'datree Amigo's; justa Strut'n down the ROCKIES!

[Redfish Hunter]

Your RRs always manage to combine a party, an attractive lady (or ladies), quality beers, and excellent riding. I need to work on my technique.

Good Stuff.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Timely update KJ...looks like a good rally!

Your RRs always manage to combine a party, an attractive lady (or ladies), quality beers, and excellent riding. I need to work on my technique.Good Stuff.

...once you figure it out RfH, please share!

--G

 

[Top_Speed1]

Day 8) Sat 7/25 Billings MT (MOA) Morning Excursion prior to Rally (map): https://mapq.st/pQYvmI [seat time;189.5mi, 3hr-50min]

Teal loop on the map, between Magenta and Cyan

I did the normal quick n free breakfast at my Days Inn Motel, then it was off to the Rally where I had planned a small Morning ride meetup. I pre-arranged the meet at 8:30ish for a 9am KSU ride to the Yellow Tail Dam and Big Canyon region. This route is compliments of a friend Doug (Bugnatr) and his recommendation of some beautiful red rock canyons and area. I listened, so we went

I did reverse my loop, so we did the MT87 first. Our leg stretcher in Hardin...

Then onward south down MT313 to...

We had a good showing for this morning ride, I think I remember 16 bikes. There was a checkpoint with a Ranger collecting $ for passage. Being the leader and up front, I rode 'right' up to him and did my best NYer plea for free passage for us lost and just broke-ass poor bikers. After some snickering, he agrees to let my group through o' gratis-el-free-yeah!

Some freebie Bighorn Canyon views

We toured the visitors center, a Ranger within colored up some of the area, learned quite a bit!

We stayed almost an hour, but it was time to get a roll'n back, and, find a diner, drive-in or dive for lunch on the way...

Coming back on Pryor Cuttoff Rd to Pryor Rd, there was NUT-TING!... well, as far as food joints go. I saw a couple of "Cafe" signs and buildings of, but all were out-of-business, and by the looks... many of years ago. So on a rest stop along side the Pryor Rd now heading back up into Billings, I recommend this place.... (I know, I was just there!, but that was for drinks!)

Some of our table guests... (note; Arizona Jim*, pictured on rightside - middle)

(note; KCMO Steve*, pictured on rightside - far)

*Brothers. No really! So Jim knows how A.D.D. his bother Steve is, and comforts him with some brotherly love. Something tells me that these bro's know each other quite well!

Okay, it's not a Ride Report without some food porn!

Let's start out with Vicki's "a bit more healthy" selection, grilled Chix Salad w Feta...

Tim's (C4) not quite as healthy 'Branded Burger'...

Getting back to the Rally after a fun lunch at the MBC, I decided to wander into the archive area, it's always interesting to see what goodies we have here...

Before you knew it, it was nightfall at the Rally, I just couldn't pass up this capture, and, I still have it in my head as of to this date.

[sAT END]

TBC

 

[pista]

Great stuff there KJ!

Thanks for wetting my appetite for a western trip someday!

Keep it coming...

 

[Top_Speed1]

Day 9) Sun 7/26 Billings MT to Columbia Falls MT: map>

Destination: Super-8, Columbia Falls MT (Glacier Natl Park)

Cyan on map

Another 6:30 am start. One thing of note; "it sure is lonely on the roads early Sunday AM!" (and not complaining!) Leaving the Rally and all your old and newly made friends is kinda sad. But, you know you have to move on, well, some of us do anyway.

Coming up and out of Billings on the North side (Rte 3). The airport is on our right, Rimrock on our left, here we are actually up on Rimrock, the view is looking back at Billings (saying our goodbye's)...

Now on 12W, working our way over to 89N.

Blair Reservoir & Lake Sutherland on Rte 12

Rolling along (quit briskly with zero traffic) now on 89 North, on our way to the Lewis and Clark Natl Forest....

....I spot this (almost) famous landmark (I remembered it from another RR). So I pull over, whip out the Camera and shoot some pics. Rick and Bob are giving me a big WTF look? I somewhat explain, and proceed to enter the "Inconvenience Store" seeking some pie! Well, the 4 elder gents (locals) with deep accents greet me, I ask them if they have pies?. Hmmm, they say "coffee and apple fritters" are on today, but "if you wanna pie, betcha Millie could have one fer ya di-safternoon!" I kinda was kidding, but after conversation, one confesses that somina-other motorcyclists come in n asked about dem pies also!" He said "whatsup with you fellers and pies?" LOL. Oh well, Washington is only one State over right?! Rick and Bob had no idea what I was laughing about coming out of the store. Great memory here I'll tell yas!

Lewis and Clark Natl Forest, oh yeah; smoooth fast roads!

Reminded me of W. Virginia; where everyone has a bridge to get to their house.

Edging the Sluice Boxes State Park

Yuup, da' Amigo's are still with me. Not sure if we saw one single car on this road, nor a gas station, nor much of any other human built items...

Merging onto 89 (87/89) and heading West towards Great Falls MT

iPad map (GPS) was saying "Rattlesnake Butte". Just the name of it made me wanna go the other way.

Just entering Great Falls, I see a lunch stop. I knew the Amigo's would be hungry by now (and they were as usual). This place ended up being a chain restaurant, as we saw a few more like it later on like in Missoula. Dang, I thought we had a Mom n Pop place and something special! newp.

Avoiding slab, but wanting to get through the city, I opted for I15 for about 8 miles to 89 North once again. Once on 89, we hit our first bit of road construction. Not bad here, a few miles long is all (but stay tuned)....

Back to normal, for about 20 miles is all, a few cars are now being seen, but still pretty scarce!

Now running parallel with the foothills of Glacier Natl (Mtns), we were starting to get our appitite worked up a bit. It's something about snow capped Mountains in the middle of July at 90+F temps on the low <6-8K ft> altitude side.

And then... more construction! About 10 miles!. One thing different from us more congested East Coast vs West road construction? Here they strip down the entire road to the base, back home in the East, "No time for that!" we just 'mill' out the top layer and recoat. Done. Not nearly as good as this more thorough method probably lasts much longer. (I would hope anyways!)

Now through the town of Chatou, we are getting the Glacier tease running along side us

Due to a wild fire at Glacier's NW entrance, we get word at a South Browning gas station that the 'Going to the Sun Rd.' is closed on the East side. So I re-route to MT2 so we can shoot up into Glacier

coming up... GTTS Rd (Going to the Sun Rd)

TBC

 

[stevec677]

You're a big tease.............. but keep the RR coming. Real nice job.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Con't GTTS Rd (Going to the Sun Rd)


Cutting over MT2 to the West Entrance, we get our first glimpse of Lake McDonald

We decide to check-in at our Motel first as it's only early afternoon. On our way to Columbia Falls (our motel) which is kinda in the middle of the GTTS Rd entrance and Columbia Falls (maybe 10 short miles).

All checked-in, some luggage dismissed, we then commute back to the GTTS Rd (park entrance)...

Within the Park? Breathtaking views, 360 at that! Sorry my pics just plain suck and do no justice whatsoever!. If you haven't been here yet? put it on your Bike-it-list! It will be well worth your time and effort!

Now up in some 9-10K elevation, we see the road and stream we rode in on below... it's so small, does not look real and any possibility that we just came from there! Peeps afraid of heights?; this place is not recommended! (nor the Bear's Tooth, and/or especially Pikes Peak... which is still to come yet, but we are still days away from that adventure!)

I guess it's mandatory on RR's to get your bike into pics, so I oblige, and it's easy with these backdrops...

Taking pics on the run was excellent! (for me), but I had to think of the other Amigo's also, hey!, they wanted shots too! ...here Bob is got his selfie stick out (lol)

And my selfie is not of 'my' fugly mug!, but more-so my mugly bike!

We got to ride as far as Logan's Pass. At that point, the Park (road) was closed going any further East (due to the Wild Fire). So we got 30 some miles in one-way and the return trip back out. I'd say I was disappointed?, but come on!, that was absolutely one of the best places I've ever visited. Period! And!.... now I have a legitimate excuse to go back!. Yep, a revisit is in order from TS1.


A ride 'back down' coming up next....
<pic/post limitations>

TBC

 

[Top_Speed1]

Con't

Speaking of going back, here is the downhill ride back and out of the park (to that lil road below)...

I knew a little bit of the snow removal history prior, but after seeing some of the close rock formations and the snowthrower left chips, cuts and scrapes along the rock sides... I knew more on this was in order...

Still coming down, we zigzag down lower to catch the same valley-view, but lower and closer now.........

Gotta show Bob some love, he hung in there with us all day as our sweeper

Nearing the landing strip...

We now are looking back, and up!

And finally back down to Lake McDonald. After a brief discussion (more like a side road muddle-huddle), I guess we had dinner on our minds! (and thirsty) ....hey!, it's always about food! ...so it seems anyways. ;-)

So we cruised back to our motel for a quick shower, then into Columbia Falls (maybe about 3 miles from motel). To conclude the day, I'll post up my Food Porn (cuz I know it's required). I had the 1/2 rack of Ribs. Darn pretty tasty, great sauce too. A couple of local Dark-Amber Lager's to wash them all down, then... it was beddy bye time.

[END OF SUNDAY JULY 26th]

 

[Tanker]

Fantastic KJ!!

 

[Niehart]

Rumor has it that someone owns a cabin in Neihart.

And keeps a few toys there. Snowmobiles, rafts, dirt bikes and this:

 

[lonerider]

Wow, that is some spectacularly beautiful scenery, thanks for sharing. Going to The Sun Road has been on my bucket list for some time.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

KJ, I drove GTTS the second week of July for a family vacation. We thought it was one of the most spectacularly beautiful places on earth but good God was it crowded. We crawled at a snail's pace through that whole damned park. My wife took at least a thousand pics in that park.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Day 10) Mon 7/27 Columbia Falls MT to Rexburg ID (map):
Destination: Super-8 (now Travelers Inn) Rexburg ID
Red on the map

We pretty much at the top of the US Rockies at this point... we now start our downward trek "Justa strut'n down the Rockies". Today's weather map however is showing rain south of Missoula and into Idaho. This would suck, as I was really looking forward to this Rte 93 winding down into Idaho.... with many of pics from forum friends about this road prior, I really knew this forecast was going to be a huge buzz-kill, (and) eventually would kill something else....

Starting out on MT35 south, along the east side of Flathead Lake which is about 10mi south of Kalispell.... btw, I'm a boating guy; I see water, I naturally pull out my camera!

Zero traffic, making great time; as with all the normal early morning riding on this trip

Saying goodbye to Flathead Lk (bottom side looking back north), ready to ride the valley down to 93

Still Rte 53, just south of Ronan, Loving the zero traffic. Weather is still Okay, and, I knew that we "should" be clear until south of Missoula...

Now on 93, betcha I don't have to tell you what I was starting to think?... dang!

Looking right (SW) we see the start of the Lolo Natl Forest

Getting through Mazoula, not really any probs, and, the weather starting looking better! (fools gold?)

A very light mist would soon start after hooking right into this valley. It was 11:00ish, I knew the boyz would be hungry soon, so I scope out the iPad mapping and see Salmon is about another 100mi south yet, could matchup? (you are always planning in your head, whether it's rest stops, gassers and most importantly... food for the crew!

Upon parking in the streets of Salmon, we had light mist, felt kinda good actually. I ask a local walking on the street "where is a good place to get a good hot homemade lunch?" He quickly points to about 5 storefronts away and says "Bertrams!, you fellers will love it!". Heck, I'm easy, sold!.

The boys were in very good spirits upon our stop, no pep talks required and maybe having such wonderful weather prior kept the "damp" thoughts far away. Plus, any place that has the wording "Brewery" or "Distillery"??...these guys are in!

I had the Salad Bar with 2 Homemade soups... perfect for this rainy day! The Beer selections looked grand! but, riding and having lot's of miles left, we all had to pass :-(

Bob went Chix parm sandwich, he said it was delish!

South of Salmon is simply beautiful! Great road and a very scenic ride and... the weather just got better! well, it "did"! ;-)

.
..for about 35 way too quick of miles, looking back at the better stuff

We were in and out of ranches, kinda neat to see this "folded" in.

The fog and rain were starting to kill our viewage! (Salmon River now accompanies us)

Getting down into some cool windy roads through da rocks (Rte 93, now flirting with Idaho).
........I'll take you for a ride through one of the formations, we'll finish the slide show with a look back at Rick & Bob....

TBC

 

[El Toro Joe]

+ more...more

 

[Top_Speed1]

These Idaho roads with zero traffic?, I pretty much was making my own speed limits, These straight away's were getting eaten up quite quickly.

Being at an already elevation of 8K+, the clouds easily covered up the mountain tops. Can you say midget small people view?

The Frosty Toppper's are being hidden, would of been such a fantastic ride!, and, you soon think about how much we rely on good weather.

I'm now pretty much focused on only the weather map at this time. I'd rather not, sucks to be the leader sometimes. Just south of Ellis on 93

Nearing Challis

I use the built-in (Nav5 by Garmin) for 3D turn by turn directs (top). My smartphone usually has Waze up, here however it has Speedo with Altitude (middle). Most importantly for my cockpit telemetry; My iPad4 (bottom) showing the entire .GPX route with live location (blue dot). It's basically my "paper map" and I rely on it heavily when navigating, especially when detours take place.

With poor visibility anyways, I was actually watching more "telemetry" and now had it back up (the weather map), and, it kept me occupied mind wise, tunes were off!.

Better weather... is.... in back of us! :-(

And I saw this clearing on the Radar, thought it was "fools gold", until I started to see some blue! YES!

About 40 miles south of Challis, it gets flat and almost desert like...

But in Idaho, the desert turns quickly back into scenic's...

Fools Gold? Well, it was. I had a "Severe Weather" alert pop up on my GPS. Dang, the map was intense Red and Orange, and right in the direct line of where we were going (to MacKay and Leslie)

Sadly, this is my last action shot. After this pic, we had lightening bolts popping right in front of us. I had decisions to make as the leader, seeing that 93 dog legs ahead to the right and more on the edge of the storm, I decide to plunge ahead. We picked up the pace, passed a couple of utility trucks like they were in reverse. So about 2 minutes after this pic, I was shooting a pic of the lightening coming down right in front of us, but!, my camera **** the bed. Actually locked up on the splash screen. Crap! I missed some once in a lifetime shots (I hope anyways it was once in a lifetime!). yikes!

So we went through it, intense, hard COLD rain at first, then hail... I mean holy balls hail! My camera now locked up (literally) and tucked away. I had more important things to do anyways... like keep the bike on the road through some very mean and nasty cross bucking winds.

This storm killed 2 things!
1. I could not get the camera to boot up again, battery removed etc. I could remove the SD card so hopefully all the images were Okay, and of course they were as in this showing. Upon taking the camera to the photo repair shop, the tech said it had a static charge that corrupted the operating software. Hmmm, oboy... there's more and probably related...
2. My Built-in Radar Detector (Escort 9500ci) went blank. Once home, I sent the module (where all the scanners, GPS etc hook into) back to the factory. They did not say what killed the module, most likely the same static charge. I didn't get hit by lightening, but more-so the aftermath or outside charge that apparently we went through.

FOR THE DURATION of this trip, this meant...

no more in-motion shots... bummer!
no Radar detection or laser jamming... major bummer!


We ended up in Rexburg ID for our Super 8 around 4pm. The skies cleared, we checked in. Upon signing my registration, I asked the young man (clean cut, black suit and it kinda looked familiar?) "Say!, where can we get a good burger and a bump!?" he gives me a couple of places, I reply back that a pub so we could get a cold beer also would be great! he states (seriously) "Sir, we do not allow any alcohol in our town!" I was like "So this is a dry town?" He shakes his head but with a frown like we are the worst heathens for even asking!

Bob and Rick looked at me (cuz I booked this entire trip) with the biggest WFT!. So to be clear (now), Rexburg ID is a dry town. When roaming the downtown looking for places to eat, we must of stuck out like a virgin ass in a whore house. Man, the looks we got! Basically, you either have a dark suit on, or, a BY (Brigham Young) shirt on... and then your "in!". We had neither. and If you have ever seen the move 'The Stepford Wives', you now know how we were being looked at, and, It seemed like they wanted to convert us poor christian yankees. Yikies!

My dinner was Meat Loaf at a Dinner in town, not worthy of FP pics, but the Banana Cream Pie was quite tasty!

We've all had the rainy days, and the on and off again stuff. But this truly wiped out what would of been a truly remembered day with sweet sights and epic views. NOT! The weather Gods pissed on the party. End of story, end of day, learned a lot and Rexburg ID is no longer on 'the 3-Amigo's map!

[END MONDAY JULY 27th]

 

[Niehart]

How can if be a bad day when it ends with this?

 

[Tanker]

KJ, the pictures of the impending storm were pretty awesome.

Too bad the camera took a dump when you were trying to get the lightening bolts. Bummer!

Loving the RR!!

 

[Redfish Hunter]

KJ, we also drove 93 into Idaho and it was a really nice road. I would love to get back there on the bike but I do not know when that might happen. Where you took your "slide show" I was snapping cell phone pics through the windshield of the truck but the rain all over the windshield kind of messed that up for us.

We made it into Wyoming before we shut down that night but did not have to worry about "dry towns". Before we left Hungry Horse Montana Pop insisted on buying two six packs of Moose Drool Brown Ale. He really liked that stuff. Me? Not so much. But I can say I drank one.

 

[Spud]

I remember the day you came through. That was literally a one day storm, in town here was 85 one day and 65 the next, then 85 the following. I heard on the news they were talking about snow in the peaks where you were riding. Bummer that the timing worked out that way but those are the kinds of days you never forget. The storms that form out on the desert around here can be scary as hell to ride through. Glad you didn't get zapped!

Also, for the record, Rexburg is not a 'dry town.' They used to not allow alcohol sales on Sunday, but passed an ordinance earlier this year to allow it. There's a Applebees right off HWY 20 with beer on tap and the gas station across the street has a liquor store. C-stores and grocery stores all sell beer and wine. That said, places to imbibe are very limited, and if you're looking for a place to take a downtown pub crawl, it ain't no Rock Springs, WY.....

 

[Top_Speed1]

KJ, we also drove 93 into Idaho and it was a really nice road. I would love to get back there on the bike but I do not know when that might happen. Where you took your "slide show" I was snapping cell phone pics through the windshield of the truck but the rain all over the windshield kind of messed that up for us.
We made it into Wyoming before we shut down that night but did not have to worry about "dry towns". Before we left Hungry Horse Montana Pop insisted on buying two six packs of Moose Drool Brown Ale. He really liked that stuff. Me? Not so much. But I can say I drank one.

Andrew- It's so cool how you and your "Pops" do this stuff together. Treasure every moment as I know you do. So you had the same rain on 93 as we did, must be the norm there

(thinking) Get Pop on the bike for a venture over to Lewisburg WV for EOM! ...I'm sure you and your Pop would be the hit of the party! ...and 'Pants may even accompany you! (I know he showed last year anyways!)

I remember the day you came through. That was literally a one day storm, in town here was 85 one day and 65 the next, then 85 the following. I heard on the news they were talking about snow in the peaks where you were riding. Bummer that the timing worked out that way but those are the kinds of days you never forget. The storms that form out on the desert around here can be scary as hell to ride through. Glad you didn't get zapped!
Also, for the record, Rexburg is not a 'dry town.' They used to not allow alcohol sales on Sunday, but passed an ordinance earlier this year to allow it. There's a Applebees right off HWY 20 with beer on tap and the gas station across the street has a liquor store. C-stores and grocery stores all sell beer and wine. That said, places to imbibe are very limited, and if you're looking for a place to take a downtown pub crawl, it ain't no Rock Springs, WY.....

That same storm went NE up into Sturgis. They (also BigJohnSD) put up some pics of the white colored grounds (hail covered) there just before the Rally opened. I actually watched it rise towards that area before retiring for the night. I figured it would of petered out, but nope! Nasty!

At our Dinner, a couple told us about Applebees on the outskirts of town and how that is the only place "here" to get a drink. We were good with it after the initial shock of our Motel Clerk's informing us. I think we got an hour more of sleep which was needed as well. So not all bad.

Great area however!, .I wanna come back for 12 & 95, which was on my map until it just couldn't be worked into our schedule (a tad far west for us to still pickup our bucket list required; Teton's and then Pike's Peak). Schedules yuck!, but this one worked our perfectly for us. Now we have many excuses to come back!

Thank you again for the scenic 93 suggestion! On a sunny day, I think it would of blown us away! (plus very little traffic, you can def get on some throttle!)