Pacific Northwest (Second Corner!)

Friday, 6/27, I rode from Helena, MT to Clarkston, WA through the Clearwater canyon. Beautiful scenery and 100+ miles of nice smooth winding roads (aka “twisties”). Truly a motorcyclist’s dream. I enjoyed HWY 12 through Clearwater in 2017 going in the opposite direction. It was better this time, from the ascent to Lolo Pass into Idaho and then along the river. The pictures are good but don’t do it justice. I stayed the night in Clarkston, resting up for the long Saturday ahead where I will go diagonally across Washington State. (I road the Cascades last time I was out here). 


Yesterday was a beast and I was beat! So glad today was a rest day. Very thankful. I road from Clarkston to Port Angeles, WA. (Yes I crossed the Puget Sound on the ferry!) Beautiful ride all around… taxing when going through Seattle and Bellevue. The traffic was miserable. 




View of the Olympic Mts on the way to church.


I was good to be with Gail and Doug Wheatley and their family again. The last time I saw them was when I was here in 2017, headed in the other direction. This morning I worshipped at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Port Angeles where Gail is one of their part time interim pastors. The church was warm and welcoming and folks were very gracious.





Following the service, they had a sort of rotation procession around the church asking God for temperate weather and good crops. These prayers are typically done during the Easter season near ascension, but Gail and Doug were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in Scotland, so they did it today.

Following dinner, Gail and I paired up and prayed the litany of supplication like I prayed at the First Corner. It was nice to have a colleague pray it with me.


I can’t begin to describe how wonderful it was to be with Gail and Doug. It doesn’t seem like 8 years, but only minutes. That’s the thing with some true friendships, it only seems to be a short period of time between long absences.

Great deep friendships are often formed via shared experiences during short periods. Gail graduated seminary two years prior to me (she was class of 2005, I was 2007). Other people that I have caught up with were short duration forged friendships that have lasted for many years. Example: Gail and I have known each other 20 years, but only were in person for one! 

Some of Jesus’ closest followers were not “life-long” friends from childhood. It’s hard to think about, but the scriptures don’t talk about Jesus’ childhood friends, but we can assume that he had some. When we think about relationships and how relationships are formed, we realize that something brings us together. For Jesus, it was the ones he called, taught, and empowered to continue his ministry.

Challenge to St. James and Self: Think about your personal and professional relationships (past & present). Ask yourself how you met, how long your were together, and what the quality of your relationship is now. Do you have any close friendships that were forged by only a year are two? Did they have a shared experience?

Helena, MT to Clarkston, WA
Ride: 344 miles

Clarkston, WA to Port Angeles, WA 
Second Corner!
Ride: 430 miles! (Long Day!)










Location: Port Angeles, WA, USA

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This Week!

Big Sky!

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Today’s ride was clear and wonderful! Montana is truly the Big Sky state! The beauty of the colors does not come across in the pictures. I left this morning early and rode from Piedmont, SD to Billings, MT. I am staying with a new friend, the Rev. Gary Waddingham, a retired priest in the diocese of Montana. We were connected by my friend, Bishop Marty Stebbins (Bishop of Montana). I plan to arrive at her house tomorrow. I am grateful for Gary’s hospitality. Gary is cool. He’s an armature radio operator (ham radio). He’s got radio equipment and antenna’s everywhere. 😳 He’s definitely ready for the zombie apocalypse. 🤣 In all seriousness, since I’ve been in the Tennessee State Guard, I’ve developed a lot of respect for this type of hobby that is always an asset in times of disaster. It was a joy to sit and chat with Gary over dinner and talk about church. He’s been a priest for 50 years and is a treasure trove of information.  On the ride today through the tribal lands of the indig...
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Across Montana to Helena

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Today I crossed Montana from Billings (near the Eastern Side) to Helena (near the Western Side). You can definitely understand why Montana is referred to as the “Big Sky” state. The views are spectacular. I road to Helena to be with Bishop Marty Stebbins. Marty and I served together in North Carolina and have been great friends ever since. She was elected Bishop of Montana in 2019 and the See of Montana is in Helena. She invited me to stay with her and her husband, Bob for the night. This morning, in Billings (before the ride) I ate breakfast with Stephen Day who is acting as Interim Canon to the Ordinary (transitions). Stephen and I graduated seminary and was ordained the same year. He attended Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), while I went to Sewanee. We share several collegial acquaintances and friends in common. It was nice to meet Stephen.   About 40 miles out, I stopped for Gas and noticed the snow capped mountains called “The Big Belt” which is part of the Northern Rocky ...
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South Dakota and the Presidents

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Today was a great ride to Piedmont, SD via Mount Rushmore National Monument. The whole day was overcast, but the radar said the rain wasn’t going to start until about 6pm. I covered the luggage anyway - better safe than sorry. The terrain kept changing (see yesterday’s post). Things are so far apart out here. Gas stations are few and far between, so I start looking for gas at about 1/2 tank. Mount Rushmore was fantastic. It has been 42 years since my family took a trip to South Dakota. It was majestic and everything I remembered. I wasn’t able to make it to Crazy Horse, but plan to be back soon. I saw it years ago and I know it’s still under construction. It is also a magnificent structure. I promised myself I wouldn’t do “touristy” things on this pilgrimage. However, you don’t get this close to a national monument like Rushmore and not take the 30 mile trek to see it. Sometimes you got to indulge. It was worth the extra few minutes and didn’t throw off my progress too much. Tonight I ...
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Weekend with Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holiday

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Not really. But, wouldn’t that be pretty cool? I rode yesterday (6/21) (through the horrible cross-wind! 🌬️) to Dodge City, Kansas. Dodge City has a pretty interesting and somewhat sordid past. Most folks know Dodge City by the famous TV western “Gunsmoke” which aired from 1955 to 1975. That’s a long time for Martial Dillon, Ms. Kitty, and Cletus making sure things around these parts were kept respectable.  As I said, the ride to Dodge was 85% fighting the 25-30 mph crosswind gusts that wanted me to change lanes! A bit scary at times, but manageable. It was warm toward the afternoon 95° and a bit dusty, but hey, I’m deep in the west now and expect things like that. This morning I attended worship services at St. Cornelius Episcopal Church (ca. 1898). I walked in expecting Holy Eucharist, but experienced a Rite II Morning Prayer. Supply priests in this part of the country are as rare as they are in East Tennessee. The Morning Prayer service was led by a lay person who just happens ...
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Oklahoma - OK!

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This morning I got up early and loaded the bike and went to breakfast at Starwood Cafe. An alumni acquaintance from Frederick Military Academy saw the post on social media with Mark Monroe yesterday and reached out. His name is Tony Seid. He is a class of 80 graduate (missed each other by a year) and lives in Allen, TX. Tony met Susan and I at Starwood. It was great meeting him in person and I look forward to carrying on the conversation in August at our school reunion. Ken (‘85) with Tony Seid (FMA class of ‘80) After breakfast, I road to Oklahoma! (Warm ride, but dry!) I stopped in Norman, OK for a late lunch with a classmate from FMA, Jesse Nelson. Jesse and I connected in 2017 when he was in San Jose California. He is an Oklahoma University Graduate and moved to Norman a few years ago to be near family connections. It is always great to see Jesse and talk about all the shenanigans we got into when we were at Frederick. He took me on a brief tour around the OU Campus that he is very...
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Into the Longhorn State!

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Yesterday morning (6/16) I headed for Livingston, TX! I left Metairie, LA and traveled west… Around Houston, TX! The trip was wet from Baton Rouge, LA to Livingston. I was soaked! It was also warm, and riding in a rain suit makes it that much warmer! 🥵 Today (6/17) I arrived in Cibolo, TX. I hung out with Kathy Robinson and her daughters Megan and Bridgett. I knew the Robinson family from my time in Maryland. After Kathy’s husband, Mark, died, they moved to Texas to be near family. The past several years, I’ve watched the girls grow up from afar. It was a treat to go to lunch with Kathy’s mom and dad and then be with them. We watched Bridget play volleyball. It was nice to catch up with all of them. Ministry is a difficult vocation. What makes it meaningful is the lives that you get to be part of along the way. To be with folks during their highs and lows, sharing their joys and sorrows, helping them engage their faith to help them navigate life is why I’m a priest. Life is difficult,...
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