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Back Out West AgainI will be accompanied this trip by the world renown ex-chopper pilot, Jim "The Colonel" Arscott. I anticipate Jim's intensive military survival training will serve us well in the wilderness areas of Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana - rumor has it that he can order beer in seven different languages.
Day 1 - Raleigh, NC to Cadiz, KY: 636 miles Rt. 64(W) to I-40(W) to I-24(W). We have elected to take the interstates to Denver in order to spend more time in the mountains. The by-pass around Pittsboro is now complete. Once finished, Rt. 64 will be an attractive alternative to the congestion on I-40 between Raleigh and Winston Salem. Met Jim and his lovely, talented, and effervescent wife, Sandra, for breakfast (hope this gets Jim back in the house after three weeks on the road). Did I mention thin? Our day started out with pleasant weather but it soon became a race between the temperature and the humidity to see which would hit a 100 first. Even at 60 mph it was difficult to stay cool, particularly, with your butt fused to the seat. Clean living paid off once again, as we missed several afternoon thundershowers and the rush hour traffic through Nashville. Ate lunch at the Moose Cafe at the Farmers Market in Asheville just off the interstate. Recommend it highly. Checked into the motel about 7:30 p.m., had a life saving shower, and then dinner at Chez Cracker Barrel. Day 2 - Cadiz, KY to Kansas City, KS: 510 miles I-24(W) to I-57(N) to I-64(W) to I-70(W). One word describes today - HOT! The temperature won the race when it reached 100 degrees in St. Louis (the heat index was 107). It made us look forward to the afternoon showers when the temperature dropped to 72 degrees for about 30 minutes. The Missouri State Police announced over the CB radio that Jim A was not a wuss... but I'm still not sure. Billboard of the Day: "The battle of the sexes will never be won, too much fraternizing with the enemy" Day 3 - Kansas City, KS to Greeley, CO: 639 miles I-70(W) to Rt. 71(N) to Rt. 34(W). What a difference a day makes. We started out in rain and 61 degrees and slowly worked our way up to sunny and 77 degrees. Still, it was much more pleasant than yesterday. For the first time in two days, I arrived at the motel feeling I did not need a shower to save my life. As we crossed the plains of Kansas and neared Colorado, you begin to get the feeling that you are out west. Rolling countryside with few trees and huge farms/ranches were the order of the day. Deer, turkey, and even a badger were spotted along the road. Colorado actually posts signs on its back roads warning you to slow down to 60 mph for curves! Tomorrow, we enter Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park which hopefully will provide some scenic photos. Website updates may become more erratic as we enter the mountains and plan to do some camping.
Day 4 - Greeley, CO to Steamboat Springs, CO: 224 miles Rt. 34(W) to Rt. 40(W). Wow! Today is why you ride 1700 miles in 3 days. Sunny, cool temperatures, little traffic, awesome vistas. Started out with a canyon ride with sheer rock cliffs on both sides of the road and the Big Thompson River to keep us company - the early morning sunlight gave everything a golden hue. Entered Estes Park where the elk were grazing along the fairways with the golfers. Stopped at the historic Stanley Hotel for a photo op and then on to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Hiked around Bear Lake at the base of Glacier Gorge where only our superior physical condition kept us from suffering from the ill effects of high altitude sickness. Then it was on to the Trail Ridge Road (the highest continuous paved highway in the U.S.) where we crossed the Continental Divide at Milner Pass and topped out at 12,200 feet. Elk and deer were everywhere. Pitched our tents at a KOA in Steamboat, had dinner at a wonderful restaurant (Cugiani's), and then brought our fluids level back up to acceptable standards while watching the stars. Saw two passing satellites and one shooting star. The Colonel's first camping experience since the military.
Day 5 - Steamboat Springs, CO to Green River, WY: 356 miles Rt. 40(W) to Rt. 191(N) to I-80(W) Rode into town while watching hot air balloons float above the valley. Had breakfast at a sidewalk cafe and enjoyed the near perfect weather. Almost decided to stay another day but pressed on instead. The Dinosaur National Monument in western Colorado & eastern Utah is a 25 mile drive around several beautiful canyons. However, you do have to come back the same way you rode in. At the Dinosaur Quarry they have preserved a discontinued archeological dig by making it one wall of an enclosed building. Actual dinosaur fossils are visible at the exhibit. Flaming Gorge in northern Utah and southern Wyoming is a National Recreational Area that was created by damming up the river. It is pretty but not worth a special trip solely for viewing. Great drive from Flaming Gorge to Green River. Beautiful, multi-colored cliffs that reminded me of the painted desert in Arizona. Lots of pronghorns and one peregrine falcon.
Day 6 - Green River, WY to Jackson, WY: 230 miles Rt. 372(N) to Rt. 189(N) to 191(N) Long stretch of nothing but straight highways and mining operations. High plains until Jackson where the mountains jumped out of the ground. Checked out the area and decided to camp at the Snake River KOA. Pitched our tents overlooking the river. Our neighbors, John, Juanita & Dave, joined us for Happy Hour and then dinner at the Cross Creek Saloon. Great time had by all.
Day 7 - Jackson, WY to Idaho to Montana to Yellowstone to Jackson, WY: 489 miles Rt. 191(N) to Rt. 22(W) to Rt. 33(N) to Rt. 32(N) to Rt. 47(N) to Rt. 20(N) to Rt. 287(N) to Rt. 191(N) to Rt. 84(E) to I-90(E) to Rt. 89(S) to Rt. 191(S) Great ride up and over Teton Pass into Idaho where the scenery changed dramatically. Large, lush fields of amber grain reminded me of a hilly Midwest. Rt. 47 was a pleasant surprise that took us back into the mountains (Targhee National Forest) where we saw several waterfalls. Rt. 191 through the Gallatin National Forest was also very pretty. Toured the western side of Yellowstone on the way back to Jackson. Yellowstone is every bit as exotic and beautiful as advertised - geysers, hot springs, wildlife, canyons, mountains, etc. One caution: road repair created long waits and dirt/loose gravel roads. The Park Ranger confirmed that bears favor "red bikes" over other colors (something about raw meat). Jim "Bear Bait" Arscott led the way through the Park.
Day 8 - Jackson, WY to Cody, WY: 256 miles Rt. 191(N) to Yellowstone to Rt. 212(E) to Rt. 296(S) to Rt. 120(S) In the eastern half of Yellowstone, we saw more wildlife including buffalo crossing the road and the canyon of Yellowstone Falls. Rt. 212 took us out of the Park and back through the mountains. Cooke City appeared to be a great ATV area. Lots of "Beware of Grizzly" signs. Rt. 296 (Chief Joseph Highway) is a terrific motorcycle highway (Jim A's favorite all time ride). Checked into the Ponderosa Campground and had dinner at the historic Hotel Irma in downtown Cody.
Day 9 - Cody, WY to Helena, MT: 360 miles Rt. 120(N) to Rt. 296(N) to Rt. 212(E) to Rt. 78(N) to I-90(W) to Rt. 89(N) to Rt. 12(N) The Chief Joseph Highway was just as much fun the second time as the first although a lot colder. Beartooth Pass is another "must ride" for motorcyclists. Incredible vistas combined with challenging riding. Red Lodge, MT is a quaint town that would be fun to explore for a day.
Day 10 - Helena, MT to Havre, MT: 458 miles Rt. 12(W) to Rt. 141(N) to Rt. 200(W) to Rt. 83(N) to Rt. 2(E) to the Glacier National Park Highway to Rt. 89(S) to Rt. 2(E) One of the advantages of riding with Jim A is that you automatically get the senior citizen's discount without asking (see Jim for explanation). Beautiful ride up to Swan Lake where we had a picnic lunch overlooking the water with the mountains in the background. Glacier National Park is simply awesome. It has to be seen to be believed. "Must ride/visit" for anyone who can make it. Having run out of superlatives to describe the places we have visited, seems like as good enough reason to turn around and head home as any. So far, we have covered roughly 3,900 miles. Rt. 2 is, for the most part, straight as an arrow and bordered by endless fields stretching to the horizon. The top end on Jim A's new 2001 Gold Wing is highly classified but let's just say that Jim found out what it is today.
Day 11 - Havre, MT to Devils Lake, ND: 558 miles Rt. 2(E) has turned out to be a very good way to cross the northern U.S. Good pavement, high speed limits, little traffic, small towns every 20 miles or so, and enough variety to keep the long rides from becoming boring. Went through Rugby, ND, the geographic center of North America.
Day 12 - Devils Lake, ND to Ashland, WI: 430 miles Rt. 2(E) - see Day 11 Learned from a waitress at dinner that "Illusion Red" is just another name for pink - makes you wonder if the owner should be wearing a tutu instead of leathers. Day 13 - Ashland, WI to Saginaw, MI: 558 miles Rt. 2(E) to I-75(S) The UP of Michigan is a pleasant ride through birch lined forests and lakes. Relatively flat and straight but still very enjoyable. Had dinner at Zender's in Frankenmuth. My all time favorite "home style" fried chicken.
Day 14 - Saginaw, MI to Charleston, WV: 444 miles I-75(S) to Rt. 23(S) to I-475(S) to I-75(S) to Rt. 15(E) to Rt. 68(S) to Rt. 31(S) to Rt. 33(S) to I-270(S) to Rt. 23(S) to Rt. 35 (S) to I-64(E) Four perfect riding days in a row. Sunny skies, mild temperatures, good highways, little traffic/construction, wild biker babes with colorful tattoos and pierced... sorry, kinda got carried away... never mind. Stopped at the newest Cabela's in Dundee, MI, a 220,000 square foot superstore for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition to just about anything you could imagine in the way of sporting goods, there are numerous stuffed large game animals and a huge aquarium filled with fresh water fish. Well worth a visit.
Day 15 - Charleston, WV to Raleigh, NC: 356 miles I-64(E) to West Virginia Turnpike(S) to Rt. 52(S) to Rt. 64(E) Rt. 52 just across the Virginia border and into Mt. Airy is a nice change of pace that allows you to see the back country and play in the curves. Conclusion/Summary/Epilogue/Epitaph Great trip! One of my most enjoyable rides and one of the most scenic. Unfortunately, photos and written descriptions simply do not do it justice. You have to see it and experience it first hand. Thanks to Jim A, who is as good a riding buddy as you could ask for (actually, I asked for Cameron Diaz but there apparently was a weather related problem - something about a cold day in hell). Trip Statistics (via GPS)...
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