We've been having some pretty warm weather here and I wanted to hit the road and do this loop but didn't want to ride in an oven. I looked at the weather forcast and today was going to be the coolest for the next week or two so today was the day. The plan was to ride the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway to Cooke City and then the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge before coming back to Billings.
I mentioned it to my friend, Bill, and he was up for it so we departed from Billings at 8am, me on my FJR and Bill on his Victory. Unlike my past rides it was about riding and, since I wasn't riding alone, I wouldn't be stopping for an many photos as usual.
We headed west out of Billings and took the 2-lanes to the little town of Laurel where we picked up Highway 212 which goes southwest toward Red Lodge, however, we turned south in Rockvale and followed Highway 310 to Fromberg and Bridger before getting on Highway 72 to Belfry.
The weather was fairly cool, with heavy clouds over the mountains to the west. I was wearing my mesh jacket over a t-shirt and it felt just fine. I was in the lead when we hit construction which included the lack of pavement for a bit. I was so focussed on the road work that I missed the turnoff to Highway 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. I looked in my mirror and saw that Bill was no longer behind me so I did a u-turn and found him at the intersection waiting for me.
We headed up the highway and the ride became interesting right away with steep climbs and twists. We pulled over about halfway to the top for a quick photo op.
There was a definite chill to the air and we started seeing a few raindrops. Another rider went by going downhill and since he wasn't wearing a rain suit we figured it wasn't too bad ahead. We were wrong. The drizzle became rain, all the way to the top, but we stopped for photos anyway.
The ride down was great, even if it was raining. LOTS of twists and turns and, somewhat surprisingly, very few cars on the road.
When we got to the end of the highway, we had a choice, left to Cooke City or, turn right and head up the Beartooth Highway right away. We were concerned that the rain had probably turned to snow and ice across Beartooth Pass but Bill needed gas so we went to Cooke City. By the time we got there the rain had let up. It was a good thing to stop because it gave me a chance to put the rain liner in my jacket and don my waterproof and insulated gloves.
The next portion of the ride took us up to the Beartooth Pass. The rain had abated but we'd pick up an occasional drizzle. We were stopped for construction for a few minutes where they are building a new lane that looks like it will be cantilevered off the side of the mountain. We made it across the pass where it wasn't as cold as I anticipated, about 50 degrees. When we got to the scenic outlook on the way down we stopped for a comfort break and a few photos.
The ride down was great, as usual. We decided to stop at Red Lodge Ales for a beer before continuing on to Billings. They were pretty busy so we decided not to order food. The ride to Laurel was quick and we took Theil/River Road back to Billings and stopped at Canyon Creek Brewing to debrief.
286 miles.
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