If I can't see them, they can't see me.

August 7, chasing grizzly bears

Hobbs and I rode out of Anchorage Monday morning, about 10 (Aug. 6). We were heading to Homer. I'd bought a bear viewing trip on Groupon (two for one), and we were to check in and fly out Tuesday morning, into Katmai National Park.

We stopped for lunch, and finally I ate Mexican food again, Acapulco's in Soldotna. It tasted pretty good. Glad I got my taste back for it since I'd some really bad stuff more than a month ago and hadn't eaten Mexican food since.

The blooms aren't to the top yet.  There must be some more summer out there somewhere.

The Spit view from our hotel.

A great place to stay.  Nice rooms, nice people.

On to Homer where we checked into our hotel, the Ocean House Inn, near the Spit. The room is very nice, cozy and with a huge bed that promised to be very comfortable. The bathroom is up a little set of stairs, and there's a chair and loveseat, making for a nice little nest for a few days.

Ocean House Inn.

The entrance to our room.

Off we went to the Spit to check in at Alaska Bear Adventures, get weighed and get our instructions for the next morning and where to report. No glass, no plastic bags, NO FISH!!! That let out the tuna sandwich I wanted for lunch. And just to be safe, I wasn't going to take my fish oil vitamin.

The airport is just up the Spit so we figured to locate where we'd be reporting in the morning. Hobbs made me lead, so I turned where the sign said to for the airport, right into a parking lot. I should have turned just up a little. There's a reason I don't lead, and that's one of them. But I found my way out of the parking lot.

Since we'd had a big and late lunch and weren't hungry, we went to the store and picked up food for a lunch, a few snacks and oatmeal for the morning before leaving. Don't want to go hungry.

The room from the doors.  Notice the bed model, showing there's enough room for both of us and four Beagles.

The bed was more than comfortable, and we both slept like rocks. We'd gone to bed by 8 p.m. and I slept until nearly 6. Hobbs was already up and showered, the coffee was made and I even got served in bed. That must be a Hobbs first, and I felt pretty special.

Then it was time to get ready to go, and off we rode, heading for the airport and our small aircraft chauffer, Tom. Three planes would be flying out, Cessna 206s. There were four of us and our pilot. We were paired with a young couple from Holland. Others on the other planes included a family of five from Quebec.

We got fitted for hip waders, were given last minute instructions on what NOT to carry … NO FISH!!! We were given personal flotation devices, a safety briefing and then to the aircraft.

I rode the co-pilot seat going out.  The cockpit was a little familiar.  I gave up my pilot's license years ago, but it's nice to know I still remember a few pieces of the gear.

The flight was a little more than an hour, smooth but not much to see. There was a lot of cloud cover so we flew up above it.

As we were descending, we flew over a spectacular glacier, with spikes and peaks, streaks of dirt and deep-hued blues that you hardly see anymore. It was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

I don't remember the name of the glacier, but it was spectacular.

The ice formations were beautiful up close, rugged and not a place I'd want to do glacier walking.

The colors and the way the glacier has eroded is like none other I've ever seen.

Tom set us down on the beach, we unloaded, gathered our gear and received another reminder to always obey what our guide would tell us to do. Stay in single file, if confronted stay behind the guide, if he told us to do so, spread out next to him and act big!

Getting our gear and heading out along the beach.

Here she comes.

The weather wasn't bad, cloudy, but beginning to clear up. I was still wearing my rain jacket, though, just in case. We wandered down the beach, toward a sow and cub. She had been fishing and the cub was just being a young one, chewing on a stick. They came up the beach and laid down, the cub to feed and then both laid down to take a nap.

Momma and baby.

This youngster was all about hamming it up for the camera.

Momma was keeping an eye on her offspring.  She'd had two cubs earlier in the spring but it was suspected a boar killed and ate one of them.

Chasing fish.  Hobbs spotted a lot of different bears off in the distance, near the edge of  the river.  The little gal from Holland was amazed before he told her he was using binoculars.



Just having a little fun with mom.



This momma showed love for that baby, and I just kept snapping photos.  Film is cheap.

After a little nap it was time to play.

We'd seen three bears flying in, and now we'd seen 10 more, some closer than others. The bears didn't pay too much attention to us. We walked out through the stream toward two other bears, and they didn't seem too concerned about us either.

Even the beach washed by the tide was like nothing I'd seen before.  The ripples left by the waves had patterns of all their own, beautiful but to be changed with the next tide.

When walking back, one decided we were worth a second glance, and he came toward us, bluffing, to see what we'd do. Tom stood tall, telling the bear not to come closer, then using more firm language. I never felt that the bear threatened, and we figured later he really just wanted to get by us, but didn't want to pass up a chance to maybe see if he could be in control over us. That did not happen.

I could have watched the bears all day.

Just sitting in the water relaxing.

Then curiousity.

We went back through the stream, and the sow and cub were quite relaxed after napping. The cub was even more wound up than he'd been, jumping up and down, running back and forth on the beach, charging his momma. Momma bear even got into the act, playing with her youngster, and even taking a stick and chewing on it, tossing it. It was one of the most amazing interactions I'd ever seen … and it was just for us … I felt privileged to be able to participate in the bear viewing and more so to see how some of the bears behaved. It was so much fun, and our guide, Tom, was great. (Alaska Bear Adventures, if you're interested.)

The little guy was just being goofy. 

Pawprints in the sand.

The flight back was awesome as the clouds had mostly moved out, and we had clear views of small turquoise-looking lakes at the tops of mountains, snow-covered mountains, glaciers, emerald-green grass and brush. The scenery was some that you only dream of seeing when you're in bush Alaska, and Hobbs and I were seeing it all. What a day …

While we'd had lunch, it was time for FOOD. Starvin' Marvin's is the place, pizza, pizza, pizza. We ate a whole one, with salads. I was hungrier than I'd thought, and devoured more than my share.

Back to the hotel, where we sat out in rockers, drinking tea, looking at the scenery, relaxing in the sun, enjoying each other and talking about what a wonderful day we'd had.

Just relaxing.

The fireweed just outside the door is beautiful.  But don't step back too far; it's a drop off.

Contemplating a walk on the beach ... or going into the hot tub.

Just a walk on the beach.

Then we decided to walk the beach, and down the steps and ladder we went. We walked for maybe a mile and a half, then returned, only to find we were just in time to get back up the ladder as the ocean was lapping at the bottom. We had another route as a backup plan. But we got back up safe and sound, then back to the rockers again. What a great day … seems like we did so much, and we've had several days of vacation.

Got back to the ladder and up just in time.  The waves were lapping at the bottom of it as we climbed.

There's always room for a photo of pretty flowers.  The blue is so brilliant.

Tomorrow we ride home. The weather is supposed to be good. I sure hope so.





July 26, look out, Verlie, here I come

I'm headed to Verlie's place near Phoenix. I didn't get an early start. Jgayle and I still had so much to talk about. That's how it is with good friends. It doesn't matter if you've seen each other yesterday or a year ago. You just take up where you left off. We rode together and had lunch, then it was off to the slab for me, go west, young woman, go west. But it's always so hard to part ways with my good friends.

JGayle and me.  Pepper mint ... the red is the pepper, the white is the mint.  JGayle said so.  Friends for 20 years ... you can't knock that.  And hoping for at least 20 more.

While I had a late start I was hoping to get 300 miles or better on the slab. That did not happen as I ran into a storm that promised to be quite ugly. I only got about 200 miles down the road. But later in checking on my bike, I saw that the weather did not get as ugly as it had appeared it would be. Oh well. A good night's rest is always deserved and needed.

July 27, working on a mileage day

I was up early and back working the slab. I wanted a good day, and it was … about 650 miles, arriving in Springerville, Arizona. Another storm was out there, and I was on the road with no cover. Somehow I skirted most of it, as well as the lightning and all things bad that go with those types of storms.

There was one slight mishap going over a curb, the third one this trip. Only this time I stretched the spring on the kickstand. I stopped at the Roswell, New Mexico, Harley shop but they did not have a spring to repair it so I had to go on, scraping the thing every now and again when going around a corner. I did not like that.

In order to keep moving and making miles, I wasn't stopping to take photos, but I had to stop to take a photo of what I think is a Christmas tree. It was out in the middle of nowhere, no houses, no cars, nothing.

It's all by its lonesome ... in the high desert

I found a place to hole up for the night and called Verlie. I told her I was 200 miles out and l'd be there in the morning.

July 28, 200 miles out

A piece of cake day, 200 miles before breakfast. Okay, not quite but I was on the road about 7 a.m. to avoid the heat of the day. It was cold, 71 degrees. But I only wore a long-sleeve T-shirt. And that was enough to get me chilled. That was the plan because then it would take me longer to get warm once I came off the mesas and plateaus and down into the heat.

The Salt River runs through a deep canyon which is a nice ride for the end of a trip.

I passed through the Salt River Canyon on Highway 60. It's a beautiful ride, one I've taken before when leaving and returning to Phoenix area. It's got the long sweeping curves I love, and I was into them in no time, back and forth, back and forth, leaning this way, then that, enjoying my last ride of this trip. Then I was into Globe, and down into the merciless heat of the Interstate.

The road winds down through the Salt River Canyon, and is one that is pleasant while not too strenuous.  It's a beautiful one that takes you gradually down toward the heat of the slab.

There's a Harley shop, in sight of the Superstition Mountains, and aptly named Superstition HD. It's in Apache Junction and is one I've stopped at before. It's a good place to take a break before the final heated push to Verlie and Joe's place. Plus I was looking to see if they had a spring for my kickstand.

The service department checked and yes, they had the spring, so they asked me to bring the bike around. Whoops. That's a negative. The spring had come off so with no way to get the kickstand up, the bike wouldn't start. That's one of the traits of the newer cop bikes. No kickstand up, no start.

I went and got the service guys and we duck taped the kickstand up, and they took it back to fix. They done good. And they did a quick wash of Miss Harlow. They're a pretty good shop, too.

Then it was time to make the final run, about 30 miles … in full-blown heat, but I arrived at the barn at about 1 p.m. It wasn't the worst part of the day at least, and no more heat exhaustion, also meaning no more root beer floats.

I unloaded, got the bike parked and then hit the shower. I washed my hair, looked down and saw ... SPIDER!! I hopped out of the shower, wringing wet and dripping all over everything, and watched it swimming in the water. What to do, what to do? Usually Verlie takes care of that for me, but she wasn't there, my shining lady in armour to slay the nasty spider. I got creative and took the toilet brush and smashed the thing into pieces and hauled it out with the brush and let it take its final oceangoing journey down the toilet. Be gone, spider, be gone.

Verlie got home a bit later, and off we went for our ritual … pedicures. She got the polka dots this time, and I got the red with white, kinda like peppermints, you know.

Nothing like a pedicure to make you have happy feet.

My last day was Sunday, and we spent it going to see the new Batman movie. They're some of my favorites, then dinner at Red Lobster, more talking. How can we talk so much? Then Monday to the airport and home.

This trip I spent a lot of time at people's homes, not riding quite as much, but it was so much fun, and the roads I did ride were stupendous, wonderful, awesome … how can I really describe them? 7,670 miles. My work here is complete.

July 25, Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Jgayle's I go ...

The next day I stopped at the Monroe Harley shop. Monroe is where the Women on Wheels Ride In will be in 2014, if anyone's interested in going. Start thinking of it now. There aren't a lot of details but it's always around the 10^th or so of July, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

I was running the slab at this point since now time was not my friend and I no longer had the option to stop and look at everything. It was just ride, gas, visit the restroom, and ride some more.

Jgayle and I had a plan. We'd meet at a Burger King parking lot off this one exit on I-20 about 1 p.m. She was watching Spot, the tracker, to see how I was progressing. I came off the exit, and then at the stop sign, she suddenly appeared at the overpass, same intersection, same time. It's our karma. My one friend, Jaz, says we're mostly pure of heart. That must be true because so much works out just exactly right.

JGayle and me at the Bull Pen ... steak, in the pasture behind the place, and on the plate.  When in Texas ya just gotta eat steak.  JGayle also has a new bike, a Switchback, and she LOVES it.

We stopped to give hugs and hellos, then we were off to have a bite to eat. I was certainly starving … roads, food, you got it.

And, of course, there's always time for a stop at a Harley shop, Dallas shop this time. And there I met Sandi who helped me buy a shirt … Number ??? Who knows. I also purchased a new hydration vest with her assistance. The one I had was no longer useful and not helping cool my core at all. They're only good for so many uses, and I'd long ago exceeded that since the vest was purchased several years ago. Sandi was vivacious, helpful and exceptionally nice. I was immediately drawn to her.

Aaron, Sandi and me at Dallas HD.  Great shop and I enjoyed my visit with everyone there.

Aaron was another super-great Dallas HD employee. He answered some questions I had about putting a tourpack on my cop bike. He, too, was exceedingly pleasant and helpful. He also had a great ponytail and the deepest, southernest, soothingest Texas drawl … yep, nice and good looking. But alas, already taken, ladies.

Everyone I talked to at Dallas HD was nice and helpful. It was a great shop to visit.

Jgayle always makes sure I have some new bling.  New star and bling earrings to remind me of her and Texas, and a blingy cuff so I look girly. 

Then back to JGayle's place to visit for hours before going to bed. I wouldn't have much time but we sure did make the best use of it.

July 24, Natchez Trace Parkway … it calls, it calls

Today the boys, Greg and Doug, and I would part company. Greg had to get to Kansas City and I was headed south, west toward Texas and then home to the barn in Phoenix area. I've so enjoyed traveling with my new friends, but we'll be in touch. Facebook is an awesome tool for that.

While I've traveled a lot of outstanding roads this trip, I was looking forward to riding the Natchez Trace Parkway. The northern terminus, MP 444, is about 17 miles south of Nashville, and runs south through Tennessee and Alabama,terminating in Natchez, Mississippi. The boys and I got to the Trace, at about MP 368. They got me on it, headed in the right direction. Two miles in we stopped at a historic sign, Dogwood Mudhole, said our good byes, and then they went north, and I headed south.

Another doggy name, this time on the Natchez Trace Parkway, about MP 378.

It was time.  Greg and Doug were heading north, and I was heading south.

It was a road less traveled, and I was alone on it most of the day.  Alone with the road, my thoughts and the scenery, I lived each second on it to the fullest, stopping everywhere to try to see everything.

The big draw on the Trace Parkway is the history of the area. Every stop was a wealth of information, a learning stop.

The state line, Tennessee and Alabama.  The Trace doesn't stay in Alabama for very long.

Freedom Hills, MP 317, has a short walk up to the highest point on the parkway, 800 feet.  I walked up but there was nothing to tell me that.  So I just figured I'd had some exercise and sweated off a pound.

A natural cave at MP 308.4 is called Cave Spring, and was probably used by American Indians.  The cave was made when the rock was dissolved by underground water. 

I always like to ride across a bridge, this one at MP 293.2 

The waterway makes 459 miles navigable between the Gulf of Mexico and the Tennessee River.

I was even lucky enough to see a boat on the waterway.

July 23, Still traveling with the boys

We'd considered not completing the last few miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, but since it was pretty much the route we needed to take to get to Deal's Gap, why not. So, that was how we started our morning.

There was still fog and haze and a few clouds on the Blue Ridge.

In riding through Cherokee, where the Blue Ridge ends, there were various painted bears, much like our Wild Salmon on Parade in Anchorage.  This was a favorite of mine so had to stop and get the shot.. 

Greg had been to Deal's Gap and done the Tail of the Dragon (Highway 129) before. Doug had not and wanted to. I never had and didn't want to. I'd heard tales of this ride, and the challenges and I didn't want any part of it. But in listening to what the boys were saying, and after realizing the Diamond Back wasn't as challenging as expected, I asked if I could tag along. Greg said he figured I would be wanting to go.

A final gorgeous view before hitting the Gap.

The road getting to Deal's Gap is nice, curves, twists, but nothing that makes you worry about what lies ahead.

Then we got to Deal's Gap and it looked like a mini-Sturgis with bikes all parked in multiple rows along the parking lot, lined neatly up as only motorcyclists can do. I'd not seen anything quite like this. There was a place to take photos, web sites where you can order photos of you on the ride, a couple of restaurants, and just bikers and bikes.

Lots of bikes go in and out, heading to the Dragon, leaving the Dragon.  There's a lot of activity in this area, and it was fun to watch.  Revving engines, people taking a break, looking at other bikes, talking to other riders.  There are also cars because the Dragon is a road that is used by cars as a great drive.

We took off, heading up the road, the first few curves were a piece of cake. As were the next few, and I realized this was something I was enjoying … 318 curves in 11 miles. I was having a blast and really getting into the corners. Greg was leading and pointed out something in the middle of the road. I went to the left of it, and eeewwwwhhh. It was a snake, a live one, with it's head up. Greg later said he thought it was a rattler. I hate snakes.

The whole ride was awesome, even with dragging my floorboards a couple of times which I don't like to do; even with some guy on a chopper with a very extended front end coming around a sharp corner with the front end of his bike in my lane. No worries. I had it under control.

When we got to the end, we turned around and came back, doing it all over again. 636 curves in 22 miles. I'm glad I bought two shirts, one for each trip. Yahoo!!! What a rush it was.

The boys and me, ride complete.  Dragon tamed.

We wandered inside and some ladies stopped me to ask if the run was hard. How do you answer a question like that? It's challenging, but doable, exiting and so much fun. However, so much depends on ability, timing, experience, and so much else. How do you answer that? I didn't want to send someone down a road that might be one they should not be doing. But I also didn't want to discourage someone from doing a ride they might like to do. It has to be your own ride. Ride it, own it.

The Tree of Shame ... those who did not tame the dragon.  Some crashed but recovered to ride again; others did not live.  Treacherous, particularly if you try to run it too hard, or lose focus of the prize.

I don't know if this meant someone lost a limb, or not

These folks came back to try it again.  Persistence.  I don't know if I could have done the same.

There's lots of damaged sheet metal on this tree.

This guy was apparently running the Dragon too fast; 50 mph is not smart on those corners, and as this guy learned, not doable.  The Dragon tamed him and he's acknowledged it.

From there we went to the Cherohala Skyway. It's 60 miles long and another twisting, curving road. Beautiful, and more great riding of the kind I like. I wishes it wouldn't end. It had been such a great day of riding with my new friends who ride much as I do, wonderful roads, superb rides. It's hard to duplicate something like that and I was high on life, feeling like I was on the top of the world. Roads such as those we'd traveled that day give you a sense of euphoria, a sense of wonder, a sense of well-being. I had it all.

This one's for you, Miss Helen.

The boys and I stopped since Greg had a pipe start making noise.  While they were fixing it, I had to take a photo.  Dams and the water running down them are quite unique and pretty, I think.

There are many oustanding roads in this area, great motorcyclling roads, many more that we did not do. You don't have to do them over and over and over like we do Turnagain Arm. They are mostly more challenging than Turnagain, although I think the Arm is a great training ground. I've ridden it most days in the summer, sometimes more than once, except when I'm out of town.

There's always time for another Harley shop, this one on the $100 million dollar highway.

How to end such a day? A motel with a bed and a shower, and dinner with the boys. We'd be saying good bye the next day, and it would be sad. I always dread leaving friends, old and new alike.