Several years earlier I had an experience where my bike was tied to the back of a police cruiser. The lesson I learned that day was that going up was often easier than going down. Looking at the road ahead, I thought back on that time and prepared myself mentally for the mountainous decent awaiting patiently for me just a few miles ahead. It took several hours to cross that mountain pass; it took years to re-grow my nerves. The constant sliding and shifting of the BMW proved to be a physical challenge as well. My arms ached from guiding the bike, and my fingers were freezing in the inadequate gloves. Periodically I would stop at a flat section, remove my gloves and place them on top the dual cylinders. My focus had been so intense on the road I didn’t even realize when it was over. A buffalo was blacking my path and as I slowly rode around him I noticed I could see pavement. Hallelujah! There was a small café ahead and I pulled in for some hot chocolate. While there was a fair crowd there that day, it was dead silent when I went in. A multitude of eyeballs were staring at me and watched as I picked an open booth, removed my helmet, gloves, and jacket, and sat down with a heavy sigh. The room remained silent until the young brunette waitress came up to me. “Before you order, can I ask if you just crossed over the pass?” “Yes I did”.” How was it?” “Beautiful”. She then took my order, turned around and announced in loud voice: “Told you it was him”. Then the room was filled with the buzzing of voices and fingers pointed, folks waved, and things were good.

The rest of the ride proved to be wet, as if I was caught up in a giant rain filled cloud. Even dropping down from northern I-90 to I-80 was no help. There were no thunderstorms to contend with, just a thousand miles of rain covered highway.

When Jim and I were spending our last day in Jackson Hole, we went to a popular cowboy clothing store where I spotted a large stuffed plush brown bear, her name is Teewinot and she rode the 2,500 miles home on the back of the BMW, even in the snow and rain.