July 29

 Minot, ND  to Crookston, MN   (a little shy of 300 - given that we thought it would be a non-travel day not too bad).

So much better on the sub frame bolt situation than I'd feared....Minot didn't have the roomy, tidy, welcoming atmosphere that we had  in Prudhoe Bay - but it was all we needed.  ...and I gave Lance - the retriever of the sheared off portion of the bolt --- a hug, sort of my payback for the fact he was pretty sure it wasn't going to work.  It made him uncomfortable but not necessarily unhappy.

... and the offending bolt.  Mark noted that this shearing problem was probably caused by the engine guards that we put on and the constant stress and vibration that they placed on the bolt.  There are other guards out there that do not attach to the sub frame - look less substantial -- but far less trouble in the long run.

A celebratory lunch (since we pulled the bike apart, got the bolt removed, and put it all back together again by 12:00 ---  we're getting really good at this!) at a totally great diner -

A directive from a billboard ---- 

 ....  and we were!


On our way west we didn't ride through Minot because all the roads into town were flooded (yet again for them I'm afraid).... But  Rt. 2 was clear so no detour today.  Still lots of water and damage done......

.... piles of wrecked bales of hay....

and more of the gentle landscape of North Dakota for the afternoon...

....Welcome to Minnesota

Stayed in Crookston, MN.... Nice motel - enjoyed laughing with Helen who checked us in.  (Mark on a roll away ...again.) Great dinner just next door - love those places you can walk to... 

I washed my bike up, we changed oil, and Larry and I got even got new filters.  Start to finish on the oil was about an hour and $40 ....   Stopping by Aerostich Rider Warehouse in Duluth tomorrow.

Life is good!  ...and indeed, I am grateful.

July 28

First... to take care of a couple questions....
.. for Colin...  Mt Robson - it was beatific and  we mentioned your name in its presence....

John....  The Chinese guy - he'd ridden all over the world, Tebet, back and forth across the US, (and many other countries..) A couple days before he'd dropped his fanny pack with $5000 in it ( $2000 in US cash)... He'd only gone a mile and realized he didn't have it - turned around.... saw a truck stopped by the side of the road....(which took off)....  it seemed that the local Rez folks relieved him of his ID, passport, $$, and other important papers.... He spent 2 days with a local farmer trying to sort out the whole mess, finally got on the road again - only to have his chain break in two.  Farmer friend showed up, John Deere guy dropped by, and the three of us hung out ... John Deere guy had about 5 bikes of his own at home, zipped home and picked up a bunch of spare master links ...  and he was back on the road when we left.  I've got his web site somewhere - I'll see if I can share it.

Today ----  Havre, MT to Minot, ND  (it is all about Rt 2)

Larry takes care of a little  bike maintenance during one of our construction stops...(he is adding oil)





I, on the other hand, took a picture of some of the roadside beauty.... 














It was surprising to me how many water spots there were... the three of us, Mark, Loretta, and Larry's pic and shadow.

This is tiny Mark and Larry under a very large puffy cloud...

Here, in front of  the True Value ,where we bought more nuts for my exhaust flange thingy-- proving that loud pipes don't actually save lives but tick people off more often than not....

Unfortunately, it is also where I discovered that I too had managed to 'catch' sheared sub frame bolt syndrome --- UHGGG!!  I'd been hearing a  tinging kind of sound for two days - turned out to be my engine guards rattling due to the sheared bolt that was suppose to be holding it. Just for the record - it was the right side of the bike- not the left side like Mark's.  We spoke with 10 different hotel/motels in Williston, ND - everyone was full. Ended up riding another 100 miles to Minot - where we are spending the night and hoping to find a garage in the morning.  (This is Loretta's adventurous part of the trip - the part where you know it is an adventure because it sucks when you are having it!)

This storm cell was SO close - It was totally pouring what seemed like a few feet away - and there was a wild wind that did involve us....  caught up to us again in Williston for just a few  sprinkles while I contemplated my sub-frame bolt issue.

Loved this guy - Larry had a short conversation with him... great sign. great cowboy.

 

I am pretty anxious about tomorrow and what luck I will have or not getting that bolt out - and how much time and money that'll cost me.........

Time for bed....

July 27

Eureka MT to Havre, MO

ahh.... Glacier National Park..... 

Cruising along east of Havre, MT we saw this Chinese guy stopped beside the road with a broken chain - He had quite a story......   

July 26

McBride, B.C.  to Eureka, Montana --- What a day!

Rt 16 to Jasper - 93 South all the way to Eureka USA....

Today was unbelievable... a little rain, but just almost unbelievable views.

Seriously.  Go. There.  Put it on your 'Bucket List' or on your calendar or in your diary -- whatever it takes..  My suggestion would be to share the beauty with someone you love, or would like to love, or hope to have them love you... it is that kind of place.

Saw a father and his young daughter having a picnic - You could do that....  Take your spouse, your granddaughter, a stranger you'd like to know better - Shoot...come with me! We'll go again and spend a week here exploring all the roads and hikes .. take a bike, take a van, take a bicycle..

On the other hand - met a guy today that said he was in the restaurant business for 25 years - and he had children and he'd done all the sharing he needed to ---- he was taking 3 months to cross Canada and totally loving his meditative journey.

Okay.... the pictures can not do this justice, but......

I don't know how to describe this water (or most of the rivers today)... frothy jade? deep aqua?  You know what a creamsicle does for the color orange - well... it is kind of like that except for aqua and all bubbly and ripples...

...a happy day start to finish!