Day 9

Woke up to a beautiful morning, and I could feel that it was going to be a wonderful day. I'm leaving Livingston today, and starting the journey east once again, so that meant getting everything loaded on the bike again. It was very nice to have a base camp for a few days. Thankfully I had everything packed already last night, which made it easy this morning. 

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!

Buffalo grazing in the wide open spaces of northeastern Yellowstone

Sunlight bridge 

I will be looking way down at that rock formation soon!

Working my way up the side of a mountain

That's a deep gorge down there

The vista at Dead Indian summit

View from the vista. The ridge with the slightly upward angle on the left third of the picture is what I was looking at in the fourth picture

Just beginning the descent from the summit 

So many colors in this photo, love it

Looking back in the direction of Cody

My home for the night, you would love all the flowers here Mom!

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!

Day 8

On the agenda today was the Beartooth Pass, something I was looking forward but also had some anxiety about. It's no secret that I have a fear of heights, so riding a road like this means I will have to work with myself. The ride down to the park from Livingston almost felt like a commute this morning, almost. The scenery here kind of looks different every day, depending on weather. It was a little warmer this morning, mostly overcast. 

Once in the park, I head east on the north section of the north loop. The only part of the figure 8 grand loop I haven't ridden now is the eastern section of the north loop. I made the turn onto highway 212, heading east to Cooke City. A light rain fell as I made the ride out of the park, with lots of buffalo grazing in the flats to my right. Every time it rains I'm glad for my gear. I stay dry and warm, which makes it so much nicer to ride in inclement weather. 

I topped off the tank in Cooke City, and was beginning to have my doubts as to the condition of the pass. I figured if its raining at the bottom, it could be bad at the top. Regardless, I wasn't about to turn around now, and much to my delight the sun burst forth only a couple miles east of Cooke City. As I passed the turn south to Cody, the climb immediately began. 

To try and describe the feeling of going to the top of the world is pretty tough, let's just say I suddenly felt very small! The views are incredible as one makes the climb, a person can see for miles around. By the time I got to the Long Lake bridge construction zone a few flakes of snow began coming down. Only a few minutes ago the sun was shining, but I guess when you're this high up the weather changes quickly. After getting through the construction zone the snowfall became heavier, and there were times where vision was restricted to only a few bike lengths. The visor on my helmet kept gathering snow, as did the windscreen on the bike. Thankfully the road only got wet, not slippery (trust me, I checked on every short section of straight road on the way up the switchbacks). 

A few times the thought of turning around crossed my mind, but by now I was over halfway across the road, and I really didn't want to wimp out and not finish. If there were any signs at the highest elevation I didn't see them, which was a little disappointing. A picture withe sign and the bike would have been cool. 

There were a lot of cars, more than I thought there would be, but not a lot of motorcycles up on the pass. The smart ones probably wait for a nice day, but I may never be back, so it was now or never. It felt almost eerie as I made what would be the final climb up the switchbacks, a very strange feeling to be at almost 11,000 feet on a motorcycle. The clouds/fog lifted a little as I began to make the descent, and I was floored by how far down it was beside the road. There is no picture in the world that can even begin to convey how I felt there. 

I didn't descend too far when just like that, the air temperature began to climb and the snow on my helmet and windscreen quickly melted. By the time I reached Rock Creek Vista, the sun was peaking out, suggesting I would descend from 9190 feet to 6400 feet at Red Lodge with a full view. I stopped at the vista for a bathroom break, and to warm up a little. I was warm throughout, except for my hands. A gentleman there told me it had been 31 degrees (-0.5 C) at the top. 

It's strange how small the world is sometimes. A man noticed my Alberta plates, and asked where I was from. Turns out he has relatives living in my hometown! He and his wife were from Winnipeg, and are staying just down the street from me here in Livingston. It was a great random meeting, and for a moment I felt like I wasn't nearly as far from home as it sometimes feels. 

The ride down to Red Lodge was simply awesome! The sun was out and I was able to see everything, and for some reason being able to see more made me feel much more at ease. There was an exuberant fist pump when I came out of the final hairpin turn, a great feeling to have been able to complete the journey. I dreamt of this ride often over the winter, when I first discovered it existed. 

My plan was to head down to the south point of the Chief Joseph Highway, and then return north on that. It was already after 2:30, and after a stop in Red Lodge I decided against my original plan. Doing that would have got me back to the hotel much too late, and I wanted some time to get ready to leave tomorrow. 

I ended up making my way up to I-90 at Laurel, and then rode the 100 miles back to Livingston. The weather is supposed to be much nicer tomorrow, so I will probably take the Chief Joseph highway down to Cody, and then start making my way east to the Black Hills in South Dakota. 

A few calculations tonight showed me that I've ridden 977km in the last two days, on top of all the sight seeing. I didn't think it was even close to that many. That puts my total at 3634km in the 8 days so far, including the one day I spent in Red Deer. Anyway, here's a few pictures from today. Turns out most of the good ones are on the camera and not the phone, and since I can't transfer, you're stuck with the bad ones:) On a day like today I really wish I would have bought a GoPro camera. 

Looking west in Cooke City

Looking east in Cooke City

Shortly after the 296 junction 

Amazing how far one can see here

This is where I first noticed the flakes coming down

Beautiful look at the peaks around me

This was somewhere close to the top on the plateau

Almost back in Montana. If you look at the map of the road you will see where that is

Right in the clouds. I wasn't able to get the camera in time to catch the road way below, those clouds move fast lol

The switchbacks after Rock Creek Vista, heading down, the little flat spot in the upper left of the photo is the road

Hard not to get a little nervous coming around the bend up there 

In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him Psalm 95:4

I lift up my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth Psalm 121:1-2

Day 7

Wow, what a day it has been today! Words or pictures can't really describe a place like Yellowstone. The park has so many different features, and to see most of them in one day is total overload. My plan was to just see some of the park, and then head over to the Beartooth Pass, but as I kept making my way through Yellowstone I just felt like spending the day wandering. It was cold this morning, only 3 degrees Celsius when I left Livingston. It was overcast, but as the day went on the sun burned off the clouds, but it stayed cool throughout the day. 

I rode into the park via highway 89, after an hour long ride to get there. I stopped to take a picture of the Roosevelt Arch, where an Asian couple immediately approached me. The lady wanted a picture of me and her with my bike, which I thought was kind of funny. I will live on in the photo album of some family somewhere in the Far East. They barely spoke English, but the gentleman was very stoked about the Harley Davidson brand name, and I was able to fulfill his desire to know the engine size. A handshake and I was on my way. 

The first stop in the park was Mammoth Hot Springs. The basalt formations there are really neat. From there I made my way south, stopping many times along the way. At Norris I wasn't even able to find a parking spot, so I continued south. Just past Gibbon Meadows the traffic got really jammed up, and I decided to try another route. I doubled back to Norris, and then turned east towards Canyon Village. Turning south, I reached the north rim of Yellowstone's Grand Canyon. The views here are magnificent, and some of the lookouts were quite dizzying for someone with a fear of heights. The depth ranges from 800 to 1200 feet deep! This loop took me awhile, and although there were lots of people everywhere, traffic never jammed up again for the rest of the day. 

After entering the Grand Loop road again, I headed south. By now I figured I might as well stay in the park, and Old Faithful was the next goal. There were many stops again, and the road is really scenic all the way. The Old Faithful area is like a small town, a much bigger place than I had imagined. I remember reading about this geyser in Encyclopedia Britannica as a small boy on the farm, so I was pretty happy to finally get a chance to see it in person. I arrived about an hour before it was predicted to go off, so I wandered the area taking pictures and talking with a few people. When it finally went off there were a ton of people watching, and it was a cool experience. I didn't get any pictures of the event, as I took video instead. 

By the time it was over, I made my way back north, stopping to see yet more amazing sights. It was around 6:30 when I got to where I turned around before, but it's funny how repeating a route in reverse really changes the views. I regret not booking a room in advance, it would have been nice not to make the one hour trek back to the hotel. I realized after I left the park how tired I was. Being at a high altitude like that wears a person down if one isn't used to it. 

There's no way I can properly describe the day to you the reader, it is my wish that you all get to see this place one day if you haven't yet. A day like today makes me miss family, it would be awesome to share this with you all in person. I noticed today that this blog has passed 1000 views now, which surprised me. Hopefully the reports aren't too boring:)

This is the lady that wanted the picture, her husband was busy looking at the bike lol

At Mammoth Hot Springs

Heading south, nice little waterfall

Sheepeater Cliff, cool how it formed like that

Yellowstone's Grand Canyon

More Canyon

Coming down the trail at Mud Volcano. I was in danger of a heart attack after the ascent, just totally out of breath (and I wasn't the only one either lol)

Incredible little pool I saw while walking around at the Old Faithful site

Crowd waiting in anticipation

Quick pic after Old Faithful was pretty much done for this round. The actual event is on video. 

This one turned out much better that I thought it would, love this pic. This was at Firehole Basin if I'm not mistaken. 

Almost 150 photos were captured today, so it was hard to narrow it down. Anyway, it is time to get to bed, another day awaits:)

Day 6

With a great night of sleep, a little food, and some coffee I was back on the road. I noticed yesterday that one of my passing lamps was not working, so I headed for Great Falls to get that fixed. It was a chilly morning, but a dry one so I was happy. After about an hour on the road I pulled up to Big Sky HD in Great Falls. I purchased a bulb, and dug my tool bag out of the saddle bag. A few minutes later that was done, and I was back on the road. 

I was under the impression that it would be more of the same scenery from this morning, but the landscape really changes a lot. The ride to Helena was awesome, love the rugged hills. It was way nicer looking than I had pictured in my mind. Got a short little shower coming into Helena, and as I ate lunch it came down a little more. Had an interesting chat with a couple older gentlemen as I ate, always cool to hear from some locals. 

Shortly after leaving Helena on highway 287 the clouds started breaking up, giving way to the sun. It felt great to have the sun beating down, almost the perfect temperature for me. I pulled over at a rest stop for a much needed visit to a restroom. Exchanged a few pleasantries with a fellow beard grower (his put mine to shame, really made mine feel like a feeble attempt). His little boy, probably around 5 or 6 years old, bravely marched up to me and gave me an emphatic high five. That's a future bearded biker right there, and that exchange put a smile on my face!

The last 30 miles were gorgeous once again, a sign of things to come in the next few days. Livingston is about an hour north of Yellowstone, and I'm just glad I have a room this close. The plan is to make this my base for the next few days, although I can already tell I should have allowed even more time here. 

After checking into the room, I decided to take a little drive down highway 89, the road I will take in the morning. It was amazing to finally have a perfect summer evening to just go for a ride. I turned around at the south junction with highway 540, and took that back to Livingston. Grabbed a sub for supper, and then headed to my room. There were heavy winds for much of the day, and I actually feel like I got a good workout from the ride today. It will feel good to have a hot shower, do my daily Bible reading, and then hit the sack early. I would like to get up early tomorrow, to maximize the sightseeing time. Here's a few pictures from today. 

About 20 minutes south of Choteau

A little south of Great Falls on I-15

Scenic overlook just south of Tower Rock State Park

Took this picture as proof that the sun does exist!

Rest stop on highway 89, heading south to Yellowstone

Bike is looking pretty nasty after all the rain, need to wash it one of these days

So relaxing beside this river, could have slept in the grass

Heading back to Livingston

Tomorrow should be a very full day, hoping to check the north loop of Yellowstone and Beartooth Pass off the bucket list. Can't wait to wake up in the morning! Goodnight all:)

Day 5

This morning started off wet and cloudy, thunderstorms sweeping through Fernie during the night. I don't mine the cooler temperatures, but it would be nice to begin a day of travelling with sunshine. After breakfast, I once again got everything on the bike and headed for the Canada/USA border. It was a nice ride, traffic was light, and everything smelled fresh from the rain. 

The border crossing took approximately 3 minutes, which surprised me somewhat. I was expecting many more questions, but maybe the agent knew I had nothing to hide:). This is only my second time crossing into the USA by vehicle. 

It's a beautiful drive to the town of Whitefish, where I stopped to get gas and some food for later on in the day. From Whitefish I rode east, and after buying a National Park pass, I decided to ride up to Avalanche Creek. This is as far as Going to the Sun Road is open on the west side, and it was disappointing to not really even get up into the mountains. I stopped to eat a tuna sandwich, and then rode the 16 miles back to Highway 2. As is quickly becoming the norm, it began raining as I turned east. I missed a lot of great scenery, as the skies opened up and it poured from the heavens. At East Glacier Park Village, a few guys who followed me for the entire downpour had a chuckle at my expense. I was hoping to go up the east side of Going to the Sun Road, but I will do that sometime when I can cross all the way over and the weather is better. 

A few miles after Browning, the winds began gusting, and now the rain came down in sheets. It got a little sketchy as the wind was blowing me all over the road, a few gusts threatened to push me right off the road. Straight ahead the skies were dark, a nice setting for the lightning. I arrived in the town of Choteau, where I decided to call it a day. I only put up 482km, but the hotel looked more inviting than the thunderstorms. 

If ever you are in the area, the Stage Stop  Inn is a great place to stay. The staff was super friendly, the rooms are huge, clean, and very well priced, and the Elk Country Grill right beside it makes great food. Not many good pictures today, but here's a few. 

I had just crossed the border here

Just past Columbia Falls, heading to Glacier NP

Hard to tell in the photo, but there is a stream that drops all the way down the face of the mountain. This was as far as I could go up the Going to the Sun Road. 

Coming back down, love the color of the water

My home for the night

Day 4

Woke up to a mix of sun and cloud, which was mostly cloud by the time I rolled out of Red Deer. After a quick run down to Olds, I stopped to meet a co-worker and friend for breakfast. We had a good chat, but I was itching to make some miles.

I swear the rain is following me from home, as I can't seem to get a nice sunny day to ride. At least it didn't stay long today, only spent about an hour in the wet stuff. It was still fun to keep heading south, still not sure where I was going to end up tonight. 

For anyone who has never been over the Highwood Pass, it is a must see. It's the highest paved pass in Canada, and was a little chilly up there today, but I was amazed at the beauty of that road! Alberta really is the best place on earth, with a very wide variety of awe inspiring scenery. 

I arrived in Longview a little before 4pm, having decided to end the day in Fernie, BC. It was another 200km to go, and by the time I entered BC it was actually quite warm, a welcome change. Crowsnest Pass it always more beautiful than I remember. There was also much more traffic than earlier in the day, the tourist season is right around the corner I guess. 

I logged the most kilometres so far today, clocking in at 647. I'm not used to biking a lot every day, and right now I'm tired. 1622.3km so far on the trip, and tomorrow I should be crossing into the USA for the first time with my bike. 

As is usually the case, I'm not good at photography and a camera can't do justice to scenery like this anyway. That is all for today, time for a shower and a little wind down time before hitting the hay.