Yellowstone and Glacier 2007

[RTFZ1]

and a little Canada
day1
After correcting Mike's directional sense we head out from Cassa de Motto at 8:15 am on the 30th of June.

First stop was in KY at one of many rest stops we would pass,


We routed to backroads at Paducah and found lots of great ridding, too many little towns at first but it opened up in Illinois
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The errors of our (my) ways was to set too many miles and reserved campsites. After Mike getting the Zumo it wasn’t at all necessary for secure lodging and camping going out and back wasn’t worth the money saved.

into MO

 ..................  ah Mike this is our turn
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We found MO 49 and 32 to be most excellent sporty roads.
Mikey likes
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me as roadwarrior
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last daylight MO gas
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But to much time was spent making too few miles, we arrived in Oak Grove Mo, outside KC at 10:30pm wet and tired from 3 hours of rain, trucks, interstate and darkness. Mikes back was out so we let the campsite go ($40 loss) and let Zumo find a room as we begin to get behind in our rest.

[RTFZ1]

day 2
Day two had us leaving early from KC and heading into Kansas with some backroads taking us North but mostly super slab.


Some roads were good but not many as we enter the true central plains of America
 

Near Manhattan KS ( Kansas State University chicks  ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,  where?)
 

Soon we were not in Kansas anymore
 

Into Nebraska and even flatter terrain
 

Life on the road is the good life
 

Mike uses the Nebraska facilities
 

me too

At a gas stop this local dude comes us over and tells us the most filthy not-funny joke, we fell out because he was too funny.
 

Mike continues to urinate across America
 

Tonight's lodging is in Ogallala NE, another motel room at 10pm very short of plan A overnight in Douglas Wyoming.

While Zumo is making suggestions for where to stay this local guy shows up in the middle of the rest stop
 a
Mike escorted him to a safe place

[RTFZ1]

Day 3
Day three and we are feeling tired, but we press on. Mike is a big Red Bull fan and so I join him at just about every gas stop and pop a top in order to also have wings, I am not sleeping well.
Breakfast with Miky’ D, yogurt fruit cup yummy. Mike talked me into  using a Camel Back for hydration, he ices up here


Little did we know of the heat wave out West we were heading into.Thanks Mike for my cool core temp.

We met this little guy Lexi, he was headed home to California
 


Miky D wants $3 for two hours of internet use, clock always runs - not total online time.

Finally the real West, Wyoming. Mike freaks as within a few short miles the first rock croppings appear and we seem to be on another planet
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I get air
 
6 inch vertical leap baby!!

We begin to worry about gas, we are now really in the middle of nothing in the center of nowhere. TheFizz gets thirsty at about 165 miles. We gas in Shoshoni and head through Boyensen Sate park North to Thermopolis. We see the road run right into this mountain range
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It is here that we get into our first canyon, A road , US 20, that somehow descends and drops through this range following a river with rock faces on each side higher than you can see the top of with your helmet tilted all the way back.. and tunnels.....no place for picys though.... we RAIL !!

Zumo finds us a room and dinner, It’s at this point that we meet WY state trooper and get warnings for me rolling a stop sign and Mike for standing on the pegs to stretch.

[RTFZ1]

Day 4
We roll out for day four. I’m not sleeping well.
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on the road
 

Finally enter Yellowstone at noon
 

East entrance had a few miles of gravel road construction, not bad waiting for pilot car in a mountain paradise.
 

We get across park to West Yellowstone and do some sightseeing on the way.
Yellowstone Lake
 
First of many many bison
 
and first of many bison burger lunches
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and bison burger dinner too
 

We get to our destination
 
 

Our home for the next three days
 

Beartooth tomorrow !!

[RTFZ1]

Day 5
OK now for the really good stuff, we have 918 total pics and some videos.
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Day five July 4th, We are settled in at camp Yellow, cut through the park and out the Northeast entrance to one of the top motorcycle roads in all the world! BEARTOOTH HIGHWAY, pretty scenic too. 200 yards from the exit we lunch at the Log Cabin Cafe in Silver Gate.


Mike’s catch


I had the buffalo burger pictured previously. Great vibe, Neal Young harvest ablum playing, we are the only customers, could not be more perfect.

The road through the woods was in very very bad shape right away. There is a big issue over who will pay for future repairs. The mining company’s with rights on federal land is no longer required to help. People in Red Lodge and Silver Gate want the park to help but funds are so tight they can’t. Winters are brutal here of course, 12 foot snow poles on the road. After a few rough miles it turned into nicely paved sweeps


on the way up


Many lakes at high altitudes





We enter Montana


and
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Alpine like beauty abounds
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We ride these

like this


Wrong line for looking through turn


We must play in snow


(simulated - shot, not really........... you know)

not really that cold


We gas at Red Lodge and return the same route. Back in Silver Gate we see yard bison

As casual tourist sit on cabin porches.

OK here is where I have my Oh Shit moment. As I said I had trouble sleeping and last night, first night in tent, I did not sleep more than an hour, no Red Bulls since day 2. We had a heavy twisty ride day, arms were sore the next day, after re entering Yellowstone I dosed off !! -----  put a wheel off in the upper Lamar Valley,  no harm done. I awoke after the twitch and re entering the road, never closed the throttle, very scary, very very lucky. I collected grass in my brake lever and never saw a “good place” for this to have happen again ! some places were very very bad !
 LESSON:   BEWARE OF RIDING TIRED.
If Mike would have seen this in his mirrors I’m sure he would have made me park it.
happened near here


From world famous most excellent Beartooth Highway


Peace out

More report later, it's back to work a day life  

[R Doug]

I am absolutely green with envy.  

Oh, and it's nice to see someone else touring w/ an Fizzer.  

[RTFZ1]

Day 6
Today was designated Casual Squid Thursday, not ATGATT. We sight see and hike in the park wearing riding jackets, riding gloves, jeans and tennys, it’s been many years since I rode w/o boots, felt real weird.
We heard Yellowstone called the Disney World of nature, you get a different A-ticket ride every 20 or so miles, so much variety.
First stop of the day was Midway Geyser Basin, like another planet of course.








We had to see the most famous natural attraction in the world


Thar she blows


So many Bison and people, RV’s or cars mean nothing to them. Two times I was stared down by one of the 1 ton beast strolling slowly toward me in my lane, you freeze and wait for room to pass by and slowly quietly (Akrapovic ?) get around.







So many beautiful lakes





We get near geese


Mike warns me to be vewy vewy quiet



The second most photographed feature of Yellowstone, Lower Falls from Artist Viewpoint


Many Continental Divide crossings


Roaring Mountain was not roaring today


We thought we found the legendary white buffalo (Lone Ranger episode fame) naw he’s just rolling in the dust.


Bald Eagle nest near the road to our camp was attracting a lot of attention and had rangers urging people not to stop. On our way back at sunset......we stopped.


It was cool seeing the big fire areas looking very green and thriving.
Tomorrow we sight see a little and exit the Park through the Roosevelt Arch in Gardner and head North for GNP

The sun sets on a great day for sure,

[Hulked Up]

Great pictures.  I was just in Yellowstone a few days after you.  (2 red VFR's) Unfortunately we were there less than a day, so I'm little envious.  Of all the things we saw on our cross country trip Yellowstone was the one place that I wanted to spend a lot more time at.  I'll be back there for sure.  

Great pics for the stuff I missed.

[Rincewind]

Very enjoyable write-up.  Thanks.  

[fjralex]

Great write-up of your trip.  The wife and I did the same trip last summer, starting in NE last year, Bighorns, Yellowstone, Tetons, back north to Glacier and back through the black hills.  One of the best trips so far!

[mtrider16]

You seemed to be searching for the name of the canyon.  US Hwy 20 in Wyoming from Shoshoni to Thermopolis is the Wind River Canyon.  I was there 7/14.



Thanks for the awesome ride report.

David

[Rocky]

That was an awesome ride report! Great job; thanks for posting it.

Rocky

[RTFZ1]

You seemed to be searching for the name of the canyon.  US Hwy 20 in Wyoming from Shoshoni to Thermopolis is the Wind River Canyon.  I was there 7/14.



Thanks for the awesome ride report.

David

Thanks,
I had seen that on a billboard but I wasn't sure it was the same. I hope you didn't stand on your pegs in Thermop..

[FKaiser]

Nice ride report.., great pics!  

[pkovo]

I really enjoyed the report.  The pics are fantastic.  I'm jealous.

[mtrider16]

Thanks,
I had seen that on a billboard but I wasn't sure it was the same. I hope you didn't stand on your pegs in Thermop..

I didn't stand on my pegs, at least not where anyone who cared saw me.    How was the trip to Glacier? (Hint..Hint)

David

[RTFZ1]

"How was the trip to Glacier? (Hint..Hint)"
OK

Day 7 took us out of Yellowstone North to Glacier National Park or at least to overnight at  a motel in Helena Montana on the way. We saw a few thermal areas on the way but it was hot and we were ATGATT.

Gibbons Falls


We walked the 1.8 mile Fountain Paint Pot thermals at Norris basin and skipped the big Mammoth Hot Springs area.




We felt he Roosevelt Arch inscription should read:
“For the benefit and Enjoyment of the Motorcyclist”


On the way North we face more heat wave and seek shade at every gas stop. Only 225 miles after dilly dallying in Yellowstone, the little rain we had felt good.


We get a room in Helena MT a cool town with lots of parks.

Day 8 we press on.
Rest stop


Rest stop sign,


I observe.


Later I find relief.


We come around a curve curve and find a sea of Yellow, we later learn it’s canola in bloom.


Lunch before we enter GNP and trip milage.


Road shots approaching GNP.




Great twisty US 89 on the way in, I lead and Mike says he has a little trouble keeping up............... yea right.


And we’re there






camp GNP


We arrive at mid day and check around. Temps are much cooler and we are in a great mood.


The best restaurant was at the Rising Sun Inn in GNP, great food, reasonably priced and a view that was awesome.
We park.


We eat




Nother buff burger of course


We are warned


We head over Going to the Sun from East to West
St. Mary Lake




On Going to The Sun you feel you are in the mountains not just looking at them, once again vistas that can not be completely taken in by tilting your helmet back or turning it. You just ride slow and try to take it all in.
I’ll let the pics speak here. You must ride this !




























happy GTS rider



wildlife too




Natural Beauty too








We staged a shot with the Strom we had seen



oops wrong side of the tree

We rode some perimeter roads outside the park. Some were in very bad shape, missing asphalt and gravel. We saw a lot of “Free Range” signs.


They meant it too, cattle or horses near every sign.


We hiked to St. Mary Falls and found wild life on the way









At the falls so much water funneled through a small ravine, roaring so loud you couldn’t talk, flowing so fast it made you dizzy standing near it.





Tomorrow we leave the country

[RTFZ1]

Oh Canada
Day Nine took us to Alberta and British Columbia Canada. I wish we had the time time to see Banff and beyond as I did in ‘83. This was a nice mountain ride for the day though.

It wasn’t far until we crossed into Canada


After crossing the Rockies were farther to our West.



We find Canadian relief


and get to the entrance to Waterton (Canadian side of GNP) we decline the $13 U.S. fee to see a few roads and a village/Lodge on the lake and move on.



We stopped for breakfast here


and found great French Toast


Hot Chocolate


and more


As we leave we noted the large cloud formation to our North and head into it.


We learn later this pattern is called an “Alberta Clipper”. As we ride we noticed quite a bit of dust blowing and some trash. I follow Mike and note we are leaning to the right as the winds pick up. The winds keep picking up and this Okie says this is serious, very serious. Soon I feel we can drag pegs and ride a straight line, gust are picking up, two feet tall grass by the side of the road is laying down. There were no cross wind warning signs / wind socks as we had seen in Wyoming but a 20 foot long plastic streamer tied to a fence was straight as a board.
Mike’s oh shit moment: this was a two lane road, suddenly he is totally moved into the oncoming lane by a gust we later learn were hitting 60 mph, no traffic coming - very scary - very lucky.

We gas, rant, calm down and look at the big truck in Sparwood.


into BC


A few hours later we cross back to U.S.A.


Little Zumo rider looked happy to be back.


Back at West Glacier we see the GTS movie from West to East this time. This is the temporary bridge over the wash out that kept GTS closed until July 1


I re create a picy from 1983


We get back to camp GNP for our last tent night then head home.

[RTFZ1]

GNP to Nashville (ugh)
We head South and East and make it to a motel in Billings Montana the first day. On the second day we take a little time to stop for lunch at Devils Tower,



last real Bison burger of the trip


On to a motel in Kimball SD


I must say as painful and dreary getting out West was, heading home without sportbike paradise to look forward to and no more twisties ( last were seen when leaving Devil’s Tower ) was much worse, Very straight and desolate. Last road night was a motel in Kingdom City MO.
Last road gas here in Kentucky


TheFizz gets thirsty way sooner than the Strom. Mike does not gas up.
Here he is on the last exit to his house


That’s right 5,800 mile trip / out of gas a mere 4 miles away from home. Call Jill and 3 pm on Friday (13th day) we are home

[cota]

Great report and pics! I'm shooting to make a similar trip next year and you guys have got me ready to hit the road now.