Magruder Corridor

One of the highlights of our trip will be riding through the Magruder Corridor. It is a 101 mile, one lane, unpaved, and  unserviced road that links Elk City, ID to Darby, MT. Heights range from 3000 ft to 8000 ft, which means snow and ice might be present. We reserved 2 days for this leg and preparation is very tricky. If we find a fallen tree in the last 5 miles and cannot go around it, we hve to go back, which might lead to fuel issues. Here is a link that better describes this road.
Magruder Corridor

Side stand Foot Enlarger

If you park your bike in soft soil and the side stand starts to sink, it is time to enlarge it. The Suzuki V-Strom has a 3 sq inch area side stand and this is my 9 sq inch solution.

Adventure riding tips

Here is a video that gives nice tips about handling your bike in dirt and trails. It is kind of long but I skipped the repetitive parts.
Riding tips

Camping in bear country

Camping in bear country can be dangerous if you are not prepared. We will be in the wilderness and places like Glacier, Lolo, and Yellowstone parks are the best place to find grizzly and black bears. Reading about these animal's behavior, how to avoid contact, what to do in case of a encounter, and tips for setting up camp are good points to start researching. Here is a link for a good introductory reading.
Camping and hiking in bear country

Glacier National Park Route

Here is the basic route for our trip. Last week we met Pat at bike night in Depot Town and he gave us valuable advice about the route. He suggested that we add Lolo Motorway and Magruder Corridor to our trip while in Idaho. I will work on a separate post about these two routes.

See it on Google Maps

Glacier National Park trip

Me and my buddy Dave McWilliam are planning a trip to Glacier National Park. We are leaving on Thursday 7/3/14 and coming back on Sunday 7/13/14. The plan is to ride north through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and take Highway 2 all the way to Glacier National Park. There we will ride the famous Going to the Sun Road and head southeast until we hit Yellowstone. Time permitting we will try to get to Mount Rushmore and then head east toward Milwaukee, where we take the ferry across Lake Michigan to Muskegon. At this point we will be two hours from home. This is the plan. 

Check out our Glacier National Park route

Introduction

I am starting this blog to share my experiences with fellow enthusiasts. I know, I know, there are hundreds of forums and blogs about this subject, why bother writing another one?

My intention is to document long trips and local rides, share my opinion about gear, and recommend places to go and where to stay. Even I have been riding motorcycles since I was fourteen back in 1988, my experience with long distance touring is fairly recent.

I have learned a lot about riding comfortably and safely without filing for bankruptcy. Finding the right gear and/or accessory depends a lot on research, trial and error. If you are in a budget like me, reading Touratech’s catalog is similar to reading Travel & Leisure or Motor Trend: it is not going to happen. My biggest challenge is to find equipment that does the job without paying for the brand name; there are many good deals out there on eBay that are a close match to much more expensive equipment.

I hope you enjoy my blog!