Custer and lunch with friends

On Saturday, August 1, I was late in getting up.  I think it was about 7 a.m.  I’d not slept well the previous couple of nights for who knows what reason, but I’d certainly slept well this time. 

Coffee was the first thing on the agenda.  Actually, it was second as I had to look out the window to see if there were any deer.  Yep, there were two.  It’s a thrill to see them so often.  Would I get tired of seeing deer?  Probably not.  I don’t get tired of seeing moose.

My morning sighting.  It's a little 4-point.

Last night I could hear the bikes cruising up and down the main street of Rushmore.  But it wasn’t offensive as we are located up a hill and the sound is muffled.  This morning it was quiet, just the outdoors and the sounds of us sipping our coffee. 

Soon the bike rumblings began.  It was exhilarating.  I’m excited to be here for Sturgis again, and Missy is excited because this is her first Sturgis rally.  Custer and some of the surrounding towns have their own mini-Sturgis.  Portions of the streets are closed off and motorcycles are lined up four-deep.  There are vendors all over and it was a fun thing … without the huge crowds like there is in Sturgis and will be for the following week or more.

We wandered around Hill City a little before going to lunch.  This guy photo bombed my shot, but I liked it.

I liked the outfit the sheriff's office was wearing.

We rode on up to Hill City as we were meeting Cowboy and Sunshine.  Sunshine and her husband, Auggie Doggie, live in the area now, so I was looking forward to seeing her since it had been five years.  We took the Needles Highway, curves, hairpins.  And the photo dude … roadpics.com … taking photos.  I’d forgotten about that until I’d seen him.  Those fellas will be all over snapping shots for sale.  I never bought the ones from the Tail of the Dragon a number of years ago.  I probably should have.

 

The restaurant of choice was Chute Rooster.  What’s that?  It’s named for the rodeo clowns.  It was a cool place, and it had a huge elk, a 9x6.  I’ve never seen such a large number.  I had to post that on Facebook immediately for Biker Bill.  You’ve seen what I’ve done for him when it comes to antlers.

 

And this is that big, bad boy.

Cowboy was there waiting for us.  We were on time but we’d had to stop on the street to check out some of the shops and vendors.  That Missy is a bad influence.  New vest, new necklace, new cap.  Bad Missy.  But the same old white sunglasses.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll invest in a new pair.  Movie star sunglasses.

Sunshine pulled up and I went out to meet her.  It was good.  She looked good and now my lunch was complete as I had my friends there.  It was a good lunch, and we did a couple of photos.  Then it was time to ride on.

Lunch ... it's what we do.

 We wandered back down to Hill City and walked around a bit then headed back to Custer as Missy had to work a few hours.  But she was off for the whole week of Sturgis.  Yahoo.

Interesting.  It does have shade which is an asset in this weather and heat.

They start the street musicians young here.

Lines of bikes in Hill City ... mini-Sturgis.

This guy had the whole Indian thing going ... and he had something on his face.  Paint?  It was like a skeleton.  The Indian he was riding wasn't half bad either; it was beautiful.

Lenny and I came back to the house and I got the phone number to call an old friend of Biker Bill’s.  Gary used to work at Northwest Airlines and now lives in Custer.  We had a nice chat, and he invited me to come say hello.  Maybe I rushed it a bit as Lenny, Sam and I went for a walk and so we stopped by.  I had a nice little chat, took a selfie to post on Facebook, and then we were off again, this time to wander down by Missy’s work to pick her up.

A peeping buck.  We saw him on our walk to visit Biker Bill's friend.

Near the house there’s a wooden staircase that takes you down to the street.  We had taken that down, and once we’d picked up Missy, took it back up, and then you climb over the rail which is big logs, and walk across some of the pasture to get to the house.  Imagine, we saw more deer.  There were fawns, and it was wonderful. 

Fawns and does.  Lovely creatures.

Back to the house.  Missy and I stayed up visiting til late and then it was off to bed.  Yep, loving it here.

Custer bound ... look out, Lenny and Missy

On Friday, July 31, I was up about 6:30 to visit with Jan before she got off to work, and to drink coffee in the hopes of waking up.  Then it was time … getting ready, loaded up and on the road, heading to Custer, South Dakota, to Missy and Lenny’s place where I’d light for another few days while I experienced the wonders of the 75^th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

I was riding the I-90 line with no time for dilly-dallying, no time or place for photos … to Billings, Montana,  Sheridan, Wyoming, Gillette, Wyoming, Moorcroft, Wyoming.  I was communicating with the Hoka Hey Cowboy, Mac.  He was planning to meet me in Moorcroft and escort me to Custer.  I’m still trying to figure it out as to whether people want to make sure I get where I’m going, or they want to be sure they’re getting rid of me.  Maybe I’ll find out someday.

About 50 miles east of Billings I started seeing the trailers, lots of them, more than I’ve seen in my previous Sturgis visits.  Many of them were easily identifiable by the Harley stickers on them.  I figured they were all headed to the trailer rally in Sturgis.  It’s the 75^th anniversary, but I don’t quite believe that what’s happening now is how it all started 75 years ago. 

In Sheridan, about 200 miles from Sturgis, I saw a bunch of fancy bikes all gassing up.  I did not see any bugs on those bikes or luggage (although they could have had a chase vehicle).  I noticed the plates, and they were not from anywhere around here.  Going down the road I also noticed the plates on the vehicles and trailers.  They were the same as those on the bikes.  They must have unloaded the bikes to gas them up so they could unload them closer and ride into Sturgis.

I’m thinking I have a niche market.  I can get tons of bugs off my bike, package them up and sell them to those who didn’t ride, they can plaster them onto their bikes and it will make it look like they rode. 

I just kept riding my ride.  On occasion some bikes would pass, and I’d tag along with them for a bit.  Usually I’d do that with the guys who were running the speed limit of 80 mph.  Just to show them I could.  Then I’d back off, and continue as before, running mostly a bit less than speed.  If I rode 70 or less my gas mileage would be 50 mpg or so.  If I ran 80, it dropped to under 40.  I preferred better gas mileage.

Contact with Cowboy was going on.  The plan was to meet him in Moorcroft about 4 p.m.  I rolled in right on time and headed to the gas station I saw up ahead.  As I was about a block away, I heard my name, “Patti.”  I turned and there he was, standing in the shade of a building … in a gravel parking area, of course.

I turned around and came back.  Big hugs were in order.  He asked if I’d eaten because in one of my texts I said I hoped food in Moorcroft was in my future.  I’d only had a little oatmeal and a granola bar.  Cowboy had saved me half of a sandwich.  I do believe as I sat on a concrete block in that parking lot that that sandwich was one of the best I’d ever eaten.  And then we were off.


Cowboy and me.  It was good to see him.

Riding with Cowboy is great.  We’ve not ridden together a lot, but he’s steady and easy to follow on the Black Ghost.  We arrived in Custer and pulled into a gas station.  I called Lenny, and down he came on his Roadglide for the handoff.  Cowboy wanted to get back to the Chip in Sturgis, where he’s staying.  All I can say is it was great having an escort.  And it was good to be home for a few days.  And guess what. 

The deer are so gentle-looking.  I wonder if this little spike would be at all aggressive.  I don't need to know.

There was a welcoming committee in the front yard … about nine deer, including one four-point buck.  Does it get any better?  Yep, cuz Sam, the yellow lab also gave me some sweet doggie kisses.

How cool is this?  Lenny even put a toothbrush there for me in my bathroom.

A break in Belgrade

I think it's odd I'm staying off Jackrabbit Lane but all I've seen are cottontails.

On Thursday, July 30, I was up before Jan left for work.  Then I tended to some chores, like washing clothes, working on and posting a blog, going for a neighborhood walk.  And drinking coffee … three big cups, more than usual.  I was wired and it was time to get out there.

My walk was quite pleasant, with lots of flowers in the residential neighborhoods.

These photos are all for you, Biker Bill.

Didn't know that a short walk would find so many antlers laying around.

They're hiding in the bushes.

They're up on the walls.

They're under the trees.

They're laying in corners.

They're everywhere.

But this one is not for you, Biker Bill.  It's for me.  And that ain't no bull!!!

Here's one more.  The Marines are always there.

I got ready to go as I had some errands to do.  Harlow needed a bath, I needed some provisions for the road (Kind Bars, Propel), I needed to go by Yellowstone Harley-Davidson to get my running light replaced.  That turned into getting them both replaced as the second one was now burned out, too.

When I arrived at Yellowstone HD, the guy who sold me my current bike remembered me.  I’d not been to this shop for two years.  He’s a nice guy, and even remembered my former bike as one of the guys from the shop ended up buying it.  He’s modified it some and absolutely loves it.  I’m glad she went to a good home. 

From there I decided to run west on I-90 for a while.  I don’t know why I’d choose to run an interstate for fun, but I did.  I saw a sign for a bakery about 20 miles down the road, so off I went.  I found this place hoping to get something to contribute to the barbecue I was going to later.  I found other things, too.  Huge cinnamon rolls, breads, and so on.  But I could only handle so much.

On the way to the bakery I saw a sign for the Madison Buffalo Jump.  That was a place Biker Bill had taken me in 1994 when we were heading to North Dakota and Sturgis.  I decided I wanted to revisit the place.

On my way back toward Belgrade, I took the buffalo jump exit.  The sign said it was a rural unpaved road.  Wonderful.  But I wanted to see.  The road I was traveling was not well-traveled.  But it was a nice gently curving road, with some ups and downs, one of those fun-to-ride ones.  I got to the turnoff for the jump and it turned into gravel.  I was already on it when it turned into pea gravel.  Aw, crap.  I hate this stuff.  Now I was committed to more than two miles of it.  Aw, crap.  I couldn’t get turned around because it’s not a wide road, and I figured if I stopped my feet might go out from under me.  Continue on, girl.

It's a cool place to visit if you have the time and you're in Montana.

I got to the jump and the drive way was a bit better but the parking lot was pea gravel.  I'm glad it was large so I could get turned around easily, although I was apprehensive.  I hate gravel.  I got stopped and saw the trail up to the jump.  I really wanted to walk up there, but I didn’t have the time, so I just shot a few photos and a quick selfie to post for Biker Bill. 



The Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is 638 acres and sits at an elevation of 4,554 feet.  The park is named for a canyon cliff used by Native Americans as a buffalo jump.  Herds of bison were stampeded over the cliff as an efficient means of slaughter.

I also remember that on the ride he and I took in there, that we saw a snake in the road.  Another thing I hate.  I did not see any snakes this time.  I was glad I’d stopped but just wished there’d been more time.  Next trip.

Back to Jan’s I went, arriving at the house at the same time she did.  We got changed and went over to Don and Donna’s for dinner.  Holy smoke, this guy can cook.  We had grilled pork chops with some rub he puts on them that was out of this world.  And loaded, I mean LOADED, baked potatoes … broccoli, bacon, cheese.  I’ve not been eating big dinners, but on this one I cleaned my plate, practically licking it.  And there was dessert, but I could only choke down a few bites.

 

From left, Jan, Don and Donna.  I've known Jan for more than 40 years.  That's a great friend.  I only met Don and Donna a few years ago, but they, too, are the kind of friends you want in your life.

We visited for a while, then it was time to say goodbye to these friends and head to the barn.  Jan and I visited til about midnight and then we had to get to bed.  She had to be to work at 7 a.m., and I had to try to get on the road in the morning at a reasonable hour as I was hoping to meet up somewhere with the Hoka Hey Cowboy (Mac). 

Nighty night.

 

Pushing north

Last night I was in Fairview, Utah, at a little motel where I seemed to be the only resident for the night.  I don’t know why.  The rooms are large and clean, the bathroom immaculate.  Oh well.  All I know is I had a short day because I didn’t want to be too close to Salt Lake City.

Today, Wednesday, July 29, when I woke up, I discovered there was one more resident at the little motel.  Oh well.  Maybe it’s because there’s no coffee in the room.  It’s a good thing I had a cup and some tea bags with me.  At least there was a microwave in the room.

This worn Batman cup has been with me for thousands of miles.  And it's useful, as shown today.  Earl Grey tea, the most caffeine one I have.  Good thing or I might still be in that motel in bed.

I had to suffer through coffee from a gas station.  Oh, the agony of it all.  I’ve been used to Kaladi Bros. coffee that Jaz had brought and prepared on the road.  Being that she’d be up WAY TOO early for me, she’d bring me coffee in bed in an attempt to get me up and moving early.  That did not work for her.  I enjoyed coffee every day and worked on my blogs.  That’s so you’d all have something to read.  Haha!!

I saw the signs long before I got there.  Elk jerky, buffalo jerky.  I decided that would be lunch.  This is Bill.  We had a very nice conversation before I got on the road again.  He kept giving me samples.  I finally told him to stop because I'd be full and wouldn't buy any.  But he was a charmer.  He said he thought I was about 18 years younger than I am.  Woo hoo.  Yep.  He's been around women a long time, and learned something, if he knows to say things like that.

Anyway, I’m working my way to Bozeman today.  The short way says it’s 501 miles, running a lot of Interstate 15.  I’m not doing that.  We’ll see where I end up.  Hopefully Bozeman for the next two nights to visit with friends. 

I stopped to photograph these old wagons.

I don't know that I'd ride in the one on the right.

I'd sure ride in this one.  Fly those flags proudly!!!

It turned out to be 570 miles because I should have been going to Belgrade.  I knew that.  Haha!!!  It was only 10 miles out of the way.  Yep, racking up those miles.  Beside which I turned the wrong way going to Jan’s house … TWICE.  Sure am glad I have a GPS on my phone.  It’s a Smart phone.  There’s a reason I have it.  But, in my defense, I couldn’t see the sign on the one street as it was hidden in the bushes.  I saw it on my return after turning around.

Afton, Wyoming.  No burger at Rulon Gardner's place this time.  Biker Bill and I did this route and ate burgers there a few years ago.  I love this arch. 

I leapfrogged with this group a couple of times.  There were about 15 of them or so, and they all appeared to have the same jacket.  I got out of there as some also appeared to have parking issues.

 But besides that, I spent a great day of riding.  I got on the road about 7:30 a.m., which is early for me, but I knew I had a lot of road to cover, and most of it would be back and secondary roads that makes for slower travel.  But it’s so worth it.  At the end of the day it was about 60 miles more … I can do that.  (I excluded the roundabouts at the end.)

Jan and her friend, Donna, were getting hair cuts, so I beat them to the house by about 25 minutes.  Perfect timing on my part.  I was unloaded and just sitting back, Facebooking, of course. 

We spent some time visiting, and then to bed, to bed.  Jan had to get up and go to work.  Darn!!!

Wonderful visit, wonderful friends

I got up from my evening spent in the bungalow.  It was Monday, July 27, and I had to get on the road, heading to Montana.

At the appointed time of 8 a.m., I wandered over to the Big House, where Kirk and Eloise had coffee.  She was making blueberry muffins and had fresh cantaloupe.  It was more than I expected.  All I wanted was a bed and a visit with friends that I’d not seen in 13 years.  Okay, okay.  I know I saw Kirk a few days ago, but this was the real visit, with both of them.

Every photo I took has both Kirk and Eloise's eyes closed.  Even Mugs' eyes are closed.  Maybe everyone is still sleeping.  They are still the wonderful, lovely people I've always known and I so enjoyed my short time with them.

They are former Alaskans, traveled in a fifth-wheel for multiple years, purchased this property and built a house, and remodeled the bungalow where I slept.  It was cozy and I loved the place.  There’s also a barn and a few other outbuildings.  Why?  Cuz there’s toys, that’s why.

Mugs is so very cute ... and quite photogenic.

I love his coloring.

All too soon I knew I had to get on the road.  I’d stay and talk forever, but daylight was burning and they had things to do, too. 

They pointed me in the right direction, instructed me how to get through town, and I did it.  There were no parking lot tours today either.  Yahoo.  That’s two days in a row.

Highway 50 was my route.  Jaz and I had done this going west, twice actually, so this was a new road to me.  I was seeing it going east

By the time I reached Fallon, Nevada, I had noticed my running light was not reflecting in the cars ahead of me.  I pulled over and checked.  Sure enough.  One of them is out.  And not a Harley shop on my route today, or even tomorrow as far as I know.  Of course, that could change.

Down the road I went.  It’s a lonely one, Number 50.  There weren’t many cars.  There were no animals except a few cows.  And then, there were three of us … an 18-wheeler and a car in the heading west lane and me in the heading east lane.  That’s it.  You could see for miles.  And what did the car do?  Decide to pass, of course.  I slowed down.  You’re passing now?  Seriously?  Good grief.  What an idiot.  Nothing out there, but he had to pass when I’m there.  You just have to shake your head at the asses on the road. 

I went by a place where people had put stones to say names or other things.  Nothing obscene.  That's unusual.

And on I went on this lonely road.  It’s lonely up until nature calls.  Then there was lots of traffic going both ways.  I finally got everybody out of my line of vision front and back, and I stopped.  Mission accomplished.  Until I looked up and saw what appeared to be a camera.  What?  I think there’s some military thing back in there.  At least I figure they won’t be putting it on UTube.

On and on.  Then off to my left there was something flying.  I thought it was a bird but it was sure going fast.  It came up even to me, low and not too far above my head.  There was no noise, but it had to be a plane of some sort.  But it was so small.  It kept going, passed me and headed off into the distance, and I lost sight of it.  A drone?  Cuz I had a nature call??  Very strange.

I had stopped for lunch in Austin, Nevada, the town where Jaz and I stayed several nights ago.  While I was there I made a reservation in Ely at a hotel I’d seen when we’d come through.  I arrived, and immediately met some folks from California.  They invited me to come to dinner. 

I saw this ladybug in a yard on my walk this evening.

This dog was letting the neighborhood know I was there.

Jaz and I had seen wide streets like this in Delta, Utah.  Now I'm seeing them again in Ely  Are they for alien aircraft landings?  It seems odd to have such wide streets.

After a walk, I met up with the Californians and wandered across the street for some dinner.  Turns out I’ll travel with them tomorrow.  Why not?  We’re all going the same way for a bit.

The Californians were leaving at 7 a.m., Tuesday, July 28.  Some were going to meet for breakfast at 6:30.  Not for me.  Coffee in the room. 

I was packed and ready to go on time, ran to get gas, ate a Kind bar.  Then we were off.  It was interesting.  Each leg one of them led, so it changed with each stop.  I was lucky enough to leave them in Salina, Utah, before they got the idea I should lead on a leg of the journey.  Ha!!!  They don’t know they could end up with multiple parking lot tours and maybe even have their destination change from Green River, Utah, for the night to Key West, Florida. 

In Salina we all had lunch together and then I headed north.  It had been a fun time while it lasted, but I needed to get north.  Our paths may cross again.  I exchanged email addresses with Vicky -- Spyder Lady who is 77 and rides a Spyder since she’d had an accident after riding Harleys for years, and Trike Mike cuz, duh, he rides a trike.  So now there's Trike Mike, Two Bike Mike, Fireman Mike and Sidecar Mike.  There's another old Mike name out there, Mustard Mike, but we don't use that one anymore.

From left, Tom, Spyder Lady, Trike Mike and Marcel

Traveling through Manti, Utah, and saw this temple.  Had to take a photo.

I ended up off the road for the night in Fairview, Utah, way earlier than I’d thought but I didn’t want to get much closer to Salt Lake City before stopping.  Tomorrow’s a new day and I’ll push harder.

Sunday, Sunday ... time to hit the road, Jack

Up and at ‘em, Sunday, July 26.  I’d done some packing the night before, but it’s never enough.  So, I finished up, packed up and was ready to giddy up.

Today I was leaving Jaz behind in California and heading to Nevada to visit some friends and spend the night.  The husband, Kirk, had met Jaz and me for lunch a few days ago, but this time I’d spend the night and also get to visit with his wife, Eloise. 

Jaz and I got on the road about 8:30 a.m.  It was a mild form of combat riding today, with lots of lanes, but not the traffic we’d encountered when we’d come into the city the previous Thursday.  Made this ride a cakewalk.  We crossed the San Mateo Bridge this time, up and down and then onto a causeway.  The only thing that would have made it better was for it to be steel grate. I could see other bridges in the distance to my right and left.  I didn’t know if we had crossed one of those coming into town, or another. 

She took me to a Black Bear Diner in Hayward.  I’d never been to one.  They have a fabulous breakfast and some of the best bacon ever.  They have bear paws and carved wooden bears everywhere.  It’s a great place to eat.

Lots of bear things.  Loved it.

After we took off, she got me on Interstate 580, heading in the right direction before she took an exit and headed back to the house. It felt strange to be riding by myself after we’d just spent a month traveling together.  It happens every time I separate from someone I’m riding with (yes you, too, Biker Bill). I shed a tear and just kept going, concentrating on the mission ahead … get out of the city, get out of California.  It’s too many people with all of these lanes, it’s treacherous riding, crowded, but I got out alive.  I was grateful it was a Sunday and not as crowded as usual.  It took a couple of hours to go from a five-or-six-lane highway to get down to a two-lane.  But I did it, and didn’t even have to take a parking lot tour or turn around anywhere. 

I ended up on 108 and 120, riding through Sonora Pass.  More hairpins, corners, but a different pass today.  It was pleasant as there was no traffic going my way, and not too much going the other.  I finally hit some wind at about the 8,000-foot level as I headed to the top that is 9,000 feet.  Nothing too bad, but it still makes things a bit squirrelly. 

Sure is some beautiful countryside up here in the mountains.

 In always looking for oddities, one found me at about the 8,000-foot level, two skate boarders riding their boards down the incline.  Wow.  I wouldn’t be doing that.  There’s even less between them and the road or a cage than there is for me on a motorcycle.

It’s beautiful country and I once again was riding through the Stanislaus and Toiyabe National forests.  There was no sign of the wild fire here that we’d seen going through the other pass.  The cliffs rise to one side and drop off on the other.  There were big rocks, some creeks and the huge trees smelled wonderful.

Look what I found up in the mountains, Biker Bill.  U.S. Marines mountain warfare training.

 A fawn ran out into the road in front of me.  I slowed way down as she was acting funny.  She was tiny, not even 24-inches in height.  She was prancing and dancing, pirouetting around on the pavement like a ballerina with her own version of Bambi music playing in her little deer brain.  Up and down, backward and forward, around and around.  It made me think she’d only had her little hooves on grass or rock, never on pavement before the way she was behaving.  I didn’t see the mama, but the little one finally made her way off to the side of the road.

I saw these bags in a field.  I don't know what was in them.  Potatoes?  Onions?  I didn't want to trespass to have a look see.

I passed this pretty little school.  Wellington School, 1898.  Kirk later told me it had recently been moved to this location from the other side of the highway.

 got to Yerington and called Kirk.  I found my way toward the road I needed to turn on and I saw in the distance, something bright and shiny.  It looked like a motorcycle, and I knew Kirk was coming to meet me.  I waved, knowing it was him.  He led me on the road back to their place.  On the way we saw two fawns, older than the one I’d seen earlier today.  These were trying to get away and we went very slowly as they were disturbed and quite nervous trying to get away from us.  Kirk figured he’d spooked the mom earlier when he’d come out.  The youngsters ran back and forth, but we finally got by them without them doing damage to themselves on the fence.

Kirk, Eloise and I visited for a bit and Kirk showed me to the bungalow where I’d be staying.  It’s the old farmhouse that was on the property when they bought it.  They built a new house and remodeled this one for guests, and for their motorcycles.  Last time I was here they were staying in a fifth-wheel and this building was where Kirk worked on bikes.  What a difference.  It’s magnificent, and it doesn’t hurt that I can go into the other room and see their Indians.  Eloise has a new one, a 2014, and it’s luxurious.  It’s got every bell and whistle and is beautiful to look at. 

Hers is the big, black and beautiful one.

A friend of theirs I’d met when I’d been down another time, Sam, came over to visit.  He’s also going to Sturgis but our paths most likely won’t cross while traveling as he’s going in other directions with other folks.  It was nice visiting, and maybe I’ll see him in Sturgis.

Eloise made buffalo burgers.  They’re always yummy, and dinner was perfect.  She and I, and their little Boston Terrier, Mugs, went for a walk.  What a character he is.  He tells his mama when it’s time for his walk and she gives him little treats along the way.  He sits very pretty for them.

When we returned, Kirk asked if I played Mexican Train, a domino game.  Yep.  I’ve played a couple of times.  So we played.  What fun.  I so enjoy those types of games and don’t do it often enough. 

The bungalow. 

Then it was time to say goodnight and I headed to the bungalow.  I have the whole thing to myself.