Anyone know these OH/MI roads?

[ChuckH]

Lannis,

Your timing -- last three weeks of September -- may put you at risk for early winter storms.  For certain, you'll be in for cool/cold temps on the roads in those states near the top of the country.

A few years ago my wife and I were returning from a mid-September military reunion in Spokane.  We overnighted in a mid-price range motel in West Yellowstone.  That motel was shutting down for the winter just a few days after our stay.  I had to scrap frost off the windshield the next morning.

For sure, take you warm gear.  Ride safe.

[Lannis]

Lannis,

Your timing -- last three weeks of September -- may put you at risk for early winter storms.  For certain, you'll be in for cool/cold temps on the roads in those states near the top of the country.

A few years ago my wife and I were returning from a mid-September military reunion in Spokane.  We overnighted in a mid-price range motel in West Yellowstone.  That motel was shutting down for the winter just a few days after our stay.  I had to scrap frost off the windshield the next morning.

For sure, take you warm gear.  Ride safe.

It's hard to pick a time that's ideal.   Too early, and you're in the summertime/August/Labor Day crowds and potential blistering heat.   Any later, and it's wintertime in the mountains ....

Lannis

[PeteS]

Right after Labor Day would be better. Crowds wind way down after that. Beartooth, Chief Joseph may be closing or at least have some snow by mid September. Both must see.
Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody is also worth a stop. Three years ago we got a room in Cody, then did the loop up through Chief Joseph to Beartooth to Red Lodge and back to Cody (different roads) all in an afternoon. Late September the days will be getting shorter too.

The Bear's Tooth. (Taken on my iPad)





Pete

[ChuckH]

It's hard to pick a time that's ideal.   Too early, and you're in the summertime/August/Labor Day crowds and potential blistering heat.   Any later, and it's wintertime in the mountains ....Lannis 

I agree.  In '98 a small group of us left Seattle on bicycles in early June and got to Apgar Campground at Lake McDonald about ten days later.  We had to wait a day at the bottom of The Going-to-The-Sun Highway while they plowed 40" of snow off the upper roads and the parking lot at the top.

I was there again on a motorcycle trip in later June in 2010 and could hardly find a parking spot at The Visitors Center at the top of The Highway.  And, the vast majority of the people were out-of-country visitors.

It's a very short season on The Highway.  Possibly three months maximum.

Ride safe.

[Chuck in Indiana]

It's a very short season on The Highway.  Possibly three months maximum.

This. We were there (I'll look it up) from memory in late July, and the ranger told us there were several feet of snow standing where we were.. 3 weeks ago (!)

Right after Labor Day would be better. Crowds wind way down after that. Beartooth, Chief Joseph may be closing or at least have some snow by mid September. Both must see.
Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody is also worth a stop. Three years ago we got a room in Cody, then did the loop up through Chief Joseph to Beartooth to Red Lodge and back to Cody (different roads) all in an afternoon. Late September the days will be getting shorter too.

^^^
Lannis, you don't want to miss this. We camped at Cody, but did essentially the same thing on one trip. Another time, we camped at Red Lodge, then did Beartooth to Yellowstone, camped there, then down through Yellowstone through Jackson (tourist trap, never mind) and west over the pass.. another wonderful trip.

From journal:
8-2-12
Didn’t have to tear down camp this morning. :) Fixed a gourmet b’fast.. pressed coffee & egg beater w/onion, gr. Pepper & cheese over the Coleman stove. Just like in the 50s. :) Rode bucket road #3, Going to the Sun with sweetie following in the van. Spectacular scenery, but a poor motorcycle road. 45 mph speed limit the whole way. Stopped for construction for 30 minutes. Let every one go on for 20 minutes, and had the road to myself. :) :) I’m liking this Lario. Interesting ranger presentation at Logan pass. There was 7 feet of snow where we were standing 3 weeks ago.. on down to the end of the road for overpriced lunch. Loaded the Lario, and drove back. T storms forecast for tonight. Yep, we had them all right, just as we went into 2 Dog Flats for dinner. We stretched out dinner for an hour and a half trying to outlast the rain. It knows how to rain here, and the tent leaked over the door. We put rugs down and everything else in tubs. It went from the 80s to the 30s in the night. (!)

[Chuck in Indiana]

Beartooth.. there are a couple of curves getting here.. This is in late June.

[pressureangle]

I'm very familiar with M-52/Dexter trail.

It's the right road. Generally pretty flat and straight, with sections of winding/scenic. Some sections in the south are 70mph divided 4-lane, north of I-94 more 2-lane 45-55mph. Dexter/Chelsea area is chock full of parks, small towns with great cafes and ice cream parlors. Very light traffic except during rush hours, and then mostly around the intersections with mains like I-94. Take it all the way to 47/46/10 to Clare, up to 127N for a fast, pretty nice non-freeway ride up.
Alternatively, if you have time, take M-52 to M-46 and head West to 66; that's a scenic highway leading to Cadillac/Traverse City etc. Very nice riding.

FWIW I have people pretty much all through Michigan; Kalamazoo, Pinckney, Alma, Mt. Pleasant, Traverse City. Should you need a rescue.

[Lannis]

Right after Labor Day would be better. Crowds wind way down after that. Beartooth, Chief Joseph may be closing or at least have some snow by mid September. Both must see.
Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody is also worth a stop. Three years ago we got a room in Cody, then did the loop up through Chief Joseph to Beartooth to Red Lodge and back to Cody (different roads) all in an afternoon. Late September the days will be getting shorter too.

The Bear's Tooth. (Taken on my iPad)





Pete

Well, that's enough votes for backing it up a week (given where we're going) so that we'll move the start back to the day after Labor Day.    We'll be crossing West Virginia and Ohio the first couple days, so Labor Day traffic won't be an issue, not on the roads we'll be on, which will put us in Montana about Sept 12th - 15th, and by the end of the month we'll be much farther south ....

Many thanks for all the route suggestions, and the verification that the roads I blindly picked off the atlas are good ones .... !    I'll work on the route from Grayling and post on another thread ....

Lannis

[PeteS]

The reason for the hazy pic of Beartooth was it was taken in August of 2015. The whole west coast was on fire and the smoke pretty much obscured all the views. The pic that Chuck took would have been in the fog then. The haze was visible all the way to western Iowa. I didn't even bother to try and take pics between the summit of Beartooth and Red Lodge. Normally spectacular you could barely see the other side of the valley.
We have visited on bright sunny days though so we knew what it should look like.

Pete

[PJPR01]

One day can make a huge difference in Yellowstone or other National Parks.  A couple years ago I had made it back from Glacier and was staying in Gardiner and riding the roads in the area, I made a prelim trek to the North entrance of Yellowstone on Labor day knowing I'd probably still see some traffic.  It was a full on traffic jam in the first mile in the park, so I turned around and did some more riding, back to Gardiner and enjoyed one more relaxing night there.

Next day, the day after Labor day, I rode in...there were only 2 cars ahead of me for miles and miles in the park, the hordes had vanished, and it was a smooth and fun ride all the way thru the park, down to the Tetons and into Jackson for another fun night. 

What a difference a day makes for riding pleasure...

[Tkelly]

I enjoyed riding up the eastshore ofMI and swung west to catch the tunnel of trees.Deb and I camped in Yellowstone the week after labor day .It was frosty at night and beautiful during the day.