Day 24: Hell's Gate . . . and its Road!

We departed Quesnel, BC in route to Seattle, Washington at 9:41 am. 

I would like to start off todays blog letting you know;

Mick is dead.

His last words were:

"You can run these new VR rated motorcycle tires right down to the steel cords."

I put a note on his body saying "Sell the bike and ship his body to:

Max

c/o Parkway Kennels

Moon Twshp, PA

If  I make up a little of the lost time on the road,  I can still get to the Seatle hotel by midnight.

Real story behind the picture is below.

Although we came down this same road in 2005 when returning from Hyder, I had forgotten the nature of the road.  The memories soon returned.   

Highway 97.  100 kph (around 65 mph). 

No shoulder. 

Often no lines. 

And plenty of passing lanes.

Nice scenery though.

We were doing 70 mph and being passed like we were standing still.

Second picture as fast as the camera would take it!

It was a nice day and we got a few good scenery pics.   Rock slide.

Climate changes dramatically as you go south on this road.

The High Chaparral.  Too dry to grow trees.

The road follows the Fraser River leading to Vancouver

Still following the Fraser river.

Snow capped mountains

Organized gravel!

The only thing I passed all day!

A little road construction

They call this road construction!   At least I’m not being passed!

Not enough cops out today!

Mick has his bike up on the center stand and getting ready to check his tire treads.

Bike Down!  

Mick Down!  

Wait a minute, let me get the camera! Priorities are priorities.  (I was wondering what I was going to put in today's blog.)

When rocking the bike off the center stand, the bike shifted down hill and in combination with some loose gravel on the pavement, Mick could not stop the momentum.

Blinker came off, but popped back in with a little damage to the snap mechanism.

It’s a shame BMW doesn’t install “tips points”.

Test Drive.   Still works.

Time to Ride!!

Contest picture updates:

For the boats tied to flagstaffs picture:  

We have a winner!!!   Alli has corrected determined that boats in Alaska are tied to oversized flagstaffs because of the relatively large 20 foot tides typical in this area. Their boats rise and fall 20 feet each day so they tie their boats up with a loop around the pole and it slides up and down the pole.

Moose Lodge Contest Picture:

   

Sorry kd . . . although it could probably cut ice quite nicely, that is not its proper identity.   Keep trying!!  If you look close enough, you may be enlightened!

Later, Mick’s left blinker (the one that hit the cone) fell off again, so its Duct Tape to the rescue.

Finally made it to Hell’s Gate, located on the top of the pass.  It is an air tram that takes you over the narrow rapids below.

How big do your horseflys have to be for the town to be named after it?

Tunnel ....... beep beep

A very good restaurant we stopped at for lunch.

One of the waitresses working at the restaurant.  She arrived on her son’s Quad.  

Great Smile!

Every great day cannot end without a little rain!

And at the end of the Day . . .  

                

 . . . Riding along side the Sunset.

Tire Tread Update

The last data point on the graph shows Mick is bald (too bad he can't put a hat on it!) 

....and his rear tire does not have any tread left either.

Just 400 more miles to Oregon and new rubber is waiting for him.

Today’s Stats:

Arrival Time at Seattle, Washington:  9:56 pm

Riding Time:  8 Hrs.  50 Mins.

Today’s Miles:  480

Total Miles:   8632

Today’s MPG:  49.2

Today’s MPH:  55.7

Tomorrow’s Destination:   Jan’s House, Springfield, Oregon, via the coastal road.

Estimated Miles:  438

Mc