Red Lodge to Beartooth Hwy Closure

June 5, 2022

The weather Monday and Tuesday looks sketchy and since I’ll be out of town starting on Wednesday I had to get out for a ride today.  I took roads that are now well-traveled by me but I never get tired of the scenery.  Since I’ve taken so many pictures on this route in the past, I only stopped for a few today.

I left home about 12:30pm and took Zimmerman/32nd street to King Ave. to Shilo.  I felt something weird in the way the bike handled just as a guy honked at me to let me know that one of my side cases was open.  Yikes!!!  OK, now I remember.  I had closed it and pushed the latch down but didn’t have the key and I forgot to lock it when I took off.  The bag liner was still there but my cable lock was missing so I turned around and headed back the way I’d come.  There, about a mile back, it was in the street.  I picked it up and it suffered nothing more than a scratch or two.  Geeezzzz, was this a senior moment?

I headed on my way and took River Road toward Highway 212.  This is a nice winding road that I know quite well as I have ridden it so many times plus it’s the course of the Big Sky State Games Half Marathon and I’m the course marker and there’s not a twist nor turn that I haven’t walked, run, or biked on.  I stopped for a photo or two.

If you look closely on that bottom photo, those are the Beartooth Mountains in the distance.

I headed out on Highway 212 and cruised all the way tp Red Lodge.  The town seemed pretty quiet for a Sunday and I was surprised to only see 4-5 motorcycles partied on the main Street.  There was one bit of a surprise though.  The Mexican food joint, Mas Taco, is closed and a sign indicated that something else would open there soon.  That’s too bad as it’s one of the few places I would ever choose to eat at.  I wrote about it on this ride.

 

I continued through town and just as I got to the outskirts I saw the sign that indicated that Beartooth Highway was closed 12 miles ahead.  I guess it was worth it to drive that far.

Sure enough, the gate was closed.  The parking area had a half-dozen vehicles in it, obviously belonging to bicyclists by the racks on the them.  

I stopped and was backing up my bike to park it and I heard a Harley that had been behind me pull up.  I glanced over at him just as he was trying to back it up when he tumbled off it and dropped the bike.  I hopped off and joined a couple bicyclists to help him pick it up.  That’s got to be embarrassing.  No crash bars on the bike but I think his leather saddlebags helps prevent any damage.

I took a couple of photos but none of the Harley.  I wouldn’t do that to another rider.

I cruised back to Red Lodge and stopped at the Candy Emporium.  They usually have a licorice ball, hard candy that I really like but, also, they didn’t have them today but I picked up a couple handfuls of other stuff.  I’m not a big candy eater but like to have some on hand if I get the craving.

I walked back to the bike and messed with my phone a bit because my music had stopped playing.  I couldn’t figure it out.  I’ll rant about that elsewhere.  Here’s the bike parked in Red Lodge.

In that bottom photo, if you zoom in a look at that hillside in the background, you can see the concrete remains of the chromium mills.  You can learn more about them here on Atlas Obscura.

I went through Bearcreek and headed north when I got to Belfry.  When I got to Bridger, I cruised the west side of town a bit to find the other end of the runway I saw just the other day.  I did and it’s not photo-worthy.

The sky was darkening so I didn’t waste any time heading to Laurel.  I picked up a few raindrops along the way.  When I got to Laurel I pulled in to their Riverside Park and grabbed this shot of the cloud I was trying to outrun.

I grabbed the Interstate to put some distance between me and the storm.  I stopped for gas as is my habit at the end of a ride so it’s ready to go the next time.

It’s $4.49/gallon here for the regular that I run in the bike.

It was a 170-mile day.

To Bridger, MT

June 1, 2022

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had a ride as I’ve been busy with other things and in other places. Too busy to ride?  Well, yes.  

Two days after my last posting here I graduated from Montana State University, Billings with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts.  That was a retirement project that I started 7 years ago and two days after I got that wrapped up I headed to Italy on a university study abroad to visit Venice for the Biennale, a Contemporary art exhibition, and then did a few days in Florence.  I wrote a blog while I was on the trip and that can be viewed here: -

https://msub2italy2022.blogspot.com/

When I returned we had lots of rain so riding was not going to happen.  I did sneak out for a short one during last week but my big plan was to celebrate my 70th birthday last weekend by riding the Beartooth Pass but a winter storm has delayed its opening.  It might be open this next weekend but stormy weather his coming in again.

As it turned out the rain and the wind subsided and yesterday, June 1, was perfect conditions.  I took care of a few chores in the morning (go to the gym, mow the backyard) and finally got it together and headed out about 2pm.  The air temperature was about 68 and there was no wind.  It couldn’t be better.   I didn’t have a plan except that I needed to be back home about 5:15pm to make to an event our running club was putting on so I just headed southwest and figured that I ride until 4pm or so and then turn around.

I rode out to the Canyon Creek battle memorial, a frequent stopping point, to take care of two items I’d forgotten to do when I started out: tuck my boot laces into my boots and put in my ear plugs.  Of course, it was a good time to take a few photos.

I headed south on Buffalo Train and went through the town of Laurel.  This put me on Highway 212, a road I’ve ridden many times.  Last summer I rode it going west and took it all the way to central Minnesota.  If I continue westerly, it becomes the Beartooth Highway but, today, I turned south at Rockvale and decided to just take my time and explore the little towns I’d encounter along the way.

The first is the little village of Edgar.  It’s pretty small, only a couple blocks long, and noted for its bar that is supposed to serve good food.  I’ve checked out their menu and, as a long time vegetarian, I didn’t see much I would order there so I can’t offer a review.  

I’d been to Edgar some years ago with a friend to visit a guy’s place just east of town who has lots of old cars scattered on his property with an emphasis on old Volvos.  My friend was scouting around for an early 70s 160 series as an organ donor and, while we didn’t find one, we had a good time looking at all the other relics he had there.  Up on a bluff over a stream, he even had a 544 that was decked up with an interior that only a hippie could love.  While there, the owner told us a great story about one of the cars and how it is haunted by the previous owner.  I won’t repeat that here, to protect the innocent, but should you see me in person I might tell it to you.

Anyway, on the east end of Edgar I stumbled upon a CarHenge.  Who knew?  I think I need to go back and do some better photography and, maybe, find out more about it and see that it get it added to the Atlas Obscura site.  There were more cars in it than I show here.

Before I left town I stopped at their community center to grab a photo.  I love that Art Deco facade on an otherwise drab building.

I continued south on Highway 310 to the next stop, Fromberg.  I’d stopped here in the past to do a drawing of an abandoned garage but, today, it was just a quick set of photos looking down their Main Street.

I got back on the highway and enjoyed setting the cruise control to 70 mph and relaxing to the music streaming off my phone to the Cardo unit on my helmet to the JBL speakers inside it.  The traffic was very light and I didn’t need to pass anyone nor anyone to pass me.  The clouds to the west, coming in over the Beartooth Mountains were darkening but offering no threat to the ride.

I arrived in Bridger and decided to cruise the town.  I’ve been through here numerous time but haven’t take the time to do a tour of the town and today seemed like a good day to do so.  I knew that there was small park and library on the west side of the highway as I’d stopped there in the past so, today, I turned left and headed east.  I found a small park with some interesting building.  Apparently they cover the wells for the city water and the other structures in the park were build to match.

As I was getting back in the saddle, a younger guy in an appliance repair truck stopped and asked if I was riding a BMW.  We chatted for a minute or two and then I turned at the next corner and headed to the east end of town where it borders on what look like some kind of water retention ponds.

I turned right at the end of the street and rode East Bridger Road for a ways until I was clearly out of town.  I am pretty sure that the roads turn to gravel up ahead and decided to turn around.  I’ll have to do a bit of research of the area.  As I headed back into town,  I stopped on the bridge that crosses the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone for a photo.

I had looked at a map and notice that Bridger has an airport so I headed south on 310 to Cemetery Road to take a look.  Alas, the road does turn to gravel but before it does I grabbed some photos of the bike adjacent to their rodeo complex and right at the end of the runway.

As you can see, the sky is getting darker and it was about time to head back to Billings anyway so I got back on the highway and cruised for a nice ride back.  

It was a 104.5 mile day.