Unbound '03

Unbound '03 was a blend of "The Great Northwest Ride" and "The Big Sky Ride".  By all accounts it was another success  -- even though forest fires kept us out of Glacier National Park.  Otherwise, there were no wrecks, no new nicknames, no breakdowns, and no rain (for John, Chris, Diane and Gerry at least).  We covered over 2,400 miles -- our longest Unbound ride to-date.

Highlights:

• Beartooth Pass certainly lived up to its billing as one of the most beautiful roads in America, with spectacular scenery and vistas that just didn't quit.
• Unfortunately, forest fires kept us out of Glacier National Park.  Let's just call it "unfinished business" -- i.e., "I'll be back"!
• We did luck out at Yellowstone with spectacular weather and light crowds.  This allowed us to take in some of the sites off the beaten path like Upper Falls, and of course -- Old Faithful.  We did hit a couple of "buffalo-jams" -- i.e., when the buffalo decide to walk down the middle of road and stop all traffic.  When this happens, it can be somewhat disconcerting on a bike as you try to pass them.
• The real riding treat was Route 12 that runs across northern Idaho.  As you cross over Lolo Pass at the Montana border headed west, you're greeted by a road sign that gets a motorcyclist's blood pumping.  The road actually follows the trail of Lewis & Clark's expedition, but I don't think they took the corners as fast as we did.
• It was great to have Diane join us from Spokane to Bozeman -- not just because of the obligatory stops at ice cream shops.  She also enjoyed all of the gas-stop casinos.  She even helped out by taking some pictures.  Picking her up in Spokane did require a little detour on my part through central Washington state, however, having her along for the ride made it all worthwhile.  I'll post an update on her missing furniture if anything develops.
• Bill's posse from Portland included a couple new additions that will hopefully be back for future rides.  It was great to hook up with Bill and Russ again, and add Alec and Brent to the Unbound Alumni ranks.  Bill also made it a point to bless all of the bikes before we parted.
• Special thanks go out to our "chase vehicle driver" Gerry -- however, I think his days as the "unbound mule" are behind him (I think he's eyeing a future ride on two-wheels).  Our thoughts and prayers are with Gerry as he prepares to undergo another round of cancer treatment.
• And for all you Black Lab fans -- I'm headed down the highway in Northern Idaho at 65+ mph and I see this truck ahead and I say to myself -- "That can only be one thing!..."  Sure enough, it's a Black Lab.
• More to come...