USA Pacific Northwest Trip Report

Day 1
So the first of this year’s USA’s trips got off to a flying start with a fantastic group of riders, who were all super excited to hit the road on the mighty Pacific NorthWest tour. After a quick zip across the water on our chosen flights, we all arrived safely at the Heathman Lodge in Portland. After a day or so to get up to speed with the time difference, we all met up for the welcome dinner at the Heathman. A fantastic meal was laid out before us and it was to be the first of many we’d enjoy together as a group on this epic trip. My name is Billy, and I was the guide for this trip along with my wife Storm and support rider David, who were both fantastic in their roles, (which basically means filling me up with sweets and coca cola to get me through a day!) Everyone was superb on this trip and it was a privilege for me to be a part of their amazing experience and see them have such a fabulous time. I think I’m really going to struggle to do this tour any justice, as you really need to see it with your own eyes to believe it, it’s simply epic! The vast open mountain ranges and never ending twisty roads, make for the perfect blend of motorcycling and sightseeing, honestly, Europe is ruined for me!

Day 2
Bright and breezy, we arrived at the Heathman with the support truck and loaded everyone’s pre packed pannier cases into the mighty Dodge Ram. A couple of Uber cabs later and a 5 minute drive, we arrive at the hire shop to collect our chosen motorcycles. The bikes are all lined up in the car park, serviced, new tyres and ready to go. Once the paperwork is complete and the sat navs are wired up and ready to go, we have a little run up and down the street to make sure we are comfortable with the set up of each bike, before having a quick chat about the day ahead. Suited and booted, we set off together for a nice easy first days riding in the states. Our first stop on the way to The Dalles, Oregon is Multnomah Falls. A nice, gentle run and a brief stop to take a snap or two of the falls is a great way to cut our teeth in the states, giving us all time to get used to riding on the other side of the road and to get to grips with stop signs and junctions, and of course the whole who’s got right of way thing at a 4 way crossing! Us of course! We are on holiday, so it’s only fair, luckily the Americans are very courteous drivers! Next was a stop at the Crown Canyon overlook on the Columbia river. Unfortunately, it was thick with fog and we couldn’t see anything, so from here we dropped south following the Columbia river to Mt Hood. From Mt Hood we head along the eastern side of the stunning Cascade mountains up to Dalles, our destination for the evening. A great first day was had by us all. Although the first day is shorter to let us have enough time to get prepared at the hire centre, it’s by no means dull!! What a day it is, and it’s a fantastic introduction to what lies ahead. The scenery was stunning and we were on fabulous roads straight away. The smiles were starting to appear on faces as everyone relaxed a little, safe in the knowledge they’d survived the first day.

Day 3
Today started off with a quick trip to a local farm not too far from the hotel to see some wildlife. Now being in America you’d be thinking Bison, Elk etc in terms of the description of wildlife! and you’d be right, as long as you added Zebras, Buffalo, Camels, Antelope and Giraffes! All visible from your bike as you ride up and back down the farm road. Next we made our way along the I-84, a stunning section of road running alongside the Columbia river, which takes us to our morning coffee and fuel stop in the little town of Arlington. There was only one thing missing as we arrived at the coffee stop! It wasn’t glorious sunshine, it wasn’t fantastic roads and scenery…..It was Johan. When Johan left the little zoo, he turned right instead of left and proceeded to go on a mini adventure down the opposite side of the Columbia river! Like the lone wolf, Johan rode solo to lunch and did he care? Of course not, because Johan was on a motorcycling holiday and nothing was going to ruin it! Met by a Magellan group rendition of Celine Dion’s All by myself, he joined the rest of the wolf pack for a spot of lunch. Well done. The rest of the day we spent riding along the Umatilla river towards the Eagle cap wilderness. The vast open country starts to get your mind thinking that cowboys and Indians wouldn’t look out of place in the backdrop as we ride through some stunning scenery on our way to Wallowa Lake, and finally to our hotel which is right beside the lake for the evening. Philip and Diana treated us to some fine piano playing in the restaurant after dinner and then it was time to hit the hay.

Day 4
After a hearty American breakfast with 75 added options each, and 25 different versions of eggs, it was time to load up and hit the road again. First though, it was well worth a look out the hotel over the lake at the beautiful surroundings we had spent the evening in. Nature has a way of helping you realise how lucky you are just to be alive. As you looked out across the lake at the thick tree line and took in the changing autumn colours, it really was a breath of fresh air and another sign that we were on a motorbike trip in the North West, stunning. We packed up and hit the road, heading through the dense forest on the twisty roads towards the rim of hells canyon which made for some fantastic riding. Hells Canyon is a 10 mile wide canyon that’s located along the border of eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and western Idaho. Its America’s deepest river gorge at 7993 feet. What an exceptional days riding it was, finally lifting us up to the overlook. The overlook was cloud covered when we arrived, however the support truck decided to throw a puncture at us which would keep us there long enough to enjoy the stunning view when the clouds parted. After some huffing and puffing and a great bit of teamwork we got nowhere with the truck tyre and had to fill it up with a can of tyre gunk. We set off and had the tyre repaired in a local town and by mid afternoon we were all back in action. That evening at our hotel in McCall Idaho, the legendary Mrs Nene Tarr decided it was time to make the call and remove the spare bike from the trailer for her use. Ready to stand tall and brave with her fellow bikers and ride some of the most incredible roads in America, there was only one thing left to be done! Have the guide ride round and round and round the town of McCall to scrub in the tyres of course. Like a wandering nomad, I circled the town of McCall like a wall of death rider, people in local restaurant’s looking on and eventually waving at me with that look of “is that idiot lost” written on their faces. Eventually after a good few miles, the tyres looked ready for action and I could come back inside and join the rest of the group for a fantastic dinner in the hotel.

Day 5
Making our way towards Salmon was another fantastic days riding through the wilderness. The rivers, twisty roads and mountainous scenery led us through Idaho to an old abandoned gold dredger and wild west ghost town. The dredger, in perfect looking condition considering its age sits buried and parked in its final resting place, surrounded by the spoil it created. The town of Custer in Idaho is where you’ll find this relic of a time long since past. Its massive dredging buckets are all still intact and look like they could go back to work tomorrow, the barge its built upon is in equally great condition considering its been sat in water its whole life. The town of Custer was founded in 1879 by gold speculators. After making its way through a staggering 6,000,000 cubic yards of gravel and unearthing a current day value of approximately 30 million dollars, they decided to ditch the dredger and call it a day. In doing so they left the town of Custer and all its buildings behind and moved on. The town which is still in remarkable condition for its age, stands as a memorial in some ways to the many who lived and passed there over the years.

Day 6
So today we had a day off in Salmon. There were two options on offer for today, explore the town and visit the Sacagawea interpretive centre, or hit the 36 mile off road Lewis and Clark back country byway and adventure road. We all chose our thing to do, Philip, Diana, Storm and Nene popped off into town to explore and the rest of us, David, Paul, Zoe, Johan and my super excited self, made tracks towards the start of our off road adventure. Once we completed a lap or two of the car park standing up, we knew this off roading gig was easy! Upon our arrival at the start of the 36 mile loop, I could see a nervous face or two in the group, however after a few miles it was all smiles and nods of the head as we zipped through the stunning forest and began to climb up over the hills. I was very impressed by everyone’s riding and how quickly we all took to the gravel roads and tracks. I stopped us all on a steep hill for a photo of the scenic hills behind us and watched in my mirror as everyone pulled away perfectly and carried on up the hill, not an easy thing to do when your not used to the terrain and there’s a 1000ft drop with no barrier on the other side. What a fantastic time we all had and as each mile passed everyone was getting smoother and more confident. By the end of the day we all looked like we were off road experts just out for a blast through the woods. A massive well done to everyone and I’m sure you will all be seeking alternative routes off the beaten path now from time to time.

Day 7/8
Today we covered a lot of very rewarding ground on our way to Yellowstone national park. We begin the day riding along the Salmon river until lunch which sees us arrive in west Yellowstone at Buckaroo Bill’s bar and grill. After a bite to eat it’s time to make our way north through the park towards Mammoth Hot Springs. The hot water that feeds Mammoth comes from the Norris Geyser and travels underground through a limestone fault line. By the time the water surfaces at Mammoth its cooled down to a mere 170 degrees F. The hot water from the spring cools and deposits calcium carbonate, over 2 tons a day, which leaves us with this stunning white rock type formation to look at. Once your nose gets used to the strong smell of sulphur, the various geothermal vents that are throughout the park, are all worth a visit. Each stop off reveals another stunning set of springs or bubbling mud pits which are all so beautifully coloured. Yellowstone lake is centred over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest super volcano on the continent. Although the volcano is considered dormant, it has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last 2 million years, leading locals to believe she’s due to go off again anytime now. Over half the world’s Geysers and hydrothermal features are in Yellowstone so its well worthy of the biking bucket list.

On day 8 we have a ride out day and complete the Yellowstone loop. To give you an indication of the size of Yellowstone, the ride out is a 200 mile loop that never leaves the park! It truly is massive and absolutely stunning in all directions. The roads are fantastic and there’s plenty of twisty bits to keep you amused as you head from one geyser to another. One of the main highlights for me in the park was the wildlife. There’s hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles all living in Yellowstone, some of which are endangered or threatened. From Grizzly Bears, Wolves and free ranging herds of Bison and Elk, as well as the odd massive Moose, there’s plenty to keep an eye out for. The Bison clearly are not too fussed by visitors as they make their way from here to there unfazed by us. The Elk and Moose don’t rush away from you either and almost pose for photos in some instances. The main thing we were all hoping to see was a bear doing his or her thing in the wild. We did manage to see a couple but they were not as camera friendly as their park neighbours the bison and elk. Making their way across the hill side, the bears didn’t seem too impressed by the cars and tourists, all desperate to catch a glimpse of them. Yellowstone is a truly special and magical place that has an endless number of views and things to do. One of the main attractions is old faithful the most powerful of all the geysers. Due to the fact it’s a highly predictable geothermal feature, and has erupted every 44-125 minutes since 2000, you know you’ll get a show if you visit. It fires water some 30 to 50 meters up into the air for up to 5 minutes at a time, so it makes for a fantastic photo opportunity and is quite something to see. Just don’t get too close, remember its boiling water.

Day 9
Leaving Cooke City, we start off on our journey towards Butte-Montana. However there’s one small thing in our way first, the mighty Beartooth pass! You’ll touch 11,000 feet as you pass over the Beartooth, unless you have Nenes itinerary in which case it’s only 11 feet at best and covered in barriers. Beartooth is the highest pass in the continental US. You head up into the Rockies and in front of you there’s a phenomenal looking mountain with a road that snakes up and over it. This in my opinion is the best mountain pass I’ve ever done, and one that will blow your mind and leave you thinking that other passes you’ve done were really just little hills. To put it in context, the plane that flies to my home island of Tiree, has a flight ceiling of 12,000 feet and normally flies at 10,000 feet! We rode over a mountain that’s higher than a plane’s cruising altitude, epic! Unless your Nene of course, in which case it was just a speed bump really. Sorry Nene machine!! You smashed it. A massive well done to Johan and Zoe too, who were on their first bike trip abroad! How you’ll better this pass is beyond me! We make our way back and forth across the American Rockies most of the day on our way to Montana, then stop off at the Bear sanctuary on the way to see a Grizzly up close. The stunning lady on show today was Bella. Instantly melting hearts while she washed her big fluffy feet in a rock pool, it’s so hard to believe that they could rip your arms off and eat you. She just looked like she wanted someone to jump in behind her with a giant scrubbing brush and tackle her back. After taking some advice from the local Bear expert in the sanctuary, which I found hard to digest, it’s safe to say, bears are to be respected and left well alone. If it’s brown lie down, if it’s black fight back, was the hilarious advice he gave freely away. It made me think, I wonder if the bears operate a similar policy but worded differently! if it’s brown, don’t eat it as its clearly terrified! If its fighting back, give it a bigger whack! I’m sure this chap has never had to rely on his own advice, as there’s not a chance in hell you’d have the sense to do anything other than stand and await your fate in terror. Bella was a young lady who weighed in at 600lbs, tucked away in another part of the sanctuary was a male who stood at 9feet tall and weighed in at 1500lbs!!!! If it’s brown lie down!!!! honestly!!! On to Butte now and we arrived at the hotel with a handy bowling alley next door. Handy because we happened to have a Magellan bowler of the year trophy with us, ready to be lifted by this years winner. Id been waiting for the perfect moment to slip into my Evel Knievel suit and blow minds with this fashionable and iconic suit that made me look like a cross between the man himself and fat Elvis! Little did I know and this is a guaranteed fact and truth, that Evel was indeed from the town of Butte-Montana! And also extremely hated for his racist behaviour and bullying of the locals over a long period of time. In fact I never even made it out the hotel before a local guy who had dealings with bad old Evel himself, told me just how hated he actually was! lets just say, a lot, doesn’t even cover it. Never being one to take the advice of first guy I’ve met in an area, I proceeded to the bowling alley with the group, who by this time were all walking some distance behind me. Upon arriving at the alley the man who ran the place confirmed the first guys story that Evel was in fact Evil! At this point I thought it wise to take the suit off, they all have guns after all. The bowling brought out the best and worst in some of us. All acting like we weren’t fussed, it soon became clear there was a game on. Johan the dark horse was firing cannons time and again, smack bang down the middle and racking up more strikes than a red headed step child in no time. Meanwhile in lane one, I was steadily racking up points. It was getting closer and closer and despite the fact I had something in my eye, a sore leg, bad back and was bowling against a baying mob willing Johan to win, my traitorous wife included! Johan never took his foot off the gas and blew me away by 4 points! 4 bloody points! As well as the trophy there was now an Evel Knievel suit included in the winners package and the man wore it with pride….and probably fear! Well done again Johan, the best man won.

Day 10
This morning we made our way over to the start of the Missouri river, and proceeded to make our way towards Great Falls. The ride would see us stop off for coffee at the Wheat Montana bakery in the morning. I really can’t describe the cakes in this place, to say they were delicious and tasty would just be rude because they really were sensational. Cinnamon, jam and berries everywhere, wrapped up in delicious pastries that were to die for. After munching our way through the shop, declaring things like ” I won’t have a big lunch” or “I never really ate much last night” we slowly threw a leg over the bikes again and got on our way. A shorter day today, we rode along the Missouri and crossed the Rockies again!!! What a hard life! Then finally through the Lewis and Clark national forest and into Great Falls. Our hotel this evening is bolted onto a traditional Irish bar, with live music playing away as we arrived. Dinner that evening was delicious and we had music playing away as we ate. The bread pudding there deserves a special mention as it was world class!

Day 11
To start the day off we thought we’d visit the Lewis and Clark interpretive centre and find out what these two done to deserve having the whole place named after them. We spent a couple of hours looking at the various displays and museum pieces, before watching a short film about parts of their journey. Tasked with exploring the western portion of the United States, their expedition began in 1804 and ended in 1806. A selected group of US Army volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark, were commissioned by president Thomas Jefferson, to go off and take a look about the west and record their findings. The president commissioned the expedition shortly after the Louisiana purchase in 1803, to explore and map the newly acquired territory. Looking for anything that could make a practical route across the west, they had hoped to find a waterway which of course would have made life much easier. Their secondary objectives of course were a scientific and economic study of the animals, plants and geography, and also to help establish trade with the local American Indian tribes along the way. I personally found it incredible that the Louisiana Purchase was the sale of the rights from France to the United States, which in actual fact was the pre-emptive rights to obtain Native American lands by treaty or by conquest. It’s incredible to think that the Native American people who saved Lewis and Clarks bacon on numerous occasions, would go on to be robbed of all their land and possessions, and left with so little. Amazingly in the 2 years the expedition lasted, they only lost 1 soul along the way. A native American woman by the name Sacagawea, joined the Expedition to act as a translator along the way. Sold at the age of 13 to a Quebecois trapper and entered into a non-consensual marriage, Sacagawea became pregnant with her first child when the Lewis and Clark expedition arrived the Hidatsa village to spend the winter of 1804. Looking for a translator who could speak Shoshone, they quickly came across the trapper named Charbonneau and looked to hire him, or more importantly his wife to come on the expedition. Along the way she gave birth to a son, and in what may be the biggest coincidence of all time, she saved them all from the only hostile Native American tribe they came across. When a Chief was taking advice from his right hand man with regards as to what to do with the starving and weary travellers in front of him, Sacagawea realised that the Chief was in fact her own brother. This was an epic coincidence and one that will go down in American history as being the luckiest moment of all times I’m sure, especially as the chief was being advised to kill them all and take their belongings.

After our visit to the centre we headed along some fantastic roads to the hotel lodges in Lolo, where we would spend the night at the start of the famous Lolo pass. Having grown concerned about the road ahead and the safety of our group, I asked Paul if he would like to accompany me on a scouting mission to take a look at the dangers that lay in waiting for the following morning. After all we didn’t have Sacagawea to bail us out should it turn out dodgy with the local tribe waiting on us. We rode ahead for 30 minutes along the pass like warriors, turning left and right, hair pin after hair pin, all in the name of ……..well fun really. What a blast we had checking out the pass and scenery before dinner. Loved it! Our lodges for the evening were cosy, warm and comfortable and after another hearty meal, it was bedtime with the living flame fire roaring away in the background. So when you see a road sign that reads “Winding road next 99 miles” It tends to bring out the giggling school kid in you. This one was no different and I could see the shear delight at the very thought of it in Mr David Billingtons eyes. David is our super reliable support truck driver, but I felt it only fair to set him free on the GS and swap the bike for the truck for the day. I still can’t believe I managed to pry the keys from my own hands and swap with a smile on my face. Looking like I had just sucked a lemon, I put on my best fake smile and waved them all off for another fantastic days riding. David did give me his chips at lunch that day so we are quits.

Day 12
So off they all popped and the Lolo Pass was whizzed along with the happiest bunch of bikers this side of Texas. I wiped away my tears in the truck with Storm and Diana supplying those nice hankies that are easy on the skin. First stop was Koosia for coffee and then north via a stunning spiral road, that took us up to a viewing point that looked across the Snake and Clearwater river, and the Idaho/Washington border. A fantastic days riding was had by all and after his routine restaurant scouting mission, Trev came up trumps with a fantastic eatery, that happened to sell the best BBQ ribs I’ve ever tasted in my life. Result!! Cheers Trev.

Day 13
Day 13 got off to a flyer as we headed towards the Cascades and the Canadian border. The scenery was fantastic and the roads were pristine. The section between Kettle falls and Okanagan was especially nice. I was back where I belong, on my GS. We all had a fantastic day and we stopped for the last coffee of the day before we began our climb up to the incredibly beautiful Sun Mountain Lodges. After filling up the bikes with fuel, we enjoyed a little sun trap area of the car park as we chatted away about the days ride. Then out of nowhere !BOOM! an older gentleman and his badly behaved dog came roaring out an adjacent drive through restaurant in their massive pick up truck. Flying all over the place out of control, the poor chap took out two signs and another pick up truck as he made his out of control way across the car park to the petrol station. Apparently it was the dogs first driving lesson and he was giving it too much gas! Thankfully he managed to turn the engine off when he realised the dog was jammed between his legs and the pedals and he couldn’t get his foot off the accelerator. I can only imagine what would have happened had he reached the fuel pumps. We all walked over and made sure both drivers were ok and they seemed fine, although obviously shaken. We all noted how remarkably calm everyone was and how easily it was all dealt with, not like in the uk, were the drivers would have been on the next episode of Crimewatch for choking each other to death at the scene. Trev’s comment will always stick with me from that incident when he calmly stated “no treats for the dog tonight then” I’m 99% certain the dog has a new abode now, or its buried in the yard after that. Ouch! Sun Mountain Lodge really is special. What a stunning and beautiful location. The rooms were all incredible and luxurious, with everything you need at hand. The little lodges we all had were stunning. Dinner in the busy restaurant was well worth the wait and we enjoyed the stunning views from the various balconies, which were well placed around the main building.

Day 14
Day 14 started out with the stunning ride back down the mountain. Today we rode across the North Cascades. Known as one of the finest motorcycling roads in America. You didn’t know where to look first sometimes, breathtaking mountains, Dams and stunning mountain lakes were all around us for the entire day. The road I might add was spectacular. A mixture of predictable fast flowing bends and fantastic hairpins, went on and on all day. We did stumble accidently onto a beautiful viewing point at the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The view of the emerald coloured lake below was quite something to see. We spent ages trying to photograph it from different angles, however I’m sure everyone would agree, you just had to see it with your own eyes. Incredible! We spent the afternoon in Snoqualmie, a charming old railroad town. We walked along the various parked up trains from across the ages taking photos of their decaying shells. There was so much to see and all of them had an incredible history, which in some way contributed to the building of the American railway network.

Day 15
So day 15 had finally snuck up on us! Where did the time go? It was time to head back to the hire shop with our bikes, with faces that looked as if someone had nicked the jam out our doughnuts! But hang on! There’s still a fantastic bit of riding to be done first. We made our way through some epic back roads towards Mt Rainier, which only revealed itself for a split second though the clouds. Next we followed the road twisting and turning all the way to the foothills of Mt St Helens. Perched somewhere in between the two active volcanoes, we stopped for one last breath of that mountain air, and of course a photo or two before finally heading back to the hire centre.

That evening we enjoyed a fantastic farewell meal together at Bill and Judy’s lovely home. Bill and Judy are the two fantastic hosts who so kindly let us stay with them while we are in between trips in Portland. The best hosts in town by far, and you can also enjoy the best Elk burgers in town by far, as well as try a few of Master hunter Bills arsenal of weapons on for size. The mans got more firepower than the USS Missouri in his wild west looking gun safe. Judy, is the sweetest little lady in Portland. They say good things come in small packages, I’m sure who ever invented that saying had just met Jude. Recognising my insatiable appetite, she had food on that dining table constantly, and filled me up daily with peanut M&Ms. Their outstanding hospitality made our last meal together a fantastic experience and we can’t thank them enough.

The Riders
JOHAN VAN HELMOND,
A bowling expert with few words to say until the times right, then he cuts you in half with wit and abuse! Just the way I like it. It was a pleasure to have some great chats about life and politics. I owe you my two curry recipe, which I’ve not forgotten about and they’ll be with you soon, even though you beat me at bowling! I might up the chilli powder content!

ZOE VAN HELMOND,
Johan’s daughter who just refused to use her side stand. After long exciting days in the saddle Zoe would often just chuck her 700GS down and wander off. After a few days, Zoe settled into riding abroad with ease. After the off road blast, she got the bug even more. After riding a 1200GS, life was all about biking as much as possible and working less. If you do get a 1200 GS please use the side stand, they are much heavier for people to pick up.

NENE TARR
Well well well! What can I say about this born again biker! Fantastic! That’s what! To overcome the nerves and fear like you did and ride the roads you have on this trip, is a massive achievement. Those constant updates in Pauls ear of the surrounding dangers must really have helped him too! Left a bit, Right a bit, High up, No barrier, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, I’M DOING IT, I’M DOING IT!! are all words i’m sure he will never forget. He did tell me he really enjoyed it and that he hopes you continue these updates on ride outs at home.

PAUL TARR
Always on his A game when it comes to riding bikes, Paul really can take control of his machine and show it who’s boss. His opening night comment will never leave me, when someone mentioned that biking is perhaps safer than sex! Paul quickly spun round and said to Nene “yeah but we shouldn’t give it up completely” I’m in tears trying to type this! I think the facial expression of fear played a large part in it being so funny Paul!

TREVOR BURRIDGE
Our big Harley riding biker dude who squeezed in more miles than the rest of us along the way. Trev has whizzed all over the states numerous times before and had lots of alternative routes which he nipped off and blitzed. Always on hand to help out and always digging up good restaurants, Trev arranged most of the meals along the way. After a night out in Hoosiers bar in Cooke city with the locals, we thought we might need to arrange an Ambulance for him. Posted missing the following morning, he finally surfaced that evening looking just fine. We still need to do that pickle back! Maybe next time.

PHILIP AND THE LOVELY DIANA HEAD
Philip rides his bike very well and Diana was the best Co-Pilot David could have asked for in the support truck. It was a delight for Philip to finally share a bike trip with his wife Diana. Having someone there to chat with in the evening about the days events is always nice……for Philip! Diana on the other hand is not bike minded at all! instead she furiously knitted and devoured funny looking blue coloured pretzels across the North west of America. Always up for fun and always belting out a tune, it was a pleasure to have you both along. Congratulations once again on your new grandchild and we hope you both had a fantastic time meeting little Elodie Ensleigh Head.

DAVID BILLINGTON
Tearing through the countryside in his 5.7ltr V8 Hemi powered Dodge Ram, David was always on hand if we needed him. Apologising to Diana every few moments for some ropey driving was all in a day’s work for this Rolling Stones fan. I can just imagine “Start me up” on repeat in his head as the big engine growled its way across the country devouring petrol at a steady 12 miles per gallon or less! Still rocking a pair of aviators and still up for anything like shooting dinosaurs on an arcade game with me, David is always great fun to travel with. I miss our daily chats Dumbledore.

STORM BYFIELD THE GUIDES GUIDE
Always there and ready to help. Wearing every item of clothing she owned at one point, it’s fair to say Storms feels the cold. In fact she had so much on at one point I had to zip her 3rd jacket up for her daily. The third jacket being my mesh one of course! a base layer, a T-shirt, a fleece, a jacket, another jacket, waterproof suit and my jacket all worn at the same time meant that she looked like she had been sprinkled with head shrinking beetle juice powder. A body like Arnold with a tiny looking head was a great look. Thanks as always for all your help and keeping me alive throughout.x

ME THE GUIDE
Well it wouldn’t be fair if I never gave myself some abuse would it? I had a fantastic time travelling with you all and hope we can do it again some time. You all made for a fantastic trip and each brought something different to the journey. Every time I look at my Evil Evel Knievel suit hanging up in the wardrobe, i’ll think how stupid I was and about that night in Butte. What a plonker I am !
Ride safe everyone and If I can help with anything along the way, feel free to give me a shout any time.
All the best
Billy.