2006 BMW RA Rally - The MAC-PAC Adventure

better known as one of Jim's, Peter X's, Anton's, and Meredith's excellent adventures


by Jim Robinson, July 2006

This is a basic trip log from the journey's of four MAC-PAC members who set out to the 2006 BMW RA Rally in Boise ID July 6-9, 2006. Peter X, Anton, Meredith, and myself all left different times, but had decided to all meet in Colorado before heading up to Boise ID. Peter X came from a friends place in Divide CO, and met me in Vail CO on the morning of July 4 where I was staying with my sister. We headed west about 15-20 miles to Wolcott CO to meet up with Anton and Meredith who were coming from Breckenridge. We met for breakfast at local spot at the intersection of CO 6 and CO 131. After grubbing down on some fine breakfast burrito's we were on our way. We headed north out of Wolcott on CO 131. Just past Oak Creek we headed west on CO 27 (a.k.a. 20 Mile Road). Took CO 27 to US 40 and headed west to Maybell CO. In Maybell we headed west on CO 318 and took this to the CO/UT border. Pictures along CO 318.

Also Vermillion Falls (water/pee) break.

Just crossing over the Utah border the pavment ends.

Anton and I stop to take pictures while Meredith and Peter X continue on. About 1.5 miles up the road we find Peter X's bike on it's side. He lost control in some soft gravel. He damaged the left-side valve cover.

Anton plugs the hole by inserting a BMW round type tire plug and 2 worm type tire plugs into it. He then instructs Peter to duct tape around the hole in the valve cover. Peter got a little carried away, but hey it never leaked. :-)

A few miles further down the road we come across Meredith who had also taken a spill in soft stuff. Anton rides it out of the soft stuff and Meredith celebrates getting dirty.

We all continue on and after 25 miles of riding on UT 192 we finally reach tera firma pavement in Utah. We look back.

Reflecting on what we all have just accomplished we are drawn and amazed at the amount of dirt Meredith has brought with her.

We all stop at a resturant in Dutch John a few miles south on US 191 to collect ourselves and grab a bite to eat. Peter X decides to break off at this point and go straight to BMW of Salt Lake to get the valve cover replaced while Meredith, Anton, and I continue on. We head west on UT 44 around the Flaming Gorge area.

We head west on WY 43 to WY 414 to WY 412 to US 189N to US 30W. Just before the WY/UT border we take UT 30W to head to Bear Lake which is our overnight stop. We decide on the town of Garden City UT. We meet another BMW airhead rider in town by the name of Dave who is also looking for nightly accomodations. He joined us in our lodging for the evening as well as for dinner. Dinner was good but our waitress had her own agenda. She had a hard time listening to us and would just spout off what the specials were and walk away. She also confiscated our BYOB near-beer (Max. 3% in UT) indicating that they could loose their license if it was displayed. It was given back to us when we left. Note to self: Don't bother trying to buy alcohol in UT again. The next morning we said goodbye to Dave and headed north on US 89 towards Idaho. We reach the border.

Heading north on US 89 to US 30W we catch breakfast in a nice old restored hotel/resturant in Soda Springs ID.

We take I-15 north to ID 26W to ID 20W. Some pictures taken of the Buttes along the way.

At the intersection of ID 26 and ID 20 only I put on my scuba gear because of what I thought lied ahead.

It had been spitzing on us for a while and I panicked. We somehow bypassed all the rain and took off the scuba gear a few miles down the road in Arco ID. As we approached Craters of the Moon the pavment ended. I stopped to grab a picture for Peter X who was missing out on this.

Some shots off the roadway just entering the Craters of the Moon area.

At the entrance to Craters of the Moon Meredith kept going on the dirt road. Anton and I stopped and waited for her to return. After about 20 minutes we decided to go into Craters of the Moon without her. We left my bike behind just in case she eventually showed up. Pictures from within Craters of the Moon.

Exiting the park we found Meredith waiting by my bike. We continued west on ID 20 and in Carey ID we saw Peter X at a gas station. He indicated that BMW of Salt Lake changed the valve cover for him and had him on the road within an hour and a half. We continued our journey by heading north on ID 75 past Hailey ID (Home of Bruce Willis), and turned west onto ID 20 in Stanley ID. ID 20 snakes up through the mountains and goes over several passes.

There are some really nice twisties in the section between Stanley and Idaho City, but the road surface was a little rough. We pulled into the BMW RA Rally site just before dark. The first thing to setup was not our tents, but the MAC-PAC banner.

I woke to a beautiful sunrise the next morning.

Later that day we took the bikes to the wash area. Meredith decided that she needed more than the bike washed. She needed her riding suit to be washed too. So why not combine the two.

Our camping area at the rally.

Friday afternoon Anton gave a technical seminar with the topic of an R-bike spline inspection and lube.

This was performed on Meredith's GS with her doing all the work. Ok we helped, but very little. Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes later the transmission was out.

Inspecting the splines they are dry, but in great shape.

After a nice BBQ dinner Friday evening we wondered down to the beer garden and stage area. Meredith posing by a Llama crossing sign on the way there.

There was a belly dancer on stage when we got there.

Saturday Anton and Meredith enter some field events.

I have it on good authority that they cleaned house on the field events. :-) Some bikes on display at the rally.

The closing ceremonies.

Some pictures of where we ate dinner most of the time while at the rally. A nice little sports bar by the end of the fair grounds. They had some good beers on tap too.

Some pictures of the Boise area around the rally.

Sunday we all packed up and headed out. Peter X towards Stanley ID and Meredith to Denver CO by slab. Anton and I opted for a circumnavigation of Idaho to grab some pictures enjoy the scenery. We headed north and west along the Oregon/Idaho border to Hells Canyon.

We spent most of the early day riding all around the canyon area heading up to the Oregon/Washington border.

At some point we crossed over into the Pacific Time Zone.

In an area along OR 3 heading north they set aside an area where even Doug Raymond could speed.

Beginning our downhill crossing into Washinton state on OR 3.

Crossing the border into Washington.

Continued on the Washington side heading north on WA 129.

We continued north along WA 129 to Lewiston WA where we then headed east on US 12 towards Lolo Pass. It got so hot (over 100+) along US 12 at one point that Anton couldn't take it anymore. He parked the bike by a access road leading down to the nearby river and went in for a swim. While down there he also tested the demo riding suit he was wearing for waterproofness. Thank goodness for his wallet it was waterproof. After passing a local Sheriff at above normal speeds we high-tailed it to the Montana/Idaho border. We finally reach the top of Lolo Pass.

At the top of Lolo Pass we crossed back over into Mountain Time Zone, and entered the state of Montana.

We headed south along US 93 just before Missoula MT, and spent the night in Hamilton MT. We rode a total of about 570 miles that day. Monday we continued south along US 93 into Idaho. In Salmon we headed east along ID 28. At some point we crossed the 45th Parallel.

I tried to signal Anton to stop but he didn't see or hear me. Oh well no MAC-PAC banner picture at this sign. We continued south on ID 28 to Mud Lake where we took ID 33 west. This was a scenic but isolated road.

Further along ID 33 we were stopped dead in our tracks by cowboys moving a heard up yonder.

A asked Anton at one point to confirm that Cows and Bulls were color blind. You have to realized that I was on "The Red Baron", and that I wasn't taking any chances. Nearing the Wyoming border looking at the Grand Tetons.

Heading up to Teton Pass we cross into Wyoming.

Overlooking Jackson Hole WY from Teton Pass.

We finished out the day by heading south on US 191 and bolting to Rawlins WY on I-80. A long 600+ mile day was rounded out by a nice meal and a few beers at a local eat'um up joint. Tuesday we headed back to Colorado. When we crossed the border along WY 230 we noticed that the Colorado welcome sign had blown down.

Looking back at Wyoming.

As we headed south towards Silverthorne on CO 14 we passed over the Continental Divide turning onto US 40 east at Muddy Pass.

From Silverthorne Colorado Anton and I headed different directions. Anton rode towards Denver to meet up with Meredith, and I rode to Vail to my sisters. Sorry but there is not much else to show you. I hoped you enjoyed the pictures and the report.