We'd been checking the forecast, and while the threat of rain had gone away, the heat was going to be significant.
As usual we were up and at 'em pretty early.
No problems at the border, though we did get to watch a hippy chick in front of us have to walk back to the Canadian side to return some wood.
Bit of a funny moment: The border guards were two younger women. One was doing the interviewing while the other stood by in case there was trouble. So after I rolled up they asked their usual questions about where we were going and what was in the luggage etc. Then she asked me "How long are you going down for?" to which I replied "Dunno, what day is it today?"
This threw her off. Such a response was not expected and she blushed a tiny bit then smiled. We had a little chuckle and then it was back to being serious. But all in all it was a easy, and they were happy asking us what was in our bags instead of making us unload everything. Which would have added a lot of time.
Then it was an almost straight shot south. And it got hotter. The fact that there was construction on our route and we had to stop on the pavement in 35+ degrees Celsius didn't make it any easier. At one stop Tony wandered away from the bike and into the trees to stand in the shade. Smart man, I went and joined him.
We stopped here and Tony investigated a good place to pee. Turns out that the building was a church and the deacons soon stopped to investigate the sketchy bikers hanging out around their church.
The one closest to me told us he was trying to organize an Isle-of-Man style race in the area. I wish him luck, but I won't hold my breath. The lawyers would have a field day and they'd have to shut down some fairly significant roads...
We stopped quickly at a gas station to have some gator aid and Twix for lunch. It was getting hotter.
Then I missed a turn (there was no number indicating it was the road we wanted, only the name, which of course wasn't on the map). So we rode for a while out of our way. And it got hotter. I started not feeling good.
Finally we stopped again for some gas and to rest a bit.
Here's me going "HOLY F*CK it's hot!"
We stopped and I managed to cool off a bit in the shade. Wetting down my shirt and arms helped get my core temperature back down a bit and I no longer felt like throwing up. Improvements!
We also met Emily and Jay, who are riding from Ann Arbour, Michigan to Tierra del Fuego.
Here's their website
I wish them well, they had a long way to go but were excited about their ride :)
We headed further south. Then at some point in Idaho we ran out of water in our camelbaks and had to resort to bottled water and gatoraid. Which had been in black saddlebags, cooking in the heat for hours. Hot gatoraid is not tasty stuff, let me tell you. But when that's what you got, that's what you drink.
Finally we hit some of the old twisty highway into Orofino, soooo close to cold beer and real food!
I got to the end of the tight 15 and 20 mph corners and waited for Tony.
....
And waited ...
And waited...
I hate that feeling when I know he should have been there, but he wasn't. So I started to slowly ride back up the road to look for where he crashed or broke down.
This is where I found him, standing on a drop off holding his bike, stuck.
Of course before I took the photo, I yelled and checked that he was all right. He was :)
So, what happened? Well an empty logging truck ran over the center line coming up the hill resulting in some serious skidding by Tony:
How can a bike with ABS lock up it's tires so much? I have no idea!
The skid continued in the gravel by the way:
Tony got it stopped right at the edge of a drop off. As his hip was still all buggered up he had problems getting it out of there, so I rode it out.
My KLR was unbothered by the hole thing of course.
We checked into the Konkolville hotel once again (I've been there 5 times in 7 years I think). And then there was only one thing to do. Get grande cervesas and celebrate the fact that Tony and the Triumph were in one piece.
And some damn fine mexican food!
Tomorrow: The Lolo Motorway!
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