My wife Jane and I just returned from a vacation trip to Montana and Glacier National Park. I rode the FJR and Jane followed in our Subaru. She was willing to take day trips on the bike once we were in Whitefish, MT,
but was not ready to ride all the way there. This represented great progress. In the past several years, Jane would not ride - no how, no way. Then, with considerable trepidation, she went on a Fall ride with me, then actually enjoyed 3 rides this Spring.
We stayed on back roads through CO, WY, ID and MT. From Golden, CO, we went over Berthoud Pass (11,650 ft - 3550 m altitude) to Winter Park, Frazer and Granby, then a short hop to Rt. 125. Rt. 125 is a wonderful back road with very little traffic. I haven't seen more than 7 or 8 cars along the 55 miles to Walden, in North Park a high (7500 ft - 2285 m) plateau surrounded by 12,000 ft mountains. From Walden, we crossed into WY, going through Encampment and Saratoga and then to Rawlins, WY. This region is the high, cool desert that we often picture as the old West. The trip on I 80 from Rawlins to Rock Springs, WY was the only interstate we had to bear on the whole, 2700 mile trip.
From Rock Springs we went north on 191 to Hoback Junction, then west into Idaho and stayed in Idaho Falls. Rt 191 follows parts of the Snake River and is very scenic. We went to Craters of the Moon National Monument, then backtracked to Rt 93 that we rode to Salmon, ID. From there, 93 takes you to Kalispell and then Whitefish, MT. My FJR became a dual sport as we rode through tens of miles of construction work. It was mile after mile of packed dirt and gravel - not fun.
Once ensconced in Whitefish, Jane rode pillion to Glacier National Park for a 120 mile round trip. Then, we rode to Eureka and down along the east side of Koocanusa Reservoir to Libby, MT. We returned on a
poorly maintained but asphalt Forest Service road on the west side of the reservoir. We didn't see one other vehicle for 50 miles along that road! That round trip was 240 miles and tested Jane's riding limits.
We returned by going on back roads of MT, south of Glacier. We followed those minor roads through Helena and to Bozeman, MT. From Bozeman, we went to Gardiner and the North entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was a delight, and we finished the day in Cody, WY (named for Wild Bill Cody). The land on the ride from Cody to Rawlins defines the high desert. The last day was spent riding the Wyoming desert, then the Rocky Mountains from Rawlins to home.
I put 2700 miles on the FJR on this trip. I may be unusual, but I found the stock seat to be comfortable enough for several hundred miles at a sitting.
On one stretch in Wyoming, I was leading Jane by about 1/4 mile when I noticed a rise ahead. Beyond the rise was a vast straightaway with no sign of antelope or black helicopters. So, when Jane came over the
rise, I was much further than 1/4 mile ahead. Much further. I explained that I did go above the speed limit, just a tad (suggesting that I must have been going at 72 mph in the 65 mph zone). Given that I was a mere speck in the distance, she didn't buy that for a minute. OK, so maybe I was doing 73 (heh, heh).
Some photos can be seen at Sony Image station:
https://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures...l?id=2104773870
Ron
but was not ready to ride all the way there. This represented great progress. In the past several years, Jane would not ride - no how, no way. Then, with considerable trepidation, she went on a Fall ride with me, then actually enjoyed 3 rides this Spring.
We stayed on back roads through CO, WY, ID and MT. From Golden, CO, we went over Berthoud Pass (11,650 ft - 3550 m altitude) to Winter Park, Frazer and Granby, then a short hop to Rt. 125. Rt. 125 is a wonderful back road with very little traffic. I haven't seen more than 7 or 8 cars along the 55 miles to Walden, in North Park a high (7500 ft - 2285 m) plateau surrounded by 12,000 ft mountains. From Walden, we crossed into WY, going through Encampment and Saratoga and then to Rawlins, WY. This region is the high, cool desert that we often picture as the old West. The trip on I 80 from Rawlins to Rock Springs, WY was the only interstate we had to bear on the whole, 2700 mile trip.
From Rock Springs we went north on 191 to Hoback Junction, then west into Idaho and stayed in Idaho Falls. Rt 191 follows parts of the Snake River and is very scenic. We went to Craters of the Moon National Monument, then backtracked to Rt 93 that we rode to Salmon, ID. From there, 93 takes you to Kalispell and then Whitefish, MT. My FJR became a dual sport as we rode through tens of miles of construction work. It was mile after mile of packed dirt and gravel - not fun.
Once ensconced in Whitefish, Jane rode pillion to Glacier National Park for a 120 mile round trip. Then, we rode to Eureka and down along the east side of Koocanusa Reservoir to Libby, MT. We returned on a
poorly maintained but asphalt Forest Service road on the west side of the reservoir. We didn't see one other vehicle for 50 miles along that road! That round trip was 240 miles and tested Jane's riding limits.
We returned by going on back roads of MT, south of Glacier. We followed those minor roads through Helena and to Bozeman, MT. From Bozeman, we went to Gardiner and the North entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was a delight, and we finished the day in Cody, WY (named for Wild Bill Cody). The land on the ride from Cody to Rawlins defines the high desert. The last day was spent riding the Wyoming desert, then the Rocky Mountains from Rawlins to home.
I put 2700 miles on the FJR on this trip. I may be unusual, but I found the stock seat to be comfortable enough for several hundred miles at a sitting.
On one stretch in Wyoming, I was leading Jane by about 1/4 mile when I noticed a rise ahead. Beyond the rise was a vast straightaway with no sign of antelope or black helicopters. So, when Jane came over the
rise, I was much further than 1/4 mile ahead. Much further. I explained that I did go above the speed limit, just a tad (suggesting that I must have been going at 72 mph in the 65 mph zone). Given that I was a mere speck in the distance, she didn't buy that for a minute. OK, so maybe I was doing 73 (heh, heh).
Some photos can be seen at Sony Image station:
https://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures...l?id=2104773870
Ron
