills that makes these trips so compelling.

We started the day with breakfast at the Irma Hotel.  We devoured our daily porcine portion (we both forgot our cameras - no breakfast shot today) and then toured downtown Cody, Wyoming.  The tourist season is over and the stores are all having sales.  A great place if you're in the market for Buffalo Bill tee-shirts and Native American peace pipes.

While packing his bike, Jim met a couple of riders from Paris, France. Jim will be in their country in just a couple of weeks. 

Today's ride took us across the open range of central Wyoming.  Whenever I next hear Home on the Range I will think of today's ride.  Wyoming has a lot of open space, most of it framed by distant mountains.  I do not have a camera capable of doing it justice, and, even if I did, I do not have the skill to do the camera justice.  Both are a worthy goal for next year.

Our last hurrah before hitting the interstate included a great run through Ten Sleep Canyon followed by a ride at 9,600 feet over Powder River Pass and a spirited downhill sprint that took us into Buffalo, Wyoming.

We then stopped for gas, downed some water, turned onto I-25 and resigned ourselves to four lanes of dull.

The Irma Hotel.

Morning ride out of Cody.

Home on the range.

What a place to ride.

Farm outside of Ten Sleep, Wyoming.

We had lunch at the Ten Sleep Saloon.

Somehow we avoided the Crazy Woman Cafe.

Riding the Ten Sleep Canyon.

Jim getting ready to ride.

The Bighorn Mountains.

Jim on Powder River Pass.

Signs like that warm a motorcyclist's heart.

Descending Powder River Pass.

Day 11: Pigless Tuesday, ride through Wind River Valley, Gunfights in Cody every day

We had a good morning in DuBois, Wyoming. We did a little shopping, enjoyed a breakfast of bison and elk sausage and walked the main drag, talking with several local folks. We left town at 11:00, by far our latest departure yet. 

Highway 120 through the Wind River valley was one of the best roads we have ridden. Constant elevation changes were accompanied by sweeping curves through rock canyons. The road surface was perfectly cambered, the pavement was smooth, and traffic was light.  What's not to like?

We overnighted at the Irma Hotel in downtown Cody, Wyoming. The Irma was built in 1902 by none other than Will Bill himself.

While in Cody we sat through part of a dismal western gunfighter show on the street in front of the Irma. Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Mad Dog Harry Tracy, and Buffalo Bill were all involved.  The show had no apparent plot and we did not stay for the conclusion. 

Pigless Tuesday.  Elk and bison gave their lives so that pigs could live. 

Our bikes in front of the Stagecoach Inn in DuBois, Wyoming. 

Eye candy at every turn. 

Jim on the road in Wyoming. 

The Wind River. 

Tunnel on Highway120. 

The Wind River valley. 

Train moving south through the Wind River valley. 

Wyoming farmhouse. 

Art adorning the walls of the Thermopolis Cafe in Thermopolis, Wyoming. 

On on the way to Cody, Wyoming. 

View from Bo's BMW R1200RT. The green masking tape on the GPS holds a pencil eraser in place to replace a button that fell off while riding in Idaho. A real MacGwyver solution.  The red writing on the windscreen was written with a dry erase pen and contains highways and cities on our route. The circular puck on the right of the GPS is an XM radio antenna.

Maverick (apparently a stage name) prior to his performance in the gunfighter show.

Day 10-11 Bill

The day started with an excellent breakfast rustled up by Jim followed by a quick check of river conditions. Alas, the Salmon River remained muddy rendering it un-fishable. Jim suggested a day of fishing on Payette Lake in McCall, the summer retreat of Boise's wealthy. The setting is similar to Lake Tahoe with a beautiful large lake with a resort town sitting right at water's edge. The lucky few have been granted 99 year leases on state land and have ringed the lake with summer cabins. 

View across Lake Payette. Note shoreline homes. "Cabins" is a misnomer.

Jim reading for launch. It was a gorgeous day with full sun and 70 degree weather. Fishing was tough. I caught a number of "squaw" fish that were feeding on bait fish near a sandy beach. They are aggressive feeders and provided ample excitement.  Jim spent most of the day gently coaching me and fighting the wind. Lunch was a particularly good sandwich. Who says men cannot cook?

No world records here but still loads of fun to catch. 

The ice hockey rink on the main drag was unique in that large glass windows let you view the practice or game from the sidewalk. 

Impressive timber used in construction downtown as well as in the hockey center. Right down the street we stopped in for a nice seafood dinner at Steamers. The steamed clams, scallops and crab-stuffed haddock were delicious. The beer was cold! We got in about 9 PM having fished and dined to our heart's content.

Today began with frantic packing and a light breakfast. Goodbyes were said and I parted ways with a new friend. I highly recommend The Last Resort. The Salmon River and I will rendezvous again.

"Smoke on the water" this morning on the way to Boise with the temp being about 45 degrees. 

My shadow on the ride to Boise. It was a great twisty road with lots of elevation changes. Idaho has really been a treat to ride. Great scenery, roads and food pretty much sums it up.

After dropping off my bike with the great folks at Big Twin Cycle in Boise I called my South Sudanese cabbie and was whisked to the airport. 

The Great Salt Lake from the air.

My trip ends this evening upon my return to Nashville. It has been an excellent vacation. Bo and Jim are in Wyoming headed for Cody. I wish them safe travels and am already dreaming of next year's trip.

Bill

Day 10: Jim finds his inner cowboy, over the pass and through the clouds, into Wyoming, lunch with a friend

Our ride today took us from Idaho Fall, Idaho, across Teton Pass, and an over 40 mile ride at 8,500 to 9,600 feet of elevation.  The scenery was spectacular. 

The ride over Teton Pass was unlike any other we have crossed. We were above the clouds, which meant our descent took us through the clouds. It was like a foggy morning on steroids.  Plus, a long descent on winding, sweeping downhill roads is one of motorcyclings true delights. 

We stopped for lunch in Wilson, Wyoming, with Nashvillian Charlie Howorth and Ben, his friend from Birmingham. It is a small world. Charlie finished high school in Bill 's hometown of Columbia, Mississippi, and is now Bill's neighbor in Nashville.  He worked with Jim for years at Bellsouth.  Bo got to know him last year when Charlie became head of the Tennessee Business Roundtable.  He and Ben planned to fly fish later in the day.

We left Wilson and traveled through Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  After that we rode through the Grand Teton National Park.  

We then continued to gain elevation until we peaked out at over 9,600 feet.  The views, as usual, were overwhelming.  It is difficult to keep your eyes on the road.

Our day ended in DuBois, Wyoming.  We found an old roadside motel near several local restaurants.

Just kidding. We skipped breakfast today. 

Cowboy Jim. 

The Snake River near Swan Valley in eastern Idaho without a cowboy ruining the view. 

View from the road. 

Bo and Jim at Idaho/Wyoming border. 

View from Teton Pass, above the clouds at 8,450 feet.  

Clouds under Teton Pass with Tetons in the background. 

Beginning our descent from Teton Pass.

Riding through the clouds. 

Ben, Jim and Charlie (photographer in right window). 

A view of the Tetons. 

Alpine meadow at 9,500 feet above sea level. 

Tetons in the distance. 

Bo at the alpine meadow.