Tuesday, October 27, 2026

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FJR Adventures — Index of All Entries

Every entry from fjradventures.blogspot.com, in chronological order (oldest first). 312 entries, from May 2021 through October 2026.

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Index generated October 27, 2026, from the blog's public feed.

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Sunday, October 25, 2026

Windy Day to Rapelje, MT

October 23, 2026

Another storm is heading in and I wanted to get a little ride in before it arrives later this afternoon.  I got away at 1pm and the destination is Rapelje, a village north of Columbus, MT, about 75 miles from my house

I stopped for a few photos at the Canyon Creek Battlefield site.



There is not a lot of narrative about today's ride.  I got to Laurel, hit a passing cloud that dropped some rain, and then on the backroad to Park City before heading to Columbus.  Here's some video on the road in to where I pulled over for some photos.






I rode through Columbus and turned north next to the cemetery onto Hwy 306, Rapelje Road.  Here's some video.


About halfway there the wind kicked up a lot.  By the time I got to the village, the wind was really strong and I thought it might blow my bike over.  I thought about putting the thermal liner in my jacket (it was in a side case) but the temperature had dropped to 48° and I didn't want to take my jacket off to don it.  I had my film camera and took some photos and I grabbed one with my phone.


I headed back toward Columbus.  Here's an edited video of the road along the way


In Columbus, I turned on Centennial Road and worked my through the backroads across town.


I decided to grab the slab for the ride back.  


The wind was terrible and I bailed when I got to Park City.  I took the 2-lanes the rest of the way back to Billings.  I gassed up at the usual spot and then headed for home.

It was 144 mile day.

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Sunday, October 11, 2026

Last Beartooth of the Season and YNP

October 9, 2026

When I saw that the incoming storm prompted the Montana Department of Transportation to announce the closing of Beartooth Pass on Friday at 2:30pm, I got motivated to make one more trip across for this season.  

I did my usual run to the gym, played with the weights, jumped some rope, and came home to a quick breakfast before loading a few items on the bike.  I was out my driveway by 9:45am.  My plan is to be gone all day as I want to do the loop which includes the north end of Yellowstone National Park.  I’ve done this twice in the past and looking back on this blog I see that I did it at the end of September and about this time in October.

The weather was great with is supposed to hit 80 in Billings by the afternoon.  It was difficult to decide how to dress but I took my mesh jacket with a long sleeve shirt and a sweathshirt under it.  Heavy gloves were the order for the start of the day.

I took a different route to Laurel this time, riding Rimrock to 62nd, to Grand, to 64th, to King, to I-90, to Hwy 212.  It was a nice route.  Then it was a ride to Red Lodge.  I stopped at the rest area near Roberts and shed the sweatshirt and swapped out to my lighter gloves.  It was getting warm.

Outside of Red Lodge I pulled over for a photo at the beginning of the Beartooth Highway.





As I went up the switchback, the wind came up and was pretty fierce in some places as I rounded curves, surprising me at times.  I felt the need to really hang on.  At Vista Point I pulled over and put the sweatshirt and heavy gloves back on as it started feeling cooler.



The ride up to the pass was slower than usual, not due to traffic but for safety as the wind was as strong and gusty as I have ever felt it here.  At the top I did stop for the usual photo.


I did retrieve some video from the ride.  Here's a bit going up to the top and back down the west side.



On the way down I stopped at one of the lakes for photos.




I rode past Top of the World which was closed for the season, past Beartooth Lake, and past the turn off for the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, and on toward Cooke City.  The wind had died down quite a bit on this side on the mountains.  Along the way I stopped to get this photo with Pilot Peak in the background.


I stopped to top up the gas tank in Cooke City.  They have upgraded their fuel dispensers.




Now it was on to Yellowstone National Park.  


Here's some video of the ride in, through the gate, and a bit beyond.


After a bit, I pulled over to the Soda Butte picnic area for lunch.  I've stopped here in the past and it makes a perfect place to take a break.  I had such of homemade rolls, an apple, and a cream puff with vanilla pudding.  Yes, I made the cream puff.


I read on my Kindle while enjoying the sun.


I rode on into Lamar Valley.  It was a beautiful day to ride here.  There were a bunch of people pulled over looking at something down in the valley.  It was a herd of something but too far away for me to make out without binoculars but a good time to take photos anyway.




I rode on through a curvy canyon and pulled over to look down into it.




Up ahead I saw some bison and grabbed some photos.



The rest of the ride was pretty fun because after passing the Tower Junction turnoff the road gets twisty for quite a while before dropping into Mammoth.  I passed through and rode on to the north entrance and stopped by the Roosevelt Arch.



I left the park, rode through Gardiner, and north through the Paradise Valley.  I stopped at a rest area and grabbed the last photo of the day.


I made it to Livingston and grabbed the slab, I-90, and cruised that all the way back to Billings with a reasonable tailwind.  When I passed by Columbus I saw a sign indicating that the Beartooth Pass was now closed for the season.  I did screen grab from my dashcam video.



I stopped for gas on the way home and arrived just about 6:30pm.

It was a 362 mile day.





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FJR Adventures — Index of All Entries Every entry from  fjradventures.blogspot.com , in chronological order (oldest first). 312 entries, fro...