Spokane

 Rolling into Spokane the other day I had enough dead insects on the front of Ohms, as to make the front end sluggish when cornering.

This version of Ohms is ready for a 1k service, and on both the Friday and Saturday before I arrived I called the Motor Company Outpost “Lone Wildebeest” to schedule a service appointment. I never did get to talk to the “Service Department”. I only got to speak to Gary, who’s job at the outpost is to answer the phone and say that who you want to talk to will call you back.

The third time I spoke to Gary I was north bound on 195, traveling about 60 mph, with a superior cellular signal. Gary told me he remembered me calling and told me again that the service department would call me back just as soon as they could, but they are terribly busy from sunup to sundown.

I was watching a Coopers Hawk, or it might have been a Ferruginous hawk swoop down on something in the field next to the highway, and that was very interesting, but I told Gary that I have called something like three times now and all I get is nothing, and nothing is not helping to schedule a service appointment but, Gary the voice on the phone is doing a great job of placating potential customers.

Gary said he would look up placating and call me back, but he never did, and I just figured that showing up at service on the next opening would work better than calling, and that is just what I did after parking for the night in the alley, and accumulating tree pollen and dust that all stuck to the bugs.

Sure I Will Call You Back

Since I would not be riding for my stay in Spokane I left Ohms at the outpost for a few days, for a service and a bath. The service manager said he would call me when the job was done, but he never did, I just went and picked up Ohms before they would close for Sunday and Monday.

East bound out of Spokane there is only one road, and it is the dreaded interstate I 90, that for a interstate is not all that bad of a ride, as the traffic is light, with only a few trucks that get right around me.

Besides passing a few small towns I learn that the highway follows the old Milwaukee Railroad route

Abandoned Rail Bridge

.And was the route of the famous Hiawatha passenger train.

The Olympian Hiawatha

Through here the rails are gone, The Milwaukee Road is just another fallen flag.  The old roadbed is a rail to trail that you can ride your bike on.

Turning off the interstate at Saint Regis on highway 135 I discovered a peaceful two-lane highway that follows the Clark Fork river, and is crossed a few times by the tracks of the Montana Rail Link

Montana Rail Link On The Clark Fork

A good day of traveling made better by a train!

Thanks for reading