Annual Big Horn - Beartooth Loop

[bigjohnsd]

Taking a little ride on Monday with a fellow BMW rider from our little BH BMW Riders Group. Leaving at 0700 Minday for Red Lodge, spending the night there at the Alpine Inn, then back to Spearfish on Tuesday via Beartooth, Chief Joseph, Ten Sleep etc.

[FJRPittsburgh]

Excellent! Dean and I wanted to ride Beartooth Pass on the way back from our California trip. Due to my appendectomy in Nevada, we didn't make it there. Dean went home on his own. I hit Devil's Tower after my recovery, but didn't visit Beartooth Pass or Mt. Rushmore. I'll be riding back out there. They are great places to visit on the bike. The bucket list isn't completed yet.

[escapefjrtist]

Great plan, hope the ride goes well!

~G

[bigjohnsd]

Left Spearfish just before 0700.



Rode I-90 to Gillette, then US 14 to Sheridan, up I-90 to Ranchester WY, then over the Bighorns to Lovell WY on US 14a stopping at Burgess Jct for Pie. It was hot in the valleys, mid-90s but cool at elevation.



Stopped at the Devil's Canyon Overlook because I'd never been there.







After Lovell we headed to Cody then North to the Chief Joseph Pkwy and over Beartooth and down into Red Lodge arriving just before 5:00pm. It was wet atop the Beartooth but not too bad.

We walked to the Red Lodge Brewers and enjoyed several beers and BBQ sandwiches.



Tomorrow we will head back over Beartooth, down the Chief Joseph before streaking across the hot Big Horn River Valley to Ten Sleep WY and enjoying the ride to Buffalo WY over the Cloud Peak Skyway (US 16). From there, depending upon time, we will either slab it home on I-90 or take US 16 to Gillette before hopping on I-90 for the last 90 miles.

[Abercrombie FJR]

Taking a little ride on Monday with a fellow BMW rider from our little BH BMW Riders Group. Leaving at 0700 Minday for Red Lodge, spending the night there at the Alpine Inn, then back to Spearfish on Tuesday via Beartooth, Chief Joseph, Ten Sleep etc.

Nice, I'm jealous.

[bigjohnsd]

Today was one of those "Perfect Motorcycling Days"!



Scott and I were first in line for Breakfast at the Alpine Inn - Red Lodge MT.





Larry, the owner (in the pink shirt) was behind the grill and whipped up a couple of excellent Breakfast Burritos, his signature dish.



Scott and I were on the road at 6:45 - we wanted to "beat the traffic" going over the Beartooth and down the Chief Joseph. I am pleased to report that we did just that. It was a cool 67f when we left Red Lodge, we saw a low of 47f on the top of Beartooth, we chose not to interrupt the "Flow of the Ride" by stopping for pictures. We overtook and passed four cars and one pickup between Red Lodge and the turn-off to the Chief Joseph. This was undoubtedly my most "unimpeded Beartooth passage ever" and we made the most of it. You all would have been proud.

The trip down/over Chief Joseph/Dead Indian Pass was only slightly more trafficked. We passed one group of bikes and a Spyder just after the lone Construction zone and had to deal with half-a-dozen other cars plus one herd of cows on/in the road. The Gray Ghost's ABS does work!

We fueled in Cody and then hightailed it for a date with an Icecream Cone at Dirty Sallys General Store - Ten Sleep WY.







I had Coffe Fudge and Scott had Pecan or some such delectable treat.

After refueling our bodies we screwed around for ten minutes trying to repair our comms unsuccessfully, they had worked perfectly up until this point. It appears that different Bluetooth priorities were fighting each other.

The run over US 16 - "The Cloud Peak Skyway" was good as well. We had to dispatch a few motor homes before we hit the good stuff in Ten Sleep Canyon, then a nice run across to just past Crazy Woman Canyon when we hit construction. But - we were first in line behind the Pilot Car and after a ten-minute wait, we had a great run all the way to Buffalo, catching the previous group of traffic just as we entered town.

We gassed up in Buffalo and took US 16 to Gillette, it adds about 30 minutes but I-90 is just so boring across that stretch of WY.

We stopped at Spotted Horse WY (just East of West Bumphuck) for a cool drink and relief from the 96f heat.



Nice AC, cold pop, and a lot of crap on the walls -



The rest of the trip was just "hammer down" to get out of the heat -

[dcarver]

Excellent stuff John! Love those small eateries, local flavor. Anxious to ride more in 2024. Hey, a new slogan?

Ride more in 2024!

[0face]

That's what it's all about... what a day! Freakin' Awesome.

I gotta quit this working shit...

[escapefjrtist]

Thanks for the ride-along BigJohn. Awesome stuff! I'm thinking a visit to Red Lodge/Beartooth/Chief Joseph is on my slate before the Baker City event.

...and I agree with DC, retire and ride more in 2024!

~G

[raYzerman]

I could envision the whole ride, since I have been on those roads a time or two.. good one!!

[Hppants]

Living your best life, John. Good on ya!

Marty - a respectful and encouraging nudge from Captain Obvious-pants:

We only get one, Dude. Use yours wisely. That is all.