July 14 2007 Calgary to Salt Lake and Home

This trip comprises 2 days of riding (July 14 and July 21) and includes 5 days of business in Orlando combined with a family reunion in Brigham City Utah... Start day is July 14 2007

A short little "giddy up" ride from Calgary to Salt Lake/Provo via the twisty Mountain roads of Montana and Idaho... Great ridin' .... Hotter than blazes. I take off from Calgary about 10:00 am and go visit our daughter Holly and Hunter and Marshall our 2 Grandsons before leaving town.

Leave Calgary and go through Kalispell Montana down to Missoula Montana and over to Salmon Idaho... I stopped in at Lorne and Erliene's in Salmon just to say hello and hit a home run... they are actually at their store and it's 7 pm on a Saturday. It was only a short 10 minute visit. An absolute pleasure to reacquaint. Then off to Provo to meet up with family, Nola and Auz. Arrive in Provo ... find the hotel and get to sleep around 2 am... Great day... Wonderful ride.

I had a run in with a motorcycle cop ...
Aka Hunter Murray. (our Grandson)
I bribed him with some ice cream...
It worked...

Head back to Calgary on July 21, 2007

This is the top of Galena Summit. Great day. It's about 6pm here and I want to get home without stopping overnight ... We'll see if the Old Guy has it in him.

Here's another raving Motorcycle fan.
He needed to have a sit and just get the view.

There was a fire some where in the Sawtooth mountains... it got real smokey for an hour or so between Stanley, and Challis Idaho. The Gallina Pass to Missoula is a great ride.

So here's how the ride ends... It's late about 2 am and I'm trying to push home... It becomes evident that there is just no way I'm making it home unless I stop and rest my eyes for a few minutes. I think to my self... It will be cool and comfortable if I stop at a tourist pull out on the way down Logan Pass near St. Mary's Mt. So as I'm slowing down and pulling into a pull out, I startled a very large Bear. It was about 4 feet high at the rump and about 4 feet wide. It was the biggest bear backside I've ever seen. With adrenaline pumping from my close encounter I continued to St. Mary's and pull into a parking lot, lay out my therma rest and lay out on the ground covered up with a sleeping bag...boots and gear, minus helmet still on... It's amazing how well a person can sleep in less than ideal conditions. This was one of those sleeps. Up early and get to the Border around opening time. I got home to Calgary in time to prepair a lesson and teach my Sunday School Class of energetic 16-17 year old keeners. Great trip...