Pacific North West National Parks and Yellowstone September 2014

[sven]

After scaring yourself silly on the Beartooth Pass, both ways, we come to what in my opinion is possibly the finest road anywhere on the planet. It's called the Chief Joseph Highway or the Dead Indian Highway and it has everything from twisty and perfectly cambered corners, lovely sweeping bands, views to die for in every direction which leave you speechless, all manner places to stop and just take it in and almost zero traffic as most people seem to bypass it.

Mmm, we'll have to disagree on that one - I thought it was massively overhyped and pretty underwhelming after the Beartooth Highway. Being held up on the way back down by a group of H-D's didn't help as it was hard getting past in a Mustang

Driving over the Beartooth was the one time on the whole trip when I really regretted not hiring a bike

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Interesting that Sven, the Beartooth is great but I think the Chief Joseph offers much more than just a ride. All my opinion of course and I would choose it over just about any other road I've ridden/driven.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Had a night in the famous old town of Cody but I forgot to take my camera out with me. Probably due to me nearly being wiped out by a local muppet in a car who pulled straight across my path...!! Had the old GS sideways and managed to miss the dumb twat but it was the closest call I've had for a very long time.

Anyway, next morning we stumbled across this little old trail town. It's made up of old houses and building from the area as well as some famous houses used by frontiersmen etc. They even have a couple of houses used by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid! They also have a few graves of frontiersmen which they have moved here from somewhere out in the hills so a very interesting place and a couple of hours very well spent mooching about.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

We now head for Jackson Hole via East Yellowstone and yet again, different scenery hives into view at every turning!! That's one thing you learn on a trip like this is everything changes but it is still staggering! The weather is holding up beautifully!!

We are generally accompanied by some pretty large beasts as well

 

[Sgt Bilco]

We had a well deserved day off in Jackson Hole which is a cracking place. It's mostly known for it's skiing but a decent place in the summer. Ended up in the Million Dollar Cowboy bar watching a country band who were pretty good. I shocked everyone by knowing most of the words so we all tried to forget this embarrassing fact with bottles of Moose Drool beer, Jack and coke and Southern comfort whilst watching the wierd locals chatting each other up

Nice home made bumper on the truck parked outside. Not sure it would pass an MOT here!!

 

[newboy]

The Beartooth to Red Lodge and back. Then over Chief Joseph.
Best days riding of the trip for me.


Sent from my gadget using wires n string n stuff

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Great pics Chris.
Poor Sarah had to endure 1,318 of my photos last night. Not to mention my long-winded explanation of what each one was about. .

I'd like to add a big 'Thank you' to the group of (mainly) couples for putting up with me & letting me join them for breakfast/lunch/days out. You were a great crowd for the most part & really made me feel welcome even though I was butting in on your personal holidays.

Thanx again Comrades, you were a delight to be with & I'd happily spend another 3 weeks in your company any time.

 

[JoJo]

I'd like to add a big 'Thank you' to the group of (mainly) couples for putting up with me & letting me join them for breakfast/lunch/days out. You were a great crowd for the most part & really made me feel welcome even though I was butting in on your personal holidays.
Thanx again Comrades, you were a delight to be with & I'd happily spend another 3 weeks in your company any time.

Don't mention it "Steve" - the pleasure was all ours

 

[JoJo]

Mmm, we'll have to disagree on that one - I thought it was massively overhyped and pretty underwhelming after the Beartooth Highway. Being held up on the way back down by a group of H-D's didn't help as it was hard getting past in a Mustang

Driving over the Beartooth was the one time on the whole trip when I really regretted not hiring a bike

We hired a Mustang for the last two days of the trip once the bikes were being packed off home (it was the only car they had left available and we really wanted a V10 Dodge Ram 3500 beastly thing to growl around in). That car handled like a pig on the twisties!! I'm not surprised you didn't enjoy the roads you were on. The day we rode the Beartooth Pass and Dead Indian Highway combined, turned out to be the best day's riding on the trip in my opinion and I'm hard pushed to put those routes behind any road I've ridden in my 25 years riding. (must mention up and down Mt St Helen's to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, which was great fun too) So, I'm with Chris on that one. Sven you'll have to go back out there and do it on a bike (not on an H-D though)

 

[newboy]

Mt St Helens was close but you had the best bike for that Jo.
Like a Spanish GP track
And no coppers or cameras.


I don't think I'd have liked it in a car Sven.


Sent from my gadget using wires n string n stuff

 

[sven]

We hired a Mustang for the last two days of the trip once the bikes were being packed off home (it was the only car they had left available and we really wanted a V10 Dodge Ram 3500 beastly thing to growl around in). That car handled like a pig on the twisties!! I'm not surprised you didn't enjoy the roads you were on. The day we rode the Beartooth Pass and Dead Indian Highway combined, turned out to be the best day's riding on the trip in my opinion and I'm hard pushed to put those routes behind any road I've ridden in my 25 years riding. (must mention up and down Mt St Helen's to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, which was great fun too) So, I'm with Chris on that one. Sven you'll have to go back out there and do it on a bike (not on an H-D though)

We will go back eventually - probably heading from Seattle to Denver via The Canadian Rockies

I thought the Mustang's handling was a bit heavy, but not too bad when we were chasing a Merc down the Million Dollar Highway into Ouray except when changing direction quickly. My 320d BMW felt like a sportscar in comparison when I picked it up at Manchester airport. My main bugbear was the bloody awful automatic gearbox.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

A few pics from the Grand Tetons cable car near Jackson. It goes from 6000ft to 10,500ft in 12 mins and is a great ride! I'm only slightly terrified of heights but once it's away, I'm Ok with the whole thing..........honest!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Adventure riders doing what they do best....sitting round drinking coffee and talking bollox. Just happens to be in Jackson Hole but could be anywhere I guess!!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Once again, the scenery changes completely as we leave the Tetons and head across to the Craters of the Moon National Park in Idaho. One big long Highway past all the US nuclear facilities is quite a challenge but I love riding on these lonely highways. The Craters National Park is in the middle of nowhere, very strange and just full of fairly recent lava flows. The small town of Arco next to it has the distinction of being the first town ever to be powered by Nuclear energy.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

After Crater, we had a beautiful ride across the Sawtooth range to Stanley Idaho. I managed to find the only milkshake stop in North America which had run out of Ice Cream........nightmare!! This area is rarely ridden and well worth the effort and the scenery is stunning. Arrived at the fantastic Sawtooth Hotel in Stanley, fed, watered and and tied the old girl up after another long day!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

After an excellent breakfast at the Sawtooth Bakery, we headed out toward Idaho City in very foggy conditions. The highway was absolutely fantastic to ride and was about 80 miles of twists and turns. No pics because it was so twisty but we stopped at Idaho City for a brew. Great little town which hasn't really changed for decades and according to locals, it was once the capital of the whole area and there is more gold in the hills than in Alaska. Chatting to a guy on the porch who served in the USAF and was stationed in UK back in the early 70's so great to talk to. He said he went from Vietnam to High Wycombe which has to be one hell of a culture shock!!

As we were riding with Paul and Sam today, food was high on the agenda and found this great little diner in Boise Idaho. It used to be a garage and served a great chill hot dog which was a bit much even for me.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Another long hot road but this time it's Hwy 26 in Oregon. It's a fascinating road as the views are brilliant and there is the odd little town along the way for gas, shade and a quick peek at the old cars and trucks parked in people's gardens. Every garden is like a scrap yard but I guess people just don't throw stuff out and the parts will be useful at some point!! I bet some of this stuff is worth a bloody fortune!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Another lovely start to the day from John Day Oregon. After a cracking breakfast in Dayville, had a nice ride around the fossil beds and the scenery is brilliant and the roads very quite. Again, plenty of vintage metal lying around! The weather was looking pretty grim up ahead and at Bend, the 1st rain for 4 month poured all the way to Crater Lake and it was so bad, we couldn't actually see the lake which was a real shame.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

More from the John day area with the bonus that my bike goes through 110,000miles

 

[LittleJohn]

Brillant.

One day, I hope to get to travel these roads on one of your trips.