A Ride to Harlowton

March 4, 2026

It's early March, nothing on the agenda, the weather is good, so why not go out for a ride?

I decided to take along my 35mm film camera and go shoot some photos in Harlowton.  The ride there is one I've done so many times I really lost count.  It 45 miles north east on Hwy 3 and then 45 miles west on Hwy 12.  I've hit some pretty strong winds on this route but today is calm.  The temperature is in the 50s.

About halfway along the music I was listening to stopped.  I thought I might be out of cell service range but the little screen on my dishpan device said that the battery in the phone was low.  I've had an issue with the charging port on that phone and I must not have had things positioned correctly last night.  No problem, I don't need the music or navigation aids on this ride and I will still have enough juice to take a few photos.

Enjoy the pary of the ride near Cushman where there are some short rimrocks on the north side of the road.

I arrived in Harlowton a rode slowly down the main street before turning around and pulling over to park.  I took off my helmet and jacket and got the camera out of my side case.  I strolled down the street for a ways and took some photos.

This last photo, above, is the old State Theater which has had two fires that have left it pretty much gutted.  I walked across the street to peer inside and a couple guys were just getting out of their truck and one told me that it was "druggies" who burned it down and now it was a lost cause.  Later, after I got home, I looked it up and saw a note that said it had been purchased by a company that intended to restore ir.  Here's some views inside.

The old sign in front...

I continued on my tour and took a few more photos.

I got back on my bike and road south, down the hill, to get to the rodeo grounds.  Along the way I saw thi sculpture.

I looped around the rodeo grounds, got back on Hwy 12, and then stopped at the rest area for a last photo.

The ride back was non-stop and quite pleasant.  I stopped to top off the tank before arriving back home.

It was a 186 mile day.

A ride to Shepherd

February 16, 2026

With another day of good weather and snow on the way, it was on the road again.  I was curious about the roads north of Shepherd, MT and, in particular, C A Road that goes to Ah New Recreation Area.  This is a BLM site for off-road vehicles.  It wasn't interested in riding off road but the streets looked interesting.

It was another nice day with the temperature in the low-60s and hardly a breeze in the air.  I headed out and took Zimmerman Trail up to Skyline and then Wicks to Main Street in Billings Heights.  Then it was onto Hwy 312.  I got off that and took Chicago Road to its end where I can get back on to 312 but I took Frey Road north instead.  It's short but nice hills and turns.

From there I got back to Shepherd Road, took that north to Scandia, and then rode that east to C A Road.  This is all flat farmland with a bit or ranching.  It's pretty quiet out with only the occasion vehicle going by.

On C A Road I turned north.  This goes past one of the largest feedlots in the area.  I can imagine the smell on a hot summer day but I didn't notice anything as I passed it.

I arrived at the recreation area, parked the bike, and took a few photos.

I headed back the way I had come and stopped to take some photos of yard art I'd seen on the way.

When I got to the intersection of Scandia and Shepherd I pulled over to check mu map.  I decided to head out straight on Scandia.

When Scandia ended, I turned north on 12 Mile Road and took that north and then turned on Mailbox Road.

This took me to Hwy 87 where I turned south and headed back to Billings.  Now it was just retracing my earlier route: Wicks to Skyline and down Zimmerman Trail.

In continued on to Grand and stopped for gas before heading home.

It was a nice day to be out.  It was a 72 mile day.

Clapper Flats Road

February 15, 2026

When I head southwest out of the city, such as a ride to Red Ledge and the Beartooths, the usual route is to take Grand Avenue out to its western end, jog over to Lipp Road, and then take Buffalo Trail to Laurel.  While I had done this ride many times, it wasn't until I was coming back from Laurel in a car that I noticed a road across from the Laurel Transfer Station (the dump), Clapper Flats Road.  I guess I knew it was there but since I wasn't driving, I had a chance to look at it.  It is paved and seems to head west for a ways.  

Later, I brought it up on the mapping software and saw that it went out quite a distance and was paved for about 5-6 miles.  It had some curves, some trees, and the promise of some great scenery.  That was today's ride.

The weather is cool, about 58 degrees, so I had both my wind and thermal liners in my jacket and, as usual, my riding pants over my jeans.  There was a bit of a wind but I was more than comfortable.  It was about 1:55pm when I got going and there was meeting that I wanted to attend at 3pm so it was going to be a short, quick ride.

I did the route and turned on Clapper Flats heading west.  The road has a few patches in it and there were a few other vehicles, surprising for a less-than secondary road.  It had a long and straight stretches with a few curves, and climbed to the top rather quickly.  A bit over 5 miles into it, the pavement ended and continued on a washboard gravel.  It was time to turnaround.

Here is a video, fairly long, of my ride so far.

Once I got headed east, I pulled over for a few photos.

Now it was the ride back.  Here's a video clip of part of it.

It was getting close to 3pm and I turned toward Laurel and rode to the freeway onramp and made a speedy run back to Billings.

It was a short ride overall but fun to be out in the good weather that is supposed to change later in the week.

It was a 58 mile day.

Beating the incoming cold weather

February 8, 2016

We have had some great weather, unseasonable warm but it looks that that will change starting tomorrow.  It’s been in the 60s so with today the last day of this, it was time to get the bike out again.  I looked at a map and decided that I’d ride south and go to Red Lodge via Bearcreek.

I got on my way about 2pm and after stopping for gas I did the usual route heading west out of town, riding to the end of Grand and working my way to Buffalo Trail where I turned south to Laurel.  There are hardly any other cars on the road.

Once passed Laurel, the wind picked up, coming from the south, so I was riding directly into it.  When I turned south in Rockvale, I got a little spattering of rain.  Not much but a reminder that the weather is changeable.  In Fromberg I pulled over to adjust the music player on my phone and to take a few photos.

From Fromberg I headed south to Bridger.  The wind picked up and I heard it roaring around me as I headed right into it.  I made the turn to Belfry when I turned off that highway and headed to Bearcreek.  I slowed down due to the wind and just enjoyed the ride and the scenery.  

In Bearcreek I stopped for photos.

Just outside of the town I pulled over to look at the Smith Mine Disaster site.

I continued on toward Red Lodge and pulled over at the scenic lookout on the way.

Just as I was crossing Rock Creek and stopping at Hwy 212, two deer were on the bridge.  The video didn't capture them.

Red Lodge was pretty quiet.  With no snow this season the ski hill is quiet and not much going on in town.

I continued through town and then took Hwy 212 back north.  It was a pleasant cruise with very few cars on the road.  I did have to pass a few Amish carriages.  

Along the way the bike also passed a mileage milestone.

I took the freeway from Laurel back to Billings, stopping for gas, and then to the grocery store for some flavored popcorn.

It was a fine ride.  It just felt good to be out.

It was a 142 mile day.

A February Ride

February 2, 2026

Winter stills seems to be eluding us in south-central Montana with temperatures in the mid-50s and no precipitation.  With nothing on the schedule today, it was a good opportunity to get the bike out again for a winter ride.

I wasn't sure which direction I'd go and at first I thought about a ride to Roundup but then thought that Pompey's Pillar might be preferable to to the bit of wind that might kick up.  I got my gear on and hit the road just before 2pm, headed up Zimmerman Trail to Skyline Drive, out through Billings Heights on Wicks and then a turn onto Main Street.

When I came to the split of Hwys 87 and 312, I took 312 and settled in.  Traffic was pretty light and the weather was just perfect.

I passed through Shepard by taking Chicago Road and then back on 312 and cruised to Worden where I stopped for a photo.

Then it was on to Pompey's Pillar.

Before I got going I watched the train going by just across the roadway.

I could have turned around here but it felt so good to be out and riding I decided to continue on to Custer by taking the frontage road.  Here's a view from part of that ride.

When I arrived in Custer, I checked my map online.  There is a road that goes to the northwest that I've ridden before that hooks to Pease Bottom Road, a nice ride to Hysham, but I didn't know where that road went.  It's the Musselshell Trail Road and from a spot check on Streetview, it looked to be paved, at least for a way.  I turn left and rode it across the Yellowstone River, past the turnoff for Hysham, and on to a slow climb up a hill.  

At the 5 mile point, the pavement ended.  I don't like riding gravel if I don't have to.

I turned around and headed back down the hill but stopped briefly to admire the scenery and take this photo.

When I arrived back at the turnoff for Custer I had two choices.  I could ride back the way I came or hop on the freeway.

It was getting late in the day and while there was still plenty of sunlight, I would be riding right into it, making visible a hassle.  I opted for the slab and rode it to the turnoff for Huntley and from there retraced my ride back to home.

It really felt great to be out, especially for this time of year.  The weather looks just as good for the next week or so and I'm betting that I'll be back out again.

It was a 140 mile day.

Another winter ride

January 14, 2026

It's still winter but with the temperature going into the 60s and no precipitation, I'm riding.

I was really undecided as to where to ride so I just headed west on the usual route out of town in that direction and took Buffalo Trail to Laurel.  

I turned west and went through Park City and then on to Columbus.  I had to make a decision in the middle of town to either head north to Rapelje or south to Absarokee.  I turned south.

I was a really pleasant ride and before long I went through the little town as I tried to decide if I want to go on to either Nye or Red Lodge.  I saw a sign for Hawkins Park and made a turn.  The park is small but right along Rosebud Creek so made a nice place to take a break and sit out in the sun.

While I was sitting there, a little old lady came by on her walker and went over to the creek.  On her way back she stopped to chat and I learned quite a bit about her.  She was from Spearfish, SD but raised her family in Washington, north of Spokane.  She had 6 boys and it sounds like they had a ranch.  Her husband passed away two years ago so she moved here with the last two of her horses to be near her sons and grandchildren.  One of her horses is 40-year old pony.  It was nice having a chat and she took off to finish her exercise I headed back to Billings.

When I got back to Columbus I took a short detour and rode through Itch-Kep-Pe Park which is a campground and fishing spot along the Yellowstone River.  It's also next to the town golf course.

I rode the freeway back to Billings which was pretty easy with light traffic and a strong wind at my back.  I stopped and topped off my gas with the alcohol-free variety since this will be the last ride for a while.

It was a 124 mile day.