Idaho, Jasper, and Seattle Via Philadelphia.

     Hello again reader, I sit down today 9/26/26 in one of my favorite coffee shops (Milkcrate Cafe) in Philadelphia to write up my trip report. I've had the general idea of riding a large loop from Seattle to Jasper on a motorcycle for probably over 10 years. I had two friends who had done it solo in the last decade or so. Unfortunately as the idea brewed in the back of my head for many years, I continued to move my home and work further and further from the Pacific Northwest. As I pondered the far flung journey again this spring I thought of a concrete plan, but it required a second driver. 

    Periodically, I will throw out outlandish or hair-brained ideas to my friends. Occasionally these propositions are met with genuine curiosity and interest. Long story short, my friend,  neighbor, and motorcycle pal agreed to be my travel partner to complete the great Northwest Loop ride on our motorcycles that we typically ride around the Philadelphia area. Brad, a born and bred Philadelphian, would be taking his 2024 KTM 1290 (Ready to race) and I would be taking my 2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 (Revs your heart). 

    Here is the briefest of outlines, the pitch I gave Brad. 

    1. Load bikes into rental pickup and drive to Idaho. 

    2. Leave truck in Idaho and ride motorcycles through Canadian Rockies 

    3. Ride motorcycles back into US, see some of my family in Seattle(the main nuclear component). 

    4. Load up bikes in truck and drive back across the USA. Easy Right? 

This is my recollection of how my plans passed into reality in the days from 9/11 to 9/24. 

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Day 1 - 9/11 

    A friday. We completed our packing and loaded up the rental truck I had acquired from the 30th Street train station here in town. A remarkable 2026 Dodge Ram 1500 Longhorn edition(But ill get into that later). Fortunately, I am currently renting a warehouse in our Fishtown neighborhood(henceforth to be referred to as The Neighborhood) where we were able to stage the loaded up motorcycles and fully packed truck. In an attempt to avoid driving through two nights. we departed at 3am Saturday morning. 

Day 2 - 9/12 

    A system of 3 hour shift at the wheel seemed to work best for our bodies and our minds and allowed for a tank refill after every 6 hours of driving. The irony of making a roadtrip across the country while gas prices spiked to a historic high was not lost on me. The Ram was averaging a wicked 13 MPG. 

Google said it would take 37 hours without stops. Our final destination was Sandpoint Idaho. 

We did complete it in 40 hours, but with the 3 hour time change we still arrived 37 hours after our departure time. 

Driving was mostly painless, the 2026 Ram had all the VIP features: heated massaging seats, plush interior, immersive sound system, multiple driver assist features, and a large extended cab for naps. Thanks to the lane assist, adaptive cruise control, and vehicle sensors the truck practically drove itself along the Interstate. 

I kept telling Brad, this must be how pilots feel flying long haul flights. As drivers of this great technical marvel, we merely pointed it in the correct direction and supervised its progress while it autonomously maintained speed and navigated the gentle curves of the highway hour after hour. 

Bad drivers and some middle of the night wildlife provided some excitement, but overall the drive West was largely peaceful and the undercurrent of excitement was palpable. 

After driving straight through we had a well deserved shower, movie session and nap in our cabin in Sandpoint. 

Day 3 - 9/14

Living on East Coast time of course. Up at 4am. Darkness, not even the chickens are stirring. Take a walk of the farm neighborhood with the dawn. See chickens and horses. Peruse the little roadside self service farm stand.  

We had arranged to meet Henry at his home at about 9am. So we went to have breakfast at the Pack River Store. A lovely little outpost cafe that reminded me of some places in rural Oregon. After a breakfast at which I noted an off duty construction crew having tall boys and breakfast sandwiches (they said it was a golf day?), we headed down the road a mile or so to Henry's. 

Henry is a retired coworker from New Mexico. He was an RN for many many many years. He worked with me for 3 years in Interventional Radiology at UNM. Then he bought some land and moved with his wife to rural Idaho. To a logistically strategic location for my big plan. 

After a general tour of his cabin, and updates on life we unloaded the bikes and struck off for Canada. a bit later than planned, but such is the way of catching up with old friends. 

Crossing into Canada was a breeze and before we knew it we were seeing mountains rising to our right. I could hardly believe it. I thought the mountains would start on day 2 in Canada. 

Stop #1 was at the headwaters of the mighty Columbia River near Fairmount Hot Springs. Seeing how it is a river that has played a role in many chapters in my life, it was very metaphysical to see its point of origin. 

We had a very, very late lunch in Fairmount Hot Springs at a typical Canadian Indian fusion type cafe. But the curry and salad were top. It was getting late, 5pm and we were about to lose an hour crossing back into Alberta soon (Alberta is the eastern half of the Canadian Rockies and on central time). 

Hot springs on the brain, we stopped to check out Radium Hot Springs. Decided it was an essential detour. Run like a public pool, we changed and soaked our stiff traveler muscles in the warm water. It was remarkable to two reasons: it was clear clean spring water without the typical sulfur odor, and it was last rebuilt in 1951 with amazing brutalist/midcentury simplicity and durability. We were there 730-830 and it was getting quite dark.

 1.5 more hours driving to camp, over the Kootenay Pass. 

Probably my least favorite part of the motorcycle journey, it was quickly a thick black night in the mountains. Speed limits be dashed, we would travel at the safest speed the conditions provided. The most reassuring infrastructure was miles and miles of wildlife fencing along the highway to keep animals away from traffic. This lowered my anxiety of night riding by several points. 

Sadly, we hit rain at about 30 minutes left in the route. The last stretch was cold (38F), and raining. Rolling into camp, wet, tired, with the rain still pouring down was sub optimal. Putting up tents in the rain, below average. Packing up everything wet the next morning was absolutely Mid. 

Day 4 - 9/15

Up way too early again, still on EST. Damp, chilly, but excited. We managed to get some wood burning, and had coffee and hot breakfast in camp. The rain had stopped at this point. I adjusted my chain tension and checked over the bike(all good). We planned to ride early and got to Lake Louise before the mad crowds. Still quite busy with tourist buses and photographers despite the wet and cloudy morning. We made our visit brief and motored on to our lunch spot. 

First navigation error, I missed the exit and had us leaving the park for a few miles. Turn around was easy, but did waste 30 minutes. Next stop was Bow lake, the clouds remained low and ominous. 

The tourist traffic was still fairly thick. But we saw a trail to the lake shore and made a picnic on the water. 

We had our camp stoves and preserved foodstuffs, the hot meal on the chilly mountain was joyful and refreshing. 

Top 5 lunch spots in my lifetime. 

Many miles left, we hopped back on the bikes. Speed limited to 90KPH(55MPH), we often times found ourselves exceeding this posted limit for passing and for the pleasure of the roads. 

Miles of smiles as the mountains started breaking up the clouds and the sun broke through from the south. 

I did a poor job of checking my fuel range, luckily there was one single refueling station in the middle of the park. 

Another few hours of travel and photo ops and we were approaching Jasper. 

Strikingly, about 30km outside of Jasper we saw the fire. in 2024 a massive wildfire burned down the mountains into the city. Destroying a third of the buildings in the city. As we approached the town I was sobered when I realized we were driving through the decimated neighborhoods. Where houses and businesses once stood, there was now only rows of hundreds of FEMA style trailers for displaced households. A whole third of the city was still living in trailer camps. 

Racing the sun, we did not linger in Jasper. Fuel, snacks, and a little KFC stop before heading another 1 hr to the campsite at the foot of Mount Robson (The highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 12,972 feet).

I was arguably too excited for this campsite. I kept mumbling "Uzumaki Campsite-Junji Ito Camp-Uzumaki Dreams."

The layout of the campsite was a giant spiral. JUST like the spirals in the manga horror titled Uzumaki. Which is a horror story written and drawn by Junji Ito, one of my favorite contemporary artists. I was nerding out big time. 

Hilariously, this campsite was right next to the highway. Not much traffic overnight, but if you wanted any cell service you had to walk through the woods about 20 feet to the edge of the highway to get bars. So I did in fact sit on the ditch next to the highway for my morning coffee and internet time. 

Day 5 - 9/16

Not a huge rush of a start on the chilly morning in the shadow of Mt. Robson. We had to wait for the sun to rise a bit to warm the air and dry our dewy tents off a bit.

 Still a good start, around 9am. Down, down, down we rode from the high rockies down to the rolling hills of the northern portion of the Canadian Okanogan. It was very pretty to follow the glacial rivers from their sources down the valleys. Watching them slowly go from super light blue to a darker richer aquamarine. 

Lunch at a roadside diner in Little Fort. I ordered a burger since it was obvious we were in ranch land. Brad ordered a garden salad. It hilariously came with two types of meat and 4 sandwich style slices of chedder cut in diagonal. Interesting spot, but nothing much to rave about. 

Within in hour or so after lunch we entered the dry grasslands and warm high desert of eastern BC. Town called Kamloops. It reminded me much of New Mexico such as Santa Fe or Taos. It was so so sunny and hot. We had started at 39F in the mountains and it was pushing mid 80s in Kamloops. It was a town build around a First Nation Tribal land. So I got a few souvenirs. 

The real treat of the day was the road out of town south of Kamloops. We rode the freeway out of town and got onto a back country road called 5a.

 It was a winding backroad twisting inbetweeen farms and lakes. Wonderful flow and scenery. 

We rolled into Merritt BC in the late afternoon. We still had plenty of sunlight if we wanted to go one more town south to Princeton for a hotel, but we were sunbeat. The intensity of the Sun had given both of us a sunburn and toasted us lightly in our gear. So we opted for a historical old hotel on the main drag in Merritt. It was called the "Coldwater Hotel." We each got separate rooms and lugged all our bags off the bikes up three flights. no elevator in the historic building. 

A quick google shows that Merritt is known for being the set of the TV show Smallville. 

Happily our bikes did not get stolen or messed with and I had a few beers at the old timey bar before turning in for a nice rest on a real bed. Very, Very dead bar until 930 when all the young 19-25 crowd showed up. That was my cue to wrap it up and head to bed. 

Day 6 -9/17

Left early again as soon as the sun started warming the air. But we still froze anyways! We climbed out of the valley and started making our way along a two lane highway through hills and dales and gradually climbing the temperature dropped to 34-36 in the shade. We motored on and when we lost altitude and ended up in Princeton we felt the warmth of the sun once more.
Took a few photos, the "Ace hotel" done up like the Ace Cafe in England was a bit funny. 

Then onwards farther down down out of the foothills and into the wine valley region of southern BC. Very, very scenic ride through the valley with obvious signs of a flourishing tourist area. 

Many weekenders out and about visiting from the nearby resort areas. We stopped at a farm shop/restaurant with incredible breads and wild grapes that tasted identical to the ones I had growing in the backyard as a kid. 

After lunch back on the bikes for the last few miles of Canada. It is worth noting that the US and Canada have an adversarial relationship right now due to the American Trade War of Aggression. There was not a single US plated car in the tourist wine region. 

We crossed the border at the tiniest border crossing I have seen in my life. 

The Nighthawk Border. 

It was a single shed with one lane to pass through. We waited at the gate for a minute or so. Then a single sleepy looking border agent processed us through. 

Immediately upon crossing, the destitute state of the county hit us head on. Abandoned farms, de-incorporated towns, and uncultivated land for miles and miles. We transitioned from the rural poor areas to the loosely concentrated poor areas of the Okanogan valley on the USA side. Our end point for the afternoon was Omak. Were we would visit briefly with my uncle who lives there. 

The biggest culture shock of returning to the USA was the gas prices! During the few days we had been in Canada the price of gas had risen quite sharply. This rise combined with the shift from Idaho to Washington meant that we pulled up to the pump to see a price 1 whole dollar higher than we were used to. Having spent a week on the road passing agricultural and rural operations I told Brad, "The US economy is going to collapse if Diesel hits $10/gallon."

My uncle lives outside of the constraints of the cell phone. While he owns and uses one, he does not often answer it or keep track of where it is at all times. As a consequence, we sat on his curb under the trees for 30 minutes and luckily he rolled up in his truck just as we were packing to leave having given up. 

Uncle Will is a very nice man, brother to my mother, and lifelong steward of the natural spaces of Washington. He was a smoke jumper firefighter when he was young and then worked for the government the rest of his career as a land manager to ensure sustainable use of forestry and agricultural land. 

Additionally, he loves classic motorcycles and maps. So we clearly are blood related. He showed us his detailed maps of the local forest for possible camp sites for the evening and also showed off his two vintage motorcycles. 

He took us to a local pizza joint in town and we had some very mediocre pizza slices and a salad bar. A la old school Pizza Hut. I was feeling very bad for Brad (Vegan) at this point. He had been living on mostly salads and french fries thus far. 

Most of the parking lots in Omak were pretty rough, the pizza joint was no different. Felt like Albuquerque, or north Philly, or any other place where people's last bit of luck was finally run dry. Sun baked stragglers. 

After leaving Omak at 4p we took a nice ride up into the foothills near Twisp. Quickly gaining altitude and hopping on the WABDR forest roads. Had a lovely evening riding up through the eastern slope of the mountains. Eventually got fairly deep into the forest land and found an old improvised pull out camp site. 

Brad told me this was the most remote backcountry camping he had ever done. I assured him we were closer to civilization than he thought and we were mostly out of big bear country. However, as I took a short night hike to hang the bear bag I couldn't help but imagine some predator lurking nearby. We were lulled to sleep by A solitary Great Horned Owl hooting its signature tune. 

Day 7 -9/18

I love waking up in the deep woods. I love the mornings in on the eastern slope even better. Dry, cool, quiet. We had our coffee and little camp breakfast, and packed up our camp fairly quickly. 

Today was our 100% WABDR day. The Washington Backcountry Discover Route is one of the multi state series that plots a multi day trip through the best dirt/sand/gravel/mountain roads of each state. Designed to get motorcyclists far from the big cities and into the greatest natural areas of each part of the country. The routes follow logging roads and forestry access roads mostly. 

As mentioned, active logging roads were part of our morning. Having worked and lived in Astoria Oregon in my 20s I was well acquainted with the hazards of fully loaded logging trucks coming down heavy from the mountains. But on this morning was the first time I had ever run smack into one that was being loaded up by heavy equipment right in the middle of the road. It was very cool to just sit there for a few minutes as they finished loading and then drove past us down the road. 

Nothing is more fun than shredding up and down mountain logging roads on the big adventure bikes. 

We stopped for some photos and generally enjoyed the riding. Brad found a little hill climb jeep trail. No problem for the KTM. 

By mid day we were in the mountains above Lake Chelan and riding up and down along some burned out areas from the spring. Many parts of the region were still dealing with very large fires from earlier in the summer. 

As we reached the peak of these mountains I realized I was hitting the edge of my fuel range. My spirited riding early in the day had rapidly consumed my gas. Being many miles from gas, I was determined to use conservation of momentum and judicious use of my throttle hand to make it down the mountain. So with steady throttle and much coasting, I made it down into Lake Chelan with fumes in the tank. 

The Sun in Eastern Washington is no joke. We were feeling it. We had a quick popsicle with gas fill up then stripped off all the gear for a huge filling lunch at a Mexican Restaurant. After lunch we had a quick nap in the shady grass by the lake. Next stop Wenatchee. 

Unfortunately, the large fire from JULY was still burning above Wenatchee and we were forced to take a detour on some pavement and up an interesting canyon dirt road. 

This detour did have us run into a herd of big horn sheep! 

I pulled a u turn and stopped to snap some photos, and watched the sheep charge straight through traffic. Oh dear, or rather oh sheep. 

When we found a local county park for camping we found it was totally full (It was a weekend after all). A nice older retired guy with Bernie stickers on his truck pulled up and asked us: "You guys on the Wabder?" Brad looked blank. I have much professional experience deciphering the words people say while brain injured or just cooky. "Yes, we are riding the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route. Or at least some parts of it." "You doin' all the Wabders then?" he replied. Again Brad looked to me for help. "-No no, we are just doing part of the Washington one. Not ALL the different Back Country Discovery Routes. We have to return to work in a few days."

He gave us some ideas where to look for camping and we decided to run back up into the foothills and improvise a camping spot in the OHV area near "The Beehive Reservoir." 

We found a little dirt patch off the road, it was obviously a party spot or a hunters camp. Many bones and burnt trash. But I could tell it was going to be a great site as soon as the sun starting rising in the east (I was right). We were greeted by a three piece family of deer. But they were expectedly demure and left us to sleep in peace. 

Day 8 - 9/19

Still being on central/eastern time, I was awake before sunrise. I had my camp coffee and cheerfully watched he horizon evolve into a great conflagration of reds and oranges as the sun crawled forth. The lingering wildfire smoke ensured the most dramatic starts and ends to our days in the mountains. 

I brought with me a small am/fm radio for camping. Having little to no cell service in the woods it was nice to have. I picked up a local NPR jazz station and we had a sublime sunrise with the dulcet sounds of public radio filling the spaces in between the steaming coffee.  

Back on the bikes we hit up a truly memorable outhouse at Beehive Reservoir and went straight up into Blewett Pass. This was another off road area with lots of dirt bike trails in along the sub alpine summit. Riding along the ridges at 6000ft was truly breathtaking. Cliffs, trees, moss, logs, rocks and views. Before I could even realize it I was cresting the eastern peaks of the Cascades and riding along alpine meadows. 

It was probably a combination of the altitude and the cliffs but I did feel a sense of anxiety creeping up as we stood at the top. My bike was looking incredibly heavy and precarious all of a sudden.

Luckily, we crested the exposed mountain top quickly and were descending down the western slope before too long. 

I remarked to Brad the classic signs of acute altitude sickness. Including headache, lightheadedness and confusion. Not two minutes after this conversation I forgot to close my box on my bike and a few items fell out. 

Unfortunately, I did lose the little am/fm radio down the cliff. But at least a friendly side by side driver snagged my See See hat. 

After we dropped below 4000 feet I was feeling much better. We briskly down down the mountain and onto some pristine asphalt into Cle Elum were we found a nice burger joint with some decent vegan options to boot. 

By this point we were fairly gassed. But I told brad we had to do one more road trip activity before we could have the rest day in Seattle. So we jammed on I90 at a brisk pace into North Bend and had a nice viewing of Snoqualmie Falls. The sun peaked out just as we rolled into the falls, a magic moment to be sure. 

From there it was only another 1 hour ride across the floating bridge, through the eastern side of Seattle and we split near the University of Washington. Brad to his hotel, me to my brothers house in Edmonds. 

But first, I had to stop by my other friends house in north Seattle. I was only there for 20 min, just enough to tell some stories and show off the East Coast Tenere. This was the same friend who so graciously let me borrow his KTM Superduke for my day trip date to Leavenworth with Alyssa 2 years ago. 

It was getting on 4pm when I arrived at my brothers house. It was very fun to roll up the driveway and see the children (One niece and two nephews) peering at me from the windows. After some hellos and quick shower it was a lovely family get together at the Edmonds house. Parents up from Tacoma, and sister from Steilacoom made it a full house. 

Day 9 9/20 

A day of rest. sort of. A day of minimal motorcycle seat time. Up early again and off to find some coffee and replace some toiletries at CVS (I had also dropped them off the cliff with my radio in my moment of mindlessness the day previous). I had a lovely time meeting an old Portland friend who I last saw at my endurance race in Oregon on my Birthday in 2021. It was fun to have a coffee with him in Edmonds and hear about his medical school. This is his 5th year in school, so hes nearly done! Hes currently at UW, and seeking residency for next year. We discussed possible residency at Temple. I would love to have him in Philly for a bit. Really just the nicest guy. He currently rides an Suzuki SV650, but I swear to you he was wearing the exact same leathers I saw him in 6 years ago. 

After this morning session I parked the motorcycle at the train station (The light rail has been extended into the surburbs north of Seattle).  I was very impressed at the new train. It runs like a light rail/subway. Every ten minutes, even on the weekend. Rode it almost its full length into Federal way (Almost 1.5 hours) vs a 45 min drive the same distance. But I was happy to just relax on the train and watch the city go by. 

My Dad picked me up at the station and we gathered up mom from the childhood home in Tacoma and had a nice picnic, kite flying session, and frisbee toss at Chambers Bay park. My sister came by also and we had a nice time watching the water and the trains. There was a rumor an Orca was coming down the Sound but we had to settle for a pair of dolphins instead. 

The day of rest of capped off with a lovely seafood dinner at a dockside restaurant (Boathouse 19). A dark beer and a salmon taco with the sunset was a perfect manifestation of my hopes and dreams for the day. 

After dinner and the goodbyes I was back on the train, but this time it was not so smooth! There was an incident on the train (youths perhaps), and we were stopped near SeaTac for 40 minutes. At this time my phone also died. So I was just existing in space for quite some time. Fortunately I made it back to my brothers house before 10pm. 

Day 10 - 9/21 

Today was the only day I was truly dreading. We would be covering 375 miles on mostly big open freeways all the way across the state. Naturally, any such challenging day requires a start with good coffee. So I met Brad at a typical Seattle vegan friendly coffee shop in North Seattle (Cloud City Coffee). 

Then it was hammer down for 2 hours. 

I made sure we stopped at the Wild Horses Monument at Vantage and pointed out on the radio when we drove past my Mom's home town of Odessa Washington. 

Otherwise the highlight of the cross state blast was coming up along side of a Blackhawk helicopter on water drop duty. 

It was pulling up its bucket just as we rode by on the freeway. Pacing an active firefighting helicopter on our motorcycles was an unforgettable moment. 

I know I heard the theme from Top Gun playing in my head. 

Getting across the scablands and through Spokane was easier than expected. 

Before too long we were in Idaho. The last few miles were smaller backroads and genuinely enjoyable. Our 6 hours of riding had been extremely efficient. We pulled into our air bnb for the night and had a breather before we road them across Sand point to load them up in the truck at Henry's. 

I gave Henry a photo print of us when we set off, and we loaded up the bikes as the sun set. 

After our farewells we stopped in town for some salads and pizza (High quality this time, wood fired). We had movie night at the air bnb with out takeout (Nightcrawler). Slept very deep. 

Day 11 - 9/22

On the road at 7am, immediately lost an hour as we crossed into mountain time. Then we faced Montana. crossing Montana takes ages. 8 hours driving before we hit North Dakota. The semi autonomous driving made for light work but we were definitely road weary and sick of gas station snacks. Rolled into a small town just west of Fargo at 1230am and got a hotel. 

Brad loaded up the luggage cart with our stuff from the bed of the truck and parked it in our hotel room overnight. A brilliant move IMHO. At 530 we splashed some water on our faces, ate everything on offer at the hotel breakfast bar and were back on the road at 615. 

Lunch somewhere in Wisconsin, saw a car crashed and removed from the jimmy johns were we patronizing. Interesting lunch view of the tow truck physics. 

Mad traffic in Chicago, somehow Brad got stuck with this section. 

Sunset in Ohio. Slight detour near Cleveland due to on/off ramp configuration of the Ohio turnpike. 

Pennsylvania Border near midnight. 

Day 12 - 9/23

I picked up the shift past Pittsburgh. It was nearing the witching hour. 

Sure enough, a large fox or small coyote stared at me through as he emerged from the blackness of the highway. I pulled hard right to the middle lane to avoid him and as if he was defending the goal he moved right as well. A small clunk at the front of the truck and nothing more. 

A few miles later I pulled off at the gas station to inspect the bumper. Sadly the bumper was damaged and the front sensor was broken. 

I would have to use my whole human brain to drive the truck the last 100 miles home. 

We pulled into Philadelphia at approximately 6am. Cheerfully beating most of the morning rush hour. We ditched the truck in the warehouse and went to sleep in our own beds. After my sleep I returned to unload the truck and give it a quick vacuum and wash before returning it. 

5000 miles on the truck, some damage(dented bumper and two gravel hits on the windscreen), but thats what automotive insurance is for. 

1500 miles on the bikes with no damage or mechanical failures. 

I am all good on long road trips for a few years. Next time I am flying somewhere to rent bikes. But the opportunity to take my own favorite bike and ride it through the mountain ranges of my dreams was well worth it. 

Many, many thanks to Brad for trusting my planning and tolerating being tied together for 2 whole weeks. 

Thats all for now. 

Until the next big trip.