Just some quick notes to let you know what I have been up to. I can't get my pictures to upload from my sister in law's Mac, so I'll have to try that some where else.6-18-06 start 46,034 end 46,642

Left Madison, 7:15, in a light rain. In line at the ferry on 113 a guy told me the usual story about his brother in law, who had a motorcycle wreck, hit by a drunk driver, and now can't support his family. Rain quit about 11 am. WI 33 through Wildcat Mtn. Went to Grandad Bluff. Stopped at MN rest stop for picnic lunch. MN towns often have camping at city parks, paved bike trails.MN 16 followed Root River and bike trail. Night at private campground in Chamberlien SD.

6-19-06 start 46,642 end 46,976

Did the black hillls tour, badlands, rushmore, custer state park, crazy horse. Didn't pay the $8 to get into Mt. Rushmore, been there before and can see the monument fine from the road. Did pay &10 toget into badlands, $5 for custer and $5 for crazy horse. Crazy Horse is still an inspiration. I was last there in '92. At that time they were getting down to detail work on the face. The face is now done, and they are roughing out the horses head. For those of you that don't know, the Crazy Horse monument was started in 1948 by Korcak Ziolkowski (sounds like he should be from Wisconsin). He worked on it till his death in '82, his wife and 7 of their 10 children are still at it. The main reason I am such a fan is it is being done entirely without government money. Ziolkowski was asked by one of the Indians who survived the massacre at Wounded Knee to build a monument to the Indian leader, and I'd say he is getting more than he bargained for. Weather was great all day, but I am typing in the tent now, as it is raining out. Lots of lightning, but the rain is light so far. Want to bet it changes? Ok, I took alittle brake, and now it's coming down haed. Guess we'll see if my 13 year old Kelty can still keep the rain out.

6-20-06 start 46,976 end 47,474

Took the long way to Cody Wy. Took 385 north from Custer SD. Went to Devil's tower, then wussed out and took I-80 to Sheridan Wy, took US14 from there through Shell Canyon. All spectacular scenery, but I'm getting a bit jaded already. you know, ho-hum, another magnificent vista. Got to Cody near dark, and it was threatening rain, so I got a motel for the first time this trip. Did manage to find an excelent bar though. I f you are in Cody check out the Silver Dollar Bar, great food, friendly staff, locally brewed beer. Got to watch the Heat beat the Mavericks for the NBA title. Serves the Mavs right for knocking the Spurs out of the playoffs, even though I could give a flip about basketball.

6-21-06 start 47,474 end 47,787

Got a late start out of Cody, as I waited for the library to open so I could check email. I might have to think about carrying a laptop in the future. Lots of wi-fi hot spots advertised, but very hard to find public computers. Most libraries have them, but you often have to wait for one to open up. I know, they are free, but I still complain. Went over the Beartooth highway, in a light rain. Still 4 feet of snow in places on the side of the road. The road itself was all clear though. I did this road 20 some years ago on my CB750, but I forgot how awesome it realy is. The temperature can vary about 30 dergrees in a few road miles because of the elevation change around here. Tried to take a dirt road short cut to I-90, but the road kept getting more rutted and it started to rain again, so I wimped out and backtracked on the paved highway to I-90 and took that to friend's Dan and Jacque's place in Belgrade MT. Even made it in time for supper.

6-22-06 start 47,474 end 47,474

Gave the bike the day off and went to Yellowstone with Dan in his truck. walked around the geyser's and gawked at elk and buffalo, the whole tourist thing. Dan and I have known each other since we were 12, so we got to catch up on a lot of old times.

6-23-06 Start 47,474 end 48,154

Started out west on I-90, then south on I-15 at Butte. Butte is an interesting town. You can buy propery there dirt cheap, but there are so many environmetl and other issues left from the mining boom, that I would be afraid to own anything there. There is a toxic lake in the bottom of an old strip mine, and every once in a while a house falls into an old mine shaft, but other than that it would be a great place to live, as there are a lot of really cool old buildings from the turn of the century, just waitng to to be restored. I digress. Turned west on hwy 43, which is another really neat rockie mountain road in a river valley with mountains towering overhead. Along this road is the Big Hole Battlefield monument, which I had been meaning to visit for a long time. This is where the Nez Perce war stared in 1877. Another sad chapter in American Indian history, you can google "Chief Joseph" and "Nez Perce" if you want to know more. Chief Joseph's surrender speech is the only Indian speech I can quote a line from by memory, "from where the sun now stands, I will fight no more, forever". Yet this most famous of all Indian speeches was not featured in the movie at the memorial. Strange. I walked around the 4 or 5 miles of trails there to all the critical places in the battle. They have put up the poles of teepees in the original locations, and people have tied strips of cloth to them. I have seen this at other Indian memorials, I'm not sure what the symbolism is. One of the women survivors of this battle went on to marry Andew Garcia, who lived until 1940. After his death his family found old diaries from this period, which eventually got published as "Tough Trip Through Paradise", so check that out too. There is a bar in Alberton, MT that Garcia hung out at till shortly before his death, that has a bunch of pictures of him on the walls, which is how I got interested in this in the first place. I did not get to visit it this trip, I assume it is still there. Funny how bars usually fit in somewhere. But I digress even further. Anyway, I ended up at a forest service campgroung near Stanley ID.