To Powell, Wyoming

April 10, 2023

After a long winter, it’s all the sudden in the mid-70s and with having done a fresh oil change before I stored the FJR for the winter, and now fresh set of tires and a full tank of gas, it was time to ride.  My friend, Bill, and I chatted about last Saturday and agreed that both our schedules would be clear by noon today.  We met up at my place and decided on a destination, Powell, Wyoming.  We took off about 12:20 pm with a bit of a wind from the south but warming temperatures and clear skies.

We took our standard route out of town, heading west on Rimrock Road, south on 62nd, west on Grand and wormed our way to Buffalo Trail which took us into the town of Laurel.  I’d heard there was a turnaround going on at the refinery in Laurel and it was evident by all the cranes at work there.

We turned south in Rockvale and stayed on Highway 310 across the state line into Wyoming, through the small towns of Frankie and Deaver, until we stopped in Cowley.  We had some discussion about whether we should have turned south in Deaver but a quick look at the map showed us that if we continued on for a few miles we’d pick up Alt 14 which would take us straight to Powell.  Here we are in Cowley.

On the way to Powell we passed through Byron, a near ghost town, and then Garland which is sort of a Powell suburb.  The town of Powell is a decent size with a really nice Main Street that leads to Powell Community College, a school known for several of its outstanding programs.

It had been a hot and dusty trail so we stopped in at WYOld West Brewing in Powell to wash down the road.  It’s an interesting place as when walking in the brewery is in the front and you walk past stacks of kegs to get to the restaurant/bar in the rear.  It was pretty quiet and since were were just there for beer we sat at the bar.  Bill had a couple sample before he settled on his choice while I went right for a pint of the peanut butter stout.  It was as good a peanut butter dark beer as I have had and I’ve had a few over the past several years.  I was only planning on have one but was intrigued by the WYOld Mountain Wheat IPA with 77 IBUs.  While it is possible to get a decent IPA in Billings, most throttle back on the hops but this one, at 77, I have to try that.  It was excellent.  Very bitter, just the way I like it.  If I wasn’t riding, I’d have tried the Jalapeño ale, another one of my favorites.

It was time to load up and get going.

We continued on Alt 14 to Ralston, WY where we turned north on Hwy 294.  This is a nice 2-lane though what some would call a desolate landscape but I find it quite beautiful with the mountains that border the eastern edge of Yellowstone Park to the west.  When we got to Hwy 120 we turned north but not before a few photos.

When we crossed the state line back into Montana, Hwy 120 becomes Hwy 72 which we took until it intersected with Hwy 310 which we rode earlier in the day.  In Bridger we stopped for gas and then on to Rockvale and then Laurel.  We avoided that town by turning on Theil Road where Bill took the lead.  A few miles along a pickup traveling in the opposite direction flashed its lights as we were headed around a curve.  I thought it might be to warn us of a sheriff’s speed trap but it turned out to be a big deer crossing the road.

Bill led us across the Yellowstone River and instead of taking Duck Creek road he took us up 56th street which was much more pleasant that negotiating all the roundabouts on Shilo Road.

It was an awesome ride.  222 miles.  Many more to come.

The approximate route.