Another December ride with a milestone

December 22, 2023

With snow predicted for this weekend, I got a ride in today to see my odometer turn over 30,000 miles.  My bike is a 2021 and that averages 10,000 miles per riding season.  I don’t put that many miles on a car per year.  Today’s ride was an out and back from Billings, MT to Roundup and then to about 9 miles from Winnet, MT.  Beautiful weather.

And yet another Last Ride of the season

December 20, 2023

I am not sure when winter will arrive here but if it’s going to be 55°F on the day before the winter solstice, I’m going out for a ride.  It was a busy day but I squeezed in a two-hour ride to Lavina and back.  It was beautiful with no wind and with my good gear on, I never felt a chill.

I pulled over in Broadview for photos with the grain elevators.

Up on top of 6th street in Broadview, I had a nice view of the Big Snowies.

Between Broadview and Lavina on Hwy 3.

There is a solar farm in Lavina.

I turned around at Hwy 12 and headed back but stopped in Lavina at the Adams Hotel for this photo.

On Hwy 3 about mile marker 37, the Big Snowies again.

I turned on Shorey Road so that the ride wouldn’t be a pure out and back and stopped for this photo, looking west.

97.4 miles in December.  What a great afternoon.

Another last ride of the year….

December 10, 2023

Looking ahead it doesn’t look like there will be a “White Christmas” this year in Billings, Montana so some will just have to be satisfied with dreaming of one.  The weather continues to be dry and sort of warm so, again, I got the bike out for another ride.

I talked to three motorcycle friends and all three were unable to ride today so I took off on my own.  It was in the mid-40s when I left at 12:01pm with a bit of a breeze.  I was prepared.  I had on a turtle-neck t-shirt, another shirt, a sweat shirt, and my cold weather jacket with its liner in.  On the bottom I had my Levi’s and over those my riding pants with their liner in.  Two pairs of wool socks in my boots and my cold weather gauntlet gloves rounded out my layers and with the grip heaters turned up I never felt chilled.

I did the west end route to Laurel and worked my way to Hwy 310 in Rockvale where I headed south.  I passed through Fromberg and Bridger and took the turnoff on Hwy 72 to Belfry.  Traffic was very light and I saw no other motorcycles.  Wimps!

In Belfry I turned right on Hwy 308 which took me to Bearcreek.  Just outside of the village I stopped at the Smith Mine Disaster site where an explosion killed over 70 workers in 1943.

I rode into Red Lodge and stopped in a new parking area that was created as part of the flood remediation from the mess they had a couple years ago.  Notice that there is a bit of snow on the ground.

I stopped in front of the courthouse for a few photos.

The ride back was mostly uneventful.  Somewhere between Roberts and Joliet some dumbass came past me doing about 85 (I was going 70) and to avoid a head on collision with another car he had to cut in front of me.  I anticipated his stupidity and was already on the brakes.

I stopped for gas a mile from home (no alcohol premium for winter storage).  3 gallons for 3 hours.  Pretty cheap entertainment.

141 miles.  Still short of that 30K mark.

The Last Ride Wasn’t the Last Ride of the Year

December 6, 2023

When I put the bike away a few weeks ago I thought that might be it for riding in 2023 but we had a change in the weather and with dry conditions and temperature in the mid-50s, I just had to get the bike off the battery tender and out from where I store it for the winter.  Part of the need is that I always sleep better on the night after a ride and last night’s insomnia was a real drag.

I had some choices of where to ride and I wanted to head west so I wouldn’t be riding into the sun on the way back so I did a loop I’ve done many time before: Laurel, Park City, Columbus, Joliet, Laurel, and back.

There was a bit of a crosswind at times but otherwise it was extremely pleasant.  I had my riding pants on over my Levi’s and my cold weather jacket with its liner over a long sleeve t-shirt and a sweatshirt.  With my cold weather gauntlet gloves I never felt uncomfortable.

Some photos from along the way.  These two are west of Laurel, not too far from Park City.

Just before coming into Columbus there is a nice pull-off with a view of the Yellowstone Rive and the Beartooth Mountains.

These next four are from Hwy 421 between Columbus and Joliet.

It took about 2 hours to do the 101 miles.  I topped the tank up with non-alcohol gas and put it back in winter storage, however, the weather next week looks pretty promising.  ;-)