The has been decidedly cooler and friends tell me that it snowed in the mountains over the weekend so it sounds like winter is on its way. I actually like winter, even though I don’t ski, but this year it means that my motorcycle riding days are running out. In order to get it while I can, I went out for a 232 mile ride today. The weather perfect: blue skies and in the low-70s.
Since it was Tuesday, the day started with the usual 7-mile run with Jerry Kilts. We got going at 6:30 am and remarked how it was getting darker earlier and earlier. We’ll probably switch back to afternoons in another week or two. We did our “Southside Tour” which takes us from across the street from Senior High School school, past the Western Heritage Center downtown, through South Park, and over to Sugar Avenue and past the sugar beet factory which is in full production. I grabbed this shot of the moon set as we went by.
After getting the run behind me and taking the dog to the dog park, I got my act together and hit the road about noon. I took the usual back roads and went through Laurel, Park City, and into Columbus. There, I stopped at the Uncle Sam Cafe for a sandwich. It was my first time there and it was excellent. Very friendly and welcoming staff and the sandwich and 3-bean salad were great.
After lunch I headed out of town on old US Hwy 10. After a few miles it ended and I was forced to get on I-90 but before I did I took a side road and went to where the pavement ended.
The ride on the Interstate reminded me of why I like the 2-lane option. Big trucks. Fast cars. All about covering distance. I decided to take it to Greycliff and then take the 2-lane road from there to Big Timber. By that time the wind had picked up and there was LOTS of it. When I first started riding, I found the crosswinds unsettling but now, with over 11,000 miles behind me, they are only annoying.
I gassed up in Big Timber and cruised the town to find the courthouse for Sweet Grass county for which it is the seat.
From there I headed north on Hwy 191. It was still windy but about 10-miles out of town it calmed down. I stopped along the way for a photo opportunity with the Crazy Mountains in the background.
The ride to Harlowton was uneventful. I’d not traveled this route before so it was a new experience. As I came over a rise and neared Harlow, I could see the windmills in Judith Gap in the distance.
In Harlow, I quickly found the courthouse and grabbed that photo.
The rest of the ride was great. 70+ mph with the wind at my back. 232 miles.
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