X-ray Reflections

Day 2: River Road to Rochester

2010-05-31T17:09:00.001-05:00

It is cooler today but more importantly less humid. I feel as if a
front has come through but if it stormed last night I made no notice
of it.
We spend the morning in PdC (code for Prairie du Chien; rhymes with
Charlie Sheen). We visited the Fort Crawford museum and what a gem of
a museum it is. Located on the grounds of what was the second Fort
Crawford (then US Sec'y of War), the only remaining building was the
medical building. And what a history it has. For Fort Crawford was
where William Beaumont did much of his work on digestion studying a
french canadien who was shot in the stomach and survived with a skin
flap.
Also of note is that PdC is the birthplace of Walter B Cannon. Those
of a clinical bent attending SiiM by more mundane means will note that
Cannon was the first Gastrointestinal Radiologist having invented the
barium swallow <as a medical student> at Harvard! His likeness adorns
the gold medal given by the SGR to this day, I believe.
The museum though only 3 rooms has a tremendous collection of
medical and military arcana. Very well presented and explained. There
were even early radiographs and a hand held fluoroscope.
Adjacent to this museum is a small museum of the town, also a fun,
quick stop.
We rode north out of PdC along Rt. 35. Here, the Great River Road
lives up to its name. It flows alongside the great river itself. The
river, a deep azure, reaches north and south to both horizons. It is
matched by an endless expanse of clear blue sky. They, together, are
shouldered in an infinite array of greens.
We meander up to La Crosse and Crosse over to Minnesota, there. We
hop on to 90 and zip out to the mecca of medicine. We hope to visit
Mayo tomorrow. Maybe we can pick up Brad with his hog for the end of
the trip. If not, we will at least have a picture of the XRay bike in
front of the clinic!

--
David S. Channin MD
Evanston, IL
David.Channin@gmail.com
(312) 725 - XRAY (9729)
(866) 844 - 6643 (FAX)

5th Annual Ride-2-SiiM is ON: Day 1

2010-05-30T21:35:00.001-05:00

Well, another beautiful spring, a hot summer day and another
Ride-2-SiiM. We left Skokie around 2 PM. Atypical, but that, I feel,
will be the key word to this trip. I am accompanied this year, by the
family, in the <sweep vehicle>. Alex, my usual road mate is utterly
occupied with his lovely wife and their beautiful 1 year old. (Astute
readers will remember that she was born just before SiiM 2009!).
We drove westward out of Chicagoland. The heat on the road was
opressive, at least 85. I could feel it beating off the road. High
humidity and an ugly glare only made things worse. The downside to
living in Chicagoland is that you have to ride for an hour and a half
to get anywhere decent.
Eventually, we hit Route 20, the great way west, identified in
Illinois as Grant's highway. Not coincidentally we will follow his way
west to Galena, his home. We have followed this route on many
occasions as Galena is a very nice place to weekend. Lots of outdoor
activities and a lovely downtown strip of fun shops. It is always a
pleasure to wind your way through the rolling farms to get there. Your
wrist tires of waving to all the bikers you pass.
We wend our way north to the Great River Road, paralleling the
mother river north toward her source. Ironically, you cannot see the
river from the Great River Road, at least not the Wisconsin side.
Somehow this fact is missing from the online tour guides. Still we
wind our way through more and more beautiful farmland, the sky pinking
as the sun sets behind imposing yet ultimately impotent high cumulus
clouds. The road winds agreeably through some twisties that challenge
my end of day riding skills but yet invigorate me by reminding why we
ride.
We stop for the night in Prairie du Chien; pronounced not at all the
way my French wife would like. Another great example of small town
mid America.

--
David S. Channin MD
Evanston, IL
David.Channin@gmail.com
(312) 725 - XRAY (9729)
(866) 844 - 6643 (FAX)

Day 3, Mile 1945: Home

2009-06-10T08:40:00.000-05:00

<The greatest plans of mice and men oft go astray>. A beautiful morning found us in Robinson, IL, a quick 200 miles from home. A quick refill of the tank and we sped for a mile before my bike quit. Just lost power and slowed as I rolled to a driveway of a cement plant. Starter would not crank, nothing...now they say, all you need is spark, fuel and oxygen to fly down the highway, but the devil is <always> in the details. So, luggage off, seat off, fuel tank up, lots of side covers off...(You have to strip these metric bikes to the bone to service them). Did I mention it is now 90 degrees? I called the guys in service at Riva Motorsports in Pompano Beach, FL (where my Dad shops). Thanks, Carlo. They were great in talking me through a few debug steps but ultimately couldn't help. I found the fuse box and lo and behold the 15 A ignition circuit fuse had blown! Being the saavy traveller I happen to have some spares, two in fact. I replace the fuse and it immediately blows. I try one more and lo, the bike starts. I re-assemble but go nowhere as that last fuse shorts out. Now at this point I should have started a search for the short that is causing the problem...but I opt for the AMA (the other one) Roadside assistance.
Two hours later, we load the bike on a flatbed and head off for Thompson's Motor Sports in Terra Haute, IN. First a shout out to Poor Boy's towing: Thanks Steve and Grayson. Second, let me just say that the reception I got at thompson's was great. The service guys told me they realized I was on a trip and would do their best to get us back on the road. And boy, did they!
We wandered the Honey Creek Mall for two hours. Our return to Thompson's showed Xray ready to roll again. The cause (as explained in great detail by the mechanic): a short just under the fuse box!! I was inches from having been able to fix this myself.
Be that as it may, thanks to the great folk at Thompson's we were back on the road by 4 PM. A four hour jaunt up on the backroads to 94 finally brought us home. A temperature of 57 degrees as night fell added insult to injury caused by the horrible road conditions in Chicago.

An ignomious end, but an end none-the-less. The light was on, the hearth was on and the steaks were ready as we walked in the door. A warm embrace from the wife, the kids and the dog sealed the deal. There is no place like home.

The 4th ride is now in the bag. We'll have to see where the fundraising leads.

Dsc

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Day 3, Mile 1735, Robinson, IL

2009-06-09T06:59:00.001-05:00

The home stretch. We are approximately 250 miles out after a lovely evening ride through the heartland of Illinois. We rode up IL 1 along the border of the state. We have avoided most of the heavy weather with the severe thunder storms now below us and moving east.
An easy if not hot and humid ride to the Windy City and back to the real world.

Dsc

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Day 2, Mile 15xx, Take the last to Clarksville

2009-06-08T16:24:00.001-05:00

We can be there by 4:30; don't be slow...oh no, no, no...

Well, the rain gear only stayed on for about 15 minutes. Then the heat and humidity were killing us so off they came. The rain was the tail of a front passing north of us so we are in the clear heading north.

Our train will leave Clarksville then head to Evansville, IN. From there, its a straight shot up the IL/IN border home.

Dsc

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Day 2, Mile 1378; the road to Nashville

2009-06-08T13:12:00.001-05:00

Bustin' out the rain gear...there's got be a country song there somewhere.

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Day 1, Mile 1316; The nameless road to the secret city

2009-06-07T16:25:00.000-05:00

We rode through Gatlinburg which turns into a real tourist town with restaurants, souvenir shops, attractions, etc. It was packed on this hot, gorgeous day. Cars and motorcycles clog the main drag.
We continue on TN 321 but then turn back into the Smokey Mtn National Forest. Rather than continue south down 411 (toward the Dragon), we turn right toward Townsend. What do we find? You guessed YABRR! But this river has a difference: tubers and swimmers! Absolutely enticing. Great pictures.
We continue from Townsend to Maryville and then on US 140 to Oak Ridge, the secret city; home of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 Security Complex.
Tomorrow, we turn North.

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Day 1, Mile ??, Gatlinburg, TN

2009-06-07T13:14:00.001-05:00

We came over 74 West to 26 to Asheville, then picked up 40 over the Smokies. 40 is the park is a great slab; 70 mph through twisting forest.
We then found a small gem, the Foothills Parkway that connects 40 to Maryville, TN. Beautiful. We are continuing 321 S to Maryville re-entering the park.

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Day 1, Mile 1035, Charlotte

2009-06-07T07:50:00.000-05:00

The ride home begins. Our first stop is Knoxville, TN. That means, we are <forced> to ride west through the smoky mountains again. Some of the best greenward twisties foisted upon us. It is a dirty job but someone besides Mike Rowe must do it.

Westward, Ho!

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Day 2, Mile 879.5, Brevard NC

2009-06-02T11:07:00.000-05:00

A great start to a great day. I decided to head south on 441 to get to 64 E as the latter is marked as a scenic route. THAT is quite an understatement. 64 E is YASRR (yet another spectacular river road). When the road begins with a warning sign, <narrow road and sharp turns next 40 miles; trucks consider alternate> you know life is going to be good. 64 serpentines itself next to the Cullsuja (Tuskagee?) River and then other branches of the savannah river basin. Between the rapids and the waterfalls along the way there is an abondance of spots just beggin' for a visit and a photo (I only gave in half the time). At the end of the first part of 64 just before Highlands is a rest area built into a waterfall. You can even drive dehind the water! Spectacular.
Highlands is a lovely tourist/nature town set as a gateway to wilderness.
From Highlands to Brevard is more of the same; beatuiful twisties, with residential communities springing up left and right. I hope all the folks here are bikers as this is some of the finest bikin' land.
Now on to Charlotte. Gotta meet up with the Old Man.

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Day 2, Mile 810, Dillsboro, NC

2009-06-01T20:13:00.000-05:00

What can I say about the Dragon that has not yet been said? It is justifiably the #1 motorcycle road in the US.
US 129 meanders down from Maryville, preparing you gently and progressively for the curves ahead.
The lake formed downstream from the Fontana dam is a saphire gem that extends infinitely in both directions. It concentrates and amplifies the blue of the sky beyond belief.
I enjoyed the Dragon. I would say that it is not so much a question of difficulty as it is a question of concentration. On each curve, you try to remember everything you have learned and then execute. You have to do that 318 times.
I found that a reasonable speed of 35 +/- worked well. I stayed mostly in second, occaisionally third gear. Of course there were a bunch of sport bike riders who zipped by on a number of dangerous occaisions. I can understand why there have been deaths here.
Then you arrive at Deal's Gap: the motorcycle equivalent of the cantina scene from Star Wars. Bikers of every flavor and then some either coming down from the rush or gearing up to go. I get the impression that some of the racers (why would they wear track suits with knee plates if they weren't racers) go back and forth a few times in a day. Yet a lot of casual tourists, yours truly included.
The way out on the NC side takes 28 S through more of the same: twisty passages of green (with a quick stop at the Fontana dam for some grey/brown concrete). Smoky Moutain National Park goes on forever but I finally found a road and more importantly a hotel in the outside world.
All in all a great experience.

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Day 2, Mile 513, Morning from Manchester

2009-06-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

Headed out east from Manchester and picked up 66 heading south. 66 is magnificient; a meandering, tunnel through the Daniel Boone National Forest. It was pretty cool as I started out, enough to merit an extra layer. The sun, heading east as I was, was brilliant, reflecting off every drop of dew it could find. At one point I rode through a cloud of fog just in the process of burning off. I caught a photo of a lingering path of said fog peeking out from the treetops where it was caught like cotton on a carpet.
The curves on 66 were just the warmup I would need for the Dragon. In fact, it was a bit reveresed; instead of riding a ridge, I was often carving through (limestone?) canyons.
As a reminder that this is coal country I passed two functioning coal mines as well as a handful of (ungated!) rail crossings.
I stopped for a coffe at a tiny little general store at the edge of the woods. A perfect start to the day.

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Day 2, mile 600, Mid-day

2009-06-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

I rolled south from DBoone trying to get back to civilization and Maryville, TN;the mouth of the Dragon.
I noticed that 66 dumped into 25. And 25 leads to the Cumberland Gap! I took a quick (very nice on/off access) detoru into the park. For nothing but to drive up to the outlook point. Lo and behold another baby dragon; a well tended national park rode that switched its way up the Cumberland hills. The view from the outlook is spectacular. You look out on three states; KY, TN and VA.
From there you dip through a tunnel to the other side. And then a quick ride over to Maryville, right?
Easier said then done.
The damn Garmin GPS failed me in my hour of need. It has got some power problems. It doesn't recognize the cradle and doesn't charge from it. I had charged it the night before and was turning it on and off to spare the battery. Unfortunately, now it won't come on. This will be the third time back to Garmin for service! Not recommended!
To top it off, my BB with Google maps had low battery. To its credit, it surviced the day! So I am about 40 miles out from Knoxville trying to figure out how to get to Maryville. Turns out you can't there from here; or just about. There's a lot of construction around Kville, right where I needed to go. So to make a long story short, I spent an hour or so in an involuntary tour of Kville wending a maze of twisty passages trying to get OUT. Did I mention it was 90 degrees! Yikes.

In the end, the brotherhood of the bike came to the rescue. A fellow rider at a gas station pointed me in the right direction to face the Dragon. (He even pointed out the speed trap they set).

Next...the Dragon....

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Day 1, Mile 513; Manchester, KY

2009-05-31T19:40:00.001-05:00

Well, what can I say? Another fantastic voyage through rural America. I stand (can't sit after 513 miles) in awe of this great land.
I decided to slab it from Chicago through Indiana; to get to the good stuff.... The only downside to biking in Chicago is that you have to ride an hour and a half to get to something nice and rural. So, I did the obligatory 90/94 dance to northwest IN, then picked up 65 S to IN'apolis. As I mentioned, <classic> farmland slab (in need of repair).
I continued 65 S to Louisville. I could smell the fear and sweat from the ABR exam and slight chill ran down my spine despite the temp in the high 70's. At Louisville, I picked up the 64 E slab to Lexington. As nice a ride as slab can be. I passed, though did not visit, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail; something to be sampled, I'm sure, perhaps with RDC driving. I also passed the National Retirement Home for Retired Thoroughbred Horses. Had to stop and take a picture to show the REL. As I was stopped by the side of the highway, a very nice fellow rider (in military fatigues) stopped just to make sure I was OK. What a great gesture!
But that was just the start. Just east of Lexington, I picked up the Kentucky Mountainway (402) instead of slabbin' 75 S. In retrospect, the wisest decision I've made in quite some time... For this route, itself in great condition and equally adequatelly hilly and twisty, led me through Natural Bridge Resort State Park (I didn't see the bridge) to KY 11. KY 11 is, as my friend AP, also a rider, says, is a <little slice of heaven>. In addition to passing through small hamlets with names like, <travellers rest>, I had the opportunity to visit Morrocco (IN), Paris (KY?) and Egypt (KY) all in one day. Without even knowing exactly where I was going 11 led me to 30 led me to 421 all three winding their way to and through the Daniel Boone National Forest. A thousand shades of green surrounded me as I leaned into each and every curve. The road curves in all 6 degrees of freedom (if you count the bank of the road); truly a challenge. I could not have thought of a better training course for the Dragon that awaits me.
When my buttocks just couldn't take any more, I GPS'd the nearest hotel and followed the forest to Manchester.
Another note, I must have passed at least 500 bikers today; all out enjoying the beautiful day and the graceful curves of Kentucky.

To think, I get to do this again, tomorrow?!

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Day 1, Mile 297 Near Louisville

2009-05-31T13:30:00.001-05:00

The ride continues well. This part of Indiana starts to look like what I imagine Kentucky to be. Now scattered in amongst the corn and soybean farm there is the occaisional horse farm. Several with horses grazing at their leisure. The number of horse trailers on the road is increasing; as is the number of bikers! It is a glorious day for riding and everyone is taking advantage. Gas up and onward.

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Day 1, Mile 173 Indiana part 1

2009-05-31T10:56:00.001-05:00

A quick jaunt through Chicago to northwest Indiana. 65 south to Indianapolis. A perfect day for riding: great weather, light traffic. Though the roads show numerous opportunity for <shovel ready> stimulus work.
The farmland is a patchwork of greens and brown. The air (beyond Gary) is clean and fresh.

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Day 1, Mile 0: Home on the Range

2009-05-31T06:55:00.002-05:00

It is a beautiful morning, the sun shining brightly in a clear blue sky. A welcome change after a long winter, and a rather cold and rainy spring. It is the perfect weather for an early start. The trajectory begins with a jaunt through Chicago to the Skyway. Down 65 to Indianapolis. More later...

4th Annual Ride-2-SIIM BEGINS!!

2009-05-31T06:46:00.002-05:00

Well, it's that time of the year. Time to saddle up XRAY and take her through the Tail of the Dragon to the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine meeting, this year in Charlotte, NC!

"We do these things, not because they are easy but because they are ~~hard~~" fun. They also support the SiiM Research and Education in Imaging Informatics through sponsorships of the ride. Read more about the Ride and please, consider a small donation!

Let the Backpedaling Begin

2009-05-15T09:29:00.004-05:00

It is to laugh:

NYTimes: "Health Care Leaders Say Obama Overstated Their Promise to Control Costs"

The Unfortunate Health Care Industry Letter

2009-05-12T09:37:00.004-05:00

(Disclaimer: Though a physician, I am not and have never been a member of the AMA. This essay highlights one good reason why not. Of course, the Groucho Marx-ism also applies.)

There is a tremendous amount of hubbub surrounding a recent letter from the leadership of the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, the Service Employees International Union and America’s Health Insurance Plans to President Obama. In this letter,

"they are pledging to cut the growth rate of national health care spending by 1.5 percentage points each year — an amount that’s equal to over $2 trillion."

No one in their right mind does not recognize that the health care pie needs to be shrunk and that thereafter, growth of the pie needs to be constrained. Mr. Krugman, in a recent op-ed piece, is, to my mind, rightfully, skeptical. The crux, as he states so succintly, is,

"Remember that what the rest of us call health care costs, they call income."

There is no doubt that we, physicians, need to recognize that we need to shift the income, efficiency and accuracy curves toward the latter away from the former. If, as a medical student or physician that bothers you, then you should probably consider a career in widgets or plastics. The same can be said for health care institutions represented by the AHA.
The AMA and the AHA have, however, made a huge mistake in allying themselves with the rest of the industry. Of the six signatories of the letter, which one most clearly doesn't belong? The AMA represents (unfortunately) doctors. The AHA represents hospitals. One could argue that SEIU represents, at least, a class of patients. No question, these three need to be at the table.
But what about PHRMA and AMTA? As Mr. Krugman notes,

"After all, several of the organizations that sent that letter have in the past been major villains when it comes to health care policy."

... and

"There’s also the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the lobbying group that helped push through the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 — a bill that both prevented Medicare from bargaining over drug prices and locked in huge overpayments to private insurers."

Yet, Phrma and AMTA, their drugs and devices, are critical components of healthcare. Their problem lies in capitalism. To misquote Churchill (“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”), "capitalism is the worst form of economic model for healthcare except for all the others that have been tried". In capitalism, "Greed is good", devices and drugs don't get inspected and tested as much as they should and not everyone can drive a Cadillac.
No, the real outlier, is AHIP, America's Health Insurance Plans. The health insurer's make no meaningful contribution to the delivery of health care. In fact, they are a barrier to the social contract between the provider and the patient. An expensive impediment at that. Once there is recognition that universal health care is a fundamental human right then we no longer need health insurers to profit from risk stratification; we are all in this together.
We need to grow beyond the fear-mongering myth that a single payor plan would mean "government control" of health care. As the recent financial industry meltdown showed, we just need responsible "government regulation" of a single payor system.
The AMA and the AHA were wrong to join in a letter with AHIP. They legitimized AHIP as part of the solution rather than exclude them as a source of the problem.

Another argument in support of a single payer health care system

2009-01-23T09:04:00.004-06:00

There is a great piece in the New York Times, today, by Uwe Reinhardt, supports, nicely, the argument for a single payer health care system. In his piece, Dr. Reinhardt summarizes the "“Chaos Behind a Veil of Secrecy” (I love that line) of how hospitals determine pricing of medical acts. The details are, at the same time, fascinating and nauseating, like any good, blood-soaked medical mystery.

"Over all, then, annually establishing the prices that a given insurer will pay a particular hospital and the prices charged the uninsured is an enormously cumbersome and highly labor-intensive process not used by any other health system in the industrialized world. It adds a significant component to the high administrative cost that is unique to the American health system."

In is interesting to note, once we come to a national consensus in favor of universal coverage, how quickly the culture and practices that developed to stratify the haves from the have-nots become ridiculous. With everyone in the same risk pool and a single payer, there is no need for a health insurance industry. Buggy whip manufacturers, all of them. A whole host of healthcare dollars sucked from the system for no healthcare related benefit could be returned to or eliminated from the pie.
Also note that a single payer system does not mean that the government controls your health care options (any more so than it does now). Nor does it mean that health care providers won't need to compete and evolve under market forces. In fact market forces could be more easily directed at quality, efficiency and outcomes. A single payer would provide a level, open-to-scrutiny-and-regulation playing field upon which society could make its decisions about the allocation of health care resources to clinical care, research, education and community service.

Buy the Poppy Crop

2008-12-23T08:16:00.005-06:00

Today's New York Times has an article about the difficulty the United States and its NATO allies are having in stopping the poppy trade that funds insurgency in Afghanistan. Some NATO nations are balking at the notion of having their troops participate in counternarcotics activities.

As the United States and its allies strive to devise a better strategy to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan, American policy makers and military officers say it is critical to choke off the drug money that sustains the insurgency....

The real issue is not the fine line between counterterror and counternarcotics operations. As stated above, the problem is, "how to choke off the drug money that sustains the insurgency". Equally important, is how to get the Afghan people to buy into the concepts of democracy, the rule-of-law and the activities of nation building.

I would argue that the answer is obvious: buy the poppy crop. We should overcome our knee jerk aversion to anything related to "the drug trade". This would eliminate it. Let the United States and its allies chip in to purchase the yearly crop.

United Nations figures show that Afghan insurgents reap at least $100 million a year from the drug trade, although some estimates put the figure at five times as much.

Few would argue, even using the higher figure of $500 million, that this is not a cost effective solution compared to military operations. By directing payments as far down the chain, to the individual farmer if possible, such a purchase would have a remarkable effect. It would turn a large part of the rural population from borderline enemy combatants into grass roots (dare I say, "poppy roots") allies. By providing a legitimate market to the farmers, they would no longer have to sell at gunpoint-driven prices to the enemy. They would automatically be incented to resist lower, albeit more violent, offers. Local forces (and temporarily their foreign allies) would be welcome in an appropriate role of defending the populace. The insurgency would quickly find itself without product to sell.

Some of the money would be used, inevitably, to build infrastructure, roads, rails, silos (?), ports, etc. to deliver the product more effectively. Eventually, the United States and its allies could shift to the purchase of other crops, such as food crops, thereby slowly weaning the agricultural marketplace from flowers to grasses and grains. Seems like a road to sustainable nationhood to me.

PS: What would we do with all that poppy? Well, low cost morphine and related drug products, for one. Perhaps with local production? Could that be the start of a legitimate pharmaceutical industry?

Day 6: Home: Mile:2361.8

2008-05-23T16:52:00.003-05:00

A very cool but clear ride from Sparta down past Madison to familiar roads. We took 90 to US 12 which cuts across lower Wisconsin and upper Illinois. We both know these roads well as they are frequent weekend jaunts to Lake Geneva and the environs. Very nice biking. We are, however, eager to be home. The totals: 4090 Bike Miles; 4647 Total Miles, therein 557 Truck Miles.

As Tolkien wrote in The Hobbit:
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

Day 5: Sparta, WI: Mile 2101

2008-05-23T16:45:00.002-05:00

We push on across Minnesota and Wisconsin. We stay on 90 though we are a bit north of our destination. We do so to avoid the nasty weather. We had enough rain this morning to last us for quite some time. 90 has lead us through blue skies to Wisconsin. Tomorrow should be an easy ride home. It is interesting to note that today, we rode from the Missouri river in SD to the Mississippi river in Minnesota. The theme today is water; from the sky and over two rivers.

Day 5: Adrian, Minnesota;Mile:1826

2008-05-22T19:29:00.001-05:00

It is said that the Eskimo have 100 words for snow. Right now I have
20 words for rain none of which can be published here. We have ridden
from Chamberlain, SD to here in a pretty much steady, though rarely
torrential, rain. It is about 44 degrees. This is not fun riding. The
word grinf comes to mind and we will grind it out. We have stopped for
lunch and we see blue sky to the east. We ride like the wind....

Day 5: Adrian, Minnesota;Mile:1826

2008-05-22T16:01:00.001-05:00

Day 5: Chamberlain,SD: Mile:1638

2008-05-22T08:24:00.001-05:00

We are still far from home. Wind was the enemy yesterday blowing and
gusting as we crossed SD. Nothing we could do to make progress. Lost
an hour as we entered central time. All that conspired for a short,
low mileage day. This morning we are greeted by rain. Hope lies
eastward and we move on...

Day 4: Mt Rushmore: Mile:1400

2008-05-21T12:35:00.001-05:00

From Spearfish we headed into Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway. And
scenic it is. Tight twisty road accopanied by an equally tight
bubbling creek. The sky is cloudy and the menacing weather is stalking
us. We must flee eastward. But first, more twists through the Black
Hill National Forest to both the Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore
monuments. A slight detour but worth it not only for the beautiful
roads and vistas but the equally impressive monuments. Now eastward,
Interstate 90 awaits...

Day 3: Spearfish SD: Mile:1303

2008-05-20T22:26:00.001-05:00

What a day! We started out from Great Falls, MT and landed in South
Dakota. From Billings we headed east and south finally picking up 212
east. Outside of Billings, 212 passes Little Big Horn...rolling hills,
a muted shade of green, grass mixed with yellow straw(?). A sign
warned us of unpaved road ahead. It turns out that 100 miles east they
are repaving 9 miles of 212. Nothing like a bit of dirt riding on a
couple city bikes. Then across the SE corner of Wyoming into SD.
Tomorrow, the black hills and maybe Mt. Rushmore...

Day 3: Roundup, MT: Mil 979

2008-05-20T15:15:00.001-05:00

Yes, that is the town's real name. A small vibrant community about 50
miles north of Billings. The ride across MT is less monotonous than
was foretold. The terrain is similar yet ever changing. A feeling of
deja vu remains at arm's length. The sweeping curves are intermixed
wiyth long straight stretches where you can see 5 miles ahead. The
colors are selected from a pallette of muted greens below and blues
above. In this part of Montana the hills and terrain mitigate the "big
sky" phenomenon. Onward toward Billings... Then east to South Dakota.

Day 2: Great Falls, MT: Mile: 796

2008-05-20T08:37:00.001-05:00

An easy ride down from GNP across MT. Since GTTS road was closed, we
took 2 just south of the park. Equally beatiful it climbs slowly over
rocking curves and hills to the 5261 foot Marias pass which took us
over the continental divide. From there an easy ride over the high
plateau of MT. Endless, hills and buttes covered with far more cattle
than people. But good roads with sweeping curves and essentially no
speed limit. All this, framed on the west with the outline of the
Rockies. Today, a long ride across MT. If luck is with us, we will
sleep in the Mecca of Motorcycles, Sturgis, SD. We'll see...

Day 2: Glacier National Park

2008-05-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

GNP is a fantastic ride. Unfortunately, Going-to-the-Sun road is still
closed. You would never guess it from our arrival. 75 degrees and
beautiful roads. But, they let you in and you can ride 16 miles up to
Avalanche. A spectacular ride with snow melt mountain streams bubbing
down from above to McDonald Lake below, all rimmed by snow capped
peaks. Beautiful. Of note, in mid may, plenty of camping spots
available.

Day 2: Kalispell,MT: Mile 537

2008-05-19T14:22:00.001-05:00

Another beautiful ride, this time across Idaho into Montana. Most of
the riding was along the usual fantastic river, national forest and
foothills! Kalispell is the gateway to Glacier Nat'l Park and we are
going to stop by even though the Going-to-the-Sun road is still
closed. Gotta take a look. Then SE across Montana hopefully to Great
Falls tonight...

Day 2, Coeur D'Alene,ID: Mile:330

2008-05-19T08:03:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a perfect riding day: Great scenery, great weather,
great roads. After the thrill oif Steven's Pass we continue on 2
across the high, arid, pateau that is western Washington. We followed
the Wenatchee river for quite some distance then the Colombia veering
off as it approached the Grand Coulee Dam. The farmland of western
Washington was remarkably flat at an altitude of about 2500 ft ASL.
Even US 90 that took us through Spokane was beautiful. Today, we
continue East with a brief stop, hopefully around noon at Glacier
National Park.

Day 1: Leg 2: Steven's Pass, WA: Mile:100

2008-05-18T16:21:00.001-05:00

This country will never cease to amaze me. Each part is more beautiful
than the last. We left Seattle under a very warm, blue sky winding our
way over bridges of Puget(?) Bay. We reached the spectacular Steven's
Pass Greenway with took us up to Steven's Pass over the cascade. We
knew we were in for a treat because we saw dozens, if not hundreds of
bikers. Where bikers go, good roads follow; or vice versa. The
Greenway winds its way from 137 ft ASL to 4006 ft ASL in about 45
minutes. Endless sweeping curves spiral up and then, alas, down. The
temperature dropped from 75 to 55 at the same time. It was just cool
and clear enough to chilll the neck and send a tingle down the spine
heightening all your senses. It is great to be alive. Riding down you
pass through pockets of warm and cool until we return to an even 75. A
quick stop in a rest area and we continue.......

The Road Home: Day 1: Seattle, Mile 0

2008-05-18T13:50:00.001-05:00

Another great SiiM meeting. Good to see all the usual suspects. It is
a beautiful, 75 degree day here in Seattle. A great day for a good
start. Looks like a crack of noon departure. We north out of the city
on 5 the east on toward sunrise starting with WA 2. More from the
road.....

Day 5, Arrival in Seattle

2008-05-14T10:13:00.001-05:00

We made it. Chicago to Seattle. 2286 total miles; 1729 bike miles and
557 truck miles! Our last leg fron the Oregon border (Colombia river)
started off beautifully. If Interstate 84 along the south (Oregon)
side if the river is a 10 as roads go, then Wash 14 along the north is
an 11. It winds close to the river through the appropriately named
Colombia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Forests and foothills on
one side, the mighty river on the left. At some points, I could
literally reach out and touch the rock wall. Great photos and videos
to share at some point.
The bad news is that it started to rain lightly and that rain
accompanied us for the next 5 hoyrs. We tried to take a short cut
through the Wind River and the adjacent National Forest but after a
near absence of gas in the middle of nowhere we returned to a more
traveled route. Note to Garmin users: the GPS was useless in the
national forest; it had roads where there were none (not even trails).
It also didn't have perfectly good texaco station in its lists. Not
trustworthy in remote areas.
so the ride ends not with a bang but with a slog up US205/5 to
Seattle in the rain. At least it was about 55 degrees. A small
confirt. As they say, however, "if you don't ride in the rain, you
don't ride". Seattle keeps its well earned reputation as a cloudy
rainy place.
Overall, a great trip seeing heretofore unseen areas of this great
land. My only regret? The truck and the passes through Jackson, Wy,
skipping Yellowstone. But then again, that leaves a challenge for the
next trip! That trip is just 4 days away. I will restart the blog on
Sunday, May 18th.

Day 5, Leg 1, Pendleton to Wasco,OR

2008-05-13T11:50:00.001-05:00

Pendleton is a lovely little town, nestled into a rolling valley.
After a confortable night, we get our usual 7:15 start. It is cooll
but no more so than a Chicago spring morning. It is 45 promising 65
later today. Ironically, next friday they are expecting record, 95
deg., temperatures.
We take 84 north and northwest. At first it is the usual interstate.
Then, when it hits the Colombia river it turns into a terrific scenic
byway. It follows along the beautiful Colombia river gorge where the
green covered slopes tumble down to the water. Beautiful. The bridge
to 97 North is out so we are proceeding westward. We will cross into
washington at The Dalles Dam and proceed north toward Mt. Rainier
(which will circumvent).
REL:15

Day 4, Leg 5?, Boise to Pendleton,OR

2008-05-12T22:15:00.001-05:00

The weather improved as we hit Boise. We actually took off some layers
for the first time. Bright sun but the key word was windy. We took the
interstate (82) to Pendleton, Oregon. We were going to go north
through Idaho but changed our plan out of redpect for the weather.
82 from Boise to the Oregon state line is just OK. The fight against
the wind at highway speeds was brutal. 82 in Oregon, on the other
hand is beautiful. Farmland with mountains in the background. The road
itself runs over two passes and the Blue Mountains. The foothils are
steeply chiseled to the edge of the road and the angles cast the
continuos felt like ground cover into a hundred shades of green. When
not climbing and descending in tight motorcycle, friendly twisties,
the road follows a number of rivers; its curves tight up against the
lazy bends in the water. A very pleasant ride. Tomorrow the end run to
Seattle.
[REL:15]

Day 4,Leg 4, boise, Mile:210

2008-05-12T14:29:00.001-05:00

Another great ride over US20 to finish in Boise. Back to blue sky with
fair weather (hah) clouds. No precip. Great mountains and lots of
twisties some with 15 mph wind gusts added at no additional cost!
Now we turn NW to Pendleton Oregon.
[REL:7]

Day 4, Leg 2, Arco to Fairfiled;Mile 153

2008-05-12T12:43:00.001-05:00

A spectacularly cold (35-45) ride through spectacularly beautiful
country. We passed Crater of the Moon National Monument and stopped
for a photo of this bizarre surface feature. Mountains (with snow)
surround us and in fact just after Sun Valley (we didn't stop to ski)
a squall crossed our rode. Amazing how quickly blue sky turned dark.
We pointed the bikes toward the next patch of blue and rode through
it. The road stayed dry. Now to Boise.
REL::19]

Day 4, Leg 1, Idaho Falls to Arco:: Mile:60

2008-05-12T10:24:00.001-05:00

Back on the bikes! Idaho Falls was disappointing. Cold, threatening
clouds and an overnight rain. This morning it's cold, no more than 40
in town, dropping to 35 in the open.
Speaking of the open, we are riding out of IF into the high plains of
ID. We are at about 5000 ft. The scenery is as spectacular as it is
cold. Flat plain with scattered buttes and vast snow covered mountain
ranges to the north. The sky is now crystal blue (after the snow
squall coming out of IF. We passed the Idaho National Lab (Nuke stuff)
and the site of the EBR-1 (the first breeder reactor), very safe in
the middle of nowhere here. It is now a museum. Very appropriate that
the XRAY bike passes by.
[REL:7]

Day 3, Truckin Dubois to Jackson

2008-05-11T18:04:00.001-05:00

After stopping for gas in Dubois (I now remember why we ride bikes;
the truck is gulping very expensive gas), we head up into the
mountains through the shoshone national forest. Sculpted red rock
ravines yield to snow covered tree line peaks. The weather is still
holding the pass is eminently ridable, though there is a disconcerting
amount of snow (snowmobilers) in the woods. The road is dry and clear.
We cross the continental divide but the sign is covered by snow so no
picture :-(. The pass peaks at 9658 feet. The grades are about 6% up
and the same down; easy for truck and bikes. Now we are in Jackson,
then an hour more to ID Falls.
[REL:7]

Day 3, Casper to Jackson

2008-05-11T17:57:00.001-05:00

The day continues beautiful. The drive is fantastic. We are going to
get across as fast as possible to get back on the bikes. That means
Casper to Jackson to Idaho Falls. Casper west to Shoshone is dry and
brown with sculpted washes and some stone formations. In the far
distance mountains. At Shoshoni, we head south, then northwest, to
Dubois (pronounced as English not French). We pass throygh the Wind
River Reservation following the Wind River for quite some miles. It
has brief segments of beautiful shallow rapids that look tempting for
dip until you notice the small snowbanks that remain even now in May.
[REL:5]

Day 3, Truckin to Casper

2008-05-11T17:46:00.001-05:00

Well, it turns out they day is perfect for biking. We are still
nervous about what lies ahead. It started out at 40 degrees but by
noon was over 70. The drive to casper was beautiful and uneventful.
Casper is a very nice town of about 50000. We stopped to look for some
heavier riding gear. Found a huge camping/hunting/ store. Some good
gear but not what we're looking for. Onward. [REL:4]

Day 3: The Truck: Chadron to Idaho Falls

2008-05-11T17:38:00.001-05:00

After the snowfall Saturday morning in Chadron, NE, and a sketchy
foredast, we decided not to risk riding over the mountains. We rented
a truck to truck the bikes over the mountains. Luckily, there was a
UHaul with one 10' truck in Chadron. Of course, that meant we needed a
ramp. As luck would have it, we found a Honda dealer in town. He had a
wooden ramp in front for loading/unloading bikes from trucks. But
would we find a ramp in Idaho Falls? The place was already closed. Lo
and behold the owner sees us and comes out to see what's wrong. He
sells us a nice, aluminum, 7' ramp to take with us (more on the ramp
later). Of course, this means we need ratcheting tie-downs, so on to
Walmart. Loading the bikes was only mildly eventful. I have
experience with my Dad's trailer. So at 6 AM Sunday morning we left
Chadron, headed for Casper and the west. [REL:15]

Day 2, No Legs. Chadron, NE: Mile:860

2008-05-10T15:15:00.003-05:00

We have met the enemy and it is "SNOW". We persevered through freezing cold into Chadron, in far west Nebraska. Waking up late it was still snowing. Tomorrow, they are predicting 70 degrees! Crazy. The moutains to the west (Yellowstone and Grand Teton) do not look good, however. We are, therefore, changing plans. We are going to rent a truck and drive to Idaho Falls, Idaho. We'll pack the truck today and drive tomorrow. Then Idaho Falls to Boise to Oregon to Seattle. We should still make it by Tuesday evening; check back for updates.
For those with pledges on the line, we will NOT count truck miles toward the pledge.
Oh, yeah, about that embarrassing episode. Nothing as exotic as a ticket for speeding. I just ran out of gas. Strange, as it was way below my expected tank range. Maybe bad gas, though Alex wasn't affected. Anyhow, Alex rode and found a good samaritan who drove out and filled my tank. Even with gas prices where they are, he wouldn't accept payment. That is the America we all love but often don't know.
We go now to get the truck.
[REL:15]

Day 1, Leg 7, valentine NE:Mile:721.6

2008-05-09T23:36:00.001-05:00

We made great progress through the evening. Now to rest.

Day 1, Leg 6, O'Neill, NE: Mile:641

2008-05-09T21:04:00.001-05:00

A beautiful ride into evening. The sun poked through a few clouds
gloriouslky highlighting them. Nebraska is actually hillier than Iowa
and I note the elevation climbing to around 2000 ft. [REL:7]

Day 1, Leg 5, Jackson, NE: Mile: 496.4

2008-05-09T18:53:00.001-05:00

We have entered the breadbasket. Nebraska. Looks a lot like Iowa.
Farms and fields as far as the eye can see. Still not too cold.
Threatening clouds appear but then back off as we advance. [REL:5]

Day 1, Leg 4, Rockville City, IA: Mile:391.1

2008-05-09T16:53:00.001-05:00

We're making good progress to western Iowa. One embarassing episode
(that I won't post here) cost us 30 minutes or so...onward to recoup
our loss. [REL:22]

Still in Evansville

2008-05-09T14:10:00.001-05:00

[REL:15]

Day 1, Leg 3, Evansville,IA, Mile:261

2008-05-09T14:03:00.001-05:00

Well, finally, the sun makes an appearance. A lovely ride across the
Mississippi and through one sun lit farm after another. Now, as we
stop for gasd, the clouds gather. We will make our run.

Day 1, Segment 2 , Stockton, IL, Mile: 133.9

2008-05-09T11:48:00.001-05:00

The sky remains stubbornly overcast and a chil persists. We made good
time just about reaching Galena on our first tankful. Now across the
Mississippi. [REL:12].

Day 1, Leg 1, Mile: 0; Des Plaines Oasis, Des Plaines, IL

2008-05-09T08:16:00.001-05:00

The sky is covered with high thin clouds. It is cool, probably high
50's yet not to the point of the heavy gear. A good day for many
miles. [Rel:9]

Day -1, Preparations finished

2008-05-08T08:49:00.006-05:00

We leave tomorrow. The mission is defined: Chicago to Seattle, arriving in time for start of the SiiM meeting on Weds, May 14. The rough plan for the outbound ride is to ride US 20 straight across Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska to Casper, Wyoming. Casper northwest to Yellowstone, then 20 across lower Idaho to Boise. From Boise, we go north on ID 95 to Lewiston, Idaho. Lewiston to Clarkston, WA then across the lower tier of Washington to Mount Rainier, then north to Seattle.
View Larger Map
There are DOT interactive maps and web cams for Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington. Also, you can check out Safe Travel USA. If you catch us on a web cam let us know.

3rd Annual Ride-to-SiiM About to Start!

2008-05-01T11:26:00.004-05:00

You may have heard about the Ride to SIIM (now in its third year), an exciting and fun cross country motorcycle trek from Chicago to the SIIM Annual Meeting. You can read about the first ride to Austin in 2006, here. This year, you can participate by making a pledge to help us raise money for the SIIM Research Grant Fund. We’re looking for as many per-mile pledges as we can find! Since we estimate the round-trip from Chicago at over 4,000 miles, a 1-penny-permile
pledge will translate into a $40 tax deductible donation to SIIM. Ten cents a mile will raise $400. A onedollar- a-mile pledge will not only get you a $4,000 tax deduction but also an autographed glossy photograph (and DICOM image file) of you sitting on one of the motorcycles, surrounded by the riders. Send pledges by email to SIIM at grants@siimweb.org. Please be sure to send complete contact information with your pledge; SIIM will contact you after the ride to make arrangements for payment and to get you your tax letter. Contributions to the SIIM Grant Program, a 501c(3) organization, are taxdeductible to the fullest extent allowable by law.

Photo Test 2

2008-04-11T11:53:00.002-05:00

Just a test of image delivery from the road...(Sunrise over Atlantic, Florida)