7 Western States, 2873 miles

Guy Miner

Master Loader
Apr 6, 2006
17,453
4,514
It was a good ride, though I think I crammed too much "stuff" into too few days. Had business to attend to in Salt Lake City, wanted to visit Dad & my sister in California, and have been wanting to make a good, long, motorcycle ride all year. Well, this was my chance!

From Central Washington, I headed east, taking the boring I-90 across 150 miles of seemingly endless wheatfields. Once past Spokane, and into Idaho, things got better. I generally try to avoid too much time on the super-slab, and stay off interstates when I'm traveling, particularly on the bike. I just like the little roads better. But.. I-90 going through the Idaho panhandle and into western Montana isn't all bad. It winds through the mountains, climbing, dropping, turning, and generally acting like a much more interesting road than the typical interstate. Choosing I-90 also let me make some real good time, putting a lot of miles behind me the first day. Good stuff.

Stayed the night in Darby Montana. They have a dandy little Veteran's Memorial, as do many of the small towns out west:


Moved on the next morning, following the Bitterroot River, then cresting the mountains and following the Salmon River down into Idaho. This stretch, along the Bitterroot and the Salmon, was perhaps my favorite riding on the entire route.


Trapper Peak:


Along the Salmon River, Idaho:






In Salmon, it occurred to me that I might as well detour to see Elmer Keith's former home. It was for sale a few years ago, and I think I found the right place. The house & yard look terrific, someone is keeping it real nice:


More in a bit...
 
Lush valley in Idaho, surrounded by dry, brown hills:


Here and there I found real nice chunks of road, making for a very happy motorcyclist!


 
Got to Salt Lake City, didn't have enough time to do much more than take care of things and move on. Was amazed that heading west out of town on I-80, I was getting passed by EVERYTHING on the road while I was doing 75 - 80 mph! So... I twisted my wrist a bit, the Suzuki happily obliged and I joined the 95 mph exodus from SLC, westbound across the famous Salt Flats. The whole herd of trucks, cars and my little Orange Krate went right on by a State Trooper parked on the side of the road. He didn't seem to have any problem with us at 90+ mph... Okay then... Photos taken at a rest stop, at the west end of the salt flats, near Wendover:




I hadn't seen the salt flats in at least 30 years... They look about the same to me... :grin:
 
If you ride, you will understand why signs like this one in Nevada can really get my attention. Most motorcycles really don't have a very long range, despite getting pretty decent fuel economy. They simply don't hold a lot of fuel. Fortunately the Suzuki holds over 5 gallons, and averages about 55 mpg. Still, when I saw this, I paid attention and fueled up:


Much of my route followed or crossed the old Pony Express route from 1860-61.


Thunderstorms threatened one afternoon in Nevada, but all I really got was some cloud cover, and a few light sprinkles that kept the heat down to a bearable level.


I hadn't spent much time in eastern Nevada and was pleasantly surprised. The high desert (mostly 6,000+ feet in elevation) was fairly green in many places, with a little water here and there and healthy looking sagebrush & other desert plants. I found a real interesting place to camp, a few miles down a dirt/gravel road from Ely Nevada. Was at the site of old charcoal ovens, dating from the mining days. I took advantage of a nearly deserted State Park campground and with showers threatening, set my tent up under their metal awning. That worked out real well for me:








Saw some pronghorns, but failed to get a photo of a solitary buck that looked pretty good to me. He was more suspicious of me than curious. Smart critter.
 
Highway 50 took me west towards California, through a FEW small towns scattered across the desert:




Eventually though, it carried me to Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and then on to Dad's place:
 
Let the bike rest (hah!) for two days and I did a little hiking while hanging out with Dad and my sister, and her family. California blacktail deer:




After spending way too short a visit with family, I started heading back north, homeward bound. BUT... After all this was a motorcycle tour, not just a drive... Did I mention that I like the "little roads" ? Highway 36 from Red Bluff in the Sacramento Valley to the Pacific Ocean is one heck of a ride!


Yes, 140 miles of twists & turns and climbs & descents... Wow... Use caution though, a spotted fawn walked right out in front of me while I was transitioning from one turn to another. We all made it just fine, because I wasn't pushing too hard - though I did pretty well use almost all the rubber avail on my tires!

Eventually that wonderful road spit me out onto the coast route, which was twenty degrees cooler, and as you might imagine, absolutely beautiful:


 
In Oregon I found these odd branches... :grin:


Aha!


These are Roosevelt elk, at an elk viewing area near Reedsport. I've been told that a big "Rosie" bull can reach 1,200 pounds!


And the last photo I took during the trip, central Oregon, about to descend back into the high desert near Bend Oregon, which was an absolute oven for the next few hundred miles until I got into the mountains near my home for some welcome relief from the heat.


It was a great trip, averaged about 480 miles a day during the six days of riding. Longest day was well over 600 miles. The little Suzuki DL650 was a great choice for the trip. Comfortable, reliable, economical and plenty powerful enough to haul me and my stuff over those mountain passes.

Hope you all enjoyed the ride.

Regards, Guy
 
Wow, that was a fantastic trip. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Great photos, as always. Thanks for sharing, Guy.
 
It's only a few tanks of fuel and a bit of a ride/drive away...

Or fly out and rent wheels - that works too!

Guy
 
G'Day Fella's,

Guy Thank You for sharing your road trip with us!
Especially the images, it's a beautiful country you blokes have there!!!

Doh!
Homer
 
Guy,
Thanks. Great pics as usual.
Nothing like a good bike ride :lol: . Seems you had a good one.
Glad you got to spend time with family.
Dewey
 
Great trip Guy and thanks for the awesome pictures!! I imagine your bottom side is a bit tender after all that sitting!
 
Guy,

What a trip. Great pictures and scenery.
What is your carry gun and how is it carried? My daughter Daniele has taken her CPL and was a carry
gun while riding her R6.

JD338
 
Guy, it looks like you had a terrific time!! But you need to be careful having so much fun in retirement, somebody at home may send you back to work :grin:

On another note, I hope you and your family are safe from the fires.
 
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