Fresh Air

[TeePee]

Had a late flight last night. The phone rang at midnight, which is always a mild annoyance, but especially so on the last day of a 20 day block. I can't really give details, but consider this a life pro tip. If you live at sea level and you have a heart condition, don't plan to spend your summer at 8000+ feet of elevation. You'll die. The kind you don't get better from. It's amazing how much time we spend picking up after the poor life decisions of the moronic. Mainly alcoholics. Of course, I can't complain too much, since they are the reason I have a job, but the incredibly small part we play in helping children with cancer is monumentally more satisfying.

I guess that's a bad attitude, but life's frustrations have been building up recently. The boredom of everyday life. Too much sitting still. So it's time to go and do something, to go somewhere new. The road is calling, and I'm going to find out what it wants.



I left at dawn, hoping to get across the reservation quickly. Huge, dry and miserable. The first 90 miles to Shiprock are very smooth. Just south of town is the airport. No buildings, just a too-short stretch of broken 1950's asphalt. Today, there's also a King Air. One of ours collecting a patient. There is no escape, at least from a photo op.





From there it's across the state line to Durango, then up 550, the Million Dollar Highway, one of the best biking roads in the world. Lunch in Montrose, at the Horsefly Brewery (http://www.horseflybrewing.com/wp/), and The World is already seeming like a better place. But I have further to go. Much further. Want to see how far?

[peterb]

Yes please!

[TheAnimus]

You guys doing http://www.angelflight.com/ kind of thing?

[wasabi]

Any offroading involved? Your choice of bike seems very odd in the context of long straight US roads unless you leave the tarmac behind.

[peterb]

Good to see the HXUS logo on the rear carrier of the bike!

[TeePee]

We are a for-profit EMS transport company. We have both helicopters and and fixed wing aircraft for inter-facility transportation. Our helicopters have a mission which is similar to that of any of the local air ambulance service's in the UK, with the exception that they are funded by charities. Our passengers receive a bill (which is paid by their health insurance). The fixed wing side is about transferring patients to a facility where they can receive a higher level of care. There is nothing like it in the UK, but here the population density is very low. People might have a two hour ambulance ride to a small local clinic, and then need treatment or surgery that is beyond their ability. We usually fly them to a major city that could be five hours or more away by road.

[TeePee]

I have some video of 550. What, you expected me to stop every five minutes just to take pictures for you? It needs a better wifi service than Denny's is providing for me to upload. In the meantime, the rest of yesterday.






From Montrose, I headed up to Grand Junction. It's one of my favourite towns, but always very hot, and yesterday was no exception. I stopped for gas (third fill up of the day) and then took Douglas pass up to Dinosaur.





It's another of my favourite roads, but far less traveled than 550, makes it a much easier road to use in the summer. At Dinosaur I turned left instead of right, and was officially Somewhere New! Vernal, UT and 191 North are a beautiful corner of Utah, and again really not much traffic.



Well, OK then!



I took a small detour to the West of Flaming Gorge Reservoir.



I then took to the Interstate East for 11 miles, breaking the rules on the first day! I spent the night in Rock Springs. While I'll be camping much of this trip, my company has a base in Rock Springs with crew housing, and the promise of a nice soft bed was too good to miss!

617 miles in a day, a long way, and yet looking at the map it seems like no distance at all.

[Jonj1611]

Wow, magnificent scene's, envy is not the word lol

[DannyM]

Fantastic, looking forward to more updates!

[Zak33]

that
is
an
awesome
set
of
photos

but what I want to know most is......

have you ever tried this beer from that brewery?
Paso Fino Porter?

I love porters

gop back and get some

[peterb]

You know, this thread just makes me want to jump on a plane with and go rent a bike or an open top tourer for a month - or two... or...

[TeePee]

512 miles yesterday!



From Rock Springs I took 191 north up to Jackson WY, then into the Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Beautiful scenery, absolutely stunning. Yellowstone was something of a disappointment as it was full. Just a constant parade of slow moving traffic. It took more than four hours to travel 96 miles through the park. I did stop to get a picture of Old Faithful, which is a ridiculous Theme Park. The thousands of American Tourists were far more interested in the Gift Shop complex than the geological formations.

I stopped for a very late lunch at The Branch Restaurant in West Yellowstone. They have a train car inside, which is a little strange, but the Bison Burger made up for it!

The evening was, for want of a better word, fantastic. I took 287 West past Earthquake Lake..



.. and found some of the best roads of the trip. Winding through mountain ranges, then crossing the valleys in between, through some perfect twisties and small rural towns where everybody waved as I went past, and you could wear a ten-gallon hat without a trace of irony.



I pushed it too far, and ended up having to find a camp site in the dark. This morning I discovered I had done quite well.



An early start and some more great rural roads in Montana. I was early enough to catch some cows and, for the perfect Montana experience, authentic cowboys (that one is actually a cowgirl)!



I made a definite turn yesterday and left the continental divide behind. My destination is definitely Left. But maybe wasabi is on to something?

[TeePee]

You know, this thread just makes me want to jump on a plane with and go rent a bike or an open top tourer for a month - or two... or...

http://www.motoquest.com/

The bike came with a few stickers on the boxes, so I wanted to add a few of my own. Feel free to use any of these images with the logo for whatever site/community promotion purpose you might desire.

I haven't had the Porter from Horsefly, but their IPA was very good the last time I was there. I was strictly on the coke this time. it's just good sense when on a bike with the drivers here.

[TeePee]

So the best theory I have heard is that I am heading for the small town of Forks, on the Olympic Peninsular in Washington. An Epic pilgrimage to reach the setting of the 'Twiglet' series. Nice idea, and I have reached Washington State, but nope. Pictures when I get better WiFi. Stand by for a Shocking Revelation.....

[Galant]

What kit have you taken with you?

[wasabi]

Sounds gruelling and hardcore - more than 4 hours in a day riding and I'm pretty tired, 6 is about my upper limit. And that on a nice comfy VStrom.

9 hours? - no way!