Work has been....well, work. And it has been a bit draining in a good way. Regardless I was ready for a ride and this year I could have some vacation time in the busy selling season. Laurie and I along with a couple of couples took off for Glacier National Park. There was no particular reason for the destination other than it was a place to go - so we went.



Bob and Susan on an LT, Steve and Lisa on an RT and Laurie and I on my GT; a BMW ride for sure.

This July has been very hot here in the Pacific North Wet, and we are unaccustomed to it. Typically a hot day in the saddle is managed by drinking lots of water as you ride to keep hydrated but, as we had three passengers who have little saddle time, we guys decided to make the days short with enough stops to ensure fluid consumption. To that end we booked a motel near Coeur d'Alene, ID and began our ride at 1000 on Monday. Stopped in Ellensburg for the first hydration event which went well except for the disgusting flavored thing I bought. We next stopped for gas and hydration in Ritzville, WA. There is a Starbucks there and plenty fuel. Women got a chance to relax before the final short jog to our Motel. Parked out front, had a meal at the "Best eyetalian restaurant in ID" that's what she said, and the food was good; but I'd hate to dine in an average, or mediocre eyetalian restaurant in ID.







Somewhere before Ritzville, I noticed the brake sensor light on my bike was illuminated. The front pads looked good and the rears did too but I was concerned. We decided to head to Big Sky BMW in Missoula to get it examined and that meant a detour from a scenic ride into Kalispell, MT. It did allow for some off saddle time and it was a broken wire, not bad brakes - a common fault on the GT. Reassured we headed east on the interstate and took route 200 to the big cow and turned left and north on highway 83. Very scenic and twisty making up for the detour.

Steve and Lisa had reservations at the NP lodge in East Glacier so we split company. The rest of us had motel lined up in Kalispell. Another nice day and nobody got dehydrated. Steve texted (is that a legitimate word?) me that it took about 1.5 hours to get to the East side and we agreed to meet at 1000 in the morning.

Saw a moose amble across the road on the way to East Glacier - and I missed seeing the deer I was looking for. Laurie saw them though. Nice road on the South side of the park - that would be route 2, and worth doing with scenic bits alongside a river, and entertaining curves. Had to make a potty stop at the summit of some pass. It had been a chilly ride so guess what we talked about?







At 1000 we met Steve and Lisa at their lodge. Wow, what a place! Amtrak stops there 2x a day and the building is massive in the National Park style of old WPA era projects. Left there for St Mary's along a super twisty two lane which was a ton of fun to ride until the inevitable gaper was encountered. Most of these gapers were of the educated and considerate kind however and most pulled over to let us pass. They got an appreciative wave - have to reinforce good gaper behavior you know.

Had lunch in St Mary's. Women discussed flowers. Men talked motorcycles and compared notes about a couple of ugly road sections. About right.





Now, all that dialogue about good gapers was wiped out by the gaper of all gapers in the Chevy pickup we encountered just inside the park entrance. His poor truck was governed for a top speed of 19 mph and that's what he did. No, he would not pull over when he could. He was, simply stated, a dick.

BMW bikes have a dry clutch and following a gaper like that with no chance to pass is a bad thing. However, we did get to take in a lot of the scenery, and I had warned the others we would encounter this kind of thing so there was nothing to do but endure it. He did stop pretty much in the middle of the road at one point where there was a lot of pedestrian activity, and we got past him to enjoy a few tight bends before pulling over to flower sniff. Damned if he didn't pull in with us.


And there he goes. Would you believe we caught up to him after having spent 10 minutes or so looking around? iPhone video by the way.









Apart from gapers, the scenery is superb, and I have to say the route through Glacier NP from east to west is the best way to see the park from a vehicle. I've been there in the past, in the snow during August, but coming from the West just isn't the same.



This year it is warm and sunny at the top of Logan Pass and we hang out for a while. There is plenty of motorcycle parking but cars and pickups have to prowl the parking lot in wait of a departing car to make a parking spot available. Fun to watch. Sick, but fun regardless.





Rested, we make for Kalispell by heading downhill to the West. Gapers who stop unpredictably to look at a pile of snow or take a picture of some water running down a rock onto the road, together with road repair work conspire with the elevated air temperature to make a torturous ride worse than worse. We pull over to get some fluid in us and eat ice cream. Nice break, and are entertained - well I was, by a mother Swallow feeding her brood.



In time we made it safely back to our motel and a swim in the pool - man does that feel good and assuage the beginnings of monkey butt! The hot tub thing softens stiff geezer muscle too. Great combination.

Now we had planned on a route through Canada to our next destination, Republic, WA but the weather forecast called for near 100 degree temperatures if we went that way and more moderate if we went another. So we decided to go the other way instead which routed us through Coleville, WA. When we got there it was raining, and there was a little lightening around. Nothing spectacular, but it did cool things off nicely.



And we made it to our lodging in Republic, WA. This was my 2nd time in Republic so I was the know it all. Since there is NOTHING in Republic I had it easy. The Washington State BMW Rider's club was having a rally there that weekend and riders were showing up and riding through town. A couple of Harley riders stopped at out motel and asked if there were any rooms. Didn't know. They came out all frustrated asking if we knew just what was up with the no vacancy thing in town. We explained about the rally. One of the guys said: "IN THIS TOWN THEY ARE HAVING A RALLY?" Yes, friend, I was confused too.

Not sure why, but I quit taking iPhone pictures so the narrative will have to do. Next day we headed to Tonasket, and then south to Wenatchee. Over Blewit pass and home via I-90. It rained for a fair bit of the day but was clear over Snoqualmie Pass. I'm not sure how it always happens but, invariably on my rides, during the last day the group gets separated and we end up riding home solo. So it was on this trip. Bob and Susan dropped off first, then I blew past a revised intersection and by the time I got turned around Steve and Lisa had vanished.

It wasn't much or a ride mileage wise, but it was a ton of fun with our women along. Stops were spaced out well, people had time to goof off a little, and nobody got any performance awards. I do need to do better taking pictures though - some of mine just didn't turn out too well.