Quick Trip to Canada and Back

[nvbobr_imp]

It helps to have an excuse for a long-distance motorcycle trip, even if that excuse sounds contrived or concocted. In my case, this is the honest truth: I have a Canadian bank account that I visit for a once-a-year transaction so the account won’t go dormant or inactive. Sure, I could take all or some of the funds out with a phone call but the bank would take a too-large percentage of my money for their cut.

The money was left over from a time when my wife and I owned a half acre of land in British Columbia and had hopes of building a second home. We used the account to pay annual property taxes and other fees. Eventually we sold the land and now the money just sits, making no interest, waiting for us to be tourists on our great Canadian vacation which we keep putting off. A year ago in July, I took the account out of dormancy (following a few years of neglect) by visiting in person on my Goldwing. The in-person visit was a clear and no-substitute official requirement that time to "free" the account. This trip, I decided to ride my CB1100 to British Columbia and withdraw a small sum, keeping the account in an active status for another year.

I began this journey after riding very little in the last three months because of a family health crises. In March, I lost my dog in a coyote attack in my backyard, and my wife’s dog was severely injured, with bite marks encircling his neck. These are toy poodles--fru, fru dogs--and we love(d) them dearly. Well, my wife’s injured 15-year-old, diabetic, half blind poodle--who is a brave protector of the family and kept the coyotes from making off with his dead sister’s body--decided that he was now MY dog! (That created family tensions of its own.) The end result was that the dog demanded a lot of my time while he recovered. That kept me from riding the motorcycle. I’m not relating this story to gain sympathy, but to add context and explain how I logged only a few motorcycle miles in three months.

Not having ridden much, I was now proposing to be on the bike for eight days in a row. I was looking forward to this as a first real test of the bike’s touring abilities. Yes, I like the retro look of the bike. But the retro experience of traveling around the country on this reliable Honda--a universal Japanese motorcycle--is what I’m really after. I can now say that the motorcycle performed up to my generally high expectations.

First the basic route: Being a quick up and back, I travelled many miles of Interstate highway, primarily I-15 and I-90 with some I-70 and I-80. My Canadian destination was Cranbrook, BC (Bank of Montreal and then a night at the nearby Jim Smith Lake Provincial Park) so US 93 North and a loop back on US 95 South and US 2 East were worked in.

Detours (in no particular order): To vary the pace, I sought out an important trout stream “frontage” road, Old US 91, in southwestern Montana along the Beaver Head and Big Hole rivers. This road was nearly always out of sight of the Interstate, was in great condition, and retained its 70 mph speed limit. It also had very little traffic. Hundreds of miles to the south, I used the same Old US 91 to by-pass I-15 construction in the Virgin River Gorge, detouring from Littleton, Arizona to St. George, Utah through the Beaver Dam National Conservation Area. My longest non-Interstate route was US Highway 89 (aka The National Parks Highway) from Spanish Fork, Utah south to Panguitch, Utah. I then connected back to I-15, along State Routes 143 and 148, past the high-elevation Cedar Breaks National Monument, and finally State Route 14 down the mountain to Cedar City. Along the way, I also worked in a mountainous, Provo Canyon-to-Park City, Utah (very) long-way-around ride to Salt Lake City, just to avoid a few miles of urban freeway and excessive heat. Finally, I relaxed along State Route 38 from Brigham City to Tremonton, north of SLC.

Motorcycle performance, etc: The six speed 2014 standard feels right at home at 90 miles per hour, or at 85 for long distances, or at 80, the maximum speed limit in the states of Utah, Idaho, and Montana along this route. I experienced some strong crosswinds in southern Idaho but the bike was not pushed around. A couple of days of blasting down the Interstates with strong tailwinds really ate up the miles, with a feel that was as smooth as glass, but head winds on other days were quite tolerable. For the most part, after completing my 350-ish miles a day (a conservative plan) I knew I could easily do another 100. Because of the motorcycle’s skinny front tire, I was watchful around asphalt snakes when the road surface was extremely hot, and rode slowly on chip-seal gravel. To ward off high temperatures on the last two days heading south, I wore a Hyperkewl hydration vest and silk scarf under my Motoport air kevlar mesh jacket. Water for the vest was provided by city park spigots in the small Mormon towns along US 89.

Photos:



Early in the trip in a corner of Arizona, by-passing I-15 on Old US 91



In southwestern Montana, this is another stretch of Old US 91 providing access to the Beaver Head and Big Hole rivers.



Big Hole River near the town of Glen



Trout food on the bike



Tent camping in Dillon, Montana



Tent camping at Jim Smith Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia



Early morning at the lake with the setting moon



Cedar Breaks National Monument on the way home



Mojave Desert at sunup. I was home before 7 am yesterday to avoid the heat.

[the Ferret]

Man, what a great trip and beautiful pics. Love the west. The setting moon shot over the lake is awesome! Thanks for posting. Sorry about the dogs.

[redbirds_imp]

Your photos are splendid and what a great trip. It's been many years since I was in that part of the west; makes me want to go back.

[nvbobr_imp]

By the way, when I was on this trip Mrs. NvBobR sent me a link to a story about the science behind taking 20-minute coffee naps.

"Scientists agree: Coffee naps are better than coffee or naps alone"
http://www.vox.com/2014/8/28/6074177/cof...ne-science

I had heard about coffee naps but thought that the coffee simply worked as an alarm clock. Instead, I found the science and the potential benefits of coffee naps to be quite interesting, and I tried a few on my trip. I have to admit that in each of three tries I only reached a tranquil half-asleep stage, but even that was noticeably helpful. As a moderately old guy, I will admit that I can take a late morning nap AND a mid-afternoon nap if I haven't slept well the previous night. ZZZZ. On this trip, I took a short, coffee-induced late morning nap and it entirely blocked my desire for the mid-afternoon nap. I was impressed. Check out the link.

[kennyw]

Sounds like our trips crossed paths. What days were you on the road?

[Ulvetanna_imp]

By the way, when I was on this trip Mrs. NvBobR sent me a link to a story about the science behind taking 20-minute coffee naps.

"Scientists agree: Coffee naps are better than coffee or naps alone"
http://www.vox.com/2014/8/28/6074177/cof...ne-science

I had heard about coffee naps but thought that the coffee simply worked as an alarm clock. Instead, I found the science and the potential benefits of coffee naps to be quite interesting, and I tried a few on my trip. I have to admit that in each of three tries I only reached a tranquil half-asleep stage, but even that was noticeably helpful. As a moderately old guy, I will admit that I can take a late morning nap AND a mid-afternoon nap if I haven't slept well the previous night. ZZZZ. On this trip, I took a short, coffee-induced late morning nap and it entirely blocked my desire for the mid-afternoon nap. I was impressed. Check out the link.

They are genuine. Afternoons, around 3 pm, are the worst. Slam some coffee, nod off for 20 minutes, after which the caffeine kicks in, and you'll be quite alert for several more hours.

There is a point where coffee won't work any longer, and that's the time to stop riding.

[the Ferret]

Does it work with tea?

[nvbobr_imp]

Does it work with tea?

Yes if it contains caffeine.

Sounds like our trips crossed paths. What days were you on the road?

Friday to Friday, arriving home yesterday. I was riding in Montana on Father's Day, June 19. Every other vehicle was hauling a drift boat on the highway.

[kennyw]

I went from Nebraska to Montana on the 19th and Montana to Washington on the 20th. Looks like I just missed you.

[nvbobr_imp]

I think we both just missed Frulk by a little bit too. Is that country big enough for three CB1100s at nearly the same time? Probably.