Red Lodge, MT
Thanks to my sister Chris and Clare, we learned about pig races on Saturday night in Bearcreek, near Red Lodge, MT. The money raised is used for a scholarship fund, which over a period of years has raised $95,000! The place was crowed,  including families with children. Gabby 1 (Ed) and Gabby 2 (Redsy) were in their glory. So many people, so little time!

People lined up to buy chances for $2 each. 


As Chris said, "The funniest part was the way the people left their burgers and beers and ran for the back deck when the race was on...................then went back to their dining experience after the race was over".

Hogs eat a healthy breakfast!

But we had Whoppers with cheese last night!

Hooked back up with Redsy yesterday in Butte, MT. He left Seattle area Sundat to visit a friend near Helena, MT, while I stayed in Everett WA with friends, Ken and Janice Moores, getting trailer issues temporarily resolved.

Heading to Yellowstone and Bear Tooth Pass today.

Deer Damage, Sprague, MT

A DEER HIT ME LAST NIGHT! You heard right. I'm near Spokane, WA. Don't usually ride at night because animals. Tonight I pushed my luck as I didn't leave Everett, WA until after 2 PM. Rode the last half hour at night on I90 then 3 miles to the camp site. About a mile from camp there was suddenly a rear standing by the road. I slammed both front and rear brakes, but that quick it ran out. It hit my right hand with something hard and also slammed into my knee. I guess I swerved into the deer as it hit because I don't think I headed into the other lane or toward toward my ditch. Of course the Rocket with luggage and me on back is about 1300 lbs. 


No harm to me or the bike. The hook on a trailer luggage rack bungy was straightened and the trailer has a few new scratches Don't know how the deer made out.Didn't capture it for the BBQ. Thought maybe when I reached the campground, it'd be on the trailer ready to butcher LOL


Hooking backup with Redsy, somewhere in Montana

We have seen countless bear since first entering Canada and talked to at least dozens of people about their bear (not bare) experiences. The further North we traveled, the more the bear and other animals seemed to want to put distance between them and us. Early on we hit the brakes hard if a bear appeared ahead. They were gone before we had a chance to shoot a picture. Later we accelerated in hopes of capturing a picture. We caught this guy Wednesday evening in Hyder, Alaska walking the bank asking everyone, "wheres the salmon bake?". The people throughout Canada and Alaska respect but do not fear either the grizzly or black bear. A flag lady on road construction today told us that she occasionally has to beat on the construction barrels to get wandering bears to leave. BTW, throughout Canada and Alaska, motorcycles are invited to the front of the line when waiting for the pilot vehicle to escort them through the countless construction stretches (many flag persons are attractive young ladys and a 20-minute wait  seems to be over in seconds!). Wednesday night Redsy was riding in the middle of the little town of Hyder, AK, when a black bear ran across the street in front of his motorcycle.

Having said all of that, Dick Wooley's 12-gauge pump shotgun, loaded with OO buckshot, has been closer to my sleeping bag than Faith. I have the shotgun in one arm and a super sized bear repellent spray can in the other arm. SAFETY FIRST :=)

SOrry you haven't heard much from us. Many days there is no internet or cell phone. Other days just disappear.Tonight I'm updating this in a campground laundry room at 1 AM PDT, somewhere in the Yukon Territory. Above is a cob-job repair to the broken trailer suspension. The suspension A-frame on the trailer I tow behind the Rocket broke in 2 places Sunday afternoon about 15 miles East of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. It also punctured a air/oil shock which also drained the air from the shock on the other side.We walked in a dirt road that led to a cabinet maker. He kindly cut 4 blocks from 3/4 plywood to our description.. He then walked out to the road and helped lift each side of the trailer while I slid the blocks in between the suspension and body. With this we were able to limp back to Whitehorse to a campground.

Today I found a welder who fixed both breaks. That leaves the problem of a punctured shock with both shocks deflated. So rather than wait several days for air delivery of a shock from Tennessee, we improvised the temporary fix, pictured above until we finish the crippled trek of about 1800 miles to Seattle where the shock should be waiting.

Since the picture above is rotated to the left, lay on your left side to view it. In the center is one of two welds. To the left (Top) of the weld is a hunk of truck tire tread attached to the suspension with plastic wire ties.This currently supports the body, in the absence of a working shock. Hey its better than bailing wire and bubble gum! So now we will probably stop at the big cycle rally at Sturgis, SD where the trailer company will replace the whole chassis on warranty. If not there, I'll stop at the factory on TN. The Alaskan Highway is bruttele!

Tomorrow we hope to see bears catching salmon and grizzlys chasing the fishermen-NOT!

Faith and her credit card arrived in Anchorage and immediately boosted the local economy at the Harley store!

Redsy eating roadkill moose from the barbie North of the Arctic Circle!

Haven't blogged for a while. Been sitting on the porch with Sarah for a week looking across at Russia (or did Tina Fey say that on SNL)

4th of July-45F with rain-off the road for a day in Grand Cache , Alberta...Hot dogs, beans and good old red, white and blue PBRs

4th 0f July--Celebrating kicking the Redcoats ass in Grand Cache, Alberta, Canada. We have global outlook...celebrated Canada Day (Independence) in Banff, Alberta on July 1 in an Irish pub...so many ironies, so little time.

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Grizzly picture from the cell phone of  traveling salesman we met at Vegas Restaurant and Lounge in Grande Cache, Alberta during rainy day layover. Taken along the road we rode in on.

Bison along the road in theYukon Territory

Redsy on a plank bridge on the road from British Columbia into the Northwest Territory

Two old retired farts (one with a blocked artery) spent a nasty day looking out a motel window and napping, while the poor working stiffs with jobs to rush back to, slopped on :-)

Travel Parks in Lake Watson, Yukon, don't like Yankees (at least with tents). A "local" directed us to a secluded spot  of unknown ownership  nestled between an tiny airport Lake Watson. Redsy built a big bonfire and I cooked the usual fine meal on the Barbie.....can't remember what. LOL

(see grizzly caption earlier above) Same road, different grizzly eating elk kill.

In the tent and ready for bear

Ron/Redsy misses Barb!