Out running the coming storm

 Up this morning and out through Red Lodge MT.  Lovely 50 mile stretch of secondary road up to I-90.  Then pounding out the miles.  Longest fetch of interstate since we left California.  Stopped in Belgrade at the Yellowstone HD dealership to pick up a foot peg for Bikers FXDXT as he lost one going up the Beartooth.  Good guy at the dealership.  Pegs usually sold in pairs, he opened the package and sold Biker just the one peg he needed.
  The weather was closing in so we booked it to Helena MT for the night.  Hotel had fresh chocolate chip cookies just as we got there.  Local food for supper.  250 miles today.  That is all.

Good morning, now let's go!

The gathering storm

Transit Wyoming/Montana Keep on the Sunny Side (Not)

  How do I describe one of the most thrilling days in my time on the planet?  It was the best of weather, it was the worst of weather.  It was forests and lakes and streams and rivers and mountains.   Sulpher springs and mud pots.  It was easy riding, it was rough riding.  Guess I should start at the beginning of the day.
  We were up fairly early, knowing that it was going to be long day, 226 miles.  Breakfasted at the Virginian Lodge in Jackson.  Well fed and watered (and coffeed), we took out for Grand Teton National Park.  Beautiful sunny day, a little cool to start but warmed to a pleasant mid 70's.  Hit the park at the perfect time of morning, the light hitting the peaks at just the right angle.  Stopped for some picture whoring and checked off our second National Park of the trip.
  Next up was Yellowstone.  Love this park.  Outside of insane people driving massive RV's stopping to look at wildlife because they can't be bothered with totally pulling of the road.  Mind you, the wildlife, mostly bison were fairly close the road.  Certainly not in the road.  The only reason I mention it at all is that it makes for some scary riding so you really have to be paying attention.  Just a minor compliant really.  Lots of other bikers coming and going.  Friendly waves all round.  We share the bond of motorcycling.  So many Harleys.  Feels interesting being part of that experience.  So anyway, Yellowstone is a wonderful historic park that everyone should try to visit.
  Had a quick lunch at the Yellowstone Grill.  The guys shopped for souvenirs  Headed out of the park and hit road construction.  Stopped for a half hour at one, fifteen minutes at another.  Gravel sections.  Really had to handle Beaux Hemoth carefully  At 750 lbs, there is no way I could pick it up by myself should it ever drop, knock on wood.  Started to rain some so we suited up in our rain gear.
  Finally got out of the park and headed up Highway 212, The Beartooth Byway.  The sky was getting very dark ahead of us just as we started to climb up the mountain.  Got our signals crossed in the small town of Cooke City.  Biker and I couldn't get Michael's attention as we needed to pee.  Michael and Marc kept going, not noticing that we weren't still behind them.  Side note: Michael (Dad) usually leads, followed by Marc (Pa), then Mike (Biker), then myself (Lab Rat) riding tailgunner.  So it was Biker and I tackling the Beartooth as a duo.  Stopped a couple miles up from Cooke City put on some more layers at the temperature started to drop and it began to rain a bit.  This highway is like the Swiss Alps, it winds, twists and switch backs on itself.  Going ever higher.  Really tricky to maneuver in the wet with big bike like Beaux.  Slipped al little on a cattleguard at the beginning of a little bridge.  A sphincter tightening moment, one of many as it turns out.  Climbing and climbing, the temps dropping and the rain coming.  Saw a truck coming from a side road, its windshield covered with ice from hail.  Just past him we came into a stretch of road covered with ice from that storm.  Slippery and the skies were getting darker as we rose in elevation.  Remember, it is just Biker and I at this point.  We have no idea where Michael and Marc are.  Up ahead somewhere.  Got to what I thought was the summit at an automated temporary traffic signal at a construction zone.  Had to wait 20 minutes and the temps had dropped to 40.  When the signal changed, we were in the most nasty, slick mud, rock strewn stretch of road.  Very tricky and more scary.  Once though that, I could see we had many more thousand feet to climb.  Colder and wetter and higher we went.  Hit the summit at just shy of 11,000 feet.  Still snow on the peaks around us. And there before us were Michael and Marc in a scenic view area.  I can't even begin to describe it.  The pics will have to speak for me.  Celebrated our reunion and headed down.  The rain kept coming but the temps started to warm up.  Switchbacks with 3,000 foot drops on the way down.  Finally got to the valley floor into the Rock Creek Resort where Biker had made reservations yesterday.  Very comfy place.  Had a nice pan fried walleye for supper.  I'm toast.  Resort has not net access so I will post this tomorrow.
A totally thrilling day.  Thank you and good night.

AGATT

Big Tits

Big tits with bikers as opposed to bikers with big tits

#2

#3

Cooke City  Note Gas Prices  We burn high test

It's all up hill from here

Reunited and it feels so good

Beaux Hemoth at 11,000 ft.

Paw at the top of the world

We survived the Bear's Tooth and lived to tell the tale

Wyoming, show us your Grand Tetons!

  We knew we were going to have a shorter ride day so we took our time getting up and ready to roll.  The motel featured a full breakfast so we dined in.  After a few missteps with Biker Mike missing his keys and Michael having a wardrobe malfunction as the zipper broke on his riding jacket.  Biker found his keys and had a buddy do a search for a repair place in Jackson so we knew we could get Michael's jacket fixed once we got to Jackson WY, our destination for the day.  Only about 190 miles today.
  Weather was grand, clear and sunny and not too hot.  We rolled out of Kemmerer and headed out across the high plains.  I put my cowboy music on the headphones and sang Ghost Riders in the Sky at the top of my lungs.  In your helmet, no one can hear you sing!  Almost cried with joy.  I could do this seemly forever.  The last song in the playlist was Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing Happy Trails.  LOL.
  This part of Wyoming is in boom time with all the oil.  Lots of tent and trailer camps for the workers.  Making decent money if the size of the pick-ups are any indication.
  A quick note about Beaux Hemoth.  I have bonded well with the mighty Road King.  Gotten used to the weight and am more comfortable riding it.  Of course, I have a list of what I would modify if I owned it.  Better suspension, better saddle etc.  Just a thing I have about tailoring a machine to my tastes.  Overall very pleased with the bike.
  Around noon, we spied the Grand Tetons in the distance for the first time.  Stopped at place for fuel and lunch.  Being in no hurry with is nice.  A county deputy who was there at the gas station warned us that the closer we get to Yellowstone, the crazier the drivers are and to be careful.  We thanked him and made for Jackson.  Glorious ride by the Hoback River and into Jackson.  Checked into the lovely and the most expensive Motel 6 in world I think.  No matter.  We have a home for the evening.  Went had a Moose Drool beer at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and Gift Shop.  Found a good Thai place called Thai Me Up and feasted until we were full as ticks on a hound dog.
  Looking forward Yellowstone and the Beartooth Highway tomorrow.
Watch over us, Aunt Ruth.  I feel you with me.

I dunno, what does your GPS say?

Yes, we do look like that at lunch

Road Food

It's what we make in a day from you tourists

Transit: Utah/Wyoming

  Dawn broke beautiful over Delta this morning.  We were up early, had a good local breakfast.  Good local food has been a highlight of the trip so far.  Nothing fancy.  Filling and reasonable.
  Headed out of Delta around nine.  Two lane secondary road out to a national forest road called the Mt. Nebo loop.  Just a word about altitude.  We have been above 5,000 feet since we came down from the Sierra.  High desert, very dry.  Slightly annoyed with dry nose. but not bad.
So anyway, we started up the Nebo loop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nebo_(Utah).  Open range with cattle about.  Plenty of cow pies and road apples to avoid.  Lots of switchbacks, climbing slowly up and up to the summit at around 9800 feet.  A total gas.  We managed to stop a few times for beholding and such.  Pictures pale in comparison but you get the idea.
Dropped down the other side of Mt Nebo and through Provo. Stopped for lunch in Heber City.  Up 189 and I-80 into Wyoming.  Checked into a nice Best Western in Kemmerer.  Found a restaurant, had supper and now back in the room.  Tired but very pleased with the day.
  On a sad note, my dear Aunt Ruth died early this morning.  A fine lady whom I loved dearly.  Glad I got the chance to spend time with her last May.  Will miss the funeral but I think she would understand.  She always loved hearing about my motorcycle adventures.  Wish I could have shared this one with her.
  And as a friend from Oregon who passed on recently would say:  Carry on regardless.

Climbing Mt. Nebo

Still climbing Mt. Nebo

Almost there

Mt Nebo 11,000 feet plus.  We are at 9500 feet

Transit Nevada/Utah Great Basin

On the road again

Woke in the lovely unconditioned Pony Canyon Motel.  I was up before everyone and walked over to the gas station for coffee.  Sat on a rock, watching the morning colors out in the distance.  I do so love the desert.  A rider from Australia saw me and walked over to chat.  He and couple of buddies had flown into LA and bought bikes to ride to Sturgis.  The other two had headed to Las Vegas but he decided to ride Highway 50 on the way.  We talked about bikes, he rides Triumphs back home.  Good guy.
After all the others had gotten up, we had a good local cafe breakfast.
Today was about laying down miles and enjoying the scenery.  We went and went and went, stopping only for gas and lunch.
Got our first National Park visit today.  Great Basin.  Wild country.  Got there later in the day and didn't spend a great deal of time.  Back out on the road and into Delta Utah.  Days Inn with a good local Mexican place to have supper.
Totally sweet day, riding with my riding family.  I realized at one point I was grinning in my helmet.   Joy.
Mileage 300 plus.  Roadkill sightings: one deer, two cows, more jackrabbits.

A man outstanding

One down, six to go

The vastness of it all

Transit California/Nevada

And we are off!  An odd beginning to the trip as we all came from different places and then met at a gas station in Fairfield.  We were to meet at 9AM.  I didn't sleep so well last night as I was up late getting the bike loaded so I could roll out first thing.  And I was up early and ready to roll.  Got to the gas station around 8:20 or so, thinking I was the first one there.  Then Marc rolled around the corner only he had been there for an hour already.  He had come from San Jose.  Then came Michael.  Then Biker.
Everyone fueled up and were ready to roll.  Out I-80 through Sacramento and up into the Sierra.  Beautiful day, blue sky and not too hot.  Stopped and had breakfast.  Didn't linger long as we were ready to lay down some miles today.
Got to the junction and took Highway 50, the Lincoln Highway, the loneliest highway as it is known.  High Nevada desert with long straights that go on for a couple hundred miles.  It did start to heat up with temps in the 90's.  We were lucky that way as it could be in the 100's this time of year.
Got to Austin NV. around 4 or so and checked into the Pony Canyon Motel.  Our home for the evening.  Pretty hungry so we repaired up the street to the local watering hole.  The International Cafe is a wonderful funky place, full of locals, all 8 of them and the owner/bartender Vic.  Had a beer and got to talking with him.  Turns our he was working at Disney World the same time I was working there.  He talked of his time in Florida, coming west, balls of snakes in Yellowstone and a lost station wagon in Key West.  They served food in the cafe that is part of the bar.  Had a fine meal, excellent salad and blueberry pie!  Nice topper to our first day out.  Tomorrow is our first National Park, Big Basin.
Pleasantly beat and going to sleep soon.  375 miles today.  Road kill count: one deer, one fox, six jack rabbits and dozens of something or others.  The road is unforgiving.  

The thundering herd gathers

Highway 50, The Loneliest Road

Pony Canyon Motel

Vic's place

T minus 4 days and counting

  Up early this morning after a restless night.  Trying to get my head right and be up to the challenge of the mighty Road King.  Picked it up this morning first thing.  The folks a Dubbelju (the bike rental place) were most helpful getting me up to speed on the workings of the bike.  Familiar in some ways, some ways not so much.

  It is very different from my Triumphs.  Riding position is very relaxed, feet forward  It has floorboards instead of foot pegs.  The configuration of the turn signals is a bit different.  Very comfy saddle, ABS brakes, fuel injection, what are called moustach crash bars that I can put my feet up on for a different riding position and my favorite thing, cruise control.  WooWhoo.  I can cruise.

  Pulled away from the rental place and first thing couldn't find where the shifter was.  Everything is farther forward than I am used to.  But did find it before the first stop light.  Brakes are great.  Love brakes.

  Puttered around for a couple blocks and then up on the freeway.  YeeHaw.  Now that is some fine cruiser.  Spent the better part of 4 hours running up and down the damn roads.  Freeway, back roads, twisty mountain roads, ocean side roads.  Stopped at a mall parking lot and practiced figure 8's and panic stops.  Other than being a little tricky at low speeds, this thing is a gas!  Even found a name for it.

Welcome, Beaux Hemoth.

And so it begins

Ready to rumble