Big Sky - Working on the Railroad Rally 2015

I think it was sometime in January when I saw a post about the Big Sky Rally and since the rally was going to be in Montana and neighboring states it took me all but 30 seconds to sign up. I have been wanting to ride in this part of the country for a long time and here was my opportunity. You can read about my road trip to and from Montana on the page called "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". This page is dedicated to the rally. The Big Sky Rally, which was named Working on the Railroad this year, is organized and hosted by Robert (Bob) and Sylvie Torter. They live in Big Sky and are avid motorcyclist and long distance riders. Now that I have met them and spent some time with them I consider them rider friends and they are awesome folks! I know first hand (again, read my other page). I arrived in Big Sky Thursday August 6 in the late afternoon and was immediately greeted by my rider friend Bruce Jansen from

We have arrived

Connecticut with a big hug and a smile. He had arrived a few hours earlier. I then met Bob Torter and a bunch of other great people. After I unpacked the bike, got checked in to the room and did a quick change of clothes it was time for the pig roast. Bruce waited for me and we walked over together. Let me tell you - there were some hungry rally riders there. The pig was almost "naked" by the time Bruce and I got there but there was still enough meat and tasty side dishes for us to enjoy. While loading my plate I saw a familiar face and was greeted by Dan Simmonds. I know I have mentioned it before but will do it again. It is funny how you sort of "know" folks from social media thanks to long distance riding and rallies and then you actually get to meet them in person. It's not even like putting a face to a name but more like getting to meet the real person in the real flesh. The pig roast was great. I spoke to a few other riders, like David Walls and Eric Lipps who rode the 2015 Iron Butt Rally. I met Chuck Hickey and his wife Lorraine and their famous dog Amos. Marc Beaulac and his wife Dee. And Cletha and Eric whom I know from before already. Most of the evening I spent talking with Bruce. Little did I know then that I will cherish those hours with him... Friday was spent with rally preparations. Check in, registration, paper work, tech inspection, odometer test ride, SPOT registration (I had a heck of a time to get my SPOT to register on the group page and want to give shout out to Jason Jonas who got me all straightened out!) and of course - riders meeting and the distribution of the rally book. The theme of the rally was Working on the Railroad. It turned out that the rally book was several packs of index cards with different bonus locations, point values and GPS coordinates and then there were the train stations. The concept of the rally was that you had four carts that you could use to pick up cargo. The cargo was either timber, ore, grain or live stock and then you had to deliver the cargo to a station. The kicker was that you could pick any station for any of the cargo because each station had a different multiplier value depending on the cargo you were dropping off. Say what?? I am not good at analyzing things like what cargo provides best point value and what station based on the bonus value and the multiplier. Yeah, did I loose your right there? Hah! Trust me. This really threw me a curve ball. Thank goodness for the GPX file that was sent by email! Jeff Earls, the master mind behind the rally concept threw us a bone - for a deduction of 3,000 points you could buy an extra cart. For an additional 5,000 point deduction you could buy one more cart. Essentially you could have four, five or six carts to load cargo in. It was required that you would tell the staff person doing your odometer check Saturday morning if you were buying additional carts. There were lots of questions during the riders meeting and I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one scratching my head ever so lightly. After chatting with a few other riders like Tyler Zimmerman and Nancy Lefcourt I realized how glad I was that I was entered in the New to Sport class. These folks mean serious business.

Rally shirt and rally cards

Once we were released from claws of the rally master it was time for route planning before dinner. I was watching all the serious looks from fellow rally riders and realized that I was probably going to be the only one who took this approach... I simply decided to pick a route based on where I wanted to ride, what I wanted to see and enjoy myself. And great if I got to visit some bonus locations along the way, find a station to drop my cargo and hopefully score some points. I can admit, I was in it to enjoy it and had no intentions to go nuts over routing. Did I mention I really do suck at routing? So long story short - I went to my room, loaded the GPX file on to my routing program, pulled up Google Maps, opened my road Atlas and started picking locations in areas where I wanted to visit. Had to take a break when it was time for dinner and another riders meeting where the rally flags were distributed. My number: 28. Then it was back to rally routing. I thought and I sighed and I planned. Finally I had a route I felt I could manage. It was not a point buster by any means but it met the minimum requirements for being a finisher in the New to Sport class. I checked in with Dan to see how his routing was going. He had a very ambitious route. Did I mention this was his first rally? And he had entered the Open Class (experienced rally riders). You go Dan! I checked in with Bruce and he was almost done with routing but his computer decided to not recognize his GPS and he was entering all his bonus locations manually. That is not fun. I went to see Bruce and we talked about our routes. He showed me his. He was going for the one special delivery which was all the way in Minot, ND. You had to pick up a load from the air force base there and deliver it to another air force base. The kicker was that you could not have any other cargo in your carts. This bonus was worth a lot of points but it also required a lot of miles and saddle time. The minimum required miles for the open class as a qualifier was 1,400. I was not ready for that kind of mileage, mostly because I had done 2,600+ miles to get to Montana and had a 2,400+ miles ride back home. Yeah I know, I guess I'm not a true Ironbutt he he he. Bruce was keeping his room for Saturday night as he was having family come to visit so I dropped off a bag of clothes I would not need during the rally in his room and my camping gear. We spoke for awhile before it was time for me to retire to my room, load my route on to the GPS and hopefully catch some sleep. Hah, who was I kidding, it is nearly impossible to sleep well and much the night before a rally. The alarm clock sounded at 2.30 am and I can admit that the two hours of sleep that I managed was were heavenly. The bed was soooo comfortable that I literally had to kick myself out of bed. Once I was up and moving the adrenaline kicked in. It was time to ride the rally I had rode all the way to Montana for! We had been instructed to start moving our bikes for the line up by 3 am and we had to be next to our bikes at 3.30 am for the odometer check. You don't want to mess with Warchild (Dale Wilson) in those early morning hours! Got the bike packed, everything ready, in position and I was parked next to Bruce. We chatted about the rally, our planned routes and the weather. Radar was showing rain for a period of time and it had just started to mist.

3:50 am - ready to roll

Bruce showed me the different hats he had -  one he wore when golfing and it rains and floppy hat for sun. He showed me his water proof golf gloves and told me how great they are for rallies if it rains. I should get a pair. We joked about some things. Bruce tested out his "Hammystick" - which is a cool holder gizmo for the rally flag. Suddenly it was 3.30 am and the odometer check and after that we got our "lunch bags" with snacks. Before I knew it the time was 3.55 pm and we were minutes away from rolling out and start the rally. As we were given the signal to start the bikes, Bruce smiled, waved to me and said "have fun kiddo". I wish I had jumped across the bike and hugged him...

Sunrise on the prairie

It is wild to roll out at the start of the rally and have some 60+ bikes all go the same direction to start with. It is pitch dark out and all you see are the head lights and tail lights - bikes ahead of you and behind you. It was raining. Who cares. I had my rain gear on. A large part of the group was riding the same direction for about 40 minutes or so - literally you can only go north or south from Big Sky when you leave so there was not much other option. As soon as we were close to Bozeman the pack split up. I was heading to my first bonus location which was Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine. A little off the beaten path and a bit of distance to go but I wanted to get some time in the saddle and settle in to my rhythm. The ride to the first bonus was smooth, no traffic and I got to ride an awesome scenic byway there once I got off the highway. I even met a real cowboy on his horse and with his dog. I almost stopped him to ask if I could have a photo with him. And he was handsome too! My next destination was in Missoula at the live stock exchange. This was one of the few bonus locations where I would see

another rally rider. After that I headed north towards Columbia Falls and White Fish, still in Montana, where I picked up a few timber yards for bonus locations. The weather was gorgeous. Sunny and mid 70's. Could not ask for better riding weather. In Whitefish the local fire department was doing a boot drop where they collect money. Talk about a small world - the fire man holding out the boot to me (yes, I donated!) grew up in Vermont but has lived in Whitefish for 20 years. Once out of Whitefish I was rolling towards British Columbia, Canada. At a gas stop I ran in to a guy from California who had been on the road for over month, riding his Super Tenere on off road trails all over. We chatted for a while. He was impressed that I had rode from Vermont to participate in the rally and he also knew of the Iron Butt Association. The border crossing in to Canada was quick and painless and I was moving towards Cranbrook. The scenery is spectacular! The mountains are tall and huge and amazing. Such a beautiful part of Canada. I was enjoying the ride and Blue (yes, not Blackie... see the page called Something Old...) was purring
along. He really likes mountain roads! I found my first station to unload the cargo in Cranbrook. Then it was off to the Kimberly Underground Mining Railway. As I was turning in to this location three riders came out. I could tell they were rally participants. We waved. (Turns out it was Timothy, John and Tim. I think they are from Arizona). Got the required photo and headed south. Just as I was coming through town, I lifted my helmet visor to look at the GPS and guess what - I got stung by a hornet, three times! Seriously??? You were not happy with one sting, you had to do it three times!!! It hurt like the dickens and very quickly my face had a burning feeling. Oh well, motor on. As I was riding along I could feel my face starting to swell and I was getting concerned that my right eye may close up. That would be bad as I see poorly out of my left eye once it gets dark. I decided to skip two bonus locations in order to make sure I would have plenty of time to get to the hotel I was going to take my rest bonus at. Had a an awesome ride through the country

Cruising down Kootenay Pass

side with the mountains all around me and got to ride over Kootenay Pass. No traffic and freshly paved It was fantastic! The decent down with the sweeping road and amazing views was a definite highlight. The border crossing back to the States was a little more involved than when I came in to Canada. I was feeling a little tired, bothered by the hornets sting and a few times I had trouble answering the border patrol agent (where are you heading next, where are you going after that, where will you spend the night). I must have seemed a little weird as I was second guessing my own answers. The only thing I can say is that I wasn't prepared for all the questions and I was tired and I'm guessing they thought it was strange that I had only been in Canada for a few hours but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the first time they have encountered it. I was free to move about and continued my ride. The next bonus location was the mine in Metaline Falls. I arrived right as one shift was ending and the next one starting. A lot of guys coming and going to and from their vehicles. Some of them looked at me in a way that I'm positive they were wondering what a girl on a motorcycle was doing in the parking lot at the mine, taking photos! I'm glad no security guard came. The ride continued through some nice areas with beautiful scenery and great roads for riding. I saw the smoke from some of the ongoing wildfires. That is so sad. It has been burning for quite some time and has burnt a lot of the forest. It is pushing the wildlife down in to the valleys. I continued on and grabbed another bonus location on my way to Spokane which was where my

Sunrise Mine Memorial

next station was located to drop off cargo. I arrived to the station after dark and it was a bit of a challenge to get a good photo of the building but luckily there was just about enough light in the parking lot that you could tell what I took a photo of. One more bonus location - a memorial in Kellogg, Idaho, for the second largest mine accident in US history, and then time for the rest bonus in St. Regis. By now my eye was really bothering me and the right side of my face was swollen. Good thing I'm not allergic to bees and hornets! Of course the stupid GPS was sending me around in circles to find the hotel when it was actually sort of right off the exit of the interstate. Sometimes I think is is better to just turn the darn thing off and look around! The rest bonus was a god sent and I actually slept for a few hours. Trust me, with the hornet sting I needed some rest. When I woke up my face was more swollen. I put some ice on it before heading back out on the road. I think the GPS actually had some kind of a identity crisis because it sent me looking for the next bonus in a completely different town and I think because it was still early enough in the morning and I hadn't had my coffee I didn't realize this until it was too late, about 20 miles past where the bonus was. It

wasn't worth a whole lot of points so I didn't turn around. I got the next two bonuses which were lumber yards and then the Montana livestock auction. After that I headed in to Butte for another mine bonus and then a station to unload cargo. Now I was on the home stretch. Only five more bonus locations left for pick up and then the final station to unload. More lumber yards, another mine and a talc plant, which was my last bonus location. It was during this stop that I received the sad and heartbreaking news that Bruce had passed away in an accident on Saturday

My last station for unloading cargo

afternoon during the rally. I could not, I did not want to believe it. It was not possible! I sat down next to Blue and just cried. I sat there for a good half hour in chock and total disbelief. It was only 30 hours previously that Bruce and I stood next to each other by our bikes talking and laughing! Needless to say, the rest of my ride back to rally head quarters, including my last station for unloading my cargo was very very subdued with lots of tears. It will be a part of the rally that I will never forget. At 1:45 pm I pulled in to the hotel parking lot at Big Sky Resort and got my odometer reading. My Working on the Railroad rally had come to an end. It was emotional for many reasons and I was trying to not cry. The right side of my face looked like I had been in a fight, it was so swollen by now. Thankfully kind people offered Benedryl and cortisone cream. I held off the Benedryl as I knew it would make go to sleep but the cortisone cream helped a little. And Tobie Stevens, photographer extraordinaire insisted on taking a photo. I guess its not every day you have a rider who looks like she had been in a bar fight! After a little running around and getting checked in to my room and settled I went to see Ira Agins to of officially stop the clock for my rally time. Once you had checked in with Ira you had one hour to get ready for scoring so back to the room to check all photos, check all the bonus cards, put them in order and get ready for scoring. I can tell you than an hour goes really fast and before I knew it I had about five minutes left before I had to present myself for scoring. Talk about having to hustle and I almost missed the deadline because there were no available elevators! I made it to the scoring checking by one minute - yes folks, one minute! Nothing like cutting it close! I was scored by Warchild (Dale Wilson) and it was actually a pleasant experience. We talked about the ride itself and I told him my whole philosophy of picking a route based on areas I wanted to see and ride and with no demand on myself to try and score high to make podium placement. We all ride for different reasons. My final score was 12,342 points and 1,310 miles - and I didn't come in last... The dinner and awards were held after everyone had been scored. There were some great stories told and not to mention some of the high point values and high mileage. I don't know how they do it! The winner for the New to Sport Class was Kevin Edwards and for the Open Class Jim Owen claimed first place. My friend Nancy scored a 10th place in the Open Class (highest placed woman by the way!) and my new rider friend Tyler Zimerman took 7th place. It was great to see his reaction! It was mentioned that a few riders had been injured and respect was paid to Bruce's passing. I cried. I know that not many at this rally knew Bruce. I only wish they would have been given the opportunity to get to know him. He was one of the good ones. Once dinner was over I was headed for bed and needed to take that Benedryl in order to hopefully have the swelling go down and be ready for my ride back home the next day. I said my good byes to all the good folks (so many nice people at this rally!) and not long thereafter my head hit the pillow. Slept like a baby (did I mention how incredibly comfortable those beds are?) and woke up feeling rested.

The sun was rising over the mountain which made it look like it was on fire. As I enjoyed my cup of coffee I reflected on so much. My journey to get to Big Sky, the generosity of good people, how fragile life is, sadness and sorrow, joy and happiness, how beautiful life is, the rally, my love and passion for riding, Bruce, friends, family, how blessed I am to be surrounded by so much good in life. One of the reasons I signed up for the Big Sky Rally was because of the location and where I would be able to ride. It did not disappoint. My route gave me the opportunity to ride in some beautiful areas. Before and after the rally I met some great people and made new friends. I want to thank everyone who had a part in making this rally a success. It has been a totally amazing experience and even with the sadness that got mixed in, my memories from this rally are happy and I am so glad I was able to come and be part of it all. I am dedicating this write up to Bruce Jansen. He graced this earth far too short but he lived life at its fullest and I will not forget the care and kindness he shared, the humor, the twinkle in his eye and his smile. He was a good person and will be greatly missed. I am thankful and honored that I got to be small part of his life. Ride On Bruce - Ride On!

Bruce - Ride On my friend!