Picto Diary - 25 to 28 June 2022 - The John Galt Riders

25 June 2022. Rode, mostly by I-84, 243 miles from Portland, OR to Walla Walla, WA. Experienced heat for the first time on this ride: 95 degrees. The ride wasn't long and the sights... the cliffs, the dams... were interesting along the Columbia River Gorge.

Above: Bacon and Eggs. Walla Walla, WA. 26 June 2022.

Out and about on the 'Wings.

In Walla Walla I'm a house guest of John Galt and Dagny Taggart, friends met while motorcycle riding in Patagonia ten years ago. This AM, I enjoyed their daily ROMEO experience over breakfast at Bacon and Eggs, one of two fabulous, go-to breakfast spots in Walla Walla (The other breakfast spot, Maple Counter).

Tom, Farmer and farm developer: small farms are getting bought up by corporations.

Herman, land consultant: At the auction for a large piece of eastern Washington agricultural property last week. Five bidders including Bill Gates and the LDS Church, were offered (I don't quite understand the rules) to bid a premium over the otherwise winning bid. Three of the five bidders walked. The LDS Church offered a three percent premium and the Gates representative walked.

We've been reading in recent weeks about Gates' foray into ag property. Less well known is the widespread LDS agricultural presence in the United States. I had previously learned from my irrigation equipment (Zimmatic) salesman friend, Wyatt Earp, that the LDS Church was the number one customer of Valley manufactured pivot systems in the world. I learned from another friend, Utah rancher, The Monk, that the LDS Church was John Deere's largest customer.

Above: Boggan's Oasis on the Grand Ronde River, Asotin County, Washington. 26 June 2022

Out and about on the 'Wing.

The John Galt Riders, pictured here with their motorcycles, are halfway around a 240-mile loop, clockwise from Walla Walla, via US 12 to Clarkston, WA, then south via motorcycle acclaimed Rattle Snake grade to lunch at Enterprise, OR. Return, westbound to Walla Walla is through Elgin, OR and Milton Freewater, OR.

Above: John Galt Rider silver belt buckle.

There are only three members (only three silver belt buckles) of The John Galt Riders: John Galt, Wyatt Earp and Bishop. Today, Wyatt Earp's wife, Josephine rode pillion on Earp's BMW R1200 GS. Bishop and Galt both rode late model 'Wings.

Rattlesnake Grade is a 2500-foot vertical descent to the Grande Ronde River and then up again, 2500 feet to either the Washington side or the Oregon side depending on which way you are going. We were headed southbound, from Washington (WA SR 129) to Oregon (OR SR 3). Rattlesnake grade has more second gear hairpin turns than you can count. The road is isolated so not much traffic. The entire segment from Clarkston to Enterprise is 85 miles. The Rattlesnake Grade section of the ride is about 20 miles.

WA SR 129/OR SR 3 connects Baker City, OR on I-84 with Lewiston, Idaho's "port city" on the Snake River. Lake Wallawa is a go-to outdoor, mountain destination near Enterprise and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (Snake River) is not far to the east of Clarkston and Enterprise. Enterprise was founded in the 1870's by a group of LDS farmers who lived in Sanpete, County, UT. It is prime agricultural area even today.

Above: OR SR 3, Wallowa Mountains, Enterprise, Oregon. 26 June 2022.

Out and about on the 'Wing.

Perfect motorcycle road under today's perfect conditions. Temperature for most of the distance between Clarkston and Enterprise did not exceed eighty degrees.

Above: Pot Roast. Perkins Restaurant. Burley, ID. 27 June 2022.

Out and about (hot!) on the 'Wing.

Perkins Restaurant is attached to Burley Inn, where I spent the night.

Welcome deplorable meal after grueling, slab, 410-mile riding day, Walla Walla, WA to Burley, ID, on I-84. Peak temperature reached 104 degrees near Mountain Home, ID.

Above: Burley Inn. Burley, ID. 28 June 2022.

Out and about on the 'Wing.

Burley Inn, where I stayed last evening, has been a favorite stop, almost a second home, for twenty-four years on my motorcycle trips to the northwest.

During 1998 I had purchased a BMW R1100 GS motorcycle from Iron Horse Motorcycles, Tucson, AZ. By the time I had ridden the bike to Park City it was ready for its 600-mile check-up. I made a cold call to BMW Motorcycles of Salt Lake to schedule a service appointment. The guy on the other end of the phone told me there were no time slots for service available for three months. "Take your bike to Boise for service," he said. I knew that I couldn't change any minds over the phone. I would have to approach building a relationship with BMW of Salt Lake at a later date.

Meanwhile, I thought, "well, why not ride the three hundred fifty miles from Park City to Boise?" I had a new bike. I had never been to Boise. I immediately scheduled a service appointment a couple of days out at Big Twin Motorcycles in Boise. On the ride up I-84, I ran into a "UGE" downpour 20 miles beyond Snowville, UT, just after crossing the Idaho state line. Inexperienced motorcycle traveler as I was in those days, I was unprepared for the rain. I was soaked through and through. I made it another thirty miles to Burley where I decided to truncate my plans to ride directly to Boise. I'd stay at the Burley Inn, dry off and ride to Boise, early the next AM. I didn't have a reservation, but The Burley Inn had an available room.

Burley Inn has a beautiful courtyard with a pool, a bar, and an attached Perkins restaurant. Twenty-four years after my first visit, the motel is a bit dated with smaller rooms, but it remains a great place to stay. Burly Inn is another example in my life of the efficacy of serendipity. Only in the last two or three years did I find out that Burley Inn is owned by friend, Park Avenue.

I've been thinking that Burley Inn would be a good base camp for skiing some of the ma and pa, southern Idaho ski resorts like Pomerelle or Magic Mountain.

Above: Maddox Restaurant, Perry, UT. 28 June 2022.

Out and about on the 'Wing.

Maddox: a lunch stop always worth your while if you are in the Brigham City area. Maddox is probably Utah's most famous restaurant. The restaurant was a bit too easy to get into today at noon. I'm thinking that economic pressures on Maddox' mostly deplorable, middle-class clientele are keeping some people home.

I ordered hamburger steak with onions, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. You won't find a better run restaurant. Servers are friendly, competent, and very efficient, which means the kitchen is well run too. In 70 years of being open for business you learn a thing or two about how to make and serve food.

Above: Libertas fund raising dinner. Holladay, UT. 28 June 2022.

Above: Daggett, Kenworth, Mike and Bishop. Libertas fund raising dinner Holladay, UT. 28 June 2022.

Image by 'Cake.

Parting note: Last week's 2250-mile motorcycle ride was also a tale of three cities. Ashland, OR, struggling to regain economic footing as Shakespeare festival seems to be holding on to pandemic myths and (what?) dissing Shakespeare; Portland, OR, a seeming victim of split personality, where purple hair, fluid genders and millennials wearing masks outdoors co-exist with Morton's steak house and eager, liter cleaning volunteers; Walla Walla, WA, firing on all eight as onions and viticulture fuel a vibrant downtown wine and foodie culture.

Addendum:

Steve: for what it is worth I was SBOO when we finally “won” the Brenn-Taylor case…………
Jerry,
Bangaluru, Karnataka