DAY 5
Today we went from Hines, OR to Ketchum (Sun Valley), ID. We started early with a balmy temperature of 37 degrees when we got on the bikes. The first 30 miles were as flat and straight as you have ever seen but you could see the mountains coming up. Greg loves the twisty mountain roads and Ross tolerates them. We hit the mountains and started to climb and the temperature got down to 35 degrees. Our BMWs have a little snowflake on the instrument cluster that flashes when the temperature hits 36 degrees and it was flashing again. But, the temperature did not matter with the fun twisty roads that this BMW loves to fly on. A first did happen today. Ross got passed on the twisty roads by an 80 year old couple pulling a full size camper with a pickup truck. Temperatures were mostly in the 40s with some 50s today, but it was overcast with some light rain and even sleet that we ran through. Temperatures in the NE have been 30 degrees cooler than average. Our original plan in Idaho was to take secenic route 74 to Ketchum but that road reaches 8000 feet and the BMW dealer in Boise said it would be snowing on portions of the road so we took a different route. Why were we at the BMW dealer? More about that in a minute. In spite of the weather not being the greatest we are still having a great time because the bikes ride and handle the same whether it is 40 degrees or 70 degrees.
OK, it's my turn. First of all the couple was not 80. They were more like 75. I had a brake master cylinder problem. For the last 1000 miles I had less and less brakes. But you know what they say, ""Brakes are for sissys". Well with 2700 or so miles left we decided to get it fixed. Greg called ahead to Big twin BMW in Boise, Id. and Neal Black the service manager said that they could fix it. We arrived there at 10:00 and they took it right into service. They did not have the part in stock. So they took a brake master cylinder off of a demo bike and put it on my bike. Forty five minutes later it was good as new and we were on our way. They were going to have a master cylinder Fedexed in the next day to replace the one on the Demo bike. The greatest people and greatest service. Another reason we chose to ride BMWs.
Thank you Big Twin BMW.
This was a beautiful road in a valley in eastern Oregon that followed this river.
This Neal Black, Big Twin Service Manager, working on Ross's bike.
Big Twin BMW in Boise, ID. The nicest people you ever met.
The rain was following us all day.
Our hotel in Ketchum, ID.
View from the hotel hot tub.
DAY 6
NO SNOW OR RAIN ALL DAY!!!.
We woke up to 41 degree weather but lots of sunshine. Yahoo!! The temperature went from the low of 41 to about 54 for a high today. Lots of great 2 lane roads with twists and turns and FANTASTIC sights. We went through the Craters of the Moon in Idaho. It was a very interesting landscape. You can see the pictures below. Along with roads with lots of twists and turns were roads that had long straight sections with 3 to 4 mile sight distances. Did you know it is easy to get a BMW R1200RT to 112 mph? Well it is. Lots of beautiful snow capped mountains. The Grand Tetons are just that, Grand. We stopped at the Eaglerider location in Jackson and got the bikes checked and everything was okay. We are spending the night in Grand Teton National Park in a log cabin. There is still some snow on the ground and the Tetons are really white. The park people say the thaw is late and the streams and rivers are very low. We will explore Yellowstone tomorrow and hope to see Yogi and Boo Boo, then on to Cody, Wyoming.
We woke up to 41 degree weather but lots of sunshine. Yahoo!! The temperature went from the low of 41 to about 54 for a high today. Lots of great 2 lane roads with twists and turns and FANTASTIC sights. We went through the Craters of the Moon in Idaho. It was a very interesting landscape. You can see the pictures below. Along with roads with lots of twists and turns were roads that had long straight sections with 3 to 4 mile sight distances. Did you know it is easy to get a BMW R1200RT to 112 mph? Well it is. Lots of beautiful snow capped mountains. The Grand Tetons are just that, Grand. We stopped at the Eaglerider location in Jackson and got the bikes checked and everything was okay. We are spending the night in Grand Teton National Park in a log cabin. There is still some snow on the ground and the Tetons are really white. The park people say the thaw is late and the streams and rivers are very low. We will explore Yellowstone tomorrow and hope to see Yogi and Boo Boo, then on to Cody, Wyoming.
Greg enjoying a high speed turn on highway 20 in Idaho.
More of the same on highway 20.
Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.
Craters of the Moon.
Beautiful Idaho landscape.
The Grand Tetons
Does life get better than this, BMWs and Grand Tetons?
Our cabin in Grand Teton NP.
Snow outside our cabin.
