According to my notes, I usually make a run up to the Big Horns in Wyoming about this time of year. The first time was on Fathers Day a few years ago and I thought about going this Sunday but the weather looks wet. With nothing on the agenda (I thought) I decided to go today.
I started the morning with a 5-mile run. Until recently, Wednesdays have been a two-a-day workout with a trip to the gym in the morning for weights and lap swimming and then doing a 5-mile run with the running club in the evening. I am taking a break from the club and felt I still wanted to get in the 5-miler so moved it to Thursdays which has been my day off in the past.
To make it easy, I did a “city run,” all sidewalks around a big loop from my house.
After returning and a shower, I did the weekly grocery shopping before dragging out my camping gear and assembling what I need to take. With just one night out, I am not bringing my big satchel but just my blue backpack. I scaled down to just the essentials and everything fit into the backpack and the two side cases.
After getting loaded up I headed out but stopped for gas. I had broken one of my own rules and brought the bike back from my last ride without topping up the tank. This worked out well because gas was 50 cents or so less expensive that week ago.
I decided to repeat the route I did the last time but in the reverse direction. I would head south to Pryor, then to St. Xavier, Lodge Grass, Dayton, and then across the Big Horn mountains, and down the other side to the campground. I couldn’t ask for better weather with temperatures in the mid-70s and very little wind. I wore my lighter jacket with just a short sleeve t-shirt underneath and my riding pants over my jeans. Summer gloves were the way.
I was on the road a little after 1pm and headed through the city (32nd to King to South Billings Blvd) and eventually south to Pryor. Once out of the city, traffic become nonexistent and I have the 2-lane roads pretty much to myself.
A came into Pryor and stopped for a few photos.
From Pryor to St. Xavier it’s 44 miles and the sign warns that it’s a rough road. Some of it is but I think it’s improved over the past 5 years that I’ve been riding it. Pot holes abound and former cattle crossing are just a gravel-filled trench so up on the pegs makes those easier. I did hit a few rough spots but I think my speed was about 55-60 mph overall.
It was a pleasant ride and I listened to a new playlist that I built a couple days ago. I had gone back through the “library” and grabbed tunes that I didn’t already have and jumped through the hoops to get them on my phone. They were great!
When I got to St. X I stopped to get a drink and to check for messages. This is where things got busy….
We are selling our other hose, one that we’ve used as rental for the past decade and it listed just a couple days ago. There has been a bit a traffic looking at it and the message I got on my phone when I stopped said that we had an other. I pulled it up in my email (thankfully had service where I had pulled over) and read the offer paperwork. Then I called my wife and we agreed to accept it. She said she’d call our agent and let him know. I called home and we chatted about it. I waited for an email with a document to sign but while I had cell service, I had really lousy a data access so I hit the road.
The road from St. X to Lodge Grass is a hidden gem. It’s called Good Luck Road and is gorgeous. Not a technical ride but the scenery makes up for it. I got to the end of the road where I had to turn and pulled over to check email. The paperwork with the Docusign option was there so I signed it, got back on the bike, and figured we had checked one big thing off our “todo” list. Where I signed…
I rode through Lodge Grass and took the frontage road toward Ranchester. I cross the state line.
I stopped in Dayton and topped up my tank and then headed up into the Big Horns on Hwy 14. This a very curvy hill climb on a road that is in excellent condition.
The temperature dropped about 20 degree to the low-50s by the time I got up on top and I seriously considered pulling over and getting my sweatshirt on under my jacket but I touched it out. The road was lots of fun and, like all day, very few other cars. A bit past Burgess Junction I saw a moose on the side of the road.
When I got to the downhill part of the highway, I was surprised how quickly I got there. I took it easy and road a pleasant spied of the mountain to where 14 flattens out. That’s the turnoff for the Five Springs campgrounds.
There are two campgrounds, both run by the BLM, the lower one and the upper one. To get to the lower one it’s about a one mile ride up a very curvy and steep road. It’s paved but one does have to take care and look for rocks and gravel. When I passed the lower campground I glanced at the steep road that goes up to most of the campsites and it looks more rutted than the last time I was here. Very difficult ride on a motorcycle. I continued on to the upper campground and was not surprised to find all the vacant. The road up keeps the RV ground away and unless one wants serenity and some lining, that’s about it up here.
I took Site #17 which is the last one on the road before the gate which blocks further access. There are some bigger sites but this one is more secluded and the bike is pretty close to where I set up.
A great day of riding and camping.
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