Over the Beartooths Again

September 29, 2026

Winter is coming and the number of days that can be used to travel over the Beartooths are waning.  The "when" that the pass gets closed is always a gamble and depends, of course, on snow, how much and when.  With clear skies and a good forcast today was a good day to go again.  My friend Keith brought up the chance of a ride a week ago and texted the other day that Tuesday or Wednesday looks pretty good.  I voted for Tuesday and we agreed on that.  

I started off the day by meeting my friend Jerry for our weekly 7-1/2 mile run at the Four Dances Recreation Area.  We've been doing a weekly run like this for over 20 years.  While our times have increased, we've kept to the same distance.  Jerry lives near that route so it works well for him if we meet at 6:30am so he can get the run in before he has to go to work.  However, it's getting dark in the mornings and since most of the run is on trails, this was our last week of morning outings.  Next week we switch to afternoons and will do that all through the winter with routes more in the city.

It was a beautiful morning.

We finished right at 9am and I headed for home.  I got a shower, dressed out in my riding gear, made and ate a sandwich, and got my bike out right after Keith pulled up.  I loaded my gear on the bike and we pulled away right at 10am as planned.  Keith led and we took the western route to Laurel via Buffalo Trail.

The temperature was in the mid-50s and I was plenty comfortable with my riding pants over my jeans, a short-sleeve shirt under a long-sleeve one plus a sweat shirt.  I had on my summer mesh jacket which still had the rain liner in from my recent trip.  Heavier gloves rounded out the apparel.  

The ride to Red Lodge was pretty normal and uneventful.  There was a bit of wind which is never surprising.  We both topped up our tanks in Red Lodge and then Keith led us up to the pass.  I didn't take many photos today and, instead, decided to use lots of video from my dash cam.  Here is most of the complete ride to the pass, broken into 7 segments.  That's Keith ahead of me on his Goldwing.

Once at the top we pulled over for the usual photo opportunities.  While there were some cars on the way up, there were a few more at the top.  It's always a popular spot.

We headed down the other side, more or less to the west with the plan to get on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.  The ride was, of course, gorgeous.  Here's some video from that portion.

At the bottom we turned on the Chief Joseph.

When we crossed the Sunlight Bridge we pulled over to the parking area.

While there we met another rider, Isaac, who was on an '05 Triumph, traveling from Oregon to Wisconsin.  He told us some tales of woe like when he broke down on Hwy 12 near Kosskia, ID and had to wait for 12 hours for his dad to come retrieve him and the bike.  He set up his tent in a nearby pull out.  I've ridden that road a lot, as recently as 2 weeks ago, and I wouldn't want to break down on it.  He said that his ignition module had fried.  He switched to an aftermarket one and all has been well since.  Uhmmmm, this is why I ride a Japanese bike.

When we left there, Keith told me to lead and I did.  From there it's straight up to Dead Indian Pass.  I really like going up this one rather than down and it was just great until I came in behind an RV.  It's a very curvy road with no passing lane but I wasn't going to sit behind that guy all the way to the top and neither was Keith.

At the top I stopped for a quick photo.

We headed out right away before the RV caught up with us.

The ride down is completely different from the ride up as it is way more open country, dropping down to a pretty sparse and barren part of Wyoming.

We got to the bottom and turned north on Hwy 120 and rode through what my map says is Badger Basin.  I didn't see a badgers but we cruised back into Montana, stopped in Bridger for a moment and then back to Billings.  We separated over by the zoo.

It was 255 mile day.  BTW, my bike turned 61,000 miles today.

2026 PNW Trip 2 - Table of Contents

Day 1 - September 7, 2026 - Billings to Jerry Johnson Campground

Day 2 - September 8, 2026 - Jerry Johnson Campground to Sawmill Flats

Day 3 - September 9, 2026 - Sawmill Flats to Sequim, WA

Day 4 - September 10, 2026 - Sequim to Victoria, BC and Bamberton Park 

Day 5 - September 11, 2026 - Bamberton Park to Victoria and Port Angeles

Days 6 and 7 - September 12 & 13, 2026 - In Sequim

Day 8 - September 14, 2026 - Sequim to Yakima Canyon

Day 9 - September 15, 2026 - Yakima Canyon to Jerry Johnson Campground

Day 10- September 16, 2026 - Jerry Johnson Campground to Billings

The Wrap Up

2026 PNW Trip 2 - The Wrap Up

September 17, 2026

Here’s a summary of the trip:

Total miles ridden; 2,336

Longest day: 436 miles, Day 1, Billings to 1st night camp

Shortest day; about 170 miles in British Columbia

Days traveling: 10. 8 riding, 2 visiting

Nights camping out: 5

Number of gas stops: 14

Total gas used: 46.965 gallons

Total cost of gas: $231.27

Average miles per gallon: 49.73

Most expensive gas: Sequim, WA at $5.59/gallon

Cost of campsites: about $75 and 2 were free

Cost of riding the ferry, round trip: $108.00

Total cost of trip (gas, lodging, ferry): about $420.00

Interesting, the cost of gas’s per mile was about the same as last May’s trip even though the price per gallons were different.  Also, I think that my miles per gallon was lower that usual due to the head wind I rode against for most of the first day.  The bike indicated it was getting about 35 miles to the gallon that day.

The highlight of the trip was the side trip to Canada.  I had done quite a bit of research and knew what to do and what to expect and everything clicked.  Showing up early for the ferry does cause some waiting but then there are no hassles rushing for the last minute.  Getting the bike secured was no problem with the ropes they provided and I didn’t need the tie-down I had brought.  I have read that on some ferries you are expected to have your own.  Going through immigration and customs was no problem and only took a moment or two.  The Canadian always seem friendly when doing this and the Americans act like they are about to demand a strip search.  Macho men.

My gear all worked well except for the issue with the air mattress but the stop at REI solved that.  I’ll inflate the old one and see if it actually has a leak or is an issue with the valve.  While I have no problem blowing up a mattress, deflating for repacking is a hassle and I am considering getting one of those little inflated things like we have with our car camping gear.  The only issue I have is the noise they make.  They are annoying in a campground and the frequency tweaks my hearing issue.  But, they can suck all the air out of a mattress.

I am thinking about changing the way my clothes satchel straps to the bike.  Right now I use RokStraps that attach to the bike’s frame and pull over the bag.  This makes accessing the bag on the road a pain.  I might design something that straps from underneath.  The small backpack that I carry on top of it is very handy but a hassle to attach to the bike’s frame.  I may switch it out for a small dry bag of sorts.  

I am always considering how the sleeping bag straps on.  It sits between and above the clothes satchel and the tent and tends to push the satchel forward.  I need an engineering solution for that one.

If I gave up camping and just stayed in motels and ate my meals out I could fit what I needed in my side cases.  I am probably not going to be doing that.

It was a great trip.  I couldn’t ask for better weather.  I had a very slight drizzle for a few minutes the day I eft Sequim and that was it.  Even that first day where I had to sit out a storm in Ryegate, I stayed dry.  The real downside was the heavy wind that day.    Riding in a heavy crosswind is, IMO, the worse.  I know that physics informs me that the bike will stay on the road, but it’s tiring fighting against it and getting shaken but frequent gusts.

This will be last ride to the PNW for this year.  Next year I might want to wait until later in the season, perhaps into June so I can riding a northern route across the Cascades.  Riding through central Washington has gotten old and I’ve varied the routes as much as I can.  I’ve done the Cascades once in each direction and I want to do it again.  However, it can easily add an extra day.

What can I say about this motorcycle other than it checks every box for performance and reliability.  It handles great in every condition and will get up and go when needed.  

So, that’s it for the westbound trips.  There might be another long ride to the east before the season ends but that is only at the discussion level right now.

2026 PNW Trip 2 - Day 10

September 16, 2026

It’s my final day on this trip and while I am ready to be done, I did a nice ride and enjoyed the scenery.

I was up and out at 5:30 and started the morning stuff.

It’s a bit chilly so the reheated dinner from last night and a cup of herbal tea were appreciated.

I was on the road by 7:45 and was glad to be wearing everything as it was 42°F.  The other issue with leaving as the sun comes up in the east over the mountains is that I ride through shadow and then sunlight with that sun right in my eyes.  I really have to slow down during those transitions.

Along the way I saw the sign for the DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove.  I’d never stopped here so thought this would be a good time to check it out.

The trail isn’t very long and winds through the forest with the occasional interpretive sign explaining the ecology and the life of the cedar.

As I continued on I crossed Lolo pass and back into Montana.  I don’t want to get into lots of details but I hear that Billings drivers are the worse in the nation but based on the next hour or so, I’d say it’s just a “Montana value” to be rude, risky, and inconsiderate.  I’d already ridden about 2,000 miles across a couple states and one province had had ZERO issue but back in Montana…well….

The first thing I saw was a guy tailgating me on the 2-lane road before he passed me to then try to pass another car ahead of me.  I could clearly see an oncoming motorcycle but that didn’t deter him and he went for it, causing the car he was passing to clam on the brakes and the motorcycle to do the same and head for the shoulder.  The car had a “6” plate in that makes any difference.

In Missoula I was pulling out of a gas station and a guy changed lanes, no signal, and cut me off.  A few blocks up the road went down to one lane and we were doing a “zipper merge” but when it was my turn a twirl in an Audi gassed it and prevented me from merging.  Then, outside of East Missoula am asshat in a pickup tailgated me even though I was doing 5 over.  I was looking for a place to pull over when he went across the double yellow line and passed within a couple feet of me.

Welcome back to Montana.

Anyway.  I rode the 2-lane roads for the rest of the way back to Billings.  I stopped at the top of MacDonald Pass for a few photos.

Then it was to Helena where I parked in front of the capitol to have my lunch of pound cake and an apple.

I gassed up in Townsend and avoided White Sulphur Springs by taking the shortcut via Hwy 294 past Martinsdale.  It’s not a bad ride but the first chunk of miles one has to be careful due to all the tar snakes which are treacherous in a curve.  I stopped along the way for a some photos just as a wide load was going by.

I stopped in Harlowton for a break and then straight back to Billings.  I got gas before heading for home.

It was a 422 mile day.

2026 PNW Trip 2 - Day 9

September 15, 2026

I slept pretty well.  That new air mattress really works great and is a little thicker than the previous one.  While the campsite is near the road, there are not many cars going by in the night and the ones that did sure didn’t bother me.

I was awake about 5:30 and read for a while before getting up and going on a walk/hike.  I looped the campground repeating the route I took yesterday and took some photos at the entrance.

And one along the river.

When I got to the north end of the property, I hiked up to the highway and saw that there was a parking area and an obvious trail leading away from it.  It looked like it went almost straight up the hill behind it and I thought it might provide a nice view.  It was steep but no big deal and worth it for the scenery.

When I returned I went through the usual morning routine, had oatmeal and cocoa for breakfast, and got the bike loaded up.

I’d like to travel lighter but I have paired down what I bring to a minimum and because I bring several seasons of clothing for riding and for when I get to where I am going, I have been unable to reduce what I bring any more than I have.  This is why, on a longer ride, I bring my blue backpack.  It’s not ideal because I have to strap it down on top of by clothes satchel but it’s handy for carrying things I need to get to or put away as the riding day goes on.

Notice that it’s a NIke Team National bag from 2006.  That was the year that Billings Senior High girls cross country team got an invite to nationals.  I was assistant coach and the head coach, Steve, and I got to travel with the team to Portland for a pretty awesome experience.  This bag was one of the freebies we received.  20 years ago, wow.

The ride today was long.  I just wasn’t that enthusiastic about it, partly because I’ve done it so many times and after 6 days of riding in the past week or so, I’m ready for a break.  At least the weather is nice.

As I rode past the place I usually camp, I noticed that there had been a fire from the main camping area to the southern border along the river.  I liked hiking through that area and now it’s all exposed and blackened.  Sad.

I rode south through the Yakima Canyon and once I hit civilization, I pulled over to take care of a few things.  For one, I downloaded some video clips from the dash cam to save them for later editing.

While there a friend, Jason, texted and then called and he wanted to talk about an ‘88 Volvo 240 DL that he is thinking of buying for his daughter.  Because I have an ‘83, we chatted about the issues one will have with that car but it seems like a good deal.  After we talked he sent me the ad on FB Marketplace in Bozeman.  I sent it to another fiend, Nick, who is expert on these things.

I got back on the road and nocked off a bunch of miles before pulling over outside of Moxee, WA to grab a photo of my odometer as it just turned 60,000.

I rode to Othello for gas and cruised their main commercial area.  There are quite a few Mexican restaurants.  I’ll have to look up their demographics.

I had a text from Nick so I screen shot his positive feedback on the car and sent it to Jason.

I racked up more miles and can’t say there was much to write about.  I stopped in Kamiah for gas and to grab some chips and an apple at the store.  Then it was back on Hwy 12.  The navigation app said it was 75 miles to the campground but would take about 90 minutes.  

I blasted along the road, enjoying the curves but watchful for critters as it was that time of day.  All I saw were some wild turkeys. 

I did grab a shot from my dashcam of this sign.

About 30 miles from the campground I was going past a large pull-out area and saw a car over the embankment and two guys standing there.  Here’s the car grabbed from my dash cam in the left-center of the photo.

I found a spot turn around a rode back to see if they were OK.  They were and said that a tow truck was on the way.

I arrived at the Jerry Johnson campground at 7pm.  I looped around and was surprised to see that at least half the sites are occupied.  I’ve never seen it so busy.  I rode past Site #6, the same on I stayed at on the way out and when I saw that it was empty, I grabbed it.  There were no envelopes for registration so I’ll see if a ranger comes by later or in the morning.  If I hit the road early enough, I might get a freebie.

I got the site set up, wrote this blog entry, and then cooked up dinner, a cheesy broccoli rice dish.  Very tasty.  I ate half and will save the other half for tomorrow’s breakfast.

It was 404 miles for the day.

2026 PNW Trip 2 - Day 8

September 14, 2026

Today was a non-running morning since I had to gather things up for the departure.  I repacked and organized before my mom and I went to the chow hall for breakfast.

We sat with Jo and Cathy(?) and they made good table-mates.  Jo turned 99 a few weeks ago and, except for some hearing loss, she’s as sharp as any one.  She told me that she and her husband had 5 Honda motorcycles over the years and rode all over.  She was always a passenger.

I ordered a veggie omelet and a couple slices of rye toast and it was all excellent.  I also had a “Sunrise” which is a mixed fruit juice and quite delicious.  We were eventually joined by Marge who is plenty active and sharp especially considering she is well into her 90s.  She and I played pool together on a previous visit.  She is a retired middle school teacher so you know she is tough.

After breakfast I finished rounding up my stuff and getting the bike packed.  There is definitely an order to things as I can’t put one ting on the bike ahead of another or things just don’t work out well.

I said my goodbyes and was on the road by 10:15.  It’s in the low 60s and feels pretty nice.  I stopped for gas and then headed south on Hwy 101.  The ride was completely uneventful.  I just cruised with the flow of traffic to the Hood Canal Floating Bridge.

Then to the Tacoma Narrows bridge.  I paid my $5.50 toll and continued on.

I rode through Tacoma and into Federal Way.  There is a rest stop there that I wanted to visit but it was closed so on I went, continuing on I-5 until I branched off onto Hwy 18.

I eventually connected to I-90 and rode that for quite a while.  It took me over Snoqualimie Pass.  The traffic got heavy, primarily by big rigs who were going at least 15 over the speed limit.  I just relaxed and cruised.

The temperature dropped into the mid-50s so I pulled off the freeway and donned my sweatshirt.

Back on the road I rode to Ellensburg where I stopped for gas.  Then I rode to the Iron Horse Brewery to take a break.  I had one of their beers in Billings, Irish Death, and thought it would be worth a stop as long I was was going to be in town and had plenty of time.

It’s a really nice place and I can see how it would be a popular place of the weekends with lots of outdoor seating and a big grassy area for kids.  There is also a food truck that was getting ready to serve up some pizza.

I called home to check on things and then headed south into Yakima Canyon.  My plan was to camp where I usually do at the Umtamum site but when I got there alll 6 sites were reserved or taken.  The last one was going to be filled by a guy with a giant AirStream trailer.  The sites are better suited to car/tent camping and I was tempted to wait and see how this guy was going to fit his rig in that spot.

But, instead, I rode back north about 10 miles to the Big Horn campground.  I haven’t stayed there before but did ride through once.  The road through the site is very rough gravel and the potties are of the portable rather than the vault type.  The upside is that camping is free rather than the $7 at the other site ($3.50 for me).  

I settled into site #11, the last one on the loop and it’s plenty big enough for the bike and the tent.  I got things set up and took a photo or two,