Busby and Sheridan

April 17, 2023

It was a beautiful spring day so my good friend Bill (see, Bill, you got a promotion) and I did a big loop through Montana and Wyoming today.  I was on my FJR and he was on his Victory.  My goal was to ride Hwy 314 from Busby, MT to Sheridan, WY, a route I’ve not taken before.

We headed out about 10:30am and to avoid taking the interstate, we rode through Lockwood and took Old US 87 all the way to Hardin.  From there we continued on to Crow Agency where we took our first break across from the Little Bighorn Battlefield site.  From there we headed east and just short of Busby we took Hwy 314 south.  It’s a rather scenic route going from prairie to tree covered hills and the road is in great shape with plenty of sweeping curves.  Hear a view along the way.

We arrived in Sheridan, WY and stopped that Black Tooth Brewing for a refreshment.  It’s a nice place and I was happy to see they sell beer in smaller classes in addition to the standard pints.  I had the peanut butter stout and the ginger lime cream ale.  Bill tried the 307 ale. 

Street views outside.

Around the corner is a storefront that looks like it just houses a couple old cars and some vintage motorcycles.

We walked back to the brewery and loaded up to head out of town, stopping for gas too.

We decided to take “the slab” to Ranchester where we’d get back on the 2-lane roads.  We pulled over and discussed the route and I grabbed a photo with the Big Horn mountains as a backdrop.

The road we took, Hwy 345, becomes Hwy 451 when it crossed back into Montana and pretty much runs parallel to Interstate 90. 

We went past Lodge Grass and somewhere before Gerryown we pulled over to discuss the rout.  Bill suggested that we go back through Prtor so as not to retrace the road we took this morning.  Sounds fine to me as it was only 4:30 and plenty of daylight was left.

When we got back to Crow Agency we had to cross back over the interstate and take the back road through the town to where it hooked up with Hwy 1.  This road must be laid out on a section line beccause it runs east/west and, for most of the way, is as straight as a ruler.  It ends at Hwy 313 where we turned south for some miles until it swept west and became Hwy 91 in St. Xavier.  We pulled over so I could get a photo of the sign warning us of a rough road ahead for the next 44 miles.

The is rough and bumpy but the scenery makes up for it.  We’ve ridden this route in the past so I didn’t feel inclined to stop for photos plus, there are few places to really pull off the road.  When we got to Pryor, I did get a couple photos there.

We headed north and then picked up Hwy 416 which eventually becomes South Billings Blvd.  

I pulled into my garage at 6:39pm, just over 8 hours after we’d left.  It was a great day.  The temperature was perfect and there was virtually no wind.

It was 337 miles.

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.

New Shoes

April 7, 2023

It’s been over 10,200 miles since I changed tires so it was time.  The front tire hadn’t started cupping as bad as the last one but it was wearing weird.  The rear tire looked like it had some life left but I’d rather do both at the same time so I bought a pair Michelin GT4 last fall and with the weather turning warm, it was time to get them mounted.

While I could go to the dealer and get them mounted, I’d asked around and while one friend had a good experience at the dealer, 2 suggested an independent guy and I went with him.  That’s Cyclewerkx on the Southside of Billings.  I dropped them off at 9:30am and he texted me an hour later.  $70 for mount and balance was a great deal too.

Here’s the bike suspended for the removal:

I’m using a jack that Bill gave me and backing it up with some straps hooked to some eye hooks in the overhead bean and to the crash bars.

Here are the wheels ready to back on the bike.

I’ll get them reinstalled over the next or two and hopefully take a longish ride on Monday.

A Quick One to Pompey’s

March 24, 2023

I did do a short ride yesterday.  I went to Canyon Creek Brewery to meet a friend and then rode to Laurel vie River Road and then Buffalo Trail to Molt Road and then home.  A pretty standard quick ride.

Today was no different.  We are supposed to get 2 days of wet, heavy, spring snow starting tonight so I took advantage of what was left of the nice weather and got the bike out.  It was literally an out-and-back, out to Billings Heights, but avoiding Main Street by riding Bitterroot, past Dover Park, and then on Highway 312.  This is a ride I’ve done many times and I know it’s 38 miles to the gate of Pompey’s Pillar.

About 3 miles before arriving, it started raining.  Just a sprinkle but enough that I just grabbed a few quick pictures and then rode back the way I came.  It was right on the line as to whether I should get my winter gloves on or not.

Here’s some photos:

_ \

The First Ride of 2023

March 19, 2023

It’s been a long winter here in Montana.  OK, our winters tend to be long but what made this one different from last year is that snow and ice stayed on the ground longer, making motorcycling a dangerous endeavor.  We did have a few days where the frozen water had retreated but that was accompanied by low temperatures.  I don’t consider myself a weenie when it comes to the temperature, but, please, 40 degrees or higher, please.

So, today was gorgeous.  It’s been relatively warm the past few days and there hasn’t been enough precipitation to slow down the melting process.  I keep my bike in the garage across the the street (I’m the landlord) and since the end of November it’s been stashed there with my ‘83 240 Volvo.  I had the Volvo out frequently and it’s difficult seeing the bike sitting in the back of the garage with the cable going to the battery tender.  But today!!!  Low 50s, sunny, and no wind.

I moved the Volvo out of the way and wheeled the bike into the driveway.  It fired up with no hesitation or no hangover from its lengthy slumber.  I brought it to my place, checked it over, air up the tires, donned my gear, and out we went.  My wife had taken Bart the Dog to Lake Elmo so I figured that would be a good first stop.  The lake is still frozen except around the edges and Bart was having fun tromping through the water.  We played fetch with a stick in a field for a while and then he had to go.  I shot a photo of the bike before I took off.

I wound my way through Billings Heights to get to Wicks Lane and rode that west to Alkali Creek Road.  This road goes through an undeveloped area with only a few ranches present.  I found a place to stop for a photo or two.

As I was getting ready to go, a couple on a Harley passed me.  We both crossed Highway 3 and continued west on Shorey Road.  I’ve done this route quite a few times so I just rode along and didn’t stop for any photos.  When I got to Molt Road, the couple on the Harley had stopped and she was getting off the bike to adjust something.  I went past them and headed on to Molt.

Molt is a small place, just a few buildings and one less than the last time I was there.  On the corner, diagonally across from the post office, was an abandoned building, probably a small house at one time.  One reason I wanted to visit here today is because I may use an image of that place in a drawing project but, it was gone.  Well, not really gone but disassembled.  The lumber was stacked around in piles and all that was left was the floor and a few items like a cabinet, a chair, and a table.

I wasn’t disappointed because I’ve been out here in the past with my cameras and has some good images to work from.  However, I did grab a shot today that has some possibilities.

And, of course, a photo of the bike while we were there.

I headed south on Buffalo Trail and stopped at a pull-out for a couple photos.

The road winds though a nice valley.  There is still some snow in the shady spots.

The rest of the ride was standard: Buffalo Trail to Lipp Road and then find my way to Grand Avenue and then to Rimrock Road.  It felt great and I’m really happy to be back in the saddle.

64 miles today.