New gear checkout ride

June 23, 2021

I got some new gear this week so I had to take a ride to test it out.  What I got was:

- Tourmaster Draft 4 mesh jacket

- Coleman tank bag

- Rok Straps

- Sedici cooling vest

The jack is Hi-Viz yellow and came with a removable waterproof liner.  The fit is great.  

The tank bag was inexpensive, about $33, so compared to others, which run from $100-200, it's a good deal.  It's small but has magnetic attachment, a rain hood, a bunch of pockets inside, a carrying handle, and a clear plastic top which is removable by undoing snaps and velcro.  I wasn't sure I wanted a tank bag but when I heard about this one I thought the price was too good to pass up and decided give a try.  I like it.  I can keep my small water bottle, a hat, and other items I want easy access to without having to get into the saddle bags.

The Rock straps seem like the way to go rather than bungee cords but I haven't figured out the right way to attach them yet.  For now I am using one as a tether for the tank bag.

The cooling vest was another impulse buy.  I read lots of good reviews and they sound like a simple solution to riding in the summer heat.  The vest is placed in cool water for a minute of two and then it's worn under the mesh jacket.  It retains lots of the water and stays cool by evaporation.  On today's ride it worked just fine.  I really gave it a soak and by the time I got back my shirt and pants were wet.  I think I'll wring it out a bit next time.

The ride was out to the Chief Joseph memorial, and then down to Laurel, through town, and back east on River/Theil Road.  I had it all to myself.  When I got to Duck Creek Road, I turned right and went down a quarter mile to Fritz and drove up to the top for some photos.  I ran that hill yesterday morning.  Lots easier on the bike.

Lavina and by Roundup followed by some farkling

June 21, 2021

After an out-of-state trip by air and automobile, it was time to get back on the bike.  I decided to do a short day trip to Lavina, about 45 miles north, and then take Highway 12 to 87 near Roundup.  I'd never been on that section of road so it would be something new.

It was perfect riding weather, not too hot, and there was no wind.  The ride to Lavina was quick and uneventful and I spent some time riding up and down the streets.  It's a small place and it didn't take long before I found their church and a shady spot to park.  I got out my stool and my sketchbook and took a break.

The next stretch of road, Highway 12, which runs east and west across the entire state, to Highway 87 was about 25 miles long and nearly unoccupied.  It went past farms and ranches and while it did seem to be laid out on a section line, it had a few hills and changes of direction as it followed the Mussellshell River.  Quite a nice drive.  

Highway 87 took my south, back to Billings, and the traffic was light and the wind was nonexistent.  When I arrived in Billings Heights I went to Lake Elmo State Park and took a break.  It was beautiful out with a good breeze.  I felt like I should get home and come back with my sailboat but that will have to be another day.

A while after I got home the mail arrived and some motorcycle stuff with it.  I ordered a tank bag that I saw recommended on the forums.  I'd looked at some and the prices were $100-200 and this one, by Coleman was $33.  How good can it be for that?  It's great.  It's magnetic, has lots of pockets and the like and a rainproof cover.  Also in today's shipment were some Rok Straps and Grip Puppies.  I saw both recommended and decided to give them a try,  I think the Grip Puppies will made a big difference since my hands prefer a larger diameter grip.  With a little soapy water and compressed air they went on with no problem.

To Fishtail, Nye, and Woodbine

June 9, 2021

Since I had to cut my last ride to this area short due to the time of day, I headed out to do it again and go farther today.  I left Billings, heading west on Interstate-90, and rode to Columbus.  While the two lane roads I took the last time are preferable I still feel that interstate riding requires a skill set and practice so I do take them sometimes.

Somewhere just before Columbus I got one of those reminders as to why wearing a face shield is desirable as a big bug met its end in the middle of mine creating a splat that was difficult to see around.  Luckily I was able to stop on Main Street and get it cleaned off.

Once rolling again it was a quick drive to Absarokee, about 15 miles, 65 MPH on an excellent two-lane with sweeping curves past farms and ranches.  I passed through that little town and continued south until I turned right onto Highway 419.  

I had been down this road quite a few times in the past but I am guessing that it had been 20-years so it was new to me and certainly the first time I’d done it on two wheels.  Let’s just say that it’s fantastic!  Hills and curves all the way as you get deeper into the mountains.

I passed through Fishtail which has a 90-degree turn as you enter the 2-block long village noted for the Cowboy Bar and and the Fishtail General Store and then more riding before that last town, Nye.  Not much is there but a great photo opportunity.

The next section of the ride dives deeper into the mountains as it follows the Stillwater River.  The scenery just gets better and better.

Up ahead is the Stillwater Mine, a massive industrial complex where palladium and platinum are dug from the earth and processed.  While the mine is underground, the processing is not and there is quite a bit of heavy truck crossings.

Once past that the road enters the national forest and becomes narrower with no lane striping but lined with pine trees on each side.  At one point I was up on the foot pegs as I negotiated a minefield of chuckholes in the road, a few of which were unavoidable.  Not far after that the road splits with the branch of the left going across a bridge to the Woodbine Campground and the one on the right going to the Sioux Charley Lake trailhead.  I went to the right and rode the loop around the parking area.  There were about a dozen cars there and some people enjoying what looked like post-hike picnics.  I haven’t done that hike myself but it is on my bucket list.

I went back up the road and toured through the campground.  I’ve camped there in the past with the family but that was long ago.  The highlight is the trail from there to Woodbine Falls, a waterfall that was visible from the road on the way in.  Most of the occupied campsites were taken my RVs of all types.  I saw no one tenting there.

I stopped on the bridge on the way out for a photo.

The ride back was just as pleasant as the ride in.  When I got back to Hwy 78, just south of Absarokee, I turned right and headed to Red Lodge.  The two-lane ride is very hilly and has lots of curves BUT the wind picked up making the leans in the curves somewhat disconcerting.  Add to that, there really isn’t anywhere to pull over so there are no photos and I couldn’t encourage the truck that insisted on tailgating me to pass.  Thinking back I should have just slowed down to a stop and made him do it.  

When I got to Red Lodge I needed a break and pulling in to Sam’s Tap Room for an IPA.  It was their New England Style.  It was OK.

The ride back to home was uneventful and I was glad it was a weekday since there was so little traffic, not that traffic is ever an issue in this part of Montana.

212 miles and arrived home safely.  A good day.

Quick ride to Absarokee

June 6, 2021

I was going to leave in the mid- to late-morning to get some miles in but was reminded that we had some out-of-state friends stopping by for a visit and a planning meeting for our fall racing event so I didn't head out until after 3pm.  That wasn't a problem since I was only going out along the Stillwater River to explore the roads and was flexible about when and where and for how long.

I headed out from the Billings West End and took Neibauer Road to it's end at 80th Street West.  It's a nice two-lane ride through farm land.  I took a quick break at that intersection to grab this photo:

I zig-zagged my way on these roads until I turned west East Main Street which took me right into the town of Laurel.  There is one traffic light in the center of the old downtown and after getting through that it was non-stop to Park City on Old US 10.  From there it parallels I-90 for quite a ways before it gets into hills and curves just before arriving in the town of Columbus.  The town is a bit smaller than Laurel and it's old main street only has businesses on one side of the street with a nice green belt park across from them and the railroad tracks between that and the Yellowstone River.

I turned left and proceeded on to Highway 78, across the river, and then south on this two-lane highway with some long straightaways punctuated with the occasional sweeping curves.  On the right is one farm/ranch after another, spaced out along the Stillwater River.  The traffic was light and the weather was gorgeous.

When I arrived in the small town of Absarokee I turned right in the center of town onto Highway 420.  Years ago I remember driving this when it was gravel for many miles but I thought I remembered that it had been paved.  Sure it enough it was and continued past more farmland with the Beartooth Mountains as a backdrop.  To my surprise a "Pavement End" sign popped up and I was presented with a gravel highway.  Not wanting to negotiate that for an untold number of miles I practiced my U-turn skill (poorly) and headed back to Absarokee.  My sort of plan was to go out to Fishtail, Nye, and then passed the Stillwater mine to the Woodbine Campground and the Sioux Charley Lake trailhead but, as it was getting late, I settled for snapping a photo in downtown Absarokee and headed back.

I stopped for gas in Columbus and then decided to get on I-90 for the ride back to Billings.  By the time I got up to speed I could see it was going to be a tough ride.  The wind was coming in from just right of center and I was getting buffeted around quite a bit.  I made it to Park City and bailed, retracing my route back to Laurel on the two-lane country roads and then to home.

All in all a good ride.  I might be able to do it again this week but pass through Absarokee and turn on Nye Road, Highway 419, which I remember is all paved, to get me to the end of the road.  If I am early enough, the route back could be through Red Lodge.

The Goodbye ride to Broadus

June 2, 2021

My son Dan's visit to Billings was way too short but at least we got in a few rides together while he was here.  Today he heads out for Pittsburgh and I decided to ride out for a few hours with him.  After much discussion he elected to take Highway 212 from the Hardin, MT area to get himself to Rapid City instead of riding I-90.  Not only is that route shorter, it's not the Interstate.

We left about 10:30am.  He pulled over to the Department of Motor Vehicles to show me how to take the motorcycle performance test on their marked out lot, something I have to complete within the next year.  He is so adept at this I wonder how I will ever get this done.  My FJR is a giant when I get it on the course and the outside weaves look daunting.  A friend has offered me his '74 Honda 450 for the test and I think I might take him up on that.

We got on I-90 and rode that to the off ramp for Highway 212 which is also where the Bighorn Battlefield is.  Dan wanted to stop so we spent the next hour checking it out.  I've been here a few times and it's always worth a stop.  We walked up to Last Stand Hill where Custer met his end.  The soldiers found there are buried under the monument.  Custer's body were moved to West Point.

This is looking southwest from Last Stand Hill.

Adjacent to this is the memorial to the Native Americans who died here.  This is relatively new and installed after the whole memorial was renamed the Bighorn Battle field rather that how it had been named after Custer.

We spent some time in their museum before gearing up to get ready to hit the road again.

Highway 212 took us through the Crow and, eventually, the Northern Cheyanne reservations and the towns of Busby, Ashland, and, finally to Broadus.  It's a 2-lane road and has it's share of sweeping curves and great vistas.  It does have lots of semi-trucks and those who want to pass them so one has to be on top of things, especially when the passers are coming at you.  The weather was warm, clear, and with little wind.  Really good riding conditions.  

We stopped in Broadus and it was time to say our goodbyes.  We'd traveled 175 today and he still had a long way to go so it was a quick hug and off we went.  He traveled on to Chamberlain, SD for the night after a meal stop in Sturgis.  I headed back to Billings the way I had come.  I kept thinking I should stop for a photo somewhere and finally did when road construction stopped traffic for a while.

Note in the picture that I moved my seat pad to the rear seat.  I wanted to see if it really makes a difference over the stock seat and I can say that I'm not convinced that it does.  My butt gets sore either way.  I read about these custom seats people put on their bikes but I'd really like to sit on one before shelling out $500+.  It won't be anything I'll do right away since most require your stock seat so they can build the new seat over the original shell.  This sounds like a winter project for when the bike is off the road.  That or find a stock seat for sale and have the custom seat build over that.

When I pulled in to home my trip meter showed that I had done 350 miles, a person record distance for me on the FJR.

I got the bike on April 8, 2021 but really didn't start riding it until a week later when my helmet arrived.  That means that I've put 2,460 miles on it 7 weeks.  That's not too bad.  More miles to come.

Beartooth Highway, again

June 1, 2021

My son, Dan, decided to stay a day so we decided to grab a ride together.  THE ride to do is the Beartooth Highway and I wanted to take him on the same route I did 2 days previously that goes through Bearcreek.  This would also give me a chance to shoot some photos at the Smith Mine which I hadn't done last Sunday.

We did need to make sure we were properly nourished so we had lunch at our favorite Billings place, Rockets Burritos.  We are both fans of the Thai and his mom had the hummus.  Great food.

We got on the road about 1 pm and headed out on River Road along the Yellowstone River to get us to Laurel.  This road is nice and curvy, 2-lanes, and very little traffic.  It is 6 miles long, a distance I can verify since it's the out and back half marathon course used for our annual State Games and my wife and I are the ones who mark it each year.

In Laurel we headed southwest on Highways 212 and 310 to Rockvale where they separate and we follow 310 south.  We passed through Fromberg and Bridger, following Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River to the turn off for Highway 72 to Belfry.  In Belfry we turn west on Highway 308 for the 15 mile ride to Red Lodge.  It's another 2-lane road less traveled and highly recommended as way to get to Red Lodge without the tourist traffic.

We stopped outside the Bearcreek Saloon, home of their famous pig races.  They were closed which disappointed a couple tourists who stopped by while we were there.

From Bearcreek it's only a few miles to the remains of the Smith Mine Disaster.  Some signage explains the history of the mine and what occurred in 1943 that resulted in 74 deaths.  The remaining buildings are off limits and occupied only by the wandered herd of cattle.

Of course, no stop is complete without pictures of the motorcycles.

Dan continued in the lead as we headed over the hills to Red Lodge.  A quick left turn there put us back on Highway 212, the Beartooth Highway, and we headed south out of town and began the climb to the top.  The first part of the ride is through a forested area following Rock Creek but eventually the switchbacks start and it's a steady climb of 8 miles or so to the Vista Point.  Some years ago there was a foot race here where you had to run to the top and there is nothing but uphill after uphill.  I always wanted to do that one but it conflicted with other things.  Nothing like uphill in decreasing oxygen to make for a challenge.

We arrived at Vista Point about 5:30pm and stopped for some photos.  Unlike the crowds I saw here 2 days ago, we were pretty much alone.  

Dan wanted to get a better photo with his bike and the background and moved it closer to the wall.

There are views here that are simply not to be missed.

Although it was relatively late in the day, it does stay light later so we didn't feel like we were in a hurry as we continued on up the next set of twisty roads on the way to Beartooth Pass.  Once we got above the tree line, pretty much everything was covered in snow but the air temperature indicator of my FJR told me it was in the mid-50s.  I was still wearing my summer gloves and hadn't felt the need to put my thermal liner in my jacket although the grip heaters were nice.

We arrived at the pass and were the only ones there until a young guy in a Jeep with Nebraska plates showed up.  I guess he was trying to impress his girlfriend as he turned off the road and headed into the snow where he quickly sank, burying himself above his front axle.

He got out and, without gloves, started trying to dig himself out.  Dan and I looked at each other and did the eye rolls and considered what a great video it would make with two motorcycles pulling him out of the snow.  About then a truck comes by, assesses the situation, and pulls over.  The kid in the Jeep had a tow rope so this might not have been his first rodeo.  They got him hooked up and quickly back on solid ground.

I talked to one of the passengers of the truck and learned they were on a day trip with relatives who live in the area.  I asked where he was from and he said "Tustin, California" as if I would have never heard of it.  I told him I was from Long Beach, only a few minutes away from Tustin, and had done work at the Marine/Navy Air Base there years ago.  I asked where he was staying here and he said with brother-in-lay, the driver of the truck, and they are in, he forgot the name of the town, but said it was near the entrance to Yellowstone Park "but not the one that all the Californians are moving too."  That got me laughing because he had to be referring to Bozeman which Montanans are calling Boz-Angeles these days.  Anyway, I suggested "Livingston" and he said that's where they were staying.  They, and the Jeep, got on their way and Dan and I finished up taking pictures before continuing on the highway.

The road that continues after the pass may be one of the better parts of the ride.  Very nice curves and, if one dares to take their eyes off the road, spectacular scenery.  I wanted to go as far as the Top of the World store since someone on a forum had asked if it was still there and it would make a good turn-around point so we could head back without having to ride in the dark.  Night riding itself isn't the problem, it's the large mammals one might meet up with on the highways at that time of day.

On the way back up to the pass we stopped for a photo opportunity.  Here's a taste of why this is just one of the best routes out there.

The rest of the ride down the mountain was great and I think we only saw 4-5 other vehicles on the way back to Red Lodge.  I guess there is something to be said for mid-week riding.  Our last stop was to check my phone and get a quick butt-break in Joliet.

Distance was about 225 miles for the day.

The Big Timber meet up

May 31, 2021

My younger son has been working in San Francisco for the past month and, being that he is a motorcycle guy and that I caught his interest in doing so touring together, he bought a BMW R 1200 GS while there.  It's got a few miles on it but sounds like a pretty good deal.  I asked how he was getting it back to Pittsburgh and he said he was going to ride it, of course.  I looked on Google maps and suggested that the difference between a straight shot to Pittsburgh and one that went by way of Billings, MT was only a 300 mile difference. He ended up charting a course to Billings.

We decided to meet up on this Monday in Big Timber and ride in together.  Using the Find My app on our iPhones made tracking each other a snap and we met up at the Town Pump within a few minutes of each other.

After he gassed up we figured out how to sych our Cardo Packtalk Bolds and hit the road back to Billings.  It was the first time I'd had the opportunity to speak to another motorcyclist while riding and it's a great feature.  No more hand signals.

We stopped off at Canyon Creek Brewing for a refresher before heading home.  A great day.