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Motorcycle Trip 2023Motorcycle Trip 2023
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I'm driving a loop around northwestern North America on my 2016 Triumph Street Twin. Read more
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  • Janet TaylorMotorcycle Trip 2023
    Day 16

    Saskatoon to Havre

    August 16, 2023 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Today, my plan was to get to Havre, Montana. I was sad to be leaving Saskatoon because there were so many people that I hadn't been able to see. Our son and daughter-in-law will be moving back, so hopefully, we'll get to catch up with more people on our visits.

    I thought it was going to be a hot day, but the forecast must have changed. I had left all my jacket vents open, and it ended up being quite cool and windy.

    There was a gusty croswind blowing as I headed west. At Rosetown, SK, I stopped for coffee and battened the hatches! After closing all my vents and after some hot coffee, I turned south toward Swift Current, SK. I was warm and comfortable, and now I had the wind at my back. The scenery was amazing and so expansive. The prairies really are beautiful in a way that is so different from the coast.

    I made a quick stop at Swift Current for gas and carried on. Not far south, I met with the grasshoppers. They started pinging me, mostly from the knee down. When they hit your shins, you really feel it. They were annoying but not dangerous and were making a mess of my clean motorcycle.

    I stopped for fuel in Val Marie and then continued to the border at Monchy. This is a very quiet border, and an older woman on a motorcycle is probably an anomaly. The friendly border control agents checked my passport and seemed happy to linger and chit-chat. Eventually, I was on my way.

    This side of the border, the grasshoppers were a bit more aggressive, and I got hit right on my visor. I had to stop to clean it off and discovered two things. Grasshoppers had found their way into crevices all over my bike and bags and wasps really like the dead grasshoppers.

    I was getting very tired because I hadn't slept well the night before. It was warm, and I was getting sleepy, so I occupied my mind by doing math. Every time I saw a sign showing how far something was, I converted it from miles to kilometers and then to time to travel in minutes.

    I finally made it to Havre. I had decided when I was in Rosetown that I would get a hotel room instead of camping. It was either going to be very hot or cold and raining, and I was too tired to deal with either of those conditions in a tent.

    The Siesta Hotel didn't seem like it was going to be promising, but it turned out to be very clean and very comfortable. I was in bed and asleep by 8:30 pm!!    Read more

  • Janet TaylorMotorcycle Trip 2023
    Day 17

    Havre to Logan State Park

    August 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I had a great sleep and lots of it, and I was looking forward to my ride today. I knew it was going to be hot, and I had many miles of prairie to get through before I got to the mountains. I felt rested and ready for the challenges ahead.

    The evening before, I was so tired I didn't even feel like going to a restaurant. Instead, I walked over to a nearby grocery store and bought a salad kit and a sandwich. I also bought some blueberries and yogurt which I ate for my breakfast. The only thing missing was coffee. I decided to just get on the road and get some along the way.

    I wasn't thinking about the fact that I was in the prairies and there isn't anywhere to stop between towns. It took a while, but eventually, I found coffee and was on my way again. At the next town, I sailed through, and this turned out to be a serious tactical error. Not long after this town, I realized I needed to pee. I was on a road with no shoulder in a land without out trees or even bushes. Finally, just as things were getting serious, bushes appeared. And, of course, not two minutes after my pit stop, I came to the town of Shelby.

    After a quick stop for gas, I was on my way again. As I left town, there was a sign warning of wind gusts for the next 35 miles. There had already been a strong wind blowing all day, and now the ante was upped. In addition, the air quickly became very hot and very smokey. The ride from Shelby to Cut Bank was not fun, but things improved a bit by Browning, and then I was in the mountains.

    Eventually, I came to Logan State Park and got my tent set up. After a break, I set off to Happy's Inn for supper. About halfway to the Inn, I heard a loud noise and my bike started jiggling. I thought I had blown a tire. I grabbed the clutch and the brakes and eased over to the shoulder. Luckily, I hadn't blown a tire. Instead, I had forgotten to close my saddle bags, and a jacket had flown out and wrapped itself around my axle, chain, and sprocket. It was lucky I grabbed the clutch, or I might have had a tumble. It took me an hour to cut it out, scrape all the debris out of each sprocket, and then oil the chain.

    Back at the campground, I had a shower and wandered around for a bit. I was hoping things would cool off when the sun went down, but I think it's going to be a warm night.    Read more

  • Janet TaylorMotorcycle Trip 2023
    Day 18

    Logan State Park to Tonasket, Washington

    August 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    I was up at 6:30 a.m. after a restless night. The park is right beside the highway, and the traffic passing by was very loud.

    I was on the road at 7:15 a.m. with all bags closed securely! The road was very quiet, and the temperature was perfect for the ride to Libby, Montana. I stopped here for breakfast at Henry' Restaurant. It doesn't look like much, but the food was good.

    I continued on Highway 2 through Idaho, where the air was very clear for the first time in days. There had been a strong wind blowing, and it really made driving a bit of a challenge.

    At Newport, I turned on to Highway 20. As the day wore on, it got hotter, and the wind got stronger. I stopped at Colville, and while I was having a snack, the wind picked up even more and very quickly brought in hot, smokey air. I assumed it was coming from all the Kelowna fires.

    I continued on Highway 20 in heavy smoke. From Barney's Junction to Tonasket is a really lovely stretch of road. It actually got cool as the road went over a pass. There were many places to pull over and see the views except that the views were obliterated by all the smoke.

    I'm currently staying at the Red Apple Inn in Tonasket. If you're ever out this way, don't stay here. Chris, the owner, is friendly, and the sheets smell clean, but I can't vouch for the cleanliness of the carpet or certain corners of the bathroom floor. Still, it beats sleeping in a tent and breathing in smoke all night.

    It would seem that North America is on fire. I hope I make it home without damaging my lungs.    Read more

  • Janet TaylorMotorcycle Trip 2023
    Day 19

    Tonasket to Tsawwassen

    August 19, 2023 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    I was up at 6:30 a.m. I dressed quickly and then opened the curtains so I could see better. Big mistake. There was a good reason the room had only one very dim lamp, and the full extent of its decrepitness was now clear. I very quickly packed up and didn't bother checking around in case I'd left anything. No way was I poking into the corners or under the bed of that place.

    My bike was covered in a layer of ash, which didn't bode well for the ride ahead. I had originally wanted to take Highway 20 West. It's a beautiful twisty road that goes almost to the coast. Unfortunately, a section west of Winthrop was closed due to the fires, and there was no way around.

    Google Maps now has a feature showing where all the fires are burning and where the smoke is heaviest. If you type "wildfires" in the sesrch bar, you can see what a mess North America is in. I'm sad that we now have this feature but it's very helpful. The shortest but smokiest way home was to go north to Canada and then west. The longer, clearer route was to go south for a bit and then west on Highway 2. I chose the longer, clearer route to give my lungs a break from all the smoke.

    I went down the road about two kilometers and had coffee and a cinnamon roll with Laura, Denise, and Cinnamon, the pug, who invited me to join them.

    Finally, I couldn't delay getting on the road, and off I went. Temperatures were good, and the smoke did seem to be less dense as I went south, so for a while, it was a pleasant ride.

    Eventually, there was lots of traffic on the roads, probably because of road closures due to fires. The smoke never disappeared completely. At lower elevations, it was clearer, but it got quite thick higher up. Eventually, I made it to Interstate 5 and just booted it up to Canada. The border control agent didn't even ask me to remove my helmet.

    Thirty minutes later, I was in Tsawwassen, where our lovely friends Greg and Ingrid live. With very short notice, they had very graciously offered me big hugs, a fabulous meal, a soak in their hot tub, and a freakishly comfortable, clean bed. What a difference from the night before!    Read more

  • Janet TaylorMotorcycle Trip 2023
    1
    Day 20

    Tsawwassen to Home

    August 20, 2023 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    I woke up at 6:30 a.m. but stayed in the very comfortable bed for another hour and a half. Eventually, I made my way downstairs and was greeted with another big hug and a delicious cup of coffee. A little while later, more deliciousness appeared in the form of fresh baked blueberry scones, which Ingrid whipped up in no time. She's a very impressive cook!!

    I left Tsawwassen just after 10:00 a.m. and arrived at the ferry terminal at 10:14 to find they could take me on the 10:25 a.m. sailing directly to Long Harbour. I was the last vehicle on, and then we were off. The Strait of Georgia was very windy and the seas very lumpy but it was wonderful to smell the sea air again.

    In no time at all were docking at Long Harbour, and I was home less than 15 minutes later. It feels good to be home.

    Here are my takeaways from this trip:
    - Various people asked me if I was afraid to travel alone. It's true that you hear so much bad stuff on the news. But honestly, my experience is that people are wonderfully friendly and helpful. You need to be cautious, of course. I kept to family-friendly places and never felt worried about my safety, even at the Red Apple Inn.

    - I needed to do this trip alone. I had had a sad few months with a good friend and then my aunt and my father dying. I felt I needed the space to do something a bit difficult and to be alone with my thoughts. Thankfully, my husband gets me and my need for freedom. And while I was glad for this time alone, I really enjoy traveling with my husband. I think we travel well together and it's way more fun to share experiences with someone special.

    - Our world is in big trouble. On a motorcycle, you get up close and personal with nature. And nature is hurting. You realize how serious our situation actually is. I don't know what the fix is, but whatever we do, it probably needs to happen quickly.

    Thank you for following along. It was a comfort to know you were checking up on me.    Read more

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