“The sea was angry that day, my friends – like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli” – George Constanza. Seinfeld S5 E14

The sky was angry the day we left Calgary, dear readers, like a British Columbia woman arguing with Sasa over a parking spot in front of a supermarket (little anecdote from day 1). But it was all blue and clear the morning we left Missoula.

We rolled out of Missoula a little later than planned—just after 11 a.m.—as Sasa needed time to finish up yesterday’s blog post. Navigating our way out of town was a bit tricky, with a few wrong turns and some extra sightseeing we hadn’t planned on. But once we hit the Lolo Highway, it was all worth it.

Highway 12, also known as Lolo Pass, was a rider’s dream. The road twisted and turned through the mountains, each curve better than the last. It felt like the kind of road that was made for bikes: smooth, winding, and just technical enough to keep things interesting. We could feel the asphalt as we leaned into each bend, the sun warming our backs and the mountains rising around us.

We stopped at Lolo Hot Springs for a quick coffee, just long enough to soak in the scenery. The weather was perfect—warm and sunny, a great day to be on the road.

Back on the bikes, we rode for hours, enjoying every mile of that endless, curvy highway. At some point, I stopped for photos with Zoran, which delayed us. Sasa was way ahead of us when he stopped at a road construction site, a worker told him: “Did you know that there was a bad motorcycle accident a few miles back?” He got very worried and rode back very fast to find us. He was very relieved when he saw us riding in the opposite direction.

By the time we pulled into Kooskia around 3 p.m., we were ready for a break. We found a nice little café and took a fellow rider’s advice to try the beef stew. It was spot on—just the kind of hearty meal we needed. We topped it off with some strong espresso, feeling recharged and ready to hit the road again.

The landscape out of kooskia changed dramatically. We were no longer in a twisty road but climbing to a desertic plateau, just farms and a tar manufacturing operation. Then we connected to another highway that would lead us to Boise.

The last 3 hours of riding before getting to Boise was through a beautiful canyon (Salmon Ruver Canyon), we witnessed really cool landscapes despite the temperature being about 30 degrees. We did a last stop for gas and hydration at Riggins. I met a gorgeous girl at the gas station and after a quick chat we said goodbye and continued south on highway 95.

Heading south, the weather started to change. Smoke from wildfires in the area turned the sky hazy, giving everything a surreal, almost otherworldly vibe. The sun was barely visible through the thick air, but we kept pushing toward Boise, determined to make it before dark.

The last stretch threw us a curveball: road construction that slowed us to a crawl for the last 60 miles. We sat there at times, engines idling, as the minutes ticked by. It was a change to an otherwise smooth ride, but we finally made it to Boise just as the last daylight got extinguished.

After checking into our hotel downtown, we hit the streets and found an amazing Mexican restaurant called ‘Coa de Lima’ which is Spanish for ‘I have no idea what the heck that means’.

Dinner was exactly what we needed—a great meal to wrap up a long day and a fantastic week of riding with these 2 fine gentlemen. We toasted to an amazing week together, Zoran and Sasa will continue heading west tomorrow,  going to Oregon,  while I’ll start heading back to Calgary. My playtime is over, at least for now.

We ended the night at a local bar, talking and laughing over a few beers and looking back on the events of the last week. This was an epic trip that will live in our memories forever. This is what life is about, making great memories with great friends.

I learned a lot this week.  I learned about myself and I learned from my two friends, I learned from their wisdom, generosity and character. I’m not only a better rider thanks to them but I’m also a better person. I’m grateful for that and I’m looking forward to our next adventure together.  Cheers!