May 20, 2025
Leading up to this excursion I did quite a bit of prep work on the motorcycle. I replaced the tires with another set of Michelin Road 6 GT along with new metal, right-angle valve stems. Metal is better than the original rubber ones and the angle makes checking the tire pressure easier as well easier to fill.
I flushed both the clutch and brake hydraulics and installed new brake pads front and rear. I did a coolant change, which was a big job because of how much of the plastic fairing pieces had to be removed. All went well. I also change both the engine and differential oils.
Aside from the bike maintenance, I replaced one of the poles for my tent. I had one break last year and had used a pipe nipple splice which worked but was a pain. Replacement poles come in pairs so now I have an extra. I also picked up a couple extra tent stakes.
I originally thought I might try to make the trip earlier in the month but the weather was uncooperative and most of the campsites are still closed. I had to work around May 17th as I was teaching a sectional at the Yellowstone Art Museum’s Sketcher Symposium. Going after that date is a squeeze because I need to be back in Billings to leave on another trip on May 30th. So, leaving today, Tuesday May 20th is the day.
At first it looked like weather would be an issue again but the storm coming over the Rockies on Sunday and Monday didn’t drop as much snow as predicted and the highway cameras indicated safe traveling conditions.
I packed a bunch last night and finished up this morning, getting the bike loaded and ready to go before 8am. Once breakfast was done, I added a few pieces of banana bread and an apple to my bag for lunch and I was out and on the road at 8:50.
The destination today is Wilderness Gateway Campground on Hwy 12 in Idaho along the Lochsa River. I thought about riding the slab all the way to Missoula but the 2-lane to Garrison only added less than an hour.
One change I made to my usual methods is that I did not take many photos. I’ve shot so many on this same route that I really wasn’t motivated to do so plus, the conditions said to “just ride.” So I did. I stopped in Broadview for a quick one.
In the past I’d stop in Townsend for gas but my fuel economy was so poor that I had to stop in White Sulfur Springs. By the way, that road from there to Townsend is a great. Lots of hills and curves.
The bike is running great and, other than the wind, the conditions are pretty good. The air temperature is mostly in the 50s. I was right on the line with being comfortable. I am wearing my colder weather jacket and have both the rain and thermal liner zipped in. If I’d worn the thermal liner in my riding pants I would not have been too warm but Levis under them made things comfortable enough.
I did get a few spits of rain along the way but nothing worth stopping and donning my rain pants for. At most the rain would last for 5 minutes, what there was of it. Some of the roads were wet so it looks like it had rained earlier.
In Garrison, Hwy 12 becomes I-90 and I road that to Missoula. Along the way I stopped at a rest area and had my lunch: banana bread that I baked last night and half an apple. I’ll finish them for lunch tomorrow. At that rest area there was a couple towing a trailer with vehicle that was very clearly not up to the task but, heck, what do I know.
Riding the freeway is not my favorite exercise. One has to realize that it’s a constant game of one up manship of who is going to pass whom. I am not in a hurry and 75 MPH feels just fine considering the impact of the head and cross winds. Some people zoom right past me and I have to pass others. I really have to be on my game. The 2-lane experience is completely different both on speed and traffic. I much prefer it but riding the freeway is a skill that I don’t want to loose so every one in a while I just do it. After all, I commuted on the freeways of Los Angeles every day for more than a decade.
I stopped for gas in Missoula at Town Pump on Brooks. While there I picked up the traditional tall IPA to go with my dinner. I get why some people want to live in MIssoula due to the “vibe” but the traffic is terrible. I was going through town at 3:45 or so and it was not uncommon to have to sit through several cycles of a traffic light to move forward. Billings is nothing like that.
I rode the 8 miles a from Missoula to Lolo and turned west, staying on Hwy 12, and riding into Idaho. Near Lolo Pass I saw some snow on the side of the road but other than some dampness from an earlier ran, the roads were great.
I descended from the pass to one of the best motorcycle rides in the country, 90+ miles of sweeping curves along a river in a densely forested area. When I rode this last year, I was in a downpour so it was quite a treat to ride us uninhibited. I, of course, switched the bike into “Sport” mode and made use of that feature.
When I went past the Jerry Johnson Campground I was surprised to see that it was open. I rode a loop through and saw only one other camper. Hmmm, maybe things won’t be busy up ahead. I couldn’t resist a photo op along the river.
When I arrived at the Wilderness Gateway Campground I was surprised how many people were here. Most sites were taken and most of them also had kayaks. The river is running high and fast with lots of rapids so I guess it’s a good time of year to take advantage of it. I looped through one and saw a few sites that looked to be reserved for the next couple days but found one that was open for tonight which is all that I needed to.
It’s relatively quiet. I sounds of the nearby river creates a nice background and I only hear the occasional vehicle go by on the highway. I got my tent set up and then sat down to write this. There is no cell service so I am writing offline and will post this tomorrow somewhere along the way when I have cell service again.
It’s time to get dinner going. Tonight it’s Lasagne.
It was a 441 mile day. The bike turned 42,000 miles today. I’d have stopped at that mark for a photo was having too much fun in the twisties to be bothered with that.
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