The 2025 Calendar Voting is now live! Click here to vote!

Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Public Ride & Trip report sub-forum.

Ride reports (RR) posted here are view-able to non-member readers, no log in will be required to visit this sub-forum - use this sub-forum if you want friends, family, co-workers who are not members of the site to be able to read and follow along.
Post Reply
User avatar
bigjohnsd
Contributor
I post more than I ride
Posts: 6043
Joined: Sun May 18, 2014 4:28 pm
FJRModel: 2021 BMW R1250GSA "Gray Ghost II"
Location: Black Hills, SD I-90 Exit 14
x 10184
x 9556

Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by bigjohnsd »

My friend Scott Henley joined me for the ride to Baker City - "take me out and make me ride my motorcycle" said he.

Image

We left Spearfish at 0800 on Tuesday, September 5th, rode over the Cloud Peak Skyway, stopped at the Ten Sleep Brewery for a sandwich and a beer (they were out of sandwiches,

Image
and on to Cody WY where we rendezvoused with a couple of Washington reprobates, escapefjrtist and Panman.
Image

Image

Wednesday morning we awoke to a beautiful but brisk day, rode through Yellowstone Park on a Northerly loop, George led us through a fog, breakfasted in the park then exited through the west exit— taking various courses and speeds along the Big Hole River and then the Salmon River ending up in Challis, ID for the evening. A superb day of riding hence no pictures taken by me.

Thursday morning it was KSU at 0700 for a blast down US 93 to Stanley ID for breakfast. The first 50 miles were beautiful if a bit nipply, low 40s to low 50s then George again led us through dense fog as we approached Stanley, hard to see 200 yards. Breakfast was tasty and the coffee was welcome.

From Stanley, we rode West on ID 21, getting out of the fog about five miles from Stanley just in time to give Scott his first look at the Sawtooths then on to Lowman, down the Lowman Banks Highway to Banks with very little traffic on both roads. At Banks, we headed towards Payette ID where George, having concerns about rear tire life, headed directly up I-84 to Baker City while Panman, Scott, and I took the more adventurous route through Oxbow OR and Hells Canyon. We took a short break at Cambridge ID in honor of 'Pants

Image

We arrived at Baker City about 1700 (5:00pm for some of you)
Image

Only to find things already in full swing.

Image

Image
JP must think he is on a Harley - he beat George to the wash rack.
Image
He had plenty of supervision.

The onsite restaurant was pretty good - the Thursday night Chicken Fried Steak was quite popular and quite filling.

Parking lot social was still going on when I went to bed at 2200 (10:00pm).

Friday, JREW (John Wilson) joined Scott and I for a ride. We left the motel at about 0830 and headed North and West of Baker City:

Image

Image
The Little Alps were beautiful, there was little traffic, the whole day was fantastic.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

We spotted this beautiful clump of flowers down the hillside and risked life and limb to grab a picture in true "Tyleresque fashion" only to discover that they were fake flowers
Image
:finger:

Saturday morning the lot was full -
Image

Image

Image

As Scott and I packed up to head back through Hells Canyon and up to Kamiah ID for the evening.
Image

Image
Neither of us had been up to the Dam so we rode up and back through 10 miles of fresh chip seal.
Hppants, Niehart, escapefjrtist and 5 others loved this
"The only Dumb Question is the unasked Question " - Anonymous
Eat every Sandwich like it is your last!
User avatar
bigjohnsd
Contributor
I post more than I ride
Posts: 6043
Joined: Sun May 18, 2014 4:28 pm
FJRModel: 2021 BMW R1250GSA "Gray Ghost II"
Location: Black Hills, SD I-90 Exit 14
x 10184
x 9556

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by bigjohnsd »

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image



We ended our Saturday in Kamiah ID at a pretty swank B&B along the Clearwater River
Image

Sunday morning we had a little breakfast that came with the room at a bakery in downtown Kamiah -
Image
Full Order Biscuits and Gravy - I could only eat half
Image
Half Order Biscuits and Gravy

We then headed to Elk City - Why Not? - neither of us had been there and the road looked pretty squiggly on the map. It did not disappoint!

Image

Image

Image

Image

After riding in and out of Elk City we headed up over Lolo Pass to meet Pterodactyl and Annie at the Lochsa Lodge for a late lunch
Image

After lunch we headed to the Outpost and enjoyed a fine evening.

Scott and I were KSU at 0730 this morning and made it back to Spearfish about 1600 (4:00pm)

Image

A week's worth of grime and bugs to be dealt with tomorrow as well as a fresh set of Dunlop Trail Max Mission tires to be mounted before Skooter G and JREW arrive for a few days riding in the Black Hills on their way to EOM.

Image
Hppants, Niehart, Brodie and 12 others loved this
"The only Dumb Question is the unasked Question " - Anonymous
Eat every Sandwich like it is your last!
User avatar
LKLD
Contributor
Veteran
Posts: 2842
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:26 am
FJRModel: 2016 ES
Location: Central Flatistan
x 5660
x 3600

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by LKLD »

Fair skies, fun, FJR’s, and friends…looks like you succeeded in having a wonderful trip, thanks for sharing, John. 👍👍
Being alive, is not living. R.I.P. Don,Petey, & Jason レイクランド
User avatar
PhatAir4Me
Squid
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:27 am
FJRModel: RIP Sam 2009
Welcome Samual 2010
Location: Bend, OR
x 21
x 33

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by PhatAir4Me »

Didn't know you were leaving Baker City Saturday! Saturday evening "hey where's John" he headed out this morning. You missed the Tri-Tip sliders!
Good to see ya my friend!
Niehart, Bugnatr, bigjohnsd and 1 others loved this
It's not the way you wear your hair it's whats inside your head
User avatar
bigjohnsd
Contributor
I post more than I ride
Posts: 6043
Joined: Sun May 18, 2014 4:28 pm
FJRModel: 2021 BMW R1250GSA "Gray Ghost II"
Location: Black Hills, SD I-90 Exit 14
x 10184
x 9556

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by bigjohnsd »

PhatAir4Me wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 10:49 am Didn't know you were leaving Baker City Saturday! Saturday evening "hey where's John" he headed out this morning. You missed the Tri-Tip sliders!
Good to see ya my friend!
Had to get back to turnover the dogs as SWMBO and Anne left for a week this morning.
Sorry to miss anything you cooked!

Great event, sign me up for 2024!
Cav47 and wheatonFJR loved this
"The only Dumb Question is the unasked Question " - Anonymous
Eat every Sandwich like it is your last!
User avatar
escapefjrtist
Veteran
Posts: 1240
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:51 pm
FJRModel: '15 FJR 1300A
Location: Snohomish WA
x 2159
x 1772

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by escapefjrtist »

Thanks for the ride recap BigJohn! Pleasure riding with you and Scott from Cody, through Yellowstone and the fog.

Same time/same place in Cody next year?

~G
Niehart, bigjohnsd, and wheatonFJR loved this
IBA34365
'15 FJR-USD-A
'18 Tenere
User avatar
bigjohnsd
Contributor
I post more than I ride
Posts: 6043
Joined: Sun May 18, 2014 4:28 pm
FJRModel: 2021 BMW R1250GSA "Gray Ghost II"
Location: Black Hills, SD I-90 Exit 14
x 10184
x 9556

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by bigjohnsd »

escapefjrtist wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 11:04 pm Thanks for the ride recap BigJohn! Pleasure riding with you and Scott from Cody, through Yellowstone and the fog.

Same time/same place in Cody next year?

~G
Certainly and hopefully Festar will be here too!
escapefjrtist and 0face loved this
"The only Dumb Question is the unasked Question " - Anonymous
Eat every Sandwich like it is your last!
Bugnatr
Veteran
Posts: 3074
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:16 am
FJRModel: 2014 SuperTanker1200. 2018 DCT Hippo,
2007 KLR650... the Goldwing of thumpers
Location: Northwest Peardale, Ca
x 6161
x 6032

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by Bugnatr »

Nice report and pictures. Even better with a smoke free sky!

Good times in eastern Oregon ...btw have you seen my phone? :roll: :lol:
bigjohnsd, Brodie, and Auburn loved this
It's too deep, this is a bike not a canoe.
FJR NorCal
Squid
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2022 3:48 pm
FJRModel: 2008
x 10
x 17

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by FJR NorCal »

Good times in eastern Oregon ...btw have you seen my phone? :roll: :lol:
[/quote]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice report Big John and could to see you again.
-Rich
17 Tenere

20 FJR
User avatar
Hppants
Contributor
I post more than I ride
Posts: 7006
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2016 9:22 pm
FJRModel: 2021ES
x 13811
x 12788

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by Hppants »

If it is said during a eulogy at my funeral that: ".... he encouraged us to ride motorcycles and eat ice cream...", then... I will surely have lived a good life.

Way to stay thirsty, my friend....
bigjohnsd, gixxerjasen, and Dan Cooper loved this
"I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living. Or get busy dying."
- Andy Dufresne, Shawshank Redemption

Image
User avatar
gixxerjasen
I post more than I ride
Posts: 6022
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:50 pm
FJRModel: 2007 Yamaha FJR1300AE
Location: DFW
x 5593
x 9256

Re: Spearfish to Baker City and Back - Why Not?

Post by gixxerjasen »

How could it not be said?

There will also be a mention of shampoo.
Bugnatr and bigjohnsd loved this
YouTube Channel | My Blog
Current Bikes:2007 Yamaha FJR1300AE | 2016 KTM 1190 Adventure R | 2001 Suzuki DRZ-400E | 2020 KTM 500 XCF-W
Son's Bike:2019 Honda CRF250L

I'm here to serve as an example of what NOT to do.
Post Reply