Livingston / Sheridan/ Cody 20/08/2010

The ride from Bigfork to Livingston (approx 510kms)started out very cold through a large forest (approx15okms) . Then it was through some very pretty farm land but not that good a land for farming (a guy told me that they measure the farms by the 1/4 mile square and most would be several 1/4s square ) . Then onto the freeway the rest of the way to Livingston . The one good thing about the freeways are that the speed limit was 75 mph and most were going around 85mph , so a lot of ground is covered very fast .

The next day it is onto Sheridan via Little Big Horn (Custer's last Stand 25th June 1876) . Again the day started quite cold but by Mid day when we arrived at Little Big Horn it was hitting approx 35c (but a very dry heat ) . Again the whole set up was very interesting and well done .

For those who didn't know Custer was sent to sort out some renegade Indians (Sitting Bull being one of then ) . Custer had 600 troupes and Sitting Bull and his mates had approx 7,000+ , Custer underestimated there number and split is company into 3 units of 200 . He sent Major Reno to attack the south end of the Indian camp and the rest is history , Reno got a hiding but Custer got a routing on last stand hill . Three days after he got routed by the Indians troupes arrived to find them all where they fell , so they marked the spot and buried them where they fell , so today you can still see where it all happened . The Indians chased him for about 5 miles before he made his Last Stand with the last of his 40 men , in all they killed 220 of Custer's men over that 5 miles . There is no record of how many Indians were killed because after the battle they took all there dead away .While we were there we run into Damon Good a kiwi doing the same trip as us .

Our next stop was Sheridan an great town with lots of character , we had a couple of beers in the Mint Bar (famous over here , the photo of the guy on the bar ) . That night they had a street fair with just about the whole town out having a good time .

Before we left for Cody we stopped into Kings Saddlery , what an amassing shop and museum , they have every thing a cowboy could want and the museum has over 500 saddles dating way back . We were told to go there by a kiwi guy that we run into in Canada (Bob Bourbon he came from Sheridan) . He told us to ask for Don King and we did, and got a grand tour and hats to boot (the photo)( they were just such friendly people and really interested in our trip . The only condition on the hats was that we had to take a photo with them on, in some exotic place and E mail them a photo .

The ride from Sheridan to Cody over the Big Horn Mountains (approx 250km) was another great ride with heaps of switch back corners and great scenery once again . It got very hot back down on the plains again today approx 32c

Today we arrived in Cody made famous by Buffalo Bill Cody who started the town in 1909. Tomorrow a new tyre for the bike and a good look around town . We will be here 3 days

Photos

Mountain Goat , On the way to Livingston

Last Stand Hill (Custer's head stone is the one with black on it )

In the Mint bar Sheridan ,

Us out side the King Saddlery

Big Horn Mountains

Banff / Waterton Park / Bigfork 17 / 08 / 2010

We Left Banff at approx 7.30pm and it was clear and quite cold , about 100kms and we were riding some more fantastic scenery. Climbing up to about 2400mts between these Hugh mountains . It is hard to explain how the Rocky's seem, but my best way is that they give you the feeling that they have strength , power and boldness , and that they are looking down on you like gods .

After about 200kms we are on the gravel and the back roads, no cars nobody but us and it was great until a bloody great big gravel dump truck came screaming down on us at full speed , dust , stones and me saying to Ruth F##k I wonder where he dumped his load . A couple of other smaller trucks came the other way as well , but other than that is was only us and nature .

About another 50kms on we spot a sign Grader next 10kms again i say "oh no" !! . Yes about 2 kms later we came around a corner ,and here is all that metal dumped by that truck and a grader right in the middle of the road . Well with no time at all it was on with the brakes and wobble wobble and the front wheel is straight into all the loose gravel and you right we had our first "OFFIE" yes we went down , right in front of the grader ( no damage it was more of a fall over , but still we went down so it was an OFFIE) (what a piss off ) . Up we get I look at the Grader driver (a young Fella ) and want to go and kick his arse and he looks at me saying what da F##k are you doin here ! We get the bike up and bid our fair wells . The road from here on in gets worse with a very had base and about an inch of stones on it( So it was like marbles on glass) . Needless to say we had a very slow trip for the next 40kms or so (but no more OOFFIES).

Next stop was " Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump" not far from Ford McLeod and a very interesting Place .

Before the white man came the Indians never had horses (well I wonder where the Pinto horse came from ) . So for the previous 6,500years what they did was round up a heard of Buffalo's and made them jump off the cliff (It stopped when they got horses and guns). It is a very well set up affair for the tourist and as I say very interesting , we stayed about 2 hrs .

Waterton Park (and it cost $15.50 to go in ) was just beautiful beyond all I had seen , it was a very small town surrounded with mountains , a beautiful Lake, bugger all people and miles from anywhere, a place I could go back to . In town Deer were every where (the photo was just out side of Motel ) and quite tame .

Then today we set off about 10am for the "Road to the Sun" over Logan Pass (2,600mts we got to) and we are now back in the USA . Again just stunning is all I can say, Just Stunning , the only complaint was that there was so many people (I think nobody works over here and they are all on Holiday) and there were heaps of bikes on the road 99% Harley's (no helmets and even one guy with no shirt and a big fat guts ) . But I must say that all the Harley's guys a very friendly (even though we are on a Rice Rocket) and come over a have a chat and always wave out on the road . We walked up to the pass which was about a two hrs walk , all on board walk and we saw Mountain Goats (big white ones ) and Mountain Sheep , Ground Squirrels and Deer .

So tonight we are in Bigfork Montana , which is a tourist place by a big lake (very nice )

Photos

The first 3 are off Waterton Park and the next are through Logan Pass the last is at the top of the Pass

Tomorrow is a big day 500kms to Livingston and I hope to get a new front tyre there ,if not it may have to wait till Cody .

Hey Ekke its great to have you interested in our trip , the camera is a "Sanyo Full HD 2000 Xacti" It is dual camera and Video . Bloody Great just point a shoot and quite cheap ( Have a look on da net)

The Icefields Parkway( 286kms) 15/08/2010

We stayed an extra day in Jasper as it was raining all the way through the Icefeilds Parkway to Banff . As we had heard the drive through to Banff was purported to be the best scenic drive in the world we decided to wait for better weather the next day (and I wanted to get my $78.00 worth ).

Well that was one of the best decisions we have made thus far, as we got up to clear skies . We were on the road by 7.30am , first stop , Mount Edith Cavell 3,300mts high., What a ride up to see Angle Glacier , the views unbelievable . When we got up there we had a 45 minute walk up to the Glacier and then back on the road to Athabasca Falls . From then on what I can only describe as WOW , WOW , WOW and more WOW !!! . The best in the world would have to be an understatement, it is visual over load , glaciers , lakes and mountains to the max and the road perfect (well may be perfect, if they could get those bloody camper vans off the road or get them to speed up a bit , well a lot really) .

By the time we got to Banff we were mental tired from all the "LOOK AND THAT" and "NO LOOK AT THAT WOW!!" .

Banff is a very pretty town with heaps of tourist , we arrived on Saturday afternoon and it was bedlam. Cars and people everywhere (it is very my much like Queenstown NZ x3) . We walked up Tunnel Mountain this afternoon , took about 3hrs . We have run into a few Kiwis here, some working some just travelling .

The bike (or Rice Rocket as they call them over here ) is going great no problems now .

Tomorrow we are off to Waterton Park (approx 400km) it is on the US border. We had planned to go through Radium and stay at Fort Steel, but that way is a tourist route (to many camper vans ) . So we are taking a back route over the mountains with heaps of metal roads (sounds more fun ),and it is about 200km shorter (I wonder how much faster or slower . That folks is for the future to know , and another adventure . I'm getting bored with no stress in my life , so tomorrow may fix that ?

Photos

All on the way to Banff and Banff, a Bird , the photo with the boat in it is Lake Louise and the Glacier that I am standing in front of is call Columbia Icefeild Glacier . It is as deep as the Eiffel Tower is high.