| This started out to be a
great morning. Started is the operative word. I'm into Glacier National
Park early so I don't have to explain how my Golden Eagle Pass went
bye-bye. I knew it would be dark this morning so I took a picture of the
entrance the previous night. My original plan was to drive through the park west to east and head into Canada. If the road through the park was as great as it's supposed to be, then I'll turn around at the east end of the park, retrace my steps to the west and head into Idaho. Being flexible makes for a fun trip with low stress levels. There would be plenty of stress this afternoon. |
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| The road through the park meanders along a river in a small canyon. It's a pretty drive, but not extraordinary. The XM radio doesn't work well here. |
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Then the climb out of the valley begins on the Going to the Sun road. Holy cow, this is great! The Grand Tetons have the most beautiful mountains in the US, but Glacier clearly has the best valleys. Nothing comes remotely close. These are big brutes of mountains that dare you to cross them. The road is barely clinging to the side of the mountains and probably has to be rebuilt every year as it is being rebuilt now. There is no winding back and forth climbing the mountain as in so many places. This road circles the valley and climbs straight up. Whatever the cost and inconvenience, it is well worth it. |
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| At Logan's Pass there are mountain goats in the viewpoint parking area. They are licking salt off the asphalt. A few feet further is a fabulous visitor's center. The strangest little animals are running across the road. Their hind section is brown while their heads are white and they are beefy little critters. A park ranger would later tell me that they are marmots and are extremely curious. |
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| On the other side of Logan's Pass another valley opens up. I was concerned about driving to the east because the sun would be in my face. Now it seems appropriate because this is the Going to the Sun road. |
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| The road rates a return and so I bag Canada for Idaho. The number of waterfalls is impressive. One of the main features of the park is the "Weeping Wall" which is basically a cliff that spouts streams of water. It is so close to the road that you can touch the water. |
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| In West Glacier I discover that one person/group owns all the businesses. It
doesn't matter what gift shop you visit, the money goes in the same pot. Even
the Canadian Visitor's Center is leased to the Canadian Government by these
folks. Heading west I decide to take Hwy 93 south on the west side of Flathead Lake. The previous day I got caught in a lot of construction on the east side. Today, I get caught in a 17 mile construction zone. The surface is mostly slick mud. We follow a pilot car 1/2 way through the zone and then stop. This is strange. We are waiting for the second group of eastbound vehicles to go by. Greg is getting frustrated. Hwy 93 south is very congested even though it offers wonderful views of the lake. Flathead Lake is huge and it seems like I drive by it forever. It reminds me a lot of the lakes in the Finger Lake district in New York. The national bison range is along this road. |
| Hwy 93 changes to Hwy 12 west near Missoula and I head along a fun road to Lolo Pass along the Lewis and Clark Trail. At the pass there is a nice visitor's center that can only be described as cozy. The folks inside are very informative and helpful. It's time to head to Grangeville if I can ever get this guy to get out from in front of the sign so I can take a picture. |
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As I start to pull out of the parking area there are bad noises come from the drive train. It's very possibly the transmission, possibly the driveshaft. Whatever it is, it's not good. I elect to head back to Missoula where the only BMW Motorcycle dealer in the state of Montana and the area is located. At the dealership, the service manager rides the bike and thinks it is the transmission. I suggest that we drain the oil to get the final verdict. When the oil comes out it has a shiny metallic sheen. Game over. Then the lack of concern starts. It's not like I'm a couple of miles from home. The service manager has more excuses than a 3 year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I even offer to pay the overnight charge to get things started. He states that it may be a couple of weeks before he can get to it, but won't give me a firm timeframe. His suggestion is that I ship it home, which translates into "We don't want to work on it here." Anything to get me out of their hair. Well, I'm 2,700 miles from home and not made of money. I do have an extended warranty, but that presupposes that I can get a dealer to work on the bike. I've bought an expensive motorcycle with the expectation that first, it will not break so seriously after only 51,000 miles and, secondly, the company has the support to minimize my inconvenience. This hasn't been the case as BMW motorcycles have stranded me often. The worst part is that they are serviced by the book. I'm faced with several poor choices. Should I leave it at a dealer which clearly doesn't care? Do I pay $2500-$3000 to rent a Uhaul and take it home? Do I buy a $1500 round trip plane ticket and come back when the bike is fixed? Do I ship it home for $750 and buy a one-way $1100 plane ticket? Or, do I ship it and take the Greyhound? These are such wonderful choices that I'm overwhelmed with excitement. It continues to bug me that the dealer is screwing me over and making it sound like it's not their fault. Well, I get a motel for the evening to think it over. The repair shouldn't cost me anything with the extended warranty. I do also have a towing service with a trip interruption clause which will help. Most importantly, I have some great friends. It's times like this, when you are broke down or hurt that you find out who your real friends are. Since I'm not near a computer, I call my friend Kim to check airfares for me. A couple of hours later he offers me a discounted ticket with his frequent flier miles. I hesitate to take advantage of such a generous offer. It's not in my nature to use it, but he talks me into it. Wow. I elect to ship the bike to the Tampa dealership for $750.00. This is an expensive options, but there are few viable alternatives. If I were driving a car, the vehicle would probably be repaired and I'd be on the road in a day or two with a minimum of inconvenience. Now I'm looking at a ruined vacation, not attending the national rally and seeing friends I've been looking forward to seeing, and spending a boatload of money. |