| Distance | 285 kms | 177 miles |
|---|
| Distance | 9,685 kms | 6,018 miles |
|---|
Sunday, August 27th, 2017
Energetic, then awkward goodbyes in the morning. When she leaves I go down the street to a cafe patio just to sit awhile to let the emotion drain out of me. For the rest of the day I will vacilate between contentment and vague feelings of guilt. Two women at the next table are smoking cigarettes and gossiping about their jobs. Return to the banality of routine: pack the left hard bag, the right one, the back rack. I always manage to end up with one random item that I forget to put in its proper place. Today it's my charger. I stuff it in the tank bag along with the guilt.
A lot of sage brush today. This really wasn't the image I had of Idaho; I think of it as tall mountains and forests. At a small town gas station I get to talking with another motorcyclist on a Honda Fury. He says he gets 17-18,000 miles out of his tires. Wow. He must keep those wheels about as straight as he possibly can. I suppose it helps if you live out in the desert where turns are a rarity.
I pull into Craters of the Moon and get a camp site that has a platform on the edge of a lava field, hidden from the other campsites by a small hill. Sweet spot.
Here's how I'm doing so far in recouping the cost of my $80 National Parks pass:
| Park | Fee |
|---|---|
| Roosevelt National Park | 20 |
| Glacier National Park | 20 |
| Cascades National Park (parking) | 5 |
| Craters of the Moon National Monument | 10 |
| Dinosaur National Monument | 10 |
| 65 |
I set up the tent, drop my gear, make dinner, then ride out through the park to check out some attractions and catch the sunset from atop Inferno Cone. I must say it is nice to be in a non-helmet law state when I'm taking these short rides, the helmet is one less thing to deal with.
