Connecticut to California – Day 6 – August 17, 2000

I’m sitting at the gate of Montana Honda & Marine at 9:00 a.m.  I called Mike, the Service Manager, last week and he was kind enough to schedule me for my 12,000 mile service today.  Bike is on the lift at 9:30 and I am out the door at 12:30 p.m.  Thanks, Mike – I know you are burned out from Wing Ding – I appreciate your getting me in and out.

Today I am going to Beartooth Country # 31 in the Reader’s Digest book.  I am westbound on I-90 again – lots of construction here, but there is very little traffic and I have no problem maintaining the 65 mph construction zone speed limit.

I pass by the exit for 212 south – instead moving farther west to take 78 south out of Columbus through Absarokee and Roscoe.  I will meet up with 212 – later in Red Lodge.  The only thing better than a beautiful road – is a beautiful road with no traffic – and this is it.  Gently rolling along the river through gently sweeping turns – rolling over gentle hills – I don’t see a car for miles.  I hold a steady speed of 45 mph so that I can enjoy the countryside.  Angus and Herefords stare at me from behind fences – fields of alfalfa – hay stacked neatly in the fields – grazing horses.  There is a quiet purposefulness about this place.  The ranchers here are doing well – neat houses and barns – but not lavish.  Just good folks – running stock and raising feed.

Rolling into Red Lodge, I stop at the red and black star (read Texaco) and put on my leather jacket.  I am well versed in the inverse relationship between altimeter and thermometer – and where I am going the altimeter is going to read 10,497 feet.  Although it is 85 degrees in Red Lodge – it will probably be 55 degrees in Beartooth Pass.  I decide I would rather dress here than up there.

The ascent from Red Lodge is quick and challenging.  There isn’t a camera lens made that is wide enough to take in all the vistas available on this road.  I find myself thinking that the next great Circlevision movie should be taken with a 360-degree camera on a motorcyclist’s helmet while driving up this road.  The pictures, I’m sure will not convey the steepness of the grades or the sharpness of the turns.  Sometimes there are two or three 180-degree turns within a half of a mile – once again I am glad I have six cylinders between my legs.  I stop briefly at the Rock Creek Vista Point and a cage driver comes over to ask me if it is hard pulling the trailer up the steep grades.  I tell him no – and if he is tired of driving – I will just hook a tow chain onto his front bumper and pull him up the mountain too.  He looks at the Valk engine and allows as how he thinks it just might be able to do it.

The descent on the other side of the pass is much more gentle – there are a few 180s – but generally the road falls gently to Beartooth Lake – where I am treated once again to a fly over of three hawks.  Two days in a row with three hawks flying over makes my heart smile – the spirits are with me.

I have to pass up the opportunity to take the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway – it is getting late in the afternoon and I have a few miles to put behind me – I want to make it through the northwest corner of Yellowstone before I stop for the night.  I’ve been dancing with two partners today – I came to the dance with Montana – but find myself dancing with Wyoming then back to Montana and back to Wyoming – but at days end I’ll go home with that what brought me – so good bye Wyoming – it’s Gardiner, Montana – tonight.

I continue on 212 thorough the northeastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park.  I can’t believe my good fortune – there is almost no traffic.  I decided not to do the whole Yellowstone Grand Loop on this trip for two reasons – I did the loop a number of years ago when my son was at the Air Force Academy – and I just didn’t want to deal with the traffic.  It turns out that is a wise decision; because the sign at the gate indicates that the southern portion of the loop is closed – due to fire.  I’m thinking - if the fire is responsible for the cages not being here – fire is my friend.

The drive from the entrance to the Grand Loop is nothing short of spectacular.  I can stop the motorcycle right in the middle of the road to shoot a picture – sometimes I don’t see a car for 5 or 10 minutes.  Like I said yesterday – the hawks can see farther than I can see – they know the pleasures that lie ahead.  Along the way I see 30 or 40 fly fishermen.  There is something wrong with this picture.  It takes me a while, but I finally figure it out – no one is fishing.  Everyone I saw was standing along the bank of the river or along the road working on their rigs.  Hmmmmmmm – fixing them, not using them……where have I seen that before?

As I approach Roosevelt Lodge, I see that someone has solved the problem of public transportation in the National Parks.  I suggest we only allow motorcycles and horse drawn wagons in the parks – that will take care of all the traffic problems.

As I pull into Mammoth Hot Springs, I see a coyote trotting by the chapel.  I slow down and ask him if he is going to vespers, but he has other things on his mind.  I move along to the hotel where I know there will be elk grazing on the green lawns around the hotel – they always have and they always will – I guess.

I stop to take a shot of the herd – then move through The North Entrance into Gardner.  As I approach town, I find the biggest elk buck I have ever seen in my life – lying on someone’s front lawn.  Yes, my friends, he is real and he is eating – and can you believe that rack?

Tom Bodet left the light on for me – so it’s Motel 6 tonight – and Prime Rib with sour cream mashed potatoes across the street at the restaurant.

Tomorrow, it’s Charlie Russell Country – north to Glacier National Park.

The bike trip meter says 216.2 the Garmin III+ trip meter says 221.2 and I say Goodnight from Gardner, Montana.

Connecticut Yankee in Yosemite Valley- the Trek
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