Lolo Pass and the Pork Sandwich

[Fontanaman]

I have not been riding as much this year preferring to enjoy my new Spokane home and spend time with my wife. Funny how retirement does not turn out as planned but it is great all the same. No complaints from me as I enjoy bicycling, golfing and hiking. Wifey and I are getting on great and life is good. Why run away on the FJR? Since retiring from Boeing I got no mind to clear anymore.

My wife planned a four day visit, with her Mom, to see friends in Seattle one who is in hospice care for terminal stomach cancer. We agreed I'd say behind so my mind returned to the FJR.

And we had to put our 15 year old pug dog to sleep this week too. The poor dog was deaf, mostly blind and hardly could walk anymore. Getting out of the house was good for both of us. Time to run away again.

So I planned a four ride along Lolo Pass, Lamar Valley in Northern Yellowstone, Beartooth Pass, backtracked to the Chief Joseph Hwy to Cody Wyoming then enjoy what Big John describes as some of the best motorcycle roads in America (and he is right too), Hwy 16 and 14 in the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming and then home. I was looking forward to seeing Fort Phil Kearny the site of the US Army's worst defeat by Plains Indians with the exception of the Battle of Little Big Horn.

The route for Day One. It didn't help I didn't get a good night sleep the before leaving thanks to a power outage from a severe thunderstorm. I was messing with the generator. Short story is I waited out the weather to connect the generator. The weather didn't clear for a while. This would turn out to be the least of my worries on this ride.

The first day of the ride was fabulous with temps in the mid 70's and blue skies. Hwy 12 aka Lolo Pass follow the Clearwater and Lochas Rivers for 180 miles of motorcycling bliss. The posted speed limits are a bit low and motorcyclist have dubbed the route Slow Slow Pass. No police where seen on Wednesday afternoon. Here are some photos:

The pavement is good too, all the way.

Puffy clouds and blue skies.

Would you believe I didn't stop to take this photo?

Remember it is 180 miles just like this....... Bring the DR650 up here Redfish. Lolo Trail Motorway a great dual sport route is just north and parallels Lolo Pass.

Telephone pole got in the way.

I missed taking a photo of the 99 mile marker so this one will have to do.

Lots of 40 mph sweepers. Great stuff.

After Lolo Pass I went to Lost Trail Powder Mountain along US 93 and on to Little Big Hole Battlefield. After this the scenery changed.

Little Big Hole River near Wisdom Montana.

When I turned left from Hwy 43 in Montana to Hwy 569 I remembered I was on this **** hole road before. It was even worst this time with construction. This wasn't just a follow me car on a one lane paved road. Hell no. It was a follow me car, tore out all the pavement and you get to ride on dirt with choking dust for 4 miles. I block this road out on my Basecamp. Never again.

I get to my motel in Butte tire after riding around 450 miles. After unpacking I clean up a bit and head to Sparky's Garage a restaurant highly recommend not by one but two locals. I ordered the pork sandwich and washed it down with to beers. I should have washed it down with industrial strength laxatives. In short I got food poisoning from the sandwich. After an awful night I got up on 9:30 and road home. Thankfully there was no wind on I-90 and the speed limit is 80 in Montana. Home was the shortest distance of my options and recovery took 36 hours. Yes I could have recovered on the road but I wanted to be home on Sunday and the delay wasn't in the cards. Pork e'fen sandwich.

 

[JamesW]

Idaho collects a lot of revenue from slow-slow pass, has not been on my preferred list for years. Always good to see your photos, keep enjoying your retirement

 

[bigjohnsd]

I can't imagine dealing with the after affects of a "tainted" sandwich while trying to ride. Puts new meaning into the old axiom "never trust a fart"! Glad you are ok.

 

[gregory]

Nice!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Hey...I recognize those pics Jim.

Glad you got out for a ride, too bad the rotten sammich spoiled the trip!

~G

 

[RossKean]

I can't imagine dealing with the after affects of a "tainted" sandwich while trying to ride. Puts new meaning into the old axiom "never trust a fart"! Glad you are ok.

I had to do that on a road trip after a bad experience with a Chinese buffet restaurant. Good thing I was pretty much empty from both ends before hitting the road the next morning. Lots of water and not much else on a hot ride through Georgia and northern Florida.
Lolo Pass looked like a nice trip. It is on "The List".

 

[Cyclepath]

Thanks for sharing Fontanaman - my Canuck buds and I rode ID12 through Lolo Pass (again) back in May this year.

We *love* that road, but remain wary of State Trooper Murphy - while professional at all times, may not be as understanding [if there is an unfortunate NEXT time] we pass through ID12 at, shall we say, a brisk pace.

He gave us a stern warning, but did not write us up. He patrols that highway in the vicinity of Orofino, and I believe we had our first roadside chat with him back in June 2017...

We were riding intelligently / safely, just a bit above his limit. We rode away from this latest encounter respecting the position he's in (he described how ID DOT sees about 10 motorcyclist injuries/fatalities in that region), and thankful for his ticket-pad restraint.

 

[marcusorelius]

I'll never forget Hwy 12 Lolo pass when Duke & I rode it after Ruben run 1. Man we rode through fire smoke almost the whole way & barely got through.

 

[Fontanaman]

Thanks for sharing Fontanaman - my Canuck buds and I rode ID12 through Lolo Pass (again) back in May this year.
We *love* that road, but remain wary of State Trooper Murphy - while professional at all times, may not be as understanding [if there is an unfortunate NEXT time] we pass through ID12 at, shall we say, a brisk pace.

He gave us a stern warning, but did not write us up. He patrols that highway in the vicinity of Orofino, and I believe we had our first roadside chat with him back in June 2017...

We were riding intelligently / safely, just a bit above his limit. We rode away from this latest encounter respecting the position he's in (he described how ID DOT sees about 10 motorcyclist injuries/fatalities in that region), and thankful for his ticket-pad restraint.

My pace along Lolo Pass was just enough to be moderately enjoyable yet slow enough to increase the odds of a warning - hopefully. I was there on a Wednesday afternoon so maybe I got lucky or is Trooper Murphy's day off.

 

[Cyclepath]

Our Officer Murphy appears to be about 5'8" tall, blonde hair, around 35 years (?). I'm sure we could share road stories with him over a pint, I kinda feel for the guy.