Canada, Glacier NP, Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Hwy Part Four

Day Seven.

I had a light breakfast at the hotel. Scrambled eggs, banana and coffee. It was going to be 92° at my destination in Lolo today so it was kickstands up at 7:30 or and 58°. Perfect. So I thought.

So today the route is from West Yellowstone to Lolo Montana.



My route goes along Lake Hebgen the site of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake, measuring 7.2, with a landslide that killed about 35 people and blocked the flow of the Madison River.

A few photos. I love stopping at the Kiosks.



Clearly the lake level wasn't this high prior to 1959.



The hillside that slipped is in the distance.



It is Sunday and I am approaching the Visitor Center. A closer look at the slip area.



With my early arrival the Visitor Center.was closed so it is on the road again. Ohh, when I was quite young, when I was quite young ... The singer of On the Road Again Alan Wilson was an emotional mess and was one of 27'ers who passed way at 27 in 1970. Talented guy damn shame.

After Lake Hebgen the route drops in elevation into a valley. Within an hour of departure the temperature changed from 58 to 92°. I had a strong tail wind getting excellent gas mileage at the cost of heat. I remember looking for a safe place to pull over to shed a layer. No dice. Cross country cyclists were on the road. One person we heading into the strong wind. Wow. The wind was heating the area due to the compression. This happens in Western Washington when the wind blows east of the Cascade Mountains into the Puget Sound lowlands.

Before I could strip a layer the wind stopped and the temperature dropped to 74°. Very odd.

Somewhere around Dillion Montana.





Big Hole Pass. Somewhere around here Lewis and Clark saw the Bitteroot Mountains and realized the Northwest Passage, by water, did not exist. What would they tell their leader?

My next stop was Big Hole Battlefield. This place is a must see.

The Visitor Center is on a hill above the battlefield and lies before you much like a large amphitheater.



The Nez Perce were seeking help from other tribes early in their journey. Here is a map of their journey.



The site is very moving. In the first skirmish the Army shot low into the tents killing women and children indiscriminately. After this battle the Nez Perce realized fleeing to Canada was their only option.

It was in the low 90's while I toured the Visitor Center. In the parking lot I clicked the GPS in place and it didn't boot up right so I became distracted with it while putting my helmet on. I reboot the GPS and unknowingly knocked my glasses on the ground. When I looked down my heart sank.



At least the scratches were in the lower part of the lens. It was fine for driving, not so good for reading. If this is the worse thing that happens on a motorcycle ride, I am doing well!

Hwy 93 at Lost Trail Powder Mountain north to Lolo is rather boring, no check that extremely boring, except for the first few miles north of Lost Trail Powder Mountain. It is nice and twisty and invites some lean angles but there was a light coating of oil or tar on the road and I didn't trust it. It looks like this.

I stayed at the Days Inn for my last time. Next time I will get a better place in Missoula just 10 miles up the road. A few other bikers were at the Days Inn. Of particular interest was three guys from Pennsylvania. I asked where were they heading and they said the Big 5 in Utah. Whoa these guys were on a mission as it was going to be into the 100's where they were going.

End of Day Seven. 

Day Eight

This is the End. The Doors. A downer song though and Jim Morrison was another music icon who died at 27, so he was right, at least about himself, cause I am still here, still rolling on two wheels and loving it. Click to the next song.

Today's ride is from Lolo, Montana to Spokane Washington and excellent place to live if you love motorcycling without traffic. I am glad I moved here here post retirement. Great riding in Spokane. Today I did a lap around Lake Coeur d'Alene with the Tuesday rider. Great fun.

In the report I have shown the route for the day at the top of each day's entry. Not today!

Another warm day would see above 90° degree temps in Spokane. So the aim was to be home by 2:00pm or so. Missed it by a bit, oh well.

I hit the road, a bad term for motorcyclists, at 7:45 or so in a misguided attempt to beat the heat. Lolo Montana is on mountain time. At Lolo Pass, one hour down the road, I cross back into Pacific time and it is damn early about 7:45am and this is deer country - big time.

Near Lachsa Lodge, a place worth staying at if you can get a room in the summer, the deer are thick. There is a fresh kill near the shoulder, deer off the shoulder and the road is elevated, so the shoulder drops away and spotting deer is difficult. Homie is riding, with two fingers on the front break lever. Motorcyleroads.com says "This route covers one of the most beautiful sections of the Lewis & Clark Trail as it winds through the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Montana. Homie sez Lolo Pass is boring after riding the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and this deer infested early morning ride is a bad damn idea. The speed limit is 50 mph so Homie was doing 58 on cruise control and it is scenic but no inspiring.

And despite all the Lewis and Clark stuff along the way Hwy 12 is NOT the route of Lewis and Clark as they traveled just to the north of Hwy 12 on the ridges as it was easier than the cliffs and rivers Hwy 12 follows. You can ride the approximate route of Lewis and Clark by taking an adventure bike on the Lolo Trail Motorway FS 500. It is part of the Idaho BDR and it is pretty rough in spots even on my DR650. Great scenery, loved to death. I rode it about 20 year ago before it was designated a BDR on a big fat 2005 DL1000 Manstrom. It was easy, no challenges at all, 90/10 tires too. In 2014 the Idaho BDR was created making this every so popular along with the invention of side x sides bringing more people out to the wilderness. I am fine with side x sides, they carry chains saws and help keep the trails open. It is just all the demand is trashing the the Lolo Trail Motorway. Glad I did it when I did it. I have half if it from each side on the DR650 but not completely through.

I took a break along the river at a boat launch and strip a layer. It was mid morning now and the worst of the deer activity was, hopefully, behind me. In Orofino Idaho a coffee shop and a bit to eat was a welcome break.


Off for home and off Hwy 12 and on the Swoutwick road then Juliaetta Genesee road. Is is the route.



This was fun and the Triumph was in it element here a road with less then ideal pavement and great scenery. I was inspired to whip out the camera.









And I am having too much fun running the Triumph though the gears.



And then just outside Genesee the pavement ends. It wasn't bad, hard dirt, but bummer. It was only 3.5 miles but come on Idaho, pave it.



Still it is beautiful. It was more interesting the Lolo Pass and more fun.

I get gas in Moscow Idaho then though Pullman and Cofax where I take the Green Hollow Road, a road that is hard to describe other than wow, this is really here? It is a nice twisty affair and ends up at Hwy 23 where decide to take the quick route up 195 back home.

What a great trip.

Canada, Glacier NP, Beartooth Pass and Chief Joseph Hwy Part Three

 Day Five

When I go Yellowstone I try to avoid the thermal areas and certainly Old Faithful. It is a zoo in the summertime. There is a song title Summertime and the jazz great Ray Brown with his trio of Jeff Hamilton and Gene Harris do a great version of this tune. As it has no vocals so no quip here but it is great swing music.

Today's route is a favorite and the destination for this ride after leaving the Fab 5. From Gardner I get an early start about 7:40am then onto Lamar Valley, Cooke City Montana, a down and back on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, over Beartooth Pass and spend the night in Red Lodge.

Here is the route.



The key for this ride is doing a down and back on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Most will go over then north to Belfy and Red Lodge or south to Cody. Why, when the best is just where you came from? Get back up in elevation when it is hot and stay cool. The only reason to stay on Hwy 120 is when the weather inclement and I did that once years ago.

This was the first time I have been here since the Yellowstone River had it's way with the road along the river, washing it out, in June 2022.

The new road goes up a hillside with lots of switchbacks on good pavement with a 25mph speed limit and enough traffic to just relax and enjoy the views. The new route drop into Mammoth above where the old road was. Very nice.

It wasn't long before my first wildlife encounter but it wasn't a fluffy cow. Oh no.



I did a couple of u-turns to get a good view a decent shot and stay safe.

Fluffy cows along the Lamar River.









Soda Butte Cone



View along Chief Joseph byway, also known as Crandall Road on Garmin maps and Wy 296 and whatever you call it the is a great road for brisk riding. Absolutely sublime.

Clark Fork Canyon along Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.



Along the Beartooth Hwy where there was no construction. Yippie!







At the summit.



Some mountain sheep or goats I don't know which.



A deer in downtown Red Lodge.



It was a great day to be on the motorcycle. I was ride very well today. There are just some days where everything clicks and this was one of them.

I had a good meal in Red Lodge, I believe it was elk. I like eating things unavailable at home.

End of Day Five

Day Six

Hi Kevin. Yeah the route Patrick created went through Yaak. I had never been there and its fun to go someplace new. Enjoy the PNW-GT. Jim

Lyle Lovett wrote a song titled What Do You Do / The Glory Of Love and the version he sings with Francine Reed live is great. The music is big band swing and part of the lyrical refrain is what to you do. This is stuck in my head.

In Red Lodge on a blue sky day where the temps are going to be record breaking what do you do you? There ain't no questions and I don't have the blues. With a motorcycle you get an early breakfast, an early start and head for Beartooth Pass, that's what you do!

The route for today, follow the red line starting at the Lupine Inn.



A few photos before the pass.





The Beartooth Run was on Saturday July 11th featuring a 5k, 10k and a half marathon all above 10,000 feet elevation. Let me repeat that all above 10,000 feet elevation. OMG!

And I was lucky enough to be there. This was completely unplanned on my part and those who use to work at Boeing Defense and Space may recall the use of the term unplanned event - a screw up if you will.

This wasn't screwed up! Far from it. This was fun. There were folks of all shapes and sizes participating in this event and most were smiling and having a great time. Walkers and runners alike. One lady who was not in her 20's had a knee brace on and was walking. Kudo's to them all! It was a pleasure to witness and made my heart happy.



After the summit I the I whipped out my camera to see what might happen with the morning light. Of course I didn't stop - I need to keep moving on a hot day rather than looking great photo with simple gear.





It is lovely up here. Spread my ashes here - this is were may spirit soars.







The Triumph with Beartooth Peak as a backdrop.



A closeup of Beartooth Peak sans most snow.



Waterfall.



Back Chief Joseph Highway I go. Was there any doubt?



It is Saturday so there are a few more cars, trikes and bikes on the road today. I was feeling a bit frisky so these were opportunities for exploring what this Triumph can do. So I put it into Sport mode. Stir the tranny, use the quick shift and OH MY! I like this bike. It is nimble and handles very well. It is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. There is a saying there is not replacement for displacement. Wrong. There is, it is called technology. Modern motorcycles are amazing.

A view from the summit at Chief Joseph Pass.



Another waterfall. This one is near the intersection of Beartooth and Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. The water comes from the upper right corner of the image an runs down a rock slab. There is trail leading the to falls. Too hot today but someday. As if I needed a reason to come back.

Check out the limestone layer beneath the volcanic layer. Imagine the volcanic layer was not there millions of years ago. Then imagine this land was covered by the ocean laying down the limestone layer. Uplift and tectonic plate activity raised the limestone layer and later vulcanism expels molten rock and gases creating a new layer on the old one.



Back in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone.



A fluffy cow on the road! This bull was off to the right on the hillside mulling around as I approached. Observing this I slowed, then stopped a safe distance way to watch him walk down the hillside and across the road. Fun!



The same fluffy cow that crossed the road.



After Lamar Valley traffic thickened on the way to West Yellowstone and not even Sport mode would save me. The elevation change from Lamar Valley although to to Mt Washburn and Dunraven Pass at nearly 9,000 feet provided a welcome respite from the heat. I dropped off the parade a few times, once because following a pickup truck with a terrible diesel smell wasn't appealing. At one of the stops I learned I was on the edge of the Yellowstone Caldera. Very cool.

A random photo in later in the day.



A bubbling pot.



Despite the hydration system, I limped into Yellowstone were it was between 87-92°. Homie don't like heat while riding, even though this bike doesn't throw a lot of heat on homie's body.

I checked into my room at the Club House Inn and chilled for a while the comforts of Air Conditioning restored my tired mind. After a shower I went into town for dinner. Along the way more old iron.



The World Cup soccer game was on and five minutes after arriving England scored a goal to break the tie. How cool was that. The waitress was rooting for Norway because she had the hots for Erling Haaland a Norwegian player.

That night I dined on some very good food. I had elk and bison skewers with a trout entree stuffed with crab and shrimp. Perfect. I returned to skiing last year after an 8 year absence and I did pretty well. I could do better if I loose enough weight the bonus is to try heli-skiing one more time.

In March 1986 I skied 175,000 feet of vertical in a week at Mike Weigel's at Blue River BC in the Cariboo and Monashee mountains. It would be fun to try a day trip again or snowcat skiing.

From 1986.



The asymmetrical track was mine so I had to buy the wine that night. I was thinking about the shot rather than skiing. I used an early Canon point and shoot film camera. The guys at the camera store were keenly interested in the photo asking about the camera setting. I said it was a point in shoot - the were stunned. The photo was displayed at the camera shop in the mall for quite a few years. This is a low resolution scan of the original image.



My apartment and my winter passion with evidence. Three years of ski tickets, well almost. I had a night passes at Alpental out of Seattle. Good vertical drop there.



End of Day Six.