To Beartooth and back | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

To Beartooth and back

Yellowstone was awesome, we went through in 2008. We came out on the east side of the park on Highway 14 - not quite as twisty but very scenic. Then again, it's hard to go anywhere out there and not have it be scenic.
 
Was that jet a Phantom? I like that stuff too. Good write up, keep it coming. Love the colours of the sky in the forest fire pics.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Yellowstone was awesome, we went through in 2008. We came out on the east side of the park on Highway 14 - not quite as twisty but very scenic. Then again, it's hard to go anywhere out there and not have it be scenic.
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Oh 14 is a gorgeous road too, and yes it's hard to go anywhere around there that isn't scenic.

I think that was one of my "issues" with the trip was it was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster to go from bland, awful freeways, to beautiful landscapes, and back to bland. The first few days without any of the scenic or fun roads was tough.

jc100 said:
Was that jet a Phantom? I like that stuff too. Good write up, keep it coming. Love the colours of the sky in the forest fire pics.
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Thanks!

America is full of cool jets. They're everywhere.
 
DAY 7.5 - Change of plans

So as I mentioned before, the wildfires in the area are becoming an issue and I needed to make a choice. I got to my AirBnB in Red Lodge Montana before 6pm so I had plenty of time to start figuring things out.

My original plan was, the following day to ride north to Canada and stay in Cardston Alberta. Then I'd only be an hour away from 'Going to the sun road' in Glacier National Park which I'd take the day after.



(the red circle is where Going to the sun road is located)

Unfortunately, there was a huge wildfire directly beside the goddamn road and most of the road was closed.



This site was a real time Wildfire map. It's hard to make out in that picture but that fire is right beside the road.



I was checking this site regularly and it was closed like this even after I got back from my trip.

So I made the decision to not head up that way. Doing 1/3 of GTTS run and then having to turn around and find my way to my next place to stay wasn't appealing to me. Also, there were a couple other fires south of Glacier park and up in the BC areas I was planning on riding that were going to be a problem.

So I cancelled the AirBnB's I had booked ahead of time. (Got most of my money back) and planned a route east towards home.
 
I've written this much so I may as well finish it. :)

DAY 8: Red Lodge, Montana to Whitewood, South Dakota

It's a bummer about the fires but I was going to make the best of the change of plans.

The AirBnB cabin I stayed at was very very nice. Easily the best place I had stayed at on the trip. Very unique and comfy. Super cool host. Ex-Park ranger.

I was out packing the bike at 8am and it was mighty cold.



My AirBnB host came out to chat with me while I was packing the bike. Even he mentioned the temperature and if I was gonna be warm enough. So I waited till about 10am before I headed out.





My planned route was a straight shot through Big Horn Wyoming to I-90 and then East to South Dakota. I stopped in Lovell Wyoming for fuel and a Corn Dog (man I love these Corn dogs) and stock up on water. A guy with an old VW van noticed my Ontario plate and says to me: "Boy you've done some Miles!" We chatted for a bit. He asked if I was taking Route 14-ALT and I told him I was. (I'm glad he asked cause I was curious if I should take it or not) He said I was gonna have a great time with the bike on it, so that was good news.

So I made my way east through 14-Alt and I have to say it was an absolutely fantastic road! It began with a ride over a man made lake. The water had an amazing reflection of the cliffs surrounding it. The scenery was just stunning. Then up some windy bits to some higher altitude plains...then back down.



That real windy bit on the eastern end was so much fun. The road surface was this like grippy, red, sparkly looking stuff. It was very confidence inspiring. This was probably the "fastest" I've been cornering wise on my trip. I'm always very aware that I'm far from home and going down would be an extra bad time so far from home so I don't really push it. For some reason 14-Alt was the exception. It was a blast. :D

After the fun of 14-Alt I had some interstate hustling to do, and eventually I took a break at a Starbucks in Sheridan, Wy. While I was there, a dude in a Harley Bagger rolled up. He did the "You road from Ontario?" bit and we got to chatting. He was with a group of riders from California and he broke off from the pack to grab Starbucks. He was telling me this crazy story about how one of the riders in the group blew their front tire on the freeway going 80mph+ and barely kept it upright.
They called a nearby Harley Dealership and told them that they were on the side of the freeway with a shredded tire. The HD Dealer says: "We can replace it. Just get here by 6pm. That's when we close."
The riders are like: "We are stranded, how are we supposed to get there?"
HD dealer: "Dunnoh. But we close at 6"

They call another nearby motorcycle shop and tell them about the tire and the shop goes "Ok. Wait there. We'll bring a trailer and pick you up. We'll have the bike fixed up in no time."

So his tire got replaced but the rider was too freaked out, to the point he couldn't continue on the trip any longer. So a few turned back with him and returned to California.

We also chatted about how so many riders seem to ride without helmets and how insane it is to us. Regardless of the laws.

Anyways, cool dude. Nice chat.

I get back on the interstate for some more trudging and after some time I noticed some Motorcycles in the distance. At one point the bikes and the cars around them braked for some reason. I couldn't see what they were braking for until I saw all the Antelope running away in the fields off the Interstate. Apparently they're real bad around these parts.

As I approach the Bikers I notice they have Ontario Plates! What a surprise...I was probably more excited than I should have been. It was a Cruiser and a Ducati Multistrada (I think) I gave them a big wave and thumbs up as I passed them.
About 15 minutes later a sign on the interstate said no more services for over 30 miles so I pulled off for fuel. The Ontario bikers pulled in shortly afterwards. We chatted for a bit. They also did Beartooth and we spoke about the Antelope they almost hit. Nice fellas.

After the chat, and after I filled up I wished them a safe trip and continued on my way on I-90.

Sometime later I made the last minute decision to Detour slightly north to checkout Devils Tower.






It's pretty neat looking. Made me want to watch Close Encounters again. There was also some Bison in the area. Pretty neat.

On my way back to I-90 it was getting dusk-ish and there were a **** load of Deer/Antelope out. Was making me hella nervous. I had one close call.

I eventually made it back to I-90 and then safely to my AirBnB in Whitewood South Dakota.

Aprox 690kms for the day

 
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ok. I'm almost done. I'll finish this ride report.

DAY 9: Whitewood, South Dakota to Chamberlain, South Dakota.
I was given some tips about the area earlier on and I was lucky I did as I could make the most of this new detour I had to take. I left Whitewood and made my way through Deadwood and down into the Black Hills National. I have heard of "Sturgis" but never really looked into it. Now that I am in the area I can see all the HD stores and HD Apparel and all that sorta thing.



I decided to hit up Mt.Rushmore even though I heard it isn't anything special. Roads were real nice and traffic was only lame in the towns.



Smaller than I expected. I didn't bother getting a closer look. I heard the Crazy Horse Memorial was better so I made my way there.

I actually paid to get into the grounds of Crazy Horse and parked.





It was an interesting memorial. Huge in scale but apparently hasn't really progressed very much in all the years they've been "working" on it. I browsed the exhibits, got some food and souvenirs and eventually made my way out of there.

I was told Needles Highway/Highway 87 was the road to ride in this area so I did. It was a very twisty and scenic ride. The Giant Stone "needles" or Spires were quite awesome.



At one point during the ride on Needles/87 I saw the 2 other Ontario riders coming the other direction. I guess our routes were very similar. :)

Someone back home took a screen shot of my SPot tracking while I was in the black hills. Looks like I'm lost lol



I made my way North east till I hit the I-90 and began the slabbing eastbound. I noticed signs saying "Ellsworth AFB" but I couldn't see anything cool from the freeway. I continued on and suddenly this B-1 Bomber flew right over the interstate in front of me. I basically saw this:



I clearly remember going "BWOAAHHH!!!!" out loud. lol I mentioned before...I love stuff like this so it totally made my day. After about 30 seconds it pitched upwards and rocketed away leaving a trail of yellowish brown smoke behind it. So awesome :cool:

After that it was about 300kms of highway till I stopped in Chamberlain, SD. A odd little AirBnB on the Missouri River.

Aprox 600kms for the day.
 
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what was the best part of the trip so far?
 
DAY 10: Chamberlain, South Dakota to Madison, Wisconsin

Today is a slugging day. I need to make the miles and nothing else was planned for the day. The throttle lock came in handy during the long straight interstates.

Enjoyed my first QwikTrip



In Minnesota the roads got ********. Also at one point I stopped for gas and it had an odd Non-oxygenated sigh on it.



Never seen that before. Also after I filled up an older guy pointed out some of the pumps (including the one I just used) had stickers on them saying not to use. I didn't even notice them.



He was saying it means the pump is probably not accurate. :confused: Very odd.

When I crossed the Mississippi River and Lake Onalaska into Wisconsin the clouds were looming. I pulled over and put on the rain gear and dealt with some on and off showers till I reached my AirBnb in Madison.

Aprox 910 kms for the day

 
smergy said:
what was the best part of the trip so far?
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ooof. That's a tough one. :confused3:

It was probably when I rode past that Bison on the road. Never thought I'd see a Bison up close like that before.
Riding Beartooth shortly after that is a very very close runner up. I had to take a moment and realize where I was and how far I had come.
 
DAY 11: Madison, Wisconsin to HOME:)

I made the last minute decision to take the Lake Express Ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon across Lake Michigan. This would allow me to skip the foul weather the forecast was calling for and to bypass the traffic around Chicago.
...and also to give me and the bike a break lol :cool:

Ferry departed at 0600hrs and it was an hour and a half to the Ferry dock. Add to that they ask you arrive atleast 45mins before departure and that all added up to me having to wake up very very early.

The ride from Madison to Milwaukee was miserable. Easily the worst part of the trip. It was dark, and raining. The interstate had construction on it. Visibility was poor. It wasn't a good time. Luckily I arrived safely and with time to spare at the Ferry Terminal.



Yup. Still dark. That's how early it is. Check in was odd. Lady was walking around with the mirror looking under cars, asked if I had any weapons on me. :confused: I bought the cheapest fare but it was still over $100. I then waited in the "terminal" until the boarding began. Just standing there making a puddle under me. lol

When it was time to get on the ferry they had me go first. Guy says "The Deck is wet so your bike might slide out from under you." it better not! :-x

I went where I was directed and eventually parked without issue. Deck hand says "Straps are on the wall. 2 on the front and 2 on the back. Good luck." and walks off. :shock: Well here goes nothing.

I don't have too much experience with this sorta thing. I have only strapped my bike down in a ferry once before and that was like 9 years ago with my VF500 in PEI but I did an alright job I think.



I got it cinched down so the bike was squatting a bit on it's suspension, but only just.

I then went up to the passenger deck. Found a spot with a table and unloaded my wet gear. I took the time to take the visor off my Helmet and wipe/dry everything down. I watched the safety briefing on the TV's as they played and listened to the Captain run through his bit and then I put my earbuds in and took a nap. The trip is about 2.5 hours and I probably got a good Hour and a half of sleep. Couple times the ferry would list heavily from one side to the other and I'd wake up and think "there goes the bike".
I was in the center of the ship so the motion didn't bother me much.

After my nap I got up and got a coffee from the galley. That and a granola bar from my stash was my brunch.

I turned on my GPS to go over my route and the display made me smile



Smart thing knew I was on a Ferry. However it was not smart enough to recalculate my route so it kept telling me to go south and grab I-94 to Detroit rather than head straight eastwards to Sarnia. Cancelling the route and selecting a new route home fixed that.

I visited the deck briefly. Weather had improved drastically. :cool:



Disembark time. There was a huge gathering of bikes waiting to get on. The rest of the trip was more highway slabbing. It rained a bit here and there till I got to Sarnia. The Toll booth traffic was awful. There were only 2 booths open! :rolleyes: Unbelievable.
The queue for the border wasn't too bad. Border guy was a bit of a grumpy pants. Odd since mostly the CBSA folks I find to be great. Sarnia to the 401 was uneventful. I stopped at the EnRoute in Woodstock for Coffee and a break. Then it was ****** traffic till I got home to Toronto.

Last day was over 1,000kms

 
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MacDoc said:
Hmmmm $100 - not bad to skip Chicago - how much do you figure the distance saved was?
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To ride from Milwaukee to the east side of Lake Michigan where you can grab the I-94 to Detroit is around 350 kms and about 3 hours 15 mins without traffic.
If you wanted to go further up to Grand Rapids to head towards Sarnia it's another Hour.

It's definitely cheaper to not take the ferry. But it was very worth it for me to skip the weather and take the time to be a passenger for a bit. I quite enjoyed it
 
Enjoyed the read, thanks for sharing. Must admit I'm jealous, looks like a lot of adventure, and I like adventure. :)
 
Thanks for the feedback.

It's difficult to finish the ride report, especially when you think no ones reading it lol

Yeah I guess it was a bit of an adventure. It's only been a month or so since the trip and I can't really believe I rode all that way.
 
Wonderings - that pic is the 28 just outside Moab. Been there a few times. Its a great place to ride.

Slowbird - Very nice trip - couple years ago was in Boise and wild fires were terrible so headed to Colorado and Utah
and came home that way.
 
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Nice trip report

It was probably when I rode past that Bison on the road. Never thought I'd see a Bison up close like that before.
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Yeah ....I was on the inside lane and this damn big bull with very large horns trudged by us ...my knee was like a meter from his nose and kid had a loudish exhaust ....I think neither of us started breathing until he was entirely past us.

I took this before we reached the bull that was walking on the highway ...I was too nervous even to move toward the camera for fear of startling him ....what a helpless feeling.

v2
 
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Great report...I read the whole thing.
I've done this trip a few times.
Really enjoyed it...to bad its so awkward to post pics now.
I am curious about one thing...air bnb
I mostly hotel / motel my trips.
Never done the air bnb
How did you like it?
I guess the biggest difference is you had to book everything ahead of time?
 
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