Ride report- Montana!

[boatdetective]

Hey folks- I'm back from my trip to the stunning state of Montana and thought I'd post some pix.

I went out there to attend a seminar on gear failure analysis being held in Big Sky. Great stuff. I love looking at broken stuff!


After the seminar, I rented a Road King and headed out on a big loop around the SW corner of the state. The next two pix are on the road leading from Ennis into Virginia City



The scenery is consistently dramatic. the entire area is ringed by snow capped mountain ranges. Lovely green valleys at this time of year. I left Virginia City and took 287 down to the West side of Yellowstone. This shot is at the headwaters of Hebgen Lake.


As you might expect- Yellowstone is a pretty place, yet is waaaay overcrowded. Very special country though- you can see how native Americans would consider it hallowed ground.


I made my way up to Red Lodge to do the Beartooth pass. Once again- THANK YOU to all the folks who demanded that I make that run. It is a tremendous adventure! I think I timed it just right. Spend the night in town (lovely place- especially the Red Lodge Inn), then get on the road early. You climb the side of a mountain in a series of 200 degree switch backs- pretty hairy stuff on a Harley!!  The summit is 10,900'- fully alpine terrain and quite forboding.



Rolling down the mountain after tackling the ridgeline is a fantastic run. Relaxing and absolutely breathtaking. Had to stop for lunch at Long Lake


The last part of the run takes you into the very northern part of Yellowstone. It is an expansive plain called Lamar Valley. When I got there- there was a herd of around 1,500 bison laconically munching and hanging out. You get the feeling that he same herd has been there since pre history.

[Aaron D.]

That is very cool-is it hard to get lodging? I'd love to ride out there this summer.

[boatdetective]

After mentioning the ride- I have to talk about the steed. I rented a 2016 Harley Road King. It was my first experience on a Harley and I was interested to try this classic model. I can easily say that my prejudices about the brand where utterly, and completely....under estimated.  The riding position with the silly mini ape bars was like a torture rack after several hours. The sheer girth and mass of the bike made handling a constant battle with gravity. Moving around at slow speed in a parking lot was always nerve wracking. Handling and cornering on mountain roads was a white knuckle experience all the way. The obvious focus on chrome and overly massive fittings was embarrassing. I felt like a complete tool.

Don't get me wrong- I know there are those who dearly love the Motor Company and some who even believe they are great bikes. I know there are motor cops who can do crazy figure eights and could outride me any day of the week. I'm just saying that I didn't have 20 years to invest to learn how to handle one of these ponderous beasts. It's just that I found trying to keep the bike upright a constant chore. The obvious insistence of the company to design solely for some tired old image was irritating. In this way- especially considering all of the fabulous motorcycles offered by most other companies- I found the Harley a tremendously dishonest product.

I know that's a lot of hate- but it's my 2 cents and I'm stickin' to it. I will say that the fueling was perfect, nothing fell off, and the mirrors were really nice.

[Two Checks]

Ennis, Va City, Red Loge, neat area.
I recommend Sportsman's Lodge in Ennis. Lodgepole pine cabins. Great restaurant.

[boatdetective]

That is very cool-is it hard to get lodging? I'd love to ride out there this summer.

Aaron- I can give you and anyone else a real good idea of roads and places to stay. Short story- do NOT stay at any of the towns just outside Yellowstone. West Yellowstone is a touristy pit. Gardiner was similarly tacky.  Red Lodge is a delight. The Red Lodge Inn is fantastic- book ahead and say hello to Tiffany and Daniel for me.

The recommended section would be Red lodge- over the Pass, through Yellowstone to gardiner- then head North to Livingston. Livingston has a great downtown. Lodging can be tight- so try to book ahead.

Bozeman is a city- but a small one and very cool. Worth spending time there.

It's going to start getting dry there. I pretty much hit the nail on the head for weather and timing. Everything was still green and there was snow on the mountains. Call if you need details. Hell, call just to say Hi!  781 771 4841
Jonathan

[oldbike54]

 Thanks Jonathon , for the obvious and slightly cryptic parts of the report 

 Dusty

[rocker59]

 :1:


I stayed at Old Faithful Snow Lodge when there in May 2003.  We were there the week before Memorial Day, so the park was just opening.  Wasn't crowded.  Had a good time.

A friend and his wife stayed at Old Faithful Inn on the same trip.  It's the original old lodge at Old Faithful.  Neat place, with a good restaurant/bar.

Though I'd love to visit Yellow Stone again, from pictures I've seen of the crowds, I don't think I'd want to try and go there between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 

With about 2.2 Million Acres, there is a lot to see...

[bpreynolds]

  
Great ride.  I gotta get out there.

[guzzitime]

Thank you for your honesty in describing Harley Davidson.  .    I have owned a V Rod 2003 and was so hampered by the 3.8 gal gas tank, I could not enjoy riding the bike. Do you think the Motor Company cared? Not hardly.Moto Guzzi from now on.

[rocker59]

    I have owned a V Rod 2003 and was so hampered by the 3.8 gal gas tank, I could not enjoy riding the bike. Do you think the Motor Company cared? Not hardly.

Sure they did.  The fuel tank was enlarged to 5 gallons for model year 2006/2007.

[charlie b]

We camped in Yellowstone toward the end of Sep (last weekend the campgrounds were open).  Cold and the entire park was crowded.  Not sure about lodging but every Old Faithful eruption had hundreds of people out there.   Many tour buses.

I did love that park.  It does take more than two days to see it all.  One of the few parks I'd go back to in an instant.  I liked it better than Grand Canyon, but, maybe cause I have been to GC so many times.

[Lcarlson]

After mentioning the ride- I have to talk about the steed. I rented a 2016 Harley Road King. It was my first experience on a Harley and I was interested to try this classic model. I can easily say that my prejudices about the brand where utterly, and completely....under estimated.  The riding position with the silly mini ape bars was like a torture rack after several hours. The sheer girth and mass of the bike made handling a constant battle with gravity. Moving around at slow speed in a parking lot was always nerve wracking. Handling and cornering on mountain roads was a white knuckle experience all the way. The obvious focus on chrome and overly massive fittings was embarrassing. I felt like a complete tool.

Don't get me wrong- I know there are those who dearly love the Motor Company and some who even believe they are great bikes. I know there are motor cops who can do crazy figure eights and could outride me any day of the week. I'm just saying that I didn't have 20 years to invest to learn how to handle one of these ponderous beasts. It's just that I found trying to keep the bike upright a constant chore. The obvious insistence of the company to design solely for some tired old image was irritating. In this way- especially considering all of the fabulous motorcycles offered by most other companies- I found the Harley a tremendously dishonest product.

I know that's a lot of hate- but it's my 2 cents and I'm stickin' to it. I will say that the fueling was perfect, nothing fell off, and the mirrors were really nice.

I rented a RK for a week last June to tour southwest Utah. Aside from nearly perishing from the triple-digit heat crossing the desert from Las Vegas, it was a great trip, and I found the King to be a pretty good tool for this type of ride. It even piqued my interest in getting another cruiser (see below). It's a big machine, though, and that's not to everybody's taste....

[rboe]

As a very young lad the family stayed in a cabin near Old Faithful. I froze my butt off that night. Got to see Earthquake Lake a year or two after it was created. That made a huge impression on me.