Tuesday, July 21, 2015
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Alberto’s tale… DAY NINE - BILLINGS
Hey! Today we arrive to our intended destination. Billings Montana. But I get ahead of myself.
As you recall, Harvey and I shared the room. We both were up early, maybe 6:00 am, I have no idea. Harvey talked to me last night until I faded into oblivion. That’s when I discovered that Harvey is a yapper.
We loaded our bikes and set to wait for Chris and Randy. 7:00 am goes by… 7:30 … 8:00 and nothing. “Harvey, why don’t you go knock on their door?” - one word he had: “Nope! “
I was getting antsy. Today we are doing a bit over 350 miles. Not for the feint of heart. Close to nine in the morning Chris shows up. “Randy says that he will ride solo today”. I said, how come you up this late? “Oh, I just wanted to sleep. I was tired”. When Chris says that, you bet, he must have been wasted. He is is not the complaining without reason kind of person. Again, I asked,”what’s the case with Randy?” - “Nothing, he just wants to go solo and that is okay by me.” Said Chris. Okay. That’s it, end of it.
So we got to getting Chris loaded and ready to go.
- “Oh, guys, my camera battery is finished and I left the charger and extra battery at Pat’s house in Port Townsend . Chris, you are in charge of photography today.” “No, Alberto”. Goes Chris, “let’s us go and find a place to purchase you the needed stuff, I believe there is a Walmart not far from us”. This was at 9:00 am… Well, after four or five places, it was 10:30 am before we managed the battery, without a charger. Everyone sells charges but were sold out. Batteries on the other hand, no one wants to stock it. Incomplete, but not discouraged, we left Missoula, figuring that we’d find the charger in a different town.
Finally. Hit the road!
One jaunt brought us to Helena, Montana. Good size town. While getting gas, Chris entered on the GPS Walmart, and sure thing, there is one here. He directed us to it… And good thing because the sky opened up and dumped more rain tan was anticipated. Just as we get to Walmart it is pouring cats, dogs, sofas and refrigerators. Nasty! Luck has it, we were able to get the charger and a cable for Chris’ GPS. He was able to “deduce his GPS problem of loosing charge”. His words, with great pride.
We stayed at Walmart long enough to put on rain gear and hope the rain slows down a mite. It did not. So, bravely, these three idiots (Ooops, did not mean that), wonderful fellows hit the road.
Chris refused to wear any rain gear. - well my apology for the idiot part was premature. Yes, he is one. Bit touched in the head, why would he not wear the rain gear? Beats me. Harvey and I were nice comfy and toasty.
The next fifty miles are hellish! There is a 40 mile and hour cross wind. I see Chris riding ahead of me having to tilt the bike just to stay upright with the winds. Top it with a bit of rain. Delightful. These we did all the way to the town of Towsend, were we intended to change highway and take the scenic route. A country looking guy (and believe me, he was “country” for not calling him “hick”) stopped to help us out. Goes to show, you cannot judge a book by its cover! He stopped to let us know that on account of a huge fire, the road we wee intending was closed. The police would have sent us back, and in this kind of weather, it would not have been fun. He suggested we go through Bozeman. Independently, Harvey, had just gone to the Sheriff’s department which was across the street, well, more like the County Jail. Figuring the Sheriffs department would surely know the status of the field and road. Confirmed: Close!
There is but one choice only, head into Bozeman. Harvey, nice guy he is, decides to call Randy who is going solo, remember? “Randy, the road we intended to take… Blah, blah, blah”. Randy, replies that he is already in Bozeman, and that he already knew about the road closure. He already has a place to stay and that the weather in Bozeman is just as hellish as we were trying to inform him. Rain, wind and cold. He made no overture for us to join him…
Bozeman it is… And to Bozeman we went. Stopping at a Gas station on the skirts to Bozeman, after a quick debate we concluded: Billings is but 145 miles away. “bet we can make it” was the consensus. So be it. And we hit the road enthusiastically knowing the end is near.
It is no longer raining. The road is free of traffic. Clear as far as the eye can see. Not a car insight. You know where is this leading, yes? No? Well, then let me clue you in. Yesterday I had reported Mr weld to “put that in your pipe and smoke it, Beemer-Boy!” Relating to the speedometer of any BMW being off by 5%. I doubted Beemer-Boy… Shame on you Alberto! Today, I come to you all, with my hat in my hand, red in the face, full of apologies. Beemer-Boy, ahh, sorry, Mr Chris Weld, is 100% correct. I tested the speedometer against the GPS. On the bike 100… On the GPS, a mere 95 mph. I will not tell you how far I tested the speed, suffice it to say there “ain’t n doubt” and I was a little scared.
Billings. The place is packed. BMW riders everywhere, the motels, after a try or two are booked solid. The BMW rally takes place at the county fairgrounds. And as you know camping is okay there. No lolly gagging to the fairground we go in a hurry. Daylight is fading fast. We get there, find a place with some help and pitch a tent in the semi-darkness of dusk. We are mighty proud, and satisfied.
Now dinner. There is a Applebee’s close enough. A few beers, onion soup, a Caesar salad and we are set. I told Chris of my small BMW-to-GPS test and he had but a few “dingle wits”, “doodle-brain” and other pearls that only he can come up. A grin of satisfaction on his face said it all.
It is now 11:00 pm. We are all very tired but congenial. Randy is missing on what I would call great camaraderie the reason we decided on this journey. But each to his own, still we miss him.
Good night.
Day 9 Pictures
No charger; no pictures.