September 2: Idaho - A Weekend with Sisters
Woohoo! There’s nothing like a 1,000-mile weekend ride to get back in the saddle after three months away from My Baby. When Karma Hatch asked me to be the guest speaker at this weekend’s MotoSisters Campout, I was thrilled to take her up on the opportunity, allowing me to hang out with a wonderful group of dynamic ladies and also visit my sister in nearby Boise.
Revving up the Harley Saturday morning and heading out on interstate 84, I was struck by how different my two bikes are. My Baby has a much lower center of gravity than Adventure Baby, is about 200 pounds heavier, and has a lot more muscle behind his motor. Although it was a little awkward at first re-positioning myself on the bike, I have to say I was absolutely thrilled to have the raw strength of my Milwaukie-8 motor propelling me up hills and around curves.
Heading east I rode along the southern edge of the Columbia Gorge and passed The Dalles, Pendleton, and Baker City, loving the panoramic views of rolling honey-colored hills contrasted with the deep blue river waters to my left. As I passed the 45th parallel later in the day, temperatures rose well into the 90s and smoke from the fires in Idaho blanketed the air.
I made it to Boise in good time, making it possible to spend a relaxing evening with my sister and her two adorable dogs before heading out the following morning to Riverpond Campground and the MotoSisters Campout.
The route there through Eagle and north on highway 55 is one I have enjoyed in the past, with satisfying curves and scenic views of the Payette River both up to Banks and then east along the Banks Lowman Road. Since the fires ravaging Idaho were quite close to my route, the visibility was quite low and my focus this time was on riding safely.
I felt so blessed by my time at the campground. The group of about thirty ladies was warm and welcoming, and I really enjoyed getting to know them. I was so encouraged by their positive response to my message. It moved me to see several women brought to tears and to hear their heartfelt thoughts about what I had to share. I sold out of all of my copies of “Two-Wheeled Wind Therapy” and only had a few copies left of “Living at Full Throttle.” I was truly honored that these dynamic, inspiring women gifted me with a wood cut out of the state of Idaho, signed by many of them.
After a great dinner of pulled pork, I headed back to my sister’s house, this time with much less smoke in the air, allowing me to catch more of the river views and also to bomb around the curves a little faster.
After a great evening with my sister, I headed west towards home, making it back in time to work with several of my tutoring clients before the school week.
