DAY 7
We would say the greatest day yet. Our original plans to get from Grand Teton NP to Cody, WY had to be changed but this worked out for the better. It started at 36 degrees with some frost on the bikes. We took some more pictures in Grand Teton NP and then drove on to Yellowstone. It has been a cold spring so there is still 3 to 4 feet of snow along side the road at higher elevations. We actually saw guys that were still snowmobiling. We stopped at the first Yellowstone Visitor Center on the south side of the park where we entered. We told one of the park rangers our plans to ride to Cody, but she told us the road we wanted to take, route 14/20, out the East Entrance was closed due to the high risk of snow avalanches. So, plan B, we ride to the Northeast Park Entrance, 3 hours away, and take a northern route to Cody. This northern route also took us throught a very southern portion of Montana. It was a beautiful 3 hour ride through Yellowstone with temperatures 69 to 72 degrees and we also saw a moose, some elk and lots of buffalo. The scenery from one end of the park to the other varied so much, but it was all beautiful. But the surprise came after we left Yellowstone. To get to Cody we had to take the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Had we taken our original route we would have missed this road. It is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. It is about 22 miles up to about 8000 feet then 22 miles back down from about 8000 feet. It has twists and hairpin turns that are one after the other and the scenery is beautiful. This road is made for the BMW R1200RT. There were tar strips on the way up that we learned later were called black ice by a local Goldwing motorcycle club because when you ran over them you could feel your front tire slide so we were cautious on our way up. But, on the way down the tar strips were gone and away Greg went. He took everything he learned about motorcycling and put it to use. Approach a turn. and slow, look through the turn, lean the bike , and roll on the throttle. Greg would slide off that seat and accelerate through those turns and have so much fun. With blue skies, 70 degree temperatures and the best motorcycle road in the US nothing gets better. Ross had fun too, but at a slower pace. He could see himself flying off the un-guardrailed side and be found hanging from a pine tree several hundred feet down.
We would say the greatest day yet. Our original plans to get from Grand Teton NP to Cody, WY had to be changed but this worked out for the better. It started at 36 degrees with some frost on the bikes. We took some more pictures in Grand Teton NP and then drove on to Yellowstone. It has been a cold spring so there is still 3 to 4 feet of snow along side the road at higher elevations. We actually saw guys that were still snowmobiling. We stopped at the first Yellowstone Visitor Center on the south side of the park where we entered. We told one of the park rangers our plans to ride to Cody, but she told us the road we wanted to take, route 14/20, out the East Entrance was closed due to the high risk of snow avalanches. So, plan B, we ride to the Northeast Park Entrance, 3 hours away, and take a northern route to Cody. This northern route also took us throught a very southern portion of Montana. It was a beautiful 3 hour ride through Yellowstone with temperatures 69 to 72 degrees and we also saw a moose, some elk and lots of buffalo. The scenery from one end of the park to the other varied so much, but it was all beautiful. But the surprise came after we left Yellowstone. To get to Cody we had to take the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. Had we taken our original route we would have missed this road. It is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. It is about 22 miles up to about 8000 feet then 22 miles back down from about 8000 feet. It has twists and hairpin turns that are one after the other and the scenery is beautiful. This road is made for the BMW R1200RT. There were tar strips on the way up that we learned later were called black ice by a local Goldwing motorcycle club because when you ran over them you could feel your front tire slide so we were cautious on our way up. But, on the way down the tar strips were gone and away Greg went. He took everything he learned about motorcycling and put it to use. Approach a turn. and slow, look through the turn, lean the bike , and roll on the throttle. Greg would slide off that seat and accelerate through those turns and have so much fun. With blue skies, 70 degree temperatures and the best motorcycle road in the US nothing gets better. Ross had fun too, but at a slower pace. He could see himself flying off the un-guardrailed side and be found hanging from a pine tree several hundred feet down.
We woke up to frost covered bikes.
Ross at the Grand Tetons.
Greg at the Grand Tetons. This motorcycle is awesome!!!
The south entrance to Yellowstone NP.
Snow on the side of the road in Yellowstone.
Looking out over the south part of Yellowstone NP. My vest is glowing from the camera flash.
Scenery from the Chief Joseph Byway.
Scenery from the Chief Joseph Byway.
Scenery from the Chief Joseph Byway.
DAY 8
What a beautiul morning. Got on the bikes and it was sunny and 56 degrees and warmed up to over 80 degrees by the end of the ride. Today we went from Cody, WY to Gillette, WY. This was the first day of the trip that we got to the hotel at the time we planned. We stopped early today, 2:00 PM, because we have had so many 5:00 and 6:00 PM days. We have some nice video and want to get it edited. But today was not without it's own surprise. We saw a road construction ahead sign and could see a dirt road going over the small mountain where once there had been a paved road. It said detour ahead so we thought, well we may be going a little out of our way. No, the dirt road was the detour. It was really dirt and gravel for about 3 miles up over the mountain. So we slowed it way down and got through fine. Ross is especially not fond of gravel. Route 16 goes over the Bighorn mountain range. This was again some absolutely beautiful scenery. And with mountain ranges come twisty roads that Greg and his BMW R1200RT love. I leave Ross in the dust and go have fun. There are tight 30 mph turns that are challenging and fun, and 70 mph sweeping turns that are just as fun. Ross goes slow to look for Greg's body over the edge when Greg misses a curve. It has yet to happen. Greg's motorcycle safety instuctor, Jack Harmon, taught him well.
The detour road that was dirt and gravel.
One of the many small towns we passed through so far, this one in Wyoming.
Stopped along the road to take pictures in the Bighorn Mountain Range.
This is why we stopped to take pictures in the Bighorn Mountains.
Reaching the peak of the road over the Bighorn Mountains.
We stopped for lunch at this local restaurant in Buffalo, WY and they had these wild animals on display, including this bear...
these antelope...
