Helmets, built to protect us from the unthinkable, create an inner sanctum where the only reasonable task is thinking. I have been thinking lately about layers. If your riding buddies are busy with their own thoughts, or just enjoying the view, there can be hours of just wind and motor. In these hours, understanding reveals…

Day 14 opens in Grande Cache. Our hotel is one of only a few to choose from, and as is the case about 1/2 the time, we have to take two rooms to accommodate the three of us. We rotate through who gets the single, and I cherish each combination. When I’m alone, it is…

Following a rest day in Banff. Alberta, we enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and pack up. Banff is surrounded in natural beauty, and had our rest day dawned with better weather, we may have seen more of it. As it was, we took from it the pieces we could enjoy in a touristy, commercial town. Good…

There are days in motorcycling, rare days, where all the pieces are present to create a very special experience. Today opened with promise – all the pieces were possible, but that alone doesn’t transcend the experience. The Antler Motel, in Greybull, WY is where we gathered last night. A special guest, old friend Greg V.…

Like any grand adventure, there are serious considerations around the equipment needed. Some you will buy for the trip, some you’ve had for years. All must be tested before being allocated any of the limited space on the bike. And some equipment, when honestly evaluated, is worn out, and may not be serviceable. This last…

End of day 5 finds us in South Dakota – Murdo, to be exact. I’ll get to that in a bit Day 4 was Iowa City to Sioux City, IA. In motorcycling parlance, we “slabbed” it. This is interstate travel, typically less entertaining to ride and less interesting to sightsee. It is to be avoided…