For the third consecutive day I headed south to Yellowstone on highway 89, taking in the now familiar view for the last time. The last time on this trip anyway, I can see myself returning to this area again someday. By the time I arrived at the park, I realized I would actually have to put on the sunscreen for the first time on this trip. Riding down the same north section of the north loop was totally different today with the sun out instead of rain, and I was able to get much better pictures. Before I knew it I was making the turn onto highway 212 again, heading towards Cooke City.
There were a lot more bikers out on the road today, more vehicles in general actually. It would be fun to do a trip like this with some more bikes in a pack, maybe in the future that can happen. From all the reading I've done online, looking at the top riding roads, the Chief Joseph Highway gets very high praise. Some call it the best ride in America, so obviously I was looking forward to it. The story of the route is quite interesting as well, I won't go into detail about that here. History has always fascinated me, and I love having the story in my head as I ride.
9 miles east of Cooke City I made the turn onto highway 296/Chief Joseph Highway. I quickly realized it would be a different experience that Beartooth yesterday. Beartooth is pretty extreme, especially when it snowing like it was, and I'm sure I missed a lot of nice scenery because of the weather. CJH is a more relaxed ride, but in my opinion the scenery beats Beartooth hands down. I'm sure the fact that it was the best day I've experienced this summer also swayed my opinion a little.
It was a phenomenal ride through the kind of country I remember being described in the western novels I used to read as a kid. Signs on the road warned of the possibility of livestock on the highway. It is free range country here, but alas, there were no interactions with cattle. As I rode into Sunlight Basin the scenery was truly spectacular. Just before the Sunlight Bridge I stopped for a few pictures, and a man from Germany and I got to talking about the trips each of us are on. The bridge spans two sheer cliffs, 285 feet above the creek below, it's probably higher than it is long. On the other side of the bridge I again stopped for photos, and more conversation. A few other bikers were just getting ready to leave, and after a few minutes of talking I was back taking pictures. On the way back to my bike, a kid told me he was jealous of me. Turns out he was from Switzerland, him and a friend were travelling from Los Angeles to Denver in an RV, and both of them rode bikes at home. I could tell he would have loved riding instead of taking the land yacht. Their 5 and a 1/2 week vacation was almost over.
After that stop I went up and over a ridge down to the lowest point, and again rode to the top on a series of switchbacks. Dead Indian summit is at 8000 feet, and the view from there looks for miles back the way I came. We have some amazing scenery back home, and it is home, but we have nothing remotely close to this.
From there I headed into Cody, Wyoming for a little food, and then started east to Greybull where I planned to spend the night. The country get a lot more open after Cody, but it's still really beautiful. As I ride east, the Bighorn mountain range keeps getting closer, and I'll be going over them tomorrow morning on my way to South Dakota.
In Greybull I checked into the Greybull Motel, a great little mom & pop joint. The building is old, but very neat and clean, and the grounds are immaculate. After a little rest in the room, I went to sit outside under the awning. A few minutes later Michael invited me to sit with his wife Wendy and another couple. Michael and Wendy own the place, and they ride as well. If you ever stop here, mention Eugene from Canada, maybe they'll remember. It was a lot of fun to hang out like that and just talk, something a person doesn't do much when travelling alone. It was a perfect way to end the day!
Day 9 in the books, can't believe it's been that many already. It will be over much too soon, off to bed so I can make the most of tomorrow!
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