Not an XS ride report

[Pain]

And an eBook

Going Small - A Guide to Lightweight Motorcycle Travel is now available for your Kindle! Since I made it a Select book (which meant if you are a Prime member you are supposed to be able to borrow it for free), I can't make it available on another eReader (such as iBook) for 90 days. Sorry if that is actually an issue for anyone.

[Pain]

Yellow Stones and Glaciers

I went to Yellowstone for the first time in 2008, with Sharon my friend from GA. It doesn't seem like that long ago, and we made a pretty complete sweep of the part, but it was right there, almost on my route north, and I figured I would at least drive through (forgetting what traffic in the park is like).

The weather was pleasant, and it didn't take me long to reach the park.


To my surprise, there wasn't anywhere to camp. I mean, even the private campgrounds were full. At one I met up with a father and his two sons, and we did some calling to find out the only place left was a KOA. So we all headed over there, to find out it was amazingly expensive. We decided to share one site.

After the tents were up, we got dinner and traded stories, then hit the sack. In the morning we ended up having breakfast too, before going our separate ways. I headed into the park, and I think they went somewhere else. Good move on their part.

I figured I would be out of the park by later morning or early afternoon, going from the west entrance to the northwest entrance. I didn't factor in the bear, and moose jams, as well as people just stopping in the middle of the narrow roads for pictures and such. I reminded myself I wasn't on a schedule and tried to relax. It really is a beautiful place.




Eventually I got to the NW entrance and the arch.

Once clear of the park my average speed picked up, and I kept heading north. Along the way I passed through the Lewis and Clark National Forest.

Which was also beautiful. And there was the usual array of strange things on the side of the road.



It didn't seem to take long before I was here-

This time I had no trouble finding somewhere to camp.

This was my first visit to Glacier and I was willing to be impressed, so I was. After the heat of the plains the cooler air was welcome, and the food at the campground (the one night I was there and they had it. Food only on the weekends) was excellent.


Inside the park I played tourist and gawked at everything.



I learned those bowl-shaped valleys are formed by glacial movement. Water made valleys are V-shaped. I would see a lot of bowl-shaped valleys.



The middle third of Logan Pass, the one road through the park, was under construction. Gravel and mud, but given my ride plan for the next few months I knew I couldn't complain. And there was a goat jam. Clearly some people were more impressed than others, give the number of times I heard “They're just goats people! Keep moving!” yelled out windows.

One of the guilty goats in question.

The top of Logan Pass still had a lot of snow.

So much snow, in fact, that most of the hiking trails were closed. I found out which were open and planned to come back the next day for some hiking.


Being from the Midwest I am constantly mesmerized by mountains. We don't have any. I wonder if people from the mountains get the same way staring across the vast plains. Come to think on it, I get that way staring across the vast plains.




It was getting late, and I wondered if I should loop around the outside of the park or cut back over the pass. In the end I took the pass. This time I had it to myself.


The next morning I rode up to the top of Logan Pass, planning to spend at least part of the day hiking. There were already some crowds.

The red trucks were built specially for the Glacier Park Resort. They are open-topped, and you can sign up for tours in them. 200 were built, and 50 or so are still running. I didn't take the tour, since I wanted to be able to stop where ever I wanted. Call me anti-social.

The hiking trail was...well...

well marked I guess you could say. It started off a bit chilly, but I was shedding layers quickly given the slope and altitude. Hiking 9,500 feet lower is way less work.


Eventually I did flee to a lower altitude and found another trail.

Also well marked.



The end of that trail, Three Waterfall Lake. It was a popular spot, given the walk to get there.

And while it was possible to hike a little farther I decided to just hang out on the beach for a while.

The hike back was simple enough (down is always easier). I headed back for my last night in the campground before heading to Canada the next day.

[Joab]

What a great detailed report! You really make me want to get the bike put back together and do a bit of traveling this summer!

[Pain]

Canada and Shopping

I haven't left the USA since 9-11. No particular reason. I had gone to Eastern Canada before then, but didn't need a passport at the time. I had a passport now, but will admit to some nervousness as I rolled up to the border crossing. Just some concern over the unknown, and in truth I should probably have been more concerned about getting back into the USA than out of it.

It was cold and overcast, so I stopped here

to add a couple of layers. It was a popular place to stop, though I think it was mostly for the bathroom.

More snow. It was July, for crying out loud.

Of course, the crossing was a non-event.


Once in Canada I relaxed a little and looked at stuff.

(okay, that might not be quite in Canada yet. I took poor notes on some of these pictures.)

The sun was coming out too, and I stopped in a small town to take off some of the layers I had added back when it was cold. Then I noticed I had a lot of oil on my left pant leg...and boot...and engine.

One of the two bolts holding the camshaft cover on had come out. It took me a couple of hours in the town to find a replacement. Actually, it took me about 5 minutes to find a replacement and a hour and 55 minutes to find a store that sold hardware. I wasn't expecting to have language issues until Mexico, and no – it wasn't French.

Once I got the bolt replaced and oil refilled I took the time to wash off the bike. It hadn't been washed since I left home, but I needed to get the oil off so I could spot any new leaks. There weren't any.

It was late in the day so I found somewhere to stop. I had hoped to be closer to Calgary, but no such luck. In the morning I got up and rode the last couple of hours into the city.

There was some shopping I wanted to so, trading out my cheap and largely ineffective compression bags for higher quality ones. This done I decided I would look at a tent upgrade. My tent had definitely been leaking the last time I used it, and while I could probably have found some spray resealent I was being tempted by all the new tents available.

So I bought this one-

In truth, looking back, I couldn't tell you why. It isn't free standing and probably increased the weight of my luggage by 30%. I will freely admit it is comfortable though. And roomy.
With the new tent and gear obtained I shipped another round of stuff back to Wisconsin. Then I headed for the house of a couple I had met back at Glacier. They were exploring on their bikes (HD's) and offered me a place to stay if I was near Calgary. I called them up to make sure they were still open to company and then stayed at their house for a night. They were all leaving again the next day, so I couldn't stay any longer, but the one night was perfect and they gave me good tips on where to head next and how to get there. And there was food.

[BadBob]

Great stuff. Thanks for posting this.

I've had bolts come out of a GZ250. After loosing an engine mount bolt I got much more careful about checking them. Now I add a little lock tight to most every thing that has threads on my motorcycles.

Yes I have an XS11 but I'm really fond of the little 250s.

[Pain]

Great stuff. Thanks for posting this.

I've had bolts come out of a GZ250. After loosing an engine mount bolt I got much more careful about checking them. Now I add a little lock tight to most every thing that has threads on my motorcycles.

Yes I have an XS11 but I'm really fond of the little 250s.

I was very tempted to take my xs1100 on this trip, but the weight, mpg, and amount of wear and tear I had already inflicted on it scared me off a little. And, really, you don't need a big bike for this sort of thing.

Of course, that isn't stopping me from riding my xs11 around now...

[Pain]

Banff and Bears

I left Calgary with some routing tips, heading back for the mountains. The people I stayed with had told me about a town called Banff, which was at the southern end of the Banff National Park (Canada has national parks too, how cute.)

My new friends were of very mixed opinions on whether I should actually go to Banff. The national park they all thought was worth the visit, it was the town the had mixed feels on. It was supposed to be very touristy and expensive. I didn't mind the touristy thing, but expensive was something else. They also gave me some route suggestions which I gleefully followed.


The weather was also very nice.


And the views got better as the day wore on.


Eventually I reached the town of Banff. I had decided to at least stop and look around a little, since I had never been. It was touristy, and expensive, but there was a regular grocery store I got supplies for camping, and the information center was nice enough to help me find a camp site. They also recommended getting bear spray. I hadn't actually bought any yet, not in some “oh, be nice to the bears” mentality so much as just not yet having felt like I needed it. But there were bears living just outside of Banff, and while none had been reported in the campground golfers weren't allowed on the course without spray. So I got a can.



[img]http://xspain.smugmug.com/BigTrip-1/7-28-2011-Banff-National-Park/i-wfSXzt7/0/M/IMG5787-M.jpg

No bears, yet, but there were a lot of other animals around. And I got to set up my new tent!


I was already having second thoughts about it, the thing was huge. It got a little better when I repacked it, but I was still wondering what I was thinking whenever I picked it up.

Still some nice views though.

The next day was overcast, and felt colder. I was going to ride north, along the Icefield's Parkway. ICE fields. Why didn't I think that all the way through and dress warmer I have no idea.



Clouds get less cloud-like as you ride into them.

I had to pay to enter the park, since they didn't recognize my US Park Pass for some reason, and asked the ranger what I needed to stop and look see. She recommended Peyto Lake without hesitation, so when I saw the sign I stopped.


There was a short hike from the parking lot to the overlook of the lake. I was surrounded by
Asians and Germans – no one was speaking English. It was a little surreal. It was also raining, sleeting and snowing. Snowing, in later July. And cold. But I kept on walking.


Payto Lake did not disappoint.

I couldn't stay there, though, since hypothermia was closing in. I went back to the bike and added a couple of layers, fishing out my electric gear, then continued on.

The views remained awesome, and Blue and I enjoyed a light lunch on the side of the road.

I reached the Columbia Icefield

which was even colder than Peyto, but there wasn't water falling from the sky so it was more bearable.

Yay learning.

Somewhere along the way I went from Banff to Jasper National Park, then I was in the town of Jasper. I decided to replace my rear tire, which was showing wear bars. I probably could have kept it, but I like to replace my tires early when I can. Prince George had a tire of the correct size in stock and I told them I would be there the next day. Then I left the national parks and went looking for somewhere to camp.


And there was my first wild bear of the trip. In what would become standard, I stopped the bike without turning it off, got out my camera, careful to have the strap on, took pictures of the bear, then put camera away and rode off without ever killing the motor or getting off the bike. And everyone else stopped their cars, got out (sometimes locking the doors), and went walking around like they were in a zoo.

My mom had been worried over the increase in bear attacks on 2011, but I think it was just an increase in stupid people.

I found camping in McBride, and set up my massive tent again.

then cooked myself dinner over the fire. Three Wisconsinite KLR's pulled into the same campground later, but I completely forgot to take their picture. Oops.

The following day I got to Prince George and got a tire. It was generally a non-event, and I took an extra day so some rain could clear out. From there I was heading for the Alaskan Highway.

[Brent]

Adventure, scenery & tent

Thanks Pain for report on Awesome adventure. What Beautiful scenery!

I have seen bikes fall over when parked at campsights, so I always sleep away from the fall zone. Is that tent so big, (or bike so small), that it could not fall into the sleeping area?

Weather, Maintenance, and wrenching segments of your trip report are important for keeping this real. Please keep including them with detail. Overcoming adversity is a big part of the adventure. Fun to read. More fun getting inspired. Hmm, maybe someday I could road trip too

A roadtrip without wrenching is not quite complete, (but I could stand some of that).

[Pain]

I have seen bikes fall over when parked at campsights, so I always sleep away from the fall zone. Is that tent so big, (or bike so small), that it could not fall into the sleeping area?

The tent is big, but perhaps not that big. I parked the bike so it leaned away from the sleeping area, and slept as far from the bike as I could.

The tent, a Redverz Tenere, is really huge. The parking area is intended for one of the big adventure bikes, and the sleeping area large enough for two people and their gear.

[Dragon Tamer]

Weather, Maintenance, and wrenching segments of your trip report are important for keeping this real. Please keep including them with detail. Overcoming adversity is a big part of the adventure. Fun to read. More fun getting inspired. Hmm, maybe someday I could road trip too

A roadtrip without wrenching is not quite complete, (but I could stand some of that).[/QUOTE]

You got that right Brent, however, changing that recalcitrant tire on your Buell in the middle of a raging thunder storm has caused me to recalibrate my definition of "adversity"

Keep it up Pain, loving it!!! Be sure to keep a lot of misery in here for Brent, if you had been with us that day you would know how far you have to go yet.

[trbig]

You got that right Brent, however, changing that recalcitrant tire on your Buell in the middle of a raging thunder storm has caused me to recalibrate my definition of "adversity"

Hmmm.. Simply makes me look for a pinch bolt when something is too tight to take off.

[BA80]

if you had been with us that day you would know how far you have to go yet.

Reminds me not to follow Gary. You'll most likely get lost or led into a raging storm.

[Pain]

Keep it up Pain, loving it!!! Be sure to keep a lot of misery in here for Brent, if you had been with us that day you would know how far you have to go yet.

I think I will get there, plenty of misery will show up eventually.

[trbig]

Just assuming that this isn't tobacco spit towards your bike from some Harley guy.

Not trying to turn this into a tire thread, but just wondering how those Avon Venoms did on the lighter bike. I had the same trouble with them that I am having with the Elite 3's. They started out giving mileage past 10k miles, but got to where they were lasting less than 6k. It's been probably 3 years since I tried them last.

[Pain]

Avon Venom

I installed that Avon in Prince George, on the way north. I would say now, after it went up to Alaska then south to Chili is have between 1/3 and 1/2 it's tread life left. Since I thought it was a softer, sportier tire (I didn't have a lot of choice) I admit to being impressed. It wasn't cheap, tires in Canada aren't, but I guess I got my money's worth.