To Beartooth and back
- Thread starter slowbird
- Start date
slowbird
Well-known member
I appreciate the encouragement :iconbiggrin:
Thanks!
Yeah the military feel in the US is really quite something.
Awesome! Good to hear!
Thanks and thanks!
...and yes I sure did. Heated vest, a long sleeve sweater, and thick snowmobile gloves all came in handy, as did my heated grips.
slowbird
Well-known member
DAY 4: Colorado Springs, Co to Leadville, Co.
So the night before, after staring long and hard at my rear tire I decided, that won't do. It didn't hold up very well to the hot American pavement at 80mph speeds and after these first 3 days it was a bit square. The centre treads were getting close to the wear bars and the tires were well over 3 years old. With the 10 more days ahead of me and the many many KM's on some of the greatest roads this continent has to offer I thought Fudge it! What's better than a road trip? That's right....a road trip with fresh rubber.
Luckily I had original plans to maybe do a mid trip tire change so I knew where to go.
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?202830-Mid-Tour-Tire-Change
So I had to be at the bike shop before it opened at 9am. The driveway of this mornings Airbnb was at a crazy incline so I moved the bike onto the street and loaded up the luggage.
I snapped the above picture and turn around to see a deer on the front lawn. Apparently she's a regular and the owner of the house/AirBnB feeds it.
The owner comes out and introduces herself to me and feeds the deer some more. We talk about the great accommodations and then she asks:
"How is your bike?" Her tone sets off an alarm in my brain so I say It's fine, thanks. Why do you ask?
Well apparently the area is full of bears come sundown and a family member that was visiting left food in the pickup truck and the Bears mauled the truck. Luckily I don't keep food on the bike (it's all in my luggage that I always bring inside wherever I'm staying) so to the Bears my VFR probably just smelled like Fuel, Oil, Exhaust...and maybe squashed bugs on the front.
I made it to the bike shop about 10 minutes before open. It's called Apex sports (https://apexsportsinc.com/)
Unfortunately there is one person waiting ahead of me getting tires too.
To put my experience at the shop in a nutshell, it was great. The older service guy at the counter was very friendly and excited about my trip. Assured me they'd take good care of my VFR and even gave me a free t-shirt.
The guy waiting infront of me was telling me how great the shop was. he also told me about a Motorcycle accident he got into where a 90 year old guy ran a stop sign. he said he didn't get much in the way of a settlement. Just enough to buy a new bike, and cover his medical costs, and buy a new house. :usa2: lol. Go 'murica.
The waiting room had these two old fellas in it talking about old cars like Studebakers. Another topic of conversation was how with all this stuff going on with Korea (ahem North Korea gentleman.
) and how Norad is right there we were gonna be the first to "get it". Lovely.
The rest of the place was really quite modern and everyone was crazy friendly and nice.
Bike was finished in about 2 hours. They gave the bike a once over and said everything looked great. They lubed the chain for me too (I guess with the speeds and the heat I needed to Lube the chain more often then I was) I asked the service guy his opinion about doing Pikes Peak and he said I should. He also recommended when I reach the summit to have a Coffee and a Donut. Apparently because of the altitude the donuts baked up there are extra good.
Speaking of Altitude, the bike had some extra cracks and bangs from the exhaust. Running a bit richer with the altitude I imagine.
So I set off with a fresh set of PR4's. They felt great :agave:
(I wanted Metzler Roadtec 01's but they didn't have any in stock and the parts guy didn't seem to have even heard of them
) I filled up before I hit Pikes Peak and after a $15 fee at the gate (I think it was $15) up I went.
https://youtu.be/znFVJF7BpKM
I made this with my Gopro. I cut out some of the boring stuck behind traffic bits. Also at about the 8:25 mark an old guy on a touring bike panics during a hairpin and hammers on the brakes. He almost dumped it, and I almost went into him...luckily I kept calm and just went around him. While I was editing the vid I noticed the Minivan that seemed to be really close behind us.
Anyways, Pikes Peak was a beautiful road. Really really stunning scenery. The traffic was almost enough to ruin it for me but in the end I had fun doing it.
I eventually reached the summit. At 14,115 feet I squashed my previous record of highest road ridden (7,120 Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane in Japan)
So I'm at the top. it's pretty cold. I layer up, and lock up anything I don't want stolen. I'm looking round. It's incredibly busy up here...lots of people. I hear a man tell his wife to "Slow down and take it easy" I'm wondering what's wrong with her when the dizziness hits me. The altitude up here is crazy. Can't really take a full breath most of the time. I feel kinda woozy. :happy7: I take my time exploring and walking around, being careful of my footing.
The Visitors center was a mad house. No way I was going to be able to buy a souvenir in a reasonable amount of time. But apparently I can't leave without trying a Donut so I wait in line for half a dozen donuts. They were pretty good. Not mind altering or anything.
I didn't bother recording the way down. The Altitude was bugging me. In retrospect I should have.
Anyways, half way down Pikes peak they have a "Mandatory Brake Check" which is brilliant because that entire mountain smells like overheating brakes. There is a booth and a ranger points a laser temperature thingy at your brakes and tells you to pull over and learn to drive if they are scorching. He did just that for 2 cars infront of me. When I got to him he says: "I'm not even gonna bother. If your brakes are overheating then you have more important problems....like....not knowing how to ride." :lmao: I thought that was pretty funny.
The rest of Colorado springs was great. I made my way West on US Route 24. It was very scenic and a great ride. I made an effort to hit up Fairplay, Colorado...because it's the closest thing to South Park that exsists lol.
I took a break, got some souvenirs, then headed over towards my last stop of the day. An Airbnb in Leadville, Colorado.
Aprox 350kms for the day
So the night before, after staring long and hard at my rear tire I decided, that won't do. It didn't hold up very well to the hot American pavement at 80mph speeds and after these first 3 days it was a bit square. The centre treads were getting close to the wear bars and the tires were well over 3 years old. With the 10 more days ahead of me and the many many KM's on some of the greatest roads this continent has to offer I thought Fudge it! What's better than a road trip? That's right....a road trip with fresh rubber.
Luckily I had original plans to maybe do a mid trip tire change so I knew where to go.
http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/showthread.php?202830-Mid-Tour-Tire-Change
So I had to be at the bike shop before it opened at 9am. The driveway of this mornings Airbnb was at a crazy incline so I moved the bike onto the street and loaded up the luggage.
I snapped the above picture and turn around to see a deer on the front lawn. Apparently she's a regular and the owner of the house/AirBnB feeds it.
The owner comes out and introduces herself to me and feeds the deer some more. We talk about the great accommodations and then she asks:
"How is your bike?" Her tone sets off an alarm in my brain so I say It's fine, thanks. Why do you ask?
Well apparently the area is full of bears come sundown and a family member that was visiting left food in the pickup truck and the Bears mauled the truck. Luckily I don't keep food on the bike (it's all in my luggage that I always bring inside wherever I'm staying) so to the Bears my VFR probably just smelled like Fuel, Oil, Exhaust...and maybe squashed bugs on the front.
I made it to the bike shop about 10 minutes before open. It's called Apex sports (https://apexsportsinc.com/)
Unfortunately there is one person waiting ahead of me getting tires too.
To put my experience at the shop in a nutshell, it was great. The older service guy at the counter was very friendly and excited about my trip. Assured me they'd take good care of my VFR and even gave me a free t-shirt.
The guy waiting infront of me was telling me how great the shop was. he also told me about a Motorcycle accident he got into where a 90 year old guy ran a stop sign. he said he didn't get much in the way of a settlement. Just enough to buy a new bike, and cover his medical costs, and buy a new house. :usa2: lol. Go 'murica.
The waiting room had these two old fellas in it talking about old cars like Studebakers. Another topic of conversation was how with all this stuff going on with Korea (ahem North Korea gentleman.
) and how Norad is right there we were gonna be the first to "get it". Lovely. The rest of the place was really quite modern and everyone was crazy friendly and nice.
Bike was finished in about 2 hours. They gave the bike a once over and said everything looked great. They lubed the chain for me too (I guess with the speeds and the heat I needed to Lube the chain more often then I was) I asked the service guy his opinion about doing Pikes Peak and he said I should. He also recommended when I reach the summit to have a Coffee and a Donut. Apparently because of the altitude the donuts baked up there are extra good.
Speaking of Altitude, the bike had some extra cracks and bangs from the exhaust. Running a bit richer with the altitude I imagine.
So I set off with a fresh set of PR4's. They felt great :agave:
(I wanted Metzler Roadtec 01's but they didn't have any in stock and the parts guy didn't seem to have even heard of them
) I filled up before I hit Pikes Peak and after a $15 fee at the gate (I think it was $15) up I went. https://youtu.be/znFVJF7BpKM
I made this with my Gopro. I cut out some of the boring stuck behind traffic bits. Also at about the 8:25 mark an old guy on a touring bike panics during a hairpin and hammers on the brakes. He almost dumped it, and I almost went into him...luckily I kept calm and just went around him. While I was editing the vid I noticed the Minivan that seemed to be really close behind us.
Anyways, Pikes Peak was a beautiful road. Really really stunning scenery. The traffic was almost enough to ruin it for me but in the end I had fun doing it.
I eventually reached the summit. At 14,115 feet I squashed my previous record of highest road ridden (7,120 Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane in Japan)
So I'm at the top. it's pretty cold. I layer up, and lock up anything I don't want stolen. I'm looking round. It's incredibly busy up here...lots of people. I hear a man tell his wife to "Slow down and take it easy" I'm wondering what's wrong with her when the dizziness hits me. The altitude up here is crazy. Can't really take a full breath most of the time. I feel kinda woozy. :happy7: I take my time exploring and walking around, being careful of my footing.
The Visitors center was a mad house. No way I was going to be able to buy a souvenir in a reasonable amount of time. But apparently I can't leave without trying a Donut so I wait in line for half a dozen donuts. They were pretty good. Not mind altering or anything.
I didn't bother recording the way down. The Altitude was bugging me. In retrospect I should have.
Anyways, half way down Pikes peak they have a "Mandatory Brake Check" which is brilliant because that entire mountain smells like overheating brakes. There is a booth and a ranger points a laser temperature thingy at your brakes and tells you to pull over and learn to drive if they are scorching. He did just that for 2 cars infront of me. When I got to him he says: "I'm not even gonna bother. If your brakes are overheating then you have more important problems....like....not knowing how to ride." :lmao: I thought that was pretty funny.
The rest of Colorado springs was great. I made my way West on US Route 24. It was very scenic and a great ride. I made an effort to hit up Fairplay, Colorado...because it's the closest thing to South Park that exsists lol.
I took a break, got some souvenirs, then headed over towards my last stop of the day. An Airbnb in Leadville, Colorado.
Aprox 350kms for the day
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God VFR's sound great.
Way way too many people for me on that road. Maybe get there first thing in the morning? The last time I did Cabot trail I started at 5 something and was in Baddeck by 7:30 am. I saw 3 vehicles during the entire loop, it was amazing. I could see how during peak times it could quickly become a line of ants like your pikes peak climb and me wanting to launch myself off a cliff.
slowbird
Well-known member
I agree :agave:
lol! Yeah it wasn't an ideal traffic situation. If I didn't do the tire change I would have gotten there much earlier but it would have been unbelievable cold up top. The last bit with me stuck behind those last 3 cars was infuriating. No one pulled aside, can't pass...the turn offs I looked at appeared a bit too loose for my comfort.
But overall I still enjoyed Pikes Peak. Would do again. I was suprised there were that many people mid day on a Friday. Don't people have Jobs? lol
Looks to me like he realized he felt he couldn't negotiate the hairpin and training kicked in - straighten up and emergency stop in a straight line - reminded me of what they teach in the training courses.
Yeah, not a great spot and he certainly should have been able to make that corner at the speed he was going, but inexperience probably paid a part.
Interesting to hear about the brake checks with the temp sensors - a great idea to avoid inevitable brake fires or crashes at the bottom of the grades - people just have no clue how to use gears to slow themselves anymore, it doesn't even occur to a lot of people what those other numbers and letters below "D" are even there for.
wonderings
Well-known member
That's what I did when I was there in July. I got there right at opening time, think it was 7:30 am. Very light traffic going up which was nice. When I came down the front gate had a lineup and I can only imagine the ride up when stuck behind a sea of cars.
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slowbird
Well-known member
Yeah
, it's a big difference between watching a vid and being there when it suddenly happens infront of you. Also, passing him on the inside could have gone wrong fast as well.It's pretty clear what I was doing. Starting wide, beginning my turn in, I see him start to brake and I slow down wondering what's going on
. I'm thinking he's gonna recover and get moving again.It's not until he comes to a complete stop (He may have stalled it
) that I realize he isn't gonna be moving anytime soon. At that time I was on the outside and it was clear to go around him on the outside. I've watched that part and ran it over in my head a bunch of times and I don't think passing him on the inside would have been a smart move without having the foreknowledge of knowing he was going to come to a complete stop. If he clicked down to 1st, looked where he wanted to go and zipped ahead we could have collided.
I'm just annoyed they had such a newb at the back of a group ride when that position is where the most experienced person should have been. He looked pretty old.
Thanks!
I thought the same. He didn't think he could make the corner and panicked. It was the first real hairpin of the road, and it's hard to tell on the vid but we are on a pretty good Grade.
Good on him for not dumping the bike, but agreed that he should have made the corner easily, (like all his pals did)...and yeah that is a bad spot to suddenly stop.
If the Van behind us was distracted by the scenery it would have hit him (and me if I had stopped too)
slowbird
Well-known member
I think because I went so "late" in the year, leaving that early wouldn't be an option for me.
Many days of the trip I was out packing the bike at 7:30-7:45 so I could depart at 8am sharp only to realize it's single digit temps and I need to wait a bit.
Not for just for my comfort (I have heated gear and warm gear so I'd be fine) but I don't want to be riding twisty mountain roads in such low temps.
My morning on the cabot trail, I was essentially in a cloud for a while. Still a great ride, but I'm sure I missed some beautiful views after the fog burned off.
A lot depends on the purpose of the trip. I was going to go riding, if you are going to go site seeing, slowly going around in a chain of ants could actually be better as you have more time to enjoy the views.
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slowbird
Well-known member
DAY 5: Leadville, Colorado to Provo, Utah
Leadville is over 10,000ft ASL. My host (who was kind enough to let me park in the garage) told me when I arrived "I don't care where you're from, we live higher up here. You need to drink lots of water." I got a similar speech about water from someone the day before so I was doing my best to pound back the liquids.
My host was also super informative. He let me know that since I was heading up towards Montana I should keep an eye on the wildfire reports as there are some fires up there. I knew about the BC ones before I left but didn't know about any along my route.
Anyways, the AM temps were around 7 degrees so I waited until they were atleast in the double digits. Around 10am I started my day. Even still, I had to stop and put on my snowmobile gloves. Set my heated vest to toasty.
The reason I chose to stay in Leadville....besides the cheap accommodations, was its proximity to Independence Pass. (Route 82) I was on 82 in no time and made my way West.
It was an absolutely gorgeous road. Wonderful scenery and great curves. I stopped at the summit of course.
...and the GoPro vid to the summit
https://youtu.be/nBZTZdjM_0M
It was mighty chilly up there. I spoke to some people and took pictures for those wanting one near the sign. When I first pulled up I was asked by some people if they could take my picture. 2nd time on this trip! I didn't know how to pose either time.
I then made my way down and west towards Aspen. I recorded that too but haven't uploaded it yet.
I eventually got to Aspen and by then I was roasting in my gear. I parked to shed some of it, and I must have stopped in an area with just adventure excursion stores and Ski stores cause I couldn't find anywhere to grab a coffee or take a leak.
I consulted my GPS and decided to beat it out of Aspen to a Starbucks in Basalt. Friends and Family at home were teasing me for stopping at Starbucks so often but you cant beat the free good Wi-Fi and clean bathrooms. Guaranteed everytime. (and usually a nice Patio for me to relax on and watch the bike, and clean the wildlife off my visor)
But anyways, at this Starbucks while I was on the patio, an old guy started chatting with me. Must have seen my plate cause he asked if I rode all the way from Ontario. He was a nice fella. Told me about some interesting sites in Utah.
About 20 mins later a guy about my age came out of the Starbucks and did the same "You rode from Ontario?" Turned out he used to do some Hockey training in Scarborough. We talked Bikes. He had a Triumph Tiger and was from New Mexico. iirc. Nice guy.
After that break, I continued onto 82 till I hit I-70 and I started west on the interstate towards Utah. Now, I-70 was by far the most fun interstate I have ever been on. All the way towards Utah was twisty and scenic. I loved it. It was a real bummer when I hit Utah and it was back to the long, straight interstate. I stopped at a rest stop and it pretty much looked like this:
Those were taken at a rest stop in Utah off the Interstate. I took the opportunity to cool off in the Air Conditioned Visitors center, use the bathroom and get some liquids and nutrients into me.
I met a biker there who was doing a 3 week trip across America. He and the Information lady were both surprised to hear I had ridden from Toronto which seemed to be the reaction when people heard how far I had ridden from.
Funny thing is my response went from Pride and acknowledgement on the first day, and by the last few days it became more of a 'yeeeeah maybe next time I'll fly here and rent a bike' or 'Yeah didn't seem this far on google maps'
Anyways. I-70 and then NorthWest towards Provo.
About an hour before I reached Provo I saw what looked to be a wildfire off in the distance.
I reached my AirBnB easily. A large home and a well furnished basement apartment all to myself. Once again, kind host let me park in their garage.
Aprox 685kms for the day.
Leadville is over 10,000ft ASL. My host (who was kind enough to let me park in the garage) told me when I arrived "I don't care where you're from, we live higher up here. You need to drink lots of water." I got a similar speech about water from someone the day before so I was doing my best to pound back the liquids.
My host was also super informative. He let me know that since I was heading up towards Montana I should keep an eye on the wildfire reports as there are some fires up there. I knew about the BC ones before I left but didn't know about any along my route.
Anyways, the AM temps were around 7 degrees so I waited until they were atleast in the double digits. Around 10am I started my day. Even still, I had to stop and put on my snowmobile gloves. Set my heated vest to toasty.
The reason I chose to stay in Leadville....besides the cheap accommodations, was its proximity to Independence Pass. (Route 82) I was on 82 in no time and made my way West.
It was an absolutely gorgeous road. Wonderful scenery and great curves. I stopped at the summit of course.
...and the GoPro vid to the summit
https://youtu.be/nBZTZdjM_0M
It was mighty chilly up there. I spoke to some people and took pictures for those wanting one near the sign. When I first pulled up I was asked by some people if they could take my picture. 2nd time on this trip! I didn't know how to pose either time.
I then made my way down and west towards Aspen. I recorded that too but haven't uploaded it yet.
I eventually got to Aspen and by then I was roasting in my gear. I parked to shed some of it, and I must have stopped in an area with just adventure excursion stores and Ski stores cause I couldn't find anywhere to grab a coffee or take a leak.
I consulted my GPS and decided to beat it out of Aspen to a Starbucks in Basalt. Friends and Family at home were teasing me for stopping at Starbucks so often but you cant beat the free good Wi-Fi and clean bathrooms. Guaranteed everytime. (and usually a nice Patio for me to relax on and watch the bike, and clean the wildlife off my visor)
But anyways, at this Starbucks while I was on the patio, an old guy started chatting with me. Must have seen my plate cause he asked if I rode all the way from Ontario. He was a nice fella. Told me about some interesting sites in Utah.
About 20 mins later a guy about my age came out of the Starbucks and did the same "You rode from Ontario?" Turned out he used to do some Hockey training in Scarborough. We talked Bikes. He had a Triumph Tiger and was from New Mexico. iirc. Nice guy.
After that break, I continued onto 82 till I hit I-70 and I started west on the interstate towards Utah. Now, I-70 was by far the most fun interstate I have ever been on. All the way towards Utah was twisty and scenic. I loved it. It was a real bummer when I hit Utah and it was back to the long, straight interstate. I stopped at a rest stop and it pretty much looked like this:
Those were taken at a rest stop in Utah off the Interstate. I took the opportunity to cool off in the Air Conditioned Visitors center, use the bathroom and get some liquids and nutrients into me.
I met a biker there who was doing a 3 week trip across America. He and the Information lady were both surprised to hear I had ridden from Toronto which seemed to be the reaction when people heard how far I had ridden from.
Funny thing is my response went from Pride and acknowledgement on the first day, and by the last few days it became more of a 'yeeeeah maybe next time I'll fly here and rent a bike' or 'Yeah didn't seem this far on google maps'
Anyways. I-70 and then NorthWest towards Provo.
About an hour before I reached Provo I saw what looked to be a wildfire off in the distance.
I reached my AirBnB easily. A large home and a well furnished basement apartment all to myself. Once again, kind host let me park in their garage.
Aprox 685kms for the day.
slowbird
Well-known member
wonderings
Well-known member
Amazing how the temperatures change, I was there end of July and the reason I left early was to avoid the heat, not that it helped much. Temperatures at the top of Pikes Peak was 10 C if memory serves, thought it would be a lot cooler and had to open up the vents on my jacket on the way down. Did not have any altitude issues thankfully, I was worried about that as I have had some in the past when in Switzerland; nose bleeds and light headed.
slowbird
Well-known member
DAY 6: Provo, Utah to Big Sky, Montana.
I woke up to a nice morning. Was real quiet in Provo. Then again it was Sunday and I was a stones-throw away from Salt Lake City so everyone was probably in Church.
I put my ear buds in, put on the Book of Mormon Soundtrack, and made my way north. Never seen so many LDS Churches before. After an hour I stopped for breakfast...at a Starbucks again.
Something I forgot to mention. As soon as I crossed the border on this trip I noticed Starbucks in America had "Egg Bites" can't find them here in Canada but I loved them. They're not too filling and heavy like a breakfast sandwich can be.
I know everyone is different, but I don't like to stuff myself during bike trips.
Anyways, b-fast over, I fill up at a nearby gas station and went on my way.
Now, I wasn't paying attention to my GPS and the location of the on-ramp to the interstate was different than the off-ramp so I had to take a detour. As luck would have it the detour took me past this:
I've always been into jets and stuff, so this kind of thing makes my day. The signs said Hill Air Force base, and I could see a gatehouse down the road so I snapped the pic and took off. I found out after I got home and looked it up that there is a Aerospace Museum here with free admission with all kinds of awesome stuff inside including an A-10, an SR71 Blackbird and a B1 bomber what a bummer. I definitely regret not knowing about and visiting the museum.
So off I go North on I-15 and into Idaho. I eventually take a break at a rest stop. I put the bike on the centerstand and lube the chain while it's hot.
As I'm finishing up with the chain I can sorta feel someone is behind me. I turn and an older dude is walking up to me with that "I wanna talk bikes" look. Turned out he was from France on vacation with his wife. He likes bikes, has a Triumph back home in France. He really liked my VFR so he has good taste in bikes I have to say
Him: "It's comfortable, yes?"
Me: "No. It's not."
Him: "No?"
Me: "Well.....not after over 4,000kms."
It was nice to speak to somebody in Kilometers again. Though I don't think he was too impressed with the very little french I knew.
Off I go again heading north. It's really hot out. I passed a roadside grass fire (on the otherside of the interstate) a bunch of passerby's were trying to beat it out with heavy jackets. The fire trucks I saw about a minute later heading to the fire.
As I got closer to Montana/Wyoming/Yellowstone I could see what looked like smog on the horizon, though I was pretty sure it was the smoke from the Wildfires in the area.
As I approached West Yellowstone the traffic got much heavier. Then a brief stop at a gas station/market just outside Big Sky, MT. Filled up, and got some food for the night. Before I pulled out of the station I took a quick snap of the sky. It was real smoky.
I then made my way over to my AirBnB in Big Sky, Montana. Looked like a fancy Ski Resort town.
Aprox 675kms for the day.
I woke up to a nice morning. Was real quiet in Provo. Then again it was Sunday and I was a stones-throw away from Salt Lake City so everyone was probably in Church.
I put my ear buds in, put on the Book of Mormon Soundtrack, and made my way north. Never seen so many LDS Churches before. After an hour I stopped for breakfast...at a Starbucks again.
Something I forgot to mention. As soon as I crossed the border on this trip I noticed Starbucks in America had "Egg Bites" can't find them here in Canada but I loved them. They're not too filling and heavy like a breakfast sandwich can be.
I know everyone is different, but I don't like to stuff myself during bike trips.
Anyways, b-fast over, I fill up at a nearby gas station and went on my way.
Now, I wasn't paying attention to my GPS and the location of the on-ramp to the interstate was different than the off-ramp so I had to take a detour. As luck would have it the detour took me past this:
I've always been into jets and stuff, so this kind of thing makes my day. The signs said Hill Air Force base, and I could see a gatehouse down the road so I snapped the pic and took off. I found out after I got home and looked it up that there is a Aerospace Museum here with free admission with all kinds of awesome stuff inside including an A-10, an SR71 Blackbird and a B1 bomber
what a bummer. I definitely regret not knowing about and visiting the museum. So off I go North on I-15 and into Idaho. I eventually take a break at a rest stop. I put the bike on the centerstand and lube the chain while it's hot.
As I'm finishing up with the chain I can sorta feel someone is behind me. I turn and an older dude is walking up to me with that "I wanna talk bikes" look. Turned out he was from France on vacation with his wife. He likes bikes, has a Triumph back home in France. He really liked my VFR so he has good taste in bikes I have to say
Him: "It's comfortable, yes?"
Me: "No. It's not."
Him: "No?"
Me: "Well.....not after over 4,000kms."
It was nice to speak to somebody in Kilometers again. Though I don't think he was too impressed with the very little french I knew.
Off I go again heading north. It's really hot out. I passed a roadside grass fire (on the otherside of the interstate) a bunch of passerby's were trying to beat it out with heavy jackets. The fire trucks I saw about a minute later heading to the fire.
As I got closer to Montana/Wyoming/Yellowstone I could see what looked like smog on the horizon, though I was pretty sure it was the smoke from the Wildfires in the area.
As I approached West Yellowstone the traffic got much heavier. Then a brief stop at a gas station/market just outside Big Sky, MT. Filled up, and got some food for the night. Before I pulled out of the station I took a quick snap of the sky. It was real smoky.
I then made my way over to my AirBnB in Big Sky, Montana. Looked like a fancy Ski Resort town.
Aprox 675kms for the day.
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NightShadow
Well-known member
Looks like a great trip - Colorado and Utah are fab area's to ride in.
slowbird
Well-known member
slowbird
Well-known member
DAY 7: Big Sky, Montana to Red Lodge, Montana. (via Beartooth 212)
Day 7 is the big day. I've been reading about and wanting to ride Beartooth Highway for a long long time. It's usually high on the list of roads to ride (if not #1 on those lists) and has been called “the most beautiful drive in America”. If you don't know about it google it. I mean...just look at it on a map!
I'm ready for it. I planned most of the stops and routes on this trip so today would be relatively short (distance wise) so I could take my time and enjoy the ride.
So I wake up in the morning and start packing the bike and I notice it looks like someone has been flicking cigarette ashes on my bike. Before I can get angry I realize my entire bike is covered in ashes and so is everything in the parking lot. My dumb brain catches up and I realize it must be from all the forest fires in the area. Sure smells like it and the sky sure looks like it.
As I pack the bike a neighbor comes over to their car and notices the ashes. She says she hasn't seen it this bad in a long time.
Great. :angry2:
Before I leave the range of the AirBnB's Wi-Fi I check the roads leading to Yellowstone. I'm lucky I did as the West entrance had some closures due to WildFires. So I had to come at Yellowstone from the north instead.
(I had to go the blue route rather than the grey one I had originally planned)
I made my way about 10 minutes before I realized that I was going to need my heated vest and snowmobile gloves. I pulled over at a gas station. Got an OJ, put on the warmer gear and then went on my way. The sky was real hazy.
After about an hour and a half I stopped in Livingston, MT for breakfast. Then made my way south towards Yellowstone.
Traffic got a bit heavier in Yellowstone. I shelled out the $20 or whatever it was for me to get into the park. Then it was a game of "when to pass the slower traffic" was a bit frustrating at times but I tried to enjoy the views and not let it bother me too much
Eventually I turned onto 212 which leads Northeast out of the park and becomes Beartooth. After about 5 mins either side of the road opened up into vast plains filled with Bison. It was quite something to see. Especially since the first Bison I saw was rolling around in the dirt like a nut job.
After quite alot of spectacular views the plains were replaced by thick forests. I thought I had seen the last of the Bison. I went over a crest and I'm embarrassed to admit that I glanced to the left to look at a break in the trees to enjoy the view, and as I turned my attention ahead...it took my brain a moment to register what I saw. A car traveling in the opposite direction was on my side of the road as it drove around a Bison. :shock:
Luckily it was far enough ahead that I had plenty of time to react.
So I slow waaaaaaaaaaay down...let the car pass, and I move as far over to the right as I can...as I rode by this Bison just strolling down the road.
Here are some stills from my GoPro:
Needless to say I was a bit more weary going around blind bends and over blind crests after that. Good thing cause I came across a cow later on. Some parts of 212 are open ranges so cows just meander everywhere.
I eventually stopped in Silvergate where I took a bit of a break. Hung out on the deck of a local shop where I bought some souvenirs.
I was visited by some animals:
After sometime I got back on the VFR and ventured onwards. I reached the "Top of the World store" and pulled in so I could look for more souvenirs. Bought some nice Elk, Bison, and Jackalope jerky. I could feel it was getting a bit colder, so I put on an extra layer and continued on.
After about 5 mins the real fun bit of Beartooth began. It's really hard to explain except to say it was just a really really fun road with spectacular scenery. I was greatful I had the fresh rubber.
Riding up to the summit was just breathtaking.
As I pulled up there were these two pensioners trying to take their picture with the sign using a selfie stick. I helped them take the picture because they couldn't figure out how to use the stick. Afterwards they asked if I would like them to take a picture of me by the sign. Up to this point I was really trying to avoid the typical tourist photos but I figured what the hell. Lets go for it. Thumbs up and all.
I made it! I had to take a moment to realize that I had made it. Sense of achievement!
The way down was just as fun and exciting, though powering up through turns is always more fun (and more comfortable for me) than powering down through turns imo. My airbnb was in Red Lodge, Montana. I went into town and picked up some food from the local grocery store. More granola bars, sandwhich, a Corn dog (man I love Corn dogs in America) and then went into my AirBnB. Easily the nicest place I have stayed in so far. Beautiful cabin.
Aprox 418kms for the day.
Day 7 is the big day. I've been reading about and wanting to ride Beartooth Highway for a long long time. It's usually high on the list of roads to ride (if not #1 on those lists) and has been called “the most beautiful drive in America”. If you don't know about it google it. I mean...just look at it on a map!
I'm ready for it. I planned most of the stops and routes on this trip so today would be relatively short (distance wise) so I could take my time and enjoy the ride.
So I wake up in the morning and start packing the bike and I notice it looks like someone has been flicking cigarette ashes on my bike. Before I can get angry I realize my entire bike is covered in ashes and so is everything in the parking lot. My dumb brain catches up and I realize it must be from all the forest fires in the area. Sure smells like it and the sky sure looks like it.
As I pack the bike a neighbor comes over to their car and notices the ashes. She says she hasn't seen it this bad in a long time.
Great. :angry2:
Before I leave the range of the AirBnB's Wi-Fi I check the roads leading to Yellowstone. I'm lucky I did as the West entrance had some closures due to WildFires. So I had to come at Yellowstone from the north instead.
(I had to go the blue route rather than the grey one I had originally planned)
I made my way about 10 minutes before I realized that I was going to need my heated vest and snowmobile gloves. I pulled over at a gas station. Got an OJ, put on the warmer gear and then went on my way. The sky was real hazy.
After about an hour and a half I stopped in Livingston, MT for breakfast. Then made my way south towards Yellowstone.
Traffic got a bit heavier in Yellowstone. I shelled out the $20 or whatever it was for me to get into the park. Then it was a game of "when to pass the slower traffic" was a bit frustrating at times but I tried to enjoy the views and not let it bother me too much
Eventually I turned onto 212 which leads Northeast out of the park and becomes Beartooth. After about 5 mins either side of the road opened up into vast plains filled with Bison. It was quite something to see. Especially since the first Bison I saw was rolling around in the dirt like a nut job.
After quite alot of spectacular views the plains were replaced by thick forests. I thought I had seen the last of the Bison. I went over a crest and I'm embarrassed to admit that I glanced to the left to look at a break in the trees to enjoy the view, and as I turned my attention ahead...it took my brain a moment to register what I saw. A car traveling in the opposite direction was on my side of the road as it drove around a Bison. :shock:
Luckily it was far enough ahead that I had plenty of time to react.
So I slow waaaaaaaaaaay down...let the car pass, and I move as far over to the right as I can...as I rode by this Bison just strolling down the road.
Here are some stills from my GoPro:
Needless to say I was a bit more weary going around blind bends and over blind crests after that. Good thing cause I came across a cow later on. Some parts of 212 are open ranges so cows just meander everywhere.
I eventually stopped in Silvergate where I took a bit of a break. Hung out on the deck of a local shop where I bought some souvenirs.
I was visited by some animals:
After sometime I got back on the VFR and ventured onwards. I reached the "Top of the World store" and pulled in so I could look for more souvenirs. Bought some nice Elk, Bison, and Jackalope jerky. I could feel it was getting a bit colder, so I put on an extra layer and continued on.
After about 5 mins the real fun bit of Beartooth began. It's really hard to explain except to say it was just a really really fun road with spectacular scenery. I was greatful I had the fresh rubber.
Riding up to the summit was just breathtaking.
As I pulled up there were these two pensioners trying to take their picture with the sign using a selfie stick. I helped them take the picture because they couldn't figure out how to use the stick. Afterwards they asked if I would like them to take a picture of me by the sign. Up to this point I was really trying to avoid the typical tourist photos but I figured what the hell. Lets go for it. Thumbs up and all.
I made it! I had to take a moment to realize that I had made it. Sense of achievement!
The way down was just as fun and exciting, though powering up through turns is always more fun (and more comfortable for me) than powering down through turns imo. My airbnb was in Red Lodge, Montana. I went into town and picked up some food from the local grocery store. More granola bars, sandwhich, a Corn dog (man I love Corn dogs in America) and then went into my AirBnB. Easily the nicest place I have stayed in so far. Beautiful cabin.
Aprox 418kms for the day.
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