This year, on our annual No Frills Rally, we had the honor of helping spread the ashes of Mike Owen, 2wheelsforme on this forum and others. Mike died of of a heart attack halfway through last year's NFR, just as we were saddled up north of Bryce Canyon, heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon that day. Ironically, the spreading of the ashes happened on the anniversary of his death; not planned that way, but the symmetry was meaningful in many ways.
We met Karen, Mike's widow, for the first time in person the night before in Kalispell, MT, and had a wonderful dinner with her, telling tales of the big fella on the various rides we had been on with him; at the initial F6B rally in 2018, in Cortez, CO, and NFR events after that. The next morning, it was off to Glacier, and the Going To The Sun Road. While Karen brought riding gear, (including Mike's leather jacket from when they first met, and which he had, ahem..., grown out of), we talked her into following us in her rental car. Due to construction at the Western entrance, we were going to enter the park through the Eastern entrance, which added 50 miles, and in temps as low as 39 degrees.
Even though it was off season, the park was crowded, as we searched for a spot to return a portion of Mike to the earth, in the mountains and curvy roads he loved so much. As luck would have it, a spot pretty far away from the crowds was found, and an impromptu ceremony was held, with Karen free forming her beautiful words, followed by another spreading by some of Mike's friends. Just the right mixture of good words and good laughs, and I'm sure Mike was looking down and laughing along with us. RIP, Mike!
Mike at Dead Horse Point, UT, two days before his passing last year:
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