Cooke City, MT to Red Lodge, MT With a Dip into Wyoming 

Today was a brief but exciting day. Our night’s lodging at the Big Bear Lodge was a wonderful stop. It is a rustic in with log cabins for the guests. It’s a family run business that started only late last year. You could call the accommodations “simple” but the rooms seem to be maintained with care and the mountain setting is just beautiful. Some folks we met at breakfast shared our view. One couple, Michael and Michaela are from Augsburg, Germany and are on a three week holiday focused on the Rockies and the National Parks in southern Utah (Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyons). This is the seventh or eighth visit they have made to the states. Their home is in southern Germany; Augsburg is near Munich in Bavaria. I find it remarkable that they have the Alps, the Pyrenees and all of Europe to enjoy and they decide to come here for the beauty. We tried to sell them on Jersey as a destination. You know, the shore, proximity to NYC, Philly and so forth. Even offered deluxe accommodations at Chez Schwedes. Maybe we’ll see them one day. They reciprocated with an offer to visit Bavaria. Sounds very tempting. 

We left our rustic cabin in Cooke City, MT on the way to Red Lodge, WY across the Gallatin Range of the Rockies on the Bear Tooth Scenic Byway (Rt. 212) through the Custer and Shoshone National Forests. We took a small detour along what I could swear is called the Crazy Creek and had a great time dodging cows (free range!) and taking in the sights of both rugged gorges and gentle meandering streams. We met several riders at a lovely scenic overlook and shared some experiences and tall tales while taking in the sights. All were from the area bounded by North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming, and they were very free with their suggestions of great rides. One guy in particular, Pete from Wyoming is a rancher of some indeterminate years who was just taking a day off to ride his home-custom Harley through countryside he knows so well. Originally from San Diego, he and his wife wound up owning a ranch close to the mountains. Full of kindness and great stories, he shared richly of his knowledge of the great rides in Wyoming and Montana, and generally of his experience as a small rancher (about 65 head of cattle). It was worth hearing and we enjoyed his presence so much. We learned that life as a rancher is quite different from what folks in our region imagine. So glad he shared freely and kindly. So glad, too, that we had the good sense to listen to his story. Turns out we were headed the same way and met him again on the Beartooth Highway where we picked up where we left off.

Back to the ride. We started up the Beartooth Highway/Byway and began ascending the gorgeous road toward the pass at nearly 11,000 feet. Twisties, waterfalls, and beautiful vistas on all sides. Of course we stopped often to take it in. The road is less than 100 miles long but took us over 3 hours passing from Montana into Wyoming. There are precisely two stops where stores may be found. At one, called Top of the World, we stopped for some lunch and ran into Pete who was basking in the sun sipping a Diet Coke. Another great conversation.  

Then back on the road east to the pass at the summit. More twisties and switchbacks, gorgeous canyons, and snow packs all around. Mind you, this is June 26th. In some places the snow piled along the side of the road was still over 6 feet high. Ice still filled several lakes and ponds at altitude. There was snow removal equipment parked and ready in a number of turnouts. And there’s the possibility of snow in the forecast for the next couple of days. And July is only a couple of days away. We are really fortunate that the weather today was perfect, so the ride was a dream. Oh, there’s a summer ski resort at the pass complete with running chairlift and snow mobiles parked and ready. Amazing.

We had a great ride down into Red Lodge and checked into the Yodeller Motel which is filled with bikers a lot like us. We did some shopping for our dinner and breakfast and have settled in for the night. This is a great little motel. Tomorrow it’s off to Buffalo, WY and what promises to be another good riding day.

Beautiful Wyoming 

One of the mountains in the Bear Tooth Chain

On the Bear Tooth Scenic Byway – in the snow.

Driggs, ID to Cooke City, MT via Yellowstone National Park 

In order to tour Yellowstone from Driggs, ID and have a chance to see the Grand Tetons one more time, we left our Air BnB at 6:30 am. This involved packing the night before and slurping massive amounts of coffee so we were awake enough to get on the bike safely. It worked out well, oddly enough. 

The dawn ride through the Teton Pass into Wyoming was beautiful. It was full of elevation changes and twisty turns. So fun to do again. We stopped for some quick rustic breakfast at Dornan’s at the entrance to the Grand Tetons. We ate our meal at a picnic table with a view of the mountain range. Just magnificent.
 We rode along the range, mostly by ourselves. We got some nice shots. It was a morning for wildlife. We saw a coyote, some elk and a herd of bison.   

Eventually we arrived at Yellowstone National Park. We were surprised at the lack of traffic and congestion. We had read and heard the park is routinely packed with tourists. But we had a lovely ride to “Old Faithful,” America’s iconic natural geyser. There we met crowds. There were people everywhere waiting for the big eruption. We met some nice folks from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Arizona. After much anticipation, (the kids close by and Hank had to be bribed with the promise of ice cream) the geyser erupted and we were sprayed with smelly mist!! Obviously, we neglected to consider the direction of the wind when choosing our seats! You live and learn. 

Our next stop was the Grand Prismatic Spring the the Upper Geyser Basin. Wow! Despite the throngs of people jockeying for a good vantage point, we so enjoyed the Grand Prismatic Spring. It was truly other worldly.

We stopped for lunch at a meadow and had the thrill of watching two bison munch away at the grass and then roll around in it to find a comfortable position for a nap. So cool.
 The last leg of our tour of Yellowstone took us through more scenic and pristine portions of the park. We saw large herds of bison. It was quite peaceful. 

We arrived at our lodging for the night, a remote, rustic motel outside of Cooke City – at the beginning of the Bear Tooth Scenic Byway, our route the next day. We had no cell service and very spotty wifi at the motel. And there was no shopping or restaurant nearby. We ate from our “feed bag,” a collection of granola bars, nuts and jerky. Thankfully, we had vodka and the innkeeper gave us ice. All was right in the world.

 

Driggs, ID

Not much to report for today. We had a down day, doing some laundry and doing some chores. Slept late and relaxed. Had the chance to spend time over cocktails with our hosts, Hannah and Tom, their friend Genevieve, and Tom’s mom.  The four of them are fun.  In fact, we’ve invited them to Jersey.  Now, now.  It’s an invitation for adventure, not a punishment.

We’ve prepacked our things in preparation for an early start in the morning. The plan is to see some of Yellowstone and head on to Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT – the gateway to the Beartooth Highway.  

We’re looking forward to a long but fun day. Let you know how it all turns out. Have a good night.

Grand Teton National Park

We had a beautiful day in Teton Nat’l Park. Headed out mid-morning from Driggs and crossed the Teton Pass into Wyoming and arrived in the Park around 10:30. We would have left earlier but it was downright cold, only 38 degrees when we got up a bit after 6 – a little chilly for riding comfortably. After passing through Jackson on ID Rt 33/22, We veered off to the site of a very famous photo by Ansel Adams, the Mormon Mission homestead. Our shots aren’t as good, but it’s easy to see why this view of the Tetons is so iconic. We pulled off the side of the road and just basked in the glory of the view for quite a while. In the presence of such an awesome spectacle of creation, silence, even reverence is both right and enough. We saw a lot of folks who parked their vehicles to sit in lawn chairs to take it all in. Personally, this one stop justified our efforts to make this trip. We both felt full from the vision.  

Along the way, we saw a huge bison grazing a few yards from the road. He (she?) did not feel it necessary to acknowledge the flock of gawking bipeds pointing and clicking away at the cameras. Did I mention he was big? At least 2,000 pounds of gentle power. A little later we watched a coyote lope across the road ahead. He seemed pretty interested in something in the field to our right. The motorcycle? Not so much.  Sorry, no pics.

When we entered the park proper, we stopped at the Visitors Center for a much needed rest stop and to get some news from the rangers. At our ranger’s advice we rode to Signal Mountain which has a long, twisty, beautiful road to the summit. There are two views at the top: one of the mountains and one of the valley that sits in its shadow. This area is at the top of the Snake River and is still full from winter runoff. A lot of new growth and gorgeous wildflowers everywhere. We met folks from Alabama, Washington State, a couple of Aussies who helped us get our bearings and, of course, several Chinese tourists. It always amazes me how diverse the folks are who visit our national treasures.

We had packed lunch at Signal Lodge on Jackson Lake. I enjoyed watching some intrepid city folks trying to figure out how to operate a canoe. Connie urges me to be nice. I am nice. It’s just a wonder how hilarious people can be when just being themselves. Just saying.

We jumped south to Tagert Lake and the 3 mile trail to get there. Jenny Lake had been on the docket, but we couldn’t get anywhere near the place for the traffic. So Tagert it was and we were really pleased. The hike in traced along Tagert Stream and it was gorgeous. The sound of a roaring stream and the wind whispering through groves of aspen is a real treat. And upon reaching the Lake we plopped on a fallen log to take in the sights.

We wound up sharing our log with a couple from Scottsdale, AZ, Vinnie and Annie Larkin. They are native New Yorkers, he from Queens and she from Brooklyn. Something about their attitude and word choice made us miss NY. Vinnie is a retired vascular surgeon and Annie had a career as an ICU nurse. We hit it off and shared the remainder of the hike and met for supper on the way home. They are headed north to Calgary, Alberta, Canada (eh?) and will get to see the Calgary Stampede. We had a wonderful time and look forward to hearing more from them.

The ride back was a bit challenging coming into the setting sun. Remembering that the throttle works both ways helped. (Think about it.) Having Connie on board with an extra set of eyes was a better help. Settled in to our Driggs Digs for the night.

Tomorrow is yet another relaxed day for laundry, snoozing and eating fattening foods. For tonight, that is all. Be well!

The view from Antelope Flats

From Signal Mountain 

On the way to Tagert Lake

New found friends

Tagert Creek

The view from Tagert Lake

Hailey, ID to Driggs, ID via Craters of the Moon National Park

We left Hailey , ID this morning headed for Driggs, ID at the western edge of the Tetons. Good roads and good weather made for a mostly fun ride through beautiful country. About an hour into our ride east, we stopped at Craters of the Moon Nat’l Park and it was a treat. Our first stop was the Visitors Center where we got great information (as always) from the Ranger at the front desk. We learned that the entire Snake River valley is a geological hotspot (no pun) that corresponds to the subduction of the Pacific plate under the North American tectonic plate.  The last significant earth quake in this region was in 1983 that caused a slight rise in elevation of some mountains in the Sawtooth range, and a drop in the Salmon and Snake River valleys. Volcanic activity increases about every 2,000 years or so in the Snake River valley, and extends east into Yellowstone Park. (Think of the super heated water that geysers through Old Faithful.)   

There is a hotspot in the superheated magma under the North American plate. The location of the spot remains constant, but the location on the plate changes as the plate creeps along. The hotspot is under the Grand Rift, a fault line about 40 miles long running east to west. At 2 inches per year, it’s been moving slowly for over 60 million years. The hotspot has been located under the Craters area for at least the past 15,000 years. There have been at least 8 eruptions in since then, the most recent about 2,100 years ago. Lava in two forms flooded the area in thin sheets that transformed an ordinary landscape into fantastical terrain. (the terms are Hawaiian and just tickle my ear bones.) “A-a”, pronounced “ah-ah”’is faster moving lava that cools in a way creates choppy/chunky fields that look jumbled and chaotic with abundant sharp edges and uneven footing. Think of the sounds you would make walking barefoot on sharp stones. The other is called “pa-hoe-hoe”, pronounced “pah-hoi-hoi”, which is created when thinner, slow moving lava flows from the vent. This lava is generally smoother and may create ropy structures. Both types are on prominent display and have created an unearthly, dramatic landscape. As you may have deduced from the eruption schedule, another eruption may be due in the near geological future – made us wonder if today was the day.

Toward the end of an eruption, a volcano will often throw hot gases and specks of lava into the air. Upon cooling, the specks fall to earth as cinders that can create a huge mound around the vent. We saw many, and climbed one about 600 feet high. It would have taken modern humans a very long time to build such a mound even with modern machinery. And the view from the top was awesome, not only because of the extent of the flows, but the significant amount of plant and animal life that has taken hold and flourished in this alien landscape that endures great extremes of cold and heat and fierce winds.. The tenacity and variety of life is beyond amazing. You need to come here.

We headed out a bit after noon to continue toward the Tetons. As I said, the roads are good and the riding was a lot of fun until later in the afternoon when the winds picked up. We were not in any danger, but had to back off the speed because the buffeting was pretty uncomfortable. Folks in big, fast cars were passing us at 80+ mph, maybe chortling at the slowpokes on the fancy bike. We were completely unperturbed: the view of the approaching mountains was inspiring and worthy of a relaxed pace.

We stopped in Idaho Falls for some fuel and rest, where we met up with 2 riders from Fargo, ND. Chris and Keaton are on the home leg of a week-long ride that took them to the west coast. About the age of our sons, they have been friends from a young age in a small town outside of Fargo. Motorcycle trips are one of their passions and they are ambitious; a weekend trip west to the Black Hills might total 1,500 miles. We congratulate them on their endurance. We had such a great conversation, beginning with admiring comments about our rides, and continuing through recommendations for what to do and see around Fargo. (We’ll be there on July 4th.) Once again, we find it wonderful that we have met so many wonderful, even nice, people everywhere we have gone in our country. All four of us commented on how many good people there are.

We arrived in Driggs around 6:00 and checked into our AirBnB, glad to take a load off. We stopped at the market on the way into town and loaded up two small backpacks with essentials, including chips, yogurt, dinner fixings and an adult beverage. Since our packs are full, Connie gets to carry the packs on the back of the bike while offering navigation instructions. That requires balance, coordination and finesse. Just saying. We met our hostess, Hannah, and hit it off immediately. We’re looking forward to a wonderful time here over the next several days.

See you in the papers tomorrow.

A combination of A-a and Pahoehoe

After a long climb up a cinder pile, who expects to see this?

Some of the worlds best preserved cinder cones.  Wow!

The view from the top of a cinder pile.

Words cannot describe the beauty of the cinder gardens. 

Our first good view of the Grand Tetons.

The view from our backyard the next few days.



Hailey, ID and the Sawtooth Mountains 

Today we headed up ID Rt 75 into the Sawtooth Range of the Rockies to Stanley, ID, and Stanley Lake. We saw what we consider the usual spectacular sights we’ve come to appreciate in this part of the country. The road winds through the twisties of mountain passes and descends into gorgeous rangeland through the rounded valleys ground out by the glaciers that covered the land as recently as 10,000 years ago. The road also follows the course of the Salmon River, running full to overflowing with winter runoff and recent rains. The Salmon flows to the Snake River, which joins the mighty Columbia River and, ultimately, empties into the Pacific. 

Stanley is a cute little town with a posted population of 63. Yep. By comparison, Dickens Drive has more residents. There are about 40 shops, stores, restaurants, and outfitters for the outdoors tourists who flock to the area. The area is very popular with campers, hikers and off road vehicles. In the absence of child labor, they must employ a lot of folks from the surrounding area. Nice folks, though. And the scenery all around is breathtaking. Not a bad fringe benefit.

The ride was about 160 miles round trip, with a bunch of stops to take pics and bask in the sights. The area, known as the Idaho Batholiths, an area of solid granite that has been pushed up by tectonic forces from the Pacific Plate sliding under the Continental Plate, and from the force of molten magma surging below. The magma didn’t burst through here in volcanos, but created a bulge in the earths crust. Deposits of rare metals and gems were found in these mountains, so it’s no surprise that mining was an early draw to the area.

The mountains were recently (in geological time) carved by glaciers and not enough time has passed for erosion and gravity to pull down and smooth the rough edges. As a consequence, the Sawtooth Mountains are the definition of rugged. It is so striking to see these towering crags jutting out from seas of green grasses and trees. And seen in series, they do resemble the blade of a giant saw.

We passed through Sun Valley on our way. It’s a very popular ski resort in a stunning setting. We saw a few of the trails on the north face of the mountain, some still with snow. Which almost didn’t stand out because of the great number of mountains that retain their snow covered peaks year round.

Tomorrow it’s off to Driggs, ID and the Tetons. And on the way, we plan to stop at Craters of the Moon Nat’l Park, where volcanic activity took place only about 2,000 years ago. See you on the morrow.

X

Hank again. Had another relaxing day and feeling much better. Thanks for the well wishes. The day was very warm for hereabouts: about 85 degrees and sunny. We suffered with some good grace. I won’t be snarky and ask how the weather was at home. 😀

We took a couple of short and pleasant walks in this pretty, almost famous resort town. Sun Valley ski resort is only a few miles away, so real estate is very expensive by our standards. A 2,000 square foot home down the street from our AirBnB is on the block for $430,000. Zillo figures $370,000 is reasonable. “Reasonable” is a relative concept.  

Connie took me out for supper in honor of Fathers Day to the Sun Valley Brewery Pub in town. Nice, delicious and relaxing. A happy down day.

Tomorrow we plan to do a little riding through the Sawtooth Mountains. Nothing adventurous, but we’d like to see some of this beautiful countryside. See you on the blog tomorrow.

The “velvet” covered hills/mountains around Hailey 

Hailey, ID, in the midst of the Sawtooth Mountains

Connie here again.  Sorry we didn’t write yesterday. We had a long ride from Butte, MT to Hailey, ID.  It was cold for the first half of the day.  Brrrr.  I had to keep adding layers until I was finally warm.  Try putting on thermal UA gear in the ladies room stall while not putting your feet on the bare floor and taking off and putting back on pants and riding pants.  If that didn’t make me sweat, I knew I was sick like Hank.  But I was a hot mess, so I tried to be happy.  Lol.  Hank is still feeling poorly.  He’s running a low grade temp and feels congested.  It as a low key Father’s Day.  I did buy Hank some Glenfiddich and he is happily sipping.

Yesterday, before we left Butte, we visited (read: rode by) three former railroad depots that serviced Butte.  It was fun to see the names of of rails we’ve seen for years come to life.

To get to Hailey, ID, we took one interstate highway and several state roads.  For the majority of the time, we traveled alone.  For a Jersey girl, this is so amazing.  How can this be?  And wait, there’s more … there were snow capped mountains in view the entire way.  Pinch me!  And then we passed by Craters of the Moon NP, a series of lava fields (we will take more time there when we leave Hailey).  Seriously, the entire trip has been fantastical.  I know I studied US geography in school, but I was unprepared for the variety of landscapes in this country.  I’m so glad we took this trip.

Tomorrow, we may venture out or not.  It may be another day of lazing and napping.  In a few days, we will be at the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks.  We both want to be feeling well so we can explore.

Columbia Falls, MT (Glacier NP) to Butte, MT

Writing by Connie today since Hank feels punky from a cold. 

We said good-bye to Judy this morning.  We had a great time together and it was a sad parting.  Living on two different coasts, we don’t see each other as much as we’d like.  We don’t know when we will see each other again, which added to the sadness of our parting.

Today we rode to Butte, MT.  It wasn’t part of plan, but as we said yesterday, we rerouted because of weather.  When you ride a motorcycle, it’s how things go.  We are intentional about our attitude –  it really helps to not be attached to a particular idea or plan.  For those who know me, you would surmise this would be a challenge.  Yet from the moment I sat on a motorcycle, I felt free from the constraints of daily life.  I love having no agenda and few expectations.  It is incredibly liberating personally.

So back to the ride.  It was cold and cloudy and windy and so beautiful.  We rode by Flathead Lake, which was at times gray; and at times when the sun shown, it was bright aqua.  It’s a huge lake and you can tell it is a destination for locals and tourists alike.  We followed a mountain range for the longest time.  The clouds often appeared to cut off the top of the mountain or dip deep into small valleys or crevasses.  After awhile, we found ourselves in Mission Valley, with high peaks on both sides and thousands acres of farmland in between.  It was just stunning.

We were quite fortunate.  The weather called for a 90% chance of rain.  Somehow, the we found ourselves riding between storms and showers for the majority of our ride.  We were even graced by yet another rainbow (we’ve seen two previously).

At one point we chose a random exit to take stretch. And we landed in Opportunity, MT.  Really.  It’s a small town, with maybe thirty houses.  You have to travel past the State mental hospital and through a hazardous waste site (copper mining) to get to it.  I’m sure there is some meaning here, but I spent my time on the trip thinking of puns to share with Hank, rather than philosophizing.  We found our way back to the highway and continued towards Butte.

Suddenly and quite dramatically, the landscape changed from jagged mountains and rolling green mountains, to bluffs and petrified Sand Dunes akin to what we saw in New Mexico and Utah.  It was fascinating.  

Butte, MT started as a mining town and grew to be the largest city between the Mississippi River and San Francisco by the early 20th century.  We chose to stop here, because this city is one of the rail stops on the Rail Baron game we love.  Tomorrow morning we’ll visit the historic rail station for a photo op.

Tomorrow we head to Hailey, ID, where we will stay in an Air BnB and tour the Sawtooth National Forest and mountains.

Another, and our last, great day with Judy at this wonderful resort in Columbia Falls, MT. Connie and Judy returned to Glacier NP this morning. The agenda was a Ranger led hike up Rocky Point Trail. Ranger John spoke about the history of the Park and the things that make it an international peace park, wilderness/biosphere reserve and world heritage site. I stayed in to sleep a little extra – a cold seems to have caught me and I needed the rest before riding out to join the women at the Lake McDonald Lodge for a late lunch. It is a quaint old retreat with a great restaurant and a lot of old time charm.   
Tomorrow we head out for Butte, MT, a waypoint to Hailey, ID where we will stay for four nights and explore Saw Tooth Nat’l Forest. We decided to forego the challenge of US Rt. 12 and the Lolo Pass because rain is in the forecast and the driver ain’t up to snuff. Lolo will remain on the bucket list a while longer.  

We have had such a wonderful time with Judy, who graciously made a portion of her time share available. We had so much fun catching up on life, and entertained ourselves mightily with long conversations, a movie and an impossible jigsaw puzzle. (finished moments ago.) We’re sorry to part ways.  

Enough for tonight. Be well.

—-

Yesterday, we saw an eight point buck.  Today, a very young buck, just growing antlers.

The view from Rocky Point Trail.  So serene.

Wild flowers along the trail.

Our entertainment the last two nights!