Wandering Retirees

Hi, good folks. The blog had a couple of days off due to technical difficulties: no internet. So this missive comes in on the 18th.

Day 16

We left Powell, WY at a leisurely pace on the 16th, stopping for breakfast at the Skyline Diner on the main drag. We were plenty different from the locals who were there for Sunday breakfast: our riding gear stood out against the cowboy hats, boots, jeans and western shirts. We looked at the family seated near the door, they looked at us and someone politely said “Good morning!”. We bade them “good morning” in return and all was okay so we took our seats though we remained rather conspicuous. 😀 We had a wonderful breakfast at a reasonable price and were able to listen in on some of the conversations around us. Predictably for a farming community, grain and feed prices, exports, weather and machinery figured prominently, plus a few plans for Fathers Day. It was a great start to the day.

We left Powell heading north toward Red Lodge, MT and the start of the Beartooth Pass Highway (US 212). It was another beautiful, fun ride as we started the climb toward the Beartooth. There was a lot of ranch land, some unfenced, open range. Herds are discouraged from wandering too far along the roadways by “cattle guards”, strips of open steel grid that are painful to cows’ hooves. Though effective, we’re told, we still took our time and kept our eyes peeled; cows are a lot bigger than us.

When we got to Red Lodge, the weather started to look unsettled with lots of clouds coming in. So we took a deep breath, put on an extra warm layer, and started the ascent. This is our second ride through the Beartooth Pass, though from east to west, opposite the last time. Lots of twisties, switchbacks, sharp cliffs on the outside and sheer red rock to the inside. There are plenty of pullouts to catch your breath and enjoy the spectacular views and we took advantage. As we climbed toward the top of the pass, a cloud moved in making the air very chill and reducing visibility to not very far. The road surface was good, though, so we made it through fine though it did boost our heart rates. 😀 It was fun!

Naturally the sun came out shortly after we reached the top at 11,000 feet. There’s a ski area up there that is still open for business. (Did I mention there are still snow banks taller than our heads along the road?) Snow plowing is serious business out here.

We stopped at a rest area/convenience and souvenir shop called “Top of the World” to rest up and have some coffee. Talked to some fellow bikers and compared notes on the ride – it was fun. But then the sun started to hide again and we resumed our ride down the west side of the Pass. We almost made it before the clouds moved in again. And the rain. We pulled over when the hail started. And the thunder. We were/are very well protected and we’re in no danger. Pea-sized hail makes an entertaining tip-tap sound on your helmet and a stray ricochet finds an inconvenient gap in your collar for a bracing thrill. When the shower tapered off and we made our way to Cooke City for the night’s lodgings. We’d covered about 122 miles but were worn out from the fun.

We stayed at a great little motel called the Alpine Inn where the manager, Chad, made us very welcome. Interestingly, Chad is a transplant from the hospitality industry in Atlanta, GA who loves the quiet, the relaxed pace and even the cold of Montana. He’s delighted to become one of 70 permanent residents of Cooke City proper and has taken up snowmobiling as a personal passion. Chad was filled with interesting and intriguing facts about the area. Cooke City is the highest city in Montana and is the only city you cannot get to from Montana – unless you have a snow mobile or heavy duty four wheeler – you have to drive to Cooke City from Wyoming. He pointed out that there was a horrible fire in 1988 that nearly wiped out the moose population in the area. Fortunately, the moose are making a comeback, but it will be another 50-60 years before the numbers approach their former population.

Turns out there’s a bear named Tony and a Fox named Virgil who make their regular rounds through town so we were advised to keep our eyes peeled and doors closed. (Kind of wanted to meet Virgil Fox.). After a good meal of bison burgers and poppy rum cake at the Beartooth Inn, we turned in and slept like babies.

Day 17

Monday morning we packed up and said a reluctant good-bye to Chad and Cooke City. Did I mention it’s set about by mountain peaks everywhere you look? Our route took us quickly through Silver Gate to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone Nat’l Park. The park is known for its robust geothermal activity and resultant geysers (like Old Faithful), hot springs and pools. Because we toured the park on our last trip, we made stops on our way to the southwest corner of the park and Grand Teton Nat’l Park.

This remains one of my favorite places anywhere in the world. We rode down Rt. 191 on the east side of the range through the Snake River Valley. Connie has some amazing shots, though pictures don’t quite do it. The stark, snow covered peaks are arrayed as imposing sentinels to the land beyond. I find I must stop what I’m doing, still my restless thoughts, and simply watch this vista that fills my heart and mind with awe and thanksgiving.

‘nough said.

We continued our way down the valley to Jackson, WY, a popular resort town for skiers in winter and park visitors in summer. Lots of shoppes, bistros, casinos, and general trendiness all wrapped in commercial quaintness. Kind of like Six Flags meets Rockefeller Center. We got through as quickly as traffic allowed, and traversed the Teton Pass via WY 22 on our way to Victor, ID for a couple of nights. We met up with two friends we first met on our last trip west, Tom and Hannah, who live in Driggs. Some good food, drinks and great conversation made the day complete. We hope to return their hospitality when they make their way east. A quick stop at the grocery store for essentials and then to our AirBnB where we gratefully collapsed for the night.

Day 18

Today is the 18th and we’re laying low. Doing needful things, like laundry and writing and taking a nap. Nice.

Thanks for your patience, dear readers. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.

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To Cooke City via northwest Wyoming and the Beartooth Pass

Within the span of one mile, we passed beautiful green irrigated farmland, to a semi arid landscape, to dry, rough terrain. It provides a visual depiction of what the farmers in the area have to work with. Then 20 miles north, we come to lush, verdant and unirrigated landscape. Amazing.

And then to the Beartooth Pass and Cooke City

From Cooke City Through Yellowstone and the Grand Teton National Parks to Victor, ID.

It was really hard to choose photos!