FJRTom
Well-known member
The 30th Anniversary Three Flags Classic Ride Report
I've been mostly a lurker on this forum and the previous one, but now it's time I contributed back just a tiny bit of what the group has meant to me. This is a lengthy report. Feel free to pass by if you don't wish to take the time.
Last January I was invited to ride in this annual event by Robert “Bart” Iden, a fellow member of the Black Mountain Motorcycle Club of Cave Creek, Arizona. Our club welcomes all kinds of bikes and riders and total membership is over 300. Bart’s goal was to assemble ten compatible riders who would buddy up, two to a room, throughout the ride. My close friend and co-owner of our 1977 Cessna 180, Leon Boyd, a retired Southwest Airlines captain, would be my roommate. We’d roomed together once before and his snoring is rather quiet and infrequent so it would work fine, since I am a very light sleeper.
The excitement kept mounting throughout the year and all of us made certain to have our cycles in top-notch condition before we left. This meant mounting new tires, doing oil changes, etc. Also, it was fun planning what to wear and what to pack, and comparing notes with the others. I swear, we were all like kids on Christmas eve, so excited and trying to sleep, on the night of August 31st!
Day 1 - Thursday
On Thursday, September 1, I left my home in north Scottsdale at 5:49 a.m., with my Yamaha FJR 1300’s odometer showing 9,812 miles. I topped up the fuel tank at 6:30 and we all met for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. at a Cracker Barrel restaurant off of I-10 on the west side of Phoenix. One of the riders, Ray, was late. Another one of the guys had called him before leaving, so we knew he hadn’t overslept, but as the minutes kept rolling by we became concerned and hoped he had merely been delayed by rush-hour traffic on the freeway. He finally showed about a half-hour late and the reason wasn’t what we’d expected: A sudden diarrhea attack, poor thing! Leon had some Lomatil tablets, Ray took a couple, and that seemed to fix him up rapidly.
I learned – relearned! – the lesson of not putting my helmet on my bike’s seat. My nearly new Scorpion 400 got knocked off, splatted on the concrete, and broke the right-side visor attachment. Well, that’s why I’d packed duct tape, so for the entire twelve days I rode with the ugly gray tape holding the visor in place! I left enough slack so it would open and close, and it actually worked quite well, except for being dang ugly! (Upon my return, I took it down to Helmet Harbor in Gilbert, AZ, where I’d bought it, and they replaced the part with a new one and fixed it perfectly, free-of-charge. Now that’s good customer service! I “rewarded” them by buying a new set of summer riding gloves.)
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b203/FJRTom/886d1780.jpg
We rode in staggered formation, following “Blue Leader” Bart. We had four Hondas (three Gold Wing 1800s and an ST1100), three Yamaha FJRs, one BMW GS1200, one Suzuki V-Strom, and, of course, one big, black, beautiful Harley Ultra Classic, ridden by our club president, Ron Small. We usually cruised at between 10 and 20 mph over the posted limit, but were very conscientious about slowing to the published limit in all villages, towns, or other urban areas. Thanks to Bart’s eagle eyes, quick reflexes, and the numerous Escort 8500 radar detectors some of us had, we never got cited. In fact, this was the ninth ride that Bart has led and his no-ticket record is perfect! I’ll follow this guy anywhere!
Ron, on the Harley, always rode sweep as the last in line. Four of the cycles had CB radios, including Ron and Bart, so they could communicate about any irregularities.
We refueled in Gila Bend as well as in El Centro, where we had lunch at about 11:30. We also topped up again in San Diego, right before crossing the border into Tijuana, so we’d be ready to ride the next morning. Arrived at the Grand Hotel at 2:30, having ridden 418 miles.
The hotel’s basement garage was packed with cycles as far as the eye could see and more were arriving all the time. The hotel staff did a good job of getting us registered and into our rooms with baggage. The check-in process involved some long lines, but they moved fairly well, as we got our tickets checked, ID pictures taken, ride Passports issued, etc. We were given vouchers for the hotel’s Mexican buffet that was quite tasty. Unsure about the drinking water situation, we forced ourselves to stay with beer! Some sacrifices are necessary, after all. Thank goodness for good room-darkening shades, since we forced ourselves to hit the sheets at about 7:00 p.m. The early hour was due to a planned 2:00 a.m. get-up, 3:00 a.m. departure.
Day 2 - Friday
After a fitful night of looking at the clock every few minutes – or so it seemed – we were up at 2:00, packed the cycles, attended the jam-packed riders’ meeting at 2:50 – about 480 riders! – and rolled out of the hotel garage at 3:11 a.m. Although there were long waiting lines at the border crossing even at that early hour, we managed to be back in the USA by 4:00. Since we’d gotten separated in the mad border rush – as we knew we would – we reassembled our group on the side of I-5, just past the border gates. It was dark, many patches of fog, and a lot of traffic as we traveled north on 805 and 5 until we hit I-15. We stopped for fuel just as the sun was rising, and a trucker told us of a great breakfast restaurant “on top of the hill.” We got separated leaving the gas station and re-entering the freeway. I was near the end of the pack and suddenly saw the gang stopped by the side of the road, near a turnoff that featured a McDonalds, but it was too late to cross lanes to join them. I rode on and turned off at the Oak Hill exit and found the delightful Summit Café, probably the one the trucker had in mind. We all had each other’s cell phone numbers so I left a couple of messages as to where I was and then had a great meal by myself, reading the newspaper accounts of the tragedy in New Orleans. The others – who’d eaten at McDonalds – got my message and they were riding up just as I was remounting the FJR. On to the high desert, with a lunch stop in Kingman, Arizona.
Although riders may take whatever route they want, so long as they get their ride passports stamped at the five designated checkpoints, the ride organizers plan and suggest some great routes that feature wonderful roads and scenery. The suggested first-day ride would have taken us right back through Phoenix and up the lovely highway 87 to Payson and Showlow, AZ. Although that is indeed a scenic way to go, we decided to stick with the faster freeways on this day since we’d all done the other route numerous times. As we road on I-40 past Williams, AZ, it started looking mighty dark and rainy ahead toward Flagstaff, so we pulled off to don rain gear. Good decision, as we almost immediately hit moderate rain that lasted until we were a few miles east of Flag. Arrived at the Holbrook, AZ, Best Western Inn at 4:00 p.m., after topping up the tanks one last time. This was also the first checkpoint, so we got our passport stamps and were given a lovely plaque and neat clip-on LED flashlight. The young ladies at the front desk were doing a great job in checking in those who had made reservations at this hotel, keeping a sunny disposition throughout the madness. We cleaned the bikes, drank a little bear, walked a couple of blocks for dinner at a superb Italian restaurant, and collapsed into our beds by about 8:30. 641 miles were covered this day.
Day 3 - Saturday
Arose at 5:45, loaded up, had a little coffee in the room – bad! – and were on the road at 6:45. Drove 90 miles to Gallup and did another Cracker Barrel breakfast. Road up highway 141 to Cortez, Colorado. Jim, Ray, and myself decided to break off from the rest and do a slightly longer ride via 145. This is the beautiful road that swings by the turnoff to Telluride. Ray pulled over to don rain gear, and we joined him in doing so. Again, a great decision, as it rained steadily for a lot of the rest of the day, including some periods of real gully-washers! My Avon tires are awesome, both dry and wet! We met up with the other seven guys at Gateway, CO, and joined them just as they were finishing a late lunch/early supper. Since Jim and Ray were still suiting up, I left early on my own and we all pulled into the Best Western in Delta, CO, within a few minutes of each other. A little over 500 miles today. The weather’s getting cooler and the scenery’s getting better! Even with the rain, a great day of riding!
Day 4 - Sunday
Had the freebie breakfast at the hotel and we noted that Ray wasn’t there. Gathering in the parking lot, we noticed his cycle was gone and thought he’d gone for fuel. After a reasonable wait, he still wasn’t back. Dennis, his new roommate, was assigned to wait for him while the rest of us headed out. The early morning ride up over Grand Mesa, into and out of clouds with crystal-clear blue skies above was inspirational in its beauty. Hit the Checkpoint at Vernal, Utah. At one of the stops, we found that Dennis had finally left on his own and, by taking a much more direct route, was going to beat us into the destination of Jackson, Wyoming. Some of us left phone messages for Ray, expressing our surprise and worry, and we finally got a message from him saying that he’d changed his mind and was back home in Scottsdale! We all thought that if he’d bothered to discuss any problems with us a better outcome could have been achieved, and were sorry and depressed that he’d left so abruptly. Oh well, life goes on and it was the right decision for him. About 610 miles today as we ended in the Best Western at Teton Village. Fantastic roads, marvelous views! The temperature was perfect as we relaxed with an adult beverage or two on the outdoor pool deck and then had a fine dinner at the hotel’s plush dining room. Slept well this night!
Day 5 - Monday
Bob, on the GS1200, lost a riding glove and that delayed our departure a tad. (He later found it accidentally wrapped up with his bike cover.) On the road at 7:11 with a breakfast stop about 9:00 at a great “Mom and Pop” cafe in Driggs, Idaho. Hit the third checkpoint at Missoula, Montana, and had late lunch/early supper there at the next-door truck stop restaurant. Very busy traffic on road 93 as we left I-90 heading for the Best Western in Kalispell. Arrived about 5:00, did the beer drinking/bike cleaning routine, then retired to an absolutely delightful pool/Jacuzzi set-up in the hotel. They also had a business center room where I was able to use a free high speed internet connection and catch up on email. 489 miles today. Seemed easy, after the longer ones!
Day 6 - Tuesday
It was sunny and clear but the coldest morning yet as we left the Best Western Inn at Kalispell and the winter riding gloves and electrically heated vest were most welcome. I am finding that wearing long underwear under the Darian pants is all that is necessary to keep the lower body warm, but not too warm. The GPS gave us one weird excursion through Kalispell, off of the main road onto city streets and then right back to the main road. Odd! We rode about an hour and stopped for breakfast in Eureka, Idaho, just a few miles from the Canadian border crossing. The waitresses were cute and efficient, the coffee was hot and tasty, and the food was excellent. There were a bunch of other 3-Flaggers there as well. Just as we were getting settled, we found that our bikes were blocking a truck from picking up a couple of dumpsters, so we had to do a quick bail-out of the restaurant to get the cycles repositioned. Without the riding gear on it was still very brisk outside!
The border crossing went quickly and the drive through wide open farm land was pretty. We stopped for gas at the intersection of one road and the next on the route, there were lots of other riders there, the day had warmed up nicely, and so we splurged on some homemade ice-cream cones at the next door snack shop/restaurant…yummy! The new road led us into the Canadian Rockies, some of the most gorgeous scenery I’d yet ridden through. We hit Checkpoint Number 4 at a service station out in the middle of nowhere.
The air was bright and clear and lots of cycles were there, looking great against the backdrop of the huge granite mountains. Then, after a few more miles, we hit the Trans Canada Highway and followed it back to the east into Calgary, contending with lots and lots of traffic. Made it to the Hyatt Regency hotel at 3:00, were again ushered into the underground parking garage, but the parking directors – parking Nazis? – left a bit to be desired. Finally we were able to get the cycles all parked together with access to getting out if need be. We checked in at the last checkpoint in a hotel ballroom, and collected T-shirts and great-looking belt buckles. All of the volunteers who staffed the various checkpoints were friendly, courteous, and helpful and our appreciation goes out to them. Without their time and effort an event like this couldn’t take place.
We had agreed to meet in the bar for a celebratory toddy, but only Leon and I showed up right away. Eventually, the others joined in and then we adjourned to the adjoining restaurant and had a fantastic meal. Do you know that Kokanee Gold, the tap beer of choice, has about twice the alcohol content of Miller Lite? Ask Ron how he discovered this! About 400 miles today.
Day 7 - Wednesday
A relaxing day of not riding. The weather was again clear and beautiful. Laundry was sent out for one-day service – expensive! – I walked around downtown a bit and made a Starbucks stop. We all met in the lobby and had a breakfast buffet at the Hyatt’s restaurant, then walked a couple of blocks and took the tour to the top of the Calgary Tower. Great views! The observation deck has an offshoot with a glass floor where – those who dare! – may walk out and look straight down past their feet to the street about 525 feet below. Quite a picture!
A lot of the group took a taxi to the local Honda dealer to get some items. Canadians can be so nice! A local fellow who was browsing at the Honda place offered that group a ride to another store when they found that was where they needed to go to buy something, and then he waited and drove them back to the hotel, just to be helpful.
I strolled around downtown some more, used the hotel business center to check email, met the gang for lunch, then took a little nap and swim before cleaning up for the big end-of-ride banquet and awards ceremony.
That event was, as one would expect, a crowded and busy affair. After we gathered in the main ballroom, the agenda started with a bagpiper and color guard marching in with flags of the three countries in which we had ridden. Quite emotional and impressive. There were multiple food lines set up and our table was called up to one relatively quickly, whereas some poor tables had a much longer wait. The food was good and there was a digital slide show going on of various scenes from the ride. Lots of time was wasted in calling people up who had won little trinkets in door prizes, but seeing people recognized for doing the most 3 Flags (more than 20), being the youngest (17) and the oldest (85) was fun. By the time they finally ended up with handing out money in a 50/30/20 raffle, if had dragged into a rather boring evening. It felt good to finally hit the bed!
Day 8 - Thursday
As I was packing to leave I was horrified to discover that my camera bag was missing. I rethought where I had last used it and concluded that I must have left it hanging on the back of my chair after lunch yesterday in the hotel restaurant. Love those honest Canadians! Yep, there it was in Lost-and-Found! We rode out of the hotel garage after breakfast at about 7:35, heading back west on the Trans Canada Highway to Banff and Lake Louise. Again, a crisp and clear morning. Geez! What a beautiful spot.
I had stayed in the Chateau Lake Louise many years before and the setting is still as beautiful as I’d remembered. The border crossing back into the US went easily, without any bikes needing to be unloaded and searched. US Border procedures seem to be unpredictable: sometimes easy, sometimes a real pain in the you-know-what. Today was easy. We arrived at a Best Western in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, at 6:15, which was only 5:15 their time, since northern Idaho is on Pacific time and southern Idaho is on Mountain time. About 440 miles were ridden today through some spectacular scenery.
Day 9 - Friday
Although as the crow flies we didn’t go far today, the various scenic byways we looped through saw us cover about 450 miles. After Lewiston, Idaho, we detoured into the Rattlesnake Canyon and ended up for lunch in Enterprise, Oregon. Wonderful road! Then we looped back into Idaho, crossing the Snake River again near Hells Canyon. At one point I became aware that we had passed the last chance for gas in many miles and knew that Ron’s Harley would be on fumes if we kept going. So I “floored it,” caught up with Blue Leader, and flagged everyone down for a discussion. We ended up backtracking a few miles to the service station, and it was a good thing we did. With so many twisties to enjoy, the day was getting old before we’d gotten quite as far as we wanted, so we spent the night in the little town of Cambridge, Idaho, staying in a mom and pop motel next door to a splendid little small town diner. Great food and cheap prices! Most of us stayed in single rooms that night – all that was available – but they were clean and nice, no problems.
Day 10 - Saturday
The original route this day took us just a few miles from a lot that Pam and I own in Garden Valley, Idaho, and by adding about 50 miles to the day, I saw that we could swing across the Sawtooth Mountain range on a wonderfully scenic road and bypass the busyness of Boise. That’s what we did and what a great ride it was, although cold at times in the high mountain passes, even encountering some light snow flurries.
We planned to have lunch at the Smiley Creek lodge between Stanley and Sun Valley, but when we got there a little before noon there was a notice on the door stating that the restaurant was closed from 11:30 to 1:30 so that they could serve the firefighters working nearby. So we saddled back up and pressed on over Galena Summit into Ketchum. Recent snow on the summit had left all of the pines coated with snow, although the road surface was dry and the sun was out. How beautiful it was! Today lunch was at a Chinese restaurant’s buffet and there was a convenient spot for parking right in front.
Shortly after leaving the Sun Valley area, the mountains end and farm land begins. We made good time through Twin Falls and on into Wells, Nevada. The first motel we looked at was a dump, so we changed to another one which proved to be quite nice. A casino/bar/restaurant across the street was where we recounted the day’s adventures before bedtime. Covered a little less than 500 miles.
Day 11 - Sunday
Hopped onto I-80 about 7:00 and drove about 75 miles to Wendover and had breakfast at McDonalds. This is the Bonneville Salt Flats headquarters and we were hoping to see some Speed Week action there, but previous rains had left the salt flats wet and nothing was going on. So back onto the interstate for some really boring riding across miles and miles of salt flats. Wended out way through Salt Lake City and over the Wasatch Mountains into Heber City for lunch at a Wendy’s right adjacent to the BYU campus. We got back onto I-15 for a run south to save some time. then turned off onto absolutely stunning roads that ended up traversing “The Devil’s Backbone” – Route 12 – into Bryce Canyon. Wow! Between Idaho, Utah, and Arizona what wonderful roads we get to enjoy! Unfortunately, Ruby’s Best Western Inn at the entrance to Bryce was booked solid, so we had to backtrack about 10 miles down the mesa toward the east to the little town of Tropic, Utah, where we found a rustic but nice motel. Sitting outside enjoying the sunset on the cabin stoop, having a beer or two, was delightful. It was a short walk down the street to a busy and fun restaurant. Nearly 600 miles covered today.
Day 12 - Monday
Oh no! It’s almost over!
Left at 7:00, gassed up at a station a block from the motel, then retraced our path of the previous day up across the mesa, past the turnoff to Bryce and through some great scenery into Kanab, where we ate a last huge, delicious, breakfast. The day warmed up rapidly, off came the heated vest and winter gloves, and the ride continued through Jacob Lake near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and then down past Cliff Dwellers and Marble Canyon Lodges, across the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, south into Flagstaff for a gas stop. Since none of us were yet hungry, we continued on down I-17 and finally made a lunch stop in Camp Verde. Said sad goodbyes and then roared on down I-17 toward Phoenix, each splitting off from the group as needed. I pulled into my driveway at 3:30, and the odometer showed a grand total of 5,471 miles since I’d pulled out eleven days before.
I am thrilled with the Yamaha FJR 1300 that I took delivery of exactly one year before and very pleased with the modifications I’ve made: Airhawk seat cushion, Superbrace, Dual Jastek power outlets, Moko Sliders, Top Gun ECM shelf and bar end weights, Yamaha trunk and tankbag, Vista Cruise throttle lock, Throttle Rocker palm rest, Suzuki knuckle guards, Etymotic ER-6 earphones, XM Roadie 2, Escort 8500 X50, Garmin 2610, Mix-it audio amplifier. The “Lazyrider” case from my old cruiser fits perfectly on the passenger pillion and I modified the pannier-filling hydration system described on the website by draping it across the Lazyrider instead of under the seat. My Aerostitch Darian jacket and pants and electrically heated Kanetsu vest proved to be perfect. When it rains I don’t have to do anything besides close the vents, if they’re open. I have Oxtar Matrix boots that are comfortable and always seem to be at the right temperature, no matter how hot or cold it is outside. (How do it know?!) Scorpion EX400 helmet. LD Comfort and Under Armor underwear. Anti-Monkey Butt Powder. So much of these ideas have come directly from the great guys on the FJR website, and my appreciation to them is boundless! (Especially to Warchild and FJRTech for so many tutorials. Thank you, thank you. I couldn’t have done this without your help.)
To me, a great ride involves (1) a strong bike you can trust, (2) great scenery, (3) lots of twisties, qnde (4) a close-knit group of compatriots with whom to share it. On the 2005 3 Flags, I had it all!
When do we leave again? I’m ready!
Tom Clements
“FJRTom”
Scottsdale, Arizona
I've been mostly a lurker on this forum and the previous one, but now it's time I contributed back just a tiny bit of what the group has meant to me. This is a lengthy report. Feel free to pass by if you don't wish to take the time.
Last January I was invited to ride in this annual event by Robert “Bart” Iden, a fellow member of the Black Mountain Motorcycle Club of Cave Creek, Arizona. Our club welcomes all kinds of bikes and riders and total membership is over 300. Bart’s goal was to assemble ten compatible riders who would buddy up, two to a room, throughout the ride. My close friend and co-owner of our 1977 Cessna 180, Leon Boyd, a retired Southwest Airlines captain, would be my roommate. We’d roomed together once before and his snoring is rather quiet and infrequent so it would work fine, since I am a very light sleeper.
The excitement kept mounting throughout the year and all of us made certain to have our cycles in top-notch condition before we left. This meant mounting new tires, doing oil changes, etc. Also, it was fun planning what to wear and what to pack, and comparing notes with the others. I swear, we were all like kids on Christmas eve, so excited and trying to sleep, on the night of August 31st!
Day 1 - Thursday
On Thursday, September 1, I left my home in north Scottsdale at 5:49 a.m., with my Yamaha FJR 1300’s odometer showing 9,812 miles. I topped up the fuel tank at 6:30 and we all met for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. at a Cracker Barrel restaurant off of I-10 on the west side of Phoenix. One of the riders, Ray, was late. Another one of the guys had called him before leaving, so we knew he hadn’t overslept, but as the minutes kept rolling by we became concerned and hoped he had merely been delayed by rush-hour traffic on the freeway. He finally showed about a half-hour late and the reason wasn’t what we’d expected: A sudden diarrhea attack, poor thing! Leon had some Lomatil tablets, Ray took a couple, and that seemed to fix him up rapidly.
I learned – relearned! – the lesson of not putting my helmet on my bike’s seat. My nearly new Scorpion 400 got knocked off, splatted on the concrete, and broke the right-side visor attachment. Well, that’s why I’d packed duct tape, so for the entire twelve days I rode with the ugly gray tape holding the visor in place! I left enough slack so it would open and close, and it actually worked quite well, except for being dang ugly! (Upon my return, I took it down to Helmet Harbor in Gilbert, AZ, where I’d bought it, and they replaced the part with a new one and fixed it perfectly, free-of-charge. Now that’s good customer service! I “rewarded” them by buying a new set of summer riding gloves.)
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b203/FJRTom/886d1780.jpg
We rode in staggered formation, following “Blue Leader” Bart. We had four Hondas (three Gold Wing 1800s and an ST1100), three Yamaha FJRs, one BMW GS1200, one Suzuki V-Strom, and, of course, one big, black, beautiful Harley Ultra Classic, ridden by our club president, Ron Small. We usually cruised at between 10 and 20 mph over the posted limit, but were very conscientious about slowing to the published limit in all villages, towns, or other urban areas. Thanks to Bart’s eagle eyes, quick reflexes, and the numerous Escort 8500 radar detectors some of us had, we never got cited. In fact, this was the ninth ride that Bart has led and his no-ticket record is perfect! I’ll follow this guy anywhere!
Ron, on the Harley, always rode sweep as the last in line. Four of the cycles had CB radios, including Ron and Bart, so they could communicate about any irregularities.
We refueled in Gila Bend as well as in El Centro, where we had lunch at about 11:30. We also topped up again in San Diego, right before crossing the border into Tijuana, so we’d be ready to ride the next morning. Arrived at the Grand Hotel at 2:30, having ridden 418 miles.
The hotel’s basement garage was packed with cycles as far as the eye could see and more were arriving all the time. The hotel staff did a good job of getting us registered and into our rooms with baggage. The check-in process involved some long lines, but they moved fairly well, as we got our tickets checked, ID pictures taken, ride Passports issued, etc. We were given vouchers for the hotel’s Mexican buffet that was quite tasty. Unsure about the drinking water situation, we forced ourselves to stay with beer! Some sacrifices are necessary, after all. Thank goodness for good room-darkening shades, since we forced ourselves to hit the sheets at about 7:00 p.m. The early hour was due to a planned 2:00 a.m. get-up, 3:00 a.m. departure.
Day 2 - Friday
After a fitful night of looking at the clock every few minutes – or so it seemed – we were up at 2:00, packed the cycles, attended the jam-packed riders’ meeting at 2:50 – about 480 riders! – and rolled out of the hotel garage at 3:11 a.m. Although there were long waiting lines at the border crossing even at that early hour, we managed to be back in the USA by 4:00. Since we’d gotten separated in the mad border rush – as we knew we would – we reassembled our group on the side of I-5, just past the border gates. It was dark, many patches of fog, and a lot of traffic as we traveled north on 805 and 5 until we hit I-15. We stopped for fuel just as the sun was rising, and a trucker told us of a great breakfast restaurant “on top of the hill.” We got separated leaving the gas station and re-entering the freeway. I was near the end of the pack and suddenly saw the gang stopped by the side of the road, near a turnoff that featured a McDonalds, but it was too late to cross lanes to join them. I rode on and turned off at the Oak Hill exit and found the delightful Summit Café, probably the one the trucker had in mind. We all had each other’s cell phone numbers so I left a couple of messages as to where I was and then had a great meal by myself, reading the newspaper accounts of the tragedy in New Orleans. The others – who’d eaten at McDonalds – got my message and they were riding up just as I was remounting the FJR. On to the high desert, with a lunch stop in Kingman, Arizona.
Although riders may take whatever route they want, so long as they get their ride passports stamped at the five designated checkpoints, the ride organizers plan and suggest some great routes that feature wonderful roads and scenery. The suggested first-day ride would have taken us right back through Phoenix and up the lovely highway 87 to Payson and Showlow, AZ. Although that is indeed a scenic way to go, we decided to stick with the faster freeways on this day since we’d all done the other route numerous times. As we road on I-40 past Williams, AZ, it started looking mighty dark and rainy ahead toward Flagstaff, so we pulled off to don rain gear. Good decision, as we almost immediately hit moderate rain that lasted until we were a few miles east of Flag. Arrived at the Holbrook, AZ, Best Western Inn at 4:00 p.m., after topping up the tanks one last time. This was also the first checkpoint, so we got our passport stamps and were given a lovely plaque and neat clip-on LED flashlight. The young ladies at the front desk were doing a great job in checking in those who had made reservations at this hotel, keeping a sunny disposition throughout the madness. We cleaned the bikes, drank a little bear, walked a couple of blocks for dinner at a superb Italian restaurant, and collapsed into our beds by about 8:30. 641 miles were covered this day.
Day 3 - Saturday
Arose at 5:45, loaded up, had a little coffee in the room – bad! – and were on the road at 6:45. Drove 90 miles to Gallup and did another Cracker Barrel breakfast. Road up highway 141 to Cortez, Colorado. Jim, Ray, and myself decided to break off from the rest and do a slightly longer ride via 145. This is the beautiful road that swings by the turnoff to Telluride. Ray pulled over to don rain gear, and we joined him in doing so. Again, a great decision, as it rained steadily for a lot of the rest of the day, including some periods of real gully-washers! My Avon tires are awesome, both dry and wet! We met up with the other seven guys at Gateway, CO, and joined them just as they were finishing a late lunch/early supper. Since Jim and Ray were still suiting up, I left early on my own and we all pulled into the Best Western in Delta, CO, within a few minutes of each other. A little over 500 miles today. The weather’s getting cooler and the scenery’s getting better! Even with the rain, a great day of riding!
Day 4 - Sunday
Had the freebie breakfast at the hotel and we noted that Ray wasn’t there. Gathering in the parking lot, we noticed his cycle was gone and thought he’d gone for fuel. After a reasonable wait, he still wasn’t back. Dennis, his new roommate, was assigned to wait for him while the rest of us headed out. The early morning ride up over Grand Mesa, into and out of clouds with crystal-clear blue skies above was inspirational in its beauty. Hit the Checkpoint at Vernal, Utah. At one of the stops, we found that Dennis had finally left on his own and, by taking a much more direct route, was going to beat us into the destination of Jackson, Wyoming. Some of us left phone messages for Ray, expressing our surprise and worry, and we finally got a message from him saying that he’d changed his mind and was back home in Scottsdale! We all thought that if he’d bothered to discuss any problems with us a better outcome could have been achieved, and were sorry and depressed that he’d left so abruptly. Oh well, life goes on and it was the right decision for him. About 610 miles today as we ended in the Best Western at Teton Village. Fantastic roads, marvelous views! The temperature was perfect as we relaxed with an adult beverage or two on the outdoor pool deck and then had a fine dinner at the hotel’s plush dining room. Slept well this night!
Day 5 - Monday
Bob, on the GS1200, lost a riding glove and that delayed our departure a tad. (He later found it accidentally wrapped up with his bike cover.) On the road at 7:11 with a breakfast stop about 9:00 at a great “Mom and Pop” cafe in Driggs, Idaho. Hit the third checkpoint at Missoula, Montana, and had late lunch/early supper there at the next-door truck stop restaurant. Very busy traffic on road 93 as we left I-90 heading for the Best Western in Kalispell. Arrived about 5:00, did the beer drinking/bike cleaning routine, then retired to an absolutely delightful pool/Jacuzzi set-up in the hotel. They also had a business center room where I was able to use a free high speed internet connection and catch up on email. 489 miles today. Seemed easy, after the longer ones!
Day 6 - Tuesday
It was sunny and clear but the coldest morning yet as we left the Best Western Inn at Kalispell and the winter riding gloves and electrically heated vest were most welcome. I am finding that wearing long underwear under the Darian pants is all that is necessary to keep the lower body warm, but not too warm. The GPS gave us one weird excursion through Kalispell, off of the main road onto city streets and then right back to the main road. Odd! We rode about an hour and stopped for breakfast in Eureka, Idaho, just a few miles from the Canadian border crossing. The waitresses were cute and efficient, the coffee was hot and tasty, and the food was excellent. There were a bunch of other 3-Flaggers there as well. Just as we were getting settled, we found that our bikes were blocking a truck from picking up a couple of dumpsters, so we had to do a quick bail-out of the restaurant to get the cycles repositioned. Without the riding gear on it was still very brisk outside!
The border crossing went quickly and the drive through wide open farm land was pretty. We stopped for gas at the intersection of one road and the next on the route, there were lots of other riders there, the day had warmed up nicely, and so we splurged on some homemade ice-cream cones at the next door snack shop/restaurant…yummy! The new road led us into the Canadian Rockies, some of the most gorgeous scenery I’d yet ridden through. We hit Checkpoint Number 4 at a service station out in the middle of nowhere.
The air was bright and clear and lots of cycles were there, looking great against the backdrop of the huge granite mountains. Then, after a few more miles, we hit the Trans Canada Highway and followed it back to the east into Calgary, contending with lots and lots of traffic. Made it to the Hyatt Regency hotel at 3:00, were again ushered into the underground parking garage, but the parking directors – parking Nazis? – left a bit to be desired. Finally we were able to get the cycles all parked together with access to getting out if need be. We checked in at the last checkpoint in a hotel ballroom, and collected T-shirts and great-looking belt buckles. All of the volunteers who staffed the various checkpoints were friendly, courteous, and helpful and our appreciation goes out to them. Without their time and effort an event like this couldn’t take place.
We had agreed to meet in the bar for a celebratory toddy, but only Leon and I showed up right away. Eventually, the others joined in and then we adjourned to the adjoining restaurant and had a fantastic meal. Do you know that Kokanee Gold, the tap beer of choice, has about twice the alcohol content of Miller Lite? Ask Ron how he discovered this! About 400 miles today.
Day 7 - Wednesday
A relaxing day of not riding. The weather was again clear and beautiful. Laundry was sent out for one-day service – expensive! – I walked around downtown a bit and made a Starbucks stop. We all met in the lobby and had a breakfast buffet at the Hyatt’s restaurant, then walked a couple of blocks and took the tour to the top of the Calgary Tower. Great views! The observation deck has an offshoot with a glass floor where – those who dare! – may walk out and look straight down past their feet to the street about 525 feet below. Quite a picture!
A lot of the group took a taxi to the local Honda dealer to get some items. Canadians can be so nice! A local fellow who was browsing at the Honda place offered that group a ride to another store when they found that was where they needed to go to buy something, and then he waited and drove them back to the hotel, just to be helpful.
I strolled around downtown some more, used the hotel business center to check email, met the gang for lunch, then took a little nap and swim before cleaning up for the big end-of-ride banquet and awards ceremony.
That event was, as one would expect, a crowded and busy affair. After we gathered in the main ballroom, the agenda started with a bagpiper and color guard marching in with flags of the three countries in which we had ridden. Quite emotional and impressive. There were multiple food lines set up and our table was called up to one relatively quickly, whereas some poor tables had a much longer wait. The food was good and there was a digital slide show going on of various scenes from the ride. Lots of time was wasted in calling people up who had won little trinkets in door prizes, but seeing people recognized for doing the most 3 Flags (more than 20), being the youngest (17) and the oldest (85) was fun. By the time they finally ended up with handing out money in a 50/30/20 raffle, if had dragged into a rather boring evening. It felt good to finally hit the bed!
Day 8 - Thursday
As I was packing to leave I was horrified to discover that my camera bag was missing. I rethought where I had last used it and concluded that I must have left it hanging on the back of my chair after lunch yesterday in the hotel restaurant. Love those honest Canadians! Yep, there it was in Lost-and-Found! We rode out of the hotel garage after breakfast at about 7:35, heading back west on the Trans Canada Highway to Banff and Lake Louise. Again, a crisp and clear morning. Geez! What a beautiful spot.
I had stayed in the Chateau Lake Louise many years before and the setting is still as beautiful as I’d remembered. The border crossing back into the US went easily, without any bikes needing to be unloaded and searched. US Border procedures seem to be unpredictable: sometimes easy, sometimes a real pain in the you-know-what. Today was easy. We arrived at a Best Western in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, at 6:15, which was only 5:15 their time, since northern Idaho is on Pacific time and southern Idaho is on Mountain time. About 440 miles were ridden today through some spectacular scenery.
Day 9 - Friday
Although as the crow flies we didn’t go far today, the various scenic byways we looped through saw us cover about 450 miles. After Lewiston, Idaho, we detoured into the Rattlesnake Canyon and ended up for lunch in Enterprise, Oregon. Wonderful road! Then we looped back into Idaho, crossing the Snake River again near Hells Canyon. At one point I became aware that we had passed the last chance for gas in many miles and knew that Ron’s Harley would be on fumes if we kept going. So I “floored it,” caught up with Blue Leader, and flagged everyone down for a discussion. We ended up backtracking a few miles to the service station, and it was a good thing we did. With so many twisties to enjoy, the day was getting old before we’d gotten quite as far as we wanted, so we spent the night in the little town of Cambridge, Idaho, staying in a mom and pop motel next door to a splendid little small town diner. Great food and cheap prices! Most of us stayed in single rooms that night – all that was available – but they were clean and nice, no problems.
Day 10 - Saturday
The original route this day took us just a few miles from a lot that Pam and I own in Garden Valley, Idaho, and by adding about 50 miles to the day, I saw that we could swing across the Sawtooth Mountain range on a wonderfully scenic road and bypass the busyness of Boise. That’s what we did and what a great ride it was, although cold at times in the high mountain passes, even encountering some light snow flurries.
We planned to have lunch at the Smiley Creek lodge between Stanley and Sun Valley, but when we got there a little before noon there was a notice on the door stating that the restaurant was closed from 11:30 to 1:30 so that they could serve the firefighters working nearby. So we saddled back up and pressed on over Galena Summit into Ketchum. Recent snow on the summit had left all of the pines coated with snow, although the road surface was dry and the sun was out. How beautiful it was! Today lunch was at a Chinese restaurant’s buffet and there was a convenient spot for parking right in front.
Shortly after leaving the Sun Valley area, the mountains end and farm land begins. We made good time through Twin Falls and on into Wells, Nevada. The first motel we looked at was a dump, so we changed to another one which proved to be quite nice. A casino/bar/restaurant across the street was where we recounted the day’s adventures before bedtime. Covered a little less than 500 miles.
Day 11 - Sunday
Hopped onto I-80 about 7:00 and drove about 75 miles to Wendover and had breakfast at McDonalds. This is the Bonneville Salt Flats headquarters and we were hoping to see some Speed Week action there, but previous rains had left the salt flats wet and nothing was going on. So back onto the interstate for some really boring riding across miles and miles of salt flats. Wended out way through Salt Lake City and over the Wasatch Mountains into Heber City for lunch at a Wendy’s right adjacent to the BYU campus. We got back onto I-15 for a run south to save some time. then turned off onto absolutely stunning roads that ended up traversing “The Devil’s Backbone” – Route 12 – into Bryce Canyon. Wow! Between Idaho, Utah, and Arizona what wonderful roads we get to enjoy! Unfortunately, Ruby’s Best Western Inn at the entrance to Bryce was booked solid, so we had to backtrack about 10 miles down the mesa toward the east to the little town of Tropic, Utah, where we found a rustic but nice motel. Sitting outside enjoying the sunset on the cabin stoop, having a beer or two, was delightful. It was a short walk down the street to a busy and fun restaurant. Nearly 600 miles covered today.
Day 12 - Monday
Oh no! It’s almost over!
Left at 7:00, gassed up at a station a block from the motel, then retraced our path of the previous day up across the mesa, past the turnoff to Bryce and through some great scenery into Kanab, where we ate a last huge, delicious, breakfast. The day warmed up rapidly, off came the heated vest and winter gloves, and the ride continued through Jacob Lake near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and then down past Cliff Dwellers and Marble Canyon Lodges, across the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, south into Flagstaff for a gas stop. Since none of us were yet hungry, we continued on down I-17 and finally made a lunch stop in Camp Verde. Said sad goodbyes and then roared on down I-17 toward Phoenix, each splitting off from the group as needed. I pulled into my driveway at 3:30, and the odometer showed a grand total of 5,471 miles since I’d pulled out eleven days before.
I am thrilled with the Yamaha FJR 1300 that I took delivery of exactly one year before and very pleased with the modifications I’ve made: Airhawk seat cushion, Superbrace, Dual Jastek power outlets, Moko Sliders, Top Gun ECM shelf and bar end weights, Yamaha trunk and tankbag, Vista Cruise throttle lock, Throttle Rocker palm rest, Suzuki knuckle guards, Etymotic ER-6 earphones, XM Roadie 2, Escort 8500 X50, Garmin 2610, Mix-it audio amplifier. The “Lazyrider” case from my old cruiser fits perfectly on the passenger pillion and I modified the pannier-filling hydration system described on the website by draping it across the Lazyrider instead of under the seat. My Aerostitch Darian jacket and pants and electrically heated Kanetsu vest proved to be perfect. When it rains I don’t have to do anything besides close the vents, if they’re open. I have Oxtar Matrix boots that are comfortable and always seem to be at the right temperature, no matter how hot or cold it is outside. (How do it know?!) Scorpion EX400 helmet. LD Comfort and Under Armor underwear. Anti-Monkey Butt Powder. So much of these ideas have come directly from the great guys on the FJR website, and my appreciation to them is boundless! (Especially to Warchild and FJRTech for so many tutorials. Thank you, thank you. I couldn’t have done this without your help.)
To me, a great ride involves (1) a strong bike you can trust, (2) great scenery, (3) lots of twisties, qnde (4) a close-knit group of compatriots with whom to share it. On the 2005 3 Flags, I had it all!
When do we leave again? I’m ready!
Tom Clements
“FJRTom”
Scottsdale, Arizona
