Day2

Karen G Photos, Osoyoos and Grand Forks Ramada wrenching

Karen G Photo

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 Three long climbs and descents in the first 80 miles, and cold at the top, well high 30’s COLD for the California and Florida riders… we got a late start due to a fuel problem in the support truck. the mice man Abe, at the OK tire helped us out along with a good dose of “witnessing”, He was pissed at America for screwing up Canada’s economy,  most def watched too much cable TV… He drove us to the US Border in his beat up ford, (about 1 mile south) and showed us the fence( it was completely broken down and overgrown with grass) to prove his point that Canada could invade at any time…lol

Grand Forks was a beautiful place with no law, and plenty of poineer spirit and olde tyme religion.

 crazy long downhills , a border crossing , a little Idaho and then ionto the YAAK river valley and over Forest development road 92, holy smokes, tight , tight, turns and a climb to the top of the world!

 tomorrow, Glacier and the Going to the Sun Road, and more….

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Day 1

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Vanier Park in Vancouver, set the official time,  ride out  to the first checkpoint , a bridge, then to princeton BC, Osoyoos and on to Grand Forks “The sunshine valley” aka where they will rip off your truck and preach fundamentalist russian orthodox christianity to ya  at the tire store !

 yaa, but we did source out some real russian cuisine at the grand forks hotel!

the first night getting used to the unpack, pack , ride routine, some basic scooter checkups and off to Glacier!

did I mention that this was some spectacular scenery???

Cheers

Things we have used from the truck

We laoded a sheite load of stuff into the truck and I will now begin a list o things that have come in handy:
the shop rags
the hydraulic lift ( not as a lift but as a Macguyver press)
2 ton bottle jack
air compressor
drill
locks and cable locks
windex
muffler header and clamp( for Feb 31)
Mosquito repellant
extra diamond plate,
both gas cans.
extra wood
Yoga mat
Blue moving blanket

WD 40
misc tools

 BEER COOLER

orange cones

duct tape, blue tape ecectrical tape

spare tires, spare rims

we keep saying that it is the fully equipped action vehicle!
well,so far so good! I think we have done a good job of being there for alot of the “ballers” It feels good to have guessed right and thrown something that we really needed on the truck..
this list will continue to grow.
all for now , off to North Bay Ontario, in the rain…..

Oh Canada ….Again

What day is it???? oh yeah, Day 8, Yesterday we rode through the upper peninsula of Michigan , from Ironwood ( very nice motel , owned by the Mayor, with a very nice restaurant next door “Don and Gigi’s”. and as a bonus a laundromat right across the street , AND the nice lady proprietor left the door ajar after she left to allow me to do my clothes from 9 to 10:30 PM!!

she said , ” are you with the scooter people??” nice place!

We got out at 8:30 and rode ahead of a rain front all day, we didn’t get wet. Simon lost the spark and I had a new plug for him, we switched it out and rode to the next checkpoint where it farted out again, I gave him the new plug wire from under my seat, BUT he really needed a new elbow plug cap, we were sol and simon started to walk over to a garage to check on the part , when Karen (KS778) and Starr rode in…. Karen had the elbow under her seat! and that’s how it goes on Cannonball, roadside wrenching, try to help others, and get there in one piece!

Ok the ride went through the woods and along the shore of a giant lake , I would say that it was a very very good lake, perhaps even a Great Lake! far Superior to others along the route. I wonder what it was called?

This is an example of the silly banter and jokes  that Simon and I chat back and forth on the helmet coms…. keeps the day going.These days are getting longer and longer, and the final 100 miles of each day get tougher, you get tired, and doze, or at least zone a bit…. we have foud that doing exercises on the scoot helps as well as standing up now and then.

getting pulled over by the tribal police helps too to  get the adrenaline up….. ” well, w checked you guys out and yer not criminals, slow down and have a nice ride…”

let’s go to Canada eh?

Sault St. Marie, fleabag “bel Air  Motel” but it fits the cannonball profile, park outside the rooms, lousy wifi,  VSH in the rooms ???

I wrenched the new tire on right as we got here, and the PM pipe went off and on just fine, Yay new tire for the wet ride to North Bay Ontario.

ayb 8 : Raining all night, I have a new tire but some say that I should buff it up before riding, i think I will , I have some sanding disks in the action vehicle…. Cheers

Back from the black hole…

WOW, the Cannonball has truly been an awesome event!, we have run out of superlatives to describe the views, scenery and locations that we have run, in our scooters…. loaded with the day’s supply of snacks, water, tools, raingear or other gear that we think that will come in handy…. UNFORTUNATELY, along with the scenery of Glacier national Park, all of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, comes the BLACK HOLE of NO AT&T 3G ??? what’s that?
I have been riding everyday thinking of what to say to really share this experience and I am at a loss.
You look out over the terrain and say Oh my god, look at that , holy sh*t look in the mirror behind( as we left Glacier Park for example, or as the sun was setting on Western Montana on our “road kill run”.
We had no internet in West Glacier, Bowman ND, and Ortonville, MN. The lucky ones who carry verizon I phones or were willing to handg out in truck stops or diners have been posting as you can see. the best part is the instant posting by Simon, Dave B. Bagel, and BKLwashere, Brian, technology…. how cool.

Day One and Beyond

WWhat a wild ride

adiing fuel from the can in middle of the wilderness, Wyoming/Montana border

.  We got inn to seattle on Tuesday evening totally “zoned” from the trip across the continent, Wednesday in Seattle??? RAIN , they say in seattle there are 100 words for rain, this would be considered a “soaking drizzle” or perhaps a “soaking mist” but not a “blowing drizzle” byany means.

The highlight was getting together with My Son and Father for a three generation reunion, we had Breakfast and a good time chatting and catching up etc… I was feeling the butterflies for the first time, as I saw , jimT, geoff, dave B and Brian head out of the lot on thier way north, all geared up and hi vis. This IS happening!

We rode up to Vancouver SImon and I on I-5 a nice 2.5 hour straight shot.

not issues just express lane riding. and we tried out the scala cardo rider G4 headsets which make the ride awesome as two or more riders can communicate along the ride , this makes lane switching and hazard avoidance a dream.

ok we meet up with the Gang at the Motel 2400 and have the big meeting and settle in with Nervous energy coming from all directions. the Day of: the run we pack up and grab a quick but filling and yummy breakfast. and head to the start.

Ok I have to hurry here but here’s the deal:

 we made grand forks, the views were awesome, the roads were steep, twisty, fast, and did I mention how awesome the Brittish columbia mountains are???

 I had done a little research on the local food and we discovered that the word was “Russian” as the dukhobors live in these parts. so with a little caling and driviing around , Bagel , got us set up at the grand forks hotel for some really fine hospitality and Russian cuisine.

 

the next two days are in the Glacier national Park region and communication will be spotty, I may b able to phone in by landline we shall see…

 off to the ford dealer to have the “check engine light” looked at ( more on that later)

Cheers and ride safe, wish us luck and hope that the Navigation Gods are looking out for us.