Epilogue

Following are some summary facts:

11,708 - total miles logged
10,992 - total miles for all legs

267 - total hours riding all legs

31 days of riding, 60 days of travel. Left May 5th, 2014, returned July 4th, 2014.

Average riding day, 355 miles, 8 1/2 hours.

Visited 29 states and 5 Canadian Provinces.

Following are some anecdotes:

I thought about carrying a gun on this trip. I learned that a friendly smile was enough.

Everyone I met, I interacted with or came in contact with was a nice person. Not one person was unkind the entire two months. I didn't meet one person I felt threatened by, not even close.

There are no wimps living in Canada.

Hand soap is as good as shaving cream.

I didn't need anything I left at home.

I didn't miss anything I left at home.

Staying in touch with family and friends is important, vital to survival.

This country is HUGE!!!!

Leg 31 - Rio Dell, CA to Novato, CA (Final Leg)

I left the motel at Rio Dell at 5:30 am for the final leg of this tour. I will be posting an epilogue with a summary of the trip, mileage, etc.

The motel was at the northern end of the Avenue of The Giants, a grove of redwoods surrounded by the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The ride through the redwood forest was spectacular although it did get a bit chilly. When I left the motel it was 56 degrees, but dropped to 46 when I got into the thick of the redwoods.

I took Hwy 101 until I got to the Hwy 1 cutoff and then took Hwy 1 to the coast. I have ridden Hwy 1 along the entire west coast of the US and that stretch of Hwy 1 is the most twisty I have encountered. I had to slow to almost a crawl on one turn.

The coast was blanketed in heavy fog. I stopped in Fort Bragg for breakfast and put on my rain jacket the fog was so thick.

The ride down the coast was nice. There is something about the Northern California Coast that has always been a heart tug for me. It is rugged with sheer cliffs and huge rocks.

I took Hwy 1 to just south of Mendocino where I picked up Hwy 128, my favorite local ride. I had never ridden it was west to east. I usually take it from east to west, eat breakfast in Mendocino and then take Hwy 1 all the way back to where I can connect with back roads into Novato.

Hwy 128 did not disappoint. Once a few miles inland, the fog cleared and the sun dappled through the redwoods. A beautiful site when riding.

Hwy 128 connects back with Hwy 101 at Cloverdale, CA. There I took Hwy 101 back to Novato. It was congested with the early 4th of July traffic.

I arrived back at my home in Novato, CA around 11:30.

Overall, 258 miles and right at 6 hours.

Leg 31 - Rio Dell, CA to Novato, CA (Final Leg)

I sure am glad we are a free nation. Happy Fourth of July to all!!!!

Leg 30 - Eugene, OR to Rio Dell, CA

Left Eugene, OR at 5:40 am after spending two days with a long time friend, Vickie.

Vickie offered to show me a little of the Eugene, OR area. We drove East out of Eugene on Hwy 126 with the plan of connecting with the Old McKenzie Highway. Along Hwy 126 I saw my first covered bridge in person, the Goodpasture Covered Bridge.

Goodpasture Covered Bridge, OR

We took a couple of short hikes, one to a beautiful waterfall just off of the Old McKenzie Highway.

Waterfall off of Old McKenzie Hwy

I took Interstate 5 from Eugene, OR to Grants Pass, OR. It was some of the most beautiful Interstate riding I have made on this trip. However, I decided to take secondary roads the rest of the trip back to Novato, CA. I took Hwy 199 from Grants Pass, OR to Crescent City, CA. Hwy 199 was absolutely gorgeous and a great motorcycle road. It has lots of tight twisties posted at a maximum of 35mph.

I reached Crescent City, CA and took the following photo when reaching the Pacific Ocean to document the event.

Crescent City, CA

My plan was to ride to Eureka, CA and find a motel. I arrived in Eureka, CA around 1pm, ate lunch and decided to push on. I didn't make it very far.

I simply ran out of energy around 3:15 and began looking for the closest motel. I checked into the Humboldt Gabels Motel in Rio Dell, CA and immediately took a 2 hour nap.

Overall, 345 miles and 9 1/2 hours.

Leg 30 - Eugene, OR to Rio Dell, CA

Tomorrow is the last leg of the trip. I am a short 250 miles from Novato, CA.

Leg 29 - Seattle, WA to Eugene, OR

Left Seattle at 6:40 am, Tuesday July 1st after spending five great days visiting with my elder daughter Katie and site seeing the Seattle, WA area. It was 62 degrees with the predicted weather clear, sunny and hot.

Katie threw a 'USA Four Corners' celebration party. She invited her 'peeps' to come over for a Sunday BBQ. We cooked burgers, sausages and fresh salmon, drank a few beers and had a fun time. One of her friends had a 1958 Harley Davidson Panhead chopper. A beautiful bike shown in the photo below:

1958 HD Panhead

Katie loves to ride and we went out on a local excursion. We took a ferry from Edmonds, WA to Kingston, rode to Bainbridge Island where we had lunch and then took a ferry into Seattle, WA.

Katie and I on Seattle Ferry

One thing of interest is when taking a motorcycle on the Washington Ferries, motorcycles go to the front of the passenger cars. When we arrived at the ferry terminal we bought a ticket and were told to ride around the cars to the head of the line where we were the first to board. We were also the first to exit. Nice. Thank you Washington!

Edmonds Ferry

The ride to Eugene, OR was uneventful. I rode Interstate 5 until I was south of Portland, OR. There I decided I had enough of the freeway and rode the backroads to Hwy 99 and Hwy 99 into Eugene. The predicted weather had a high of mid 90's the entire route.

I stopped frequently to drink water and pour some on my neck to keep cool. I stopped in Monroe, OR to eat lunch at a local place named the Longbranch Bar and Grill. It was 'Taco Tuesday' and they served up huge soft tacos for $1.50 each. I could only manage to eat two they were so big. The World Cup game between USA and Belgium was on the TV. I left at halftime.

I arrived in Eugene around 2:45. I will be staying at a friends house for two nights and leaving on Thursday, July 3rd.

Overall, 326 miles and just over 8 hours.

Leg 29 - Seattle, WA to Eugene, OR

I can feel myself getting close to home. I have visited Eugene, OR many times in the last 40 years. It is an easy one day drive by car.

Leg 28 - Kamloops, BC to Blaine, WA (Fourth Corner) to Seattle, WA

Left the motel in Kamloops, BC at 5:25 am with the air temperature at 61 degrees.

I stayed at a motel named Scott's Inn and Restaurant in Kamloops. Right next to the motel is Scott's Restaurant, a favorite of local senior citizens. They usually have a special home made dinner on the menu. Last night I had their lasagna special which came with a starter cup of chicken noodle soup, a caesar's salad, garlic bread and a berry cake dessert. All delicious and for $13.95 Canadian, a good value. Gotta love places senior's frrequent.

Scott's Inn and Restaurant, Kamloops, BC

The ride out of Kamloops, BC, 347 meters (1140 feet) goes right up in elevation. In less than a half hour I found myself at 1445 meters (4740 feet) with the air temperature at 45 degrees. I stopped and put on an extra layer of clothing.

The ride from Kamloops, BC to Hope, BC was some of the most spectacular scenery I have seen, rivaling the ride through Banff National Park and Glacier National Park. The high mountain road took long sweeping turns through pine filled and snow capped peaks. There were two mountain passes, both around 1400 meters.

Coming out of the first pass, I came down into the Nicola Valley. The wide expanse of the valley outstretched ahead while coming down out of the mountain was spectacular. Just after riding through the valley, the climb into the high mountains began again.

Riding through the second pass, I came around a wide sweeping turn to have Nak Peak come into view on the right side. At first site I gasped at it's incredible beauty. 

Coming down the mountain into Hope, BC was a thrill. The steep decline of the road with the wide sweeping turns gave quite an adrenaline rush. I would ride another 10k miles just to do the stretch from Kamloops, BC to Hope, BC again.

I stopped for breakfast in Hope, BC at a little diner. There a smiling waitress served up a canadian bacon and poached eggs breakfast that put warmth right back into me. 

I crossed back into the US at Aldergrove, BC, a small border crossing at around 10:00. It took about 30 minutes, but once I presented my passport I was quickly sent on my way.

From there it was a short ride into Blaine, WA, the fourth and final corner of this tour. I stopped at the Blaine, WA post office to document my stop.

Blaine, WA (Fourth Corner)

I then rode to a local Chevron gas station to get the requisite gas receipt to further document the trip. The receipt dispensed by the pump did not have the name of the town so I went in to ask the attendant for one. When I asked for a receipt with the name Blaine, WA on it, he asked if I was doing the Four Corners. I answered that I was and then he asked how many corners I had done. He gave a big smile when I told him it was my fourth.

As I was putting on my helmet and gloves getting ready to leave, the music piped out to the gas pumps began playing Frank Sinatra's 'Young At Heart'. Honest, I am not making this up. I rode out with a bit of sadness with this being the final corner.

I rode on to Seattle, WA arriving around 1:00 pm. I will be staying with my elder daughter for a couple of days. I plan on getting back on the road July 1st.

Overall, 335 miles and 7 1/2 hours.

Leg 28 - Kamloops, BC to Blaine, WA (Fourth Corner) to Seattle, WA

Officially, I have completed the Four Corners motorcycle tour. However, I still have over 800 miles of riding before I return to my home in Novato, CA. I will be blogging the remaining legs of the trip, one of which will include my all-time favorite local ride, Hwy 128 from Mendocino, CA to Cloverdale, CA.

Leg 27 - Strathmore, AB to Kamloops, BC

Left the motel in Strathmore at 6:30 with the air temperature at 54 degrees. The predicted weather was sunshine the entire leg with little or no winds. Warning, the internet weather websites are not 100% accurate.

The winds leaving Strathmore for Calgary were slightly less than what I had turned around from the previous night. In addition, there were dark gray ominous clouds coming in from the north. My direction of travel was west and the winds and storm clouds were coming from the same direction, directly opposite from the southern winds from the day prior.

I stopped and repacked my bike with the rain fly on my clothing bag and put on my rain jacket. I rode for the next 50 miles in strong cross winds and periodic heavy rain. Sheesh, I thought this was going to be an easy day.

By the 75 mile mark the winds subsided and the rain was a lot less heavy. I began the climb into the Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park and Glacier National Park.

By all accounts the next 365 miles were absolutely spectacular. The tallest peaks in Banff were obscured by clouds, but once in awhile were revealed. I took the following photo of one of the dozens of waterfalls in Banff.

Banff National Park waterfall

The following photo was taken just before entering Glacier National Park. Note the rain clouds are now gone.

Glacier National Park

By the time I got to Revelstroke, BC the weather was gorgeous. I stopped to take the following photo.

Revelstroke, BC

Four events happened on this leg:

1. Crossed the continental divide.
2. Crossed into BC.
3. Crossed into the Pacific Time Zone (last time zone change of this trip).
4. Crossed the 10,000 mile mark (while entering Banff).

Just out of curiosity I checked the weather in Calgary to see if I would have left later that it would have made a difference in the weather I experienced. You bet it would have! The weather report was still stormy and the winds had picked up to a steady 22 mph with 35 mph cross winds, 50% more than when I had traveled through the same area!

I got into Kamloops right around 3:30 local time. The temperature was 81 degrees. While crossing through Banff the temperature dropped to 46 degrees for a total of 35 degrees difference. Layered clothing and foul weather gear are an absolute must.

Overall, 440 miles and 10 1/2 hours. Getting rid of that stomach bug brought back my riding energy.

Leg 27 - Strathmore, AB to Kamloops, BC

Tomorrow I have a short 200 miles to the fourth and last corner, Blaine, WA. The plan is to ride to Blaine, get the required documentation and then ride on to Seattle, WA to visit my elder daughter Katie. Yahoo!!!!

Leg 26 - Moose Jaw, SK to Strathmore, AB

Left the motel in Moose Jaw at 6:20 am with overcast skies and 54 degrees. There was no rain in the forecast and the overcast skies turning to sunshine by the time I would reach midway between Swift Current and Medicine Hat. Gotta love the names of these Canadian towns.

I put my over pants on and the turtle fur ear warmer around my neck to keep warm. Part of the experience of this trip is the exposure to different climates. In Florida I was worried about heat stroke, a worry I don't have in Canada.

I stopped for breakfast in Swift Current, SK where I met two guys from Minnesota making their way to Fairbanks, AK. Larry and Gene had left three days ago and had spent the night in Moose Jaw. Larry is 65 and Gene a little younger. Their plan was to ride to Fairbanks and then ride down to Anchorage and then back to Minnesota. Good luck guys and safe riding.

Larry and Gene from Minnesota

I left Gene and Larry in the restaurant as they arrived 45 minutes after I did and I wanted to get back on the road while my energy was still high.

I found out why my energy was low the last couple of days. I spent a long while in the motel bathroom last night. I must have picked up a little bug somewhere west of Minneapolis. I am all better today.

I stopped at a rest stop just before crossing into Alberta. There I saw a trucker that I had passed a couple of times after leaving Moose Jaw. Just outside of Moose Jaw there was an 18 wheeler and its trailer lying on its side partly obstructing the right lane. There was a single RCMP truck with its lights flashing warning traffic. I asked the trucker if he had seen it and if he knew what had happened. His response was that the two truckers must have simply lost control.

I asked one of the folks at the rest stop to snap a photo. 

Crossing into Alberta, Canada

The winds picked up pretty good about 100 miles east of Calgary, AB. I checked the weather forecast again at a lunch stop in Medicine Hat, AB. There were 17 mph winds with gusts to 25 forecasted, right at the upper limit of my comfort level. Calgary was also forecast with ISO thunder storms at 4pm, right around the time I would be arriving in Calgary.

I arrived in Strathmore, AB around 3:30 and decided to continue on to Calgary. I rode out of town about 10 miles and saw the ominous dark clouds just a few miles ahead. I decided to backtrack to Strathmore and get a motel for the night. Strathmore is just 20 miles east of Calgary which won't add much to my travel plans for tomorrow. Heck, why force the issue?

Overal, 435 miles and just over 9 hours.

Leg 26 - Moose Jaw, SK to Strathmore, AB

Tomorrow the weather is predicted sunshine and light winds for the trek to Kamloops, BC.