Note: all pics are less than 60K
This years cycle trip was one of contrasts. The weather went from hot to cold back to hot again, wet, then wet again then humid, then dry, and then back to humid again. We also found the "tourist" points to be over populated while most of the back roads had almost no one driving them.
We started out on a Saturday afternoon and made our usual first-night stop at the KOA in Mitchell S.D. Sunday was a very wet ride to Sturgis but once in Sturgis the sun was out and the humidity went up. Sturgis was very busy this year and the traffic was more like you would find mid-week. After leaving Sturgis we headed for Buffalo to spend the night. The next day we made our way to Sheridan and then turned west on highway 343. This is a very scenic road with curves and canyons and an 8950 ft pass. We ended up at the KOA in Cody. To get into Yellowstone from the east you either use the East Entrance where the road has been under construction for the past five years or the Northeast Entrance by Cooke City. Now on motorcycle, this is a no brainer. The highway (296) to Cooke City is a spectacular ride. It has sharp curves, steep climbs, and fantastic views. Both Von and I enjoy taking pictures of the scenery.
The cost of getting into Yellowstone to a sharp increase, it's now $15 for motorcycles. I sure hope they put the extra revenue into the roads because they are very poor. We also found the traffic to be bumper to bumper starting at Tower Junction. At the overlook into the "Grand Canyon" of the Yellowstone, the tourists were stacked 2 and 3 rows deep. However, it's worth the hassle to get a look at the falls and the river. We also got a quick glimpse of a sow bear and her cub, and a moose having lunch in a lily pond.
West Yellowstone and its' campgrounds were full. People everywhere. It's time to head into the back country. Boy did we, the road from West Yellowstone to Dubois is definitely "back country". I don't think we met more than 5 cars the entire distance. We did meet some nice folks at the gas station in Kilgore. From Dubois we took the Interstate north to Dillon, then a small highway (278) west to Jackson and Wisdom. It's on this section of highway we learned that a dot on the map with a name doesn't necessary mean people or gas. Maybe that's why the called one of the towns "Wisdom". The trip down highway 93 to Salmon is loaded with curves and nice views. It was also very hot and humid. We stayed in a private campground in Salmon were I discovered my rear tired was going bad. We decided the best thing to do was to head for Boise to find a Honda shop that would have a tire.
There is no other way to describe the road to Boise from Salmon than to just say "awesome". The road to Stanley follows a river and you get curves, more curves, tighter curves, and fantastic vistas. I think it would be fun next time to stop and raft the river. From Stanley, the road into Boise has even more curves and vistas. Unfortunately, much of the forest in this area experienced a fire and much of the natural beauty was lost.
By the time we got into Boise, 6 hours after leaving Salmon, the temperature was 104*. I felt like toast. Fortunately the cycle shop people were very helpful and made special effort to get us back on the road as soon as possible. Jim and Von have relatives in Boise so we invited ourselves over for the night. We set up camp in their back yard, went out to eat and visited until late. I think they thought Jim was nuts when he tried to run an extension cord out to his tent so he could plug in a fan during the night. But, they know their relatives better than I do - right Russ.
Since it was time to start heading for home, we decided to make the ride back up to Stanley again. It was more fun this time because I was focused on the ride and not on a back rear tire. Just south of Stanley is a very beautiful lake called "Red Fish Lake". I think this is the second most beautiful place I have ever visited. From Stanley we headed south to Ketchum and Sun Valley. From the size of the home, I know I can't afford living here. The road takes you across the top of Craters of the Moon National Monument which is a lava area. Enough said. We spent the night at "The Landing Zone" a campground in Arco. A very nice couple just bought the campground and are in the process of rebuilding it. It's the nicest place to stay anywhere along this road.
On the way home, we took the road over Teton Pass to Jackson hole. Wow, what a ride, lots of curves and very steep - like 12% grade. Jackson Hole was full of people so we decided to move on and work our way home. Unfortunately, there is little to see once you leave the Wind River Area. Just miles and miles of highway.
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