Last US Stop...

We made it to Stoney and Nicole's just south of Seattle on Sunday afternoon after a great ride up over Chinook Pass.  There is still lots of snow up there despite only peaking around 5500 ft. at road level.  It is quite a sight when the monster snow capped peak of Mt. Rainier appears around a corner.  It is amazing how much snow is still on in it in mid-July.

The cool air was welcome after hitting 100 degree plus temps in northern Idaho and eastern Washington.  We left our truck stop campground in Idaho around 7:30am and encountered our first close up of the wildlife.  We were motoring about 65 miles per hour on the tree lined highway when a moose came bounding down the bank and int the road right in front of us.  I am now sure the anti-lock braking system on my bike is operational as I had to grab a giant handful of brake to avoid running into the moose.  The thing was HUGE.  I've never been that close to a moose before.  Ken was so close as we went by that I think he could have reached out and touched it.  Needless to say our heads were on a swivel until we picked back up on I90 several miles south.

Stoney has a guys dream garage, full of tools and space for wrenching.  It also has the requisite kegerator which we spent the evening testing out thoroughly.  We also got to meet Owen for the first time - Stoney and Nicole's 3 month old son.  He is going to be a big boy!

We will be here for 2 days changing fluids and tires on the bikes to prepare them for Northern Asia.  I don't think it has completely sunk in that we are getting on a plane to South Korea in less than a week.  We ride to Vancouver on Wednesday to drop off the bikes to be crated and prepped for air transport.  We are staying at a hostel in downtown Vancouver for 4 nights, flying through San Francisco and then to Seoul.  The bikes will go out the next day direct from Vancouver on Korean Air.  Should be fun hanging for a few days in Vancouver, a city neither Ken or have visited.

Mt. Rainier.

Fun twisty roads on the pass.

Rainier.