My last day started the day before I left on an extended adventure abroad. Certainly packing and repacking is a cornerstone to any "last day" before a long journey into the unknown, but beyond filling the backpack I took one day to load up on some local adventures.
It started with an early morning swim in lake Coeur d'Alene. My mother pals around with a great group of friends who practice their open water swims in this North Idaho lake throughout the summer. I felt fortunate to tag along for their first swim of the season. Now granted, we'd be hard pressed to call what we did exercise, considering much of the swim consisted of lifting our heads out of the water to regain feeling in our faces. But I'm pretty sure all of us felt invigorated by simply being in the water on such a beautiful morning, and "enjoying the journey" as Coach Scott would say.
The afternoon was spent on my Truimph Bonneville. Knowing this would be my last ride before putting her in storage while I am traveling I headed for the open road. Its hard to describe the feeling of driving a motorcycle to someone who has never experienced it. Often, when the topic comes up, the conversation turns to "I knew this guy and he crashed on his...". Admittedly there is an inherent danger in riding this two wheeled seatbeltless machine, but with proper instruction and common sense motorcycles are a dream to drive. The way the bike pulls forward as you shift from gear to gear, the way it leans around long sweeping turns, and how the mind has (or at least should have) complete focus on the ride. No texting, no talking, no tunes, just riding. pure and simple.
The day ended on top of Big Rock with two of my favorite climbing partners. Big Rock is a big rock tucked behind the Spokane Valley, sticking out on the hillside like a giant piece of granite/quartzite thumbing a ride. Up and down the two pitch climb, then a beer and some banter at the bottom as the last light of the day spreads out across the Palouse, with patches of gold and green farmland as far as the eye can see.
A "last day" with a lot of great memories to hold me over for those few lonely moments on the road.
2 comments:
Brad, I felt happy to share part of your day. The swim was a wake up call for sure! I didn't know you had a Bonneville! They are the coolest bikes! Funny your comment, I just fell off of my Kawasaki this morning in the parking lot!!
What a fantastic day! You certainly know how to make the most out of every moment...
LOVE the bike! I'm so glad you posted a pic of it.
Hope you made it safely to Philly and let the journey continue! Have fun and can't wait to hear more updates from you! Jen
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