Day 25

Technical Note:  I have switched the way the posts work.  I am using the Garmin site for the maps which only shows a piece of the trail in the blog but if you click on the Day Title on the map you will be taken to the Garmin site.  In addition, I am now embedding the pictures with the blog.  I have updated Day 24 as well so take a look back if you want.

Day25 – Written on the summer solstice, posted June 23

Today was the best riding weather 65F-70F all day with brilliant blue skies and white puffy clouds. Unfortunately, I spent half the riding day at Happy Trails mounting the new bags, a center stand, and better foot pegs. They also checked out my suspension settings and increased the suspension pre-load (this is probably what I screwed up on the old bike). The bike seems to be doing great.

I left Happy Trails after they bought the leaky KLR bags and shipped a small box of stuff home. They were great people and they have a lot of interesting gear there. It was jumping with adventure riders arriving and leaving all day. There was someone from British Columbia mounting a set of racks on his 2008 KLR as well. The folks there admitted how it was a bit unusual. Thanks again to everyone there.

I stopped in Cobby's sandwich shop on my way out of town for a pretty good warm roast beef sandwich. They give oranges with all the sandwiches so I managed to get a bit of fresh fruit.

I then took off heading northeast into the Sawtooth Mountains. Absolutely spectacular and the weather was so great. After stopping in Stanley for a quick pizza I am heading back out of the mountains and stopped at one of the last campgrounds in the National Recreation Area. To say it is primitive is an understatement. The site aren't marked but a found a place with a picnic table which I need to keep my gear off the ground over night. On the other hand, Prairie Creek is running right next to the site and the mountains are visible on three sides and snow-capped. Quite a nice setting.

I am getting antsy that I have to start making some progress eastward or I never will get back in time for anything. Tomorrow I will head south out of the mountains and take one of the bee-line roads due east which should drop me off in the Tetons, not a bad place to wind up. There are probably some long days of riding in my future.



Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky
But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mamma standing by
-George Gershwin