Yellowstone and Beyond June 18- 29, 2009.

The planning for Yellowstone began way back in Nov of 2008. As most of our trips it begins with one saying “Hey I want to ride here.” Then others join in and say so do I. That is the way that this adventure began too. Dawg and Katie were the start of this plan, along the way several thought that they could join but when the dust settled and the stars aligned Nettie was able to join for part of the trip.

This trip began with kickstands up on June 20, 2009 in Omaha, NE. The first day was just getting across NE to Cheyenne, WY. There are lots and lots of cattle in NE and plenty of high winds whipping across the prairies. From Cheyenne the ride went to the mountain passes and scenic drives, one thing to remember is that spring arrives later in the year in the mountains so layering of clothing was the way to go. There are scenic highways that just had to be seen, Snowy Range Pass was one such road and Rt 287 was also a nice ride, which took us into Lander, WY. Lander is poised at the entry to the Grand Tetons and is a great little town to visit with plenty of quaint stores and restaurants.

The ride progressed from Lander, WY to Moose to the Grand Tetons park entrance, through the Grand Tetons NP into Yellowstone NP. The first climb was on Rt 287 through Togwotee Pass, with an elevation of about 9,650 feet, crossing the Continental Divide at the head of the Wind River and at the north end of the Wind River Range; it is on the boundary between Shoshone National Forest and Teton National Forest. Once again we had to don many layers to handle the cold but the views were so breathe taking that it was all worth battling the cold.

Coming down into the Red Canyon of the Wind River on Rt 26 was a drastic change in scenery with high canyon walls of the most vibrant red clay that we had ever seen. The name Wind River was very much earned as the gusting wind could be felt as you stood and admired the landscape. The sun was also welcome as it warmed the air that pulsed past you. The road turned south onto Rt 191, a sweet road that sweeps along the Snake River with distracting views of the Tetons. We entered the park at Moose, WY and turned back north as we road through plenty of warm sunshine and never ending views of landscape and wild life. Prong Horned Antelopes, elk, buffalo (bison) and a great variety of birds were all there to be seen. One park lead into the next and we entered Yellowstone NP in the mid-afternoon great with warm sunshine and long twisting roads through fire blackened forests that were showing signs of new life. We wound our way around the southern part of the park to the Old Faithful Inn, which would be home base for two nights. It was a good choice to stay in the park as those of us from the east have no idea how really vast the park is and how long it takes to drive the 40 miles into the park from outside. The waiter told us that the nearest place to go from the park to shop is 105 miles, that is why the staff at the park live on-site.

Two days are just not enough time to dedicate to riding in Yellowstone NP but we sure did give it a good effort to see as much as possible. First let me say, bison are everywhere and are very very large animals. We road out to the canyon area of the park to see Big Horn Sheep and hopefully coyote or wolf but all we every were able to do was hear them at night in the distance. The geysers and bacteria growth are almost unreal in their colors and smell. One has to remember that basically they are on top of an active volcano. The steaming holes of vapors were all over the park not just in the Old Faithful area. This is a place that we will return to and explore even more in the future.

Where we entered Yellowstone by the south entrance we left by the east gate headed into Cody, WY where we would be joined by Net who rode down from Seattle area. The east gate puts you on Rt 14 that takes you into a canyon of hoodoos, volcanic rock that the wind has shaped over the years. The canyon walls were not as red as the Red Canyon we went through earlier but the rock formations were really far more interesting to see. The area is home to the largest free roaming Big Horned Sheep herds but we did not see a single one in the hills. Also any need for layering that we had was long since gone as the temperatures were high and rising fast. We arrived in Cody and found a great little place for lunch and to wait for the arrival of Nettie.

Nettie arrived about ten minutes after we had settled in to wait, so we all ate and hugged and yakked it up through lunch. It is always good to reconnect with a Sister who lives far away. After lunch we headed north up Rt 120 to east on Rt 308, all I can say about this road is that it was long, flat and HOT, but it was the quickest way to Red Lodge, MT. We turned south on Rt 212 to the Bear Tooth Inn where we were staying. A quick upload of bikes and we back tracked into Red Lodge where we ate pizza and took a fun ride on horse drawn wagon. It is hard to imagine that people traveled the same roads that we just did but in these basic wagons.

In the morning we woke to near perfect conditions and ate breakfast and got on the road early. The plan was to head down the Bear Tooth Highway and onto the Chief Joseph Highway, both scenic byways and oh so worth the trip to ride them. We stopped often to just look at the views because the roads are challenging enough that you can not really appreciate the views while riding enough. Then we altered our plan and instead of heading to Scotts Bluff, NE with stops along the way, we headed back up Rt 120 for a while and cut over to Rt 14 in search of the wild horse herds that roam the Big Horn National Recreation Area. Not a single horse was spotted, but we did stop at Devil's Canyon. The millions of years for the river to carve its way down that deep are unthinkable. It was a very beautiful spot and it was 101 degrees so it is easy to see where the name came from. After spending time looking for the horses we continued east on Rt 14A, which took us into the Bighorn National Forest. It was our intention to grab Rt 14 and forgo the ride back up into the mountains but we missed the sign. After crossing miles of never ending canyon floor the road quickly carried us up to the highest point we had been so far, Medicine Wheel Passage. Here we saw more wild life including deer in the road, which thankfully moved and moose off in the distance. The gas stations in this area are few and far so it would have been more enjoyable if we had backtracked and gassed up but we made it through just as dusk was approaching. The day ended in Sheridan, WY, we were tired but had had a wonderful fulfilling day riding.

The next morning Nettie would turn back towards home and we would continue south to Scotts Bluff, NE. It is always sad to have to say good bye but the rain that had arrived made it easier to get on our way. Nettie did a 1000 miles home that day and we did all interstate to get off the road before the big storms arrived.

We were up early as the last day back to Omaha was a long ride. A quick stop at the Chimney Rock for photos and we headed back east Rt 26 with a quick jaunt up Rt 61 to connect with Rt 92. Now I need to say that Rt 61 was a very pleasant surprise of a road, wide sweeping curves with gentle rolling hills.

If we had time I would have turned around and ridden that road again. Rt 92 is a pleasant but long road running through lots of small towns so at least gas was never an issue. The day ended with dinner with family in Omaha, NE. the next day we loaded up our trailer and truck and headed back to NJ.