09-07-07 Beartooth Pass

[johnny]

rolling out of mickis moms garage in waverly ia... headed for the hills...



lunch break at tom thumbs in fort dodge... this was one fine little che... it was really good...





we were blasting like a moe on west on us 20... you wopuld think they would know how to spell moeville...



stopped in sioux city ia to hook up with the motobrick rider... klinker... who rode the bugeye motobrick to the west coast for us from minnesota...

this photo is klinkers motobrick and the bugeye motobrick ready for its iron butt to the west coast... back then we didnt have anytime to fetch it so klinker rode 2400 miles in 44 hours... crazy aint it...



still klinkers motobrick... and our midwest motobrick...





making our way to sioux falls sd...









klinker fixed up some of the tastiest flesh of the cloven hoofed beast i have ever had...



then we went for strawberry soft serve... yummy...





the next morning klinker fixed sausage and pancakes with the motobrick rider... saltcreek... very own tamarack farm new hampshire maple syrup...





westward we roll...



the i90 through sd is an evil piece of slabb... bumpy... windy... wide open... for as far as the eyeball can focus...



the missouri river...



headed to stirgis a little early i presume...



the roadside is littered with wall drug signs...



and other interesting tourist traps...





1800s town...



and critters...



rode by... parking clogged up and too congested to deal with it...



finally... no more slabb...



















































upper great plains cactus... plumb nertly aint it...



we rolled the 44 to rapid city... it was one fine... smooth... straight piece of licorice... lets say we cleaned out the carbon...



on the road to deadwood...



this guy jumped in front of us...  freaky...



we rolled through the historic tourist trap known as deadwood... lotts of history here... but an enormous trap none the less...



spearfish canyon... a beauty of a ride...



















ended up in spearfish sd for the night...

rolling out spooky of spearfish sd for the devils tower... it poured rain last night... looks like the worst has passed...





the road to devils tower was sweeper madness... a true joy to ride...









except for one massive slide... wy 24... a true joy to ride...

















this is a sight that would repeat its self over and over... pronghorn antelope...



gilette wy... home to some of the worlds largest coal mining operations...





the hose that holds my side covers on was lost when replacing my battery in the dark... the electrical tape was good... but wouldnt hold above 80 miles per hour... and out here... 80 miles per hour is like being in granny gear... so napa here we come...







we blasted us 14 to ranchester wy... 100 mph of nothing out here... except a couple old grain operations with mountains in the distance...











we rolled up us 14... the big horn scenic byway... we followed a husband and wife on matching orange hds with green flames until they become afflicted with target fixation and almost cart wheeled them off the side of the road...









the valley looking east to sheridan wy...









i hear this mountain is rather scenic... but the spooky prevailed today...











w t f... they are straightening out the road... pilot cars and the whole bit... 2 stops of 30 minutes each...









then we crested the hill and it was blue skies... yippie...











we opted for the ride to shell on us 14 so we skipped the medicine wheel passage on us 14a...











look... its freaking amazing... m o even said it rivaled kings canyon... blaaaaaaaaa....































out of the canyon and into the flat lands... crazy rock...





now for the reason we come to ride... heading out of cody wy to the chief joseph highway and the beartooth pass...









chief joseph highway... wy 296... one splendid piece of asphalt and the scenery is spectacular...



































hamburgers in the road...











it went from desert to rocky mountains to lush green... truly beautiful...









more hamburgers a few tbones...







back into the mountians... i ca clearly see rain ahead... looks like our blessing of perfect weather isnt gonna hold...







by the way... it was cold... we both had our electrics on... me low... her high... of course...





now we are getting pounded... cold rain... getting dark... in the valley of death... i fear no dear... cooke city mt here we come... just another 20 miles...



so here we are beautiful cooke city mt... it was 38 degrees this morning and the motobrick was covered in frost from last nights rain...



but the sun started shining and all is well... except the report is 6 miles of dirt and gravel between here and yellowstone... and the reports of yellowstone being a cluster with traffic is making us rethink our route... so we opt for beartooth pass... both ways today... us 212... to red lodge mt... then the chief joseph the other way to cody wy...

the twisted trader came over from west yellowstone to cooke city to ride the beartooth with us... he gotts his electrics on... wonder why... sunny and crisp today...



we follow the river road...



to a scenic vista...







rolling higher in elevation...





waterfalls were plentiful and raging like a moe...



alpine streams and lakes dotted the landscape...





going higher...



this is an exquisite place...



















the tree on the rock...



















indian taco...



double che...



from the red box car... red lodge mt... both were reported to be fantastic...



heading back to the beartooth pass...  you really have to ride a mountain pass both ways to get its full beauty...







the landscape is enormous... the digicam couldnt get it... but the snow is 10s of feet deep in places melting into large alpine lakes...
















the road was good... just a few places of questionable surface and construction...







ebbetts.... sonora... both beautiful mountain passes... but this one is different... its colossal... and tied with my 4 favorite moto passes... ebbetts... sonora,,, chief joseph... beartooth... next year new mexico... colorado... utah... we want to experience them all...









them be some mighty snow blowers...



before we leave the high altitudes... i must leave our mark in the snow... been saving up all day... this is for our motobrick buddies at the k11og.org... what a relief...



now down the hill...













we took a left on chief joseph... gonna ride it back the other way this afternoon...



















the clarks fork river scenic overlook...







































a herd of pronghorns...





so there you have it... the chief joseph and the beartooth both ways... it was worth the slabb... but there will be no slabb on the way home... i promise...

more later...

j o