Group ride on the Chief Joseph and the Beartooths

September 7, 2024

A few weeks ago Jason said we should do the Chief Joseph/Beartooth Pass loop on our FJRs and suggested September 7th.  I was free that day (heck, I’m retired so I’m mostly free anyway) so that worked for me.  We both invited a couple of friends and decided to meet in the parking lot of Zoo Montana at 9:15.  

Since it was a Saturday, I started the day off with my regular run but cut the distance down to 4 and half miles so I’d have time to get home and still make it to the departure point on time.  It was a beautiful morning, 55°, and my two running partners, Shelley and Sarah, the latter who is from Alaska, and I did a route we hadn’t done in a while, the Poet Streets.

I’d packed the bike the day before so once showered and dressed, I just had to get on it and go.

We were all at the meet up on time and there were 5 on us: me, Jason (Yamaha FJR), Dennis (Harley), Bob (Yamaha Tenere), and Bill (Victory).

I led the first leg and we took a leisurely route out Story Road, across the Yellowstone River on Duck Creek Bridge, and River Road to Hwy 212.  Then it was to Rockvale where we turned south on Hwy 310 to Bridger.  There is a new gas station there and we stopped to give everyone a chance to top off if they wanted.

From there, Jason took the lead and we continued south, took the Hwy 72 to Belfry where we continued on to the Wyoming State line where the highway become Hwy 120 and crosses Badger Basin.  This is a mostly straight-as-a-ruler road where the speed limit can easily be tempted.  The traffic was light and we scooted along to the turnoff for Hwy 296, the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway.  This turnoff is 93 miles from my driveway.

When I rode this same route exactly one month ago, there was a long section on the road being chipped sealed.  That was completed now but we all remarked about how our bikes felt a bit unstable in the curves on the new road.  It sort of felt like a grooved highway but there really weren’t grooves so it must have been a subtle texture left from when thy rolled the gravel in place.

Our first stop was at the top, Dead Indian Summit Overlook, where we took a break and chatted while enjoying the view.

Dennis, Jason, Bill.

The road below that we’ll travel on.

The next stop was Sunlight Bridge.  We pulled into the lot and enjoyed watching the guy with the trailer backup and get turned around, something he did quite well.  Photos from the bridge can be found on my previous ride.

With Jason still in the lead we rode on through Sunlight Basin with its gorgeous scenery and road with great sweeping curves until we intersected with Hwy 212.  We turned left and rode to Cooke City, about 13 miles.  This is a good place to get gas for those who might be in need and a popular stop for all sorts of vehicles who are touring this area as well and Yellowstone Park which is just a few miles to the west.  There are always lots of motorcycles to be seen here.  We parked in the shade of an old hotel and had our picnic lunch while chatting and looking at the other motorcycles.  We were parked next to a very nice BMW K1600.  The owner was from Chicagoa nd the bike was extremely clean.  It was suggested, later, that it probably came here by trailer.

After this break we were back on the road and headed up the backside of Beartooth pass, stopping across from the Top of the World store for a quick photo opportunity.

The next stop was the obligatory photo on the top of the pass.

We descended the mountain and entered Red Lodge.  Dennis left us at the turnoff for Belfry and the 4 of us stopped at the gas station at the roundabout.

Now back into cell service range I checked my phone and found out that there was some major police action in the alley behind my house and my wife said she’s been evacuated along with other neighbors.  It was something about a standoff with a guy with a gun.  She said I might not head home until there was an All Clear.  Bill took off ahead of us and said we might see him at Angry Hanks Microbrewery.  Jason was heading home and Bob and followed him back to Billings until we separated at Frontage Road, which Bob and I took into the city to the microbrewery.  I’d texted my regular Saturday partner at that establishment and told him I’d be running late but he’d waited and he, Bob, and I had a nice chat over a beer. 

I hadn’t heard anything about the situation at home but decided to just ride there and see.  By the time I pulled into my driveway the neighborhood seemed normal.  I unpacked my bike and rode it across the street to the garage where I keep it and talked to my neighbor who said that it was resolved a bit ago and that the person in question had been taken away.  It was some kind of domestic situation.

What a great ride.  Good riders, roads, and weather.  A 284 mile day.  I’m ready for an oil change.